Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) announced on Friday that it has set up a COVID-19 testing facility at the multi-level car parking area of Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport's Terminal 3 for the international passengers who have connecting domestic flights. Earlier, the Civil Aviation Ministry said that international passengers who have domestic connecting flights will have the option of getting themselves tested for coronavirus at the entry points of airports. Here are a few things that passengers should know about it: DIAL is working with Genestrings Diagnostic Centre, a Delhi-based laboratory. The testing facility is expected to become operational from mid-September this year. For people who take the test, if the RT-PCR results come out negative, only then will the international passenger will be allowed to board a connecting domestic flight. Results of tests will be declared within 4-6 hours. While the tests are being run, the passengers will be isolated at a waiting lounge. Passengers can opt for a hotel if they please. Any international passenger who does not have a negative COVID-19 certificate for a test conducted less than 96 hours prior to the journey will have to compulsorily undergo a seven-day quarantine followed by seven-day home quarantine if they don't opt for the RT-PCR COVID-19 test on arrival. The Union Health Ministry on August 2 said if an international passenger has a negative result from an RT-PCR COVID-19 test centre, conducted 96 hours prior to the journey, he/she will not need to undergo the 14-day institutional quarantine in India. Also Read: Rajnath Singh likely to meet Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe in Moscow this evening Also Read: Daiichi-Ranbaxy case: Delhi Police summons Radha Soami Satsang chief Gurinder Singh Dhillon The third edition of the Luxembourg Kilt Walk, held to raise funds to fight pancreatic cancer, is currently underway. The 41-kilometre walk is organised by Ross Steele in memory of his stepfather who succumbed to the disease. The 20 expected participants will hike from The Pyg in Clausen to Mersch and back in kilts, although some have chosen to complete only half of the walk. According to Steele, organisation has been difficult this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, and some Scots who had been keen to join have been unable to make it. Steele's sister is organising a similar event in Scotland instead. Afterwards, participants and friends will enjoy drinks, a quiz and a raffle at the Pyg, although coronavirus restrictions will be respected. Steele is hoping to match last year's total of 3,000 in aid of Pancreatic Cancer Scotland. You can contribute to his JustGiving page here. The Congress on Saturday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to take the nation into confidence on talks with China on the border row in Ladakh, saying people want to know about the outcomes of the repeated conversations with the Chinese side. The Opposition partys demand comes a day after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Chinese counterpart Gen. Wei Fenghe held an over two-hour-long meeting in Moscow with a focus on easing escalating border tension in eastern Ladakh. Congresss chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said it was Rajdharma of the prime minister and the defence minister to take the nation into confidence on the important issue. Listing the various levels of talks held with the Chinese from the foreign ministers level and corps commanders level to the defence ministers discussions, Surjewala asked what is the outcome of these talks. What is the conversation about, what is happening. Will Prime Minister Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh take the country into confidence? he asked. Surjewala also referred to Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringlas remarks that it was an unprecedented situation at the India-China border and weve never had this sort of a situation since 1962, to underline the seriousness of the issue. The important part is what is the outcome of the repeated conversations with the Chinese counterparts by our government.... How will we ensure that Chinese transgressions are defeated, Surjewala said in a video posted on his Twitter account. He said people want answers to questions such as how the Chinese will be repulsed to reclaim our motherland. We hope Prime Minister Modi and the defence minister will come forward and take the nation into confidence. That is the true Rajdharma. We will await an answer, he said. Later, at an online briefing, Congress leader Rajeev Shukla said, We hope that the issue can be resolved through talks. He, however, demanded that the government should give a clear picture of the situation. Conflicting statements coming from the government is a matter of worry for us, he added. The tension between the two sides had escalated manifold after the violent clashes in Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh on June 15 in which 20 Indian Army personnel were killed. The Chinese side also suffered casualties but it is yet to give out the details. According to an American intelligence report, the number of casualties on the Chinese side was 35. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. This Labor Day weekend, people will likely flock to the beaches along Michigans coastline to get in a few final days of sand and sun as the summer starts to come to an end. But before you grab your sunscreen and cooler, there are some things to keep in mind. As part of the weekly series, MichMash, MLives Cheyna Roth and public radio station WDETs Jake Neher talk about what you can expect after a summer of high water levels and coronavirus. You can hear Neher and Roths full conversation with MLives Garret Ellison on the player above. As far as safety on the Great Lakes goes, be on the lookout for red flags or other signs saying that its not safe to swim. Theres also the fact that coronavirus is still an active concern in the state and nationwide. As a result, health officials recommend keeping in small groups, and beaches are trying to enforce social distancing. The need to social distance may also interfere with your ability to even get to the beach. A lot of parks are closing down their parking lots when theyre at half capacity. When you hit the beach, its also possible that youll see more trash. Because the coronavirus pandemic closed a lot of indoor activities in the spring and summer, people have been at the beaches in droves this season. And that tends to mean more trash, while at the same time, beach cleanups have been cancelled or reduced in size. Historically high water levels in areas of the Great Lakes will also impact what visitors see at the beaches. People would notice this, you know, immediately upon going to the beach or the shoreline, said MLives environmental reporter, Garret Ellison. And were coming into storm season here and a couple months, which, when you take storm season with record high water levels, it really does start to increase the erosion along the shoreline. And thats been happening over the last couple years. As a result of the eroding shoreline, private and public properties are installing rock armor and other types of armoring along the lake shore in order to protect homes and infrastructure. This type of armoring is controversial because it keeps people from being able to walk along the shoreline in a lot of cases, Ellison said. The other concern is that armoring the shoreline could be exacerbating erosion somewhere else. It may protect your property, but it may cause the lake to start to, kind of, eat away on either side of where the rock armor starts and ends, Ellison said. So it can, create issues between neighbors. Theres also long-term concerns about the impact on the shoreline itself. Theres some research to suggest that the more the shoreline is hardened, the less it reduces beachs natural ability to replenish itself when water levels go back down, he said. As a result of shoreline erosion, the Great Lakes beaches look dramatically different than they did just a few years ago, said Ellison. While 2013 saw record low lake levels, the high water levels mean the size of beaches have been reduced quite a bit. Erosion is always going to be happening, theres really just no way around it, Ellison said. And so the the way to deal with it is to get out of the way. And thats kind of whats been going on the last few years. People are moving houses away from bluffs, away from the edge of the shoreline, you know, starting to realize that, the lake is in charge. More From MichMash: MichMash: Michigans marijuana industry still struggles with equality MichMash: How to make sure your vote is counted during a pandemic MichMash: Campaigns try to reach people without touching them during coronavirus pandemic Protests have now roiled Portland, Oregon, for 100 days. Originally sparked by the death of George Floyd after a Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck, demonstrations have continued to demand justice for Black lives lost at the hands of law enforcement. Protesters and Portland police began to clash consistently in mid-July, with scenes involving violence and tear gas. During the summer, demonstrators also protested the death of Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky, and the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The protests turned fatal just last weekend. Authorities say a self-described antifa supporter shot and killed a right-wing counter-protester, only to die himself Thursday in a shootout with federal agents who had come to arrest him outside Olympia, Washington. 'Arms race': Portland shooting shows protesters on the right and the left are bringing guns On Friday night, the drama in Portland continued. Portland police declared an unlawful assembly and arrested 27 people. Hundreds of people some wearing helmets, gas masks and armored clothing marched to Portland Police Association offices, where they encountered officers around the perimeter of the building. Some stood in the street blocking traffic, while others yelled at the officers, according to police. Musicians set up an open mic amid the crowd and hosted several speakers, according to The Oregonian. More than an hour later, dozens of officers moved in on protesters, set off pink smoke devices and shot impact munitions to force people to leave, the outlet reported. Some of the demonstrators had thrown rocks, a full beverage can and water bottles at officers, police said Saturday. At least one woman who was arrested was bleeding from her head and was treated by medics. People walk under the marquee of the Lake Theater & Cafe memorializing George Floyd in Lake Oswego, Ore., Saturday, May 30, 2020. Katrina Hendricks, left, pushes a stroller holding her son, Melo, as her mother, Elaine Loving, walks alongside her at a Juneteenth rally and march through a historically Black neighborhood in Portland, Ore. on June 19, 2020. A sign advertising a daily protest in solidarity with Black Lives Matter is affixed to a telephone pole in a historically Black neighborhood in Portland, Ore., on July 1 2020. Federal officers deployed tear gas and fired less-lethal rounds into a crowd of protesters late July 16, 2020 during a demonstration in Portland, Ore. Police stand guard as protesters gather July 16 in Portland, Ore. Protesters seen near the Multnomah County Justice Center on July 17, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. Federal law enforcement agencies attempt to intervene as protests continue in Portland. People protest during a demonstration in front of the Multnomah County Justice Center in Portland, Oregon, on July 17, 2020. Mothers stand arm-in-arm outside the Justice Center in downtown Portland, Ore., on July 18 during another night of protests. Activists and lawmakers expressed outrage over accusations that federal agents circulating in unmarked cars grabbed protesters off the streets. A protester walks away from chemical irritants as federal agents use crowd control munitions to disperse Black Lives Matter protesters at the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse on Sunday, July 19, 2020, in Portland, Oregon. Officers used teargas and projectiles to move the crowd after some protesters tore down a fence fronting the courthouse. KaCe Freeman chants during a Black Lives Matter protest outside the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse on Monday, July 20, 2020, in Portland, Oregon. Portland police early Monday detailed another night of conflict between protesters and federal forces outside the U.S. courthouse in Oregon's largest city, including a small fire outside the building and tear gas deployed to disperse the crowd. Hundreds of Black Lives Matter protesters hold their phones aloft on Monday, July 20, 2020, in Portland, Ore. Teal Lindseth reacts to tear gas after federal officers dispersed protesters from in front of the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse on July 20, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. Federal agents use crowd control munitions to disperse Black Lives Matter protesters near the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse on Monday, July 20, 2020, in Portland, Ore. A federal officer pepper sprays a protester in front of the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse on July 20, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. The federal police response to the ongoing protests against racial inequality has been criticized by city and state elected officials. Romeo Ceasar holds a sign during a Black Lives Matter protester on Monday, July 20, 2020, in Portland, Oregon. A Black Lives Matter protester carries an American flag as teargas fills the air outside the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse in Portland, Ore. on July 21, 2020. Orion Crabb holds his head back while a medic rinses tear gas from his eyes after federal officers dispersed a crowd of about 1,000 protesters from in front of the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse on July 21, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. The federal police response to the ongoing protests against racial inequality has been criticized by city and state elected officials. Federal officers use chemical irritants and crowd control munitions to disperse Black Lives Matter protesters outside the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse on Wednesday, July 22, 2020, in Portland, Oregon. Protesters use umbrellas to block pepper balls while clashing with federal officers at the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse on July 22, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. The federal police response to the ongoing protests against racial inequality has been criticized by city and state elected officials. The outline of a federal officer is seen here behind a reinforced version of a fence that protesters dismantled earlier in the week in front of the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse on July 23, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. The federal police response to the ongoing protests against racial inequality has been criticized by city and state elected officials. A group of demonstrators addresses the crowd during a Black Lives Matter protest at the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse on Thursday, July 23, 2020, in Portland, Ore. Protestors wave placards and shout slogans as they take part in a rally against police brutality in Portland, Oregon late July 24, 2020. A demonstrators stands in front of federal officers during a Black Lives Matter protest at the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse Friday, July 24, 2020, in Portland, Ore. Seen from a window at the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse, Black Lives Matter protesters march up SW Salmon Street on Friday, July 24, 2020, in Portland, Ore. A protester wears a mask and googles outside the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse during a Black Lives Matter protest Friday, July 24, 2020, in Portland, Ore. People gather in protest in front of the Mark O. Hatfield federal courthouse in downtown Portland as the city experiences another night of unrest on July 25, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. Protesters threw bags of trash and water bottles, and fired fireworks at federal agents protecting the federal courthouse in downtown Portland, Oregon in the early hours of Saturday, July 25, 2020, during a protest over Black Lives Matter and the presence of those federal officers in the city. A protester inspects the torn-down fence outside the federal courthouse in Portland, Oregon, in the early morning of July 26, 2020. A protester burns signs during a break in confrontations between federal agents and a large crowd at the federal courthouse in Portland, Oregon in the early hours of July 26, 2020. Federal police make an arrest as they confront protesters in front of the Mark O. Hatfield federal courthouse in downtown Portland as the city experiences another night of unrest on July 26, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. A demonstrator wears a gas mask as federal officers deploy tear gas during a Black Lives Matter protest at the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse Monday, July 27, 2020, in Portland, Ore. People gather to protest in front of the Mark O. Hatfield federal courthouse in downtown Portland as the city experiences another night of unrest on July 27, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. People gather to protest in front of the Mark O. Hatfield federal courthouse in downtown Portland as the city experiences another night of unrest on July 27, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. Zoe, 6, and her mother Lacey, no last names given, prepare to march during a Black Lives Matter protest Tuesday, July 28, 2020, in Portland, Ore. People gather in protest in front of the Mark O. Hatfield federal courthouse in downtown Portland as the city experiences another night of unrest on July 28, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. A member of the "Wall of Moms" protest group marches with other demonstrators during a Black Lives Matter protest at the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse Tuesday, July 28, 2020, in Portland, Ore. Federal officers are surrounded by smoke as they push back demonstrators during a Black Lives Matter protest at the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse Wednesday, July 29, 2020, in Portland, Ore. A demonstrator leads a chant during a Black Lives Matter protest at the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse Wednesday, July 29, 2020, in Portland, Ore. Federal law enforcement dispense tear gas as they confront demonstrators during a night of protest against racial injustice, police brutality and the deployment of federal troops to US cities on July 29, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. Portland police officers arrest a protester after clearing Chapman Square, the main location of nightly protests against racial injustice and police brutality, in front of the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse on July 30, 2020 in Portland. Bobbi Snethen, right, holds a sign during a protest caravan for Black Lives Matter on Friday, July 31, 2020, in Portland, Ore. Demonstration leaders talk with the crowd gathered outside the Justice Center during a protest against racial injustice and police brutality on July 31, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. Demonstrators confront one another after one group put out a fire during a night of protest on July 31, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. Leshan Terry hold his son Leshan Terry, Jr., 6, during a Black Lives Matter protest at the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse on Friday, July 31, 2020, in Portland, Ore. Black Lives Matter protester Jorge Mendoza holds a sign while rallying at the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse on Saturday, Aug. 1, 2020, in Portland, Ore. A Black Lives Matter protester rallies at the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse on Saturday, Aug. 1, 2020, in Portland, Ore. A memorial to Breonna Taylor is seen here during a Black Lives Matter protest on August. 2, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. Portlands nightly protests have remained peaceful following Thursdays announcement that federal officers would begin a phased withdrawal from the city. A Department of Homeland Security officer emerges from the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse after demonstrators lit a fire on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2020, in Portland, Ore. Following an agreement between Democratic Gov. Kate Brown and the Trump administration to reduce federal officers in the city, nightly protests remained largely peaceful without major confrontations between protesters and officers. Black Lives Matter protesters march through Portland, Ore. after rallying at the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2020. Two protesters cheer in front of the Multnomah County Justice Center during a Black Lives Matter protest on August 2, 2020 in Portland. A crowd of a few hundred peaceful protester march past the Edith Green - Wendell Wyatt Federal Building in the early morning on August 2, 2020 in Portland. Speakers lead chants against police violence during a Black Lives Matter protest on August. 2, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. Portlands nightly protests have remained peaceful following Thursdays announcement that federal officers would begin a phased withdrawal from the city. A Multnomah Count Sheriffs cruiser drives past the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse during a Black Lives Matter protest on August. 3, 2020 in Portland. Demonstrators gather at Floyd Light City Park Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020 in Portland, Ore. Protests turned violent again even after the mayor pleaded with demonstrators to stay off the streets. Demonstrators gather at Floyd Light City Park on their way to Portland Police Bureau's East Precinct Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020 in Portland, Ore. Protests turned violent again even after the mayor pleaded with demonstrators to stay off the streets. A protester climbs from the roof of a van while a second watches the entrance to the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office on August 12, 2020 in Portland. A protester who declined to be named is treated by a street medic after being pepper sprayed by a Portland police officer on August 14, 2020 in Portland. Four Portland police officers arrest a protester during a crowd dispersal near Mississippi Avenue on August 14, 2020 in Portland. A protester screams at police during a standoff at a Portland precinct in Portland on August 15, 2020. Police declared a riot around midnight as Portland protests continued for the 80th consecutive night Saturday, Aug. 15, 2020. Protesters gathered at Laurelhurst Park Saturday evening before marching to the Penumbra Kelly building. Demonstrators gather downtown in front of the Justice Center as protests continue in Portland, Ore., Sunday night, Aug. 16, 2020. Portland police are seen in riot gear during a standoff with protesters in Portland, Oregon on August 16, 2020. An event organizer speaks to the crowd during a peaceful march against racial injustice and police brutality in North Portland on August 20, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. Tabitha Poppins bangs drumsticks against the front gate of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility on August 20, 2020 in Portland. A protester watches federal officers through the gate in front of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility early in the morning on August 21, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. For the second night in a row federal police clashed with crowds in South Waterfront after being absent from Portlands nightly protest for weeks. A protester tries to talk with a federal officer during a dispersal of about 150 people from in front of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility early in the morning on August 21, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. Homemade shields are seen here at the front of a protest against police brutality and racial injustice on August 21, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. Friday marked the 86th night of protests in Portland following the death of George Floyd. Right wing groups, left, and Portland anti-police protesters face off in front of the Multnomah County Justice Center on August 22, 2020 in Portland. Protesters and Portland police clash while dispersing a crowd gathered in front of the Portland Police Bureau North Precinct early in the morning on August 22, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. Friday marked the 86th night of protests in Portland following the death of George Floyd. A protester runs through the vandalized lobby of Portland City Hall as police announce an unlawful assembly outside on August 25, 2020 in Portland. Federal officers walk through tear gas during a dispersal of about 300 protesters in front of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention building on August 26, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. Protests continued for the 91st night in Portland as activist called for solidarity with rallies in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Shane Braswell, who has participated in Black Lives Matter protests this summer, plays guitar in front of a mural covering the entrance to an Apple store, Aug. 27, 2020 in Portland. Peaceful protesters march through downtown in solidarity with Jacob Blake on August 27, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. Protests continued across the country Thursday night following the police shooting of Blake in Wisconsin. A black Lives Matter protester scuffles with attendees of a pro-Trump rally during an event held to show support for the president on August 29, 2020 in Clackamas, Oregon. Far left counter-protesters and pro-Trump supporters clashed Saturday afternoon as a parade of cars carrying right wing supporters made their way from nearby Clackamas to Portland. A protester plays a banjo during the nightly protests at a Portland police precinct on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2020 in Portland, Ore. Oregon State Police will return to Portland to help local authorities after the fatal shooting of a man following clashes between President Donald Trump supporters and counter-protesters that led to an argument between the president and the city's mayor over who was to blame for the violence. Graffiti drawn by protesters lines a crosswalk in Portland, Ore., on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2020. This weekend Portland will mark 100 consecutive days of protests over the May 25 police killing of George Floyd. Stacy Kendra Williams holds a shield while facing off against police at the Penumbra Kelly Building on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2020, in Portland, Ore. Black Lives Matter protesters Tyson Waggoner and his wife Ahni Rezendes rally outside the Portland Police Association building on Friday, Sept. 4, 2020, in Portland, Ore. Protesters take to the streets during clashes as the 100th night of consecutive protests brings more tension and arrests on Friday, Sept. 4, 2020 in Portland, Ore. Police stand guard as protesters take to the streets during as the 100th night of consecutive protests brings more tension and arrests on Friday, Sept. 4, 2020 in Portland, Ore. A protester is arrested during clashes with police Friday, Sept. 5, 2020 in Portland, Ore. Contributing: Grace Hauck, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Portland protests: 100 photos, 100 days of Black lives matter effort Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 16:29:36|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Xinhua Writers Yao Yuan and He Wen LANZHOU, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- In an obscure museum in Huachuan Village, old items and furniture collected from local farmers are testimonies to the tremendous changes wrought by China's anti-poverty drive. Kerosene lamps and water containers made from bark were once common objects in the village in northwest China's Gansu Province. Now they are displayed like ancient relics in the three-room "Rural Memory Museum." Hold your breath and meet the most grandiose dowry of a local family: five pottery bowls of different sizes juxtaposed like an unfolded Matryoshka doll. "In the past, only the richest of the impoverished families in the village could afford them," said Wang Ting, a township official stationed at the village and a guide at the three-room museum. Pottery jars of various sizes and shapes are the most common items on display, redolent of the era when local families need to store water to prepare for droughts. Another photo showed villagers gathering around a newly-installed open-air faucet in 2014. "It was the first time tap water reached the village, and villagers wrapped the faucet with plastic bags to protect the precious water source from freezing in the winter," said Wang. China has set the goal of eradicating absolute poverty by 2020. As destitution fades across China, villages like Huachuan have set up museums to document the memories of poverty, both to honor the historic campaign and to preserve local cultures and identities. In east China's Shandong Province, over 210 village memory museums have been set up since 2018 with government funds. One of such museums in Caoxian County collected over 100 wooden farming tools that have been replaced by machines. Huachuan is one of the better-off villages in Tongwei County, which is in the homestretch to remove itself from the poverty-ridden county list. The village was delisted in 2014 with developments in its animal husbandry and strong government assistance. Last year, the village opened the museum to preserve its cultures and collective memories in the battle against poverty. The museum initially displayed 486 items, all donated by enthusiastic local residents. "Many villagers rummaged their houses for old items, and some wealthy locals living in other cities mailed us old pictures and wired money to express support," Wang said. "The opening ceremony of the museum was attended by many elderly villagers, who were excited to see their items being displayed as something of great value," she said. Xu Shangwen, a 48-year-old villager, donated some jars passed down from his parents, a couple of old stamps and deserted farming tools. "These old items are useless junks in my house. I'm glad they found a place in the museum and became memories of the village," he said. "I hope the museum can help young people understand how hard our lives once were, so they would cherish today's good life," said Xu, whose family is about to be removed from the poverty list this year, thanks to the take-off of local industries and government aids. Wang agrees that such museums could educate younger generations, who "are losing memories of poverty due to rapid advances in society." "The enormous changes since China launched the anti-poverty campaign is worth recording, so are the lives and struggles of many villagers," she said. Enditem It is this sense of entitlement and hypocrisy that has discredited politicians like Pelosi worldwide. Early this week, when US Democrat leader and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi walked into a San Francisco salon for a hairwash and blowout, she did not anticipate a massive, nationwide blowback. She used the salon despite a COVID-19 shutdown, without a mask, and in complete disregard to the pandemic protocol. The owner of the salon, Erica Kious, later said Pelosis visit felt like a slap on her face. There was an added angle. Hypocrisy, the hallmark of politicians worldwide punch-drunk with power. Pelosi has on several occasions attacked President Donald Trump over not using masks and being generally cavalier about Covid. Trump wasted no time in roasting her for her double standards. https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1301145978096025601?s=20 Politics is as much about perception as policy. And Pelosi handed Republicans a gift, since conservatives love to demonize her as a rich socialist who passes laws infringing the freedom of Americans that she ignores herself, wrote CNN, arguing that she will never be able to live down Salon-gate. It is this sense of entitlement and hypocrisy that has discredited politicians like Pelosi worldwide. And this very disenchantment with the insiders in politics has made voters repeatedly choose outsiders like Trump, Narendra Modi, Emmanuel Macron or Arvind Kejriwal. India has been a pioneer nation in the rise of the outsider. Fed up of the UPA politicians endemic corruption and elite-club air, millions of ordinary Indians almost staged a political coup with the spontaneous India Against Corruption movement. Meanwhile, the story of Modi was getting rapidly larger. Here was a man who had sadhu-like incorruptibility, who did not appease fake secularism, was entirely focused on his states development, and most importantly, was the greatest threat to the Lutyens power circles. Modi had quite a few X-factors which even Kejriwal did not possess. But in both, Indians saw leaders who lived firmly outside a self-serving, outdated system. That, however, could neither be said about the Congress then, nor is it true of the Congress now. The Nehru-Gandhis, the ultimate insiders of Indian politics, continue to hold on to the partys reins, even as they drive it to dust with electoral defeat after defeat. The party is packed with career politicians like Ahmed Patels and Digvijaya Singhs, or lawyer-netas like Kapil Sibal and P Chidambaram who are also entrenched insiders of the elitist club, or politically clueless younger aides of Rahul Gandhi like Kanishka Singh and Sandeep Singh whose only aspiration is to be an insider. The only rebel in Congress is actually Rahul, whose rebellion is strangely against the meritless, dynastic establishment of which he himself is the mascot. To effectively challenge Trump or Modi, their Opposition will need dynamic outsiders. Leaders who dont represent the crumbling system. And those who will not imperiously storm into parlours brushing aside the owners reservations and law of the land just because they can. EUs chief negotiator says London must agree not to change UK law distorting trade with the bloc, The Times reports. The European Union is demanding a potential veto on the United Kingdoms post-Brexit laws and regulations, The Times newspaper reported on Saturday, citing senior government officials. The British daily reported that the EUs chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, is said to be insisting that London must agree not to implement any change to UK legislation that could distort trade with the bloc without first consulting Brussels. Barniers UK counterpart, David Frost, has rejected the approach, The Times reported. The EU need to realise that what theyre asking for is at odds with what the British people voted for, twice, and not something we could accept, a British source said. EU diplomats said earlier that Barnier went to London on Tuesday to tell Frost the UK must move on state aid, or there will not be a Brexit agreement. Afterwards, Barnier said London had not shown enough flexibility and creativity on fair competition, fisheries and solving disputes in order to seal a deal on new trade ties by a strict deadline of end-October. Senior officials in British Prime Minister Boris Johnsons office see only a 30-40 percent chance that there will be a Brexit trade agreement due to the impasse, The Times reported. There is a risk of a no-deal scenario at the end of the year, an EU official said. People need to be ready for that. European Council President Charles Michel told reporters that sooner or later, the UK should clarify what they want. Its not possible to leave the European club and at the same time keep all the benefits, he said. We have no certainty that well reach a deal. I hope it will be possible but not at all cost. Johnson said if the EU was sensible, it would give the UK the Canada-style solution it is seeking. But he added that the UK was ready for any eventuality. Risk of no-deal The UK left the EU on January 31, turning its back after 47 years on the post-World War II project that sought to build the ruined nations of Europe into a global power. The British exit followed more than three years of wrangling over an exit deal since the 2016 referendum that sent shockwaves through global financial markets. Since Brexit, talks on a new trade deal have so far made little headway. But fears in London, Brussels and other European capitals are mounting of a British exit without a trade deal. Failure to reach an agreement could roil financial markets as nearly a trillion US dollars in trade, from car parts and medicines to lamb and fish, would be thrown into turmoil. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 23:07:06|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Saud Abu Ramadan, Emad Drimly GAZA, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Local analysts and observers in Palestine agreed that the current complicated political challenges in the Middle East might oblige the Palestinian rivals to go for unity and end more than 13 years of feuds and internal division. Two days ago, secretary generals of several Palestinian factions, including the Islamic Hamas movement and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah Movement, held an online meeting, the first in three years, to achieve reconciliation and end the internal division. Abbas chaired the joint online meeting. Secretary generals of 14 Palestinian factions addressed at the meeting, and called for unity to face the serious challenges that threaten the Palestinian cause. The analysts agreed that these political challenges, mainly the United States' Mideast peace plan, Israeli plan of annexing parts of the West Bank, and the recent Israeli normalization agreements with Arab states, had obliged the Palestinian rival groups to convene and seek unity. However, the analysts ruled out that the one-day meeting's outputs would achieve a significant breakthrough in ending more than 13 years of internal division, mainly between Hamas which rules the Gaza Strip, and Fatah which rules the West Bank. "The Palestinian cause faces various conspiracies and dangers, the most prominent of which is the so-called (American) Deal of the Century, the Israeli annexation plans, and the deviant normalization projects," Abbas told the participants at the opening of the online meeting. The factions' leaders welcomed Abbas' call to form a unified national leadership and launch a comprehensive national dialogue to end the internal division. They all agreed that the Palestinians need unity more than ever. The calls for unity are good, but getting into the details of ending internal division and achieving unity will be difficult and complicated, mainly when the factions discuss the question of what kind of resistance the Palestinians need armed or popular resistance against Israel, according to the analysts. One of the meeting's outputs was forming a committee that comprises specialists who provide a strategic vision on achieving unity and partnership within Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) during a period that doesn't exceed five weeks. Hani al-Masri, director of the Ramallah-based Masarat Center for Researches and Studies, told Xinhua that forming a committee that presents its outputs within five weeks "is a waste of time." Al-Masri explained that there is an urgent need to reach an agreement on the political agenda that meets the in-common goals of the Palestinian people and the factions to confront the U.S. plan, the Israeli annexation plan, ending the occupation, and establishing the Palestinian state. He also said that the Palestinian rivals and the other factions should immediately agree on forming a new unity government that unifies the Palestinian establishments in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and prepares for holding presidential and parliamentary elections. Since 2007, Hamas and Fatah had reached a series of reconciliation agreements and understandings in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Egypt. However, all mediations to end their deep political feuds and visions had failed due to disagreement on security, power, and financial issues. Talal Oukal, a Gaza-based political analyst, told Xinhua that "one of the priorities of the rapprochement between the Palestinian rivals is the launching of in-depth dialogues aimed at reviewing the experience regarding the stalled reconciliation agreements." "I believe that the leaders of the factions should overcome the major files of disagreements that have obstructed the implementation of reconciliation, including the dispute over shares between the factions and the difference in their political programs," Oukal said. A majority of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza believe that ending the division and achieving unity will be the best way to face the current crucial political challenges. Muhanad Abdulhamid, a Ramallah-based political analyst, told Xinhua that the unprecedented online meeting of the Palestinian faction leaders might fail if the leaders don't speed up implementing a mechanism they agree upon to end the internal division immediately. "The factions should first agree on ending the internal division, achieve unity, agree on the shape of resisting the Israeli occupation, form a unity government and prepare for holding general elections in the Palestinian territories," said Abdulhamid. The last Palestinians joined presidential elections was held in 2005. They elected Mahmoud Abbas as president, where the Hamas movement won the last parliamentary elections held in the Palestinian territories in 2006. Enditem The Oregon Health Authority reported 261 new confirmed and presumed COVID-19 cases and five new deaths Saturday, the day after Gov. Kate Brown announced playgrounds and other outdoor recreation sites in Phase 1 counties would be reopening. Brown issued an order Friday to give guidance for reopening these sites, including maintaining physical distancing, wearing masks, thorough cleaning and limiting gathering sizes. Brown also announced on Facebook that Baker County has been removed from the watch list. Also on Friday, Brown and public health officials said cases in Oregon have continued to drop since late July and stressed that Oregonians need to keep wearing masks, physical distancing and hand-washing. Brown pleaded with residents to refrain from celebrating the Labor Day weekend in ways that will fuel the spread of the disease. A Saturday release from the Oregon Health Authority also warned Oregonians to be mindful of fire risks during the holiday weekend and discussed the potential for an increased health risk of wildfire smoke during the coronavirus pandemic. Smoke from wildfires is a mixture of gases and fine particles from burning trees and other plant materials, the release said. Wildfires smoke and other forms of air pollution can increase the risk of exacerbating respiratory diseases, including COVID 19. The total case count in Oregon now stands at 27,856 and the death toll has climbed to 480. Marion County again had the most newly reported cases with 49. Multnomah County had 43. Where the new cases are by county: Benton (2), Clackamas (23), Columbia (2), Coos (3), Deschutes (1), Jackson (18), Jefferson (2), Josephine (3), Klamath (1), Lane (6), Lincoln (2), Linn (1), Malheur (31), Marion (49), Morrow (1), Multnomah (43), Polk (5), Tillamook (1), Umatilla (17), Union (2), Wasco (5), Washington (33), and Yamhill (10). New fatalities: A 53-year-old man in Marion County is Oregons 476th COVID-19 death. He tested positive Aug. 17 and died Sept. 3, at Salem Hospital. He had unspecified underlying health conditions. An 80-year-old woman in Multnomah County is Oregons 477th COVID-19 death. She tested positive Aug. 3 and died Sept.2, at her residence. She had unspecified underlying health conditions. A 68-year-old man in Umatilla County is Oregons 478th COVID-19 death. He tested positive June 21 and died July 16, at his residence. State officials reported the mans death certificate listed COVID-19 as a cause of death or a significant contributing factor to his death. Officials are still confirming if he had underlying health conditions. A 70-year-old man in Clackamas County is Oregons 479th COVID-19 death. He became symptomatic Aug. 4 and died Aug. 15, at Providence Willamette Valley Medical Center. He had unspecified underlying health conditions. A 78-year-old man in Washington County is Oregons 480th COVID-19 death. He tested positive Aug. 22 and died Sept. 4, at his residence. He had unspecified underlying health conditions. Whos in the hospital: State officials reported Friday that 91 Oregonians are currently hospitalized with confirmed cases of COVID-19, four more than Thursday. Hundreds of hospital beds and ventilators remain available. Updated hospitalization data was not released by the state Saturday. Since it began: State officials have reported 27,856 confirmed and presumptive coronavirus cases since the pandemic began. In total, 580,107 Oregonians have been tested. Bryce Dole of The Oregonian/OregonLive contributed to this report. -- K. Rambo krambo@oregonian.com @k_rambo_ Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 04:44:19|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Photo taken on May 8, 2020 shows the building of U.S. Department of Labor in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua) Among the unemployed, the number of persons on temporary layoff decreased by 3.1 million in August to 6.2 million, down considerably from the series high of 18.1 million in April; the number of permanent job losers, however, increased by 534,000 to 3.4 million in the month. WASHINGTON, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. unemployment rate continued to drop in August, reflecting the slow recovery of the nation's pandemic-ravaged labor market. But analysts said the momentum seems to be fading, with an uncertain path hinging on the virus. U.S. employers added 1.4 million jobs in August, and the unemployment rate dropped to 8.4 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported Friday. The job growth is smaller than that in July and June, which saw 1.7 million and 4.8 million jobs added respectively. The latest data indicates that the recovery is "losing momentum" after the initial burst of activity from re-opening, Sarah House, senior economist at Wells Fargo Securities, wrote in an analysis. House also noted that the headline overstates the underlying strength of labor demand, as 238,000 workers were temporarily hired by the federal government for the 2020 census. People visit the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., the United States, Aug. 30, 2020. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua) Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE) senior fellow and Harvard professor Jason Furman, and Harvard Kennedy School research associate Wilson Powell argued that the official unemployment rate continues to understate the unemployment rate from a historically comparable perspective. In an analysis published Friday, the two experts noted that an extra 1.1 million people who were "not at work for other reasons" were counted as employed, and 3.7 million people have left the labor force since February, which means "realistic unemployment rate" was 9.9 percent in August. The BLS report showed that notable job gains also occurred in retail trade, professional and business services, leisure and hospitality, and education and health services. Retail trade added 249,000 jobs in August, with almost half the growth occurring in general merchandise stores. Despite the improvement, House noted that weakness remains concentrated in services. "Employment in goods-producing industries has hardly been unscathed, but is down 5.9 percent compared to February versus an 8.7 percent decline in services." File photo of Sarah House, senior economist at Wells Fargo Securities. (Photo source: sifma.org) Among the unemployed, the number of persons on temporary layoff decreased by 3.1 million in August to 6.2 million, down considerably from the series high of 18.1 million in April, according to the BLS report. The number of permanent job losers, however, increased by 534,000 to 3.4 million in the month, the bureau noted, adding that this measure has already risen by 2.1 million since February. The labor force participation rate increased by 0.3 percentage point to 61.7 percent in August but is 1.7 percentage points below its February level, the report showed. "The underwhelming rebound underscores that participation will not only be hindered by the weak jobs market, but by the accompanying challenges of the pandemic," House said. "The health risks posed by the virus and need for remote learning will make the decision to return to the labor force particularly difficult for older workers and parents in the near term." Pedestrians walk past the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, the United States, Sept. 3, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Ying) Furman and Powell noted that data suggest the temporary labor market problems are "very deep" and that even if individuals on temporary layoff returned to work very quickly, the United States would still have "a recessionary level of unemployment for some time to come." The U.S. unemployment rate previously soared to a record 14.7 percent in April as COVID-19 devastated the economy. It declined slightly to 13.3 percent in May and continued to fall to 11.1 percent in June as businesses gradually reopened across the country. Amid a resurgence in COVID-19 cases, the unemployment rate dropped slightly to 10.2 percent in July. Even with the August data, payrolls remain 11.5 million below pre-pandemic levels. "Forward-looking employment indicators were mixed, with initial jobless claims remaining stubbornly high on one hand, and business surveys suggesting varying degrees of ongoing improvement in hiring on the other hand," Wells Fargo Securities Economics Group said in an earlier analysis. People are seen on the Santa Monica Beach, Los Angeles County, the United States, Aug. 15, 2020. (Xinhua) The number of initial jobless claims in the United States last week fell to 881,000, the Labor Department said in a report released Thursday, making it the second time in the past 24 weeks that the figure has come in below 1 million. The jobless claims report showed the number of people continuing to collect state unemployment benefits declined by 1.24 million to 13.25 million in the week ending Aug. 22. The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending Aug. 15, however, increased 2.2 million to 29.2 million. "The pace of hiring is slowing and the trajectory of the recovery going forward is heavily dependent on the coronavirus," according to Wells Fargo Securities Economics Group. The two vastly different takes on the same economy previewed the arguments both men will make in the final phase of the election campaign on a topic that typically ranks top of mind for voters but that has been eclipsed this year by the coronavirus pandemic. Biden said Friday that he will spend the next three weeks contrasting his economic plans with Trumps, while the president has predicted more positive economic data in the future and a full recovery next year. Six Portlanders say they will sue the city, citing injuries and police brutality at nightly protests calling for criminal justice reforms. All six plaintiffs say they suffered various injuries or acts of retaliation by Portland police while participating in or documenting the protests. Its the latest in a series of legal actions against the city alleging police misconduct at the protests, which began in late May. Portland police have regularly used tear gas, smoke, stun grenades, foam-tipped munitions and physical force to break up crowds after some people start fires or throw things at officers. The legal claim, publicized Friday morning, doesnt specify how much money claimants are seeking, but Juan Chavez, one of the attorneys filing the case, said they would ask for whatever the jury thinks is fair. At this point, its about consequences and accountability, he said. Chavez works for the Oregon Justice Resource Center, which will represent the claimants along with the Peoples Law Project and attorney Alan Kessler. Chavez said the harm done by police could have been avoided months ago if the city truly took seriously the communitys demands to take dramatic steps to end racism in policing. The protests will not die out like (Mayor) Ted Wheeler wants, Chavez said. Its a dereliction of duty. You dont see a fire thats burning and say itll burn itself out. The way you put out a fire isnt through brutality. The claimants announced their intent to sue just one day after Wheeler told reporters for KOIN about his desire to hold repeat offenders at protests accountable. It doesnt sit well by me that the police make an arrest, somebodys processed in the jails, theyre not held and theyre right back out on the streets, Wheeler said. Theres more we can do with our county law enforcement and the judges to, lets just say, make it more inconvenient for repeat offenders. You have to hold people accountable for criminal acts. If you dont hold people accountable they see that as tacit approval. Chavez said Wheelers statement highlighted the disconnect from the reality of the sometimes indiscriminate actions by police trying to disperse large crowds.. If he were out there seeing whats happening, he would know, Chavez said. It doesnt matter the number of times someone is arrested unlawfully. They shouldnt have been arrested unlawfully in the first place. The six claimants Benjamin Ayer, Thomas Drier, Evan Henshaw-Plath, Kenneth Lewis, Zippy Lomax, Catherine Sireno and Ted Timmons report suffering various types of abuse or violence at the hands of Portland police. Court documents says an officer tore off Lewis ventilator and helmet and threw them away. When Lewis asked to retrieve the ventilator because he was afraid of coronavirus, the claim says that the officer swore at him and told him to move, shoving him with batons and not letting him get the ventilator. Drier was standing on the sidewalk with his guitar when he saw an officer grabbing someone by the throat and pushing them into the wall. Dreier began to play and sing the Woody Guthrie song, All You Fascists Bound to Lose while walking toward the officer. According to court documents, the officer took the guitar and refused to return it, and other officers shoved him and shot him in both thighs with 40mm munitions. An officer hit Timmons in the face with a baton and pepper sprayed him. Henshaw-Plath brought a speaker system on a wheeled cart to the protest. When he was walking away and playing the national anthem, officers tried to pull the cart away before blasting him with pepper spray. Sireno and Ayer reported that police slashed their tires at a July 18 protest without any warning or instructions to them. Lomax, who was documenting protests, also reported having her tires slashed and her windshield bashed in without warning. Lomax has a disability and needs her car to attend and document protests, as well as carry out daily tasks, the claim said. Jayati Ramakrishnan; 503-221-4320; jramakrishnan@oregonian.com; @JRamakrishnanOR Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Sydney families have been reminded not to visit loved ones in aged care facilities this Father's Day, as another school prepares to close on Monday after two students tested positive amid a growing cluster in the city's CBD. The Kincoppal-Rose Bay private girls' school will close for cleaning and contact tracing on Monday after two year 7 day students were confirmed to have the virus. On Saturday night, principal Maureen Ryan said the school is working closely with NSW Health to ensure the best precautions are in place to protect students and staff. It comes as the cluster in Sydney's CBD grew by four, and NSW Health issued an alert on Saturday afternoon after two people with COVID-19 attended the Hyde Park medical centre on Liverpool Street. Elizabeth Neumann, former assistant Homeland Security secretary for counterterrorism and threat prevention, is a lifelong Republican who never voted Democratic in her life. She was an unswerving Republican loyalist until she saw from a front-row perch how President Donald Trump has opened Americas doors to a severe and growing threat from domestic right-wing extremists. He will not get her vote again, Neumann says. Moderate Republicans who are troubled by what they see on the news and in Trumps tweets owe it to themselves to absorb Neumanns analysis during a lengthy National Public Radio interview last week. Nothing in her conservative value system has changed. But she recognizes the damage Trump is inflicting on this country and simply cannot countenance keeping him in office. Neumann, with 20 years of homeland security expertise, describes the right-wing extremist movement as being similar to the diverse Islamic extremist groups that ultimately came together under the Islamic State banner. They borrowed from ISISs playbook, and they learned how to radicalize people online, she told NPR. Isolated right-wing cells staged sporadic local attacks that boosted their following but didnt generate widespread public attention. Until Trump took office, that is. Then Neumann detected what she termed a pivot to bring your own weapon to the fight, use whatever you have: a knife, a gun, a vehicle, vehicle ramming. Weve seen a number of vehicle rammings this summer, in fact. The warnings Trump received about the threat went unheeded and the attacks only tepidly condemned, if at all. The pattern the 2017 vehicle ramming that killed one in Charlottesville, Virginia, the 2018 synagogue attack in Pennsylvania that killed 11, and the 2019 shooting rampage at an El Paso Walmart, aimed specifically at Hispanics, that killed 22 troubled Neumann so much she resigned in April. If you had a very clear voice at the top, from the president, from other senior leaders in the Republican Party, denouncing this and warning conservatives it would somewhat inoculate people from that recruitment and that radicalization, she said. But instead, we have the opposite effect. We have the president not only pretty much refusing to condemn, but throwing fuel on the fire, creating opportunities for more recruitment through his rhetoric. Trump uses rhetoric to scare people, then uses the fear he manufactures to win followers by making people wonder, How are we going to save ourselves? And his answer is: Its me. If you vote for me, I will save you, she said. Well, for some people, the way that they think that they need to protect themselves, its more than just a vote for a president. Its: Let me go kill people. Being a conservative Republican shouldnt require walking around with blinders, pretending that this isnt really happening. Trump isnt just another politician. Take it from an expert: Hes a national security threat. After a long wait, Tripura is going to witness the arrival of the first vessel from neighbouring Bangladesh on Saturday, connecting the states Gomati river with Indias national waterways through Bangladeshs Meghna river. The trial run of the inland waterways protocol route between India and Bangladesh started on Thursday with a boat carrying 50 metric tonne of cement from Bangladesh, set to arrive later today at Sonamura in Sepahijala district, 60 kilometres from Agartala. The Sonamura (Tripura)-Daudkandi (Bangladesh) route was included in the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol (IBP) routes signed by Indian high commissioner in Bangladesh, Riva Ganguly Das, and Bangladesh shipping secretary, Mohammad Mezbah Uddin Chowdhury, at Dhaka this May. According to a survey conducted by the Bangladesh authorities, 89.5 kilometres out of the 90 kms of the Sonamura-Daudkandi protocol route falls in Bangladesh and the remaining 500 metres falls in India. Earlier in July, a floating jetty on Gomati river was launched as part of the Indo-Bangla international inland waterways project. Also Read: India-Bangladesh inland waterway route to be operational from today: All you need to know Since 2018, a series of expert visits from the inland waterways authority of India and the land port authority of India were carried out to check the feasibility of using river Gomati, the longest river of the state, for the waterways connectivity route. According to the plan, dredging of the Gomati riverbed would be done enabling small boats and ships movement from Sonamura to Bangladeshs Ashuganj port. Construction of a terminal building was also part of the plan to check the imported goods. Earlier in July, chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb said the project would boost Indo-Bangla bilateral trade making Tripura a key trade hub in the northeast region. He predicted that the export volume would increase from Rs 30 crores to Rs 400 crores and the state would import goods worth of Rs 2,000 crores in one year. Also Read: India, Bangladesh to create new mechanism to monitor bilateral projects Currently, goods worth Rs 645 crores are imported. Welcoming the new project, president of the Tripura chamber of commerce and industries ML Debnath said, Unidirectional rivers like Gomati river are without tidal waves and dont have large volume of water across the year. Except the monsoons, proper dredging may keep the route in operation for at least six months a year. As it is first of its kind, we welcome the move. According to an economic expert, 150 times higher volume of goods are imported through roadways via Akhaura Integrated Check Post (ICP) compared to the 50 metric tonnes of goods that could come through the project jetty. The expert also said that the potential of the project for local employment generation might not be so high. All Tripura merchant association sees hope in the waterways project saying that imported goods from Bangladesh would be available at affordable rates. An Agartala-based export-import trader said that Tripura would benefit from the transit charges of goods transported through Bangladesh. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON (Newser) Out-of-staters converging on Kenosha, Wis., to confront protesters has already resulted in one death, at the hands of Kyle Rittenhouse, an armed 17-year-old from Illinois who considered himself to be protecting the city. Now, two men from Missouri with ties to a militia are in custody on weapons charges after an ominous warning to police from a tipster. Fox News and the Kenosha News report that 40-year-old Michael Karmo and 33-year-old Cody Smith were arrested at a Kenosha County hotel on Tuesday, where FBI agents say they found an AR-15 rifle, two handguns, a 12-gauge shotgun, a DIY silencer, and other gear and ammo inside their room and vehicle. Per a criminal complaint, the Kenosha Police Department had received a tip that Karmo and another man were headed to the city "to loot and possibly 'pick people off.'" story continues below The witness informed investigators that "Karmo told [him] he was going to Kenosha with the intention of possibly using the firearms on people," the complaint notes. "[The witness] feared that ... he was not in the right mindset to have a firearm." Kenosha police contacted the FBI after receiving this tip. Smith told authorities he and Karmo had come to Kenosha to take part in rallies for President Trump, who was visiting the city. Karmo, who has said he and Smith are members of Missouri's 417 Second Amendment Militia (which has celebrated Rittenhouse's actions), informed investigators the men had also planned to travel to Portland, Ore., per the AP. At any rate, neither man is allowed to possess firearms, as they both have previous criminal convictions. Karmo is facing 10 years behind bars for possessing a firearm, while Smith could get 30 for the same charge, plus for possessing a firearm while using illegal drugs and for aiding and abetting Karmo. (Read more Kenosha, Wisconsin stories.) Violins begin to play for Shah Rukh Khan when Sushmita Sen sashays into the high school, books and files tucked in the crook of her hand, her perfect hair swaying behind her. Each time And you watched Main Hoon Na wishing your chemistry teacher looked a little like her, then the best boy in class would never score those three marks more than you every single time! Never forgot this as I usually rush to make it to the train early in the morning, find the filter coffee vendor at Churchgate station and go batty trying to wave down a cab to college. Never thought that as a teacher one would have to compete with celluloid versions, be it the gorgeous Ms.Sen or Michelle Pffeifer shaping Dangerous Minds. And then came 2020. We were forced into isolation. We learnt to cook and clean and bake and zoom with the family. We learnt to watch news with fear and Netflixed until we would break into Korean phrases to express despair at the forced lockdowns. We did what could be deemed ridiculous because everyone was doing it: we clapped hands, beat thalis, and lit lamps and rolled our eyes when we were expected to chant, asking a virus to vamoose. Our vocabulary expanded to include WFH, PPE and asymptomatic. All was good until I had to meet students in the new academic year online! Persuasion went from wide-eyed students entering the hallowed halls of college to teachers staring at the unblinking green light on their laptops and hoping the students were paying attention to the slides on shared screens and not asleep because they were recording the session. Teachers Day 2020 is really about celebrating learning, evolving, reaching out to be understood like never before. In a net enabled world, teachers can no longer boast of being the single source of dissemination of information. The presence of COVID-19 has shattered the rigidity of yesterdays education system, and we find ourselves exploring new ways of sharing information, ideas and instilling the joy of discovery in a smartphone enabled world. In Martin Scorseses Silence (available on Amazon Prime Video), two students of a preacher leave their home to find out why their mentor fell off the grid, why his mission of disseminating the concept of Christianity in Japan seemingly failed. This film is so beautifully shot, you are transported to that rough world that Japan once was to see fabulous acting by Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver and the inimitable Liam Neeson. Its about faith, or the lack thereof, the rigidity of beliefs, and how the powerful will bend and break the weak to their will. This film will compel you to begin questioning the concept of right and wrong, your faith in systems advocated by upbringing and way of life, and the death of preconceived concepts. The film resonates with our time because we are learning how the old order hath changed and it has made way to the new. Change that has been violent and yet necessary: Darwin may have propagated the survival of the fittest, but now the only way we are all surviving is by staying connected. I am horrified at the entitlement to higher education of connected folks and yet amazed by the innovative ways students across this vast country are staying in touch with the rest of the world. It is great fun to watch students create their own worlds with virtual backgrounds in the virtual class I teach, but I do miss the live interaction in a classroom sometimes. To watch students react to cinema I know they have not seen, or watching their faces discover Chomsky is rewarding, and I miss seeing that something in the lesson that kindles a spark of new ideas. Do students miss teachers like Mister Fletcher, I wonder? You can watch this absolutely brilliant film Whiplash On Amazon Prime Video as I did, and think about how students are losing out on interpersonal learning experience. Videos from Julliard School of Music may soothe you into believing that you can learn online too, but can it replace the experience of being in Cornell or North Campus of Delhi University? How can you tell your kids about sneaking out of the Pilani campus and watching videos and eating jalebis Zhang Yimou's Not One Less narrates a gut wrenching tale of a very young substitute teacher who has been promised a princely sum of ten yuan if she manages to keep all the students in class. Barely a couple of years older than her students, she embarks on a perilous journey in search of one of her students who has run away from school to the big city to earn money for his family. While you can make lists of movies and shows that show up when you search for the word teacher and reminisce about everything from Goodbye Mr.Chips to Imtihaan and Taare Zameen Par, but in these troubled times when you are forced to stay indoors and examine and reevaluate the way you live as families, watch School Life on Netflix to see how a teacher in the most troubled (read poorest) neighbourhoods in Paris has to learn to balance her classroom experiences with her tumultuous life at home. We are all amused and now used to toddlers, pets and other members of our families step into zoom sessions workwise and lessons wise. I am always thrilled to know that parents are listening in to lessons, offering examples from films they have seen when the discussion is about regional cinema and I get to see how students live and interact with their families who will pass them a plate of poha during class. Preparing a lesson once was a breeze, but now teachers have to unlearn the old ways, and find the will to evolve into multitasking beings that compete and best online resources that make sure that they remain relevant. Students will discover that it is harder to concentrate on theory from their beds. But there is fun in discovering that the grocer will deliver exactly in the middle of you telling the students to pay attention to the mise en scene Netflix has a silly, funny Indonesian film called Guru Guru Gokil on Netflix that will remind you what success really means. It celebrates in many ways teaching and learning lessons from life itself in a lighthearted way. One of my favourite thinkers of our times Eric Hoffer reiterates my feelings about teaching and learning in these unusual times: In a time of drastic change it is the learners who inherit the future. The learned usually find themselves equipped to live in a world that no longer exists. Manisha Lakhe Is A Poet, Film Critic, Traveller, Founder Of Caferati An Online Writers Forum, Hosts Mumbais Oldest Open Mic, And Teaches Advertising, Films And Communication. I would like to speak for the other side concerning the Sept. 3 editorial, Religious freedom isnt a license for groups to ignore civil rights laws. This topic is about religious adoption services that receive government payments but will not place adoptive children with same-sex couples, based on religious beliefs. The U.S. Supreme Court recently struck down a Montana Supreme Court ruling that denied public money to be used for religious education. This ruling shows that, according to the U.S. Supreme Court, there can be freedom from religious discrimination. This court case involved money and SCOTUS ruled in favor of religious education to receive public money. In retrospect, when the Supreme Court gave same-sex rights in marriage (in 2015), the court can still give an exemption for religious freedom in adoption. This year the Supreme Court overruled Obamacare in favor of the Little Sisters of the Poor to give them an exemption from providing contraceptives in the healthcare insurance for their employees. Any government encroachment on religious freedom can be neutralized by government involvement to provide these sorts of services by other means. But instead, the government would rather ignore our religion rights and force us to provide a service to others that conflict with our religious conscience. Remember, religious freedom was so important to our nations founders that it is included in the First Amendment to the Constitution and not the last amendment to the Constitution. Dan Pryor Belvidere Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor Premier Brian Pallister's promise in April to boost Manitoba's COVID-19 laboratory test capacity to more than 3,000 tests per day remains a work in progress. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 4/9/2020 (503 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Premier Brian Pallister's promise in April to boost Manitoba's COVID-19 laboratory test capacity to more than 3,000 tests per day remains a work in progress. And with the school year beginning Tuesday, and flu season on the horizon, the province is likely going to need all the testing capacity it can get. On April 28, Pallister announced the government had formed a partnership with Ontario-based Dynacare to significantly boost Manitoba's testing ability. The private-sector partner was to be able to process up to 2,000 tests per day before the end of summer, the government said at the time. However, according to statistics obtained by the Free Press, Dynacare handled relatively few novel coronavirus tests for Manitoba in the first three months of the contract, although it's ramped up its efforts more recently. With Manitoba-owned Cadham Provincial Laboratory able to handle 1,000-plus test samples per day, the province's test capacity was expected to be "well over 3,000 tests per day," the government said this spring. However, this week, Dr. Brent Roussin, chief provincial public health officer, pegged Manitoba's test capacity at somewhat below that. He said it could reach 3,000 tests on some days, but not on a sustained basis. "Certainly, 2,500 is something we have the ability to do daily right now," he told a news conference. According to statistics obtained from the provincial government through freedom of information legislation, Dynacare conducted a daily average of 164 COVID-19 tests for Manitoba from April 28 to July 27. On 11 separate days during that period, it conducted fewer than 10 tests, and on four of those days, it performed none at all. It also performed more than 200 tests on 25 different days, with the highest total, 459, coming June 22. The provincial total that day was 581. But while Dynacare occasionally handled the bulk of tests on a given day in the first three full months of its contract, the daily stats show it often did a small proportion of the work. For example, in the three days from June 12-14, the company performed only 269 of the 2,125 tests that were completed. Although the volume of work being handled by Dynacare from April to July fluctuated, it wasn't because of any issues on the company's end, said spokesman Mark Bernhardt. "We tested all of the samples we received from the provincial government during that time, so it was not a matter of capacity on our end," he said in an email. At the time, samples were being sent to Dynacare's Brampton, Ont., lab for testing. RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES On April 28, Pallister announced the government had formed a partnership with Ontario-based Dynacare to significantly boost Manitoba's testing ability. The private-sector partner was to be able to process up to 2,000 tests per day before the end of summer, the government said at the time. Daily test counts show that Dynacare handled relatively few COVID-19 tests for Manitoba in the first three months of the contract, although the volume has increased quickly over the last month. In August, Dynacare began testing samples at a facility in Winnipeg, and its volumes rose sharply. Last month, the company processed 20,904 test samples, averaging 674 per day, and roughly 44 per cent of the provincial total. "Dynacare was able to secure (through our own supply network) a very scarce but high throughput testing equipment," Bernhardt wrote. "It was as a result of securing this equipment that Dynacare was able to start offering COVID-19 testing in Manitoba as of August." NDP Leader Wab Kinew wonders whether taxpayers have been getting a raw deal in the government's dealings with Dynacare. The fact there were many days when the company performed few tests early on begs the question as to whether the government included performance standards in the contract, he said. On 26 different days from April 28 to July 27, Dynacare conducted fewer than 100 tests. The NDP has asked the government for a copy of the contract, but it's been denied. A government spokeswoman said Friday the contract will be posted on the province's proactive disclosure website "in the next few days." Most troubling for Kinew is the fact the company doesn't seem to be ready to perform the 2,000 tests per day the government touted in the spring. Stay informed The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 delivered to your inbox every weeknight. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "We're heading back to school next week. I imagine there's going to be a big increase in demand for testing. Kids just being in proximity to each other, there's going to be more runny noses. There's going to be more little coughs and sniffles. So parents are going to start taking their children in increased numbers to the testing locations," the NDP leader said. "And right now, it doesn't look like the government has an adequate plan to supply those tests." Michelle Gawronsky, president of the Manitoba Government and General Employees' Union, said the fact the province has not yet reached its COVID-19 testing capacity goal shows it has a lot of work to do. The union, which represents workers at Cadham, said the government should have expanded public testing capacity rather than enrich a private company in Ontario. larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca Welcome Guest! You Are Here: B-52 bombers of the United States Air Force have entered Ukraine's airspace for the first time, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said on Friday evening. "American strategic bombers were escorted by Su-27 and MiG-29 fighter jets of the tactical aviation brigade of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine," the ministry said in a statement on its website. "On the morning of September 4, the bombers took off from Fairford Air Force Base in the United Kingdom, flew over Europe, where they were accompanied by fighter jets from NATO and key allied partners. Ukrainian military pilots met the B-52 on the Polish border, escorted it through the territory of Ukraine to the coast of the Sea of Azov and back," the report says. "The patrol is planned and aims to achieve interoperability between NATO and partner states. It is likely that such cooperation in the field of collective security will continue," it says. A businessman who set up a social networking firm with his wife has won a racial harassment claim after she criticised his 'Australian mentality'. Duncan Bendall said his ex-wife Fiona, 42, pushed him out of the firm after their marriage collapsed. An employment judge awarded him more than 100,000 in an unfair dismissal case against the company but rejected his claims that he was fired because he was a man. The pair set up their company - The Female Social Network - in 2016 and it became a global success with the couple being pictured beside the Duchess of York at the UK launch last June. Mrs Bendall, who is British, began running the UK company in London and her hus-band came to join her in April last year. Duncan Bendall has won a racial harassment claim after his wife criticised his 'Australian mentality'. The pair are pictured with the Duchess of York at the London launch event in June last year But as their marriage broke down Mr Bendall claimed he was harassed and victimised by his wife and the board in a bid to erase his contribution as a founder of the firm. He said the board forced through a shift in the share holdings to favour his wife, locked him out of company bank accounts and told him he was no longer a director. He told Central London Employment Tribunal: 'Fiona was running around London and New York basically saying she was a majority owned female business. 'I believe the optics were not as good as introducing a male founder to prospective inves-tors, especially one as a plaintalking Australian, compared to an English woman.' He claimed he was harassed by his wife of 19 years in an email in which she wrote: 'I hate Australian mentality and you have it in droves.' Another said: 'The door is closing to come back and work in TFSN as a director. 'It's really out of my hands and I wonder if it would be best for everybody if you resigned. It will stop all this going on and we can start to move forward.' Mr Bendall told the hearing: 'The reason for my dismissal was a sham and the real reason was because of my gender and my nationality. Mr Bendall claimed he was harassed and victimised by his wife and the board in a bid to erase his contribution as a founder of the firm. 'She kept treating Australia as an inferior race, despite living there for 15 years and doing well in Australia.' By August last year, Mr Bendall said staff members had packed his personal belongings and he was told to leave the family home. The court heard the company had a valuation of 170million before it went into voluntary liquidation this January with around 2million in the bank. Neither Mrs Bendall nor a company representative attended the hearing, but in a witness statement submitted to the court she denied the allegations. It said the claimant was behaving increasingly erratic and abusively toward Mrs Bendall and staff. But employment judge David Khan dismissed the argument as 'not particularly compelling' and ruled Mr Bendall was unfairly dismissed and, in relation to one email, also discriminated against on the basis he was Australian. He awarded him 102,000, chiefly for loss of earnings. Students who require technical help for accessing the trial list may seek the service of help desks in their nearest government/aided higher secondary schools The Higher Secondary Admission trial allotment results for admissions to plus one has been formally released by DHSE Kerala at hscap.kerala.gov.in. According to a report by Jagran Josh, the Directorate of Higher Secondary Education i.e. DHSE has formally released the Trial allotment list for admission to first year higher secondary courses for candidates who had applied for admission to Class 11. According to a report by The Indian Express, the edit option is available till 8 September, 5pm and candidates can make necessary changes till then. The report adds that in case a seat is available in any school after the first list, the second list will be published. The reports states that through this, seats in 2,077 higher secondary, 818 government, and 846 government-aided schools are filled. Apart from these, 361 private schools and 52 residential or technical schools across the state also enroll through the process. According to a report in The Times of India, Trial allotment has been published after considering various applications and options available as per the conditions in the prospectus. The report adds that as per an official statement, students who require technical help for accessing the trial list may seek the service of help desks in their nearest government/aided higher secondary schools. It further states that if a student provides wrong information to bag a seat, it will eventually get cancelled. Candidates will not get any chance to make changes in the application post 8 September. Here's how to check HSCAP Kerala Trial Allotment List 2020 Students need to first visit the official website hscap.kerala.gov.in where they will be redirected to a new page with login fields. They need to select the concerned district and give the necessary information. Once done, the HSCAP Kerala Trial Allotment List 2020 Status will be displayed. Candidates need to verify all details and correct mistakes using the Edit Application Link before saving the changes on the website. Northeastern University dorm West Village E Hall is being prepped to use for emergency housing in Boston on April 9, 2020. David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images A group of Northeastern students was dismissed for violating the university's coronavirus rules after they were reportedly caught gathered in a room without wearing masks or socially distancing. Tuition and room fees for the 11 students won't be reimbursed. The students also won't be able to take their courses online but are eligible to return to school in the spring. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Eleven first-year Northeastern students were dismissed for violating the university's coronavirus rules after reportedly being caught without wearing masks or socially distancing when gathered in a room. "The students have been informed that they are no longer part of the Northeastern community for the fall semester. They have the right to contest their dismissal at an expedited hearing," a statement on the university's website read. The statement added that the students would have to take a coronavirus test before they leave. In an effort to limit the spread of the virus, those who test positive will have to stay in "wellness housing" on campus until they recover. Related: 15 college students on how COVID-19 derailed their lives "Northeastern and its community of students, faculty, and staff take violations of health and safety protocols very seriously," said Madeleine Estabrook, senior vice chancellor for student affairs at Northeastern. "Cooperation and compliance with public health guidelines is absolutely essential. Those people who do not follow the guidelines including wearing masks, avoiding parties and other gatherings, practicing healthy distancing, washing your hands, and getting tested are putting everyone else at risk." The 11 students were found in a room at the Westin Hotel in Boston on Wednesday. The Boston Globe reported that the Westin Hotel was being used as a temporary dormitory this semester and each room is meant for two people. Program staff found the students when they were making rounds in the hotel. It is not yet clear why the students were gathered in the room. Story continues The students were part of a special one-semester program for first-year students and according to Globe, the prepaid $36,500 cost for the semester won't be refunded. Students won't be able to take courses from home but are eligible to return in the fall. Additionally, housing fees won't be refunded to the students. Other students told the Globe that the dismissal sent a strong message from the university about taking coronavirus seriously. "I was upset because it's just really stupid to go around and still have these social gatherings. Those kinds of things are just going to ruin everything for everyone else," Darren Ng, a first-year from New York City told the Globe. WBTS reported that just two weeks ago, university officials sent letters to 115 students and their parents that threatened to expel any student who didn't abide by coronavirus social distancing guidelines after the students posted online that they intended to party. Read the original article on Business Insider Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 13:20:07|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Yu Shuaishuai, Li Xiaopeng ATHENS, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- As China and the European Union (EU) celebrate 45 years of relations this year, the two sides vow to expand bilateral trade and investment, deepen cooperation on post-epidemic economic recovery and promote multilateralism during the recent back-to-back European visits by two top Chinese foreign policy officials. Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee visited Spain and Greece on Sept. 3-4, closely following Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi's trip to five other European countries which concluded on Sept. 1. DEEPENING COOPERATION At a time when Europe is tamping down a resurge of COVID-19 infections, jointly fighting the pandemic and seeking recovery in the post-epidemic era is a common issue discussed at the meetings the two Chinese officials held separately with leaders and high-level officials from the seven European countries. Cooperation is the way they all agreed to. China has shown its spirit of cooperation and solidarity during the past months when it mobilized large quantities of medical supplies and rushed to some European countries' aid to fight the virus. During their respective meeting with Yang, both Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez thanked China for its assistance and support in their fight against COVID-19, saying that such deeds helped strengthen bilateral relations. Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio also expressed his gratitude for China's help during a meeting with Wang. Looking forward, cooperation should be intensified, Sebastian Carlens, deputy editor-in-chief of German daily newspaper junge Welt, told Xinhua on Friday. "The recovery of the Chinese economy also offers the rest of the world opportunities to overcome the economic consequences of the lockdown more quickly," Carlens said. Close cooperation with China is important for Germany and other EU states, he continued, warning that European states "would be doing each other a disservice if they took part in a confrontation against China." Leaders and high-level officials of the seven European countries also expressed similar views on future cooperation. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas expressed the hope to deepen cooperation in such fields as economy, trade and humanities, vaccine cooperation; Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis confirmed Greece's interest in strengthening cooperation especially in investment, trade and tourism; The Dutch Foreign Ministry said that the two countries need each other for sustainable recovery of the economy after the COVID-19 crisis. In the Netherlands and Norway, besides the ongoing preventive measures, officials have already turned their attention to post-pandemic collaboration with China. Xulio Rios, director of the Chinese Policy Observatory in Spain, told Xinhua on Thursday that Yang's visit has been a very important initiative for strengthening bilateral relations and given the importance of China as a partner for Spain, it helped reduce uncertainty in the context of the pandemic. "Given that the pandemic has affected vital sectors of the relationship, from trade to tourism or investment, the visit highlights the interest of both parties to relaunch these areas of cooperation," Rios said. Greek enterprises have also expressed a strong wish to improve ties with their Chinese counterparts. "Upon the announcement of this important high-level interaction, many expectations were created for further development in business and investments," George Xiradakis, managing director of XRTC Business Consultants and vice president of the Hellenic Chinese Chamber, told Xinhua on Friday. The Greek business community "from the very beginning has been in favor of the widest possible win-win business partnerships between our two countries and proves daily its support in practice," commented Fotis Provatas, Chairman of the Chamber of Greek-Chinese Economic Cooperation. DEFENDING MULTILATERALISM Defending multilateralism is a major consensus reaffirmed during the two top Chinese diplomats' trips to the seven European countries. Yang said China and Spain need to jointly uphold multilateralism, uphold international equity and justice, and improve global governance during his meeting with Sanchez, while Greek leaders also pledged to support multilateralism and continue promoting both the development of EU-China relations and the cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries. "The strongest voice heard during my trip to Europe is that we need to steadfastly safeguard multilateralism, and we agreed on this," Wang said on Tuesday in Berlin. Andras Inotai, former director of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences World Economics Research Institute, said that both the EU and China are strongly committed to strengthening multilateralism. "In some areas globalization needs corrections but its basic and overwhelming positive achievements should not be questioned. A corrected path of globalization has to be accompanied by strengthened multilateralism. In this context, a new quality of cooperation between the EU and China is crucial," he said. Rios from Spain told Xinhua that Madrid and Beijing, united in the fight against the pandemic, have also been able to appreciate the importance of adhering to multilateralism to face present and future challenges. "For China, Europe is of great strategic importance," the Dutch financial newspaper Het Financieele Dagblad reported. "The U.S. wants to involve Europe in its fight against Beijing's growing political and economic power. At a time when Washington is increasingly going its own way, Beijing presents itself as a defender of multilateralism." Carlens from Germany also pointed out that increasing international tensions and the aggressive foreign policy of the current U.S. administration is a source of concern for many in Germany. "Political, cultural and economic exchanges are the best way to reduce tension," he said. Enditem (Xinhua correspondents Feng Junwei in Madrid, Zhu Sheng in Berlin, Pan Geping in Brussels and Yuan Liang in Budapest also contributed to the story.) HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe will reopen primary and secondary schools this month for students preparing to sit their final exams, six months after they were closed due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the government said on Tuesday. The first students to return, on Sept. 14, will be those taking Cambridge International exams. Those taking locally administered final exams will go back two weeks later. "The ministry (of education) is working closely with other ministries and stakeholders to guarantee the safety of pupils and staff during the examinations period," the government said. The education ministry had previously said it would give priority to pupils taking final exams and has hinted that other students will not return to school until 2021. Zimbabwe has recorded about 6,500 cases of COVID-19 and 202 deaths. Despite an increase in infections in the past six weeks, most cases were mild to moderate, with a recovery rate of about 80%, the government said. Authorities are also looking at reopening airports to support the tourism sector, the government said. The plan is to start with the resumption of domestic flights and then to restart international flights, it added, but did not give a date. (Reporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe) The overall levels of religious commitment in sub-Saharan Africa are among the highest in the world, according to a 2018 study by the Pew Research Center. The regions number of Christians grew from about 7 million in 1900 to 470 million by 2010, when it was home to 21% of the worlds Christians and 15% of all Muslims. Loading On September 28, if cases remain between 30-50 per day on average: pools will reopen, outdoor religious gatherings will be allowed for five people plus one faith leader; gatherings of five people from two households will be permitted; schools will begin a staged return for prep-year two and senior school/special schools; childcare will reopen; and some workplaces will return to work. From October 26, or when the daily two-week average is fewer than five new cases: the curfew will no longer apply; there will be no restrictions on leaving home; public gatherings outside will increase to ten; five visitors from a nominated home will be permitted; all schoolchildren will begin a phased return; retail and hairdressing will reopen; hospitality will resume outdoor dining and non-contact outdoor sport will return. From November 23, or when the state records zero cases for a fortnight: gatherings outside will increase to 50; all retail will return; hospitality will resume indoor dining for 20 people with a total venue cap of 50; real estate will resume; sports restrictions will ease, and weddings will resume and, with funerals, can have up to 50 people in attendance. COVID normal', will see most restrictions dropped and most people return to work. No date has been set for this stage. I want to get the place open, and I want to keep it open, Mr Andrews said "There is no choice for us, there is only one option. Mr Andrews said he understood the difficulty Victorians had faced under the tough restrictions, and revealed he had not seen his own mum since Christmas last year. "It was my mum's birthday recently, and you probably shouldn't do this, but I thought to myself, 'how long is it since I have seen her', I haven't seen her since Christmas. "Like lots of other families, no special pleadings from me, I'm just using an example, between bushfires and this I have not been up there. I want to get there this Christmas coming though. I want all of us to stay the course so that we can all have something approaching a normal Christmas." Single Victorians will be able to link up with a nominated visitor from September 13 and that person will be able to come from outside five kilometres away, much like the rule that has been in place for intimate partners. Mr Andrews urged single people and single parents with children under-18 not to abuse the rule. The fact of the matter is this, short of having a police officer knock on every door in the state we can't be absolutely certain, Mr Andrews said. What I am doing is I am asking people, in recognition of the challenge, and the difficulty and the great sacrifice that people who live alone, the great contribution that they have made to this point, I am asking them to follow these rules." Mr Andrews said the same thing would apply for a family or household bubble who can link up with one other household. So there are seven people in your household, you can link up with another household, you can have no more than five visitors to your home, but then you can have that level of social interaction that people are craving," he said. They get it. I understand it. We all live in families, we all live in households, none of us have had visitors for a very long time and it is tough, it is really, really tough. As of September 28, more than 100,000 workers could also be allowed to go back to work if daily case numbers are low enough. Some workers in construction, warehousing, postal services, childcare, manufacturing and outdoor gardening will be permitted to go back to work. Thats been something thats been quite topical, Mr Andrews said of the outdoor gardening sector. Its about 101,000 [workers] in those sectors. Mr Andrews said many more workers would return to work as other restrictions eased. He said there would be no point allowing restaurants and cafes to return back to normal operations of gatherings limits meant people could not enter the premises. Regional Victoria will move a further step ahead of metropolitan Melbourne and loosen restrictions more quickly. While Mr Andrews said the number of cases in the Geelong region was of concern, he said regional areas would likely see shops reopen in coming weeks. From Sunday, regional Victorians will be allowed to meet in groups of up to five outdoors. He said the regions could move to step two of the road map quite soon. Victoria recorded 63 new COVID-19 cases and another five deaths over the past 24 hours. Two of these deaths occurred prior to yesterday but were only just added to the numbers. They include one woman in her 80s, three women in their 90s, one woman in her 100s. There are 98 cases in local regional government areas that are in stage three restrictions, down from more than 500 when restrictions were reimposed. Greater Geelong has 19 cases and Ballarat has two. It takes the total number of deaths caused by COVID-19 in the state to 666. The cases come after 90, 113, 81 and 76 cases in the past four days. The last time the state recorded fewer than 68 cases was on June 28 when 45 cases were recorded. Loading Deputy Chief Health Officer Allen Cheng said the steps and timing were based on modelling that showed the danger of reopening too quickly. Professor Cheng said the comparison to NSW, where the lockdown is not as severe, was not helpful as NSW had not experienced the high numbers Victoria had. The answer is that New South Wales isn't in the same place - there haven't been more than 13 cases a day in New South Wales since early August We're not even close, he said. "If we open up too early we risk another resurgence and undoing all the work that we've done. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 11:53:28|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close AUCKLAND, New Zealand, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- The former Prime Minister of the Cook Islands Dr. Joseph Williams died from COVID-19 on Friday night in Auckland City Hospital, confirmed the New Zealand Ministry of Health on Saturday. Williams, who was in his 80s, was also a widely regarded member of health services in both New Zealand and the Cook Islands. He was the patron of the Pasifika Medical Association, which was dedicated to promoting the health of Pacific people in the region. It was the second COVID-19 related death in the last several days in New Zealand, said the ministry. New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters described Williams as a dedicated and passionate man. He offered his condolences to Williams' family, as well as the people and government of the Cook Islands. Joseph Williams was admitted to Auckland City Hospital on Aug. 13 and passed away on Friday evening. Williams became sick when it is thought he might have come in close contact with someone connected to the initial Auckland cluster. His practice was located not far from the workplace where the first cases of the Auckland cluster were reported. Williams served as the prime minister of Cook Islands for four months in 1999. He earlier served as the country's health minister. The number of COVID-19 related deaths in New Zealand now reached 24. A second wave of COVID-19 Community transmission broke out in Auckland during mid-August after more than one hundred days of COVID-19 free in New Zealand. The cluster has since become the country's largest COVID-19 cluster. COVID-19 Alert Level 3 was imposed from Aug. 12 to Aug. 30 to cut the community transmission. The country will remain at COVID-19 Alert Level 2 until Sept. 16, with extra restrictions in place for its largest city Auckland, announced the New Zealand government on Friday. Enditem Mumbai, Sep 5 : After Kangana Ranaut declared on social media that she feels unsafe to live in Mumbai, comparing the city to Pakistan Occupied Kashmir and Taliban, it is filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri who has come down heavily on the city and the ruling Maharashtra government. "At a personal level, when it comes to the spirit of the city, I think Mumbai is safe. But I want to mention from where the whole sense of being unsafe comes. The politicians who are ruling the state, the administration, are bad people. They are always discriminating. They are bigots and they are engaging in politics of regionalism," claimed Agnihotri while speaking to IANS. He added: "After I wrote about the inefficiency of the state government while handling the Covid-19 situation, and the deaths of so many people, and the Palghar Sadhu lynching case, the Mumbai police sent officers at my house and they tried to threaten me. I was told to remove my tweet, they tried to create psychological pressure because they are powerful people." "Of course, they cannot stop my voice, but such behaviour by the political force surely makes one unsafe. These politicians makes us feel unsafe," Agnihotri declared. "I am not talking on behalf of Kangana but it is also true that she got threats from political powers. She did not say that everyone is unsafe in Mumbai, she said that she feels unsafe, after receiving threats from the government. So she has the right to decide what she wants to do and I am not directly commenting on her comment," the filmmaker added. J oe Biden has fiercely condemned comments allegedly made by Donald Trump mocking US troops who died in war. President Trump has flatly denied reports this week that he called the American dead in the First World War "losers" and "suckers" in 2018. Democratic presidential candidate Mr Biden branded Mr Trumps alleged comments deplorable. Mr Biden added: Ive just never been as disappointed, in my whole career, with a leader that Ive worked with, president or otherwise. Donald Trump / AP "If the article is true and it appears to be, based on other things hes said it is absolutely damning. It is a disgrace. He added that the president should humbly apologise" to the families of American servicemen and women who have served in war, and to the families of those who have died. Mr Biden's son Beau, who died of cancer in 2015, served in Kosovo and Iraq with the US military. He added: "When my son was an assistant U.S. attorney and he volunteered to go to Kosovo when the war was going on, as a civilian, he wasnt a sucker. Joe Biden / AP When my son volunteered to join the United States military as the attorney general, he went to Iraq for a year, won the Bronze Star and other commendations, he wasnt a sucker! Two senior defence officials alleged that Mr Trump disparaged US soldiers who died in war during a meeting in Paris on November 10, 2018, according to the Atlantic magazine. Mr Trump was due to visit the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery in the city but staff from the National Security Council and the Secret Service told Mr Trump that rainy weather made helicopter travel to the site risky. When they suggested driving there instead, the president allegedly replied that he would rather not go at all because the cemetery was filled with losers. The Aisne-Marne American Cemetery in Paris / Getty Images Mr Trump said the story is totally false. At the time the White House blamed the cancelled visit on poor weather. The president denied ever making the comments on Friday: It was a terrible thing that somebody could say the kind of things and especially to me cause Ive done more for the military than almost anyone anybody else. He told reporters his former chief of staff, retired Marine General John Kelly, might have been the source of the story. He said: It could have been a guy like John Kelly, saying Mr Kelly was unable to handle the pressure of this job. Robyn Rausch, a play therapist with Renewing Hope Counseling in west Houston, said the pandemic has not been invisible to children, so adults need to recognize that. She said whether learning virtually or in person, children are starting school with an acute stress. Related: Suicide Prevention Month: The value of telehealth during COVID-19 It may not become a trauma that affects them long term. But at a minimum, weve got that precursory stage of something they believed was true before was that they were safe; they would not get sick and die. And then they found out that might not be true. That changes the whole worldview, Rausch said. She explained some children that are starting in-person learning may not feel as though they are safe there. She predicted that teachers will see more nervousness and hyperactivity than usual as children are sort of unsettled. So for adults, if you just kind of realize, like these kids are coming back, and its not a return to normal for them, theyre still stressed. Theyre still freaking out. Rausch advised offering a lot of patience as children adjust. She said the reduction in screen time as children start in-person instruction will be a major adjustment because many children have had unlimited access to screens for six months. She said using screens as little as possible during the first two weeks of in-person learning will help with better behavior. Talking about the elephant in the room that nobody really enjoys wearing masks is another point Rausch brought up. Masks are uncomfortable to wear, but teachers can encourage children by making the masks a part of the classroom. As an example, she suggested assigning activities by which children have certain colors on their masks. French dining: Sweet Paris Creperie & Cafe set to open Sugar Land Town Square store The more you directly address whats happening, the calmer the kids are going to be because its not this big scary elephant that no ones talking about, Rausch said. She said children are resilient and will follow the adults around them in terms of adapting. She advised against greeting classes with a set of unwavering rules but suggested saying that they will try things, listen to feedback, see how the process goes and be flexible as needed. Adults should try to be tolerable of children moving around some as they learn because kids best coping skills are moving, Rausch explained. She said adults cope as well by using their bodies, like going for a walk, exercising or taking a hot bath its just one of the ways the brain functions. When possible, she recommended having different seating options like yoga balls or chairs that slightly rock so that children dont have to sit so still. As a play therapist, Rausch experienced headaches and trouble sleeping during her first month of providing teletherapy due to the pandemic because she was not used to sitting and working in a chair all day. So she understands what some children may face as they get used to being back in a classroom. She said parents should look for two forms of red flags that their children might be struggling a lot. Rausch said acting with high energy, showing a low tolerance for frustration or being aggressive or quick to snap can be one. But she said a child that never talks out of turn or has any behavioral issues can be an indicator as well. Thats also concerning. Little kids are supposed to have those kinds of negative emotions, Rausch said. Theyre supposed to have some behavior problems. So if theyre too good, thats just as big of a problem as if theyre not behaving. Top employer: Katy ISD ranks near top of Forbes list of Texas best employers Amid the pandemic, Rausch has seen children that have always been really social fall into depression as their friends and family have been largely taken away, as well as nervous or oppositional children that have seen those qualities augment. But she said she also has had to talk with parents whose child suddenly became a great student. She said anytime there is an abrupt change can be cause for concern. A sudden shift in how your kid is behaving is not OK, ever. She said that is true across child development and that healthy changes take place gradually over time. Rausch encourages parents that have concerns about their child to discuss them with their school counselor to see if he or she sees the same issues. She said however if the school counselor only seems to be addressing the behavior, look for outside support. For more information about Rauschs work, visit www.calmingcommunities.com. tracy.maness@hcnonline.com WASHINGTON The Justice Department on Friday charged two American citizens with ties to a far-right extremist group with trying to support the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas a case that shows that extremists have sought to turn protests against racism into opportunities to commit violence, but that also runs counter to President Trumps assertions that those extremists are predominantly on the far left. Michael R. Solomon, 30, and Benjamin R. Teeter, 22, who were taken into custody on Thursday evening in Minneapolis, say they are members of a group called the Boogaloo Bois and of a subgroup called the Boojahideen. The groups are part of a loosely connected movement that seeks to bring about a second civil war to overthrow the United States government. John C. Demers, the head of the Justice Departments National Security Division, said in a statement that Mr. Solomon and Mr. Teeter met with people they believed to be members of Hamas in order to join forces and provide support, including in the form of weapons accessories, to the terrorist organization. The defendants believed their anti-U.S. government views aligned with those of Hamas, a foreign terrorist organization, and actively developed plans to carry out violence in Minnesota and elsewhere, Erica H. MacDonald, the U.S. attorney in Minneapolis, said in a statement. It is The Guardian inevitably that has been leading the sneers. As millionaires inside and outside of government lean on us to stop working from home, what are we really missing? the bible of woke Britain intoned last week. If you want to feel like youre in an office again, just wad a packet of wet wipes down your toilet and, at 4pm every Friday, throw away all the milk thats left in your fridge. Thats all youre really missing. All youre really missing so long as youre not one of the 1,600 Costa coffee workers who were told on Friday that theyre about to be dumped on to the dole queue. Or the 3,000 staff of Pret A Manger who were handed their P45s a week earlier. A Costa Coffee store is pictured above. 1,600 Costa workers were told on Friday they would lose their jobs. As ever, theres an element of raw snobbery in the glee with which these redundancies have been greeted But, hey, as the liberal Lefts edgy new mantra goes: Who wants to die for a Pret sandwich? Except its not just going to be the baristas and sandwich-makers who feel the pain. According to the Confederation of British Industrys (CBI) most recent assessment, last months perceived recovery on the High Street was a dead-Covid bounce. Britain is now heading for its worst job cuts since the financial crash. The CBIs quarterly employment balance which measures the number of retailers laying off and hiring staff has dropped to minus 45, down from minus 20 in May. But liberal Britain couldnt care less. The 7,000 job losses at M&S, the 2,500 at Debenhams, the 3,500 at Virgin. All a price worth paying to maintain our new, Covid-secure work-life balance. The CBIs quarterly employment balance which measures the number of retailers laying off and hiring staff has dropped to minus 45, down from minus 20 in May. But liberal Britain couldnt care less. An M&S store is pictured above As ever, theres an element of raw snobbery in the glee with which these redundancies have been greeted. As one MP pointed out to me: The service sector jobs are the wrong sort of jobs. The kids of Guardian leader writers dont rely on this sort of work. Maybe for a summer job. But thats it. Theres also some not-so-subliminal racism at play. As one Minister said: The problem is a lot of these workers are migrants. So no one gives a s*** about them. And, of course, there is the grand conspiracy theory. None of this really matters. UK plc will absorb these losses and adapt. All thats really at stake are the profits of the big inner-city landlords, who stuff the Tory Partys coffers with gold. Some of whom nudge, nudge, wink, wink are also Russians. In our Covid-obsessed world, where legitimate concern about a dangerous virus has been lost beneath a form of collective mass hysteria, this tin-foil progressive populism is gaining some traction. But it obscures the real agenda behind the thinly veiled rejoicing over the impending collapse of the service-oriented British economy. In the wake of the financial crash, a new concept disaster capitalism was on the lips of every liberal academic and commentator. The theory posited that this massive shock to the global economic system would be leveraged to open the door to more free-market deregulation and a full-blown assault on social protection. Now many on the Left see Covid as the opportunity for payback. A chance to unleash disaster socialism. Or, for the more moderately minded, disaster Milibandism. As The Guardian again helpfully explains: Since the pandemic began, societal changes that were supposed to be impossible have happened with relative ease. Workers were sent home overnight and it now seems that many can do their jobs, if not fully remotely, then at least partially from home. Already, many people are talking of moving away from big cities. Societal changes that were supposed to be impossible is actually code for Were going to use Covid to take a hammer to capitalism in a way we were prevented from doing by the voters at the 2015 and 2017 and 2019 Elections. In the eyes of many on the Left, the new normal can now be Jeremy Corbyns normal. And if the dole queues have to swell by a few million to usher in this new utopia of home-working and locally sourced latte, so be it. But to be fair to the liberals, theyre just trying to ensure a good crisis doesnt go to waste. Whats inexplicable is the way Boris Johnson and his Ministers are giving them a free hand to commit their economic and social vandalism. Last week was billed as the week Boris would launch his drive to get Britain back to work. Until, at Thursdays lobby briefing, when the Prime Ministers spokesman proudly announced: There has never been a back to work campaign. Which begs two questions. Why did No 10 brief that there was? And if theres no such campaign, why the hell isnt there? Im told there are two reasons the campaign was shelved. One was fears within Downing Street that Boriss plea would simply be ignored. They were worried hed make the appeal and the figures would show no one took any notice, a Minister reveals. Which is kind of what happened anyway. Another is that a survey being undertaken by the Cabinet Office within Government departments has revealed it will take months for them to return to pre-Covid staffing levels. There are officials in No 10 who are only working a three-day week, a Minister tells me, and were supposed to be telling the country to get back to work? At the moment the plan is for the hapless Business Secretary Alok Sharma to be rolled out next week to order the nation to pull its socks up. Which would be fine if the Government didnt seem so intent on yanking them down again. Last week it was reported that a wave of tax rises are being considered to pay for the Covid crisis. And as the TUC pointed out, the Governments own Covid regulations mean even if workers do want to return, only 50 per cent of them can do so because of social distancing restrictions. The argument of those on the Left embracing disaster socialism is that what we are seeing is not just an economic recalibration but a moral reckoning. The same market forces that consumed Britains mining communities and manufacturers are now simply being unleashed as avenging angels on her blue-chip corporations. Which would have some merit if it wasnt the State that had ordered every business to close, and everyone to stay at home on pain of arrest. Its the State that is still ordering British business to make a living while literally keeping its customers at arms length. And its the State thats continuing to maintain the fiction of the sustainability of home-working via the furlough scheme. At the moment the plan is for the hapless Business Secretary Alok Sharma to be rolled out next week to order the nation to pull its socks up But that scheme will not be in place much longer. And when it goes, many of those basking in the luxury of whether to work from home or the office may come to resemble those pondering which armchair to recline in on the stateroom of the Titanic. Last week I was in a pub much in favour with the liberal London elite. On the surface it seemed to be flourishing. Then the landlord revealed the truth. Before Covid I was clearing 33,000 a week. Now its 11,000. It will start with the sandwich shops. Then it will move on to the pubs and restaurants and clubs. Next will be the theatres and cinemas and museums. And so it will roll down, a slow but steady cascade of insolvency and redundancy. What people dont understand is theres a domino effect going on, an exasperated Minister explains, and it wont just stop in Central London. Eventually it will impact everyone. The devotees of disaster socialism know this. But they dont care. Aided and abetted by a timid, rudderless Government, they intend to seize their moment and leverage the Covid crisis into the crisis of capitalism that they have craved for so long. It started with the coffee shops. But if the disaster socialists get their way, that wont be where it ends. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. Published on 2020/09/05 | Source Korean animated movie "Miniforce: Hamurger Monster's Attack" added to HanCinema database Advertisement "Miniforce: Hamurger Monster's Attack" (2020) Directed by Lee Yeong-joon Synopsis Bolt, who was accidentally photographed eating hamburgers at Mr.J Burger, the best restaurant in Blue City, was selected as an advertising model for Mr.J Burger. Thanks to the video that received huge views on social media. Bolt who became a superstar overnight, quarrels with his friends on a busy schedule and eventually leaves Miniforce. In the meantime, Breaker J and an army of hamburger monsters appear to create a world that only eats hamburgers, endangering the peaceful Blue City, and the helpless Miniforce without their leader, Bolt. The mighty hamburger monster army that ruled the world! The newly upgraded Miniforce counterattack begins! Release date in Korea : 2020/09 Your browser does not support the video tag. Activists are calling for a boycott of Disney's live-action Mulan remake, citing a social media post from the lead actress in support of Hong Kong police. Pro-Democracy activists from Hong Kong to Thailand highlighted a 2019 social media post by Liu Yifei, who stars as the title character, that voiced support for the police. They're urging people to avoid the film, which launched on the Disney+ streaming platform on Friday. Liu Yifei in the title role of Mulan. Credit: "Because Disney kowtows to Beijing, and because Liu Yifei openly and proudly endorses police brutality in Hong Kong, I urge everyone who believes in human rights to #BoycottMulan," Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong tweeted on Friday. Spokespersons for Disney didn't immediately respond to requests for comment. SHANGHAI, Sept. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Reuters reported Friday, September 4 (EST), citing a Defense Department official that the Trump administration is considering whether to add China's top chipmaker SMIC to a trade blacklist. SMIC solemnly declares that the Company, a public company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and the Sci-Tech Innovation Board (STAR Market), is an international semiconductor foundry strictly complying with the laws and regulations of all jurisdictions where it performs its businesses. Since its inception, the Company has been fully compliant with all rules and laws. SMIC has maintained long-term strategic partnerships with multiple U.S.-based semiconductor equipment suppliers. Over the years, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has granted numerous export licenses for the Company. With a large and diverse customer base, serving companies in the U.S., Europe, and other Asian regions, SMIC plays an important role in the global semiconductor supply chain. The Company manufactures semiconductors and provides services solely for civilian and commercial end-users and end-uses. We have no relationship with the Chinese military. In and before 2016, SMIC had been granted Validated End-User (VEU) authorization by the BIS and the company hosted several visits from U.S. Government officials. Any assumptions of the Company's ties with the Chinese military are untrue statements and false accusations. The Company is in complete shock and perplexity to the news. Nevertheless, SMIC is open to sincere and transparent communication with the U.S. Government agencies in hope of resolving potential misunderstandings. About SMIC Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation ("SMIC", SSE STAR MARKET: 688981; SEHK: 00981;OTCQX: SMICY) and its subsidiaries collectively constitute one of the leading foundries in the world, is Mainland China's most advanced and largest foundry, broadest in technology coverage, and most comprehensive in semiconductor manufacturing services. SMIC Group provides integrated circuit (IC) foundry and technology services on process nodes from 0.35 micron to 14 nanometer. Headquartered in Shanghai, China, SMIC Group has an international manufacturing and service base. In China, SMIC has a 300mm wafer fabrication facility (fab), a 200mm fab and a majority-owned joint-venture 300mm fab for advanced nodes (under construction) in Shanghai; a 300mm fab and a majority-owned 300mm fab for advanced nodes in Beijing; 200mm fabs in Tianjin and Shenzhen; and a majority-owned joint-venture 300mm bumping facility in Jiangyin. SMIC Group also has marketing and customer service offices in the U.S., Europe, Japan, and Taiwan China, and a representative office in Hong Kong China. For more information, please visit www.smics.com. SOURCE Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation Related Links www.smics.com Southern Pines, NC (28387) Today Cloudy skies with afternoon snow showers. Areas of freezing rain possible. High 31F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 50%. Snow accumulations less than one inch.. Tonight Snow in the evening will give way to some clearing overnight. Low 21F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 80%. Snow accumulating 1 to 3 inches. September 6 marks the second anniversary of the Supreme Courts landmark judgement, which decriminalised homosexuality under Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. On that day, then Chief Justice Dipak Misra quoted German philosopher Johann Wolfgang von Goethes words I am what I am, so take me as I am; and that is what the LGBTQI+ individuals have been saying. For 13 years we pretended to be cousins so we could rent a home together. We were told 'keep curtains drawn so neighbors don't know 'what' you are'. We recently bought our own home. Now we voluntarily tell neighbors we are partners . It's time LGBTQ families are normalised too. pic.twitter.com/kZ9t9Wnc7i Apurva (@Apurvasrani) May 29, 2020 Thrilled about the normalisation on screen: Apurva Asrani As members and allies of the LGBTQI+ mark this day, at home this year amid the pandemic, filmmaker Apurva Asrani feels India has taken steps in the right direction, including the now popular OTT platforms and the our classic Bollywood. Asrani rejoices that After the 377 judgement, we are moving away from only telling tragic stories of the marginalised, and we are seeing content that celebrates the vibrant and spirited LGBTQI+ too. Asrani had earlier this year announced that he had bought a house with his partner, and that for 13 years they had been forced to pretend that they were cousins. He adds, Im most thrilled about the normalisation of the community. Khan, in the web series AARYA (actor Vikas Kumar) happens to be gay, but his function in the series is to play a hard-nosed, unsentimental cop. Cuckoo (played by Kubbra Sait) in Sacred Games is a transexual, but she brings so much more to the story. Karan (Arjun Mathur) from Made In Heaven is a terrific wedding planner, a great friend to Tara (Sobhita Dhulipala), and also happens to be gay. I also loved the forbidden love track between the two beautiful leading men in Geetu Mohandass film Moothon (2019). It was so sensitively done that you forget that its two men and you only see two innocent souls in love. @parmeshss #Queeristan! What a joy to behold! So proud of Parmesh & his absolute incredible journey! Queer rights never looked so sexy! Cannot wait to jump into this dazzling rainbow! Yall know what to do! GET YOUR COPY NOWWWWW! #LGBT #LGBTQ #LGBTQIA #Queer pic.twitter.com/ZRJzUK5FDW Faraz Arif Ansari (@futterwackening) August 18, 2020 More queer people are writing their stories: Parmesh Shahani Author and activist Parmesh Shahanis recent book Queeristan talks about LGBTQI+ inclusion in corporate workplaces, and his first book Gay Bombay (2008) explores the life and struggle of homosexuals. He says that since the verdict, there have certainly been more conversations, more families have accepted queer children, and there are more platforms by and for the individuals from LGBTQI+. Shahani adds that the change is driven by the people, What excites me today about the publishing world is the fact that todays queer literature shows the range of LGBTQI+ experiences and is being written by people from within the community... Who would have thought that wed have a book on or by an LGBTQI person being released every week? Akhil Katyal and Aditi Angiras book The World That Belongs To Us, or A Revathis A Life in Trans Activism the works today inspire other people to write their own stories. He also talks about changes in Indias corporate world, adding, Earlier companies that wanted to be inclusive couldnt be so because of the law. But now, many organisations, often run by queer people, are working for inclusion. But there are miles to go before we can call ourselves a queer-friendly nation. Marriage, civil rights, anti-discriminatory bill, Transgender Act these still need to be addressed. Legalising same-sex marriage is our biggest dream: Nithu RS Among the transgender individuals who have come out and shone bright is Nithu RS, Indias first trans tattoo artist, who won the Miss Trans Queen India pageant in 2019. Year 2018 was a historic day for our community. I was lucky enough to get accepted by my family before the judgement, but a vast majority of people in my community have not been accepted even after SCs judgement. There is a bigger fight for our social rights. The view of society towards us has not changed yet, and to break stereotypes we need proper education, says Nithu, who believes transgenders are still marginalised in India. She hopes, on the second anniversary of the historic SC judgement, their civil rights are ensured in the coming years. Media plays a major role to highlight our issues, suffering pain and grief that we go through all the time. Legalising same-sex marriage is the biggest dream for all of us. I hope in coming days we get what we deserve. This is no life of dignity for the trans: Naaz Joshi Being a mother of two girl children, I still have no job. Im back to begging and clapping to feed my children. Naaz Joshi, transgender and activist Naaz Joshi, a trans rights activist, believes things have improved for lesbian gay and bisexuals, but transgenders still have a long way to go. I know of many trans women who are living the life of women, after their facial feminisation surgery; they are legally registered as women voters. Even their boyfriends dont know they are trans! But there is no representation... A TV show still uses a woman to portray a transwoman, she rues. Joshi feels, inspite of her many achievements, she faces discrimination. She adds, Being a mother of two girl children, I still have no job. Im back to begging and clapping to feed my children. This is no life of dignity. Thankfully my audience has been courteous: Vasu Primlani Comedienne Vasu Primlani is also circumspect about the representation of LGBTQI+ be it is in films or media, be it social or legal. Ask whether the comedy circuit is open to LGBTQI+ expressions or individuals, and Primlani says, No, it is not. Maybe in bigger cities like Mumbai things are better, but not in India at large... As a woman, things are unfair within the society, but thankfully my audience has been courteous. Known for her bold stand up comic acts that have often shook the audience out of their complacencies, Primlani remembers how representation of queer has improved since Deepa Mehtas Fire (1996), but continues to be tokenistic. About her field of expertise, she asserts, The comedy community is queer, as in weird, by themselves. Its not for me. After Section 377 was repealed, our rights have been protected by law, but there is a long way to go for inclusion to happen. A campaign for a menswear brand got me hatred in return: Anwesh Sahoo Illustrator-model Anwesh Sahoo, who was crowned Mr Gay World India in 2016, says that while the repealing of Section 377 has opened up doors to more opportunities, the LGBTQI+ are still far from being in an ideal place. I did a campaign for a menswear brand; the amount of hatred I received only explains how homophobic we still are as a nation. Do we really look at effeminate gay men as dignified individuals? Do we think Trans is beautiful? There is a lot of groundwork that needs to be done, opines the Bengaluru-based artist. A successful model, Sahoo believes the fashion industry has historically been pro-representation when it comes to LGBTQI+, but cinema has a long way to go. We have not moved beyond binary depictions. Hindi movies mein aaj tak kitne trans characters depict huye hain, jabki kitni empowering stories hain trans individuals ki. Things are changing through OTT platforms, but not enough, he adds. Author tweets @Bhagat_Mallika Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter With several cases of smuggling of contraband items inside Bhondsi Jail having come to light in recent times, the jail authorities have decided to deploy personnel in plain clothes at the outskirts of the jail to keep a watch on motorists who throw such items across the boundary wall. Police officials familiar with the matter said that the exercise will begin next Monday. As per the police, three mobiles were recovered from a packet between barracks one and two around 6.55am on Friday during a routine inspection, following which a case under Section 42A of the Prisoners Act was registered at the Bhondsi police station. According to the complaint, during an inspection of all the barracks conducted by a quick response team, another packet was found on the ground behind barrack number 7. Preliminary probe suggested that the packet, containing the phones and chargers, had been flung across the boundary wall of the jail compound between 2am and 3am on Friday, the police said. The packets contained three smartphones and three batteries and three chargers. We are questioning the inmates to ascertain if they had any knowledge of the incident, KK Rao, commissioner of police, said, adding that cases of mobile phone smuggling has increased recently. More than 15 instances of mobile phones and drugs being flung across the boundary wall of the jail complex have been reported this year. The police said mobile phones are used by some inmates to make extortion calls and contact their henchmen and aides to run their operations on their behalf. Rao said from next week, police officials in plain clothes inside private vehicles will monitor the area and will note down the details of people found loitering around the jail premises. Anyone found to be suspicious will be put under scanner. We are also conducting investigation based on technical surveillance and calls are being monitored to know who is using the mobile phones from inside the jail and what is being conveyed to the receiver, said Rao. The smuggling of contraband items inside the jail premises have come under the scanner after the police arrested deputy jail superintendent Dharambeer Chautala receiving drugs and mobile phones on July 23. Later his son, Ravi Chautala, was also arrested for threatening to blast Bhondsi jail in a purported audio clip, which went viral across social media. During interrogation, Chautala revealed that he used to supply mobile phones and narcotics to some of the inmates inside the jail. The police had recovered at least 20 4G SIM cards and 230 grams of hashish (cannabis) from their possession. A probe had found that one 4G SIM card was sold for over 20,000 to the inmates, who were using phones to run their networks outside the prison. A special investigation team (SIT) was also formed to probe the matter, following which two more aides of Chautala were arrested. According to the police, cases of throwing packets inside jails were earlier reported mostly from other districts such as Jind, Sonipat and Ambala. However, this practice has been noticed inside Bhondsi Jail in recent times as well. With visitation from friends and family members put on hold due to the nationwide lockdown, such incidents have increased in recent times, said the police. Another senior police official privy to the investigation, requesting anonymity, said that in recent crimes, threat calls being made to sweet shop owners in Gurugram and Delhi were traced back to Bhondsi Jail. Several other incidents have also deepened the suspicion of the police regarding the involvement of Bhondsi inmates in crimes taking place across the district. On June 26, a brick kiln owner was shot dead in Sohna by three men. This crime too was traced back to a call from a jail inmate in Bhondsi. Similarly, in Pataudi, a gangster had made an extortion call from jail. In another incident on February 1, a group of at least seven suspected criminals allegedly opened fire at a prison van and fled with two undertrial prisoners. The incident took place on Gurugram-Faridabad Road The city police chased the group and managed to arrest three persons, including one of the undertrial prisoners, after an encounter in Sikrona village in Faridabad. During questioning it was revealed that the operation to free inmates was planned from Bhondsi jail through video conferencing. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 09/04/2020 ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. star Deavan Clegg has admitted she's "moved on" from estranged husband Jihoon Lee and claims he called her and her children "vile things" and she's sick of his lies.Deavan posted a photo of a man holding her one-year-old son Taeyang in his arms Wednesday on Instagram and captioned it, "What a beautiful little town. Always love exploring. #90dayfiance #90dayfiancetheotherway #mountains #wrightwood."The mystery man -- who is believed to be Deavan's new boyfriend -- and Taeyang were wearing matching red plaid shirts, but Deavan cropped out the man's head as to not reveal his identity.However, Jihoon confirmed last month his relationship with Deavan is over and Deavan has a new Korean boyfriend , who is reportedly a Korean-American actor named Christopher "Topher" Park who was born in Los Angeles.Amid backlash from many of her followers, Deavan commented on the photo and gave people a piece of her mind.Although she didn't mention Jihoon by name, Deavan wrote of her ex, "I'm just going to say something... I'm blocked on social media, my number is blocked. I've reached out, sent photos of my son with no replies. I've tried and offered to come to Korea. I'm sick of being blamed when I'm the one trying to co-parent.""I was told several times to just pretend it never happened because that's what this certain person wants," she continued."I'm the one who paid for all the hospital bills, I'm the one who paid for everything in Korea, I'm the one still supporting my son with no help. So why [am] I being attacked? Because I moved on? Because I was tired of being used and not getting any help in return?"Deavan insisted she's been "doing everything" to keep her family together and preserve their happiness considering Jihoon is in South Korea and she is currently living in Utah."I tried and this person has said some vile things about my son and has blocked anyway of me getting in contact to even send photos of my son? But yet you guys attack me?" asked Deavan, who is also mom to five-year-old Drascilla from a previous relationship."You don't know what happened behind close doors. You don't know the type of evil that happened. I'm sick of being attacked and blamed and being told I'm [a] horrible person and I took my son away. You guys don't know the half of it. My daughter is healing and I'm healing. Wait till the Tell All, I'm tired of this."Without giving specific details away, Deavan revealed that Jihoon had allegedly hurt her very badly."Something bad happened that can never be forgiven. I tried to co-parent but that's kind of hard to do when the other person has deleted any type of way to get in contact. Also kind of difficult when the only time he contacts you is to call you degrading vile names," Deavan wrote."He's told me time and time again he just wants to pretend it didn't happen and has called me, my son, Drascilla vile things. I'm done. I'm sick of the lies. I'm sick of pretending it's okay. I'm done."Earlier this week, Deavan posted a different photo of Taeyang along with another lengthy rant against Jihoon that she has since edited and removed.Deavan questioned fans on why they're giving her a hard time when she believes Jihoon is to blame for their problems. She also accused Jihoon of deleting her and her kids from his memory."People are attacking us for a man who attacked us. But the truth always come out. Seeing someone play victim and pretend and lie ... I'm sick of the lies. I'm sick of pretending because I'm scared of a piece of paper," Deavan complained.Deavan's "piece of paper" comment is presumably a reference to her non-disclosure agreement with TLC and 's producers, which limits her ability to discuss the events of : The Other Way's second season before the remainder of the season airs on the network later this year.She added, "This certain person has said time and time again they want nothing to do with [Taeyang] which breaks my heart... His lies have put us in danger... He did the most vile thing possible and that's why we are here. Yet we are the ones harassed and stuck hiding away?"Deavan also seemed furious Jihoon was allegedly receiving sympathy from his Instagram followers."I want [to] be [Taeyang's] father. [Deavan says] I can see Taeyang every summer or December. I just feel so sick and lonely. Just, I want [to] talk to anything, anyone," Jihoon said on Instagram late last month, according to In Touch Weekly."It feels like, just [a] dream. Feels like [a] dream right now, this all happened. Just [a] dream. I can't believe this situation. I hope this situation [is] just [a] dream."Deavan reportedly wrote on Twitter in August she had "moved back" to the United States for a "horrible reason.""[The] truth will come out eventually," Deavan wrote in a since-deleted tweet, according to In Touch."You all really believe everything you see on TV," she added. "You guys don't know the truth or half of it."Deavan also previously vented on Instagram Stories about how : The Other Way viewers know very little about her struggles in 2020, suggesting her relationship with Jihoon had been on the rocks for months prior to their split."If you guys only knew the disgusting things that happened this year off camera," Deavan wrote."If you knew everything going on in this very moment. Knew what I'm doing and going through, the scars that happen this year. Enjoy the show. #90dayfiance."When Jihoon subsequently confirmed he and Deavan had broken up and she quickly moved on with a new man, he said, "I can't believe it," but still wished her happiness.: The Other Way's second season premiered on TLC in June and began with a "flash forward" scene in which Deavan was shown waiting out the coronavirus pandemic while living in South Korea.The footage was filmed earlier this year, around February or March, and was seemingly originally intended for TLC's : Self-Quarantined spinoff, which aired this past spring and showed viewers how various cast members of the franchise were coping with the coronavirus pandemic.But speculation began to swirl that Deavan and Jihoon's relationship was over when fans learned she had reportedly returned to the United States with her children in May.Deavan's mother Elicia, however, initially led fans to believe there wasn't trouble in paradise.Elicia revealed on social media in late July that Deavan was just visiting America with her two kids and got "stuck" in Utah due to COVID-19 while Jihoon remains in South Korea."She is visiting here, but the travel restrictions have forced her to be here longer," Elicia reportedly wrote, adding, "[Deavan and Drascilla] are stuck here until travel restrictions are lessened because of the virus."But it now appears Elicia was just trying to create a cover story to avoid : The Other Way spoilers on the current status of Deavan and Jihoon's relationship.: The Other Way's second season has shown Deavan repeatedly forgiving Jihoon for his mistakes and trying to make a life work with him in South Korea.Not only did Jihoon lie to Deavan about having a lot of money saved for his family, but he was also dishonest about working a full-time, high-paying job. Jihoon's lack of parenting skills with Drascilla and Taeyang only added to the couple's issues.Deavan decided to give Jihoon a second chance under the expectation he would find a permanent apartment for them to live, make and save money, and better support and provide for his family."All of the actions you have done show me that you don't want a family life," Deavan told her husband in a recent broadcast. "If you want to have your freedom, you can have your freedom.""You guys are more important to me," Jihoon replied, referring to Drascilla and Taeyang. "I'll become a better dad because I really love you guys."Many fans have taken a side in Deavan and Jihoon's breakup, with Deavan revealing she and her mother have received hateful messages on social media in regards to Drascilla and how she's been raised.Deavan has lashed out at people criticizing her parenting skills, or alleged lack thereof, and excusing Jihoon's actions, like when he let go of Drascilla's hand at a playground and allowed her to run towards a street.Jihoon recently asked trolls to leave Deavan and Elicia alone, saying, "They're probably having a harder time than I am. I heard that Elicia and Drascilla [are] under threat of murder. It is 100% wrong. I am begging you guys, I just want peace."Want more spoilers or couples updates? Click here to visit our homepage! An Argentinian university professor has died of suspected coronavirus after gasping for breath while holding a Zoom lecture for students. Paola de Simone, 46, who taught politics and international relations at the Universidad Argentina de la Empresa in Buenos Aires, died on Wednesday after having respiratory problems during a Zoom lecture. On Tuesday, de Simone was holding the lecture when she began gasping for air, local news outlets reported. According to local media sites Clarin and MDZ, the 46-year-old's condition seemed so grave that her students asked her for her address so they could send an ambulance. Paola de Simone, 46, who taught politics and international relations at the Universidad Argentina de la Empresa in Buenos Aires, died on Wednesday after having respiratory problems during a Zoom lecture 'I can't', she said, according to reports. De Simone wrote on Twitter at the end of August that she had been experiencing Covid-19 symptoms for at least four weeks. She added that her husband, who works as a doctor in A&E, was also exhausted. 'It is very complicated. I have been here [with the virus] for more than four weeks and the symptoms do not go away,' she wrote. De Simone wrote on Twitter at the end of August that she had been experiencing Covid-19 symptoms for at least four weeks 'My husband is exhausted from working so much at the moment [...].' She continued to work despite suffering from a persistent cough, an academic coordinator from the university said in a statement. The university shared a statement expressing their 'deep sorrow' over the mother and wife's passing on Thursday. 'Paola was a passionate and dedicated teacher, and a great person,' the school wrote, according to Clarin. A video of the collapse was circulated on social media. The university asked members of the academic community to respect her memory. As of yesterday, Argentina has more than 451,198 total coronavirus cases and at least 9,361 fatalities from the virus. . Universities are highly likely to experience significant coronavirus outbreaks, the governments scientific advisers have warned as students prepare to travel to campuses across the UK. The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) said there was a risk that the return to higher education would increase the spread of Covid-19 both locally and nationwide. Experts also highlighted the dangers of an outbreak coinciding with students going home during the Christmas holidays and infecting their extended families. A critical risk is a large number of infected students seeding outbreaks across the UK, influencing national transmission, they added, in a paper released by Sage on Friday. The document suggests several ways universities can control and reduce the spread of the disease, including wider testing and reducing in-person interactions. Students who are residents in university accommodation should be segmented as far as possible to co-locate courses or year groups, to minimise networks between different parts of an institution, it adds. Wearing face coverings in campus buildings and providing dedicated accommodation facilities for self-isolating students could also minimise the risk, the advice states. Universities are advised to involve students when producing rules on how to behave to increase the likelihood of young people adhering to them. The document warns: Disagreements, mistakes and transgressions will happen. Preventing anger, confrontation and stigmatisation will be important. Jo Grady, general secretary of the University and College Union, said the report made sobering reading and added: It exposes how wrong it was to try and pretend it would be almost business as usual. The worry now is how ill-prepared the government and universities appear to be. This report adds further weight to our call that online teaching must be universities default position. Professor Julia Buckingham, president of Universities UK and vice-chancellor of Brunel University London, said that universities had already addressed many of the recommendations ahead of the start of the new term. Higher education institutions are aware of the risk of cases emerging on campus and that is why they have been working hard over many months and investing considerable resource and expertise into planning for all scenarios, she said. It is vital that the sector and local health and public bodies work together over the new term to develop robust plans for managing outbreaks in university towns. Dr Mike Tildesley, an associate professor at the University of Warwick and expert in infection modelling, said that some in-person teaching was still happening in small groups, but that it would be moved into large lecture theatres to allow for social distancing. He told the BBC: Certain parts of the courses will be taking place online theres an awful lot of virtual teaching that will be taking place in the first term. Its certainly not ideal I think for the student experience ... but these large lectures really do represent a significant risk. The Department for Education said: The safety and wellbeing of university students and staff is always a priority and these findings from Sage underpin the protective measures being taken to open universities safely for students, staff and local communities. We have already published guidance on reopening higher education buildings and campuses, and will update this shortly to reflect Sages advice, to help universities prepare to open safely. Kanye West's chances of winning the presidential election are slimming day by day. On Tuesday, West's attorney filed petitions in Arizona that is said to contain 57,892 signatures. In the state, an independent candidate for president would need about 40,000 verified signatures to qualify for the ballot. However, his slate of electors reportedly failed to file the statements of interest before August 31, as required by law. Therefore, the signatures they gathered ended up being invalid. Two days later, judges in Virginia and Arizona adjudicated for West's name to be officially kept off the two states' general election ballots, making the rapper lose more potential voters in the presidential election. Ruled Out in Arizona Per Arizona state Judge Scott McCoy, a state law blocked West from appearing on the ballot as an independent candidate. Aside from the invalid signatures, he is a registered republican. Apart from him, 10 out of his 11 electors are also registered Republicans. Even if he won a slot, the rapper would still not have a chance since Arizona has been an exclusive presidential battleground between President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden. The "Famous" rapper had been doing expensive efforts to be included on the ballot in Arizona; unfortunately, it failed in the end. Per TMZ, multiple sources said that he hired a firm, Let the Voters Decide, to have his name printed on the ballot. He even reportedly prepared to cash out up to $500,000 to get the job done. No Win in Virginia This news came a few hours after a judge in Richmond, Virginia found out that 11 of the elector oaths submitted by the 43-year-old president wannabe "were obtained by improper, fraudulent and/or misleading means or are otherwise invalid because of notarial violations and misconduct." With that said, Richmond Circuit Judge Joi Taylor barred state elections officials from printing West's name on ballots. He also reminded the officials in any other communities where his name had already been printed to inform the voters that he had been disqualified. West also faced public scrutiny after two Virginia men appealed to remove his name from the state's ballot. The two, who are now being aided by a Democratic powerhouse law firm, disclosed that they had been allegedly duped into signing on as electors. In response to this, Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring called to order an emergency court action to block West from appearing on the state's ballot. "They said they were collecting names for voters to be placed in a pool to be electors for the state of Virginia," one of the two victims said. "I felt I was misled into signing that document under false pretenses and I do not intend to vote for him." In addition, Kanye West's name has also been crossed out from the ballot in Illinois, New Jersey and Ohio. With Thursday's rulings, West has been only qualified to appear on the ballot in 10 states, including Arkansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Utah, Tennessee and Vermont. Such a number is considered too little to have any chance of getting the 270 electoral votes a candidate needs to secure to win the presidency. READ MORE: Kanye West Richer Than Donald Trump? Rapper Boasts Massive Wealth! By Idrees Ali, Alexandra Alper and Karen Freifeld WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration is considering whether to add China's top chipmaker SMIC to a trade blacklist, a Defense Department official said on Friday, as the United States escalates its crackdown on Chinese companies. A Pentagon spokeswoman said the Defense Department was working with other agencies to determine whether to make the move against Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation <0981.HK>, which would force U.S. suppliers to seek a difficult-to-obtain license before shipping to the ... Trump, senior staff deny claims that he called fallen US troops 'losers, 'suckers' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment President Donald Trump and senior White House staff have denied claims that he ever referred to American soldiers as losers and suckers. The allegations were made by four anonymous sources in an article published by The Atlantic on Thursday. The report was immediately lambasted as untrue by current and former White House senior staff, some of whom say they were with the president at the time he's alleged to have made the comments. The Atlantic reported that during a 2018 trip to France, Trump refused to visit the Aisne-Marneine American Cemetery because his hair would be disheveled and he thought it wasnt worth visiting the graves of losers. The report also claimed that Trump said he refused to visit the Aisne-Marneine American Cemetery because of inclement weather, which the report said was an untrue claim by the president. The cemetery is known to be hallowed ground by the United States Marine Corps who lost over 1,000 soldiers in the battle of Belleau-Wood. When President Donald Trump canceled a visit to the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery near Paris in 2018, he blamed rain for the last-minute decision, saying that the helicopter couldnt fly and that the Secret Service wouldnt drive him there. Neither claim was true Trump rejected the idea of the visit because he feared his hair would become disheveled in the rain, and because he did not believe it important to honor American war dead, according to four people with firsthand knowledge of the discussion that day. In a conversation with senior staff members on the morning of the scheduled visit, Trump said, Why should I go to that cemetery? Its filled with losers," The Atlantic reports. However, emails retrieved through a Freedom of Information Act request revealed that indeed the flight was canceled due to inclement weather. Washington Examiner White House correspondent Rob Crilly provided screenshots of the emails. White House official has sent an image of redacted email apparently showing 'bad weather call' was indeed cause of Trump not attending Aisne-Marne American Cemetery in 2018. Dan Scavino and Stephen Miller were also both there - and deny Atlantic story. White House official has sent an image of redacted email apparently showing "bad weather call" was indeed cause of Trump not attending Aisne-Marne American Cemetery in 2018. Dan Scavino and Stephen Miller were also both there - and deny Atlantic storyhttps://t.co/jQNgHX0Fd7pic.twitter.com/Gzre4oYEs9 Rob Crilly (@robcrilly) September 4, 2020 President Trump also pushed back on the allegations, saying in a Twitter thread on Thursday, " ... I never called our great fallen soldiers anything other than HEROES. This is more made up Fake News given by disgusting & jealous failures in a disgraceful attempt to influence the 2020 Election! I was never a big fan of John McCain, disagreed with him on many things including ridiculous endless wars and the lack of success he had in dealing with the VA and our great Vets, but the lowering of our Nations American Flags, and the first class funeral he was given by our country, had to be approved by me, as President, & I did so without hesitation or complaint," he added. "Quite the contrary, I felt it was well deserved. I even sent Air Force One to bring his body, in casket, from Arizona to Washington. It was my honor to do so. Also, I never called John a loser ..." Former White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders also aggressively denounced the claims, saying that she was there during the event and only knows of Trump to support the military. The Atlantic story on @realDonaldTrump is total BS. I was actually there and one of the people part of the discussion - this never happened. I have sat in the room when our President called family members after their sons were killed in action and it was heart-wrenching. These were some of the moments I witnessed the President show his heart and demonstrate how much he respects the selfless and courageous men and women of our military. I am disgusted by this false attack. The Atlantic story on @realDonaldTrump is total BS. I was actually there and one of the people part of the discussion - this never happened. I have sat in the room when our President called family members after their sons were killed in action and it was heart-wrenching... Sarah Huckabee Sanders (@SarahHuckabee) September 4, 2020 Keith Kellogg, a retired three-star Army general and current national security advisor to Vice President Mike Pence, said the report "lacks merit." "The Atlantic story is completely false. Absolutely lacks merit. Ive been by the Presidents side. He has always shown the highest respect to our active duty troops and veterans with utmost respect paid to those who have given the ultimate sacrifice and those wounded in battle." The Atlantic story is completely false. Absolutely lacks merit. Ive been by the Presidents side. He has always shown the highest respect to our active duty troops and veterans with utmost respect paid to those who have given the ultimate sacrifice and those wounded in battle. Keith Kellogg (@generalkellogg) September 3, 2020 Techno Frog, an anonymous lawyer known by many in the political sphere, also shared screenshots of documents supporting Trump's bad weather claim. "On that Atlantic Story - @JeffreyGoldberg and his "four sources" claim Trump's helicopter flight to the US/French cemetery wasn't canceled due to weather. FOIA docs prove this to be false. Their "sources" are failing basic fact checks - making them essentially worthless." On that Atlantic Story - @JeffreyGoldberg and his "four sources" claim Trump's helicopter flight to the US/French cemetery wasn't cancelled due to weather. FOIA docs prove this to be false. Their "sources" are failing basic fact checks - making them essentially worthless. pic.twitter.com/wAa7FrSxoW Techno Fog (@Techno_Fog) September 4, 2020 Jordan Karem, a longtime aide to President Trump, also brought a defense, saying he was "next to Trump the whole day." "Again, this is 100% false. I was next to @POTUS the whole day! The President was greatly disappointed when told we couldnt fly there. He was incredibly eager to honor our Fallen Heroes." Again, this is 100% false. I was next to @POTUS the whole day! The President was greatly disappointed when told we couldnt fly there. He was incredibly eager to honor our Fallen Heroes. https://t.co/8YZlWS83I3 Jordan Karem (@JordanKarem1) September 4, 2020 Despite the defenses of many of Trump's closest allies, the president's past is not void of commentary that many would deem disrespectful toward military service. During a 2015 campaign stop in Iowa, then-presidential candidate Trump disparaged the military service of Sen. John McCain in an interview with pollster Frank Luntz during the Family Leadership Summit where he said the former prisoner of war was "not a war hero." "He's a war hero because he was captured. I like people that weren't captured," Trump asserted, insisting that McCain had attacked him first by calling his supporters "crazies." At a press conference afterward, according to The Daily Wire, Trump said, "'If somebodys a prisoner, I consider them a war hero.'" However, the publication also reported in 2016 that Trump never apologized and at times even denied ever saying McCain isn't a war hero. McCain was a naval pilot during the Vietnam War and, after being shot down by enemy forces, spent five years as a POW at a camp that became known as the Hanoi Hilton where he and other American soldiers were tortured. Trump's past comments about McCain brought a harsh response from Republican lawmakers, including Sen. Lindsay Graham of South Carolina who said at the time that Trump shouldn't be commander-in-chief. Hes bringing his name down and hes not helping the process and he shouldnt be commander in chief. said Graham who later became a supporter of Trump after he was elected president. A doctor has made a series of startling claims about forced abortion and womb removal being carried out by Chinese authorities in its Uyghur prison camps. The woman, a resident of Turkey and a Uyghur Muslim, spoke to ITV News under confidentiality, revealing the horror she witnessed inside the camps. There have been ongoing claims against the Chinese government for its treatment of the Uyghur and ethnic Turkic minorities in the western Xinjiang region of the country. Security cameras at what is officially known as a vocational skills education centre in Dabancheng, in Xinjiang. Source: Reuters Many have allegedly been forced into detention camps, which the Chinese government calls re-education camps. The woman, a gynecologist, told the British news program that she worked for the Chinese government as part of population control. The clear intention was ethnic cleansing, she told ITV News. The woman, who has since fled China, claims she participated in between 500-600 operations on Uyghur women including forced womb removal, forced sterilisation and forced abortion. In a harrowing interview, the doctor said on at least one occasion a baby was still moving when it was put into a garbage bin. The doctor shared her account of the camps with the broadcaster. Source: iTVnews The allegations of forced birth control are backed by research conducted by the Associated Press into the murky world of Chinas concentration camps. Mirehmet Ablet, also a Uyghur Muslim, is among those who have left China due to the crackdown on its Muslim minority by the Chinese Communist in the past decade. He told Yahoo News Australia in July that his brother went missing in 2017 and he believes he is still languishing in one of the camps. After years of silence, Mr Ablet has decided to speak publicly about his brothers case in a last-ditch effort to save his life. This is the last chance for us, this is the best way, to make it public, its our last chance to save him, Mr Ablet told Yahoo News Australia. Time to make it public otherwise I might lose my brother. Story continues British human rights lawyer Geoffrey Nice, who previously led the prosecution of ex-Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic over the Balkans war and worked with the International Criminal Court, has been asked by the World Uyghur Congress to investigate ongoing atrocities and possible genocide against the Uyghur people. Allegations against China about potential genocide are questions that should be asked and answered but such claims have never been legally scrutinised in public, Mr Nice told the Associated Press. Organisers are in the initial stages of gathering evidence, and expect to receive a substantial number of submissions from Uyghurs exiled abroad over the next few months. New evidence that may emerge includes testimony from several former security guards who were involved in the Xinjiang detention camps. People at the Artux City Vocational Skills Education Training Service Centre in western China's Xinjiang region. Source: AAP At the moment, the strongest evidence would appear to be evidence of incarceration and possibly evidence of enforced sterilisation, Mr Nice said. He added that forced sterilisation, as the woman claimed, could breach the Genocide Convention. Chinese officials have repeatedly derided allegations of rights abuses in Xinjiang as fabricated, and insist that all ethnicities are treated equally. with AP Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play. New Delhi: BSP on Saturday announced its third list of candidates for 100 more Assembly seats, thereby declaring nominees for 300 of the 403 seats, bring the number of Muslims aspirants to 79 in the three lists. While BSPs first list of 100 candidates released on Thursday contained names of 36 Muslim candidates, Fridays list had names of 22 aspirants from the community that accounts for nearly 20 per cent of the states electorate. Saturdays list has 21 Muslim names. The party has already shortlisted names of candidates for all the 403 seats, BSP supremo Mayawati had told a press conference earlier. Giving caste-wise details of the shortlisted candidates, she had said 87 tickets will be given to Dalits, 97 to Muslims and 106 to OBCs. Of the 113 tickets earmarked for upper castes, Brahmins will get 66, Kshatriyas 36 and Kayasthas, Vaishyas and Punjabi 11, she had said. The BSP chief had said she had finalised the names of candidates long ago and there will be no change in it. Divided Muslim votes translate to gains for BJP, while a consolidation will change the poll arithmetic as minorities play a crucial role in at least 125 of 403 constituencies. Also read: Uttar Pradesh elections: Mayawati releases first list of 100 BSP candidates Uttar Pradesh elections 2017: Mayawati releases second list of 100 BSP candidates Video: BSP Supremo Mayawati declares two-day long party meet open, takes jibe at SP For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-04 23:52:53|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Gabriel Leung, Dean of Faculty of Medicine at the University of Hong Kong and an adviser to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government on COVID-19, receives an interview with Xinhua at a COVID-19 testing center in Hong Kong, south China, Sept. 4, 2020. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaochu) HONG KONG, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- The ongoing universal screening helps Hong Kong to break through the bottleneck of testing work of COVID-19, Gabriel Leung, an adviser to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government on COVID-19, told Xinhua on Friday. Leung, also Dean of Faculty of Medicine at the University of Hong Kong, said that the HKSAR government's Universal Community Testing Program can help address the problem of inadequate testing in Hong Kong since the COVID-19 outbreak. He expected Hong Kong to have a fourth or even fifth wave in autumn and winter, when vaccine supplies may not be available. Therefore, preparations should be made in advance and the program can help enhance the screening and to clear off the third wave of the epidemic. The program was launched on Tuesday by the HKSAR government. As of 8 p.m. local time Friday, about 953,000 persons had made appointments and about 284,800 samples collected had been tested, according to the HKSAR government. Eight samples were tested positive so far. Among them, four were previously confirmed cases, and the other four were new cases. Leung said if the whole population of 7.5 million people in Hong Kong were tested, it is expected that about 400 silent carriers would be found out, in which about 140 of them have second-generation transmission capability. The more people are tested, the faster the second-generation transmission chain can be found, he stressed, urging the public to actively participate in the screening program so as to end the third wave as soon as possible. Enditem The country was in the midst of a reckoning over how police use deadly force when Joseph Deters, a veteran Ohio prosecutor, announced charges against a White officer in Cincinnati who killed a Black driver during a traffic stop. "I'm treating him like a murderer," Deters said of the officer during a news conference in July 2015, 10 days after the shooting. Two years later, after two trials ended with deadlocked juries, a somber Deters made another announcement: He would not try the officer a third time. Jurors told him he would never win. Deters's rapid push to bring charges against the officer marked a significant break from how the justice system had typically handled such cases. The deadly police shooting in Ferguson, Mo., in 2014 galvanized a nationwide protest movement that led to more prosecutors bringing charges against police. But Deters's eventual concession showed how these cases still usually concluded - with officers cleared, convicted on lesser charges or otherwise walking free. A Washington Post analysis of prosecutions that occurred before and after Ferguson found little change in the conviction rate for officers charged in fatal on-duty shootings. Once these cases moved into courtrooms, prosecutors faced the same hurdles that existed before Ferguson. Officers are afforded wide latitude to use force under the law, vouched for by experts and trusted by juries. They are convicted less than half the time, usually for lesser charges. What happened in the months and years after Ferguson - the last time the country was gripped by intense, widespread demonstrations prompted by police uses of force - could hold significant lessons as America confronts some of the same issues in the wake of George Floyd's death in Minneapolis. Prosecutors are again facing public pressure to bring charges against officers, cases that will proceed amid a different landscape, with polls finding greater public skepticism of police and stronger support for the Black Lives Matter movement. For people connected with police shootings that have gone to trial, some believe the summer's unrest could transform what happens in the future. "There is going to be a different outcome now - absolutely," said Mark Collins, a lawyer who has defended police officers since 1996 and is defending another in a pending murder case. "Citizens want to believe their police force is fair and just and protects them as long as they are following the laws. But every incident we have seen in the last five years erodes that, bit by bit." - - - The Washington Post has tracked fatal shootings by on-duty police officers since the beginning of 2015. Every year, The Post has found about 1,000 deadly shootings. Most of the people involved are armed, and shootings by police are usually deemed justified. Occasionally, a case draws significant public attention. After Ferguson, officials responded to protests and outrage with promises of reform, adopting new training for police and expanding the use of body cameras. Prosecutors began charging more officers with murder and manslaughter for fatal shootings and doing so quickly, breaking with a history of cases that were investigated slowly. Prosecutors were still charging only a small fraction of the police who shot and killed people, but the increase was notable. Then, when people stopped paying as much attention to police shootings, prosecutors stopped bringing as many cases. In 2015 and 2016, the first two full years after Ferguson, 32 police officers were charged with murder or manslaughter for an on-duty shooting - more than in the seven previous years combined, according to data tallied by Philip Stinson, a criminologist at Bowling Green University. Police shootings were high-profile news events at the time, with cases in Minneapolis, Baton Rouge, Charlotte and other places that prompted outrage and demonstrations. Then the national attention waned. In 2017 and 2018, the third and fourth years after Ferguson, the number of officers charged with murder or manslaughter was 17 - about half as many as had been charged in the previous two years. Last year, 11 officers were charged. So far this year, eight officers have been charged with murder or manslaughter for an on-duty shooting. (Four officers were also charged in Floyd's death, which did not involve any of them shooting a firearm.) Most of these prosecutions for shootings don't end in a conviction. Since 2015, more than half of the prosecutions - 57% - in resolved cases have resulted in acquittals or hung juries, about the same rate as the five prior years. Murder convictions were rare. Most cases ended with officers pleading to reduced charges of involuntary manslaughter, negligent homicide or aggravated assault, records show. "When it gets into the jury deliberation room or the judge on a bench trial, they are very reluctant to second-guess the split-second decision of on-duty police officers in violent street encounters," Stinson said. The reasons have remained largely consistent. Since 2015, four key factors have played a role in many officers being found not guilty or walking free due to hung juries, according to a review by The Post, Stinson's database and interviews with attorneys involved in the cases, law enforcement officials and family members: - Expert witnesses for the officers, who are typically law enforcement veterans themselves, are able to skillfully explain to jurors why officers may have feared for their lives or followed their training. - Jurors, who already tend to trust police, bring a more skeptical eye to evidence in cases involving viral videos they saw before joining the jury. - Defense attorneys for officers can be successful at casting them as family men defending communities - while also painting bleak pictures of the people shot and killed. - And crucially, the Supreme Court's 1989 decision in Graham v. Connor - which established that officers' actions must be judged by what a reasonable officer might do under the same circumstances - gives them wide latitude for their actions. "Police officers are in different positions than the rest of us," said Patrick Thomassey, who represented a police officer in East Pittsburgh who was charged with killing a 17-year-old student and acquitted last year. "We as a society give them the right to use deadly force. They have to." - - - In some notable cases, officers were still convicted despite these factors. More common were outcomes like what happened when Deters charged Raymond Tensing, a University of Cincinnati police officer, for shooting and killing Samuel DuBose during a July 2015 stop. Tensing pulled DuBose over near the school's campus for not having a front license plate on his green Honda Accord. After a brief interaction, DuBose restarted his car. Tensing yelled for him to stop, drew his gun and quickly fired into DuBose's head. The encounter was recorded by Tensing's body-worn camera. Deters, who has been the elected Hamilton County prosecutor for more than 20 years, held a news conference to announce that a grand jury had indicted Tensing for murder. Deters said his office had reviewed many police shootings but never thought one was a murder before. "He didn't do anything violent towards the officer," Deters, who declined an interview request for this article, said at the time. "He wasn't dragging him. And [Tensing] pulled out his gun and intentionally shot him in the head." Sitting in front of a laptop 100 miles away, James Scanlon, a former member of the Columbus police SWAT team, was among those watching the body-camera footage again and again. Scanlon thought he saw something else. "I called the officer's attorney and said, 'I don't think this young man is guilty of anything,' " Scanlon, a police use-of-force expert witness, said in an interview. He worked free as Tensing's expert witness during the two murder trials. Tensing said he was being dragged by DuBose's car, which Deters called "comical" and "nonsensical." Scanlon disagreed, walking jurors through a frame-by-frame analysis of the video. "When I first watched it I thought, 'Man, this looks bad,' " Scanlon said. "But when I went frame by frame, I realized the car is moving forward, [Tensing's] being jerked backward, and he is going to the ground, unable to break free because DeBose has him pinned to the steering wheel." Scanlon's testimony created doubt in the minds of some jurors, resulting in a deadlock in 2016 and again in 2017. Even the most disturbing video footage can, paradoxically, make it more difficult to prosecute officers involved, according to attorneys who worked on either side of another police shooting caught on a widely seen video. In April 2015, Walter Scott, who was Black, was pulled over in North Charleston, S.C., by Michael Slager, a White police officer. Scott eventually fled and Slager chased him into a nearby lot. A bystander began filming on his cellphone and recorded Scott running away from Slager as the officer fired five bullets into the older man's back. Slager was charged with murder the same day that the footage was made public. He was also charged later with a federal civil rights violation. Andrew Savage, Slager's defense attorney, said that the video footage shocked him when he saw it before getting involved. "The video was very, very scary from a defense viewpoint," Savage said in an interview. "If that's all there was, it was a pretty open-and-shut case." But Savage said there was more to it than that. He said the media had spread "a very false narrative" that depicted the case as a traffic stop ending with a shooting. What happened after the stop, Savage said, was a "200-yard foot chase [and] what we believed was a pretty substantial ground fight" before the shooting. Slager testified that he tried to subdue Scott after the driver fled his car and that the two men had a physical struggle. He said that Scott had grabbed his Taser during the struggle and that he felt "total fear" when opening fire. Anthony Scott, Walter Scott's brother, said in an interview that there was no brutal fight, but that "jurors are more apt to believe the testimony of a police officer." Jurors deadlocked in December 2016. Savage said the video being seen so widely helped his client's case. "When the public perception is the government has an absolutely airtight case, ironically that helps the defense," Savage said. "Because jurors have expectations." Scarlett Wilson, who prosecuted Slager, agreed. "I worry that people might feel misled by the media's coverage when the whole story is not told publicly," Wilson said in written responses to questions. And that can include when "they don't see the whole video broadcast and are surprised by what else is there." After the mistrial, Wilson vowed to prosecute Slager again. But he also faced the federal charge, which is unusual for a police shooting. After Slager pleaded guilty in that case, which also resolved the state charges, the federal judge sentenced him to 20 years. - - - Defense attorneys view police officers as good clients because they usually have good records, are a "clean-cut family man, or woman," and can testify in court because they have done so before, said Earl Gray, a lawyer in St. Paul, Minn., who is representing one of the officers charged in the Floyd case and has defended other officers. The dynamic in court, Gray said, can often boil down to: "The police officer is a good person and the victim has a checkered past." When Philip Brailsford, a police officer in Mesa, Ariz., was acquitted of second-degree murder charges in the shooting and killing Daniel Shaver in 2016, attorneys involved say, his defense's use of this portrayal played a significant role in the outcome. Shaver was crawling on his hands and knees in a hotel hallway, unarmed, begging for his life when he was shot and killed. Brailsford was acquitted in December 2017. Defense attorneys portrayed Brailsford as a model citizen and Shaver as a reckless drunk. Michael Piccarreta, Brailsford's attorney, said that was fairly easy, describing his client as an Eagle Scout and a Mormon who went on a mission as a young man. "All these things say he's a decent guy," Piccarreta said. "The jury is making a decision about whether they are going to lock up someone like this for the rest of their life." Shaver's reputation, meanwhile, was assailed, said Susie Charbel, the lead prosecutor on the case. "The defendant is looked up to as a savior, running towards danger," Charbel said, but Shaver was portrayed by defense lawyers as irresponsible and a heavy drinker. Laney Sweet, Shaver's widow, said: "If they have anything on the victim, they drive that home in the jury's mind." Defense attorneys will also point to the "reasonable" officer defense spelled out in Graham v. Connor, which experts say is a pivotal factor in many cases. Joel Jenkins, a Pike County sheriff's deputy in Ohio, was indicted on a charge of murder months after he shot and killed an unarmed man following a high-speed chase in 2015. The chase began when Robert Rooker was clocked on radar going 52 mph in a 45 mph zone. When Rooker's Ford Ranger was pinned between a tree and Jenkins's vehicle, the deputy opened fire, hitting the man seven times and killing him. No video footage exists of the incident. Jenkins said Rooker had reached down into his truck seconds before the shooting and he feared that the driver was grabbing a gun. Prosecutors told jurors that, in addition to being unarmed, Rooker was trapped. They interviewed eyewitnesses who disputed the officer's account and pointed to inconsistencies in Jenkins's own shifting account of what happened that night. The defense, meanwhile, said Jenkins was following his training and acted reasonably since he didn't know if Rooker might have reached for a gun. Jenkins was acquitted in 2017. "If he waits to see the gun before he shoots, he's dead," said Mark Collins, Jenkins's attorney. Prosecutors in the case declined to comment. Now, Collins said, he expects more officers are going to wind up in court as defendants. As protests spread after Floyd's death - which did not involve any gunfire, but instead an officer recorded driving his knee into the prone man's neck - so did viral videos showing police using force on demonstrators opposing police violence. Polls showed declines in the number of Americans who believe police use force properly and are held accountable for misconduct. "The trust, the institutional trust that society has in law enforcement, has been damaged immensely by these cases," said Savage, the lawyer who represented Slager. It remains unclear whether this changing landscape will be reflected in how jurors view police officers who wind up on trial. "You are going to see more cases going to trial, and it will be easier and easier to prove the case," Collins said. "The confidence that society once had in police isn't there." Collins may find out soon. He is representing a former undercover Columbus, Ohio, police officer scheduled to be tried this year for shooting and killing a woman in 2018. Some involved in the post-Ferguson cases have watched the reckoning after Floyd's death and wondered how they would have played out in this changed landscape. In Minnesota, Jeronimo Yanez, a police officer in the Twin Cities suburbs, was charged in 2016 for fatally shooting Philando Castile during a stop. The aftermath of the shooting was streamed on Facebook and spread virally. Yanez said he opened fire thinking Castile - who told the officer he had a gun in the car - was reaching for the weapon. He was acquitted on all counts in 2017. "I wonder, what would've happened if we were to try the case now? As opposed to 2017?" John Choi, the Ramsey county attorney who prosecuted Yanez, said in an interview. Castile's mother, Valerie, said she thinks it would end differently now, because people are seeing "a trend" in the high-profile cases. Jurors will "be less inclined to believe the cop," Castile said. "More horror stories are coming out. It's hard to keep believing in someone or an institution when they keep showing you something different." - - - The Washington Post's Julie Tate contributed to this report. Students from Cork and throughout Munster will shortly be thronging UCC as the beginning of the 2020/21 Academic Year looms Tom OMara, Head of Centre for Digital Education UCC; Cliodhna OCallaghan, Project Lead for Enhancing Digital Teaching and Learning and Dr Sharon Flynn, National Project Manager, IUA Enhancing Digital Teaching and Learning The publication of the Leaving Cert results on Monday will kick start the final leg of a race for third level places for the coming year. But how will that look in the COVID era? Will students be attending lectures in universities, institutes of technology and other third level institutions, will students have to learn from home, tuning in online for lectures or will it be combination of both? How will it work? Cliodhna O'Callaghan, from Baile Mhuirne in Gaeltacht Mhuscrai, had been working for a number of years in UCC's student outreach department but took up a new role in December. "Having worked in UCC for five years I took up a project management role last December on an exciting IUA (Irish Universities Association) project called 'Enhancing Digital Teaching & Learning' (EDTL)." This is a 3 year project, which is funded through the HEA's Innovation and Transformation Programme, and is aimed at enhancing the digital attributes and educational experiences of Irish university students through enabling the mainstreamed and integrated use of digital technologies across the teaching and learning process." The project aims to mainstream digital in teaching and learning activities in Irish Universities, by addressing the professional development of all who teach or support teaching and learning. While it's tempting to think that the role automatically means the gradual migration of student lectures to online portals and more and more learning taking place virtually, there's more to it than that and COVID compelled Cliodhna to tackle the issues head on sooner than she would have liked. "On taking up this role I could never have imagined how relevant this work would become in 2020! "When the staff in UCC downed tools on that March 12, I'm sure they could never imagined how many new digital tools they would be learning about remotely and within such a short space of time." A combination of lectures on campus and online will form the core of a blended learning approach in UCC in the coming year but the most important element of this is that it will be driven by the pedagogic needs of the student or lecturer and the class. "Our work is not technology-led, instead we aim to start with pedagogical needs of a group or individual, and consider how technology might be used to support these," she said. The project is not led by technology - but one of its main aims is to raise the level of digital competence across a class, school, faculty or discipline. The other pillar of the project is that Cliodhna and her colleagues work in partnership with students at all levels of the project. While those pillars would have been central to the project irrespective of COVID's arrival, things change drastically in March. "I have been working from home myself along with my colleagues in UCC since the 12th of March and count myself as very lucky in many ways in this context. "I had the office space within my home already set up for work and study, as well as living in the beautiful countryside of Baile Mhuirne which I appreciated even more during those early days of lock-down. "Not all staff have been in as good a situation and have faced quite challenging remote working situations. "It must be said that regardless of the challenges everyone went above and beyond to ensure our students were always front and centre of our work, and that no student would experience any academic disadvantage as a result of the crisis and the unforeseen situation we all found ourselves it." "We are preparing for remote teaching for the coming academic year, bearing in mind that each school/department is taking their own approach to their teaching and learning and therefore it is critical that each student would stay in contact with their own programme coordinator/point of contact in relation to the programme delivery. "It should be noted that in normal circumstances if we were preparing for online/blended delivery of a whole programme, it could take up to two years in terms of the preparation. "Now, we have a few months!" "Months that are already packed and bursting at the seams for most who have their own unique personal challenges to deal with. "Teaching remotely or via blended learning is not simply a matter of directly mimicking what you are already doing in a live session. "A lot of thought and planning is needed. Consistency is critical, as is communication." The IUA national team let by Dr. Sharon Flynn as overall project manager, have designed an approach for staff who are preparing for effective remote teaching in the year ahead. "We have been delivering workshops all summer long at a national level, and we have all been working locally in our own universities on initiatives in this regard." In UCC, Cliodhna and her colleagues designed 'Teach Digi', a bespoke programme for UCC staff supporting them as they prepare for the academic year of remote teaching. Cliodhna acknowledges that the pace of change, accelerated by COVID, can sometimes feel overwhelming for staff who have been teaching a certain way for 20 years or more, and "simply knowing where to start, and someone they can ask any questions they might have to, means the world right now". During the summer Cliodhna and her colleagues have been conducting one to one sessions as well a team and departmental training sessions. "Digital education, and technology in general, does not come easily to all, and some would even identify themselves as 'technophobes', and to be honest I can empathise with them. I started lecturing online myself in 2014 and it was a definite shock to the system. However, I embraced it, and admit to really enjoying it too." However, we are living in the digital age and we have a responsibility to our students, and to society at large, to ensure training and supports are in place for all staff who are expected to use digital in their teaching and learning. "While this is still considered extraordinary times, and there has been so much uncertainty that could not be avoided, we do know that digital will feature in everything that we do, education and otherwise, well into the future." According to Cliodhna, UCC faces many challenges in the coming year due to COVID-19 and chief among these is providing the best possible experience for students. "In a time of such uncertainty, our objective is to create structure and calm, and communicate with as much certainty as possible on how programmes will be delivered, and what they will look like. "Our systems and frameworks in UCC are thankfully well prepared and resourced for the work that lies ahead. "It is more so our staff that will need the support in learning new digital teaching skills and competencies, and while this will no doubt be challenging at times, we have supports in place that will help, like this IUA project for example." Within days the Leaving Cert results will be out, to be followed on Friday next, September 11, by the CAO offers. It's shortly going to get very real in UCC as the commencement of term looms ever closer. "First years are the Universities' priority and an excellent orientation programme is currently being finalised to ensure as smooth as possible a transition into university. "Regardless of the programme specific delivery, as every programme may differ slightly, communication will be critical, and that is a two way process. "There's no point in saying that everything will run smoothly- no doubt there will be bumps. "This is very new for so many - That is not unique to UCC, we have to remember that this is a global crisis and therefore extraordinary times regardless of your perspective. "However, we are working very closely with our students in working with them in terms of preparing for the year ahead. "We have a student intern working on this IUA project in UCC, and in each of the Universities, as well as at a national level, and that ensures that our pillar of 'students as partners' in our work is meaningful and grounded at all times with the interests of our students being at the heart of our work." Pakistani Christian man arrested on blasphemy charges after Quran pages found in drain Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Police in Pakistans Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province arrested a Christian man on charges of blasphemy after residents alleged they found pages torn from a Quran inside a drain. While it's unknown how he could have done it, the man is now facing life in prison if found guilty. David Masih, a Christian from the Kachi Line area of Risalpure neighborhood, was arrested Sunday and charged with committing blasphemy under Section 295-B of Pakistans Penal Code, the U.S.-based persecution watchdog International Christian Concern reported. Masih was arrested three days after someone posted a video of pages of a Quran lying in a drain on social media and it reportedly went viral. While police say they have started investigating, they have not released any evidence linking Masih to the desecrated Quran. The abuse of Pakistans blasphemy laws must be curbed, ICCs Regional Manager for South Asia, William Stark, said. Too often these laws have been a tool in the hands of extremists seeking to stir up religiously motivated violence against minority communities. Without real reform, religious minorities, including Christians, will face more false blasphemy accusations and the extreme violence that often accompanies these accusations. Christians are often targeted both by Pakistans blasphemy laws meant to protect Islamic sensitivities and by hardliners who carry out violence and have killed scores of believers in the past several years. The blasphemy law, embedded in Sections 295 and 298 of the Pakistan Penal Code, is frequently misused for personal revenge. It carries no provision to punish a false accuser or a false witness of blasphemy. The law is also used by Islamist extremists to target religious minorities Christians, Shias, Ahmadiyyas and Hindus. A Christian man recently charged with blasphemy for making a theological argument on Facebook that Muslims deemed insulting toward the Islamic prophet Muhammad is now facing a potential death sentence for the post. The London-based Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement, an interdenominational aid agency serving persecuted Christians in Muslim-majority Pakistan, earlier reported that Sohail Masih in the Nowshera Virkan area in Punjab province was arrested on Aug. 5. Following a protest by a crowd of enraged Muslims who heard about Masihs comment online, police officially charged Masih under sections 295-A and 295-C of the Pakistani Penal Code. Efforts by some of the countrys prominent leaders to repeal or amend the law have gone in vain. A Pakistani Christian, Shahbaz Bhatti, who was an elected member of the National Assembly, was assassinated in March 2011 for his efforts to repeal the law. Minister of Minority Affairs, Bhatti was murdered two months after Punjabs Governor Salman Taseer was assassinated for his advocacy for Pakistani Christian woman Asia Bibi, who had been convicted by a trial court for blasphemy and was released in 2019. Pakistan is ranked as the fifth-worst country in the world when it comes to Christian persecution, according to Open Doors USAs 2020 World Watch List. At the U.S. State Departments 2019 Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom, Pakistani rights activist Shaan Taseer said that there are as many as 200 people jailed in Pakistan on blasphemy charges. The sun was shining, with temperatures in the low 80s late Friday morning. Perfect weather for a hayrack ride. On a tour of Ditmars Orchard & Vineyard in Council Bluffs, Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig spoke with owner Lyle Ditmars about his operation, regulatory hurdles, COVID-19 effects and a blistering drought. And the pair enjoyed a hayrack ride, getting a good look at apple and pear trees, along with rows of sunflowers Ditmars is hoping will start growing in the next few months or sooner. Ditmars Orchard and Vineyard is a family operation, and opened in the fall of 1999 during the first apple harvest five years after the first planting. Lyle Ditmars, who is semi-retired after a long career as an attorney, said the operation started with apple sales out of a machine shed. The space now covers 70 acres, with a childrens play area, gazebos, human hamster wheels and a variety of crops including apples, of course, along with peaches, strawberries, grapes and newly-added sunflowers. Theyve sold wine for around 10 years and hard apple cider for two, Ditmars said. And dont forget the donuts and pies. The space hosts an annual hot-air balloon festival planned for Sept. 11 and Sept. 12 and family movie nights on Fridays. Last night featured the Pixar classic Up, in anticipation of the balloon event. And this year, Ditmars added goats as well. The grounds will host goat yoga with Half Moon Yoga on Sept. 9 and Sept. 19. You love to see that these orchards, theyre always changing, adapting, Naig said. I love it. Later in the day, Ditmars chuckled while noting, Id like to tell you everything weve tried worked. But one addition that didnt? An apple slingshot. Ditmars said he enjoys offering the attractions and play opportunities, but works to keep the orchard focused on agriculture as well. Naig said orchards like Ditmars make up a larger piece of Iowa agriculture than people might think beyond corn and soybeans providing area residents an easy way to connect with farming. These orchards are great. Theyll be incredibly busy in the fall. There are several great operations across the state, he said. Its a chance for people to get outdoors. And they get a chance to connect with agriculture. See something, learn a little bit. Ditmars has made adjustments amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but the owner noted the business already has a social distancing component built in. In addition to that, the orchard and vineyard has moved some sales and other operations outdoors. Its been a strange year, Ditmars said. But weve been busy. During the tour, Ditmars discussed regulatory impediments, including trouble with the state regarding cider operations. He also discussed crop insurance programs, which he said dont give back enough to make it worth it to buy in. Ditmars told Naig the orchard is essentially self-insured, with part of that coming in the form of growing a variety of fruits. If an apple crop goes bad, grapes or something else can help ease the burden. Naig noted more needs to be done for orchards like Ditmars, with current crop insurance policies more geared toward commodity fruit growing. And then theres the drought. If you didnt have COVID and a derecho, all wed be talking about is drought, said Naig, who toured a Cass County farm later in the day. Its so dry. The majority of Pottawattamie County is in extreme drought, according to the National Integrated Drought Information System, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration program. The rest of the county is in severe drought. Statewide, the majority of Iowa is in a drought, with the remainder abnormally dry, according to the tracking system. Ditmars said hes handled the drought as best he can, including inundating a stretch of sunflowers that just wont grow. But well lose some trees because of it. Despite a pandemic and drought, Ditmars was optimistic about the season and said he still loves what he does after more than 20 years. I have a lot of fun, he said. When the kids come out here, just seeing them enjoy it. Thats what I love. The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Pictured: Tim Alderslade, CEO of Airlines UK Do you remember when this Government was talking up its vision of a post-Brexit Global Britain? It was a noble ambition, in keeping with our proud island history. Then came the pandemic and Brexit took a back seat. Now as we emerge from the aftermath and attention focuses on rebuilding the economy and, yes, on a Brexit agreement once more, ministers must be aware that there can be no Global Britain without a world-beating airline industry. And yet one of Britains most important strategic sectors is disintegrating before our eyes. Another 1,150 job cuts were announced yesterday by Virgin, on top of the 3,000 already slashed. British Airways has said it might ultimately have to reduce its payroll by an astonishing 12,000 individuals. Heathrow has already completed a first round of redundancies and is now consulting with its unions, which could end in further job losses. This is in addition to a record pre-tax loss of 5.4billion for the first half of the year posted last month by Rolls-Royce, which makes jet engines. Meanwhile, low-cost airlines are cutting staff and routes to scores of smaller regional airports. Just how bad does it have to get before action is taken? The worst of the damage is being done because of the Governments dogged insistence that we stick by the blunt instrument of quarantine rather than use the rapier of testing passengers for Covid-19 at airports. Pictured: British Airways aircraft parked at Bournemouth airport where they are expected to remain after the airline reduced flights amid travel restrictions and a huge drop in demand as a result of the coronavirus pandemic The airline industrys hopes that ministers might adopt a more flexible approach were dashed by the Prime Minister yesterday, who cited data suggesting airport testing picks up only 7 per cent of cases. That outdated figure relates to limited data on the virus from the start of the crisis. It also relates to a single test model on arrival, when the industry has been pleading for a two-step approach (in the first instance) to be adopted so they prove the efficacy. The airlines my organisation represents and British airports accept that a test on arrival, followed up by a second test some five days later, would address many of the concerns around incubation of the coronavirus. People would be quarantined until two negatives have been provided. We have also been clear that testing is not a silver bullet but part of a suite of measures that will severely limit the spread of Covid-19 when travelling. So taking all of this into consideration, where is the risk in what we are calling for? And what reasonable excuse does this Government have in not greenlighting trials? Germany and France are testing inbound passengers so that only those who are positive need to self-isolate. As the Mail reports today we have a state of the art testing unit ready to roll at Heathrow Terminal 2. But the Government will not let us use it. In Britain, all incoming passengers from countries not covered by exempted air bridges must spend a fortnight in self-quarantine, so why bother coming if you have to be holed up in a hotel room? The state of affairs, and the lack of urgency to address a growing problem, is now undermining Heathrows once pre-eminent role as Europes global hub. In the past few months, Charles de Gaulle and Frankfurt have each carried more passengers than Heathrow, the only time this has ever happened. It is a chilling illustration of our relative decline caused by Britains Covid-19 response. As an industry, we are all fully aware of our responsibility for the health of staff and passengers, and that will always be our number one priority. But there is such a thing as being overly cautious. We have two crises running simultaneously. One is the pandemic, the other is the economic consequences of that pandemic. Now the pendulum has to swing back, as we work out how to bring our economy back to life at a time when we are also facing a prolonged recession. Ultimately this has to be a political decision, taken by Boris Johnson, weighing potential risk to the nations health against the destruction of an industry that is key to the economy and to tens of thousands of jobs. As the clock ticks down towards our final departure from the EU, we should be telling the world to believe in Global Britain. But I fear that the message they are hearing out there today is that they would be better off in Frankfurt or Paris. "People are planning on going to hidden lakes and socially distancing themselves while jumping into a river of sorts. A lot of people are trying to see what the common place to go is. It sounds like it's almost going to be the schoolies beach parties, but with tents and campfires." Loading Some students are turning to Airbnb to find getaway homes for small groups of friends, although the booking service has banned all parties and events. "Our message to everyone using our platform could not be clearer; parties are strictly forbidden on Airbnb," said Derek Nolan, its Australian head of public policy. Mr Phipps said restrictions meant students won't have "much other choice than to just hold low-key gatherings with their friends if they want to rent away somewhere". But there are still ways to celebrate creatively. "For those staying home there'll be house parties and events like fridge-to-fridge where they do a 'pub crawl' walking from house to house in a suburb dressed up in costumes with drinks, snacks, music and games at each house," he said. Going bush Regional mayors have warned schoolies will need to obey public health orders and COVID-safe guidelines, but some are welcoming the potential for tourism expenditure. Byron Bay, always a popular schoolies destination, remains open for year 12s to spend a relaxed week with their friends, while nearby Ballina Shire mayor David Wright said any visitors would help the local economy. "If young people are searching for a low key holiday destination that offers stunning beaches and a good mix of accommodation options, then we are a great destination," he said. The Eurobodalla local government area on the south coast - where tourism was hit hard by summer bushfires and border closures - is also open for schoolies business. Loading "[We] welcome all visitors, including people celebrating schoolies week," Mayor Liz Innes said. "There are plenty of reasons to visit - we've got 83 magnificent beaches, and plenty of space where you can be socially distant. "We ask visitors to please remember we have been through a tough time in the past 12 months. We hope visitors will love the area as much as we do and treat it with the respect it deserves." The Central Coast council, which covers smaller schoolies spots like Terrigal, reminded students to practice social distancing and strict hygiene. "Any young people who are engaging in 'schoolies' activities need to ensure they equip themselves with the information needed to be as safe as possible," a spokesperson said. However, other regions warned they may not cope with an influx of young tourists from the city. In the Tweed Shire, just north of Byron, mayor Katie Milne said a third of residents were over 60 and vulnerable to the virus. "Council has never called for schoolies to come to Tweed and we certainly won't be this year," she said. Nambucca Valley Council mayor Rhonda Hoban also said she "would ask that everyone abide by the NSW Health advice and avoid travel that is not essential". Port Macquarie mayor Peta Pinson said she was feeling for all the school-leavers who had looked forward to their rites of passage. "Small groups at this time are welcome," she said. "Our caravan parks and national park campgrounds are on offer, along with our usual motels and B&Bs where a more chilled experience is waiting for anyone visiting us from another low transmission area, school leavers or not. Booking headaches Students who have already booked their schoolies getaways through agents have the additional burden of navigating refunds and postponed trips. Brigidine College Randwick student Grace Robbie organised her group's schoolies trip to Fiji through Unleashed Travel, and hoped it would be swapped for an alternative NSW location when borders closed. Brigidine College year 12 students Grace Robbie, Sophie Browning, Mia Rowles and Ava Moody. Credit:Louise Kennerley But the girls were upset last week when they learnt their money would be held until international travel resumed - potentially as far away as December next year. In an email to students, Unleashed Travel managing director Jot Lynas said students deserved to celebrate schoolies in their preferred destination, with the company offering a $200 discount. "Fiji Grad Trip is a once in a lifetime experience, something you can never repeat," he said. "We have scheduled multiple tentative dates around University and TAFE holidays in April, June/July and December 2021." Loading That hasn't appeased all school-leavers. "Some girls think it's a bit of a waste, celebrations aren't appropriate when we've started uni, made other friends and you've lost your connection to high school," said Grace. "[But] we're all in the same boat at the end. Everyone has to deal with this." More than 1000 Queensland students have also petitioned booking agent Schoolies.com to give refunds on Gold Coast accommodation deposits, since parties are cancelled. Guitar legends Jimmy Page and Keith Richards go back a ways. As Page recalls it, the two met long before Led Zeppelin formed and even before the Rolling Stones existed. In those days, Page was getting his start as a session guitar player in London. Once the Stones had officially formed, Page joined Richards and the band at a 64 session for Heart of Stone, an early hit from the Richards-Mick Jagger catalog. But Page and the Stones cut a demo that day, so it wasnt pegged for official release. (Allen Klein put it out anyway in the 70s.) After Page formed Led Zeppelin in 68, his days of session work had ended. But that didnt mean he was completely done playing with other bands. So in 74, when he got an invite to play with Richards and Jagger, Page jumped in and played on Scarlet, a track finally released in July 2020. When word leaked about the recording date, it got people wondering what these heavyweights from different bands were doing playing together. And a joke by Richards threw everyone off the scent. Keith Richards joke about a Rolling Stones session with Jimmy Page sparked rumors Carlos Santana, Neil Young, Keith Richards, & Jimmy Page perform in Hendrix tribute at a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony. | Robin Platzer/Twin Images/The LIFE Images Collection via Getty Images RELATED: What Mick Jagger Thought About Seeing Led Zeppelin Live in the 70s and Again in 2007 In 1975, Led Zeppelin was on top of the rock world and about to embark on a tour in support of Physical Graffiti. Speaking with Cameron Crowe for a Rolling Stone interview around that time, Page spoke admiringly of the Stones (and Jagger in particular). Page also said he didnt feel like there was competition between Zep and the Stones. They were friends, after all, and though Page didnt mention it at first hed just played a session with Richards and Jagger a few months earlier. Shortly after, Crowe asked about the rumor that he was working on a solo album. Chalk that off to Keith Richards sense of humor, Page replied, before describing the Scarlet session. [Richards] took the tapes to Switzerland and someone found out about them. Keith told people that it was a track from my album. Page couldnt have known that the track would sit around in the vaults for another 45 years. (At the time, he thought it might come out as a Stones B-side.) But he also addressed what was at the heart of the rumor: that members of Zep might be feeling restless seven years into the ride. Page said no member of Zeppelin needed to do a solo album Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin performs at the Rainbow Theatre on 14 February 1974. | Dick Barnatt/Redferns RELATED: Led Zeppelins Hall of Fame Induction Had Some Painfully Awkward Moments While Page always seemed to enjoy Richards sense of humor, he took Crowes inquiry as an opportunity to speak about Zeps unity. I dont need to do a solo album and neither does anybody else in the band, he said. In Pages eyes, it came down to Zeps band members each bringing something essential to the table. The chemistry is such that theres nobody in the background whos so frustrated that he has to bring out his own LPs, he told Crowe. I dont really like doing that Townshend number of telling everybody [in The Who] exactly what to play. A groups a group after all, isnt it? Page was correct, of course. Robert Plant didnt pull a Roger Daltrey (or John Entwistle) and make a solo album in the Zep years. Neither did John Bonham or John Paul Jones. Zep started strong in 68 and rode it out together until the tragic end arrived in 1980. On Thursday, the World Health Organisations independent panel for pandemic preparedness and response appointed former health secretary Preeti Sudan as one of its 11 panellists from across the world. The decision by the panels two heads, former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clarke and former Liberia President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, received a rather muted response in India. HT learns that India recommended former foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale for this post. In a meeting of the Chairs earlier this week, Helen Clarke is believed to have conveyed that Sudans experience as the head of the government ministry that led Indias response to the pandemic makes her much more suited for the job. Member states such as India were invited to nominate their candidates but the chairs had the freedom to pick their own candidate as they did with Sudan. In its press release dated September 3, the panel said that while it reviewed more than 120 people, it made the final appointments based on skills (including expertise in outbreak response, managing national health systems, leadership in youth and community engagement, socio-economic analytical capabilities), knowledge about the international system including WHO and experience from similar international processes. Significantly, the release added , All panel members will serve in their individual capacity and will not represent either their government nor specific organisational interests. The prestigious panel also has former UK foreign secretary David Milliband as a member. Their first meeting is on September 17 and in the report expected by May 2021, the panel is expected to address how the pandemic emerged and why countries were caught off guard. A senior government official says that Gokhales name was even cleared by the Prime Ministers Office for several reasons. One of them is that Gokhale has served as ambassador to China, and, as foreign secretary, was an expert on multi-lateral issues. India is among 62 nations that have asked for a probe into the origins of the Corona virus. US President Donald Trump has led the charge accusing China, where the outbreak started, of concealing information about the virus. I dont know anything about this, said Preeti Sudan on Saturday, about the background of her appointment. I didnt apply for this position. Sudans appointment was pushed by Clarke who worked with the Indian officer on the board of The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health. I will be working from New Delhi in an endeavour that is for international good, Sudan added. HT reached out to Gokhale, but there was no response till the time of going to press. The official cited above, who spoke on condition of anonymity claimed that Clark spoke with health minister Harsh Vardhan before making the appointment and explained the reason for vetoing Indias choice. Vardhan was appointed chairman of WHO Executive Board in May this year. HT reached out to the Prime Ministers office and Harsh Vardhan but didnt receive any response. A spokesperson for WHO said: The selection of the members of the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response (IPPR) was done by the co-chairs, former President of Liberia, Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and the former Prime Minister of New Zealand, the Right Honourable Helen Clark. This decision was not taken by the World Health Organization. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON In mid-August, 2020, an unusual heat wave fixated over California, leading to a series of lightning storms across the state and numerous wildfires. Hundreds of thousands of acres were burned and tens of thousands of residents were forced to evacuate their homes. Below is an account of how the fires spread and officials responded to the emergency. Read the previous updates from Aug. 31-Sept. 1 Read the next updates from Sept. 4-5 Updates from Thursday, Sept. 3: 9:20 p.m. Three recent wildfires now among top 4 largest in California history: Megafires sparked last month and still burning in Northern California now constitute three of the top four largest wildfires in modern state history, Cal Fire reports. The SCU Lightning Complex in the South Bay, at 391,578 acres as of Thursday, is No. 2. The LNU Lightning Complex in the North Bay, at 375,209 acres, is No. 3. And now the August Complex in Tehama County has moved to No. 4 on the list, at 287,106 acres. The No. 1 spot is still held by 2018s Mendocino Complex fire, which left 459,123 acres burned. 7:45 p.m. Containment of CZU Complex grows to 51%, Cal Fire says: The CZU Lightning Complex, burning in San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties, burned 86,102 acres and was 51% contained as of Thursday evening, according to a Cal Fire incident update. The fires have destroyed 925 residences, damaged 90 residences, and are threatening 7,647 structures. Roughly 900 residents were allowed to return to previously evacuated areas of the complex on Thursday, Cal Fire said. Officials said the hard work and efforts of firefighters and cooperating partners allowed for more evacuation orders to be lifted in the region. Crews are expecting a more significant warming and drying trend this weekend through the Labor Day holiday on Monday. Roughly 1,777 firefighters are battling the blazes along with 115 engines, 26 water tenders, eight helicopters and 11 dozers, Cal Fire said. 7:40 p.m. Containment of SCU Complex grows to 80%: The SCU Lightning Complex, which is burning across seven Northern California counties, burned 391,578 acres and was 80% contained as of Thursday evening. The fires have destroyed 87 structures, destroyed 44 minor structures, and damaged 37 structures. Officials said that hot, dry weather prompted smoldering material to ignite and burn out a large interior island, but was considered a minor threat to control lines. Cal Fire officials that weather conditions and patterns will continue to produce nuisance smokes and pose a threat to control lines. 7:35 p.m. Containment of LNU Complex grows to 86%: The LNU Lightning Complex has burned 375,209 acres and was 86% contained as of Thursday evening, according to Cal Fire. Cal Fire said crews were working to build containment lines and expected dry, hot weather with southwestern winds on Thursday night. Interior islands deep within the fires perimeter may occasionally flare up, Cal Fire officials said. The fires have destroyed 1,491 structures, damaged 232 structures and are threatening another 1,350 structures. Officials said 2,053 firefighters are battling the blazes along with 166 engines, 55 water tenders, 19 helicopters and 52 dozers. Five civilians have died and four civilians have been injured in connection to the complex, Cal Fire said. 5:15 p.m. Evacuation orders reduced to warnings in some parts of Napa County for LNU Complex: Evacuation orders were reduced to warnings for some parts of Napa County related to the LNU Lightning Complex, Cal Fire said Thursday afternoon. Officials also reminded residents returning to their homes that Berryessa Knoxville Road from Eastside Road to the Napa/Lake county line will remain closed and under an evacuation order. Residents should remain vigilant while driving in the area because fire personnel are still operating in the area, Cal Fire officials said. 3:29 p.m. Evacuation orders reduced to warnings south of Bonny Doon: Cal Fire on Thursday reduced evacuation orders for an area south of Bonny Doon Road to evacuation warnings. Bonny Doon Road at Smith Grade is still closed, Cal Fire officials said. 3:10 p.m. Evacuation orders reduced to warnings in parts of San Mateo County: Cal Fire reduced CZU Complex evacuation orders to warnings Thursday for parts of San Mateo County, including Loma Mar and Deerborn Park areas. Eastbound Canyon Road remained closed at Cloverdale Road and eastbound Gazos Creek Road at State Route 1 also was closed. Be aware there may be traffic flow interruptions due to fire crews and utility workers still operating in the area, Cal Fire officials cautioned. 2:59 p.m. Stubborn CZU Complex fires are fueled by timber: The abundance of timber, stumps and other slow-burning fuels are making the CZU Complex fires difficult to contain, Cal Fire officials said Thursday. The CZU Complex was 48% contained as of Thursday afternoon; the LNU and SCU Complex fires, approaching full containment, are in areas with grass and other fast-burning fuels, officials said. 1:35 p.m. Help for farmers affected by fires: The U.S. Department of Agriculture is offering technical and financial assistance to help farmers and livestock producers recover from wildfire damage. Officials encourage agricultural producers to contact their local USDA Service Center to report losses and learn programs available to them for crop, land, infrastructure and livestock losses and damages. 12:17 p.m. Air quality in San Francisco hits unhealthy levels: The air quality in San Francisco had climbed into the unhealthy range by 9 a.m. Thursday due to fine particles from smoke, according to the latest government data. To read more about the best ways to understand air quality data and its limitations, click here. 11:25 a.m. Progress on fire at Point Reyes: The Woodward Fire was 57% contained Thursday morning as flames devoured 4,626 acres of the Point Reyes National Seashore, park officials said. The park office has been evacuated and all parklands remained closed to visitors Thursday and throughout the Labor Day weekend. Firefighters planned tactical backfiring operations Thursday to protect evacuated communities. 11:05 a.m. State insurance regulator urges better coverage: Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara is urging insurers to offer homeowners affected by evacuation orders to give policyholders more coverage for emergency expenses. Hes also asking them to help when homes are made uninhabitable because fire damage has cut off water, sewage or electricity. Read Kathleen Penders full report on what this means for homeowners. 10:55 a.m. Sheep Fire 71% contained: The Sheep Fire, in Lassen County north of Plumas National Forest, was 71% contained as of Thursday morning. The 29,571-acre blaze has destroyed eight houses and damaged one. The fire did not expand significantly Wednesday or Thursday, fire officials said. 10:32 a.m. Where to get outside this weekend: With concerns about smoke, fire and COVID-19 clouding holiday weekend planning, the outlook is best for those with reservations at lakeside campsites in swaths of remote national forest, in the Redwood Empire and along Californias northern coast. For the Bay Area, 265 of 352 recreation destinations are open, Tom Stienstra reports, and checks this week at Lake Tahoe and the north Sierra, Yosemite, Lassen, Mount Shasta and the Redwood Empire have shown various levels of clear air. 10:16 a.m. Conserve energy to avoid blackouts this weekend: The California power grid operator is asking residents to conserve energy this weekend, as people trying to stay cool in the heat wave create more demand for electricity. The statewide Flex Alert calls for voluntary electricity conservation Saturday through Monday, from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. to avoid a repeat of last months overtaxing of the grid during the heat wave. 10:14 a.m. San Mateo County reopens parks: Fourteen of San Mateo Countys 23 parks have reopened their trails and picnic sites in time for Labor Day weekend after being shuttered due to the CZU Complex fires. Visitors are still encouraged to hike single file and wear face coverings for coronavirus safety. Parks that remain closed include Moss Beach and the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, as well as those located within evacuated areas: Pescadero Creek, Memorial, and Sam McDonald. 10:07 a.m. Fire-smart building materials dont have to cost more: A handful of Wine Country architects refuse to design wooden homes in areas vulnerable to wildfire.They favor noncombustible materials like RSG-3D, a fire-retardant foam panel sandwiched between wire mesh and coated on both sides with concrete. People think its too costly to build with less combustible materials, but that doesnt have to be the case, J.K. Dineen reports. 9:28 a.m. Active SCU fires remain east of San Jose: Crews in Santa Clara County worked Thursday to contain active fires in the hills near Route 130 east of San Jose and north of Morgan Hill, the final uncontained portion of the SCU Complex of fires, officials said. No further evacuation warnings are expected in the area, with the SCU Complex 78% contained as of Thursday morning, Cal Fire reported. 9:19 a.m. How North Bay fire grew into a monster: The Hennessey Fire that didnt look threatening at first quickly grew into a monster conflagration, blow-torching steep valleys and jagged ravines, and launching frantic evacuations. The Chronicles Matthias Gaffni and Lizzie Johnson tell the fire complexs story and how the breadth of such such climate change-stoked disasters illustrates what the future could look like as the planet warms. 9:09 a.m. Whats with the different air quality readings?: Bay Area residents checking online to see whether the air is safe for them to go outside are often puzzled by the different reads they get from the two main sources of air quality data: One is from federal and local agencies and the other a website from a Utah company using data from low-cost air-quality sensors that people buy and install on their own. The Chronicles Danielle Echeverria explains. 8:57 a.m. Post-wildfire rebuilding gives pause in light of new blazes: The wildfires again blasting across Northern California are raising questions about the logic of the rebuilding much of it in wood construction in Sonoma County and other areas recovering from past firestorms. Experts question whether the new homes are any safer than the ones lost, and one expressed shock that replacement homes in Santa Rosa seem just vulnerable to wildfire as their predecessors. Read The Chronicles story. 8:20 a.m. Fire in Tehama, Glenn counties expands: Flames from the Butte/Tehama/Glenn Lightning Complex of wildfires devoured another 2,000 acres since Wednesday, Cal Fire reported Thursday morning. The 63,481-acre blaze threatening communities to the north of the Mendocino National Forest was 45% contained, Cal Fire said. 7:58 a.m. CZU fire complex nearly half contained: The CZU Complex fires grew by nearly 300 acres in the past 24 hours, to 85,746 acres, Cal Fire reported Thursday morning; but firefighters also managed to increase containment by 2%, to 48%, as they as they battled the fires along the Santa Cruz and San Mateo County coasts and Santa Cruz mountains. Fire crews continued to monitor hotspots as they allowed some residents to return home. 7:34 a.m. Containment grows slightly for SCU Complex: The SCU Complex of fires was 78% contained as of Thursday morning, up from 76% a day earlier, Cal Fire reported. The burned acreage across Alameda, Santa Clara, Contra Costa, San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties remained at 391,578 acres, and evacuation orders remained only for parts of Santa Clara County. Fire crews expected more hot and dry conditions Thursday, with afternoon humidity near 40% over western portions of the fire, to near 20% over eastern portions. 7:23 a.m. LNU fire complex at 81% containment: Firefighters held the sprawling LNU Complex fires at 375,209 acres overnight and gained containment of 81% of the blazes that have scorched five North Bay counties, Cal Fire said Thursday morning. Officials continue allowing evacuated residents back to their homes in many areas, though some evacuation warnings and orders remain. Dry and hot weather is predicted and southwest winds were expected Thursday. 7:02 a.m. Marine layer keeping temperatures near normal: Cool air rolling in from the ocean will suppress temperatures for much of the Bay Area, good news for fire crews battling wildfires although the cool layer may not reach the highest elevations of the SCU Complex fires burning in the East and South Bay and Central Valley, the National Weather Service said Thursday morning. The marine layer is expected to recede by Saturday morning, when the Weather Services excessive heat watch goes into effect, meteorologists said. Updates from Wednesday, Aug. 2: 8:45 p.m. CZU Complex stays at 85,467 acres: The CZU Lightning Complex, burning in San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties, remained at 85,467 acres with 46% containment. The fires have destroyed 925 structures, damaged 90 structures, and are threatening another 7,647 structures, according to a Cal Fire update. Cal Fire officials reported minimal fire activity on Wednesday. Firefighters and California National Guard troops have been mopping up and building fire perimeter lines, Cal Fire said. Officials expect a more significant warming and drying trend this weekend and through Monday. 3:24 p.m. Evacuation orders reduced to warnings in some parts of San Mateo, Santa Cruz: Cal Fire has reduced evacuation orders to warnings in parts of southern San Mateo County and Santa Cruz County affected by CZU Complex fires. Included are downtown Boulder Creek and Brookdale; Boulder Brook Drive and South Redwood Drive remain under evacuation orders because of electrical hazards in the area, Cal Fire said. 3:16 p.m. PG&E offers fire survivor options: Pacific Gas and Electric Co. customers who lost a home or business in a recent wildfire can receive help with their utility bills, the company said. In addition to discontinuing victims bills, PG&E said it is prorating monthly minimum charges, suspending disconnections for people who didnt pay and will offer flexible payment plans once customers start receving service again. Fire Tracker Follow wildfires across the state Latest updates on wildfires burning across Northern and Southern California 3 p.m. State partners with DoorDash for gift cards: The Governors Office of Emergency Services and DoorDash are teaming up to give gift cards for meal service to survivors of the wildfires across the state. Our departments Private Sector Partnership efforts ... are a key part of helping our communities rebuild and recover following disasters, state emergency officials said Wednesday on Twitter. 2:30 p.m. River Fire east of Salinas essentially out: The 48,088-acre River Fire, east of Salinas in Monterey County, was 97 percent contained as of Wednesday, Cal Fire said, and firefighters are being assigned elsewhere. All evacuation orders and warnings. have been lifted. The blaze destroyed 30 structures and damaged 13, and injured four people, Cal Fire said. 1 p.m. LNU teams race for containment before temperatures jump: Crews battling the 375,209-acre LNU Complex Fire raced the clock Wednesday to contain the fires ahead of the scorching heat expected this weekend. Firefighters, some on the lines since the fires began three weeks ago, are braced for triple-digit mercury. Fatigue is a concern and crews need to be vigilant about hydration, Cal Fire spokesman Chris Bridger said Wednesday afternoon. 12:45 p.m. Newsom voices concern on stubborn Sequoia National Forest blaze: The SQF Complex fire burning in the Sequoia National Forest is not as large as the LNU or SCU complexes, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday, but it is precious in terms of the impact on the resources. At a news briefing he said, This is near some of the worlds most majestic sequoias. The fire has burned 42,000 acres in the Sequoia National Forest and is only 1% contained. Nonetheless, 1% is progress, Newsom said. 12:30 p.m. More than 900 fires now burning in California: Some 14,900 firefighters are currently battling more than 900 wildfires statewide, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday. The state has been able to reduce its front line numbers a little due to progress on the blazes, he said. But the number of fires increased by 34 overnight, he added, with 1.5 million acres burned so far, and 3,100 structures destroyed overall. 11:19 a.m. Some Sonoma County evacuees will be cleared for return soon: Evacuated residents will soon be allowed to return home in Sonoma County west of Santa Rosa, including Guerneville, as the Walbridge Fire, part of the LNU Complex, surpasses 85% containment, Cal Fire spokesman Chris Bridger said Wednesday. Sonoma County officials and the sheriffs office will provide those updates. 10:59 a.m. Alameda County officials urge caution around fire detritus: Residents of Alameda County were returning home Wednesday after evacuation orders were lifted and were urged to report gas odors and downed electrical lines. Officials said people should call 911 to report those issues and should stay away from power lines. 10:48 a.m. August Complex at 20% containment: The August Complex wildfires burning in five counties in and around the Mendocino National Forest was spread across 261,204 acres as of Wednesday morning. The complex was 20% contained, the U.S. Forest Service reported. 10:30 a.m. Containment growing on fire in Tehama, Glenn counties: The 61,481-acre Butte/Tehama/Glenn Lightning Complex of wildfires was 40% contained as of Wednesday morning, up from 20% containment a day earlier, Cal Fire reports. 10:10 a.m. Making evacuation areas safe for return: Cal Fire officials are asking residents evacuated from the path of the LNU Complex wildfires to be patient while crews make it safe for them to return nome. Fallen trees and other debris can cause injury and must be cleaned up, Cal Fire Battalion Chief Nick Brown said in a Facebook video. The last thing we want is for anyone to get injured or to have to be re-evacuated, Brown said. Solano County and other LNU Complex areas are phasing in residents return as containment grows. 9:40 a.m. Smoke may linger for months: The Bay Areas air-quality woes are almost certain to continue through the weekends heat wave and low winds, and ongoing wildfires mean that smoke could be here for months, even as the fires are contained: And its only the beginning of wildfire season. A Spare the Air Alert, which bans wood burning, is in effect through Thursday in the Bay Area. Read the story here. 9:20 a.m. Wine Country fires show no new growth: Cal Fire reports growing containment of the Hennessey Fire in Napa County and the Walbridge Fire in rural Sonoma County, both part of the LNU Complex blaze, but potential for flare-ups remained Wednesday. The Wine Country fires had no new growth, Cal Frie said, as the LNU Complex remained 76% contained Wednesday morning. 8:59 a.m. Inland winds stoke CZU Complex fires: Inland winds replaced ocean winds Wednesday, pushing drier, warmer air into San Mateo County and stoking flames as firefighters battle the CZU Complex fires, Cal Fire officials said. Meteorologist Zach Tolby called the shift in wind direction the biggest change facing fire crews, who had the blaze 46% contained as of Wednesday morning. 8:30 a.m. Progress on Highway 1 looking really good: Utility crews are fixing electricity lines and other wildfire-damaged infrastructure along Highway 1 and Last Chance Road east of Big Basin Redwoods State Park where Gov. Gavin Newsom surveyed damage Tuesday, Cal Fire said. Fire crews are dousing remaining smoldering pockets of ash, and its looking really good, Battalion Leader Jeremy Pearce said at an update Wednesday morning. 7:57 a.m. Big Basin off limits for at least 1 year: Californias oldest state park, Big Basin Redwoods will stay closed for at least a year after sustaining heavy damage in Santa Cruz Mountains CZU Complex wildfires. Many of its most majestic trees are expected to survive, but the area is riddled with hazards that will take a long time to fix, parks officials said. Read the story here. 7:45 a.m. LNU Complex now 76% contained: The LNU Lightning Complex has burned 375,209 acres and was 76% contained as of Wednesday morning, Cal Fire reports. Firefighting crews expect drier air and increasing winds Wednesday morning and into early afternoon 7:29 a.m. SCU Lightning Complex is 72% contained: Firefighters have battled the SCU Complex fires to 72 % containment after the flames burned across 391,578 acres of Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties, Cal Fire reported Wednesday morning. Some evacuation orders remain in place, though many have been lifted. 7:20 a.m. Santa Cruz County evacuation orders lifted: Evacuation orders have been lifted for the CZU Complex fires in Santa Cruz County on the east side of Bear Creek. The orders are reduced to evacuation warnings. The blaze stood at 45% contained as of Wednesday morning, having burned across 85,378 acres, Cal Fire said. Residents have been returning home in many areas. The Bahraini FM has embarked on an official visit to Cairo this week The Egyptian and Bahraini foreign ministers met in Cairo on Saturday and said their countries appreciate the initiatives that target achieving comprehensive and fair peace for the Palestinian cause, a joint statement by the Egyptian foreign ministry read. Egypts foreign minister Sameh Shoukry and his Bahraini counterpart, Abdul-Latif bin Rashid Al-Zayani, agreed on the need to coordinate efforts on the next ministerial meeting of the Arab League to preserve the interests of both countries and back joint Arab work. The next Arab League foreign ministers meeting, to be chaired by Palestine, is scheduled for 9 September, Palestinian news agency WAFA reported. Assistant to the Arab League secretary-general Hossam Zaki earlier said the meetings agenda includes political, security, social, health and administrative topics of concern to joint Arab work, including the Palestinian cause, in light of the latest updates. This comes a month after the United Arab Emirates and Israel had signed a peace deal according to which Israel will suspend its plans to annex parts of the West Bank. The agreement was widely hailed, but it was denounced by Palestinian officials, including President Mahmoud Abbas. During their meeting, Shoukry and Al-Zayani said a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict should be based on the two-state solution and the rules of international law and resolutions. Shoukry and Al-Zayani agreed on supporting a political solution that preserves the sovereignty and unity of Libya and meets the aspirations of the Libyan people to achieve security and stability, combat terrorism and halt foreign intervention, the statement added. They also voiced support to current initiatives in Libya seeking de-escalation, including the step taken by warring parties in Libya to effect a ceasefire, resume oil production, form a new presidential council, and ensure the fair distribution of the countrys wealth. The step was announced in August by the head of the presidential council and leader of the Government of National Accord Fayez Al-Sarraj together with the Libyan parliament backed by Libyan tribes and the Libyan National Army led by Khalifa Haftar. The announcement took place amid legal Egyptian steps to send troops to neighbouring Libya to face any probable security threat to the western border, which Egypt shares with Libya. Shoukry affirmed Egypts support of Bahrain and other Gulf states in the face of challenges that may threaten their security and stability. The foreign ministers highlighted the need to intensify joint work to foster stability of the two countries, voicing solidarity against foreign interventions that seek to undermine regional security. On bilateral ties, the two ministers urged further steps to enhance economic and commercial relations, given the vast opportunities each can offer. Shoukry also lauded the excellent care Bahrain has provided for the Egyptian community in Bahrain, particularly amid the coronavirus crisis. Al-Zayani was appointed minister of foreign affairs in January. During his first visit to Egypt as foreign minister in March, he met Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi to deliver a message from the King of Bahrain Hamad bin Issa, El-Sisis office said. The message expressed the strong ties between Egypt and Bahrain, the presidency said. King Hamad also said he appreciates the major strategic role Egypt plays in protecting Arab national security and defending Arab causes, according to the statement. Bahrain is one of the Arab countries backing Egypts right to defend its national security in neighbouring Libya. Search Keywords: Short link: Dr. Robert Wachter knew from the start that the U.S. pandemic response would be influenced by politics. The country already was steeped in bitter division, and disaster almost always brews controversy. But he never expected the political interference to be so expansive, so intrusive, as to shake his faith in some of the countrys oldest and most trusted public health institutions. About the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration, he said, We no longer look to these previously trusted authorities for guidance. This feels like the most overly politicized health issue in my lifetime, said Wachter, chairman of the department of medicine at UCSF. And its been wildly destructive. The COVID-19 pandemic has been politicized in the United States almost since the first cases were reported in January. But the rhetoric has spiked in the past week or so in a way that is alarming many public health experts, who say they are feeling compelled to push back against what they perceive as an attempt to use the pandemic response as a political tool in the November election. Theres more at stake than mask politics now, they say. Even the re-election campaign for President Trump, who once refused to condone face coverings in public, now sells masks printed with Trump 2020. Public health experts say that everything from vaccine development to how COVID-19 deaths are calculated has become campaign material. And they fear that charged language and rampant spread of misinformation could be disastrous for the countrys ability to claw out of the pandemic. What were seeing is a consistent attack on truth or science, the likes of which Ive never seen before, said Dr. Eric Topol, executive vice president of Scripps Research in La Jolla (San Diego County) who repeatedly has called out bad science during the pandemic on Twitter and other media platforms. Its bad enough to have a pandemic. We dont need to add further fog and diminish the strong efforts in terms of advances in science, he said. Its just sickening. Over the past two weeks, public health experts say theyve been appalled by statements made by leaders at the CDC and the FDA that seem to contradict known science and in some cases are baldly wrong. The head of the FDA, at a news briefing with President Trump, promoted convalescent plasma as a COVID-19 therapy that could cut deaths by 35%, which was not true based on studies. He later apologized on Twitter for misstating the data. A few days later, the CDC quietly changed its coronavirus testing policy to advise that people without symptoms not be tested, even if they believed theyd been exposed to the virus. The switch brought immediate blowback from public health officials who said they would refuse to follow the new guidance. The National Institutes of Health so far seems untouched by politics, public health observers said. But Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, lately has been missing from public updates on the pandemic. And Dr. Scott Atlas, a policy fellow with Stanfords conservative Hoover Institution who has no background in infectious disease or epidemiology, has become a trusted Trump adviser. Atlas already has drawn scorn from some public health authorities for his aggressive push to reopen the economy. In the meantime, the FDA has hinted that it expects to offer emergency approval to the first coronavirus vaccine by the end of October or early November, leading some public health experts to assume that its timed to the election. The CDC issued guidelines to states last week to plan for a wide-scale immunization effort as early as Nov. 1, according to documents obtained by the New York Times. The FDA and the CDC have since stated that they are not being influenced by politics and they continue to make decisions guided by science. The White House said in a statement that its pandemic response is based on saving lives and protecting the economy, and that decisions are unrelated to the upcoming election. The rapid research, development, trials, and eventual distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine is emblematic of President Trumps highest priority: the health and safety of the American people it has nothing to do with politics, Sarah Matthews, White House deputy press secretary, said in an email. On Friday, manufacturers of the main vaccine candidates said they would pledge to not seek federal approval until they felt confident their products were ready for the public, according to a Wall Street Journal report. But many public health experts said they remain deeply skeptical of, and troubled by, the federal actions. Topol, as well as other longtime public health and infectious disease experts, said he is stunned by the sidelining of traditional authorities on health and medicine. The CDC, for decades a global powerhouse in public health, has been silent for much of the U.S. pandemic, and at times seems harnessed as a tool for spreading questionable information, said experts who have long valued the agency. The latest recommendation to not test people who have been exposed to COVID is a direct hit at the health of the public, and contrary to not just the guidance of public health professionals but what anybody with common sense would expect, said Dr. Steven Goodman, a Stanford epidemiologist. At this point now, we have a complete abdication and corruption of the health protection role of the CDC. It can no longer really be viewed as a public health agency. Wachter said that many of his colleagues at UCSF and other health care and academic institutions have accepted that they cant rely on the CDC or the FDA for guidance in responding to the pandemic. We no longer look to these previously trusted authorities for guidance, he said. We are making essentially independent decisions based on our reading of the literature and our experts. At UCSF, were lucky enough to have world-class people to do that. 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. Politics already have had disastrous effects on the pandemic response, many public health experts say. Face coverings became symbolic of party lines, and therefore many people refused to wear them, or were confused as to whom to trust regarding their efficacy. Early in the U.S. response, conservative states declined to shut down bars or clubs while liberal enclaves issued restrictive shelter-in-place orders. The result has been one of the worst pandemic responses in the world, many public health experts say. The United States has more cases and deaths than any other country. It makes up just 4% of the world population but more than 20% of all COVID-19 deaths about 190,000 in the U.S. as of Saturday. Experts worry that the pace of politicization has picked up in recent weeks in the lead-up to the election and threatens the way out of the pandemic: vaccination. The speed of vaccine development has been impressive, infectious disease experts said, and several candidates already are in phase three trials, the last stage before going to FDA for approval. But they probably are still many months from having all the data needed to prove theyre safe and effective. Fauci and other federal officials have said its possible they may have enough information by the end of October to allow emergency distribution of at least one vaccine. But many public health experts remain concerned. It can take months to determine if there are safety problems with a new drug product, they say, and they question whether enough people will have received the vaccine by then to prove that it prevents infection. They also worry that if a vaccine is rushed to the public, people wont trust it, especially after enduring many months of political back and forth around nearly every other aspect of the pandemic response. Even if one or more vaccines proves to be extremely effective, that doesnt mean people will take it. Whats at stake now is the vaccine, which is the main exit strategy for this pandemic in the United States, Topol said. Thats going to be put in jeopardy. Even with all this great science. The excessive commingling of politics and pandemic has affected all levels of the response, several public health experts said. It has interfered with the ability to have rational conversations around when schools should reopen or how to safely scale back shelter-in-place restrictions. Theres room for debate on those topics, Goodman said. But when people cant agree on basic science or data, more nuanced dialogues become impossible. There is a reasonable discussion that can be had, he said, but not in the current poisoned environment and not divorced from facts. Erin Allday is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: eallday@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @erinalldsay Karmo told FBI agents he and Smith were part of the 417 Second Amendment Militia and planned next to go to Portland, Oregon, to see for themselves what was going on. Karmo allegedly said that he would be willing to take action if police were defunded. Four weeks ago, 14-year-old music scholar Eddie Jarman swam with his younger sister Amelie in the warm, clear waters of the South Pacific to make a video for their grandmother. It was, they marvelled, 'like paradise'. But within a few brief hours, this exceptional teenager was dead, killed by a rented speedboat while snorkelling near the family's yacht off the French Polynesian island of Moorea, a few miles from Tahiti. Ten days ago, Eddie, whose talent and hard work had won him a prestigious music scholarship to the private Hurstpierpoint College, was buried in the churchyard in the Sussex village of West Hoathly, where he grew up. His father Harry, 55, a visual effects artist, and mother Barbara Genda, 46, a furniture designer, hoped the funeral would bring a peace of sorts. But such is the terrible restiveness of inconsolable grief, they can find none. Last week, they returned to Tahiti with 13-year-old Amelie to the yacht that gave them such joy for the best part of a two-year round-the-world voyage. 'After it happened, I said to Harry, 'I'll never set foot on that boat again',' says Barbara, who is in so many pieces you fear she will never be able to put herself back together. Four weeks ago, 14-year-old music scholar Eddie Jarman was killed by a rented speedboat while snorkelling near the family's yacht off the French Polynesian island of Moorea, a few miles from Tahiti 'But after a little while, I went back while we waited for them to release Eddie's body and thought, 'this boat is filled with him. I can see him everywhere where he was happy'. 'That's why we've gone back because I believe his spirit and his soul is still here and I want to be near him.' Barbara's face is wet with tears. 'I love my husband but I love my son more. We understood each other. We cared about each other. He was my soulmate. How often can you say that about your children?' Amelie goes to her mother and rests her head on her shoulder: 'Mummy, you've been calling me Eddie,' she says, before adding: 'I was never as good as Eddie. I play the harp, piano and saxophone but he was more gifted.' It is an impossibly sad moment. Indeed, this family's grief is so raw, I wonder if they want some time to gather their thoughts. It is less than a fortnight since they buried their gifted son, who, as well as playing the piano, violin and double bass, was an academic high-achiever and keen environmentalist. But the Jarmans are determined to give this interview. 'We're not revisiting these painful memories for pleasure,' says Barbara. 'We're doing it for him. Eddie was special. He is special. I know he would have had an amazing life and done truly amazing things, so we want to live that life for him.' The Jarmans have set up the Eddie Jarman Young Musicians Trust Fund to help talented children from disadvantaged backgrounds in the UK and French Polynesia pay for music tuition and the hire or purchase of instruments. To date, they have raised more than 40,000. 'Eddie developed into a sensitive human through music,' says Barbara. 'He'd always go off and play with other cruisers or put on a concert for locals in remote islands like San Blas and Gambier. 'We often sat mesmerised by how much emotion he put into his playing. I'd love to be able to give that joy to other children and parents but it was achieved by hard work.' Barbara, a dynamic woman who runs the household with, she says, 'an iron fist', was on a train commuting when she first toyed with the idea of sailing across the world. 'We'd just gone through years of refurbishing our house. We put heart and soul into it but also a lot of money. What with the children's school fees which we were always pushed to pay we were feeling like hamsters on a wheel. 'That's when I wondered, 'Why don't we sell the house and go sailing?' We used to go on flotilla sailing holidays each year to Greece. The children loved it. Sailing across the world would be an adventure for the whole family.' The idea took root over the next few months. They put their 1 million house up for sale and, within ten days of handing over the keys in November 2018, moved on board their three-cabin yacht. Harry, a practised sailor, chose the 55ft Discovery because of its reputation for being reliable and safe. 'The first six months were the hardest,' says Barbara. 'It tested all our relationships because you're living on top of each other 24 hours a day. 'In the end you have to find a way. On ocean passages, we'd start school at 9am. At 1pm, I'd cook lunch. Then they'd do their own thing music practice, read or watch a video, play chess, swim. 'When it got dark, we'd lie there and stargaze. That was Eddie's favourite thing, stargazing. We had discussions about things like overpopulation, divine powers, the rights and wrongs in the world. 'Eddie had his life planned out. He was telling us almost daily how he was going to build his own yacht and sail the Northwest Passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific.' The family were 18 months into this remarkable adventure when their son's life was so cruelly cut short. 'We anchored in that bay because I wanted to be somewhere we could get the internet,' says Barbara 'My mother had just had an operation I needed to know she had survived. 'Eddie wanted to be out doing something. He said: 'It's such a beautiful day. If you're all going to sit on your computers, I'm going to check on the anchor and see whether there's any interesting fish to see.' 'I said, 'Don't go too far'. He said 'I'll just be around the boat'.' Harry, who remained in the cockpit to clear away the plates from a light lunch, happened to see a speedboat pass close to their yacht in a bay that was packed with families having fun, swimming and snorkelling. 'I remember looking at it, thinking, 'You're going too fast and too close to the boat'. It was a 90-horsepower speedboat and this man, with a young girlfriend, was showing off to friends, splashing our yacht with his wake. I didn't really think about it. I took some stuff down into the saloon. His father Harry (left), 55, a visual effects artist, and mother Barbara Genda (right), 46, a furniture designer, hoped the funeral would bring a peace of sorts. Pictured centre: sister Amelie, 13 'The windows were open. We heard a woman's voice shouting, 'Monsieur, monsieur'. We went up on deck. The same speedboat I'd seen go past was now turned around and near our boat, in neutral. To our horror, we could see the lady was holding . . .' Barbara interrupts: 'It wasn't horror initially . . .' Harry, who is by nature a mild-mannered man, raises his voice. 'It was horror. She was holding our son in the water.' 'Sweetie,' Barbara insists. 'We saw a woman and I thought, 'Maybe she needs something. Maybe she's hurt'. I was trying to figure it out . . .' 'Well,' says Harry, 'I was on the deck and I saw . . .' 'Did you see it right away?' asks Barbara. And you realise how fresh this tragedy is. 'Yes,' says Harry. 'I saw our son unconscious. He was a limp body. Obviously wounded. You could see his head was injured. There was blood in the water.' Barbara interrupts. 'She was holding his body. I think my brain just didn't let me . . .' She sobs. 'When I realised it was Eddie, I screamed. I saw he had a cut in his side. I tried to think whether there were any vital organs there. There was a lot of blood in the water. Amelie started screaming. I was shaking. I tried to scream to the man to throw me a line. He was completely shocked and they were drifting off.' Harry says: 'Seconds after I'd seen the boat go past, it would have ridden over our son in the water at speed. He would have hit the outboard engine, which is like a knife, and it sliced through the back of his neck.' They called 'Mayday'. Lowered the dinghy. Followed the speedboat, which was being towed to the beach. 'When we got to shore, there was a fire brigade trying to resuscitate him but I think his injuries were far too extensive for first aid. I had to physically hold Barbara back,' says Harry. Barbara looks tearfully at her husband. 'I wanted to hold his legs, his feet. Any part of him,' she says. 'Amelie and I were kneeling by his feet. I said to her, 'Let's breathe on his feet. Maybe we can breathe some life into him'.' Harry shakes his head. 'It was a fairly hopeless situation.' 'They wanted to stop resuscitation,' Barbara says. 'We begged them to keep going. They couldn't understand us. I screamed at Amelie, We'll take over'. Then I managed to find a number for some friends we'd met in Tahiti who were doctors. Eddie surfed with their children. 'I gave the phone to the people who were trying to resuscitate him. She told them to continue and called a local doctor. An ambulance arrived to take Eddie to hospital. I sat in the front. 'They couldn't bear to look at me. I was begging them to save him. They knew he was dead. 'I think I knew in my heart he was gone. He had a big cut here,' she points to her side 'and a big cut at the back of his neck, which would probably have severed his spinal cord.' Harry scrolls through his phone. 'That's the RIB [rigid inflatable boat] that drove over him.' He enlarges a photograph taken on the beach. 'Look, you can see our boat moored in the background and that's the ambulance people doing their thing.' I realise they are tending to Eddie, who is on the sand. 'You see that man sitting in the background the local chap with long hair? That's the boat driver.' Harry's voice hardens. 'You could tell he was shocked. I went up to him and asked how they hit Edward. He said it was with the motor. The outboard motor has a sharp piece on the front that would probably have sliced straight through his neck.' At the hospital, doctors continued trying to resuscitate Eddie. 'They did it for me,' says Barbara. 'They couldn't restart his heart. They said, 'Look, it's been an hour. His brain . . .' 'I went outside, where Amelie and Harry were waiting. It was getting dark. I said, 'He's gone'.' We met in the grounds of a friend's house in Sussex, where the Jarmans were staying while they buried their son. Because of social distancing rules, only 30 relatives and close friends were allowed at his funeral, so those who hold this family dear gathered in the lanes to pay their respects as Eddie's coffin passed. Strangers and friends alike have overwhelmed the Jarmans with their kindness. Indeed, throughout our interview, a stream of people arrive with food and offers of help. They will do whatever they can to ease the family's pain. 'It gets harder, not easier,' says Barbara. 'It's things like I keep taking out four plates for supper.Then I catch myself, tell myself, 'No, we're only three . . .' ' The lunchtime sun has gone and it is getting chilly, so Harry brings his wife a jumper. She is wearing the thin but colourful dress she wore to her son's funeral. 'I bought it when we leaving Tahiti to come home,' she says. 'I'd gone past the shop with Eddie and he said, 'Ooh, that's a pretty dress. You'd look nice in it.' I told him I wasn't spending $100 on a dress. We could have eaten on that sort of money for two weeks. 'He said, 'You're right but you'd look nice in it.' So I bought it to wear to his funeral.' A post mortem, carried out in Tahiti before Eddie's body was flown home three weeks ago, stated the cause of death as 'blood loss and cranial injuries'. This week, a manslaughter inquiry will seek to determine whether the motorboat was exceeding the speed limit at the time of the accident. 'I wanted to get him cremated so our friends [mostly in the yachting community] would be able to take part in honouring Eddie's life, then we could bring his ashes back to the UK,' says Barbara. 'But you can't cremate anyone in French Polynesia.' She continues: 'They gave him a surfers' send-off, when they paddle out on surfboards, form a circle and throw flowers into the water. That went viral. 'On the Saturday after his accident, people gathered on almost every island of French Polynesia to remember our son. They even made a little raft and sent it off in California, and paddled out on boards in Fiji, Panama, Mexico, Chile, New Zealand, Australia, Ecuador, the Med and England. 'You think, 'Maybe if we hadn't gone sailing, this wouldn't have happened. Maybe if we hadn't gone to that anchorage. Maybe if I'd had internet connection where we'd been that morning.' 'When we went into the bay we had three choices: forward, left or right. We went left. And maybe if I'd asked Eddie to do the dishes, he would have been alive. 'What I am grateful for is the time we had together on the boat because we grew so close. 'Now we want my remarkable son to live on by spreading the love of music in his name.' Donations can be made to Eddie Jarman Young Musicians Trust Fund at www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/eddie-jarman India not only took the bold and timely step of imposing a lockdown to save the lives of 1.3 billion people from Covid-19 but also took care of the economy to turn the tragedy into an opportunity, BJP president JP Nadda said on Saturday. Addressing a meeting of the partys Odisha executive committee, Nadda said that while powerful nations were helpless in combating the pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was clear in his mind as he took the decisive action of imposing the lockdown in order to save the lives of the people. PM Modi made it clear that the lives of 1.3 billion people must be saved. He said Jaan hai to Jahan Hai as public health was at the top of his mind, the BJP chief said. The lockdown was imposed well in time and also implemented effectively across the country as a weapon against the pandemic, he said. Besides taking care of the health-related matters, the Modi government also addressed the economic issues through several programmes such as the Garib Kalyan Yojna and Atmanirbhar Bharat, Nadda said. Even the UN secretary-general has acknowledged Indias steps in this regard, he added. The tragedy and challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic were effectively turned into an opportunity by the BJP-led government at the Centre, he said. Naddas comments came amid the criticism of the government by the opposition over the sharp decline in the GDP. The countrys economy suffered its worst slump on record in April-June, with the gross domestic product (GDP) contracting by 23.9 per cent as the coronavirus-related lockdowns weighed on the already-declining consumer demand and investment. Noting that all the political parties except the BJP became inactive after the lockdown was imposed, Nadda said his party took to the virtual mode and continued to serve the people. Asserting that the healthcare infrastructure of the country was given a major boost by the government, he said that when the lockdown was imposed India did not have a single Covid hospital, and over 1,500 such facilities with 2.5 lakh beds have been set up in the last few months. Similarly, daily Covid-19 testing has also increased to over 10.10 lakh, he said. Nadda also hit out at the BJD government in Odisha, accusing it of refusing to implement the Ayushman Bharat programme because of narrow and petty politics, depriving 2.74 crore people of quality healthcare. ABC News Four people, including two adults, a teen and an infant, have been found frozen to death about 40 feet from the U.S.-Canada border while being smuggled into North Dakota, according to U.S. and Canadian authorities. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers and law enforcement officers with the Department of Homeland Security performed a traffic stop Jan. 19 on a 15-passenger van about 1 mile from the border when they found two undocumented Indian nationals from Canada inside, according to the Manitoba Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Less than a quarter mile away from the border, law enforcement encountered and apprehended five additional undocumented Indian nationals that walked across the U.S. border from Manitoba, Canada, according to the RCMP. Reviewing the 2019-2020 school year, despite being directly and seriously affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the education sector proactively and promptly took synchronous, drastic and effective measures to realise the dual goal of combating the disease and completing the set programmes and goals, with the motto of suspend schools but not stop learning. The past academic year marked an important milestone in the work of improving institutions and creating a legal corridor for fundamental and comprehensive reform of education and training. The education sector focused resources on improving the quality of preschool education universalisation for five-year-old children, and bringing primary and secondary education universalisation to a higher level. All 63 provinces and cities maintained and reached universal primary education standards, 18 of whom met the standard of universal primary education at level three. The 2019-2020 school year was also the premise year to prepare for the implementation of the new general education programme in reality as the MOET finalised the evaluation and approval of five first-grade textbooks to be used from the 2020-2021 school year. Conditions concerning teachers, facilities and teaching equipment under the new general education programme were actively implemented. Despite the global outbreak of COVID-19, Vietnamese students still strived to participate in international exams online, and achieved encouraging results. Specifically, Vietnams chemistry team ranked second overall at the 52nd International Chemistry Olympiad in Turkey, with all four members striking gold medals the nations best-ever performance in the contest. Additionally, all four Vietnamese students participating in the International Biology Olympiad 2020 (Nagasaki, Japan) won prizes, including one gold, one silver and one bronze medal as well as one consolation prize. The national high school graduation exam was organised on schedule, ensuring the dual goal of fighting the disease and meeting the requirements for a practical and objective exam. Higher education marked a breakthrough in the determination to exercise autonomy and improve training quality. For the first time, three higher education institutions of Vietnam broke into the worlds top 1,000, while seven universities made the list of leading universities in Asia. With profound attention from the Party and State, the care of the entire people, the unceasing efforts and wholeheartedness of officials and teachers and the enthusiastic learning of students, education quality at all grades and training has significantly improved. However, to meet the needs of socio-economic development, the reality of the past academic year has also posed many challenges, both in the short and long term, for the education sector. Accordingly, the planning of preschool and general education networks in some localities has not been properly implemented yet. The structure of teachers is yet to be synchronised. The compilation of textbooks and documents under the new general education programme has been applied for the first time, thus facing many difficulties from the design stage to the organisation of implementation. The quality of human resources, especially high-quality personnel, has not really satisfied development requirements. Therefore, the entire education sector needs to launch an emulation movement for innovation and creativity in teaching, making a breakthrough and taking quality and efficiency as a measure of educational reform. Greater efforts should be made to develop Vietnam into a strong country in terms of education and training in the region, catching up with the worlds advanced level and participating in the international human resource training market. The sector must be flexible, proactive and active from the first days of the new school year, while putting optimal focus on the key tasks of officially applying the new general education curriculum and textbooks to the first grade and preparing conditions for implementation over the following school years and grades. Attention should be paid to educating ethics, lifestyle and soft skills for students; accelerating the reform of educational management and administration mechanisms; implementing autonomy for higher education institutions; and completing legal corridors to promote digital transformation and the application of information technology in education and training. Entering the new 2020-2021 school year, Party committees, authorities, mass organisations, families and society should continue to pay greater attention to and work closely with the education and training sector to create the most favourable conditions for students learning and training, to promote care for the cause of personnel development and facilitate a learning society, and to build a prosperous, wealthy and beautiful country. The entire education sector needs to make constant efforts, strengthen emulation on good teaching and learning, and strive to successfully and effectively realise the directions of Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong as set out in his letter sent to the sector on the occasion of the new academic year. Accordingly, the Party and State leader expressed his hope that teachers, managers and educational workers would continue promoting the sectors fine traditions and retain their political stance, moral qualities, passion for the cause of education, and innovation in teaching, thus making greater contributions to the fundamental and comprehensive reform of the country's education system. He encouraged students to uphold the nations learning traditions and nurture their ambition to emulate good learning practices and become the future masters of the country with a sense of both morality and professionalism. British aviation and energy infrastructure group Stobart is in early-stage discussions for the potential sale of its stake in regional airline Stobart Air which operates the Aer Lingus Regional service and its leasing firm Propius. The company, which bought back Stobart Air and Propius in April from the administrators of Connect Airways, said aircraft lessor Falko Regional Aircraft was one of the interested parties. Falko is the owner of Irish airline CityJet. PORTLAND, Ore.: Police shot and killed a self-declared anti-fascist activist in Washington state on Thursday night as they moved in to arrest him on suspicion he fatally shot a right-wing counter protester last weekend in Portland, Oregon, officials said. Michael Reinoehl, 48, wanted on a murder charge, was armed with a semi-automatic handgun when members of a U.S. Marshals Service fugitive task force shot him dead outside an apartment complex in suburban Olympia, Washington, according to the Marshals Service and the Thurston County Sheriffs Office. His sister, who asked not to be named, said her estranged" brother believed the United States was going to war." He believed the war was here, and look at where that got him; where it got us," she told Reuters in a text message. Two men are dead. He is one of them. Two families have been thrown into chaos, and everyone seems more up in arms than ever. I believe in something different. I believe the peaceful majority are stronger than that." Reinoehl was in a car when police opened fire, leading him to flee on foot as four officers shot at him, Thurston County Sheriffs Office spokesman Ray Brady told reporters. Brady could not confirm whether Reinoehl fired on police, but witnesses told reporters a hail of bullets put out car windows and hit nearby homes. Flowers were placed under the mailbox where Reinoehl fell and where an agent attempted CPR on him before he was pronounced dead at the scene, according to bystander videos. A Multnomah County, Oregon, court had charged Reinoehl with the murder of Aaron Danielson on Saturday, and Portland police issued a warrant for his arrest, asking U.S. marshals to locate him. Reinoehl, who provided security for Black Lives Matter in Portland protests, in a video interview with Vice aired hours before his death appeared to admit to shooting Danielson and said the shot felt like the beginning of a war." He said he acted in self-defense. Danielson, 39, was part of a caravan of supporters of Republican President Donald Trump who rode in pickup trucks into downtown Portland and clashed with protesters demonstrating against racial injustice and police brutality. A Portland man who ran a specialty moving company in the city for over 20 years, Danielson was a supporter of right-wing Christian group Patriot Prayer. Danielsons friend Michael Hamilton saw no justice in Reinoehls death and said he and his family were getting death threats and being called Nazis" after he started a GoFundMe page for Danielson. Now they want me to live in fear? Not likely," said Hamilton. I also refuse to kill my brothers and sisters. If they want civil war they will have to murder me like a dog in the streets like they did my friend, a good and decent man." ANTIFA Danielson and Reinoehl were pitted against one another in escalating confrontations between right- and left-wing groups in Portland. The city has become a focus of the presidential campaign after its nearly 100 days of protests since George Floyd, a Black man, died in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25. Trump, who has made law and order the main theme of his reelection bid, singled out Portland as one of several Democrat-run cities he calls anarchist jurisdictions." The U.S. Justice Department on Friday directly linked Reinoehl to the left-wing antifa movement, the first time it had done so for a demonstrator facing federal charges in Portland. Nationally, antifa is a largely unstructured, far-left movement whose followers broadly aim to confront those they view as authoritarian or racist. Antifa groups murdered my friend," said Patriot Prayer leader Joey Gibson, who on Tuesday called on supporters not to seek revenge. Facebook Inc on Friday said it took down the pages of Patriot Prayer and Gibson, saying it was part of their efforts to remove violent social militias" from the platform. Gibson said Facebook should ban antifa pages, too. In social media posts Reinoehl, a father of two, described himself as a professional snowboarder, an Army veteran and 100% ANTIFA." Every Revolution needs people that are willing and ready to fight," he said in a June 16 Instagram post. It will be a war and like all wars there will be casualties." Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor Through Neenas side of the story, the show again brings focus on single motherhood and how it is still considered a stigma Actress Neena Gupta, a source of inspiration for many single women, has, however, been quite vocal about choosing the less trodden path in her life Raising a child is a stimulating experience, and an equally challenging one for a single mother. In India especially, its hard to fathom the degree of challenges that single mothers whether widows, divorcees, separated or single by choice face every day. The recently released web show Masaba Masaba dives into the subject of how two good women Neena Gupta being a single mother and Masaba Gupta, a child raised by a single mother struggle with the challenges of difficult, creative careers and ultimately navigate friendship in their own relationships. Through Neenas side of the story, the show again brings focus on single motherhood and how it is still considered a stigma in society for mothers and her children. Actress Neena Gupta, a source of inspiration for many single women, has, however, been quite vocal about choosing the less trodden path in her life. While insisting that there will come a time in every womans life when she must stay strong and step up, she admits that bringing a child up alone isnt easy and that single mothers suffer a lot. Personally, I wouldnt recommend women to choose the same route as I did, of being a single mother, Neena tells us. I went against the norms laid out by society, and it was extremely complicated for me to be in it and raise Masaba. Sadly, nothing seems to have changed even today. Society is the same and its as if everything has got crystallised in time. Alienated and stigmatised In India, despite open conversation around women empowerment and single mothers, patriarchy still seems quite prevalent. A single mother is treated differently from one with a husband she is still considered a stigma and often judged at length. In most cases, a woman ends up as a single mother only to escape abuse, adultery or abandonment by the husband. However, instead of breaking down, most of these women take on the role of the single mum, doing the job of two people and still thriving against many odds. Senior media professional Nupur, a single mother for the last 20 years, considers that surviving as a single mum today is as tough as it was 20 years ago. I never used to tell anyone I am a single mother. Subconsciously, I had some milestones to achieve for my son and the only confidence I had was to move out of the situation and raise my child alone. I knew there would be challenges but I dealt with them, says Nupur, who nevertheless believes that women today are much stronger. Talking about how society even judges a single mothers ambitions, Nupur reveals how she used to be out most of the time for work and everyone around her wondered what she was up to. Nupur also points out how back then, even getting a house was not easy for her. For years, I used my husbands name on my house lease. But when I was getting my own house, though I qualified for the loan, I had to fight with the bank authorities, for they wanted a mans name on the papers, she recalls. Despite Nupurs experience, some women in India, who chose to stay single, are yet celebrating motherhood. Actress Sushmita Sen is one such, who is a proud single mum, despite braving the social storms. Twenty years ago, she had decided to adopt her first daughter, Renee. Being a single mother is indeed challenging. And while the position of women has changed in the country, theres still much that needs to be changed. So when I look around me and see many more single mums, I wonder if I am just given way too much credit, shares the actress. Sacrificed ambitions Apart from social challenges where single mothers are alienated and looked down upon, their professional ambitions too are met with challenges. Ritu Tripathi, single mother and an assistant manager in a well-known corporate firm, still struggles to prove herself at work. I had no job when I separated from my spouse and I was desperate to bring food on the table for my nine-month-old son, says Ritu. However, during my interviews with company HRs, theyd tell me to focus on my child because they believed I couldnt manage two things. And I could never understand why theyd ask me about how Id raise my child. Its been eight years for Ritu since then, and while she has proved herself at work, she still claims to struggle to be with her child and prove that shes capable of handling both work and domestic responsibilities. And sadly for Ritu, she believes she sacrificed her sons childhood to prove herself to the company she works for. Theres too much pressure to prove myself at work and I ensure my personal life has no impact on my work. It is an everyday struggle. And sometimes, I feel being a single mother fills you with regret and stress, adds Ritu. Era Tak, an author and a painter, who has singly raised her 12-year-old son, feels that society needs to become more accepting of the women and their conditions. No woman intends to raise the child alone, for it is a double responsibility on her. But there are circumstances that arent good for the child while growing up and I think it is the mother who has to take the decision, says Era, adding that she learnt to ignore what people have to say. I had to raise my child in the right environment and at the same time I had to be at peace with myself. I refrained from sharing things with people and instead channelized those thoughts into my work and raising my son. A strong new generation While raising a child as a single mother may be mentally and emotionally exhausting and may lead to loneliness in their life, what could help them to sail through their challenges is their strong willpower and confidence to do better. And not surprisingly given the situations theyve lived through, most single mums raise stronger and gender-sensitive youngsters. Ive never had any fears about Masaba. and Im extremely proud of what she has achieved, and that shes so hard-working, says Neena. Nupur and Era also second that kids raised by single mothers are mentally and emotionally stronger. I believe a mother is responsible for inculcating values in her child, and thats how children grow stronger and more mature, says Nupur in conclusion. Highlighting the great relationship that he has developed with Indian-Americans and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, United States President Donald Trump said that he would think that Indian Americans would vote for him in the November 3 presidential election. "We have great support from India. We have great support from Prime Minister Modi. I would think that the Indian (American) people would be voting for Trump," the president told reporters at a White House news conference. Trump was responding to a question on a video titled, "Four more years" released by the Trump Campaign during the Republican National Convention last month. Tweeted by Kimberly Guilfoyle, national chair of Trump Victory Finance Committee and retweeted by his son Donald Trump Jr, the video conceptualised by Al Mason, co-chair of the Trump Victory Indian American Finance Committee, has short clips from the Modi-Trump joint address in Houston in 2019 and Ahmedabad in February. Also read: Explained | Why Indian-Americans are electorally vital for Democrats and Republicans Asked if Kimberly, Don Jr., and Ivanka Trump, who are very popular among Indian Americans, would be campaigning on his behalf, Trump said: "I know India and I understood those young people (Kimberley, Donald J Trump Jr and Ivanka) that you mentioned. They're very good young people. And I know their relationship with India is very good and so is mine." The president said that he has a very good relationship with PM Modi. "Prime Minister Modi is a friend of mine and he's doing a very good job. Nothing easy, but he's done a very good job," he said as he recollected his historic address at the 'Howdy Mody' event in Houston last September. "We had an event in Houston, as you know. And it was a fantastic event. I was invited by Prime Minister Modi and this was a massive (event) And it was incredible. And the prime minister could not have been more generous. We have great support from India. We have great support from Prime Minister Modi," Trump said. The president then referred to his India visit early this year in February before the coronavirus pandemic hit the two countries. "I also, as you know, went to India just prior to the pandemic setting in because India has been hit very hard, left really about a week before that, and we had an incredible time. What we saw the people are so incredible it's really an incredible place, an incredible country and its definitely big, he said. But you've got a great leader and he's a great person, Trump said. But you've got a great leader and he's a great person," Trump said. In recent weeks both the Democrats and Republicans have intensified their outreach to the Indian American community, in particular in the battle ground states. Also read: Opinion | Trump or Biden, Indian immigration to US wont drastically improve A recent research by Mason in battle ground states showed that Indian Americans who traditionally vote for the Democrats are switching over to the Republican party in significant numbers because the friendship that Trump has with Modi and the latter's high popularity among a large section of the community who number four million in the US, of which 2.5 million are eligible to vote. In the battleground states, they number 1.3 million as per a recent remark made by Indian Americans in the Democratic party. Mason's survey was conducted before former vice president Joe Biden, the Democratic party's presidential candidate, selected Indian-origin Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate, a move Democratic party leader believe would stem the flow of Indian Americans towards the Republicans. Both Trump and his campaign, in recent remarks, assert that more Indian Americans support them than the Democrats. In various writings and remarks, the Democratic leaders in recent weeks, have apprehended that Trump's friendship with Modi might sway their traditional vote bank the election. The Trump campaign believes that Indian Americans can play an important role in the election, especially in the battleground states like Michigan, Pennsylvania and Ohio, where the two rival campaigns would be battling for every vote. Democratic campaign too is coming out with ideas and commercials to woo Indian Americans. The Democratic National Committee chair Tom Perez has addressed the community virtually, wherein he has acknowledged the key role that Indian Americans can play in battleground states. On August 15, both Biden and Harris made a video address to an Indian American event. The campaign has released a policy paper for Indian Americans. Tory donors have reacted with fury to reports of a 'soak the rich' plan by Rishi Sunak to help pay for the cost of Covid. They have privately warned the party that they will 'turn off the funding taps' if the Chancellor decides to go ahead with the controversial plan. The ultimatum came amid fresh fears of tax hikes after it emerged that Mr Sunak has told allies that he needs to 'work out ways to get that money back'. One insider told The Mail on Sunday that the remark, made this summer, made clear the Chancellor's 'fiscally orthodox' credentials. However, it is only one week since many Tory MPs and supporters reacted angrily to reports that Treasury officials were preparing a 30billion hit on the wealthy and businesses in November's Budget. Tory donors have reacted with fury to reports of a 'soak the rich' plan by Rishi Sunak to help pay for the cost of Covid. They have privately warned the party that they will 'turn off the funding taps' if the Chancellor decides to go ahead with the controversial plan The plans were branded as Mr Sunak's fightback against the soaring cost of the pandemic, which has seen the national debt top 2trillion for the first time. But last night, party benefactors with close links to the City of London were particularly incensed at a proposal to hike corporation tax from 19 per cent to 24 per cent a move that would raise 12billion next year alone. In the Tory shires, anger centred on a plan for a huge increase in capital gains tax a move that would hit owners of second homes and buy-to-let properties when they came to sell. Government sources played down the reports as 'speculation'. Mr Sunak himself tried to reassure the 2019 intake of Tory MPs that there would not be a 'horror show of tax rises with no end in sight'. But yesterday, The Mail on Sunday was told that only a few weeks ago, Mr Sunak had reinforced his determination to recoup the money. Boris Johnson is understood to have resisted calls to raise taxes to pay for the Covid bailouts One insider said that despite concern over tax rises stifling early signs of growth, the Chancellor 'thinks that if he doesn't raise taxes in the first half of Parliament then try convincing Tory MPs we need to do it before an election'. Last night, a source close to the Chancellor said: 'It can hardly be a surprise to anyone that a Conservative Government is keen to ensure this country's finances are stable and sound. It is the right thing to do. 'The alternative is to keep writing cheques that our children and grandchildren will end up having to cash.' But yesterday, one Tory backbencher said: 'Rishi is missing the point of the success of Eat Out To Help Out, which reflects how cutting taxes can be beneficial.' The MP said the proposed tax hikes were 'mad', adding: 'Raising taxes right now is the dumbest thing you can do.' The row came as insurance industry sources warned the Treasury not to hike insurance premiums as a way of paying for the pandemic. - Thiago strongly suggested he was not going to leave Bayern Munich in a press conference on Saturday, September 5 - Liverpool were in pole position to sign the Spaniard, who spent seven years with Bayern Munich - Thiago was instrumental for Bayern Munichs success in the 2019/2020 season PAY ATTENTION: Click 'See First' under 'Follow' Tab to see Tuko.co.ke news on your FB Feed Bayern Munich midfielder Thiago Alcantara has finally broken his silence on transfer rumors linking him to Premier League champions Liverpool. The Spain midfielder strongly denied media claims that he expressed interest to leave the German champions. READ ALSO: Fans convinced Chelsea are title contenders after acquisition of Havertz Thiago (holding trophy) was instrumental to Bayern Munich's success last season. Photo: Getty Images. Source: Getty Images READ ALSO: Jamaa apeleka godoro kazini mke asilalie na mpango wa kando Thiago, 29, was instrumental in Hansi Flicks sides remarkable success this season including a famous triumph in the Champions League. Thiago Alcantara in action for Bayern Munich. Photo: Getty Images. Source: Getty Images READ ALSO: Italy national team manager makes costly starting XI mistake because he didnt have glasses on Liverpool were reported to be monitoring Thiagos situation at Bayern, with rumors rife that the Spaniard wanted a fresh challenge after spending seven seasons with the Bavarians. Both Bayern boss Flick and the club's CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge have been on record saying Thiago wanted a new challenge. READ ALSO: Lionel Messi cites family among 7 reasons for his stay at Barcelona However, in an unexpected twist, Thiago seemed to dismiss speculation that he was on the verge of leaving the German giants. Speaking ahead of Spains clash with Ukraine on Saturday, September 5, Thiago played down the whole transfer speculation with a strong statement. I have not told anyone that I am leaving, he started. Every year you put me in a different club. For me, my future is tomorrows game and there is nothing more to say, he went on. The strongly-worded statement came just a day after Thiago told another publication that Bayern was his home. READ ALSO: Doing the nation proud: Peres Jepchirchir smashes half marathon world record in Prague READ ALSO: Lionel Messi confirms he will continue at Barcelona next season amid exit links This will come as a slight blow to Liverpool, who will have to retrace their approach for the talented Spanish international. There were heavy reports linking Thiago with a move to Anfield, with Liverpool ace Gini Wijnaldum being tipped to join Ronald Koemans Barcelona. But Wijnaldum, in a response to the rumors, termed them as just that - rumors. Do you have an inspirational story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Tuko news My five children and I have nowhere to go - Jane Muthoni | Tuko TV: Source: TUKO.co.ke Syracuse, N.Y. Onondaga County today reported 16 new cases of coronavirus since Thursday, bringing the total to 3,809 cases since March. There have been no reported deaths from Covid-19 since Aug. 18. A total of 204 county residents have died from the virus. There are 13 Covid-19 patients in local hospitals, one less than Thursday. None of the patients is in intensive care. This is the first week since March that intensive care units have not had any coronavirus patients. Of the new cases reported today, nine were attributed to community spread; six occurred in households with previous infections; one was blamed on travel from outside the area. No school employees tested by the county have been positive for Covid-19 thus far, County Executive Ryan McMahon said on Twitter. The county will continue to provide voluntary testing for school employees through Sept. 11. There are currently 171 active cases of Covid-19 in the county. According to McMahon, an average of 0.8% of people tested in Onondaga County were positive for the virus during the past seven days. The state health department shows a slightly higher positive test rate for Onondaga County of 0.9% as of Thursday. MORE ON CORONAVIRUS Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources Upstate New Yorks non-Indian casinos can reopen: What will it look like? Syracuse University to quarantine about 200 students after coronavirus found in wastewater Masks or no masks for kids in class: Some Central NY districts will not require them. Why? Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com News tips? Contact reporter Tim Knauss of syracuse.com/The Post-Standard: email | Twitter | | 315-470-3023 US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced a new round of sanctions Wednesday, personally targeting the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Fatou Bensouda, for daring to proceed with an investigation into war crimes committed by US military forces and intelligence agents in Afghanistan and elsewhere in the war on terror. The sanctions, which are the sort typically reserved for alleged terrorists or drug traffickers, are also being imposed against Phakiso Mochochoko, head of the ICCs Jurisdiction, Complementarity and Cooperation Division and a senior aide to the prosecutor. Judges of the International Criminal Court After years of blocking the prosecution, on the grounds that the pursuit of the case would be fruitless because of the refusal of Washington and its puppet regime in Kabul to cooperate, an ICC panel of judges ruled in March that Bensouda could proceed with the probe. The Trump administration responded in June with an executive order imposing punitive sanctions, including freezing assets and imposing travel restrictions, not only against Bensouda and other ICC officials, but their family members as well. Pompeo gave no reason for this latest escalation of the attacks on the court, outside of the charge that they continue to target Americans. The US secretary of state, who acts as Washingtons lead bully boy in all such threats against international institutions and US rivals, warned that Individuals and entities that continue to materially support those individuals risk exposure to sanctions as well. This threat would potentially penalize anyone turning to the ICC over war crimes and human rights abuses, or anyone supporting prosecution of such crimes, in any country in the world. Washington has treated the ICC with unconcealed hostility since its founding in 2002. Not only refusing to recognize the courts jurisdiction, it directly threatened it with retaliation against any attempt to hold US officials or personnel accountable for the criminal acts of militarism that have killed and maimed millions across the Middle East over the past three decades. With overwhelming bipartisan support, Congress passed legislation in 2002 cynically referred to in Washington circles as the Hague invasion act, named for the Dutch city where the ICC is headquartered. It authorized the use of military force to free any US citizen or citizen of a US-allied country held by the court for trial. In a Fox News interview Wednesday night, Pompeo described the ICC as a group of political hacks in The Hague, a place that is threatening our kids who served in Afghanistan, our young men and women who served and fought there. He said that Washington would not allow a rogue court with lawyers that are frankly corrupt and political to prosecute Americans who engaged in Americas fight for freedom in Afghanistan. This fight for freedom in Afghanistan has directly claimed the lives of at least 175,000 Afghans, while leading to many more indirect deaths, leaving many more maimed and displacing millions. The two-decade-long dirty colonial-style war has seen indiscriminate US bombings, death squad night raids and the rampant brutality exposed in the operations of the so-called Kill Team operating in the US Armys 5th Stryker Brigade, systematically murdering civilians and mutilating their bodies, taking fingers and parts of their skulls as trophies. Among the charges that are being investigated by the ICC prosecutors relating to this fight for freedom are those based on evidence that US personnel committed acts of torture, cruel treatment, outrages upon personal dignity, rape and sexual violence against detainees in Afghanistan. The court has ruled that the nexus of this evidence allows the prosecutor to pursue similar charges related to US black sites where detainees were tortured and killed, including in Poland, Romania and Lithuania. It could also extend to the infamous US torture center in Abu Ghraib, Iraq, where US military torturers were reassigned after operating in Afghanistan. While the US does not recognize the court, Afghanistan formally did so, giving the ICC jurisdiction to investigate crimes committed on its soil, including by citizens of other countries. For all of Pompeos bluster about protecting our kids, Washingtons real concern is that the ICC investigation will implicate officials at the highest levels of government, given the involvement of the White House, the Justice Department and the Defense Department in authorizing US war crimes in Afghanistan under the presidencies of George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump. No one has ever been held accountable for these crimes. The US puppet regime in Afghanistan has also sought to block the ICC prosecution, claiming that it is conducting its own investigations of war crimes. This is absurd on its face as it has granted a blanket amnesty to its own war criminals and signed a Status of Forces Agreement with the US government foreswearing any prosecution of crimes committed by US occupation forces. Washington has demanded similar guarantees from governments all over the world where US troops are deployed. The latest round of sanctions against the ICC prosecutor and her aide drew a sharp rebuke from the Court, which called the action unprecedented. In a statement, the ICC said that they represented serious attacks on the rule of law and another attempt to interfere with the Courts judicial and prosecutorial independence and crucial work to address grave crimes of concern to the international community. The European Union also condemned the action as an attempt to undermine the international system of criminal justice by hindering the work of its core institutions. Peter Stano, spokesman for EU diplomatic chief Josep Borrell, told the media, We are standing by the ICC and we are not happy to see steps which are going against the activities of the ICC. Even Washingtons closest European ally, the British government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, felt compelled to issue a tepid criticism, with a spokesman saying, The UK regrets the measures taken by the US against ICC employees. These officials must be able to carry out their work independently and impartially, without fear of sanction. London itself could face charges before the ICC for war crimes committed by its forces in Iraq. Until now, the International Criminal Court has confined its investigations largely to Africa, which accounts for virtually all of those indicted or arrested by the court since its founding nearly two decades ago. That the US now confronts the possibility of being hauled before the dock has infuriated not only the Trump administration, but the American ruling establishment as a whole. Washington has repeatedly made clear that its militarist aggression in the Middle East and elsewhere will not be bound by the Geneva Conventions or any other form of international law against war crimes. The vicious response to the ICC probe is an expression of Washingtons escalating pursuit of its predatory aims by means of unilateral military forceincluding against its so-called great power rivals. The deepening crisis of US capitalism has only made it more reliant on war crimes to defend its interests against threats both at home and abroad. A pensioner has appeared in court after being extradited from Spain to Northern Ireland on historic sex charges. Seamus Leo McGreevey was brought before Belfast Magistrates Court via telephone link on Saturday following the issue of a European Arrest Warrant. The 65-year-old faces eight charges of alleged indecent assault on a child on dates between September 1987 and June 1988. No application for bail was made and he is being held for questioning in Bangor police station. McGreevey, who has an address on Ballykeel Road in Rathfriland, Co Down, was remanded in custody by District Judge Fiona Bagnall until September 21 when a bail application is due to be made. She has jetted to Marbella for a girls' holiday after ringing in her 25th birthday. And Chloe Ferry made sure all eyes were on her as she slipped into a busty black corset during a night out with pal Bethan Kershaw in the Spanish city on Friday. The Geordie Shore star, 25, put on an eye popping display in the skintight number, which featured a belt detail which cinched her in at her narrow waist. Wow! Chloe Ferry made sure all eyes were on her as she slipped into a busty black corset during a night out with pal Bethan Kershaw in Marbella, Spain on Friday Chloe teamed her top with a tiny pair of denim hotpants, while she boosted her height with sexy black knee-high boots. The reality star carried her essentials in a simple black handbag, while she accessorised with a silver watch and dainty gold earring. Chloe upped the glam with a generous palette of make-up for her night on the town, while her blonde locks were styled in a half up, half down 'do. Bethan meanwhile slipped into a form-fitting peach mini dress, which she paired with pointed nude heels and a taupe handbag. Girls' night out The Geordie Shore star, 25, (right) put on an eye popping display in the skintight number, which featured a belt detail which cinched her in at her narrow waist Earlier in the day, the girls flaunted their figures in skimpy swimwear as they soaked up the sun at their resort. While Bethan left little to the imagination in a barely-there black two-piece, Chloe highlighted her curves in a plunging white belted swimsuit. They also posed up a storm as they donned matching ruched dresses in hues of lime green and blue. Back in May, Chloe cried 'tears of happiness' as she thanked her followers for their support during her weight loss journey in an emotional Instagram clip. Despite her transformation, the beautician recently admitted she still doesn't 'feel great' about her figure. Beach babes: Earlier in the day, the girls flaunted their figures in skimpy swimwear as they soaked up the sun at their resort Twinning: They also posed up a storm as they donned matching ruched dresses in hues of lime green and blue Chloe said the trolls have got 'inside my head' after being inundated with cruel taunts calling her 'fat and ugly every day'. The reality star's girly getaway comes after she ignored speculation she had faked a trip to Ibiza and had instead secretly joined her ex boyfriend Sam Gowland, 25, in Dubai. It had recently been reported that the star had back together with her co-star ex - despite being in the throes of filming Celebs Go Dating. A source told The Sun the former-couple were said to be 'reconnecting'; but fans also connected the dots. Incredible: Back in May, Chloe cried 'tears of happiness' as she thanked her followers for their support during her weight loss journey after shedding two stone An insider said: 'Chloe's taking it really slowly and she's keen to keep it quiet as her friends will all be furious after all the drama. It's a chance for them to reconnect.' MailOnline contacted Chloe and Sam's representatives for comment at the time. The present season of Celebs Go Dating signed Chloe up amid what appeared to be the complete end to her and Sam's romance. The couple - who have been on/off for years and had a turbulent relationship since first getting together in 2017 - were believed to split for good in February. This is thought to be what prompted her to sign up for the virtual version of the celebrity dating show. The Producers Guild of India, in an open letter on Friday, slammed the relentless attacks on the reputation of the Indian film industry, in the aftermath of the sad passing of actor Sushant Singh Rajput.The letter read, The tragic death of a promising young star has been used by some as a tool to defame and slander the film industry and its members. Calling it a much-needed move, filmmaker Sanjay Gupta says that he is very happy with the statement and totally supports the guild. The whole narrative about Bollywood mafia and Bollywood drug cartel is just getting too much. What is this nonsense? It is ridiculous that people are maligning the whole industry with no proof. Earlier it was nepotism, then that was thrown out of the window, then came Bollywood mafia and now the drug cartel narrative, which has nothing to do with Bollywood. How do you keep on maligning the film industry, asks Gupta. I am so glad to read this. All ignorant ill informed outsiders must stop now. I am so proud to be an outsider and a part of my lovely joint family called Indian film industry. https://t.co/MCGiNg36Ie Vishal Bhardwaj (@VishalBhardwaj) September 4, 2020 The letter also pointed out that while the film industry has its imperfections, and there must always be an ongoing attempt by any industry to improve upon itself, learn and evolve, while weeding out unsavoury elements or improper practices that hold it back. But to paint an entire industry with the same brush is a gross misrepresentation of reality, the producers association wrote in the letter. There is no single industry that does not have a few people who might be not be doing the right thing, that is not the reflection on the whole industry, argues director Kunal Kohli, while adding, I really support the letter because people have been asking why isnt the industry talking. You have to understand that there are certain associations within the industry, given the right time, they will talk. They are doing it , the guild is one of the premiere organizations and I am sure many such associations will do so in the coming days. An important communication from the @producers_guild . I am from a middle class family from Delhi and the film Industry has given me wings, has given me a voice to express myself . Given me opportunity to tell stories like Rang De Basanti, Delhi6 and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag https://t.co/iR22c2TIEl Rakeysh Mehra (@RakeyshOmMehra) September 4, 2020 Many celebrities such as Kareena Kapoor Khan, Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, Farhan Akhtar, Ekta Kapoor, Bipasha Basu Singh Grover, Nimrat Kaur, Hansal Mehta, Dia Mirza, Abhishek Bachchan, Rakul Preet Singh, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and Vishal Bhardwaj, took to social media to express solidarity with the guild. Producer Monisha Advani shares, Constant senseless and faceless berating of our industry unfortunately demoralises a large number of Indians who go to work every day to bring to life stories, movies, shows that reflect who we are and what we hope to be. Please lets act with kindness, respect and cohesion towards those impacted. I was an outsider when I made my debut, knew no one when I got the National Award and was not part of a group nor had any Godfather when I made #Raees- Its been a struggle and its been tough- but thats life- and I am proud of being part of the film industry #InSolidarity https://t.co/nwr4pCC73S rahul dholakia (@rahuldholakia) September 4, 2020 Actor Gulshan Devaiah says he wholeheartedly supports the guild as everyone from the film industry is part of organizations which are affiliated to the Producers Guild. I am part of CINTAA (Cine And TV Artistes Association). A lot of us dont have any idea what the hell is going around but at the same it seems to be a curated campaign against Bollywood, which is a soft target. The kind of vilification of the industry is just a projection of negativity and disappointment of people, he says. Calling the whole narrative about Bollywood, ridiculous, filmmaker Onir says There are too many precious people in the industry. The industry has given livelihood, dream and love to many people and that is being violated like this. I am sure there could be a few people like that but you cannot start talking about it. It has almost become a circus and it is not okay. The BJP-led Uttarakhand government has decided to exclude the state vigilance department from the purview of Right To Information (RTI) Act in its Cabinet meeting held on Friday. The move has drawn sharp criticism from Opposition Congress and experts who have termed the move regressive and an attempt to hide corruption. The decision was taken in the Cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat. Also read: Uttarakhand BJP MLA writes to JP Nadda, expresses anguish over lack of development works in his area Talking about the decision, minister and government spokesperson Madan Kaushik said, The government has decided to exclude the state vigilance department from RTIs purview because there is confidential information with it which should not be revealed to the public. He, however, added, Under the move, information will be shared regarding corruption in the department but if anyone seeks information about any probe, trapping of accused or filing of charge sheet in any case by the vigilance department, that it wont be shared. The Vigilance Bureau investigates cases related to corruption against public servants and the Cabinet decision has blocked seeking of any information from the commission. The RTI laws clearly state that information related to cases of corruption has to be shared in the larger public interest. The Opposition Congress and RTI experts have criticised the decision. Haldwani-based RTI activist Hemant Gauniya, who has been actively filing RTI applications to seek information from various government departments to expose corruption, termed the move as an attempt to cover-up corruption. He said, Every department should be covered under the RTI which is a law enacted by the government itself to provide information to public. Then why is the state government excluding vigilance department from its purview? The public should know everything about how the government is functioning. The move will surely decrease the importance of RTI Act and stop exposure of corruption in the government departments which should not happen, said Gauniya. Legal experts have called the decision regressive. Kartikeya Gupta, senior advocate in Uttarakhand high court, Nainital said, There is a democracy in the country where nothing should be hidden from the public. This is not the British era where information will not be shared with the public citing the Official Secrets Act enacted in 1923. The RTI Act aims to bring more transparency in the governance and reduce corruption. But this move seems to be regressive on the governments part which is condemnable, said Gupta. The Congress termed the move as contrary to the governments claim of zero tolerance to corruption. On the one hand, CM Rawat and his government claims that they have zero-tolerance towards corruption and on the other, they are excluding vigilance department from RTIs ambit. This just proves the difference between its words and actions, said Pritam Singh, Congress state president. Singh said, RTI was a weapon given to the people to make governance more transparent and corruption free, but the government seems to weaken it. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Amanda Holden has detailed her utter dread after learning her friend Simon Cowell had broken his back following a horrific motorbike accident. The Britain's Got Talent judge, 49, feared the music mogul would die after hearing the 'gut-wrenching' news and was unable to sleep after receiving a text. The TV star said she discovered that the BGT mastermind, 60, had broken his back in August after falling off his electric motorbike in California and was terrified his injuries could be fatal. Horrendous: Amanda Holden has detailed her utter dread after learning her friend Simon Cowell had broken his back following a horrific motorbike accident She said to The Sun: 'I honestly panicked it could be fatal. I felt physically sick as I didn't know how bad it was. 'I wanted him to be alive, but I also wanted him to be able to walk as he's such a good friend.' As Simon doesn't have a phone, Amanda got in touch with his partner, Lauren Silverman, who described what had transpired. Shocking crash: The TV host, 49, discovered that the BGT mastermind, 60, had broken his back in August after falling off his electric motorbike in California Simon's beau was recently spotted taking their son, Eric, six, to the beach while he recovers at home and his girlfriend Lauren has been aiding his recovery by cooking turkey shepherd pies. Amanda and Simon's friendship spans over a decade and was cemented on TV as they joined forces and became judges on Britain's Got Talent. The Heart FM host has sent her co-star some Lego, books, cashmere socks and butterscotch Angel Delight as it is reportedly his favourite. An ITV insider recently confirmed with The Sun that Simon will not be able to make the Britain's Got Talent finals due to his recovery. In the loop: As Simon doesn't have a phone, Amanda got in touch with his partner, Lauren Silverman (pictured left in 2019) who described what had transpired They said: 'He will not return to the panel in time for the final. 'He's obviously a massive loss but we are happy with the very talented judging panel.' A producer from the show has reportedly spoken to Simon and confirmed that he is doing incredibly well, despite his injuries. While he won't be able to attend the finals in person, they revealed he might be able to make a small appearance by video link. A surveillance society where resistance to planned and centralized management is impossible, a social contract accepted by much of the population in return for improved economic welfare. As democrats, we might not like to live under such an authoritarian regime, but we might as well start accepting that to all intents and purposes, China has already won. by Enrique Dans On Tuesday, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt spoke at the Bipartisan Policy Center about artificial intelligence and global leadership, concluding that China will pretty much be running things from now on. This is a position I have been defending for quite some time: Beijings approach, which we in the West consider unacceptable, has positioned China as a world leader in the technologies that will dictate the future of humanity, while the rest of the world sat back and watched or, in the case of the United States during the Trump administration, took steps backwards. China is on its way to surpass us in many, many ways, and theyre cleverly run in a way thats different from the way we would ever want to run. We need to take them seriously theyre going to end up with a bigger economy, more R&D investments, better quality research, wider applications of technology, and a stronger computing infrastructure. The Chinese government has long asserted, repeated at Communist Party congresses, that its model is not only different, but superior, and that the time has come for China to take center stage and make a bigger contribution to humanity. From a purely strategic point of view, Chinas form of government and the reinvention of state capitalism carried out by Xi Jinping has produced any number of large, decisive and top-down initiatives, which implies a much higher degree of efficiency. In Schmidts words: The Chinese model is a vision of high-tech authoritarianism which is incompatible with the way America works. Im not saluting it, Im not endorsing it in any way, but Im telling you to take it seriously () It has benefits from the standpoint of the strategic execution. Schmidt believes a world where China controls artificial intelligence and trade would not be a nice place for many of us, and highlights the need for a long-term, well-funded plan to counter Beijings hegemony by doubling R&D spending over the next five years. He adds that the way to fight China is not through a trade war, sanctions or executive orders, which is the approach taken by the Trump administration, but instead by moving faster and leaving China behind. Right now, the problem is not only that China is able to develop technology faster, more efficiently and with less resistance, but also that it is enjoying success in attracting and retaining talent. These are issues that Ive been discussing for a long time now, and they have a lot to do with the comments made a few days ago by Tim Wu in his article in The New York Times: China has behaved unilaterally unfairly, giving it a huge advantage in terms of leadership over the rest of the world, along with access to global markets while keeping its own out of reach. Schmidts views are gaining wider traction, but the problem is that China has already won: the macroeconomic data has yet to prove it, but it has become the worlds leader in generating data to feed its algorithms, has more artificial intelligence patents, and is streets ahead in implementing cutting-edge developments. A surveillance society where resistance to planned and centralized management is impossible, a social contract accepted by much of the population in return for improved economic welfare. As democrats, we might not like to live under such an authoritarian regime, but we might as well start accepting that to all intents and purposes, China has already won. This article was previously published on Forbes. The writer is a Professor of Innovation at IE Business School and blogger at enriquedans.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 21:21:14|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KUWAIT CITY, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Kuwait on Saturday reported 720 new COVID-19 cases and three more deaths, raising the tally of infections to 88,963 and the death toll to 540, the Health Ministry said in a statement. Currently, 8,520 patients are receiving treatment, including 91 in ICU, according to the statement. The ministry also announced the recovery of 486 more patients, raising the total recoveries in the country to 79,903. On Aug. 30, the Kuwaiti government lifted a nationwide partial curfew, while activities, including celebrations, parties, weddings, gatherings, banquets and funerals, will remain restricted to curb the spread of the coronavirus. On Aug. 18, Kuwait moved into the fourth phase of its five-phase plan to return to normal life, during which, salons, gyms, barbershops, and spas reopened and restaurants can offer more services. Kuwait and China have been supporting each other and cooperating closely in combating the COVID-19. Kuwait donated medical supplies worth 3 million U.S. dollars to China at the early stage of the COVID-19 outbreak, while China has been facilitating the procurement of medical supplies by Kuwait. On April 27, a team of Chinese medical experts visited Kuwait to assist the Gulf country's anti-coronavirus fight, through sharing with Kuwaiti counterparts their experience and expertise in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19. Enditem Married At First Sight star's Jules Robinson and Cam Merchant are set to welcome their first child in the coming weeks. And, the couple have decided not to learn the gender of their baby ahead of the birth. But, that didn't stop Jules from playing an unusual game at her baby shower on Saturday, to predict the sex of their little one. Old wives tale: Cam Merchant and Jules Robinson (pictured) decided not to learn the gender of their baby ahead of the birth, but, that didn't stop Jules from playing an unusual game at her baby shower on Saturday, which is meant to predict the sex Posting to her Instagram, the 36-year-old shared a video that featured her testing out an old wives tales known as the ring gender test. 'It's a GIIRL! it's a BOY! Nothing like some white witch magic at your #babyshower,' she captioned the clip. In the video Jules was laying on the couch and someone dangled a ring over her burgeoning bump and it began to move in loops. Boy or Girl? In the video Jules was laying on the couch and someone dangled a ring over her burgeoning bump and it began to move in loops A guest explained this implies she was expecting a boy: 'Back and forth in a straight line is a girl, circles is a boy.' However, Jules later shared a screenshot of a website revealing that they got it wrong and loops implies a girl. Fans will have to wait a few more weeks to find out whether there is any truth to the method. Oops: Jules later shared a screenshot of a website revealing that they got it wrong and loops implies a girl Meanwhile, Cam says the couple have already picked out a name for the baby, if their bundle of joy should be a girl. He said they decided during filming their season of MAFS in 2018. The SodaStream brand spokesperson, 36, told Daily Mail Australia on Thursday: 'I mentioned it to Jules when we first brought up kids, and she loved it and we have gone with it.' Media outlets of Cuba honoured Vietnams National Day and late President Ho Chi Minh in many recent stories. Granma, the organ of the Communist Party of Cuba, published an article by veteran journalist Marta Rojas, who used to be a war correspondent in Vietnam and also the last foreign reporter to interview Ho Chi Minh. The author reviewed unique milestones in the late leaders great career. Two other articles of the Prensa Latina news agency and e-newspaper Cubadebate looked back on Vietnams unceasing efforts over the last three quarters of a century, from fighting to safeguard the country to developing it. Meanwhile, the Juventud Rebelde daily, the organ of the Young Communist League of Cuba, affirmed the special sentiment that has bonded the two countries Parties, States and peoples. On the occasion, Russias leading daily Independent on September 2 ran a story by Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Ngo Duc Manh entitled Promoting the August Revolution spirit for new successes. In the article, the ambassador reviewed the 75-year path of Vietnam under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, with two important victories in 1954 and 1975. Overcoming challenges and difficulties, Vietnam has become a middle-income country with rising position and prestige in the region and the world and set up sound partnerships with many countries. It has maintained fruitful relationships with neighbouring and regional countries, while reinforcing ASEANs relations with outside partners, contributing to the building of the ASEAN Community. Vietnam has actively and responsibly engaged in regional and international forums, while sending officers to UN peacekeeping missions and for the second time performing the role of a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. In an article published on September 2, Editor-in-chief of the Pretoria News in South Africa Val Boje quoted Vietnamese Ambassador Hoang Van Loi as saying in an interview that 2020 marked a number of important anniversaries for the country, including 75 years of independence and 25 years of its ASEAN membership. As the current ASEAN Chair, Vietnam has been playing a key role in coordinating the regional response to COVID-19, as Southeast Asian nations are working together to contain the spread of the pandemic and support each other to minimise its socio-economic impacts, Loi said, believing that ASEAN will rise stronger from the pandemic as individual interests have been put aside for the common interests. Being part of ASEAN since 1995 has helped Vietnam integrate into the wider world, according to the article. On the global stage, the country continues to punch above its weight, serving as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2020-2021, with an open-door foreign policy that supports the principles of independence, self-reliance, friendship and cooperation, as well as development, peace and prosperity, the article cited Ambassador Loi. In Algeria, a number of newspapers, both print and online ones, like El Moudjahid, La tribune des lecteurs, Cresus, La tribune diplomatique internationale and Algerie actualite have also written about the August Revolution of Vietnam in 1945, the two countries friendship and Vietnams achievements. They underlined the significance of the August Revolution, considering it the first great victory of the Vietnamese people under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, thereby wiping out remnants of feudalism and colonialism in the country and heralding a great turning point in its history. The articles also noted that the success of the August Revolution inspired the struggles for national liberation in the countries oppressed and ruled by colonialism and imperialism, including Algeria. Al-Ahram, a prestigious e-newspaper of Egypt, also posted a story by Kamal Gaballa that underlined the outstanding socio-economic achievements Vietnam has gained during national development. In the article Vietnam: A Bright Star in Asia, the Jerusalem Post of Israel noted the Southeast Asian nations foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, openness, diversification and multilateralisation of external relations and active international integration. This policy has helped Vietnam establish a network of 30 strategic and comprehensive partners, the story said, adding that the country has effectively implemented the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Forbes Israel also published an article reviewing Vietnams economic highlights in the first eight months of 2020, quoting Edward Teather, an ASEAN economist at UBS Research, as saying that Vietnam is suffering some pain from the impact of COVID-19, but the outlook is looking one of the brightest in the region. In Kuwait, many newspapers and websites such as Al-Rai, The Times Kuwait and Q8.Press ran stories praising Vietnams socio-economic attainments over the past 75 years, as well as its growing role in the international arena. Meanwhile, German newspaper Junge Welt wrote that September 2, 1945 is one of the most significant days in Vietnams history, and that international solidarity is one of the most important experiences the country has gained over the last 75 years. According to the article, at a recent banquet in honour of diplomatic corps in Hanoi, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc reiterated Vietnams foreign policy of proactively and actively integrating into the world; being a friend, a trustworthy partner and a responsible member of the international community; promoting cooperation with other countries on the basis of respecting each others independence, sovereignty, equality and mutual benefits; and resolving differences by peaceful means in line with international law. As a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, the country has greatly contributed to supporting sustainable peace and settlement of COVID-19 impacts, Junge Welt added. German journalist Hellmut Kapfenberger officially launched his latest book on late President Ho Chi Minh Ho Chi Minh Politische Biografie (Political Biography) in Berlin on September 2. Speaking at the launch, Kapfenberger hailed the late Vietnamese leader as a brilliant national hero who displayed modesty, simplicity and friendliness, and devoted all his life to the homeland and people. The 86-year-old writer said the newly-published biography is an improved version of his previous book Ho Chi Minh A Chronicle released in 2009. He expressed his proud and delight to publish a complete biography about President Ho Chi Minh, saying the book will give readers a better understanding about his life and career, from the time he was born in Nghe An to his travel across many foreign countries to find ways to liberate his nation. The book also depicts his years resiliently leading Vietnams struggle for independence and as the State President until his last moment. Journalist Hellmut Kapfenberger was presented with Friendship Order by President of Vietnam in 2017 in recognition of his contributions to the two countries friendship and multifaceted cooperation. As a reporter for ADN the official news agency of the former German Democratic Republic, and Neues Deutschland (New Germany) newspaper, he spent seven years in Vietnam to report on the war. He witnessed fierce battles, American atrocities and the heroic resistance of the Vietnamese. After retiring, he spent time on collecting documents and writing books on Vietnam, including a book with Vietnamese version entitled Ho Chi Minh Mot bien nien su (Ho Chi Minh A chronicle), Berlin Bonn Saigon Hanoi, Vietnam - ein dreizigjahriger Krieg 1945-1975 (Vietnam A 30-year war 1945-1975), and Duong mon Ho Chi Minh (Ho Chi Minh Trail). Chadwick Bosemans death last month came as a major shock to the film industry, and his agent has now revealed why he kept his cancer diagnosis a secret. The Black Panther star died of colon cancer aged 43 on Friday 28 August. He had been diagnosed with the illness in 2016. Many people had not known he was unwell, including his on-screen sister Letitia Wright. In a moving eulogy for her co-star, she said: I wish I got to say goodbye, I messaged you a couple times but I thought you were just busy. I didnt know you were dealing with so much. According to The Hollywood Reporter, only a tight-knit circle of friends and Bosemans team were aware of his diagnosis. Michael Greene, Bosemans agent, explained the actors reasoning for not telling more people, revealing it partly came down to lessons Boseman had learned from his mother, Carolyn. [She] always taught him not to have people fuss over him, said Greene. He also felt in this business that people trip out about things, and he was a very, very private person. Chadwick Boseman and Letitia Wright (Getty Images) Greene also spoke about the forthcoming Netflix film Ma Raineys Black Bottom, saying that Boseman was experiencing hard-core pain during filming. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom also stars Viola Davis. The film highlights the racist exploitation of black artists and the struggle to combat institutional oppression in the 1920s. A North Carolina court ruled Friday that outstanding restitution, fees or other court-imposed monetary obligations cant prevent convicted felons from voting if theyve completed all other portions of their sentence. The ruling, which may face appeals, could pave the way for an influx of thousands of felons to have their voting rights restored amid hotly contested races for the presidency and U.S. Senate in the battleground state. It wasnt immediately clear how many were affected by the ruling, but lawyers for the plaintiffs said it was in the thousands. A statement issued by Forward Justice, one of the advocacy groups involved in the challenge, said that the ruling would allow some convicted felons to start registering to vote immediately. This ruling is a major victory for the thousands of North Carolinians who have been denied access to the ballot due to an inability to pay financial obligations, said Dennis Gaddy, executive director of Community Success Initiative, one of the organizations behind the legal challenge. Asked whether the state government defendants would appeal, Laura Brewer, a spokeswoman for the state attorney generals office, said lawyers were reviewing the ruling. The three-judge panel of Wake County Superior Court, which was considering a challenge to state law governing the restoration of voting rights, declined to settle the lawsuits arguments that probation, parole and post-release supervision are also unfair impediments to voting for those who have completed their incarceration. The judges said further proceedings were needed to address those issues. In North Carolina, felons can register to vote again once they complete all aspects of their sentence, which can range from prison time to court fees or restitution. In a 2-1 decision, the judges ruled that a portion of state law requiring felons to pay all monetary obligations before voting again violates the state constitution because it conditions the ability to cast a ballot on ones financial means. In the majority opinion, the judges note that the state constitution requires that ones property, or financial means, must not affect their ability to vote. Yet, under current state law, the ability for a person convicted of a felony to vote is conditioned on whether that person possesses, at minimum, a monetary amount equal to any fees, fines and debts assessed as a result of that persons felony conviction, the judges wrote in the opinion. Therefore, they ruled that the provision of state law regarding the payment of financial obligations violates the equal protection clause of the state constitution. A separate preliminary injunction issued Friday bars the state from stopping felons from registering to vote if the only remaining portion of their sentence is satisfying a monetary obligation. An attorney for the plaintiffs has previously told the judges that an estimated 56,000 felons who completed their incarceration still couldnt vote because of other unfinished aspects of their sentence. It wasnt immediately clear how many of those were prevented from voting solely because of monetary obligations and would benefit from Fridays ruling. The plaintiffs, which include advocacy groups and several ex-offenders seeking to vote again, have argued that the 1970s-era state law on restoration of voting rights disproportionately hurts minorities and is racially discriminatory. The plaintiffs have said that African Americans represent 42% of the people on probation, parole and post-release supervision in North Carolina and are unable to vote, even though they make up 21% of the states voting-age population. State lawyers representing legislative leaders and state elections board members have said the law doesnt violate constitutional rights because it treats all people convicted of felonies the same by withholding the right to vote. The chairman of the North Carolina GOP, Michael Whatley, said in a statement: It is outrageous for these judges to change the rules for an election when absentee ballots have already started going out and voting has begun. ___ Follow Drew at www.twitter.com/JonathanLDrew When Jacob Gray opened the box of chicks he ordered, he saw that about 300 of them had been mashed to a pulp. The 100 or so birds that survived tread on their dead fellows and nibbled on what remained of them. Gray, 28, has been ordering chicks from a breeder in California for his farm in rural southwest Colorado for more than seven years. He never lost more than about a dozen birds in a perforated box of 400 because the U.S. Postal Service delivered them within two days. That changed over the past few months, as the boxes arrived days late to his home in Delta County, Colorado, an area larger than Rhode Island with a population of about 30,000 people. Farmer Jacob Gray of Gray Acres in Paonia, Co. (Courtesy Jacob Gray) I opened it up and was immediately hit with the smell of death, he said of the most recent box he received two weeks ago. Sometimes, the post office would call us in the morning and say, Get these things out of here, because they smelled so bad. Hundreds of baby birds Gray ordered this summer have died, and he said he had to cancel his remaining orders and renegotiate his farm loan because of nearly $4,000 in losses more than 10 percent of what hed hoped to earn this year. Recent Postal Service delays have affected millions of Americans packages and letters, but the impact has been particularly widespread and difficult in rural communities, which depend on the federal agency more than densely populated regions of the United States. In addition to chicks and other small livestock, including honeybees, farmers order seeds and specialty tools they can no longer purchase locally. Meanwhile, hundreds of rural pharmacies have closed in recent years, leaving residents dependent on mailed prescriptions. In addition, millions of people living in remote areas lack broadband internet, so they rely on the Postal Service to pay bills, receive paychecks, conduct business and correspond with family and friends. As important as the Postal Service is to the rest of the country, said Arthur Sackler, manager of the Coalition for a 21st Century Postal Service, an independent group that advocates for the agency in Washington, D.C., its considerably more so to our far-flung rural areas. Story continues The Postal Service came under intense scrutiny in recent weeks over the long wait times for letter and package deliveries. Many blamed recently appointed Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a Republican donor and ally of President Donald Trump. In two tense Congressional hearings last month, Democrats accused DeJoy, a former logistics executive, of hamstringing the agency on Trumps behalf to undermine mail-in voting. DeJoy and the president have both rejected the characterization that they were holding up the mail for political reasons, with the postmaster general largely blaming the pandemic for the widespread delay of deliveries. The U.S. Postal Service, like other delivery companies, has experienced some temporary service disruptions in a few locations domestically, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Postal Service spokeswoman Kim Frum said in an email. Things are slowly getting back to normal, however until we reach pre-COVID conditions, we continue to leverage our available resources to match the increased workload, including hiring based on local needs. While the Postal Services performance is beginning to tick back upward, after timely deliveries fell more than 10 percent beginning in July, according to the agencys numbers, people living in rural communities say theyre still seeing the fallout of the delays. The Postal Service reported last week that its last mile delivery network or mail that is carried to underserved rural communities remained down 4.26 percent from its baseline. Gray expanded his farm earlier this year, putting up new buildings and planning to begin selling his pasture-raised chickens to restaurant distributors in Denver. But the delays have put his business in jeopardy. He hoped to earn more than $30,000 this year, but the losses have eaten into more than 10 percent of his income, as even the birds that survive the delays have become sick and died before he can process and sell them. Its delaying things, he said. Were not maybe going to lose the farm, but it hurts. Gray Acres farm in Paonia, Co. (Courtesy Jacob Gray) Rob Larew, the president of the National Farmers Union, a group that represents thousands of farmers across 33 states, said many of his members have complained about continued delays harming their businesses. And the effect goes beyond farmers, he said, since the Postal Service is a critical lifeline for rural communities nationwide. Out here, it just isn't that simple, he said from his farm in rural West Virginia. Everything already takes additional time, and so that adds cost. Even if it's not delivery cost, it's the cost of time. If you start to remove those last key delivery options, you put rural communities in a complete bind. The Federal Communications Commission estimated this year that 14.5 million Amercians in rural areas don't have access to broadband internet in an increasingly digital world. Larew pointed out that the Postal Service helps connect people who dont have the internet at their fingertips. Critics say the cause of the Postal Service delays is DeJoys insistence that mail trucks run on time, which he admitted before Congress that he did without adjusting mail processing. That meant mail trucks were leaving processing facilities close to empty, with mail and packages left behind, mail carriers have previously told NBC News. And that led to a backlog of deliveries at many post offices. DeJoys detractors have also raised concerns about the Postal Services decision to remove letter-sorting machines and blue collection boxes, which appeared to coincide with Trumps disparagement of mail-in voting and the Postal Services warning to dozens of states that they may not be able to handle the millions of mailed ballots expected this year. After facing public pressure, DeJoy said he would suspend though not reverse all policy or operational changes until after the presidential election. Postal workers, meanwhile, emphasized that DeJoy had cut back on overtime and extra trips that carriers took to ensure the swift delivery of mail. DeJoy stated in congressional testimony that overtime rates had remained the same. Extra trips, though, have dropped: Postal Service data shows that they fell from close to 150,000 at the end of June to fewer than 5,000 at the end of August. Sackler, of the Coalition for a 21st Century Postal Service, said many of these decisions particularly the removal of the mail-sorting machines and blue boxes preceded DeJoy, but the postmaster general and the agency pursued them with a lack of transparency, causing confusion. There was no real consultation of any kind with postal stakeholders, with unions, with customers, with Congress about how [DeJoy] was going to be doing this, and predictably service dropped, he said. The drop in service, meanwhile, has many looking toward November. While many states expect to see a rise in mail-in ballots this year amid coronavirus concerns, rural residents are particularly reliant on the Postal Service for voting access. Larew said the Farmers Union noticed that polling locations in rural places, once run by older people who sign up to be poll workers, have a deficit of volunteers this year. Local governments, including in Larews native West Virginia, have begun to consolidate polling locations in response, which means rural Americans will have to drive farther to cast their ballots. Other states are seeing similar issues. Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin announced a recruitment campaign this week because of a shortage of volunteers. Texas consolidated nearly a dozen polling locations in its most rural counties before Julys election because of a lack of poll workers. The Election Assistance Commission said that more than half of the 900,000 poll workers who served in 2016 were over the age of 60, meaning that the majority of those poll workers would be considered at high-risk during the pandemic. That has many election officials concerned they could see a major shortfall come November. Mail-in ballots are the only safe and reasonable alternative to that, Larew said. Limiting the access or reliability of that marginalizes these rural residents. The delays have also taken a toll on mailed prescription drugs. With a growing number of insurance companies forcing or incentivizing Americans to receive their prescription drugs by mail, rather than from a brick-and-mortar pharmacy, the number of mailed medications has grown in recent years and even more so amid the pandemic. The Postal Service managed 1.2 billion prescription drug shipments last year or about 4 million each day, six days a week the National Association of Letter Carriers reported. Rural residents in particular depend on mailed medications, as 1,231 independently owned rural pharmacies, or approximately 16 percent, closed between 2003 and 2018, according to the RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis. For these isolated and marginalized rural communities, and for the farmers and ranchers in them, the Postal Service has been a great equalizer and essential service that has helped them at least be able to tap into some of what everyone else has, Larew said. For people out here, the Postal Service is absolutely a lifeline. Registrations to vocational courses in Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) in Maharashtra this year increased by over 15% as compared to 2019, reveals data by the states Directorate of Vocational Education & Training (DVET). Also read: Can NEP 2020 be Indian educations 1991 moment? From 280,000 pre-admission registrations that were recorded last year, DVET received around 326,000 registrations this time round; the process ending earlier this week. Experts have attributed this spurt to the encouragement given by government to skill-based learning with newer courses in several ITIs. The Centre has made elaborate plans to attract more students to join vocational courses as compared to professional courses. Not only have new colleges and courses been approved in the past few years, more job opportunities have also been created and that could have resulted in the rise in registrations, said Gopakumaran Thampi, principal of Thadomal Shahani College of Engineering, Bandra. In 2015, when the state introduced the centralised admissions, around 283,000 students had applied to ITIs. The subsequent years saw an 11-12% jump in applications, with 313,000 and 318,000 students registering in 2016 and 2017 respectively. The number dipped by almost 10,000 applications in 2018 when the registrations ended at 309,000 followed by a mere 280,000 registrations in 2019. However, ITI college principals worry that the spike in registration numbers might not necessarily result in high number of admissions. This year, registrations to ITIs began before admissions to junior colleges had even started, so that could be one of the reasons for more students locking a seat in an ITI as backup. We will know the real picture only after all three rounds of admissions are over to see if the spike in registration reflects in the classrooms, said Srinivas Sapre, principal of Bombay Technical School of Engineering, Girgaon. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Shreya Bhandary Shreya Bhandary is a Special Correspondent covering higher education for Hindustan Times, Mumbai. Her work revolves around finding loopholes in the current education system and highlighting the good and the bad in higher education institutes in and around Mumbai. ...view detail (Natural News) A group of lawmakers from Texas has introduced a bill that aims to minimize the United States dependence on rare-earth minerals from China. Texas representatives Lance Gooden and Vicente Gonzales introduced the bill, named the Reclaiming American Rare Earths (RARE) Act, to the House of Representatives. Under the proposed bill, tax incentives would be provided to companies who mine, reclaim and recycle metals and critical minerals from U.S. deposits. Five other Texan lawmakers were listed as the bills co-sponsors. Sen. Ted Cruz, who introduced the similar Onshoring Rare Earths (ORE) Act in May, expressed his support for the RARE Act. Rare earth metals refer to 17 elements on the periodic table used to manufacture everyday electronics such as computers, batteries and digital cameras. These elements also see use in the manufacture of military and defense products such as night-vision goggles, armored vehicles, and communications equipment. The Department of Interior released a list of 35 critical minerals essential to the U.S.s economic and national security in May 2018, with a number of rare earth minerals included. If the bill is approved, tax incentives that await rare earth mining companies include reduced tax rates on properties used for mining activities and reduced tax rates for individuals who buy materials extracted in the U.S. Furthermore, it would require the Secretary of the Interior to establish a grant program financing projects for the development of rare earth mining industries including $50 million to be budgeted for each of the fiscal years from 2021 to 2024. In a statement published on his website, Rep. Gooden said that the RARE Act will ensure resource independence the U.S. needs to cement its leadership when it comes to 21st-century technologies. Rep. Gonzalez agreed, saying that the bill allows the U.S. to develop a reliable domestic supply of rare earth elements and other critical elements it needs. Sen. Cruz mentioned in the same statement that an all of the above approach is necessary to ensure the entire supply chain for rare earth minerals is located in the U.S., adding that he felt proud to lead this effort alongside Rep. Gooden. Chinas stranglehold on rare earth minerals is nearing its end, thanks to the RARE Act Sen. Cruz warned that the countrys dependence on China for rare earth elements was deeply troubling and put the nations ability to manufacture defense technologies and support the military in danger. Referencing the 2018 list released by the Department of Interior, Rep. Gooden added that China was a leading supplier for 22 of the 35 elements listed. USA Rare Earth CEO Pini Althaus hailed the bills introduction in a statement, further adding that U.S. dependence on rare earths and other critical minerals from other countries poses a serious risk to the economy and national security. He added that China has understood how billions of dollars worth of rare earths equates into trillions of dollars of finished goods and hundreds of thousands of jobs, prompting it to solidify its stranglehold of the critical mineral supply chain. Althaus company USA Rare Earth is developing the Round Top mountain deposit in Texas, which contains 16 rare earth elements and other critical minerals. This was another reason for him to laud the bill as it will facilitate the Round Top mountain project and other similar projects in ensuring resource independence from China. The call to reduce dependence on Chinese rare earth imports can be dated back to the time of former President Barack Obama, with no outcome whatsoever. It was only during the term of President Donald Trump that concrete steps to wean off the U.S. from Chinese rare earths were taken, with his administration emphasizing that the days of American passivity under previous presidents are now over. The imposition of tariffs on Chinese goods was only one of many moves done by the U.S. as part of its more aggressive approach towards China. On the other hand, China has threatened to ban exportation of its rare earth minerals in response to Trumps tariffs. The RARE Act aims to address this problem by ensuring that the U.S. can source rare earth minerals domestically, rendering any export ban on critical minerals meaningless. Find out more about the RARE Act and other similar actions to reduce U.S. independence on imported raw materials at NationalDebt.news. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com Congress.gov FederalRegister.gov Gooden.House.gov GlobeNewswire.com Dreadfully itchy, blistering red spots usually in clusters and possibly a fever. One grizzly, over-tired toddler; one rather fed up but vaguely concerned parent. The diagnosis? Chicken pox. Its one of the most common illnesses I see in surgery, week in, week out. And Im always glad to reassure mums and dads that this viral infection also known as varicella is a mild illness for most children. A bit of calamine lotion to reduce the itching and most are back to normal in a week. My other standard bit of advice often comes as a surprise, though. I always warn them that if there are siblings at home, theyll get it within a couple of weeks but itll probably be much worse. Dr Ellie Cannon, pictured, has been advising people to use face coverings to help to stop the spread of Covid-19. Now she believes the policy of social distancing is working The reason? Basically, the first child to get it usually catches it from another kid theyve had fleeting contact with in the playground. They get a small dose of the virus enough to make them unwell. They then go back home to their siblings, who they hug, fight, share food and bedrooms and baths with, and the sustained contact means they pass on a much bigger dose of the virus. I was taught this as a junior doctor, and Ive since seen it play out endlessly in patients, in my own two kids and in friends children. So why, you may ask, am I telling you about this. Well, theres a question thats been perplexing me and just about every other person Ive spoken to over the past few weeks. And, fascinatingly, the chicken pox phenomenon Ive described might just give us an answer to it. We all know cases of Covid-19 are on the rise, here and on the continent. And yet no one, it appears, is very ill. Last week, Health Secretary Matt Hancock claimed a second wave was rolling across Europe and that we must do everything in our power to protect the UK. But, right now, not many people are ending up in hospital. Very few are dying, either here or in other European countries. During the pandemic, social media was awash with people reporting that they were horribly unwell and stuck at home. Thats all gone silent, too. Why is this happening? Well, part of the reason is due to increased testing. Last week this newspaper revealed how screening programmes have been quietly rolled out across the UK over the past few months, and thanks to this approach it was highly likely that mild or even asymptomatic cases were being picked up in large numbers. Whether or not many of these people are even infectious, and, therefore, the point of testing them at all, has rightly been questioned by some experts. And, until the Government start publishing how many cases are picked up that are asymptomatic, we wont have a very clear picture of whats really going on. But even then, it wont properly explain why people are still getting the infection in large numbers but not getting sick any more. In Malton earlier this week, families attended a screening of The Greatest Showman at Castle Howard where they remained within their own groups - despite the inclement weather Various ideas have been floated. Some say the virus is becoming less nasty or fizzling out. But its a theory that seems to get instantly shot down by scientists actually studying the thing. Theres just no hard evidence to suggest this is true. Others say its because younger people are getting it now. We know many older and at-risk Britons are still being very careful, and even staying at home despite the easing of restrictions. And, as we also know, younger people are less likely to get ill with Covid-19. But it doesnt quite add up. After all, we did see many middle-aged people, especially men, getting sick during the early days of the pandemic, and theyre not all still shielding. Or, at least, not in my local pub theyre not. And local outbreaks over the past couple of months have hit predominantly Asian communities a group at higher risk of suffering severe Covid-19. Still, in these areas, serious illness and deaths continue to fall. Might it also be that the infection is being passed around, but at a low dose because were keeping our distance, washing our hands, wearing masks and all that stuff? So, in a similar way to that first child with chicken pox, the amount of virus inside peoples bodies could mean they suffer a very mild illness, or no symptoms at all, but still test positive. Cyclists on the Tour de France have been using face masks to reduce the risk of spreading the virus I have been speaking to a number of virologist colleagues who said that might just be the case. But before we hear from them, lets look at the numbers. It makes startling reading. In the first week of July, the number of new Covid-19 infections hit a low of roughly 550-a-day across the UK. At that point there were about 150 people hospitalised with the virus every day in England alone and about 30 deaths. Since then, the number of new infections has steadily risen. Last week, saw about 1,500 positive test results a day. But the number of patients ending up in hospital and dying have continued to fall. In the week ending September 4, there were a total of 51 UK deaths. On August 29, fans socially distanced at the Amex Stadium in Brighton as the home team played a pre-season friendly against Chelsea And looking at England right now, there are about 450 patients in hospital with Covid-19 well below the 17,000 that were during the pandemics peak in April. Even in the Midlands, where there was a significant wave of cases throughout July and a return to lockdown in Leicester, the number of people in hospital or on ventilation has fallen and fallen. There are now roughly seven patients in hospital in the Midlands NHS area on ventilators, from a peak of 485. If rising cases were leading to death or serious illness, we would have seen it by now. A similar picture can be seen on the continent. In France, at the end of August, with thousands of positive cases being discovered every day over the previous six weeks, the number of people in hospital remained well below that at the peak of the pandemic. In Italy, throughout August, there were 600 or so cases a day, but on the whole, deaths have remained in single figures. In Spain there was a second peak of infections in early August that almost matched levels they had in March. But deaths have stayed low on average 30 per day by the end of August. In the Netherlands, guests cocooned in their own green houses while enjoying dinner at Mediamatic in Amsterdam When I look at all this, my first thought is: long may it continue. But I am constantly reminded of my chicken pox patients. So whats the science behind this theory? Well, the medical term for the amount of virus you take in when you first get infected is infectious dose, or inoculation dose. Imagine you sit next to someone fleetingly on a park bench, who is infected with Covid-19. They would have the tiny viral particles in their breath, but by logic youd not take in much, if at all. Now, imagine that person then visited a doctor for an eye test, or a dentist. If the medic was not wearing full PPE, the closeness would mean theyd be breathing in large amounts of the virus a much bigger infectious dose. This could be compounded if they then went on to see other patients who also carried the virus. Face masks help prevent the transmission of the virus Indeed, this is one reason, its believed, that young and otherwise fit doctors have fallen ill and died with Covid-19. They ended up being given a bigger dose just like the second child in a house to catch chicken pox. Like so much with Covid-19, we just dont know yet whether the illness is dose-dependant the more virus you get, the worse the illness. But this is not just seen in chicken pox. Other viruses, including SARS and MERS, the coronaviruses behind two previous pandemic outbreaks, follow this pattern. I spoke to virologist Dr Elisabetta Groppelli, at St Georges University of London, who thinks we might be on to something. She says: If you are exposed to a smaller amount of virus, fewer cells in your body get infected, so theres time for your immune system to mount a response. If you get lots of cells infected at once, you are already starting on the back foot. There is not particularly solid data for Covid-19 at the moment, but its logical. Many comparisons have been drawn between Covid-19 and the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 and, interestingly, this theory would offer an explanation for what happened then, too. Its believed, that young and otherwise fit doctors have fallen ill and died with Covid-19. They ended up being given a bigger dose just like the second child in a house to catch chicken pox A 2010 analysis showed the second wave hit poorer communities living in more crowded conditions. They got bigger infectious doses, and many thousands died. Dr Groppelli adds: Age and other illnesses play a huge role. But if I had to be infected with this coronavirus, Id like the smallest dose possible because that would mean a higher chance of my body getting the infection under control. As has been said many times, this virus isnt going anywhere, so were going to have to learn to live with it as normally as possible. Its either that or stay locked in our homes, decontaminating food deliveries and quarantining the post until a vaccine arrives and when thatll happen, we still dont know. Ive managed to get through all this thanks to a heavily optimistic outlook, and I like to think that we can live alongside something that causes only mild illness. We should continue the mitigation behaviours to keep infectious doses down social distancing, washing hands and covering our faces but life can carry on. Professor Wendy Barclay, whos head of the Department of Infectious Disease at Imperial College London, agrees. Its all about the size of the armies on each side of the battle, she says. A very large virus army is difficult for our immune systems army to fight off. So standing further away from someone when they breathe or cough likely means fewer virus particles reach you, and then you get infected with a lower dose and get less ill. Of course, there are valid counter-arguments to all of this. Theres the possibility that, thanks to distancing and, more importantly, natural pandemic patterns, levels are down to what they were back in, say, January, before testing even started. And we could yet see a massive rise. Others point out that nothing has changed in the human immune system, so those who are vulnerable will remain so. And when those levels do rise past a certain point, possibly in a few months time, the serious illness and death will follow. In my quiet moments, when Im feeling a bit less optimistic, this thought spooks me. But then I look at it rationally. Yes, our immune systems are unchanged, but things couldnt be more different now. Take ten people in a room. One of them has the virus. Before the pandemic, they were all standing close together, coughing all over each other, talking, maybe shaking hands or hugging, even kissing. No handwashing. Covid-19 would have spread like wildfire. Statistically speaking, today, two of them will have had it, so will probably be immune and wont get infected. One of them, maybe, is a child under ten and we dont even know if they really get it. One of them is probably still shielding. The rest are distancing, most wearing masks, being generally more hygienic and washing their hands more often. It just makes sense that the virus is less likely to circulate in that room now. Were in a different place than we were in March, even with more than 1,000 new cases a day. And as long as we stick to the plan, I believe weve got little to fear this winter. Agartala, Sep 5 : The first consignment of goods from Bangladesh arrived in Tripura by waterway on Saturday as part of a trial run for shipping of goods from other parts of India to the northeast region via Bangladesh formally making operational of new waterways between the two neighbours. A Bangladeshi vessel tracking 93 km waterways carrying 10 tonnes of cement from Daukandi in the neighbouring country arrived western Tripura's Sonamura, where Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb accompanied by others received the vessel. With the arrival of the vessel, the Sonamura-Daukandi 93-km-long new inland waterways protocol route between northeast India's Tripura state and Bangladesh was formally made operational on Saturday. A temporary floating jetty was built at Sonamura (55 kms west of Tripura capital Agartala) in western Tripura to start the new waterway through the Gomati river between Tripura and Bangladesh. Agartala via Guwahati is 1,650 km from Kolkata by road, and 2,637 km from New Delhi while the distance between Agartala and Kolkata via Bangladesh is just 620 km. Deb, who also holds the Industries and Commerce Department, said that if the northeastern states carry goods from other parts of India and abroad through waterways via Bangladesh, 25 to 30 per cent expenditure would be saved."Tripura alone imported various commodities worth of Rs 20,000 crore per annum including Rs 630 crore from Bangladesh by road or by train. Tripura exported bamboo, rubber, tea, pineapple and other goods valued at Rs 2, 000 crore per year by road or by train. From now onwards all the export and import would be done by waterways saving 25 to 30 per cent expenditure on transportation," the Chief Minister said. Deb, accompanied by Indian High Commissioner in Bangladesh Riva Ganguly Das, Transport Minister Pranajit Singha Roy and Lok Sabha member Pratima Bhowmik, said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina have paid special personal attention for the economic growth of Tripura and other northeastern states. India and Bangladesh had earlier signed a MoU to ferry various goods including foodgrains from different parts of India to the mountainous northeastern states using Bangladeshi ports and surface roads to save time and transportation costs. The eight northeastern states are connected with the other parts of the country by road via narrow land corridors through Assam and West Bengal, but this route passes through mountainous terrain with steep gradients and multiple hairpin bends, making plying of vehicles, especially loaded trucks, very difficult, risky and time consuming. According to Tripura Chief Minister the waterway distance from (Kolkata's) Haldia port to Chattogram international port is 400 kms and from Chattogram seaport (in southeast Bangladesh) to Akhaura ICP (along Agartala) is 200 km," he said. Increasing the number of new waterways, the "Second Addendum to the Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade" was signed in Dhaka on May 20 by Indian High Commissioner in Bangladesh Riva Ganguly Das and Bangladesh Shipping Ministry Secretary Mohammed Mezbah Uddin Chowdhury. To boost trade, economic activity and connectivity, India and Bangladesh under the May 20 deal, have added five more "ports of call" on either side and increased the protocol (water) routes from 8 to 10. There are six "ports of call" each in India and Bangladesh.The five new "ports of call" on the Indian side are Dhulian, Maia, Kolaghat, Sonamura and Jogigopha and on the Bangladesh side Rajshahi, Sultanganj, Chilmari, Daudkandi and Bahadurabad. Two more extended "ports of call" -- Tribeli (Bandel) and Badarpur in India and Ghorasal and Muktarpur in Bangladesh -- have been added. Today, I am finally free from the injustice that left me locked in a box for nearly twenty three years, Flowers said in a statement released through his attorneys. Ive been asked if I ever thought this day would come. I have been blessed with a family that never gave up on me and with them by my side, I knew it would. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 15:15:10|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KHARTOUM, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Sudan's Security and Defense Council has decided to declare a nationwide three-month state of emergency over floods, Sudan's Sovereign Council announced in a statement Saturday. Following a meeting late Friday, chaired by Sovereign Council Chairman Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, the Security and Defense Council instructed formation of a higher committee to ward off floods impacts, according to the statement. It noted that so far 99 people have been killed and 46 others injured due to the heavy rains this year with over 100,000 houses collapsed. Sudan's Irrigation and Water Resources Ministry earlier said that the Nile River has registered unprecedented levels at most of the upper sources. According to official statistics, the Nile River's flood water this year is higher than that of 1946 and 1988. Sudan often witnesses floods caused by heavy rains from June to October. Enditem Doctors head to enter the Catholic University of Korea Seoul St. Mary's Hospital College of Medicine in Seoul's Seocho District, Sept. 4, after the government and the country's association of doctors reached an agreement over national policies on educating medical students after a widespread strike by doctors, interns and residents. Yonhap Major hospitals in South Korea are running scaled down operations, as trainee doctors have yet to return to work despite an agreement reached to end their weeks-long strike, medical sources said Saturday. Large university hospitals have reduced treatments and surgeries and have restricted the number of patients they admit, as thousands of interns and residents have taken part in the walkout beginning Aug. 21, according to insiders. The latest development comes after the Korean Medical Association reached an agreement with the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and the health ministry, Friday, to end the strike in exchange for the government putting on hold its plans to increase the quota for medical students, set up new public medical schools and give medical insurance coverage for traditional Oriental medicine treatment. The ruling party and the ministry also pledged to approach all matters related to the medical reform plan from scratch and listen to input provided by doctors, who have strongly opposed the changes. Doctors, lawmakers and government policymakers said they will set up two special committees to address matters that can improve the quality of the country's medical services. Despite this, some doctors belonging to the Korean Intern and Resident Association (KIRA), who have been at the forefront of the strike, have criticized the way the KMA handled the negotiations. KIRA members have complained that they were not properly consulted on the talks, with the agreement not reflecting earlier demands that the government first scrap its medical reform plan. Circuit used data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to rank the metropolitan areas with the most delivery drivers. This was deter (Natural News) A man accused of stabbing two people to death in Portland in June was previously arrested during a riot in downtown Portland a week prior to the killings but the charges were dropped when progressive District Attorney Mike Schmidt reportedly decided to not pursue charges. (Article republished from DailyWire.com) Cassy Leaton, 22, and Najaf Nate Hobbs, 39, were stabbed on June 16 near Northeast Davis Street. Police arrested Phillip Lawrence Nelson, 39, two days later, KOIN News reported Tuesday. He faces two murder charges and is being held without bail. Just days before he allegedly killed Leaton and Hobbs, though, Nelson was taken into custody at a protest in downtown Portland. Court records show he was arrested on charges of interfering with a peace officer. Those charges were dismissed the next day. Journalist Andy Ngo noted that the charges from the violent antifa protest were dropped because the case wasnt pursued by the DA. Breaking: Phillip L. Nelson, pictured below (left), was arrested at a violent #antifa protest in June & quickly released without bail. His criminal charge wasn't pursued by the DA. The following week, he allegedly stabbed two people to death. https://t.co/bUkB1qCWgF https://t.co/5j0yYOhcXJ Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) September 2, 2020 The report from the local CBS affiliate says that investigators believe that the two victims were murdered as part of a dispute they had with Nelson over a renting issue. Leaton and Hobbs roommate told police that they were originally renting the unit in a fourplex from Nelson, who claimed to be the owner of the building, according to court records, the outlet reports. When the three roommates found out Nelson was actually just squatting there, they changed the locks to their unit, angering Nelson, records state. Sheriffs in Oregon have cited the fact that so many rioters in Portland have had their criminal charges dropped as reason that they will not be sending any deputies to the city to quell the nightly violence as part of a plan put together by the states governor. Oregon Democratic Governor Kate Brown said she will be asking sheriffs deputies from Clackamas and Washington county and Gresham to help Portland Police gain control of the embattled city. The governor is convening a community forum on racial justice and police reform, which will include Black protest organizers and community leaders, as well as Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, KATU News reported. Clackamas Sheriff Craig Roberts responded: On Sunday, August 30th, I read that Governor Kate Brown announced a new plan to address the lawlessness happening in Portland. I was surprised to read that the Clackamas County Sheriffs Office was part of the plan since the Governors Office never contacted me. Had Governor Brown discussed her plan with my office, I would have told her its about changing policy not adding resources. Increasing law enforcement resources in Portland will not solve the nightly violence and now, murder. The only way to make Portland safe again, is to support a policy that holds offenders accountable for their destruction and violence. That will require the DA to charge offenders appropriately and a decision by the Multnomah County Presiding Judge not to allow offenders released on their own recognizance, and instead require bail with conditions. The same offenders are arrested night after night, only to be released by the court and not charged with a crime by the DAs Office. The next night they are back at it, endangering the lives of law enforcement and the community all over again. For all of us in law enforcement, keeping our community safe is our first priority. Had Governor Brown asked me, I would have told her that no amount of human resources will stop the cycle of violence (her term) that is making Portland unsafe. For that to occur, the criminal justice system will need do its part and hold offenders accountable. Washington County Sheriff Pat Garrett responded: Yesterday, Governor Brown issued a statement asking local law enforcement leaders to provide personnel and resources to assist the Portland Police Bureau (PPB), following Saturdays shooting death that was connected to protests. As Washington County Sheriff, I commit to support PPB through indirect ways, like analyzing risks associated with social media, air support, assisting with a specific criminal investigation, etc. At this time, I do not plan to send deputies to work directly in Portland. PPB is a terrific partner and I am very sympathetic to what they are enduring. However, the lack of political support for public safety, the uncertain legal landscape, the current volatility combined with intense scrutiny on use of force presents an unacceptable risk if deputies were deployed directly. Lastly, I support the steps outlined in the Joint Media Release by the Oregon State Sheriffs Association and the Oregon Association of Chiefs of Police, and remain committed to work with partners and community leaders towards peace and an end to violence. Read more at: DailyWire.com NEW DELHI - The defence ministers from India and China have met in the Russian capital as the two sides try to lower tensions along their disputed border in the eastern Ladakh region, where a June clash killed 20 Indian soldiers. At the meeting Friday with Chinas Gen. Wei Fenghe, Indias Rajnath Singh said that the current situation should be handled responsibly and neither side should take any further action that could either complicate the situation or escalate matters in the border areas, the Indian defence ministry said in a statement. Singh also said that amassing of large number of Chinese troops, their aggressive behaviour and attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo were in violation of existing bilateral agreements, according to the statement. It was the first high-level direct contact between the two sides since the standoff erupted months ago in the Karakorum mountains. The foreign ministers and other officials of the two countries have been speaking over the phone since the standoff started in May. The ministers met on the sidelines of a gathering of the defence chiefs of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. The body comprises China, India, Pakistan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Krgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Indias External Affairs Ministry said the meeting took place at the Chinese defence ministers request. Peace and security in the region demands a climate of trust, non-aggression, peaceful resolution of differences and respect for international rules, Singh said at the meeting. Wei told Singh the sides should cool down the situation and maintain peace and tranquility, the Chinese Ministry of Defence said on its website. However, it said responsibility for the tensions lies completely with India. Not one inch of Chinese territory can be lost, the Ministry of Defence said. Indias Defence Ministry said in a tweet that Singh conveyed to his Chinese counterpart that the two sides should continue their discussions, including through diplomatic and military channels, to ensure complete disengagement and de-escalation and full restoration of peace and tranquility along the LAC (Line of Actual Control) at the earliest. The tweet came as local Indian and Chinese military commanders met for a sixth straight day Saturday at a border post to iron out differences in the Chushul area in Ladakh, where new flash points emerged last week, said a top military officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters. He did not provide any details. The disputed 3,500-kilometre (2,175-mile) border between the worlds two most populous countries stretches from the Ladakh region in the north to the Indian state of Sikkim. The latest standoff is over portions of a pristine landscape that boasts the worlds highest landing strip and a glacier that feeds one of the largest irrigation systems in the world. Both sides accuse the other of provocative behaviour including crossing into each others territory this week, and both have vowed to protect their territorial integrity. Indias army chief, Gen. M.M. Naravane, visited the region Thursday and Friday and met with soldiers deployed in difficult terrain above 4,300 metres (14,000 feet), the Indian Ministry of Defence said. India said its soldiers thwarted movements by Chinas military last weekend. China accused Indian troops of crossing established lines of control. The two nations fought a border war in 1962 that spilled into Ladakh and ended in an uneasy truce. Since then, troops have guarded the undefined border area, occasionally brawling. They have agreed not to attack each other with firearms. Rival soldiers brawled in May and June with clubs, stones and their fists, leaving 20 Indian soldiers dead. China reported no casualties. Both sides have pledged to safeguard their territory but also try to end the standoff, which has dramatically changed the India-China relationship. Several rounds of military and diplomatic talks on the crisis have been unsuccessful. ___ This story has been corrected to remove the reference to Chinese casualties. Associated Press writer Aijaz Hussain in Srinagar, India, contributed to this report. 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Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe The push to work from home during the coronavirus pandemic is straining cybersecurity professionals around the country tasked with ensuring workers are able to not only work efficiently from remote locations but to do so safely. This rapid shift is a tall order for an industry that was already in need of skilled professionals long before the pandemic took hold. Cybersecurity workers were taken off some or all of their typical security duties to assist with other IT-related tasks, including equipping mobile workforces, according to an April survey from global nonprofit (ISC)2, the largest association of certified cybersecurity professionals. The survey of 256 cyber pros found nearly half were re-tasked and that a quarter said cybersecurity incidents increased since the transition to remote work, with some seeing as many as double the number of incidents. Separate data from another nonprofit cybersecurity group, the Information Systems Security Association, found a 63% increase in cyberattacks related to the pandemic, calling Covid a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for hackers and online scammers." "We are outnumberedthe people that are doing bad things, whether it's a nation-state type of activity or cybercrimethe good guys and gals were vastly outnumbered prior to the pandemic," says David Shearer, CEO of (ISC)2. "It has a compounding effect to what was already a challenge... take all of this technology we are becoming more and more reliant on and it's scaling in a massive pace." The group reported in late 2019 that 2.8 million professionals work in cybersecurity jobs globally, but the industry would need another 4 million trained workers in order to properly defend organizations and close the skills gap. That includes about half a million workers needed in the U.S. to meet demand. A separate survey of more than 300 cybersecurity professionals from ISSA shows that 70% of organizations report being impacted by the worker shortage and 45% of respondents say the cybersecurity skills shortage and its associated impacts have only gotten worse in recent years. Shearer said to fill the talent gap, more outreach needs to be done to recruit younger workers into the aging workforce, as well as more diverse cybersecurity workers. "Diversity is a big part of it women are underrepresented, it's improving. We also here in the United states need to look at other underrepresented minority groups and get them into the fold because it's going to take everyone we can find to be interested in cyber," he said. "As people start to retire, it's only going to exacerbate the fact that it's an undersized cyber workforce." Jobs can be lucrative in the field as well(ISC)2s data finds the average North American salary for cybersecurity professionals is $90,000 a year and those who hold security certifications can make more. An elephant that lives alone under horrendous conditions in a Pakistan zoo will finally be granted the chance of a better life, the animal welfare group aiding the move said on Saturday. Dubbed the "world's loneliest elephant" by animal rights activists, Kaavan spent more than 30 years in Islamabad's notorious Marghazar Zoo before catching the attention of campaigners including Cher who began lobbying for his relocation around four years ago. Martin Bauer, a spokesperson for animal welfare campaign group Four Paws, said Kaavan has been finally given medical approval to travel, most likely to an animal sanctuary in Cambodia, where the elephant will find companionship and better conditions. Wildlife experts from Four Paws inspected the elephant upon invitation by local authorities, Mr Bauer said. Kaavan underwent a full medical examination at the zoo on Friday and was found to be malnourished. "Due to malnutrition and lack of physical exercise Kaavan shows visible signs of obesity. Also, his nails are cracked and malformed which can be attributed to the inappropriate flooring and structure of his enclosure," said Dr Amir Khalil, a veterinarian with Four Paws. The Marghazar Zoo was ordered to close in May by Pakistan's High Court because of its shockingly poor conditions, which were blamed on systemic negligence. Four Paws was invited by the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board to safely transfer the remaining animals in the zoo, including a pair of former dancing bears. Unfortunately, the rescue comes too late for two lions that died during an attempted transfer at the end of July after local animal handlers set a fire in their enclosure to force them into their transport crates, Mr Bauer said in a statement on Saturday. Before the order to close, Marghazar Zoo had come under fire for its mistreatment of animals. More than 500 animals have been reported missing in recent years and over two dozen animals have died in the zoo's care since 2016. The campaign to relocate Kavaan took hold four years ago and was boosted by celebrity backing, notably from Cher, who repeatedly shared information about the elephant with fans. Kaavan first arrived at the zoo in 1985 as a gift to Pakistan from Sri Lanka. The elephant was not always so lonely and for many years shared a small enclosure with female partner Saheli, which died in 2012. On inspection, Kavaan was found to be suffering behavioural issues as well as the physical damage wrought by the poor, isolated conditions at Marghazar Zoo. "A lack of physical and behavioural enrichments as well as the absence of a partner, have resulted in Kaavan becoming incredibly bored," Dr Frank Goritz, head veterinarian at Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research who accompanied Four Paws to Islamabad, said. The elephant "has already developed stereotypical behaviour where he swooshes his head and trunk from side to side for hours", he added. "Following the checks, which confirmed Kaavan is strong enough, steps will now be taken to finalise his relocation to an animal sanctuary potentially in Cambodia," Mr Bauer said, adding that it is not yet known when the elephant will be able to travel. Guwahati: The CID in Assam probing the Louis Berger bribery case on Saturday informed the Gauhati High Court that the US Department of Justice has agreed to cooperate with investigations in Assam and engage in video conferencing. In an affidavit, CID Special Superintendent of Police said it was in touch with CBIs International Police Cooperation Cell to facilitate a video conference with the US Department of Justice. The investigating agency informed the court that the US department had earlier agreed to share information in connection with the case with the CID. A bench of justices Hrishikesh Roy and Nelson Sailo directed the CID to submit the status and feasibility of the video conference in four weeks time. Enforcement Directorate on August 6, 2015, registered a money laundering FIR in Louis Berger bribery case to probe charges of bribing Indian officials with crores of rupees to win a major water developmental project in Guwahati. The then Tarun Gogoi government ordered a CID probe into the case also in the same month. Two of the New Jersey-based companys former executives - Richard Hirsch of the Philippines, and James McClung of the UAE - had in July 2015 pleaded guilty before a New Jersey court of paying bribes in Assam and Goa to obtain contracts as consultants of water supply projects. In India since 1998, Louis Berger has offices in Gurgaon, Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. The government is open to receiving suggestions from the industry and tweaking rules and regulations with respect to manufacturing of automobile, road transport and highways ministry Nitin Gadkari said on Friday. If you have any legal, logical ethical point, where you feel that the government should rectify out rules and regulations, we are open and ready for discussion," Gadkari said. Speaking at the 60th Annual Convention of Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), the minister called for more coordination between the government and the industry. Towards this, the government can set up a think tank comprising retired bureaucrats and officials from the automobile industry, to advice the ministry and the industry on policy issues. Is it possible to have a platform with retired, impartial officials from the automobile industry and retired government officials. The government and the industry can take advice from them. Then it can be easy for us because government has one point of view and the industry has another," he said. The minister urged the industry to increase use of alternative fuels, such ethanol, methanol, bio-diesel, bio-CNG, and adopt electric vehicles, which will not only cut massive fuel import bill, but also reduce pollution. We will try to bring about an integrated fuel roadmap defining phase-wise introduction of different fuel options and supporting infrastructureThe government has taken a decision that the companies with a worth of more than 250 crore can start their own petrol/diesels pumps but the condition is that they should have alternative fuel pumps also," he said. He further said that the future of mobility demands integration with infrastructure. Accordingly, all highways and expressways are being made with demarcated roads and lane markings, suitable for implementation of advanced driver assist technologies. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics A senior British official has said many migrants crossing the Channel from France to Britain in unsafe boats dont know where they are when they disembark and "dont even want to come to the UK. "We hear a lot of stories about migrants who are literally forced onto boats, have no idea where they are when they get to the UK, because the facilitators don't get paid until they've done that last leg of the journey, according to Channel security chief, Dan O'Mahoney, referring to the traffickers who organise the crossings. The former Royal Marine and maritime expert, recently appointed by the UK Home Office to deal with the clandestine Channel threat, appeared before a committee of British MPs. O'Mahoney told the committee that the French authorities were "as committed as we are" to dealing with the problem, and had prevented 3,000 people from making the crossing so far this year, including almost 200 on Wednesday alone. In spite of this, Wednesday saw a record 416 migrants cross the Channel from France to the UK in small boats. Reinforced Anglo-French cooperation Cooperation between the two countries has been reinforced since French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin and UK Home Secretary Priti Patel set up a new joint intelligence unit in mid-July. A special team of six French and six British police officers now works specifically on tracking people-traffickers and their operations. As part of efforts to deal with the problem, social media companies have been asked to close accounts belonging to traffickers. Rob Jones of Britains National Crime Agency said on Thursday that, of the 1,200 accounts signalled to them by police, only 578 have so far been blocked. 'Streets paved with gold' Despite Dan OMahoney's claim that many migrants end up in Britain without even knowing where they are, numerous interviews with migrants in recent years reveal many who are determined to reach the UK. Story continues Some hope to join relatives in Britain while others are attracted to the country because they speak the language and hope to find jobs there more easily than in France. They are misled says UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. He complained to British MPs last week about a huge misinformation campaign peddled by people traffickers who, he said, told migrants the streets were paved with gold. The reality is that most such migrants will not be given asylum or the right to work in the UK as refugees but instead will be categorised as illegal economic immigrants. Huge rejection rate for asylum seekers Abi Tierney, director general of UK visas and immigration at the Home Office, said 98 percent of migrants who cross the Channel apply for asylum. About half of this years applications have been considered, she said and 71 percent have been rejected on the basis that the UK was not the responsible country, as the migrants had travelled firstly through a safe country [such as France, Italy or Greece] before arriving in the UK. Under EU rules, which still apply in the UK, an applicant seeking asylum, deemed to be fleeing persecution or danger, is expected to lodge an application in the first safe country reached. Asylum applications are usually refused by countries if the applicants are judged not to be in need of asylum but instead to be economic migrants Tierney noted that France, Germany, Italy and Greece accepted a much larger proportion of asylum seekers than the UK. Calais residents fed up The French government regularly clears the makeshift camps in the northern port city of Calais in response to complaints from local people about conditions, as well as worries about safety and crime. When the camps are dismantled, the migrants are bused by authorities to accommodation centres where they can apply for political asylum in France, or to immigration detention centres. The problem is that large numbers of those bussed to such accommodation, fearful of having their asylum applications rejected in France or simply determined to head for Britain, leave within days and head back to Calais. After the camps were cleared on 10 July, voluntary associations caring for migrants said nearly half of them were back the next day . . . and more had returned since. The Ukrainian delegation will try to prevent shelling of JFO unit. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba says Ukraine is initiating an extraordinary meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) on Donbas settlement over threats voiced by the self-styled "leader" of the so-called "Donetsk People's Republic" ("DPR") Denis Pushilin to open fire on the positions of Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation (JFO) near the village of Shumy. Read alsoDonbas truce: Ukraine reports enemy provocation on Sept 4 (Video) "Our president [Volodymyr Zelensky] was informed about the issue, and he is very concerned about this. We immediately made a move: Ukraine will convene an extraordinary meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group, literally tomorrow," he said on TV Channel Pryamiy on September 5. According to Kuleba, the Ukrainian delegation will try to prevent shelling of JFO units at the TCG extraordinary meeting on September 6. "We'll never make unacceptable concessions, but the ceasefire must operate," he added. Pushilin's threats against Ukrainian Army Leader of Russian-backed militants in Donbas Pushilin earlier threatened to engage fire on Ukrainian positions at 08:00 Kyiv time on September 7. According to Pushilin, the reason is the alleged violation by the Ukrainian side of the ceasefire agreements reached on July 22. Pushilin claims his armed forces demanded that Ukrainian military bury the trenches that were allegedly dug after July 22, and then also warned that they "have every right" to eliminate "these violations on their own." The "DPR" leader added that he expected the requirements to be met, but received no confirmation from the Ukrainian side. The militants are going to open targeted fire on "illegally erected engineering structures" in the vicinity of Shumy. Donbas ceasefire: background Under my watch America is going to stand up for the dissidents and defenders of human rights in China, Biden said. New York : Democratic presidential candidate and former vice president Joe Biden has said that under his watch, America is going to stand up for the dissidents and defenders of human rights in China. We have to lead not just by the example of our power, but (by) the power of our example, Biden said in response to a question during a virtual fundraiser. Look at the example we're setting around the world. This guy has embraced every autocrat in the world. And he's poked his thumb in the eye of our allies and friends. And look at all the people who know better. And they remain silent, Biden said as he slammed the policies of President Donald Trump whom he is challenging in the November presidential elections. I've had a lot of meetings over the years... probably met more with Xi Jinping than any world leader just because President Obama asked me to get to know him when he was vice president. I travelled 17,000 miles and in China made it real clear: We don't need war... I want to make one thing clear, you either play by the rules or we don't play. You got to pay a price for violation of human rights. There's plenty of ways economically that can occur, Biden said. When asked where he stood on the democracy and freedom-seeking people of Hong Kong, Biden criticised Trump's policy toward China and of those in the US who do not speak out against human rights violations. Well first of all starting off with what's happening in western China and the concentration camps being set up now for Muslim Chinese ... you notice, our silence was deafening (for not) condemning what was happening," he said. "And I started off... as being out of office, calling for the president to put his foot down relative to Hong Kong and make it clear that this is a fundamental violation of an international agreement that was reached between China and Great Britain and the international community, and it's a violation of human rights. When we don't speak, nobody else does," he said. The people of Hong Kong deserve the support of the United States to uphold the autonomy and civil liberties promised to them by China, Biden continued. But rather than standing for freedom and democracy, what has Donald Trump done? He's emboldened Beijing every step of the way. Time and again Donald Trump has sided with the autocrats," he claimed. "When the protesters braved and faced down repression in Hong Kong, what did Trump declare? He said, I'm standing with Xi Jinping and praised China for acting responsibly. "Where was everybody? I'm not joking. It angers me. It's not who we are. If the United States doesn't speak up against this kind of crap now, we're complicit by our silence," Biden said. "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" is slated to make a comeback to Channel Nine later this September following the Australian network's negotiation with Warner Bros. The talk show host's deal with Nine sends a clear message that she is not going anywhere after the prominent program was stirred by scandal for the past few months. A New Season of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" "The Ellen Show" is slated to return for another season. The talk show had the foundation of ideas including humor, kindness, and charitable generosity but it is currently under investigation for molding a workplace environment of racism, fear, and intimidation. This week, Channel Nine confirmed the news to industry website TV Blackbox, indicating that the show would start airing on September 22 following its two-week break. Bargaining Power for Channel Nine The supposed provider to Nine's bargaining power is the reported "toxic" workplace scandal divulged behind the camera of the show, reported NowMyNews. Throughout the years, Hollywood insiders and people have murmuring regarding how DeGeneres is not quite the epitome of kindness she presents herself to be. Her eponymous show's innocent and bubbly facade behind the scenes is allegedly a nightmare in truth. "The Ellen DeGeneres Show's" comeback was initially unlikely. Also Read: Ellen DeGeneres Forgot About Katy Perry's First Marriage in Interview Such rumors have finally made headlines in the form of serious claims, reported Vice. The negative news reportedly allowed Nine to be in talks for a cheaper deal. On August, TV Blackbox's Rob McKnight stated that he believed the scandal surrounding the show arrived at a good timing during a negotiation period and provided the broadcaster bargaining potential. Also according to McKnight, a former senior executive at Nine, the network had a favorable position of being willing to quit participating from the deal as it targets its efforts on prime time again. Turning to Kris Jenner DeGeneres has reportedly asked for support from Kardashian mother Kris Jenner amid slamming over the show's workplace culture. While three senior producers were fired amid various allegations, she has received backing from numerous celebrities including the 64-year-old. According to a network representative, "The new season of The Ellen DeGeneres Show will air on Nine from September 22, we look forward to the show returning," reported Daily Mail. Preparation of the Production Staff As the production staff return to conceptualize and work on new episodes, the public is left wondering if the famous talk show will ever be the same. The talk show's producers and senior creative staff returned to work this week alongside 140 other employees. Workplace Investigation The current probing into the talk show was initiated following a Buzzfeed article surfacing with first-hand accounts from former staff claiming the toxic workplace environment. Narratives from 15 former staff members and one current staffer divulged that they all had experienced disrespectful treatment from the producers. Channel Nine's Negotiation According to McKnight regarding "The Ellen DeGeneres Show's" comeback, "Nine are in negotiations and to bring the price down they're showing Warner Bros. that they're willing to walk away. With the advertising market shrinking due to the coronavirus, the focus is on prime time. I'm sure they'd like to keep Ellen, but this whole controversy has come up at the perfect time for them during a negotiation period." Related Article: Who Should Replace Ellen Degeneres? Here Are the Possible Candidates @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Alex and Macye Maher - Live Water Properties Founding Partners It is with hearts of gratitude that we celebrate this team achievement, says Founding Partner Alex Maher. We feel fortunate to work for and with dynamic people in remarkable landscapes, learning from many and advising others on best practices in land stewardship everywhere we go. Live Water Properties has surpassed $2 billion in sales, cementing itself as one of the countrys top ranch and land brokerage firms. The Jackson Hole headquartered real estate firm reached its first $1 billion in October 2013, twelve years after its inception. In almost half the time, Live Water reached its second billion in sales highlighting the firms rapid growth. The real estate firm was founded in January 2001 by husband and wife team Alex and Macye Maher with a mission of preserving and protecting the valuable ecosystems of the American West by connecting land with people who value it. Live Waters success is driven by its client centric, relationship first approach, with brokers who live the lifestyle they sell. When you are an entrepreneur you dont dream about the $2B mark, you capitalize on each relationship you build, says Macye Maher, CFO/Founding Partner at Live Water Properties. We owe this success to everyone: our buyers and sellers, our agents, employees and each other. It is with hearts of gratitude that we celebrate this team achievement, says Founding Partner Alex Maher. We feel fortunate to work for and with dynamic people in remarkable landscapes, learning from many and advising others on best practices in land stewardship everywhere we go. Thank you to all who thrive in this journey with Live Water Properties. Live Water has been guided by its founding principles and grown wisely to protect the culture, values and reputation for which the land and ranch brokerage has become known. We hope to see the next billion through, protecting our fly fishing ranches, bird and big game hunting properties, legacy properties, cattle ranches, timberland properties, as well as guest and agricultural ranches, says Macye Maher. ### Live Water Properties is a ranch and land real estate firm specializing in premier fly fishing, hunting, ranching, timberland, recreational and conservation land. With $2 Billion in closed deals, they are distinctly qualified to assist in all aspects of land ownership. Since their inception in 2001, Live Water Properties has grown into a 28-person, 12-state firm. They are represented throughout the United States with Brokers in Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado, Nebraska, Montana, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Oregon, Georgia, Florida and South Carolina. By PTI GORAKHPUR: Police went into a tizzy after they received a phone call, which later proved hoax, that a terrorist had entered the famous Gorakhnath temple here. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is the head priest of the temple. After getting the call on Thursday night, the police swung into action and SP City Kaustibh along with CO Gorakhnath Ratnesh Singh led a strong force to search the entire temple. But they did not find any suspicious thing or man inside or outside the temple, the police said here on Friday. They said someone from the Bansgaon area informed the police control room over the phone around 10 pm on Thursday about the presence of a terrorist in the temple. However, his family members told the police that he was suffering from mental disease. "With a dog and bomb squad the entire Gorakhnath temple was searched and after watching CCTV footage and also asking people, no suspicious thing or man was found. With the help of surveillance, police traced that Shivendra Pratap Singh of Bedouli village under Bansgaon police station limit had called the police control room and gave fake information about the terrorist," the CO said. "The man was not found at home and his family claims that he is under treatment for mental disease for the last 10 years. Police are investigating the claim of his family," he added. The Gorakhnath temple is a temple of the Nath monastic order group of the Nath tradition. The name is derived from the medieval saint, Gorakshanath, a yogi who travelled widely across India and authored a number of texts that form a part of the canon of Nath Sampradaya. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. 63 Shares Share An excerpt from Butchered by Healthcare: What to Do About Doctors, Big Pharma, and Corrupt Government Ruining Your Health and Medical Care. Doctors help patients, and they love us for it. We fix bones, replace joints, cure killer infections, and control diabetes with insulin. We use painless scans for diagnosis. Liver, kidney, and heart transplants are now routine. Some patients get cured of lymphomas, leukemia, Hodgkins disease, and testicular cancer. Lives are prolonged for myeloma and amyloidosis. Vaccines have saved millions worldwide. We have complex technologies such as the heart bypass machine and dialysis. We replace diseased heart valves with artificial ones that work. Cardiologists permanently correct irregular rhythms using techniques that would seem natural on Star Trek. Other specialists gift infertile couples with children. Despite this, many sources agree: For at least half of health care, the potential benefit does not outweigh the harm. For a lot of the rest, supporting evidence that it works is lacking. A review of over 5,000 articles recommends against many of todays standard practices. The list below introduces some of the topics in this book, the worst failures of health care, in rough order of wasted resources. The opioid disaster, now killing 50,000 people a year in the U.S., is not even in the top seven. I knew a lot because of my degrees and training, but I was wrong about many things. 1. Insurance What I thought: Health insurance protects us against disasters, just like fire insurance. The truth: Most of the $3.65 trillion in U.S. medical spending (2018) is run through insurance companies before payment, which produces an insanity of wastefulness. These corporations extract fully a fifthtwenty dollars of every hundred!of whatever they touch for their administration and profits, and they know that if total spending goes up, they get more money. After the insurance layer has taken its share, only 75 to 80 percent remains for providers and suppliers. Every one of these has their own bloated overhead, which they must pay before patients get anything. Hospitals, for example, consume at least 25 percent more for internal expenses. This system creates outrageous total costs. The smaller but more gloomy insurance story is the workers compensation system. 2. Hospitals What I thought: Hospitals are bureaucratic, but physicians supervise them to make people better. The truth: Although many people who work in hospitals are idealistic, most of these corporations are ruthless pirates that are looting the patients who trust them. These companies pay or bully physicians to cooperate with their agendas. Hospital costs are about a third of U.S. health care. They spend ten to fifteen percent of their receipts just on coding, collections, and other methods to whip money out of the insurance companies. 3. Drugs and medical devices What I thought: Idealistic scientists wearing white coats develop new miracle drugs and devices all the time. The truth: The pharmaceutical companies purposefully falsify the studies the FDA requires to patent medications, and the regulator turns a blind eye to it. Concealing negative studies that show little or no efficacy, such as was done with the antidepressants and the statin anti-cholesterol drugs, is just the start of their hoaxes. Because of practices like this, deciphering which medications work has become difficult. Many drugs are ineffective, and a lot are damaging. Some of the worst are the statins, the newer diabetes drugs, the osteoporosis drugs, the influenza vaccine, and the whole psychiatric pharmacy. These are all best-sellers. The huge implant device industry plays the same games as the pharmaceutical companies and has fewer rules that force them to conduct proper studies. Here is what I thought about generic drugs: They are just about as good but cheaper than patent medicines, which are a rip-off. The truth: I was right; patent medicines are a rip-off. Generics are sometimes inactive or even contaminated, however. But they are now 90 percent of the American formulary because of patent drug price-gouging. 4. Journals and the academics of medicine What I thought: If I studied hard, read journals, went to meetings, and listened rather than talking to my friends, I would become a better physician. Also, if I looked at Internet sources, I would quickly learn about any medical field. The truth: Doctors information sources have been wrecked by corporations. We depend on journals, but their editors have been bought off. They print fraudulent studies containing purposefully confusing math developed by academics who are sponsored by corporations. Patients information sources, on the other hand, are advertising, advocacy groups, blogs written by industry, and wall-to-wall internet link-farms. They are all marketing in disguise and create anxiety and spread false information. 5. Mental health What I thought: Psychiatrists have some strange ideas, but their drugs are effective and treat mental illness just like insulin helps diabetes. The truth: This is our most expensive and least effective medical sector. Informed commentators now call psychiatry a pseudo-science, and a substantial, credible groupbesides Scientologyopenly questions their theories and drugs. Psychiatry is nearly divorced from even the flawed science advising the rest of medicine. The psychiatrists accept the most money from the pharmaceutical industry of any doctor group, which results in their ideas being the most contaminated. Their toxic medications might help a few sick people, but corporations promote them so heavily that one in six U.S. citizens takes them. We mostly ignore the tragic consequences. 6. The heart industry What I thought: Cardiologists and heart surgeons have effective treatments for coronary artery disease. The truth: Invasive treatments for this are an immense but dismally ineffective industry. Sham surgery studies have now debunked stents, the tiny devices used to open coronary arteries. These might never work, depending on what you believe. The cardiologists understand the math yet continue placing them for the money. Coronary artery bypass grafting surgery (CABG) is also useless or harmful. It immediately kills two to nine percent and gives long-term brain damage to a third. A few patients supposedly benefit: The three percent with severe blockage of their one-centimeter left main artery. For them, the studies show a five-year survival improvement of twenty percent. But the operation is overwhelmingly performed for patients with other issues. These people suffer the complications with no chance of benefit. Medications and lifestyle changes work better for coronary heart disease than these hazardous, invasive procedures. Whether you are a doctor or patient, the painful reality introduced here is running you over. Robert Yoho is a cosmetic surgeon and author of Butchered by Healthcare: What to Do About Doctors, Big Pharma, and Corrupt Government Ruining Your Health and Medical Care. He can be reached at his self-titled site, Robert Yoho, MD. Image credit: Shutterstock.com The Oregon Health Authority reported 268 new confirmed and presumptive coronavirus cases and five deaths Friday, bringing the states total to 27,601 cases and 475 deaths. The report comes as state officials released new modeling that shows current transmission rates have fallen to the point where every coronavirus case will generate less than one other case. This is tremendous progress, but it will only continue if we keep up the pressure, said state epidemiologist Dr. Dean Sidelinger. We cannot ease up and allow Labor Day social gatherings to send our rate back up. This virus remains extremely contagious and spreads very quickly. It would not take much for cases to rise again. In a press conference on Friday, Gov. Kate Brown and public health officials said cases in Oregon have continued to drop since late July and stressed that Oregonians need to keep wearing masks, physical distancing and hand-washing. Brown pleaded with residents to refrain from celebrating the Labor Day weekend in ways that will fuel the spread of the disease. Gatherings on Mothers Day, Memorial Day weekend and the Fourth of July weekend caused new cases to spike. We cannot have that happen again, said Patrick Allen, director of the Oregon Health Authority. We simply cannot celebrate this Labor Day and all the holidays coming up in the fall and winter in the way weve celebrated them in the past. Brown said infections still need to drop before schools in all parts of the state can reopen. Please dont let your fatigue with these restrictions take us away from our collective goal of reducing infections and preventing deaths, Brown said. Where the new cases are by county: Benton (4), Clackamas (18), Clatsop (1), Coos (1), Crook (2), Curry (1), Deschutes (2), Hood River (2), Jackson (12), Jefferson (1), Josephine (6), Lake (2), Lane (22), Linn (5), Malheur (31), Marion (44), Morrow (6), Multnomah (43), Polk (3), Tillamook (2), Umatilla (32), Union (1), Wasco (2), Washington (23), and Yamhill (2). New fatalities: A 43-year-old man in Clackamas County is Oregons 471st COVID-19 death. He tested positive Aug. 12 and died Aug. 26 at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center. He had unspecified underlying health conditions. A 52-year-old man in Multnomah County is Oregons 472nd COVID-19 death. He tested positive Aug. 25 and died Sept. 2 at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center. He had unspecified underlying health conditions. A 73-year-old man in Multnomah County is Oregons 473rd COVID-19 death. He tested positive Aug. 13 and died Sept. 1 at Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center. He had unspecified underlying health conditions. A 56-year-old woman in Washington County is Oregons 474th COVID-19 death. She tested positive July 15 and died Sept. 3 at Oregon Health and Science University. She had unspecified underlying health conditions. An 87-year-old woman in Multnomah County is Oregons 475th COVID-19 death. She tested positive April 16 and died July 18 in her home. She had unspecified underlying health conditions. State officials reported that the womans death certificate listed COVID-19 disease as a cause of death or a significant condition contributing to her death. Prevalence of infection: Since Thursday, state officials reported that 5,792 Oregonians had been tested for the coronavirus, with 253 coming back positive, equaling a positivity rate of 4.4%. Who got infected: Since Thursday, state officials reported 265 new cases among the following ages: 0-9 (21); 10-19 (32); 20-29 (43); 30-39 (47); 40-49 (41); 50-59 (45); 60-69 (15); 70-79 (14); 80 and older (7). Whos in the hospital: State officials reported Friday that 91 Oregonians are currently hospitalized with confirmed cases of COVID-19, four more than yesterday. Hundreds of hospital beds and ventilators remain available. Since it began: State officials have reported 27,601 confirmed and presumptive coronavirus cases since the pandemic began. In total, 575,596 Oregonians have been tested. -- Bryce Dole; bdole@oregonian.com; 541-660-9844; @DoleBryce When the results were confirmed and Springfield Ward 1 City Councilor Adam Gomez Sr. was declared the winner of the Democratic primary for the Hampden District state Senate seat, his father could not help but think back to the years of protests, community organizing and sacrifice of family time that led to this moment. This is about more than my son or my family. This is about a fight we have been fighting for 30 years to get representation for the Black and Latino community in Springfield, said Gumersindo Gomez, who serves as executive director of the Massachusetts Bilingual Veterans Outreach Center of Massachusetts Inc., and who was part of the Springfield Coalition for Ward Representation. The latter organization fought for the right to have ward representation on the city council in 1992. Adam Gomez said he will be the first Afro-Latino to serve in the Massachusetts senate and only the second person of color joining current Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz. The primary also saw a victory for Ward 8 City Councilor Orlando Ramos, who will succeed current state Rep. Jose Tosado in representing the 9th Hampden District. Both men are Puerto Rican. Samantha Pettey, an assistant professor of political science at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, said it can be hard for women and people of color to win voter support especially in a challenge to a current office holder. You are trying to convince people that you are qualified for the job. Going up against an incumbent is very intimidating, especially when this person has been on the ballot year after year, said Pettey, whose research includes looking at the successes of female candidates in state elections. The Latino population in Springfield has continued to grow and I think its the right time and moment for people of color and for women, especially seeing this trickle down role model effect of candidates like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ayanna Pressley. These young people of color and women candidates are inspiring other folks lower down the political ladder to give it a try, too. Adam Gomez said he is grateful to his wife and three children, as well as his parents and siblings, for standing by him while he first ran for a seat on the New North Citizens Council Board of Directors and later the Ward 1 City Council seat. He also credited his political success to his two close friends Zulmalee Rivera-Delgado, an organizer for Neighbor to Neighbor, and his close friend and fellow community activist Jafet Robles, who was killed in 2017. His murder remains unsolved. They believed in me when a lot of people didnt. We went out there and knocked on doors and we listened to people and their concerns and what they wanted from their elected officials, he said. I grew up seeing my dad work with veterans who were homeless and hungry, going with him to community meetings where he was fighting for peoples basic rights and their quality of life. This has been my life whether I liked it or not, it all led to this moment. Gumersindo Gomezs efforts and advocacy for fair and diverse representation came to fruition when Mayor Charles Ryan, joined by councilors including Jose Tosado, placed the question of ward representation on the ballot in 2008. Voters overwhelmingly approved the change, overturning the strong mayor form of government that had been in place for 46 years. That system included a nine-member council and seven-member School Committee, including the mayor, elected at large. At that time a Hispanic or Black candidate was not going to be able to be elected into the city council because we didnt have the funding to cover the whole city, he said. This gave our Black and Hispanic brothers an opportunity to represent their ward and make decisions for the residents of the city. Ramos said Tosado first made him believe he could serve in public office. A carpenter by trade, Ramos went to the city for guidance about a responsible employer ordinance when he noticed he was often the only person of color on large construction sites in the region. I started advocating for the enforcement of that ordinance and one of the people I met and talked to about it was Jose Tosado. I was inspired by him. He was the first Latino to serve on the city council and I had never seen someone like me in politics. Had I not met Jose I dont think I would have believed that I could do this job, he said. Ramos ran for a council seat in 2009, once ward representation was in place in Springfield. He lost that race and another race in 2011 before his 2013 election to the Ward 8 seat. He followed a similar path to Tosado, becoming vice president and then president of the council. He will take over Tosados district office location on Page Boulevard. Its humbling to hear that you have had an effect on someone. I always say that you have to get into this job for the right reasons. Its not because of the money or status, its because you care about the issues facing your community and you want to make a change for the better, Tosado said. When I was growing up there were no Latinos in politics, but I saw my parents and other Puerto Rican families working hard establishing businesses, advocating for the community. Newly elected state representative Orlando Ramos meets with outgoing state Rep. Jose Tosado Sept. 3, 2020. (Hoang 'Leon' Nguyen / The Republican) Both the Gomez and the Tosado families are well known in the Latino community. The Gomez family is recognized for a long history of military service and social justice activism advocacy for veterans and for the citys poorest residents. The Tosados are one of the original Puerto Rican families to settle in Springfield in 1955. Jose Tosado arrived from Puerto Rico as a 1-year-old. His family went on to establish a successful business, and in 2003 he became the first Puerto Rican to serve on the City Council. He was the first Latino to serve as president of the council. Before Tosados historic win, only a few Latinos in the city had served in elected office. Cesar Ruiz was elected the citys first Latino School Committee member in 1980. Carmen Rosa became the first female Latina School Committee member when she was elected in 1993. It took another ten years for Tosado to become the first Latino on the City Council. Many of the citys Puerto Rican leaders were stunned by Gomezs win over a five-term Irish-American incumbent James T. Welch. They said it was the culmination of decades of social justice and advocacy work on the part of organizations like the New England Farm Workers Council and Women on the Vangaurd, the Urban League of Springfield, the Springfield Chapter of the NAACP and Arise for Social Justice. Maria Perez, a member of the Springfield School Committee and longtime community activist, called it a battle for representation dating to 1981, when Miguel Rivas ran for city council. Rivas didnt win that year, but we have been fighting for this since then, said Perez, who founded Women on the Vanguard as an advocacy group for women and children in the city. Gumersindo Gomez, right, and Heriberto Flores in November 2019. (Hoang 'Leon' Nguyen / The Republican) Heriberto Flores, president and CEO of New England Farm Workers Council, said seeing Latinos elected to the state legislature makes the early struggles worthwhile. Back then we had to struggle even to cast a vote. If we wanted to vote we had to bring identification and proof of any land or business ownership and taxes we paid. They would try to make us prove that we could speak English, he said. You look at these things now and think thats illegal and the courts back then agreed, but they still did this to the Latino and Black community for years. Martin Espinosa never ran for public office, but for more than 30 years he has been behind the scenes educating Latino voters about their rights, helping them register to vote, driving them to the polls and holding signs for Latino candidates on election day. On Wednesday he called Gomez to congratulate him. I am proud of him and his family, of the work they have done for this community, but more importantly what this means for Latinos in Springfield, he said. Gumersindo has always done right by our community and by our veterans, and he passed on that legacy to his children. A Springfield seat It has been more than 20 years since the Hampden District senate seat has been held by a Springfield resident. That last was Linda J. Melconian, who held the seat from 1995 through 2004. Stephen J. Buoniconti of West Springfield was the districts senator from 2005 through 2010. He was succeeded by Welch, also from West Springfield and a former aide to Buoniconti. Welch served five terms, twice running unopposed in Democratic primaries. The Hampden District includes all of West Springfield, along with Wards 2, 3 and 4 in Chicopee, and more than half of Springfield including the citys more racially diverse neighborhoods. Welch won by large margins in 2010 and 2012. He won a closer race in 2018 against Amaad I. Rivera winning with 5,909 votes to Riveras 4,198 a margin of about 17 percentage points. While Welch had a strong showing in West Springfield, where he won just over 75% of the 4,466 total votes, and in Chicopee, where he won 63.3% of the 2,908 total votes. But Springfield voters came out in droves for Gomez. The councilor won 9,278 votes to Welchs 5,142, for a margin of 64.3% to 35.7%. Anthony Cignoli, a political consultant who helped with Carmen Rosas School Committee election and remembers Ruizs historic win, said this is another history making moment not only for the Latino community, but for Springfield as well. This had always been considered a Springfield seat. The majority of the people represented in this senate district live in Springfield, he said. It somehow became a West Springfield seat with Senator Buoniconti and later Senator Welch, but I can tell you a lot of people throughout the city are happy that Adam has brought it back home. He broke a lot of barriers with this election. Not only barriers of race, but barriers of age and neighborhoods. Cignoli said both Gomez and Ramos have a likability factor and used a grassroots approach to campaigning that relied on personal connections and hard work instead of money. Ive seen Adam at community meetings in Sixteen Acres, and thats not even his district. Orlando worked his way up as a ward representative to become vice president and then president of the council. They took a stand on issues that affect more than just the residents of their wards, but the city as a whole, he said. Springfield alone saw an unusually high voter turnout, with 26.9% of voters casting ballots. Including Republican ballots, this years state primary saw the most ballots cast in such an election in Springfield since 2006. Over that period, which includes 34 elections total, the 2020 primary ranks as the eighth highest in terms of total ballots cast. The only higher totals were three presidential elections, three governor elections and the Jan. 2010 special Senate election. Pettey, the political science professor, said an interest in larger races like the contest between Richard E. Neal and Alex B. Morse for the U.S. House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate matchup between Edward Markey and Joe Kennedy III drew larger crowds, which in turn could have affected state races. The state in general had some pretty competitive primaries, which we dont normally have and competitive elections most of the time will increase turn out, she said. It has a trickle down affect where it makes those lower level primaries also competitive. Realistically turnout in primaries is usually less than ten percent. Pettey said having multiple options, from mail-in ballots to early voting, may have contributed to the turnout. Massachusetts had the luxury of watching other states deal with primaries during the pandemic and I think the secretary of state did a great job of mass mailing everybody, which was very helpful, she said, adding that she believes the pandemic will force secretaries of states to think about election laws and the best way to do things especially given that turnout is higher among older voters, who are in the age group at higher risk during the pandemic. Cheryl Coakley-Rivera, the Register of Deeds Hampden County, addresses members of the Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus at Springfield City Hall in October 2019. (The Republican file) These two will make that noise In January, Gomez and Ramos will join state Rep. Carlos Gonzalez, D-Springfield, as the newest members of the Legislatures Black and Latino Caucus. Gonzalez, the caucus president, also holds a seat historically held by white representatives, until Cheryl Coakley-Rivera became the first Latina to serve in the Massachusetts House. She won election after Anthony Scibelli, the longtime representative for the Springfield-based 10th Hampden District, died in 1998. Gonzalez saw Adam Gomez grow up in the citys North End neighborhood, where they still both live. He said the Gomez and Ramos wins are significant at a statewide level. Gonzalez said diversity is one of the citys strengths, and said having more members who represent diversity is extremely exciting and important. I think well bring about a sense of better understanding about the issues that are important to the communities of color, particularly in cities like Springfield, and we talk about it from the personal perspective not only from outside looking in, he said. While both councilors have different backgrounds Gomezs family has been involved in social activism and politics since before he was born, and Ramos grew up a self-described church boy with no political affiliations or aspirations both men have been very vocal about issues including police reform and racial equality in local government. There is still a strong sentiment that Western Massachusetts is the forgotten part of the state, and that we need legislators who will go to Beacon Hill and really make a noise, Cignoli said. And there is the thought that these two will make that noise. As they have already governed on city council, its expected they will govern at the statehouse. As for the future of Latinos in politics, many of the founding leaders of the movement are hopeful for even more progress. I have been here for 38 years serving this community and seeing the political changes, and I feel so proud because we have a new generation of leaders that was born of that struggle, of that fight we started so many years ago, Perez said. She said when they began fighting for a seat at the table in politics the demographics were much different than they are now. According to the U.S. Census Bureaus 2019 American Community Survey, Latinos now make up 44.7% of the citys population. Back then it was very difficult because we didnt have the demographics we have now, but we fought and we did that work so that our children and their children would have the opportunities they are finally having now, Perez said. Gomez and Ramos both said they are ready to work, network and represent their districts when they are sworn in as the citys newest legislators. I think the city of Springfield right now is reflective of what diversity really means, and diversity is not only about race, its about age and gender too, Gomez said. Now what we are seeing is that the way government was written, the structures that were in place years ago, is not what people want. They want more inclusivity, they want more access to what what we are making decisions on and what we are voting on and this election reflects that desire the people have. Ramos said he is excited to serve his constituents on a larger scale. Back when I was advocating for access for tradesman of color on big construction jobs I fell in love with the idea of being able to help my community and to help people better their lives, he said. I hope that I can inspire other young people and people of color to run for office by leading by example and just putting in the work when I get to Boston, just like I have put in the work right here in Springfield. Related content: Image: Instagram/@sushantsinghrajput Actor Rhea Chakrabortys brother Showik Chakraborty and Sushant Singh Rajputs house manager Samuel Miranda were on September 5 remanded to Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) custody till September 9. The NCB on September 4 arrested Chakraborty and Miranda in connection with a drug probe linked to actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death, officials said. Various angles surrounding the 34-year-old actor's death are being probed by NCB and two other national agencies, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The two men would be questioned in custody to unravel details about the procurement, transportation and usage of the narcotics. The agency has a "strong case", an officer told news agency PTI. Both Chakraborty and Miranda have been named as accused by the ED and the CBI in the FIRs registered by them in Rajput's death case. The NCB has charged them with production, manufacture, possession, selling, purchase and transport of cannabis among others. The arrests came after over 10 hours of questioning by NCB sleuths, which followed early morning searches of Chakraborty's home in Santa Cruz (West) and Miranda's residence in suburban Andheri (West). Chakraborty's lives with sister Rhea. NCB Deputy Director (operations) KPS Malhotra, who is heading the probe, led the search and told mediapersons it was a "procedural" action. An officer said Rhea (28), who was living with Rajput but reportedly left the home a few days before the actor's death, is expected to be summoned soon. The NCB has also arrested two alleged drug peddlers Zaid Vilatra (21) and Abdel Basit Parihar (23), while one Kaizan Ibrahim is being questioned since September 3. Parihar was linked to a person who featured in chats recovered from the mobile phones of Rhea and her brother, officials claimed. The NCB has said it is looking into "the drug citadel in Mumbai, and especially Bollywood" in this case. According to officials, the mobile phone chats and messages indicated procurement, transportation and consumption of drugs and the leads were shared by the ED with the NCB and the CBI. The NCB is understood to have obtained the phone records of other accused as well. Rajput was found dead at his Bandra flat on June 14. With inputs from PTI Bondi Bowling Club in eastern Sydney has been labelled the 'worst venue to date' in New South Wales over COVID-19 health breaches and hit with a $10,000 fine. Inspectors visited the Bondi venue on August 29 and found multiple groups of more than ten people, patrons freely mingling and drinking and no social distancing in bar queues. They also said dirty cups and plates were left on tables and sign-in processes were lacking. Bondi Bowling Club in eastern Sydney has been labelled the 'worst venue to date' in NSW over COVID-19 health breaches and hit with a $10,000 fine (pictured) 'We are still on a cliff edge but you wouldn't know it if you went to Bondi Bowling Club on August 29. The venue was operating as though the COVID safety measures were optional,' Liquor and Gaming compliance director Dimitri Argeres said. 'This presented a pretty grim picture of patrons and staff who are simply ignoring the restrictions everyone else has to live with and putting the entire community at risk.' The club was hit with two $5,000 fines over the breaches. In a statement on Saturday, the Bondi Bowling Club's directors admitted its crowd-management protocols had fallen short and regulations had been breached. 'The wellbeing of [our] members and our guests, plus our responsibility to the local area, has been the highest priority during the COVID crisis,' the directors said. 'The club has since reviewed procedures to ensure that best practices are implemented as a COVID-compliant venue and to provide a safe environment for members, guests and staff.' Liquor and Gaming NSW said in a statement on Saturday that inspectors visited the Bondi venue (pictured earlier this year) on August 29 and found multiple groups of more than 10 people, patrons freely mingling and drinking and no social distancing in bar queues The Bondi Bowling Club's fine comes as NSW authorities establish an online COVID safety feedback portal to dob in venues that are not COVID-safe. It comes as New South Wales reported five new coronavirus cases, including one in hotel quarantine and four linked to Sydney's CBD cluster. One of the new cases enjoyed drinks at Kuleto's Cocktail Bar in Newtown, in Sydney's inner-west, between 6.30pm and 9.30pm on August 28. Anyone who was at the venue for at least an hour during this period must get tested immediately and isolate until midnight on September 11, even if their test result is negative. One of the new cases attended Kuleto's Cocktail Bar (pictured) in Newtown, in Sydney's inner-west, between 6.30pm and 9.30pm on August 28 Anyone who was at the venue for at least an hour during this period must get tested immediately (pictured, people getting tested in Sydney on September 2) The venue has been closed for cleaning. The CBD cluster has now grown to 61 cases. A healthcare professional also tested positive for COVID-19, with that case due to be included in Sunday's figures. The health professional worked two shifts while they were potentially infections - including one at Concord Hospital emergency department on September 1. The worker was on shift between 2pm and midnight. They also worked at Liverpool Hospital's emergency department on September 3 from 8am to 6pm. The medical professional became unwell on September 4 and immediately got tested and isolated. A healthcare professional has also tested positive for COVID-19 - however NSW Health said in a statement that case will be reported in Sunday's figures (pictured, Liverpool Hospital where the healthcare worker worked while potentially infectious) They wore full personal protective equipment at all times while in contact with patients and a surgical mask at all other times. 'All patients and staff members who were in contact with the health professional are being contacted and advised to get tested and self-isolate,' NSW Health said. There were 30,339 coronavirus tests conducted in the last 24 hours, with 94 cases being treated in hospital. Six people are currently being treated in the intensive care unit. The health professional worked two shifts while they were potentially infections - including one at Concord Hospital (pictured) emergency department on September 1 People in the Sydney Metropolitan, Nepean Blue Mountains and Central Coast regions are urged not to visit loved ones in aged care facilities. 'This decision has been reached after careful consideration of the risks of COVID-19 being introduced into an aged care facility while the CBD cluster is brought under control,' NSW Health said. 'While we understand and acknowledge this will be difficult for many families on Father's Day, our priority is to prevent the spread of the virus to the most vulnerable people in the community.' L.A. teachers union President Cecily Myart-Cruz said Friday that the union would block an immediate, mandatory return of any teachers to campuses. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) Citing safety concerns, the leader of the Los Angeles teachers union said Friday it opposes reopening campuses for small in-person classes or one-on-one services for students who are disabled or learning English even though county health officials have cleared the way to do so. Some outside advocacy groups pushed back against the union's position and the unwillingness of the L.A. Unified School District to address the issue directly and publicly. "The students that have disproportionately suffered over the last several months in LAUSD are students with disabilities and English learners," said Vanessa Aramayo, executive director of the local group Alliance for a Better Community. "They must be immediately prioritized and they must get the services they are entitled to legally. The learning loss is significant so there needs to be urgency." Cecily Myart-Cruz, president of United Teachers Los Angeles, said safety concerns for teachers had to take precedence and, she added, the union has the legal authority to veto any attempt by L.A. Unified to order any members of her union to work on campus. Her union also represents nurses and counselors. "We know our students learn best in physical schools face to face with educators and the support providers they need and deserve, but UTLA stands strongly against any physical return to schools unless it is safe to do so for our members, students and the community we serve," Myart-Cruz said. "And that is not the case at this point. Students with special needs for services such as speech therapy or orthopedic manipulation are among the children whose education has been most deeply hurt since the coronavirus-forced school closures. Many of them are unable to receive the hands-on services they need, and many parents cite regression in their children's progress. A similar scenario has unfolded for students who are learning English and need targeted academic help as many have limited support at home because their parents lack English skills. Story continues Acknowledging this hardship, local health officials on Wednesday gave approval for L.A. County's 80 public school districts to offer small-group, in-person instruction for these students. The county said their strict guidance for reopening schools must be followed for the in-person classes of no more than 12 students with two supervisors. L.A. Unified declined to answer questions about UTLA's position, including about whether the district favored bringing back small groups of students with special needs, which prompted concerns from a local advocacy group. "There are legitimate questions about how the district will implement necessary safety measures, but we dont believe silence from the district is acceptable when families and kids are in desperate need of help," said Katie Braude, chief executive of the group Speak Up. "We understand that there are both teachers and kids for whom the risk of a return to campus will be too great right now," Braude said, "but a voluntary return for the highest-needs students should be allowed with safety measures in place." School systems are legally obligated to provide appropriate services to students with special needs, but the county and state have not ordered districts to bring these children back for in-person classes. L.A.'s union representing about 30,000 teachers, nurses, counselors and librarians is among the unions up and down the state that negotiated agreements with their districts over distance learning and that are empowered to negotiate again over school reopenings. Some smaller districts in L.A. County are making efforts to bring back students with special needs. "We are assessing the logistics for bringing students ... in small cohorts," said Kristine Nam, a spokeswoman for the Glendale Unified School District. "Plans will be made in collaboration with our unions." Glendale already has brought back some high-needs students for supervised online learning that doesn't require direct in-person instruction from a teacher. Alex Cherniss, superintendent at Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified, said he hoped to avoid union discord by stressing that teacher participation on campus would be voluntary. His plan is to pilot the small-group option by offering instruction to older disabled students with such classes as Transition to Independence and Life Skills. "We will begin the process by working with those teachers willing to return," Cherniss said. Long Beach Unified School District, one of the state's largest districts, is reviewing the guidelines, but "we dont anticipate that formal negotiations will be needed for a return of students," district spokesman Chris Eftychiou said. "We will, however, continue to collaborate with our labor partners." L.A. Unified responded to detailed questions from The Times with a one-sentence response: "Los Angeles Unified continues to work on plans for students to return to schools as soon as its safe and appropriate to do so." In remarks broadcast on Facebook, Myart-Cruz also took on other issues that underscored the challenge of distance learning. She said that the start of an ambitious school district plan to conduct widespread coronavirus testing and contact tracing had been delayed till after Labor Day. The district announced the effort three weeks ago. L.A. Unified declined to comment or answer questions Friday on the status of its testing program. Myart-Cruz also said there were important unresolved questions regarding aspects of distance learning. For example, she said, the district has not made it clear whether teachers are allowed to have one-on-one video conferences with students. On campus, teachers have typically learned to have witnesses for meetings with students or to leave the classroom door open when they happen to be alone with a student. The goal is to avoid any appearance of impropriety and limit legal liability. Online meetings layer a new wrinkle onto this dynamic. More clarity also is needed, Myart-Cruz said, on how to manage groups of students online. The videoconferencing platform allows teachers to place students in different online groups, allowing the teacher to "move" from group to group and work more directly with students. But does a different adult need to be supervising groups when the teacher is elsewhere? L.A. Unified did not respond to questions about these issues. Through this fortnightly column, Tales From TJ Road, Bachi Karkaria tells the story of Mumbai's metromorphosis Read more columns in this series here. *** Sewri, Sewri, Bang, Bang Never a night without a fight this was the despair of the bar manager of Calcuttas iconic Grand Hotel around the1950s. A sub-continents breadth and a cultural planet away, I felt the same way when I came to live in the least fashionable part of Bombays Malabar Hill in 1971. Drunken brawls would invariably spill over from the nearby slum and land at our gate. So we went to bed each night to that nerves-searing gaalaa-gaali. Fast forward to another century, another life, and yet another cultural planet. This time not high Malabar Hill but Lowest Parel. I had bought my Sewri flat when the tower was still a hole in the ground, but the complexs fragrant boughs to read a book of verse beneath and pool beside me were Paradise enow. When I did ride 23 floors up to the ready flat, my heart sank to Basement. Not poetic Khayyam, it was prosaic khattam, end of my dreams of the panoramic life. Below me stretched a circarama of slum. Would it be back to never a night without a louder fight? Surprise! The nights have been alive to the sound of festive music. Never mind the fact that pre-lockdown it was year-round, amplified surround sound, one festival segueing into another in our diverse neighbourhood. But rewind just a couple of decades, and youll still hear the fisticuffs. Trade union leader Harinath Tiwari recounts with high drama and higher decibels the last days of China Mill from whose ashes rose Dosti Flamingos. It was a truly a fin de siecle closure coming at the turn of this century. By then Bombays fabled textile industry was threadbare thanks to the historic 82 strike and, as much the willingness of the Cotton Kings. They had realised that, instead of the jhhanjhhat of licenses, production and union baazi they could simply spin gold from their vast tracts of real estate. Facilitating the kill was the politician-developer nexus which had replaced the underworld as the shot-callers of the city. China Mill had staggered along till 2000. Tiwaris admittedly one-sided account describes the machinations of the third-generation malik so unlike his dildaar grandfather to get rid of it. He was aided by a saalaa tapori-goonda of Dagdi Chawl, Daddy Arun Gawlis nephew, who frightened one group to agree to voluntary retirement. But Tiwaris loyal workers offered to buy the mill and run it as a cooperative. A clash was inevitable between the Brexit style leavers and remainers. With manifest glee, the former trade unionist recalls his strategy. It involved tightly packed plastic balls of chilli powder prepared by my Gujarati bania friend, Ramjibhai, and the sturdy sticks of the weaving department. When the victims made a police case, their attackers displayed self-inflicted injuries and pretended they had acted in self-defence. But they were outnumbered and ultimately out-foxed. A lockout was declared in 2003. Tiwaris band continued to shout their slogans where the channawalla still sits at the China Mill-now-Dosti Flamingos gates, trying to prevent machinery from being spirited out. In vain; the battle was irrevocably lost. Now rewind a couple of centuries, and youll hear the actual sounds of battle. A colonels shout away is Golanji Hill, getting its name from the golis being fired from this practising range of the colonial army. Remember, the Haffkine Institute next door was the Governors mansion from 1771, with William Hornby its first resident, till 1883, when Lady Olive Fergusson died here of cholera; industrialisation had begun spreading its toxic tentacles. The firing range remained long after the Governor moved to the present bayside Malabar Point. What used to be the ADCs quarters is a charming little Parsi Colony. A rheumy-eyed resident remembers sitting on the still-existing row of stone seats to thrill to the daily parade of battalions marching up to the hill. We, the deodorised beneficiaries of similar gentrifications might appreciate our neighbourhood better if we step beyond our self-absorption and listen to the heartbeat of such close-at-hand history. Featured illustration: Bombay Mill workers' strike of 1982 Adrija Ghosh for Firstpost Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trusts general secretary Champat Rai has said that the construction of the Ram mandir at Ayodhya would begin after September 17 after the fortnight-long pitru paksha ends. Pitru Paksh refers to the period when Hindus express gratitude to their ancestors. Rai said countrys leading construction company Larsen and Toubro is all set to lay the foundation of the grand temple, which would come up in 12,879 sq metre area on Ram Janmabhoomi campus. The company is carrying out construction without charging any fee. Around 1,200 pillars will be laid around 100 feet below the surface to prepare the temples foundation. These pillars will be of stone and no iron will be used. Again on these pillars, another layer of foundation will be laid. The construction company has sourced machines from Mumbai and is in the process of sourcing machines from Hyderabad. To start with, the Trust is expected to engage around 100 labourers to lay the foundation of the temple. Also read: 80 new special trains to start from Sept 12 - Here is the full list In view of the Covid-19 pandemic, these labourers will be tested for the virus and thermal-scanned before allowing entry into the Ram Janmabhoomi campus. Earlier this week, the Ayodhya Development Authority (ADA) approved two layouts - one of Ram mandir and another of the entire Ram Janmabhoomi campus. The ADA also handed over the layouts to the Trust on September 4 after it deposited requisite fee of Rs 2.11 crore in the development authoritys bank account. The proposed Ram mandir will be 360 feet long, 235 feet wide and 161 feet high and will have five domes. According to the Trust, the temples foundation will be laid by using modern techniques so that it could be preserved for over 1,500 years and its structure for 1,000 years. Experts from the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), Roorkee and IIT Madras have been roped in to make the temples foundation strong so that it can withstand earthquakes and storms. On November 9, 2019, the Supreme Court had ruled in favour of Ram mandir ending decades-old Ayodhya title dispute. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the temple during the groundbreaking bhoomi pujan of the mandir in Ayodhya last month. After the Auditor-General indicted the management of the Ghana Free Zones Authority for failing to recover $150,000 from 13 companies, the Board has explained that the companies in question were not properly categorised as inactive. The management failed to recover the amount covering rent, land premium and license fees. Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee to answer questions regarding the 2017 Auditor Generals report on public boards, the CEO for the Ghana Free Zones Authority, Michael Okyere Baafi, and the boards Financial Manager, Stephen Frimpong, assured the committee that measures have been instituted to address the infractions in the report including delisting of companies in bad standing. He noted that some companies are defaulting because they are now delisted and no longer functional. At the last board meeting, the board gave us clearance to delist those companies that are inactive because those inactive companies still have their outstanding balances on our books which is not too good for us, Mr. Baafi explained to the committee. As I am talking to you now, the letters are ready. By next week, we will serve them notice, he added. A member of the committee and the Ningo Prampram MP, Sam George, urged the committee to ensure there is clarity on the status of the companies in its accounts. It will be important for you to keep your books active. Have a list of only active companies so that when the auditors come in, this is segregated and not put as debt on your books, Mr. George advised. The Ghana Free Zones Authority facilitates the setting up of free zones in Ghana to promote economic development and to regulate its related activities. It was enacted by an Act of Parliament, the Free Zone Act 1995 (Act 504). One of its main objectives is to attract foreign direct investment. Companies operating under the programme are granted a100 percent exemption from the payment of direct and indirect duties and levies on all imports for production and exports from free zones, 100 percent exemption from the payment of income tax on profits for 10 years which will not exceed eight percent thereafter, and a total exemption from the payment of withholding taxes from dividends arising out of free zone investment. citinewsroom (L-R) Adviser to the president on Serbia-Kosovo Richard Grenell, senior adviser to the President Jared Kushner, and national security adviser Robert O'Brien take questions during a press briefing at the White House in Washington on Sept. 4, 2020. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) China Has Taken Most Active Role in US Election Interference: National Security Adviser The Chinese regime has the most massive program among countries seeking to interfere in the U.S. election, and has taken the most active role in political influence efforts, White House national security adviser Robert OBrien said on Friday. Theres always going to be propaganda. Theres always going to be efforts to influence us, OBrien told reporters at a briefing. We know the Chinese have taken the most active role. The national security adviser concurred with Attorney General William Barrs comments earlier this week that China, rather than Russia, poses the greatest threat to U.S. election security. OBrien said he agreed with Barrs assessment 100 percent. William Evanina, the director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, said in July that Beijing was ramping up influence efforts in the country by attempting to shape U.S. policy, pressuring political figures, and countering criticism of China. Evanina later said that Beijing would prefer Trump to lose the election, in light of the administrations increasingly hard-line stance toward the regime. President Donald Trump steps off Air Force One upon arrival at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on Sept. 2, 2020. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) Chinese attempts to interfere with U.S. elections and politics, unlike Russias methods, are focused on using economic incentives or coercion to influence business and political elites, given that these are the actors who shape policy and candidates campaign platforms, an expert previously told The Epoch Times. Beijings ambitions, however, extend beyond any single election. The Chinese objective is to embed themselves inside the West. And it becomes so powerful in their position there, that nobody can say no to them when they want something, Jeff Nyquist, an author and researcher of Chinese and Russian strategy, said in an earlier interview. U.S. officials have recently sounded the alarm that the regime is targeting American business leaders and officials, pressuring them to adopt Beijing-friendly stances. OBrien said the regime attempts to influence American business leaders by saying if you dont support us in the U.S., your companies wont have opportunities in China. Foreign Policy Failure OBrien also has described the United States approach to the Chinese regime as the biggest failure of American foreign policy over the past 40 years. The adviser said the prevailing mantra in the West had been that China would become more democratic as it became richer. So we turned a blind eye to Chinese malign activity, whether its stealing our IP or engaging in unfair trade practices, or bullying its neighbors, he said at a White House press briefing on Friday. But in reality, the opposite occurred, OBrien said. Chinas human rights violations have gotten worse and worse over the years, he added, citing the communist regimes abuses against Uyghur Muslims and other religious minorities, its subversion of freedoms in Hong Kong, and aggression toward Taiwan. Meanwhile, Beijing has presided over an aggressive campaign to steal American intellectual property with the aim of replacing the United States as an economic superpower, OBrien said. The scope of Chinese activity against the United States is relentless, he said. Weve never seen anything like it. It was nothing like this in the Cold War with the Soviets. His remarks came as the Trump administration quickens its actions combating Beijing on a range of fronts, from security risks posed by Chinese technology to its military aggression in the South China Sea. OBrien described President Donald Trump as the first president to stand up to the Chinese in 40 years, saying the administration has taken strong action in confronting the regimes unfair trade practices, theft of U.S. intellectual property, and human rights abuses. The administration recently sanctioned Chinese officials and a paramilitary group over their role in repressing Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang. Its also sanctioned Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam and other Hong Kong and Chinese officials for undermining freedoms in the city. WASHINGTON John F. Kelly left the White House barely on speaking terms with President Donald Trump. In the months since, Kelly, a retired four-star general and former White House chief of staff, has stayed mostly silent as other senior military figures have publicly and harshly criticized the president. Much to the consternation of friends and associates who have been pushing him to speak out, Kelly continued his silence Friday about a report in The Atlantic that the president had privately referred to U.S. troops killed in combat as losers and suckers. Kelly refused on-the-record interview requests about his recollection of comments Trump had reportedly made when Kelly was with him on a 2018 trip to France. According to the report, the president said that he had decided against visiting a cemetery for U.S. soldiers killed in World War I because its filled with losers, and that Marines slain in combat at Belleau Wood were suckers for getting killed. The article also reported that during a 2017 visit to Arlington National Cemetery, Trump and Kelly stopped to pay respects at the grave of Kellys son, 2nd Lt. Robert Kelly, a Marine who was killed at age 29 in Afghanistan in 2010. I dont get it. What was in it for them? the magazine reported that Trump had said to Kelly about his sons service and sacrifice. Kellys decision to stay publicly silent since he left the West Wing at the end of 2018 has frustrated groups like Republican Voters Against Trump, which has been actively pursuing him in hopes of encouraging him to publicly endorse former Vice President Joe Biden, the Democratic presidential nominee. William Kristol, a prominent Never Trump conservative helping to run the Republican group against Trump, said the pitch to Kelly was that he should not say a word about private conversations with the president, just give us your judgment. But Kelly, who served for more than 40 years in the Marines, has told associates that a retired four-star general should not come out against a sitting president in the heat of a political campaign, even though former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, another retired four-star Marine general, publicly criticized Trump in June for lacking mature leadership and trying to divide rather than unite the country. He wants to avoid taking a position that might be perceived as political, said Gen. Anthony C. Zinni, a retired four-star Marine Corps general and a close friend of Kelly, who had not spoken to him since the publication of the Atlantic article. I also think he takes to heart the commitment to confidentiality in matters related to their interaction with the president. Kellys silence did not save him from the presidents wrath. This man was totally exhausted, Trump said of Kelly at a news conference Friday. He wasnt even able to function in the last number of months. In the wake of The Atlantics report, the pressure on Kelly has been building. There is nothing noble about choosing loyalty to a former boss over fidelity to his oath to support and defend a Constitution that is under siege by that same boss, said Philippe Reines, a former top adviser to Hillary Clinton. Reines was working for Clinton when she was secretary of state and praised Kelly, then the senior military aide to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, for swiftly finding a plane to transport the bodies of the four Americans who died in the attacks in Benghazi, Libya, from a ceremony at Joint Base Andrews to Dover Air Force Base. Kelly was also on the advisory board of Reines former consulting company, Beacon Global Strategies. If his and others silence is based on assuming Trump will lose without their having to speak out, well, weve seen that movie before, Reines said. If Trump is reelected, their current silence will have played a big part. Friends and associates of Kelly said that his calculation about whether to speak out was also intertwined with publicly revisiting his sons death. He was very private about the loss of his son, and we as his staff fully respected that, said Elizabeth Neumann, who was deputy chief of staff to Kelly when he was secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. This is not the type of thing he wants politicized and doesnt feel like its the right thing to speak about. Kelly, who served three tours in Iraq during some of the worst violence there, later became chief military aide, a highly influential position, to Defense Secretary Robert Gates; he continued in the position under Panetta. Kelly went on to become the commander of U.S. Southern Command, which oversees all U.S. military operations in Central and South America. Kelly, who is the most senior U.S. military officer to lose a son or daughter in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, took a hard line on immigration at the Department of Homeland Security, which pleased Trump. Kelly moved on to the White House as Trumps second chief of staff, a tenure that was characterized by bouts of private anger that he kept masked behind public defenses of the president. In October, Kelly said at a conference that he felt bad that I left, implying that if he had stayed at the White House, he could have fended off the presidents impeachment late last year. White House officials have made it clear they have no regrets about the breakup. I worked with John Kelly, and he was totally unequipped to handle the genius of our great president, Stephanie Grisham, the former White House press secretary, said of Kelly at the time. In an interview in June, Kelly said that he agreed with Mattis warning about the president. But he left the onus for the condemnation on Mattis. For him to do that, Kelly said, tells you where he is relative to the concern he has for our country. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. As the inaugural Summer Reading Challenge for Kids comes to a close, weve collected another set of reviews from our young crew of book lovers, who eagerly offered up their opinions on the books from three reading lists, curated in conjunction with our parters at McNally Robinson Booksellers. (Read the first set of reviews here.) Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 5/9/2020 (502 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. As the inaugural Summer Reading Challenge for Kids comes to a close, weve collected another set of reviews from our young crew of book lovers, who eagerly offered up their opinions on the books from three reading lists, curated in conjunction with our parters at McNally Robinson Booksellers. (Read the first set of reviews here.) Bloom By Kenneth Oppel HarperCollins, 320 pages, $22 My name is Gabriel Leon and I am 10 years old. The book that I read was Bloom by Kenneth Oppel. I like the book because it was really action packed. It had lots of cool creatures. It was a long read. It was a lot of fun. It left off on a very good cliffhanger. The one problem about it was some parts were very confusing. If you missed a page you couldnt understand what was happening. If you wanted to show someone the book at a later page, they wouldnt understand because you have to read the whole book to understand it. I give it four stars because it is really good except for some confusing patches. Most sequences of the books are really good. I love it. Its really good. I love the characters and the stories. You need to read it! P.S. I would pay a ton of money to watch this book as a movie. 4 out of 5 stars Gabriel Leon, age 10 Heartwood Hotel Book One: A True Home By Kallie George, illustrated by Stephanie Graegen HarperCollins, 288 pages, $17 My name is Stella Leon and I am seven years old. I read a book called Heartwood Hotel: A True Home by Kallie George and illustrated by Stephanie Graegen. I like how Mona found the hotel and made a lot of friends. The thing I didnt like was that the wolves were trying to attack Heartwood Hotel. It was really cool how this mouse named Mona increased her bravery. I give it four stars. This book is amazing! 4 out of 5 stars Stella Leon, age 7 The book was amazing because Mr. Heartwood understood Mona right away because a deal is a deal! Eight-year-old Bethany Baker found Heartwood Hotel to be as thoughtful as its title. Heartwood Hotel is a heartful story just like its name! It is also a sad story because Tilly is rude to Mona who loses her parents like Tilly and she has to change to multiple homes. I only know one reason and that reason is her home gets flooded and that is how she finds Heartwood Hotel, the tree with a heart carved into it. Heartwood Hotel is where Mona meets Tilly, Gilles, Mrs. Higgins, Ms. Prickles, Mr. Heartwood and Ms. Juniper Jones. 4 out of 5 stars Bethany Baker, age 8 Surviving the City, Vol. 1 By Tasha Spillett, illustrated by Natasha Donovan Portage & Main Press/Highwater Press, 56 pages, $19 This book is about two Indigenous girls, Miikwan and Dez. When Dezs grandma falls ill, Dez is told that she cant live with her grandma anymore. Dez is heartbroken, and runs away. At school Miikwan sees a post on Facebook from Dezs grandma saying Dez did not come home last night. Miikwan is scared for her best friend because Dez is not responding to her text messages and is not in school. Will Dez be found or will she not? This book tells us about missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, and we learn how it feels to have a mom whos gone missing. I thought that this was a really good book that everybody should read when they can. 4 stars out of 5 Hana Henderson, age 12 Coop the Great By Larry Verstraete Yellow Dog/Great Plains Publications, 160 pages, $12 Nine-year-old Amy was not expecting the ending of Coop the great. Coop is little wiener dog who has had many names and many owners. At first Coop doesnt look at everything very brightly, his owners werent very kind to him, and he was hurt. Then Coop is adopted by Mike. This story is about Coop adjusting to his new home with Mike and his grandchildren, understanding his new family and even helping them on some occasions. Coop is also learning that he can be a hero too. I like that this book was about Coops point of view and that Mike was so gentle and kind. There was more to this story than I expected. At first, I thought this would be just a story about Coops life, but I didnt expect the ending. I didnt like that Coop was hurt in the story and had bad memories of his owners, it was kind of sad, since I thought he was sweet sounding dog. I would give this book four stars, since I really liked it! 4 stars out of 5 Amy, age 9 Tooga: The Story of a Polar Bear By Shirley Woods, illustrated by Muriel Wood Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 32 pages, $10 A polar bear named Ursa shares an ice floe with Kwa, an arctic fox. Ursa makes a den to give birth to her cubs, Tooga and Apoon. When he is two years old, Tooga falls asleep on an ice floe to wait out a storm. Weeks later he is able to swim to shore and smells grilled fish. On his way there, a girl on a bike nearly crashes into Tooga. He goes to a cabin and steals food from a cooler before humans scare him off. Canadian soldiers later corner him from all directions except north, so that he will head home. He finds a dead whale on the way and sees a white fox. My favourite character in the book was Kwa, the arctic fox. I recommend this book because you can learn a lot about polar bears and how they hunt. 4 stars out of 5 Dominik Andrzejczak, age 8 Eight-year-old Dominik Andrzejczaks favourite character in Tooga was Kwa, the arctic fox. I really liked both Tooga and Dragons in a Bag. I wanted Nana to keep reading. I wish there were more illustrations and pictures. In Tooga, there were words that I did not understand and we had to discuss. My favourite character was obviously Tooga because hes the main character. Thank you for the free books. 4 stars out of 5 Billy Kovacs, age 7 (giveaway winner) A Royal Guide to Monster Slaying By Kelley Armstrong Puffin Canada, 288 pages, $12 Rowan is a twelve-year-old girl who will inherit the thrown of Clan Dacre, but wishes she could swap places with her twin brother and become the Royal Monster Hunter instead. In Rowans kingdom, the oldest royal child becomes the Royal Monster Hunter and the youngest becomes the ruler, even when you are two minutes apart. But when her aunt dies and her brothers leg is badly injured, Rowan breaks tradition and trains to becomes a royal monster hunter. Training to be a Monster Hunter isnt easy. With only a few months to train, Rowan must defeat a griffon in order to save the thrown from Heward and his kids. There is nothing that I actually dislike about this book. There are somethings that did surprise me. It came together smoothly at the end and I like that. I liked that there were monsters and how Rowan makes friends with them. The ending was unexpected and it made me want to read the second book, The Gryphons Lair so I did! I would give this book five stars since I really, really like it (it is tied with some of my all time favourites) and was disappointed that there are no other books after book two yet. I am looking forward to another book if the author writes one after "The Gryphons Lair". 5 stars out of 5 Amy, age 9 Dragons in a Bag By Zetta Elliott Random House, 176 pages, $9.50 Bethany Baker, age 8 This book is amazing! Because you cant judge a person by their looks! Dragons in a Bag is so good because when it was lunch time at my house my mom asked me to come up but I just had to finish the chapter!! Its so full of magic! I just loved it!! 4 stars out of 5 Bethany Baker, age 8 The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane By Julia Nobel Sourcebooks, 320 pages, $11 The Mystery Of Black Hollow Lane is a very good book. It is about a girl named Emmy whose Dad has disappeared and a mom who is very busy with work. Emmy gets shipped off to Wellsworth, but, before she leaves she finds a strange box hidden in the attic of her house with some strange medallions in it. Once she gets to Wellsworth, she meets two friends and together they discover the secret of Black Hollow Lane. I liked this book a lot because of the twists and the story line is very fun and interesting. It keeps you on edge. I rate this book 5 stars. 5 stars out of 5 Claire B., age 9 The army's comments came a day after three militants from Hizbul Mujahideen were killed in north Kashmir. In recent years, only the ultras from LeT and JeM had been neutralised in the area Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) is trying to re-establish its base in north Kashmir, the Army said on Saturday, a day after three militants of the outfit were killed in an encounter with security forces in Baramulla district. Addressing a joint press conference with Deputy Inspector General of Police (North Kashmir Range) Muhammad Sulaiman Choudhary at Pattan, Commander 10 Sector of the Rashtriya Rifles of the Army Brigadier NK Mishra said it was after a long gap that militants belonging to the Hizbul Mujahideen were killed in north Kashmir where, in the recent years, only the ultras from Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad had been neutralised. "The activity of the HM outfit was very less here (in north Kashmir). It seems that Hizbul is trying to re-establish its base in north Kashmir," the army officer said. However, he said the security forces were alert and ready to foil all the plans of the outfit aimed at its revival in the north Kashmir. "If anyone (among the militants) wishes to join the mainstream, they are always welcome, but if anyone wants to become a terrorist, he will not be given any opportunity," Brigadier Mishra said. The DIG North Kashmir Range said the three militants killed on Friday in Yeddipora area of Pattan in north Kashmir's Baramulla district were affiliated with the HM outfit. "Two of the slain militants were locals and were identified as Shafkat Ali Khan of Rawatpora, Delina and Hanan Bilal Sofi of old town Baramulla. The identity of the third one is being ascertained," he said. Choudhary said two AK-47 riffles, four magazines, one pistol and two pistol magazines. besides incriminating matter, were seized from the site of the encounter. He said the militants were hiding in a house, holding 12 civilians, including children, hostage. The army officer said that the operation was a deliberate one as the first priority was to evacuate the civilians. An army Major and two Special Police Officers (SPOs) of Jammu and Kashmir Police were injured in the gun battle, but their condition is said to be stable. Former Irish Defence Forces member Lisa Smith who is charged with membership of the Islamic State terrorist group and with financing terrorism has been returned for trial at the Special Criminal Court. On Monday morning Mr Justice Tony Hunt, presiding, sitting with Judge Sarah Berkeley and Judge Declan Dempsey, granted an ex-parte application - where only one side is present in court - by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to try Ms Smith at the non-jury court. Last December at Dublin District Court Ms Smith, a 38-year-old from Dundalk, was initially charged with an offence contrary to the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act 2005 which carries a possible 10-year sentence, for being a member of unlawful terrorist group Islamic State (ISIS) between October 28, 2015 and December 1, 2019. On July 24 last, a further charge was bought against the mother-of-one under the same legislation for financing terrorism by sending 800 in assistance, via a Western Union money transfer, to a named man on May 6, 2015. At yesterday's brief hearing, State Solicitor Michael O'Donovan said that the DPP was applying to the court to make an order under Section 49 of the Offences Against the State Act that the accused woman be tried before the Special Criminal Court. In certain cases, the DPP can certify that in his or her opinion the ordinary courts are inadequate to secure the effective administration of justice. Mr Justice Hunt made the formal order for the case to be heard in the non-jury court. Ms Smith was previously sent forward for trial at the Special Criminal Court when she last appeared at Dublin District Court on July 31, where Sergeant Gareth Kane of the Special Detective Unit served the book of evidence on the accused woman on that date. Ms Smith, who denies the charges, was not present in court today for the legal formality. The case was listed for mention before the three-judge court on September 14 next, when the Dundalk woman is required to be in attendance. COVID-19 will be prevalent for another year or more By Jayampathy Jayasinghe View(s): View(s): Several foot tray mats were donated to officials of the Department of Immigration and Emigration and other state officials at the launch of the EDGENG Max Sanitising Foot Mats at Suhurupaya Building at Battaramulla this week in the presence of the Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Ms. M. Seneviratne, the Chief Guests and other heads of departments. The sanitising foot mats have been manufactured with fibre-reinforced plastic composite material made of polymer matrix reinforced with fibres designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 virus by disinfecting footwear of persons entering the Suhurupaya building, where several state departments are located. Producer of these mats, EDGENGs Chief Executive Officer Don Ganegoda said that while studying in the US he was involved with several engineering and science projects. Having had discussions with Sri Lankans on his return he decided to bring his innovative technological products to Sri Lanka and established a BOI company in the Biyagama zone. Referring to the sanitising foot mats, he said it was light in weight, anti- corrosive and anti microbial. EDGENG is a leading global manufacturer of Engineered Fiberglass products for Water and Wastewater, Architectural and Industrial application. Incorporated in 2008 it has since supplied a wide range of organisations with products from the standard range to project solutions. Medical Officer of Health (MOH) Battaramulla, Dr. Jayampathy Amarasekera said that due to the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic engulfing the world uncertainty prevails over the virus from spreading due to non- availability of a medicine or a vaccine so far. Availability of data shows that that the pandemic has not receded and has spread to countries such as Latin America and Africa. The COVID -19 pandemic death rate in America has neared to almost 200,000. He sounded a note of caution by saying that everyone is vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic until a cure or a vaccine is found. People should take precautions by keeping social distances, wearing of face masks and washing hands as the virus is still prevalent in the country. It has been found that a majority of Sri Lankans and others who arrive in the country are infected with the virus. Lately many Sri Lankans have dropped their guard and are going about freely as if COVID-19 is a thing of the past whereas millions of people in the neighbouring countries have been infected with the virus. However preventive action by the Sri Lankan government at the very inception had prevented the spread of COVID-19 spreading in the country. We all have to live with the COVID-19 pandemic for another year or more till a remedy is found, he said. NEW DELHI: Indias automakers and component manufacturers should strive to localise bulk of parts imported from China within the next few years to drive cost competitiveness and boost exports, senior industry executives and government officials said. Automakers should also reach out to the companies that are planning to move out of China and convince them to shift their production to India instead of other countries, they said at the 60th annual convention of Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (Acma). The move to reduce dependence on imports especially from China comes in the aftermath of the recent border standoff between India and China which led to the death of 20 Indian soldiers. India in retaliation resorted to increased inspection of consignments from China and levied import restriction on certain components like tyres which has adversely impacted production of automakers. Many companies in China are relocating or putting plants in other countries to cover geo-political risk. We should bring those investments to India or tie-up with them to produce in India," said Kenichi Ayukawa, president, SIAM and managing director of Maruti Suzuki. I will make efforts to organize some business exploration meetings with manufacturers of Japan to increase Make in India. Similarly, we could do with other countries like Europe or Korea or USA," added Ayukawa. Indias automakers have been planning to cut their dependence on components sourced from China ever since they had to reduce 10% of their monthly output in February due to the covid-19 induced lockdown in China which impacted import of parts. The shortage led to disruption in the OEMs plans to seamlessly transition to the stringent Bharat Stage 6 emission norms by March 31. A fourth of the total imports by the auto component industry are from China. I tried to analyse these components and the top ten components imported includes gear box and parts, tubes, radiators and axles, steering wheels among others," said Amitabh Kant, chief executive officer, Niti Aayog. "I personally dont see any technological impediment for localisation of these components. These are all low-tech products and with sales of 2.5 crore vehicles every year India provides the necessary scale and support and these is no rationale for importing these," he said. Indias leading two-wheeler manufacturers, Hero MotoCorp Ltd, Bajaj Auto Ltd, and TVS Motor Company Ltd, have already started working with suppliers to establish local manufacturing of bulk of the components imported from China by March 2021, to reduce possibilities of further shock or disruption in supply-chain network in the future. It is up to all of us to switch gears and race ahead and grab all opportunities when we are called upon as leaders to shape our own future. We are an integral part in achieving a self-reliant country by designing a new future," said Pawan Munjal, managing director and chief executive, Hero MotoCorp. "I believe going forward our sector can be the growth engine for bringing alive the Atmanirbhar Bharat. It is through this principle our industry has the opportunity to become a global hub in the very near future." Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics Coronavirus tests could be picking up dead virus cells from weeks' old infections, study finds, meaning 'false positives' could lead to an exaggeration of the current scale of the pandemic. Despite coronavirus only being infectious for around a week, the tests used to diagnose the disease could still show a positive reading for weeks after the end of a patient's illness. Experts don't know how to produce a reliable test without potentially missing cases but Professor Carl Heneghan, one of the study's author's, suggested a cut off point so low amounts of virus do not give a positive result. He told the BBC coronavirus 'infectivity appears to decline after about a week' and added false positives could be the reason case numbers are on the rise while hospital admissions fall. Despite coronavirus only being infectious for around a week, the tests used to diagnose the disease could still show a positive reading for weeks after a patient's illness. Pictured, cases have been rising while hospital admissions fall Healthcare assistant Corinne Parkes (right) has a Covid-19 swab test before registering to take part in a trial at Kettering General Hospital in Northamptonshire. Experts don't know how to produce a reliable test without potentially missing cases Some 25 studies where virus specimens from positive tests were put in a petri dish to see if they would grow were studied by the University of Oxford's Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine. This 'viral culturing' can show if the positive test has picked up active virus which can reproduce and spread, or just dead virus fragments which won't grow in the lab, or in a person. Public Health England said it is currently working with labs to find a solution, including where the 'cycle threshold', or cut-off point, should be. Prof Ben Neuman, at the University of Reading, warned the potential for false positives should not be compared to the 'likelihood that it will spread'. Diners in Frith Street, Soho, on August 11. Prof Peter Openshaw at Imperial College London said he was of the impression patients were 'very unlikely to be infectious beyond day 10 of disease' And there is disagreement between researchers over how long the virus remains able to infect others. Prof Francesco Venturelli, an epidemiologist in Emilia-Romagna, Italy, which was hit hard by the virus in March, said there was 'not enough certainty' over how long the virus is infectious. Prof Peter Openshaw at Imperial College London said he was of the impression patients were 'very unlikely to be infectious beyond day 10 of disease'. It comes as two-thirds of new coronavirus infections in the UK are in the under-40s, while the rate among older people has fallen sharply in an 'extraordinary' shift. The number of over-50s testing positive for Covid-19 now represents just a fifth of those nationwide, compared with three quarters in the spring. Manston Airport COVID test centre. Some 25 studies where virus specimens from positive tests were put in a petri dish to see if they would grow were studied by the University of Oxford's Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine Just three per cent are now made up of those over 80, down from 28 per cent six months ago, reported The Times. The peak age range for infections is now in the 20s but for most of the pandemic it was in the 80s - sparking hope further restrictions can be reduced because it seems older people are voluntarily shielding. One Government adviser has suggested a Swedish-style effort to keep workplaces open while advising older people to stay at home. Mark Woolhouse of the University of Edinburgh, who sits on the government's SPI-M modelling group, said 'the epidemic is starting to divide' people by age. Ministers have spoken out against plans to ask people to shield based on their age and are worried if infections are allowed to rise in the young it will eventually spread to more vulnerable members of society. Especially after France reported a rise in hospital admissions just weeks after cases in young people increased. One Government adviser has suggested a Swedish-style effort to keep workplaces open while advising older people to stay at home. Pictured, the age of patients who died in hospitals in England during a week in mid-August Last week 2,042 cases were confirmed in people in their twenties, more than ten times the number among over-80s. Professor Dame Anne Johnson, professor of infectious disease epidemiology, University College London, told BBC Radio 4: 'This is indeed a critical moment. If you look at the data from PHE across the country, we are now seeing the highest number of detected infections in younger people aged 20-29 and also going up to 45. 'On the one hand, the good news is we aren't at the moment seeing the uptick in cases in hospitals and in deaths but of course that reflects where the transmission is going on.' She added that it would be 'incredibly important' to continue to tell young people about the risks of transmitting coronavirus. Cases started rising in younger people from July, when the hospitality sector was allowed to open up. Around 3,000 people a day were admitted to hospital with Covid-19 at the peak of the crisis in April, according to government statistics. The correct figure is not yet known Government figures show around 20,000 were in hospital every day during the darkest days of the crisis in April Holiday goers arriving back to the UK after Portugal was not added to the UK quarantine list The number of positive Covid-19 tests are lower in all ages than in the Spring, but the number of elderly people with the disease has fallen. Yesterday Britain confirmed another 1,940 cases of coronavirus in the biggest surge for more than three months, with May 30 the last time so many people were diagnosed with the virus. There are 1,530 people testing positive, on average, each day - a jump of 30 per cent in one week. The seven-day rolling average has been steadily increasing since reaching record-low numbers in mid-July. Despite this, scientists say the soaring number of tests and still-falling hospitalisations show that a second wave is not incoming, and that a better testing system is simply picking up more young people who only get mildly ill and weren't getting tested before. A further 10 people are confirmed to have died across all settings, according to the Department of Health, taking the total to 41,537. Most are expected to be in England, considering none were reported by the individual health agencies of Wales or Scotland. One was in Northern Ireland. A Kmart worker stole at least $76,000 worth of Lego products from the store so he could fund his gambling habit. The staffer pleaded guilty to fraud, stealing as a clerk and servant and possessing tainted property at Southport District Court on Friday. He was caught stealing items such as high-end Lego sets to sell on Gumtree - where he had made $25,000 in 22 months, the Gold Coast Bulletin reported. A Kmart worker stole at least $76,000 worth of products from the store so he could fund his gambling habit (stock image) Nick McGhee, the man's lawyer, said his client had a gambling addiction and was now seeking help for it The court was told the store noticed Lego items missing during a stock take and an investigation was launched. Police searched the 34-year-old home in March 2019, and he admitted to stealing from the store for 22 months. The man told police it was to fund his gambling habit, the court was told. Officers also found a device to remove security tags and 15 security tags that would have been attached to stolen items, the court heard. A Kmart worker was caught stealing items such as high-end Lego sets and mobile phones to sell on Gumtree - where he had made $25,000 in 22 months (stock image) The man lost his job after his crimes were discovered, and he had been working as a support worker until a deterioration in his mental health. Nick McGhee, the man's lawyer, said his client had a gambling addiction and was now seeking help for it. Judge Katherine McGinness sentenced the Kmart staffer to three-and-a-half years in jail. The sentence would be sentenced after he had served his months. Controversial social commentator and men's rights activist Bettina Arndt and former Sydney Morning Herald columnist Mike Carlton will keep their spots among the Order of Australia after the organising body rejected calls for their expulsion. The Council for the Order of Australia decided only legal findings against a person were enough to show someone had brought it into disrepute, a key basis for removal, and that had not happened to Ms Arndt or Mr Carlton. Bettina Arndt's comments about domestic violence were widely condemned. Credit:Joshua Morris "In a system that recognises the service of hundreds of people each year, it is inevitable that each list will include some people who others believe should not be recognised," council chairman Shane Stone said in a statement. Politicians across the political spectrum had called for the decision this year to admit Ms Arndt as a Member of the Order of Australia be overturned because of her remarks about paedophilia and family violence. Haiti - News : Zapping... Jovenel Moise promises to use the army against the bandits Friday in Moreau on the sidelines of his visit to the works in the Artibonite Valley (access to water), President Jovenel Moise announced the construction of a police station in the area and handed over to the police 5 new pick-up vehicles. In Lancourt, the Head of State spoke with residents about the insecurity raging in the valley. He called for synergy between the Minister of Defense and the Minister of Justice and promised to use the Armed Forces of Haiti (FAd'H) to fight against the bandits. He then visited a new gravel factory installed in the area to facilitate the concrete works of the irrigation canals. Discovery of 2 charred bodies On Friday, two charred bodies, victims of an assassination, were found in the Tremblay area (Croix-des-Bouquets). The "400 mawozo" gang is singled out in these 2 new murders Seizure of 5 assault rifles and thousands of ammunition Commissioner Michel-Ange Louis-Jeune, spokesperson for the Haitian National Police (PNH), confirmed that 5 assault rifles, 6 magazines and nearly 4,000 ammunition were seized on Wednesday, September 2 in a container transported to the vessel "Accordia Shipping". Search techniques training Launch of a continuing training session for investigators from the Anti-Corruption Unit (ULCC) around the theme "Search techniques" with Me Claude Jean, Commissioner at the Court of Appeal of Port-au-Prince and Magistrate Ikenson Edume, examining magistrate at the Court of First Instance of the Capital. Ludwig Joseph, Director General of the ULCC, intends to strengthen the skills and performance of investigators by instituting a compulsory continuing training system in his institution. Agriculture : New Departmental Director for the North Branly Eugene, the Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture proceeded to the premises of the Departmental Agricultural Directorate of the North (DDAN) to the Installation of the Ing-Agronomist Pierre Mary Brutus as Departmental Director of Agriculture a.i. of the North. He replaces in this post the Ing-Agronomist Frantz Dorvil promoted and transferred to the General Directorate. HL/ HaitiLibre TRENTON A Trenton Public Schools teacher who previously worked in the West Windsor-Plainsboro district resigned from his former job in 2018 after being accused of sexual harassment. Erik Daniels evaded tenure charges and possible termination by agreeing to resign from the WW-P schools system effective Dec. 31, 2018, records show. The Trenton Board of Education hired Daniels as a special education teacher in September 2018 back when Daniels was simultaneously receiving administrative leave compensation from the WW-P school board, according to public documents. Mr. Daniels resigned his position during the course of an investigation into allegations of conduct unbecoming, Dr. David Aderhold, superintendent of the WW-P Regional School District, said in a letter to New Jerseys educator licensing agency. The allegations related to Mr. Daniels were related to allegations of sexual harassment of colleagues but there were not any known allegations of inappropriate relationships with students or inappropriate physical contact with students. During the course of the investigation, Aderhold added, Mr. Daniels was placed on an administrative leave with pay. Prior to the conclusion of the investigation, Mr. Daniels elected to resign his employment and enter into a separation agreement with the Board. Under the separation agreement, Daniels acknowledged being the subject of an investigation related to allegations concerning possible violations of Board policy and regulations and further acknowledged that WW-P district officials specifically advised Mr. Daniels that if there were no amicable resolution, which included his resignation, it would certify tenure charges against him, seeking his termination, with the Commissioner of Education. Daniels denied the allegations against him but still submitted his letter of resignation to Aderhold saying: Please be advised that I agree to the ending of my employment as a Teacher for the West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District Board of Education effective at the end of the day on December 31, 2018. Daniels, a Bordentown City resident, was earning more than $93,000 per year as a WW-P special education teacher before quitting and accepting a lower paying job at Trentons Hedgepeth/Williams Middle School, according to records obtained by The Trentonian. When Daniels began working for Trenton Public Schools in fall 2018, WW-Ps Board of Education abruptly discontinued his administrative leave pay. Daniels admits that West Windsor properly discontinued the payment of administrative leave upon receiving his first paycheck in Trenton, but he accuses the district of breach of contract, saying WW-P has refused to compensate him with accumulated sick leave. Feeling wronged, Daniels filed a civil-action complaint in Mercer County Superior Court in February accusing WW-P of violating his separation agreement. He is demanding a trial by jury and judgment for compensating damages with interest, attorney fees and costs of suit. Michael T. Barrett, an attorney for Daniels, filed the lawsuit on behalf of his client. The WW-P school board discussed this pending litigation Tuesday during a closed executive session, according to the boards meeting agenda. Eric L. Harrison, an attorney for WW-P, filed court papers on Tuesday requesting the Superior Court to dismiss Daniels complaint with prejudice. Daniels worked for 20 years in the WW-P district from September 1998 until his resignation in 2018. His former labor contract with the WW-P Board of Education had a provision stating the following: Upon retirement from the West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District, with at least 20 years of service to the district, an employee shall be compensated for accumulated sick leave on a generous pro-rata basis. The attorneys for WW-P argue that Daniels is not entitled to accumulated sick leave compensation, Given that Plaintiff has not retired from his position at the District under the plain meaning of the law, he cannot state a breach of contract claim as he is not entitled to any reimbursement. A judge is expected to rule on WW-Ps motion to dismiss later this year. Daniels was receiving $72,270 in annual salary from the Trenton Board of Education as of June 30, according to active pension records. The goal is to humanize Trump and demonize Biden so that voters feel that they can vote for Trump again. Showcasing Black Americans at the Republican National Convention to allay white voters fears that President Donald Trump is a racist. Sharing touching stories about the presidents concern for the military. Painting Democrat Joe Biden as an unacceptable alternative who threatens the American way of life. Its all part of the Trump campaigns effort to construct a permission structure a clunky catchphrase for creating an emotional and psychological gateway to help disenchanted voters feel comfortable voting for the president again despite their reservations about him personally. All of those black people he used as props at the RNC just to do this https://t.co/dTTo2FWQf2 Janet Johnson (@JJohnsonLaw) September 5, 2020 Both the GOP convention and the presidents recent law and order mantra have been aimed squarely at former Trump supporters whove grown unhappy with his inflammatory rhetoric and handling of the coronavirus pandemic. The goal is to humanize Trump and demonize Biden so that these voters, particularly women and suburbanites, feel that they can vote for Trump again anyway. Their new theme is that its OK to support Trump even if you dont care for him, said Alex Conant, a Republican strategist who advised Florida Sen. Marco Rubios presidential bid four years ago. People dont like him because they think he is racist, sexist or doesnt care about average people. But their message now is Dont look at what he said, look at what he does. READ MORE: Symone Sanders on how Black voters can combat voter suppression The phrase permission structure got a political cameo in 2013 when President Barack Obama advanced his theory that many congressional Republicans agreed with his proposals but withheld their support because of political considerations and the fear they would face challenges in GOP primaries. Story continues Were going to try to do everything we can to create a permission structure for them to be able to do whats going to be best for the country, Obama said then. But its going to take some time. Variations of the same phrase had been used in political circles and the marketing world long before then. In advertising, its sometimes known as permission to believe, meaning that Madison Avenue needed to pitch a product be it laundry detergent or high-end vodka in a way that would help consumers justify spending the money on themselves. Donny Deutsch, an advertising executive and former cable host, said he has observed, in his own surveys, that some voters keep their support of Trump secret because it benefits their bottom lines. And he believes the presidents recent messaging on the unrest has been effective. We can all left-brain it as much we want: Its his America, its his violence, how can he run as an outsider when hes president? said Deutsch, a vocal Trump critic. But its a very primal thing. I think it works. President Donald Trump speaks at an airport hanger at a rally a day after he formally accepted his partys nomination at the Republican National Convention on August 28, 2020 in Londonderry, New Hampshire. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Within months of Trump taking office, aides noticed he was beginning to lose support among women, particularly those in the suburbs, who were turned off by some of his callous behavior and bellicose tweets. The suburbs, and female voters, largely broke for Democrats during the 2018 midterm elections in which the GOP suffered massive losses in House races. The loss of support only accelerated this spring after the pandemic arrived. Many suburban voters and some seniors were unhappy with Trumps perceived lack of empathy for those affected by COVID-19 and those marching for racial justice after the death of George Floyd and other Black Americans. Much of the four-day Republican convention was meant to repair the damage and soften Trumps rough edges. There were testimonials from female staffers vouching for Trumps caring side, as well as from minority staffers, elected officials and friends. The campaign would like to improve Trumps standing with Black men, despite his reflexive support for law enforcement involved in the killing of Black men, as well as his at times racist rhetoric and the disproportionate loss of life to COVID-19 in communities of color. READ MORE: Black voters could tip the scale for Biden-Harris in battleground states But the campaigns message on race was largely aimed at a different audience. It was beamed at the suburbs, particularly college-educated suburban women: They dont want to vote for somebody viewed as a racist, said Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginias Center for Politics. A similar repair effort was launched this week after reports emerged that Trump had repeatedly disparaged American servicemembers who were killed or captured. The president denied the allegations and GOP allies rushed to share stories of the presidents caring attitude toward the military. House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy recounted how the president earlier this year cut short a rally in New Hampshire so he could meet families receiving fallen servicemen at Dover, Delaware. I watched the president walk out there, stand in the rain, accepting the bodies coming down with the family, McCarthy told The Associated Press in an interview Friday. Creating a permission structure for a voter to come home to Trump can be, at times, just as much about making the other candidate appear unacceptable as getting past reservations about the president. President Trumps insulting comments about our men and women in uniform are appalling. Our military deserves a Commander-in-Chief who respects their service. Clearly, Trump does not. https://t.co/my8NosRXtB pic.twitter.com/NqHLie2cuQ Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) September 4, 2020 Sabato said the campaign is trying to make Trump an acceptable alternative again as they drive up fears of Biden. Trump has made a ferocious push to tear down Biden by asserting he is in thrall to left-wing radical forces that the Republican nominee has blamed for violence in cities like Portland, Oregon, and Kenosha, Wisconsin. The Biden campaign has notched some high-profile national security endorsements and believes it is currently winning 9% of Trumps 2016 voters. And Democrats have celebrated the resources the president has needed to expend to win back Republicans. As Joe Biden said when he accepted the Democratic nomination for president, said Biden campaign spokesman Andrew Bates, he would strive to represent all Americans, regardless of whether they are members of his base or not the polar opposite of Trumps toxic approach. The Trump campaign says it has growing support from Black and Latino communities and points to the presidents sky-high approval rating within the GOP. Joe Biden with no support and a dwindling base is attempting to appeal to Republican voters, but his efforts are futile as President Trump is experiencing strong, unified support from the Republican Party, said campaign spokeswoman Samantha Zager. Associated Press writer Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed to this report. Have you subscribed to theGrios podcast Dear Culture? Download our newest episodes now! The post Trump out to build permission structure to win back voters appeared first on TheGrio. New Delhi, Sep 5 : Emphasising the need for more use of technology in education that has been necessitated by the coronavirus pandemic, Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday called upon the teachers to harness the power of technology to make both teaching and learning joyful, learner-friendly and effective. Conveying his thoughts on the occasion of Teachers' Day in a Facebook Post, the Vice- President said that there was need to revive the spirit of excellence, and asserted that we must never let mediocrity be the norm. Appreciating the teachers for quickly adapting to the changed scenario and switching to an online delivery mode very effectively, Naidu said that this is the courage and confidence that must pervade the system. Stressing that Indians recognise lifelong learning to be an essential facet of life, the Vice-President said that in addition to teachers in formal settings, one learns from parents, elders and peers, and from a variety of sources of wisdom. "Learning throughout life and absorbing the best from all has always been India's approach," Naidu said. He called for the retention of the spirit of curiosity, expansion of intellectual horizons, and nurturing of ability to be receptive to new ideas. Naidu later stressed the need to collectively create conditions for a tribe of excellent teachers to thrive and expand. He paid rich tributes to Dr S Radhakrishnan, independent India's first Vice-President and second President whose birth anniversary is celebrated as Teachers' Day. Dawn Butler praised the blockade of the free press - David Mirzoeff/PA Wire A Labour MP has been condemned after praising Extinction Rebellion for 'excellent work' after they blocked the printworks of most of Britain's major newspapers. Dawn Butler, the Member of Parliament for Brent, tweeted applause for the attack on the free press, after the blockade meant many were unable to receive their newspapers, including The Telegraph, this morning. Some questioned whether she would be sanctioned by the Labour leadership for her tweet, which was hastily deleted after she received thousands of angry replies. Conservative MP for Guildford Angela Richardson responded, tweeting: "Anyone who applauds this behaviour genuinely fails to understand the gravity of this action. It's utterly unacceptable." Dawn Butler applauds the blocking of roads and the stopping of newspapers from being distributed. So, @Keir_Starmer, do you agree with her???? (Shes now deleted her tweet, but here it is for all to see) pic.twitter.com/MwtTIDoUIE Michael Fabricant (@Mike_Fabricant) September 5, 2020 Michael Fabricant, Conservative MP for Lichfield, said: "Dawn Butler applauds the blocking of roads and the stopping of newspapers from being distributed. So, Keir Starmer,, do you agree with her???? (Shes now deleted her tweet, but here it is for all to see)". Health minister Nadine Dorries added: "They prevented a blue light ambulance carrying an emergency from reaching St Thomas A+E because ER blocked the bridge and access. Are you serious?" Labour did not comment on her tweet, but sources said the order to delete it did not come from Keir Starmer. The shadow culture secretary Jo Stevens said the party disagreed with the action taken by the climate change activists. Story continues She said: "A free press is vital for our democracy. People have the right to read the newspapers they want. Stopping them from being distributed and printers from doing their jobs is wrong. Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry also condemned the action. She told Times Radio: "This is very worrying and I don't really know what it is that is expected to be achieved and I know that for many older listeners it's very much part of their daily life, getting their paper delivered, and I think it's just wrong". Last night, more than 100 protesters used vehicles and bamboo lock-ons to block roads outside the printing works at Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, and Knowsley, near Liverpool. Extinction Rebellion's blockade - Yui Mok/PA Wire The presses print the Rupert Murdoch-owned News UK's titles including The Sun, The Times, The Sun on Sunday and The Sunday Times, as well as The Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph, the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday, and the London Evening Standard. Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, branded the Extinction Rebellion demonstration as an "attack on democracy". She said: "This morning people across the country will be prevented from reading their newspaper because of the actions of Extinction Rebellion. "This attack on our free press, society and democracy is completely unacceptable." Under a banner reading 'Free the truth", XR tweeted that it was using the disruption to expose the newspapers' "failure to report on the climate & ecological emergency, and their consistent manipulation of truth to suit their own agendas". The shooting happened about 11 p.m. during a party at a residence in the 9900 block of South Van Vlissingen Road in the Jeffery Manor neighborhood. Police said the man got into a verbal altercation with a male family member who pulled out a weapon and shot him in the abdomen. The statue of William of Orange which was vandalised in Glasgow city centre A statue of King William of Orange defaced with IRA graffiti has been restored by Glasgow City Council. The monument, near the city's cathedral, was vandalised after Black Lives Matter demonstrations in Glasgow Green. It was targeted in two incidents. In the first an anti-police slogan was daubed on the statue, with "IRA" added during the second episode. Both slogans were quickly removed, but the statue has now been cleaned, repainted and restored to its original condition. The Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland told the Glasgow Times newspaper it was over the moon that the council had repaired the monument. "We are delighted to see that King William's statue, in all its glory, has been fully restored," a spokesperson said. "A special thanks to the Glasgow City Council and everyone involved in the restoration." A number of other statues, including the Highland Light Infantry memorial and a Lord Roberts statue located in Kelvingrove Park, were defaced during the same Black Lives Matter protests. Jihadists have made $140 million from attacks on gold mines in Burkina Faso since 2016, according to a report commissioned by the government. Gold mining has become increasingly vital to the economy of the landlocked West African country, which was once dependent on cotton exports for foreign earnings. But the industry has also become a welcome source of funding for jihadists and other armed movements in areas lacking in central authority, according to the report's author Ollo Kambou of the Burkina Economic and Social Observatory (OES). The report estimated the total cost of the attacks in terms of damage to property and wider effects to be 600 billion CFA francs ($1.1 billion) since 2016, roughly one third of the state's entire revenue. A spiral of jihadist violence began five years ago in parallel with a gold rush. From 0.40 tonnes in 2007, gold production rose to more than 52 tonnes in 2018, according to Burkina's Chamber of Mines. The sector made up 11.4 percent of economic output in 2018. It accounts for 9,200 direct jobs and 26,100 indirect jobs, while the gold panning sub-sector employs 1.5 million people. But jihadist attacks are hindering production at artisanal mines. "Terrorist organisations exploit natural resources such as gold," Kambou said. The mines also give jihadists access to explosives. More than 1,100 people have died and more than one million have fled their homes in Burkina Faso since 2015 when jihadists crossed from neighbouring Mali and began their attacks. Swathes of territory are now outside of the control of central authorities. The violence has been attributed to jihadists affiliated with Al-Qaeda or the Islamic State group. While those groups are using the gold to funding terrorism, Kambou said that most attacks are financed from abroad. "Money transfer companies and non-profit organisations are the main channels used to finance terrorist attacks in Burkina Faso," he said, pointing out that the groups benefit from the fact that much of the economy is cash-based. Search Keywords: Short link: Four more countries have agreed to run late-stage clinical tests of coronavirus vaccine candidates from China National Biotec Group and Sinovac Biotech -- as China steps up its efforts in the global race. Serbia and Pakistan are among the new countries agreeing to Phase 3 trials. The two companies are seeking more data overseas as new cases dwindle in China. CNBG's vice president Zhang Yuntao said its Phase 3 trials are expected to involve 50,000 people in about 10 countries. He added that foreign countries have expressed interest in ordering a combined 500 million doses of its vaccines. Trials have already begun in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Peru, Morocco, Argentina, and Jordan. CNBG is expected to be able to produce 300 million doses of vaccine a year once it upgrades manufacturing techniques. And Zhang says it is working on a plan to raise its annual capacity to 1 billion doses. Sinovac's vaccine candidate, CoronaVac, is currently being tested in Brazil and Indonesia. It has also obtained approvals from two other countries for Phase 3 trials. Thats according to their senior director of global strategy Helen Yang - who declined to name the countries as the information is still confidential. China has already authorized the vaccine candidates from Sinovac and CNBG for emergency use in high-risk groups such as medical workers - despite the final stage of trials still being underway. PPP only works when there are sales generated, Boehm said. You have to get up to a certain amount of full-time equivalency to turn it from a loan to a grant, so you just end up being saddled with more debt. Thats why PPP is not perfect and why wed like to change it into the RESTAURANTS Act, which is an actual grant. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that Iran has continued to grow its enriched uranium stock to 2,105 kilograms, which is nearly ten times the 300 kg limit agreed upon in 2015. With the massive number of resources, Iran denied that the amount of uranium was a threat because its nuclear program was exclusively stored for peaceful purposes. Weapons-grade uranium According to BBC, the discovery of the surplus of enriched uranium in the country was during the time that Iran gave access to inspectors of the agency to one of two potentially operating former nuclear sites. The IAEA announced that it would be taking samples at the second site later this month. Iran last year began to purposely and openly go back on its promise to comply with agreements written under an international nuclear accord from 2015. The deal involved several other nations; Russia, France, China, Germany, the UK, and the United States. The Middle Eastern country's actions include the production of enriched uranium past the limit that was stated in the accord. While the levels of enriched uranium did surpass the threshold by a large margin, it was nowhere near the amount needed for use in atomic weapons. Iran would need to produce 1,050 kilograms of 3.67 percent enriched uranium in order to manufacture a nuclear weapon capable of threatening enemies. However, the Arms Control Association, a US-based advocacy group, said that the country would then need to further enrich that resource to at least 90 percent. Low-enriched uranium has usual concentrations of about three to five percent of the fissile isotope U-235 and can supply energy to power plants. However, uranium used in nuclear weapons needs to be enriched 90 percent or more to be effective. Even if Tehran decides to enrich its uranium for nuclear weapons, experts say that the process would last a very long time. Also Read: Iran Gives UN Access to Two Previously Guarded Nuclear Sites in Fears of International Sanctions Backing out of the deal In 2018, United States President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from the deal that kept tabs on how much enriched uranium Iran should have, arguing that the details of the accord should be reviewed and renegotiated, as reported by Aljazeera. Iran has since slowly but surely pushed back against the limits implemented to try and force other remaining nations in the agreement to increase incentives. Experts believe the move aims to offset new and economically-devastating US sanctions. The remaining countries in the accord argue that while Iran violated several past restrictions imposed on it, preservation of the deal was imperative because the Middle Eastern country supplied critical access to the IAEA to inspect its nuclear facilities. Two locations in Iran which are believed to have been constructed in the early 2000s placed the agency at a months-long impasse. Tehran, on the other hand, said that IAEA inspectors had no right to visit the sites because they were erected before the deal was signed. Last week, Iran announced that it would give IAEA inspectors access to the two nuclear sites after Director General Rafael Grossi of the agency visited Tehran. On Friday, a separate report by the IAEA wrote that Iran gave inspectors access to the two locations to gather environmental samples. The findings will be sent to laboratories that are part of the IAEA's network and analyzed by scientists. Related Article: Russian and Emirati Cargo Planes Supply Destruction Caused by Libyan War @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. New Entrepreneurship Bank to help SMEs and start-ups By Jayampathy Jayasinghe View(s): View(s): A National Entrepreneurship Development Bank is to be established in the country soon to facilitate SMEs and start- ups and discussions are underway in the Central Bank of Sri Lanka in this regard. Meanwhile a plan to introduce a permanent Credit Guarantee Institution is also being discussed to boost domestic growth of industries, said Central Bank Governor Prof. W.D. Lakshman delivering the 70th anniversary oration of the Central Bank in Colombo last week. Referring to credit flows, he said market forces do not necessarily channel credit flows towards sectors that have the potential to generate employment and add value in the domestic economy. The Central Bank has occasionally acted directly to intervene in this respect of credit allocation patterns. At present a mandatory lending requirement of 10 per cent of total credit is granted in favour of agricultural credit. The hesitancy on the part of banks to lend to agriculture were the factors that made for a direct credit allocation intervention. The credit schemes operated by the Central Bank have looked into the reluctance of banks to lend to the small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs), he said. The issue affecting the health of the financial sector that includes non- bank financial institutions with varied financial strengths requires careful and firm handling. The failure of one or few such companies does not create a systematic impact but such a failure causes a significant impact on society. Taking care of depositors of these companies is part of the social responsibility of the Central Bank. The intervention and guidance of the Central Bank is sought by stakeholders in various unregistered and unregulated small financial units among which there are micro finance providers and small money changers. The governor further said that in terms of the existing legal framework, the Central Bank has no responsibility in respect of lending agencies which do take deposits from the public. Extensive indebtedness among people at low income levels is causing serious harm on the welfare of people. Their lack of bargaining power in the face of unfair practices of lending institutions that require the intervention of the Central Bank to safeguard the right of borrowers. This would be part of its responsibility in its development role. The presence of a large informal sector in the economy makes the development role of the Central Bank difficult and complicated, he added. The Central Bank in line with other agencies of the government has provided the flow of required funds into the economy to meet the needs of the people under lockdown conditions. The COVID-19 experience has also provided the countrys policy makers a valuable learning ground in their search for an alternative policy framework to lift the people onto a higher platform of social and economic achievements. Direct or indirect financing of fiscal deficits has been viewed with caution in Sri Lanka, but on several occasions in the past the Central Bank has stepped in to assist the Government in most difficult times like in the early 1980s at the beginning of the open economy regime and recently during the COVID-19 pandemic, he said. Deputy Governor of the Central Bank K.M. Mahinda Siriwardana delivered the welcome address. Scientists have maintained a constant observation of the Sun in pursuit of answers to several mysteries. As a result of this continuous exercise, unprecedented images of the fine-structure of the Sun are now out that show super fine details of our primary stars structure. The unparalleled details have been captured through GREGOR, the largest solar telescope in Europe. Located on Teide Observatory, Spain and operated by a German consortium, GREGOR was able to capture never-seen before details of the Sun. The telescope allowed scientists to resolve details as small as 50 km on the Sun. To put that into perspective, know that the Sun has a diameter of 1.4 million km. Europes largest solar telescope GREGOR captures intricate structures of solar magnetic fields in very high resolution (wavelength - 516 nm). (Image: KIS) The new achievement was made possible thanks to a major overhaul of GREGORs optics recently. The task was carried out by a team of scientists and engineers from the Leibniz Institute for Solar Physics (KIS), thus allowing the Sun to be observed at a higher resolution than ever before. This was a very exciting, but also extremely challenging project. In only one year we completely redesigned the optics, mechanics, and electronics to achieve the best possible image quality. said Dr. Lucia Kleint, who led the project and the German solar telescopes on Tenerife. Technical breakthrough A sunspot observed in high resolution by the GREGOR telescope at the wavelength 430 nm. (Image: KIS) A recent release by KIS explains how the images were made possible. It explains that a major technical breakthrough was achieved by the project team in March this year. As the team was stranded at the observatory during the lockdown, it set up the optical laboratory from the ground up. At the time though, snow storms prevented the team from using the telescope to make any observations. It was only when Spain reopened in July that the team flew back and obtained the highest resolution images of the Sun ever taken by a European telescope. The GREGOR telescope on Tenerife, Spain (Image: KIS) The first light images by the telescope which were obtained back in July this year reveal fine details of sunspot evolution and intricate structures in solar plasma. KIS explains that the new optics of the telescope now allow scientists to study other aspects too, including magnetic fields, convection, turbulence, solar eruptions, and sunspots. Understanding these aspects further allow us to determine the influence of the Sun on Earth and thus minimise damage of satellites and technological infrastructure by taking optimum measures. Protesters suspended in a bamboo structure outside the printing works in Hertfordshire - Yui Mok/PA The Prime Minister has branded Extinction Rebellion's blockading of major printing presses to stop papers reaching shops on Saturday "completely unacceptable". Boris Johnson said a free press is "vital" and criticised the activists for trying to "limit the publics access to news". More than 100 protesters used vehicles and bamboo lock-ons to block roads outside the printing works at Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, and Knowsley, near Liverpool. By Saturday morning, police said some 63 people had been arrested. The presses print the Rupert Murdoch-owned News UK's titles including The Sun, The Times, The Sun on Sunday and The Sunday Times, as well as The Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph, the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday, and the London Evening Standard. Mr Johnson wrote on his social media profile: "A free press is vital in holding the government and other powerful institutions to account on issues critical for the future of our country, including the fight against climate change. "It is completely unacceptable to seek to limit the publics access to news in this way." Meanwhile, Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, criticised the XR demonstration an "attack on democracy". "This morning people across the country will be prevented from reading their newspaper because of the actions of Extinction Rebellion," she said. "This attack on our free press, society and democracy is completely unacceptable." XR protesters BREAKING: Extinction Rebellion blocks News Corps Printworks and demands they FREE THE TRUTH As the printing presses crank up, #ExtinctionRebellion groups in North London and Liverpool are taking on the titans of the media industry.#FreeTheTruth #WeWantToLive #ChangeIsNow pic.twitter.com/43KYPIvWXd Extinction Rebellion UK (@XRebellionUK) September 4, 2020 XR tweeted that it was using the disruption to expose newspapers' "failure to report on the climate & ecological emergency, and their consistent manipulation of truth to suit their own agendas". Story continues "Coverage in many of the newspapers printed here is polluting national debate on climate change, immigration policy, the rights and treatment of minority groups, and on dozens of other issues," the group said. The group had said it was planning to block routes out of the printing works throughout the night. As a result, there were delays across the country in getting newspapers delivered to both shops and subscribers. XR protesters also held a smaller demonstration near Motherwell aimed at disrupting the distribution of Saturday's Scottish Sun newspaper. 'Attack on all the free press' A spokesman for Newsprinters said: "Overnight printing at two Newsprinters plants was disrupted by activity by Extinction Rebellion. Thanks to other industry partners, printing was transferred to other sites. "We apologise sincerely to any readers of The Sun, The Times, the Daily Mail, the Daily Telegraph and the Financial Times who may be unable to buy their usual newspaper this morning due to late deliveries. A large police presence was still at the scene on Saturday morning - PA "Our teams are working to get newspapers delivered to retailers as soon as possible this morning. "This attack on all of the free press impacted many workers going about their jobs. Overnight print workers, delivery drivers, wholesale workers and retail newsagents have faced delays and financial penalty." Telegraph Editor responds to protest Telegraph editor Chris Evans earlier emailed staff to say that although the paper was not XR's primary target, it was "severely affected". He told them: "I'm also very concerned - and I hope you are too - by the attack on free speech. "Whatever your politics you should be worried by this. There are also questions for the police who perhaps placed the right of these few people to protest above the right of the rest of the people to read a free press." Police condemn XR for 'inconsiderate' action Hertfordshire Police said officers were called to Great Eastern Road near the Broxbourne plant around 10pm, where they found around 100 protesters who had "secured themselves to structures and one another". The force's assistant chief constable, Owen Weatherill, said officers had worked throughout the night to ease disruption. "The inconsiderate actions of a few people have prevented businesses from operating," he said. "Protesters ignored our requests to move location, so we have taken robust action to enable the roads to be reopened and to remove the protesters causing obstructions." Merseyside Police tweeted on Saturday morning that 21 people had been arrested at the Knowsley plant and officers were still in attendance. 'Applauding censorship' Dawn Butler, Labour MP for Brent Central, praised the group for their "excellent work" on social media, prompting a furious backlash from the public, with many accusing her of supporting censorship. Her tweet was later deleted. One person commented on her post: "Applauding censorship like a true socialist." However, many political figures rushed to show their support for a free press, with many encouraging the public to buy a paper to show their solidarity. Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick tweeted: "A good day to buy a newspaper. A free press matters to all of us who value a free society. They mustn't be silenced by an intolerant minority." Meanwhile, Labour's shadow international trade secretary Emily Thornberry said: "This is very worrying and I don't really know what it is that is expected to be achieved and I know that for many older listeners it's very much part of their daily life, getting their paper delivered in the morning, and I just think it's wrong." Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood claimed XR had "lost sight ... of how to campaign" on a "very important issue". "The Government has done much itself but obviously could do more and we need to work with the people to get that message across so we all can be more aware of the carbon footprint that we create," he said. "But what they're doing here is to alienate more people. I fear the organisation itself has been hijacked." Brandon Lewis, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and MP for Great Yarmouth, posted to Twitter: "A free and independent press is the guardian of any democracy. "The actions of Extinction Rebellion overnight are totally unacceptable & represent an attack on our core values as a society. We will never allow a blinkered minority to silence our media." Tom Tugendhat, MP for Tonbridge and Malling, said: "Democracy exists in the freedoms we enjoy. Freedom to associate, to choose leaders and to have the scrutinised by a free press. "Silencing the press takes freedom from all of us. Dont let it stand." The Federation of Independent Retailers (NFRN) said the protests had hit home delivery operations, including for the "elderly and vulnerable", with its members having to deal with "angry customers". National president Stuart Reddish said: "Newsagents have played a critical role during Covid-19 in getting newspapers into the hands of readers and this is not helpful at a time when every sale counts." Warnings over Westminster march Meanwhile, climate change protesters have been warned they risk a large fine if they fail to comply with coronavirus rules banning gatherings of more than 30 people. The Met Police said risk assessments explaining how XR activists were minimising the possibility of Covid-19 transmission at a planned march in Westminster "did not meet the required standard". The force said XR's latest round of demonstrations "pose a risk, not only to those involved, but to the wider public and communities of London". In an open letter to XR protesters on Friday, the Met said: "It is your responsibility to check the position and ensure you are not committing an offence by being involved in a large gathering. "We urge anyone arranging a gathering to inform your local police. We all need to continue to do our part to prevent the spread of the virus." The climate action, which began on September 1, has so far led to more than 500 arrests. XR protests - London News Pictures On Saturday a procession of activists that set of from Brighton on foot a week ago is due to march the final stretch to Parliament. They have been banned from taking a 20ft model boat named after teenage activist Greta Thunberg to the streets of Westminster. On Friday Met Police Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolf warned the group not to take The Lightship Greta into an area stretching from Green Park to Lambeth. She imposed an order under Section 12(3) of the Public Order Act 1986, saying: "I reasonably believe that the procession may result in serious disruption to the life of the community." The national leader of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, has dismissed insinuations that there is a rift between him and Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State. Speaking during an interactive session with Ondo traditional rulers on Saturday, Mr Tinubu said the state needs the governor to continue his good job so that the people could enjoy more dividends of democracy. Dont listen to them. Some people can go to any length to lie against other people. We are not fighting, Odua people need to be united. Our monarchs, your support is needed, though you have assured us that you have agreed to ensure Akeredolu comes back for second term, he said. The two politicians have not always seen eye to eye, with the matter getting to a head in 2016 when Mr Akeredolu was elected without the support of Mr Tinubu and his associates. Although the duo reportedly reconciled in Abuja last year, suggestions of a subtle rift have persisted. The News Agency of Nigeria NAN reports that the governorship election in the state is scheduled to hold on Oct. 10. Speaking at the Dome International Event Centre, Akure, Mr Tinubu said people have seen the good things such as roads, agricultural developments, schools, industrial park and other things Mr Akeredolu had done in the state since he came on board. We have commissioned the Revenue House today and he has assured us of bringing back the produce marketing board. He has also guaranteed employment for youths across the state. Kabiyesis, our schools that you have built and sent us to has brought us where we are today. If we dont invest in education like Akeredolu has done, our children will lag behind. Youths need jobs, our youths who are left at home need to be catered for because we cannot leave them. We want a second term. Please, we are here to tell and show that there is no quarrel between children of Oodua. We will not go back to the situation of 1983, the former governor of Lagos said. Mr Tinubu, therefore, charged the traditional rulers to speak with their chiefs and subjects to ensure that Akeredolu was re-elected. Earlier, Frederick Akinruntan, the Olugbo of Ugboland, gave assurance of the support of the traditional rulers for the second term bid of the governor. According to Mr Akinruntan, what makes the monarchs support Akeredolus reelection is the giant strides of his administration since inception. The flag-off of the deep seaport, Araromi-Lekki-Ibeju Road, Overhead bridge in Ore, and many roads across the state. He also upgraded traditional rulers from grade D to C, the monarch said. Also speaking, Mr Akeredolu promised to do more, with the support of the traditional rulers, if he was re-elected for a second term. The governor, who said the election was for Oodua people, explained that it was the turn for a Yoruba presidency by 2023, hence the importance of APC retaining the seat in Ondo State. This progressive party must continue to be in Ondo. What happened in Oyo state must not happen here. Talk to your people because this election is for Oodua people, he said. Dignitaries at the event included governors Babajide Sanwoolu of Lagos State, Gboyega Oyetola of Osun, and Yahaya Bello of Kogi; and Bisi Akande, the pioneer national chairman of APC. (NAN) Threshold says it urgently needs more rental properties in the Cork City and County areas. (stock photo) National housing charity Threshold has called on landlords in Cork with vacant properties to work with its Access Housing Unit, a unique collaborative service which has benefits for landlords and tenants alike. The charity urgently needs more rental properties in the Cork City and County areas to facilitate the programme. The service works by matching landlords with prospective tenants who are at risk of homelessness or living in temporary accommodation. The tenant completes a pre-tenancy programme and is made fully aware of their rights and obligations as tenants. Once a lease is agreed to, the rented property is visited by a representative from Threshold's Access Housing Unit on a regular basis for the duration of the tenancy. Assistant Manager at Threshold's Access Housing Unit, Mairead O'Sullivan said: "By working with local landlords in both Cork City and County, our dedicated Access Housing Unit has supported 78 families - including 75 children - to move from temporary accommodation into more long-term housing over the last two years. "We are appealing to all landlords to come forward and work with us to address the housing needs of families and individuals in our community." The aim of the programme is to empower and assist people to access accommodation in the private rented sector, through collaboration with local landlords and local authorities. Southern Regional Services Manager at Threshold, Edel Conlon said: "If people are to successfully build a future, they need stability, a secure home and other crucial supports. Throughout the Covid-19 crisis we have witnessed a tremendous sense of community with people in almost every town and parish offering assistance in whatever way they can. Today we are appealing to landlords in Cork to work with Threshold, so that together we can ensure that people in our communities can remain safe and secure in a home." Landlords interested in the service can contact Mairead O'Sullivan on 021 4274164 or email infocork@ahu.ie. Threshold's helpline remains available Monday to Friday, 9am to 9pm at 1800 454 454, and via its website at threshold.ie/advice/help for any renter in need of advice or support. Katie Price furiously blasted Princess and Junior's private school for forcing parents to pay for stationery ahead of their return to the classroom. The former glamour model, 42, discussed the extra expense in her latest YouTube video while enjoying a back-to-school pampering day with her 13-year-old daughter. Discussing her daughter's return, the TV personality asked Princess what stationery they needed to pick up, which ultimately left Katie branding the school's ask a 'liberty' when they already pay for their kids to attend the private institution. Sitting with her legs elevated on Princess's lap while she had her talons tended to, Katie asked: 'Were about to go and get her school stuff and Juniors. So have you got a list of actually everything you need for school?' Princess then produced her phone and began reeling off a long list of specific items that she needed. 'So, I need pens black or blue - more than one, additional coloured pens - red and green, black fine line pen,' she replied. 'HP pencils, ruler, eraser, pencil sharpener, scissors, glue stick, protractor, pair of compasses, scientific calculator, highlighters, colouring pencils - a small selection, and that is all I need.' Rant: Katie Price furiously blasted her children's private school for forcing parents to pay for stationery Class act: Princess and Junior are returning to the classroom following the ongoing coronavirus pandemic After hearing Princess ream off her list, an unimpressed Katie first asked whether son Junior, 15, needed the same stationery, before launching into a rant about not wanting her children to be made into 'clones' at school. She began: 'Can I just say something, you go to private school, pay all that money, why dont they supply that? Why do we have to buy that additionally on top? Shouldnt they supply that?' To which Princess agreed: 'It is a lot of money.' Expense: The former glamour model, 42, discussed the extra expense in her latest YouTube video while enjoying a back-to-school pampering day with her 13-year-old daughter Katie than continued: 'But private school youd think they supply that. It is a bit of a liberty! But it is! Certain this and certain that. What if you want to be individual? I don't want you and Junior to be clones. But I don't! 'Why do you all have to look like clones? When youre young, thats when you start your individuality.' Her comments come after Katie revealed that doctors told her she is 'lucky' to be alive and said she 'could have been paralysed' after breaking her ankles and feet in a horror accident. Couple: Katie revealed that doctors told her she is 'lucky' to be alive and said she 'could have been paralysed' after breaking her ankles and feet in a horror accident (pictured with boyfriend Carl Woods, 31) The former Loose Women panellist said it felt like 'non-stop electric shocks' when she plummeted 25ft off a wall at a theme park in Turkey and landed on her feet. Katie explained how her feet are 'destroyed' following the incident where she has returned to The Priory and will have to learn to 'walk again'. Katie, who was on holiday with her boyfriend Carl Woods, 31, and her children Princess and Junior at the time, said doctors told her they have amputated legs with injuries similar to hers. Speaking to The Sun, she said: 'The doctors said I'm lucky I'm not dead. I could have hit my head and I could have been paralysed, I am actually lucky I landed on my feet.' Injury: Katie said doctors told her they have amputated legs with injuries similar to hers Survivor: Katie revealed that doctors told her she is 'lucky' to be alive and said she 'could have been paralysed' after breaking her ankles and feet in a horror accident She added: 'I thought, "I'm never going to walk again". The doctors said they've cut off legs before after seeing injuries like mine.' Katie underwent an eight-hour operation to rebuild her feet after she was 'mucking about' following a few drinks and jumped off what she thought was a 'small wall' at the Land of Legends theme park. The model revealed how she has returned to The Priory because her 'mental health' has been 'badly affected' by her injuries. Katie last visited The Priory in September 2018 and spent 28 days in the facility after her family urged her to seek help following wild partying antics in Mallorca. The Batemans were involved in a crash on the A142 in Cambridgeshire on Thursday (Picture: Police) Two sisters have lost both their parents after they were killed in head-on crash with a suspected drug driver. Robert Bateman, 36, his wife Paula, 35, and their two children 10-year-old Lexi and 18-month-old Elizabeth were all inside the car when it crashed on the A142 in Cambridgeshire on Thursday. Mr Bateman was driving their Ford Focus when it collided with an Iveco Daily van between Chatteris and Mepal at just after 8pm. Mrs Bateman was in the backseat. Lexi was seriously hurt but did not suffer life-threatening injuries. Elizabeth was not seriously injured. Both of them have been released from hospital. Read more: Thieves use digger to steal cash machine from building society wall Robert Bateman, 36, his wife Paula, 35, were killed in the crash (Picture: Police) Read more: Womans body found in lake near Kensington Palace The van driver, 32, from Lincoln, who suffered minor injuries, has been arrested on suspicion of two counts of causing death by dangerous driving, and driving while unfit through drink or drugs. The family of the Batemans have paid tribute to them in a statement issued through police. They said: 'We are utterly devastated by this news. Bob and Paula were much-loved friends to many and will be missed by everyone who knew them. 'They were also utterly devoted parents. 'Bob as a much-loved son and father, while Paula was a much-loved daughter, sister and mother.' Read more: BMW washed out to sea after being parked on beach overnight The suspect remains in custody. Anyone who saw the collision or the vehicles in the lead up to it, or has dash cam footage, is urged to contact police via web chat or by calling 101, quoting incident number 478 of 3 September. DECATUR Marge Evans has enjoyed the great outdoors since she was a child. I couldnt stay out of the woods, she said. Evans joined about a dozen other Friends of Lincoln Trail Homestead State Park and Memorial as they spent their Saturday morning among the forest removing bush honeysuckle from the park, an 80-acre area in western Macon County. According to Friends of the Lincoln Trail Homestead State Park chairperson Melody Arnold, the bush honeysuckle does not belong in the local park. (Bush honeysuckle) is a non-native plant that invades our woodlands and shades out all of the wildflowers and stops small trees from growing, she said. We are trying to restore the habitat here to something similar to what Lincoln might have seen. The homestead is thought to be the site of the first Central Illinois home President Abraham Lincoln lived in with his father and other family members. The Friends have been meeting for restoration work days for five years. The board has 13 members with nearly 400 others on the Friends list of volunteers. The park is governed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Volunteers also participate in other work days throughout the year, including restoring the homesteads cemetery and planting native wildflowers. As for the honeysuckle removal, most of it we do in either the spring or the fall, Arnold said. In the past, Millikin University students have joined them. However, due to the quarantine at the college, they were not able to attend Saturdays event. Although they were working outside, Saturdays volunteers wore face masks for added protection. The cooler weather was conducive to the needed protective clothing, which included long pants and sleeves, gloves and durable shoes. The bush honeysuckle removal work requires strength and hard work. The stalks must be cut to a stump, then treated with a herbicide within 10 minutes. And hope that it doesnt grow back, Arnold said. The plant is difficult to eliminate for various reasons, including its long growing season. The surrounding woods are filled with the invasive plants. The non-profit organization has seen progress with the help of a Community Stewardship Challenge Grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation. They were able to hire a land management company that can remove much of the plants in hard-to-reach areas. By the end of fall we hope to have all of the big stuff gone, Arnold said. In the spring we hope we dont have much left. Karen Parjani was one of the volunteers cutting and trimming the brush. She said she enjoys the Friends restoration work days. I love being outdoors, she said. I do lots of volunteering here. The Lincoln Trail Homestead Park is a vital resource for the community, according to Paul Foster. (Its important) to come out here and get to see something in a pristine state and still be natural, he said. Along with the bush honeysuckle, the volunteers found other unwanted plants, including poison ivy. The Friends were cautious around the plants, but continued to focus on the bush honeysuckle. Just throw your clothes in the wash when you get home, Evans said about remnants of the poison ivy. A Celebration of Trees Contact Donnette Beckett at (217) 421-6983. Follow her on Twitter: @donnettebHR Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. It all boils down to creative problem solving, explains the Rev. Ed Jones, senior pastor at Houstons 155-year-old Trinity United Methodist Church. Whenever theres a problem, theres an opportunity for a fresh vision, he said. The problem is we have parents who need to go to work. The problem is we have children who need to go to school. The vision that resulted? Using the church to bridge the gap, creating eight classrooms for students to use as schools restart. We need to see how we can be a part of the solution, Jones said. Volunteers at his congregation have been busy preparing for elementary students. Trinity can accommodate about 75 children across the classrooms, and the churchs fellowship hall and sanctuary are on standby to offer additional space, if needed. Trinitys is one of 16 United Methodist churches teaming up to become Sanctuaries of Learning. The program is the brainchild of the Rev. Jill Daniel, who serves as director of the denominations We Love All Gods Children initiative. The program is an effort to empower churches in Texas to provide literacy and early-childhood education opportunities. Daniel was already at work building childhood-development centers throughout the Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church when the coronavirus pandemic hit, shuttering schools, churches and educational programs all at once. She worried about the students who depend on school meals for nourishment and those missing lessons critical in their development, especially elementary school children. We know the statistics about children who arent reading at their levels by third grade they are 80 percent more likely to drop out, she said. It sets them up for failure in life. We know that fostering a love of learning at an early age is so important. Though older students might have an easier time studying alone from home, she was concerned about younger children. So Daniel developed a plan for younger students that would provide a safe and stimulating environment while their parents were at work. She did not want parents to have to choose between paying bills and caring for their children. And, she especially did not want parents to have to leave young children home alone to continue their education. They can come into our churches, she thought. And the Sanctuaries of Learning program, in which churches provide a free, safe space for working families, was born. Students watch their teachers online and still get their meals during the school day. The church provides enrichment activities in the afternoon. Some sites even offer extended care for parents who work late. Daniel began sharing her vision and identifying partners, including the Barbara Bush Literacy Foundation, to join in the effort. Then Daniel connected with Houston ISD interim superintendent Grenita Lathan. She said this would be a game changer for our children, Daniel recalled. And all of the concerns I had, she addressed. HISD agreed to deliver breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack to each participating church. In addition, the district offered special equipment, staff to supervise children and a security officer, if necessary. The district will also provide a Wi-Fi signal, so students can easily connect via computer with their teachers at school. Schools identify the students who need the service, which is offered five days a week. Najah Callander, director of community partnerships for HISD, has been working to ready the program. This meets a need that our parents have, she said. In order for them to work, they have to feel comfortable that their children are in a safe space. This is a wonderful way to support our families. With school meals and technical support, students can thrive, Callander added. They can focus on learning even when its virtual, she said. She said this is an example of how Houstonians step up to help each other whether during a pandemic or a hurricane. These churches are opening their doors to kids and families they otherwise would not connect with, Callander said. The partnership has also sparked others, including nonprofits and other denominations in the city. The Rev. Lance Ousley, priest-in-charge at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in west Houston, is examining ways to support neighboring Katy ISD or Cypress-Fairbanks ISD at its new location or any private schools in the area. The congregation of Emmanuel Episcopal Church has been blessed with this amazing building, but blessings arent for us to hold onto for ourselves, Ousley said. Jesus teaches us that blessings are meant to be shared to bless others, multiplying the positive impact, like the loaves and fishes. Churches can offer sizable buildings that often are underutilized on weekdays, he added. Emmanuel wants to share this asset to make a real difference in our neighborhood and larger community, he said. Students begin arriving at the Sanctuaries of Learning on Sept. 8, the first day of school for HISD. Were working with at-risk students, students who face a real need to be in a safe, healthy environment, Daniel said. If we can find a way, during this time, to get them into a virtual classroom, to do something thats exciting and wonderful and gets their hearts pumping about education, then we should. Daniel said the church is in a unique position to make that happen especially since the denomination was already creating educational programming and early-learning centers. We know how to do this, Daniel said. We have a lot of tools. This is a great opportunity to lock arms as a community and say to our children, You are loved. Jones Memorial United Methodist Church is also part of the Sanctuaries of Learning program. Executive pastor Enid Henderson wanted to sign up to participate as soon as she learned about the program. Even though the church doors are closed, the need is still there, she said. Congregations can help students close the digital divide by providing technology and a connection to the internet, Henderson explained. Now, students can be in a safe environment and be productive, she said. At the same time, parents can focus on work, with the peace of mind that their children are being helped by the church, she added. Its just a match made in heaven, Henderson said. Lindsay Peyton is a Houston-based freelance writer. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani bemoaned Irans friends on Saturday for not standing up to the United States and breaking crippling sanctions during the coronavirus pandemic. He also said that if the United States had a bit of humanity or brain," it would have lifted sanctions on Iran for the duration of the health crisis. Iran, with over 380,000 registered cases and over 22,000 deaths from the coronavirus, is one of the countries worst-hit by the pandemic in the Middle East. Over the past months since the coronavirus arrived in our country no one came to our help," Rouhani said in remarks broadcast live on Iranian state television. If the United States had a bit of humanity and brain," he said, it would have offered to lift the sanctions for a year because of the coronavirus." But the United States is far more heartless and evil than those things," he added. Instead, it imposed new sanctions and pressures on us over these past seven months of coronavirus," Rouhani said. At the same time, he said, not a single friendly country told us that in this time of coronavirus and hardship and for the sake of humanity we will stand up to America" and do business with Iran despite threats of U.S. retaliation. The United States has threatened to impose sanctions on whoever conducts business with Iran. The sanctions are part of the U.S. effort to slash Iranian revenues after U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew in 2018 from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. (Editing by Toby Chopra) Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor HELSINKI (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th August, 2020) Chief of the General Staff of French Armed Forces Francois Lecointre, during his visit to Estonia on Thursday, presented military awards to 15 Estonian soldiers who served in Mali and met with Commander of the Estonian Armed Forces Martin Harem. "Bilateral military relations between Estonia and France, which have only recently gained momentum, are becoming stronger and closer, both in terms of the exchange of information on strategic issues and, above all, through military operations. It is a great honor for the French Armed Forces to be able to count on your participation in various operations," Lecointre said, as quoted by the General Staff of the Estonian military in a press release. According to the press release, Lecointre, following a meeting with Herem, presented military awards for bravery to 15 soldiers who participated in the France-led Operation Barkhane in Mali. Lecointre also met with French pilots who are performing air policing duties in the airspace of Estonia and other Baltic countries. The Barkhane military operation has been conducted in the African region of Sahel by some 5,000 French troops against jihadist groups since 2014. The French forces cooperate with the members of the G5 Sahel alliance, including Chad, Mali, Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Niger, to settle the security crisis in the area. At the moment, 95 Estonian soldiers are serving in Mali. The chances of a hard Brexit with Britain leaving the EU without a trade deal - have risen sharply as negotiations have been threatened by Londons insistence that it have full autonomy over its state aid plans, negotiators and diplomats have said. Senior officials in the British government see only a 30%-40% chance that there will be a Brexit trade agreement due to the impasse, while one senior EU diplomat offered a 50-50 chance. Fears in London, Brussels, and other European capitals are mounting that a British exit without a trade deal could sow yet more economic chaos amid the turmoil of the Covid-19 crisis which has hammered European economies. There has been absolutely no movement from the British side in the talks. If this approach doesnt change quickly, we wont be able to negotiate a deal in time, an EU diplomat said. Failure to reach a trade deal could hammer financial markets as nearly a trillion dollars in trade, from car parts and medicines to lamb and fish, would be thrown into turmoil. A british source close to the negotiations said the EU was slowing down negotiations and should understand that its demands on state aid and fishing were not compatible with Britains status as an independent country. A British source close to the negotiations said the EU was slowing down negotiations and should understand that its demands on state aid and fishing were not compatible with Britains status as an independent country. We have also consistently tried to move discussions forwards but have been prevented from doing so by an EU which insists that everything must go at the pace of the most difficult issue, they said. Their ask that we accept continuity with EU state aid and fisheries policy is simply not compatible with our status as a fully independent country, they said. Prime Minister Boris Johnsons office said the goal was to reach a deal but that the EU needed to show more realism. For their part, EU officials are seeking clarity. Read More Irish tech firm urges Government to use app to allow pubs reopen Sooner or later, the UK should clarify what they want. Its not possible to leave the European club and at the same time keep all the benefits, European Council president Charles Michel said. The current sticking point is state aid. The blocs Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier went to London on Tuesday to tell his UK counterpart David Frost that Britain must move on state aid, or there will not be an agreement, according to EU diplomats. Afterwards, Mr Barnier said London had not shown enough flexibility and creativity. He said: The Commission now worries the next negotiating round will end up with nothing, the EU diplomat said. If the UK doesnt move a bit on the state aid thing, we have a problem. Britain does not want to allow Brussels authority over its state aid rules, stoking one of the Blocs greatest fears: that it shall one day face strong competition from an economy just outside its borders. There is a risk of a no-deal scenaraio at the end of the year, an EU official said. People need to be ready for that. - Reuters A heartbroken dog-lover claims her pet corgi was 'stolen' by an elderly couple who were pet-sitting when she went abroad. Carmen Pham from Labrador on the Gold Coast was heading to Vietnam and had asked family friends to looking after her four-year-old pet corgi Haku until she returned. The couple enthusiastically agreed but when Ms Pham returned in March and asked for Haku back, they requested the dog stay them for a week due to loneliness in lockdown. Wanting to be kind to the elderly couple, she agreed but soon found them unwilling to return the dog, with the man since taking Haku as his own, leaving her young daughter in tears. Carmen Pham from Labrador on the Gold Coast was heading to Vietnam and had asked family friends to looking after her pet corgi Haku until she returned (pictured together) Haku (pictured) is a four-year-old purebred and has been with the Pham family since she was a puppy 'I love Haku but I was also happy to let them keep her company for a little while longer, because we were in lockdown at the time. They were an old couple, I thought I would be kind,' she told Courier Mail. Each week from March to July when Ms Pham came back and asked for Haku back, the couple allegedly repeatedly asked for her to stay just for 'one more week'. 'It broke my heart, we have had Haku since she was a puppy, she is a big part of our family,' she said. 'I couldn't believe it, we trusted them with our dog and they refused to give her back.' Ms Pham then found out that the couple had separated and the husband had allegedly taken Haku with him, leaving the worried mum with no idea how to get her back. She had even seen the man's new girlfriend allegedly post photos with Haku 'as if she is her own'. Ms Pham has reported the incident to police and even offered to buy the man another dog in exchange for Haku. A Queensland Police spokesman confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that the matter was under investigation. The gaunt, other-worldly figure of Julian Assange will loom from behind a perspex screen at the start of a four-week Old Bailey hearing tomorrow that is likely to determine his fate. Two courtrooms have been set aside for the proceedings. Much about the Assange case is oversized, not least the cost put at tens of millions of pounds and the sentence he faces of 175 years, should a district judge grant his extradition to the United States. Outside the court, supporters are expected to gather to deliver impassioned speeches, raise their fists in solidarity and cry: Free Assange. One woman, Stella Morris, has been the most vocal supporter of the WikiLeaks founder, who faces 18 charges in America. These include conspiring to hack government computers and violating espionage law after he published a series of leaks in 2010 from former US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning that Washington claims endangered the lives of US agents. Stella Morris (centre) and sons, Gabriel (right) and Max (left) leave Belmarsh Prison after visiting her partner and their father, Julian Assange The Mail on Sunday revealed in April that Ms Morris, 37, is the mother of two children fathered by Assange while he was holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. She believes he will face a show trial in the US if he is extradited. It is heartbreaking to think that if Julian is extradited and put in a US supermax prison, the boys will never get to know their father and he will never see them grow up, she said. Its not Julian in the prison. Its the kids that are being deprived of their father. Its me thats being deprived. Even those with a passing knowledge of the Assange case have a view. Many consider the 49-year-old to be a hero who exposed state wrongdoing, but others see a creepy megalomaniac who betrayed secrets, put lives at risk, outstayed his embassy welcome and deserves everything he gets. Julian Assange (left) is pictured with his son Gabriel (right). Gabriel's mother Ms Morris thinks Assange will face a show trial if he is extradited to the US Spanish counsel Aitor Martinez, Ecuadorian counsel Carlos Poveda, Julian Assange, his partner Stella Morris-Smith Robertson and barrister Jennifer Robinson are pictured Jail that's worse than death - and the state where everyone's guilty If Julian Assange is convicted in the US he is expected to be locked up in a jail dubbed the Alcatraz of the Rockies. Inmates at Colorados dreaded Supermax prison including hate preacher Abu Hamza live in 7ft by 12ft cells for 23 hours a day. Amnesty International calls the conditions inhumane while others describe a high-tech version of Hell, designed to shut down all sensory perception, and a place worse than the death penalty. The complex, which houses 400 prisoners, is guarded by gun towers, armed patrols and dogs. Inmates there include Mexican drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman and Zacarias Moussaoui, jailed for conspiring to kill in the 9/11 attacks. Assange faces trial in Virginia. Former CIA officer John Kiriakou, who exposed its use of waterboarding, was convicted in the state, where the agency is based, of disclosing the name of another officer. He said: Its impossible for Julian to receive a fair trial. Advertisement They will perhaps have little sympathy for Ms Morris, but she asks them to consider bigger issues, saying: Julians case has huge repercussions for freedom of expression and freedom of the press. This is an attack on journalism ... If he is extradited to the US for publishing inconvenient truths about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, then it will set a precedent and any British journalist or publisher could also be extradited in the future. Assanges lawyers believe that by charging him under the century-old Espionage Act, the Trump administration has set a dangerous precedent. The law bans the publication of government secrets and offers no protections to the press under the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of speech. In other words, says his defence team, US criminal laws apply abroad but its constitutional protections do not meaning journalists anywhere in the world risk US prosecution if they publish something the US government considers to be in violation of its laws. The Obama administration debated using the Espionage Act against Assange but ultimately decided against it. President Trump, however, has long fought a war against the press which he considers the enemy of the people and has no such qualms. His Justice Department believes the hacked material was published without regard for the safety of people named in the documents and so Assange does not fit the definition of a journalist. Ms Morris said: There have been so many abuses of the legal process throughout the case, including spurious new charges being introduced at the last minute, even though the hearing began in February, and it should be thrown out for that reason alone. But there are also fundamental legal reasons why the extradition should be blocked. This is a political act by the Trump government and Julian is accused of a political offence, which is outside the terms of the UK-US extradition treaty. Anyone who cares about freedom of expression and freedom of the press should support Julians fight against extradition. Others believe the case brings into sharp relief the problems of our relationship with the US. The extradition treaty says the Home Secretary must process the request but US prosecutors have no requirement to prove their case beyond stating reasonable suspicion. Last night, Assanges father, John Shipton, said: The UK judiciarys authority has been usurped by the US Justice Department. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept.5 By Fidan Babayeva - Trend: Cooperation between the Azerbaijani and Iranian governments in the field of electric power-engineering is continuing, Trend reports referring to Azerbaijans Ministry of Energy. According to the ministry, within the framework of the measures taken in this direction, the Joint Technical Commission, established to carry out joint activities on the construction and operation of Khudafarin and Giz Galasi hydro-junctions and hydroelectric power plants on the Araz River, held another meeting via videoconference. The meeting participants widely discussed the issues of calculation of costs for construction and damage incurred on Khudafarin and Giz Galasi ('Maiden Tower') hydro-junctions, as well as the purchase and installation of water power plants and equipment were. At the same time, the first meeting of the Joint Technical Commission on the construction of Ordubad and Marazad hydroelectric power plants in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (AR) was held via videoconference format. The sides exchanged opinions on the acceleration of the construction of the Ordubad hydroelectric power station and assessment of the environmental impact of its construction. At the meeting, it was decided to hold the next meeting in late September of the current year in Nakhchivan AR. Currently, Azerbaijan is taking consistent steps to develop alternative energy. To this end, negotiations are ongoing with foreign companies and investors, including companies from China, the UAE, the US, and the EU. Follow the author on Twitter: @Fidan_Babaeva Videos of the incident that have circulated online have also offered little clarity. In one video, men can be heard shouting, followed in rapid succession by the sound of something spraying and then two gunshots. In another video, shouts of "We got a couple right here" and what sounds like "He's pulling it out" can be heard before the gunfire. On Friday, Portland police released a picture of a man who they said witnessed the incident, indicating they were seeking the public's help in locating him and were still investigating Danielson's killing. Even when a business is losing money, it's possible for shareholders to make money if they buy a good business at the right price. For example, 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 while the successes are well known, investors should not ignore the very many unprofitable companies that simply burn through all their cash and collapse. So, the natural question for Biotron (ASX:BIT) shareholders is whether they should be concerned by its rate of cash burn. For the purposes of this article, cash burn is the annual rate at which an unprofitable company spends cash to fund its growth; its negative free cash flow. The first step is to compare its cash burn with its cash reserves, to give us its 'cash runway'. View our latest analysis for Biotron When Might Biotron Run Out Of Money? A company's cash runway is the amount of time it would take to burn through its cash reserves at its current cash burn rate. As at June 2020, Biotron had cash of AU$7.7m and no debt. Importantly, its cash burn was AU$3.1m over the trailing twelve months. Therefore, from June 2020 it had 2.5 years of cash runway. That's decent, giving the company a couple years to develop its business. Depicted below, you can see how its cash holdings have changed over time. How Is Biotron's Cash Burn Changing Over Time? Although Biotron reported revenue of AU$803k last year, it didn't actually have any revenue from operations. That means we consider it a pre-revenue business, and we will focus our growth analysis on cash burn, for now. Over the last year its cash burn actually increased by a very significant 99%. Oftentimes, increased cash burn simply means a company is accelerating its business development, but one should always be mindful that this causes the cash runway to shrink. Biotron makes us a little nervous due to its lack of substantial operating revenue. So we'd generally prefer stocks from this list of stocks that have analysts forecasting growth. Story continues Can Biotron Raise More Cash Easily? While Biotron does have a solid cash runway, its cash burn trajectory may have some shareholders thinking 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. Commonly, a business will sell new shares in itself to raise cash and drive growth. We can compare a company's cash burn to its market capitalisation to get a sense for how many new shares a company would have to issue to fund one year's operations. Since it has a market capitalisation of AU$67m, Biotron's AU$3.1m in cash burn equates to about 4.6% of its market value. That's a low proportion, so we figure the company would be able to raise more cash to fund growth, with a little dilution, or even to simply borrow some money. So, Should We Worry About Biotron's Cash Burn? As you can probably tell by now, we're not too worried about Biotron's cash burn. For example, we think its cash burn relative to its market cap suggests that the company is on a good path. Although we do find its increasing cash burn to be a bit of a negative, once we consider the other metrics mentioned in this article together, the overall picture is one we are comfortable with. Based on the factors mentioned in this article, we think its cash burn situation warrants some attention from shareholders, but we don't think they should be worried. On another note, we conducted an in-depth investigation of the company, and identified 4 warning signs for Biotron (1 is 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. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. Six police personnel, including an SHO, were suspended and three of them booked for murder for their alleged roles in the custodial death of a 22-year-old man here, officials said on Saturday. One of the booked policemen, a sub-inspector of Gilaula police station in the district, has been arrested, said Shravasti Superintendent of Police Anoop Kumar Singh. He said a case under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was registered last month against Wajid Ali (22) for allegedly harassing a girl. Ali was taken into police custody on Friday for questioning but his body was found hanging later in the toilet of the Gilaula police station, he added. The SP said the father of the deceased alleged that his son was illegally kept in police custody for two to three days and the policemen indulged in corruption for his release. Singh said Station House Officer Vinod Kumar, three sub-inspectors and two other police personnel have been suspended. On the complaint of the father of the deceased, a case of murder and illegal custody has been registered against the SHO and two other policemen, he said. An officer of the rank of deputy SP will be probing the incident. District Magistrate has also ordered a magisterial probe in this matter, Singh said. Later in the evening, the SP said, One of the named accused in the custodial death of the youth, a sub-inspector has been arrested. The matter is being expeditiously probed." The brother of the deceased told reporters that to release him (Ali), Rs 50,000 was paid to the SHO. But he was demanding an additional Rs 2 lakh." He also said some people beat up Ali over a land dispute and then called police to arrest him. Meanwhile, on Saturday afternoon the head of UP unit of SPs backward cell, Rajpal Kashyap, who was going to meet the aggrieved family, was stopped by police in Ekauna and sent back to Lucknow. Rajpal Kashyap told reporters that SP party workers were going to meet the aggrieved family, but were arrested by the police. He also claimed that police cane charged SP workers who were undertaking peaceful protests. The SP, however, said no SP worker was arrested. The SP workers were going as per their pre-decided programme, but they tried to move towards Darjipurva. Because of the COVID-19 infection and law and order, they were sent back to Lucknow," he said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Kelly Macnamara (Agence France-Presse) London, United Kingdom Sat, September 5, 2020 08:02 503 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c42d2d63 2 Health embryo,gene-editing,health,baby,genetics,ethics,Science Free Techniques to genetically-edit human embryos should not be used until they are proved to be reliable and safe, an international commission said Thursday, in the wake of a scandal over gene-modified babies in China two years ago. Experts from the commission of US National Academy of Medicine, US National Academy of Sciences, and Britain's Royal Society said heritable genome editing for medical purposes was "not yet ready" to be tried safely and effectively in human embryos. The body was set up after Chinese biophysicist He Jiankui triggered an international scandal by claiming in 2018 that he was behind the world's first gene-edited babies using Crispr, a powerful new tool that acts as a kind of molecular "scissors". Ignoring ethical and scientific norms, he created the twins Lula and Nana with alterations to their genomes meant to give them immunity to HIV. He was sentenced to three years in prison for illegal medical practice by a Chinese court in December. The case alarmed scientists worldwide, raising questions about bioethics and global oversight of scientific research, as well as reigniting fears about parents creating so-called "designer babies". The commission said that the event made it clear that there was a risk "of ad hoc editing efforts that could cause significant harm to individuals". "Moreover, given that heritable changes would be introduced that could be passed to subsequent generations, it was clear that careful consideration would need to be given to the specific applications of the editing technology," it said. Heritable genome editing includes making alterations to the genetic material of human eggs, sperm, or any cells that lead to their development, including the cells of early embryos, the report said, adding that clinical use of this technology was either banned or not permitted in many countries. This commission, made up of 18 experts from different disciplines, did not reject the principle of genetic modification in humans but aimed to provide a framework for countries considering the use of the technology. It acknowledged that gene editing "could represent an important option for prospective parents with a known risk of transmitting a genetic disease to have a genetically-related child without that disease and its associated morbidity and mortality". But in its recommendations it said that genome editing on embryos should not be used to create a pregnancy unless it has been "clearly established" that the changes can be reliably made without also making "undesired changes". It said that criteria had not yet been met and called for further research and "extensive societal dialogue" before countries make the decision to allow heritable human genome editing. "Should they ever be used, it is vitally important that these technologies are used for medically justified interventions, based on a rigorous understanding of how the pathogenic variant leads to disease," said commission co-chair Kay Davies, professor of genetics at the University of Oxford. "More research is needed into the technology of genome editing in human embryos, to ensure that precise changes can be made without undesired off-target effects. International cooperation and open discussion of all aspects of genome editing will be essential." The commission's report will feed into work by the World Health Organization, which has set up a committee for governance of both heritable and non-heritable human genome editing research and clinical uses. The WHO committee is expected to issue guidance later this year. Read also: What are the ethics of baby gene-editing? Cutting edge CRISPR-Cas9 (CRISPR for short) has revolutionised biomedical research since bursting on to the scene in 2012. In February, US scientists reported successfully genetically editing the immune systems of three cancer patients without creating any side effects using CRISPR. The technique is much simpler than preceding technology, cheaper and easy to use in small labs. But it is also far from perfect and can create unintended mutations. Experts believe this may have happened to the Chinese twins born in 2018 as a result of edits performed by He. Army top brass are setting up a full Diversity and Inclusion Directorate to develop politically-correct policies and are hiring a 17-strong team of equality specialists to transform the culture of military units. Defence chiefs are set to splurge more than 500,000 on the new staff at a time when the Army faces losing tanks to save money. Job summaries on recruitment websites describe how successful candidates will be expected to ensure troops and civilian Ministry of Defence employees 'feel authentic in the workplace', that people's differences are 'valued' and that 'everyone's needs are considered'. Defence chiefs are set to splurge more than 500,000 on the new staff at a time when the Army faces losing tanks to save money The move, which was branded 'liberal madness' last night, comes after we revealed the MoD is to appoint a 110,000-a-year Director of Diversity and Inclusion, and how junior soldiers face punishment unless they include politically-correct 'mantras' on their annual self-assessment forms. In defiance of the Prime Minister's bid to get office workers back to their desks, the directorate's new regiment of woke advisers will work from home, only visiting military facilities when required, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It is understood the initiative is being introduced because chiefs believe the forces require a cultural transformation to boost recruitment among the BAME and LGBT communities. Last night, retired officers decried the MoD's move. The former Commander of British Forces in Afghanistan, Colonel Richard Kemp, said: 'Liberal madness and its cult of identity politics has no place in military units who fight as teams not as individuals. The emphasis must remain on inspiring the iron ethos of service before self and creating the cohesion which is vital in combat. Obsessing over differences and individuality is dangerous. There is also no evidence diversity and inclusion policies contribute to increasing recruitment from across all parts of British society. Most people join the forces because they want to belong to something greater than the corrosive cult of individualism.' Goldfish puts squaddies in hot water By Mark Nicol Defence Editor for The Mail on Sunday Three soldiers have been rapped by senior officers for failing to register a goldfish they brought on to an Army base. The Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) troops were investigated for smuggling the pet fish into their barracks without completing risk assessment forms. The soldiers, from 1 Regiment RLC, were shocked to be told they should have conducted a safety review prior to the goldfish's arrival last week at St David's Barracks, Bicester, Oxfordshire. The undocumented pet, which was living in a small water tank, was discovered during a routine room inspection by an officer who had only recently joined the regiment. A source said: 'He took the names of three soldiers and had no intention of letting them off the hook over their breach of regimental policy. Nobody can believe how seriously this was taken. 'You'd think the lads had sneaked something a lot more dangerous than a goldfish on to camp.' An Army spokesman said: 'We can confirm that the goldfish has now been registered.' Advertisement The new initiatives have been approved by the Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir Nick Carter, on whose politically-correct initiatives have been launched in a bid to change the image of the Armed Forces as being white, male and heterosexual. General Sir Nick was in charge of the Army in December 2017 when The Mail on Sunday revealed the force was to drop its 'Be the Best' slogan after consultants said it was 'too elitist'. Only 8.8 per cent of regular service personnel come from the BAME community, while just 10.9 per cent of full-time personnel are female. However, campaigners have praised the progress made by the MoD in recent years. The MoD said: 'Defence is at its best when it is diverse and we are committed to promoting an inclusive working environment that attracts the best people from a wide range of backgrounds.' As riot police moved in to break up a demonstration in Minsk on August 26 to push demands for the ouster of longtime authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka following his disputed reelection, protesters scrambled. They found refuge nearby in a towering redbrick building next to Independence Square, the Roman Catholic Church of Saints Symon and Alena, or, as most Belarusians simply call it, the Red Church. While close at hand, the church might not have been an accidental choice. During the postelection crisis, the Belarusian Catholic Church has sided with protesting Belarusians seeking change after the disputed August 9 presidential election handed Lukashenka a sixth-straight presidential term. That contrasts with the Belarusian Orthodox Church, the predominate faith in Belarus that is closely tied to Russia, which has largely remained silent, with even a bit of mild criticism punished with a clerical reshuffle. "During the ongoing crisis, the Catholic Church has been more outspoken than the Orthodox one because it preserved its political neutrality, as well as religious and moral principles. Catholic priests have condemned the violence and provided great spiritual support for the people of Belarus," explained Hanna Baraban, a Belarusian journalist and political analyst. While its actions may have made it an enemy of the government, the Catholic Church is rising in stature among average Belarusians, becoming a "moral compass for many," argued Baraban. At the forefront is the church's leader, Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, who has paid the price for speaking out. In mid August, Kondrusiewicz called on the Belarusian authorities to end the violence, saying the bloodshed in the streets of Belarusian cities, as well as the beating and other abuse meted out to protesters, were a "heavy sin on the conscience of those who give criminal orders and commit violence." As he traveled back to Belarus from Poland on August 31, the 74-year-old Kondrusiewicz -- a citizen of Belarus whose official title is Archbishop of Minsk and Mohilev -- was blocked by border guards. In his first public comments on the matter, Lukashenka said on September 1 that Kondrusiewicz had been put on a travel ban list because he "mixed church and politics" and "got certain tasks from Poland." Lukashenka has blamed his closest neighbors to the West, including Poland, of stirring up trouble in Belarus, while accusing NATO of massing troops on the country's western border, a claim the military alliance has rejected. In the run-up to the vote, Lukashenka also lashed out at Russia, accusing the Kremlin of orchestrating a social-media campaign against him and of sending dozens of mercenaries to Belarus to sow unrest. But as his popularity dives and his authority slips amid protests and labor unrest, Lukashenka has again turned to Moscow, with Russian President Vladimir Putin vowing aid if need be, possibly military assistance. Lukashenka's comments came the same day as supporters of Kondrusiewicz held a rally in front of the Red Church as OMON riot police looked on. That gathering came hours after students walked out of class in a student strike action against Lukashenka, with more than 200 brutally detained by police, according to the Belarusian rights NGO, Vyasna. The plucky priest Kondrusiewicz -- still in Poland -- suggested Lukashenka refused to acknowledge that Belarusians -- especially the younger generation -- are demanding change. "A new generation of people has grown up that wants to live differently," he told RFE/RL's Russian Service on September 2. Gary Bauer, commissioner of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), told RFE/RL in a statement that the USCIRF is following events in Belarus closely and with growing concern. Religious organizations are among the last remaining autonomous institutions in the country and as such represent a particular, perceived threat to the Lukashenka regime. On The Faith Fault Line Of Europe Belarus straddles Europe's faith fault line between Eastern and Western Christianity. The recent centuries have witnessed Western- then Eastern-rite Catholicism then Orthodoxy rise and fall in popularity in what would eventually become independent Belarusian territory in 1991. Today, the Orthodox and Catholic Churches are the two most dominant faiths, explained Baraban, who noted Pew Research Center data from 2017 found 73 percent of Belarusians consider themselves Orthodox and 12 percent Catholic. Belarusian law, however, recognizes the "determining role" of the Belarusian Orthodox Church in the "historic establishment and spiritual, cultural, and state traditions' development of the Belarusian nation." A concordat grants the church rights and privileges not granted to other religious groups, although the law also acknowledges the historical importance of the "traditional" faiths of Catholicism, Judaism, Islam, and evangelical Lutheranism. Activity by unregistered groups is banned under Belarusian law. Besides its role in shaping national identity, the Orthodox Church in Belarus also dabbles in politics. In 2004, the then head of the church, Metropolitan Filaret, urged Belarusians to back Lukashenka's controversial referendum on ending presidential term limits. In 2015, senior clergy organized a ceremony to pray for Lukashenka ahead of the 2015 presidential election. During the current COVID-19 pandemic, many churches belonging to the Belarusian Orthodox Church held Easter services on April 19, unlike Orthodox communities elsewhere which either canceled or held them online. Lukashenka, who ignored calls for any lockdown measures, attended an Easter service and criticized other countries for failing to allow their citizens to do the same. Orthodox Church In Line With Lukashenka? The Belarusian Orthodox Church is a "canonical division" of the Russian Orthodox Church, explained Baraban, adding Moscow largely controls the "actions and narratives" of the clergy in Minsk. "Keeping in mind that in the last few years that the Kremlin actively uses the Orthodox Church as an instrument of Russian soft power, the Belarusian Orthodox Church explicitly or implicitly expresses the political and social messages coming from Moscow." Lacking formal ties to the Belarusian government, the Belarusian Catholic Church, however, "remains a classic religious institution," added Baraban. And the postelection crisis in Belarus -- in which some 7,000 have been detained and hundreds beaten amid protests numbering in the tens of thousands -- has only made that contrast starker. "The Orthodox Church has been quite concise, a restrained wait-and-see position of Russian authorities toward developments in Belarus," Baraban said. The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, was quick to congratulate Lukashenka on his declared victory, saying the authoritarian leader "continuously paid attention to the issues of spirituality." The head of the Belarusian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Paval of Minsk and Zaslaul, veered slightly from this policy by criticizing the government's brutal reaction to the protests and even visiting some of the wounded in hospital. As a result, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church removed him on August 26. His replacement, Bishop Veniamin, is Belarusian-born, the first in the post, although critics see no advantage to that. Crisis In Belarus Read our ongoing coverage as Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka continues his brutal crackdown on NGOs, activists, and independent media following the August 2020 presidential election, widely seen as fraudulent. Orthodox priest Alyaksandr Shramko, who was removed in 2018 by Metropolitan Paval for criticizing church leaders, wrote on Facebook: "People! Don't be happy! There is nothing good about this reassignment." "Veniamin is a supporter of Lukashenka's state ideology," Shramko later told the Polish-based independent Belarusian news site Belsat. "He does not sympathize with ecumenism, liberalism of all kinds. For him, a firm hand is also a part of his worldview. He is a man with a monastic background, so subordination and hierarchy are important for him," theologian Natallya Vasilevich told Belsat. Given his outspokenness, Kondrusiewicz, who was born in a village near Hrodna, appears to be the exact opposite. He told RFE/RL that growing expectations for change in Belarus began "percolating" in 2010, when protests after Lukashenka's declared election victory were brutally suppressed, prompting the European Union and United States to impose sanctions on Belarus. He said the fact that Lukashenka, in power since 1994, talks of changing the constitution already means the protests are having an impact. "A year ago I couldn't have imagined that," Kondrusiewicz said. After the August 26 standoff at the Red Church, where OMON riot police briefly blocked about 100 people inside, the house of worship has become a focal point for other demonstrations. He said demand for change was being pushed by younger Belarusians who have grown up in a different age. "Today we see a completely new generation, brought up in completely new conditions, a generation of young people who surf the Internet and travel abroad," he said, while calling for the crisis to be solved peacefully with no more bloodshed. "People want to resolve this in a peaceful way.... It is necessary to sit down at the negotiating table and try to figure this out." Written by RFE/RL correspondent Tony Wesolowsky with reporting by RFE/RL's Belarus and Russian Services His name is becoming recognizable, but what is Benjamin Crumps record when representing those allegedly wrong by the justice system? While there are many success stories as a lawyer, history also shows that when Crump signs up to defend a (typically) black client, an assemblage of peers has almost always found the defendant not guilty and that the police acted within the law. This is worth noting because in our national conversation of race and policing, while there are times that police act outside the law (and need to be fully prosecuted no one is disputing this point), generally speaking the totality of a case runs counter to the narrative. When tensions are unnecessarily flared, only death and destruction follow. Neither is healthy for the predominantly black community that this affects nor the United States as a whole. This year alone, Crump is representing the survivors George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Jacob Blake, and now Dijon Kizzee. It seems probable that all four cases could result in exculpatory verdicts for the officers. How did we get here? The first high-profile Crump case occurred back in 2002, when he represented the surviving family of Genie McMeans, Jr., who was killed by a new black female police officer. The deceased initiated contact with the officer, yelled at her, and disobeyed her orders. When he eventually made a move to retrieve something from his car, he was fatally fired upon. Crump took the case, but after a short deliberation the officer was subsequently cleared of any charges by a grand jury. Fast forward to 2012 when Crump returned to the civil rights arena after a young black man named Ronald Weekly, Jr. accused the Los Angeles Police Department of racially profiling him and applying unreasonable force. In reality, he was a street bum that resisted arrest. A federal jury unanimously cleared all officers and the city. In that same year, Crump skyrocketed to national infamy for his involvement in the case of George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin. Lest readers forget, NBC intentionally misrepresented Zimmerman in the 9-1-1 call and portrayed him as a white man (he is Hispanic), thus planting the seed for the falsifiable narrative of white-on-black brutality. Crump again took the case and was again on the losing side. Zimmerman was found not guilty by a jury of his peers. That same year, Crump represented the family of Alesia Thomas, who had been sought for the abandonment of her two children and when ultimately approached was high on cocaine. While she died in police custody, and Crump contended the police were directly responsible for her death in their custody, the female police officer that was eventually charged was found guilty of only felony assault, not murder. The dropped charge existed because the autopsy was inconclusive about the application of force in light of the deceaseds own actions and severe intoxication. In 2014, the infamous Ferguson incident occurred, where the not-so-gentle giant Michael Brown, high on marijuana and black privilege, robbed a convenience store and proceeded to violently resist lawful commands. After assaulting a policeman and attempting to take his sidearm, Brown was shot and killed. Crump alleged, and the media and the White House likewise asserted, that a white racist police officer murdered an innocent young black man. Although both a grand jury and Eric Holder himself searched in the last few unburned buildings for evidence that the officer had evil motives, none surfaced. In the next forced-narrative incident, teenager Tamir Rice was tragically killed after the police were called about a person waving a firearm at a local park. Still brandishing the weapon when officers arrived at the scene, he was quickly and lethally subdued. Both local prosecutors and a subsequent grand jury declined to charge the officers, citing that given the circumstances, the officers responded reasonably. No charges were filed. A year later, Crump took the job of representing a deceased Mexican immigrant, who, while being high on methamphetamines, hurled rocks the size of softballs at officers. Three officers, one also of Hispanic origin, fired several shots and killed him. For some reason, this warranted the intervention of the leftist Mexican president to decry American police brutality. Despite the political pressure of the case, no charges were brought against the officers. Crump next took the case of a black Oklahoman named Terrence Crutcher. Police were dispatched after Crutcher, who as it turns out was out of his mind from acute PCP intoxication and an even more hallucinogenic substance called TCP, was parked in the middle of a street, wandering aimlessly, and making every interaction difficult for the responding officer. After he reached into his vehicle against repeated commands, he was shot and killed. The officer was charged with first-degree murder and jury of her peers found her not guilty. That brings us to the present date. The George Floyd incident has led to months of unnecessary riots, looting, and death, all in the name of a problem that doesnt actually exist. Crump is supporting the survivors in their quest for black social justice, which is not actual justice, and the case is currently eroding before his eyes. The lawyers own despicable actions of concealing officer body cameras footage from public view could have supported a community dialogue around use of force, but instead we were left with a one-sided still image of a white officer kneeling on a black man. Based on the available evidence, including transcripts, autopsies, and the withheld bodycams, as well as the steep demands of a second-degree murder charge, this officer could and should walk. He is also defending the Breonna Taylor estate, and as more information comes out about her it is equally unimpressive. Involvement in the drug underworld and shady dealings dont exactly corroborate the idyllic EMT image the media painted for us. This case is also pending, but after several months no charges have been brought against the officers, although one was fired. And finally, Benjamin Crump is presently in Kenosha, Wisconsin following the shooting death of the anti-choirboy Jacob Blake. A solid background of the Blake situation can be found at American Thinker. Suffice to say, he had a felony warrant out for his arrest, has a violent past, and repeatedly ignored officer commands, and powered through taser discharges. Based on the litany of failed judicial attempts, is it any wonder ordinary Americans have grown tired of the false narrative of systemic racism, black oppression, and police brutality? If America is so racist, why has Crump managed so legal victories? The best he could do was win a felony assault case, but even then, he had pushed for an initial murder charge that he didnt get. Heres the truth: Every single one of Crumps clients was a potential threat to the police and surrounding public. They acted dangerously and unpredictably while intoxicated from mind-altering drugs. Their deaths are tragic but entirely the fault of their own individual choices, not the police, and that is what juries find time after time. So, isnt it obvious? Americans want justice to be served but are living in a world of crying wolf. When something tragic does happen, we rightfully question the narrative and motives of the actors involved. This can change, but patterns of behavior need to change first. Authors note: The article has been revised since its original publication to correct for inaccuracies. The original submission mistakenly identified as Mr. Crump as the president of the Florida Bar; he was president of the National Bar Association. It was also written that Mr. Crump defended individuals; it has since been rewritten to include the word represented. Parker Beauregard writes cultural commentary for ordinary Americans. He has been published on American Thinker, Liberty Nation, Right Wire Report, and blogs at thelastbesthope.xyz. Contact him at thelastbesthope@protonmail.com. Video taken shortly before a car plowed into New York City Black Lives Matter demonstrators shows its pro-police passengers getting an NYPD escort to the car. The clip, which surfaced on Twitter, shows several NYPD Strategic Response Group officers surrounding a black Ford Taurus sedan, clearing the way for people to scurry inside the car, which has a New Jersey license plate. The passengers are seen wearing red hats, with one of them wearing an American flag-patterned t-shirt. A police officer is shown slamming the car door shut after the last passenger is inside, before the car drives off and the officers disperse. Video shows NYPD officers escorting Pro-Trump counterprotesters to the car that would later be seen plowing through a crowd of protesters in NYC's Times Square Thursday night The New York Police Department said on Twitter that the vehicle in question was not an official department car, despite rumors that claimed otherwise It was later revealed that one of the passengers was transgender pro-Trump activist Juliet Germanotta (in red hat Thursday night). Police had to separate Black Lives Matter supporters and Keep America Great counter-protesters as tensions flared in Times Square The clip appears to be taken just moments before the car was caught on camera driving into the crowd of Black Lives Matter protesters in Times Square shortly after 8pm Thursday. The person who tweeted the video claimed that 'the unmarked police car driver through protesters tonight in Times Square? driver by NYPD escorting trump supporters.' Rumors that the car was an unmarked police car appear to have since been disproved, however, as the NYPD tweeted that 'This auto is NOT an NYPD vehicle.' NBC police sources also shut down speculation that the driver was an undercover cop in an unmarked police car. Meanwhile, Gothamist reported that the car's license plates match those of a car belonging to pro-NYPD activist Hakim Gibson. Cell phone footage taken Thursday night shows a group of Black Lives Matter protesters standing in front of a black vehicle The black vehicle accelerates through the crowd, stops briefly and then leaves the scene as protesters call for medics Gibson reportedly bought the former police vehicle at an auction and added a push bumper and spotlight to it, making it look more like the police car it had previously been. On Friday, the day after the incident, pro-Trump activist Juliet Germanotta - who allegedly defaced the Black Lives Matter mural outside Trump Tower in July - told news outlets that she and five others were inside the car. Germanotta told Freedom News that she and the others in her group had gone to counterprotest that night, but were met by hundreds of Black Lives Matter protesters who 'started verbally harassing and taunting us.' She said that the protesters had blocked their path and, at one point, hit one of counterprotesters, knocking her hat off her head. She said that the NYPD officers led the group down the street and escorted them to the car, while 300 protesters 'started verbally harassing and taunting us.' 'My life was verbally threatened on multiple occasions,' Germanotta claimed. 'People said that they were going to get me, they were going to hurt me, they were going to kill me, that my life doesn't matter.' She said that once they were inside the car, the protesters tried to open the car doors and also hit it. 'The driver then drove through to try to get us to safety,' she said. She described the driver as being 'a civilian trying to protect us and get out of harm's way.' Germanotta said that she saw her 'life flash in front of me' and that she thought she 'was going to die last night.' 'Black lives do matter,' she noted, 'but I say all lives matter and its so scary to see whats going on, people who want to hurt someone because they have different beliefs that are more conservative.' She claimed that the protestors had been threatening to kill her. Germanotta told Gothamist that she, the driver and the four other passengers went to speak with police detectives on Friday morning and that they were released without charges. The NYPD has not yet confirmed whether it will be charging the driver of the car, as the case is still under investigation. Sources told NBC that the driver 'was found to be a part of the Keep America Great rally' and that the group had 'exchanged heated words' with the BLM supporters. Photographs taken at the time show cops trying to keep the two groups apart. The NYPD said no one was hurt during the incident, and they are currently investigating. Footage shared by DataInput on Twitter shows hundreds of protesters grouped together in Times Square Thursday night to protest the death of Daniel Prude - a 41-year-old black man who suffocated to death while in police custody. Video shows the black sedan arrive at an intersection with a group of people on bicycles attempting to stop it from moving forward as the crowd walks across the street. However, the car briefly drives forward, pushing the group of protesters back, before suddenly accelerating into the crowd. Screams echo through the crowd as people try to maneuver out of the way and bikes scatter along the street. The vehicle stops for just for a moment before speeding off and out of the area. Also- anyone trying to suggest this wasnt NYPD- heres a video of them escorting MAGA counter protesters from times sq moments before the the same car ran through a line of peaceful protesters pic.twitter.com/lJ24iLBUQd ACG (@aaroncostaganis) September 4, 2020 NBC quotes police sources as saying the driver was 'was found to be a part of the Keep America Great rally' and that the group had 'exchanged heated words' with the BLM supporters. Photographs taken at the time show cops trying to keep the two groups apart The small group of counter-protesters draped American flags around their shoulders as they headed out to Times Square. One wore an 'All Lives Matter' t-shirt Protesters hit people screaming for medics pic.twitter.com/BxQGnRKmtN Gwynne Hogan (@GwynneFitz) September 4, 2020 The department said that no complaints or injuries had been reported around 10pm, but photos and witnesses at the scene said some people sustained minor wounds. Additional footage shared by Gwen Hogan with the Gothamist shows people calling out for medics as people moan in pain. At least one man was bandaged at the scene and other photos showed people with bruises. 'Im in shock. Im just happy to be alive right now,' Lora Gettelfinger, a 33-year-old protester who was struck in the leg by the car, told Gothamist. Qaaree McDaniel said he was assigned as 'security detail' for the protest when the unidentified driver plowed through the crowd. 'I saw people getting hit, so Im trying to get out of the way. Luckily I made it out just in time, but the car hit my bike, and my bike hit both of my legs,' said McDaniel, 23. He noted that authorities at the scene reportedly had a blase reaction to the incident. 'Just seeing how cops reacted, how they were so passive about it, it goes to show you where they stand,' McDaniel added. A man has his hand bandaged after a car carrying counter protestors fled the scene and drove through a crowd blocking the road during a protest for Daniel Prude and Black Lives Matter in Times Square, Manhattan, New York One woman assesses her injuries after being hit by a car during a Black Lives Matter protest in Times Square Qaaree McDaniel: 'I saw people getting hit, so Im trying to get out of the way. Luckily I made it out just in time, but the car hit my bike, and my bike hit both of my legs' The Black Lives Matter protesters regrouped after the incident and continued marching towards Columbus Circle. In a second video taken by DataInput, protesters at Columbus Circle claimed a someone in a different vehicle at the scene had a gun. The handgun is not visible in footage online, but DailyMail.com has reached out to the NYPD for confirmation. Authorities told ABC 7 that episode may have involved demonstrators from a pro-Trump rally and Black Lives Matter supporters. Thursday's protest in New York City was in response to the death of Daniel Prude, a 41-year-old black man who suffocated to death while in police custody A number of counter protesters, several carrying American flags, were seen at the demonstration as well. Thursday night's commotion mirrors that of a similar incident in Aurora, Colorado, where a Jeep sped through a large Black Lives Matter protest on a blocked highway. The scene turned chaotic after the blue Jeep crashed into another vehicle and one man in the crowd opened fire on I-225 earlier this year. During the incident, several demonstrators were forced to flee from the Jeep and one woman appeared to fall 20 feet off the side of the highway to dodge the vehicle. Three New York City officials have spoken out to condemn the footage and request the New York Police Department hold the driver accountable. Some New York City officials have spoken out after footage of the incident was shared to social media Thursday evening Senator Brad Hoylman was among other politicians who demanded the NYPD investigate the matter Keith Powers: Using a vehicle to hurt peaceful protestors is unacceptable and must be stopped 'This video shows an incredibly reckless and disturbing action through a lawful protest,' wrote Council Speaker Corey Johnson. 'We must get to the bottom of it. We need accountability.' Senator Brad Hoylman also called the incident 'disturbing' and said: 'We have asked the City directly as to the identity of the driver and its investigation.' Hoylman added that since July 6, there have been at least 66 incidents of cars ramming into Black Lives Matter protesters. Council member Kieth Powers said: 'Using a vehicle to hurt peaceful protestors is unacceptable and must be stopped.' The Black Lives Matter protest on Thursday joined several others around the country after Daniel Prude died in March, but footage of the incident resurfaced this month. Daniel Prude was left brain dead after the incident and later died on March 30 after he was taken off of life support seven days after the encounter with police in Rochester While the fatal incident occurred on March 23 weeks before George Floyd would die in Minnesota police custody in May, sparking nationwide protests Prudes death received no public attention His family shared video of his final moments to the public this week, prompting Mayor Lovely Warren to suspend all seven officers involved in the death. The Monroe County medical examiner ruled his death a homicide caused by complications of asphyxia in the setting of physical restraint. The report also listed excited delirium and acute intoxication by phencyclidine, or PCP, as contributing factors. I have never shied away from taking action and holding our police or anyone that fails in their duties in our community accountable, Mayor Warren told reporters Thursday. That is why I am suspending the officers in question today, against the advice of counsel. You cannot stand around and allow these types of things to happen. You have a duty,' she continued. 'Mr. Daniel Prude was failed by the police department, our mental health care system, our society, and he was failed by me.' 19A no impediment to smooth functioning of Government View(s): At the time the 1978 Constitution was enacted, the left parties led by the Lanka Sama Samaja Party and the Communist Party pointed out the dangers that could befall a developing country like Sri Lanka from the governance structure that the J R Jayewardene Constitution envisaged. Left leaders like Dr N M Perera and Dr Colvin R de Silva argued that the executive presidency would facilitate authoritarian tendencies by centralising power and vesting in one individual enormous authority over and above what was desirable for a democratic country. Sirimavo Bandaranaike herself opposed the 1978 Constitution in no uncertain terms. In fact, when her Government was drafting the 1972 Constitution and J R Jayewardene made the suggestion to establish the executive presidency, she firmly rejected the proposal stating that such an institution was not suitable for the country. Mrs Bandaranaike took up this position despite the fact that she would have been the first beneficiary of all the excessive powers that the executive presidency enjoyed. Whatever powers that she could have used for her political advantage through the executive presidency did not blind her to the fact that such an institution could do irreparable harm to the country and therefore rejected the proposal outright. J R Jayewardene when introducing the 1978 Constitution stated that the executive presidency would ensure that the head of Government would not be subject to the whims and fancies of Parliament. In fact what J R Jayewardene meant was that the people would not be able to hold the executive president accountable for his acts of omission and commission because the peoples representatives in the Legislature would not have a role overseeing the actions of Government unlike under the Westminster system of Government. Over four decades have passed since the executive presidency introduced by the 1978 Constitution was installed. During this period the country has witnessed unprecedented bloodshed and loss of life as a result of the anti-Tamil pogrom of 1983, the JVP insurrection of 1988/1989 and the LTTE-led armed conflict. Under the executive presidency, the communities have drifted apart and mutual suspicion and mistrust has taken centre stage. Also the polity of the country has deteriorated with a growing gap between the executive presidency and the representatives of the people in Parliament. As a result of the dominant nature of the executive presidency, a servile mindset has developed in the minds of politicians who have surrendered their power to examine national issues critically and reduce them to mere yes men. Former President Maithripala Sirisena in the early days of the Yahapalanaya Government was fond of calling this mentality as a wahal manasikathwaya (servile mentality). As a result of the distancing of the executive presidency from the grassroots, Governments have been unable to keep their fingers on the pulse of the people and detect the diverse strands of thinking in society. As a result of which small problems have grown into intractable conflicts that have bled the country. A classic instance is the armed conflict that raged in the North and East for nearly three decades. When the 1978 Constitution was introduced, the conflict in the north was in a nascent stage with the LTTE being a small outfit with little support. Under the executive presidency the LTTE grew in numbers into a full blown terrorist group that wreaked havoc all over the country. The wahal manasikathwaya that has characterised the period of the executive presidency is further demonstrated by the behaviour of parliamentarians in relation to the 17th Amendment, 18th Amendment, 19th Amendment and their likely behaviour vis-a-vis the 20th Amendment. There are several Parliamentarians in the current Parliament who voted for the 17th Amendment, then voted for the 18th Amendment and then again for the 19th Amendment. Some of them are now presumably lining up to vote for the 20th Amendment. These parliamentarians will have to think deeply before deciding on their stand vis-a-vis the 20th Amendment. Supporting 20A, after their previous stands with regard to 17A, 18A and the 19A, will amount to a self indictment with regard to their capacity as legislators. It would amount to an admission that they were unable to identify the shortcomings or the positive features of the respective amendments and therefore had to take contradictory stands at different times. At this point the least that such parliamentarians can do for their own self-respect and dignity is to abstain from voting when the 20th Amendment is placed before the Parliament. If the 20th Amendment enters the statute book it will amount to a restoring of the executive presidency to its original form. This despite the consensus that had emerged in the country over the years that the executive presidency should be abolished. The two main political formations in the country led by Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and Ranil Wickremesinghe had reached agreement on this while Mahinda Rajapaksa too endorsed such a view once he took over the leadership of the SLFP. Since 2012 the Venerable Maduluwawe Sobitha Thero led a relentless campaign to abolish the executive presidency which he described as a cancer that had eaten into the body politic of the country. It was this campaign that propelled Maithripala Sirisena to power with the primary objective of abolishing the executive presidency. Unfortunately, due to a series of circumstances, the task was not completed and only some powers of the executive president were transferred to the Parliament, while several measures to strengthen democracy were also enacted through the 19A. One argument against the 19th Amendment that has resonated with some sections of the people is the performance of the Yahapalanaya Government post-19A. The conflict between President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe contributed greatly towards the lethargy in governance that characterised their Government. Having been elected on an agreed programme of work together with the wide experience that the two leaders had, they should have been able to iron out their differences and work towards realising the mandate given to them by the people. Unfortunately they failed to do so and the rest, as they say, is history. Based on the experience of the Yahapalanaya Government, the argument has been trotted out that the 19th Amendment prevents the smooth functioning of Government. The lacklustre performance of the Yahapalanaya Government in office was not due to any inherent defects in the 19th Amendment but purely due to the inability of the two Government leaders to work things out among themselves. One of the accusations against the Yahapalanaya Government is that the Easter Sunday attacks took place due to the situation in Government caused by the 19th Amendment. The information available in the public domain so far shows that it was a security failure that was in no way linked to the differences between the President and Prime Minister at that time. In fact the whole situation was brought under control within a week with the residual elements taken into custody. In any event the 19th Amendment will not be any impediment to the smooth functioning of Government now because President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa have shown during the past 10 months that they have no problem working together. During this period the Government has managed the COVID-19 pandemic, given jobs to graduates and is planning to give jobs to those from poor families, as well as a myriad other things without the 19th Amendment standing in the way. A detailed examination of the features of the 20th Amendment will reveal that its provisions will result in the President and Government being freed from the searchlight of accountability which is the hallmark of good governance while at the same time also reducing the democratic space that was opened up with the passage of the 19th Amendment. (javidyusuf@gmail.com) By PTI BHOPAL: The Madhya Pradesh government on Saturday decided that private hospitals treating COVID-19 patients could charge only 40 per cent more than rates prevalent in the time before the outbreak. It was also decided that patients being treated at private COVID-19 designated hospitals, which are authorised and in contract with the government, can voluntarily pay their bills. Such hospitals are currently treating patients free of cost. After a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to review the coronavirus situation, Minister for Medical Education Minister Vishvas Sarang informed that there was some confusion about bills being raised by private hospitals treating COVID-19 patients. "It was decided in the meeting that private hospitals treating COVID-19 patients can charge bills on the basis of rates fixed before February this year. They can charge maximum 40 per cent more than the pre-February rates. Say, they were charging Rs 100 in February, then they can charge Rs 140 now," he said. It was decided that patients can voluntarily pay bills, fully or partially, at designated hospitals which are treating free of cost at the moment. A target has been set that 3600 oxygen beds and 564 ICU beds would be added for coronavirus treatment till October 31, which will increases such beds to 11,710 and 2,488 respectively, he said. Sarang said upto 40 per cent of patients, especially those who are asymptomatic, have been kept in home isolation. The minister further said command control centres, with ambulance and doctor round the clock, were being set up in every district to monitor the health of those in home isolation. It was also decided that samples of COVID-19 tests will not be collected from homes now on, and people will have to visit fever clinics for such tests, he added. US DOD determined that Microsoft Corps $10bn JEDI submission still represents the best value for the government. The United States Department of Defense said on Friday it has completed a comprehensive re-evaluation of its $10bn JEDI cloud computing contract proposals and determined that Microsoft Corps submission still represents the best value for the government. Despite the reaffirmed award to Microsoft, the contract remains on hold after a judge in February granted Amazon.com Incs request to temporarily halt the deal from moving forward. Amazon argued the contract process reflected undue influence from President Donald Trump. The Pentagon said Friday it is eager to begin delivering this capability to our men and women in uniform. Amazon, which had been seen as a frontrunner to win the contract, filed a lawsuit in November weeks after the contract was awarded to Microsoft. Trump has publicly derided Amazon head Jeff Bezos and repeatedly criticised the company. In April, the judge overseeing the suit granted the Pentagons request to halt further action on the lawsuit to allow it to reconsider aspects of the decision. Amazon shares fell on the announcement and were down 1.8 percent in late trading. The company did not immediately comment. Microsoft said it appreciated that after careful review, the DoD confirmed that we offered the right technology and the best value. Were ready to get to work. The Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure Cloud (JEDI) contract could reach as much as $10bn and is part of a broader digital modernisation of the Pentagon aimed at making it more technologically agile. The Amazon lawsuit said the 2019 Pentagon decision was full of egregious errors, which it suggested were a result of improper pressure from Trump, who launched repeated public and behind-the-scenes attacks to steer the contract away from Amazon to harm Bezos. As well as deriding the Amazon head, Trump has accused the Washington Post newspaper, owned by Bezos, of unfair coverage. Defense Secretary Mark Esper has rejected that there was bias and said the Pentagon made its choice fairly. 04.09.2020 LISTEN 1 JOHN 4:12-16 No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. BY this we know that we abide in Him and He is in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. We have seen and testify that the father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him and he in God. We have come to know and believe the love which God has for us. God is love and the one who abides in love abides in God and God abides in him (NASB). INTRODUCTION A little boy came running into the house after playing outside. His mother stopped him and asked what was on his hand. He replied, Oh, just a little mud. His mother then asked if he was planning on getting it off his hand. He thought for a moment and said, Sure, Mom. Ill just wipe it off with my other hand. There was only one problem with the plan, one dirty hand plus one clean hand equals two dirty hands. Many people are like that little boy; they see the evil and wrongs in their life and think they can make themselves clean by bringing the good in their life to bear on the problem. But it does not work that way. We all need a way to be made morally and spiritually clean, and we will never succeed in doing it ourselves. The only solution is to be found in the blood of Jesus Christ, which cleanses us from all sins. THE FUNCTION OF LOVE V. 12 The kind of love the apostle John is discussing fulfills two functions in our lives as believers. First, it is the visible evidence that God dwells in us. As I shared with you from 1 John 4:7-11, agape is exclusively Christian word. It was not used in any other literature besides the New Testament. Agape is unconditional love; it is a self-giving love. It is loving a person without expecting anything in return. It is love demonstrated to a person regardless of the persons behavior. In other words, it is a kind of love shown to a person whether he deserves it or not. What John is conveying to us is this; you and I have never seen God physically, but when we love one another unconditionally, and are thus in spiritual accord with God, then God is in us as really as if we have seen Him. Wherever His love is, God is present. In other words, when we show the selfless love of God to others, we are proving that indeed we are the true children of God and genuine representatives of God. But if you suppose that you love God, but leave people aside, your love is a sheer delusion. Our love for God reaches Him only when it is expressed through love for our neighbors (Alexander Ramsey). The only way in which the people of this world can ever see God is as they see Him living in and through Gods people. And who are Gods people? Those who have been saved through the blood of Jesus Christ are Gods people. Christians are the people of God. Those who are born again of the Holy Spirit are the people of God. Now get this: in John 1:18, John teaches that it is Christ who has declared the invisible God. That is, Christ has made God visible. But here, to our amazement, John teaches that the unseen God, the invisible God, who was once revealed in His Son Jesus Christ, is now revealed in His people when we love one another. Second, when we practice love, Gods love is perfected in us (12b). This is what John is teaching: When we as Christians practice love for one another it is an evidence that the goal of Gods love has been reached in us. Brotherly love is Gods love fulfilling its end and bearing fruit. Some Christians love to be with others. They befriend strangers easily and always are surrounded by many friends. Others are shy or reserved. They have a few friends, but they are uncomfortable talking to people they do not know or mingling in crowds. Shy people do not have to become extroverts to love others. John is not telling us how many people we are to love, but how much to love the people we already know. Our job is to love the people God has given to us faithfully, whether they are two or four hundred of them. If God sees that we are ready to love others, He will bring them to us. That is the best way a church can grow. Therefore, open your eyes, mind, and heart and see the people God is bringing to you so that you can love them with the love of Christ. No matter how shy or bashful you are, you do not have to be afraid of the commandment to love. God never leads you beyond the sufficiency of His love. No matter how bashful you are, God is willing to enable you love others into His kingdom. When you love others, Gods love is seen in you because your love is Gods love imparted to you by His Spirit. II. THE EVIDENCE OF SALVATION V. 13 Verse 13 begins with the phrase, By this we know, or Hereby we know. The phrase states, Here is the proof that, the proof of what? The proof that we abide in Christ and He in us. This verse says that the presence of the Holy Spirit within you certifies the indwelling of God. The gift of the Holy Spirit is an evidence of salvation (Rom. 8:9). Verse 13 is closely tied to verse 12. In verse 13, John is saying that the Holy Spirit, who abides in you, is a witness of Gods presence in your life. The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit in your heart is the seal and assurance of your union with God. It was St. Augustine of Hippo who said, Do we want to know what Christ has given to us from His Spirit? Ask your heart. If it is full of love, you have the Spirit. Do you want to know that the Spirit dwells in you? Ask St. Paul. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us (Romans 5:5). The simple truth is that the natural person can neither believe nor love. To put it in another way, if you have not given your life to Jesus, you can neither believe in Him nor love others. In your fallen and unredeemed state, you are both blind and selfish. It is only by the grace of the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of truth and whose first fruit is love (Gal. 5:22), that you and I ever come to believe in Christ and to love others. The presence of the Holy Spirit in you is the assurance of salvation. He assures you that you are a child of God. When Satan comes with his accusation, and says look at you; how can you be a child of God? It is the Holy Spirit who assures you that you are the child of God. III. THE CONFESSION OF CHRIST AS SON OF GOD VV. 14-15 John and fellow apostles were eyewitnesses of Jesus Christ as Gods gift to the world. Here again John is saying, we beheld, or we saw. The pronoun we is emphatic. Not only did they see Jesus, they also bear witness that the heavenly Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. Jesus did not originate from Bethlehem. He originated from heaven. Jesus life did not begin on the planet earth; he existed with the Father before the foundation of the world. As a matter of fact, He was the Agent of creation. The world for whose sake the Father sent the Son was not righteous. The term world as used in this context means sinful society, estranged from God and under the dominion of the evil one. Jesus came to rescue the world from sin and Satan. Jesus came to redeem you and me from the power of sin and the tyranny of Satan who held us captive. You and I were pinned down by the force of sin and the stronghold of Satan, but Jesus has set us free. The moment you said yes to Jesus, the moment you opened your heart to Him, Jesus became your Lord and Savior. The verb sent is a perfect tense, which points not only to the historical event of the sending, but to the purpose and result of it, namely the salvation of the world. With this statement all three of the Apostle Johns tests are implied. The first test is the doctrinal test. It was the Son Himself whom the Father sent. Second, the social test: Gods love is seen, revealed, manifested in the sending of His Son, thus obliging, or compelling us to love each other. The third test is ethical. If Christ came to be our Savior, we must forsake the sins from which He came to save us. Therefore, if you claim to be a Christian and you continue to practice the sins from which Christ has set you free, then you better evaluate your claim. Why? Because when the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed (John 8:36). This is not just a platitude; it is a fact. You see, the historical mission of Jesus in the salvation of the world took place two thousand years ago and its influence and effects are still going on. Let me draw an analogy. Here in the United States when the Emancipation Proclamation document was signed into law many years ago, all the slaves were set free and its influence and results are still going on today. The same thing happened on the cross when Jesus said, it is finished. Jesus sealed the spiritual emancipation proclamation document not by the stroke of a pen, but rather by the shedding of His own precious blood for you and me. Therefore, anyone who receives Jesus as personal Lord and Savior becomes a child of God. You no longer belong to Satan if you have placed your faith and trust in Jesus Christ. You have traded places and you have changed masters. In verse 15 the news even gets better. John says, whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. This is a doctrinal test but let me explain something here before we continue. The word confesses is the Greek word homologese. That word is an aorist tense (like our English past tense). That word cannot be rendered precisely in English. John is referring neither to a future confession, but to a single and decisive public confession, the time of which is unspecified. In the Bible the word confession is used in two different ways. It is used in a negative way to indicate confession of sins, and it is used in a positive way to mean confession of Christ. To confess mean to say the same thing. To confess means to agree with God about something or somebody. This is what John is saying: There was a defined moment and day in your life when you believed in your heart and confessed with your mouth that Jesus is the Son of God. At that moment and day, you may not be able to recall with precision, but when you made that confession, the Spirit of God came to abide in you and you in God. Therefore, I have problem with people who say, I have been a Christian all my life, but you dont see any change in their life. You may have been born into a Christian family. Your parents might have carried you to church since you were an infant, but if you cannot recall a day in your life when you gave your life to Jesus Christ, then I submit to you that you are religious and a church-goer, but not a Christian. To confess Jesus as the Son of God is to be born again from above. For without the Holy Spirits initiative you cannot call Jesus, Lord. I do not want to ruin your day, but that is the truth. When I attended a Presbyterian Church because I went to a Presbyterian school, I knew deep in my heart that I was not saved. Why? Because I had not confessed Jesus as my Lord. Probably I would have asked Jesus to come into my heart, had somebody shared the gospel with me. In those days church attendance was obligatory and a formality. But later in my adult years when a couple came and shared Christ with me, I was reluctant, but finally I gave my life to Christ. I may not be able to give you the exact date, but I can go back to that day when I confessed Jesus as the Son of God. I would like for you to think about what John is saying, because the devil has duped and deceived many people who claim to be Christians, but they are religious and churchgoers. You can be a faithful churchgoer and end up in hell because you never gave your life to Christ. It is the apostles who first preached or proclaimed that Jesus is the Son of God. They walked with Him. They saw Him. They held Him. They heard His profound teachings. They saw His miracles. Therefore, they were eyewitnesses to Christ. Their testimony is necessary, but it does not compel assent. It is the power of the Spirit of God who enables you to confess that Jesus is Christ who has come in the flesh (4:2). Potentially Jesus is the Savior of the world but believing and confessing Him is a part of the plan of God by which Christ becomes your actual Savior. There are many people in churches today whom Jesus is their potential Savior and not their actual Savior, because they have not confessed Him in real sense. In the first century, to confess Christ as Lord was a costly price to pay. Even today in some parts of the world like China, Indonesia, Sudan, India, and others to confess Christ as Lord can cost your life. Some people pay a great price to follow Jesus Christ and that is worth it all because Jesus Himself paid the ultimate price. He died in your stead. He died for you and me. Therefore, if you live in the United States but take Jesus for granted, then you would have yourself to blame. Can you trace a day in your life when you confessed or acknowledged Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Do you have the witness of the Holy Spirit in your heart that you are a child of God? What about the social test? Do you love people unconditionally? Have you attached strings to your love? Are you a secret Christian? Do you live a double life? When you are with Christians you act like a Christian but when you are with unbelievers there is no difference between you and them. IV. ABIDING IN LOVE V. 16 John says, we have come to know and still know, we have come to believe and still believe the love, which God has for us. The knowledge and the faith are both lasting experiences. It is one thing to know and believe the love that God has for us, it is another to learn to love and to abide in love ourselves. In other words, the love that is eternally in God and was historically manifested in Christ is to come to fruition in us. The only way you and I can love as the only way to believe (v. 15) is by dwelling or abiding in God and God in us. It is the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit that makes us the children of God. The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God (Romans 8:16). The Holy Spirit enables you and I to believe and to love others. Faith and love are the fruit of the indwelling Spirit. Faith and love are the evidence of the Spirit. Therefore, if you abide in love it is the evidence that God dwells in you. That is why Jesus sums up the Ten Commandments in love. Jesus also said that it is through our love for one another that the world will truly know that we are the children of God. A major part of the reason the common people were attracted to Jesus was His love. The world is dying for genuine love. If you and I would demonstrate unconditional love, we can gain an entrance into peoples life. When you show true love to people, they begin to open to you, because they feel at home with you. Without the Holy Spirit your mind is dark, and your heart is cold. Only the Holy Spirit can enlighten your mind to believe in Jesus and warm your heart to love God and each other. So, believing and loving are evidence that His Spirit is at work in you. So as a Christian you cannot have a cold heart. You are to be warm and affectionate. Christians are like magnets; we are to attract people to Christ. Only genuine Christians can truly love unconditionally. A soldier who went to war called his mother and said, mom can I come home? Is there a room in the house for me, the mother responded, sure there is room for you so please come home. The soldier said, could I bring a friend who has lost an eye, and a leg? Is there a room for him? The mother replied, well, you can bring him to stay for a while, but later he must find a place to stay. The son who was a soldier hanged up the phone and took his own life. He was the one who had lost an eye and a leg. He knew his mother would not receive him back for what had happened to him. Do you love people unconditionally? Think and pray about it. By Express News Service HYDERABAD: A Hyderabad resident donated a television set to two students, both siblings, residing at Kodurupaka village in Peddapalli district on Friday. Donda Sowmya and Donda Meghna, studying in Class X and VII respectively at Nittur Zilla Parishad High School (ZPHS), did not have access to online classes broadcast by the State government via the TSAT network. Donda Sowmya and Donda Meghna live in a thatched hut, and their parents dont own a smart phone or a television set. Though the two girls have a keen interest in studies, they were not in a position to go to their classmates houses for attending virtual lessons. When their predicament was brought to the notice of their teachers, Maths teacher T Tirupathi Rao and Headmaster M Laxminarayana contacted philant h r o p i s t a n d Hyderabad resident Joginipalli Srinivas Rao for help. He responded positively and agreed to donate a television set to the siblings. The school staff handed over the set to the students on Friday. Sowmya, Meghna and their parents expressed their gratitude to Srinivas Rao and the teachers for helping them gain access to online lessons. This was highest level face-to-face contact between the two sides after border tension erupted in eastern Ladakh in early May New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has clearly conveyed to his Chinese counterpart General Wei Fenghe that China must strictly respect the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and not make attempts to unilaterally change its status quo, asserting India is determined to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity, officials said on Saturday. In the highest level face-to-face contact between the two sides after border tension erupted in eastern Ladakh in early May, Rajnath and Wei met for two hours and 20 minutes in Moscow on Friday evening on the sidelines of a meeting of the defence ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation(SCO). Officials said Rajnath conveyed to his Chinese counterpart that the current situation should be handled responsibly, and that neither side should take any further action that could either complicate the situation or escalate matters in the border areas. He told Wei that the actions by the Chinese troops, including amassing a large number of troops, their aggressive behaviour and attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo were in violation of the bilateral agreements, the officials said. Rajnath also underlined that the two sides should continue their discussions, including through diplomatic and military channels, to ensure "complete disengagement and de-escalation" along the LAC at the earliest. Singh conveyed to his Chinese counterpart that both sides should take guidance from the consensus of the leaders of the two countries that maintenance of peace and tranquility in the border areas was essential for further development of ties and that the two sides should not allow differences to become disputes. At the talks, Rajnath categorically conveyed Indias position on the developments along the LAC including at the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh in the last few months, the officials said. They said Rajnath made it clear that while the Indian troops had always taken a very responsible approach towards border management, but at the same time there should also be no doubt about our determination to protect Indias sovereignty and territorial integrity. Tensions flared up again in eastern Ladakh after China unsuccessfully attempted to occupy Indian territory in the southern bank of Pangong lake five days ago when the two sides were engaged in diplomatic and military talks to resolve the prolonged border row. India occupied a number of strategic heights on the southern bank of Pangong lake and strengthened its presence in Finger 2 and Finger 3 areas in the region to thwart any Chinese actions. China has strongly objected to India's move. However, India has maintained that the strategic heights are on its side of the LAC. India has also rushed in additional troops and weapons to the sensitive region following China's transgression attempts. Following China's fresh attempts to change the status quo in the southern bank of Pangong lake, India has further bolstered its military presence in the region. Tension between the two sides escalated manifold after the violent clashes in Galwan Valley on 15 June in which 20 Indian Army personnel were killed. The Chinese side also suffered casualties but it is yet to give out the details. According to an American intelligence report, the number of casualties on the Chinese side was 35. A special fugitive task force led by federal agents shot and killed 48-year-old Michael Forest Reinoehl in Washington state Thursday evening, just hours after a judge in Oregon issued a warrant for his arrest in relation to the killing of a Trump supporter at a protest in Portland on August 29. The news of Reinoehls killing broke only minutes after President Donald Trump tweeted a demand that the police take action against the anti-fascist activist. Why arent the Portland Police ARRESTING the cold blooded killer of Aaron Jay Danielson? Trump wrote. Do your job, and do it fast. Everybody knows who this thug is. No wonder Portland is going to hell! A member of the far-right Patriot Prayer organization, Danielson, 39, was shot and killed last Saturday during a right-wing provocation in which Trump supporters drove pickup trucks through downtown Portland while firing paintballs and engaging in fist fights with anti-police violence protesters. Following the Thursday shooting of Reinoehl, a father of two, Attorney General William Barr issued a ghoulish statement applauding what appears to have been a summary execution carried out by US marshals, FBI agents and state and local police. Barrs statement twice referred to Reinoehl as a member of Antifa, when, in fact, the deceased had explicitly denied membership in the shadowy, if even existent, organization. Officials work at the area late Thursday, Sept. 3, 2020, in Lacey Wash., where Michael Forest Reinoehl was gunned down by a fugitive task force. (AP Photo/Ted Warren) Barr called the killing of Reinoehl a significant accomplishment in the ongoing effort to restore law and order to Portland and other cities. He went on to say: The streets of our cities are safer with this violent agitator removed, and the actions that led to his location are an unmistakable demonstration that the United States will be governed by law, not violent mobs. This followed an interview in which Barr defended the police shooting on August 23 of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, declaring that the police were seeking to execute an arrest warrant and that the victim, now paralyzed from the waist down, was armed. Eyewitnesses to the shooting of Blake claim he was unarmed when he was shot in the back seven times by a veteran Kenosha police officer. Barr has issued no condemnation of the pro-Trump vigilante, Kyle Rittenhouse, who murdered two protesters in Kenosha last month, and Trump has openly defended the killer. Reinoehl had regularly participated in anti-police-violence protests in Portland. He took responsibility for Danielsons death, telling freelance journalist Donovan Farley in an interview posted Thursday by VICE News that he had shot Danielson in self-defense, fearing that he and a friend were about to be stabbed. I had no choice, he said. I mean, I had a choice. I could have sat there and watched them kill a friend of mine of color. But I wasnt going to do that. I was confident that I did not hit anyone innocent and I made my exit, Reinoehl added. He explained that he had not yet turned himself in to the police because he believed they were collaborating with right-wing groups that were hunting him, and that he would not be safe in police custody. Theyre out hunting me, he told Farley. Theres nightly posts of the hunt and where theyre going to be hunting. They made a post saying the deer are going to feel lucky this year because its open season on Michael right now. The law enforcement task force that tracked down and killed Reinoehl in Lacey, Washington, the Pacific Northwest Violent Offenders Task Force, included agents from the US Marshals and the FBI as well as officers from the Lakewood Police Department, the Pierce County Sheriffs Department and the Washington State Department of Corrections. Witnesses reported hearing dozens of shots fired during the encounter. According to the US Marshals, Reinoehl produced a firearm after being approached in his vehicle by officers, prompting them to open fire. Task force members responded to the threat and struck the suspect, who was pronounced dead at the scene, the Marshals stated. Bystander video of the aftermath shows heavily armed officers standing around Reinhoels body as they secure the area. Lt. Ray Brady of the Thurston County Sheriffs Office, the department that is overseeing the local investigation into the shooting, told the media that four officers had fired their weapons, but he could not confirm if Reinoehl had opened fire. Portland has been the scene of nightly protests against police violence and racism for more than three months, part of the wave of nationwide and international multi-racial protests that erupted in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd by four Minneapolis police officers at the end of May. The situation was dramatically escalated in July when President Trump deployed federal agentsincluding the US Border Patrols paramilitary BORTAC forceunder the guise of protecting Portlands federal courthouse. Federal police in riot gear fired tear gas and less lethal rounds at demonstrators, in one instance fracturing a protesters skull. Most chillingly, federal agents began abducting protesters and throwing them into unmarked vans, in snatch-and-grab operations reminiscent of Latin American dictatorships. At the end of July, federal forces pulled back in the face of growing protests, with an agreement by Democratic Governor Kate Brown to deploy the state police against the protesters. Now, Trump and Department of Homeland Security Acting Director Chad Wolf are once against discussing deploying federal agents against the protests in Portland. Were ready, willing and able to send in, you know, a massive group of people that are really highly trained, Trump said Tuesday during a visit with law enforcement officials in Kenosha. We could solve that problem in less than an hour in Portland, he stated. He then nodded to Attorney General Barr and added, At some point, Bill, well just have to do it ourselves. As a first step, state police have been deputized by the US Marshals to act as federal agents, allowing for protesters they detain to be charged in federal, rather than state, courts. Trump has been using the protests against police violencemost recently the demonstrations against the Blake shooting in Kenoshato wage a law-and-order campaign and whip up his fascistic base in the lead-up to the November 3 presidential election. During a campaign speech in Latrobe, Pennsylvania Thursday afternoon, Trump promised he would bring to justice the rioters, looters, violent extremists, anarchists. He boasted that We have over 400 right now under arrest. He declared his Democratic opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden, to be a puppet of the socialist, Marxist and cop-hating extremists. He later stated that while Biden would appease the domestic terrorists, his plan was to arrest them and prosecute them. For his part, Biden has responded with his own law and order ad campaign, denouncing anti-police-violence protesters who engage in vandalism or looting and placing the blame for violent clashes between police and demonstrators on Trump, even though in most cases the cities that have seen significant protests and police repression are run by Democratic administrations. Dateline COVID-19: The Facts About Myanmars Second Wave and How Vaccines Work -- Ye Ni: Welcome to Dateline Irrawaddy! This week, well discuss the ongoing second wave of COVID-19 that originated in Rakhine State, whether it is a new strain of the coronavirus, how to identify silent carriers who are infected with the virus but show no symptoms, and when a COVID-19 vaccine might be produced. Dr. Sid Naing, director of Marie Stopes Myanmar, an international nongovernmental organization providing public health care services, has joined me to discuss this. Im Irrawaddy Burmese editor Ye Ni. First of all, could you explain the local transmissions of COVID-19 that originated from Sittwe in Rakhine State? The director of contagious disease prevention and eradication at the Ministry of Health and Sports, Dr. Daw Khin Khin Gyi, has said a second wave of COVID-19 has begun in Myanmar. Her conclusion is based on the fact that while few imported cases were found over the past few months, local transmissions have erupted in Sittwe. It also seems that the most recent patients are infected with a new strain of the coronavirus that is more infectious. It has been said that other countries in our region are also experiencing a second wave of the coronavirus. How would you assess the second wave of COVID-19 in Myanmar? Sid Naing: Public interest in COVID-19 is extremely high. And while there has been an abundance of coverage in the media, the terminology can be confusing. People find themselves talking about a second wave without knowing exactly what a second wave is. And it sounds scary. Its called a second wave because of the pattern. There were no cases at first, then a few cases occurred, and then the number of cases dropped. If we drew it as a graph on paper, wed see that the line was at first straight, then went up, and then went down. We call that a wave. Like the waves in the ocean, it rises and falls. People are talking about the second wave because of the history of global pandemics like influenza that broke out in the early 20th century. In those cases, the pandemic seemed to cease after a certain number of people had been infected and lost their lives. Then, the pandemic resurfacedI mean globally and the second wave was more infectious and more fatal than the first. So, there is a common assumption that a second wave would be worse. There are a number of factors that could make it worse, including changes in lifestyles of people and mutations in virus strains. And monitoring systems and human behavior also play a factor. These cause a wave. As long as you draw a graph, you will see the wave. Countries are saying they are experiencing the second wave now based on their own graphs. But I dont think there will be a second wave globally because today people understand how to prevent the spread of the disease. I say that even though there will still be people who defy health rules and regulations and pay no attention. If only 30 percent of the people follow rules and regulations, preventative measures will be effective to a certain extent. So the situation will not be that bad. It is just a wave if we plot the figures on a graph. And graphs will be different from one country to another. So, we dont need to be confused by the words second wave. People just need to keep in mind that it is dangerous if the disease spreads again. As I have said, people are now well informed about the health risks. Even people in the street are discussing the pandemic at a molecular level. They are even talking about the virus strain transforming from G614 to D614. So, health experts have to study more details about the disease in order to keep the public informed. The virus has mutated. It is natural for any virus to mutate. It is assumed that coronavirus is a variant of a virus found in bats. The mutation can lead to anything. Mutation could make it easier or harder to infect others. From the perspective of a virus, it is good for it to have a high infection rate. It is better for the virus to infect people without harming the lives of the hosts because it will be able to infect more people if the hosts do not die. But thats not always the case. Its been found that the new strain of the coronavirus can enter human cells more easily and stay in the upper part of the respiratory tract, so it is easier to infect people. Its been said that it is 10 times more infectious. Yes, it is more infectious, but it might not be exactly 10 times more infectious. It is more infectious, but it is not strong enough to lead to fatalities. Still, people should be careful. Suppose the mortality rate is two in 100 people. If the virus is 10 times more infectious, the number of infected people will be 1,000. In that case, 20 people will die. Even if the mortality rate declines, 10 to 15 people will die. Even if the mortality rate declines, if there are large numbers of infected persons, there will be more illness. We will need to wait and see. It is not unusual for a virus to mutate. The virus was detected globally in mid-February. As the new strain is more infectious, we will only see it in future cases. A health expert who took part in examining the virus said on his Facebook page that it is the new virus. YN: Previously, the assumption was that there were only imported cases, and if they were placed in quarantine, the virus could be controlled. But this assumption has been disproved by local transmissions and silent carriers in Sittwe. This gave rise to speculation that there might have been silent carriers earlier. Is the current monitoring system adequate or is it in need of reform? SN: The first COVID-19 cases were detected in Myanmar in March, and at the time most of the cases were imported cases. If the origin of a global pandemic is not known, countries blame each other for the cause of it. For example, in the case of HIV, as it has been around for decades, countries have traded blame. At first, we blamed neighboring countries for transmission of the disease through the border. But a few decades later, after they had the disease under control, they blamed us for failing to control the disease properly, because it was spreading back to them again. Even a big neighbor blamed us like that. Any virus must come from somewhere. It is unusual for a virus to stay long in one place; it is natural for it to be transmitted from one place to another. Suppose there is a group of 100 non-infected people in a place. Then, an infected person joins them. Some will get infected and some will not. Some infected people will die and some will recover, then the situation will become stable again, which marks the end of a wave. Normally, there wont be a second outbreak in that 100-member group unless another infected outsider comes into that group. The virus must come from somewhere else. The first cases were imported cases, and I am sure the ongoing cases are not local transmissions, but they have come from somewhere else. It is of no use to try to find out which countries are responsible for it. We were able to control the spread of the virus thanks to early detection and prompt action while the number of cases was small. The strategy we are pursuing is to do more than just what is necessary. Because our country has a lot of shortcomings and lacks facilities, we decided to put extra efforts into what we can. The strategy worked because there were not many infected persons. If we had experienced the same degree of outbreak as some European countries, the US and India, we would not have been able to control it. If the outbreak had been that large in scale, we would not have been able to cope with it. We continue to implement the same strategy now. The number of cases has increased significantly lately. That is worrisome obviously, but other countries would be envious. Many countries would point out that the total number of cases found since Aug. 21 in Myanmar is less than their counts for a single day. The number is low here and therefore its easier to control the disease compared to other countries. People here are worried because our resources are very limited, and it is not convenient to implement the stay-at-home method of containing the virus. A few days ago, we talked about the situation in Singapore during a discussion about the virus. Singapore is an economic hub, and people from all over the world come to it. So it had high risks. But it is an island city-state, with a small population and abundant resources. It was therefore able to contain the virus. Singapore admitted that it then made a mistake by allowing the people to undergo quarantine at their homes. [The Singaporean government] allowed its citizens to undergo quarantine at their homes thinking that it had the resources and money, and that its citizens have a certain level of education [and thus are expected to follow health guidelines]. But the virus spread widely due to this. [The Singaporean government] urged other countries to learn from its example. Some are suggesting that infected people should be allowed to undergo quarantine at their homes. It is not convenient for infected persons to stay at quarantine facilities. All the infected persons will say they will strictly follow health guidelines if they are allowed to stay at their homes for quarantine. But health experts know it is hard to handle those who are distressed. There is also a need to consider the response from community members. But then, if the number of infected persons is too large, it is impossible to keep them at quarantine centers. Anyway, it is necessary to continue with quarantine in our country. Speaking of silent carriers, there were silent carriers in the past and there are also silent carriers now. The severity of symptoms seems to have declined now. I am sure there were silent carriers from the very beginning. Symptomatic patients can be more infectious, though health experts have argued about that theory. Anyway, if people are showing symptoms, it can be more infectious, as they will be sneezing and coughing. Again, it is now generally accepted that the virus can be emitted through speaking and shouting, and that you can be infected by breathing. So, there will be silent carriers. People do not need to be afraid of that fact. There are two types of silent carriersthose who will never fall sick, and those who are not showing symptoms temporarily but may fall sick a few days later. We cant detect infections just by measuring body temperatures. We have to test a large number of people, but our resources are questionable. Suppose a country has 5 million people. The WHO [World Health Organization] will not order that they all be tested. Thats partly because it is costly and partly because only a small number of infections will be found. Their notion is that even if all people tested negative, if people from other places are going to arrive later, then testing is useless. Some countries target vulnerable and at-risk groups and areas. In countries that are experiencing massive outbreaks, authorities provide tests and people can receive tests of their own volition round the clock. YN: So, it appears that there is a need to contain the virus by taking preventative measures like washing hands, wearing masks, social distancing and quarantine. Can you explain about the vaccine? What is the progress in making a vaccine? What is the potential and how long will it take for the vaccine to be widely accessible in poor countries like ours? SN: In world history, no vaccine trials have ever been done this early and this swiftly. That is partly because of scientific developments worldwide and also because of the risks of the pandemic, including health, economic, social and political risks. The risks are grave, and in order to reduce the risks, desperate efforts have been put into vaccine trials. Some pharmaceutical firms have even shifted their focus to a COVID-19 vaccine. A number of countries now have potentially successful vaccines under clinical trials. As everyone knows, Russia said it has passed the test. In fact, it is still being tested, and the results are not yet known. Other countries have not recognized its vaccine. China is also developing its own vaccine. Other countries are also developing vaccines depending on the degree of technologies they have. I am not discussing the details of vaccines here. Usually, there are several stages in making vaccines including clinical trials on animals and humans. In the first phase of clinical development, the vaccine is tested on people with the strongest immune systems. Then, it is tested on a wide variety of people who vary in age, strength of immune system, and so on. Two factors are taken into consideration in making a vaccine. First of all, the vaccine must be safe, before we consider its effectiveness. If the patients suffer from serious complications like paralysis and stroke after receiving the vaccine, that vaccine should not be used at all. Then, we consider its effectiveness in boosting the immune system of humans. Safety must come first. Russian President Vladimir Putin said one of his daughters had been inoculated. But we will be able to tell whether it is effective or not only after tens of thousands of people get shots. Compared to the past, every country, government and firm approves [testing of COVID-19 vaccine] more swiftly. Many vaccines are now under clinical trial, which will allow manufacturing once they can make sure it is safe. Some have said they are on the path to success. But nobody can guarantee it. The process is like taking an exam. You may or may not achieve success. You have tried hard, but you may not achieve the result you want. Nobody can guarantee that the vaccine can be successful. Still it is now likely that a successful vaccine will be developed. A scientist from the US pointed out that the vaccine does not need to be and will not be 100 percent effective. Suppose 100 people are immunized, but not all of them will have resistance against the virus. There is little likelihood that the vaccine will make all of them invulnerable. The effectiveness of the vaccine will vary from one person to another depending on their immune systems. So some people will still be infected even if they are inoculated. That was the case with the typhoid vaccine. No vaccine will always be 100 percent effective. The scientist said it is enough if the vaccine can prevent the disease in 60 percent of the people who receive it. He would be satisfied even if it were less than 60 percent. The most important thing is the vaccine must be 100 percent safe. He said he will be very satisfied if the vaccine is effective in some 50 percent of the people who receive it. If 50 percent of the people who receive the vaccine have increased resistance against the coronavirus, this will help stop the spread of the virus to a certain extent. In the case of highly infectious diseases like measles, a vaccine should have around a 90 percent protection rate. A person infected with measles can transmit the disease to 15 to 20 people, whereas coronavirus will only be transmitted to two to six people, depending on conditions. So, in the case of COVID-19, the vaccine will work if it has a certain level of effectiveness. Transmissions will be cut over time as more people take the vaccine. We cant rely solely on a vaccine, but must take other preventative measures like the ones you have said. There is also a question about the effectiveness of the vaccine if the virus mutates. The vaccine is used to show the bad guys to the immune system so that the immune system can recognize and attack them when they come in. But if the bad guy has a different appearance, the immune system will not recognize it. Even if it is the same virus, if the immune system doesnt recognize itit wont fight it back. We will need to wait and see how the vaccine responds to mutations of the virus. As everyone knows, influenza mutates every year and we need to get flu shots every year. And there are also flu strains for which there is no vaccine. It is important that the vaccine is safe, and it is said that vaccine production is on the right track. People are now advised to avoid crowds and enclosed spaces, and keep 6 feet [1.8 meters] apart from others even if they have to stay in an enclosed space. Besides this, they are advised to wear masks and wash hands. Even after a vaccine is developed, it is likely that such preventative measures will still be a must, and we wont be able to just go back to our pre-crisis lifestyle. YN: Thank you for your insights. You may also like these stories: Myanmar Reports Its Seventh COVID-19 Death; First in Over Four Months Myanmars COVID-19 Cases Exceed 1,000 Myanmars Suu Kyi Warns of Jail Terms for COVID-19 Rule Breakers If they pull a vaccine out of their a-- it will be the October surprise of October surprises, said Cornell Belcher, a Democratic pollster. I think youll see some of the angst lifting off of the American electorate. But I think it will be difficult connecting the dots to Donald Trump given where public perception of him is on covid, and given that this is a guy who a couple months ago said people should try to get sunshine and disinfectants inside of themselves. Security forces gunned down three terrorists in a clash between the two sides in a restive tribal district near Afghan border in northwest Pakistan on Saturday, sources said. The incident occurred in Shahoor area of Sarwakai tehsil in South Waziristan district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The terrorists targeted the security personnel during routine patrolling following which the troops retaliated and shot dead three of them, they said. The terrorists have intensified activities against troops in tribal districts. Three security personnel, including a lieutenant of the Pakistan Army, were killed by the terrorists through a roadside IED explosion on September 3 in the same area . The Inter-Services Public Relations had confirmed the death of the three troops in a remote-controlled bomb explosion in the area. The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) plans to consolidate traditional markets in rural areas while developing a large number of convenience stores and diversifying types and methods of modern business. Illustrative image. File photo These are part of targets set in the project to develop domestic trade in 2021-25 period. According to the ministrys assessment of 2016-20, the local market has become important for the momentum of sustainable development. Total retail sales and revenue from services saw a high growth rate of 9.2 per cent annually from VND3.5 trillion (US$150.7 million) in 2016 to VND4.9 trillion in 2019. The growth was relatively equal among economic regions. Total retail sales of consumer goods and services per capita increased from VND38 million in 2016 to VND51.2 million in 2019 per person. The contribution of the domestic market to GDP has increased, from 10.5 per cent in 2016 to 11.16 per cent in 2019. It showed the domestic market plays an important role in product consumption. At the same time, it has provided jobs as it employed about 6-7 million workers (accounting for more than 12 per cent of the total workforce in the country), contributing to poverty reduction and ensuring social security. Over the past five years, supply and demand connection has also performed well, contributing to stabilising prices in the market, through linking to create a stable source of goods between domestic manufacturers and large distribution systems nationwide. The proportion of Vietnamese goods in retail distribution systems is high with 90 per cent for distribution systems owned by domestic enterprises (90 93 per cent at Co.opmart, 90-95 per cent at Satra and 96 per cent at VinMart). The proportion is more than 70 per cent at foreign supermarkets and commercial centres (90 per cent at Lotte and Big C and 82 85 per cent at AEON and Citimart). However, the MoIT said the overall growth rate was not high compared to potential and the domestic market still has plenty of room to grow. To effectively implement the five-year socio-economic development plan for 2021-25, the ministry has set goals and solutions for domestic trade to continue to play an important role in the economy. The plan hopes to increase the added value of the domestic trade sectors contribution to GDP by 13.5 per cent in 2025. The average annual growth rate in 2021 - 25 of the total retail sales of consumer goods and services (including the price factor) is expected to hit about 9 - 9.5 per cent a year, while the proportion of total retail sales of goods by type of modern trade by 2025 will reach 35-40 per cent. Another goal is to gradually complete commercial infrastructure such as shopping malls, supermarkets, trade-service areas, convenience stores, specialised stores, logistics centres, wholesale warehouses and fair centres in big cities. To complete the targets, the ministry will enhance the efficiency of State management over the market; strengthening market regulation capacity for key commodities. At the same time, it will strengthen the management of goods circulation in the market. It hopes to ensure 90 per cent of businesses in provinces and cities no longer display and sell smuggled goods, counterfeit goods, banned goods or goods infringing intellectual property rights by 2025. All businesses nationwide shall list prices and sell them at listed prices. Among the 10 regions with the largest market size in the country, HCM City continued to lead with VND1.08 trillion in 2019, accounting for 22.1 per cent of the national market and two times higher than the second-highest Hanoi with VND512 trillion last year, accounting for 10.03 per cent of the total. VNS Vietnam retailers striving to mitigate COVID-19 implications Feeling the bite of the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, many businesses in retail and services are coming up with measures to soften the blow. AP Photo/Matt York, File En espanol | If you're the type who could never imagine yourself buying used clothing, it's time to reconsider. Many major retailers including Nordstrom, Macy's, Eileen Fisher, Patagonia and REI are selling lightly used clothing or plan to do so. Among the most recent arrivals is the biggest U.S. retailer of all: This spring, Walmart started selling used clothing from popular brands online. Behind the boom is a shift in consumer sentiment. About 70 percent of women polled by the online retailer ThredUp this year said they have bought or are open to buying used clothing, up from just 45 percent four years ago. The bottom line is value: Here is a way to get top labels and great designs at bargain prices. But it also helps that so many new buying opportunities have emerged beyond neighborhood thrift shops. The online resale clothing market was booming even before COVID-19 shut down brick-and-mortar stores. Theres a very important part of affection and admiration that comes from fighting with someone for two decades, shoulder to shoulder, from the opposition, from having no power, no money, from being sabotaged, from being persecuted, said Ana Laura Magaloni, a law professor who advised Ms. Sheinbaums mayoral campaign. All of a sudden that group rises to power and its like, that history makes us a team. Sitting in her office, in front of a photo of herself and the president, Ms. Sheinbaum wrapped the lanyard attached to an oximeter around her finger. After a staff member tested positive for the virus, she started measuring her oxygen levels multiple times a day. The pandemic will end the moment there are vaccines, said Ms. Sheinbaum, adding, so if we have differences about whether to wear masks or not, or whether to do more tests or not, thats minor compared to the transformation of our country. Several people said her relationship to Mr. Lopez Obrador was like daughter and father. He loves her and protects her, said Marta Lamas, a feminist scholar who advised Ms. Sheinbaums campaign. And she is totally loyal to him and his project. But those who have worked with Mr. Lopez Obrador say he can become mistrustful, even of his closest allies. A paternal relationship is one where I protect you no matter what, and thats not the case with Andres Manuel, said Paola Ojeda, who worked with Mr. Lopez Obrador when he was mayor and on three of his presidential campaigns. He wont choose his successor until the last moment, she said. Claudia has earned his respect and support, day by day, said Ms. Ojeda. And she knows, like everyone close to him, that she could lose it the moment she does something she shouldnt. New Delhi: Sushant Singh Rajput's family lawyer Vikas Singh on Saturday said doctors cannot share sensitive information of patients without the consent of their legal heirs. He also said that any doctor who claims to have treated Sushant should discuss his medical history with the family first. "I have seen a disturbing trend that so-called doctors of Sushant are discussing his mental health on news channels," Singh told reporters. "According to MCI professional rules, no doctor can share sensitive information related to their patient. As Sushant is no more, it can only be done with the permission of his legal heir i.e., his father," he said. The lawyer also refuted the claims of few that Sushant's mother's mental health was not right and clarified that she died due to brain haemorrhage. On the issue of arrest of Showik Chakraborty, brother of main accused Rhea, and Samuel Miranda in connection with the drugs probe linked to the death of the actor by Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Singh said there was something very big that Mumbai police wanted to hide and the picture with get clearer as the CBI investigation progresses. The NCB on Friday arrested Showik and Samuel in connection with the drugs probe linked to the death of Rajput. The actor was found dead in his apartment in suburban Bandra in Mumbai on June 14. The family of a sanctioned Ukrainian politician with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin has been selling refined oil products to the United States through an intermediary, the latest example of a Kremlin friend finding legal ways around Washington's financial restrictions. The Novoshakhtinsky oil refinery in Russia, which is owned by the wife of Viktor Medvedchuk, who heads a political council of a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine, has been selling some of its output this year to an arm of ExxonMobil via a Swiss-registered trader, an investigation by Schemes, a joint program of RFE/RL and Ukrainian public broadcaster UA:First. Medvedchuk, who picked Putin to be the godfather of his daughter, was put under sanctions by the United States in March 2014 following the overthrow of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych for his role in undermining democracy in the country. The United States called Medvedchuk a Putin proxy inside Ukraine. WATCH: The Schemes Investigation (In Ukrainian) The U.S. sanctions freeze any assets, including cash, that Medvedchuk has within the United States and forbids any U.S. individual or entity from conducting transactions with him. The Novoshakhtinsky oil refinery, which is located near the Russian city of Rostov, close to the border with Ukraine, has supplied its products to ExxonMobil at least six times in 2020, according to U.S. import data obtained by Schemes. The products are shipped by tanker from the Black Sea to Houston, Texas. Novoshakhtinsky is majority-owned by Oksana Marchenko, a Ukrainian TV star and Medvedchuks wife. Government officials and politicians from the former Soviet Union often put their assets in the name of their wives, children, and other family members to protect or hide them. The Medvedchuk family purchased several Russian companies, including a controlling stake in the refinery, in early 2018 for an undisclosed sum. Medvedchuk said later he oversees the family business but admitted that he put its ownership in his wifes name to avoid U.S. sanctions. My wife, Oksana Marchenko, is not in business. She owns a business. And I run the business. Why cant I own a business? Because my lovely Americans imposed sanctions on me, he said in a 2018 interview with one of his TV channels after the purchase of the refinery. ExxonMobil does not buy the oil directly from the Medvedchuk family-owned refinery, but rather through NewCoal Trading, a Swiss-based trading firm. NewCoal is considered to be associated with the family of Russian parliamentarian Gleb Khor, who was born in eastern Ukraine, according to Russian investigative journalist Mikhail Maglov. Though the value of the contracts with NewCoal are not disclosed, Schemes estimates that ExxonMobil may have purchased about $150 million worth of oil products from Novoshakhtinsky this year based on the volume supplied and market prices. The United States is importing record amounts of Russian petroleum products after Washington imposed sanctions on Venezuela, impacting energy deliveries from the South American nation. Russian and Ukrainian officials hit by U.S. sanctions since 2014 have been seeking ways to circumvent the financial restrictions placed on them. Arkady Rotenberg, a billionaire and childhood friend of Putin sanctioned by the United States, sold an oil and gas drilling business to his son, Igor Rotenberg, to escape the impact of the sanctions. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the agency of the Treasury Department that enforces sanctions, added Rotenbergs son to the list in 2016. Neither Novoshakhtinsky nor Marchenko are sanctioned by the United States. OFAC must have reason to believe that [Medvedchuks] wife is operating the company on his behalf and legally document that standard in order to block property, said Brian OToole, a fellow at the Washington-based Atlantic Council and a former OFAC senior advisor. It's the threshold in the law that underpins OFAC's authorities, he said. However, he said OFAC could decide to look into the transactions if the Swiss broker is nothing more than a middleman for the Medvedchuk family to avoid sanctions, OToole said. This certainly is shady and skirts the boundaries of sanctions intent, he said of the transactions. A spokesperson for the U.S. Treasury told RFE/RL in a statement that it takes allegations of sanctions violations seriously but doesn't comment on whether sanctions should apply in individual cases. ExxonMobil declined to comment on its purchase of petroleum products that originate from Novoshakhtinsky, but told Schemes in a statement that it continues to comply with all applicable sanctions. It is the policy of ExxonMobil and its affiliates to comply with all governmental laws, rules, and regulations applicable to its operations within and outside the United States and to conduct those operations to the highest ethical standards. ExxonMobil also expects its suppliers, vendors, and contractors to comply with laws, rules, and regulations applicable to their businesses," it told Schemes. With reporting by Todd Prince in Washington She recently jetted off to Turkey for a sun-soaked getaway. And Jessica Alves put on an eye-popping display in a busty black mini dress as she enjoyed a night out in the Turkish city of Bodrum on Friday. The TV personality, 37, struggled to contain her ample assets in the plunging blazer-style gown as she stepped out for a night on the town during her holiday. Showstopping: Jessica Alves put on an eye-popping display in a busty black mini dress as she enjoyed a night out in the Turkish city of Bodrum on Friday Jessica oozed glamour in the figure-hugging number, which she paired with pointed black stilettos and a black handbag. Completing her dazzling look, the star wore her blonde locks in a poker straight style while adding a pop of colour with bold red lipstick. Jessica was clearly enjoying the limelight as she stepped out of the car and pulled a number of poses for the camera. Her night out comes after she showed off her figure in a plunging leopard print swimsuit while on a beach in Turkey. Eye-popping: The TV personality, 37, struggled to contain her ample assets in the plunging blazer-style gown as she stepped out for a night on the town during her holiday. Feeling body confident, she posed in front of a fruit platter, before seductively eating some grapes on Instagram Stories. The Brazilian-born star had earlier headed down to the beach wearing a black cover-up over the top of her one-piece, cinching in her waist with an embellished belt. She also channelled a bygone era, wearing her blonde hair extensions in a chic chignon. Jessica, formerly known as the Human Ken Doll Rodrigo Alves, has spent more than 600,000 on surgeries, deciding to transition earlier this year. Strike a pose: Jessica oozed glamour in the figure-hugging number, which she paired with pointed black stilettos and a black handbag Glam: Completing her dazzling look, the star wore her blonde locks in a poker straight style while adding a pop of colour with bold red lipstick She has recently undergone facial feminisation surgery, breast enlargement and bottom augmentation. She previously told MailOnline she finally feels like her outside appearance reflects her inner self. She said: 'I wish I had started my transition sooner, rather than wasting time and money trying to become the man that I wasn't. 'I am much happier now and feel more like myself.' Wow! Jessica showed off her ample assets in a skimpy leopard print swimsuit as she tucked into a fruit platter while on the beach in Turkey on Instagram on Thursday That's one way to get your five a day: She seductively ate some grapes while putting on an eye-popping display in her sexy one-piece Meanwhile, it was recently announced that Jessica has landed a major dating show which will see her travel around the world in a bid to try to find love - and the father of her baby. The TV star, previously known as Rodrigo, came out as transgender just months ago and now dreams of becoming a mother. The show has a working title of Love Me Gender: Everyone Deserves A Bit Of Love In Life and Jessica has said she is missing having a special someone. Dreams: The TV star came out as transgender just months ago and had previously spent more than 600k on cosmetic surgery - but now dreams of becoming a mother She told MailOnline: 'Everyone deserves to have love in their life and I need a little help in that department. It feels different dating as a woman. 'I speak six languages and I will be travelling to different countries where I can speak the language, including the UK, Italy, Spain, Germany, France, the USA, Brazil and The Netherlands. 'Then I'll pick the best date from each country and get them all together at a big Love Island style villa, before choosing the winner.' With election season right around the corner and reports of ransomware incidents on the rise , several security organizations have come together in an effort to prevent the cyberattacks against state and local government by zeroing in on domain security.Federally funded cybersecurity nonprofit the Center for Internet Security (CIS) which has provided state-of-the-art cybersecurity policy and organizational benchmarks since the 1990s has teamed up with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to pilot a Malicious Domain Blocking and Reporting Service (MDBR).The MDBR program, which launched this week , promises to help participating governments block connections between their IT systems and malware-laden websites via a product from vendor Akamai.Most ransomware is spread through links in phishing emails that connect an organization's network to malicious websites. With MDBR, however, domain name system (DNS) requests are channeled through Akamai servers, which then automatically compare requests against a list of known malicious websites to screen potentially harmful connections. Hypothetically, even if a public agency staffer clicked on a link to a malicious website, the system would be able to block access and prevent a network breach.According to CIS, MDBR service will be available free of charge to participating members of CIS' Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) and Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EI-ISAC). It is also easy to operate and requires no maintenance, as CIS and Akamai maintain all of the systems involved.MDBR is built on top of Akamais Enterprise Threat Protector (ETP) service, which is deployed on its platform that provides carrier-grade recursive DNS service," said Ed Mattison, CIS executive vice president of operations and security services, in a statement. "The Akamai Intelligent Edge Platform delivers up to 2.2 trillion DNS queries daily, making it a great partner for this initiative."The rollout is part of a larger effort by CIS to build up state and local election infrastructure in the run-up to the 2020 presidential election. These efforts have also included increased collaboration with election offices, as well as the rollout of another pilot program based around endpoint detection and response for election infrastructure, which targets "smaller, less mature" election offices for better threat intelligence and information sharing. Spectris plc (LON:SXS) stock is about to trade ex-dividend in 4 days. You will need to purchase shares before the 10th of September to receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 2nd of October. Spectris's next dividend payment will be UK0.43 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of UK0.65 per share. Last year's total dividend payments show that Spectris has a trailing yield of 2.5% on the current share price of 25.57. We love seeing companies pay a dividend, but it's also important to be sure that laying the golden eggs isn't going to kill our golden goose! That's why we should always check whether the dividend payments appear sustainable, and if the company is growing. View our latest analysis for Spectris Dividends are typically paid from company earnings. If a company pays more in dividends than it earned in profit, then the dividend could be unsustainable. Spectris paid out a comfortable 35% of its profit last year. That said, even highly profitable companies sometimes might not generate enough cash to pay the dividend, which is why we should always check if the dividend is covered by cash flow. It paid out 14% of its free cash flow as dividends last year, which is conservatively low. 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. Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends. Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing? Companies with consistently growing earnings per share generally make the best dividend stocks, as they usually find it easier to grow dividends per share. If business enters a downturn and the dividend is cut, the company could see its value fall precipitously. Fortunately for readers, Spectris's earnings per share have been growing at 10% a year for the past five years. Earnings per share are growing rapidly and the company is keeping more than half of its earnings within the business; an attractive combination which could suggest the company is focused on reinvesting to grow earnings further. This will make it easier to fund future growth efforts and we think this is an attractive combination - plus the dividend can always be increased later. Story continues Many investors will assess a company's dividend performance by evaluating how much the dividend payments have changed over time. Spectris has delivered 10% dividend growth per year on average over the past 10 years. Both per-share earnings and dividends have both been growing rapidly in recent times, which is great to see. Final Takeaway From a dividend perspective, should investors buy or avoid Spectris? Spectris has been growing earnings at a rapid rate, and has a conservatively low payout ratio, implying that it is reinvesting heavily in its business; a sterling combination. There's a lot to like about Spectris, and we would prioritise taking a closer look at it. On that note, you'll want to research what risks Spectris is facing. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Spectris you should know about. A common investment mistake is buying the first interesting stock you see. Here you can find a list of promising dividend stocks with a greater than 2% yield and an upcoming dividend. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. The requested page is currently unavailable on this server. Back to [RTHK News Homepage] Word of arrest of Showik Chakraborty and others seen as hostile to the late star Sushant Singh Rajput brought some limited celebrations among a plethora of SSR fan groups in Britain. The fan following of SSR has grown massively since his death, through an admiration for him that has now turned into anger over him. Bollywood has claimed distant shores as its own; the anger is now flowing from those distances to bite Bollywood. Fans in Britain have stepped up their campaigning seeking justice for Sushant, as have SSR fans around the world. Word that Showik was due to be arrested on Friday night, and that his sister and Rajputs rumoured girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty might be also taken into custody brought some vindication that these are the villains whose ways led to SSRs death in some manner, even if the present moves were confined to the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) investigation into possession and sharing of banned drugs. SSR fan fury is rising by the day in Britain. Demonstrations are being planned outside multiplexes for September 14 when fans across the world are joining hands online, and through similar protests. We are planning to demonstrate outside a leading multiplex on that date to join those protesting around the world, Rashmi Mishra from the group Inspiring Indian Women tells CNN-News18. We want to give those people in Bollywood a message that they cannot think of themselves as gods. They must not forget that it is we who made them. The silent but clear message is that we the fans can also unmake them. Hardly has a fictional series grabbed as much attention as have the developments in the investigation that followed Sushant Singh Rajputs death by suicide on June 14. Not many of his fans are ready to believe it was suicide; in any case they believe that even if it was, it was Bollywood that pushed him over the edge. How far the fans boycott Bollywood cinema and a perceived set of film-makers and stars may only become clearer next year. The Covid-19 pandemic has arrested attendance at cinemas currently, and public memory can be notoriously short. If justice is done, people will forget, says Roopa Dewan, who will lead a protest outside a cinema hall in London on September 14. We want to end nepotism. The mafia needs to go. Fans from Britain and around the world, she says, have come together to click the dislike button on YouTube for films from producers and stars they have come to dislike following SSRs death. They are getting the message that people are not watching those films now. Grief over the rising stars passing has long since given way to anger against Bollywood. That anger is now sowing a determination to deny Bollywood its market, just as Bollywood is seen to have denied Sushant Singh Rajput a role and eventually his life itself. Fans hired a truck last week to do the rounds of London carrying pictures of SSR. His sister Shweta Singh Kirti tweeted her thanks for that effort. She is now leading the campaign for the September 14 protests. We are relying on the CBI to give us the truth, says Roopa Dewan. In the past, so often the CBI has been silenced. This time we want the whole truth to come out. You can see what is happening. What began as messages within groups has become a movement now. The new round of protests follows on from Shweta Singh Kirtis earlier call for global prayers and an active Twitter gathering of SSR fans against some of Bollywoods most-established. The fan fury would seem inevitable, given the huge and rising success of Bollywood movies in Britain for long now. A number of halls at multiplexes all over Britain screen Bollywood films, and the overseas market has become a juicy distribution territory. Which is why the new campaign by fan groups should worry Bollywood producers and distributors. On Friday, the Producers Guild of India issued a statement that the tragic death of a promising young star is being used as a tool to defame and slander the film industry and its members. That statement only came as confirmation to SSR fan groups that their campaign is hitting Bollywood as intended. What worries Bollywood, and should, is the next threatened step to taking the protest from streets to seats. Nothing could hurt Bollywood more than more vacant seats in cinema halls. The graphic shown on BBC Breakfast that represented Northern Ireland with the flag of the Irish Republic (PA/BBC Breakfast) At times we in Northern Ireland have to question whether or not we have our priorities right. Two haematology patients at Craigavon Area Hospital, who were diagnosed with Covid-19, have died in recent days. However, you could have been forgiven for believing that the most important story in the country yesterday was how the national BBC Breakfast programme managed to feature the Irish tricolour to represent Northern Ireland in graphic illustrations about travel restrictions. The First Minister Arlene Foster swiftly demanded an investigation, branding the "gaffe" disgraceful. Even though the programme presenter Naga Munchetty apologised for the error at the end of the programme, Mrs Foster said that the BBC's new Director-General Tim Davie should carry out an inquiry. This is not to downplay the gravity of the BBC's error. It is crass for the national broadcaster not to know the appropriate flag for a constituent part of the UK, and an apology was indeed merited. The flying of flags occupies a totemic presence in Northern Ireland, as the flying of the Union flag at Belfast City Hall was unforgettably demonstrated in disturbing scenes witnessed in 2012. Insofar as a country's flag continues to remain a sort of visual shorthand for its identity, the act of disrespecting that flag is effectively to disrespect the country. Therefore it is easy to understand why a slight on the flag can make the situation go downhill all too quickly. Fundamentally the BBC's mistake was just that: a mistake. The BBC Breakfast programme is highly pressurised and gremlins can, and occasionally do, creep in. However, this is not a matter of life and death. Unfortunately the current pandemic most certainly is. With children now back at school, and with all the worry that this creates, as well as the threat of a feared second spike of the virus, it would be regrettable if the sort of unanimity we experienced during the long lockdown was allowed to dissipate. OAKLAND, Calif. When the coronavirus closed schools and child care centers and turned American parenthood into a multitasking nightmare, many tech companies rushed to help their employees. They used their comfortable profit margins to extend workers new benefits, including extra time off for parents to help them care for their children. It wasnt long before employees without children started to ask: What about us? At a recent companywide meeting, Facebook employees repeatedly argued that work policies created in response to Covid-19 have primarily benefited parents. At Twitter, a fight erupted on an internal message board after a worker who didnt have children at home accused another employee, who was taking a leave to care for a child, of not pulling his weight. When Salesforce announced that it was offering parents six weeks of paid time off, most employees applauded. But one Salesforce manager, who is not permitted to talk publicly about internal matters and therefore asked not to be identified, said two childless employees, reflecting a sentiment voiced at several companies, complained that the policy seemed to put parents needs ahead of theirs. As companies wrestle with how best to support staff during the pandemic, some employees without children say that they feel underappreciated, and that they are being asked to shoulder a heavier workload. And parents are frustrated that their childless co-workers dont understand how hard it is to balance work and child care, especially when day care centers are closed and they are trying to help their children learn at home. With fresh allegations coming up against CPM Kerala secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan's son Bineesh Kodiyeri in connection with drug peddling rackets and Kerala gold smuggling racket, Opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front is mounting pressure on the government to order a probe against Bineesh. Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala on Saturday sent a letter to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan demanding a comprehensive probe in the wake of alleged links of those held in Bengaluru for drug peddling with Bineesh and some other known persons in Malayalam film industry. The drug peddling rackets was suspected to have established deep rooted connections in Kerala with nexus with top political leaderships, said Chennithala. READ: Bengaluru drug scam echoes in Kerala There were reports that the drug peddling accused was in touch with a popular Malayalam filmmaker also. The drug peddling racket members also allegedly had a night party at a resort in Kerala during the lockdown. Meanwhile, Muslim Youth League state general secretary P K Firoz said that alleged that Bineesh started a foreign exchange firm in Bengaluru in 2015 and it was also suspected that the firm was started to handle foreign currency earned through drug peddling to tourists. A firm in Thiruvananthapuram from which Kerala gold smuggling accused Swapna Suresh was said to have received commissions is suspected to be run by an associate of Bineesh and he could be acting as a benami of Bineesh. Central agencies including the Enforcement Directorate should probe into these aspects also, he demanded. BJP Kerala president K Suredran also demanded that a separate case should be registered in Kerala and a probe initiated as the links of drug peddling rackets in the state came to light. Apart from Bineesh Kodiyeri, many in the Malayalam film industry were found to have links with the drug peddling racket busted in Bengaluru. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's hesitation to order probe raises suspicion whether he had something to hide, said Surendran. It's sometimes said each actor gives the public their own Hamlet and not Shakespeare's. Similarly, on the political stage, every Taoiseach offers up their own version of leadership. Leadership is a balancing act: too little is a dangerous thing, too much can be fatal. An excess of leadership includes overreach - such as new legislation ordering pubs and restaurants to hold customers' personal data for 28 days, with gardai and the Health Service Executive (HSE) given the right to examine it. No sensible person can be opposed to track and trace measures - after all, we are in the middle of a public health emergency. But the negative repercussions of this nonsense law have not been considered by the Government. Beginning with customers voting with their feet: deciding to stay at home because eating out is not worth the bother. This latest example of Covid-19 regulations isn't leadership, it's interference. And people are fed up, wound up and stirred up. In short, we have reached a surfeit. The Government has crossed a line. Is it a case of too many communicators and not one coherent message? Too many advisors and not enough practical advice? Too much blue sky thinking and too little common sense? Or are there simply too many leaders jammed into the tri-partite coalition? Plato believed the perfect state contained four qualities: wisdom, courage, self-discipline and justice - with the wisdom derived from the ruler's knowledge and wise decisions. Clearly, we fall far short of perfection on the wise decision-making front. Businesses have always had to retain till receipts for Vat purposes, but retention of people's contact details is new, as are inspection rights for gardai and HSE representatives. The illogicality of this proposed new regulation shows a lack of understanding about repercussions. Pubs and restaurants are fighting for their survival and the livelihoods of their staff - those premises which have been able to open, that is. Many will never raise the shutters again. Anything which risks tying up business owners in red tape, or adding some rigmarole to their workload, is misjudged. Anything which diverts staff from customer care - arguably the number one priority for pubs, restaurants and hoteliers - is mistaken. Anything which deters people from supporting businesses by giving them their custom is a miscalculation. There are legitimate concerns surrounding the personal data issue. How will it be stored? How will breaches be guarded against? What happens if they occur? And what if this plan actually reduces the number of people willing to eat out? Indeed, these restrictions are reasons not to do so, even as the Government launches its Stay and Spend tax scheme to encourage us to take weekends away and dine out. Or what if people are irritated enough, or concerned by data retention, to give assumed names and inaccurate telephone numbers? That's not going to help with contact tracing. The Government has the power to introduce any laws it likes so long as the Oireachtas backs it. But might is only right when it's in the right. Otherwise it oversteps boundaries which the public is willing to tolerate. Remember, our leaders govern by consent alone. We are drifting into hazardous currents for any government, let alone one coping with the scale of challenges facing the present one. Members of the Fianna Fail parliamentary party, whose leader is Taoiseach, have spoken out against the measure. "There is a moment when you go a step too far," says junior minister Anne Rabbitte. "We are losing the big picture - and the support of the people," says Eamon O Cuiv. "Authoritarian and unnecessary," says Marc MacSharry. The decision to impose this obligation on pubs and restaurants has drawn fire far and wide. The Irish Council for Civil Liberties has expressed concern. Organisations representing pubs and restaurants have written to the Data Commissioner - who ought to have been consulted in advance about the measure - asking for an urgent review. Adrian Cummins, chief executive of the Restaurants Association, said the approach was an additional regulatory burden at a time when businesses were hard-pressed. "Bureaucracy gone mad," was the unequivocal response from the Vintners' Federation of Ireland. Those responsible for introducing the measure use the finger-wagging "it's for your own good" approach - Health Minister Stephen Donnelly adopted that line on RTE radio yesterday lunchtime. However, while he insisted it was proportionate and necessary, he noted the Government was obliged to do things in days rather than months. A lack of consultation by the Coalition - and perhaps even within the Coalition - is part of the problem and points to arrogance, which has been many a politician's nemesis. And nemesis is powerful - mention it today and Greek men still spit to ward it off. Public confidence in the Government is shaky, with doubts now multiplying like the "thousand thousand slimy things" described by Coleridge in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. This is at least the fifth iteration of pandemic regulations since March. And while many restrictions were difficult, particularly relating to the painful matter of funerals, people set aside their personal feelings and complied because they understood the logic. But the mathematics of logical thought underpinning the latest measure are absent - that's why it is causing widespread anger. There is no doubt some pub-restaurants are failing to obey the rules regarding 9 meals to be ordered per customer. But deal with those individually. Don't penalise every business in the sector in one sweep. Most of us are scratching our heads over how keeping a record of who ordered the chicken wings and who indulged in a tiramisu will protect public health. But persuading the public on board is a known way to advance compliance - for example, encourage people to refuse to patronise businesses with a loose approach to safety. That's a proven way to deliver results. Generally, people know what to do to overcome Covid-19 and the vast majority are playing their part. It's straightforward to understand - the logic is convincing. That's why there's buy-in to the principles of social distancing, wearing face masks (covering both mouth and nose), restricting interaction and opening windows in enclosed spaces. This 28-day initiative is a blunder. How has it happened? In philosophy, Occam's razor theory suggests if there are two competing explanations, the least complicated one is the likeliest. Consequently, stupidity appears to be the obvious reason - failure to test an idea for robustness and to take steps to mitigate against potentially negative outcomes. Stupidity from politicians who have parked their brains is damaging to public trust. We must have unity of purpose to overcome the pandemic. A word to those who should be wise. Push through this daft rule and watch as the people's goodwill is spent. By Keith Zhai and Kay Johnson (Reuters) - The poor, small Southeast Asian country of Laos is set to cede majority control of its electric grid to a Chinese company, as it struggles to stave off a potential debt default, people with direct knowledge of the agreement said. The deal comes at a time when critics accuse Beijing of "debt trap diplomacy" to gain strategic advantage in countries struggling to repay loans taken out under President Xi Jinping's global "Belt and Road" infrastructure initiative. China is Laos's biggest creditor, and the deal will bind the landlocked, mountainous country of seven million people closer to its giant neighbour. The power grid shareholding deal was signed on Tuesday between state-owned Electricite du Laos (EdL) and China Southern Power Grid Co., according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua, which did not give details of the new ownership. Three people with knowledge of the matter said it would give majority control of the new Electricite du Laos Transmission Company Limited (EDLT) to the Chinese company. Power exports are central to Laos's development plans. "It will give the Laos state grid better bargaining power with regional countries and start to make a profit," said one of the people with direct knowledge of the discussions. China's embassy in Laos said on its website that Laos would operate the transmission assets. It did not give shareholding details but said "Laos can also gradually repurchase shares during the operation." Neither EdL nor China Southern responded to Reuters requests for comment on the deal. The Laos and Chinese governments did not respond to requests for comment either. Reporting from the Laos capital Vientiane, Xinhua quoted Laos energy and mines minister Khammany Inthirath as calling it a key project which would benefit from the Chinese company's "advantages in experience, technology and human resources." Story continues The new company will operate under Laos government regulation, Xinhua reported, but would take advantage of China Southern's "financial strength and mature experiences in power grid construction, operation and management." The state-run Vientiane Times said after the deal that EDLT would in future invest about $2 billion in the local grid and international connections. Laos has spent heavily on hydroelectric schemes, many financed by China, with the aim of becoming "The Battery of Southeast Asia". But those projects, along with a new Chinese high speed railway, are at the centre of a debt crunch. DEFAULT WARNING The World Bank estimated in June that debt levels would reach up to 68 percent of GDP in 2020, from 59 percent last year. Rating agency Moody's warned last month of "a material probability of default in the near term." While Laos has recorded only 22 coronavirus cases and no deaths, the epidemic has hit tourism and overseas remittances hard. Laos debt service obligations in 2020 are around $1.2 billion with loans from commercial banks and Thai bonds maturing in September and October, Moody's said, but foreign reserves were just $864 million in June, according to the central bank. Among companies suffering delayed payments already are the Chinese firms behind hydroelectric projects that were not paying back as expected, the people with knowledge of the China Southern agreement said. China was also considering postponing part of Laos' total debt service payments, two people with direct knowledge said. China's government did not immediately respond to a question on the discussions. "Economically Laos is going to depend more on China and this is inevitable," said Toshiro Nishizawa, a Japanese professor who has advised the Laos government on fiscal stability. Laos could be eligible for help by the International Monetary Fund under its COVID-19 Financial Assistance and Debt Service Relief response, from which 80 countries are benefiting, two Western diplomats said. But they said it had made clear it would rather try to find a solution with China, they said. An IMF deal would require greater financial transparency. Total Chinese investment in power, transport, a border economic zone and other projects already totals over $10 billion, according to Xinhua citing figures from Laos. That is more than double investment by Thailand, the next biggest. A study published in 2019 by the Australia-based Lowy Institute put Laos debt to China at 45 percent of GDP. The economic relationship with Beijing has also strengthened political ties, with Laos a reliable backer of China's position on matters such as the South China Sea in the regional Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Laos was the first country to endorse Chinese leader Xis political message of building of community of common destiny. "Giving China a major stake in the 'Battery of Southeast Asia Plan' puts Laos fast on the track of becoming a pseudo-province of China," said Brian Eyler, Southeast Asia programme director of the Stimson Center think-tank in Washington. (Additional reporting by Panu Wongcha-Um; Editing by Matthew Tostevin & Simon Cameron-Moore) The increase in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) by the federal government is insensitive and an affront on the collective sensibilities of Nigerians who have endured pains and agony in the last five years, the Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has said. The Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC), this week, adjusted the ex-depot price of petrol from N138.62 to N147.67. The increase was defended by the Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, who said that the current price reflects the global crude oil price. But in a statement issued in Lagos today, CAPPA faulted the government and demanded a reversal of the increase to forestall the untold hardship it will inflict on Nigerians particularly at a time that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought untold hardship on families and businesses. While governments globally are supporting small and middle-income businesses to survive the impacts of the COVID-19, the current administration is adding to the burden of the Nigerian people who have lost their livelihoods and sense of dignity. This increase in fuel price among several other hikes in the public services sector will plunge the Nigerian people into penury and distress. It is reprehensible, said Akinbode Oluwafemi, CAPPA Executive Director. READ ALSO: CAPPA lamented that the current administration is running a capitalist agenda without consideration for the poor Nigerian people, insisting that everything about the recent increase in PMS and electricity is to create more hardship and suffering for the Nigerian people and will further plummet the value of Nigerian citizenship. The organisation said it was disheartening that the current administration is continuing the same wrong policies that previous governments introduced in the petroleum sector which includes hiking prices of petroleum products at their whim, spiking protests by labour and civil society. For a government that claims to be fighting corruption yet overlooks the rot going on in the petroleum sector, continues to fund the bazaar called Turn Around Maintenance of the refineries, and yet pushes the burden on the victims of this perpetrated evil system leaves much to be desired In the last five years, the government has laboured to convince Nigerians that the oil sector has been deregulated and yet continues to pay subsidy. Who are the beneficiaries of this so-called subsidy? Our response has always been that it is the people in our poor communities with no government presence that actually pay the subsidy enjoyed by the few rich, he argued. To avoid undesirable reactions from the masses, CAPPA advised the government to immediately reverse the latest increase in pump price, suspend the planned increment in electricity tariff and bring succour to the Nigerian people. It is important for people in the policy world not to be out of sync with the basic instinct and feeling of their society, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on the wide contrast between what people think on foreign relations and what policymakers in 'Lutyens Delhi' do. In his recently published book The India Way, the EAM Jaishankar writes: "It may be hard for the diplomats to digest, but the Indian street displayed better instincts that Lutyens' Delhi when it comes to accessing opportunities and risks abroad. Their geopolitical understanding may not be formal, but they intuitively know with whom to trade and where to travel. Their choices in immigration and education were made well ahead of policy shifts in Indian diplomacy... Say what you will, but the street has a well-developed instinct, whether it is about Russia or America, China or Pakistan." Speaking exclusively to Republic Media Networks Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami on this particular observation, the EAM cited three examples on why he thinks common Indian citizens think well ahead of diplomats in the establishment. "Most people who had a general sense of the country and the world knew that India needs better relations with the United States, whereas you had a very negative view from 'the old order'. Our people started travelling, trading, doing business, and emigrating to America. This tells you they knew it will be in our interest," Jaishankar said, referring to the tectonic shift in India's policy for closer ties with the US in the recent decades, which was predated by favourable public opinion towards the West. READ | EAM Jaishankar Tells Arnab: 'India-China Can Co-exist But Settlements Must Be Honoured' READ | Jaishankar Says 'global Street' Wants India As Permanent UNSC Member, Opens Up On Hurdles Average Indian's view on Russia, Pakistan Another example India's top diplomat drew was the country's approach to Russia. "An average person has a strong and good feeling towards Russia. They won't necessarily know that (then-Soviet premiere) Khruschev came in 1955, the Russians cost their Security Council veto for India or they helped us in (the Bangladesh war) in 1971. But they, through this osmosis, living through what they inherited the sense of whether is it a friend or not. I have met people who have been predicting all sorts of things in the relationship, which in fact has been remarkably steady relationship." On Pakistan, Jaishankar noted that the Indians have always felt strongly of the state-backed terror by our western neighbour even as New Delhi kept open avenues for dialogues. "The street has always felt in past that Pakistan should not be allowed to get away with cross border terrorism. An average person on the street knew that somewhere these dialogues are not right. A country which does cross-border terrorism, doesn't trade with you, doesn't allow normal people-to-people contact with you, which blocks your connectivity, surely there is something fundamentally wrong with that." He added, "It is important for people in the policy world not to be out of sync with the basic instinct and feeling of their society." READ | EAM S Jaishankar Speaks To Arnab Goswami, Talks Tough On LAC, Pakistan READ | EAM S Jaishankar Slams 'Havana Handshake', Says 'India Can't Be Meek With Pakistan' Nigeria on Friday recorded 156 coronavirus cases, one of the countrys lowest daily tallies in almost four months. The latest daily figure brings the total number of infections in the country to 54, 743. This is according to an update by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Friday night. The update came barely 24 hours after the night curfew was extended from 12 a.m. to 4 a.m. in the third phase of eased lockdown. Cases have fallen below 300 for almost two weeks in Africas most populous nation. Nigeria has been riding along a plateau as of late, perhaps an indication that the worst is over even though health experts say it is dangerous to relent as the continued decline in daily infections poses more questions than answers. The number of deaths from the virus has also been minimal. Three deaths were recorded on Friday, dragging the total number of deaths from the virus 1, 051. The 156 new cases were reported from 17 states: Lagos (36), FCT (35), Oyo (29), Kaduna (10), Abia (9), Osun (5), Ogun (5), Enugu (5), Rivers (4), Nasarawa (3), Ekiti (3), Imo (3), Edo (2), Kwara (2), Katsina (2), Plateau (2), Niger (1) Lagos, Nigerias coronavirus hotspot with over 18,000 infections and 202 deaths, also led in Fridays tally with 36 new infections. Abuja, Nigerias capital and the second most impacted with a total of over 5,000 cases and 50 deaths, came second in the daily toll with 35 new cases. The NCDC in its daily update of the infection on its verified Twitter handle @NCDCgov, stated that out of the over 54,000 infections so far, 42, 816 persons have recovered and have been discharged. Nigeria has had to reopen its economy as authorities seek to balance health needs with the economic needs of the populace. Schools are being reopened gradually. Prospective youth corps members are told to prepare for camp. While local flights resumed about five weeks ago, Nigeria will reopen its skies on Saturday for flights from other countries after it was shut in March. The government has jointly identified 24 products with the private sector, from which it expects Rs 20 lakh crore each worth of manufacturing output in the next five years, Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal said this at the unveiling of 4th Assessment Report on State Business Reform Plan. The Commerce Minister said the focus on these 24 products/sectors will also provide scores of job opportunities, expand economic activities in the country and lead the way for India's rightful place in the world. He asked the state governments to partner with the Centre, private sector and industry in encouraging and increasing the footprints in these 24 products. We have identified 24 products in partnership with industry, we are confident of adding at least 20 lakh crore manufacturing output in the next five years, this will create jobs, expand economic activity and will lead the way towards India's rightful place - @PiyushGoyal pic.twitter.com/c9uUttFI1v PIB in Maharashtra (@PIBMumbai) September 5, 2020 While he did not mention the names of the 24 sectors or products, he could be talking about the 27 Champion Sectors identified by the Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade (DPIIT). The DPIIT had identified 27 Champion Sectors in the manufacturing space, where the government plans to provide support to investors. These sectors include aerospace & defence, automotive and auto components, capital goods, leather, gems and jewellery, food processing, railways, biotechnology, etc. Industry associations like CII and FICCI have helped the government identify these 24 sectors. "CII is privileged to have been part of the exercise to identify 24 champion sectors and we believe that these can add Rs 20 lakh crores to the manufacturing output when the policies are fully implemented," Dr Chandrjeet Banerjee, Director-General, CII, said. The commerce minister also said the government has started a pilot of a Land Bank where more than 1 lakh hectares of industrial land is available for industry to start operations in India. He said that recently India, Japan and Australia have decided to work together with other like-minded nations to promote a resilient supply chain both in the Indo-pacific region and across the world. Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh emerged as the winner in the State Business Reform Action 2019 rankings, followed by Uttar Pradesh and Telangana. Also read: Andhra Pradesh tops 'ease of doing business' ranking again; UP, Telangana bag 2nd, 3rd spots ALTON It may look a little different this year, but the show will go on with the 14th annual Mississippi Earthtones Festival (MEF,) a celebration of the Mississippi River through art, music and conservation. Co-organized by Alton Main Street and the Sierra Club, this years modified event, occurring Saturday, Sept. 19, will be presented through socially-distanced activities due to concerns regarding the coronavirus pandemic. While we will not be able to enjoy the big street festival atmosphere that everyone is used to, we are still committed to keeping the spirit of MEF alive in safe ways, with the goal of helping our community celebrate Illinois watersheds through education, recreation and conservation, said Alton Main Street Executive Director Sara McGibany. For this years free and family-friendly event, we have pivoted to creative options that people can participate in at a distance, such as a GPS-based scavenger hunt, an art exhibit, an outdoor movie, and a litter clean-up near the river. More Information If you go: What: Mississippi Earthtones Festival, presented by Alton Main Street and the Sierra Club When: Saturday, Sept. 19 Where: Downtown Alton Info: For more information, to register for activities or volunteer, visit downtownalton.com or the Mississippi Earthtones Festival Facebook page at facebook.com/EarthtonesFestival to stay up-to-date about event announcements. See More Collapse With activities scheduled in the morning, afternoon and evening the day of the event, attendees will be able to explore a textile art exhibit, participate in the scavenger hunt and attend a Carpool Concert soon after dusk. From 8 a.m. until noon, the Riverwork Project will be displayed at the Alton Farmers and Artisans Market. A textile art exhibit coordinated by Sun Smith-Foret, a large flowing fabric installation, is a collaboration of a number of regional artists exploring the relationship between the nations rivers, their environmental character and the arts. In the afternoon from 3 to 7 p.m., the free GPS-based scavenger hunt will be presented in partnership with letsroam.com. The hunt will lead participants in multiple challenges at stops throughout the Downtown area and is expected to take approximately two hours to complete. The first 50 people to finish the hunt will receive a festival T-shirt. Those looking to participate can register at downtownalton.com for a link to the app and a code for the hunt. An evening Carpool Concert, presented soon after dusk in the large parking lot at the corner of Landmarks Boulevard and Henry Street, in the same lot used for the Alton Farmers and Artisans Market, will allow festival goers to enjoy an outdoor movie on a large inflatable screen from the comfort of their vehicles. As a result of an online poll, the movie Woodstock: Three Days of Peace and Music received the most votes and selected for the event. The Directors Cut of the Oscar-winning documentary is rated R, with a running time of 225 minutes. The movie is about the three-day festival in 1969, including performances by Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Joan Baez, Arlo Guthrie, Richie Havens, and Crosby, Stills and Nash. The movie is free and open to the public. Although food and beverage vendors will not be available on site, guests are welcome to bring their own refreshments. In case of inclement weather, the movie will be rescheduled. Also scheduled as part of Mississippi Earthtones festivities is a socially distanced litter cleanup in partnership with National Public Lands Day, to be held one week from the day of the event at 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 26. The cleanup will take place rain or shine. Unlike years past, there will be no snacks, water, or lunch provided due to enhanced safety measures. Participants are expected to bring their own gloves, water bottle and boots or sturdy shoes. Although several locations are listed for cleanup, participants must choose one of the following sites in order to receive a MEF T-shirt after the cleanup: Lincoln Shields Recreation Area, Clark Bridge, Piasa Park, or Clifton Terrace Park. To date, more than 43 tons of trash have been removed from the Mississippi River during MEF clean-ups, with more than 2,600 volunteer hours contributed. Participants can sign up by visiting greenwaynetwork.org/participate/national-public-lands-day-registration. A maximum number of volunteers will be allowed at each site as an additional safety measure. Volunteers looking to help with the logistics of the Carpool Concert and receive a free festival T-shirt can sign up at the MEF page of downtownalton.com, under the Events tab. The Mississippi Earthtones Festival is held annually as part of the state of Illinois Its Our River Day initiative celebrating Illinois watersheds through education, recreation and conservation. The Earthtones festival is free for the river community, sponsored by numerous local businesses and organizations, including Busey Bank, Meyer Jensen Law Firm, Chiro One, Madison County Planning and Development, Illinois Natural History Survey - Great Rivers Field Station, Illinois Environmental Council, Alton Parks and Recreation Department, The Telegraph, Riverbender.com, WBGZ Radio, and the AdVantage. For more information, to register for activities or volunteer, visit downtownalton.com or the Mississippi Earthtones Festival Facebook page at facebook.com/EarthtonesFestival to stay up-to-date about event announcements. Rajesh Asnani By Express News Service JAIPUR: Three Pakistani students, keen to come to India to sit for the NEET exam, are desperately praying that the Indian High Commission in Islamabad will help them to cross the border. The NEET exam is scheduled to start on September 13. The three students from Sindh province are siblings who belong to Bheel tribe. Their father Hakim Mal is a doctor. All his three children want to study in India to become doctors. Admit cards for Anita and Pushpa Kumari and their brother Mahesh Kumar have already been issued and their examination centre is in Jodhpur. However, they have not yet got the visas. ALSO READ | Pakistan blocking initiatives at SAARC, says foreign secretary Shringla An uncle of the three students, Dr. Ravi Bheel came to India from Pakistan in 1990 and got Indian Citizenship in 2004. Dr. Ravi, who now practices medicine in Jaisalmer, says the three students had applied online under the NRI quota and have even applied to the Indian High Commission in Islamabad for their visas. They have been asked to stay in Islamabad till the Indian High Commission examines their papers. The coronavirus reports for all three students have come negative. The Indian mission has kept all their papers. We hope that when they take a final decision in this case, they will keep the future of these youngsters in mind. I hope they will tackle this case on a humanitarian basis and issue visas to the students on an urgent basis. ALSO READ | In first 7 months of 2020, Pakistan violated ceasefire 13 times a day; 8 personnel among 23 killed: RTI Dr Ravi says he came to India to escape religious persecution and build a better life in India. After him, a majority of his relatives have also come to India but only his sister remains in Pakistan. These three students his children of that sister. "All the three are very intelligent and we are keen that our children can come here to become doctors. Once they are here, they will not only get a good education but also realize how freedom really feels. If they are not allowed to come here, their future could be ruined. We can only try. That's all which is in our hands. What can we do if they don't give us visas, Dr. Ravi said. The Seemant Lok Sangathan, a Jodhpur-based NGO which raises the voice of Hindu migrants from Pakistan, has taken up this issue. Hindu Singh Sodha, the president of the NGO said: We have written a letter to foreign ministry not to complicate this case and issue visas as there are only a few days left for the exam. When they have given online permission for the students to take the NEET exam, they must also issue the visa. Harriss remark comes amid concerns President Donald Trump may try to expedite a vaccine before the November 3 election. The Democratic vice-presidential candidate, Kamala Harris, has said she would not take US President Donald Trump at his word alone on the efficacy and safety of a potential coronavirus vaccine. In an interview excerpt broadcast by CNN on Saturday, Harris was asked whether she would be willing to take a vaccine that is approved by the US government and distributed before election day on November 3. Well, I think thats going to be an issue for all of us, she responded. I will say that I would not trust Donald Trump and it would have to be a credible source of information that talks about the efficacy and the reliability of whatever hes talking about, she said in the excerpt from the State of the Union programme, which will air in full on Sunday. Her comments come amid concerns from scientists, public health officials and some legislators that Trump would try to expedite a vaccine to be available before the presidential election. Public health experts generally agree that a pre-election timeline for a properly tested vaccine is extremely unlikely. To date, more than 6.2 million infections have been confirmed in the United States and at least 188,000 people have died the highest numbers of any country in the world. Public health officials have also raised concerns that the US could see a fresh spike of coronavirus cases following gatherings over the Labour Day holiday this weekend. During the CNN interview, Harris also said she did not believe scientists and public health experts connected to the Trump administration would be able to accurately relay the safety of a vaccine to the public. If past is prologue [then] they will not. Theyll be muzzled, theyll be suppressed, they will be sidelined, Harris said. Because hes looking at an election coming up in less than 60 days and hes grasping for whatever he can get to pretend that he has been a leader on this issue when he is not. Deep state Several of the worlds most promising vaccines are currently being developed by the US, and the White House, under its operation Warp Speed, currently aims to produce 300 million vaccine doses. Under a plan that simultaneously scales up production capacity, the initiative aims to have the first batch available by January 2021. However, Trump has been vocal about his desire for a vaccine to be distributed months before that. In August, the president accused deep state actors or whoever at the federal agency charged with overseeing food and drug safety of trying to slow vaccine development until after the election. In the past, Trump has used the term deep state to refer to long-serving government staff who, in the presidents eyes, are determined to undermine his agenda. Obviously, they are hoping to delay the answer until after November 3rd. Must focus on speed, and saving lives! Trump wrote in an August 22 tweet that tagged Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Stephen Hahn. Speaking to reporters on Friday, Trump also contradicted his administrations health officials in saying a vaccine could be available before the end of the year and maybe even before November 1. I think we can probably have it sometime in October, he said. The head of operation Warp Speed, Moncef Slaoui, told NPR on Thursday that there was a very, very low chance that a vaccine would be ready by the end of October. In an interview with Science magazine published the same day, Slaoui also said he would quit his post if there was political interference in the safe rollout of a vaccine. The director of the FDAs Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, which oversees vaccines, had previously said he would resign if the agency rubber-stamped an unproven vaccine, Reuters news agency reported in August. Dancing With The Stars' Kym Johnson is a doting mother to her children, twins Haven and Hudson, two. But on Thursday, the professional dancer, 44, admitted that she and her billionaire husband, Robert Herjavec, 57, won't be having anymore children. Australian personality Kym appeared on The Morning Show via a live cross and said that that age is the reason why they're not expanding their brood. 'Maybe if we were younger!' Dancing With The Stars' Kym Johnson, 44, admitted on The Morning Show this week that she and her billionaire husband Robert Herjavec, 57, 'have missed the boat' on having more children. They're pictured with their twins Hudson and Haven 'If we were younger, definitely, but I think we have missed that boat,' she said. 'But we're not going to have any more kids even though we would probably like to,' she added. The Sydney-born beauty told hosts Larry Emdur and Kylie Gillies that she and her husband are lucky to have two healthy children. They're complete: 'But we're not going to have any more kids even though we would probably like to,' she said Proud parents: The Sydney-born beauty told hosts Larry Emdur and Kylie Gillies that she and her husband are lucky to have two healthy children Robert, who is a Canadian businessman and an investor on the show Shark Tank, also made an appearance on the morning program along with their cherubic twins. Elsewhere in the interview, Kym revealed that she and Robert have spoken about relocating to Australia. She said that because his company, cyber security firm Herjavec Group, is based in the US, they can't move Down Under yet. But Kym optimistically added that it could happen in the future. Will they move? Elsewhere in the interview, Kym revealed that she and Robert have spoken about relocating to Australia She also revealed that their plans to be back home with family and friends for Christmas was ruined thanks to the pandemic. 'We were going to come back for Christmas, but I can't quarantine with two babies in a hotel room for two weeks,' she explained. Kym and Robert welcomed their twins in 2018. The couple married in 2016, a year after meeting on the US version of Dancing With The Stars where they were first paired up. Loved up: Kym and Robert welcomed their twins in 2018. The couple married in 2016, a year after meeting on the US version of Dancing With The Stars where they were first paired up Last year, the pro dancer recalled her 'miracle' pregnancy to Who magazine, after turning to IVF. 'I always wanted to be a mum and when I met Robert, it was just amazing,' she said. 'We really hoped to be able to have the kids. It was just a miracle we could have them.' 'It's the best thing ever. I feel like they've been with me forever, now they're here,' the doting mother added. Patna, Sep 5 : The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in Bihar has attacked Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for his failure to generate employment in the state. Tejashwi Yadav, the Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly and younger son of RJD chief Lalu Prasad, said, "4.5 lakh posts in departments like education, health, PWD and others are vacant, but the Nitish Kumar government, ruling in Bihar for the last 15 years, has been unable to fill these posts." "Giving jobs to youths is not a big deal, it requires willpower which this government does not have," Tejashwi Yadav said. Referring to a letter issued by the Union Finance Minister's office bearing the signature of the Finance Secretary, Tejashwi said, "There was a ban on creating new posts but if there was a requirement, then only an approval was required from higher authorities." "I want to challenge Nitish Kumar to point out issues which you want to discuss with me. Unfortunately, he will not discuss public related issues with the opposition party leaders or on public platforms. Does he not know the long queues of unemployed people outside the Patna airport. It is happening due to the mass unemployment in Bihar," Tejashwi said. "The GDP of the country went into a negative zone and the status of a state like Bihar can be imagined," he said. "In Bihar, why don't we have anything like the SEZ, IT park, food processing industries, etc. The simple reason is that the Nitish Kumar and Narendra Modi governments have created such a situation that Bihar has turned into a consumer state only. In this case, we cannot think about production. If we want to turn Bihar into a manufacturing state, we have to remove this government," Tejashwi said. Reacting to the BJP being the largest political party in the state, Tejasvi said that the largest party doesn't have a face in Bihar. "The situation is such that the BJP is playing second fiddle to Nitish Kumar. The BJP leaders are saying that the RJD has lost ground in Bihar, if that is the case, I have a suggestion for the BJP to fight the election alone. You would get an appropriate answer from the people of Bihar. Why are you part of an alliance having Nitish, Paswan and Manjhi?" Tejashwi has given a toll free number 9334302020 as well as created a website www.berozgarihatao.co.in where unemployed youths can upload their bio-data. He said that if his party comes to power, all the vacant posts will be filled within four months. Hamari Bahu Silk went off-air last year and since then, the cast and crew have been waiting for their dues. The lead actor Zaan Khan and other cast and crew of the show have been raising their voice against the makers of the show for non-payment of dues since a long time, but to no avail. The team had earlier protested outside producer Devyani Rale's residence at Yari Road. Now, the cast and crew are planning for the second protest. As per a TOI report, the cast and crew of the show plans to gather near a mall in Malad and then head towards producer Jyoti Gupta's residence in the vicinity. Talking about the protest, Zaan Khan told the leading daily, "We are a total of 25 people from the Hamari Bahu Silk unit including the director and cameraman who are at producer Jyoti's residence but he isn't coming downstairs to talk to us. We have organised a silent protest and all we want is for them to tells us why we aren't being paid." He added, "They have just been telling us that the 'association is on it', but there have been no further steps taken to pay us our dues. This has been going on since a long time now, and we are all going through a financial crisis as a result. I had to sell my car, but they don't seem to care about anyone. They have now complained to police, So I think police might be coming here after some time but the same police is not ready to lodged our FIR. Until we don't have clarity on what's happening, we won't go anywhere, even if we have to go to the police station. It's high time they give us answers and pay our dues." He revealed that when a stylist from the crew called them, Jyoti's wife, who answered the call, was very rude to them. He wonders why nobody from the entire industry is helping them in sorting out the matter. Zaan said that all they need is their hard-earned money. He further added that the entire crew is suffering and people are always worried about the person who is gone, but not help the people who are currently suffering. Also Read: Nakuul Mehta Comes Out In Support Of Zaan Khan, Calls Out The Producers Of Hamari Bahu Silk Also Read: Karishma Tanna On Non-Payment Of Dues: We Actors Work Hard & Must Be Given Our Deserved Dues Referring to a comment last month by White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, who said that the Democrats just want to control the apportionment and we arent going to let them do that, Pelosi and Schumer wrote, It appears that Mr. Meadows may have made the previously unspoken intentions of [the] President and his Administration clear: the White House was intervening to ensure President Trump would control the apportionment process while in office rather than ensuring an accurate count for the American people as required by the Constitution. WASHINGTON - Peter Strzok spent his FBI career hunting Russian and Chinese spies, but after news broke of derogatory text messages he had sent about President Donald Trump, he came to feel like he was the one being hunted. There were menacing phone calls and messages from strangers, and anxious peeks out window shades before his family would leave the house. FBI security experts advised him of best practices walk around your car before entering, watch for unfamiliar vehicles in your neighbourhood more commonly associated with mob targets looking to elude detection. Being subjected to outrageous attacks up to and including by the president himself, which are full of lies and mischaracterizations and just crude and cruel, is horrible, Strzok told The Associated Press in an interview. Theres no way around it. A new book by Strzok traces his arc from veteran counterintelligence agent to the man who came to embody Trumps public scorn of FBI and his characterization of its Russia investigation as a witch hunt. The texts cost Strzok his job and drew vitriol from Trump. But even among Trump critics, Strzok isnt a hero. His anti-Trump texts on a government phone to an FBI lawyer gave Trump and his supporters a major opening to undercut the bureaus credibility right as it was conducting one of the most consequential investigations in its history. Trumps attacks have continued even as two inspector general reports found no evidence Strzoks work in the investigations were tainted by political bias and multiple probes have affirmed the Russia probes validity. Strzok expresses measured regret for the texts in Compromised: Counterintelligence and the Threat of Donald J. Trump, due out Tuesday. I deeply regret casually commenting about the things I observed in the headlines and behind the scenes, and I regret how effectively my words were weaponized to harm the Bureau and buttress absurd conspiracy theories about our vital work, Strzok writes. Before becoming a virtual household name, Strzok spent two decades at the FBI toiling in relative anonymity on sensational spy cases. He helped uncover Russian sleeper agents inside the U.S., worked the Edward Snowden case and led the investigation into whether Hillary Clinton mishandled classified information. (She did, he writes, but not in a way meriting prosecution). After the Clinton case concluded in July 2016, Strzok opened an investigation into whether the campaign of her Republican opponent was co-ordinating with Russia, conceiving the Crossfire Hurricane codename he says proved prescient. Strzok said he intended for his book to lend insight into the Clinton probe, Russian election interference and, first and foremost, the counterintelligence threat that I see in Donald Trump. To do that, he said in the interview, I wanted to show the reader what happened but also why they should believe me. As the investigation progressed, Strzok came to regard the Trump administrations actions regarding Russia as highly suspicious and the president as compromised by Russia, including because of what Strzok says were Trumps repeated efforts to mislead the public about dealings with Moscow. Those concerns deepened after Trump fired James Comey as FBI director and bragged to a Russian diplomat that great pressure was removed. That interaction was like a five-alarm fire, Strzok says, and the FBI began investigating whether Trump himself was under Russias sway. I hadnt wanted to investigate the president of the United States, Strzok writes. But my conviction on that point had been eroded by Trumps continued suspicious behaviour with the Russians and his ongoing attacks on our investigation. Special counsel Robert Muellers investigation revealed significant contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia but found insufficient evidence of a criminal conspiracy. Strzok documents pivotal moments during the investigation, recounting for instance how then-national security adviser Michael Flynn baldly lied to him and another agent about his Russian contacts even though Flynn had not shown customary signs of deceit agents are trained to look for. Though Trump supporters contend the interview was designed to get Flynn to lie, Strzok says the FBI actually gave him multiple prompts to refresh his memory. While Attorney General William Barr has said the interview was done without a legitimate purpose, Strzok says it was necessary to better understand the Trump orbits ties to Russia and Flynns own hidden negotiation with a foreign power that had just attacked our elections. Flynn later pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI. Barrs request to dismiss the case is pending. In another episode, he says then-Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein asked him to remain behind after a briefing and pressed him skeptically about a perjury investigation into Attorney General Jeff Sessions for statements made at his confirmation hearing. Sessions was never charged. Rosenstein declined to comment. Strzoks stint on Muellers team was short-lived, upended in the summer of 2017 by the inspector generals discovery of anti-Trump text messages hed exchanged during the campaign with an FBI lawyer with whom he had had an extramarital relationship. He was summoned to meet with Mueller, who in a soft voice told Strzok he was being removed. Transferred into the more bureaucratic Human Resources Division, Strzok says current Deputy Director David Bowdich reassured him the situation could be worse, including if Trump had gotten hold of the texts. Thats exactly what happened two months later when news broke about the texts and the Justice Department disclosed them to reporters. By his own count, Strzok says, Trump has attacked him since then more than 100 times in tweets. The text message leak is part of a lawsuit from Strzok, who also conveys discontent in his book at how his career ended. After Trump accused Strzok of treason, Strzok appealed to the FBI for a statement condemning the remarks, but got none. The FBI scrambled to remove his access to categories of classified information so Director Chris Wray could inform lawmakers the next day. Senior leadership overturned a lower-level decision in firing him. Today, Strzok is teaching at Georgetown University and watching from the outside for election interference from Russia, which he warns had information it did not use in 2016. I cant talk in a lot of detail about that, he added, but I do think they returned those arrows to their quiver and made them better for this year. By Nimot Adetola Sulaimon The National Democratic Institute (NDI) has unveiled Nollywood actress Ini Edo as its ambassador for women empowerment in Nigeria. With its headquarters in Washington D.C, the NDI is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that works with partners in developing countries to increase the effectiveness of democratic institutions. Ini Edo disclosed the new role on her official Instagram page. She posted the above picture and wrote; Hello everyone. I am very excited and honoured to formally take on the role of the National Democratic Institutes Ambassador for Womens Empowerment in Nigeria NDI. I believe Nigeria has a special duty to serve as a shining light in Africa and in the rest of the world. I feel strongly this is something we all must strive for, Nigeria shine as a nation that values her womens skills, energy and good ideas, and brings them into the public arena on an equal basis. Nigeria can and must be a country where our women and girls can dream big dreams, and pursue them, and rise according to their talents to become leaders in shaping a future that allows all of us to reach our full potential. Together we can work toward this vision, and I hope youll join me. Thank you, she concluded. Share this post with your friends: Related Gamzu says that his recommendations are data-driven, applied equally to all sectors of Israeli society and designed to prevent the need for another nationwide lockdown. He has not hesitated to fire back at those who want to avoid restrictions, including some business owners and school officials whom he has accused of hindering the countrys recovery. A study released this month by the Government Accountability Office examined the agencies use of facial recognition programs to verify the identity of travelers. The report, done at the request of Thompson and Sens. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and Gary C. Peters (D-Mich.), the committees ranking Democrat, found that CBP has made progress in deploying and testing the technology but that it could do more to strengthen privacy principles, including offering more comprehensive information about how travelers could opt out of the scans. In some instances, the GAO found that travelers were not always told scans were optional, and in some cases, those who opted out were told they might have to undergo additional security measures or be barred from boarding their flights. One year after the strongest hurricane to ever make landfall in the Bahamas turned much of the islands to rubble within just two days and three separate landfalls, residents on the islands of Abaco are still struggling to mend the wounds of destruction. In September 2019, Hurricane Dorian ripped through the Bahamas as a Category 5 hurricane -- the highest rating on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale. The deadly hurricane had maximum sustained winds of 185 mph, which tied Dorian with Hurricane Allen in 1980 as the second-strongest hurricane ever to make landfall in the Atlantic basin. In the immediate wake of the storm's fury, more than 200 people were reported missing and thousands more were displaced. Thirty deaths were reported by Sept. 4, 2019, and Bahamas Health Minister Duane Sands said at least 20 of those came from the Abaco Islands. Two Haitian migrants sit as one stands amid the ruins of a home destroyed by Hurricane Dorian in Abaco, Bahamas, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2019. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) "Life [in Abaco] before Dorian was easy," Beth Warren, president of the Abaco Rescue Fund, said this week in an interview with Brittany Boyer on the AccuWeather TV network. "They lived a very simple life, a very happy life." The Abaco Rescue Fund, a Florida-based non-profit organization, was established to assisting the victims of Hurricane Dorian by offering humanitarian aid, helping to rebuild homes and provide safe housing, assist with trauma and host community events to bring people back together in a positive way. Those living on the islands were mainly employed in the tourism industry. However, there has been virtually no tourism since Dorian, Warren explained. The tourism industry accounts for half the $5.7 billion GDP of the Bahamas each year, Ellison Tommy Thompson, the Bahamas' deputy director-general for tourism and civil aviation said, according to The Miami Herald. "It's extremely important," Thompson said after the hurricane struck last year. "The two islands that were hit, Grand Bahama and Abaco, are second and third in terms of visitor arrivals. We will definitely feel the effects of them being out of commission. But the best way people can assist the Bahamas is to actually come and visit us and spend an extra $20 in the economy to help our reconstruction." Story continues In late November 2019, The Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) said Abaco was experiencing "unprecedented economic loss" following the destruction from the hurricane, The Tribune reported. The Inter-American Development Bank said that the tourism infrastructure of the Bahamas was hit with "catastrophic" damage equating to about $530 million, with most of the damage focused in Abaco. Alyssa Rose of the Abaco Rescue Fund told AccuWeather that one year after the traumatic storm, the Abaco Rescue Fund continues to take part in rebuilding projects, such as roofing, windows, doors, and more on homes. She said a lot of the homes her team has worked to rebuild were in Guana Cay, an outer island located in Abaco. Dorian destruction A Bahamas coroner's team carries a body out of The Mudd neighborhood in the Marsh Harbor area of Abaco, Bahamas, in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian, Monday, Sept. 9, 2019. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano) "The struggles in Abaco are still very real," Rose said. "I think that it's important that people realize that there are still people that have not had electricity for nearly a year now," she continued. "They haven't had a dry roof over their head. They're living in tents. They don't have employment." The organization sees through any promises and commitments they make to the community, Rose said. Last year, the group was able to raise $1 million, and she said its members aim to reach the high achievement again this year as rebuilding efforts continue. "Every dime helps someone get back into their house," Beth said. While they aim to stay in Abaco for three years to work through the damage, Rose has stated that members of the organization will remain for as long as needed. "Being able to help and having the opportunity to go down and help has been extremely rewarding," vice president of the Abaco Rescue Fund Davis Warren said. "I feel really blessed to be put in a position to where you can help." Additional reporting by AccuWeather Broadcast Meteorologist Brittany Boyer. Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios. RTHK: Japan braces for powerful Typhoon Haishen An extremely powerful typhoon is barrelling towards southwestern Japan on Saturday as authorities issued evacuation advisories to thousands of residents, warning of unprecedented violent winds, heavy rain and high waves. Haishen churned near Okinawa in southern Japan on Saturday afternoon and is expected to approach Kyushu late Sunday or early Monday, the meteorological agency said. The storm is expected to affect Japan from late Saturday, with winds of up to 290 kilometres per hour, making it a "violent" storm -- the top level on the country's classification scale. "There is a danger of record winds, heavy rain, high waves and storm surge," Yoshihisa Nakamoto, an agency officer, told a news conference, calling for an early evacuation and "maximum caution." Yuhei Takamura, a government official, told the conference: "A disaster will occur. There is almost no doubt about it." About 4,600 people in Tarumizu, Kagoshima, have been urged to evacuate swiftly, while authorities in other areas of Kyushu are warning their residents to prepare. Satoshi Sugimoto, another agency official, said the latest typhoon could generate high waves as powerful as a tsunami. "It's going to be the last chance to flee" when the agency formally issues the nation's highest storm warning, Sugimoto told reporters. Authorities on Minamidaitojima instructed about 1,300 residents to evacuate as the storm is expected to hit the remote island, east of Okinawa. "We urge all of our islanders to be on full alert as winds are getting stronger and expected to be violent," Hidehito Iha, a local government official said. Footage showed troops escorting dozens of people at a heliport in Kagoshima, southern Kyushu, after they evacuated from another remote island by a military helicopter. Toyota said it will suspend operations at three plants in Kyushu until Monday evening, while other companies, including Canon and Mitsubishi Electric, are reportedly planning to take similar measures. The storm grounded nearly 100 flights, public broadcaster NHK said, while some services of Shinkansen bullet trains are set to be suspended in western Japan on Monday. Meanwhile, Haishen forced the Japan coast guard to suspend its search for dozens of missing sailors from a cargo ship that sank in a separate storm, after two crew members were rescued. "We resumed our search operation this morning by dispatching an airplane, but it returned without any clues," a local coastguard official said. "Now we plan to suspend our entire operation" until Haishen passes over the country, the official added. The Japan coastguard found a second survivor on Friday after the Gulf Livestock 1, which was carrying 6,000 cows and had 43 crew on board, issued a distress call Wednesday near Amami Oshima island as Typhoon Maysak passed through the area. A first survivor was found on Wednesday evening, with a second crew member recovered at sea Friday. The Philippine foreign ministry said the two survivors -- both Filipino -- had been in contact with their respective families. The crew was made up of 39 Filipinos, two New Zealanders and two Australians. The boat, which had experienced engine problems before, had been travelling from Napier in New Zealand to the Chinese port of Tangshan. (AFP) This story has been published on: 2020-09-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. It's becoming clearer which states Kanye West might have an impact on the 2020 election, though it remains unclear what difference his long-shot campaign could make in the overall results. As deadlines around the country have come and gone, West, a rapper who has avidly supported President Donald Trump in the past and announced a run for the presidency earlier this summer, is officially on the ballot in 11 states. His campaign has been unusual. Though he's running as a member of the "Birthday Party," it has been Republicans who have consistently worked on the often chaotic, buzzer-beater efforts to get West on ballots around the country. After a controversial campaign launch in South Carolina, West's wife, Kim Kardashian, posted on Instagram saying he was having a bipolar episode. West later apologized to his wife and thanked her for being there for him. MORE: Kanye West loaned $6.8 million to his 2020 presidential committee, raised just $11,500 Of the states where West has been victorious in his long shot bid, the most keenly-watched swing states are Colorado and Minnesota, both competitive states that lean Democrat and voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016. In Colorado, Clinton won by a narrow five percentage points, and Minnesota, she only won by 1.5 percentage points. Minnesota also has a history of being receptive to third parties, compared to other states, according to J. Miles Coleman, associate editor at Sabato's Crystal Ball, a political analysis institution run by the University of Virginia Center for Politics. "This is, of course, to the extent that he'd be making serious and strategic choices to earn votes," Coleman said. "Basically, if Minnesota ends up being as close as Trump says it will be, third parties could potentially be decisive. West's presence on the ballot would certainly make it at least a bit harder for Biden to consolidate the anti-Trump vote," Coleman said. Story continues PHOTO: FILE - In this Sunday, July 19, 2020, file photo, Kanye West makes his first presidential campaign appearance, in North Charleston, S.C. (Lauren Petracca Ipetracca/The Post And Courier via AP, File) West is also on the ballot in a slate of Republican states, including Kentucky, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Utah, Idaho, Iowa and Tennessee, and the deeply blue state of Vermont. It's unclear what role West can play in states that Biden is either not slated to win over, or is highly anticipated to sweep, though competitive down-ballot races could be impacted. In Mississippi, another Republican state, West filed to get on the ballot on Friday. A decision for West in Mississippi is expected on Sept. 8. But the final deadline to file to get on any more ballots came Friday, after months of blanketing states around the country with petitioners outside grocery stores and courthouses. With just about two months until Election Day, time has run out. The first absentee ballots of the November election were sent out to North Carolina voters on Friday, and voters in Kentucky and Pennsylvania will be able to request and send back their absentee ballots starting on Sept. 14. MORE: At least 6 Republican operatives, some tied to Trump camp, working to get Kanye West on the 2020 ballot While West has pending lawsuits in Wisconsin, Ohio and West Virginia, states where he was rejected from the ballot and then sued, past lawsuits haven't gone in his favor. Courts have already ruled against West in Arizona and Virginia, where he was rejected from the ballot because he filed as an independent but is a registered Republican and didn't have enough valid signatures, respectively. With the states he has succeeded in, it's not possible for West to reach the 270 electoral votes necessary to win, though Democrats allege that West isn't trying to win and is instead attempting to siphon votes away from Democratic nominee Joe Biden. In an interview with Forbes last month, when asked if he's acting as a spoiler candidate for Biden, West said "I'm not going to argue with you." In another interview with Forbes in July, West also said that Democrats shouldn't take Black voters for grated, saying "To say that the Black vote is Democratic is a form of racism and white supremacy." PHOTO: FILE - This Nov. 17, 2019, file photo shows Kanye West on stage during a service at Lakewood Church in Houston. (Michael Wyke/AP, FILE) West, who is a registered Republican, has been largely aided by Republican lawyers and operatives around the country, including lawyers with direct ties to the Trump administration. West also recently met with Jared Kushner, senior adviser and son-in-law to Trump, though Kushner said they didn't discuss West's campaign. West has only held one campaign event so far, which was in South Carolina. Late Friday afternoon, the West campaign filed its first disclosure report to the Federal Election Commission showing the candidate has essentially self-funded the campaign during its first month and a half. West loaned his own campaign more than $6.7 million and raised just under $11,500 from donors from mid-July through the end of August, according to the filing, and the campaign spent roughly $5.9 million during that time period, mostly on ballot access services and various other campaign services. Which states will have Kanye West on the ballot now that access deadlines have passed? originally appeared on abcnews.go.com The Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project, which is scheduled to be completed by December 2023, may fail to meet its deadline due to the coronavirus pandemic that has led to delays in opening tenders and land acquisition, officials said. The National High Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRCL) has already acquired 63 per cent of the land for the project -- about 77% land in Gujarat, 80% in Dadar Nagar Haveli and 22% in Maharashtra. Officials said there are still issues in acquiring land in areas like Palghar in Maharashtra and Navsari in Gujarat. Last year, the company had floated nine civil work tenders which could not be opened because of the coronavirus pandemic, officials said. "Because of COVID we had to postpone the opening of a few of the tenders. It is difficult to assess the impact of the pandemic on the project as it is still continuing. We cannot say how the pandemic will affect the project as I don't know how long it will last," NHSRCL MD Achal Khare said. Officially, the NHSRCL spokesperson maintained that the deadline for the project remained 2023. One of the civil work contracts for construction of stations, bridges, viaducts, maintenance depots, and tunnels across the network is to the tune of Rs 20,000 crore. Tenders for civil works for 345 kms out of 508 kms alignment, or 68 per cent of civil works, have already been floated. This includes six MAHSR stations (including one underground station in Mumbai). The works related to utility diversion are progressing well and the construction of Sabarmati passenger hub (a multi modal hub) in Sabarmati, Gujarat has also started. The hostel building of High Speed Training Institute (which is presently being used for COVID-19 patients) and training tracks in Vadodara are also completed. The 508.17-kilometre long network will pass through three districts in Maharashtra (Mumbai, Thane, and Palghar) and eight districts in Gujarat (Valsad, Navsari, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Kheda, and Ahmedabad). Apart from land acquisition, another major cause for delay could be cost escalation owing to a fall in the rupee against the Japanese yen. While the extent of the cost escalation has yet not been confirmed by the railways, sources said it is estimated that it will rise from the present Rs 1.08 lakh crore to 1.70 lakh crore. The total cost of the project is pegged at Rs 1.08 lakh crore and as per the shareholding pattern, the Government of India is to pay Rs 10,000 crore to the NHSRCL, while the two states involved, Gujarat and Maharashtra, are to pay Rs 5,000 crore each. The rest is to be paid by Japan through a loan at 0.1 per cent interest. One section of the Ahmedabad-Mumbai high-speed rail corridor is likely to be tendered out within three months after nearly 90 per cent of the land acquisition for the project is completed, an official said. Officials said that to complete the project, the NHSRCL has divided the work in 26 packages, each has to provide a minimum of 30 months time for the contractors to finish their work. "So, even if the land acquisition is completed and tenders are opened, NHSRCL will be unable to finish the work within the deadline. Also, the Japanese who have been allotted land here have not been able to begin any of their works, which is sure to delay the project further," said the official. Also Read: Rajnath Singh likely to meet Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe in Moscow this evening Also Read: Daiichi-Ranbaxy case: Delhi Police summons Radha Soami Satsang chief Gurinder Singh Dhillon /* custom css */ .tdi_75_525.td-a-rec{ text-align: center; }.tdi_75_525 .td-element-style{ z-index: -1; }.tdi_75_525.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_75_525.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; }@media (max-width: 767px) { .tdi_75_525.td-a-rec-img { text-align: center; } } Advertisement From Chuks Collins, Awka The Anambra state Police command has arrested a self-acclaimed pastor Uchenna Chukwuma, 21, for butchering a native doctor named Oliver Chukwudi Ugwu aged 60 years. The suspect claimed he was sent by God to kill the victim. /* custom css */ .tdi_74_bc2.td-a-rec{ text-align: center; }.tdi_74_bc2 .td-element-style{ z-index: -1; }.tdi_74_bc2.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_74_bc2.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; }@media (max-width: 767px) { .tdi_74_bc2.td-a-rec-img { text-align: center; } } The dastardly act, police investigation revealed took place at Umusiome village in Nkpor, Idemili North council of Anambra state. The late native doctor resided at Nkpor but hailed from Umuavor village Abor in Udi council of neighbouring Enugu State. Also, the self acclaimed pastor hail from Amagunze in Nkanu East council, in Enugu state too. He lives at Ugwuezue street,Umusiome village Nkpor in Idemili North LGA of Anambra State. The suspect told detectives during interrogation that he was sent by God to kill the native Doctor Who he also claimed was disturbing him spiritually and has not allowed him to progress financially. Detectives from the Ogidi Division led by the Divisional Police Officer(DPO) -CSP Ekuri Remigius visited the scene of crime and rushed the victim who was found in a pool of his blood to Iyi- Enu hospital for medical attention but was certified dead by the medical doctor on arrival. The corpse was then deposited at the hospital mortuary for autopsy, while the murder weapon -a big machete has been recovered as exhibit. The case has already been transferred to the State Criminal investigation Department, Awka for discreet investigation in order to unravel the actual circumstances surrounding the incident. ADVERTISE Hypebot & MusicThinkTank With the internet and digital technologies driving rapid change within the music industry, articles about new releases and who has been hired and fired are no longer enough. Our up to the minute industry news alongside insightful commentary helps our readers sift through the rumors and developments to find the information they need to keep their businesses moving forward. Hypebot is read daily by more than 30,000 music industry professionals including executives and senior staff of music related tech firms, internet based music sites, every major label group and most indies as well as many managers, artists and members of the live music community: Contact us for the latesst stats, ad rates and sponosorship opportunites. We also offer combined rates with MusicThinkTank. Wetlands destruction: Suspects further remanded; probes continue By Tharushi Weerasinghe View(s): View(s): The two suspects arrested in connection with the Anawilundawa wetlands destruction have been further remanded. When the backhoe driver and the businessman were brought before the Chilaw Magistrate on Friday, their plea for bail was rejected as Arachchikattuwa Chief Inspector told court that investigations were still ongoing. The magistrate ordered that the suspects, who were in remand since August 29, be further remanded till September 18. The Arachchikattuwa Police said they were due to record a statement from a representative of the National Aquaculture Development Authority of Sri Lanka (NAQDA), the authority in charge of issuing permits for prawn farming in Sri Lanka. NAQDA Director General Nimal Chandraratne told the Sunday Times that proof of ownership of land and approval from the provincial environmental authority were mandatory conditions under which shrimp farming permits were issued. Therefore it is highly unlikely that this operation would have been done with the necessary legal documentation, he said. Wildlife and Forest Conservation Minister C.B. Ratnayake reiterated this week that under no circumstances, a wetland recognised by the Ramsar Convention would be allowed to be exploited. The Minister is awaiting a report from a special committee investigating the incident. The committee headed by Wildlife and Forest Conservation Ministry Secretary M. K. Bandula Harischandra was given two weeks to submit its report. Meanwhile, the Wildlife Conservation Department said it would soon begin a programme to replant and repair the mangroves. The entrance tests to Delhi Universitys various undergraduate, postgraduate, and MPhil/PhD programmes is set to begin tomorrow (September 6). The National Testing Agency, which has been conducting these exams since last year, released the schedule for the papers last month. In 2019, the exams were conducted in the first week of July. This year, they have been delayed by around two months due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Also read: Cutoffs for UG courses in DU likely to increase this year The entrance test will be conducted from September 6 to 11 in 24 cities, including Delhi-NCR, Bangalore, Kolkata, Jaipur, Patna, Chennai, and Mumbai. According to DU officials, around 140,000 students had applied for entrance to various postgraduate courses at the varsity while approximately 70,000 students have applied for the nine entrance-based undergraduate courses at DU. Around 14,000 students have applied for MPhil and PhD courses. Here are five things you need to know about DUET 2020 exams: _ While all postgraduate courses at Delhi University have entrance examinations in addition to merit-based admission for DU graduates, NTA also conducts entrance tests for nine undergraduate courses open to all applicants. _The nine undergraduate courses are B.A. (Honours) Business Economics [BA(H)BE], Bachelor of Management Studies [BMS], Bachelor of Business Administration (Financial Investment Analysis)[BBA(FIA)], B.Tech. (Information Technology and Mathematical Innovations)[B.Tech(IT & MI)], B.A. (Hons.) Humanities and Social Sciences[BA(H)HSS], Bachelor of Elementary Education[B.El.Ed], Bachelor of Science in Physical Education, Health Education and Sports[BSc(PE,HE & S)], B.A. (Honours) Multimedia and Mass Communication[BA(H)MMC], and Five Year Integrated Programme in Journalism[FYIPJ]. _ From ensuring a contact-less frisking to reducing the seating capacity at these centres, NTA has developed several protocols to ensure safety of students. Sanitisation will be done at regular intervals and extra masks and gloves will be provided to students who come without it. An isolation room will also be set up for students whose body temperature might be higher that the permissible limit. Entry and exits will also be staggered to avoid rush. _ The two-hour computer-based entrance test will consist of multiple-choice questions (MCQs) on topics relevant to each subject. There will be 100 questions. Each correct answer will get a score of plus 4 marks, each wrong answer will get a score of minus 1 mark and a question not answered will get a score of zero marks, reads this years information bulletin. _ Admit cards for DUET 2020 were released on August 29. Students can download the same from the website http://ntaexam2020.cbtexam.in. Those who wish to correct the information mentioned in the admit card can write to duet2020helpdesk@gmail.com or contact on the following mobile numbers 9453819438, 9455874492, 9455874502, 9453827207. What will you be tested on? _ For the Joint Admission Test, which is conducted for admission to BA(Hons) Business Economics, Bachelor in Management Studies, or Bachelor of Business Administration (Financial Investment Analysis), candidates will be tested on quantitative ability, reasoning and analytical ability, general english, and business and general Awareness. _ For B.Tech. (Information Technology and Mathematical Innovation), the entrance test is based on Mathematics, reasoning and analytical abilities at 10+2 levels. In addition to this, candidates must have scored 60% or more marks in four subjects, including Maths, in the qualifying exams. _ For B.A. Hons. (Humanities and Social Sciences), the entrance will be based on general awareness, current affairs, general knowledge, communication skills (English/ Hindi), logical reasoning and analytical ability at 10+2 levels. Candidates must have an aggregate of 60% in the qualifying exams. _ For Bachelor of Elementary Education, the entrance test shall consist of 40 questions in English and Hindi, and 20 questions each in Mathematics, Science and Social Science, as per the bulletin of information. There will be no descriptive questions. Students can go through NCERT books of English, Hindi, Mathematics, Science and Social Science up to class 10. _ For Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) in Multimedia and Mass Communication, applicants must have an aggregate of 75% or more in the best of four subjects with 85% or more in English. The entrance exam will be based on general awareness, media awareness, current affairs, English comprehension and grammatical and analytical skills. _ For the Five Year Integrated Course in Journalism, candidates must have an aggregate of 50% or more marks determined on the basis of all ve subjects offered in the qualifying examination. The entrance exam will be based on general awareness, media awareness, current affairs, English comprehension and grammatical and analytical skills, logical reasoning and basic mathematics skills. The entrance test will be held both in English and Hindi. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Toto Wolff has brushed off rumours that he might soon be leading crisis-struck Ferrari. The wild rumour in the Italian press follows reports of the Mercedes team boss's dithering over a new contract and strained relationship with Daimler CEO Ola Kallenius. "Everyone dreams of Ferrari - it's normal," Wolff told Sky Italia at Monza. "It's the same with drivers. "Ferrari is the most important brand in Formula 1 and it is equally important that they return to fighting to win. "But I'm part of Mercedes and the team. I have a good relationship with the team and I feel good where I am. I'm fine here." However, the rumours of a potential shock switch to Maranello are gaining steam. "Because I have not yet renewed the contract with Mercedes?" Wolff responded. "First of all, it is important to understand where this Formula 1 is going and it's normal that negotiations to renew are not easy. "But I think that in the coming weeks we will be able to close the discussions." Wolff also said he would like to take the heat out of the political arguments in Formula 1, insisting: "What matters is being united for the show in the sport." Finally, he addressed this weekend's ban on 'party mode' engine settings, believing it is an effort to slow the dominant team down. "At first it was frustrating, because we developed an engine to be able to take advantage of this mode in qualifying," said the Austrian. "But on the other hand, when one team beats all the others, they do everything to slow it down, together with the FIA," added Wolff. "That's why we now take the change as a positive thing and we hope to be able to go faster in the race instead." (GMM) The following is a statement sent to the World Socialist Web Site Educators Newsletter by Christina Stewart, a parent in Osceola County who wished to speak about the unsafe reopening of schools in the area. Osceola has recorded more than 11,300 cases of COVID-19, and a public school janitor died due to complications with the virus earlier this week. This past Tuesday, Juan Sosa, a janitor at the Celebration School K-8 located in our county, tragically died due to complications related to COVID-19. Mr. Sosa was a 12-month staffer who contracted the virus over the summer along with four other 12-month staffers. He had been in a coma since June 20a coma that the School District of Osceola County, Florida tried to keep hidden for weeks. I feel very hurt for his family, including his niece who made a heart-wrenching public statement while her small child circled her legs. The lack of transparency is infuriating, depressing, and deadly. Our schools did not begin notifying us of exposed, diagnosed, and quarantined workers and students until this past Wednesday. Even this data, however, does not tell us enough. It is in reality a miserable attempt by the school board to appear transparent. Our district has not had a consistent plan to contain COVID-19 or protect any of its students, faculty, or staff from becoming infected. They have changed their plan several times and, even then, these plans have not been enforced. We have gone from having no masks required, to having masks required, to a policy where just face shields are fine, to having no face shields allowedall within the course of a single month. Administrators have promised hand sanitizer and cleaning products that have never fully materialized. The few teachers who have received these supplies quickly had them taken away when they complained that their contract does not include cleaning. They were then told that their rooms would not be cleaned between classes. Many school bathrooms are not stocked with soap and paper towels, and the air conditioning in many schools constantly goes in and out. Classrooms that do have functioning air conditioners have these turned off at night, leaving their rooms sweltering for the next day with little ventilation. Newly constructed schools have narrow stairwells with no air conditioning vents and no windows to open. The district promised that older classrooms would be deep-cleaned, but these are still riddled with mold, dead bugs, and sometimes construction debris from summer maintenance projects. Teachers are required to turn in seating charts, and schools are using these charts to secretly notify the families of students who have been exposed to the virus without notifying the actual teachers who share the same classrooms. Teachers who do find out that they were exposed to COVID-19 in the classroom are being pressured to return to work before receiving their test results or are being told that getting tested is optional. Teachers with medically-documented ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) requests are being denied leave. One Osceola teacher who testified in the recent FEA lawsuit is a paraplegic whose doctor warned that he would die if he contracted the virus since he is not able to cough and expel build up properly, essentially leaving him to drown. He was told to return to work in a hot portable classroom with no sink or bathroom to wash his hands. Kids are being told to socially distance at bus stops but are packed into buses with two occupants per seat. Virtual-learning teachers are being forced to come into public buildings to work and are not allowed to work safely from home. We can go on for many more paragraphs and still find ourselves unable to fully explain all of the rotten conditions that our children, faculty, and staff are forced to endure. Despite all of these unacceptable conditions, the Osceola County School Board and Superintendent Debra Pace produce what can only be called propaganda for their social media sites. In one recent video, for example, Pace surprises her administrators with Administrator of the Year awards, but the video pans to the unsuspecting administrators who are unmasked and not practicing social distancing. They then comically fumble to mask themselves for the camera. When teachers try to challenge these administrators for not adhering to CDC recommendations, they are told, Its okay, weve been working together all summer. When whistleblowers take pictures of these gross offenses and submit them to the press, they are bullied and retaliated against at work. One parent has received legal threats for posting a picture on Facebook of a vice principal who was refusing to wear a mask. These deplorable conditions are merely an extension of what residents of Osceola County have to face on an everyday basis. Our county is located just south of Orlando, where Disney reigns supreme. Osceola is sprinkled with Super Walmarts; a plethora of resorts, hotels, and tourist attractions; and an Amazon warehouse. The average income in Osceola County with a bachelors degree is just $37,000 per year, and our unemployment is the highest in the state at 31.1 percent. All of our schools are Title 1 schools, and we rank 67 out of 67 among counties when it comes to the average amount of money spent on education. Despite the presence of so many large corporations, the School District of Osceola County is still the largest employer, with roughly double the number of employees as the next employer on the list. Disney has spent millions of dollars funding politicians who ensure that wages and worker protections are some of the worst in the nation. Disney and the other greedy corporations have decided that despite Florida being the epicenter of a global pandemic, it is time to reopen, and they want their workers back. This means that our school district is requiring roughly 8,000 teachers to return to school so that the impoverished people in our community can return to work. This has only been our second week back, and the situation is already a disaster. Those of us who oppose the unsafe reopening have tried protesting and speaking at board meetings, but the school board collectively rolled its eyes before voting 50 against us. We are told to be grateful for crumbs and not expect anything more. It is dire that out of the tragedy that has unfolded so far that we see the largest national workers solidarity movement to withhold labor. Workers must refuse to be sacrificed in the name of profits at the hands of the ruling class. If this does not happen, we are all doomed. Signed, Christina Stewart Pissed-off Parent The Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee has been formed to coordinate and facilitate the building of a network of rank-and-file safety committees in every school and neighborhood, to organize the immense opposition to the murderous plan to reopen schools. All those who agree with this perspective should contact us today, join our Facebook group and make plans to attend our next online call-in meeting Saturday, September 5. Register today and share the event widely with your coworkers and friends! Goldman Sachs has joined the growing list of investment banks working on Chinese financial technology firm Ant Group's initial public offering of up to $30 billion, as a joint lead manager on the Hong Kong leg, two people with direct knowledge of the matter said. Ant, backed by Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, plans to do a simultaneous listing in Hong Kong and Shanghai, in what sources have said could be the world's largest IPO and come as soon as October. A spokesman for Goldman Sachs declined to comment on the appointment. Ant also declined to comment. Also read: Jack Ma's Ant Group files for IPO in Hong Kong, Shanghai; eyes $225 billion valuation (Newser) A "Trump Boat Parade" ran into a little trouble Saturday when several boats sent out distress calls and some actually sank, CBS Austin reports. The event on Lake Travis in Austin, Texas, was going well until boats along the parade route sent out calls for help. "TCSO responded to multiple calls involving boats in distress during the Trump parade on Lake Travis," the Travis County Sheriff's Office tweeted. "Several boats did sink." A Facebook page for the event said over 2,600 people planned to attend and 5,800 were interested. No injuries were reported. Fox News notes that Trump boat parades were planned across America on Saturday, including ones in Florida and New Jersey. (Read more sinking stories.) Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden will be traveling to Harrisburg Monday to virtually meet with Pennsylvania union workers on Labor Day, his campaign announced today. Biden will meet in person at the Second Street headquarters of the Pennsylvania American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, according to sources close to the campaign. The sources said the event will recognize working families and allow union workers to ask questions. Biden will be joined virtually by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka. Additional details on Bidens Harrisburg visit were not immediately available. READ MORE: Stimulus checks: President Donald Trump floats an idea that he hopes could speed up payments to Americans in need of cash White House memo calls for ending racial sensitivity training, labeled divisive, un-American propaganda sessions Gov. Wolf is acting like a king and his mask mandate is a political statement, couples claim in federal lawsuit --- Utah Federal Court Invites IBC to File Refocused Motion for Summary Judgment, Grants IBC's Motion for Consolidation and Denies Ucore's Motion for Preliminary Injunction --- AMERICAN FORK, Utah, Sept. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In a decision dated September 1, 2020, the Nova Scotia Supreme Court ruled in favor of IBC Advanced Technologies, Inc. ("IBC"), and dismissed a motion for contempt brought by Ucore Rare Metals Inc. ("Ucore"). The Nova Scotia Supreme Court also awarded costs to IBC; the amount which IBC will recover has not yet been determined. On August 19, 2020, the Nova Scotia Supreme Court heard submissions concerning Ucore's suggestion that IBC's filing of a Motion for Summary Judgment ("MSJ") in Utah Federal Court was contemptuous. Ucore sought to punish IBC for exercising its legal rights in Utah. The Nova Scotia Supreme Court stated: "Simply put, there is nothing in the plain wording of the Interlocutory Injunction Order which enjoins IBC's ability to pursue its right to take steps in the ongoing litigation in Utah". The Nova Scotia Supreme Court referred to transcripts from Ucore's earlier submissions to that Court and confirmed that Ucore did not try to prohibit IBC from exercising its full rights in the Utah litigation when it requested the Injunction. The Nova Scotia Supreme Court also reaffirmed its earlier denial of Ucore's attempt to limit IBC's ability to market its technology in all sectors. Utah Federal Court On August 5, 2020, the Utah Federal Court stated that it will entertain a more narrowly focused Motion for Summary Judgment at a later date. IBC's MSJ had asked the Court to rule that the Option Agreement with Ucore is unenforceable. The Court's denial of the originally filed MSJ was without prejudice and did not address the merits of IBC's position. In addition, the Utah Court granted IBC's motion to consolidate three Utah cases involving Ucore: IBC's contract action against Ucore for breach of contract, breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, negligent misrepresentation, fraudulent concealment or fraudulent non-disclosure, breach of fiduciary duty, unjust enrichment, and fraudulent inducement; IBC's action against Ucore Chief Operating Officer, Michael Schrider , for misappropriation of IBC's intellectual property and breach of contract; and , for misappropriation of IBC's intellectual property and breach of contract; and IBC's shareholders' action, wherein eight (8) shareholders are making claims against Ucore for breach of contract, breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, and fraudulent inducement; (collectively, the "Utah Consolidated Case"). The Utah Court also denied Ucore's motion for a preliminary injunction in which Ucore sought to force IBC to dismantle and move the Molecular Recognition Technology ("MRT") rare earth element pilot plant. The Utah Consolidated Case will now advance to the discovery phase. IBC is very pleased with the outcome of the proceedings in both Nova Scotia and Utah. IBC welcomes the start of the discovery phase, believes its claims will now be further substantiated through that process, and is highly confident in its position and prospects for success. Background of IBC IBC is an award-winning provider of proprietary and innovative MRT products and processes, based on green chemistry and green engineering, to premier customers worldwide. IBC's SuperLig, AnaLig and MacroLig products and associated processes are used in manufacturing, analytical and laboratory applications. In 1988, IBC was founded by and named after three Brigham Young University professors: Dr. Reed M. Izatt, Dr. Jerald S. Bradshaw and Dr. James J. Christensen. IBC is the proud sponsor of the International Izatt-Christensen Award. This Award, founded in 1991 and named after Dr. Reed M. Izatt and Dr. James J. Christensen, two of the founders of IBC, recognizes excellence in macrocyclic and supramolecular chemistry. It is known as one of the most prestigious small awards in chemistry. The Award is presented annually at the International Symposium on Macrocyclic and Supramolecular Chemistry ("ISMSC"). Two of the early recipients of the Award later shared the 2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The precursor of the ISMSC was founded by Dr. Izatt and Dr. Christensen in 1977. A privately-held Utah corporation, IBC counts among its shareholders a multi-billion dollar international manufacturing company, which has been a major customer and benefactor of IBC for over thirty (30) years. IBC has built its business upon integrity, trust and excellence and values its close association with such top-tier companies. IBC provides proprietary, green chemistry and green engineering SuperLig Molecular Recognition Technology products and processes worldwide. More information can be found at www.ibcmrt.com . Related Links www.ibcmrt.com SOURCE IBC Advanced Technologies, Inc. New Delhi: On the occasssion of Teachers' Day in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi acknowledged the contribution of teachers and expressed his gratitude for their hardwork. Taking to Twitter, PM Modi wrote: "We remain grateful to the hardworking teachers for their contributions towards shaping minds and building our nation. On Teachers Day, we express gratitude to our teachers for their remarkable efforts. We pay tributes to Dr. S. Radhakrishnan on his Jayanti." We remain grateful to the hardworking teachers for their contributions towards shaping minds and building our nation. On Teachers Day, we express gratitude to our teachers for their remarkable efforts. We pay tributes to Dr. S. Radhakrishnan on his Jayanti. #OurTeachersOurHeroes Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 5, 2020 Also, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank extended greetings on Teachers` Day. Shah paid tributes to the former president Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan on his birth anniversary, he tweeted: "Tributes to an iconic thinker and erudite scholar, former President Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan on his Jayanti. On Teachers Day, Greetings to the entire teaching fraternity who has been playing an unparalleled role in shaping the nation by selflessly guiding millions of souls." Tributes to an iconic thinker and erudite scholar, former President Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan on his Jayanti. On #TeachersDay, Greetings to the entire teaching fraternity who has been playing an unparalleled role in shaping the nation by selflessly guiding millions of souls. pic.twitter.com/yPIEkT96dQ Amit Shah (@AmitShah) September 5, 2020 While, Pokhriyal thanked teachers on the occassion, he wrote: "I wish all the countrymen on Teachers` Day and salute all the gurus. Let us thank our teachers, counselors and parents on the occasion of Teacher`s Day, with whose blessings we have learned a lot." Teachers` Day is celebrated in the memory of former president Dr S Radhakrishnan, a philosopher-author and India`s second president who was born on September 5, 1888. His contributions to the field of education are exemplary.In 1962, the tradition to celebrate Teachers` Day started to honour Radhakrishnan and all the teachers. Meanwhile, President Ram Nath Kovind will felicitate the winners of National Teachers' Awards 2020 today in a virtual ceremony amid coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. This year, 47 teachers have been chosen from across the nation. I had been somewhat anxious about how to frame my questions in the most sensitive way possible (and after reading the book, there are so many) but I was certain that we would be covering this material since it is the subject of the book and therefore the specific reason for doing the interview. But in this case, Davies' memoir and himself are inextricable. The book is him. He wrote part of it when he was completing an MA in creative writing, specifically of memoirs, at Goldsmiths College, London University. Its head is Blake Morrison, who wrote his own celebrated memoir, And When Did You Last See Your Father? In five decades of interviewing, I have rarely come across an interviewee who does not go through at least the motions of discussing the film or book or art show they are involved in which is the reason the interview has been granted. They have been contracted to do a certain amount of press and the journalist usually ticks the publicity box and then moves onto other aspects of the person that are of more interest. Davies seems both aware of what happens when you write a book and release it into the world. Credit:Getty Images When Spectrum was offered the interview, there were no restrictions on what could be asked indeed, the publicist's letter explicitly refers to "the abuse from his father" whom Davies years later "takes to court". (Spoiler alert that's not exactly what happens.) The letter refers to the death of his mother, his memories of her, as well as him emerging with a "survivor's" resilience. Alan Davies, the English stand-up comedian, actor, quiz show panellist and author, has written a new book, Just Ignore Him a memoir of his childhood in which some horrible things happen that reverberate through his whole life. It is sad and sometimes funny, fastidiously observed and beautifully written. At its core, which permeates almost every page, is the greatest betrayal after his mother died of leukaemia, when she was 38 and he was six-and-a-half, his father sexually abused him from the age of eight to 13. A: I am withholding from talking to journalists about this subject. What I and other people wrote on the course and how we shared material with one another well, a great benefit of the course was the confidentiality and privacy that was afforded all of us. A: It's tricky, Ginny, because I don't want to talk about that in the interview or outside the book. I'm looking for that not to be mentioned in interviews I'm looking for people to discover that in the book. Q: So everybody who you were a fellow student with [at Goldsmiths] or your tutors certainly knew, since it was a memoir course, that you had been abused as a little boy? What I was totally unprepared for, and astonished by, was what actually happened in the interview, about 10 minutes in. I explain the abuse has been mentioned by his Australian publishers when this interview was offered to Spectrum. There are some lengthy pauses. A: I don't want the spoilers for my book in the pre-publicity: sexual abuse, going to the police and the Crown Prosecution Service and all that. You don't want to talk about those passages in your book or anything around it while promoting the book? Q: Oh , oh ... I didn't know this so let me clarify this and repeat this back to you to make sure I fully understand. A: And that was a really helpful thing and I really needed that. So, yes, the A-word I leave out of my vocab for all my promotional work. A: [louder and more insistent] ... the absolute agreement that nothing that was discussed in the room was discussed outside the room not online or anywhere. A: The thing is, Ginny, it's going to come out, right? It's in the book. It might be reviewed and talked about and once the book's out, there'll be all kinds of things online and it's not something I can control or want to control, but I don't want to talk about it. [looks a bit upset] A: No ... no ... no ... no ... and they should have told you that. Q: Well, it's OK I've got lots of other questions ... but er obviously in the piece ... So hold on do you not want [even] any reference [to the abuse] in the piece without me asking you any questions? A: I want people to learn about the abuse in the book. Not in the newspaper. And I'm not going to ... this is annoying because they should have told you this. I am never going to talk to journalists about it. It made me feel sad that the defenceless child, who should have been protected, is still lurking so close to the surface. The larger point here is that Davies seems both aware and naive about what happens when you write a book and release it into the world. He knows that once this happens, his precious cargo can be picked over and his childhood and life now become public property. But the only way to have kept the genie in the bottle is not to have released it in a book in the first place. But to focus on the exquisitely summoned nostalgia of his '60s childhood is like enjoying, for instance, the fabulous design of, say, mid-century furniture without a home to put it in. The elephant in the room was sitting on my shoulder for the full hour. Alan Davies, pictured in 1996, was not allowed to mourn his mother who died when he was only six. Credit:Larry Ellis/Getty I've quoted from the transcript at some length to convey the awkwardness of the moment and the bizarre premise of the whole interview. The untenable nature of not being able to discuss the guts and marrow of the book the abuse is alluded to on most pages or the death of his mother (which Davies also ring-fences as off limits) and is literally what the memoir is about. I found myself alluding to the abuse without spelling it out, using the catch-all euphemism "difficult childhood". 'The thing is, Ginny, its going to come out, right? Its in the book ... but I dont want to talk about it.' It made me feel sad that the defenceless child, who should have been protected, is still lurking so close to the surface of this clever, genial 54-year-old man. Even at this remove, and having written the book about it, there was something so raw and naked about his response. As an actor, it's possibly surprising that he hasn't developed a script to deal with how to talk about this trauma. But then this was only the second interview he had done about his memoir with a journalist. Towards the end,when I had found the publicist's letter, Davies explained how "pissed off" he was about the difficult situation both of us had been put in. (Neither my editor nor I would have agreed to the interview if Davies' terms had been put to us, in advance. Later his Australian publishers confirmed "they would, of course, not stop us from covering any information that is available in the book.). "I told them I didn't want to do any press. I said, Just put the book out and let it have a life of its own.' I don't want to do this. I hate this." Well, in between, we did thank goodness find plenty to talk about and, despite the undeniable weirdness of the situation, Davies did open up about other areas of his life and when he didn't, that was revealing in a different way, too. Mainly we talked about subjects around the abuse, the fallout from it; the lifelong depth charges from those formative years of never feeling safe. If you type in Alan Davies and Anger into your search engine, a number of stories come up relating to explosive historic incidents: the time he bit the ear of a homeless man outside Soho's Groucho Club when he had drunk too much, then two years later how he got beaten up by three men outside the pub they had all been drinking in, kicked in the head and had to go to accident and emergency at the local hospital. More recently, there was an altercation with a climbing instructor who bumped into Davies' children in a leisure centre and then took the story to a newspaper. In the book there is also the occasional lash out, as when he remembers the cruelty of not being allowed to mourn his mother dying (who was not informed, herself, that she was going to die) and the further attempt at concealment when that six-year-old boy is told that he cannot tell his baby sister that their mother has died. The sister who kept asking when they could visit: "And she asked again and again ... the secrets continue. As if it is the secrets that sustain these f---ing people." In person, as in most of the book, Davies' tone is measured; his manner, mild. He talks at a low level, occasionally swallowing words. His manner is more Eeyore than Tigger and he doesn't meet your eye. The manic mop of curls familiar from all those years in Jonathan Creek, as well as appearances in other "soft murder" dramas, the quiz show QI and a variety of panel shows is mostly grey now but he looks younger than his decade, in a blue and white striped T-shirt. Work has helped ease the pain. QI Christmas special 2016 with Bill Bailey, Stephen Fry, Jenny Eclair and Johnnie Vegas. He is so evidently super-bright that I had assumed before reading the book that he was a smart grammar school boy (in fact he went to the same private school as his father and grandfather) who had gone to Oxford or Cambridge; his natural destination, as an acknowledged "brainbox" before he went off the rails as a teenager, becoming a compulsive thief and vandal. He graduated from Kent University, where he read drama, in 1988, also the year he did his first stand-up comedy show. You say that anger is very helpful for a comedian? "Yes, and Dave Allen [one of his comedy heroes] is a good example of that." But it's not so great in normal life ... have you found a way of diffusing your anger? He starts by talking specifically about the book: "I wanted to not be vengeful and I didn't want something angry so that the reader would say, well, this is just one person letting rip and we need to hear the other person's point of view'. It's not a misery memoir'. I'm not setting out to attack anybody or take anybody down or be angry in that sense." Well, this may have been Davies' intention, but you cannot read Just Ignore Him (what his father urged Alan's siblings to do when he acted up') without feeling anger yourself. How heartbreaking it is to read that when the first secret "special cuddle" occurred, the eight-year-old boy was so deprived of affection and soft words from his surviving parent that even though he knew, instinctively, it was wrong and strange for his father to caress his naked buttocks, the relief of being treated kindly for once eclipsed the shame. (His father is still alive, at 86, with Alzheimer's and in a home: Davies reported his actions to the police in 2017 but the case did not proceed to trial because of his father's ill-health.) "Anger," he goes on to say, "is as normal as hunger. It's as normal as any other feeling. And it's not really about diffusing it or suppressing it." After his "Mike Tyson incident", he had been banned from returning to the Groucho Club. Are you still banned? "No, I'm not." Anyway, that was obviously not a great moment [it happened in 2007, the year he married Katie, 41, a children's book writer; they now have three children Susie, 10, Bobby, 9, and Francis, 4.] In 2009, the year of the pub fight, Davies said he had stopped drinking "because it's incompatible with two-year-olds bouncing on your head". I wonder whether there was a relationship between alcohol and his anger. He looks blank: "Um." OK, so do you still drink alcohol? "I do sometimes drink alcohol, yes. But I go through periods of abstinence and we all have to manage our addictions. Alcohol's an interesting one because it's everywhere you go and if you are having a period when you're not drinking, you'll get offered a drink every day." Anger is as normal as hunger. Its as normal as any other feeling. Alan Davies As for the climbing instructor scuffle in 2014, Davies maintained that the man knocked over Susie, then 4, on the stairs; the instructor claimed that the actor grabbed his throat. "Well that was his anger, you see. That was his rage. And my children are in tears. Then recognising me, he goes to a newspaper to try and hurt me. "So I can be angry and I can be on the receiving end of anger. But, ultimately, when it affects your kids it's really upsetting." Davies with fellow comedian and friend Jo Brand in Damned. She encouraged him to seek therapy. There is a moment in the memoir when Davies records a retrieved memory of him with his mother; a moment of grace no less beautiful for it being commonplace: "she'd reach down and I'd reach up, my little fingers taking hold of one or two of hers instinctively, my arm rising as if gravity had let it go and our hands docking in silence, holding tightly, without thinking, fingers that belonged together". As a parent himself now he knows that wonderful feeling of putting your hand out for your child to grasp without needing to look back. He says he has always enjoyed his work and he thought that being famous would be fun "although that turned out to be a very mixed bag, as you can imagine ... but it has nourished me, as it were, and kept me going". The damage of his childhood may never be repaired. "What happened to me as a boy and my relationship with my father and the disintegrated family that I grew up in is problematic [Davies and his older brother remain estranged]. I've been very unsupported and it has made things difficult over the years. There is something not there." Alan Davies with his children's book author wife Katie Davies (centre) and actor Ronni Ancona. Credit:Getty Both work and therapy have helped and Davies remains grateful to his friend Jo Brand for suggesting a therapist when he was in his late twenties (this led to eight-year therapy that seems to have had an emphasis on cognitive behaviour). Marrying at the age of 40 (he says he wasn't ready before) and having a family of his own has been transformative. His face becomes blurred with tenderness when he talks about his family. "The children aren't here today and the silence is deafening me," he says. "Having the presence of these people in your life who look at you like nobody else does and really do care about you to feel that love coming your way is really something." It was Katie who wanted to recreate her own childhood, to some extent, and have a large family, "but I had nothing that I wanted to recreate. I had no childhood that I wanted to pass on." I had nothing that I wanted to recreate. I had no childhood that I wanted to pass on. Alan Davies Given your "difficult childhood", were you worried about what kind of parent you might be? "You always worry about what sort of parent you are", he replies. "You often spend time thinking you're a terrible parent I'm too angry', I shout too much' ... I haven't smacked mine [as he was a lot as a child] but I've grabbed hold of them and I've shouted at them and I've struggled to control my temper with them and it is really, really difficult, parenting. You have to keep focusing on showing them love. "What I do a lot, which my father would never do, is I go and apologise to the child and they say, God, you're always saying "sorry"' to which I say, Sorry'." Davies says it has taken him until now to be able to address properly what happened to him as a child. Until now, he has been emotionally paralysed. It's partly that he's older and there is more distance between the good times and the bad, but it's also a direct consequence of having a family of his own: "I've thought more about parenting and how I was parented, and when I think about my relationship with my daughter and two boys if the things that happened to me happened to them, I would be mortified." Alan Davies' memoir Just Ignore Him. Credit: When I ask Davies whether he thinks the memoir could lend itself to a screenplay (it is very cinematic), he says he has been considering how to turn "this part of my life which I have not talked about publicly into a stage show of some sort". He believes he can share his secrets on a stage, in a book, with thousands watching but he cannot talk about them with an audience of one. This disjunct ("something's not there") becomes radiantly clear when he finally does talk about himself as a damaged child the fragmentation and separation of his adult self from the wounded child is revealed in his language that boy' and his thieving even from the housekeeper who was so kind to him. "I hope that I convey that stealing is a source of regret, but at the same time, I don't blame that boy for doing that. The temptation's much too great for him and he can't resist it. There were reasons for his behaviour and his character flaws ..." Not once was that young boy asked "Is there something wrong?" He still has what he describes as a general low-level bedrock of sadness, but what makes him actively sad now, when I ask him, is anything to do with his children: "If they're not happy or there's something that I can't affect or change or improve that makes me sad." As for how he feels about his book, he's proud of it. "I found it very, very difficult and it wasn't cathartic, but I took as much care as I have over anything really. I wanted this to be a record to last a long time and to last long enough so that when my children are old enough to read it, they will understand." Alan Davies' memoir Just Ignore Him will be published by Hachette this week. Support is available for those who may be distressed by phoning Lifeline 13 11 14; Mensline 1300 789 978; Kids Helpline 1800 551 800; beyondblue 1300 224 636. America can be proud of many things: our innovation, generosity and entrepreneurial spirit are unsurpassed. Yet when it comes to our nation understanding one of the greatest gifts ever given to humanitythe Biblewe're moving from dumb to dumber, and it's no laughing matter. Teen climate change warrior Greta Thunberg is one. So is Dr. Anthony Fauci. Sci-fi icon (and one-time upstate General Electric technical writer) Kurt Vonnegut was their Honorary President, from 1992 to his death on April 11, 2007 in 1992. The word all three have used to describe themselves is humanist. While humanists may not believe in God or the afterlife, they do share many of the values believers embrace. And if you would like to attend a meeting or help with volunteer work of the Capital District Humanist Society, you will be welcome. No one will ask you whether you have a religious faith. The CDHC lists the values that guide members: commitment to free inquiry, rational thought, life-long education, democracy, social concern, and fellowship. CDHS provides a supportive community for exchanging ideas, heightening our knowledge of the world and ourselves, fostering moral and ethical growth, and promoting the principles of secular humanism. Secular humanists believe in an ongoing search for truth through the application of reason and science. They believe in social responsibility, social justice, ethical principles, and separation of church and state. They are committed to making this life meaningful for all and enacting their principles outside of a religious framework. The CDHS has fostered social action since it was established nearly 35 years ago. In 2020 CDHS has focused its social actions on efforts to support health care workers, people in need, and organizations that are fighting social injustices. Specifically, CDHS and members recently have: Supported health care workers at Albany Medical Center by donating over $1,000 in meals for staff in early April when the COVID-19 pandemic was causing extraordinary stress on hospitals throughout New York. Provided food items and solicited donations to help fill the Food Pantry at the Stratton VA Health Center, which supports homeless and indigent Veterans in need. Donated $2,050 ($1,050 from members plus a $1,000 match from CDHS) to the Northeast Regional Food Bank to help them provide food and key supplies to people in need throughout northeast New York. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Donated a total of $2,750 ($1,750 from members, plus a $1,000 match from CDHS) to the NAACP and Southern Poverty Law Center, to support them in their efforts to fight hate and bigotry, eliminate race-based discrimination, and ensure the health and well-being of all persons. CDHS also features guest speakers via Zoom. The next one is attorney Cheryl Roberts, Corporation Counsel to the city of Hudson. Shes also a former candidate for New Yorks Supreme Court and will discuss the selection process. Non-CDHS members wo want to listen can email webmaster@humanistsociety.org. CDHS is a member supported non-profit 501(c)(3) non-partisan educational organization for people who share humanist values and who reside in and around the greater Capital Region of New York. More information about CDHS is available at: https//www.humanistsociety.net. As of August 26th, 2021 Yahoo India will no longer be publishing content. Your Yahoo Account Mail and Search experiences will not be affected in any way and will operate as usual. We thank you for your support and readership. For more information on Yahoo India, please visit the FAQ Police detain protesters rallying against virus restrictions in the capital of Australias hardest-hit Victoria state. Police in the Australian city of Melbourne have made arrests among a crowd of about 300 people protesting against the coronavirus lockdown. Indias caseload topped four million, while South Korea posted its lowest daily tally in three weeks. Iraqs health ministry warned hospitals may lose control in the coming days after the country recorded its highest single-day rise in coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic. More than 26.7 million people around the world have been diagnosed with the coronavirus, and more than 876,000 have died, according to Johns Hopkins University. More than 17.7 million people have recovered. Here are the latest updates: Saturday, September 5 23:30 GMT With no large crowd due to the pandemic, Authentic wins Kentucky Derby Authentic held off a late challenge by favourite Tiz the Law to win the Kentucky Derby on Saturday at Churchill Downs, and give the Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert a sixth win in the annual Run for the Roses. Authentic, ridden by John Velazquez, set the early pace and managed to maintain his speed down the stretch in the 1-1/4 mile classic, which was held without spectators due to the COVID-19 crisis. Belmont Stakes winner Tiz the Law was second, longshot Mr Big News was third and Honor AP was fourth in the 15-horse race. 20:50 GMT France reports 8,550 new daily COVID-19 infections French health authorities reported 8,550 new confirmed coronavirus cases, down from Fridays 8,975. Fridays figure had set a new all-time high of daily additional infections since the disease started to spread in the country at the end of the winter. The number of people in France who have died from COVID-19 increased by 12 to 30,698, and the cumulative number of cases now totals 317,706 19:32 GMT Tenniss Mladenovic and Babos withdrawn from US Open doubles after quarantine notice Top seeds Kristina Mladenovic and Timea Babos were withdrawn from the US Open doubles competition hours before they were due on court after Mladenovic received a COVID-19 quarantine notice from public health officials, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) said. Hungarys Timea Babos and Frances Kristina Mladenovic celebrate with the trophy after winning the final against Taiwans Su-wei Hsieh and Czech Republics Barbora Strycova [File: Edgar Su/Reuters] Mladenovic is one of 10 players who came in contact with Frances Benoit Paire, who was pulled out from the mens field at the hardcourt major after testing positive for the new coronavirus. Since the players are staying in Nassau County, the USTA said public health officials prevented those who were in contact with Paire from travelling to the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City. Public health officials of Nassau County, N.Y., have issued quarantine notices for all individuals who had prolonged close contact to a person who previously tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus, the USTA said in a statement. Kristina Mladenovic is one of these individuals, and as the womens doubles competition has begun, the womens doubles team of Kristina Mladenovic and Timea Babos has been withdrawn from the US Open. 18:30 GMT Hundreds rally against virus measures in Croatia Hundreds of demonstrators danced in the streets of Zagreb to show their opposition to Croatias coronavirus restrictions. Protesters at the so-called Freedom Festival displayed banners with slogans such as Free life, our power and Turn off your TV, turn on your brain. The festival was organised by the Rights and Freedoms initiative, which promotes the preservation of human rights, freedoms, knowledge, solidarity and mutual respect. As of Friday, Croatia had recorded around 11,000 coronavirus cases and 195 deaths. 16:35 GMT Portugal sees highest daily increase in coronavirus cases since May Portugal reported 486 new coronavirus cases, its biggest daily increase since the week its lockdown was lifted in May. The increase brought the cumulative total to 59,943, said the Directorate-General of Health. Portugal, with 10 million people, has reported just 1,838 deaths so far, a far lower rate per capita than in many European countries including neighbouring Spain. 15:50 GMT UK records 1,813 new daily COVID cases The United Kingdom recorded 1,813 new daily confirmed cases of COVID-19, versus 1,940 on Friday, health officials said. Daily case numbers were about 1,000 a day for most of August, but have started to increase in recent days. The UKs testing capacity has also increased since the peak of the first wave earlier this year. Fridays figure was the highest since May 30. 15:10 GMT Italys government against fans returning to stadiums The return of football fans to stadiums amid the coronavirus outbreak is currently not considered an option for the Italian government. In the stadium it is like at a demonstration where people gathering is unavoidable as in the stand when people have to go in and out, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said at a podium discussion in Rome. I think opening [stadiums] would currently be absolutely inappropriate. The Serie A season begins on the weekend of September 19. All matches are presently intended to be played without fans despite the desire of clubs to welcome spectators back into stadiums. A range of coronavirus restrictions in Italy will soon expire although the health ministry intends to renew them. 14:40 GMT Cautious but reasonable optimism over Berlusconis health Italys former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi is in a stable condition two days after being hospitalised with the coronavirus, his doctor said. This instils cautious but reasonable optimism, Alberto Zangrillo said in a brief statement. Berlusconi, 83, tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday and was taken to Milans San Raffaele Hospital the following day after developing a slight fever. A subsequent x-ray revealed that he had developed mild pneumonia in both lungs. 13:40 GMT Russia reports 5,205 new coronavirus cases Russia reported 5,205 new coronavirus cases, pushing its national tally to 1,020,310, the fourth largest in the world. Authorities said 110 people had died in the last 24 hours, bringing the official death toll to 17,759. 11:30 GMT Australias Victoria state reports 81 new coronavirus cases Australias coronavirus hotspot Victoria state said its death toll from the virus rose by 59 and there were 81 new cases. The death tally includes 50 people in aged-care facilities who died in July and August, the state health department said in a tweet. Victoria, Australias second-most populous state, reported 15 deaths and 113 cases a day earlier. The state capital, Melbourne, is nearing the end of a six-week lockdown put in place to slow the spread of the virus but authorities said restrictions may continue beyond the planned end date after daily cases rose on Thursday. Melbourne is nearing the end of a six-week lockdown put in place to slow the spread of the virus [AP] 10:50 GMT Pope to travel outside Rome for first time since pandemic started Pope Francis will next month visit the Italian town of Assisi, his first trip out of Rome since the coronavirus pandemic hit the country in February, and will sign a new encyclical, a spokesman for the Assisi Basilica said. The encyclical, which is the highest form of papal writing, is expected to focus on what Francis believes the post-pandemic world should look like, and will be called Brothers All . Father Enzo Fortunato said in a statement that the pope would travel to Assisi on October 3, the day before the Feast of St Francis, who was born in the small Umbrian hill town in the centre of Italy. The visit will take place in private, without the participation of the faithful, Fortunato said. 10:10 GMT Sanofi France chief: Future vaccine seen below 10 euros Sanofis chief in France, Olivier Bogillot, said on Saturday that its future COVID-19 vaccine was likely to be priced below 10 euros per shot. The price is not totally set We are assessing production costs for the coming months We will be below 10 euros, Bogillot told France Inter radio. Asked about rival AstraZeneca, which is expected to price its shot at about 2.50 euros in Europe, Bogillot said: The price gap for us can be that we use all our internal resources, our own researchers, our own research centres. AstraZeneca outsources part of its production. 09:20 GMT Iran begins new school year amid virus concerns Iran has opened the new school year after nearly seven months of closure. In a video conference, President Hassan Rouhani said the education of 15 million students is as important as the health system. Education will not be closed in our country even under the worst situation, he said, urging authorities to implement health measures in schools to the level of those in military garrisons. The reopening of schools came as many, including medical professionals, expressed concern over a possible increase in infections. Irans death toll from COVID-19 has so far passed 22,000 from 382,772 confirmed cases. The country has had the first and worst outbreak in the Middle East. 08:25 GMT Russia reports 5,205 new coronavirus cases Russia reported 5,205 new coronavirus cases, pushing its national tally to 1,020,310, the fourth largest in the world. Authorities said 110 people had died in the last 24 hours, bringing the official death toll to 17,759. Russias tally of coronavirus infections stands at 1,085,281, the worlds fourth-highest [File: Anadolu] 07:55 GMT Ukraine sees record new cases for second day in a row Ukraine registered a record 2,836 cases of the new coronavirus in the past 24 hours, the national security council said on Saturday, up from a previous record of 2,723 new cases. Ukraine has imposed a temporary ban on most foreigners entering the country until September 28, and extended lockdown measures until the end of October to contain a recent spike in cases. The council said a total of 133,787 cases were registered in Ukraine as of September 5, with 2,811 deaths and 61,649 people recovering. 07:30 GMT Melbourne police make arrests at anti-lockdown rallies Police in Australias hardest-hit Victoria state made several arrests among a crowd of about 300 people protesting against the lockdown in Melbourne, as the countrys death toll rose to 748. The Melbourne restrictions, including a night curfew, were put in place in an attempt to reduce a huge spike in infections and deaths. Police earlier urged people to adhere to restrictions on community movement. But four men were arrested and charged with incitement over the so-called Freedom Day protests planned for several Melbourne locations. Police, many of them on horseback, later made a number of arrests among protesters, some of them for not wearing masks. Victoria reported 11 more deaths and 76 new infections. 06:50 GMT India crosses four million virus cases with record surge Indias total coronavirus cases surged beyond four million with a record rise, making it the third country in the world to surpass that mark, following the United States and Brazil. India added 86,432 cases of the virus, a global daily record, according to data from the federal health ministry. Infections rose across the country, including in the capital New Delhi and the large states of Maharashtra and Karnataka. The number of deaths in India from the COVID-19 rose by more than 1,000 to 69,561 on Saturday. Read more here. The number of deaths in India from the COVID-19 rose by more than 1,000 to 69,561 [AP] 06:30 GMT Brazils Tecpar to test Russian COVID-19 vaccine in early 2021 The technology institute for the Brazilian state of Parana, which has signed an agreement to produce Russias Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, said it plans to conduct phase-three trials on 10,000 volunteers in Brazil at the start of next year. Jorge Callado, head of Paranas Technology Institute, known as Tecpar, said approval for the trial will be requested of Brazils health regulator ANVISA by the end of this month. Doses will be imported for the tests and Tecpar plans to produce the vaccine for Brazils market in the second half of 2021, he said. 05:55 GMT Germanys confirmed virus cases rise by 1,378: RKI The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 1,378, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed. The total cases in the country now stand at 248,997, according to RKI data. Hello, this is Umut Uras in Doha taking over from my colleague Zaheena Rasheed. 05:32 GMT India becomes third country to pass four million cases Indias coronavirus cases crossed four million on Saturday, leading the world in new infections and closing in on Brazils total as the second highest in the world. The 86,432 cases added in the past 24 hours pushed Indias total to 4,023,179. The health ministry also reported 1,089 deaths for a total of 69,561. Brazil has confirmed 4,091,801 infections while the US has 6,200,186 people infected, according to Johns Hopkins University. 04:34 GMT Victoria police brace for anti-lockdown rallies Police in Australias hardest-hit Victoria stare are urging people to stay away from rallies protesting against the lockdown in Melbourne, as the countrys death toll rose to 748. The Melbourne restrictions, including a night curfew, were put in place in an attempt to reduce a huge spike in infections and deaths. Four men have been arrested and charged with incitement over the so-called Freedom Day protests planned for several Melbourne locations. Police have also warned about 80 people against attending the rallies as they enforce Victorias lockdown rules. 04:27 GMT S Korea posts fewest cases in three weeks South Korea recorded 168 new coronavirus cases as of midnight on Friday, posting the lowest daily tally in three weeks after imposing stricter social distancing rules to contain a second wave of infections. The total number of cases rose to 21,010, with 333 deaths, according to the data published by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. South Koreas daily tallies have been hovering below 200 over the past three days after peaking at 441 late last week, a sign that tougher social distancing curbs implemented last Sunday have begun taking effect. The numbers are indeed on a downward trend but its too early for us to be at ease, Health Minister Park Neung-hoo told a meeting on Saturday. 04:19 GMT Mexico states run out of death certificates The coronavirus pandemic has hit Mexico so hard that the governments of several states have run out of death certificates. Officials said on Friday the federal forms started running out about 15 to 20 days ago in at least three states Baja California, the State of Mexico and Mexico City. Authorities say a million new forms have been printed and are being distributed. The certificates are printed with special characteristics because falsification has been a problem in the past. 03:28 GMT Indigenous Brazilians launch tracing app Indigenous and environmental organisations in Brazil launched an app aimed at alerting Indigenous communities to the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in their lands. The application maps and periodically updates the situation regarding the pandemic in cities within a 100 kilometre radius of indigenous lands, said the Coordination of the Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon (COIAB) and the Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM) in a joint statement. The app, called Covid-19 Indigenous Alert aims to help indigenous people identify areas with high infection rates. 02:12 GMT UNGA president says inclusion is key for vaccine Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, president of the United Nations General Assembly, warned that a vaccine for COVID-19 must be made available to everyone who needs it because if just one country is left out the world will still face a crisis from the coronavirus. As the world looks to a vaccine and a post-COVID-19 world, the Nigerian diplomat also warned that inclusion is key, because without inclusion the suffering of those who are already left behind, will continue and we cannot guarantee peace in that kind of a context. 01:47 GMT Egypt arrests journalist sick with COVID-19 Security forces in Egypt have arrested a journalist who had been in quarantine after testing positive for the coronavirus, an international press watchdog said, citing his wife. Security forces raided El-Sayed Shehtas home in northern Egypt earlier in the week, confiscating his laptop, cellphone, money and IDs, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said, adding that it remains unclear whether he faces any charges. Shehta is the deputy managing editor of the Al-Youm Al-Sabae newspaper. Officers took Shehta to a police station in the Nile Delta city of Zagazig, where he collapsed and lost consciousness, CPJ reported. He remains shackled to a hospital bed in the city. 01:31 GMT Former Cook Islands leader dies of COVID-19 Joseph Williams, a former prime minister of the Cook Islands, has died of COVID-19 in Auckland, New Zealands health ministry said. Williams, who was in his 80s, was a well-known doctor as well as a politician and author, living in New Zealand. He was briefly prime minister of the Cook Islands in 1999 after having served as the South Pacific nations minister of health and education. Dr Williams was seen as a leading figure in the Cook Islands medical community and he will be sadly missed, New Zealands director-general of health, Ashley Bloomfield, said in a statement. Much respected doctor and former Cook Islands PM, Joseph Williams, has passed away. A fitting tribute here from his medical colleagues, who say his generosity and kindness has touched many. @NewshubNZ #COVID19nz https://t.co/Zt4WKzvrSv Michael Morrah (@MichaelMorrah) September 4, 2020 00:46 GMT Global model predicts 1.9 million more deaths by end of 2020 A widely cited model from the University of Washington predicts worsening outbreaks as winter returns to the Northern Hemisphere, with daily deaths expected to reach as high as 30,000 deaths during December. The global COVID-19 death toll could total 2.8 million by January 1, about 1.9 million more from now until the end of the year. Mask mandates and social distancing could save hundreds of thousands of lives, but there is a tremendous amount of COVID fatigue among the worlds government leaders because of economic downturns, said Dr Christopher Murray of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington. He added: We are facing the prospect of a deadly December, especially in Europe, Central Asia and the United States. But the science is clear and the evidence irrefutable: mask-wearing, social distancing, and limits to social gatherings are vital to helping prevent transmission of the virus. The IHME model projects the wave will peak in the United States in early December at about 2,900 deaths per day. India, the United States, Brazil, Mexico and Japan will lead the world in total deaths by January 1, according to the forecast. 00:17 GMT Mozambique to lift state of emergency Mozambique will next week lift the state of emergency imposed in April to try to limit the spread of coronavirus, President Filipe Nyusi announced in a television address. Nyusi said the state of emergency would end on Sunday night and the country will reopen its borders the following day. Beaches will also reopen while religious services of up to 250 people will be permitted. We are proud of the measures we have taken that have allowed the spread of the disease to be contained, said President Nyusi. Confirmed coronavirus cases in Mozambique stood at 4,265 including 26 deaths, much lower than neighbouring South Africa, which has topped 635,000 infections. Hello and welcome to Al Jazeeras continuing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. Im Zaheena Rasheed in Male, Maldives. For key developments from yesterday, September 4, go here. Protesters march through the streets of Mount Vernon, Ohio. A group of college students organized the event to stand in solidarity with other protests across the nation spurred by the death of Floyd George in Minneapolis and of other African Americans. Read more WASHINGTON - After 100 days of dissent in Washington, the boundaries between cities, states and even countries have dissolved as protesters from Hong Kong to Portland, Ore., to the District of Columbia, swap tactics, share strategies and ping from one demonstration to the next. The protests after the police killing of George Floyd have developed a language and shared culture as daily demonstrations become a fact of life in cities across the country. Enraged by the backdrop of police violence and racial inequality that plays out in graphic videos depicting police brutality against Black citizens, protesters have developed new means of resistance experts say may change protests in America forever. Marches have grown more confrontational - cornering politicians in their homes and heckling strangers as they go about their lives. Protesters have embraced mobility and taken to participating in demonstrations far from their hometowns. Some fly, some drive - some have walked for days. Online tutorials about crafting homemade shields to protect against rubber bullets and stinging pepper ball pellets using plywood, foam pool noodles, trash can lids and other household wares have spread like wildfire. What were once considered obvious markers of troublemakers looking to break things have become muddled as demonstrators scramble to protect themselves from rubber bullets and chemical irritants police use to disperse crowds. Influenced at first by the longevity and intensity of pro-democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong, then by the evolving tactics of protesters in American streets, experts say the mainstreaming of ideas and tactics once considered radical reflects a political sea change spurred by a youth-led uprising. "This is bringing people into a different way of being," said Mark Bray, a Rutgers University historian and former organizer of the Occupy Wall Street movement. "Things are happening now at a profound level." While the nation's capital braces for protests in the days and weeks ahead, months of unrelenting demonstrations, mass arrests and standoffs with police have changed D.C. protesters in ways big and small: Their tools, their tactics and their tolerance for behavior once decried as antithetical to peaceful protest have shifted. On recent nights, as smoke and explosions ripped through the night air and police advanced on a line of demonstrators while shouting, "Move back," it became clear that the flash bangs just don't work like they used to. Longtime demonstrators in Washington have stopped sprinting for cover. They kick sparking canisters back toward police, walk steadily away from the rapid pop of rubber bullets and strap on respirators and gas masks when the threat of tear gas hangs in the air. The protests have also given first-time demonstrators an up-close look at munitions, controversial crowd control tactics like "kettling" - when police surround a group of demonstrators and arrest them en masse - and the use of chemicals that make people cough, gag, cry and burn. But images captured at these events also serve a tactical purpose: With every video of a protester disarming a tear-gas canister or volleying a smoking stun grenade back at law enforcement, demonstrators are learning skills that may have otherwise taken months to acquire on their own. Like the civil rights movement of the 1960s opened Americans' eyes to racism and the Occupy Wall Street movement turned socioeconomic inequality into a national conversation, experts say the Black Lives Matter protests will likely shape the worldview and politics of a generation - and forever influence the way Americans protest. It also moves the needle of what is considered a peaceful protest, said Gabriella Coleman, an anthropologist at McGill University who specializes in online activism and social movements. Coleman said as more videos of violent standoffs are shared on social media, "they become so common or seen as so unremarkable" that people get used to it. "It allows this transmission and normalization that is almost unconscious," she said. In the same way videos of violent police encounters with unarmed Black men and women have driven many Americans to recalibrate their views on policing and criminal justice changes, so, too, have videos of protesters being pushed, shot at and tear-gassed, Coleman said. Since protests began in late May, public officials have sought to draw clear distinctions among groups of people: The good protesters and bad protesters; the looters, the vandals and the peaceful demonstrators - but it has never been that simple. "Protesters who were relatively new to protest and who, by now, have been shot with rubber bullets and pepper spray have now learned what kind of helmets to wear and what to do with a tear-gas canister that lands at your feet," Bray said. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, D, has pointed to agitators who she has long said come from outside the city bent on destruction. President Donald Trump has intensifiedhis efforts to demonize the far-left antifa movement for escalating demonstrations, property damage and violence in Democrat-run cities. Last weekend - after a peaceful gathering of thousands at the 2020 March on Washington - a chaotic standoff ensued between protesters and D.C. police, who fired rubber bullets and noxious chemicals into a crowd. More than two dozen people were arrested. Police said officers were injured by bricks, fireworks and lasers pointed into their eyes. Bowser blamed "outside agitators" for setting fires and shooting off fireworks in overnight clashes. These visitors had come "armed for battle," Bowser said, "looking for police to confront." Of 29 people arrested, most were from the Washington area, including the Maryland and Virginia suburbs, according to arrest details released by police. After the daytime march ended, some visitors from other states attended smaller rallies to disrupt Washingtonians' daily lives and confront residents on issues of race and criminal justice. Hundreds of protesters roved though city streets, blocking bridges, highways and swaths of downtown traffic. By the end of the day, after marches had spent hours crisscrossing the city, a D.C. organizer called out to the unfamiliar faces in the crowd: "Do y'all need any help getting back to your hotels or Airbnbs? Just ask us." Despite the coronavirus pandemic, protest-hopping in different cities has become an increasingly common practice among the most committed activists. They travel to the sites of recent police killings - like the D.C. police shooting of 18-year-old Deon Kay in southeast Washington and asphyxiation of Daniel Prude, who died after officers put a black hood over his head and pinned him face down in the street - where inflamed tensions spark nightly clashes. Some join in demonstrations, while others offer food and supplies, help get protesters out of jail or offer aid to local organizers. Several protesters said these experiences can be transformative - a way to learn new strategies and new ways to organize. D.C. activists have participated in protests in Richmond and New York, among other cities. Members of the fledgling Freedom Fighters D.C. organization are planning trips to Denver, Portland and Kenosha, Wis., organizer Arianna Evans said. As demonstrators broaden the definition of what it means and looks like to protest, Bray said, the public's idea of what constitutes acceptable resistance has also changed. When leaf blowers cropped up in Portland, Ore., allowing demonstrators to clear the air of the tear gas federal forces were using to blanket downtown streets, the "leaf-blower dads" were thanked and celebrated by protesters and onlookers. Now, leaf blowers are becoming a feature of protests around the country. "Prior to this decade, I'd say that for most Americans, acceptable protest was holding a sign or voting. The center of gravity has been shifted by pushing protest tactics in a more militant direction," Bray said. "It really complicates our picture of what is or is not violent protest." Laser pointers, which have been used to foil surveillance cameras and drones from Hong Kong to American cities - and to injure officers, police say - are less universally embraced, Coleman said. Last month in D.C., several protesters pointed lasers at the line of police staring them down. Even chants seem to travel from city to city. In D.C., protesters from different states recently greeted each other with a call and response that protesters around the country repeat in marches through their own communities. "Who keeps us safe?" they ask. "We keep us safe," comes the reply. Jeremy Vajko, 27, a software engineer from Seattle, was one of many protesters who came to D.C. last month from out of state. Vajko emerged from the D.C. jail Monday to chants and cheers from local activists who celebrated his release. Though Vajko was in an unfamiliar city surrounded by new people, the solidarity and generosity felt familiar. Vajko, who identifies with the gender-neutral "they" pronoun, said they have felt similar sentiments in every city while driving a van to protests in recent months. Vajko was arrested during D.C. protests in late August while their white van - known among protesters as the Snack Van - was bashed by police. The van is hard to miss. It's covered in "Black Lives Matter" graffiti and has traveled from state to state to offer food, water and emotional support to activists calling for racial justice. Vajko and the Snack Van became a fixture earlier this year at Portland protests, where they joined an elaborate aid effort that handed out food and water. After leaving a job in the tech sector this year, Vajko cashed out their retirement savings and spent $50,000 to maintain the van, which has been attacked by white nationalist armed groups and targeted by police, Vajko said. More than once, the windows have been shattered and the van shot at with less-lethal rounds. The inside was bear-maced once, Vajko said, ruining heaps of food and contaminating supplies. "I don't show up to create violence. I show up to help people," Vajko said. "Obviously, the solution to all this is not for me to just show up with food everywhere, but it feels like it's something I can do to help right now." Vajko was arrested twice in Portland. A D.C. police officer last month was filmed shattering the driver's side window of the van and pulling Vajko out onto the sidewalk. Vajko was arrested Saturday and held through Monday, when they were told the U.S. attorney's office would not be pursuing criminal charges. The next day, Vajko piled back into the van and charted a course for Kenosha. Driving from place to place, protest to protest, has given Vajko a front-row seat to the proliferation of protest tactics that were once a hallmark of West Coast radicals. "That fight is now showing up across America, and they're seeing how Portland has dealt with it," Vajko said. "People are traveling to other cities to learn how to protest and then coming back." Evans, the Freedom Fighters D.C. organizer, can't wait to go to Portland. A Howard University student who has been protesting since Floyd's death, Evans used to consider herself a "peace activist." Known for her vivid red braids that cascade down her back as she commanded a megaphone, she routinely implored fellow demonstrators to "stop throwing [stuff]" like water bottles at police. In the first week of D.C. protests, as she was tear-gassed and pushed out of Lafayette Square by federal agents, Evans denounced violence and agitation, saying "the more that we are violent, the worse this will get for every one of us who is out here." Now, she talks about trash can fires set in the city and shrugs. Police are still shooting at unarmed protesters, she said. Onlookers and peaceful demonstrators are tear-gassed as badly as those who light a spark. I was out here fighting for peace, asking people not to be aggressive, saying, Dont do anything, and then I got shot at by rubber bullets. Then I got tear-gassed and pepper-sprayed, and it showed me that crime is a social construct because [the police] can openly violate our rights and thats not illegal, so now I feel like its well within our rights to fight back as hard as we can, she said. People might say Ive been radicalized, but you know what? I have absolutely been radicalized - and its the governments fault. The 46th American Film Festival opened on Friday in the northern French resort town of Deauville. There were no Hollywood stars because of the coronavirus epidemic. But a host of home-grown talent, led by jury president Vanessa Paradis, along with a galaxy of political figures did show up, smiling behind their obligatory masks. Nine films which should have been shown at the Covid-cancelled Cannes festival in May will now get their first French screenings at Deauville. But you'll need to be quick to get seats. All festival venues have been forced to reduce their capacity by 30 percent because of emergency health regulations. Festival director, Bruno Barde, is inclined to look on the bright side. "There are masks, there is social distancing, there's disinfectant gel. But the crucial thing is that this festival is actually happening. "People are going to laugh, people are going to weep. The festival is a gesture of hope, of life." Culture minister Roselyne Bachelot and Cannes boss Thierry Fremaux echoed those positive sentiments. No masks please, we're famous The red carpet arrival of the glittering classes was watched by several hundred masked spectators, notably fewer than in previous years according to journalists. The stars were allowed to make their entrances without masks. Health measures were described as less drastic than for the Mostra in Venice, which opened on Wednesday with a high wall screening the red carpet from public view. Fifteen full-length American films are in competition for the Deauville festival prize. Eight of them were directed by women. Only two of the competing movies, "Last Words" directed by Jonathan Nossiter, and "Kajillionaire" by 2005 Cannes Camera d'Or winner Miranda July, have so far been slotted for commercial release because of the Covid epidemic. More than 70 films will be shown over the festival's ten days. Normal attendances run to about 60,000. By late last week, there were no seats remaining for screenings tonight, next Friday and Saturday, or for Wednesday. With Trump rising and now ahead in many betting markets after a stellar convention and more Democrat-induced lawlessness, and Nancy Pelosi's illicit trip to the hair salon and blaming the fallout on the owner, telling voters everything they need to know about the Left's elitism, hypocrisy, failure to take responsibility, and contempt for the public they were elected to serve, the Media once again rush in to try to save the day for the Democrats. The Atlantic's hit piece on Trump is a new low for a once great magazine. It demonstrates how far the media will go to try to defeat him. His actions as president (record funding, keeping us out of dumb wars, etc.) demonstrate how much he supports the military. Sadly, I expect we will see more of these bogus trash stories practically every day until the election. In addition to the fact that Trump has been a good president, the unfair media onslaught against him is one of the reasons that I, formerly a NeverTrump, am firmly in his camp and will do everything I can through donations, consulting, media appearances, and writing to aid his re-election efforts. Josh Kantrow is a Chicago cyber-security attorney. Tuolumne County Public Health View Photo Sonora, CA Tuolumne County Public Health officials report one new case today, and one new recovery for a total of nine active cases. The new case is in isolation, there is still one case in the hospital. Public health reports they do not ask for financial, health insurance, or social security information when doing contact or COVID-19 exposure calls, more details are here. Tuolumne County is in Tier 3, the Orange and Moderate Risk category of the four-tiered, color-coded system for reopening businesses with Yellow being the 4th and least restrictive. For a current status map of every county in California click here. The tier status will be reviewed updated weekly. Known Tuolumne tests: 10,208, positive 188 (97 females and 91 males), hospitalized 1, active cases 9, total recovered 177. Numbers continue to trend down in counties surrounding the Mother Lode but not enough to change their tier status. Calaveras is expected to release its bi-weekly Friday evening. Daily COVID-19 Cases County Active Date New Today Hospital/ ICU Alpine 0 9/3 0 0 Amador 10 9/4 0 2 Calaveras 41 9/1 21 2 Mariposa 2 9/4 1 1 Madera 391 9/4 64 15 Merced 849 9/4 75 84 Mono 1 9/4 0 0 San Joaquin 1,140 9/4 99 93/30 Stanislaus 765 9/3 119 124/35 Tuolumne 9 9/4 1 1 Totals (Cumulative) COVID-19 Cases County Recovered (increase) Total Positives Deaths Alpine 2 (+0) 2 0 Amador 212(+2) 237 15 Calaveras 214(+5) 257 2 Mariposa 69 (0) 74 2 Madera 3,504(+55) 3,953 58 Merced 7,308(+94) 8,277 120 Mono 159(+0) 162 2 San Joaquin 16,492 (+99) 18,099 368 Stanislaus 13,854 (+129) 15,021 273 Tuolumne 177(+1) 187 2 In alignment with the new State Health Officer Order, Dr. Liza Ortiz, Interim Tuolumne County Health Officer has issued an updated Local Health Officer Order here. This site provides more detailed information on the criteria used to determine the tier into which a county is placed and how counties can move from one tier to another. If you are having COVID-like symptoms, self-isolate and contact your healthcare provider or the Adventist Health Triage Line at 209-536-5166 Mon-Fri, or 209-536-5000 after hours. If you need immediate medical attention, please call ahead and go to Rapid Care or the Emergency Department. You can also visit www.valleycovidhelp.com for more information. The no-cost state testing site is open at the Calaveras County Fairgrounds Tuesday Saturday 7am to 7pm. Appointments can be scheduled ahead of time at: https://lhi.care/covidtesting Appointments are recommended. The site offers to test children ages 3 and older (accompanied by a parent or guardian). Tuolumne County Public Health encourages anyone concerned about possible exposure to go get tested stating; Local COVID-19 testing sites have been processing and reporting their results more expediently lately. It is important that people continue to follow prevention guidelines to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, including: Practice physical distancing at all times. Keep 6 feet space between yourself and others who are not part of your household. Stay in your household bubble! Wear a face covering in public. Wash your hands thoroughly and frequently. Avoid gatherings of any size with people who are not part of your household. Stay home if you are sick. Avoid unnecessary travel, and limit your outings to essential tasks. Thank you for your support and efforts to protect the safety and health of our community In an effort to increase COVID-19 tests to 40,000 per day as directed by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, camps will be held outside central government offices in Lutyens' from next week, officials said on Friday. Kejriwal's announcement on increasing COVID-19 tests came against a backdrop of rising number of cases in the national capital. Sources said a camp would also be set up outside Parliament, where MPs from all over the country will gather for the Monsoon Session, which is set to begin from September 14. "COVID-19 tests are being undertaken currently at government facilities, including 207 dispensaries and 38 hospitals. As the government has decided to raise testing to 40,000 per day, camps will be set up outside central government offices," a government officer said. Testing has been ramped up at transit points where people from other states arrive, court complexes, weekly markets, and other crowded places, he said. At a Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) meeting on Wednesday, Lt Governor Anil Baijal directed that testing facilities should be set up at transit points like inter state bus terminals (ISBTs) and construction sites. As per the daily health bulletin of the Delhi government, the number of tests, including Rapid Antigen and RT-PCR, rose from 24,198 on September 1 to 28,935 on September 2, 32,834 on September 3 and 36,319 on September 4. (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.) Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano on Friday presented 130 brand new Ikenga SUV vehicles made by Nigerian vehicle manufacturer, Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM), to 130 traditional rulers in the state. Governor Obiano who distributed the vehicle at Dr. Alex Ekwueme Square, Awka, the state capital, said it was to appreciate their efforts in entrenching development including security of lives and property at the grassroots. He also commended them for overseeing the successful execution of the N20 million community infrastructure (choose-your-project) at their respective communities, assuring that his administration would continue to provide for the traditional institution. Also speaking, the Commissioner for Local Government, Community and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Greg Obi, said the traditional rulers were the bedrock and foundation for government achievement in all areas of the economy. Responding on behalf of the monarchs, the Chairman, Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council and Obi of Onitsha, HRH Alfred Achebe tasked colleagues on unity and loyalty to constituted authority, while pledging unalloyed support of the traditional rulers to the government. The car presentation is also coming weeks after Governor Obiano suspended the 12 monarchs for one year after they travelled to Abuja with the oil magnate, Prince Arthur Eze, to report him to President Muhammad Buhari. NEW DELHI: Following a recent security assessment, it has been found that Turkey has been funding and supporting anti-India terror activities and Islamic organisations in India. Indian security agencies have gathered inputs suggesting that Turkey-based handlers, with apparent support from the Ankara government, had facilitated a group of Indian terrorists in travelling to Syria and fight for the global terror network of ISIS there. The recent arrests of ISIS terrorists in India reestablished this fact, as they confessed to reaching Syria via Turkey and returning via the same route. Their admission into ISIS was facilitated by handlers based out of Turkey. The Indian Security agencies are increasingly getting concerned as they anticipate the use of Pakistan-based terror groups by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to trouble India and boost his popularity among South Asian Muslims. "Turkey's attempts to fund Islamic organisations based in India, collaboration with political and non-profit groups, and subversion of Indian students are a couple of things that are adding to India's worries," said an Indian security official working with the central security establishment. President Erdogans son Bilal is the commander of subversive and radical Islamist missions. Over the past few years, he has been leading covert operations to brainwash populations and sabotage opponents in Turkey as well as across the world, including India. Security experts believe India needs to focus on the accelerated activities of Turkey inside India at a par with its focus on hostilities emerging from it at the global fora. Erdogan's affinity with terrorist outfits and moves of promoting radical Islamist agenda has started to concern India as well. Erdogan is on a rapid spree of converting historical Byzantine monuments into mosques. Indeed, he wants to achieve a lot in very little time. After converting the famed Hagia Sophia, a UNSECO world heritage site, to a mosque in July, Erdogan converted Istanbul's other monument, Kariye (Chora) Church, also a UNESCO world heritage site, into a mosque. The monument has been a museum for decades and attracted tourists from all over the world. It was converted into a mosque and opened for prayers through a presidential order on August 21. Apart from fulfilling his agenda of political Islam, another major reason behind such decision is Erdogans own radicalisation as he actively participated in radical Islamic movements of converting these structures into mosques during his young days. During his 18 years of rule, Erdogan has established authoritarian control over the entire governance structure of Turkey, including armed forces, administrative offices and judiciary. He exploited the judiciary to trigger these decisions and legitimise them as Turkeys highest administrative court. The council of states held that the decision of turning both the mosques (erstwhile churches ) into museums was illegal, giving grounds for Erdogans actions. However, these two are not exclusive cases of conversion as the Turkish government had earlier converted a number of other museums into mosques, including Hagia Sophia of Iznik and Trabzon, and besides several others. These steps are also seen as an effort to leverage Muslim support from across the world. Erdogan and his government's statement often focuses on addressing the global Muslim population. In a similar attempt to speak to the Muslim community, Turkey's Foreign Minister attacked Greece for condemning the act of converting the Karyie museum into a mosque. Spokesperson of the Ministry stated that Karyie mosque, Hagia Sophia mosque and other cultural assets belonged to Turkey and they are Turkish properties and Greece has no rights to 'lecture' Turkey. In another paradigm, besides leveraging Turkish intelligence agencies and IHH (humanitarian aid group), Erdogan has also been exploiting the Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) to achieve his global ambitions. He restructured Diyanet and appointed his party members and loyalists, tasking them with building an army of radical Islamic preachers who could promote radicalism within Turkey and political Islam elsewhere in the world. He is rapidly pumping in money to Diyanet for fulfilling the objectives. According to recent reports of the Turkish media, Diyanet spent 29 million Turkish Liras to fund 1,523 conservative Islamic groups and to construct mosques. It also granted an amount of 35 million Turkish Liras to radical Islamic non-profit orgnisations most of them aligned to Erdogans party. The expenditure on promoting religious extremism is always rising as the current allocation was 15% more than the previous year. The Turkish President has been efficiently using terrorist groups operating across the world to his advantage. In fact, Turkey under Erdogans regime has proved to be an incubator for terrorist outfits. At a time when it is rapidly increasing its trade and investments in Israel, it is also collaborating with top leaders of terrorist outfit Hamas at the same time. On August 22, Erdogan warmly received a group of Palestinian-based terror outfit Hamas in Istanbul for a closed-door meeting, including its second-in-command leader Saleh al-Arouri. The Turkish side consists of Turkish intelligence chief Hakan Fidan, a senior office-bearer of the President's office, besides several top government officials. The meeting was organised in a format similar to delegation-level bilateral meetings. As per some observers, it reflects that Erdogan has stopped making distinctions between state and non-state actors and could rally with any entity that could potentially boost his caliphate agenda. He has always been praising and protecting Hamas through his speeches and actions. His meeting with an outfit proscribed by the European Union and the United States might further disgruntled Turkey's NATO allies. Democracies across the world need to come together to counter geopolitical threats emerging from Turkey. Liberal forces and civil liberties groups across the world should tag along to combine their efforts of countering the radical agenda of Erdogan. Most importantly, the Muslim world needs to come together and counteract against his caliphate plans as the plan is inflicting the most severe injury to the Muslim Ummah. SAGINAW, MI -- President Donald J. Trump is to expected to deliver remarks from the Saginaw Bay area next week. His remarks are to come at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10. It wasnt yet clear where. At this critical juncture, there is no better person to continue to lead our state and our nation forward as we enter the recovery phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, said Michigan Republican Party Chairman Laura Cox about the presidents upcoming visit. I am incredibly excited to welcome President Donald Trump back to the Great Lakes State for what is sure to be an incredible event. Trumps Democratic challenger for the presidency, former Vice President Joe Biden, is set to visit Michigan on Wednesday, Sept. 9. Details of his visit have not yet been disclosed. The president last visited Michigan in June, briefly stopping in the Upper Peninsula en route to Wisconsin. President Donald Trump touches down in Michigans Upper Peninsula ahead of Wisconsin visit He toured an Ypsilanti Township factory in May. Trump says U.S. economy is poised for epic comeback during Michigan visit Vice President Mike Pence rallied supporters at an event in Traverse City last week. Michigan is considered a hotly contested state after Trump won it narrowly by just under 11,000 votes in 2016. A polling average from Real Clear Politics gives Biden a 2.6% lead in the state, but Democrats have been careful not to take the state for granted. Read more: Joe Biden to visit Michigan next week Pro-Trump boat parade floats down Saginaw River Dont trust the polls, Democrats warn Biden campaign about lead in Michigan Michigan women lead online Biden rally featuring shark week jokes and urgent call to beat Trump Mike Pence says Trump will lead recovery after COVID recession at Michigan campaign rally In must-win Michigan, Trump campaign takes fight door to door as polls show Biden with strong lead Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 5) The Japanese coast guard temporarily suspended search and rescue operations for other survivors of a capsized cargo ship off Japan's waters due to an incoming typhoon, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Saturday. The weather disturbance is seen to hit the search area on Saturday evening, the DFA announced in an earlier statement. The Japanese coast guard has so far rescued two Filipinos in the East China Sea where the Panamanian-registered Gulf Livestock 1 carrying 42 crew members and more than 5,800 cows went missing last week during the onslaught of Typhoon Maysak. Beth Estrada, a labor official at the Philippine Consulate in Osaka, earlier reported that 39 of the crew members were Filipinos. Other nationalities include two New Zealanders, one Australian and one Singaporean. The first survivor, identified as Gulf Livestock 1 chief officer Eduardo Sareno, was rescued Wednesday. Another Filipino sailor, identified by Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III Jay-Nel Rosales, was found floating in a raft Friday, hours after finding one unidentified Filipino crew member who was later declared dead. Citing the Philippine Labor Office in Osaka, Bello said in a statement that the second survivor is "stable and able to walk on his own." The two Filipino survivors have been in contact with their respective families, the DFA said in a statement. The Philippine Embassy in Tokyo, the Philippine Consulate General in Osaka and the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) continue to monitor and coordinate the situation with the Japanese Coast Guard, shipowner and the manning agency to extend all appropriate support for the Filipino seafarers and their families, it added. The cargo ship left New Zealand on August 14, CNN reported, citing the New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The DFA previously confirmed that the vessel made a distress signal early Wednesday from Amami Oshima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture before it had gone missing. Mumbai, Sep 5 : A day before he died, actor Sushant Singh Rajput had transferred funds to Raees, the caretaker of his Lonavala farmhouse, for regular expenses of Amar, Akbar and Anthony, the three pet Rottweilers he kept at the place. "On June 14 afternoon, I saw the news that Sushant sir has committed suicide on TV news channels and at first I could not believe what I was seeing. Just a day before, he had transferred money to my account to take care of his pet dogs, Amar, Akbar and Anthony," Raees recalled, speaking to IANS. Raees added that the late actor "was planning to shift to the farmhouse and practice organic farming". "Sushant sir frequently visited the farmhouse. He was unwell after his Europe trip in October 2019, so he did not come to the farmhouse for almost two months. He had initially rented the farmhouse in 2018. After a year, when the time came for renewal of the contract, he wanted to buy it. He was planning to shift to the farmhouse permanently and the place was being prepared accordingly. Even though the agreement had expired in May 2020, Sushant sir had made advance payment for the months of June and July," recalled Raees. Quizzed when Sushant had last visited the farmhouse, the caretaker revealed that the late actor was planning to stay for two to three months at the place March onwards, but that eventually didn't happen. "Special occasions like Rhea's birthday and her father's birthday were celebrated in the farmhouse. His last two trips were in January and February this year. In January, Sushant sir came with Rhea to celebrate his birthday. They were accompanied by Samuel Miranda, Shruti Modi and some friends. Then, Sushant sir came here in the last week of February. At that time he was accompanied by Dipesh Sawant, Siddharth Pithani, Neeraj and a cook named Keshav. His March trip got cancelled," Raees recalled. "During the January trip, they went to an island in Pavana, where Shruti's leg got fractured. Initially, we took her to a hospital in Lonavala. The following day she was shifted to Mumbai," he further said. The caretaker revealed that Amar, Akbar and Anthony are still at the farmhouse, and are up for adoption. Latest updates on Sushant Singh Rajput Death Mystery To get away, Mala decided to join the U.S. Army and took his basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, and advanced training in the last of the Alpha series 91 Alpha (medical specialist) at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio. Mala was assigned to Fort Hood to an ambulance crew, evacuating the sick and wounded to Darnell Army Medical Center. He also was in the dispensary and worked with units in the field in the event there was an emergency. Mala spent about 18 months there before he was assigned to Frankfort, Germany. There, he worked in a dispensary for the 3rd Armored commanding general and his staff at the Drake Edwards Kaserne. I did not sit in my barracks, Mala said. I went everywhere I could go. And he did Spain, Italy, England, Holland and Yugoslavia, to name a few. He also went from a private to a sergeant. He got promoted faster through schoolwork that he took in his spare time. (He even attended City College in Chicago, where he became an emergency medical technician.) While he was there, he volunteered for the Red Cross, serving as a volunteer outpatient substance abuse counselor and CPR instructor. by Fady Noun The Pope could comfort the Lebanese with a visit. I believe that Christians should not be afraid. Our present and our future are in God's hands, said Card Parolin. The prelate briefly prayed in front of broken hangars in the Port of Beirut. AsiaNews continues its campaign Help devastated Beirut. Beirut (AsiaNews) For Vatican insiders, the silence that followed questions about a possible papal trip to Lebanon addressed yesterday to the Holy See's Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, suggests that such an eventuality is being seriously considered. Asked about this by journalists, when he arrived in Lebanon on Thursday, the Vaticans Number Two said that Francis "would certainly come," but that "the internal and external circumstances" would have to lend themselves to it. In other words, his visit to Lebanon should be a factor of unity, not disunity, should the regional situation allow it. Yesterday, the day after his arrival, at the end of a moving tour of Beiruts Karantina district, a poor neighbourhood located near the site of the terrible explosion, where he did a walkabout, Secretary of State Parolin promised to convey to the Pope the feelings the population has towards him. We hope that he can come and comfort you personally with a visit, the prelate said. In Bkerke, where he met the Eastern Catholic patriarchs, Card Parolin stated that the Vatican stressed the importance of Lebanons identity and role in its Arab environment, without neglecting the advantages of the principle of active neutrality defended by Maronite patriarch. The sovereign pontiffs right-hand man, who returned to the Vatican at the end of the afternoon, travelled to Lebanon to take part in yesterdays Day of fasting and prayer that Pope Francis had set aside to mark the first month after the disaster that devastated Beirut. A physically trying visit Touring the Karantina district was the culmination of a highly-charged day, which Beiruts heat made physically trying. The day, which started with a visit to the Baabda (Presidential) Palace, included two official visits, one to the President, the other to the Patriarchal See in Bkerke. Card Parolin prayed briefly in front of broken hangars in the Port of Beirut, laying a wreath against the railing along the sidewalk. He then visited two hospitals, the Rosaire and the Geitaoui, as well as the School of the Sacred Heart of the Brothers of the Christian Schools in Gemmayzeh. Finally, after lunch in Bkerke, during which he met the Eastern Catholic patriarchs, Parolin went to the Karantina district, with an extended stop at the Beirut fire station and the neighbourhood convents where he greeted the relatives of those who died or were seriously injured, before addressing the men and women religious and associations involved in health and food relief: Offer-Joy, Solidarity, Caritas and L'uvre d ' East. Speaking before the president, Card Parolin stressed the importance of preserving Lebanons identity, an issue he stressed again in Bkerke where, in response to a question about the campaign in favour of Lebanons active neutrality promoted by the Maronite patriarch, he said that this idea is under study, that It is important for Lebanon be "sheltered from external conflicts" and "that it is important for the Vatican that Lebanon preserve its identity and role in the Middle East and the world, a model of living together, pluralism and freedom. I believe that Christians should not be afraid. Our present and our future are in the hands of God, said Cardinal Parolin when asked at the Patriarchal See, about the fears of Lebanons Christians for their future. The phrase fear not is often found in the Holy Scriptures. I just repeated it during my short stay. I have taken the measure of your suffering. The destruction I have seen is unimaginable. But I also saw in person your will to rebuild and your desire to start again. I am sure that with God's help all the trials will be overcome. Lebanon is not alone. The whole Church is at its side. Donation of US$ 950,000 to hospitals Cardinal Parolin also greeted and praised the nuns and staff of the two hospitals he visited, describing them as "the true heroes of the disaster since they forgot about healing their own wounds in order to continue to serve their brothers and sisters. He also expressed his admiration for the doctors and nurses who carried patients up the stairs because lifts were out of order. The prelate also announced a donation of US$ 475,000 to two hospitals each, money raised by Luvre dOrient, a Paris-based association. Deeply touched by the show of human suffering during his visit to Karantina, the cardinal said that he saw "deeds that go beyond words, and prayers that cross all barriers, adding that "the God of all mercy is also the Lord of history". You have the ability to walk away and find your way, perhaps with compromises. But you can do it with the grace of God, he told the men and women religious before leaving. You have done this in the past (...) Times of crisis are also times of opportunity for faith, growth and solidarity. I will convey your feelings to the Pope. Lets hope that he can come and personally comfort you with a visit. In order to help the people of Beirut and Lebanon, as well as Caritas Lebanon, AsiaNews is launching a campaign to Help devastated Beirut. Those who want to contribute can make a donation to: PIME Foundation: - International Bank Account Number (IBAN): IT78C0306909606100000169898 - Bank Identifier Code (BIC): BCITITMM - Reason for transfer: AN04 HELP DEVASTATED BEIRUT Donald Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen has claimed that the president will do 'anything and everything' to win - even starting a war if necessary to keep him in the White House. Cohen, who is promoting his forthcoming book, spoke to NBC's Lester Holt for an interview due to air on Tuesday. He echoed mounting concern about the tactics the president could use to contest the November result. 'Donald Trump will do anything and everything within which to win,' said Cohen, who remains under house arrest in New York. Michael Cohen spoke to NBC's Lester Holt for an interview to be aired on Tuesday Cohen said that he is deeply troubled about what could possibly happen in November Michael Cohen tells @LesterHoltNBC that President Trump will do anything and everything to win another term. The White House calls his new book fiction. https://t.co/nyQh2nuVs1 Tune in to @NBCNightlyNews on Tuesday, September 8, for more of the interview. pic.twitter.com/pq7tjxfx3r NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt (@NBCNightlyNews) September 4, 2020 'I believe that includes manipulating the ballots, I believe that he would even go so far as to start a war in order to prevent himself from being removed from office. 'My biggest fear is that there will not be a peaceful transition of power in 2020.' Trump himself has stated several times that he might not accept the result. 'I have to see,' he told Fox News on July 19. 'No, I'm not going to just say yes. I'm not going to say no, and I didn't last time either.' Hillary Clinton has urged Trump's rival, Joe Biden, not to concede on election night if the vote is close. Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison for campaign-finance crimes tied to his work for Trump and will serve the rest of his term confined to his home. Hes due to be released in November 2021. His new book, Disloyal, is out on September 8. Cohen, who worked for Trump from 2006-18, was once one of Trump's most ardent supporters, even vowing he would 'take a bullet' for his boss. He has since turned against him, and become one of his most vehement critics. Michael Cohen worked for Donald Trump from 2006 until 2018 and was deeply loyal Cohen, second left, is pictured with Trump in 2011 - he was frequently by his boss's side In the peek at his memoir, Cohen revealed the 'mob boss' mentality of the president in his foreword, which he titled 'THE REAL REAL DONALD TRUMP.' 'Apart from his wife and children, I knew Trump better than anyone else did,' Cohen wrote, claiming he was the one who pushed him to run for president in 2011 and 2015. Cohen previewed the cover of his upcoming book 'Disloyal' on Twitter Thursday morning 'In some ways, I knew him better than even his family did because I bore witness to the real man, in strip clubs, shady business meetings, and in the unguarded moments when he revealed who he really was: a cheat, a liar, a fraud, a bully, a racist, a predator, a con man,' he revealed. But he also refers to Trump as someone he knew intimately well. He recalls driving south from New York to testify against the 'real real Donald Trump' in 2019. 'Not the billionaire celebrity savior of the country or lying lunatic, not the tabloid tycoon or self-anointed Chosen One, not the avatar @realdonaldtrump of Twitter fame, but the real real Donald Trumpthe man very, very, very few people know,' the book reads. In the first part of his book, which was published to DisloyalTheBook.com on Thursday afternoon, Cohen claimed that Trump has 'no real friends.' 'He has no one he trusts to keep his secrets,' he continued. 'For ten years, he certainly had me, and I was always there for him, and look what happened to me.' The book also includes a flurry of admissions from Cohen, some of which he already pleaded guilty to and was given a three-year prison sentence for. 'I stiffed contractors on his behalf, ripped off his business partners, lied to his wife Melania to hide his sexual infidelities, and bullied and screamed at anyone who threatened Trump's path to power,' Cohen admitted. 'From golden showers in a sex club in Vegas, to tax fraud, to deals with corrupt officials from the former Soviet Union, to catch and kill conspiracies to silence Trump's clandestine lovers, I wasn't just a witness to the president's riseI was an active and eager participant,' he wrote. Cohen released the forward of his upcoming book 'Disloyal,' about his longtime friendship with Donald Trump where he claimed he witnessed the 'golden showers' incident and helped Trump commit tax fraud, create a secret back channel to Vladimir Putin and lie to Melania 'Coming Soon,' the president's former fixer and personal attorney wrote in a tweet along with an image of the cover Three people smugglers caught hiding a family-of-five in the back of a van have been jailed for 30 months each. Leontin Padure, 37, Maria-Mirabela Bulumez, 22, and Marcel-Ionut Frant, 27, were all arrested after they were stopped at Harwich International Port, Essex. Border Force officers searched a red Mercedes Sprinter van driven by Padure as it arrived on a ferry from the Netherlands. Leontin Padure, 37 (pictured), was driving the red Mercedes Sprinter van that was searched by Border Force officers at Harwich International Port, Essex Maria-Mirabela Bulumez, 22 (pictured), was one of three people arrested. They were each sentenced to 30 months in prison at Chelmsford Crown Court, the Home Office said Marcel-Ionut Frant, 27 (pictured), was one of three smugglers, originally from Romania with no fixed UK address, who admitted charges of assisting unlawful immigration The officers found four people hiding in a false bulkhead in the rear of the van (pictured) and air holes had been drilled into the hiding place The officers found four people hiding in a false bulkhead in the rear of the van, with a fifth person hiding behind the row of seats. Air holes had been drilled into the hiding place where the family of three men and two women from Afghanistan were found. Officers also found tools used to seal up the false partition between the driver's cab and the back of the van which was stopped on February 16. The three smugglers, all originally from Romania with no fixed UK address, admitted charges of assisting unlawful immigration. They were each sentenced to 30 months in prison on August 24 at Chelmsford Crown Court, the Home Office said. Frant was also handed a nine-month concurrent sentence for possessing a false driving licence. A fifth person was found hiding behind the row of seats. The family, from Afghanistan, are being dealt with according to immigration rules the Home Office has said Officers also found tools used to seal up the false partition (pictured) between the driver's cab and the back of the van which was stopped on February 16 A fifth person was found hiding behind the seats of the van (pictured) that arrived on a ferry from the Netherlands Home Secretary Priti Patel said: 'We will not tolerate people smuggling in any form, and are doing all we can to tackle those responsible for this appalling trade. 'This was a reckless attempt to circumvent our border controls and anyone in doubt about the consequences of such actions should take note - you will be caught and put behind bars.' The Home Office said the cases of the family are being dealt with according to the immigration rules. When Justin Rodriguez took over the Precinct 2 county commissioner seat in January 2019, he talked a lot about accessibility. In replacing Paul Elizondo, the late, legendary lion of Commissioners Court, Rodriguez sought to establish his own niche by emphasizing the ways in which county officials could do a better job of engaging constituents and connecting them to the governing process. Of course, one of the ways in which you make government accessible to the people you represent is by making the voting process as simple and easy as possible. With the COVID-19 pandemic raising deep concerns about the safety of in-person voting this year, Rodriguez has dedicated himself to giving people more venues, larger spaces and extended times to cast their ballots. Rodriguezs efforts, however, have received some pushback from Jacque Callanen, Bexar Countys longtime elections administrator. The rift went public on the morning of Friday, Aug. 28, when Rodriguez took to Twitter to express frustration with what he regarded as Callanens reluctance to consider new ideas. Ive been called a meddler. Ive been told Im attacking the elections office, Rodriguez tweeted. Shaking up the status quo aint easy, man. Rodriguezs election proposals were laid out in a resolution approved on Aug. 14 by the Commissioners Court. The plan called for the creation of four new early-vote mega-centers, one in each quadrant of the county; the establishment of drop-boxes at newly created satellite election offices for mail voters hesitant to entrust the postal system with timely delivery of their ballots; and sending out mail-ballot applications to everyone 65 and older. Callanen voiced objections to at least three of Rodriguezs suggestions: drop boxes, 24-hour mega-center voter access at least one day a week and the use of local senior centers for early-voting sites. Some of (the ideas) cant be done. Period. Theyre against the law, Callanen said. Its somebody who doesnt understand elections and know everything that goes on, she added, in reference to the 24-hour mega-center idea. We cant stand up a poll site without all of the staff, the legalese. Were in contact with each other constantly. Callanen said if problems were to come up with a voter late at night, there would be no support staff available at that hour at the county elections office. Callanen also insisted that the drop-box idea is an impossibility because it would defy state law. The Texas Election Code does not provide for the use of mail-ballot drop boxes. If you want to drop off a completed mail ballot, you must personally hand it to an early voting clerk at a county elections office. Stephen Chang, director of communications with the Texas Secretary of States Office, said the Election Code identifies the methods of returning a marked ballot. A drop box is not one of them. Rodriguez also grew frustrated with what he considered to be a feet-dragging delay from the Elections Department in sending out mail-ballot applications to seniors. With less than two months until election day, time is critical for anyone thinking about voting by mail. If theres ever a time to be innovative here, it is during a time of a global pandemic, when we know, based on historic numbers, were going to have a huge turnout in November, Rodriguez said. And the focus should obviously be on making the election process as safe and as convenient for people as possible. If youre inclined to support Rodriguezs position, youll see this disagreement as a clash between innovation and the status quo. If youre inclined to side with Callanen, youll see it as a disagreement between strict adherence to the Election Code and a looser approach to state law. That debate is only intensified by the uncertainty and anxiety fostered by COVID-19. Fortunately, some of the core components of Rodriguezs plan look like they will be implemented for the November election. The mega-centers will be happening, with the Spurs agreeing to convert the AT&T Center into an early-voting site. Also, more than 150,000 mail-in ballot applications are expected to be sent out to seniors by mid-September. Callanen also said the Elections Department might be able to expand early-voting hours, even if Rodriguezs 24-hour suggestion is off the table. We are actively recruiting election officials. We want to have a whole stable, Callanen said. What I want them (the commissioners) to remember is that weve done this before. Were geared for this. Yes, its COVID, but we made everybody so safe when we did our July (runoff) election. Rodriguez wont get everything he wanted. But he deserves credit for expanding accessibility to the election process at a time when we need to give voters as many safe choices as possible. Gilbert Garcia is a columnist covering the San Antonio and Bexar County area. To read more from Gilbert, become a subscriber. ggarcia@express-news.net | Twitter: @gilgamesh470 Tanker fire: AGs advice sought for arrest of captain and crew By Chris Kamalendran View(s): View(s): The Merchant Shipping Secretariat and the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) have sought the Attorney Generals advice on the arrest of the captain and crew members of the ill-fated oil tanker, drifting off the southeastern coast. By last evening the ship, New Diamond, was 40 nautical miles off Sri Lankas southeastern coast with the fire under control, but not completely extinguished. Reports last night said flames were billowing on and off. This was confirmed by footage released by the Air Force last night. The Indian Coastguards backed by Sri Lankas Navy and Air Force last evening continued their operations. The move comes after observations that the ships captain and crew members failed to follow regulations and their obligations. Merchant Shipping Director General A.W. Seneviratne told the Sunday Times they had sought advice from the AGs Department on claiming insurance for the expenses incurred by the Government to control the fire. He said the ship captain and the crew needed to be taken into custody to take legal action against them. The Sunday Times learns that among the regulations violated was the failure to carry out checks on the boiler of the ship and obtain a certification in time. Navy spokesman Indika de Silva said the vessel which was drifting towards the coastline was towed away using tug boats to an area to ensure that there was no immediate damage to the coastal areas in the event of an oil leak. At one point, the vessel was 22 nautical miles close to the coastal line. The move to tow the ship was also to clear the path of the shipping lane used by other vessels. Mr Seneviratne explained that the West of England Insurance Company had sent four representatives to Colombo on Friday to discuss the insurance claims. The team is due to inspect the ship in the next few days. MEPA Chairperson Dharshani Lahandapura told the Sunday Times they were awaiting a response from the AGs Department on legal action to be instituted. Twenty members of the crew are with the Sri Lankan Navy while the Captain was in an Indian coastguard ship assisting in the operations to control the fire. The third officer, an engineer is being treated for injuries suffered during the explosion followed by fire. He underwent surgery at the Kalmunai base hospital. One crew member was killed in the fire. Ilitat et qui beaque numquat ibustiis pa des dolorep ersperu ptassi omnis nullandion nis que volorepudita nos simodiciis sendiciis illa cus, cum is illecum siminum et ut quamusdae nos magnimos imo volorum at accatusant es dolupta solori ut harchillit alitint. Ignimi, cus eum fuga. Doluptam et verferferem num fugiam eum nitibus es et labo. Et vendis del imi, incillate perest, aut inis et eicietur? Illaut aut provit, arunt aditibus ex excest entem ratur magnim conseca borpos sunto eatis voloria quas dollo cus. US, China intensify war of words over sanctions on port city builder View(s): The United States has said that it hopes countries will examine their dealings with Chinas state-owned China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) to guard against what it said were the companys abuses and to protect their own sovereignty and interests. Sri Lanka clearly falls within that category because of the Governments dealings with CCCC subsidiary China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), which is building the Colombo Port City and also constructed the Hambantota Port and the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport. Last month, the US imposed sanctions on 24 Chinese companiesincluding CCCCmaking it illegal for American companies to export products to these entities without a Government licence. It also imposed visa restrictions. In Colombo last week, the Chinese Embassy hit back at the latest move and said it does believe that normal business cooperation by licensed companies or individuals from China and Sri Lanka, two sovereign countries will not be effected [sic] by such unilateral and unjust sanctions from a third country. A statement circulated by the US Embassy in Colombo said that since 2013, China had used its state-owned enterprises to dredge and unlawfully reclaim more than 3,000 acres in the South China Sea, destabilising the region, trampling on the sovereign rights of its neighbours, and causing untold environmental devastation. CCCC led the destructive dredging of the PRCs South China Sea outposts and is also one of the leading contractors used by Beijing in its global Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) strategy, the statement said. CCCC and its subsidiaries have engaged in corruption, predatory financing, environmental destruction, and other abuses across the world. These sanctions are targeted at Chinese entities and the US further encourages countries to manage risk when dealing with CCCC and its subsidiaries. CCCC has done untold environmental damage, been involved with malign actions around the world, and caused instability in the Indo-Pacific region. In a fresh statement this week, the Chinese Embassy said the sanctions were totally against the truth and violating international law and norms. It urged the US administration to rectify its mistakes and immediately stop interfering in Chinas internal affairs. It blamed the US for militarising the world and the region with nearly 800 military bases in more than 70 countries, deploying about 165,000 troops abroad and spending more than US$ 100bn annually on foreign bases and personnel. Sure, it might be warm Wednesday, but what about the rest of the week? local By Express News Service BENGALURU: The Central Crime Branch (CCB) on Friday arrested popular Kannada actress Ragini Dwivedi for her alleged links with the drug racket in the Kannada film industry (Sandalwood). The police have also nabbed the prime accused Viren Khanna termed as a big catch from New Delhi and also a realtor from Bengaluru, taking the total number of arrests to four.Ragini was arrested after a thorough four-hour search of her Yelahanka residence early on Friday which was followed by five hours of grilling. After filmmaker and journalist Indrajit Lankesh gave his statement to the CCB about drug abuse in Sandalwood, the police acted quickly and arrested K Ravishankar, an employee at the Jayanagar Regional Transport Office. He claimed to be a close acquaintance of Ragini, Police Commissioner Kamal Pant confirmed at a press conference on Friday afternoon. Indrajit had earlier claimed on a TV channel that at least 15 persons from Sandalwood were involved in the drug trade. During Ravishankars interrogation, the police learnt about actors attending parties to consume drugs. He is said to have revealed to the police that he carried drugs, to be supplied to the guests at the parties. Ravishankar has been suspended after his alleged involvement came to light soon after his arrest.Following the revelations, Ragini was served a notice by the CCB, summoning her to depose before them on Thursday. However, the actress is said to have sent her lawyers to request postponing her deposition until Monday, which the CCB rejected, and instead, asked her to depose before them on Friday. Ravishankar spilled beans onrave party locations in Bluru Ravishankar has confessed that he was actively involved in the drug trade and gave the police some details about the parties and the places where they are held in the city. He also told the police that he is in a close relationship with the actress and they had a common party circle where drugs were also offered, said Pant. They have a known supply channel for the contraband drugs, he added. The Commissioner said that Ravishankar and Rahul Shetty were regular faces at some of the drug parties in the city. Rahul is an architect and has some business interests in Sri Lanka. The investigation will take time, but we will take it to a logical end. We will free the city of the drug menace. The police are on the brink of cracking some other big cases related to drugs, he added. Last week, the CCB had arrested three drug peddlers under the Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and seized 204 kg of marijuana (ganja) worth Rs 1 crore from them. The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) had also arrested three peddlers, including a woman from the city, and seized a huge cache of MDMA and LSD blots. Their interrogation had revealed the names of some prominent musicians and actors in Bengaluru. Kingpin held in Delhi The prime accused and kingpin of the drug racket, Viren Khanna, was arrested from New Delhi by the CCB. The defense will basically say he was trying to get away, he was trying to de-escalate, Grieve said. The prosecution is going to be saying, Look, they had this guy they viewed as a crazy vigilante who might do lord knows what with an AR-15 and they had a duty . . . to save other lives by disarming this individual. The Mumbai-Ahmedabad project, which is scheduled to be completed by December 2023, may fail to meet its deadline due to the pandemic that has led to delays in opening tenders and land acquisition, officials said. The High Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRCL) has already acquired 63 per cent of the land for the project -- about 77% land in Gujarat, 80% in Dadar Nagar Haveli and 22% in Maharashtra. Officials said there are still issues in acquiring land in areas like Palghar in Maharashtra and Navsari in Gujarat. Last year, the company had floated nine civil work tenders which could not be opened because of the pandemic, officials said. Because of COVID we had to postpone the opening of a few of the tenders. It is difficult to assess the impact of the pandemic on the project as it is still continuing. We cannot say how the pandemic will affect the project as I don't know how long it will last, NHSRCL MD Achal Khare said. Officially, the NHSRCL spokesperson maintained that the deadline for the project remained 2023. One of the civil work contracts for construction of stations, bridges, viaducts, maintenance depots, and tunnels across the network is to the tune of Rs 20,000 crore. Tenders for civil works for 345 kms out of 508 kms alignment, or 68 percent of civil works, have already been floated. This includes six MAHSR stations (including one underground station in Mumbai). The works related to utility diversion are progressing well and the construction of Sabarmati passenger hub (a multi modal hub) in Sabarmati, Gujarat has also started. The hostel building of High Speed Training Institute ( which is presently being used for COVID patients) and training tracks in Vadodara are also completed. The 508.17-kilometre long network will pass through three districts in Maharashtra (Mumbai, Thane, and Palghar) and eight districts in Gujarat (Valsad, Navsari, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Kheda, and Ahmedabad). Apart from land acquisition, another major cause for delay could be cost escalation owing to a fall in the rupee against the Japanese yen. The total cost of the project is pegged at Rs 1.08 lakh crore and as per the shareholding pattern, the Government of India is to pay Rs 10,000 crore to the NHSRCL, while the two states involved, Gujarat and Maharashtra, are to pay Rs 5,000 crore each. The rest is to be paid by Japan through a loan at 0.1 per cent interest. One section of the Ahmedabad-Mumbai high-speed rail corridor is likely to be tendered out within three months after nearly 90 per cent of the land acquisition for the project is completed, an official 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.) NOTE: This is the first in a series examining flooding along the Cypress Creek corridor. Submit reader stories, complaints, flooding photos and ideas to dtaylor@hcnonline.com for consideration. After numerous floods over the last decade left them with dampened spirits and feeling neglected, a growing group of advocates in the Cypress Creek area is organizing with their sights set on becoming the voice for their community that ultimately brings them relief. B. Glenn Wilkerson, who serves as the president of the Cypress Creek Cultural District, knows the flooding issue all too well and is helping to lead a Flood Control Task Force to address the issues regarding flood mitigation along the Cypress Creek Watershed. HAZARDOUS PROPERTY: County attorney secures agreement for demolition of dangerous building in northwest Houston Our belief is that community leaders and other major institutions in northwest Houston will be eager to enlist in this effort, he said. The move comes following a meeting of key leadership with Deputy Director Matt Zeve of the Harris County Flood Control District at the Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts recently regarding the Cypress Creek Watershed. Wilkerson said the meeting was productive and gave them some hope. Among the matters discussed were the Baker study from Rice University that identified the Cypress Creek and Greens Bayou watersheds as being the most underserved in the 2018 Harris County bond election, according to Dr. (Philip) Bedient at Rice, Wilkerson said. On HoustonChronicle.com: Three years after Harvey, Houstons home repair program continues to lag. Who is to blame? One of the gripes of the group is that they felt the Cypress area was grossly overlooked for mitigation and point to the studies that have made that point including a chart listing how the money was divvied out to the various watershed projects. The Cypress Creek Cultural District comprising the Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts, Barbara Bush Branch Library, Cypress Creek Foundation for the Arts, 63-acre Don Collins Park, softball fields, County Courthouse, Cypress Creek Christian Community Center, The Centrum and the Cypress Creek Greenway Hike and Bike Trails were four-feet underwater during Hurricane Harvey. At one point, there were 150 nonprofit organizations meeting in the Cypress Creek Christian Community Center, all affected by the flood. Theyre building it all back, but if it happens again, I feel like that will be the end of the Cultural District, he said. Many of those have just returned to full operations. I think sometimes were in denial after everything gets built back that it wont happen again, he said, but I fear it will if we dont take action now. He believes detention ponds are the best hope. In the meantime, there is also hope that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will also dredge out the creek. Developers continue to receive permits from Harris County to build along the creek, raising eyebrows with county leadership that allows it to continue. County hires consultants for Cypress Creek Implementation Program The Harris County Flood Control District is undertaking a Cypress Creek Implementation Program. This will prioritize all the projects we can do within the Cypress Creek Watershed, said Jonathan St. Romain, P.E., department manager, capital project south for the Harris County Flood Control District. Some of the projects are defined while others are still being developed. MORNING REPORT: Get the top stories on HoustonChronicle.com sent directly to your inbox The goal is to put them all together and create a roadmap for them over the next number of years, he said. Those projects could include stormwater detention basins, channel improvements on various Cypress Creek tributaries, and right-of-way acquisition for flood plain preservation, some of which is already underway. St. Romain said the plan is still being developed but expects some 10-15 projects will be included, nine of which came from the Michael Baker study. Jones and Carter are the consultants on the project, and they began in late summer. The implementation plan is expected to be finished around the same time next summer. St. Romain said that doesnt mean some of the projects cant get underway while the plan is being created. The first project that is slightly underway is the T. C. Jester project along Cypresswood Drive on the northside of Cypress Creek. It includes 171.5 acres of Flood Control District property and they are currently seeking Community Development Block Grant funds, CDBG-MIT, to fund the stormwater detention basin. The project is currently in the PER phase (Preliminary Engineering Report) or development phase. We explore somewhat in detail the number of alternatives that are going to give us the most benefit for the community, he said. Houston coronavirus updates: Abbott's COVID response criticized by Dems and some Republicans HCFCD will have contractors on the site during September to conduct geotechnical borings that will reveal more about the physical properties of rock and soil at the site. These along with environmental, and hydrologic and hydraulic studies must be accomplished before moving forward. We also have to investigate subsurface utilities like pipelines near the site to see if theres any conflict with those, he said. All the factors are compiled into the layout of the project and formal design. Before the design goes before county commissioners, they collaborate with Precinct 4 personnel and peer groups in the community. We already knew that this was a high priority project that we could get started with right away, St. Romain said. In addition to the T. C. Jester project, he also said they are using a $100 million line item in the bond to identify and secure right-of-way tracts. Its not always easy to acquire them in nice big tracts. Part of the problem is we cannot acquire some of those tracts because they are not cost-effective. Its like putting together a jigsaw puzzle with tracts that are next to each other and could be big enough for a detention basin project, he said. Others are left as flood plain preservation projects. Its always a moving target, he said especially when dealing with private landowners. St. Romain said once funding was acquired, he anticipated it would take between 1.5 to 2 years for completion, possibly not until 2022. We have to do it the most efficient way to save taxpayers money and do the project right, he said. A couple of other projects are close and will require CDBG grant participation as well. One is near the Mercer Arboretum off Hardy Toll Road. While there is some progress and prioritization of the projects, many of the Creek dwellers still see little to no progress just a few years after Harvey and they know another storm is coming. Its inevitable. Were in a desperate situation out here and we need a voice who will speak up for us, Wilkerson said. He is inviting other organizations and entities to join forces with them to create a united voice to promote community awareness and community activism regarding the flooding issue. dtaylor@hcnonline.com Three helicopters from the Irish Air Corps also made a flyover of Dublin city centre to mark the occasion paying special tribute to the victims of Covid-19. In 2018, the Government declared the first Saturday in each September as National Services Day in recognition of all emergency and frontline services. The event was marked in previous years by a major parade through Dublin which was unable to take place this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Always love seeing the @IrishAirCorps flying by, never mind when it's in formation! Great tribute to frontline staff who deserve every bit of praise and recognition from us all. (Video muted as I was nerding out to my sister) pic.twitter.com/8C25RYPfj4 cathalm (@certelbetch) September 5, 2020 Justice Minister Helen McEntee joined representatives of 24 agencies for a short ceremony at Collins' Barracks in the city, while motorists were asked to honk their horns and church bells rang out for the event. Advertisement Owen Medland, the RNLI's lifesaving manager, said it was a day to remember those who had passed away: Theyre in the forefront of our mind. Weve got many, many people within our services who have been touched both in their own loss or just witnessing and I think its a time for reflection as well, this first Saturday of September. Flying around Dublin in Vic formation to mark #NationalServicesDay... there are worse ways to spend a Saturday. @IrishAirCorps @OC3OPS pic.twitter.com/GcL4rXRvEK Phil Bonner (@Phil_Bonner) September 5, 2020 The Justice Minister commended those working on the frontline as she marked the day: I have seen at first hand their tremendous professionalism and dedication, in what can be very challenging circumstances. I am delighted to have the opportunity to publicly thank them and all our emergency services for the quiet heroism of their chosen career. On this day, I think particularly of Detective Garda Colm Horkan, who tragically lost his life in the service of the State this year. Minister McEntee also reflected on the death in June this year of Detective Garda Colm Horkan: On this day, I think particularly of Detective Garda Colm Horkan, who tragically lost his life in the service of the State this year. In his selfless commitment to community and country, Detective Horkan represented the very best of An Garda Siochana and indeed of all our frontline services. We remember and honour him today. The day is organised each year by the Frontline Emergency and Security Services Eire Forum (FESSEF) in a volunteer-led effort. Loading We dont want to go out of stage four into an uncertain situation like Sydney, Professor Toole said. They have been fighting spot fires for over two months now and they are still finding mystery cases almost every day." With the Andrews government poised to on Sunday announce its plan to ease Australia's toughest COVID-19 restrictions, Professor Toole said proven interventions which do not disrupt the economy were instrumental in the fight against the virus. "So for example, face masks must stay because they are affordable, effective and they dont hurt the economy, he said. Fast contact tracing is critical too. The time from a person getting symptoms, to getting tested, to getting their results and then contacting most of their contacts should be within 48 hours. If that process blows out to three or four days then you really cant effectively reduce the spread of the virus. For a two-day contact tracing benchmark to work, Professor Peter Collignon from the Australian National University said it was vital Victorian authorities achieved a 95 per cent turnaround of coronavirus test results within 24 hours. "It really shouldn't be a difficult thing to achieve," Professor Collignon said. "If that means you need to put on more staff and run 24 hours day, then so be it. If people are waiting two or three days for a test result, it's not only a problem for them and their close contacts, but it's a problem for contact tracers too because they don't know about it either." When asked about the concept at a press conference on Friday, Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said most recent data suggested all positive cases and close contacts were now being contacted by state public health officials within 24 hours. He also stressed there were key performance indicators of contact tracing being enforced at a national level. Loading "Those benchmarks are there, they are in the national dashboard and they are reported publicly," Professor Sutton said. "We are doing very well right now. Clearly, we have more cases than any other jurisdiction to follow up so we will have a few cases that are not contactable within 24 hours in terms of the full interview, but it's above 90 per cent for that full interview... that's a terrific performance overall." Leading epidemiologist from the University of Melbourne, Professor John Mathews, however, has renewed his calls for greater transparency around coronavirus data. As well as a daily breakdown of contact tracing, he wants state officials to provide a list of data items collected during testing and contact tracing, such as whether a person is symptomatic; the severity of their illness; what symptoms they present with; and whether they are close contacts of a positive case. "It would provide transparency and help us understand what is going on," Professor Mathews said. "A big part of the problem in recent weeks is that while there has been a decline in new cases in aged care homes, the numbers keep jumping up and down in community transmission." Known as 'mystery cases' these infections are concerning because it means the source of the infection has eluded the state's disease detectives and they have been unable to link them to known outbreaks or positive cases and therefore isolate all close contacts to curb spread. "Community transmission can come from two sources," Professor Mathews said. "People who did not have symptoms and didn't get tested or people who who were tested and didn't go into isolation quickly enough which is partly related to the speed of follow-up of testing." Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday hit out at the Centre over the issue of recruitment to government posts, alleging that the Modi dispensations thinking is minimum government, maximum privatisation. With his tweet attacking the government, Gandhi tagged a media report which said there would be a freeze on creation of new posts except with the approval of the expenditure department. Modi governments thinking -- Minimum Govt Maximum Privatisation, Gandhi said in a tweet. The Covid-19 pandemic is just an excuse and the intention is to make government offices free of permanent staff, he alleged. (Intention is to) Rob the future of the youth and promote (his) friends, Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi targeting the prime minister, and urged people to speak up. Indias first bullet train project could be delayed due to the slow pace of land acquisition and the coronavirus pandemic, said the Railway Board on Saturday. The Boards statement comes amid reports that the Ahmedabad-Mumbai project could be deferred to October 2028 instead of its December 2023 target. "For any linear project, work can be started and tenders can be invited only when we have over 90 per cent of land in our hand. The entire process got delayed due to the pandemic situation too. We expect clarity on land acquisition within six months time, then only we ... Tugboats battled into the night Friday to stop a blazing oil tanker carrying 270,000 tonnes of crude from drifting towards the Sri Lankan coast. The fire on the Panamanian-registered New Diamond had been brought under control, according to the Indian coastguard. But smoke was still pouring from the 330 metre (1,000 foot) long vessel after an engine-room explosion set off the emergency. The New Diamond was heading for the eastern Indian port of Paradip from Kuwait when it issued a distress signal 60 kilometres (37 miles) from Sri Lanka's east coast. With one Filipino crew member killed in the explosion and the 22 others taken off, the tanker drifted 25 km closer to the coast on Friday. Three tugboats -- two Indian and one chartered by the owners -- were brought into action in a bid to push the vessel back into deeper waters at sea. The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) said late on Friday that the fire had been brought "under control" through a "massive firefighting effort" by its vessels with the Indian navy and ships and aircraft from the Sri Lankan military. Water and foam cannons were used to smother the flames, Sri Lanka's Disaster Management Centre chief Sudantha Ranasinghe said. "The flames on the bridge and outside the engine have been put out," Ranasinghe told AFP before the Indian coast guard announcement. But he said fires were still burning inside the ship. Ranasinghe said the blaze had not spread to the massive crude cargo and 1,700 tonnes of diesel fuel. The Sri Lankan navy said there was no immediate danger of the tanker breaking up, despite reports of a two-metre (six-foot) crack in the hull above the water line. Rear Admiral Y. N. Jayarathna said the metal had cracked in the intense heat as the ship's diesel fuel tanks burned when the fire spread from the adjoining engine room. The emergency came just a week after a huge oil slick hit the Mauritius coast. "It will take another four to five days to completely put out the fire," Jayarathna said. "Thereafter we should be able to tow it away and let the owners decide what they want to do." The head of Sri Lanka's Marine Environment Protection Agency Dharshani Lahandapura said legal action could be taken against the owners, Liberian-registered Porto Emporios Shipping Inc "should the worst happen and the ship breaks up." Lahandapura told reporters that Sri Lanka did not have the resources to contain a major oil spill. - Maldives fears disaster - But Ranasinghe said authorities were considering a ship-to-ship transfer of the crude before salvaging the tanker. The vessel is larger than the Japanese bulk carrier MV Wakashio, which crashed into a reef in Mauritius in July leaking more than 1,000 tonnes of oil into the island nation's pristine waters. Sri Lanka's neighbour Maldives has raised concerns that any oil spill from the New Diamond could cause serious environmental damage in the atoll of 1,192 coral islands that depends on fisheries and tourism. Maldivian minister at the president's office, Ahmed Naseem, called for precautionary measures across the archipelago that is about 1,000 kilometres southwest of Sri Lanka. "Maldives needs to watch this oil spill carefully and take all precautions to prevent it from reaching her shores," Naseem said on Twitter. "This could be a major disaster." WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Friday (September 4) highlighted the relationship he developed with Indian Americans and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and stated that he thinks that Indian-Americans would vote for him in the November 3 presidential election. "We have great support from India and PM Modi. I think Indian people would be voting for Trump," the US President said. Trump also stated that he has very good relations with PM Modi. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a friend of mine and is a great leader," Trump said on Friday. "Prime Minister Modi is a friend of mine and he is doing a very good job. It's nothing easy but he is doing a very good job. You have got a great leader and you have got a great person," he told reporters at a media briefing here. Trump referred to his two-day visit to India along with First Lady Melania Trump in February this year before the coronavirus pandemic struck the two nations. "We had an incredible time and what we saw that the people are so incredible. It's an incredible place and country, and it's definitely big," he stated. Speaking about the Howdy Modi event in Huston, he appreciated PM Modi adding that "he couldn't have been more generous". "We had an event in Huston and it was a fantastic event. It was incredible. PM Modi could not have been more generous. But you've got a great leader and he's a great person," Trump said. In recent weeks both the Democrats and Republicans have intensified their outreach to the Indian American community, in particular in the battleground states. According to a PTI report, a recent research by Mason in battleground states showed that Indian Americans who traditionally vote for the Democrats are switching over to the Republican party in significant numbers because the friendship that Trump has with Modi and the latter's high popularity among a large section of the community who number four million in the US, of which 2.5 million are eligible to vote. In the battleground states, they number 1.3 million as per a recent remark made by Indian Americans in the Democratic party. Mason's survey was conducted before former vice president Joe Biden, the Democratic partys presidential candidate, selected Indian-origin Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate, a move Democratic party leaders believe would stem the flow of Indian Americans towards the Republicans. Both Trump and his campaign, in recent remarks, assert that more Indian Americans support them than the Democrats. In various writings and remarks, the Democratic leaders in recent weeks have apprehended that Trumps friendship with Modi might sway their traditional vote bank the election. The Trump campaign believes that Indian Americans can play an important role in the election, especially in battleground states like Michigan, Pennsylvania and Ohio, where the two rival campaigns would be battling for every vote. Democratic campaign too is coming out with ideas and commercials to woo Indian Americans. The Democratic National Committee chair Tom Perez has addressed the community virtually, wherein he has acknowledged the key role that Indian Americans can play in battleground states. On August 15, both Biden and Harris made a video address to an Indian American event. The campaign has released a policy paper for Indian Americans. When Gov. Kate Brown ordered Oregons public schools to close in mid-March, Brooke Gildenmeister of Portland braced herself to take on the role of educator. The stay-at-home mom was ready to guide her Alameda Elementary kindergartner, Jane, through virtual lessons via a Portland Public Schools-issued Chromebook. But Jane didnt want mom anywhere near her while class was in session. She wanted her teacher back. She really didnt want to get instructions from her mom, Gildenmeister said. Gov. Kate Brown and state schools chief Colt Gill feel the same way about all Oregon children about Janes age. They know how important it is for students that young to be back in class, face-to-face with their teachers, so theyve lowered the bar to reopening schools amid coronavirus just for children in kindergarten through grade 3. But so far, most districts in the 17 Oregon counties that qualify to do just that arent planning to teach their littlest learners in person. That has some advocates for early learners concerned. To try to allow her daughter maximum connection to her teacher online, Gildenmeister took to leaving Jane alone in a room, door slightly ajar, while she listened for cues the 6-year-old might need help. Any efforts to help Jane before she asked for assistance were immediately rebuffed. The youngster had become so used to the separation between school and home that it was difficult for her to have the two become one. She just really had a hard time with it, Gildenmeister said. According to guidelines laid out by the state Department of Education, itll take three consecutive weeks of Oregon registering statewide and county-specific test positivity rates of 5% or less and 10 or fewer coronavirus cases per 100,000 people in any given county for students in those locales to resume in-person instruction. As of August 29, only three lightly populated counties plus Douglas County, with 112,000 people, and Tillamook, with about 26,000, meet those thresholds so far. Taking young childrens needs into account, Brown and Gill announced in early August theyd make exceptions to the state guidelines to allow kindergarteners and first-, second- and third- graders to receive in-person instruction even when the state at large isnt ready to open schools. If a county sees case counts no higher than 30 per 100,000 residents and meets a test positivity threshold of 5% or less, its youngest learners should be allowed back inside the classroom, they said. On top of the five counties eligible to fully reopen, 12 more of Oregons 36 counties, including Deschutes, Lane and Benton, meet the little-kids-only threshold. But most school districts that qualify to teach their youngest children in person arent yet planning to do so, citing uncertainties about health precautions, concerns among parents and opposition from teacher unions. Meanwhile, some educators say their employers havent done enough to ensure safe working conditions for in-person instruction. Teachers in the Lane County district of Springfield on Tuesday protested their districts Sept. 14 start for in-person instruction of young learners, saying its too soon. Every teacher I have spoken with wants to be with their students. We are dedicated professionals who love our work and we miss our classrooms desperately, Alyssa Nestler, a second- and third-grade teacher at Yolanda Elementary School, said in a release. However, as early childhood educators, there is no denying the scale and pace at which we are trying to reopen is simply not safe or appropriate. Educators in nearby Junction City have similarly expressed trepidation over in-person trainings with no students present, The Register-Guard reported. And some of the states largest districts, including Portland and Salem-Keizer, have not yet reached an agreement with their teachers unions on what a safe return to the classroom would look like. Neither district plans to have students attend classes in-person until at least November. Multnomah County, home to Portland, and Marion County, with Salem as its county seat, are among 10 or so counties, including many in rural Eastern Oregon, where new coronavirus case counts remain much too high to reach state reopening metrics even for the youngest students any time soon. Washington County also remains far off that mark, while Clackamas County metrics lie just out of reach so far. Marissa Williams, whose son Mason is an incoming second-grader at Ardenwald Elementary in the North Clackamas district, felt overwhelmed adding the role of teacher to her already full plate. She works the graveyard shift as a baker and, in addition to her 8-year-old, has a 4-year-old son and 13-year-old stepdaughter. When Ardenwald shut down in March, Mason lost two teachers. He spent about one-third of each school day with a speech therapist before joining his peers for the rest of the day. Williams said her son had a difficult time processing the fact that he wouldnt get to see his special education teacher, whos taught him since kindergarten. Every morning in March, the youngster would strap on his backpack, walk to his mother and say, Im going to Miss Beckys today. He misses his teacher so much, Williams said. He needs to see her. Shes also worried that Mason will fall behind his peers because she doesnt feel equipped to guide her son through his lessons. Becoming her childs teacher in the spring felt like taking on another full-time job, one she wasnt prepared for, she said. I am doing an extra job and even with my fiances help it was unmanageable, she said. It was that that was making me feel depressed and like Im not good enough. And that is a bad feeling to have. Audrey Lucero, who teaches courses in language, literacy and bilingualism at the University of Oregon and is the College of Educations director of critical and sociocultural studies, said school districts and health officials should be working to get young children in the same room as their teachers as soon as possible. Attachments between little learners and their teachers like the kind Mason and Jane developed are common, Lucero said. And those relationships are key to getting younger students to adopt habits conducive to learning. Most Portland-area students won't see the inside of a classroom until at least November.Photo by Eder Campuzano/Staff A lot of times, we think about learning and reading and writing as individual experiences, but theyre really social in nature, Lucero said. Children learn best when theyre comfortable and have a distinct separation between home and school. Thats why its essential for students, particularly those in lower grades, to feel at ease during instruction, she said. On that front, theres a silver lining for Mason. Although hell have a new classroom teacher heading into the second grade, his beloved Miss Becky will also guide him through the beginning of the school year. That is a benefit and Im not sure if other parents have had that, Williams, his mother, said. I am so blessed to have her. Beginning Sept. 14, school officials in the southern coast city of North Bend plan for their youngest students to attend class Mondays through Thursdays. Students will be split into morning and afternoon groups that each attend half the school day to minimize the number of children in the building at once. Officials in Crook County start in-person instruction for their kindergartners and first-, second-, and third-graders one week earlier, on Tuesday. Most districts that plan to offer any in-person instruction, including those in Springfield and Hermiston, have indicated theyll have students attend class in-person two days per week. North Bend Superintendent Kevin Bogatin told The Oregonian/OregonLive thats the plan his district is adopting for middle and high schoolers. But he worried that for students in the early elementary grades, two days per week in the classroom wouldnt be enough for teachers to establish trusting relationships with them. We really couldnt envision how that initial kindergarten connection with a teacher would even work on Zoom or online, he said. Plus, younger children spend much of their time in the classroom getting used to the routines that define their school experience, according to both Bogatin and Lucero, the early childhood professor. They dont really know how to do school yet, she said. Young children are just learning how to read, even getting used to such minute details as how to hold a book. Theyre socializing with their peers and figuring out how to study in small groups. And theyre getting used to problem-solving and reinforcement in recognizing patterns. These kinds of practices take a lot of repetition and they take a lot of practice on the part of little people, Lucero said. You need to have those routines down pat. And, in Masons case, the incoming second-grader was just getting comfortable with his peers and adjusting to taking instructions from his classroom teacher. He needs to know, I need to listen to people who arent my mom and dad, Williams, his mother, said. Clatsop County, which includes the Astoria district, is among the places where kindergartners and first-graders can be allowed in the classroom. When Astoria schools transitioned to distance learning, Rebecca Pierces daughter Erica, pictured here surrounded by her family, would speak with her first-grade teacher well past the half hour allotted for her weekly phone check-in. Shed just talk forever and ever, and that was so sweet. Having that in-person relationship really helped when it came to the tough stuff later, Pierce said.Photo by Jamie Hale/Staff But officials there say they dont have plans to start in-person instruction until Oct. 1. Superintendent Craig Hoppes told The Oregonian/OregonLive that teachers, principals and custodians are still fine tuning what a return to school might look like. If I can get em in the building, I can educate em, Hoppes said. But its really difficult to get em in the building right now. Some 15% of the districts parents are reluctant to have their children return to the classroom even if the state says its safe, Hoppes said. All districts that seek state OK to offer even part-time in-person instruction must include a comprehensive plan to return to distance learning should coronavirus cases spike. Astorias elementary educators are working out plans to teach their youngest students in a manner much different than theyre used to. How do you line up a 5-year-old six feet apart from someone else? Hoppes said. Were asking them to be a community but we cant ask them to be socially around people. That makes things difficult. Children need reminders to wash their hands even when the state and country arent in the midst of a pandemic. Reinforcing that habit, along with mask-wearing, is among the challenges Hoppes and other educators face this fall. Astoria High French teacher Rebecca Pierce, 31, began making face masks at home at the outset of the school closures. It was a way for me to channel my own fear into something productive, she said. The hobby also had the effect of normalizing mask-wearing for Pierces 6-year-old daughter Erica. Much like Jane in Portland, Erica forged a relationship with her kindergarten teacher that was difficult to replicate from afar once classes went all-digital in the spring. Ericas teacher held weekly phone check-ins with her students. Those conversations were supposed to last 30 minutes, but it was difficult to get the youngster off the line. Shed just talk forever and ever, and that was so sweet, Pierce said. Having that in-person relationship really helped when it came to the tough stuff later. Lucero, the University of Oregon professor, said itll be difficult for teachers to establish such strong bonds with their students from afar if schools start the year in distance learning mode. The transition will be most difficult for kindergartners. They dont know the teacher so suddenly theres this strange new adult asking them to do something, Lucero said. But the pandemic doesnt just make it difficult for students and their families to get back into the swing of things. Lucero spent spring term teaching aspiring elementary educators. She had to adopt a new playbook for her classes and also help her students grapple with the realities of teaching in the time of COVID. I feel like its kind of pushed me to think differently about technology and to really appreciate that there are a lot of cool ways to engage people online, Lucero said. Still, the teacher of teachers said the fundamentals shes long relied on trumped the digital hurdles she had to overcome. And Lucero said elementary educators should similarly keep their students comfort top of mind and do whatever they can to get little learners in back-to-school mode. The delivery method for elementary instruction may have changed, Lucero said, but the overall goal and the script she uses to get there remains the same. Were going to do things together and Im here to support you, Lucero said. Were going to learn together and have positive experiences. --Eder Campuzano | 503-221-4344 | @edercampuzano | Eder on Facebook Eder is The Oregonians education reporter. Do you have a tip about Portland Public Schools? Email ecampuzano@oregonian.com. This article is the result of a partnership among Oregon news outlets The Oregonian/OregonLive, Oregon Public Broadcasting, The Bulletin, The Ontario Argus Observer and the Medford Mail Tribute, designed to give Oregonians a broader and deeper look at Oregon students and the public education system amid the pandemics unprecedented impacts on schools. Earlier stories in this collaboration: , We're sorry, this article is not currently available Shark fin soup, considered a delicacy in some countries, has long fueled demand for illegally harvested fins. But federal authorities in Georgia announced this week that they had dismantled at least one source for the ingredient: a multimillion-dollar organization they described as an international money laundering, drug trafficking and illegal wildlife trade ring. A dozen people, including Terry Xing Zhao Wu, 45, of Burlingame, Calif., and two businesses on opposite ends of the country face multiple charges, including fraud and money laundering, for their roles in what the authorities called the Wu transnational criminal organization, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of Georgia said in a statement on Thursday. United with our partner agencies, we have shut down an operation that fed a seemingly insatiable overseas appetite for illegally traded wildlife, and seized ill-gotten assets derived from that despicable criminal enterprise, Bobby L. Christine, the U.S. attorney for the district, said in the statement. At a news conference on Thursday, Mr. Christine said that Operation Apex was about much more than disrupting the despicable practice of hacking the fins off of sharks and leaving them to drown in the sea to create a bowl of soup. The (NCB) on Saturday arrested Dipesh Sawant, a member of Sushant Singh Rajput's personal staff, in connection with a drugs probe linked to the actor's death, officials said. The NCB said with the latest action, the total number of arrested in this "ongoing investigation" has risen to seven. They said Sawant, who was being interrogated since 10 PM last night, has been arrested under sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act around 8 PM on Saturday. "He was subjected to interrogation and confrontation with Showik Chakraborty, Samuel Miranda, Zaid Vilatra and Kaizan Ibrahim. "His statement was recorded under section 67 of the NDPS Act and on the basis of enough corroborative evidence, he (Sawant) has been placed under arrest," a senior NCB officer said. He will be produced before the local Esplanade court at 11 AM on Sunday, he said. A senior NCB officer had earlier said Sawant's role was that of a "witness" in the case. The federal anti-narcotics agency had on Friday arrested Showik Chakraborty (24), the brother of main accused in this case Rhea Chakraborty, and Samuel Miranda, Rajput's house manager. Three of the seven arrested, Showik, Miranda and Vilatra (21), are in NCB custody, the agency said. When the probe in the case began, the agency had arrested two men,Abbas Lakhani and Karan Arora, for alleged drug peddling and officials have claimed that through them they reached Vilatra and Abdel Basit Parihar who are allegedly directly linked to this drugs case as they were in touch with Miranda. Miranda, they had said, used to allegedly procure drugs from them on the purported instructions of Showik, agency officials said. Officials have said Rhea (28), Rajput's live-in partner, is expected to be summoned for questioning soon. This case has given the NCB an "inkling" into the narcotics network and its penetration in Bollywood or Hindi movie industry, NCB Deputy Director General Mutha Ashok Jain told reporters outside the agency's office on Saturday. Various angles surrounding the death of the 34-year-old actor are being probed by three federal agencies, including the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The NCB is probing the drug angle in this case under criminal sections of the NDPS Act after the ED shared with it a report following the cloning of two mobile phones of Rhea. Rajput was found dead at his flat in suburban Bandra area on June 14. (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 standoff suspect from Shalom Circle will now face a federal charge, authorities said. Special agents with the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Bureau are charging Isaiah Delgado, 38, with felon in possession of a firearm. This offense stems from Delgado being armed during the standoff and having a conviction of aggravated robbery. He was released on parole on March 10, 2014, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The federal criminal complaint filed against Delgado had not been made public as of Friday evening. Delgado remains in custody also facing the following array of charges: Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, criminal mischief evading arrest with a vehicle, evading arrest and failure to identify fugitive with intent to give false information. LPD further stated that Delgado had active warrants out of the Texas Board of Pardon and Paroles. Police said the case began at about 5:30 a.m. Thursday when they responded to a suspicious person report in the 8800 block of McPherson Road. Authorities learned that the man was possibly armed. He was seen leaving the area in a Jeep. Officers followed the Jeep to the 8800 block of Shalom Circle to attempt to pull it over. But the driver quickly went inside a residence. Police set up a perimeter as the LPD emergency response team made its way to the scene. The team along with negotiators arrived at the scene at about 6:37 a.m. to attempt to resolve the incident peacefully. Police said they evacuated surrounding residences as a precaution. LPD would later identify the suspect as Delgado. Further investigation revealed he pointed a gun at a woman and damaged her door after forcefully knocking on it, authorities said. Six hours later and after exhausting options of establishing communication with Delgado, the SWAT team executed a search warrant and five arrest warrants at the home. Delgado gave up immediately without incident. Police said he was in possession of a firearm. The drugs case linked to the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput has given the NCB an inkling" of the narcotics network and penetration in Bollywood, a senior officer of the federal agency said on Saturday. Narcotics Control Bureaus (NCB) Deputy Director General of the south-west region, Mutha Ashok Jain, told reporters outside his office in the Ballard Estate area that the agency will take this probe to its logical conclusion". The agency has arrested five people till now in this case including Showik Chakraborty, the brother of main accused and Rajputs live-in partner Rhea Chakraborty, and the late actors house manager Samuel Miranda. Jain said while the NCBs mandate is to look for the big fish" and probe international and inter-state drugs transactions, it will not shirk its responsibility" now that it is getting information about this alleged drugs nexus. Normally this is not part of our mandate but now that we are getting information This case has given us an inkling of the network and the extent of the penetration," he said when asked if the agency has evidence on the drugs nexus in Bollywood or Hindi movie industry. The NCB, while seeking remand of one of the accused in this case two days ago, had told a court here that it was looking into the drug citadel in Mumbai, especially Bollywood" in this case. Jain also said that they will be asking" Rhea to join probe as that is the logical progression" in the case. The whole idea of taking custody remand (of Showik and Miranda) is to make people confront each other to clarify their individual role. So, yes we will be asking her (Rhea) to join investigation and may be some other people because we also need clarity as to who did what," he said. He said the agency is moving forward in the case with solid steps" (thok baja ke) and whosoever found responsible will be called for questioning. Asked if the agency will talk to actor Kangana Ranaut about her recent claims of drug abuse in Bollywood circles, Jain said that she has no direct connection with this case till now." If she (Kangana) shares something, we will see its relevance," he said. Jain told the media that he will not speculate" on who will be arrested next and said he also cannot discuss evidence" with them that has been obtained by the agency in the case till now. The NCB is probing the narcotics and banned drugs angle in this case under criminal sections of the NDPS Act after the ED shared with it a report following the cloning of two mobile phones of Rhea. According to officials, the mobile phone chats and messages indicated procurement, transportation and consumption of drugs and these leads were shared by the ED with the NCB and the CBI. The NCB is understood to have obtained the phone records of other accused in the case too. Rajput was found dead at his flat in suburban Bandra area on June 14. President Donald Trump said Friday the U.S. doesnt know directly whether Alexey Navalny was poisoned, failing to accept the German governments assessment that the Russian opposition leader was attacked with a nerve agent. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Wednesday that medical tests showed unequivocally that Navalny had been poisoned by a military-grade novichok nerve agent. Asked about the German conclusion at a news conference Friday, Trump said, I hear Germany has made it definitive, or almost definitive, but we have not seen it ourselves. Navalny, a leading critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, fell ill on a domestic flight to Moscow from Tomsk in August. He was evacuated to a German hospital under international pressure. Kremlin officials have challenged Germanys conclusion, saying that Merkels government hasnt provided proof. A novichok agent was used in the March 2018 attempted murder of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter on British soil, prompting a concerted expulsion of 150 Russian diplomats from NATO nations. Later in his news conference, though, Trump agreed that it was likely Navalny had been poisoned. Based on what Germanys saying, that seems to be the case, he said. But he didnt say whether the U.S. would take any specific action in response. We have to look at it very seriously if thats the case, he said. Trump has tried to nurture a closer relationship with Moscow despite the Kremlins interference in the 2016 election. Earlier Friday, the presidents National Security Adviser Robert OBrien said that China should be considered a greater threat to U.S. election integrity than Russia. Your tax-deductible gift today powers our reporters and keeps us independent. We rely on you, our reader, not paywalls to stay funded because we believe important news and information should be freely accessible to all. Start your day with LAist Sign up for the Morning Brief, delivered weekdays. Subscribe Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily newsletters. To support our non-profit public service journalism: Donate Now. L.A. County Inspector General Max Huntsman says he was blocked from attending the autopsy of Dijon Kizzee, who was fatally shot by sheriff's deputies in South L.A. on Monday. Huntsman told an emergency town hall meeting of the Civilian Oversight Commission Thursday night that he had asked sheriff's officials to observe the proceedings. "I was concerned when I did not hear back from them," Huntsman said. "So I called the coroner myself and he told me that the autopsy would be over in an hour -- the Sheriff's Department had had it scheduled and been present without telling us." Sheriff Alex Villanueva shot back, calling Huntman's comments "inflammatory." He said his department "doesn't have the authority or control" to decide who attends an autopsy. Sheriff's investigators could have given a heads-up to the inspector general about when the autopsy was scheduled. But they did not. The back-and-forth was another example of the breakdown in trust between Huntsman and the sheriff, who has restricted the inspector general's access to department records and personnel. Villanueva also has a chilly relationship with the oversight commission. Commission leaders said they invited sheriff's officials to the virtual town hall, but they declined to attend. Kizzee's case is not currently listed in a search of the coroner's online database. HERE'S WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE SHOOTING SO FAR Two deputies were on patrol in the Westmont neighborhood, tucked near the intersection of the 110 and 105 freeways, around 3:15 p.m. The department says the deputies tried to stop Kizzee, 29, for committing a traffic violation on his bike; they have not said what that violation was. Kizzee allegedly dropped the bike and ran about a block before deputies caught up with him in the 1200 block of West 109 th Place. Place. Kizzee allegedly punched one deputy and, as they grappled, "he dropped a jacket at which time a black semi-automatic handgun fell to the ground." Deputies opened fired when Kizzee "made a motion" toward the gun, the statement said; however, the LASD did not state that Kizzee motioned toward the gun until more than 24 hours after the incident. Security video shows Kizzee struggling with one deputy and then attempting to move away as both deputies repeatedly shoot at him -- even after he falls to the ground. There is no body cam footage of the incident because the Sheriff's Department is the largest law enforcement agency in the country without body cams. The first body cams are scheduled to be in service next month, after years of delay. 'CUMULATIVE TRAUMA' Dijon Kizzee. (Courtesy of Kizzee family) Kizzee's death comes amid a months-long reckoning over police killings sparked by the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. In that case, outrage was fueled by video showing an officer pressing his knee against Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes and Floyd telling officers he couldn't breathe. Officers had been called to the scene because Floyd had allegedly used a counterfeit $20 bill at a nearby store. His death led to massive protests across the nation and around the world. Since then, other police killings of Black and Brown people have come under increasing scrutiny and sparked new protests. On Thursday night, Black Lives Matter L.A. protesters attending the emergency town hall said Kizzee's death was another police execution of a man of color. Melina Abdullah, co-founder of Black Lives Matter L.A., said earlier this week: "At the time they shot, he had already dropped the gun. According to their own story, he did not have a gun when they killed him." Kizzee's family is now represented by a number of prominent attorneys, including Ben Crump -- who also represents the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Jacob Blake. Other speakers at the town hall underscored the impact of police killings on the community. "It's starting to feel like a cumulative trauma that I cannot escape -- especially being a mother of three Black sons," said Katie Askew. Gilbert Sanchez of the Community Coalition told the commissioners, "This continuously sends the message to my community here in South Central Los Angeles that they really don't give a damn." CONTROVERSIAL SHOOTINGS, SIMILAR NARRATIVES The circumstances described by sheriff's officials are similar to how the department describes what happened before sheriff's deputies shot and killed Andres Guardado in June. In that case, the department alleges that Guardado, 18, reached for a gun that was on the ground. The coroner found Guardado was shot five times in the back. In a highly unusual step, Medical Examiner-Coroner John Lucas released Guardado's autopsy to the public over the objections of sheriff's officials who had placed what is known as a "security hold" on the case, commonly used to keep high-profile autopsies sealed while an investigation is underway. Villanueva attacked Lucas for releasing the autopsy, saying the move had "the potential to jeopardize the investigation." In the same statement, the sheriff also sharply criticized L.A. County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, who he claimed had pressured the coroner. Villanueva was elected in 2018 to a four-year term as sheriff, defeating incumbent Sheriff Jim McDonnell. Since his election, he has had an extremely contentious relationship with the Board of Supervisors, which funds his department. He has also frequently clashed with Inspector General Huntsman. HOW WE'RE REPORTING ON THIS Public Safety Correspondent Frank Stoltze is continuing to cover this story. Photojournalist Chava Sanchez has contributed to coverage and photographed protests. WHAT QUESTIONS WE'RE ASKING What are the names and tenure of the two deputies who shot Kizzee? What did the autopsy find? Did the deputies' tactics meet department policy? Why did it take more than 24 hours for the LASD to allege that Kizzee motioned toward the gun? MORE COVERAGE YOUR QUESTIONS The summer might be nearing an end but that doesnt mean you cant still dine outdoors. Restaurant owners have cleverly slipped a number of al fresco choices into alley ways, arranged in parking lots or set up as pavilions and canopies in their backyards, all the while complying strictly with state and federal guidelines. With safety first in mind, these comfort-fare focused eateries will please palates and patrons worried about staying safe during the pandemic. Global demand for plastics could peak in just seven years as countries impose bans and taxes to curb plastic pollution, putting billions of dollars of petrochemical investments along the Gulf Coast at risk, according to a new report. The annual increase in demand for plastics is expected to fall from 4 percent a year to less than 1 percent starting in 2027, according to a report released Friday by Carbon Tracker, a nonprofit financial think tank focused on the risk of climate change, and environmental services firm Systemiq. Remove the plastic pillar holding up the future of the oil industry, and the whole narrative of rising oil demand collapses, said Kingsmill Bond, a Carbon Tracker energy strategist and the reports lead author, in a statement. READ THE SERIES: Plastics trash crisis The report follows decisions by some oil majors to pull or delay investments in petrochemicals, particularly after the coronavirus pandemic wiped out global demand for crude and petroluem products. Saudi Aramco, the worlds biggest oil company, this week said it is abandoning plans to build a $20 billion crude-to-chemicals plant in Saudi Arabia, according to Bloomberg. And BP this summer announced a deal to sell its global petrochemicals business to British petrochemicals company INEOS for $5 billion. As we work to build a more focused, more integrated BP, we have other opportunities that are more aligned with our future direction, BP CEO Bernard Looney said in a statement announcing the deal in June. (The BP-INEOS) agreement is another deliberate step in building a BP that can compete and succeed through the energy transition. Nevertheless, BP said it expects petrochemicals to drive 95 percent of world oil demand growth in the coming years. At the same time, the International Energy Agency put that figure at 45 percent. To meet this expected demand, oil and gas companies are investing $400 billion to build new petrochemical plants, much of it along the Gulf Coast. Fuel Fix: Get energy news sent directly to your inbox The investments are big bets that increasing demand for petrochemicals, particularly plastics, will drive future crude demand as nations impose carbon emissions targets and renewables replace fossil fuels in a battle against climate change. Meanwhile, many countries are combatting plastics pollution with taxes and bans on plastics, including well-publicized bans on the use of single-use plastic bags and straws. Carbon Tracker estimates that 40 percent of plastic waste ends up polluting the environment, including 11 million tons into oceans every year. paul.takahashi@chron.com twitter.com/paultakahashi President Donald Trump will highlight his environmental agenda as he campaigns in the battleground states of Florida and North Carolina on Tuesday. The White House says Trump will stop in Jupiter, Florida, on Tuesday to remind voters there of his conservation and environmental protection efforts in the Everglades region. For the federal budget year beginning October 1, the White House said, Trump asked Congress for USD 250 million in annual funding to accelerate construction of infrastructure for the Everglades as part of the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration. The project aims to improve the Everglades by enhancing regional water storage capacity and reducing harmful discharges from Lake Okeechobee. The president will also hold a campaign rally on Tuesday in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Trump narrowly won both states in the 2016 presidential election. Madhya Pradesh police has arrested four people in connection with two murderscommitted in the last three months with an aim to stir up communal tensions in Khandwa district-- following the death of a Hindu group leader in a clash between two communities in May earlier this year, the police said on Friday. Police in Khandwa, 271 km south west of Bhopal, arrested four persons on Thursday in connection with the two separate murders committed in July and August with a common link --- murder of a Hindu group leader Rajesh Phoolmali. Murder of Phoolmali in May led to the murder of Abdul Hafeez as revenge in July, whose murder led to the killing of Dhanraj Kanade in August, said Khandwa superintendent of police Vivek Singh. Both Hafeez and Kanade were innocent, with no link to Phoolmalis murder, he said. It all started with a clash between two religious communities on May 18 which resulted in the death of Rajesh Phoolmali, a former member of a Hindu group. He died in a hospital on May 31. The clash took place following a social media post hurting religious sentiments of one community. The police arrested 24 persons in connection with the clash and murder, according to town inspector of Kotwali police station, Khandwa, Neeraj Mandloi. On July 20, the police found the body of Abdul Hafeez, 48, a truck driver, with stab and gun-shot wounds near a railway line. Singh said six persons, including Nikhil Deware and Amit Jain, were arrested on September 3 for murdering Hafeez with the motive to take revenge for Phoolmalis killing. Also Read: Madhya Pradesh HC grants 2-month bail to rape accused to marry survivor On August 10, Dhanraj Kanade, 20, a resident of Chhota Aanwaar Padmkund ward in Khandwa city, was found with stab wounds. He died during treatment at Khandwa hospital. Police said that it arrested Sohel alias Sonu and main accused Feroz, both residents of Khandwa city, on August 11 and 13 with the help of CCTV footage. During interrogation, they said they killed Kanade to avenge Hafeezs murder. Also Read: Farmer commits suicide in Bundelkhand region As Feroz and Sohel believed that the members of Mahadevgarh Sangthan were behind the murder, they planned to kill a member of the said organisation. Kanade, a vegetable vendor, who was wearing a T-shirt that had Mahadevgarh written over it, was stabbed near a car showroom on Pandhana road. Kanade was not a member of the organisation, the statement said. Police said the murders of Hafeez and Kanade were committed with the sole motive of disturbing communal harmony in Khandwa district and both the victims were innocent persons from the weaker section of the society and had nothing to do with any of the earlier incidents. Singh said that despite the murders, people of the area have remained calm and maintained communal harmony. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON 11 dead after multiple ACs explode in Narayanganj mosque bdnews24.com : Eleven people, including a child, have succumbed to their injuries after six air-conditioners exploded at a mosque in Narayanganjs Fatullah. Partho Shankar, resident physician of Dhaka's Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, confirmed the development to reporters on Saturday. The victims were identified only as Rifat, Zubair, Humayun Kabir, Mostafa Kamal, Ibrahim, Jewel, Sabbir, Delowar Hossain, Jalam, Junayed and Kuddus Bepari. Among them, the child named Jewel had burns on 95 percent of his body, according to the institute's Assistant Director Dr Hussain Imam. As many as 37 of the victims, including the mosques Imam Abdul Maleque, 60, and Muezzin Delwar Hossain, 50, were admitted to the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka. All of the injured have burnt their respiratory tracts. All patients have more than 30 percent of their bodies burnt," Dr Imam said. None of the injured are out of danger yet, according to Dr Samanta Lal Sen, the institute's coordinator. "They are in a very precarious state," he said. OTTAWA Puppy scams are a growing problem across the country as fraudsters look to take advantage of lonely animal lovers during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Better Business Bureau. Canadians have lost about $300,000 so far this year after falling prey to fake breeders, compared to about $150,000 during all of 2019, the non-profit organization warns. The bureau and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre have received 364 pet-scam complaints combined, with more than 250 of those reporting money lost and August as the worst month since the outbreak. Theres people all over the country, from the Maritimes to B.C., that are getting scammed with this type of puppy fraud, said Jessie St-Cyr, a spokeswoman for the bureau. Red flags include low prices under $1,000 for a purebred puppy pressure to complete the purchase quickly and unsecured payment methods such as bitcoin, gift cards or Western Union. The last complaint I saw, from someone in Calgary who lost $2,225, the fake breeder asked the person to pay with Walmart gift cards, St-Cyr said. Another giveaway is repeated attempts to draw more money out of the buyer through expenses. They say, OK, you to need to pay $1,500 more to rent an electronic, temperature-controlled crate. Its going to be 95 per cent refundable. And then for vaccines, for insurance. Theyre going to ask for more and more money. Buyers can sniff out fraudsters by asking for several references including the vaccinating veterinarian checking the creation date of the website of the breeder and transport company, and holding off on payment until having seen the dog in person or by virtual meeting. The website who.is allows users to input a web address and view the date it was registered. A legitimate breeder, a legitimate delivery company, is going to have a website thats well-established for way longer than two weeks or even six months, St-Cyr said. Would-be dog owners can also take steps to confirm whether photos of their future family member are authentic by drag-and-dropping a picture into the Google Images search box. If you see that its coming up on different websites, on a lot of classified ads, thats a big red flag, St-Cyr said. She said scammers often cite the coronavirus as a reason to avoid in-person meetings and are trying to exploit people who are seeking companionship amid the isolation of the pandemic. People, because they are at home, are going to think, I have time to take care of a puppy. This is the best time to adopt one, she said. Some people are lonely when they are confined at home. Not everybody has the chance to have family and friends around. The scammers are really taking advantage of the situation. Waterloo Regional Police said Friday a 24-year-old woman had been arrested in Cambridge, Ont., in connection with a puppy scam that saw 10 victims respond to an online ad featuring baby French bulldogs. When the buyer requested to see the puppies in person, the seller allegedly stated that due to current COVID-19 and physical distancing restrictions, no viewings were allowed. The victims transferred the money, however never received their puppy, police said in a statement that announced several fraud-related charges. Customers searching for a purebred canine can check the Canadian Kennel Club to confirm the breeder is listed, said Marilyn Burleson. Demand for her Yorkshire terriers, which shes bred for 21 years, has surged over the past six months. Its ridiculous, she said. I probably get five phone calls a day, and thats not counting emails. Some dog seekers come to Burleson with nightmare stories of being defrauded of thousands of dollars. One woman phoned me, she said shes been scammed three times, said Burleson. A complaint filed to the Better Business Bureau on Aug. 13 stated a loss of $4,519. Another from July 9 claimed $3,500. While some victims hope for a new pup to play with, others are trying to fill the void of a recently deceased best friend. I know that people are lonely, Burleson said. The people that I feel sorry for are...just trying to replace their companion that theyve always had. For Mario DAquila, the severity of what was happening in the state became clear in mid-March, when schools began to close. Before then, concern over COVID-19 had been growing but many believed that it would pass without the harshest mitigation measures being required. However, when students began to be sent home with no definitive word on when theyd return, DAquila, like many others, realized things were heading in the wrong direction. I looked at that and said, Wow, things are really bad, DAquila recalls. It was scary. It was scary personally, it was scary business-wise. DAquila is the chief operating officer of Assisted Living Services, a local company that for approximately three decades has been providing top-notch home health care services to elderly clients, allowing them to age safely at home through its exceptional caregivers and sophisticated technological devices, according to the organization. The company was founded by DAquilas parents, Ron and Sharon DAquila, and was based in Meriden until last year, when the headquarters moved to Cheshire. Providing health care to elderly clients is always a challenge, but DAquila realized very quickly that, with the state heading towards a strict lockdown, those challenges could become unmanageable. We are in the service industry, he said. We have caregivers with children, we have office staff with children. If they have to stay home to take care of their children, who was going to care for our clients? Fortunately, continued DAquila, we were able to mobilize very quickly. That mobilization included immediately securing personal protective equipment for all caregivers to use and instituting rigorous personal hygiene protocols to ensure that everyone felt safe and comfortable. It also meant moving to a remote-working model in the span of a week, for 35 office personnel, without seeing a dip in the service provided to customers. It was crazy, but we were able (in a week) to work from anywhere very efficiently and effectively, he said. To make that pivot so quickly, I am so proud of everyone here. It also meant increasing communication with their clients and families of those clients. Honestly, we looked at the COVID White House Task Force and, aside from any politics, we saw that, every day, they were getting up in front of the country, explained DAquila. They were speaking with us. We took a page out of that (task force) book and decided we had to be speaking (to clients) every day. At first, business took a hit. Many clients decided to discontinue services, concerned about having someone come into their homes from the outside and possibly increase the chances of infection. Other clients suddenly found themselves with other options for caregivers family members, who were either working from home or laid off from their jobs, were now in a position to care for their elderly relatives. DAquila describes the last few months for Assisted Living Services as being akin to the stock market. When the pandemic first hit, stocks dipped significantly. However, over the last several weeks and months, the numbers have been quickly climbing. For Assisted Living Services, their personal climb back started sometime in June. Thats when the stats started to come out about what was happening at nursing homes, said DAquila, referencing the high percentage of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Connecticut that have been directly related to state nursing homes. I think those numbers, they really hit home for people. They really began to resonate. Because Assisted Living Services specializes in longer homecare stints, with caregivers staying with clients anywhere from eight to 24 hours at a time. DAquila and his staff could show that their services were able to keep infection rates very low. After that, business once again began to pick up. It is amazing, said DAquila. I thought, honestly, when the pandemic first hit, it would take us a year to get back to where we were (before March). Right now, we are doing better than ever. Yet, despite the company doing well, it is anything but business as usual. Assisted Living has approximately 600 overall employees, and each of their caregivers have had to undergo extensive training on how to properly put on and remove their PPE an important step for all, but especially for those who are caring for patients with COVID. We had some truly dedicated caregivers who agreed to care for patients with COVID. If you have someone with dementia, you cant isolate that person (until they recover from the illness). They need the care, he said. We would be communicating with our caregivers every day, he continued. Wed be checking in with them, asking how they feel, if they had taken their temperature. We know that privacy is important, but we were making sure they were safe every day without crossing any lines. Less than 1 percent of Assisted Living Services clients were treated for COVID, DAquila explained. As of now, the company is not caring for anyone who has been diagnosed with the disease. It was nerve wracking. This whole experience has been but we have been saying from the get-go, Guys, if we can get through this, we can get through anything, DAquila stated. As with most companies, much of what Assisted Living has instituted in terms of protocols will have a shelf life that likely wont last past the pandemic. However, certain innovations will be a part of the businesss model going forward, especially virtual communication. During the crisis, Assisted Living has relied on virtual communication for everything from conducting interviews to offering orientations for clients and their families. It has also provided the company a chance to conduct virtual consultations, and while DAquila states that in-person consultations, including home visits, will still be the norm, technology is making way for other options. Sometimes we are speaking with the daughter (of a client) and shes on the phone from California, said DAquila. In that case, you never get a chance to see her. Now, we can bring everyone in. We can have everyone on the (virtual) call, see everyone, right there. DAquila describes the last few months as rising from the ashes, crediting hard work, innovative strategies, and even a little bit of luck for how well the company is doing. In fact, as so many other businesses are struggling just to make ends meet, Assisted Living Services has been rewarding its staff and caregivers, including awarding 20 caregivers a $1,000 bonus, each, for their work during the pandemic, as well as a total of $60,000 in bonuses to those considered Platinum Caregiver Award winners. And early last month, even more good news arrived: Assisted Living Services has been named to the INC. 5000 Fastest-Growing Companies national list a prestigious ranking of private companies from all over the U.S. The Cheshire-based company is one of 36 Connecticut companies to make the list, and the only one in the health care industry to be included. It is really humbling to get this, said DAquila. It includes three years of performance, so we received this for everything weve done even before 2020. I think the type of company it takes to get on that list is the type of company that can get through this (pandemic), he continued. Thats why we were able to get out of (trouble) as quickly as we did, and its all about our staff and our amazing caregivers. They are the ship that takes us to where we need to go. If you would like to find out more about Assisted Living Services, as well as their Assisted Living Technologies featuring the latest advanced technology options for clients, visit their website at https://www.assistedlivingct.com. A picture of Babri Masjid taken prior to its destruction in December 1992, Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. (Photo | Frederick M. Asher - Britannica) Lucknow: A mosque that will come up in Ayodhya pursuant to the Supreme Court verdict in the Ram Janmabhoomi case will be of the same size as Babri Masjid, said an office-brearer of the trust formed for its construction. The five-acre complex in Ayodhya's Dhannipur village will also house a hospital, a library and a museum among others, the office-bearer said, adding that retired professor and noted food critic Pushpesh Pant will be consultant curator of the museum. "...the complex of the mosque, which will be built in Dhannipur, will also have facilities like a hospital, a museum at the Indo-Islamic Research Centre. The mosque will be on 15,000 square feet, while the rest of the land will have these facilities," Athar Hussain, the secretary and spokesperson of Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation (IICF), told PTI on Saturday. "Yesterday, noted food critic Pushpesh Pant gave his consent to curate the museum," Hussain said. The Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board has formed the Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation (IICF), a trust, for the construction of the mosque on the five-acre plot. Hussain said Professor S M Akhtar of Jamia Millia Islamia will be the consultant architect of the project. Akhtar, the Head of the Department of Architecture at Jamia Millia Islamia, told PTI earlier that the entire complex will "bring together the ethos of India and the spirit of Islam". The Uttar Pradesh government allotted the five-acre plot in Ayodhya''s Dhannipur village for the construction of the mosque on the directive of the Supreme Court. After a protracted legal tussle, the Supreme Court had on November 9 last year ruled in favour of the construction of a Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya, and directed the Centre to allot an alternative five-acre plot to the Sunni Waqf Board for building a new mosque at a "prominent" place in the holy town in Uttar Pradesh. The mosque in Ayodhya was demolished on December 6, 1992 by ''kar sevaks'' who claimed that an ancient Ram temple stood at the same site. Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the ''bhoomi pujan'' ceremony to begin the construction of the Ram temple on August 5. Finding Chika is an intimate, heartwarming and deeply personal story, one that will make both your heart and eyes tear up. Yes, its a sad book, yet it is full of hope. And only Mitch Albom can make the two co exist. He always writes with compassion and a deep understanding of the human condition in such beautiful prose that his stories eventually help us learn and grow along with him and become better humans. The lessons I learned with Morrie, an old professor, in Tuesdays with Morrie, Alboms earlier bestseller, are very different from the ones I learn from Chika, a young girl on whose life Finding Chika is based. Chika was born three days before the 2010 earthquake in Haiti and after spending her early years in desperate poverty, when her mother dies giving birth to her baby brother, she is brought to an orphanage that Albom runs in Haiti. Child of their heart He and his wife Janine take her to their home in Michigan when they realise that five-year-old Chika needs medical attention that isnt available in Haiti, hoping to find a cure for her debilitating condition a rare brain tumour. What follows is a fight to save this little girl who becomes a child of their heart. This is an awe-inspiring, touching telling of a childs life and that of parents who loved her and did whatever they could to try and save her. Mitch Albom is brutally honest and pulls no punches when telling this story and that is why this story will stay with you for a long time. When they lose her, tragically, and the couple are grieving, Chika begins to appear to Albom, urging him to share the story. Their story. Mitch tells the story as if he is talking to Chika and sharing his memories (as lessons learnt) with her. There is such a vivid description of characters, places and experiences that it makes you feel like you knew Chika, the vivacious, spunky little girl and you too were a part of her life. Plus, there is wisdom and quotes to last a lifetime, strewn in between these pages. This book has heartbreaking moments, but it also is heartwarming, tender and inspiring. And yes, the lessons Albom learns and shares are very real. Lessons about caring for a special needs child, the definition of family, unconditional love, loss and grief. In Mitch Alboms words: What we carry defines who we are. And the effort we make is our legacy. The final words: It is only when someone you love dies that you understand what it means to have lived, will bring out the tears. This one can be difficult to read at times. And despite knowing how it ends, you cant help but hope the story will turn out differently. Take my advice, keep some tissues handy as you read this one. And finally, I suggest buy this one and dont borrow as all profits from the sale of Finding Chika go to the support of the Have Faith Haiti Mission and Orphanage in Port-au-Prince. Kavita Devgan Mulan, a remake of the classic 1998 animated film, was added to Disney Plus streaming library on Sept. 3. Since its launch, the films premium access fee has been a source of confusion for many interested in watching the movie. Questions about the fee, and a few other aspects of the films presence on Disney Plus, have become some of the most popular search trends on Google. Here is everything you need to know about Mulan on Disney Plus, including how to watch and how much it costs. How to watch Mulan on Disney Plus You can sign up for Disney Plus on the streaming services website. It costs $6.99 per month, or $69.99 per year. However, through Nov. 2, in order to watch Mulan, Disney Plus users will have to make an additional $29.99 payment to unlock the film. Its unclear what happens after Nov. 2, but the film will not be released to all users until Dec. 4, according to Disney. Subscribers to the service also get unlimited access to almost all of Disneys shows and movies, as well as most content from Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic. Will Mulan be free on Disney Plus? Mulan will not be free for Disney Plus subscribers until it becomes available to everyone on Dec. 4. The only way to gain access to the film until then is to pay a premium $29.99 fee. Is Mulan only on Disney Plus? At this time, Mulan is only available on Disney Plus in the United States. The live action remake of the classic Disney film cannot be found on Netflix, Hulu, or any other subscription streaming service, and there is no indication that will change anytime soon. How long will Mulan be on Disney Plus? There is no end date for Mulan on Disney Plus, but you must purchase it by Nov. 2 if you want to watch it any time before Dec. 4. Who is in the Mulan movie cast? The cast of Mulan is led by Liu Yifei in the titular role, with the rest of the cast rounded out by Donnie Yen, Jason Scott Lee, Yoson An, Gong Li, Jet Li, Tzi Ma, and Rosalind Chao. How long is Mulan? The runtime of the Mulan remake is 1 hour, 55 minutes, about a half-hour longer than the original animated film. Here is the official trailer for Mulan on Disney Plus: RELATED STORIES ABOUT TV STREAMING PLATFORMS 5 hidden gems to watch on Disney Plus YouTube TV raises prices: Here are 4 alternative streaming services for cord-cutters FuboTV adds ESPN, ABC in huge move for cord-cutting sports fans Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Joseph Rejent may be reached at jrejent@njadvancemedia.com. The food banks mobile pantry program in Grand Island helped about 400 households a month before COVID-19, Barks said. Now its closer to 1,000. As many tools that we can get in our tool box, we need it all, he said. After the tour, Perdue said the $4 billion third round of the Farmers to Families Food Box Program began Tuesday without delays. The program provides fresh produce, dairy and meat products to those in need. Early on, we had to have all the is dotted and ts crossed; it was rather a cumbersome application, Perdue said. We learned to help people who want to help us. Help them get through all those federal regulations in the applications. Ricketts spokesman said Friday that the governor stands by his decision to not extend emergency supplemental food assistance beyond July. A federal coronavirus relief bill allowed states to boost SNAP benefits to the maximum level for all recipients. Nebraska did so for March through July but did not join the other 49 states in offering the additional aid for August. Thirteen states, including Iowa, have already applied to continue through September. Additional Sessions Judge Vinod Yadav said it was 'gross negligence' on the part of the investigating officer and he should have been 'watchful' since enough time had elapsed in the matter New Delhi: A court in Delhi on Saturday pulled up an investigating officer of Delhi Police for failing to file replies to bail applications in a case related to the alleged murder of a head constable during the February riots, saying he was dealing with an important matter in a "very callous" way. Communal clashes had broken out in northeast Delhi on 24 February after violence between citizenship law supporters and protesters spiralled out of control leaving at least 53 people dead and around 200 injured. The court was hearing separate bail applications of Sahil, Adil, Mohd Furqan and Imran Ansari, who are accused in the case related to the alleged murder of Head Constable Ratan Lal during the violence in Dayalpur area in the city's northeast part in February. Adil had filed his bail application on 3 July, Sahil and Furqan on 23 July and Ansari on 27 August. Additional Sessions Judge Vinod Yadav said the replies to the bail pleas have not been filed by the investigating officer (IO), despite an undertaking from him on the last date of hearing. The judge said it was "gross negligence" on the part of the IO in the case and he should have been "watchful" since enough time had elapsed in the matter. Earlier, the IO had taken an undertaking to file the reply in the matter with an advance copy to the counsel for the accused. "The reply in the matter has not been filed by the IO despite the undertaking on the last date of hearing. This is a gross negligence on part of the IO. This is such an important matter for the Crime Branch and the same is being dealt with by the IO in a very callous and indolent manner. Today, seven matters were kept for two entire sessions, the court said in its order. "The IO should have been watchful that already enough time has elapsed in the matter. The bail application has been pending for a fairly long time," it said. The court has put up the matter for further hearing on 14 September. The federal Health Department has refused to release minutes from meetings of the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee, the peak group of medical officers providing health advice to Prime Minister Scott Morrison and the premiers during the pandemic. The decision prompted the chair of the Senate's COVID-19 inquiry, Labor's Katy Gallagher, to warn public confidence in pandemic restrictions would wane unless there is greater transparency about the health advice being supplied to national cabinet. "I think there is a political overlay to it, because it all gets funnelled through national cabinet and is approved by politicians before the public is allowed to access that information," Senator Gallagher, a former chief minister of the ACT, said. "I think there is a political overlay to it," said Labor senator Katy Gallagher, who chairs the Senate's COVID-19 inquiry. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen "There is a lot of secrecy at a time when a select few people are asking us to wholesale change our lives. I think people's patience with living under those kinds of arrangements is going to wear thin, without the underpinning of the evidence." (Newser) Think the 2020 election will go smoothly? Over 500,000 mail-in ballots were rejected in the primaries. President Trump is urging absentee voters to vote twice. The USPS drama got Congress involved. Now, with such omens lurking, CNN reports on "realistic scenarios" in which Trump or Joe Biden could win the Electoral College by a hair. The last 1-vote election was 1876an incredibly contentious event that led to the end of Reconstructionbut 2-vote scenarios or even a 269-269 tie aren't hard to imagine in 2020: story continues below Trump holds his 2016 states, except Pennsylvania and Michigan. He wins, 270-268. Biden takes the Clinton states plus Wisconsin, Michigan, Arizona, and Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District. He wins, 270-268. Trump keeps his 2016 states, except Arizona and Florida, and wins New Hampshire. He wins, 270-268. Biden holds the Clinton states along with Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona, and Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District. Again, it's 270-268. A 269-269 tie? I could happen in many ways, like the above scenarios with the other candidate winning Nebraska's 2nd District. In that case, the House chooses the president. For deeper dives into swing state madness, check out the New York Times (it's interactiveyou can drag swing states into each candidate's victory circle) or Five Thirty-Eight 's look at how swing states have trended since 2000. (Or see Michael Moore's warning to Democrats .) Hugo Sanchez has been one of the more critical voices of Lionel Messi over the last couple of weeks. The Argentine handed in a transfer request at Barcelona, only to announce he'd be staying for another season later on. "Messi has had no choice but to stay at Barcelona due to the bad assessment of his father and his lawyers," Sanchez said on ESPN. "They could've saved that burofax that damaged his image within the club. "The burofax only caused him a headache because there was no team that was going to pay the 700 million euro release clause. "He could have avoided that release clause fee by sending his decision to leave on time and then leaving Barcelona without paying a single euro. "Now he's got no choice but to suck it up for a year, for 10 or 11 months. "The necessary time until he can leave for free." This is one political lesson that President Trump never had to be taught. And Democrats are right to kick him for it. But they have their own version of it, too. Harris saw her opportunities and took them even if it meant attacking the one man on the debate stage who perhaps among the entire field has worked longest and hardest for minority and women's rights. Swoop airline is pulling more than a dozen weekly flights from John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport and moving them to Pearson International Airport as the low-cost carrier has decided to begin operating out of Toronto in late October. Swoops eight flights a week to and from Abbotsford, B.C. and six flights a week to and from Halifax will cease on Oct. 23 at Hamiltons airport. The only Canadian flights remaining at the Hamilton airport after Oct. 23 will be Swoops eight weekly flights to and from Edmonton and WestJets 10 flights a week to and from Calgary. Swoops flights from Hamilton to U.S. destinations are also not operating. Its really unfortunate to see this news because we know theyve been successful here, said Dina Carlucci, director of business development and customer experience for the Hamilton airport. We worked with them to build out their new brand in the low-cost airline space and they were successful at it here. I am hopeful that they would see the value of returning to Hamilton in a bigger way, Carlucci added. Its where they started their service, its where they established their service and had good success at doing that. Swoop, a subsidiary of WestJet, began flying from Hamilton in June 2018. Beginning Oct. 25, Swoop will operate flights from Toronto to nine destinations, including Edmonton, Abbotsford, Kelowna, Halifax, Cancun, Montego Bay and three U.S. cities. The decisions on schedule and service are based on Swoops recovery plans and are indicative of the demand that we are seeing, Swoop spokesperson Larissa Mark stated in an email to The Spectator. Swoop is exploring every avenue that will allow us to bring affordable travel to more Canadians, which could see the schedule potentially adjust to changing demand. We will continue to serve the John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport as we feel this is a market that has served Swoop well and still holds opportunities for us, Mark added. We are thankful for the continued support of the John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport now and during our first two years of operation. Its another devastating blow to Hamiltons airport, which has already seen a massive drop in passenger traffic this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Passenger traffic at the Hamilton airport between April to August was down 85 per cent over the same time last year. About 63,000 passengers flew in and out of Hamilton between April and August this year compared to about 420,000 during the same period last year. From the start of the year through August, there have been 272,000 passengers at the Hamilton airport. Nearly one million passengers used the airport in all of 2019. Its a tremendous impact to our business, Carlucci said. The COVID-19 pandemic has had unfortunate widespread impacts on our industry across the board and now we at Hamilton International Airport are feeling that as well. Carlucci said airlines are now having difficulty making plans longer than 30 days in advance because of the uncertainty surrounding air travel. Their ability to plan further than that is almost non-existent because theyre just trying to weather the storm the pandemic has left behind, said Carlucci. In January, Swoop had announced it was going to add flights from Hamilton to St. Johns, N.L., Moncton and Charlottetown this summer but the pandemic put those plans on hold. In the summer of 2019, the airlines reputation took a hit when a number of flights into and out of Hamilton were cancelled, leaving angry passengers in the lurch. In addition to the Edmonton flights, Swoop will operate once-weekly flights from Hamilton to Montego Bay from Sept. 19 to Oct. 24. Air Transat will continue to offer once-weekly flights from Hamilton to Cancun, Punta Cana and Varadero beginning Dec. 19 while Sunwing will be flying to sunshine destinations beginning Nov. 20. SATURDAY PUZZLE I thought I was detecting a theme where there should be none. It is Saturday, isnt it? These days its hard to tell sometimes. But there is a repeated combo, ER, that keeps popping up at the ends of the answers here. It brings to mind those workhorses, the makers and doers: the BUTCHER, BAKER, TINKER (TINKERER?). The answers ending in ER, even though they dont necessarily relate to jobs, are certainly weight-bearing words, and what better time for them than Labor Day weekend? Solvers, I must commend you as a community. You were all so fun and welcoming the first time I filled in on Wordplay. Naturally, then, I was thrilled at the chance to return when our fearsome leaders granted Caitlin Lovinger a weekend off. No, friends, this time she is not on assignment, and she is most emphatically not locked in the trunk of my fin-de-siecle Passat, beating her fists and fuming (well, maybe just until deadline). So, onward. Saturday puzzles are usually a lot like life: nasty, brutish and taxing, to torture a phrase. This one was a bit breezier than the norm, with its share of both evocative clues and hilarious ones, and a lot of fresh phrases. To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. The White House has ordered federal agencies to end taxpayer-funded diversity training for employees about critical race theory or white privilege, calling them divisive, un-American propaganda sessions. It has come to the Presidents attention that Executive Branch agencies have spent millions of taxpayer dollars to date training government workers to believe divisive, anti-American propaganda, Russell Vought, director of the White Houses Office of Management and Budget (OMB), wrote in the memo. He went on to direct agencies to begin to identify all contracts or other agency spending related to any training on critical race theory, white privilege, or any other training or propaganda effort that teaches or suggests either (1) that the United States is an inherently racist or evil country or (2) that any race or ethnicity is inherently racist or evil. The OMB will issue more detailed guidance shortly. Also read: Jacob Blake pleads not guilty to charges prior to Kenosha shooting The memo comes amidst a national discussion about racism triggered by the killing of George Floyd, an African American man, by a white police officer in Minneapolis in May. While President Donald Trump has condemned the incident, he has denied there is systemic racism in the country and has opposed Black Lives Matter and defended the police. He has used anti-racism protests and unrest to the protests to stoke fears of lawlessness, seeking it to tie it to Democrats and Joe Biden, their presidential nominee, more specifically. Jacob Blake, the black man whose shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin, added another flashpoint to the unrest, pleaded non-guilty on Friday in a virtual appearance in a court hearing charges of sexual assault and disorderly conduct stemming from a complaint filed by an ex-girlfriend prior to the shooting. Blake survived the shooting but is paralyzed waist down. Amid the national debate on racism, a professor at the prestigious George Washington University in Washington has admitted to pretending to be black for years. To an escalating degree over my adult life, I have eschewed my lived experience as a white Jewish child in suburban Kansas City under various assumed identities within a Blackness that I had no right to claim, Jessica A Krug, who is white, wrote in an online post. First North African Blackness, then US rooted Blackness, then Caribbean rooted Bronx Blackness. Krug teaches African and Latin American studies. The university has said she will not be teaching while her case is being reviewed. The scene along the Silicon Docks in Dublin city centre is so quiet that you can't even hear the familiar drone of traffic on a grey Wednesday morning. There are more seagulls and swans milling about than software engineers and tech workers, and most of the coffee shops have only one or two customers. There are lights on in the vast gleaming Google complex that straddles Barrow Street, but almost everybody seems to be at home, bar a few security guards at the entrance. Thousands of Google staff have been told that they can work from home until the middle of next year. Expand Close Karl Purdy with Jessica Demelas and Martino Perlini in the Coffeeangel branch at the Exchange Building in the IFSC. Photo: Frank McGrath / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Karl Purdy with Jessica Demelas and Martino Perlini in the Coffeeangel branch at the Exchange Building in the IFSC. Photo: Frank McGrath The work-from-home message is even stronger at the Twitter offices on nearby Fenian Street. Jack Dorsey, the social media corporation's chief executive, sent out a company-wide email in the summer informing employees that they can work from home "forever". Other multinationals employing thousands of staff in Dublin do not expect them to be back in their offices until after Christmas at the earliest. No wonder the docklands and Dublin's central business districts seem almost deserted. The opportunity to work from home is being billed as one of the few positive side effects of the spread of Covid-19. It may be seen as a perk by some, but to others it is a curse. We are now realising that it comes at a heavy cost to the small businesses and employees who provide services to the 235,000 office staff who worked in Dublin city centre before the coronavirus. Coffee shop owners, hairdressers, restaurateurs, sandwich makers, cleaners, taxi drivers are all part of this economy that depends on office workers, and they have watched their trade almost vanish. Small business owners miss the hubbub of vast numbers of employees coming and going, and taking lunch breaks, as well as the social life built around office life. Expand Close An empty street on Dublin's quay. Photo: Frank McGrath / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp An empty street on Dublin's quay. Photo: Frank McGrath Shane Boyd, who runs the Natural Cut hair salon on Wicklow Street, says: "I look out the window at lunchtime and it is no different to any other time of the day. There just aren't many people around. "Luckily I have loyal customers, but local businesses are being hammered by the absence of office workers." What really spooks traders in the city centre is the fear that a lot of this business will never return, even when the pandemic subsides. Dublin Town, a trade body representing city centre businesses, estimates that just 25pc of the office workers who make their living in Dublin city centre have returned to their offices. It is now being widely forecast that thousands of workers may never go back to offices, or if they do, they will still spend much of their time working at home. Adrian Cummins, chief executive of the Restaurants Association of Ireland, does not mince his words as he describes the plight of many of his members. "Large urban centres are dead, dead and dead," he says. "There is no footfall and there are no customers. It's an eerie ghost town feeling." 'Broken heart' The latest casualty was the Shack Restaurant in Temple Bar, which closed for good on Monday. Owner David Ellis issued an emotional statement on social media: "With a broken heart and deep regret, I have to let you know that my wonderful restaurant of 25 years has not survived the turbulence of Covid-19." Walking through the docklands, it was noticeable that many businesses remained closed by Wednesday of this week. In the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC), the Ely Wine Bar and Grill, popular among workers for celebrations through boom and bust, remained closed and weeds were growing on the terrace. The normally bustling Munchies sandwich bar nearby was also shut. Many businesses across the city centre are struggling to survive, and there are doubts about whether they have the resources to trade for many more weeks. The key question among the owners of these businesses - and indeed across the entire Dublin business community - is whether the office workers will come back in sufficient numbers to revive the city centre. With thousands absent from office blocks, Karl Purdy, the owner of the Coffeeangel chain of coffee shops, says: "I don't expect things ever to return to normal. Pandora's Box has been opened. "While working from home doesn't suit everyone, it will suit some people and that will change the situation in the city centre. There is a whole new world order coming and it is up to us to adapt." At the IFSC branch of Coffeeangel, trade has fallen by 65pc this year. While it may be premature to write off the office as the beating heart of the service economy, business analysts are certainly questioning its future. In the 19th and 20th centuries, large groups of employees had to gather in rows and cubicles in expensive city centre buildings. But is there still a need for it in the age of Zoom, and what happens to the workers who support this service economy? A report by Deloitte, the consultants, would not have provided much comfort to those who hope that the home working boom is a temporary Covid-19 phenomenon, and that all will return to normal once a vaccine is in circulation. The report suggests rents will fall and vacancies in office buildings will rise as occupiers rethink their post-Covid needs to reflect more working from home, and in some cases employ fewer staff. Large employers in Dublin "will no doubt seek to establish more permanent remote-working protocols and structures", the report predicts. "This will ultimately reduce headcount... as more flexible working practices for staff become the norm and companies seek to reduce what is a large operating expenditure, reducing floor space requirements," Deloitte says. Offices will not disappear, but some of them will serve a different function. The report envisages that offices will become "destination workplaces". These will be "used primarily for client and staff engagement, training programmes and the most 'collaborative' elements of work". Under this scenario, staff would not commute every day to their workplaces to perform routine tasks that could be carried out at home on a computer. Instead, they would travel to the office for important face-to-face meetings. One of the difficulties for employers is that if they plan to bring their staff back to offices, they will actually need more space to comply with social distancing protocols. Hybrid model of working That is why many workplaces are considering a hybrid model where staff come in two or three days a week and work from home for the rest of the time. The exodus from the city centre is not just a Dublin phenomenon - office workers have performed a similar vanishing act in cities such as New York and London. As businesses shut up shop, offices keep their workers at home and wealthy residents move away, the New York Times has carried such panic-stricken headlines as "Is New York City 'Over'?" In Britain, the disappearing office worker and the resulting threat to city centre life has become a major issue - a BBC study found that 50 major employers had decided not to bring back all their staff to the office. There have already been heavy casualties on the high street. The sandwich chain Pret a Manger, which relies on a lunchtime work crowd, announced recently it was closing 30 outlets and cutting 1,000 jobs because of plummeting demand. There seem to be mixed messages from governments about whether employees should be encouraged to return to the office. A few days ago, it was reported that the British government would mount a major campaign to encourage workers to pack their laptop bags and leave home in the mornings again. According to the Daily Telegraph, this was expected to extol the virtues of returning to the workplace, making the "emotional case" for mixing with colleagues and highlighting the benefits to mental health. But this drive stalled amid fears that a mass return might not comply with social distancing requirements. Earlier in the summer, many companies in Dublin and elsewhere had made plans to bring workers back to offices by the beginning of September. But as cases of Covid-19 rose and lockdowns were introduced in three midland counties in August, the government advised that "people should work from home unless it is absolutely essential for them to attend in person". Graeme McQueen of Dublin Chamber says: "There was a bit of frustration in the business community about that announcement. "A lot of companies had been working very hard to welcome back staff - and some had already come back. All of a sudden people were told that they would have to stay at home again." It is now expected that more employees will move back this month if the back-to-school phase has run smoothly. Staff returning to their offices will find one-way systems, hand sanitiser stations, as well as more cubicles and plastic screens. Starting times may be staggered, and there should be greater distances between desks. But most observers believe the process is likely to be slow. Richard Guiney, chief executive of Dublin Town, predicts that occupancy in city centre offices is likely to be only 40pc by Christmas. The pandemic has already left scars across the centre of the city with the closure of stores such as Debenhams, Oasis, Warehouse and Accessorise. "Independent retailers in Dublin are losing money and now it is a question of how long they can sustain that," says Guiney. "My greatest fear is that after Christmas there is no improvement in the situation and people may make the decision to close." Since the pandemic emptied office blocks, there have been debates among bosses and employees about the merits of home working. Who does it benefit, and does it stifle the kind of creativity that can come with collaboration? Employers who favour remote working will see the obvious savings from reducing their requirement for commercial property, but they may be tied in to leases. Contrasting experiences Employees have had contrasting experiences. While some enjoy the fact that they are not spending hours every day commuting and are making savings on childcare and commuting, others struggle in cramped conditions, and have found it hard to look after children while trying to work. Peter Cosgrove, founder of the Future of Work Institute and a former director of the recruitment firm CPL, believes employees should be wary of remote-working initiatives. "It helps organisations rather than employees," he says. "They can reduce real estate costs, and they find that certain people are no longer needed. "I believe that in the next six months, there will be a huge number of job losses. It's a lot easier to fire someone you don't see than someone you do see. The reality is that the people who are more likely to be let go are those working from home." He adds: "When companies find that they can get somebody to do the job one hour away, they'll consider if they can get somebody to do it 6,000 miles away for 20pc of the cost." Most observers agree that a permanent result of the pandemic will be a growth of home working, but that does not necessarily spell the end of the office and a vibrant city centre. Doom-laden predictions Cosgrove is sceptical about doom-laden predictions of the death of the city, as we all supposedly dream of living in a rural idyll. "The global trend of the last 50 years has been for people to move to cities rather than away from them," he says. "There is a real attraction to the excitement of city life, and in the long term people will want to return to that." Decrying those who are writing off New York, the comedian Jerry Seinfeld recently summed up the attractions of city life in a different way. In an article in the New York Times, he said: "Energy, attitude and personality cannot be 'remoted' through even the best fiber optic lines," he said. "Real, live, inspiring human energy exists when we coagulate together in crazy places like New York City." Graeme McQueen of Dublin Chamber says the sudden growth of remote working confirms a trend that was already there. He believes the city has to adapt to changing circumstances. "The pandemic highlights the fact that the long-term future of the centre is as a place where people live as well as work," he says. "We don't want it just to be a retail, restaurant, cafe and office ring with people living outside that. We should have people living off Grafton Street and Henry Street. "If you look at the roots of Georgian Dublin, it was all about people living in the heart of the city. We should want to get back to that." Katie Cantwell, owner of the KC Peaches chain of restaurants, says: "The situation in the city centre for businesses is pretty dire. My fear is that we could be losing the amazing vibe and dynamic atmosphere that we have in the city." She expresses concern that independent businesses will close, or that there will be a Starbucks or McDonald's on every corner, because they are the only businesses that survive. "We have to do everything we can to ensure that doesn't happen." New Delhi, Sep 5 : Terming the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 as a revolutionary reform of the 21st century, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar on Saturday expressed confidence that India would double the Gross Enrolment Ratio within the next 10 years from about 25 per cent at present. Wider geographical spread of higher education institutions, especially covering rural areas, and increased demand would be the critical factors that will help improve the Gross Enrolment Ratio in India, Javadekar said while delivering the key-note address at the Centenary Year Teachers' Day celebrations by Parle Tilak Vidyalay Association of Mumbai through a video link. The Information and Broadcasting Minister said that students across the country have become aspirational and economic growth had pushed parental earnestness to provide good education to their children. The Minister began his address by referring to Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak's views on education as the means of creating awareness and said that early childhood education, enquiry-based education, teacher training, and foundational and numeric literacy, have all been stressed upon. About the NEP 2020, the Minister said it will make both teaching and learning an enjoyable experience and also empower our youths. He said that the new policy lays emphasis on foundational and numerical literacy, and that institutions like the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) will ensure access to education for all. Javadekar underlined the importance of Early Childhood Education as the main characteristic of NEP, saying that "the 3-8 age group is to build cognitive skills, curiosity and mental capacity". He also said that education with subject understanding is important rather than rote learning. "While activity-based learning is emphasised in the early stages, education in Classes 9 to 12 will focus on detailed, relevant and new knowledge, which will induce development of scientific temper among the children." Javadekar said that research and innovation are the keys to enable Indian education mould globally-competitive citizens. He said that 3,000 'Atal Tinkering Labs' are running successfully to encourage research-based innovations, which is essential for building an 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'. Speaking about the role of teachers in society, the Minister said: "A teacher does not simply teach through books or black boards. Ideal teacher is the one who instils values in students through his or her conduct." "A four-year integrated B.Ed degree is being introduced to provide a holistic training programme for teachers, which will include practical teaching skills," said the Minister, adding it will encourage teachers to become teachers by choice and not as the last resort. Recalling his days as the then HRD Minister, he said that 13-14 subject experts had worked with great sincerity and zeal under the leadership of Dr K Kasturirangan. By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan would have dropped out of school in Class V had it not been for the support of two teachers. Pinarayi remembered them in an emotional Facebook post on Teachers' Day. "At a time when education was neither considered important nor was easily accessible, I had considered ending studies after Class five in order to pursue some vocation," Pinarayi said. He added that such a move was quite natural during those times. "Govindan 'maash' (sir) asked my mother to allow me to study. My mother agreed and I could continue my studies. But I was not sure till when I could continue my schooling," he said. Pinarayi remembered that Shankaran Munshi 'maash', an upper primary school teacher, told his mother that her son should be allowed to continue studies till he fails. This condition ensured that my schooling continued uninterrupted, he said. The Chief Minister said that like him, many people of his generation are indebted to teachers for their sincere support. He acknowledged the hard work and dedication of teachers in enabling the state to earn the feat of total literacy. Pinarayi said that during the present COVID times too, teachers are working hard to ensure that education of children is not disrupted. "Let's thank the teaching community on the occasion of Teachers' Day. Let us wish that they get further motivated to strive harder in their service to the nation," Pinarayi said. Pub owners in inner-city Paddington are split over plans to heritage list seven of the suburb's historic watering holes. Woollahra Municipal Council has proposed adding the Bellevue Hotel, Grand National Hotel, The London Hotel, The Paddington, Paddington Inn Hotel, Imperial Hotel and Unicorn Hotel as "heritage items" to a local environmental plan. The Bellevue Hotel is one of seven pubs in Paddington that has been proposed for heritage listing. Credit:Steven Siewert Imperial Hotel publican Hugh Clarke said there was "a lot of uncertainty" around the proposed heritage listing, which is on public exhibition. "Will there be a plan to advance and assist the pubs or just add unworkable compliance on future renovations and developments?" he said. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A 19-year-old man was arrested after shooting a woman in the leg Monday night, police said. Michael Lewis, who according to police does not have a set address, was arrested Thursday in connection to the incident in West Brighton, an NYPD spokesman said. Officers responded to the shooting at 1075 Castleton Ave. just around 11:10 p.m., police previously told the Advance/SILive.com. The victim, who was shot in the left leg, was transported to Richmond University Medical Center in West Brighton in stable condition, the spokesman said. Lewis is the womans boyfriend, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation. He is facing several charges including criminal possession of a firearm and two counts of assault, an NYPD spokesman said. The 19-year-old man was arraigned in Criminal Court in St. George on Friday, when a judge issued an order of protection against Lewis. He is being held on $350,000 bail, according to public records. Lewis pleaded not guilty, his lawyer Kevin Patrick McKernan said. We deny all these charges and we feel confident that after a complete investigation my client will be exonerated, McKernan said. Lewis is due back in court on Sept. 9, records show. NYPD MAKES SERIES OF ARRESTS Lewis apprehension is part of a series of arrests police made in just about 72 hours in connection with several shootings that occurred in the North Shore over the summer. On Friday, the NYPD tracked down a man in Pennsylvania in connection to the homicide of Barry Moultrie, 35, who was killed near the intersection of Castleton Avenue and Baker Street on July 22 at around 11:25 a.m., a source with knowledge of the investigation told the Advance/SILive.com. Police also arrested and charged a 16-year-old boy in connection with a shooting that took place on July 26 at approximately 3:30 p.m. outside of 225 Park Hill Ave., police said. Authorities allege that the boy approached the victim and shot him before fleeing the scene. Police said the victim was transported to Staten Island University Hospital in Ocean Breeze following the incident. The 16-year-old boy is facing several charges, including attempted murder. Another teen was also arrested on Friday in connection with an August shooting in West Brighton. Daniel Falcon, 18, allegedly fired several shots near the intersection of Alaska Street and Castleton Avenue on Aug. 18, activating ShotSpotter technology in the area, a spokesman for the NYPD said. No one was harmed in the incident. Mali's military junta began talks with opposition groups on Saturday on its promise to hand power back to civilians, after mounting pressure from neighbouring countries in the weeks since it overthrew the nation's leader. The West African country has long been plagued by instability, a simmering jihadist revolt, ethnic violence and endemic corruption, prompting a clique of rebel soldiers to detain president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita last month. They pledged to step down after a transition period, but the putsch has prompted Mali's neighbours and former colonial ruler France to demand a swift transfer of power to civilian rule, with fears the crisis could impact neighbouring states. The talks in Bamako are being held under junta chief Assimi Goita but he was not present Saturday, a military source said. Supporters of the junta celebrate during a demonstration in Bamako at the start of talks. By MICHELE CATTANI (AFP) "Since August 18, we are charting a new history for our country," junta number two Malick Diaw told the opening session. The summit was originally planned for last weekend but was called off at the last minute after a quarrel between the military and the June 5 Movement, which spearheaded the protests that led to the toppling of president Keita. The opposition coalition of civil and religious leaders has demanded that the military rulers give it a role in the transition to civilian rule, but was not invited for the transition talks last Saturday. It was then included for the rescheduled talks, along with political parties, former rebels, unions, civil society organisations and media representatives. However, a mostly Tuareg coalition of armed rebel groups known as the Coordination of Movements of Azawad (CMA) was not present on Saturday. Mali has long been plagued by chronic instability, a simmering jihadist revolt, ethnic violence and endemic corruption, prompting a clique of rebel colonels to take charge last month. By ANNIE RISEMBERG (AFP) The National Committee for the Salvation of the People (CNSP), as the junta is known, said parallel talks were taking place in regional capitals, led by regional governors. But in Kidal, a city controlled by the CMA, "consultations were postponed for lack of compromise between the CNSP and the CMA," an administrative official told AFP on Saturday. The CMA, which signed a peace accord with Keita's government in 2015, said in a statement that it expected "the implementation of the agreement resulting from the Algiers process with the previous government to remain in force". The 2015 peace deal was meant to disarm rebel groups and integrate them into the national army, but its implementation has dragged on for years despite international pressure. Closed borders The CNSP said members of the Malian diaspora would also have their say in this weekend's talks. One of the key issues will be the length of the transition to civilian rule. Originally the junta proposed a three-year transition, before bringing that down to two years. The June 5 Movement has said it wants a transition period of 18 to 24 months. The 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) regional bloc, which has imposed sanctions and closed borders to Mali as part of efforts to press the junta into handing over power quickly, has called for elections within 12 months. West African leaders will meet via videoconference on Monday with the Mali situation at the top of their agenda. Keita, who is under house arrest in Bamako, is preparing to leave Mali after being treated at a hospital this week for a mini-stroke, sources told AFP. Keita may now head to the United Arab Emirates for further treatment, they said. Going to College is a four-part podcast series, presented by Sinead Ryan, that will help you prepare for some nerve-wracking - and exciting - weeks ahead. From the Leaving Cert results to CAO offers and then going to college in a time of Covid, its stressful and life-changing, but this series will help with practical advice, tips and insights from experts in the area. For the first episode, the focus is on the Leaving Cert results that are out on Monday and Sinead was joined by Katherine Donnelly, Education Editor of the Irish Independent, Dr. Padraig Walsh, CEO of Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) and Reuban Murray, a Leaving Cert student and President of the Irish Second Level Schools Union. The panel discussed the issue around the calculated grades system, welcoming the governments late decision to drop the controversial use of schools' past performance in the Leaving Cert as a key measure in the process for calculating grades for 2020. Reuban described it as a particularly surreal and unusual year for him and the thousands of other Leaving Cert students around Ireland admitting that there are definitely more nerves this time around. Its all been moving very fast, its been a very stressful time, he said. But were now in the home stretch and we can start to see the end. People can start to move on to the next stage of their lives which is a positive. Katherine Donnelly cautioned that results day is only the start of the process over the next few weeks but admitted that some students will be unhappy come Monday. Unfortunately, some students will be disappointed, but that happens every year, she said. Meanwhile, QQIs Padraig Walsh welcomed the additional 1,250 places on certain high-demand courses that were announced by the Minister for Higher Education, Simon Harris. Points go up and down every year, it depends on supply and demand, he said. And if everyones score goes up it will still be difficult to get in to the high demand courses. Dont forget to listen and subscribe to the entire series on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Independent.ie. The Going to College series is in association with QQI. Parents & Students Helpline As the Leaving Cert results are released on Monday, the annual National Parents Council Helpline 1800 265 165 will be open to offer advice and support to students and parents. It will be staffed by members of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors, who will provide a one-to-one service to callers. The helpline, which will run until Wednesday 16th September, is sponsored by the Department of Education and the Irish Independent/Independent.ie and is supported by Susi and the GAA. WHY I DONT WRITE And Other Stories By Susan Minot Susan Minots 1989 collection, Lust: And Other Stories, is just under 150 pages long. Its dozen stories contain flashes of the Brat Pack (Ellis, McInerney) and high 80s minimalism (Hempel, Robison), but Minots skittering lyricism is all her own: Roger was fast. In his illegal car, we drove to the reservoir, the radio blaring, talking fast, fast, fast. He was always going for my zipper. He got kicked out sophomore year. Lust boasts a number of standout stories (Lust, Blow, The Feather in the Toque, A Thrilling Life) while a few are so minimal that a stiff breeze could blow them away. Still, the collection coheres powerfully, with even the minor pieces contributing enough to the overall experience that you wouldnt want to see them cut. One could say much the same of Minots second collection, which commands your attention from its impeccably wry (or is it sardonic?) title: Why I Dont Write. Both books are slender and spare, but Why I Dont Write is as quiet as Lust is loud. About that title: Its true that 10 stories in three decades is not very many and three of these were first published in the early 1990s but Minot has five novels, two screenplays, two stage plays and a poetry collection to her name. It is only the short story she has been avoiding, or perhaps taking her time with. The stories in Why I Dont Write are concerned with love, death, estrangement, loss and memory, which means that they are concerned with time itself. Occupied, set in 2011, follows an artist named Ivy on a tour of the encampment at Zuccotti Park. She moves simultaneously through the space smaller than shed pictured and through several strata of memory: 10 years ago, when she witnessed the attacks on the World Trade Center; 20 years ago, when she herself dabbled in activism. She looks for an erstwhile lover, a journalist who she suspects will be covering the protest. She spots him from afar but doubts herself, then later comes to doubt her doubt. She had not been hallucinating. It was exactly he. Her view of him had never been from a distance, it had always been up close. Malware main culprit for mobile ad fraud and airtime theft in South Africa according to Secure-D Posted by Publisher Telecommunication 18,000 different malicious apps active in SA in one year London, September 04, 2020 ? Nearly 1.7 million mobile subscribers are infected with mobile malware in South Africa alone, according to full year 2019 data by mobile security expert, Secure-D. According to the company, malware is the main culprit responsible for airtime theft and mobile ad fraud evident in the country, with 18,000 instances found on South African users? devices. Users are urged to be vigilant and take measures. How malware highjacks mobile devices Mobile malware can either be downloaded on the device by the user via an app or come pre-installed. Once activated on the device, mobile malware becomes part of a ?botnet? (short for robot network) of infected devices. These botnets, networks of malware-infused devices, are being remote-controlled at scale by a ?bot-herder?. In the case of mobile ad fraud, the malicious application visits websites, clicks on banner ads and simulates a real person going through a subscription or other Direct Carrier Billing purchase processes. It even overrides a two-step authentication process all the while remaining undetected by the user. The fraudsters? goal is to claim pay-outs from advertisers for bogus traffic. The result is unsolicited airtime charges with users being able to detect the early signs of a malware infection when they see their mobile data plan being rapidly depleted with no apparent reason. What is especially tricky about mobile malware is that it continues to operate without raising the suspicions of the user of the device. Tricks include making sure the app functions well even when malware runs in the background or ensuring that excessive battery drain doesn?t occur. Some apps change their name after they have been downloaded or remain totally out of sight i.e. they cannot be found at the homepage of a device with an app icon. The issue in South Africa In 2019 Secure-D detected a total of 1.69 million malware-infected devices in South Africa, spanning 18,000 different applications. Secure-D maintains a public global malware list at https://index.secure-d.io/ where the top malware threats in each market is being reported. Out of the thousands of different malware apps active in the country the top 25 most active in the period of June to August 2020 that are available through Google\-\-s Play Store are listed in the image*: https://www.realwire.com/writeitfiles/mobile-malware-south-africa.jpg The three worst offending apps in the country for the June to August 2020 period are: Shareit Sharing app with cross-platform transfer speed and free online feeds including movies, videos, music, wallpapers, GIFs. Vivavideo An app for editing photos and videos. It has been downloaded more than 100 million times worldwide, and Secure-D has blocked more than half a million fraudulent transactions originating from the app in South Africa alone. StatusSaver An app that shows users? statuses from four different apps and environments. Secure-D has been deployed in South Africa since late 2018 with the largest mobile network operators in the country covering 70 million mobile subscribers. According to Secure-D data for 2019 86% of the mobile transactions processed were fraudulent. During the full year 2019-end of August 2020 period Secure-D has processed more than 73 million mobile transactions, identifying and blocking a staggering 24K malicious apps that had infected over 2 million mobile devices. What users can do To avoid falling victim to unwanted purchases or lose pre-paid credit, Android users in particular should check their phones to see if they have any of the apps flagged as suspicious installed. If so, they should uninstall them immediately and review any new mobile airtime charges for possible fraud. Users wishing to protect themselves are advised that third-party app stores often apply less scrutiny for adverse code and odd behavior in listed applications, but even apps from official sources like Google Play can be compromised. Before any installation, users should check the app?s reviews, developer details, and list of requested permissions, making sure that they all relate to the app?s stated purpose. Head of Secure-D, Geoffrey Cleaves, commented: ?Malware can be responsible for creating millions of dollars of fraudulent revenue. It impacts consumers? pockets and mobile service experience by eating up their data, incurring unwanted charges, and affecting the performance of their phones. The mobile advertising fraud market is worth more than $40bn annually. Dressing up to appear as legitimate and often popular applications, undetected malware damages the industry?s reputation, leaving mobile operators and their customers exposed, picking up the tab.? Secure-D has assisted 31 mobile operators across 20 countries, covering nearly 700 million mobile users. In 2019, the platform blocked $2.1 billion worth of fraudulent transactions, improving the end-user experience and building customer loyalty on behalf of operators around the world. The platform?s clearing process ensures no customer is charged until the validity of each transaction can be verified. Upon the platform?s deployment user complains drop significantly, with the new measures saving customers tens of millions of dollars. Recently Secure-D found pre-installed malware on a number of handsets manufactured by leading Chinese phone manufacturer, Transsion. The model in question was the Tecno W20, a low-cost handset typically sold in South Africa and Asia. The investigation has received widespread coverage (see Chinese phones with built-in malware sold in Africa), with the issue affecting South Africa among other countries such as Egypt, Ethiopia, Cameroon, and Ghana. *Disclaimer: Data on mobile fraud presented on Secure-D sources is Secure-D?s proprietary data, resulting from campaigns monitored by Secure-D and generated by Secure- D?s proprietary platform in specific markets. For instances where a mobile app is shown by Secure-D index as malicious, we note that this may be a result of spoofing (meaning an act of disguising a communication from an unknown source as being from a known, trusted source) and that the actual app may not behave in a malicious or fraudulent way. We disclaim all liability resulting from any instances such as the above. New South Wales has reported five new coronavirus cases, including one in hotel quarantine and four linked to Sydney's CBD cluster. One of the new cases enjoyed drinks at Kuleto's Cocktail Bar in Newtown, in Sydney's inner-west, between 6.30pm and 9.30pm on August 28. Anyone who was at the venue for at least an hour during this period must get tested immediately and isolate until midnight on September 11, even if their test result is negative. One of the new cases attended Kuleto's Cocktail Bar (pictured) in Newtown, in Sydney's inner-west, between 6.30pm and 9.30pm on August 28 Anyone who was at the venue for at least an hour during this period must get tested immediately (pictured, people getting tested in Sydney on September 2) The venue has been closed for cleaning. The CBD cluster has now grown to 61 cases. A healthcare professional also tested positive for COVID-19, with that case due to be included in Sunday's figures. The health professional worked two shifts while they were potentially infections - including one at Concord Hospital emergency department on September 1. The worker was on shift between 2pm and midnight. They also worked at Liverpool Hospital's emergency department on September 3 from 8am to 6pm. The medical professional became unwell on September 4 and immediately got tested and isolated. A healthcare professional has also tested positive for COVID-19 - however NSW Health said in a statement that case will be reported in Sunday's figures (pictured, Liverpool Hospital where the healthcare worker worked while potentially infectious) They wore full personal protective equipment at all times while in contact with patients and a surgical mask at all other times. 'All patients and staff members who were in contact with the health professional are being contacted and advised to get tested and self-isolate,' NSW Health said. There were 30,339 coronavirus tests conducted in the last 24 hours, with 94 cases being treated in hospital. Six people are currently being treated in the intensive care unit. The health professional worked two shifts while they were potentially infections - including one at Concord Hospital (pictured) emergency department on September 1 People in the Sydney Metropolitan, Nepean Blue Mountains and Central Coast regions are urged not to visit loved ones in aged care facilities. 'This decision has been reached after careful consideration of the risks of COVID-19 being introduced into an aged care facility while the CBD cluster is brought under control,' NSW Health said. 'While we understand and acknowledge this will be difficult for many families on Fathers Day, our priority is to prevent the spread of the virus to the most vulnerable people in the community.' (Natural News) A communications professor has been put on leave after students became offended because he used the Chinese word for that which sounds like the n-word in English. (Article by Paul Joseph Watson republished from Summit.news) Yes, really. Greg Patton was conducting an online class for the University of Californias Marshall School of Business when the incident occurred. Patton was trying to explain how the Chinese word for that or that one, which is written as Nage and sounds similar to the n-word in English when pronounced, is used as a filler word like um is in English. I cannot believe this is real, but it is. This USC Professor is on leave after students were offended that a Chinese word he used during a lecture on foreign languages sounded like an english racial slur. Watch the video for yourself: pic.twitter.com/HkFPMEP5I2 Cabot Phillips (@cabot_phillips) September 3, 2020 Students immediately complained and Patton is now out of a job. Recently, a USC faculty member during class used a Chinese word that sounds similar to a racial slur in English. We acknowledge the historical, cultural and harmful impact of racist language, a statement from the university read. Patton has agreed to take a short term pause while we are reviewing to better understand the situation and to take any appropriate next steps. In other words, he will likely undergo a re-education course and if hes lucky enough to return the professor will know not to dare utter the word again. Ludicrously, the university also announced that it was offering supportive measures to any student, faculty, or staff member who requests assistance. Thats right, students in a language course are literally so precious, they cant bear to hear a common Chinese word because it sounds a bit similar to a completely unaffiliated racial slur. Clown world. Read more at: Summit.news The Gamasutra Job Board is the most diverse, active and established board of its kind for the video game industry! Here is just one of the many, many positions being advertised right now. Location: Berlin, Germany As a Game Engineer, you will be an essential member of one of our cross-platform game teams on mobile. Our ideal candidate is a team player who looks forward to working together with other engineers, product, and art team members to raise the bar in terms of quality. In addition, you will: Build high-quality games for mobile platforms Code in all areas of game development to make a complete product Actively participate in design and code reviews as well as in the mentorship of more junior team members One of our values is Sharing Knowledge. As part of our team, you will bring your knowledge and experience to the company, sharing both methods and best practices. We are currently looking for both Unity Game Developers and Senior Unity Game Developers to join our team, so lets talk about how can we influence each other's trajectories in a positive way! Who we are looking for You have been working with Unity on mobile game titles in a professional setting for at least 3 years You have experience working with big codebases and keeping them nice and clean You are a great team player and value collaboration over personal achievements You can translate complex product requirements into maintainable technical solutions You have a solid understanding of the different mobile platforms and their performance implications You are an expert in C# and have a strong understanding of patterns and architectural concepts You have experience with writing automated tests Ideally, you have experience creating tools and understand both art and content pipelines As English is our official language, no German skills are required. But well help you learn if you want to! Why you should join us Wooga is one of the top players in story-driven casual mobile games We nurture a strong focus on the quality of our products As our games are under constant development, you will be able to bring in your own ideas We are committed to our players and use machine learning for personalization You will have the chance to work with and learn from well-respected Unity experts We are a fast-paced and international environment (we have over 45 nationalities here at Wooga!) We offer an incredible range of benefits, including free in-house German lessons, an annual Educational Budget, regular professional development training opportunities, and much more Dont live in Berlin? We offer a comprehensive relocation package for you and your family! At Wooga we are committed to providing a friendly, safe and welcoming environment for everyone who works here or with us, regardless to gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age, religion (or lack thereof) and game preferences. Interested? Apply now. About the Gamasutra Job Board Whether you're just starting out, looking for something new, or just seeing what's out there, the Gamasutra Job Board is the place where game developers move ahead in their careers. Gamasutra's Job Board is the most diverse, most active, and most established board of its kind in the video game industry, serving companies of all sizes, from indie to triple-A. Looking for a new job? Get started here. Are you a recruiter looking for talent? Post jobs here. LUDINGTON, MI The former finance director of the Lake Michigan Car Ferry was sentenced Friday, Sept. 4, to five years, three months in prison for stealing $1.7 million from the company. Paul Patrick Piper, 58, of Ludington, stole the money over the course of 11 years. He pleaded guilty to bank fraud and tax evasion. U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker in Grand Rapids said the money Piper embezzled was a frightening number that caused substantial financial hardship to owners of the company that operates the SS Badger ferry. The ferry runs between Ludington and Manitowoc, Wisconsin. His greed caused significant financial damage to one of the largest employers in the Ludington, Michigan, area, U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge said in a statement. Piper took the money between 2007 and 2018. He would override account systems and write check to himself or two of his affiliated businesses. He would forge signatures of company owners or use a signature stamp without their authorization, the government said. Piper had worked for Lake Michigan Car Ferry and Pere Marquette Shipping for 25 years. He also owned Piper Tax & Accounting and another business. He also served as a trustee for Pere Marquette Township. Mr. Piper was well-respected in the Ludington community , attorney Matthew Borgula wrote in a sentencing memorandum. Regrettably, Mr. Piper took advantage of the Car Ferry starting in around 2007 in an effort to maintain a lifestyle for him and his family and support struggling business ventures. His family tax business has lost customers, which hurt his adult children working there. The strain on his family has been significant, his attorney said. Mr. Piper takes full responsibility for his actions, and for the trust he betrayed. Piper cooperated with authorities. He also agreed to pay $380,00 in penalties, far more the cost of restitution, his attorney said. The judge ordered Piper to pay $1,740,037.91 in restitution. He earlier forfeited a 2018 Ram Truck, a 2008 Glacier Bay recreational vehicle and cash. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald Stella said that the Car Ferry had to borrow money for operating expenses while Piper was embezzling. The facts and circumstances of the offense are particularly egregious, he said in court records. Stealing nearly two million dollars from a privately owned company over the course of almost 11 years is reprehensible. Doing so on hundreds of occasions and never stopping to reconsider your conduct is particularly egregious, especially when the embezzlement is occurring not out of necessity, but out of greed associated with remodeling a home, paying employees at your tax preparation business and starting a coffee shop on the backs of the hard-working employees of the Car Ferry. The Internal Revenue Services Criminal Investigation Division, the FBI and Mason County Sheriffs Department investigated. Read more: Police need to keep opposing protest groups separated, experts say after Proud Boys rally Relay team conquers Lake Michigan, swims Wisconsin to Ludington in under 21 hours 2 hospitalized after being ejected from off-road vehicle in rollover crash The inquest into the death of teenager Nora Quoirin has been adjourned until later this month. At a hearing yesterday, the coroner announced the postponement to enable two witnesses to testify at the inquest in Malaysia on September 14. Fourteen of the 64 witnesses listed for the inquest have so far given evidence since the proceedings began on August 24. Earlier this week Coroner Maimoonah Aid heard that no traces of drugs or pesticides were found in the system of the French-Irish schoolgirl, whose mum Meabh is from Belfast. Nora disappeared from her family's cottage at the Dusun eco-resort in southern Negeri Sembilan state on August 4 last year, sparking a massive search operation. The 15-year-old went missing just one day after she and her family arrived in Malaysia for a holiday. Her body was found on August 13 near a stream over a mile from the resort following a massive search conducted by the authorities. The inquest has also heard Nora was not sexually assaulted before her death, while a post-mortem examination ruled Nora died from internal bleeding in her intestine following a period of prolonged hunger and stress. The teenager passed away four days before she was eventually found by hikers helping with the search, the coroner was told. Police believe Nora simply wandered off and that there is no "criminal element" involved. However, Nora's parents have disputed that assessment, arguing that it was highly unlikely the girl - who was born with holoprosencephaly, a disorder which affects brain development - would have gone off alone. Previously the inquest heard Nora and her siblings were approached by a stranger at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. It also heard that eight fingerprints were lifted after police dusted the window at Sora House where the family were staying in the resort for fingerprints. One of the prints was a matchfor her mother but three were unknown. Beijing: China has refuted reports that it pressurised thousands of Tibetans not to attend the Kalachakra Puja, the most prominent Buddhist ceremony being held by the Dalai Lama in India, and dismissed the event as a political tool to propagate ideas of "hating" China. "Taking advantage of the presence of the Dalai Lama, the Kalachakra (wheel of time) teachings have inveigled Tibetans into illegally going abroad over the last decade," Zhu Weiqun, chairman of the Ethnic and Religious Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, told state-run Global Times. The Dalai Lama will this month preside over the 34th Kalachakra initiation at Bodhgaya, where the Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment more than 2,000 years ago. Tens of thousands of pilgrims from all over the world are expected to attend the event. As preparations got under way on Wednesday, the chairman of the organising committee Karma Gelek Yuthok said almost 7,000 pilgrims had returned to China, citing pressure from authorities there, the Global Times report said. Denying the number of pilgrims from China is far less than "thousands", Xu Zhitao, deputy director of the bureau of the Tibet question at the United Front Work Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said there are pilgrims from China attending the ceremony who hold Chinese passports. "Therefore, the government by no means threatened them to return, although the government does not encourage them to attend the ritual," Xu told the Global Times. Xu pointed out that the ritual, organised by the Tibetan "government-in-exile certainly involves politics". "Considering that the large-scale ritual needs years of preparation, the India-based ceremony frequently degenerates into a political tool," Zhu said,. He said that the organising committee has made use of the occasion and the opportunity to meet the Dalai Lama to propagate ideas of "hating the Chinese government". The organising committee also attempted to establish relations with the Tibetans from China through the ceremony, he said. "The number of Tibetans attending the ritual decreased dramatically in recent years after the local governments clarified to local Tibetans that the ritual is about separatism, and also due to tightened border control," Zhu claimed. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Talk about sticker shock for Premier Doug Fords Progressive Conservative government. An Ontario court has ruled that Fords mandatory gas-pump decals attacking federal carbon-pricing measures are unconstitutional. In a major victory for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, Mr. Justice Edward Morgan of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice ruled that the stickers violated business owners freedom of expression. A government or political party can, in the words of Ontarios Minister of Energy (Greg Rickford), stick it to another tier of government of political party as a matter of free speech in an election campaign or otherwise, Morgan wrote in a 17-page decision released Friday. But a government cannot legislate a requirement that private retailers post a sticker designed to accomplish that task. The mandatory fuel pump sticker is an unconstitutional attempt to do just that, the judge continued. Rickford said in a statement that we respect the decision of the court, but our government will always stand up for the people of Ontario when it comes to matters that make everyday life more expensive for hardworking families. The federal carbon tax makes life more unaffordable and hits the wallets of Ontario families and small businesses hardest when it comes to gas prices and home-heating costs, said the minister, who did not say whether the government would appeal the ruling. NDP MPP Peter Tabuns (Toronto Danforth) implored the Tories to abandon the stickers, which misleadingly ignored that the federal carbon-pricing regimen included rebates. Appealing this Superior Court decision would be another waste of money, another attack on Ontarios environment, and another attack on peoples constitutional rights, said Tabuns. Unveiled last year, the controversial Tory-blue stickers read the federal carbon tax will cost you. But the civil liberties association took the Ontario government to court, arguing the messages were a form of compelled political expression. The stickers have not been without their problems. There were adhesive issues that infuriated and embarrassed Ford, whose family runs a label business, though his firm did not print the decals. Initially, the Tories threatened scofflaws would fines of up to $10,000 a day for not abiding by the law. That led the Ontario Chamber of Commerce to renounce them as an example of unnecessary red tape. The Canadian Independent Petroleum Marketers Association, which represents gas stations, blasted the Tories heavy-handed approach and warned the decals were a bit partisan. While 25,000 were manufactured at a cost to taxpayers of $4,954 they are routinely vandalized. Green Leader Mike Schreiner countered with similar stickers that warned climate change would be far more costly than higher gasoline and natural gas prices. After the court ruling, Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca said on Twitter that Doug Fords stickers didnt stick and now a court has struck them down. Ford ripped up a plan to combat (the) climate crisis and replaced it with nothing, said Del Duca, referring to the Tories decision to remove Ontario from its cap-and-trade alliance with Quebec and California, which generated $2 billion annually for environmental initiatives. Greenpeaces Keith Stewart mockingly thanked Rickford for making it so easy in court. That was a reference to the ministers April 2019 comment that were going to stick it to the Liberals and remind the people of Ontario how much this job-killing regressive carbon tax costs. Stewart said the stickers were an incredibly dumb idea that never should have seen the light of day. No government should deliberately mislead the public about something as serious as the climate crisis, much less force businesses to do it for them with heavy-handed, unconstitutional legislation, he said. Its time to put the partisan games aside and get to work on protecting Ontarians against the greatest environmental threat our species has ever known. Robert Benzie is the Stars Queens Park bureau chief and a reporter covering Ontario politics. Follow him on Twitter: @robertbenzie Read more about: The main point of investing for the long term is to make money. Furthermore, you'd generally like to see the share price rise faster than the market Unfortunately for shareholders, while the Precinct Properties New Zealand Limited (NZSE:PCT) share price is up 46% in the last five years, that's less than the market return. The last year has been disappointing, with the stock price down 11% in that time. See our latest analysis for Precinct Properties New Zealand In his essay The Superinvestors of Graham-and-Doddsville Warren Buffett described how share prices do not always rationally reflect the value of a business. One flawed but reasonable way to assess how sentiment around a company has changed is to compare the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price. During five years of share price growth, Precinct Properties New Zealand actually saw its EPS drop 27% per year. Essentially, it doesn't seem likely that investors are focused on EPS. Since the change in EPS doesn't seem to correlate with the change in share price, it's worth taking a look at other metrics. The revenue reduction of 2.2% per year is not a positive. It certainly surprises us that the share price is up, but perhaps a closer examination of the data will yield answers. The company's revenue and earnings (over time) are depicted in the image below (click to see the exact numbers). This free interactive report on Precinct Properties New Zealand's balance sheet strength is a great place to start, if you want to investigate the stock further. What About Dividends? As well as measuring the share price return, investors should also consider the total shareholder return (TSR). The TSR is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. In the case of Precinct Properties New Zealand, it has a TSR of 79% for the last 5 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. The dividends paid by the company have thusly boosted the total shareholder return. Story continues A Different Perspective Precinct Properties New Zealand shareholders are down 7.8% for the year (even including dividends), but the market itself is up 4.3%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. Longer term investors wouldn't be so upset, since they would have made 12%, each year, over five years. If the fundamental data continues to indicate long term sustainable growth, the current sell-off could be an opportunity worth considering. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. To that end, you should learn about the 3 warning signs we've spotted with Precinct Properties New Zealand (including 1 which is is concerning) . Of course Precinct Properties New Zealand 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 NZ exchanges. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. The Ministry of Finance has denied claims that the controversial Agyapa deal has been set aside. A publication on September 3 had suggested that the deal had been suspended after the government met with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) on September 2, 2020. The Ministry, however, disputed this claim in a statement. The Ministry wishes to state that, the Agyapa Royalties transaction has not been suspended as is being reported on the Ghanaweb portal. We wish to also state that Mr. Mark Agyemang, Technical Manager of the Public Interest and Accountability Committee, who is purported to have said this in an interview with Starr FM, was not in this meeting, the Ministrys statement said. The Ministry explained that the government and the CSOs only deliberated on issues relating to transparency and engagement over the deal at the said meeting. The meeting with the CSOs was one such consultation and the Ministry agreed with them to further broaden the consultations and to solicit further input from them and other Ghanaian constituencies going forward, the statement added. The government through the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) set up Agyapa Royalties Limited to monetise Ghana's gold royalties. In exchange, the company plans to raise between $500 million and $750 million for the Government on the Ghana and London Stock exchanges to invest in developmental projects. The deal, however, has become a topical issue following concerns from members of the opposition. Civil Society groups in Mines and Energy have also described the Special Purpose Vehicle as one which is not transparent and must be suspended. ---citinewsroom Sapugaskanda drug haul: Lankan PC arrested in South India View(s): A Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) constable wanted in connection with the detection of 23 kgs of heroin in Sapugaskanda has been arrested in South India, police said. Sri Lankan Police have been looking for the suspect since last Wednesday after his brother was arrested with a haul of heroin in the Sapugaskanda area. The PC had gone missing after the detection. Police said that they were awaiting further information about the arrest of the PC from India. Orange County Supervisor Michelle Steel (R) is seen at a Board of Supervisors meeting in Santa Ana, Calif., on Aug. 25, 2020. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) OC Officials Surprised by Delay in Reopening Schools Orange County officials said in a Sept. 3 press conference that they were surprised when Californias new tier system required them to delay reopening schools for another two weeks. The county is on track to reopen classrooms on Sept. 22, according to the color-coded system. Previously, schools were expected to start in-person learning on Sept. 8. Orange County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Michelle Steel said the two-week push was unexpected. I hope the state moves faster to accommodate schools, students, families, and not change those dates again, Steel said. Everyone wants our children back out in school. Now that we have a date set, its imperative that we continue on our current course and do what we know must be done. Despite Orange County complying with California mandates, officials said the county was not given credit for its previous efforts. County CEO Frank Kim said, We were quite frustrated that we were not able to open our K through 12 schools on September 8th, which was the date that we were planning on, because we had met the criteria for the 14-day cycle. However, Kim applauded the new system for being easy to understand. In the meantime, individual schools can still reopen by applying for a waiver. Ninety-eight schools in Orange County have now qualified for an in-person learning waiver from both the county and the state. After Sept. 22, each school district will make its own determination regarding whether to reopen, continue with distance learning, or adopt a hybrid approach. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the states color-coded system on Aug. 28. At the time, Orange County was placed in the purple, or widespread, tier based on confirmed cases of COVID-19. The county is expected to transition from the purple to the red, or substantial, tier on Sept. 8. Each tier is based on the countys case rate and test positivity percentage. The Orange County Health Care Agency reported on Sept. 4 that the county has 5.6 positive cases per 100,000 people, and its positive test rate is 5 percent. Dr. Margaret Bredehoft, director of the Health Care Agencys Public Health Services, filled in for Health Care Agency Director Dr. Clayton Chau at the press conference. Bredehoft said that this week the county passed a tragic milestone: more than 1,000 people have now died of COVID-19 in Orange County. It is crucial and imperative that we continue to do safe practices with social distancing, good hygiene, and wearing masks, said Dr. Bredehoft. Rep. Mike Levin (D-Dana Point) held a Zoom call earlier in the day on Sept. 3 to discuss reopening schools. He said he was on 24-hour notice and could be called back to Washington at any time to pass a new COVID-19 funding bill, which would hopefully include additional funding for local schools. This pandemic has turned our education system upside down, Levin said. He invited Dr. John Lee Evans, a psychologist and San Diego Unified School Board member, to speak on the call. Evans said schools across the nation may need an estimated $200 billion to $350 billion in additional funding for special equipment, cleaning expenses, extra nurses, counselors, and other costs associated with COVID-19. Evans said the community must balance risk when considering when to return children to in-person learning. Theres a risk in terms of kids going back to school, in terms of spreading the virus, but there are also huge risks in terms of not being in schoolthe academic loss, the loss of social development, the widening of the achievement gap, even things like counselors not being able to pick up on things like child abuse or other things happening in the home because kids are so isolated, he said. Evans supports a gradual reopening of schools, starting with the least at-risk children. While he admitted theres so much contradictory advice about what to do, he hoped schools would take a conservative approach. We dont want to have a fast reopening like we did with the bars last summer, and then turn around and have to close them back down, he said. TRENTON Two moms. Two stories. Too tragic. It has happened too many times on the streets of Trenton. Dozens gathered Friday night for a candlelight vigil, led by council president Kathy McBride, to honor the 28 people taken by violence this year, and the victims before them, at the corner of Beakes Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. That stretch of the North Ward knows death too well: Joseph Power God Gaines, a former drug dealer turned anti-violence advocate, was gunned down on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in 2014. He was mortally wounded outside a makeshift memorial for Charles X White, who was shot to death the day before at an illegal after-hours club on the same block. The moms each took their turn addressing the crowd from a megaphone. Felicia Scott said her son, Jahson Phillips, was killed after returning home from a 6-year prison bid. Court records show he was sentenced for robbery. His mom claimed he took the charge for someone else rather than rat out a friend, for fear of being labeled a snitch. He was home for 12 days, she said, her voice cracking, before they decided to take my baby. They didnt have the audacity to shoot him in the face. They shot my son and threw him in a f**king alley like he was a piece of trash. Phillips, 23, was gunned down July 15 on the 800 block of Edgewood Avenue, becoming the capital citys 20th murder victim of the year. His mom said she never had to worry about him when he was a kid. Thats the one child I can say did everything right, she said. From what the streets are saying, they felt like he was going to become a problem. Tosha West still cant walk by the Donnelly Homes housing complex. The memories come flooding back. Thats where her son, Daquan Patterson, 27, was killed, on Sept. 22, 2019, at 1:39 p.m. He was visiting a girl and the two planned to cook dinner when shots rang out. He was just caught up in the mix, she said. That was my only son. I cant walk over here, she said. I see that boy every f**king day. The carnage hasnt subsided: Trenton is at 28 and counting for the year. Police and city officials said theyre doing everything they can to staunch the bloodshed with limited resources. Mayor Reed Gusciora announced a $1.2 million matching grant from the Department of Justice to add 10 more cops to the streets. The city must earmark $542,815 per year for the next three years. Trenton has had an uptick in violent crime, all made worse by a lingering health crisis and a police force that is still reeling from previous budget cuts, he said in a statement. The capital city hopes a $4.5 million real-time crime center thats expected to be finished in the next year or so will also help cops deter the gunplay. McBride, who lost her son Kenneth to gun violence in 1993, said the solutions must come from within the community. Her 19-year-old son, Cory, never got to meet his older brother. And he knows all too well that every day is not given in the capital city. It a blessing to be able to make it to 19, he said, calling the 28 murders entirely unbelievable, his mother later reciting each of their names to the huddled masses. We dont want to see mothers and fathers outliving their children, he said. West said the victims are getting younger and younger. This generation is done. We gotta do something about it. And I cant move alone. We gotta do this together. We taking out our own people. Scott said its time for parents and guardians to step. These grandparents needs to stop being afraid of their grandsons. You know what your grand child is out here doing. You accepting that drug money. You accepting that blood money, she said. North Ward councilwoman Marge Caldwell-Wilson commended the mothers for their strength. The city must rally around these grief-stricken parents. We have not walked in those parents shoes. We cannot feel the pain in their heart. We dont see them when they cant sleep at night. We dont see them when theyre crying all day long, she said. We dont see them when they dont want to live. Trenton got a glimpse Friday night as Scott and West hugged. In that moment, they didnt have to speak. They knew each others pain. A Congress MLA from Arunachal Pradesh on Saturday claimed that five people from the state have been abducted by the Chinese army. Congress leader Ninong Ering said China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) abducted five people from the Subasiri district. The Congress MLA, however, did not mention when the five people were abducted. SHOCKING NEWS: Five people from Upper Subansiri district of our state Arunachal Pradesh have reportedly been abducted by Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA).Few months earlier,a similar incident happened. A befitting reply must be given to #PLA and #CCPChina. @PMOIndia https://t.co/8gRdGsQfId pic.twitter.com/KbDMJ3bUi2 Ninong Ering (@ninong_erring) September 4, 2020 On March 13, the COVID-19 pandemic infiltrated that most impenetrable of borders: the inner world of a 17-year-old boy. As with most kids, Leymo Mohammeds Instagram account is a portal into his teenaged universe. Selfies of haircuts and flexed biceps. YouTuber-style videos where he banters with a buddy or shares his thoughts on having autism. And lots of content about The Wiggles, the popular Australian childrens group that Leymo unapologetically loves, even as he approaches his 18th birthday. I will never be ashamed for liking The Wiggles, he says emphatically in a video post. His March 13 post was also Wiggles-themed; a clip from a 1999 episode called Hygiene, where Dorothy the Dinosaur gets sick and sneezes her germs all over Wiggle Town. But in his caption, Leymo reveals what was weighing on his mind. I hope the Coronavirus stops spreadin, he writes. What Leymo did not realize was that COVID would soon spread into his own home. On April 10, he posted a photo of him and his mom, Bontu Abdulahi; she had been hospitalized with COVID-19. Leymo is a rarity among teen boys one who calls his 44-year-old mom his best friend and three weeks later, he posted a video tribute to his favourite person. I really hope she gets well soon. Then on May 9, Leymo uploaded a photo collage of his mom. Today, I am sad to say that my mom passed away, he wrote. RIP Mom (1975-2020). Days later, he posted a photo of himself wearing a mask and gloves, standing next to a bare wooden coffin. In the official tally of COVID-19s toll, Leymo Mohammed does not exist. He is not among the patients, hospitalizations and deaths that we count every day, but COVID has stolen away the life he knew. Hes now among the thousands of Torontonians who have seen their lives overturned by this virus, which has been particularly cruel to families like his. Preliminary data from Toronto Public Health shows that COVID has disproportionately infected those who are lower-income and racialized, with Black people making up the biggest proportion of overall cases. Leymos mother was an Ethiopian immigrant who worked as a personal support worker and raised two children in a public housing complex in North St. James Town, which has seen one of the citys highest infection rates. Since his mothers death, Leymo has been struggling to process what happened. Watching his mom get sick with what he thought was just a cold; growing desperate as she struggled to breathe; watching the paramedics take his mom away, never to be seen again. With the new academic year fast approaching, Leymo now faces his next big challenge: learning to navigate the school year without his fiercest protector. In Leymos pictures of himself, he often poses with two thumbs up or Wiggles fingers thumbs up and pointed index fingers, the mark of a true fan. In person, he walks with a bouncy step and talks quickly and enthusiastically, often asking Can I tell you something? before launching into some Beatles trivia or a news headline he recently read. In pre-COVID times, Leymo was also a handshaker, known to greet teachers with an extended hand and formal how was your weekend, sir? Handshaking is professional at least, thats what Leymo learned in school, which is why he couldnt understand when some people started criticizing it. People started to point me out on it, saying it was a problem, he says. They were like: I always did it too much. But I dont do it too much, it was like once a day. You know what I mean? When this happened, Leymo did what he always did; he asked his mom for advice. And as she always did, Abdulahi set him straight. She told me not to listen, he says. Because thats just the way I roll. Those who knew Abdulahi find it hard to describe the depths of her devotion to her kids: Leymo, who turns 18 in September, and her daughter Biftu, 13. Sara Ahmed first met Abdulahi when the two women lived in the same St. James Town highrise and they bonded over their Ethiopian heritage. But it was their parallel journeys into motherhood that cemented their friendship. Abdulahi, who separated from her partner several years ago, was a St. James Town fixture, according to Ahmed. If you go to that building, everybody knows her. She sits on the bench, she talks to everyone, she says. But you know why shes around the building all the time? Shes waiting until the time to pick up the kids. Abdulahi never wandered far when her kids were in school or daycare, just in case anything happened. Her phone was always on, full of charge, on her hand, Ahmed says. She regularly turned down invitations to weddings, funerals, dinners anything that might eat into her time with the kids. The love of her kids its different, its different, Ahmed says, apologizing for her limited English as she strains for language that can adequately describe her friend. I have four kids, I am a mother, too. But Id never seen that kind of woman. On Facebook, Abdulahis feed is mostly videos from an Ethiopian Muslim organization but in her profile, she lists The Wiggles under her musical interests. According to Leymo, her favourite song was their rendition of Taba Naba from the Torres Strait Islands. His mom has bought him tickets to see The Wiggles in concert not once but five times. On Instagram, Leymo references getting teased over his Wiggle-mania. But he also writes that his mom encouraged him to like them for as long as he wanted. Even if Im in my 60s lol. When Leymo was diagnosed with autism, his mother reassured him: its OK. She told me autism is when people think differently than other people, Leymo recalls. But Abdulahi launched herself into finding supports for her son resources, counsellors, karate classes, guitar lessons, tutoring, anything that might help him move through the world a little easier. I thought she was amazing, says Nadine OMalley, one of Leymos high school teachers, who Abdulahi sometimes called his mom number two. She totally supported Leymo but didnt baby him. She would always say to him, Youve got to be accountable for what youre doing. Parents raising kids with autism are forced to navigate labyrinthine systems schools, mental health supports, government services. Its frustrating and confusing for anyone, let alone a woman with limited means and English, OMalley says. But nothing stopped Abdulahi from advocating for her son, especially during elementary and middle school. These were fraught years for Leymo; there were school transfers, a half-year of home schooling, and lots of tears and bullying. One of Leymos biggest struggles is emotional regulation and a particularly explosive trigger has been when other students insult him for having autism, OMalley says. He would react like someone just physically punched him, she says. It would go from a level two of intensity to a 12. Leymo says his mom tried everything she could to fight on his behalf. He remembers hearing snippets of conversations she had with school officials. This is unacceptable, he would hear her saying sharply into the phone. They cannot bully Leymo just because hes different. In Grade 9, he transferred to his current school, St. Mary Catholic Academy near Dufferin Grove Park. OMalley remembers meeting a guarded kid who kept to the fringes, watching and assessing everyone around him. I could tell he was defensive, she says. He was keenly listening to what was going on, as if he were going, Nobodys going to pull anything on me here. OMalley runs a program designed for students with learning exceptionalities who are high-functioning. Her classes teach social and emotional skills, but she also acts as a kind of personal support system, helping students navigate their struggles inside and outside the classroom. With Leymo, OMalley quickly came to know the kid behind the guarded exterior: an honest, kind-hearted and hard-working student who constantly strove to improve. Every teacher whos had him is like that kid is amazing, OMalley says. He made friends and learned to better calibrate his emotional responses. And thats when something remarkable happened. We didnt realize just how smart Leymo was until he could get his emotions under control, OMalley said. And then it was like: wow. Leymo was originally on an educational path designed to get him through high school and into the workforce. But last year, he switched to a more advanced stream that points him toward a new goal: college. In the eight years that Ive done the program, Ive never had a student whos done that, OMalley says. On Instagram earlier this year, Leymo posted a photo of himself posing proudly at Toys R Us, a name tag pinned to his chest his first job. Another post displayed his first-semester grades; two were 90 per cent or higher and he got 100 per cent in math. I could possibly make the honor roll again!!! he wrote. Ahmed remembers how overjoyed Abdulahi was over her sons progress. She told me that he started a job, hes going to finish school soon, hes going to college, she says. She was very proud. On New Years Eve, Leymo uploaded a video to Instagram, thanking his friends for supporting him when I had troubles and expressing his hopes for 2020. Since were moving on to a new decade, I hope things will go good, he says brightly. But on the other side of the world, a deadly new virus had already begun to spread. And it was soon headed his way. Leymo was sitting in his apartment watching the news with his mom, when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau came on the screen. I remember he was saying, you know, the cases were getting bigger and bigger, he says. Because of the virus. From day one, Abdulahi understood COVID-19s danger. Ahmed remembers talking to her friend shortly after schools shut down and Abdulahi was rushing around buying food and supplies, even stocking up for Ramadan, which was still more than a month away. I said, why are you rushing to go shopping? Ahmed recalls. She said, You live in a house; we are in the apartment, with many people coming back and forth. I dont even use the elevator, I use the stairs. Im very scared. Abdulahi stopped going to her job as a personal support worker, Leymo says. In fact, she pretty much stopped leaving the house altogether except to buy groceries which is why when his mom developed a fever, he tried not to fret. I was like, its a common cold, Leymo says. I just said to myself, not everything is corona. The following week, she started struggling to breathe and coughed a big cough. Leymo was desperate and tried everything, buying her Tylenol, bringing her soup and placing cool washcloths on her forehead. They called their family doctor but he diagnosed her with bronchitis, and the prescription medication Leymo picked up didnt help either. It was very stressful, I was literally about to give up, Leymo says. But I was like, shes my mom, she would never give up on me. I cant give up on her. Leymo says his sister filled out the provinces online self-assessment tool for COVID-19, but it didnt recommend their mom for testing. On April 10, however, Abdulahi became so gravely ill the siblings decided it was time. We had to call the professionals, Leymo says. Like the ambulance. When the paramedics arrived, they put his mom on a stretcher, a mask over her face. Leymo wanted to hug her but the paramedics wouldnt let him, so he just waved at his mom and she waved back. She said I love you, too. And then thats it. After they left, Leymo sobbed in his room. He and his sister didnt even know where the ambulance took their mother but the hospital eventually called and broke the news that she had tested positive for COVID and was on a ventilator. Leymo doesnt know how his mother contracted the virus, and he sometimes wonders if he could have infected her, even though he always tried to wear a mask and physically distance from others. But in Toronto Public Healths database of COVID-19 cases, an entry that matches Abdulahis details lists health care as the probable source of infection. Leymo never felt sick but he did notice something peculiar around the time his mom was hospitalized; one day when biting into a chocolate chunk cookie, he couldnt taste anything. He and his sister both lost their sense of taste, something now widely recognized as a COVID symptom. Neither was ever tested but as close contacts of their mom, public health told them to self-quarantine. With their mom in hospital and their dad outside of the country, this meant the teenagers were on their own for two weeks. It was like I was an adult, Leymo says. I felt lonely. I felt like it was the end of the world. Among Leymos friends and teachers, word began to spread that his mom had been hospitalized and the kids were fending for themselves. Ahmed tracked down Leymos phone number and began checking on him daily. As days turned into weeks, she thought about her friend in the hospital who could never bear to leave her kids for a single night, let alone for several weeks. I was thinking this is torture to her, Ahmed says. Leymo was told by a nurse that when his mother arrived at the hospital, she could be heard imploring, Please, please, my young kids. During his two weeks in self-quarantine, Leymo spent much of the day on the phone, talking to friends, teachers and relatives, including his dad, who was trying to get back to Canada and was very worried about his kids. Among the adults who regularly checked on him was Alison Gadsby, whose son, Duncan Rutherford, is one of Leymos best friends. Gadsby and her husband were deeply worried about Biftu and Leymo, the loving, polite, beautiful kid who has been a fiercely loyal friend to their son, who was born with a rare disorder and facial birthmark. When my husband David and I met Leymo for the first time, we were honestly both left in tears, she says. Hes just one of those kids where almost from the moment we met him, we felt lucky. Before Abdulahi was hospitalized, she told Leymo to take care of his sister, and he took her request seriously, OMalley says. Leymo and his sister called the hospital every day hoping for good news and, at one point, they got it. She was on 5 per cent oxygen, and I was like all right, thats great, Leymo says. Shes going to come off the ventilator, shes going to come home, and well be a family again. But soon, Abdulahi developed other infections and a blood clot, a common complication in COVID patients who are seriously ill. Abdulahi died May 7, a day the province reported 63 deaths from COVID. Leymo is particularly haunted by how he learned the news, two days later. When asked to recount the moment, Leymo who dreams of being an actor one day asks if he can re-enact the scene. He begins by pulling out his cellphone. Hello? Hi, Im calling to check on Bontu Abdulahi. I call here every day, he says, playing the part of himself. Are you a family member? he asks, now playing the role of the hospital employee on the other line. Which room? Room 180. She passed away. At this point, Leymo stares at his phone in disbelief and begins to shout. What? No! No! No! After his mom died, Leymo spent most of the summer living with relatives in Hamilton, waiting to find out if his dad would make it back to Canada or if he would be returning to his school or even Toronto. He wrestles with feelings of guilt, sometimes blaming himself for what happened to his mom. He is also struggling to understand a heavy new emotion: grief. He has so many questions, and the person who used to help him find the answers is gone. I dont know if my pain will go away, he says. I dont even know how long grief lasts. Last June, about a month after his mom died, Leymo received some happy news: he had received a final grade of 99 per cent in his English class. Leymo was thrilled, sharing the news with anyone who would listen. But there was only one persons reaction he craved. He imagines what his mom would have said. Wow! Give me a high five! Give me a hug. Give me a kiss! I am soooo proud of you, Leymo! he says, mimicking her voice. You are very smart, Leymo. Dont let anybody and what they say put you down. These were the kinds of things Abdulahi used to say every day to her son, motivational phrases he can now rattle off on demand: Youre a gifted kid. Leymo, youre special. Remember, show the world who you really are. Reinforcing messages like these are particularly important for kids with autism, OMalley says, and Abdulahi was always Leymos rock of love and stability. She worries about Leymo now that hes lost his biggest ally, especially as he prepares to start a new and daunting school year. Having a person that he can rely on and that loves him absolutely unconditionally and sees what an incredible person he is OMalley says, trailing off. Not having that person is a real blow to just, you know just him being himself. But she and others who know Leymo believe in his resilience. Leymo also recently posted a new picture on Instagram, where he is sitting on the couch with his sister. Sandwiched between them is their dad, who finally made it back to Canada in early August. Everyone is smiling. New life, Leymo wrote in the caption. Hassen Mohammed says he has now taken custody of the kids. Abdulahi was a very wonderful mother, he says, and he will now try to fill her shoes. I have to continue doing what she did for them, he says. Thats my dedication to them. Leymo says he recently learned that grief has no timeline but he is noticing that his pain is getting more bearable with time. He still thinks about his mom every day, though, rereading her text messages, wearing her old necklace, and continuing to follow her house rules: clear the dishes when youre done with them, go to bed at 9 on school nights. When asked if he thinks the new school year will be hard without his mom, he responds with an emphatic DEFINITELY before repeating it again, this time in a barely audible whisper. Definitely. But Leymo says his mother has left him with two potent gifts. Confidence, he says, and motivation. And her words of encouragement, uttered fiercely and repeatedly for nearly 18 years, will forever echo in his ears. In an Instagram post from late August, Leymo uploaded a video where he spoke candidly about his autism. In the six-and-a-half-minute video, he explained how he doesnt like when people judge him or put him down, and he admits this used to upset him. But then, he says, looking straight into the camera, I remember what my dear old mom used to tell me. She used to say, Leymo Autism doesnt define who you are. Its just something youre born with. And you know what? Shes right. Today we will run through one way of estimating the intrinsic value of Spark New Zealand Limited (NZSE:SPK) by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to today's value. We will use the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model on this occasion. Before you think you won't be able to understand it, just read on! It's actually much less complex than you'd imagine. We generally believe that a company's value is the present value of all of the cash it will generate in the future. However, a DCF is just one valuation metric among many, and it is not without flaws. For those who are keen learners of equity analysis, the Simply Wall St analysis model here may be something of interest to you. See our latest analysis for Spark New Zealand Step by step through the calculation We use what is known as a 2-stage model, which simply means we have two different periods of growth rates for the company's cash flows. Generally the first stage is higher growth, and the second stage is a lower growth phase. 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 need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate: 10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 Levered FCF (NZ$, Millions) NZ$582.5m NZ$514.5m NZ$510.0m NZ$421.0m NZ$422.0m NZ$402.1m NZ$392.0m NZ$388.1m NZ$388.5m NZ$391.7m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x2 Analyst x2 Analyst x2 Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Est @ -4.71% Est @ -2.52% Est @ -0.98% Est @ 0.09% Est @ 0.84% Present Value (NZ$, Millions) Discounted @ 7.4% NZ$542 NZ$446 NZ$412 NZ$316 NZ$295 NZ$262 NZ$238 NZ$219 NZ$204 NZ$192 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = NZ$3.1b Story continues The second stage is also known as Terminal Value, this is the business's cash flow after the first stage. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 2.6%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 7.4%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2030 (1 + g) (r g) = NZ$392m (1 + 2.6%) (7.4% 2.6%) = NZ$8.4b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= NZ$8.4b ( 1 + 7.4%)10= NZ$4.1b The total value is the sum of cash flows for the next ten years plus the discounted terminal value, which results in the Total Equity Value, which in this case is NZ$7.2b. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of NZ$4.8, the company appears slightly overvalued at the time of writing. The assumptions in any calculation have a big impact on the valuation, so it is better to view this as a rough estimate, not precise down to the last cent. dcf The assumptions We would point out that the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate and of course the actual cash flows. You don't have to agree with these inputs, I recommend redoing the calculations yourself and playing with them. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Spark New Zealand 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 7.4%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.800. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business. Looking Ahead: Although the valuation of a company is important, it shouldn't be the only metric you look at when researching a company. It's not possible to obtain a foolproof valuation with a DCF model. Instead the best use for a DCF model is to test certain assumptions and theories to see if they would lead to the company being undervalued or overvalued. For instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. Can we work out why the company is trading at a premium to intrinsic value? For Spark New Zealand, there are three further elements you should look at: Risks: We feel that you should assess the 2 warning signs for Spark New Zealand (1 can't be ignored!) we've flagged before making an investment in the company. Management:Have insiders been ramping up their shares to take advantage of the market's sentiment for SPK's future outlook? Check out our management and board analysis with insights on CEO compensation and governance factors. Other High Quality Alternatives: Do you like a good all-rounder? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every New Zealander stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. 05.09.2020 LISTEN Founding President of IMANI Africa and social commentator, Mr Franklin Cudjoe has condemned the "Akyem Sakawa" comment endorsed and shared by the former President John Dramani Mahama on his Facebook page. The Member of Parliament for Bolgatanga Central, Hon. Isaac Adongo made a lengthy statement of his social media handle in which he described the Akyems in government as 'Sakawa' boys. Hon. Adongo's comment was later shared by former president and NDC presidential candidate, John Mahama giving the tribal sensitive comment a major boost on his Facebook wall John Mahama's endorsement of the comment has since generated a barrage of criticisms and condemnations with some people calling on the former president to take down the post from his timeline. According to Mr Franklin Cudjoe, referring to an ethnic group as 'Sakawa' is not the best especially at a time that the country is full of political tension. He added that John Mahama went too far. "...Describing an ethnic group as "Sakawa" is not cool in this tensed political moment," part of Franklin's comment on social media reads. Mr Franklin also noted that despite the fact that people do make jokes sometimes with tribal memes, some are just too sensitive to touch. "Let us be ethnically tolerant," he concluded. ---Ghana Vanguard || Contributor US President Donald Trump is pressing a tough law and order line in the run-up to the November 2020 elections US President Donald Trump has ordered government agencies to end anti-racism training sessions for federal employees on the grounds they amount to "divisive, un-American propaganda." The order comes as Trump works to appeal to his white, blue-collar base while fighting an uphill battle for reelection amid a fraught national reckoning over racial injustice in policing and other walks of life. In a memorandum, the White House Office of Management and Budget cited unspecified reports that "employees across the Executive Branch have been required to attend trainings where they are told that 'virtually all White people contribute to racism' or where they are required to say that they 'benefit from racism.'" It added: "According to press reports, in some cases these trainings have further claimed that there is racism embedded in the belief that America is the land of opportunity or the belief that the most qualified person should receive a job." "The President has directed me to ensure that Federal agencies cease and desist from using taxpayer dollars to fund these divisive, un-American propaganda training sessions," wrote the office's director, Russell Vought. He directed agencies to "identify all contracts or other agency spending related to any training on 'critical race theory,' 'white privilege,' or any other training or propaganda effort that teaches or suggests either (1) that the United States is an inherently racist or evil country or (2) that any race or ethnicity is inherently racist or evil." "The divisive, false, and demeaning propaganda of the critical race theory movement is contrary to all we stand for as Americans and should have no place in the Federal government," the memo added. Trump doubled down on Saturday morning, firing off more than 20 tweets and retweets on the subject -- including one calling critical race theory the "greatest threat to western civilization." Story continues "Not any more!" Trump wrote. Protests in major US cities erupted after the death of African American George Floyd in May at the hands of a white police officer in Minneapolis, and flared up again last month after another black man, Jacob Blake, was shot in the back by a white policeman in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Trump -- who is pressing a tough law and order line in the run-up to November's elections -- has blasted such demonstrators as violent anarchists. This week the US president visited Kenosha, but did not meet with the family of Blake, who has been left paralyzed from the waist down, instead meeting with law enforcement officials and viewing damage from protests triggered by the shooting. Trump's election rival Joe Biden also visited Kenosha this week -- he talked to Blake by telephone and met in person with his family. dw-ec/sst From COVID-19 in schools to the inside story of Erin OTooles success, weve selected some of the best long reads of the week from thestar.com. Want to dive into more long features? Sign up for the Weekend Long Reads newsletter to get them delivered straight to your inbox every Saturday morning. 1. 150 Toronto schools were over-capacity before the COVID-19 shutdown. Weve mapped the TDSB schools now facing space crunch A Star analysis of recent enrolment and capacity numbers from six boards across the GTA identified more than 250 elementary schools that were over-capacity before the pandemic, including about 150 in Toronto. And there is concern among board officials that some schools will be scrambling to find space, underscoring a problem for boards that are trying to lower class sizes alongside the possibility that an increasing number of students may choose in-person learning in the coming months. 2. Reversing the exodus back to the workplace: Whats keeping people away is not the office environment so much as the getting to it In September, as an unknown number of kids return to school, tens of thousands of home-bound office workers are going to be making some fraught judgments of their own. Do they return to the empty towers, which have been likened to vertical and virulent cruise ships in this time of COVID. Or will they continue to work from home, as many will have the option to do. 3. COVID-19, a possible Trump second term should Canadian snowbirds sell their Florida vacation homes or ride out the storm? Health worries surrounding the pandemic, the ongoing closure of the U.S.-Canada border, plus the spectre of Donald Trump being re-elected, has dampened some Canadians enthusiasm for home ownership in the Sunshine State. Canadian snowbirds are facing difficult questions: Will it be safe to go south for the winter? Do they have sufficient health insurance coverage if they contract the virus? Should they hang onto their properties or sell? 4. Is Ontario nearing the much-dreaded second wave? Four charts that sum up COVID-19 in August plus what we can learn from cities around the world Ontario spent the first two weeks of August eliminating active cases and the last half of the month gaining a good portion of them back, according to an analysis of provincial COVID-19 data by the Stars Andrew Bailey. There are 1,221 active cases of the virus in the province, up from a low of 891 on Aug. 12. Its a familiar pattern for many provinces that have reopened, and not unexpected, says epidemiologist Zahid Butt, an assistant professor at the School of Public Health and Health Systems at the University of Waterloo. Were all Canadians here: Jail culture is keeping extremism at bay, suggests an unprecedented Canadian study 5. COVID-19 stopped travel and spurred Canadians to get outside or go camping instead. Some of them have left a real mess For avid Calgary-based hiker Sarah Kuindersma, the tempest began with a coffee cup. In June, she set out for the Devils Thumb, a protuberance of rock that looms above the iconic blue waters of Lake Louise in Banff National Park. Kuindersma had heard that people were flocking to the Rocky Mountains, so she brought extra garbage bags in anticipation shed find litter. She was stunned by what she saw: granola bars and wrappers, masks and single-use water bottles dotted the dirt trail. She stuffed four grocery bags as she made her way up the path. 6. The inside story of how Erin OToole won the Conservative leadership race Erin OToole and Conservative operator Fred DeLorey huddled over a beer in the corner of the Christmas party as well-connected Tories mixed and mingled around them. Dec. 12 had been quite a day. Less than two months after the Conservatives disappointing election loss, an embattled Andrew Scheer had shocked Ottawa by announcing hed step down as the partys leader. After huddling with DeLorey for about an hour, OToole made the biggest decision of his political career: hed once again seek the Conservative leadership. 7. The pandemics silver lining? Widespread COVID immunity could provide platform for future cancer treatment THE GOAL: To determine whether someones immune response to the coronavirus can be repurposed to attack cancer tumours, given the premise that a large portion of the global population is expected to develop that immune response through infection or potential vaccination in the coming years. THE TIMELINE: Using the immune response to COVID-19 to battle tumours is still many years down the line, but given the widespread distribution of the coronavirus, its expected that hundreds of millions of people globally will have the immune response tools to be repurposed to fighting cancer. 8. A riot or an uprising? A boycott or a strike? The terms that have defined protests against anti-Black racism and how to use them Racial uprising and social unrest has become one of the defining stories of 2020. And it has a small dictionarys worth of terms and definitions that can tell the story of the movement, but may seem to have different contextual meaning depending on who you ask. Between political speeches, social media debates, news articles and in-person conversations, it can be tough to know what to call a riot or an uprising, a boycott or a strike. 9. You can call them cynical spreaders. But the COVID-19 flouters are following a trail blazed in debates over vaccines, milk safety and seatbelts Some flout social-distancing advice at Cherry Beach dance parties and others cheer passing cars at protests, waving signs comparing masks to mind control. As the back-to-school season looms with fears of a second wave of the pandemic, a recent Angus Reid survey indicates that while most Canadians are following all or most advice to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, there is a skeptical cohort that defies guidance on group size, bubbles, handwashing, distancing and masks. The polling company labelled them cynical spreaders. They are more likely to be young, more likely to live in the western part of the country, more likely to believe that current restrictions go too far. 10. Weakened by the WE scandal, Justin Trudeau asks Liberal MPs for advice on his governments next moves Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is casting a wider than usual net to come up with what he promised will be a bold agenda for an economic recovery. Trudeau invited cabinet ministers to make submissions on what they want to see in a Sept. 23 throne speech a move that a senior Liberal source said already distinguishes this effort from the way the Trudeau governments platforms, budgets and throne speeches were drafted in the past. It is a pivotal time for the Liberal government. The throne speech will be put to an automatic confidence vote in Parliament on which the government could fall and thrust the country into a pandemic election. 11. Doug Ford has done everything to make schools safe, according to Doug Ford (everything but reduce class sizes) Doug Ford will spare no expense, not a penny. He will do everything he can to make sure schools are safe. In fact and you may be surprised to hear this he already has. It is a little odd, though, that Doug has been saying this for a few weeks, during which time the back-to-school plan has changed approximately 37 times. And strangely, those changes have not included provincially mandated class-size reductions, writes the Stars Bruce Arthur. 12. Improper use of PPE. Medicine to the wrong patient. Injuries from falls. A look at the problems inside Orchard Villa as COVID-19 deaths climbed Orchard Villa, the Pickering long-term-care home with the most COVID-19 deaths in the province, continued to fail to comply with provincial legislation designed to protect residents even after more than 70 residents died and military personnel were sent in to assist. As the pandemic raged on in May and June of this year, inspectors from the Ministry of Long-Term Care acting on a complaint found more than a dozen instances in which the home failed to comply with regulations, including not ensuring staff received infection control training within one week of hire, failing to ensure a resident who had fallen received a proper skin assessment, and failing to stop staff from administering a drug to a resident that was not prescribed. SAO PAULO: Critics of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro are again speaking out against the leaders stance on the coronavirus pandemic, this time rejecting his view that vaccination for the virus shouldnt be mandatory. Bolsonaros first such comments came Monday, when he told a supporter, No one can force anyone to get a vaccine. He repeated it Thursday night during a live broadcast on Facebook, adding his opposition to administering vaccines that are yet to be proven on Brazilian soil. It has been proven in other countries, but not here in Brazil, he said, without specifying to which potential vaccine he was referring. We cannot be irresponsible and put a vaccine into peoples bodies. As I said, nobody can oblige someone to take a vacccine. The comments were swiftly rebuked by opponents on social media. Sao Paulo state Gov. Joo Doria, a former Bolsonaro ally turned foe, said in an interview with The Associated Press on Friday that immunization cannot be viewed as a personal decision. Sao Paulo, with 46 million residents, is the pandemics epicenter in Brazil, with its more than 30,000 dead from COVID-19 accounting for about a fourth of the countrys death toll from the illness. It is sad that once again Brazils president is setting a denialist example, Doria said in a video call. It should be obligatory, except in special cases or under health circumstances that justify not taking a vaccine. An infected person infects others, and makes possible the death of others. Brazils Workers Party, an adversary of both Bolsonaro and Doria, said in a statement that the presidents efforts to create an air of doubt about a future vaccine ignores the importance of the shots to protect the health of the entire population. The national health council, which is a branch of Bolsonaros own health ministry, said in a statement that the government should not be talking about vaccination against COVID-19 not being mandatory. The right to individual liberty is not absolute to the point of being above the collective well-being, the council said. Since the onset of the crisis, Bolsonaro has set himself against lockdowns and other broad restrictions on activity imposed by governors at the recommendation of health experts. The president called COVID-19 a little flu, and warned that shutting down the economy would inflict a greater hardship on the millions who live hand to mouth. Brazils health ministry to date has confirmed more than 4 million cases of the disease and 125,000 deaths. Both numbers trail only the United States, according to the tally kept by Johns Hopkins University. Because Brazils caseload is so high, and it has a large, dispersed population of 210 million people, several vaccine developers selected the nation to conduct human trials of their products. Bolsonaros federal government struck an initial deal with AstraZeneca for 30 million doses of its vaccine, which could later rise to 100 million in total. Sao Paulos state government, meanwhile, forged an agreement with Chinese vaccine developer Sinovac for 60 million shots, if it is proven effective. But Bolsonaro supporters frequently call COVID-19 a Chinese virus and reject working with companies from China. Doria said Bolsonaros move to stir skepticism about foreign-made vaccines is a mistake. With one vaccine we cannot immunize the entire Brazilian population. We need two, three, maybe four, produced in large scale, the governor said. As long as it is proven to be efficient, it doesnt matter if it is Chinese, Russian, French, American or British. What matters is that it saves lives. A recent poll by Ipsos Institute in 27 countries published Wednesday found 88% of Brazilians surveyed said they would get immunized against COVID-19 if a vaccine was available. Brazils health ministry expects the distribution of vaccines can start in the first months of 2021. Max Igor Lopes, an infectious disease specialist at Sao Paulos Hospital das Clinicas, believes controversy about mandatory vaccination isnt helpful. What is important is that people take the vaccine because they understand that it brings a benefit to them, he said. And this is the vaccines purpose.Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor Custom FBG Manufacturing Technologies The new location focuses on Technica's most special and customized FBG Designs and the unique design Phase Masks required for such advanced components. Technica is pleased to announce the establishment of its Second Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBG) design center in the US, located in Bakersfield, California, to manage company growth. The new location focuses on Technica's most special and customized FBG Designs and the unique design Phase Masks required for such advanced components. Technica's experienced engineering capabilities in California will also provide engineering support to our US and worldwide customers. Demand for specialty Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors is growing as optical sensing applications continue their proliferation in energy, security, transportation, civil engineering, medical, industrial, and other fields. Immune to electro-magnetic interference (EMI), small, light, multiplexable, and highly reliable, our new generation of FBG sensors, FBG arrays, and FBG cables are becoming an increasingly valuable tool for monitoring and controlling industrial and commercial processes, equipment and infrastructure. "We are excited to significantly expand the envelope of available technical specifications for our FBG based fiberoptic sensors through our closely coordinated operations in Sweden, Switzerland, Singapore, China, and now on both the East and West Coasts of the US" stated Andrei Csipkes, President and CEO of Technica. Technica's team can be contacted at http://www.technicasa.com and info(at)technicasa(dot)com Technica is a leading developer, manufacturer, and global provider of premium quality Fiber Bragg Grating sensors and FBG array sensors in acrylate, polyimide, aluminum, copper, and gold coated fibers. The company also proudly licenses and produces individual OEM custom packaged optical sensors. Technica is headquartered in Atlanta, USA. VENICE, Italy - Roderick MacKay had to get government approval to leave Australia, spent two weeks in preventive coronavirus quarantine in Rome and will be locked up in a hotel back in Australia for another two weeks upon his return. But the 33-year-old director says its a small price to pay to get his first feature film,The Furnace, to the Venice Film Festival especially after it took six years to make. The Furnace explores a forgotten aspect of the 19th century west Australian gold rush, when Muslim and Sikh camel handlers from India, Afghanistan and Persia Irans former name were brought in by the British colonizers to help open up the Outback, many essentially working as indentured labourers. The Furnace follows the story of a young Afghan cameleer played by Egyptian actor Ahmed Malek, who is led astray from his friendship with local Aboriginal people by a shifty gold prospector. Its shining a light on a little known chapter of our history and representing community groups who have not really been represented in Australias history, MacKay told The Associated Press. And so I think on the basis of that, that was really the thing that compelled me to come here and do my bit to represent the film. That was no easy feat given the coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown of MacKays hometown of Perth, in western Australia, as well as Italys restrictions on travellers coming from outside Europe. MacKay had to get federal government approval to leave the country, and successfully made the case that The Furnace was the only Australian official selection at Venice, where it is screening in the Horizons section for new talent. It turns out, were kind of representing the country, he said. So luckily, or thankfully, they considered that to be a worthy enough cause. Upon arrival in Italy, MacKay quarantined at a Rome apartment for two weeks, people-watching from the rooftop terrace, preparing for the festival and watching movies, including Ridley Scotts Gladiator to get in the vibe, in the zone of Rome. Now at Venice, he is overwhelmed: MacKay had only previously made two short films before The Furnace, which he conceived of when researching the western Australian gold rush in 2014. Its taken me six years to get this project off the ground. So a month in quarantine, really in the scheme of things, is kind of a small blip in the time that Ive taken from my life to realize this project, he said. After Venice, he retraces his steps back to Perth, where a government-appointed hotel quarantine awaits him. Not ideal, but we understand that its necessary in these times, he said. And hey, perhaps itll be a nice sort of two-week window to just process everything that weve been up to here in this extraordinary time. The festival, the first major in-person cinema showcase after COVID-19 locked down the film industry, wraps up on Sept. 12. In addition to the Horizons competition, 18 films are competing for the Golden Lion in the main selection. Frisby took a coronavirus test just to be sure he didn't have COVID-19 again. The test was negative. Instead, he learned that his initial battle with the illness was far from over. Recovery is not immediate for many COVID-19 patients Frisby is what a growing number of doctors and researchers refer to as a long-hauler, or a person who experiences persisting symptoms of COVID-19 long after the infection is defeated. In addition to shortness of breath, long-haulers report extreme fatigue, tachycardia (a racing heart) and cognitive complications such as memory loss and brain fog that interfere with everyday tasks. For some, these symptoms can last weeks. A July report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that 35 percent of adults who had mild cases of COVID-19 still weren't back to their usual state of health two to three weeks after testing positive for the coronavirus. (By comparison, more than 90 percent of people with the flu recover within two weeks of having a positive test result, the report's authors write.) For others, the syndrome can drag on for months. An Italian study published in JAMA found 87 percent of hospitalized COVID-19 patients had at least one symptom continue two months after the onset of the disease. It's been nearly six months since Frisby's diagnosis, and he is still receiving care for issues related to his coronavirus infection and the lung scarring it caused. His current regimen involves a more intense asthma treatment with daily inhalers, weekly allergy shots and lots of rest. It's hard to know exactly how many people experience prolonged effects of COVID-19, but Sarath Raju, M.D., an instructor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a pulmonary specialist who has been treating Frisby for the last several months, says the number is higher than we initially thought." The assumption by many Ghanaians that there are no more or very few new HIV/AIDS infections in the country is far from the truth. This is because information from the Ghana Aids Commission (GAC) has indicated that, 20,068 new infections were recorded across the country, with 13,616 HIV/AIDS related deaths in 2019 alone. Speaking during a collaborative virtual media interactions between Ghana Aids Commission and United Nations Programme on AIDS yesterday to discuss stigma and discrimination against persons living with HIV (PLHIV), Dr. Cosmos Ohene-Adjei, acting director of the Ghana AIDS Commission expressed worry over the increasing number of people who are unaware of their positive status. According to him, the continued stigmatization and discrimination against persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) has largely contributed to the spread of the virus and other related effects due to the fear for people to check their status. From the recently released 2019 national and sub national HIV estimate and projections, we realised two striking features. One is, more 142, 000 persons in Ghana are living with HIV, but they do not know their HIV positive status because they have never tested. More than 46, 000 who know their HIV Status are not on life saving treatments, that is, they are not on ARVs, Dr Cosmos Ohene-Adjei said. He continued to say that, stigmatization of persons living with HIV is preventing individuals from testing and also following up on treatment which is worsening the epidemic. Explaining how to address stigmatization and discrimination to participants, Director of Technical Services, Ghana Aids Commission, Dr. Fred Nana Poku said, people sometimes the use the two words interchangeably which is not accurate. According to him, stigma is a dynamic process of devaluation that significantly discredits an individual in the eyes of the other, while discrimination is any form of arbitrary distinction, exclusion, or restriction affecting a person by virtue of inherent personal characteristics or perceived belonging to a particular group. He noted that knowledge of HIV in Ghana is high, however, stigmatization and discrimination is common. He said, only 8 per cent of men and 14 per cent of women were found to have accepting attitudes towards people living with HIV (GDHS,2014). Even though per the study, 70 per cent of women and 74 per cent of men indicated that they will care for an HIV-positive relative in their homes, there is low acceptance of services from HIV positive business owners, teachers, and other essential professionals which is challenging to the improvement of their livelihoods, Dr. Poku noted. Some Heart-to-Heart (H2H) ambassadors who shared their frustration about the frequent ordeals they go through as PLHIV in their communities, pleaded with the public to put an end to the practice. Speaking during the media interaction, one of the things they emphasized on was the neglect of orphans living with HIV. They said, Caregivers refuse to cater for such children who eventually lose their lives at tender age. We are recording a lot of orphans dying and some of them also do not come for their antiretroviral one of the ambassadors indicated. There are currently over 200, 1000 orphan children living with HIV in Ghana. The H2H ambassador also pleaded with religious leaders to stop asking for HIV test results before blessing marriages. My second point I want to share is about the religious leaders that still demand HIV test before blessing marriages, we want to tell the commission and the media that, this is becoming a big problem for our young people, He said. He also pleaded for funding to run their activities. Stigmatization and discrimination of PHIV is subject to prosecution. It is enshrined in the 1992 constitution that a culprit can face up to 3 years imprisonment, or 200 penalty units or both. The GAC Act 938, 2016 gives provision for non discrimination so as to mitigate the effect of stigmatization. To address issues related to stigma, Dr Poku indicated that, per the constitution, a person living with or affected by HIV or AIDS shall enjoy the fundamental human rights and freedoms enshrined in the constitution. A person shall also not directly or indirectly discriminate against a PLHIV or AIDS based on the actual or perceived status of that person or of a close associate of that person. And a person who suffers an act of discrimination based on the actual or perceived HIV status of that person or of a close associate of that person may institute legal proceedings to claim damages against the person who carried out that act of discrimination. The GAC HIV Act 938 with provisions was passed to close gaps which permits discrimination according to Dr. Poku After elaborating on some of the enormous effects of stigmatizing PLHIV, he encouraged victims to be bold and report incidents of stigma and discriminations to institutions such as GAC, Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Legal Aid and other civil society Organisations. Dr Fred Nana Poku continued to emphasize that PLHIV have the right to health, right to privacy and confidentiality, Insurance benefits, right to education, political rights, sexual and reproductive health rights among others, therefore nobody has the right to deny them anything they need to be comfortable. He called on the media, health care givers, communities, Individuals, as well as people in the work place not to condone the habit of stigmatizing and discriminating of PLHIV. Even though HIV/AIDS related cases remain one of Ghanas developmental issues, Dr. Ohene-Adjei is optimistic that the new 2021-2025 HIV/AIDS national strategic plan which has been drafted will address crucial issues confronting HIV/AIDS. The goal of the new strategic plan formulated, is to achieve the 95-95-95 fast track targets by the year 2025. He explained that, I am sure you are aware that we are all working towards 2030 where we will not want to see AIDS as a public health threat and by that time, the global community is expecting that at least 95 per cent of all persons who have the HIV infection will get to know their status, 95 per cent of those who know their status will be put on sustain antiretroviral therapy and again those who are on therapy, 95 per cent of them, will also have viral suppression. Mrs Angela Trenton-Mbonde, UNAIDS country director encouraged the media to use its platforms to help reduce stigmatization in the country. She said, HIV/AIDS epidemic is not over; therefore there is the need to intensify efforts in educating the public to prevent the spread and stigmatization of persons living with HIV. HIV epidemic is not over and there is still a lot of work to be done. Furthermore, there is still a lot of stigma and discrimination and you can play a role to help stop this, she charged the media. ---starrfmonline Germany launched its first V-2 missile, also known as Vergeltungswaffen-2 (Vengeance Weapon 2), at Paris, France on this day, i.e. September 5, back in 1944. The German ballistic missile of World War II is the forerunner of modern space rockets and long-range missiles. It was developed in Germany from 1936 through the efforts of scientists led by Wernher von Braun. On October 3, 1942, the V-2 missile was successfully launched from Peenemunde, which is an island off Germanys Baltic coast. In its first successful test, it travelled 118 miles and proved to be extraordinarily deadly in war. It was the precursor to the Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) of the postwar era. (Image: @Ninja998998/Twitter) It was two years after, on September 5, 1944, that Germany fired against Paris. On September 8, 1942, Germany again fired first of more than 1,100 V-2s against Great Britain. Belgium was also heavily bombarded. READ: Google Was Founded On This Day In 1998; Know The Stanford University Students Behind It Unique features of V-2 missile German scientists had been working on the development of these long-range missiles since the 1930s. Three trial launched failed before Octobers test launch. The V-2 was beloved to be unique in many ways. First, it was virtually impossible to intercept. Upon launching, the V-2 missiles also rose six-miles vertically and then it proceeded on an arced course, cutting off its own fuel according to the range desired. The missile then tipped over and fell on its target-at a speed of almost 4,000 mph. (Image: WWIIpix/Twitter) The missile hit with such force that it burrowed itself into the ground several feet before exploding. It also had the potential of flying a distance of 200 miles. The launchpad were portable, which made them impossible to detect before firing. READ: NASAs Viking 2 Marked The Second US Landing On Mars On This Day In 1976: Read More Germany fired the first two V-2 missiles at Paris. Two days later, two more were fired at England, which was then followed by more than 1,100 more during the next six months. According to anecdotes, over 2,700 Brits died because of the rocket attacks. Once the war ended, both the United States and the Soviet Union capture samples of the rockets for reproduction. They also captured the scientist responsible for their creation. (Image: @charlesapple/Twitter) READ: Vietnam Declared Its Independence From France On This Day In 1945: Read More READ: Wreck Of Titanic Was Found On This Day In 1985; Read More About The Great Ship Kolkata: After four seperate incidents linked to Maoist involvement were reported, the state administration is now looking at a resurgence in the tribal belts of Jhargram district. The incidents have sent worrying signals to the state administration about the threats looming large in not so distant future. In a recent incident, mobile phones of tourists were snatched. Three tourists exploring the forests of Dhangikusum area of Belpahari in Jhargram district of West Bengal on Thursday came face to face with armed Maoists. As many as seven armed Maoists, snatched their mobile phones and let off the tourists. They were neither hurt nor did any Maoist misbehave with them, they went back to Kharagpur and filed a complaint with the police. Later, Jhargram police contacted the trio and asked them to share more details. This incident has sent shock waves in the police administration as this is first such incident of snatching by Maoists in broad day light in a span of nine years. Incidentally, as many as 19 Maoist posters surfaced in Sinduria of Belpahari region in Jhargram district. The posters had warning messages, which read, Contractor Saurabh Rai stop work. Presently, road construction work on Belpahari-Purulia main road is underway. A high-level meeting chaired by IG Bankura Range was chaired in cognisance of the matter. On August 27, 2020, some unidentified persons opened fire at the residence of one Bidyut Das. In a bid to save her life, Bidyut's wife Mira Das who was on the roof of the house at the time of firing, injured herself when she jumped off. The unidentified persons fled from the Pochapani village of Jhargram district of West Bengal - a few kilometres away from Jharkhand border - in the dark. Jhargram district is the area of operation of last Maoist squad of Bengal based out of Jharkhand led by Ashim Mondal alias Akash. Later, villagers claimed that those who opened fire were Maoists, however, officials in the state police neither admitted nor refuted claims of such links. Letters by CPI(Maoists) were sent to three individuals residing in Belpahari area of Jhargram district on July 27, 2020, according to the villagers. The three individuals who received the letter have been identified as Bidyut Das - a cooking gas dealer, Tarun Mondal - a Primary School teacher and Sushil Mondal - a local grocery store owner. The letter which was reportedly sent at the behest of CPI(Maoist) squad member Madan Mahato demanded a ransom, as claimed by the villagers. Several posters were also pasted outside their houses warning them that they must pay the amount by July 29, 2020 else face consequences. However, all three individuals refrained from paying the ransom. It is noteworthy to mention, just weeks ago, on August 16, a day after Independence day, as many as 10-12 handwritten Maoist posters urging villagers to observe Independence Day as Kala Divas surfaced at several villages of the same Jhargram district. Officers in central intelligence agencies said that activities of the armed squad led by state secretary Akash have recently increased in the villages along Bengal-Jharkhand border in the districts of Jhargram and Purulia in West Bengal. This squad, which comprises between 20 and 25 guerrillas, have some new recruits - young members who have joined the squad in the last 3-4 years was based in the forests of Jharkhand over the past five years but have been spotted along the Bengal-bordering villages of Jharkhand several times over the past couple of months. Nearly nine years since Maoist top gun Mallojula Koteswar Rao alias Kishenji was killed in West Bengal, the red rebels are making a comeback into the states forested districts bordering Jharkhand. Over the past month, there are reports of Maoists sneaking in West Bengal, making campaigns in areas of Jhargram and Purulia districts and going back to Jharkhand. WASHINGTON: Satellite imagery of a North Korean shipyard on Friday shows activity suggestive of preparations for a test of a medium-range submarine-launched ballistic missile, a US think tank reported on Friday. The Center for Strategic and International Studies said the images it published on its website of North Korea`s Sinpo shipyard showed several vessels within a secure boat basin, one of which resembled vessels previously used to tow a submersible test stand barge out to sea. It said the activity was "suggestive, but not conclusive, of preparations for an upcoming test of a Pukguksong-3 submarine launched ballistic missile from the submersible test stand barge." North Korea said last October it had successfully test-fired a Pukguksong-3, a new submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), from the sea as part of efforts to contain external threats and bolster self-defense. That launch was seen by analysts as the most provocative by North Korea since it entered dialogue with the United States over its nuclear weapons and missile programs in 2018. North Korea has suspended long-range missile and nuclear tests since 2017, but efforts led by U.S. President Donald Trump to persuade it to give up its nuclear and missile programs have achieved little. Trump is seeking reelection in November and a North Korean missile test before that would highlight the lack of progress despite Trump`s unprecedented meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. There was no immediate comment from the State Department or the Pentagon on the CSIS report. At news conference earlier on Friday, Trump hailed his relationship with North Korea, saying that when he was elected people had predicted he would be at war with the country within a week. "In the meantime, we`ve gotten along with them. We didn`t get to war," he said. Trump has held up the absence of intercontinental ballistic missile and nuclear tests by North Korea since 2017 as a success from his diplomacy and has sought to play down numerous shorter-range tests in the period. "North Korea already tested a PKS-3 SLBM last October. And it didnt cross Trumps redline then, and is unlikely to this time. Trump won`t care," Vipin Narang, a non-proliferation expert at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, wrote on Twitter. South Korea`s military said the Pukguksong-3 tested last year flew 450 km (280 miles) and reached an altitude of 910 km (565 miles) and would have had a range of about 1,300 km (800 miles) on a standard trajectory. News of the activity at Sinpo comes amid signs that North Korea may be preparing for a major military parade in October, which some analysts believe could be used to show off new missiles as the country has done at such events in the past. By illuminating final stage in money laundering process, BAE Systems report commissioned by SWIFT supports efforts by banks to prevent, detect and respond to cyber-attacks KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA / MANILA, PHILIPPINES - Media OutReach - 3 September 2020 - SWIFT and BAE Systems Applied Intelligence today published 'Follow the Money', a new report that describes the complex web of money mules, front companies and cryptocurrencies that criminals use to siphon funds from the financial system after a cyber-attack. The report highlights the ingenuity of money laundering tactics to obtain liquid financial assets and avoid any subsequent tracing of the funds. For instance, cyber criminals often recruit unsuspecting job seekers to serve as money mules that extract funds by placing legitimate sounding job advertisements, complete with references to the organisation's diversity and inclusion commitments. They use insiders at financial institutions to evade or undermine the scrutiny of compliance teams carrying out know-your-customer (KYC) and due diligence checks on new account openings. And they convert stolen funds into assets such as property and jewellery which are likely to hold their value and less likely to attract the attention of law enforcement. SWIFT commissioned BAE Systems to investigate this element of the money laundering process as part of its Customer Security Programme (CSP). The CSP continually helps the financial community to strengthen its cyber defences through a range of measures including mandatory controls, intelligence sharing and thought leadership. Although there has been much research into the methods that cyber criminals use to conduct attacks, there has been less investigation into what happens to funds once they have been stolen. The aim of this report is to illuminate the techniques used by cyber criminals to 'cash out' so that SWIFT's global community of over 11,000 financial institutions, market infrastructures and corporates can better protect themselves. Story continues Brett Lancaster, Head of the Customer Security Programme at SWIFT said: "The threat posed by cyber-attacks to the financial sector has never been greater. Attackers are well-resourced, constantly evolving their modus operandi and using untraceable money laundering techniques. The report highlights how the growth in cyber-attacks is increasing the need for the convergence of anti-money laundering, fraud and cybersecurity processes in financial institutions. It calls for them to increase information sharing, tighten due diligence requirements and smartly invest in maintaining systems to strengthen their defences." Simon Viney, Cyber Security Financial Services Sector Lead at BAE Systems Applied Intelligence said: "The activity from cyber criminals and gangs across the world is estimated to result in over $1.5 trillion dollars in annual losses. This report focuses on money laundering related activities necessary for cyber attackers to conduct and 'cash out' a successful attack and avoid the money subsequently being traced. As technology and criminals' techniques evolve at a rapid pace, so will the need for institutions, both private sector and law enforcement, to collaborate and maintain awareness of evolving money laundering techniques, in order to reduce the opportunities for threat groups to benefit from committing high-value cyber heists." Among the other findings in the report: Front companies -- cyber criminals tend to focus on textile, garment, fishery and seafood businesses to obfuscate funds. They find it easier to operate in parts of East Asia where less stringent regulations make it easier to conduct their activities. Cryptocurrencies -- while the number of identified cases of money laundering through cryptocurrencies is low so far, there have been a couple of major incidents involving millions of dollars. Digital transactions are appealing because they are conducted in a peer-to-peer manner that circumvents the compliance and KYC checks conducted by banks, and often require only an e-mail address Experience - The method chosen by cyber criminals to cash out and spend the stolen funds is indicative of their levels of professionalism and experience. Some inexperienced criminals have immediately made extravagant purchases drawing the attention of law enforcement agencies and leading to arrests. The Follow the Money report is available to download now. Visit www.swift.com/resource/follow-the-money to download your copy of the report. About SWIFT SWIFT is a global member owned cooperative and the world's leading provider of secure financial messaging services. We provide our community with a platform for messaging and standards for communicating, and we offer products and services to facilitate access and integration, identification, analysis and regulatory compliance. Our messaging platform, products and services connect more than 11,000 banking and securities organisations, market infrastructures and corporate customers in more than 200 countries and territories. While SWIFT does not hold funds or manage accounts on behalf of customers, we enable our global community of users to communicate securely, exchanging standardised financial messages in a reliable way, thereby supporting global and local financial flows, as well as trade and commerce all around the world. As their trusted provider, we relentlessly pursue operational excellence; we support our community in addressing cyber threats; and we continually seek ways to lower costs, reduce risks and eliminate operational inefficiencies. Our products and services support our community's access and integration, business intelligence, reference data and financial crime compliance needs. SWIFT also brings the financial community together -- at global, regional and local levels -- to shape market practice, define standards and debate issues of mutual interest or concern. SWIFT's strategic five year plan, SWIFT2020, challenges SWIFT to continue investing in the security, reliability and growth of its core messaging platform, while making additional investments in existing services and delivering new and innovative solutions. Headquartered in Belgium, SWIFT's international governance and oversight reinforces the neutral, global character of its cooperative structure. SWIFT's global office network ensures an active presence in all the major financial centres. About BAE Systems Applied Intelligence At BAE Systems Applied Intelligence, we help nations, governments and businesses around the world defend themselves against cybercrime, reduce their risk in the connected world, comply with regulation, and transform their operations. For more information regarding our compliance, fraud detection and prevention solutions, visit https://www.baesystems.com/financialservices/ Donald Trump said the United States must look 'very seriously' into the suspected poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, but that his administration had not yet seen any proof. 'It's tragic. It's terrible, it shouldn't happen. We haven't had any proof yet, but I will take a look,' Trump said at a news conference, before telling journalists they should be focusing on China, not Russia. 'It is interesting that everybody's always mentioning Russia but I think probably China at this point is a nation that you should be talking about much more so than Russia.' Trump did not take as strong a stand as the State Department, which earlier on Friday expressed grave concern about the finding that Navalny was poisoned. Donald Trump said the United States must look 'very seriously' into the suspected poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, but that his administration had not yet seen any proof Navalny is the most popular and prominent opponent of President Vladimir Putin, and the German announcement this week that he was poisoned by a nerve agent has raised the possibility of further Western sanctions against Moscow. Alexei Navalny, pictured with his wife Yulia, has been a thorn in the Kremlin's side for years Navalny being taken to an ambulance in Omsk (left) after falling ill on a plane following a trip to an airport cafe (right) where his friends suspect he could have been poisoned In a meeting in Washington earlier on Friday, Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun told Russian Ambassador Anatoliy Antonov that Moscow's use of this chemical weapon would be a clear violation of its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention. 'The Deputy Secretary urged Russia to cooperate fully with the international communitys investigation into this attack,' department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement. Germany, where Navalny is in a hospital, has said the Russian opposition figure was poisoned with a Soviet-style Novichok nerve agent and wants the perpetrators held to account. Russia has until now not opened a criminal investigation and said there is no evidence yet of a crime. Navalny's allies have pointed the finger at Russian president Vladimir Putin (pictured) after the opposition leader fell ill, but the Kremlin has dismissed the claims What is Novichok and how does it kill? The Novichok family of nerve agents were secretly developed over two decades at a research facility 50 miles outside the Russian capital. Many times more potent than other better known chemical weapons, Novichok agents can render gas masks and protective equipment useless. Sometimes described as 'gases' they are in fact liquid, intended to be delivered as a fine spray. A series of poisons, known as Novichok 5, 7, 8 and 9 to identify them, were produced amid conditions of complete secrecy. They all kill the same way. By inhibiting enzymes that control nerve receptors in the brain. One expert said victims simply 'forget to breathe'. A tiny drop, almost undetectable, placed on the skin or inhaled can cause death within minutes. Advertisement Navalny is the most popular and prominent opponent of President Vladimir Putin, and the German announcement this week that he was poisoned by a nerve agent has raised the possibility of further Western sanctions against Moscow. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said on Thursday that Navalny was the victim of a 'reprehensible' poisoning. 'Russia has used chemical nerve agents in the past,' she added, 'and we're working with our allies and the international community to hold those in Russia accountable wherever the evidence leads and restrict funds for their malign activities.' Russian authorities have appeared reluctant to investigate what caused Navalny's condition, saying there had so far been no grounds for a criminal investigation. Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev said a preliminary inquiry was ongoing, but added that he saw no signs of a crime in what happened to the most determined critic of president Vladimir Putin. Putin's spokesman has brushed off allegations the Kremlin was involved in poisoning Mr Navalny and said Germany had not provided Moscow with any evidence about the politician's condition. 'We have nothing to hide,' Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday, asserting that German authorities had stonewalled Russian requests for information. Lavrov said the failure to provide information about Mr Navalny's poisoning could indicate a lack of evidence. 'Our Western partners allow themselves to make arrogant demands in such a tone that suggests that they have nothing but pathos to put on the table,' he said. THE number of active coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases in Cebu City has fallen below the 500-mark as the recovery rate climbs to 89.78 percent. The Department of Health (DOH) 7 reported on Friday, Sept. 4, 2020, that Cebu City had 330 remaining active Covid-19 cases and 276 new recoveries, bringing the total number of recoveries to 8,679. Fourteen additional cases were logged on Friday, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the city to 9,667. Five new deaths were also reported, bringing the total number of mortalities to 658. From Aug. 31 to Sept. 4, Cebu City reported 343 recoveries. City Councilor Joel Garganera, Emergency Operations Center (EOC) deputy chief implementer, said the improvement on the Covid-19 situation was the result of the City Government and the DOH 7 working hand in hand. He said the daily average number of cases has dropped steadily in the past three months. In June, the city recorded a three-digit daily average, 97 in July and 21 in August, Garganera said. In September, so far, that dropped to single digit. On Sept. 2, the city logged six cases out of 373 individuals tested, while on Sept. 3, the city logged five cases out of 461 individuals tested. Garganera said the 14 positive cases reported on Friday came from the more than 500 individuals who were tested. Despite these recent developments, the city councilor urged the public not to let their guard down and to continuously follow and observe health protocol. New source of transmission He said restaurants might be a new source of transmission, especially since theyre now allowed to operate at 75 percent of their capacity. They have to bear in mind that the primordial concern should be the safety of their customers. If they cannot do that, they should not accommodate the (whole) 75 percent, Garganera said. The EOC has had its eyes on Barangay Bacayan, which has reported new cases in eight straight days all coming from one area. There are other barangays that have Covid cases but we didnt panic. But we are in panic mode when it comes to Bacayan since the barangay has reported new cases every day for the eight straight days, Garganera said in Cebuano. Story continues According to him, Bacayan has 16 active Covid-19 cases. Garganera said law enforcers were sent to the barangay on Friday to apprehend quarantine violators. He said many residents have not been heeding the stay-at-home order, which the EOC blamed for the cause of transmission. It turned out its more of the movement (of the people), he said. Garganera said theyve prepared the gym in the neighboring barangay of Talamban to hold apprehended violators. He said 54 violators have been apprehended in Barangay Bacayan since the end of March. He said cases will be filed against apprehended violators pursuant to City Ordinance 2566, or An Ordinance Penalizing any Violation in Relation to the Implementation of General/Enhanced Community Quarantine in Cebu City During Public Health Crisis. Nationwide update On Saturday, Sept. 5, the DOH reported more than 2,000 Covid-19 cases, along with over 50 new deaths and 1,000 more recoveries. The DOH, in its latest case bulletin, said 2,529 new Covid-19 cases were confirmed Saturday out of the total tests done by 92 of the countrys 113 laboratories. This brought the countrys total to 234,570. Majority of the new cases came from the National Capital Region (NCR) with 1,171. Also seeing high number of cases are Negros Occidental (197), Laguna (145), Cavite (117), and Bulacan (70). The DOH also said that 53 more Covid-19 patients have died, raising the death toll to 3,790. Majority of the new deaths were recorded in the NCR with 32. Other deaths were reported in Central Luzon (six), Western Visayas (four), Calabarzon (four), Ilocos Region (two), Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (two), Cordillera Administrative Region (two) and Soccsksargen (one). Despite the rising number of mortalities, the DOH noted that 1,136 more patients have recovered from the disease. The number of Covid-19 survivors has reached 161,668, as of Saturday. Globally, the novel coronavirus has infected 26,171,112 people. Of the total, 865,154 people have succumbed to the disease, said the World Health Organization. (JJL / SunStar Philippines) Unmasked anti-lockdown protesters have been arrested by police during violent scuffles in Melbourne. Officers were punched by one man at the city's Shrine of Remembrance on Saturday before being fitted with a mask and handcuffs. Victoria Police confirmed 15 people were arrested during the protests on Saturday, 14 for breaching Chief Health Officer directions, one for assaulting police. More than 150 infringement notices were issued for breaching health directives, while police said approximately 200 people gathered at the shrine before moving to Albert Park Lake. A Protester scuffles with with Police outside of the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne. Source: AAP As large numbers of police clashed with protesters, the mood was described as tense at the Shrine. of Remembrance. Some of the demonstrators at the shrine were carrying placards expressing anti-government sentiments and at one stage protesters could be heard singing the Australian national anthem. Reporters on the ground said the group of protestors then marched on to Albert Park. Police were on standby for a number of protest rallies across Victoria after plans were aired to challenge the state's strict lockdown rules which include an 8pm to 5am curfew, as well as limited travel and reasons for leaving home. A protester is arrested by Victorian Police Officers outside of the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne on Saturday. Source: AAP Ahead of the planned 11am protest, a woman was filmed being arrested by 7News reporter Paul Dowsley, who was on the ground. Woman arrested at Shrine ahead of possible lockdown protest, Mr Dowsley tweeted this morning. Theyve just told her she will be taken to Melbourne West police station until they confirm her identity. A woman has been arrested ahead of an anti-lockdown rally in Victoria. Source: Twitter/Paul Dowsley Four men were previously arrested and charged with incitement relating to the rally. Those arrests followed the well-publicised arrest of a pregnant Ballarat woman over allegations of a separate rally planned there for Saturday. Earlier, Mr Dowsleys twitter showed a heavy police presence at the Shrine of Remembrance, with officers stopping motorists and cyclists and checking their identities. One man allegedly punched police officers before being fitted with a mask and handcuffs. Story continues After gathering at the shrine, protestors then moved to Albert Park, where according to Herald Sun reporter Aneeka Simonis, further arrests were made. Protesters arent backing down, she tweeted, along with a video of police officers talking to a man in a Guy Fawkes mask and a heavy police presence surrounding the crowd. Arrests have resumed at pace at Albert Park. Protesters arent backing down @theheraldsun pic.twitter.com/09zI66zE04 Aneeka Simonis (@AneekaSimonis) September 5, 2020 On Saturday afternoon Victorian Police released a statement, saying it was disappointing protestors gathered in Melbournes CBD, despite warnings. Police responded to protest activity across the CBD today, where approximately 200 people attended the Shrine of Remembrance and then moved on to Albert Park Lake, the statement said. Of the 15 arrests, police said 14 were for breaching Chief Health Officer directions, one was for assaulting police, all those arrested are in custody, assisting police with enquiries. As a result of the protest, a police officer received lacerations to the head after being assaulted by an individual who was in attendance, the statement continued. Our investigations into this protest will continue, and we expect to issue further fines once the identity of individuals has been confirmed. Anti lockdown protests are planned at various locations in Melbourne CBD on Saturday. Source: AAP Police warning to tinfoil hat-wearing brigade Ahead of the planned Saturday protest, police warned against people congregating and breaching health directives. "The tinfoil hat-wearing brigade are alive and well in our community," Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius said. They're taking every opportunity to leverage the current situation to serve their own ridiculous notions about so-called 'sovereign citizens', about constitutional issues and about how 5G is going to kill your grandkids, he said. Victoria Police arrest and put a face mask on a protester outside on Saturday. Source: AAP On Saturday, Victoria recorded 76 new coronavirus cases and 11 deaths, while 298 people remain in hospital. Obviously, at 76 new cases, that is still a really significant challenge for us, Premier Daniel Andrews told reporters this morning. And to open up with those numbers would, of course, see the total number of coronavirus infections explode. Mr Andrews also had a few pointed words for protestors, calling organisers and participants selfish. "It is not smart, it is not safe, it is not lawful, in fact it is absolutely selfish to be out there protesting," he said. "The only fight we should be engaged in is against this virus." 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. WOULD Facebook block you from sharing news stories on its platforms in Canada? Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 5/9/2020 (502 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion WOULD Facebook block you from sharing news stories on its platforms in Canada? The idea seems far-fetched, but its coming closer to reality in Australia, where the social-media giant made headlines this week with its response to the governments efforts to make digital platforms pay for news content. Facebook warned that if a proposed law requiring payment for news goes into effect, it will "reluctantly stop allowing publishers and people in Australia from sharing local and international news on Facebook and Instagram." The Australian government did not blink. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the government would continue with the legislation and did not respond to "coercion or heavy-handed threats." If you think this is a distant argument in a distant land, think again. Australia is the battleground for whether news publishers should be paid for content that flows freely across digital platforms. The results will echo around the world. The impact could be huge, given that more than half of people in developed countries get much of their news from social media. Canadas heritage minister, Steven Guilbeault, has indicated the Liberal government is preparing to introduce similar legislation. He was quick to side with the Australian government over Facebook. "The Canadian government stands with our Australian partners and denounces any form of threats," Guilbeault said in a statement to the Toronto Star. News publishers, including the Winnipeg Free Press, have long argued they should be compensated for their content when it is used on digital platforms. After all, people may get news from social media, but its the publishers who pay to produce it. The Free Press generates some revenue online on its own sites through paid subscriptions and advertising, but none for news stories that are shared elsewhere. Its like a musician getting paid by people who download her songs from her website, but getting nothing when her songs are played on the radio or on music services such as Spotify. Facebook argues it brings great value to publishers by sending readers to them. And to be fair, Facebook is the biggest single source of digital traffic for the Free Press. More people come to our website from Facebook than all other social and search sources combined, including Google. Facebook also supports news publishers with its journalism project that funds efforts such as the local news accelerator program, which paid for training for Free Press staff. Full disclosure: Facebook paid for a trip for me to travel to its headquarters in California last year as part of this program. We even encourage users to link their Facebook and Free Press accounts so that when subscribers click article links on Facebook, they are seamlessly connected to the Free Press site without logging in or hitting the paywall. Facebook also pays some publishers directly for content through its Facebook News feature, though that is not yet available in Canada. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. So, we definitely want to remain partners with Facebook and dont want to see news blocked. However, the relationship is one-sided. Facebook determines what programs it offers and picks the publishers it works with. It says it brings newspapers great value, but does not reveal how much value newspapers bring it. There is no level playing field; no negotiations among equals. What Australia has proposed is just that a law requiring firms such as Facebook and Google to negotiate with news publishers to secure fair payment for news content. Media outlets would bargain collectively or individually with digital platforms. Facebook and Google have made it clear they do not want this law, setting the stage for a showdown that could be coming soon to Canada. Bob Cox is publisher of the Winnipeg Free Press and chair of News Media Canada. Wastewater testing in South Australia has picked up evidence of coronavirus at two treatment plants, as the state records a new case for the first time in 12 days. A Victorian woman in her 20s, who tried to travel through Adelaide Airport to Alice Springs without correct permission, tested positive in hotel quarantine late on Friday. She had arrived from Melbourne on a Jetstar flight on Thursday along with four of her cousins. Wastewater testing in South Australia has picked up evidence of coronavirus at two treatment plants, as the state records a new case for the first time in 12 days A patient is tested at a COVID-19 mobile testing site at Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre in Adelaide 'We were not expecting this person to be coming into South Australia,' Chief Public Health Officer Nicola Spurrier told reporters on Saturday. 'In fact, our normal procedure would have been to book a flight and send her back to Victoria but given she had four young people with her, we elected to put her in a medi-hotel.' The woman had no virus symptoms and further testing was being done to determine if it was an old infection, Professor Spurrier said. She also said the woman likely had no close contacts. Meanwhile, one of the positive sewerage tests came from a treatment plant at Bolivar, which has a catchment of 700,000 properties, including Adelaide's CBD where virus patients have been kept in hotels. The other positive test came from Angaston in the Barossa Valley, covering about 2000 properties. People wait outside the Tanunda War Memorial Hospital, a dedicated COVID-19 testing clinic to deal with the expected uptick in cases in the Barossa Valley Prof Spurrier said the results did not necessarily point to community transmission and further wastewater testing will be carried in days to come. 'We can't trace that back and say there is definitely people in these areas with COVID-19,' she said. 'It doesn't mean we have an infectious case out there but we certainly couldn't rule that out.' The virus was excreted in faeces for a 'prolonged period' after someone tested positive, she said. South Australia was cleared of active cases on Wednesday. A teacher from Odisha who worked on developing technologies for visually impaired children, another who used theatrical concepts to inculcate the love of learning among tribal children in Uttarakhand and a third who works on ways to encourage gender parity were among 47 educators who were conferred with the National Award by President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday. This was the first time that the awards were given in a virtual ceremony. In his speech, Kovind observed that about 40 percent of the winners were women and appreciated the role women have played as educators. Paying tributes to Dr. S Radhakrishnan, President Kovind said that he was a visionary, statesman and most significantly an extraordinary teacher. Celebrating his birthday as Teachers Day is a mere token for the services he had rendered. Emphasizing on the importance of digital technology in the challenging times of the Covid-19 pandemic, President Kovind said that our teachers are taking the help of technology to reach out to children. Pointing out the digital divide, he also emphasized that steps should be taken so that children from tribal and far-flung areas are also benefitted. Talking about the National Education Policy, President Kovind opined that it is now the teachers who would be at the center-stage for making the policy successful and productive. Union Education minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said the main responsibility of a teacher is to be aware of the changing social needs and individual needs of the learners and also to take into account the past experiences, educational priorities and national development goals in the teaching-learning process. Among the teachers who have won the awards were Tapas Kumar Mohanty, Teacher, Bhima Bhoi School for the Blind in Khorda, Odisha. Mohanty has brought out many publications dealing with teaching practices for the visually challenged as well as many audio books for them to keep up with learning needs at higher education levels. Sudha Painuli, as a Vice Principal in an Eklavaya Model Residential School near Dehradun created programmes in order to inculcate the love of learning amongst tribal children through innovative concepts like theatre education, youth parliaments and ecological projects. Snehil Pandey, as a Head Teacher of a government Primary School has transformed her school with innovative and joyful learning activities, emphasis on gender parity, the use of ICT for learning support and regular early grade reading practices. Jyoti Arora of Delhis Mount Abu Public School was also among the awardees. Surender Singh of MCP School in Adarsh Nagar in Delhi also won the award. Singh has shown himself to be a dedicated and motivated teacher who has worked very hard for the improvement and performance of his school. The school caters to some of the most deprived sections of the society and he has worked hard to make the school attractive and effective, the citation said. An enormous saltwater crocodile measuring 14.4 feet (4.4 meters) has been caught at a remote tourist hotspot in Australias Northern Territory. The crocodile, estimated to weigh 771 pounds (approx. 350 kg), was captured by wildlife rangers last Friday at a trap in the Flora River Nature Park, a popular tourist destination southwest of the outback town of Katherine. The crocodile is the largest caught in the area in years, according to a spokesperson at the Northern Territory Department of Tourism, Sport, and Culture. The capture has been taken to a crocodile farm and will possibly be used for breeding, the spokesperson said. In July 2018, an even larger saltwater crocodile measuring 15.4 feet (4.7 meters) was trapped and caught in the Katherine River closer to the sea. Wildlife rangers caught the biggest crocodile in years in the Flora River Nature Park in Australias Northern Territory. (Courtesy of Northern Territory Department of Tourism, Sport and Culture) Saltwater crocodiles are the largest crocodile speciesand the largest living reptile in the world. Adult males can reach up to 23 feet (7 m) and weigh over 2,200 pounds (approx. 998 kg). The formidable predators typically live in brackish waters near the coast, such as in mangrove swamps, river estuaries, and lagoons. There are an estimated 100,000 saltwater crocodiles living in the wild in the Northern Territory, according to the state government. Theyre not culled in the state and are protected under state and national laws. But problem crocodiles in the state will be found and removed by wildlife rangers using traps and harpooning techniques. The rangers typically capture more than 250 problem crocodiles each year, which are transferred to crocodile farms or destroyed. This year, a total of 167 saltwater crocodiles have been caught across the Top End, the northernmost section of the Northern Territory, where 80 traps have been placed in strategic locations, according to the state government. CNN Wire contributed to this report. Gladstone Commercial Corporation GOOD recently announced the completion of acquisition of an industrial property in Terre Haute IN, for $10.6 million. The strategic move is in sync with the companys efforts to fortify its portfolio of high-quality assets in the thriving markets with creditworthy tenants. The 153,600-square-foot distribution building, constructed as a build-to-suit in 2010, is fully leased to Clabber Girl Corporation with full guaranty from its publicly traded parent company B&G Foods BGS. With its headquarter in Terre Haute for more than 150 years, Clabber Girl is a leading manufacturer of branded retail baking powder, baking soda and corn starch. The acquired facility marks the tenants only distribution facility and is located roughly just five miles from its corporate headquarters as well as its primary manufacturing facility. Being a critical infrastructure in Clabber Girls distribution channel, this property is likely to generate steady returns for its landlord. The initial capitalization rate for the acquisition was 7.3%, the average being 8%. Moreover, located at a prominent I-70 interchange, this property enjoys solid access to the primary east-west corridor in the United States, thereby ensuring substantial returns over the long-term. Notably, Gladstone Commercial has been making encouraging moves to bolster its property base in the Indiana market in a bid to benefit from the upbeat market trends. In fact, the latest acquisition marks the companys fifth purchase in the Central Indiana market and the fourth industrial buyout in the same zone of the Indiana since January 2019. What is impressive is that the industrial asset class is showing resilience amid the coronavirus pandemic with low vacancy rates, high asking rents and robust rent collections. There has been a notable increase in the e-commerces share of total retail sales, spurring demand for warehouse and distribution space. Apart from the fast adoption of e-commerce, the industrial real estate space is anticipated to gain traction in the long run from a likely rise in the inventory levels of companies as a precaution for any supply-chain disruption. This, in turn, will likely keep supporting the industrial landlords like Gladstone Commercial, Prologis PLD and Duke Realty Corp. DRE, among others to enjoy a favorable market environment. Evidently, for Gladstone Commercial, its latest takeover along the I-70 corridor, which emerged as a premier industrial strip in the Midwest will likely be accretive to its earnings, fueling long-term growth. Nevertheless, surplus supply remains a concern for the industrial real estate market. This currently Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock has depreciated 4.1% compared with the industrys decline of 4.8% in the past six months. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Story continues More Stock News: This Is Bigger than the iPhone! It could become the mother of all technological revolutions. Apple sold a mere 1 billion iPhones in 10 years but a new breakthrough is expected to generate more than 27 billion devices in just 3 years, creating a $1.7 trillion market. Zacks has just released a Special Report that spotlights this fast-emerging phenomenon and 6 tickers for taking advantage of it. If you don't buy now, you may kick yourself in 2021. Click here for the 6 trades >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Prologis, Inc. (PLD) : Free Stock Analysis Report Duke Realty Corporation (DRE) : Free Stock Analysis Report BG Foods, Inc. (BGS) : Free Stock Analysis Report Gladstone Commercial Corporation (GOOD) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. You should upgrade or use an You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.You should upgrade or use an alternative browser New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has written to cabinet secretary Pradeep Kumar Sinha seeking central governments stance on the oppositions demand to postpone the Budget presentation ahead of Assembly election in five states. Oppositions demanded that Budget must be postponed to a day after March 8, the last date of polling in Uttar Pradesh. Taking a note of the oppositions request, the Election Commission on Saturday asked union government to clarify its stand by January 10 on oppositions' demand. Recently, opposition parties including Trinamool Congress (TMC), Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Janata Dal United (JDU) and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) urged the election commission to ask government to postpone the budget till the assembly elections in five states are over. The Union budget for the fiscal 2016-17 will be presented on February 1. The opposition parties have earlier sought President Pranab Mukherjees intervention on the issue. Opposition on many instances was seeing quoting BJPs 2012 stance when UPA II had to postpone the budget presentation midst of the election campaign in these same five states. The UPA accepted the Oppositions demand and the Budget was presented on March 16 instead of February 28, said Congresss Ghulam Nabi Azad. However, the Centre also cleared its stance and had said that union government is committed to present the Budget as per the schedule. Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday called said the Oppositions demand anti-people and said that the Budget is for the country and would not be state specific. Opposition said BJP could gain extra votes by presentation Budget on February 1 as many sops could be announced to woo voters in these five states and also Budget midst assembly elections is a direct violation of Model code of conduct. Also Read: Union Budget not subject to schedule of various elections: BJP Youth Congress activists on Friday tried to stage a march towards Election Commission's office in central Delhi to protest the government's decision to present the Union Budget on February 1, three days ahead of voting in Punjab and Goa. They began their march from their party office but were detained by police before they could reach the EC's office. The activists charged that the government move to present the budget just days ahead of voting in five states was aimed at benefiting the ruling BJP in the states going to polls. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Remnants of burned houses are among the ruins of a torched village in Kyauktaw township, western Myanmar's Rakhine state, Sept. 4, 2020. At least two villages were set on fire and two civilians shot dead allegedly by a Myanmar military column in war-ridden Rakhine state, witnesses said Friday, as the government dismissed a cease-fire offer by the rebel Arakan Army and its allies. At least 170 houses were torched Thursday in Phayar Paung and Taung Pauk villages, located along the Yangon-Sittwe roadway, while the bodies of two Phayar Paung residents were found with gunshot wounds, said villagers who visited the communities to see the destruction told RFAs Myanmar Service. The two dead men Han Maung Thein, 35, and Maung Nyunt Win, 25 were ordinary civilians with no ties to the Arakan Army (AA), villagers said. The AA has been fighting Myanmar forces since later 2018 in a quest for greater autonomy for ethnic Rakhines in the state. A Myanmar military spokesman denied that troops had burned down the villages and said that a military vehicle carrying police was attacked by AA landmine blasts. Some local villagers also said that the troops came to attack and destroy the villages after AA soldiers had attacked their vehicles with roadside bombs. The latest destructive attack in the 21-month-old Rakhine conflict came after Myanmar government spokesman Zay Htay dismissed a recent offer from the AA and two allied ethnic armies to extend a temporary unilateral cease-fire until early November to allow for voting in general elections. The cease-fire, which does not extend to cases where Myanmar forces launch offensives, was propaganda, he said. The AA speaks about cease-fires, but on the contrary, they are planting and detonating bombs. They are hypocritical, Zaw Htay said during a news conference in Naypyidaw. If they want peace, then they should work on this process, he said, urging the AA declared a terrorist organization by the Myanmar government in March to join political talks to show it is serious. Thursdays military attack on civilians and torching of the villages in Kyauktaw township came after a provocation by AA fighters along the Sittwe-Yangon roadway, the areas main thoroughfare, local residents said. Around 5 p.m., they entered the village by vehicles, said Phayar Paung resident Than Hla Htun. They started firing their guns as soon as they got out of the vehicles, he said. They fired both large and small guns for 20 minutes in the direction of the village. They looked for the villagers as they fired. Burned down by arson As terrified residents ran in all directions, soldiers began to burn the houses at 6 p.m., said Than Hla Htun, who witnessed the torching. Before they burned a house, they fired their guns indiscriminately into it, he said, Another Phayar Paung villager, who declined to be identified for safety reasons, told RFA that about 200 soldiers entered the village, fired their guns at random, and torched homes. Before burning the homes, soldiers asked residents to come out of their houses and sit in two rows, one for men and the other for women, alongside the nearby highway for an hour prior to releasing them, he said. They asked if there were any AA members among us, if there were people who would attack them, he told RFA. We said we knew nothing about them, that we were just ordinary civilians. They then started beating us. The soldiers told the villagers that they must know about the AA since they were ethnic Rakhines, the resident said. They then went around the village and fired their guns indiscriminately, he added. When we looked back at the village, the houses were burning. Aye Saw, who lives in Kyauktaw town, confirmed the village burnings and the killings of the two civilians, and said the torched communities now are deserted. The houses were burned down by arson, he said. The houses in the villages are not close to one another. They were built in large compound, so there is no way the fire accidentally spread from house to house. They were burned down on purpose. A local man said the villagers who were burned out were staying and receiving meals at Buddhist monasteries across the river from Kyauktaw. At a news conference in Myanmars capital Naypyidaw on Friday, Myanmar military spokesman Major General Zaw Min Tun denied that government forces torched the communities. At about 6:30 p.m. Thursday, a military vehicle carrying police forces from the Apauk Wa police station was attacked by AA landmine blasts, after which troops found the bodies of two enemy soldiers and a gun, he said. Myanmar government spokesman Zaw Htay speaks to reporters during a press conference in Naypyidaw, Sept. 4, 2020. Credit: RFA Making up battles AA spokesperson Khine Thukha said the rebel force did not conduct landmine attacks in Kyauktaw township on Thursday evening. The military made up the attack as an excuse to burn down the villages, he said. The killing of the villagers and the arson in the villages are crimes committed by the military troops. The two bodies the Myanmar military said were AA soldiers were in fact those of civilians who had no connections to the AA, he added. The military has been attacking innocent civilians by making up battles, Khine Thukha said, adding that the violence was meant as a pretext to cancel the holding of Novembers general elections in Rakhine state. The Myanmar military has been implicated in other village shootings and burnings in conflict zones in Rakhine state. Myanmar troops were accused of torching hundreds of homes Kyauktaw townships Tin Ma village in March, though military officials later denied the allegation and claimed that there was no fire in the community. However, on April 22, the government provided 90 million kyats (U.S. $66,000) to rebuild the 500 homes. Nearly 300 civilians have died and more than 600 have been injured in the armed conflict since December 2018, according to an RFA tally. Roughly 200,000 others have fled their homes amid the fighting and now live in official or makeshift displacement camps. Government spokesman Zaw Htay urged the AA to join the national peace process that the Rakhine group and its allies have rejected in recent years. If they really want peace, if they genuinely want the rights of ethnic states, if they truly want rights as ethnic group, they should come join to peace talk table, he said, adding that government representatives would meet with AA commanders. AA spokesman Khine Thukha rejected Zaw Htays hypocrisy accusations. The truth is they are the ones being hypocritical, he said, pointing to the militarys unilateral cease-fires that have excluded Rakhine state. They then use excessive force combining the army, navy, and air force to launch offensives, he added. Do they really think their actions are sincere? It is just insane. Reported by RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Ye Kaung Myint Maung. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. SRINAGAR: On the occasion of Teachers' Day, a Kashmiri teacher has been awarded the National Teacher Award. A total of 47 teachers received the National Teacher Award across the country. Ruhi Sultana, a teacher at the Boys Middle School Kashipora of Telbal in Gulab Bagh area on the outskirts of Srinagar, has been honored for her innovative performance towards teaching this year. Every year, the Ministry of Education gives awards to encourage teachers to make extraordinary and commendable efforts to promote education in the country. The Ministry of Education appreciated the efforts made by Sultana, especially in primary classes, to give new directions to her students in learning activities, which she has done despite challenging times. Ruhi Sultana adopted the Low Cost-No Cost method in her teaching which started to increase the number and interest of the children in her school located in Telbal outskirts of Srinagar She said that she used pocket boards, utility cards, tracing boards and other child-friendly items so that the children do not have to spend much and were attracted to school and education. Ruhi Sultan said, "I teach the children through low cost no cost method without spending money, I teach the children with the same things Which are of no use we give we throw them." I give a new shape to those things in an innovative way and children get attracted and their interest increase in studies, Sultan said adding, "I am very happy, that my work is appreciated Its an honour for me, whatever a person do if he is appreciated it builds his confidence. The Ministry also lauded the hard work of Sultana for facilitating children with special needs so that they do not be from the benefits of education. To honour the contribution of some of the best teachers of the country, who through their ability have not only improved school education but also improved the lives of students. 47 teachers were selected for the awards. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the awards were presented by President Ram Nath Kovind through online mode. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 09:20:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MONTREAL, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- The United States could face sanctions if they cut off funding from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). WADA said in a statement on Friday that several government representatives have expressed concerns "relative to threats from the United States Government to withdraw funding from the Agency if WADA did not fulfill a number of conditions." "These Governments have identified what they consider to be a weakness in the rules whereby a Government can unilaterally refuse to meet its agreed funding commitments without facing any significant consequences," the statement read. "They feel that what is happening with the U.S. Government could create a negative precedent internationally that could be replicated and would jeopardize the entire global anti-doping system." The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) released a report in June concluding that the U.S. was not fairly represented in WADA proportionate to its contribution - 2.7 million U.S. dollars per year to the core budget of WADA - and that WADA had not made enough efforts in reform. According to WADA, government representatives have asked the Agency to consider the possibility of amending its rules so that such a move could face potential sanctions. WADA president Witold Banka said the Agency would follow the representatives' suggestions. "We will examine the rules to see if they need to be strengthened in light of the current situation. As always, due process will be followed and this will be a matter for discussion and consultation," said Banka, who assumed his role at the beginning of this year. Banka said his focus is "absolutely" on the welfare of athletes, and that the anti-doping system that "has served clean athletes" must be protected. "Fairness for athletes all over the world remains my number one priority. I will never let clean athletes become hostages of political games. Under the International Standard for Code Compliance by Signatories there are many possible consequences that do not impact the athletes," he continued. Finally, Banka said he was ready to "work with the U.S. Government on this" and called for unity from all stakeholders. WADA will hold their Executive Committee meeting on 14-15 September. Enditem Modi dispensation's thinking -- minimum govt, maximum privatisation: Rahul Gandhi India pti-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Sep 5: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday hit out at the Centre over the issue of recruitment to government posts, alleging that the Modi dispensation's thinking is "minimum government, maximum privatisation". With his tweet attacking the government, Gandhi tagged a media report which said there would be a freeze on creation of new posts except with the approval of the expenditure department. " Modi government's thinking -- 'Minimum Govt Maximum Privatisation'," Gandhi said in a tweet. The COVID-19 pandemic is just an excuse and the intention is to make government offices "free" of permanent staff, he alleged. "(Intention is to) Rob the future of the youth and promote (his) friends," Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi targeting the prime minister, and urged people to speak up. The 10-year-old drum prodigy, Nandi Bushell, challenged Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl to a drum-off of the band's song "Everlong." Nandi is known for her viral cover videos, and on August 17, she posted a video cover of Foo Fighters' "Everlong" on her YouTube channel. She opens the video with a challenge addressed to Grohl. In the caption, Nandi wrote that her dream is to "one day jam with Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins and all the @Foo Fighters!" The caption further stresses Nandi's challenge: "Mr Grohl I would love to have a drum battle with you!" She ended the caption declaring, "I LOVE Everlong it's really hard to play as it's so fast but so much FUN!!!" Meanwhile, after receiving a hundred messages telling him of Nandi's challenge, Grohl responds and accepts the challenge. He said in his video that he had seen Nandi's challenge and complimented Nandi for being "an incredible drummer." He then challenges Nandi to learn the song "Dead End Friends," and says, "The ball is in your court." Hey @Nandi_Bushell Challenge accepted. Havent played these songs in a loooooong time.....thanks for the inspiration!!! Your move!!! Your friend in rock, Dave (Thanks to my daughter, Harper for letting me borrow her drum set) pic.twitter.com/Ytq47CcZRC Foo Fighters (@foofighters) August 29, 2020 In the drum-off, Nandi matches Grohl's shirt and performs a fabulous cover of "Dead End Friends." She nails the cover and ends the video saying, "Woooo! Checkmate!" and "The rock Gods are smiling upon us." Grohl later admits defeat in a tweet on Foo Fighters' Twitter page. He mentions having "something special in mind" for round two. Ok, @Nandi_Bushell ......you win round one....but it aint over yet! Buckle up, cuz I have something special in mind... Stay tuned, Dave https://t.co/THyApmHHep Foo Fighters (@foofighters) September 4, 2020 Defence minister Rajnath Singh held frank and in-depth discussions with his Chinese counterpart General Wei Fenghe on Friday over the border stand-off along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh as well as on India-China relations, the government said on Saturday. Singh, the defence ministry statement said, categorically conveyed Indias position on the developments along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) including in the Galwan valley in the Western Sector of the India-China Border areas in the last few months. Singh held the talks with Wei on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting. Here is what the statement by the defence ministry said: Singh, the statement said, emphasised that the actions of the Chinese troops, including amassing of a large number of troops, their aggressive behaviour and attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo were in violation of the bilateral agreements and not in keeping with the understandings reached between the Special Representatives of two sides. Singh stated clearly that while the Indian troops had always taken a very responsible approach towards border management, but at the same time there should also be no doubt about our determination to protect Indias sovereignty and territorial integrity. Wei said that both sides should scrupulously implement the consensus reached between Prime Minister Modi and President Xi Jinping and continue to solve the issues through dialogue and consultation, strictly follow the various bilateral agreements, strengthen the regulation of frontline troops and not undertake any provocative actions that might escalate the situation. The two sides should focus on the overall situation of India-China relations and work together to de-escalate the situation as soon as possible, and maintain peace and tranquillity in the India-China border areas, Wei said according to the statement. The Chinese defence minister suggested that both sides should maintain communication at all levels including between the two ministers, it added. Singh said that both sides should take guidance from the consensus of the leaders that maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the India-China border areas was essential for the further development of our bilateral relations and that two sides should not allow differences to become disputes. Accordingly, the two sides should resolve the ongoing situation and outstanding issues in the border areas peacefully through dialogue. The Chinese defence minister, the statement said, conveyed that Chinese side too desired to resolve the issues peacefully. Singh advised that it was important therefore that Chinese side should work with the Indian side for complete disengagement at the earliest from all friction areas including Pangong Lake as well as de-escalation in border areas in accordance with the bilateral agreements and protocols on the maintenance of peace and tranquillity in border areas, strictly respect and observe the line of actual control and should not make attempts to unilaterally change status quo. Singh further said that the current situation should be handled responsibly and that neither side should take any further action that could either complicate the situation or escalate matters in the border areas. Singh conveyed that the two sides should continue their discussions, including through diplomatic and military channels, to ensure complete disengagement and de-escalation and full restoration of peace and tranquillity along the LAC at the earliest. Shaheed Al Hafeed, 29 August 2020 (SPS) - Minister of Occupied Territories and the Sahrawi Community Abroad has announced the creation of a human rights coordination mechanism to document and expose the violations committed by Morocco against the Sahrawi people since the military invasion of Western Sahara in 1975. This coordination mechanism has been created upon instruction from Sahrawi President Brahim Ghali during a meeting held Monday under the supervision of Premier Bouchraya Hamoudi Beyoun. According to a communique from the Sahrawi Ministry, the repression to which the Sahrawis in the occupied territories are subjected urged the creation of a mechanism that will have a positive impact on SADR and its struggle for human rights in these territories. SADR is aware of the importance of unveiling the policy and targets of Morocco by documenting its crimes against humanity since 1975 for referral to the competent courts. The mechanism will bring together several institutions and organizations involved in human rights in Western Sahara like the ministries of Occupied Territories and the Sahrawi Community Abroad, Foreign Affairs and Information, as well as the Polisario Front Political Secretariat, the Sahrawi Human Rights Committee and the Union of Lawyers, the Association of the families of Sahrawi detainees and disappeared, and the Association of victims of anti-personnel mines. In his speech at the constitutive meeting of the said mechanism, the Sahrawi Prime Minister stressed that the action of this mechanism consisted in coordinating efforts at the national and international levels in the field of human rights, because "the Sahrawi people suffer daily Moroccan violations of their rights to a decent life. The mechanism will serve to develop a common vision before national, regional and international bodies in accordance with international humanitarian law and the resolutions of international organizations. (SPS) 062/SPS/APS Ilhan Omar Getty/Alex Wong One of the summer's biggest political shockers came when QAnon extremist Marjorie Taylor Greene won a GOP congressional primary in Georgia. Considering how overwhelmingly Republican her district is, she is likely to win the general election and be sworn into the U.S. House of Representatives in January and Greene, who has a history of racist, anti-Semitic and Islamophobic remarks, now appears to be directing threatening congresswomen of color she is likely to be colleagues with next year. On her Facebook page, Greene posted an image of herself holding a gun alongside images of three Democratic progressives Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York City, Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and wrote: "We need strong conservative Christians to go on the offense against these socialists who want to rip our country apart." Facebook removed Greene's post, describing it as a terms of service violation. And Omar is speaking out about the post, accusing her of inciting violence. Omar tweeted, "Posting a photo with an assault rifle next to the faces of three women of color is not advertising. It's incitement. There are already death threats in response to this post. Facebook should remove this violent provocation." https://twitter.com/IlhanMN/status/1301900527555555328 In a different Facebook post attacking those congresswomen, Greene wrote, "Hate America leftists want to take this country down. Politicians have failed this country. I'm tired of seeing weak, establishment Republicans play defense. Our country is on the line. America needs fighters who speak the truth." Given Greene's willingness to promote the unhinged QAnon conspiracy cult, Omar is right to be concerned. QAnon believes that an international ring of pedophiles and Satanists has infiltrated the United States' federal government and that President Donald Trump was chosen to combat the ring. The "Q" is a reference to an anonymous figure who supporters of the cult believe is giving them updates on Trump's battle. And the FBI has linked QAnon to acts of violence." Story continues Ocasio-Cortez, Tlaib and Omar, along with Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, comprise the four congresswomen of color who are known as The Squad in the House. All of them were elected during the huge blue wave in the 2018 midterms that gave Democrats control of the House. Related Articles OTTAWA COUNTY, MI Two men were hospitalized after they lost control of their off-road vehicle and were ejected in the rollover crash. Police responded to the crash at 4:50 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4, near 84th Avenue and Trail Creek Drive in Polkton Township, according to a news release issued by the Ottawa County Sheriffs Office. The side-by-side ORV was driven a 44-year-old man, who was driving on private property when police said he lost control of the vehicle and it rolled over. Both the driver and passenger, a 48-year-old man, were ejected from the vehicle in the crash, according to the release. Police said the driver, of Coopersville, suffered a shoulder injury and the passenger, of Ferndale, suffered a head and foot injury in the crash. The two men were taken by ambulance to Spectrum Hospital to be treated for their injuries, police said. The crash remains under investigation by the sheriffs office. Sheriffs deputies were assisted on the scene by Coopersville and Polkton Fire Rescue and LIFE EMS Ambulance. More on MLive: Girl, 6, airlifted to hospital with life-threatening injuries after car crash Motorcyclist dies after crashing into cement wall Family of heart attack victim, police at odds over delayed response for help JERUSALEM - Israel's rapidly escalating coronavirus crisis is aggravating a religious divide in the Jewish state, with ultra-Orthodox leaders accusing mostly secular health officials of discrimination and fostering anti-Semitism by focusing on outbreaks in highly observant communities. As the government struggles to contain the outbreak, ultra-Orthodox Jewish rabbis, cabinet ministers and parliament members have resisted attempts to curtail activities in ultra-Orthodox areas, including many that have emerged as covid-19 hot spots. Facing particular ire has been Ronni Gamzu, the pugnacious former hospital administrator appointed last month as the government's "corona czar." Gamzu has clashed with religious leaders over his efforts to impose targeted lockdowns on neighborhoods with high infection rates, block a yearly pilgrimage to the grave of a revered Hasidic rabbi in Ukraine and compel virus testing for thousands of foreign students who have recently arrived to attend religious schools, or yeshivas. Gamzu said last week that 80% of the most recent coronavirus cases occurred in ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods. The government expects to enact targeted restrictions Monday in 10 hot spot communities, many of them ultra-Orthodox. The tensions have riven Israel's coronavirus cabinet, the government body that sets policy. On Friday, one day after Israel recorded 3,141 new cases - the largest single day per capita increase in any country since the pandemic began - cabinet discussions grew heated over proposed lockdowns during the Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur later this month. "You want a lockdown during the High Holidays because you don't want people praying," Housing Minister Yaakov Litzman said to Gamzu, according to Israeli media reports. "We will not let this happen." Gamzu says that his recommendations are data-driven, applied equally to all sectors of Israeli society and designed to prevent the need for another nationwide lockdown. He has not hesitated to fire back at those want to avoid restrictions, including some business owners and school officials whom he has accused of hindering the country's recovery. "Stop the insanity," he said in an emotional appeal to the public Thursday. "All Israel is at war." In arguments that echoed those of some church leaders in the United States, a senior ultra-Orthodox rabbi, Chaim Kanievsky, accused Gamzu of wanting to keep yeshiva scholars from their religious studies even as secular Israelis are allowed to go to beaches and restaurants. Gamzu, who was appointed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in early August, was overruled during his first week on the job when he sought to block this year's crop of foreign yeshiva students from entering the country. But he insisted they be quarantined to start their stay and then tested and isolated if results are positive. Several hundred boarding students, many of them teenagers from the United States, have tested positive in recent weeks, although most show no symptoms. The northern Israeli town of Karmiel reported last week that almost half the 400 students at a local yeshiva had tested positive. Kanievsky, however, advised schools not to test even in cases when students showed symptoms because it would disrupt their studies. Gamzu's blunt retort - "Rabbi Kanievsky's announcement endangers the ultra-Orthodox public" - sparked outrage, with one ultra-Orthodox newspaper calling for Gamzu's resignation over his "despicable defiance of the Torah's authority." Gamzu faced another backlash when he lobbied Ukrainian officials to bar ultra-Orthodox Israelis from making their annual Rosh Hashanah pilgrimage to the Ukrainian town of Uman. The celebrations, involving crowds of dancing men, had super-spreader potential, he warned. Officials in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, announced the ban this week, but not before Ukrainian media reported that locals in Uman had attacked Jewish travelers who had already arrived. Ultra-Orthodox leaders were furious with Gamzu, and several Israeli officials accused him of "fueling anti-Semitism" in the words of parliament member Miki Zohar, from Netanyahu's Likud party. Gamzu declined to comment for this article. The arguments between religious and secular camps are not new. Ultra-Orthodox Jews - or Haredim as they known in Hebrew - live in insular communities, putting higher priority on their religious practices than civic obligations. Many, for instance, don't celebrate Israeli patriotic holidays, and most don't serve in the military, a near universal requirement for other Jewish Israelis. Health experts say the ultra-Orthodox are particularly susceptible to the spread of infection because they typically have large families, live in crowded neighborhoods and routinely gather in large numbers for worship and funerals. Haredi distrust of the government runs deep, and initially their rabbis resisted orders that Israelis wear masks and avoid crowded indoor prayer. Minor clashes broke out when the Israeli army was deployed in a few high-infection Haredi areas to help enforce lockdown orders. But religious leaders began complying after they saw Covid-19 deaths spiral elsewhere, including Hasidic communities in the United States. "They were shocked by the casualties in New York among their own people and began taking it very seriously," said Tamar El-Or, an anthropology professor at Hebrew University who has studied Haredi culture. Since the epidemic began, confirmed cases have topped 126,000 in a country of nearly 9 million people. About 22%of infections have been in ultra-Orthodox areas, according to health data, second only to 28% in Arab towns and neighborhoods. And the latest surge of infections, which came after Israel loosened its public health restrictions, has hit the ultra-Orthodox even harder. But with total deaths remaining relatively low - less than a thousand - and hospitals so far able to handle the volume of seriously ill patients, many ultra-Orthodox are insistent that they be able to continue activities that are important to them. "There is sickness yes, but it's not like we are piling up corpses," El-Or said of their attitude. "It's not that they want to go back to normal. It's about where to draw the lines." Elimelech Lamdan, an ultra-Orthodox psychotherapist in the city of Givatayim, said his community is angry over the government dictates largely because they see Gamzu as a secular Israeli who would like the religious to disappear. "In the eyes of many Haredim, these rules are applied selectively. They are a put-up job," said Lamdan, who noted that he agreed with some, but not all, of the criticisms leveled against Gamzu. "Life should be ruled by the Torah and not by the consensus of the governing body." Narendra Modi and Donald Trump Washington: Highlighting the great relationship that he has developed with Indian Americans and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Donald Trump said that he would think that Indian Americans would vote for him in the November 3 presidential election. We have great support from India. We have great support from Prime Minister Modi. I would think that the Indian American people would be voting for Trump, he said. Advertisement Narendra Modi and Donald Trump Trump was responding to a question on a video titled, "Four more years" released by the Trump Campaign during the Republican National Convention last month. Would Kimberly, Don Jr., and Ivanka Trump, who are very popular among Indian Americans, would be campaigning on your behalf among the Indian Americans with your views on India-US relationship? he was asked. Advertisement I know India and I understood those young people that you mentioned. They're very good young people. And I know their relationship with India is very good and so is mine, Trump said. The president said that he has a very good relationship with Modi. Donald TrumpPrime Minister Modi is a friend of mine and he's doing a very good job. Nothing easy, but he's done a very good job, he said. We had an event in Houston, as you know. And it was a fantastic event. I was invited by Prime Minister Modi and this was a massive (event)... And it was incredible. And the prime minister could not have been more generous. We have great support from India. We have great support from Prime Minister Modi, Trump said. Advertisement Donald Trump and Narendra Modi The president then referred to his India visit early this year in February before the coronavirus pandemic hit the two countries. I also, as you know, went to India just prior to the pandemic setting in because India has been hit very hard, left really about a week before that, and we had an incredible time. What we saw the people are so incredible it's really an incredible place, an incredible country and it is definitely big, he said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 17:01:50|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Troops of India and Pakistan Saturday exchanged heavy fire and targeted each other's positions on Line of Control (LoC), dividing Kashmir, Indian officials said. The two sides exchanged fire on LoC in Shahpur, Kirni and Degwar sectors of frontier Poonch district, about 180 km southwest of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir. The firing started at 9:15 a.m. local time and the exchange of fire was going on until last reports poured in. So far there were no reports of any damage to the Indian or Pakistani side. The troops of India and Pakistan intermittently exchange fire on LoC and International Border in the disputed Kashmir region, despite an agreement in 2003 to observe a cease-fire. New Delhi and Islamabad accuse each other of resorting to unprovoked firings and violating cease-fire agreements. And both sides maintain their troops gave a befitting reply to the other. Enditem Of today's cases, 24 were recorded in Dublin, 13 in Kildare, eight in Kerry, six in Kilkenny, six in Limerick, six in Louth and five in Tipperary. The remaining 30 cases were recorded in Carlow, Clare, Cork, Galway, Laois, Leitrim, Longford, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Waterford and Wexford. Forty-eight of the confirmed cases were male, while 50 were female. 66 per cent of the cases were under the age of 45. In a statement containing today's figures, acting Chief Medical Officer, Dr Ronan Glynn reiterated the importance of following current public health guidelines. As we head into another weekend, keep physical distance top of mind at all times. Have no more than six visitors to your home and keep 2 meters between you. Open windows and keep rooms well ventilated if possible. Its important that we all keep our number of social contacts low while we focus on keeping our schools safe, continuing to resume healthcare services and ultimately protecting the most vulnerable from Covid-19, said Dr Glynn. Advertisement Earlier today, a Dublin doctor called for the daily Covid-19 figures announcement to be axed as they are causing "huge anxiety and are utterly meaningless. Dr Maitiu O Tuathail is one of a number of prominent Irish doctors urging for the daily figures to be replaced with a comprehensive weekly briefing, adding that no other European country makes daily announcements about Covid-19 numbers. Elsewhere, the Government came under fire for new measures for restaurants and pubs that serve food, or the so-called 'Stasi' guidelines. The new rules, which came into effect on Thursday, compel restaurants and pubs serving food to make a record of all meals ordered. They must be able to make the records available to a member of An Garda Siochana for up to 28 days after the meal. Both the Restaurants Association of Ireland and Licensed Vintners Association voiced their disapproval of the new measures, before Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly was forced to defend the move saying there will be no additional administrative burden on pubs and restaurants as these businesses already retain receipts for VAT purposes. We havent had too many election years with quite this much attention paid to the process of voting, from allegations of voter suppression and voter fraud to President Trumps recent suggestion that North Carolina voters cast ballots twice. But even before the act of voting became a hot-button issue in this particular election cycle, documentary filmmakers have turned their sights on the right to vote and the manipulations thereof. Barak Goodman and Chris Durrances Slay the Dragon, which premiered at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival and was released in April, went deep on the practice of gerrymandering. Dawn Porters John Lewis: Good Trouble, which was released by Magnolia and CNN in July, is a portrait of the late congressman that detours to explore the issues of voting rights for which he spent his lifetime crusading. And now, Lisa Cortes and Liz Garbus All In: The Fight for Democracy, which focuses on Stacey Abrams fight to become governor of Georgia but expands far past that to encompass nearly 200 years of every type of voter suppression. It is the most comprehensive and far-reaching of the recent voting-rights docs, and with the election approaching its an uncommonly timely and urgent document of the many ways in which the foundations of democracy can be thwarted. So exhaustive that at times its exhausting, itll terrify anybody whos worried that the true danger in this years election is voter suppression, not voter fraud. (Will it change the minds of anyone who buys Trumps line that fraud will be rampant? Probably not like every other issue-oriented doc in these fiercely divided times, All In will likely be embraced by one side and ignored by the other.) Also Read: Stacey Abrams Asks Hollywood Not to Pull Georgia TV, Film Production to Protest Her Loss Stacey Abrams is one of the producers of the film, which is organized around her run for governor against Brian Kemp who, as Georgias sitting secretary of state, also oversaw the election in which he narrowly defeated her amid numerous examples of the closing of polling places and the purging of voter rolls. And shes one of its key talking heads, all of whom are positioned at long tables with deep rooms behind them; the settings make it look like theyre lecturing or testifying before congress, and lend an air of gravitas to whats being said and to the people who are saying it. Story continues Of course, the issue deserves all the gravitas it can get, and the film takes it all the way back to the election of George Washington, when only six percent of Americans white, male property owners were eligible to vote. From there, it delves into the 15th Amendment in 1870, which gave Black men the right to vote (women were still excluded) and led to African-American congressmen elected at state and national levels. In the Reconstruction era that followed the Civil War, the film points out, more than two-thirds of eligible Black people registered to vote in some southern states. But after congress agreed to withdraw troops from the South to effectively end Reconstruction, the states (initially in the South, but later elsewhere) began to find ways to exclude them from the voting rolls: poll taxes, literacy tests that were designed to be almost impossible to pass, then felony disenfranchisement coupled with statues that made arrests and convictions easy. Also Read: Stacey Abrams Voting Rights Documentary Nabbed by Amazon Ahead of 2020 Election By the end of World War II, All In says, registration in the South had fallen to three percent of eligible African-Americans. And organizations like the Ku Klux Klan intimidated those who were registered. For instance, Maceo Snipes, a WWII veteran, was the only Black person to vote in Taylor County, Georgia in 1946, and was shot and killed by a group of men on his front porch soon after casting his ballot. All In suggests that Martin Luther Kings march over the Edmund Pettis Bridge in 1965 was a turning point, when graphic footage of Alabama police savagely beating peaceful protestors woke up Americans and spurred President Lyndon Johnson to push for and get passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965. At this point, the films clear storytelling gets a little diffuse; the movie alternates between sequences featuring Abrams race for governor with sections from the past, but then there are time jumps within the time jumps, and a sense that All In really is trying to fit it all in. And theres a lot to fit in, notably in recent years when opponents of the Voting Rights Act seized on Barack Obamas election as a way to undermine the act by claiming it was no longer necessary. At the same time, says author Carol Anderson, the coalition of 15 million new voters brought to the polls to vote for Obama became the hit list for voter suppression. Also Read: 'John Lewis: Good Trouble' Film Review: Portrait of Civil Rights Icon Couldn't Be More Timely The Voting Rights Act had been extended many times over the years, and always proudly signed by Republican presidents. But behind the scenes, a strategy to constantly challenge elements of the law in court finally hit pay dirt in 2013, when the Supreme Court under Chief Justice John Roberts whose mentor was former Chief Justice William Renquist, once one of the leaders in voter suppression in Arizona according to the film invalidated many provisions of the bill. In the aftermath, the floodgates opened to voter ID laws that made it particularly hard for minorities to be registered, as well as purges of the voting rolls, poll closures and aggressive gerrymandering. Intimidation from the government is real, it is powerful, its because of changing demographics and the fear of what this larger vote can mean, says Anderson. All of this is a huge amount to cover, and the film strains to do it. But even if it feels a little disorganized at times, and occasionally overwhelmed by the mass of material its trying to cover, All In leaves the unmistakable impression that there is an organized effort to prevent some citizens from voting, and that President Trumps claims of widespread voter fraud which his own commission could not document is part of that effort. It is, in the end, a damning film and a powerful one. And with Nov. 3 less than two months away, an essential one. All In: The Fight for Democracy opens in theaters on Sept. 9 and on Amazon Prime Video on Sept. 18. Read original story All In: The Fight for Democracy Film Review: Stacey Abrams Documentary Is Timely and Terrifying At TheWrap The Last Supper was a portrait of Cubas ambivalent attitude towards slavery. But the films title makes the religious statement equally obvious. Religion makes slaves of us. By the time you read this, the Venice Film Festival will be underway, though not the Classics section, which was screened due to COVID-related seating-capacity reasons at the Il Cinema Ritrovato festival in Bologna. (Also read Cate Blanchett opens up on return to Venice Film Festival, her fears around coronavirus: We've to be courageous) One of the most fascinating films in the programme is a restored version of La ultima cena (The Last Supper), a 1976 Cuban drama by Tomas Gutierrez Alea. Its a rare creature: a political allegory painted in explicitly religious shades. Its about a (white) sugar mill owner in eighteenth-century Havana and his (black) slaves. Its also about the Holy Week, the seven days that lead to Easter Sunday, during which the events seen here are set. The Last Supper, as painted by Leonardo da Vinci, shows Jesus with his 12 apostles: its the turbulent moment when the Son of God reveals that one of his apostles will betray him. The most (in)famous filmic appropriation (see video above) of this Biblical event is in Luis Bunuels Viridiana (1961), where the da Vinci painting is replicated with a bunch of beggars. The man in the place of Jesus is blind, which may be the directors comment (attack?) on blind faith. The sequence ends with a woman flashing the people assembled at the table. The replication of the da Vinci painting in La ultima cena is much milder, in the sense that it isnt blasphemous and it didnt lead to denunciations from the Church, as was the case with the Bunuel film. But here, too, some very important commentary is being made. The owner of the sugar mill, a religious man known only as the Count, decides to invite twelve slaves to his home for supper. This sounds warped, but then, so is the way the people in these surroundings interpret religion. Consider the speech the local priest gives some of the slaves, in an early scene. He talks about heaven as a place you can be with God, live in His house, eat at His table, with the Virgin Mary, and all the angels and saints. Its a place where nobody gives orders, nobody is bad, nobody fights or gets mad. Its a place where nobody says this is mine or this is yours, because everybodys got enough. It doesnt occur to the priest that this equality this idea of heaven could very well be implemented here, if the master-slave relationship were transformed into, say, an arrangement where these men are paid for their labour. A most horrible thing happens even as these words are being uttered. A slave who attempted to run away is brought in and seated with the others. One of his ears has been chopped off, as punishment. But all the priest says is: You want to go (to heaven)? Well, to go, you have to be pure and keep all the Commandments. The slave has to be good and serve his master, because God says so. God says to love your master very much. The priest has essentially invented an eleventh Commandment: Thou shalt be a loyal slave. The Last Supper is too real to be called satire, too ridiculous to be termed real. But during the last supper stretch, the lunacy truly hits the fan. The Count begins by bathing the feet of the invited slaves, feet that are covered in blisters from working all day. One of the slaves spits on him, and yet, he curbs his rage. Wiping his face, he says, Christ humbled himself before his disciples, so a master can humble himself to his slaves. Slowly, the eating and drinking get underway, and we get to the most brilliant stretch. The Count narrates a fable whose moral is this: Of all the good things Christ gives, the best is to suffer pain and injury for His divine love. The other things arent ours, they belong to God. Sorrow is the only thing that is really ours, the only thing we can give to God with joy. The slaves snicker. One of them asks if he should be happy when the overseer thrashes him. The Count says, Yes, thats it. If you understand this, you will be happy, happier than whites. Where do these strange beliefs come from? Religion, of course. The Count is convinced that Nature has made the black man more resistant to pain. No white man sings when he cuts sugarcane, whereas the black man always sings. And, by singing, he forgets what hes doing. He becomes joyful. The white man suffers more than the black. In other words, God arranged it for the black man to have innate qualities for cutting cane. The black man was practically born for the field, and thus, born to suffer. There is a political statement in this, obviously. The Last Supper was a portrait of Cubas ambivalent attitude towards slavery. But the films title makes the religious statement equally obvious. Religion makes slaves of us. We are asked to silently accept suffering because God has willed it that way, and the more we suffer, the greater the chances of being rewarded with a place in heaven. The slaves call out this bullshit. They rebel. And thats the point of the film, which was produced by the Instituto Cubano del Arte e Industria Cinematograficos (ICAIC, Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Industry). This organisation was like what the Dravidian movement was in Tamil Nadu. It recognised that to reach the masses, to educate them, and for social betterment, cinema was the most powerful medium. Did films like The Last Supper help? Did they do what they were meant to do? I dont know. But for the rest of us, today, these films are important socio-cultural documents. Even if we believe all men are created equal, they make us question the fact that the world around us is still filled with so much inequality. And maybe this is why so many people still believe in God. For if there was no promise of heaven, what would be the point of all this suffering? How could we even begin to bear all this living? Baradwaj Rangan is Editor, Film Companion (South). New police officers should not be influenced by films like Singham as some police personnel miss out on main aspects of policing while showing off, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on September 5 while addressing the 2018 batch of IPS probationers at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy. "Some policemen who join new duty want to first show-off ... scare people... And anti-social elements should shiver from hearing my name itself.... after watching films like 'Singham', it gets over their mind and because of it those works which need to be done get missed out," the prime minister said while addressing the probationers via video conferencing. Asking police personnel to always respect the power of society, he said officers should leverage the inherent strength of the society for achieving citizen-friendly objectives. PM Modi also cautioned them not to indulge in wrongdoings, warning them that they would be exposed by the latest technologies, which are also useful in better policing. Responding to a woman probationer, Modi heaped praise on the people of Kashmir, saying they are 'lovely' people and having special ability to learn new things. "I am very connected to these people. They treat you with so much love...All of us together, we have to work towards stopping the children from taking a wrong direction. "And this can be done by our women police officers efficiently. Our women force can effectively work in educating the mothers and bringing back those children. I am confident if you do that, in the initial stage itself we can prevent our children from getting onto the wrong path," PM Modi said. China announces more standardised official Chinese names for 15 more places in Arunachal Pradesh Arunachal Pradesh integral part of India; invented names does not alter this fact: MEA Probe launched after families allege 5 men kidnapped by China's PLA from Arunachal India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Sep 05: Arunachal Pradesh police has launched a probe following reports that five people, who had gone hunting in a forest in Upper Subansiri district on the Sino-India border, were allegedly kidnapped by the Chinese military, a senior official said on Saturday. The alleged incident occurred on Friday in Nacho area of the district, their families said. Two others, who were in the group, managed to escape and informed police, PTI news agency reported. "I have sent the officer-in-charge of the Nacho police station to the area to verify the facts and directed him to report immediately. However, the report will be available only by Sunday morning," Superintendent of Police Taru Gussar said. Congress leader Ninong Ering on Saturday morning also tweeted that China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) had reportedly abducted five people from the Subasiri district. "SHOCKING NEWS: Five people from Upper Subansiri district of our state Arunachal Pradesh have reportedly been 'abducted' by China's People's Liberation Army (PLA)," Ering tweeted. The Congress MLA demanded a 'befitting reply' to the China and its army. He said a similar incident had taken place in the state few months ago. Those allegedly kidnapped have been identified as Toch Singkam, Prasat Ringling, Dongtu Ebiya, Tanu Baker and Ngaru Diri. All of them belong to the Tagin community. Their family members living at district headquarters Daporijo said some of their relatives had left for Nacho Saturday morning to discuss the matter with the Indian Army. Nacho is around 120 kilometers from the district headquarters. The families urged the authorities to take steps to bring them back. Pasighat West MLA Ninong Ering said that befitting reply must be given the China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) for the incident. Five people from Upper Subansiri district of our state Arunachal Pradesh have reportedly been abducted by Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA). Few months earlier, a similar incident happened. A befitting reply must be given to #PLA and #CCPChina. @PMOIndia, he tweeted. In March, a 21-year-old man was abducted by the PLA from Asapila sector near the McMahon line. While his two friends managed to escape, Togley Sinkam was taken away at gunpoint, his family had said. After 19 days in captivity, the youth was released by the Chinese Army. The alleged 'abductions' MLA's come at a time when tensions have flared up again in eastern Ladakh after China's unsuccessful attempt to occupy Indian territory in the southern bank of Pangong lake. India occupied a number of strategic heights on the southern bank of Pangong lake and strengthened its presence in Finger 2 and Finger 3 areas in the region to thwart any Chinese actions. China has strongly objected to India's move. However, India has maintained that the strategic heights are on its side of the LAC. India has also rushed in additional troops and weapons to the sensitive region following China's transgression attempts. Following China's fresh attempts to change the status quo in the southern bank of Pangong lake, India has further bolstered its military presence in the region. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, September 5, 2020, 17:57 [IST] Kentucky congressman against mandates says he has COVID-19 New Delhi: Central government on Saturday 'exhorted'Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka to focus on breaking the chain of Covid-19 transmission and keeping the mortality below 1%. "The Health Ministry has been regularly engaging with States and UTs that have been exhibiting either a sudden surge in COVID cases, high caseload or reporting a higher mortality in some districts. The Centre today exhorted the States of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka to focus on undertaking aggressive measures to break the chain of transmission and to ensure that the mortality is kept below 1%. The States have been advised to proactively ensure higher testing, effective clinical management to lower fatality and save lives along with efficient monitoring at various levels," said Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in an official statement. Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka account for about 46% of active cases reported nationally in the last 24 hours. Maharashtra alone accounts for 22% of all active cases reported in the last 24 hours. Similarly these three states account for 52% of all Covid-19 deaths reported across the country in the last 24 hours. Maharashtra alone accounted for 35% of all deaths reported in the last 24 hours. The Union Home Ministry also highlighted the districts of concern in each state. In Maharashtra, Pune, Nagpur, Kolhapur, Sangli, Nashik, Ahmednagar, Raigad, Jalgaon, Solapur, Satara and Palghar were highlighted and need for effective containment and contact tracing was emphasized. In Andhra Pradesh, Prakasam and Chittoor were highlighted as districts of concern and the need for daily monitoring of facility wise deaths, strengthening of hospital facilities, increasing the number of ICUs, oxygen beds and efficient clinical management were focused upon. In Karnataka, the highlighted districts of Koppal, Mysuru, Davangere and Bellari were advised to optimally utilize RT-PCR testing facilities, to strengthen their door to door active case search and to protect their healthcare workers. In cumulative terms, five states account for more than 60% of the total active cases in the country. Maharashtra contributes maximum to the active caseload amounting to almost 25%, followed by Andhra Pradesh (12.06%), Karnataka (11.71%), Uttar Pradesh (6.92%) and Tamil Nadu, which stands at 6.10%. Of these, three states of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka account for nearly 49% of the active cases and more than 57% of Covid-19 deaths. View Full Image (Photo: PIB) Of the total deaths in the country, 70% are recorded in just five States of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Delhi and Andhra Pradesh. Maharashtra alone accounts for 37.33% of the total deaths. View Full Image (Photo: PIB) India has become the third country to pass four million coronavirus infections, setting a new record daily surge in cases on Saturday as the pandemic shows no sign of peaking. The 86,432 new cases took India to 4,023,179 infections, third behind the United States which has more than 6.3 million and just trailing Brazil on 4.1 million. The growing caseload comes after the World Health Organization said Friday it did not expect widespread immunisation against Covid-19 until mid-2021, insisting it would never endorse a vaccine that has not been proven safe and effective, over concerns around the rush to develop a jab for the virus. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics Meat-plant owners face claims for sick-pay schemes, pay rises and pensions for 6,000 workers if they refuse to standardise conditions across the industry. Siptu division organiser Greg Ennis said claims would be lodged on behalf of its members if Meat Industry Ireland failed to agree to negotiations at a meeting next Friday. It is understood Rosderra Meats, a number of ABP plants, Slaney Meats, Callan Bacon and Liffey Meats do offer illness benefits. The union will seek a scheme that means staff would get full pay for three months, and half pay for the following three months. It will also seek pay increases to at least the living wage of 12.30 an hour. Mr Ennis said poor pay and conditions in the industry contributed to the high numbers of Covid-19 cases. "We are extremely disappointed that Meat Industry Ireland has indicated that it will not agree terms and conditions of employment," he said. "If there is a failure to agree to this, we will serve claims on each individual employer." The union is due to meet the industry body next Friday to agree a protocol for workplace safety. Meanwhile, there were 26 inspections of meat plants by Health and Safety Authority inspectors last month and 25 of those were unannounced. A spokesperson said the level of compliance was satisfactory so no enforcement notices were required beyond a report of inspection. The US Department of Justice is digging into how hedge funds tap into research and set up their bets. To commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote, Daughters of the American Revolution Tuesday, The event is a Send-Off for the Justice Bell which is headed to Independence Hall for an historic unchaining. To commemorate the centennial anniversary of these historic events, the bell was chained five years ago by former Pennsylvania State Regent Roberta McMullin shown here. Tomorrow the Pennsylvania Daughters are transporting the bell once again to Independence Square where the bell will be unchained and ceremonially rung once again. Valley Forge National Park, August 25, 2020 Read more Last month, the Pennsylvania State Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (PSDAR) commemorated the 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment - which granted women the right to vote - by temporarily moving the Justice Bell from its home in Valley Forge to Independence Hall for display. A replica of the Liberty Bell, it was cast in 1915 to promote the cause for womens suffrage in the United States. Here, former PSDAR regent Roberta McMullin assists in transporting the bell to Philadelphia, where it was to be rung in celebration of the 19th Amendments milestone birthday. Piers Morgan and Denise Welch have clashed online over handling of the coronavirus pandemic (photos from AP) Piers Morgan and Denise Welch have exchanged a series of barbed posts on social media, in a feud which has seen the Good Morning Britain host brand the Loose Women star dumb, deluded and dangerous. While Morgan has been very vocal in criticising the governments handling of the pandemic, Welch believes it is time restrictions begin to be lifted. The pairs feud gathered speed after Welch appeared on This Morning, clashing with presenter Eamonn Holmes over current coronavirus restrictions. Read more: Denise Welch: Alcohol ruined my life for 15 years After the interview aired, Morgan tweeted: Dumb, deluded and dangerous Covid-deniers like Denise Welch need to stop being given air time. Her idiotic, ill-informed ramblings - from woman who never stops telling us she suffers from mental illness - will cost lives by persuading people to think the virus isn't a threat. Dumb, deluded & dangerous Covid-deniers like Denise Welch need to stop being given airtime. Her idiotic, ill-informed ramblings - from a woman who never stops telling us that she suffers from mental illness - will cost lives by persuading people to think the virus isnt a threat. Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) September 4, 2020 However, Welch wasnt going to take the comments lying down, responding: Please ask Mr Morgan to show me one tweet, one interview where I have denied Covid? He doesnt want to be telling complete and utter lies with such a huge following. Seriously. Welchs fellow Loose Women star Nadia Sawalha, leapt to her friends defence. Nadia Sawalha attends The BFI 63rd London Film Festival, Leicester Square in London. (Photo by Keith Mayhew/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) I genuinely hope that neither @piersmorgan nor anyone he loves ever has to endure the pain of struggling with their mental health ... sending you the biggest of hugs @RealDeniseWelch a damn fine woman is what you are, she wrote. Morgan responded: If I had a loved one suffering from mental illness, I would stop them going on TV to spout ill-informed nonsense about Covid no longer being a serious threat. Story continues Basically Piers Morgan setting the its good to talk campaign back 20 yrs. Of cause people who have admitted to mental health issues are incapable of making rational decisions for themselves. Unbelievable!!!! pic.twitter.com/kzepqSQsh0 Denise Welch (@RealDeniseWelch) September 4, 2020 It didnt end there. Welch then tweeted: Basically Piers Morgan setting the its good to talk campaign back 20 yrs. "Of cause [sic] people who have admitted to mental health issues are incapable of making rational decisions for themselves. Unbelievable!!!!" Read more: Piers Morgan takes to Twitter to hit out at death hoax trolls Sawalha then addressed Morgan again, saying: "Whats frustrating is when peoples opinions are dismissed or rubbished on the grounds of mental health issues alone - its a slippery slope ... have the argument @piersmorgan... just dont attack on such a personal level ... "Can you not be better than this ? @RealDeniseWelch." Morgan responded: "Have you read or heard the torrent of abusive c**p Ms Welch aims my way? If you dont want it back, dont dish it out. And if you do dish it out, dont hide behind mental health when people respond. New protests were sparked, in particular, by yesterday's detention of students of the Minsk State Linguistic University. Student solidarity rallies and a women's peace march are taking place simultaneously in Minsk, the capital city of Belarus. Read alsoBelarus protests: Students take to streets in Minsk on Sept 1 (Photo, video)A number of Belarusian Telegram channels, namely NEXTA Live, Onliner and Nasha Niva reported on the events on Saturday, September 5. First, several hundred students gathered in downtown Minsk. University teaches joined them as well. The activists arranged in columns and moved along the central streets of the city, shouting slogans and holding white-red-white flags. Some protesters were singing the anthem Kupalinka (Belarusian folk song). Then the first detentions of protests began. About 4,000 women took part in the march, which stated at about 15:00. They also marched through the capital of Belarus, holding white-red-white flags and official state flags of Belarus. The women call on the authorities to bring to justice those responsible for the violence against participants in the rallies to protest over the fraudulent presidential election. New protests were sparked, in particular, by yesterday's detention of students of the Minsk State Linguistic University (MSLU), when riot police officers broke into the hall of the building, while the MSLU administrative personnel just watched what was happening. Earlier, Blarusian students took to the streets of Minsk on Knowledge Day, September 1, to demand that political prisoners be released from custody and fair elections be held in the country. Belarus protests: background Vietnams Covid-19 infections still remained at 1,049 as no fresh cases were reported this evening, September 5, according to the Health Ministry. Also, 19 coronavirus patients have fully recovered and were discharged in the day from Danang Lung Hospital, Hoa Vang Medical Center in the central city of Danang and Quang Nam Central General Hospital in neighboring Quang Nam Province, bringing the countrys total recoveries to 805. As of now, the country has 691 locally-transmitted cases of Covid-19, with 551 of them being recorded since July 25. Besides this, 35 patients have died due to the novel coronavirus so far. Among the active cases, 26 have tested negative for the deadly virus once, 28 twice, and 38 three times. More than 43,100 people having close contact with coronavirus cases or returning from virus-hit areas are being put in quarantine. Over 640 Vietnamese repatriated from Singapore, Republic of Korea More than 640 Vietnamese citizens in Singapore and the Republic of Korea (RoK) returned home on September 5. The repatriation flight from Singapore operated by Vietjet Air carried over 240 passengers, all of whom were in particularly disadvantaged circumstances. Meanwhile, 405 passengers were on the flight from the RoK, operated by national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines. Security, safety and hygiene measures were carried out throughout the two flights to protect passengers health and prevent the spread of COVID-19. Upon the Vietjet flights arrival at Can Tho International Airport and the Vietnam Airlines flights arrival at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, those on board received medical check-ups and were sent to concentrated quarantine sites in line with regulations. More overseas Vietnamese with disadvantages are set to be brought home in the time ahead basing on their aspirations, the pandemics developments and local quarantine capacity. More relief delivered to pandemic-hit Vietnamese Cambodians About 200 relief packs were delivered to Vietnamese Cambodians and Khmer people in Cambodia, who are struggling to make ends meet because of COVID-19 and flooding, on September 5 morning. This was the first delivery of the fourth phase of an emergency relief programme for Vietnamese Cambodians and Khmer people severely hit by COVID-19 in Cambodia. A total of 1,847 vulnerable families across nine Cambodian cities and provinces will receive the relief packs, each comprising 20 kg of rice, face masks, hand sanitizers and a plastic mat, during this phase. According to Chairman of the Khmer-Vietnam Association in Cambodia Sim Chy, the programme has provided reliefs to about 5,000 affected Vietnamese Cambodian households. Its provincial chapters across Cambodia have also conducted awareness campaigns on preventive measures against the coronavirus targeting Vietnamese Cambodians, he said. He added that his association has recorded no confirmed COVID-19 cases among the Vietnamese Cambodians community to date. Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia Vu Quang Minh spoke highly of efforts made by the Vietnamese Cambodians community in Cambodia to overcome hardships posed by the pandemic. These efforts have contributed considerably to Cambodias response to the pandemic, he said. As of September 5, the Cambodian Ministry of Health reported a total of 273 COVID-19 cases and zero death. Since the beginning of this year, the Khmer-Vietnam Association in Cambodia has also teamed up with the Vietnamese General Consulates in Preah Sihanouk and Battambang, to raise funds for struggling Vietnamese Cambodians amid COVID-19. More Vietnamese citizens brought home safely from Australia, New Zealand Close to 350 Vietnamese citizens were safely flown home from Australia and New Zealand on a repatriation flight on September 4. The flight was conducted under a joint effort of national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines, Vietnamese authorities, representative missions of Vietnam in Australia and New Zealand and the two countries' authorities. The passengers included children aged under 18, the elderly, people with sickness, workers whose visas or labour contracts expired, students with no residences due to dormitory closures and those in extremely difficult circumstances. Given that travel restrictions continue to be in place in Australia and New Zealand in response to COVID-19, Vietnamese missions in the two countries have worked with local authorities to facilitate travel of Vietnamese expats to pickup points at airports in Sydney and Melbourne (Australia). Vietnamese diplomats were also sent there to assist the citizens with procedures until they boarded the flight. Vietnam Airlines has strictly implemented in-flight security and disease preventive measures to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. Upon landing at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, all the flight crew and passengers were given heath checkups and put into compulsory quarantine in accordance with regulations. Da Nang loosens social distancing from September 5 The central city of Da Nang will loosen social distancing order caused by COVID-19 pandemic starting from 0am on September 5. A corner of Da Nang city (Photo: VNA) Specifically, eateries are allowed to receive orders online, sell and deliver food to clients, but disallowed to serve on the spot. Public transport vehicles could carry no more than half of the number of passengers as well as follow pandemic prevention and control measures. Events with more than 20 people in public places, and non-essential services continue to be suspended. The municipal authorities called on residents to avoid going out if unnecessary, wear masks in public places or on public transport vehicles, regularly wash hands and maintain a safe distance with others. COVID-19: No new cases over past 12 hours Vietnam detected no new COVID-19 cases over the past 12 hours, keeping the national count at 1,049 as of 6am on September 5, according to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control. The figure includes 691 locally-transmitted cases, with 551 related to the outbreak in the central city of Da Nang. A total of 786 patients have been given the all-clear. Meanwhile, there have been 35 fatalities so far. Most of the fatalities were the elderly with serious underlying diseases. Among the active patients, 24 have tested negative for the coronavirus once, 52 twice, and 23 three times. The committees treatment sub-committee said ten patients are in critical conditions, most of them suffering from severe underlying diseases. Over 43,150 people who had close contact with COVID-19 patients or came from pandemic-hit regions are under quarantine nationwide. Vietnam records three imported COVID-19 cases Three imported COVID-19 cases were reported on September 4 evening, including an 8-year-old boy, raising the total number of patients in Vietnam to 1,049. All of the new cases were quarantined in southern Ba Ria-Vung Tau province after entering the country, according to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control. Patient 1,047 is an eight-year-old boy from Duy Tien district, northern Ha Nam province. Patient 1,048 is a 35-year-old man from Phu Lo commune, Soc Son district in Hanoi. Patient 1,049 is a man, 43 years old, from Quang Phuc ward, Ba Don township in central Quang Binh province. The three new patients returned to Vietnam from Ukraine on September 1 on flight VN28. They tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by the HCM City Pasteur Institute on September 4. Now they are under treatment at the Long Dien District Medical Station in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province. Nineteen patients were given the all-clear on September 4 in central Da Nang city and Quang Nam province. At present, as many as 61,968 people are under quarantine at home, in hospitals and in quarantine centres. Thirteen COVID-19 patients recover in Quang Nam Thirteen more COVID-19 patients have made full recovery and were released from the Quang Nam Central General Hospital and the Quang Nam Regional General Hospital in central Quang Nam province on September 4. They have lifted the countrys total patients to recover from the disease to 768. The recoveries included seven patients at the Quang Nam Central General Hospital, and six other cases were released from the Quang Nam Regional General Hospital. All of these patients had four tests results come back negative for SARS-CoV-2. They currently have no cough, no fever, no breathing difficulties and are in a stable health condition. They will be kept in quarantine and monitored for the next 14 days at their residence, according to regulations of the Ministry of Health. As of September 4 morning, Vietnam had confirmed total 1,046 COVID-19 cases and 35 deaths. The country has reported total 691 COVID-19 community transmission cases, of which 551 cases were reported from new outbreaks since July 25. Over 350 Vietnamese citizens brought home from Japan More than 350 Vietnamese citizens have returned home safely from Japan on a flight late September 3. The flight was arranged by Vietnamese authorities in conjunction with the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan, Viet Nam Airlines and Japanese authorities. Security, safety and disease prevention measures were carried out during the flight. Right after the plane landed at Cam Ranh International Airport in the central province of Khanh Hoa, all people on board received check-ups and were sent to concentrated quarantine sites in line with regulations. Earlier, 232 Vietnamese citizens from Uzbekistan were repatriated on a flight ordered by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, carrying 226 workers, four students and two stranded businesspeople. Among the workers, some had been declared as infected with SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19, but were negative for the virus after the second test. Safety and hygiene measures were applied during the flight to ensure safety for all passengers and the crew. In the context of movement restrictions caused by the pandemic, the Vietnamese Embassy closely worked with Uzbekistan Airways, local competent agencies and relevant companies to help the citizens with boarding procedures. Previously, the embassy stayed in touch with the citizens and the Vietnamese community in the country also provided them with necessities. All passengers and crewmembers on board received medical check-ups right after landing in the Noi Bai International Airport in Ha Noi before being sent to quarantine facilities. In the future, more flights will be operated to repatriate Vietnamese citizens in disadvantaged circumstances, depending on their needs and quarantine capacity in the country. Saigon Childrens Charity launches second emergency COVID-19 appeal Saigon Childrens Charity (saigonchildren) is launching its second emergency COVID-19 appeal in an effort to provide relief to areas most affected by the new COVID-19 wave and to continue its support to recipients who need assistance. Damien Roberts, executive director of Saigon Childrens Charity, said: This pandemic has impacted the jobs of 30.8 million people, and the worst affected are women and unskilled and informal workers, those we support the most. The organisation first made a COVID-19 appeal in April and raised over US$400,000 thanks to generous corporate and individual donors. These donations have allowed saigonchildren to provide 7,000 relief packages to children and their families in HCM City and the six provinces of ong Nai, Hau Giang, Tay Ninh, Tien Giang and Tra Vinh. Since the second outbreak of COVID-19 first appeared in a Nang at the end of July, saigonchildren has witnessed a great need to expand its relief support, aimed specifically at supporting poor residents of a Nang and Quang Nam Province. According to the a Nang Department of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs, more than 216,380 uncontracted and freelance workers are affected by the pandemic in the city. Over 50,000 people in the citys poor and near-poor households are among the most impacted by social distancing measures and the closure of businesses. Due to the restrictions being applied, saigonchildren will partner with local NGOs and Union of Friendship Organizations to help distribute support packages of food staples and other necessities. Saigonchildren is aiming to raise enough to support children from poor families based in Quang Nam and a Nang who previously were not under the wings of the charity, as well as support the children already in its programmes. According to the charity this second COVID appeal will aim to continue the effective mission of the first appeal: improving food security to alleviate the pressure that families feel around providing an education. However, it will also be reaching out to children whose households have been impacted by COVID-19 in an attempt to provide more scholarships for deserving and hardworking children. Laos conducts COVID-19 tests for over 40,000 people A total of 40,356 people in Laos have received COVID-19 tests since January, unveiled a report from the Lao Ministry of Health on September 4. Of the number, 22 tested positive for coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and 21 of them have recovered. The last patient has been treated in a designated hospital in Vientiane capital. On September 3, a total of 2,246 people entered Laos through international border checkpoints. The temperature of each person entering Laos was checked and no one showed signs of fever. The Lao government has warned people nationwide not to neglect containment and preventive measures. Meanwhile, Thailand is racing ahead with contact tracing after detecting its first domestic coronavirus infection in over three months, with tests conducted on nearly 200 people with possible exposure to the new case. Thailand reported its first non-imported case after over 100 days on September 3, after a prisoner a day earlier had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19 during a mandatory test for new inmates. So far, 194 people considered at risk. Thai authorities were using a government smartphone application to contact those who had checked-in at high-risk venues. Thailand has reported 3,431 cases and 58 COVID-19 deaths overall, with 96 patients currently being treated in hospital. Also on September 3, Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said the country will work with the Group of 20 (G-20) countries and international organisations to look into the gradual restart of cross-border travel. This resumption of international traffic amid the COVID-19 pandemic will be done safely through comprehensive testing and rigorous contact tracing, he said. The minister also emphasised the need to keep global supply chains open and the importance of speeding up the digital transformation of societies. He added that therapeutics and vaccines should be a global good for all. The Deputy General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Obiri Boahen says the former President John Dramani Mahama and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) made no input in processes that led to the restoration of peace in Dagbon. The coronation of the new Yaa-Naa Abukari Mahama II on January 25, 2019, brought an end to nearly two decades of conflict in Dagbon over the skin. The conflict dates back to when Yaa-Naa Yakubu Andani II was murdered in March 2002 after an eruption of violence during the Yendi traditional fire festival. Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia had asked the people of Dagbon to vote for President Nana Akufo-Addo as a reward for bringing peace to the area after years of protracted conflict. Speaking at a meeting with the overlord of the Dagbon traditional area, Yaa-Naa Abukari Mahama II, Dr. Bawumia called on the Dagbon land to fulfil the perceived obligation and vote for the NPP. The Dagbon people, the Northern people and Ghanaians as well are indebted to Nana Akufo-Addo for bringing peace to Dagbon and once you owe somebody a debt, you should pay it, the Vice President said. The people of Dagbon will pay that debt on December 7 by voting massively for him and the NPP government, he added. Also speaking in the Upper West Region on Friday, former President and flagbearer for the opposition NDC, John Mahama insisted that his party played a role in the peace the people of Dagbon enjoy today. But responding to this on Eyewitness News, Nana Obiri Boahen said the assertion by the former president is untrue. You cannot talk about peace in Yendi and strike my name out. In December 2019, I had to spend the night at Yendi. As for former President Mahama and his MPs, they know nothing about it. President Mahama today is talking about peace in Yendi. When they were performing the funeral rites of the late Yaa-Naa Abdullai, the current NPP Regional Chairman was present. No member of NDC showed up nor participated. So as for the NDC, they should stop talking about Dagbon issues. ---citinewsroom Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, former national security adviser to President Donald Trump, departs the E. Barrett Prettyman United States Courthouse following a pre-sentencing hearing in Washington, on July 10, 2018. (Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images) Judge Sets Date for Hearing in Flynn Case on Motion to Dismiss The federal judge presiding over the case of Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, a former national security adviser, has set a hearing date to resolve the Justice Departments (DOJ) request to dismiss the case. In a late-night order, U.S. District Court Judge Emmett Sullivan granted a motion to set an earlier deadline for the case and set a teleconference hearing for oral arguments on the DOJs motion to dismiss on Sept. 29. As part of the order, former federal Judge John Gleeson, who was appointed by Sullivan as an amicus curiae (friend of the court) to argue against the dismissal, is to submit his arguments by Sept. 11. This comes after the full court of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit denied a request to intervene in the case and sent the case back to Sullivan to consider whether to accept the DOJs request to dismiss Flynns prosecution. Flynns case is central in shaping the unsubstantiated allegations that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to sway the 2016 election. Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in December 2017 about his calls with then-Russian ambassador to the United States Sergey Kislyak. He later withdrew his plea prior to sentencing. The case received national attention in recent months after the DOJ released documents, including, handwritten notes that revealed top officials in the agency had questioned whether the goal of questioning Flynn during an interview was to get him to lie, so we can prosecute him or get him fired? Records also disclosed as part of the case showed that President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden were directly involved in discussions about the investigation during the transition period in early January 2017. The DOJ later determined that the calls between Flynn and Kislyak were legitimate and that the FBI had no legitimate purpose question him about them, other than trying to catch him in a lie, which isnt a proper investigative purpose. Federal prosecutors then moved to dismiss the case but Sullivan refused to accept the dismissal and has instead pushed for further proceedings, including appointing Gleeson to determine whether Flynn should be charged with contempt of court for withdrawing his plea. Flynns legal team then asked the appeals court to step in and demand that Sullivan accept that dismissal. The three-judge panel ruled in favor of Flynn but upon appeal to the full court, the court reversed and remanded the case back to Sullivan. Petr Svab and Ivan Pentchoukov contributed to this report. An enhanced DART service to Bray and Greystones is included in the 'DART+ Programme' launched last Wednesday (26th) by the National Transport Authority. Plans are currently open for public consultation at nationaltransport.ie. Planning permission is also being sought for the construction of a new Woodbrook DART station. If granted, this will be the 32nd station on the network, serving the new Woodbrook Strategic Housing Development. The station will be located between Shankill and Bray. Dun Laoghaire Rathdown's Local Area Plan for Woodbrook - Shanganagh envisages a population of over 5,000 which will directly be served by the new station. This will ensure sustainable transport is at the heart of the new communities. Subject to planning permission, and progress with the Woodbrook development, it is currently envisaged that construction on the new station would commence in late 2021 with the station opening in early 2023. Woodbrook Station will have two 174 metre platforms, to accommodate full size eight-carriage DARTs, and have a connecting bridge between the platforms with ramps and stairs to ensure access for all, to the latest design requirements for persons of reduced mobility. While not part of this planning permission, the developer of Woodbrook SHD will provide adjacent parking for cars and bicycles of rail customers. Jim Meade, Chief Executive of Iarnrod Eireann said 'Bringing the DART to a brand new community is an exciting prospect for us in Iarnrod Eireann, and designing a community to have public transport central to how it functions is exemplary planning. 'We look forward to working with the NTA, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, and developers Castlethorn in delivering our newest DART station to Woodbrook.' The enhanced Bray and Greystones service is one facet of a DART+ plan which includes new Dart services to Maynooth, Celbridge and Drogheda, as well as the purchase of a new fleet, reconfiguration of existing railway infrastructure, and increased passenger capacity and train service frequency. 'In a January 2018 study I set out how to do a 20 minute service, currently every 30 minutes, because the Greystones service was being ignored,' said Cllr Derek Mitchell. 'Subsequently the National Transport Authority got Jacobs Engineering to validate this and it is now firmly in their plan. 'The plan is to partially double track the line from Greystones to the tunnel with a shorter double track from the Bray end.' DART+ West towards Maynooth is the first phase of the plan. The current DART network is 50km long, extending from Malahide/Howth to Greystones. The programme will increase the length of the network to 150km of railway corridor through the electrification and upgrade of existing lines transforming commuter train travel in the Greater Dublin Area. 'As Minister for Transport, I am committed to major investment in all forms of sustainable transport, and that is why I believe that these DART+ plans are so important,' said Minister Eamon Ryan. 'We know that when people are offered a sustainable alternative to commuting by car, people respond positively. 'We know that when there is a public transport option that is frequent and reliable and that brings them where they want to go, they will grasp it with both hands. 'I believe that DART+ is a crucial part of providing more people with that option.' Hugh Creegan of the National Transport Authority said that there is already progress to report, with the process of evaluating tenders for the purchase of up to 600 new battery electric multiple unit (BEMU) DART carriages now under way. A public consultation process has been launched ahead of planning permission being submitted midway through next year. The National Transport Authority hopes to begin work in early 2022, with works being finished by late 2024. "Federal judge says she will again hold Texas in contempt of court for failing to meet foster care reforms" was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans and engages with them about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. U.S. District Judge Janis Jack said Friday she will once again hold Texas health and human services officials in contempt of court, a punishment that may come with hefty fines, for failing to make progress toward foster care reforms she ordered to be implemented last year. Jack indicated she would give the state about a month to make improvements before deciding whether to assess fines of up to several thousand dollars per day. If finalized, the contempt finding would mark the second time in 10 months that Jack has punished state officials for being out of compliance with her demands, which are the culmination of a decade-long class-action lawsuit that brought the state under federal court supervision. Her announcement followed a two-day hearing, held by video conference, in which she frequently chided some of Texas top child welfare bureaucrats. At times, she interrupted Paul Yetter, the Houston-based attorney representing more than 10,000 long-term foster children in Texas, to emphatically agree with his assertions that the foster care system continues to hurt and endanger children. I actually am stunned by the noncompliance of the state, Jack said, but I keep being stunned every time we have one of these hearings. The hearing focused on more than a dozen of Jacks orders, which required state officials to beef up oversight of residential facilities that house kids, improve the timeliness of state investigations into abuse and neglect in foster homes and build software to alert caregivers and caseworkers about instances of child-on-child sexual aggression. Jack also urged state officials at the hearing to improve communication between two separate state agencies: one that oversees children in foster care, and one that licenses homes and facilities that house large numbers of foster children. Throughout the hearing, Jack echoed concerns raised by two-court appointed monitors in a 363-page report released in June that detailed substantial threats to childrens safety, particularly in large, privately-run foster homes. The States oversight of childrens placements is in numerous instances lethargic and ineffective, the monitors wrote. Operations with long, troubled histories of standards violations and child abuse allegations remain open and are permitted to care for vulnerable children, some of whom are then hurt. The prevalence of physical restraints and injuries to children in some facilities is simply shocking, as are the numerous instances where DFPS staff document that the agency does not know where children are placed. Jack said she agreed with the monitors findings and accused state officials of dragging their feet on making meaningful changes. In particular, she took issue with Jean Shaw, the associate commissioner for child care regulation at the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, for not coming down harder on residential operations with long histories of regulatory violations. Texas foster care officials testified Thursday that they had recently stopped placing children in one facility where monitors identified problems. A Texas Department of Family and Protective Services official testified that the agency was terminating its contract this week with Prairie Harbor, a Houston-area residential treatment center where a teen died in February from a pulmonary embolism associated with a blood clot in her leg. The home has yet to have its license pulled, though state officials indicated that was a possibility. Jack berated Shaw for allowing the home to remain open for months after the teens death and for recently approving a variance that allowed the home to marginally reduce the number of staff supervising children. Shaw said the agency had approved the variance at Prairie Harbor, and similar variances at other foster facilities, because of private operators difficulties fully staffing during the coronavirus pandemic. At one point, Jack told Shaw, I dont think youre thinking at all. At another, Yetter asked Shaw if she realized that granting the variance had placed children at Prairie Harbor at risk. I dont realize that, Shaw said. Jack cut her off. Thats the problem, Mr. Yetter, the judge said, addressing the childrens attorney. Thats the problem. In a statement after the hearing, Katie Olse, the chief executive of the trade group Texas Alliance of Child and Family Services, which represents foster home administrators, said that Texas children must be at the center of this process and that private groups have been heroically serving children coming from terrible circumstances. The community-based organizations serving these children take problems in Texas foster care system very seriously, and this legal process has no doubt brought attention to specific issues that need to be addressed, Olse said. Its clear that better alignment between state agencies would improve care for vulnerable children. We also need to be sure that all available resources are flowing to help the young people who need them. During the two-day hearing, state officials described their efforts as a work in progress and resisted the sweeping terms Jack used to criticize the system they oversee. But given the opportunity, they declined to name any perceived inaccuracies in the court-appointed monitors report, which detailed 11 recent child deaths. At one point, Texas Department of Family and Protective Services Commissioner Jaime Masters told the judge, Your Honor, Im concerned by what Im hearing as well. In a recent legal filing, lawyers from the Texas Attorney Generals Office, which is defending child welfare officials in the case, wrote that they had taken tremendous strides to comply with Jacks order. The arguments made by the childrens attorneys, they wrote, paint an incomplete picture of the states efforts. In November 2019, Jack held the state in contempt of court after a similarly fiery hearing for failing to comply with her orders, at the time focusing on a requirement that large foster homes have 24-hour, awake supervision. Based on initial information from the monitors, she said then she no longer found the states child welfare agency to be credible in any way. She fined the state $150,000 at the time. This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2020/09/04/texas-foster-care-lawsuit-judge-hearing-contempt/. The Texas Tribune is proud to celebrate 10 years of exceptional journalism for an exceptional state. Explore the next 10 years with us. India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh recently met and sat down with his Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe in Moscow to discuss the border tensions between the two countries. Met with the Chinese Defence Minister, General Wei Fenghe in Moscow. pic.twitter.com/Jex9gKCf98 Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) September 4, 2020 On an unrelated note, Gobi Manchurian started trending on Twitter. While this could obviously be a huge coincidence, but we all know how people end up talking about Gobi Manchurian whenever there's something related to China. People have even claimed that the existence of Gobi Manchurian is the worst thing India has ever done to China. We all know Twitter is a weird place with things trending for no reason, looking at you Binod, but this time the top trend may have an answer, at least according to some people. Few people believe if @rajnathsingh would have offered Gobi Manchurian in yesterday's meeting, the diplomatic goal were easier to achieve :P https://t.co/O5k2yAZ00i Movie Mango (@Go_Movie_Mango) September 5, 2020 Are you ready to give up Gobi Manchurian? Hope he firmly told him about Indians refusing to eat Gobi Manchurian till the Chinese promise to behave. https://t.co/5dpmyRNDfd Brandy Boxi (@BrandySahni) September 4, 2020 Oh, definitely. If there is a plate of Gobi Manchurian by the end of the meeting then diplomacy has been achieved. https://t.co/j5NjiexyGY Anubis (@wild_mccandless) September 4, 2020 Uhh. Rajnath Singh should have offered Gobi Manchurian to Chinese Chong ching and adviced him to Indians can alter any Chinese things to Desi suitable style and taste, including borders so be in limit : (@sanjay_uvachh) September 5, 2020 People asking 'why is gobi manchurian trending' is the reason why it's trending. Why this Gobi manchurian is trending ?? Vt Mhj (@Mahajan02Vinit) September 5, 2020 Sounds fair. China to withdraw to original position on LAC and India to share Gobi Manchurian recipe https://t.co/DJYB6yGzZY Opinion Bakery (@IndiaSpeaksPR) September 4, 2020 Umm. We will destroy the real Chinese food by making Gobi Manchurian, Chinese Bhel... Mohit Singh (@Mohitlogic) September 2, 2020 Yep. Someone: Why Gobi Manchurian is trending.? Me: pic.twitter.com/72lGdm3G3g Sunita (@MyPrespective_) September 5, 2020 Uhh? reported 1,172 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday and 14 deaths over the past couple of days, taking the statewide tally to 41,806 and the toll to 351, a health official said. The state also witnessed the highest number of patients being discharged in single day at 879, he added. So far, 20,487 patients have recovered from the infection since the first case reported in March, leaving the state with 20,968 active cases, he said. Of the 1,172 fresh cases, Raipur district accounted for 398 that took the case tally in the region to 15,021, including 184 deaths, he said. Other districts where new cases were detected are Durg (155), Bilaspur (96), Balod (69), Rajnandgaon (54), Raigarh (54), Janjgir-Champa (46), Surajpur (28), Balrampur (27), Mahasamund (25), Kondagaon (25), Dhamtari (23) Surguja (21), Bastar (21), Balodabazar (20), Gariaband (18), Bemetara (15), Koriya (14), Kabirdham (13), Kanker (12) and Mungeli (11). Ten cases were reported from Narayanpur, nine from Bijapur and five from Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi while three persons who arrived in from other states have also tested positive, he added. Of the 14 deaths, eight took place on Saturday, five on Friday and one on September 3, he said. The state has recorded over 31,300 cases and 280 deaths just in the last one month, he said. Meanwhile, a three-member team of Directorate General of Health Services from Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare reached here on Friday. The team comprised Dr Anubhav Shrivastav, Deputy Director of National Centre of Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Geeta Yadav, Professor of Preventive Social Medicine, Safdarganj Hospital and Dr Abhinav Sinha, Scientist, National Institute of Malaria Research (NIMR) Delhi. It visited Dr BR Ambedkar Memorial Hospital and Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru Memorial Medical College in Raipur to take stock of standard procedure of treatment, preventive measures and surveillance being practiced and health facilities being provided there, another health official said. The team appreciated online consultation and training pertaining to COVID-19 being provided to doctors in hospitals of remote areas through the tele-consultation hub, he said. Chhattisgarh's COVID-19 figures are as follows: Positive cases 41,806, new cases 1,172, deaths 351, discharged 20,487, active cases 20,968, people tested so far 6,53,702. (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.) With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Juliana turned to organizing online workshop programmes to share her skills. I was skeptical about the new venture but there was an unbelievable response and support from people, she says. The online workshop programme titled Graphic Designing for Kids and Teens, focused on students who were confined to their houses due to the situation in the country. This was Julianas way of occupying the idle minds of children stuck at home. The online teaching for students included facilities of visual and interactive presentation to the participants and there by eliminating the risk of exposure to the COVID-19 pandemic, adds Juliana telling us that the participants were able to join from other parts of Sri Lanka due to it being online. I consider my brother as my first IT guru and under his direct supervision I did my IT Degree, Microsoft certified professional exams and finally achieved CompTIA certified webmaster, Juliana tells the Mirror Magazine. She began her career as a web designer with Ceylinco Technologies and thereafter she joined Softlogic Holdings where she had the opportunity to work with Dell, Nokia, Panasonic, and other popular brands. An opportunity she is grateful that Softlogic Holdings provided her with. Subsequently, Juliana quit her job and a year later deciding to undertake a new venture. Now this 39-year-old, has founded her own web development and corporate training company called Web Alliance. We provided corporate training for more than 200 companies including MAS holdings, John Keells Holdings, Sri Lanka Telecom, Mobitel, Nation Trust Bank, Bank of Ceylon and more, she tells us adding that she was the first person to have started Design and Market your Business workshop programmes. This particular workshop targets small business owners, entrepreneurs, and marketing officers who do not have the knowledge to execute their business ideas using the right tools. We help to transform the participants who join with zero knowledge in design into professionals to perform their business advertisement campaign designs, she shares. Having done the programme 96 times so far, Juliana is awaiting to complete her 100th run very soon. Juliana expresses her gratitude towards her family which includes her parents, brother and husband for their full support throughout her career. Moises Vazquez, 26, known as Spider-Moy, a computer science teaching assistant at the Faculty of Science of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), who teaches dressed as a comic superhero Spider-Man, poses for a photograph during a class in Mexico. (Image: Reuters) WASHINGTON President Trump was proudly litigious before his victory in 2016 and has remained so in the White House. But one big factor has changed: He has drawn on campaign donations as a piggy bank for his legal expenses to a degree far greater than any of his predecessors. In New York, Mr. Trump dispatched a team of lawyers to seek damages of more than $1 million from a former campaign worker after she claimed she had been the target of sexual discrimination and harassment by another aide. The lawyers have been paid $1.5 million by the Trump campaign for work on the case and others related to the president. In Washington, Mr. Trump and his campaign affiliates hired lawyers to assist members of his staff and family including a onetime bodyguard, his oldest son and his son-in-law as they were pulled into investigations related to Russia and Ukraine. The Republican National Committee has paid at least $2.5 million in legal bills to the firms that did this and other legal work. In California, Mr. Trump sued to block a law that would have forced him to release his taxes if he wanted to run for re-election. The Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee have paid the law firm handling this case, among others, $1.8 million. SACRAMENTO When the state Senate leaders priority housing bill died as the clock struck midnight on the Legislatures annual session, it shone a spotlight on infighting that contributed to the stunning collapse this year of an agenda to tackle Californias most pressing problems. In a bleary-eyed Zoom news conference two hours later, Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins criticized the absolute needless delay of housing production bills, including her own SB1120, which aimed to address the states housing shortage by making it easier to split lots and convert homes into duplexes. The measure which passed the Assembly three minutes before the legislative deadline Monday night, leaving no time for final approval in the Senate would have paved the way to build out neighborhoods that are now limited to single-family housing. That was impossible, the San Diego Democrat said. To lose a common-sense bill like SB1120 in the middle of a crisis because of running out the clock, thats a little bit harder to understand. After a night in which major proposals on housing, policing procedures and other top issues simply stalled for lack of time, fingers pointed to a legislative session shortened by the coronavirus pandemic and a quarantine that forced most Senate Republicans to vote remotely in the final week, a ponderous exercise that slowed the chamber down. But the failures were exacerbated by a longstanding friction between the two houses, which ratcheted up to new levels this year. Some lawmakers said the distrust was the worst they could remember. A fresh group of legislators will take office in December to sift through the fallout, but the leaders of the Senate and Assembly likely will still be there. There was more dysfunction in this last week than Ive seen in a long time, said Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, who lost two bills in the chaos. A measure enhancing the density bonus for housing projects never came up for final approval as frustrated Republican senators filibustered the sessions waning hours, while another opening police records didnt make it back to the Senate at all after passing the Assembly too late. Legislative leaders are promising to address the procedural snafus before the next session begins. Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, D-Lakewood (Los Angeles County), apologized this week for making a new mother return to the Capitol, holding her baby, to vote in person and said he would revisit proxy voting rules for members at higher risk for the coronavirus. Secretary of the Senate Erika Contreras said she will look at technology and training improvements for remote voting to help it work even better if it once again becomes necessary to use it. Fixing the interpersonal drama will be harder a rivalry between the Senate and Assembly is essentially built into how the Capitol operates. It can flare up when members seek revenge for slights, real or perceived, and is always at its peak during the end of the session, when important bills are held as leverage to ensure the rest of the docket moves. Members of the general public would be amazed by some aspects of decision-making in the Capitol, said Sen. Ben Allen, D-Santa Monica. Some things pass into law for purely public policy reasons, but other things go into determining whether bills pass or not. The pandemic amplified everything. Senate and Assembly leadership disagreed in March about whether to take an emergency recess as the state was shutting down and whether they could legally continue their business remotely. The Senate returned from the recess a week later than the Assembly and never made up the time, while senators complained that they dropped far more of their bills to fit the compressed schedule than their colleagues on the other side of the Capitol. The Legislature briefly ground to a halt in late July over the clash. By the final night of the session, as it became clear not everything could get done, patience had worn thin. While the Assembly side-eyed the sluggish pace of remote voting in the Senate, senators grumbled that the Assembly had met only once in the previous three days and wasted time on farewell tributes for departing members and staff. Hector Amezcua / Associated Press Atkins and Rendon have a history of not working well together, said Assemblyman Adam Gray, D-Merced, and the stress and the tension and the friction of COVID have made it worse not just for them, but for all of us. At the end, the animosity was all but out in the open. After Atkins comments about her housing measure, Rendon blamed the Senate leader for mismanaging the clock. He said the Assembly was working at twice the speed of the Senate on the last night. If Sen. Atkins wanted the bill, she could have asked for it, he said. They didnt ask for that bill. They didnt prioritize it. Those who supported the measure cried foul, accusing Rendon of holding it until the last minute to ensure it would die. Even Gov. Gavin Newsom remarked at a news conference Wednesday that there were some issues that were rather curious where both houses passed legislation we were looking forward to land on our proverbial desk for signature. Assemblyman Robert Rivas, the Hollister Democrat who managed Atkins bill in the Assembly, said he had rounded up votes for it and let floor managers know he was ready to take it up as early as last week, but it was passed over until late Monday. He said he could not speculate on the politics of the decision, but expressed frustration that Democrats, who control nearly three-quarters of the Legislature, have repeatedly failed to unify behind housing bills. At the end of the day, its the hundreds of thousands of Californians that we failed, he said. Gray said taking up numerous Senate bills, including Atkins, so late they could not make it back over for final approval and then passing them anyway was a mockery. Somebody made choices about what was going to come up and what wasnt going to come up, he said. I dont think you can walk away from the timing of some of those bills without the assumption that whoever scheduled those bills had no intention of getting them passed. Perhaps no policy effort became more tied up in the friction than a pair of identical bills to reduce single-use plastic packaging Allens SB54 and AB1080 by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego which moved through the legislative process hand-in-hand. To get momentum moving again after the bills stalled at the end of last year, the Senate passed AB1080 last Saturday, which was seen as the easier lift politically. The fastest route from there to the governors desk would have been to send the amended bill back to the Assembly for final approval. But a deal was struck to hold it in the Senate until the Assembly passed Allens SB54 as a sign of good faith. Then the two measures would be traded and taken up again in the other house. There was tension between the houses and that seemed the cleanest and fairest way of proceeding, Allen said. This was the deal that was struck. I would have been happy to see either bill go up, and to be honest, unfortunately, this policy, among other things, became the victim of inter-house problems. Allens bill never passed the Assembly. When it finally came up Monday evening, the initial vote was 37-18 short of a majority in the 80-member Assembly, but close enough that the measure might get over the line with some arm-twisting. It didnt get another shot until about two minutes before the midnight deadline, by which point it was too late. With so many big bills left to get through at the end, Gonzalez said she wasnt able to work her colleagues the way she usually can. In normal circumstances, I think I could have gotten that bill through, she said. But these werent normal circumstances. Gonzalez, a close ally of Rendon who has clashed with senators in her role as chair of the powerful Assembly appropriations committee, noted that the Senate never took up bills she championed on workplace protections for garment workers and restricting police from using rubber bullets at protests. She said it was ridiculous to suggest Rendon intentionally held legislation, such as the plastics bill, until it was effectively dead. The speaker was trying to do the best with a bad situation, she said. Alexei Koseff is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: alexei.koseff@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @akoseff As a Board of Education employee and local union president, I share the concerns voiced by labor leaders around the state regarding the safe reopening of our schools. (Unions say many schools cant meet COVID-19 safety measures, Aug. 24) Frontline school employees whether we are teachers, paraprofessionals, secretaries, custodians, nurses, or security officers understand the desire of the state and local school districts to get children back into the classroom as quickly as possible. We also know that there is nothing better than face-to-face instruction to establish relationships with students and staff, and that distance learning does not work for all children. The bottom line, however, is that public schools should not reopen unless our students and staff are safe. My union is part of a coalition of labor organizations that released a set of core principles for reopening that prioritizes students and staff health. Our measures range from ensuring an adequate supply of medical-grade PPE and strictly monitoring social distancing protocols to establishing joint labor-management safety committees. While the burden is on school boards to guarantee a safe and healthy reopening, Gov. Lamont and the state Department of Education must assure that every district, regardless of economic status, has the resources necessary to prioritize these principles. To date, Bridgeport has provided general expectations rather than explicit guidelines, even though the reopening committees had worked to establish specific criteria such as those laid out by our union coalition. For example, Bridgeport has adopted a 3-foot distancing plan between students in their classrooms, even though CDC guidelines require 6 feet. In addition, it imperative that there be necessary updating to ventilation, heating and air conditioning quality, which has not yet been confirmed. This has left employees feeling anxious and fearful, knowing it is impossible to be confident that any in-person learning is safe. Connecticut has managed the pandemic far better than most states; we risk undermining our progress in the rush to reopen schools without strong protocols, procedures and proper PPE in place. Look at whats happening down the road in Danbury, where a spike in COVID cases has prompted the district to use the distance learning model. Without safe school opening protocols, we cannot protect our students, faculty nor the families they go home to from undue risk. Sherrie Weller Bridgeport The writer is a Bridgeport Board of Education employee and president of AFSCME Local 1522, whose membership includes noncertified employees in Bridgeport schools. The statement from police says the homicide occurred Aug. 17, the same day firefighters found Lucass body while extinguishing a brush fire off Crain Highway in Bowie, Md., near U.S. 50, across from Bowie Town Center. Prince Georges County police later said the victim had been killed in the District and that they had turned the case over to D.C. police. The recent euphoric rise in domestic tourism crystalizes the fact that there is indeed no place like Eswatini. As we mark another year of independence, the exquisite, peaceful kingdom still exudes infectious unity and is the place to be. There is no place like Eswatini. There is no place like home. One of my highlights of the week was an interesting throwback video of a man watching traditional dances from the grandstands and moving his head to the rhythm of the dancers in joy and excitement. The video, shared on various WhatsApp forums, captured the imagination of many, warmed hearts and also generated great delight. One comment said, We may have our challenges as a nation but we love our country and our amazing culture. This is beautiful. Well, which country does not have its challenges? The video came just after I had seen another on Facebook of three young girls who decided to have their own mini reed dance at home. The two videos depicted people who voluntarily love their country. baseless stories While naysayers try to spin the script through baseless stories about Eswatini, truth is if you interview many, you will find we are happy to be from Eswatini and could have it no other way. Yes there are things that can be improved but, the good thing is that it is a work in progress. One of the rays of light for better days ahead has come through the tourism sector. The Ministry of Tourism, this week launched a Domestic Tourism Campaign themed, A Wonder Awaits, Explore it/Ingcayizivele Ikulindzele. This has been developed in conjunction with the wider tourism sector. The campaign catapults an already growing trend of domestic tourism where people have taken it upon themselves to know the country more. Many Emaswati are indeed not ostracizing our beautiful country but embracing and exploring it. massive success The massive success and growth of social media pages like Vakasha Eswatini, where people post pictures of their travels and of local sites, is testimony of a nation infatuated by their own beautiful country. There is no place like home. What I love about all this is that Government has come on board to support this patriotism through campaigns such as this one. It shows the impact of thought leadership and trends that influence good for all. It has been reported that there will be great accommodation rates as well for domestic tourists. What a time to be in Eswatini. concerns often raised A tweet on the Eswatini Government page quotes Minister of Tourism Moses Vilakati saying; One of the concerns often raised about travelling mainly by Emaswati is affordability. We will be working with the industry to offer competitive, affordable and exciting packages for Emaswati to be able to appreciate their own country. It goes on to share that the Hospitality and Tourism Association of Eswatini (HOTAES) has offered up to 50% discounted rates on accommodation for emaSwati to explore the Kingdom. The cost of accommodation for locals has been a pebble in my sock for a while now. I have shared it with many stakeholders in the tourism sector. Many a time I have received calls from people outside the country asking for my opinion or review of various hotels. My answer mostly has been I have never slept there. This has narrowed their options to only places I have slept at. But now through this 50% discount, when borders reopen, I will be able to gladly recommend a variety of places I may have also experienced. This is not just me it goes for others who know people outside the borders. The travelling experience must begin with us. My idea had always been that we should, even when in the company of people from outside the country, have a lesser fee for locals at hotels as long as we produce our ID, and finally this is coming to life. There is hope. Our Government and stakeholders are listening and implementing. pinned quote If you have not seen the Governments Twitter page, well, it starts with a pinned quote from the ETA CEO. The Kingdom of Eswatini offers the best that Africa has to offer. As stated by Linda Nxumalo, Chief Executive Officer of Eswatini Tourism Authority, Eswatini is a land of many wonders, with an unparalleled diversity of fauna and flora. The ETA, under the new-age leadership of Nxumalo, is also constantly hitting the right notes and deserves all the support for such initiatives with Government. There is no doubt that the country offers the best that Africa has to offer. It is only just awaiting us to uncover it and appreciate it more. Chatting to an international social analyst the other day about Eswatini and the gradual inflow of foreign businesses, he said to me, look at it this way, it shows that Eswatini has something that their countries may not have. The peace, the tranquility, the laws and environment make it conducive for them to set up shop there. You as people in Eswatini need to start appreciating that in the same way people from outside the country appreciate it and you shall flourish as a nation. Indeed we shall flourish. As we mark another year, one would like to wish Eswatini a happy birthday in advance. Happy Independence Day to us. May we continue to feed off the positive and show off the best the country has to offer so we accelerate development through tourism and other sectors. After all, there is no place like Eswatini. There is no place like home. Irans stockpile of enriched uranium now stands at more than 10 times the limit which was set in the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, said the United Nations nuclear watchdog, International Atomic Energy Agency, on September 4. IAEA also found out that Iran has been providing access to sites where it had stored or used undeclared nuclear material. According to the Associated Press, which has viewed a confidential document distributed by the IAEA to members of the nuclear deal, Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium has increased from 1,571.6 kilograms in May to 2,105.4 kilograms as of August 25. Read: US Sanctions Chinese, UAE Firms For Bypassing Embargo On Iran Oil Exports Violation of nuclear deal According to the 2015 deal, which is also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Iran can only keep a stockpile of 202.8 kilograms. As per reports, IAEA said that the stockpile of enriched uranium is enough to produce a weapon and stated that Iran is enriching uranium to a purity of up to 4.5 percent, while the 2015 nuclear agreement doesn't allow the purity to be above 3.67 percent. Also, the IAEA found out that Iran has been continuing to enrich uranium to a purity of up to 4.5 per cent. Read: Iran Denounces Charlie Hebdo's Republication Of Prophet Cartoon As Act Of 'provocation' According to the reports, the nuclear deal was signed with the United States, Germany, France, Britain, China and Russia. The deal promised Iran economic incentives for the curbs on its nuclear program. Under the deal, it was agreed that Iran would scale down its uranium enrichment programme and in exchange international sanctions against the country would be lifted. However, after the Trump administration's unilateral withdrawal from the Obama-era deal, the United States reimposed sanctions on the country preventing it from selling oil and gas to the world, which is a major source of income for the Middle East nation. Since then, Iran has been violating the restrictions set under JCPOA. The remaining parties reportedly said that even though Iran has been violating the pacts, the deal should be kept in place as Iran continues to provide access to inspect its nuclear facilities. Read: IAEA Chief Give Details Of Iran Inspection Agreement Also Read: IAEA Suspects North Korea Still Enriching Uranium, heightens Open-source Info Collection (Image Credits: Unsplash/AP) The southern Alberta chapter of the Canada Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) has launched a survey to see how park users feel about the Bow Valley Parkway closure in Banff. To help with crowding during the pandemic, Parks Canada opted to shut down the 1A Highway a popular and scenic route that provides access to popular trails like Johnston Canyon. With vehicles blocked from using the popular stretch, bikes and other users took over. The closure also gave wildlife a break from traffic noise. Sarah Elmeligi serves as the national parks program co-ordinator for CPAWS. She says the group sees the Highway 1A closure as an opportunity to learn more about how the road closure affected visitor experience because it could help Parks Canada implement people-managing changes in the future. "Visitation has dramatically increased across all of the Rocky Mountain national parks in the last 10 years," Elmeligi said. "We really would like to see Parks Canada implementing more strategic landscape-scale efforts to manage visitation in a way that provides for a positive visitor experience, but also make sure that we're not loving our parks to death." In the fall, Elmeligi said, Parks Canada will resume stakeholder consultations on a new Banff National Park management plan. CPAWS wants Parks Canada to create a visitor use strategy which it believes would help optimize parks as a place for wildlife conservation and a destination for people. Helen Pike/CBC One of the biggest issues, Elmeligi said, is that Parks Canada diligently collects and tracks data about animals like bears and wolves, as well as water and plants. But when it comes to people and how they are using the park, Elmeligi said that information falls short. "There's a lack of human use data, a lack of social science, really, truly understanding what visitor expectations, motivations and satisfaction might be," Elmeligi said. "The survey that we're doing is an effort to try to get the ball rolling a little bit on gathering more social science data about visitors that we can use to inform the management planning process." Story continues Elmeligi said the survey is for those who used the road, but also for those who were turned away in cars or motorcycles. Parks to re-evaluate road closure In a statement, a spokesperson said Parks Canada has not collected data during the closure. "Since the reopening of some services on June 1, there has been steady pedal traffic starting at the east entrance of the parkway," David Dunbar said. "Feedback from the public on the restriction has been positive. Parks Canada welcomes feedback and visitor perspectives on all visitor attractions." The road is still closed. Dunbar said Parks Canada will re-evaluate vehicular traffic on the 1A Highway after the Thanksgiving weekend. "Public safety is of the utmost importance to the agency in determining if and when Parks Canada places and activities should resume or reopen, and this will only be done where and when it is safe to do so," Dunbar said. President Donald Trump participates in a meeting with senior military officials in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington D.C., May 9, 2020. Anna Moneymaker-Pool/Getty Images A former senior White House official said the controversial remarks President Donald Trump was reported to have made, according to The Atlantic, resembled his speech pattern and was "so consistent with who he is." "He uses the word 'loser' as often as he can," the former official told Insider, adding that Trump's interest in the military was "totally disingenuous." Trump was said to have called notable US military veterans, including Sen. John McCain and President George H.W. Bush a "loser," according to The Atlantic's previous reporting. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. A former senior White House official acknowledged that the controversial remarks President Donald Trump was reported to have said about the military resembled his speech pattern and was "so consistent with who he is." "I'm not surprised hearing about the comments," a former senior White House official told Insider on the condition of anonymity, citing their private discussions with the president. "I've known Donald Trump. It sounds like him. They're consistent with things that he's said." "He uses the word 'loser' as often as he can," they added. The comment comes as Trump was widely panned by critics following a report from The Atlantic that was published Thursday evening. According to several unnamed sources in the report, Trump had made multiple disparaging remarks about military veterans and appeared callous to the sacrifices made by service members. During a trip to Paris in 2018, Trump reportedly resisted the idea of visiting a military cemetery to commemorate the 100th anniversary of World War I, saying that the revered site was "filled with losers" and "suckers" who died. The Atlantic report, which was written by the publication's editor in chief Jeffrey Goldberg, also noted that Trump made critical remarks about former Republican leaders who served in the military. Three sources told Goldberg that Trump was furious at Sen. John McCain of Arizona, even after his death from an aggressive form of brain cancer in 2018. McCain and Trump have long been at odds with each other, despite being in the same political party. Story continues "We're not going to support that loser's funeral," Trump said after McCain's death, according to The Atlantic. The US senator's funeral included a widely-attended proceeding at the Capitol Rotunda from both Democratic and Republican icons, including Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Trump was not invited to the proceedings. "What the f--- are we doing that for? Guy was a f---ing loser," Trump reportedly said after US flags were lowered to half-staff out of respect for McCain. President Donald Trump delivers a commencement address at the 2020 United States Military Academy Graduation Ceremony at West Point, New York. REUTERS/Mike Segar Trump also described President George H.W. Bush as a "loser," because the former president's aircraft crashed during World War II, the Atlantic reported. Both McCain and Bush served in the US Navy as pilots and were shot down by enemy forces. Following the publication of The Atlantic's story, other news organizations have confirmed the alleged remarks with their own reporting. Fox News also confirmed in its report portions of The Atlantic's original story, including a claim that Trump referred to Vietnam War draftees as "suckers." Trump received five deferments four for attending college and one for a bone spur diagnosis and was not required to serve in the war. Long before The Atlantic published its report, Trump's former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, testified that Trump made similar comments about successfully avoiding the Vietnam War: "You think I'm stupid, I'm not going to Vietnam," Cohen recalled Trump as saying, during a congressional testimony in 2019. A book written by Philip Rucker and Carol Leonnig, two Pulitzer Prize-winning reporters from the Washington Post, also references Trump berating his senior military leaders and describing them as "dopes and babies" in addition to "losers." "You're all losers," Trump said at a meeting with his national security team in 2017, according to the book "A Very Stable Genius." "You don't know how to win anymore." Trump, in addition to his advisers, publicly denied the claims made in The Atlantic's report. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Friday characterized The Atlantic as "liberal activists," and provided emails of weather reports that threw cold water on claims that Trump did not want to visit the Paris cemetery because of fears that his hair "would become disheveled" from the inclement weather. In a late-night tweet on Thursday, Trump also acknowledged he "was never a big fan" of McCain and that he "disagreed with him on many things." Still, he claimed, he "never called John a loser." But the description of McCain as a "loser" echoes much of what Trump has said in the past: "I like people who weren't captured," Trump said of McCain's time as a prisoner of war, during his presidential campaign in 2015. Trump added at the time, "I don't like losers." Following the event, Trump also tweeted a link to a political blog that quoted his remarks. The president's tweet is still viewable on his personal Twitter account. President Donald Trump kisses the US flag at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center February 29, 2020 in National Harbor, Maryland. Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images The callous tone of Trump's comments about America's veterans is on par with the president, the former senior White House official told Insider. The official recalled that immediately after Trump called the family members of US Army Sgt. LaDavid Johnson, a soldier who was killed during a militant ambush in Niger in 2017, the president's behavior was as though "it was another day at the office for him." That same phone call was criticized by Johnson's widow, who said at the time that it had "made me cry even worse." "The president said that 'he knew what he signed up for but it hurts anyways,'" Myeshia Johnson said during an interview with ABC. "It made me cry because I was very angry at the tone of his voice and how he said it. He couldn't remember my husband's name." One current Trump administration official told The Daily Beast that Trump's seemingly indifference towards the military was not intentional. "The president means no disrespect to our troops; it's just that the way he speaks, he can sound like an asshole sometimes," the official said to The Daily Beast, adding, "it's his style." The former White House official disputed that assertion to Insider; however, and called it "totally disingenuous." "When I saw Donald Trump hugging the flag, it reminded me of Donald Trump the performer; the showman pandering," the former senior official told Insider, referring to the multiple occasions in which Trump physically embraced the US flag. "Not Donald Trump, the commander-in-chief; the person who actually is responsible for what happens with our military." Read the original article on Business Insider Labor day weekend could cause a rise in COVID-19 cases in Illinois and six other states, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci. The nation's top infectious disease expert cited many states that are at risk of rising cases such as North Dakota, South Dakota, Arkansas, Missouri, Indiana, and Illinois. "Those states are starting to see an increase in the percent positive of their testing; that is generally predictive that there's going to be a problem," Fauci said. Illinois health officials recorded 1,360 new coronavirus cases, and 25 additional deaths on Thursday. New data from the Illinois Department of Public Health showed that statewide cases totaled to 240,003 confirmed cases since the pandemic started. There were at leas 8,115 deaths in all 102 counties due to the virus. A total of 40,795 tests were performed in Illinois labs within 24 hours prior. The state's rolling seven-day positivity rate decreased to 4.4 percent from 4.5 percent before. However, it remains slightly higher that it has been in recent weeks. Fauci warned on Wednesday that the country had previously seen spikes in coronavirus cases after earlier holiday weekends. "The issue that we're facing right now is we're entering... into the Labor Day weekend and we know from prior experience that when you get into holiday weekends - the Fourth of July, Memorial Day - there's a tendency of people to be careless, somewhat, with regard to the public health measures that we keep recommending over and over again," Fauci noted. Fauci added that he wants to use this opportunity to let the public realize that they still need to get their arms around this and suppress these surges. The health expert said people can still enjoy the weekend but need to do a few fundamental things that are usually talked about like wearing masks, maintaining social distance, avoiding crowds, and washing hands. According to an analysis, U.S.'s average daily new cases are up by five percent in 22 states. Vanderbilt University infectious disease specialist Dr. William Schaffner said the level of pervasive spread with the holiday weekend have the making of what he described as an "accelerator weekend." Schaffner said this is another holiday that they "will see what the general population does and how careful they are or how carefree they are." "I have a fair amount of trepidation, frankly, because it looks as though a very substantial portion of our population wants to be out and about very freely in groups," Schaffner noted. Schaffner added that many want to mingle in groups without a mask and do not practice social distancing. In Tennessee, Schaffner said some county officials recently allowed their mask mandates to expire after cases fell to a manageable level. He said that this was a big mistake that might be evidence of a broader phenomenon happening in communities and individuals across the country, who feel they can ease their vigilance. Schaffner stressed that people have to sustain their commitment to social distancing and masking for months as stopping the spread of coronavirus is "not a quick fix." Check these out: Fourth of July Celebration in L.A. Prompts Complaints against Illegal Fireworks Gunmen Kills 2, Wounds 8 in Shooting at South Carolina Nightclub Amid COVID-19 Restrictions Will You Qualify for the Next Stimulus? Here's What We Know Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 00:11:56|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close People participate in a prayer gathering to mark one month after huge explosions in Beirut, Lebanon, on Sept. 4, 2020. A number of Muslim and Christian clerics and a big crowd of citizens held a prayer gathering near the destroyed wheat squashes at the port of Beirut for those who died in the explosions that rocked the area on Aug. 4, al-Jadeed local TV channel reported on Friday. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich) BEIRUT, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- A number of Muslim and Christian clerics and a big crowd of citizens held a prayer gathering near the destroyed wheat squashes at the port of Beirut for those who died in the explosions that rocked the area on Aug. 4, al-Jadeed local TV channel reported on Friday. The gathering was held to mark one month after the disaster that killed around 190 people and wounded at least 6,500 others. At 6:08 p.m., Beirut observed a minute of silence marking one month since the devastating event. People expressed their solidarity with the wounded and the afflicted who lost their homes while placing white flowers in the area, waving with Lebanese flags and holding pictures of a number of victims. Cars also stopped on the streets in honor of the victims. Two huge explosions rocked Beirut's port on Aug. 4, destroying a big part of the city and causing damage with a cost estimated at over 15 billion U.S. dollars. People who were in the area of the explosions but managed to survive the disaster recalled the sad memory of the event at a time when teams of rescuers from Chili and France are still working in Mar Mikhael in search for a possible survivor after the Chilean rescue team said they had detected signs of life under the rubble a day earlier. The public spat between actor Kangana Ranaut and Shiv Sena continued on Saturday with Sena leader Sanjay Raut advising her to use her own social media handle and not run it through the IT cell of a political party. Raut said, One needs to use their Twitter handle themselves instead of allowing the IT cell of a political party to do so. The Shiv Sena and Congress have been alleging that BJP IT cell is behind Ranauts tweets. Also read: BJP under attack over Kangana comparing Mumbai to PoK Meanwhile, Sena legislator Pratap Sarnaik stuck to his stance that his partys women workers will slap Ranaut when she arrives in Mumbai and he was willing to go to jail for that. National Commission for Woman (NCW) chairperson Rekha Sharma on Friday had demanded Sarnaiks arrest for threatening Ranaut. The legislator said that Ranaut had insulted Maharashtra with her PoK remarks. This issue concerns the pride of Maharashtra and there will be no compromise on this front. Ranaut needs to apologise for her PoK remarks or she will face the music from our womens wing, he said. On Saturday, Sena workers held demonstrations across the state and key leaders continued their tirade against Ranaut. The issue had started on Thursday when Ranaut tweeted Sanjay Raut Shiv Sena leader has given me an open threat and asked me not to come back to Mumbai, after Aazadi graffiti in Mumbai streets and now open threats, why Mumbai is feeling like Pakistan occupied Kashmir? This was in reaction to Rauts article in Saamna, the Shiv Sena mouthpiece, where he asked Ranaut not to return as she criticised the Mumbai Police. Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has called the whole controversy diversionary tactics adopted by the Shiv Sena to cover up its governments failure to handle the Covid-19 pandemic. She (Kangana) is just hungry for publicity and I cannot understand why the Sena gives so much importance to her. This seems to us a tactic to divert attention from its mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic, said MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Guest Column Better Protection of Myanmar Workers Rights Needed Amid COVID-19 Garment workers make surgical gowns at the Shwepyithar Industrial Zone in Yangon in May 2020. / Htet Wai / Irrawaddy To address the socioeconomic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government of Myanmar developed an ambitious COVID-19 Economic Response Plan (CERP), which provides immediate relief measures and sets out a path for financial recovery. As part of the actions outlined, the CERP seeks to ease the impact on workers through extending the benefits provided by the Social Security Board for its membership who are unable to work due to quarantine, illness and temporary factory closures. It also promises cash for work initiatives to build community infrastructure for those who have lost their jobs. Although the initiatives outlined within the CERP to support workers during COVID-19 are beneficial, they fall considerably short of addressing the severity of their problems. In particular, there has been little agreement on more substantive action to provide social protection for those who have become unemployed. The Ministry of Labor, Immigration and Population currently estimates that a quarter of a million workers have lost their jobs during the crisis, either in the formal sector or among migrants returning from abroad. However, considering that 83 percent of Myanmars labor force is informally employed, there is good reason to believe that the real scale of the job losses are much higher and more painful. Informal workers represent one of the lowest-income and least-protected segments of the work force and measures must be taken to provide them with more assistanceincluding through expanding social security coverage. For Myanmars 4.25 million international migrants, the COVID-19 pandemic has substantially exacerbated deeply entrenched problems with labor exploitation. The Law Relating to Overseas Employment was adopted in 1999, largely before more formalized labor migration had begun to take place in Myanmar, and its regulations urgently need to be amended to better protect migrant workers rights. Even under normal circumstances, charging of illegal recruitment fees, contract substitution, wage theft and other abuses against migrants are common. With severe restrictions on mobility in place during COVID-19, working conditions for migrant workers have become even more precarious and abuses have proliferated. A Myanmar fisherman interviewed in Thailand said, While we normally get paid every three months, our employer now wont tell us when we will receive our wages. They are holding all of our IDs and personal documents. No one dares to go to the authorities for assistance. Fundamental labor rights for workers within Myanmar have also come under assault during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in relation to freedom of association. Prior to the outbreak, progress on establishing functional industrial relations and social dialogue was still nascent. Many of the advancements that had been made in recent years are now being rolled back by a substantial slowdown in the US$4.6-billion (6.1-trillion-kyat) garment sector during COVID-19. The resulting loss of livelihoods has disproportionately affected migrant women from poor rural areas due to the highly feminized nature of employment in the industry. The declining fortunes of the garment sector have added fuel to an already highly combustible environment for labor relations. A significant number of factory owners have absconded to avoid paying severance to their laid-off workers and several factories have used the pandemic as an excuse for union busting. Despite their highly publicized commitments to corporate social responsibility, fast fashion brands have so far been a part of the problem rather than the solution to violations of workers rights. Unethical business practices such as canceling orders for goods during production, demanding discounts and not specifying when payments would be provided to their suppliers belie the massive profits these firms have earned in Myanmar during more prosperous times. Trade unions have mounted a vigorous response to the abuses by organizing strikes at several garment factories in Yangon. These industrial actions demonstrate the critical importance of labor organizing in empowering workers to assert their rights, shine a light on abuses and advocate for longer-term industry reforms. However, they have also starkly revealed the limited space within which trade unions are allowed to operate in Myanmar. Workers must resort to strikes to assert their labor rights largely because the normal channels for negotiation with employers are nonexistent or dysfunctional. Improvements to the Labor Organization Law passed in 2012 are sorely needed as it currently limits the formation and registration of many unions, as well their ability to reach collective bargaining agreements. Hard-won gains in establishing minimum wage protections for workers are also at stake during the COVID-19 pandemic. Myanmar introduced its first minimum wage requirements in 2015 and stipulated that a new rate will be set every two years. The last increase to the base wage of 4,800 kyats was made in May 2018 but the national tripartite minimum wage committee has not met to consider an increase during COVID-19. The delay takes money out of the pockets of low-income workers and ignores widespread concerns that the current minimum wage rate is far below a living wage in urban areas. Rapid assessments in some of Yangons most vulnerable communities suggest that many families have adopted negative coping strategies to deal with insufficient income during COVID-19, such as taking on unsustainable levels of debt. The financial pressure may drive more households into precarious and exploitative forms of work and some social service providers have reported an increase in gender-based violence. During the outbreak of COVID-19, Myanmar has mounted a very effective response to protect the health of its population. Robust and collaborative efforts have so far prevented a large-scale public health emergency from occurring and have placed Myanmar in a strong position to recover quickly from the economic malaise that many countries around the world are experiencing. A similar level of commitment to protecting the rights of its workers is needed to ensure that Myanmar emerges from this challenging period with a more just and equitable society. Supported by Australia, Canada, the European Union, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States, the Livelihoods and Food Security Fund (LIFT) is working closely with key stakeholders to realize this goal by expanding the protection of fundamental labor rights for migrants and other vulnerable workers. The path to achieving sustainable and inclusive economic growth in Myanmar, both during COVID-19 and beyond, must be firmly rooted in a labor market that provides opportunities for decent work and coverage by social protection to all of its people. Benjamin Harkins is senior program manager for the LIFT Fund in Myanmar, where he established LIFTs Decent Work and Labor Mobility program. You may also like these stories: Myanmars COVID-19 Cases Exceed 1,000 Myanmars Election Body to Decide on COVID-19 Election Delay in October Myanmars Military Blamed for Rakhine Civilian Deaths and Disrupting COVID-19 Quarantine Edison, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/03/2020 -- The "COVID-19 Outbreak- Renewable Energy as a Service - Market Analysis, Trends, and Forecasts 2014-2025?" Study has been added to HTF MI offering. The study focus on both qualitative as well as quantitative side and follows Industry benchmark and NAICS standards to built coverage of players for final compilation of study. Some of the major and emerging players profiled are EDF Energy, Contemporary Energy Solutions, Solarus, Engie, General Electric, Bernhard Energy, SmartWatt, Siemens AG, WGL Energy & Edison Energy. Get Inside Scoop of the report, request for sample @: https://www.htfmarketreport.com/sample-report/2709263-covid-19-outbreak-global-renewable-energy-as-a-service-industry-market Solar, Tidal & Wind are the segments analysed and sized in this study by application/end-users, displays the potential growth and various shift for period 2014 to 2025. The changing dynamics supporting the growth makes it critical for businesses in this space to keep abreast of the moving pulse of the market. Check which segment will bring in healthy gains adding significant momentum to overall growth. , Energy Supply Services, Operational and Maintenance Services & Energy Efficiency and Optimization Services have been considered for segmenting COVID-19 Outbreak- Renewable Energy as a Service market by type. Staying on top of market trends & drivers is essential for decision makers to leverage this emerging opportunity. The COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Renewable Energy as a Service Market research publication released by HTF MI addresses all this aspects and provides the latest scoop and detailed insights on all major & emerging business segments. Order COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Renewable Energy as a Service Market study now @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/buy-now?format=1&report=2709263 While global mega trends influencing the market routing the primary direction of growth, regional markets are swayed by more granular locally unique market drivers. The market study is sized with regional and country level break for historical and forecast period by revenue and volume and price analysis, stay tuned with the latest updates from the research insights know more which territory is stealing market share gains in coming years. Major Geographies Covered: North America (Covered in Chapter 7 and 14), United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe (Covered in Chapter 8 and 14), Germany, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Russia, Others, Asia-Pacific (Covered in Chapter 9 and 14), China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, India, Southeast Asia, Others, Middle East and Africa (Covered in Chapter 10 and 14), Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, Others, South America (Covered in Chapter 11 and 14), Brazil, Argentina, Columbia, Chile & Others etc. ***Sub Regions Included: North America [United States, Canada, Mexico], Asia-Pacific [China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam], Europe [Germany, France, UK, Italy, Russia, Rest of Europe], South America [Brazil, Argentina, Rest of South America], Middle East & Africa [GCC Countries, Turkey, Egypt, South Africa, Rest of Middle East & Africa] *** Unless until specified in Original TOC of COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Renewable Energy as a Service Market Study To know more about the table of contents, you can click @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/reports/2709263-covid-19-outbreak-global-renewable-energy-as-a-service-industry-market All viewpoints in the report are based on iterative validation by engaging influencer, experts of the market, whose opinions supersede all other research methodologies. Both primary and secondary approach are used and detailed product portfolio / service offering were analysed and have been presented in a separate chapter of competitive landscape along with company profile. Some of the competitors identified in the COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Renewable Energy as a Service Market study include EDF Energy, Contemporary Energy Solutions, Solarus, Engie, General Electric, Bernhard Energy, SmartWatt, Siemens AG, WGL Energy & Edison Energy. Detailed Insights on Market Concentration Rate ? CR4, CR8 and HHI Index Analysis of Overall Market ? Comparative Market Share Analysis (Y-o-Y) ? Major Companies ? Emerging Players Heat Map Analysis Research Objectives - The primary objective is to underline the competitive structure of COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Renewable Energy as a Service Industry. - The research includes study of several small to medium-sized companies that compete with each other and large enterprises. - To analyse the competitive developments, such as new product launch and merger & acquisition, in the COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Renewable Energy as a Service market - Insights on Regulatory & Economic policies by geography giving ease to Market entry. - What product features & benefits offered by Industry players studied and broken down by diverse group of customer class. HTF MI also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research according to clientele objectives. Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report like North America, Europe or Asia. Enquire for customization or check for any discount if available @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/enquiry-before-buy/2709263-covid-19-outbreak-global-renewable-energy-as-a-service-industry-market About HTF Market Report HTF Market Report is a wholly owned brand of HTF market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited. HTF Market Report global research and market intelligence consulting organization is uniquely positioned to not only identify growth opportunities but to also empower and inspire you to create visionary growth strategies for futures, enabled by our extraordinary depth and breadth of thought leadership, research, tools, events and experience that assist you for making goals into a reality. Our understanding of the interplay between industry convergence, Mega Trends, technologies and market trends provides our clients with new business models and expansion opportunities. We are focused on identifying the "Accurate Forecast" in every industry we cover so our clients can reap the benefits of being early market entrants and can accomplish their "Goals & Objectives". MINSK -- Belarusian opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya says her country is in "deep political crisis," as the government of President Alyaksandr Lukashenka "doesnt listen to its people." "Belarusians have changed, they have woken up," Tsikhanouskaya said in a live stream on September 5, as she spoke about ongoing anti-government demonstrations across the country to protest the results of the disputed August 9 presidential election. Tsikhanouskaya said that the people of Belarus wanted changes and they "don't believe in the current government anymore." She said that the protesters had "reached the point of no return" and "it's impossible to force people to back down." Lukashenka is facing his greatest challenge yet with large protests around the country over the presidential poll where he claimed victory over Tsikhanouskaya with some 80 percent of the vote. Protesters insist that the election was actually won by the opposition candidate. Responding to questions about her plans if she takes office, Tsikhanouskaya said that she would swiftly "free political prisoners" and "organize a new fair and transparent presidential election." Tsikhanouskaya said that she had no plans to run for the presidency in that election. Tsikhanouskaya spoke as fresh protests took place in the capital, Minsk, on September 5 with two unsanctioned rallies organized separately by students of the Minsk State Linguistic University and women's groups. Draped in red-and-white flags that have long been a symbol of opposition to Lukashenkas rule, students staged demonstrations in several places in Minsk, including the Jakub Kolas Square and in Karl Marx Street in the city center. Some news agencies reported that up to 30 people were dragged from the streets and pushed into vans by masked security forces. Some of those arrested were reportedly released several hours later. Crisis In Belarus Read our ongoing coverage as Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka continues his brutal crackdown on NGOs, activists, and independent media following the August 2020 presidential election, widely seen as fraudulent. In the afternoon, thousands of women began a rally near the Independence Avenue. Some reporters at the scene put the number of the rally participants at around 10,000. A large group of women were blocked by a police cordon from entering Independence Square, but the women broke through the fence and managed to enter. After a while the crowd dispersed. Several hundred people rallied in the city of Homel, where police detained at least two protest participants. Since the election, hundreds of thousands of citizens have taken to the streets across the country to protest the results, calling on Lukashenka to step down, release all political prisoners, and hold free and fair elections. Meanwhile, authorities in Poland confirmed that Tsikhanouskaya will visit Warsaw on September 9 and hold a meeting with Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. The Belarusian opposition leader is currently in self-exile in Lithuania. On September 5, Tsikhanouskaya's main representative in Belarus, Volha Kovalkova fled to Poland, saying she had been forced by Belarusian authorities to leave the country. Kovalkova was sentenced to 10 days in jail on August 25. "Representatives of the militia and the Interior Ministry of Belarus came to me and said that if I did not agree to leave, I would face long arrests," Kovalkova told a news conference in Warsaw. She said she was made to lie down on the floor of a Belarusian intelligence service car driving her to the border, where she was released. She managed to board a Polish bus after the driver recognized her. Kovalkova said that "everything that happened these past days and weeks I consider as torture. They threatened me with lengthy detention several times." Michal Dworczyk, chief of staff to Morawiecki, told the news conference that Kovalkova had reached Warsaw overnight "in dramatic circumstances." He added that Warsaw would offer support to Belarusian victims of repression and those fearing for their lives and well-being. Dworczyk said that since a disputed election there had been more than 100 requests to stay in Poland. In a statement on September 1, UN human rights experts said they had received reports of 450 documented cases of torture and ill-treatment of people held in custody since the election. With reporting by Reuters, Interfax, and AFP A MEMBER of staff at The Lanterns Hotel has spoken to the Limerick Leader to dispel rumours circulating about a wedding held in the Tarbert venue. There were a number of stories doing the rounds that gardai raided the hotel due to more than the allowed 50 people being in attendance. A garda spokesperson has confirmed that guards did attend the scene of an indoor event in west Limerick on Thursday, August 20. This matter is currently under investigation. As this is an active investigation An Garda Siochana has no further specific comment on this incident, said the garda spokesperson. A member of staff at The Lanterns Hotel told the Leader they were the ones who contacted gardai on the night in question. If we had an issue we would have been shut down. We are trading as normal and have continued to trade as normal since August 20. No restrictions have been imposed on us, said the person, on behalf of the hotel. They said that 10 bouncers were employed on the night to ensure all restrictions on numbers were adhered to. I called the gardai because I wanted to make sure that we werent doing anything wrong. They came and checked everything. The wedding went ahead as normal, they said. A garda source also told the Leader there was no big raid of the premises. An eye witness on the night said there was no big commotion. Under new guidelines announced two weeks ago by the government, indoor gatherings and events are now limited to six people from no more than three households. However, indoor weddings of up to 50 people are still allowed. The garda spokesperson said they continue to respond to reports of gatherings and engage with communities with a view to implementing the guidelines issued by the government and HSE in order to minimise the impact of Covid-19 on our community as a whole. In supporting the Covid-19 public health guidelines, An Garda Siochana has adopted a graduated policing response based on its tradition of policing by consent. This has seen Garda members engage, educate, encourage and, as a last resort, enforce. Where potential breaches of the public health regulations are identified, and where a person does not come into compliance with the regulations, a file is submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions for a direction as to how to proceed. The Covid-19 pandemic remains a public health crisis and An Garda Siochana continues to appeal to all citizens to comply with guidelines and regulations in order to continue to save lives. For more Limerick news click here Last year, when McDonald's parted ways with CEO Steve Easterbrook, I wrote about what we knew at the time--and what we learned soon after. I was impressed by how quickly and masterfully McDonald's seemed to handle it all--not just announcing Easterbook's departure and naming his replacement over the course of a weekend, but also the granular, tactical aspects of how McDonald's told the world. I called it "a great example for any other company that has to share bad news." As details of the settlement that Easterbrook negotiated were reported -- $41.7 million, according to contemporary reports -- I marveled at the "totally painless" way both Easterbrook and McDonald's seemed to settle their velvet divorce. He can sit on a beach, or devote himself to charity, or serve on boards and invest and start a company -- heck, he could even follow everyone's dream and write a daily email newsletter. Oh, but the next chapter had yet to be written. Here's what has played out over the last month or so: First, McDonald's sued Easterbrook, seeking to claw back every penny of the settlement, alleging that he "concealed evidence and lied," that he had "physical sexual relationships with three McDonald's employees," and that he approved "an extraordinary stock grant, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars," for one of the people he was allegedly involved with. Next, Easterbrook fired back, seeking to dismiss the suit, and arguing among other things that when it signed the settlement, McDonald's had access to all the information it claimed to have later discovered. Most recently, McDonald's replied in court, calling Easterbrook "morally bankrupt," and saying his defense is like arguing that "he cannot be liable because, as a matter of law, he did not hide his misconduct well enough." Wow. Anyway, I think it's time to go back and revisit my assessment, based on this new information. There are a few big takeaways. The first is that it's sometimes better to push a big problem down the road than to have to drop everything and deal with it at once. I still think McDonald's handled this pretty well -- not speaking directly to the accusations against Easterbrook, about which I have no inside information -- but instead, how it managed to change leaders of a roughly $150 billion company over a relatively short time. (It was later reported that McDonald's had been investigating Easterbrook for about three weeks before making the move.) Put differently, Easterbrook was out, and even though McDonald's now wants out of its settlement, it's moved on. With Chris Kempczinski in charge, who succeeded Easterbrook as CEO, McDonald's has weathered the coronavirus pandemic pretty well, and its stock price is now above what it was when Easterbrook left. As for the whole thing being "totally painless," well, obviously that characterization is now overcome by events -- or at least, new public knowledge about what was going on back then. The real lesson for any person leading a business of any size, however, is just how important it is to have a succession plan, even when you don't think there's much chance of needing it anytime soon. As an example, Easterbrook had just turned 53 at the time of his departure, in the prime of his career and leading a company that by all measures -- stock price, future plans, etc. -- was doing quite well. I don't know how long Kempczinski, who had been the head of the fast food giant's United States operations, had seemed like an heir apparent, but he seems like a logical choice. We do know, however, what often happens to companies that have to make a leadership change quickly, with no real plan. The example that comes to mind is Subway, which is privately held but bigger than McDonald's, at least in terms of total number of restaurants. In short, Subway founder and CEO Fred DeLuca reportedly declined to discuss succession while he battled cancer before his death in 2015. His sister took over as CEO when he died, but reportedly without the true support of either of the two individuals who each owned 50 percent of Subway: DeLuca's widow, Elizabeth, and his original business partner, Peter Buck. It was only last year -- coincidentally, right around the same time that Easterbook was out at McDonald's--that Subway settled on a new, apparently long-term chief executive: John Chidsey, previously best known as the former CEO of Burger King. Regular readers will know that I've also been impressed with the fairly lengthy succession announcements made by some other big companies in the last year or so: United Airlines and LinkedIn among them. Heck, go back to Warren Buffett's shareholder letter at Berkshire Hathaway earlier this year, and you'll see an (overdue, in my opinion) emphasis on succession. Look, time waits for no man or woman. But that doesn't mean you have to let it win. If you're running a business, and if you hope that it will be part of your legacy, it's always smart to have a plan for who will run it after you. Your goal? "Totally painless." Democrats, especially those with a military background, reacting with both outrage and a sense of opportunity, denounced Trump (edited) Washington: Long before The Atlantic published an article Thursday night depicting President Donald Trump disparaging Americas war dead, liberal veterans groups had been feverishly working in battleground states to appeal to veterans and military family members, a cornerstone of Trumps base. That effort got a significant jolt in both interest and money, and the attention of Joe Biden, in the hours after the article appeared. By Friday morning, Democrats, especially those with a military background, were reacting with both outrage and a sense of opportunity, denouncing Trump in news conferences and news releases and assuring veterans and military families that they had their backs. Biden, the Democratic nominee for president, lashed out at Trump on Friday afternoon in a speech in Wilmington, Delaware, noting that the remarks attributed to the president were part of a long pattern of dismissing military families and their concerns. If what is written in The Atlantic is true, its disgusting, Biden said. It affirms what most of us believe to be true: that Donald Trump is not fit to be commander-in-chief. In recent months, political groups devoted to veteran and military families have raised millions of dollars to target veterans with advertising, working with the types of sophisticated data lists usually used by Democrats to go after minority and swing voters. On Friday, less that 12 hours after The Atlantic published its article, the largest liberal veteran organization, VoteVets, released an online ad featuring the parents of troops slain in Iraq and Afghanistan, one speaking in Spanish. In the first five hours after it went up, the group said it raised $100,000 from 2,500 donors. The Democratic Party is also leaning heavily on its most popular veterans, like Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois and Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and a former Democratic presidential candidate, to attack the president on his treatment of veterans and the military something that would traditionally be a strength for an incumbent Republican president but which is increasingly becoming a weak spot for Trump. Over 70 current and former elected Democrats with national security backgrounds also released an open letter to Trump seeking an apology. For years there has been a movement away from the old assumption that the Republican Party is the party of national security, Buttigieg said. These revelations help push that over the tipping point. He added, I think that voters need to hear from those who did serve. I am planning to be part of a chorus of veterans from different generations speaking to why this is wrong. The idea is not to win a majority of the veteran vote, which most Democrats consider nearly impossible, but to peel away a small percentage of persuadable veterans and military family members. While Trumps popularity has fallen steadily among troops over the past four years, according to polls, it remains high compared with other subsets of voters. But in an election that will be won on the margins in key battleground states, Democrats are hoping small movements will help, especially in states like North Carolina, Florida and Arizona, where in 2016 Trump won twice as many voters with a military background than Hillary Clinton did. In such states, a small number of veteran and military votes, supplementing a base of Black and Hispanic voters, could be enough for Democrats to win. In a close race, everything and everyone matters, said Nathan Gonzales, the editor of Inside Elections, a non-partisan analysis organisation. We have to remember that Trump did just enough to win in 2016. He won Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Florida by less than two points. Four years later, the president simply doesnt have any margin for error. He really cant afford to slip with any voter group, including military families and veterans, because hes not doing dramatically better with a specific demographic to balance it out. The report by The Atlantics editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, said that Trump decided against visiting a cemetery for US soldiers killed in World War I during a 2018 visit to France because he did not believe it was important to honor the war dead. The report, which Trump vigorously denied, also suggested that Trump privately referred to US soldiers killed in combat as losers and suckers. Trump is currently running a handful of military-focused ads on Facebook that proudly note that he has killed terrorists, rebuilt our military and repaired a broken VA. For many of the nations 20 million veterans a mostly heterogeneous group that voted disproportionately for Trump in 2016 the problem is not Trumps regular drip of insensitive remarks about troops, veterans and other military leaders. Rather, it is his constant disparaging of his perceived political enemies, his partys failure to move the needle on health care costs and their attempts to undo the Affordable Care Act and other topics that have also registered with other key voting groups, like suburban women. Some polling from conservative groups shows that there is as much as 80 percent approval for Trumps policies among people with a military background, even as his overall approval ratings among them hover closer to 60 percent. Its numbers like those that make strategists hopeful. We dont need a 10% swing with veterans, said Fred Wellman, an Army veteran and the senior adviser for veterans affairs for the Lincoln Project, a Republican-led effort to unseat Trump. There has long been a distinct divide between high-ranking current and former military officials, many of whom long ago lost faith in Trump, some of them quite publicly, and the enlisted ranks, where his support may remain vigorous. Further, a vote lost to Trump does not necessarily translate into a vote for Biden; many of these voters disgusted with the president may simply abstain. Still, groups like the Lincoln Project, and liberal veterans groups, are leaning heavily into Trumps attempts to divert funds from military projects to pay for a border wall, for instance, or the poor state of military housing. The military community is somewhere between 28 to 30 million people, Wellman said. Then add in patriotic Americans. The majority of veteran and active duty members are Republicans, yes, but we just ask them why our military is living in moldy housing and Gold Star families treated like this? One to four percent is all we need. He added that the groups town hall meeting with veterans attracted 10,000 viewers Tuesday. VoteVets has raised $2 million so far to target voters in 16 battleground states with high concentrations of veteran and military family voters, largely by sending other veterans their way to prod them. The goal is to reach out to at least 250,000 voters by Election Day. The group has retained Chuck Rocha, who was the architect of Senator Bernie Sanders outreach to Latino voters, to help amass a database of veterans and military voters who have reached out to VoteVets via social media, texts and other means. What we used to put it in TV commercials now goes to hundreds of vets texting and calling other veterans, then following up at times with lengthy calls, Rocha said. Its the same thing we did with all these volunteers with Bernie, instead of sending postcards they are having conversations with other veterans. Common Defence, a smaller group than VoteVets and one that leans further to the left, has mobilised volunteers in Arizona, North Carolina and Maine for the closing months of the election in support of Biden, as well as Democratic nominees for Senate. On a call with reporters set up by the Biden campaign Friday morning, Duckworth, who was severely wounded while serving as a helicopter pilot in Iraq, took issue with a section of The Atlantic report in which Trump reportedly shunned the presence of wounded veterans at public events. Ill take my wheelchair and my titanium legs over his bone spurs any day, she said, referring to the minor ailment Trump cited to obtain a medical deferment during the Vietnam War. The Atlantic story will not move Trumps base, said Jon Soltz, the chairman of VoteVets. But were already seeing some early evidence that is a powerful hook to have conversations with persuadable or on-the-fence veterans and military families. And were clearly not the only ones who understand this. The White House pushback on this story, while likely not effective, has been fast and swift because they know how damaging the story is, too. Jennifer Steinhauer c.2020 The New York Times Company Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-06 05:04:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DAMASCUS, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Pro-government fighters on Saturday ambushed five Islamic State (IS) militants in the countryside of Deir al-Zour province in eastern Syria, a war monitor reported. The IS militants were in disguise, wearing uniforms of pro-government fighters when they were ambushed in the city of al-Mayadeen, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The Britain-based watchdog group said that the IS militants were buying supplies and food from the city when they were discovered and rounded up by the pro-government fighters. This comes as battles have been raging between the Syrian forces and the IS militants in the desert region of Deir al-Zour. Scores had been killed from both sides in the desert battles, according to the observatory. After losing key areas in northern and northeastern Syria, the IS militants have hidden in the desert region and waged attacks on Syrian positions. Enditem In a letter to borrowers, the company specifically referred to the uncertainty caused by the Covid pandemic as a factor in the decision to stop lending. (stock photo) Pepper Money has become the first lender to exit the commercial property market since the onset of coronavirus. Customers have been told the Australian-owned lender will no longer make new commercial property and buy-to-let loans. In a letter to borrowers, the company specifically referred to the uncertainty caused by the Covid pandemic as a factor in the decision to stop lending. Access to wholesale funding at prices that allowed for competitive lending here is also understood to be a factor. The decision to quit the lending market inevitably invokes memories of the exodus of mostly foreign-owned banks from the Irish market in the wake of the 2008 property crash, when Halifax Bank of Scotland, Lloyds, Rabobank and Danske left. For Pepper itself, commercial property lending was a small part of its Irish business. It moved into the area just three years ago with ambitious targets to ramp up lending to property investors to 300m in 18 months. The commercial property book is understood to have grown to around 200m. The lender has now written to customers, however, saying it will cease writing new loans. Some loan offers already at an advanced stage may still be drawn down but new applications are no longer being accepted. Existing customers will continue to be serviced. Pepper sold its residential lending business in 2018. Commercial lending accounted for less than 5pc of its total revenues in 2019. The decision is not expected to have a big impact on staff numbers, with most of the small commercial lending team expected to be redeployed internally. In a statement, Pepper Money said the decision to cease originating commercial mortgages in the Irish market followed a strategic review and is a response to the increasingly challenging market conditions, reduced availability of funding from wholesale lending markets and ongoing volatility and uncertainty in global financial markets as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Labor has demanded the Morrison government explain how former prime minister Tony Abbott will manage conflicts of interest as he advises the United Kingdom on trade deals with countries including Australia. Mr Abbott confirmed his appointment as an unpaid adviser to the UK Board of Trade on Saturday morning after a firestorm of criticism over his past comments on women and gay people. Former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott has been announced as a new UK trade adviser. Credit:Getty Images Mr Abbott, who was prime minister from 2013 to 2015, will use his influence to help advocate for free trade internationally as Britain renegotiates its trade relationships post-Brexit but will have no direct role in striking deals, the UK government said. Labor legal affairs spokesman Mark Dreyfus said Mr Abbott's new role could come into conflict with Australia's commercial interests as he works on trade deals. In a town where tensions between activists and local police have run high this summer, about 100 protesters clashed with police again Saturday in the wake of the Jacob Blake shooting that reinvigorated rallies nationwide. Activists in Ridgewood took to the streets on Saturday to show solidarity for Blake and the city of Kenosha, Wisconsin, where the shooting took place. They marched down Ridgewood Avenue to the police precinct, eventually blocking traffic. A protester said a standoff took place, with police threatening to issue summonses or make arrests if marchers didnt vacate the streets. A video from the scene shows protesters circling around police as an officer tried to read a statement by bullhorn, drowning the officer out with chants, including, We are united and were not moving. Some protesters repeatedly asked the police officer where his face mask was. Right when tensions were reaching their peak, a female marcher fell due to an unknown injury, de-escalating the standoff, one protester said. Ridgewood EMS arrived and organizers halted the protest before deciding to march back down Ridgewood Avenue, the way they came. I dont know what would have happened had we not had that happen, Samantha McCarthy, a member of Ridgewood for Black Liberation, or RW4BL, told NJ Advance Media. I cant imagine it would have ended great just given the attitude they were approaching us with right before that happened. They definitely were getting serious about issuing summonses and arrests. McCarthy said no summonses or arrests were made and that the rally stayed peaceful. She also said police from Glen Rock, Paramus, the Bergen County Sheriffs Office and Ridgewood were at the scene, with at least 20 officers and more than a dozen vehicles present. Overall, I think we were really happy with how it turned out, McCarthy said. These things are never perfect when the behavior of the police is rather unpredictable. But from our side, we came there in peace, and we came there in solidarity, and thats as much as we can control. On Thursday, Ridgewood Police Chief Jacqueline Luthcke sent a letter to the Ridgewood for Black Liberation, the activist group that organized Saturdays protest. After iterating the departments support for the rights of individuals to assemble peacefully, Luthcke listed ACLU guidelines and encouraged protesters to stay orderly and non-disruptive. During the course of any parade, assembly or march, you may not impede or obstruct the public sidewalks, streets or thoroughfares you will be held responsible for your actions and/or inactions that cause or create any damage or injury to persons or property, read the letter. Protests have been held in Ridgewood without this kind of response yet they chose to send this to us. RPD is cherry-picking ACLU guidelines to tell us how to express our political speech and in doing so are trying to intimidate and silence us. @ACLUNJ @AmolSinha pic.twitter.com/ZAU6pK0zUM Ridgewood for Black Liberation (@RW4BL_) September 4, 2020 On its Facebook page, RW4BL said the group would continue to march and use our 1st amendment right so long as the police continue to brutalize and murder Black people! The ACLU of New Jersey rebutted the letter with a Tweet that read, Hey Ridgewood PD, lets set the record straight. Our Know Your Rights guide exists to protect people and their right to protest not to justify local laws or endorse criminal penalties associated with them. Dont cherry-pick our words to intimidate or put protesters on notice. Hey @RidgewoodPD, lets set the record straight. Our Know Your Rights guide exists to protect people and their right to protest not to justify local laws or endorse criminal penalties associated with them. Dont cherry-pick our words to intimidate or put protestors on notice. https://t.co/dmjmyhkKEX ACLU of New Jersey (@ACLUNJ) September 4, 2020 No one from the Ridgewood Police Department was available for comment, and Luthcke was out of the office Saturday afternoon. Earlier this summer, a Ridgewood police officer yanked a teenage bicyclist to the ground by his neck while he cried out in pain, saying Get off my stomach. As a result, RW4BL called for the department to be defunded in order to invest in racial justice initiatives. Adding to the strained relationship between activists and police is the fact that one of RW4BLs co-founders, Thria Bernabe, was arrested on July 4 during a protest for obstructing public passage, according to her lawyer. Many members of the public have no trust in the police, and tensions are visible in the streets across this nation, reads the letter from Bernabes lawyer to state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal. Urgent action is necessary to remedy the injustice of police misconduct. We therefore respectfully ask your office to conduct a pattern-or-practice investigation, to obtain data regarding improper and unconstitutional policing to support those investigations, and to bring appropriate enforcement actions. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Josh Axelrod may be reached at jaxelrod@njadvancemedia.com. It is an innocuous expression, but an academic has been suspended for using the Chinese word for um because it sounded like a racial slur. Professor Greg Patton was giving a lecture about the use of filler words during an online class at the University of Southern California when he mentioned the Chinese expression neige (pronounced nee-gah) saying: If you have a lot of ums and errs... based on your native language, like in China... it might be nee-gah, nee-gah, nee-gah. A group of students threatened to withdraw from the class rather than endure the emotional exhaustion of carrying on with an instructor that disregards cultural sensitivities, adding: Our mental health has been affected. But last night the mother of a USC student said: This is political wokeness gone mad. Professor Patton was teaching students about Chinese business culture and how the expression nee-gah is often used as a pause in negotiations. Professor Greg Patton was giving a lecture about the use of filler words during an online class at the University of Southern California It was nothing to do with the N-word and there was no context for what he said to be interpreted as racist. It is heartbreaking. A wonderful professor has been suspended and put through this. Its outrageous. But the university has backed the students. In a grovelling apology, it said: Recently a faculty member during class used a Chinese word that sounds similar to a vile racial slur in English. Understandably, this caused great pain and upset among students. We acknowledge the historical, cultural and harmful impact of racist language and offer supportive measures to any student, faculty or staff member who requests assistance. According to the universitys website, he is an expert in communication and has received numerous teaching awards. Pictured: The Doheny Memorial Library at the University of Southern California It said Prof Patton had been placed on administrative leave while we review the situation and take any appropriate next steps. According to the universitys website, he is an expert in communication and has received numerous teaching awards. A source said Prof Patton is devastated by the episode and is consulting lawyers. In an email last week, Prof Patton explained he had been teaching the class for a decade and tried to include as many international, global, diverse, female, broad and inclusive leadership examples as possible in his lessons. He said he had been taught to pronounce the word as he had in Shanghai, adding: I have strived to best prepare students with real-world examples to make the class come alive. I did not connect this in the moment to any English words and certainly not any racial slur. The Coronavirus pandemic was a calamity that exposed the decadence of Nigerias health system. At the emergency period of the pandemic, experts said Nigeria was lucky not to be one of the epicentres of the infection otherwise the country would have become such a vast cemetery the world had never previously seen. Beyond availability of highly competent personnel, the country simply lacked the capacity to contain any major health emergency. A scholar and Dean, College of Health Sciences, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ibrahim Katibi, had disclosed in 2019 that Nigeria spends over $1 billion annually on medical tourism, adding that at least 500 Nigerians seek healthcare abroad monthly. For a service as basic as diagnostic, many Nigerians would rather go abroad where they are sure of appropriate and evidence-based results than seek diagnosis in Nigeria where there are chances of misdiagnosis. This is why the investments that have been made by the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) in the countrys health sector is good news for Nigerians and for the West African sub-region. After transforming the agriculture sector with its unparalleled investments in fertilizer production that has created thousands of jobs across the country, the NSIA now appears to have shifted focus to the health sector. This is a sector that had suffered decades of neglect and its cheering news that it is now getting the required attention. The management of the NSIA looks to be in a hurry to fix the priority areas of need in the sector as it takes on several projects at almost at once. Undoubtedly, cancer management and disease diagnosis rank highest among medical reasons why Nigerians (who can afford it) travel overseas, especially to India, and the NSIA is seeking to change the situation. Its first big investment in health was the established of a state-of-the-art Cancer Centre at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) in Lagos to address the burden of cancer in the country. It is an $11 million investment designed to stop medical tourism out of Nigeria when it comes to cancer. The facility provides advanced radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment services at affordable cost. It has facilities to treat 100 cancer patients daily for just N900, 000- a fraction of what similar services cost abroad. The NSIA has followed up this highly important project with the establishment of two world-class diagnostic centres that would rival similar facilities anywhere in the world. The two diagonostic centres are located in Abia and Kano States respectively. The NSIA/Umuahia Diagnostic Centre in Abia State was recently inaugurated. The Chief Executive Officer, NSIA, Uche Orji, who spoke at the occasion, described the facility as a world-class diagnostic centre that can match the ones seen in developed nations. The project reportedly took years to develop and was eventually completed in 18 months and at a cost of approximately $5.5 million. Once fully operational, it would be the largest and most modern diagnostic centre in the South-east and South-south region of the country. The project was executed as a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) through a Special Purpose Vehicle owned 90 per cent by the NSIA and 10 per cent by the Federal Medical Centre Umuahia. After a 15-year period, within which the NSIA is expected to have recovered its investment, full ownership of the SPV and its assets will revert to FMCU. READ ALSO: NSIA-Umuahia Diagnostic Centre is a full-service facility that will provide comprehensive radiology and laboratory services to ensure the highest quality of care for all Nigerians. Experts project that within its first year of operations, the Centre is expected to serve as many as 70,000 clients and provide direct employment opportunities to about 47 people. The Centre is also strategically located and designed to serve the South-east and South-south regions of the country to bridge the yawning gap in medical infrastructure. Now, no one needs to travel to other parts of the country or abroad to access quality diagnostic services. The Centre is the third facility in NSIAs expanding healthcare portfolio alongside the modern diagnostic facility also established in Kano, which is the NSIA Kano Diagnostic Centre (NKDC) and the NSIA LUTH Cancer Centre in Lagos. NSIAs investments are unique in its ambition to improve health infrastructure through collaborations with the private sector. It is a template that guarantees more rapid development of the health sector. The projects are structured under a public-private partnership arrangement for the rehabilitation, equipping and operation of an existing centre. The diagnostic centre in Umuahia will be operated by Statpath, a joint-venture between Synlab, a global leader in pathology and Crestview, a tier-1 radiology company in Nigeria, which would facilitate skills and knowledge transfer to the FMCU pathology and radiology teams. Speaking on the structure of the project, Orji said the public-private partnership structure would ensure that the centre is maintained to the highest standards, and that FMCU benefits both financially as well as through training of its staff. The Abia State governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, who was present at the inauguration, understands the importance of the project and its location in the state. Speaking at the event, he said the state was renowned as an industrial state but would now be known and lauded as a centre for excellence in healthcare. The governor, who was obviously elated by the development, said the project represented a compliment from the federal government about what the state was doing to transform the health sector. I was pleased to learn of the establishment of a cancer centre in partnership with the Lagos University Teaching Hospital which the President commissioned in Lagos. Following the establishment of the cancer entre, the state was convinced that the decision to consider Umuahia for a diagnostic centre will serve not only the Southeast region but the South as a whole and complement the growing stock of healthcare infrastructure in other parts of the nation, he stated. While the diagnostic centre in Umuahia will serve the Southeast and South-south pending when other centres are built in the region, the one established in Kano will serve the Northern region pending when more centres are established across board. The President Muhammadu Buhari administration had committed to checking the rate of Nigerians traveling abroad on medical tourism by building world-class health facilities. The ultra-modern Umuahia and Kano diagnostic centres are expected to be replicated in each of the six geo-political zones of the country, while the Federal Government had already floated a special scheme under the Ministry of Finance to enable less privileged Nigerians access the facilities. According to the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed who presented a keynote speech in Umuahia, President Buharis administration is putting its focus on greater investment in the healthcare sector and working to ensure increased access to safe, high quality service for every Nigerian. This may explain why the NSIA is making efforts to spread its investment reach across critical healthcare areas. Mr. Orji, the CEO of the NSIA revealed recently that the Authority was set to begin investments in pharmaceutical production to make available to Nigerians essential drugs that are currently imported. Indeed, the NSIA is slowly but steadily midwifing a rebirth in Nigerias health sector, and the showcase facilities in Umuahia, Lagos and Kano are the evidence. Dauda writes from Surulere, Lagos. E-commerce giant has taken down nearly 20,000 product reviews after some of the top reviewers in Britain were suspected to have accepted money or products in exchange for a five-star rating. The action by came on Friday after a Financial Times investigation flagged suspicious activities by nine of the top 10 reviewers on co.uk. Amazon removed all of the reviews by seven of the users highlighted in the investigation. The reviewers profited from providing five-star ratings for products most of which were from little-known Chinese brands, according to the report. The investigation revealed that Justin Fryer, the top reviewer on Amazon.co.uk, provided his five-star approval on average once every four hours. Fryer reviewed a gamut of items ranging from gym equipment to smartphones and then he appears to have sold some of these products on other e-commerce platforms, raking in nearly 20,000 pounds since June. When the FT contacted Fryer, he denied receiving any benefit for the reviews. But review history disappeared from his Amazon profile page, FT reported, adding that at least two other UK reviewers deleted their history after Fryer. Fryer said the products described as "unused" and "unopened" on the eBay listings were for duplicates. Promising an investigation into the findings, Amazon said it took such a fraud seriously. "We want Amazon to shop with confidence knowing that the reviews they read are authentic and relevant," the company was quoted as saying. Amazon said that it may suspend, sue or ban people for violating its policies. --IANS gb/dpb (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.) KYODO NEWS - Sep 1, 2020 - 12:36 | All, Japan, Coronavirus Japan and Taiwan have agreed to reopen their borders for newly arriving expatriates and other long-term residents from Sept. 8, easing restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Japanese government said Tuesday. Japan has also agreed with Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia and Myanmar to resume travel for long-term residents from Sept. 8, provided they take precautionary measures against the virus including a 14-day self-isolation period upon arrival, it said. The four countries and Taiwan are among 16 economies with which Japan has launched talks to gradually ease restrictions for long-term residents such as expatriates and those on short-term business trips. "Japan hopes to both prevent the spread the coronavirus and recover business activities," Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi told a press conference. "Through the easing of (restrictions and activities by) foreign companies in Japan are expected to recover, while reciprocal investment (projects) that have been stalled (by the pandemic) will be promoted," Motegi said. Japan currently denies in principle the entry of foreign nationals who have recently been to any of 159 countries and regions, including the United States, China and all of Europe. Motegi travelled to Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia and Myanmar in August and agreed to restart travel for long-term expatriates as early as September. The resumption process for long-term residents has already started for those from Thailand and Vietnam. Motegi said as Japan puts economic recovery as its foremost priority, it will adopt a policy to start the resumption of travel first with expatriates and other long-term residents, followed by those on short-term business trips. Japan will then seek to reopen borders for foreign students and finally to tourists, he said. Foreigners with resident status in Japan were allowed back into the country from Tuesday following calls from the expatriate community that the ban was discriminatory. However, they must take a polymerase chain reaction test up to 72 hours before departing for Japan and self-isolate for two weeks upon arrival. Related coverage: Japan to lift re-entry restrictions on foreign residents on Sept. 1 Japan to allow stranded foreign tech interns to switch jobs Japan raises travel advisory for 13 countries mainly in Africa Leaders of television technicians led by Mamunur Rashid call on Information Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud at the latter\'s official residence in the city on Saturday. The teenager has become a cause celebre for gun rights groups, who argue he acted in self defense. An online fundraiser from a Christian group has raised more than $425,000 for his legal defense. On the 417 militia Facebook page, one post calls Rittenhouse a hero. Others ridicule the men shot by Rittenhouse. Another has a picture of Rittenhouse with the words, We wont cry over your graves, we will put you in them for the safety of people who make this country work. Former Kenosha Alderman Kevin Mathewson had put out an online call for militias to come to Kenosha last week, posting as commander of the Kenosha Guard, a militia group he formed online. His post was shared by the alt-right website Infowars. Any patriots willing to take up arms and defend our City tonight from the evil thugs? the Kenosha Guard Facebook post stated. Later that day, a large number of armed people, including Rittenhouse, were on the streets along with protesters. The Kenosha Guard Facebook page has since been removed. Mathewson told the Kenosha News last week that he stood by his decision to call militia members to the city. The Friday (Sept. 4) race card at Truro Raceway featured three $7,201 divisions of the Carl And Marg MacKenzie Memorial for three-year-old pacing colts and two $7,535 divisions for three-year-old pacing fillies. Mr Kelly motored to the fastest victory of the three colt splits, parking the 3-2 favourite and strolling to a track-record 1:54.1 win. Driver Adam Merner pushed Mr Kelly to the front with pylon-starter Woodmere Rollnpop settling for the pocket. Imalookertoo, the race favourite, showed speed from post 7 but had no pocket to tuck into and raced wide to a :27.2 first quarter. He continued to advance towards the lead and edged a half length in front of Mr Kelly to a :56.3 half but could not clear moving into the third turn. Into the backstretch Imalookertoo began to tire while Mr Kelly strode to three-quarters in 1:24.4 and scooted away from tiring horses to win by three lengths. Harry G took second with Woodmere Rollnpop third. Owned by Marsha Knox, Kyla MacDonald and Wade MacDonald, Mr Kelly won his fourth race from nine starts this season and his sixth from 20 overall, earning $30,718. Ronnie Gass trains the Rollwithitharry gelding who paid $8.00 to win. Tobins Rebel ripped off a pocket ride to a 1:55.2 win in the second split of the MacKenzie Memorial. Windemere Ryan landed on the lead from post 6 past a :27.3 first quarter with Tobins Rebel yielding for the pocket. Woodmere Rollex raced third to a :57.2 half and tipped first over to pressure Windemere Ryan through three-quarters in 1:26.2. The pair continued to battle into the final turn but squabbled in the dust of Tobins Rebel, who shot out of the pocket into the stretch and slid to a two-and-three-quarter length win. Woodmere Rollex took second with J J Austin taking third. Trained and driven by Gilles Barrieau for owner Daniel Ross, Tobins Rebel won his seventh race from nine starts this season and his 13th from 17 overall, earning $79,672. Sent the 1-5 favourite, the Camystic gelding paid $2.40 to win. Windemere Frank wired his competition as the favourite in the opening colt dash, winning in 1:57.3. Leaving from post 1, Windemere Frank protected position to a :28 first quarter with Caught In A Dream racing second and The Big Chase third. Manlicious angled first over from fifth before a :58.2 half and progressed to mount a mild challenge to Windemere Frank through three-quarters in 1:27.4. Into the final turn Manlicious began to tire, prompting the backfield wide as the top three battled into the stretch. The Big Chase charged quickest after Windemere Frank coming to the line, but the 3-5 favourite kept a neck in front to win. Caught In A Dream settled for third. A Malicious colt owned by Debbie Denney and Hollis Newson, Windemere Frank won his fifth race from 10 starts this season and his sixth from 14 overall, earning $25,495. David Dowling drove the $3.10 winner for trainer Earl Watts. Woodmere Skyroller won the quicker of the two MacKenzie divisions for pacing fillies when a disqualification placed her first for a de facto wire-to-wire win in 1:56.3. Driver Brodie MacPhee fired Woodmere Skyroller from the pylons to lead Saulsbrook Ocean to a :28 first quarter with Ashestodiamonds racing third. Woodmere Skyroller continued uncontested to a :58.3 half as Watch Me Dance edged first over from fifth to roll uncovered towards the pacesetter nearing three-quarters in 1:27.3. Rounding the final turn Watch Me Dance lost ground and created a tight opening, from which Saulsbrook Ocean pounced and rallied past Woodmere Skyroller to win. However when vacating pocket, Saulsbrook Ocean veered into Watch Me Dance, prompting her disqualification from first to fourth. Watch Me Dance moved into second, where she finished in a dead heat with Ashestodiamonds. Trained by Kevin MacLean for owner Reginald MacPherson, Woodmere Skyroller won her fifth race from nine starts this season and her eighth from 19 overall, earning $65,664. The Rollwithitharry filly paid $3.80 to win. Gotta Love Cabot pulled a 10-1 upset in the other filly division, rallying from last to first in a 1:57.4 mile. Away sixth to a :28.1 first quarter, Gotta Love Cabot soon sat last to a :57.3 half as an outer tier developed to follow Thebossisagirl, who parked uncovered from the start and dueled with pacesetter Theskysthelimit. Theskysthelimit rebuffed her first over challenger heading to three-quarters in 1:26.3 as the backfield circumvented Thebossisagirl. However the leader shortened stride into the stretch as Red Dirt Star took a narrow lead. Gotta Love Cabot had room into the turn to swing off the pylons to the center of the track and rolled to the finish with the most momentum, sliding to a half-length win over Red Dirt Star with Lorne Valley Barb third. Returning $25.60 to win, Gotta Love Cabot won her second race from 12 starts, earning $9,428. Mary Clare MacDonald drove and train the Malicious filly bred and owned by Morah Kerr and Phonsie MacEachern. Preceding the evening's stakes action, 1-9 favourite Bettim Again lowered the track record for two-year-old pacing geldings. The son of Malicious struck the lead early and set a clip of :27.2, :57.1 and 1:26.4 while widening his lead to a margin of 10-and-a-half lengths in a 1:56 mile. Trained by George Rennison and driven by Gilles Barrieau, the gelding competes for breeder Jeff Lilley and co-owners Christina Lecky, Blair MacLauchlan and Ian MacDonald. He paid $2.10 to win. To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Truro Raceway. Gyms, malls and movie theaters in Marin County could start to reopen next week after state officials Friday downgraded the countys coronavirus risk. The county joins Napa and San Francisco counties in the red tier of risk, down from the highest level of purple. The graduation to red means Marin County has the states blessing to reopen, although county officials have the ultimate say on what can reopen and how. The risk is still substantial, said Dr. Matt Willis, Marin County public health officer, and he cautioned that its too early to celebrate. We made a lot of progress in August, so we know what it takes, he said in a statement. Its a team effort for all of us. It will be up to residents whether the county keeps heading in the right direction or backslides, which would result in renewed closures, he said. To hold onto these gains, we need to stay strong in the ways we protect ourselves and others, Willis said. If we see unsafe social mixing, or less face covering, well see more transmission and could have to shut down again. The red tier means malls and retail businesses can reopen indoors at 50% capacity, while restaurants, movie theaters and places of worship can open indoors at 25% capacity or 100 people, whichever is less. Gyms are also allowed to reopen at 10% capacity and personal services can open indoors without restriction. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. The new status also means public and private schools could reopen for in-person instruction on or after Sept. 22, or after two consecutive weeks in the red tier. Moving back into classrooms would depend on whether school districts as well as private and charter schools are ready to reopen and have a health and safety plan that meets county guidelines in terms of social distancing, testing, masks and other criteria. In the meantime, the county health office has granted waivers for 15 schools to reopen classrooms for elementary school students. Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com Jameela Jamil just spoke up about what she thinks of her alleged link to the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle. Unfortunately for her fans, Jamil fervently denied the idea that she and Meghan are the best of friends. No, no, no! Reacting to a now-deleted Express UK article with the title "Meghan Markle's new best friend? Luvvie Jameela Jamil 'quarantines' with Harry and Meghan," the actress said that the article is just incredibly wrong. "I've met this woman once ever. Best friends now living together during a lockdown?" Jamil started her lengthy reaction post. RELATED STORY: Prince Charles Sacrifice: Queen Abdication Could Lead To Major Trouble for Future King The outspoken Jameela took serious offense over the article. Other news sites followed suit, claiming Meghan was drawn to Jamil because they share a common hate for Prince Andrew. While Jamil did not deny she does not like Prince Andrew because of his crimes, she hated the fact that the media is focused on her and Meghan being "besties" instead of the real issues at hand. Besides, the report is not even true. Jameela Jamil, Meghan Markle BFF? A Hyperbole! Jameela Jamil does not hate Meghan Markle, but the focus on her being friends with Prince Harry's wife smells fishy to her. Jamil has been vocal about many societal issues, but she said none of it should be celebrated. In fact, she pointed out that she was dragged into lies and rumors just to discredit what she was saying out loud against the issues. Now, the media is making her appear as if she is saying things to con Meghan into thinking she is loyal to her! "They are hyperbolizing some relationship they have decided I have with her to make it seem as if i am saying these things out of "loyalty" rather than because it's right to call out misogyny and racism when you see it because an attack against her, is an attack on all WOC/Black women," Jamil ranted. Jameela Jamil Admires Meghan Markle While she takes offense at how the media is panting her and her relationship with Meghan, she emphasized her admiration for the Duchess. In her eyes, Markle is a symbol of both hope and power. However, she added that this symbol should first be "deconstructed before any of us get any delusions of grandeur." She then mocked the media using her signature style of sarcasm. Lambasting the press for taking stock of her "supposed" friendship with Markle instead of larger issues that the two of them have been harping about, Jamil wrote: "It's almost as if they don't have something important to talk about... like a pandemic, global economic crisis, climate disaster, political unrest...." What Jameela said was in reference to that one time Meghan actually rang her up. Speaking with Grazia magazine, Jamil revealed that Markle herself asked her to write an essay about gender equality and societal expectations of women for Vogue. She did not know back then that the editor-in-chief for that special edition was Meghan. They were kept in the dark about this fact, and when she was finally able to pick up the phone (missing Markle's calls for at least three times), Jamil said she wanted to punch herself. Jamil shared that Markle even told her that she was a fan. The rant must have pushed the newspaper outlet to remove the article though. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 08:24:37|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MADRID, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- Leo Messi published a video message on Friday afternoon confirming that he will remain at the Barcelona club for the 2020-21 season to see out the remaining year of his contract. The 33-year-old striker announced his "U-turn" 11 days after informing the club that he wanted to leave this summer and arguing that a clause in his contract meant he could leave for free. Barcelona insisted that he had to pay his 700-million-euro release clause. In his video, despite saying "unhappy", Messi explained he would see out the last year of his deal because he would "never go to court" against the club. Enditem With more than 2,000 independent brewers, France is the European leader in the business of craft beer, with an astonishing range of flavours available. The industry uses raw materials like stale bread and coffee grounds, and is to be found in the most unlikely places... What would you say to a glass of Phoenix? A dark brown brew based on stale bread (from a top-class local baker) and coffee pulp from a Peruvian blender just around the corner. Or an Alabama, light brown with its own hint of coffee? Or prune beer? Perhaps one based on black wheat from Brittany? Don't rush there are over 300 different styles of craft beer to choose from, all of them produced by French enthusiasts who have decided to reject the standardised product offered by the big multinational brewers. "I don't know how anyone can drink IPA," Pascale, a frequent visitor to the tiny Goutte d'Or brewery in the northern Paris neighbourhood, told Journal du Dimanche, referring to the hop-heavy India Pale Ale style. Another customer agrees that it's hard to return to commercially brewed beer once you've tried the output of the microbreweries. "There's less sugar. You can taste the ingredients, the grains, the spices... It's a bit more expensive, but it's well worth it!" The Goutte d'Or has reported a 20 percent increase in volume of sales every year since opening in 2012. Big breweries fight back Beer consumption has been declining in France for the past three decades. In the 1980s, there were fewer than 30 operational breweries for the whole country. Pale beer with a low alcohol content became the norm, with huge companies like Heineken and Kronenbourg dominating the market. That domination is far from over, with craft beer accounting for just 7 percent of French sales last year. But the big companies are clearly worried, buying out many small breweries and launching their own so-called "craft" products in an effort to attract an increasingly demanding population of drinkers. Story continues And the brewers are making efforts to interest the French restaurant sector in their remarkably varied range of flavours. "Young chefs are now finding ways of blending their flavours with those of the brewers," says French beer specialist Herve Marziou. "A pale ale with hints of citrus goes very well with seafood, and you can't beat a fine brown beer with a caramel fondant." Cheers, but don't overdo it. Will the man from death rowkeep his date in Parliament? View(s): Speaker orders Jayasekera to be brought to the House to take his oaths as MP; AG points to constitutional bar A constitutional storm is brewing and is set to explode this week over the vexing question: Can a man found guilty of first degree murder and sentenced to be hanged until pronounced dead, walk free from his death row cell and, in total defiance of an explicit constitutional bar prohibiting his entry, occupy his parliamentary seat to which he had been lawfully elected, solely on the basis he had appealed against his conviction? First the facts of the case: On January 5, 2015, a group of United National Party supporters were decorating a political stage in Kahawatte, Ratnapura, where the then Joint Opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena was scheduled to address a political rally three days before the January 8 presidential election. Following the arrival of a rival group to the scene, a shooting incident had occurred resulting in the death of UNP supporter Shantha Dodangoda, a 57-year-old Kahawatte resident. On the same day, the Pelmedulla magistrate ordered the arrest of the then Ratnapura SLFP MP, Premalal Jayasekera, over the incident. He was arrested by the police on January 10 in Beruwela where he had been in hiding. After a lengthy trial that spanned approximately five and a half years, Ratnapura High Court Judge Yohan Jayasuriya delivered his judgement on July 31. He found Premalal Jayasekera guilty of first degree murder and sentenced him to the gallows. But while Jayasekera, also known as Chocka Mallie, sweats it out in his convicts cell on death row waiting for his date with the hangmans noose or the presidents customary commutation of the death sentence to life imprisonment, his team of lawyers have not remained idle. They have filed an appeal against his conviction and sentence in the Criminal Court of Appeal, granting him a new lease of hope that he maybe be acquitted on all counts by the higher court. In March this year, whilst behind remand bars, the SLPP nominated him to the Ratnapura district where he was already the sitting MP having topped the preferential list in the district with the largest personal haul of 154,960 votes in the 2015 elections.. In this years election too, he came a fair second with a personal vote bag of 104,237 votes. But no matter the magnitude of his triumph or the blaring of victorys trumpets, his conviction for murder has, in one fell stroke, caused an iron curtain to fall on his parliamentary career; and his rising star, now eclipsed in its ascent, lies fallen, unburnished; condemned like an uncut, unpolished, unfound blue sapphire scattering unseen its bluish lustre in the darkest cavern of some Ratnapura gem pit to languish instead, bemoaning the quirks of fate in a murky death row cell. The kill joy of his electoral victory that has snuffed his parliamentary flame with one strong legal blast of wind is Article 89 of the Constitution which lists the disqualifications that, according to Article 91, debars a person from sitting or voting in Parliament. One of the disqualifications specified in the list is if a person is under a death sentence. Thus the only hope Premalal Jayasekera can harbour at this moment of taking his seat in Parliament is that his appeal against his conviction to the appellate court will be successful and grant him release. If so, he will walk a free man and will be able to occupy unquestioned, the parliamentary seat he won handsomely at the August 5 general election. If his appeal is turned down, he will have a further chance to appeal, with the leave of court, to the Supreme Court. The matter will be settled in all finality there, save one. Even if the Supreme Court refuses to overturn the conviction of murder, he still has one remaining star of hope left to shine on him. Article 89, the very article that nails his coffined hopes, also provides for its resurrection with the all mighty grant of a presidential pardon. Article 89(d) states at it tailend: Provided that if any person disqualified under this paragraph is granted a free pardon such disqualification shall cease from the date on which the pardon is granted. But the issue that has raised a storm is as to why, when he has availed himself of the right to appeal to the Court of Appeal and, thereby, has kept the Ratnapura High Courts guilty verdict, in legal limbo, he cannot take his seat in the House, until the conclusion of the appeal delivers a finding of not guilty. In fact many of his supporters expected him to attend the ceremonial opening of Parliament on the 20th last month and were aghast to find prison officials had failed to bring him to the House. He was again expected to come to Parliament last Friday the 28th, but again the prison officials had failed to bring him. But on that day, his absence from the House did not go unnoticed or without protest. Raising a point of order, SLPP Colombo District MP Premanath Dolawatte told the Speaker that the people of Ratnapura were deprived of representation in Parliament when their MP Jayasekera was denied the opportunity to attend parliamentary sessions. Attorney-at-Law Dolawatte said: Jayasekera polled over 140,000 preferential votes at the last general election. Following his sentence, he appealed to the Court of Appeal against the sentence. He is not allowed to come to this House. There is no court order preventing him from coming to Parliament. There is the possibility of him becoming not guilty at the end of the Appeal Court case? You have powers to bring him here and we hope you will take actions necessary for the purpose, MP Dolawatte said in his appeal to the Speaker. Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, in reply, said that his office had not been informed of the appeal of Jayasekera. Not permitting him to come to Parliament is wrong. Therefore I order the prison administration to bring him to parliament. But later that day, it transpired the Attorney General had already written to the Justice Ministry when it had sought its opinion on the issue. The man on death row, Premalal Jayasekera, had requested the Commissioner General of Prisons to allow him to go to Parliament to take oaths as an MP. The Commissioner General had turned to the Justice Ministry for advice, and the Ministry had referred the matter to the AGs Department. The Attorney Generals opinion had been unequivocal. Citing the nations highest authority, the Constitution, his position had been that Articles 89 and 91 clearly disqualify MP elect, murder convict, Jayasekera, from taking his seat in Parliament. The AGs reply to the Justice Ministry, it is reported, has been passed on to the Prison Commissioner. The Prison Commissioner must find himself in a quandary this Sunday morn, given that the Hon. Speaker of Parliament had ordered him to produce Jayasekera in Parliament this Tuesday the 8th to take his oath as a member of the House while the Attorney Generals legal opinion is that the Mother of all Lankas laws expressly forbids Jayasekera from taking his parliamentary seat. With the Attorney Generals legal advice manacling Jayasekera further and more tightly to his prison bars, the effort to legally bring him to Parliament may prove more legally challenging than anyone may have anticipated. The Commissioner General of Prisons or Jayasekera may well have to take recourse to courts to seek a way out of this dilemma, which may result in both court and parliament travelling on divergent highways, each claiming it is the road to Damascus. Heres one for jurists to ponder over. A cardinal principal in English law, bestowed on every accused is the presumption of innocence, until proven guilty. It has been described by Viscount Sankey in the famous case of Woolmington v DPP as the golden thread seen throughout the web of English Criminal Law that it is the duty of the prosecution to prove the prisoners guilt. It is this sacrosanct principle of being presumed innocent until the prosecution has discharged its burden of proving the accuseds guilty beyond reasonable doubt and a competent court has pronounced him guilty that enabled former LTTE leader Pillaiyan to take his oaths in Parliament as an MP last month. He was brought to Parliament by prison officials from his remand cell on the charge of killing Jaffna District TNA MP and lawyer Nadarajah Raviraj in a shooting in incident down Elvitigala Mawatha in November 2016. The charge of murder was no bar to his entry. He was still blessed with the halo of innocence only a court verdict of guilt could dislodge and damn him from the Parliamentary gates. Same with LTTEs Eastern leader Karuna Amman. Self-confessed mass murderer Karuna who recently gloated publicly how he had massacred some 2000 to 3000 Sri Lankan army personnel in one night at Elephant Pass, and is held responsible for the murder of 600 Sinhala policemen in Batticaloa who were lined up and shot dead after surrendering to him on government orders in 1990, could nevertheless freely enter Parliament as an SLFP MP through the nationalist list and even serve as a minister in Mahinda Rajapaksas second term of government from 2010 to 2014, simply because no competent court had ever held him guilty of the abominable murders he has since claimed to have committed. Thus it is established that until convicted, a person charged even with murder can freely sit in Parliament without the taboos in Article 89 of the Constitution applying to him. Upon conviction after being found guilty, the presumption of innocence dies a natural immediate death. But what happens when the convicted man appeals against his conviction? Does he shed the course cloth of the guilty, does the halo of innocence which mysteriously disappeared upon his conviction, return from the ether to hover and glitter over him again and to bestow upon his countenance the presumption of innocence? Does the act of appealing against the conviction make the convicted man undergo a metamorphosis that transforms him from guilty to innocent, from a prison worm to a winged butterfly? Even though it is only until the appeal is heard and determined. Those who advocate the right of Jayasekera to sit in Parliament despite being found guilty of murder and presently undergoing a death sentence, subscribe to the school of thought holding the view that the mere lodging of an appeal against a conviction immediately freezes the guilty verdict and resurrects the presumption of innocence until the final determination of the appeal; and that during this time he should be adorned with all the trappings of the innocent, including his right to sit in parliament. Those on the Attorney Generals side of the border hold a different view. They agree that every accused is vested with the ennobling presumption of innocence but hold that this golden thread running throughout the English Criminal Law, runs out if the accused is found guilty. Throughout the trial, the onus of proving guilt had been on the prosecution. Upon conviction, with the presumption rebutted, the accused is nailed to his manifest guilt. If the convicted man appeals, the burden of proof shifts onto him to prove that, though found guilty, he is innocent. Until the Appeal Court concludes its proceedings overturning his conviction, he will remain guilty. In this looming battle of Titans, which school of thought will prevail is anyones guess. Of course, this Gordian knot can be instantly cut with the sword of a presidential pardon as provided for in Article 89(d) of the Constitution. Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media (Bloomberg) -- Russias state media outlets and proxy websites are spreading disinformation about vote-by-mail, according to a leaked U.S. Department of Homeland Security bulletin. Since March 2020, Russian state media and proxy websites have denigrated vote-by-mail processes, alleging they lack transparency and procedural oversight, creating vast opportunities for voter fraud, according to the bulletin, which was reported and published online by ABC News. We assess that Russia is likely to continue amplifying criticisms of vote-by-mail and shifting voting processes amidst the Covid-19 pandemic to undermine public trust in the electoral process. The Prime Minister NarendraModi-led government, which dropped Question Hour from the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament citing COVID-19, is forcing students to give answers in JEE (Joint Entrance Examination) and NEET (National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test), alleged AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday. One one hand Narendra Modi will not give answers in Question Hour citing COVID-19, on the other hand you ask students to go and answer questions in JEE and NEET. This is his governance," Owaisi said when asked about the Question Hour. We dont know whether we can raise questions on COVID-19 crisis and have debates on whats happening in eastern Ladakh as there is no Question Hour," he said. In separate notifications, the two secretariats - LokSabha and Rajya Sabha - earlier said there will be no breaks as well during the monsoon session to be held from September 14 to October 1, and both Houses will function on Saturdays and Sundays as well. In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, the session will beheld in two shifts 9 am to 1 pm and 3 pm to 7 pm. Owaisi said the government with its brute majority can bring ordinances and make them into laws. In an ideal situation we should have Question Hour," said the Hyderabad MP. He said Prime Ministers of several countries are holding press conferences on coronavirus-related issues, whereas Modi just gives video messages. Realme's IFA debut had the company teasing and unveiling its upcoming products. Realme made its IFA debut where the company announced its brand and product strategy. Realmes newly appointed Europe head, Madhav Sheth said that the company plans to be among the top 5 in the continent by 2021. At its IFA debut, Realme teased a bunch of new products including smartphones, a new smartwatch and even a smart TV. Realme confirmed it is working on the Narzo 20 series and it will launch the new phones soon. The launch date hasnt been announced but Narzo 20 and Narzo 20 Pro have been appearing on leaks recently. Realme also unveiled its new smartwatch that features a circular display. It looks slightly similar to the Huawei Watch GT 2. Realme Watch S Pro has an AMOLED display, and it will launch towards the end of this year. Realme entered the smart TV race earlier this year. At IFA 2020, Realme unveiled its new 55-inch smart TV. it features a cinematic display with wide color gamut and has 108% NTSC range. In the audio range, Realme showcased the Buds Air Pro and Buds Wireless P. Both of these will feature active noise cancellation (ANC). ALSO READ: CEO Madhav Sheth on why Realme 7 smartphones launched six months after Realme 6 series in India Realme went on to unveil more IoT products at the event. Among these include the Realme Smart Cam 360 with 1080p video recording, 360-degree movement, IR view and more. Then theres the Realme smart bulb that supports up to 16 million colours and promises a lifespan of 13 years. Realme reiterated its plans for IoT products as it plans to launch over 50 of them by this year, and 100 in 2021. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-06 04:08:59|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CAIRO, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Egypt has started to send medical aid to 30 African countries to help them fight the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said Saturday in a statement. The medical aid, which is worth four million U.S. dollars, is part of Egypt's contribution to the African Union COVID-19 Response Fund, the ministry added. The ministry noted that the aid batches have already been sent to 10 African countries, adding that procedures for sending aid to 20 other countries are underway. The foreign ministry, in cooperation with other Egyptian ministries and bodies, has allocated a shipment of one and a half tons of medical aid for each African country, the statement said. Meanwhile, a military plane loaded with medical supplies and medicines arrived Saturday in Iraq, the Egyptian Armed Forces said in a statement. The shipment is meant to help Iraq fight the coronavirus pandemic, according to the statement. Since the outbreak of the virus, Egypt has sent shipments of medical supplies to a number of virus-stricken countries, including China, Italy and the United States. Egypt has so far confirmed 99,582 cases, including 5,495 deaths and 76,305 recoveries. Enditem Mayank Singh By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The Line of Actual Control (LAC) has been in the news for all the wrong reasons for the last four months. But it was a different story on Thursday as soldiers of the Indian Army came to the rescue of three stranded Chinese along the LAC in Sikkim and helped them return safely. The Army said, "Soldiers extended a helping hand to three Chinese citizens who lost their way in the Plateau area of North Sikkim at an altitude of 17,500 feet on 03 September 2020." READ| Cannot lose our territory, says Chinese defence minister after talks with Rajnath The Army was prompt in order to protect them from the vagaries of extreme altitude and harsh climatic conditions. "Realising the danger to the lives of the Chinese citizens who included two men and one woman in sub zero temperatures, the soldiers immediately reached out and provided medical assistance including oxygen, food and warm clothes." Indian Army rescued three Chinese citizens who lost their way in Plateau area of #NorthSikkim at an altitude of 17,500 feet on 3 Sep,2020. Realising danger to the lives of the Chinese citizens (two men and one woman) in sub zero temperatures, Indian soldiers @NewIndianXpress pic.twitter.com/3oBIBykYmv Mayank (@scribesoldier) September 5, 2020 The plateau area of North Sikkim is relatively very flat and there are a large number of natural surface tracks in the area. Also, very few people live near the 220 km long International Border of Sikkim, so if one loses one's way it is difficult to find any support on the ground, said an Army officer. The Indian and Chinese Armies have been locked in a tense standoff in eastern Ladakh after a deadly clash at the Galwan Valley on June 15 in which both sides suffered casualties. The Indian troops also gave the Chinese appropriate guidance to reach their destination after which they moved back. The Chinese citizens expressed their gratitude to India and the Indian Army for their prompt assistance. PEOPLEaS UNION FOR CIVIL LIBERTIES 332, Patpar Ganj, Opposite Anand Lok Apartments, Mayur Vihar I, Delhi 110 091 Phone 2275 0014 PP FAX 4215 1459 Founder: Jayaprakash Narayan; Founding President: V M Tarkunde President: Ravi Kiran Jain; General Secretary: Dr. V. Suresh E.mail: puclnat[at]gmail.com& pucl.natgensec[at]gmail.com 05th September 2020 PUCL STATEMENT ON SUPREME COURT ORDER CONCERNING SLUM DEMOLITION People Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) expresses its disappointment at the decision of the Supreme Court of India dated 31.08.2020 in `M.C. Mehta v Union Of India & Orsa (Writ Petition No. 13029/1985), and condemns the direction to demolish within the next three months over 48,000 homes of the urban poor in Delhi as being in complete violation of the principles of natural justice. The order of the Court is a summary decision on the fate of tens of thousands of families - without any consideration of their right to live a life with basic human dignity and a roof over their head. While the Supreme Court has ordered that within the first three months those structures in asafe zonesa should be first demolished, there is no clarity as to how many are in these safe zones and thus are under immediate threat. In any case the Supreme Courtas order is clear- all 48,000 structures have to be demolished very soon. In a petition filed originally to rein in pollutants from vehicular emissions, the Supreme Court has directed that slums located around train stations in Delhi should be demolished within 3 months. There is no mention about rehabilitation of those whose houses are to be demolished; so much so, the issue of whether and if rehabilitation will at all take place, and if so, by when, where, how and who will be responsible for the rehabilitation is totally unclear. This is notwithstanding the fact that it is settled law, that forced eviction of slum dwellers, unannounced, without securing alternate rehabilitation for them, would be contrary to the law. It is by now well recognised that the urban poor have a aright to the citya , as the NCT of Delhi survives on their blood, sweat and tears. Just recently in April-May 2020, Delhi, as also other cities, witnessed the tragedy of mass forced exodus of lakhs of migrant workers due to the COVID induced economic crisis. The sight of lakhs of workers walking thousands of kms home exposed not just the apathy of the elites and the governing classes, but also highlighted how much cities and economies are dependent on these workers. The enhanced sensitivity to the plight of urban migrant poor has however been chimeral and transient; even as COVID pandemic still rages, nothing seems to have changed with the right to housing and basic dignity of urban poor once again sought to be summarily denied to those who actually build and run the city daily and therefore have an equal stake in it. In its order, the Supreme Court makes reference to an order of the NGT dated 01.10.2018, passed in an application praying for the prohibition of use, sale, carrying or dumping of any plastic product on the Indian railways stations, but failed to note that even in October 2018, the NGT had recorded that the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board had been allocated a budget of only Rs. 11.25 crores for rehabilitation of slum dwellers residing besides railway track and only 257 families were rehabilitated. However, the Supreme Court passed further orders to demolish 48,000 slums, without any information about the present status of the rehabilitation of these slum-dwellers. In fact, the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board was not even a party to the Writ Petition and could not clarify the extent out the scale of the rehabilitation challenge of 48,000 families who houses the SC has ordered to be demolished. Evidently, the Supreme Court only relied upon the affidavit of the Railways, which is not even formally a party to the Writ Petition, to pass such sweeping orders condemning tens of thousands of poor families to homelessness. Another aspect of the SC ruling which causes greater anguish and is to be deprecated is the further direction that no Court can stay these demolitions for any reason whatsoever. By putting an embargo on grant of stay by other courts of the demolitions and by rendering the interim orders of protection granted by courts ineffective, the Supreme Court has effectively taken away the right of access to remedy of the affected people without even granting them a chance of hearing. This is completely against the principles of natural justice and a violation of Articles 14 and 21 of the Indian Constitution. What is most peculiar is that order itself does not provide any judicial reasoning as to why it is necessary to demolish 48,000 homes in a case addressing the issue of managing disposal of plastic and other waste in stations. While the report of the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority held that the Indian Railways is not in compliance with the Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules 2016, the Supreme Court has not passed any directions against the Railways, or the Transportation Corporation of Delhi or the Ministry of Transport, who are parties to the Writ Petition, to ensure that the Indian Railways comply with the Solid Waste Management Rules. Alternative measures ensuring better waste disposal through alternative means avoiding demolition of homes was not even considered while passing the ruling. It should be pointed out that Writ Petition 13029/1985 is a case kept in cold storage for thirty-five years. In all these years, no real and effective solutions to the ecological problems raised in the PIL has been taken up. By order dated 04.11.2019, without hearing from a single farmer, the Supreme Court held all farmers in Punjab and Haryana to be the culprits behind the air pollution in the city due to their alleged practice of stubble burning. In effect the order denied the right to livelihood of farmers; the order now directing demolition of 48,000 dwellers, without hearing them or bothering to ensure that they would be rehabilitated first is a complete violation of the slum-dwellers right to earn a livelihood and live with basic human dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution. The present order of the Supreme Court appears to be a continuation of the narrative that hutment-dwellers and the urban poor are illegal encroachers, who are not entitled to basic dignities. This is despite the fact courts have, in the `Sudama Singha judgment (2010) held that persons aggrieved by forced evictions should not be considered to be encroachersa and illegal occupants of land and instead the agencies should first determine if the dwellers are eligible for rehabilitation in terms of the extant law and policy. The Delhi HC Bench (of Justices S. Muralidhar and Vibhu Bhakru) in `Ajay Maken vs Union of Indiaa (2019), relating to evictions of 5,000 slum dwellers on railway land, held that proper enumeration was not undertaken of the dwellers whose houses were demolished, and that `Right to Adequate Housing and Rehabilitationa cannot be denied to jhuggi jhompri dwellers in Delhias railway lands. The principles laid out in the SC judgment in `Olga Tellis v Bombay Municipal Corporationa, (1985) pertaining to natural justice, the protection of the right to livelihood and the protections against arbitrariness should not only extend against the State, but should be applicable to slum-dwellers who will be aggrieved by the present order of the SC. Coercive orders requiring the eviction of slum dwellers should not have been passed without giving the slum-dwellers in question an opportunity to be heard. In order to redress the situation, it is imperative that the rights of the slum-dwellers be protected, and the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board should intervene in WP No. 13029/1985 and seek suitable modification of the order dated 31.08.2020, such that the interests of the slum-dwellers are considered by the court, and no demolitions are undertaken without the effective rehabilitation of the slum-dwellers being completed first. The demolition order has been passed when there is massive spread of COVID in Delhi. The evictions of 48,000 dwellers when the monsoons have not yet ended and with harsh Delhi winters just a few months away will unleash a worse and more horrifying scenario of mass spread of COVID with devastating consequences. PUCL urges the Supreme Court to reconsider and review its order and protect the rights of the slum-dwellers instead of pushing them towards poverty and homelessness. The Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board and the Delhi Government must take immediate steps to protect the rights of the slum-dwellers and to come up with a rehabilitation plan for the slum-dwellers in consultation with them, before any demolitions are initiated. PUCL reiterates that no decision concerning the fate of the slum-dwellers and regarding the impending demolition or implementation of the Supreme Court order should be taken without giving an opportunity of fair hearing to the slum-dwellers and ensuring protection of their rights. Sd/- Mr. Ravi Kiran Jain, President, PUCL Dr. V. Suresh, General Secretary, PUCL As the attorney general continues to investigate Taylors death, some protesters have called for the cancellation of the Kentucky Derby. On Saturday, protesters and counter-protesters took to the streets of Louisville near the famed Kentucky Derby horse race. A group of protesters for racial justice yelled, Breonna Taylor, while the group of about 200 pro-police demonstrators yelled, Back the Blue, according to a live update from WLKY News. Demonstrators argue in front of the Louisville Metro Hall on September 5, 2020 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images) Breonna Taylor is the name of the 26-year-old emergency medical technician who was killed during a police raid. Her death, along with the deaths of other unarmed Black people, sparked protests across the country. READ MORE: Over 93 percent of summer protests were peaceful: report Charged with tension, the face-to-face confrontation between the opposing protest groups did not escalate to violence once the police appeared on the scene dressed in riot gear, breaking up a scuffle between the two groups. As the attorney general continues to investigate Taylors death, some protesters have called for the cancellation of the Kentucky Derby this year, stating that holding the event is insensitive and a distraction from the ongoing demand for justice. Militia groups with long guns assemble and march in Louisville, Kentucky ahead of the BLM Derby protest. No barricades, no sign of police.pic.twitter.com/BLyczpwWAn Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) September 5, 2020 The Churchill Downs racetrack issued a statement Thursday, defending its decision to move forward with the race. Churchill Downs is committed to engaging in the hard conversations in our city, our port and within our own organization, the statement read. We are committed to taking real, concrete action to address institutional roadblocks to progress and playing our part in advancing the changes America so desperately needs. Story continues READ MORE: Kentucky Attorney General says new report on Breonna Taylor is inconclusive According Reuters, a group of pro-Trump demonstrators gathered early Saturday morning with plans to march through predominately Black neighborhoods, but the groups leader changed his mind after learning that the Black Lives Matter protesters intended to protest along the same route. During a protest overnight in Portland, Oregon, police arrested 27 people mostly on charges of interfering with law enforcement or disorderly conduct. Have you subscribed to theGrios podcast Dear Culture? Download our newest episodes now! The post Opposing groups confront each other at Kentucky Derby protest appeared first on TheGrio. 25 years, 25 reasons to love 'Rangeela' On Rangeela's 25th anniversary, here are as many reasons to love the film that made Urmila Matondkar a star, brought AR Rahman to Bollywood and captured the post-liberalization zeitgeist Rangeela came at us in waves. First Rangeela Re landed on TV and everyone went crazy about Urmila Matondkar. Then, as song after wondrous song released, everyone was talking about A.R. Rahman and his first original Hindi soundtrack. Then Asha Bhosle, singing Tanha Tanha like she hadnt aged since the 1970s. And finally, on 8 September 1995, Ram Gopal Varmas film released, and people couldnt get enough of Aamir Khans streetwise tough, or tapori. advertisement advertisement Its hard to explain to those who didnt experience it first-hand how exciting the run-up to the release was. Director Vasan Bala, 16 when the film released, remembers the feeling of elation coming out of the theatre. We hadnt seen the Bombay lingo done this way since Amar Akbar Anthony. We knew guys like Munna from our own lives, we could relate to him. We had gone in looking forward to the music and seeing UrmilaAamir we did not expect. (Bala included a musical tribute to the film in his own Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota.) advertisement advertisement Twenty-five years on, Rangeela is a time capsule of mid-1990s styles and trendsnot just Rahmans music but Ahmed Khans choreography and Manish Malhotras styling. Through the story of an ambitious backup dancer, Mili (Matondkar), who must navigate her first brush with fame and the attentions of two men, her tapori friend Munna (Aamir Khan) and film star Raj Kamal (Jackie Shroff), it crystallizes the post-liberalization mood in India, an exciting array of dreams and choices to be made. To mark its 25th anniversary, here are 25 reasons to love Rangeela. advertisement advertisement 1. Its opening credits combine the film's two worlds Rangeela is a near-constant explosion of colour and sound but its opening credits are restrained. Framed against a black background, each name is accompanied by a still image of an old movie star (Madhubala, Dev Anand, Amitabh Bachchan). Instead of a composed score, we hear the sounds of Mumbai: traffic plying, buses honking, dogs barking, the crash of ocean waves. Its a canny juxtaposition of the two states this film exists in simultaneouslythe glitzy world of Hindi film and everyday middle-class Mumbai. advertisement advertisement Mili (Urmila Matondkar) just before launching into 'Rangeela Re' 2. 'Rangeela Re' The first shot in Rangeela is of a girl in boots and a colourful dress by the roadside peering into a bioscope (which explains the downward-scrolling vintage stills in the opening credits). She flings out her arms, stands up, throws on her hat. As the beat kicks in, we see her high-kicking her way down the street in slo-mo, her short dress flying. Theres a sharp clap, followed by Asha Bhosle, her voice unaccompanied except for percussion, singing Yaai re, yaai re, zor laga ke naache re. If you were young and impressionable then, this song resembled something like freedom. EverythingRahmans music, Ahmed Khans choreography, Matondkars exuberancecame together like a mighty wave. advertisement advertisement 3. It's the ultimate post-liberalization film Few films captured the headiness of post-liberalization India like Rangeela. Brands pop up in lyrics (Cadbury, Amul, Horlicks, Complan) and in conversation (MTV). A stable government job isnt the dream; instead, as Mili sings in Yaaro Sun Lo Zara, she wants a car, house, TV, video player, fancy clothes, bank balance. The wide world is within reach: Khaleds Didi and Michael Jacksons Jam play in the car and on TV, a flying sofa takes Munna and Mili on a trip to New York in a song. The consumerist ebullience is encapsulated in the frank question posed to Munna in the track of the same name, Mangta hai kya (what do you want)? advertisement advertisement 4. It brought AR Rahman to Bollywood By 1995, Rahman was already a star outside his native Tamil Nadu thanks to the Hindi dubs of Roja, Thiruda Thiruda (story by Varma) and Kadhalan. Having delivered one classic that year in Bombay, Rahman followed it up with Rangeela, his first original Hindi soundtrack. Danceable and electrifying, it signalled a new era for Hindi film music. It earned Rahman his first Filmfare award for Best Music Director; he won four of the next seven. In his memoir, Guns And Thighs, Varma described Rahmans symphonic sound. If the melody is the story, the various instruments and the way they are recorded, played and their inter-volume levels and tones are like art direction and cinematography. Listen to Tanha Tanha, with its lush synth, flute and piercing vocal, and you'll know what he means. But Rahman could also strip a song down to its basics. He uses the faintest of basslines in Yaaro Sun Lo Zara, which gives Udit Narayans voice a freedom that matches Munnas boasts. advertisement advertisement 5. It launched Ram Gopal Varma's Hindi film career Varma started out in Telugu cinema in 1989, a stellar run which included his debut, the action film Siva, the Sridevi-starrer Kshana Kshanam and the horror film Raat. By the mid-'90s, he was looking to break into Bollywood, not the easiest thing for a southern director. Rangeelas commercial success and cultural impact allowed Varma to embark upon one of the most influential, unpredictable and ultimately frustrating careers in Hindi cinema. He pretty much created the modern Hindi gangster film with Satya and Company and, through the films he produced, gave a leg up in the industry to everyone from Sriram Raghavan and Anurag Kashyap to Jaideep Sahni and Shimit Amin. advertisement advertisement Munna argues with a cop in typical tapori style 6. It got everyone talking like a tapori The best scenes in Rangeela involve Aamir Khans tapori and his colourful, speedy, uniquely Mumbai way of speaking. Munnas lines, written by Neeraj Vora and Sanjay Chhel, jump across grammar and language barriers with impunity. Ye area mein apun world-famous hai (I am world-famous in my neighbourhood), he growls at a banana-seller. Uska bad luck hi kharab tha (his bad luck was rotten) is his summary of his friends difficult life. Munna is at his most free-flowing when he has an audience, like when he loudly protests a policeman searching him for movie tickets, which hes selling in black. Kya masti hai, yeh toh zabardasti hai (whats going on, this is unnecessary), he freestyles while parking the tickets in the cops cap, adding that people who trigger riots and stock market scams go scot-free while blameless citizens like him are picked on. 7. It won Asha Bhosle a new generation of fans One of A.R. Rahman's superpowers is an unerring sense of who would be right for a particular song. For the two solo female numbers, Rangeela Re and Tanha Tanha, he tapped Asha Bhosle. Then 61, Bhosle adjusted her voice to suit the 21-year-old she was singing for. When I have to record a song for a film, I ask for the heroines name and then sing, keeping her face and personality in mind. Like I knew for Rangeela I was singing for a dubli patli si ladki (thin girl). The instant popularity of the tracks revitalized Bhosles career. 8. Dance like everyone's watching The 1990s were a rich time for choreography, with Farah Khan and Shiamak Davar marrying MTV flash to existing Bollywood styles. Ahmed Khan was Saroj Khans assistant before Varma told him to take over the films dances (Saroj Khan choreographed Tanha Tanha; both are credited). Theres a profusion of styles across the numbers, from the conventional star-and-backup-dancers of Rangeela Re (albeit with a crackling energy) to the Broadway stylings of Mangta Hai Kya and the freewheeling Yaaro Sun Lo Zara. Khan won the Filmfare for Best Choreography, quite an achievement in the year of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and Madhuri Dixit dancing up a storm in Yaraana and Raja. 9. It changed Aamir Khan's image With a few exceptions like Raakh, Aamir Khan had been playing wholesome romantic leads since he started out as an actor. By 1995, he was clearly looking to toughen up his image, appearing in the cop drama Baazi and the gangster film Aatank Hi Aatank. But it was the fast-talking, soft-hearted Munna that allowed him to branch out into the even tougher tapori of Ghulam and the complex antagonist of 1947 Earth. Achyut Potdar, Reema Lagoo and Urmila Matondkar are a Basu Chatterjee-esque family 10. It's a Middle Cinema film at heart Despite all the surface flash, Rangeela is basically revved-up Middle Cinema. I remember seeing Chitchor seven times..., Varma wrote in Guns And Thighs, and the simplicity of narration that I learnt from it was pretty much what shaped my vision of Rangeela. Varma took from Basu Chatterjees Chitchor and Rajnigandha the idea of a spirited girl caught between two fundamentally decent guys. Milis familysharp mother, sardonic brother, loopy fatheris also Chatterjee-esque. The fathers story about travelling in the same bus every day as his lost love could be a scene from Chhoti Si Baat. And it may not be a coincidence that the central character is called Militheres a 1975 film by that name by Middle Cinema exponent Hrishikesh Mukherjee. 11. Munna at the movies On the shortlist of great scenes in cinema halls is Munna and Milis trip to the movies. Milis there to watch Kamal, Munna is only interested in turning everything into one-man theatre. He walks into the hall talking loudly (the movie has begun), asks for the fan to be switched on, teases the old man in the seat behind. When he puts his foot up on the seat in front, its occupant protests. Tu pair dekh raha hai, picture dekh raha hai (are you looking at my foot or the movie)? is Munnas memorable response. Theres a scuffle, and Munna and a furious Mili are ejected from the hall. 12. Its female lead has all the agency Rangeela is Milis storyits her dreams and struggles that drive the narrative. Munna and Kamal are options she gets to choose between (though she doesnt know Munna is an option till the very end). We learn that she sat thrice for class X and it isnt clear if she studied beyond that, but her family dotes on her and is supportive of her filmi ambitions. No one remarks on how she dresses, or her going on dates with taporis and movie stars. Its an escapist fantasy, but an empowering one. Many of the film's songs are structured as conversations 13. Most of its songs are conversations The conversation song, once a staple of Hindi cinema, is rarely in evidence today, a casualty of the reduction in lip-synced numbers. Rangeela is a reminder of a time when such songs were built into the fabric of the narrative. Many of the films tracks are structured as one character responding to another, and Mehboob does a deft job writing lyrics that could almost be dialogue. In Mangta Hai Kya, Mili offers to show Munna great wonders; he responds saying he just wants her love. Mili and Kamals fantasy selves drive each other crazier with each line in Hai Rama. But the pinnacle of the conversation song is the Socratic dialogue of Yaaro Sun Lo Zara, with Munna sharing his carefree philosophy (no TV-video, no suiting-shirting) and Mili countering with her own visions of contentment (bank balance makes days and nights colourful). 14. All those cameos As befits a film about film-making, Rangeela has a wealth of cameos. Choreographer Saroj Khan turns up, uncredited, as a dance director. Young Aditya Narayan raps his own lines in the opening number. Madhur Bhandarkar, then an assistant to Varma, plays a crew member on Milis film. Shefali Shah, so memorable a few years later in Varmas Satya, is the starlet Gulbadan; her pushy mother is 1950s star Shammi. The films cinematographer, W.B. Rao, in his cowboy hat, acquits himself well in a few comic scenes. But the most memorable cameo is the one-scene turn by Rajeev Mehta, playing the hotel waiter calmly responding to Munnas demands. The hotel scene is a great comic moment but also perceptive about class barriers 15. The tapori in the yellow suit On his birthday, Munna picks Mili up from her home for a surprise outing at a hotel. Hes dressed in the colours of a Mumbai taxi, an open yellow shirt and pant, black vest and shadesto his mind, high fashion. Theres wonderful comedy in his demands once they reach the restaurantidhar ghuma na (swing it this way), he says, when told the air conditioner is onand his exchanges with an English-speaking waiter, but also an indication that Munna isnt one to adjust his behaviour and will stick out in the new world Mili is destined for with her signing as a lead actor. This is underlined by the appearance of Kamal, whom Mili walks off with, leaving Munna with his huge lunch order. 16. Manish Malhotra's minimalist glamour From knotted tops and hot pants to printed skater dresses paired with boots, the Matondkar look from Rangeela became a rage, imitated by young girls across the country. The film was also a game-changer in the way the industry approached costume design. After the success of Rangeela, Filmfare instituted an award for costume design, with the films designer, Manish Malhotra, winning the trophy. It was the coming together of different energies. Ram Gopal Varma, a fabulous director, had the vision of Rangeela. Then there was Urmila, who was willing to change and work hard to achieve that. I wanted to do something new as well, says Malhotra. On being approached for Rangeela, he travelled to Hyderabad to meet Varma. For the first time, a director was narrating the entire subject to me and I was completely blown away. What he narrated was exactly what he made, recalls Malhotra. As the film came together, the team realized they were on to something special. However, what stamped the success of Rangeela was the way the clothes from the film could be seen everywhere. With Rangeela, a more minimal but effective wear came into movies, explains Malhotra. It was a mix of a real and a glamorized look. To me, fashion is colour. So, there was the tangerine dress in Tanha Tanha and the red chiffon dress that Urmila was wearing while running on sand, to the athleisure outfit when she was dancing. He is all praise for the way the costumes were used in the film, and Varmas openness to new ideas. For Hai Rama, Malhotra suggested exotic saris, and Varma immediately agreed. In the portions shot in Rajasthan, I have given a drape-like feel to gadhchola and bandhini, making them tight and fitted. In a dance sequence featuring Aamir and Urmila, I have used hay and beige. Ramuji liked black, beige, ivory and off-white, says Malhotra. Many of the trends are back in vogue, especially the peplum-cut dress, both printed and plain, and athleisure in yellow and neon colours. One only hopes that a film like Rangeela happens in ones career, says Malhotra. And in my case, it actually did happen. Avantika Bhuyan 'Hai Rama' is one of the decade's most erotic numbers 17. Sex, or something like it With its heroine a girl-next-door whos comfortable in figure-hugging dresses (but isnt judged for this), Rangeela was labelled dangerously sexy on its release. Actually, none of the characters talks about sex or seems to have experienced itnot unusual for Hindi cinema in 1995. That said, things heat up as the film progresses. Matondkars attire and demeanour in the songs with Shroffpart of the film within the filmare frankly erotic, as is Varmas gaze. Hai Rama seems to have got its title from what parents might say when they see Matondkar and Shroff circling each other like animals in heat. 18. It becomes a whole other film for a minute Theres a sudden cut from the light-hearted bickering of Milis household to a scene that couldnt be more different. A plaintive flute melody plays as we find ourselves in Kamals house, looking down on the city. The mood is ominous, the lighting sparse like a noirwe could be watching Jackie Shroff in Parinda. It looks like the stars from heaven are on the ground, he says, a house behind each star, each home with its own story. But it all looks the same from here. As a glimpse into the life of a lonely superstar, it makes perfect sense, but the abruptness (its over in less than a minute) and the tonal change make it seem like a fragment from a whole other film. Real life creeps in at the edges of the frame several times in 'Rangeela' 19. Real life in the background With much of the film shot on the streets of Mumbai, its not surprising that real life creeps in at the edges of the frame. In the rap section of Rangeela Re, you can see passers-by staring up at the shooting (one of them has his head turned around while driving a scooter). And in Yaaro Sun Lo Zara, the people drying clothes on the rocks by the sea in the middle distance as Matondkar dances in the foreground dont look like extras but, rather, ordinary Mumbaikars having an unexpected brush with cinema history. 20. It's a film about dreams and dreamers This is a musical filled with literal and figurative dreams. The opening number, Rangeela Re, turns out to be Mili daydreaming (when she wakes up, she scolds her mother for interrupting her little fantasy). Other songs are dreams too: Munna hallucinates Mili in his visions of Mangta Hai Kya and Kya Kare Kya Na Kare, and Kamal seems to imagine the heavy-breathing Hai Rama. But there are also practical dreams: Mili working as a dancer in the hope that she will one day be famous; Kamal selling escapism by the reel; Munnas friend, Pakiya (Rajesh Joshi), selling tickets in black to get his sister married. 21. Movie-mad Mumbai From Munnas dus-ka-tees entry scene outside a houseful theatre to Milis dad constantly singing film songs, from the squabble over seats at an industry screening to onlookers wisecracking while a shoot is in progress, Rangeela is an affectionate (and accurate) portrait of Mumbai as a city where real life is inextricably linked to the movies. 22. A film with no villain Varma wrote that Rangeela had a problem which no one but Aamir Khan realized, that if Mili was a nice girl, Munna a nice guy and Jackie also a nice guy, there was absolutely no drama anywhere. This makes Rangeelas final act somewhat unusualthe film relies on its characters and charm rather than plotting to get over the finish line. Urmila Matondkar and Jackie Shroff's kiss is blocked by a slate 23. It's a prime example of pre-kiss Bollywood Rangeela would have been the ideal film to break mainstream Hindi cinemas unspoken ban on the kiss. But it holds back. Theres a cut away at the exact moment of a kiss between Mili and Munna in Mangta Hai Kya. A movie slate blocks a possible kiss during the shooting of a scene with Kamal and Mili. There are near-misses in the otherwise torrid Hai Rama and Pyaar Ye Jaane Kaisa Hai. It would be a far less likely Aamir Khan film, Raja Hindustani, which would break the ban a year later. 24. Mehboob's lyrics are underrated In praising Rahman, people often forget the other half of Rangeelas music: Mehboobs lyrics. Yet, without his wordplay and wit, the songs wouldnt be nearly as memorable. He was as adept at writing in the tapori style on Kya Kare Kya Na Kare ("aisa bolega, saala, waisa bolega") or the brilliant back-and-forth of Yaaro Sun Lo Zara as he was with the tripping-off-the-tongue lines of Tanha Tanha ("koi saathi nahi tera yahaan toh ye koi baat hai"). 25. It's aged better than 'DDLJ' Aditya Chopras Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge also released in 1995. It was a far bigger hit than Rangeela, and has been as influential, if not more, in the years since. Yet, seen today, Dilwale seems stuck in an archaic value system, one in which women are judged for drinking and getting a little wild and conservative fathers must be won over. Rangeela doesnt judge, and for all its '90s trappings, is an easier film to relate to. The call recording feature of the Google Phone app is accessible on global variants of the Redmi Note 8 Pro, Redmi Note 9s, Redmi Note 9 Pro. Google has been working on an in-house call recording support for the Google Phone app for a while now. It was first spotted, as XDA Developers report, earlier in January this year and some people were even able to fully activate that feature on their devices soon after. Those will Google Pixels received the feature officially first, followed by a handful of Nokia devices that are under the Android One program. It looks like Google is now ready to expand the reach and many Xiaomi smartphones now have been given access to the call recording module on the Google Phone app. Now, MIUI has its own dialer app that has a call recording feature. Recent Xiaomi devices that are sold outside China, India and Indonesia come with preinstalled Google Phone and Google Messages App and not the MIUI-version of the app. As reported by Piunika Web, the call recording feature of the Google Phone app is accessible on global variants of the Redmi Note 8 Pro, Redmi Note 9s, Redmi Note 9 Pro etc already. And many users on the Mi Forum have also written that they received the feature out of the blue on the dialer. In some cases, the new feature disappeared after a reboot which indicates that it might be a server-side A/B testing. The Mi A series that runs on Android One instead of MIUI also got the call recording feature on the Google Phone app. There is no way to force the call recording option to show up on the app, so if you really want it you may want to install the beta build of the Google Phone app. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 09:39:17|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Photo taken on Sept. 4, 2020 shows United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Secretary-General Mukhisa Kituyi addressing the Global Trade in Services Summit of the 2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) via video, in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli) GENEVA, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Trade in services must underpin most national and regional development strategies, as meaningful servicification needs to be a key element in countries' strategies for modern industrialization, Mukhisa Kituyi, Secretary-General of UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said Friday. In his online speech at the opening of the 2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services in Beijing on Friday, the UNCTAD chief noted that services represent two thirds of the global economy, more than half of the total employment and a quarter of world trade. He estimated that services are also responsible for two thirds of the total productivity growth in developing countries. "A services-led structural transformation is today a viable development strategy for many developing countries, and efforts at addressing challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic can be a catalyst at setting this transformation in motion," he said. Taking ICT (Information and Communications Technology) services and digitization as an example, Kituyi held that services-backed digitization can be instrumental to improving supply and export capacity and therefore enhancing economic resilience and promoting post-pandemic recovery. COVID-19 has, for instance, brought to the world's tourism sector a loss of at least 1.2 trillion U.S. dollars and 1.5 percent of the global GDP, Kituyi said. According to UNCTAD estimates, with a 12-month break in international tourism, global losses would amount to 3.3 trillion dollars or 4.2 percent of global GDP. "But these services would benefit from stronger ICT services and the digitization they enable," he said. "China knows better than most countries the critical role the new generation of information technologies can play in epidemic control and prevention, and continuation of industrial production." The 2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services opened in Beijing on Friday. It is the first major international economic and trade event held both online and offline by China since the COVID-19 outbreak. Themed "Global Services, Shared Prosperity," the six-day fair has a comprehensive exhibition area and eight special exhibition areas. A total of 18,000 enterprises and institutions from 148 countries and regions and about 100,000 people have registered for it. Enditem A mum was horrified to discover the packet of chicken nuggets she had just grabbed out of the freezer at Iceland supermarket was smeared in human poo. Lynne McCabe, 35, only realised what had happened when she nonchalantly touched her face moments later and caught whiff of the awful smell on her hand. She quickly told staff at the supermarket in Saltcoats, North Ayrshire, what happened, but was left even more annoyed by their terrible handling of the situation, which took place at around 3.30pm yesterday afternoon. Lynne told the Daily Record: At first they laughed and then one was kind of heaving saying thats disgusting. They let me use the staff room to clean my hands. They did say sorry and gave me a box of Lindor chocolate balls as an apology. I mean come on, Im covered in poo and they give me chocolate balls to say sorry? She claims staff told her the mishap occurred after an elderly woman made a right mess in the store not long after saying she felt unwell and asking to use the toilet earlier in the day. Lynne, from Kilwinning, North Ayrshire, added that they said they had tried to clean up, but described feeling shocked they hadnt closed the shop. She guessed the woman must have touched the packet after falling ill, adding: What else did she touch in the shop? I dont think they will have bothered to check. The situation was handled terribly by staff. Who knows what kind of germs that person had and just it was lying there for hours before it was cleaned. Iceland told the newspaper they are aware of the situation, with a spokesperson confirming they are confident all necessary measures were taken. They went on: Upon being made aware of the incident, we immediately made plans to close our store for deep cleaning. This has now been completed and our store is open as normal. We extend our apologies to the customer for the upset caused, and provided a gesture of goodwill in store. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates Three people were killed in a two-vehicle accident which shut down part of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Saturday in Chester Countys Tredyffrin Township, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. Police told The Inquirer the crash occurred just before 11 a.m. in the eastbound lanes and involved two passenger vehicles. According to The Inquirer, police said the road remains closed from the 321.4 mile marker, where the crash occurred, to the Downingtown Interchange. In the wake of the killing of George Floyd, there has been a lot of talk about police reform: Calls to defund and dismantle departments, or to train better and to recruit wider. I wanted to ask a Black officer: Do you think these efforts will lead to meaningful change? So for Mondays show, I called Scott Watson, an officer from Flint, Mich., and in our conversation, he was unconvinced. Defunding, he argued, has essentially been underway in Flint. The citys police department is often cited as one of the most underfunded, underresourced and understaffed in the nation. In his 23 years on the force, Scott said he had seen salaries slashed, officers laid off and the department put under emergency management. As far as better training, he felt the problems were deeper than what an unconscious bias training could fix. This is not a training issue, Scott said. This is a mindset. Rhea Chakraborty's lawyer Advocate Satish Maneshinde, has released a statement defending her brother Showik Chakraborty, who was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on September 4, 2020, in connection with the Sushant Singh Rajput's death case. Filmibeat has access to the full statement of Rhea and Showik's lawyer, who has put forth points in defence of his clients. Read Satish Maneshinde's full statement dated September 5, 2020 here: "SC's sister Rhea Chakraborty first met SSR at YRF in 2013. Thereafter they became close friends some time after 13th April 2019. She was living with him till 8th June 2020. She was asked by SSR to leave the house with bag and baggage as there was disagreement on the line of treatment of SSRs mental health conditions as he was insisting on taking the illegal and unwarranted prescription sent by his sister Priyanka. The Doctor who had prescribed the medicines had not consulted SSR ever and there was no online consultation or tele medicine possible. It is not in conformity with Pandemic Rules. The WhatsApp messages between SSR and Priyanka are clear on the point. RC was insisting on following the treatment of 5 Doctors in Mumbai whom SSR had met and consulted. He had stopped the line of treatment and was not taking prescribed medicines. He was on the contrary consuming psychotropic drugs regularly. Doctors had advised him to desist from drug consumption and instead take the prescribed medicines. Thereafter except one WhatsApp message each on SC & RC phones from SSR there was no further contact. RC had blocked SSR on her phone. She learnt on 14th June 2020 of his death." "As a matter of fact 5 Doctors who were consulted by SSR have made statements to police that SSR was under their treatment and that he had drug issues. These statements are in public domain. 5 house mates and helps have made statements to Mumbai Police that SSR consumed drugs and that it was much before RC came in his life. All of them were already living with SSR and were hired much before 13th April 2019. Both SC and RC have never consumed Narcotic / Psychotropic Drugs. They are both ready and willing to take a blood and drug test." "SSR as a matter of fact was consuming drugs much before RC came in his life. RC knows that he was consuming drugs even on the sets of Kedarnath when it was being shot in 2016-2017. It is not an addiction that he acquired after RC came in his life. He was consuming drugs even against medical advise. It is a case of a person who consumed it against medical advise and requests from RC. He enjoyed it in his life time and died. Instead SC and Samuel Miranda are being prosecuted after his death which is unwarranted." "There is no possession or anything found except electronic messages which still need to be proved in a trial. The allegations of procuring Ganja is punishable under section 20 (b) (ii)(A) is bailable so also 28 & 29 of NDPS Act. Section 27A is not attracted." "Mental health is a serious issue. SSR was suffering from the age of 20 according to the Doctors. It is not a minor incident as suggested by SSR Family lawyers. His sister gave medicines illegally. His mother also suffered from several mental health issues which contributed to her early death. The arguments of SSR family and Lawyers that after SSR met RC , his mental health deteriorated is utterly False. Mental health unlike Corona/ Covid can't be afflicted by a person coming into contact with the other. It is primarily a genetic problem with which SSR was suffering for several years and there is evidence to the effect that he was being treated for the same since the year 2013 and that his family was well aware of it. The NDPS prosecution has been foisted after ED and CBI have so far found no incriminating material of any abetment or siphoning of money much less Rs 15 Crs by RC and Family. The allegations are false and make out no case. Mumbai police and ED have conducted forensic audit in the financial affairs of SSR and RC and they have found no discrepancy in the accounts of SSR or RC. The involvement of multiple agencies and parallel investigations is a complete witch hunt. There's no flow of a single rupee from the account of SSR to RC." "The NDPS remand makes no ground for granting NCB remand. It is a case of bailable offences. Foisting 27A with no evidence or material is not sufficient to grant custody. This is a fit case for bail." Sushant Singh Rajput's house help Dipesh Sawant was also taken into custody by the NCB on September 5, 2020. If reports are to be believed, Rhea Chakraborty may be arrested next by the NCB. Worried about your mental well-being or of someone you know? Help is just a call away. Reach out to the nearest mental health specialist at COOJ Mental Health Foundation (COOJ)- 0832-2252525, Parivarthan- +91 7676 602 602, Connecting Trust- +91 992 200 1122/+91-992 200 4305 or Sahai- 080-25497777/ SAHAIHELPLINE@GMAIL.COM ALSO READ: Sushant's Death Case: NCB Gets 4 Day Custody Of Showik Chakraborty And Samuel Miranda ALSO READ: Sushant Singh Rajput's Therapist Susan Walker's Statement To Mumbai Police: He Was Bipolar A photograph from California exemplifying the digital divide as millions of school students head back into the virtual classroom has been going viral. Two little girls were pictured sitting cross-legged on the sidewalk outside a Salinas Valley Taco Bell, accessing the eaterys free WiFi to do their school work. The photo has reignited a debate about access to technology. The heart-wrenching image was first shared by an Instagram user named Mamie Robinson on Aug. 25, who explained that the touching shot was sent to her by her mom. A lot of us dont have to worry about having a proper WiFi connection or a quiet place to work from home, Robinson commented. Two children outside a Taco Bell in Salinas, Calif., using the free WiFi to do schoolwork. (Courtesy of Luis Alejo/Twitter) Every student from preschool through college should have free access to reliable WiFi, especially now, she continued, posing a question to her followers: What can we do as a community to pull together for students who need something as simple as WiFi in order to succeed? The photo depicts the girls sitting together on the sidewalk facing two Taco Bell servers, who have exited the eatery to investigate; one stands, while the other has squatted down to meet the young students at eye level. A spokesperson for Taco Bell Corp. told CNN in a statement that the snapshot is a tough reminder of the basic inequalities facing the Salinas Valley community. [T]he owner of this restaurant is looking into additional ways to support these students and the broader community, they further added. (Illustration George Sheldon/Shutterstock) Monterey County Supervisor Luis Alejo, who also noticed the photo circulating on social media and shared it on Twitter, hailed the image as a reason to strive harder. [T]his is an embarrassment, he commented. Salinas Valley is 45 minutes from Silicon Valley and here we have such a huge divide thats gone on for years, but now its only amplified because of this pandemic. He also explained that there are thousands of other kids in the community who face this predicament. In Salinas, theres a lot of homes and a lot of parents who dont even know how to use computers or how hotspots work, he continued. However, the girls in the photo were quickly identified by the Salinas City Elementary School District (SCESD), and a solution was forthcoming; they were both gifted hotspots and shown how to use them, allowing them to attend classroom instructions from their home. Richard Gebin, SCESDs public relations officer, claimed that the district is in full distance learning mode and has distributed a grand total of 8,245 Chromebooks and 1,500 hotspots to date, with an additional 2,500 hotspots waiting to be sent. Robinson, inspired to support more socioeconomically deprived families in the area, fixed an addendum to her Instagram post. If local businesses would like to donate their space to set up outdoor internet cafes, please let me know, she said. I would love to help rally up supplies and man power! In her post, she also urged others to reach out to their community and help students in your area. (Illustration Brian A Jackson/Shutterstock) According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for matters related to information and communication technologies, an estimate of 46.7 percent of the global population was living without an internet connection at the end of 2019. Additionally, digital divides are more pronounced in countries that have higher overall rates of connectivity. Between 15 million and 16 million K-12 public school students in the United States live in homes that are not equipped for distance learning, according to June 2020 data from Common Sense Media and the Boston Consulting Group. Amy Ish, president of the SCESD, agreed in a statement according to CNN that digital divides are very real; however, she was grateful to know that the state was making priorities to technology and was looking forward to receiving hotspots in her district. Technology is so critical and we cannot view it as a luxury, Alejo implored, speaking to CNN; its a necessity of life, it should be seen as a utility like water, electricity, and gas. We would love to hear your stories! You can share them with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.nyc Shaken Up By Woody LaBounty September 2002 My great-grandparents met in the confusion and bewilderment of a refugee camp formed to aid the San Franciscans left homeless by the 1906 Earthquake and Fire. The couple quickly fell in love and by November they married. Despite meeting in the same condition---bedraggled, dislocated, and facing an uncertain future---the two families had their differences. For years, my snobby great aunt disparagingly noted that her new sister-in-law's family was one of the last to leave the camps. But being one of the last had its advantages. When refugees departed their temporary home in Camp Richmond (now the freeway and parkland strip that is Park Presidio Boulevard) many carted away a new home. The San Francisco Relief Corporation had built row upon row of "refugee shacks" in camps from September 1906 into early 1907. These small cabins, just 10' by 14' in some cases, were meant to replace the camp tents before winter set in. Designed by San Francisco Park Superintendent John McLaren (who insisted they all be painted a park-bench green), the Department of Lands and Buildings of the San Francisco Relief Corporation, and the US Army, the shacks were constructed by union carpenters. Each home had California redwood walls, fir floors, and cedar-shingled roofs. As the camps began to close down in the late summer of 1907, the Relief Corporation sold off the shacks to departing families for $100 or less. Charities even provided free hauling for those who needed it. San Franciscans carted away over 5,000 cabins to empty lots in the city to use as starter homes. Usually two or three were joined together to create a larger residence, and many owners dropped their new domiciles onto the sand hills of the Richmond and Sunset districts. Saved and Lost Of the thousands of shacks taken from camps only a handful are certified to be left standing in San Francisco. In the Sunset district you can find seven at two sites and one is San Francisco City Landmark number 171. At 1227 24th Avenue stand three refugee shacks joined together by the real estate developer Sol Getz. Today the home looks in great shape: fresh paint, surrounded by flowers, a country cottage in a big city. Jane Cryan lived here in the early 1980s, and when she discovered that the odd, tiny, run-down home she rented was linked to San Francisco's best known event, she began an exhausting battle to save these "hope chests". Jane researched their history and surveyed the city for survivors. She lobbied politicians and influential members of society to save the few left. She attempted to educate property owners on the treasures they typically saw as eyesores. She won in some notable cases. San Francisco declared her beat-up red shack a city landmark. Two cottages at 34th Avenue and Geary were accepted by the US Army and saved from demolition. The Army moved them into the Presidio where they sit, restored to their 1906 state. The advocacy group Jane founded, The Society for the Preservation and Appreciation of San Francisco's Refugee Shacks, also lost its share. Four shacks were destroyed in the Richmond after the owner insisted his buildings were actually built in the 1930s. His assertion was refuted by the 1907 newspapers that fluttered to the ground in the bulldozer's wake. Bring in the 3-Car Garage Another loss stares us all in the face. Four shacks, including three rare "Type A"s, are facing demolition on Kirkham Street near the beach. In a way it's surprising they've lasted as long as they have. The shacks, cobbled together to form two separate residences on one lot, have been in terrible shape for years. The paint is peeled, the roofs are rotting, and now they stand vacant with windows boarded. The back cottage didn't even have heat and was reportedly condemned in the early 1970s, but held on to provide a home to renters for 30 additional years. My friend Diane plays Devil's Advocate with me and asks "How many examples of these shacks does the city need?" The former tenant of the back cottage tells me "there's no bad guy in this story; it's just time for them to go." The Berkeley architect hired to submit the plans for demolition admits he has no knowledge of the historical background of the cottages and doesn't even know who owns them ("I'm working through another representative"); but in reference to a Planning Department letter about the possible historic importance of the shacks, he gave his general opinion: "I have had dealings with Landmarks Commissions before and I find that they tend to put all things ahead of anything else in the world. If you can get on the National Register that's the most important thing in the world and it doesn't matter what happens to anybody else. And I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't very similar in this case." Actually, I don't put these shacks ahead of everything else. I really can see the viewpoint of the two brothers who inherited the property from their mother last year. How can two tiny, dilapidated sheds in San Francisco be anything less than an albatross around an owner's neck? No one looking for an investment would buy the lot if the cottages had to stay. But I keep getting this wrenching tug in my stomach as the eccentric little bungalows and cottages near the beach continue to succumb to huge characterless structures. The funky artists, the surfers, the older hippie couples, and middle-class families are being squeezed out little by little. This is land where enterprising squatters and ingenious homesteaders once made abandoned cable cars into homes. I wonder how long the legacy of "Carville" will survive out here? Everyone is saddened, but resigned it seems. Neighbors, architects, and preservation groups are prepared for the shacks to disappear. Even Jane Cryan sees it as inevitable: "It's a terrible loss, but I don't think there's any hope of preventing demolition because of the condition." She admits, however, that her old home on 24th Avenue---the city landmark---once looked as bad as the Kirkham Street houses. "You know these little guys are just so sturdy." Read the latest about the Kirkham Street cottages. Images: 1) Refugee Cottages being constructed in Camp Richmond, 1906. Courtesy of Ron Richardson; 2) 4329 Kirkham Street, September 2002 (WNP photo). Sources: 1) Hope Chest: The True Story of San Francisco's 1906 Earthquake Refugee Shacks Jane Cryan, privately published 1998. Contribute your own stories about western neighborhoods places! Activists say famous horse race should not be held until police involved in unarmed Black womans killing are charged. Demonstrations are taking place in Louisville, Kentucky, on Saturday as the famous Kentucky Derby horse race is being held amid ongoing racial unrest and demands for accountability in the police killing of Breonna Taylor. Anti-racism protesters are expected to rally Saturday afternoon outside Churchill Downs, where the 146th annual race will be run. Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman, was killed by the police on March 13 in a raid on her home in Louisville, prompting months of protests and demands for the officers involved in her death to be charged. Alongside George Floyd, a Black man killed by police in Minnesota in May, Taylor has become a symbol in a continuing movement decrying racial injustice and police violence against Black people across the United States. Anti-racism protesters and members of a far-right militia group confronted each other in downtown Louisville early Saturday afternoon, local television station WDRB reported. The local chapter of Democratic Socialists of America said the far-right group had come to the city to threaten the protesters demanding justice for Taylor. Desire for answers Louisville Attorney General Daniel Cameron on Saturday said that while running the Kentucky Derby honours a long-held tradition in the US state, we remain cognisant of the communitys desire for answers in Taylors case. Cameron said his investigation into what happened is continuing. Meanwhile, Vice News on Friday reported that authorities had prior knowledge that Taylors boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, a registered gun owner, may be present in her apartment during the raid. Walker fired at officers after they entered the apartment, prompting the police to return fire and fatally strike Taylor. Walker has maintained he fired a warning shot and the officers did not identify themselves before entering the apartment. Kentucky is a so-called stand your ground state, meaning a resident who is in a location where they are legally allowed to be is permitted to use deadly force if they feel they are being threatened with death or severe bodily harm. The authorities knowledge of Walkers possible presence in the apartment raises further questions over the tactics used on the night of Taylors killing. Today, while we honor a KY tradition with the running of the Derby, we remain cognizant of the communitys desire for answers in the investigation into the death of Ms. Breonna Taylor. We continue to move forward with our investigation, reviewing each fact to reach the truth. Attorney General Daniel Cameron (@kyoag) September 5, 2020 For months, activists in Louisville and elsewhere have demanded concrete action in Taylors case and they had called for the Kentucky Derby to be cancelled. Until Freedom, an activist group that has organised rallies in support of Taylor said it planned to protest against Saturdays race to demand accountability for her killing. There should be no Derby in this city right now. The only thing that should be happening in this city is the arrest of the cops who killed Breonna Taylor, one of the groups co-founders, Mysonne Linen, told reporters during a news conference on Friday. The mayor of Louisville, Greg Fischer, said on Twitter on Saturday that rumours and misinformation have circulated on social media since the protests began. He did not specify what he was referring to exactly, but said the citys police department has a plan and is ready for Kentucky Derby day. Meanwhile, local media outlets reported that members of the far-right militia group had gathered in a Louisville park on Saturday morning and later marched downtown. Far-right activists and self-described militia rallied in a park in Louisville, Kentucky, on the day of the Kentucky Derby horse race [Bryan Woolston/Reuters] Dozens of people, including some carrying semiautomatic weapons and wearing what appeared to be bulletproof vests, chanted U-S-A! U-S-A! and waved US flags, according to a video posted online by WLKY journalist Lauren Adams. The group is led by a man calling himself the Angry Viking, the local news station said. The group is calling themselves patriots and say theyre sick of the chaos in Louisville and across the country, WLKY reported. Right-wing groups have sought to disrupt racial justice protests across the US in recent months. Recently, two demonstrators were shot and killed during a Black Lives Matter protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin. A 17-year-old gunman who espoused right-wing views has been arrested and charged in connection with the attack. Mr. Strzok has sued the Justice Department and F.B.I., alleging that his dismissal was politically motivated. In his book, Mr. Strzok repeatedly rejects accusations that he was part of an effort at the F.B.I. to hurt Mr. Trump. He lays out the reasoning for opening the investigation, known as Crossfire Hurricane, into whether any Trump campaign associates had conspired with Russias interference operations in the 2016 election. The F.B.I. was investigating a credible allegation of foreign intelligence activity to see where it led, Mr. Strzok writes. It started with Russia, and it was always about Russia. He also points out that the F.B.I. had kept the investigation as quiet as possible to keep from harming Mr. Trumps candidacy, limiting the number of people inside the bureau who were aware of it to try to ensure its existence did not leak to the news media. When F.B.I. officials later considered opening a counterintelligence investigation on the president, they faced a sobering reality. We needed to ask a question that had never before arisen in the entire 240-year history of our republic: whether the president of the United States himself might be acting as an agent of a foreign adversary, Mr. Strzok writes. He says he was opposed for both practical and philosophical arguments. Eventually, the F.B.I. did begin investigating the president after he fired James B. Comey as its director in May 2017, a step that also prompted the appointment of a special counsel. Mr. Strzok recounts first briefing the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, a former F.B.I. director, and outlining the dizzyingly complicated portrait of foreign interference. And on top of it all, at the pinnacle of this heap of perfidy and treachery, sat a president who had lied to the public, cozied up to Russia, and, once he became aware of them, attempted to block our investigation at every turn, Mr. Strzok writes. (Newser) A man from upstate New York was rescued on Lake George earlier this month, and he's got a bunch of partying priests to thank for it. WNYT reports that Jimmy Macdonald was kayaking on the lake with his wife and stepkids when he drifted far from shore, distracted by pictures he was taking on his new $1,400 smartphone. When he realized his predicament, he tried to paddle back, but the water was rough, and he soon tipped over into the 30-foot-deep waters, losing his paddle in the process. Although other kayakers and canoeists were in sight, Macdonald says he had too much pride to call for help, instead trying to right the kayak himself. He soon became tired, however, and then realized he was in real trouble. story continues below "I thought I was going to die," he tells Glens Falls Living. "I was absolutely powerless and wished I had asked for help earlier." Then, out of the corner of his eye, Macdonald saw salvation: a floating tiki bar. The captain of the boat had spotted Macdonald's paddle floating on the water, and then a passenger heard his cries for help. When they got to Macdonald, a deckhand and passengers pulled Macdonald and his expensive smartphone (which he'd held onto for dear life) onto the vessel. And that's when Macdonald found out this was no ordinary party: Per the Boston Pilot, the floating tiki bar was filled with priests enjoying a day out on the water (sans drinking). Macdonald, who's a drug counselor and recovering addict, notes the oddity of the whole situation: "How funny is it that I've been sober for seven years and I get saved by a tiki bar?" (Read more strange stuff stories.) NEW DELHI: The size of Indias passenger vehicle market is not likely to grow to 10 million units per annum by 2030 due to the prevailing Covid-19 induced economic slowdown that has impacted sales significantly, said Toshihiro Suzuki, president and chief operating officer, Suzuki Motor Corp. Speaking at the 60th annual convention of Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA), Suzuki also urged component manufacturers in India to invest in research and development (R&D) of products, improve quality and boost localization to improve the overall profitability of their businesses and increase share of exports from India. In 2018, Osamu Suzuki, chairman of Suzuki Motor Corp., enthused by the potential of the Indian market, announced that the company expected passenger vehicle sales in India to grow substantially to 10 million units per year by 2030. Suzuki had at that time targetted sales of 5 million units by then and expected to hold on to the 50% market share. As a result, the company invested in a new manufacturing unit in Gujarat with a capacity of 750,000 units and intended to set up another plant of 750,000 units to take its total production capacity to 5 million in India. Earlier it was established that the Indian market may grow to a scale of 10 million units by 2030. We believe that these are achievable numbers. Only thing is that it may need a few more years. Compared to now, it is a huge increase," said Suzuki . The auto industry appears to be reviving faster than expected. This is could be because of the pent up demand due to no sales in April and May. Its also a fact that people are now preparing for personal mobility over public transportation. The Indian government has taken an ambitious target of making India a $5 trillion economy in the next few years. This definitely means growth in the manufacturing and the automotive sector," he added. Sale of vehicles in the Indian market has been on a decline since the second half of FY19 when the crisis in non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) started in the aftermath of bankruptcy of Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Ltd (IL&FS). Vehicle sales across categories fell around 15-25% across categories in FY 20 after registering a low single digit growth in FY19. According to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), vehicle sales across categories is likely to decline in the range of 25%-45%, across segments, in the current fiscal, due to the prevailing Covid-19 induced economic slowdown. Despite witnessing decent recovery in retail sales, automakers like Maruti Suzuki and others are struggling to ramp up manufacturing due to disruption in supply chain network. The prevailing lockdown in different states, rising Covid-19 cases and increased inspection of imported parts from China have also caused major problems for auto makers and their suppliers. According to Toshihiro Suzuki, to compete in the global market and attract global customers, it is very important that component manufacturers increase focus on improving quality of their products and only then India will be able to beat other nations on the global platform. Earlier, the volume in India was less and localization at times was not viable. However, in current scenario and seeing the future prospect localizing in India is viable. I urge all of you to aggressively localize raw materials, tools and machine and other equipment. This will go a long way to increase the cost competitiveness of the Indian industry in both domestic and global market," he added. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics The central government's "normal recruitments" will continue without any curbs and there is no restriction on filling up posts, said the Finance Ministry on Saturday after a statement yesterday called for curbing expenditure in view of the coronavirus pandemics impact on the economy. "The Dept. of Expenditure circular dated 04 Sept 2020 deals with internal procedure for creation of posts and does NOT in anyway affect or curtail recruitment," said the ministry in a statement. "Normal recruitments through govt agencies like Staff Selection ... Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 5 Bu Fidan Babayeva Trend: The value of export of Azerbaijani products to Kazakhstan amounted to $16.5 million in the first seven months of 2020, increasing by 14.4 percent compared to the same period of 2019, Trend reports citing the statistical bulletin of the State Customs Committee (SCC) of Azerbaijan. "In the reporting period, Kazakhstan purchased products from Azerbaijan by $2 million more than in the same period of the previous year. Kazakhstans share in the total export of Azerbaijan also increased from 0.12 to 0.18 percent of the total export volume," said the SCCs bulletin. "At the same time, import of Kazakh products by Azerbaijan dropped almost 3.5 times, decreasing from $144 million to $48.2 million year on year. The share of Kazakhstan in the total imports of Azerbaijan decreased from 1.71 to 0.82 percent of the total import volume," the report noted. The SCCs report said the volume of foreign trade operations of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan amounted to $64.7 million, showing a decrease of 2.4 times over the year. "The export-import ratio in the foreign trade relations of the two countries remained notably shifted towards the import of Kazakh products. So, if for the same period of 2019 foreign trade relations were marked by a substantial margin towards imports - 91 and 9 percent, respectively, then the ratio of imports and exports for the first seven months of this year was 75 and 25 percent, respectively. Thus, the foreign trade balance of the two countries for the reporting period remained negative for Azerbaijan and made up $31.7 million. From January through July 2020, Azerbaijan's foreign trade turnover surpassed $15 billion, which is 1.4 times less compared to the same period of 2019. The balance of foreign trade turnover decreased 1.1 times on an annualized basis, and remained positive, amounting to $3.2 billion. --- Follow the author on Twitter: Fidan_Babaeva Hyderabad, Sep 5 : The stage is set for phase II clinical trials of Bharat Biotech's coronavirus vaccine from Monday. The Hyderabad-based vaccine maker received the approval from Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation under the Directorate General of Health Services to conduct the phase II trials of indigenous vaccine candidate Covaxin. Joint Drugs Controller Dr S. Eswara Reddy wrote a letter to Bharat Biotech International, conveying the organisation's nod for conducting the phase II trials. These trials of the BBV152 coronavirus vaccine or Covaxin will be conducted on 380 participants, who will have to be screened for four days after they receive the vaccine shots. Through the letter, which IANS has seen, the Joint Drugs Controller said that the directorate had no objection to conducting the trial titled 'An adaptive, seamless Phase I, followed by Phase II randomized, double-blind, multicentre study to evaluate the safety, reactogenicity, tolerability and immunogenicity of the whole-virion inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine (BBV152) in healthy volunteers'. The letter mentions that Bharat Biotech's request for approval to initiate phase II clinical trials was examined in consultation with Subject Expert Committee (COVID-19) experts held through virtual meeting on September 3. "This is to inform you that the subject proposal was examined in consultation with SEC (COVID-19) experts held through virtual meeting on 03-09-2020, wherein the committee recommended for the conduct of Phase II part of clinical trials with 380 participants subject to the condition that time for screening the participants should be revised to 4 days," reads the letter dated September 3. Phase I clinical trials of the vaccine began on July 15 at 12 centres across the country where healthy volunteers were administered two doses of vaccination shots with a gap of 14 days. These trials on 375 volunteers are still continuing. The subjects were monitored at the respective centres for two days after they were administered the vaccine shots. In the phase II clinical trials, this period has been revised to four days. Bharat Biotech had announced on June 29 that it had successfully developed Covaxin in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Institute of Virology (NIV). The SARS-CoV-2 strain was isolated in NIV, Pune and transferred to Bharat Biotech. The 'indigenous, inactivated vaccine candidate' has been developed and manufactured in Bharat Biotech's high containment facility located in Genome Valley, Hyderabad. Last month, SEC also approved Bharat Biotech's proposal to conduct trials using the intradermal (ID) vaccine delivery route. Under this route, the vaccine shot is given in the dermis, one of the layers of the skin. Experts say the shot is less invasive, requires lesser dosage and sometimes, helps the vaccine show better immune response. At the SEC meeting held on August 13, Bharat Biotech presented its proposal for the conduct of Phase I and II clinical trials of Covaxin by ID route. The SEC, while recommending approval, laid down the conditions that the trial sites should be different from the sites where the present clinical trials are going on for the vaccine through the intramuscular route and that the subject should be followed up for six months for clinical and antibody assessments. Sushant Singh Rajput (File image: PTI) The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on September 5 arrested Dipesh Sawant, a member of Sushant Singh Rajput's personal staff, in connection with a drugs probe linked to the actor's death, officials said. With this, the total number of people arrested in this case has risen to six. The officials said Dipesh Sawant, who was being questioned since morning, has been arrested under sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. A senior NCB officer had earlier said that Sawant's role was that of a "witness" in the case, they said. The federal anti-narcotics agency had on September 4 arrested Showik Chakraborty (24), the brother of main accused in this case Rhea Chakraborty, and Samuel Miranda, Rajput's house manager. Various angles surrounding the death of the 34-year-old actor are being probed by three federal agencies, including the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The agency is probing the drug angle in this case under criminal sections of the NDPS Act after the ED shared with it a report following the cloning of two mobile phones of Rhea. The NCB has said it is looking into "the drug citadel in Mumbai, and especially Bollywood" in this case. Rajput was found dead at his flat in suburban Bandra area on June 14. (Newser) A Russian mother allegedly gathered her lover and three male friends to rape and kill a man wrongly accused of pedophilia, Metro reports. According to Russian newspapersand Western tabloids that picked up the storyparents in the town of Verkhnyaya Pyshma let a truck driver, Dmitry Chikvarkin, take their two children, ages 3 and 10, to their carer. The children later told mother Valeria Dunaeva, 25, that Chikvarkin "had touched them below the waist." Police are quoted as saying that Dunaeva and her lover Sergey Chabin, 33the 10-year-old's fatherrounded up three friends and assaulted the man. story continues below "They found the man who previously gave a lift to the children," a law enforcement source told Znack newspaper, per 7 News . "First, he was raped in the anus with a metal pipe. Then they smashed his head with the same pipe, breaking his skull." Chikvarkin, father of a 6-year-old daughter, later died of head injuries. Police say they talked to the children and concluded the accusation was a "joke" and a "lie." Dunaeva, Chabin, and an alleged accomplice have been arrested and charged with "murder with special cruelty by a group of persons by prior conspiracy," reports say. Two other suspects are said to be on the run. (Read more murder stories.) A serviceman stands next to a Russian Viking surface-to-air missile system on display during the International military-technical forum "Army-2020" in Moscow - Reuters Russia's aggression towards its neighbours and the West risks a new Cold War, Nato's Secretary-General has warned. In an exclusive interview with The Telegraph following the disclosure that Russia's opposition leader had been poisoned with Novichok, Jens Stoltenberg warned that Moscow's behaviour and attempt to establish a new "sphere of influence ... requires a response from Nato". "We don't want a new Cold War, we don't want a new arms race, but at the same time we have to make sure that we are adapting as the world is changing," Mr Stoltenberg said. "So we are responding to what Russia is doing." Mr Stoltenberg first learned of the probability that Alexei Navalny had been poisoned with a chemical weapon in a private briefing with Angela Merkel a week before the German Chancellor announced the findings to the world. To the leader of the world's largest military alliance, the attack represented yet another alarming use of poison against a Russian dissident - following the assassination of Alexander Litvinenko in London and the attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury. "What matters now is that Russia has to answer some very serious questions," Mr Stoltenberg told The Telegraph. "How can this happen and how can we see again and again that opposition leaders in Russia are attacked and their lives threatened and some actually killed? "This is not the first time we've seen the use of poison against people who are in opposition to the Russian regime. That makes it even more serious." He said the poisoning, of course, was an attack on Mr Navalny, 44, "as an individual", and "we all wish [him] a speedy recovery"... "but it is also an attack on fundamental democratic rights, the right to be in opposition, the right to be an outspoken critic of the regime." Novichok attackers 'must be held accountable' Story continues While the attack took place in Russia rather than a Nato member state, Mr Stoltenberg - who served two terms as Norwegian prime minister - said the use of Novichok represented a breach of international law and "requires an international response". It is a breach that previously occurred in Salisbury more than two years ago, when Mr Skripal, a former Russian military intelligence officer, was targeted by officers of the GRU, the Russian ministry of defences intelligence and special forces arm. The nerve agent attack led to the expulsion of dozens of Russian diplomats from Europe and the US and fresh sanctions on the regime. For Nato countries, a second Novichok poisoning in as many years raises the question of whether, or, indeed, when, another could follow - and whether the substance could yet again be transported outside of Russia. Yulia and Sergei Skripal were poisoned in Salisbury Perhaps it is partly with this in mind that Mr Stoltenberg is insisting that Russia must now provide "complete disclosure" of its Novichok programme to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. He said that those responsible for the attack "have to be held accountable", adding: "And that's exactly what we are clearly conveying to Russian authorities." But the men accused of assassinating Mr Litvinenko and carrying out the Salisbury attack have never been brought to trial as a result of Russia's refusal to extradite its citizens. Pressed on the resulting lack of accountability of those suspected of the Litvinenko and Skripal poisonings, Mr Stoltenberg acknowledged that the rule of law does not "stand as strong as we would like to see in Russia". But he insisted: "Nato is built on some core values, which includes the rule of law, respect for fundamental democratic rights. So therefore, we will continue to call on Russia, we will continue to be very clear on our message that the right for opposition politicians to be in a position to criticise the regime has to be protected and those who do so have to be safe." Nato countries will now "coordinate the way forward" in response to the attack, but "it's a bit early to say anything more". 'We don't want a new arms race' Much of Nato's work is focused on responding to Russia's aggression towards its neighbours and Moscow's development of new military capabilities, including new missiles, some of which are designed to reach satellites in orbit. (This video below from 2018 shows some of the missiles promised by Vladimir Putin) In a recent speech to launch Nato 2030, the alliance's blueprint for the next decade, Russia's military activities topped Mr Stoltenberg's list of existing "tensions" faced by members of the alliance. It has recently embarked on a major programme to counter Russian disinformation. Asked whether he feared another Cold War, Mr Stoltenberg said: "This is a different situation, particularly because during the Cold War we had two military blocs confronting each other, Europe was divided, Germany was divided ... it's not the same kind of ideological confrontation." But he added: "At the same time, we see a Russia which is responsible for aggressive actions against neighbours, a Russia which is trying to reestablish some kind of sphere of influence. "We have seen that in Georgia, in Moldova, in Ukraine, and that requires a response from Nato. And that's exactly why we now are implementing the biggest reinforcement of our collective defence since the end of the Cold War ... After years of cutting defence spending, all Nato allies are now increasing defence spending and we are modernising our armed forces. So Nato is responding in a defensive, proportionate way. "We don't want a new Cold War, we don't want a new arms race, but at the same time we have to make sure that we are adapting as the world is changing. So we are responding to what Russia is doing." In the UK, Nicola Sturgeon's SNP has campaigned on a pledge to scrap Trident, the UK's nuclear deterrent, which the party insists makes the world "more dangerous". Mr Stoltenberg warned: "The UK is a staunch and very important Nato ally. The UK has the second largest defence budget in the alliance, just next to the United States and the UK is a nuclear power and the UK nuclear capabilities are important as part of Nato's nuclear deterrence." Last week a row erupted over reports that Rishi Sunak was seeking to divert billions of pounds from the foreign aid budget to help fund Britain's intelligence and defence capabilities. Mr Stoltenberg points out that investment in defence can help lead to economic development in countries that benefit from aid spending. "I believe that defence spending can assist countries in making them safe and secure and peace is a precondition for economic development. "We need stability, we need peace, to help economic development, to alleviate poverty ... They are two sides of the same coin but they are two different things. To provide vaccines or development aid is one thing, to help provide security is another thing, but the end result is better living conditions for people in the country." Helping to stabilise countries such as Afghanistan is "also in our interest because if they are more stable, we are more secure". The full profile of Dr Kwame Owusu Fordjour, the legendary scammer, has popped up online. The long profile claims that the doctor is a graduate of KNUST and Havard even though he apparently doesnt even have a first degree to his name. The profile also gives him many achievements and awards he has likely never won. Dr Fordjour, whos actually not a doctor, is apparently a mentally ill, lifelong scammer from Kumerica known as Wyclef. In a long piece about him written by a childhood friend, its revealed that he has been running such scams for over 20 years and is often successful, including once giving out fake admission letters to KNUST right on the premises of the university. He was also arrested in 2010 for running a rural bank award scam. Despite this legendary history, he still managed to scam numerous Ghanaian celebrities and big men with his Kofi Annan UN awards as they failed to do their research. Instead of googling the gentleman, they probably just read this profile which was sent to them by the mans team and they fell for his scam. Next time when you receive an award nomination try and say you wont do any due diligence! This is how you will end up! Read Fordjours fake profile below EXECUTIVE PROFILE OF H.E.DR. KWAME O. FORDJOUR H.E. DR. KWAME O. FORDJOUR also known as Wayne Winston is a Ghanaian who has worked in various International Interventions amongst World Leaders, Foreign Relations Leaderships and Diplomats. As one of the Pioneering Achievers of Africas Global Leadership Legacy, He was poached by the 7th UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to the projection of African Foreign Service to the Globe articulating inter Countries achievements to the best of Global Representation and Practices especially the United Nations Millennium Declaration that saw Member States Declaring to Achieve the Internationally Agreed Goals where he was assigned by Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to Monitor and Assess Governments according to Africans present State and Governance. As a Millennium Ambassador, he was appointed amongst Good Leaders in the capacities of Royal Majesties and Heads of State in Policy-making and enshrining the 8 postulates into National Constitutions for replicable practices and making Governments accountable to its Citizens as well as their peer review. Dr. Fordjour has been working with the United Nations after his graduation from Harvard Kennedy school under Special Agency duties for the Secretary-General, embarking on Global Research and Governmental Cooperation for Global Development and the World we want in the United Nations Reformation to transform the World. The numerous researches and achievements got Ambassador recommended to underscore the initiatives of the Secretary-General as part of the Architects of Global Goals. These initiatives included The World Global Ball, checkmating Innovative Developments for Secretary Generals conferment of Honorary Excellence award on Achievers, Performers and Unifiers of the Globe in Service to Humanity. Ambassador Dr. Kwame Fordjour on the Global Mission was host to the Presidential Global Ball and Global Diplomacy Honours of Member States of the United Nations. Between 2006 and 2015 Dr. Fordjour led an intense Global Public Excellence Challenge and competition on Leaders of which he was applauded by President George W. Bush as Governments were struggling for a place in the Global Governance Companion and rank on the Global Achievements which enhanced the UN MDGS achievements including Universal Health Delivery, universal Education, Global Security etc.) As part of the full Global Interactions, Inter Governmental Researches and reports of the Globe on each region of the World spearheaded by Ambassador Dr. Kwame Fordjour s Group, Former Secretary-General institutionalized the Global Public Excellence to award (yearly) World Excellence in which Amb. Dr. Fordjour was honoured to Chair in Africa which needed Global Excellence by practices and Exemplary Leadership. He was part of the Kofi Annans Road to Peace Achievement, Rule of Law Programme, Democratic, Governance and Humanitarian Services Assignments. Ambassador Dr. Kwame Fordjour on the Global Mission Programme was awarded the Global Blueprint Honour for the combined project with the 7th UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on the World Freedom Project ([email protected] ). Dr. Fordjour was endorsed UNITED NATIONS GOLD STAR by His Excellency Kofi Annan and the Panel of World Leaders on Global Diplomacy and Innovations which embraces Icons from Countries for Global Mobilization to champion Development. Ambassador Dr. Kwame Fordjour launched the Global Goals with (Special Aid and Advisor to Kofi Annan) Jeffery Sachs in Ghana in 2015 hosted by the then Head of State, H. E. John D. Mahama, Former President of Nigeria H.E. Olusegun Obasanjo Over 198 Member States of the United Nations past and present have experienced and endorsed H. E. Fordjours contribution to Global Development and impact. Dr. Kwame Fordjour is the current Global Chair under UNSG of the United Nations Blueprint mission of Excellence, celebrating Global Performances of Global Public and Governments in innovation. Also, ceremonial Honour to the United Nations Secretary-General for his Global Achievements and Mission, accumulation of Achievements to award the exciting, intriguing, and toppling Excellence moments. He is the Chair to the Blueprint Ambassadors to the United Nations who assist the United Nations Secretary-Generals activities at various Countries in Humanitarian Services and International Assignments. Dr. Fordjours mission is to capture the Global Intellectual Thinkers and Actors, innovative and creative Leaders to achieve the General Assemblys Resolution 77/1 and turn the next Generation into First Class Global Citizens of equal and equitable access to the World. H.E. FORDJOUR pursued his first Degree at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana where he successfully gained distinction in BA (Hons) Social Sciences. He then attended Sussex University, United Kingdom to read International Relations and completed in 2005. In 2006 Ambassador Dr. Kwame Fordjour (Wayne Winston) pursued PhD in Global Studies and International Development at Kennedy School at Harvard University, Massachusetts in USA where he successfully gained distinction in 2010. . 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 FORT MILL, S.C., Sept. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Allconnect, a leader in sales, marketing and digital solutions for energy companies, received a customer satisfaction score of 87 in 2019 for the second year in a row, as measured by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). Allconnect's score ranks the company higher than any companies publicly measured by the ACSI for 2019. ACSI is a national economic indicator of customer evaluations of the quality of products and services available to household consumers in the United States, and its syndicated results are calculated independently and without endorsement. Allconnect's score of 87, based on about 140,000 surveys, ranks above brands traditionally regarded as leaders in customer service, including Chick-Fil-A, Apple, Google and Amazon. Allconnect works with utilities nationwide to help them become the brand consumers trust to connect everything for their home. The company's free, one-stop service, available over the phone and via digital channels, connects millions of movers with products and services such as Internet, TV, home security, home automation, energy efficiency and green products. Consumers using Allconnect's service online can also change their address via USPS and register to vote. Allconnect personalizes the shopping experience for consumers based upon their specific address and other relevant demographics (e.g. homeowner vs. renter). "A great customer experience will always be the foundation of our business, and the fact that our 2019 customer satisfaction score outpaces every major brand publicly measured by ACSI is a testament to that," said Allconnect Executive Vice President Kim Shumway. "Since we began measuring satisfaction with the ACSI in 2011, our position on the index has continued to rise, and we are thrilled that our hard work in 2019 has won us the top spot. It's truly an honor." About Allconnect Allconnect, a Red Ventures company, offers customers a convenient single source to compare and connect integrated media, broadband, home protection, energy and green products. Allconnect's services are available at allconnect.com, through utility and energy companies representing over 50 million households, and via affiliates. Through more than 20 million annual consumer touch points, the company acquires customers, increases revenue and generates higher customer satisfaction for its partners. Allconnect's 2018 customer satisfaction score of 87, as measured by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), is tied for the highest score among publicly measured companies in 2018. Founded in 1998, Allconnect is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with additional offices in Charlotte, North Carolina. For more information, visit allconnectutilities.com or redventures.com. About ACSI The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) is the only national cross-industry measure of customer satisfaction in the United States. Each year, the ACSI uses data from interviews with roughly 300,000 customers as inputs to an econometric model for analyzing customer satisfaction with more than 400 companies in 46 industries and 10 economic sectors. ACSI data have proven to be strongly related to several essential indicators of micro and macroeconomic performance. To learn more about the American Customer Satisfaction Index, visit www.theacsi.org ACSI and its logo are Registered Marks of the University of Michigan, licensed worldwide exclusively to American Customer Satisfaction Index LLC with the right to sublicense. Related Files ACSI 2019 Allconnect Score.pdf ACSI 2019 Allconnect Score Final.docx SOURCE Allconnect Less than three years after merging with Musical.ly, TikTok looked like it might just achieve something many have tried but few have accomplished: becoming an actual competitor with Facebook and Instagram. Then Donald Trump stepped in. After weeks of threats, the president delivered an ultimatum to TikTok and its owner ByteDance: sell the apps US operations to an American company or it would be banned. He gave the company little more than a month until Sept. 15 to find a buyer and figure out how to disentangle itself from its Chinese parent company. More than a month later, TikToks future is still uncertain despite multiple interested buyers. China has fired back with new trade rules that could prevent a new owner from gaining access to TikToks most important feature: its recommendation algorithm. Now, as the clock ticks down to Trumps mid-September deadline, TikTok and its potential buyers are frantically working to figure out what it all means for a deal. An algorithm-less TikTok is a very different TikTok, and theres no guarantee that Microsoft or Oracle would be able to replicate the apps current recommendation magic. At the same time, Facebook has seized the opportunity to launch its own TikTok competitor with Reels. The Instagram feature so far hasnt had a ton of success in the US, but the company is pushing it hard in other countries. All that leaves TikTok in a precarious position. While the current uncertainty hasnt affected its ability to keep its millions of users scrolling, that could change. If the company isnt able to secure its future in the US, or is forced to relinquish the technology that makes it so addictive, the apps influence could fade as quickly as it started. Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough again took to social media to urge Gov. Greg Abbott reopen the state 100 percent, noting the survival rate of COVID-19 in Montgomery County is about 99 percent. In an emotionally charged video posted to Facebook Thursday, Keough called the pandemic response madness noting the initial predictions of the virus infecting more than 100,000 people in Montgomery County and 20 percent loss of the state population have not even come close to coming to fruition. In fact, as of Friday, the county has 9,164 total cases. Of those, the county has had 123 deaths, an increase of three from Thursday. There are still 1,294 active cases with just 23 Montgomery County residents hospitalized with the virus. However, those predictions prompted President Donald Trump, Abbott and the county to declare disasters regarding the virus forcing the shutdown of all non-essential businesses, schools, churches and some government offices. That effort, Keough said, was to avoid overwhelming hospitals with virus patients. We did the stay at home, we did what they told us to do, we never came close to overwhelming the hospitals, Keough said regarding the efforts to stop the spread of the virus. Ninety-nine percent of those who test positive are surviving. Keough said the national and state response to COVID-19 at the slow process to reopen has damaged the economy putting hardships on many families and businesses. You know what we arent going to survive? Gov. Abbott I am speaking to you, Keough said. We are not going to survive the destruction of our economy. Our restaurants, our hotels, our major businesses and one in five of churches will never ever open again. Our microbreweries, our bars we have picked and chosen certain groups to be successful and certain groups not to be. When is this madness going to end? He added families are hurting in this cooped up quarantined mindset mentality. Listen, Governor, I know you have mentioned you will do something next week, Keough said. I am pleading with you, asking you on behalf of the people of Montgomery County and the rest of the state of Texas, if you are going to do something, open us up 100 percent. Dont piece meal this. on Friday, the Montgomery County Public Health District reported three more COVID-19-related deaths, including a Conroe man in his 50s who died in the hospital; a Woodlands man in his 70s who died in the hospital; and a Woodlands woman in her 70s who died in hospice care. All three patients had existing medical condition in addition to testing positive to COVID-19. Total hospitalizations of both county and noncounty residents increased to 58 with 20 of those patients in critical care beds. The county will be closed in recognition of Labor Day Monday and the next COVID case update will be Tuesday. Online registration is still available for COVID-19 testing in Montgomery County. To get a voucher, go to mchd-tx.org or mcphd-tx.org and click on the need to be tested link. Fill out the information. A voucher will be emailed. Once you have the voucher, make an appointment at your choice of testing centers and get tested. For more information, the MCHD/MCPHD COVID-19 Call Center is open Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Call 936-523-3916. cdominguez@hcnonline.com The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has slammed the municipal corporation (MC) for serving change of land use (CLU) notices to shopkeepers without checking its own records. The BJP leaders said the notices were also served to shops that were established five decades back, when the CLU norms were not in place. While traders were facing financial crises due to the pandemic and restrictions imposed by the government, this exercise by the MC was akin to harassment, the leaders said. Mayor Balkar Sandhu said, Notices are being served to recover pending charges and nobody is being harassed. Those facing issues can contact me and the issue would be resolved at the earliest. The CLU charges are being recovered only from those whose shops were established after CLU norms came into being. The MC recently began an exercise to recover the pending CLU charges from owners of shops situated on various commercial roads of the city. The shopkeepers are being told to show the CLU certificate or deposit the dues. BJP district president Pushpinder Singal said, Rather than providing any relief to residents, the state government is harassing them by issuing notices without checking its own records. The timing is not right as people are already struggling to make ends meet. Leader of BJP councillors in MC General House, Sunita Rani, said, Congress leaders are shedding crocodile tears over the issue since the notices have been issued on their directions. If the MC does not stop harassing the public, we will be forced to take to roads in protest. To the editor: I am thrilled to write this letter to support Diane Middleton for the Delta College trustee for Bay County. I have known Diane Middleton for over 16 years and have enjoyed working with her in many community projects with the Midland Business Alliance and Leadership Midland. She is a true leader in that she doesnt just speak it, she does it. She jumps in and rolls up her sleeves and works to get the job done. Her experience as a trustee since 2015 and currently as the board chair gives her the experience to continue to serve well. She is engaged, and an effective trustee. She brings the perspective of the business community and she has supported Delta College personally as well. She graduated from Delta College, her husband attended Delta before enlisting in the military, her son graduated from Delta and her daughter will join the ranks in the spring. She has very strong ties to the Bay and Midland counties and truly has a pulse on the needs of them both. As I also chair a board for a school district, I understand the needs, time commitment and passion needed for this position, and I will share that Diane has all of that. I highly recommend Diane Middleton for your Bay County Delta College trustee. According to a database of fatal police shootings maintained by The Washington Post, of the 5,400 people shot and killed by police nationwide over the past five years, about 1 in 4 were in mental distress. White people represented the largest number of such deaths, with a total of 732, followed by 190 who were Black, 160 who were Hispanic with the remainder being Asian, Native American or individuals whose race wasnt known. The database also shows that often police are summoned to the scene by family members seeking assistance, as was the case with Prude, whose brother called 911 for help. Narcotics Control Bureau, which on Saturday obtained custody of Rhea Chakraborty's brother Showik in the drugs case linked to the probe into actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death, said it will also probe "narcotics network and penetration" in Showik Chakraborty "dealt in drugs with many others", the NCB told a court here as it obtained his custody alongwith that of Rajput's house manager Samuel Miranda till September 9. "Normally this is not part of our mandate but now that we are getting information... This case has given us an inkling of the network and the extent of the penetration," NCB Deputy Director General of the south-west region, Mutha Ashok Jain, told reporters outside his office when asked if the agency has evidence on the drugs nexus in While its mandate is to "look for the big fish" and probe international and inter-state drugs transactions, it will "not shirk its responsibility" now that it is getting information about this alleged drugs nexus, he added. "The whole idea of taking custody remand (of Showik and Miranda) is to make people confront each other to clarify their individual role. So, yes we will be asking her (Rhea) to join investigation and may be some other people because we also need to clarity as to who did what," he said. Showik and Miranda were arrested on Friday night by the NCB under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act after questioning them for 10 hours. The NCB produced them in a court here on Saturday. Seeking their custody, it said Showik needs to be confronted with Rajput's personal staff Dipesh Sawant, and Rhea who is the main accused in the actor's death case. Abdel Basit Parihar, arrested earlier in the drugs case, was in contact with Showik and Miranda, the NCB told the court. "Further, some characters are to be verified, who as per the CDR (Call Data Record) analysis, Whatsapp chat and preliminary interrogation are deeply entrenched in the drug trafficking," the agency added. Besides Showik and Miranda, Kaizan Ibrahim, another accused, was also produced before the court. He was remanded in judicial custody as the NCB did not seek his remand. Besides Showik, Miranda and Kaizan, the NCB has arrested Zaid Vilatra (21) and Parihar (23). Various angles surrounding Rajput's death are being probed by the CBI, Enforcement Directorate (ED) and NCB. Rajput was found hanging at his flat in Mumbai's Bandra area on June 14. Actor Rhea Chakraborty, his live-in partner, is accused of abetting his alleged suicide. A CBI team visited Rajput's Bandra flat again on Saturday as part of its investigation into the suicide case. Rajput's cooks Neeraj and Keshav, and his flatmate Siddharth Pithani accompanied the team, an official said. In the last two weeks, the central probe agency had visited the flat at least two times to reconstruct the sequence of events leading to the actor's death. Maharashtra Home minister Anil Deshmukh told reporters in Nagpur that the Mumbai police is extending full cooperation to the CBI. The case was earlier being handled by the Mumbai police. (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.) Two Americans who belong to the far-right movement known as Boogaloo Bois have been arrested after providing gun silencers to people they believed to be from the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, officials said Friday. Michael Solomon, 30, and Benjamin Teeter, 22, have been charged with conspiring and attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, the Justice Department said. Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, refuses to recognize Israel and is considered a terrorist organization by Israel and the United States. Boogaloo Bois is a loose-knit movement that shares followers with some neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups, as well as with libertarians and anarchists. The stridently anti-police and anti-authority movement promotes a "boogaloo" -- a new civil war to overthrow the government. Few had heard of it before this year. But the group drew attention after African American George Floyd was killed by police in May in Minneapolis, when its members joined street demonstrations as a ploy to attack police. They are distinguished by their embrace of assault weapons and military tactical vests, sometimes worn over flowery Hawaiian shirts, an inside joke for the group. The Justice Department said Solomon and Teeter, who admit belonging to Boogaloo Bois, were seen openly carrying guns in a Minneapolis neighborhood during the Floyd demonstrations and interacted with a witness who reported them to the FBI. They later came into contact with a police informant they believed to be a representative of Hamas in the United States. They proposed to act as "mercenaries" for Hamas and provide it with silencers and other gun parts in exchange for money to finance their own organization. They were arrested after delivering silencers to an FBI agent posing as a more senior Hamas official. "This case can only be understood as a disturbing example of the old adage, 'The enemy of your enemy is your friend,'" said Assistant Attorney General John Demers. "Thinking that they shared the same desire to harm the United States, they sought to join forces and provide support, including in the form of weapons accessories, to Hamas. They failed." Search Keywords: Short link: Let the adventures begin! By Ruqyyaha Deane View(s): View(s): With COVID-19 restrictions easing, many of us are looking to release some of the tedium of months of being cooped up in our homes by going on holiday. What if the chilled-out vacation is not your cup of tea? Here are some ideas for those looking for an adrenaline rush. Be it racing with your friends in state-of-the-art karts, going on a solo hike exploring the depths of the island, screaming your way down a zipline or being a part of an ATV adventure trail; check out a list of things you can do to satisfy the thrill-seeker in you. Sri Lanka Karting Circuit The Sri Lanka Karting Circuit (SLKC) which kicked off as a 750m long circuit initially in 2012 brought much excitement to those who loved the rush of being behind the wheel. Now, a 1.2 km long CIK B class certified facility located an hours drive from Colombo in Bandaragama, the SLKC is part of David Pieris Groups diversification into the leisure sector. We offer a world-class karting experience to everyone, even kids as young as four years old! says Eshan Pieris adding that they even have a 25m swimming pool with six lanes, an air rifle shooting range and a restaurant called The Paddock. Its a perfect place for a day out with your family and friends or even a quick pit-stop before heading off for a vacation as SLKC is located 10 minutes from the Gelanigama Highway Interchange on the Southern Highway. In compliance with COVID-19 health protocols, the SLKC follow a strict set of guidelines to safeguard their customers and staff which include prior reservations, face masks, temperature checks and social distancing. If customers have their own racing gear that is encouraged but if not clean equipment is provided. They also have a racing school where specialised programmes are available for all levels of drivers from rookie level to the pro-drivers who hope to have a career in motorsports. This is also available for kids as young as six and for adults the only limitation is physical and mental ability to go racing, Eshan says adding that their oldest customer is 62. The facility is in the process of being upgraded to a theme park with the addition of a go kart track and a water park being the first phase for development. The destination as a whole is going to become much bigger and will provide a more thrilling experience, Eshan promises. A round on the karts ranges from Rs. 1600 to Rs. 3000 depending on ones level and there are package deals to enjoy more racing for less money! For more information visit their website https://www.slkarting.com/ Crate Adventure (ATV adventure trail) Crate Adventure is Sri Lankas first all-terrain vehicle (ATV) adventure trail stretching across 50 acres of natural forest, in Buthpitiya, a 30 minute drive from Colombo. A usual package there begins with an ATV introductory briefing and test drive on their training track after which they begin their adventure trail, Founding Director of Crate Adventure Ranul Thantilage says. He adds that the ATVs are from Can Am wgcug, a world leading brand for ATVs and are the safest on the market and are top-notch. The trail includes many panoramic view points including their Elephant Rock lookout point from which the Colombo skyline, Central and Sabaragamuwa mountain-sides can be seen. The basic package can be further upgraded to a day package which also contains a session of rock pool kayaking, a trek through the forest with caves to explore, welcome drink, snack and traditional lunch buffet. Ranul also tells us that they have a panoramic glass cabin on location which gives guests a stunning view of Adams Peak, the Colombo skyline and more as it is built on a rock platform spanning 725 sq. feet. He adds that all ATVs undergo high-pressure washing, there is UV sterilization at the main office and disinfection of safety gear after usage with other standard COVID-19 health protocols being followed. The basic package is Rs. 7900 per head and the day package is Rs. 10,500 while a night at their glass cabin is currently going at a discounted rate of Rs. 14,500 per head on full-board basis. (These prices are for Sri Lankans). For more information visit their website https://www.crateadventure.com/ Hiking It may seem daunting to pack your bags in the middle of the night and board a train to Ella with your guitar as your only companion but Inthiqhab Majid did just that in order to catch what he calls the most beautiful sunrise he has seen. An avid hiker, Inthiqhab is known for his Instagram pages @inthiqhabm and @a_travelling_guitarist for his stunning pictures of Sri Lankan scenery and song covers atop places many people may not have heard of. Hiking may seem quite tame when compared to the other pursuits featured here but for those who enjoy a good trek and solitude, this is their calling. Hiking needs a lot of preparation and research especially if you are not familiar with the area, he says advising that for beginners it may be best to go with a group, but most times there are other people doing the same trail who are always willing to help a fellow hiker out. Venturing out to explore what the island has to offer is not just an adventure but a learning curve as you challenge yourself to become more open-minded and independent. Embracing the philosophy that life will only pass you by if you do nothing, Inthiqhab tells us that adventure is never too far for those who dare to go after it. Visit his Instagram pages for hiking locations and tips. Ravana Falls For those who have ziplining on their bucket list, the Flying Ravana Mega Zipline is the fastest and longest zipline experience in Sri Lanka, rated second longest in South Asia. Located in Ella and established in February 2019 by 98 Adventures Pvt Ltd, the two-wire zip-line stretches for exactly 550m and slides maximum at 80kmph offering a birds-eye view of the beautiful hills of the island. The adventure park is exclusively designed for adventure enthusiasts and adrenaline junkies who prefer a not-so-ordinary hillside experience, offering ATV/quad bike rides, abseiling, archery, air rifling and mountain biking for a gripping outdoor experience, the team from the Flying Ravana tells us. The concept behind Flying Ravana was for locals to be able to experience an international level adventure park without having to hop on a plane or break the bank. By utilising the finest equipment and having their ziplines certified by the European Ropes Course Association along with fully trained professional instructors, Flying Ravana ensures a memorable safe adventure. Additionally, with the current world pandemic situation, we have strengthened our safety measures even more by introducing routine temperature checks, hand washing/sanitation stations at every corner and hourly cleaning procedures that match the WHO, SLTDA and Vertex Instructor Training standards, the Flying Ravana team shared with us. A zipline ride costs Rs. 2500 with the second zipline ride being only Rs.1000. There is also 50% off the second activity (ATV ride, archery, etc) when you book the zipline ride. The other activities range from Rs. 4900 to around Rs. 1800. For more information visit their website https://www.flyingravana.com New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Friday sought a report from the Indian Mission in Saudi Arabia about a 32-year-old man from Hyderabad being sentenced to one years imprisonment and 300 lashes by a Saudi court after being convicted in a robbery case. Swarajs direction came after the family of Mohammed Mansoor Hussain, a resident of Malakpet in Hyderabad who holds an MBA degree, reached out to her through Twitter seeking her intervention in the case. I have asked for a report from Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia, Swaraj tweeted tonight. As per reports, Hussain is lodged in Wadi Al Dawasir jail in Saudi Arabia. He had been working as a marketing auditor at Abdel Hadi Abdullah Al Qahtani and Sons Limited in Riyadh since 2013. Hussains family claimed on August 25 last year he had gone to a bank to deposit nearly one lakh Saudi Riyal when he was allegedly robbed by some miscreants. When he went to a police station to lodge a complaint on the advice of his boss, he was taken to custody. According to reports, he has been sentenced to one years imprisonment and 300 lashes. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Daniel Prudes suffocation raises questions about use of the hoods and reliance on police in mental health crises. Not five minutes after police in the United States slipped a spit hood over Daniel Prudes head, the 41-year-old Black man went limp. A week later, he was taken off life support. Prudes suffocation, in Rochester, New York in March, has drawn new attention to the hoods mesh bags that have been linked to other deaths and the frequent reliance on police to respond to mental health emergencies. His death has underscored one of the top demands of the countrywide movement for police reform: that certain duties should not be handled by law enforcement but by social workers or mental health experts. Seven officers involved in the incident in Rochester were suspended with pay Thursday. While many in law enforcement defend the hoods as vital to prevent officers from being spit on or even bitten a concern that has taken on new importance during the coronavirus pandemic critics have denounced them as dangerous and inhumane. For some, they evoke hoods used on prisoners at US government overseas detention sites. Body camera footage emerged this week showing police officers holding down Daniel Prude on March 23 [Rochester Police via Roth and Roth LLP via AP] Amnesty International condemned the use of spit hoods Thursday, a day after Prudes family made public body camera video and police reports it obtained from the Rochester department. The organisation said the hoods are particularly dangerous when a person is already in distress, as Prude appeared to be. Police use of spit hoods often looks like something out of Abu Ghraib, said Adante Pointer, an Oakland civil rights lawyer who has handled several cases involving the devices, referring to the infamous prison in Iraq. Theyre often used in a punitive way, Pointer said. Just hours before his fatal encounter with police, Prude, who was in Rochester to visit his brother, was taken by police for a mental health evaluation after he was said to have expressed suicidal thoughts. Prudes brother told police he was calm when he returned to his house but later got high on PCP and ran away, prompting the brother to call 911. Police found Prude wandering the street naked after allegedly smashing a storefront window, and he could be seen on body camera footage spitting in the direction of officers and heard claiming to be infected with coronavirus. Officers said that led them to employ the hood. Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren announced Thursday that the officers involved in Prudes death had been suspended [Adrian Kraus/AP] Prude, handcuffed by this point, can be seen continuing to spit through the mesh and saying that he wanted an officers gun. The officers then pinned him to the ground, one of them keeping a knee on his back and another pressing his face into the pavement for two minutes. Minutes later, an officer could be heard saying, Ugh, hes puking. After realising Prude had stopped breathing, paramedics who had arrived began CPR. They put a bag over his head, and they squeezed the air out of him, said Nicolette Ward, a lawyer for one of Prudes daughters. He spent the last moments of his life breathing in his own vomit. At a news conference Thursday announcing the police officers suspensions, Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren said Prude was failed by the police department, our mental healthcare system, our society and he was failed by me. Prudes death has raised questions about how authorities respond to mental health emergencies, as well. Many other deaths at the hands of police have resulted from an encounter that began with a call about someones mental health and then devolved. T Nicolette Ward, lawyer for one of Daniel Prude's daughters Prudes death is the second one involving spit hoods to surface since the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police sparked a national reckoning on racism and policing. Floyds death did not involve a spit hood. Just three weeks after Prudes deadly encounter, a similar one happened in Tucson, Arizona. Police handcuffed and placed a spit hood on the head of a naked man also in distress. Carlos Ingram Lopez died after gasping for air and pleading for water. In both cases, details about the deaths did not emerge until weeks after. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed officials to effectively conduct the door-to-door survey, contact tracing and medical testing to control COVID-19 infection. A press note from the Information and Public Relations Department of said, " Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed to conduct the process of surveillance, door-to-door survey and medical tests effectively to control the Covid-19. He also asked to make extra efforts to augment ICU beds capacity." Presiding over a high-level unlock review meeting at Lok Bhawan on Friday, he said it is extremely necessary to take patients to Covid hospital at the earliest to save life. According to the press note, he laid stress on the importance of efficient surveillance in the fight against Corona. 2 The Chief Minister said that the special efforts are required to control Covid-19 infection in Lucknow, Kanpur Nagar, Gorakhpur, Varanasi and Prayagraj. He directed the Additional Chief Secretary, Medical Education to visit Kanpur Nagar on September 5 to make on-the-spot inspection of the health services. Similarly, he directed Additional Chief Secretary of Health and Additional Chief Secretary of Panchayati Raj and Rural Development to review the situation in Lucknow. They should be accompanied by the VC of KGMU and the Director of SGPGI. He asserted that the situation in these two major cities has to be controlled. He also directed that the Additional Chief Secretary, Medical Education and the team will further move to Prayagraj for the inspection on September 6. He asked to conduct regular checkup of jail inmates and said the new prisoners should be kept in temporary jails first. The Chief Minister said that only bonafide persons should enter the secretariat while the unnecessary new entry passes are not to be made. The Chief Minister said the ban on Gutka and betel should be observed strictly. The CM reiterated timely disposal of routine files and said no file should remain pending for more than seven days. He expressed satisfaction over good GST collection despite adverse conditions. He asked to increase it further by more registration as well as training to fill up the returns. He directed to make an effective action plan for practical solution to the problems of weavers, the press note added. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Khayrullo Turdiyevich Tursunov, who asked his sister to visit him "for the last time", is serving a 16-year sentence for studying the Quran and praying without authorisation. In prison he caught tuberculosis. Tashkent (AsiaNews/Forum 18) Khayrullo Turdiyevich Tursunov, a 45-year-old Muslim prisoner of conscience, was transferred from a "special regime" prison in Karaulbazar to a "strict regime" prison in Navoiy, towards north-eastern Uzbekistan. His family, which cannot visit him officially because of the COVID-19 pandemic, lives in Karshi, in the south of country, approximately 250 km from Navoiy, a four-hour drive because of the poor state of the roads. Tursonov's relatives wonder why the authorities moved him to such a distant prison instead of holding him in a nearby prison. Forum 18 reports that the family is also concerned because in a recent phone call Khayrullo asked his sister Nigora Tursunova to visit him perhaps for the last time". She fears for her brothers health since he caught tuberculosis in Karaulbazar prison. For their part, prison officials claim his "safety is guaranteed and he is engaged in useful labour". In June 2013, Khayrullo Tursunov was sentenced to 16 years in prison for studying the Quran and praying in private with fellow Muslims. Such activities were not authorised. As a consequence, Tursunov was arrested after being extradited from Kazakhstan. Locusts, Rodents, Floods Destroy Crops in Chinas Yunnan Province Southern China has suffered its worst natural disasters in decades this year. Farmers in Yunnan Province say that in addition to the floods, an ongoing locust plague and rodent infestation have damaged nearly all the crops. Locust invasions in parts of southern China began in late June. Puer city, in southern Yunnan, was reported to have had more than 28 square miles (73 square kilometers) of farming areas covered by invading locusts by the evening of July 9. At the time, state media reports claimed that the locust plague was eventually placed under control. But Ms. Ni from Tongguan town, Mojiang county in Puer told The Epoch Times that on July 29, a large group of locusts moved into the local area. They left two or three days later. The bamboo was seriously affected. A group of locusts flew past (here), resting on bamboo. There were more than 3,000 locusts on a cluster of bamboos (about 20 bamboos) and it looked like a nest. Later, it was wiped out with pesticide to prevent it from laying eggs there, she told the publication on Aug. 30. Ms. Ni said that the locust mainly harms bamboo and corn. Since the local area is far from the border of Laos, where the locusts migrated from, the corn is not yet affected. But she is worried about the corn field. She explained that in mild scenarios, the corn leaves would be gone, and in the most serious case, there would be zero corn harvest. Ms. Li said that the situation in Jiangcheng county in Puer is more serious due to its close proximity to Laos. An employee of a courier company in Jiangcheng county told The Epoch Times that some local crops have been completely destroyed by the invading locusts. Swarms of locusts attacked the grain field, and munched on the ears of rice. It looks like a grasshopper, five or six times larger than a grasshopper. Its like a gray cloak covering the entire region and a lot of grain was eaten, he said. China news portal Sohu reported that Niuluo River and other areas in Jiangcheng had a large number of locusts in mid-July. After 4 p.m. every day, the swarms of locusts migrating from Laos covered the sky and sounded like the roar of an engine. Corn Destroyed by Locusts, Rodents, and Floods On Aug. 27, the Yunnan Provincial Forestry and Grassland Administration posted a notice on Weibo, a Chinese microblogging website. The post stated that since the end of June, the yellow-spined bamboo locusts invaded the province until Aug. 26; but the situation was kept under control because the authorities took timely and preventive measures. As of Aug. 28, the migration of locusts has not been detected in Jiangcheng county, Niuluo River Nature Reserve, and the border of Qushui town for 20, 36 and 34 consecutive days. The areas that have been infested by yellow-spined bamboo locusts in Yunnan has been cleared. However, a resident told The Epoch Times a different story. Ms. Wang from Kangping township, Jiangcheng county told the publication on Aug. 30 that the locusts had invaded her hometown last month. It has been 20 days. When they came, they were in groups. They came like those little birds that would fly to the entrance of the village in flocks. It took several minutes for the locusts to fly by and the swarm blocked the sun in the sky. Ms. Wang said that although the local government has mobilized a large number of personnel and agricultural experts to eradicate locusts, the situation was difficult to control as the locusts didnt always travel in groups like they usually do. Now that the locusts are scattered and difficult to spot themsome here, some there, they move quickly, and they fly like a bird. Ms. Wang said that the disaster caused by locusts is very serious. They eat everything, corn and bamboo leaves. They especially like to eat the bamboo leaves. The bamboo tips and leaves are all eaten, and everything is eaten up, wherever they go. The bamboo and the leaves for making the broom are all eaten. In serious cases, the shells of the corn are eaten, and all the corn is eaten. It has a big impact. Ms. Wang grows tea, corn, and nuts. In addition to the locust plague this year, rodent infestation has also caused great loss in her field. There are also a lot of rodents. They eat everything. The damage is serious, the corn is all earless and all eaten up. The nuts we planted are all gone. We only planted about two acres of corn. If there were about 1,300 pounds of corn after harvest, we could only end up with half of it. If it is in terms of cash, we are likely to lose several thousand yuan, about five or six thousand yuan ($730 to $877). Ms. Wang said that there have been many natural disasters this year. Farmers by the riverside suffered from floods, which caused great losses to the crops they planted. Our local village and township next to the river were hit by floods. The rows of corn and the planted rice were flooded. The pond overflowed and the fish spilled out. I dont live by the river, so my home didnt get flooded. When asked if the authorities have provided any aid to the farmers, Ms. Wang said theres no sign of it. Havent heard anything about the relief. Dont know what to do. Too much has been eaten [by the locusts]. Its been reported [to the authorities], but the relief, I dont have a clue. Ms. Wang also mentioned the damage caused by wild elephants that frequently appeared in the area. The wild elephants eat in the corn field, one patch after another. They eat quite a lot, they come in groups, one herd after another. The elephant area has no harvest this year. She sighed and said, This year the crops have suffered too muchthe floods, the locusts, and the rodents. Yesterday, a foreign car crashed into a cow in the Grozny region, the website of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Chechnya informs. The emergency call was received at 18:00. The traffic police found that at about 17:50 the Hyundai Greta driver, born in 1983, hit a cow crossing the carriageway in the village of Pobedinskoye. As a result of the accident, no one was injured, but the car was damaged. THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Directorate of Higher Secondary Education, DHSE, Kerala has started the HSCAP Allotment 2020 from today (September 5). The HSCAP Trial Allotment list is published on the official website hscap.kerala.gov.in. Students who have applied for admission can check the website to know the school, institute they are being allotted. HSCAP Allotment list is the trial allotment list for admission to first-year higher secondary courses in the government and aided higher secondary schools in the state.The last date to apply for admission was till August 25, 2020. Trial allotment list has been published after considering the valid applications and options available as per the conditions mentioned in the pro spectus. Here's how to HSCAP Allotment 2020 list: - Visit the official website hscap.kerala.gov.in - On the home page, on the left hand column, the Trial Allotment List link is given. Click on it. - Enter your application number and submit to check your details and provisional allotment However, the candidates can make changes in their applications till 5 pm on September 8 by choosing the `Edit Application' link on the website. The admission process would begin after the first allotment list is released. The Kerala Plus One Admission 2020 will be conducted online, to prevent the spread of the virus. We do not make this decision lightly, especially after all of the efforts on the part of so many people to make the campus environment safe for the return of in-person classes, JMU said in its Tuesday statement. All along, we understood that we might need to transition to online learning at any moment if circumstances required. All kinds of plans have been canceled, postponed or altered to less-than-ideal online settings during COVID-19. Birthday parties, weddings, conferences and overseas trips are just a few examples. The difference with higher education is: The commitment is not a one-off affair. Its an expensive, binding decision that requires consistency to create progress. If you were in the middle of a steak dinner at a restaurant and were told to leave, wouldnt you be upset? You probably would ask for a refund, too. Asking students to move in and out of campus every four weeks is beyond the pale of what we consider appropriate. Rajesh Asnani By Express News Service JAIPUR: The Shivraj Singh Chouhans decision to reserve all government jobs in Madhya Pradesh for locals has found a taker in Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot. The corridors of power in Jaipur are abuzz with news that Gehlot is going to make all government jobs available only for bonafide unemployed youth of Rajasthan. Reportedly, the decision came about after a high-level meeting of Gehlot with Rajasthan State Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra in which a seven-point agenda was discussed to tackle the grave crisis of unemployment. Keen to provide major opportunities of employment to the locals, Gehlot is said to have directed heads of personnel and administrative reforms to give the idea an early shape in terms of action and policy. The government will soon put the proposal before the Cabinet and only after its approval and necessary legal changes, the government will advertise for various vacancies under different categories. The idea is to give relief to large sections of society that are reeling under the effects of Covid crisis, a senior administrative officer said. Ever since Madhya Pradesh made the quota announcement in August, the opposition BJP had been demanding that the Gehlot government to act accordingly to safeguard the interests of the youth of Rajasthan. Back then, Dotasra had dubbed the MP governments move as an antic to woo the voters for poll compulsions. Though the Constitution prohibits discrimination based on place of birth, the apex court has held domicile reservation, especially in educational institutions, as valid but it should be as per constitutional provisions. Experts have pointed out that job seekers from Rajasthan have seen opportunities dwindling on account of other states resorting to impositions like necessity of being a domicile, knowledge of local language or dialect or graduating from local institutions, while the doors to employment are open without restrictions in Rajasthan. Govt opposes Adanis takeover of Jaipur airport Rajasthan has opposed the Centres decision to hand over Jaipur airports management to Adani Group. It has written to the Centre saying no permission was taken from the state aviation directorate MTN Ghana has applied to the Supreme Court to review the High Court's recent decision regarding the declaration of the company as a Significant Market Power (SMP). According to MTN Ghana, it filed for the review on Friday, September 4, 2020 after a careful review of the court's judgment on the suit against the National Communications Authority (NCA) over its market share regulation and its related matters. On Tuesday, September 1, 2020, the High Court of Justice (Commercial Division) dismissed the company's application for a judicial review of the declaration by the NCA of MTN Ghana as an SMP. MTN Ghana says although it respects the decision of the Court, it is however of the view, the judgement did not address concerns that the NCA's decision did not meet the requirements of procedural fairness. The telecommunication giant also acknowledges the duties and powers of the NCA to promote fair competition amongst licensed operators. In a statement sighted by citinewsroom.com MTN Ghana expressed the companys support to the legitimate exercise of the NCA's regulatory powers. But as a good corporate citizen and considering the international investment community we believe that a decision by the highest court of the land would provide certainty and veritable precedence on the procedural fairness in this, and future regulatory decisions of the Authority. This will no doubt safeguard the interest of customers, shareholders, investors and the wider industry. I believe Friday's step still provides an opportunity for further engagements with the regulatory authorities, MTN stated. MTN Ghana further assures its cherished customers, shareholders and other stakeholders of its unflinching commitment to its regulatory obligations and support for the Ghanaian Government's efforts to enhance growth and competition in all segments of the telecommunications market. The company will continue to invest and innovate to realise its belief that every Ghanaian deserves the benefits of modern connected life. MTN Ghana will refrain from further statements or comments on this matter until it becomes necessary to update all stakeholders of future material developments, it added. 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 Ghana's 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. ---citinewsroom Jamie, 34, was in her local bakery, wearing a mask, as she queued to buy bread. A man joined the queue behind her, about a foot away, not wearing a mask. She stepped forward, eager to maintain social distancing. He stepped closer, assuming the line was moving. A man behind the counter intervened: Hey mate, you need a mask. The man feigned ignorance: A mask? Since lockdown began, Jamie has felt wary of strangers. I would rather be as careful as I can. Everything is a risk at the moment, she tells The Independent. She has been out to dinner once but it was only because a friend was visiting so she felt she couldnt miss it. But pubs and supermarkets? Absolutely not, she says. I just dont think its worth it. One of the main concerns Jamie has is other people not keeping a two-metre distance. Many of the safety measures rely on an individuals compliance wear a mask, sanitise your hands, keep your hands away from your face but one of the rules requires cooperation with others. People not observing social distancing measures makes me feel quite alarmed, Jamie says. I try to get away from them as much as possible. And she isnt the only one. Matt, 39, in Brighton says he feels similarly, despite the government easing lockdown measures and encouraging workers to return to the office, or visit restaurants under last months Eat Out To Help Out scheme. Im staying in a lot, Matt says. At least I know I can feel safe in my flat. I dont have to worry. Recommended How it feels to have your husband in intensive care with coronavirus From childhood we are taught about stranger danger. In 1981, a film produced by the Home Office and shown across the UK called Say No To Strangers was designed to instil fear following a spate of high-profile abductions, including the Moors murders. Most adults today will either have seen that film themselves as a child or have a parent who did. We all know not to take sweets from strangers. Over the coming decades this life-long caution of strangers was exacerbated by societal divisions. Now it wasnt strangers lurking in dark alleyways we were told to fear but otherness more generally those who did not look, sound or vote like us. Leavers and remoaners, snowflakes and Karens, millennials and boomers; there were many ways to categorise the opposing team. And this wasnt just rhetoric: after the 2016 Brexit referendum, hate crime in England and Wales rocketed and a 2018 study found Britain was hugely divided. But then Covid-19 arrived the 2020 event we were told would be the great equaliser. And we stood side-by-side on our doorsteps clapping for the NHS, as frontline workers fought to save those in need. People also volunteered to help their communities in record numbers. Perhaps a pandemic was what we all needed to remind us to love thy neighbour? Things changed; it was easy to be endeared to strangers when we were all trapped at home. As lockdown easing began, Boris Johnson told us all to stay two metres apart from those outside our households. Even in the tightest of circumstances they would concede only a one-metre gap. Once again, we were taught to be wary of those we did not know, with masks and metres acting as signals that we are living with an invisible threat and the main source of that threat is other people. Rankin unveils portraits of NHS workers on the coronavirus frontline Show all 12 1 /12 Rankin unveils portraits of NHS workers on the coronavirus frontline Rankin unveils portraits of NHS workers on the coronavirus frontline Marc Lyons ICU Consultant, East Cheshire NHS Trust PA Rankin unveils portraits of NHS workers on the coronavirus frontline Emma Kelly Critical Care Nurse, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust PA Rankin unveils portraits of NHS workers on the coronavirus frontline Laura Arrowsmith COVID-19 Ward Cleaner, Leighton Hospital, Crewe PA Rankin unveils portraits of NHS workers on the coronavirus frontline Stuart Brookfield Paramedic, South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust PA Rankin unveils portraits of NHS workers on the coronavirus frontline Claudia Anghel Midwife, University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire PA Rankin unveils portraits of NHS workers on the coronavirus frontline Sarah Jensen Chief Information Officer, Barts Health NHS Trust PA Rankin unveils portraits of NHS workers on the coronavirus frontline Anne Roberts District Nurse, Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust PA Rankin unveils portraits of NHS workers on the coronavirus frontline Ali Abdi Porter, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust PA Rankin unveils portraits of NHS workers on the coronavirus frontline Jack Hannay Manikum 111 call handler, West Midlands Ambulance Service PA Rankin unveils portraits of NHS workers on the coronavirus frontline Ade Williams Superintendent Pharmacist, Bedminster Pharmacy in Bristol PA Rankin unveils portraits of NHS workers on the coronavirus frontline Farzana Hussain GP, Project Surgery, Newham PA Rankin unveils portraits of NHS workers on the coronavirus frontline Roopak Khara General Adult Psychiatrist, West London NHS Trust PA The stranger on the street could [now], in theory, be deadly, even without deadly intentions, Jacek Debiec, assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Michigan tells me over Skype. In Debiecs state of Michigan, the cultural fear of other, which was exacerbated in President Trumps first race for the White House, has now blended explosively with politicised public health issues like face masks. There have been hundreds of incidents of violence between strangers over the issue. In the US, masks not only symbolise the threat of Covid, but the threat of the political other, the person who will vote against what you consider right and necessary. Debiec had hoped the pandemic would be a time to reset some of these things but, says, if we look to the past, its not promising. He points to how the Great Plague of Athens in 430 BC led to the fall, not strengthening, of Athenian democracy. He believes these fears will deepen before they begin to dissipate: We cant feed anger, hate and anxiety without consequences. Most of the time in history there is some sort of conflict in order to reset ... I think we have to get further away from each other in order to realise we depend on each other. He doesnt think were there yet. Its a recipe for a mental health time bomb And this has the capacity to create long-term consequences for individuals. Harley Street phobia expert Adam Cox believes that many of the measures were being asked to take have the potential to become a sensitising event something that, triggered by a high level of anxiety, moves fear out of a specific context and into a broader setting, developing into a phobia. For example, how an encounter with one aggressive dog could lead to a fear of all dogs. You hear about the movie IT causing phobias of clowns or Jaws causing phobias of sharks, Cox says. In a pandemic youve got people in highly anxious situations surrounded by things that could become generalised very quickly. Its a recipe for a mental health time bomb. This is something we shouldnt underestimate, says Cox. I work with people who have fear of clowns, masks or costumes, and for a lot of them, it all comes back to when they were four and forced to sit on Santas lap, he says. That was a single moment and it has lasted a lifetime. We have to be aware that there is going to be lots of those moments taking place, all over the world. Trauma therapist Lucinda Gordon Lennox from The Recovery Centre thinks it doesnt help that British leadership has given conflicting advice on safety with repeated government U-turns or, for example, Michael Gove saying just 12 hours before masks were made mandatory that they should not be made so. Furthermore, the devolved nations have all developed different roadmaps. Gordon Lennox says: We need really clear guidelines from the government about what is safe and what is not safe. Without it... it is so illogical people are frightened. Recommended Caring for someone with dementia during a pandemic For months, leaving the house or using public transport was deemed so unsafe that it was against the law. Now, without a vaccine in the interim, nor the eradication of the virus, we are told these activities are safe again. Debiec says just like when we enter the world as a child, we are not hardwired to stranger danger, we have to be taught. And the government has successfully done this and is now trying to undo it. This conundrum even led statistician Professor David Spiegelhalter to claim the stay at home message had been too successful. Our physiological response to fear is brilliant for the right threat. Our hearts pump harder to send more blood to our muscles, we release glucose to give us energy. But this response might not be so helpful now. For starters, remaining hypervigilant is exhausting and can impact the immune system. Additionally, part of this response is to shut down our rational brain. Yet rational thinking is precisely what we need. Gordon Lennox is keen that we move from fear to caution, alleviating our bodies from this exhausting trauma response. Debiec likens it to the plains of the Serengeti: Zebras can see the lions are close but as long as the lions dont attack, theyre not running away. If theyre being attacked, they will run away and then stop. But theyre not endlessly running. They know what the safe distance is. And that is something for us to learn, both physically and emotionally. We either we wait for the system to become safe again or some people [will have to] dig deep in themselves... The experts say what we need, in lieu of this fear, is empathy and compassion. This itself is a route to feeling less fearful because if we humanise strangers, they become less threatening and we become less anxious. Gordon Lennox recommends trying one new thing a day. Know what feels safe enough. But be gentle with yourself, have self-compassion. Debiec agrees we should know what feels safe and try to set boundaries for ourselves and with other people know who, what and where makes you feel safe. Debiec says ironically it often isnt the objective danger of the situation that causes us fear, but more a concern that other people arent on the same page as us or taking the situation seriously. Debiec volunteered on a Covid ward at the start of the pandemic and says: Paradoxically I felt safer there than anywhere else because I knew everyone would be taking precautions. Managing fear in the coming months, Gordon Lennox says, fundamentally means either we wait for the system to become safe again or some people [will have to] dig deep in themselves. Jamie, meanwhile, has decided to go with the former, waiting for a vaccine to be widely available before she enjoys spontaneous encounters with strangers again. Democratic Party presidential candidate Joe Biden said he would take a strong stand against Chinas human rights abuses in Tibet, and take measures to support Tibetans cultural and religious rights, including meeting exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama. "As President, Ill put values back at the center of American foreign policy, Biden said in a Sept. 3 statement. Ill meet with [exiled Tibetan spiritual leader] His Holiness the Dalai Lama, appoint a new Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues, and insist that the Chinese government restore access to Tibet for U.S. citizens, including our diplomats and journalists, Biden said. My administration will [also] sanction Chinese officials responsible for human rights abuses in Tibet, and step up support for the Tibetan people, including by expanding Tibetan language services at Radio Free Asia and Voice of America to get information from the outside world into Tibet, Biden said. Biden also pledged to work with U.S. allies to press Beijing to return to talks with representatives of the Tibetan people to achieve greater freedoms and autonomy in the formerly independent Himalayan country, which China took over by force nearly 70 years ago. Nine rounds of talks were held between envoys of the Dalai Lama and high-level Chinese officials beginning in 2002, but stalled in 2010 and were never resumed. The Dalai Lama has met with the last four U.S. presidents, sometimes in unofficial drop-by encounters during scheduled meetings with other senior U.S. government figures, but has not yet met with Donald Trump, who has not invited him to the White House, media sources say. Reached for comment, Karma Choeyinga spokesperson for the Central Tibetan Administration, Tibets India-based government in exilewelcomed Bidens statement, noting that successive U.S. administrations and the U.S. Congress have continuously supported the just cause of Tibet. Today, the U.S. Democratic Presidential Candidate is promising to do the same, and we welcome his statement, Choeying said. Whether it is religious freedom in Tibet, human rights, the preservation of culture and protection of the Tibetan peoples values, or expansion of the Radio Free Asia and Voice of America Tibetan language servicesall of these agendas listed in Joe Bidens statement are needed and good, added Pema Jungney, Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile in Dharamsala, India. If he wins, I hope he will do what hes promised, Pema Jungney said. For now, [Biden] is a candidate and not yet elected, Nima Dorjee, a Tibetan resident of Dharamsala, said. And the words of a presidential candidate and a sitting president have different weight. If he wins and stays true to his words, this would be good news. Visas for Chinese officials restricted Tibet policy initiatives of the Trump administration have drawn support from the India-based CTA and the Washington-based Tibetan advocacy group the International Campaign for Tibet. On July 7, 2020, U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo announced U.S. visa restrictions on selected Chinese officials deemed responsible for policies restricting access for foreigners to Tibetan areas of China, pursuant to the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act signed into law by President Trump in December 2018. The law also requires the State Department to provide to the Congress each year a list of U.S. citizens denied entry into Tibet. Washington has long complained that Chinese diplomats, scholars, and journalists enjoy unrestricted travel in the United States, while China tightly restricts the access of U.S. counterparts to Tibet and other areas. A formerly independent nation, Tibet was invaded and incorporated into China by force nearly 70 years ago, following which the Dalai Lama and thousands of his followers fled into exile in India and other countries around the world. Chinese authorities maintain a tight grip on the 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 Ugyen Tenzin for RFA's Tibetan Service. Translated by Rigdhen Dolma. Written in English by Richard Finney. Vietnamese Ambassador to Egypt Tran Thanh Cong (left) in an interview with reporter from Nile Cultural TV channel (Photo: VNA) During the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to Egypt Tran Thanh Cong also met the local media to introduce the culture and cuisine, achievements in the socio-economic development of Vietnam and important milestones in Vietnam-Egypt relations. The ambassador emphasized that the 75th National Day of Vietnam coincided with the 57th anniversary of Vietnam-Egypt diplomatic relations, while recalling the historical visit to Vietnam by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi in 2017, during which more than 20 cooperation agreements in fields of economy, education and collaboration among localities were signed. According to him, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh recently held phone talks with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry to discuss cooperation measures amidst the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and seek new development orientations for the bilateral partnership. Mr. Tran Thanh Cong hoped that in the future, the two sides will enjoy more fruitful cooperation thanks to the implementation of commitments they made in 2017 and 2018./. Charleston, SC (29403) Today Rain showers in the morning becoming a steady light rain in the afternoon. High 42F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Icy conditions with periods of freezing rain. Low 29F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precip 90%. The spat between actor Kangana Ranaut and Shiv Sena continued on Saturday with party MP Sanjay Raut telling her to use her own Twitter handle and not tweet through the IT cell of a political party. One needs to use their Twitter handle themselves, instead of allowing the IT cell of a political party to do so, said Raut. The Shiv Sena and Congress have alleged that the BJP IT cell is behind Ranauts Twitter account. BJP, however, has distanced itself from the actors remarks, saying it does not subscribe to anti-Mumbai or anti-Maharashtra sentiments. The controversy erupted after Ranaut on Thursday tweeted that Raut had issued an open threat to her to not return to the city if she had no faith in the Mumbai Police. Sanjay Raut Shiv Sena leader has given me an open threat and asked me not to come back to Mumbai, after Aazadi graffitis in Mumbai streets and now open threats, why Mumbai is feeling like Pakistan occupied Kashmir? she had tweeted. The comment sparked a political row, with Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh on Friday saying she has no right to stay in Mumbai. The minister had said, Mumbai Police is compared to Scotland Yard. Some people are trying to target Mumbai Police. After her uncalled-for remarks over Mumbai Police, she has no right to live in Maharashtra or Mumbai. On Saturday however, he refused to comment on the spat. I dont want to say anything on the issue, he said. Deshmukh also evaded a question on Rauts demand that the home ministry should act against Ranaut for casting aspersions over the credibility of Mumbai Police. Meanwhile, Sena legislator Pratap Sarnaik reiterated on Saturday that Sena women workers will slap Ranaut when she arrives in Mumbai and he was willing to go to jail for this act. The National Commission for Woman (NCW) chairperson Rekha Sharma on Friday had demanded the arrest of Sarnaik. Sarnaik said that Ranaut had insulted Maharashtra with her PoK remarks. This issue concerns the pride of Maharashtra and there will be no compromise on this front. Ranaut needs to apologise for her PoK remarks or else she will face the music from our womens wing, said Sarnaik. Sena workers held demonstrations across the state and key leaders continued their tirade against Ranaut. The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), which had on Friday threatened to file a case against Ranaut for anti-national activity, on Saturday called the whole controversy as diversionary tactics adopted by the Sena for covering its governments failure to handle the Covid-19 pandemic. She [Kangana] is just hungry for publicity and I cannot understand why so much importance is given by the Sena to her. This seems to us a tactic to divert attention from its mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic, said MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande. (Inputs from Pradip Kumar Maitra) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 16:30:49|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Xinhua writer Guo Yage BEIJING, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Over the past 20 years, the Pentagon's annual report on China's military development has always been one of Washington's major avenues to peddle its "China threat" theory. This year's edition is unsurprisingly no exception. The recently released 200-page report is crowded with anti-China hogwash. By using such speculative words as "likely" and "probably" to misinterpret China's national defense policy, it tries to mislead the world that the development of the Chinese military poses "serious implications" for global security. Fear-mongering over China has always been the Pentagon's trick to demand more appropriations from the U.S. Congress. A fabricated grave threat to world peace can also help Washington sell more weapons to its allies, and serves as an excuse for America's pursuit of global domination. With the election day around the corner, many inside the United States assume that the White House is trying to use the report to drum up its getting-tough-on-China campaign in order to score political points. CNN commented earlier this week that the China report "published in the run up to the 2020 election as President Donald Trump is looking to make his increasingly aggressive stance towards Beijing a key campaign issue." However, while Washington is selling its latest "China-scare" fiction to the world, it is hard to overlook such facts that the United States spent more on military than 144 countries combined in 2018 and maintains nearly 800 military bases in over 70 countries. The world's top military power also invaded sovereign countries based on lies, sent warships and fighter jets to far-flung waters to ignite regional tensions, and turned its back on its due global responsibility in arms control and nuclear non-proliferation. The Chinese military is in no way close to what the report has pictured. Beijing has persisted on a path of peaceful development, and its military expenditure faithfully reflects this truth. China is now the world's second largest economy, yet its defense spending has stayed much below the world average for years, and its defense budget growth rate has been falling in recent years. An official defense white paper issued in July last year said China's military has cut 300,000 personnel to keep the total active force at 2 million, with the number of personnel in the leading organs at and above regiment level down by about 25 percent and that of non-combat units by almost 50 percent. In the meantime, the Chinese military is faithfully implementing a defense-oriented policy. It has been committed to a self-defense nuclear strategy, vowing not to first use nuclear weapons at any time and under any circumstances. China has been widely recognized for consistently maintaining its strong commitment to global nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament efforts. In early March, it issued a joint statement with France, Russia, Britain and the United States, reaffirming their pledge to honor the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in all its aspects. The Chinese military has also been working with others to safeguard world peace. China, with over 2,500 "blue helmets" across the world, is now the largest contributor of personnel to United Nations (UN) peacekeeping missions among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. Over the years, Chinese peacekeepers carried out missions to clear landmines in Lebanon, built roads in South Sudan, and cured the sick in the Democratic Republic of Congo. And the Chinese navy ships have also been on escort missions for vessels sailing in the Gulf of Aden. Moreover, Beijing has been actively supporting international military regulations and participating in global security governance. It has voiced on many occasions its full and steadfast support for the International Atomic Energy Agency, and has recently joined the Arms Trade Treaty. Facts speak louder than words. The U.S. administration's conspiracies behind the flawed report can fool no sober minds around the world. If Washington truly cares about building a more stable and peaceful world, it should join China for that end, rather than waste time producing lies. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-06 03:05:45|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CAIRO, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Egypt and Bahrain welcomed on Saturday any initiatives aimed at achieving a comprehensive and just peace for the Palestinian cause based on the references of international legitimacy. The remarks came in a joint statement released after a meeting in Cairo between Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Bahraini counterpart Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani. During the meeting, both ministers affirmed the need to preserve the principle of the two-state solution, according to the statement. They also stressed the need to halt any Israeli annexation attempts of the Palestinian territories and to continue support for endeavors aimed at achieving peace and stability in the region. The statement said that the two ministers expressed support for a consensual political solution that preserves the sovereignty and unity of Libya. They also affirmed the importance of confronting terrorism and destructive foreign interferences while discussing ways to intensify joint work in order to enhance stability for the benefit of both sides. In addition, the two officials agreed to take more measures to enhance bilateral economic, investment and trade cooperation in the coming period so as to be in line with the huge potentials and opportunities in Egypt and Bahrain. Enditem Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said he supported the decision to set up a grand jury. Justice delayed is justice denied and the people of New York deserve the truth, Mr. Cuomo said in a statement. The Rochester police chief has denied that the department covered up Mr. Prudes death. The seven officers found to be involved in the encounter with Mr. Prude were suspended this week after the release of the videos. Protesters have taken to the streets of Rochester every night since the release of the body camera footage, and on Friday night, what began as a peaceful rally took a violent turn. Protesters marching past restaurants overturned tables and threw furniture and bottles as diners scattered. Police officers in riot gear responded with pepper spray and orders to disperse. Soon after, two cars drove into a crowd of demonstrators, knocking at least two people to the ground. In videos shared on Twitter, the driver of at least one car can be seen spraying demonstrators with an irritant and racing away. Daniel Prude, who is from Chicago, arrived at his brothers home in Rochester on March 22, behaving erratically and apparently hallucinating. His brother had him hospitalized for an evaluation, but Mr. Prude was sent home hours later. Early on the morning of March 23, Mr. Prude bolted from his brothers house, and was found naked in the street shortly after 3 a.m. A group of police officers arrived and handcuffed him without incident, but when Mr. Prude began spitting in the street as coronavirus cases were rising sharply throughout the state officers placed a hood over his head. In the hit series Vikings, Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel) has a number of sons. When they were younger, the sons of Ragnar did everything they could to be like the father they idolized. Once he is killed, they come together to bring the Great Heathen Army to England, and nothing is ever the same after that. Ragnar and his sons are constantly discussed by fans of the series. Fans on Reddit recently weighed in on the best son of Ragnar. Read on to learn who they chose. Ragnar Lothbroks sons Alexander Ludwig | Ernesto Ruscio/Getty Images When we first meet Ragnar, he has one son by Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick), named Bjorn Ironside (Alexander Ludwig). Ragnars dream was always to have more sons, and when temptations arise, he sleeps with Aslaug (Alyssa Sutherland), conceiving Ubbe (Jordan Patrick Smith) in the process. When Aslaug comes calling while heavily pregnant, Lagertha makes the choice to leave Ragnar behind and divorce him for his unfaithfulness. Aslaug becomes the second wife of Ragnar, and gives him four sons altogether: Ubbe, Hvitserk (Marco Ils), Sigurd (David Lindstrom), and Ivar the Boneless (Alex Hgh Andersen). Years later, Ragnar is fighting for the Mercians and Queen Kwenthrith (Amy Bailey), who later claims to have Ragnars child, Magnus (Dean Ridge). After Kwenthrith dies, Ragnar actually tells King Ecbert (Linus Roache) that Magnus isnt his son, and Magnus is kicked out of his home in the kings castle. Which character do fans feel is the best son of Ragnar Lothbrok? RELATED: Vikings: Why Bjorn Ironside Was Always Ragnar Lothbroks Favorite Son On the Reddit page for the series, fans recently weighed in on who they think is the best son of Ragnar. 2,900 people participated in the poll, and the results arent that surprising. Bjorn Ironside is the clear winner with 1,306 votes declaring him as the most popular choice. Ubbe was next with 1,002 votes for him. Ivar came in third with 462 votes. Hvitserk was the fourth with only 47 votes. Magnus, even though officially denied by Ragnar as being his son, received 46 votes. Sigurd only managed 19 votes out of the total number that participated. Fans weigh in with comments about the sons of Ragnar It didnt just stop there. Fans also weighed in with comments and their own 2 cents about who they believe is the best son of Ragnar. One fan chose Ubbe, and says hes the only one to implement his fathers vision. He is the only son of Ragnar who is able to go beyond fighting and implement his fathers vision (a settlement in England, a more peaceful and sophisticated Norway) while pursuing his own dreams (Iceland and beyond), a fan wrote. Another fan says Ubbe is more like Ragnar, but they still favor Bjorn. Ubbe is the most like him but Bjorn is my fave, a fan said. A fan says Ivar is their personal favorite, as hes an entertaining character. I think Bjorn and Ubbe are probably technically the best but I think Ivar is my favorite. Hes just such an entertaining character, another fan commented. One fan thinks the best son is Ivar as well. Ivar 100 percent. Embodies the fighting spirit of the Vikings and intelligence of his father. Then Ubbe. But not Bjorn, hes too weak of character and in leadership, they said. Bjorn was the clear winner of the poll in regards to the best son of Ragnar Lothbrok. However, opinions are all over the place, and fans have a lot of different thoughts when it comes to Ragnars sons. An electrical box on fire in Fountain Valley, Calif., on Sept. 4, 2020. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Fountain Valley Electrical Box Explosion Injures 2 Workers FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif.At approximately 11 p.m. on Sept. 4, an electrical box on Newhope St. in Fountain Valley, Orange County, Calif., exploded and erupted in flames, cutting the power for nearly a dozen businesses in the area. The Fountain Valley Police Department responded to the incident about five minutes later. Two maintenance workers were injured. Firefighters on scene to put out an electrical box on fire in Fountain Valley, Calif., on Sept. 4, 2020. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) A firefighter puts out a fire in an electrical box in Fountain Valley, Calif., on Sept. 4, 2020. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Firefighters stand near an electric box that caught fire in Fountain Valley, Calif., on Sept. 4, 2020. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Two workers were injured while working on the electrical box, and they are being transported to a nearby hospital, one police officer told The Epoch Times. It is unclear what caused the electrical malfunction, but according to the Southern California Edison company, crews were scheduled to upgrade equipment and a planned outage was in progress. The Fountain Valley Fire Department arrived on the scene at approximately 11:20 p.m. and successfully put the fire out. One fireman told The Epoch Times they were in the area helping a woman in a stuck elevator when they noticed the entire block was in a power outage. Getty Images State and local authorities are searching for an alligator a witness said crawled into a ravine near the Eastern Connecticut State University campus in Willimantic Friday. An official with the states Department of Energy and Environmental Protection confirmed the agencys police force are assisting Willimantic police in looking for the animal, Fox 61 reported around 8:30 p.m. The Trojan Women Popular play of the decade View(s): Dharmasiri Bandaranayakes award winning play Torjan Kanthawo or The Trojan Women will be staged at 3.30 p.m. and 6.30 p.m. on today, September 6 at the Elphinstone Theatre, Colombo 10. Inspired by Euripedes Grecian classic Trojan Women, the play won 12 awards at the State Drama Festival in 1999. The play was considered as one of the most popular plays in the decade. Featuring veteran actress Anoja Weerasinghe, Yashodha Wimaladharma, Meena Kumari, Charith Senanayake and a host of others The Trojan Women is set in the background of the fall of Troy, with all its attendant suffering of the families of the citys defeated leaders, in particular the old Trojan Queen Hecuba and the other royal women. Women were the most affected having to undergo untold hardships. Andromaches son Astyanax is taken from her and hurled to his death from the walls of Troy. Finally as Troy goes up in flames, Hecuba and the other Trojan women are carried off to the ships to face slavery in Greece. All seats are box planned and tickets now available only at the theatre. This special show is organised by Jude Srimal. Syracuse, N.Y. -- After quarantining about 200 residents at Ernie Davis Hall for just over a day, Syracuse University found no active cases of coronavirus after testing each of those residents individually. Syracuse announced the results of those individual tests on Friday, just over 24 hours after announcing the quarantine of the residence hall. Based on the lack of a positive tests among individual students, Syracuse said that it believes the most likely scenario is that a student who previously had the coronavirus but has recovered is continuing to shed the virus when they use the restroom. Syracuse said that science shows individuals who have recovered, while not contagious to others, can continue to shed the virus for weeks. Earlier in the day on Friday the school announced that a small amount of the virus was detected in the wastewater from Sadler Hall but that the amount was not enough to trigger a quarantine. It called that finding a fundamentally different scenario than the wastewater testing at Ernie Davis Hall. The school said that students who had previously tested positive for coronavirus live in Sadler Hall and it believed they were shedding it. Rather than impose a quarantine, Syracuse University said it would test all residents and staff that work in Sadler Hall. Syracuse Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives and Innovation Mike Haynie said that he recognizes that the positive wastewater tests and the responses from the university will cause some anxiety among students and the local community, but he noted that it is expected to happen over the course of the semester and the response is necessary to keep students and the community safe. I recognize the anxiety that comes with living in the time of a pandemic and appreciate how our students quickly returned to their residence hall to be tested, self-quarantined at our request and complied with direction provided by public health experts, Haynie wrote. It is important to note that we will likely continue to detect traces of COVID-19 in our wastewater, and we will continue to respond based on the best science available and the counsel of our public health team. We will act out of an abundance of caution to always prioritize and safeguard the health and well-being of our campus and the Central New York community. The wastewater monitoring program is one part of Syracuses multi-layered approach to trying to limit outbreaks on campus, one that has been successful so far as many other institutions have struggled. Along with the wastewater monitoring, Syracuse tested all students before they traveled to school and on arrival, with another mass testing scheduled in the near future. The wastewater monitoring system was developed with the help of SUNY Upstate, SUNY ESF and Quadrant Biosciences. The state has invested $500,000 in a pilot program that will expand its usage to communities in Albany, Newburgh and Buffalo. Contact Chris Carlson anytime: Email | Twitter | 315-412-1639 MORE CORONAVIRUS IN HIGHER EDUCATION A reason for cautious optimism: Syracuse, other CNY colleges off to good starts SUNY Oneonta ending on-campus classes, activities for fall semester; students going home College students confront falls reality: A lot of people are upset were paying more for less Jordan never knew his dad, but in many ways, he knows his father better than many children whose dads are living. That is because Charles took a journal with him to Iraq and wrote to our son, even before he was born. He filled that journal with 200 pages of wisdom and expressions of love for us. He wrote that he hoped to make us proud with his service to our country. On the last page, he told Jordan that he had written all he could think of favorite Bible verses, how to choose a wife, lessons in how to be a man in case he did not make it home. He had one month left on his tour of duty when he was killed by a roadside bomb. I collapsed onto the hardwood floor when I received the news. Since then, I have worked hard to create a happy, full life for Jordan and me, and fill in any holes that the journal left. Over the years, when Jordan needed to hear his fathers voice, we pulled out the journal and read from it together. I told him stories about the honor, dignity and leadership of his highly decorated dads 19-year career of military service. I showed him pictures of his dad wearing a chest full of medals, including a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. Even as I have tried to make Charles a real presence, Jordan has had to reprocess our loss every time he hits a major developmental milestone. Because we have pictures of the two of them together from the only time they met when Charles finally took a two-week leave to meet his son Jordan had always insisted that he had memories of his dad. Then one day about a year ago, he stopped at our front door as he was heading to school when he froze and suddenly started sobbing. Mom, I dont remember him. I knew that day was coming. He stayed home from school, and I took the day off from work. Jordan snuggled in bed wearing his fathers dog tags, while I made homemade soup. We talked about his dad. With so many employees trying to juggle the dual responsibilities of work and parenthood, Spring Branch ISD has taken a large step to try to help them. The district opened the Employee Childcare Center on Aug. 24, the first day of instruction, which was virtual for all students. Tools for learning: Spring Branch ISD distributes technology to 14,000 students The center, which is located in an old elementary school building that was refurbished, cares for children from six weeks old to fifth grade so their parents can focus on serving students. The program was funded with money from the $898.4 million voter-approved bond in 2017. The project came about as a result of feedback that employees gave district leaders in late spring about what they needed for a return to school in the fall. The center is an integral part of reopening of SBISD schools, Construction Project Manager Max Buja said in a statement. It is a huge benefit to employees and the district as a whole. Even though the instruction was virtual, teachers were required to be in their classrooms, which created a need for childcare. For children aged six weeks to three years old, the center operates as a childcare facility. For children in Pre-K through fifth grade, it operates somewhat like an instructional center. There are two classrooms for each of those grade levels. They have a maximum of 10 students each for social distancing reasons. Each classroom is staffed with two adults who can help with the students virtual learning. Help needed: Why a Houston Facebook group 'blew up' with desperate parents looking for help For the first time since March when we were all sent home, they are now having that social interaction with peers, with kids of their own age. Theyre also able to form those relationships with their teachers, said center director Lynn Austin, who is also a former SBISD principal. The Employee Childcare Center will continue to operate through at least the end of the 2020-2021 school year. We cannot offer the excellent educational program the SBISD community expects without our wonderful employees, Sharee Cantrell, Director of Early Childhood Programs for the school district said in the write-up. Our goal is to give employees peace of mind that their own children are being well cared for while they work to offer high quality instruction in their classrooms. elliott.lapin@hearst.com Citizen's Charter Measures & Recommendations Public services are funded by citizens, either directly or indirectly, and, therefore, people have the right to expect a particular quality of service that is responsive to their needs and which is provided efficiently at a reasonable cost. The Citizens' Charter is a written, voluntary declaration by service providers that highlights the standards of service delivery that they must subscribe to, availability of choice for consumers, avenues for grievance redressal and other related information. It is a useful way of defining with stakeholder involvement, the nature and quality of service delivery. In other words, a Citizens' Charter is an expression of understanding between the citizens and the service provider about the nature of services that the latter is obliged to provide. The Citizens' Charter programme was first launched in 1991 in the U.K. as part of a series of initiatives aimed at enhancing standards of service delivery and making governance more transparent and accountable. The influenced several countries such as Belgium, France, Canada, Australia, Malaysia, Spain, Portugal, India etc. to adopt similar measures. The progress of adopting Citizens' Charter in India began with Conference of Chief Secretaries of all States and Union Territories' held in 1996 on "Effective and Responsive Administration." This conference gave high priority to Citizens' Charters and was followed by the development of an "Action Plan for Effective and Responsive Government" at a similar conference in 1997. One of the major decisions taken at this forum was to introduce Citizens' Charters in the Departments of the Central and State Governments, especially those that had a large public interface such as the Railways, Telecom, and Public Distribution. In 2000, the Public Administration Reform Commission (PARC) of Bangladesh recommended introduction of citizens' charter in a number of public agencies. In June 2007, the caretaker government (CTG) asked all ministries to formulate citizens' charters. Following this order, all ministries and most of the public agencies have already formulated citizen's charters. However, the initiative has not yet been proved to be successful due to a number of flaws. Firstly, people's participation in formulation of the charters has not been ensured. As result, the charters failed to reflect the expectation of the citizens, i.e. the service recipients. Unlike many other countries, Bangladesh government did not give its own definition of a citizens' charter or the objective of the initiative. Consequently, there is a lack of understanding across the civil service as far as citizens' charter is concerned. All ministries and a large number of public agencies undertook the initiative without previous experience. The initiative was not piloted in a smaller number of agencies to gather experience. No specific body has been assigned to coordinate the whole initiative. The people who were supposed to implement the charter were not involved in the process, and there was no effort to build their capacity regarding citizens' charter. The charters have not been publicized adequately. Even some staff members of respective ministries/agencies are ignorant about their own departmental charter. There is no system in place to monitor whether the performance of an agency is in conformity with the charter, and evaluate if the charter is in line with clients' expectations. Charters for local level agencies should have been formulated locally through the participation of local people, but were formulated at the central level by the senior staffs. As a result, those charters neither reflect the expectation of the local people nor are they owned by the local administration. In case of some services, there is only a service specific generic citizens' charter and no institution specific charter, which, indeed, is more important. Due to the above-mentioned conceptual and procedural problems, the charters formulated so far have failed to bring any remarkable change in public service delivery. Even the charter documents have serious shortcomings. In order to make the citizens' charter initiative successful, the government should take necessary measures based on international experience and considering the context of the country: A particular agency (regulatory body) should be assigned to coordinate the whole initiative. The government should ask the ministries to give more emphasis on the formulation of institution specific charters rather than service specific charters. Instead of introducing citizens' charter in all public agencies at one time, the government should start with a few agencies with large public interface, such as hospitals, railway stations, passport offices etc. One or two agencies can be selected for exemplary implementation of citizens' charter so that they can be models for others. A taskforce should be formed in each agency in order to formulate a citizens' charter or modify the existing one. Representation of clients and cutting edge staff must be ensured in the taskforce. To mobilize people in the citizens' charter process and publicize the charters widely, the government may work in collaboration with NGOs, civil society organizations and community-based organizations. For successful implementation of the charters, capacity building of cutting edge staff is crucial. Capacity building initiatives like training, seminars, workshops etc. should be organized on a regular basis. Governmental training institutes like BPATC, BARD, NILG, JATI and the Police Academy should incorporate citizens' charter in their training curricula. A training manual can be developed for this purpose. Performance appraisal of the staff can be linked with citizens' charter of the agency concerned. A special budget should be earmarked for the citizens' charter initiative. Before its implementation nationwide civil servants reformative commission was mandatory. Moreover for overhauling the administrative mechanism Ministry wise reformation commission is also necessary. For check-recheck and good balancing proper scrutiny by the interdepartmental and intradepartmental performance evaluations Commission need to be formed strong and effective citizen's charter. Former Deputy Director General (Dr Forqan is a writer, columnist and researcher). State health officials announced another 15 coronavirus deaths on Saturday, bringing the statewide death count to 8,907 since the start of the pandemic. Officials also confirmed 416 new COVID-19 cases, for a total of at least 120,454 confirmed cases across Massachusetts. Thats based on 20,789 new molecular tests reported on Saturday, according to the Department of Public Health. The seven-day average of new positive tests has been below 1% at roughly .9% for the first week of September. There are currently 325 people hospitalized with the virus, including 48 patients in intensive care, DPH reports. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nations top infectious disease expert, issued a warning to states at high risk for a surge in COVID cases ahead of Labor Day weekend. In particular, Fauci named North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Arkansas, Missouri, Indiana and Illinois, some of which are already experiencing a troubling rise in cases. Those states are starting to see an increase in the percent positive of their testing; that is generally predictive that theres going to be a problem, he said, according to Bloomberg News. Cases are rising in 19 U.S. states and territories over the past two weeks, the Times reports. Massachusetts is one of 22 states where new cases have remained relatively stable over the past 14 days. Ninety cities and towns in Massachusetts reported higher positive test rates over the last 14 days compared to the prior two weeks, although even more have seen lower infection numbers, according to DPH data released on Wednesday. And 8 cities and towns are at high risk for COVID transmission based on case data analyzed between Aug. 16 through Aug. 29, according to DPH. They are: Chelsea, Everett, Framingham, Lawrence, Lynn, Revere, Westhampton and Winthrop. On Thursday, Gov. Charlie Baker announced a multilingual campaign aimed at reducing the number of new COVID infections in five Eastern Massachusetts cities, where case numbers remain high and continue to climb. They include Chelsea, Lawrence, Everett, Lynn and Revere. On Friday, Northeastern University said that it dismissed 11 first-year students after they were found gathered together in a room at the Westin Hotel in Boston in violation of the colleges and other public health protocols. As of Saturday, here are the number of cases in each Massachusetts county: Barnstable County: 1,657 Berkshire County: 672 Bristol County: 9,340 Dukes County: 56 Essex County: 18,316 Franklin County: 396 Hampden County: 7,739 Hampshire County: 1,186 Middlesex County: 25,629 Nantucket County: 43 Norfolk County: 9,654 Plymouth County: 9,198 Suffolk County: 22,623 Worcester County: 13,592 Unknown location: 353 Mumbai, Sep 5 : The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Saturday arrested Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput's personal staff Dipesh Sawant in a drug related case in connection with the late actor's death. The NCB arrested Sawant on Saturday evening after revelations made by Sushant's girlfriend Rhea Chalraborty's brother Showik and Sushant's house manager Samuel Miranda, who were arrested on Friday night. Earlier in the day, the NCB got the custody of Showik and Miranda for four days till September 9. The duo was arrested after the agency obtained adequate evidence against them about their involvement in the drugs case. Showik's arrest came after it was found that he used to order drugs from another arrested accused named Abdel Basit Parihar. Parihar was arrested on Thursday evening and has been sent to the agency's custody till September 9. An NCB official said that the agency will interrogate Showik and Miranda and also confront them with the other arrested accused. The official said that the duo will also be grilled over the information obtained by the agency from their laptops and chat records. According to the NCB, Showik used to order marijuana from Parihar and pay him using Google Pay. The NCB had registered a case on August 26 under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, naming Rhea, her brother, talent manager Jaya Saha, Sushant's co-manager Shruti Modi, and Goa-based hotelier Gaurav Arya, after the Enforcement Directorate wrote to it about the drugs angle. This followed the discovery of WhatsApp messages between Rhea and Shruti Modi, Miranda and Sushant's flatmate Siddharth Pithani. The NCB is the third Central agency to join the probe into the death case of Sushant after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the ED. Latest updates on Sushant Singh Rajput Death Mystery When the going is good: Erica and Kiddwaya locked in a kiss of passionThere is always some madness in love. But there is always some reason in madness Friedrich Nietzsche By Nehru Odeh It was a love affair that was like no other in the BBNaija Lockdown Season 5. It was a love affair that as they say was made in heaven but couldnt be because it stared hard reality in the face. It was a love affair that got everybody talking. And everybody is still talking about it, even though it had crashed into smithereens. This is the story of Erica and Kiddwaya, two lovebirds in BBnaija Season 5. This is the story of two lovebirds that found love but couldnt keep it. This is the love story of two lovebirds who were the direct opposite of each other and tried to fall passionately in love but couldnt. These two characters hit it off as soon as they stepped into the house. They seemed to be boiling with passion, but after a short while, everything simmered down. I remember the first kiss they shared, when just a week after they had arrived in the house, the housemates dared Kiddwaya to kiss any girl for 30 seconds. Kiddwaya, son of a billionaire father from Benue State, left no one doubt where his heart was when he walked to Erica, the girl from Imo State, and kissed her. I remember the first time Erica was Head of House and Kiddwaya was her deputy (she had to make him her deputy because she had feelings for him then). I remember the heat they generated on social media when both lovers slept together for the first time and they were in heat. Many believed they made love that night, others believed they didnt make love, that they only made out. But Ericas loud moans got everybody talking and thinking about so many things. The question is why did their love affair crashed? The truth is, it was a love affair that was bound to hit the rocks. Like the Titanic, it was bound to hit an iceberg and sink. While Erica was boiling with uncontrollable passion, Kidd was not. Kidd was as cold as ice. Little wonder their ship hit the iceberg and crashed. Kidd is a spoilt brat, as they say, who had everything going for him from birth and lacked nothing, but never had time for love, never needed love.. He once told Erica that it was risky loving a guy like him. I just think loving a guy like me is a bit so risky, he maintained. And when she asked him why, he simply said, Im all over the place. But Erica needed someone she can trust, not a guy that is all over the place and whom every girl wants to date. She needed security. She needed love. As the conversation wore on, Erica told him she told him she would be busy too and that two of them had different lives to live. Ill be busy too. I have my own life. You have yours. I can only love you if I trust you, she said. But she couldnt trust Kiddwaya. However Erica is a beautiful lady who lacked fatherly love. She met her father for the first time three years ago. So she needed all the love she could garner but Kidd couldnt give it to her. Rather he bored her with his unfeeling and sex talks. Erica wanted something more than sex talks. She wanted a companion who could share her pains but Kiddwaya couldnt provide her. She wanted a companion who will always be there or her. But Kiddwaya was not ready to trade his freedom for anything. Kiddwaya was not ready to be there or her. And that made Erica broke down in tears that Friday night. It started when she said she doesnt like to chase guys. And Wathoni told Kiddwaya, You did not chase any girl in this house. Erica wanted Kiddawaya to debunk that and stood by her. But he did not. According to Erica, that wasnt the first time Kiddwaya couldnt stand for her in the presence of the housemates. This is the second time in public you dont have my back, she said. Erica went on: I feel very stupid for being with you in the first place I dont have any issues with Wathoni but why did she say you did not chase any girl immediately after I said I dont like to chase guys? You stood there and did not stand up for me. Erica was a lonely girl living in a lonely world, as Fireboy DML, Nigerias hip-hop sensation put it in his hit song, Eli. Erica wanted something more than just sex. But Kiddwaya couldnt give it it to her, though he gave it to her under the sheets. Erica needed love but Kiddwaya gave her sex. Jean Paul Sartre, the French existentialist philosopher wrote about what actually went on between Erica and Kiddwaya in his magnus opus, Being and Nothingness. Sartre never believed in love though he was in a life-long relationship with another French philosopher and feminist, Simone de Beauvoir, author of the masterpiece, Second Sex. According to Sartre loving relationships are bound to end in conflict because by being in love one is trading ones freedom and becoming what they are not, which he terms bad faith. Sartre believes an encounter with the other is a threat to ones freedom. He believes when one is in love they lose their freedom, they become an object, they lose something. In this case, Kiddwaya didnt want to lose his freedom. He didnt want to trade his freedom for anything. He didnt want to stop gallivanting all over the place. He didnt want to stop being all over the place, as he once told Erica. He spelt it to her in very clear terms when he told her he wasnt ready for a relationship. My life is not catered to that kind of thing and I cannot make her happy, he said. When Prince and Trikkytee asked Kiddwaya why he couldnt date or settle down with Erica despite the good times they had together in the house, he told them that he didnt want her to get hurt because she was dealing with somebody like him, adding that that he lacked emotions and affection because he wasnt brought up like Erica. He also said he had told Erica to stay as a friend but she wanted more than friendship from him. However, Prince saw the crash coming. He knew Erica was not cut out for Kiddwaya. He knew the relationship was bound to hit the rocks. He knew they were not meant for each other. And he advised Erica to tread carefully. He once said he wanted the duo to end the relationship, as he felt that Kiddwaya was not in love with Erica, that it was just infatuation. He also had some fears, fears that Erica might get hurt in the end. Kiddwaya and Ericas relationship is just mere infatuation at the moment I admire Erica and I think Kiddwaya is just playing along, Prince said. That was the reason when Prince was asked which relationship he would like to end to advance his game, he quickly said the relationship between Erica and Kiddwaya. And Prince was vindicated when their relationship crashed. Erica had suddenly found Prince someone he can trust, someone she can gist with. Was that the reason she made him her deputy when she was made Head of House for the second time? Your guess is as good as mine. And she confirmed this when she told Biggie she and Prince gets along but is struggling sharing a bed with him: My other struggle is sleeping on the bed with Prince instead of Kiddwaya. Prince and I get along and we gist a lot, but as soon as we fall on the bed, things get awkward unlike Kiddwaya, she confessed. Nehru Odeh is a Nigerian writer and journalist. Author of The Patience of an Embattled Storyteller, a book that foresaw the adoption, rape and murder of females by terrorists in Nigeria, his interests include popular culture, the arts, politics, business and sports. Share this post with your friends: Related HELSINKI, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- Finnish national carrier Finnair announced on Friday that it will reopen operations to Nanjing, China, on a weekly basis. The airline said in a press release that the route between Helsinki, the capital of Finland, and Nanjing in eastern China, will be operated with Airbus A350 from Sept. 11 to Oct. 18, 2020. The route supports cargo and passenger travel demand between Europe and China. "We are happy to be able to serve another destination in China, which continues to be a key market for us," said Ole Orver, chief commercial officer of Finnair, adding that Finnair is now flying to China's mainland, including Shanghai and Nanjing, and look forward to further increasing its service to the Chinese market as soon as possible. As the situation of the COVID-19 epidemic in the countries has been assessed as stable, Finland decided in early July to reopen its borders with several countries, including China. In line with opening borders, Finnair then announced to resume flights to some 30 destinations in Europe and Tokyo, Seoul and Hong Kong in Asia. Two weeks later, the airline reopened weekly flights to Shanghai, eastern China, as of July 23. Currently, Finnair serves about 40 destinations in Europe and Asia, operating a total of 80-90 flights daily. It constantly reviews its traffic plan and has the capability to reopen destinations at a rapid pace, as travel restrictions are lifted and travel demand regains, according to the airline. The advisory also suggested that 100 percent of people living in containment zones should be tested by rapid antigen tests New Delhi: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has issued an advisory on COVID-19 testing strategy, allowing ''testing on demand'' for individuals but left it to states to modify the approach as per their discretion. It also advised testing on demand for "all individuals undertaking travel to countries or Indian states mandating a negative COVID-19 test at the point of entry". The 'Advisory on Strategy for COVID-19 Testing in India' (version VI), issued on Friday, said the state governments can simplify the modalities to facilitate testing on demand. It also suggested that 100 percent of people living in containment zones should be tested by rapid antigen tests, particularly in cities where there has been widespread transmission of the infection. The ICMR also stressed that no emergency procedure (including deliveries) should be delayed for lack of tests, and pregnant women should not be referred for a lack of testing facility. Further, the existing recommendations related to testing for COVID-19 have been extended, elaborated and divided into four parts -- routine surveillance in containment zones and screening at points of entry, routine surveillance in non-containment areas, hospital settings and testing on demand -- and choice of test (RT-PCR, TrueNat or CBNAAT and rapid antigen tests) in order of priority has been listed. Under the category of 'routine surveillance in containment zones and screening at points of entry', the advisory recommended testing of all asymptomatic high-risk individuals (people above 65 and those with co-morbidities etc.) in containment zones. Besides, it advised testing all symptomatic (ILI symptoms) cases, including healthcare and frontline workers. All asymptomatic direct and high-risk contacts (in family and workplace, people aged 65 and above, those who are immunocompromised or have co-morbidities etc) of a laboratory-confirmed case are to be tested once between day 5 and day 10 of coming into contact. As far as choice of test is concerned, rapid antigen test (RAT) is listed first, followed by RT-PCR or TrueNat or CBNAAT as the second option. "Ideally, it is suggested that 100 percent people living in containment zones should be tested by RAT, particularly in cities where there has been widespread transmission of infection," the advisory said. Under the category of ''routine surveillance in non-containment areas'', the advisory recommended testing all asymptomatic high-risk contacts (contacts in family and workplace, people aged 65 and above, those with co-morbidities etc), with RAT being the first choice of test in order of priority. Besides, it advised testing all symptomatic (ILI symptoms) individuals with history of international travel in the last 14 days, all symptomatic (ILI symptoms) contacts of a laboratory-confirmed case, all symptomatic (ILI symptoms) healthcare and frontline workers involved in containment and mitigation activities and all symptomatic ILI cases among returnees and migrants within seven days of illness, with RT-PCR, TrueNat or CBNAAT being the first choice of test in order of priority. Under the category ''hospital settings'', the advisory recommended testing all patients of Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI), all symptomatic (ILI symptoms) patients presenting in a healthcare setting, asymptomatic high-risk patients who are hospitalised or seeking immediate hospitalisation such as immunocompromised individuals, patients diagnosed with malignant diseases, transplant patients, patients with chronic co-morbidities and people aged 65 and above. It also suggested testing for asymptomatic patients undergoing surgical/non-surgical invasive procedures (not to be tested more than once a week during hospital stay) and all pregnant women in/near labor who are hospitalised for delivery. The ICMR stressed that no emergency procedure (including deliveries) should be delayed for lack of test, and pregnant women should not be referred for a lack of testing facility. It added that all arrangements should be made to collect and transfer samples to testing facilities. Mothers who test positive for COVID-19 should be advised to wear a mask and undertake frequent handwashing while handling their baby for 14 days. They should also be advised on breast cleaning before feeding the neonate. These measures are likely to reduce transmission of COVID-19 to their babies, the document said. The advisory also recommended testing all symptomatic neonates presenting with acute respiratory/sepsis like illness and patients presenting with atypical manifestations such as stroke, encephalitis, pulmonary embolism, multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, progressive gastrointestinal symptoms, Kawasaki Disease (in pediatric age group) based on the discretion of the treating physician. RT-PCR or TrueNat or CBNAAT should be the first choice for tests in order of priority in hospital settings and RAT should be the second choice. The ICMR stated that a single RT-PCR/TrueNat/CBNAAT/RAT positive test is to be considered confirmatory, without any repeat testing, and no re-testing is recommended prior to discharge from a COVID-19 facility after clinical recovery, including for transfer from a COVID area/facility to a non-COVID area/facility. If symptoms develop following a negative RAT test, a repeat RAT or RT-PCR should be done. Home quarantine for 14 days is recommended for all individuals before undergoing elective surgery to minimise chances of infection before the procedure. The UN General Assembly at its 75th session will consider the situation in the occupied territories of the Crimean peninsula and certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, First Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Emine Dzhaparova has stated. "We are grateful to the partners for including in the draft agenda of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly the discussion of the situation in the temporarily occupied territories of Crimea and Donbas. We continue to fight. We have something to say about the statement 'We are not there' and 'Crimea is ours'," she said on Facebook. Dzhaparova specified that 81 members of parliament supported including the issue in the agenda of the session, while 17 opposed it. When talking about the complexities of news, or how information is distributed in the 21st century, the word bully might seem out of place. But as Facebook threatens to cut off access to sharing news in response to a proposed Australian law, its hard not to think that bullying might be exactly what is going on. Heres the (slightly complicated) situation: in April of this year, after an 18-month inquiry into the role of digital platforms, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission was asked by the government there to develop a code to address the imbalance in power between digital platform businesses such as Facebook and news organizations. In July, the ACCC announced that its solution was to enforce a set of rules in which Facebook and Google would have to negotiate prices to have news pieces from vetted news organizations shared on their platforms. If they cannot, a panel will arbitrate a final, binding price. Finally, Facebook or Google would have to inform news companies of any changes to their algorithms that would negatively impact the news business. In response, Facebook threatened to simply ban the sharing of news links on its platform in the country. Hence the justified use of the term bully. There is legitimate debate over whether Australias approach is the right one. But the fact that Facebook can threaten to simply stop distributing news when a significant portion of the population gets its news from its platform highlights the problem: Facebook and Google simply have too much power over the distribution of news and need to be reined in. What Facebook and Google did to news is now a well-worn story. Because they became so dominant in the attention they command in our lives, digital platforms became the distribution centres for information online. In doing so, ad spending shifted billions of dollars from print and news organizations over to the more efficient, targeted ads that tech giants produce because they have so much data on users. That change, coupled with the decimation of classified ads by Craigslist and Kijiji et al, meant that news organizations share of revenue plummeted just at the time that millions more were reading things online. Thats not to say the news business is somehow free of blame. Not only was the broad reaction to the effects of the web and mobile devices excruciatingly slow, it was also full of misstarts and poorly thought out schemes. But if that story is familiar, what is sometimes less talked about is how Facebook in particular flattened discourse such that legitimate news organizations were often overtaken or overshadowed by those of a much lower quality. As the New York Times Kevin Roose points out almost daily, what is most shared on Facebook tends to be hard right, inflammatory posts that often distort truth if not outright lie. The economic framework of news thus has a real social impact. In acquiring such enormous economic power, digital platforms undercut news organizations ability to create profitable business models. In turn, not only is the existence of news organizations threatened, the vacuum left would be easily filled by charlatans and bad actors. The sheer power and size of the digital platforms has become a problem all its own. Australias lesson for Canadas news industry, however, may in fact be a study in what it means to tackle power. Regulation is a tricky beast; for example, if one were to legally insist on human content moderation, only companies the size of Google or Facebook might have the resources to have a chance of enacting such policy, thus entrenching their dominant positions by cutting off smaller companies. There is a risk, too, that Australias approach threatens to do something similar by simply doubling down on the privacy-invading data model of Facebook and Google and then asking for a slice of that poisonous pie. Canadas response to the inarguably excessive power of Facebook and Google has to thus be in prioritizing truth-seeking, fact-checked, vetted news, while also challenging the dominance of Facebook and Googles business models themselves. How that happens will likely be in finding a way to fund both local and national news organizations without directly tying that funding to either Facebook and Googles distribution, or the whims of changing government ideology. But that we are talking about government intervention at all outlines the stakes of the problem. Facebook, Google, and other digital platforms have become so powerful and rich that regulation is the only way to rein them in. How we go about that is something we will have to decide soon. But the thing with bullies is that they dont give up power on their own it has to be taken back, and sometimes, the only option is to use force. Navneet Alang is a Toronto-based freelance contributing technology columnist for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @navalang Read more about: According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, India registered the highest single-day jump of 86,432 new coronavirus cases taking the national caseload past 40-lakh mark. India registered the highest single-day jump of 86,432 new coronavirus cases taking the national caseload past 40-lakh mark, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. With 1,089 more deaths in the last 24 hours, the cumulative toll reached 69,561. The total case tally stands at 40,23,179 including 8,46,395 active cases, 31,07,223 cured/discharged/migrated. The active cases in Maharashtra have reached 2,11,325 followed by Andhra Pradesh at 1,02,067. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research, 10,59,346 samples were tested for the pathogen on September 4, and over 4.77 crore samples have been tested so far. On Friday, the Union Health Ministry said that Indias Case Fatality Rate has touched 1.74 per cent following a gradient of steady and sustained decline. Also read: US ready to help in India-China border tensions: Trump Also read: Amid India-China border tension, Rajnath Singh meets Chinese counterpart in Moscow The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Friday issued an advisory allowing on-demand testing for individuals who wish to get themselves tested and those undertaking travel to countries or Indian states mandating a negative Covid-19 test at the point of entry. The advisory for testing strategy recommended by the national task force on Covid-19 said that the state governments can decide simplified modalities for on-demand testing. ICMR said that the testing on demand for all individuals undertaking travel to countries or Indian states mandating a negative COVID-19 test at the point of entry, and for all individuals who wished to get themselves tested. State governments would decide modalities. It also suggested that 100 per cent of people living in containment zones should be tested by rapid antigen tests, particularly in cities where there has been the widespread transmission of the infection. Under routine surveillance in containment zones and screening at points of entry, the advisory recommended testing of all asymptomatic high-risk individuals (people above 65 and those with co-morbidities etc.) in containment zones. Besides, it said testing all symptomatic (ILI symptoms) cases, including healthcare and frontline workers. All asymptomatic direct and high-risk contacts (in family and workplace, people aged 65 and above, those who are immunocompromised or have co-morbidities etc) of a laboratory-confirmed case are to be tested once between day 5 and day 10 of coming into contact. Also read: Teachers Day 2020: PM Modi extends greetings, pays tribute to Dr S Radhakrishnan Washington : The US intelligence community in a new declassified file on Saturday accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of ordering an influence campaign to help Donald Trump win the White House and denigrate his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in a bid to undermine public faith in the American democratic process. US President-elect Donald Trump was quick to refute the conclusion, saying hacking did not impact the November 8 presidential polls outcome. We assess Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the US presidential election, the Director of National Intelligence said in a report. The 31-page report alleges that Russias goals were to undermine public faith in the US democratic process, denigrate Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and harm her electability and potential presidency. We further assess Putin and the Russian government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump. We have high confidence in these judgements, the US intelligence community said in the which was submitted to outgoing US President Barack Obama on Thursday. Obama had ordered a comprehensive probe into allegations of Russian hacking the Democratic partys email system. Also Read: Strong evidence that Russia mounted an unprecedented bid to disrupt presidential election: US spy chiefs A team of intelligence officials briefed Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence on the report in New York. While Russia, China, other countries, outside groups and people are consistently trying to break through the cyber infrastructure of our governmental institutions, businesses and organisations including the Democrat National Committee, there was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election including the fact that there was no tampering whatsoever with voting machines, Trump said in a statement after the meeting. There were attempts to hack the Republican National Committee (RNC), but the RNC had strong hacking defences and the hackers were unsuccessful. I will appoint a team to give me a plan within 90 days of taking office. The methods, tools and tactics we use to keep America safe should not be a public discussion that will benefit those who seek to do us harm. Two weeks from today I will take the oath of office and Americas safety and security will be my number one priority, Trump said, adding that there is a need to aggressively combat and stop cyberattacks. Pence said Trump has made it very clear that the US is going to take aggressive action in the early days of the new administration to combat cyberattacks and protect the security of its citizens from this type of intrusion in the future. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Thomas Rossi (Agence France-Presse) Tarbes, France Sat, September 5, 2020 10:01 503 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c42d9446 2 Environment ibex,France,animals,Spain,wildlife Free With a bumper litter of new kids, the recently introduced ibex population in the French Pyrenees is thriving more than a century after the native species of wild goats was wiped out in France. Officials have counted 70 newborn ibex this year at the Pyrenees National Park (PNP) and nearby Ariege Regional Park in the craggy mountains that separate France and Spain. The French population now stands at some 400 animals, though they are not the original Pyrenean Ibex, the last two of which in France were shot and killed in 1910. The Pyrenean Ibex became totally extinct in 2000, when the last known female was found dead on the Spanish side. The new goats are Western Spanish Ibex, another subspecies of the Iberian Ibex that began to be brought over from a Spanish reserve in 2014. Recognisable by their long, curving horns, the ibex can easily scamper up cliffs in search of grass, leaves and moss. Read also: Swiss to ban foreign trophy hunters from killing Alpine ibex "In relation to the initial goal of establishing a viable core population, for now we can say the operation has been a success," Jerome Lafitte, head of fauna operations at the Pyrenees park, told AFP. For Matthieu Cruege, director of the Ariege park: "These are majestic animals, and it really is exciting when you're able to see them. The ibex really adds to the mountain tourism industry." New introductions are planned this fall in the Aspe valley closer to the Atlantic Ocean, while next year officials will attempt to diversify the genetic pool by adding ibex from other areas. "We'll have to wait another 30 years to see ibex all across the Pyrenees," said Jean-Paul Crampe, a member of the PNP's scientific committee. "It's a popular species -- and it's much easier to re-introduce than bears or wolves," he said. Topics : ibex France animals Spain wildlife Ukraine is performing benchmarks to receive tranches of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and hopes a meeting of the fund's online mission will be carried out in the near future, Ukrainian Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko has said. "Of course, we are in a dialogue with the IMF. We hope to receive the next tranche. We have two more tranches planned by the end of the year for $ 700 million each. And we hope that in the near future there will be an online conference, that is, it will not be a visit, it will be an online mission of the fund. And we will be able to show our achievements, because we are fulfilling the planned structural beacons," Marchenko said on the air of the Podrobytsi Tyzhnia (Details of the Week) program on Inter TV Channel. The minister stressed that the scenario in which Ukraine does not receive the IMF tranches is not being considered. "We do not consider scenarios in which we do not receive IMF tranches. Now we have scenarios in which we calmly finance the budget deficit, in particular with funds from the IMF. That is, we do not consider other scenarios yet," the minister said. United States Republican Senator Ted Cruz has recently criticized Facebook's move to ban new political advertisements on its social media platform one week before the 2020 elections. The politician argued that the site's decision would severely impact votes by denying communication between candidates and US citizens. Manipulating America's votes In a press release on Friday, Cruz said that the social media site's move to block the publishing of new political ads during the week before the US elections is the online platform's latest attempt to manipulate American citizens' votes. According to Fox News, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the new policy on Thursday, which would effectively block out new political advertisements while allowing pre-existing ones to spread. In a post on Twitter, Zuckerberg wrote that he believes bad speech is best countered with more speech. However, he added that the US elections' final days might result in less time to contest new claims. Trump's administration has continuously warned the nation of the potential threat of fraudulent mail-in voting that could jeopardize the entire electoral process. Despite the claims, Facebook suggested that the accusations were meant to delegitimize the voting process. Both Republican and Democratic politicians have supported the safety and security of mail-in voting. In the Twitter post, the Facebook CEO also said that the social media platform would be adding an information label to any content that attempts to delegitimize the election results or the credibility of voting processes, including claims that lawful methods could lead to fraud. Zuckerberg added that the label would provide social media users with necessary authoritative information. Also Read: Ivanka Trump Plans Campaign in Pennsylvania, Touts Donald Trump's Position as Ally of American Workers However, Cruz continued to claim that Facebook's decision did not provide support to democracy. The Republican added that the social media platforms attempt to label statements it finds inaccurate only furthers its own agenda. The senator said all of Facebook's moves are only meant to influence the American voting process's results. Cruz reiterated his previous statements that mail-voting fraud was an undeniable fact and that Facebook will move to label it as disinformation while allowing the left to spread conspiracy theories about the voting system. Targeted policies Facebook's move to ban new ads is a narrow process that focuses on political content submitted the week before the election while allowing those that have been submitted before October 27, as reported bt CNBC. The social media platform has also said it will start to link any post from a political candidate who attempts to declare their victory before final tallies of votes are out to Reuters and National Election Pool vote count pages. Until recently, Zuckerberg has been adamant about allowing the existence of political ads on both Facebook and Instagram despite some of the content spreading false information. Several other social media platforms, including Twitter and Pinterest, have moved to ban all political ads on their sites. Facebook will continue to allow posts that feature delegitimizing content about election results or voting processes such as mail-in voting but will label them with additional information about voting in general. Zuckerberg added that Facebook would continue to expand its policies to support the prevention of posts that urge violence or pushes harm to be enacted on election officials. Related Article: United States Officials Reveal No Signs of Foreign Interference in Mail-In Voting @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Irreverent, provocative, opinionated... Shobhaa De has been challenging status quo for four decades... and is at her best when she punctures inflated egoes. Readers can send feedback to www.shobhaade.blogspot.com This is the aftereffect of the GDP debacle, which has set India back by a staggering 24 per cent I am in my most aggro Kokilaben mood. Rewind to a highly successful 2010 TV soap titled Saath Nibhana Saathiya, which featured a ma-in-law from hell Kokilaben. Along came Yashraj Mukhate, an engineer and music producer from Aurangabad, who picked up a line from the serial and turned it into a Kokilaben rap that attracted 2.8 million views on Instagram. Voila Rasode mein kaun tha? went viral. And I watched it over and over again to distract myself from the blah during Mumbais most loved Ganesh Festival, which was a total washout this year, because of the Covid-19 restrictions. This is the aftereffect of the GDP debacle, which has set India back by a staggering 24 per cent. Oooooops! I find myself oscillating between Kokilaben screaming Mein thi? Tu thi? to mouthing the demented rantings of a television anchor, Mujhe drugs do, drugs do, charas do, ganja do These are the two unchallenged champions of last weeks meme fest. I am not the only citizen under unbearable stress right now. Going by the disastrous state of affairs in India right now, citizens across the board are in urgent need of mind-numbing drugs bring them on! How much more can they cope with, while also coping with Covid ka bhayanak crisis? I am looking for some soothing peacock therapy. You know what that means, right? If Prime Minister Narendra Modi can seek solace in the company of a beautiful peacock and a couple of geese, hey maybe thats the solution to Indias myriad and insurmountable problems. In the concrete jungle called Mumbai, finding the elusive national bird poses a challenge. Most of us, cooped up in cramped spaces, do not have the luxury of pampering hungry peacocks strolling across our vast lawns. Our beloved Prime Minister lives the grand life worthy of his grand position, in a grand mansion where stunning peacocks and well-fed geese roam. A few kilometres away, there may be undernourished children of jobless parents wondering where their next meal is coming from. There is nobody to feed their open mouths or care about their emaciated frames. Different strokes for different folks. Our trendsetting PM has already unveiled his many masks. The Covid masks, I mean. He prefers to cover his mouth and nose with colour coded, handwoven angavastrams, that change daily. Its possible that they have been commissioned and sourced from master weavers across India. The same weavers who are staring at their silent looms, with no orders to keep them from starvation. Their livelihoods have been doubly hit, now that our wise and wonderful PM has disbanded the Indian handicrafts and handloom boards, which so far had been doing a stellar job of providing steady incomes and finding markets for our weavers. Without those committed office-bearers to manage the weaving communities spread across our 28 states, one wonders what the future holds for these gifted people? I guess, there is no cause for worry. Our stylista PM can keep countless weavers in business just by himself, going by his frequent costume changes while feeding birds on his property. The elaborately staged photo shoots have enchanted his fans across continents who cannot get enough of his sartorial statements. The professionalism invested in getting the camera angles and lighting are being admired as well . When I first saw the pics, I assumed it was a fashion shoot for the leading mens lifestyle/fashion magazine GQ the theme being, Where peacocks gather But no! These shots were from our dynamic PMs personal album, to be generously shared with his fawning followers. An apt comparison between this shoot and the one which was widely shared by Haile Selassie, the Ethiopian Emperor, feeding lions while his country faced famine. This comparison was pointed out in a brilliant critique (Compliant and Complicit) by Sankarshan Thakur, which was published in The Telegraph. The wonderfully written essay made me sigh with longing for those days when journalists and political commentators did what they are supposed to do write ferociously. And make readers think. At a dinner for eight (with Covid protocols in place) this week, I found myself sharing a table with some bhakts, who kept saying they were not bhakts but genuine admirers of our fabulous Prime Minister. These are successful Gujarati businesspeople, living in tony neighbourhoods. It emerged during the course of the conversation that they read nothing! Knew little about history. And were culturally illiterate to boot. But did they have opinions! All it needed was a few pointed questions about the tattered state of our economy, to get them to start frothing at the mouth. I figured -- why waste my precious breath and switched to a topic they were eager to pounce on -- the sensational Sushant Singh Rajput investigation. One of the men present did not know what ED stood for! So even that topic was a dead loss. When I mentioned an article in an American scientific publication which stated baldly that India was in denial about the Covid-19 crisis, these folks changed the topic and spoke about how expertly and ably our Prime Minister was steering India towards new goals, new horizons. Its great to stay optimistic during a crisis -- but for that to be termed optimism one has to first admit there is a crisis! The same people had sons and daughters in America (their high dollar salaries were disclosed in awestruck terms by proud parents), who had declared their intention of never coming back to the country of their birth! If our future was this amazing, why were their children turning their backs on India? Jawab hai? The reason why that silly dialogue Rasode Mein Kaun Tha went viral is simple. At a time when citizens are struggling to come to terms with Indias desolate and arid financial landscape, and no salve has been offered by the Prime Minister after the minus 24 per cent GDP drop, all that we have is humour. Black humour! But jokes and memes and birds and masks cannot fight the biggest battle confronting us a harsh, unforgiving winter of our discontent. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Several activists expressed concern on Friday whether the polices investigation into the Delhi riots was a just facade to arrive at pre-meditated conclusions. Swaraj Indias national president Yogendra Yadav, bureaucrat turned activist Harsh Mander, former JNU student Umar Khalid, DU professor Apoorvanand and student activist Kawalpreet Kaur, in a virtual press conference, highlighted the continuing attempt by the Delhi Police to falsely implicate activists of the anti-CAA movement as the masterminds of the February violence. The draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act was being used against people even without any official charges against them, said Yadav. The Delhi Police believes there was a conspiracy behind the communal violence in February. We agree. But the actual conspiracy was a different one from what the police are propagating. Communal violence requires the creation of hatred. In Delhi, we saw a climate of hatred... with senior leaders targeting protesters, said Mander. The role of the police is essential to understand their complicity behind the violence, Mander added. The police story is, of course, quite the opposite. Large numbers of young people are languishing in jails without bail, he added. The activists said the Delhi Police was trying to implicate activists of the anti-CAA movement as the masterminds of the communal violence, and there was an attempt to crush voices of dissent. Khalid raised concerns on why police were silent on the alleged speeches made by BJP leaders which played a role in inciting violence in the capital. Does Delhi Police follow two sets of rules? Some people were spreading hate on Facebook Live. Why did the Delhi Police not probe them? asked Khalid. The police are silent on the two incidents of shooting on protesters in Jamia Millia Islamia and Shaheen Bagh, said the activists. A video showed officials of the Delhi Police assaulting four brutally injured men, and forcing them to chant the national anthem. One of them subsequently succumbed to the injuries. Has the Delhi Police initiated any actions against its personnel who were involved in this assault? the activists asked in a press statement. The popular TV series, Tastes Like Home with Wicklow chef Catherine Fulvio will return to RTE in September. The fifth series of Taste Like Home airs again on RTE One on September 7 at 8.30 p.m. and for a further seven weeks. Catherine of Ballyknocken House and Cookery School returns to eight incredible cities cooking dishes she is passionate about. Like everyone else, Catherine has been unable to travel abroad due to COVID 19, so in this new series, she creates and cooks brand new recipes inspired by some of the places previously visited as well as recipes that were requested by viewers and fans of the show as their 'taste like home' dishes. The show also catches up with some of the families that have were visited across the series. Talking about the show, Catherine said: 'Memories for me are made of delicious food and great characters and I feel honoured to have met so many wonderful people. Everywhere we have travelled we've had such a warm welcome. We've tasted delightful local dishes, experienced really interesting food culture and been inspired by the passion of the food creators. And that's what memories are made of. This year's series of Tastes Like Home celebrates the highlights of series one and two and I get to showcase the flavours I have enjoyed so much by creating delicious new recipes to reflect the countries visited.' Over the fifth series Tastes Like Home revisits Cape Town and Johannesburg in South Africa, Vancouver and Tiny Township in Canada, San Sebastian and Barcelona in Spain, as well as Dubai and Portland, Oregon to capture eight individual stories. T he US has not "seen any proof" that Alexei Navalny was poisoned with novichok, Donald Trump has said. The US president said that the situation with the Russian anti-corruption campaigner was "tragic... terrible" and "shouldn't happen", but declined to condemn Russia over the alleged poisoning. When asked how the US would react, Mr Trump said: "We have to look at it very seriously. If that's the case, and I think we will. I don't know exactly what happened. "We haven't had any proof yet, but I will take a look." This is despite German officials and a NATO-approved laboratory proving "beyond doubt" that Mr Navalny, a Russian politician and prominent Kremlin critic, was poisoned with the deadly nerve agent. Mr Trump's comments contrast with other international leaders and Trump administration officials who have condemned the alleged poisoning. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have both expressed their deep concern and called for answers from Russia. The Prime Minister's official spokesman, pressed on whether sanctions could be imposed on Russia or diplomats expelled, did not explicitly blame Moscow and said he would not "pre-empt what might happen next". Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny (file photo) / REUTERS He said the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons would play a key role in investigating what he described as an "attempted murder" and said the UK had offered support to the German investigation. The UK's Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab added that the poisoning was utterly deplorable and a violation of international law. He tweeted: Have just spoken with [German] FM @HeikoMaas we agreed that [Russian] gov must explain what happened and international partners must work together to support an investigation into this attack. Meanwhile US National Security Council spokesperson John Ullyot said this week: "The United States is deeply troubled by the results released today. Alexei Navalny's poisoning is completely reprehensible. Russia has used the chemical nerve agent Novichok in the past. "We will work with allies and the international community to hold those in Russia accountable, wherever the evidence leads, and restrict funds for their malign activities." Vladimir Putin / AP White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany slammed the "reprehensible" poisoning on Thursday and added: "Russia has used chemical nerve agents in the past, and we're working with our allies and the international community to hold those in Russia accountable wherever the evidence leads and restrict funds for their malign activities." But Russian authorities have appeared reluctant to investigate Mr Navalnys condition, saying there had so far been no grounds for a criminal investigation. Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev said a preliminary inquiry was ongoing, but added that he saw no signs of a crime in what happened to Mr Navalny. President Vladimir Putins spokesman has brushed off allegations the Kremlin was involved in poisoning Mr Navalny and said Germany had not provided Moscow with any evidence about the politicians condition. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov / Reuters We have nothing to hide, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday, asserting that German authorities had stonewalled Russian requests for information. Mr Lavrov said the failure to provide information about Mr Navalnys poisoning could indicate a lack of evidence. Our Western partners allow themselves to make arrogant demands in such a tone that suggests that they have nothing but pathos to put on the table, he said. Mr Navalny is being treated at a Berlin hospital after becoming sick on a flight to Moscow from the Siberian city of Tomsk last month. Two French soldiers were killed after their armored vehicle was destroyed by an improvised explosive device on Saturday morning during an operation in the Tessalit region in Mali, the French presidency said in a statement, Trend reports citing Xinhua. "The President of the Republic once again salutes the courage and determination of the French soldiers deployed in the Sahel," said the statement. Some 5,000 French troops started Barkhane Operation in 2014 in the Sahel region to help the G5 Sahel countries - Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger - combat extremist insurgents. France "calls for the establishment without delay of a civil political transition in Mali," added the statement. Thousands of Israelis gathered outside the prime minister's official residence in Jerusalem on Saturday, despite record levels of coronavirus infections, calling on Benjamin Netanyahu to resign as he is on trial for corruption charges. The government's mishaps in handling the coronavirus crisis after relative success in its early stages have fuelled the demonstrations which have been going on for more than three months. A rapid spike in infections has seen the death toll surpass 1000 and the country is mulling a new lockdown. Israel currently has over 26,000 active COVID-19 patients. Police have clashed with protesters on several occasions and used water cannons to clear them off main streets and squares, though in recent weeks the gatherings have been calmer. Protesters were carrying makeshift submarines a reference to a corruption case involving a potential conflict of interest over a $2 billion purchase of German submarines - and broke through a police cordon. Netanyahu has vowed to remain in office despite being charged last year with bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in three long-running corruption investigations. (Image Credit: AP) Grab and Gojek are getting closer to agreeing on a merger According to newswire DealStreetAsia, at the beginning, the deal faced numerous barriers, including the Law on Competition and opposition from authorities. In the past months, leaders of Grab and Gojek have been working with each other to negotiate the deal, showing their determination. DealStreetAsias source shared that SoftBank and other financial investors are looking for solutions to accelerate the deals completion. At present, there is no information about the ownership rates of the two parties in the joint venture. Gojek proposed a 50:50 ratio, while Grab wants to hold a controlling ratio. These two tech unicorns are backed by giants like SoftBank, Microsoft, Toyota, Honda for Grab, and Google, Temasek, Mitsubishi, and Samsung for Gojek. In addition, Visa poured money in both companies. At present, the two companies are valued at over $10 billion each. Gojek is a tech startup established in 2010 which mobilised $3 billion after 12 rounds of investment call. It is negotiating its Series F funding round with the expectation of mobilising $2.5 billion. Meanwhile, Grab acquired $9 billion from 29 rounds of investment. In 2018, it purchased Ubers operations across Southeast Asia, including Vietnam. The merger with Gojek raised concerns about a potential illegal economic concentration. Previously, the merger was earlier judged as anti-competitive by the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore, which fined the parties to a combined S$13 million ($9.5 million). Meanwhile, the Philippine Competition Commission has approved the merger in August 2018, with conditions related to pricing and service quality. Two months later, the watchdog imposed a penalty of nearly $300,000 on Grab and Uber for violating the conditions. However, in Vietnam, the Vietnam Competition Authority concluded that the acquisition was not an illegal economic concentration under Article 17 of the Law on Competition. A GoodYear's PhotographyBy NICOLE PELLETIERE, ABC News (DALLAS) -- A mother is speaking out about the false assumptions that are made about her as a Black parent to a white child. On Aug. 26, Jeena Wilder of Dallas, Texas, and her 6-year-old addressed the comments in a viral video shared with Wilder's 90,000 Instagram followers. "There were specific questions people would ask like, 'Are you the nanny? Are you babysitting these kids?'" Wilder told "Good Morning America." "No. These are all my children...all four of them." "Instead of thinking of other avenues on how people can become mothers, they automatically assume," she added. "It's saddening." Jeena and Drue Wilder first had their daughter placed with them four years ago after her biological parents were no longer able to care for her. The Wilders, who also have a biological 7-year-old, 3-year-old and another 6-year-old, officially adopted their daughter in October 2019. Jeena and Drue Wilder first had their daughter placed with them four years ago after her biological parents were no longer able to care for her. The child's biological parents are related to dad, Drue, so it was a kinship adoption, Wilder explained. The Wilders, who also have a biological 7-year-old, 3-year-old and another 6-year-old, officially adopted their daughter in October 2019. "She's really sweet and super forgiving and is the happiest child," Jeena said. "She loves being around people and she is my social butterfly." Wilder shares her journey on Instagram, where she also talks about transracial adoptions; emphasizing how she has the modern all-American family. Wilder's video of herself with her daughter has been viewed by more than 57,000. Many parents commented, revealing how it resonated with them. Jeena and Drue Wilder of Dallas, Texas, first had their daughter placed with them four years ago after her biological parents were no longer able to care for her. The child's biological parents are related to dad, Drue, so it was a kinship adoption, Wilder explained. "I always get mistaken for my daughters nanny," one wrote. "Shes half Indian like me & half Caucasian like Daddy, but shes still all mine!" "As the biological mom of biracial girls Ive ALWAYS been asked if I was their mom," another mom wrote. Wilder said she hopes to inspire more BIPOC (Black, indigenous and people of color) to adopt. "Then, it will not only be the norm," she added. "But we will see more children getting adopted." Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Lynn Bartels thinks politics is like sports but without the big salaries and protective cups. The Washington Post's "The Fix" blog named her one of Colorado's best political reporters and tweeters. Bartels, a South Dakota native, graduated from Cottey College in 1977 and Northern Arizona University in 1980 and then moved to New Mexico for her first journalism job. The Rocky Mountain News hired her in 1993 as its night cops reporter and in 2000 assigned her to her first legislative session. The Gold Dome hasn't been the same since. In 2009, The Denver Post hired Bartels after the Rocky closed, just shy of its 150th birthday. Bartels left journalism in 2015 to join then Secretary of State Wayne Williams's staff. She has now returned to journalism - at least part-time - and writes a regular political column for Colorado Politics. A church in Gwangju's Gwangsan-gu District is closed on Sept. 4 where two people were infected with COVID-19. They were infected after members of a family who had attended the controversial large-scale congregation in downtown Seoul in August that led to mass cluster infections of the coronavirus visited the church. Yonhap The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said Saturday that the number of new COVID-19 cases in South Korea stayed below 200 for the previous day the third straight but the health authorities said it is still too early for the country to let down its guard. The KCDC reported 168 additional infections, including 158 local ones, raising the total caseload to 21,010. The country has been posting triple-digit rises for around three weeks due to infection clusters tied to a slew of churches and an anti-government rally in central Seoul in mid-August. After keeping new cases of COVID-19 in two-digit numbers for more than five months, more than 100 cases were recorded Aug. 14 before skyrocketing to 441, Aug. 27. The number fell below 300 last Sunday. While the latest figure marks a fall from 198 cases Friday, the health authorities said the country should remain on alert, calling for residents to abide by the government's tightened social distancing guidelines. "While new cases are coming in at around 200 and seem to be declining, we are not yet at a stage where we can relax," Health Minister Park Neunghoo said in a response meeting at the Government Complex in Seoul. Minister of Health and Welfare Park Neung-hoo takes off his mask to brief journalists on the results of a Central Disaster Safety Countermeasures Committee meeting held at the Seoul Government Complex in Jongno District, Sept. 4. Yonhap Replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day symbolizes retelling history to highlight the voices of survivors not colonizers, said Naomi Harvey-Turner of Chi-Nations Youth Council. This is a time of change, weve seen it on the news, weve seen it in the streets. People across the United States are demanding a better world for next generations and right now Columbus stands in the way of that. Grandmas who make beer, an autistic man who believes he is a knight, and a seemingly organized wife who loses her cool and attacks her husband with an ax were among the unconventional cast of characters in some of the books I read for my three book clubs in August. 'The Reckless Oath We Made' by Bryn Greenwood What I thought Dark and disturbing but beautifully written, Greenwoods All the Ugly and Wonderful Things stuck with me for a long time, so I was looking forward to reading her latest. Greenwood doesnt pick easy topics or easy characters. Reckless Oath tells the unusual and beautiful love story of Zee, aka Lady Zhorza, and her knight in shining armor (literally), Sir Gentry. Zee is a tall, redheaded girl with a lot of family issues. Her father goes to prison for murder when she is a child, leaving Zees mother, who is morbidly obese and has a serious hoarding problem, to raise Zee and her sister. The book opens with Zee returning from a run as a drug mule and learning her sister, a prison volunteer, has been taken hostage by two escapees. The hostage situation is just the latest crisis for Zee to navigate. Enter Gentry, a young man who has autism, speaks Middle English and thinks he is a real knight destined to protect Zee because one of the three voices he hears told him it was his oath to do so. The book was told from different point of views, including some chapters by Gentry, written completely in Middle English, which can be a bit hard to read at times. Ye cant seye I didnt warn ye. At book club Unpredictable, engaging, nonconventional, an epic story with unforgettable characters who live outside the lines were some of the ways my fellow readers described Greenwoods book. The story moved a bit slow for one, though she still really liked the book; others, including me, couldnt put the novel down. One reader she would be the standout if this were a college literature class said Gentry was a Christlike figure who took on the sins of others, while Lady Zhorza was the Mary Magdalene. 'The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F' by Mark Manson What I thought One of my book clubs skipped last month and decided to add this short, allegedly quick read for our August meeting. I dont do self-help books. Dont give up! Its all gonna be OK! Heres some meaning to your lifes struggles. Blah, blah, blah. But for book club and this column, I gave popular blogger Mark Mansons irreverent lifestyle book a shot. I got to page 8. Reluctantly resumed reading one week later. Got to page 29. Started skimming. Page 82 I. Just. Cant. Do. It. The author made some good points, but it seemed mostly a reason for Manson to say the F-word and excuse his boorish personality. At book club The member who suggested the book called it a counterintuitive approach to living a good life. Another who enjoyed the book liked the points it made and recommended it to family members. But I wasnt the only one who dislikes self-help books. One person confessed to not even reaching page 20. Another who finished listened on Audible and sped up the narration speed (less of a waste of time?). The same member suggested that, if we had been meeting in person instead of on Zoom, a good drinking game would be to drink any time someone said the F-word. Ill drink to that. 'The Lager Queen of Minnesota' by J. Ryan Stradal What I thought This is a heartwarming tale told in alternating chapters by Edith and Helen, sisters who havent spoken to each other in decades, and Ediths granddaughter Diana. The Lager Queen of Minnesota will make you want to curl up under a blanket with a refreshing bottle of beer. Anyone know where I can find Grandma Ediths Rhubarb-Pie-In-A-Bottle Ale? An education in making beer ("She added a fourth grain, hoping for a firmer malt backbone, dropped the crystal percentage to 4 percent to make the beer less sweet"), Lager Queen is about strong women who follow their dreams and tackle what fate has thrown at them. Stradal had me hooked (and hungry) after reading his debut novel, Kitchens of the Great Midwest. I cant wait to see what he writes next. At book club With beer (unless we preferred wine) and popcorn, we met on a front porch until a late-evening rain shower chased us away. Our host, who lived in Minnesota before moving to the area, said Stradal got the characters dispositions just right. Edith reflects what Minnesota women are like, she said, working hard, keeping their heads down, grinding it out and never complaining about lifes hardships. A few members said though the storyline was pleasant enough, there were lots of loose ends, and the book meandered. The author sometimes took a long lap to get to a really short place, one person said. 'The Sweetness of Forgetting' by Kristin Harmel What I thought A tale involving World War II history, family and romance, Harmels novel is best enjoyed while relaxing on the beach or maybe (less exotic) on the side of a river in Missouri, as I did. Rose, a Holocaust survivor, is losing her memory to Alzheimers. Hope, newly divorced and trying to save the family bakery from financial ruin, goes on a journey to uncover her grandmother Roses secrets. Though the plotline had its nice moments, and some of the historic details were interesting (I didnt know Muslims helped some Jews flee France in WWII), I found the story mostly predictable and some coincidences highly unlikely. At book club Having read Harmels latest book, The Book of Lost Names, last month, we all agreed the authors writing has improved. More family drama than historical fiction, The Sweetness of Forgetting, written in 2012, was Harmels first book about World War II, and it was fine for an easy summer read. If you like Nicholas Sparks, this book is for you. A big problem was the main character, Hope, who was whiny, tiresome and just as unlikable as her awful daughter and ridiculously terrible ex-husband. The book was best in Paris when Hope met with some newly discovered family members some charming characters a reader could embrace. The book features nine recipes I wasnt ambitious enough to make the Star Pies but did make the Cape Codder Cookies with dried cranberries and white chocolate chips providing the perfect way to sweeten up book club. Bonus books This month I returned to two detective series one to start from the beginning. I read When Will There Be Good News, the third in of Kate Atkinsons series that centers on detective Jackson Brodie, for a book club in July. A former colleague said I needed to start with the first book to truly appreciate Brodie. In Case Histories and One Good Turn the first two of what is so far a five-book series Atkinson once again wowed me with her skills to connect seemingly unconnected storylines. And yes, I did grow fonder of Brodie. As he unravels the mystery of three cold cases in Case Histories, his tough-guy but empathetic, humorous and cynical nature is also gradually revealed. One Good Turn opens at a fringe festival in Edinburgh, where Brodie has traveled to watch his actress girlfriend and is a witness to a brutal road rage incident. Im not usually a fan of detective novels, but Atkinsons emphasis on the memorable and quirky characters two eccentric sisters and an ax-murdering housewife in Case Histories, and a timid, quiet man who writes mystery novels in One Good Turn rather than the crimes themselves makes her a writer I will return to. In Kelley Armstrong's Rockton series, it's the setting a remote off-the-grid town and dangerous place to live in the Yukon territory as much as the characters that draws me in. In "A Darkness Absolute," homicide detective Casey Duncan, her now-boyfriend sheriff Eric Dalton and deputy Will Anders must solve another mystery after a former resident, missing for more than a year, is found being held captive in a cave, along with the bodies of two other women. This isn't heavy reading, but the fast-paced action and interesting characters ensure I will continue the series. Stay up-to-date on what's happening Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Bosniak minority has been targeted in series of attacks after election ends in a new majority dominated by nationalists. Bosniak citizens of Montenegro say fear and anxiety pervades their communities after a series of attacks and vandalism targeted the minority population following the countrys parliamentary election, which ushered in a new majority government dominated by right-wing nationalists. The intense election campaign pitted President Milo Djukanovics pro-Western Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) against the right-wing For the Future of Montenegro (ZBCG) bloc, comprised mainly of Serb nationalist parties that seek closer ties with Belgrade and Moscow. ZBCG, combined with two other opposition alliances, achieved a razor-thin majority grabbing 41 out of 81 seats in parliament, bringing the DPS rule to an end after leading the NATO-member country for 30 years. The campaign largely focused on a dispute over a law on religious rights introduced in late 2019, staunchly opposed by the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC). The SPC argued the law allows the state to confiscate its property in order to set up a separate church, sparking protests over the last 10 months supported by the opposition. The government has denied the allegation. Attacks and provocations against Bosniaks began as soon as exit poll results were released last Sunday and opposition supporters began celebrating on the streets. Bosniaks are the third largest ethnic group in the small Adriatic nation of 622,000 after Montenegrins and Serbs. An opposition supporter holds up a flag reading Russia after general elections in Podgorica, Montenegro [Savo Prelevic/AFP] Two Bosniaks, a young man and his father, were attacked at a cafe in the city centre of Pljevlja on Sunday evening. Abid Sabanovic, 22, from the town of Pljevlja told Al Jazeera some far-right supporters drove through Bosniak neighbourhoods with the sole aim of provoking residents there. These parts of the city arent situated on the main roads so there was no reason to go there, Sabanovic said, adding the supporters were singing ultranationalist Chetnik songs about Draza Mihajlovic a World War II-era Chetnik Serb figure . Such lyrics have nothing to do with the election, rather they represent an expression of nationalism, Sabanovic said, adding there is fear, anxiety among Bosniaks. 200903152827523 Mihajlovic was the leader of the Serb nationalist Chetnik movement, many members of which collaborated with Nazi forces. According to historians, Chetnik forces killed tens of thousands of Bosniaks, Croats and other non-Serbs in the former Yugoslavia. History repeated itself in the early 1990s when Serb forces identifying with the Chetnik movement committed genocide and war crimes in Bosnia and Herzegovina, killing Bosniaks and Croats to make way for a Greater Serbia. Bosniaks in neighbouring Pljevelja, situated 40km east of the Bosnian border, were not exempt from violence either. In 1992, with the outbreak of war in neighbouring Bosnia, Bosniaks were persecuted, tortured and killed in and around Pljevlja. By July of that year, more than a dozen Bosniak villages near Pljevlja were ethnically-cleansed, and in September a series of 27 explosions targeted Bosniak stores and homes. Mosques were destroyed. Its not surprising [they were singing ultranationalist songs] considering that both the SPC and the leading opposition party nurture ultranationalism and the Chetnikism, Sabanovic said. Threats of genocide On Tuesday, unknown assailants broke the windows of the Islamic communitys local office in Pljevlja and left a note reading: Plevlja will be Srebrenica, referring to the genocide against Bosniaks committed by Serb forces in July 1995 in Srebrenica, Bosnia. ALARMING: Attacks on premises of the Islamic community in Pljevlja, Montenegro, by Serbian nationalists with the message of hate: Pljevlja will be #Srebrenica!#MontenegroElections #Montenegro #izboriCG pic.twitter.com/p1Yg0iZxe5 Mirnes Kovac (@MirnesKovac) September 2, 2020 The attacks continued until Thursday when the head imam in Pljevlja posted photos on Facebook showing graffiti scrawled on the brick wall and windows of a property reading Turks and Srebrenica. Also drawn was the 4S cross, an old Serbian symbol used by Serbian far-right nationalists. The situation in #Montenegro's #Pljevlja won't calm down. New nationalist and insulting messages towards city's Muslim #Bosniaks were sprayed on their venues last night. "Srebrenica", "Move away, Turks" are just some of the nationalistic messages #awful pic.twitter.com/A82U1uGhUa Nedad Memic (@NedadMemic) September 3, 2020 Photos were shared on social media of messages written on roads and signs in a village near Pljevlja reading: Move out Turks, Srebrenica, 4S and 92. Evo ko je htio na cirilici. Selo Odzak. pic.twitter.com/kKrMapYO3Q (@0takuCreep) September 3, 2020 Some are really afraid. We often hear from elders how this all reminds them of 1992 when the terror against the Bosniak population of Pljevlja reached its peak, Sabanovic said. Some are avoiding going out on the streets, which is understandable because there were a few instances where security for Bosniaks or their properties were threatened. Its purely an expression of power. Policy analyst Ljubomir Filipovic from Budva told Al Jazeera the violence makes not only Bosniaks, but all progressive people worried about the future of Montenegro. The biggest group in the opposition is a xenophobic and Islamophobic community, which was supported by a 10-months long campaign that was portraying ethnic and religious minorities as the regime collaborators, thus creating a prelude to the violence that is taking place in the Montenegrin streets these days, Filipovic said. Defending mosques? On Wednesday, leader of ZBCG Zdravko Krivokapic stood with priests of the SPC in front of Pljevljas main mosque and site of attacks, holding a banner reading: We dont give up holy sites! in support of the mosque, regional media reported. Last night a Mosque in the town of #Pljevlja was vandalized by the outgoing regime of @predsjednik_cg in an effort to frame the democratic opposition of #Montenegro. They responded with a clear message: we wont allow a corrupt regime to divide us #nedamosvetinje pic.twitter.com/vUnLXuZPH8 Serblish (@SRBinENG) September 2, 2020 Regarding the attack on Pljevljas mosque, Krivokapic said at a news conference the same day, We will defend mosques just as we defended monasteries. He added the opposition was not behind the Islamophobic attacks, rather it was the result of the work of the regime system, referring to Djukanovics DPS, Serbian media reported. 190509134918749 But Sabanovic said as long as pro-Serb leaders do not distance themselves from Chetniks and their ideology which aims for a homogenous Serbia without minorities their defence of Islamic holy sites cannot be taken seriously. An MP of the Democratic Front [part of the ZBCG bloc] has the title of a Chetnik ruler We know [the SPCs most senior bishop in Montenegro] Amfilohije spoke publicly about friendship with [Bosnian Serb convicted war criminal] Radovan Karadzic, the executioner of Bosniaks in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sabanovic said. In 2014, [Amfilohije] spoke about how Islam is a false religion and Muslims are false people [and] that Montenegrins are a creation of communism. For the SPC, their banner in front of the mosque has no significance if the genocidal ideology which nearly exterminated the Bosniaks of Pljevlja villages and other parts of Sandzak and eastern Bosnia is not condemned, Sabanovic said. They only turn out to be hypocrites who obviously only care about scoring cheap political points. GANGTOK: The Indian Army rescued three Chinese nationals who lost their way in north Sikkim's plateau area at 17,500 ft altitude and immediately provided them medical assistance. The incident had taken place on September 3. The Indian Army said that its personnel provided oxygen, food and warm clothes to the rescued Chinese troops and also gave them appropriate guidance after which they returned to their destination. "#IndianArmy extends help and #Medical assistance to stranded #Chinese citizens at the India - China Border of #NorthSikkim at altitude of 17,500 feet under extreme climatic conditions. For #IndianArmy #Humanity is foremost," the Indian Army wrote in a tweet on Saturdauy (September 5). Sasa, a leading producer f polyester staple fibers, filament yarns and specialty polymers and intermediates, said it has reached an agreement with Invista Performance Technologies (IPT) for the licence of IPTs P8 process technology at a new plant in Adana, Turkey. With an annual PTA production capacity of 1.5 million tonnes, this would be the largest single-stream design capacity licensed by Invista. Built on the demonstrated performance of IPTs P8 technology platform, the variable cost, capital productivity and environmental performance of this PTA plant is expected to set new benchmarks within the industry. Sasa Chairman Ibrahim Erdemoglu said: "We will continue to invest in polyester to position ouurselves as the leading polyester producer after China and India. This agreement will enable self-sufficiency in PTA, terminating all PTA imports into Turkey." "This is also the first step of Sasas investment in petrochemicals with more investment in polyester, PTA and MEG to follow in Adana's Yumurtalik district," he noted. IPT President Mike Pickens said: "Our companies have a long history of cooperation dating back to 1974, when Sasa licensed IPTs polyester technology. We are honoured that our industry-leading P8 PTA technology has been selected by Sasa." "The signing of this licence agreement has great significance in terms of long-term collaboration between Sasa and IPT," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Two of the Trump administrations top scientific advisers have said that it is unlikely that there will be a coronavirus vaccine ready by November spelling trouble for Donald Trumps hopes of rolling one out before election day. Dr Moncef Slaoui, the scientific head of vaccine development programme Operation Warp Speed, told NPRs Mary Louise Kelly on Thursday that the vaccine will almost certainly not be cleared this autumn even though it is moving incredibly fast by the standards of vaccine development. Well, its a matter of planning, and the operation has been performing, I have to say, very, very well up to now, even better than I was hoping. There is a very, very low chance that the trials that are running as we speak could read before the end of October, and therefore there could be if all other conditions required for an emergency use authorisation are met and approved, Dr Slaoui said. I think its extremely unlikely but not impossible, and therefore its the right thing to do to be prepared in case, he added. Dr Slaoui went on to explain that the vaccines emergency use authorisation will not come through until it passes stringent efficacy and safety tests in phase three trials. While he expects to have a vaccine available by the end of the year to inoculate high-risk people, he said that the full vaccination of the US population would have to wait until the middle of 2021. On Friday morning, US surgeon general Dr Jerome Adams reiterated Dr Slaouis claims and told Good Morning America that it is improbable that a vaccine will be ready by November. Its not just about having a vaccine that is safe and effective, but about being ready to distribute it, Dr Adams said. So on the chance. that a vaccine might be available early, and Dr [Anthony] Fauci and [vaccine czar] Dr [Moncef] Slaoui both say thats possible even though not probable, we want to make sure that states are ready to distribute it, hence the 1 November instructions from the CDC, just in case its ready, so we can quickly get it to the people who most need it, he added. Dr Adams said that US officials are not rushing the vaccine approval for election day and explained: What people need to understand is that we have a Data and Safety Monitoring Board, who actually blind the data so it wont be possible to move forward unless this independent thinks there is good evidence a vaccine is efficacious. Both the creation and development of Operation Warp Speed have concerned not just Mr Trumps usual critics but also many public health experts, many of whom worry that any vaccine it produces will be rushed into production before adequate safety trials have been run. Recommended Fauci warns against premature approval of Covid vaccine At the root of these concerns is the fear that the race for a vaccine is being accelerated for the purposes of Mr Trumps re-election campaign. The Centres for Disease Control (CDC) this week notified public health authorities across the country to be ready to distribute a vaccine in early November, even with no definitive indications that an inoculation will be ready by election day. At a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Thursday night, Mr Trump doubled down on the claims and said a vaccine might really might even be delivered before the end of October...How do you like that? The CDC and FDA have both come in for criticism recently over actions and statements some have called overly political, with the CDC recently suggesting that fewer Americans need to be tested advice later confirmed to have been urged by the White House, and not signed off by top adviser Dr Anthony Fauci as first claimed. FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn, meanwhile, last week had to apologise for publicly overstating the efficacy of a plasma treatment for Covid-19 patients a treatment whose emergency authorisation was announced on the eve of the Republican National Convention, again raising suspicions it had been pushed out to flatter the administration at a critical moment. However, asked whether he agreed the November date of the CDCs advice had a whiff of politics about it Dr Slaoui agreed, but said the instruction to the states to prepare is less a political ploy than part of a strategy to ensure the country was ready. Dr Slaoui said: I get the point. Youre right. And my reading of that letter, which I like you discovered on the news, is one that says we need to be prepared as of [1 November]. And I do think there is a possibility that the clinical trials albeit very low, as I said before, extremely low but there is a possibility that the trials read out before the end of October. It would be irresponsible not to be ready if that was the case. According to Johns Hopkins University some 6.1m people have now tested positive for coronavirus in the US and the death toll has reached 187,464. Irans COVID-19 death toll is yet to drop below 100 a day and daily infections remain close to 2,000. In Iran, there is a tussle between the government and the provinces over how and when schools should reopen. Millions of students headed back to schools across Iran on Saturday. The schools were shut since early March because of the coronavirus pandemic. Al Jazeeras Assed Baig reports. The number of calls to the Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center crisis hotline jumped to an average of 530 a month from March to August, from what was a monthly range of 25 to 30 prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The increased call volume is an average of 18 crisis calls a day or 132 a week, a steep increase from about one a day prior to the coronavirus crisis. The Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center released that data. GBHWC is a government of Guam agency that provides behavioral health services, including treatment, to adults and children. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Behavioral Health Director Therese Arriola said from March 15 to Aug. 31, the center's crisis hotline received a total of 2,945 calls. "A 2,000% increase," she told The Guam Daily Post. Help is a phone call away for anyone feeling anxious, stressed or overwhelmed and in need of someone to talk to, health professionals said. The crisis hotline can be reached at 647-8833 or 647-8834 and calls will be taken any time of the day. Seeking someone to talk to or asking for help is encouraged, according to Dr. Kristianna Whitman, project director of GBHWC's Focus on Life and Youth Suicide Prevention Grant. More awareness Arriola said GBHWC received federal COVID mental health emergency funding grants, portions of which were used to do public outreach including on social media. "And that's probably the reason why more and more people are starting to call, which is always a good thing. The first thing they need to know is where to call and so we are inundated with callers, but that's a good thing because that's what we're here to do," Arriola said on Friday, during a Zoom conference with senators and a group of student interns interested in public policy. The stigma of getting help is also "reducing," she said, so more people call the crisis hotline. A pandemic lends itself to heightened behavioral response, health professionals said. It's not just the crisis hotline that has seen a spike. Suicide deaths also increased in the past three months. About every six days in June, July and August, someone died by suicide, according to the Guam Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. There were 15 suicides deaths, or five in each of those three months. Solutions proposed This year's group of students in the Public Policy Institute's internship program, under Guam Legislature Speaker Tina Muna Barnes' office, focused on the need to seek more funding for GBHWC's crisis hotline call center. The students include Aila Rodriguez of Brown University, Sojung An of Harvest Christian Academy, and Mark Wang, Chelsea Luo and Seungho Kang of St. Johns School. Kang's presentation was on storm drains. The students drafted legislation seeking to appropriate $375,000 from the Healthy Futures Fund to GBHWC to initiate a "Mobile Crisis Response Team." They proposed the hiring of at least 11 full-time employees to ensure there's 24-hour manpower for the crisis hotline. Currently, social workers, counselors, nurses, care coordinators, key family coordinators and peer specialists receive calls to the crisis hotline, but they also have their other primary duties. Arriola and the students said there's no full-time workers dedicated to only working the crisis hotline. "Because the unit has become more and more busy, it is not conducive to answering the proper crisis hotline, so what I have done is I redirected resources so that we actually have a crisis hotline team," Arriola said. Post-COVID, the center is weighing hiring employees dedicated to manning the crisis hotline, she said. Arriola thanked the students for helping to raise awareness about the crisis hotline. Barnes and Sens. Regine Biscoe Lee and Wil Castro also lauded the students for not only bringing the issue of mental health to the forefront but more importantly proposing concrete solutions. No help from national hotline In the last six months of 2019, there were 167 Guam residents who called the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and "zero percent of the 167 callers received help," the students said. They couldn't be redirected to Guam because the island doesn't have an established national suicide prevention lifeline, the students said. Arriola said GBHWC applied to the National Crisis Lifeline, and they're now on the last stage of a three-stage process. "We are confident that it's going to happen," Arriola said. When she became the director of GBHWC, she said this was one of her priorities so that everyone who calls the national hotline can get help. Arriola said GBHWC will build up infrastructure of its crisis unit that will include the general crisis hotline number, the local suicide prevention number and the Mobile Crisis Response Team with dedicated staff. If the student-proposed bill becomes law, the Mobile Crisis Response Team under GBHWC would work collaboratively with the Guam Crisis Hotline for 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to respond to crisis calls. If a crisis hotline employee at any point decides the caller needs further in-person support, the Mobile Crisis Response Team would be notified to go directly to the caller in order to help resolve the crisis, according to the draft bill. (Bloomberg) -- Americas top chicken producers were accused of inflating prices for over a decade, according to lawsuits filed by a U.S. refrigerated-meal supplier, a supermarket chain and a convenience store operator. Bob Evans Farms Inc., Fresh Market and Wawa Inc. said producers including top three Tyson Foods Inc., Pilgrims Pride Corp. and Sanderson Farms Inc curtailed supplies to boost their profits, according to separate lawsuits filed Friday in federal court in Chicago. Buyers are now seeking damages for chicken purchased from as early as 2008 to at least late 2017. The lawsuits are the latest against chicken companies and other meat producers over how their product is priced and workers are treated in the slaughterhouses that turn animals into food. The U.S. Department of Justice earlier this year indicted Pilgrims Pride top boss for price-fixing. Historically, the chicken industry was marked by boom and bust cycles, the chicken buyers said in their lawsuits, filed by the same law firm. By their wrongful conduct as alleged in this complaint, defendants not only materially reduced or eliminated the historical boom and bust cycle of the chicken industry, they propped up chicken prices during periods of rapidly falling input costs. The suits, which also target Koch Foods Inc., Perdue Farms Inc. and Wayne Farms LLC, alleged producers inflated costs through methods including cutting production to manipulating price indices. Like a probe of the beef industry, the complaints also cite the highly concentrated nature of the chicken industry, with a few large players controlling supply. Tyson, Pilgrims Pride and Sanderson Farms did not immediately reply to requests for comment, nor did the trade group National Chicken Council. Several meat processing plants were forced to shut down this spring as the novel coronavirus spread among workers, with many claiming a lack of protective equipment and social distancing made for unsafe working conditions. Tyson was seeking to have one such case heard in federal court. An estimated 41,935 workers at U.S. meat plants had confirmed cases of the virus and 200 workers have died, according to Food & Environment Reporting Network data Friday. Probes against Americas meat producers also intensified at the same time, with the DOJ announcing its indictment, which also included executives from smaller producer Claxton Poultry Farms Inc. Tyson, Americas largest producer, said it was cooperating in the pricing-probe after it uncovered information pertaining to potential wrongdoing and reported it to the DOJ. The case is Bob Evans Farms v. Tyson Foods, 20-cv-05253, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois (Chicago) 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Sohum Shah puts an end to speculations around Tummbad 2, says he's working on another project Govt. prepares to implement Rubber Master Plan By Sunimalee Dias View(s): View(s): The Sri Lanka government has commenced work on the implementation of the Rubber Master Plan crucial for the development of the sector aimed at increasing yields while taking a pragmatic decision not to interfere in pricing. With the rubber industry facing a number of issues the government has appointed a committee to look into the implementation of the Rubber Master Plan in a bid to initiate its proposals, Sri Lanka Association of Manufacturers and Exporters of Rubber Products Director General Rohan Masakorala told the Business Times on Thursday. Middlemen causing issues to manufacturers has led to some concerns in the industry that if these persons attempt to artificially increase prices of rubber raw materials through political influence it could discourage any foreign investments in this sector. However, at present manufacturers are said to have explained this issue and have obtained government assurance that such artificial price increases would not be carried out in future, Mr. Masakorala said. Sri Lanka is currently facing a serious shortage in raw materials and has poor productivity and yield compared to other markets. The industry is currently attempting to achieve 77,000 MT of rubber but still needs to import as the total requirement for Sri Lanka for both its domestic and export markets is 150,000 MT. Value addition has raised the countrys revenues from rubber exports to US$900 million from a much lower value if exported in raw form. Sri Lankas yield per hectare is only 600 kg compared to world standards that dictate it should be 1800 2000 kg per hectare and the average best is stated at 1600 kg per hectare, Mr. Masakorala noted. But the execution of the master plan would enable the industry to obtain a higher yield and increase productivity, which authorities have agreed to expedite, he said. We are a divided country because of the venom coming from the White House. Friendships have been lost. Family members have been ostracized. The fact that my political views or my race and religion dont align exactly with yours should not stop us from being friends and go out to vote in the coming elections. We can agree to disagree. Muslims, Blacks and Latinx have the chance to make an impact this election. Their votes can be the margin of victory for Democrats in key battleground states. According to Jens Manuel Krogstad at Pew research, the U.S. electorate this year will be the countrys most racially and ethnically diverse ever. Nearly one in three eligible voters on Election Day (31%) will be Hispanic, black, Asian or another racial or ethnic minority. A recent poll indicates Joe Biden is leading by a small margin. President Trump is looking for help from Russia and undermining the voting apparatus. The Republicans have created obstacles, making it difficult for people of color to vote. The new strategy is to remove mail collection boxes, mail-sorting machinery and closing polling stations in districts of color. Trump fears that if he loses, he will be prosecuted and incarcerated. Hence, he will not accept defeat by claiming voter fraud. Our vote counts and can decide this election. The common goal for all Muslims, Blacks and Latinx is to defeat Donald Trump. That is why we must vote early to flatten the curve and be safe. Mohammed Khaku Upper Macungie Townshipj This was the week when TV star Kate Garraway should have been renewing her wedding vows with husband Derek Draper to mark their 15th anniversary. Instead, the TV presenter faces a 'very strange' day as her husband continues his fight in hospital against coronavirus. In a moving interview in today's You magazine, Kate, 53, says: 'We hope and believe he will come out of it but we just don't know. Kate is inspiringly optimistic. 'We're lucky, so many people have lost loved ones,' she says. 'What you have to keep thinking is there were so many moments when doctors thought we'd lost Derek or were about to, and he's still here. There is still hope' 'The heart of the family has been ripped out and we don't know if we will ever get it back.' The Good Morning Britain star returned to work in July on the advice of doctors who said she needed to re-establish a routine. She has been strong for their two children, Darcey, 14 who was planning a 'second wedding' for her parents on Thursday and Billy, 11, but admits to moments when she's 'consumed with fear'. She seeks comfort in the sort of light-hearted moments that Derek a 'massive believer in silliness' would enjoy, adding: 'It's trenches humour. 'You need it to get through. So with the children I'd try to do things in a different way. 'We'd go and bounce on the trampoline for exercise and they'd laugh at how bad I was.' Kate Garraway's husband Derek Draper (pictured together) fell ill at the start of lockdown. He is now out of an induced coma but remains in intensive care Draper, a former political lobbyist turned psychotherapist, fell ill at the start of lockdown and was rushed to hospital on the advice of Good Morning Britain doctor Hilary Jones. He is now out of an induced coma but remains in intensive care. Describing how 'everyone has been staggeringly supportive', Kate reveals that she even received a note from Boris Johnson, who was hospitalised with Covid in April. 'Boris handwrote me a really lovely note and Carrie [his fiancee] has sent us messages via other people. 'So I have seen a very human side to them. Boris's public face gets a lot of stick but the challenge is that politicians are in the dark like us.' Love, fear, hope... Kate Garraway on how she's holding her family together while her husband fights for his life By Julia Llewellyn-Smith for You The last 'normal' Saturday Good Morning Britain and Smooth Radio host Kate Garraway spent with her husband Derek Draper was in late March. Their daughter Darcey, 14, was with friends and they'd dropped their son Billy, 11, off at his street-dance class, so they then went for brunch at their favourite local cafe. 'We had such a lovely time,' says Kate, 53. 'We'd been waiting ages to put in sliding patio doors to our back garden not a very rock and roll or romantic topic for brunch, I know, but we were so excited about the chance to make plans. After we discussed that, Derek said, 'I fear a lockdown is coming; while we're in isolation it's a good time to print out the photos of the kids to put on the wall.' So then we went to B&Q to get some picture frames.' The last 'normal' Saturday Good Morning Britain and Smooth Radio host Kate Garraway spent with her husband Derek Draper was in late March. Soon Derek was in intensive care, diagnosed with Covid-19 Over five months later, the frames are stacked unwrapped in Kate and Derek's hallway in North London. The photos were never printed out. 'I don't know how to use the printer,' Kate says ruefully. For the day after the B&Q trip, on 29 March, Derek, 53, began feeling ill and was admitted to hospital. Just a week later he was in intensive care, diagnosed with Covid-19. Today he is still there, in a minimally conscious state from which no one knows if he will ever be able to recover. 'We hope and believe he will come out of it, but we just don't know,' says Kate, who vomited when doctors first told her this. 'The heart of the family has been ripped out and we don't know if we will ever get it back.' Derek is one of an estimated just five people in the world whose bodies have been damaged so much by Covid. He has survived but for how long or even if he can recover the doctors can't say. His condition constantly fluctuates. 'If they say this has improved today you don't feel the euphoria you'd like because you have this feeling the next day something else will have gone wrong. 'At first it was all about Derek's lungs,' Kate continues. 'But then his kidneys started failing and he was on dialysis. Now they've realised Covid can affect every cell of the body: most recently Derek's been having problems with his intestines. The absorption of food and vomiting are problems and they're trying to work out whether that's because his cells don't produce the enzymes to digest. His liver and heart and blood vessels have been affected.' Throughout all this, Kate has been holding the fort at home, trying to present a chipper front for the sake of the children. Since July she's been back presenting GMB, fitting in work around endless conversations with medics, not to mention sorting out the nonstop legal and financial challenges that accompany a partner being in a coma. 'There's been more than the odd day when I've just been consumed with fear,' she says. 'But as a mum you can't go to bed and cry for 24 hours. Children don't choose when they're going to be upset; you say: 'It's 9pm, I'm going to bed, I've got to be up at 2am for work,' and that's when they suddenly want to talk about Dad, so of course you just have to say, 'OK, let's talk about it.' Throughout all this, Kate has been holding the fort at home, trying to present a chipper front for the sake of the children. Kate wears suit, Giuliva Heritage x H&M Kate's talking to me via Zoom. The video link is ropey; before I can see her I hear Kate laughing at the technological shambles. Our chat is peppered with her hearty chuckles and broad smiles as she talks frankly about her ordeal. This cheery front wasn't much in evidence at Kate's home back in March. 'Initially you couldn't be laughing at anything, it would have been too strange. But the thing that came to reassure me it was OK to have fun was that Derek [a former political lobbyist in the early years of the first Blair government turned psychotherapist] was is a massive believer in silliness. Sometimes it would drive me crackers. I remember once we'd missed a flight and he was making all these jokes and I was like, 'It's not funny!' and he said, 'You've got to laugh at it, so you can deal with it.' It's trenches humour. You need it to get through. 'So with the children I'd try to do things in a different way. We'd go and bounce on the trampoline for exercise and they'd laugh at how bad I was. Or once Darcey was googling about people in comas and found a story about a woman who came out of one speaking fluent Mandarin. We had a hysterical half hour imagining Dad coming round with a posh voice like Prince Charles rather than his Chorley accent. Billy was worried 'I don't want Dad to sound different' and I had to reassure him, but for Darcey to laugh was a real release in a situation that is obviously very, very sad and frightening.' Kate and Derek had planned to renew their marriage vows. 'I can't wait for him to come home to us... that's my dream' A jungle challenge for Kate and Myles Stephenson. In December, she spoke about how Derek 'had fallen in love with me all over again', after watching her cope brilliantly with the deprivations of the jungle in the latest series of I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! Yet Kate was worried as to how the public might react to her smiling, let alone laughing, when at the advice of doctors who said she needed to re-establish routine she returned to ITV, where she's been a breakfast television regular for over 20 years. 'I very consciously didn't want to talk too much on air about the sadness of Derek. I don't want to bring anybody down; my job is to cheer people up. But it's a balance: I also don't want anyone to think, 'There she is smiling and not caring about her husband.' Kate mentioned this fear during a programme, only to have it misinterpreted as her saying she had been trolled by angry viewers. 'That was taken all wrong,' she says. 'I anticipated nastiness, but the truth is I haven't been trolled at all. Everyone has been staggeringly supportive.' Kate has also received support from Boris Johnson, who was admitted to intensive care with coronavirus in April, and his fiancee Carrie Symonds. 'Boris hand-wrote me a really lovely note saying he was thinking about me and Carrie has sent us messages via other people saying she knows it's very tough. So I have seen a very human side to them. Boris's public face gets a lot of stick but the challenge is that politicians are all in the dark just like us.' It's desperately sad to think that this week Kate and Derek, who met at a drinks event organised by their mutual friend, former Labour politician Gloria del Piero, were planning a renewal of their wedding vows and a huge party to mark their 15th wedding anniversary on Thursday. In December, she spoke about how Derek 'had fallen in love with me all over again', after watching her cope brilliantly with the deprivations of the jungle in the latest series of I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!. When she departed the jungle (she came fourth), Derek produced a ring and asked her to marry him again. 'I felt I saw everything in a new light. I'd always known family and friends and love were the most important thing, but after the jungle that brought it into focus even more. Darcey was very excited: she was planning a second wedding God knows what she'd have had me wearing. But now that won't be happening and our anniversary will be very strange.' After starting to feel ill, Derek thought it was from new painkillers he was taking for a long-term shoulder injury and sinusitis. No one suspected coronavirus as he had no cough or temperature Covid's official symptoms back then. But as his condition rapidly deteriorated, Kate called GMB's resident medic Dr Hilary Jones who, after doing breathing tests over the phone, advised her to call 999. Derek was taken in an ambulance to hospital where, initially, he seemed to be doing well. 'One of the last texts I have from him says, 'The doctor says the lung X-ray is looking positive, I'm definitely not going to die,' she reveals. Kate with daughter Darcey and son Billy last year. For several weeks, the family's only contact with Derek was through hospital staff Kate made an emotional return to Good Morning Britain in July. 'I very consciously didn't want to talk too much on air about the sadness of Derek. I don't want to bring anybody down; my job is to cheer people up. But it's a balance...' Yet within hours, Derek's condition worsened. 'Doctors were saying, 'He's not going to make it.' Unable to breathe, he was put into a medical coma to give his lungs a rest. Before he went under, he called Kate and said, 'I love you, you've saved my life.' For several weeks, the family's only contact with Derek was through hospital staff. 'When I finally got to FaceTime him, seeing him unconscious was a big shock. He's lost nearly eight stone in weight, a lot of it muscle throughout his body. He looked worn-out, thin and pale with dark circles under his eyes and there were lots of tubes.' In July Derek emerged from his deep coma and started showing some signs of consciousness, occasionally opening his eyes. The family started talking to him on FaceTime via an iPad held by a nurse, although no one is sure if he can hear or not. 'Darcey tends to chat to him while she's doing other things, like building flat-pack furniture that they bought and were planning to assemble together. She'll say, 'Oh, Dad, I wish you were here, I can't find the right screwdriver.' Sometimes I'll just take the phone into the garden, so he can hear the kids mucking about. But we don't know where he is in his thinking.' Only a few weeks ago, Kate was finally allowed to visit Derek in hospital. Coronavirus precautions mean the children and Derek's parents haven't been able to yet. 'I see him quite infrequently, not as often as I'd wish,' she says, biting her lip. She's compiled him playlists of his favourite songs (he especially loves Bob Dylan) and nurses prop an iPad of her presenting GMB in front of him. This was the week when TV star Kate Garraway should have been renewing her wedding vows with husband to mark their 15th anniversary Kate took a week off from the programme to dedicate herself to helping Billy prepare for starting secondary school ('I've not been great on the home tutoring,' she says wryly). 'I'm always thinking how would Derek help Billy; he was so brilliant at all of that,' she continues. 'I imagine all the conversations he'd be having with Derek it's heartbreaking to think they may never be having them again. If someone said to you, 'This is just a short-term period, you are going to get through it, then everything will get back to normal,' you'd have such a burst of energy. But it's the same for anyone living with a loved one with Covid, it's all an unknown. It grinds you down. What I have to accept is I'm a de-facto single mum for now when I've always said I don't know how single mums do it.' In fact, she's a single working mum, with even more on her plate when she returns to her regular weekday morning slot next week at Smooth Radio. 'I'm really looking forward to playing relaxing music three hours on air when you can't think about anything except what's happening right now. All your thoughts, like, 'I need to call this or that doctor', have to go on the back burner. It's weirdly restful.' But as soon as work finishes, her thoughts return to Derek. 'Every issue I'm dealing with I automatically think, 'Oh, I'll check with Derek' and then realise I can't. There's always this sadness. That and the heartbreak are the most wearing things.' Still, Kate is inspiringly optimistic. 'We're lucky, so many people have lost loved ones,' she says. 'What you have to keep thinking is there were so many moments when doctors thought we'd lost Derek or were about to, and he's still here. There is still hope.' Meanwhile, she's wondering about finally installing the patio doors the couple discussed that happy Saturday when they were blissfully unaware of what fate held in store. 'It feels too sad to do it without him and I don't know if we have the money now; the future care of Derek is my priority. But if he gets a little better, I will do it. I can't wait for him to come home to us... that's my dream.' For the first time, the Union has allowed on-demand COVID-19 testing without a prescription. The new advisory has been made on the recommendations of the National Task Force on the novel "For the first time, along with more simplified modalities, the updated guidelines provide for 'On-demand' testing in order to ensure higher levels of testing," read a release by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Individuals who wish to get tested and those undertaking travel to countries/Indian states mandating a negative COVID-19 test at the point of entry can get an "on demand" test. The ministry said that the new advisory has further simplified the testing process and given more freedom and flexibilities to the State authorities to facilitate enhanced ease of testing for the people. "A totally new section has been added in the advisory on 'testing on demand' which for all practical purposes does away with prescription by a registered medical practitioner although state governments have the freedom to decide on simplified modalities," read the release. There are now 1,647 testing laboratories operational which cover all states/UTs, the ministry 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.) New Delhi: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Saturday was granted a 4-day custody of Showik Chakraborty and Samuel Miranda by the Mumbai court. The duo was arrested in connection with the drug probe related to Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death. The two will be in NCB remand till September 9, 2020. Showik was arrested on Friday night along with Sushant's house manager Samuel after the NCB raided their respective residences in Mumbai. The arrest of Rhea Chakraborty's brother Showik and late actor Sushant Singh Rajput's house manager Samuel Miranda by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) is seen as a big step in busting the whole drug angle. The arrests have been made after the drug conspiracy unfolded in the death of Sushant, making this case even more mysterious. The Narcotics Control Bureau Deputy Director-General of the south-west region, Mutha Ashok Jain, told reporters outside his office in the Ballard Estate area that the agency will take this probe to its "logical conclusion", according to PTI. As of now, five people have been arrested by NCB including Showik Chakraborty, Samuel Miranda. Jain said while the NCB's mandate is to 'look for the big fish' and probe international and inter-state drugs transactions, it will "not shirk its responsibility" now that it is getting information about this alleged drugs nexus. "Normally this is not part of our mandate but now that we are getting information...This case has given us an inkling of the network and the extent of the penetration," he said when asked if the agency has evidence on the drugs nexus in Bollywood or Hindi movie industry. The NCB, while seeking remand of one of the accused in this case two days ago, had told a court here that it was looking into "the drug citadel in Mumbai, especially Bollywood" in this case. Jain also said that they will be 'asking' Rhea Chakraborty to join probe as that is the "logical progression" in the case. "The whole idea of taking custody remand (of Showik and Miranda) is to make people confront each other to clarify their individual role. So, yes we will be asking her (Rhea Chakraborty) to join the investigation and maybe some other people because we also need clarity as to who did what," he said. The NCB is probing the narcotics and banned drugs angle in this case under criminal sections of the NDPS Act after the ED shared with it a report following the cloning of two mobile phones of Rhea. According to officials, the mobile phone chats and messages indicated procurement, transportation and consumption of drugs and these leads were shared by the ED with the NCB and the CBI. The NCB is understood to have obtained the phone records of other accused in the case too. Meanwhile, a team of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrived at late actor Sushant Singh Rajput's Mont Blanc residence at Bandra at Mumbai's Carter Road area on Saturday (September 5) morning. According to sources, the CBI team was accompanied by a team of AIIMS doctors, forensic team, Sushant's elder sister Meetu Singh, cook-caretaker Neeraj Singh, cook Keshav and actor's friend and flatmate Siddharth Pithani. Sources said that the central probe agency, which is investigating the Sushant death case, recreated the crime scene once again. Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead at his Bandra residence on June 14, 2020. (With PTI inputs) ITANAGAR: The Arunachal Pradesh Police have launched a probe following reports that five people, who had gone hunting in a forest in Upper Subansiri district on the Sino-India border, were allegedly kidnapped by the Chinese military. News agency PTI quoted a senior official who confirmed the development on Saturday. The alleged incident occurred on Friday in the Nacho area of the district, their families said. Two others, who were in the group, managed to escape and informed the police. "I have sent the officer-in-charge of the Nacho police station to the area to verify the facts and directed him to report immediately. However, the report will be available only by Sunday morning," Superintendent of Police Taru Gussar said. Those allegedly kidnapped have been identified as Toch Singkam, Prasat Ringling, Dongtu Ebiya, Tanu Baker and Ngaru Diri. All of them belong to the Tagin community. Their family members living at district headquarters Daporijo said some of their relatives had left for Nacho Saturday morning to discuss the matter with the Indian Army. Nacho is around 120 kilometers from the district headquarters. The families urged the authorities to take steps to bring them back. Meanwhile, Pasighat West MLA Ninong Ering on Saturday morning tweeted that China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) had reportedly abducted five people from the Subasiri district. "SHOCKING NEWS: Five people from Upper Subansiri district of our state Arunachal Pradesh have reportedly been abducted by Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA)," Ering tweeted. SHOCKING NEWS: Five people from Upper Subansiri district of our state Arunachal Pradesh have reportedly been abducted by Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA). Few months earlier,a similar incident happened. A befitting reply must be given to #PLA and #CCPChina. @PMOIndia https://t.co/8gRdGsQfId pic.twitter.com/KbDMJ3bUi2 Ninong Ering (@ninong_erring) September 4, 2020 Congress MLA demanded a 'befitting reply' to China and its army. He said a similar incident had taken place in the state a few months ago. In March, a 21-year-old man was abducted by the PLA from Asapila sector near the McMahon line. While his two friends managed to escape, Togley Sinkam was taken away at gunpoint, his family had said. After 19 days in captivity, the youth was released by the Chinese Army. The alleged 'abductions' MLA's come at a time when tensions have flared up again in eastern Ladakh after China's unsuccessful attempt to occupy Indian territory in the southern bank of Pangong lake. India occupied a number of strategic heights on the southern bank of Pangong lake and strengthened its presence in Finger 2 and Finger 3 areas in the region to thwart any Chinese actions. China has strongly objected to India's move. However, India has maintained that the strategic heights are on its side of the LAC. India has also rushed in additional troops and weapons to the sensitive region following China's transgression attempts. Following China's fresh attempts to change the status quo in the southern bank of Pangong lake, India has further bolstered its military presence in the region. (With PTI Inputs) A 46-year-old Japanese man wanted in connection with a murder in Tokyo 17 years ago has been arrested after giving up on his life on the run in South Africa due to the coronavirus, which left him without work or money, Japanese police said Friday. So Kamiya presented himself on Aug. 21 at the Japanese Embassy in the country, where he had fled after the incident, saying he wished to return home, according to the police. aI led a hard life as I lost my job and had no moneya because of the pandemic, investigative sources quoted Kamiya as saying when he reported to the embassy. The police, who had put Kamiya on an international wanted list, arrested him on Thursday at Narita airport near Tokyo after identifying him by his fingerprint. He tested negative for the coronavirus. Kamiya arrived at the airport aboard a special charter flight for Japanese wishing to return from the virus-hit African nation, as most international flights to and from South Africa have been grounded. South Africa has reported about 633,000 virus infections with some 14,560 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. Kamiya is suspected to have abducted 26-year-old Shinya Kogawa in September 2003 at a restaurant parking lot in Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, and then confined him in a car in Tokyo and neighboring Yamanashi Prefecture. The victimas amputated body parts were found in a mountainous area in Okutama, a town within Tokyo. Government jobs: No restriction or ban on filling up of posts, says finance ministry India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Sep 05: There is no restriction on filling up of vacant posts or recruitment of government jobs through agencies, the Centre said on September 5, adding the circular issued the previous day was for the procedure for creating positions. "There is no restriction or ban on filling up of posts in Govt of India. Normal recruitments through govt agencies like Staff Selection Commission, UPSC, Railway Recruitment Board, etc will continue as usual without any curbs," the ministry said in a statement. "The Dept. of Expenditure circular dated 04 Sept 2020 deals with internal procedure for creation of posts and does NOT in any way affect or curtail recruitment," the Ministry of Finance tweeted to clarify some points of the circular. In the list of measure, the government advised against expenditure on functions (celebration of Foundation Day, etc) and also on travel and mementoes for such events. "In the context of the present fiscal situation and the consequent pressure on Government resources, there is a need for further economy and rationalisation of non-priority expenditure, while protecting and preserving priority expenditure," the department had said. In the circular, dated September 4, the Department of Expenditure, which comes under the Ministry of Finance, banned some non-developmental expenditures to "ensure availability of adequate resources for meeting the needs of critical priority schemes". The Centre, in the document, also announced "a ban on creation of new posts, except with the approval of Department of Expenditure, in Ministries/Departments, Attached Offices, Subordinate Offices, Statutory Bodies and Autonomous Bodies." For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, September 5, 2020, 19:14 [IST] I won a prize in primary school for an essay called My Home Town. The teacher was most impressed by the opening line: "From the beginning, Belfast is different. The boat goes in backwards." I decided not to mention that I had got the line from a BBC radio travel programme. Perhaps I was always destined to be a journalist. Later, I assuaged my guilt with a line of my own: "Belfast is different - the only major Irish city with no county to its name." Depending on which side of the Lagan they live, citizens who follow the GAA opt for Antrim or Down - or maybe depending on whether they want to be also-rans in hurling or football. The reversing ferry and the absence of a County Belfast are part of the same story. Belfast, Ireland's second port, has no natural harbour. That belongs to Larne. The whole thing was dredged artificially and they built the shipyard on the sludge. Technology allows today's ships to do an amazing 360-degree turn in the lough. Otherwise, they would still have to go in backwards. This week, my first employer, the Belfast Telegraph, marked its 150th birthday. The 150th anniversary of the granting of city status to Belfast is not due until 2038. In 1870, this astonishing creation was in its prime. The modest market town of 20,000 people in 1800 was by then an industrial and shipping powerhouse with a population 10 times bigger. By the end of the century, that would double again and be greater than Dublin's. The Baird brothers who founded the "Tele" were making use of the communications revolution brought about by the invention of the telegraph. Not to bring instant news to Belfast, but instant prices from the London Stock Exchange. The business of Belfast was business. It can be argued that the rest of the country has never quite come to terms with the sudden eruption of this monstrous carbuncle. That mattered in the past, and it may matter just as much in the future. Given its size and significance, Belfast can seem strangely invisible. There is that Cork business, where the most republican of cities is loud in its claim to be the second city of Ireland. Dublin has regained the premier spot, but Cork second? Really? The problem is Belfast. Is it an Irish city? Really? As the centenary of partition approaches, there will again be wonderment at the apparent lack of knowledge, or even interest, among the southern political leaders about the fifth of the island's population living in the greater Belfast area. It's not as if Belfast was - or is - an entirely unionist city. That's the trouble. The flood of rural immigrants, mainly Catholic, to feed the linen mills turned a town noted for its tolerance, even republicanism, into a place of bitter sectarian tension and strife. But even for Belfast nationalists, the rest of the island can seem foreign and far away. Right now, it is hard to say who is in charge of what, but the pattern may well repeat itself. Nationalist or unionist, if you haven't got Belfast, you haven't got anything. It is not just nationalists who find it hard to think of Belfast as any kind of capital city. Even after 50 years in office, unionists never really managed to make it feel like one. A capital is where government sits and does its business and neither side has been much interested in governing. Unionists feared taking it too seriously might weaken the Union and nationalists were convinced running the place effectively would reinforce the border. Bizarrely, the one thing which seemed to weaken the resolve of everyone to keep Belfast provincial is Covid-19. One could sense the local surprise when Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast were lumped together in the national UK news as of equal importance, because the virus is a devolved matter. Dealing with the pandemic required policy and decisions from ministers. Intriguingly, there were signs that Arlene Foster and Michelle O'Neill were beginning to grasp what government meant and how it could be important, even rewarding. There was palpable relief among their followers when some hoary sectarian issue arose to take them back to their comfort zones. The old shibboleths prevented the development of a coherent strategy for what is, as many medical experts pointed out, an island. Instead of joining Dominic Behan in thanking God we're surrounded by water, politicians fretted about whether the virus was nationalist or unionist. We will have to do better in the post-Brexit world. Whatever anyone says, the Irish constitutional question has been reopened. That does not guarantee a happy ending, as so many nationalists so readily assume. Belfast will suffer most if things turn out badly. In economic terms, Cork can now make a good case to be Ireland's second city, as the north's economy dribbles away in poor productivity, qualifications and demographics. But the rest of the island will lose out, too, while a return to disaster is far from impossible. With Northern Ireland a member of the EU in all but name, it is time for Belfast to think of itself as the centre of a unique entity; one with a presence in Ireland, the UK and the EU. The opportunities are immense - as are the dangers. It will also require Dublin to treat Laganside as seriously as it would Edinburgh, Cardiff, or London. Belfast will never work as Ireland's second city, but it might as Ireland's other capital. Shiv Sena activists on Friday held protests against Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut over her recent remarks targeted at Mumbai, its police and her Taliban jibe at the state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh. On Friday afternoon the womens wing of the Dindoshi Vidhan Sabha constituency protested by beating Kanganas effigy and posters with shoes and slippers and shouting Kangana Ranaut haye haye" and Kangana Ranaut hosh mein aao". Protests also took place in other parts of Mumbai including the suburbs. Widespread protests took place in cities like Thane, Palghar, Pune, Aurangabad, Nashik. This happened after Kangana Ranaut made several remarks targeted at Mumbai city comparing it with POK, called the Mumbai Police a sham in the name of Police force" and took a jibe at the politicians using the word Taliban". Kangana has no right to stay in Mumbai, we will make sure she cant enter Mumbai, we will beat her to death with stones and rods just how we lynched Palghar Sadhus. How you promoted yourself from POK to Taliban just in one day is commendable," the actress tweeted on Friday afternoon. If you are openly threatening me to lynch me like Palghar Sadhus with stones and rods if I come to Mumbai its only because you got away with it you killed innocent people and faced no consequences this has empowered you, we want #CBIForPalghar #CBIForPalgharLynching," she wrote in a separate tweet. Reacting to a news piece saying Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh has said that Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut has no right to stay" in Mumbai and Maharashtra, the actress tweeted: He is taking his own calls on my democratic rights, from POK to Taliban in one day." If you are openly threatening me to lynch me like Palghar Sadhus with stones and rods if I come to Mumbai its only because you got away with it you killed innocent people and faced no consequences this has empowered you, we want #CBIForPalghar #CBIForPalgharLynching Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) September 4, 2020 Protests took place across the state after Kanganas jibe on Twitter where political activists raised slogans condemning the actress, stoned her posters and hit the same with shoes and also burnt her posters and effigies. Reacting to a news piece showing a video of the protests held by women at Dindoshi, the actress tweeted: After Sushant and Sadhus murder now beating my posters with chappals for my opinions on administration, it seems Mumbai is addicted to blood." After Sushant and Sadhus murder now beating my posters with chappals for my opinions on administration, it seems Mumbai is addicted to blood https://t.co/dWRSnL6NCE Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) September 4, 2020 Ranaut, 33, is currently staying in Himachal Pradeshs Manali. The controversy erupted after the actor targeted the Mumbai police several times over investigation in Sushant Singh Rajputs death case. Adorable pictures show a critically endangered female chimpanzee lovingly cradling her newborn baby after giving birth in a UK zoo. Mandy, a 43-year-old Western chimpanzee, gave birth at Chester Zoo on August 21 after an eight-and-a-half-month pregnancy. Primate experts at the zoo are yet to determine the sex of the new arrival but have declared the birth as hugely significant for the species. New estimates suggest that as few as 18,000 Western chimpanzees remain in Africa and its the first subspecies of chimpanzee to be added to the list of critically endangered apes. Andy Lenihan, Team Manager of the Primates section at Chester Zoo, said: Mandy is a wonderful mum. Recommended Dying chimpanzee recognises old human friend before smiling and embracing him Shes bonded instantly with her new baby and can be seen protectively cradling it in her left arm at all times. Its a little too soon to tell if her new arrival is male or female as a newborn chimpanzee will remain in the arms of mum for several months until they develop the confidence to start exploring independently. Most importantly though, its bright eyed, alert and getting stronger by the day. A new arrival always creates a lot of excitement its a real extended-family affair as many of the females in the group often want to help to take care of the newcomer while, for some of the juveniles, seeing a mum with a new baby is a completely new experience. Wildlife of the world Show all 19 1 /19 Wildlife of the world Wildlife of the world A macaque monkey family Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals Wildlife of the world A vulturine guinea fowl in Maasai Mara Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals Wildlife of the world A lilac-breasted roller in Kenya Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals Wildlife of the world An African elephant family in Kenya Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals Wildlife of the world A male lion sits in the shade in Maasai Mara, Kenya Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals Wildlife of the world Ostrich in Maasai Mara, Kenya Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals Wildlife of the world Three macaque monkeys at a temple In Nepal Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals Wildlife of the world A baby monkey clings to its parent in Nepal Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals Wildlife of the world Giraffes at the Soysambu Conservancy northwest of Nairobi Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals Wildlife of the world Zebras in a conservancy in Nairobi, Kenya Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals Wildlife of the world Orphaned Southern White Rhino in South Africa Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals Wildlife of the world Two rescued grey-headed flying foxes in Sydney, Australia Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals Wildlife of the world A bull frog in a marsh in the US Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals Wildlife of the world Two orphaned Southern White Rhinoceros at Rhino Revolution in Hoedspruit, South Africa Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals Wildlife of the world An African elephant and her calf in Maasai Mara, Kenya Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals Wildlife of the world A macaque monkey with blossom in Nepal Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals Wildlife of the world Thomson's gazelle graze antlers in Kenya Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals Wildlife of the world A juvenile male lion on tree branch in Kenya Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals Wildlife of the world A wild bird at Ngamba Island Sanctuary, Uganda Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals Its great to see the other youngsters watching Mandy closely and learning from such a natural mother. A scientific research project, carried out over a decade, has carefully assessed the genetics of all the chimpanzees living in European zoos. The study has confirmed that the genetic make-up of the group at Chester Zoo is vital to the future of the Western chimpanzee subspecies. Mike Jordan, Animal & Plant Director at the zoo, added: Were incredibly proud to see a precious new baby in the group its a hugely significant addition and a big boost for this species. The chimpanzees here at Chester are a key part of the international efforts working to ensure theres a viable safety-net population of these critically endangered animals. In the wild, the Western chimpanzee is under huge threat from hunting, the illegal bush meat trade and extensive habitat loss all a result of human activity. Western chimpanzee populations have declined extremely quickly and continue to do so - with little or no prospect of this decline halting. "It makes the conservation populations in zoos extremely important for the future. The hospital at the centre of a deadly Covid-19 outbreak is in a council area with one of the highest levels of the virus in the UK, a top medic has said. Health bosses believe three people who have died after testing positive for the virus contracted it while being treated at Craigavon Area Hospital. However, the medical director for the Southern Trust said an investigation is ongoing to establish the source of the infection in a number of wards in the hospital. Dr Maria O'Kane also warned that further outbreaks in the hospital are possible, particularly in light of the high number of Covid-19 cases in the surrounding area. "We aren't completely sure at this point in time [about the source of the clusters] because we actually think it has come from a variety of sources," she explained. "We have been working with the Public Health Agency (PHA) and have undertaken genetic testing on the virus samples to try and ascertain the source and the spread." Asked if the patients who have died contracted the virus while being treated in the hospital, Dr O'Kane continued: "We suspect they did. "Armagh, Craigavon and Banbridge has the fifth highest level of Covid in the UK, although Belfast has slightly more. "We hear talk about Oldham and other parts of England, but really we are not that desperately far behind and you will appreciate that the hospital replicates what goes on in the community." Last month, Oldham was one of a series of towns in the north west of England where extra restrictions were put in place due to concerns about the high number of cases. Leading public health doctor Professor Gabriel Scally, a member of the "independent Sage" committee, described Dr O'Kane's comments as "alarming" and reiterated calls for better public information about the spread of the virus in Northern Ireland. "If these comments are borne out by the figures, then really the officials should be looking at putting in place stricter measures in response and they should be giving more specific information about clusters so vulnerable people can take action accordingly," he said. It comes after it emerged two patients who had been receiving treatment on the haematology ward at Craigavon Hospital died this week after testing positive for the virus. A third person, who had been treated on the same ward and was subsequently discharged, has also passed away after they were diagnosed with Covid-19. However, the Trust has stressed the virus was not the primary cause of death. Dr O'Kane said the Trust first became aware of a Covid-19 outbreak in the emergency department at the hospital on August 17 and the outbreak at the haematology ward came to light on August 24. A further cluster in ward three south, a medical ward in the hospital, was identified in the last few days. John Fleming (79) from Loughgilly, was admitted to the haematology ward for bone cancer treatment last month, but died this week. His daughter Yvonne Stewart said her father had wanted answers. She told the BBC: "When I went in to see him, he said, 'I didn't bargain for this - I don't want to die, I'm afraid of dying'. "He asked me to tell his story because he didn't want another family to go through what we have been through." Meanwhile, Dr O'Kane said the outbreaks in the hospital have demonstrated the importance of adhering to public health advice. The senior medic said eight patients with Covid-19 remain in the hospital and the clusters have resulted in staff shortages, with 56 staff self-isolating as a result. Additional staff are also self-isolating due to social and family contacts. One theatre list was cancelled as a result of the outbreak in the emergency department, which has since been brought under control. WASHINGTONI was in rural Wisconsin last month when I met a man from Michigan. He urgently wanted to talk to me about Canada. Its important that Americans living in Canada know they can vote in the American presidential election. They need to go online and get the information to do it, Tom Moran said. He was standing beside a pickup truck with a giant papier-mache Donald Trump bust in the back, festooned with messages about how many Americans had died from COVID-19. Moran had driven seven hours to park outside a rally where Vice-President Mike Pence was speaking. But talking to a Canadian reporter as Trump supporters slowed their cars to glare at him, Moran zeroed in on the importance of Americans up north. Its going to be close, he said of the election. Those living in Canada could conceivably determine the winner. Indeed, significantly more eligible American voters live in Canada than in any other country outside the U.S. According to a U.S. government Federal Voting Assistance Program report based on 2016 data, there are more than 620,000 such American citizens in Canada (almost 38,000 in Toronto alone). Thats more eligible voters than are estimated to live in Vermont, North Dakota, Alaska, Wyoming or the District of Columbia. In 2016, Morans home state of Michigan was decided by fewer than 11,000 votes. Steve Nardi, the chair of Democrats Abroad Canada, estimates that there may be more eligible Michigan voters than that in Windsor alone. Clearly, the Canada vote actually could be a force in the U.S. election but only if they actually vote. FVAP estimates that only about five per cent of those eligible in Canada voted in the last presidential election. Of Americans living abroad around the world, FVAP estimates about 6.9 per cent cast a ballot. Both Nardis partisan Democrats Abroad and the counterpart organization Republicans Overseas are spreading the word through social media, hoping to increase expat turnout. The Democrats in particular have been making a push organizing digital talks, postcard information campaigns, lawn-sign campaigns and phone banks in Canada to reach and increase their membership in a year they feel Americans in Canada might feel the stakes are higher than before. This decision is an existential decision, Bruce Heyman, a former U.S. ambassador to Canada who works with Democrats Abroad, said during a recent digital panel discussion hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Canada. Its very important for Americans living anywhere in the world. This election is going to really determine who we are as a people and who we are in relation to the world, including our most trusted partner, Canada, James Blanchard, another former ambassador to Canada and former governor of Michigan, said during the same panel. We need to talk about Americans abroad voting, because that is so important. They can vote, and we need that in Michigan. We need that elsewhere. The Toronto-based childrens author Tyler Clark Burke, an American citizen registered to vote in New Hampshire, told me in a Facebook chat that after failing to vote in 2016, shes being extra vigilant this year. It pains me to admit this, but I actually missed the deadline to vote for Hillary Clinton last time, and while I was annoyed at myself, I wasnt concerned, she says. Burke was convinced from her reading of polling and predictions that Clinton was likely to win anyhow, and had been under the impression that votes from abroad were more about the historical record than influencing election-night results. (Clinton took the state by a razor-thin margin under 3,000 votes.) Knowing now that my vote counts in real time, and seeing what happened last time with Clinton losing to Trump, I am even more motivated to participate, she says. Most of her Canadian neighbours who share her aversion to Trump feel like helpless observers to the process unfolding down south shes determined to participate. Four in 10 Americans still approve of Trump. That staggering level of support is deeply upsetting, especially relative to the havoc and mayhem he has caused and will continue to cause. There may be a lot of Canadian residents feeling the same. Nardi says that Democrats Abroad has noticed a surge in interest in voting in this election. During the Democrats Abroad primary in the spring, for instance, participation in Canada was 45 per cent higher than in 2016. Nardi says membership in Canada has grown 57 per cent since the last election (and by more than a third in the past six months), and theres been an increase of about 10 percentage points in how many members have requested their ballot. My feeling this year, Nardi says, is that being an American anywhere in the world in 2020, its not possible to say that youre disengaged with whats going on. Republicans Overseas is promoting voting from abroad on its social media channels. But John Richardson, who works with the organization in Toronto, doesnt describe an elaborate get-out-the-vote operation from his organization. Republicans are not as well, you know, represented as perhaps Democrats are in Canada, and most of the efforts for Republicans Overseas have actually been more on tax reform for Americans abroad, Richardson says. But were doing what we can, reaching out to members in Canada you know, the point here is to get people to vote. I mean, sure, if theyre gonna vote Republican, all the better. But the initiative to get people to vote is, I think, actually distinct from who to vote for. Because the issues impacting Americans abroad are significant, theyre severe. Richardson and Nardi both describe the process by which Americans in Canada vote as requiring a little advance preparation. Americans residing outside the U.S. vote in the last state they lived in, using their last address there (even if the building no longer exists). U.S. citizens who have never lived in the country use a parents last address as a voting residence. After registering at the government portal at fvap.gov (or through the portal set up by Democrats Abroad at votefromabroad.org), Americans get a ballot by email 45 days before election day. After filling it out, they either return it electronically, by regular mail or even by fax, depending on the laws of the state theyre voting in. (It is possible to drop a completed ballot at an American embassy to be returned stateside by diplomatic pouch, then postmarked and mailed upon its arrival in the U.S., but for Canadians that process would likely take longer than sending it by regular postal service.) Heyman says its important for those intending to vote to register and prepare as soon as possible since ballots will be sent later this month, and in some states they can only return by regular mail. A major reason, he says, that votes from abroad are few is that they get the ballot, but they dont send it in on time, or they dont sign it in the right way. Heyman also believes that people in Canada have a role to play in ensuring higher turnout here. The number one reason people decide to vote is someone in their family or a friend asked them to do it, he says. Youve got to get your friends, got to get your family youve got to talk about this and youve got to do it for the next three weeks, he says. As of Sept. 19, he said, youre gonna start getting your ballots and weve got to start voting. Youve got a very, very short window. Michigan went Trump by fewer than 11,000 votes; Wisconsin, by fewer than 23,000. In 2000, Florida famously decided the elections outcome in the Electoral College based on a margin of 537 votes. Clearly, its possible that the 600,000 Americans living in Canada could wind up making a difference. The trick is convincing them to to vote. Blanchard offered a personal message about his home swing state. For those of you who are from Michigan, at least, for Gods sakes, call three or four your friends and tell them to vote. Read more about: New Delhi: Patiala House Court on Saturday issued non-bailable warrant against British national James Christian Michel in the AgustaWestland chopper scam case. The court has also re-issued summons against a company and two other accused. The summons against all accused were issued after they failed to appear in front of the Court on designated dates. Next date of hearing on the matter will be on February 22. Earlier, the Central Bureau of Investigation's probe into the case had found that Michel received Euro 30 million (about Rs 225 crore) from Ms AgustaWestland which was nothing but 'kickbacks' paid by the firm to execute the 12 helicopter deal in favour of the firm in guise of of genuine transactions for performing multiple work contracts in the country. One of the main accused in the case former Air Chief Marshal SP Tyagi was granted bail by the Patiala House court on December 26. Also read: AgustaWestland Chopper scam: Former IAF chief SP Tyagi granted bail by Patiala House Court All you need to know about AgustaWestland Chopper Scam For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The Centre has moved a plea in the Delhi high court seeking review of its order to publish the draft Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) in all the 22 languages in the Eight Schedule of the Constitution, saying official documents are required to be published only in Hindi and English. The law doesnt require notifications to be published in local languages, it has contended. A bench of Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan on Friday issued notice to the environmentalist on whose plea the high court issued the direction, and sought his response by September 23. Appearing for the environment ministry, additional solicitor-general Chetan Sharma claimed the court was misled by the petitioner into passing the June 30 order, which extended till August 11 the date for comments and objections to the draft EIA. It also said the notification be published in all 22 languages within 10 days. The June 30 order came on a plea by environmental conservationist Vikrant Tongad. The Centre had on July 28 moved an appeal in the Supreme Court over the high court order, but the apex court declined to entertain the plea. A group of highly endangered Yangtze finless porpoises was recently seen in the Yangtze River in the area of Wuhan, Hubei province, which an expert says may be a result of less interference from human activities or an increase in food availability. A group, or pod, of about 10 porpoises appeared some eight months after the country initiated a 10-year ban on fishing in the river at the beginning of the year. The rare appearance was recorded in a short video by a local resident and soon attracted attention online. The finless porpoise and the Baiji dolphin, or Yangtze River dolphin, both members of the cetacea family and the only two aquatic mammals in the river, were designated as "critically endangered" and placed on the red list of threatened species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in 2013. Among the very few porpoise species, the Yangtze finless porpoise is the only one that lives in freshwater, according to Zhang Xianfeng, an aquatic wildlife researcher at the Institute of Hydrobiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Its small size and cute "smile" make it a much-loved animal in China and beyond. "Rising water levels during the flood season and the fishing ban may both contribute to this rare animal's appearance, given that sandbanks are covered by water and more water plants are available for fish. Without interruption from human activities, the finless porpoise might be more active," Zhang said. He said it's a good thing that the public has become more aware about the urgency of saving the finless porpoise and protecting the Yangtze ecosystem. However, the appearance of the pod of porpoises cannot necessarily be seen as a sign that the population is increasing. "Its total remaining population, around 1,000, is very limited, which has severely affected its reproduction rate. It is estimated only about one out of three in the population is able to reproduce offspring. In such a long river like the Yangtze, the chances for them to have babies are very slim," he explained. The finless porpoise is widely believed to be an important indicator of the health of the Yangtze, which stretches over 6,300 kilometers and includes rich and complex terrains and climates along its basin, giving it one of the highest levels of biodiversity in the world. Over the past 40 years, the porpoise's number has declined dramatically due to many factors, such as climate change and habitat loss, according to Zhang Xinqiao, senior program manager of the World Wide Fund for Nature in China. Scientific research on the species released by the Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs in 2018 shows that its population was just 1,012fewer than the giant panda. However, he said the population has shown some stability in recent years thanks to joint protection from government organs, research institutes and other social organizations. To preserve biodiversity along the Yangtze, China started a 10-year fishing moratorium in 332 natural reserves, extended along the river's entire primary course, its major tributaries and lakes linked to the river, protecting not only the finless porpoise but also more than 4,300 kinds of aquatic life living in the Yangtze River Basin. "The fishing ban is crucial to ecological restoration of the whole river basin. Usually, it takes three to five years for fish to produce a new generation. A 10-year fishing ban means two to three generations of fish will be produced, which will significantly expand the finless porpoise's food supply," Zhang Xinqiao said. Also, he said the fishing ban removes the threat to the porpoise from tools used in fishing. "But the effect of the fishing ban, supported by scientific monitoring data of aquatic resources, will be known only after three to five years," he said. Sanford resident Stacy Summers drove to Jerome Township Hall on Thursday morning desperate for answers on how to get help with her family's flooded Sanford Lake residence that's been stripped down to the studs, and a home-based candle business that she was just getting off the ground before the massive Tittabawassee River flooding in May. While U.S. Rep. John Moolenar, R-Midland, and other local leaders met with two representatives of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) inside the township hall, Summers and a handful of other local residents waited for answers outside. After emerging from the meeting, Moolenaar, SBA Regional Administrator Rob Scott and SBA District Director Connie Payne-Logan took questions from residents and a few media members. Afterward, Moolenaar and Scott spoke individually with Summers for several minutes. Summers, like some of the other residents on hand, said they thought the meeting inside the hall would be open to the public, and was therefore upset upon being told she couldn't attend the meeting after arriving. But she did appreciate having the chance to talk with Moolenaar and Scott to learn about resources that can help her family. "I'm grateful (they) took the time to talk to me," Summers said. While addressing reporters and residents, Moolenaar explained that the indoor meeting was limited in numbers due to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's executive order that limits indoor gatherings to 10 or fewer people. State Rep. Annette Glenn, R-Midland, and former State Attorney General Bill Schuette were among those attending the meeting. Glenn's Democratic opponent in the Nov. 3 election, Sarah Schulz, was among those outside with residents and reporters. Moolenaar: 'It's a long-term process' Moolenaar was asked what his message is for residents who were impacted by flooding and haven't gotten the help they need from insurance companies or from governmental agencies. "It's a long-term process. I agree we need to continue to move quicker," Moolenaar responded in part. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which works closely with the SBA to help flood survivors, announced Thursday morning that the deadline for people in Michigan's federal major disaster declaration area to register with FEMA had been extended from Sept. 8 to Sept. 30. People can register with FEMA by phone at 1-800-621-3362. Those who use TTY can call 1-800-462-7585. Those numbers operate from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week, until further notice. People may also register online at disasterassistance.gov or through the FEMA app. Moolenaar said he's hoping the deadline can be extended even further. "It's good news," he said of the extension. "We're going to ask for a continued extension." SBA official discusses low-interest loans Scott explained some of the low-interest loans available from the SBA, which include the Economic Injury Disaster Loan for eligible small businesses, private non-profits and agricultural businesses. That loan can be for up to $2 million and up to a 30-year term. The SBA also can offer loans to homeowners of up to $200,000 at a rate of 3%, with no payments for the first year, Scott said. Residents encouraged to reach out to Moolenaar's office During the media availability portion of Thursday's visit, Schulz, who is dealing with her own flood-damaged residence on Wixom Lake and helping her father with his, said there needs to be a sense of urgency to help people who were hit hard by the flooding. "Winter is coming. Many families don't have furnaces," Schulz said. "What about emergency shelters? I want to convey the sense of urgency here." Moolenaar responded that his local office at 200 East Main St. in Midland is available to help those who need assistance and are not getting prompt help from FEMA. "I meet with residents all the time. If people's needs are not being met by their (FEMA) case managers, our office is a great resource," Moolenaar said. For their part, Scott and Payne-Logan said they want to assure people that help is available, even though SBA staff members' in-person visits with residents are limited due to the pandemic. "It's important for us to step out and be front and center," Payne-Logan said. The two of them drove around Sanford and Sanford Lake this week to see the continued impact of flood damage, and they were scheduled to speak at a roundtable at Dow later on Thursday. Resident has mixed feelings As for Summers, who wore a "Sanford Strong" T-shirt, she had mixed feelings about applying for an SBA low-interest loan. "That's great (that it's available)," said Summers, who is also helping her parents deal with their flooded residence in addition to her own family's. "But it's hard for us to afford another line of debt. Having more debt seems like another kick to the stomach." Summers said the best sources of help in the wake of the flood have been locally organized groups, such as Sanford Strong, and religious congregations. Former foes Kosovo and Serbia agreed Friday to normalise economic relations in a US-brokered deal that the administration of President Donald Trump touted as a major diplomatic success but which leaves political normalisation on hold. The two sides signed a statement in the White House Oval Office committing to a raft of measures to improve transport infrastructure and border crossings, cut trade tariffs and share energy and water resources, and to implement earlier agreements on opening highway and rail links. They also agreed, as part of their commitments, to improve their relations with Israel. Serbia will move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem while Kosovo, a majority-Muslim country, will formally recognize the Jewish state. In turn, Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008, gained formal recognition from Israel. "A truly historic day," Trump said, with Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic sitting beside him in the Oval Office. "By focusing on job creation and economic growth, the two countries were able to reach a real breakthrough on economic cooperation across a broad range of issues." Trump praised his special emissary Richard Grenell for bringing the two sides together, two decades after they fought a war that left 13,000 dead. "It took decades because you didn't have anybody trying to get it done," Trump said of the agreement. "There was a lot of fighting and now there's a lot of love," he said. "Economics can bring people together." 'Big step' Apparently because they do not formally recognize each other, the two sides appeared to sign parallel statements of intent rather than a formal bilateral agreement. But a Trump administration official stressed it was a pact between the two sides. "They have normalized their economic relations," said White House national Security Advisor Robert O'Brien. Story continues "The Serbia-Kosovo conflict has gone on for decades. They have been stuck, unable to move forward for many, many years." Hoti said the deal was "a big step" towards the two sides granting each other formal diplomatic recognition. Serbia has refused to recognize its former territory since Kosovo declared independence. Although many countries, including the United States and European powers, recognize both, Serbian allies China and Russia have withheld their endorsement of the Kosovo state, preventing it from joining the United Nations. 'No more surprises' Vucic though said the Serbians had struck a bilateral agreement "with the US," so that no recognition was given to "third party" Kosovo. "We will have a common market, no more surprises with the tariffs," he added. Kosovo President Hashim Thaci hailed the agreement in a statement, praising Trump for advancing the cause "of peace, economic development and Euro-Atlantic future." Kosovo "must now continue to work for membership in international organizations and for new recognitions, for our country to be fully consolidated domestically and internationally," he wrote. The agreements appeared to break a freeze that came in 2018 when EU-led talks broke down after Serbia blocked Kosovo's effort to join Interpol. That led to Kosovo slapping a heavy trade tariff on Serbian goods. The agreements include significant help in economic and infrastructure projects from the US Export Import Bank and the International Development Finance Corp. Hoti put the value of the US support at more than one billion euros ($1.18 billion). "There is a clear commitment from President Trump and his administration that all these projects begin to be implemented within a year," said Hoti. Kosovo and Serbia meanwhile agreed to suspend their bitter fight over Kosovo's international status for one year to allow the economic agreements to be implemented. Serbia has actively pushed for some of the 100-plus countries which have recognized Kosovo to withdraw that diplomatic blessing, as Kosovo lobbies for more formal statehood endorsements. (AFP) New Delhi: In the 4 months long face-off between India and China, the Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe had reportedly requested thrice to meet Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in last 80 days. The meeting between the defence ministers of the two countries that took place on Friday in Moscow on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting was also on the request of the Chinese side. "The Chinese Defence Minister had requested for the meet with Rajnath Singh three times in last 80 days, something that was mentioned by the minister to Indian Defence Minister," sources said. Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh meeting the Chinese Defence Minister, General Fenghe in Moscow. pic.twitter.com/BDXFAYAVjn / RMO India (@DefenceMinIndia) September 4, 2020 Explaining, "the Chinese Minister had even chosen to come down to the Indian Defence Minister's hotel for the dialogue." The request for a meeting was also given to India when Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had visited Moscow for the victory day parade in June to which the Indian side had firmly said a no for any talks. That visit came after the Galwan incident in which Indian Army lost 20 of its soldiers in the clashes, while China also reportedly suffered over 40-45 casualties. It is believed that one of the main causes of Chinese insistence this time was India taking swift action and getting an upper hand by taking up positions in higher reaches at the southern bank of Pangong lake. The meeting which lasted for over two hours was the first in-person political engagement between the two sides. According to an official statement by the MEA, the two ministers had frank and in-depth discussions about the developments in the India-China border areas as well as on the relations between the two nations. The two Ministers had frank and in-depth discussions about the developments in the India-China border areas as well as on India-China relations. / RMO India (@DefenceMinIndia) September 5, 2020 "The Defence Minister emphasised that the actions of the Chinese troops, including amassing of large number of troops, their aggressive behaviour and attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo were in violation of the bilateral agreements," the statement read. "The Defence Minister advised that it was important therefore that Chinese side should work with the Indian side for complete disengagement at the earliest from all friction areas including Pangong Lake as well as de-escalation in border areas in accordance with the bilateral agreements and protocols," the statement said. The statement added that Singh conveyed that the two sides should continue their discussions, including through diplomatic and military channels, to ensure complete disengagement and de-escalation and full restoration of peace and tranquillity along the LAC at the earliest. India recently thwarted an attempt by the Chinese army to transgress into Indian areas near the southern bank of Pangong Tso near Chushul in Ladakh. The two countries are engaged in a standoff since April-May over the transgressions by the Chinese Army in multiple areas including Finger area, Galwan valley, Hot springs and Kongrung Nala. Meanwhile, Defence Minister Singh will have a brief stopover in Tehran on Saturday (September 5, 2020) enroute to Delhi from Moscow in what would be the first high-level visit by an Indian minister to the Islamic nation ever since the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic. Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh departs from Moscow to Tehran, the Capital of Iran. pic.twitter.com/GKPfpZ3602 / RMO India (@DefenceMinIndia) September 5, 2020 According to reports, Singh will make a brief stopover in Tehran tonight and is scheduled to have a bilateral meeting with his Iranian counterpart. With Election Day in the US (November 3) less than two months away, the Trump campaign is stepping up its efforts to ensure that the president remains in power by any and all means. This includes mobilizing right-wing forces to intimidate and terrorize likely Democratic voters. The Trump Team is seeking to enlist what the campaign website calls an army of poll-watchers to flood polling stations around the country in a transparent effort to drive away those likely to vote for the Democratic candidate, Joe Biden. Young people, workers, immigrants and minorities in Democratic strongholds will be targeted for harassment and perhaps worse by right-wing elements recruited on the basis of an appeal to militarism, racism and anti-communism. Those who access the website at armyfortrump.com are encouraged to click on a page titled Election Day Team. There they see the headings Join The Army For Trump and Join President Trumps Army Of Supporters. An embedded video on Election Day Operations (EDO) claims that the purpose of the polling place patrols is to ensure a fair and honest election. It declares, Our election day operations are designed to make sure that everyone who is legally entitled to vote has the opportunity to vote once. Trump tweets the link to his campaign to enlist an army of poll-watchers (@realdonaldtrump) Given that Trump has repeatedly claimed that he lost the popular vote in 2016 by nearly three million ballots only because immigrants and others voted illegally, the phrase legally entitled to vote is heavily loaded to target immigrant and poor would-be voters. The video continues: We all know that the Democrats will be up to their old dirty tricks on Election Day to make sure that President Trump doesnt win. We cannot let that happen. That is why our goal is to cover every polling place in the country with people like you. Below the video is a button to ENLIST and sign up for training in your area. The heavy emphasis on military themes makes clear that the Trump campaign hopes to mobilize among its poll watchers the militia and vigilante types who have been attacking those protesting against police violence and racism across the country. The Republican convention presented the election as a twilight struggle between the American Way of Life and mob rule by socialist terrorists and anarchists, declared to be the real power behind Joe Biden and the Democrats. Since then, Trump has delivered one fascistic rant after another, in which he has incited violence against protesters and defended killer cops and fascist vigilantes such as Kyle Rittenhouse, the seventeen-year-old would-be cop and Trump enthusiast who murdered two people protesting against police violence and racism in Kenosha, Wisconsin and seriously wounded a third. Team Trumps thuggish effort at voter suppression is part of a broader drive to destabilize the election process. Trump has raised the possibility of postponing the election, set by law for the first Tuesday in November. He has repeatedly joked about remaining in power for eight or 12 more years, in violation of the two-term limit set by the US Constitution. He has denounced the expanded use of mail-in ballots in the midst of a pandemic, calling it a conspiracy to rig the election. The strategy of the Trump campaign is to ensure that the election is held under conditions of violence and the threat of civil war, so as to facilitate a quick declaration of victory while millions of mail-in votes remain to be counted. On Thursday, the Washington Post published an article headlined The election will likely spark violenceand a constitutional crisis. Written by Rosa Brooks, a Georgetown University law professor and cofounder of the Transition Integrity Project, it sums up the results of a series of war games modeling various Election Day scenarios. The exercise had input from Democratic and Republican officials, civil servants, media experts, pollsters, tech and social media experts and former career officials from the intelligence community, the Justice Department, the military and the Department of Homeland Security. Their consensus was that there wont be a clear winner on election night because an accurate count may take weeks, given the large number of mail-in ballots expected in this unprecedented mid-pandemic election. Brooks writes: With the exception of the big Biden win scenario, each of our exercises reached the brink of catastrophe, with massive disinformation campaigns, violence in the streets and a constitutional impasse In two scenarios (Trump win and extended uncertainty) there was still no agreement by Inauguration Day [January 20], and no consensus on which candidate should be assumed to have the ability to issue binding commands to the military or receive the nuclear codes. In one scenario, by late night on Election Day most major networks have called the election for Biden, but Trump refuses to concede, alleging massive voter fraud and a stolen election. In Michigan and Wisconsin, where Biden has won the official vote and Democratic governors have certified the slates of Biden electors, Republican-controlled legislatures send competing pro-Trump slates to Congress for the January 6 Electoral College vote. Massive demonstrations break out demanding that Trump concede. Trump incites right-wing violence against the protests, resulting in protester deaths. Biden repeatedly calls for calm, unity and a fair vote count, while Team Trump encourages violence and intimidation against ballot-counting officials and Biden electors. Trump orders federalized National Guard or active-duty troops into cities to restore order. The crisis continues for weeks. The breakdown of constitutional and electoral norms is not the product of one individual, the would-be Mussolini, Donald Trump. American democracy is collapsing under the weight of an unprecedented social, political and economic crisis, intensified by the coronavirus pandemic. But, as the World Socialist Web Site has repeatedly explained, the virus is not the cause of the crisis, but rather a trigger event that has exacerbated the previously existing, accumulated contradictions of American and world capitalism. At the heart of the social contradictions is the malignant level of social inequality, which has undercut traditional forms of bourgeois democratic rule. The response of the ruling class to the pandemic, both in the US and internationally, has been to systematically subordinate public health and workers lives to the protection and expansion of the wealth of the financial oligarchy. While 40 million Americans filed for unemployment as of early August, the total net worth of US billionaires increased by $637 billion. The ruling class and both of its parties are moving rapidly toward dictatorship in the face of the crisis and the growth of opposition in the working class. Both parties operate from a position of weakness, as the broad masses of working people and youth are radicalized, increasingly attracted to socialism and inexorably moving into mass struggle against the capitalist status quo. The response of Trump and the Republicans is to turn to extra-constitutional means, incite fascistic forces, and seek to build support within the military and the police for a presidential dictatorship. The Democrats response is more nuanced, but also reactionary. They seek to undermine the growth of social opposition, expressed most openly to date in the ongoing protests against police violence, by channeling it into the divisive and impotent framework of racial and identity politics. By declaring all social problems to be expressions of the conflict between white America and black America, thereby obscuring the fundamental class divisions in capitalist society, they seek to divide the working class and head off a conscious revolutionary movement against capitalism, which they defend. At the same time, they make their primary appeal to disaffected layers of the Republican Party, the military and the intelligence agencies, as seen in the Democratic convention, which paraded former Republican office-holders and generals guilty of war crimes, such as former Secretary of State Colin Powell, before the public. Bidens response to the Republican convention has been to launch a massive ad campaign denouncing violent protesters and touting his own law-and-order credentials. Whichever right-wing candidate wins the election, the crisis will intensify, as will the attacks on the social and democratic rights of the working class and the drive toward war. Once again it is presidential election season in the United States and once again progressive critical thinkers who care about the future of our humanity find themselves in a quandary to get rid of the wicked Donald Trump and his corrupt family and cronies should they or should they not opt to vote for yet another corporatist liberal, Joe Biden. It is deja vu, it is a rerun of a tired old movie, it is Groundhog Day: We had it with Trump and Hillary Clinton last time, and we have it again with the same Trump and even worse Biden now. I completely sympathise with the leading American public intellectuals caught in this snare. Cornel West, the eminent African American philosopher, for example, says he is planning to cast an anti-fascist vote for Biden in November despite his concerns about the former vice presidents ties to Wall Street and militarism. West knows all too well Biden will betray every single ideal and principle for which West stands, but he is so disgusted with Trump and rightly so he is doing what in Persian we call jumping from one crumbling column to another with hope. The same is true with Noam Chomsky, the world-renowned linguist and political activist who is also on the record encouraging people to vote for Joe Biden and then haunt his dreams whatever that may mean. Politicians like Trump or Biden do not dream for us to haunt their dreams. They are the definitions of nightmares. Neither Trump nor Biden is to be trusted, and Chomsky knows that. But he is jumping from one crumbling column to another is it with hope or is it in despair? The revolutionary thinker and activist Angela Davis too has said she is supporting Biden for president, calling it crucial to back the candidate who can be most effectively pressured. But really? How so? Biden could not tolerate a single BDS-backing Palestinian activist, Linda Sarsour, taking part in his campaign and swiftly moved to kick her out. That is the sort of zealot Biden is. What sort of pressure can one hope to exert on him? Between a rock and a hard place Still, the terrorising presidency of Trump and the Dark Ages of ignorance and criminal racism he has unleashed in the US, make it perfectly understandable why these and many other eminent critical thinkers who would not be caught dead with Biden are now rushing to declare their support for him. They are jumping from one crumbling column to another and forming a strategic alliance in the hopes that once Trump is out of the picture they can charge ahead beyond Bidens perilous promises. But I write this essay to differ with these towering moral figures and openly declare that I will not vote for Biden. This is not to say I am more principled than them or care less about the consequences of yet another calamitous term of Trump. For the future of my own and millions of other American children I hope and wish for a day he is collected from the White House and taken to prison or asylum whichever is closer. But still, I will never vote for Biden for I believe the function of people like me is entirely different from even those among the American left with whom I wholeheartedly identify. The task of critical thinking at this point is not to rush to declare we are voting for Biden an unrepentant racist and self-declared Zionist with a frightening record of misogyny who has actively supported the Iraq war. We had a far superior choice in Bernie Sanders, but twice in a row, the Democratic Party made absolutely sure to kill his chances. The task at hand is to sustain the course of critical thinking that could not possibly embrace Biden. Voting for Biden is voting for the very foundation of a political culture that has a whole platoon of Trumps and Bidens waiting to surface. If we choose between Trump and Biden today, next time we will have to choose between Ivanka Trump and Chelsea Clinton. This vicious cycle can only come to an end through a sustained and uncompromising course of critical thinking against the very grain of this political culture that demonises the Black Lives Matter uprising, celebrates neo-Nazis, and canonises Hillary Clinton and Biden as God-given salvation against this murderous banality. A fateful moment It was Barack Obamas speech that sealed my decision to never vote for Biden. Up until then, I was thinking to myself that a vote for Biden is not actually a vote for him, but a vote against Trump, alongside other such tall tales and poor excuses. But when Obama took to the podium and began to get emotional and pleaded for people to go and vote for Biden, right there and then, I decided it would be obscene of me to do so, especially with this hypocritical con man on his side. Every time Obama starts choking up, I remember him crying in public for children who have fallen victim to gun violence in the US, just before going back to his Oval Office to send even more arms to Israel with which to slaughter Palestinian children, or sell them to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to kill more Yemeni children. Are Palestinian and Yemeni children not children? Every single human being stands for the entirety of our humanity. How could this coward be so openly cruel and callous when it comes to children in Yemen, Palestine, Afghanistan and beyond, and still pretend to care deeply about Americas children? Biden is even worse than Obama in his die-hard Zionism in his support for the apartheid state of Israel, in his categorical disregard for Palestinians. Voting for Biden means excusing all the times in the past he helped arm Israel to murder Palestinians. Voting for him means, should he become the next president, siding with him every time he signs and he will undoubtedly sign many a new arms deal to support Israel and its murderous tyranny. Why would any decent human being want to do anything like that? Yes, Trump is an American monster but so is Biden. People like me have no candidate in this election. The ethics of ultimate responsibility The task of my sort of critical thinkers is not to jump on the bandwagon and rush to vote for Biden and his running mate, Kamala Harris, reluctantly. Generations of critical thinkers from Rosa Luxemburg to Aimee Cesaire to Frantz Fanon to Edward Said to Arundhati Roy did not live and think and write for us to cast a strategic vote for a reactionary liberal, an unrepentant warmonger, a hardcore Zionist, with a record of racism and alleged sexual abuse. Our task is something else. In his famous essay, Politics as Vocation (1919), the eminent German sociologist Max Weber made a crucial distinction between an ethics of responsibility and an ethics of ultimate end that to this day remain a hallmark of a moral choice in politics: We must be clear, he told his audience at the University of Munich, about the fact that all ethically oriented conduct may be guided by one of two fundamentally differing and irreconcilably opposed maxims: conduct can be oriented to an ethic of ultimate ends or to an ethic of responsibility. These are two identically ethical acts, but in two diametrically opposed directions. Weber further clarified: This is not to say that an ethic of ultimate ends is identical with irresponsibility, or that an ethic of responsibility is identical with unprincipled opportunism. Naturally, nobody says that. Be that as it may, he still insisted: There is an abysmal contrast between conduct that follows the maxim of an ethic of ultimate ends and conduct that follows the maxim of an ethic of responsibility, in which case one has to give an account of the foreseeable results of ones action. But in between the two choices Weber left us, emerges a third: An ethic of ultimate responsibility. Our specific and ultimate responsibility today is not to rush to vote for a lesser evil, as I also argued about four years ago when the choice was between Trump and Clinton, but to sustain the course of critical thinking that seeks to overcome both evils. More than 300 million human beings trapped to choose between a Coke and a Pepsi deserve and must strive for a healthier choice. An entire planet at the mercy of US militarism and warmongering most certainly has everything to lose from either of these two American calamities. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. on Saturday arrived in Tehran where he will meet his Iranian counterpart and discuss bilateral defence ties, a day after he urged the Persian Gulf countries to resolve their differences through dialogue based on mutual respect. Singh arrived in Tehran from Moscow after concluding his three-day visit to where he attended a meeting of the (SCO) defence ministers. He also held bilateral talks with his counterparts from Russia, China and the Central Asian countries. "Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh reached Tehran this evening. He will be meeting the Iranian (Brigadier General Amir Hatami) during his visit," his office said in a tweet. India on Friday said that it was deeply concerned about the situation in the Persian Gulf and called upon the countries in the region to resolve their differences by dialogue based on mutual respect. A series of incidents in the Persian Gulf involving Iran, the US and the UAE in recent weeks have flared up tension in the region. We are deeply concerned about the situation in the Persian Gulf, Singh said in his address at a meeting of the SCO here. "We call upon countries in the region - all of which are dear and friendly to India, to resolve differences by dialogue based on mutual respect, sovereignty and non interference in internal affairs of each other," he said in his address at the combined meeting of defence ministers of the SCO, Collective Security Treaty Organisation and Commonwealth of Independent States member states. Last month, Iranian navy briefly seized control of a Liberian-flagged oil tanker in what the US said were international waters near the Strait of Hormuz, which links the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman to the south and the Arabian Sea beyond. has threatened to disrupt oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz if the United States tries to strangle its economy. The SCO, seen as a counterweight to NATO, has emerged as one of the largest transregional international organisations which accounts for almost 44 per cent of the world population stretching from the Arctic Ocean to the Indian Ocean and from the Pacific Ocean to the Baltic Sea. The aim of the SCO is to maintain peace, stability and security of the region. has observer status in the SCO, which was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the Presidents of Russia, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan were admitted as observers of the grouping in 2005. Both the countries were admitted as full members of the bloc in 2017. (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.) WASHINGTON - After 100 days of dissent in Washington, the boundaries between cities, states and even countries have dissolved as protesters from Hong Kong to Portland, Ore., to the District of Columbia, swap tactics, share strategies and ping from one demonstration to the next. The protests after the police killing of George Floyd have developed a language and shared culture as daily demonstrations become a fact of life in cities across the country. Enraged by the backdrop of police violence and racial inequality that plays out in graphic videos depicting police brutality against Black citizens, protesters have developed new means of resistance experts say may change protests in America forever. Marches have grown more confrontational - cornering politicians in their homes and heckling strangers as they go about their lives. Protesters have embraced mobility and taken to participating in demonstrations far from their hometowns. Some fly, some drive - some have walked for days. Online tutorials about crafting homemade shields to protect against rubber bullets and stinging pepper ball pellets using plywood, foam pool noodles, trash can lids and other household wares have spread like wildfire. What were once considered obvious markers of troublemakers looking to break things have become muddled as demonstrators scramble to protect themselves from rubber bullets and chemical irritants police use to disperse crowds. Influenced at first by the longevity and intensity of pro-democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong, then by the evolving tactics of protesters in American streets, experts say the mainstreaming of ideas and tactics once considered radical reflects a political sea change spurred by a youth-led uprising. "This is bringing people into a different way of being," said Mark Bray, a Rutgers University historian and former organizer of the Occupy Wall Street movement. "Things are happening now at a profound level." While the nation's capital braces for protests in the days and weeks ahead, months of unrelenting demonstrations, mass arrests and standoffs with police have changed D.C. protesters in ways big and small: Their tools, their tactics and their tolerance for behavior once decried as antithetical to peaceful protest have shifted. On recent nights, as smoke and explosions ripped through the night air and police advanced on a line of demonstrators while shouting, "Move back," it became clear that the flash bangs just don't work like they used to. Longtime demonstrators in Washington have stopped sprinting for cover. They kick sparking canisters back toward police, walk steadily away from the rapid pop of rubber bullets and strap on respirators and gas masks when the threat of tear gas hangs in the air. The protests have also given first-time demonstrators an up-close look at munitions, controversial crowd control tactics like "kettling" - when police surround a group of demonstrators and arrest them en masse - and the use of chemicals that make people cough, gag, cry and burn. But images captured at these events also serve a tactical purpose: With every video of a protester disarming a tear-gas canister or volleying a smoking stun grenade back at law enforcement, demonstrators are learning skills that may have otherwise taken months to acquire on their own. Like the civil rights movement of the 1960s opened Americans' eyes to racism and the Occupy Wall Street movement turned socioeconomic inequality into a national conversation, experts say the Black Lives Matter protests will likely shape the worldview and politics of a generation - and forever influence the way Americans protest. It also moves the needle of what is considered a peaceful protest, said Gabriella Coleman, an anthropologist at McGill University who specializes in online activism and social movements. Coleman said as more videos of violent standoffs are shared on social media, "they become so common or seen as so unremarkable" that people get used to it. "It allows this transmission and normalization that is almost unconscious," she said. In the same way videos of violent police encounters with unarmed Black men and women have driven many Americans to recalibrate their views on policing and criminal justice changes, so, too, have videos of protesters being pushed, shot at and tear-gassed, Coleman said. Since protests began in late May, public officials have sought to draw clear distinctions among groups of people: The good protesters and bad protesters; the looters, the vandals and the peaceful demonstrators - but it has never been that simple. "Protesters who were relatively new to protest and who, by now, have been shot with rubber bullets and pepper spray have now learned what kind of helmets to wear and what to do with a tear-gas canister that lands at your feet," Bray said. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, D, has pointed to agitators who she has long said come from outside the city bent on destruction. President Donald Trump has intensifiedhis efforts to demonize the far-left antifa movement for escalating demonstrations, property damage and violence in Democrat-run cities. Last weekend - after a peaceful gathering of thousands at the 2020 March on Washington - a chaotic standoff ensued between protesters and D.C. police, who fired rubber bullets and noxious chemicals into a crowd. More than two dozen people were arrested. Police said officers were injured by bricks, fireworks and lasers pointed into their eyes. Bowser blamed "outside agitators" for setting fires and shooting off fireworks in overnight clashes. These visitors had come "armed for battle," Bowser said, "looking for police to confront." Of 29 people arrested, most were from the Washington area, including the Maryland and Virginia suburbs, according to arrest details released by police. After the daytime march ended, some visitors from other states attended smaller rallies to disrupt Washingtonians' daily lives and confront residents on issues of race and criminal justice. Hundreds of protesters roved though city streets, blocking bridges, highways and swaths of downtown traffic. By the end of the day, after marches had spent hours crisscrossing the city, a D.C. organizer called out to the unfamiliar faces in the crowd: "Do y'all need any help getting back to your hotels or Airbnbs? Just ask us." Despite the coronavirus pandemic, protest-hopping in different cities has become an increasingly common practice among the most committed activists. They travel to the sites of recent police killings - like the D.C. police shooting of 18-year-old Deon Kay in southeast Washington and asphyxiation of Daniel Prude, who died after officers put a black hood over his head and pinned him face down in the street - where inflamed tensions spark nightly clashes. Some join in demonstrations, while others offer food and supplies, help get protesters out of jail or offer aid to local organizers. Several protesters said these experiences can be transformative - a way to learn new strategies and new ways to organize. D.C. activists have participated in protests in Richmond and New York, among other cities. Members of the fledgling Freedom Fighters D.C. organization are planning trips to Denver, Portland and Kenosha, Wis., organizer Arianna Evans said. As demonstrators broaden the definition of what it means and looks like to protest, Bray said, the public's idea of what constitutes acceptable resistance has also changed. When leaf blowers cropped up in Portland, Ore., allowing demonstrators to clear the air of the tear gas federal forces were using to blanket downtown streets, the "leaf-blower dads" were thanked and celebrated by protesters and onlookers. Now, leaf blowers are becoming a feature of protests around the country. "Prior to this decade, I'd say that for most Americans, acceptable protest was holding a sign or voting. The center of gravity has been shifted by pushing protest tactics in a more militant direction," Bray said. "It really complicates our picture of what is or is not violent protest." Laser pointers, which have been used to foil surveillance cameras and drones from Hong Kong to American cities - and to injure officers, police say - are less universally embraced, Coleman said. Last month in D.C., several protesters pointed lasers at the line of police staring them down. Even chants seem to travel from city to city. In D.C., protesters from different states recently greeted each other with a call and response that protesters around the country repeat in marches through their own communities. "Who keeps us safe?" they ask. "We keep us safe," comes the reply. Jeremy Vajko, 27, a software engineer from Seattle, was one of many protesters who came to D.C. last month from out of state. Vajko emerged from the D.C. jail Monday to chants and cheers from local activists who celebrated his release. Though Vajko was in an unfamiliar city surrounded by new people, the solidarity and generosity felt familiar. Vajko, who identifies with the gender-neutral "they" pronoun, said they have felt similar sentiments in every city while driving a van to protests in recent months. Vajko was arrested during D.C. protests in late August while their white van - known among protesters as the Snack Van - was bashed by police. The van is hard to miss. It's covered in "Black Lives Matter" graffiti and has traveled from state to state to offer food, water and emotional support to activists calling for racial justice. Vajko and the Snack Van became a fixture earlier this year at Portland protests, where they joined an elaborate aid effort that handed out food and water. After leaving a job in the tech sector this year, Vajko cashed out their retirement savings and spent $50,000 to maintain the van, which has been attacked by white nationalist armed groups and targeted by police, Vajko said. More than once, the windows have been shattered and the van shot at with less-lethal rounds. The inside was bear-maced once, Vajko said, ruining heaps of food and contaminating supplies. "I don't show up to create violence. I show up to help people," Vajko said. "Obviously, the solution to all this is not for me to just show up with food everywhere, but it feels like it's something I can do to help right now." Vajko was arrested twice in Portland. A D.C. police officer last month was filmed shattering the driver's side window of the van and pulling Vajko out onto the sidewalk. Vajko was arrested Saturday and held through Monday, when they were told the U.S. attorney's office would not be pursuing criminal charges. The next day, Vajko piled back into the van and charted a course for Kenosha. Driving from place to place, protest to protest, has given Vajko a front-row seat to the proliferation of protest tactics that were once a hallmark of West Coast radicals. "That fight is now showing up across America, and they're seeing how Portland has dealt with it," Vajko said. "People are traveling to other cities to learn how to protest and then coming back." Evans, the Freedom Fighters D.C. organizer, can't wait to go to Portland. A Howard University student who has been protesting since Floyd's death, Evans used to consider herself a "peace activist." Known for her vivid red braids that cascade down her back as she commanded a megaphone, she routinely implored fellow demonstrators to "stop throwing [stuff]" like water bottles at police. In the first week of D.C. protests, as she was tear-gassed and pushed out of Lafayette Square by federal agents, Evans denounced violence and agitation, saying "the more that we are violent, the worse this will get for every one of us who is out here." Now, she talks about trash can fires set in the city and shrugs. Police are still shooting at unarmed protesters, she said. Onlookers and peaceful demonstrators are tear-gassed as badly as those who light a spark. "I was out here fighting for peace, asking people not to be aggressive, saying, 'Don't do anything,' and then I got shot at by rubber bullets. Then I got tear-gassed and pepper-sprayed, and it showed me that crime is a social construct because [the police] can openly violate our rights and that's not illegal, so now I feel like it's well within our rights to fight back as hard as we can," she said. "People might say I've been radicalized, but you know what? I have absolutely been radicalized - and it's the government's fault." A rare blue moon will rise on Halloween, making for an even more unprecedented 2020. This "once in a blue moon" celestial experience on Oct. 31, will be the second of two full moons in a single calendar month, according to Earth Sky. The last blue moon by these terms occurred on March 31, 2018. YOU CAN FLY INTERNATIONAL AGAIN: You can fly internationally out of IAH and Hobby again While the moon you will see won't actually be blue, it will look just like a regular full moon, according to NASA. "A blue moon is special because it is the "extra" Moon in a season with four full moons. This usually only happens every two-and-a-half years," states NASA. According to The Old Farmer's Almanac, a full moon only falls on Halloween every 18 to 19 years, making this an even rarer event. Hallows' Eve wouldn't be complete without the Hunters Blue Moon," as it is also referred to. The first full moon, known as the Harvest Moon, will occur on Thursday, Oct. 1. While Halloween may look different for all those ghouls and goblins due to the pandemic, at least we have this unusual phenomenon to welcome in the coming holiday season. STAY INFORMED: Sign up to receive breaking news alerts delivered to your email here. There is an urgent need for a global dialogue to shape the future of the industrial sector in light of the Covid-19 crisis, stated Badr Al Olama, the Head of the Organising Committee, Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (GMIS), adding that industrial revolution will be key to resetting future of manufacturing worldwide. On the sidelines of the first day of the #GMIS2020 Virtual Summit, Al Olama said the manufacturing community meets again in very different circumstances to the previous gatherings in Abu Dhabi and the Russian city of Yekaterinburg. "Despite being unable to convene physically, there is a sense of urgency about holding conversations that shape the future of manufacturing," he stated. Al Olama said: "The coronavirus has, unfortunately, hijacked our world. Practically no aspect of our lives has been left unscathed. The health and safety of every individual has become a primary concern. And in the process of protecting public health, immeasurable damage has been inflicted on our economies." "All of society needs to take a deep breath and give serious consideration about the way forward. Radical transformation must take place within every aspect of industry and at every level of society, and the manufacturing sector is by no means an exception," he stated. "Trade has, in many ways, become the backbone of the global economy. It is what keeps society going and what binds the nations and regions together," he added. Al Olama stated, "In a very short space of time, consumer needs have changed, forcing manufacturers to adjust their products and services beyond the distortions that have already been imposed on them by the pandemic. "The crisis has turned our attention from distant horizons to closer surroundings, serving as a timely reminder of the importance of cultivating local and regional markets, and most definitely magnifying the need for more agile, more responsive and more resilient value chains," he noted. "As challenging as this new reality may seem for most of us in the manufacturing sector, coupled with the geopolitical shifts and protectionist sentiments that have overwhelmed us in recent years, we must strike a sensible balance between having efficient and competitive supply chains whilst also securing necessary and flexible local capacity," he said. Asserting that the situation along the India-China border has been very nasty and the Chinese are going at it" much more strongly, US President Donald Trump said he would love to get involved and help. China and India are going at it pretty good on the border, as you know. Its been very nasty, Trump told reporters on Friday evening at a White House news conference. Trump reiterated that he is talking to both India and China about the situation. And we stand ready to help with respect to China and India. If we can do anything, we would love to get involved and help. And we are talking to both countries about that, he said. When asked if China is bullying India, he said that he hoped it is not the case but noted that China is certainly going at it". I hope not But they (China) are certainly going at it. They are going at it much more strongly than a lot of people even understand, Trump said in response to a question. Earlier in the day, Trumps National Security Adviser said the manner in which successive US administrations have dealt with China is the biggest foreign policy failure of the United States in the last 40 years. Probably the biggest failure of American foreign policy over the past 40 years is how weve dealt with China, NSA Robert OBrien told reporters at a White House news conference. There was this mantra that somehow as China became richer, as we turned a blind eye to Chinese malign activity with them stealing our IP or engaging in unfair trade practices or bullying its neighbours, bullying its own people at Tiananmen Square, if we would turn the other cheek, turn a blind eye that China would become richer. As it became richer and the middle class in China grew, theyd become more like us, he said. Alessandra Ambrosio is back in Los Angeles after a stunning luxury vacation in The Maldives. And on Friday the Victoria's Secret stunner was in great spirits as she left the Immigration Offices in Downtown LA with evidence of her newly acquired US citizenship. Moving to the United States to pursue her modeling career as a young teen, the 39-year-old Brazilian bombshell is finally an American some 20 years later. US citizen: Alessandra Ambrosio, 39, was in great spirits on Friday as the Brazilian born model was spotted leaving the Immigration Offices in Downtown LA. The model and mother of two moved to the US as a young teen to pursue her modeling career The mother of two looked stunning as she walked with a pep in her step for her transformative outing. Clad in a blue silk quarter-length shirt and light denim jeans that hit just above her ankle, the five-foot-nine supermodel paired her effortlessly chic ensemble with a pair of brown strappy heels and a caramel colored bag. She clasped her citizenship documents in her arm as she strode down the street. American woman: The mother of two looked stunning as she walked with a pep in her step for her transformative outing. The brunette beauty first moved to the US as a young teen to pursue her modeling career The natural beauty adorned her outfit with some delicate bracelets and necklaces and topped off the look with a pair of round-framed sunglasses. She wore her brunette locks down straight, her hair blowing in the wind as she strutted the west coast streets like a runway. The veteran model reportedly only spent about 15 minutes inside the Federal building to get all her necessary documents before leaving with a huge smile on her face. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the actual naturalization ceremonies have been cancelled for safety purposes, though Alessandra was able to get all she needed after following the proper mandated protocols. On the town: That evening she was spotted heading out to the celebrity hot spot restaurant Nobu Malibu for a celebratory dinner Looking fab: She wore a gleaming pair of high-waisted silver pants and showed off her trim midriff in a half-sleeved blue crop top On the go: Balancing on a pair of sky-high stilettos, she flung a warm-looking white jacket fashionably over both shoulders Quality time: She appeared to be joined by the two children she shares with her ex-fiance, RE/DONE founder Jamie Mazur That evening she was spotted heading out to the celebrity hot spot restaurant Nobu Malibu for a celebratory dinner. She wore a gleaming pair of high-waisted silver pants and showed off her trim midriff in a half-sleeved blue crop top. Balancing on a pair of sky-high stilettos, she flung a warm-looking white jacket fashionably over both shoulders. She appeared to be joined by the two children she shares with her ex-fiance, RE/DONE founder Jamie Mazur. Beach babe: The Victoria's Secret stunner posted nearly every moment of her dream vacation on Instagram as she accrued envy from her 10.2M instagram followers Vision: The swimsuit model and designer has made a living off of bathing suits as she showed off her famous physique for a series of stunning vacation snaps Loved up: Alessandra and boyfriend of two years, Nicolo Oddi enjoy a romantic moment on their family vacation to The Maldives Just last week the GalFloripa swimwear designer was seen on a picturesque vacation in The Maldives with her two children from ex Jamie Mazur, Anja Louise, 12, and Noah Phoenix, 8 as well as her boyfriend of two years, Italian businessman Nicolo Oddi, 39. The family was joined by her parents as the extended Ambrosio-Mazur clan celebrated her daughter's 12th birthday and enjoyed a relaxing time away staying at the gorgeous Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi. After coming back from her trip away, the model seems as if she is ready to get back to work, tackling her swimsuit line head on while modeling its products from home and raising her two children. With the modeling industry slowly starting to ramp up again Alessandra's schedule will no doubt be ramping up soon so for now the beauty is enjoying both the little moments and the big moments in her life. The Centre on Saturday exhorted Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, accounting for about 46 per cent of active COVID-19 cases and 52 per cent of deaths in the last 24 hours, to focus on aggressive measures to break the chain of transmission and keep mortality rate below 1 per cent. The states have been advised to proactively ensure higher testing, effective clinical management along with efficient monitoring at various levels to lower fatality, the Union Health Ministry said. Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka account for about 46 per cent of active cases reported nationally in the last 24 hours. Maharashtra alone accounts for 22 per cent of all active cases reported in a day, it said. These three states also account for 52 per cent of all COVID-19 deaths reported across the country in a day. Maharashtra alone accounted for 35 per cent of all deaths registered in 24 hours," the ministry highlighted. The Union Home Ministry also highlighted districts in each of these states that raised concern. The need for effective containment and contact tracing was underlined for Pune, Nagpur, Kolhapur, Sangli, Nashik, Ahmednagar, Raigad, Jalgaon, Solapur, Satara and Palghar districts of Maharashtra. In Andhra Pradesh, Prakasam and Chittoor were highlighted as districts of concern and the need for daily monitoring of facility-wise deaths, strengthening of hospital facilities, increasing the number of ICU, oxygen beds and efficient clinical management were focused upon. For Karnataka, the highlighted districts of Koppal, Mysuru, Davangere and Bellari were advised to optimally utilize RT-PCR testing facilities, strengthen their door-to-door search for active cases and protect their healthcare workers, the ministry said. In cumulative terms, five states account for more than 60 per cent of the total active cases in the country, with Maharashtra contributing the maximum to the active caseload amounting to almost 25 per cent, followed by Andhra Pradesh 12.06 per cent, Karnataka 11.71 per cent, Uttar Pradesh 6.92 per cent and Tamil Nadu 6.10 per cent. Of these, three states Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka account for nearly 49 per cent of all active cases and more than 57 per cent of coronavirus-related deaths. Of the total deaths in the country, 70 per cent are recorded in just five states of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Delhi and Andhra Pradesh. Maharashtra alone accounts for 37.33 per cent of the total fatalities, the Health Ministry said. Indias COVID-19 caseload mounted to 40,23,179 on Saturday, with a record 86,432 cases being reported in a day, while the death toll climbed to 69,561 with 1,089 people succumbing to the disease in 24 hours, the health ministry data updated at 8 am showed. 01:59 | Trujillo (La Libertad region), Sep. 5. The Cabinet chief noted that the curve of coronavirus deaths and infections is decreasing in La Libertad, and this is when COVID-19 should be attacked more decisively. "Now that the pandemic has reached the most remote districts in La Libertad, we have to evacuate them immediately, as soon as the symptoms appear in vulnerable people. This will give them time to be treated properly from the beginning of the disease and to avoid further deaths," he said. Martos arrived in Trujillo on Friday, joined by Ministers Pilar Mazzetti (Health) and Carlos Lozada (Housing, Construction and Sanitation). The authorities supervised the delivery of 30 oxygen cylinders and 2 tons of personal protective equipment provided by the Ministry of Health (Minsa). As part of the Territorial Aid Operation for Treatment and Isolation in Response to COVID-19 (Tayta Operation) which began on September 3 and will end on September 5 rapid tests were conducted on vulnerable people who were previously registered. Those who tested positive received medicines used for early treatment, as well as food to help them comply with the self-isolation rule. For the implementation of this operation, Minsa delivered 20,700 rapid tests, 129,000 paracetamol tablets, 38,700 azithromycin tablets, 12,900 ivermectin bottles, and personal protective equipment. During the day, the Executive Branch representatives met with La Libertad Governor Manuel Llempen , as well as with provincial and local authorities, to meet the region's main needs. (END) NDP/FHG/RMB/MVB Chief minister (CM) Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday said that the next two-three months are going to be crucial for Mumbai as daily cases have again gone up. Many festivals are also lined up, for which proper planning needs to be made till the year-end. The CM had called for two meetings to review the Covid-19 situation in the city with officials from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), including ward officers. Thackeray said that a maximum number of new cases are being reported from housing societies and high-rises contrary to the previous situation when slums made up most of the hot spots. Indicating a rise in cases, he also said that the health infrastructure needs to be augmented in the city. We have successfully controlled the situation in Dharavi and Worli; we were praised for the efforts, but now we have work with more vigour. The daily infections were in the range of 1,000-1,100 cases for quite some time, which led us to believe that the city had reached its peak in Covid cases. However, since the last two days, cases have increased to 1,900 daily, which means we have to face the challenge for another two-three months, Thackeray said during his interaction with BMC officials. He said that the chase the virus initiative helped control the spread. Daily infections have shifted base from slum areas, and now 80-85% of infections are from housing societies, high-rises and upscale areas. We can provide 5,000-6,000 additional beds in the city, but for the future, health facilities need to be augmented, Thackeray said. He also stressed the need for aggressive contact tracing, saying this has to be increased to 30 people against one Covid-19 positive person, from the current norm of 20 people. Also, all high-risk contacts must be tested within 48 hours. The state has reported a few cases in which recovered patients are again experiencing health issues. The CM has directed BMC to set up post-Covid treatment facilities. We need to see if a recovered patient is experiencing health issues because of Covid-19 or because of the treatment, he said. Thackeray informed that the state government is starting its door-to-door survey My Family, My Responsibility from September 15. The survey aims to identify every citizen for influenza-like illness (ILI), severe acute respiratory illness (SARI), and citizens with comorbidities. The state will inspect a total of 2.25 crore families during the survey that will be conducted in two phases September 15 to October 10 and October 12 to 24. Sushant Singh Rajput Death Anniversary: A Timeline of the of events that have transpired so far At least 6 members of Sushant Singh Rajputs family killed in road accident in Bihar Sushant Singh Rajput case: Two 'drug peddlers' held by NCB seek bail India pti-Madhuri Adnal Mumbai, Sep 5: Two suspected drug peddlers arrested in connection with the drugs probe linked to actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death, on Saturday filed a bail application in a Mumbai court. The duo- Zaid Vilatra and Abdel Basit Parihar- arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), are currently in its custody. Challenging their NCB remand, their lawyer Tarrak Sayyed applied for bail. The NCB had earlier told the court that the two accused in their statements have named several persons and their custody was essential to unearth the main player in the drug syndicate. Sushant Singh Rajput case: Showik Chakraborty, Samuel Miranda likely to be produced in Mumbai court Rajput's girlfriend and actress Rhea Chakraborty is the main accused in the death case of the 34-year-old actor that is being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the NCB and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The NCB has also arrested Rhea's brother Showik andRajput's house manager Samuel Miranda. The agency is in the process of presenting them in a court here. Showik's role and his purported links with the other arrested accused are under the NCB scanner. Race against time to save Rome's iconic pine trees. Rome residents may have noticed an unusually heavy carpet of pine needles, covered in sticky honeydew, under some of the city's umbrella pines, or stone pines, in recent months. The phenomenon is the result of pine tortoise scale insects (Toumeyella parvicornis) a non-native species which infests trees and causes the spread of a sooty black mould, leading to needle loss. In the case of healthy specimens, the tree reacts by generating new needles which, in turn, weakens the tree and exposes it to new attacks by the parasite. In recent years the insects arrived from North America in Italy's Campania region, around Naples, quickly reaching Rome where they have already decimated pines in the southern suburbs of Mostacciano, Spinaceto and Castel di Decima. As a non-indigenous species, the pest has no natural predator in Italy, meaning that it can multiply and spread unchallenged by nature. Rome councillor Ilaria Piccolo, of the centre-left Partito Democratico, has raised the alarm in the capital, stating that "50,000 pine trees" are at risk in the city, and challenging the mayor Virgina Raggi to outline what measures are in place to save them. "The risk of collapse threatens the safety of citizens" - Piccolo said - "and Rome risks losing an ancient tree heritage of inestimable value." Guglielmo Calcerano, Roman spokesperson for the Greens, says that intervention is required at regional level, calling for scientific research and the use of natural methods to counteract the insects, such as the release of 'predatory' ladybirds, "which has been tested with good results for years all over the world." For more information in English on the invasive species and its spread in Europe see factsheet from the UK's department of environment, food and rural affairs. After Renault - the instigator of the protests against the Mercedes-like copy - recently withdrew its intention to appeal, it was rumoured that Ferrari would soon follow suit. "Yes, we confirmed our protest," Mattia Binotto said at Monza when asked about the status of the appeal. "The reason is that we are fully convinced that what Racing Point did this season is not right." Auto Motor und Sport claims that the rules will be made clear for 2021, with the FIA to stop direct car copies by banning 3D cameras and scanners from the paddock and asking teams to justify their design documents. "If regulations will be put in place - a technical directive for the future in 2021 where we are pretty sure it will not be possible to copy - then eventually we are ready to withdraw our appeal," Ferrari team boss Binotto added. The Italian also told Sky Italia: "Not even in the industrial world is copying allowed. We want clarity and when we get it we will withdraw the appeal." (GMM) While there is nothing inexorable or inevitable about politics, the growing probability of a no-deal, clean, WTO terms Brexit would seem to be pushing Scottish opinion closer to the idea of Scotland leaving the union. The support for remaining in the UK in the first independence referendum in 2014 was 55 per cent to 45 per cent. Now that position is close to being reversed. All the signs are that the Scottish National Party (SNP) will win its seventh victory in a row (counting all contests) at the elections for the Edinburgh parliament next May, with an overall majority of seats and votes. The first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has made it clear that the national issue will be placed at the forefront of the SNP campaign, and she has promised to put a referendum bill before the Scottish parliament. As when the SNP won a mandate to seek a referendum in the Scottish election of 2011, they would possess a strong moral case, which was conceded by the then prime minister, David Cameron. Besides, it is not for the Tories or the SNP to declare the 2014 referendum once in a lifetime that is a mere political slogan. The substance of Scottish sovereignty lies with the people rather than any assembly or parliament, because Scotland remains a nation within the UK, and because the 2016 referendum shows how popular will now overrides the traditional sovereignty of parliament. The advent of hard Brexit would arguably change everything, as would a landslide SNP victory next May. Between 2011 and 2014, Cameron set the constitutional precedent for granting a vote, for better or worse. The SNP could also pass a bill mandating negotiations with Westminster to grant a referendum, in an intermediate stage that would add pressure. Alternatively, they could organise their own illegal referendum, as happened in Catalonia, or they could call for civil disobedience and refuse to cooperate with Westminster and Whitehall (though Ms Sturgeon seems against such radicalism). Any and all of these questions may end up with the UKs Supreme Court. Tehran, Sep 5 : Iran now has more than 10 times the amount of enriched uranium permitted under an international agreement, the UN's nuclear watchdog said. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Iran's enriched uranium stockpile had reached 2,105kg (4,640lb) - well above the 300kg agreed in 2015, the BBC reported. Iran insists its nuclear programme is exclusively for peaceful purposes. It comes after Iran gave IAEA inspectors access to one of two suspected former nuclear sites. The agency said it would take samples at the second site later this month. Last year, Iran began deliberately and publicly reneging on commitments it had made under the international nuclear accord, signed in 2015 by Iran, China, France, Germany, Russia, the UK and the US. This included the production of more enriched uranium than it was allowed - although only at enrichment levels far below that required for use in atomic weapons. To manufacture a nuclear weapon, Iran would need to produce 1,050kg of 3.67 per cent enriched uranium, but would then need to further enrich that to 90% or more, according to US-based advocacy group the Arms Control Association. Low-enriched uranium - which has a concentration of between 3 per cent and 5 per cent of the fissile isotope U-235 - can be used to produce fuel for power plants. Weapons-grade uranium is 90 per cent enriched or more. Experts say the enrichment process could take a long time, if Tehran chose to do so. Last week, Iran said it had agreed "in good faith" to let weapons inspectors access sites to resolve outstanding issues related to nuclear safeguards. The IAEA had criticised Iran for not answering its questions about possible undeclared nuclear material and nuclear-related activities at the two locations, and denying it access. In the latest statement, the global watchdog said Iran had "provided agency inspectors access to the location to take environmental samples". "The samples will be analysed by laboratories that are part of the agency's network," it added. Iran stopped abiding by a number of commitments last year in retaliation against US sanctions reinstated by President Donald Trump when he abandoned the deal. The Expedition 63 crew kicked off the work week exploring space agriculture and spacecraft technologies. The trio also split the day on upcoming mission preparations and International Space Station maintenance. Ongoing botany studies on the station have been teaching scientists, engineers and astronauts how to grow crops in space, so crews can feed themselves farther away from Earth. Future astronauts on long-term missions to the Moon, Mars and beyond will need to be self-sufficient with less support from mission controllers and resupply missions. Commander Chris Cassidy set up the Advanced Plant Habitat during the afternoon for upcoming grow operations in the research facility. The controlled plant growth chamber automates the delivery of nutrients and light to support a variety edible plants for harvesting, analysis and tasting. Cassidy is also gearing up for a U.S. resupply mission due to replenish the orbiting lab in early October. The NASA astronaut is sharpening his robotics skills on a computer to get ready to capture Northrop Grumman's Cygnus cargo craft with the Canadarm2 robotic arm. A Russian technology experiment is using acoustics to locate micrometeoroid impacts on the space station. The two flight engineers, Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner, partnered during the morning checking hardware and downloading data that may pinpoint the location of high-speed particle hits on the outside of the space lab. On-Orbit Status Report Payloads JEMAL Depressurization: The crew assisted with the depressurization of the JEM airlock (JEMAL) in preparation for the NREP component removal later this week. The NanoRacks External Platform represents (NREP) the first external commercial research capability for the testing of scientific investigations, sensors, and electronic components in space. The NanoRacks External Platform is installed, on a payload required basis, on the outside of the International Space Station (ISS) on the Japanese Experiment Module - External Facility (JEM-EF) using NanoRacks, LLC's proven integration/transportation system. Plant Habitat-02 Prep B: In continued preparation for science arriving on NG-14, the crew replaced two CO2 Bottles, one ECS (environmental control system) Inlet Filter, and one ECS Outlet Filter in the Plant Habitat-02 facility. Assessment of Nutritional Value and Growth Parameters of Space-grown Plants (Plant Habitat-02) cultivates radishes as a model plant that is nutritious and edible, has a short cultivation time, and is genetically similar to Arabidopsis, a plant frequently studied in microgravity. Developing the capability for food production in space requires understanding cultivation conditions such as intensity and spectral composition of light and the effects of the culture medium or soil. This research could help optimize plant growth in the unique environment of space, as well as evaluation of nutrition and taste of the plants. Spacecraft Atmosphere Monitor (SCRAM): In preparation for the EXPRESS rack relocation activities, SCRAM was powered off and the crew installed the MCA (Major Constituent Analyzer) plug into the SCRAM. The MCA plug is used to protect the SCRAM's sensor when the unit is powered off. SCRAM demonstrates the capabilities of a small, reliable, portable gas chromatograph mass spectrometer instrument aboard the ISS to conduct major and minor elements of air measurement (Nitrogen, Oxygen, Carbon Dioxide, Methane, Water, etc). The instrument transmits data back to the ground research team every two seconds, providing a continuous analysis to the ground research team. It has a mass of less than 9.5 kg, and consumes less than 40 watts of power in its nominal configuration. Systems Rack Transfer Preparations: Today, the crew gathered items needed for the upcoming three way rack transfers of EXPRESS Rack-10B (ER-10B), ER-11 and ER-8. The crew also cleared the rack transfer path from JPM1A5 to COLO2 and demated umbilicals from EXPRESS Rack-10B. The Light Ions Detector (LIDAL) was also relocated in order to clear the Columbus hatch for the rack relocations. Robotics Proficiency On-Board Training (OBT): The crew reviewed the robotics OBT self-study session today. The ROBoT is an on-orbit version of the ground-based Dynamics Skills Trainer (DST) that simulates robotics operations with graphical feedback. Robotics proficiency requires crew to have hands on real-time operations or OBTs within 60 days and the Robotics Onboard Trainer (ROBoT) sessions are designed to help maintain this proficiency. Completed Task List Activities: Wanted Poster - APAS Hatch Cover HMS Spaceflight Cognitive Assessment Tool for Windows (WinSCAT) Test Columbus D2 Rack Bags Fill Today's Ground Activities: All activities are complete unless otherwise noted. Ground Support for JEMAL Ops Ground Support for Plant Habitat-02 PRO ER10-B Deactivation DDCU Safing Look Ahead Plan Tuesday, 9/1 (GMT 245) Payloads: No Utilization Activities Systems: Three Way Rack Transfers (ER11, ER8 and ER10-B) Wednesday, 9/2 (GMT 246) Payloads: EXPRESS Rack Reconfig (post-relocation) ISS HAM Pass LIDAL Return NREP Hardware Remove Overview Systems: IFM Hatch Seal Inspections ER-11B Umbilical Mate WHC Piping R&R PWD Water Collect Thursday, 9/3 (GMT 247) Payloads: JEMAL Ops NREP Hardware Remove SCRAM Power On Systems: UPA Software Transition TOCA Run Today's Planned Activities: All activities are complete unless otherwise noted. TBU (Universal Bioengineering Thermostat). - #07 temperature monitoring and free zone availability in front of inlet and outlet orifices of - JEM Airlock Depressurization, Vent & Confirmation PROBOY. RS1 Laptop Ops. RSS2 Software Update. Simulator Ops Checkout of -2 Pilot's Sight and Comm Interfaces Preparing for -1 R&R (406) Scheduled PUMA Checkout -1 Unit (406) R&R SM [Precision Vertical Wide Angle Sight () Checkout Replace [1, 2] Dust Filters. Update IMS and Cleaning MRM1 Gas-Liquid Heat Exchanger () BUPT-1M TLM connector mating On-board Training (OBT) Robotics Onboard Trainer (ROBoT) Proficiency w/ Setup INSTALLATION OF 800 BOX (104) Spacecraft Atmosphere Monitor MCA Plug Installation Plant Habitat-02 Hardware Gather, Facility Prep and Dual MWA Prep Auxiliary Laptop Computer System Virus Definition File Update Rack Transfer Stowage Gather Structures & Mechanisms (S&M) EXPRESS Rack-10B Transfer Preparation and Umbilical Demate Light Ions Detector Move Preparation for Antivirus Scanning on [] Laptops Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. Reaching Within: What traditional art offers the heart The story of the Sampo is told in the Finnish epic Kalevala, which was compiled from the poems and songs of Finnish oral traditions. The Sampo was a powerful and mysterious device that had a lid of many colors, three mills on its sides, and produced endless fortune. Outside of this description, however, no one really knows exactly what the Sampo was or what it looked like. The story of the Sampo found its beginning with a bard and sage as old as the earth itself, Vainamoinen. Vainamoinen was washed up on the shores of the evil land of Pohjola. This land was also the evil counterpart of the land of heroes, called Kalevala, from which Vainamoinen came and where the Finnish epic gets its name. Pohjolas ruler, the evil witch Louhi, found the hero Vainamoinen on the shore and nursed him back to health. In return for her kindness, Louhi told the hero that she wanted something which would create for her an endless source of wealththe Sampo. Vainamoinen agreed to find her a Sampo, but he knew of only one being with the ability to create such a thing: the eternal hammerer, Ilmarinen. Ilmarinen was said to use his tools to hammer the firmament into shape. Vainamoinen tried to convince Ilmarinen to help him, but the hammerer had no intention of helping the evil land of Pohjola. In order to obtain Ilmarinens help, Vainamoinen summoned a storm, which carried Ilmarinen to Pohjola. Ilmarinen was treated very well in Pohjola. He was even offered the hand of Louhis beautiful daughter if he would make the Sampo. These kindnesses made him agree to undertake the task. At first, while trying to make the Sampo, Ilmarinen produced only objects that caused harm. But after summoning the wind to work the bellows, he was able to forge the Sampo in three days. Ilmarinen completed and presented the Sampo to Louhi, who, with access to endless wealthgrain, salt, and goldwas excited. She locked up the Sampo inside a mountain. Finished with his task, Ilmarinen went to accept Louhis daughters hand in marriage, but she refused. Years passed and Pohjola prospered, but Vainamoinen and Ilmarinen suffered. Fed up with their struggles, the two decided to take back the Sampo for themselves. They recruited Lemminkainen, a hero noted for his beauty, to help them on their journey. When they approached Louhi, they requested half of the Sampos wealth or theyd take it by force. Louhi was outraged and summoned her dark forces to battle. Vainamoinen, however, was a wonderful musician and lulled her evil minions to sleep with his music. The three heroes were able to take the Sampo without anyone noticing. In their escape at sea, however, Lemminkainen asked Vainamoinen to sing a celebratory song. Vainamoinen, believing it too early to celebrate, refused to sing. But Lemminkainen was unable to control his excitement and sang loudly and badly, so loudly that he woke up Louhi and her dark forces. Louhi and her troops followed the three heroes out to sea. In the struggle, as Louhi tried to take back the Sampo, it dropped into the sea and was forever lost. Forging of the Sampo, 1893, by Akseli Gallen-Kallela. Oil on canvas, 78.7 inches by 59.8 inches. Ateneum, Helsinki. (Public Domain) Forging of the Sampo Akseli Gallen-Kallela was a Finnish painter during the 19th century. He traveled extensively and learned a great deal from the artistic styles of French realism and symbolism. He was able to use the lessons gained from these styles to express his love for this own culture by illustrating stories from the Kalevala. In Forging of the Sampo, Gallen-Kallela depicted multiple figures creating the Sampo. The painting shows workers in a wooded environment of muted browns and greens contrasted with intense oranges and yellows. In the foreground are two figures to the left and center of the composition who look into an opening that contains a fire. Also in the foreground, smithing tools sit on a trunk stump. The figure in the center looks intently at what is presumably the unfinished Sampo, which remains concealed behind a structure built from wood and rock that contains the fire. The other figure also looks intently into the fire and appears to be using a very large branch to possibly adjust the Sampos position in the fire. The line of sight of these two figures leads us to the standing log at the right of the composition. The standing log leads us up to the long log at the top of the structure, and this leads us all the way back to another group of figures at the top left of the composition. These figures at the top left work together to pull down another log, which is tied to a branch. This log appears to work the bellows in order to blow air into the fire and intensify the heat, the heat needed to make the Sampo produce its riches. A Harmonious Culture Creates Wealth Its interesting how the Sampo is created and lost: It is created through harmony and lost in discord. Gallen-Kallela depicted the elements coming together for the sake of creating the Sampo. Too much or too little of any element, as was the case when Ilmarinen had too little air and too little heat from the fire, causes the Sampo to produce harmful things instead of riches. Gallen-Kallela also depicted people working in harmony with these natural elements. Here, I believe, lies the beginning of the endless wealth represented by the Sampo. Endless wealth comes from working with one another and with nature. Going to extremes and working against each other and against nature brings about the opposite result from that intended. Maybe the two painted figures in the foreground represent Ilmarinen and Vainamoinen. Its interesting that Vainamoinen enhances the environment with music and Ilmarinen shapes the environment with his hammer, and that both of these characters are necessary for the creation of the Sampo. Lets delve a little deeper into what this might mean. I see Vainamoinen as a representation of music and Ilmarinen as a representation of visual art, using tools to fashion his creation. The representations of art and music come together to create the Sampo, a source of endless wealth. I see art and music as the embodiment of culture, and culture is what harmonizes a group of people around certain ideas and beliefs. So, it is a harmonious culture that brings about endless wealth. But for what purpose does culture bring about endless wealth? When culture is used to benefit evil, as it was in Pohjola, evil prospers. In other words, when culture is used to encourage and legitimize evil, evil will be normalized and will increase harm to all. Culture can be co-opted by evil. How do the heroes try to take culture back from Louhi, its evil possessor? First, Vainamoinen and Ilmarinen invite a third member to their party: Lemminkainen, a representation of beauty. So, now art and music have beauty to help them, and these three representations begin a journey to take back culture to Kalevala, the land of heroes. Interestingly enough, the three initially demand only half of the wealth created by the Sampo from their evil counterpart. Why do they require only half? Is it because if evil were completely without sustenance and disappeared, perhaps the heroes would lose their roles as those who struggle against evil? When evil denies them their wish, they lull evil to sleep with their music and take the Sampo back. Music, art, and beauty are capable of lulling evil to sleep. With evil asleep, cultureand its endless wealthcan be used for the purposes of good. When culture is built on the qualities that come with being a good and upright hero, these qualities are the ones that will be normalized and will increase the good of all. But evil can always find its way back into culture. Beauty can be used to make otherwise harmful things pleasing to the senses. When beauty lacks wisdom, that is, when a culture looks good on the surface but is not in true harmony or acts inappropriately, evil can find its way back in, and endless wealth risks being lost forever. How will we approach the evolution of our own cultures? Will we construct a culture fashioned on the righteous heros journey toward the harmony between people and nature? Or will we allow the divisiveness of evil to run rampant and destroy all good things in its wake? Art has an incredible ability to point to what cant be seen so that we may ask What does this mean for me and for everyone who sees it? How has it influenced the past and how might it influence the future? What does it suggest about the human experience? These are some of the questions I explore in my series Reaching Within: What Traditional Art Offers the Heart. Eric Bess is a practicing representational artist. SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Hagens Berman urges Portland General Electric Company (NYSE: POR) investors to contact the firm now. Hagens Berman also encourages potential whistleblowers to consult with its attorneys. Class Period: Apr. 24, 2020 - Aug. 24, 2020 Lead Plaintiff Deadline: Nov. 2, 2020 Visit: www.hbsslaw.com/investor-fraud/POR Contact An Attorney Now: [email protected] 844-916-0895 Portland General Electric (POR) Securities Class Action & Proprietary Investigation: The complaint alleges that Portland General Electric misled investors by failing to disclose the company lacked internal controls over energy trading practices, certain employees placed energy trades with increasing volume during late in the company's Q2 2020 and into its Q3 2020, and that as a result the company had and would incur significant losses. Investors began to learn the truth, according to the complaint, on Aug. 24, 2020 when Portland General Electric disclosed the energy trades resulted in realized losses of $104 million and unrealized losses of $23 million, estimating total losses in the company's portfolio of up to $155 million. In addition, the company announced that it had formed a Special Committee "to review the energy trading that led to the losses and the Company's procedures and controls related to the trading." This news sent the price of Portland General Electric shares sharply lower. "We're focused on investors' losses and proving Portland General Electric knew of material weaknesses in its procedures and controls related to energy trading," said Reed Kathrein, the Hagens Berman partner leading the investigation. If you are a Portland General Electric investor or may assist the firm's investigation, click here to discuss your legal rights with Hagens Berman. Whistleblowers: Persons with non-public information regarding Portland General Electric should consider their options to help in the investigation or take advantage of the SEC Whistleblower program. Under the new program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to 30 percent of any successful recovery made by the SEC. For more information, call Reed Kathrein at 844-916-0895 or email [email protected]. About Hagens Berman Hagens Berman is a national law firm with nine offices in eight cities around the country and eighty attorneys. The firm represents investors, whistleblowers, workers and consumers in complex litigation. More about the firm and its successes is located at hbsslaw.com. For the latest news visit our newsroom or follow us on Twitter at @classactionlaw . Contact: Reed Kathrein, 844-916-0895 SOURCE Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP Related Links https://www.hbsslaw.com At Benzinga, we report a lot about MSOs, or multi-state operators. These would be cannabis companies such as Cresco Labs Inc. (OTCQX: CRLBF), Curaleaf Holdings Inc. (OTCQX: CURLF), Green Thumb Industries Inc. (OTCQX: GTBIF) and Trulieve Cannabis Corp. (OTCQX: TCNNF), which have operations that span across many legal cannabis states. A term we haven't used is "SSO," or single-state operator at least until today. "I may have just coined it," Mission Dispensaries, 4Front EVP, Operations Mark Passerini said when he appeared as a guest on Thursday's Benzinga Cannabis Hour. Up until 2019, Passerini had been focusing on medical cannabis in one state Michigan through Om of Medicine, a company he co-founded. Om sold to 4Front Ventures Corp. (OTCQX: FFNTF), a company that currently has operations across five states: Illinois, Massachusetts, California, Michigan and Washington. "Our values aligned with Mission's and 4Front's," he told co-hosts Patrick Lane and Javier Hasse. "Their consulting group helped about 65 applicants around the country to win licenses." And with regulations being vastly different from one state to the next, partnering with an MSO like 4Front was "an easy decision," Passerini explained, citing the company's multi-market expertise. "I think that's obviously a huge leg up for us in choosing who we would be partnering with," he said. "The more states that come on board... the quicker the industry thrives as a whole." As for which states 4Front is headed next, Passerini says "every state is interesting for their own reasons." "We're looking at adding a second retail store in Chicago," he said. "That is on track for the end of this year." Massachusetts and California are also on the list. Other guests in this week's Benzinga Cannabis Hour episode include: Story continues Salveo Capital managing director Michael Gruber offers his advice to cannabis startups currently on the hunt for funding: 1) Be realistic with expectations and "Grounded in Reality" in terms of valuations. Otherwise you risk losing credibility. 2) When folks are willing to give you more money than you ask for, don't worry about share dilution. "Take as much money as you can." 3) Capital efficiency. Concentrate generating cash the sooner the better. Mazakali CEO Sumit Mehta says cannabis is the most politically popular industry. And while it's not counter cyclical or recession proof, Mehta would call it "recession resistant, essential and uncorrelated as an asset class." Is the stigma gone for investors? Yes, Mehta says, adding: "What started as a trickle a quarter century ago, has picked up steam quite rapidly and continues to gain a foothold across the country." The Benzinga Cannabis Hour is produced every week and brings together top executives, entrepreneurs, and experts from all corners of the cannabis industry. Each show features three or more guests from a broad spectrum of expertise in cannabis. To tune in, watch the embedded video below; head over to the official Benzinga YouTube channel; or visit BZCannabisHour.com and join the live chat to have your questions answered in real time. Cannabis Hour is also published on most major podcasting platforms, including Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, and more. See more from Benzinga 2020 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. A memorandum from Russell Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, has opened a new strategic front in President Trump's re-election battle. In 461 words (full text below, annotated with my comments), the recently confirmed OMB director virtually invites pushback from the Democrats' ticket and their media allies, and that's a battle they can't win. [Don't worry about me clueing them in. They are so arrogant that they don't take seriously anything that conservative websites may write. Moreover, the opportunity to pummel the Trump administration as "racist" is irresistible.] The only people who like the "anti-racism" training are the consultants who make out like bandits and the executives who order them foisted on their helpless employees, thereby proactively defending against charges of racism and potential litigation. The obnoxious anti-white struggle sessions are right out of China's Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and, when exposed to the light of day, are indefensible. Ask Goodyear. https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2020/08/goodyear_hands_a_political_triumph_to_trump.html Within the federal government, the exposure of the abusive training regimen imposed on managers of Sandia National Laboratories, which builds and manages the nation's nuclear weapons, revealed highly abusive practices. Christopher Rufo, a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation writes, participants were told that the "roots of white male culture" consists of "rugged individualism," "a can-do attitude," "hard work," and "striving towards success" which sound good, but are in fact "devastating" to women and POCs. In fact, the trainers claim that "white male culture" leads to "lowered quality of life at work and home, reduced life expectancy, unproductive relationships, and high stress." It also forces this "white male standard" on women and minorities. The seminar also asked white males to recite a series of "white privilege statements" and "male privilege statements." It concluded with its white male participants writing letters of apology to marginalized people whom they may have harmed, according to Rufo, who made the documents available on his website. Vought's letter is phrased in language that will lure Democrats and their media allies into defending the indefensible. Here is what it says: It has come to the President's attention that Executive Branch agencies have spent millions of taxpayer dollars to date "training" government workers to believe divisive, anti American propaganda. For example, according to press reports, employees across the Executive Branch have been required to attend trainings where they are told that "virtually all White people contribute to racism" or where they are required to say that they "benefit from racism." According to press reports, in some cases these training have further claimed that there is racism embedded in the belief that America is the land of opportunity or the belief that the most qualified person should receive a job. Relying on press reports is like hanging a "kick me" sign on one's backside. It is inviting critics to contest whether or not the reports are true. But those reports are true. All it will take is exposure of the PowerPoint slides used in actual trainings being run by the federal government. That's what happened to Goodyear, when an employee photographed a slide used in a training session. These types of "trainings" not only run counter to the fundamental beliefs for which our Nation has stood since its inception, but they also engender division and resentment within the Federal workforce. We can be proud that as an employer, the Federal government has employees of all races, ethnicities, and religions. We can be proud that Americans from all over the country seek to join our workforce and dedicate themselves to public service. We can be proud of our continued efforts to welcome all individuals who seek to serve their fellow Americans as Federal employees. However, we cannot accept our employees receiving training that seeks to undercut our core values as Americans and drive division within our workforce. This positions President Trump as a defender of federal employees, and those who ally themselves with the trainers as attacking them. The President has directed me to ensure that Federal agencies cease and desist from using taxpayer dollars to fund these divisive, un-American propaganda training sessions. Accordingly, to that end, the Office of Management and Budget will shortly issue more detailed guidance on implementing the President's directive. In the meantime, all agencies are directed to begin to identify all contracts or other agency spending related to any training on "critical race theory/ "white privilege," or any other training or propaganda effort that teaches or suggests either (1) that the United States is an inherently racist or evil country or (2) that any race or ethnicity is inherently racist or evil. In addition, all agencies should begin to identify all available avenues within the law to cancel any such contracts and/or to divert Federal dollars away from these un American propaganda training sessions. This is obviously well within the charter of the OMB. And it will start the production of an endless stream of examples that will horrify all but the racialist left, which will never vote for Trump anyway. The President, and his Administration, are fully committed to the fair and equal treatment of all individuals in the United States. The President has a proven track record of standing for those whose voice has long been ignored and who have failed to benefit from all our country has to offer, and he intends to continue to support all Americans, regardless of race, religion, or creed. The divisive, false, and demeaning propaganda of the critical race theory movement is contrary to all we stand for as Americans and should have no place in the Federal government. Once again, this positions critics as defenders of claims that the United States is inherently racist. While fanatics believe this, the majority of Americans do not. It will be very hard for the propaganda media to avoid goading Biden and Harris into this controversy. They are already positioning Vought's memo as kinda racist, dontcha know. Trump is against racial sensitivity. Go ahead, make our day. His heart-warming memoirs of life as a vet in Yorkshire are winning another generation of fans thanks to the new TV adaptation of All Creatures Great And Small. But James Herriot would 'turn in his grave' if he could see British farming today, according to his son. Jim Wight said his father would be championing local producers whose livelihoods and indeed our glorious countryside are at risk from post-Brexit trade deals. Jim, who took over his father's Yorkshire Dales vet practice, said cheap and inferior imports could be the final nail in the coffin for the dwindling number of family farms. James Herriot (pictured) would 'turn in his grave' if he could see British farming today, according to his son, Jim Wight Speaking of his dad real name James 'Alf' Wight, Jim said: 'He would be turning in his grave about the way his farming clients had all but disappeared and he'd be appalled about what is happening to farming today. 'If James Herriot were alive, he would be right behind The Mail on Sunday's Save Our Family Farms campaign.' Alf Wight, who died in 1995, wrote about his bucolic life as a farm vet between the 1930s and 1950s. The books were adapted for TV in the 1970s and 1980s by the BBC and are now back on the small screen again on Channel 5 with Nicholas Ralph in the starring role. Critics are hailing the latest production as the perfect antidote to our troubled times. Jim, 77, accompanied his father on farm visits from the age of three and now, only half-jokingly, claims he was a 'fully qualified vet by the time I was five'. He added: 'In those days, farms were full of strong men. Now they are full of machines. I was always with these guys on the end of the rope, helping to pull a calf out. Alf Wight wrote about his life as a farm vet between the 1930s and 1950s which were adapted for TV in the 1970s and 1980s by the BBC 'It was great fun for a kid. 'My father used to always say it was farmers whose company he enjoyed most. He spent most of his life with them. 'It was a time when we served lots of family farms but now there are hardly any left. They are part of our population that we desperately need to support.' Jim joined his father's Thirsk practice in 1967 and, much like the opening scene of Herriot's first book, If Only They Could Talk, would strip to the waist on cold winter nights to deliver breeched calves. 'It was a macho profession back then,' he recalled. 'Although obstetrics bringing animals into the world was the best part of a vet's life in those days.' Over the decades, the number of family farms declined as it became harder to make a living from dairy cows. Jim said: 'When I joined, there were about 80 or 90 dairy herds in our practice. 'Some of them only had 20 cows and one man milking them but they could still make a decent living. Nowadays, you have got to milk at least 200 to break even.' By the time Jim retired in 2001, his world-famous 23 Kirkgate practice was looking after just two dairy farms. Jim continues to be in awe of farmers' resilience. 'If a field full of spuds is rotten, who takes the loss?' he asks. 'The supermarket the farmer supplies certainly doesn't. It's the farmer who takes it on the chin all the time. 'That's why I have got this admiration and respect for them they're such a hardworking and resilient bunch.' This newspaper has highlighted how the home-grown industry is at risk if foreign producers are allowed to undercut Britain's farming and its superior welfare standards. Jim said a US trade deal could even put the countryside at risk, including the Yorkshire Dales, affectionately known as Herriot Country. Speaking of his dad real name James 'Alf' Wight (pictured), Jim said he 'would be turning in his grave' and 'appalled about what is happening to farming today' He continued: 'It isn't just about the food farmers produce they are the guardians of the countryside, the living breath of our country. 'Without farmers, what the hell would the place look like? 'All these American tourists Herriot fans used to come over and say, 'Gee, what a wonderful, wonderful place you got here in the Yorkshire Dales. 'But who makes them look so good? It's the farmers and we've got to look after them. Boris Johnson has said that he's going to support the farmers. I hope he does.' Jim, who claims never to have bought foreign-bred pork, beef or lamb, fears trade deals could see the UK market opened up to products such as chlorinated chicken and hormone-injected beef from large-scale American feedlots. He added: 'They don't have the same welfare standards as us and it means they can produce food more cheaply but it's not as good quality. 'It's just not fair buy British for heaven's sake.' US President on Friday announced normalisation of economic ties between Serbia and Kosovo, saying that the two countries were able to reach a "real breakthrough" on economic cooperation across a broad range of issues. Today, I am pleased to announce yet another historic commitment. Serbia and have each committed to economic normalisation, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office of the White House. He was accompanied by President Aleksandar Vucic of Serbia and Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti of Moments later, the two leaders along with the President Trump signed the agreements. Trump said that he looks forward to seeing Serbia and prosper as "we work together on economic cooperation in the region going forward." Although most of Kosovo is ethnically Albanian, many Serbs consider it their native homeland and a cradle of their culture. Some 13,000 people were killed in the 1998-1999 war, sparked by clashes between the forces of the rump Yugoslav state - Serbia and Montenegro - and Kosovo separatists. The conflict ended when NATO carried out an air campaign against Serbia. Kosovo unilaterally declared independence in 2008, but Serbia and its ally Russia have yet to recognise its sovereignty. After a violent and tragic history and years of failed negotiations, my administration proposed a new way of bridging the divide. By focusing on job creation and economic growth, the two countries were able to reach a real breakthrough on economic cooperation across a broad range of issues, Trump said. We have also made additional progress on reaching peace in the Middle East. Kosovo and Israel have agreed to normalisation of ties and the establishment of diplomatic relations. Serbia has committed to opening a commercial office in Jerusalem this month and to move its embassy to Jerusalem by July, he said. It has taken tremendous bravery by President Vucic of Serbia and Prime Minister Hoti of Kosovo to embark on these talks and to come to Washington to finalise these commitments. By doing so, they have made their countries, the Balkans, and the world safer, he said. During the signing ceremony, President Vucic said that Trump had done a great job and praised his commitment to the region. Inviting him to Serbia, he said that Trump would be the first US President since Jimmy Carter visited the country in 1980. Prime Minister Hoti termed it as a huge step forward. Terming it as a historic day, National Security Advisor Robert O'Brian said the focus is on economic cooperation. Vice President Mike Pence said that this is an important step for peace in the Balkans. Senator Ron Johnson from Wisconsin said that people from the two countries would see the benefit of economic agreement. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The first phase of the development will focus on the central core of the building and is expected to cost in the region of 4m. Work is expected to get underway in 2021 More than a year since the first planning application was lodged, the proposed multimillion-Euro redevelopment of Colaiste Iosagain as a regional digital hub has been granted conditional approval by Cork County Council. The former secondary school in Baile Mhuirne has lain empty since 1989, when the De La Salle Brothers left, prompting many locals in the Gaeltacht Mhuscrai area and passers-by on the adjacent N22 to wonder what its fate would be. Now Udaras na Gaeltachta will have to wait four weeks, when the public will be invited to make observations and appeals regarding the planning permission before any work can proceed on putting the project out to tender. It may be next year before work gets underway on the site, and this is also contingent on COVID restrictions. Funding of 2.7m has been secured from the Regional Enterprise Development Fund, announced in January, and Udaras na Gaeltachta, which is spearheading the project, has committed more than 1m from its own coffers to a project likely to top the estimated 4m price-tag. The planning application was originally lodged in July of last year and was subject to a number of delays as it went through a protracted planning process. The delays were caused by issues, now reflected in the conditions, around the impact on local species such as bats; and local water levels and the like. What has been granted planning permission is the first phase of a multi-stage development which will see the transformation of the former secondary school and creation of 75 direct jobs, with the potential for 45 indirect positions. The master-plan also envisages at least 45 new start-up companies being generated by the hub, as well as supplementing of existing limited remote working and training options. All this combined would add considerably to the 320 fulltime jobs in Udaras-supported ventures in the Baile Mhuirne estate. Apart from the replacing of the roof in the early noughties, at a reported cost approaching 500,000, little has been done to the site in the meantime, and parts of it are overgrown and the building itself vandalised. The front of the site has housed the annual Cuil Aodha/Baile Mhuirne show for the past number of years - although this year the show couldn't be held due to the COVID-19 restrictions. The actual development work in the first phase, for which planning permission is being sought, focuses on the centre and front of the iconic building, so long a landmark on the main road between Cork and Killarney. It will include the development of an exhibition hall, where the dining hall used to be, and flexible work spaces in former classrooms. A training room is being envisaged for the first floor. Other works include the installation of an elevator and new stairs to ensure the building is accessible; new gates; boundary walls and car-parking space. In February of last year, funding was secured to enable the development of a master plan for the building. This work was led by Udaras na Gaeltachta and involved agencies such as Failte Ireland; Skillsnet; Cork Education and Training Board; Cork County Council and local co-op Comharchumann Forbartha Mhuscrai. Also involved were CIT and UCC, as further education remains an option for the development of the building. For more than half a century between the end of the 1930s and the mid 1990s, Colaiste Iosagain had been renowned as a boarding school, counting among its past pupils GAA commentator Micheal O Muircheartaigh and many greats from the Cork and Kerry teams of the '50s, '60s, '70s and '80s, such as Mick O'Dwyer and John O'Driscoll. Others to have attended the college include composer Peadar O Riada. In February 1989, the De La Salle order announced it would be leaving the college after half a century of teaching pupils at the secondary school. The building was sold to the Kavanagh brothers in Fermoy, who had plans to transform it into a nursing home or hotel. The costs associated with the necessary work to transform the building from a secondary school into a luxury hotel or well-appointed nursing home proved too much, and the building was sold to Udaras na Gaeltachta for, reputedly, the same price it had been sold for by the De La Salle order, approximately 215,000. In 1999, the then-Education Minister Michael Woods TD turned the sod on an ambitious plan to develop the college as the home of a new national centre for Irish Medium Education, and an interpretive centre for the work of composer Sean O Riada. These plans met with resistance from Irish medium-education groups in Conamara and Dublin, who wanted the national Irish medium education centre to be located 'more centrally'. Eventually that proposal was shelved, and there has been no progress on the development of a national Irish-medium education centre anywhere. In 2013, after a bid to turn it into a training centre for international workers floundered when the Trident Safety Group said they would buy the building for a 'nominal sum', the Udaras sought expressions of interest from companies who might buy the building. Parts of the site have already been developed as the College's playing fields now house the local GAA club, Naomh Aban, and a thriving industrial estate which includes the Follain jam and preserves company, as well as Irish Independent Health Food distributors, Somex and Feoil na Fleisce (Flesk Meats). A consultation process has been carried out recently about the uses future phases of the development of Colaiste Iosagain could be put to. Possible uses could include the development of a state-of-the-art cultural centre as the very successful Ionad Cultutha at the rear of the local secondary school, Colaiste Ghobnatan, is short of space. The school is also looking to rebuild an entirely new building to accommodate growing numbers of school-going children in the area. Other proposed uses include the development of an accommodation option to house students of the Irish language and participants in training courses. Locals will be breathing a sigh of relief that the plan to revitalise the 'Colaiste' are still on track. Gov. Tony Evers on Sunday sent a letter to President Donald Trump asking the president to reconsider his plan to visit Kenosha on Tuesday. A spokesman for Trump said the president plans to meet with local law enforcement and survey damage from recent demonstrations. In Evers letter to Trump, the Democratic governor said Kenosha residents are exhausted and heartbroken with the division that has ripped apart their community, but they are also already working to rebuild, together, and support each other in the face of adversity. It is our job as elected officials to lead by example and to be a calming presence for the people we know are hurting, mourning, and trying to cope with trauma, Evers said in the letter. Now is not the time for divisiveness. Now is not the time for elected officials to ignore armed militants and out-of-state instigators who want to contribute to our anguish. Evers also raised concern that an in-person visit from the president would require a large-scale redirection of resources to support the visit. For the past week, protesters have taken to the streets in Kenosha following the Aug. 23 police shooting of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man. However, protests have turned violent at times, including fires and vandalism, and on Tuesday, two protesters were shot and killed and a third wounded, allegedly by a 17-year-old from Illinois. Trump has maintained a focus on support for law enforcement during the last several months of civil unrest and demonstrations following the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minnesota police custody and the police shooting of Blake. The president has pointed to Democratic mayors and governors as the cause for ongoing protests, which have at times turned violent. Johnson speaks out During an interview on Sunday with CNNs Dana Bash, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Oshkosh, said a surge in manpower is the only way to quell what has become a week of civil unrest and violence in Kenosha. The way you stop the violence, the way you stop the rioting, is you surge manpower and resources, citizen soldiers, National Guard, and you overwhelm the number of rioters so they cant riot, Johnson said during an interview with CNNs Dana Bash. While Johnson said he supports the right to peacefully protest, he added that protests like those ongoing in Kenosha can become a siege. Johnson also sidestepped questions on whether Trump has fanned the flames of violence or encouraged vigilantism against protesters with his remarks about communities such as Kenosha and Portland. Along with other Republicans in Wisconsin, Johnson placed the blame for ongoing protests at the feet of Evers. Ive been urging calm across the board, particularly in light of what happened here in Kenosha, Johnson said Sunday. When you encourage the disdain for the police, you encourage criminals. When you do little or nothing to stop rioting, you encourage anarchy. So when you are encouraging criminals and anarchy, peoples lives are lost. You have more and more destruction, more and more violence. So what we need to do is get control of the situation. Not for vigilantism When asked multiple times if Trump has a responsibility to call out violence in the nation, regardless of who is committing it, Johnson sidestepped and focused his blame on Evers for failing to ramp up National Guard deployment sooner. What the president did was he offered to surge manpower resources so the violence could end. The governor did not accept it that day and that night, tragically, two people died because citizens took matters into their own hands, Johnson said. Im not for vigilantism, Im not sure thats what was happening. Heat on Evers Some law enforcement leaders and state Republicans have condemned Evers for not calling for calm on Sunday night in the immediate aftermath of the Blake shooting. Rather, the governor focused on justice for Blake. He has since called for protests to remain peaceful. On Thursday, Evers announced he would double the number of National Guard members in Kenosha for the second day in a row, for a total of 500. Evers also requested additional National Guard troops, equipment, and resources from other states to assist authorities in Kenosha. Last week, Evers staff confirmed the governor had been working with several state partners to get additional National Guard and state patrol support. The federal government planned to assist in facilitating conversations with other state partners and provide FBI support to Wisconsins response. In photos: Stunning scenes of Uptown damage in Kenosha You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A special offence court has ordered the arrest of a former Sterling Bank director, Yemi Idowu, and a popular socialite, Prince Waheed Gbadamosi Eletu-Odibo. The information made available to Newsonspot.com.ng indicated that the duo are facing the wrath of the law for collaboratively and intentionally stealing another persons property. According to the charge report as submitted to Justice Sherifat Solebo of the Special Offences Court, which resulted in the bench warrant for the arrest, Idowu and Prince Eletu-Odibo were allegedly accused of conspiracy, stealing, and unlawful conversion of landed property belonging to Ononenyi Patrick Okonkwo. The latter reportedly owned over 250,000 hectares of land that ldowu and Gbadamosi allegedly adopted as their own properties and sold off, sometime between 2013 and 2016. The plots of land in question are reportedly located around in Eti Osa Local Government Area of Lagos, around Crystal Road, Osapa Village. Aside from this, Yemi ldowu and Waheed Gbadamosi were also accused of ignoring court summon. The drama began when the two counter-charge the EFCC of breaching their fundamental human rights in the process of filing charges against them. Interestingly, EFCC revealed that the court already ruled against them and that there was no violation of human rights. The court reportedly went so far as to demand that they make themselves available and at the behest of Justice Solebo and her Court. Evidently, neither Yemi ldowu nor Prince Waheed Gbadamosi showed up, hence the bench warrant declaring them wanted. Figures contained in a new survey undertaken by the HSE have shown that there are currently more than 7,500 people in Cork living with some form of dementia. There are over 400 different types of dementias, the most common of which are Alzheimer disease and vascular dementia, with the HSE saying that 11,000 people develop the condition in Ireland each year - or approximately 30 people each day. The survey, the findings of which were released to coincide with the start of World Alzheimer Month, estimated that there are more than 64,000 people currently living with dementia in Ireland - a figure the HSE said is set to double to more than 150,000 by the year 2045. The publication of the data comes as the HSEs 'Dementia: Understand Together' campaign is urging members of the public to consider becoming a Dementia Champion and joining the network of 340 other champions across the country who promote inclusions and action within their respective communities. Symptoms of dementia include memory loss, confusion with time or place, difficulty communicating, changes in behaviour and issues with problem-solving. Dr Suzanne Timmons, consultant geriatrician and clinical lead of the HSE's National Dementia Office, said that World Alzheimer Month offers people a valuable reminder of the importance of reaching out to people with dementia. "We know that maintaining involvement in activities and social contact are vital for maintaining physical and mental health and well-being for people with dementia," said Dr Timmons. However, the Covid-19 pandemic meant that many sufferers were left with no option but to cocoon at home to minimise risk, impacting on friendships and vitally important routines. "With this in mind World Alzheimer Month and an ideal opportunity to reach out and support people living with dementia and their families in our neighbourhoods. A first step can be checking in on someone you know with dementia and asking how you can help. It will make the world of difference to them," said Dr Timmons. The HSE is also using the 'Dementia: Understand Together' campaign to highlight their memory Technology Resource Rooms, one of which is based at the Mallow Primary Healthcare Centre. Dr Timmons said that with many traditional supports changed due to Covid-19, the use technology is playing an important role in enabling 'Champions' and others to connect with people with dementia. "Technology can also help day-to-day living and a range of assistive technologies can be purchased to help people with dementia maintain their independence, to continue doing what is important to them, and to feel safe at home," she said. "The Memory Technology Resource Room showcases a range of products and devices that can help manage with memory and recall. Members of the public can speak to an occupational therapist for free expert advice on what technology best suits their situation, as well as receive information on other local services." For more information and to make an appointment with the Mallow facility contact 022 58700 or 086 7871818. " " Tattoos have been around for more than a few generations. DCL 3300 B.C. -- Otzi the Iceman dies in the Alps. His frozen, preserved corpse is discovered in A.D. 1991; it bears the oldest examples of tattooing yet found. Scholars aren't sure whether his tattoos are decorative or evidence of acupuncture, but either way, Otzi makes his mark on tattooing history. 2000 B.C. -- Upper-class Egyptian women and priestesses are tattooed with a series of dots over the abdomen, thighs and breasts. Scientists hypothesize that these tattoos are a form of protection during pregnancy, since the abdominal markings would expand to cover the woman's belly as it grew. Advertisement A.D. 316 -- Roman Emperor Constantine bans the practice of facial tattooing. His rationale is that man has been created in the image of God, and so to defile the face is to disgrace the divine. 720 -- Body art goes out of fashion in Japan when officials begin using tattoos to punish criminals. This lasts until the 17th century, when tattooing is replaced by other punishments. Decorative tattoos quickly become fashionable once more. 922 -- While visiting what is now Russia, Arab diplomat Ahmad Ibn Fadlan encounters a group of heavily tattooed traders from northern Europe. Ibn Fadlan describes the tattoos as dark green lines and pictures, extending from the tip of each man's toes to his neck. Republican senators urge FDA to label abortion pill as deadly,' hazard to women's health Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A group of nearly two dozen Republican senators have signed onto a letter to Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn asking him to protect women and girls by removing abortion-inducing drugs from the U.S. market. In the letter, lawmakers urge the FDA to "classify the abortion pill as an 'imminent hazard to the public health' that poses a 'significant threat of danger.'" Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, one of the lawmakers who signed onto the letter, took to Twitter Wednesday to proclaim that pregnancy is not a life-threatening illness, and the abortion pill does not cure or prevent any disease. The letter comes less than a week after the Trump administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court to lift an injunction on an FDA rule requiring abortion clinics to schedule in-person appointments with patients before dispensing or prescribing the abortion-inducing drugs sold as Mifeprex in the U.S. The rule came as the abortion industry has used the coronavirus pandemic to push for the expansion of TelAbortions, where women receive Mifeprex, formerly known as RU-486, in the mail. TelAbortions enable abortion clinics to circumvent the Risk Evaluation Mitigation Strategies, or REMS, which require a qualified medical professional to dispense the abortion pills at a clinic, hospital or other medical facility. As the senators explained in the letter, Under the REMS, an abortion pill prescriber must guarantee his competence to properly date a pregnancy, and to provide or arrange for surgical intervention in case the pill fails, or in case the woman needs emergency intervention. The senators proceeded to make the case that forcing women to engage in a form of DIY chemical abortion comes with significant risks. In a previous interview with The Christian Post, Sue Turner, director of Physicians for Life, said that when Mifepristone first came out, the FDA had a protocol for it to be used through seven weeks, or 49 days from conception. But the longer you wait," she said, the less effective it is. Because many abortion clinics were ignoring the FDAs protocol and using the drug in chemical/medical abortions up to 60 days, states began passing regulations saying they had to follow the FDAs protocol. They (abortionists) didnt want to have to follow the FDA protocol," Turner said. "So [then President Barack] Obama made the FDA change it to the later date, the 60 days, to match up with what the abortion providers were doing. The drug was less effective and abortionists then had to also perform a surgical abortion, which meant that women were being charged for both chemical and surgical procedures. In their letter, the senators noted: According to FDA reporting, the abortion pill has taken more than 3.7 million preborn lives, caused 24 maternal deaths, and resulted in at least 4,195 adverse maternal reactions including hemorrhage, excruciating abdominal pain and severe life-threatening infections. The fact is that the abortion pill poses a four-times higher risk of complication than surgical abortion in the first trimester. The senators letter to the FDA also cited a report from the pro-life group Live Action called Abortion Pill Kills. The report explained in detail the complications experienced by women who take the abortion pill, which can include severe cramping, contractions, and heavy bleeding. According to the FDA, women can expect the bleeding to last 9 to 16 days on average, while 8% experience bleeding for more than 30 days, the report states. It also warns that the ultimate goal of the abortion industry is to make abortion pills available over the counter and remove all requirements mandating that licensed physicians be involved in the process. While the senators praised the FDA for continuing to fight to defend the REMS and monitor dangerous clinical studies, they argued that these measures alone fail to protect the thousands of women harmed even by compliant usage of this drugor the millions of children killed. These senators are not the only group expressing concerns about abortion pills and calling for their removal from the market. A group of six dozen Republican members of the House of Representatives sent Hahn a nearly identical letter seconding the concerns of their Senate colleagues. Earlier this summer, a coalition of pro-life groups wrote a letter to Hahn calling on the FDA to ban abortion pills. Signatories included the presidents of Live Action, the Susan B. Anthony List, Samaritans Purse, and the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists a group of practitioners who broke away from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists after it began advocating for abortion on demand and abortion for minors without parental consent. BREAKING: Live Action President @LilaGraceRose & 22 Pro-Life Leaders have sent a letter to @SteveFDA urging the @US_FDA to BAN the abortion pill. The deadly drug is an imminent hazard to public health and poses a significant threat to the lives of women & children. RT! pic.twitter.com/4kYbxs8DEy Live Action (@LiveAction) July 28, 2020 Pro-abortion activists were quick to condemn the push to label Mifeprex as dangerous. Ilyse Hogue, the president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, slammed the fear and lies featured in the letter and declared that medication abortion is incredibly safe. BAY CITY, MI A parade of President Donald Trump supporters in boats floated down the Saginaw River on Saturday, Sept. 5. Dozens of boats and jet skis bearing pro-Trump decor went down the river through Bay City, starting around noon. The group headed north under gray skies from the Uptown area toward the mouth of the river, then turned around and headed south, back toward the citys Middleground Island. The citys drawbridges were repeatedly raised to account of the influx of traffic on the waterway. Around the same time, numerous vehicles drove around downtown Bay City bearing Trump flags and honking horns. Trumps Democratic challenger for the presidency, Joe Biden, is set to visit Michigan on Wednesday, Sept. 9. Details of his visit have not yet been disclosed. Earlier this week, Trump came under fire when The Atlantic published a report stating he had referred to fallen military members losers and suckers. The Washington Post, The New York Times, and the Associated Press followed with similar articles. Trump subsequently stated the report was a totally fake story and a hoax. Read more: Joe Biden to visit Michigan next week Dont trust the polls, Democrats warn Biden campaign about lead in Michigan Michigan women lead online Biden rally featuring shark week jokes and urgent call to beat Trump Mike Pence says Trump will lead recovery after COVID recession at Michigan campaign rally RAMALLAH, West Bank Following a four-hour investigation, the Israeli intelligence in Jerusalem handed Aug. 25 a notice to Adnan Ghaith, the Palestinian Authoritys (PA) appointed governor for Jerusalem, restricting his movement within Jerusalem. The notice sets a precedent, as this is the first time that Israel takes such a measure against someone holding the position of governor of Jerusalem, the highest position of the PA in East Jerusalem. However, such a move does not come as a surprise as Ghaith has been repeatedly targeted and persecuted since he was sworn in as governor of Jerusalem on Aug. 31, 2018. In July and August, Ghaith was repeatedly targeted and arrested. On July 19, the Israeli police arrested Ghaith after storming and searching his home in Silwan, south of Jerusalem. His detention was repeatedly extended for interrogation, a move condemned by the PA presidency July 23. On Aug. 24, the Israeli Magistrate Court in Jerusalem decided to release him after 17 days in detention. Palestinians in Jerusalem organized several sit-ins to denounce the arrest of Ghaith. Also, the European Union representative to the Palestinians Sven Kuhn von Burgsdorff expressed in a statement Aug. 27 his concern over the circumstances of Ghaiths arrest. He said, The governor of Jerusalem, Adnan Ghaith, is an important partner, calling on Israel to respect international humanitarian law and human rights obligations toward all prisoners. Two days after his release, the Israeli intelligence summoned Ghaith for investigation at Al-Maskobiyya interrogation facility in Jerusalem and handed him a notice, for the fourth time, to renew the Israeli military decision preventing him from entering the West Bank for an additional six months. Ghaiths prosecution coincides with a general Israeli policy in Jerusalem targeting Palestinian figures and institutions, the latest of which was the storming and closure July 22 of the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music and the Yabous Cultural Center. This comes as part of Israeli efforts aimed at eliminating the official Palestinian representation and presence inside the city, all the while trying to impose Israeli sovereignty over it, in what embodies US President Donald Trump's declaration of Jerusalem as Israels capital last year. Since his assumption of the position of governor of Jerusalem, Ghaith has received four Israeli military decisions that have been continuously renewed upon expiry. The first prevented him from entering the West Bank; the second prevented him from communicating with a number of Palestinian figures and leaders; the third prevented him from participating in social events and providing humanitarian aid; and the fourth restricted his movement within the city of Jerusalem, prevented him from entering neighborhoods, towns and villages located within Jerusalem, and restricted his movement to a specific framework. This decision sets a serious precedent aimed at imposing more restrictions on the governor and placing him under house arrest at a time when he is supposed to hold political meetings with international representatives and consuls in Jerusalem; meet with local and international events and institutions; and organize activities and follow up on all political and social issues. The decision deals a blow to the official Palestinian role and work in Jerusalem. Al-Monitor tried to contact Ghaith on several occasions, but to no avail as all contact channels with the official are closed. Deputy Gov. of Jerusalem Abdullah Siyam told Al-Monitor that the notice restricting Ghaiths movement will go into effect in the coming days, and it is expected to remain valid for several months. He said that the campaign against Ghaith is part of Israels targeting of Jerusalem with all its national, religious and societal components, with the aim of passing its scheme exemplified by the US peace plan for the Middle East, known as the "deal of the century," and entrenching the Jewish character in the city while implementing the law of citizenship on the ground. Ghaith was born in Silwan neighborhood, south of Al-Aqsa Mosque, and received his primary education there. He obtained his high school diploma inside prison in 2006, when he was arrested for 11 months due to his work in the Palestinian Popular Committees in the Silwan neighborhood and his political activities in the Fatah movement. He is considered the youngest ruling Palestinian governor at age 44 and since assuming office, he has been detained and arrested more than 18 times. Various reasons stand behind the continuous pursuit of Ghaith since his assumption of the position of governor, the most important of which is his role in pursuing those selling Palestinian real estate and property in Jerusalem to settlement associations. Also, the Israeli persecution of Ghaith comes as part of a decision issued by Israeli Minister of Internal Security Gilad Erdan on Aug. 5, 2019, banning Palestinian organizations and the PA from holding any cultural or political activities in Jerusalem, considering these as acts of terrorism and of infringement upon the Israeli sovereignty Israel being the sovereign party in East Jerusalem, its laws being in force. Director of the Jerusalem Unit in the Palestinian Presidency Maatssem Tayim told Al-Monitor that the Israeli authorities are increasingly targeting Ghaith, and Palestinian institutions and activities in Jerusalem, taking advantage of the efforts of the United States and its recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the relocation of the US Embassy there. Tayim said that Ghaith is one of 380,000 Jerusalemites facing uprooting and displacement policies. Since the occupation of the city in 1967, he said, Israel has been seeking to change the city's Arab identity through various policies that include forced displacement, deportation, harassment and demolition of homes, with currently more than 28,000 homes in the city facing the threat of demolition at any moment. What the governor is exposed to, he added, is a reflection of what the city has been dealing with for years. Tayim explained that Israel is targeting Palestinian sovereignty while trying to prove its alleged sovereignty over the city. But Jerusalemites have repeatedly thwarted such attempts, and Ghaiths targeting will not affect the Palestinian course of action and steadfastness in the city where peace and coexistence with Israel will not materialize. Asked about the options at hand to confront the decision, Tayim said, The governor and the Jerusalemites will face all the occupation decisions with greater steadfastness and will challenge these policies. He noted, Our presence on the ground is key. It is our point of strength in confronting Israel. Israel's attempt to create difficult working conditions for the Jerusalemite figures and institutions will fail, but the essence of confrontation in the city is not based on one person but rather on citizens and people insisting on defending their city. Israel is in a rush to consolidate its hegemony and sovereignty over Jerusalem in the implementation of Trumps declaration and recognition of the city as the capital of Israel. Therefore, the pace of Israeli measures and attacks against Palestinian political and religious figures and institutions in the city is likely to accelerate, especially against those representing the PA and the PLO, given the decision prohibiting their presence and work in Jerusalem. Barcelona have stumbled from one crisis to another recently. On Wednesday night, with Lionel Messi still silent on his future, the current board were at the centre of a corruption allegation in El Mundo. Sportsmail looks at the latest legal tangle to threaten to entwine the club. Dark clouds are looming over Barcelona with the club rocked by allegations of corruption Barca president Josep Bartomeu is under immense pressure to stand down amid new crisis What is the accusation and who is doing the accusing. According to Spanish newspaper El Mundo the Catalan police force have filed a report to the judge investigating Barcelonas hiring of social media consultancy I3 Ventures, and the report, according to El Mundo, suggests possible economic crimes. Remind us of the I3 case Last February Cadena Ser reported that a company hired to monitor Barcelona's presence on social media was linked to a series of social media accounts that ran negative stories about club figures who were in potential opposition to president Josep Bartomeu. One of the stories referred to Lionel Messis wife Antonella. Sounds scandalous Well when you looked at the actual stories they were very tame. Most of them were not even negative. And a subsequent investigation by audit company PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) ruled that Barcelona had NOT commissioned I3 Ventures to run a smear campaign against important club figures. Catalan police accused Barca of economic crimes in hiring social media firm I3 Ventures. Bottom right headline in El Mundo translates: 'Police accuse Barca of corruption in Messi case' I3 Ventures were linked to accounts that ran negative stories about club figures who were in potential opposition to Bartomeu. The president is currently at war with star man Lionel Messi One of the stories referred to Messis wife Antonella (pictured here with the Argentine forward) So the Barcelona board were in the clear? Well there was always more to the story than just the eventually dismissed link between the web company employed by Barcelona and these other accounts. There was a suggestion that Barcelona had paid over the odds for I3 Ventures' service. It was striking that the payments to the company were broken down into amounts of less than 200,000 meaning they evaded the club's internal checking mechanism. Six board members quit at the time, including Emili Rousaud who made the startling statement to Catalan radio RAC1: I think someone has had their hand in the till, although I don't know who. You pay 1m [to I3 Ventures] for a job that has a market price of 100,000. I don't know who it was, but I can have an idea, although I don't think it was someone on the board. Very serious claims Very, and he later said he regretted the phrase. Barcelona strongly refuted the claims and threatened Rousaud with legal action. FC Barcelona categorically denies any activity that can be described as corruption, therefore, reserves the right to any legal action that may correspond, the clubs statement read. Critical posts about Gerard Pique (left) were also made by accounts linked to I3 Ventures Emili Rousaud (circled) made startling claims of corruption against club after quitting in April Barcelona have always refuted the claims and an investigation is currently ongoing But there was an investigation? Yes an investigation is ongoing and according to El Mundo police have passed a report to the investigating judge saying that Barcelona could have paid up to six-times the going rate for I3 Ventures services. Which does not in itself constitute wrongdoing? No, absolutely not. It would have to be proven that they did so for personal gain. What has Barcelonas reaction been? So far they have not made a statement but are said to be surprised by the El Mundo story and shocked at the severity of the claim. Did their audit not also deem that the price they paid to I3 Ventures was fair? Yes the audit concluded that they did not pay over the market price for the services of I3 Ventures but as you say it was 'their' audit. Included in the El Mundo story on Friday was the suggestion that the police report handed to the judge also argues that an audit commissioned by an interested party can not be conclusive. When the allegations first surfaced in February, I3 Ventures said: We wish to state for the record that the allegations are absolutely false. Jorge Messi held showdown talks with president Bartomeu about his son's future this week What happens now? The investigating judge will have to decide whether or not to act on the report and investigate further. What does it mean now that Messi is staying? It could weaken the position of the president if it is taken further. And what weakens the president strengthens Messis hand. But it doesnt really change the fact that Bartomeu is standing down next March when elections will be held. And it doesn't change the fact that it is not really practical in terms of time and logistics for there to be a vote of no confidence that would bring those elections forward. Congratulations to Leane Grahame, one of the competition winners pictured here receiving her gift voucher from Drogheda Chamber President, Robert Murray Congratulations to Leane Grahame, one of the competition winners pictured here receiving her gift voucher from Drogheda & District Chamber President, Robert Murray. Drogheda & District Chamber, The Mill Enterprise Hub & Love Drogheda BIDS joined forces to conduct an analysis of the Census 2016 commuter figures and to conduct a survey of over 800 commuters. The aim is to develop a new commuter strategy to retain the skilled commuters and to encourage more start-ups, multinationals, and remote workers to base themselves in the wider Drogheda region. 'We believe that Drogheda is uniquely placed to offer a complementary solution to Dublin's business infrastructure,' says Robert Murray, President of Drogheda & District Chamber. 'Our proximity (30 minutes to Dublin airport), lower housing and office costs, quality of life, and most importantly, access to skilled employees will enable us to offer a very attr active option to start and grow a business here.' The survey found there are 15,000 residents within a 15 minute catchment zone of Drogheda that leave the district every day. They are highly educated (60% with 3rd level qualification) with strong professional experience (47% in professional or managerial roles). More than half of commuters were dis-satisfied or very dis-satisfied with their current commute and three quarters are interested or very interested in working locally. 76% work in Dublin and almost half said they could work remotely. 'Drogheda's most productive people are being forced out of the region to commute for long periods of time,' added Breanndan Casey, Secretary of Drogheda & District Chamber and Manager at The Mill Enterprise Hub. Full details of the survey can be found at https://www.droghedachamber.ie/drogheda-embrace-the-change, which also includes a contact form if you wish to receive more information, take a tour of property options, or obtain advice. The internationally acclaimed chef has been accused of failing to credit where he drew inspiration for a pasta dish posted to social media. He's no stranger to an argument in the kitchen, and now polarising celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay is in a heated scrap with Sydney's very own Mitch Orr, who has accused the Brit of stealing one of his signature dishes. Last week Ramsay uploaded a video to his Instagram feed showing him plating up a Vietnamese braised pork carbonara served with an egg yolk. The post caught Orr's attention, who believes it was a rip-off of one of the most popular dishes at his former Rushcutters Bay restaurant ACME: macaroni, pig's head and egg yolk, inspired by the Filipino dish sisig (pig's head). Orr left a short rebuke on Ramsay's post "looks familiar mate" which has amassed support from hospitality folk both local and international. But it didn't end there. Bengaluru: In another shocker from Bengaluru, a woman was allegedly assaulted near her home early on Friday, even as the IT city was coming to terms with the horrific incidents of mass molestation on New Years Eve that triggered public outrage. In a CCTV footage captured from a home, the woman was seen heading towards a bus stop near her residence on a deserted road and was being followed by a man who, after a short while, walks away nonchalantly. The man then allegedly tried to molest her and escaped from the scene when street dogs started barking, fearing that people from nearby houses may come out, according to police. TV channels showed the woman with injuries on her lips, tongue, hand and toes which she reportedly suffered as she tried to resist him. ALSO READ | Video | Bengaluru rerun in Delhi: Drunk men assault woman, attack cops for protecting her She was taken to a hospital for treatment. Police officials said they have taken up the case and an investigation was on. It comes as another shocker from the countrys IT capital, where only yesterday police arrested four persons in connection with the groping and assault of a woman by two scooter-borne men near her home in Kammanahalli on New Years Eve. These incidents have come to light even as police were investigating incidents on the night of December 31 on M G Road and Brigade Road where several women were allegedly molested and groped and lewd remarks passed by miscreants, despite the presence of 1,500 police personnel to control the unruly New Year revellers. ALSO READ | Police enquiry in Bengaluru mass molestation case underway, clarifies senior official Australian PMs Call for Transparency Confuses Queensland Premier Prime Minister Scott Morrison has once again called for Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to be transparent about the medical basis upon which she is keeping Queenslands border closed to a number of other states and territories. He made the remarks follow national cabinet on Friday where borders dominated discussions and the states and territories agreed to work towards defining hotspots with the aim to reopen the borders by Christmas. As Queensland is heading towards a state election in October, a reporter asked Morrison whether Palaszczuks basis is politics, not health. Morrison responded, saying: What Ive always said about states that have made their own decisions about borders is that they obviously need to be transparent in my view, about the basis for those decisions. To make a comparison with Queensland, the prime minister pointed out that the national goverment has provided a science-based definition of what a COVID-19 hotspot is in Australia. Where states are moving to make different decisions on different criteria, I think its only reasonable not just to me, Im just another Australian its important, I think, more broadly that people understand why they would be taking a different assessment and what medical advice that was based on, he said. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk speaks during a press conference in Brisbane, Australia on June 16, 2020. (Jono Searle/Getty Images) Palaszczuk was confused by his request, saying Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young had continually explained the medical basis for the border policy. The chief health officer has been with the premier and the deputy premier almost every day this year to respond to questions about the COVID-19 pandemic, Palaszczuk said in a statement to AAP. The chief health officer has provided clear and concise advice, she said. Palaszczuk said the medical advice supporting the states hard border has been made public almost every day. Prior to national cabinet meeting on Friday, Palaszczuk told reporters criticism from political rivals about her stance was disingenuous given that Queenslanders were being kept safe from the virus, and asserted that its economy was performing better than Victoria, New South Wales, Western Australia, and Tasmania. Williams needs to appoint "a good team boss" to replace the departing Claire Williams. That is the view of former F1 driver Giedo van der Garde, commenting on news that following the team buyout, Claire and her father Sir Frank will not be involved at Williams after this weekend at Monza. "Williams has to get a good team boss now," Dutchman van der Garde told Ziggo Sport. "Ultimately, they also need a good technical director to continue to grow. If they do that, they will really take steps." Another well-known Dutch driver, Tom Coronel, agrees with van der Garde, urging Williams to carefully look around at its options. "They should take a look at the top teams in Formula 2 or Formula 3, as there may be certain people who can be given a leading role at the team. That is the talent of the future," he said. (GMM) She's no stranger to commanding attention in an array of enchanting looks having portrayed Princess Margaret in the first two seasons of The Crown. And Vanessa Kirby, 32, showcased her flare for red carpet fashion as she stunned in a couture red gown at the premiere of her film, Pieces Of A Woman at the at the 77th Venice Film Festival on Saturday. The Mission Impossible actress stunned as she stepped on the carpet in the striking high neck look, which featured a daring cut-out back. Sensational: Vanessa Kirby, 32, showcased her flare for red carpet fashion as she stunned in a couture red gown at the premiere of her film, Pieces Of A Woman at the at the 77th Venice Film Festival on Saturday Vanessa's gown featured chic long-sleeves, which accentuated her slender frame as she posed for photos. The Wimbledon native opted to forgo accessories and let her dress do the taking while she worked her blonde locks into a sleek top knot. The Me Before You star sported radiant make-up for the premiere that highlighted her flawless complexion. Not alone on the carpet, Vanessa joined the film's director Kornel Mundruczo and the film's writer Kata Weber as they posed for photos. Daring: The Mission Impossible actress stunned as she stepped on the carpet in the striking high neck look, which featured a daring cut-out back Getting chic done: Vanessa's gown featured chic long-sleeves, which accentuated her slender frame as she posed for photos Dressed to impress: The Wimbledon native opted to forgo accessories and let her dress do the taking The Venice Film Festival is one of the world's oldest award ceremonies and is listed as one of the 'Big Five' events. It started on Wednesday and ends on the 12 September. Though the event is still taking place, it is a markedly toned down affair to previous years amid the coronavirus crisis, with temperature checks and mask wearing becoming mandatory. Her jaw-dropping appearance on the red carpet comes after Vanessa spoke exclusively to The Daily Mail's Baz Bamigboye about preparing for her upcoming role in Pieces Of A Woman. The actress plays Martha, a Boston woman who loses her baby during a traumatic home birth, and explained that she spent time with a midwife and a paediatrician at the Whittington Hospital in North London in preparation. Mane attraction: She worked her blonde locks into a sleek top knot Picture perfect: Not alone on the carpet, Vanessa joined the film's director Kornel Mundruczo and the film's writer Kata Weber as they posed for photos Beauty: The Me Before You star sported radiant make-up for the premiere that highlighted her flawless complexion She said: 'I couldnt have acted that, because Ive never given birth myself, she told me. 'Just by pure chance an amazing woman allowed me to watch her give birth. I didnt know her but she was so generous and allowed me to be there when her boy was born.' Vanessa added that she along with on-screen husband Shia LaBeouf and director Kornel Mundruczo wanted the birth scenes in the film to be as authentic as possible. 'Theres a 26-minute continuous shot of me, as Martha, giving birth, so Id better know about contractions and everything else,' she added. Sleek: Earlier in the day, Vanessa wowed style critics in a sleek black look at a photocall for the film Style savvy: Vanessa's outfit was tailored to her figure perfectly and featured a daring thigh-high slit, which teased at her slender legs In the details: She simply paired her dress with a sprinkling of rings Hair today: She worked her hair off her face in a straight style behind her ears Mask up: Inbetween shots, she sported a protective face mask Sadly, the newborn, a girl, doesn't survive and Martha embarks on an 'odyssey of grief' as her marriage crumbles and she is forced to appear in court. Earlier in the day, Vanessa wowed style critics in a sleek black look at a photocall for the film. Vanessa's outfit was tailored to her figure perfectly and featured a daring thigh-high slit, which teased at her slender legs. The TV star complemented her midi dress with a pair of sleek black sandals and worked her hair off her face in a straight style behind her ears. LONDON, Sept 4 (Reuters) - Travellers to the United Kingdom faced what the transport minister said was confusion on Friday as Wales and Scotland slapped a quarantine on arrivals from Portugal but England and Northern Ireland held back from restrictions. "I do realise it creates confusion for people not to have a single rule (across the UK) but we do have this devolved approach throughout the United Kingdom and I can only be responsible for the English part of that," Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told Sky News. Asked about testing at airports, Shapps said there was no silver bullet as a day zero test was unlikely to work. (Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge and James Davey, editing by Andrew MacAskill) Naomi Campbell could be set for a court showdown as her Russian billionaire ex-boyfriend 'is suing her for outstanding loans'. Vladislav Doronin, 57, is also understood to be claiming the British supermodel kept some of his property. The Russian businessman valued his belongings at $3million and said Campbell, 50, has refused to return them, legal documents seen by TMZ show. It was not immediately clear in which court the documents were filed or how much Doronin claims Campbell owes. Vladislav Doronin, 57, is also understood to be taking the British supermodel (pictured together in 2012) to court over claims she has kept some of his property The property magnate, a close friend of actor Leonardo DiCaprio, dated Campbell for five years from 2008 after meeting her at the Cannes Film Festival. His assets included a yacht, the Lady In Blue, a private jet, a space-age house in Moscow, a flat in Knightsbridge and a holiday home in Ibiza. He would showered Campbell with gifts including time in the 10,000-a-night presidential suite at the Ritz Carlton Moscow. The billionaire also reportedly bought her a Zac Posen dress for 26,000 at a charity auction. The Russian businessman valued his belongings at $3million and said Campbell (pictured in February), 50, has refused to return them, legal documents seen by TMZ show There were regular rumours of an engagement or wedding but he was married to his wife Ekaterina. They separated in 1998 but had not divorced. This comes after Campbell recently rubbished suggestions she is no longer on speaking terms with her other ex-boyfriend Skepta. The supermodel was romantically linked with the Grime artist, 37, in 2018, though they never publicly confirmed their relationship. After she made comments about an acrimonious break up with her last beau, fans were quick to claim she was talking about Skepta, which she has since disputed. Meanwhile Campbell recently rubbished suggestions she is no longer on speaking terms with her other ex-boyfriend Skepta (pictured together in Paris last year) In an Instagram post in June, the Vogue cover star shared snaps of herself cosying up to the rapper, as she penned: 'STOP. All love between Us @skeptagram'. Speaking to Times Weekend magazine, Naomi said that she is on good terms with all her previous ex-boyfriends, but admitted she isn't friends with her 'last' ex. Discussing who she has dated, she said: 'Why don't you say it the other way round? Surely it was their privilege just as much as mine to be with them? But yes, I had some wild and exciting times until I changed my life aged 29. 'Whatever they say about me, I have remained friends with all my exes... except the last one.' Asked if she means Skepta, she simply said: 'A lady never discusses the details of her private life.' MailOnline has contacted Campbell's representatives for comment on the court documents. Internet giants could be fined up to $12 million under Austrian hate speech law FILE PHOTO: A 3D-printed Facebook logo is seen placed on a keyboard in this illustration VIENNA (Reuters) - Austria plans to oblige large internet platforms like Facebook and Google to delete illegal content within days and impose fines of up to 10 million euros ($12 million) in case of non-compliance, the government said on Thursday. Austria's online hate speech law, now being drawn up, will target platforms with more than 100,000 users and annual revenues of more than 500,000 euros, Justice Minister Alma Zadic said. It will give victims of online insults and abuse the opportunity to fight back quickly at a low cost, she said. "The internet is not a lawless space. Our rule of law also applies to the internet," the minister told a news conference. A new fast-track procedure, free of charge for the first three years, would enable victims to obtain a cease and desist order within days. Platforms will be obliged to set up easily accessible reporting systems, appoint a contact person for users and report on the complaints received annually, according to the draft law. They will have to delete obviously criminal content within 24 hours of receiving a complaint and otherwise unlawful content within seven days. Facebook declined to comment on the new law. Austria's association of digital service providers ISPA, representing more than 200 companies including Google Austria GmbH and Facebook Germany GmbH, welcomed the initiative against online hate speech but called for a joint European effort. "Only a uniform European regulation can become a successful standard and assert itself worldwide," ISPA said in a statement. "Uncoordinated individual courses don't get us any further here." Concerns about hateful posts are mounting globally. A German law in force since 2018 has had a limited impact so far, and Berlin has called for more action within the European Union. The new Austrian law initiative will also address so-called upskirting, a practice that typically involves someone taking a picture under another person's clothing without their knowledge, and provides for a penalty of up to one year. The law will be submitted shortly to parliament for review and will need parliamentary approval at a later date. (Reporting by Kirsti Knolle, additional reporting by Padraic Halpin; Editing by Susan Fenton) A new book by New York Times reporter Michael Schmidt details the extraordinary collision of events that led Don McGahn to become a witness against President Trump during the Mueller investigation while still serving as White House counsel. Walking a tightrope between personal legal risks and the wrath of his volatile boss, McGahn continued to work for Trump because he saw a never-again opportunity to put a lasting conservative stamp on the federal courts, Schmidt said in a Friday interview with the Yahoo News Skullduggery podcast. According to Schmidt, Trump relied much more heavily on McGahn in selecting judicial nominees than past presidents had with any single adviser, giving his counsel unprecedented power to shape the judiciary according to his ideological principles. The book, Donald Trump v. the United States: Inside the Struggle to Stop a President hit stores Tuesday. McGahn chose nominees that were not only conservative, but also young, in order make the most of Trumps lifetime appointments and shift the courts to the right. Were going to live in McGahns America for decades decades and decades to come, Schmidt said. McGahn took enormous risks to keep himself in that powerful position, essentially becoming a key witness against his client in former special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. McGahn was one of the first witnesses that Muellers team asked to interview. At the time, in the summer of 2017, the presidents personal lawyers, John Dowd and Ty Cobb, advised Trump to cooperate with Mueller rather than put up legal roadblocks such as asserting executive privilege to prevent witnesses from testifying. The more Trump cooperated, they initially believed, the sooner the investigation would be over. But Dowd and Cobb did not consider that the testimony of McGahn and others would actually get Trump in hotter water, Schmidt said. They took Trump at his word that he had done nothing wrong, Schmidt said. Story continues McGahn faced a dilemma, according to Schmidt. McGahn is very conflicted because he believes in Trump, he believes in Trumpism, he believes in remaking the courts and he knows hes going to inflict great damage. And McGahn knows that he could easily get roped into something. Schmidt said, adding, If theres going to be a conspiracy to obstruct justice case, McGahn could easily get roped into that regardless of whether he did the right thing or not. White House counsel Don McGahn with Trump in 2018. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters) But rather than resign as White House counsel, McGahn stayed in the role, putting himself in the dangerous position of being a witness against a president he was continuing to serve. Here you had the presidents lawyer, Schmidt explained, someone who had good command of the facts, who was not a liar who was answering questions about what his client was saying behind closed doors. ... Its like a dream witness. McGahn gave Mueller key information about Trumps attempts to impede the Russia investigation ranging from wanting loyalty to wanting loyalists to oversee the investigation to wanting to curtail investigations to ultimately wanting to ... to get rid of Mueller. McGahn also told investigators that Trump wanted to prosecute James Comey, the FBI director he had fired, as well as Hillary Clinton. Muellers prosecutors basically had unfettered access to the top White House lawyer, Schmidt said. Its an ongoing live obstruction investigation into the president. Trump is doing things and he is spawning tentacles of this investigation in almost real time. One of the most remarkable things that I found out, Schmidt continued, is that this cooperation becomes so extensive that there are what I would call near real-time requests for information going from Muellers office to McGahns lawyer to find out what Trump is saying behind closed doors. McGahns personal lawyer even prompted him to proactively disclose a damaging fact that Muellers investigators were unaware of and had not asked about that Trump had pressured McGahn to fire Mueller. McGahns testimony was key to the Mueller reports obstruction of justice findings. The report was made public in July 2019. According to Schmidt, McGahn was especially motivated to remain in his position in the spring of 2018 to ensure that Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy would be replaced with an ideological conservative. McGahn thinks, I need to stay here. If I do not stay, Kennedy might not retire, because he doesnt trust that Trump wont put a Fox News analyst on the court. Im going to stay through the end of the Supreme Court term and try to see if Kennedy will retire, because if Kennedy retires, Ill get another shot at the court, Schmidt said. Justice Kennedy in fact announced his retirement in July 2018. Months later, the Senate confirmed Brett Kavanaugh, fulfilling McGahns mission. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: Police have arrested 14 people in unauthorised anti-lockdown protests that turned violent in Sydney and Byron Bay on Saturday. Two men and a woman were arrested in chaotic scenes at a protest in Hyde Park on Saturday morning, with one man bleeding profusely from a head laceration. A man is seen bleeding from a head wound during a dramatic arrest in Hyde Park. Credit:Brook Mitchell The men, aged 44 and 54, allegedly assaulted police officers, while the woman was arrested for failing to comply with a move on direction. All three were taken to Day Street police station where they were charged and granted bail to appear at Downing Centre Local Court on October 21. A 16-year-old boy was also issued with a youth caution for not complying with public health orders, while 19 other protesters were slapped with $1000 penalty infringement notices (PINs). FREDERICTON New Brunswicks Progressive Conservative leader is trying to extinguish fears hell revive plans to cut acute care beds and ERs at rural hospitals, while also declining to confirm if existing levels of service will continue if hes re-elected. Blaine Higgs was campaigning Saturday in front of the rural hospital in the village of Perth-Andover, as voters in New Brunswick headed to the first of two advance polling days for the Sept. 14 provincial election. The rural hospital issue and how to shift health resources to care for an aging population has proved to be one of the most volatile for the Tories over the past year. The leader of the provinces minority government had to scrap plans in February to reduce ER hours and convert acute-care beds into long-term care at the hospital in Perth-Andover, along with similar rural facilities in Sussex, Sackville, Grand Falls, Caraquet, and Saint-Anne-de-Kent, after a public outcry. During his campaign stop in Perth-Andover, Higgs told reporters hed just met with the mayor of the rural community and had committed to keeping emergency rooms open and acute care beds at the local hospital. But he stopped short of committing to maintaining existing levels of service, telling reporters that will depend on discussions with the community. I said I will work with the community to figure that out, because there is a challenge there ... I will absolutely commit we will be working with communities to find solutions that communities feel comfortable with because we need their support to make it real, he said. During his opening remarks, Higgs said ways must be found to improve care for seniors in hospitals who need access to long term care beds. Asked if the party will commit to funding more long-term care facilities and beds, Higgs said the province must find some shorter term solutions. We have facilities right now that arent staffed properly all over the province, he said. We have an infrastructure problem and a facility issue, none of which will be solved overnight. How do we utilize the facility (the rural hospital) to provide the right level of care for people that have no other options at this point ... I just feel that we can do better for residents that are in a hospital right now, he said. Higgs noted that during the pandemic many seniors were successfully shifted into the appropriate levels of care to free up hospital beds for a possible surge of COVID-19 cases during the pandemic suggesting that innovative solutions are possible. He also announced during the campaign stop that his government will ensure seniors have access to high-dose flu shots this fall, citing the move as an example of a way to reduce pressure on the health system. Liberal Leader Kevin Vickers focused on the hospital issue during the recent election debate, saying Higgs lost the trust of citizens when he tried to cut services to rural hospitals, calling it reckless and damaging. The Tory leader said on Saturday that he doesnt think the Liberals have a solid plan themselves. To walk away, and ignore the challenges we face, all were doing is pushing the problem further down the road, said Higgs. Vickers was campaigning in Oromocto on Saturday, but didnt make any announcements. Peoples Alliance Leader Kris Austin was campaigning in Saint John, where he pledged to ensure every school has food programs available to kids of all ages as one method of reducing child poverty. In a telephone interview Saturday, Austin said Higgs comments back his argument that electing a minority government will help protect rural health care. A minority government will allow us as a party to ensure health care is protected in rural areas, he said. Austins party has advocated merging the provinces two health authorities and using the savings on front-line care. Green Leader David Coon was campaigning in Fredericton all weekend. A spokesman for Elections New Brunswick, Paul Harpelle, said turnout in the first day of the advance voting was strong, with more than 36,000 electors having voted as of 2 p.m. That was a 41 per cent jump over the 25,000 who voted during the same time frame in the 2018 election. However, Harpelle cautioned against citizens reading too much into the spike in voter turnout. He said possible factors could be the campaign Elections New Brunswick launched to encourage people to vote early to avoid election day lineups during a pandemic. However, he noted the second day of advance voting falls on Tuesday the day many parents are bringing their children back to school and they may have preferred to cast an advance ballot on Saturday. In addition, Saturday was a warm and clear day that made it easy to get out to the polls. At dissolution, the Progressive Conservatives and Liberals each had 20 seats in the legislature, while the Greens and the Peoples Alliance each had three. There are two vacant seats and one Independent. Read more about: Three days after the central government issued guidelines on Wednesday allowing international passengers arriving in the country to get tested for Covid-19 at the entry airport, experts have raised concerns and said that this step would pose a risk of spreading the virus to other passengers who were tested negative before their departure. The central government has said the latest guideline will be implemented on a pilot basis without specifying the time period. Responding to the concerns, Rajeev Jain, additional director general and spokesman, Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), said, Our order just talks of facilities available at entry airport and the guidelines followed for transit passengers. Ministries of civil aviation, home affairs or health and family welfare have not discriminated asymptomatic passengers to be treated differently . Experts need to advise if their demand is that the passengers need to be Covid-19 negative before boarding flight or they should be treated separately. Even after testing negative, a passenger may get infected during transit before boarding his/her next flight. Even the World Health Organizations International Health Regulations (IHR) has not mandated any such requirement for passengers to be made to sit separately from the ones who have got themselves tested before take off. However, further discussions are proposed with health officials and other relevant departments, On Friday evening, an aviation safety expert had written to aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri, suggesting that tests after arrival should only be allowed in extraordinary situations. The letter written by Vipul Saxena, a former defence pilot and an aviation expert, read, The order virtually sends message of exemption from RT-PCR (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) test 96 hours before boarding at last foreign departure point as the order doesnt specify under which circumstance a passenger is exempted from the test; this would encourage passengers to deliberately avoid RT-PCR and increase risk of boarding of infected passengers, putting other healthy passengers at risk of getting infection from one who boarded and supposedly positive. The order is also silent about separating such passengers from others and being made to sit separately from other passengers. Saxena also pointed out that passengers who board the flight without getting tested should be handled separately for in-flight services. It is requested that the order may please be reviewed and specify a list of exempted instances under which a passenger who could not do RT-PCR may be allowed to board, and also that such passengers are to be allotted seats away from other passengers...passengers without RT-PCR be allowed only under extraneous circumstances and be treated on board as deemed to be infected for the seating arrangements and in flight services etc (sic), the letter concluded. Allowing international passengers to take onward flights after landing at the entry airport (and thereby avoiding the seven-day institutional quarantine), the aviation ministry on September 2, had issued guidelines for entry airports to conduct the RT-PCR tests for passengers without the negative RT-PCR results of tests they are supposed to take 96 hours within the take off. The aviation ministry had stated that a passenger will be allowed to take the onward domestic flight only if he tests negative and that the result will be given within seven hours. It also directed airport operators to ensure that such passengers are made to wait at one location where basic facilities such as Wi-Fi, food and washrooms are available until the test results are declared. However, the guidelines failed to state protocols for the other passengers who booked for onward journey but travelled with an infected co-passenger in their previous flight. Mohan Ranganathan, former instructor pilot for Boeing 737, said, Going by the recent guidelines, all the other passengers are at a greater risk of getting exposed to the virus. The ministry seems to have thought of the guidelines only after considering the commercial angle to help the airlines and did not think about the risk factors which are a larger issue. Passengers who plan to get themselves tested after landing in India could be carriers and in case any other passenger catches the virus from them, they will transmit it to other passengers on their subsequent flights. Aviation safety expert Captain Amit Singh said changes in the guidelines should have been issued by the health ministry. MoHFW (Ministry of Health and Family Welfare) issued the revised guidelines on September 2, which clearly stated that the test be carried out prior to boarding. Any change in the guideline must be issued by the competent authority ie. MoHFW itself. Notifications have to be communicated by issuing the Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP) or a supplement thereof, but the MoCA (Ministry of Civil Aviation) did not do so. International regulations (ICAO Annex-9) mandate that a national facilitation committee coordinate all such issues. I am not sure if this committee is in place yet, he said. Singh further said, If a passenger tests positive post arrival, there is no standard operating procedure (SOP) for it. Will all 200-300 passengers on the aircraft be quarantined? An established protocol needs to be followed. Passenger safety is compromised the moment a passenger is permitted on board without a confirmation [of test results] as one could easily be spreading the virus. Free-agent reliever Pedro Strop is returning to the Cubs, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports. The right-hander will go to their alternate training site. This will be the second stint on the North Side for the 35-year-old Strop, who was a valuable part of Chicagos bullpen from 2013-19. He accumulated 373 innings of 2.90 ERA/3.19 FIP pitching with 10.25 K/9, 3.55 BB/9 and a 53.2 percent groundball rate during that span, though Strops effectiveness waned last year during his final season of team control. He was unable to secure a multiyear contract in free agency as a result, instead signing a one-year, $1.825MM with NL Central rival Cincinnati. The Strop-Reds union didnt go well for either party, as he battled groin issues and only threw 2 1/3 innings with the club before it designated him for assignment Aug. 26. While Strop allowed just one earned run (three total) as a Red, he issued a whopping six walks and saw his average fastball, formerly in the 95-96 range, drop below 92. Hell now try to work his way back to the majors with the Cubs, who lead their division by 3 1/2 games despite having received uninspiring production from their bullpen. The Cubs have, however, worked to upgrade their relief corps in recent days, as they landed Josh Osich and the currently injured Andrew Chafin at the trade deadline before reuniting with Strop. Jonathan Ernst/Reuters Two self-described Boogaloo Bois were charged on Friday for allegedly conspiring and attempting to aid Hamas, the extremist Islamist group, as part of their desire to overthrow the government after protests erupted in Minneapolis over the police-killing of George Floyd. Michael Robert Solomon, 30, and Benjamin Ryan Teeter, 22, were charged with conspiring and attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, the Department of Justice said in a Friday press release. Both men, who proclaim to be part of the extremist anti-government Boogaloo movement, were taken into custody on Thursday evening and have been remanded in Minneapolis pending a formal hearing next week. The Boogaloo scene generally trends right-wing or fringe libertarian, with many of its memes and aesthetic markers borrowed from more explicitly racist alt-right and 4chan culture. The movement is broadly anti-government and talks often of sparking a civil war. Three Boogaloos Conspired to Hijack George Floyd Protest and Spark Bloodshed: Feds This case can only be understood as a disturbing example of the old adage, The enemy of your enemy is your friend, Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers for the National Security Division said in a press release announcing the charges. No matter what witchs brew of ideological motivations inspire those who seek to engage in terrorist activity and harm our country and our fellow citizens, the National Security Division is committed to identifying and holding them accountable. According to the criminal complaint, the pair, who allegedly belong to a Boogaloo Boys sub-group called Boojahideen, sought to supply weaponry to Hamas and use violence against cops, government officials and government property to overthrow the U.S. government. In the wake of the May death of George Floyd, Solomon and Teeters, both spoke publicly about arming themselves and guarding local business and homes in Minneapolis, apparently to protect property and protesters from law enforcementthe group they claim to despise. Story continues Prosecutors allege that a witness saw Solomon, Teeters, and other members of the Boogaloo Bois and Boojahideen discussing carrying out violence against cops and other targets to achieve their goal of overthrowing the government and replacing its police forces. The witness said the pair also had large quantities of ammunition and firearms, and at least one member was carrying it through a residential neighborhood in Minneapolis. Separately, the men allegedly met with individuals they thought were members of Hamas, the militant organization that has ruled the Gaza Strip for years. In reality, they met with an FBI informant and an undercover agent involved in an investigation into the pair. In audio-recorded conversations, Solomon and Teeter expressed that Hamas shares anti-U.S. government views that align with their own views, prosecutors said in the press release. Solomon and Teeter also expressed their desire to employ themselves as mercenaries for Hamas as a means to generate cash for the Boogaloo Bois/Boojahideen movement, including funding for recruitment and purchasing land for a training compound. Back in June, CNN appears to have spoken to Benjamin Ryan Teeter, one of two "boogaloo" adherents charged today with attempting to provide support to Hamas. He's pictured here in the center with bleached blond hair. https://t.co/GrVBRbEnua pic.twitter.com/KbYWJz0hLc Nick Martin (@nickmartin) September 4, 2020 Prosecutors alleged Solomon and Teeter shared with the FBI informant and another person they believed to be a more senior member of Hamaswho was actually an undercover FBI agenttheir ideas about destroying government monuments, raiding a North Carolina white supremacist headquarters, and targeting several politicians and media figures. The pair also allegedly expressed a desire to make unmarked gun parts and create untraceable weapons, including suppressors. On July 30, prosecutors say the pair delivered five suppressors, an attachment that reduces the sound of a firearm, to the undercover FBI agent and expressed their desire to manufacture additional suppressors and fully-automatic weapons for Hamas. Later, the Boogaloo Bois also negotiated with the purported Hamas member for five additional suppressors for $1,800. The pair also delivered a drop-in auto sear, or a part designed to convert a firearm into an automatic weapon, believing both the suppressors and the gun adapter would be used by Hamas overseas to attack Israeli and U.S soldiers. The defendants believed their anti-U.S. government views aligned with those of Hamas, a foreign terrorist organization, and actively developed plans to carry out violence in Minnesota and elsewhere, U.S. Attorney Erica H. MacDonald said in a statement. On June 4, Teeter was interviewed by CNN about his affiliation with the Boogaloo movement, telling the network he was at home in North Carolina when he got an alert from the movement to join the protests in Minneapolis about 18 hours away. Teeter, who also attended protests against COVID-19 lockdowns in North Carolina, claimed to CNN that he wasnt part of a Nazi group but was a non-voting, left anarchist and a member of the LGBT community. He claimed to CNN that his main mission in traveling to Minneapolis was to protect protesters from police abuse and white supremaciststwo groups he said he despised. If people are going to initiate deadly force against us, we need to be willing and able to initiate deadly force in return, Teeter said, adding that he and others in the group stood guard outside local businesses in Minneapolis. In a July 18 interview with the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Solomon also said he joined an armed group clad in military gear guarding Minneapolis businesses, and was prepared to shoot authorities if they approached any homes under guard. The 30-year-old, who is said to manage the maintenance division of a local property management company, said he rejected any association to white supremacy and insisted the hostility of Minnesotas Boogaloo Bois was directed towards law enforcement. We know we have a target [on us], thats why we dont meet up in big groups because we know were probably going to get raided, said Solomon. He described himself as an an armed redneck who joined the Boogaloo movement after dabbling in right-wing conservatism and libertarianism. We know a lot of us are probably going to die. CNN also reported that Teeters social media posts included photos of him in a flak jacket, memes lamenting police brutality, and posts ridiculing both President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. He also had several posts about the Boogaloo dream of a second civil war. Teeter has a pending charge for discharging a firearm in New Hanover County, North Carolina, according to court records. He told CNN it was an accident that occurred while he was cleaning his weapon. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. By PTI WASHINGTON: Asserting that the situation along the India-China border has been "very nasty" and the Chinese are "going at it" much more strongly, US President Donald Trump said he would love to get involved and help. "While we're at it, we're talking about China and India are going at it pretty good on the border, as you know. It's been very nasty," Trump told reporters on Friday evening at a White House news conference. ALSO READ | Indian people would be voting for me: Donald Trump Trump reiterated that he is talking to both India and China about the situation."And we stand ready to help with respect to China and India. If we can do anything, we would love to get involved and help. And we are talking to both countries about that," he said. When asked if China is bullying India, he said that he hoped it is not the case but noted that China is "certainly going at it". "I hope not...But they (China) are certainly going at it. They are going at it much more strongly than a lot of people even understand," Trump said in response to a question. The length of time laid off City of Welland transit employees will have to wait before being called back will be based on ridership, says the citys interim chief administrative officer, Steve Zorbas. In mid-August, the municipality learned it would be receiving $2.16 million from the federal and provincial governments in relief funding being provided to towns and cities to help recover from the pandemic. The city was forwarded $743,580 for transit and another $1.4 million to serve the remaining municipal operations. Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1633 president Chris Moore said recently he did not know what exactly the transit funding would be used for. On Friday, Zorbas, who was appointed temporary head administrator by council Tuesday night, said all the transit funding received will be utilized to offset the transit revenue shortfall, as well as covering increased cleaning costs, and installation of protective barriers in all city buses. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Zorbas, as corporate services general manager, has provided council with updates on the citys financial situation during the pandemic. He is scheduled to make his fourth presentation on the topic Oct. 6 and said it will include information on restoring the citys transit system to full service. Asked about the $1.4 million meant for other city costs, he said it will be used to cover revenue shortfalls, increased operating expenses, all related to the impact on the city due to COVID-19. Welland Transits full service has buses run every half-hour Monday to Friday 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., Saturdays have half-hour and hourly service from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sundays feature hourly service 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. At the end of March, the city reduced levels to Sunday service, and then switched to a program that saw seven days a week service, with two buses running 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., operating on a two-route, 45-minute schedule in early April. Within a week and ridership numbers steadily declining, Welland Transit switched to a reserve-a-ride system, through which residents had to call in and reserve a pickup time at the nearest bus stop. The service is now operating 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, with hourly service between 6:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. on some routes and half-hour service on busier routes. Thats about 70 per cent of regular service. A motion is expected to council soon about a full restoration of transit service, said Moore. One full-time transit employee and about nine part-time staff remain laid off due to the pandemic, said Moore. Moore said hes getting mixed messages from the city on how it plans to spend the money designated for transit purposes. It doesnt seem like any of this is going down to the service level, said Moore, adding the current service level is unacceptable. Moore said the city should be aware transit riders have not been happy with the schedule in the last few months. The public is screaming at them, he said. If you cant take a bus from Walmart to the south side of the city within three hours, then theres something really wrong with the transit system, said Moore. Federal-provincial funding of $15 million was recently announced for a new transit operations facility in Welland. The project will replace the existing site, built in 1972, at 75 Federal Rd. It will be on the current Welland Transit site, which is adjacent to public works headquarters and provides synergies between the two departments, the city said in June. Another union spokesperson for city employees is speaking out against the local government. Steve Leavitt, staff representative for Canadian Union of Public Employee Local 1115, said two full-time members remain at home, off since March. City councillors approved giving themselves a 47-per-cent raise Tuesday night. Its hard to take, especially when we have members not employed, he said. Why not put that money into getting people back to work? The citys contract with its CUPE workers expires at the end of this year. In April, the city handed out 101 temporary layoff notices to various casual and full- and part-time staff. There are about 150 CUPE Local 1115 members at Welland city hall. Unifor Local 199 represents outside workers including parks and recreation staff, water and sewer worker and facility workers, such as those at arenas. With files from Dave Johnson The local Church responds to the pontiffs call to action on World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. In Puerto Princesa, Christians and Muslims clean up beaches. Bishop and clergy in Quezon province launch a campaign against new coal plants, calling for investments in renewable energy. Manila (AsiaNews/CBCP) The Philippine Church has responded to Pope Francis call to action on World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, by sponsoring a number of green initiatives to defend the environment, in some cases involving Muslims. More than 70 Church and local civil society groups celebrated the World Day, on 1 September, which starts the "Season of Creation until 11 October, Indigenous Peoples Day. In Puerto Princesa, a coastal city in Palawan, the largest province of the Philippines, a group of Christian and Muslim volunteers (pictured) met yesterday to clean up the beaches of Bancao-Bancao, an urban barangay (ward). The initiative was spearhead by the Apostolic Vicariate of Puerto Princesa (AVPP) and Bishop Socrates Mesiona of Puerta Princesa. Echoing the Popes words to "care for our common home, the prelate slammed the throwaway culture of todays society. Since this was a joint Christian-Muslim action, the prelate noted that whilst We have different religions and beliefs, we live in the same world. Indeed, Hadji Arturo 'Abdulaziz' Suizo, a local Muslim leader, explained that Islam attaches great importance to protecting the environment. For this reason, he was joining the Church initiative. Let's protect it [the environment] for the next generation, he said. In Quezon province, Bishop Mel Rey Uy and the clergy of Lucena undertook a campaign against new coal-fired power plants, noting that this is inconsistent with efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change. In a statement, the bishop, backed by local priests, called for the shutdown of existing power plants and a ban on new ones, so that coal can be phased out. To this end, local Church leaders issued an appeal calling on the fossil fuel interests to "heed the cry of the earth and cancel their projects" of dirty, deadly and expensive" energy. Likewise, they urge "local and national governments" to hear "the cry of the people of Quezon. Local Catholics want projects sponsors to turn towards sustainable and renewable energy, instead of investing in obsolete, profit-oriented polluting power plants. OTTAWA Transport Canada has fined two airline passengers for refusing to wear face masks on board. The travellers were fined $1,000 each after ignoring repeated directions from cabin crew to put on their face coverings, the department said Friday. The first incident occurred on a WestJet flight from Calgary to Waterloo, Ont., in June and the second on a WestJet trip from Vancouver to Calgary in July. Masks or face coverings have been mandatory on flights since April 20 as part of the federal governments response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The fines mark the first time passengers have received a financial penalty for refusing to don a mask, Transport Canada said. The announcement comes three days after WestJet announced a strict new policy to ensure passengers wear face coverings, with consequences for refusal that include a year-long travel ban. Since March, at least 973 flights have carried passengers with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 in Canada, according to figures provided by the Public Health Agency of Canada. Some 378 domestic and 595 international flights between March 2 and Aug. 24 flew travellers who may have been exposed to COVID-19 on board, the agency said in an email. Some flights may have had more than one positive case reported and a given case may have travelled on more than one flight, the agency said. The figures, gathered through reports from provincial and territorial health authorities, are not exhaustive. Jennifer Haynes, a self-employed chef and single mother living in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., is struggling to make ends meet after unemployment benefits abruptly stopped in July without explanation. Meanwhile, the 42-year-old is the sole provider for twin boys, one of whom has special needs. Jennifer Haynes Jennifer Haynes didn't just fall through cracks in the country's social safety net. In her case, it's been more like a chasm. Haynes, 42, a self-employed chef and single mother living in Rancho Cucamonga, California, had been getting $167 a week in unemployment benefits and an extra $600 a week from the federal government. The aid was enough to catch up on a few months of bills and feed her 11-year-old twin boys. But then the California unemployment office mysteriously stopped sending benefits in July, even though Haynes' catering business remained at a standstill. Her applications for federal assistance from a widely used small-business loan and grant program were denied. Meanwhile, Haynes, a victim of domestic violence, is in the middle of a divorce. She hasn't had financial support from her husband since January. Haynes can't find another job since she must stay home with her sons, whose schooling is virtual this semester. One of her boys is autistic and requires extra attention. Without income or savings, Haynes has fallen behind again. She's at risk of losing her car and worries about being able to put food on the table. And she can't afford childcare. "I have a special-needs kid and I'm by myself now," Haynes said. "My parents passed on, and I don't have any other real support around me. "What do we, who sincerely don't have another option, do?" she added. "This pandemic has made it very hard to survive." 'Almost no escape' No group has been spared the economic destruction of the coronavirus pandemic, which pushed unemployment to levels unseen since the Great Depression. But it's proven especially devastating for single mothers. "It's often lower-earning single moms where the effects are most severe," said Matthias Doepke, an economist and professor at Northwestern University. "There's almost no escape. "There's no second earner to fall back on." More from Personal Finance Unemployment benefits are less than minimum wage in many states She gets just $33 a week in unemployment benefits. Trump's $300 boost isn't coming. He was stuck in unemployment 'limbo' for four months. Then came $23,000 in benefits "The constraints are very binding," he added. "If you can't work from home and you have a kid at home, you have to live on unemployment." Women have been hit harder than men by the recent unemployment spell. That makes the current downturn unique in comparison to others, such as the Great Recession. In a typical downturn or "man-cession" layoffs are usually concentrated in male-heavy sectors like manufacturing and construction, while there's more stability in other sectors like health care and education that employ a greater proportion of women, Doepke said. However, service sectors like restaurants and tourism that employ a large share of women have seen some of the biggest job losses in the Covid-19 economy. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards As a result, unemployment skyrocketed more for women in April compared with men to 15.5% versus 13%, respectively. (The month prior, unemployment was 4% for both groups.) Meanwhile, closures of schools and daycare centers have increased parents' childcare needs. To that point, 32% of adult workers in the U.S. have a child under 14 years old equating to 50 million Americans who must consider childcare obligations when returning to work, according to a paper authored by University of Chicago and Northwestern University economists in April. And the burden of childcare largely falls on the shoulders of women. This is true even in married households. Mothers provide more than 60% of total childcare, said Doepke and economists from the University of California, San Diego and the University of Mannheim in a recent paper. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards But the challenge can be especially acute for single mothers a family structure that's much more prevalent than single fathers. Around 21% of children lived with a single mother in 2017, more than four times the share that lived with a lone father, according to Melissa Kearney, a professor and economist at the University of Maryland. Women are also less likely to have jobs with a high ability to work from home, according to researchers. The relative lack of telecommuting ability exacerbates the childcare conundrum for single mothers like Haynes. "It's literally impossible for some of these parents to work due to childcare," Doepke said. "It makes it really tough to buffer the shock." Unemployment mystery Collecting unemployment was Haynes' one "saving grace" after business dried up in March, she said. She collected $167 a week (before tax) through a new federal program, Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, for self-employed, gig and other workers ineligible for state jobless benefits. She also got a $600 weekly supplement enacted by the CARES Act coronavirus relief law in late March. However, her payments didn't arrive until the end of May, more than two months into her unemployment. In the interim, she couldn't afford her roughly $2,650 monthly rent or other living expenses. Just as soon as Haynes was able to catch up on old bills, after receiving back pay from the state, her benefits stopped abruptly after July 19 without explanation, records show. Jennifer Haynes Jennifer Haynes A spokesperson for California's Employment Development Department declined to divulge details about Haynes' file due to confidentiality laws. "The agency added Jennifer [Haynes] to a claimant referral list that has been sent to our Unemployment Insurance branch, which handles benefits claims processing," the spokesperson said. "Please know that EDD staff care deeply about the livelihoods of our neighbors and communities throughout the state and continue to work around the clock to ensure every Californian eligible for benefits receives that vital financial support," the spokesperson added. In the meantime, Haynes is struggling to make ends meet. The servicer of her $581 monthly car payment isn't letting her to defer additional installments. A new federal eviction ban running through the end of the year as well as a statewide ban issued Monday by Governor Gavin Newsom, which runs through February 2021, should at least provide a temporary reprieve. But those bans don't forgive missed payments, which will eventually come due. Haynes has looked for, but struggled to find, cheaper apartments in her neighborhood. "I plan to stay where I am and catch up in the time that the ban has allowed," Haynes said. "My apartment [sic] is willing to work with me as long as I can do that." $300 unemployment boost Even if Haynes were getting unemployment benefits, she'd receive just $167 a week the minimum payment in California through the PUA program. The $600 federal subsidy lapsed in late July. California has gotten federal approval to offer an extra $300 a week through a Lost Wages Assistance program that the Trump administration created early last month. Thus far, the state has received just three weeks of funding, amounting to a total $900 per eligible worker. Those payments will start Sep. 7, but it may take a several weeks to arrive for some workers, according to the state unemployment agency. Health Minister Adrian Dix and Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced 121 new cases of COVID-19 and one new death Friday afternoon and urged people to maintain a balance between fun and caution this long weekend. There have been a total of 6,162 cases of COVID-19 and 211 deaths across the province since the beginning of the pandemic. Health officials say there has been one new assisted-living facility outbreak at KinVillage in the Fraser Health Region, but no new community outbreaks. They are warning people to stay safe in small groups as they enjoy outdoor activities and the Canucks game on Friday night. "COVID-19 continues to affect our province and this long weekend is no different. Whether you're celebrating the Canucks game tonight or meeting friends for a barbecue or camping, let's make it a safe, small-group long weekend," read the statement. Rising number of infections in young people New modelling presented on Thursday showed that a spike in infections in younger people has driven down the median age of those who contracted COVID-19 to 41 years of age. The number of hospitalizations and deaths are lower than April and May because younger people are now contracting the virus. The curve of overall infections is trending upward with a record one-day number of 124 infections announced by health officials on Aug. 28. This Friday's number is just shy of that record. Last week, Henry said B.C.'s caseload is higher than it was when the province began shutting down public services and businesses in March, but said health officials now know more about the virus, including how to prevent transmission. The province said there are 31 people in hospital with the virus and 12 of them are in intensive care. Others infected with COVID-19 are recovering at home in self-isolation. There are 1,233 active cases of COVID-19 in B.C. and 2,792 people are being monitored by public health due to an exposure to known cases. Story continues So far, 4,706 people who tested positive have recovered, according to health officials. The Fraser Health Region has the highest number of total cases at 3,201 followed by the Vancouver Coastal Health Region with 2,077 cases. The Interior Health Region has 451 cases, Island Health Region has 180 and the Northern Health Region, 174 cases. Seventy-nine cases involve people who live outside of Canada. Back to school worries Teachers and parents are raising concerns over health and safety amid the pandemic as the first day of school approaches on Sept. 10. Students are expected to be inside classrooms despite a significant increase in the number of new cases of COVID-19 across the province in recent weeks. On Thursday, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry suggested a one-metre distance between people is acceptable in controlled environments such as classrooms and workplace pods at a time when the B.C. Teachers' Federation has been pushing for smaller class sizes. Health officials are advising people to be cautious this long weekend and into the fall, keeping their distance from people outside their families and immediate bubbles, to prevent more COVID-19 infections. "To be successful in this next phase, we need to step back to safely move forward. So let's all make choices that will keep our communities, our Elders, our loved-ones and ourselves safe," said the statement. Spend more time outside to help protect those who may be more vulnerable to the virus, it added. Matthew Johnson (Matty J). Occupation Radio presenter. Age 33 Relationship status Engaged Best known for The Bachelor (2017). Currently Host on Sydneys Nova 96.9. Matthew Johnson with his daughter Marlie-Mae Rose. Credit:Rachel Kara My maternal Welsh grandmother, Rose, moved to Australia in 1999, when she was in her late 70s. Wed only spoken on the phone until that point. Mum would line up the five of us kids [Adam, now 36, Kate, 34, David, 29, and Tom, 25] to take turns to speak to her. I loved our chats. We adopted her name for my one-year-old daughter, Marlie-Mae Rose, in her honour. My mother, Ellie, was born in Wales and moved to Jordan in her mid-20s. She was working as a personal assistant for an oil executive and was very adventurous in nature. She then moved to Dubai and met my dad, William, a civil engineer. She relocated to Brisbane with him and started a family. She became a schoolteacher. My parents divorced when I was 12. Mum raised five children on her own and worked full-time. Only now that Im a parent can I understand how difficult that must have been. Gino D'Acampo has told that his wife Jessica is not 'jealous' of him being 'surrounded by women' and believes that if he wanted to be 'unfaithful' he would 'do it anyway'. The TV chef, 44, revealed he employs 'more than 700 women' in his restaurants and prefers the company of females because they are 'more interesting than men'. However Gino said his marriage to Jessica Stellina Morriso, who he met aged 18, works on a 'matter of trust' and he was given 'a lot of freedom' from 'day one'. Honest: Gino D'Acampo, 44, has told that his wife Jessica is not 'jealous' of him being 'surrounded by women' and said if he wanted to be 'unfaithful' he would 'do it anyway' Speaking to Weekend magazine, Gino said: 'When I met my wife I realised she was an extremely generous, clever woman. 'My friends' girlfriends stopped them doing things, but from day one Jessica gave me a lot of freedom. 'If you try to cage men it won't work. I can do pretty much what I want. If I say, "I'm taking friends out" she doesn't say, "But you've been away for the past week". There's no point having a man around if he doesn't want to be there.' Couple: Gino said his marriage to Jessica Stellina Morriso, who he met aged 18, works on a 'matter of trust' and he was given 'a lot of freedom' from 'day one' The This Morning star continued: 'I employ more than 700 women in my restaurants. In TV, I'm surrounded by women. I love it. Women are more interesting than men, but my wife loves it too. 'She doesn't get jealous. She understands that if you want to be unfaithful, you'll do it anyway. It's a matter of trust.' And Gino revealed that he is understanding of Jessica's decisions, explaining: 'If she wants to have dinner with an ex-boyfriend, I couldn't care less. 'I want her to be happy. If that makes her happy that evening, I'm doing my job.' Gino has been with Jessica, who is half-English, half-Italian, for 25 years, after the pair met while working in Sylvester Stallones restaurant in Marbella, Spain. Family matters: The couple share three children together including Luciano, 18, Rocco, 15, and Mia, eight, with the family spending lockdown fishing and on boats The couple, who tied the knot in 2002, share three children together including Luciano, 18, Rocco, 15, and Mia, eight, with the family spending lockdown fishing and on boats. It comes after Gino, who was born in Naples, Italy, is set to front the ITV game show Family Fortunes. The star rose to prominence on I'm A Celebrity in 2009, which he won, and later went on to become a favourite on This Morning. MOSCOW A natural phenomenon first observed by scientists just six years ago and now recurring with alarming frequency in Siberia is causing the ground to explode spontaneously and with tremendous force, leaving craters up to 100 feet deep. When Yevgeny Chuvilin, a Moscow-based geologist with the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, arrived this summer at the rim of the latest blast site, called Crater 17, it left quite an impression, he said. The pit plunged into darkness, surrounded by the table-flat, featureless tundra. As Mr. Chuvilin stood looking in, he said, slabs of dirt and ice occasionally peeled off the permafrost of the crater wall and tumbled in. It was making noises. It was like something alive, Mr. Chuvilin said. While initially a mystery, scientists have established that the craters appearing in the far north of western Siberia are caused by subterranean gases, and the recent flurry of explosions is possibly related to global warming, Mr. Chuvilin said. Major overhaul of Sri Lankas diplomatic missions abroad View(s): A major overhaul of the heads of Sri Lankan diplomatic missions abroad will come into effect in the next 30 days and new ambassadors have already been handpicked to key embassies abroad. These include New Delhi, Washington DC, Chennai, Tokyo, Beijing and Ottawa. Meanwhile, several retired diplomats who are over 60 years and heading embassies overseas have been summoned back by October 4 i.e one months notice from when they were recalled. They include Kshenuka Senewiratne, Sri Lankas Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, Asoka Girihagama in Ottawa, Sudanthaka Ganegamarachchi in Stockholm, Damayanthi Rajapaksa in Cairo, A.L. Ratnapala in Havana and Sumith Nakandala in The Hague. Sumith Nakandala will be given time till October 22 when he turns 60. Ravinatha Aryasinha, who was last month replaced as Foreign Secretary by Admiral Jayanath Colombage, will head the mission in Washington DC, USA. Incumbent ambassador Rodney Perera will likely return to the ministry in Colombo. He took charge of the Washington mission after it remained without an ambassador for almost two years during the Yahapalana Government. Kshanika Hirimburegama, former Vice Chancellor of the University of Colombo and professor of Botany, will be posted to Ottawa, Canada as High Commissioner. Meanwhile, Palitha Kohonna, a former Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will head the mission in Beijing, China. He was at one-time Sri Lankas Permanent Representative to the UN. Milinda Moragoda, who held several ministerial posts in the past in both UNP and UPFA governments, will be the envoy to New Delhi, India. The Deputy High Commissioner in Chennai will be V.K. Walsan, a one-time Ambassador to Sweden. He also served in Chennai previously as deputy high commissioner. Sanjiv Gunasekera, a resident of Los Angeles, USA will be the next ambassador to Tokyo. He is the founder and CEO of Sunland Group of Companies, a real estate conglomerate based in California. He is a grandson of former ambassador to Rome (1963-65) and Accra (1970-73) Loranie Seneviratne. The Presidential Secretariat issued a statement on Thursday urging those who are protesting the appointment of certain individuals by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to refrain from doing so. The statement says these appointments have been made after careful scrutiny of loyalty to the nation, qualifications and background of individuals and taking into consideration the countrys sovereignty, national security and implementation of the Saubhaygya Dekma policy statement of the new government. Expressing opinions against his appointments will weaken the Governments process by underestimating them in the society, the statement adds. Malawi's president has said that his country's poverty is due to the misrule of his predecessors. The poverty of our people is man-made, which means it can and must be unmade, Lazarus Chakwera said in his first state of the nation address since being elected in June. He promised to end corruption by making the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) fully independent and resourced to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. He also promised to regularly attend parliament to respond to questions and to unify the country and to set up a Truth and Reconciliation Commission through a newly created Ministry of Civic Education and National Unity. Theres been mixed reaction to his address, with most supporters saying it gives hope for a bright future while critics say the address failed to inspire. The leader of the opposition in parliament will give his formal response to the presidents address on Monday. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Colombo Port City could be financial hub of South Asia By Quintus Perera View(s): View(s): Sri Lanka would be provided an opportunity to be the financial hub of the South Asian region once the Colombo Port City is in place. In such a situation even if all the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) members available in Sri Lanka are employed there, it would not be enough to man it and they would need more (accountants). This was predicted by Imran Furkan, CEO, TRESTNC and a long standing member of CIMA while addressing the launch of CIMA Hundred and 10 per cent first ever Virtual Career Festival Investing today in Tomorrows skills, held at the Hatch in Colombo this week. The festival is a weeklong event to be held from September 13 to 19 featuring global and local industry leaders coming together for a one-of-a-kind career festival. The event will be focused on: Day 1 Technical Skills; Day 2 People Skills; Day 3 Leadership Skills; Day 4 Business Skills; Day 5 Elevator Pitch, Becoming entrepreneurial; Day 6 Diversity and Day 7 Digital Skills. Mr. Furkan said that professional accountants are going to be in very high demand and the Colombo Port City would become a component of a financial hub which would be a viable project. He indicated that as Hong Kong is in a mess over political turmoil the opportunity for a financial centre in South Asia would then be in Colombo and one can sit in Colombo and serve anyone around the world that could serve the biggest companies in the world. Ms Melanie J. Kanaka, who addressed the forum, is the Vice President, CIMA the first Asian lady a Sri Lankan to be appointed the VP, CIMA. Speaking at the same event, she said that the September 13-19 event is a ground-breaking one for Sri Lanka and is not only for this country but across the globe. About CIMA she indicated that it has been an educator of multiple disciplines, about the competency framework which provides business skills, technical skills and teamwork skills where a plethora of all these things results in a complete professional. Today the world is full of complexities, volatile, uncertain and ambiguous and the world was almost collapsing due to the coronavirus pandemic, but in the case of CIMA they were prepared to move forward with the organisation planning to re-emerge as a much-sought-after profession. The Business Times (BT) on the sidelines of the launch inquired from Ms. Kanaka about the accountability of the professionals as it is a matter of concern in this country due to the widespread corruption and what the focus of the institute on the question of accountability. She said this aspect is a matter for the professionals accountant, architect or doctor is part of their ethos to be accountable to what they stand for. So as an accounting body per se we have focused on those value sets available through our ethics code, she said. As an institute and a body: We can only show people the way and we can educate the people on the way of how they could take on this accountability. But at the end of the day it is the individual who is responsible, she said. Ms. Zahara Ansary, Country Manager for CIMA Sri Lanka, said that the environment has dramatically changed since COVID-19 hit the world and has forced many companies to speed up their digital innovation and transformation. Therefore, during times like this, professionals of today need to build relevant skills that will help them assure their employability. She said that through this week long festival they want to inspire the next generation of Sri Lankan professionals to go above and beyond their careers. Professor Maroona Murmu of Jadavpur University, who was against the Centres decision to hold examinations amid the risk of COVID-19, never thought that her views would take an ugly turn on social media as she started facing casteist abuse for her stand. Trouble began on September 2, after Murmu, who belongs to the tribal community, expressed concern on social media regarding the University Grants Commissions (UGC) decision to hold conventional examinations for final year and terminal semester students. Her post drew severe criticism from various people including an objectionable comment in Bangla language from one Paromita Ghosh, a student of Bethune College, who wrote, Its surprising that Jadavpur University has professors like Maroona Murmu. I am surprised with her mentality and stand taken (against holding the examinations). I would like to explain to her the difference between quota and no-quota)." She further said, To know that life is more important than an academic year, one doesnt require being a professor. Its not about lagging one year but about how some unqualified and incompetent people take undue advantage of the reservation system and their caste is now helping them be successful, while those deserving lags behind. Risking life, our parents are stepping out to survive, to arrange food, while some are sitting at home and getting paid." The college student put up another post on her Facebook profile saying, Today morning, just reminded one Murmu a Santhal about her Adivasi lineage. Some people like her, just made me realise that so-called professors are getting fat simply drawing paychecks." Responding to such hate posts, Murmu said, I never thought that I will face casteist remarks in Bengal. I only said that life is long and nothing will happen if examinations were not held for one year because of COVID-19." She said, I am saddened that the student instead of going into the core issue started commenting about my caste and quota. I belong to a tribal community and I think I have the right to express my views on current affairs without using objectionable comments." Meanwhile, Bethune College students committee, issued a statement, which reads, It has brought our college into disrepute. We unequivocally condemn the act of the student and we stand by Professor Maroona Murmu." Jadavpur University Teachers Association (JUTA) also condemned the vicious trolling and hate-attacks" being carried out on social media against one of its members, Professor Maroona Murmu, of the Department of History of the university. An innocuous comment by Professor Murmu, regarding the decision to conduct terminal semester examinations during the ongoing pandemic, caused a torrent of abuse to be unleashed against her on the basis of her ethnic origin. Her abusers have challenged, among other things, her qualification to teach at one of Indias premier universities. Such an attack, questioning the qualifications and integrity of Professor Murmu, is an attack on every teacher, not just in JU but anywhere in the country, said JUTA General Secretary, Partha Pratim Ray. By Trend President Ilham Aliyev provided the greatest support to Turkey, Erdem Eren, Turkish foreign policy expert and chief coordinator of the Beyaz Hareket political movement, told Trend Sep.4. According to him, the fact that President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, accepting the credentials of the newly appointed Ambassador of Greece, outlined Azerbaijan's decisive position is of greatest support to Turkey. "Officials of both Azerbaijan and Turkey are well aware that the real political and energy opportunities that Ankara will receive from the newly discovered hydrocarbon fields in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea will serve the interests of not only Turkey, but also Azerbaijan. Because strong Turkey also means strong Azerbaijan," he said. Eren noted that Azerbaijan's support in "one nation, two states" spirit given to Turkey's research in the Eastern Mediterranean will undoubtedly give the latter strength. "As there is no doubt that Turkey is forever next to Azerbaijan, it is also certain that Azerbaijan is forever next to Turkey," Erdem Eren said. Statements in support of Turkey, voiced by President Ilham Aliyev on September 2 when accepting the credentials of the newly appointed Ambassador of Greece to Azerbaijan, were widely disseminated by the media of the brotherhood country. The government is seeking ways to pay off a 40-year-old debt to Iran over tanks that were never delivered in a bid to pave the way for Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffes release from prison. Ben Wallace, the defence secretary, made the admission for the first time in a letter sent to Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffes lawyers and seen by The Guardian. The British-Iranian dual national has been detained in Iran since 2016. Although the Iranian authorities have not publicly stated the controversial 400m debt is behind the stand-off, experts have long believed Britains refusal to settle the deal has made negotiations more difficult. The complex dispute dates back to the 1970s, when the Shah of Iran ordered 1,500 British Chieftain tanks and armoured vehicles. When the Iranian Revolution of 1979 deposed the Shah delivery of the tanks was cancelled, but Irans new rulers demanded their money back. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty This triggered a decades-long legal battle as lawyers for the Islamic Republic tussled with those representing International Military Services (IMS), a subsidiary of the Ministry of Defence, over how much the debt was worth. Despite an international arbitration ruling in 2008 the UK did owe millions to Iran, the government has not yet paid up. Lawyers for the two sides continue to haggle over whether interest has accrued in the decades since the tank deal fell through. Sanctions imposed by both the EU and the United States on the Iranian defence ministry are a further complication, potentially making any payments from Britain illegal. But in the letter, Mr Wallace confirmed for the first time the MoD was working to try to resolve the tanks debt as an issue. With regard to IMS Ltd and the outstanding legal dispute the government acknowledges there is a debt to be paid and continues to explore every legal avenue for the lawful discharge of that debt. I have previously stated my personal position and I remain committed to its resolution, but it would not be appropriate for me to comment further at this time. Before he joined the cabinet, Mr Wallace was critical of the governments long delay in settling the debt, describing it as un-British, double-dealing and obfuscatory. Despite the admission, Mr Wallaces letter adds the defence secretary continues to believe Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffes detention is arbitrary and unjust and she should be released immediately, regardless of the Chieftains debt. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe temporarily released from Iranian prison amid coronavirus outbreak Richard Ratcliffe, Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffes husband, said he was heartened by Mr Wallaces letter, which he said was the first reply the family had ever had to letters to successive defence secretaries about the issue. I appreciate him responding and setting out his personal position that the IMS debt should be paid, he told The Guardian. Id also like to understand at a basic level what is going on. The prime minister, the defence secretary and a lot of other ministers are all on record saying they want this solved. It is not clear, then, who can be blocking this. A court hearing in the case which was due to be held in March has been postponed until November, the day after the US election. The familys lawyers have previously claimed this was deliberately timed to avoid any conflict with the Trump administration over Iran policy in the lead-up to the presidential election. Zack Snyder's Army Of The Dead will star Dave Bautista, Ella Purnel, Theo Rossi, Tig Notaro, and Omari Hardwick (Image by Netflix) Zack Snyders Army Of The Dead hasnt even been released yet. But Netflix are clearly very happy with it, as two follow-up projects to the zombie movie are already in development. Army Of The Dead will see Dave Bautista lead a group of mercenaries, who look to complete a heist in Las Vegas, Nevada. Theres just one problem, though, the city has become over-run with zombies. Read More: Zack Snyder's new film replaces actor in post-production following sexual misconduct claims While the film isnt going to be released onto Netflix until 2021, the studio announced on Thursday that a prequel and an anime spin-off, entitled Army Of The Dead: Lost Vegas, are currently in the works. As you can imagine, Snyder was rather happy with the news when he spoke to The Hollywood Reporter. Director Zack Snyder poses as he arrives on the red carpet for the screening of the movie "Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice" in Mexico City, Mexico, March 19, 2016. REUTERS/Henry Romero Im incredibly excited for the opportunity to partner with Netflix again as we expand the Army of the Dead universe with both an international prequel, as well as exploring the visually dynamic world of animation. Its been a great collaboration and we are thrilled that Netflix sees this as big of an IP as we do. Were still not exactly sure what role Snyder will have on the prequel. What we do know is that Shay Hatten, who is one of the writers of Army Of The Dead, will write it, as well as the anime series, while Mattias Schweighofer will direct it. Read more: Snyder on Justice League pressure Theres a very good reason for that, too, as the film will explore the character of Ludwig Dieter, who Schweighofer is playing in Army Of The Dead. As such, it will be made entirely in Germany. Army Of The Deads anime series will focus on Bautistas character, specifically what happened in the immediate aftermath of the fall of Vegas as it was ravaged by zombies. Snyder will direct two episodes of this series, with Jay Oliva acting as its show runner. Peter Feaver, a scholar on civil-military relations at Duke University, said that retired senior military leaders were unlikely to speak out now. While Mattis and others took the unusual step of criticizing the president in June, their remarks came after Trump expressed a desire to use the military against civilians and current Pentagon leaders were photographed with him after protesters were cleared with force, he said. Even as the United States President Donald Trump offered to help resolve the military stand-off between India and China, once again, New Delhi is more at ease with the discreet role the Russian government is playing to defuse tension between the two nations in eastern Ladakh. Trump told journalists in White House late on Friday that his administration was in touch with both New Delhi and Beijing to resolve the very nasty stand-off along the disputed boundary between the two nations. While we are at it, we are talking about China and India, (they) are going at it pretty good on the border, as you know. It has been very nasty, said the US President, adding: And, we stand ready to help, with respect to China and India. If we can do anything, we would love to get involved and help. And we are talking to both countries about that. This is not the first time that Trump publicly offered to play the role of mediator between India and China. He had made the same offer in May just weeks after the stand-off started in the wake of the aggressive moves by the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) to change the status quo along the disputed boundary between the two nations in eastern Ladakh and the Indian Armys counter deployment. New Delhi, however, cold-shouldered the US Presidents offer, which was also outrightly rejected by Beijing. Contrary to the public offers by the US President, Russia has been discreet in its efforts to help defuse tension between India and China. Read | Don't attempt to unilaterally change status quo along LAC, Rajnath Singh tells Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe Moscow has been officially maintaining that India and China should resolve the stand-off through bilateral talks. But the top diplomats of Russia have been quietly in touch with Indian and Chinese counterparts and have been trying to resolve tension between the two neighbours. Moscows back-channel talks with New Delhi and Beijing played a significant role in setting the stage for bilateral talks between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his counterpart in Chinese Government, Wei Fenghe, on the side-line of a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in the capital of Russia on Friday Beijing sought the meeting between Singh and Wei and Moscow nudged New Delhi to accept it, sources told the DH. Singh-Wei meeting was the first face-to-face talks between India and China at the level of the ministers after the stand-off started four months back. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will also attend another SCO meet in Moscow on September 10. The meet will be hosted by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Also Read | India, China to solve border dispute through dialogue: Wei Fenghe tells Rajnath Singh Lavrov, according to the sources, has been in touch with New Delhi and Beijing over the past few days and made Jaishankar and Wang tentatively agree on holding a bilateral meeting on the side-line of the SCO Foreign Ministers conclave in Moscow. Jaishankar and Wang earlier spoke to each other over phone on June 17 just two days after the Indian Army and the Chinese PLA had a violent face-off in Galwan Valley, resulting in casualties on both sides. The first consignment of goods from Bangladesh arrived in Tripura by waterway on Saturday as part of a trial run for shipping of goods from other parts of India to the northeast region via Bangladesh formally making operational of new waterways between the two neighbours. A Bangladeshi vessel tracking 93 km waterways carrying 10 tonnes of cement from Daukandi in the neighbouring country arrived western Tripuras Sonamura, where Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb accompanied by others received the vessel. With the arrival of the vessel, the Sonamura-Daukandi 93-km-long new inland waterways protocol route between northeast Indias Tripura state and Bangladesh was formally made operational on Saturday. Congratulations Tripura first Vessel from Bangladesh entered Sonamura River Port, Tripura, a new era of waterway connectivity has commenced which shall lead to better economic growth for both & where Tripura will play the key role.#TripuraWelcomesFirstVessel pic.twitter.com/zSPInawwTU Biplab Kumar Deb (@BjpBiplab) September 5, 2020 A temporary floating jetty was built at Sonamura (55 kms west of Tripura capital Agartala) in western Tripura to start the new waterway through the Gomati river between Tripura and Bangladesh. Agartala via Guwahati is 1,650 km from Kolkata by road, and 2,637 km from New Delhi while the distance between Agartala and Kolkata via Bangladesh is just 620 km. Deb, who also holds the Industries and Commerce Department, said that if the northeastern states carry goods from other parts of India and abroad through waterways via Bangladesh, 25 to 30 per cent expenditure would be saved."Tripura alone imported various commodities worth of Rs 20,000 crore per annum including Rs 630 crore from Bangladesh by road or by train. Tripura exported bamboo, rubber, tea, pineapple and other goods valued at Rs 2, 000 crore per year by road or by train. From now onwards all the export and import would be done by waterways saving 25 to 30 per cent expenditure on transportation," the Chief Minister said. Deb, accompanied by Indian High Commissioner in Bangladesh Riva Ganguly Das, Transport Minister Pranajit Singha Roy and Lok Sabha member Pratima Bhowmik, said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina have paid special personal attention for the economic growth of Tripura and other northeastern states. India and Bangladesh had earlier signed a MoU to ferry various goods including foodgrains from different parts of India to the mountainous northeastern states using Bangladeshi ports and surface roads to save time and transportation costs. The eight northeastern states are connected with the other parts of the country by road via narrow land corridors through Assam and West Bengal, but this route passes through mountainous terrain with steep gradients and multiple hairpin bends, making plying of vehicles, especially loaded trucks, very difficult, risky and time consuming. According to Tripura Chief Minister the waterway distance from (Kolkatas) Haldia port to Chattogram international port is 400 kms and from Chattogram seaport (in southeast Bangladesh) to Akhaura ICP (along Agartala) is 200 km," he said. Increasing the number of new waterways, the Second Addendum to the Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade" was signed in Dhaka on May 20 by Indian High Commissioner in Bangladesh Riva Ganguly Das and Bangladesh Shipping Ministry Secretary Mohammed Mezbah Uddin Chowdhury. To boost trade, economic activity and connectivity, India and Bangladesh under the May 20 deal, have added five more ports of call" on either side and increased the protocol (water) routes from 8 to 10. There are six ports of call" each in India and Bangladesh.The five new ports of call" on the Indian side are Dhulian, Maia, Kolaghat, Sonamura and Jogigopha and on the Bangladesh side Rajshahi, Sultanganj, Chilmari, Daudkandi and Bahadurabad. Two more extended ports of call" Tribeli (Bandel) and Badarpur in India and Ghorasal and Muktarpur in Bangladesh have been added. " " The mint julep has been the official cocktail of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs since 1938. Dylan Buell/Getty Images As horses toe the start line at Churchill Downs May 1, 2021, they'll be racing again in front of fans, albeit at 50 percent capacity. That's still a lot of fans Churchill Downs can hold 165,000 people. But fans in those stands is a good thing, considering the 2020 Kentucky Derby was delayed until September, and ran for the first time ever with no fans at all because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But some things will never change about Derby Day, and that includes traditions like big hats and cocktails, specifically the mint julep. This Churchill Downs staple a cocktail with bourbon, fresh mint, ice, sugar and water has been the Kentucky Derby's official drink since 1938, but experts believe its history here goes well beyond the '30s. Churchill Downs representative Sara Brown Meehan told Good Morning America that some say racetrack officials planted mint for the cocktail as early as 1875, when the famed race began. Advertisement A Mint Julep History Mint juleps are as synonymous with the Kentucky Derby as oversized hats, but these cocktails actually originated more than 400 miles (643 kilometers) away. Virginia is credited with spearheading the mint julep movement. The first account dates back to 1803, when Englishman John Davis defined it as "a dram of spirituous liquor that has mint in it, taken by Virginians of a morning," in his book "Travels of Four and a Half Years in the United States of America." At that time, the bourbon wasn't the spirit of choice. In fact, any spirit would do. It wasn't until the 1770s when Virginians moved west taking the mint julep with them that Kentucky added a signature twist to the cocktail: bourbon. Virginians used rum and brandy in their mint juleps, but Henry Clay, a Kentucky senator in the early 1800s, introduced bourbon, Kentucky's renowned spirit, as the base. As a beloved Kentucky drink, the mint julep slowly seeped its way into Derby culture. Records even show broadcasters lamenting the lack of the drink during Prohibition from 1920 to 1933. " " Race officials once gave julep cups as trophies for first-place jockeys. Here (from left) trainer R. L. Wheeler, owner Cornelius V. Whitney, jockey Willie Shoemaker and Mrs. Whitney pose as Kentucky Governor Bert Combs presents a julep cup in 1960. Bettmann/Bettmann Archive/Getty Images Advertisement The Signature Silver Cup In Kentucky Derby culture, the julep cup is just as important as the cocktail itself. These sleek sterling silver cups predate the derby. The cups date back to the 1800s when early Kentucky silversmiths from Lexington and Louisville debuted the design. "It was a popular gift for christenings, weddings or a graduation," Natalia Cardenas, brand ambassador for the derby's official bourbon, Woodford Reserve, says in an email. "Records dating back to the 1800s show that julep cups were being given out as prizes at the county fair." Race officials used julep cups as trophies for first-place jockeys in the 1820s. The signature design, known for a wide-footed base and either a beaded rim or bands at the top, is more than just decorative. "It is meant to be held only by touching the top or the bottom, allowing the silver to frost over," Cardenas says. Since its inception, the julep cup has taken many forms. In 2008, Churchill Downs debuted the largest mint julep glass in the world: a 6-foot-tall (1.8-meter) cup with a 206 gallon (779-liter) capacity; that's the equivalent of 5,000 mint juleps. Woodford Reserve and Tiffany & Co. also auctioned off three luxe julep cups in 2011. The cups, which started at $2,000, boasted 24-karat-gold bases that the high-end jeweler used for horse racing trophies in 1876. The Derby typically serves its juleps in glass souvenir cups, though. " " The signature sterling silver mint julep cup is as important to the cocktail as its ingredients. Jon Lovette/Getty Images Advertisement Make a Mean Mint Julep They may be best served in sterling silver cups, but crafting a mint julep at home doesn't have to be daunting. Cardenas gave us her recipe for making a Woodford Reserve mint julep: Ingredients 5 to 8 fresh mint leaves 0.5 ounce simple syrup crushed ice 2 ounces of Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Directions Lightly muddle the mint and simple syrup in your mint julep cup. Add the bourbon and pack tightly with crushed ice. Stir until the cup is frosted on the outside. Top with more crushed ice to form an ice dome and garnish with a mint sprig. Cardenas recommends Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey because its flavor is powerful enough to stand up to the ingredients, and at 90.4 proof, it can last for a handful of races. "Be sure not to over-muddle the mint, as it tends to make the drink bitter," Cardenas says. "Make sure your simple syrup is equal parts sugar to water, and crushed ice is best because it dilutes and chills the cocktail the fastest." To make crushed ice at home, Cardenas says just wrap up a few ice cubes in a clean dish towel and crush it with a rolling pin or kitchen mallet. Molly Wellmann, a renowned mixologist in Cincinnati, says she looks for bourbon that creates a well-balanced drink for her mint juleps. "Old Forester is an excellent choice because it isn't too spicy and the corn shows through," she says in an email. "I wouldn't recommend using a high-rye bourbon." Wellmann also tops her juleps with a splash of dark rum for creativity. "It's a throwback to when the spirit of choice was rum, and it really brings out the caramel and vanilla notes." NOW THAT'S INTERESTING The history of horses and bourbon goes well beyond the derby. Before the Civil War, horse farmers simultaneously bred horses, grew crops and ran their own small distilleries. Prohibition ended the longstanding relationship between horse breeding and distilleries. By the time it was repealed, large conglomerates had scooped up nearly all of Kentucky's private distilleries. Advertisement Originally Published: Sep 5, 2020 Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 02:11:59|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- BRICS countries should boost confidence, deepen cooperation and strengthen coordination so as to fulfill responsibilities for international peace and global development, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Friday. Wang made the remarks when attending the meeting of foreign ministers of BRICS on Friday via video link. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov presided over the meeting. Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, South Africa's Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor and Brazilian Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo attended. Wang said at present, the world is facing a series of new threats and challenges: the COVID-19 pandemic poses a direct threat to human health; unilateral bullying poses a severe challenge to the international order; and protectionism has had a major impact on the world economy. At the same time, it should be noted that the trend of the times featuring peace, development, cooperation and win-win results has not changed, the law of development that economic globalization continues to move forward in twists and turns has not changed, and the basic trend of the rise of emerging economies represented by BRICS countries has not changed, Wang said. BRICS countries should jointly deal with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and jointly promote multilateralism, the recovery of the world economy, and political settlement of hot-spot issues, Wang added. "As long as we maintain unity and work together, the BRICS countries can further become a force for safeguarding world peace and stability. This serves the common interests of BRICS countries and will benefit the whole world," Wang added. The foreign ministers of the five participating countries had an in-depth exchange of views on the global situation, regional hot-spot issues and BRICS cooperation. All parties agreed that under the current circumstances, BRICS countries need to strengthen solidarity to meet challenges head-on. Enditem HOLLYWOOD HOPES: Meghan in a Halloween costume, aged seven The deal struck by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex with Netflix is designed to deliver Meghans ultimate dream an Oscar. The couple, who live in an 11million mansion near Los Angeles, last week announced their plans to conquer Hollywood by producing inspirational programmes in a multi-year contact with the US streaming company. As well as securing millions of pounds to fund their lavish lifestyle, The Mail on Sunday can reveal that former Suits actress Meghan hopes the deal will land her an Academy Award, her childhood dream. An Oscar is all Meg has ever wanted, said one long-time friend. She used to practise her acceptance speech in the mirror with a hairbrush when she was a kid of seven. She would also practise her signature in preparation for all the autographs she would give. Her absolute dream was to achieve the EGOT the grand slam of showbusiness which is winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award. Her acceptance speech has been ready for 30 years. Perhaps now she will get to use it. The Mail on Sunday can also reveal: The deal involves a yearly retainer of 2 million to 4 million plus a fees for films Harry and Meghan will not be able to use their royal titles on production credits They are determined not to be rent-a-royals and will vet any Netflix publicity A company vice-president has been assigned to the couple to run their projects The couple are following a strategy pursued by Barack and Michelle Obama, who signed a Netflix deal two years ago and won an Oscar earlier this year for the documentary American Factory. Describing Harry and Meghans plans, their American spokeswoman gushed: The focus will be on creating a wide-range of programmes about stories and issues that resonate with them personally including highlighting issues that their non-profit [company] Archewell is focused on. Enabling a more compassionate and equitable world isnt just something they do through their non-profit, its a belief they hold and model themselves which will carry through in this venture. Pictured: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex attending Disney's The Lion King European Premiere held in Leicester Square, London Their production company, thought to be called MWX Trading after their Mountbatten-Windsor surname, has yet to be officially announced, but is already developing nature documentaries and an animated series on inspirational women. A source said it would be impossible for them to use their royal titles for any production credits otherwise they will be accused of, and indeed actually be, cashing in on their royal status which they pledged not to do. Meghans Hollywood team, including agent Nick Collins, lawyer Rick Genow and business manager Andrew Meyer, negotiated the megabucks deal after quietly touting the Sussexes around Disney, Apple and HBO. Pictured: Meghan Markle as Rachel Zane in 'Suits' Season 1, during her career as an actress Netflix agreed the annual retainer for at least two years and to contribute sponsorship and support to Archewell, named after their son Archie, now 15 months old. The couple have demanded control over any publicity around their work. Harry and Meghan wont be rent-a-royals for the red carpet, said a source. They will go and network with power players, but they want to retain complete control. They wont be forced to do anything they dont want to. Its a win-win as Netflix have the biggest pockets but they also have a problem in being taking seriously. Harry and Meghan bring prestige in return they get lots of cash. Buckingham Palace which will review the Sussexes break from the family next year will be keeping a close eye to ensure that the couple keep to their pledge that everything they do will continue to uphold the values of Her Majesty. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle received decor tips for their new Californian mansion by Sir Elton John's 'extravagant' designer The Sussexes consulted with Elton John's decorator at their new California home British-born Martyn Lawrence Bullard was introduced to them by Elton's friend He decorated Elton's LA apartment in a 1970s Boogie Nights-inspired theme By Emily Andrews Royal Editor for The Mail On Sunday He is the king of Hollywood interior decor, so British-born Martyn Lawrence Bullard was the obvious person for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to consult about redecorating their new Californian home. The 53-year-old, originally from Bromley in Kent, was introduced to the couple by his long-term client and friend Sir Elton John, whose LA apartment he decorated in a 1970s Boogie Nights-inspired theme. A friend told The Mail on Sunday: Elton put Harry and Meg in touch with Martyn after they moved to LA. They had a meeting and got on really well. Martyn was really helpful on where they should be house-hunting and what kind of properties. Martyn Lawrence Bullard, pictured, was introduced to Harry and Meghan by his long-term client and friend Sir Elton John, whose LA apartment he decorated in a 1970s Boogie Nights-inspired theme Some of his interiors are outrageous and over the top, but hes also great at working out exactly what the client wants and delivering it. Mr Bullard has previously worked for members of the Kardashian family, including Kylie Jenner, designer Tommy Hilfiger, Cher and Sharon Osbourne. An industry source said: Martyns very popular and successful with all the big Hollywood stars. His taste is very extravagant and he doesnt come cheap, but the end result is breathtaking. Pictured: David Furnish and Elton John at home in Los Angeles with interior designer Martyn Lawrence-Bullard Meghan is known to like the Soho House style of shabby-chic with vintage-inspired furniture. James Cordens wife Julia and her business partner Vicky Charles who helped redesign Frogmore Cottage in Windsor are also in the running to oversee any refurbishment of the couples 11 million, nine-bedroom, 17-bathroom home in Santa Barbara. A spokesman for the Sussexes declined to comment last night. Baldwin County Sheriffs Department deputies, Spanish Fort police officers and other agencies responded to reported gunfire Saturday outside the Bass Pro Shop in Spanish Fort. One television report said up to 50 rounds were fired. BCSO, Spanish Fort PD and other agencies on scene at Bass Pro in Spanish Fort in ref to a subject shooting multiple rounds into the boat and ATV service area. There are no injuries reported at this time. The suspect is in custody. There is no public safety threat. BC Sheriff's Office (@1BC_SO) September 5, 2020 Sheriffs reports first said a suspect fired multiple rounds into the boat and ATV service area. There were no injuries reported, and some local television reports later said staff and customers hid inside the store while the shooting was happening in the repair area. NBC 15 News reported Saturday evening that Spanish Fort Police Chief John Barber told the station two suspects are in custody. This is a developing story. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Arya Dipa (The Jakarta Post) Bandung, West Java Sat, September 5, 2020 17:14 502 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c42e9a97 1 National COVID-19,COVID-19-West-Java,ridwan-kamil,coronavirus,virus-korona-indonesia,virus-corona,factory,factory-worker,Bekasi-regency,industrial-center,Cikarang,karawang Free As new clusters of COVID-19 transmission continue to emerge in industrial areas in Bekasi regency, West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil has urged factory workers to report their daily activities in a bid to reduce the transmission risk. Every factory worker is required to fill out a journal every morning detailing their activities outside of the factory as well as a list of everywhere they go outside of the factory, Ridwan, who is also the provinces COVID-19 task force chief, said on Friday. The report, he went on to say, would be used to analyze high-risk activity patterns among the workers. He also said he hoped the analysis would help factory owners to conduct polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests and ensure that any worker who tests positive for COVID-19 goes into self-isolation. Read also: 88 workers at Nippon Oilseal Kogyu factory in Cikarang COVID-19 positive During a visit to the industrial areas in Deltamas in Cikarang on Friday, Ridwan also criticized the lack of proper ventilation in the factories. He asserted that plants must have proper air ventilation to prevent the virus from circulating in one place. He also urged factory owners and management that if there was any local virus transmission in the factory, they must order employees in the affected areas to work from their respective homes, while continuing some of the factorys operational activities to maintain productivity. The West Java COVID-19 task force has been focusing on preventing coronavirus transmission in industrial areas in Bekasi and Karawang following reports of emerging COVID-19 clusters among the workers. The West Java COVID-19 Information and Coordination Center (Pikobar) recorded 385 new cases on Friday, which brings the cumulative number of COVID-19 cases in West Java to 12,104 as of Sept. 4. As many as 6,455 patients have recovered, while 5,368 patients are under quarantine. Meanwhile, 281 deaths have been recorded in the province. The wife of Dermot Desmond is among those seeking to block the apartment plans Dublin City Council planners have recommended An Bord Pleanala gives the green light to contentious plans for a 338m development for former RTE lands in Dublin 4. As part of a 67-page chief executive's report on the Cairn Homes plan, planners have recommended that permission be granted to Project Montrose, made up of 611 apartments across nine buildings ranging in height from four to 10 storeys. In their report forwarded to An Bord Pleanala, the planners have recommended that planning be granted in spite of a number of members of the city council expressing "serious reservations". Split Minutes of a Council South East area meeting show councillors were split on the development. As part of the proposal, Cairn Homes has put a 30.17m price tag on selling 61 apartments to Dublin City Council for social housing. It said a two-bed apartment would cost 521,377 and a one-bed 472,797. The report from city council planners states they agree that the location allows for extra building height along the Still- organ Road. The report states it "recommends that An Bord Pleanala considers a grant of permission" as the proposal is in line with the provisions of the Dublin City Council development plan. It came as three Ailesbury Road residents, including Pat Desmond, the wife of businessman Dermot Desmond, failed to get a High Court stay on An Bord Pleanala's decision. The board previously agreed to consider Cairn Homes Properties Ltd's application but has not yet decided. Its decision is expected next week. The stay on the decision was sought pending the determination of the residents' judicial review challenge, to be heard in November, over the board's designation of the proposed development as strategic housing under the 2016 Act. The act allows developers who want to build a development that has more than 100 units to bypass the local housing authority. Mr Justice Denis McDonald had last July granted leave to the residents - Mrs Desmond and former Irish Sugar managing director Chris Comerford and businessman John Gleeson - to challenge the board's decision. The case includes claims about steps taken by the board leading to the Strategic Housing Act designation. They also claim provisions of the act breach their rights under the Constitution and European Convention on Hum-an Rights. Nineteen objections have been lodged against the fast track proposals at An Bord Pleanala. Others to object include the Republic of Austria, which has its embassy and ambassador's residence on Ailesbury Road, and the Ailesbury Road Residents' Association. Police have arrested two persons from CBD Belapur in Navi Mumbai and seized from them narcotic substance 'methaqualone', an official said on Saturday. The duo, identified as Sarfaraz Rustom Shaikh (36) and Khalid Mohammad Ali Khan (47), both residents of Mumbai, were arrested on Thursday night, he said. "Acting on a tip-off, a police team kept vigil at a specified spot in CBD Belapur and nabbed the duo when they arrived on a two-wheeler," senior inspector Ravindra Budwant said. "During their search, they were found carrying 35 gms of methaqualone worth Rs 85,500," he said. A local court remanded them in police custody till September 7, the police said. As per a new revelation by the scientists, the main test for coronavirus might be picking up fragments of dead virus from old infections as it is extremely sensitive. The study says that people are infectious only for a week but they might test positive even after the time span of 7 days. One of the authors of the study, Prof Carl Heneghan said that instead of a yes or no, tests should include cut-off points so that a very small amount of virus does not show positive results. He added that detecting old traces in one of the major reasons for an increase in cases. Virus Culturing Method As a part of this recent study, The University of Oxford's Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine analysed the evidence from 25 studies. The virus specimens from positive tests were put in a petri dish to find out if they would grow. This method is called virus culturing. It helped the scientists in finding out if a positive test has picked up any active virus which can reproduce and spread or there are just dead fragments which refuse to grow. Read: Antibodies Against Coronavirus Stay In Body For At Least 60 Days: Study According to the study, in the method of testing that is being used, there is no indication of how much virus is present in the sample or how much of it is active. Therefore, a person with a good amount of virus and a recovered person with leftover fragments from infection would receive the same test result- positive. Prof Heneghan said that evidence suggests coronavirus "infectivity appears to decline after about a week. He added that it is not possible to examine every test to see if there is an active virus on it. According to him, false cases can only be detected if scientists work out on the cut-off point in a test. Prof Heneghan said that this could help people to stop quarantining or being contact-traced unnecessarily as it will give a better understanding of the current state of the pandemic. Read: Russian COVID-19 Vaccine Safe, Induces Antibody Response In Small Trials: Study Prof Ben Neuman, at the University of Reading, said, "This review runs the risk of falsely correlating the difficulty of culturing Sars-CoV-2 from a patient sample, with the likelihood that it will spread. However, Public Health England agreed that viral cultures is a useful way of assessing the results of coronavirus tests. Prof Francesco Venturelli, an epidemiologist in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna said that there is "not enough certainty" about how long the virus remains infectious during the recovering period. Read: Children Can Have Both COVID-19 Antibodies, Virus In Their System Simultaneously: Study Also Read: Study Illustrates How Masks With Exhalation Valves And Face Shields Allow COVID-19 Spread (Image Credit: PTI) A team of specialised detectives has been flown to Western Australia's Mid West to investigate after a teenage girl was sexually assaulted by an unknown man in the early hours of Saturday morning. Police are investigating the incident. Credit:Marina Neil The 15-year-old girl was walking in the Geraldton suburb of Rangeway around 2am when a man allegedly grabbed her from behind, took her to a nearby vacant block, and sexually assaulted her. The man, described by police as dark-skinned and wearing an Adidas shirt, fled the scene. WA Police Mid West Gascoyne District Inspector Dave Hooper said the incident was believed to be a random attack and was being treated as a priority matter by detectives. B ritains former man in Washington claims Boris Johnson is fascinated by Donald Trump and his relationship with the facts and the truth. Lord Darroch also said the Prime Minister must share the blame for his resignation as ambassador to the US, which followed the leaking of diplomatic cables disparaging the US president. In a new book serialised in The Times, the former mandarin said Mr Johnson was particularly captivated by Mr Trumps limited vocabulary, the simplicity of the messaging, the disdain for political correctness, the sometimes incendiary imagery, and the at best intermittent relationship with facts and the truth. In an interview accompanying the excerpts, Lord Darroch - formerly Sir Kim Darroch - was asked if any of those characteristics had rubbed off on Mr Johnson. From what I hear from colleagues, this Government pays a lot of attention to presentation, to language, he replied. Mr Johnson was said to be fascinated by the US president / AFP via Getty Images But if you go back through the current Prime Ministers history, hes often said quite striking things. And he never apologises. So, Boris might have done this anyway, but certainly, having watched Trump in action, he wouldnt have been put off. Mr Trump had also considered Mr Johnson a kindred spirit, according to the former ambassador, who resigned under a cloud of controversy in July 2019 after diplomatic cables were leaked in which he called Mr Trump an inept leader. After Lord Darroch left the diplomatic corps following a distinguished 42-year career, Mr Trump fired back with a range of epithets, calling him the wacky ambassador, pompous, and a very stupid guy. Lord Darroch resigned the day after Mr Johnson repeatedly refused to say he would keep him in post during a TV debate, and spoke with the then-Conservative leadership candidate by phone. The ex-diplomat told Mr Johnson the resignation was in part his fault. He [Mr Johnson] said: But why did you resign? Wouldnt it all have blown over after a few weeks?' Lord Darroch told the paper. Meanwhile, reports suggested that Mr Trump broke with modern presidential convention to order his national security adviser John Bolton to get him [Lord Darroch] out of here after the cables were published. Mr Bolton told The Telegraph that he phoned Sir Mark Sedwill, the then most senior Whitehall civil servant, and said things are going to get worse unless you can figure out how to get him out. Reece Hawkins' model fiancee London Goheen showed off her baby bump on Saturday. The 22-year-old American beauty joked about struggling to wear jeans while pregnant, as she posed up in some new threads for the brand Fashion Nova. It comes after she was slammed for charging her followers to see photos of her baby bump on OnlyFans. 'I'm not smiling unless my pants are undone': Reece Hawkins' fiancee London Goheen showed off her baby bump on Saturday, after being slammed for wanting to charge for content on OnlyFans 'I'm not smiling unless my pants are undone,' London captioned the photo. London, who boasts 515,000 Instagram followers, copped backlash after revealing she was going to be charging fans $14.99 per month on the subscription service. OnlyFans is a subscription-based adult website where content can range from something as innocent as a suggestive selfie, all the way to hardcore pornography. 'She's literally charging people for her OnlyFans to view pics of her bump? What the f**k,' one follower commented on London's pregnancy announcement on Instagram. 'What the f**k': The 22-year-old, who boasts 515,000 followers, copped backlash after revealing she's going to be charging fans $14.99 per month on the subscription service Another wrote: 'Wow sis is really charging $9.99 per month to see her pregnancy photos lol.' One fan said that while she's happy for influencer Reece, 25, and London, they just can't comprehend coughing up the cash for the images. 'Congratulations. I would love to keep track of everything for your pregnancy. Just like with your relationship to watch you guys grow together... But I don't want to pay for an OnlyFans...' However, another follower said that posting to OnlyFans is a good idea, saying it's 'so much safer and more secure!!' 'I have 100 per cent control of my profile': In a statement to Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday, London defended her decision to show off her baby bump on OnlyFans In a statement to Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday, London defended her decision to show off her baby bump on OnlyFans. 'I have chosen to show detailed parts of my pregnancy on that platform because I've had to experience harassment and bullying for the last two years over my relationship with Reece,' she explained. 'I have 100 per cent control of my profile and what people have access to and comment on. 'I never said it was compulsory. People can choose if they wish to subscribe or not. If people don't like the idea of it or disagree with my decision then they don't have to be involved... 'We're just doing this to ensure a HAPPY POSITIVE FRUITFUL PREGNANCY.' On Wednesday, Reece and London announced that they're expecting their first child together, just weeks after getting engaged. Baby joy! On Wednesday, Reece and London announced that they're expecting their first child together, just weeks after getting engaged American model London made the announcement on Instagram, by sharing a sweet image of herself kissing influencer Reece. 'Been busy growing a BABY in my belly with this one wbu?' London captioned the image. Reece also shared similar images of the pair, calling London his 'Baby Momma' and the 'love of my life.' 'Baby Momma alert. Having a baby with the love of my life and my best friend,' he wrote. Reece has been dating the Texas-born beauty since mid-2018, after announcing his split from ex-fiancee Tammy Hembrow, 26, after five years of dating. Last month, Reece and London announced their engagement. Reece shares two children with ex Tammy Hembrow, son Wolf, five, and daughter Saskia, four. Disruption to train and flight services is expected in western Japan from Saturday due to the approach of powerful Typhoon Haishen. West Japan railway says it is considering suspending Sanyo Shinkansen bullet train services between Hiroshima and Hakata station all day Monday, and reducing trains between Shin-Osaka and Hiroshima Station. Kyushu Railway Company says it may suspend bullet and local train services on Japan's southwestern main island on Sunday and Monday. Airlines have canceled more than 80 domestic flights for Saturday. Most are to and from the southern part of Kyushu and Okinawa. Starting Saturday, Seven-Eleven Japan plans to close about 1,000 convenience stores in Kyushu, or about 40 percent of its total in the region. A number of manufacturers in the automobile, electronics and precision equipment industries plan to suspend factory operations in western Japan. The mug said, A brilliant idea hit her. After multiple Twitter-mobsters took note of the mug, the leader of a womens group also got in on the action. They claimed that the mug promoted domestic violence against women, because it could be read, A brilliant idea: hit her. The grocery store apologized, and removed the mug. Well done ladies! (But not in the cooked meat sense of the term.) Click here to read the full story. University creates tech to scan Twitter for misogynist Tweets An Australian University is developing a technology that can identify misogynist and sexist Tweets. Currently, Tweets have to be reported before they are deleted, which the team sees as a problem. This technology will make it easier to censor the Tweets automatically or at least send the Twitter mob after fresh victims. Think of this as a way to automate the thought police, so that no stone goes unturned in identifying microaggressions. And in the future, it can be expanded to any woke principles that the Twitter mob sees fit. Of course, the algorithm is only partially accurate. So the misidentified will just have to take one for the team. Click here to read the full story. German man fined 1,500 for flipping off speed camera For driving 9 km/h over the speed limit (about 5 mph) Germany usually issues a 20 ticket. But when the automatic traffic cameras flashed to take a picture of the minor infraction, one man decided to flip it the bird. The picture of him with his middle finger up made it to the German authorities. And they decided to fine him 1,500 ($1,775) instead, for the crime of being offensive. He also had his license revoked for a month. But at least he wasnt caught walking his dog for only 59 minutes per day otherwise the penalties would have been even more severe! Click here to read the full story. Pregnant Australian woman arrested for social media post about COVID Police in Victoria, Australia entered a pregnant womans home, handcuffed, and arrested her in front of her two young children. It was all because of a post she made encouraging people to attend an anti-lockdown protest. The woman was also served with a search warrant for her electronics. The encounter was recorded until police apparently turned off the recording in order to seize the cell phone it was being filmed on. Any device in the house, were taking, the officer in the video says. The woman was taken into custody, and charged with incitement. It is a breach of law, under Covid rules, to gather in large groups. And encouraging people to break that law is also illegal. Its absolute insanity that this is where we are at. The government can do whatever it wants to restrict the freedom of its citizens right up to shackling and caging a pregnant woman, in front of her kids, over a Facebook post. All in the name of safety from a virus. Click here to read the full story and watch the video. MOST of us would have remained indoors when Storm Ellen battered our shores last month. But instead of being tucked up in his bed at home, top Limerick sailor Pat Lawless was out on his own in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean taking the gale in his stride and coming out the other side. Pat, who hails from Corbally, but now lives on the Kerry coastline, was taking part in a dry-run for the Golden Globe race which he hopes to complete in 2022. In a bid to recreate similar conditions, he sailed from Dingle down to the Azores off the coast of Portugal. It was only on his return journey to Ireland he realised he was going to be right in the middle of the storm, which saw Limerick placed on a yellow warning, spot flooding, and thousands of people left without power. When I got to the Azores, I got a forecast on my phone saying there was a depression coming, or a cyclone. I headed for it on purpose. If youre going into the Southern Ocean, youd want to get used to weather like that. Before I got to the cyclone, I was going over in my mind whether Id make it there. I didnt have a forecast on board as in the Golden Globe race, there is no technology allowed, he said. Experienced sailor Pat, who is the son of legendary round-the-world yachter Pat Sr, found himself in the centre of the gale leaving his family back in Limerick panicking, with no way of getting hold of him. Taking up the story, Pat said there was an intense peace when he arrived in the centre of the storm. He explained: I wound up in the middle of the cyclone for two-and-a-half hours. It was a beautiful night, there was no wind and the stars were up above in the sky. The dawn came, and it was a bit rocky as there was no wind so I put up a few extra sails. That was quite literally the calm before the storm though. After two-and-a-half hours, it started to blow a bit. Then I got a right whack from a force nine or 10 gust. A lot of sailors would not have gone out in this weather. But because I was a fisherman for so many years off the west coast of Ireland, we went fishing whatever the weather. I was used to it. The weather was fluctuating wildly, Pat adds. It was going between 10 degrees and 35 degrees. Youd be rocking with the waves. Youd have waves crashing off the side of the boat. Sometimes they would be noisy. Youd be worried when you feel a bang and you can feel the jolt of the boat being thrown. A lot of waves were coming over. Youd see water flying over the skylight. In the beginning, youre anxious, but when you realise the boat is well able for it, you kind of relax, he added. Personal safety is what immediately kicks in when this happens, Pat added. When youre going on deck, you put on all your skins and boots, a safety harness and clip yourself on different places in case you get a knockdown. If you get knocked out of the boat, youd need to climb back in. Asked if he feared for his life when he hit the storm half way between the Azores and Ireland just off Frances Bay of Biscay, Pat added: You wouldnt. Youd be extra cautious. People break their ribs when they get thrown around the boat. Youd have to be quite careful, hold on quite tight. Your hands become like vice-grips as you stay hooked to the rail. To the relief of his friends and family, Pat arrived back into Dingle on his Saltram Saga 36. This will now go for repairs over the winter before Pat sets sail again in 2021! This time, hes looking at trips to Greenland or a transatlantic voyage to the USA. For more Limerick news click here Police checkpoints along Jammu-Pathankot highway alerted after carjacking in Punjab India pti-Madhuri Adnal Jammu, Sep 5: All checkpoints along Jammu-Pathankot highway have been put on alert and security strengthened following an incident of carjacking by unidentified armed persons in the neighbouring Punjab, a police official said on Saturday. The director general of Punjab Police had sounded an alert in his state, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir after three persons snatched a private car from its owner after injuring him with a firearm in Dinanagar area of Gurdaspur on Friday evening. AAP to check oxygen levels of people across Punjab, says Kejriwal "After receipt of communication from the Punjab DGP, all the checkpoints have been alerted and security strengthened as a preventive measure to deal with any situation," the police official said. He said the patrolling in the areas bordering Punjab was also intensified during the night. "A close vigil is being maintained to nab the assailants if they try to enter Jammu and Kashmir," the official said. By Jeff Mason, Andrea Shalal and Jonathan Landay WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An agreement between Serbia and Kosovo to work on economic ties, hailed by U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday as a "major breakthrough," reaffirmed pledges to establish highway and railway links but left movement on political normalization on hold. Both countries - part of the former Yugoslavia - agreed, for a year, to freeze campaigns advocating for and against normalizing political ties, said U.S. officials, who nevertheless lauded a handful of economic measures as significant progress in the relationship between the two sides. Speaking in the Oval Office flanked by the two countries' leaders, Trump said Serbia had also committed to moving its embassy to Jerusalem, and Kosovo and Israel had agreed to normalize ties and establish diplomatic relations. Serbian President Aleksander Vucic told reporters there were still many differences between Serbia and its former province, which declared independence in 2008, but said Friday's agreement marked a huge step forward. He later told Serbian media that Serbia's agreement was with the United States, not Kosovo. Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti also welcomed the measures, and said they should lead to mutual recognition between the two countries, the key issue dividing them. "Serbia and Kosovo have each committed to economic normalization," Trump said. "By focusing on job creation and economic growth, the two countries were able to reach a major breakthrough." Political analysts called the agreement underwhelming and hazy, however. "In my mind this is more of a resumption of dialogue between the two sides. Thats good for the region. But its not like some massive, massive breakthrough, said Jasmin Mujanovic, a political scientist who specializes in Eastern Europe. Its mostly vague. Its not even clear on the economic stuff," said Edward Joseph, a senior fellow with Johns Hopkins Universitys School of Advanced International Study. Story continues DEAL-MAKER The Republican Trump, who is running for re-election in November, is seeking to play up his deal-making skills on the international stage and recently announced a pact to normalize ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. Trump is trailing his Democratic rival Joe Biden, who served as vice president under then-President Barack Obama, in national opinion polls. Friday's events, which came after two days of talks among the leaders and senior Trump aides, was originally scheduled to take place in the White House's Roosevelt Room, with two tables set up for the leaders to sit at. It was abruptly moved to the Oval Office, with Trump's desk between the two tables. The Serbian and Kosovo leaders appeared to sign separate documents, not one. Trump, meanwhile, signed letters acknowledging that the two countries would work together. Ambassador Richard Grenell, who is serving as a special envoy on the issue but is not a U.S. government employee, said the United States was not a signatory. Serbia would be the first European country to open an embassy to Israel in Jerusalem, and Kosovo the first with a Muslim majority. Only two countries have done that so far: the United States and Guatemala. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the moves. Ethnic Albanian-majority Kosovo, which is predominantly Muslim, declared its independence from Serbia in 2008 after a 1999 NATO-led bombing campaign in which the United States took part, to curb a war ignited by years of repressive Serbian rule and to stop ethnic cleansing by Belgrade. Serbia, backed by its traditional Slavic and Orthodox Christian ally Russia, has refused to recognize Kosovo's independence, a precondition for Belgrade's membership in the European Union. National security adviser Robert O'Brien told reporters that expanded economic ties, increased border crossings and mutual recognition of professional licenses could pave the way for political solutions in the future. He said the deal would also lead to increased U.S. investment but gave no details. (Reporting by Jeff Mason, Andrea Shalal, and Jonathan Landay in Washington; additional reporting by Ari Rabinovitch in Jerusalem; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Sonya Hepinstall) FILE PHOTO: The company logo for Johnson & Johnson is displayed on a screen to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the company's listing at the NYSE in New York By Aislinn Laing SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson will seek 20,000 volunteers for late-stage human trials of its experimental coronavirus vaccine in hard-hit Latin America, one-third of the planned global total, one of its public health chiefs in the region said. Josue Bacaltchuk, vice president of medical affairs for Latin America for Janssen, J&J's Belgian unit developing the vaccine prototype, said countries hosting the trials would also likely get preferential access to vaccines once ready. "We expect the majority in Brazil because it's the biggest country and also the one most affected by the pandemic so we expect a lot of people volunteering, but we expect also high numbers in Colombia and in Argentina," Bacaltchuk said. "It's the intention of the company to prioritize the countries that contribute to the development of the vaccine and that will have patients participating in the trials, yes," he added in an interview with Reuters on Thursday. J&J's vaccine is one of over a hundred worldwide being developed in response to the coronavirus pandemic, which has infected nearly 26.5 million people and led to some 869,323 deaths. Latin America has become the epicenter of the pandemic. The drugmaker is carrying out tests in the United States and Belgium, and has added Chile, Argentina and Peru to a list of Latin American countries where it plans to conduct Phase III trials along with Brazil, Colombia and Mexico. Its trials globally will include 60,000 volunteers. The Latin American countries all have high infection numbers, making them attractive testing sites for vaccine developers since it is easier to obtain dependable trial results in areas with high rates of active transmission and infection. Bacaltchuk said the decision to spread trials so widely was motivated in part by the challenge of securing sufficient volunteer numbers in a region crowded with other pharmaceutical companies conducting trials of their own prototypes. Story continues "I think this is a potential risk and that's why we are going to a number of centers that is higher than the other companies to cover geographies that are not covered by the other studies," he said. He said the response from volunteers in the region has been "quite positive" which he hoped would continue. "This is impacting everybody and it's going to continue to impact even after this is over, the consequences will continue so we need to try and stop it as early as possible," he said. (Reporting by Aislinn Laing in Santiago; Editing by Adam Jourdan and Matthew Lewis) Quite a catch By Puttalam correspondent Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe Illegal fishing nets destroy generations of fish View(s): View(s): The confiscation of over 350 illegal fish nets from the Puttalam lagoon this week is a reminder that despite the prohibition of illegal fishing equipment by a special gazette issued by the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources over 20 years ago, the law has not been put in force. The Navy and fisheries officials conducted a special raid and confiscated illegal fishing nets worth Rs 5mn from Palliwasathurai, Mandalakudawa, Narikudawa, Kurinnan areas belonging to the Puttalam District. When these nets are laid by illegal fishermen, both small and large fish are caught. When the nets with the catch are hauled in, the small fish are thrown on the shore. This will affect the lagoon ecosystems and the breeding patterns of fish, lamented fisheries officials based in Puttalam. Over 10 Navy officials from the Wijeya Navy Base in Puttalam joined the operation. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Reuters) Havana, Cuba Sat, September 5, 2020 13:09 502 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c42df195 2 News Cuba,tourism,Tourist,travel,coronavirus,COVID-19 Free Cuba rolled out the red carpet on Friday for the first planeload of tourists to arrive on the Communist-run island in months as it struggles toward a post-pandemic new normalcy. The import-dependent country has been plunged into crisis and scarcity by tough US sanctions and the COVID-19 outbreak. The arrival was seen as a hopeful sign for tens of thousands of laid-off leisure industry employees, shuttered small businesses and hard-pressed residents in general. An Air Canada plane arrived at midday at the Cayo-Coco airport on the northcentral coast. Air Canada Vacations, the airline's tour business, said it would now fly weekly to Cuba and biweekly beginning next month. Cuba closed its airports in March due to the pandemic. While some hotels are open under international sanitary regulations at resorts in isolated areas such as Cayo-Coco, there is no indication when Havana and other cities might allow foreign visitors to return. Read also: Havana stirs to life without tourists and amid scarcity Cuba has managed to control the pandemic in most of the country. But it is currently trying to contain a new outbreak in Havana, along with lesser outbreaks in a few other provinces. The country has reported nearly 4,300 COVID-19 cases to date and 100 deaths. Canada has long been Cubas most important tourist provider, accounting for 1.1 million of the 4.2 million arrivals in 2019, according to the government. Industry revenues were $2.6 billion last year. The United States bans residents from making tourist trips to Cuba as part of its decades-old trade embargo, but US citizens can still travel to the Caribbean island for purposes including education. Greta Thunberg said Friday the weight of having to sound the alarm on climate change was too much" for her or any child after a hugely surprising fly-on-the-wall film about her rise was premiered at the Venice film festival. The Swedish teenager allowed film-maker Nathan Grossman to follow her for a year after he met her in 2018 on the very first day of her schools strike, sitting alone outside parliament in Stockholm with her homemade placard. In that time she went from being a self-confessed shy nerdy person" to global icon. The resulting film, Greta", reveals not only the inside story of the pain and risk Thunberg has put herself through for the climate cause braving death threats and a hair-raising North Atlantic crossing in a racing yacht but her love of breaking into dance and her gift for comedy. Thunberg told AFP that she hoped the intimate, often touching portrait that tracks her extraordinary rise would put an end to the conspiracy theories that I dont think for myself and someone else writes my speeches. In the movie you can see that is not actually true, that I do decide for myself," said the activist, who has been dismissed as a brat" by Brazils far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, who claimed she was being manipulated. Several scenes show in the documentary her clashing with her actor father, Svante who she convinced to become a vegan often over her perfectionism as she writes and rewrites her speeches. Speaking via Zoom during a break in classes at her secondary school in Stockholm, Thunberg said the film was true to the real her, someone who loves her dogs and routines" but whose life has been turned upside down by the climate cause. The film shows how she dances in her pyjamas to relieve stress as she criss-crosses Europe on trains and in her fathers electric car, living off baked beans and pasta as she urges leaders to act to save the planet. At another point she despairs that the responsibility of her role to remind the world of the existential crisis it faces is too much", a fear she repeated Friday during her virtual press conference at Venice. It is such a responsibility. I dont want to have to do all this," she said. Yet when far-right critics vilified her as mentally ill" in the film, Thunberg, who has Asperger syndrome, laughed it off saying, Sometimes I think it might be good if everyone had a bit of Asbergers. I dont see the world in black and white, just the climate crisis." Despite the adoration Thunberg now receives at demonstrations and on social media, in the film she admits that kids were mean to me" when I was younger. I was never invited to parties and was left out." The activist, now 17, said she was relieved the documentary does away with the idea that she is an angry naive child who sits in the United Nation General Assembly screaming at world leaders, because that is not the person I am." Indeed, she drew a laugh from reporters and Grossman by admitting that at one stage she doubted his seriousness" as a film-maker because he worked on his own. Why dont they send a sound guy? Why arent they more professional?" she wondered. The film shows how the straight-talking schoolgirl went from being a quiet introvert to a global celebrity in a few months in 2018, and her frustration at the gulf between politicians promises and their actions. I think the most surprising thing about Greta is that she is very, very funny," Grossman told reporters. Sometimes I joke that she could have been a comedian. She is very charming and funny as you have seen in this press conference." Dir: Josh Boone. Starring: Maisie Williams, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Heaton, Alice Braga, Blu Hunt, Henry Zaga. 15 cert, 94 mins Did The New Mutants shoot down an albatross? Did it break a mirror? How else could one explain the dismal luck of Josh Boones teen X-Men jaunt? His film, in some other rosy future, would have introduced a fresh team to 20th Century Foxs stable of superheroes. But its release date was pushed back repeatedly so that familiar fare, like Deadpool 2 (2018) and Dark Phoenix (2019), could take priority. Then Disney took over the studio. The New Mutants ended up as the franchises unceremonious swansong. The X-Men were officially retired by Disney, ahead of an eventual reboot that will see them step into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Reshoots were cancelled. More delays followed. And, a month or so before its release, the Covid-19 pandemic saw cinemas worldwide shut their doors. It became the Schrodingers cat of Hollywood tentpoles its very existence now so oddly improbable, posters confirming its release wryly declared that hell has frozen over. With all this amassed notoriety, The New Mutants ends up disappointing on two fronts its no underdog triumph, but neither is it some glorious disaster. Skulking around in Jokers shadow, its another comic book film that insists its not a comic book film, swathed instead in the stylistic trappings of other genres. Here, The New Mutants coils itself around the idea of X-Men as teen horror. Its protagonist, Danielle Moonstar (Blu Hunt), is a young Cheyenne woman who becomes the sole survivor of a terrible tragedy one that wipes her reservation off the map. She wakes up in a hospital bed, in a room thats devoid of light, warmth, and any sign of human activity. A voice on the other side of the door announces itself as Dr Reyes (Alice Braga). She tells her that a tornado destroyed her home. The growling in the air, the tremors in the earth, the soul-suffocating feeling that something was chasing Danielle? Theyre all manifestations of her trauma. But her resilience has marked her out as special. Dr Reyes is convinced that she has powers, even if their nature still eludes them both. In the meantime, Danielle is free to fraternise with the other patients, all mutants still struggling to control that which is an innate part of them. Rahne Sinclair (Maisie Williams), a Scot and a Catholic, has a beastly secret thats made her unpopular with the local clergy. Sam Guthrie (Charlie Heaton) is a Kentucky miner, with an old-timey prospector voice to match, whos crumpled into a ball of guilt and self-loathing. Illyana Rasputin (Anya Taylor-Joy, the films one bright spot) suffered an abusive childhood that forced her to retreat into a fantasy world. But her powers made it real she can leap into portals and summon ethereal weapons. Rich brat Roberto da Costa (Henry Zaga) trembles at the touch of others. Though its characters are drawn from the comic series co-created by Chris Claremont and Bob McLeod, The New Mutants connections to the wider X-Men universe are slight there are a couple of direct nods, plus some recycled footage. In fact, Boone, who co-wrote the screenplay with Knate Lee, seems reluctant even to acknowledge that his film is dealing in superheroes unless absolutely necessary. These teens are just normal teens, until theyre momentarily required to pulverise buildings and thwart creatures from another plane of existence. The New Mutants is invested most in combining teen angst and supernatural threat (20th Century Studios) Boone, best known for directing 2014s The Fault in Our Stars, seems far more invested in combining teen angst and supernatural threat, as a strange new force in the hospital forces these characters to come face to face with their own worst fears. But his set-pieces, including a Breakfast Club-style dance break, all feel familiar. The films progressive strides namely, the way its LGBT+ romance is placed front and centre feel dulled by several tone-deaf calculations: the whitewashing of Roberto (whos Afro-Latino in the comics) and the characterisation of Illyana, whose mean girl pettiness is expressed solely through racist slurs directed at Danielle. The New Mutants tramples over its own comic book credentials in order to chase after a concept already more convincingly dealt with by The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina or Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the latter inexplicably shown playing on the hospitals TV. We end up with the worst of both worlds and a film whose name may live on in infamy, but whose contents will be soon forgotten. Frankfurt Airport Coronavirus Swab Testing station - Alex Kraus/Bloomberg Countries that have expanded their airport testing of arriving holidaymakers have seen their national Covid infection rates decline, according to a new analysis. The data, covering the period from mid-August to this weekend, shows Greece, Denmark, Iceland, Germany, Cyprus and Singapore all reduced their rates after intensifying border testing to allow arrivals to avoid 14-day quarantine. The disclosure challenges the Governments contention that testing on arrival is ineffective and only catches seven per cent of cases - an argument deployed by both Boris Johnson and Grant Shapps on Friday. But in support of The Telegraphs Test4Travel campaign, Paul Charles, chief executive of travel consultancy The PC Agency, which conducted the analysis, said the data demonstrated the value of airport testing in enabling travel, while minimising the risk to public health. Along with many in the travel and aviation industry, Mr Charles advocated a two-test model, one on or before arrival and then a second followed up after five days of quarantine, reducing the time travellers have to self-isolate by nine days. The seven per cent figure is spurious data which is questioned by the whole travel industry as being out of date. Secondly, it only relates to one test at the airport rather than two, said Mr Charles. Scientists at Collinson Group, which has set up a testing facility at Heathrow, said the Governments seven per cent figure was based on Public Health England (PHE) and SAGE modelling rather than the plethora of real-world data now available from countries airport testing regimes. The map below shows the countries with testing. They cited Jersey, which has tested all 20,000 inbound travellers on arrival - equivalent to 20 per cent of its population - since opening its borders in July and has detected 17 Covid cases. All were quarantined. In the same period, there were only four cases of in community infections unrelated to the border. Story continues If the PHE modelling had been correct in its assumptions, Jersey should have experienced a further 185 imported cases of Covid, and many dozens more cases of onward transmission within the community. It experienced none, said Collinsons scientists in a paper submitted to the Government. Iceland introduced a two-test regime for arrivals from August 19, with the second after five days of quarantine, and has since seen its Covid case rate fall from 16.5 to 11.5 per 100,000 of people. If the PHE modelling was correct, Iceland would have experienced over 1,000 additional cases of imported Covid, and many hundreds of cases on onward transmission. They have not. Total in-community transmission for the period (not related to the border) was just 166 cases, said Collinson. Greece, which carries out more than 9,000 tests a day at its ports of entry, has seen its case rate per 100,000 fall from 14.3 to 13.7, while Denmark, which uses five-minute tests on arrivals, has dropped from 15.4 to 12.9. Germany, which moved to the Icelandic two-test model, has gone from 10.1 to 9.0, Cyprus is down from 9.4 to 7.5 and Singapore down from 10.4 to 5.8. The Telegraphs Test4Travel campaign has won the backing of travel chiefs, airports and airlines, and MPs including former health and transport secretaries Jeremy Hunt and Chris Grayling. On Saturday, the Labour Party backed calls for robust testing at airports to reduce the need to quarantine. In a letter to Priti Patel, shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds called for a review to "fix chaotic quarantine arrangements that are losing public confidence and undermining our ability to keep people safe and save jobs. It added: "It should include outlining options for a robust testing regime in airports, and related follow up tests, that could help to safely minimise the need for 14 day quarantine. On Sunday IATA, which represents the worlds airlines, will join those publicly backing it. The stop-start closing of Britain to the world is not a successful survival tactic for Covid. Jobs are being vaporized by quarantine and they may never come back, said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA Director General. The answer is a Covid testing regime that manages the risk to keep people safe from the virus. And it will avoid apocalyptic unemployment that is sure to devastate society and the economy." Scientists have warned cases across Europe are almost back to the levels seen in March when infections peaked and draconian lockdowns were introduced. Across the continent countries have been rapidly easing lockdowns, encouraging tourism and reopening in an effort to kick-start their economies. Spain came close to clocking half a million coronavirus cases on Friday, where the pandemic is spreading at its fastest pace in Europe. Authorities registered 4,503 new infections, bringing the total to 498,989. The new wave of contagion has been less deadly than early in the pandemic, however. Meanwhile, Ukraine registered a record 2,836 cases of the new coronavirus in the past 24 hours, the national security council said on Saturday, up from a previous record of 2,723 new cases on Friday. Russian-language schools in the post-Soviet space are now trying to cope with the problems that have arisen amid the pandemic and as a result of decisions made by the leadership of some countries, an analyst of Vestnik Kavkaza Marina Lagutina said in the Natsvopros program on Vesti.FM. In the post-Soviet space, schools with teaching in Russian have faced the problems caused both by pandemic and leadership decisions. The most resonant news, of course, was the transfer of all schools in Ukraine to teaching in Ukrainian. The country had 125 state and 43 private Russian-language schools. Now, in fact, not a single one is left, Marina Lagutina said. "Two days before the start of the school year in the capital of Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, the management of the 64th school announced to parents that it had closed the Russian-speaking department. The formal reason is the too large number of pupils, making it impossible to observe quarantine requirements. The school administration did not find anything better than to dismiss teachers and dissolve students. Parents went to a spontaneous rally, because in such a short time before the start of a school year it is almost impossible to find other Russian-speaking classes. Today, there is only one Russian school in Turkmenistan; and only a few schools in Ashgabat have Russian-speaking departments, " the analyst said. The difficult situation with Russian-language education remains in the Baltics, though with some positive developments. For example, in one of the Estonian schools a two-way language immersion program started on September 1. Children with native Estonian and Russian are learning both languages. Half of the school time children communicate with teachers in one language, and then in another. This is the first program of this kind in a state Estonian school, " the analyst of Vestnik Kavkaza noted. "In Latvia, this year, the number of Russian language lessons has been further reduced - only three hours per week. But the administration of the Latvian city of Rezekne organized free extracurricular classes in Russian language and literature by teachers and parents demand. Every week, there will be 40 additional hours that students will be able to attend at their will, she said. "In the Caucasus, the school year has not yet begun. Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia will open their schools on September 15, but in different ways. In Georgia, teaching in Russian is conducted in more than 50 schools, in 11 schools lessons are exclusively in Russian. In mid-September, children will go to schools, observing the new quarantine measures, the expert said. The Armenian government also decided to restart full-time education on September 15. There are no exclusively Russian-language schools in the country, but some educational institutions have classes with an in-depth study of the Russian language. Before the start of this academic year, the Russian Center for Science and Culture in Yerevan sent to these schools textbooks on the Russian language, essays by Russian classics and books about the Great Patriotic War. By the way, the Russian mission did the same in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, " she added. "In the South Caucasus, the largest number of children studying in Russian lives in Azerbaijan. More than 300 secondary schools teach in Russian. However, due to the epidemiological situation, not all students will be able to go to school until November. The students will learn distantly, only juniors will go to school on September 15 for 2-3 days a week. Seniors will resume full-time education on October 1. In this test mode, the academic year will last until November 2, after which a new decision will be made taking into account the epidemiological situation, the analyst of Vestnik Kavkaza said. "In Kazakhstan, 1,5000 schools with teaching in Russian are working remotely. Primary school students will be able to attend duty classes, but with strict safety measures. The vacation schedule will remain unchanged, Marina Lagutina concluded. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Pakistani security forces on Saturday foiled a terror bid by defusing a 5.5 kg bomb planted on a roadside in northwest Pakistan. The Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) after an intelligence information recovered a remote-controlled bomb planted on a roadside in Janikhel area of Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and neutralised the explosive. The bomb was planted for a big terror activity by unknown terrorists, however quick action by the security forces averted the sabotage attempt, police said. The improvised explosive device weighing 5.5 kg was also filled with Shrapnel to cause maximum damage. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 23:06:24|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- The following are the updates on the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. - - - - BAGHDAD -- An Iraqi health official on Saturday warned the citizens from playing down the seriousness of coronavirus as the further increase of infections will make the health system unable to control the situation, while the Health Ministry reported 4,644 new COVID-19 cases. Ryadh Abdul-Amir, head of the Public Health Department in the Health Ministry said in a press release that "the lack of compliance of the citizens will increase the number of infections and make the ministry to stop at a certain stage because our health institutions have a limited capacity and this will also lead to an increase in deaths." - - - - NAIROBI -- Kenya's tea exports in the first seven months of the year declined marginally, pulled down by the outbreak of COVID-19, a new report released on Saturday reveals. The report from the Agriculture Food Authority's Tea Directorate shows that exports stood at 289 million kilos between January and July, a decline from 293 million kilos in a similar period in 2019. - - - - WUHAN -- A group of researchers from the Wuhan Institute of Virology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed a new model for the study of COVID-19 in mice that is expected to facilitate research on the disease, including testing potential vaccines. The researchers, who published their findings in the journal Cell Research, were seeking new animal-based methods of studying SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. - - - - HANOI -- Vietnam reported no new cases of COVID-19 infection on Saturday, with its total confirmed cases standing at 1,049 with 35 deaths from the disease so far, according to its Ministry of Health. As many as 19 more COVID-19 patients have been given all-clear, raising the total cured cases in the country to 805 as of Saturday, the ministry said. - - - - DHAKA -- Bangladesh reported 1,950 new COVID-19 cases and 35 new deaths on Saturday, making the tally at 323,565 and death toll at 4,447, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said. The official data showed that 12,847 samples were tested in the last 24 hours across Bangladesh. The total number of recovered patients in the country stood at 217,852 including 1,661 new recoveries on Saturday, said the DGHS. - - - - YEREVAN -- Armenia on Saturday reported 188 new COVID-19 cases in the last day, bringing its total to 44,649, according to the National Center for Disease Control. Data from the center showed that 566 more patients have recovered in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of recoveries to 39,823. - - - - TEHRAN -- Iran and Russia will cooperate to produce a COVID-19 vaccine in the Islamic republic, Iran's ambassador to Moscow Kazem Jalali was quoted as saying by semi-official FARS news agency on Saturday. The announcement was made on Friday at the online meeting between Jalali and Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), according to the report. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 03:19:13|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close United Nations (UN) Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka speaks during a press briefing at the UN headquarters in New York, March 5, 2020. (Xinhua/Li Muzi) "This historic blueprint articulated a vision of equal rights, freedom and opportunities for women -- everywhere, no matter what their circumstances are -- that continues to shape gender equality and women's movements worldwide," says the press release. UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka on Friday urged the international community to reaffirm the promises the world made to women 25 years ago. "This is a re-set moment. On this important anniversary, let us reaffirm the promises the world made to women in 1995. Let us draw on the activist spirit of the Beijing Conference and commit to forging new alliances across generations and sectors to ensure we seize this opportunity for deep, systemic change for women and for the world," Mlambo-Ngcuka said in a press release. Twenty-five years ago, on Sept. 4, the Fourth World Conference on Women in China's Beijing "set a path-breaking agenda" for women's rights. As a result of the two-week gathering with more than 30,000 activists, representatives from 189 nations unanimously adopted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. "This historic blueprint articulated a vision of equal rights, freedom and opportunities for women -- everywhere, no matter what their circumstances are -- that continues to shape gender equality and women's movements worldwide," said the press release. The Beijing Platform for Action imagined a world where every woman and girl can exercise her freedoms and choices, and realize her rights, such as to live free from violence, to go to school, to participate in decisions and to earn equal pay for work of equal value. "As a defining framework for change, the Platform for Action made comprehensive commitments under 12 critical areas of concern," it added. Zhao Shaohua, the head of Chinese delegation and also the vice president of All-China Women's Federation (ACWF), deliveries a speech during the opening of the 49th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at the headquarters of United Nations in New York Feb. 28, 2005. Officials from more than 180 countries and delegates of some 100 non-governmental organizations participated in the event which is meeting through next week to review progress in the 10 years since the Declaration and the Platform of Action was agreed at the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995 in China. (Xinhua Photo/Zhao Peng) Twenty-five years later, "no country has fully delivered on the commitments of the Beijing Platform for Action, nor is close to it," the press release said. The press release warned citing the UN Women that "a major stock-taking UN Women report published earlier this year showed that progress towards gender equality is faltering and hard-won advances are being reversed." "Women currently hold just one quarter of the seats at the tables of power across the board. Men are still 75 percent of parliamentarians, hold 73 percent of managerial positions, are 70 percent of climate negotiators and almost all of the peacemakers." This anniversary is "a wake-up call" and comes at a time when the impact of the gender equality gaps is undeniable, according to the press release. "Research shows the COVID-19 pandemic is exacerbating pre-existing inequalities and threatening to halt or reverse the gains of decades of collective effort -- with just released new data revealing that the pandemic will push 47 million more women and girls below the poverty line." Gertrude Mongella, secretary-general of the Fourth World Conference of Women (FWCW), sings "The Song of Africa" with young women of African countries participating in the FWCW in Beijing, China, on Sept. 11, 1995. (Xinhua/Fang Ailing) "We are also witnessing increased reports on violence against women throughout the world due to the lockdowns, and women losing their livelihoods faster because they are more exposed to hard-hit economic sectors." While much work remains on fulfilling the promises of the Beijing Platform for Action, it continues to be a global framework and a powerful source of mobilization, civil society activism, guidance and inspiration 25 years later, the press release said. The upcoming UN General Assembly later this month will be "a key opportunity" to bring to the forefront the relevance of the Beijing Declaration and "move the needle on implementation," with a high-level meeting attended by global leaders on "Accelerating the Realization of Gender Equality and the Empowerment of all Women and Girls" on Oct. 1. "The event will showcase how building equal and inclusive societies is more urgent than ever, as the COVID-19 pandemic ravages lives and livelihoods," the press release said. There was no grand opening for Disney's Mulan, which appeared on the Disney+ streaming service yesterday. Originally destined for a theatrical release on March 27, it fell foul of Covid closures and was then, with Tenet, touted as one of the big releases that could get cinemas back on their feet. Tenet arrived, Mulan didn't, and Disney's decision to stream rather than physically release the film has cinephiles worrying that this may be the beginning of the end for the cinema distribution model. Mulan cost at least $200m to make, but if it does manage to turn a decent profit, the corporation may decide that Disney+ is now the safest platform for its movies. And Disney+ subscribers be warned: you'll have to pay a 21.99 'premium access' fee to watch it: the price, perhaps, of not releasing in cinemas. The film is a live action remake of Disney's beloved 1998 film based on an ancient Chinese legend. Liu Yifei plays Mulan, Jet Li is the emperor and Gong Li the witch Xian Lang in a film big on spectacle but shorn of the much-needed humour Eddie Murphy provided by voicing Mulan's dragon, Mushu, in the original. Instead we get dashing swordplay and stirring battle sequences with bold colour schemes. Mulan is the latest in a series of live action remakes of animated classics that began in 2015 with Cinderella, and has since given us rehashes of Jungle Book, Beauty and the Beast, Dumbo, Aladdin and The Lion King. For the most part they have been competent but plodding, lacking the magic and raw invention of the originals. They are being made - at great cost - because Disney knows they have a built-in audience: witness the huge box-office success enjoyed by The Lion King, a deadly dull remake of a very special film. Expand Close Beauty and the Beast 1991 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Beauty and the Beast 1991 It was not always thus: the conservative monolith was once an innovative animation powerhouse that almost single-handedly invented the family movie and constantly expanded the potential of cartoons. So if these remakes aren't great Disney films, which ones are? Here are my favourites, all of them by the way available to Disney+ subscribers at no extra charge. And no Pixar (acquired by the giant in 2006) - we're talking pure Disney here. A tough little kid from Missouri who delivered newspapers in snowstorms and honed his artistic talent by copying newspaper strip cartoons, Walt Disney went into business with his brother Roy in the late 1920s, and founded a studio. Mickey Mouse was Walt's eureka moment, and the 1928 short Steamboat Willie put the Disney studio at the forefront of cinema animation. Still, making a feature-length animation would at that point have seemed impossibly difficult. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) took three years to make, during which time its budget spiralled out of control and Walt's wife and brother tried to talk him out of finishing it. But Disney was a man obsessed, acting out the entire drama for animators before production started, and involving himself in all aspects of its creation. The press called the film 'Disney's folly', but punters were astonished by the detail and wit of the animation, by the rich colours and bold storytelling of the finished film. It marked the start of Disney's assault on the sacred cows of European folklore, which would be made less sinister, more wholesomely middle-American, then sent back whence they came. Pinocchio (1940) was next, and while the Italian fairy tale was shorn of its more ghoulish aspects, Disney's animation of sea, sky and the marvellously gruesome whale Monstro were something special. But in its heyday, Disney could invent as well as plagiarise. Based on a story by Helen Aberson, Dumbo (1941) told the enchanting tale of a circus elephant ridiculed for his huge ears until he figures out they can help him fly. After an animators' strike, Walt Disney stripped the production down, favouring simpler drawings and watercolour backgrounds. The result was charming, winningly naive, but there was controversy around Dumbo's treatment of race, particularly a group of crows that talked in a stereotypical African-American fashion and were voiced by white actors. There were no crows in the 2019 live action remake. Great films they might have been, but Pinocchio and Bambi (1942) bombed, and by the late 1940s Disney was in trouble. Cinderella (1950) was a canny return to basics, a French fairy tale told with aplomb. It's a sweet film, full of heart and song, and Cinderella's stepmother Lady Tremaine makes a satisfying villain. Expand Close Cinderella 1950 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Cinderella 1950 Video of the Day Disney was back on a roll. English critics might have moaned that Alice in Wonderland (1951) 'Americanised' a great piece of literature, but what did they expect? In the 1960s, Disney branched out more and more into live action family movies and television, and though there were some animated classics, like the irresistible Jungle Book, the studio's biggest critical success that decade was the live action musical, Mary Poppins, a thoroughly delightful piece of whimsy. After Walt's death in 1966, his studio entered a slow decline, losing ground in the animation stakes and becoming too diffuse. But in the 1980s new bosses Michael Eisner and Jeffrey Katzenberg realised that without successful animations, Disney would lose its soul. Back to basics then, and another European fairy tale. The Little Mermaid's animation would combine traditional and bracingly contemporary elements: the design of the villainous sea witch Ursula was inspired by the drag queen Divine. And the 1989 film had a secret weapon - the fabulous songs of Howard Ashman, which would be used to even greater effect in Disney's 1991 hit Beauty and the Beast. It is one of my favourite Disney films, again adapted from a fairy tale, but this time with impressive panache, with a cast that included Jerry Orbach and Angela Lansbury brilliantly voicing the talking candelabras and tea pots that inhabit the Beast's enchanted castle. As proved by the massive success of the charming and original The Lion King (1994), Disney's animation mojo was back, and thanks to their association with Pixar, the studio has never really lost it since. Which is just as well, because no matter how big the company gets, Disney without cartoons would be just plain wrong. Nguyen Quang Hung, Deputy General Director of the Directorate of Fisheries talks about Vietnams resolve to stop all illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities in foreign territorial waters. Nguyen Quang Hung, Deputy General Director of the Directorate of Fisheries. Photo baochinhphu.vn What has Vietnam done to try and have the EU Yellow Card removed regarding the charge of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in foreign territorial waters? After the European Commissions recent inspections, particularly the most recent on-line meeting on June 30, they highly appreciated Vietnams strong commitment to putting an end to the illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. Vietnam highly appreciated the recommendation that the EC suggested to help Vietnam have its yellow card be removed. However, the EC still asked Vietnam to quickly to install a surveillance equipment to monitor the fishing routes for the remaining 20 per cent of the Vietnamese fishing boats. The EC has also asked Vietnam to monitor closely the catch volume of Vietnamese fishing boats. The EC delegation once again confirmed that it would not lift the yellow card until all the fishing boats strictly follow the international fishing law on the high seas. What are the main stumbling blocks preventing EC removing the yellow card? The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and officials have done their best to have the EC yellow card removed. Yet, it still remains a long battle. In the first six months of 2020, though the number of Vietnamese fishing boats encroaching the foreign territorial water reduced by 50 per cent, there were 54 cases with the involvement of 86 fishing boats were seized by foreign authorities. Among them 58 boats from Kien Giang Province; five from Ca Mau Province; seven from Ben Tre Province and six from Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province. Around 80 per cent of the Vietnamese fishing boats, about 24,000 boats, have installed monitoring equipment. Whats the most serious problem is that some fishermen are not operating their monitoring equipment on all their fishing trips. What will be the impact on Vietnams export of aqua products to the EC if the yellow card is not removed? If the yellow card is not removed as quickly as possible, it will have a strong impact on Vietnams aqua products exported to the EC. At present, the turn-over of aqua products to the European Union is valued between US$400-450 million per year. And in the past few years, due to the yellow card, each year Vietnams export turnover to the European Union dropped by between US$ 10-15 million. What should Vietnam do to have its yellow card removed? Vietnam now has some 96,000 fishing boats, of which 31,500 of them could go to the high seas for their fishing missions. The MARD has already developed a national fishing plan and it is already on Prime Ministers Nguyen Xuan Phuc table waiting for his approval. Could you tell us what are the main objectives of the fishery sector over the next few years? A master plan of fisheries development has already been approved by the Prime Minister. Based on the European Commissions recommendation, the MARD has already developed a plan to regularly send inspection teams to monitor illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities in all localities nationwide. In addition, the MARD has called on all localities to develop their own plans to prevent illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities in their localities. The MARD has also committed to punishing anyone caught fishing illegally. VNS/VGP Vietnam adopts EU recommendations to combat IUU fishing Vietnam had taken concrete steps in the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) based on the European Council's (EC) recommendations, said Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien. New AI-based test uses X-rays to detect Covid in a few minutes Mask not required for children below 5: Govt issues revised Covid guidelines Hospitalisations in Delhi during third Covid wave significantly lower than second Home quarantine norms for Unlock 4.0 India oi-Briti Roy Barman New Delhi, Sep 05: As the fourth stage of unlocking has been issued by the government, states will no longer be permitted to impose lockdowns outside containment zones without the Centre's permission. The Union Home Ministry also has issued a new set of guidelines for 'Unlock 4.0', allowing significant relaxations that include opening private offices, allowing inter-district travelling, opening pubs and bars. Roads are witnessing more vehicle movement and traffic congestions. Meanwhile, the country is witnessing rapid surge in the number of infection due to the fatal virus and surrently holds third position globally in terms of the positive count. It is getting tough for the state administrations to arrange enough beds for all the coronavirus affected people and also Government of India Ministry of Health & Family Welfare says not all infected people need to be admitted in hospital. Hence the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) comes up with revised guidelines for home quarantine. Instructions for contacts being home quarantined The home quarantined person should: Stay in a well-ventilated single-room preferably with an attached/separate toilet. If another family member needs to stay in the same room, it's advisable to maintain a distance of at least 1 meter between the two. Needs to stay away from elderly people, pregnant women, children and persons with co-morbidities within the household. Restrict his/her movement within the house. Under no circumstances attend any social/religious gathering e.g. wedding, condolences, etc. One should also follow the under mentioned public health measures at all times: Wash hand as often thoroughly with soap and water or with alcohol-based hand sanitiser. Avoid sharing household items e.g. dishes, drinking glasses, cups, eating utensils, towels, bedding, or other items with other people at home. Wear a surgical mask at all the time. The mask should be changed every 6-8 hours and disposedoff. Disposable masks are never to be reused. Masks used by patients / care givers/ close contacts during home care should be disinfected using ordinary bleach solution (5 per cent) or sodium hypochlorite solution (1 per cent) and then disposed of either by burning or deep burial. Used mask should be considered as potentially infected. If symptoms appear (cough/fever/difficulty in breathing), he/she should immediately inform the nearest health centre or call 011-23978046. Instructions for the family members of persons being home quarantined Only an assigned family member should be tasked with taking care of the such person. Avoid shaking the soiled linen or direct contact with skin. Use disposable gloves when cleaning the surfaces or handling soiled linen. Wash hands after removing gloves. Visitors should not be allowed. In case the person being quarantined becomes symptomatic, all his close contacts will be home quarantined (for 14 days) and followed up for an additional 14days or till the report of such case turns out negative on lab testing. Environmental sanitation a) Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces in the quarantined person's room (e.g. bed frames, tables etc.) daily with 1 per cent Sodium Hypochlorite Solution. b) Clean and disinfect toilet surfaces daily with regular household bleach solution/phenolic disinfectants. c) Clean the clothes and other linen used by the person separately using common household detergent and dry. Duration of home quarantine a) The home quarantine period is for 14 days from contact with a confirmed case or earlier if a suspect case (of whom the index person is a contact) turns out negative on laboratory testing. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, September 5, 2020, 14:10 [IST] Calif. church refuses to close after being fined over $50,000 for singing, meeting inside: 'It must stop' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The pastor of a large California church that was fined over $50,000 for holding indoor worship services despite adhering to social distancing guidelines said that even as the county continues to increase penalties, the church will remain open. Jack Trieber, pastor of North Valley Baptist Church in Santa Clara, California, said Tuesday that Santa Clara County posted an additional order on the churchs doors this week and is fining the congregation $5,000 for each service. The charges include $5,000 per in-person service Sunday morning and evening, as well as Wednesday night and additional violations for not social distancing, although it is practiced in the auditorium that seats 3,000 people, and singing. They've ratcheted this thing up, Trieber said, adding that in total, the congregation has been fined $52,750. The order states: If you do not immediately correct the violations, the County may take additional legal action against you, including civil or criminal prosecution, with additional resulting penalties, fees, and costs. America, this is a serious moment, Trieber said. Government, it must stop. It cannot continue this way. Trieber read from the Bill of Rights: Congress shall make no law no law [respecting] the establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, he said. He called the countys actions harassment, warning, If we don't stop it here ... it's going to sweep all over the United States of America. Government cannot take away our freedom. You cannot take our right to assemble. The pastor asked the county to remove all fines and refrain from imposing future fines on the church. To do this to a church ... California preachers, we have rendered unto Caesar the things that are Caesar, and we have rendered unto God through our tithes and offerings, which is His, he said. Addressing the county, Trieber said, We are not closing down this church. I hope you get this message. I don't know what the consequences on your part is going to be. ... I know America does not want this to happen in her country and at this church. God bless you, America. Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for your encouragement. Previously, county authorities posted a notice to the church door, demanding that North Valley Baptist immediately cease their activities and warning that failure to do so will result in enforcement action by the county. Claiming the congregation was not social distancing during indoor worship, the county fined the church $10,000. In a video statement at the time, Trieber said the countys decision to punish the church for meeting was out of bounds. The pastor revealed that when Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a total prohibition on religious worship services back in March, North Valley Baptist Church ceased its in-person worship services, K4 through 12 Christian school, college, bus ministry, jail ministry, public school ministry, nursing home ministry, door-to-door visitation, hospital visitation, childrens ministries and Sunday School. But I'm in charge of the spiritual health of the people in this city and in this area, he said. I've been trying to do it for 45 years. Though health is [of the] utmost importance, spiritual health is supreme. Because we've been locked out in this county of churches, suicide is up, domestic violence, addiction is up, homelessness is up, alcoholism is up. We need to get back to worshiping God. I am commanded to worship God. He begged Newsom to allow churches to reopen, warning that ignoring the spiritual health of the community will result in chaos. In a statement, Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver called Newsoms orders unconstitutional and said North Valley Baptist Church is incurring horrendous fees for simply exercising its First Amendment right to worship. Yet, Gov. Newsom supports tens of thousands of protestors, saying God bless you. Keep doing it. This is wrong, and the governors unconstitutional hostility and discrimination against religious worship must end, he said. Other California churches have incurred penalties for meeting in-person in violation of orders from Newsom, who has mandated that churches in some counties refrain from indoor services amid the pandemic. Last week, Los Angeles County notified Grace Community Church, led by Pastor John MacArthur, that it will soon be evicted from a parcel of land it uses as a parking lot. Lawyers for the church say the move is retaliation for the churchs decision to hold indoor worship services. Additionally, Godspeak Calvary Chapel in Thousand Oaks was found to be in contempt of court for violating the state's COVID-19 health orders. New Delhi: JNU students union, which has been at loggerheads with the university administration in recent months, on Thursday claimed that their meeting with the Vice Chancellor to raise their demands failed to resolve any issue. We have been seeking an appointment with the VC since long. Today finally when he decided to meet us our demands went unheard, JNUSU president Mohit Pandey said. He refused to revoke the abrupt suspension of nine students. Neither he had any reply to the issue of disappearance of Najeeb Ahmad from campus two months back, he said. Nine students were suspended last month for allegedly disrupting the Academic Council meeting along with a teacher who was served notice for addressing them and is facing an enquiry for the same. The students were asked by the Proctor office to appear before the enquiry panel on January 2 but they chose not to depose and hence have been given a second chance by the administration to appear on January 6. On Wednesday, these students alleged witch-hunt by the administration and said they were being selectively targeted for their political activism. The administration, on the other hand, has issued another notice to these students giving them a second chance to depose before the enquiry committee and has decided to constitute a separate enquiry panel for probing the role of some faculty members in disrupting the AC meeting last month. The JNU Executive Council (EC) on Tuesday ratified the decision taken in the last AC meeting of approving the UGC notification making entrance exam to research courses including MPhil and PhD as mere qualifying tests, even as sections of students and teachers protested it. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. William Mainprize (pictured) has been identified as the second missing Australian who was on board the cattle ship Vegans trolls have said the 43 crew members who went missing when their cattle ship capsized in a typhoon near Japan deserved what happened to them, as a second missing Australian has been identified. The 11,947-ton Australian-owned Gulf Livestock One was carrying 43 crew and 5,800 cows when disaster struck on Wednesday. William Mainprize, from New South Wales, has been identified as the second missing Australian who was on board the cattle ship, Nine News reported. The first Australian identified was 25-year-old Lukas Orda, a Queensland vet. He and his wife Emma welcomed their first child, Theo, six months ago. Now cruel vegans have launched an online attack on the crew members saying it was 'karma' their boat capsized following their treatment on the cattle. 'F*** the crew. What about the animals? The crew were doing wrong anyway. Some might say it's karma,' one person wrote. The first Australian identified is 25-year-old Lukas Orda, a Queensland vet. He and his wife Emma welcomed their first child, Theo, six months ago (pictured together) The Gulf Livestock One (pictured in April 2019 in Port Phillip) which was lost in stormy waters in the East China Sea Cruel vegans launched a blistering attack on the crew members saying it was 'karma' their boat capsized following their treatment on the cattle Social media users quickly slammed the comment. 'Just because someone doesn't share the same beliefs as vegans doesn't mean they deserve to die. Because that's what you're implying,' someone responded. 'I'm actually not. I'm saying that by getting on the ship of death they must have known it would catch up with them one day,' the initial poster then replied. The vessel left New Zealand on August 14 and was due into the Port of Jingtang in Tangshan, China on Saturday. As the vessel headed across the East China Sea it began to flounder and the crew battled to keep it afloat. Seawater invaded the interior of the Gulf Livestock One and ran over the electrics and machinery during its final few hours. Dramatic images emerged as it was revealed Japan's coast guard had rescued a second survivor on Friday. Hours earlier, an unconscious crew member was also recovered but later died. The survivor, Jay-nel Rosals, a Filipino deckhand, was wearing a life jacket and floating in a raft north of Amami Oshima island in the East China Sea, where rescuers have been searching for the Gulf Livestock 1 ship and its missing crew since it sent a distress signal. Seawater floods into the Gulf Livestock One (pictured) shortly before it capsized in the East China Sea Crew on the doomed ship (pictured) struggled to keep it afloat in the East China Sea during a wild typhoon Flooding water made conditions slippery underfoot as the crew, of 39 from the Philippines, two from New Zealand and two from Australia, fought in vain to save the doomed ship. Typhoon Maysak was blowing by southern Japan when the ship sank. The ship's instruments showed that it was sailing into high winds of 56 knots or 66 miles an hour. The captain of Gulf Livestock One sent a distress call to the Japanese Coast Guard at about 1.20am on Wednesday. Rescuers in an aircraft and four boats plus divers searched for survivors. They found a bundle of orange rope and a life jacket with the ship's name on. An orange lifeboat was found by rescuers searching for survivors from the capsized Gulf Livestock One in the East China Sea A dead cow from the stricken Gulf Livestock One in the East China Sea (pictured on Thursday) Then on Friday the search teams found a body and multiple dead cows in the waters near where the ship sank. Mr Orda, 25, from the Gold Coast, moved to Queensland from Germany as a child before taking up studies at James Cook University after attending high school in Mount Isa. He was working with horses on the Gold Coast before joining the live export carrier as a vet in June, the Townsville Bulletin reported. Survivor Sareno Edvarodo, from the Gulf Livestock One, is pulled to safety by rescuers Rescuers use a rope to save Sareno Edvarado from the East China Sea after the sinking of the Gulf Livestock One A thankful crewman from the capsized boat is pulled to safety in the East China Sea Rescuers wait to haul the soaking wet and frightened crewmen to safety Sareno Edvarado wrapped in a blanket after his rescue from the stormy East China Sea Japan's coast guard dispatched planes and rescue boats to hunt for the ship and late Wednesday found the first survivor, Sareno Edvarodo, the ship's 45-year-old Filipino chief officer. Dramatic photos released by the coast guard showed Edvarodo floating in the darkness in an orange life jacket and being pulled onto a boat with a rope as rescuers battled violent, rolling waves. He was quickly brought to a large vessel, where coast guard personnel with surgical masks and gloves wrapped him with blankets. He told rescuers: 'Thank you, thank you very much. I'm the only one? No other one? he asked the rescuers, then added, I'm so sorry ... (I'm) so lucky,' said Fox News. Australia has fallen into recession for the first time in three decades and Brazil's economy shrank by almost 10 percent because of the coronavirus, leaving China as the only major nation still recording economic growth during the pandemic. A raft of bleak data from India to Europe in recent days has laid bare the toll from lockdowns as nations try to keep a lid on an illness that has killed more than 850,000 people and infected over 25 million. Recovery hopes dashed for India's recession-hit economy The challenges were further highlighted Wednesday when Australia announced a record contraction of seven percent despite authorities providing billions of dollars in support to struggling firms. "Today's national accounts confirm the devastating impact on the Australian economy from Covid-19," said Treasurer Josh Frydenberg. "Our record run of 28 consecutive years of economic growth has now officially come to an end. The cause: a once-in-a-century pandemic." Australia has confirmed almost 26,000 cases of coronavirus and 663 deaths, but had successfully contained the illness in most of the country by July. A recent outbreak in Melbourne, however, forced a new lockdown covering five million people that has dragged on any economic recovery. UK government debt exceeds 2 trillion for first time Shutdowns have taken a toll on livelihoods across the globe as business revenues plunge and millions are forced out of work. New Delhi reported Monday that growth in Asia's third-largest economy suffered a historic 23.9 percent decline between April and June as the manufacturing sector was battered by restrictions on businesses. In the Philippines, meanwhile, there has been a resurgence of barter trade as cash incomes dry up, with people flocking to Facebook groups to exchange everyday possessions for food. "People are realising that while they have no money, they have accumulated a lot of material things," said Charles Ramirez, who runs a 14,000-member bartering website in the capital Manila. "It's a depressing feeling, of course, having to let go of things you have accumulated just to be able to survive." The site is one of dozens that have sprouted up to provide a lifeline to Filipinos hit hard by the country's recession. Brazil's economy, the biggest in Latin America, contracted by a record 9.7 percent in the second quarter of the year, plunging the nation into a virus-induced recession. "GDP is now at the same level as in late 2009, at the height of the global financial crisis," the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics said. The drop in the April-June period was the biggest for any quarter since the current system of records began in 1996, it added. The only major economy to have avoided a recession is China -- where the coronavirus first emerged last year -- thanks to strict lockdowns that have seen Covid-19 all but disappear in the country. In the second quarter the Chinese economy rebounded by 11.5 percent, having fallen by 10 percent in the first quarter. The Chinese city at the centre of the initial outbreak, Wuhan, took another step back to normality on Tuesday when almost 1.4 million children returned to schools and kindergartens. In Europe, where GDP plunged 12.1 percent in the three months to June, fears are growing of more lockdowns and disruption this autumn and winter as the virus refuses to die. "The pandemic has changed everything," said Gema Perez Barea, who runs a firm offering tours of wineries in southern Spain that are highly dependent on tourists. She said there were "far fewer visitors" than before the pandemic and "now all the tourists we have are from Spain". The country is the world's third-largest wine producer by value after France and Italy, but sales have been battered by the virus crisis. The virus has failed to put the brakes on the Venice film festival in Italy, however, which on Wednesday was gearing up for the movie industry's first post-Covid-19 international competition. Still, only about half the usual number of visitors are expected to attend. "It's a festival without stars because Hollywood is still in lockdown," festival director Alberto Barbera told AFP. "Will there be less glamour? Yes." Rajinder Kumar, 44, a teacher posted at Government Primary School in Wara Bhaika, in Jaitu sub-division of Faridkot, has been selected for the National Awards to Teachers, 2020, by the Union ministry of education. He is among the 47 teachers from across the county, and only from Punjab, to be selected for the prestigious award. The awards are given on Teachers Day, which falls on September 5. Kumar started his teaching career in 2008 as a fellow teacher at Wara Bhaika village in the district. MSc in physics and bachelor of education, Kumar quickly earned fame for enhancing practical skills of students by introducing innovative teaching techniques and developing low-cost modern teaching equipment. I was hired on contractual basis and got a permanent job after three years. When I joined the school in 2008, I noticed that primary education plays the most important role in career-building, but no one was giving any importance to it. The teaching techniques were not modern in government schools in my initials years and because of this, students were not interested in studies. I decided to change it, said Kumar. Me and my wife, who also hold an MSc in physics, teach in same school. We both got promotion as science teacher but we turned it down because we wanted to work in primary classes. In the last few years, we have developed new interesting techniques for teaching, which we further shared with other schools as well and as a result, students showed more interest in studies, he said. As a physics student, I always had interest in electronics and I like to work on machines. I have made a team of volunteers, including carpenters and electricians, and together we develop new equipment. We have developed a listening lab in the school for just Rs 1,200, which costs around Rs 35,000 in the market, he said. He said all classrooms at Wara Bhaika school are smart and the school also has a e-library. I have also prepared e-content for the study of students through new and innovative techniques, he added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON In an attempt to use a legal precedent to limit the amount its building is taxed by the city, the Walmart corporation of Bentonville, Arkansas is suing Baraboo over claims of excessive taxation. The lawsuit was filed Aug. 4 in Sauk County Circuit Court. It focuses on what is commonly referred to as the dark store loophole. The claim made by large retail stores like Walmart is that the building should be assessed at its value if it were dark, not operating and taking in revenue. According to Sauk County Land Records, the Walmart building sits on nearly 22 acres of land. The city assessor, Michael Weymir of Tyler Technologies Inc., assessed the building and determined its taxable value at more than $9.48 million. Walmart attorney Christopher Strohbehn of Milwaukee-based Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown, argued in filing against the city that the store should not be valued at more than $5 million. Egypt stands in support of the Sudanese government and people against the repercussions of torrential rains and floods that swept a number of Sudanese states, the Egyptian foreign ministry said on Saturday. Rising floodwaters hit swaths of Sudan in recent days as weeks of heavy flooding nationwide left dozens of people dead and destroyed tens of thousands of homes. President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi expressed support to Sudan after flash floods had damaged parts of the country. I express my sincere solidarity with the brotherly Sudanese government and people amid the heavy rains and flash floods that have ravaged their country, causing devastation and tragic loss of life, El-Sisi tweeted. On Saturday, Sudan's Security and Defence Council declared a national state of emergency for three months because of floods that have killed 99 people this year and designated Sudan a natural disaster zone, state news agency SUNA said. Lena Al-Sheikh, Sudan's minister of labour and social development, said floods this year have injured 46 people, inflicted damage on more than half a million people and caused the total and partial collapse of more than 100,000 homes, according to SUNA. The levels of floods and rain this year have exceeded the records set in 1946 and 1988, with expectations of continued rising indicators, Al-Sheikh added. Sudan's interior ministry said last week that flash floods have ravaged swaths of Sudan including the capital since late July, injuring around four dozen people and damaging or destroying 57,000 houses nationwide. El-Sisi affirmed Egypt's readiness to provide all means of support to Sudan. I pray to Allah Almighty to heal the wounded and grant the families of the victims in Sudan patience and solace, he said. The Egyptian foreign ministry added that while Egypt expresses its sincere condolences to the victims of the floods that swept through brotherly Sudan, it affirms its readiness to coordinate with its brothers in Sudan necessary humanitarian relief efforts to face the repercussions of the floods. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the majority of the affected families were forced to seek shelter with relatives and host communities. Sudan's floods damaged at least 43 schools and 2,671 health facilities across the country, the UN agency said. Over 2,000 water sources have been contaminated or are now non-functional, it added. On Sunday, Sudan's Tuti Island, where the Blue and White Nile meet, witnessed the highest river water levels it has ever recorded, while on 27 August Sudan's irrigation ministry said that Khartoum's Nilometer has registered the highest level in the ministry's records in the past 100 years. No one has been asking families of special education students about their concerns over returning to school until now, said Christine Levesque from Autism Advocacy Ontario. Although more general surveys have looked at students concerns as they head back to school with new restrictions during COVID-19, Levesque said no one asked whats happening with the special education kids. Her organization hopes to change that. The Niagara Falls mother of two children with autism launched an online survey Thursday evening, asking families of children with special needs their concerns about safety and the challenges they might face, whether they return to class or opt for online learning. She said the survey was posted to coincide with the reopening of schools next week. We wanted to make sure it came out just in time, because if it came out too soon families wouldnt know the pressure theyre feeling right now, she said. The survey will continue for the next week or so to allow people to share the experiences they face after their children return to the classrooms, such as the availability of educational assistants or special services they require. All these things are going to start showing up in the next week or two, so families will have a little bit of time to express how they feel, Levesque said. The 40-question survey garnered more than 100 responses within hours of being posted, and she expects that number to climb significantly in the days to come. She said a high percentage of people who responded reported many of the services or specialized programs their children require were not being offered, due to changes implemented due to the pandemic. She said one family said their special needs child had been in the language and communications program as part of the individual education plan, but because the family opted for online learning that program could not be provided to the student. As a result, she said, the student will fall behind. Levesque said information collected will be submitted and discussed with Ministry of Education representatives, while a report based on the information will be distributed to survey respondents. She said past special education-related surveys Autism Advocacy Ontario conducted had an impact on government decision-making. Our reports are really well recognized within the ministry, she said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 19:55:18|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HANOI, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Saturday is a special day for nine-year-old Nguyen Gia Bao from Hoang Mai district, Vietnamese capital city of Hanoi, as he officially entered the new academic year and became a fourth grader. Bao would experience a school opening ceremony unlike any that he had attended before due to the COVID-19 epidemic that forced a record-long break for Vietnamese students. "The school opening event is one of my favorite occasions at school," said Bao. "It's so exciting to meet my friends again and often there used to be a lot of activities and performances. But this year, our teacher told us that many parts will be dropped due to COVID-19, which is quite a pity for me." Sept. 5 marks the day for all Vietnamese pupils to join the back-to-school festival across the country. It is a long tradition in Vietnam to officially commence a new academic year on this day, although the first day of the school year may vary among schools and localities. Normally, pupils will attend a ceremony that lasts two to three hours with several activities. This year, Bao and many others would attend a shorter and simpler ceremony with fewer activities and more precautionary measures against COVID-19, including having temperature checks and maintaining a safe distance. Bao's school is among thousands in Hanoi to adjust their school-opening activities due to the epidemic. With more than 2 million pupils in the city, Hanoi's department of education and training has issued detailed guidance on COVID-19 prevention measures for the opening ceremony as well as the new academic year. Accordingly, all staff, teachers and pupils of primary schools must have temperature checks, wear facemasks and maintain a safe distance at the opening ceremony. Prior to the ceremony, schools must conduct disinfection on the whole campus and classrooms, and be equipped with items like hand sanitizers, thermometers, medicine, and facemasks among other medical supplies. Before the back-to-school event, Bao's mother Le Bao Chau was constantly updated by his teacher via a group chat with pupils' parents on Zalo, a Vietnamese messaging app, which was to inform them about COVID-19 prevention measures. "We were reminded of preparing protective items for the children and not gathering in crowds in front of the school while waiting to pick them up," said Chau. Based on the instructions, Chau placed some extra facemasks in her son's schoolbag before checking his temperature one more time to make sure he was totally well to take part in the ceremony. She was also asked to have her son fill in a mandatory health declaration form that includes a survey on the epidemiological history of the children, which includes countries that they had been to, whether they had been in contact with COVID-19 patients, or any suspected health symptoms that they had had in the last 21 days. The mother of two said she was relieved to know that children could head back school on time and that schools attached great importance to children's safety amid COVID-19. Nguyen Thi Thu, a 27-year-old teacher with the Newton 5 Primary and Secondary School in Hanoi, was also busy coordinating and preparing for her school's opening ceremony that will last no longer than 45 minutes. "To ensure safety for all participants, we will arrange distanced seating for the pupils, as our large school yard can enable safe distance for all," Thu said, adding that the parade to welcome new first graders would be canceled to limit physical contact among people. As of Saturday evening, Vietnam has recorded 1,049 cases of COVID-19 infection with 35 deaths from the disease, according to the Ministry of Health. The period from late July to late August was a tough time for Vietnam as the country had to counter an epidemic outbreak from an unknown source after nearly three months without domestic cases. With swift action, the daily new cases reported in Vietnam have been under 10 from Aug. 21 and the country has managed to contain the outbreaks, bringing life back to normal before students return to school in September. "None of us can assume that this or that area is completely free of COVID-19, but we still have to continue our lives and kids need to head back to school with new normalcy," said Chau. Enditem They came from a place of care and respect with nothing intentional about trying to be deceiving or disrespecting to anyone, he said of the messages. The fact that some are choosing to take it that way is something we are talking about and will continue to talk about. Platforms are diverse and a one-size-fits-all approach will not work. No one ever is happy with the current amount of content moderation that platforms are undertaking. Some people think it is too little, while others think it is too much. Earlier this week, Economic Times (ET) broke the story that top officials had begun preliminary discussions on whether India should have its own guidelines on content moderation. What always strikes me when I read news around this subject is that consensus around platform moderation is always negative. No one ever is happy with the current amount of content moderation that platforms are undertaking. Some people think it is too little, while others think it is too much. To cut through the clutter, my immediate instinct is to look for the solution that is being proposed as a fix to moderation. In the ET story, the solution proposed by an unnamed official was that there needs to be a standard set of rules for all platforms. On the surface, that idea might make sense to a lot of people. You can make the argument that platforms, such as Twitter, and Facebook should not be judges of speech around the world. Instead, that role should belong to the state. Each government that is and is not elected by the people has/should have its own set of policies around speech. It makes sense to apply those rules to the cyberspace and for platforms to follow them. This principle is not universally accepted. Some states can be oppressive, and platforms with American values play an essential part in keeping free speech alive. Let us keep those principles here. Instead, let us focus on the challenges with having a standard set of rules for each platform. There are three significant challenges to why governments may not be well suited to come up with coming up with content moderation guidelines. Firstly, having a standard set of rules that everyone can follow greatly undermines the diversity that exists on the internet. Tarleton Gillespies book, Custodians of the Internet, explains this brilliantly. All platforms moderate. This includes app stores, run by Apple, Google, Sony, Samsung, e-commerce websites, such as Amazon, Flipkart, streaming services, such as Netflix, and Prime Video, and of course, social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit. App stores, e-commerce platforms, streaming services, and social media platforms are very different in the services that they provide. Even within these clear-cut distinctions, companies have attitudes and challenges towards moderation. For instance, a platform like Reddit has been historically committed to free speech, not just the admin team but also the kind of community it ended up amassing. Historically, this has included pages like r/jailbait and r/thedonald, which are worth Googling for a healthy session of doom scrolling. However, these communities may have never existed on Instagram and YouTube, thanks to their admin team, communities, and attitudes to free speech. Not only are not all platforms not equal and cannot be grouped under a standard set of rules, peoples attitudes towards speech are not always in unanimous agreement. For instance, something that might be free speech for A might qualify as offensive for B. In the ET times story, that instance happened to be Twitter allegedly terming the proposed Ram Mandir controversial in their curated news section. More often than not, moderation tasks can be cut out to be strictly against community guidelines. For instance, child pornography and videos glorifying terrorism are textbook cases. However, the problem exists at the margins and at scale. For instance, if one in a million posts are problematic on Twitter, that can be around 500 pieces of content a day, even more for platforms like Instagram and Facebook. And these are not easy decisions to make. For instance, the Pulitzer Prize-winning photo, Napalm Girl, displays the atrocities of war but can also be taken down under community guidelines for being obscene. As a result, platforms are revising their policies all the time to keep them up to date. Lastly, it may not always seem like it, but the internet is filled with new opportunities for innovation. When a new platform comes about, they need to have their own approach to moderation. For example, when Google Glass came about, Google needed to ban porn apps designed for the platform. All of these challenges, the different kinds of platforms, their diverse nature, peoples perceptions, and the possibility of innovation make content moderation a challenging debate to solve. As is evident from the different number of platforms that exist, this is not a challenge that can be solved centrally. Companies that tackle these issues need a certain amount of flexibility when dealing with such challenges, and that can be hard to achieve through a standard set of rules laid out by the government. It is not the textbook cases that end up being the problem, but the content on the edges that makes platforms better suited to moderation. At least 200 mammoth skeletons have been discovered at an airport construction site near Mexico City, with many more still be be excavated. Experts hope the site on the shores of an ancient lake bed, which attracted and trapped mammoths in its marshy soil, will help solve the mystery of their extinction. Discoveries are still being made in the area, archaeologists said. Some early clues suggest that humans made tools from the bones of the giant mammals, which disappeared from Earth between 10,000 and 20,000 years ago. There are so many mammoths at the site of the new Santa Lucia airport that observers have to accompany each bulldozer that digs into the soil to make sure work is halted when bones are uncovered. We have about 200 mammoths, about 25 camels, five horses, said archaeologist Ruben Manzanilla Lopez of the National Institute of Anthropology and History. The site is only about 12 miles from artificial pits, essentially shallow mammoth traps, that were dug by early inhabitants to ensnare and kill dozens of the elephant-like creatures. Mr Manzanilla Lopez said evidence is emerging that suggests even if the mammoths at the airport died natural deaths after becoming stuck in the mud of the ancient lake bed, their remains may have been carved up by humans. A similar discovery was made at the mammoth-trap site in the hamlet of San Antonio Xahuento, in the nearby township of Tultepec. While tests are still being carried out on the bones to try to find possible butchering marks, archaeologists have found dozens of mammoth-bone tools, usually shafts used to hold tools or cutting implements, like the ones in Tultepec. Here we have found evidence that we have the same kind of tools, but until we can do the laboratory studies to see marks of these tools or possible tools, we cant say we have evidence that is well-founded, Mr Manzanilla Lopez said. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty Palaeontologist Joaquin Arroyo Cabrales said the airport site will be a very important site to test hypotheses about the mass extinction of mammoths. What caused these animals extinction, everywhere there is a debate, whether its was climate change or the presence of humans, Mr Arroyo Cabrales said. I think in the end the decision will be that there was a synergy effect between climate change and human presence. Ashley Leger, a palaeontologist at the California-based Cogstone Resource Management company who was not involved in the dig, noted that such natural death groupings are rare. A very specific set of conditions that allow for a collection of remains in an area but also be preserved as fossils must be met, she said. There needs to be a means for them to be buried rapidly and experience low oxygen levels. The site near Mexico City appears to have outstripped the Mammoth Site at Hot Springs, South Dakota, which has about 61 sets of remains, as the worlds largest find of mammoth bones. Mammoth fossils discovered under Los Angeles subway Large concentrations have also been found in Siberia and at the La Brea tar pits in Los Angeles. For now, the mammoths seem to be everywhere at the construction site. The discoveries may slow down, but not stop work, on the new airport. Mexican army captain Jesus Cantoral, who oversees efforts to preserve remains at the army-led site, said a large number of excavation sites are still pending detailed study, and that observers have to accompany backhoes and bulldozers every time they break ground. The project is so huge, he noted, that the machines can just go work somewhere else while archaeologists study an area. The airport project is scheduled for completion in 2022, at which point the dig will end. Additional reporting by AP The law which the Armenian government pushed through the parliament in April allows prosecutors to investigate individuals in case of having sufficient grounds to suspect that the market value of their assets exceeds their legal incomes by at least 50 million drams ($103,000). Should the prosecutors find such discrepancies they can ask courts to nationalize those assets even if their owners are not found guilty of corruption or other criminal offenses. The latter will have to prove the legality of their holdings if they are to retain them. They will also be given the option of reaching an out-of-court settlement with the prosecutors, which would require them to hand over at least 75 percent of their assets in and outside Armenia to the state. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has repeatedly portrayed the law as a major anti-corruption measure that will help the authorities recover wealth stolen from the people. Pashinian has indicated his intention to use it against the countrys former rulers and their cronies branded by him as plunderers. The politically sensitive process will be handled by a special team of prosecutors. Prosecutor-General Artur Davtian appointed on Thursday the head of the new division, his deputy and three other members, all of them prosecutors. The division will be overseen by Srbuhi Galian, who was appointed as deputy prosecutor-general on Tuesday. The 28-year-old Galian served as a deputy minister of justice until then. Later on Thursday Davtian met with the new appointees to discuss practical modalities of their work. According to his press office, the chief prosecutor told them that they will be performing unprecedented functions and must make sure that there are necessary legal grounds for initiating asset seizures. The two opposition parties represented in the Armenian parliament have backed the legal mechanism for asset forfeiture in principle. But other, more hardline opposition groups and figures, among them supporters of former President Serzh Sarkisian, have condemned the law as unconstitutional and accused Pashinian of planning a far-reaching redistribution of assets to cement his hold on power. Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigorian likewise warned that the bill could scare away investors and lead to capital flight from Armenia when the government discussed and approved it last December. President Armen Sarkissian cited those concerns when he signed the bill into law in May. An unscrupulous enforcement of the law could undermine trust in the state and jeopardize its effectiveness, read a statement released by Sarkissians office. The statement specifically warned the authorities against arbitrarily accessing and using citizens personal data, breaching bank secrecy or hampering business activity and competition. Mumbai: Aashu, alias Praveen, alias Akash Rajendra Singh, 32, notorious UP gangster, wanted for killing a BJP leader & an industrialist - with a reward of Rs. 2.50 Lakhs on his head - 'caught' selling fruits in Jogeshwari, in Mumbai on Sep 5, 2020. Image Source: IANS News Mumbai: Aashu, alias Praveen, alias Akash Rajendra Singh, 32, notorious UP gangster, wanted for killing a BJP leader & an industrialist - with a reward of Rs. 2.50 Lakhs on his head - 'caught' selling fruits in Jogeshwari, in Mumbai on Sep 5, 2020. Image Source: IANS News Mumbai: Aashu, alias Praveen, alias Akash Rajendra Singh, 32, notorious UP gangster, wanted for killing a BJP leader & an industrialist - with a reward of Rs. 2.50 Lakhs on his head - 'caught' selling fruits in Jogeshwari, in Mumbai on Sep 5, 2020. Image Source: IANS News Mumbai: Aashu, alias Praveen, alias Akash Rajendra Singh, 32, notorious UP gangster, wanted for killing a BJP leader & an industrialist - with a reward of Rs. 2.50 Lakhs on his head - 'caught' selling fruits in Jogeshwari, in Mumbai on Sep 5, 2020. Image Source: IANS News Mumbai: Aashu, alias Praveen, alias Akash Rajendra Singh, 32, notorious UP gangster, wanted for killing a BJP leader & an industrialist - with a reward of Rs. 2.50 Lakhs on his head - 'caught' selling fruits in Jogeshwari, in Mumbai on Sep 5, 2020. Image Source: IANS News Mumbai, Sep 5 : A notorious criminal wanted in connection with several major crimes, including the murder of a BJP leader from Uttar Pradesh, has been nabbed from Mumbai suburbs where he was quietly engaged in selling fruits, the police said here on Saturday. The accused Aashu (32), alias Praveen alias Akash Rajendra Singh, is considered a key member of the dreaded Mirchi Gang of western UP, who had allegedly killed local BJP leader Rakesh Sharma at Dhaulana in Hapur district in September 2019. Later, he and his accomplices had allegedly gunned down a prominent Noida industrialist named Gaurav Chandel on January 6, 2020, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Akbar Pathan told IANS. The accused also has another 17 serious cases of murder, kidnappings, extortion and other gangland crimes registered against him in UP, Haryana and Delhi, but he escaped the clutches of the law since over a year and carried a reward of Rs 250,000 on his head. "After he absconded since one year, the accused was moving around in different cities in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi before finally coming to Mumbai where he worked as a fruit-seller," Pathan said. The accused kept changing his identity and appearance and after the Crime Branch Unit XI sleuths tracked his movements through a network of informers, he was arrested from the Jogeshwari suburb on Saturday morning. The accused has confessed to his crimes and has been handed over to the UP Police for further action, Pathan added. A 66-year-old man allegedly tried to slip border officials $1,000 in cash to let him pass through a border checkpoint from coronavirus-riddled Victoria. The man was allegedly attempting to cross the Victorian border into New South Wales just before 2pm on Friday. He was stopped by police, who requested to see his border permit to enter the state due to the travel ban currently in place. A 66-year-old man has been charged after he allegedly tried to slip border officials $1000 in cash to let him pass through the checkpoint (pictured, checkpoint in Albury on July 8) The man allegedly could not give the officers a border permit. Instead, he allegedly offered the police an envelope with $1,000 in cash. He was arrested and charged with attempting to bribe a member of the NSW Police force. The accused will appear in front of Moama Local Court on November 4. He has been granted strict conditional bail. Advertisement A swarm of more than 1,000 anti-lockdown protesters have descended on Melbourne and clashed with police officers in wild scenes as the 'Freedom Day' rally threatens to spiral out of control. Frustrated activists, furious with Daniel Andrew's Stage Four lockdown, turned out in their droves to demand the restrictions come to an end, with new coronavirus cases now in the double digits. Shocking footage shows the horde of protesters, many refusing to wear masks and battling with police, as the city's CBD was brought to a standstill as traffic was diverted from the area. Dramatic scenes saw demonstrators tackled to the ground while officers struggled to detain them. The protests kicked off at the Shrine of Remembrance but coronavirus-deniers have since taken to the streets, stopping traffic near Albert Park. One crowd faced off with police on horseback as the chant 'freedom' rang out across the city while 15 people were arrested and more than 150 fines given out. Of those arrests, 14 were for breaching COVID-19 restrictions and one was for assaulting a police officer after a cop was hit round the head as the protests turned violent. Meanwhile protests have erupted in Byron Bay with one onlooker telling Daily Mail Australia crowds were chanting 'free Victoria'. Anti-lockdown protesters were bombarded with police outside the Shrine of Remembrance on Saturday (pictured) One man is seen shouting for the end of lockdown during the wild protests on Saturday. It's believed dozens have been arrested A standoff between Victorian police officers and coronavirus-deniers is seen outside the Shrine of Remembrance on Saturday One man had a mask forced upon him by Victorian police officers - claiming he was going to the dentist THe man is seen arguing with police at the march on Saturday. Thousands vowed to attend the protest but many announced they would not turn up in the days before the march One man had his shirt ripped off during the violent protests in Melbourne on Saturday. He is seen being led away by police Ralliers were warned a large police presence would be seen if they attended the protests which defy Melbourne's strict COVID-19 restrictions. One man claimed he was going to see the dentist when confronted by police outside the Shrine of Remembrance. Police later arrested the man and forced a face mask upon him, The Herald Sun reported. Officers in riot gear have since descended onto the streets as the protest continues to make its way across the city. In the lead up to the march, many of the anti-lockdown movement's most notorious members announced they would no longer attend and urged others to boycott the event. James Bartolo was charged with incitement on Friday for allegedly encouraging his mass following to attend the rally. Following his arrest, Bartolo announced he would not be at the march. The mass crowds or protesters were outmatched by police who swarmed the Shrine of Remembrance on Saturday One man is seen caught in a scuffle with a Victorian police officer during the protest (pictured on Saturday) with wild scenes caught on camera One woman with a top reading: 'Freedom' was seen being dragged away by two police officers and she desperately tried to fight them off Police scramble to detain a women seen at the protest in Melbourne on Saturday morning. A large number of demonstrators have been arrested Another man was seen walked away from the demonstration by police officers with his shirt pulled over his arm Hundreds of protesters were at Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance but they were outmatched by the mass of police Officers scuffle with another protester refusing to wear a mask as the Freedom Day rally spirals out of control Officers and Melburnians fall to the ground during dramatic arrests from the anti-lockdown protest on Saturday 'Don't go, it's a trap. But don't live in fear - I got arrested, they stole my shit, it's a pain in the a**e but whatever, I'm fine,' he said. Police later released a statement calling the march 'disappointing' and criticising attendees for 'putting the lives of Victorians at risk'. One woman with a top reading: 'Freedom' was seen being dragged away by two police officers as she desperately tried to fight them off. Meanwhile, another man was seen dragged away from the demonstration with his shirt pulled up around his arm. Despite the hundreds of protesters in attendance, they were no match for the army of police. It's believed around 200 people had gathered at the Shrine of Remembrance by Saturday morning, Nine News reported. Police on horseback have since formed a line along the steps of the building with protesters reportedly throwing punches to break through. The coronavirus-sceptics armed with 'end the lockdown' signs and Australian flags have continued to make their way across the city into Albert Park. One woman had her sign that read: 'End the lockdown the people are suffering' confiscated by police. A man is placed under arrest at the anti-lockdown protest in Melbourne on Saturday. Many were seen clashing with police Victorian police officers pin down a man who had attended the march in Melbourne on Saturday (pictured) as thousands breached health laws A woman without a mask is seen holding a sign that reads: 'End the lockdown the people are suffering' during Saturday's protest Police then clashed with the protester and took away her anti-lockdown signs (pictured) as cops clashed with Melburnians Police arrest one demonstrator while holding back another during the rally in Melbourne. It comes after Victoria recorded 76 new coronavirus cases The large crowd which has reportedly grown into the thousands has even stopped traffic throughout Melbourne's CBD. Police helicopters are circling overhead keeping a watchful eye on the furious protesters below. In Sydney mayhem unfolded as well with another group of protesters arrested. Hundreds gathered at Hyde Park including boxing champ Anthony Mundine who said the killer disease is just a cover-up. 'I support people coming together and standing up against injustice. It's a dictatorship. A tyrannical reign,' he told The Sunday Telegraph. 'COVID is just a symptom of 5G radiation - it's a cover up.' Three arrests were made at Hyde Park including a 44-year-old man and a 54-year-old for allegedly assaulting police and another woman for failing to comply with a move on notice. Police also issued $1,000 fines to 18 people for ignoring COVID-19 restrictions. One man, Sam Hansen, 26, who was also arrested in Sydney on Saturday, said he believed the virus wasn't real. 'I'm here because I believe in freedom. I don't like the lockdown laws. I think the entire COVID cyborg is a massive scam,' he said. Other rallies kicked off at Sydney Olympic Park in Homebush with demonstrators singing the Australian national anthem. Back in Melbourne, Married At First Sight star Hayley Vernon, was also seen clashing with officers outside the Shrine of Remembrance. Married At First Sight star Hayley Vernon (pictured) also attended the protest on Saturday The reality TV star clashed with officers outside the Shrine of Remembrance on Saturday The dramatic marches come just one day before Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews reveals the 'road map' plan for the state out of lockdown, which is due to end at 11.59pm on September 13. Earlier leaked documents suggested the 8pm-5am curfew and tough restrictions on businesses would continue for another two weeks, with the economy already in a tatters after thousands were forced to close. According to the leaked documents, residents could be given the luxury of two hours of exercise a day, which can be split into two sessions, from September 14 - the official date Stage Four comes to an end. The report stated that from September 28, up to five people, including children, from up to two households will be allowed to meet outdoors for social interaction. Permits will no longer be required for childcare and in-home childminding, according to the document. Outdoor personal training would be allowed for up to two people per trainer and outdoor pools will open for exercise for up to 20 people at a time. Officials have insisted the document is 'out of date', and that the new rules for coming out of lockdown will be announced on Sunday. Police line up on horseback in Melbourne as hundreds of protesters descend onto the coronavirus-riddled city Meanwhile in northern NSW, protests have also spiralled out of control in Byron Bay. Huge masses of residents armed with megaphones and signs took the streets of the popular beach town demanding 'freedom' and 'free choice'. One barefooted man was dragged away by NSW police officers and thrown into a paddy wagon following the mass rally. Others flashed signs and banners reading: 'Free choice for all, let us decide'. One onlooker told Daily Mail Australia the crowds were chanting 'Free Victoria'. 'We were very confused, we were like 'why are people chanting 'free Victoria'?' the witness said. 'We assumed it was a Black Lives Matter protest until we read the signs.' Premier Daniel Andrews has warned 'thousands' of Victorians would die if strict coronavirus restrictions were to be lifted. Stage Four restrictions in Melbourne, and Stage Three in the rest of the state, are set to lift on September 13 after weeks of enduring the miserable lockdown. But speaking on Saturday, a day ahead of his announcement on easing restrictions, Mr Andrews said lockdown was unlikely to end. Protests have also erupted out of control in Byron Bay, in northern NSW. Residents have held banners reading: 'free choice for all. Let us decide' 'To open up with those numbers would, of course, see the total number of coronavirus infections explode,' Mr Andrews said. 'It would see many, many hundreds, indeed thousands, of Victorians infected with this virus. 'So, as frustrating, as challenging as it is, we need to stay the course on this. 'That's why tomorrow we will outline a road map to ease these important restrictions, to ease out of the second wave, once it's appropriately and properly defeated. Truly defeated.' Victoria recorded 76 new coronavirus cases and 11 deaths on Saturday, with the welcome infection numbers coming after a spike earlier in the week saw 113 new cases after days of double digit transmission. Friday was Victoria's deadliest day of the pandemic so far, with 59 deaths announced - but 50 of those had occurred back in July and August in aged care homes. Residents armed with megaphones called out for freedom in the idyllic beach holiday destination on Saturday One barefooted man was dragged away by police and thrown into a paddy wagon following the protests Huge numbers gathered together for the protest in Byron Bay on Saturday The huge turn out came despite the rally's own organisers urging people not to go, saying the Andrews government would use it as an excuse to extend lockdown. James Bartolo, who has been a face of the anti-lockdown campaign urged his mass following not to attend the protest. Sharing a video on his personal Facebook page, the 27-year-old said Saturday's march was the 'worst possible thing' to do - believing it would prolong the lockdown. 'It is a set up from the get go. It is all just terrible. Don't go to that one,' he said. 'I say don't go because I am concerned about the safety of the brave men and women who plan to go. The police are not forcing me to say anything.' Bartolo said that with the road map out of Stage Four restrictions to be revealed on Sunday, marches on Saturday would do more harm than good. But Bartolo was singing a different tune in a video on Thursday night that was likely part of the reason he was arrested. 'I suggest if you're thinking of going or not going... just f**king go,' he said. In the same video he gave protesters tips on how to conduct themselves on Saturday, including to avoid police and be compliant. Bartolo claimed to not be involved in actually organising the protest, which he said was planned 'terribly' and following ones needed to be done a lot better. James Bartolo (pictured) one of the biggest anti-lockdown pushers has now said he will not attend the protest after he was arrested for incitement Bartolo urged his followers not to attend the planned protest on Saturday Leaders of the Christian community in Edo State on Friday endorsed incumbent Governor Godwin Obaseki in the September 19 governorship election in the state. National Daily gathered from the broadcast of the governor on his page on a social media platform that Christian leaders in Edo State under the aegis of Consensus Christian Leaders Forum, have endorsed his second term bid, pledging to mobilise the Christian community in the state to ensure his re-election together with the Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Philip Shaibu on September 19. According Governor Obaseki, the General Overseer of Gospel Defenders Ministries, and Chairman of the Christian Leaders Forum, Bishop Fred Aghedo, commended our leadership style which he said has translated to better life for the Edo people. The Bishop thanked the governor for the reconstruction of Lucky Way and other development projects in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area. Governor Obaseki expressed gratitude to the Christian leaders for their endorsement of his candidature, assuring them of better performance in the second tenure. According to the governor, Expressing my conviction that the mandate which we have to serve the people was God given, I promised that we would perform even better when given a second term. PV: 10 New Delhi, Sep 5 : "The day is not far when we will come there in the government very soon," said BJP President J.P. Nadda on Saturday while addressing Odisha's state executive meeting through video conference. Stressing the "steady" progress of BJP in the eastern state, he said, In 2014 Vidhan Sabha, BJP had recieved 18 per cent votes, while in 2019, it rose to 32 per cent. "We need to aim for over 50 per cent votes in the state," he told the executive attendees. Listing the party's progress in Odisha, he said, "We are happy that in the Lok Sabha elections we got around one crore votes here. In the same manner, today we have increased our sphere of influence in the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes where there are 33 seats." Making his pitch to Odias, Nadda claimed that BJP workers in Odisha have distributed nearly 7 lakh ration kits, 60,000 sanitizers, 5.5 lakh masks and food packets during the past few months. Taking a dig at the BJD government in the state, he alleged, "I'm saddened that we've not been allowed to implement the Ayushman Bharat in Odisha. There are 2.4 crore people who could've benefited from the Rs 5 lakh medical coverage." He added saying, "I call upon CM Shri Naveen Patnaik to allow PM Modi's scheme to reach the poor and needy." He went on with his offensive while claiming statistics show people from Odisha come to Delhi for treatment. Now they can get treated at Bhubaneswar AIIMS, for which credit goes to former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee and PM Narendra Modi, he added. While making its political goal in Naveen Patnaik's Odisha clear at the outset, Nadda also stressed on PM's "able handling" of the pandemic situation in India as well as the array of economic packages including 'Aatmanirbhar Package' to balance life and livelihood concerns. "Street vendors have been provided an easy loan facility worth Rs 10,000 to help them re-start their businesses after the lockdown. Migrant workers who have returned home, too, have been provided employment opportunities," he remarked. He urged all BJP cadres to go to people and educate them about the key points of new ambitious National Education Policy. EPA/Olivier Hoslet The UK left the EU on January 31 this year. Yet, the trading relationship between the two parties will not change until January 1 2021, when the transition period agreed by both sides expires. And with negotiators heading into their eighth round of talks to decide what the future relationship between the two sides should look like, the pressure is truly on. A brief stocktaking of the negotiations to date illustrates how they differ from other EU trade negotiations, and how this might affect the outcome. For one thing, there is a deadline, and the timeframe is extremely tight. There is often a political incentive to conclude trade agreements quickly, as was the case when the EU and Japan intensified negotiations to sign a trade deal to show their commitment to international trade following the US withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership. But there is never a legal deadline. In contrast, the trade deal between the EU and the UK must be decided before a specific date or the UK will simply leave the current trading arrangements without a deal. Prime Minister Boris Johnson could have asked for an extension to the transition period but he chose not to. This was despite pressure from opposition parties and businesses worried about being able to prepare for new trading arrangements while also having to deal with the effects of COVID-19. Given the two months needed for the EUs institutions to formally ratify the agreement, the negotiating teams need to agree on a final text by the end of October at the latest. While it is in both parties interest to reach a deal, it will be difficult given that their positions remain far apart on many of the key issues. Sticking points include access to fishing waters and whether the Court of Justice of the EU should be allowed to arbitrate legal disputes between the two sides. There is also the tricky matter of how far UK regulations and standards should match those in the EU to ensure what is called a level playing field between the two sides. Story continues Making trade harder Another unusual aspect of these talks is that even if they succeed, they will produce an arrangement that will make trade between the two sides harder than it used to be. Normally, a trade negotiation facilitates and increases trade between the negotiating partners. Even if a comprehensive, no-tariff no-quota free trade agreement is reached, in this case the two parties will face significant new barriers to trade on January 1 2021. As the UK leaves the single market and the customs union, there will need to be customs controls between the UK and the EU. There will also need to be controls between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, since the latter will, at least initially, predominantly follow EU rules on goods. Due to this reverse dynamic, where the UK moves away from its highly integrated relationship with the EU, much of the negotiations focus on how to minimise the disruption caused by the UKs new position as a third country. Clearly, continued trade without tariffs and quotas will help. Yet, for the EU this cannot be offered without guarantees that its businesses are not placed at a disadvantage when the UK gains regulatory autonomy. The EU does not want the UK to be able to offer more generous state aid to businesses, enabling it to undercut European industry. It also wants the two sides to be aligned on social security and environmental protection. These are areas where the EU has high standards, and it is worried that any lowering of these in the UK will give British companies a competitive advantage. The UK, however, is unwilling to commit. No Canada-style deal Unlike in other negotiations, where solutions to impasses are often found in previously concluded agreements, these talks cant fall back on past precedents. Although the EU has offered nearly tariff and quota-free access to its market to other countries including Japan, Canada and Singapore without requiring the same commitments on a level playing field, it will not do the same for the UK. Thats because the overall ambition of these other agreements was to move towards regulatory convergence. The UK, in contrast, is seeking regulatory divergence. Whats more, the volume of trade between the EU and the UK is such that any undercutting of EU businesses will be felt strongly. The negotiators thus face a challenge in finding a solution to this unique situation of two trading partners moving further away from each other. They have just a few weeks to find a way through. Otherwise, there will be a no-deal scenario. In line with WTO requirements, tariffs and quotas will then be applied to goods crossing the border. Border checks will need to be carried out by both sides. And the administrative burden for businesses will increase significantly. A substantial breakthrough is needed when the negotiators meet next week to avoid such a scenario. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. The Conversation Magdalena Frennhoff Larsen does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Spring ISD parents wishing to send their children back to school will have the opportunity to do so soon according to plans outlined by the district Thursday. Special education and early childhood special education students, along with any students between prekindergarten and grade 2 will be able to return to school Sept. 14 under the plan. Back to school amid pandemic: Spring ISD kicks off new school year virtually Students between grades 3 and 7, and grades 9 and 10 will be able to return Sept. 21 under the plan, and students in grades 8, 11 and 12 who want to attend in-person can begin doing so Sept. 28. Were taking a very intentional approach with our phased timeline, Spring ISD Superintendent Rodney Watson said. We need to align with TEA requirements by giving parents an on-campus option, but we want to make sure were taking an approach that prioritizes health and safety. The plan outlines that elementary and middle school students will have a daily, on-campus schedule while high school students will have a hybrid, alternating day schedule. While we continue to monitor public health conditions and recognize that Harris County still remains in the red, we are encouraged that some recent data shows some positive trends for the Houston area, Watson said. This phased approach will allow us to ease back to on-campus routines with our new safety-first COVID-19 protocols in place. On HoustonChronicle.com: Thousands of students head back to Houston-area classrooms Tuesday for first time since March Watson said their goal is to bring back all students whose families want in-person instruction by Sept. 28, but only for parents who want it. Remote learning will continue to be provided to those who prefer learning virtually. Spring ISD makes their decisions on how much to reopen their schools by their operational decision meter. The meter is was set to orange as of Friday, meaning students can return to school but social distancing measures will still be in place like requiring masks. Our goal is to give our families as much flexibility as possible during these challenging times, Watson said. We know remote learning is not a great fit for every student, so we want to make it convenient for families to choose in-person if they prefer. The districts COVID-19 tracker on Friday showed three staff members had tested positive for the virus in the last seven days, and seven students and staff members had reported testing positive since Aug. 17. More information about the back-to-school timeline and COVID-19 cases in the district can be found at www.springisd.org/covidtracker. We want to be as transparent as possible with our families and communities about any confirmed cases in our schools and facilities, Watson said. We know this type of information is essential as families make decisions about how they want to learn. paul.wedding@hcnonline.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 22:32:20|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CHANGSHA, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- It was a day of great significance each year for people in Zhijiang Dong Autonomous County, central China's Hunan Province, to gather to remember history. Qian Dexiang, a 70-year-old artist who was born in Zhijiang, also returned home to relive the joy of victory. On Aug. 15, 1945, Japan announced its surrender. Japanese representatives handed over a map of Japanese troops deployed in China and signed a surrender memorandum in Zhijiang on Aug. 21, 1945. Public memorial activities, including the rubbing of hand models, were held in Zhijiang to mark the 75th victory anniversary of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. Qian managed to find in the United States the original video of the surrender acceptance event in Zhijiang, and sent a copy back in 2014. In 2008, Qian, who had been developing his painting career in the U.S., returned to his hometown. During his visit to the Memorial Hall of the Anti-Japanese War and the Acceptance of the Japanese Surrender in Zhijiang, he was requested by the curator Wu Jianhong to create a large oil painting featuring the surrender ceremony, and the two spoke of the lost old footage of the ceremony recorded by U.S. journalists at the scene. "I've been to many places and asked my friends to help look for the video clip for many years, but ended up with nothing," Wu said. He asked Qian in the U.S. to help look for the record. Having searched for some time, Qian received a short video clip of some 10 seconds from a Japanese student. The clip further boosted the confidence of Qian and his wife, Tan Mingli, to find the original film. They began to visit museums and archives across the United States, but their efforts at the beginning were fruitless. They tried to use the pinyin pronunciation of "Zhijiang" as a keyword to search for clues, but found no references to it. "Zhijiang was once an airbase during World War II where the famed Flying Tigers were stationed. The county was called 'Chihkiang' in a memoir written by the pilots," Wu said. He immediately informed Qian of the information. The couple soon identified a clue in the National Archives in Washington DC after some online research. According to the keywords provided by Tan, the National Archives staff found a full cart of CDs and films. The first two videos recorded the Japanese surrenders in Nanjing and Guangzhou respectively and the couple was thrilled when the third one was played. They finally found it. In 2014, this 20-minute copy of the video was sent back to China, which was later collected by Zhijiang's memorial hall. "Historical memory is significant for a country," Wu said that the video recording will be a constant reminder of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War, and reminds people of the preciousness of peace. Enditem I was in Brooklyn on a Zoom meeting in mid-March, when I saw my moms name come up on my cellphone. Your dads not feeling well, she said. I rushed to our home in the East Village to meet my parents. For the second time in a week, my dad, Jose, was admitted to the hospital. The following day we were told that he had tested positive for Covid-19. My mother, Rosa, was worried that wed get sick too. So she ripped sheets off his bed, and washed them along with the clothes he had worn. About two weeks after Dad was admitted, his doctor called and told us that he might not make it past the weekend. I felt the color drain from my face. My moms knees buckled, and I held her as she sobbed inconsolably. All we could do was wait. I felt so hopeless. The first famines of the coronavirus era could soon hit four chronically food-deprived conflict areas Yemen, South Sudan, northeast Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo the top humanitarian official of the United Nations has warned. In a letter to members of the Security Council, the official, Mark Lowcock, said the risk of famines in these areas had been intensified by natural disasters, economic shocks and public-health crises, all compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic. Together, he said, these factors are endangering the lives of millions of women, men and children. The letter, which has not been made public, was conveyed by Mr. Lowcocks office to the Security Council on Friday under its 2018 resolution requiring updates when the risk of conflict-induced famine and widespread food insecurity occurs. A copy of the letter was seen by The New York Times. United Nations officials have said before that all four areas are vulnerable to acute food deprivation because of chronic armed conflicts and the inability of humanitarian relief providers to freely distribute aid. C Shivakumar By Express News Service CHENNAI: After 72 hours of firefighting, the Indian Coast Guard, along with the Indian and Sri Lankan Navies, has contained the blaze on the Panamanian flagship oil tanker MT New Diamond which is carrying 270,000 metric tonnes of crude oil. It is most likely to be extinguished by Saturday night or in the next two days, according to Indian Coast Guard Inspector General K R Suresh, deputy director, general operations and coastal security. The oil in MT New Diamond, a vessel chartered by the Indian Oil Corporation, is intact after the blaze erupted following an explosion on Thursday and it will be salvaged at the direction of the Sri Lankan government, he said. The vessel was towed 40 nautical miles away from the Sri Lankan coast after the fire, which broke out in the engine room on Thursday following an explosion, resulting in a two-metre crack which has been observed from the weather deck. This crack is approximately 10 metres above the waterline on the port quarter deck. The vessel was towed to ensure the safety of the Sri Lankan and Indian coasts from any possible impact of the oil spill after it started drifting towards Batticaloa. After it came as near as 25 nautical miles, for safety reasons it was towed away with the help of tugs from the Sri Lankan Navy as well as salvage companies, said Suresh. He said foam and water was constantly pumped to contain the fire which was spreading due to 3200 tonnes of heavy fuel oil. Once the fire is extinguished, the pollution response will start in case there is an oil spill, said Suresh, while highlighting the role of the Sri Lankan Navy and its Air Force in helping contain the fire. It is learnt that Samudra Pahredar, a Pollution Control Vessel, has also reached the site. Meanwhile, a Coast Guard spokesman said that Emergency Towing Vessels from Mumbai and Chennai have sailed to augment salvage and firefighting efforts. No oil spill has been reported so far, he said. Owing to intense and continuous firefighting, the fire has been localised at Port Bridge Deck and Aft Ready Use tank area, said the spokesman. "Only plumes of white and black smoke are emanating. Aerial recce by Sri Lankan Airforce Beachcraft and spraying of water through Bambi Bucket by Sri Lankan Airforce MI-17 is in progress," the spokesman said. According to the Coast Guard, its Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) Ameya with 1000 litres OSD arrived in the area in the morning to augment pollution response efforts. Another FPV Abheek with 40 drums (200 kg each) aqueous film forming foams and 10 units of dry chemical powder (50 kg each) has arrived. Two Indian Coast Guard Dornier aircraft with Oil Spill Dispersants (OSD) and Pollution Response Spray pods arrived from Hambantota on Friday night. A helicopter from Indian Coast Guard ship (ICGS) Sujay is being launched regularly for aerial assessment. The blazing oil tanker was towed after New Diamonds Captain along with a Coast Guard officer and sailor boarded it and assessed the towing and anchoring facilities. The Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) tanker, which was chartered by the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), was travelling from Kuwait and was headed towards the Paradip Port in Odisha, where the state-run oil company operates a three lakh barrel-per-day refinery. An outbreak linked to an indoor Maine wedding that breached local attendance limits last month has now resulted in three deaths and 147 infections. The concerning uptick in cases came after the outbreak spread across three separate towns, and officials announced an investigation into a fourth location. The outbreak began on August 7 when people attended the indoor wedding and reception in the small town of Millinocket, according to MCDC spokesman Robert Long. The official ceremony took place at Tri-Town Baptist Church and around 65 people attended the reception at Big Moose Inn. The state's limit on social gatherings is 50 people. The venue owner has since admitted that they misunderstood local capacity rules and overbooked the event, but by then it was too late. Maine CDC officials announced that 147 coronavirus cases have been linked to an indoor reception at Big Moose Inn (pictured) in Millinocket, Maine Pictured: a map of Maine showing where the outbreak has reached since it was first reported in August In the last week of August, officials said there were 53 cases directly connected to the wedding. By August 31 that number had risen to 123 and on Wednesday it reached 134 cases. On Friday, 147 Maine residents who attended the wedding or got second-hand infections as a result of the wedding ceremony were recorded. 'One of the things we've learned over the past six months of working with outbreaks and COVID-19 is that no outbreak is an island,' Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah said during a press briefing. 'What this really hammers home is that outbreaks are not isolated events. One outbreak can quickly lead to several more outbreaks, especially in a close geographic area.' Maine CDC spokesperson Robert Long told NBC News that three people have died from the outbreak and none of them had even attended the wedding. One of those victims includes Theresa Dentremont, an 83-year-old woman who died at Millinocket Regional Hospital on August 21 after contracting the virus. Officials said Theresa Detremont (pictured) did not attend the Millinocket wedding before she was infected Detremont did not attend the wedding, but hospital staff believed she may have been infected by someone who did. Her 97-year-old husband Frank Dentremont, who is a WWII veteran and the oldest resident of resident of East Millinocket, was hospitalized at the same facility a few days later with COVID-19. His son, Frank Dentremont Jr, revealed in a Facebook post that his father had since miraculously recovered and was due to be discharged from the hospital on Wednesday. Dentremont Jr told the Washington Post that he recalled hearing about the wedding, but believed his father and stepmother would have been safe. Theresa Dentremont, 83, died in Maine's Millinocket Regional Hospital on August 21 after becoming infected with coronavirus. Her 97-year-old husband Frank Dentremont was hospitalized at the same facility a few days later with COVID-19 but has since recovered Theresa's stepson and Frank's son, Frank Dentremont Jr (above with the couple), recalled hearing about the wedding, which has now been linked to 123 of the state's coronavirus cases, but believed the couple would have been safe The couple had been self-isolating at their home for much of the pandemic given they fell into the high-risk COVID-19 category. 'I had heard the stories about the wedding thing,' he said. 'I thought, "My dad and stepmom weren't there. They've been quarantining themselves; they'll be fine". Who could have known?' He has also said he isn't angry at those who went ahead with the wedding. The bride and groom have not been publicly identified. 'Nobody did this consciously,' Dentremont Jr said. 'If they knew they were the ones at fault, I'm sure they'd feel terrible.' He has described his stepmother as a 'vivacious woman and wonderful mom' who loved quilting and handing out handmade tree skirts as Christmas gifts. The other two victims have not yet been publicly identified. More than 230 miles south, the York County Jail in Alfred reported a number of cases related to the outbreak. Infections rose from 18 to 72 cases after an employee of the jail attended the wedding - a 54-case increase that affected nearly all levels of the detention center. 'Right now, across the state, about half of the cases Maine CDC is involved with are in York County.' said Dr. Shah. Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah: 'Right now, across the state, about half of the cases Maine CDC is involved with are in York County' The numbers are broken down into 46 inmates, 19 staff members and seven family members of jail employees. The employee who attended the wedding was among one of the first staffers to receive a positive diagnosis. Another group hit by the recent outbreak were residents at Maple Crest Rehabilitation Center, a nursing home in Madison. NBC News reports that the nursing home amassed 19 cases associated with the wedding, including eight residents and 11 staffers. A staff member of the nursing home attended the wedding. Nursing homes and elderly citizens were also noted as vulnerable during the pandemic. The Life Care Center in Kirkland, Washington, was the site of a devastating outbreak that killed at least 37 residents and was linked to more than 30 cases. And finally, an outbreak was found at Calvary Baptist Church. Pastor Todd Bell, who runs his own church 225 miles away in Sanford, officiated the wedding and ten people at his church have tested positive so far. Officials have said that the church's cases have not been formally linked to any other outbreaks, but an investigation is ongoing. Pastor Todd Bell, who runs his own church 225 miles away in Sanford, officiated the August 7 wedding in Millinocket that has now been linked to 147 of the state's COVID-19 cases 'Were still investigating if there are any linkages among them. We have some hypotheses but as with any scientific endeavor, weve got to have more than just reports and unconfirmed notions,' said Shah. But despite the investigation, Pastor Bell continued to hold an in-person church service. During his sermon, Bell addressed the coronavirus outbreak linked to the wedding. 'I officiated the wedding. It was a beautiful wedding,' Bell told the congregation. 'Six families from our church went there. We never expected to get COVID. Nobody expected to experience the things that happened because you went to a beautiful wedding like that.' He said he had been on the receiving end of negative social media comments for officiating the wedding before quoting a Bible verse that reads: 'Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven.' 'Men have reviled me,' he said during his sermon. Bell's Calvary Baptist Church went ahead and held indoor services on Sunday - just one day after CDC officials revealed they were investigating an outbreak of COVID-19 at his place of worship. Footage from a livestream of a service showed Bell giving a sermon The owner of the Big Moose Inn released a statement last week that explained the venue misinterpreted capacity rules and overbooked the venue. 'It is important to note that because Big Moose Inn has separate rooms for dining as well as outdoor seating, the facilitys approved capacity during this time is 80 persons,' wrote Cormier, WAGM-TV reports. 'We understood that there could be no more than 50 persons in our largest room. We did make an error in the interpretation of that rule. 'Our interpretation was that we could take a wedding party of more than 50 persons, and split them between two rooms as long as it didnt exceed our total capacity or a specific rooms capacity.' Cormier added: 'The State - perhaps, rightfully so - assumes that individuals from a larger group would ignore the room restrictions, and take the opportunity to co-mingle. The official ceremony took place at Tri-Town Baptist Church and around 65 people attended the reception at Big Moose Inn While the United States has amassed the largest number of coronavirus cases in the world, Maine's cases and deaths have remained relatively low compared to other states. There have been 4,500 cases and 132 deaths over the course of seven months. Penobscot County, where Millinocket is nestled, has recorded 225 confirmed cases, 15 probable cases and 6 deaths as of Friday evening. Nearly 30 people have been hospitalized with coronavirus and 208 have been listed as recoveries. Overall, the United States has counted more six million cases and 186,000 deaths. Human-elephant clash over land View(s): Last year on average, one person has been killed every three days of the year by an elephant in Sri Lanka. In contrast, every single day of the year more than one elephant has also been killed by humans. The fight has become intense over the years and decades causing more and more deaths both humans and elephants. Numerous solutions have also been suggested and implemented, but they didnt appear to have lessened the escalating human-elephant conflict. On the contrary, elephants are a treasure of Sri Lanka, loved by the nation. How majestic the elephant is! The country has been truly blessed by having this largest mammal on earth, which has been adding to our culture, economy, environment, leisure industry and the beauty. Humans and elephants Lets meet leisurely to have a coffee together; I am looking forward to listening to elephant stories in Minneriya too. I have been saying this to Dilum Alagiyawanna for long time, but I didnt have that opportunity of meeting. Dilum is a conservationist and a film maker, who loves wildlife and elephants. He has also won an international film award at the Japan Wildlife Film Festival 2016 for his documentary film The Great Elephant Gathering in Asia which has been filmed at the Minneriya National Park. Finally, we met early this week and spent a couple hours talking about elephants and wildlife. Dilum had also brought a sample of his Coffee Table book on elephants. The book contained an absolute rare collection of pictures portraying elephants behaviour patterns, intelligence, emotions and romance. They are quite close to humans than to other mammals, Dilum explained. For most of the mammals, brain mass is already developed at more than 90 per cent when they are born. But elephants and humans are different, because brain mass development at birth is 35 per cent for elephants and 28 per cent for humans. Therefore, both elephants and humans acquire intelligence from adults, while they cant even survive at their infant age without the support of their parents or adults. This also tells us that if a human baby grows in a jungle among the animals, that person will not learn the human behaviour. It is the same for elephants too. Thats why baby elephants shouldnt be captured and adopted by humans, he said, explaining an interesting piece of information. Growing aggression They are intelligent and have the ability to make rational choices and judgements. They dont come to attack people without a reason. They also remember well, and they can be increasingly aggressive and violent too. Because of that, even the human-elephant conflict becomes more and more aggressive and violent in the future as it was in the past. When people increase their aggression towards them, they also increase their aggression, he said in another piece of shocking news to me, but it was the point I was waiting for in order to look at it from an economic point of view. Yes, it has been a constant cry of the affected communities to solve the problem, but it has never been solved by any government, I said. He agreed: All these suggested solutions are not permanent solutions, because elephants are intelligent too. They will not stop looking for food, or moving in and around in their territories, or walking along their corridors so that they will find ways to overcome the barriers put up by the humans. Land-scarce country The main root of the increased human-elephant conflict has been the peoples encroachment of the elephant territories and wildlife in the country over the past few decades. Sri Lanka, with 65,000 square kilometers in size, is one of the land-scarce countries in the world for both humans and elephants. The country has the worlds highest elephant density. Apart from that, Sri Lanka is one of the few countries in the world with high population density as well. At the time of independence, Sri Lanka had 7 million population which has trebled now exceeding 21 million. The increased population spread more into the jungles, squeezing the space for wildlife and rainforest cover. Even though rural-urban migration continued to remain, it has been rather a slow process in Sri Lanka compared to most of other middle-income countries. The successive governments too continued to adopt policies and incentives, encouraging people to stay in remote villages rather than encouraging them to concentrate more in a sustainable manner in the areas where it is easy to access facilities and services. The bitter result of the peoples scattered settlement patterns over the years has not been limited to the human-element conflict alone. It also has far reaching consequences on environmental degradation, development cost and rural poverty. Bitter consequences 1. Environmental degradation: Evidence suggests that Sri Lanka has come to a critical stage of biodiversity loss and environmental degradation. Sri Lanka is classified as one of the biological hotspots in the world, which is defined as a geographical location with more than 1500 endemic species and having already lost at least 70 per cent of their habitat. Sri Lankas forest coverage has gradually depleted to 27 per cent, resulting in environmental and climatic disasters with increasing frequency and severity of such disasters. 2. Development cost: For a better life of a community, it is necessary to provide a set of basic services and facilities transport, water, utilities, markets, shopping, health, education, and many other needs. I am not sure whether it is possible to provide all these services and facilities as enjoyed by the urban dwellers to all the villages in the country. Even if it is possible one day in the future, its development costs would outweigh the anticipated benefits. 3. Remoteness and poverty: Remoteness to major economic corridors and markets hinders productivity so that it is relatively difficult to overcome peoples poverty in remote rural villages. For this reason, countries become richer, rural populations decline and urban populations rise. And it is an important development phenomenon that the governments should promote by providing housing facilities and creating modern jobs closer to economic corridors and markets, which are essentially urban environments concentration without congestion. Sustainable living environments The issues that are raised above, including the escalating human-elephant conflict, is a result of not making use of physical planning for development and human activity. In the absence of physical planning, both the development programmes and human activities take the form of an ad hoc and piecemeal nature, which cannot be assembled to project national interests. Sri Lankas National Physical Planning Department had already prepared a broader physical plan for the country in 2007, outlining five metro regions around the country where more than half of the population would concentrate by 2030. Although the economic basis for the formation of the metro regions was not clear in this plan, the geographical concentration of both people and economic activity is a natural outcome of the economic progress, which should be supported by development policy. The second physical plan in 2017 doesnt necessarily reflect the features of the previous one but provides a more detailed work with a logical basis. However, I doubt if such physical planning exercises has any relevance for guiding the governments development agenda or directing peoples activity. Physical planning should be detailed enough to demarcate every physical attribute on land and, accordingly, to define the location of every physical activity including peoples habitat. If we had done that in the past, then as a nation we would have protected our wildlife and forest cover better, increasingly improve the basic needs for communities, and quicken the pace of poverty reduction. We would have even minimized the potential human-elephant fight for limited land resources by providing sustainable living environments for both species. (The writer is a Professor of Economics at the University of Colombo and can be reached at sirimal@econ.cmb.ac.lk and follow on Twitter @SirimalAshoka). The realization haunted Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. His protege, Fumio Kishida, an earnest but uninspiring party policy chief, would likely lose against popular former defense chief Shigeru Ishiba in a race to lead the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. Ishiba, Abe's archrival, would then become Japan's next leader. His confidant, Finance Minister Taro Aso, had come to the same conclusion. Kishida cannot beat Ishiba, the men concluded in June. It was at this moment when the political wheels started turning to propel Abe's deputy, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, to the front of the succession race two months later. Suga, 71, the perennial right-hand man to Japanas longest-serving prime minister, now appears on the cusp of clinching the nationas highest office. The ascent was enabled by a confluence of factors that eliminated other potential rivals. Finance Minister Taro Aso speaks with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Parliament. (Photo by Uichiro Kasai) As Abe began having doubts, his allies were also concerned about Kishida's prospects. "Your continued support for Kishida could create a rift in our faction," Abe was told by a member of the Hosoda faction, where he had gotten his political start. The LDP factions, ostensibly voluntary policy study groups, play a crucial role in party presidential elections by backing their leaders or other preferred candidates. They also help members in national elections and fundraising and lobby for key party and cabinet posts for members. Abe knew he would need to have the undivided support of the party's largest faction to maintain his clout after stepping down. With Kishida losing favor, the next big question was whether the popular Defense Minister Taro Kono would run. The 57-year-old Kono is a member of the Aso faction, the party's second-largest faction, and a rising star in Japanese politics. He previously served as foreign minister, known for speaking fluent English and for his active presence on Twitter. Abe started checking in with Aso regarding Kono's intentions in August. Every time, Aso would respond that Kono "still needs more experience to become a good prime minister." Convinced that Aso would advice Kono against running now, Abe prepared to step down and throw his support behind Suga, his longtime lieutenant. Toshihiro Nikai, the LDP secretary general, was quick to endorse Yoshihide Suga in the leadership race. (Photo by Uichiro Kasai) LDP Secretary-General Toshihiro Nikai quickly realized the tide was shifting through his conversations with Abe and Aso, who had begun to talk about Suga more frequently than Kishida. The very same day Abe announced his resignation, Nikai summoned high-ranking members of his own faction and convinced them to back Suga. "Suga is the winning horse," Nikai said. Suga was also quick to capitalize on this momentum, driven both by his desire to avoid a political vacuum and by a bitter lesson from 22 years ago. As a freshman lawmaker, Suga sided with an underdog candidate in the 1998 LDP leadership race. The candidate, Seiroku Kajiyama, ended up second against all odds, and Suga had always believed he could have won if he had started campaigning just a day or two earlier. Portland police keep Patriot Prayer separate from antifa protesters at August 2018 rally: AP Facebook has removed an American far right organisation called Patriot Prayer which is based in Portland and its founder Joey Gibson from its platform. The group has organised pro-gun rallies in support of Donald Trump and far right protests in liberal areas which have been attended by both far right groups such as Proud Boys and counter-protesters. Members of Patriot Prayer have routinely clashed with protesters in the Oregon city where one group supporter was killed this week since the group was set up back in 2017. Aaron Danielson, the 39-year-old victim, was walking home on Saturday night after a pro-Trump demonstration in downtown Portland when he was shot. Facebook took down Patriot Prayers pages as part of efforts to remove violent social militias from its social networks, spokesperson Andy Stone told Reuters. The company updated its policies last month to ban groups that demonstrate significant risks to public safety. Its dangerous organisations policy now includes groups that celebrate violent acts or suggest they will use weapons, even if they are not directly organising violence. In a statement posted on Patriot Prayers website, Mr Gibson accused Facebook of a double standard. As of earlier this week, the Patriot Prayer page had nearly 45,000 followers on Facebook. It was created in 2017. Facebook last week removed content associated with the Kenosha Guard, a group which had posted a call to arms in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The company acted the day after two people were shot and killed at protests in the city, which broke out in response to the police shooting of a black man earlier that week. Users had flagged the material to Facebook 455 times but were told initially it did not violate the companys policies, BuzzFeed reported. Mr Gibson was at a brawl which erupted back in May outside a bar where Antifa members assembled after a May Day demonstration. Antifa, shorthand for the anti-fascist movement, refers to a loose decentralised coalition of groups which oppose the far right via grassroots action rather than depending on the police or the state. Story continues Additional reporting by Reuters Read more Why Portland is still protesting 100 days after George Floyds killing Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Moch. Fiqih Prawira and Sausan Atika (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, September 5, 2020 14:29 502 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c42e18a0 1 City COVID-19,COVID-19-in-Indonesia,COVID-19-Jakarta,anies-baswedan,#COVID19,Jakarta-administration Free Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan has claimed that the administration in doing well in tackling COVID-19 in the capital city, despite a spike in new confirmed cases. We are now, in September, seeing a rise in pandemic numbers [...]. Our battle with COVID-19 will not be over within the coming weeks, but we are on the right track, Anies said on Friday in his address to the Family Welfare Movement (PKK) event. The governor said the key to handling the epidemic was mass testing and tracing, which he claimed the capital had been aggressively conducting with 50,000 COVID-19 tests a week. The figure is above the World Health Organizations recommendation for testing at least one person out of 1,000 per week. He added that, with the high number of tests, the capital had discovered more infected people that could be immediately subjected to hospital care or self-isolation. Read also: Jakarta to require all COVID-19 patients to be quarantined in hospitals The early detection and care, Anies claimed, had resulted in a relatively low fatality rate of 2.9 percent, below the national and global average of around 5.1 percent and 3.4 percent respectively. Alhamdulillah [thank God], Jakarta has conducted testing, tracing and treatment well. Now, we urge the residents to wear masks, keep a social distance and wash their hands regularly, Anies said. COVID-19 cases in Jakarta, the epicenter of the outbreak in Indonesia, have recently shown an uptrend, with the Health Ministry announcing a record-high 1,406 daily new cases on Thursday. As of Friday, the capital has recorded 44,280 confirmed infections with 1,252 fatalities and 33,260 recoveries. The spike had pushed the capitals positivity rate to 12.5 percent, more than twofold the WHO recommendation of a 5 percent positivity rate as the basis for relaxing social restrictions. Fiction 1. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig is published in hardback by Canongate. Available now Between life and death, there is a library. When Nora Seed finds herself in the Midnight Library she has a chance to live all the lives shed always regretted not pursuing. With the help of an old friend, she feels she can now track down her perfect, so far elusive, life. The Midnight Library is arguably Haigs best work to date; once inside the library, you really wont want to leave. Life-affirming without falling into cliche, the plot draws on Haigs own mental health battles, and experiences around suicide and depression. It is a work that will resonate with so many, is thoroughly thought-provoking and beautifully written. It fully lives up to the (well deserved) hype that surrounds it. 9/10 (Review by Megan Baynes) 2. All Men Want To Know by Nina Bouraoui is published in paperback by Viking. Available now An introspective work of autobiographical fiction, Nina Bouraouis narrative shifts seamlessly between a confused 18-year-old in 1980s Paris, and the narrators childhood in Algiers, Algeria, which became independent from France in 1962. Offering disjointed snapshots of a life torn between two competing identities, All Men Want To Know is a deeply personal exploration of cultural and personal identity, sexuality and belonging. Written in a dreamy, lyrical style, the narrative gives a sense of unravelling as much as it does coming together. Raw and sensual, readers will be enraptured by the narrators intense evocations of guilt, desire and longing, delivered in passages of beautiful, erotic poetry disguised as prose. 8/10 (Review by Scarlett Sangster) 3. Sisters by Daisy Johnson is published in hardback by Jonathan Cape. Available now Booker-shortlisted Daisy Johnsons second novel is a darkly disquieting thriller. It features two teenage sisters, distinctly different from each other but intertwined, living in a crumbling house on the edge of the North York Moors that seems to embody a familys distress. Older by just 10 months, September wields a disturbing influence over her sister July, leading to an incident which causes their remote, depressive mother to seek refuge from their former home in Oxford, taking them with her. The minutiae of young Julys off-kilter existence are relentlessly evoked with a closeness that at times feels almost claustrophobic. The descriptions are vivid enough to stop you in your tracks, and the narrative draws to a psychologically apt conclusion. 8/10 (Review by Lucy Whetman) Non-Fiction 4. The Scandal Of The Century by Gabriel Garcia Marquez is published in paperback by Viking. Available now This newly translated collection of articles by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, who died in 2014, reminds us the Nobel-laureate novelist wanted to be remembered foremost as a journalist. In the Hispanic world, his Foundation for New Ibero-American Journalism sustains that reputation. In fact, reading these articles spanning four decades demonstrates he was both novelist and journalist at once. The earlier articles, reportage of events ranging from petty crimes to the US embargo on Cuba, shows his ability to find a compelling story in any situation. The later articles are more reflective and personal. Marquezs matter-of-fact accounts of remarkable things and his fanciful accounts of mundane things will be familiar to fans of his novels, such as One Hundred Years Of Solitude. This varied collection offers English readers a more intimate acquaintance with Marquez the journalist, which enhances, rather than rivals, his fiction. 7/10 (Review by Dan Brotzel) Childrens book of the week 5. The Mega Magic Teacher Swap by Rochelle Humes, illustrated by Rachel Suzanne, is published in paperback by Templar Publishing. Available now Best recognised as a television presenter and popstar, Rochelle Humes returns with her second book for young kids after 2019s The Mega Magic Hair Swap. Best friends Mai and Rose, accompanied again by Coco, their trusty wish-granting coconut, are now moving into a new school year. Saddened to be leaving their beloved teacher Mrs Bee, they ask Coco to magic her back a wish that doesnt turn out as hoped. Colourful illustrations by Rachel Suzanne are a delight and captivating for young eyes, but it is unlikely to electrify adults acting as reading co-pilots. However, as Humes has said herself, this is all about helping little ones feel confident about moving into a new school year. Given the turbulence of 2020 so far, thats an essential message reflected perfectly. 7/10 (Review by Edd Dracott) BOOK CHARTS FOR THE WEEK ENDING AUGUST 15 AUDIOBOOKS (FICTION AND NON-FICTION) 1. Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer 2. Finding Freedom: Harry And Meghan And The Making Of A Modern Royal Family by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand 3. Cage of Souls by Adrian Tchaikovsky 4. Bad Dad by David Walliams 5. Dirty Little Secrets by Jo Spain 6. Mythos by Stephen Fry 7. The Flatshare by Beth OLeary 8. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig 9. Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens 10. The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out Of The Window And Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson (Compiled by Audible) The UK government has been formally warned for threatening press freedom after it blacklisted a group of investigative journalists and denied them access to information. The Council of Europe issued the Level 2 "media freedom alert" after Ministry of Defence press officers refused to deal with Declassified UK, a website focusing on foreign and defence policy stories. The intervention by the Council ironically comes as Boris Johnson and his ministers condemned environmental activists as a threat to press freedom for blockading printing plants in protest at newspapers' climate coverage. Britain has been a founding member of the Council of Europe since it was set up in 1949 under the Treaty of London. It monitors human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Europe and is responsible for overseeing the European Convention of Human Rights. The organisation's media freedom alert system catalogues threats to media freedom such as attacks on the physical safety of journalists, harassment and intimidation, detention and imprisonment. The new alert, issued by the organisation on Friday, was classified by the watchdog as an "act having a chilling effect on media freedom" and put under the "state" category because the British state was the source of the threat. The UK joins Russia, which had an alert issued this week after an blogger critical of the government was hospitalised by two unknown assailants, and Turkey, where a former TV presenter was arrested and charged with membership of a terrorist organisation. The International Press Institute (IPI) wrote to the Ministry of Defence on Friday urging the government to rethink its crackdown said the move appeared to be taken because of the outlet's critical editor line. "IPI is concerned this sudden decision to exclude Declassified UK from a MoD comment, and the subsequent lack of communication on the matter, appears to have been taken in retaliation for its previous critical reporting and editorial stance on the UK armed forces," IPIs Deputy Director Scott Griffen said. "It goes without saying that the exclusion of a media publication by a government ministry due to its investigative reporting would undermine press freedom and set a worrying precedent for other journalists whose job it is to report in the public interest on the British military. Criticism should be no reason to discriminate against a media publication. "In contrast, tough journalism by outlets such as Declassified UK on matters such as the UKs foreign and military affairs, uncomfortable though it often may be for those in power, is crucial for a transparent and functioning democracy." The Council of Europe's media freedom alert says the journalist at Declassified UK was denied a response to a question about the war in Yemen after being asked What sort of angle have you taken on the war in Yemen? and then later told by a press officer at the department that we no longer deal with your publication. The last time the UK was issued with a state-focused media freedom alert was in May this year, when an OpenDemocracy journalists was banned from asking questions as the UK government's daily coronavirus press conference. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 14 January 2022 Ecologist Emma Smart (left) and retired GP Dr Diana Warner outside HMP Bronzefield, in Surrey, following their release from the prison where Emma undertook a 26-day hunger strike during her incarceration. Ms Smart was sentenced in November, along with other members of Insulate Britain, to serve four months for breaking a High Court injunction by taking part in a blockade at junction 25 of the M25 motorway during the morning rush hour on 8 October last year PA UK news in pictures 13 January 2022 A TV presenter holds a copy of a newspaper outside 10 Downing Streetafter the Prime Minister apologised for attending a gathering of colleagues in the Number Ten garden in May 2020, while the UK was in strict lockdown due to the Coronavirus pandemic Getty UK news in pictures 12 January 2022 Fitness guru Derrick Evans after receiving an MBE during an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 11 January 2022 A couple walk underneath an umbrella during wet weather on Westminster Bridge in central London PA UK news in pictures 10 January 2022 A jogger passes the Covid Memorial Wall in London AP UK news in pictures 9 January 2021 The sun rises over horses at Seaton Sluice in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 8 January 2022 Riders compete during the Veterans Men's race at the UK Cyclo-Cross National Championships 2022 in Ardingly, south of London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 7 January 2022 A dog looks out of a car window at the wintry conditions in Killeshin, Co. Laois PA UK news in pictures 6 January 2022 People walk through frost and mist alongside a frozen lake during sunrise in Bushy Park, London REUTERS UK news in pictures 5 January 2022 A skier jumps on the slopes at Allenheads in the Pennines to the north of Weardale in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 4 January 2022 Freshly-fallen snow covers houses in Corbridge, near Hexham in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 3 January 2022 Dean Morrison, 13, receives his Covid-19 vaccine from student nurse Anthony McLaughlin during a vaccination clinic at the Glasgow Central Mosque PA UK news in pictures 2 January 2022 Konastantinos Tsimikas of Liverpool with Chelseas Mason Mount during the Premier League match at Stamfrod Bridge Liverpool FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 January 2022 New Years Eve Lasers, drones and fireworks illuminate the sky in front of the Royal Naval College in Greenwich shortly after midnight in London EPA UK news in pictures 31 December 2021 Competitors in fancy dress run across the Pennine tops near Haworth, West Yorkshire, in the annual Auld Lang Syne Fell race which attracts hundreds of runners every year PA UK news in pictures 30 December 2021 Sunrise at Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 29 December 2021 The Very Revd Dr Robert Willis, Dean of Canterbury Cathedral, looks at Becket, a six month old red-billed chough as he visits Wildwood Wildlife Park in Kent on the anniversary of the murder of Thomas Becket PA UK news in pictures 28 December 2021 Troops of the Household Cavalry are seen reflected in a puddle during the changing of the Queens Life Guard, on Horse Guards Parade, in central London PA UK news in pictures 27 December 2021 A pedestrian walks past a winter sale sign outside a John Lewis store on Oxford street in London Getty UK news in pictures 26 December 2021 Riders take their bikes through the snow near Castleside, County Durham PA UK news in pictures 25 December 2021 Patrick Corkery wears a santa hat and beard as waves crash over him at Forty Foot near Dublin during a Christmas Day dip PA UK news in pictures 24 December 2021 People stand inside Kings Cross Station on Christmas Eve in London Reuters UK news in pictures 23 December 2021 Christmas shoppers fill the car park at Fosse Shopping Park in Leicester PA UK news in pictures 22 December 2021 The sun rises behind the stones as people gather for the winter solstice at Stonehenge. Getty UK news in pictures 21 December 2021 People take part in a winter solstice swim at Portobello Beach in Edinburgh to mark the solstice and to witness the dawn after the longest night of the year PA UK news in pictures 20 December 2021 An auction employee displays poultry to buyers and sellers attending the Christmas Poultry Sale at York Auction Centre in Murton PA UK news in pictures 19 December 2021 Joao Moutinho of Wolverhampton Wanderers looks on during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea at Molineux Getty Images UK news in pictures 18 December 2021 Freight lorries queuing at the port of Dover in Kent PA UK news in pictures 17 December 2021 Newly elected Liberal Democrat MP Helen Morgan, bursts 'Boris' bubble' held by colleague Tim Farron, as she celebrates following her victory in the North Shropshire by-election PA UK news in pictures 16 December 2021 Brussels sprouts are harvested by workers as they prepare for the busy Christmas period near Boston in Lincolnshire PA UK news in pictures 15 December 2021 Lewis Hamilton is made a Knight Bachelor by the Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 14 December 2021 The Royal Liver Buildings surrounded by early morning fog in Liverpool PA UK news in pictures 13 December 2021 People queue outside a walk-in Covid-19 vaccination centre at St Thomas's Hospital in Westminster Getty Images UK news in pictures 12 December 2021 People take part in the Big Leeds Santa Dash in Roundhay Park, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 11 December 2021 People arrive at a Covid-19 vaccination centre at Elland Road in Leeds, PA UK news in pictures 10 December 2021 Stella Moris speaks to the media after the US Government won its High Court bid to overturn a judges decision not to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange PA UK news in pictures 9 December 2021 Camels are lead around Salisbury Cathedral during a rehearsal for the Christmas Eve Service PA UK news in pictures 8 December 2021 Margaret Keenan and Nurse May Parsons, a year after Margaret was the first person in the UK to receive the Pfizer vaccine PA UK news in pictures 7 December 2021 Snowfall in Leadhills, South Lanarkshire as Storm Barra hits the UK with disruptive winds, heavy rain and snow PA UK news in pictures 6 December 2021 A person tries to avoid sea spray on New Brighton promenade in Wallasey as the UK readies for the arrival of Storm Barra Getty UK news in pictures 5 December 2021 People release balloons during a tribute to six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes outside Emma Tustin's former address in Solihull, West Midlands, where he was murdered by his stepmother PA UK news in pictures 4 December 2021 People walk through a Christmas market in Trafalgar Square Reuters UK news in pictures 3 December 2021 A pedestrian carries a dog as they dodge shoppers on Oxford Street in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 2 December 2021 Duchess of Cambridge inspects a Faberge egg at the Victoria and Albert Museum Getty UK news in pictures 1 December 2021 Meerkats at London Zoo with an advent calendar PA UK news in pictures 30 November 2021 Workers put the finishing touches to the Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree ahead of the lighting ceremony later in the week PA UK news in pictures 29 November 2021 Home Secretary Priti Patel is greeted by a police dog at a special memorial service for Met Police Sergeant Matiu Ratana Getty UK news in pictures 28 November 2021 Riyad Mahrez of Manchester City battles for possession with Aaron Cresswell of West Ham United during a match at the Etihad during snow Manchester City/Getty UK news in pictures 27 November 2021 Residents clear branches from a fallen tree in Birkenhead, north west England as Storm Arwen triggered a rare red weather warning AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 26 November 2021 A killer whale (orca in the fjord of Skjervoy, northern Norway AFP/Getty The government was also criticised in February after Downing Street excluded some outlets, including The Independent, from technical briefing, with an official telling excluded journalist: We are welcome to brief whoever we want whenever we want. Hours after the latest media freedom alert was issues, the prime minister Mr Johnson said: "A free press is vital in holding the government and other powerful institutions to account on issues critical for the future of our country, including the fight against climate change. It is completely unacceptable to seek to limit the publics access to news in this way." Mr Johnson was referring to blockades of printing plants for the Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph, The Sun, and The Times by Extinction Rebellion activists. Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, issued a similar message, warning the protesters that their "attack on our free press, society and democracy is completely unacceptable". The Council allows states identified in media freedom alerts a right of reply, but says it has not yet received one from the British government. The Ministry of Defence press office was not available for comment when contacted by The Independent on Saturday afternoon. Home Secretary Priti Patel ordered the police to guard newspaper printing plants last night to try to prevent a repeat of the disruption environmental activists caused on Friday night and told officers to 'get stuck in'. Ms Patel, who described the climate change protests by the Extinction Rebellion (XR) group as an 'attack on democracy', told forces to provide a police presence at all of the printing sites. It came after XR delayed the distribution of hundreds of thousands of copies of national newspapers, including the Daily Mail, to shops yesterday by blocking access to printing presses at Broxbourne in Hertfordshire and Knowsley in Merseyside. A Home Office source said: 'Priti was furious. She told the police to 'get stuck in' to stop a second night of disruption.' Home Secretary Priti Patel ordered the police to guard newspaper printing plants last night to try to prevent a repeat of the disruption environmental activists caused on Friday night and told officers to 'get stuck in' (pictured: Extinction Rebellion activists block the entrance to Newsprinters facility in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, September 4, 2020) Ms Patel, who described the climate change protests by the Extinction Rebellion (XR) group as an 'attack on democracy', told forces to provide a police presence at all of the printing sites It came after XR delayed the distribution of hundreds of thousands of copies of national newspapers, including the Daily Mail, to shops yesterday by blocking access to printing presses at Broxbourne in Hertfordshire and Knowsley in Merseyside On Friday night, more than 100 protesters used vehicles and bamboo structures to block roads outside the works to highlight what they claimed was the media's failure to 'report on the climate and ecological emergency'. The presses print the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday, the London Evening Standard, the Sun, Times, Sun on Sunday and Sunday Times, as well as the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph. Yesterday, Hertfordshire Police said 50 were arrested at the demonstration in Broxbourne while another 30 were arrested in Merseyside. The Metropolitan Police last night said it had handed out a total of 200,000 of fixed penalty fines to 20 Extinction Rebellion protesters for organising illegal gatherings of more than 30 people in breach of social distancing rules. Officers dished out the 10,000 fines at a number of protests to organisers wearing pink tabards, including those arranging the procession of a 20ft model boat named after activist Greta Thunberg which was halted on the edge of London. Ms Patel said: 'This attack on all of the free press impacted many workers going about their jobs. Overnight print workers, delivery drivers, wholesale workers and retail newsagents have faced delays and financial penalty. This is a matter for the police and the Home Office.' Ms Patel said: 'This attack on all of the free press impacted many workers' The Federation of Independent Retailers said the protest left small businesses with 'angry customers' to deal with as well as affecting home delivery services. Stuart Reddish, the body's national president, said: 'It means we are unable to get newspapers to our elderly and vulnerable customers. 'Newsagents have played a critical role during Covid-19 in getting newspapers into the hands of readers and this is not helpful at a time when every sale counts.' Industry sources told the Guardian that other newspaper publishers swiftly helped pick up capacity on their presses to limit the disruption to distribution. Local newspapers printed at the Broxbourne site were also affected, including East Anglian titles produced by the publisher Archant. Under a banner reading 'Free the truth', XR tweeted that it was using the disruption to expose newspapers' 'failure to report on the climate and ecological emergency' adding: 'We're going to filter out the lies and take the power back for a night.' Alanna Byrne, from XR, said: 'We will only tackle the climate and ecological emergency by breaking the traditional impasse of oppositional politics and coming together, despite our differences.' The Society of Editors executive director, Ian Murray, called the protest 'foolish and anti-democratic', adding: 'The irony of protesters who wish to have their voices heard and their message listened to attempting to silence others by preventing the distribution of newspapers would be laughable if it was not so serious. 'You have to wonder whether those planning and taking part in these foolish actions understand anything from history; that controlling or shutting down free speech and an independent media is the first action of totalitarian regimes and dictators.' A source at Sun and Times publisher News UK defended the company's stance on climate, saying that Saturday's Sun carried an article by David Attenborough on how to tackle the climate crisis. The company was also moving to scrap all single-use plastic used to wrap its titles. Although Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer failed to make a comment yesterday, Shadow International Trade Secretary Emily Thornberry said the protest was 'very worrying' amid concerns elderly people may miss out on newspaper deliveries. Outside Buckingham Palace, other members of XR staged a two-hour 'danceathon' to encourage the Royal Family to intervene on climate issues. Labour MP prompts outrage after praising 'excellent work' of Extinction Rebellion extremists who delayed distribution of national newspapers By James Heale for the Mail on Sunday Labour MP Dawn Butler prompted outrage yesterday after praising the eco-rebels who blockaded newspaper printworks. The former frontbencher backed Extinction Rebellion on social media for its 'excellent work' after protesters blocked roads near the plants, halting deliveries of national newspapers. She added: 'Bravo #Extinction Rebellion' and accompanied the message with several clapping-hands emojis. The post was deleted just hours later. Ms Butler, who was sacked as Shadow Equalities Minister after Sir Keir Starmer's election as Labour leader in April, faced a furious backlash online for her comments. Labour MP Dawn Butler prompted outrage yesterday after praising the eco-rebels who blockaded newspaper printworks Good Morning Britain host Piers Morgan branded Ms Butler's message 'shameful' and criticised 'a senior British politician [for] celebrating the stifling of free speech'. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Home Secretary Priti Patel said the attack on a free press was 'completely unacceptable'. Yesterday, Labour frontbenchers were quick to distance themselves from Ms Butler. Shadow Secretary of State for Digital Culture, Media and Sport, Jo Stephens, said: 'People have the right to read the newspapers they want. Stopping them from being distributed and printers from doing their jobs is wrong.' The middle-class eco rabble who want to kill off free speech: Actress leads Extinction Rebellion activists as they moan their climate change doomsday message isn't being printed on newspaper front pages EVERY DAY...as they block access to national presses By Max Aitchison and Jonathan Bucks and Peter Henn For The Mail On Sunday They were taking drastic action, they gravely insisted, because their doomsday message on climate change was not being printed on newspaper front pages every day. That's right, every day. That such a heavy-handed demand was so wildly incompatible with freedom of expression, something they profess to cherish, seemed lost on the Extinction Rebellion (XR) activists yesterday. Blockading access to national presses, thereby preventing newspaper distribution, was not exactly the most democratic of actions either. It was an irony that the ragtag army of mostly middle-class protesters who laid siege to presses at Broxbourne in Hertfordshire, Knowsley in Merseyside, and Motherwell in North Lanarkshire failed to grasp. When they weren't chained to bamboo frames blocking the road, the protesters were delivering eye-crossingly monotonous diatribes to reporters. Typical of the activists was Gully Bujak, frogmarched from the Broxbourne blockade just off the M25 by police after sprawling on a blow-up mattress atop a van. One protester is led away by police outside the Newsprinters printing works at Broxbourne, Hertfordshire following demonstrations (pictured: September 5, 2020) When they weren't chained to bamboo frames blocking the road, the protesters were delivering eye-crossingly monotonous diatribes to reporters The 27-year-old's previous battle honours include being arrested at a protest last April after sitting in a pink boat blocking the middle of Oxford Circus. On that occasion she said the police were 'polite and considerate' but that, she mused, was only because of her 'position of privilege as a white middle-class woman'. Tired and grumpy, the police seemed markedly less accommodating in the small hours of yesterday. A senior officer instructed his staff that two officers were required per arrest. 'This is a public nuisance offence and these protesters are preventing the distribution of four major national newspapers tomorrow,' he said. As she was led away, Ms Bujak, an 'actress, model and extra' gushed about her 'extraordinary' fellow protesters as if they were the cast members in a hit West End show. Then she got serious and intoned: 'The climate emergency is an existential threat to humanity. Instead of publishing this on the front page every day as it deserves, much of our media ignores the issue and some actively sow seeds of climate denial.' By midnight in Broxbourne, around 30 Hertfordshire police officers had formed a cordon around 300 yards from where the 60 or so protesters had blocked the road. A steady stream of confused workers turned up at the printworks, many having parked on the motorway verge because they couldn't access the car park. A frazzled manager stood at the cordon in heated conversation with officers. But as the night wore on, hundreds more officers arrived on the scene. By 1am, the quiet corner of Hertfordshire was a sea of blue lights and police officers from five different forces and more than 50 vehicles. A handful of Extinction Rebellion loyalists stood outside the cordon filming the scene and co-ordinating with protesters blocking the road (pictured: one protester is led away by police outside the Newsprinters printing works at Broxbourne, Hertfordshire following demonstrations, September 5, 2020) Typical of the activists was Gully Bujak, frogmarched from the Broxbourne blockade just off the M25 by police after sprawling on a blow-up mattress atop a van (pictured: one protester is led away by police outside the Newsprinters printing works at Broxbourne, Hertfordshire following demonstrations, September 5, 2020) A handful of Extinction Rebellion loyalists stood outside the cordon filming the scene and co-ordinating with protesters blocking the road. At 2.30am, around 30 black-clad officers gathered in the nondescript business park, seemingly discussing tactics. One XR member filming the scene gestured towards the police and muttered: 'Here we go then' before they stopped filming and scarpered. Guests at the neighbouring Travelodge, clearly awoken by the ceaseless sirens, poked their heads out the windows. Four black vans were let through the cordon and parked up as protesters began singing the Stars Wars film tune that is used to mark Darth Vader's entrance. They brandished dozens of black boxes containing drills and chainsaws which they then used to cut through the locks and chains the protesters had used. Enormous floodlights were used. For several hours, sparks flew and the sound of chainsaws could be heard against the backdrop of XR's music and chants of 'Extinction Rebellion'. By 5.30am, officers had arrested eight protesters each arrest greeted with a cheer from other protesters. The group had sent out instructions for 'rebels' at home, which included going to local newsagents and 'explaining to potential newspaper buyers why their newspaper is not on the shelves'. XR's ambition to target printing plants was revealed by the Mail on Sunday in December. A plan called The Great March for Truth & Blockade, was pitched to XR's 'Action Circle' that month. The proposal identified the Broxbourne site as 'very vulnerable to a mass blockade'. The pink boat which climate change activists used as a central point of their encampment as they occupied the road junction at Oxford Circus in central London on April 19, 2019 One of the co-authors of the report, Donnachadh McCarthy, a career activist, was at yesterday's blockade. He said he was taking part because the Government was 'taking sides with the enemies of Britain', adding: 'We feel that there's silence from the media and Government on climate change. We've faced the Coronavirus crisis, but rather than use it to create a new, green, economy, the Government has given quantitative easing money and Covid loans to people like the aviation industry,' he said. Mr McCarthy, a green energy consultant, has been repeatedly arrested during protests in recent years. In 2014 he was part of the Occupy Democracy protest in Parliament Square and was arrested for allegedly refusing to provide his name and having a tarpaulin which could be used for sleeping, which he denied. Last year he was one of the more than 3,000 XR protesters arrested by the Met. Other protesters at Broxbourne included Matthew Hammond, 51, a maths tutor, who once declared on an XR march in his home city: 'We pace the walls as if they were the walls of Jericho, to be broken asunder, to let the change and new world in.' He posted a long poem about his experience yesterday. Another activist, Tim Speers, was arrested last year while filming himself spray-painting the slogan 'animal emergency = crime against humanity' on London's Old Bailey. Critical tweets on the action included one from Jeremy Clarkson, who said: 'Dear XR people. You've been hacked by a bunch of sixth form proto-communists. Lose them or lose ALL your support.' Meanwhile Boris Johnson said a free press was 'vital' in holding the Government to account and 'it is completely unacceptable to seek to limit the public's access to news in this way'. Last night, police confirmed they had arrested 80 people across all three sites. HOLLY BANCROFT: Extinction Rebellion extremists can't deal with anyone who isn't as hysterical as them By Holly Bancroft for the Mail on Sunday When I went undercover as a new Extinction Rebellion recruit in April last year, I was confronted by a mass of wide-eyed, overwhelmingly middle-class idealists intent on forging a better world. Now, with their tactic of 'locking-on' or glueing themselves to the ground irritatingly familiar to many weary city dwellers, their ranks have attracted a rag-tag group of seasoned activists eager to attach themselves to the XR cause. As their latest stunt to silence Friday night's newspaper presses a vital engine of democracy shows, their tactics have become even more sinister and risk ruining a previously peaceful campaign. Underlining the new threat, Rupert Read, an Extinction Rebellion leader, warned last week that 'parasitic' hard-Left groups were trying to piggyback on climate protests to further political causes. The academic said political groups, including the Socialist Workers Party and Young Communist League were seeking to further their own aims through XR. The organisation's new form of non-violent civil disobedience is one that has become so effective that even the Metropolitan Police have admitted it is beyond 'anything we have seen before'. For several hours, sparks flew and the sound of chainsaws could be heard against the backdrop of XR's music and chants of 'Extinction Rebellion' A lot of my time with XR was bizarre. I was encouraged to call alcohol 'suppression juice' while, during an exercise on getting arrested, one rebel was concerned about whether there would be vegan food in jail. Over lockdown, while millions of school children were left without lessons, XR activists managed to set up an online academy to train members. It is clear that in the last 18 months, they have gone on an ideological journey and are beginning to splinter. One branch, XR Catalysers, is seeking to 'identify UK society's dominant power centres, obtain introductions to key 'influencers' within them, and nurture dialogue with them'. The group has always made much of its de-centralised structure, meaning anyone who wants to set up a local XR action group can do so but this loose structure creates a problem when members go 'off message'. Co-founder Roger Hallam, 54, ran into trouble for comparing climate change to the Holocaust and recently suggested that MPs who he declares 'culpable' for climate change 'should have a bullet through their heads.' He founded a fringe group called Beyond Politics in June, believing 'immediate high-level direct action' is needed 'to bring down this genocidal Government.' He is currently on hunger strike in jail following his arrest last month for conspiring to cause criminal damage ahead of the current demonstrations. Despite this, he is still a key member of XR's team who recently complained it had 'gone to the middle ground'. To rectify this, Hallam, a former organic farmer, proposed: 'We have to be super super radical in order to maximise the probability of maintaining a semi-organised society in the next 30 to 50 years.' As new recruits, we were asked early on how far we were willing to go for the movement and to identify ourselves as 'arrestable' or 'non-arrestable' a key signifier of our dedication. For XR's co-founder Roger Hallam, those with 'skin in the game' careers, families or other attachments will never be free to offer the level of unwavering dedication to the cause that he desires. And therein lies the problem. There are aspects of Extinction Rebellion's objectives that are laudable, but the troubling issue is the unswerving adherence of its hardcore activists. It is a case of full-blooded hysteria or nothing. Not only will they not brook any discussion, they won't even listen to any diverging opinions. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 12:33:37|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SHANGHAI, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Shanghai reported three imported COVID-19 cases and no increase in domestically-transmitted cases on Friday, the municipal health commission said Saturday. Two of the three cases are Chinese nationals returning from work abroad. They arrived at the Shanghai Pudong International Airport from the Philippines on Sept. 2. The third case is an Indian passenger who arrived at the airport on the same day from India. All the cases have been transferred to the designated medical institution for treatment, and 61 close contacts have been put under quarantine. As of Friday, Shanghai had reported 574 confirmed imported cases and 342 locally transmitted cases. Enditem By Express News Service HYDERABAD: Terming the report filed by the State government on steps taken to prevent spread of Coronavirus as vague and unclear, a division bench of Telangana High Court on Friday raised doubts over the number of Covid-19 deaths being disclosed in media bulletins. Though there is an increase in the number of Covid positive cases in the State, the number of deaths are shown to be between eight and 10 each day. There are contradictions in the statements made by the State in its daily bulletins and the figures revealed at the district level with regard to number of persons who succumbed to Covid-19, the bench pointed out. It warned of summoning the Chief Secretary again if there is no change in the manner of functioning of health officials. Referring to private corporate hospitals designated to treat Covid-19 patients, the bench expressed its displeasure over the State governments failure to take action against those hospitals which have fleeced patients with exorbitant fees. The said report lacks information about the action taken against the 38 private hospitals, which have been issued notices by the State government for collecting exorbitant charges in violation of GOs, the bench observed. Why is the government hesitating to take action against such hospitals, which are not above law? the bench questioned, and directed the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) to probe into the alleged rampant overcharging by private hospitals in the State and furnish its report to the court, and also to the directors of State medical education and public health for taking immediate action. The bench passed these directions in batch PILs filed seeking directions to the State government to provide medical equipment, medicines and trained staff in all the designated Covid-19 hospitals, and another batch PILs filed against exorbitant charges being collected by various private hospitals. While adjourning the case hearing, the bench directed the State government to file a comprehensive report on Covid-19 issue, including the information pertaining to the funds allocated for public health sector before and after the outbreak. It also directed it to submit the State and district disaster management plans. Further, the bench directed the government to take steps for increase in staff and medical facilities at village and district level, ambulance facility to reach capital city for serious patients, increase in number of RT-PCR tests, installation of live dashboards and so on. The bench also directed the GHMC commissioner to file a report on the number of Covid care centres and isolation centres created in the city. The bench posted the matter to September 24 for further hearing. The agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, expected to be signed within the next two weeks in Washington, D.C., will be a "treaty of peace" with the same legal and diplomatic status as peace agreements Israel has previously signed with Egypt and Jordan, Israeli and U.S. officials tell me. Why it matters: Israel wants the agreement to carry the most serious status, demanding the greatest commitment from both parties, Israeli officials explain. Officials also hope the agreement will send a message of long-term stability, rather than a temporary deal. The state of play: During talks the U.S. and Israel had with Emirati officials in recent weeks, Israel requested that the document be signed in Washington as a "treaty of peace." Israeli and U.S. officials say the Emiratis agreed. The economic protocol, which was signed by Israel and the UAE in Abu Dhabi on Monday and which I obtained a copy of, mentions that it is "in advance of the signing in Washington of a treaty of peace, diplomatic relations and full normalization." Israeli officials say the peace treaty with the UAE must be approved by vote in the Knesset, intended to make the process more consensual. Peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan were also approved by vote in the Knesset and received a significant majority. What to watch: No date has been set for the signing ceremony in Washington, according to Israeli officials, but the event is expected to take place the week of Sept. 14. The Israeli prime minister's office has already asked El Al to have a plane ready for departure to Washington, D.C., next Saturday or the day after. The U.S. and Israel are continuing talks with other Arab countries mainly Bahrain and Sudan in an effort to get them to agree to normalization agreements even before the signing ceremony in Washington, Israeli officials tell me. If they succeed, the ceremony will be even bigger, but Israeli officials say it is unclear whether things will materialize by then. are continuing talks with other Arab countries mainly Bahrain and Sudan in an effort to get them to agree to normalization agreements even before the signing ceremony in Washington, Israeli officials tell me. If they succeed, the ceremony will be even bigger, but Israeli officials say it is unclear whether things will materialize by then. The White House plans to invite ambassadors of Arab countries, including those who do not have diplomatic relations with Israel, officials say. In doing so, the White House hopes to show the U.S.-brokered Israel-UAE agreement has broad support in the Arab world. Go deeper... Scoop: Kushner plans a trip to Middle East to encourage more Gulf states to normalize with Israel Read what is in the news today. Politics Vietnam's lawmaking National Assembly will hold the 41st General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA-41) via a video conference from September 8-10, said the organizing board at a press conference on Friday. Society Vietnam reported zero COVID-19 cases on Saturday morning, according to the Ministry of Health. The tally remains at 1,049 cases, with 786 recoveries and 35 deaths. Personal cars and motorbikes have been allowed to enter and exit Da Nang from 0:00 am Saturday, September 5, after the travel restriction on personal vehicles in and out the central city to stem the spread of COVID-19 ended after over a month. A large fire broke out at Thang Loi Factory in Tuy Phuoc District, located in the south-central province of Binh Dinh, on Friday evening, engulfing 3,000 square meters of facilities and finished products. A 43-year-old Vietnamese sailor, who was operating on a 24-metric-ton fishing boat near Ippado Island, off Hwaseongsi City, located in South Koreas Gyeonggido Province, is missing after he fell overboard on Thursday, the Yonhap News Agency reported on Friday. The Peoples Committee of Khanh Hoa Province on Friday decided to lift social distancing rules across the entire south-central province from 0:00 Saturday after 28 days of enforcement with no new case of COVID-19 detected in the locality. Vietnam won the gold medal in the group 2s final of the tank biathlon category at the 2020 International Army Games in Russia on Friday afternoon. Education Nearly 23 million Vietnamese students officially started their 2020-21 academic year on Saturday, when schools across the country kickstarted the new school year amid the 'new normal' of implementing COVID-19 prevention and control rules. The second round of Vietnam's national high school exam concluded on Friday after taking place for two days, with only four students being suspended for using mobile phones against the exam regulations. Business Vietnam ranked 42nd among 131 economies for the second consecutive year in the 2020 Global Innovation Index (GII), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has announced. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Campaigners fear thousands of Australians have unknowingly supported a cruel industry which produces designer dogs on mass, as families rushed to buy a new puppy during coronavirus lockdown. Puppy farms across New South Wales sell dogs online or to pet shops, with animals kept in squalid conditions and forced to breed and produce litters until they can no longer cope. Shocking footage secretly filmed at the farms, and provided to Daily Mail Australia, show dogs living in vile conditions and at the brink of death. The industry in NSW is largely self-regulated, according to animals rights groups, with cruelty on a unimaginable scale. Emma Hurst, a member of the legislative council for the Animal Justice Party, is working to expose the dark side of the animal industry. Puppy farms in New South Wales sell pets online or to pet shops, and see dogs kept in squalid conditions and forced to breed (pictured, dogs kept at a puppy farm in NSW) Emma Hurst (pictured), a member of the legislative council for the Animal Justice Party, is working to expose the dark side of the animal industry There are an estimated 200 puppy farms in New South Wales - which is a legal business operation - which produce 103,000 puppies (pictured, a puppy farm) Dogs in puppy farms are often kept in awful conditions where they have little access to food and water (pictured, an exhausted dog lies on a filthy floor) There are an estimated 200 puppy farms in NSW - which is a legal business operation - producing 103,000 puppies annually. 'Dogs are often living in filth, deprived of social interaction, and many suffer from illness and disease,' Ms Hurst said. 'We've seen numerous exposes of puppy farms in NSW where dogs have injuries, lack of food and water, and clearly haven't been given any veterinary care.' She said female dogs used for breeding often have a lifetime of behavioural issues, fear and stress. Ms Hurst added that dogs are often kept in small, empty crates for most of their life without ever seeing the daylight. Dogs in puppy farms may never leave and instead used to produce as many litters as possible (pictured, a pregnant dog found at a NSW puppy farm) Ms Hurst added that dogs are often kept in small, empty crates for most of their life without ever seeing the daylight (pictured, one of the mums found) There is no exact figures on how many puppy farms operate in New South Wales due to the little regulation in the industry (pictured, dogs kept in cages) Ms Hurst said there have been cases where new puppies has been with deadly illnesses like bronchopneumonia or kennel cough, and suddenly stopped breathing 'Most puppy farms are secretive and out of public view and are almost impossible for authorities to locate,' she said. 'There are likely thousands of dogs living in squalid conditions on these puppy farms, but because of secrecy of the industry and lack of proper regulation it's impossible to know exactly how many there really are.' There isn't only the issue of where the pets are raised and the behavioural trauma it can cause, but puppies bred at the farms often suffer fatal health defects. Ms Hurst said there have been cases where new puppies have come down with deadly illnesses like bronchopneumonia or kennel cough, and suddenly stopped breathing. Others have reported health issues such as hip dysplasia, ear infections, hernias and parvovirus - forcing their new owners to pay thousands in vet bills. Others have reported health issues such as hip dysplasia, ear infections, hernias and parvovirus - forcing their new owners to pay thousands in vet bills New South Wales has some of the weakest laws in the country when it comes to puppy farming (pictured, dogs kept in dark and filthy cages) People convicted of animal cruelty have the ability to restart their puppy farming despite their crimes WHAT ARE THE PUPPY FARM RULES IN EACH STATE New South Wales Puppy farms are legal in NSW. The code of practice when it comes to the sale of dogs aren't linked to any legislation, meaning some can go years without inspection. The industry in NSW is mainly self-regulated, according to animal rights groups, and there are no caps on dog numbers, and no caps on litter limits. VICTORIA Victoria banned the sale of animals in pet shops unless they are from a registered shelter, rescue group or pound since July 1, 2018. There is also a limit on how many litters and dog numbers in Victoria. There is also an online register where people who want to sell an animal companion must register, which began on July 1, 2019. TASMANIA Tasmania has similar circumstances to NSW. There is legislation preventing there has to be a specific location on the business premises where dogs are killed. They can't be killed in front of other dogs or people. ACT There is a code of practice and breeder's licence system in ACT, which was introduced in 2015. However the sale of animals in pet shops is still allowed in the territory. QUEENSLAND The sale of pets in pet shops and puppy farms are legal in NSW. However, in May 2017 Queensland introduced a breeder ID system and anyone advertising a pet must include their ID in the advertisement. There are no caps and limits on puppy farms in Queensland, and it is legal to kill dogs who are 'no longer required'. SOUTH AUSTRALIA A code of practice was introduced in 2017, but it allows people to keep breeding dogs confined 23 hours and 30 minutes of the day. It allows for the sale of animals in pet shops and allows puppy farms to kill their animals, as long as it isn't by drowning. WESTERN AUSTRALIA Puppy factories and the sale of animals in pet shops is legal, however the McGowan Labor Government are drafting legislation that will be similar to Victoria's. Source: Oscar's Law Advertisement New South Wales has some of the weakest laws in the country when it comes to puppy farming - with people convicted of animal cruelty allowed to continue operating their business, according to activists. Ms Hurst said there is evidence of development applications from puppy farms owners in other states moving their operation to NSW due to the relaxed legislation. 'We need urgent action in NSW to protect dogs and to make sure we don't become the puppy farming hub of Australia,' Ms Hurst said. Ms Hurst said there is evidence of development applications from puppy farms owners in other states moving their operation to NSW due to the relaxed legislation Ms Hurst told Daily Mail Australia that people should never buy a cat or dog online or from a pet shop She said that pet shops almost always sell animals that have come from puppy farms as reputable breeders wouldn't sell to them ANIMAL JUSTICE PARTY'S MLC EMMA HURST REVEALS HOW TO AVOID PUPPY FARMERS Ms Hurst told Daily Mail Australia that people should never buy a cat or dog online or from a pet shop. She said that pet shops almost always sell animals that have come from puppy farms as reputable breeders wouldn't sell to them. 'If you can't visit the house and meet the mother with her pups - assume the worst,' she said. She also said that puppy farmers will suggest meeting at the buyer's home or an agreed location. Ms Hurst said that is a red flag. She also said online websites such as Gumtree are also used by puppy farmers as they can hide their practices from unknowing customers. 'The best way to ensure your new companion is coming from a good place is to adopt rather than shop,' she said. 'We encourage anyone looking for a new family member to visit a rescue centre and save a life.' Advertisement Ms Hurst is working to bring in legislation that would hold people on puppy farms accountable for their actions Dogs in puppy farms are kept in captivity in horrific cages so they can mass produce puppies for a commercial industry She wants the legislation to - at the very least - match Victoria, where there is a limit of ten breeding dogs per breeder and each dog can only produce a maximum of five litters Due to puppy farms not being connected to any legislation, some operations may not be inspected for years There are also hopes on limiting the number of undesexed dogs, banning the sale of dogs online and in pet shops, registration requirements and mandatory vet checks Ms Hurst is introducing legislation into the NSW parliament in the hopes of stopping the state becoming a hub for puppy farming. She wants the legislation to - at the very least - match Victoria, where there is a limit of ten breeding dogs per breeder and each dog can only produce a maximum of five litters. There are also hopes on limiting the number of undesexed dogs, banning the sale of dogs online and in pet shops, registration requirements and mandatory vet checks. 'The people of NSW will never accept the industrialized factory farming of puppies especially while thousands of healthy loving dogs are being killed in pounds because there aren't enough loving homes,' Ms Hurst said. Western Australia is also working on bringing similar legislation to Victoria on puppy farms. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 16:26:09|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NEW DELHI, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- India's top health research body - Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has recommended testing on demand for all individuals undertaking travel to other states and foreign countries. "Testing on demand (state governments to decide simplified modalities) for all individuals undertaking travel to countries/Indian states mandating a negative COVID-19 test at point of entry," reads a new advisory from ICMR. "All individuals who wish to get themselves tested." As per ICMR, all people living in containment zones should be tested using rapid antigen testing (RAT) kits, especially in the cities that are badly affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. "ICMR's advisory is generic in nature and may be modified as per discretion of the state health authorities," the ICMR said. The health research body also said no emergency procedure, including deliveries, should be delayed for lack of tests, and pregnant women should not be referred for a lack of testing facility. "Mothers who test positive for COVID-19 should be advised to wear a mask and undertake frequent handwashing while handling their baby for 14 days. They should also be advised on breast cleaning before feeding the neonate. These measures are likely to reduce transmission of COVID-19 to their babies." India Saturday said the number of COVID-19 cases in the country has reached 4,023,179 including 69,561 deaths. During the past 24 hours, 86,432 new COVID-19 cases and 1,089 related deaths were recorded in the country. Enditem PUNE Programmes for Teachers Day will be celebrated online this year across various city institutes, amid the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, but this has not dampened the enthusiasm among students despite limitations. We have received an invitation from our students to participate in the Teachers Day programme. They have planned a series of programmes, said Rupali Dhamdhere, principal, Trinity International School. Last year, the senior students had conducted classes for junior students, but this year, despite the limitations students have prepared speech and teacher descriptions, she said. Krutharth Kotnis, head boy, Trinity International School, is liaisoning with his fellow students and together they have planned to surprise their teachers. Over the past five months, we have become tech-savvy and we are prepared to use every bit of technology to celebrate Teachers Day and appreciate their efforts virtually. As the head boy and organiser, it was truly a challenging task as the programme will be held online, said Kotnis. We will not only give a speech but a dance performance and we will be reciting humorous quotes about teachers. I am truly enjoying organising this event and I truly appreciate the participation and enthusiasm of my fellow students, he said. While students of DAV school, Aundh too have planned an entire drama recorded by students for their teachers which will be screened during a live event planned at 8 am on their regular online site. In spite of challenges the students have coordinated well and organised an online programme for Teachers Day. Last year the senior students conducted classes for junior students and also held dance programmes along with appreciation speech for their teachers, said C Madhavi, principal, DAV school. A virtual programme has been arranged by the students for their teachers. It is a new experience for the students but they all sent gifts to teachers which was a very sweet gesture, said Rashmi Gupta, principal, CP Goenka School. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The secretary-general of the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council on Sunday condemned "threats" by Iran's president and other Iranian officials towards the United Arab Emirates over its agreement with Israel to normalise relations, the GCC said in a statement. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday the UAE has made a "huge mistake" in reaching the deal with Israel, condemning what he called a betrayal by the Gulf state. WASHINGTON The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has urged state departments of health to prepare for the possible distribution of a coronavirus vaccine before the Nov. 3 election. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is now bidding out a more than $250 million contract to a communications firm that will help defeat despair and inspire hope about the coronavirus pandemic with messaging before January. These actions revealed by media this week have concerned Democrats and some health officials that the Trump administration is working to minimize the coronavirus with a particular goal at the forefront, the reelection of President Donald Trump. Trumps response coronavirus pandemic is undoubtedly one of the biggest obstacles to his reelection. In a national poll released this week by Quinnipiac University, 56 percent of likely voters said Democrat Joe Biden would do a better job handling the coronavirus than President Donald Trump. To date, over 186,000 Americans have died from the virus. While Ive interviewed many Republicans who say Trump has done the best he could with an unprecendented situation, many Democrats and independents are not so forgiving. While Trumps team applauds his work to implement international travel bans and steer ventilators and even hospital ships to hard-hit areas, many Democrats say it was too little, too late, when a quick, thorough response could have flattened the curve and saved lives. The effort to airbrush Trumps record on the coronavirus was evident during the Republican National Convention when the campaign played cherry-picked clips of Democratic governors praising the delivery of supplies to their states in some instances and when White House Economic Adviser Larry Kudlow spoke of the pandemic in the past tense. When everyone would like this virus to be a thing of the past, we are certainly not there yet. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3, who oversees funding for Health and Human Services, demanded that HHS Secretary Alex Azar on Thursday provide details on the communications bid and its potential political motivations. She asked for any correspondence between the Trump campaign and HHS related to the contract. While I strongly support public health advertising based in science and facts, any taxpayer-funded advertising campaign must be led and coordinated by our nations foremost public health experts the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) without interference from the White House or political appointees, she wrote to Azar. All public health advertising should be based on CDCs public health guidance and should not be distorted by messages designed for partisan political gain. The American people must be able to trust that government-funded communications are intended to protect public health and save lives. Another agency overseen by HHS, the Food and Drug Administration is embroiled in a debate over whether to use its emergency authorities to approve a coronavirus vaccine before it is formally approved, the Washington Post reported. Opponents warn early release of a vaccine could be dangerous to health. But on the other hand, if a vaccine is provided to select populations, like health care workers early, it could help save lives. An emergency authority could be how the administration could speed vaccine development so doses are ready prior to the election in addition to other steps Congress and the administration have taken to make sure all aspects of distribution are primed to go once a successful vaccine is identified through clinical trials. For months, top Trump administration health officials have said a vaccine was not expected until the end of 2020 or early 2021 until now. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., warned that evidence points to political pressure on the FDA to approve a vaccine before Election Day. All Americans want a safe and effective vaccine as soon as possible, but if these important life and death decisions appear political, it will only undermine Americans confidence in a vaccine and prolong the pandemic, he said. Gov. Ned Lamont issued a similar warning against rushing a vaccine Thursday night. On a personal basis, its one thing to say you have a vaccine, but you want to do it in way that people have confidence, he said. After the CDC sent letters to states urging them to quickly approve applications for a vaccine distributor to operate in their states and highlighted the potential timeline of a vaccine before November, Connecticut has not changed its vaccine planning or strategy, Lamont said. Well work with CDC, Lamont said. Well be ready to go if they actually do have a vaccine that is tested and proved. emilie.munson@hearstdc.com; Twitter: @emiliemunson PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaskela Law LLC announces that it is investigating Plantronics, Inc. ("Plantronics" or the "Company") (NYSE: PLT) on behalf of the company's stockholders. Recently a securities fraud complaint was filed against Plantronics in federal court on behalf of investors who purchased shares of the Company's stock between August 7, 2018 and November 5, 2019. According to the complaint, during that time period Plantronics and certain of the Company's senior executive officers engaged in an "illicit channel stuffing scheme designed to deceive investors into believing Plantronics' costly acquisition of audio video conferencing company, Polycom, Inc., had transformed the stagnant headset company into an overnight growth story." The complaint further alleges that "[t]he truth about Defendants' fraud was revealed through a series of disclosures between June 18, 2019 and November 5, 2019, when the Company, unable to continue its channel-stuffing scheme, announced sales integration and channel consolidation issues, declining quarterly revenues, poor financial guidance and an outsized reduction of channel inventory. These disclosures caused Plantronics shares to plummet, erasing billions of dollars in market capitalization and causing investors to suffer substantial damages." The firm's investigation seeks to determine whether the members of Plantronics' board of directors violated the securities laws and/or breached their fiduciary duties to Plantronics and its stockholders in connection with the above alleged misconduct. Current Plantronics stockholders who purchased or acquired shares of the Company's stock prior to August 7, 2018 are encouraged to contact Kaskela Law LLC (D. Seamus Kaskela, Esq.) at (484) 258 - 1585, or by email at [email protected] or online at http://kaskelalaw.com/case/plantronics-inc/, to discuss this investigation and their legal rights and options. Kaskela Law LLC represents investors in securities fraud, corporate governance, and merger & acquisition litigation. For additional information about Kaskela Law LLC please visit www.kaskelalaw.com. CONTACT: D. Seamus Kaskela, Esq. KASKELA LAW LLC 18 Campus Blvd., Suite 100 Newtown Square, PA 19073 (484) 258 - 1585 (888) 715-1740 www.kaskelalaw.com [email protected] This notice may constitute attorney advertising in certain jurisdictions. SOURCE Kaskela Law LLC Related Links http://www.kaskelalaw.com Cocq has used his plight to draw attention to the situation of terminally-ill patients in France who are unable to be allowed to die in line with their wishes Facebook said Saturday it would block the livestream of a Frenchman suffering from an incurable condition who wanted to broadcast his death on the social media platform. Earlier, Alain Cocq announced that he was now refusing all food, drink and medicine after President Emmanuel Macron turned down his request for euthanasia. Cocq, 57, who suffers from a rare condition which causes the walls of his arteries to stick together, said he believed he had less than a week to live and would broadcast his death from Saturday morning. "The road to deliverance begins and believe me, I am happy," he wrote on Facebook shortly after midnight in a post announcing he had "finished his last meal". "I know the days ahead are going to be difficult but I have made my decision and I am calm," he added. Facebook has been increasingly criticised over the way it polices the content it carries and said Saturday its rules did not allow it to portray suicide. "Although we respect (Cocq's) decision to want to draw attention to this complex question, following expert advice we have taken measures to prevent the live broadcast on Alain's account," a Facebook spokesman told AFP. "Our rules do not allow us to show suicide attempts." - Calls on supporters - Cocq had been trying to post another video earlier Saturday when he messaged: "Facebook is blocking my video broadcast until September 8." "It is up to you now," he said in a message to supporters before giving out Facebook's French address "so you can let them know what you think about their methods of restricting free speech". "There will be a back-up within 24 hours" to run the video, he added. Cocq had written to Macron asking to be given a substance that would allow him to die in peace but the president wrote back to him explaining this was not allowed under French law. Cocq has used his plight to draw attention to the situation of terminally ill patients in France who are unable to be allowed to die in line with their wishes. Story continues "Because I am not above the law, I am not able to comply with your request," Macron said in a letter to Cocq, which the patient published on his Facebook page. "I cannot ask anyone to go beyond our current legal framework... Your wish is to request active assistance in dying which is not currently permitted in our country." - 'With profound respect' - In order to show France the "agony" caused by the law in its current state, Cocq planned to broadcast the end of his life -- which he believed would come in "four to five days" -- on his Facebook page, he told AFP. Cocq said he hoped his struggle would be remembered and "go down in the long term" as a step towards changing the law. Macron said in his letter that "with emotion, I respect your action". The president added a handwritten postscript: "With all my personal support and profound respect." An official from the president's office told AFP that Macron wanted to hail Cocq's commitment to the rights of people with disabilities. Right-to-die cases have long been an emotive issue in France. Most polarising was the case of Vincent Lambert, who was left in a vegetative state after a traffic accident in 2008 and died in July last year after doctors removed life support following a long legal battle. The case divided the country as well as Lambert's own family, with his parents using every legal avenue to keep him alive but his wife and nephew insisting he must be allowed to die. lv-leb-ggy-sjw/bmm/jxb ISLAMABAD - Taliban officials say a senior delegation returned early Saturday to Qatar, paving the way for the start of peace talks with the Afghan government that are expected to take place in the tiny Gulf state. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. The delayed negotiations are the second, critical part to a peace deal the U.S. signed with the Taliban in February in Doha. The Taliban delegations arrival in Qatar, where the group keeps its political office, came as a top Afghan government body blamed the militants for delays in starting talks. In a tweet on Saturday, the spokesman for Kabuls High Council for National Reconciliation, Faraidoon Khwazoon, said the government was ready to start direct negotiations. The process of releasing the prisoners is over and there is no excuse for delaying the talks, but the Taliban are still not ready to take part in the talks, he said, without further elaboration. In a surprise late night Saturday tweet, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed announced a shakeup in the Taliban negotiation team. The Talibans Chief Justice Abdul Hakim has been named the lead negotiator replacing Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, who will be deputy negotiator. The appointment of Hakim, who is close to the Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhunzada, brings the Talibans negotiating team to 21. There was no explanation for the sudden changes. Until its February deal with the U.S., the Taliban refused to directly negotiate with the Afghan government. The current Kabul negotiating team is a collection of government and opposition officials. The U.S. State Department said in a statement Saturday that its envoy Zalmay Khalilzad who brokered the February peace deal left for Qatar on the previous day to press for an immediate start to negotiations between the warring Afghan sides. Washington has ramped up pressure on Afghans on both sides of the conflict to open up negotiations over what a post-war Afghanistan might look like, how rights of women and minorities would be protected, and how the tens of thousands of armed Taliban and government-allied militias are disarmed and re-integrated. The Afghan people are ready for a sustainable reduction in violence and a political settlement that will end the war, the State Department statement said. The U.S. Security Adviser Robert OBrien had a long call with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani last week. American officials have also pressed neighbouring Pakistan to get the Taliban to the table. Relentless delays over the exchange of prisoners 5,000 held by the Afghan government and 1,000 by the Taliban have hindered efforts to get intra-Afghan talks started. In late August, a delegation led by the Talibans political office head and the chief negotiator of the February deal with the United States, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar came to Pakistan. While little was revealed about the details of his meetings with Pakistani officials, it is believed he was pressed to get started with intra-Afghan talks. With many of the Taliban leadership council living in Pakistan, Islamabad has been pressed by Washington to use its influence to push negotiations forward. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has repeatedly said he wants peace talks started and that a military solution for Afghanistan is an impossibility. Pakistani officials reportedly met a second time with Baradar on Friday before his return to Doha again pressing for a swift start to Afghan peace talks, it is believed. U.S. and Afghan officials have both said they want to see a reduction in violence in the conflict going into talks with the Taliban, but the militant group maintains that a cease-fire would only be on the agenda once talks begin. Washingtons February agreement with the Taliban was reached to allow the exit of American troops after nearly 20 years at war in keeping with a promise President Donald Trump made during the 2016 U.S. election campaign. The withdrawal, which has already begun, is not dependent on the success of the Afghan negotiations but rather on commitments made by the Taliban to fight terrorist groups and ensure Afghanistan cannot be used to attack America or its allies. _______ Associated Press Writer Rahim Faiez in Kabul, Afghanistan, contributed to this report Read more about: BEVERLY HILLS, CA / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2020 / The son of two industrious Israeli parents, Eyal Cohen is no stranger to hard work. When the loss of his father in 2014 delivered a crushing blow to him and his family, he was sent into a spiral of grief that lasted several months. Eyal emerged from his grief, shaken, but was determined to care for his family and continue his father's legacy and hard work ethic. Because he'd previously elected to drop out of college to care for his father, a steady job was initially hard to come by. Eyal didn't give up though, he drove for Lyft and other food delivery services until he landed a sales position at a document preparation company. Completely unfamiliar with the world of sales, but realizing the opportunity this position offered, he dedicated himself to learning all he could about the industry and how to excel. Within 6 months, Eyal became the top sales associate in the company, outperforming 80+ other seasoned staff. His hard work was beginning to pay off and he was getting a taste for success until the company dissolved due to unforeseen circumstances. Devastated, Eyal found himself back at square one. Eager to figure out his next steps, he accepted a similar job at another company but quickly realized this company was not set up to support their employees the same way. After two months of virtually no training or support, he decided to part ways. Soon after, and as life would have it, he received a call with an appealing offer from his previous boss at the document preparation company. The previous company's founders had the vision to provide marketing services to Real Estate professionals and immediately looked to Eyal to be a founding member of their management team. He was the hardest worker and top performer at their last company so they had experienced first hand the dedication and passion he put into his work. He accepted the role of founding member and sales representative at Zentap, where within a few short months, their small, yet, mighty team was landing new sales and rapidly building their customer base. As the company grew, Eyal's eagerness to succeed drove him to take on the responsibility of overseeing each new department. Over the next few months, he secured a foundation by recruiting candidates, building out processes for each individual team. Once he proved out the sales concept, he was ready to expand on the sales team, followed by a customer service team and eventually a team of marketers, designers, and engineers. He was soon promoted to Retention Manager and eventually Vice President of Customer Success; a natural fit, as no one was better suited to solve customer problems than the person who had experience in every aspect of the business. Story continues It was within this role that Eyal and his team unlocked the key to true customer success. They realized that the retention problems and customer dissatisfaction issues were the direct result of a lack of the company's capacity to both solve customer issues and deliver content quickly. Armed with this knowledge, they created a revolutionary software system that generated marketing assets from data. The concept was simple, yet groundbreaking: through gathering information from clients, ie: headshot, logo, listing details, market data, they could convert this all into branded and real-time marketing assets such as a video, static (i.e. flyers), websites, and templated emails. They created solutions that would enable real estate businesses to flourish with software and data-driven content that streamline digital marketing to help them generate more leads, effectively market their business, and build their brand. After experimenting with different hires who were more seasoned and had successful corporate and startup experience, Zentap discovered that the core team, including Eyal, understood their clientele and vision better, and were able to adapt as necessary to accelerate Zentap's growth. Thus, when the time came to appoint a Chief Customer Officer who would oversee Customer Success, Operations and Growth, the executive team realized that Eyal was the best choice as someone who others went to for his leadership, and had the strategic mindset they were looking for. Eyal knew customers the most and also knew how every department worked together to provide the best product to their customers. In this role, he took on higher-level initiatives and continued to explore strategies to better retain clients by increasing adoption and providing customers with the best possible value. Although the company, like most businesses, was forced to pivot and tighten up amidst the pandemic and economic downturn, Eyal and his team at Zentap have remained steady, adapting to alternative work-from-home policies and continuing to drive results for their customers with him at the helm. Hence why, when the former CEO, David Duel, alumni of Forbes 30 under 30 and current successful real estate investor, decided to take a step back from his responsibilities, Eyal's background as the founding member, experience in every department, and relentless work ethic landed him the role of CEO of Zentap, at just the age of 26! According to Eyal, this is only the beginning. As Zentap continues serving the real estate industry with data-driven content and other ancillary solutions such as Lead Generation, they have plans to eventually branch out to adjacent industries like Fintech. He credits the success he's achieved thus far to two things: focus and execution. Although he was never promised growth and success at Zentap, he kept his focus, worked hard, and put in his time and dedication. Eyal stayed the course and persevered through the struggles his early 20's presented, "I'm living proof that working hard and staying resilient and focused will lead to a path of opportunity." CONTACT: Contact Name: Eyal Cohen Business Name: Zentap Address: 9744 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 207 Beverly Hills, CA 90212 Phone Number: 888.343.0940 Website Link: http://www.zentap.com/ SOURCE: Eyal Cohen View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/604864/Co-founder-and-CEO-of-Zentap-Eyal-Cohen-Shares-His-Story-Of-Loss-Resilience-and-Rising-to-the-Top Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Editorial Board (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, September 5, 2020 08:24 503 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c42d31c4 1 Editorial Israel-UAE,Israel,UAE,United-Arab-Emirates Free The deal signed by Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is emblematic of the topsy-turvy world in which we currently live. The deal, which would allow for the normalization of the Jewish state of Israel and an Arab nation like the UAE, is important on so many levels, yet key architects of the deal, people like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trumps son-inlaw Jared Kushner, are so lacking in any moral authority that we automatically suspect that some sinister motives lie behind it. But whatever the ulterior motives of everyone involved (Netanyahu needed this deal to shore up his slumping popularity from a corruption scandal), the fact of the matter is that the normalization agreement between Israel and the UAE is a major milestone in Middle Eastern politics. The last time an Arab country signed such an agreement was when Jordan signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994. And other Arab states appear to have warmed to the idea that Israel is no longer the enemy. Following the first commercial flight from Tel Aviv to Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia announced on Wednesday that it would allow any flights going to and from the UAE to fly over its territory, a decision that would give Israel access to the kingdoms airspace. If the concern was that with this deal, the plight of the Arab Palestinians would be further sidelined from discussions, UAE officials vowed that the deal would immediately stop Netanyahus threat of annexation of the West Bank and what could be considered as potential for further escalation. It is also likely that the Israeli-UAE deal will open the door for a rapprochement in the Middle East. Even before this deal, Israel had a good relationship with Oman, and behind closed doors it is very likely that other countries in the region especially those seeking to contain Iran have some kind of ties with the Jewish state. But whatever the geopolitical considerations, diplomacy wins in the end. This warming of ties between Arab countries and Israel will certainly pose a challenge as to how Indonesia conducts its diplomacy in the region, especially because Indonesia continues to support the struggle of the Palestinian people. The Israeli-UAE deal puts Indonesia in a tight spot, given the good relationship the administration of President Joko Jokowi Widodo has with the UAE. If anything, the UAE has been Indonesias closest partner in the Middle East. Last year, during a meeting at the Bogor Presidential Palace in West Java President Jokowi appointed Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed to chair the steering committee for the US$34 billion new national capital in East Kalimantan. Diplomacy has always been about finding the right balance among competing interests and the challenge now for Indonesia is how to balance its interest in finding partners to help it create growth and prosperity while at the same time fighting for basic human rights for the Palestinian people. There are many ways friends and family would describe Imogene Williams but normal is not a word that would ever come up. In fact, her son Loren Williams remembers longing for normal to characterize his childhood not, at the time, appreciating the way his mother went about things. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 5/9/2020 (502 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. There are many ways friends and family would describe Imogene Williams but "normal" is not a word that would ever come up. In fact, her son Loren Williams remembers longing for normal to characterize his childhood not, at the time, appreciating the way his mother went about things. "We did not have a normal childhood, thats for sure," Loren said as he chuckles at the memories. SUPPLIED Imogene Williams *** very lo-res - photo of Williams being put in the paddy wagon in Seattle - for Sarah Lawrynuik Passages feature / Winnipeg Free Press 2020 Imogene Williams died May 24. In a phone interview from his home in Atlanta, Loren recalls growing up with furniture that was always second-hand from friends or family. He remembers once the thermostat broke off the wall and was hanging there by a wire and his mother couldnt be bothered to take the time or spend the money to fix it. Not because she didnt care about her family, she simply put her energy where she thought it was best used. "So this is how our life was. If anyone was ever in trouble, they would just come live with us. There were always just people living in our house, and sometimes it was a little weird. When I was growing up, I was just like, Cant we be normal?" Long after her kids left home, Williams continued hosting vagabonds, giving them a safe place to lay their heads and the promise of warmth and care from someone with a big heart. But normal wasnt on Imogenes radar. Even when it came to her work as a grade-school teacher, she went at it in a pragmatic way, leading with love. How things were normally done just seemed to get in the way. "She just thought the rules did not apply to her, honestly," Loren said. "She started a breakfast food program the first one she just started feeding kids. And they tried to stop her. They said, You cant just feed children in school. And she was like, Well, theyre hungry." SUPPLIED Williams during her time teaching at Dalhousie School. Loren recalls that when his mom was blocked from feeding kids the food she had bought or made, she changed tact and started offering cooking lessons in an attempt to find a loophole. "She was always in trouble," he said. During her tenure working both at R.H.G. Bonnycastle School and Dalhousie School in the Pembina Trails School Division, Williams met a fellow teacher, Allie Turnock, who ended up becoming a lifelong friend of about 40 years. Turnock recalls when Imogene tried to kick-start the school breakfast program, but it was far from the only time she ruffled feathers. "There was no one else in the world quite like Imogene," Turnock said. "When we taught together at Dalhousie, she chained herself to a tree at one stage because they were going to cut down this forest beside the school to build a 7-Eleven and things. And she just really thought that forest should stay there." SUPPLIED photos Later in life, Imogene Williams became more politically active, especially after she moved back to Seattle. She was arrested for civil disobedience for the first time when she was in her 80s. One of her former students, Lynda Highway, remembers Imogene getting in trouble with the schools administrators over the breakfast program after having helped two of Highways close friends. "If only (they) knew that she bought them bikes, too," Highway said in an email. Highway reconnected with her former teacher after had become a mother. She recalls Imogene bringing her daughter a brown-skinned Stella doll because as shed said, "every kid should have a doll that celebrates them." "I remember feeling like I was the most important person every time I was in Imogenes presence, and that she extended that same grace to my kids," Highway said. The unusual nature of her life took hold from childhood. She was born to American parents living in the Philippines in 1931. During the Second World War, as the threat to Americans abroad rose, Imogenes parents decided to send her to live with family in California. Her parents ended up being captured by Japanese soldiers and spent years in an internment camp. SUPPLIED Williams (left) and her good friend Allie Turnock At the end of the war, both parents and daughter were reunited in their home in Seattle, Wash., which had been in the family for generations. By the time they were brought back together, they were unrecognizable to one another. But Williams took lessons from her parents in their capacity to forgive. When the Japanese government paid settlements to those theyd captured, Imogenes mother travelled all the way to Japan to donate the money to a local orphanage. It was a gesture that was mimicked throughout her life as both friends and family recall her propensity to hand money out who those she met who needed a hand up. She studied microbiology in university and was even accepted into medical school but instead married and had four children Ruth, Loren, Rebecca and Rachel. It was 1972 when the Williams family moved to Winnipeg. She continued to live here after her divorce and after her children grown and left home. But as she aged, she was pulled back towards the Seattle home that remained in the family. In 2001, she moved back to the American West Coast, which allowed her to be closer to some of her grandkids. Imogenes fiery attitude had, in her time in Winnipeg, led her to pitch in on provincial NDP campaigns. By the time she moved back to Seattle, she decided to become even more politically active. "She called me up and she says, Hi, Im in Portland. I said, What are you doing in Portland? And she said, Oh, Im being arraigned," Loren said. "She didnt start getting arrested until her 80s," he says with a laugh. That time, shed been protesting the export of American coal shipments to Asia and she became somewhat of a local celebrity for her climate-change activism and fierce love of public transit. "Imogene found her purpose in life and lived it; making the world a better place," Turnock said. "Imogene brought joy to whatever she was doing. Her generosity was legend. She put others first and made everyone she talked to feel special. There are people all over the world who called her friend, who are missing her and who are inspired to live better lives through the example of this humble woman." Her family continues to collect memories of her life at ImogeneWilliams.com. sarah.lawrynuik@freepress.mb.ca The Bengaluru police have registered FIRs against 12 people following investigations into the drug racket by some well-known personalities from the Kannada film industry. On Friday, the police had raided the residence and subsequently arrested Ragini Dwivedi a famous Kannada actress. Shivaprakash who is said to have produced a few movies, in which Ragini had acted as the heroine has been named as the A1 (or the lead accused), Viren Khanna who was arrested in Delhi and flown to Bengaluru on Friday night has also been named as one of the 12 accused. The other people named in the FIR registered in Cottonpet police station include, Prashant Ranka, Vaibhav Jain, Aditya Alva, Simon, Prashant Babu, Ashwin, Rahul Tonse, and Vinay apart from a Sengalese national Loum Pepper. The Sengalese national is said to have been the main supplier of drugs. They have been charged under various sections of IPC including 120b (criminal conspiracy) and Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances act of 1985 under sections 21, 21C, 27A, 27B and section 29. However, interestingly neither Ravishankar a government RTO (regional transport office) employee said to be close to Ragini nor Rahul Shetty a real estate businessmen who have been detained have been named in the FIR. Police sources told HT that interrogation of both of them are ongoing and there are many layers to this. The bail plea of Ragini is scheduled for Monday. Her mother has tried in vain to meet her daughter who has been kept at a womens remand home. She claimed that Ragini was innocent of all charges levelled against her. Meanwhile, in several unrelated incidents Karnataka police continued their sweep across the state against drug peddlers. In the first case, the anti-narcotics branch of Central Crime Branch of Bengaluru , police arrested three people Shejin, Vidhus and Subramani an inter-state gang for peddling drugs on Saturday. Police also seized 2.1 kilogram of hashish and 2 kilograms of Ganja. Announcing this Bengaluru police commissioner Kamal Pant said that this was one of the larger seizures particularly of hashish, in the recent past. All the three arrested are from Kerala and are said to have been selling drugs across all the Southern states. Sandeep Patil, Joint Commissioner of Crime said that the trio would fill coconut oil boxes with hashish and ship them. Vidhus one of the arrested holds a Masters degree in Computer Science from a college in UK, Patil disclosed. In a separate incident, Athani police on Saturday arrested Sagar Kattikar and Gurulinga Dhole both said to be residents of Sangli, Maharashtra and seized 2 kilograms of marijuana. Police have registered a case and investigations are on in the incident. What's in a name? If "Tribeca" is anything to go by, actually quite a lot. Borrowed from the fashionable, upscale area of Lower Manhattan, this is the name with which a planned 500m development of Belfast city centre has been lumbered. Tribeca. Seriously? If you were to try to come up with anything more cringingly unBelfastish, you'd be at a loss. Yet, despite unanimous derision, the developers have clung rigidly to their label for the proposed revamp of the area around North Street/Donegall Street. Either it's too late to change the branding or it was somebody so high up the feeding chain who came up with the name that nobody's brave enough to tell them "maybe not your best idea". The name Tribeca in Manhattan, or TriBeCa as it was pretentiously spelt originally is a shortened form of the "triangle below Canal Street". In Belfast, the proposed development is the "triangle beside the Cathedral Quarter". If they got the name so very wrong what does that lead us to expect from the development itself? This week, Belfast City Council granted outline planning permission to the 500m Castlebrooke Investments project. Critics say that the scale of demolition of existing buildings is too great, that it will significantly eat into Writers' Square and that the proposed housing - one and two-bedroomed apartments - is not the type of family-home, long-term housing the area needs. In fairness, the developers have shown a readiness to listen to public concerns. Some of their original proposals have been amended. A 27-storey building will now be a relatively modest 10 storeys high. The plan to put a massive car park under Writers' Square has been dumped. And the beautiful old North Street Arcade will be revamped. This Art Deco gem fell into disuse after it was bombed by the IRA during the Troubles. But, around the turn of the millennium, the arcade was back in use, a curved walkway of small businesses offering a magical mix of quirky fashion, recycled treasures, joss sticks, crystals and Terri Hooley. And then it was mysteriously and cruelly burnt down. The word "cruel" is appropriate. Not only did people lose their livelihoods, but animals in a little pet shop in the arcade died in the fire. The new arcade will link, as it once did, the Cathedral Quarter, which it fringes, with North Street and beyond. There will be new offices, shops, restaurants and those aforementioned apartments. The lovely old Assembly Buildings will be transformed into a boutique hotel. Nobody could argue that the entire area in question couldn't be doing with an overhaul. I spent a good part of my life in that part of the city. Working there, socialising there. It was a village within a city. A place of familiar, bedraggled buildings, wet streets, great people and an almost lost history of trades - shoemaking, linen manufacture - which gave it soul and certainty. These days, much of it is weeds growing out of spoutings, bricked-up facades and often the uncomfortable feeling that you're taking your life in your hands even walking past the dodgier-looking parts of it. I have sympathy with people concerned about the proposed loss of so many of those old buildings. Architectural euthanasia is always hard to bear. But this development promises to revive a lost part of the city. Half-a-billion pounds is a significant investment. It will bring jobs, it will bring young people into the city to live, it will (hopefully) revitalise the struggling city centre. It will bond it back together. In these bleak times, I think all this has the potential to transform Belfast city centre for the better. But, for God's sake, Castlebrooke, change the name. Indecisive Boris not building bridges They're on, they're off. Who can keep up with Boris' air bridges and knock-on quarantining requirements? People already on their hols, or with breaks booked, are having to keep a constant eye on the news. All this chopping and changing at short notice - it's unfair. And not exactly reassuring, in the sense that, if Boris can't even manage his air bridges, what faith can we have that the real bridge he's proposing to build between us and Scotland will ever get off the seabed? Happy hairdresser ad doesnt cut it Nothing cheers people more than those stories which fall into the category political correctness gone mad. A classic example this week: Alison Birch, a hairdresser from Stroud in England, was told she couldnt advertise on a job centre site for a happy stylist to join her team, because this would discriminate against unhappy candidates. Good point. Just as inviting applications from talented and hard-working candidates would tend to discriminate against the talentless, lazy and pretty much useless. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 01:57:23|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A Palestinian woman wearing a face mask walks on a street in Gaza City during the lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19, on Sept. 4, 2020. Palestine on Friday announced an extension of the state of emergency for one month to battle the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) RAMALLAH, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- Palestine on Friday announced an extension of the state of emergency for one month to battle the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas issued a presidential decree extending the state of emergency for another month throughout the Palestinian territories starting Sept. 4. The move came as Palestinian Health Minister Mai al-Kaila announced 806 new COVID-19 cases, three fatalities and 692 recoveries in the last 24 hours. According to the latest coronavirus data, the confirmed cases in the occupied territories reached 32,817. Out of the 32,817 cases, 24,445 are recorded in the West Bank, 697 in the Gaza Strip and 7,675 in East Jerusalem. The recoveries have totaled 22,362, and the death toll reached 192. Enditem A trilateral summit between Egypt, Jordan and Iraqs leaders in August yielded potential cooperation on a number of topics The Egyptian government has discussed a number of potential joint development projects to be carried out with Jordan and Iraq, as agreed during a trilateral summit attended by the leaders of the three nations last week. The summit, which was held in Amman on 25 August, addressed enhancing cooperation in all fields, especially in energy, power linkages, infrastructure, and food. The projects proposed by the Egyptian side were put forward during a meeting headed by Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and attended by seven other ministers, according to a cabinet statement released on Friday. Electricity Minister Mohamed Shaker presented a venture to establish an electrical interconnection line between the three countries with a capacity of 1,000 megawatts. "It will help exchange electrical capacities and make use of the differences of the peak times in Egypt, Jordan and Iraq," the minister was quoted as saying. Petroleum Minister Tarek El-Molla presented a proposal to install a pipeline to transfer crude oil from Iraq to Jordan and Egypt to boost cooperation in the field of petroleum capabilities and to meet the needs of various projects in the three countries. Supply Minister Ali Moselhi suggested cooperating in the field of digital transformation of the commodity support system, while Education Minister Tarek Shawki discussed opportunities for providing smart classes, and sharing the contents of Egypts digital library and various educational platforms, in addition to developing electronic exam systems. Other ventures related to greenhouses, seed cultivation, agriculture, and utilising digital transformation to help farmers were submitted during the meeting by Agricultural Minister El-Sayed El-Quseir. During the meeting, Trade Minister Nevine Gamea said the states have opportunities to cooperate in different fields and to exchange goods, and to establish a station for sorting and packaging agricultural crops, in addition to cooperating in the construction industry. The prime minister tasked the ministers with intensifying communications with their Jordanian and Iraqi counterparts to reach a consensus on a number of projects, to be presented to the three countries leaders. "There is a historic chance embodied in the support of the political leadership in these countries for endeavours to achieve integration between the three nations," he added. During Augusts summit, the three leaders urged fostering trilateral cooperation in terms of the economy, trade and investment with the aim of establishing strategic integration. It was attended by Jordans King Abdullah, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi. El-Sisi affirmed Egypt's willingness to establish joint development projects with Iraq and Jordan within a strict timeframe. The summit in Amman was the third such meeting between representatives of the three countries over the past two years; the first was held in Cairo in March 2019, and the second in New York in September of the same year. Search Keywords: Short link: Lisa Taylor receives a COVID-19 vaccination from RN Jose Muniz as she takes part in a vaccine study at Research Centers of America on August 07, 2020 in Hollywood, Florida. A group of drugmakers competing to bring a coronavirus vaccine to market plan to issue a public statement as soon as next week that says they will not seek government approval until enough data has been collected to ensure the drugs are safe and effective, CNBC confirmed Saturday. An early draft of the joint statement promises to prioritize the safety of vaccinated people, according to The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the plans to issue a statement. Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson and Moderna are expected to participate in the pledge, the Journal reported. CNBC has confirmed that Sanofi also plans to participate. The pledge comes as scientists and public health specialists express concern that the Trump administration is exerting pressure on regulators, especially the Food and Drug Administration, to authorize a vaccine before the Nov. 3 presidential election. "We believe this pledge will help ensure public confidence in the Covid-19 vaccines that may ultimately be approved and adherence to the rigorous scientific and regulatory process by which they are evaluated," a draft of the statement says, according to the Journal. The Journal added that the statement says the companies would only seek an emergency use authorization or government licensure based on "substantial evidence of safety and efficacy" from phase three clinical trials. However, top U.S. health officials, including FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn and Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci, have recently said a phase three trial could be ended early if a vaccine yields strong evidence quickly. An emergency authorization by the FDA would come as public health specialists express concern that the agency has previously yielded to political pressure. The agency issued an emergency authorization in March for the use of Trump-backed anti-malarial drugs chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine in treating Covid-19 patients. But the agency revoked the authorization in June based on emerging evidence that the drugs could cause cardiac complications and increase the risk of death in some Covid-19 patients. And last month, Hahn walked back comments he made on the benefits of convalescent plasma at a White House press conference in which the emergency authorization of the Covid-19 treatment was announced. Scientists criticized Hahn for overselling the benefits of the treatment, which data suggests are more modest, in remarks that were repeated by administration officials, including President Donald Trump. "Political considerations should be put aside by Republicans and Democrats," the vaccine manufacturers' draft statement says, according to the Journal. Regulators and drug companies have been moving at a record pace to bring a vaccine to market that effectively and safely combats the coronavirus, which has infected more than 26.6 million people and killed at least 875,400 people around the world. The stakes are high, as forecasters and epidemiologists warn that the winter could prove to be even more deadly. The U.S. has invested more than $10 billion in six different vaccine efforts through Operation Warp Speed, the Trump administration's effort to rapidly bring Covid-19 vaccines and treatments to market. Three companies, Moderna, Pfizer and AstraZeneca, are already testing their vaccine candidates in phase three trials. It's unclear if AstraZeneca plans to participate in the joint pledge, but the company previously released a statement committing to follow the science and put patients first. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian at a press conference in Homebush in Sydney, Australia on Aug. 17, 2020. (Brook Mitchell/Getty Images) NSW Makes Plea to Qld Over Agricultural Workers The NSW government has accused Queensland of playing politics over its refusal to allow agricultural workers to move freely between the two states. Queensland on Sept 4 agreed at national cabinet to aim to reopen its borders by Christmas. However, together with Tasmania and Western Australia, the state declined to endorse a national agriculture code which would deem agricultural work an essential service. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the code was crucial for Australias agricultural sector after years of drought were succeeded by a bumper harvest this year. She again implored Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to revise her hardline position on borders, saying Australias eastern states are inextricably linked and needed to cooperate. Were Australians as well as people who live in NSW, Berejiklian said on Friday. NSW Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall was less diplomatic in his criticism of the states that declined to sign up. What we have seen today is an abject failure of leadership from those first ministers, he said in a statement on Friday. Politics has been allowed to trump common sense and our nations agricultural industry has been grossly let down as a result. NSW will forge ahead with the code anyway, working with Victoria, South Australia and the Commonwealth to allow agricultural workers to move freely between the southeastern states. The spat between Berejiklian and her northern counterpart over the border intensified this week, after the Queensland government declared it wont change its border regulations until NSW passes 28 consecutive days without COVID-19 community transmission. Berejiklian says its an impossible ask. Meanwhile in NSW, eight new cases were recorded on Friday, forcing another Sydney school to shut. With Fathers Day on Sunday, NSW Health also advised against visiting Sydney, Blue Mountains or Central Coast aged care homes over the weekend. By Tiffanie Turnbull in Sydney New Amendment likely to be presented in Parliament next month; opposition and other groups may challenge it in Supreme Court Experts panel appointed to draft new constitution; TNA concerned that PCs may be abolished; questions over how India will react If soldier-turned-politician Gotabaya Rajapaksa remained President of Sri Lanka for almost ten months with his executive powers clipped, that will now change within weeks. In what seemed an emotional session, the Cabinet of Ministers on Wednesday approved the draft 20th Amendment to the Constitution. A note from the Legal Draftsman explaining the provisions came under close study. It was gazetted on September 2. Two weeks from then, it will be tabled in Parliament by Justice Minister Ali Sabry. That will pave the way for a citizen or organisation to challenge its provisions in the Supreme Court within two weeks. If there are no representations before the SC, Parliament could go ahead. Otherwise, it would have to wait for three weeks until the SC delivers the findings. There were different groups and political parties getting ready to move the SC on various provisions of 20A. It is now likely to be introduced in Parliament by October this year. One cannot conclusively say that some provisions in 19A have been removed altogether. They may find a place in the new Constitution for which an expert panel has already been named. If the proposed 20A by itself is a political milestone for the Sri Lanka Nidahas Podujana Sandanaya (SLPNS)-government, when it becomes part of the Constitution, there would be other significant developments, too. One is the inclusion of some more members to the Cabinet, particularly Basil Rajapaksa and the appointment of Deputy Ministers. At least four more ministers have been earmarked, said a government source. At present, only State Ministers have been sworn in and there are no deputies. The 20A empowers the President to have any number of Cabinet, State and Deputy Ministers. According to 19A, the Cabinet was restricted to 30, plus 40 State Ministers and deputies. It was the Yahapalana government of Maithripala Sirisena-Ranil Wickremesinghe that diluted the powers of the executive presidency through the 19th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution. President Sirisenas pledge at the 2015 presidential election was to abolish the executive presidency within 100 days. Instead, after his election, his government only focused on 19A. He continued as executive President thereafter. That task of formulating 19A was the work of a trio the then Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, Abraham Sumanthiran of the Tamil National Alliance and Jayampathy Wickremeratne, a former Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) campaigner who later joined the Yahapalana government. Though J.R. Jayewardene was the architect of the 1978 Constitution, his nephew Ranil Wickremesinghe felt that some of the powers of the President were unbridled and chose to introduce 19A. The Rajapaksa protagonists argued that some of the 19A measures were to disable their front liners from contesting. It was like tying our legs and asking us to run, said one of them. The fate of 13A The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) which backed the move is now in a dilemma. It is worried about 13A and the resultant setting up of Provincial Councils. The State Minister for Provincial Councils and Local Government, retired Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera, is campaigning for the abolition of 13A and thus make the Provincial Councils non-operational. He is a key member of Viyath Maga and was handpicked for the portfolio by President Rajapaksa. Weerasekera has also said that the Provincial Police Force envisaged in 13A should not be allowed. Thus, sections of the opposition believe he is voicing the Presidents views of a unified country with one law. However, President Rajapaksa has made no comments on the issue. During a visit to India in February, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa assured that 13 A would be further strengthened. This amendment came through the good offices of India after the July 1983 ethnic violence. The Indo-Sri Lanka Agreement of 1987, an official document between two sovereign governments, refers to the Provincial Councils. Whilst some sections in Colombos diplomatic community argue that the Bharatiya Janatha Party (BJP) government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be less interested in the issue since it was fostered by its predecessor, the Congress government, it is being hotly contested. Other more informed circles say that the matter would not be viewed that way. It would definitely be viewed as an assurance from one government to another and India would naturally be concerned. It may be recalled that a TNA delegation met Indias High Commissioner Gopal Baglay days after the parliamentary election. Their concerns over the matter were discussed, said the same source. The Provincial Councils future was raised at Thursdays post-Cabinet news briefing. Co-spokesperson Udaya Gammanpila said the PCs had not functioned for more than two years now. This system was proposed specifically for the north and the east to tackle issues there. However, it was implemented in other provinces too. The country has functioned without PCs. There is not even a protest by anyone calling for PC elections, he declared. Asked about 13A, he added, There was no discussion at the Cabinet meeting. The experts committee drafting the Constitution will study the matter at length. We will make our political decisions accordingly. He also asserted that whether the Indo-Sri Lanka Agreement of 1987 is still active or not and whether the government is bound to such matters are legal issues. The experts committee will make known its stance and we will make political decisions accordingly. The TNA supported the Yahapalana government to amend the Provincial Elections laws to empower the state to put off PC polls. The principal backers in this exercise were its leader Rajavarothayam Sampanthan and Abraham Sumanthiran. Asked what he thought about the prospects of 13A being removed, Sumanthiran told the Sunday Times, It would be the biggest mistake if the Government abolishes 13A. It is based on a bilateral agreement signed with India. This was signed to provide solutions to issues of the Tamils. We understand sections in the government are campaigning to abolish 13A which provides for the Provincial Council. That would be a grave error the Government will be making. The Provincial Council system in the North and East was non-functional for a long period, but in the other provinces the PC system was working. In the other provinces, there have been no calls for the abolition of the Provincial Councils. We will totally oppose any move by the Government to scrap 13A and the Provincial Council system. On April 28, 2015, just four months after Sirisena was elected as President, 19A was passed in Parliament with 215 voting in favour, one against, one abstention and seven absentees. The efforts were also backed by non-governmental organisations and groups, some from abroad. That was with the support of some western diplomatic missions. The reversal of those positions will not only confer stronger executive powers back to the President but also concretise the power base of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP)-led Government to an unshakeable position. Dont-question plea from President Even before 20A becomes effective, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was strongly assertive. Barely hours after the Cabinet decision, he declared that he would not cancel under any circumstances the appointments he had made. He has pointed out that expressing opinions against these appointments will not only make the appointees unable to carry out their duties and responsibilities properly, but also will weaken the Governments process by underestimating them in society. That no doubt is a sensitive issue particularly to the media whose responsibility is to point out any inconsistencies or shortcomings. The Government is, of course, empowered to deny, clarify or in the event of the reports being wrong, even initiate legal action. A blanket ban could be harmful and tends to cause more damage. For this reason, President Rajapaksa should reconsider his decision. One of the issues that have generated considerable controversy is the designation of Milinda Moragoda, a onetime Minister, as Sri Lankas High Commissioner to India. The Australia based Society for Peace, Unity and Human Rights for Sri Lanka (SPUR), one that backed the war efforts against Tiger guerrillas, urged the Government to re-consider the appointment. Among the eight reasons it said was one where Moragoda allegedly arranged a US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) agent to sit at weekly intelligence assessment meetings in Colombo of all state agencies related to intelligence gathering. The Sunday Times learnt, this came with the approval of then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. Media exposure and protests from intelligence top brass put an end to the matter. However, the CIA operative had by then gained substantial knowledge of the activities of local intelligence agencies, their operational mechanisms and even sources. This week, President Rajapaksa also named Ravinatha Aryasinha, former Foreign Secretary, as Sri Lankas Ambassador to the United States. The current incumbent Rodney Perera is being re-called to Colombo. Aryasinha would have had to retire from his diplomatic career in ten months from now when the appointment came. The posting will give him an extended tenure. Aryasinha called on Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to thank him and will meet President Gotabaya Rajapaksa before his departure. Formalities for the posting are now being worked out by the Overseas Administration Division (OAD) of the Ministry of Foreign Relations. As co-Cabinet spokesperson Udaya Gammanpila admitted at a news conference on Thursday, quite honestly, we did not expect that we would get a two-thirds majority at the parliamentary election. He is right. Now that they have got that overwhelming mandate, a government source familiar with the recent developments said, some of the previous governments constitutional changes were mala fide or in bad faith; with intent to deceive. Barring dual citizens from contesting elections was aimed at preventing Gotabaya Rajapaksa from contesting the presidency. He was forced to give up his United States citizenship. The prohibition on dual citizens contesting will be removed. Placing a limit of 35 years on persons contesting the presidency, the source pointed out, was pointedly to prevent Namal Rajapaksa from contesting the presidential election. Now the age has been lowered to 30 years. In any case, born on April 10, 1985 Namal Rajapaksa is now 34 years old. The dual citizenship provision also prevented Basil Rajapaksa from contesting at a parliamentary election. The question asked is if a dual citizen is entitled to all other benefits, why deny him or her the chance to contest? Of course, that is only one aspect. The other aspect is the likelihood of at least one or two independent commission being abolished or changed. Some may be incorporated in the new Constitution. One that will come under the President is the Police Commission. Though the intentions for setting it up, to obviate political interference, were the cause, it became a much more politicised body. The party in power, the SirisenaWickremesinghe government used it as a handy tool to punish or transfer or promote Police officers of their liking. On many occasions the Commission did not intervene in instances where its role became necessary. There is also a paradox to this situation. A top official, who was previously in the Defence Ministry when Gotabaya Rajapaksa was Defence Secretary, was placed in an important position in the Commission by a Yahapalana politician, once in charge of the department, to execute his orders. The common factor was that the two of them were connected and came from the same electorate. He carried out all the directives of the SirisenaWickremesinghe government thus nullifying the intended goals of the Commission. His previous role in the Ministry of Defence has also remained a subject of investigation. There was an attempt to obtain a court order on alleged wrongdoings by then Defence Secretary Rajapaksa, citing documents signed by him, to avoid arrest, but it failed. Parliamentary Council The apex of independent Commissions will be a Parliamentary Council. It will comprise the Prime Minister, the Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition, the Prime Ministers nominee, (who shall be an MP), and the Opposition Leaders nominee, who shall also be an MP. The council will make observations to the President on who should be chairpersons and members of the different commissions. The council is required to make these observations within a week. If it fails to do so, the President will make an appointment by himself. The 19th Amendment placed that responsibility in the hands of the Constitutional Council (CC). Instead, after 20A, the new Council will only be empowered to make observations. The CC has also been in many instances functioning as a political tool. It has been making appointments including those of the Inspector General of Police. Under 20A, such an appointment will now be made by the President. Though the principle behind the appointment of a CC was to obviate politically aligned persons, ironic enough, that is exactly what it did. The Chairpersons and members of the independent commissions they picked were those politically favourable to them. Thus, the difference here is that the President will make his choice now under 20A. One way, that becomes effective for the person who he picks will take forward his and the governments policies. A CC deciding for him, in the past, has not proven to be good although the intentions were good. Under 20A, instead of the CC, the President will appoint members to the Election Commission, the Public Service Commission, the National Police Commission, the Human Rights Commission, the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, the Finance Commission and the Delimitation Commission. He will also appoint the Chief Justice and Judges of the Supreme Court, the Attorney General, the Auditor General and the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (Ombudsman). The Right to Information law will also remain. The 20th Amendment will also resolve a lacuna over whether the Speaker ceases to hold office when Parliament is dissolved. In fact, the last Speaker Karu Jayasuriya did not exercise his functions since dissolution except to summon CC meetings. There is provision now to enable the Speaker to continue in office until a successor is elected. So will be the Leader of the Opposition and Members of Parliament who could continue until after a General Election following dissolution. There is no gainsaying that the Election Commission remains an independent body. This Commission, together with others, came into being with the introduction of 17A. The powers enjoyed by the Commission have had very salutary effect. For example, election violence was sharply curtailed. So much so, there were no major incidents either at the last presidential or parliamentary election. On the other hand, sections in the opposition had assumed, wrongly though, that with a two-thirds majority in hand, the Government would move towards strengthening the office of the Prime Minister and resultantly lessen the powers of the Presidency. Social media was full of stories of how Mahinda Rajapaksa would thus become powerful whilst brother Gotabaya Rajapaksa would hold a nominal position. That was not to be and was wrong. The decision to repeal 19A and introduce a 20A confers more powers on the Presidency while the role of the Prime Minister becomes secondary. He or she could be removed from office by the President. Contrary to 19A provisions, 20A allows the President to remain in charge of any subject or function not assigned to any Minister. This includes the subject of defence over which there were contradictory opinions. The 19th Amendment, some legal experts argued, did not allow the President to hold this subject. However, the Governments legal advisors argued otherwise. This was based on the provision of the Constitutions article 4(b) which said that the executive power of the People, including the defence of Sri Lanka, shall be exercised by the President of the Republic elected by the People. However, the absence of it being defined in 19A raised issues. Now, the ambiguity will be resolved. The President, as in the past, is empowered to appoint heads to the Army, Navy and Air Force. The estrangement between the two main Yahapalana partners, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the United National Party (UNP), then prevented President Sirisena from dissolving Parliament and call a general election. In terms of 19A, that was only possible when Parliament had completed four and a half years of its five-year term. The feud went on causing considerable damage to the countrys economy. The 20th Amendment has sought to remove this provision. It has also sought to restore full immunity for the President for anything done or to be done by him in his official or private capacity while holding office. 20A interim measure The 19th Amendment had prohibited the introduction in Parliament of urgent bills. This has been restored under the new amendment if such bills are in the national interest. It could be referred to the Supreme Court which will be required to give its determination within 24 hours to three days. Co-cabinet spokesperson Gammanpila told Thursdays news conference 19A was flawed since it had three different power centres the Presidency, the Prime Ministerial office and the Speakers office. Under the present constitution, there is now one specific leader to govern the central government. That is why it was necessary to place the executive powers in the hands of the President, he pointed out. Spokesperson and Minister Keheliya Rambukwella added that 20A was an interim measure. He said a new constitution embracing all provisions would be introduced soon. Gammanpilas remarks underscore the fact, which he admitted, that powers are scattered with the President, the Prime Minister, and the Speaker. On the one hand decisions for the President are made by the CC on the grounds that it is apolitical. It is the same case with the Premier. The Speaker has also been making incursions into the foreign policy sphere. The best example is how the controversial USAID gained a foothold in Parliament drawing now Premier Rajapaksa to tell the House that it was highly improper. USAID not only sponsored trips for MPs to the US but also was engaged in a media development programme in Parliament. Most of these developments came into being without the knowledge of the then opposition leaders. The present Foreign Relations Minister, Dinesh Gunawardena, raised issue in the floor of the House. The former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya also summoned the Colombo-based diplomatic community periodically to discuss national issues with little or no concurrence from the Foreign Ministry. There is more to come when a brand-new constitution is introduced. As revealed in these columns last week, an experts panel has been approved by the Cabinet. The members are Presidents Counsel Romesh de Silva, Presidents Counsel Manohara de Silva, Presidents Counsel Gamini Marapana, Presidents Counsel Sanjeeva Jayawardena, Presidents Counsel Samantha Ratwatte, Professor Nazeema Kamardeen, Professor G.H. Peiris, Professor Wasantha Seneviratne and Dr A. Sarveshwaran. The experts panel will be guided by Justice Minister Sabry. He is to periodically keep the Cabinet of Ministers briefed. The Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) is yet to flex its muscles over the proposed 20A. At present, its parliamentarians are more concerned about their own personal security. Two SJB stalwarts, General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara and Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella complained to Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena during a party leaders meeting that their security had now been pruned. They have now been assigned only two Police officers as against four earlier. Internal Security State Minister Chamal Rajapaksa pointed out that Officers in Charge of Police Stations had complained about the lack of strength. They had said that they were finding it difficult to carry out important tasks due to lack of strength. No decision was taken on the issue. Parliament will meet on September 8,9,10 and 11. One day has been allotted for a debate on reports of the Central Bank. The next two days will be for a debate on changes to the Excise Ordinance. On the last day, the House will take up a condolence vote on Ceylon Workers Congress leader and Minister Arumugam Thondaman. The 20th Amendment is coming before Parliament at a time when President Gotabaya Rajapaksas popularity continues to remain at peak. It was bolstered by his order to crack down on the illegal drug mafia and the criminal underworld. He will no doubt be even more emboldened by the executive powers restored through 20A. The opposition is expressing fears that the move will lead to authoritarianism, the same charge that was levelled before the presidential election. Like he disproved his critics then, it behoves on President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to disprove them again by continuing to head a regime that is free of corruption, fair, and just. There is much bigger responsibility now than before. On Thursday, Facebooks chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, announced the companys New Steps to Protect the US Elections. They include blocking new political ads in the week leading up to Election Day and attaching labels to posts containing misinformation, specifically related to the coronavirus and posts from politicians declaring victory before all the results are counted. One can and many will debate just how effective these measures will be at preventing election night chaos during a pandemic. But what seems beyond debate is just how deeply Facebook has woven itself into the fabric of democracy. Reading Zuckerbergs election security blog post reminded me of a line from a seminal 2017 article by journalist Max Read. Three years ago, Read was struck by a similar pledge from Zuckerberg to ensure the integrity of the German elections. The commitment was admirable, he wrote, but also a tacit admission of Facebooks immense power. Its a declaration that Facebook is assuming a level of power at once of the state and beyond it, as a sovereign, self-regulating, suprastate entity within which states themselves operate. That power is consolidated in the decisions of its chief executive, who has voting control over the company. Heres how Facebooks co-founder Chris Hughes described Zuckerbergs iron grip on the company in The Times last year: Marks influence is staggering, far beyond that of anyone else in the private sector or in government. He controls three core communications platforms Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp that billions of people use every day. Facebooks board works more like an advisory committee than an overseer, because Mark controls around 60 per cent of voting shares. Mark alone can decide how to configure Facebooks algorithms to determine what people see in their News Feeds, what privacy settings they can use and even which messages get delivered. He sets the rules for how to distinguish violent and incendiary speech from the merely offensive, and he can choose to shut down a competitor by acquiring, blocking or copying it. If Hughes description feels hyperbolic, it may be because such a consolidation of power is actually hard to comprehend. I think we underestimate Facebooks power constantly, Siva Vaidhyanathan, a professor of media studies at the University of Virginia, told me. Its really hard for human beings to picture in their head the actual size and influence of the platform. Something like 1 out of 3 people use the thing its like nothing weve encountered in human history. And Im not sure Mark Zuckerberg is even willing to contemplate his influence. Im not sure hed ever sleep if he ever thought about how much power he has. Facebooks power is now self-perpetuating. This week provided a great example. On Tuesday, Facebook and other platforms revealed a covert operation run by the Kremlin-backed Internet Research Agency to sow division ahead of the presidential election by setting up a network of fake user accounts and websites. This time, though, the agency hired unwitting American freelance journalists to create the content. Theres a grim circle-of-life quality to this news. Facebooks unprecedented growth and commandeering of the digital advertising market alongside Google and others helped accelerate the collapse of journalisms broken business models. This led to consolidation, publications shuttering and layoffs of journalists everywhere. Facebooks news dominance and mercurial distribution algorithms led to a rise of hyperpartisan pages and websites to fill the gaps and capitalize on the platforms ability to monetize engagement, which in turn led to a glut of viral misinformation and disinformation that Facebook has been unable (or perhaps unwilling) to adequately police. This free-for-all has made Facebook the platform of choice for political manipulation. Those bad actors are now hiring and exploiting the very freelance journalists displaced by the collapse of the media industry that Facebook helped accelerate. Eventually, Facebook takes action to remove the bad actors, assuring the country of its commitment to democracy and cementing its role as a protector of free and fair elections. Facebook wins in every direction. Its size and power creates instability, the answer to which, according to Facebook, is to give the company additional authority. This cycle is unsustainable. This summer has shown that the platform has been a prime vector for the most destabilizing forces in American life. It has helped supercharge conspiracies around the dangerous QAnon movement. It has provided organization for, and amplified calls to action from, militia movements, which have been linked to deaths in US cities at protests. Its moderation policies have failed to catch blatant rule violations around voter disenfranchisement, and the conspiracy theories that go viral on the platform have found their way, time and again, to President Donald Trumps mouth. Facebook employees seem to understand the situation is untenable and are speaking out internally against Zuckerbergs leadership. He seems truly incapable of taking personal responsibility for decisions and actions at Facebook, one Facebook employee told BuzzFeed News last week after a company meeting in response to the violence in Kenosha, Wisconsin. With just two months to go before the election, the nations focus is on the integrity of the electoral process. With the president threatening to undermine the results of the election, the stakes could not be higher. As Zuckerberg wrote Thursday, We all have a responsibility to protect our democracy. But what does it say that one of those institutions charged with protecting democracy is, itself, structured more like a dictatorship? Facebook had grown too big, and its users too complacent, for democracy, Read concluded at the end of his 2017 piece. His words feel prescient today as Facebook, unchecked and unregulated by governments, positions itself as a primary line of defense to protect those institutions. At first, Zuckerbergs recent election pledge might feel comforting. But his plan is an admission of a great power that should make Americans uncomfortable. In our quest to fend off a would-be strongmans power grab in one realm, we ought not allow a stronger mans power grab in another. Rescuers continue frantic search for potential survivor under the rubble of a building demolished by August 4 blast. Rescuers in the Lebanese capital have resumed work in a bid to determine if there is a person trapped under piles of debris of a building that collapsed a month ago following a deadly explosion. One month after the massive blast at Beiruts port devastated the city, a frantic search for a possible survivor entered its third day on Saturday after hopes of success had dwindled a day earlier. Chilean rescue workers on Thursday said they had detected a sign of life from under the rubble of a collapsed building in the Gemmayze neighbourhood. A sniffer dog named Flash brought to Beirut by the Chilean rescuers was the first to respond to a scent at the site. Electronic sensors were then brought in to examine the area and signals indicating someone was trapped below were detected. The Chilean volunteers are part of a Mexican rescue non-profit named Los Topos and are being aided by Lebanese civil defence volunteers. Francisco Lermanda, leader of the Chilean Topos rescue team, which is leading the search effort, told reporters on Friday evening he could neither confirm nor rule out that there was anyone alive under the huge pile of debris. We have to reach three metres, this is where we received the signal, he said. He added that audio equipment detected what appeared to be weak breathing initially between 18 and 20 breaths per minute and that the specialists told them that it indicated a person could be about three metres deep. Lermanda said digging crews were tunnelling towards the location from multiple directions and had reached 1.2 metres deep so far. Not giving up Lebanese engineer Riad al-Assad, who is helping the Chilean team, on Friday said the team did a test between 4:30 and 6:30 pm local time but they did not hear anything, they repeated it at 8:30 pm and again the same result. Al-Assad said work was briefly paused late on Friday since the Chilean team had been working for 48 hours non-stop. Al Jazeeras Zeina Khodr, reporting from Beirut, said the Chileans had decided not to give up. Khodr said some people believe the inability to determine whether there is a person trapped beneath the rubble was because there were so many people in the area on Friday night, with many using mobile phones that were jamming the rescue teams equipment. A short while ago, they used laser scanners, she said. The Chilean team are not giving up, they said even if its just a 1 percent chance, we will continue until we prove or discount proof of life. According to Khodr, people are furious and are questioning why local authorities have not cleared the debris a month after the explosion. What is clear is that the government has not been present, she said. They have been absent in the rescue efforts, in the relief efforts as well as the rebuilding efforts. The search came as Lebanon on Friday marked a month since the devastating explosion on August 4, which killed some 200 people, wounded 6,000 others and left a country already reeling from a severe financial crisis in a state of shock. On Friday, people in Beirut gathered for a vigil and prayer. The Lebanese army stood for a minute of silence at the port alongside family members who lost their loved ones in the explosion. At another event near the blast site, white roses were distributed to the families of the dead and wounded, and religious leaders representing the main sects in Lebanon prayed. A minute of silence was also observed by people passing the road near the port, while traffic came to a standstill at exactly 6:07 pm (15:07 GMT) the time the blast occurred. The tragedy was caused by ammonium nitrate which was poorly stored in a port warehouse. Mumbai, Sep 5 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday recorded the statement of Sushant Singh Rajput sister's Mitu Singh, while a team of sleuths from the premier investigative agency, along with the forensic team, visited the Bandra home of the late actor, in connection with the probe into his death. According to CBI sources, Mitu Singh has recorded her statement with the agency. She accompanied the CBI team to the Mont Blanc building in Bandra West -- where Sushant was found dead on June 14. Besides Mitu Singh, the CBI and the forensic team were accompanied by Sushant's personal staff Neeraj Singh and Keshav Bachne, and flatmate Siddharth Pithani. The CBI on Friday continued recording the statement of the executives of Cornerstone, where Sushant's celebrity manager Shruti Modi and Disha Salian worked. The development comes a day after the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) got the custody of Sushant's house manager Samuel Miranda and Showik, brother of the deceased actor's girlfriend actress Rhea Chakraborty. The CBI and forensic team were present for over two hours at the Mont Blanc Apartment and then returned to the DRDO guest house, where they have been staying since August 20 after their arrival from Delhi. This is for the fourth time the CBI sleuths have visited the flat. The team had also recreated the crime scene once earlier. Earlier, the CBI team visited the Cooper Hospital twice, and met the doctors who carried out the post-mortem of the late actor. It also visited the Waterstone resort where Sushant stayed for two months. Latest updates on Sushant Singh Rajput Death Mystery Theres a maxim in the teaching of creative writing: like death, a storys ending should be unexpected, yet inevitable. Across an impressive half-century career full of books, accolades, classroom hours, and awards (including a Guggenheim Fellowship, multiple Pushcart Prizes, and the Rea Award for the Short Story), Charles Baxter has mastered this maxim. Hes lectured about it and written about it in his seminal book on craft, Burning Down the House: Essays on Fiction, and the many short stories of his six collectionsfrom 1984s Harmony of the World to 2015s Theres Something I Want You to Doput the maxim into clear practice. Encountering the unexpected is one of the joys of reading Baxters stories. Hes the rare expert craftsman whos also an alchemist. And hes published as many novels as collections, including The Feast of Love, nominated for the National Book Award in 2000 and featuring a nocturnal wanderer named Charles Baxter. The Sun Collective (Pantheon, Nov.) is Baxters sixth novel, and his first in 12 years. For perspective, his previous novel, The Soul Thief, was published back when George W. Bush was president. Summarizing the plot of a novel by the writer of The Art of Subtext: Beyond Plot is at best reductive and at worst like bringing a knife to a gun fight. But here goes: retired engineer Harold Brettigan and his wife, Alma, have heavy hearts. Their children have disappearedtheir daughter into the dull comforts of middle-class life, their son into the mean streets of Minneapolis. Once a promising actor, their son has been seen with the anti-consumerism radicals of the Sun Collective and may be living on the street, a dangerous proposition with the violent homeless-hating Sandmen on the prowl. Age has been rough on Brettigan. In contrast to several of his contemporaries who had been hardened by life, the novel explains, he had been softened. From the bright study of his home in downtown Minneapolis, Baxter, 73, says over Skype that theres a fair amount of himself in Brettigan. I have those days, and I dont think Im unique in this, when I think, I dont know if theres a book I want to read today, I dont know if theres a movie I want to see, I dont know if theres any music I want to listen to. As you get older, he says, the art you once loved loses its shine. After a pause of two breaths, he smiles and assures me, It comes back. The Sun Collective begins with Brettigan on a train bound for the Utopia Mall, a totem to consumerism that produces a disorienting spatio-temporal rupture in visitors. Ironically, 20-something Christina Lubdell, also on the train, is tripping on a designer drug called blue telephone that does the same thing, making users feel that they are in two places at once, like Schrodingers cat. Her life is similarly quantum: by day, she works in a bank; after hours, she serves the Sun Collective in a semi-ironic capacity as its minister for propaganda, urging Minnesotans to de-consume. Christina is a mess. Blessed and afflicted with the scourge of empathy, according to the novel, shes also a magnet for unstable men. One, a self-proclaimed revolutionary named Ludlow, is hatching little plans of revenge and ruination. The other is the Brettigans missing son. While Brettigan goes on nocturnal wanderings in search of him, Alma takes a different approach: she befriends the radicals. The inevitable collision of these disparate seekers creates fissures and bonds of unexpected depth and consequence. Baxter says that the first ideas for the book began to appear five or six years ago. There were three, like a Venn diagram. The first: Reading about the flu pandemic of 1918, Baxter came across folklore cures of the era. One directed the ill to hold mirrors underwater and wash their reflected faces. He recalls that when he told Louise Erdrich about this over dinner, she looked at me with that predatory look novelists have, and said, If you dont use that, I will. The second: Baxter says that riding Minneapolis light rail to work, he was plagued by the moral dilemma of homelessness. You ask yourself, What should I be doing? Is there anything I should be doing? That feeling was sort of a narrative generator. The third: Baxter heard that the number one al-Qaeda target in North America was Minnesotas infamous shopping mecca, the Mall of America. Instead of being horrified, he says, I thought it was funny. Light pours through his windows as he laughs. The wall behind him is a bright puzzle of books. Thats such a ridiculous place. Who would want to take it down? In some writers hands, the ridiculous is simply ridiculous. In Baxters hands, the ridiculous is strangely menacing and oddly disorienting. From the start, he knew he needed a different approach with this novel. The sort of realism that Ive practiced in the past isnt adequate to the times were in, he says. I needed something more like Joseph Heller, or somebody whose work is running a fever. The result is a novel in which characters can be grounded in the quotidian and communicate with house pets; a novel in which a heartless American president can have a hair-trigger Twitter finger and stoke the flames of the economic divide with poetry. His name is Amos Alonzo Thorkelson, and a sample stanza from his poem, No Free Lunch, reads, At the cash register she paid/ For junk food with a wad/ Of food stamps, and this made/ Me very very very sad. Baxter, who is among a handful of contemporary writers known almost as much for their teaching as for their literary output, has been a fixture at the esteemed Bread Loaf Writers Conference since 1995. Hes turned many of his craft talkswhich are more philosophical ruminations on lesser-explored aspects of writing fictioninto essays published in literary journals, as well as in Burning Down the House. His full-time academic career began in the 1970s at Wayne State in Detroit and included positions at Warren Wilson Colleges low-residency MFA program, the University of Michigans MFA program, and, for the past 18 years, the University of Minnesota. His final course there, Reading Like Writers, was forced online by the coronavirus outbreak, and he had to make his retirement celebrations virtual. It was a muted coda to a vital career, but Baxter says he didnt miss being celebrated in those ego fests. Hell remain involved with Bread Loaf and other literary conferences as long as he can, and a third volume on craft, tentatively titled Wonderlands: Essays on the Life of Fiction, is due in 2022. I think itll be my last book of essays, he says, which will make a lot of writers very, very, very sad. When asked what hes most looking forward to about retirement, Baxter pauses for several seconds. Like a lot of people, Ive almost stopped looking forward, he says. Still, he is eager for the time when people can sit around and talk and not be scared to death that their conversation is going to lead to a lethal illness. And as soon as its safe, hell volunteer again with food pantry or literacy efforts. Until then, Baxter will be writing, always writing. This is one of those things I probably shouldnt say, he offers. But I started a new novel, a sort of thriller. His mouth twists into a broad grin and he spreads his arms in front of the laptop. Ive always wanted to write a thriller, and whos going to stop me? Mike Harvkey is the author of In the Course of Human Events and was the researcher/reporter for the bestselling true crime book All-American Murder. Advertisement Michael Forest Reinoehl, 48, was wanted for murder before he died in a shootout with police on Thursday Prosecutors have released new surveillance images from the murder of a far-right activist in Portland, after the prime suspect, a far-left Antifa supporter, was killed in a shootout with U.S. Marshals. Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt on Friday released the unsealed arrest warrant for Michael Forest Reinoehl, 48, who was killed by a fugitive task force in Washington state on Thursday night. The warrant charges Reinoehl with murder in the death of Aaron 'Jay' Danielson, 39, who was gunned down in the streets of downtown Portland on Saturday. The court documents reveal startling new information in the case, including that Reinoehl appeared to lie in wait for Danielson before the shooting, and sent text messages to his own son offering to trade marijuana for a handgun weeks before the murder. The warrant also indicates that the victim himself was armed with a handgun, which was found in his waistband after he died, and did not appear to have been fired during the incident. In the warrant affidavit, Portland Police Detective Rico Beniga describes the events leading up to the shooting, based on witness statements, previously released bystander video, and surveillance video from a nearby parking garage, images of which are being released for the first time publicly. At first, Reinoehl was walking with a white female southbound on SW 3rd Avenue, and both could be seen staring eastbound down perpendicular Adler Street as they crossed the intersection. New surveillance images show Reinoehl (front) walking in front of Aaron 'Jay' Danielson (behind him left in black shirt) moments before Danielson was shot dead in Portland on Saturday Reinoehl (right) ducks into a parking garage and waits for Danielson (far left) and his friend Chandler Pappas (next to him in white shirt) to walk past on the sidewalk After Reinoehl and the woman cross the intersection, the white female pauses and stands against a building as Reinoehl continues walking. Then, Danielson and Danielson's friend Chandler Pappas are seen turning a corner behind them from Adler Street. Reinoehl is seen glancing behind him and reaching for his waistband. Reinoehl then ducks into the entrance of a parking garage 'and reaches toward his left front waist area,' the affidavit states. 'Reinoehl conceals himself, waits, and watches as Danielson and Pappas continue walking by. Danielson and Pappas do not appear to interact or communicate with anyone and continue southbound on SW 3rd Avenue,' it continues. Beniga notes that Danielson appears to be carrying a can of bear mace in one hand, and a telescoping baton in the other. After the two men, who are wearing hats of the right-wing group Patriot Prayer, walk past, Reinoehl emerges from the parking garage and appears to be reaching for his waistband. Danielson and Pappas turn right to cross SW 3rd Avenue, and Reinoehl and another unidentified man, described as Subject #2 in the affidavit, together follow them, walking out of the security camera's field of view. After Danielson and Pappas (not pictured) pass, Reinoehl (right) reaches for his waistband and joins up with 'Subject #2' (center in black) to follow the two right-wing activists Reinoehl is seen with his right arm extended as a cloud of bear mace erupts by Danielson and Pappas. Police say Danielson's can of bear mace was punctured by a bullet Immediately after the shooting, Reinoehl (in white) and Subject #2 (in black) run away from the scene What happened next was captured in the bystander video and described by Pappas in police and media interviews. Pappas told Fox News that two men approached him and Danielson from behind, saying words to the effect of 'we got a couple right here' and someone shouting 'pull it out,' apparently in reference to a gun. He said that he and Danielson turned around, and that two shots were fired almost immediately. Witnesses told police that Danielson began to spray the bear mace at the shooter immediately before he was shot. Beniga wrote that an autopsy found that Danielson had been shot in the chest from the front. The bear mace can that he was carrying had damage consisted with a bullet impact, the detective said. Police responded to the scene less than a minute after the shooting, bystander video shows. The affidatvit states that police found a 9mm Glock Model 17 on Danielson's body, holstered in the waist area. The gun's 19-round magazine was full, and there was a bullet in the chamber. Detectives concluded that it could not have been fired during the encounter. Medics attend to Danielson after he was shot on Saturday in downtown Portland. Danielson did not survive Reinoehl (left) was charged with murder in the death of Aaron 'Jay' Danielson, 39, (right) who was gunned down in the streets of downtown Portland on Saturday Reinoehl was identified as the prime suspect by matching the distinctive clothing of the shooter to other social media taken on the same day, and by his distinctive neck tattoo of a fist, Detective Beniga wrote. During the investigation, a Clackamas County sheriff's deputy contacted Beniga and notified him that she had recently conducted a criminal investigation of Reinoehl's son Devin. The deputy said that during a consent search, she had discovered a text message that Devin received on August 7 from a contact labeled 'Dad.' 'Sell me the gun for a quarter pound of weed and $100 i'm getting tired of this s**t I need a piece now,' the text message states. About a month prior to that text message, police had seized a loaded Walther 9mm semi-auto handgun from the elder Reinoehl when he was arrested at a protest and charged with possessing a loaded firearm in public, resisting arrest and interfering with a public safety officer, the affidavit states. In a clip of a video interview with Vice News published just hours before his death, Reinoehl stated that he had acted in self-defense in the shooting. 'I had no choice. I mean, I, I had a choice. I could have sat there and watched them kill a friend of mine of color. But I wasn't going to do that,' said Reinoehl. Reinoehl was identified as the prime suspect by matching the distinctive clothing of the shooter to other social media taken on the same day, and by his distinctive neck tattoo of a fist, Detective Beniga wrote The shooting occurred after a day of tense clashes between Trump supporters and far-left groups in Portland, with activists seen trying to block a vehicles of the Trump supporters and throwing objects at them, and Trump supporters spraying mace and firing a paintball gun from vehicles. Pappas and Danielson had participated in the pro-Trump rally, and Pappas said they were returning home when Danielson was killed. Reinoehl, who declared himself '100% Antifa', was active in Black Lives Matter demonstrations against racism and police brutality in Portland that have gone on for nearly 100 days, according to messages and videos on his Instagram feed. Antifa is a far-left movement that is anti-capitalist, and which seeks to confront those it views as racist or authoritarian. On Thursday night, Reinoehl was shot dead by members of a federal task force in Washington, after they attempted to apprehend him on murder charge. Schmidt, Portland's district attorney, called Reinoehl's death 'tragic' in a statement on Friday. The body of Antifa gunman Michael Reinoehl at the scene in Lacey, Washington where he was shot dead by federal officers in a shootout. Witnesses say he opened fire with a semi automatic rifle A car with shattered windows and likely bullet holes stands in the area where Reinoehl died in the confrontation with police. Cops say he ran from an apartment armed with a gun Reinoehl was killed at around 7pm on Thursday in the 7600 block of 3rd Way Southeast in Tanglewilde, a small community outside of Lacey about 55 miles southwest of Seattle. Authorities said they do not believe he lived at the address where he was shot 'The events of Thursday night are still being investigated by multiple law enforcement agencies,' Schmidt said. 'We still do not have a full understanding of what led to the death of Michael Forest Reinoehl.' Officials said that Reinoehl, who was armed with a handgun, ran from an apartment in Lacey, Washington as officers closed in. 'During the attempt to apprehend him, shots were fired at the suspect in the vehicle and he fled from the vehicle on foot. Additional shots were fired at the suspect and he was later pronounced deceased at the location,' the Thurston County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. Earlier, the Marshals Service said federal agents had opened fire after Reinoehl produced a firearm and threatened officers' lives. Witnesses told the Olympian they saw a man open fire and heard 40 or 50 shots from what they believe was a semi-automatic rifle before officers returned fire and shot him dead. But authorities are yet to confirm whether Reinoehl fired the weapon. Even Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews is not above COVID-19 rules as he was pulled over by police on his way to work today. Mr Andrews was responding to allegations of police officers covering their name tags during anti-lockdown protests when he revealed he was stopped by cops in Melbourne on Saturday. 'My vehicle was stopped on the way to the office this morning and the officer was clearly identifiable,' he told reporters. 'And I thanked him for the work that he and his colleagues were doing.' Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews (pictured) was responding to allegations of police officers covering their name tags during anti-lockdown protests when he revealed he too was stopped by cops in Melbourne on Saturday The Victorian Premier said he 'certainly hadn't heard or seen reports' of police officers covering their name tags and badges. Police have checkpoints around Melbourne to ensure that people are not travelling outside of a 5km radius of their homes, which is a Stage Four lockdown restriction. People are allowed to travel outside of their radius for permitted work, which was the case with Mr Andrews. More than 1,000 anti-lockdown protesters descended on Melbourne and clashed with police for a 'Freedom Day' rally on Saturday, which resulted in 15 arrests. Police officers were out in force in Melbourne on Saturday to combat anti-lockdown protests. The Victorian Premier said he 'certainly hadn't heard or seen reports' of police officers covering their name tags and badges One protester was arrested for assaulting a police officer, 14 were arrested for breaching COVID-19 restrictions and another 150 were fined on the spot. Mr Andrews said there was a 'very visible, very significant police presence in the city' in response to the protests. 'Some people have forecast that they intend to - in a selfish, dangerous and unlawful way - protest and put this strategy at risk. Police, I think, are taking very appropriate steps to deal with that,' he said. The protests kicked off at the Shrine of Remembrance but coronavirus-deniers have later took to the streets, stopping traffic near Albert Park. Anti-lockdown protesters were bombarded with police outside the Shrine of Remembrance on Saturday (pictured) Shocking footage shows the horde of protesters, many refusing to wear masks and battling with police, as the city's CBD was brought to a standstill as traffic was diverted from the area. Dramatic scenes saw demonstrators tackled to the ground while officers struggled to detain them. One crowd faced off with police on horseback as the chant 'freedom' rang out across the city. Victoria recorded 76 new coronavirus cases and 11 deaths on Saturday, with the welcome infection numbers coming after a spike earlier in the week saw 113 new cases after days of double digit transmission. Friday was Victoria's deadliest day of the pandemic so far, with 59 deaths announced - but 50 of those had occurred back in July and August in aged care homes. On August 20, the pro-Western Russian politician Alexei Navalny fell ill on a flight to Moscow. After he was transferred to a hospital in Berlin, the German government announced categorically that he had been poisoned with a Novichok nerve agent. Politicians and media outlets in Western countries, and above all in Germany, have declared that the Russian government is responsible for Navalnys poisoning and have escalated their calls for a confrontation with Russia. A certain pattern is repeating itself. An incident takes place and immediately it is declared by media outlets that Putin or Assad is responsible, requiring an immediate response. Even the most routine homicide case involves a great deal of investigation before the alleged perpetrator is publicly named. But in this case, the entire Western media immediately and unanimously concluded who was to blame. Assuming that Navalny was poisoned, one would think there would at least be a range of suspects. Is it not possible that an individual or individuals could have poisoned Navalny not because they support the Putin regime, but because they oppose it? After all, the German government is under immense pressure from the United States to stop the construction of the Nord Stream II gas pipeline and the latest events have already accelerated calls for an abandonment of the project. Germany has historically looked upon Eastern Europe as its sphere of influence, or, to use Hitlers term, Lebensraum. Now, almost 80 years since the start of Operation Barbarossa, which led to over 27 million Soviet deaths, Germany is once again leading the charge for a conflict with Russia. In an interview with the Rheinische Post newspaper, German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer explicitly threatened the Russian government with retaliation. The Putin system is an aggressive regime, which seeks without scruples to enforce its interests by violent means and repeatedly violates the international norms of behaviour, she said. The poisoning of Alexei Navalny, she asserted, is proof that in Russia outlawed chemical weapons are used against people. The Putin regime is thus on the same level as regimes, such as that in Syria, which have used chemical weapons against their own civilian population. The unsubstantiated and in many cases thoroughly disproven allegations that the Syrian government deployed chemical weapons against civilians have repeatedly served as pretexts for the Western powers to launch air strikes on the country. The rhetoric is equally aggressive on the opinion pages of the main newspapers. The German financial daily Handelsblatt raged on August 25 that it had to be made clear that "the West has a bite as well as a bark, and that its approach of cozying up to Moscow is at an end. On September 3, Der Spiegel demanded, The time for toughness is now. Now is the time to hurt the man in the Kremlin. Chancellor Angela Merkel threw fuel on the fire on Wednesday when she declared at a press conference that German Army toxicologists had proven beyond doubt that Navalny was the victim of a crime and had been poisoned by a nerve agent from the Novichok family. She delivered an ultimatum to the Russian government to answer very serious questions, and announced that the European Union and NATO would take joint action. Both organisations responded immediately to Merkels demands. In a statement on Thursday, the EU threatened Russia with sanctions. In a letter to the EU high representative for foreign affairs, Josep Borrell, 107 European Parliament deputies demanded an investigation within the structures of the United Nations or European Council to investigate the real background to this crime. The initiative for the letter was taken by the German Green Party deputy Sergey Lagodinsky. It would be the height of naivete to believe that the possible poisoning of Navalny is the reason for this aggressive campaign against Russia. His case merely serves as a pretext to intensify the offensive against Russia that NATO has long been pursuing. Germany, in particular, is exploiting the case to take a further step towards its long cherished goal of emerging once again as a major military power. Nothing said about the Navalny case by the media or politicians can be taken at face value. The hypocrisy of the alleged concern over his fate is impossible to overstate. After the murder of the Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia and the Slovakian investigative journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiance, there was no talk of sanctions, even though strong evidence in both cases pointed to the involvement of powerful circles within the government and big business. Both countries are members of the EU and NATO. Just this week, the Slovakian businessman Marian Kocner was acquitted by a court of Kuciaks murder, even though several witnesses identified him as having ordered the journalists assassination. The Saudi regime was never confronted with the threat of sanctions after it ordered the murder and dismemberment of oppositional journalist Jamal Khashoggi in its consulate in Istanbul. No evidence has yet been presented to prove beyond doubt that Navalny was poisoned by a nerve agent from the Novichok family. The laboratory in Munich that presented the evidence is neither neutral nor independent. It is under the command of the German Army, which is playing a leading role in NATOs military build-up against Russia and has a direct interest in discrediting the Russian government. Twenty years ago, the German foreign intelligence agency (BND) played a major role in proving the existence of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction, the charge that served as the major pretext for the US-led war on Iraq but was later proven to be without foundation. But even if one accepts that Navalny was poisoned, this in no way proves the involvement of the Putin regime. Novichok was produced in Soviet laboratories during the 1970s and 1980s, but after the dissolution of the Soviet Union it, like everything else, could be obtained with money. For example, it is known that the BND purchased a sample of Novichok from a Russian military scientist in the 1990s and passed it on to its Western counterparts, suggesting that they are in a position to produce Novichok. The nerve agent has also been discovered in private hands and has been used to settle scores among Bulgarian gangsters. It is moreoever inexplicable why the former intelligence agent Putin would be so foolish as to first poison Navalny, then allow him to leave for a German clinic two days later, where he must have assumed the poison would be discovered. As the World Socialist Web Site explained in an article this week, Navalny has ties to right-wing extremists, oligarchs competing with the Kremlin, and Western intelligence agencies. He has many enemies who have an interest in disposing of him. It is also possible that he trod on the toes of one of his mentors, who may have seen the attack as an opportunity to discredit Putin. In 2014, the German ruling class drew the conclusion that it was necessary to assume more international responsibility and launch a major military build-up. Germany is too large to comment on world politics from the sidelines, said then-foreign minister and current German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the Munich Security Conference. Since then, the country has launched a massive rearmament programme, participated in several military interventions in the Middle East and Africa, and joined the NATO military build-up on Russias borders. The revival of militarism has been accompanied by the trivialisation of the Nazis crimes and the strengthening of far-right forces such as the Alternative for Germany. With the coronavirus pandemic, these developments have intensified. Already prior to the Navalny affair, the German Society for Foreign Affairs (DGAP) published an aggressive comment from its president, Tom Enders, calling for Germany to pursue a courageous and combative foreign policy. Enders was head of Airbus before switching to the DGAP. Airbus, along with Boeing, is not only the worlds largest producer of civilian aircraft, but also Europes largest arms manufacturer. The fact that German imperialism is now turning against Russia follows an historical pattern. In its struggle for living space in the East, the Nazi regime invaded the Soviet Union and sought to exterminate large sections of the Soviet population. In its deepening conflict with Russia, the German bourgeoisie is drawing on these criminal traditions once again. To say that John Cassabria is an animal lover is an understatement. He grew up surrounded by pets and is currently the proud owner of four dogs, four cats, and even a pet snake. But nothing could have prepared him for the events that transpired on one sweltering August day when Cassabrias routine shift delivering packages for Amazon led to a heroic rescue that saved the life of a 14-year-old husky named Luka. Cassabria, 24, was making his rounds in Woburn, Massachusetts, when he suddenly took a wrong turn. He stopped his van to reroute his GPS tracker when he heard an eerie noise coming from a yard nearby. Ive never heard anything like that in my life, he told CNN. I actually heard it over the reversing beep of my van. John Cassabria, 24, an Amazon delivery driver who saved a drowning dog during his shift. (Courtesy of John Cassabria) Cassabria was intrigued, so he followed the noisewhich eventually led him to a yard with a fence. A quick look over the fence not only extinguished his curiosity but replaced it with a feeling of fear. I saw a dogthe dog being Lukabarely standing in the pool, Cassabria said. My heart sank as if I was watching an ASPCA commercial from 2005 when they played Sarah McLachlans Angel. In a moment of quick thinking, he leapt over the fence and hurried to the dog, whose head was barely sticking out of the water. (Illustration CKYN stock photo/Shutterstock) I dove into the pool with my shoes, wallet, car keysthe whole nine, he said. And I swam with him (Luka) in my arms the best I could hold him from the midway point of the pool to the shallow end and hoisted him and myself out of the pool. He quickly pulled out his phone and managed to get in contact with the Woburn Police Department. By sheer luck, the animal control officer dispatched by the department lived close by and knew the owners. An Earth-Shattering Call Julie Caldwell, Lukas owner, was savoring the first moments of her weekend away from home when she got the news. I was enjoying my first cocktail at The Cape when my husbands phone rang, Caldwell told CNN. It was the Woburn Police number. The police department confirmed her identity over the phone and told her Luka had gotten out of the yard. Caldwell was confusedshe had closed the gate before she had left and thought that her dog was too old to attempt such a feat. Moments later, she got another call, and this time it was from a familiar number. The animal control officer and fellow neighbor recounted Cassabrias heroic efforts to save Luka. Luka, the dog that was saved by John Cassabria during his Amazon delivery shift. (Courtesy of Julie Caldwell) I dropped the phone. I just started crying and I dropped the phone, Caldwell recalled. I couldnt even talk. She says she was shocked that Luka was ever near the pool at all. We have a doggie door and hes used that doggie door for 15 summers, said Caldwell. He goes outside, goes right to the bathroom, and normally goes back in and stays in the air conditioned house. Earlier that day, she had arranged for a neighbor to look after her dog while she was away, but in the time between her departure and the arrival of the neighbor, her dog had jumped in the pool. This came as a complete shock to us, she said. When Caldwell finally got on the phone with Cassabria, she said she thanked him up and down. She even wrote an email to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos informing him that one of his employees had saved her beloved dog. I cant thank him enough, Caldwell wrote in the email, a copy of which an Amazon spokesperson shared with CNN. Words cannot express how grateful we are to him. In fact, I have tears in my eyes as I write this email. Luka is doing fine thanks to your wonderful and courageous employee, she wrote. The CNN Wire contributed to this story. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaks at Capitol Hill news conference on July 24. (Associated Press) For all that the coronavirus pandemic has done to sharpen our focus on the most intractable problems of our time, it has also made us acutely aware of the modern, daily comforts of life we took for granted before March. I think of it like this: Society desperately needs to reduce inequality and keep everyone safe and healthy, and I desperately need a haircut. Comes now Nancy Pelosi, whose secretly recorded blowout at a San Francisco hair salon briefly made the Democratic House speaker the flashpoint of our pandemic polarization and anxieties. Readers responded to Pelosi's alleged hypocrisy either with anger at her and anyone else perceived as protecting her, including the "liberal media," or dismissiveness of her critics. Janet Polak of Beverly Hills takes a swipe at the L.A. Times and sympathizes with salon owners: Of course the L.A. Times and other liberal media outlets aren't focusing very much on Pelosi's visit to a hair salon in San Francisco. This is typical of the elites' "do as I say, not as I do" attitude. Thankfully, Gov. Gavin Newsom has since allowed hair salons and barbershops to reopen for everyone else. At great expense, these businesses put in all the safeguards required by the state to reopen. What is really offensive is the indifference of our elitist leaders to the plight of the shop owners and wage earners. Hopefully, not too many have been forced out of business. Gary Tereshkow of Palm Springs detects an overreaction: Geez, I can already hear the the chants of "lock her up" over Pelosi's "salongate" episode. Perhaps the Republicans will also initiate an congressional investigation. Robert Faircloth of Roseboro, N.C., is dismissive of Pelosi's "setup" charge: The presentation of the story as a "setup" is interesting. I believe something important is missing: Who is being charged with kidnapping the speaker? Was she forced into that salon? Story continues The only setup appears to be the spin of accusations and excuses. She could have hired someone to visit her house to perform the service. Jeffery Segall of Long Beach offers the perspective of a professional: As a California licensed cosmetologist and registered nurse, I would like to state that responsibility for a violation falls squarely on the shoulders of the salon owner and the stylist. It is the responsibility of these people to know what the local regulations are at any time. Ignorance of the law is no excuse. But apparently, ignorance was not part of the equation. Hours after the salon owner appeared on Fox News, the stylist, through an attorney, stated that the owner had been operating illegally while the restrictions were in place. The very same owner who appeared on Fox News calling the speaker a hypocrite has allegedly been in violation all this time. The California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology should be fully investigating this matter, along with the San Francisco Department of Public Health. It is a real turn up for the books - residents of a Co Down village have been ringing the changes with their public telephone box by turning it into a micro-library. Now the BT kiosk is a swap-shop for the bookworms of Edenderry just outside Belfast to leave their finished reads before picking up other second-hand ones - giving a whole new meaning to the phrase telephone exchange. The 'novel' idea for what Edenderry people are calling their book nook came from avid reader Nicola Dudgeon who has lived in the village for nearly three years and who said she pioneered her books in a booth scheme just before lockdown in the coronavirus crisis. Nicola added: "I'm always reading but I was running out of unread books and gaining a massive pile of books I'd finished. And then with the lockdown of course it became even more difficult to access books." Nicola said the Edenderry booth is rarely used by telephone callers with more and more people relying on mobiles to stay in touch. Nicola, who is seven months pregnant, added: "I thought the phone box would be an ideal setting for our book nook because there's never any danger of anything in it getting wet. "I put an email out on the Nextdoor app to see if anyone would be interested in the idea and it has bloomed from there. Everyone has really taken to it. The reviews were very positive." Nicola, who is a furloughed care work administrator, said the people who have 'engaged' with the phone box initiative are not just locals. "We've had people coming from Carryduff, Dunmurry, Finaghy and the Malone Road to swap books. Originally I thought it would only be used by villagers but at the last count there have been 16 different areas represented. "Every time I go there I'm amazed at how many books are sitting in neat piles around the actual phone." Proud villagers who live close to the River Lagan have also put up decorations and flowers inside and outside the phone box. And there is speculation now of similar schemes starting up in other parts of Belfast. But Northern Ireland cannot claim to have the first edition of the library-in-a-phone box brainwave. A fictional one was first mooted on the popular BBC Radio 4 drama, The Archers. SRINAGAR: An Indian Army soldier was martyred and two others sustained injuries after Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmirs Nowgam sector in Kupwara on Saturday (September 5, 2020). "Pakistan initiated an unprovoked ceasefire violation (CFV) along the Line of Control in Nowgam sector of Kupwara in the morning by firing mortars and other weapons," defence spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said. Col Rajesh Kalia said a soldier was killed while two others sustained injuries. The injured jawans were evacuated to the 92 Base Hospital and their condition is stable, Col Kalia added. The Srinagar-based Defence PRO said that a befitting response was given to Pakistan for its aggression. The soldier who attained martyrdom was identified as Army Gunner Bhupinder Singh of 17 Brigade, the Army sources said earlier. The Pakistani troops fired medium motor shells targeting the Indian forward posts at the LoC, the sources said. Pakistan had violated the ceasefire by firing with small arms and intense shelling with mortars along LoC in Shahpur, Kirni and Degwar sectors in Poonch, at about 17.30 hours today, the Army sources said. Reports from these sectors on the LoC said that heavy firing and shelling by both sides was still on. Residents of villages situated in Shahpur, Kirni and Degwar sectors remained huddled inside their homes for the entire day while praying for their lives during the shelling. Pakistan has been violating the LoC ceasefire with impunity since the beginning of this year. At least 24 civilians have been killed and over 100 injured in more than 2,730 LoC ceasefire violations by Pakistan so far in 2020. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday asked the four death row convicts in the December 16 gangrape and murder case to file affidavits on the mitigating circumstances for its consideration. A bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra, R Banumathi and Ashok Bhushan asked the counsel for the condemned convicts, who have challenged their conviction and death penalty in the sensational case, to file the affidavits, detailing the mitigating and other circumstances which favour them. The oral direction came in the wake of submission of senior advocate Raju Ramachandran, who is assisting the bench as an amicus curiae, that the trial court and the high court were so overwhelmed by the nature of the crime that they did not follow the proper procedure for sentencing the accused in the instant case. Ramachandran had submitted that the courts below did not consider the mitigating circumstances of individual accused in the case. The accused and their counsel were not asked questions about their individual backgrounds and the mitigating factors, there was no application of mind to the case of each accused and therefore, no separate reasons were given for the imposition of death penalty on each of the accused, he had said, adding this had resulted in denial of right to equality and protection of life and liberty under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution of India respectively. Earlier, the court, which has been hearing final arguments in the case from April 4 2015, had appointed senior lawyers Ramachandran and Sanjay Hegde as amicus curiaes. While Ramachandran would assist the court in appeals of convicts, Mukesh and Pawan, Hegde would assist in appeals of other two convicts, Vinay Sharma and Akshay Kumar Singh. These four convicts had approached the apex court against the Delhi High Courts March 13, 2014 verdict which had observed that their offence fell in the rarest of rare category and had upheld the death sentence awarded to them by the trial court. A 23-year-old paramedic was brutally assaulted and gangraped by six persons in a moving bus in south Delhi and thrown out of the vehicle with her male friend on the night of December 16, 2012. She had died in a Singapore hospital on December 29. The prime accused, Ram Singh, was found dead in a cell in Tihar Jail in March 2013 and proceedings against him were abated. New Delhi: The Health Ministry on Saturday (September 5, 2020) exhorted Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka to focus on undertaking aggressive measures to break the chain of transmission and to ensure that the COVID-19 mortality is kept below 1% as India's coronavirus recoveries crossed 31 lakh. These States have also been advised to proactively ensure higher testing, effective clinical management to lower fatality and save lives along with efficient monitoring at various levels. Notably, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka account for about 46% of active cases reported nationally in the last 24 hours. Maharashtra alone accounts for 22% of all active cases reported in the last 24 hours. Similarly, these three states account for 52% of all COVID deaths reported across the country in the last 24 hours. Maharashtra alone accounted for 35% of all deaths reported in the last 24 hours. The Union Home Ministry has also highlighted the districts of concern in each State. In Maharashtra, Pune, Nagpur, Kolhapur, Sangli, Nashik, Ahmednagar, Raigad, Jalgaon, Solapur, Satara and Palghar were highlighted and need for effective containment and contact tracing was emphasized. In Andhra Pradesh, Prakasam and Chittoor were highlighted as districts of concern and the need for daily monitoring of facility wise deaths, strengthening of hospital facilities, increasing the number of ICUs, oxygen beds and efficient clinical management were focused upon. In Karnataka, the highlighted districts of Koppal, Mysuru, Davangere and Bellari were advised to optimally utilize RT-PCR testing facilities, to strengthen their door to door active case search and to protect their healthcare workers. In cumulative terms, five States account for more than 60% of the total active cases in the country. Maharashtra contributes maximum to the active caseload amounting to almost 25%, followed by Andhra Pradesh (12.06%), Karnataka (11.71%), Uttar Pradesh (6.92%) and Tamil Nadu which stands at 6.10%. Of the total deaths in the country, 70% are recorded in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Delhi and Andhra Pradesh. Notably, Maharashtra alone accounts for 37.33% of the total deaths. Meanwhile, India recorded the highest single-day peak of 70,072 coronavirus recoveries in the last 24 hours that took the recovery rate to 77.23%. India has posted more than 22.6 lakh recoveries than the active cases (8,46,395). The active cases currently comprise 21.04% of the total positive cases. Five States have reportedly contributed to 60% of the total recoveries. As of Saturday morning, India has a total of 40,23,179 confirmed cases including 8,46,395 active cases and 69,561 fatalities, as per a data by the Union Ministry of Health. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown speaks to the press in Roseburg, Ore., on Oct. 2, 2015. (Scott Olson/Getty Images) Oregon Governor: National Guard Isnt Needed to Quell Unrest in Portland Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said Friday that she hasnt sent National Guard troops to Portland to quell the continued unrest there because she believes theyre not trained for the job or needed. Portland Mayor and Police Commissioner said last week that hes asked Brown for National Guard assistance multiple times, but she declined to send the help. There were multiple reasons at the time why I rejected that request, Brown told reporters at a press briefing. A, we dont need the national guard at this time and, B, that they are not trained for this work, she added later. What we need on the ground is trained law enforcement. And thats why I created the uniform law enforcement plan to bring both local and state officials together behind a plan to keep people safe and to protect free speech rights. Brown unveiled the plan late last month following the killing of a man in downtown Portland during a night that saw skirmishes between supporters of President Donald Trump and counter-demonstrators. A man is treated after being shot in Portland, Ore., on Aug. 29, 2020. The victim, identified as Aaron Danielson, died. (Paula Bronstein/AP Photo) Brown sent Oregon troopers back to Portland, several weeks after the troopers withdrew out of frustration of a new prosecutorial policy that sees prosecutors decline to pursue charges against people arrested during protests and riots. She also asked several law enforcement agencies to send personnel. Those heads of those agencies said they would not. Browns repeated refusal to send National Guard forces stands in contrast with other governors. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, a fellow Democrat, quickly sent forces into Kenosha to quell unrest there last month. Trump and acting Homeland Security Chief Chad Wolf regularly reiterate offers of federal help for law enforcement in Portland but have been turned down each time by Brown, who called one of Trumps latest offers political theater. Federal and Oregon officials have blamed each other for the riots, which have shaken the city since May 28 with no end in sight. In this still image from video, demonstrators stand near the Penumbra Kelly Building in Portland, Ore., on Sept. 3, 2020. (Roman Balmakov/The Epoch Times) Wheeler told Trump in a recent letter that sending federal agents to help protect the U.S. Courthouse made the situation far worse. Wolf told Wheeler in response that your inaction has fostered an environment that has fueled senseless violence and destruction night after night. Trump said Wednesday that the federal government is reviewing funding to state and local governments that are permitting anarchy, violence, and destruction in American cities, including Portland. FBI agents in Portland recently shifted more focus onto those committing crimes during the nightly events. FBI investigations led to five civil disorder charges this week. During the briefing, Brown was asked about Michael Forest Reinoehl, the Antifa member who allegedly shot dead Aaron Jay Danielson, a supporter of Patriot Prayer, in downtown Portland on Aug. 29. Reinoehl was killed by law enforcement officers during an attempt to apprehend him late Thursday. I dont have any more specific information about Mr. Reinoehl, she said. Chandler Pappas and Aaron Danielson, top left, walk down Southwest Alder Street as Michael Reinoehl, right, conceals himself from them, in Portland, Ore., on Aug. 29, 2020. (Portland Police Bureau) In terms of the violence in the streets of Portland, I continue to remain concerned. Thats why at the request of community leaders, we have issued a collective call to end the violence, to end the property destruction, the arson, and the person to person violence in the streets, she added. This violence is a distraction from the critically important work that we need to do to eradicate racism and build a better Oregon for everyone. Pressed on why she denounced white supremacists but not Antifa following the shooting of Danielson, Brown declined to answer directly. Twenty-seven people were arrested during a riot later Friday in Portland. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday pushed for restoration of status quo ante at all friction points in eastern Ladakh during talks with his Chinese counterpart Gen. Wei Fenghe in Moscow, in the first highest level face-to-face contact between the two sides after the border row erupted in Ladakh in early May. The focus of the talks that lasted nearly two and a half hours was on ways to resolve the prolonged border standoff, sources said. Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar and Indian Ambassador to Russia D B Venkatesh Varma were part of the Indian delegation at the talks that began at around 9:30 pm(IST) at a prominent hotel in Moscow following a request from Gen. Wei. The meeting between Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh and Chinese Defence Minister, General Wei Fenghe in Moscow is over. The meeting lasted for 2 hours and 20 minutes, Singhs office tweeted. Met with the Chinese Defence Minister, General Wei Fenghe in Moscow. pic.twitter.com/Jex9gKCf98 Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) September 4, 2020 External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has previously held telephonic talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the border standoff. Sources said the Indian delegation strongly objected to Chinese armys fresh attempts to change the status quo in the southern bank of Pangong lake in eastern Ladakh and insisted on resolution of the standoff through talks. The Indian side wanted restoration of status quo ante at all friction points in eastern Ladakh, the sources said. Both Singh and Wei are in Moscow to attend a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation(SCO) defence ministers which took place earlier in the day. Hours before the talks, Singh, in his address at the SCO ministerial meet, said peace and security in the region demands a climate of trust, non-aggression, peaceful resolution of differences and respect for international rules. Singhs comments in the presence of the Chinese defence minister was seen as a veiled message to China over the border row in eastern Ladakh. In his address, Singh referred to the Second World War and said its memories teach the globe the follies of aggression of one state upon another that brings destruction to all. Peaceful stable and secure region of SCO member states, which is home to over 40 per cent of the global population, demands a climate of trust and cooperation, non-aggression, respect for international rules and norms, sensitivity to each others interest and peaceful resolution of differences, Singh said. The meeting took place amid heightened tensions between the two countries triggered by Chinas fresh attempts to occupy Indian territory in the southern bank of Pangong lake. As both sides increased deployment of troops in Ladakh, Chief of Army Staff Gen MM Naravane, wrapping up a two-day visit to the region, said the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) is tense but added that the nation can count on the Indian Army. The situation along the LAC is tense. We have undertaken precautionary deployment in some areas. The troops are prepared for all contingencies that may arise. All these actions have been carried out only along the LAC, he said after holding a series of meetings with top army commanders. Separately, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said there will be no compromise on Indias sovereignty and territorial integrity, and asserted it cannot be business as usual in bilateral ties unless there is peace and tranquility in the border areas. At the same time, he said India is open to resolving outstanding issues through dialogue. This is one of the most serious challenges we have faced in many decades, he said, adding, we have not seen this magnitude of amassing of forces on the border also in recent years. Shringla was speaking at an Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) webinar. In the meantime, Brigade commanders of Indian and Chinese armies held a nearly three-hour-long interaction near Chushul in eastern Ladakh, exploring ways to bring down tensions. The outcome of the interaction is not immediately known. Three rounds of Brigade commander-level talks between the two armies earlier this week remained inconclusive. Tensions flared up again in eastern Ladakh after China unsuccessfully attempted to occupy Indian territory in the southern bank of Pangong lake five days ago when the two sides were engaged in diplomatic and military talks to resolve the prolonged border row. India occupied a number of strategic heights on the southern bank of Pangong lake and strengthened its presence in Finger 2 and Finger 3 areas in the region to thwart any Chinese actions. China has strongly objected to Indias move. However, India has maintained that the strategic heights are on its side of the LAC. India has also rushed in additional troops and weapons to the sensitive region following Chinas transgression attempts. Following Chinas fresh attempts to change the status quo in the southern bank of Pangong lake, India has further bolstered its military presence in the region. It was very satisfying to see our soldiers and local commanders in high morale and good health. It gives me confidence that they are well prepared to safeguard the territorial integrity of our nation. The Indian Army is known for its commitment and resolve, Gen. Naravane said. We will continue to utilise all existing mechanisms to reduce tension and to ensure that the status quo is not unilaterally changed, he added. Over the past three months, both sides are engaged in resolving the situation. Military and diplomatic channels are functioning. Indian side is firmly committed to resolve the current situation along the LAC through engagement, Gen. Naravane said. In a statement, the Army said Gen. Naravane interacted with soldiers and local commanders deployed in difficult high-altitude forward areas. It said he appreciated their high morale and standards of professionalism exhibited by the units in safeguarding the countrys territorial integrity. The Army chief was briefed about the overall security scenario by Lt Gen. YK Joshi, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Northern Command, and Lt Gen. Harinder Singh, the Commander of the Leh-based 14 Corps. In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a media briefing earlier in the day that on issues left over from history, like the boundary issue, China always believes finding a fair, reasonable, mutually acceptable solution through peaceful consultations. The tension between the two sides escalated manifold after the violent clashes in Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh on June 15 in which 20 Indian Army personnel were killed. The Chinese side also suffered casualties but it is yet to give out the details. According to an American intelligence report, the number of casualties on the Chinese side was 35. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-06 04:11:54|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ALGIERS, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Algeria on Saturday reported 298 new COVID-19 cases and 10 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total infection cases to 46,071 and the total death toll to 1,549, said the Algerian Ministry of Health in a statement. This is the first time since June 29 that the number of daily new cases has fallen below 300, according to the statement. It noted that 222 patients were newly discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recoveries to 32,481. Algeria has resumed economic and commercial activities since June 7 as part of the efforts to return to normal life. On Feb. 25, Algeria recorded its first infection with COVID-19. China and Algeria have offered mutual help in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. In early February, Algeria sent medical donation to help China combat the coronavirus. In return, China has sent two batches of medical aid to Algeria on March 27 and April 15 respectively. A Chinese medical expert team arrived in Algeria on May 14 for a 15-day mission to help fight the coronavirus, through sharing China's experience in curbing the spread of the contagious disease. Enditem Frances Tabitha Olisa A lady identified as Frances Tabitha Olisa Ogbonnaya, is in police custody after being arrested by men of the Nigeria Police from the Intelligence Response Team, IRT, Abuja. She was accused of alleged cyber-bullying and blackmail by the owner of Peace Mass Transit Ltd, Sam Onyishi. It was gathered that the suspect, who is resident in Lagos, had in a post on her Facebook wall sometime last year claimed that 18 passengers of PMT had died in an accident on the Ore-Benin road, knowing so to be untrue, particularly as no PMT bus carries such number of passengers at once. The arrest of Ms. Ogbonnaya followed a petition dated Feb. 3, 2020, and addressed to the IGP, on behalf of PMT, by Barr. Okani E.I. In the petition, the lawyer stated that Ogbonnaya had engaged in cyber-bullying, stalking, criminal blackmail and harassment of the transport company. She claimed in a Facebook post that 18 passengers of PMT had died in an accident on the Ore-Benin road, whereas, no PMT bus carries such number of passengers at once. Tabitha branded Peace Mass Transit a morgue with a promise to run them out of town except they settle her. According to the lawyer, the lady had also claimed the owner of Peace Mass was using his passengers for rituals, a development that led to the petition. Consequently, she was trailed to her residence in Ibeju Lekki in Lagos and was arrested by men of IRT that came from Abuja. Ogbonnaya is currently at the FCT Command facing interrogation. She has been picked up by our team from Abuja and has been taken to FCT Command where shes giving police useful information that will aid their investigation. We will make known the outcome of the development as soon as investigation is concluded, the company lawyer said in a statement. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-04 19:12:32|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A police officer inspects a passenger on a bus in Istanbul, Turkey, on Sept. 4, 2020. Turkey's biggest city Istanbul on Friday launched a series of inspections to monitor compliance with the COVID-19 rules on hygiene, social distancing and wearing masks. (Photo by Osman Orsal/Xinhua) ISTANBUL, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- Turkey's biggest city Istanbul on Friday launched a series of inspections to monitor compliance with the COVID-19 rules on hygiene, social distancing and wearing masks. Local authorities, accompanied by police units, boosted controls in intercity bus terminals, airports, restaurants, cafes and all kinds of workplaces across the city. Harem Bus Station in the Uskudar district was among the main centers of the inspections as it is a significant transportation hub in the region. Murat Sefa Demiryurek, the district governor, told Xinhua that some new restrictions could be taken if the current measures would not be enough to contain the pandemic. A day earlier, Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya urged the infected citizens to strictly follow the quarantine rules. "For God's sake, do not go outside under any circumstance... We will allow no single person to make such a mistake," he said at an event. Currently, 642 teams of 1,900 personnel are working in the field across Istanbul to identify those who recently contacted the infected patients, according to Yerlikaya. More than 87,000 households were reached between Aug. 10 and Aug. 30, the governor noted. Additionally, the Istanbul Municipality has recently launched a new project to raise awareness of the pandemic, patrolling all 39 districts of the city to explain to the residents how to best protect themselves from the coronavirus. Istanbul, with a population of 16 million, had previously accounted for as high as 70 percent of the total COVID-19 cases in Turkey, but the rate dropped to 25 percent to 30 percent at the beginning of August, according to the governor's office. Turkey reported 1,642 new cases on Thursday, raising the total number of infections to 274,943, including 6,511 deaths. Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said the country is experiencing the second peak of the pandemic as the figures have been continuously increasing. New Delhi, Sep 5 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday said it has filed chargesheet against two people, arrested in connection with stealing computer devices from under construction INS Vikrant in the Cochin Shipyard Ltd. An NIA spokesperson said that the agency chargesheeted Sumit Kumar Singh and Daya Ram under several sections of Indian Penal Code besides sections of the Information Technology Act on Friday at the Special NIA court in Kerala. In September last year, theft on-board 'INS Vikrant' had surfaced. The Kerala Police had registered a case of criminal trespass and theft of critical electronic components installed on-board the indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC) following a complaint by the Cochin Shipyard authorities. The NIA took over the probe on September 26, 2019 following national security concerns since sensitive information was stored on these hard disks. The spokesperson said that after meticulous, extensive and scientific investigation spread over many states in a period of nine months, NIA zeroed in on Singh, a resident of Bihar's Munger and Ram, a resident of Hanumangarh in Rajasthan. "After sustained interrogation, they confessed to the crime," the official said. An investigation by the NIA has revealed that Singh and Ram were engaged as contract employees for painting work aboard the IAC between February and September, 2019. "While working aboard the IAC, they had observed the computer systems functioning on the warship under construction and conspired, since May, 2019, to commit theft of the computer hardware components, for monetary gain," the official said. The official said that consequently, between the second week of July and first week of September 2019, Singh and Ram trespassed into the locations aboard the IAC, where the critical computer resources were installed and committed theft of critical computer hardware. This included Processors, RAMs and SSDs with data, knowing that the same pertains to the security of the nation and hence is restricted. During September 2019 the accused had sold one stolen Processor for monetary gain, before the theft was detected and the case registered. After the theft, in late-September 2019, both left Ernakulam for their native places, along with the remaining stolen property, that was recovered after their arrest by NIA on June 10 this year. INS Vikrant is the first indigenous aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy. The work on the ship's design began in 1999, and the keel was laid in February 2009. As of 2019, the ship is expected to start sea trials in February 2021 and enter active service as early as 2023. The project cost has neared Rs 20,000 crore. With the completion of INS Vikrant, India will join the ranks of the US, the UK, Russia, France and China in the construction of aircraft carriers. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Rocket Lab recently made a successful return to flight and launched a client satellite from its Electron Rocket, but thats not all that happened on the mission. The company also secretly launched its own satellite, called Photon, that could one day fly ambitious deep space missions. Photon is based on Rocket Labs Kick Stage, which is a mini rocket designed to boost satellite payloads into their final circular orbit once Electron has brought them to space. However, rather than just packing a propulsion system, Photon will carry additional electronics, orientation sensors, power generation units and instruments like cameras. That means that Photon can act as a satellite itself so that clients dont need to contract third-party providers to design and build them. Normally, once the Kick Stage does its job, Rocket Lab de-orbits it to burn up in the atmosphere. However, this time it sent a command that switched it into Photon satellite mode to continue on a standalone mission called First Light. Intended as a demonstration, its equipped with solar panels and a camera that can snap images of itself and the Earth. Eventually, customers will be able to choose a launch-plus-spacecraft mission with the Electron Rocket and Photon satellite, which eliminate[s] the complexity, risk and delays associated with having to build their own satellite hardware and procure a separate launch, said Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck in a statement. During a press conference, Beck said that the company launched Photon in secret to make sure its all good and it works before announcing it. Rocket Lab said that a high-energy version of Photon will eventually fly lunar and interplanetary missions, including NASAs Capstone mission in early 2021. In that mission, Photon will fly as a "pathfinder" that will help the Artemis program's Gateway spacecraft safely approach the Moon. by Biju Veticad The video game is seen as a threat to the health and social life of young people and children. More than 36 million Indians have downloaded it to their smartphones. For analysts, Indias ban is in retaliation for clashes with China over the Himalayan border. PUBG detractors call for action against app addiction. Changanassery (AsiaNews) Catholics in Kerala have welcomed the government's decision to ban 118 mobile applications, mostly Chinese, including the popular PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG). For many, games like PUBG are seen as a threat to the health and social life of young people and children, who often become addicted to them. The government announced the ban Wednesday. According to several observers, the decision is linked to recent tensions with China along the Himalayan border. The two countries share a 3,488 km border in the remote region, which already saw them fight a brief but bloody war in 1962. India claims large sectors of Aksai Chin (which the Chinese obtained from Pakistan), whilst China claims the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. For Indias Information Technology Ministry, the banned applications are a threat to national security. Indian authorities have in fact said that they have constant unauthorised access to users confidential data. The ban is nothing new. Narendra Modi's government already blocked 61 applications, including China's TikTok, used by 120 million Indians. PUBG, a battle game launched in 2017 by the Chinese company Tencent, has nearly 70 million users worldwide: 36.3 million in India alone, half of whom access it daily. For its detractors, the application creates a dangerous addiction, especially among the young. It is blamed for causing violent behavior, physical and mental problems, sleep disorder and social alienation. Because of these applications, many young people spend whole days without socialising with their peers. In doing so, they lose their mental and creative abilities, said Father Jeemon Banglauparambil, a priest in the Diocese of Changanassery who is very active in the youth ministry. Speaking to AsiaNews, Fr Jeemon added that the government should ban other PUBG-like apps, so as to make Indian youths "accountable to themselves and society." Sijo Ambatt, Asia president of the International Federation of the Movement of Young Catholic Parishioners, explains that the excessive use of applications such as PUBG creates an overproduction of adrenaline, which promotes gambling addiction. The net effect is that people are distracted from their daily chores, including working. Such a problem can only be solved if the authorities take an active interest in the matter. DEAR ABBY: About 40 years ago, I did someone an injustice, and I have felt guilty ever since. I worked for a consulting firm in Washington, D.C., that fired an accounting clerk who was in my small office. I didn't know why she was fired, and I never heard a cross word exchanged between her and her supervisor. She seemed to be capable and friendly. A prospective employer called me for a reference, and because my company told me that it did not respond to requests for references, I didn't give her one. Ever since, I have wished I had shared what I knew about her. If I was allowed a do-over, I would have told the employer about my positive experience with her and my belief that she was capable and friendly. Her being Black and not having my reference may have increased her difficulty in finding a job. I am sharing this with your readers so they may avoid making a similar mistake. Guilt-ridden in Texas DEAR GUILT-RIDDEN: Some companies, on the advice of their legal counsel, strictly adhere to a policy of disclosing only dates of hire and discharge of employees. This has nothing to do with race or ethnicity. It was not a mistake to do as your employers instructed, and you should not feel guilty for having done so. DEAR ABBY: My heart is heavy as I write this. Since the pandemic started, my father-in-law has called us every couple of weeks to ask if we are safe and OK. I have heard nothing from my own father. I finally called him, mentioning that I thought he would call to check on us. His response was, "I'm the adult; you should be checking on me." (I have two grown children and two grandchildren, so I was taken aback by the thought that I was not an "adult.") I mentioned that because he is not in a nursing home, in jail or has to go to work, I figured he was much safer than my husband and me, who still must go out to work every day and be in contact with hundreds of people. I feel like my father doesn't care about us like my father-in-law does. What do you think? Disappointed in Florida DEAR DISAPPOINTED: I agree that your father doesn't care about you the same way your father-in-law does. He appears to be so centered upon himself that there's little room to worry about his children's welfare. What do I think? I think that if you love your father, you should give him an occasional call, but when you do, expect nothing in return. And you should thank your lucky stars you have a darling father-in-law who takes up the slack. DEAR ABBY: I have two close, dear friends. They're my inner circle. Both are extroverts and quite talkative. I'm an introvert and quieter. My problem is, I can't get a word in edgewise when we're together. I'm not sure how to tactfully address this subject with them. Any ideas? Introvert in the Southwest DEAR INTROVERT: Yes. Speak up and say exactly what you told me "Hey, folks, I can't get a word in edgewise!" If you say it with a smile, it shouldn't be regarded as insulting because it's the truth. TV presenter Louis Theroux is taking a trip down career memory lane. Or, as he likens it to, "climbing a mountain and then you take a pause after you've had a decent interval of walking and then you sit on a bench and you're like 'Wow, we're a long way up.'" And he is not wrong. The TV star's career over more than two decades is a colourful and impactful one. His latest project, a BBC Two series entitled Louis Theroux: Life On The Edge, shines a spotlight on it with a look back on 25 years in the industry. Four, hour-long episodes, each with a different theme (Beyond Belief, Family Ties, Law and Disorder and The Dark Side of Pleasure) will see him revisit some of his most memorable stories. Theroux (50) also unearthed unseen footage from older series such as Weird Weekends, which ran from 1998 to 2000. "It was really fun going back and opening up the treasure chests of old programmes and seeing how far I've come in a weird way," he says during a Zoom video interview. "I think, in general, what I'm struck by is how many, because I still feel like a novice in some respects. I still feel like I'm learning how to do this. I still have a lot of professional anxieties whenever I'm starting a new project, or just continuing an old project. So, to see how many programmes I've made and how many of them still hold up is really pleasing." He has tackled topics including Jimmy Savile, US neo-Nazis, Michael Jackson and Scientology in his series and TV specials over the years. But still, looking back, there were small elements of surprise. "I didn't expect it, but, in the first three episodes, they are portraits of America; all the stories are about America," he says. "All of them sort of say something, you know? I've always made a lot of programmes in America, but I've never made it explicit what they say about America and here I feel like we're able to do that. "It's made me feel like I'm maybe a more serious documentary-maker, which is a good feeling, something I'm not used to." Last year, he published his autobiography, entitled Gotta Get Theroux This, which charted his career from fledgling journalist in the early 1990s to BBC regular. Off-screen, he hosts a podcast called Grounded with Louis Theroux, which according to BBC Sounds, has been their biggest hit on the service during lockdown. Featuring interviews with stars including Helena Bonham Carter, Sir Lenny Henry, Boy George, KSI and Miriam Margolyes, Theroux says working on it has been "one of the pleasures" of lockdown. "Being able to have long-form chats with people like Boy George and Lenny Henry via Zoom. These are people who, back in the day, I tried to get for When Louis Met, a celebrity series, and who probably very sensibly turned me down and now I'm at a place where I feel I can tell those stories of interesting people in the public eye. That's another area of inquiry I'd like to go further down. Just the idea of long-form chats, in which you are getting to the truth with people in a way that's comfortable for them and just connecting with people in different spheres of life in a way that feels unforced and unformatted and free form." The podcast is part of our conversation in response to asking him what story he still wants to tell. He explains: "What I have never done is a story about radical Islam and the issue of Islamic extremism. I've tried a couple of times and not got that far down the road. I thought for a while there may be a way of telling the story from the perspective of Isis returnees and I even proposed that about a year ago at the BBC, but it eventually got pushed back because of Covid-19. "I would still like to tell that story. You know, the Shamima Begum-type of story, the world of people who were caught up in Islamic fundamentalism ... and how we deal with that now and the world of that ideology. I think all of that is massively interesting and, obviously, socially important, and really upsetting as well." Begum is one of three east London schoolgirls who fled to Syria to join the so-called Islamic State in 2015 and is fighting a legal battle against the UK after she was stripped of her British citizenship. And what about lockdown and the last few months of life ever-changed for people across the world due to the coronavirus pandemic? Is that a story he thinks he will document one day? "The short answer is I think I might do, but it would be probably in print. I've been keeping a diary. I've had so little time in the last few weeks, I've started to think I'm not keeping enough of a diary." There may be, he muses, a "glut of books" written in the next year, or year thereafter, about this all. "If I did anything on lockdown, I think the only way for me of telling the story would be through the medium of a book, or print, in which I would excavate the weird tensions. You know, in lockdown I was just here with my family, working, but just trying to get through the day, without one of us losing their minds due to this feeling of there not being enough hours in the day, kids being home-schooled - not home-schooled would be more accurate. "We have three boys and my wife (Nancy) and I both work and had professional commitments and, you know, we're trying to get meals, get everyone fed, keep the house in some semblance of order, get clothes cleaned, do two jobs that are very demanding and then make sure the kids aren't on screens the whole day. It was extremely stressful. "I think a lot of people had different lockdowns. That was our lockdown and so the nature of the arguments we had was kind of interesting, so I started keeping a journal." Louis Theroux: Life on the Edge, BBC Two, Sunday, 9pm Please register or log in to keep reading. No credit card required! Stay logged in to skip the surveys. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has declared Donald Trump unfit for the presidency after the US leader allegedly mocked American war dead. The US president and his allies have dismissed the report in The Atlantic as false. The allegations, sourced anonymously, describe multiple offensive comments by the president about US service members killed or captured in action. Mr Trump allegedly called First World War dead at an American military cemetery in France losers and suckers in 2018. The reported comments, many of which were confirmed independently by The Associated Press, shine a fresh light on Mr Trumps previous public disparagement of American troops and military families. That opens a new political vulnerability for the US president less than two months from election day. Expand Close Joe Biden (AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Joe Biden (AP) Voice cracking, Mr Biden told reporters on Friday that you know in your gut Mr Trumps comments, if true, are deplorable. Mr Biden added: Ive just never been as disappointed, in my whole career, with a leader that Ive worked with, president or otherwise. If the article is true and it appears to be, based on other things hes said it is absolutely damning. It is a disgrace. Every day Donald Trump proves how morally unfit he is to lead our nation. In 60 days, we have to vote him out. https://t.co/EteeruIOm6 Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) September 5, 2020 He added that the president should humbly apologise to every Gold Star mother and father, to every Blue Star family that hes denigrated. Who the heck does he think he is? Mr Trump, in the Oval Office, said no apology was necessary, because it was a fake story. The US leader is alleged to have made the comments in November 2018, as he was set to visit the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery during a trip to France. The White House said the visit was scrubbed because foggy weather made the helicopter trip from Paris too risky, and a 90-minute drive was deemed infeasible. The Atlantic story on @realDonaldTrump is total BS. I was actually there and one of the people part of the discussion - this never happened. I have sat in the room when our President called family members after their sons were killed in action and it was heart-wrenching... Sarah Huckabee Sanders (@SarahHuckabee) September 4, 2020 Speaking on Friday in the Oval Office, Mr Trump denied ever uttering such comments: It was a terrible thing that somebody could say the kind of things and especially to me, cause Ive done more for the military than almost anybody else. Later, in a press briefing, Mr Trump suggested the source of the story was his former chief of staff, retired Marine General John Kelly. It could have been a guy like John Kelly, Mr Trump told reporters, saying his former top aide was unable to handle the pressure of this job. Mr Bidens critique was personal. The former vice president often speaks about his pride for his late son Beaus service in the Delaware Army National Guard. Expand Close Mr Trump described the story as fake (AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Mr Trump described the story as fake (AP) As he spoke, Mr Biden grew angry, raising his voice to rebut Mr Trumps alleged comments that Marines who died in battle were suckers for getting killed. When my son was an assistant US attorney and he volunteered to go to Kosovo when the war was going on, as a civilian, he wasnt a sucker, Mr Biden declared. When my son volunteered to join the United States military as the attorney general, he went to Iraq for a year, won the Bronze Star and other commendations, he wasnt a sucker. Beau Biden died of cancer in 2015. Returning to Washington from a Thursday visit to Pennsylvania, Mr Trump told reporters that the Atlantic report was a disgraceful situation by a terrible magazine. I would be willing to swear on anything that I never said that about our fallen heroes, Mr Trump told the reporters, gathered on the tarmac in the dark. Expand Close The late US senator John McCain (AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The late US senator John McCain (AP) There is nobody that respects them more. No animal nobody what animal would say such a thing? Mr Trump also denied calling the late Arizona senator John McCain, a decorated Navy officer who was a prisoner of war in Vietnam, a loser after his August 2018 death. The US president acknowledged on Thursday he was never a fan of Mr McCain and disagreed with him, but said he still respected him and approved everything to do with his first-class triple-A funeral without hesitation because I felt he deserved it. In 2015, shortly after launching his presidential candidacy, Mr Trump publicly blasted McCain, saying, Hes not a war hero. He added: I like people who werent captured. At the time, Mr Trump also shared a news article on Twitter calling Mr McCain a loser. Four years ago as a candidate, President Trump made more than 280 campaign promises. Lets see how he did: I will build a great, great wall on our southern border (speech, June 16, 2015) While Trump so far has built 307 miles of walls along the 1,984-mile border, much of this replaces previous barriers that were dilapidated or blocked only vehicles. and I will have Mexico pay for that wall. Mexico is not paying for it. The new wall is costing about $30 million per mile and will be expensive to maintain, for human smugglers have cut open the wall with $50 cordless saws. We will find them [all undocumented immigrants], we will get them out. (CNN interview, July 29, 2015) Trump deported about 750,000 undocumented immigrants in his first three years in office, but most were trying to get into the country, not already living here. He never tried to remove all undocumented immigrants. He did unleash a reign of terror directed at migrants, including separating young children from family members, and that may be one reason the total number of undocumented immigrants fell slightly. Still, Trump actually deported fewer people in his first three years than Barack Obama had a comparison neither man will appreciate. BUNKER HILL State Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, is encouraging area farmers to apply for the Illinois Department of Agricultures Fall Covers for Spring Savings cover crop program to receive a discounted crop insurance rate in spring 2021. The initiative, which Manar spearheaded last year, allows eligible applicants to receive a $5 per acre discount on the following years crop insurance invoice for every acre of cover crop enrolled and verified in the program. People are longing to fly again. But is it safe? Bay Area airports saw a steady uptick in travelers over the past few months. Oakland International Airport reported a jump of 90,000 more passengers between June and July. San Francisco International Airport counted an increase of 210,000 in the same period. (SFO also reopened a concourse in the International Terminal on Tuesday, bringing back several flights previously put on hold.) San Jose International Airport saw an upturn of 120,000 passengers between June and July. But boarding an airplane during the coronavirus pandemic remains a scary prospect for most. The number of air travel passengers passing through security checkpoints across the country as of Sept. 1 was down 75% year over year (up from the staggering 96% drop reported in mid-April), according to the Transportation Security Administration. As a result, many airlines are cutting employees and parking their fleets as they wait for a vaccine for COVID-19 to become widely available. Until then, air travel is going to be complicated. The day after he saw his daughter off to college by plane, we asked Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist with UCSF, to talk us through the risks of taking to the skies right now from planning your trip to arriving at your destination. Before you fly: Flying during a pandemic is going to require patience and planning. Travelers can take several measures to prepare for trips, such as downloading electronic boarding passes to their phones, loading up on hand sanitizer, and making sure they have adequate personal protective equipment for the flight. When purchasing your ticket, Chin-Hong recommends opting for a window seat if you have a choice. He does not advise picking a seat in the front of the cabin or in areas where people could potentially congregate while waiting to use the bathrooms. The goal is to minimize exposure to others. Choose a flight thats not as populated and choose a part of the plane where not a lot of people are sitting, he said, if possible. Give some extra thought to what you pack in your carry-on bag. You will most likely want to bring your headphones, pillow, and blanket. You should also consider disposable gloves, snacks and a water bottle. Keep in mind all airlines now mandate face coverings. Look up the COVID report of your destination just like you look up the weather report, he said. Try not to fly into a region where you are at a higher risk of infection. You also do not want to spread the virus if you are traveling from a hot spot. Reschedule your flight if you are feeling ill or had recent contact with someone infected with COVID-19. Getting to the airport: As more people resume travel, the risk of getting to the airport using public transportation also increases. Chin-Hong recommends using a private car or hitching a ride with someone in your pod. The next safest option would be hiring a personal Uber no more ride-shares with strangers. Everyone in the vehicle should wear a mask, and the windows should be open to increase ventilation. While local transit agencies such as BART and Muni have put stringent measures in place to keep passengers safe, it is hard to account for the behavior of others especially when things get crowded. The more people you have around you, the more potential for things to go awry, said Chin-Hong. If you have to take public transportation, he advises finding a spot on the bus or train where you can maintain social distance. Sit where there arent many noses and mouths around you, he said. Once you arrive at the airport, make time to walk to your terminal rather than taking a crowded shuttle. Sanitize your hands after touching any surfaces. In the terminal: There are several changes you can expect when you return to the airport, such as plastic barriers at the counters, physical distancing markers on the floors, and mask requirements. Airports have also stepped up their cleaning protocols. Try to arrive when it is less crowded. Sanitize your hands after touching surfaces such as counters, ID scanners, and the plastic trays at the TSA gate. Some experts recommend wearing several layers of disposable gloves and removing one each time you pass through a high-touch point. As you approach the boarding gate, try to separate yourself from others. Dont rush for the comfy seats everybody else is using, said Chin-Hong. This is the time to be anti-social. Most airport vendors are closed, but if you need to grab a cup of coffee, you should order and pay electronically to avoid person-to-person contact. At the boarding gate: In the past, people would swarm the gate as soon as the first distorted call for pre-boarding went out over the PA system. It is time to break that habit. Hang back and wait until they call your group. You dont want to be in that crowd situation, said Chin-Hong. Be patient in the tunnel while boarding the plane, leaving plenty of distance between you and others in the line. And try to touch as few surfaces as possible when stowing your bags. Let the flight attendants shut the overhead compartments. On the airplane: Once you are on board, control your environment as much as possible. Wipe down the surfaces in your seating area, sanitize your hands, and turn on the overhead fan to keep the air circulating in the immediate area around your seat. Keep your mask on for the duration of the flight. Fit and comfort are important, said Chin-Hong. Sometimes wearing an N95 might be more difficult for people. It doesnt serve anybody if you have to constantly adjust your mask and take it off. He also recommends wearing face shields or safety glasses for an added layer of protection. Even with all those precautions, this is where the risk of flying could skyrocket due to the behavior of the people around you. You might wear the mask and disinfect everything, but its a wild card who is going to sit next to you especially not knowing where theyre coming from and what their COVID values might be, said Chin-Hong. Most commercial airlines boast highly efficient air circulation systems, which are capable of filtering virus particles every few minutes. They also claim to follow a long list of precautions to ensure the safety of passengers and flight crews. But then there are the widespread reports citing overcrowded planes, lax mask policies, and less-than-rigid implementation of advertised cleaning procedures. If possible, book your flight with a carrier that keeps the middle seats open, such as Delta, JetBlue, or Southwest. Popular carriers like United and American currently have no passenger limits. Avoid conversations with the people around you. Try to stay in your seat. Make sure to face forward, so as to reduce direct exposure to the people behind you, Chin-Hong said. Eating, drinking and using the restroom while in flight: Risk rises if you are on a flight that offers meal and beverage service because people have to remove their masks to eat and drink. It is probably better to pack your snacks, too, since you will not know how many people came into contact with the prepared food served on a commercial airplane. Abstain from drinking alcohol, which may cause some people to become laxer with safety measures. You may want to avoid using the bathroom, as well. If you are not able to hold it, wipe down all the high-touch surfaces, such as the doorknob and sink handles. Sanitize your hands thoroughly before returning to your seat. You do not want to accidentally transfer any viral particles to your nose or mouth. And, yes, you should flush the toilet. But the most important thing is to wear a mask. According to a report published by the CDC, researchers have evidence that a woman who wa s among a group of South Korean nationals evacuated from Italy in March caught the coronavirus on the flight. She only removed her N95 mask while in the bathroom. What to do if another passenger refuses to wear a mask: Airlines have become stricter about mask requirements, in some cases even turning planes around when someone refuses to wear a face covering. But it is hard to monitor everyone at all times. If you spot another passenger who refuses to follow safety protocols, Chin-Hong said it is best to avoid confrontation, which often causes people to dig in harder. Nobody wants to end up in a viral tweet for getting into a fistfight in seat 23C. You dont want to be belligerent, he said. You want to be emphatic. You might want to ask them, Im wondering, is there a reason its hard for you to wear a mask? Ask in a nonthreatening way driven by true curiosity. He recommends carrying an extra face shield you can offer them. Some people may have medical reasons for not being able to wear face coverings. If reasoning does not work, you can alert the flight crew or move to a different part of the plane. Once you arrive at your destination: Your instinct may be to leap out of your seat as soon as that seat belt indicator light goes off. Do not do that. Stay seated and wait for a break in the line that is not going to put you close to other passengers. You dont want anybody depositing droplets into your nose and mouth, Chin-Hong said. After you get off the plane, follow the familiar coronavirus protocols for the baggage claim, connection gates and commuter terminals. Mostly, you want to avoid heavily populated areas as much as possible. Congregations are a problem, he said. In general, it is better to take a series of shorter flights rather than one long flight to your destination. It may seem counter-intuitive, but the duration of viral exposure is a factor in the severity of the infection. While the data is still sparse on the likelihood of catching this coronavirus on a plane, some recent scientific studies point to infection on specific flights. On one flight from Israel to Germany, two passengers who were sitting within two rows of an asymptomatic individual were potentially infected. In August, 16 people linked to a flight from Greece to the UK tested positive for the virus, and nearly 200 other passengers had to self-isolate for two weeks. The bottom line? Travel by plane only when it is essential. While many of us may feel conceptually better about flying, it is probably best to avoid it for the time being unless you have a pressing reason. If a relative was sick, I would get on a flight, said Chin-Hong. But if I was going on vacation, I would drive. Aidin Vaziri is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: avaziri@sfchronicle.com This is a complicated story so I will begin with its easy middle when a small flock of rare spotted pardalote birds flew from the northern tip of Bruny Island into Barbara Kameniar's backyard in the remote southern Tasmanian townlet of Tinderbox. It was late 2017. She knew them well, these fragile, near-extinct, seemingly weightless fingerlings; they'd nested under her house before. "Tiny, exquisite things, incredibly brave, unafraid of the larger birds..." Watching them, Kameniar was anxious, thinking about a looming challenge, but calmed as the little birds ducked and fluttered. "They're such bringers of joy and excitement and promise of new life...." Gali Weiss with examples of the handkerchief artworks created for Making Marks. Credit:Simon Schluter Kameniar had been challenged by a friend, the Melbourne artist and printmaker Gali Weiss, to create three artworks for Making Marks, the second of an unusual collaboration with women in Afghanistan called Unfolding Projects. The first project, Two Trees, a series of concertina-style books with each folded page by a different Australian printmaker artist, had already forged surprisingly close friendships since they were sent in 2011, to a group of women living and learning literacy and vocational skills a planet away in the toughest suburb of Kabul. Despite their constricted and often violent lives, the women and girls put their hard-won basic literacy skills to work, "completing" the artists' pages with their own marks and words before returning the books to Australia. Two Trees, its cover a symbolically split panel of native Australian gum one side, a species indigenous to Afghanistan on the other, is now in the State Library of Queensland. For the second Unfolding Project, which began in 2017, Weiss asked 20 artists, again mostly printmakers, to render their works on what she calls the "deeply symbolic, loaded with meaning" media of handkerchiefs. Each artist; three handkerchiefs, three artworks. And in an odd but visionary afterthought, Weiss also asked Kameniar to contribute as an artist. Kameniar had collaborated on Two Trees as a facilitator, lubricating links between the Australian and Afghani women with her contacts in Adelaide's Support Association for the Women of Afghanistan (SAWA) and the Revolutionary Association of Women in Afghanistan, to contribute as an artist. Fort Bend ISD officials are currently working with a district-led 40 member pandemic advisory team as they develop new health and safety protocols at schools and prepare to re-open schools in October, Committee member Dr. Joe Anzaldua, who currently serves as health authority for the Cities of Sugar Land, Missouri City and Stafford, shared his insights and concerns related to COVID-19 at a recent school board meeting. In terms of evaluating data, Dr. Anzaldua said he evaluates statistics from a number of sources but pays close attention to two indicators: the percent positive rate and the effective reproduction rate (ET). The percent positive rate, also called the positivity rate measures the percentage of all coronavirus tests performed in an area that return positive results. Dr. Anzaldua said the threshold is considered to be five percent with Fort Bend Countys current rate at approximately five percent, which is good news compared to statistics from early July when the rate as roughly 13 percent. Another critical measure is the effective reproduction rate, which measures the infections capacity to spread with the target number as 1. Fort Bend Countys rate is currently 0.91, which is also good news Dr. Anzaldua told trustees. Dr. Anzaldua said one concern related to re-opening schools is the idea that children will be leaving the schools and taking infections home to their parents or other family members. MORE FROM KRISTI NIX: COVID-19 infections spike among Fort Bend County young adults Actually, Im more concerned about the children bringing infection from their household contacts into the school, he said, adding he had confidence the districts efforts to put adequate safety protocols in place. But regardless, theres no way to guarantee theres not going to be a hot spot or the issue of a breakout anywhere, and that includes a school district. Most children who become infected do not suffer the more serious effects of the infection and many remain asymptomatic. However, teachers and other district staff are at much greater risk of getting sick or dying from COVID-19, Anzaldua said. The kids are important, but also the faculty and support staff because some of are adults with medical issues. So, that is a concern for me. But, I think all the containment and mitigation efforts that the school district is going to put in place are good, Dr. Anzaldua said. Overall, looking at the various statistics measures, Dr. Anzaldua voiced support for the districts health and safety measures and plans to re-open schools. MORNING REPORT: Get the top stories on HoustonChronicle.com sent directly to your inbox I do agree with the current timeline that Dr. Dupre set forth, with the caveat that we have to be ready to move if things go south or if there is a second wave or things go out of control because thats always going to be a possibility, he said. This is a novel virus. This is unknown to the human race. We have to respect that and understand that. However, he warned district officials to prepare for the upcoming flu season as well as a predicted second wave of infections expected in October or November. To make matters worse, we have our flu season coming up and it may very well coincide with COVID-19, he said. I think its important for the board and the district to understand that depending on whats going on, we may have to re-think and reconsider what were doing right now. So, the plans that are make now may have to change in the future. We have to be ready for that, because that can happen. On HoustonChronicle.com: ACLU asks hundreds of Texas school districts to change dress codes, hair policies Fort Bend County Health and Human Services (FBCHHS) Director Dr Jacqueline Minter also spoke about predictions there could be a second wave of infections in the fall. We do expect a second wave. We dont know what will occur with that. But, we can be fairly sure that if we continue to do (safety and infection control) practices, we may not see a huge impact like we often get from most viruses, Dr. Minter said during a Fort Bend County Commissioner Court meeting COVID-19 ln Sept. 1. Dr. Minter said the county was also preparing for the upcoming flu season. According to FBCHHS reports on Thursday, Sept 3, the county-wide total for COVID-19 cases increased to 15.081 with 11,841 recoveries, The number of active COVID-19 cases stands at 3,284, according to statistics provided by the Texas Department of Health and Human Services. Fort Bend Countys young adults and children infected with COVID-19 continue to account for more than 30 percent of the cumulative case count, with those between 20 and 29-years-old being hit the hardest as compared to every other age category. Approximately 3,077 young adults between 18 and 29 years-old have tested positive for COVID-19 with that age group representing more than 20 percent of the countys overall total. Infections among children also increased with a total of 1,419 infections involving those under 17 years-old, representing roughly 9.4 percent of the countys total cases. knix@hcnonline.com Guwahati: Trinamool Congress will launch a three-day nationwide agitation against Centres demonetisation exercise, party vice-president and MP Mukul Roy said on Friday. All state units would be organising demonstrations against demonetisation from January 9 to 11 in various parts of the country and protests would be held in Assam too, Roy told reporters in Guwahati. In Assam, a demonstration would be held on January 11 as a part of the scheduled agitation. Several central party leaders were also scheduled to participate in the demonstration and address the protesters, he added. In a sudden move on November 8, the central government had announced to demonetise high-value currency notes. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. - In a Q&A on Instagram, Naisenya disclosed that she once had a thing with the talented Maria actor - Asked why they parted ways, the model who resides in Sweden said things happened very fast and she would rather choke greatness than nibble on mediocrity - The lass also cleared the air that she was never married to Ogana and neither did they have a child together PAY ATTENTION: Click 'See First' under 'Follow' Tab to see Tuko.co.ke news on your FB Feed Hours after Maria actor Brian Ogana alias Luwi shared photos with his children, many flocked his ex-lover Jacque Naisenya's DM seeking clarification if she was the mother. To clear the air, Naisenya who is a model took to her Instagram stories to clear the air about her and the Maria actor. READ ALSO: Papa Bear: Maria actor Brian Ogana shows off his three adorable kids Naisenya said they parted ways with Ogana long time ago. Photo: Jacque Naisenya. Source: Instagram READ ALSO: Lionel Messi confirms he will continue at Barcelona next season amid exit links In a Q&A session with her fans on Friday, September 4, Naisenya said she and Luwi did not have any kids while she was dating and not yet a mother. Asked about her previous relationship with the actor, the lass said that they did not date for long and declined to give a reason as to why they parted ways. "I am not the mother of Brian Ogana's children. We were a thing back then but not now and I have never been married to him," she responded on her Insta stories. READ ALSO: Jamaa mwenye 'sura mbaya' zaidi duniani aoa mke wa tatu Responding to a fan who asked why they parted ways, Naisenya said it was better for her to choke on greatness. "Things happen. But yes, I'd rather choke on greatness than nibble on mediocrity," said Naisenya. READ ALSO: Family goes viral on social media after rocking matching checkered outfits, shoes In other news, Ogana showed that he is an amazing dad to his adorable kids. Luwi who doubles up as journalist shared a photo posing with his three children and they looked lovely. Posting on Instagram, the father of three captioned the photo with his children with the sweetest words. In his own words, the children are the ones who have been keeping him in check and a hero in their eyes. "Fatherhood #PapaBear Allow me to re-introduce myself and the peeps that have thee brilliant minds to keep me in check. Being a dad does not come with a manual, I am just privileged to be one, am just your ordinary man but a hero in the eyes of my beautiful munchkins," wrote Ogana. 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 abandoned me when I needed her most | Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke The Chief Executive Officer of Coastal Development Authority (CODA), Lawyer Jerry Ahmed Shaib on Thursday 3rd September, 2020 cut sod for the construction of two (2) Astroturfs at Agona Swedru and Agona Nyarkrom in the Central Region of Ghana. The project is being funded through the one million dollar one constituency program through the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP) under the Ministry of Special Development Initiatives (MSDI). The CEO together with the Member of Parliament (MP) of Agona West and Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Honourable Cynthia Mamle Morrison paid a courtesy call on the Paramount Chief of Agona Swerdu, Nana Kobina Asiadu Botwe II to seek his blessings before the sod cutting ceremony. The Member of Parliament expressed her gratitude for their continuous support and stated that the astroturf which they requested for has finally been awarded for construction and the contractors are ready to commence works. She also informed them that all bridges that were requested for by the people of Agona West Constituency have been constructed under her tenure, if there is any left unless those that have not been brought her attention. The CEO of CODA, Lawyer Jerry Ahmed Shaib said the President promised Ghanaians that when he is voted into office he will allocate one million dollar per constituency to help in socio-economic development in every constituency in the country. He said in fulfillment of that promises are the results they are witnessing. According to him, there are other ongoing projects like school buildings, CHPS compounds, drainages and others under the one million dollar per constituency programme. He also introduced the contractors as MSH Astro Gh. Ltd. and assured that all artisans who would be engaged to work during the construction would be recruited from the constituency which will serve as an employment for the youth. He further stated that the project would be completed by December 2020 for commissioning. The Paramount Chief of Agona Swedru thanked the President for the unprecedented development he has brought to the doorstep of the Constituents. He also acknowledged the hard work of the CEO and the MP and advised them to continue with the good works they are rendering for the citizenry. Present at the chiefs palace were Nana Kojo Acquah (Tufohene), Omanpanyi Kojo Addo, Ebusuapanyi (Okanta), Nana Kobina Antsey (Secretary) and other traditional leaders. Lawyer Jerry Ahmed Shaib and Honourable Cynthia Mamle Morrison also paid a courtesy call at the palace of Nana Attah Yeboah VII, Dabihene of Otabilkrom, the exact town where the astroturf would be constructed. The Chief and Elders poured libation and prayed for Gods protection and the successful completion of the project. The Chief on behalf of the people thanked the CEO and MP for bringing the astroturf project to their town. He also thanked the MP for the various roads being constructed in the township and also appealed for a road behind the palace to be constructed for them. The next courtesy call was at the palace of Nana Okofo Katakyi Nyarko Eku X, the Paramount Chief of Agona Nyakrom. Honourable Cynthia Morrison explained that the astroturf project would commence immediately and prayed that the chief and people support the contractor in order to complete the project before the scheduled time. During the sod cutting ceremony, libation was poured and prayers were said for Gods protection and completion of the project. The CEO of CODA promised to award contract for the construction of a drain that stretches alongside the park to enable free flow of water whenever it rains without causing damage to the astroturf. The Chiefs and people thanked the CEO and the MP for their continuous support and hard work. They also prayed for more developmental projects to be brought into their community. Waiting for grades: Colaiste Bride, Clondalkin Leaving Cert students Kelsey Enright (17) and Emma Kate Farrelly (18) collected their school books before the enforced closure of schools due to Covid-19 The model used by the Department of Education to calculate Leaving Certificate grades has avoided the pitfalls encountered in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. In Ireland, almost 80pc of the estimated grades submitted by schools remain unchanged and 4pc have been increased by the standardisation process. As the historic pattern of results in a student's school was not included in the model, a student attending a school that traditionally had lower results would not be affected by that factor. We can expect that on September 11 the majority of students will be offered the CAO course for which they applied. The fact that additional places will be available in higher education in the coming year should reduce the pressure on high-demand courses. There will of course be disappointed students, just as there are every other year when the Leaving Certificate results are issued. In 2019, 15pc of Leaving Cert students appealed their results, indicating that they had expected better grades. This year, just 17pc of schools' estimated grades were reduced by one grade and it is likely that students affected by this will be disappointed - as they would have been had they sat the Leaving Certificate examination in June and were awarded a lower grade than they expected. The system used and the outcomes will not satisfy everybody. It was not a perfect solution but it was the least worst option at a very difficult and challenging time for our young people. Hopefully it will enable them to move on to the next stage of their lives. For those who are disappointed, they will have an opportunity (Covid permitting) to sit the "real" Leaving Certificate in November. Aine Hyland Emeritus Professor of Education University College Cork Government is treating the public with contempt What on earth is going on? All common sense has left the building with this crass BS. This Government will be remembered as being one of the worst in the history of the State for its sheer contempt in treating all members of the public as if we are all gobsh**es. The Taoiseach had the affront to call Alan Kelly "melodramatic" and what on earth do they call this? Stephen Donnelly, with all due respect to Harvard and UCD, should know better than this. I am beyond angry and so are many of the public now. Time for a general election. Jon Connor Address with editor Asked to isolate - and now paying the full price The pensioners who have been asked to - nay, frightened into - isolate have suffered for six long months. We have been told that we are all in this together but of course Phil Hogan and his buddies have shown us different. Even for those of us who are in it together, we certainly are not coming out of it together. The pensioners, who have probably suffered most, are now forced to pay 9 for food if they want a drink, and those who, on the special occasions they can, eat out will be asked to fork out full whack for their grub. We have been listening to cheap platitudes about how grateful our successive governments have been for the sacrifices of the elderly. But that is all they are: platitudes. A real show of gratitude would be to give all pensioners a pension bonus of even 10 a week for the next six months. That still would not come close to the 600-plus available to others. Eamon Ward Co Wexford Why young people should stand up and be counted Now is the time for the youth of today to stand up and be counted. We are in the middle of the biggest global crisis since World War Two, and we all have a part to play in this battle against a heinous enemy. Each of us is a soldier who has the ability to thwart the advancement of this virus and protect the most vulnerable. These are our parents, our grandparents, our aunts, uncles, our neighbours and our friends. They are the generation who worked to build this country into the great place it is to live today. They put a roof over our heads, food on the table and provided a loving environment for all of us to grow and mature into the people we are today. They have taught us how to be the best human beings we can possibly be and have never asked for anything in return. Now is the time to give something back. The coronavirus has struck fear into their hearts and brought trepidation into every aspect of their daily lives. You may not fall ill if you contract this illness but for the older generation in society this disease kills. This is a chance for the new generation to be defined by how they respond to this emergency. A chance to show understanding, kindness and consideration. To reflect on their actions and behaviours and realise they could be a matter of life or death. Now is not the time to party. There will be plenty of parties when this is all over. Now is the time to act maturely and responsibly. To know that you will be able look back and say, "Yes, I made a contribution, I made a difference", and be proud of yourself for doing so. Some 13pc of our population are 65 years of age or older. This accounts for more than 674,000 citizens in this country. Each and every one of them has a life to lead and a story to tell. Please think about them each and every day, and let your actions show how you care. Liam Flanagan Knocknacarra, Galway Call for the return of live music struck right note Larissa Nolan took the words out of my mouth when she lamented the absence of live music ('The longer we go without music, the harder it will be to regain that connection', Irish Independent, September 3). Her article was like a cry of anguish for what we are missing. I have had opportunities for Zoom listening and, of course, YouTube concerts, but I don't bother. It's just not the same. I too want to sit in (or stand ) at a music session and be swept along in delight at the performance. And I know many a person who feels just like Larissa Nolan and myself. It is one of the things that make life worth living. Anthony Hanrahan Renvyle, Co Galway Lockdown has shown us the true value of the arts Support for the performing arts, and the associated fields, has been a topic found in the news lately due to the Covid-19 restrictions still in place for the industry. The whole situation, while influenced by public health considerations, has really shone a light on the value of arts in Ireland. We need to create an environment in our society where artists can make a sustainable, and justified, living at a much earlier point in their careers. The potential and ability for this island to create art is immense. Imagine how it could flourish with adequate infrastructure. Post-pandemic, I hope we don't drift back into taking the arts for granted. Gavin Brennan Jervis Street, Dublin Rural publicans welcome in Dublin... up to a point Next Wednesday a group of rural pub owners will come to Dublin to protest at the continued closure of the pubs ('Rural Independents vow to vote against 'draconian' pub closures', Irish Independent, September 3). They have announced that anyone who wishes to join them will be welcome. They claim there is a constant attack on rural pubs in recent years and I agree and have sympathy for them. Having said that, I also had sympathy with the beef farmers and supported the grievance they had with beef processors. As a Dublin person, I even supported the massive disruption their protest had on the city of Dublin. However, not being satisfied with making their point on that occasion, as a parting shot to the people of Dublin, they decided to vindictively block the M50 on their way back to rural Ireland by driving slowly in a line across three out of four of the motorway lanes. This was designed to cause further massive disruption to the ordinary people of Dublin trying to get home from work and pick up children from schools and creches. I will still have sympathy for rural pub owners, as long as they do not follow in the rural beef farmers' footsteps and give the same parting shot to the people of Dublin on Wednesday. Anthony McGeough Kingswood Heights, Dublin 24 The split-screen images reflected the pain and anguish that persists one month after the Aug. 4 blast that killed 191 people, injured 6,000 others and traumatized Lebanon, which already was suffering under a severe economic crisis and political stress. The search operation in the historic Mar Mikhail district on a street once filled with crowded bars and restaurants gripped the nation for the previous 24 hours. The possibility, however unlikely, that a survivor could be found after one month gave hope to people who followed the live images on television, wishing for a miracle. MIss. man wont be tried a seventh time JACKSON, Miss. A man freed last year after 22 years in prison will not be tried a seventh time in a quadruple murder case, a judge ruled Friday after the state said it no longer had any credible witnesses. Curtis Flowers was convicted multiple times in a bloody slaying and robbery at a small-town furniture store in 1996. The U.S. Supreme Court threw out the most recent conviction in June 2019, citing racial bias in jury selection. Abba Ahmed, a 22-year-old man from Kano state, says he regretted contemplating suicide over Hanan, one of the daughters of President Muham... Abba Ahmed, a 22-year-old man from Kano state, says he regretted contemplating suicide over Hanan, one of the daughters of President Muhammadu Buhari. Ahmed was said to have earlier threatened to kill himself if he did not marry the presidents daughter. This is despite the fact that the duo have neither been engaged in any previously known relationship. Hanan tied the knot with Mohammed Turad, a special adviser to Babatunde Fashola, minister of works and housing, on Friday. According to PUNCH, Abdullahi Haruna, Kano police spokesman, said Ahmed shelved his initial suicide plan following the intervention of the command. We were able to invite Abba Ahmed to the police command. He was counselled by the Force PRO, DCP Frank Mba, as well as Kano CP, Habu Sani, and the commands imam, SP Abdullkadir Haruna, via a virtual session, at the end of which he rescinded his earlier decision to hang himself, he said. He accepted that his decision is not in his best interest and rejected his motives. He regretted his comments that if he did not marry President Muhammadu Buharis daughter, Hanan, he will hang himself. Haruna further quoted Ahmed as promising he would never nurse such thoughts again. I realised that my intention is not healthy. Henceforth, I will never again attempt to find myself in such a situation, he was quoted as saying. President Trump is moving to end racial sensitivity training for federal government employees, claiming it is 'divisive, anti-American propaganda'. The Commander-in-chief took to Twitter on Saturday morning confirming he wants to cancel taxpayer funded seminars on 'critical race theory', describing them as 'a sickness that cannot be allowed to continue'. His tweet followed the release of a two-page memo sent out by the White House Office of Management and Budget on Friday, which asked federal agencies to identify such programs so that they can be purged. Critical race theory asserts that 'institutions are inherently racist and that race itself... is a socially constructed concept that is used by white people to further their economic and political interests at the expense of people of color', according to Texas A&M University professor Tommy Curry. President Trump is moving to end racial sensitivity training for federal government employees, claiming it is 'divisive, anti-American propaganda'. The two-page memo, penned by White House OMB director Russell Vought, was released on Friday The theory - which asserts that all people are racist and that all social interactions are underpinned by race - is currently in vogue in academia, and private companies and government agencies have hired specialists to teach their employees how to dismantle 'white privilege' and actively become anti-racist. At the demand of President Trump, the Office of Management and Budget now wants to stop such 'experts' from having any influence on those working in federal institutions. OMB Director Russel Vought writes in the memo: 'Employees across the Executive Branch have been required to attend training where they are told that "virtually all White people contribute to racism" or where they are required to say that they "benefit from racism"'. RACIAL SENSITIVITY TRAINING Diversity and inclusion training is often a requirement for employees working for federal and state governments. The training sessions - which can take the form of open-dialogue workshops or expert-delivered lectures - aim to make workplaces more 'inclusive' by acknowledging and discussing the different racial and ethnic backgrounds of employees. The training - which is often expensive - is covered by taxpayer dollars. In recent years, experts in 'critical race theory' have commonly become called upon to host such training sessions. During lectures or discussions, the experts ask white employees to grapple with their own racism and pledge to become anti-racists. One such expert, Howard Ross, has allegedly 'billed the feds more than $5 million for training since 2006'. Meanwhile, critical race theorist Robin DiAngelo has also made thousands of dollars discussing 'white racism' and 'white fragility' in lectures given to state and city employees. Advertisement He continues: 'These types of "trainings" not only run counter to the fundamental beliefs for which our Nation has stood since its inception, but they also engender division and resentment within the Federal workforce.' Vought subsequently states: 'The President has directed me to ensure that federal agencies cease and desist from using taxpayer dollars to fund these divisive, un-American propaganda training sessions.' The memo then asks agencies to 'identify all contracts or other agency spending related to any training on critical race theory/ "white privilege", or any other training or propaganda effort that teaches or suggests either (1) that the United States is an inherently racist or evil country or (2) that any race or ethnicity is inherently racist or evil. ' It concludes: 'The President has a proven track record of standing for those whose voice has long been ignored and who have failed to benefit from all our country has to offer, and he intends to continue to support all Americans, regardless of race, religion, or creed.' The memo comes after a New York Post report in July revealed that 'a private diversity-consulting firm conducted a training titled "Difficult Conversations About Race in Troubling Times" for several federal agencies.' White employees at the Treasury Department, the Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the National Credit Union Administration and the Office of the Comptroller were allegedly asked 'to pledge "allyship" amid the George Floyd Tragedy'. President Trump's demands come following months of Black Lives Matter protests that have led to a racial reckoning in the United States According to the publication, the training also asserted that 'federal employees must "struggle to own their racism" and allow safe spaces where black employees can be "seen in their pain"'. The training was created by Howard Ross, who has allegedly 'billed the feds more than $5 million for training since 2006'. Trump's demands are sure to spark widespread backlash, particularly as they come following months of Black Lives Matter protest. Protesters have been calling for an end to systemic racism, which has led many Americans to reassess the ways in which racial dynamics play out in their everyday lives. Howard Ross (pictured) has given seminars to federal employees for more than a decade. He has allegedly 'billed the feds more than $5 million for training since 2006' Trump's demands are sure to spark widespread backlash, particularly as they come following months of Black Lives Matter protests which have led to a racial reckoning within the United States The movement has also sent several books on critical race theory to the top of the bestseller lists. White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo is one such tome that has been flying off the shelves. It asserts that 'white people in North America live in a social environment that protects and insulates them from race-based stress.' While DiAngelo has not given seminars to federal employees, she has made a truckload of cash lecturing to state government workers in Seattle Public Schools, the City of Oakland, and the Metropolitan Council of Minneapolis,. The writer has also been paid handsomely for training sessions at Amazon, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and The Hollywood Writers Guild. A transgender man from Queensland has become the first person with COVID-19outside of China to give birth unassisted. Maaike, 43, was nine months pregnant when his partner Holly Zwalf returned from the UK unaware she had brought the killer virus with her. When Maaike went into labour in March very little was known about how the virus would affect births and this combined with the fact he has cystic fibrosis resulted in a team of various medical experts becoming involved in the case. He then underwent a successful natural non-Caesarian birth. Afterwards, the medical team informed the couple they had made medical history by being the first coronavirus positive parents to give birth outside China. Maaike (pictured), 43, was nine months pregnant when his partner Holly Zwalf returned from the UK unaware she had brought the killer virus with her They were also the first in the world to do so naturally. For the couple, who had only been together for two years, the insane set of circumstances has been the most challenging obstacle in their relationship. Mr Zwalf, who was just the 15th case of coronavirus in Queensland, detailed the experience in an emotional and detailed post to Facebook. 'Unfortunately, due to the complete lack of mental health support currently being offered to patients who are testing positive to COVID-19, what should have been a happy celebration ended up being so deeply traumatic that our family has been left broken instead of elated,' Ms Zwalf wrote. In late February Ms Zwalf travelled to the UK for her grandmother's funeral when she got the phone call from her partner saying he was going into early labour as the result of a car accident. Two days after stepping off the plane she experienced a fever, but it cleared by the time she went to visit her doctor a few days later. 'I went to the doctor who said I was ok,' she said. 'I'm not angry at him - I was the 15th case in Queensland so it was still very early days, no one was really prepared, and the symptoms of COVID-19 are so similar to run-of-the-mill influenza that it was hard to know when to be alarmed.' When Maaike (pictured with partner Holly Zwalf) went into labour in March very little was known about how the virus would affect births and this combined with the fact he has cystic fibrosis resulted in a team of various medical experts becoming involved in the case The oldest child in the unconventional family, which already includes Ms Zwalf's child and Maaike's two children from anonymous sperm donors, then fell ill with a high fever. After rushing him to hospital suffering hallucinations and body twitches, the four-year-old fell unconscious at which point doctors placed him in intensive care and the rest of the family into quarantine with suspected COVID infections. 'He was screaming and his body started jerking around strangely, and even after heavy doses of drugs the hallucinations hadn't eased,' Ms Zwalf said. The entire family was diagnosed with coronavirus and separated while quarantining in hospital. 'I was in one room with my four-year-old, and my partner was in the room next door with his. We were not allowed to leave our rooms or visit each other, though we could knock to each other through the wall,' she wrote. For the couple, who had only been together for two years, the insane set of circumstances has been the most challenging obstacle in their relationship 'There were no toys or games or access to internet, and, most concerning, no one ever did a mental health assessment on any of us.' Ms Zwalf said the focus at the time was on her partner's unborn baby and the talk around COVID-19 pregnancies as they were treading in unchartered waters. Respiratory disease and virus expert Prof Robert Booy has since said the child's safe birth to a cystic fibrosis parent who tested positive to COVID-19 was remarkable. But the Sunshine Coast University Infectious Diseases Department is now researching the unconventional birth, the Courier Mail reported. Maaike was forced to stop taking hormones during the pregnancy and 'chest feed' the baby while in quarantine away from his partner for a month. Queensland law states transgender people need to have reassignment surgery before the gender is changed on a birth certificate. A host of government departments are still unable to carry out a number of crucial services, despite a civil service union boss' claim that Whitehall staff are functioning 'very effectively' from home. The DVLA is warning that paper applications for driving licences 'will take longer to process', as are bodies responsible for overseeing divorce and annulment bids, while new parents are told 'you may not get a [birth] certificate straight away because of coronavirus'. Meanwhile, foreign nationals looking for a faster decision on their visa or settlement application are told on the Home Office website that such procedures are 'currently suspended because of coronavirus'. Similarly, there are notices that passport offices are closed, face-to-face Parole Board hearings are suspended and interviews at Jobcentre Plus shouldn't be attended. It comes amid Boris Johnson's call for civil servants to return to the office, having set a target of four in five workers to be back at desks each week by the end of the month. Mandarins are also being asked to provide weekly figures on staff numbers to monitor progress, as the Prime Minister spearheads a desperate bid to rescue the economy, after GDP has plummeted as a result of the crisis. However, Dave Penman, general secretary of the FDA union, which represents managers and professionals in public service, said there has been an 'industrial revolution' towards home working, while another trade body said it was considering strike action against the Government's plans. Dave Penman, general secretary of the FDA union, which represents managers and professionals in public service, said there has been an 'industrial revolution' towards home working Foreign nationals looking for a faster decision on their visa or settlement application are told on the Home Office website that such procedures are 'currently suspended because of coronavirus' Another government notice reads: 'Because of coronavirus, you cannot book an appointment at a passport office' While it is running remote hearings, all face-to-face Parole Board hearings have been suspended due to the pandemic Jobseekers are also told that interviews booked at Jobcentre Plus should not be attended because of coronavirus The DVLA, meanwhile, is also warning that paper applications for driving licences 'will take longer to process' Covid shifts to the young: Two-thirds of UK's new infections are in the under-40s Two-thirds of new coronavirus infections in the UK are in the under-40s, while the rate among older people has fallen sharply in an 'extraordinary' shift. The number of over-50s testing positive for Covid-19 now represents just a fifth of those nationwide, compared with three quarters in the spring. Just three per cent are now made up of those over 80, down from 28 per cent six months ago, reported The Times. The peak age range for infections is now in the 20s but for most of the pandemic it was in the 80s - sparking hope further restrictions can be reduced because it seems older people are voluntarily shielding. One Government adviser has suggested a Swedish-style effort to keep workplaces open while advising older people to stay at home. Professor Dame Anne Johnson, professor of infectious disease epidemiology, University College London, told BBC Radio 4: 'This is indeed a critical moment. If you look at the data from PHE across the country, we are now seeing the highest number of detected infections in younger people aged 20-29 and also going up to 45. 'On the one hand, the good news is we aren't at the moment seeing the uptick in cases in hospitals and in deaths but of course that reflects where the transmission is going on.' She added that it would be 'incredibly important' to continue to tell young people about the risks of transmitting coronavirus. Advertisement He told BBC Radio Four's Today programme: 'Trying to bring hundreds of thousands of people back on some kind of rota basis that you're enforcing from the top is ineffecient and ineffective when the civil service is actually working very effectively remotely just now. 'If you look at what's happened over the last six months, as well as transforming themselves into home-based service, the civil service has had to transform its priorities. 'It had to deal with a six-fold increase in Universal Credit, had to develop the furlough scheme to support nine million workers, all while it was 95% home-based. I don't think there's a lot of evidence to suggest it's less effective. 'Do you think you're going to lecture the private sector about what's efficient? Are they simply going to say 'this has been working, but because civil servants are coming back into Whitehall, we're going to tell our staff they've got to come back even though it's working for us now'? 'This idea that the government is going to lecture the private sector about what's good for it, and virtue signal with the civil service is a fool's errand. 'There has been this industrial revolution and ministers have just let that pass them by and instead have these pronouncements on high, dreaming of rotas in cabinet about how civil servants are going to get back to the office.' Mr Penman also accused the government of trying to 'shame' workers through coverage of how few have been commuting in to return to desks via the media. Twitter users appeared to have had a different experience, however, with many complaining of delays and warning that suspending crucial services could result in serious ramifications. One wrote: 'I hope you will reconsider putting [the 'super priority service' to get a faster decision on a visa] back soon though; the time between the expiration of the Tier 2 Visa and the start of application for ILR (indefinite leave to remain) is quite tight. 'Some keyworkers will be unemployed if they wait for your standard processing.' Another said they'd had to wait up to 13 weeks to hear back from the DVLA over a licence renewal, claiming 'it's just taking ages'. Meanwhile, priorities were questioned by another user from Milton Keynes, who said: 'Pubs and restaurants are open but the passport office is closed? Make it make sense.' At the beginning of lockdown there were 423,000 civil servants employed full time by Whitehall departments. Permanent secretaries were given instructions last night to 'move quickly' to 'bring more staff back into the office', taking advantage of the return to schools and increased public transport services. In a letter to all Whitehall ministries and seen by the Mail, Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill and civil service chief Alex Chisholm said the Prime Minister has 'made clear his aim is to get as many people back to workplaces as possible' in a safe way. At a Cabinet meeting earlier this week, they said ministers had agreed that 'increasing both the number of people in the office and the amount of time those people spend in the office' would be 'hugely beneficial' for the civil service. 'The Prime Minister is also clear that getting more people back into work in a Covid secure way will improve the public services we deliver, and will also provide a significant boost to the local economies where they are based,' they added. The Prime Minister set a target of four in five workers to return to Whitehall each week by the end of the month A graph shows how the United Kingdom's GDP has plummeted this year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic One concerned Twitter user wrote: 'I hope you will reconsider putting [the 'super priority service' to get a faster decision on a visa] back soon though; the time between the expiration of the Tier 2 Visa and the start of application for ILR (indefinite leave to remain) is quite tight. 'Some keyworkers will be unemployed if they wait for your standard processing' Another said they'd had to wait up to 13 weeks to hear back from the DVLA over a licence renewal, claiming 'it's just taking ages' Meanwhile, priorities were questioned by another user from Milton Keynes, who said: 'Pubs and restaurants are open but the passport office is closed? Make it make sense.' The letter warned that the huge numbers of civil servants working from home had led to a 'reduced level of social interaction among our colleagues, with the loss of some of the spontaneous interaction and cross fertilisation between teams that drives innovation and sustained common purpose'. It added: 'There have also been challenges with bringing on board new or inexperienced colleagues and limitations in the ability to mentor and develop our people. 'In short, it is the Government's view that on the whole there are significant benefits to be gained from working collaboratively in an office environment and where possible colleagues should now return to the office in line with Covid-secure levels.' The civil service heads said the aim is for 80 per cent of staff to 'attend their usual workplace each week' by using a rota system that will see some come in for only two or three days. In a letter to all Whitehall ministries Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill and civil service chief Alex Chisholm said the Prime Minister's 'aim is to get as many people back to workplaces as possible' in a safe way The push is a victory for the Mail, which has called for more civil servants to go back to their desks to set an example for the rest of the country. In a sign that action is finally being taken, Home Office staff were told yesterday that they would be expected back promptly. The department's permanent secretary Matthew Rycroft said it would enable them to carry out a 'full and effective performance'. The Mail has continued to monitor staffing levels across Whitehall, with as few as 5 per cent of staff turning up to work at ministries this week. As millions of pupils returned to classrooms this week, it was likely to be a busy week at the offices of the Department for Education, which accommodated up to 2,000 staff before the pandemic. Yet only 103 staff arrived at its seven-floor headquarters on Tuesday and 120 on Thursday accounting for just six per cent of capacity. At the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, where 1,800 staff usually work, the number of staff just broke into triple figures. In response, the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union said today it would be willing to consider strike action after confirming it opposed the plans. In a statement, the union said: 'Our members have kept the country running during the pandemic while working from home and we believe it is not safe to return to workplaces while Covid-19 infection rates remain high and given the likelihood of a second wave in the coming weeks. 'We are asking departments to provide, as a matter of urgency, for each building the Covid-secure limit, current staffing in each building and current risk assessment for each building.' PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka added: 'If the Government or any employer starts forcing people back to work and we believe that it is not safe to do so we will firstly consider our legal options, secondly give individual legal advice, and thirdly consider whether a collective response is required. 'As a last resort, if you have no other option and people's health and safety is at risk, of course we would be prepared to consider industrial action.' Its national executive committee is due to meet on Wednesday September 9 and will 'decide how to respond', the union said. EXCERPTS FROM THE LETTER Dear Colleagues The Prime Minister is clear that getting more people back into work in a Covid-secure way will improve the public services we deliver, and will also provide a significant boost to the local economies where they are based. We have seen a reduced level of social interaction among our colleagues, with the loss of some of the spontaneous interaction and cross-fertilisation between teams that drives innovation and sustained common purpose. There have also been challenges with bringing on board new or inexperienced colleges and limitations in the ability to mentor and develop our people, particularly those earlier in their careers. This is reportedly most acute for those without easy access to high-quality home-working facilities, for those in rented accommodation and for younger colleagues earlier in their careers. In short, it is the Government's view that on the whole there are significant benefits to be gained from working collaboratively in an office environment and - where possible - colleagues should now return to the office in line with Covid-secure levels. Alex Chisholm Civil Service Chief Operating Officer Sir Mark Sedwill Cabinet Secretary Advertisement Lockdown-free Sweden's coronavirus case rate is now lower than Nordic neighbours Denmark and Norway with just 12 new infections per million people over the past week Lockdown-free Sweden saw its coronavirus case rate drop below its Nordic neighbours Denmark and Norway today to just 12 new infections per million people over the past week. In comparison, Norway saw 14 new infections per million people, and Denmark saw 18, meaning Sweden had an average case rate over seven days lower than its neighbours for the first time since March. 'Sweden has gone from being one of the countries with the most infection in Europe, to one of those with the least infection in Europe,' the country's state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell said at a press conference earlier this week. Meanwhile, 'many other countries have seen a rather dramatic increase,' he added. At the height of the pandemic, Sweden's infection rate dwarfed that of its neighbours, who did implement a lockdown. For the first time since March, Sweden's infection rater per million people (12) dropped below that of its Nordic neighbours Denmark (18) and Norway (14) At the height of its pandemic (pictured in April), Sweden chose not to lock-down. Now, for the first time since March, its infection rate per one million people has dropped below that of its Nordic neighbours Denmark and Norway At its peak on June 19, Sweden was seeing 108 new infections per million people, compared to Denmark and Norway's eight and three respectively. The number of deaths in Sweden is now averaging at two to three per day, compared to a peak of over a hundred per-day it suffered in mid-April. Furthermore, its capital Stockholm, the epicentre of Sweden's pandemic during the peak months of April and May, registered its lowers number of cases since March last week. In Stockholm, 250 of 14,000 people tested last week were infected with the virus, a positive rate of 1.8 percent. Meanwhile, Denmark registered 179 new cases on Friday, its highest daily total for more than four months. To add to positive signs in Sweden, a test last week of 2,500 randomly selected people found not one had coronavirus. In comparison, in a similar test, 0.9 per cent were found to have the virus at the end of April and 0.3 per cent at the end of May. Announcing the results on Thursday, Dr Tegnell's deputy at the Public Health Agency of Sweden, Karin Tegmark Wisell, said: 'We interpret this as meaning there is not currently a widespread infection among people who do not have symptoms.' Lockdown-free Sweden has been controversial for its liberal attitude to controlling the pandemic, preferring instead to let run through the population to create a 'herd immunity'. But the country's latest figures may silence some of its critics, and will come as a relief to those who advocated for the approach and came under fire in May as the country saw the highest per-capita death rate in the world for a period. By Mark Weinberg Once the current brouhaha about the United States Postal Services ability to process mail-in ballots dies down and a new president is chosen or the incumbent is re-elected, the country needs to decide the long-term future of this most venerable government agency. Simply put, the question is whether we want the USPS to be part of the federal government or not. Right now, the Postal Service is in an untenable kinda sorta situation. Maybe a little history will help. In what seemed like a good idea at the time, President Richard Nixon in 1970 signed the Postal Reorganization Act, which replaced the Department of the Post Office with the independent United States Postal Service (USPS). The goals were for the Postal Service to be free of both undue political influence and the constraints of burdensome federal regulations, and thus be able to compete (meaning self-finance) in the marketplace. For a variety of reasons, none of which are the fault of the USPS, the experiment failed. Chief among these is that unanticipated technological advances have fundamentally and forever changed the ways we communicate with each other, which has vastly reduced the volume of profitable first-class mail such as cards, bills, and letters and therefore, revenue, for the Postal Service. Packages, also once a significant source of income for the agency, are equally problematic because the Postal Service is forced to compete with such behemoths as United Parcel Service (UPS) and FedEx, but not on a level playing field. The Postal Service must go through an arcane Rube Goldberg-esque process of setting prices for delivery, while the private sector companies can charge whatever they wish. Enshrined in the Constitution, the Postal Service provides an essential national service, which would logically suggest it be part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). But it is worth considering restoring the agency to cabinet status, with the postmaster general being appointed by the president, confirmed by the Senate, and thereby having a seat at the table when critical decisions about national policy are made. Some have argued doing so would politicize the USPS. News flash: it already is. Indeed, the process now is for the president to appoint the members of the Board of Governors of the Postal Service, who are confirmed by the Senate and, in turn, hire the postmaster general. Rules about staggered terms and bipartisanship among members of the board exist to prevent it from advancing an overt political agenda, but as we saw when Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin pressured postal governors to hire a Trump campaign donor as postmaster general, that is merely wishful thinking. If nothing else, putting the Postal Service squarely back in the executive branch, as it once was, would acknowledge the critical role the Postal Service plays in the daily lives of Americans, whether by delivering prescription medicines, social security checks, ballots, bills, merchandise, or kids cards to grandparents. Not only that, but it would also be a recognition of the reality that the agency is subject to political pressures and would make transparent the process for selecting its leadership, as well as making the leaders accountable. Some have suggested the Postal Service be privatized. How exactly that could happen remains a mystery. Regardless, it would be a disaster for our country. Greedy corporations would quickly shutter hundreds of unprofitable post offices, fire thousands of employees and vastly reduce service, especially to rural and remote areas that rely on the Postal Service. Thats not the binding the nation together George Washington or the other Founding Fathers had in mind. The Postal Service has the most devoted, courageous and lest we forget, the largest civilian workforce in the government. In New Jersey alone, the agency employs more than 21,000, which means wages of over $1 billion, and state taxes over $40 million. Every day, everywhere, Postal workers show up often under dangerous conditions such as tornadoes, blizzards, and hurricanes to do their job of getting the mail to everyone. Their wages are not high, and they get little recognition for what they do. But they do it because of a fierce sense of duty to the nation. They are entitled to the complete protection of the federal umbrella, which means stable, reliable and adequate funding and to be relieved of the millstone of making money so their sole focus can be on service. The concept of a government agency that is required to provide an indispensable service to the people being financially self-sustaining, let alone profitable, is flawed. Government agencies exist to serve the people, not make money. We dont ask that of the Defense Department, the Environmental Protection Agency, or the Department of Justice. Nor of any other government agency that provides a comparably critical service. Beyond that, it is a goal that cannot be achieved when an agency is not allowed to set prices for the products and services it delivers and is therefore not competitive in the marketplace, and is required to pre-fund retiree benefits an unheard-of and crippling financial burden. No one can win if both hands are tied behind his or her back. Yet that is exactly what we currently expect of the Postal Service. When it comes to providing vital services to the people, there is no such thing as being quasi-government, just as there is no such thing as being a little bit pregnant. It either is or it aint. Its time to bring the Postal Service fully back into the federal family. Mark Weinberg, an executive speechwriter and communications consultant, served as manager of Marketing Communications and Special Events at United States Postal Service headquarters in Washington. He lives in Union County. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Heres how to submit an op-ed or Letter to the Editor. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow us on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and on Facebook at NJ.com Opinion. Get the latest news updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Would you like to receive breaking news notifications from The Post and Courier? Sign up to receive news and updates from this site directly to your desktop. Breaking News Columbia Breaking News Greenville Breaking News Myrtle Beach Breaking News Aiken Breaking News N Augusta Breaking News Click on the bell icon to manage your notifications at any time. Success! Please click the 'Allow' button in the 'Show Notifcations' alert in your browser if one is available. Thank you for signing up! Please enable notifications in your browser and reload the page. By the turn of the year, Sanket Ray, the chief operating officer of Coca-Cola China, will occupy the corner cabin at Cokes office located in the swanky One Horizon Center in Gurugram. Ray, who is in his late-40s, will be one of the youngest presidents of the entity in recent times, when he takes over from T Krishnakumar (KK), president of Coca-Colas India and Southwest Asia unit, on January 1, 2021. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 5 By Elnur Bagishov Trend: A group of 122 Iranian citizens have been returned to the country today (September 5), as a result of cooperation with the Iranian Embassy in Azerbaijan and Azerbaijani officials, Iranian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Seyed Abbas Mousavi wrote his on his Twitter page, Trend reports. According to the Mousavi, Iranian citizens crossed from the Astara border checkpoint. The ambassador added that thus, the number of Iranian citizens returning to Iran from Azerbaijan has reached 1,501 within 11 groups since the spread of the coronavirus began. Iran continues to monitor the coronavirus situation in the country. According to recent reports from the Iranian officials, over 384,600 people have been infected, and 22,154 people have already died. Meanwhile, over 332,100 have reportedly recovered from the disease. The country continues to apply strict measures to contain 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. Instead, the former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor will be heading for the Oxford University in the United Kingdom next month as a visiting fellow at the institutions African Studies Department. People have been talking to me about politics when I was in the CBN. I have never had an interest in partisan politics, he said in an Arise TV interview. He added: The nature of my family is that we consider ourselves the leaders of the poorer people and you know politics can be very divisive. All I can say is that this not an objective for me. For him, service to the nation does not have to be through only politics and recalled how he started off as an academic and after just two years, I completed my masters and went into banking for some reasons. I have been a banker, a regulator, an emir. I cant see the future, so I will take life as it goes. I am in no hurry. I see my life as a life of service but I just dont think that public service is limited to elected office, and any opportunity I have to serve, I will take as long as it is a role I think I am capable of delivering. But I have no immediate plans to go into politics. While at Oxford, Sanusi plans to write three books, one of which will be Sharia Society and Identity. The second of the planned series will focus on the Central Banks response to global financial crisis and the third on the impact of certain interpretations of Muslim family law and cultural practices on the underdevelopment of Northern Nigeria. Two days after being seen walking arm-in-arm with actor Armie Hammer, Rumer Willis stepped out solo for a day of shopping in Los Angeles on Friday. The actress, who's the daughter of screen legends Demi Moore and Bruce Willis, was all about showcasing her fit figure in a skin-tight, one-piece shorts ensemble. After making a number of purchases, Rumer, 32, met up with her younger sister Scout, 29, at the nearby Brentwood Country Mart for some more shopping. Shop till you drop: Rumer Willis, 32, showcased her fit figure in a one-piece shorts jumpsuit during a shopping spree in Los Angeles on Friday With the temperatures soaring above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, Rumer's skimpy dark outfit was a perfect match for hot weather. She paired the pseudo-jumpsuit with knee-high white boots that would have made a fashion diva envious in the 1960s and 70s and dark sunglasses. The Idaho native, who also split her time in Southern California since she was a child, pulled her dark brown tresses into a tight bun and wore a brown protective mask in accordance to health and safety regulations amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Safety first: The actress also donned a brown protective mask in accordance to health and safety protocols amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic At one point in the day, Rumer was spotted walking through a parking lot, back to her car, holding several white bags in her hands and her purse over her left shoulder. While Rumer was in shopping mode, her new beau, Armie Hammer, was out taking a casual afternoon stroll by himself decked out in green shorts, a white t-shirt and grey sneakers. On Wednesday, Rumer and Armie, 34, looked like the picture of couple who are already an item when they were seen snuggling up next to each other while out an about. The two did not seem shy with their public displays of affection as they left a cafe in Los Angeles. Rumer's shopping outing comes two days after she was seen walking arm-in-arm with actor Armie Hammer just weeks after he split with his wife Elizabeth Chambers The On The Basis Of Sex actor had his arm around the Dancing With The Stars alum's waist and his hand on her hip as she had her hand under his sweater. The new couple's PDA outing comes just weeks after Armie and his estranged wife Elizabeth Chambers announced they were going their separate ways following 10 years of marriage and two children together. Rumer has been romantically linked to British actors Ricky Whittle and Ricky Whittle, and American actor sJayson Blair and Micah Alberti. Working it: Hammer stepped out for a walk in green shorts, a white t-shirt and grey sneakers By Roslan Khasawneh and Akiko Okamoto TOKYO/SINGAPORE (Reuters) - A third crewman from a ship that capsized this week off Japan with more than 40 crew and a cargo of cattle on board was found alive on Friday after he was spotted by a search plane, Japan's coastguard said. The man, 30-year-old Filipino Jay-nel Rosals, was found on a liferaft waving for help 2 km (1.2 miles) off Kodakarajima, a small island in Japan's southern Kagoshima prefecture, the coastguard said. He was conscious and was able to walk when the coastguard rescued him. Rescuers also found an overturned orange lifeboat floating at sea some 4 km (2.5 miles) off Kodakarajima, but no one was found on that boat. Rosals was only the third crew member to be found so far from the Gulf Livestock 1, which capsized in the East China Sea on Wednesday and is believed to have sunk. The ship, with a crew of 43 crew and a cargo of 6,000 cattle, had sent a distress call amid strong winds and heavy seas whipped up by Typhoon Maysak. Earlier on Friday it emerged the vessel had a history of mechanical issues. Rosals' rescue came hours after another crewman died after being pulled unconscious from the water by the coastguard. The search is still on for the remaining 40 crew members. Rescuers have also found a life jacket and cattle carcasses in the area where the ship is believed to have sunk. Gulf Livestock 1, owned by UAE-based Gulf Navigation, lost engine power before it was hit by a massive wave, according to Chief Officer Sareno Edvarodo, who was rescued on Wednesday. Edvarodo, a 45-year-old Filipino, remains in hospital. The crew was made up of 39 people from the Philippines, two from New Zealand, and two from Australia, the coastguard said. The ship is technically managed and crewed by Germany's Marconsult Schiffarht GMBH, while the commercial manager is Jordan-based Hijazi & Ghosheh Co. "We are monitoring the situation closely," a spokesman for Gulf Navigation said in an emailed statement. "Our hearts go out to those onboard and their families at this time." Story continues The company is working with those involved in rescue efforts and regrets the loss of livestock, he added. MECHANICAL DEFECTS Several maritime reports logged over the past two years showed the ship may have had some mechanical defects and revealed operational concerns. A December inspection report from Indonesian authorities on the website of Equasis, which collates ship safety information from both public and private sources, logged issues with the ship's propulsion and auxiliary machinery. The issues included "deficiencies" with the propulsion main engine, gauges and thermometers. A 2019 report by the Australian government on the cattle ship's transit in June from Australia to Indonesia noted the vessel's departure was delayed for a week because of "stability and navigation issues identified by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority". Gulf Navigation, Marconsult Schiffarht and Hijazi & Ghosheh Co. did not immediately respond to questions about the reports. The Japanese coastguard said on Friday it had not set a deadline to end the search for survivors from the ship, which left Napier port in New Zealand on Aug. 14 and had been due to arrive 17 days later at the Port of Jingtang in Tangshan, China. Four vessels, an airplane and several divers were scouring the waters on Friday when they discovered the second crew member, who has not been publicly identified. The coastguard said the man died a short time after they pulled him from the sea about 120 km (75 miles) north-northwest of Amami Oshima island and transferred him to hospital. Melbourne-based Australasian Global Exports confirmed it employed four of the people onboard, with the remaining crew engaged by Gulf Navigation. "We are in full contact with the families of our four colleagues and are offering them all the support we can," it said in a statement. (Reporting by Akiko Okamoto and Tetsushi Kajimoto in Tokyo and Roslan Khasawneh in Singapore; Writing by Jane Wardell and David Dolan; Editing by Lincoln Feast, Himani Sarkar and Frances Kerry) From Niagara Falls to Mexico another generation of monarch butterflies are on their way. About 200 of the brightly-coloured North American monarchs were released Saturday at the Niagara Parks butterfly conservatory, doing what few other insects do head south for the winter. The Niagara Parks annual monarch release program allows visitors to tag individual butterflies, then track their progress when the tagged insects are found and posted online. Only a small percentage actually make it to Mexico, said entomology technician Mandin Tomlinson. Of all the years weve released, weve only had five that were tagged that were recovered, she said. That doesnt mean there werent more that didnt make it, those were just the ones that were (found). Some head to Cuba. Some stop in Florida. But wherever they end up, the release program offers insight on their migration patterns. The program is run in conjunction with University of Kansass Monarch Watch. Butterflies released Saturday each had a polypropylene tag attached to their hind wing. It has a number to enter into an accompanying website. The trip usually takes about six weeks, said Tomlinson, and the monarchs make several stops along the way. Research has shown it is a one-time trip for the monarchs. Often, its their great-grandchildren which make the trip the following year, and many go to the exact same location. Before the big trip, monarchs released by the butterfly conservatory will often hang around and fuel up on nectar. Tomlinson said they are usually all gone by the end of October. Monarch Watch began in 1992 and involves thousands of schools, nature centres and other groups. About 100,000 people participate in tag-and-release programs every fall. Read more about: Todays Headlines The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors and delivered every morning. Email address By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy In yesterday's trading, Cannabis Science, Inc. ( PINK:CBIS CBIS message board ) managed to gain 12% and close at $0.07. CBIS was the second most heavily traded OTC stock at $1.4 million dollar volume. The company came out with a press release announcing the appointment of Chad S. Johnson to the board of directors as well as as a general counselor. Mr. Johnson has considerable experience under his belt and the news of his arrival on the board seems to have helped the stock move up. Potentially, Mr. Johnson could help CBIS secure a better position and possibly even run some actual clinical trials in the future. And the future is all the company is looking to, because as of right now, it has next to nothing. Its website's "Products" page is virtually a placeholder with descriptions of cannabinoid substances, HIV and cancer. The company's own press releases speak of their products in the future tense, with one product not yet in pre-clinical 'investigation', the other with no sources of funding to further pre-clinical trials. With what CBIS have on hand, it looks like their immediate future is not looking too bright. Their latest filed quarterly report dated June 30 lists the following figures: cash assets of $4 thousand revenue for fiscal Q2 of $7 thousand $4.4 million net loss for fiscal Q2 Traders would probably be happier if the company provided updated information that was not almost 5 months old but CBIS have not posted their due fiscal Q3 report yet. The siren's call of cheap OTC stocks is always a danger as penny stocks often move up and down on unpredictable factors outside of the actual business. Remember to always do your own due diligence and be very careful when investing in any stock, especially if it's on the OTC market. CMSC breaks sound of silence with Picking up the Pieces View(s): After six months of involuntary silence, the Chamber Music Society of Colombo looks forward to being reunited with audiences later this month, in a series of concerts entitled Picking up the Pieces. Led by music director Lakshman Joseph-de Saram, the CMSCs string principals (plus flute), will perform a selection of shorter Baroque works by Corelli, Handel and JS Bach, along with Beethoven arrangements of Bach and Albrechtsberger, and lesser-known offerings by Antonio Salieri and Francesco Durante. The performances will take place at the Goethe-Institut hall, 39 Gregorys Rd, at 7.30 p.m. on Saturday, September 19 and Sunday 20 as well as a reprise of the entire programme on Sunday 27th. Patrons who had purchased tickets for the March 29th concert may revalidate them for any of these three dates, in person, at the Goethe-Institut library (10 a.m.5 p.m., WedFri), until Friday, September 11. The remaining tickets Rs.1000 (unreserved seating) will be available at the Security post, from Saturday 12 onwards. Curtis Flowers, in a photo released in March 2019 by the Mississippi penal system US prosecutors dropped charges Friday against a Mississippi black man who was tried six times and spent more than 20 years in prison for the same murders. Despite always maintaining his innocence, Curtis Flowers, 50, served 23 years for a quadruple murder committed in Winona, Mississippi in July 1996. The fatal shooting occurred at Tardy Furniture and the victims were store owner Bertha Tardy, 59, and three employees, Carmen Rigby, 45, Derrick 'BoBo' Stewart, 16, and Robert Golden, 42. Prosecutors in the six trials alleged that Flowers, a former Tardy employee, had stolen a .380-caliber pistol and shot the victims execution-style. Flowers was alleged to have killed Tardy as payback for docking in pay over damaged batteries and firing him, killing the other three people to get rid of witnesses, CNN reported. Flowers was sentenced to death four times in the case. Each of the convictions and death sentences in the first three trials was overturned by the Mississippi Supreme Court for prosecutorial misconduct. The next two ended in hung juries. In 2010 Flowers was convicted a final time and sentenced to death. FFlowers was released on bond in December 2019 (pictured) after his most recent murder conviction was overturned by the US Supreme Court on grounds of racial bias A judge dismissed the charges against Flowers with prejudice, so he cannot be tried again Flowers (in 2004) had already served 23 years for the quadruple murder charges and been tried six times over the years since the July 1996 incident But this decision was overturned in 2019 by the US Supreme Court because of what it called a prosecutor's 'relentless, determined effort to rid the jury of black individuals.' That prosecutor, Doug Evans, had been on the case from the outset. Evans was ultimately accused last year by the US Supreme Court of trying hard to keep black people off the jury and eventually resigned from the case. In January, he agreed to step down from the case and the state attorney general Lynn Fitch started the proceedings from scratch. She asked that the case be thrown out, and a judge agreed. Flowers had been released on bail in December 2019, although another trial was still possible. On Friday, however, Mississippis attorney general dismissed the charges against Flowers. Now, because a judge dismissed Flowers' capital case with prejudice, he cannot be retried for the murders. Following the dismissal, Flowers said in a statement: 'I am finally free from the injustice that left me locked in a box for 23 years,' adding 'The day I've prayed for is here at last.' Victim Carmen Rigby's son - who was also best friend of victim BoBo Stewart - is still convinced that Flowers is guilty of the quadruple murder. Flowers was accused of having killed Bertha Tardy, 59 (left), the owner of the furniture store where he had once worked, as well as three employees, including Robert Golden, 42 (right) The other two alleged victims of Flowers were Carmen Rigby, 45 (left) and Derrick 'BoBo' Stewart, 16 (right), who also worked at the furniture store Prosecutor Doug Evans (center) was accused of trying hard to keep black people off the jury and eventually resigned from the case. He is seen in court in 2010 with a witness (right) in Flowers' last quadruple murder case 'The evidence that we have and it seems that you cant deny some of this evidence,' Brian Rigby told WBLT. 'You can have some witnesses that can recant their stories from time to time but theres still an overwhelming amount of evidence that you cant explain.' He said that his family 'dont want just anybody held responsible for the murders. We want the person that did it to be held responsible. And if I felt for a minute that we had the wrong person I would be fighting for him.' Rigby said that the system failed them and that Friday has been 'the toughest day' since his mother and best friend were murdered. Flowers' case became well known in a podcast called In the Dark, which focused on his story for three years. In the Dark journalist Madeleine Baran told the news station that Evans is to blame for everything that Flowers and the victims' families have gone through. All the 'data gathering and fact gathering adds up to a logical and very, frankly, airtight conclusion that Curtis Flowers was tried in a case that was replete with prosecutorial misconduct,' Baran said. 'And thats not just something that we found. Thats the findings of the Mississippi Supreme Court several times in this case and also the U.S. Supreme Court.' Flowers' attorney, Rob McDuff, told CNN that the case against Flowers 'never made sense' because he was 26 at the time and had no criminal record 'and nothing in his history to suggest he would commit a crime like this. As time went by, even more evidence emerged to corroborate his innocence.' Baran noted Flowers' family's unwavering support of his innocence, saying that the 'quality of hope' that they have had since his ordeal began is 'overwhelming' and 'remarkable.' Flowers' family said in a statement to CNN: We have prayed for this day and are looking forward to the future knowing that our brother will not be going back to prison. We know our Mom is looking down and our only wish is that she could have been here to welcome Curtis home.' Flowers' mother died while he was in prison. Kewalanand Kandpal, principal of a government school in Bageshwar district, was honoured with National Teachers Awards 2020 on the occasion of Teachers Day on Saturday. He was awarded for his effort as a teacher, who left no stones unturned to ensure best possible education for all his students. From community support, to acquiring land for building a school, from monthly mother-daughter meetings, to promote education among girl child, Kandpal always walked an extra mile to boost education. It is a great moment that my efforts for merely 70-72 students in a remote village has been recognised at the national level, said Kandpal. He was given the award for demonstrating himself to being an inspirational and capable leader for his school by showing great ability to build community support for the school, bridge gender gap in enrolment and also successfully mobilising resources for land and infrastructure for the school. When I joined the Government Higher Secondary School, Pudkuni, in Kapkote block of Bageshwar in October 2017, there was neither road connectivity to the region nor a building for the school. I realised that people never questioned this. I started talking to the villagers and convincing them to provide land for building the school. I made them realise that if there is no building then the school will shift out of the village and merge with some other school nearby, thereby reducing access for children, said Kandpal. After creating awareness about the importance of education for almost a year, Kandpal, saw a ray of hope from the villagers regarding donating their land in around March 2019. To ensure that girls do not drop out of school, he started monthly mother-daughter meeting, where female students would talk to their mothers and tell them that they (the girls) did not want to get married early, and rather wanted to continue studying. Soon after I had joined in 2017, two girls from class 9 had dropped out. When we tried to find out the reason, we learnt that one was getting married and the other had financial problems. We talked to the parents of the girl who was getting married and explained them that it is illegal. When the parents did not pay heed, we realised that it would be better if the girls themselves spoke to their mothers and told them that they want to study further, added Kandpal. Developing the infrastructure of the school, Kandpal also got donations, but made sure that the donations were in kind and not cash. The Government Higher Secondary School, Pudkuni in Kapkote block of Bageshwar district is located around 29km from the district headquarter and at a height of 1834m. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Re: Pervert cabbie avoids jail Slap on the wrist ruling is slap in the face to victims everywhere I was disgusted and outraged to read Castanets article of August 28, 2020, Pervert Cabbie Avoids Jail: Masturbating cab driver gets one year of probation, will be able to avoid criminal record. The decision to impose just 20 hours of community service on a former Kelowna Cabs driver caught on security camera appearing to masturbate while touching the back of an intoxicated young woman hed driven home is still more proof our justice system fails women. I don't much care that the perpetrator lost his job, has a young family, or that a sexual assault conviction would have gotten him deported. I care that a young woman, who made what should have been the safe, responsible choice to get a cab home after a night out, will forever be traumatized by one mans entitled, and criminal, actions. The potential damage of a harsher sentence on the perpetrator taking precedence over the violation of an innocent womans right to safety isnt new. In fact, author Kate Manne, in her 2017 book Down Girl, coined the term himpathy to describe it. Consider the case of Brock Turner, the former Stanford student who was arrested, and later convicted, for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman, Chanel Miller. Media coverage and commentary throughout emphasized he was a swimming champion, with a highly promising future. In the end, while Turner faced up to 14 years in prison, he was sentenced to just six months in county jail, and ended up serving only three. But what of the victim? According to your article, the one in this local case feels extremely violated, ashamed, embarrassed and hurt, and can no longer take a taxi. She no longer feels safe in certain environments and she now suffers from anxiety. I can pretty much guarantee she also blames herself on some level, and wonders what she might have done to prevent the assault from occurring, a common trauma reaction that is wrong on so many levels. But hey, at least her attacker gets to stay in Canada with his family. The structural misogyny of our legal system is overdue for change, and decisions like this, which are about protecting the perpetrator rather than the victim, make my blood boil. But since the patriarchy cant be smashed with a letter, Ill also offer some recommended reading. Kate Mannes latest, Entitled: How Male Privilege Hurts Women and Why Women are Blamed for Everything: Exploring Victim Blaming of Women Subjected to Violence and Trauma by Dr. Jess Taylor are both worth your time and attention. Karen Mason Have you heard? The governor has moved the goalposts again. When the COVID-19 crisis started back in early March, the governor insisted that her primary concern was to save lives. She repeated the phrase so often it became a litany: Q: Why did you close the schools? A: To save lives. Q: Why did you close the liquor stores? A: To save lives. Q: Why did the chicken cross the road? A: To save lives. As of Aug. 26, New Mexicos deaths per capita from the virus was 36 per 100,000, 22nd highest in the country (Source: statista.com). Twenty-nine states plus Puerto Rico are doing better than we are, 19 states plus D.C. are doing worse. Perhaps New Mexicos relatively high death rate explains why to save lives morphed into flatten the curve, which was transformed into lower daily infections, which became a laundry list of reopening standards, which is already showing signs of becoming something else. Every time New Mexicans meet one of the governors arbitrary targets, she cooks up a new one. More than a few unhappy business owners have accused Gov. (Michelle) Lujan Grisham of having no policy for the virus, but she does. Indeed, she has several, one for each month of the year. The policies are all mutually incongruous and ill-considered. She continually insists she is guided by the science, a transparent attempt to avoid responsibility by shifting the blame to scientists. Her decisions are not and have not been scientific; they are political. The science behind the virus is uncertain, so the scientists who study it must give equivocal answers to all questions about it. The governor wants plain, definite, unequivocal answers, the kind that would shield her from criticism. She lets things stew, avoiding decisions for which she would have to take responsibility. When the pressures of indecision become too great, she stumbles around and comes up with a new policy. Our governor has a lot of power, and she likes to use it, especially against those who question her motives. She is a cunning politician, but she cant govern because she cannot examine problems in any kind of depth. She thinks like she speaks in slogans. New Mexicos unemployment rate is the eighth-highest in the country eighth. Gov. Lujan Grisham is destroying our economy and our childrens education, and no one has the power to stop her. A walk on Streedagh beach on any given day, in any given season, is a life enhancing and memorable experience. It is a beautiful, crescent-shaped strand of flat sand; though occasionally it is stripped to its cobble foundation by Winter storms. The beach is book-ended by the rocky outcrop of Streedagh Point on the left and Tor Rock on the right. The setting, nestled below the towering mass of Benbulben, for all the world like the upturned hull of an abandoned galleon, offers a glorious panorama of Donegal Bay. Looking North, the sea cliffs of Sliabh Liag, tallest in Europe, and bundled up behind, the Mountains of Glen Columcille and the Blue Stacks in South-West Donegal. The beach is strewn with many examples of fossilized remnants of the 300-million-year-old pre-history of this area at a time when a shallow sea covered all you see before you and the geographic position back then, believe it or not, was close to the equator! Ahead of walking this beach on a beautiful Summer's day I arranged to meet with Eddie O'Gorman, Chair of Spanish Armada Ireland. He heads up a local group dedicated to the preservation, conservation and promotion of the unique wreck site at Streedagh. He explains the history that links this beach with the Spanish Armada. As we know from the recent film made about the subject, three great ships sank here in a "Great Gale" on a fateful day in September 1588 with more than 1,000 men losing their lives. "This beach became the graveyard for so many young men who set out in May of 1588 thinking that they would enjoy honour and distinction in the invasion of England only to see their hopes and lives destroyed on the pitiless coastline of North Sligo," says Eddie, as we start our walk. The wreckage of the ships, La Lavia, Santa Maria de Vison and La Juliana, lie buried under a burden of sand offshore and there have been very significant recoveries of cannon and other important artefacts in the recent past by the State authorities. A contemporaneous report of the time by one of the few survivors of the Streedagh wrecks "The Carta of Captain Francisco de Cuellar" provides us with a thrilling account of survival in the North West and his recording of the lives and customs of the Irish people is an invaluable and unique resource for historians. Eddie explains that the background to this unique site along with some original and replica artefacts can be explored in the Spanish Armada Visitor Centre at The Old Courthouse in Grange Village. There the visitor can also avail of frequent screenings every weekend of the aforementioned docudrama "Armada 1588, Shipwreck & Survival". Continuing our leisurely walk Eddie points out the remains of the "Butter Boat" as its locally named. This wreck is usually visible at low tide - a hundred yards from the car park and on the surf-line as you traverse the beach. A lot of people think that this must be a part of the Armada wrecks but recent carbon dating of a sample taken from the wreck establishes that it is late 18th Century and research is currently underway to tell the story of this enigmatic vessel. "And it has nothing to do with butter!" he says, adding that "The boat's real name was the Greyhound of Whitby, and it sank here in the late 18th century with the loss of life of upwards of a dozen people." As we get to the mid-point of the beach, we look West as Inishmurray Island comes into view. A fabled isle with 6th Century monastic ruins associated with local Saint Molaise, confessor to that great warrior saint, Columcille. (little dove!) The Battle of the Book took place a few miles away at Cuil Dreimhne at Columcille's instigation (copyright asserted with the loss of 3,000 lives!) His penance for the loss of life was exile to Scotland to convert the pagan Picts and resulted in the establishment of the monastic settlement of Iona. St. John's Point with its white lighthouse is visible on this clear day and tucked in behind it, Killybegs, na Cealla Beaga, with its own impressive Armada heritage. Onwards to Tor Rock and turning then through the gap in the sand dunes where the tidal estuary of the Grange River opens out with its abundant wild life. To the left Connor's Island continues and then Garinish Island and the tidal outflow beyond Milk Harbour. The spire of Ahamlish Church is barely visible to the eagle-eyed on the far shore. sWe follow the winding shoreline west and resist the temptation to follow the ridge of the sand dunes. "They are a delicate and endangered environment held together by the marram grass and susceptible to erosion. We welcome the recent increase in visitors attracted by the natural beauty and outdoor pursuit opportunities afforded by this stunning location. "Normal People' the recent TV series enjoying world-wide success, set all the beach scenes at Streedagh because of its wonderful landscape so we have many new visitors. "We encourage everyone to respect the place and leave no trace," he says as we complete our walk and return to the start of the beach. Streedagh will likely become more popular as the fame of Normal People brings pictures of its unspoiled beauty to audiences around the world. So make sure you get out and enjoy it this Autumn, where you might still have the place largely to yourself. This is a leisurely walk that does not demand a high level of fitness but has outstanding natural beauty and a remarkable historical resonance. For information on how to get to Streedagh, plus some other items of interest for the walker visit https://sligowalks.ie/walks/streedagh-strand/ Zac Efron recently enjoyed a ski holiday in Thredbo with his rumoured new girlfriend Vanessa Valladares. In photos obtained by the Herald Sun, the pair were spotted leaving a plane in Ballina together following the trip. The Hollywood actor, 32, reportedly met Vanessa in July when she was working as a waitress. Getaway: Zac Efron (pictured) recently enjoyed a ski holiday in Thredbo with his rumoured new girlfriend Vanessa Valladares She's rumoured to have quit her job now and is said to be staying with Zac at Belongil Beach. Last month, Daily Mail Australia revealed that Zac had cancelled a scheduled flight back to Los Angeles. 'He was only planning to fly home if he had to,' a source revealed. 'He didn't really want to go back to America.' Romance: The Hollywood actor, 32, reportedly met Vanessa (pictured) in July when she was working as a waitress Zac had purchased the plane ticket several months ago in case his application for a visa extension was denied by the Department of Home Affairs. But it seems his request to have his tourist visa extended from three months to 12 months was granted, hence why he cancelled his trip home. Daily Mail Australia understands Zac received a last-minute refund for his ticket. It comes just days after The Daily Telegraph reported that Zac had 'inspected and put in an offer' on a home in Byron Bay. Cancelled: Last month, Daily Mail Australia revealed that Zac had cancelled a scheduled flight back to Los Angeles However, he was apparently outbid at the last minute by a rival buyer. Zac was apparently disappointed because he had 'fallen in love' with Byron Bay. While he is staying in Australia for the time being, the Baywatch star will have to return to America eventually due to his filming commitments. He is scheduled to star in the Disney+ remake of Three Men and a Baby, based on the classic 1987 comedy starring Steve Guttenberg, Tom Selleck and Ted Danson. 'A celebrity of his stature would even remember someone whom he had met for a very brief period...He also had a great sense of humour. More than being his students, he treated us like his children,' says violinist Kala Ramnath on her guru, Pandit Jasraj My earliest memories of Pandit Jasraj ji was when I would hear him on the radio program Anuranjani, on returning home from school in the afternoon. I would love his renditions of 'Shudh Sarang', 'Bhimpalasi', 'Bilaskhani Todi' and 'Gorakh Kalyan', and thought to myself that if music was indeed this beautiful, then this is what I would want to do in life. All I remember from my childhood is this, and not much else about the intricacies of his singing. I had the good fortune of meeting him in my early teens when my aunt introduced me to him in the first concert of my life, along with my cousin in Mumbai. Thats when I started addressing him as Mama ji. He was very loving and affectionate. He would pamper me with sweets and I would tag along with him everywhere. Immediately after this, within a few months, I lost my dad, and Mama ji took my fathers place in my life as a father figure, advising me on everything. I especially sought his advice with regard to my career. I relocated to Mumbai and mustered the courage to ask Mama ji if he would teach me. Luckily, he agreed, and thus became my guru too. Since I was already performing, lessons started right on stage by accompanying him on the violin. Besides, he would always be immersed in music, so much so that he would teach us while we travelled with him, while we were sitting for lunch at the dining table, or before he retired to rest for the day. For him, it was all about music. Because of my strong memory, he would also sometimes call me from wherever he was to teach me a composition, and refer to me as his 'computer'. I used to call him 'the supercomputer'. Some of my best memories have been the camps he conducted, where he would teach us for 6-10 hours a day, intensively, for as long as two weeks. Today, if I am known for what I do, it is because of him. He took me with him everywhere to accompany him in concerts, and presented me in the right way. His dedication to the art of music, his sincerity and honesty, his poignant expressions, are things to learn. These qualities made him firm in his commitments. I remember, once I was in Hyderabad at his festival (Pandit Motiram Pandit Maniram Sangeet Samaroh) where I was asked to perform. On the day of my performance, I was sick and had a 104-degree fever. Guru ma told Guru ji that I was not in the condition to perform. Guru ji dismissed Guru mas plea instantly, and said that I would play. He told me, If you put in the effort, lord will carry you through. You tell yourself that I have given a commitment and come what may, I am going to fulfil it." I played there and I got a standing ovation. It was a life lesson for me. Guru ji himself practised this with utmost sincerity. Even if he was sick, or had a cough and cold, he would never cancel his concerts or leave his commitments unfulfilled. You can imagine what a cough and cold feels like to a vocalist, but that was my Guru ji... I remember, there was a concert in Namibia, to which we were sent by the Government of India for the first time. I was there with him. Unfortunately, there were a lot of problems in the presentation by the organisers, and in the end, we only got 10 to 15 minutes for our performance. Guru ji was not happy. He finished his short performance and told the audience, I am going to my room. Anybody interested can come there and listen to me." He asked me to take my violin, and asked Vijay Ghate ji to take his tabla, and did a two-hour-long concert at the home where we were staying, to a packed audience. This shows his dedication and sincerity to his art. Masters like Guru ji had a strong connection with nature, and nature is the almighty. I remember an instance when he performed in Delhi outside, amid nature, on the day of Buddha Purnima. It was a clear beautiful evening with the full moon and stars in sight, and not a speck of cloud visible. Guru ji asked his daughter Durga ji to announce that he wished to sing 'Dhulia Malhar', and if a dust-storm were to happen (which apparently does when this raga is sung), he should not be held responsible. And lo and behold, as he started singing, dark clouds appeared, strong winds blew, and there was a thunderstorm. The concert had to be shifted indoors from outdoors. That was the power of his music and his connection with nature. He touched the hearts of many listeners and gave them a divine experience almost every time he sang. Also read on Firstpost: Pandit Jasraj's students highlight the maestro's legacy with stories of his compassion and generosity Guru ji had a tremendous amount of self-control. He would never touch oily food or sweets, or anything that is not good for his voice. He taught us discipline. These are the things you need if you want to be a good musician. There is not much to say, which will do justice to his humility. A celebrity of his stature would even remember someone whom he had met for a very brief period. He treated everyone with respect, and made each one of them feel special. That in itself is great art, which made him a peoples person. He also had a great sense of humour. More than being his students, he treated us like his children. With his demise, it feels like I have lost my father again. I will, throughout my life, cherish the moments I have spent with him, treasure the things I have learnt from him, and pass on to the next generation whatever I have imbibed from my association with him. David Frost has quietly almost invisibly risen to hold an epoch-defining position in Boris Johnsons Government. While Rishi Sunak and Michael Gove vie to be the Prime Ministers chief executives, Lord Frost has been handed the dual responsibilities of leading the UKs post-Brexit trade negotiations with the EU and acting as Mr Johnsons National Security Adviser. It is a daunting in-tray for anyone, let alone someone who is still suffering such after-effects from the coronavirus infection he contracted in March that he struggles for breath when jogging. But the addition of Lord Frosts security brief is also a signal to Brussels that Downing Street expects the negotiations to be wrapped up soon, to allow Lord Frost to concentrate on the threats posed by Russia and China. In his first interview since he started his duel with Michel Barnier, the EUs chief negotiator, Lord Frost, pictured, delivers a dish-served-cold retaliation to Mrs May When his new job was announced in June, it triggered a tart response from Theresa May, who called him a political appointee with no proven expertise in national security. In his first interview since he started his duel with Michel Barnier, the EUs chief negotiator, Lord Frost delivers a dish-served-cold retaliation to Mrs May. With deadly understatement, he contrasts Mr Johnsons gung-ho attitude with his predecessors tortuous and ultimately doomed attempts to strike a deal, saying that his big task has been to reset the credibility of our words in the wake of her administration. Making clear that the UK side will not blink first when the eighth round of talks start in London on Tuesday, Lord Frost said: We came in after a Government and negotiating team that had blinked and had its bluff called at critical moments, and the EU had learned not to take our word seriously. So a lot of what we are trying to do this year is to get them to realise that we mean what we say and they should take our position seriously. There have been many crunch periods since the 2016 referendum, but the coming weeks promise to be the crunchiest of them all. Mr Barnier who will touch down in the UK just hours after Lord Frost takes up the Lords seat handed to him by Mr Johnson arrives with the two sides locked in an impasse over fishing rights and Government subsidies for businesses. If an agreement cant be signed by December, one of the many No Deal impacts could be a revival of the cod wars of the 1970s, with Royal Navy vessels patrolling our sovereign fishing waters. With deadly understatement, Lord Frost contrasts Mr Johnsons gung-ho attitude with his predecessors tortuous and ultimately doomed attempts to strike a deal Barniers obduracy during the Zoom negotiations of the summer has led to mutterings in European capitals about him being elbowed aside in favour of leaders such as Germanys Angela Merkel. Lord Frost, 55, a former diplomat who rose to become the UKs ambassador to Norway, chooses his words with professional care, but is clearly seething about the EUs obstinacy. They have not accepted that in key areas of our national life we want to be able to control our own laws and do things our way and use the freedoms that come after Brexit, he says. We are not going to be a client state. We are not going to compromise on the fundamentals of having control over our own laws. We are not going to accept level playing field provisions that lock us in to the way the EU do things; we are not going to accept provisions that give them control over our money or the way we can organise things here in the UK and that should not be controversial thats what being an independent country is about, thats what the British people voted for and thats will happen at the end of the year, come what may. Barnier is flatly refusing to countenance British demands for an increase in the fishing quota reserved for UK vessels in our own waters, describing it as a common resource. Lord Frost appears baffled that, nine months into the post-Brexit transition period, the EU have still not internalised the fact that the UK intends to be an independent sovereign nation. He says: Lets hope that the end of the year concentrates minds for them, because that is a hard deadline. I think the EU is used to being in negotiations where they can go on endlessly where there is no fixed deadline, they stick to a position and it is really for the other side to move. What we want, which is the restoration of our own sovereignty and freedom as a country, happens whether the EU likes it or not at the end of the year. They are not used to doing that sort of negotiation. I think they spend too much time trying to guess what our intentions are and not enough time listening to our words. It has been claimed that No 10 puts the chance of a deal no higher than per cent. I dont get in to percentages, is all Lord Frost will say. When his new job was announced in June, it triggered a tart response from Theresa May, who called him a political appointee with no proven expertise in national security (file photo) Fish appears to be the biggest stumbling block. At the moment the EU is not engaging in that discussion, says Lord Frost, before revving up for a small joke: They are looking to continue the status quo they want to have their fishcake and eat it. He adds: The gap is huge and the constructive discussions on this have not started but there are fundamentals we are not going to compromise on and there has got to be a huge difference for our fishermen. We will need to control access to our waters in future and we will. Michel says quite often that we accept that you are an independent coastal state, but then doesnt draw the legal conclusions from that. Could we see the Royal Navy on patrol in January? I wouldnt like to comment on how we are going to control our waters, but it will be our job to control our waters and allow access to our waters if there isnt a fisheries agreement. Almost as intractable as fish is the issue of state subsidies for business: UK negotiators say that the EU is insisting on retaining the power to stop the Government supporting private enterprise with taxpayers money. The freedom to support fledgling technology firms is a keystone issue for Mr Johnsons powerful adviser Dominic Cummings, who wants to plough 800 million into high risk, high-reward British research to stop foreign giants such as Apple from dominating the market. The freedom to support fledgling technology firms is a keystone issue for Dominic Cummings (pictured on September 2) Lord Frost says: We are not going to agree to any arrangement that leaves the EU with some say over what we do with our money. Were not going to accept that sort of control because that wasnt what Brexit was about. He also declares that he is in complete lockstep with Mr Johnsons view that the UK does not have anything to fear from No Deal despite emergency planning in the Cabinet Office for a perfect storm of a second wave of Covid-19 coinciding with a No Deal Brexit including power shortages, petrol queues and military airdrops of food. He says: Obviously, lots of preparation was done last year, we are ramping up again and have been for some time under Michael Goves authority. I dont think that we are scared of this at all. We want to get back the powers to control our borders and that is the most important thing. If we can reach an agreement that regulates trade like Canadas, great. If we cant, it will be an Australian-like trading agreement and we are fully ready for that. Lord Frost left the Civil Service in 2013 to join the Scotch Whisky Association, but as a rare Whitehall Brexiteer he was lured back by Mr Johnson as an adviser when he became Foreign Secretary and has remained a close member of his inner circle ever since. He brushes aside questions about Tory backbench unease over the No 10 operation following a string of U-turns it is a very professional operation and decisions such as appointing homophobic former Australian PM Tony Abbott as a trade adviser thats not my patch so I wouldnt like to comment. Lord Frost, who is married to his second wife Harriet and has two children from his first marriage, studied medieval European history at Oxford, a period marked by plagues and wars. My view is that Medieval history is just as relevant to making decisions as more recent history, he says. You can learn a lot. So what does the EU need to learn? They need a model for dealing with independent states in the continent of Europe, he says. They are struggling to relate to us as an independent sovereign state. As we approach November, our nations access to a free and fair election the very basis of our democracy is being tested. Over the past month, the Trump administration has launched deeply concerning and escalating attacks on the right to vote. This includes floating intimidation tactics such as sending law enforcement officers to police polling sites reminiscent of a shameful time when Black people were kept from the polls by similar terrorization and publicly undermining the U.S. Postal Service to mislead voters about the reliability of mail-in voting. Most recently, the president suggested voters in North Carolina vote twice, once by mail and once at the polls, to test the integrity of the system (thereby committing a federal crime). And Attorney General Bill Barr further stoked voter fears by saying America was playing with fire by using mail-in voting, but he was unable to identify any evidence supporting this narrative of widespread fraud and further professed to have no knowledge as to whether the law prohibited voting twice. Make no mistake: The Trump administration is the one playing with fire here. These attacks on voting rights and our democracy, by our president, imperil the legitimacy of our entire government and put public safety at risk. Thats why, this past week, 79 elected prosecutors and law enforcement leaders from across the nation, including nearly a dozen attorneys general, issued a joint statement condemning these attacks. They have come together to say the right to vote is fundamental to our democracy and our identity as Americans, regardless of political affiliation. It is a constitutional right and, ultimately, a public trust and safety issue. Lets set the record straight. From our many years of experience working in law enforcement, we know theres simply no need for law enforcement at the polls. We have also served as public officials and know that voting by mail is a proven, reliable method of taking part in our democracy. Policing the polls is nothing but blatant voter intimidation. And it threatens to take us back to a dark time in our country, when voter intimidation was the norm for Black people and came in the form of threats of violence, lynchings and, when all else failed, an overthrow of Black elected officials by force. Today, millions of protesters in the streets underscore that we must do everything possible to distance ourselves from that era of American history. Civil unrest across our country comes at a time when trust in our systems and institutions is at a historic low. Only 13% of people have confidence in Congress. And with the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, confidence in police fell to 48% this year, the lowest confidence level in law enforcement ever recorded by Gallup in the nearly 30 years it has been tracking public sentiment on this question. When trust in law enforcement falls, public safety suffers. Our work depends on members of the community reaching out when they need help, reporting crime, cooperating in investigations and collaborating to promote justice. All of us will suffer if we cannot turn the tide and restore faith in the integrity of our government systems. The safety and well-being of our communities relies on a social contract dependent on confidence in the rule of law and a system of checks and balances that holds people accountable and promotes just results. But when one of our systems is attacked and fails especially one as integral to our democracy as free and fair elections public trust is compromised, along with the ability for all our government systems to function, including our criminal legal system. Right now, law enforcement leaders are facing the unprecedented challenge of keeping our communities safe and healthy in the midst of COVID-19, while also confronting systemic racism that has been a blight on American history and filled our criminal legal system with too many Black and brown bodies. As voters look at the tragic cost communities of color have paid because of COVID-19, and then turn their gaze toward equally concerning and racially disparate incarceration rates, it is critical they feel like they have the power to bring about change. As leaders committed to justice and fairness, we are unwilling to resurrect our nations most shameful behaviors and we are intent on doing everything in our power to prevent it. The ability to vote safely and protect access to the ballot box for all, without intimidation, is inextricably tied to keeping our communities safe. An election in which countless citizens are prevented from exercising their constitutional right to vote will irreparably damage trust in government. For the sake of our common good, we call on all leaders around the nation to join us in condemning these disheartening and destructive efforts. And we urge all citizens to not be intimidated our democracy is on the line. Make a plan for voting, figure out how youre going to vote now, and follow through. Protecting an election process that ensures the voice of all voters will be heard is not a partisan issue it is fundamental to our American ideals and essential to a democratic process we can and should all, jointly, stand behind. Diana Becton is the elected district attorney of Contra Costa County. Garry L. McFadden is the sheriff of Mecklenburg County, N.C. Miriam Aroni Krinsky is the executive director of Fair and Just Prosecution and a former federal prosecutor. US President Donald Trump called the the ongoing border row between India-China at eastern Ladakh as a "very nasty situation," he once again offered to mediate between the two countries saying "if we can do anything we would love to get involved and help." "It has been a very nasty situation and we stand ready to help with respect to China and India. If we can do anything we would love to get involved and help. We are talking to both countries about that," Trump said. Notably, Trump has offered to mediate between the two nuclear-armed nations in the past as well. Though both India and China had rejected the idea claiming there is no need for a third party to mediate. When asked if China was bullying India, he answered, "I hope not but they are going more strongly at it than a lot of people even understand." Trump slammed China saying it is the country one must be talking about rather than Russia. "China at this point is the nation you should be talking about much more so than Russia because the things that China is doing are far worse. Look at what happened with the China virus, look at what they have done to 188 countries all over the world," he said. Trump further said that he "gets along with every country" apart from China as he "did not like what is happening with respect to the pandemic". "I do not like it at all. What they have done to this world, this country, Europe and every place else is terrible," he added. Meanwhile, the situation between China and India is tense and both countries are in continuous dialogue at both military and diplomatic levels. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe met on Friday on the sidelines of a ministerial meet of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). The meeting lasted for 2 hours and 20 minutes. At least two rounds of Brigade-Commander level talks have taken place ever since China tried to unilaterally change the status quo on August 29-30, Army Chief General MM Naravane said on Friday. On August 31, the Indian Army had said the Chinese military carried out "provocative military movements" to "unilaterally" change the status quo on the southern bank of Pangong lake in eastern Ladakh on the intervening night of August 29 and 30 but the attempt was thwarted by the Indian troops. India and China are engaged in a standoff since April-May over the transgressions by the Chinese Army in multiple areas including the Finger area, Galwan valley, Hot springs, and Kongrung Nala. The situation worsened after 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a violent skirmish with Chinese troops at Galwan valley. To some people it is a soothing thought to believe that torturers (wherever they may come from) are different from the rest of us an otherworldly ilk of barbarians or sick individuals driven by the pathological pleasure of inflicting pain on their victims. What they did, wed never do, so we like to think. It might be disturbing to remind those belles ames (as we say in French) of a few biographical details of Kaing Kek leu, aka Duch, the former executioner in chief of the Tuol Seng central Khmer Rouge detention and torture center, who just passed away in Phnom Penh at the age of seventy-seven. Duch, the son of Khmer peasants, was endowed with outstanding qualities: he had an intense desire to learn, he was self-disciplined and had the passionate energy of a hard worker. Unlike several future prominent leaders of the revolution, he didnt make it to the prestigious Paris universities, but he did manage to study at lycee Sisowath, the best French school in Cambodia. A school teacher, he taught mathematics and was also an avid reader of French literature; more than sixty years after his French baccalaureate, observers were fascinated, during his trial, to hear him quote with feeling and accurately from romantic 19th century poet Alfred de Vigny. Young Duch was an idealist who was not satisfied with the improvement of his own condition: he was deeply pained by the miserable living conditions of most Khmer peasants and burned with the fire to join the fight to change it for the better. Like most leaders of the revolutionary movement, he detested corruption, was altruistic and devoted to a cause he wished to serve with all his might. Before he took on the responsibility of S21, he had nurtured his organizational skills as the head of M13, the jungle camp where young French anthropologist Francois Bizot was detained. He was convinced in his heart of hearts that every detainee Bizot included was an enemy of the revolution, a CIA spy, a threat to the ongoing wave of change. The young Kampuchean revolution was under attack from all sides: it was only fitting, he then believed, to execute the accused without wasting time on technicalities like due process : in order to cleanse the new society, these dangerous individuals should be eliminated mercilessly; in the process every means was justified to have them confess their crimes. Following his logic to the end, Duch became personally engaged in commissioning innumerable acts of torture and executions. Although Duch claimed without any precision or evidence that he spared a few other M 13 prisoners, Bizot stands as the only individual ever to fall into his hands and survive. Reminiscing about the young man hed known in the jungle, Bizot portrayed not a monster but a human being; some among the families of Duchs victims were offended and hurt. How dare he, they contended, exonerate this mass murderer from his crimes? Bizot himself, summoned as an opening witness during Duchs trial in 2007, made it very clear that in his opinion, the only just sentence for Duch would have been one apportioned to his victims suffering. When his judges sentenced the torturer to life rather than death, they unwillingly attained that goal: throughout the last ten years, abandoned by his own family, an object of universal hatred, Duch had an eternity of empty days and interminable nights to reflect upon the extent of the horrors he participated in with zeal, his respect for hierarchy and his pride of a job well done. The mirror effect Before he rejected the accusations against him, his judges and his own lawyer, Duch had expressed himself with honesty and kneeled in front the families of victims, begging forgiveness. Even that backfired: how could the very same man who had organized the torture sessions be sincere and experience a genuine sense of guilt and regret? The words Kill them all! was written by his own, careful hand, next to a list of childrens names. That cold-blooded human being was very obviously putting on an act, a macabre comedy that was all the more insulting to the memory of the victims. I dont believe he expected any kind of indulgence, let alone an absolution just some basic level of understanding, that never came. It is now too late to ask him the question were left with his final silence. Bizot himself, who was never his friend although they had long conversations during his months at M13, has been inundated with requests for interviews and statements: he maintains that he has nothing to say. He wrote what he had to write in two memorable books (The Gate and the Silence of the torturer) and has no interest in providing its daily intake of nuggets to the media fast food restaurant. Human evil remains as simple as ever for those who believe in the existence of monsters as for the rest of us, were left with the final silence of the torturer and the painful, impenetrable enigma at the heart of our condition. I remember a French journalist interviewing Doctor Haing Ngor, a survivor of the Khmer rouge camps where all his family had perished: In your book your recall the time when the Vietnamese army invaded Cambodia and you were released from the camp where you were detained. You recount a specific moment when you and you companions caught one of your guards and beat him to death. I have to say the journalist added and I was almost ashamed to have to translate his words, that, as a catholic, I found this scene deeply shocking. There was a long silence from the man who, after emigrating to California, had accidentally become a movie star by playing the part of the Cambodia protagonist in the Killing Fields, a role for which he had received an Oscar. His answer, delivered in a low voice, came in halting words: You know, sir, these people had killed our loved ones, theyd starved and beaten us. What did you expect? That we call a lawyer? There was a glow of pained incomprehension in the eyes of the devout catholic. He would never, in the name of God, have done such a horrible thing, or have taken part in it. No gray Eichmann Neither would have Duch, for that matter and yet he turned into the over-zealous organizer of innumerable crimes; alone in the box of the accused, he looked back upon the abomination with a perceptible horror of himself; also he was able to depict with clarity the political and human mechanics of the bloody process. He was no gray, banal, boring Eichmann: he had not been an anonymous cog in the banality of the Evil wheel, but a conscious, enthusiastic adept and actor; yes he lived in fear but he was genuinely obsessed with carrying on impeccably his murdering mission. Unlike the Nazis who, at the time of their debacle, were doing their best to burn all traces of their crimes, Duch remained a dedicated civil servant right until the end, preserving the carefully filed archives where his future judges would find ample evidence of his daily involvement in the abominations carried out by a regime, who in its search for human paradise, had succeeded in establishing a blood-freezing version of Hell in the old Buddhist kingdom of Angkor. His former mentors were either dead or dying, so as a result Duch found himself in utter, abject solitude facing an international justice burdened with multiple, uncertain goals. What was at stake, exactly? Was the trial about assessing one mans personal responsibility? Was it meant to offer consolation to the families of the victims? Should it serve as a history lesson? As far as the latter is concerned, it remained foreign to the vast majority of a population that was too busy in the necessities of surviving on a daily basis to indulge in the luxury of the duty of memory. Caught in a crossfire between lines of conflicting injunctions, it may have occurred to the weary torturer that he wished he could have died at the hands of Haing Ngor and his comrades: the international justice that was forced upon the corrupt Phnom Penh regime sentenced him to life in a rustic but decent prison cell. One can imagine him, in his final moments, uttering the closing verses of Vignys poem, The Death of the Wolf: He stares at us and then lies down, Licking the blood on his mouth Then, without deigning to know the way he perished, Closes down his large eyes And in silence dies. () To moan, to cry, to pray are all equally cowardly. However painstaking and heavy, With utmost energy Carry on with your duty, Follow the Way that Fate has assigned thee Then like me, suffer and die silently. Observing that Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are not keen on donning the mantle of president, Union minister on Saturday suggested the be merged with the grand old party and be made new chief of the merged entity. The Republican Party of India (A) president also said that such decision should be taken jointly by the and Pawar. "Currently, Rahul and Sonia Gandhi are not keen on becoming the president. It is my instruction to Congress of getting merged and making party president. The decision should be jointly taken by Pawar and the Congress," Athawale tweeted. Athawale's merger suggestion came against the backdrop of a leadership churn in the Congress, with a group of leaders demanding a "full-time and active leadership". In a Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting held last month, party leaders urged Sonia Gandhi to continue as its interim chief till an AICC session can be convened and authorised her to effect necessary organisational changes to deal with the challenges facing the party. Pawar had quit the Congress in 1999 over the issue of 'foreign origin' of Sonia Gandhi and formed the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi/Moscow, Sep 5 : India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will make a stopover in Tehran and meet his Iranian counterpart, on his way back to India from Russia. Rajnath Singh had gone to Moscow to participate in a joint meeting of Defence Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries. Just before leaving Moscow, he said: "Leaving Moscow for Tehran. I shall be meeting the Defence Minister of Iran, Brigadier General Amir Hatami." In Moscow, the Defence Minister met his Chinese counterpart, General Wei Fenghe, and held discussions on the border dispute between the two countries in eastern Ladakh. Singh met Fenghe on September 4 in Moscow on the sidelines of the SCO meeting. During the meeting, Rajnath Singh said that the Chinese troops had attempted to unilaterally alter the status quo in eastern Ladakh in violation of the bilateral agreements. He also pointed out that the two sides should focus on the overall situation of the India-China relations and work together to de-escalate the situation as soon as possible, and maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas The two Ministers had frank and in-depth discussions about the developments in the India-China border areas as well as on the bilateral relations. Both countries are engaged in a four-month-long stand-off on the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh. Despite dialogues at several levels, there has not been any breakthrough and the deadlock continues. China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops had made fresh incursion attempts into India territories. On June 15, as many as 20 Indian soldiers and an unknown number of Chinese troops were killed in a violent clash in the Galwan Valley. The Chinese aggression began to increase along the LAC, more particularly in the Galwan Valley, from May 5. The Chinese transgressed in the areas of Kugrang Nala, Gogra and northern bank of Pangong Tso lake on May 17 and May 18. This year, the fear is that the pandemic could prompt the numbers to drop, either from fear of covid-19, or inconvenience. Many homebound employees, for example, wont have access to flu shots in the workplace this year, as in previous years, and providers are trying to compensate by offering alternatives. You cant vaccinate by telemedicine, so we need ways to make it easy, quick and safe for people to come in, and we need to convince them to do it, Schaffner says. Journalist Lisa Shara Hall advocated tirelessly on behalf of Oregon and Washington wines. She died in March 2019 from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrigs disease. This fall, Linfield University will honor her legacy with a new wine and journalism scholarship created by her husband, Kirk Hall. The Lisa Shara Hall Wine Education and Journalism Scholarship is available to Linfield University sophomores, juniors and seniors with declared majors or minors in wine studies and/or journalism and media studies. Special consideration will be given to students with demonstrated interests in the Oregon and Washington wine industries and female students with similar interests. Financial need will also be taken into consideration. The first donations to the scholarship, which Kirk Hall hopes to eventually build to $100,000, have been made. In 1970, Lisa Shara Hall drove a heavily loaded Volkswagen Beetle across America to enroll at Reed College. How she coaxed that tiny bug over the Rocky Mountains is anyones guess. Nothing could ever stop her, Kirk Hall said. After college, Hall worked in civil rights enforcement for The City of Portland, followed by stints in commercial litigation and working community relations for a local hospital. In addition to advocating for the little guy, Hall had a passion for food. Halls hobby led to a friendship with Karen Brooks, a food writer and arts editor at Willamette Week. According to Brooks, Lisa was the most obsessive person I knew, even more than me. She seemed to know everything and everyone where to get this great fish or cheese or find the best tacos or some great little sandwich shop you never heard of. Kirk Hall describes his late wife as a born critic capable of detecting the subtlest of differences in a dish and deciphering its importance. She also wasnt afraid to defend her opinions. The best critics have a point of view that can be argued like a prosecuting attorney. That was Lisa. She made you laugh. She made you think. She made you stand up taller, Brooks said. Brooks eventually offered Hall a food column. She was the first writer who brought together all the great food gossip and food finds in the city for dining out or at home, Brooks said. When Brooks left Willamette Week to work for The Oregonian, Hall followed. After a decade of food writing, Hall succumbed to the siren song of wine. The food scene was static compared to wine. Wines changed every year with the climate, and Oregon and Washingtons wine regions were exploding with new players. Besides, Kirk Hall said, how many times can you write about roast chicken or arctic char? Brooks agrees with Halls assessment. Lisa gave so much to Portlands food world, but ultimately, wine called. I believe she found it more challenging, more intellectual and mysterious. Hall tackled wine with her typical zeal. She published numerous articles in global wine publications and contributed to such prestigious books as The Oxford Companion to Wine. Halls own book, Wines of the Pacific Northwest, published in 2001, remains a highly-regarded regional survey. During her numerous travels to wine regions worldwide, Hall acted as an unofficial envoy for Oregon and Washingtons wine regions. Always one to fight for the underdogs, Halls persistence drew the wine worlds eyes to the Pacific Northwest. Hall also noticed a shortage of people writing about Oregon and Washington wines, especially women. Lisa was always interested in doing something for wine education and journalism. We just never found the time while she was alive. This scholarship is something I want to do in her honor, Kirk Hall said. Applications for the scholarship open this fall, with the first awards in the spring of 2021. Scholarship decisions will be made by the Wine Education Advisory Council on behalf of Linfield Universitys Evenstad Center for Wine Education. Gregory V. Jones, director of the Evenstad Center, would like the scholarship to include opportunities to write for Linfields Oregon Wine History Archive or intern at the Oregon Wine Press. We dont want to just give them money and say off you go. Wed like to connect them to something bigger, Jones said. Lisa Shara Hall would be rooting for that bigger connection. No one would be happier than Lisa to see someone deserving get the opportunity to plunge into the wine world and perhaps discover a life-long passion, Brooks said. Contact wine@linfield.edu for more information about donating to the Lisa Shara Hall scholarship. -- Michael Alberty writes about wine for The Oregonian/OregonLive. He can be reached at malberty0@gmail.com. To read more of his coverage, go to oregonlive.com/wine. ISRO's Chandrayaan-1 orbiter data shows Moon rusting at poles India oi-Briti Roy Barman New Delhi, Sep 05: The Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) maiden mission to the Moon has revealed that there may be rusting on the Earth's natural satellite. ISRO's Chandrayaan-1 orbiter data review has given the evidence of the Moon having rust at its poles. Rusting is something that can only occur if iron interacts with water and oxygen. Scientists suggested Earth's magnetotail has a mediating effect on the hydrogen, which prevents rust from occurring, being delivered by the solar wind on the Moon. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)'s researchers believe that the Earth may have had a role to play in this rusting process. The Earth's atmosphere could be protecting the Moon as well. The Moon is constantly bombarded by solar particles coming from the Sun. Without an atmosphere to protect itself, the hydrogen make it difficult to rust. The magnetotail also helps carry Earth's upper atmosphere oxygen to the Moon that helps the formation of rust. Another factor is may be water. Even though the rest of the Moon is dry, it's poles have long been suspected of hosting water. Researchers propose that fast-moving dust particles, which regularly pelt the Moon, could release surface-borne water molecules and mix them with iron in the lunar soil. Compounding the interaction, the resulting heat from these impacts could increase the oxidation rate. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, September 5, 2020, 12:23 [IST] Mumbai, Sep 5 : Diving deep into the drugs angle to the late actor Sushant Singh Rajput death case, the Narcotics Control Bureau has claimed that prime accused Showik Chakraborty has revealed many names which could help "uproot the drug citadel in Bollywood and Mumbai, in its remand plea, here on Saturday. Hinting at summons to or even the possible arrest of Sushant's ex-girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty, the NCB remand plea - seeking Showik's custody for five days' interrogation - says that he would have to be confronted with his sister (Rhea) and another person Dipesh Sawant. This was to investigate the specific roles/ingredients of criminal conspiracy, abetments and various attempts to commit offences, besides track and verify the financial trail of all their previous drug purchases of Showik -- who was arrested on September 4. Based on the CDR records, WhatsApp chats and preliminary interrogation of those deeply entrenched in drug trafficking, the NCB said it wants to trace and verify "some characters" who are still absconding and have to be arrested. Showik used to facilitate drug deliveries and payments through cash, credit cards, payment gateways for the contraband drugs, posing a serious threat to public safety and health, said the NCB in the remand plea filed before the Court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Mumbai. He, along with co-accused Samuel Miranda, was shunted to NCB custody for four days till September 9, NCB Deputy Director M.A. Jain told mediapersons, hinting at a possible international racket to the whole drugs angle. Showik's involvement tumbled out after the NCB Mumbai and New Delhi teams on August 28, nabbed Abbas R. Lakhani and Karn V. Arora from old Kurla and Chandivali, Powai, each with possession of 46 grams of marijuana/ganja and 13 grams, respectively. They disclosed the involvement of Zaid Vilatra whose home was raided to unearth Rs 9.50 lakh -- USD 2,081, 180 British Pounds and UAE 15 Dirhams which they confessed were the proceeds of sale of drugs like marijuana/ganja/bud to many people in the city. Vilatra was arrested on September 2 and remanded to custody for 7 days by the same court, and during interrogation, he revealed the names of a buyer Abdel Basit Parihar, nabbed on September 3. Parihar - who the NCB describes as an 'active member' of a drug syndicate with high profile customer and narcotics suppliers - on his interrogation revealed the further modus operandi of the narco-business. He told the NCB that he purchased the drugs from Vilatra and Kaizan Ebrahim on instructions from Showik, facilitated drugs and was in touch with both Showik and Sushant's home manager Samuel Miranda. Armed with Parihar's statement, the NCB on Friday summoned Showik, who on the basis of his "voluntary statement", was arrested late on September 4 for his illicit drug dealings. Seeking Showik's custody, the NCB said it may lead to some of the main players in the drug field, his connections with many other persons, the payments made or received by him through various modes, etc. (Quaid Najmi can be contacted at q.najmi@ians.in) Latest updates on Sushant Singh Rajput Death Mystery Photograph: Drew Angerer/Getty Images The row over Donald Trumps alleged remarks denigrating American soldiers has now seen the US president target one of his core areas of support as he called for a Fox News journalist who reported details of the scandal to be fired. The Atlantic magazine published a story that described how Trump said he cancelled a visit to pay respects at an American military cemetery outside Paris in 2018 because he thought the dead soldiers were losers and suckers. Other outlets confirmed the news and detailed more incidents of Trumps insulting attitude to American soldiers. Related: 'He is a coward': Trump condemned for reportedly calling US war dead suckers Among those was the Fox News national security correspondent, Jennifer Griffin, who confirmed in a Twitter thread that Trump called soldiers suckers, had questioned why anyone would want to become a soldier and had not wanted to honor war dead at the Aisne-Marne cemetery in France. Amid furious denials of the story from the White House and Trump allies, Griffins reporting probably touched a nerve as it came from the usually reliably pro-Trump Fox News, whose conservative leanings and pro-Trump opinion show hosts are reliable cheerleaders for the president. In a tweet Trump said: Jennifer Griffin should be fired for this kind of reporting. Never even called us for comment. Fox News is gone! The White House has moved to deny the report unusually forcefully perhaps fearful of the scandals impact on military-supporting conservatives. Trump himself dismissed it as a politically motivated hoax. There is nobody feels more strongly about our soldiers, our wounded warriors, our soldiers that died in war than I do, he told reporters at the White House on Friday. Its a hoax, he said on Friday night. The first lady, Melania Trump, also weighed in, in a rare political intervention tweeting that the Atlantic story was not true. But Trumps former chief of staff John Kelly, a retired marine corps general, has remained notably silent about the presidents comments. Story continues The Atlantic reported that Trump accompanied Kelly, who was the homeland security secretary at the time, to Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day 2017. While standing at the grave of Kellys son, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2010, Trump reportedly turned to Kelly and said: I dont get it. Whats in it for them? Multiple reports say that close friends and associates of Kelly have encouraged him to speak out, but Kelly has refused on-the-record interviews about the comments. Anthony C Zinni, a retired marine corps general and close friend of Kelly, told the New York Times that Kelly is likely trying to avoid taking a position that might be perceived as political. I also think he takes to heart the commitment to confidentiality in matters related to their interaction with the president, he said. Meanwhile, Trump, who has speculated that Kelly might have been a source for the Atlantic story, said on Friday that Kelly was totally exhausted and wasnt even able to function in the last number of months during his time in the Oval Office. Other senior military officials, including Jim Mattis, also a retired marine corps general and Trumps former secretary of defense, have been silent about the comment. Trumps Democratic challenger, the former vice-president Joe Biden, pounced on the news amid broad-ranging condemnation of Trumps reported remark. Biden called the alleged comments disgusting and said Trump was not fit to be commander-in-chief. When my son volunteered and joined the United States military and went to Iraq for a year, won the Bronze Star and other commendations, he was not a sucker, Biden said in emotional remarks in Wilmington, Delaware. His son Beau, who died of brain cancer in 2015, deployed to Iraq in 2008. The Railways has incurred loss of over Rs 16 crore per day due to the farmer agitation in Punjab The Indian Railways has been going through a churn in the last few months but the latest change comes at the very top. The all-mighty Railway Board, the top decision-making body of the railways set up during the British Raj, has been pruned and restructured. In a late evening order on September 2, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet said the strength of the board has been reduced to five members from eight, the designation and responsibilities of the CEO added to the chairpersons post and a position of member (HR) created. Three positionsmember (staff), member (engineering) and member (materials management) have been done away with. The restructuring follows a cabinet decision in December that also gave the go-ahead to reorganise eight Group A services into a Central Service to be called the Indian Railway Management Service (IRMS) to end the rampant departmentalisation of the national transporter. This second, more contentious reform, is yet to be implemented. The railways has had separate departments for handling different functions such as traffic management and rolling stock. Headed by secretary-level officers, called members, each department is a complete unit in itself, which has often led to fractious decision-making. In the new scheme of things, chairman VK Yadav will also be the chief executive officer of the 114-year-old board, which will have four members other than him. He will also be the cadre-controlling officer, responsible for human resources, who will be assisted by a director general-level officer. Pradeep Kumar has been appointed member (infrastructure), PC Sharma member (traction and rolling stock), PS Mishra member (operations and business development) and Manjula Rangarajan has been named member (finance). A good first step Ajay Shukla, a former member (traffic), welcomed the reorganisation, calling it a good step. Shukla, however, wondered if reorganisation alone would be enough to ensure the financial well being of the national transporter. This decision to shrink the board is a good step, he said, adding a large board meant confusion in decision-making. But will this restructuring help the IR financially? This totally depends on how the chairman and the railways minister use the board. By itself, this reorganisation is unlikely to be relevant to the railways financial situation, he said. The railways has been missing its annual earnings targets for the last many years even after showing a year-on-year increase in earnings. This was the situation before the coronavirus blow and its finances in 2020-21 are likely to be in a worse state due to severe travel restrictions and lockdowns. The railways, another former board member said, had more technocrats than operations experts and that the former had little commitment towards the business aspects of the organisation. Till now, member (traffic) was responsible for the operations and commercial part but without adequate decision-making powers over aspects such as which equipment to commission, the former member said on condition of anonymity. The eight members of the erstwhile board were seen operating in silos, often accused of focusing on the well-being of their departments rather than the railways. Financial mess The reorganization of the board can, at best, be seen as a first step in the railways quest for efficiency in operations and eventually in improving its precarious finances. As per a parliamentary standing committee report on the demand for grants for the railways for 2019-20, the transporter has been falling short of targets in annual gross traffic receipts throughout the 2014-19 period, which coincides with the first term of the Modi government. In 2015-16, the shortfall between the target and actual gross traffic receipts was a little over Rs 19,000 crore. It increased to over Rs 19,500 crore in 2016-17 and dropped to around Rs 10,000 crore each in the next two financial years. In 2019-20, the railways again missed the target by more than Rs 31,000 crore. But unlike the previous years, the earnings were lowerby more than Rs 15,000 crorewhen compared to the previous fiscal. In 2019-20, the operating ratiothe money spent to earn a rupeewas also at a record high of 97.46 percent. In four of the last five years, this ratio has been over 95 percent: 96.5 percent in 2016-17, 98.4 percent in 2017-18, 97.29 percent in 2018-19. For 2020-21, the budget target for the ratio is 96.28 percent but this was before the pandemic struck. JP Batra, a former Railway Board chairman, said the restructuring would help the efforts to raise finances through different methods. But having said that, political will still remains the main force behind improving the system. For example, the Indian Railways continues to cross-subsidise passenger fares through freight earnings...through the restructuring of the board, a lot can be done within the system itself to bring in efficiencies, Batra said. The restructuring comes after years after half a dozen committees called for pruning the board and doing away with the departmental approach. On clubbing various services into a single entity, Batra advised caution, saying this was a sensitive issue for officers and employee unions. Officers were apprehensive about their career progression once the services were merged, he said. Sindhu Bhattacharya is a journalist based in Delhi who writes on a range of topics in business and economy. MONTREALPrime Minister Justin Trudeau believes enough Canadians are craving for an activist post-pandemic agenda to earn the Liberals another mandate. But what if he is misreading the public mood? Come Sept. 23, the Liberals will gamble the life of their minority government on a throne speech that, if the advance billing is to be believed, will include a so-called green economic recovery plan and an ambitious overhaul of the countrys social safety net. In the lead-up to the reopening of Parliament, the prime minister is all but openly daring his opposition rivals to force his party to run its plan by voters in a fall campaign. Trudeau maintains he does not want an election any time soon but increasingly sounds more eager to hit the hustings than his opposition rivals. In the backrooms of Parliament Hill, few insiders are ruling out the scenario of an imminent or semi-imminent campaign. As recently as late spring, the notion of a federal election in the midst of the pandemic was widely considered a non-starter. Surely, the thinking then went, neither the opposition parties nor the government would risk incurring the ire of voters by having a hand in sending them back to the polls until the health emergency is over. But that was before New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs set out to test the electoral waters by calling a provincial vote for Sept. 14. With less than 10 days to go in the campaign, Higgs party is leading in the polls and well on his way to cashing in the political capital he accumulated over the management of the first phase of the pandemic. The majority government he covets may be in sight. It helps that Liberal Leader Kevin Vickers, the outgoing Conservative premiers main rival, is new to the job and has not had the opportunity to make a mark in the legislature. But before jumping to the conclusion that the current course of the New Brunswick campaign should embolden Liberal election hawks it might be best to look beyond the obvious parallels. For one, the sum of the similarities between Vickers and newly elected federal Conservative Leader Erin OToole is smaller than that of their differences. OToole may be new to the leaders job, but he is a veteran politician who has spent the past eight years in the Commons. There he has played leading or semileading roles on both sides of the House. Not only does he bring more experience to his new role than his predecessor; OToole is also seen by a significant section of the non-Conservative electorate as a distinct improvement on Andrew Scheer. Polls suggest the new Conservative leader could grow on voters, in particular in Ontario where the phrase bland works was famously coined by former premier Bill Davis in the early eighties to describe the style of his government. Five years into Trudeaus tenure, voter fatigue with the incumbent could well translate into fatigue with charisma a feature in short supply in OTooles political persona. Perhaps more importantly, in New Brunswick Higgs is not campaigning on rocking the boat. On the contrary, his main argument for a majority mandate revolves around the need for stability. The fact is that in the recent past incumbents have been more successful at parlaying a minority government into a majority by promoting the need for a steady hand at the helm than by casting themselves as activist agents of change. That was particularly true at and around the time of the last big global crisis in 2008. Its emergence at the tail end of that years federal campaign drove the last nail in Stephane Dions activist climate change platform and ensured Stephen Harpers re-election for a second term. That same fall, Quebec premier Jean Charest successfully transitioned from a minority to a majority government by arguing that, at a time of global financial unrest, the province needed a premier with both hands on the wheel. In the aftermath of the crisis in 2011, Harper belatedly rode to a majority victory by pushing the mantra of a strong stable government. Among Canadas ruling political class, few seem to share Trudeaus appetite for post-pandemic activism. On that score, Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante is a rare exception. She has seized the opportunity to accelerate the implementation of some key elements in her plan to turn Montreal into a city where cyclists and pedestrians hold pride of place. For her pains, Plante is coming in for scathing criticism including from otherwise friendly commentators. In a column published on Wednesday under the title The Mayor in her Bubble, La Presses Francois Cardinal warned that Plante was seeking to reinvent Montreal at a time when many of its voters were only craving a return to some semblance of pre-pandemic normalcy. Trudeaus dream of a brave new post-pandemic world could be his hardest election sell yet. Chantal Hebert is an Ottawa-based freelance contributing columnist covering politics for the Star. Reach her via email: chantalh28@gmail.com or follow her on Twitter: @ChantalHbert Read more about: G overnment calls for officials to go back to the office are "virtue signalling", the head of the civil servants' union has said. Dave Penman, head of the FDA, said the reported move was designed to provide an example to private firms that have "already moved on". It comes after the BBC reported that the outgoing head of the civil service, Sir Mark Sedwill, has written to department permanent secretaries calling on them to increase the number of officials working in offices, with eight out of ten to come back to the office at least once per week by the end of September. Mr Penman told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: It is quite clear from the letter that has been sent out, this is really about virtue signalling to the private sector that has already moved on. London's empty network continues during Coronavirus 1 /32 London's empty network continues during Coronavirus Daniel Hambury Jeremy Selwyn Daniel Hambury Daniel Hambury Daniel Hambury Jeremy Selwyn Daniel Hambury Daniel Hambury Daniel Hambury Jeremy Selwyn Jeremy Selwyn Jeremy Selwyn PA PA PA PA PA PA PA PA Jeremy Selwyn Jeremy Selwyn Jeremy Selwyn Jeremy Selwyn Youre not telling me that the big financial houses in the City of London would be having their staff working remotely if it wasnt working effectively for them. Asked about productivity levels during the lockdown, Mr Penman added: Clearly, there are many areas of work you would say it is impractical to do that from home that doesnt work for everyone. But there is no evidence to suggest that people are working inefficiently people are spending less time commuting, theyre finding it works for them. He said the Civil Service had dealt with increased demand in Universal Credit and started the furlough programme from the ground up since the start of the pandemic, all with staff being 95 per cent home-based. Commuters on the Tube / PA Mr Penman added that the reported Government plan was impractical, in part because there was a shortage of desks even before the need for social distancing. He said: Government offices have a capacity of a maximum of around 50% because of the Covid restrictions. In a lift, for example, you can have a maximum of two in offices of thousands of people. Theyre already over subscribed because the Government has reduced the office space, so in many cases theres actually only 60 per cent of desks for the staff available. So trying to bring hundreds of thousands of people back on some kind of rota basis which youre enforcing from the top is inefficient and ineffective when the civil service is actually working very effectively remotely right now." Meanwhile the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union said it would be willing to consider strike action after confirming it opposed the plans set out in Sir Mark's letter. In a statement, the union said: Our members have kept the country running during the pandemic while working from home and we believe it is not safe to return to workplaces while Covid-19 infection rates remain high and given the likelihood of a second wave in the coming weeks. We are asking departments to provide, as a matter of urgency, for each building the Covid-secure limit, current staffing in each building and current risk assessment for each building. PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: If the Government or any employer starts forcing people back to work and we believe that it is not safe to do so we will firstly consider our legal options, secondly give individual legal advice, and thirdly consider whether a collective response is required. As a last resort, if you have no other option and peoples health and safety is at risk, of course we would be prepared to consider industrial action. Its national executive committee is due to meet on Wednesday September 9 and will decide how to respond, the union said. Sir Mark's letter, seen by the Standard, urged department chiefs to start "getting more people back into work in a Covid-secure way [to] improve the public services we deliver". He added: "We are now strongly encouraging an increased workplace attendance through staff rota systems, with our aim by the end of September to enable 80% of staff to attend their usual workplace each week, for example 20% for five days, 30% for three days and 30% for two days, with the balance attending only occasionally for now." Jeremy Selwyn It went on: "We have seen a reduced level of social interaction among our colleagues, with the loss of some of the spontaneous interaction and cross-fertilisation between teams that drives innovation and sustained common purpose." The Cabinet Office declined to comment on the letter. Mr Penman's comments come as disease experts warn that large numbers of students soon travelling across the country to study at universities in person could lead to major outbreaks of Covid-19. Dr Mike Tildesley, associate professor of infection modelling at the University of Warwick, said there are fears universities could act as amplifiers for spreading the virus. He told BBC Breakfast: What we need to remember is at the moment in the country were dealing with a series of really local outbreaks that were trying to manage with local control policies. Dr Mike Tildseley warns of student virus transmission But when students come to university, potentially theyre travelling across the country and possibly they may be moving from parts of the country where theres a lot of infection to parts of the country where there may not be as much infection. So there is the possibility that when these students move long distances they could carry infection with them. But he added that students are at low risk of developing severe symptoms themselves. His comments echoes warnings by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) on Friday that university outbreaks risk amplifying the transmission of the virus across the country. Social interactions and accommodation are likely to be a high-risk environment for transmission to occur and asymptomatic cases among students may make it harder to detect, they warned. Waterloo station during rush hour this week / PA The scientists suggested that wider-scale testing, combined with action places, may help control campus outbreaks. Wearing face coverings in campus buildings and reducing in-person interactions may mitigate the transmission of Covid-19, the advice suggests. It says: Students who are residents in university accommodation should be segmented as far as possible to co-locate courses or year groups, to minimise networks between different parts of an institution. The Guantanamo Bay detention camp doesnt seem like a great candidate for a comic book-style treatment. Using comics to tell stories about terrorism suspects whove been imprisoned for years and tortured? Sarah Mirk, editor of the new book Guantanamo Voices: True Accounts From the Worlds Most Infamous Prison (Abrams ComicArts, 208 pages, $24.99), an collection of illustrated interviews with 10 people with ties to Guantanamo, said comics have a unique power as a medium for such a dark and difficult subject. With comics, youre actually seeing the drawing of a persons face and seeing their clothes and seeing where they live, Mirk said. That helps build empathy, especially for people who have been thoroughly dehumanized, she said. Comics can also make a complicated story more accessible, said Mirk, a Portland-based digital engagement producer with the investigative reporting nonprofit Reveal. A lot of people will pick up a comic about something that they would never pick up a dense history book about, Mirk said. Mirk will discuss Guantanamo Voices with Omar El Akkad, a Portland author and journalist whos also reported on Guantanamo, and two of the 12 artists, Kane Lynch and Hazel Newlevant, during a Powells Books virtual event at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8. The Zoom webinar is free; registration is required. Newlevant illustrated two sections about Mirk that bookend Guantanamo Voices, including an introduction that explains how Mirk became interested in the prison in the first place. Mirk said her target readers are people who are where she once was: Those who know little about Guantanamo, usually through no fault of their own. This is an issue that the government has intentionally obscured and the government has controlled the narrative of since 2002, when the Guantanamo Bay detention camp was established, she said. For instance, while journalists can visit the prison, as she did, they cant talk to prisoners or take photographs. Comics can get around that censorship, with artists using their creativity to fill in the gaps, Mirk said. The camp was established to house suspects in the so-called War on Terror following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Mirk reports in the book that of the 779 people whove been held there, one was convicted, one pleaded guilty in a plea deal, seven were charged with crimes by military commissions, and none have been tried for 9/11 crimes. Eighty percent of the prisoners were turned over to the U.S. in exchange for bounties ranging from $3,000 to $30,000. Mirk deliberately took a collaborative approach to creating Guantanamo Voices because the prison is an international issue. I wanted it to be a group of people working to share these stories, rather than just coming from me, she said. The distinct styles of the artists, all of whom had experience in nonfiction comics, help to demarcate the compelling stories of the 10 people former prisoners, lawyers, military staff who shared their experiences and perspectives. Using comics to tell the stories also allowed for balancing all the horrors of Guantanamo with enough resilience or lightness or insightfulness to make sure that people dont shut down while theyre reading, Mirk added. Lighter moments include a scene in which one prisoner describes how he named and conversed with a lizard that frequently wandered into the camp. Deciding whose stories to tell was a long process that began with reading every book she could find about Guantanamo, Mirk said. In addition to the prisoners themselves, she was particularly interested in the people who served there what sorts of moral questions were they asking themselves? and the lawyers working on behalf of the prisoners, for years and years with no real future. Mirk hopes the book helps change the cultural understanding of Guantanamo and to change the narrative around the prison, which she said is that while mistakes were made, the government had its reasons. Thats been the myth that most Americans have bought, Mirk said. I can see why its easier to think this prison exists for a reason, rather than (to say) weve made terrible, terrible mistakes and ruined lives and theres no accountability at all. Its really important for us to face this history and to talk about it and to figure out what the future looks like from there. The prison was made by people within our lifetime and it can also be changed by people. awang@oregonian.com; Twitter: @ORAmyW Subscribe to our free weekly Bookmarks newsletter. Please God, give Beirut this miracle it deserves," 32-year-old Selim Mourad told AFP, even as rescuers continued their search for a possible survivor under the rubble of a destroyed building, a month after Lebanons deadliest peacetime disaster rocked the capital. Grieving people across the nation observed a minute of silence on Friday for the nearly 200 who had lost their lives after a deadly blast near the Beirut port. It was caused by 3,000 tonnes of improperly stored ammonium nitrate. However, people also desperately watched their TV screens for a sign of hope. They were following the live images of a search and rescue operation in Mar Mikhail district, which began Thursday after a dog used by the Chilean team TOPOS detected something in the rubble. Later, a specialist sensor device detected a heartbeat under the debris of a collapsed building. While the hopes of finding a survivor dim as time passes by, could this miracle really take place? News18.com explains. How Long Can Survivors Last Under Rubble? According to experts, a week at most under the best of circumstances. How injured the trapped victim is, if they have enough air to breathe and the extremity of the weather are among the determining factors for their survival. Major rescues occur 24 hours after a disaster, and after that, the chances of survival lessen by each day. Dr Richard Moon, a Duke University expert on survival told the Associated Press that food is not a big issue, as people can survive for weeks without it. However, most can survive only a few days without water, he added. After a South Korean departmental store collapsed in 1995 - which killed 502 people and injured 937 - survivor Choi Myong Sok was pulled out of the rubble after 10 days, a report by the New York Times states. To survive, he drank rainwater and ate a cardboard box. He even played with a childs toy to keep up his spirits, after two of his companions trapped with him died in the initial days. Julie Ryan, a co-ordinator with UK-based group International Rescue Corps (IRC), told BBC that the ideal situation for anyone who has been trapped, is to have any sort of oxygen supply from the outside world, and any access to water. Temperature also plays a role - if the entrapment area is too hot, the person could lose water more quickly, thinning their hope for survival. Trapped victims can also experience the crush syndrome, which occurs after a crushing" injury to a skeletal muscle. When a person is trapped after a disaster, their arms, limbs and other parts of the body can be compressed by the rubble, which causes muscle swelling or neurological disturbances. The end result can be fatal - renal failure or shock, and the condition requires immediate medical assistance. Cases of Miracle Survivals More than two months after an earthquake hit Kashmir on October 8, 2005, a 40-year-old woman Naqsha Bibi was rescued from her kitchen. Her cousin, Faiz Din, who had found her, told BBC that the family was not even looking for her, having assumed that she had either fallen down a hill, or gone to another relief camp. Weighing just 35 kg, she was found with muscle stiffness, and was so weak she could barely talk. Traces of rotting food were found in the small space where Naqsha was trapped, and the air inside was fresh. A trickle of water on one side of the kitchen was also found, the report states. In a similar case, after the 2010 Haiti earthquake, a man was rescued from rubble in Port-au-Prince after 27 days of being trapped, the Guardian reported. He was found malnourished, dehydrated and mentally disturbed, but had suffered no serious injuries. Reshma Begum was the centre of another miraculous survival, after a multi-storeyed garment factory building collapsed in Dhakha, Bangladesh in 2013. The disaster killed more than 1,100 people, but Rashma was rescued - 17 days after the incident. The then teenager said she had forgotten most of what she did under the rubble. However, she recalled that she had survived by drinking rainwater and eating food from the lunch boxes of other workers. What Has Happened in the Beirut Case Till Now? Francisco Lermanda, the head of the Chilean team involved in the search and rescue operation in Mar Mikhail, told reporters late Friday that the rescue work was launched after experts detected slow breathing under the rubble at a depth of three metres (yards). But it was still unclear if anyone was alive or dead", Lermanda said. The pulse had slowed significantly on Friday compared to a previous recording, rescue coordinator Nicholas Saade said earlier in the day. After removing the big chunks, we scanned again for heartbeats or respiration, it showed low beat/respiration" levels of seven per minute, he said. The reading before was about 16 to 18," he added. French civil engineer Emmanuel Durand, who is assisting the rescue effort, said 3D mapping scans of the building had so far shown no signs of life. What we have seen so far is, unfortunately, no trace of any victim or body. We have been conducting two scans on two different rooms," he said. (With inputs from AP, AFP) (Photo : Twitter via Joe Miller (@JoeMillerJr)) (Photo : Volkswagen) (Photo : (Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images)) GRUENHEIDE, GERMANY - SEPTEMBER 03: Tesla head Elon Musk talks to the press as he arrives to to have a look at the construction site of the new Tesla Gigafactory near Berlin on September 03, 2020 near Gruenheide, Germany. Musk is currently in Germany where he met with vaccine maker CureVac on Tuesday, with which Tesla has a cooperation to build devices for producing RNA vaccines, as well as German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier yesterday. Tesla and SpaceX CEO, Elon Musk, recently concluded his famed trip to Germany for business ventures and arrangements to procure a new RNA-specified Novel coronavirus vaccine; However, as most of Musk's trip was publicized, there was one where he kept private and off-the-books-A Secret Trip to the Volkswagen Facility to meet VW CEO, Hebert Deiss. One of Germany's most iconic brands and famous vehicle manufacturers that supply to most of the world, Volkswagen, welcomed the American electric car maker, Tesla, and its CEO to its facility in Braunschweig Airport. VW's CEO Hebert Deiss welcomes Elon Musk in the famed Volkswagen Facility, in a sit-down opportunity with Tesla. According to Electrek, Volkswagen's officials confirmed this 'side trip,' stating that Elon Musk indeed went to the facility and had a gleeful conversation with Hebert Deiss. The pair even discussed vehicle manufacturing and was shown Volkswagen's brand-new ID.3 and ID.4 electric vehicles made by the German auto-company. The nature of the trip remains a mystery, and speculations even point to a USA-German collaboration between the two car brands. No news about this collaboration or talk has surfaced. Still, Tesla is known to collaborate with other companies that lead to specific products, like CureVac's RNA-molecule COVID-19 vaccine, which is mutually beneficial for the two. VW and Tesla may have something just under its sleeves with what the pair has discussed in this 'secret meeting' that took place off-the-books. ALSO READ: Elon Musk Takes Home No Souveiners, But A Tesla Fan to Intern at Neuralink!-This and the CEO's Germany Trip Accomplishments Elon Musk Taking-off and Landing at Germany, again? Elon Musk reportedly departed back to his home country on Wednesday, September 2, at 9:17 pm. However, just less than 30 minutes later, Musk's private jet, Gulfstream G650, lands back down at German territories to Braunschweig Airport, according to Handelsblatt. Musk's secret side-trip constituted a meeting with VW Boss, Hebert Deiss, and even touring the facility to be given an exclusive preview of the ID.3 and ID.4 electric vehicles made by the German automaker. Both companies are known to give each other praises before the Germany Trip of the Tesla CEO. Back at his visit to Gigafactory Berlin and a fruitful talk with the media, Musk commended Volkswagen for its electric vehicle production efforts. Tesla even considered a partnership with the German car company before its plans of going private. However, that venture did not push through or take place. Both CEOs even confirmed that they have regular talks through the phone. VW's Electric Vehicle Production: Could it Take on Tesla's German Market? It is no doubt that there will be competition between two or more companies in the industry of vehicle manufacturing, with innovations and tweaks claim that their product is more superior to the other. Despite this, Tesla and Volkswagen's CEOs maintain a healthy and fruitful relationship, with Deiss even claiming that Tesla is the most valuable company in the world. Volkswagen recently revealed its new electric car productions that will soon roll-out with the ID.3 and ID.4. The German electric vehicles are both in the hatchback or 5-door body configuration that greatly differs from most of Tesla's sedan counterparts. With this new addition portraying a huge difference in body, would Tesla match up to Volkswagen in the European market or vice versa? Tesla is known for having a massive fan base and loyalists that favor the brand; it can also be said for Volkswagen. ALSO READ: Omeir Saeed: Alladin May Ditch His Magic Carpet for This This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Isaiah Alonzo 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. POLICE have carried out mounted patrols in woodland near Goring Heath where a woman was seriously injured in a riding accident. They were warning people about the dangers of spooking horses using the area, as happened to Anna Tomson on May 17. She suffered multiple internal injuries when her horse reared up and toppled backwards on to her after being startled by a group of off-road motorcyclists who roared out of the woods just behind them. Paramedics feared she would not survive after being crushed beneath four-year-old Berry on a bridleway off Deadmans Lane. But Miss Tomson, a British event rider, recovered after spending almost a month in a coma and was discharged from hospital in later June. Police say they cant prosecute anyone in connection with the incident due to insufficient evidence. On Saturday, mounted officers spent several hours in the area. They set off from Cane End Stud Livery, where Berry had been stabled, and crossed over the B4526 into the woodland. Pc Sam Silk, who was riding Loki, and Pc Laura Webb, who rode Viktor, spoke to members of the public they encountered, giving them guidance and advice. Part of our remit is rider safety, said Pc Silk. We have come to do some reassurance patrols on the bridleways and footpaths. Theyre shared byways and people are entitled to be there but if horses are there too they must be mindful because they do get startled by sudden loud noises. Pc Webb added: As much training as theyve had, horses are naturally flight animals. Horse riders can do their bit as well by wearing high-vis clothing. Following the incident involving Miss Tomson, two men were arrested by police. But acting Inspector Mark Scully, of Thames Valleys Polices roads policing unit, said: Unfortunately were not going to be able to proceed against anyone for varying reasons. Were not able to put them in the locale when it happened. Anna herself didnt actually see anyone so we have got an unfortunate accident. Its a personal opinion but I honestly dont think the motorcyclists knew what happened because by the time it was reported to us it was an hour-and-a-half after the event and they were still in the woods. Theres also evidence there was more than one group of bikes in there on the day in question. However, we want to do something for someone who suffered some really horrific injuries and Anna was very keen to prevent it happening to someone else as well. Its about education and what to do if they see people on bikes. Anna came out and walked down from the stud on to the bridleway to show the guys where to go. Insp Scully said officers had spoken to landowners and the local authority to prevent vehicles that shouldnt be in the woodland from entering. Officers from his unit have been patrolling the area, checking on vans that park in laybys and could be transporting off-road motorbikes to be used in the woods. Others have spoken to the equestrian community, offering advice on what to do if they do encounter motorbikes in the woods. Insp Scully said: Its an area where we struggle to get to on a normal patrol, for obvious reasons. The suggestion is there have been very few bikes in there since. Miss Tomson, of Upper Woodcote Road, Caversham, said she was glad that police were trying to raise awareness. She said: From my perspective, if it ensures nobody else goes through what I did then thats a good thing. It was emotional day for me having those horses out and feeling people were doing something. I walked with them for about half an hour. I wasnt able to go much further than that because Im still recovering. They want to do another ride out with me when I have my horse back to keep it in the forefront of peoples minds. Miss Tomson, a commercial analyst to the catering sector, is due to return to work next month. She is currently undergoing physiotherapy once a week at the Circle Hospital in Reading as well as counselling. Officers have served section 59 notices on bike riders for using them in an antisocial manner. The notice gives police the power to confiscate machines or take appropriate action against riders if they come to the attention of the police again. Two riders remain under investigation for drug-driving. Another is being investigated for driving with no insurance and has had his van seized and crushed. After high school, Joe briefly attended college, joined the Air Force before an injury cut his service short, and worked several jobs. On a whim, Joe applied to be a police officer for the City of Tuscaloosa. He was hired, and it changed his life. While serving, Joe returned to college and earned a bachelor of social work degree from University of Alabama, where he served as president of the social work student organization and worked for social reform within the university. He then received a master's degree with a double major (criminal justice and education) from Wichita State followed by teaching at Southeast Missouri State (SEMO), where Joe created the criminal justice degree program and began his doctoral studies at Southern Illinois University (SIU). His SEMO students gave him a plaque to express their gratitude for his mentorship. His doctoral studies continued first on campus, then while teaching at Illinois State, then while working in the governor's office in Hawaii. He returned to SIU to finish his doctorate in higher education and remarried after meeting the love of his life, Jackie Turner. He then bought a 100-year old general store next to the national forest. There he led a small group of citizens to form the Regional Association of Concerned Environmentalists (RACE) to stop the Cave Valley Timber Sale on the national forest in an ecological sensitive avian area near the store. RACE stopped the timber sale and saved Cave Valley. They went on to have a significant impact on management of the Shawnee National Forest. Joe was able to sue the government as a private citizen on behalf of the environment. He litigated before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Chicago. A retired U.S. District Judge credited Joe with teaching him about the environment. District federal clerks told him that he wrote better legal briefs than most lawyers. After Joe sold the store, he and Jackie found themselves living next to a threatened stream. Joe sued a local city to stop their attempts to dam a nearby state-designated biologically significant stream that was home to a threatened fish and an endangered crawfish. Joe's case went all the way to the Illinois Supreme Court. Although he did not prevail, the stream still flows today. After many years in Southern Illinois, Joe and Jackie moved to Florida. Joe became aware of the threat to Wakulla Springs from the City of Tallahassee's spray field facility. He sued the City of Tallahassee to hold them to account for their impact on Wakulla Springs and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for permitting the city to allow the impact to continue. The Florida Wildlife Federation, Wakulla County and the Florida Attorney General joined Joe's lawsuit that resulted in an agreement that the city immediately broke. However, they did implement major facility upgrades to reduce their nitrogen output, which in turn reduced the nitrogen level at the spring. Like most folks, Joe became an environmentalist because a place he loved was threatened. Once he found his legal niche, Joe dedicated his life to holding governments to account for their responsibility to protect the natural world. Out of a boot I know Scott Gassler. I havent seen him in 60-plus years. We went to church and school together and Im glad he made such a success with his life. Scott is proud he was a professor of international economy at the Brussels School of International Studies. Scott tells us he was a part-time instructor for NATO, whatever that means. He didnt tell us he received his masters degree in economics from the University of Washington and Ph.D. from the University of Colorado. He is author of several books I doubt any of us would understand or even want to read. According to Google, in one book he reformulates existing economic theory and surveys applications in such contexts as interactions, nonprofits and the planets. Scott Gassler is a smart man! SRINAGAR: An encounter is currently underway in the upper reaches of the forest area between Dana Behak and Warnow in the border district of Kupwara in North Kashmir. The Kashmir Zone Police took to Twitter to confirm the development. "#Encounter has started in the forest area of Dana Behak, Warnow area of #Kupwara. Police and Army are on the job. Further details shall follow. @JmuKmrPolice," it tweeted. #Encounter has started in the forest area of Dana Behak, Warnow area of #Kupwara. Police and Army are on the job. Further details shall follow. @JmuKmrPolice Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) September 5, 2020 As per reports, a joint team of Kupwara Police, 28 Rashtriya Rifles and Army local unit launched a cordon-and-search-operation in Dana Behak forests after a tip-off regarding the presence of terrorists in the area. An officer said that the joint search party was fired upon by the terrorists hiding in the area, which was retaliated, and an encounter started. Report coming from the area said that two to three terrorists are holed up in the area and efforts are on to nab them alive. Additional reinforcement has been rushed to the spot to aid the ongoing search and cordon operation in the area. Haiti - USA : American donation of 37 artificial ventilators to fight against Covid-19 The United States Government, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has donated 37 artificial ventilators to Haiti to fight Covid-19. These ventilators will be dispatched to seven hospitals across Haiti. U.S. Ambassador to Haiti, Michele Sison, declared: "The President of the United States and the American people provide these ventilators to the Haitian people in order to save lives. This American-made equipment is state-of-the-art and will deliver quality care to Haitian patients in need. This donation we provide to Haiti is part of a global program to provide ventilators critical to the treatment of severe cases of COVID-19 to countries around the world." These ventilators play a vital role in caring for critically ill COVID-19 patients. Beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, these ventilators will help Haitian doctors deliver life-saving intensive care to patients suffering from other severe, life threatening cardiac, pulmonary, and trauma-related illnesses. They represent a significant contribution in strengthening Haiti's health system. In addition to the ventilators, USAID is funding a tailored package of support that includes installation, an initial training for healthcare workers, and a one-year service agreement for regular maintenance. This donation builds on the $16.1 million the U.S. government has committed to Haiti in response to the pandemic, through the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and USAID. This funding is helping to strengthen clinical care, train health workers, build lab capacity, improve disease surveillance, disseminate health messages to reduce risks within Haitian communities, install handwashing stations, and distribute soap in vulnerable neighborhoods, and more. The 37 ventilators arrived in Haiti by plane on September 3 and are currently stored in the USAID Global Health Supply Chain warehouse to be dispatched to select hospitals in the coming days. HL/ HaitiLibre The United States' support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity remains ironclad. Marking the sixth anniversary of the Minsk Protocol's signing, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv called on Russia to withdraw its weapons and troops from the country and return to Ukraine full control over its borders.Read alsoMinsk talks on Donbas may change location over protests in Belarus Kravchuk "On the sixth anniversary of the Minsk Protocol's signing we urge Russia to fully implement its Minsk commitments, withdraw its weapons and the forces it leads from Ukraine, and return to Ukraine full control of its internationally-recognized borders," the Embassy wrote on Facebook on September 5. "The United States' support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity remains ironclad," the Embassy said. Minsk agreements: background Actors Charu Asopa and Rajeev Sen have decided to give their marriage another chance. Charu had recently said in an interview that husband Rajeev had moved out of their house three months ago. On Friday, Charu shared a picture with husband Rajeev, which showed them sharing a warm hug after spending a long time apart. Missed you sooooo much, she captioned the post. Charu told The Times of India in an interview that Rajeev showed up at their house and she could no longer be angry at him. Rajeev returned to our home in Mumbai last evening. It was a surprise for me since I had no clue about it. I came back from my shoot and saw him at home. I was angry with him, but all I could feel was love when I saw him. He returned home after three months, she said. The actor added that they are working towards making sure they do not face such a situation in future. I have made him sign a letter in which he has written that he wont leave me again. I have kept it safe with me, she said. Rajeev expressed regret at giving interviews to the media about each other, calling it childish. I feel genuine love for Charu and hence, I have come back to my wife. True love is about overcoming all difficulties and differences he said. Rajeev has said in an interview that Charu was being manipulated while she said that he doubted her. Speaking to Bombay Times, Charu had said, No one is brainwashing me. I am mature enough to make my own decisions something that I have always done. Also read: Adhyayan Suman says he saw actors doing drugs at high-profile parties, calls Kangana Ranaut a huge star who knows everything If he thinks that I am innocent and gullible, and could be influenced by those around me, why did he leave me to live on my own during these tough times? This is the time for families to come together and be by each others side. But, Rajeev moved out and flew to Delhi a few days before our first wedding anniversary. Its been two months now. Why would he do that? Shaq ka koi ilaaj nahi hai (There is no cure for doubt), she added. Charu and Rajeev got married on June 7 last year.Rajeev is the younger brother of actor Sushmita Sen.Charu has starred in shows daily soaps such as Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo and Mere Angne Mein. Rajeev is an entrepreneur and model. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Occupied Aaiun (Saharawi Republic)- Sahrawi human rights defender, Ms. Aminatou Haidar, expressed her solidarity with Sahrawi citizens demonstrating in front of the Guerguerats illegal breach, in three Twits on her Twitter page Today, calling on the United Nations to shut this illegal passage that threatens peace in Western Sahara. The Sahrawi activist indicated her "absolute support for citizens who are engaged in a legitimate peaceful protest against the illegal breach in the Guerguerat region in the Western Sahara," wondering "what is the role of the UN Mission MINURSO- that is unable to fulfil its mission for which it was established, which is to organize a referendum for self-determination?" The human rights defender added, "What is worse is MINURSO's inability to protect the Sahrawis from Moroccan violations while it comes to the rescue of the interests of the occupier, an act that encourages Morocco to continue its illegal occupation and plunder." Mrs. Haidar also considered that the United Nations is under the obligation to close this illegal breach which remains a major passage for Moroccan drugs and cross-border crimes. In addition, it constitutes a serious threat to peace in the region. The Sahrawi activist concluded her Twits calling on the United Nations to "close the illegal breach in Guerguerat." (SPS) 090/500/60 (SPS) A federal judge ordered the Census Bureau on Saturday to stop shutting down operations and resume its full-scale nationwide population count through Sept. 17, when the judge will consider the Trump administrations plan to end the census survey a month ahead of schedule. U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh of San Jose issued a temporary restraining order at the request of civil rights organizations and local governments, including San Jose and Los Angeles, that fear a curtailed census will deprive them of congressional representation and federal funding based on population counts. An inaccurate count would not be remedied for another decade, which would affect the distribution of federal and state funding, the deployment of services, and the allocation of local resources for a decade, Koh said in her ruling. The Census Bureau announced Aug. 3 that it would end the nationwide survey on Sept. 30, a month ahead of the previous schedule, to meet a Dec. 31 deadline for submitting the data. Koh will hear arguments Sept. 17 on requests by the plaintiffs for an injunction that would reverse the one-month speedup. They sought an immediate restraining order after the Justice Department told Koh in a court filing that the Census Bureau has already begun taking steps to conclude field operations, which are scheduled to be wound down throughout September by geographic regions based on response rates within those regions. At a hearing Friday, Justice Department attorney Alexander Sverdlov told Koh that any anxiety about the census is not warranted and that operations were shutting down only when 85% to 90% of residents in a particular locale had responded. He argued in a court filing that said the governments decisions on how and when to complete a census turn on policy choices that are unreviewable political questions. The population count is crucial for states U.S. House representation and the distribution of $800 billion in federal aid each year. Separately, President Trump is seeking to exclude undocumented immigrants from the census, an action challenged by California and other states in multiple lawsuits. Koh questioned the governments explanations at Fridays hearing and was equally skeptical in Saturdays ruling. The administration has insisted that moving the deadline up to Sept. 30 was necessary to deliver the census results to the president by Dec. 31, rather than by next April, under a previous timetable. But Koh said the Census Bureaus associate director, Albert Fontenot, acknowledged publicly less than two months ago that the bureau is past the window of being able to get accurate counts to the president by Dec. 31. She said the bureaus head of field operations made the same admission in May. Koh also quoted Fontenot as saying, in a court filing Friday night, that the bureau has begun terminating its temporary field staff in areas that have completed their work, and it is difficult to bring them back. That underscores the need for a restraining order halting any further cutbacks until the legality of the one-month delay is resolved, she said. The ruling is a necessary and encouraging first step toward saving the 2020 Census from a massive undercount that will disproportionately affect our countrys communities of color, said attorney Thomas Wolf of the Brennan Center for Law and Justice, whose clients in the case include the National Urban League, the League of Women Voters and the NAACP. Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer said Kohs order puts a firm stop to the Trump administrations efforts to prematurely curtail census outreach. In a statement Sunday, federal officials said, The Census Bureau and the Commerce Department are obligated to comply with the courts order and are taking immediate steps to do so. They said they would provide guidance for their field staff shortly. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko Marking Indias first high-level political meet with China amid a simmering border row, defence minister Rajnath Singh on Friday met his Chinese counterpart, General Wei Fenghe, in Moscow. India and China have been involved in a bitter border standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. India has accused China of making a fresh attempt to change the status quo in the southern bank of Pangong Lake and said that the Chinese side engaged in provocative military manoeuvres in the late night of 29th and on 30th August. Heres what happened during Singhs meeting with Chinas Wei: The meeting between Singh and Wei took place on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in the Russian capital Moscow. Singh left on Tuesday for the SCO meet and on the same day, India accused China of resorting to provocative action a day earlier when it attempted to change the status quo on the southern bank of the Pangong Tso Lake even as military-level talks were underway. Chinas actions this year have been in clear violation of agreements, India said in a statement issued by the ministry of external affairs. A day later, the Chinese side sought a meeting with Singh, HT had reported earlier this week. This was the third attempt made by the Chinese defence ministry for talks with Singh after the standoff erupted in early May. Also read: Rajnath Singh meets Chinese defence minister, calls for bringing ties back on right track On his third day in Moscow, Singh delivered an indirect message to China at the SCOs ministerial meeting. Peace and security in the SCO region demand a climate of trust, non-aggression, respect for international rules and peaceful resolution of differences, he said. The Indian defence minister also spoke about the unilateral aggression between states and the need to refrain from it. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War as well as the formation of the United Nations which underpins a peaceful world, where international laws and sovereignty of states are respected and states refrain from unilateral aggression on another, Singh said at the meet on Friday. After the defence ministers address, Chinese and Indian delegations held their first high-level political face-to-face meeting later in the evening. In the meeting that lasted over two hours, Singh pushed for the restoration of status quo ante at all friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh and called for disengagement of troops in an expeditious way during the much-expected meeting. Also read | Committed to inclusive global security: Rajnath Singh reaffirms Indias stance at SCO meet According to Chinas official news agency, Xinhua, Wei told Singh that the responsibility of the ongoing tension lies entirely with India an allegation that New Delhi has brushed off repeatedly, saying that the border aggression has actually been shown by the troops of the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA). Singh was quoted by a Xinhua report in Mandarin from Moscow as saying that India hoped that two sides will adopt a responsible attitude, fully disengage front-line forces as soon as possible, avoid taking measures that may escalate or complicate the situation, and avoid turning differences into disputes so as to bring bilateral military relations back to the right track as soon as possible. Haiti - Education : The Kingdom of Morocco plans to welcome 20 new Haitian scholarship holders A meeting was held this week by videoconference between Haiti and the Kingdom of Morocco on the impacts of Covid-19 on Haitian students receiving grants from the Moroccan Government and to consider prospects for academic and scientific cooperation in this context. The Haitian representation was made up of : Ms. Elive Jules Deputy Director of the Cabinet of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Louis Marie Montfort Saintil, Chargee d'Affaires of the Embassy of Haiti near the Kingdom of Spain. The Moroccan part was composed of : Ambassador Mohamed Methqal Director General of the Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation, Zakaria El Goumiri, Ambassador of His Majesty the King of Morocco Mohammed VI and Ms. Bouchira Boudchine Boucetta the Director of the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. While emphasizing the scope and importance of this academic and scientific cooperation, the Haitian delegation welcomed the commitment of the Moroccan authorities, which despite the socio-economic crisis caused by the pandemic, plan to host 20 new scholarship students for the 2020-2021 academic year. For its part, the Moroccan delegation reiterated their government's attachment to Haiti by evoking their support in several other areas such as, among others : Institutional strengthening, health and agriculture... Both parties agreed on the need to facilitate student learning by seeking alternative solutions to the various difficulties generated by the pandemic. The meeting ended with the wishes of both parties to mark in a particular way the ten years of cooperation (2011-2021) and to work on its strengthening which will make it possible to strengthen the ties of friendship and solidarity between the two country. HL/ HaitiLibre On September 5, 2018, actor Shahid Kapoor and his wife Mira Rajput welcomed their second child, Zain Kapoor. The young couple are certainly among the most popular star couples of Bollywood and, hence, there was palpable excitement around the birth of their child. In fact, Mira is quite a star in her own right with her Instagram boasting on an impressive fan following. Through much of her second pregnancy, she was quite visible and was liberally photographed by the paparazzi. Their son, Zain, who turns two on Saturday, was born in Mumbais Hinduja Hospital. There was much enthusiasm in the run-up to his birth, with photographers covering hospital movements of the family closely. Zain has an elder sister, Misha. With the birth of his children, Shahids transformation as a family man has been complete. Miras Instagram page has quite a few pictures of the actor spending time with his children. Shahid said that he was damn selfish until his children came into his life, though he believed otherwise. In an interview to Filmfare, he had said, I was pretty self-oriented till I became a parent. Though I believed I was selfless. But when I became a parent, I realised I was actually damn selfish. Now I dont put myself first. You end up thinking about your kids and family first. Sometimes its nice. Sometimes its frustrating because you do need to put yourself first at times. Every individual needs to have their own breathing space. I struggle with it. Shahids parents were delighted that his family was now complete. Soon after Zains birth, Neelima Azeem had told Pinkvilla in an interview: Its been joyous. The family is complete, Shahid and Mira now have a beautiful son and a daughter.. so it feels great. Misha has got a young brother and we have got wonderful grandchildren, so the feeling is difficult to describe in words but I guess, I feel on the top of the world and very grateful. It is very exciting as there is so much to do. Also read: Sushant Singh Rajputs brother-in-law counters Rhea Chakrabortys claims: 5 times my wife left me behind to be with her brother Pankaj Kapur had expressed a similar sentiment. Speaking to Pinkvilla, Pankaj had said: I became a dadu two years back and its always a delight having a new addition to the family. If you are finding him cute, just imagine what would be my reaction on seeing the little one and Zain is a beautiful name. I am happy that Shahids family is now complete. We are all full of joy and are absolutely delighted. Zains mother, Mira, remains as indulgent as ever. In July last year, sharing a cute picture of her son, she had addressed him as her Baby Bear and had written: Youve got this Mama #babybear #zizou. At another time, she had shared another picture with her little one and called him her small wonder. Follow @htshowbiz for more Here are some of the top photos of the week, as selected by the Associated Press. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin James Davey (Reuters) London, United Kingdom Sat, September 5, 2020 07:06 503 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c42d289d 2 Food Pret-A-Manger,Britain,food,COVID-19,sandwich Free British sandwich and coffee chain Pret A Manger said on Friday it would launch a subscription service for drinks, trying out a new business model to help it survive the coronavirus crisis, which has hammered its sales. Owned by investment group JAB Holdings, Pret cut 2,800 jobs or a third of its workforce last month and reported sales across its UK shops down 60 percent year-on-year. Pret has 367 shops in the United Kingdom, with many located on high streets, at transport hubs and close to offices that are still largely deserted, with people preferring to work from home. With weekly sales back where they were a decade ago, Pret will be making one of the first high-profile innovations by a well-known company to take on the new landscape created by the pandemic. From next Tuesday, it will offer a subscription service allowing customers to have a barista-prepared drink, including coffees, teas, hot chocolates, smoothies and frappes, up to five times a day for 20 pounds per month. While the service will provide guaranteed income, Pret runs the risk of losing out if customers use their full allowance. Read also: Keep on dining out, UK minister urges as popular cut-price offer ends Pret said the subscription service was the first of its kind in the UK, though similar schemes exist in the United States. All customers signing up to the mobile "YourPret Barista" service also get a month of free drinks starting from Tuesday. "Subscription services like Netflix and Spotify have played a big part in keeping us positive throughout lockdown and after seeing on social media how excited customers were to be reunited with their favorite Pret drinks, we've been inspired to launch our own," said Pret's UK food & coffee director Briony Raven. Pret has also launched new products, designed to reach customers in new ways. Examples include "Heat Me at Home" meals, its first ever range of ground coffee and espresso beans, sold via Amazon, and a new dinner menu available for delivery. Pret is not alone in its struggles. On Thursday rival Costa Coffee said a restructuring brought about by COVID-19 meant it could shed up to 1,650 jobs. A car crashed into Harry Dunn's motorbike outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire on 27 August, 2019: PA Boris Johnson has said he will "support anything" to get justice for Harry Dunn, the teenager motorcyclist who was hit and killed outside a military base. A car crashed into Dunn's motorbike outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire on 27 August, 2019, and Anne Sacoolas, the wife of a US intelligence official, was accused of killing the 19-year-old. Following the crash, Ms Sacoolas claimed diplomatic immunity and returned to her home country, causing international uproar. She was charged with causing death by dangerous driving in December, but an extradition request submitted by the Home Office was rejected by the US secretary of state, Mike Pence, the following month - a decision described as a "denial of justice" by the Home Office. But when asked about the prospect of a virtual trial on Friday, the the prime minister said: "There is the legal possibility that you mention. I think the best thing that I can say is, I will support anything that helps to bring justice for Harry Dunn and bring some sort of closure for his family because they have suffered for a long time." Harry's mother, Charlotte Charles, said: "We were very encouraged to see the prime minister's comments this afternoon about getting justice for Harry." She told PA: "It's been the worst year of our lives and we cannot even begin the grieving process until we get justice and then closure. "It has taken every ounce of our very being to get to this point, and we are so grateful to our supporters and the media for all their support. It means the world to us. "We can now see that with Mr Johnson on board we are nearly there, and we hope to put an end to this nightmare soon." The Attorney General is currently considering the possibility of trying Sacoolas, 43, virtually, or in her absence. Last month Mr Dunn's family confirmed they had withdrawn their intention to sue the US government in a bid to find justice. Story continues Mr Dunn's parents previously said they would pursue a claim against Donald Trump's administration for its handling of their son's case. But Ms Charles said the family "can now see that the US government are working towards" Ms Sacoolas facing the UK justice system. Additional reporting by PA Media Read more Anne Sacoolas may face virtual trial over Harry Dunn death Harry Dunns parents drop plan to sue US government Harry Dunns mother says she wont stop in fight for justice Loophole which allowed Sacoolas to claim immunity scrapped President Kovind leaves for Bangladesh, to be Chief Guest at 50th Dhaka Victory Day celebrations Let's resolve to build society based on values of justice, liberty: President Kovind on Christmas eve National Teachers' Awards 2020: Ram Nath Kovind confers 47 teachers in virtual ceremony India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Sep 05: As India celebrates Teachers' Day 2020, on this occasion, President Ram Nath Kovind felicitated the winners of National Teachers' Awards 2020 in a virtual ceremony amid COVID-19 pandemic. This year, 47 teachers have been chosen from across the nation. The awardees were selected after a rigorous three-stage online transparent process. Mohd Ansari was the first name to be announced today for National Teacher Award 2020. He was followed by Manoj Kumar Lakda, Sri Narayan Chandrakant Mangalaram, Geeta Kumari, Dilip S, Sant Kumar Sahani etc. The National Teachers' Awards is conferred to celebrate the unique contribution of teachers in the field of education who have not only improved the quality of education but also made a huge difference in the lives of their students. Teachers' Day 2020: Govt School teacher from Kashmir selected for National Teachers Award The awards are presented by the Ministry of Education every year to acknowledge and encourage extraordinary and meritorious efforts of teachers from across the length and breadth of the country. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, September 5, 2020, 12:06 [IST] The Pune Municipal Corporations (PMC) jumbo facility, the citys first such Covid care centre built on the grounds of the College of Engineering, Pune (COEP), has come under huge criticism from patients and relatives of patients under treatment at the facility. The son of a 48-year-old woman had to hunt for a private hospital on Friday, after his mother complained about the poor facilities and services being provided at COEP jumbo centre. The son, requesting anonymity, said, My mother, aged 48, was admitted to COEP on Monday. She has blood pressure and diabetes too. She said that there is no proper treatment given and also the trainee doctors running the facility have no idea about how to manage the facility. He added: I got the call from a doctor there, who said her oxygen saturation had gone down to 89%, and we need to shift her to a ventilator. A few minutes later I got a call again saying that her saturation is fine; that the battery of the oximeter was low. Such is the level of management at a facility which has critical Covid-19 patients. He further said: I had to start looking for another centre. My mother needed an oxygenated bed and so I called up the Deenanath Mangeshkar hospital. There is a waiting period of at least 20 days there. I had to forcefully discharge my mother from COEP in a serious condition. The treatment at the facility is bad. Another relative of a 45-year-old man admitted on Tuesday, said, My father who has high blood pressure complained that there are no caretakers to take him to the toilet, which is, apparently, some distance. I want to shift him out of there, but there are no beds in the city. Ashok Lokhande, husband of corporator Swati Lokhande of the BJP, alleged corruption at the facility, citing a case where a doctor allegedly demanded money for a drug freely available at the centre As of Wednesday evening, the dashboard showed not a single bed available at the facility. Dr Avinash Bhondwe, president, Indian Medical Association, Maharashtra, said , A few senior private doctors who have experience of about 10-20 years offered to provide daily services for a few hours at the jumbo facility or any facility that the PMC decides. However, the PMC insisted that they can only recruit people full-time for at least six months. These are doctors practicing at their own private clinics and so cannot commit full time. A specialist need not be at the hospital 24 hours, a few hours is enough to keep a daily check, but the PMC went on to recruit people who are not running the facility efficiently. Vikram Kumar, PMC commissioner, said, We have taken cognisance of all the complaints and also issued a show-cause notice to the contractor. We are yet to receive a reply. We have also appointed an inquiry into the corruption allegations. The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), a research institute working in the area of global health based at the University of Washington in Seattle and often cited by the White House on COVID-19 trends, recently updated their projections on pandemic deaths. It stated that cumulative deaths expected by January 1 are 410,000, meaning they expect close to 225,000 more deaths from now until the end of the year. IHME bases their estimate on the change to the autumn and winter seasons as well as declining vigilance of the public to adhere to recommendations to wear masks and maintain social distancing. By December, they forecast that daily deaths will approach 3,000 per day. They also warn that if herd immunity strategy is pursued, namely no further government intervention is taken from now to January 1, then the death toll could increase to 620,000. Such numbers would inundate all the health care services throughout the country and mobile morgues would once again be a common sight. The almost casual reference to such a scenario is not surprising, but one that the working class should heed with great alarm. The callous suggestion that the declining use of public masking is somehow the fault of the population is malicious in light of every effort by this administration, the political parties of the Wall Street financial embezzlers and public agenciesthe Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Health and Human Serviceswhich have all worked in concert to ensure that markets are sustained at the cost of risking the population to a viral contagion that remains rampant, fast-moving and deadly. World map of COVID-19 cases as of September 4 The globe is fast approaching 27 million cases of COVID-19, with over 877,000 deaths. According to the Worldometer coronavirus dashboard, the United States has had 6.37 million cases and 192,000 deaths in a little more than six months since the first confirmed death in Washington state. The seven-day moving average has settled at just under 42,000 cases per day as deaths have begun to decline slowly, with close to 900 per day. Reports have indicated that rural communities are one of the hardest-hit and fastest-growing areas in the nation for the COVID-19 outbreak. There is a clear correlation between the opening of schools and universities with the rise in cases seen in these regions. Infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci and others have urged universities to convert dorms and residence facilities to quarantine and isolation sites to care for students who have contracted COVID-19. The concern is that if they are sent home it will further fuel community transmission and endanger students parents and families. To suggest that these events were not foreseen is the essence of criminal recklessness. To place the policy of herd immunity into its proper but grotesque context, presently death due to COVID-19 has become the third leading cause of death in the United States, trailing heart disease, with 650,000 deaths in 2017, and cancer with 600,000 deaths. A complete disregard of any containment efforts, according to the IHME forecast, would push COVID-19 to the lead in almost a dead heat. World map of cumulative COVID-19 deaths September 4 This prediction would also place COVID-19 deaths comparable to the fatalities suffered during the 1918 influenza pandemic, which took 675,000 lives in the US. With only eight states having more than 10 percent of their population infected with COVID-19Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Massachusettsmeans a significant portion of the population remains vulnerable before herd immunity can be achieved. This week, the CDC suddenly announced that states should prepare to distribute COVID-19 vaccines as soon as the end of October, advising that health care workers, workers designated as essential, national security population (read military, police and government agencies), and those residing in long-term facilities would receive priority. This announcement was in conjunction with President Trumps statement at the Republican National Convention that a vaccine may be ready before years end. CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield, speaking with Yahoo Finance, said, Right now I will say were preparing earnestly for what I anticipate will be reality that therell be one or more vaccines available for us in November, Decemberand we have to figure out how to make sure theyre distributed in a fair and equitable way across the country. This is simply a face-saving hypocritical aside. By all accounts, every expert knowledgeable about the COVID-19 vaccine trials has stated that a vaccine against the virus will not be available until after the end of the year, in a best-case scenario. Dr. Stephan Hahn of the FDA has continued to voice that he would be willing to authorize an experimental vaccine before phase three clinical trials are complete. Currently, there are three phase-three trials in the US, those developed by Moderna, Pfizer and AstraZeneca. In a letter, Medscape Editor-in-Chief Dr. Eric Topol said, regarding Hahns statements, Im writing because Im gravely concerned about your leadership of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The circumstances of your statements in recent days have led to a crisis of confidence. Not only has your credibility been diminished, but so has that of the FDA, its 15,000-plus staff members and, most importantly, your ability to oversee the health interest of the American people. The ability to transfer millions of doses of vaccines to the US population will be hampered by the same incompetence that has impacted the delivery of personal protective equipment and masks to health care workers. This is the same incompetence that failed to protect nursing homes from the ravages of the infection that have killed so many of the elderly population and the same criminal neglect that is forcing schools and universities to open for business. The Moderna vaccine requires storage temperatures of minus four degrees Fahrenheit; for Pfizers, a frigid minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit. In a note from SVB Leerlink analysts to investors, These storage conditions would make traditional office or pharmacy administration very difficult. These conditions could be met at tertiary hospitals and laboratories and could be accommodated in intensive one-day vaccination events at such sites, but this would still only cover a fraction of the healthy population. In the race for a vaccine, the US, the European Union, Japan and the UK have made agreements to purchase at least 3.7 billion doses from their manufacturers, nearly monopolizing all production and distribution at the expense of the billions living in the poorest nations. The IHMEs predictions for the globe by January 1 indicate a massive loss of life will begin to occur. They expect that a total of 2.8 million globally will succumb to the infection, or 1.9 million more from now until the end of the year. Daily deaths could reach as high as 30,000 per day. They write, The increase is due in part to a likely seasonal rise in COVID-19 cases in the Northern Hemisphere. To date, COVID-19 has followed seasonal patterns similar to pneumonia, and if the correlation continues to hold, northern countries can anticipate more cases in the late fall and winter months. The ruling elites should be warned that they will be facing a winter of discontent. Japan coast guard rescued a second survivor on Friday, September 4 off the coast of Amami Oshima island as a livestock ship from New Zealand sunk due to stormy weather conditions in the East China Sea. As per reports, the survivor, Jay-nel Rosals, was wearing a life jacket and floating in waters as rescuers were searching for the ship and its missing crew since it sent a distress signal early Wednesday. READ: Livestock Ship Carrying 42 Crew Missing Off Southern Japan According to the reports, the coast guard rescuers earlier on Friday found an unconscious man who was floating about 120 kilometers (75 miles) northwest of the island. The man was rushed to the hospital and was later pronounced dead, Takahiro Yamada, a spokesman for the regional coast guard headquarters informed. The Japanese coast guard official said that the rescuers also spotted dozens of livestock floating in the area. Another Filipino crew member, Chief Officer Edvardo Sareno, was reported to have been rescued late Wednesday. Coast guard video showed rescuers carefully maneuvering their boat in deep waters to pluck Sareno from the water. READ: 2nd Crew Member, Dead Cows Found After Ship Sank Off Japan The 11,947-ton ship was carrying 43 crew and 5,800 livestock which left New Zealand in mid-August was heading to Tangshan on Chinas eastern coast. Following the incident, the New Zealand officials said that they were suspending all new approvals for the export of livestock. The Ministry for Primary Industries said in a statement that it "wants to understand what happened on the sailing of the Gulf Livestock 1. The ship crew included 39 people from the Philippines, two from New Zealand and two from Australia. At the time of the sinking, Typhoon Maysak was passing by southern Japan. The automated tracker of the ship showed it was sailing in high winds of 58 knots (66 miles or 107 kilometers per hour), according to the ship-tracking website MarineTraffic.com. (With AP inputs) READ: South Japan Island Residents Prepare For Typhoon READ: Japan Bracing For Dangerously Powerful Typhoon The Trump administration is considering whether to add China's top chipmaker SMIC to a trade blacklist, a Defense Department official said on Friday, as the United States escalates its crackdown on Chinese companies. A Pentagon spokeswoman said the Defense Department was working with other agencies to determine whether to make the move against Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation, which would force U.S. suppliers to seek a difficult-to-obtain license before shipping to the company. SMIC and the Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Earlier this week, the Pentagon made a proposal to place SMIC on the entity list to the End User Committee, a panel led by the Commerce Department that also includes the State and Energy Departments and makes decisions about entity listings, a person familiar with the matter said. It was not clear whether the other agencies supported the plan. The Trump administration has often used the entity list - which now includes more than 275 China-based firms - to hit key Chinese industries, from telecoms equipment giants Huawei Technologies and ZTE over sanction violations, to surveillance camera maker Hikvision over suppression of China's Uighur minority. SMIC is the largest Chinese chip manufacturer but is second-tier to rival Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd, the industry's market leader. It has sought to build out foundries for the manufacture of computer chips that can compete with TSMC. But it is also facing new restrictions from Commerce that require Huawei's chip manufacturers to seek U.S. licenses before producing chips for the telecoms giant, if they rely on U.S. chipmaking technology. SMIC is one of Huawei's manufacturers. U.S. companies including Lam Research , KLA Corp and Applied Materials , which supply key chipmaking equipment, could be impacted by a potential entity listing, industry sources said. While the Pentagon official did not outline the reasons for the action, SMIC's relationship to the Chinese military is under scrutiny, another U.S. official and two former officials briefed on the matter said. The administration has increasingly trained its focus on Chinese companies that bolster Beijing's military. Last month, the United States blacklisted 24 Chinese companies and targeted individuals it said were part of construction and military actions in the South China Sea, its first such sanctions against Beijing over the disputed strategic waterway. The Defense Department has released two lists of Chinese companies in the past few months that it claims are owned or controlled by the People's Liberation Army. The designation gives President Donald Trump the authority to place them on an even tougher blacklist but so far no action has been taken. Also read: US strategy is to push back against China in every domain: top diplomat Also read: BT Buzz -- 'We ain't leaving India': Chinese firms on 'Boycott China' call (Newser) Police arrested more than 70 environmental activists who blockaded two British printing plants, disrupting the distribution of several national newspapers on Saturday, the AP reports. The group Extinction Rebellion said it targeted printworks at Broxbourne, north of London, and Knowsley in northwest England, that are owned by Rupert Murdochs News Corp. Dozens of protesters locked themselves to trucks and bamboo scaffolding to block the road outside the plants. The facilities print Murdoch-owned papers the Sun and the Times, as well as the Daily Telegraph, the Daily Mail and the Financial Times. The group said it was disrupting the newspapers to expose the failure of these corporations to accurately report on the climate and ecological emergency." story continues below The activists said they were also targeting the papers' "consistent manipulation of the truth to suit their own personal and political agendas." Police said they had arrested 42 people by Saturday morning at the Broxbourne plant. Another 30 people were arrested in Knowsley. Extinction Rebellion said all remaining protesters ended their demonstration at 11am Newsprinters, which operates the printing plants, said the protest was an "attack on all of the free press." Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Twitter that "a free press is vital in holding the government and other powerful institutions to account" and that it "is completely unacceptable to seek to limit the publics access to news in this way." Journalism groups also criticized the disruption. (Read more environmentalism stories.) Harbor Beach Chief of Police Todd Bucholtz told the Tribune he was surprised by the response of the community with donations to his police Department. He said he and his fellow officers really appreciate numerous donations that have come from businesses, corporations, and individual citizens. He went on to say they have received cleaning supplies, gift cards for the officers, home baked cookies and letters of appreciation. He said, "With all that's going on in the world, it makes us feel appreciated." Some of those who have donated include Corteva, Sensient, Franco Flooring, Classy Threadz, Harbor Drug, and several local residents. KITCHENER Local activists say they are continuing their fight to defund the police with a public protest in front of the Kitchener detachment of Waterloo Regional Police. Dubbed Abolition Fridays: A Resistance and Healing Justice Circle, the protest at 134 Frederick St. in Kitchener is organized by Black Lives Matter Waterloo Region. Its part of our ongoing work of raising awareness on the use of policing on our communities, said Fanis Juma, a lead organizer of the local chapter of Black Lives Matter. Juma said more protests could be held on subsequent Fridays during the month of September. Juma said the abolitionist movement, a political and spiritual movement, is often misunderstood. We are seeking to dismantle systems that produce violence in our communities, she said. Juma said the structure of policing is racist and activists seek to dismantle it and imagine new systems of public safety and anti-racist community care in the region. Juma said policing has a disproportionate impact on local Black communities. In large urban centres, such as in Toronto and in U.S. cities, police violence on marginalized communities is documented with cellphone video. Our concern is that we are moving in that direction, she said. Also calling for the police to be defunded is the African, Caribbean and Black Network of Waterloo Region. Earlier this summer, the group put forth calls to action which included defunding Waterloo Regional Police by $29.3 million and reallocating monies from the police budget to social programs to support marginalized communities. In July, local activists held a massive Black Lives Matter march that drew tens of thousands of people to downtown Kitchener. Juma said abolishing the police, a system that is structurally oppressive, is a long-term goal. It is a long road but we believe we will abolish the police here and in Canada, she said. Juma said protesters will not be speaking to police. Police spokesperson Cherri Greeno said police are aware of the event and will be available to address any safety concerns that may arise. This article first appeared on the Boston Business Journals website. The collective compensation for the highest paid hospital leaders in Massachusetts rose 95% over five years, with 12 of the executives reporting compensation over $2 million in the most recently available year. In the most recent year for which compensation data are available, the 12 highest-compensated hospital and health system executives in Massachusetts received $35.2 million, a $17.1 million increase from what those same executives earned in 2013. The figures look at total compensation, which includes base salary, bonus pay, other compensation, retirement benefits and more. The data come from forms filed with the IRS and obtained by the Business Journal. With the exception of Mark Keroack, who became president of Baystate Health in 2014, and David Torchiana, who became CEO of Partners HealthCare in 2015, all the other executives have been in the same role from 2013-2018. Those highest 12 earners each reported compensation over $2 million (up from 10 executives who earned over $2 million the previous year). Among the highest earners: thenLahey Health CEO Howard Grant ($4.7 million), thenCEO of Partners HealthCare Torchiana ($4 million), thenPresident and CEO of New England Baptist Patricia Hannon ($4 million), Harrington Healthcare System CEO Ed Moore ($2.7 million), President of Massachusetts Eye and Ear John Fernandez ($2.9 million), and Southcoast Health CEO Keith Hovan ($2.7 million). For the top three highest paid executives, it would be one of their final years of pay from those employers. Grant retired in September 2018, after Lahey Health merged with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Kevin Tabb, the CEO of BIDMC, became head of the joint organization, and reported $1.9 million in total compensation in 2018. Additionally, Torchiana retired from Partners (since rebranded to Mass General Brigham) in April 2019. He was replaced by Anne Klibanski, who in 2018 was serving as the chief academic officer for Partners. Klibanski received $1.1 million in total compensation in that year. Hannon retired in September 2018, in the midst of New England Baptist merging with Beth Israel and Lahey Health. She was replaced by David Passafaro on Oct. 1, who received $478,557 in total compensation in 2018 for both his role as senior vice president of external affairs for the hospital and then as president. Not only did compensation reach a high-water mark for hospital executives as a group, but there were also large individual increases in pay. In their final years, both Grant and Hannon marked substantial compensation increases. For Grant, the $4.7 million total compensation in 2018 was a 72% increase from his compensation a year prior. His compensation included $842,784 in base compensation, and $3.6 million in other reportable compensation (which includes employer subsidized parking, moving expenses and retirement contributions). Hannons $4 million total compensation in 2018 represented a 202% increase from the year prior. Her compensation included $685,532 in base compensation, along with $385,988 in bonus money and $2.9 million in other reportable compensation. Several other executives also reported large year-over-year raises. Harrington Health Systems Moore received a 239% increase in salary in 2018. His $2.7 million total compensation included $595,771 in base pay, an additional $1.7 million in other compensation, and a $335,000 bonus. The state formally signed off on the acquisition of Mass Eye and Ear by Partners (now Mass General Brigham) in 2018, a move that boosted the compensation of CEO Fernandez. In 2018, his $2.7 million pay package was a 96% increase from 2017. Gene Green, then-CEO of South Shore Health, also saw a 55% boost in his compensation, to $1.6 million in 2018. He later resigned from the health system in October 2019 under pressure from the board. The family of race faker Jessica Krug suspect she skipped her own mother's funeral so relatives wouldn't rumble her black alter ego, DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal. The George Washington University professor, 38, was a surprise no-show when her loved ones gathered to pay respects to Sherry Krug, who succumbed to pneumonia in 2013. After learning this week of her astonishing false persona they now wonder if Krug cruelly snubbed her 65-year-old mom because she was worried about being 'caught out'. 'It was a terrible thing to do. She didn't even offer any sort of excuse,' said a family friend. 'And maybe we now know why. I'm not aware of anyone in the family having had any contact with her ever since.' Krug grew up in a 'typical, loving middle-class' Jewish family in Kansas City, Missouri, where her mom and father Stuart Krug ran a grocery store, according to the friend. Despite assuming various black identities over the years, Jessica Krug revealed in a Medium blog post on Thursday she is actually white and that she has been deceiving her friends and colleagues She stood out as an extremely intelligent child and was developing a deep passion for politics and civil rights by the time she reached high school. 'She was always extremely smart. She was interested from a young age in racial justice and equality, she had a passion for helping the downtrodden. You knew she would go far,' the friend went on. 'As for the rest of the family, I would say they were moderates. I would not say there was any racism in the family at all. 'If anything they went the other way, because when you're Jewish, you have to face anti-Semitism, you're used to sometimes being the odd person out.' Krug's parents split during her childhood and her father settled in Las Vegas where he died in 2017, aged 69. Her mom's side of the family did not attend the funeral and do not know if Krug showed up. Sherry spent her final years living in Albany, New York where she died in October 2013. The family friend said Krug didn't go to see her ailing mother in the hospital before she passed. Sherry Krug died in 2013 in New York He said her family remained proud of her academic achievements but were saddened by her lack of contact. And they had absolutely no idea that Krug was passing herself off as black until they were contacted this week by news media. 'She was blonde the last time I saw her. And as for her voice, well that's interesting. I don't know if she's acting but the voice she has now is not one I've heard before,' he said. 'I think what a lot of people are looking for here is some kind of trigger to explain all this. But you have to understand we have no clue. 'When she made the decision many years ago to just go off and be on her own and to not connect with those behind her, that was a decision on her part, not on anybody else's.' The friend said family members were now worried what could happen to Krug given the race reckoning sparking protests and chaos across the US. 'There's no shortage of stupid and crazy out there and I do worry for her safety,' he added. 'If she wanted to reach out to us, to come home, we would never say no.' The saddest part of Krug's astonishing admission is her fall from grace from academic 'superstar' to racial pariah, he told DailyMail.com. 'She got a PhD, she wrote books. She was extremely hard working and gifted. She did all that all by herself. 'I just cannot understand how anyone in this day and age could expect to get away with this. Everyone walks around with a camera, everyone has access to the internet.' Despite assuming various black identities over the years, Krug revealed in a Medium blog post on Thursday she is actually white and that she has been deceiving her friends and colleagues. George Washington University said it is currently investigating the blog post but refused to comment any further. 'We are aware of the post and are looking into the situation. We cannot comment further on personnel matters,' a spokesperson for the university said. As details of the 38-year-old's deception continue to emerge, it has been claimed that Krug only came clean after realizing that several scholars had started questioning her background. It has been claimed that Krug only came clean after realizing that several scholars had started questioning her background. Yomaira Figueroa, who is an associate professor of global diaspora studies at Michigan State University, claims a young black scholar approached two senior scholars on August 26 with allegations that Krug was lying about her identity Yomaira Figueroa, who is an associate professor of global diaspora studies at Michigan State University, claims a young black scholar approached two senior scholars on August 26 with allegations that Krug was lying about her identity. Figueroa, who does not know Krug personally, would not identify the scholars. Figueroa said the allegations came up during a discussion about that late novelist H.G. Carrillo. It emerged after his death in April that he was not a black Latino from Cuba like he had claimed but, instead, was an African American from Detroit In an interview with the New York Times, Figueroa said the allegations came up during a discussion about that late novelist H.G. Carrillo. Carrillo's sister revealed after he died in April that he was not a black Latino, who fled Cuba with his family as a child, like he had claimed his entire life. His sister said he was an African-American born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. Figueroa said the junior scholar came forward with claims that Krug had also been lying about her identity. In a series of tweets, Figueroa said there was no 'witch hunt' but claimed Krug published the blog post in an attempt to control the situation. 'The only reason Jessica Krug finally admitted to this lie is (because) on Aug 26th one very brave very BLACK Latina junior scholar approached two senior Black Latina scholars & trusted them enough to do the research & back her up. Those two scholars made phone calls & reached out to other senior scholars & institutions with proof. 'There was no witch hunt, but there was a need to draw the line. Krug got ahead of the story because she was caught & she knew the clock was ticking bec folks started to confront her & ask questions. Krug, who lives in East Harlem, New York and has previously described her as an 'unrepentant and unreformed child of the hood', went to the exclusive Barstow school in Kansas City where she was said to have identified as a white, Jewish girl. She is pictured in her yearbook Krug has been teaching classes on African history at GWU since 2012. She is pictured above during a panel discussion last year on African studies at Columbia University 'DO NOT BELIEVE FOR ONE SECOND that she would have come out with the truth on her own. She made a living & a whole life out of parroting Black Rican trauma and survival.' Figueroa told Inside Higher Ed that Krug was a respected historian and couldn't understand the need to lie about her background. 'I do know that she's a very well-respected scholar who has done really incredible work, so this is not an issue about her not being a talented academic or good at her job,' Figueroa said in the interview. 'But she did it all in this guise, building on the worst types of stereotypes, calling herself a hood academic, taking on accents and talking about specific kinds of trauma.' It has since emerged that Krug, who lives in East Harlem, New York and has previously described her as an 'unrepentant and unreformed child of the hood', went to the exclusive Barstow school in Kansas City where she was said to have identified as a white, Jewish girl. One of Krug's former peers, who did not want to be named, said Krug was 'very political', boycotted prom and planned a flag burning while at the school from where she graduated in 1999. Her current neighbor, Anna Anderson, told the DailyMail.com that Krug would call her 'white trash' and tell Anderson she was 'gentrifying' the neighborhood by going running. Following a dispute over their bikes Anderson said Krug asked her: 'Do you know what the police do to black people like me?' Anderson told DailyMail.com: 'She called me white trash, which is ironic.' In a video posted online under her activist pseudonym, Jessica La Bombalera, Krug denounces 'all these white New Yorkers who waited four hours with us to be able to speak and then did not yield their time for Black and Brown indigenous New Yorkers' In a video posted online in June of this year under her activist pseudonym, Jessica La Bombalera, Krug denounced 'all these white New Yorkers who waited four hours with us to be able to speak and then did not yield their time for Black and Brown indigenous New Yorkers'. She adds: 'Much power to all my siblings who were standing up, my black and brown siblings who were standing.' Krug has been teaching classes on African American history at George Washington University since 2012. Her biography page on the university website says she also specializes in subjects including Latin America, Africa, imperialism and colonialism. She has a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, according to the GWU page. Krug has also written several books and essays on blackness and black culture. Some of the outlets who have published her work started deleting the posts on Thursday after the revelations. She has taken financial support from the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, The Guardian reports. In 2009 she is understood to have been award as Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Fellowship. Her book Fugitive Modernities includes the acknowledgement: 'My ancestors, unknown, unnamed, who bled life into a future they had no reason to believe could or should exist...Those whose names I cannot say for their own safety, whether in my barrio, in Angola, or in Brazil.' In her blog post titled 'The Truth, and the Anti-Black Violence of My Lies', Krug wrote: 'For the better part of my adult life, every move I've made, every relationship I've formed, has been rooted in the napalm toxic soil of lies.' Krug has been teaching classes on African American history at George Washington University since 2012. George Washington University said it is currently investigating the blog post but refused to comment any further 'To an escalating degree over my adult life, I have eschewed my lived experience as a white Jewish child in suburban Kansas City under various assumed identities within a Blackness that I had no right to claim: first North African Blackness, then US rooted Blackness, then Caribbean rooted Bronx Blackness. 'I have thought about ending these lies many times over many years, but my cowardice was always more powerful than my ethics. 'I know right from wrong. I know history. I know power. I am a coward. There is no ignorance, no innocence, nothing to claim, nothing to defend. I have moved wrong in every way for years. Her scathing online confession is reminiscent of the scandal involving Rachel Dolezal - a former NAACP leader in Washington state who was exposed in 2015 as a white woman pretending to be black 'You should absolutely cancel me, and I absolutely cancel myself. 'I have built my life on a violent anti-Black lie, and I have lied in every breath I have taken. 'I have not lived a double life. There is no parallel form of my adulthood connected to white people or a white community or an alternative white identity. I have lived this lie, fully, completely, with no exit plan or strategy. I have built only this life, a life within which I have operated with a radical sense of ethics, of right and wrong, and with rage, rooted in Black power, an ideology which every person should support, but to which I have no possible claim as my own.' She acknowledged that it would be unlikely she could repair any relationship she has made given the extent of her lies. 'I have burned every bridge and have no expectation that any of my relationships are flame resistant. I would never ask for nor expect forgiveness. 'To everyone who trusted me, who fought for me, who vouched for me, who loved me, who is feeling shock and betrayal and rage and bone marrow deep hurt and confusion, violation in this world and beyond: I beg you, please, do not question your own judgment or doubt yourself. You were not naive. I was audaciously deceptive. 'I have a very clear, loud conscience, but I have acted as if I had none. I gaslit you. I begged for your compassion and love for my isolation and loneliness - real and raw feelings, but borne of the avalanche of deceit. In her blog post, Krug said she has battled 'unaddressed mental health demons' her entire life and that she first assumed a false identity as a child. She wrote that her mental health issues could never explain or justify why she pretended to be black. Hari Ziyad, a black author and screenwriter, claimed that she had only penned the post because she had been 'found out' Krug has also written several books and essays on blackness and black culture. Some of the outlets who have published her work started deleting the posts on Thursday after the revelations 'When I was a teenager fleeing trauma, I could just run away to a new place and become a new person. But this isn't trauma that anyone imposed on me, this is harm that I have enacted onto so many others. There is nowhere to run. I have ended the life I had no right to live in the first place,' she said. 'No white person, no non-Black person, has the right to claim proximity to or belonging in a Black community by virtue of abuse, trauma, non-acceptance, and non-belonging in a white community. The abuse within and alienation from my birth family and society are no one's burden but my own, and mine alone to address. 'Black people and Black communities have no obligation to harbor the refuse of non-Black societies. I have done this. I know it is wrong and I have done this anyway.' Following the revelations in her post, Krug has since been slammed on Twitter by several black writers and scholars who she had contact with throughout her career. Hari Ziyad, a black author and screenwriter, claimed that she had only penned the post because she had been 'found out'. In a series of scathing tweets, Ziyad said he considered Krug to be a friend until she called him a few hours prior to the Medium post being published to confess. 'Jess Krug... is someone I called a friend up until this morning when she gave me a call admitting to everything written here. She didn't do it out of benevolence. She did it because she had been found out,' Ziyad tweeted. 'For years I defended her work, and her from her own self-loathing. I did it despite warnings from Black friends, from those who said she wasn't Black enough even if they could accept that she was Black, and from my own mind and body. 'I always knew there was something off. It was in her persistent negativity and jealousy, her always needing to prove her authenticity at the expense of everything else. 'I kept her at arm's length, but still close enough that she could harm Black people around me. I owe so many people apologies.' A man from Minneapolis fatally shot his wife on August 30 before opening fire on his two neighbors, including a 12-year-old girl. Bloomington police officers who responded to Jason Mesich's home found his 47-year-old wife dead in a detached garage. His wife had gunshot wounds to her neck and torso. Homicide According to KTSP, the 48-year-old suspect was found at the residence throwing things, screaming, and firing guns in the basement. He fired 40 rounds before he eventually surrendered to the police. After Mesich's arrest, the police learned of two neighbors who were shot during the ordeal. WCCO identified the other victims as sisters, ages 29 and 12, who were moving out of their home at the time of the shooting. The victim's aunt told the news outlet that the 12-year-old girl was shot in the head as she held her 1-year-old niece and shielded her from gunfire. The aunt said that the 29-year-old was shot several times in the hip and the legs. Most of the family was already in a moving van or another car when the gunfire erupted. According to KTSP, the relatives transported the injured victims to the hospital in a U-Hall. Also Read: Mysterious Death of Indian Soldier Along Disputed Border Prompts India to Ban 118 Chinese-Based Apps Mesich claimed to not remember many details before the shooting, but he told the investigators that he and his wife had gotten into an argument in the garage because he did not think that they had enough sex. Mesich also said he went inside to retrieve a gun before his wife punched him while leaning over a car. He then allegedly punched her in the collarbone. The suspect claimed that his wife said, "just shoot me then." Meisch obliged and emptied the magazine to make sure that she was dead, the complaint stated. Authorities also alleged that Meisch said that he shot the two other victims because they were not good neighbors. He later remarked that he hates all children. The 12-year-old victim had part of her skull removed to relieve the swelling. The victim's family said that she remains in critical condition and is sedated. Her 29-year-old sister is now in serious condition. Meisch was charged with second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree attempted murder. His bail was set at $1 million. Similar incident In July 2020, a 60-year-old man was found dead, and his wife riddled with bullet wounds after a nightmarish series of events that happened inside their Hunters Chase home, according to Cleveland19 News. The 53-year-old wife was confronted by her husband over a recent separation, according to Grafton Police. When the woman refused to reconcile, the man tried to trap her in the garage. She eventually escaped, and the man chased her down and opened fire. The victim was hit three times in her upper extremities before she could jump in her car and drive off, according to the authorities. The man continued to fire and shot her car. Grafton and Lagrange Police and Lorain County sheriff's deputies set up a perimeter at the couple's home until the Lorain County SWAT Team and negotiators arrived. Officers were not able to establish contact, so they entered the house and found the man dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to the police. Related Article: US Marshals Rescue 39 Endangered Children in Georgia and Busted a Sex Trafficking Ring @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (Newser) The death of Daniel Prude after a confrontation with police sparked a third night of demonstrations in New York's third-largest city, with protesters demanding more accountability for how it happened and legislation to change how authorities respond to mental health emergencies, the AP reports. Advocates for such legislation say Prude's death and the actions of seven now-suspended Rochester police officersincluding one who covered the Black man's head with a "spit hood" during the March encounterdemonstrate how police are ill-equipped to deal with people suffering mental problems. Having police respond can be a "recipe for disaster," The National Alliance on Mental Illness said in a statement Friday. story continues below Prudes death "is yet another harrowing tragedy, but a story not unfamiliar to us," the advocacy group said. "People in crisis deserve help, not handcuffs." Stanley Martin, an organizer of Free the People Rochester, told reporters: "We do not need violent workers with guns to respond to mental health crises." Activists have marched nightly in the city of 210,000 on Lake Ontario since videos of the encounter with Prude were released this week. Friday night's protest resulted in 11 arrests, police said. As they had the night before, officers doused activists at police headquarters with a chemical spray to drive them away from the building. A police union has defended the officers involved in the encounter, saying they were following department training and protocols, including using the hood. (Read more Daniel Prude stories.) Mulan made its much-anticipated debut on Disney+ for $30 on Friday and its a calculated risk that shows just how committed the media giant is to its fledgling streaming service. Streaming has become such an important part of Disneys (DIS) business, Kelly OGrady, dot.LAs chief correspondent and an ex-Disney analyst, told Yahoo Finance during a recent interview. But Disney also has to ensure that this becomes a profitable segment for them and in order to do that they need to rack up those subscribers quickly, she added. Mulans direct-to-consumer release and platform exclusivity is the perfect experiment to lure in extra users. OGrady referred to an element of stickiness in the platform, in which subscribers jump from streamer to streamer based on new releases but are willing to stick around for good content. Mulans debut is unique, in that it will remain in purchasers libraries forever. Furthermore, Disneys full access to profits is another added perk for the company as a dollar spent on Disney+ is way more valuable to [Disney] than a dollar spent at the theater, OGrady noted. In the theater, AMC might take about 40%-50% of a films box office over its lifetime...But Disney is going to take 100% if you buy it directly on DisneyPlus.com, she added. Cast members Ron Yuan, Yifei Liu, Jason Scott Lee and Yoson An pose with director Niki Caro, at the European premiere for the film "Mulan" in London, Britain March 12, 2020. But the most valuable factor of all might be the ability to harvest data from Disney+ users who purchase the film something thats impossible to capture for theatergoers. Access to this data is huge, OGrady said. Overall, this is one of those films where its going to be very hard to reach that [coveted] $1 billion mark whether its in theaters or over Disney+, she noted referencing the pandemic. But it does give [Disney] an opportunity to test this out and say, Hey, are people willing to pay? she said. If so, this is something [Disney] could start to do more of in the future which would give them more data, and also provide a way to still monetize these franchises in a world where a pandemic happens again, OGrady added. Story continues 'Tenet' hits U.S. theaters after strong debut overseas Tenet is one blockbuster that has stuck to its theatrical release plan, despite multiple coronavirus-related delays and setbacks. The Christopher Nolan-led thriller, which hit U.S. theaters on Thursday following an international rollout the week prior, has performed particularly well overseas grossing above $53 million and beating initial estimates of $40 million. The film comes at an important time for domestic theater chains after disappointing results from both Russell Crowes Unhinged and Marvels The New Mutants, which debuted at $4 million and $7 million, respectively. Desperate for a lifeline, the U.S. box office which saw profits soar past $700 million in August of 2019 only secured $13 million last month. Tenet will serve as the true test for whether or not Americans are ready to head back to the movies, as other yet-to-be released films like Black Widow and Wonder Woman 1984 hold their breath for traditional release dates of their own. Alexandra is a Producer & Entertainment Correspondent at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @alliecanal8193 Read more: I rarely come across fund managers who are truly enthusiastic about the work they do and are comfortable describing how they go about making money for investors. It's as if they want to keep their dark investment arts to themselves. Yes, Fundsmith's legendary investment manager Terry Smith is always a joy to interview although God help you if you then upset him in print while Doctor Mark Mobius of Templeton fame can rattle on about emerging markets all day and night (he now runs an emerging markets trust bearing his own name). But JO Hambro Capital Management's Christopher Lees gives them a good run for their money. 'My goal every time is to avoid the avalanches and come home safely', says JO Hambro Capital Management's Christopher Lees, who's keen mountaineer A few days ago, 53-year-old Lees explained to me how he manages 1.4billion investment fund JOHCM Global Select in such a way that he 'tilts the probability of success in favour of investors'. For an hour and 15 minutes, I was transfixed. Lees has been managing money for more than 30 years first at Baring Asset Management and since 2008 at JO Hambro and is determined to remain a fund manager for quite some time to come. It's obvious he cares passionately about what he does. He's the first manager in many an interview who kept talking about 'your readers'. He is acutely aware that what he does can make the difference between someone either enduring retirement or being able to enjoy it. He looks at everything through the eyes of investors. An approach that some of his better known rivals such as disgraced Neil Woodford failed to see any merit in for them, themselves first, investors a distant second. Lees has run the JOHCM Global Select fund since its launch in September 2008. He's been assisted from day one by Nudgem Richyal who is an important cog in the fund's wheel. They are 'Yin' and 'Yang'. Lees is good at identifying 'winners' stocks that will create profits for investors. Richyal is better at knowing when it is time to sell a stock. The fund is as much about eradicating losses as it is in generating profits. Says Lees: 'If we're both bullish on a stock, then we tend to make good money for investors if we buy it. If one of us is very bullish and the other is very bearish, then it's best for us to ignore the company. 'But if one of us is bullish and the other a tad indifferent in other words there is still scepticism in the room then we tend to make big money for investors if we invest. 'On the sell side, as soon as one of us is negative on a holding and the other is indifferent, we have to sell. We like to weed out losers early.' The investment process underpinning Global Select is meticulous and heavily numbers-based ('quantitative') although Lees says it is 'still evolving and improving'. It involves regularly ranking every company in the world that has shares liquid enough for the fund to buy. Companies are ranked on three key criteria. First, their business 'fundamentals' such as earnings and the strength of their balance sheet the more robust, the better. Second, their market valuation compared to the rest of the market and history is it under-valued (great) or over-valued (not so good)? Over the past one, three and five years, Global Select has delivered returns of 12 per cent, 42 per cent and 97 per cent Finally, is it a company operating in a growing business area (good) and a stable economy (again, good) or is it an 'idiosyncratic' business whose fortunes are not dependent upon the economy or the business sector it sits in (it's going to grow anyway, a big positive). Lees and Richyal then invest in those companies that are ranked among the highest on these three scores as well as those businesses that are rapidly moving up this league table. They do this in such a way that equal weighting is given to all holdings with regular rebalancing to take account of the distorting impact of share price moves. Currently, the fund has 39 holdings. The equal weighting approach, says Lees, is to prevent 'over confidence bias' going big on a stock, only for it to disappoint. He adds: 'It stops us taking on excess investment risk.' The portfolio flutters between 30 and 60 holdings although the 'sweet spot is 30 to 40 holdings'. When they think they have made a wrong investment, they cut their losses very quickly. 'I'm a keen mountaineer and skier,' says Lees. 'My goal every time is to avoid the avalanches and come home safely. Currently, the fund has 39 holdings 'Equally, as a fund manager, my goal is to ensure we avoid incurring big losses on any of our holdings thereby safeguarding investors' money. 'Yes, we make mistakes we're human. But we have stabilisers in place. We are not wrong for long and strip out any losers.' The resulting portfolio is dominated by companies that have rock solid balance sheets and which benefit from one of two key economic trends 'digitalisation' and 'decarbonisation'. Only one company mining giant Rio Tinto was jettisoned from the portfolio throughout the early stages of the pandemic with Lees and Richyal both working remotely. 'We took the decision to work from home on February 24, a month before official lockdown,' says Lees. 'It was imperative that if one of us got ill, the other could drive the bus.' Both continue to work from home. Positions were also built in a number of 'anti-fragile' stocks companies whose shares are resilient in a falling market. Gold companies such as Australian-listed Newcrest Mining and Japanese-based chemical giant Kao. These positions have since been trimmed with stakes added to in American semi-conductor businesses NVidia and ASML and internet giant Prosus. Global Select has some familiar names among its top 10 holdings the likes of Accenture, Microsoft and PayPal (all benefiting from digitalisation). It also includes lesser known companies such as Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas Wind Systems (a decarbonisation play). Yet there are plenty of stakes that stand it apart from other global funds and which Lees says will give it a performance edge in the years to come. These include the likes of New York-listed APTIV that has been successful in pivoting its car components business away from reliance on the internal combustion engine to a new focus on the electric car. 'A good company that is improving,' says Lees. Others include Danish energy giant Orsted, New Zealand milk producer A2 Milk and Japan-based Peptidream that helps discover and develop new drugs. Five other stand-out global funds RACY Fund: Scottish Mortgage Manager: James Anderson (Baillie Gifford) Size: 15billion Investment style: Growth businesses with 15% exposure to unquoteds Big holdings: Amazon (9.7%) and Illumina (6.1%) Annual charges: 0.36%. Performance: One year, +77%; five years, +277% Stock market ID code: BLDYK61 Fund: Baillie Gifford Global Discovery Manager: Douglas Brodie Size: 1.3billion Investment style: Growth companies Big holdings: Tesla (4.7) and Ocado (4.4) Annual charges: 0.79% Performance: One year, +45%; five years, +203% Stock market ID code: 0605922. Fund: Fundsmith Equity Manager: Terry Smith Size: 20.5billion Investment style: Concentrated portfolio of 29 stocks Big holdings: Microsoft and PayPal Annual charges: 0.95% Performance: One year, +9%; five years, +162% Stock market ID code: B41YBW7 INCOME AND GROWTH FOCUS Fund: Bankers Manager: Alex Crooke, (Janus Henderson) Size: 1.3billion Investment style: Capital and dividend growth Big holdings: Microsoft (2.8%) and Amazon (2.3%) Annual charges: 0.52% Performance: One year, +12%; five years, +101% Stock market ID code: 0076700 CONSERVATIVE Fund: Personal Assets Manager: Sebastian Lyon (Troy Asset Management) Size: 1.1billion Investment style: Broad spread of assets Big holdings: Equities (44%), US government bonds (30%) Annual charges: 0.9% Performance: One year, +7%; five years, +44% Stock market ID code: 0682754 Orsted used to generate all its energy from oil and gas, but is now focused on the production of clean energy via wind farms, waste and solar farms. A2 Milk specialises in the production of milk rich in beta-casein protein that is considered healthier than other brands. Lees says Peptidream may make the fund 'huge amounts of money'. He adds: 'I was sceptical when we bought into it while Nudgem was enthusiastic. On A2 Milk, I was bullish while Nudgem said 'whatever'. A recent disposal was Momo China's answer to dating app Tinder. It was sold primarily because of President Trump's increasing antagonism towards Chinese companies. The shares, listed in New York, have fallen sharply over the past year by more than 75 per cent. 'Momo's shares could fall to zero,' he says. 'We want to avoid any catastrophic share price falls.' For the record, the fund has not held a single UK retail bank or for that matter a European one since 2008. So, for the performance numbers. Over the past one, three and five years, Global Select has delivered returns of 12 per cent, 42 per cent and 97 per cent. Far better than the average global fund with respective returns of 8 per cent, 26 per cent and 81 per cent. But, of course, not as spectacular as global investment trust Scottish Mortgage which by taking big bets on companies such as electric car manufacturer Tesla and so-called FAANG stocks such as Facebook and Google has generated stratospheric returns of 77 per cent, 112 per cent and 277 per cent. Lees accepts that Global Select's performance pales into insignificance against the likes of Scottish Mortgage. But he believes the fund's ability to outperform most rival firms without investing in FAANGs is proof that the investment process underpinning it works. 'FAANG stocks will roll over at some stage,' he says. 'Trees do not grow to the sky. We are not a one- trick pony.' John Kay, a former board member of Scottish Mortgage, says the best funds to invest in are those with 'a well-argued investment philosophy that chimes with your own'. So, if you like investment risk, opt for the likes of Scottish Mortgage. But if you prefer a quieter ride still with the potential to make profits JOHCM Global Select may be more your cup of tea. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, September 5, 2020 13:43 502 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c42df8ed 4 National island-for-sale,island,Southeast-Sulawesi,Sulawesi,Buton,Buton-Island,e-commerce Free Local authorities in Buton regency, Southeast Sulawesi, are investigating how the provinces Pendek Island ended up for sale online, following a report filed by the heirs of former islanders. The sparsely populated island of 242 hectares belonging to Boneatiro village in Kapontori district was offered on an e-commerce site at a price of Rp 36,500 (US$2.47) per square meter. The site has since taken down the offer. Kapontori Police chief First. Insp. La Ajima said police had received a report from the heirs of former islanders and would coordinate with the Buton Police in the further investigation. This is a national issue and should be handled by at least the precinct police. Most of the witnesses to be questioned live outside of Buton regency. I will bring this report to the [Buton] Police chief, La Ajima said on Thursday, as quoted by kompas.com. West Boneatiro village head Ilyas, who is himself one of the heirs of the former islanders, said they had included in their report records of tax payments for 334 former islanders paid in the period of 1937 to 1940. The evidence of tax payments is the basis for our police report, he said. Read also: West Sulawesi turtle conservation island allegedly sold for Rp 2 billion He said the records included all the names of taxpayers who had lived on the island during the Dutch colonial era. The heirs also submitted other evidence, including historical records of the island during the Buton Sultanate. The Buton Police have conducted an initial investigation into the case. Buton Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Adi Benny Cahyono said the alleged perpetrator, identified only as IS, was currently residing in West Jakarta. The perpetrator took advantage of the moment. Maybe he saw that the government paid less attention to [the island], so he ventured to advertise it, he said. Adi said the Buton Police had formed two investigative teams that would also cooperate with the National Polices cybercrime unit to arrest and investigate the suspect. Local authorities have reportedly planned to turn Pendek Island, with its exotic natural scenery, including the white coastline, coral reefs and abundant fish, into a tourist attraction in Buton regency. Read also: 16,000 Indonesian islands registered at UN The island is currently only inhabited by one person named La Hasa, who said it was a shock to learn the place he lived in was being offered for sale. La Hasa said that, under a government program, residents of Pendek Island had moved to the mainland in 1971, but he had decided to stay there and grow crops. Buton regent La Bakry said Pendek Island was categorized as an other designated area (APL) under the authority of the regional government, as stipulated in a forestry clause by the Southeast Sulawesi administration. He said the government had moved the islanders to the mainland to ease public service delivery, but some residents from the villages of Boneatiro and West Boneatiro still had some plantation work on the island. (syk) The British government has suspended the provision of military training to Belaruss army, amid accusations that the UK has been strengthening and legitimising the countrys dictatorship. The Independent reported last month that UK military instructors had been teaching Belarusian troops as recently as March this year, despite the country being widely regarded as a dictatorship. Following the revelations, ministers quietly announced this week that any training had been temporarily stopped, in light of recent events probably a reference to the popular uprising against the countrys rigged presidential election. Campaigners said the UK should never have been training the Belarusian army in the first place, given its appalling human rights record and said there should be no return to the old policy once attention had gone elsewhere. Junior defence minister James Heappey said in a written statement that the UK and Belarus had shared a cooperative defence relationship which aims to promote mutual learning and understanding through events such as winter survival training, language training and peacekeeping training failing to mention other courses overseen by the UK such as advanced command. The minister added: However, in light of recent events we have decided to suspend our defence engagement programme with Belarus and will keep this under close review. In the aftermath of Belaruss contested 9 August elections, thousands of protesters have been detained by authorities, hundreds thought to have been tortured, and at least four have died. Tens of thousands of people took to the streets across the country again this week, while authorities withdrew accreditation from 17 reporters, mostly for foreign media outlets. The UK has said it does not accept the result of the elections, with the foreign secretary Dominic Raab describing it as fraudulent and calling for an investigation by the independent Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Alexander Lukashenko, president of Belarus (Tass/Getty) (Tass) He said the world had watched with horror at the violence used by the Belarusian authorities to suppress the peaceful protests. But the latest repression came as little surprise in the country, which Freedom House (a think tank) has consistently rated as not free on account of it being an authoritarian state in which elections are openly orchestrated and civil liberties are tightly restricted. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty Andrew Smith, of the Campaign Against Arms Trade, said: This is a welcome announcement, but the UK should never have been training with the Belarus army in the first place. The regime has an appalling human rights record which is upheld by a brutal and authoritarian army. The UK should never have been doing anything to strengthen or support it. It is vitally important that this is a lasting change. There cannot simply be a return to business as usual once the headlines have gone away. There must be an end to the duplicitous and hypocritical approach to foreign policy that has allowed this to happen. United States President Donald Trump makes a comment in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, Sept. 4. UPI-Yonhap President Donald Trump used North Korea, Friday, apparently to elude a thorny question regarding Russia's possible involvement in the recent assassination attempt on a Russian opposition leader. Trump said the U.S. would have to look at it very seriously "if that's the case" when asked what he thought of the outcome of an investigation by Germany that the Russian opposition figure, Alexei Navalny, had in fact been poisoned with the Soviet-developed nerve agent Novichok. The U.S. president argued he has been tougher on Russia than anyone else but then said he got along with almost all countries, including North Korea. "Remember, we were supposed to be going to war with North Korea," he told a White House press conference, adding the war would have been "very messy" and "very bad" and that millions of people would have been killed. Trump has frequently and increasingly highlighted his "good relationship" with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as one of his diplomatic achievements in the lead up to the Nov. 3 presidential election. When the markets shut down, when the Delhi Metro trains stopped running, and those who had the luxury of a house exiled themselves within it; when the sky regained its blue, the streets emptied out, and all stalls that had no shutter to pull down had to close too, some left their phone numbers behind. During the lockdown imposed on March 25 to curb the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic, mobile numbers etched on boundary walls or on makeshift boards hanging over tress and light poles stared at masked passersby on traffic-less streets and avenues like the detritus of civilisation that has abruptly vanished. A wall in Green Park was scrawled with the ten-digit mobile number of a mat sellerthere was no sign of him around. Did the seller have a home in the city to stay at home or was he one of the thousands who joined the exodus to their remote villages, leaving the city on foot soon after the lockdown was imposed? A wall near Nehru Place poignantly displayed the number of a tailor. In pre-pandemic times, his stall used to stand on this corner of the footpath. In Roop Nagar, in north Delhi, a grey wall was stamped with a small poster advertising the number of a full body maalish provider. ALSO SEE | Photos: Stories told in photographs from a capital in lockdown In Pamposh Enclave, the tiny metal hoarding of a chabi (key) repairman was tied to the railing of a park with an iron chain, as though its loss would lead to the annihilation of the repairmans place in the world. The most haunting sight was the barely perceptible number of a Bijli Walla, (electrician) scratched on a wall in South Extension with what was probably, the mans fingernails. Unlike the giant hoardings advertising products of big companies, these crudely drawn scrawls and itsy-bitsy banners subtly recreated the daily struggles of people who make their living on the streets. During the lockdown, the sight of these phone numbers seemed extraordinarily profound perhaps because they infused the banality of the old normal into otherwise very abnormal days. In East of Kailash, a sign of Pop Singh Chik Maker listed his number with all bamboo blinds he specialises in. A tree trunk in the same area held the number of Tiwari Rickshaw Walla. A revelation: there are real lives behind these numbers. For on calling the last, a voice answers: Im Shatrughan Tiwari. Unlike many who on being suddenly out of work, quickly left for their distant homelands, Tiwari stayed back at his house in Sangam Vihar. I didnt rush to my village in Sitamarhi (Bihar). I had an accident some days before the lockdown, when a car hit me near Paras cinema... I received 14 stitches on my head. But now Tiwari is back to work. Recalling his time in the lockdown, he expresses gratitude to the city. I cannot lie. When my family and I were suffering, with no way to earn, so many people came to our help... including the bade log (big people) of Greater Kailash... they would call us to give rations and to find out if we needed help. As for Pop Singh, the chik maker, I left during the lockdown, he admits on picking up the phone. His home is in Agra. I will return soon, he said, sounding uncertain. Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter With recruiters rescinding offers and delaying joining dates owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, the graduating batch of students from various Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) is facing an unprecedented situation. Students of IIT-Madras are among the worst-affected, as almost eight companies withdrew as many as 28 job offers during the lockdown. Several companies also ended up postponing the date of joining for many other students, said Professor CS Shankar Ram, advisor (training & placement), IIT-Madras. At IIT-Bombay, 22 students lost the job offers made to them during the placement drives. Some of these students have secured employment elsewhere and steps are being taken to reemploy them in other companies, BV Ravi Shankar, training and placement officer, IIT-Bombay, said. At IIT-Mandi and IIT-Roorkee, only one company each pulled back the job offers made. Only one student lost the job in IIT-Mandi but at IIT-Guwahati, three students job offers were revoked during the lockdown. A senior official from IIT-Delhi confirmed that the number of job offers being revoked by companies this year were in two digit numbers. While some other IITs refused to divulge the exact details on the number of job offers revoked, they confirmed that their respective placement cells are working on ensuring that affected students are helped with other job offers in the second phase of placements. Meanwhile, deferred joining dates by employers have also added to students woes. The pandemic has affected the joining date of several students. Usually, the graduating students from IIT-Mandi join companies in July. But this year, with a slight delay in the final semester completion, the joining date was postponed to August for most offers. A few companies also deferred the joining date to January 2021. We are in touch with the companies and are confident that our students will join them by January, said Dr Sunny Zafar, advisor (career and placement cell), IIT-Mandi. Given that the pandemic has hit the countrys economy and that some companies have withdrawn offers, there is a lot of anxiety on whether my recruiter will make good on the promise, said a student from IIT-Bombay, whose joining date has been deferred. Vinayak Narayan Kulkarni, head (centre for career development), IIT-Guwahati, said that owing to the extended lockdown, several recruiters have requested students to start work in virtual mode for the time being. While most IITs recorded a notable increase in offers received during the first phase of placement drives in December 2019, the second phase that kicked off in January has not been very successful. At IIT-Bombay, 1,171 students were placed in the first phase the highest in the past couple of years. In comparison, only 36 students were placed in the second phase. The second phase was impacted due to Covid-19. We have conducted more interviews online this year due to pandemic and fewer selections were possible, said Shankar. Keeping in mind the Covid-19 situation, almost all IITs are planning to conduct placement drives virtually this year. DAWSON COUNTY Two Rivers Public Health Department rolled out a new COVID-19 dashboard which goes into more detail about the positive cases in each of its seven counties it serves. Some of the information reveals virus cases are shifting into smaller communities. Two Rivers Public Health Director Jeremy Eschliman said the metric for showing cases per 1,000 people is a way to visualize where the current risk for the virus is, something residents in the Two Rivers district have been asking for. The data shows cases are trending towards smaller communities, such as Sumner or Smithfield. Eschliman said at the moment cases are not widespread in these communities, but Two Rivers is seeing the virus shifting to smaller towns, something residents should be aware of. According to the dashboard information, there are 26 active cases of COVID-19 in Dawson County, active cases are defined as people who are currently symptomatic. All the information represents positive cases in the county in the last four weeks. Cases by age in the last four weeks break down as such, Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Chhattisgarh road accident: Odisha CM announces ex-gratia for next of kin of those killed in mishap India oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P Bhubaneswar, Sep 05: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday expressed deep grief at the death of seven people of Ganjam district in a road accident in Chhattisgarh and announced ex-gratia of Rs two lakh each for the next of kin of the deceased. Conveying his deep sympathy to the bereaved families, Patnaik also directed Rural Development and Labour Minister Sushant Singh to immediately proceed to Raipur to extend necessary assistance to the victims of the accident, a statement from the Chief Minister's Office said. Coronavirus outbreak: India's tally crosses 40-lakh mark with single-day spike of 86,432 cases "Besides ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund (CMRF) for the bereaved families, Patnaik has also announced free medical treatment to the injured and wished their speedy recovery," it said. Seven workers were killed and as many others injured on Saturday when a bus carrying them rammed into a truck on the outskirts of Chhattisgarh capital Raipur. The accident took place in the early hours on the National Highway-53 near Serikhedi village under Telibandha police station area. "The mishap occurred when the bus carrying 59 workers was heading to Gujarat from neighbouring Odisha," Station House Officer (SHO) Telibandha police station Ramakant Sahu told reporters. All the 59 workers hailing from Ganjam district (Odisha) were going to Surat (Gujarat) to work in cloth mills, the SHO said. Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy, his wife Carla Bruni and their daughter Giulia attended the wedding of their mayor friend on Saturday as France suffered a record number of new daily coronavirus infections. A group of over a hundred people gathered outside the town hall for more than half an hour, and applauded the ex-President and his family when they arrived, who could be seen wearing masks. The wedding party and a smaller group of around 50 guests moved inside, with the wedding being held in a more discreet setting on the second floor of the building, away from the media. The groom - Franck Louvrier - is the mayor of La Baule-Escoublac, a commune on the west coast of France, near Nantes, and was Sarkozy's communications advisor during his presidency that ran from 2007 to 2012. During the ceremony, Sarkozy gave a short speech to the groom and his new wife Sophie Jolivet, in which he emphasised the importance of commitment - in both love and politics. 'We live in a society where commitment is fought every day when it is only commitment that matters. In a commitment, we can make mistakes, we can make mistakes, we can fail,' he said according to Ouest France. 'Getting involved is the key to everything. What is politics if not the expression of feelings?' he asked. Former President, Nicolas Sarkozy (left) and his wife Carla Bruni Sarkozy (right) accompanied by their daughter Giulia Sarkozy attend the wedding of their friend, Mayor of La Baule, Franck Louvrier with Sophie Jolivet at the City Hall of La Baule today The groom, Franck Louvrier (right), was also Sarkozy's communication advisor during his time as the President of France. Weddings have been allowed in France after lockdown since June 2 The ex-president praised his former colleague and long-term friend's determination to become mayor of La Baule, saying: 'I can bear witness that Franck's dream was here, in this city! For so long, and it has been difficult. And without difficulties, there is no happiness. 'What gives things a price is that we had to fight. Franck is a courageous man. And courage is not a quality that is eminently shared. Franck wanted to share and show that he himself could be number one. He demonstrated it, he proved it.' As of June 2, weddings have been allowed in France, with the number of people allowed to attend being determined by the size of the venue. The government states that attendees must be able to maintain a distance of one meter. The wedding comes on the same day that France recorded its record number of new Covid-19 infections in a single 24-hour period, but ruled out another lockdown. France yesterday reported 8,975 new confirmed cases, over 1,000 more than the previous daily record of 7,578 on March 31. However, up until now, the rise in infections has mainly affected young people who are less likely to develop complications from the virus. There has so far been less strain on French hospitals, which were almost overwhelmed at the end of March. French Health Minister Olivier Veran speaks during a press conference on the situation of the ongoing coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic in France at the Hotel de Matignon in Paris, France, 27 August 2020 Health Minister Olivier Veran said today France must stay vigilant as more people will be hospitalised in intensive care units in the next two weeks, reflecting a flare-up in COVID-19 infections in recent days. Veran however ruled out the need for a new nationwide lockdown, telling BFM television that France had other means to fight the virus, including testing. 'I cannot envision a general lockdown. The lockdown was a lid on an overflowing cooking pot,' he said. After falling steadily for months following an April 14 peak of 32,292, the number of people hospitalised was up by 28 on Friday to 4,671, rising for a sixth day in a row. 'We are not all on the same epidemic wave as last spring. We are on a slower trend but one that must alert us,' Veran said. 'This week, 55 patients on average were hospitalised in intensive care units (ICU) each day, this means we are on an average of 1,500-2,000 people hospitalised in ICU units per month in our country. 'This is not neutral and we must be extremely vigilant,' he added. Current hospitalisation numbers reflected infections contracted two weeks ago, Veran said. 'So it is obvious that in the next 15 days there will be an increase, it will not be massive but there will nevertheless be an increase in the number of severe cases and in the number of people hospitalised and in ICU units'. LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2020 / Compare-autoinsurance.org (http://compare-autoinsurance.org/) is a top auto insurance brokerage website, providing car insurance quotes online from trustworthy agencies all over the United States. This website released an online guide that explains what safety devices will help drivers get better car insurance rates. Driving an unsafe vehicle can be dangerous for drivers and passengers. Furthermore, drivers of unsafe vehicles are more likely to file a claim to their insurers. For this reason, car insurance companies are encouraging drivers to use safer cars by offering substantial discounts to those who are already using safer vehicles or are willing to install safety devices. There are some aftermarket safety devices that drivers can install in their vehicles to improve the safety of their cars and to lower their premiums. Some of the most common safety devices are: Adaptive cruise control. This system Is using sensors and radars to assist the drivers by setting a maximum speed for vehicles and automatically slowing the speed of the car when traffic is sensed in front of the vehicle. Forward collision warning . Usually, this system is paired with adaptive cruise control and is used to alert the driver when it determines a potential collision in front of the car, such as with another vehicle or a cyclist. Automatic Emergency Braking . There advanced car brake systems use advanced computing to take large amounts of data from several sensors and cameras to assist the drivers to avoid or prevent an accident. Blindspot warning . These systems will use either video data or radar in order to keep a careful watch over the areas drivers can't see from their rear view or side mirrors. They will detect if a car gets a little too close and it alerts the driver with a series of beeps or visual cues. GPS tracking systems. A GPS tracking system works by using satellite technology to store locational data as well as other information related to vehicle activity. This tracking data is then sent to off-site servers in real-time that allow for that data to be viewed from anywhere in the world where Internet connections are available. Story continues For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit http://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. "You can save money on car insurance if you have several safety features installed in your vehicle," said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing Company Person for contact Name: Gurgu C Phone Number: (818) 359-3898 Email: cgurgu@internetmarketingcompany.biz Website: http://compare-autoinsurance.org/ SOURCE: Internet Marketing Company View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/604925/Safety-Devices-That-Will-Help-Drivers-Save-Car-Insurance-Money Donald Trump Jr. (Paul Sancya / AP) TikTok rival Triller has another Trump in its corner as it tries to take on the popular yet embattled Chinese-owned social media app. Donald Trump Jr. on Friday joined Los Angeles-based Triller, posting a seven-minute video attacking TikTok for its ties to China as the president's executive orders against the service loom. The latest strike at TikTok comes as the app is trying to orchestrate a sale of its U.S. assets before the administration's deadline. "I know there's some outrage about [the TikTok ban] because people have liked the platform," Trump Jr. said in the video. "But you know what? There's an option that you can go to that's an American company, that's not saving your data, that's not going to eventually weaponize it against your children." Trump Jr.'s alliance with Triller comes after his father, President Trump, signed an order last month that would bar TikToks parent company, China-based ByteDance, from doing business with U.S. companies starting Sept. 20. A second order would require ByteDance to divest its TikTok U.S. operations by Nov. 12. President Trump is already on Triller, which is owned by Hollywood producer Ryan Kavanaugh's Proxima Media. A representative for Triller declined to comment. Trump administration officials have called TikTok a national security threat, accusing the company of funneling user data to the communist government in Beijing. TikTok has become increasingly popular in the U.S., especially among teens, through silly videos and viral dance crazes. A TikTok spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. TikTok has said the U.S. government has provided no evidence to support its action. It has denied that it gives data to China, and says it wouldn't do so if asked. But Trump Jr., who has been one of his father's most loyal political surrogates on the campaign trail, echoed those claims in his first video on Triller. Story continues "When you have an app like TikTok, where the Chinese government could be turning on your kids' camera, turning on your kids' video, listening in, turning on their mic at any random time ... this is something that could come back and haunt your kids forever," Trump Jr. said. Trump Jr.'s comments on TikTok tie together two key themes of Trump's campaign against Democratic nominee Joe Biden the administration's hard line against China, and suspicion of online "cancel culture." The Chinese government, he said, could use videos, photos and other information from young people to "exert influence" over them later in life. "You could make a mistake at age 13, 14, 15. ... All of a sudden, you're running a company, you're running for government, and our biggest geopolitical threat, China, could have thousands of hours of recorded conversation to use against you, to exert influence," he added. He also repeated the allegation that the Chinese government "lied to the world" about the danger of the coronavirus before it escalated into the current pandemic. China has denied withholding information about COVID-19. Triller, founded in 2015 as a video editing service, has been seen as a marginal player in the competitive social video space until recent months. As Trump's war against TikTok heated up, some TikTok influencers migrated to the service and downloads spiked. Its reach is still significantly smaller than TikTok, which has about 100 million users in the U.S. Proxima bought Triller last year. Kavanaugh, a controversial Hollywood investor, is best known as the founder and former CEO of Relativity Media, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2015 after promising to bring "Moneyball"-style analytics to the movie industry. Pressure is mounting for TikTok to find a buyer. Microsoft has been in talks to buy TikTok to give it a foothold in social media and boost its cloud computing business. Walmart last week confirmed it has joined Microsoft's bid, which analysts say could help the retail giant compete with Amazon.com. Oracle Corp., founded by Larry Ellison, also has bid. As the political strife hit its apex, TikTok's CEO Kevin Mayer left the company three months after vacating a prominent position at Walt Disney Co. to take the job. International collaboration is needed to confront Chinas rising use of coercive diplomacy to get what it wants, says a report from an Australian think tank. One of the reports co-authors, Fergus Hanson, said the Chinese Communist Party is increasingly using threats or forceful actions in diplomatic disputes and smaller countries cant take on Beijing alone. Canada has felt the sting of Chinas tactics since December 2018 when two Canadian men Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were arrested in China and now stand charged with espionage offences. Their arrests came within days of the arrest of Chinese tech giant Huaweis CFO, Meng Wanzhou, in Vancouver on a request from the United States. Kovrigs and Spavors continued detentions are considered to be retaliation by China. According to the report, only Australia has been subject to more cases of Chinas coercive diplomacy than has Canada. You really have no way to win in a bilateral dispute with China, Hanson told the Star in a phone interview. The only real way to do this is collective response. He said such a response should include Canada and its partner nations in the intelligence sharing alliance known as the Five Eyes adopting economic security measures to retaliate against Beijings coercive diplomacy. The alliance includes Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and United States. The report via the independent Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) is titled The Chinese Communist Partys Coercive Diplomacy. It was released Tuesday and is based on open source information, such as newspaper articles, academic research and social media posts. It says the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has used coercive diplomacy in 152 cases against 27 countries over the past decade and instances have risen sharply in the past three years. It also explains how China uses a divide-and-conquer approach to foreign relations. The report said a co-ordinated and sustained international effort by governments and companies is needed to push back against China. Coercive diplomacy can include economic sanctions, tourism bans, state-sanctioned threats and detention of foreign citizens in mainland China. Officials from China have denied the government uses the tactics. Hanson said the Kovrig and Spavor situation is a prime example of a time when western countries could have united against Beijing, but did not. It took weeks for the Australian government to issue a media statement about the arrest of the Canadians, he said, adding other nations also issued separate statements. Everyone tried to act bilaterally, no one had any impact and it was a bit of a disaster. Instead, he said, Five Eyes countries should treat such actions against a member nation as an attack against all members and collaborate a response for more impact. Hanson said Chinas ban on Canadian pork and beef last year could have also been addressed with this approach. The months-long ban cost the industry in Canada $100 million. Had the Five Eyes been set up to collaborate in such a dispute the countries could have collectively imposed $100 million worth of sanctions on the Chinese economy in retaliation, he said. Youd only have to do it once and this would stop, Hanson said. But Liberal MP for Scarborough-Guildwood, John McKay, said though co-operation is possible it would not be easy to organize internationally. Its an interesting idea and given the ditching of any reasonable economic and diplomatic norm by the Chinese Communist Party all ideas, I think, should be on the table, McKay said. McKay is a member of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), a newly-formed international consortium of elected officials and other high-profile figures working to find ways to counter Beijings actions. He said using existing trade pacts like the 11-nation Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, which includes Canada, Vietnam and Japan, may be a better way to address coercive diplomacy. I think that pretty well all of those countries see their economic relationship with China the same way, every one of them has been victimized by the economic aggression of the Chinese Communist Party, he said. My gut reaction is you go there first. Collaboration to support countries being targeted by Beijing is a priority for IPAC, said spokesperson Sam Armstrong. We want to come up with ways of using our membership to encourage governments to stand with those that are being bullied so that there is a global alliance against Chinese bullying, he said, whether that manifests itself through diplomatic, espionage, military or economic means. Armstrong said he already believes there is an appetite among Five Eyes countries to support each other economically in disputes with China. But he said he hasnt seen much evidence the alliance is ready to work together on other issues, such as Beijings political interference in foreign countries. Despite U.S. President Donald Trumps America First foreign policy and Washingtons withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact in 2017, Armstrong said he is confident Washington would support collaborative action against the CCP. I think they actually see it as a shared endeavour, he said. Armstrong said the Trump administration is always looking for wins on the global stage and is willing to cut deals to get them. Other ways countries can combat Chinas coercive diplomacy, according to the ASPI report, include developing protocols to help business react to coercion. The report found the United States has been subject to the third highest number of coercive diplomacy cases from China at nine. Australia had the most at 17 followed by Canada with 10. It says most countries made re-establishing good relations with China a priority in response to coercive diplomacy by the CPP. This type of result seems likely only to license further coercion by the CCP against others, reads the report. The CCP intentionally isolates countries in this way to retain comparative strength and ensure the effectiveness of its coercive methods. Not all nations have been co-operative in the face of Chinas aggressive foreign policy. Earlier this week Chinas foreign minister threatened the Czech Republic after the president of its senate, Milos Vystrcil, gave a speech in Taiwan. China claims ownership of Taiwan, despite the island having its own government, military and borders while declaring itself a sovereign nation. Beijing often becomes enraged when foreign nations have direct contact with the Taiwanese government. Chinas foreign minister Wang Yi promised the Czech Republic would pay a heavy price for the Taiwan visit by the delegation. The Czech Republics foreign minister responded to Chinas protest by saying he hopes the two nations can continue working together. But the comments also sparked a letter from the mayor of a district of Prague, Pavel Novotny, to Wang demanding an apology within 24 hours and calling the Chinese government unmannered, rude clowns. With files from Bloomberg and the Associated Press Read more about: T wo teenagers have been taken to hospital after they were found stabbed at two separate east London stations. Police were called shortly before 7pm on Saturday to reports of a stabbing at West Ham tube station. A second teenage boy was found stabbed a "short time later" at Abbey Road DLR station, located around half a mile away, police said. "It appears that two men met as they passed each other on a stairway at the station," British Transport Police (BTP) said in a statement. "Following what seems to have been an altercation between the two men, one male received stab wounds and collapsed at the station. "The other male, who also received stab wounds, got on to a train to Abbey Road DLR Station." Both men have been taken to hospital, BTP said. No arrests have been made and a crime scene remains in place at both stations. "Police are asking that anyone who was in or around West Ham Underground Station at about 6.50pm this evening, or at Abbey Road DLR Station shortly afterwards and saw anything suspicious, to please get in touch," BTP said. Transport for London said the Abbey Road station was closed due to a customer incident, while trains on the Jubilee Line were not stopping at West Ham for the same reason. Anyone who witnessed the incident or with information should contact BTP by texting 61016, or by calling 0800 40 50 40, quoting reference 420 of 5/09/2020, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Saturday in Akure officially flagged off the campaign of its candidate, Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, for the October 10 gubernatorial election in Ondo State. Speaking at the rally, the Chairman of the National Caretaker Committee of the party, Mai Buni, urged people of the state not to allow anyone to truncate the developmental strides of the Akeredolu administration. Mr Buni, who is also the governor of Yobe State, stated that APC was known for progress and development across all human endeavours. Also, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, who is also the Chairman of the National Campaign Committee for Ondo State, said that Mr Akeredolu had brought about real development across the state. Mr Sanwo-Olu described Mr Akeredolu as progressive-minded, and who must be allowed to spend a second term in office for the betterment of the state. Also, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State said that Mr Akeredolu had done a lot, adding that there was no place in the state that had not felt the impact of the developmental strides of the Akeredolu-led government. Mr Fayemi described Mr Akeredolu as evidence of commitment, compassion and development in the state. While affirming that all the promises of Mr Akeredolu have been fulfilled, Mr Fayemi gave an assurance that all APC members were solidly behind Mr Akeredolus re-election. He urged all APC supporters to continue to campaign for the partys victory on October 10. Appreciating APC supporters, Mr Akeredolu said he was prepared to do much more than his administration had recorded in the last three and a half years in office. The governor warned the people not to vote for those who would come to ruin the gains that had been entrenched in the last three and a half years across the state. He urged APC members and supporters to reach out to all nooks and crannies of the state for the party to have overwhelming votes. In attendance at the campaign flag off were Governor Atiku Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi State, Chairman, APC Governors Forum; Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State, Babagana Zulum of Borno State and AbdulRahman AdulRasak of Kwara State. Other governors at the event were Gboyega Oyetola of Osun, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun, Sani Bello of Niger and the Deputy Governor of Kogi, David Onoja. Also, at the campaign rally were Minister of Transportations, Rotimi Ameachi; Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Silva; Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs, Tayo Alasoadura and other chieftains of the party. (NAN) The World Bank reportedly cancelled $224 million loans to the Lebanon government for the proposed Bisri Dam Project as it failed to fulfil preconditions required before the funds were disbursed. According to reports, Lebanon failed to meet the deadline to finalise the Ecological Compensation Plan and to mobilise a contractor at the dam project worksite after which the World bank on September 4 decided to cancel the undisbursed funds. In a press note, the World Bank officials said, The World Bank today notified the Government of Lebanon (GOL) of its decision to cancel the undisbursed funds under the Water Supply Augmentation Project (Bisri Dam Project) due to non-completion of the tasks that are preconditions to the commencement of construction of the Bisri Dam. The press release further read, "The canceled portion of the loan is USD 244 million and the cancellation is effective immediately. READ: World Bank-funded Dam In Lebanon Mirrors Governance Crisis The World bank informed that the Lebanese government also failed to finalise operation and maintenance arrangement by August 24. The officials have raised the aforementioned issues with Lebanon since January, however, as they failed to fulfil the preconditions, the World Bank decided to cancel the loan. READ: Pope Francis Says Lebanon Faces 'extreme Danger' And Threat To Its Existence Bisri Dam Project According to reports, the Bisri Dam project was approved by Lebanons government and parliament in 2015 and it has been funded through a $474 million loan by World bank. The dam is supposed to store 125 million cubic meters of water to provide a solution for chronic water shortages to Lebanese living in Beirut and Mount Lebanon. The cancellation of loan also comes after several activists reiterated their call to cancel the project, drawing a parallel between failed dam projects in Lebanon and the massive explosion on August 4. The World Bank has been heavily invested in mega-dam projects in developing countries. They have already paid around $320 million to Lebanon, including $155 million for expropriations of private land in the Bisri Valley. (With inputs from ANI) READ: Emmanuel Macron Pushes For Lebanon Reforms, Sets Terms On Beirut Blast Bailout Package READ: French Leader Marks Lebanon Centennial Ahead Of Gov't Talks With everything 2020 has thrown at us so far, starting with the death of Kobe Bryant, teasing World War III, the biggest pandemic in over a century which, as at the time of writing this article, had infected over 26 million people and killed over 850,000 people, and now the death of a cultural icon in Chadwick Boseman, it's fair to have a drink, which is likely courtesy of the 11 largest beer companies in the world in 2020. Beer is popular on a global scale, a fact which I'm sure I don't need to tell. But how popular? Well, it's an industry worth over $600 billion in just 2019 alone, which is a mind boggling figure. Based on a CAGR rate of 2.4%, we should ideally hit over $630 billion this year. But this year has been incredibly uncertain, and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic has still not been fully assessed. And in fact, it may not be certain for a long time. Pixabay/Public Domain Everyone loves beer, from Flam in Norway with a population of 350 hosting its own brewery, to any supermarket in any major city hosting a collection of beers from major companies around the world. The only place where you won't find any beer is maybe the Taliban controlled regions of Afghanistan, as Islam has banned the consumption of alcohol (they have problem with opiods though). But even this is dwindling in some countries. In Dubai, which is part of the United Arab Emirates and a Muslim country to boot, liquor laws have been further loosened to boost sales and other countries are even more liberal in their approach, allowing free consumption of alcohol, and these countries include Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and Jordan. On the other end of the spectrum is the country which drinks the most beer, topped by Czech Republic, which consumes 142.4 liters per capita annually of beer. You might think that, given all the interest for beer, beer companies are good investment opportunities. Not so fast. Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD) is one of the biggest beer companies in the world with a market cap of $116 billion dollars, but hedge funds hate this stock. The value of hedge fund holdings in this giant stock was less than $900 million at the end of June 2020. Hedge funds were right about avoiding BUD as the stock lost 30% of its value so far this year. Our calculations showed that BUD is not even close to make our list of the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds (click for Q2 rankings and see the video for a quick look at the top 5 stocks). The top 10 most popular stocks among hedge funds returned 41.4% in 2019 and outperformed the S&P 500 ETF (SPY) by 10.1 percentage points. These stocks also gained 28.2% in 2020 through August 24th and surpassed the market by another 20.6 percentage points this year. Story continues Video: Watch our video about the top 5 most popular hedge fund stocks. Of all alcohol, beer is the most consumed by far and this is good news for the largest beer companies in the world in 2020. To determine our list, we headed over to Technavio, which has prepared an incredibly extensive report on beer and its demand in the globe. Our list below is based on the market share of each company. If you want to take a look at how the list has changed over the years, you can compare it to the 11 largest beer companies in the world in 2017. So let's look at the companies which are helping to quench our thirst for alcohol, starting with number 10: 10. Groupe Castel Groupe Castel has over 28,000 employees and an operation refined from six decades worth of experience. It is the biggest wine producer in France, and for a company known for its vineyards, that's a major achievement. The company purchased a major African competitor in 1990, Brasseries et Glacieres Internationales (BGI) which has helped it increase its market share in Africa significantly. The most popular beer brands of the company are of course, Castel and Flag. Pixabay/Public Domain 9. Kirin Showcasing the global popularity of beer, our companies are from all around the world, with Kirin hailing from Japan. Kirin is a beverages giant and its brewery company is second to none, having major holdings not just in Japan, but outside the country in other Asian countries as well. Its revenue was over USD 17 billion in 2019. Pixabay/Public Domain 8. Beijing Yanjing Beer Group Beer is as popular in Asia as it is in Europe or the Americas, and we now have an entry from China in the biggest beer companies in the world in 2020. It has over 42,000 employees and in 1995, was actually named the official beer to be served at state banquets in China. Ievgenii Meyer/Shutterstock.com 7. Asahi Group Holdings, Ltd. The company is over 130 years old and is one of the biggest companies in Japan, with alcoholic beverages only making up 41% of the total business. Asahi has the highest market share of the beer industry in Japan, which is a huge industry, followed by Kirin. Asahi has purchased several global businesses from Anheuser-Busch InBev (InBev) within the past few years, exponentially increasing the hold of Asahi on the global beer industry. Largest Alcohol Companies in the World Pixabay/Public DOmain 6. Tsingtao Brewery Group Currently, Asia is dominating the list of biggest beer industries in 2020, with Tsingtao, China's second biggest brewery making number 6. It has 15% of the domestic market share and in the biggest country in the world, that is a huge achievement. The company is another one over 100 years old. monticello/Shutterstock.com 5. Molson Coors Beverage Company (NYSE:TAP) We are finally in the US of A with Molson Coors, formed by the merger of two companies in US and Canada. Statistics which I just made up say there is a huge chance that 10% of the people reading this article have a Coors can in their other hand. toronto, ontario, canadian, molson-coors, business, brewery, canada, brew, mississauga, building, molson, beer, coors, industry, ale Atomazul / Shutterstock.com 4. Carlsberg The Danish company is over 150 years old, but there seem to be no signs of it slowing down at all. With a catchy tagline of 'Probably the best beer in the world', it has certainly held on to its global market share, with their flagship beer being of course, Carlsberg. The company has over 41,000 employees. Faiz Zaki/Shutterstock.com 3. China Resources Snow Breweries We told you that Tsingtao was the second biggest beer company in China, and this is why. The company is only 27 years old, but has a market share in China of 21%, which again, is immense in a country with over a billion people. Whitest Cities in the South Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock.com 2. Heineken Visit any European country, and you can't go to any store without Heineken cans staring back at you. While the company is Dutch and incredibly popular in Europe, it has its admirers in the US too, where it provides millions of barrels of beer each year, a number which will only increase with time. Pixabay/Public Domain 1. Anheuser-Busch InBev It may have sold off some of its businesses to Asahi, but the Anheuser-Busch InBev still tops the list of 11 largest beer companies in the world in 2020. With annual sales exceeding a mind-boggling $50 billion in 2019, thanks to its flagship Budweiser it seems unlikely that any company can come close to dethroning it. Inbev had 28% of the global market share in 2017, and for one company to have that hold in a global company is actually quite hard to fathom. LunaseeStudios/Shutterstock.com Disclosure: None. 11 Largest Beer Companies In The World in 2020 is originally published at Insider Monkey. For years, Wall Street enthused about the merits of shifting manufacturing out of the United States. Globalists on Wall Street advocated a simplistic worldview: It doesnt matter where things are made cheaper is better. But they overlooked the impact this would have on Americas future economic and national security. And now, 20 years later, the United States has lost almost 90,000 factories, nearly 5 million manufacturing jobs, and a wide array of essential supply chains. This industrial loss has largely been Chinas gain. In 2000, for example, the U.S. enjoyed a $5 billion annual trade surplus in advanced technology products. By 2019, however, that had shifted to a $133 billion annual deficit. Pharmaceutical production has been eviscerated, too. 90 percent of the generic medications that Americans use each day are now imported. And even the raw materials for manufacturing overwhelmingly come from imports. China is the dominant supplier for 23 of the 35 metals and minerals deemed critical for U.S. national security. Chinas manufacturing boom has come on the back of horrific environmental and labor practices that have been conveniently ignored for too long. Each year, a massive brown cloud of soot and debris drifts east from mainland China. And Chinese factories spew an estimated 40,000 tons of ozone-depleting carbon tetrachloride into the atmosphere annually in violation of international agreement. China also employs forced labor, including more than 1 million ethnic Uighurs and other minority groups driven into a vast network of indoctrination camps. Its impossible to excuse these wanton practices, and even free-trade advocates are waking up to Chinas ugly behavior. Such lawlessness has allowed China to gradually surpass Americas high-tech lead and has finally prompted congressional action. Recently, a bipartisan group of senators introduced bills to aid U.S. semiconductor producers and microelectronics manufacturers that compete with China. These are important efforts. But will they come in time? Beijing is intent on global dominance and has already launched a Made in China 2025 campaign to overtake key industries like information technology, robotics, aerospace, electric vehicles, and medical devices. Wireless networks and renewable energy systems will likely be a key part of Chinas growth strategy. And that leaves the United States in a particularly poor position. Beijing already holds a major advantage in the production and processing of raw materials for high-tech industries. That gives them preferential access to the building blocks of everything from lithium-ion batteries to solar panels. And every iPhone that Americans purchase helps to fund irresponsible mining projects like the Bayan-Obo, a Chinese rare earths site that has dumped toxic sludge into a waste pond three times the size of Central Park. Despite possessing an estimated $6.2 trillion in mineral reserves, the U.S. still imports nearly $7 billion worth of metals and minerals each year. This is especially relevant for rare earth metals like neodymium, dysprosium, and lanthanum that are used to manufacture electric vehicles, wind turbines, and smartphones. In fact, China supplies roughly 80 percent of the rare earths imported by the United States. If Congress is serious about bolstering our national and economic security, it must prioritize the rebuilding of key industries. A bipartisan senate bill introduced in May would allocate $10 billion to establish regional technology hubs. Thats a helpful start, but far more is needed. The U.S. must aim for greater industrial self-sufficiency and start producing more of the raw materials like lithium, graphite, nickel, and rare earths needed for 21st century technologies. To reduce strategic vulnerabilities and lessen global environmental harm, Congress should speed the domestic production of key metals and minerals. The U.S. already adheres to the worlds strictest mining safety and environmental standards. It makes no sense to tolerate Chinas continued stranglehold over these key commodities. Its time for Congress to pursue a comprehensive, bipartisan strategy to win the global competition for good jobs and industries. Michael Stumo is CEO of the Coalition for a Prosperous America. Follow him @michael_stumo KEENE A funeral procession for longtime Otonabee-South Monaghan Reeve Dave Nelson made its way through the community he loved Friday morning. Numerous tractors led by Mr. Nelsons, driven by his son Jason and granddaughter Georgia as well as classics and other vehicles were part of the ceremony. The crowds lining the streets to pay their respects included current and past Peterborough County politicians and friends and family of Mr. Nelson at Lang Pioneer Village, near the townships municipal office and fire station on Third Street in Keene, as well as along other roads within the township. Northumberland-Peterborough South MPP David Piccini said Mr. Nelson gave him advice that he will carry with him for the remainder of his political career. One of the first calls I ever had when I got elected was with then-Reeve Nelson, said Piccini. From that first call with Mr. Nelson, Piccini said, he remembers his calm demeanour and his advice to not take it home with you. As a young millennial MPP, very nervous on the first few days of the job, he had great wisdom to impart on me and really welcomed me with open arms here in Otonabee, and Ill forever be grateful for that, said Piccini. Cavan Monaghan Mayor Scott McFadden agreed with Piccini in regards to Mr. Nelson being a calming presence when they served together on county council. In a debate around the council table, I would consider him the calm before the storm because he would bring a sense of calmness to the discussion, said McFadden. From Lang Pioneer Village to Third Street, there wasnt a bare stretch of road, Piccini noted. To see this sort of outpouring of the tractors, I think it was just how he would want it a parade of tractors. To see the whole community driving here, seeing people pull out their chairs, seeing fire chiefs, police chiefs, seeing everybody come, it speaks to how respected he was, he said. Former Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Jeff Leal said one of his favourite memories of Mr. Nelson is when he was MPP and they would go to the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) conferences together in Toronto. We had a great tradition. J. Murray Jones, Karl Moher, Dave Nelson, and myself all had dinner together on the Tuesday night, and thats something we did for about 14 or 15 years. It was an opportunity for all of us to just sit down, he said. Leal said Mr. Nelson was a remarkable person who was totally dedicated to his community. One of the things Ive always fundamentally believed is that the world needs more Dave Nelsons, he said. Similarly, current MPP Dave Smith said Mr. Nelson was most interested in doing what was right for the community and was always looking at how he could make it better for the next generation. He wanted to leave Otonabee-South Monaghan and Peterborough County in better shape for the next generation than it was when he came here, and I think it was reflective in everything that he did. He was just a great guy and he tried really hard to do what was right for as many people as possible, Smith said. Smith believes the number of people who came to pay respects to Mr. Nelson is testament to the connections he made with so many. Everybody here has some kind of a memory of him and what Dave has done, he said. And at the end of the day, we will all die, but our memory lives on in other people and if you make that connection with people, you left something behind more than just what your actions were. Youve left a lasting memory and we see it here with this many people. Pradhyuman Maloo was one of the candidates from Netflix's docu-series Indian Matchmaking who rose to fame as soon as the series came out. He was one of the candidates who was guided by the professional matchmaker, Sima Taparia fondly known as Sima Aunty, to go on dates set up by her. Instagram/Pradhyuman Maloo As an entrepreneur and jewellery designer for his brand Nornament, he was introduced as a multi-tasker and a well-grounded person with varied interests that included cooking, organising his house, and a walk-in closet with particular themes. Instagram/Pradhyuman Maloo However, as the camera covered his elaborately designed walk-in closet in the series, one thing was clear, he clearly had a distinct fashion aesthetic that needed to be explored. So, we caught up with him to understand his sense of style. 1. What is your personal style statement like? I prefer clothes that reflect my mood and majorly form and reflect my personal style. I love a versatile palette of colours and quirky accessories as well. Instagram/Pradhyuman Maloo 2. Who is your style icon? I don't really have a particular style icon. Anything in trend that catches my attention is something I try to incorporate it in my daily style. For example, I was studying about magnets recently and suddenly I managed to find a watch working completely on magnets and I decided to buy it. Instagram/Pradhyuman Maloo 3. What's your go-to date night outfit? A smart casual shirt paired with well-fitted jeans and shoes. I always wear a few accessories as it becomes a conversation starter. Women tend to notice how men accessorise themselves and carry their trinkets. Instagram/Pradhyuman Maloo 4. One wardrobe staple that you can't do without? Blue jeans. 5. What's the one fashion trend you don't understand? During my last trip to China, I saw these young girls hanging keychains on their bags, with live animals trapped in them. Honestly, this fashion trend grossed me out and made me livid towards how insensitive people can be. Instagram/Pradhyuman Maloo 6. Boots or sneakers? Boots 7. Minimalism or maximalism? Minimalism. Instagram/Pradhyuman Maloo 8. A fashion trend that you like? Oversized shirts for men. 9. Can you talk about the process of designing jewellery for your brand? My brand, Nornament is all about experimenting. I draw my inspiration from anything and everything creative. I feel I incorporate and represent what catches my attention in my daily work and style. A recent example of this would be, my fascination with 3D printing, so I started incorporating that in my designs. Instagram/Pradhyuman Maloo 10. Can you talk about your grooming routine? Grooming for men is extremely important. It demonstrates self-love and how a man treats himself and the environment surrounding him. My grooming routine includes a brush, gum massage and floss. Clipping/shaving, face wash with ice-cold water. I do not like using products for my hair. A deodorant stick is a must considering the climate in India. Good smell to kick-start the day. I also like using shower gels from Body and Bath Works. Instagram/Pradhyuman Maloo 11. Any gender-bending trends that you love? Men brooches, men jewellery and tucked in t-shirts. The European Union Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Spokesperson Peter Stano has criticized the sentencing of Azerbaijani opposition leader Tofiq Yagublu. "Armenpress" introduces the text of the statement: On 3 September, Mr Tofiq Yagublu, Deputy Chairman of the Musavat political party was sentenced to four years and three months imprisonment. There are serious questions as to whether due process was observed throughout his detention and trial. While the European Union welcomes the recent registration of the Republican Alternative Party (ReAl) as a political party in Azerbaijan, the sentencing of Mr Yagublu raises questions about the authorities commitment to protecting and enhancing political freedoms for all. The EU calls upon the authorities to re-examine the case of Mr Yagublu, in line with Azerbaijanis international commitments. Most Manitobans want people coming from out of province to self-isolate for two weeks even if the departure location has few COVID-19 cases, a new poll suggests. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 4/9/2020 (503 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Most Manitobans want people coming from out of province to self-isolate for two weeks even if the departure location has few COVID-19 cases, a new poll suggests. The survey of 1,049 Manitobans, done Aug. 19-29 by Probe Research Inc., appears to show opinions are swayed not by overall case numbers, but by active case counts across the country. Nearly nine in 10 said visitors from Southern Ontario and Quebec should self-isolate upon arrival; two-thirds of respondents said the province should also hold those coming from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador to the same standards. Currently, visitors from northwestern Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia and the three territories can enter Manitoba without self-isolating. More than one-third of those polled said, regardless of where a traveller is coming from in Canada, they should have to self-isolate upon entering Manitoba. (Of that group, about 40 per cent are under the age of 35, and politically are most likely NDP or Liberal supporters.) "I think it shows a lot of Manitobans have become very risk-averse, and very cautious of trying to make sure we dont have tons and tons of cases here," Probe Research principal Curtis Brown said Friday. The report notes Ontario and Quebec currently have lower active cases per 100,000 people than Alberta and British Columbia, but still polled 10 per cent higher as locations travellers coming from should be required to self-isolate. "It doesnt really reflect or match the reality of the number of active cases per 100,000 people, theres such a difference with that while those other places have had lots of active cases, they dont have many (now) and especially not compared to the little spike weve seen in the last month (in Manitoba)," Brown said. Slightly less than half of those polled believe travellers coming from Nunavut, Northwest Territories and Yukon where there have been just 20 cases of COVID-19 diagnosed so far should have to self-isolate. Meanwhile, Manitobans are split on inviting their neighbours in without self-isolation: with 55 per cent saying those coming from Saskatchewan, and 50 per cent saying those from northwestern Ontario, should have to do so. Stay informed The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 delivered to your inbox every weeknight. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "Theyve been able to come here, people from Manitoba go there very easily the fact that you have slightly over half saying they should have to stay in isolation for 14 days, that really surprised me," Brown said. The numbers appear to contradict recent efforts by Manitoba to encourage visitors from neighbouring provinces (a $2-million campaign highlighting local tourist destinations targeted British Columbia, Alberta and the Northwest Territories was announced in July). Brown said it was possible the numbers would be somewhat different if the data was collected earlier in Manitobas time dealing with COVID-19. "The fact that some of the (recent) cases were related to interprovincial travel may have contributed to that as well, that it may have come back here from somewhere else," he said. The survey gave no margin of error, but a random and representative non-convenience sample of 1,049 Manitoba adults would be plus-minus three percentage points, 19 times out of 20, Probe said. malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: malakabas_ Defence minister Rajnath Singh has asked China to strictly respect the Line of Actual Control (LAC), not make attempts to unilaterally change the status quo, and work with India for complete disengagement from all friction areas in eastern Ladakh in the midst of military tensions between the two sides, a government statement said on Saturday. At a meeting in Moscow on Friday night, Singh also made it clear that India was fully determined to defend its frontiers. He told his Chinese counterpart, General Wei Fenghe, that the Peoples Liberation Armys (PLA) aggressive actions in the Ladakh sector to unilaterally change the status quo on the ground violated bilateral agreements and the understanding between the special representatives of the two sides, the defence ministry statement said. Raksha Mantri conveyed that the two sides should continue their discussions, including through diplomatic and military channels, to ensure complete disengagement and de-escalation and full restoration of peace and tranquillity along the LAC at the earliest, it added. Singh said that while Indian troops showed a responsible approach towards border management, there should be no doubt about Indias determination to protect the nations sovereignty and territorial integrity, according to the statement. It added that the Chinese defence minister said both sides should scrupulously implement the consensus reached between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping, continue to solve issues through dialogue and consultation, strictly follow the various bilateral agreements, strengthen the regulation of frontline troops and not undertake any provocative actions that might escalate the situation. Wei also suggested that both sides should maintain communication at all levels, including between the two ministers. In Beijing, a statement released by the Chinese defence ministry said Wei told Singh that the relations between the two countries and the two militaries were seriously affected by the border issue, and that it was very important for the two defence ministers to have a face-to-face and candid exchange of views. Wei said the latest stand-off rests entirely with the Indian side, and China will defend every inch of territory, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. The Chinese military has the resolve, capability and confidence to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, Wei added. The talks, requested by the Chinese side, took place on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting of defence ministers and marked the highest level of government contact between New Delhi and Beijing since the Chinese PLA unilaterally changed the status quo along the LAC in May. The two nuclear powers have been locked in the border row in eastern Ladakh for around four months. The latest round of tensions flared up in the Ladakh sector after the army occupied key heights on the southern bank of Pangong Lake to stop the PLA from grabbing Indian territory in a stealthy midnight move on August 29. China made another provocative move on August 31, targeting these positions but the Indian Armys swift defensive action thwarted the Chinese attempt. Both sides have concentrated a significant number of soldiers, tanks and artillery pieces, and are within each others rifle range in the area. According to the defence ministry statement, Singh said the Chinese side should work with India for complete disengagement at the earliest from all friction areas, including the Pangong Lake, and also for de-escalation in border areas in accordance with bilateral agreements. Singh was expected to reach Delhi on Saturday night via Tehran after meeting his Iranian counterpart, Brigadier General Amir Hatami. I think it will be a positive step if continuing dialogue can help ease the new tensions that have erupted on the southern bank of Pangong Tso. However, the talks must result in some visible actions on the ground and that is where the Chinese will have to rethink the obdurate stand that they have adopted till now, said former Northern Army commander Lieutenant General DS Hooda (retd). According to diplomats in New Delhi and Moscow, Singh and General Wei both stuck to their positions at the meeting even as they indicated that the two countries were willing to give peace a chance. While Wei wrote down all points raised by Singh at the two-and-a-half-hour meeting, the Chinese leader was critical of the Indian media. But Singh emphasised that in the Indian democracy, the media was free. Wei also pointed out that just like the Indian forces, the PLA, too, had advanced a lot since the 1962 war between the two neighbours. Army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane said on Friday the situation along the LAC was delicate and serious, and soldiers were prepared for any contingency. Naravane said India would use existing mechanisms to reduce tensions and ensure that the status quo along the LAC was not unilaterally changed. The army chief said the Indian side was firmly committed to resolve the current situation through dialogue. The Indian Army has readjusted its deployments at multiple points along the LAC, including the northern bank of Pangong Lake, to prevent the PLA from making aggressive moves to unilaterally alter the status quo in contested areas. According to senior officials familiar with the developments, around 150 PLA troops were deployed at the Bump Feature (a hill feature) with an anti-aircraft gun being moved up the Black Top (also a hill feature) by the Chinese army on its side of the LAC. Moreover, the Indian and Chinese troops were within each others firing range at Rechin La. Also, the Chinese Air Force was continuing with its combat patrols in the area. Alongside the troop build-up in Ladakh, there were signs of force accretion on the Chinese border with Bhutan. Border tensions between India and China reached new heights in the aftermath of a clash in eastern Ladakhs Galwan Valley on June 15 the first deadly conflict between soldiers of the two sides along the LAC in 45 years. The clash resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers, including a commanding officer, and an undisclosed number of Chinese soldiers. Downtown Atlanta was quiet as the 85,000 or so people who come dressed as their favorite superheroes or sci-fi characters for the annual Dragon Con convention met online instead. Huge football stadiums at places like Ohio State and the University of Texas sat empty. Many Labor Day parades marking the unofficial end of summer were called off, and masks were usually required at the few that went on. The crowd then walked around Albert Park Lake. There was initially few police accompanying the protesters but a helicopter maintained surveillance. Demonstrators were flying Australian flags and chanting "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie". Loading Just before 1pm, officers from the Public Order Response Team arrived at Albert Park and several more arrests were made as most of the crowd scattered. Police then circled a small group of protesters who did not run away and made further arrests. One woman, who would not share her name, but said she was from France, told media at the Shrine: "Were not criminal, were not doing anything wrong". "Everyone here has families, theyre here with their friends, they dont want to get arrested," she said. "Theres so many people who would love to be here today but they cant." In one incident, a man charged at police as they arrested another person and began throwing punches before he was also arrested. Another man was arrested by police after telling officers any fines would be "unlawful". His white T-shirt sported black hand-written scrawl about Bill Gates - the founder of Microsoft. "Were trying to educate people. Were trying to tell people whats going on," he said after police had him handcuffed. Anti-lockdown protestors at Albert Park on Saturday. Credit:Luis Ascui Another woman toting a hand-painted sign which said end the lockdown, end the suffering told the media through tears she was "asking the world to help us". Police told the woman to move away, as she had already received a fine for breaking the Chief Health Officers stay-at-home directions. Asked about the heavy police presence in central Melbourne on Saturday Premier Daniel Andrews revealed his own car was stopped on the way to work this morning. "There is a very visible, very significant police presence in the city," he said. A man is arrested at the anti-lockdown protest at the Shrine of Remembrance. Credit:Justin McManus "Some people have forecast that they in a selfish, dangerous and unlawful way protest and police are taking appropriate steps. It is absolutely selfish for people to be out there protesting. "The only protest we should be engaged in, the only argument, the only fight we should be engaged in as against this virus. "Let's not any of us do anything that might jeopardise this strategy stopping, let's not any of us do anything that might see more coronavirus cases rather than less. That is just not worth it." Anti-lockdown activists have drawn thousands of their followers onto encrypted messaging apps as Facebook and Instagram block their social media pages. A channel appeared on chat app Telegram on Tuesday, and by Saturday night had garnered more than 5800 members. Loading News began circulating in the community late on Thursday night and Friday that the Melbourne event had been cancelled, which was reinforced by Melbourne-based anti-lockdown activists Raph Fernandez and James Bartolo - the latter who was arrested on live stream on Friday morning for inciting the protest. "Don't go tomorrow ... it's a trap. Don't do it," Mr Bartolo urged his thousands of followers on Friday morning. "Because what's going to happen is Daniel Andrews will just blame the protest for the lockdown extension. Don't go to the protest so he has nothing to blame. Many of the leaders who called for the protest to be called off remain silent on their social media channels on Saturday after the protest went ahead, but others were heralding the day a success. Matthew Lawson, a prominent anti-lockdown promotor in Melbourne, said he attended the Saturday protest despite reinforcing the "cancelled" message 24 hours earlier. "The revolution has now started, it won't stop," he said in a live video on Saturday. "Once this groundswell starts, it won't stop". Messages from organisers on one of the largest encrypted chat groups said Saturday's protest encouraged more people to attend future rallies, in breach of health orders. Police have drawn criticism in recent days from legal and civil liberty groups for their treatment of alleged organisers accused of inciting the protests. A woman is led from the protest by police. Credit:Luis Enrique Ascui In one case, a pregnant woman from Ballarat was arrested and handcuffed in her lounge on Wednesday while a Melbourne man had his door broken down on Friday morning when police arrested and charged him with alleged incitment. A woman, who said she didnt want her name made public, said she had joined the demonstration on Saturday because COVID-19 was an excuse for the state to be locked up. "This is not a pandemic, 650 deaths is not a pandemic by anyones standards," she said. "Young people are not catching but theyre shutting our schools down. Every act of oppression is unjust and unwarranted." She said she believed the real numbers of people who agreed with the anti-lockdown were in the "thousands", despite the lower turnout at the Shrine. "Dan Andrews will probably use this as an excuse to extend the lockdown." Meanwhile in NSW, police arrested 14 people in similar protests that turned violent in Sydney and Byron Bay on Saturday. Two men and a woman were arrested in chaotic scenes at a protest in Hyde Park on Saturday morning, with one man bleeding profusely from a head laceration. A man is seen bleeding from a head wound incurred during a dramatic arrest in Hyde Park. Credit:Brook Mitchell The men, aged 44 and 54, allegedly assaulted police officers, while the woman was arrested for failing to comply with a move on direction. All three charged and granted bail to appear in court next month. A 16-year-old boy was also issued with a youth caution for not complying with public health orders, while 19 other protesters were slapped with $1000 fines. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. The Australian sisters behind a multi-million-dollar beach empire have launched a new $44 towel that repels sand - and it's already selling out across the world. Emma Henderson 35, and Victoria Beattie, 33, from The Beach People launched their Sand-Free Cabana Beach Towel just weeks ago, but have already been inundated with demand. The towel is different to thousands of others on the market, insofar as it is made with a flat-woven top that actively repels sand when it comes into contact with it. Scroll down for video The sisters behind a multi-million-dollar beach empire have launched a new $44 towel that repels sand - and it's already selling out across the world (the towel pictured) Emma Henderson 35, and Victoria Beattie, 33, from The Beach People launched the Sand-Free Cabana Beach Towel (pictured) weeks ago, but have already been inundated with demand It is also fade-resistant, made with 100 per cent cotton and is ultra-absorbent, meaning you can still dry off from beach days in record time. 'Our team have worked together over the last two years to develop a patent pending construction that is unlike anything else on the market,' The Beach People's co-founder Victoria told FEMAIL. 'Most other sand-free towels are made of polyester and have a dry, rough texture. 'During the design and sampling process, we made sure that our sand-free towel was luxuriously soft and absorbent, just like other towels.' Victoria added: 'We've been blown away by the response to our Cabana Towels. The reviews have been amazing and weve had so many repeat orders already.' The towel is available in three different colourways: sunshine yellow (pictured right), sky blue (pictured left) and nautical blue (pictured left) The result of their handiwork is a handcrafted 100 per cent Australian-made towel. The towel is available in three different colourways: sunshine yellow, sky blue and nautical blue. The company recommend that for best care, machine-wash the towel cold with similar colours on a gentle cycle and avoid the use of bleach. Those who have managed to get their hands on the towel are impressed with what it can do, with hundreds saying it has 'transformed' beach days forever (the towel pictured) Those who have managed to get their hands on the towel so far have been hugely impressed with the towel and what it can do, with hundreds saying it has 'transformed' beach days forever. 'The way these towels repel sand is unreal,' one woman posted on Instagram. 'I'm obsessed with these towels!' another commenter added. Emma (left) explained that she and Victoria (right) put everything into their unique idea, including housing deposits and husbands' wages Speaking previously to Daily Mail Australia, New South Wales sisters Emma and Victoria revealed that they came up with their unique idea for the world's first round beach towel on the beach: 'We were sitting on the beach one day when I turned to Victoria and said: "I like the idea of a round beach towel, would you like to do that with me? No one else is doing them",' Emma said. 'I said yes. We decided to call our business The Beach People and never looked back,' Victoria added. The went at the business plan full throttle - and threw everything into the success of the round towels concept. 'Our husbands' wages, house deposits, we went all in 'Our husbands' wages, house deposits, we went all in,' Emma said. 'We're so thankful for our incredibly supportive husbands - the experience has been a wild one for sure.' After designing several of the towels in 2013 and launching The Beach People website, it wasn't long before the idea gained traction. Within weeks, the girls from iconic bohemian clothing company, Spell, posted a picture of the towel to their 900,000 Instagram followers and wrote: 'This is what I want for Christmas'. The Beach People's designs were soon swamped with requests, and the sisters expanded into other areas, including bedding, bathroom and accessories. 'At the beginning it was wild,' Emma recalled. 'We sold out of our entire store in the first few weeks and had a six-week waiting list for stock. It took us a few years to catch up on!' 'I still remember when the first person started following us on Instagram that wasn't someone we knew. It was so exciting,' Victoria added. The Beach People now has fans around the world, the sisters have a multi-million-dollar turnover and they were one of the only Australian brands to have collaborated with Net-a-Porter. The Beach People was also one of the first Aussie brands to be stocked in Bergdorf Goodman and Selfridges within their first year of trading. 'Being in business is like a never-ending bootcamp that stretches you beyond what you think you can handle and you grow in strength every week of existence,' Victoria explained. 'What used to keep me awake at night now floats by without a concern.' STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- As New York City students and teachers prepare to return to school amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, back to school just wont look the same -- as some students will choose to learn remotely full-time, while others will learn under a blended learning model, going to school two to three days per week -- working remotely the other days. Under the blended learning model, New York City public schools will operate at significantly reduced capacity for in-person instruction, with, on average, between half and one-third of the student population going to school at one time. John Ratcliffe at a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, on May 5, 2020. (Andrew Harnik/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) Ratcliffe: Democrats Addendum on Election Security, Draws Selectively From Intel Reports Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe said that Democrats sent FBI Director Christopher Wray an unofficial and unverified classified addendum/annex, saying it pulled selectively from reports and failed to adequately represent the intelligence communitys viewpoint. The annex referenced by Ratcliffe was an addendum attached to a July 13 letter sent to Wray by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.) concerning Russian interference in the 2020 elections. In response to an inquiry about the addendum from Republican Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Ratcliffe wrote on Aug. 27 that the intelligence community (IC) did not create or authorize the annex contained in the Democrats letter. In response to your specific questions, I can confirm the IC did not create the classified addendum to the 13 July letter, nor did we authorize its creation. The IC was not consulted prior to its creation and subsequent release to the entire membership of the U.S. House of Representatives, Ratcliffe wrote (pdf). Unfortunately, this addendum only draws selectively from a small number of IC reports and focuses on only one threat actor in the elections security space. In summary, the classified addendum apparently prepared by the aforementioned individuals, by no means reflects the full and complete analysis of the IC, Ratcliffe wrote. Grassley and Johnson wrote in an Aug. 4 letter to Pelosi and cosigners, that they were concerned that information in the Democrats July 13 letter and addendum had leaked to the media. I share your concerns about intelligence information being described in the press, Ratcliffe wrote in his letter to the GOP senators. As you know, any mention of classified materials in the public domain jeopardizes our sources and methods and undermines the critical work of the Intelligence Community (IC) to protect our nation. Andrew Desiderio, a Politico reporter covering congressional investigations and oversight defended one such report by Politico that originally reported about the annex attached to the Democrats July 13 letter. Grassley & Johnson released a letter from Ratcliffe that they say undercuts our reporting on the July 13 classified annex about foreign disinformation/election interference. We never reported that the IC created the annex; only that it draws from the ICs analysis, Desiderio wrote in a Tweet Thursday. In their Sept. 3 press release Grassley and Johnson say, The classified addendum (annex) to a July 13 letter from senior congressional Democrats, portions of which were leaked to the news media, mixed their theories on unclassified open-source material with classified intelligence reports to fabricate a veneer of credibility but shield their analysis from public scrutiny, the two senators wrote. Grassley and Johnson continued, For example, one claim reportedly in the addendum (annex) relies solely on a public document created by Andriy Derkach, a foreign national identified as attempting to influence the 2020 election. Without any basis, Democrats speculated that the document possibly suggests Derkach may have sent packets of material to Grassley and Johnson. Desiderio fired back again at Grassley and Johnsons reference to his report. Their press release (Sept. 3) falsely says our story about Derkach was based solely on unclassified open-source info. A few sentences later they say this info does not indicate that he sent any material to Grassley,' wrote Desiderio. We reported the annex states Derkach *did* send info to Grassley. We flatly reject and deny any claims that we have received, much less are relying on, any materials received from Andriy Derkachand there is no such evidence to support these false Democrat claims. Its clear from the ODNIs (Ratcliffes) letter that this addendum was created to advance partisan politics, not election security, concluded Grassley and Johnson press statement. Thousands protest in Pakistan over reprinting of Prophet (PBUH) cartoons in France Reuters: Tens of thousands of people protested across Pakistan on Friday against French magazine Charlie Hebdo's reprinting of cartoons mocking the Prophet Muhammad, chanting "Death to France" and calling for boycotts of French products. "Decapitation is the punishment of blasphemers," read one of the placards carried by protesters. The cartoons sending up the Prophet Muhammad triggered outrage and unrest among Muslims around the world in 2005 when they first published by Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten. Earlier this week, Charlie Hebdo - a satirical weekly - revived the cartoons to mark the start of the trial of suspected accomplices in an Islamist militant attack on its Paris office in January 2015. The Islamist gunmen who stormed into Charlie Hebdo, killing 12 people, sought to avenge the Prophet Muhammad, a French court heard on Wednesday on the first day of the trial. Publication of the cartoons was cited as the reason for the attack. Friday's protests were organised by the hardline Islamist Tehreek-e-Laibak Pakistan (TLP) party with rallies held in Karachi, the country's largest city, as well as in Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Lahore and Dera Ismail Khan. Protesters paralysed traffic in Karachi, Pakistan's financial and business capital. It (re-printing of cartoons) amounts to big terrorism; they repeat such acts of blasphemy against Prophet Muhammad every few years. It should be stopped, said Razi Hussani, TLP district leader in Karachi. Similar rallies held in Pakistan in 2015 turned violent, with scores injured as police clashed with protesters trying to make their way to the French consulate in Karachi. Pakistan's government also condemned the reprinting of the cartoons. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said the South Asian country believed in freedom of expression but such liberty does not mean a license to offend religious sentiment. Charlie Hebdo has long tested the limits of what society will accept in the name of free speech. We will never lie down. We will never give up, Charlie Hebdo editor Riss Sourisseau wrote in explaining the decision to re-publish the cartoons. 'The Russian vaccine is behind other candidates, including the jab developed by researchers at Oxford University, who are already conducting international phase three trials.' (stock photo) Russia's fast-tracked Covid-19 vaccine is safe and produces two forms of immune response against the virus, according to a study in The Lancet medical journal. The findings appear to justify some of the claims made last month by Russian President Vladimir Putin, and follow weeks of demands for transparency from the international scientific community. However, the new study of two early-phase trials reveals that the drug has so far only been tested on a total of 76 people, and not by the most rigorous of methods. This means it will need to progress to a much larger phase-three trial, involving thousands of participants, before experts can know how well it works. UK scientists last night called on Moscow's Gamaleya Centre, where the vaccine is being developed, to resist political pressure to release doses to the general public before all the results are known. Nevertheless, they welcomed data suggesting that the Sputnik V vaccine candidate stimulates an antibody and T-cell response. Antibodies have been the focus of many of the prominent vaccine candidates, but virologists have always warned that coronavirus antibodies may only last a matter of months and that there is no guarantee they prevent infection. Far less is known about T-cells, but there is some emerging evidence to suggest they do provide good protection and last far longer. The Russian vaccine is behind other candidates, including the jab developed by researchers at Oxford University, who are already conducting international phase three trials. Lasting 42 days, one part of the Gamaleya trial studied a frozen formulation of the vaccine - envisaged for large-scale use - while the other analysed a freeze-dried formulation intended for hard-to-reach regions as it is more stable. The drug was judged to have a good safety profile at 42 days. Mild side-effects included pain at the injection site, a high temperature and headaches - findings that appear to correspond with Mr Putin's account of one of his daughters trying the vaccine. "After the first injection her temperature was 38C, the next day 37.5C, and that was it." he said in August. However, independent experts said results were weakened by the fact the trial was both open-label and non-randomised, meaning participants knew they were getting a vaccine, raising the chance of a placebo effect. A 57-year-old Frenchman who is suffering from an incurable condition has begun broadcasting his final hours on social media as he refuses to take food, drink or medicine. French President Emmanuel Macron has already turned down the man's request for euthanasia. Alain Cocq, who suffers from a rare condition in which the walls of the arteries stick together, said he believed he had less than a week to live and would livestream his death on Facebook from Saturday morning. Having finished his last meal on Friday night, Cocq told viewers of his Facebook account that he was happy. "The road to deliverance starts here and, believe me, I am happy about that. I know that the days ahead are going to be difficult, but I've made my decision and I'm comfortable." Earlier, Cocq wrote to President Macron asking to be profoundly sedated so that he could die in peace, but the president wrote back explaining that terminal sedation is not allowed under French law. "I am not above the law" "Because I am not above the law, I am unable to comply with your request," Macron said in a letter to Cocq, which the patient has published on his Facebook page. "I cannot ask anyone to go beyond our current legal framework . . . Your wish is to request active assistance in dying which is not currently permitted in our country," said Macron. In order to show France the "agony" caused by the law in its current state, Cocq told the French news agency AFP he would broadcast the end of his life on his Facebook page. He believes he unlikely to survive for more than "four to five days". He said he hoped his struggle would be remembered and "go down in the long term" as a step forwards in changing the law. He stopped all food, drink and medical treatment on Friday night. "Personal support and profound respect" Macron said in his latter that "with emotion, I respect your action". And the president added a handwritten postscript, saying: "With all my personal support and profound respect." An official from the presidential team told AFP that Macron wanted to hail Cocq's commitment to the rights of the handicapped. An emotive issue Right-to-die cases have long been an emotive issue in France. Most divisive was the case of Vincent Lambert who was left in a vegetative state after a traffic accident in 2008 and died in July last year after doctors removed life support following a long legal battle. The case divided the country as well as Lambert's own family, with his parents using every legal avenue to keep him alive, while his wife and nephew insisted he should be allowed to die. A French court in January acquitted the doctor who switched off Lambert's life support systems, the court accepting that the accused medic had "perfectly respected his legal obligations". Bengaluru: After grilling her for over six hours, the City Crime Branch (CCB) sleuths arrested Sandalwood leading actress Ragini Dwivedi on Friday evening, in connection with drug links that has rocked Kannada film industry. Earlier in the evening, the CCB also arrested Rahul, a friend of another Sandalwood actress Sanjana Gulrani. Ragini is the third person to be arrested in connection with the Sandalwood Drug Link and the first Kannada actress to be arrested. Two lawyers also came to her flat in Yalahanka and later to the CCB office. They also approached the court seeking anticipatory bail for Ragini. However, by evening, the court dismissed the anticipatory bail. The CCB sleuths decided to arrest her and seek police custody for further interrogation. Besides, there is no way Ragini can get bail till Monday. Apart from this drug link, Ragini's name was also dragged in 2017, when a drug peddler called Pratheek Shetty was arrested. However, it remained as a rumor and Ragini got away with it. On Friday, Ragini was also questioned with regard to the 2017 case. Earlier, CCB continued questioning Rahul, who is a relative of Ragini's boyfriend Ravi Shankar, who worked with Karnataka Transport Department. After arresting him, police took him to the house of Sanjana in Indiranagar, but they did not question her. Meanwhile, Karnataka government on Friday suspended Ravi Shankar from their services, after he was arrested in the drug link case. In another development, CCB sleuths arrested a drug supplier called Viren Khanna from his residence in New Delhi. The name of Khanna cropped up during interrogation of Ravi Shankar and the police team had already left for New Delhi on Thursday. Khanna was produced before court in New Delhi and taken into four-day police custody. Police said that Khanna used to organise big parties where drugs used to be supplied. He is being brought to Bengaluru for further questioning. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 04, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Skyharbour Resources Ltd. (TSX-V: SYH) (OTCQB: SYHBF) (Frankfurt: SC1P) (the Company) announces that the Company has granted 1,800,000 incentive stock options (the "Options") to officers, directors and consultants of the Company. The Options are exercisable at $0.20 per share for a period of five years from the date of grant. The Options have been granted under and are governed by the terms of the Company's Incentive Stock Option Plan. About Skyharbour Resources Ltd.: Skyharbour holds an extensive portfolio of uranium and thorium exploration projects in Canada's Athabasca Basin and is well positioned to benefit from improving uranium market fundamentals with six drill-ready projects. Skyharbour has acquired from Denison Mines, a large strategic shareholder of the Company, a 100% interest in the Moore Uranium Project which is located 15 kilometres east of Denison's Wheeler River project and 39 kilometres south of Cameco's McArthur River uranium mine. Moore is an advanced stage uranium exploration property with high-grade uranium mineralization at the Maverick Zone with drill results returning up to 6.0% U3O8 over 5.9 metres including 20.8% U3O8 over 1.5 metres at a vertical depth of 265 metres. Skyharbour has signed option agreements with Orano Canada Inc. and Azincourt Energy whereby Orano and Azincourt can earn in up to 70% of the Preston Project through a combined $9,800,000 in total exploration expenditures, as well as $1,700,000 in total cash payments and Azincourt shares. 4 Preston is a large, geologically prospective property proximal to Fission Uranium's Triple R deposit as well as NexGen Energy's Arrow deposit. The Company also owns a 100% interest in the Falcon Point Uranium Project on the eastern perimeter of the Basin which contains a NI 43- 101 inferred resource totaling 7.0 million pounds of U3O8 at 0.03% and 5.3 million pounds of ThO2 at 0.023%. The Company's 100% owned Mann Lake Uranium project on the east side of the Basin is strategically located adjacent to the Mann Lake Joint Venture operated by Cameco, where high-grade uranium mineralization was recently discovered. Skyharbour's goal is to maximize shareholder value through new mineral discoveries, committed long-term partnerships, and the advancement of exploration projects in geopolitically favourable jurisdictions Story continues Skyharbours Uranium Project Map in the Athabasca Basin: http://skyharbourltd.com/_resources/SYH_Landpackage_2014.jpg To find out more about Skyharbour Resources Ltd. (TSX-V: SYH) visit the Companys website at www.skyharbourltd.com . SKYHARBOUR RESOURCES LTD. Jordan Trimble Jordan Trimble President and CEO For further information contact myself at: Telephone: 604-639-3856 Or: Simon Dyakowski Corporate Development and Communications Skyharbour Resources Ltd. Telephone: 604-639-3850 Toll Free: 800-567-8181 Facsimile: 604-687-3119 Email: info@skyharbourltd.com NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT OF THIS NEWS RELEASE. This release includes certain statements that may be deemed to be "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that management of the Company expects, are forward-looking statements. Although management believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements, include market prices, exploration and development successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Please see the public filings of the Company at www.sedar.com for further information. As for McCain, Trump told a conservative forum in Iowa in 2015 that his view of McCain changed when McCain lost the 2008 presidential election to Obama. He lost, so I never liked him as much after that, cause I dont like losers, he said. Trump went on to dismiss McCains war service: Hes not a war hero. Hes a war hero because he was captured. I like people that werent captured. WASHINGTON - Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said Friday that the city had never intended to propose removing or replacing federal monuments in the District, and accused critics of deliberately misinterpreting a report that recommended expansive changes to schools, buildings and public property whose namesakes perpetuated systemic racism. An executive summary of the report, published Tuesday by a committee the mayor assembled after the police killing of George Floyd in May, initially included the Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial among a list of eight federal statues that Bowser should consider asking the federal government to "remove, replace or contextualize." Republicans in Congress and other Bowser critics quickly denounced the document, focusing on the suggestion about monuments - prompting Bowser, a moderate Democrat, to remove that page from the report. Asked Friday about the controversial timing and rollout of the report, Bowser cited the need to learn more about people's unease with "questionable" monuments in the city. In June, amid nationwide racial justice demonstrations and calls to remove monuments of historical figures with racist legacies, protesters in the District toppled and burned a statue of Confederate Gen. Albert Pike. "I thought it was a good idea to understand the full breadth of issues of concern, people of concern or markers of concern in the District," Bowser said at a news conference. "It was not our intention to do anything with the federal monuments and memorials." The report recommended renaming dozens of public schools, government buildings and parks in the city named after figures with ties to slavery and oppression, including former U.S. presidents. But Bowser said Friday that critics had run with a misleading narrative - that her committee wanted well-known federal monuments in the city to be significantly changed - causing her to ask the group to refocus its recommendations on local sites in D.C. Congressional backlash around the committee's report continued Friday. Republican Reps. James Comer (Ky.) and Jim Jordan (Ohio) said the working group's recommendations were "absurd," and in a letter called on Bowser to provide them with documents and communications related to the proposals. "D.C.'s radical city leaders want to cancel some of nation's Founding Fathers and erase history," Comer, the ranking Republican on the House Oversight and Reform Committee, said in a statement. The Republican leaders said they were perturbed by the initial report's suggestion to remove or contextualize federal monuments - even though these structures are no longer included in Bowser's committee's recommendations. "There are a lot of different and heated positions on this. No two people tend to think the same thing when you talk about this, and I think the diversity of views was reflected in the working group's initial report," Bowser said. "I understand, however, that people will intentionally misonconstrue things, and that is why the report was adjusted so the federal portion was removed." Washington: Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanovskaya used a speech to the UN on Friday to condemn the crackdown by President Alexander Lukashenko on protesters who charge he rigged his re-election victory last month. Speaking to a virtual informal session of the UN Security Council, Tsikhanovskaya also urged the United Nations to send an international monitoring mission to Belarus and said the UN Human Rights Commission should hold a special session on the human rights situation there. Opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanovskaya has fled the country. Credit:AP Tsikhanovskaya also called on the international community to impose sanctions on the individuals responsible for electoral violations "and crimes against humanity". "We, the Belarusian people, need the help of the United Nations, in order to stop blatant human rights violations and cynical disregard for human dignity," Tsikhanovskaya said, making her first call for international involvement in the crisis. A Hong Kong man has been arrested and charged with multiple crimes after allegedly kidnapping his former landlady over a rent dispute in a Yuen Long village, police said on Saturday night. Villagers in Chuk Hang Tsuen told officers on Friday morning they feared a woman was being held against her will in a house fashioned from a shipping container, police said. The suspect, a 52-year-old man surnamed Cheng, had fled the scene by the time officers arrived but they tracked him down using surveillance footage. Villagers in Chuk Hang Tsuen told officers about the suspected kidnapping on Friday morning. Photo: Handout Police arrested him on Friday night at his home on Tai Tong Road at Pat Heung, about 1km (0.6 miles) away. Officers found 19 short airguns, 41 long ones, handcuffs and crossbows, as well as other weapons at his residence, according to the force. The victim, a 54-year-old woman, suffered wounds and bruises to her head and limbs and was sent to North District Hospital for treatment. The suspect has been charged with seven counts: false imprisonment, inflicting bodily harm, and theft, as well as possession of offensive weapons, prohibited weapons, firearms and imitation firearms. He is due to appear in court on Monday. Get the latest insights and analysis from our Global Impact newsletter on the big stories originating in China. More from South China Morning Post: This article Hong Kong man accused of kidnapping former landlady in rent dispute first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. Many veterans from Sen. Tammy Duckworth to everyday observers on Twitter and their family members reacted harshly Friday to a report that President Donald Trump has disparaged and written off military service for years. I recommend all veterans to use their Military pics as a profile pic to let Trump know how many people he has offended by calling fallen soldiers losers and suckers, wrote David Weissman, an Army combat veteran and self-described former Trump supporter, on Twitter Thursday night. His message has been retweeted over 22,000 times. In a bombshell piece published Thursday night, The Atlantic editor in chief Jeffrey Goldberg reported that Trump has referred to veterans including former POW and Sen. John McCain as losers and suckers. The president disputed the report on Twitter, saying he never called McCain a loser, but video and a tweet from the president himself confirm he has. Also Read: The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg Says Administration Insiders Are in 'Disbelief' Over Trump's Attitude Toward Veterans (Video) McCains daughter, The View co-host Meghan McCain, tweeted Friday, I just got through two years without my Dad a few days ago. The loss is still incredibly painful and raw. No one is more acutely aware of how vile and disgusting Trump has been to my family, it is still hard to understand America knows who this man is Goldberg also reported in his piece that Trump called soldiers who died during World War I losers and suckers, told his senior staff were not going to support that losers funeral after McCain died before calling him a f-ing loser, mocked former President George H.W. Bush for being shot down while piloting combat missions during World War II, and disrespected the son of former chief of staff John Kelly who died in 2010 at age 29 while serving as a Marine Corps officer in Afghanistan. Per Goldberg, Trump also requested amputees not be included in plans for a military parade because, in his words, nobody wants to see that. Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran who lost both her legs after her helicopter was hit by a grenade, responded to Trumps reported comments about amputees: What @realDonaldTrump will never understand is that our Wounded Warriors earned their wounds. They are our badges of honor from our service to the country we love. If he cant bear to witness those who have sacrificed for our nation, perhaps he should avert his cowardly eyes. Read original story Sen. Tammy Duckworth Joins Fellow Veterans Slamming Cowardly Trump for Reported Military Comments At TheWrap In 2016, Donald Trump pledged to "build the wall." In 2020, he's promising to be the wall. The big picture: The president's rhetorical imagery is shifting from big, physical barriers against illegal immigration to a show of force against threats to the suburbs. In recent weeks, Trump has conjured images of Joe Biden inviting looters, rioters, radical leftists and unidentified thugs in dark uniforms to run wild. Trump has suggested scenarios ranging from new public housing construction that lowers property values to unbridled rape, or murder. Why it matters: Trump's trying to say he is the wall between chaos and your community. "The fact is that we've seen tremendous violence, and we will put it out very, very quickly, if given the chance," Trump said during his visit to Kenosha, Wisc., this week. This imagery gives him an off-ramp to steer debate away from the coronavirus, which has taken more than 187,000 U.S. lives on Trump's watch, and make Biden sound dangerous a tactic some Democrats worry could put Biden on the defensive. Driving the news: The president painted multiple human-wall pictures in a speech this week in Latrobe, Pa. On guns, he falsely asserted that he's holding back Democrats from taking away Americans' rights to keep guns. "I am standing between them and your Second Amendment and that's it," Trump said. (Fact check: Biden has said repeatedly that he supports the Second Amendment.) Trump visually underscored his message by making an up-and-down chopping motion with one hand, depicting a barrier between gun owners and Democrats. On monuments, Trump figuratively deputized others who share his views to his human-wall cavalry. Calling out to members of the Boilermakers Local 154 union in the crowd who had endorsed him, he asked: "How do you like the idea of taking down our statues to our great George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Jackson, all of them? I don't think the Boilermakers would you'll do a ring around Washington, right?" "They tried to take down Christopher Columbus statues in New York," Trump said. "You saw what happened, right? These Italians formed a little circle. They said, 'Come on!'" he said, raising a fist as if to fight. "The agitators decided to leave." Between the lines: Immigration has slipped significantly from 2016 in terms of Americans' priorities heading into the election and most Americans do not support the construction of a physical border wall or hard-line immigration policies, per an NPR-Ipsos poll from late July. Actor Manoj Bajpayee is already known for his acting talent and had even turned a poet during lockdown. The Family Man actor has now donned the hat of a Bhojpuri rapper and shared the teaser of his first rap song in the popular dialect, conceptualised by Thappad director Anubhav Sinha. Teasing the Bhojpuri song titled Bambai Main Ka Ba on Instagram, Manoj wrote, BREAKING !!! Bringing you a BHOJPURI RAP on the plight of the migrants!! Recited and sung a little bit by yours truly. Song by Sagar concept and video by our friend @anubhavsinha !!! Aa gayil apne ke dware!!! Teaser hai gana jald hi aayega. The teaser shows the lyrics of the video flashing on the screen with a glimpse of a sleepy Manoj resting on a bench at the Mumbai Central railway station. He is seen in denims, tee and a jacket and flashes a victory sign while looking away from the camera. The lyrics hint at his journey from a small town to Mumbai to earn a living. Tabu reacted to the teaser, Too good Manoj jiiii along with a clap emoji. Anubhav also shared the teaser on Twitter with a caption in Bhojpuri about how people cannot understand whats there in Mumbai. He also shares happiness about working with Manoj after 26 years for the sake of Bhojpuri and how much he loved working with him. Also read: Abhishek Bachchan, Vidya Balan and others voice solidarity with producers guilds statement on attacks on Bollywood Manoj had once said in an interaction with Humans of Bombay that he aspired to become an actor since the age of nine. Im a farmers son; I grew up in a village in Bihar with 5 siblingswe went to a hut school. We led a simple life, but whenever we went to the city, wed go to the theatre. I was a Bachchan fan & wanted to be like him. At 9, I knew acting was my destiny, he said. Talking about how he faced rejections in Mumbai, he said, Initially, it was toughI rented a chawl with 5 friends & looked for work, but got no roles. Once, an AD tore my photo & Ive lost 3 projects in a day. I was even told to get out after my 1st shot. I didnt fit the ideal hero faceso they thought Id never make it to the big screen. All the while, I struggled to make rent & at times even a vada pav was costly. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Syracuse, N.Y. A new paper by a Syracuse University professor has some good news and some bad news for parents and school districts as the academic year approaches. The good news: Districts can slash the odds of students infecting each other with the novel coronavirus if classrooms have good air flow and kids wear masks. The bad news: Buildings have to be very well-ventilated (not an easy task) and kids have to wear their masks properly (show us a kid who can do this for a full school day). Good masking and good ventilation together are very good, said Eric Schiff, a physics professor who wrote the paper. But some classrooms are not going to achieve that level (of ventilation), and I dont know how successful teachers are going to be in getting students to cooperate. The report comes as school districts in Central New York are struggling with how to reopen after the coronavirus pandemic forced their abrupt closure in March. Some districts plan a hybrid of online and in-school learning, and many have pushed back when theyll bring students into buildings. The Syracuse city district, the regions largest, will offer online learning only until at least Oct. 5. School reopening plans emphasize social distancing, mask-wearing and hand-washing. The state education department strongly recommended students wear masks in class, but they are only required when students cant maintain appropriate social distancing. About 70 percent of districts have opted to require masks in class, according to the states largest teachers union. Several districts in Central New York have said they wont force students to wear masks while receiving instruction. Experts in how the virus moves through the air are urging schools to pay close attention to ventilation, too. Schiffs paper looked at a hypothetical 20-person, 600-square-foot classroom where one student carrying the virus is highly infectious, or a super spreader. With poor ventilation and no masks, 80% of students would contract the virus if they were all in the same room for four hours, the report says. With very good ventilation and everybody wearing surgical masks the entire time, Schiff estimated, just 2% of the class was likely to be infected. With cloth masks, its about 5%. Schiff concedes he makes some bold assumptions in the paper, which is based in part on a study of a poorly ventilated restaurant in China where one person spread the virus to diners at other tables. Schiffs paper notes that super spreaders people who can be 100 times as infectious as the typical Covid-19 patient are rare. His report is also limited to classrooms, where students would spend most of their day, and so doesnt consider transmission risks of other areas of the school, such as gymnasiums, music rooms or cafeterias. Ventilation is measured by air exchanges, described as the number of times that air is pulled from the room and replaced with fresh air. A good air flow would be three exchanges per hour; excellent would be five or six per hour. The more air that flows through a room, the quicker it will push any virus out and reduce how much of the virus people are inhaling. Classrooms will vary widely in air exchanges per hour. Some might be as low as one air exchange per hour, which would allow the virus to accumulate and be inhaled by others in the room. Schools have been designed to a standard thats set for energy efficiency, not infectious disease control, said Joseph Allen, a professor of exposure assessment science at Harvard Universitys T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Its difficult to retrofit old buildings with a system that can increase air flow by five or six times, said Cliff Davidson, an SU engineering professor who works with ventilation systems. Another solution is for a school district to install high-efficiency filters in the air-handling system that would trap the virus so it doesnt get recirculated. The downside to those filters is because the holes are so tiny, its harder to push air through them. That means bigger, stronger fans have to be installed, too. Pressure drops when air goes through those filters, and it takes a lot of energy to push the air through the fibers, Davidson said. We need to have ventilation fans that are strong enough to push the air through the filters, and we need enough of that filtered air to go into a classroom. Retrofitting an entire schools air system with new filters and stronger fans would be time-consuming and expensive. Experts say schools can use short-term, cheaper alternatives that will help clean classroom air. Start opening up windows, Allen said in a conference call with reporters. Weve measured this, and sometimes you can get five, six, seven even 10 air changes per hour by opening windows. Windows only need to open 6 inches to make a substantial difference, Allen said. Adding fans in windows to blow air outside also helps clear the virus, Davidson said. You can put fans in windows and have very high exchange rate, he said. But as the weather gets colder, thats not going to be feasible at some point. Thats where air purifiers come in, experts agree. The right units, which cost about $500 each, can substantially reduce the amount of virus circulating in the air, Schiff said. You can easily get up to three air exchanges with air purifiers without breaking the bank, he said. Several small air purifiers running in a classroom might be enough to tip the scales. Good luck finding those now, Schiff said. HealthWay Family of Brands, an Oswego County company, just will supply 10,000 portable air purifiers to the New York City school system, the nations largest. Company president Vinny Lobdell Jr. said the company is running shifts 24 hours a day and still has stock. Something is better than nothing, Schiff said, even if its small air purifiers and a single open window. He said his paper offers two pieces of advice for school officials. Put air purifiers in rooms where you cant get six air exchanges an hour and develop the necessary rapport with your students to get them to cooperate on masking, he said. If theyre put together, schools will not be a significant vector in spreading the virus. MORE ON CORONAVIRUS Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources Masks or no masks for kids in class: Some Central NY districts will not require them. Why? Winter is coming: What happens when CNY restaurants lose their outdoor dining? Child psychiatrist on back-to-school jitters: Make a plan, set a routine, be honest about uncertainty Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com US president Donald Trump mocked Joe Biden during a campaign event on Thursday: Getty Donald Trump's niece Mary Trump has become the latest to slam the president for a report that said he allegedly mocked American veterans as "losers" and "suckers". In a tweet, Ms Trump shared a picture of her father, Mr Trump's brother, who served in the National Guard. This comes after Captain Chelsey "Sully" Sullenberger posted a series of tweets calling Mr Trump "disgusting" for allegedly speaking against war heroes. Mr Sullenberger, who is known for saving 155 passengers on a commercial flight by landing the plane on the Hudson River, spoke about how both he and his father served for the US. Democratic candidate Joe Biden also reacted negatively to The Atlantic's report, saying he believed the report to be true and thought Mr Trump was "unfit" for the presidency. Mr Biden told reporters on Friday that Mr Trumps comments, if true, are deplorable. The Trump administration has dismissed the report as false. Following the report, a Fox News reporter independently confirmed key points from The Atlantic's report. Mr Trump slammed the reporter and called for them to be fired. But Mr Trump found support among Osama bin Laden's niece on Saturday, after she gave her first public interview. Noor bin Ladin told the New York Post that she believed another 9/11-inspired attack could happen if Mr Biden were to win in November. Mr Trump, in her opinion, would be the only one to prevent that type of attack. Please allow time for the liveblog to load. 3-kg bomb at Delhi flower market: Police yet to zero in on any suspect Delhi riots: Bail plea of murder accused rejected India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Sep 05: A Delhi court has dismissed a bail application of an accused in a case related to murder of a local resident during the communal violence in northeast Delhi in February. The court said it was prima facie apparent that the "riotous mob" armed with "weapons" had abducted the victim to commit his murder merely on account of the fact that he was from a different community. Additional Sessions Judge Vinod Yadav refused to grant the relief to Hemant Pratap Singh and said the offence was grave, wherein one innocent person was brutally murdered, just because of the fact that he belonged to the other community. "From the evidence of a number of witnesses recorded in the matter, it is prima facie apparent that the 'riotous mob' armed with 'weapons' had abducted the deceased Suleman to commit his murder merely on account of the fact that he was from a different community," the court said in its order passed on September 2. The court said the victim had received 11 injuries which spoke volume about the intensity of the dastardly act committed by the riotous mob during the course of communal riots. "The offence in this matter is very grave, wherein one innocent person was brutally murdered, just because of the fact that he belonged to other community. A perusal of the post-mortem report of the deceased Suleman, reveals that he had received as many as 11 injuries, out of which as many as seven injuries were so grave in nature that they itself were independently and collectively sufficient to cause death of any person in ordinary course of nature, which speaks volume about the intensity of dastardly act committed by the riotous mob during the course of communal riots," it said. In 2.20 hours talks with Chinese defence minister, Rajnath made strong pitch for status quo ante It further said eye witnesses of the incident have clearly identified Singh was part of the "riotous mob" which had surrounded Suleman and his friends and beaten them. "Even the father of applicant (Singh) has also identified him in the CCTV footage, where the applicant was clearly visible armed with an 'iron rod' and walking behind the riotous mob, who was prodding deceased Suleman with 'dandas'," the court said. It, however, clarified that anything stated in the order should not be construed as expressing any opinion on the final merits of the case, as it was at "pre-cognizance stage". During the hearing held through video conferencing, advocate Pradeep Teotia, appearing for Singh, said he has been falsely implicated in the case and the eyewitnesses were allegedly "planted witnesses". Special Public Prosecutor Nitin Rai Sharma, appearing for the state, opposed the bail application and said during investigation, eye witness Sanober, who was present with Suleman at the time of the incident, gave a clear, categorical and step-by-step account of the series of events which happened with them. According to the charge sheet, on February 26, mob of 30-40 persons had apprehended Sanobar, Sunil Kumar and Suleman near Karawal Nagar area. The mob had asked for their ID cards which were shown by them, after which they asked Sunil to leave the spot, but he denied, the charge sheet alleged. The mob forced Sunil to run away after beating him and then started beating Sanobar and Suleman mercilessly, it claimed. It further stated that someone from the mob allegedly assaulted Suleman with sticks and threw his body to a nearby drain when he fell unconscious. Suleman had succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. Communal clashes had broken out in northeast Delhi on February 24 after violence between citizenship law supporters and protesters spiralled out of control leaving at least 53 people dead and around 200 injured. For Subscribers Senate votes to increase Partners in Education tax credit program Senators voted to increase the amount of money the Partners in Education tax credit program can give out for scholarships to private school students. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 13:09:02|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DHAKA, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Eleven worshippers including a boy died and dozens of others suffered serious burn injuries after air conditioners of a masjid in Narayanganj burst Friday night on the outskirts of Bangladesh capital Dhaka, an official said Saturday morning. Enditem The on Saturday said it has arrested a former health department official and his son in connection with a money laundering probe against them linked to a case of alleged possession of disproportionate assets. It said Mahesh Chanda Sharma,who worked in the Health and Medical Department of the government as a nursing tutor (nursing grade- 2) and was posted in the SMS medical college, and his son Mohit Sharma were arrested under sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on Friday in state capital Jaipur. They were produced before a local court on Friday that sent them to 10 days in ED custody, the agency said in a statement. Mahesh Chand Sharma was also a member of the Indian Nursing Council (INC) in Delhi. "The accused are under custodial interrogation to unearth the illegal assets amassed by Mahesh Chand Sharma using corrupt practices while working as a public servant," the ED said. The agency has slapped criminal charges under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Mahesh Chand Sharma and others on the basis of an FIR and a charge sheet filed against them by the state anti-corruption bureau (ACB). Sharma, along with an associate, was caught by the Jaipur ACB sometime back while taking a bribe of Rs 5 lakh from a nursing institute in lieu of including its name (which was deleted earlier) on the website of the Indian Nursing Council, the ED said. "The ACB investigation established that the accused had amassed an illicit amount of Rs 10.6 crore which was 372 per cent more than his known or legal source of income," the ED alleged. The ED, during investigation, had raided Mahesh Chand Sharma's residential premises at RAG hospital in Mansarovar, Jaipur and also the premises of his associate Kishan Lal Saini at Naina Vihar in Jaipur's Sanganer area, it said. "These searches resulted in recovery of large number of incriminating documents including property documents related to a number of plots, benami properties and high value financial transactions etc," the federal probe agency said. The agency, in the past, has attached assets of over Rs 12 crore of Mahesh Chand Sharma freezing his agricultural lands in Jaipur, Tonk and Karauli districts of Rajasthan, and 31 plots and houses at various locations in the state capital. Investigation revealed that Sharma has "accumulated huge money by resorting to corrupt practices and misusing his official position," the ED had said. "This money was used for purchase of agricultural land, residential flats and plots in his name, in the name of his wife and son, company and trust named Safe Infracon Pvt Ltd, Saket Nursing College and RAG trust after layering and integrating the illicit money in the formal financial system in order to project it as untainted," it had said earlier. (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.) China is planning a more than 1 trillion yuan ($146 billion) push to accelerate infrastructure investment in Tibet, including new and previously announced projects, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The renewed push to step-up development of the remote and impoverished southwestern region signals Beijing's intent to bolster frontier security amid heightened border tensions with India in recent months, two of the sources said. Last week, during a senior Communist Party meeting on Tibet's future governance, President Xi Jinping lauded achievements and praised frontline officials but said more efforts were needed to enrich, rejuvenate and strengthen unity in the region. He said a number of major infrastructure projects and public facilities would be completed, including the Sichuan-Tibet Railway, according to remarks published by the official Xinhua news agency. The construction plans include completion of the challenging middle section of a high-elevation Sichuan-Tibet railway link, a railway line between Nepal and Tibet that has remained in the planning stages, and a newly planned dry port in the Tibet Autonomous Region, the sources said. The sources declined to be identified because they were not authorised to speak with media. Also read: India steps up scrutiny of Chinese influence group amid Ladakh border conflict It was not immediately clear how much of the targeted spending is new, or over how many years it would be invested.China's State Council Information Office and the Tibet regional government did not immediately respond to requests for comment.Construction on the most difficult section of the Sichuan-Tibet railway - linking Chengdu with Lhasa - will begin in coming weeks, said two of the sources. The 270 billion yuan section of the railway has been known for construction challenges posed by rough terrain and complex geology, notably the segment linking Sichuan's Ya'an city with Nyingchi in southeastern Tibet near the border with India.Beijing also wants to push ahead with the Tibet-Nepal Railway linking Kathmandu with Shigatse, the second-largest city in Tibet, which was among a number of bilateral deals signed in 2018 between Nepal and China, but has yet to gain much traction.Nepal is a buffer between China and India and is considered by New Delhi as its natural ally, but China has made inroads by pouring aid and infrastructure investment into what is one of the world's poorest countries. A June clash in the western part of the China-India border was the worst violence between the Asian giants in decades, and there is little sign of easing tension, with more military action in the past week. Also read: Situation along India-China border 'very nasty': Donald Trump RAIL ACCESS Beijing has long aimed to build a high-speed rail network to make Tibet more accessible from China's inland provinces, and it plans to improve or extend railways being planned or constructed that connect it with other parts of China, two of the sources said.Last month, China announced plans to expand the country's railway network by one-third over the next 15 years.Within Tibet, the planned spending covers the revamp and expansion of highways, roads and scenic spots, two of the sources said. Also read: 'Seriously concerned and firmly oppose' India's app ban: Chinese embassy Beijing sent troops into Tibet in 1950 in what it officially terms a peaceful liberation and maintains a heavy security presence in the region, which has been prone to unrest.China rejects criticism from rights groups and Tibetan exiles of its rule there, saying it has brought much-needed development to a remote region and that it respects Tibet's culture and religion. China's policies towards Tibet have come under the spotlight again this year amid worsening ties with the United States.In July, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States would restrict visas for some Chinese officials involved in blocking diplomatic access to Tibet and engaging in "human rights abuses". The secretary-general of Nato has condemned the appalling assassination attempt on Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny and called on Moscow to answer questions. Mr Navalny, a Kremlin critic and corruption investigator, fell ill on a flight to Moscow and has been in an induced coma in a Berlin hospital since he was flown to Germany for treatment more than a week ago. German authorities have said tests showed that he had been poisoned with a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group. Jens Stoltenberg, speaking after he chaired a meeting of NATO ambassadors, said: There is proof beyond doubt that Mr Navalny was poisoned using a military-grade nerve agent from the Novichok group. Germany briefed Allies on their specialists findings in the poisoning of Alexey Navalny. All #NATO Allies condemn this attack. We call on Russia to provide complete disclosure of the Novichok programme to @OPCW & to cooperate with an impartial, international investigation. pic.twitter.com/kUTh3ntrPe Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) September 4, 2020 The use of such a weapon is horrific. Any use of chemical weapons shows a total disrespect for human lives and is an unacceptable breach of international norms and rules. Nato allies agree that Russia now has serious questions it must answer. Mr Stoltenberg said Moscow must cooperate with the international chemical weapons organisation in an impartial, international investigation and provide information about its Novichok programme. Asked about the case on Friday, US President Donald Trump told reporters that I dont know exactly what happened, adding that we havent had any proof yet. But later he said he would not be happy if Russia did poison Mr Navalny, and that seems to be the case. We're working with our allies and the international community to hold those in Russia accountable wherever the evidence leads and restrict funds for their malign activities White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said on Thursday that Mr Navalny was the victim of a reprehensible poisoning. Russia has used chemical nerve agents in the past, she added, and were working with our allies and the international community to hold those in Russia accountable wherever the evidence leads and restrict funds for their malign activities. Russian authorities have appeared reluctant to investigate what caused Mr Navalnys condition, saying there had so far been no grounds for a criminal investigation. Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev said a preliminary inquiry was ongoing, but added that he saw no signs of a crime in what happened to the most determined critic of president Vladimir Putin. Expand Close An ambulance drives in front of the central building of the Charite hospital where the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is being treated (Markus Schreiber/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp An ambulance drives in front of the central building of the Charite hospital where the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is being treated (Markus Schreiber/AP) Mr Putins spokesman has brushed off allegations the Kremlin was involved in poisoning Mr Navalny and said Germany had not provided Moscow with any evidence about the politicians condition. We have nothing to hide, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday, asserting that German authorities had stonewalled Russian requests for information. Mr Lavrov said the failure to provide information about Mr Navalnys poisoning could indicate a lack of evidence. Our Western partners allow themselves to make arrogant demands in such a tone that suggests that they have nothing but pathos to put on the table, he said. Taliban officials say a senior delegation returned early Saturday to Qatar, paving the way for the start of peace talks with the Afghan government that are expected to take place in the tiny Gulf state. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. The negotiations are the second, critical part to a peace deal the US signed with the Taliban in February in Doha. The Taliban delegations arrival in Qatar, where the group keeps its political office, came as a top Afghan government body blamed the militants for delays in starting talks. In a tweet on Saturday, the spokesman for Kabuls High Council for National Reconciliation, Faraidoon Khwazoon, said the government was ready to start direct negotiations. The process of releasing the prisoners is over and there is no excuse for delaying the talks, but the Taliban are still not ready to take part in the talks, he said, without further elaboration. Until its February deal with the US, the Taliban refused to directly negotiate with the Afghan government. Washington has ramped up pressure on Afghans on both sides of the conflict to open up negotiations over what a post-war Afghanistan might look like, how rights of women and minorities would be protected, and how the tens of thousands of armed Taliban and government-allied militias are disarmed and re-integrated. The US Security Adviser Robert OBrien had a long call with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani last week. American officials have also pressed neighboring Pakistan to get the Taliban to the table. Relentless delays over the exchange of prisoners 5,000 held by the Afghan government and 1,000 by the Taliban have hindered efforts to get intra-Afghan talks started. In late August, a delegation led by the Talibans political office head and the chief negotiator of the February deal with the United States, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar came to Pakistan. While little was revealed about the details of his meetings with Pakistani officials, it is believed he was pressed to get started with intra-Afghan talks. With many of the Taliban leadership council living in Pakistan, Islamabad has been pressed by Washington to use its influence to push negotiations forward. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has repeatedly said he wants peace talks started and that a military solution for Afghanistan is an impossibility. Pakistani officials reportedly met a second time with Baradar on Friday before his return to Doha again pressing for a swift start to Afghan peace talks, it is believed. US and Afghan officials have both said they want to see a reduction in violence in the conflict going into talks with the Taliban, but the militant group maintains that a cease-fire would only be on the agenda once talks begin. Washingtons February agreement with the Taliban was reached to allow the exit of American troops after nearly 20 years at war in keeping with a promise President Donald Trump made during the 2016 US election campaign. The withdrawal, which has already begun, is not dependent on the success of the Afghan negotiations but rather on commitments made by the Taliban to fight terrorist groups and ensure Afghanistan cannot be used to attack America or its allies. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Vietnamese National Assembly will hold the 41st General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA-41) themed Parliamentary diplomacy for a cohesive and responsive ASEAN Community via a video conference from September 8-10, said the organising board at a press conference on September 4. Vice Chairman of the NAs Committee for External Relations Nguyen Manh Tien at the event (Photo: VNA) Vice Chairman of the NAs Committee for External Relations and head of the AIPA 41 information sub-committee Nguyen Manh Tien said it will be the third time the Vietnamese legislature assumes the role of AIPA Chair and holds the assembly. Tien described the AIPA-41 as an important highlight in external activities of the 14th NA, contributing to highlighting Vietnam's State and parliamentary diplomacy achievements. About the meetings agenda, he said participants are expected to approve several documents electronically, including the AIPA-41s activities and agenda, the list of guests, host of AIPA 42, time and venue. As AIPA Chair 2020 and Chair of the AIPA-41, Vietnamese NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan will chair and deliver opening and closing speeches, and present AIPA chairmanship 2021 and AIPA-41 General Assembly Chairmanship to the next host. In particular, the General Assembly will adopt draft resolutions of committees, establish the conference of AIPA young parliamentarians, admit AIPAs new observers, present awards of dedication to AIPA, and sign a joint statement via the form of announcement. Chairman of the NAs Committee for External Relations and deputy head of the organising committee's standing board Nguyen Van Giau said the conference of AIPA young parliamentarians will take the theme AIPA young parliamentarians build ASEAN Community. About the admission of AIPAs new observers, Giau said the organising committee has received four dossiers from Norway, Morocco, Pakistan and Georgia and will hold an admission ceremony at the second plenary session and the closing ceremony. As regards the conference of AIPA female parliamentarians, Giau said Chairwoman of the NAs Committee for Social Affairs Nguyen Thuy Anh will chair the event, which will discuss female parliamentarians role in ensuring jobs and income for female workers. Members of the organising committee also answered reporters questions about the significance and contributions of AIPA to Vietnams socio-economic development, the region and the world, advantages and disadvantages in holding AIPA-41 online, among others. Vietnam actively preparing for AIPA 41 As President of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), the Vietnamese National Assembly (NA) hopes to leave a good impression on international friends, contributing to raising its standing as well as creating cohesion and coordination with the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Permanent NA Vice Chairwoman Tong Thi Phong has said. Speaking at a meeting of the Vietnamese NA delegation attending the 41st AIPA General Assembly (AIPA 41) on September 4 in Hanoi, Phong emphasised that amid the complex developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NA has strongly expressed its determination to assume its responsibilities as President of AIPA 41. AIPA member countries have so far agreed with the agenda for AIPA 41, themed Parliamentary diplomacy for a cohesive and proactive ASEAN Community, she said. Some 30 delegations with 380 delegates, including 230 lawmakers, have registered to attend the online event, she added. The Vietnamese delegation has adopted the motto Actively contributing to the AIPA agenda, promoting solidarity, and leading joint efforts to support ASEAN during its Community building process, in particular effectively responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. The delegation needs to skilfully apply the principles, processes, and operational models of ASEAN-AIPA during the event. Reporting on Vietnams preparations for AIPA 41, Chairman of the NA Committee for External Relations and deputy head of the standing board of the AIPA 41 Organising Committee Nguyen Van Giau said the Ministry of Information and Communications has launched an AIPA41 website, mobile app, and identifier. A press conference on the scheduling and content of AIPA 41 is slated for the afternoon of September 4, he said, adding that reception and logistics work for the online event have been carried out on schedule. AIPA 41 will consist of an opening ceremony, a closing ceremony, and the two plenary sessions, meetings of political, economic and social committees, an AIPA women parliamentarians meeting, and an unofficial meeting of young AIPA parliamentarians. AIPA 41: Parliaments, governments join hands to fight pandemic The timely response to COVID-19 by the parliaments of ASEAN member countries has played a significant role in accelerating goals and programmes for regional sustainable development in the future. Chairwoman of Vietnams National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, who is also Chair of the 41st General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA 41), sent a letter in March to chairpersons of AIPA member parliaments calling for joint efforts in protecting ASEAN from the pandemic. She highlighted solidarity, sharing, and mutual support within the bloc in the face of the coronavirus. Each AIPA member parliament should join hands with governments in the fight by promoting their role and approving relevant measures and policies proposed by governments, Ngan said. Vietnams NA, together with the support of other AIPA member parliaments, will make every effort to ensure the success of the 2020 AIPA Year, for peace, safety, and happiness of the people and the sustainable development and prosperity of all ASEAN countries and the world, she pledged. In that spirit, at the ASEAN Leaders Interface with Representatives of AIPA within the 36th ASEAN Summit in June, Ngan lauded ASEANs joint efforts in coping with the unprecedented challenges posed by COVID-19. She backed the implementation of ASEAN initiatives and support to governments in rolling out solutions to bring the pandemic under control. In the short term, ASEAN should focus resources on improving economic recovery post-COVID-19, maintain commitments made to opening up trade and investment and connecting supply chains, ensure food security and access to medicines and medical supplies at reasonable prices, and assist people and businesses affected by the pandemic, she suggested. In culture-society, AIPA encourages the timely issuance of policies on education, unemployment, and public health improvements, including the publics capacity to access vaccines and essential goods, Ngan stressed. At a meeting on the role of parliaments in international cooperation against COVID-19 in April, Chairman of the Vietnamese NA Committee for External Relations Nguyen Van Giau called on AIPA member parliaments to take a more active role and accompany governments in the pandemic fight through the issuance of relevant polices and measures. At the 11th AIPA Caucus on August 14, Vietnam urged AIPA member parliaments to continue review and perfect legal frameworks to facilitate trade and ensure the distribution of goods and the smooth operation of regional supply chains. Member parliaments have committed to accelerating the ratification of regional trade agreements and prioritising efforts to complete negotiations and sign the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement. The countries have also stepped up parliamentary supervision over the implementation of investment and trade commitments, both regionally and internationally, considering this a major tool in promoting economic connectivity within the ASEAN Economic Community and between ASEAN and its partners. They also focused on infrastructure development, digital connectivity, digital data safety, and digital knowledge and skills, while making the best use of Industry 4.0 to overcome the consequences of economic closures and social distancing amid COVID-19. At the same time, AIPA member parliaments have intensified regional infrastructure and transport connectivity and cooperation in the Mekong Sub-region and other sub-regions in ASEAN, especially in environmental protection, the development of smart agriculture, and the sustainable use of cross-border natural resources, so as to ensure food, water, and energy security in sub-regions during and post-COVID-19. Given the adverse impact of COVID-19 in many countries and around the world, coordination between governments and parliaments will contribute to fighting the pandemic and ensuring social welfare, for the peace, safety, and happiness of the people and the sustainable development and prosperity of ASEAN member countries and also the world. NA Vice Chairwoman meets diplomats of ASEAN countries, AIPA observers Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly (NA) Tong Thi Phong chaired a meeting with ambassadors and heads of the diplomatic missions of ASEAN member states, together with observers and guests of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), on the cusp of the 41st AIPA General Assembly (AIPA 41). Phong, who is head of the AIPA 41 organising board, took the occasion to thank ambassadors and heads of the diplomatic missions in Hanoi for supporting the Vietnamese NAs offices in carrying out activities in Vietnams 2020 AIPA Chairmanship Year, especially AIPA 41, which is scheduled to be held from September 8-10 via video conference. She affirmed that as AIPA 41 is the most important event in the 2020 AIPA Chairmanship Year, Vietnam began preparations in 2019, as soon as it took over the AIPA Chair from the Thai National Assembly. Phong said that AIPA member parliaments agree with the AIPA 41 theme of Parliamentary diplomacy for a cohesive and responsive ASEAN Community. She expressed her hope of continuing to receive close and effective coordination from participants in organising the 41st AIPA General Assembly. Participants affirmed their participation in AIPA 41 activities and will contribute to the General Assemblys success, thus helping to boost friendship and solidarity between ASEAN member states for prosperity and development in the region. This is the third time Vietnam has hosted an AIPA General Assembly and held the Chairmanship of the AIPA since the country joined the organisation in 1995. National Assembly contributing to AIPAs development Vietnams National Assembly (NA) has contributed actively and proactively to the development of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) over the last 25 years. The countrys legislature became an official member of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organisation (AIPO) - the predecessor of AIPA - on September 19, 1995, at the 16th AIPO General Assembly in Singapore. At the first AIPO general assembly that it attended as an official member, the Vietnamese NA made active contributions to the assemblys activities. In his remarks at the opening session of the event, NA Chairman Nong Duc Manh stressed that the NA joining AIPO after the country became a member of ASEAN was of great significance, marking a significant change in Southeast Asia for the independence and prosperity of each nation in the region. Since then, in every difficult time the region has faced, the legislative body has taken timely action, together with parliaments of other member states, to deal with arising problems. In 1998 - a year after the Asian financial crisis rocked Asia - Vietnam proposed organising an AIPO conference on the role of legislative bodies in dealing with the crisis, which was held a year later. In 2002, Vietnam hosted the AIPO General Assembly for the first time. With its role as AIPO Chair in the 2001-2002 tenure, the countrys legislature successfully organised the 23rd General Assembly in Hanoi, contributing in a practical manner to the organisations development. Among 33 resolutions approved at the meeting, 20 were initiated by Vietnam, and those ideas remain valuable today. Vietnam again successfully organised the 31st AIPA General Assembly from September 20-24, 2010, in Hanoi, fulfilling its responsibility as AIPA Chair in the 2009-2010 tenure, expressing the countrys efforts to integrate into the region. The Vietnamese legislature has made a great many proposals at AIPA general assemblies over the last 25 years and participated in AIPA activities. Such contributions helped consolidate Vietnams friendship and multifaceted cooperation with ASEAN member states and affirmed the legislative bodys position and role in the region and the world. Former deputy head of the NA Committee for External Relations Ngo Anh Dung said that since becoming a member, the NA has fully taken part in AIPO activities and made suggestions to help the organisation operate more effectively and substantially. In the political realm, Vietnams initiatives mainly focus on improving the organisations role, intensifying intra-bloc collaboration, and building the ASEAN Community. In the economic field, the countrys initiatives emphasise the urgent need for economic connectivity in the region as well as the role of parliaments in coping with economic crises and boosting sustainable development. In terms of social affairs and gender equality, the NA has proposed many initiatives, especially on promoting the role of women in general and female parliamentarians in particular. Of special note, the first AIPO Women Parliamentarians Meeting was held at the 19th AIPO General Assembly in 1998, following initiatives by Vietnam and Malaysia. Vietnam has made other contributions in terms of organisational matters of AIPO and AIPA, such as granting insignias to those making major contributions to the organisations development, and intensifying links between the organisation and ASEAN. In 2007, to connect Government heads and top legislators of ASEAN countries, Vietnam proposed a dialogue between ASEAN and AIPA leaders. When hosting the AIPA General Assembly for the second time in 2010, the country organised the first dialogue. Since then, the high-level dialogue has been held within the framework of ASEAN Year and AIPA Year. This year, as the 41st AIPA Chair, the NA has taken the initiative in cooperating with member parliaments to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Governments in seeking measures to promote post-COVID-19 economic recovery, contributing to consolidating cooperation and solidarity in ASEAN in a spirit of Parliamentary diplomacy for a cohesive and responsive ASEAN Community./.VNA Ignoring official warnings and public health orders, several hundred people gathered at an illegal 'Freedom Day' protest calling for an end to lockdown measures Melbourne: Over a dozen anti-lockdown protesters were arrested Saturday in Melbourne, as those deliberately flouting stay-at-home orders clashed with Australian police. Ignoring official warnings and public health orders, several hundred people gathered at an illegal protest promoted by several virus related conspiracy theory groups online calling for an end to lockdown measures. A huge police presence responded, arresting 17 as the crowd chanted "freedom" and "scam" towards lines of officers who repeatedly attempted to move people on. Two protesters were seen raising their arms in a Nazi salute at officers and yelling "Heil Dan", comparing the state of Victoria's premier Daniel Andrews to Adolf Hitler, while standing on the forecourt of the Shrine of Remembrance a war memorial which partly commemorates Australians killed fighting in World War II. Demonstrators moved to a nearby park before being surrounded by police and eventually dispersing. Officers said they issued 160 fines for breaching health orders and were expecting to hand out more in coming days. Several attendees told AFP they were protesting the government's response to the pandemic, which has killed more than 8,65,000 people around the world, labelling it overblown or an outright "scam". "We are in a city where the cure from Daniel Andrews is actually worse than what's happening," protester Fiona Kat said. The "Freedom Day" events were largely promoted by several loosely-connected groups online that espouse anti-vaccination and virus related conspiracy theories. Rallies were also held around the country, with 14 people arrested at protests in Sydney and Byron Bay. Despite Victoria's second wave, Australia has dealt relatively well with the virus allowing the rest of the country to roll back restrictions. The nation has recorded over 26,200 cases and 748 deaths in a population of 25 million (2.5 crore). Before the protest, Victorian premier Andrews told people to stay home and warned the gathering could jeopardise a path out of lockdown, which is expected to be outlined on Sunday. "It is not safe, it is not smart, it is not lawful," he told media. "In fact, it is absolutely selfish." This is the first highest level face-to-face meeting between the two sides after the border row escalated in eastern Ladakh in early May New Delhi: Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Friday met with Chinese defence minister General Wei Fenghe in Moscow in a first high level political contact between the two countries who are involved in a four month tense military stand-off in the Ladakh sector. The two sides discussed the current military stand-off in Ladakh and ways to bring down tensions between the two nuclear armed countries. It was the Chinese side which requested for a meeting with defence minister Singh who is in Moscow to attend the joint meeting of the heads of defence ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). The meeting started at 9:30 pm Indian Standard Time at Hotel Metropol in Moscow. Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar and Indian Ambassador to Russia D B Venkatesh Varma were part of the Indian delegation. It is the first highest level face-to-face meeting between the two sides after the border row escalated in eastern Ladakh in early May. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has previously held telephonic talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the border standoff. Hours before the talks, Singh, in his address at the SCO ministerial meet, said peace and security in the region demands a climate of trust, non-aggression, peaceful resolution of differences and respect for international rules. Singh's comments in the presence of the Chinese defence minister was seen as a veiled message to China over the border row in eastern Ladakh. In his address, Singh referred to the Second World War and said its memories teach the globe the "folies of aggression" of one state upon another that brings "destruction" to all. "Peaceful stable and secure region of SCO member states, which is home to over 40 per cent of the global population, demands a climate of trust and cooperation, non-aggression, respect for international rules and norms, sensitivity to each other's interest and peaceful resolution of differences," Singh said. Mr Jaishankar, who would also be travelling to Moscow for a foreign ministers meeting of the SCO member countries on September 10 could also meet his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. Earlier, Chinese state owned Global Times said that the meeting would help the two countries enhance communication in defence, control the situation and avoid the recent stand-off at the South Pangong Tso escalating into a wider clash. The meeting comes in backdrop of tension between the two countries flaring up after India in a preemptive move occupied around two dozen peaks in Southern banks of Pangong Tso and Spanggur gap. There is a high tension in Chushul sector as China is angry with Indias preemptive move with both armies near to each other in the sector. After raking in multi-million deals for Jio Platforms Ltd, Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) has invited all 13 investors to pump in money in Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd (RRVL). Jio Platforms has strategic investors such as Facebook Inc and Google Inc on board and roping in these global tech giants could give it a much-needed boost to take on multination giants like Amazon Inc and Walmart in India. As coronavirus continues to wreak havoc in the Indian economy, Reliance Retail may choose to follow the Jio Platforms model, LiveMint reported citing people familiar aware of the talks. The prime reason for this is believed to be the restrictions under the foreign direct investment law, which prohibits FDI in multi-brand retail in India. So, RIL will most likely look for financial or strategic investors. This also goes well as per RIL Chairman Mukesh Ambani's plan, who last month said Reliance Retail wanted to focus on inducting global investors in the next few quarters. The stake sale in Reliance Retail will provide the company's balance sheet a flexibility and help it reduce the debt. Of the RIL's total debt of Rs 3.36 lakh crore, Reliance Retail has a total debt of Rs 4,618 crore. Reliance Industries' Jio Platforms has committed a total of Rs 1,52,056 crore for a combined 33 per cent stake in JPL since April this year, with the latest investment worth Rs 33,737 crore from global tech giant Google. Also read: Future Uncertain Its other top investors are Vista, General Atlantic, KKR, Mubadala, TPG, L Catterton, Intel Capital, Silver Lake, Qualcomm Ventures and Facebook. The development is significant since Mukesh Ambani-led company reportedly has already started early stages talks with American private equity (PE) firm Silver Lake to sell a 1.7-1.8 per cent stake for around Rs 7,500 crore. Silver Lake was also the first American private equity firm to invest in Jio Platforms, following Facebook's investment in the company for a $5.7 billion stake. Also read: Reliance Retail-Silver Lake deal talks: 10 key points Reliance Retail is aiming to sell about 10 per cent in new shares to raise $5.7 billion, Financial Times reported this week. The company also signed a mega-deal worth $3.38 billion to acquire the retail and logistics businesses of Kishore Biyani-led Future Group on August 29. The deal made Reliance Retail India's largest retail chain and gave it control of around one-third of retail stores of the country. Also Read: Reliance-Future deal: Kishore Biyani, family can't enter retail business for next 15 years Also read: Mukesh Ambani's RIL in talks with parent ByteDance to acquire TikTok in India 05 Sep 2020, 10:57 AM Russia's COVID-19 vaccine safe, produces immune response: Lancet Russia's potential coronavirus vaccine, Sputnik V, approved in the country last month, induced an antibody response in all participants with no serious side effects, according to the first peer-reviewed data on studies of the project. The vaccine produced a response in T-cells, a type of white blood cells that helps the immune system combat any infection, according to the preliminary results from phase 1 and phase 2 trials as published in The Lancet medical journal on Friday. Situation along India-China border 'very nasty': Donald Trump Asserting that the situation along the India-China border has been "very nasty and the Chinese are "going at it" much more strongly, US President Donald Trump said he would love to get involved and help. If we can do anything, we would love to get involved and help. And we are talking to both countries about that, he said. India's GDP contraction higher than peers; V-shaped recovery underway, says Finance Ministry Ministry of Finance has confirmed that the unprecedented contraction in India's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth is higher than its peers, attributing the economic crisis to "stringent lockdown that India enforced in the April-June quarter". The strict lockdown has helped India keep case fatality rate lower than countries like the US, the UK, France, Japan and Italy, the Finance Ministry claimed in its Economic Review for August. The Finance Ministry further stated that India is witnessing a sharp V-shaped recovery along with the rest of the world. Future Retail net profit nosedives 98% in FY20 to Rs 477.63 crore Future Retail posted a consolidated net profit of Rs 11.29 crore in the financial year 2019-20. The company saw its profit decline 98.44 per cent compared to Rs 727.19 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal. PUBG ban: Tencent to engage with Indian govt to ensure app's availability The company behind the Chinese app PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Tencent said on Thursday that it will engage with Indian authorities to ensure continued availability of its apps in India. In response to the government's ban on Chinese apps, the gaming and social media group stated that it takes the protection of its users' privacy and data seriously. (Photo : China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation) China launched a Long March-5 rocket The race to the space is really on. While Elon Musk's just made its SpaceX Starship SN6 hop for 500 miles above the ground, China launched an experimental space plane in the morning of September 4. Both are reusable, but which can first bring humans to space? The Xinhua News Agency, a state run media outlet, reported the launch from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Gobi Desert in Northwest China. The "reusable experimental spacecraft" carried a Long March-2F carrier rocket on its 14th mission. While no official notice before the launch, air traffic restrictions indicated a launch was taking place. "Reusable technologies" that can provide "support for the peaceful use of space" will be tested during the mission. The spacecraft will return to the scheduled landing site in China after a period of in-orbit operation, although the length when it will be in orbit or when it would return was not provided. Meanwhile, according to orbital data, confirmed that the spacecraft was placed in an orbit up to 350 kilometres in altitude, which was similar to previous crewed flights launched by China. Thus, there are rumors that the vehicle may be used to develop something that can carry humans to space. For the past decade, China has been working on space plane technology and it previously said it aimed to fly such a vehicle by 2020. A journalist who covers the Chinese space programme Andrew Jones said that there have been some clues before thie mission. "But the actual timing was a surprise," he added. The mission's purpose was unclear whether it would be for human flights as China has been secretive about the details. "It's so vague, so secretive. It's very interesting, but it's also quite frustrating," said Jones. Meanwhile, the launch shows off China's growing space launch capabilities. Jones noted that China is promoting innovation and low-cost launch vehicles, which is part of the country's space transportation plans. Elon Musk Made Another Starship Hop The space mission came alongside Musk's Starship SN6 test flight, which is SpaceX's attempt in carrying humans to space. After SpaceX pulled off a first hop test in August, the space company has successfully made another Starship hop 500 feet above the ground on September 3 in Boca Chica test site in Texas. The gleaming Starship SN6 prototype was similar to its predecessor SN5 both without a nose cone and fins. Elon Musk tweeted that the SN5 was a flying water tower: "Turns out you can make anything fly haha." The cylindrical spacecraft seemed like a silo with a rocket engine. It rose into the air and hovered for a few moments before landing on its legs. Based on the YouTube video from NASA, the flight looked the same as the Starship SN5 flight test. Meanwhile, Musk said SpaceX can now proceed to connecting the missing flaps and attempting high altitude tests after the successful short hops. While Musk's goal is to launch about three Starship flights daily to eventually carry a million humans to Mars, it would still take some time to fulfill. Read also: Elon Musk Would Need 300 'Ready to Die' Persons a Day as Soon as 1,000 Starship Flights are Launched This is owned by Tech Times Written by CJ Robles 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A State body agreed to the payment of 1.6m to a Dermot Desmond-linked company to settle privacy and property dispute lawsuits, the Irish Independent can reveal. In one of the cases, the billionaire financier and his children sued a senior bankruptcy official and the Insolvency Service of Ireland (ISI), alleging information about an agreement to buy a Dublin mansion was leaked to a newspaper. Neither the ISI nor the official assignee in bankruptcy Chris Lehane made any admission of liability in the settlement agreement and the parties involved agreed to keep its contents confidential. However, the agreement became publicly available in the US this week, where it was filed in proceedings connected to the bankruptcy of property developer Sean Dunne. The settlement resolved three different legal actions, each related in one way or another to Walford, a property on Dublin's Shrewsbury Road. The mansion became the most expensive home in Ireland in 2005 when Mr Dunne bought it for his then wife Gayle Killilea for 57.9m. It has changed hands twice since then, most recently being bought by Celtic Trustees Ltd, an Isle of Man trust set up for the benefit of Mr Desmond's children. However, that transaction became entangled in investigations by Mr Lehane into who had beneficial ownership of Walford in the run-up to Mr Dunne's bankruptcy in 2013. Celtic Trustees bought the property in 2016 for 14.25m from Yesreb Holdings, a Cyprus-registered company of which John Dunne, Sean Dunne's son from his first marriage, was a director. But a question mark was put over the deal when Mr Lehane registered a legal claim - known as a lis pendens - over the property. The official assignee also issued proceedings against Yesreb, in a bid to recover assets for Mr Dunne's bankruptcy estate. In 2017, Celtic Trustees sued Mr Lehane, claiming it had good title over the property and seeking the lifting of the lis pendens. In a further lawsuit, also filed that year, Mr Desmond, his four children and Celtic Trustees took a privacy action against Mr Lehane and the ISI. The High Court heard this related to the alleged leaking of confidential material to a newspaper concerning an agreement to buy Walford. All three matters were eventually resolved on confidential terms last February. The High Court heard the lis pendens was to be lifted and a declaration could be made, on consent, that Celtic Trustees had acquired good title to Walford. No further details were disclosed. However, the document lodged in a US court this week reveals that under the settlement the proceeds from the sale of Walford, which had been held in Yesreb's Swiss bank account, were dispersed. Some 1.6m was paid to Celtic Trustees, which acted on behalf of the Desmonds. It is unclear how much of the 1.6m settlement sum relates to the privacy action and how much to the good title dispute. The ISI said it was prohibited from commenting due to the confidentiality clause in the settlement agreement. Mr Desmond did not respond to queries. Under the agreement, each party has to bear their own legal costs and it is thought much of the 1.6m will end up going towards lawyers' fees. Yesreb was paid 250,000. It was not made clear why but it is thought this was a contribution towards legal costs. The remaining funds in the account, around 10.6m, were paid over to Richard Coan, a US bankruptcy trustee who worked with Mr Lehane to recover assets. The money is expected to be used as part of the settlement of a fraudulent transfer judgment handed down by a US jury against Ms Killilea in June last year. The jury found her liable as the recipient of fraudulent transfers from her ex-husband to pay more than 18m to the trustee. Queensland recorded just one new COVID-19 case in the past 24 hours, as Annastacia Palaszczuk refuses to reopen the state's borders. The one new case of COVID-19 in Queensland is a woman aged in her 60s, believed to be connected to Brisbane's Youth Detention Centre at Wacol. The woman had traveled to and from Russell Island on a ferry over the past four days while possibly infection. 'People on those islands, they are vulnerable and they often have difficulty accessing health services,' Deputy Premier Steven Miles told reporters. 'We wanted to get a message out very quickly to people on those islands, or who have travelled on the Russell Island ferry to monitor their health very, very closely.' The state has also raised a public health alert for two furniture stores and a Spotlight where COVID-19 cases had been confirmed on August 29. Queensland is asking people to monitor symptoms if they visited Johnny Furniture in Booval between 9.30am - 10.00am, Spotlight in West Ipswich between 10.00am - 10.20am and Fantastic Furniture in West Ipswich from 11.00am -11.10am. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk refuses to reopen the state's borders despite recording one COVID-19 case overnight (pictured at the Gabba in Brisbane) People are seen lining up to be tested for Covid-19 at a testing clinic at Ipswich Hospital on August 24 Two staff members tested positive to COVID-19 at Brisbane's Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre (pictured) forcing the it and other jails in Queensland to be locked down The state is keeping a tight-grip on any potential COVID-19 outbreaks, with prison officers forced to only go to work and home or face a hefty fine. Prison officers risk being slapped with a $13,345 if they break their 'COVID-19 jail bubble' following unrest at Brisbane's Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre. Two staff members tested positive to COVID-19 forcing the centre and other jails in Queensland to be locked down. An instruction letter obtained by The Courier Mail informs the prison guards are required to go directly from home to work and back without making any pit stops to ensure no one contracts COVID-19. 'You are permitted to leave your stated place of quarantine for the purpose of undertaking work at the Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre,' the instruction letter read. 'Travel to the Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre must be the most direct route and without stopping.' The letter also states that officers who received a negative COVID-19 result must wear PPE at all times and 'remain in quarantine at home at all other times'. A letter sent to Arthur Gorrie (pictured) prison guards prison guards informs them that they are only allowed to go directly from home to work and back without making any pit stops Nurses are seen doing COVID-19 testing at a drive-thru fever clinic in Ipswich on August 24, 2020 Officers vented their frustration at the orders, with the Together Union seeking clarifications on what can or can't be done. 'Our priority is making sure we do not see the spread of COVID-19,' Together Union industrial services director Michael Thomas said. 'We have concerns about how this modified quarantine order can be practically applied. 'We are seeking advice from the chief health officer for clarification as to how it will be applied.' Queensland Health explained that following the positive cases, it was in the best interest of prisoners and other Queenslanders for the guards to isolate. They also said that the directives were not for all staff, just a handful considered to be close contacts. There are currently 26 active cases of COVID-19 in Queensland. Passengers queuing to check in for flights to Queensland at Sydney Domestic Airport in July WA Premier Mark McGowan (pictured) has flat-out refused to open his borders to any jurisdiction Australian state border restrictions Victoria: Completely open, but other states are banning residents from going there NSW: Border with Victoria is closed but others are open without restriction Queensland: Open to everywhere but Victoria, NSW, and the ACT Northern Territory: Open to everywhere but Victoria and Sydney, which must do hotel quarantine South Australia: Closed to Victoria, NSW arrivals must self-isolate, rest are open Tasmania: Closed to Victoria, everywhere else must do hotel quarantine Western Australia: Closed to everywhere without an exemption Advertisement Seven out of eight states and territories want domestic borders down by December as part of a new 'road map' to recovery from coronavirus restrictions. But Western Australia, which has had no community transmission for 146 days, has refused to take part. Queensland has also state it won't reopen its borders, with Premier Palaszczuk saying she refuses to have her hand forced by the federal government. 'It is relentless. It is intimidating. But I will not be intimidated,' Ms Palaszczuk said. 'Although we are seeing some encouraging signs of those numbers reducing, there are still too many cases, I believe, for us to be able to safely open the border between Queensland, NSW, Victoria and the ACT. 'I think it is a bit disingenuous for this heightened criticism that is coming from a whole lot of levels when our fundamental concern is to look after Queenslanders and to make sure they are safe during this time. 'There is a high risk when there is an outbreak of it going into our aged-care homes. 'I do not want to see what has happened in our aged-care sector in NSW and in Victoria happen here in Queensland - that would be a nightmare.' The prime minister and seven leaders agreed on the plan to reunite the country at a national cabinet meeting on Friday. Queensland has also state it won't reopen its borders, with Premier Palaszczuk refusing to be intimidated by the federal government Scott Morrison (pictured) said he felt like Australia could break apart due to border closures The idea is to use a 'hotspot' model where state borders are open to everywhere except certain designated areas which have high rates of community transmission. Mr Morrison wants New Zealand to be included in the hotspot model before Christmas, allowing for international travel for the first time since March. New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she wants travel with New Zealand 'as soon as possible'. Mr Morrison said he wants a 'sustainable set of arrangements where Australians could move around, using a hot spot model by Christmas.' The prime minster believes that increasing movement between states is essential to save the nation's dying tourism industry, which employs one million workers and is set to lose a staggering $54.6billion this year due to lockdowns and border restrictions. Greater freedom will also help farmers, residents in border towns, and hundreds of thousands of Aussie families who are trapped apart in different states. New Delhi, Sep 5 : At a time when the noose is tightening on actress Rhea Chakraborty in a much-talked-about drugs case, controversial Bollywood actress Mamta Kulkarni, wife of narco kingpin Vicky Goswami, is seeking a clean chit in a Rs 2000-crore international drug cartel scandal. Kulkarni has been named a co-accused along with Nairobi-based drug lord Goswami, in a case registered by Thane police under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act which relates to manufacture of drugs such as ephedrine and mandrax. Last week, a division bench of the Supreme Court, comprising Justice Rohinton F. Nariman and Justice Navin Sinha directed the Bombay High Court to expeditiously take up the case of actress Kulkarni, who had filed a petition for quashing of FIR registered against her. She had been living in Nairobi with Goswami, who was arrested and extradited to the US by its Drug Enforcement Administration(DEA).Last year, the DEA filed a report in Southern District Court of New York on July 25 in which it mentioned the name of Dawood Ibrahim aide Vicky Goswami, husband of Bollywood actress Mamta Kulkarni and Ali Punjani, ex-husband of another Bollywood star Kim Sharma. Sources said that Vicky Goswami, a small time bootlegger in Ahmedabad, introduced 'mandrax' to Bollywood parties in the 1990s. Once Dawood Ibrahim escaped to Karachi in 1993, the drug cartels in India's crime and financial capital were handled by Goswami on behalf of the D-company. Gradually, heroin, cocaine, and curated marijuana was also being smuggled into the party circuit. Later, Goswami got close to Mamta Kulkarni, and reportedly married her. The couple migrated to South Africa and later to Kenya from where they remote controlled the drug cartels in India. A 2016 report of Thane police, investigating a case relating to the supply of party drugs to Kenya, reveals that Dawood aide Vicky Goswami, husband of Mamta Kulkarni, was sentenced by a Dubai court on charges of peddling drugs. In 2013, after being released from prison, Goswami shifted base to Kenya where he came in contact with Ali Punjani. The report says that Goswami also approached one Indian Dr Bipin Panchal. In Mombasa, a meeting was held between Dr Panchal and Goswami in which Dr Panchal assured Goswami he will arrange supply of ephedrine from a pharmaceutical company in India. The consignment would then be taken to Uganda where it would be turned into methamphetamine, a party drug. Reacting to Mamta Kulkarni's efforts to seek a clean chit in an international drug scandal originating from Thane, well-known Supreme Court advocate Ajay Agarwal told IANS that at a time when country's top investigative agencies are focusing on the Bollywood-drug cartel nexus, inaction or a clean chit to Kulkarni would sent out the wrong message to the country. "I would oppose quashing Mamta's FIR, as she was involved with her husband in global drug trafficking. Goswami is a drug lord. He worked for Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Rajan. He also worked with other members of the global drug mafia. Law enforcing agencies should deeply investigate the role of Goswami and Kulkarni in drug smuggling which has affected our film Industry. Sushant Singh Rajput's mysterious death is the most glaring example of the drug usage scenario in the film Industry," said Agarwal. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 15:50:09|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TEHRAN, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday officially announced the opening of new school year, state-run IRNA news agency reported. Rouhani said "strict" measures will be adopted by the educational authorities to protect students' health. He also advised teachers to include instructing health principles in the education to help students stay safe. On Tuesday, Iran's Education Ministry announced plans for reopening of schools in low-risk regions and said that classes of high-risk regions would be held online. Iranian schools were closed for nearly four months during the last academic year as the novel coronavirus broke out across the country in February. Iran on Friday reported a total of 382,772 cases with novel coronavirus in the country, of whom 22,044 have died. Enditem First lady Melania Trump speaks during an event in at the White House in Washington on Sept. 3, 2020. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Melania Trump Refutes the Atlantics Reporting on Trumps Remarks About Fallen Troops First Lady Melania Trump late Friday refuted a report by The Atlantic that claimed, without citing any named sources, that President Donald Trump had spoken unfavorably of military personnel and decided not to visit a military cemetery in France in 2018 in part because he feared his hair would become disheveled. [The Atlantic] story is not true, the first lady wrote on Twitter. It has become a very dangerous time when anonymous sources are believed above all else, & no one knows their motivation. This is not journalism It is activism. And it is a disservice to the people of our great nation. .@TheAtlantic story is not true. It has become a very dangerous time when anonymous sources are believed above all else, & no one knows their motivation. This is not journalism It is activism. And it is a disservice to the people of our great nation. Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) September 4, 2020 Trump also denied the report, calling the piece fake news. The Atlantic claimed, citing anonymous sources, that Trump made disparaging remarks about fallen WWII troops buried at a cemetery near Paris, France, and that he declined a trip to visit the cemetery because he feared his hair would become disheveled in the rain, and because he did not believe it important to honor American war dead. They made it up its unthinkable, Trump said late Thursday. Read More Trump Refutes Report by The Atlantic Alleging He Disparaged Military Personnel, John McCain I was ready to go to the ceremony, the president said of the planned trip in 2018 in France by helicopter. He said that the U.S. Secret Service told him he could not go. The alternative, a long drive, would have meant going through very busy areas of Paris and the Secret Service objected, even though he insisted on the drive also, he said. The Secret Service told me you cant do it. I said I have to do it. They said you cant do it, he told reporters late Thursday, adding, But you can also speak to the Secret Service, they wouldnt let me go no matter what happened because of security, because of safety. He expressed incredulity at the situation. Now all of a sudden somebody makes up this horrible story that I didnt want to go, and then they make up an even worse story, an even worse story, calling certain names to our fallen heroes Its a disgrace that a magazine is able to write it. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters upon arrival at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on Sept. 3, 2020. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) I would be willing to swear on anything that I never said that about our fallen heroes. There is nobody that respects them more, he added. All they are trying to do is influence a presidential election where weve gone very high in the polls in the last short period of time, where were doing very well, where were going to win and theyre going crazy This fake press is a disgrace. The president also denied allegations in the report that he didnt support the funeral of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). Keith Kellogg, a retired Lieutenant General who now serves as the national security advisor to Vice President Mike Pence, said on Twitter late Thursday: The Atlantic story is completely false. Absolutely lacks merit, he continued. Ive been by the Presidents side. He has always shown the highest respect to our active duty troops and veterans with utmost respect paid to those who have given the ultimate sacrifice and those wounded in battle. A number of other White House officials and Trump allies have refuted the claims made by the anonymous sources in The Atlantic piece. The Trump campaign noted that 11 officials who were with President Trump are ON THE RECORD refuting it and Official documents also refute it. The Epoch Times has reached out to The Atlantic for comment. Read More Four On-The-Record Sources Rebut Anonymously Sourced Trump Military Story Agartala, Sep 5 : In view of the rising Covid-19 cases in Tripura, a central team would soon visit the northeastern state to study the situation and suggest the state government to curb the spread of the virus, a Minister said here on Saturday night. Tripura Law and Education Minister Ratan Lal Nath said that a central team comprising three or four experts from the Union Health Ministry would soon visit the state to examine the Covid-19 related situation and suggest the state government to curb the spread of the virus. Tripura's Additional Chief Secretary in-charge of Health and Family Welfare Department Sanjay Kumar Rakesh has apprised the Union Health Ministry about the prevailing situation arises due to the rising cases of coronavirus, said Nath, who is the spokesman of the state government. He told the media that in terms of positivity, recovery and mortality rates and test per million, Tripura has in the better position from many states in India. Till Saturday night, 14,531 positive cases found in Tripura with 8,745 patients recovered from the disease and 144 people succumbed to the dreaded disease since June 9, when the first death was reported. "Considering the gravity of the situation, the Tripura government has earlier suggested to impose total lockdown in the state on Saturday and Sunday, but the Union Home Ministry did not respond on the issue," the minister added. Of the 14,531 positive cases, 5,217 cases found alone in West Tripura district, where the capital city Agartala falls. Of the total of 144 deaths, 65 per cent occurred in West Tripura district, one of Tripura's eight districts. Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, who also holds the Health Department, earlier said that Covid-19 crisis in the Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC) areas is extremely alarming with the positivity rate of 21 per cent against the alarming ratio of 10 per cent. Around five lakh people reside in the AMC areas.Of the 49 wards in the AMC, 70 per cent coronavirus positive cases are found in ten wards. To avoid the gatherings in the government offices, 50 per cent employees of group "C" and "D" employees are being allowed to attend the office per day while the night curfew was imposed from 8 p.m. in the night to 5 a.m. in the morning.Meanwhile, a three-member central team, led by G.K. Medhi, Professor and Head of the Department of Community Medicine of the Shillong-based North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health & Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS), after 11-day visit and studying the source and other aspects of the coronavirus infection among people in Tripura, had recently submitted their report to the state government. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) TDT | Manama Bahrain will join the other nations today in celebrating the International Day of Charity, which is observed annually on the 5th of September. Royal Humanitarian Foundation (RHF) Secretary-General Dr Mustafa Al-Sayyed hailed Bahrains strides in promoting the charity and giving full priority to citizens in all national programs, led by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa. He paid tribute to HM the King, hailing royal directives to step up RHF efforts to bolster community ties, contribute to the sustainable development, and build an inclusive society. Dr Al-Sayyed praised the support of the Government, chaired by HRH Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa, hailing the follow-up of HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister. He also praised the efforts exerted by HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, HM the Kings Representative for Humanitarian Work and Youth Affairs, National Security Advisor, and RHF board of trustees chairman. Trump denied the allegations that he insulted veterans - AP Pressure is growing on military officials who revealed remarks allegedly made by Donald Trump that fallen American troops were losers to come forward, after the president angrily denied the reports. The reporting in The Atlantic magazine, which relayed the accounts of a number of unnamed starred generals and anonymous Marine Corps officers, appears to show Mr Trump denigrating soldiers and their service to the country. According to one account, widely thought to have been given by former chief of staff John Kelly, Mr Trump was said to have visited the Arlington Cemetery gravesite of Mr Kelly's son, Robert, who was killed in 2010 in Afghanistan, on Memorial Day 2017 and turned to Mr Kelly and said: "I don't get it. What was in it for them?" Mr Kelly, a retired four-star Marine Corps general, has never spoken publicly about his time working under Mr Trump, though is believed to be the source for several damaging stories since he stepped down in 2018. I was never a big fan of John McCain, disagreed with him on many things including ridiculous endless wars and the lack of success he had in dealing with the VA and our great Vets, but the lowering of our Nations American Flags, and the first class funeral he was given by our.... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 4, 2020 ....John a loser and swear on whatever, or whoever, I was asked to swear on, that I never called our great fallen soldiers anything other than HEROES. This is more made up Fake News given by disgusting & jealous failures in a disgraceful attempt to influence the 2020 Election! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 4, 2020 The Atlantic also reported that Mr Trump refused to visit the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery in France in 2018 because he regarded the dead World War I veterans as suckers and losers for getting killed, citing four senior staffers. Story continues The White House said at the time, and restated on Friday, that his no-show was down to the bad weather that day. Melania Trump on Friday defended her husband against allegations that he referred to the US Marines as "losers" and "suckers". In a rare public statement, the US first lady rejected as "not true" the accusations made in the article tweeting: "It has become a very dangerous time when anonymous sources are believed above all else, & no one knows their motivation. This is not journalism - It is activism. And it is a disservice to the people of our great nation." .@TheAtlantic story is not true. It has become a very dangerous time when anonymous sources are believed above all else, & no one knows their motivation. This is not journalism - It is activism. And it is a disservice to the people of our great nation. Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) September 4, 2020 Mr Trump was also alleged to have said he did not support the 2018 state funeral of John McCain, Republican senator and decorated Navy veteran who spent years as a Vietnam prisoner of war. The magazine claimed Mr Trump was angered that flags were flown at half-staff for Mr McCain, saying: "What the f*** are we doing that for? Guy was a f***ing loser." Mr Trump speculated the claims had been made by a couple of people that have been failures in the administration that I got rid of." Or, he said "it was just made up. He tweeted on Thursday night that the reports were fake news and that he had ordered flags to be lowered without hesitation or complaint. Trump allegedly refused to support the funeral of Senator McCain - GETTY IMAGES He acknowledged he was "never a fan" of Mr McCain and disagreed with him often, but said he still respected him and approved of his "first-class triple-A funeral" because "I felt he deserved it". He denied calling Mr McCain a loser despite records of him doing so both on Twitter and in TV interviews. Miles Taylor, former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) chief of staff, questioned the presidents claim, however, tweeting: You were angry that DHS notified federal buildings to lower the flags for Sen. McCain. I would know because your staff called and told me. He is so far the only official to go on the record about the allegations. I fully understand why sources insist on confidentiality, but those who were in a position to know about Trump's conduct, and are able to speak, should do so on the record. Why arent people coming forward and putting their names to these quotes? Its put up or shut up time, said Brian Stelter, chief media correspondent for CNN. The Atantics reporting was confirmed by the Associated Press and Washington Post, which said Mr Trump also asked not to include wounded and disfigured veterans in a military parade because nobody wants to see that. The accusations could be problematic for the president because he is counting on strong support among the military for his re-election bid. According to a recent Military Times poll, some 41 per cent of active-duty service members said they would vote for Mr Biden if the election was held today, compared to only 37 per cent said they plan to vote to re-elect Mr Trump. The dipping popularity among troops considered by Republican Party leaders to be part of the base of Trumps support could prove problematic for the president in November, Military Times said. Joe Biden, Democratic presidential nominee, seized on the moment, issuing a statement saying that the revelations were yet another marker of how deeply President Trump and I disagree about the role of the President of the United States". If what is reported is true, its disgusting. He is not fit to be commander-in-chief," Mr Biden said on Friday in a speech to journalists. "He reportedly said those who signed up to serve, rather than choosing to do something more lucrative, are suckers. When my son signed up to serve in the military in Iraq, he was not a sucker. Those who served with him, particularly those who did not come home, are not losers. He described the president as "so unAmerican, so unpatriotic". Mr Biden's late son Beau served in Iraq and the former vice-president has often spoken of his pride in the military. Older people were the victims of almost 2,000 sexual and violent crimes in Northern Ireland in just one year, shocking figures reveal. According to PSNI statistics, 1,940 offences were recorded against those aged over 60 in the 12 months to March 2019. That was a jump of 230 on the previous financial year, when 1,710 crimes were recorded in the same category. The PSNI said it is "committed" to reducing offences and bringing offenders to court. But DUP MLA Mervyn Storey said the statistics are "truly shocking", and the crimes are simply "not acceptable". "Older people play a vital and vibrant role in families and communities right across Northern Ireland," he said. "They have the right to feel safe in our society. "Behind each of these offences is an older person who has suffered unjustifiable physical and psychological harm from being brutally attacked or harassed. In 2020 in Northern Ireland this is simply not acceptable." Mr Storey, a Policing Board member, said "serious questions" need to be asked of the PSNI and the wider justice system on how other crimes such as burglary have "steadily declined" in recent years, while offences against older people have "continued to rise". He said that, of the 1,940 crimes in 2018/19, a suspect was identified in "only 10% of these cases" while a third of victims did not "support police action". "We have to wonder why this can be the case," Mr Storey added . "It is wrong that victims aged over 60 do not have confidence in the PSNI and courts to identify their attackers and put them behind bars." Last year research by the charity Action on Elder Abuse Northern Ireland showed that 12% of crimes against those aged 65 or over have been 'solved' by the PSNI. For the wider population, the figure is 17.5%. Mr Storey said there must be a change in approach. "We need to see a victim-centred approach to these investigations. Moving forward the PSNI and Department of Justice must finally get tough with these criminals who prey on the most vulnerable," he added. "There should be a clear message - both in terms of policing activity and sentences handed down - that if you attack or harass an older person you will be held accountable and go to prison for a very long time." In response, Chief Superintendent Simon Walls said: "One crime is one crime too many and we, as a police service, understand the impact these crimes have on victims. We understand that when someone is a victim of crime, particularly people who may be vulnerable, the fear that that creates. However, I want to reassure victims we are committed to bringing the perpetrators before the courts." He added: "Our officers work hard every day to make our communities safe and to ensure people do all they can to stay safe in their homes. We have been, and we continue to work closely with statutory and voluntary agencies, to ensure victims get the help and support they need. "We are committed to doing everything we can to prevent and reduce the number of crimes against all members of our communities." Travellers from Portugal have to quarantine in Scotland for two weeks as of Saturday morning (Nick Ansell/PA) The Scottish Government has said it is unfortunate that Westminster announced its quarantine decision before ministers from across the UK considered the latest data showing a significant rise in cases in Portugal. Passengers arriving in Scotland from Portugal or French Polynesia will have to self-isolate for two weeks under new rules that came in at 4am on Saturday. Travellers from anywhere in Greece began needing to enter quarantine on arrival north of the border from Thursday. We continue to keep the Travel Corridor list under constant review & won't hesitate to remove countries if needed. However, there are no English additions or removals today. Nonetheless, holidaymakers are reminded - 14-day quarantine countries can & do change at very short notice Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) September 3, 2020 Transport Secretary Grant Shapps defended England not imposing restrictions on people entering from Greece and Portugal despite Scotland and Wales ordering periods of isolation to slow the spread of coronavirus. In response to Mr Shapps saying Scotland had jumped the gun on Greece, a Scottish Government spokesperson said: In the case of Greece, we had a worrying number of people in Scotland who tested positive for Covid-19 and who had returned from Greece within seven days of the onset of symptoms. The Scottish Government could not afford to ignore that growing threat to public health. In the case of Portugal, it was unfortunate that the UK Government announced their decision yesterday before ministers from England, Scotland and Northern Ireland met and before considering the latest Joint Biosecurity Centre data. This indicated a significant rise in both the prevalence of the virus in Portugal and in test positivity. As ministers have said repeatedly, we are in the midst of a global pandemic and the situation in many countries can change suddenly. Therefore, people should think very hard before committing to non-essential travel abroad. Mr Shapps concluded that travellers could continue to arrive in England from Portugal and Greece without having to quarantine. I do realise it creates confusion for people not to have a single rule, but we do have this devolved approach throughout the United Kingdom and I can only be responsible for the English part of that, he told Sky News. Mr Shapps said the Governments review concluded no changes were necessary partly because test positivity for example in Portugal actually came down while the number of cases overall in Greece had fallen. Supporters of the hardline Islamist party Tehreek-e-Labbaik in Pakistan carry placards and shout slogans during a protest against the reprinting of a cartoon of the prophet Mohammad by French magazine Charlie Hebdo, in Rawalpindi, Sept. 4, 2020. AFP-Yonhap French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, the target of a jihadist attack in 2015, said Friday that its latest edition reprinting controversial caricatures of the prophet Mohammed had sold out in just one day. Wednesday's issue featured a dozen cartoons mocking the prophet of Islam, including images that sparked huge protests when first published, to mark the start of the trial this week of alleged accomplices of terrorists who massacred the paper's staff. Charlie Hebdo distributed three times its normal print run Wednesday, but eager readers pounced on the paper and many intending to grab a copy later in the day were left frustrated. A new batch of 200,000 copies is currently being printed and will hit French newsstands Saturday. "It shows that we are supported, that freedom of expression, secularism and the right to blasphemy are not obsolete values, and that they are supported by the French public who chose to buy the issue," a Charlie Hebdo cartoonist who goes by the pen name "Juin" told AFP. Twelve people, including some of France's most celebrated cartoonists, were killed Jan. 7, 2015, when brothers Said and Cherif Kouachi went on a gun rampage at the paper's offices in Paris. "We will never lie down. We will never give up," director Laurent "Riss" Sourisseau wrote in an accompanying editorial to Wednesday's issue, which was headlined: "All of this, just for that." The decision to reprint the cartoons sparked angry condemnations from Pakistan, Iran and Turkey as well as Egypt's highest Muslim authority Al-Azhar. On Friday, thousands rallied in anti-France demonstrations across Pakistan, with protestors calling for boycotts and the French ambassador's expulsion. But Charlie Hebdo defended its decision in the editorial, arguing that republishing the cartoons was "essential." "We worked on the principle that some people don't know the cartoons, some weren't even born when they were published by Charlie in 2006, and they need to understand why the attacks happened," Juin said. "The right to blasphemy and freedom of speech exist if we use it. For us, it was justifiable to reprint the cartoons because it shows that these rights still exist and allows us to defend them," he added. (AFP) Mumbai, Sep 5 : When it comes to memories from his student days, actor Aamir Khan evidently remembers each and every teacher who taught him. Aamir took to his verified Facebook and Twitter accounts to share a group photo with his teachers on the occasion of Teachers' Day on Saturday. "Thank you", he wrote, along with a folded hands emoji. He also mentioned the names of all the teachers featured in the photograph. "Lucky you to have such great teacher's.. it was the reunion time you got that!" commented a fan on Aamir's Facebook post. Many fans also recalled his films "3 Idiots" and "Taare Zameen Par", where he played an exceptional student and a caring teacher respectively. "You have played the role of most fantastic teacher ever in Taare Zameen Par. Nikumbh sir would remain an inspirational character forever for all the teachers! Happy teacher's day," wrote a fan. "Great Sir. Happy Teachers Day!!! Wish every teachers should have a quality of Nikumbh Sir and every student should have an attitude like Phoonsuk Wangdu," commented another fan. Aamir Khan recently courted controversy after he met the First Lady of Turkey, Emine Erdogan, while shooting for his upcoming film "Laal Singh Chaddha" in the country. A few comments on his Teachers' Day post trolled the actor over the incident. "Hello Aamir! I'm waiting with great enthusiasm in Turkey. I hope to see you again," commented a user. "Wers turkeys first lady?" quipped another user. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text The parents of Taylor Keogh will have plenty of stories to share with her about her birth when she gets a little older as she was delivered just a week after schools closed because of the Covid-19 pandemic. It was certainly a very different experience for proud parents Ali and Brendan to the birth of two year old Conan. The couple from Hollywood were unnerved over Ali giving birth just as Covid was hitting Irish shores, with the uncertainty caused by the virus impacting on the parents to be. 'I was very anxious about the virus,' admits Ali. 'It was only new to Ireland so none of us were too sure how things were going to pan out. I was very nervous. Lockdown was just coming in and you just didn't know what was coming down the line. I just wanted to have Taylor and go home.' Brendan had to wait in the car when the couple arrived at The Coombe Hospital and was only allowed into the hospital for a short period of time during the birth. 'It was weird not having Brendan there and I missed his support. He was allowed in just for the birth. Taylor was placed in an incubator and once I left recovery, Brendan had to leave.' Ali is full of praise for the medical staff at The Coombe and the efforts they went to in order to put her mind at ease. 'At one stage I heard there was a confirmed case of Covid downstairs in the hospital, which came as a big shock. Again, it was very early in the pandemic and things were so uncertain at the time. I was worried about the baby but the staff were all lovely. It was all very new to them at this stage too.' She also found there was a really close bond between all the women in her maternity ward. 'All the women were very supportive of each other. It was lovely. I didn't remember much interaction between the different mothers after Conan's birth. The curtains tended to be drawn and everyone was welcoming visitors. This time no visitors were allowed so everyone was offering help to one another.' Brendan's travelled up to the hospital to pick up Ali and Taylor, four days after her birth. Ali recalls: 'It was hard on Brendan not being able to visit. It was strange not being allowed visitors. I had a list of phone calls building up from everyone. Brendan wasn't allowed in to collect us. He came to the door and a cleaner actually brought Taylor to the door. Like I said, it was all new for the staff as well. Brendan then collected Taylor and brought her to the car.' Even now Covid is still restricting the number of visitors Ali and Brendan are comfortable with. 'Taylor is over five months old now but most people who have seen her would have done so through a window. All her follow-up check-ups were cancelled because of Covid. I think I would have been a lot more nervous if I was a first-time mother. The fact I had been through it before with Conan, albeit in very different circumstance, certainly helped me overall.' Royal officials will reportedly evaluate Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Netflix deal. This is due to the fact that they agreed to the approval of commercial ventures upon their renouncement of public life. Palace Will Cast Critical Eye Over Netflix Deal According to a Kensington Palace source, despite the former royals' renouncement of official duties, profit-oriented plans would be subjected to discussion. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex apparently failed to tell the Queen about their deal with Netflix possibly worth $150 million prior to their announcement to the world. The duke and the duchess have signed a new deal with the streaming service and remarked that they would like to provide "hope and inspiration" with their future projects. Doubts on the Amount Hollywood insiders are dubious about the Sussexes actually getting the amount of $150 million from the deal. According to a top talent agent, he would find it unexpected that the 35- and 39-year-old will receive over $2 million annually from the Netflix deal. Upon inking an appalling multi-year production Netflix deal, industry sources have cautioned that there is no room for failure now that Prince Harry and Markle are mixing with the big hot Hollywood players. The couple has established their own still-unnamed production company based on the streaming service. They are slated to create scripted series, documentaries, docuseries, children's programming, and features, reported Knewz. According to a source regarding Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Netflix deal, "It goes without saying any deals they are making will be scrutinised by the royal household," reported MSN. Also Read: Meghan Markle, Kate Middleton Relationship: Royal Wives Reportedly Did Not Get Along Well Adding to that, "one concern is how the lucrative career move will look to the British public while the couple are still repaying 2.4m of taxpayer cash lavished on the refurbishment of their Frogmore Cottage home at Windsor," reported Daily Mirror. Other Netflix Deals "Black-ish" creator Kenya Barris' deal with Netflix reportedly amounts to $100 million. "Grey's Anatomy" hitmaker Shonda Rhimes has a $150 million deal with the streaming service. The Queen Was Not Made Aware First The 94-year-old had to be conveyed the news by her aides about Prince Harry and Markle's new venture. According to a source, "Her Majesty is all too aware of the pitfalls of when senior royals embark on lucrative projects -- Prince Edwards' production flop and some of the deals Sarah Ferguson has signed over the years to name a few," reported Daily Mail. Slated to Be Producers Like Rhimes, Prince Harry and Markle would be producers and not content creators. This marks the first declaration of a deal since their renouncement of membership as senior working royal members. The Queen's View Her Majesty's perspective regarding Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Netflix deal is that royals are not for sale and harm surrounds high profile roles beyond their institution. However, she would still appreciate it if they can not be talked out of their plans. Related Article: Princess Diana Murdered? Prince Harry Will Allegedly Reveal Truth Behind Mother's Death @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A recent state-announced COVID-19 database for school cases promises a centralized home for school infection information, but how much of that information will be shared with the public is unclear, especially as individual school policies about who will be contacted when a COVID-19 case is detected vary widely. The Louisiana Department of Health issued an emergency order Tuesday requiring all public, private and charter schools in the state to report known or suspected COVID-19 cases among students, faculty and staff through a centralized database managed by the agency. Schools will establish a password-protected account and input all relevant reporting information into the system to help track and mitigate potential school-based outbreaks, the release said. The Health Department said statistics about cases among students and staff will be available to the public, but its unclear how detailed the released information will be. "This will allow us to see patterns that will help us make decisions that are important, such as does a school stay open, does it need to close for a period of time, state Superintendent Cade Brumley said. "It is just an additional safety measure that I think is good for the overall public health and is good for us to be able to keep kids in school," he said. Schools across Lafayette and the state are practicing a hodgepodge of notification policies as administrators try to balance transparency with medical privacy. The variations across schools have left some parents and school employees confused and upset. The policies may soon be put to the test, as Lafayette Parish public school students prepare to return Tuesday, with pre-K to fifth grade students attending full time and sixth through 12th grade students attending on an alternating in-school and virtual learning schedule. Private school students have trickled back to school over the past three weeks. The Health Department currently directs schools to notify only close contacts of someone who tested positive so they can ask them to quarantine, while keeping confidential the identities of those who are sick. Many schools are notifying no one beyond close contacts, unless the outbreak is bad enough to force entire classrooms to move online or, at worst, to close an entire school building. Other schools are sending out schoolwide notifications after any reported infection. +25 As Lafayette Parish schools pepare to open, here's what coronavirus safety protocols will look like Lafayette Parish public school students will return to class in one week and teachers and administrators are back on campuses putting the fina Close contact is narrowly defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as anyone who has been within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes, up to two days prior to the infected person learning they tested positive. Schools have been working with regional officials in the state's Office of Public Health to do contact tracing. The current guidelines could mean a student who shares the same classroom with someone who gets COVID-19 wouldn't be notified, if officials determine they never had close enough contact with each other. The Lafayette Parish school system is aiming to strike a middle ground with its approach; both close contacts and individuals in classrooms or other groups with the infected person will be notified if theyve been in the presence of someone who tests positive for COVID-19, district spokesperson Allison Dickerson and Chief Administrative Officer Jennifer Gardner said. The larger group will be contacted with a voice or text-based message informing the individuals of the positive case, while anyone on campus in close contact with the infected person will receive a follow-up phone call from a school nurse or administrator directing them to quarantine and monitor for symptoms. The school system decided to take notifications a step beyond close contact to make families comfortable, officials said. As a parent, I would want to know. We think thats what we need to do to let our families know what is happening in their childs classroom, Dickerson said. Gardner said the school system isnt planning to do broader community notifications unless the state issues a new directive. That includes staffwide notifications if an employee is sick. Gardner said staff members will be notified if they were a close contact but otherwise an announcement wont be made, though an employee can independently notify his or her colleagues. How close is close contact? Louisiana schools try to figure out who is exposed A key strategy in containing coronavirus is accurately identifying those individuals who have had significant exposure to the virus and sendin Dickerson said its an issue of honoring medical privacy, as well as concern that sharing identifiable information might dissuade people from reporting positive tests or symptoms. Top stories in Acadiana in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up That would be the worst thing for people to not tell us theyve tested positive because theyre afraid of what the reaction might be in the public, she said. Lafayette Parish Association of Educators President Julia Reed said at an August news conference that the teachers union wants educators to be notified when someone on campus tests positive, even if theyre not a close contact, because a passing encounter, although lower risk, could still results in virus transmission. She said the union also would like public transparency around the total number of cases in Lafayette Parish schools to accurately assess how well the system's reopening plan is performing. Some area private schools including Ascension Episcopal School and Episcopal School of Acadiana are taking a more open approach to sharing confirmation of COVID-19 cases. At Ascension Episcopal, a general message and more targeted phone call for close contacts will be used after the discovery of a positive test, similar to Lafayette Parish's approach, followed by a weekly update to the community in the schools Sunday newsletter detailing the number of cases on each of Ascension Episcopals three campuses, Head of School Jeff Plunk said in an email. I think transparency is best, and being clear and honest. Obviously, we have to respect privacy and those sorts of things, but saying, 'Weve had X number of cases this week' or no cases, people need to know that, he said. Staff members would also be notified if an employee tests positive, but no identifying information would be shared unless the educator requests to be named, he said. Episcopal School of Acadiana Headmaster Paul Baker said the school is taking a similar approach. The school's two nurses, one each for the Lafayette and Cade campuses, will handle contact tracing, and administrators will assist with family notifications. ESA had a flurry of COVID-19 cases in the summer, with members of the girls volleyball team testing positive and having to quarantine, Baker said. +7 College life amid coronavirus: Students work to create campus connections while social distancing Most students enroll in college to learn. Many of them stay in college because they feel involved, nurtured and connected to their chosen campus. The school leader said the cases were quickly contained, but the incident was a lesson in the need for testing, quick detection of cases, contact tracing and communication. Transparency is crucial to building and maintaining confidence in the safe return to school, he said. Theres a lot of chatter, and we found its best to be upfront. If you dont tell people information, they fill in the blanks with their own information, which is typically not correct, Baker said. Baker said he planned to share overall case numbers with the entire ESA community regardless of campus because families have children at both locations. He said he would handle positive tests on a case-by-case basis, rather than settling on a defined weekly update, but he was open to adjustment if people desire more regimented updates. Baker, like Plunk, said he was toeing the line with how much information to share with staff about other on-campus adult infections to make them feel protected, while sheltering the infected employees privacy. He said a general notice would be shared like the campus notification made to all families; its important the educators feel confident in the schools commitment to their safety, the school leader said. These professionals are in the trenches and need to know without having to question it that we have their backs, Baker said. Acadiana Renaissance Charter Academy and Lafayette Renaissance Charter Academy Type 2 charter schools overseen by management company Charter Schools USA are taking the opposite approach. The two schools, which serve about 2,300 students combined, plan to notify only close contacts of a positive case, spokesperson Colleen Reynolds said in an emailed statement. Our schools all follow strict CDC guidelines for safety and health developed to minimize the spread of COVID-19 while safely reopening schools. If a student or teacher tests positive or is in close contact as defined by the CDC, we will follow the Health Departments guidelines for contact tracing, the statement said. Staff writers Della Hasselle, Charles Lussier and Will Sentell contributed to this report. An autopsy of Wallace Tremaine Howell, the man who died at the Ector County detention center in June, found that Howell had a torn and knotted plastic baggie in his small intestine. Howell was tased and pepper sprayed several times by jail staff after allegedly getting in an altercation with another inmate, according to a custodial death report. An autopsy determined he had several puncture and burn marks consistent with being tased six times in the span of two minutes. The Tarrant County Medical Examiners Office ruled Howells cause of death was an accidental meth overdose. A toxicology report found Howell tested positive for methamphetamine, amphetamine and an antihistamine. An Ector County grand jury on Tuesday declined to indict the employees who were involved in Howells death. District Attorney Bobby Bland, however, said in a statement that he believed jail staff had used excessive force when confronting Howell. The autopsy found multiple bruises on Howells face and extremities. The plastic baggie was found in the small intestine about 20 centimeters from the stomach, according to an autopsy report. The report did not state if any contents were recovered from inside the baggie. The subject of Howells autopsy was addressed during a press conference Friday morning following a protest at the Ector County Courthouse. Lawyers for Howells family said they had ordered an independent autopsy, for which they had not yet received results. We dont trust law enforcement auditing other law enforcement agencies, said Dallas-based attorney Justin Moore, adding they would be filing a civil suit. The lawyers said they received about eight minutes of video from the district attorneys office, which corroborated Blands statement that excessive force had been used by jail staff. They declined to provide further details on the footage, saying Howells family had not yet been told about the contents of the video. When asked about the plastic baggie found during Howells autopsy, the lawyers raised the possibility the bag had torn because of force used by the jail employees. About 40 protesters marched from Noel Heritage Plaza to the Ector County Courthouse Friday morning. The protest remained peaceful, apart from a small group of counter-protesters standing across the street from the courthouse open-carrying long rifles. Arlana Davis, a protester with those at the courthouse, at one point approached the men carrying rifles. I asked them if they were there to support the family and they said no, they were there in case something were to happen, theyd be ready to take care of it, she said. When Davis asked what they meant by that, she said the men told her they were there because of what all the Black people are doing around the country. Davis said she told police officers standing nearby what the men had said, but the officers told her nothing could be done because the men were expressing their Second Amendment rights. Traditional British crafts such as fan-making, pottery and wainwrighting are facing ruin due to coronavirus. Artisans who have been struggling through the pandemic claim the negligible financial support from the Treasury means many businesses could go under. In a recent survey by the Heritage Crafts Association, 73 per cent of respondents said that they were at reduced capacity or unable to work as a direct result of Covid-19. More than half (56 per cent) believed their firms might not survive the next six months. Traditional British crafts such as fan-making, pottery and wainwrighting are facing ruin due to coronavirus Steve Tomlin, a green woodworker, is one of only a handful of Britons who creates stave baskets by hand, where wooden splints are attached to the base. My principal livelihood is teaching crafts and with the lockdown all my work disappeared, he said. For a lot of craftspeople their main earning time is teaching and doing shows and fairs. The result of that is that we dont earn in a regular fashion so weve effectively been furloughed but the sums involved dont reflect what we should be earning at this time. Before the epidemic, the Heritage Crafts Association had a list of 107 crafts on an endangered list including piano-making, industrial pottery, scissor-making, watchmaking, tinsmithing and wainwrighting, the making and repairing of horse-drawn wagons. The latest report shows that the number of artisans for some of the most endangered crafts can be counted on just one hand. There are just three part-time fan-makers, three or four wainwrighting businesses, three tinsmiths and just one firm that makes pianos, employing between six and ten professionals. There are also fewer than 30 professional and trainee watchmakers. Artisan workers, who often only report small profits, say they fell through the gaps with Chancellor Rishi Sunaks self-employment income support scheme (SEISS). The scheme handed out grants based on profits and not turnover, meaning many artisans were left short of cash. Artisan workers, who often only report small profits, say they fell through the gaps with Chancellor Rishi Sunaks (pictured) self-employment income support scheme (SEISS) Carpenter Paul Williams said: As small artisans, we work purely on our own and tend not to have too much profit. If weve got money at the end of the year, were going to buy another piece of equipment and feed it back into our small business. Craft teacher Anna Stiles has now retrained as a celebrant alongside her pottery business. She did not qualify for government financial support because her business only started to turn a profit in the last tax year. She said: I was doing really well until Covid hit and had so many things booked. Then it all came crashing down. Mike Cherry, chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, said a significant number of small firms had fallen though the Government financial safety net. As we look to the future, these firms will play a critical role as we rebuild the economy, he said. They must not be left behind. Last night a Treasury spokesman said: The self-employment income support scheme is designed to replace profits lost as a result of the pandemic, and has supported the incomes of 2.7 million self-employed people through this crisis. It is part of a support package for businesses and workers that is one of the most generous in the world, including loans, grants, mortgage holidays, and tax deferrals. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said the Covid-19 situation in the national capital is totally under control, despite the recent spike in daily cases, which he attributed to scaled-up testing, and urged people not to hesitate to go out and get tested. Also read: PM must explain why India failed, says Chidambaram Addressing a digital press conference, the chief minister said testing has been doubled to nearly 40,000 tests per day, with camps now set up in mohalla clinics, weekly markets, inter-state bus terminals and construction sites. Kejriwals comments came on a day when Delhi recorded 2,973 cases of Covid-19 the highest single-day spike since June 26, when 3,460 infections were logged. In the last few days, Covid cases in Delhi have increased and people are getting worried about it. I spoke to several experts. Some call it a second wave, some say it is not. But, keeping all these technical aspects aside, I reviewed the entire situation over the past four or five days and want to assure everyone that Delhis situation is well under control, Kejriwal said. He said the reason Covid-19 cases are increasing in the city again is because of increased testing. From 18,000-20,000 tests per day, we are now conducting around 40,000 tests. So, more people are getting identified, treated and they are being isolated to prevent them from spreading the infection to others. Today, if I decrease the number of tests, the number of daily cases will also come down and everyone will be happy. The only way to defeat Covid-19 is aggressive testing. There is nothing to be scared, but there should be no scope for complacency, he said. Delhi on Saturday conducted 38,895 tests the highest ever in the city so far. The chief minister also tried to allay fears of beds not being available for Covid treatment and said the government has a plan ready in case there is a need to increase beds in the city. Senior government officials said the drill would be the same, to requisition more hospitals, hotels and banquet halls as was done in the months of May and June. He said that of over 14,000 Covid beds in Delhis hospitals, only around 5,000 are currently occupied. The rate of admission in hospitals has been almost constant over the past few weeks. Of the 5,000, around 1,600-1,700 beds are occupied by people coming from other states for Covid treatment. In the last five years, Delhi government improved the citys health infrastructure in such a way that now people from across the country are coming to the Capital to get treated. In case there is a need, we will increase beds, Kejriwal said. Delhi has seen an increase in positivity rate from 5.9% to 9% which means the Capital has the fifth worst figure in the country. The chief minister also urged people not to be complacent, and follow Covid-19 preventive measures strictly. Some people are not getting tested. People say nowadays everyone is recovering on their own, so there is no need to get tested. No, please go and get tested. Please also do wear masks when you step out and follow physical distance, he said. On Saturday, Delhi recorded 25 deaths taking the citys total death toll to 4,538. Kejriwal talked about the citys fatality rate, which he claimed is currently not only the lowest among other states in India, but also among other cities across the world. Government data between August 15 and Friday showed Delhis CFR is 1.4%, which means that out of 100 infected people, one person is losing their life. The national fatality rate, on the other hand, is 1.7%. Time and again I have said there should be no deaths because of Corona. This is the most crucial aspect of Corona. On Friday, there were 2,914 cases and 13 deaths. The death count is the lowest not only across the country but across the world, which means that the death rate yesterday was 0.4%. The day before yesterday, the death rate was 0.6%, Kejriwal said. He compared the data with June when Covid-19 cases in Delhi had peaked and said there were days in June when the daily number of deaths was more than 100. Today the number of deaths ranges between 10-20, despite the same number of positive cases. To achieve this, we formed separate teams of doctors and conducted audits in every hospital in Delhi whether a private, government or an MCD hospital. We rectified even the smallest problems which were identified as a cause of death. I want to thank all the doctors, the officers, and all the hospitals who have cooperated in our objective to bring down the number of deaths in Delhi, he said. The chief minister added that people are getting infected but are also recovering swiftly. Around 87% of the people have recovered in Delhi, while the national recovery rate is 77%, he said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 19:49:17|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close YEREVAN, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Armenia Saturday launched a joint military exercise with Russian troops in Gyumri, in the northwestern part of Armenia. According to a report from the local Armenpress, the troops conducted daytime and nighttime armored vehicle driving training, as well as live fire exercises using firearms, mortars, tanks, artillery and anti-aircraft cannons during the exercise. Around 1,000 servicemen from the Russian Southern Military District and 300 units of military equipment, including fighter jets, other military aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicle are participating in the exercise. Enditem By Express News Service GUWAHATI: Five people from Arunachal Pradesh were abducted by Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA), claimed Ninong Ering, a Congress MLA in the state. SHOCKING NEWS: Five people from Upper Subansiri district of our state Arunachal Pradesh have reportedly been abducted by Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA). Few months earlier, a similar incident happened. A befitting reply must be given to #PLA and #CCPChina. @PMOIndia, Ering tweeted on Saturday. SHOCKING NEWS: Five people from Upper Subansiri district of our state Arunachal Pradesh have reportedly been abducted by Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA). Few months earlier,a similar incident happened. A befitting reply must be given to #PLA and #CCPChina. @PMOIndia https://t.co/8gRdGsQfId pic.twitter.com/KbDMJ3bUi2 Ninong Ering (@ninong_erring) September 4, 2020 According to local media as well as social media reports, the incident occurred at a forested area near Nacho in Upper Subansiri district. The persons, Toch Singkam, Prasat Ringling, Dongtu Ebiya, Tanu Baker and Ngaru Diri all of who belong to the Tagin community had gone out for hunting which is a very common practice in the area. Two other villagers, who had managed to escape, narrated the incident before the public, a local newspaper reported quoting a relative of one of the abductees. The LAC is around 260 km from district headquarters Daporijo. The nearest police station is at Nacho, which is some 130 km away from Daporijo. Villagers are forced to trek in remote Arunachal as there are no roads. Then, there is the issue of mobile connectivity. According to reports, the relatives would meet Army officials on Saturday. The police said they had not received any complaint either from the families or the villagers so far. ALSO READ | New headache for Delhi? China funding anti-India stir on Nepal border, say sources We learnt about it from social media. We havent yet received any formal complaint from the families of the victims. We are trying to verify it. We are also trying to contact local people. At this stage, I cannot confirm anything, Upper Subansiri Superintendent of Police Keni Bagra told The New Indian Express. According to social media reports, the incident happened on the LAC. I spoke to some relatives. They said they are trying to verify it. I also spoke to the officer-in-charge of Nacho police station. He said no formal complaint has been received, Bagra said. He said such incidents always occur in that part of Arunachal. He said one person was abducted by the PLA two-three months ago and after talks at the army level between both countries, the person was released about a month later. We are trying to contact Army officials. There is no boundary or barricade along the LAC. The locals venture out in the jungle for hunting and they move into Chinese territory without knowing, the SP added. Vietnams key players in the telecommunications sphere are mobilizing resources to launch their 5G service by the end of 2020. The official frequency planning announced by the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) on August 20 is considered a giant step forward in Vietnams 5G development roadmap. Considering the current progress, Vietnam might arrive as one of the first countries in the world to successfully roll out the novel telecom standard for commercial use. 5G coverage underway After several test runs, the military-owned mobile network operator Viettel announced on July 6 they were piloting commercial 5G coverage by launching Viettel-manufactured 5G base stations at the MIC headquarters in Hanoi. Speed tests showed download speed reaching 500Mbps [megabits per second] and functioning with stability, a Viettel representative said. The telco giant will commercialize 5G microcell technology in October 2020, a delay from the intended launch date of June 2020 due to the impact of COVID-19. By June 2021, the state-owned telecom will have introduced 5G microcell to its entire network, the representative added. Specifically, Viettel will develop products of civilian as well as military use on a domestically built 5G ecosystem. Catch up with Viettel in the 5G race is the mobile carrier MobiFone, who received the license to deploy 5G communications in April 2019. The MIC-owned network has also liaised with the worlds top-ranking telecoms equipment suppliers to run technical tryouts in Hanoi, Da Nang, Hai Phong and Ho Chi Minh City. The results are promising with download speed recorded at 2Gbps [gigabits per second], a MobiFone representative revealed. In March 2020, MobiFone announced its success on the 5G pilot at the four aforementioned cities, which predicated the launch of its nationwide 5G coverage as well as supporting services in the domestic market. As its 5G test license has been extended to May 2021, MobiFone has been deploying phase 2 of its 5G network tests, focusing on modernizing infrastructure and introducing pilot services to customers. The group also insinuated its readiness to commercialize 5G service as soon as its official license arrives tentatively in early 2021. In April 2020, the state-owned telco Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) also announced its successful test runs of 5G on its mobile service provider subsidiary VinaPhone in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. During the test environment, VinaPhones 5G returned an ideal latency rate of near-zero, while its speed fared at 2.2Gbps, a ten-fold improvement from the preceding 4G technology. This result is the best 5G performance ever recorded among service providers in Vietnam and is coming close to the global 5G standard. With the successful incorporation of 5G into the current infrastructure, VNPT claimed its preparedness in technical, technological and infrastructural aspects to launch 5G commercially. Delegates join a ceremony to launch Vietnams first 5G call by telecoms group Viettel in Hanoi, May 10, 2019. Photo: T. Ha / Tuoi Tre Harness the power of 5G On January 17, Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung and Minister of Science and Technology Chu Ngoc Anh made the first 5G video call using gNodeB, a technology infrastructure with both hardware and software aspects developed by Viettel. The milestone came just eight months after Vietnam's first 5G call using hardware by a foreign provider. Despite limitations in the download speed, the achievement helped land the Vietnamese tech giant into the league of 5G network equipment manufacturers alongside the likes of Ericsson, Nokia, Huawei, Samsung and ZTE. A Viettel representative said the group is aiming to harness 5G technology and secure a place among the global top-ranking 5G network infrastructure equipment manufacturers. 5G base stations produced by Viettel will meet the requirements of all network operators in Vietnam as well as for exports by meeting standards set by the worlds top telecommunications organizations such as 3GPP and GSMA, he added. Viettel is prioritizing the research into core technology, accelerating the test processes and collecting user responses to optimize their products in the fastest time possible. Experts in the sector anticipate self-sufficiency in terms of the 5G infrastructure will render Viettel in a favorable position to kickstart its 5G network and supporting service commercialization. MobiFone has also entered the 5G facility niche by signing a cooperation deal with Viettel and the Vietnamese smartphone manufacturer VinSmart to contrive research, production and testing on a make in Vietnam 5G apparatus. The telco is also looking to construct an ecosystem with 5G-integrated services and applications with the launch date set in early 2021. Prospects for customers Tao Duc Thang, deputy general director of Viettel, said the successful conclusion of 5G connection tests will be followed up by a large-scale 5G rollout in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city before the official commercialization in late 2020. The commercialization will also be divided into phases, with cities of high user density gaining access to the service before remote areas. Terminal equipment, a category of telecommunications hardware that includes mobile phones, will play a pivotal role in the implementation of this vision. VinSmart, the two-year-old smartphone manufacturing business of Vietnamese conglomerate Vingroup, introduced its 5G-compatible phone Vsmart Aris in July during the Make in Vietnam technology fair organized by the MIC in Hanoi. Vsmart Aris is the first 5G capable smartphone manufactured in Vietnam. It was used as the test subject during pilot runs of 5G networks by domestic service providers. VinSmart is also the first Vietnamese firm to be capable of manufacturing 5G terminal equipment, opening up prospects for Vietnamese consumers to get their hands on a 5G device at an affordable price. According to Vu Hoang Lien, chairman of the Vietnam Internet Association (VIA), 5G holds a predominant advantage to its predecessors in frequency, bandwidth, speed and latency, which guarantees a better user experience. The improvement in speed and response time will help reduce opportunity costs and enhance efficiency as well as competitiveness for telecommunications services. 5G speed will also open the door for services previously unfeasible in the 4G environment, among which are video-based applications, virtual reality, remote medical and education services, self-driving cars and automatic remote control. Considering the superior capacity for response time and plural connections, 5G will make ways for the Internet of Things (IoT), automation and robot science applications, he added. The chairman said he is positive about Vietnams readiness for Vietnam in regards of both demand and infrastructure capacity. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Chennai, Sep 5 : Oil tanker 'New Diamond', laden with about 3,00,000 tonnes of Kuwaiti crude, has been towed more than 35 nautical miles away from Sri Lankan coast to safe waters even as operation to control fire onboard continued for the third day on Saturday, the Indian Coast Guard said. The fire had started on the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC)-chartered ship on Thursday morning. The coastal security agency said that the fire on the very large crude carrier (VLCC) was burning, but on a reduced scale and that there was no oil slick. The fire was brought under control on Friday evening. According to the Coast Guard, with the coordinated efforts of the Sri Lankan ships and aircraft, the ALP Winger vessel successfully towed 'New Diamond' away from the island nation's coast. The 20-year-old VLCC, sailing under the Panama flag, reported fire on Board on Thursday when it was about 37 nautical miles off the coast in Sri Lankan Exclusive Economic Zone. According to the Coast Guard, the vessel reported a major explosion in its engine room while it was on its way to Pradip in Odisha where the IOC has a large refinery. The first information about the vessel fire was received at the Coast Guard Maritime Rescue Co-Ordination Centre (MRCC) in Mumbai. After intense and continuous efforts, the fire has been localised at the Port Bridge Deck and Aft Ready Use tank area, the Coast Guard had said on Friday. A Coast Guard official had told IANS that the cargo pumping facility was also intact and that cargo area was not affected. The Coast Guard had also said a two-metre crack has been observed near the port aft portion of New Diamond, 10 metres above the waterline. A Coast Guard official, however, told IANS that the crack has not grown further. A multi-pronged strategy is being undertaken to prevent an oil spill from the massive vessel. The Indian coastal security agency said it had deployed six of its ships and two aircraft for firefighting and to handle pollution response in event of an oil slick. The Coast Guard ships Sujay, Shaurya and Sarang are in action since Thursday in the firefighting operation by using specialised external firefighting system along with Sri Lanka ships/tugs. Another tug TTK-1 arranged by Salvors joined along with Coast Guard ships, Tug Ravana and Tug Vasabha are also involved in the firefighting operations. Coast Guard's fast patrol vessel (FPV) Ameya with 1,000 litres of oil spill dispersants (OSD) has reached the site on Friday morning to augment pollution response efforts. Aerial recce by Sri Lankan Air Force Beachcraft and spraying of water through Bambi Bucket by the island nation's Air Force MI-17 is in progress. The Coast Guard also said that emergency towing vessels from Mumbai and Chennai have been sailed for augmenting salvage and firefighting operations. Meanwhile, officials of the IOC were not available for comments. KHABAROVSK, Russia -- Hundreds of locals in the Far Eastern Russian city of Khabarovsk have taken to the streets for the 57th consecutive day to protest the arrest in July of the regions popular former governor. Protest organizers estimated the crowd on September 5 at about 2,000 people, while the city administration said about 1,000 people participated. Protesters gathered outside the building of the regional government and then marched through the center of the city. They called for the resignation of President Vladimir Putin and criticized the ruling United Russia party. Former Khabarovsk Krai Governor Sergei Furgal was arrested on July 9 and taken to Moscow. He faces charges in connection with several killings that happened in the mid-2000s. Furgal, of the nationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, was elected in 2018 in a runoff that he won handily against the regions longtime United Russia incumbent. Supporters believe the charges against him were fabricated in a bid to reestablish United Russias control over the region. Protest organizers in Khabarovsk have received permission to hold another demonstration on September 12 with the participation of up to 70,000 people. Manitoba NDP leader Wab Kinew is calling the Conservative education minister an "anti-vaxxer" following controversial posts the minister made on his personal Facebook account. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 4/9/2020 (503 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Manitoba NDP leader Wab Kinew is calling the Conservative education minister an "anti-vaxxer" following controversial posts the minister made on his personal Facebook account. "It's bananas to me that Mr. Pallister has an anti-vaxxer in his cabinet," Kinew said in an interview with CBC Friday, in a video clip provided to the Free Press by the NDP. Education minister Kelvin Goertzen says he supports vaccinations, but believes it is a personal choice. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press files) "And it's not just any cabinet minister, this is a guy who is in charge of all the kids going back to school. He's in charge of their safety and their health." The NDP leaders comments came after Minister Kelvin Goertzen, who is responsible for the rollout of health initiatives in Manitobas schools, posted a CNN article about the COVID-19 vaccine to his Facebook wall Thursday night with the caption: "For those who refuse to get a vaccine, that is absolutely your right! And it should be protected. For everyone else..." Several commenters asked Goertzen whether vaccines would be mandatory in Manitoba once one is approved, and whether those who choose not to be vaccinated will face limitations on travel, public school attendance and other public appearances. Goertzen stated repeatedly in the comments that vaccines have never been mandatory in Canada or in Manitobas public schools, but left specific restrictions regarding travel or private businesses up to the federal government and those businesses, respectively. "It completely blows my mind that in the middle of a pandemic that Manitobans are confronted with these very basic public-health questions," Kinew told CBC. "And, in order for us to have confidence in our public-health system being run by this PC government, we ought to have these questions answered, because again, vaccines are one of the most important public-health initiatives ever in the history of humankind." Kinew pointed to the ministers responsibility to roll out vaccinations and public-safety measures in schools amid widespread concern from the provinces parents about the safety of sending kids back to school next week. Stay informed The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 delivered to your inbox every weeknight. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "While I personally support vaccination, I also believe that vaccination should be a personal choice." Kelvin Goertzen Goertzen's office disputed any suggestion that he opposes a COVID-19 vaccine, and pointed to his launches of annual flu-shot campaigns and support for high-dose flu vaccines during his time as health minister. "My post was intended to be informative about the current state of a COVID-19 vaccination development as reported by the (Centers) for Disease Control and Prevention," Goertzen said in a statement Friday. "My family and I annually get the flu vaccine and as Health Minister I actively participated in the annual vaccination promotion campaign. While I personally support vaccination, I also believe that vaccination should be a personal choice. There has never been a mandatory vaccine in Canada federally or provincially." Manitoba public health asserts that immunizations, including those in public schools, are voluntary in the province. Federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu has previously confirmed to media that the COVID-19 vaccine, when available, will not be mandatory. Staff RANCHO PENASQUITOS -- The Rancho Penasquitos Skatepark hasreopened to mixed reviews, with some users wondering where the restof their park went. Its still fun, but basically, they took out half the park,"said Rancho Penasquitos resident Marty Laracy, 17. But weimprovise. Advertisement The $2.1 million skatepark at Carmel Mountain Road and FreeportRoad was closed for five months as San Diego city officials triedto figure out why wooden structures at the 4-year-old facility werefalling apart. The park reopened June 30 after workers removed thedilapidated wooden ramps, half-pipes and other structures. Clay Bingham, deputy director of the San Diego Parks andRecreation Department, said the city has plans to replace thestructures. For now, skaters still can speed down the remainingconcrete slopes, but theres only wide open space waiting for themat the bottom instead of the banks and ramps they used to rideup. That can get old. One youngster at the skatepark on Thursdayhinted that some of his friends are considering bringing their ownwood, hammers and nails to the park to make their ramps. But good things may be coming to skaters who wait, according toBingham. Theres an opportunity that there may be some additional thingsadded to replace the lost structures, he said. The city also islikely to build the new structures with a material stronger thanwood, he said. But first, city engineers are looking into what went wrong withthe original parts. Bingham said the wood was delaminated andfasteners holding down boards appeared to be too small, and cityofficials are trying to track down the builder to ask about theparks construction. It wasnt dangerous, it was just annoying, said RanchoBernardo resident Max Warford, 16. You had to skate around randomscrews laying around. And the wood was rotted, bubbly andwavy. Skakers and bikers in Rancho Penasquitos on Thursday stillagreed that having the park open, even sans some of its ramps, wasbetter than no park. I just stopped skating for a while, Laracy said about how hehandled the five months when the park was closed. "(The skateparkin) Poway is too far, and I didnt have enough money for gas. Its really good, but its not like it used to be, said AmonCunningham, 16, of Rancho Penaquitos. Call staff writer Gary Warth at 760-740-5410. Seven of the eight sets of twins that started in St. Kevins Community College, Dunlavin on Friday (28th). From left: Zack and Sophie Farrell, Ellie and Katie Dillon, Francesca and Dominica Hnat, Evan and Glen Walsh, Sibeal and Ruairi Kavanagh Flood, Grace and Liam Reynolds and seated at the front, school Principal, Brian Doran There will be plenty of double takes at one west Wicklow secondary school where eight sets of twins are part of the intake of first years. St Kevin's CC welcomed the 16 students for their first day at the school last week. The group included three sets of girls-only twins and two sets of boys-only twins, not all of whom are identical. Three sets of twins included a boy and a girl. The students came from various primary schools in west Wicklow and areas on the Kildare/Wicklow border. Speaking to this paper, school principal Brian Doran said, the situation was 'very unusual'. 'Every year, we might have one or two sets of twins, but eight sets is very interesting.' 140 first students were welcomed to St Kevin's CC on Thursday for a friendship day. The event included team-building exercises, drumming and cartoon workshops. The day was designed to allow the new students to get used to the school's layout and meet their classmates before a full day of school on Friday. The twins' names are as follows: Katie and Ellie Dillon; Maeve and Niamh Harkin; Dominica and Francesca Hnat; Ruairi and Sibeal Kavanagh-Flood; Grace and Liam Reynolds; Cillian and Elijah Smart; Evan and Glen Walsh; and Zack and Sophie Farrell. Meanwhile, sixth year students have also returned to St Kevin's CC with the remaining year groups due to start back in the coming days. Once the induction process is completed, normal classes will resume on Monday, September 7. 'Our sixth years were very keen to get back and very enthusiastic. From next Monday, classes will resume and teachers are using this time to plan so they're ready to start,' Mr Doran added. Spike in Covid-19 detection grounds migrant workers repatriation flights By Namini Wijedasa Thousands of migrant workers stranded in Gulf countries; email claims some are pushed to brink of suicide View(s): View(s): The Government has suspended repatriation of migrant workers againincluding lucrative charter flightsafter a spike in imported COVID-19 cases this week. The suspension started yesterday and could last around a week, authorities said. The move comes amidst a push by tourism authorities to reopen the airport to facilitate revival of the ailing industry. But the Health Ministry has ruled out the possibility saying it was too early. I cant risk people in the country by letting the airports open for others, Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi told journalists this week. To allow tourists to return, Sri Lanka will also have to increase its PCR testing capacity. At present, 500 can be done per day at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) and 300 at Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA). Between August 30 and September 2, there were 116 new COVID-19 cases. One planeload from Qatar that arrived this weekmostly Sri Lankan blue collar workers with expired paperworkhad around 80 infected patients. They were flown in on Qatar Airways. A vast majority of migrant repatriations are now charters approved by a special division in the Presidents Office. The package includes paid PCR, transport and hotel quarantine. More hotels have been added to the list including Shangri-La Hambantota, Cinnamon Red and Best Western Elyon Hotel in Colombo. The logistics are coordinated by handpicked companies including Avant Garde Maritime Services (AGMS) which also coordinates passage from parts of the world where the national carrier, SriLankan Airlines, does not have strong reach. For instance, passengers from around Africa or other continents are gathered to a convenient destination from which they are ferried out. We sell 95 percent of our tickets directly to passengers, said Ashok Pathirage, SriLankan Airlines Chairman. This is to their benefit because it doesnt involve other parties keeping a markup. But in some cases, when there are destinations to which we dont fly and dont have the logistics capacity, the coordination is done by the nominated companies. There have been some concerns about the high prices but SriLankan says it was factoring in its costs when issuing tickets to groups that seek charter services. The business has proved fairly profitable for the struggling national carrier which does not face competition for its routes from other airlines as it did in a pandemic-free situation. It has expanded its services by providing charters to other countries such as India and China (one trip involved transporting Chinese nationals from Europe to China). On some of these routes, we were not making money, Mr Pathirage said. Today, we dont operate a single route without recovering our cost. A flourishing industry has now sprung around these charter flights, even abroad. There are Facebook sites, for instance, advertising services. One group says Special Charter Flight for Reparationpackage cost per person starting from AED 3,750. Amounting to nearly Rs 200,000, it includes one way-economy class airfare from Dubai to Mattala; three PCR tests; one-way transfer from MRIA to the hotel; and 14-days quarantine stay on a full-board, twin-sharing basis. Another page titled Charter Flight Dubai-Colombo requires potential members to answer a questionnaire before joining. And its administrator clearly states: Please join only if you can afford the amount. Dont waste time and money of other people. We understand many are in trouble now. But this is not a social service. The price quoted here is (UAE Dirhams) AED 4,500 (around Rs 227,000) for a similar package. Despite more and more hotels opening up for quarantine business, the capacity in Government-run free facilities is now exhausted with schools also now open. There are more than 56,000 migrants still waiting to return. Most have lost jobs and cannot afford isolation in hotels. The United Arab Emirates has been badly hit by the pandemic, an email sent by a Sri Lankan resident worker said this week. Job losses, displacement and starvation are common among the migrants and slow repatriation is a growing concern. There are about 350,000 Sri Lankans there and between 25,000 and 30,000 await repatriation, the email said. Of them, 14,000 are desperate with means of supporting themselvesthrown out of accommodation, starving. Some are being sheltered at the Sri Lankan Embassy and Consulate while others are supported by charities. But slow repatriation has made it a slow task to manage and support them. In the recent past, the perception appears to be that we should not bring in people from Gulf which does not portray humanity being practised, it said. Where would these expatriate Sri Lankans go otherwise? Other countries have taken the initiative to bring back their nationals. It is happening in full swing and in large numbers but ours is a slow saga. The email, signed by Concerned Expatriate Sri Lankan Citizen/s says that there are people who can afford charters and paid quarantine but many more who cannot. If the authorities were concerned about quarantine limitations, they could exercise the self-quarantine option, it urged under strict observation by health and police. If no action is taken now, the situation will get worse, even to the extent of suicide, it concluded. Emirates has announced that passengers service to Lagos and Abuja would resume September 7 and 9 respectively. This is as the carrier begins to reopen its flight network which was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic with Nigeria also resuming international flight operation on Saturday. According to a statement released by the airline operator, Emirates flight to Lagos would operate four times a week on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday while flights to/from Abuja will operate as a daily service. Recently, the airline revealed it was going to resume flights to Amman and Thailand, as well as five cities in Africa: Conakry in Guinea, Dakar in Senegal, Accra in Ghana, Abidjan on the Ivory Coast, and Lusaka, Zambias capital. The airline operators also have committed to cover COVID-19 related medical expenses, should passengers be diagnosed with COVID-19 during their travel while they are away from home. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday tested negative for the coronavirus infection. This was the third time that the chief minister had got himself tested for Covid-19 since the outbreak of the pandemic. Singh also ended his week-long self-isolation after testing negative for the contagion. The CM had gone into seven-day self-quarantine on August 28 after he came in contact with two Congress legislators, Kulbir Singh Zira and Nirmal Singh, who had tested positive after the one-day Punjab Assembly session. Singh, who presided over a virtual meeting of ministers, Congress MLAs and senior officials, disclosed during the interaction that he had got himself tested on Saturday and was found negative, according to a government release here. Also Read: Rajnath Singh likely to meet Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe in Moscow this evening Also Read: Daiichi-Ranbaxy case: Delhi Police summons Radha Soami Satsang chief Gurinder Singh Dhillon Mumbai: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Friday arrested Showik Chakraborty and Samuel Miranda in connection with the drugs probe linked to actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death, officials said. Various angles surrounding the death of the 34-year-old actor are being probed by three federal agencies, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) being the other two. Showik Chakraborty, brother of main accused in the case Rhea Chakraborty, and Rajput's house manager Samuel Miranda have been placed under arrest under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, a senior NCB officer said. Both Showik and Miranda have been named as accused by the ED and the CBI in the FIRs registered by them in Rajput's death case. The sections pressed against them, he said, are 20(b) that deals with production, manufacture, possession, selling, purchase and transport of cannabis, 28 (punishment for attempt to commit offences), 29 (punishment for abetment and criminal conspiracy) and 27(a) that defines punishment for financing illicit traffic and harbouring offenders. They will be produced before a local court on Saturday. The two are required to be put under custodial interrogation to unravel more details about the procurement, transportation and usage of the narcotics. The agency has a "strong case", the officer said. The arrests came after over 10 hours of questioning of the two, who were brought to the agency's office in Ballard Estate area here by the NCB sleuths after their premises were raided early morning. Accompanied by police officials, the NCB searched the residence of Showik in Santa Cruz (West) and Miranda's house in suburban Andheri (West) from 6:30 am. Showik lives with sister Rhea. The search teams included women officials and they were seen wearing masks and gloves and using multiple vehicles. NCB Deputy Director (operations) KPS Malhotra, who is heading the probe team of the agency, was seen leading the search and he told media persons on the ground that the houses of Showik and Miranda were being searched which was a "procedural" action. During the searches, both were handed over the summons brought out under section 67 (power to call for information) of the NDPS Act to join the investigation, the officials said. "They intended to go along (with the search team) due to media presence," an officer said. He said the agency is looking to gather additional evidence through this action and some documents have been seized by the search teams. He said Rhea (28), Rajput's live-in partner, is expected to be summoned soon. The NCB, till now, has arrested two alleged drug peddlers operating in the capital city of Maharashtra in this case and it has detained one person. The two arrested are Zaid Vilatra (21) and Abdel Basit Parihar (23) while Kaizan Ibrahim is being questioned since Thursday. Bandra resident Parihar was arrested after interrogating Vilatra. Parihar is learnt to have "links" with the narcotics case registered against Rhea and others. Parihar is linked to a person who was allegedly reported to be featuring in chats recovered from the mobile phones of Rhea and Showik, officials have said. The agency is probing the drug angle in this case under criminal sections of the NDPS Act after the ED shared with it a report following the cloning of two mobile phones of Rhea. The NCB has said it is looking into "the drug citadel in Mumbai, and especially Bollywood" in this case. According to officials, the mobile phone chats and messages indicated procurement, transportation and consumption of drugs and these leads were shared by the ED with the NCB and the CBI. The NCB is understood to have obtained the phone records of other accused in the case too. Michael Reinoehl, the Antifa terrorist who shot and killed beloved Trump supporter Aaron Danielson in Portland on Saturday night, was killed in shootout with a U.S. Marshals Task Force, according to a report. Portland antifa shooter Michael Reinoehl has been killed by law enforcement. Details to come. Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) September 4, 2020 Michael Forest Reinoehl, who killed Portland Trump supporter Aaron Danielson, died in Lacey, Wash. My sources are telling me U.S. Marshalls went to arrest him. Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) September 4, 2020 Two witnesses told The Olympian they saw a man armed with a semi-automatic rifle shoot 40-50 shots at police before they returned fire and killed him. From The Olympian: The suspect in the fatal shooting of a right-wing supporter in Portland was shot and killed by a U.S. Marshals task force near Lacey Thursday evening. The shooting occurred in the 7600 block of 3rd Way Southeast in Tanglewilde about 7 p.m. Pierce County sheriffs spokesman Ed Troyer confirmed the man who was killed is 48-year-old Michael Forest Reinoehl, the suspect in last weekends fatal shooting. Thurston County sheriffs Lt. Ray Brady said the Pierce County sheriffs fugitive apprehension team, working as part of the U.S. Marshals team, was in the area looking for a wanted homicide suspect when they saw the suspect come out of an apartment. They said he appeared to be armed. The suspect came out to the car, Troyer said. They attempted to put him into custody and shots were fired. The man was inside a vehicle at the apartment complex when the shootout began. The suspect ran from the car. Officers said he pulled out a gun and the officers fired, according to Brady. Reinoehl was pronounced dead at the scene. Brady confirmed that four officers fired their weapons. The officers were from the Department of Corrections, Pierce County Sheriffs Department and Lakewood Police Department. Chad Smith and Chase Cutler, who were working on cars nearby Thursday, said an unmarked SUV has been parked on School Street for a while when that SUV and another converged on a man in a vehicle in the apartment complex. They moved onto a grassy area about 50 yards away to watch what was happening. The man got out of his vehicle and began to fire what they believe was an assault rifle at the SUVs. They said they heard 40 or 50 shots, then officers returned fire, hitting the man. Video from the aftermath of the shooting was shared on Facebook (Warning: Graphic): Short clip: GRAPHIC: Lacey, Wash. resident records the immediate aftermath of the shooting of Portland antifa militant Michael Reinoehl. Video: Jashon Spencer pic.twitter.com/ZwEvERzEHa Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) September 4, 2020 "All I heard was pop, pop, pop, pop, pop," the videographer said. The video shows Reinoehl's dead body in a parking lot that's riddled with bullets. A medic can be seen performing CPR on him with sheriffs around. Reinoehl admitted to carrying out the murder of Aaron Danielson in an interview with the far-left propaganda outlet VICE that was released on Thursday, claiming "I had no choice." Reinoehl shared what many called a "manifesto" on Instagram where he stated clearly, "I am 100 % ANTIFA all the way!" "Every Revolution needs people that are willing and ready to fight. There are so many of us protesters that are just protesting without a clue of where that will lead. That's just the beginning that's that where the fight starts. If that's as far as you can take it thank you for your participation but please stand aside and support the ones that are willing to fight. I am 100 % ANTIFA all the way! I am willing to fight for my brothers and sisters! We do not want violence but we will not run from it either! Today's protesters and antifa are my brothers in arms," Reinoehl said in a post on June 16. Aaron "Jay" Danielson's friend, Chandler Pappas, said during an interview after the shooting that Danielson was "hunted down" and "executed" because "they recognized our Patriot Prayer hats." Rest In Peace Jay! https://t.co/j6FYxIygmh Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 30, 2020 Pappas spoke with Tucker Carlson just before Reinoehl was killed: Chandler Pappas, friend of the murdered Trump supporter in Portland, reacts to news that his friends murderer is out there doing media interviews with VICE: pic.twitter.com/jlu80UR50p Barrett Wilson (@BarrettWilson6) September 4, 2020 President Trump questioned why Portland Police hadn't arrested the "cold blooded killer" of Danielson right as the news was breaking. "Do your job, and do it fast," Trump said. "Everybody knows who this thug is. No wonder Portland is going to hell!" Why arent the Portland Police ARRESTING the cold blooded killer of Aaron Jay Danielson. Do your job, and do it fast. Everybody knows who this thug is. No wonder Portland is going to hell! @TheJusticeDept @FBI Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 4, 2020 As The Blaze reported on Thursday, Joe Biden suggested that Danielson is dead because "Trump guys" were driving around "inciting responses" in Portland. As Tucker noted, Biden wouldn't utter one negative word about this murderous antifa terrorist. Perhaps Reinoehl shouldn't have "incited a response" by attacking police. Holy fuck it is hot down here Michael Reinoehl (@MichaeIReinoehI) September 4, 2020 Follow InformationLiberation on Twitter, Facebook and Gab. A new set of flags, spotted by Computerworld, now lets users integrate and access individual settings on Chromebooks with Google Assistant. For instance, users can open up Google Assistant via the launcher to search out settings for their Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. With the flags enabled, theres no need to first open up Settings and then navigate to the appropriate setting. The feature works across all of the available OS-level settings too. So it doesnt matter if the user wants to look up those listed above or are looking to make a deeper system adjustment, such as adjusting smartphone connections. This works exactly like utilizing the Google Assistant to search up an app or a frequently-visited website. Conversely, those work just like performing smart home interactions on a Chromebook. All thats required, once the feature is turned on, is a quick tap of the search key on the keyboard. Then, users simply need to start typing a term related to the individual setting that theyre looking for. Advertisement Heres how to integrate Assistant better on Chromebooks right now Now, the fact that there are flags associated with this feature doesnt automatically mean it will arrive soon. It may not arrive at all if Google decides to stop pursuing it. But it is available right now. And users dont need to switch over to a buggy developer or test version of Chrome OS to make it work. Through some experimentation, I was able to get Google Assistant to integrate more cleanly with Chromebooks settings via the feature using just two flags. So, to get started, users just need to: Navigate to the chrome://flags URL Using the search bar at the top of the resulting page, search for Assistant & Launcher integration Click the drop-down menu on the appropriate setting and select Enabled Chrome OS will reboot but should keep all open files and pages as they were prior to the reboot Then: Advertisement Return to the search bar and search for Launcher settings search Enable the feature, again using the drop-down menu to the right of the flag setting Chrome OS will reboot once more If the feature doesnt work immediately, it may be a good idea to reboot the device manually after saving any work that may be open. After receiving dozens of nominations throughout his illustrious career as an actor and director, Bradley Cooper has slammed awards season as 'utterly meaningless.' In an interview with Anthony Ramos for Interview Magazine, Cooper and his A Star is Born co-star chatted about quarantining, their shared experience working on A Star Is Born and how an artistic production of any kind is a truly a collaborative effort. That ultimately led them to touch on ego and vanity amidst the Hollywood awards season machine, and how singling someone out from an artistic project like a film can make it difficult to stay grounded. Bradley Cooper, 45, shared about why he thinks awards season is 'utterly meaningless' Ramos, who also starred in Lin Manuel's original production of Hamilton, both off-Broadway and on Broadway, set up the conversation by throwing out what he feels can be the typical mindset after being nominated. 'It's about me. I'm the only one here from my cast, so it's only me,' Ramos said, which invoked the sarcastic response: 'I must be special,' from Cooper. Ramos, 28, remarked how nominees are really 'a representation of the story' that some 150 to 200 told together as a team. A Star Is Born: In an interview with Anthony Ramos for Interview Magazine , Cooper and his A Star is Born co-star chatted about quarantining, their shared experience working on A Star Is Born and how an artistic production of any kind is a truly a collaborative effort Cooper discussed a number of subjects, including the fallacy behind stardom, during an interview with actor Anthony Ramos for Interview Magazine Cooper agreed and added, 'That awards season stuff is a real test. It's set up to foster that mentality. It's quite a thing to work through, and it's completely devoid of artistic creation.' The Pennsylvania native, 45, went on to emphasize how acting and directing is more about passion, rather than awards and accolades. 'It's not why you sacrifice everything to create art, and yet you spend so much time being a part of it if youre, in quotes, lucky enough to be a part of it.' Cooper continued, 'Its ultimately a great thing because it really does make you face ego, vanity, and insecurity. It's very interesting and utterly meaningless.' His humble take: The Pennsylvania native, who starred and helmed A Star Is Born, went on to emphasize how acting and directing is more about passion, rather than awards and accolades; he is pictured with co-star Lady Gaga Some of Cooper's many award nominations includes eight Academy Awards, eight British Academy Film Awards, and six Golden Globe Awards, which resulted in one win: the BAFTA Award for Best Film Music which he shared with co-star Lady Gaga. He also won two Grammys for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media for the song Shallow in A Star Is Born. Cooper's Hollywood resume of acclaimed films includes Wedding Crashers (2005), The Hangover (2009), The Place Beyond the Pines (2012), Silver Linings Playbook (2012), American Hustle (2013), American Sniper (2014), Joy (2015) and A Star Is Born (2018). Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 5) Two motorcycle-riding suspects shot a police officer dead in Quezon City Saturday morning, authorities said. The Quezon City Police District identified the victim as Police Lieutenant Samad Baharan, 53. He was assigned to the Police Community Affairs Development Group. According to a witness, Baharan was driving his motorcycle along Tandang Sora Ave. in Barangay Culiat when the assailants attacked at around 9:15 a.m. He sustained multiple gunshot wounds, the QCPD said in a statement quoting the Scene of the Crime Operatives report. Authorities are hunting the still unidentified gunmen. The QCPDs Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit has launched a probe to identify the suspects and determine the motive behind the killing. MUMBAI: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), which is looking into the drug angle in connection with Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput death case, arrested Rhea Chakraborty' brother Showik Chakraborty and Sushants house manager Samuel Miranda on Friday (September 4) night. The duo was arrested after 10 hours of questioning. They will be produced before a Mumbai court on Saturday (September 5). Earlier on Friday, the NCB also carried out searches at the residences of Showik and Miranda. During the raid, they seized Showik's laptop and mobile phone. The NCB had also told a court that Showik used to order ganja and marijuana from drug-peddler Abdul Basit Parihar, and made payments to him over Google Pay. An NCB official said that the agency will seek their custody for interrogation and to confront them with the other arrested accused. The official said that the duo will also be grilled over information from seized laptops and chats obtained by the agency. The agency also arrested two others - Abdul Basit Parihar and Kaizan Ebrahim on Friday on charges of peddling drugs, taking the number of arrests in the case to seven. The fresh arrest clearly shows that the noose around Rhea Chakraborty is tightening, and there is a high possibility that she would also be arrested by the NCB, which has already summoned her for questioning on Saturday. The NCB registered a case under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, naming Rhea, her brother, talent manager Jaya Saha, Sushant's co-manager Shruti Modi, and Goa-based hotelier Gaurav Arya, on August 26 after the Enforcement Directorate wrote to it about the drugs angle. This followed the discovery of WhatsApp messages between Rhea and Shruti Modi, Miranda and Sushant's flatmate Siddharth Pithani. NCB is the third central agency to join the probe into the death of Sushant, after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the ED. The revelations about the link between Showik and Parihar were made by the NCB in a Mumbai court as Parihar was produced before it. The court sent Parihar to the NCB's custody till September 9. Besides Showik, Miranda and Parihar, the NCB has also arrested Zaid Vilatra, Abbas Lakhani and Karan Arora and seized 'bud' (curated marijuana) from them. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 18:38:15|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MUMBAI, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- India's first bullet train project is being stuck due to impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, multiple media reports said Saturday quoting Indian Railways officials. The 508-km High Speed Rail Corridor from Mumbai to Ahmedabad in the western state of Gujarat has got stuck due to low participation from Japanese companies, who had to cancel tenders due to steep rates quoted by bidders, said a report by Indian Express newspaper. The newspaper said that the Indian side now expects the project to be commissioned fully by October 2028, instead of the original timeline of December 2023. The rail corridor project is being constructed with an 80 percent loan from Japan at 0.1 percent interest and a 15-year moratorium, with the system to be built mostly with Japanese technology on the lines of the Shinkansen. The on-going COVID-19 crisis had been a deterrent for opening of nine civil work tenders that were floated last year, said a Mint news report quoting officials. "We cannot say how the pandemic will affect the project and how long it will last," said the Mint news report quoting the project implementing agency National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited's managing director, Achal Khare. The rail corridor will pass through three districts of India's western state of Maharashtra and eight districts in the western state of Gujarat. Enditem CHINGOLA, Zambia, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese firm the Mango Tree Construction Limited will hand over an industrial park in Ndola to the government upon completion before the end of this year, a senior government official has said. So far 95 percent of works have been done at the Ndola industrial yard which is sitting on 20 hectares of land. Ndola is provincial capital of the Copperbelt province and its industrial hub. Speaking in an interview with Xinhua on Thursday, Copperbelt province minister Japhen Mwakalombe said the facility will be handed over to government upon completion within the course of this year. He said according to Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC), the industrial park which will have 24 industrial workshops is expected to create over 1,000 permanent jobs once operational. Mwakalombe said the works at the industrial park will stand a test of time, saying the Chinese contractor has been able to transfer skills to the locals. "We are looking forward to having our Zambia youths acquire technology through such kind of projects which will add value to the Zambian economy," he said. The industrial park is being spearheaded by the CEEC being funded at a cost of 25 million Zambian Kwacha (about 1.3 million U.S. dollars). CEEC will provide mechanisms to ensure that the facility is occupied upon completion to help improve the Zambian economy. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday pushed for restoration of status quo ante at all friction points in eastern Ladakh during talks with his Chinese counterpart Gen. Wei Fenghe in Moscow, in the first highest level face-to-face contact between the two sides after the border row erupted in Ladakh in early May. The focus of the talks that lasted nearly two and a half hours was on ways to resolve the prolonged border standoff, sources said. Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar and Indian Ambassador to Russia D B Venkatesh Varma were part of the Indian delegation at the talks that began at around 9:30 pm(IST) at a prominent hotel in Moscow following a request from Gen. Wei. "The meeting between Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh and Chinese Defence Minister, General Wei Fenghe in Moscow is over. The meeting lasted for 2 hours and 20 minutes," Singh's office tweeted. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has previously held telephonic talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the border standoff. Sources said the Indian delegation strongly objected to Chinese army's fresh attempts to change the status quo in the southern bank of Pangong lake in eastern Ladakh and insisted on resolution of the standoff through talks. The Indian side wanted restoration of status quo ante at all friction points in eastern Ladakh, the sources said. Both Singh and Wei are in Moscow to attend a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation(SCO) defence ministers which took place earlier in the day. Hours before the talks, Singh, in his address at the SCO ministerial meet, said peace and security in the region demands a climate of trust, non-aggression, peaceful resolution of differences and respect for international rules. Singh's comments in the presence of the Chinese defence minister was seen as a veiled message to China over the border row in eastern Ladakh. In his address, Singh referred to the Second World War and said its memories teach the globe the "folies of aggression" of one state upon another that brings "destruction" to all. "Peaceful stable and secure region of SCO member states, which is home to over 40 per cent of the global population, demands a climate of trust and cooperation, non-aggression, respect for international rules and norms, sensitivity to each other's interest and peaceful resolution of differences," Singh said. The meeting took place amid heightened tensions between the two countries triggered by China's fresh attempts to occupy Indian territory in the southern bank of Pangong lake. As both sides increased deployment of troops in Ladakh, Chief of Army Staff Gen MM Naravane, wrapping up a two-day visit to the region, said the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) is "tense" but added that the nation can count on the Indian Army. "The situation along the LAC is tense. We have undertaken precautionary deployment in some areas. The troops are prepared for all contingencies that may arise. All these actions have been carried out only along the LAC," he said after holding a series of meetings with top army commanders. Separately, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said there will be no compromise on India's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and asserted it cannot be "business as usual" in bilateral ties unless there is peace and tranquility in the border areas. At the same time, he said India is open to resolving outstanding issues through dialogue. "This is one of the most serious challenges we have faced in many decades," he said, adding, "we have not seen this magnitude of amassing of forces on the border also in recent years". Shringla was speaking at an Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) webinar. In the meantime, Brigade commanders of Indian and Chinese armies held a nearly three-hour-long interaction near Chushul in eastern Ladakh, exploring ways to bring down tensions. The outcome of the interaction is not immediately known. Three rounds of Brigade commander-level talks between the two armies earlier this week remained inconclusive. Tensions flared up again in eastern Ladakh after China unsuccessfully attempted to occupy Indian territory in the southern bank of Pangong lake five days ago when the two sides were engaged in diplomatic and military talks to resolve the prolonged border row. India occupied a number of strategic heights on the southern bank of Pangong lake and strengthened its presence in Finger 2 and Finger 3 areas in the region to thwart any Chinese actions. China has strongly objected to India's move. However, India has maintained that the strategic heights are on its side of the LAC. India has also rushed in additional troops and weapons to the sensitive region following China's transgression attempts. Following China's fresh attempts to change the status quo in the southern bank of Pangong lake, India has further bolstered its military presence in the region. "It was very satisfying to see our soldiers and local commanders in high morale and good health. It gives me confidence that they are well prepared to safeguard the territorial integrity of our nation. The Indian Army is known for its commitment and resolve," Gen. Naravane said. "We will continue to utilise all existing mechanisms to reduce tension and to ensure that the status quo is not unilaterally changed," he added. "Over the past three months, both sides are engaged in resolving the situation. Military and diplomatic channels are functioning. Indian side is firmly committed to resolve the current situation along the LAC through engagement," Gen. Naravane said. In a statement, the Army said Gen. Naravane interacted with soldiers and local commanders deployed in difficult high-altitude forward areas. It said he appreciated their high morale and standards of professionalism exhibited by the units in safeguarding the country's territorial integrity. The Army chief was briefed about the overall security scenario by Lt Gen. YK Joshi, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Northern Command, and Lt Gen. Harinder Singh, the Commander of the Leh-based 14 Corps. In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a media briefing earlier in the day that on issues left over from history, like the boundary issue, China always believes finding a fair, reasonable, mutually acceptable solution through peaceful consultations. The tension between the two sides escalated manifold after the violent clashes in Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh on June 15 in which 20 Indian Army personnel were killed. The Chinese side also suffered casualties but it is yet to give out the details. According to an American intelligence report, the number of casualties on the Chinese side was 35. Africas battle against COVID-19 is not only a picture of death, suffering and economic devastation. It is, more compellingly, a picture of partnership, the sharing of strategies and resources and resilience and innovation individually, nationally and regionally - on a continent that is firmly on the rise even in the face of an existential challenge to the biomedical vulnerability of all human beings. This has been the imposing backdrop to South Africas year-long tenure as Chair of the African Union. South Africas Chairship of the African Union (AU) in 2020 has been adversely affected by the unprecedented advent of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic across the world, which caused some of the planned priorities for the continent to be put on hold. Although the AU theme for the 2020 is Silencing the Guns: Creating Conducive Conditions for Africas Development, the focus to date has primarily been on silencing an invisible and resilient organism which has claimed thousands of lives across the world. When South Africa assumed the AU Chair in February 2020, COVID-19 was rapidly spreading throughout the world, with the first COVID-19 positive case in Africa reported in Egypt. The subsequent declaration of COVID-19 as a global pandemic by the World Health Organisation necessitated a refocused agenda for South Africas Chairship. The pandemic adversely affected most AU plans, with physical meetings or summits being postponed after most AU member states imposed travel restrictions and national lockdowns to prevent the spread of the virus. Among other changes, a summit on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) that was scheduled to take place in South Africa earlier this year was postponed to 5 December 2020. This summit is envisaged to finalise some of the outstanding issues relating to trading under the AfCFTA agreement, which seeks to create a single continental market for goods and services in Africa, and enable a freer movement of people around the continent. As a result of the postponement, trade under this agreement will now start on 1 January 2021. The AfCFTA creates a single continental market for goods and services in Africa and presents an opportunity for African countries to diversify their exports, attract foreign direct investment and grow their respective economies. This agreement will be key in unlocking Africas economic potential. It will also promote domestic trade and reduce reliance on external trading. The goal of increasing intra-Africa trade from 18% to 50% within a decade is instrumental in assisting the continent to rebuild economies devastated by COVID-19. In his February 9 Acceptance Statement as Chair of the AU, President Cyril Ramaphosa said, The AfCFTA that we adopted last year will enable us to work together through intra-Africa trade, as it will reignite industrialisation and pave the way for Africas integration into the global economy as a player of considerable scale. It is the realisation of the dream of our forebears, to see the rich resources of Africa being marshalled for the collective benefit of Africans. COVID-19 has subsequently challenged the continent to ensure that in our fight against the coronavirus disease, we do indeed secure collective benefits for all Africans. As the rates of COVID-19 infections continue to decline globally, Africa has thankfully recorded lower rates of infections and successfully reduced the spread of the virus. The Director of the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr John Nkengasong, has attributed Africas recovery rate at 72 percent to the firm promotion of health protocols such as the wearing of masks in public, social distancing and regular washing of hands. While it is still early to celebrate such a remarkable milestone, he says the continent is beginning to slowly bend the curve of infections. However, Africa is cautiously mindful of the fact that some of the countries that slowed the curve have had new spikes of infections. While many parts of the world are learning how to deal with a pandemic, Africa has also had meaningful lessons from dealing with outbreaks such as Ebola, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome and Yellow Fever. These lessons have played a key role in how the continent responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. African countries were forced to take urgent action to respond to the unforeseen circumstances caused by the pandemic. As the Chair of the AU, South Africa has been working tirelessly with relevant AU structures to channel efforts towards containing the spread of the virus, while being alive to the objective of creating a peaceful and stable continent. AU member countries have rallied together to achieve a pandemic-free continent and support the mission to establish a peaceful and prosperous continent. A number of virtual meetings have been held with African Heads of State to find ways to mitigate the impact of the pandemic. These meetings have resulted in the development of the Africa Joint Continental Strategy for COVID-19, which established an AU COVID-19 Response Fund to assist member states in funding an effective response. International support In his capacity as Chairperson of the AU, President Ramaphosa has appointed Special Envoys to solicit international support to enable African countries to respond adequately and swiftly to challenges caused by the pandemic. To date, international institutions such as the G20 and European Union have provided monetary support to the Africa Joint Continental Strategy for COVID-19 for a comprehensive economic stimulus for Africa. These Special Envoys have since succeeded in negotiating with the international community to provide debt relief and debt repayment exemption for Africas poorest countries to fight COVID-19. By September 2020, nine African countries had applied for the debt repayment moratorium. In August 2020, the AU launched the Africa Medical Supplies Platform, an innovation that will enable all countries on the continent to procure much-needed supplies faster at more competitive prices. This platform will also assist with price competition and reduce costs. All countries will have equitable access to products made in Africa, including medical supplies. President Ramaphosa and other African leaders have demonstrated the resilience and flexibility of the continent to rise against the devastating impact of COVID-19. South Africa will continue to work with fellow African countries to fortify efforts that respond swiftly to all challenges and intensify efforts to ensure a peaceful, stable and prosperous Africa. Portland police arrest 27 as U.S. city nears 100 days of protests Demonstration against police violence and systemic inequality in Portland By Kanishka Singh (Reuters) - Portland police made multiple arrests overnight on Friday as the Oregon city nears 100 days of demonstrations against U.S. racism and police brutality, which have at times turned violent. Police arrested 27 people, mostly on charges of interfering with law enforcement or disorderly conduct after not complying with orders to clear the area where they assembled and throwing items at officers. "Officers began to make targeted arrests and in some cases moved the crowd back and kept them out of the street," according to a press released issued on Saturday. One arrested protester was injured with a "bleeding abrasion" on her head, police said. Demonstrations against racism and police brutality have swept the United States since the death in May of George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man who died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. In Rochester, New York on Friday night nearly 1,000 demonstrators marched downtown to protest the March death of black man Daniel Prude in police custody. Police used pepper balls to clear protesters during protests the night before, according to local news reports. Portland has become the epicenter of demonstrations, with protests taking place nightly over the last three months calling for policing and social justice reforms. These have at times turned into clashes between demonstrators and officers, as well as between right- and left-wing groups. Police shot and killed a self-declared anti-fascist activist in Washington state on Thursday night as they moved in to arrest him on suspicion he fatally shot a right-wing counterprotester last weekend in Portland. The administration of President Donald Trump deployed federal forces to Portland in July to crack down on the protests. Trump signed a memo on Wednesday that threatens to cut federal funding to "lawless" cities, including Portland. His Democratic challenger in the Nov. 3 presidential election, Joe Biden, has accused Trump of stoking violence with his rhetoric. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; additional reporting by Valerie Volcovici in Washington; Editing by Frances Kerry and Alistair Bell) With less than two months until the US elections, the race for the White House -- long pushed to the margins by the coronavirus pandemic -- has finally taken off: a good time for AFP to make a weekly list of offbeat moments on the campaign trail. - Unleash the age spots - No holds are barred for the Donald Trump campaign, which this week launched a series of Facebook ads including one featuring a picture of Democratic opponent Joe Biden, touched up to add wrinkles and age spots to make the 77-year-old look older. A campaign official also admitted sharing a falsified video montage that appeared to show Biden falling asleep in the middle of a television interview. Trump is 74 years old. - Misdirections - Biden's digital team came up with its own way of bursting the bubble of the president's supporters: it bought up the online domain KeepAmericaGreat.com, one of the key slogans of the Trump campaign. When Trump fans click on it, it redirects them to a site attacking the president's record. - A different Lincoln memorial - In the bitter fight for the White House, a former occupant of the residence is placed in a very particular position: Abraham Lincoln. Donald Trump likes to portray himself as a natural heir to the man who abolished slavery, while anti-Trump Republicans have appropriated his name for a Trump-bashing campaign, The Lincoln Project. That fight over the 16th president made it perfect for a lock of Honest Abe's hair, snipped off during the autopsy after his assassination in 1865, to go on the auction block. The macabre keepsake came attached to a bloodstained telegram announcing the presidents death. The RR auction house in Boston put the hair and telegram on sale online, with a deadline for bids on September 12. As of Friday, the highest bid was $28,000. - Political hair pulling - Hair also made headlines this week when it emerged that Nancy Pelosi, the powerful Democratic speaker of the House of Representatives, said she was the victim of a "setup" after she was filmed on a security camera visiting an indoor hair salon in defiance of pandemic regulations in her hometown of San Francisco. Story continues Pelosi, a fierce critic of Trump's handling of the health crisis, said she had fallen for a trap set by the salon's owner, who has been pushing for months to be allowed to re-open. Trump was quick to take to Twitter to attack one of his most outspoken critics. "Maybe the Beauty Parlor owner should be running the House of Representatives instead of Crazy Nancy?" the president said. - Joe's mow woes - Biden, who has largely kept a low profile in recent months as controversies dogged his opponent, finally stepped fully onto the campaign trail this week, visiting Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, two key states in the election. On Friday he returned to his home state of Delaware to take part in an online fundraising push, but a loud noise in the background forced him to ask his interlocutor to raise his voice. Biden explained it was just his neighbor mowing his lawn, and that he couldn't ask him to stop: surely a Trump supporter. - 'Take one for the team' with Kim - Trump may have exchanged "love letters" with Kim Jong Un, but it was reportedly his press spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders who caught the North Korean strongman's eye. When Kim allegedly winked at the daughter of former Arkansas governor and Christian minister Mike Huckabee during a summit in Singapore in 2018, Trump told her to "go to North Korea and take one for the team," according to Sanders' new memoir. Sander recounted the wink to Trump and his then chief of staff John Kelly afterward. Trump joked, "Your husband and kids will miss you, but youll be a hero to your country! Sarah Sanders stayed in the United States and has since left the White House. sdu-seb/iba/jh/dw/tom FILE PHOTO: Grounded Virgin Atlantic aircraft are seen through the fences as they remain grounded at Manchester Airport By Alistair Smout LONDON (Reuters) - Virgin Atlantic announced 1,150 more job cuts on Friday due to the coronavirus crisis, saying its 1.2 billion pound ($1.6 billion) rescue deal alone was not enough to secure its future. The airline, which had already announced around 3,500 job losses, completed the rescue deal with major shareholders and creditors on Friday after various court approvals. Chief Executive Shai Weiss said that while the deal was a major step forward towards survival, more action was needed. "After the sacrifices so many of our people have made, further reducing the number of people we employ is heart-breaking but essential for survival," he said. Airlines across the world have been slashing jobs and seeking funds after the COVID-19 pandemic grounded most flights earlier this year and demand has been slow to recover amid continue restrictions in many countries. With the latest cuts, Virgin Atlantic, which is 51% owned by Richard Branson's Virgin Group and 49% by the U.S.'s Delta Air Lines Inc , will have shed almost 50% of its pre-pandemic workforce of around 10,000. The airline said it was entering a company-wide consultation on the latest reductions, which fall across all functions, and would discuss the cuts with trade unions Unite and the British Airline Pilots Association. Unite called on the British government to support the aviation sector. Virgin Atlantic reached a private-only recapitalisation deal after the government said it had to exhaust such avenues before state backing was considered. The likes of the United States and Germany have given bailouts to major airlines. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday he knew it was tough for aviation workers and cited broader support the government has given. "We're going to do everything ... we can to help to put our arms around every part of British business," he told reporters. "We will do more to support aviation." Story continues Travel restrictions on British nationals going to the United States have been in place longer than expected, Virgin Atlantic said, adding the outlook for transatlantic routes was that current skeleton operations would not be expanded until 2021. Transatlantic flying is 70% of Virgin Atlantic's network, and the airline called on Britain to introduce virus tests at airports to replace its policy of travellers having to quarantine for 14 days from some countries, such as the United States. But Johnson said airport tests only worked in around 7% of cases, and people who initially test negative may later develop COVID-19 symptoms and infection. "So 93% of the time, you could have a real false sense of security, a false sense of confidence when you arrive and take and take a test," Johnson said. ($1 = 0.7577 pounds) (Reporting by Alistair Smout; additional reporting by William James, editing by Stephen Addison and Mark Potter) Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Friday pushed for the restoration of status quo ante at all friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh and called for disengagement of troops in an expeditious way during the much-expected meeting with his Chinese counterpart General Wei Fenghe in Moscow. The meeting between Singh and Wei, on the sidelines of the defence ministers meet at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), was the first high-level political face-to-face meeting between India and China since the border row erupted along the LAC in eastern Ladakh in early May. A Press Trust of India report from Moscow said at the meeting on Friday, which lasted for more than two hours, the Indian delegation strongly objected to Chinese armys fresh attempts to change the status quo in the southern bank of Pangong lake and insisted on the resolution of the standoff through talks. According to Chinas official news agency, Xinhua, Wei told Singh that the responsibility of the ongoing tension lies entirely with India an allegation that New Delhi has brushed off repeatedly, saying that the border aggression has actually been shown by the troops of the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA). The same Xinhua report in Mandarin from Moscow quoted Singh as saying that India hoped that two sides will adopt a responsible attitude, fully disengage front-line forces as soon as possible, avoid taking measures that may escalate or complicate the situation, and avoid turning differences into disputes so as to bring bilateral military relations back to the right track as soon as possible. External affairs minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval have previously held separate telephonic talks with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi to resolve the standoff. On Thursday, New Delhi squarely blamed Beijing for the tensions along the LAC over the past four months and said the only way forward was through negotiations reflecting the impasse created by fresh attempts by Beijing to alter the status quo along the disputed border over the weekend. At the meeting, Wei said that recently the relations between the two countries and the two militaries have been seriously affected by the border issue and that it was very important for the two defence ministers to have a face-to-face and candid exchange of views on relevant issues, according to Xinhua. Wei added that the cause and truth of the current tension on the China-India border are very clear, and the responsibility lies entirely with the Indian side. Not an inch of Chinas territory should be lost. The Chinese military has the resolve, capability and confidence to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, the Chinese defence minister said. The two sides should earnestly implement the important consensus reached by President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and stay committed to resolving the issue through dialogue and consultation, Wei said. The Chinese defence minister said that Beijing hoped that the Indian side would strictly abide by the series of agreements reached by the two sides, effectively strengthen the control over front-line troops, and refrain from provocations across the current LAC. India should not take any actions that may cause the situation to escalate, and not deliberately hype up or spread negative information, the Chinese said. The two sides should bear in mind the overall interests of China-India relations and regional peace and stability, make joint efforts to meet each other halfway, cool down the current situation as soon as possible and safeguard peace and tranquillity in the China-India border areas, Wei said at the meeting. The focus of the talks between the two defence ministers was on ways to resolve the prolonged border standoff, an unnamed source told PTI. Defence secretary Ajay Kumar and Indian ambassador to Russia DB Venkatesh Varma were part of the Indian delegation at the talks that began at around 9:30pm IST at a prominent hotel in Moscow. Several rounds of talks have been conducted through diplomatic and military channels to end the standoff that began in May. The progress suffered a blow when Chinese troops resorted to what were described as provocative military movements on the south bank of Pangong Lake during August 29-30. They were thwarted by counter-measures by the Indian side, which quickly occupied several strategic heights and hilltops, and talks between local brigade commanders since Monday to ease the fresh tensions have been inconclusive. The Centre on Saturday clarified that a Department of Expenditure circular issued on Friday to cut official spending amid an economic crisis will not affect or curtail recruitment for government jobs. The clarification came hours after the Congress demanded that the Centre withdraw the circular calling for a freeze" on the creation of new posts, urging it to create more vacancies while filling the existing ones in the wake of a rise in unemployment. The Department of Expenditure circular dated September 4, 2020, deals with internal procedure for creation of posts and does not in anyway affect or curtail recruitment," the Finance Ministry said in a tweet on Saturday. CLARIFICATION:There is no restriction or ban on filling up of posts in Govt of India . Normal recruitments through govt agencies like Staff Selection Commission, UPSC, Rlwy Recruitment Board, etc will continue as usual without any curbs. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/paQfrNzVo5 Ministry of Finance (@FinMinIndia) September 5, 2020 It clarified that there would be no restriction or ban on filling up of central government posts. Normal recruitments through government agencies like Staff Selection Commission, UPSC, Railway Recruitment Board, etc. will continue as usual without any curbs," it said. The Dept. of Expenditure circular dated 04 Sept 2020 deals with internal procedure for creation of posts and does NOT in anyway affect or curtail recruitment. (2/2) Ministry of Finance (@FinMinIndia) September 5, 2020 The Department of Expenditure had in the earlier circular banned some non-developmental expenditures to ensure availability of adequate resources for meeting the needs of critical priority schemes". The document announced a ban on the creation of new posts" except with the approval of Department of Expenditure, in Ministries/Departments, Attached Offices, Subordinate Offices, Statutory Bodies and Autonomous Bodies. The Department comes under the Ministry of Finance. Sources say it was at the Prime Ministers instance that the Ministry of Finance decided to cut costs. This is also to ensure that the resources are channelised to investment in these key sectors. The ministry has issued the instructions on expenditure management with a view to improving the quality of public expenditure, containing non-developmental spending and ensuring availability of adequate resources for critical priority schemes, the Department of Expenditure had said on Friday. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi hit out at the Centre over the issue, alleging that the Modi dispensations thinking is minimum government, maximum privatisation". The Covid-19 pandemic is just an excuse and the intention is to make government offices free" of permanent staff, he alleged on Twitter. Rob the future of the youth and promote friends," Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi and urged the people to speak up. At an online media briefing, Congress leader and former Union minister Rajeev Shukla had said the government has come out with the circular which has suggested that new jobs cannot be created at all and the vacancies which are already existing should not be filled. Jacob Blake has been seen for the first time since his shooting by a white police officer an event that sparked new protests across the country. The 29-year-old father of three, who was shot seven times as he sought to climb into his car in Kenosha, Wisconsin, made a court appearance by video link, for charges not relating to the incident. Wearing a light blue shirt and a gold tie, Mr Blake sat up in bed to enter a not guilty plea through his lawyer, to charges of sexual assault, criminal trespass and disorderly conduct. It was the first time Mr Blake had been seen since he was shot in the back on August 23 by officer Rusten Sheskey. His lawyer, Patrick Cafferty, was seen seated at his side. Trump says he won't speak with Jacob Blake family because 'lawyers would be involved' Mr Blake was charged after an alleged incident on May 3, and based on statements given by his ex-girlfriend and mother of his three children. She told police that Mr Blake broke into her home, and sexually assaulted before stealing her truck and debit card. Mr Blake raised his hand to greet Loren Keating, a Kenosha County judicial court commissioner, when addressed, saying Yes sir, when asked if he could hear clearly and whether he understood the terms of his $10,000 signature bond. The state recognises that these are serious charges but also that the defendant has serious injuries and hes recovering at the hospital, said Zeke Wiedenfeld, a prosecutor. The court set the trial to begin on November 9 with jury selection. The complaint does not identify the ex-girlfriend by name. Video of the shooting of Mr Blake, with his three young children in the black of his vehicle, triggered protests in several cities in the US. The Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation has launched an investigation into the shooting. Additional reporting by Reuters A thrifty DIY enthusiast has revealed how she transformed her dull and impersonal bathroom into a chic space for just 15. Lisa Dawn, from the UK, took to Facebook group Extreme Budget DIY & Life Hacks, to share her lockdown project - which she completed by herself. The savvy shopper gave the dingy and boring space a bargain makeover using stick-on tiles from Poundland which she cut into shape before applying to the wall. Posting snaps of her renovation, she wrote: 'Revamped my bathroom with Clever Tiles from Poundland. All in all cost me about 15 to tile this part. Lisa Dawn, from the UK, took to Facebook group Extreme Budget DIY & Life Hacks, to share her lockdown project - which she completed by herself (pictured before, her dull and boring bathroom) 'Bargain! Great quality too and easy to apply.' The before pictures show a plain bathroom with beige walls and a plain floor, along with white accessories. But after spending 15 on the lively stick-on floor tiles, the after pictures reveal how Lisa was able to add an injection of colour and personality into the dull room. The thrifty DIY enthusiast revealed she searched through three different branches of the high street store in order to locate the tiles to complete the project. The thrifty DIY enthusiast said she transformed the space with the 'easy-to-use' and 'great quality' tiles Sharing the renovation online, she said the project cost her about 15 using tiles from Poundland She revealed the project had been 'pretty easy', explaining: 'I cut the tiles before putting them on the wall. And also cut single tiles out to fill awkward spaces.' Meanwhile she went on to write: 'These were actually easy to apply! I didnt ruin any of the tile squares, or get my hands stuck that bad.' Other social media users heaped praise on the makeover, with one commenting: 'Good job! Looks great.' Another wrote: 'Lovely...they've brought it to life.' 'Looks really nice,' a third added, 'I'm always worried I'll get into a sticky mess. Well done you!' 'Wow,' another commented,'This is fabulous.' Kim Kardashian has reportedly filed for the trademark of 'KKW Home' so that she can start a new homeware line. The KUTWK star, 39, is said to be keen to launch a range in stores that specialise in shower and bath items as well as an array of bedroom furnishings and accessories. According to a report from TMZ on Saturday, Kim is going to work on making bath mats and rugs, towels, bowls, and even trash cans amongst other things. New venture: Kim Kardashian 'prepares to launch luxury homeware range as she trademarks the name KKW Home, it was reported on Saturday She is also said to be interested in making candles and scented oils, as well as other bathroom items like soap dishes and toilet paper holders. The publication claimed that Kim's team have filed legal documents to make sure the rights to the brand name is locked in. MailOnline has contacted Kim's representatives for comment. Brand: Kim is said to want to work on making bath mats and rugs, towels, bowls, and even trash cans amongst other things Last month it was reported that Kim had filed to trademark 'KKW Skin,' according to legal documents obtained by TMZ. Her newest venture follows her success with her Skims shapewear and her KKW Beauty cosmetics line. According to the documents, Kim plans to sell the KKW Skin products in retail outlets that are well known for selling skincare products and cosmetics. She also listed the many different products she might make under her new brand: moisturizers, creams, lotions, cleansers, body and face scrubs, face masks, facial and body oils, scrubs and more. Business: Last month it was reported that Kim had filed to trademark 'KKW Skin,' according to legal documents obtained by TMZ (pictured in 2018) This business move comes after her younger sister Kylie Jenner expanded her focus to skincare with the launch of Kylie Skin last year. Kim first made her entry into cosmetics in June 2017 with the launch of KKW Beauty, as well as her perfume line KKW Fragrance, which was launched in November of the same year. KKW Beauty became a billion-dollar brand in June, after the cosmetic conglomerate Coty purchased a 20 percent stake in the company for $200 million, meaning the company was valued at $1 billion. Kim's youngest sister Kylie Jenner also received a massive buyout from Coty for her Kylie Cosmetics line, though hers was even larger. Expanding: Kim (pictured in 2018) allegedly plans to sell her KKW Skin products in retail outlets that sell cosmetics and skin care Coty purchased 51 percent of her brand for $600 million, which was believed to have made her a billionaire until Forbes corrected its estimates and claimed it had been shown tax draft returns with inflated numbers. Unlike Kylie's case, Kim still retains a majority share of her cosmetics company. In June of last year, the reality star announced she was launching a line of shapewear products under the name Kimono, which featured her own name but is also the name of a traditional Japanese garment. After fans and critics criticised the use of the name, which they considered exploitative of Japanese culture, she changed the company's name to Skims. On a Monday morning in 2009, the phone chirped on Stan Mareks desk, and he snapped up the receiver. On the other end, the front-desk receptionist sounded nervous. Half a dozen men in dark windbreakers had filed into the lobby moments earlier and demanded to see the owner of the company. They looked like FBI agents, she said. The company Stan runs with his two cousins was founded by their fathers, and this family business has prided itself on following the rules for more than 80 years. He knew the men in the lobby werent from the FBI, but he also knew they were from the federal government, and he wouldnt like what they were going to say. Stan oversaw a construction enterprise, known simply by his family name, Marek, that stretched across the Southwest and employed more than 2,000 people. He was proud of the family company, which he and his cousins continued to build. He wondered if the men in the windbreakers waiting in his lobby could appreciate the sacrifices three generations of Mareks had made to get to this point. As he walked across the expansive, two-story lobby, he could see the agents waiting at the other end. On the back of their jackets, in big yellow letters, was one word: ICE the acronym for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. As Stan approached the agents, he knew this was the moment he and a great many other employers in Houston had been dreading. ICE was formed as a division of the Department of Homeland Security in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The assaults on U.S. soil reshaped a host of government programs and created several new federal agencies. ICE combined the old U.S. Customs Service and the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service; Congress infused it with a unique combination of civil and criminal authority. As Stan walked toward them, the ICE agents turned to face him. The administration of President Barack Obama, who took office in 2009, had promised a new get tough policy on illegal immigration. It focused less on rounding up undocumented workers and instead directed government enforcement efforts at the companies that employed them. Except for agriculture, no industry in Texas employed more undocumented workers than the construction business, and Marek was one of the biggest specialty subcontractors in town. It got its start hanging drywall and later expanded into carpentry, flooring and painting basically any interior construction work that a developer required. Mareks size may have put it on ICEs radar for one of the agencys first workplace audits in Houston, or it may have been Stans frequent calls to senators, representatives and Obama administration officials stressing the need for immigration reform. He frequently wrote opinion essays for the Houston Chronicle and other publications, making his case in the media as well as the backrooms, and he was often quoted by reporters in news stories. Everybody told me I was too big of a target, Stan recalled. Other employers who publicly called for immigration reform felt that ICE targeted them unfairly for audits, too, said Jacob Monty, a lawyer in Houston who works with companies on immigration issues. Employers that speak out, they sometimes get retaliated against by ICE, Monty said. And the public often misunderstands and thinks Oh, they just want cheap labor. I know Stan, and thats not what he wants. Nevertheless, Stan, a lifelong Republican, now found himself targeted by a Democratic administration, and he couldnt help but wonder if his vocal support for immigration reform was to blame for what he knew was about to happen. As he shook the lead agents hand, the man said: Mr. Marek, were going to do an I-9 audit. I-9s are officially known as Employment Eligibility Verification forms. Employers are supposed to complete one for each worker, verifying the persons identity and eligibility to work in the United States. ICE wanted to audit Mareks records to see if the company had any employees who were in the country illegally. Stan felt a lump rise in his throat. Marek tried to confirm the citizenship of workers, but it wasnt as easy as it sounded. By law, employees could provide as many as 32 different kinds of identification, and it was difficult to assess the accuracy of each. Besides, the most common form of ID, the Social Security card, is among the easiest to forge. The agent said Stan had 72 hours to get the information together, then turned and headed for the door. ICE wanted I-9s going back three years, which meant producing some 3,000 documents. The agents also wanted to see the IDs each worker had presented at the time they were hired. The Social Security card or other identification had to appear authentic Marek couldnt be expected to detect a good forgery, but the card had to have the correct numbers in the proper configurations, and it had to look like a real Social Security card. Marek used an electronic government system known as E-Verify to confirm its employees immigration status. E-Verify, though, wasnt fool-proof. If workers had what appeared to be a valid ID, it would pass the E-Verify check. Employers such as Marek could follow all the rules and still wind up hiring undocumented workers. At the same time, employers who knowingly hired an undocumented worker could face fines or even jail time. The ICE agents returned with the results of their audit a few months later. All of the I-9s had been filled out correctly, but ICE had found that about 200 workers had identification that didnt match Social Security Administration records. If the workers couldnt resolve the discrepancy in 90 days, Stan would have to fire them. Marek is the sort of business that values employee longevity. It routinely holds company rallies in the two-story lobby where it honors longtime employees for their service: Tenures of 30 to 40 years are common. Stan knew each of the 200 workers, and he met with them individually to tell them about the ICE audit. Some had been with him for decades. They owned homes and had raised families in Houston. Marek provided them with health benefits and 401(k) retirement plans, and it paid their payroll taxes. But most of the 200, it turned out, were in the U.S. illegally. Stan Marek sees himself as a champion of the working man. In an era in which more and more Americans earn a living by sitting in front of a computer screen, he still believes that people who work with their hands and use tools to make things should be able to earn a middle-class income. From the time of its founding, Marek has relied on first- and second-generation immigrants from a wide range of countries. Back then, the traditional employment model in construction started with the general contractor, who would oversee a building project. The general contractor hired subcontractors, such as Marek, who had a workforce of employees who received hourly pay, overtime, benefits, workers compensation insurance and job training. The subcontractor paid payroll taxes and provided I-9s on all its workers. In the past three decades, however, the model has changed. Fewer subcontractors have their own workers. Instead, they hire laborers they treat as independent contractors and pay them for piecework. In the drywall business, for example, these independent workers are paid by foot of wallboard hung, not by the hour. They receive no overtime, no benefits, no workers compensation insurance and no employer-funded training. They pay no taxes, have no insurance if theyre injured on the job and essentially have no career path. They will never be promoted to a supervisor position because those jobs are held by the subcontractor who hired them. For many immigrant workers here illegally, this is the only employment option. The arrangement has created a system that hurts the workers, leads to more accidents, mistakes and shoddy workmanship and ultimately undermines the industrys future. Stan felt badly for the workers he dismissed. What would happen to them? Would they be deported, forced to return to a country many of them hadnt seen in decades? How would they provide for their families? Some had children who were U.S. citizens. By firing them, had he set in motion events that would tear families apart? Even though Stan had to let them go, many of the workers remained loyal to him and stayed in touch. None of them were deported. Instead, they found other jobs. After all, these were skilled laborers who had been trained by Marek, which had a reputation for quality. They knew how to do the job right. The companies that hired them, though, did things differently. In most cases, the new employers paid $5 an hour less than Marek paid and offered no benefits. The turn of events enraged Stan. On a purely business level, the employees hed nurtured and trained were now competing against him at a lower cost. At the same time, these workers were more likely to become a greater burden on society than when they had worked for him. And the companies who hired them were rewarded for perpetuating a shadow economy created by decades of misguided immigration policy. Stan had witnessed the slow erosion of his part of the construction industry from one that offered careers to one that offered essentially day labor. He knew the industry couldnt continue on this path without paying a price in lost quality and compromised safety. Far from silencing him, Stans encounter with ICE made him even more determined to change immigration policy. In the years since, the political impasse around immigration reform has frustrated him, but he continues to advocate for a policy known as ID and Tax, that would allow undocumented workers to be hired legally and require employers to pay taxes. Workers would have to pass a background check. The policy would be similar to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, only it would apply to adults. It would allow workers to come out of the shadows, and it would allow the country to reap the full economic benefits of their contributions. It wouldnt be the full-scale reform he has advocated for years, but it would be a good first step toward improving the lives of workers, providing employers with the labor force they desperately need and boosting the overall economy. MOSCOW : Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met his counterparts from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan here on Saturday and discussed ways to further boost bilateral defence cooperation with the key Central Asian countries. Singh is in Moscow on a three-day visit to Russia to attend a crucial meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defence ministers. On Friday, he held talks with his Chinese counterpart Gen. Wei Fenghe on ways to ease escalating border tension in eastern Ladakh. "I had a wonderful meeting with Uzbekistan's Minister of Defence, Major General Kurbanov Bakhodir Nizamovich in Moscow today. Defence Cooperation remains an important pillar of India- Uzbekistan bilateral relations," Singh tweeted. "Productive interaction with the Defence Minister of Kazakhstan, Lieutenant General Nurlan Yermekbayev. We discussed ways to add further momentum to India-Kazakhstan defence cooperation," he tweeted separately. "Had an extremely fruitful meeting with Defence Minister of Tajikistan, Colonel-General Sherali Mirzo in Moscow. Our talks included a wide spectrum of India-Tajikistan defence relations," Singh wrote in another tweet. The SCO comprises eight member states -- India, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It is Singh's second visit to Moscow since June. He had represented India at the Victory Day Parade in Moscow on June 24 that commemorated the 75th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in the Second World War. The SCO, seen as a counterweight to NATO, has emerged as one of the largest transregional international organisations which accounts for almost 44 per cent of the world population stretching from the Arctic Ocean to the Indian Ocean and from the Pacific Ocean to the Baltic Sea. The aim of the SCO is to maintain peace, stability and security of the region. India became a member of the SCO in 2017. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics New Delhi: The Congress on Saturday said it was the rajdharma (the rulers duty) of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and defence minister Rajnath Singh to inform the nation about the outcome of talks with China on the border standoff in Ladakh. What is the conversation about? What is happening? Will the Prime Minister and the defence minister take the country into confidence? asked the Congresss chief spokesperson, Randeep Singh Surjewala. The remarks came a day after Singh and his Chinese counterpart Gen Wei Fenghe held an over two-hour-long meeting in Moscow on the border row in eastern Ladakh. Surjewala said it was the rajdharma of the Prime Minister and the defence minister to take the nation into confidence on the important issue. He also sought to know the outcome of talks at various levels from foreign ministers to corps commanders and defence ministers. What is the outcome of these repeated conversations? How will we ensure that Chinese transgressions are defeated, Surjewala said in a video posted on his Twitter handle. Referring to foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringlas remarks that it was an unprecedented situation at the India-China border, Surjewala said: We have never had this sort of a situation since 1962. He said the people want answers to questions such as how the Chinese will be repulsed to reclaim our motherland. Later, addressing a virtual news briefing, Congress leader Rajeev Shukla expressed the hope that the issues between the two countries are resolved through talks. He, however, demanded that the government should give a clear picture of the situation. Conflicting statements coming from the government are a matter of worry for us, added Shukla. The Metro Railway in Kolkata is planning to run special services for NEET candidates on September 13 to help them reach their examination centres, a top official said Saturday. As per the plan, candidates along with guardians will be allowed to board the trains on showing their admit cards, Metro Railway general manager Manoj Joshi said. He said the modalities are being worked out and the details will be shared next week. The metro authorities are yet to announce the date of resuming normal services. The Union Home Ministry, in its Unlock 4 guidelines, has granted permission for the resumption of metro services from September 7 in a graded manner. Also Read: Rajnath Singh likely to meet Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe in Moscow this evening Also Read: Daiichi-Ranbaxy case: Delhi Police summons Radha Soami Satsang chief Gurinder Singh Dhillon Asia India: Maharashtra nurses hold state-wide protests Maharashtra nurses held state-wide protests late last month until September 1 demanding permanent jobs, long leave entitlements and a risk allowance whilst on duty in COVID-19 wards. The nurses are wearing black ribbons to promote their demands. At least 450 nurses across government hospitals have contracted COVID-19 and six have died in the state. The nurses are also demanding that they be allowed adequate quarantine periods. A month ago, the government changed duty hours for nurses in COVID-19 wards from working seven continuous days, followed by seven days in quarantine, to five days on duty and then leave for two days. Medical colleges have asked nurses to work for seven consecutive days and then a three-day quarantine. Tamil Nadu Marketing Corporation workers protest Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) workers closed their shops from two hours in the morning on August 25 in Chennai to push for 14 demands. The TASMAC Employees Union members want health insurance for COVID-19, compulsory virus testing of staff and that TASMAC pay medical expenses of any employee and their family if they contract COVID-19 whilst on duty. They also want five million rupees ($US68,493) compensation paid to any infected worker. Other demands include permanent jobs and salary and incentives in line with workers at the BEVCO corporation, which is run by the Kerala state government, changes in store opening hours and regular provision of protective gloves and masks. TASMAC management responded by transferring 450 workers to different stores in, and outside, Chennai. West Bengal government administration workers strike Workers from the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), an autonomous district council for the Darjeeling and Kalimpong areas of the West Bengal, began a 10-day strike on Tuesday to demand permanent jobs for more than 4,000 casual employees. The administration employees said they will report for duty at 10 a.m. and stay in their offices until 4.30 p.m., but not work. The protest was organised by the United Employees Union of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration which covers 90 percent of the administrations workforce. Ola and Uber cab drivers in New Delhi strike About 200,000 Ola and Uber cab drivers stopped work on Tuesday to demand a fare increase and extension of the moratorium on repayment of loans till December 31, and fares fixed by the government and not the company operators. They also the commission paid by the company operators to the drivers to be increased. Auxiliary nurses and midwifes in Haryana continue protest Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) and Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) workers protested and marched in Panchkula, Haryana on August 26 demanding better health facilities and compensation for risking their lives while fighting the coronavirus pandemic. The action followed a two-day national strike by 600,000 ASHA workers across India on August 7 and 8. The ASHA workers want full-time jobs at government employee salary levels and associated benefits and PPE (personal protection equipment). These highly-exploited, low paid workers have not been provided with PPE kits, despite regularly calling for this basic equipment since March. ASHA workers are COVID-19 first-response teams in Indias rural and urban slum areas. The Andhra Pradesh ASHA Workers Union organised a protest in Hyderabad, Telangana state with similar demands on Monday. Vehicle components factory workers in Tamil Nadu on hunger strike Magna International auto-parts factory workers in Oragadam, Tamil Nadu began a hunger strike on August 26 to demand the reinstatement of four workers who were suspended on March 19 for attempting to form a union. According to the strikers, the majority of workers at the factory are in favour of forming a union. Magna is a global automotive supplier of electronics with 348 manufacturing facilities in 28 countries. Sri Lankan health workers strike at North Central Province hospital Health attendants from the Vaunia General Hospital in Sri Lankas North Central Province walked out for three hours on Wednesday morning and picketed the hospital demanding the withdrawal of finger print machines recently installed in the northern area hospitals. Protesting workers complained that the machines have only been installed in the northern hospitals. They have threatened indefinite strike action if their demand is not addressed. Sri Lankan public sector workers protests in Colombo Joint Development Officers Centre workers protested opposite the Fort Railway Station in Colombo on Wednesday demanding permanent employment and a guarantee that their training period would not be extended. On the same day, temporary workers from the National Water Supply and Drainage Board, the Cooperative Wholesale Establishment and the Department of Archaeology held separate demonstrations outside the presidential secretariat building. They were demanding permanent jobs and told media that some temporary workers have already been terminated. Terminated Bangladeshi garment workers demand compensation Terminated garment workers from two Dragon Group factories in Dhaka began an indefinite demonstration on Monday for unpaid wages and benefits. The Dragon Group Shramik Karmachari Sangram Committee and Garment Workers Trade Union Centre organised protests outside the factory owners residence and at the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association office. The workers alleged that factory authorities terminated around 1,500 workers amidst the COVID-19 pandemic without paying the lawful termination benefits, including provident fund and earned leave. Some of the workers had been at the factories for over 15 years. Protesters said the factory is now in operation in the same building but under a different name and employing temporary workers. Workers presented their demands two months ago to the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) but have been ignored. The DIFE is part of the Ministry of Labour and Employment and responsible for ensuring welfare, safety and health of workers. Cambodian handbag factory workers on strike Four hundred workers from the Pactics (Cambodia) factory in Siem Reap province in Cambodias northwest were on strike this week after walking out the previous week. They picketed the plant demanding reinstatement of two union leaders, Met Rath and Ping Teav, and that 80 workers sacked in April because of COVID-19 fall offs in sales be paid back pay and benefits. Australia and New Zealand Australia: Workers at Sydney Water vote to strike Workers at state-owned Sydney Water, which services over five million people in Australia largest city Sydney, have overwhelmingly voted to strike in their dispute over managements proposed enterprise agreement. The state government wants to freeze the wages of over 1,200 Sydney Water workers, along with over 400,000 other public sector workers, claiming it is necessary to stimulate the economy due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The workers are members of the Australian Services Union, Professionals Australia and the Electrical Trades Union. The ballot result was announced on August 26 but no date has been set for when industrial action will commence. Offshore oil field unions in Western Australia to hold strike ballot The Offshore Alliance (OA), a coalition between the Maritime Union of Australia and the Australian Workers Union, has applied to the Fair Work Commission for approval to a ballot of its members on the Montara floating oil platform off the Northern Western Australia coast. The contract workers, employed by Jadestone, have rejected the companys proposed agreement which would cut wages by 10 percent. The OA said that it is concerned that Jadestones hostile industrial relations agenda coincides with the inclusion of the industrys employer group, the Australian Mines and Metals Associations, at the bargaining table. According to the OA there is 100 percent union membership on the Montara platform who will be banning the preparation and discharge of oil and gas offtakes if the ballot is approved and members vote yes. New Zealand: Over 3,000 private sector nurses strike for eight hours Over 3,000 general practice nurses from medical centres and emergency clinics held an eight-hour strike on September 4 to demand pay equity with district health board staff who are paid on average around 10 percent more than private sector nurses. The nurses are members of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation, which imposed a sellout deal in 2017 which ensured that no meaningful concessions on staff shortages were offered to district health board nurses. Health Minister Chris Hipkins has reassured private sector employers that the government did not support parity with public sector nurses, telling the media that, Ultimately they are employed by private practices. The government is not their employer. Forty workers fight for wage rise at Premier Beehive bacon plant Workers at the Premier Beehive bacon processing factory in Carterton, a small town in the Wellington region, held a picket on September 1 to demand their wages be increased from $18.90 to $22.10 per hour. The workers, who are members of the E tu union, want the pay increase to be backdated to April, when contract negotiations initially stalled. The picketing workers say that many of them have spent over a decade on the minimum wage, and that increasing economic pressures, combined with COVID-19, have seriously impacted on their living standards. Premier Beehive is the largest employer in Carterton, with over 300 staff. The employer returns to mediation with the union next week. EV In theory, comparing the costs of anversus a traditional car from a fuel consumption perspective isnt really that difficult, as you can manually log all your trips and then put data like mileage and price side by side to see which one is the better choice for you.But at the same time, you can let the amazing world of technology do the whole thing for you, as figuring out how much money you save by driving an electric vehicle can be done with nothing more than the iPhone in your pocket.Using the Shortcuts app that comes pre-loaded on the iPhone beginning with iOS 12, you can technically set up scripts that can log certain information for you, more or less without driver input, to determine the fuel costs per each trip and then help you get a better picture of how much money you can save by driving an electric car.Basically, creating these scripts is something that pretty much everyone with an iPhone can do, but because theyre rather complex, well just present three pre-configured shortcuts that help you with the whole thing. This article will provide you not only with the iCloud links to install the scripts, but also with additional information on how to install and use these scripts.The most simple mileage tracker that you can configure in Shortcuts is this one , but you should know from the very beginning that youll be required to provide some details every time it runs.So basically, what you need to do is input data like the location (such information is needed to calculate the distance) when you start and end a trip. It automatically generates timing details and based on the information you enter, it can store your odometer info for further analysis. This isnt the most complex shortcut, but it helps you figure out how the whole thing works and allows you to track mileage in the easiest possible way.A Dropbox account is required to save the data, but you can also further adjust the shortcut to store all information in a local file or even send a message to a contact (or even to yourself) with the logged details. However, a CSV file makes more sense because its easier to track all the logs. This shortcut , on the other hand, is a little bit more complex and what it does is log your expenses with gas.After installing the shortcut from this iCloud link, the shortcut can create a reminder in the Reminder app on your phone with information that you provide regarding how much the fuel costs.Again, this shortcut can be further enhanced with so many other actions, including sending the logged information to a different contact or even saving the data in a local file.However, if you just want to use it as it is, the Reminder app should come in very handy to keep an eye on your gas expenses both from an iPhone and from other Apple devices where the same account is used and sync is enabled.If you want the most complex shortcut to help you with logging mileage and calculating gas costs, then this is the one youre looking for.As compared to all of the above, the shortcut was specifically configured to track your car mileage, the trip miles, the fuel consumption, and other info. Then, you also need to provide the gas prices for a closer look at everything. When youre ready, the shortcuts stores all data in a Dropbox or Google Drive file (in the cloud) and even sends a message to someone via iMessage.You can further adapt the shortcut to your needs for example, I original tweaked the script to save the data in a local file, but then I further modified it to also send me the gas prices in a separate text messages. This way, I can see how much I spend for gas every time and generate additional data, such as monthly statistics.All these shortcuts require your iPhone to allow enabling untrusted shortcuts on the device. You can enable them from Settings > Shortcuts > Allow untrusted shortcuts.Of course, you can always remove them from the Shortcuts app or reinstall any of the three using the iCloud links provided above. Additional actions can be added from the Shortcuts app in the Actions screen. An Indian soldier was killed and two others injured on Saturday in firing on the LoC in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir by Pakistan troops, which indulged in repeated ceasefire violations in several sectors. Defence sources said the soldier was killed and two others injured in Naugam Sector of the LoC. The Indian Army retaliated strongly to the firing by Pakistan troops. Pakistan troops repeatedly violated the LoC ceasefire on Saturday in Shahpur, Kirni, and Degwar Sectors in Poonch district as well. The first ceasefire violation was reported in the morning and the second in the evening in Poonch. Villagers living in Shahpur, Kirni, and Degwar Sectors remained huddled inside their homes, fearing for their lives during the day. Pakistan has done 2,730 LoC ceasefire violations since the beginning of this year. In all, 24 Indian civilians have been killed and over 100 injured in these incidents. 05.09.2020 LISTEN Son, rules of pursuing, chasing and toasting ladies have gone global. We used to hang around the ladies we like trying to make the best impression on them or pursue them from some comfortable distance without being a pest chasing them. It was a given that, even if she liked you, do not expect her to say so at one try. So, you had to try again and toast her until she said, yes. Fast forward, pursuing or chasing a girl could land you in trouble and if you do not keep your distance, it could become sexual harassment. There is a law in Canada, the last time I checked where No means No. It can be tricky. Out of being polite, some ladies may just give you the vibes of Bug Off without saying it. Some guys do not take a polite snub as an answer, until they get a resounding No! When trying to acquire companies in the business world, Warren Buffet gave an obsolete joke: Well, if a diplomat says yes, he means maybe. If he says maybe, he means no. And if he says no, hes no diplomat. And if a lady says no, she means maybe. And if she says maybe, she means yes. And if she says yes, shes no lady. Dating environment has changed since the billionaire days but he is still a jolly old man in his eighties. Personal relationships are different from business, though some people treat them exactly the same way with prenuptial agreements. These days, there would be ladies waiting to sue Buffet for some of his money just for the look. Therefore, we are in a different so-called global world where a lady or a boy cannot express true feelings for each other without being misunderstood. The other cases are easy, waving her hands off would convey her feelings. The process of letting a guy know she wants him around without appearing eager can send mixed messages. She wants to appear old fashioned because guys see that as a wife material. On the other hand, she does not want to lose him. How for do nah. These days we see young men rolling on the floor crying after their proposals on their knees to ladies they should have known would reject them. It is foolish to think that without doing your homework toasting, grooming and sounding a lady's interest, she can be embarrassed into saying Yes to engagement she is not prepared for. Usually, ladies cry for joy when a man proposes to them. The fact that she rejected you means you want to rush her, when she thinks you are not yet a man or she took you only as a sidekick! Ladies keep boyfriends for several reasons. Sexual partner does not necessarily mean she has made up her mind about you. It could mean that she wants to satisfy a physical need or she is hanging on until she gets her dream boy. Granted that some ladies have a hard time making up their minds, hoping that there is someone out there better than you, it does not mean you must rush her. Let her love you for the man you are. If you are not her type, do not smudge her, the relationship will break down sooner than later. A man should not be judged by his humble beginning nor should class play a domineering role in a relationship. We have seen hard working young men that are respected right from their potential during school days to when they are ready to get married. You probably remember the Maths Maths Physics guys and how many girls follow them. Even neat clothes or clean white shirts got attraction then. Poverty has created another class of ladies that are not even that interested in what is between your two pockets but what you have in each pocket. Do not break your neck because she called you brokeass man. Your time will come when fast money runs out and your pockets are slowly but steadily getting filled through hard work. Slow and steady horse wins the race. You may be displaced by some guys that come back home from foreign countries to marry ladies they would not dare talk to when they were home. Since these young men have crossed overseas they come back for the biggest gem or leftovers. The girls usually go along until each of them realize their greed. One for money, the other for marrying up to a lady beyond his dreams. There was a friend that never went to school in all his years abroad. He came home to marry a lawyer with a good government position. She ended up committing suicide abroad after some depression. If anything, the hype about African marriages abroad are overblown. The cultural shock in a new environment follows the trends of broken marriages and high single family households in their new countries. Another friend summed it up when he was advised against bringing a wife from home. He told his relatives that if his wife became indifferent to him, she would at least take care of their children with her higher income. There are too many stories about nurses but they are not the only professionals making more money than their husbands abroad. Indeed, we never heard about the loyal ones that added value to the lives of their families. Most cities abroad have professional ladies but it only takes one bad egg to spread a nasty reputation to many. Many Black couples are worried about giving their sons the "talk" on what to do when approached by Police abroad, no matter who they are or what they achieved like General Colin Powell, a former Secretary of State stopped by Police. If African ladies are your choice for a wife to bring home, there are many of them in colleges all over Europe and America looking for husbands to take home. Going back to Africa becomes easier if that is one of the reasons you want a lady from home. Young men do not have to work and sweat only to regret bringing ladies over after educating them into high paying professions. By Trend Azerbaijani Foreign Minister, Jeyhun Bayramov received Serzhan Abdykarimov, the Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Republic of Azerbaijan on Sept. 4, the Azerbaijani foreign ministry told Trend. Bayramov spoke about the high-level relations between the two countries based on common historical, cultural, and religious ties. The sides stressed that the friendly and cooperative relations established by the national leader of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev, and the first President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, since the first years of independence are now being successfully continued by the current heads of states. The sides exchanged views on the currently developing relations between the two countries in the political, economic, trade, humanitarian, cultural, scientific, educational, and other fields, as well as the opportunities for further expansion of existing ties. Besides the successfully developing cooperation relations at the bilateral level, the sides discussed issues of ongoing cooperation and mutual support on multilateral platforms, including the Turkish Council, TRACECA, and other organizations. Bayramov briefed the ambassador on Armenia's aggressive policy, which is a major threat to security in the region, including the recent military provocation by Armenia on the Azerbaijan-Armenia border and the tense situation in the region. The Azerbaijani minister noted that the only way for ensuring lasting peace, security, and prosperity in the region is the withdrawal of armed forces of aggressor Armenia from the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, as well as seven adjacent regions, as required by the UN Security Councils resolutions and relevant decisions and documents of other organizations. The ambassador expressed gratitude for the warm reception and delivered the congratulations of the minister of foreign affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan to Bayramov on his appointment and his best wishes in his activities. Abdykarimov expressed confidence that the existing cooperation for the implementation of several issues on the bilateral cooperation agenda will continue at a high level. As for the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Ambassador Serzhan Abdykarimov stressed that Kazakhstan supports the peaceful settlement of the conflict following the UN Security Councils resolutions and within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group. The sides also discussed the other issues of mutual interest. New Delhi: The Bahujan Samaj Party released its second list of 100 candidates for the upcoming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. The BSP is contesting the crucial polls on its own amid an ongoing feud within the ruling Samajwadi Party. Just three days ago, the BSP supremo had indicated caste-wise details of her party's list during a press conference in Lucknow. Mayawati had said that of the 403 seats, "85 are reserved for the SCs and 87 tickets have been given to dalits, 97 to Muslims, 106 to OBCs, 113 to upper castes (66 to Brahmins, 36 to Kshetriyas and 11 to Kayasthas, Vaishyas, Punjabis)." The BSP chief said that she had decided the candidates long ago and there will be no change in it. (More details awaited) For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. September 05 : After the drug angle emerged in Sushant Singh Rajputs death case, linking Bollywood as the drug den, the film industry came under the scanner. While netizens and media channels didnt let the opportunity go by, and portrayed the industry as the murky den of substance abuse, Kangana Ranaut added fuel to the fire by her sharp comments, condemning Bollywood celebs for using drugs. Amidst this chaos, the Producers Guild of India released an open letter on Friday, and called out the media for peddling and trying to paint Bollywood as a murky den of substance abuse and criminality. After the producers guild countered the allegations levelled against Bollywood, Abhishek Bachchan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Zoya Akhtar, Ekta Kapoor, and many other celebs have come out in support of the film industry. In the open letter, the producers guild said that the portrayal of the industry as murky den of substance abuse and criminality is incorrect. While Abhishek Bachchan took to his Twitter handle to share the note in solidarity, Kareena took to her Instagram stories and wrote, With my industry. Bipasha Basu, Genelia d'Souza, Nimrat Kaur, Hansal Mehta, Ram Gopal Varma, and Dia Mirza have also expressed solidarity with Bollywood. The producers guild letter read: The last few months have seen relentless attacks on the reputation of the Indian film industry across all media. The tragic death of a promising young star has been used by some as a tool to defame and slander the film industry and its members. A picture has been painted of the industry as a terrible place for outsiders to aspire to; a place that treats those who dare to enter it with contempt and derision; a murky den of substance abuse and criminality. This narrative is salacious enough for the media to exploit to great effect in order to boost its ratings, readership and page views. But it is not the truth. In signing successive peace deals with entrenched rebel movements last week, Sudan drew upon the legacy of Thomas Jefferson. The constitution should be based on the principle of separation of religion and state, read the text of an agreement between the North African nations joint military-civilian transitional council and the Sudan Peoples Liberation MovementNorth (SPLMN). The state shall not establish an official religion. The declaration of principles further cements Sudans efforts to undo the 30-year system of strict sharia law under President Omar al-Bashir, during which Islam was the religion of the state. The agreement was signed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, four days after a more inclusive peace deal was signed with a coalition of rebel groups in the Sudan Revolutionary Front in Juba, South Sudan. The Juba agreement established a national commission for religious freedom, which guarantees the rights of Christian communities in Sudans southern regions. Sudans population of 45 million is roughly 91 percent Muslim and 6 percent Christian. Open Doors ranks Sudan at No. 7 among the 50 nations where it is hardest to be a Christian. The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) interpreted the agreement even more widely: to protect the rights of all Sudanese people to practice their religion of choice. With a stronghold in the southern Nuba Mountains within the South Kordofan region, an area with a significant Christian population, the SPLMN held out of the initial peace deal specifically because it did not guarantee the separation of religion and state. Theres no equal citizenship rights, theres no distribution of wealth, theres no equal development in the country, one rebel leader told South Sudan in Focus. Theres no equality between black and Arab, and Muslim and Christian. But now including most of the major rebel movements in the western Darfur region and the Sudanese south, democratic transition can continue with national unity. Following months of popular protests, Sudans military overthrew Bashir in April 2019. An interim constitutionwhich notably omitted reference to sharia law as the primary source of legislationwas signed in August 2019, establishing a ceasefire and a six-month window to achieve peace. Negotiations began in late 2019, and the February 2020 deadline was extended. Autonomy is granted to the southern regions of Blue Nile and South Kordofan. Darfur, which had been split into five regions, will be reunified under its own governor with a special revenue-sharing agreement. Rebel parties will receive 35 percent of government ministries, and 75 seats in the upcoming 300-member transitional parliament. Individual militants will be incorporated into the national army. Sudan is currently led by an 11-member Sovereign Council, with one member a Coptic Christian. Currently headed by a military figure, a civilian will take the helm halfway through the three-year transition ending in 2022, with new elections. Since conflict erupted in Darfur in 2003, about 300,000 were killed with 2.7 million displaced from their homes. Thousands more were killed in the south since fighting began in 2011. The civilian prime minister has already implemented significant changes. In September 2019, Sudan and the United Nations agreed to open human rights offices in marginalized areas with significant religious minorities. In December 2019, the public order lawused to punish individuals, especially women, in non-conformity with sharia lawwas repealed. And in July 2020, the Miscellaneous Amendments Act repealed the apostasy law, ended flogging for blasphemy, banned female genital mutilation (FGM), and permitted non-Muslims to drink alcohol. The government additionally disbanded church councils used to control Christian congregations, declared Christmas a national holiday, and stated it is working on a uniform law for all religious worship. But there is still much to do. USCIRF noted that promised compensation claims for churches destroyed or confiscated during Bashirs reign have been held up by bureaucracy. It called for full repeal of the blasphemy law, which still stipulates a six-month imprisonment. And much work is necessary to reform remaining Islamist imprints in the judiciary and Ministry of Education. Despite earlier hopes, Christianity will not be introduced for the first time in the national school curriculum. One pastor has complained that compulsory Islamic education sometimes results in the forced conversion of Christians to Islam. And following the July repeal of sharia-based measures, thousands of Sudanese rallied against the apostasy government. Sudan has witnessed several failed peace deals in the past, and significant hurdles toward full religious freedom remain. But Christian leaders are hopeful. People here prefer to be cautious, said Tombe Trille, Catholic bishop of El Obeid, capital of northern Kordofan, to the Vaticans news agency. But it is very important that a signature has finally been reached. We are all very happy. Rajnath Singh on Saturday left for Tehran to meet his Iranian counterpart Brigadier General Amir Hatami after completing his four-day visit to Moscow. "Leaving Moscow for Tehran. I shall be meeting the Defence Minister of Iran, Brigadier General Amir Hatami," Rajnath Singh in a tweet. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday left for Tehran to meet his Iranian counterpart Brigadier General Amir Hatami after completing his four-day visit to Moscow. Leaving Moscow for Tehran. I shall be meeting the Defence Minister of Iran, Brigadier General Amir Hatami, Rajnath Singh in a tweet. On Saturday, Singh met his counterparts from Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and deliberated on ways to give greater thrust to defence cooperation between India and the Central Asian countries. Singh had reached Moscow on Wednesday to attend a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defence ministers which took place on Friday. On Friday, Singh had a meeting with his Chinese counterpart General Wei Fenghe during which the two sides discussed military standoff along the Line of Actual Control. Also Read: Rajnath Singh discusses boosting defence cooperation with counterparts from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan During the talks, Singh emphasised that the actions of the Chinese troops including amassing of a large number of troops, their aggressive behaviour and attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo were in violation of the bilateral agreements and not in keeping with the understandings reached between the Special Representatives of two sides. He said while the Indian troops had always taken a very responsible approach towards border management but there should also be no doubt about the determination to protect Indias sovereignty and territorial integrity. During the visit, Rajanath Singh also met his Russian counterpart General Sergey Shoigu in Moscow. The two leaders discussed strengthening defence and strategic cooperation between both the two countries. (ANI) Also Read: Congress demands probe into supply of poor quality PPE Kits for medical staff MOSTAR, Bosnia, Sept 5 (Reuters) - A Bosnian fan of both Ford trucks and Elon Musk's Tesla could not just sit on his hands waiting for the electric carmaker to release its Cybertruck, expected from late 2021. Instead he came up with his own version of the futuristic vehicle. It took eight months for IT specialists and engineers at Igor Krezic's Stark Solutions company to disassemble a rugged Ford Raptor F-150 into its smallest parts and then transform it into petrol-powered vehicle that resembles a Cybertruck. The first drive through the streets of the southern town of Mostar drew a lot of attention, Mario Coric, the company manager, told Reuters. "Everybody was watching and half of them thought we made a tank, because people don't know what the Cybertruck is. One girl even stopped and asked if this is the place where they are producing Tesla Cybertruck," Coric said on Friday. Krezic declined to speak to Reuters. Though it may not look identical to Cybertruck's functional prototype the pickup captures its spirit. "The owner wanted us to combine two opposite sides -- Ford and Cyber -- because he is a fan of both Tesla and Ford, so we merged two souls into one," he said. "This one uses gasoline and Tesla uses electricity. We tried to copy as much as possible but our car is not the same size as the Cybertruck," Coric added. There was no immediate comment from Tesla and Ford. Coric said Stark Solutions was now trying to register the pickup to be able to drive it on roads but they were encountering problems because sharp vehicle edges like those seen on the Cybertruck are banned in Bosnia. Tesla plans to build its $1.1 billion Cybertruck factory near Austin, Texas, ending an intense competition with neighbouring Oklahoma, the carmaker's chief executive Musk announced in July. With a starting price of $39,000, the Cybertruck resembles an armoured vehicle and takes aim at the heart of Detroit automakers' profitable truck business. (Reporting by Dado Ruvic Writing by Maja Zuvela Editing by Frances Kerry) Hong Kong: Constitutional order explained Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng There have been extensive discussions in the last week over the political structure of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. A number of individuals and organisations have expressed their views. Some refer to the concept of separation of powers. However, even international academic research shows that this phrase may connote different interpretations. Instead of focusing on the labelling, I wish to take this opportunity to explain, on the basis of the provisions of the Basic Law, the constitutional order of the Hong Kong SAR in substance. Our political structure is an executive-led system headed by the Chief Executive. The executive authorities, the legislature and the judiciary perform their respective functions under the executive-led system in accordance with the Basic Law and complement each other with a view to upholding national unity and territorial integrity, maintaining the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong. First of all, it is important to understand that China is a unitary state. According to the constitutional structure of China, power comes from the central authorities. The system of people's congress is China's political system. The Hong Kong SAR was established by a Decision made by the National People's Congress (NPC) in accordance with the Constitution. The Basic Law was also adopted by the NPC. The Hong Kong SAR was empowered to discharge its duties by the NPC through the Basic Law. According to Articles 43 and 60 of the Basic Law, the Chief Executive shall be the head of the Hong Kong SAR and the head of the Government of the Hong Kong SAR. As head of both the Hong Kong SAR and its government, the Chief Executive shall exercise the powers and functions conferred by the Basic Law to discharge his or her duties. Article 48 states that the Chief Executive shall lead the Government of the Hong Kong SAR, sign bills, decide on government policies and etc. This fully reflects the executive-led style of governance in our structure. Secondly, with a common goal of building a better Hong Kong, the provisions of the Basic Law set out the different powers and functions of the executive authorities, the legislature and the judiciary. In accordance with the Basic Law, the Government of the Hong Kong SAR is responsible for formulating policies and introducing bills. The Legislative Council of the Hong Kong SAR shall enact laws as required, which will be implemented or enforced by the Government. The Government is also responsible for drawing up budgets to be scrutinised by the Legislative Council. It is worth noting that members of the Legislative Council in introducing bills relating to government policies have to obtain a written consent of the Chief Executive. Clearly, under the political structure set out in the Basic Law, the executive and legislative branches are inter-related in performance of functions, but the powers of introducing bills mainly rest with the executive. The Basic Law empowers the courts of the Hong Kong SAR to exercise judicial power independently, including that of final adjudication. Some have raised concerns over the judicial independence in the light of the political structure of the Hong Kong SAR. But these concerns are totally unfounded. Article 85 guarantees that the courts of the Hong Kong SAR shall exercise judicial power independently, free from any interference. Members of the judiciary shall be immune from legal action in the performance of their judicial functions. At the same time, the Basic Law also provides that judges of the courts of the Hong Kong SAR shall be appointed by the Chief Executive on the recommendation of an independent commission. Although the executive authorities enjoy greater power in policy making under the political structure of the Hong Kong SAR, they must abide by the law. Their decisions are also subject to judicial challenges which will be handled by the court independently based on applicable laws and evidence. The Basic Law safeguards the exercise of judicial power by members of the judiciary without interference. According to the late Chief Justice of the United Kingdom Lord Bingham, the meaning of "judicial independence" is "independent in the sense that they (adjudicators) are free to decide on the legal and factual merits of a case as they see it, free of any extraneous influence or pressure, and impartial". The political structure laid down in the Basic Law fully reflects the principle of rule of law and the essence of judicial independence. A proper understanding of the political structure from the perspective of the constitutional order of the Hong Kong SAR clearly shows our system is based on an executive-led structure. We should all refrain from looking at the labelling of a concept, on the contrary, we have to appreciate its intrinsic meaning so as to avoid any unwarranted disputes. Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng wrote this article and posted it on her blog on September 5. This story has been published on: 2020-09-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. A larger number of employees from the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) are testing positive for the Covid -19 infection as they are working on the frontline of the ongoing pandemic. Until today, a total of 552 employees tested positive for the Covid-19 infection and 27 of them lost their life. PMC employee welfare officer Shivaji Daundkar said, Many employees are testing Covid positive. Until today, a total of 552 employees tested positive and PMC has lost 27 employees. Among 552 positive employees, 334 recovered and 191 are taking treatment. Some department heads and senior officers have also tested positive. Along with the employees, many elected members from the PMC tested positive. The PMC did not have an exact number of elected numbers tested positive and took treatment at various hospitals. One of the Covid-19 positive elected members said on anonymity that he personally faced difficulties in getting a bed in a private hospital. After requesting two to three times I got a bed in a private hospital as I was feeling discomfort at home. The officer from the health department said, Almost all the senior officers from the health department tested Covid -19 positive. As the health department employees and officers are coming in direct contact with patients and their relatives, the ratio of testing positive in the health department is high. The PMC promised to give Rs1 crore compensation to the employees who die due to Covid -19. The general body of the PMC had approved this resolution. Opposition leader Deepali Dhumal in the PMC demanded to give compensation to the employees relatives immediately as per the policy framed by the general body. After unlocking, a large number of citizens are visiting the PMC. Mainly, the relatives of Covid 19 positive patients are visiting the civic body to get the benefit for various health schemes. Some of the visitors and employees are relaxed and are not following the mask guidelines which is adding more patients to the Covid tally, said a senior PMC officer who himself tested positive. What a prescient title: In his new novel after Beartown and A Man Called Ove Backman again captures the messy essence of being human, and what its like to be pushed to the brink emotionally. Anxious People is ripe with dark humor, a layered tragicomedy about a would-be bank robber with six degrees of separation from a motley crew of hostages. Its clever and affecting, as likely to make you laugh out loud as it is to make you cry. After 225 years of serving the community, land registry offices across Ontario, including Niagaras, are being closed to the public and the services they provide will be available online only. Although the changes have yet to be officially announced, Ministry of Government and Consumer Services spokesman Nicko Vavassis confirmed Friday the government plans to transition the services to an online only format effective Oct. 9. Vavassis said there will be no job losses from the changes, which reflect the trend toward online usage. He said 99 per cent of land registration documents are registered online, 87 per cent of searches are conducted that way and 98 per cent of surveyors submit plans for pre-approval via email. The change, Vavassis said, will allow the government to focus funding and human resources into building and improving the online platform. By moving these services online, we are not downsizing or cutting jobs at local offices. The experience and knowledge that staff hold will instead be directed towards improving online services, he said in a statement. Land registry staff will provide critical verification and fulfilment work in back-office operations at their current locations. Vavassis said Minister of Government and Consumer Services Lisa Thompson plans to release a statement early next week. The governments plans were a concern for some frequent users of Niagaras lone office at 59 Church St. in St. Catharines. Welland-based real estate lawyer Tony Pylypuk said not everything is available online. There are also issues with properties where you cant register it online because you have physical paper to send over, he said. Where do you take that to now? Pylypuk said several colleagues shared their concerns about the future of the offices, including one lawyer who called it truly unfortunate cost-cutting without full appreciation of the consequences. He said other local lawyers were concerned about accessing older documents online. Whats available online is not always clear, Pylypuk said. The scans are illegible. Meanwhile, he said, using the existing online services can be difficult for people unfamiliar with the system, especially non-lawyers. They have to have some knowledge of how to use the system and what theyre supposed to be looking for, he said. I can tell you, when I try to go into the website, its a pain. Its not easily accessible. Vavassis said the government recognizes a digital model doesnt work for everyone. For that reason, he said, people will still be able to speak with registry office staff over the phone, make use of drop-box services, and book appointments with local staff when urgent help is needed. St. Catharines MPP Jennie Stevens slammed Premier Doug Fords government for how quietly the changes were being made, so far. RELATED STORIES Niagara Region Long lines continue at Service Ontario locations Its sneaky. Its typical of Ford, doing it sneaky not letting anyone know and letting the rumour-mill start, the New Democrat said, adding she was unaware of the governments plans until her office was contacted by The Standard Friday. I just cant get over it. Theyre closing land registry offices after 225 years, with no consultation with the public or notice even and were in the middle of a pandemic. Despite the provinces assurances, Stevens said shes concerned about the loss of services for the public. Im going to continue to look into this, she said. Im concerned that even though its going online theres a portion of the general public and people that use these land registry offices, there could be a jump in prices, less service and personal service. If were going to lose that and its all going to go online, that personal touch is gone and its gone forever, she said. The office of Niagara-West MPP Sam Oosterhoff, the regions lone Progressive Conservative representative, referred the Standard to the ministry for comment. Read more about: Villagers took up arms to defend their livestock against the armed group in central Somalia, officials say. Dozens of people have died following clashes between villagers and al-Shabab fighters in central Somalia, local officials said. We have reports that nearly 30 people, including 16 militants, [have been] killed in the Shabeelow village, where civilians took up arms [to] battle the terrorists, Osman Isse Nur, a spokesman for authorities in the Galmudug region, told the dpa news agency on Saturday. Local freelance militiamen are among the fatalities, according to the authorities. Armed villagers opted to fight militants to defend their livestock animals from the terrorists, Osman added. Five hours of fierce battles on Friday killed 14 villagers and many others were hospitalised in the town of Galkayo, Abdi Siyaad, a local elder, told the dpa. But local elders like Siyaad say villagers are engaging in self-defence against what he describes as brutality and intimidation by al-Shabab, an al-Qaeda-linked armed group which has de facto control over large parts of south and central Somalia. They have been putting pressure on locals living in Shabeelow in Mudug in order to force them [to] surrender their arms and livestock animals for so-called holy war against invading infidels since many years. Locals are tired of the groups pressure in the context of the so-called holy war, said the elder. He asked the Somali government to provide weapons so villagers can defend themselves. Being an entrepreneur is more than a job. Its a mindset, and without it, youd be hard-pressed to succeed. The first step to becoming an entrepreneur is taking stock of where your head is, and if you are up for the extreme demands, an entrepreneurial lifestyle can place on you. Whether right out the gate or through trial and error, every entrepreneur learns this throughout their journey and continually works on their mindset, never stopping and never settling. As a significant stakeholder in SpaceX, Tesla (TSLA), and Square (SQ), Entrepreneur Jeffrey Santulan talks about the power our minds have when it comes to entrepreneurial success. Jeffrey Santulan A natural at numbers, Jeffrey continues to conquer the investment world, excerpts from a recent interview: Q: Jeffrey, tell us about your journey? A: I began building my fortune as an early investor in SoFi, an online personal finance company valued at $4.5 billion. Ive never looked back ever since. Im also a co-founder of two massive companies, Argonaut MG, a film company that recently closed a $100 million deal with Netflix, and investment firm SGM International that has offices in LA and London. Q: What is that one thing entrepreneurs must consider? A: You have to be laser-focused on the opportunities that come your way. Its about taking risks when others wont because you see where the future is headed instead of looking behind you. Q: What is that one piece of advice you would give to budding entrepreneurs? A: Though I would eventually attend MIT, my younger life was marked by a few tumultuous years in and out of the system. I figured this out the hard way, but what we make of our lives is completely up to us. We have to channel our anger, passion, and energy into things that matter. Q: Who do you call your mentor? A: It has to be Grant Cardone. He changed my mindset for the better. Being an entrepreneur is a high-stakes game. If your mind isnt right, you arent ready to play. Story continues Q: How does one know if theyre ready to take the entrepreneurial plunge? A: Entrepreneurs are cut from a different cloth. Theyre open-minded and arent afraid of peoples opinions. The amount of resistance we encounter is staggering, but in the end, its worth it. If you turn and run at the first sign of a no, entrepreneurial life isnt the right fit for you. Being an entrepreneur is all about seeing whats possible. Sometimes, you might be building the concept out of thin air. As a large stakeholder in such revolutionary companies like SpaceX, and Tesla Jeffrey is all about embracing an innovative future for humankind. Having access to other visionaries helps promote a mindset that supersedes what the general population may consider possible, and for Jeffrey, that has been life-changing. I walk right towards whats extraordinary, says Jeffrey. I see it is coming from miles away, and I am here for it. Its with that mindset, coupled with his immense success that ranks Jeffrey Santulan as one of our generations most influential entrepreneurs. MEDINA, Ohio -- In the past, Medina County Park District volunteers were honored each year with a dinner and fun evening, most recently held at Buffalo Creek Retreat. This year, because of restrictions on gatherings imposed by the coronavirus pandemic, the park staff was forced to find an innovative way to honor their service. Their solution was to stage what they called a Reverse Parade -- a drive-thru event at Wolf Creek Environmental Center on Sept. 2. Volunteers were encouraged to enter the park at 6100 Ridge Road and to follow the winding, quarter-mile driveway. All along the drive, small cheerful signs were posted to thank the volunteers who work all year on a variety of tasks -- trail monitoring, pulling invasive plants, seed collecting, plantings, butterfly counting and bluebird box monitoring, among others. The Wadsworth Community Band serenaded Medina County Park District volunteers during the reverse parade. (Mary Jane Brewer, special to cleveland.com) The Wadsworth Community Band entertained drivers and passengers in the slowly moving cars with rousing marches. Park district board members and park staff stood beside the driveway to thank volunteers. A tent at the spot closest to the Environmental Center sheltered gift bags for the guests, staff members and Park Director Nate Eppink, who greeted each volunteer and personally thanked him or her. A staff member handed a gift bag containing an insulated lunch bag and a multipurpose cloth tube that can be used as a neckerchief or headband to the guests, who remained in their cars. A cutout skunk thanks Medina County Park District volunteers for "doing even the stinky jobs." (Mary Jane Brewer, special to cleveland.com) According to volunteer coordinator Judy Soroczak, 200 active volunteers recorded a total of 6,989 hours of service last year, even though many of the parks were closed for months at a time due to the pandemic. Seventy cars took part in the parade, with more than 80 volunteers. For more information about the Medina County Park District and volunteer opportunities, visit www.medinacountyparks.com. Read more from the Medina Sun. The rate of young adults forming independent households continues to decline in Toronto. And now, economic uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic could make pressures to the housing affordability crisis even worse for youth. Youth have been one of the hardest-hit demographics on the labour market because of COVID-19. And that is translating to housing. When (they) start essentially spending 46 per cent of their income towards rent, and now no longer have a job what does that mean? said Nelson Elsholtz, a second-year masters student in U of Ts sustainability management program. Elsholtz and his peers alumni and recent grads from U of T and York University explored these housing crisis questions in a September 3 panel discussion hosted by U of Ts School of Cities. Household formation, also known as a headship rate, is one unit that planners use to measure affordability. The headship rate breaks down to dividing the number of households by the adult population. It works like this: the fewer adults per household the higher the headship rate, whether that home is rented or owned. To simplify: Say two 20 somethings live at home with their parents, the headship rate count is 25 per cent one home divided by four adults. If the two adult siblings move out and each rent a place then the headship rate at the parents house would be 50 per cent, and 100 per cent at each of the adult childrens new households, if they live alone. In other words, it is the rate at which people head their own independent households, according to a journal article by panellist Keir Matthews-Hunter. His research, published this June in the Housing Studies journal, looked in part at the headship rates of Canadian cities for the 25- to 34-year-old cohort, between 1991 and 2016. He found that Toronto recorded a six per cent decline in its headship rate. Montreal, on the other hand, only saw a 0.5 per cent decrease in headship rate over the same period. High levels of debt, sharing a space with multiple roommates or family, or living with parents later in life due to cultural norms all contribute to lower headship rates. But one of the most important factors explaining this trend within Canadian cities over time, including Toronto, is a shortage of purpose-built rental housing, said Matthews-Hunter, who now works as a city housing planner and graduated from his U of T masters program in 2018. His research found that headship rates declined faster in Canadian cities where rental housing demand outpaced supply, and where rents have gone up faster than incomes. The housing crisis is exposing overlapping social issues for youth, including diversity and issues facing Indigenous people. We often have a tendency to see youth as a homogenized group and to not consider diversity, said Da Chen, a U of T masters graduate. Chen and a group of planning students studied the impact of diversity in the professional planning industry and presented their findings to the Mentorship Program for Indigenous and Planners of Colour in August. These issues are all really connected. When we look at housing, its not just housing itself, Chen said. We can look at the different decision-making racism and discrimination that people face. Panellist Deqa Nur, a social development worker and a York University student, said she believes the pandemic will widen the inequality gap for youth seeking housing. Fox News national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin confirmed reporting published by The Atlantic on Thursday that Trump had said soldiers who died in war were suckers and losers. Ive spoken with two U.S. senior officials who were on the trip to France who confirmed to me key details in The Atlantic article and the quotes attributed to the president, Griffin said. According to Griffins sources, one of whom she said was a former Trump administration official, The president would say about American veterans, Whats in it for them? They dont make any money.' Also Read: Trump Stands by John McCain Insults, Disparages John Kelly, Continues to Deny The Atlantic Report Griffin also said one of her sources said, It was a character flaw of the President. He could not understand why someone would die for their country, not worth it. Regarding the French trip to mark the end of WWI, according to this former official, the president was not in a good mood, Griffin continued. French President Macron had said something that made him mad, he questioned why he had to go to two cemeteries. Why do I have to do two? His staff explained he could cancel, but he was warned they they press are going to kill you for this. The president was mad as a hornet when they did, according to this source. Watch the clip here. Read original story Fox News Confirms The Atlantics Report on Trumps Soldier Comments (Video) At TheWrap Oregon Senate President Peter Courtney said in an interview Friday that he does not expect lawmakers will be called back to the Capitol for a third special session in September, based on conversations with Gov. Kate Brown and House Speaker Tina Kotek. Courtney said he wanted to inform lawmakers of the outlook after The Oregonian/OregonLive reported that some Democrats on Thursday called for another special session to pass legislation on police tactics and accountability, aimed at reducing law enforcement brutality. The Democrats said they do not want to lose momentum to pass deeper police reforms. The three of us have talked for quite some time, Courtney, D-Salem, said of Kotek, D-Portland, and the governor. We probably need to make a statement (there wont be a September session) because we owe it to our fellow legislators. Courtney did not rule out that the governor might call lawmakers back to the Capitol later in the year, to address another budget shortfall, other pandemic-related emergencies or policing bills. You could do October but I think its more likely the latter part of this year, November or December, Courtney said in a video call. After The Oregonian/OregonLive contacted the governors office about Courtneys statements, Browns deputy communications director Charles Boyle confirmed in an email that the governor is not intending to call a special session before November. Courtney cited the new federal ban on most evictions through the end of the year as one development that eased the pressure for a September session. Also, Courtney said a Sept. 23 economic and revenue forecast will provide crucial information about whether lawmakers will need to again patch the budget. Campaign season is also heating up, adding to legislators reluctance to return to Salem, Courtney acknowledged. The Senate president said leaders are still holding out hope that Congress will approve more money for state governments. Left-leaning groups have been pushing lawmakers to pass a bill to undo the states huge new tax breaks for businesses and wealthy individuals, copied automatically from the federal CARES Act. State economists estimate several of the tax provisions could save business owners and others approximately $225 million by June 2021 and cut that same amount from state revenues. Separately, businesses are pushing lawmakers to pass a coronavirus liability shield and unions are advocating for a law that would ensure employees who test positive for COVID-19 receive workers compensation based on a presumption the infection occurred in the workplace. Danny Moran, a spokesperson for Kotek, said the speaker, Senate president and governor have been analyzing what issues would be addressed in a third special session since the second special session concluded Aug. 10. The concepts being considered, aside from police accountability, havent had much public process, Moran wrote in an email. Moran said that Kotek believes the issues addressing police accountability are urgent. She has fought for inclusion of these concepts at each special session and will continue to support the work of her colleagues when a third session is called. -- Hillary Borrud: hborrud@oregonian.com; @hborrud Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. The Board of Trade is one of the oldest relics of the British constitution, set up by James I in 1622 as a temporary committee of the privy council, to try to do something about the trade recession of the time. For a long time, it was a government department. Harold Wilson became a cabinet minister at the age of 30 as president of the board in 1947, before his opponent Edward Heath merged it with the Ministry of Technology to form the Department of Trade and Industry in 1970. That department has changed its name several times since, with its secretary of state also holding the title of President of the Board of Trade characteristically, Michael Heseltine and Peter Mandelson were the only ones who actually used it. When Theresa May split the Department for International Trade from what was now called the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Board of Trade went with it, and the title of president passed to Liam Fox and then, when Boris Johnson became prime minister, to Liz Truss. Your browser does not support the audio element. At the age of 32, Vietnams Luong Cong Gia Huy has tasted both success and failure after launching two small businesses flashcard maker BlueUp and restaurant chain Bun ca Ninh Hoa. One of the most important lessons Huy learned from his business endeavors in the last few years is that the lack of industry knowledge and a mentor both crucial to a fledgling business success can put any young entrepreneur in trouble. A young business Huy first discovered his interest in doing business when he was an IT sophomore at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Science. Although we did not know what kind of business we would do, we were excited to study business-related subjects and get to know about entrepreneurship and markets, Huy recalled. During his senior year at college, Huy sat down with five of his classmates to brainstorm business ideas they could do. Eventually, then decided on launching their first business a flashcard maker. Flashcards are cards that bear information eighter texts or images on both sides, designed to be used as an aid in memorization, especially for vocabulary learners. They came up with the idea after a member of the group shared the desire to have an effective method for learning English, a challenge for many technical students in Vietnam. We found that flashcards are a highly effective method for learning English [vocabulary] that is immensely popular in many foreign countries, Huy explained. The undergraduates started building their first sets of flashcards in October 2010 and launched the first commercial products under the BlueUp brand one year later. As we were all college students, our thoughts were simple: we wanted to do something unique and of value, Huy admitted. Maybe it was the wishful thinking that gave us the courage to start the business. They also developed business plans and drew up their budget, but all were done without practical experience. They later found that their methods had been gravely ill-informed. Such terms as business mentorship were quite strange to us at that time, Huy said. Despite their inexperience and naivety, Huys team secured the second prize at the Startup Weekend 2011 competition with BlueUp, which successfully attracted financing from two investment funds. It was not until 2016 that the company finally found its right path forward with a proper business model that brought in high-quality recruits and good revenue. By then, BlueUp had successfully developed an effective sales network both in the conventional market and on online platforms, according to Huy. In addition to that, the young entrepreneur was also making money from his restaurant chain Bun ca Ninh Hoa which sells bun ca fish noodle soup, a famous specialty of Ninh Hoa Town in south-central Vietnam. Huy admitted feeling overwhelmed with the newfound success, to the point that he did not know what to do with so much money, he confessed to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper. Crisis in the making But the success did not last long. Two years after BlueUps launch, customers in Vietnam began to shift their attention from physical flashcards the companys main products to digital vocabulary learning solutions. Huys company was forced to move away from its primary distribution channel via physical bookstores to focus on the virtual market to adapt to the new consumer trend. But the online realm posed its own sets of new challenges the young company was having difficulties managing its online marketing channels because of constant changes in the platforms algorithms. The BlueUp team soon found themselves spending too much money on online advertising that did not produce expected results, which plunged the company into crisis. Huy hit rock bottom in 2018 when BlueUp was in trouble financially while Bun ca Ninh Hoa also faced numerous challenges. We built the business model of Bun ca Ninh Hoa on the basis of taking advantage of sidewalks [to place tables and chairs], so when Ho Chi Minh City began its sidewalk clearing campaign we lost up to 40 percent of our total revenue and had to shut down one of our four food stalls, Huy recalled. While the operational costs continued to rise inversely proportional to the revenue, Huy felt as if he was at a dead end. All the money they had saved up from the previous period of success was spent on rescuing BlueUp and Bun ca Ninh Hoa from trouble. Having sold some of his most valuable assets, Huy resorted to borrowing large sums of money to try and salvage the businesses. Many employees had to be let go while the team had no resources to launch any new products. But the most terrible feeling Huy faced at the time was doubts about his own ability. A fresh start He did not open up about the crisis with anyone except his wife, whose empathy eventually helped him overcome the stressful period. Huy and his coworkers tried their best to rescue BlueUp. They streamlined the business model, scrapped non-essential parts, and focused on smaller groups of target customers. Huy also optimized the operations of Bun ca Ninh Hoa by adding more new dishes to the menu and redesigning the food chains brand identity to appeal to more eaters. I have learned to accept what I have right now and try to build up from it instead of blaming myself on past failures or missed opportunities. Thats what has picked me up and helped to guide me on my way forward, Huy said. He has also received a scholarship to study MBA at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, Canadas prestigious business university. With a small family of his own and a relatively stable business, Huy said he still wants to go back to school to gain more business knowledge that he hopes will empower him in the long run. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! New Delhi: Talented Bollywood actor Manoj Bajpayee recently collaborated with filmmaker Anubhav Sinha for a maiden Bhojpuri song titled 'Bambai Main Ka Ba'. The makers have released the teaser of the track which has been sung by the actor himself. Manoj Bajpayee dropped the teaser link on his social media handles. He wrote: BREAKING !!! Bringing you a BHOJPURI RAP on the plight of the migrants!! Recited and sung a little bit by yours truly. Song by Sagar concept and video by our friend @anubhavsinha !!! Teaser BREAKING !!! Bringing you a BHOJPURI RAP on the plight of the migrants!! Recited and sung a little bit by yours truly. Song by Sagar concept and video by our friend @anubhavsinha !!! Teaser pic.twitter.com/sK3zqXQDGh manoj bajpayee (@BajpayeeManoj) September 5, 2020 The Bhojpuri rap song is peppy and is actually based on the plight of migrant workers who leave their native place for better livelihood. The track has been written by Sagar while concept is by Anubhav Sinha. A few days back, both Manoj and Anubhav had shared how they are collaborating over a project after 25 long years. On the work front, Anubhav Sinha's last directorial 'Thappad' starring Taapsee Pannu won several accolades while Manoj was last seen in the critically acclaimed venture Bhonsle. It was released on an OTT platform. After the success of his web-show 'The Family Man', he will next be seen in the much-awaited second season soon. Communities and Disability Services and Seniors Minister Coralee O'Rourke will not contest the next election. The Townsville-based Labor MP for Mundingburra issued a statement on Saturday morning confirming she would not contest her seat in October. The Labor MP for Mundingburra, Coralee O'Rourke, who joined parliament in 2015. Credit:Facebook "Throughout the years, I have been open and honest with our community about my battle with breast cancer," she said. "I have been open about the treatment I have received, the status of my recovery and my longstanding desire to always return and resume my service to the Mundingburra community. At a virtual hearing on Aug. 12, 2020, City Councilmembers Curtis Jones Jr., top left, Jamie Gauthier, bottom center, and Isaiah Thomas, right, question Theron Pride, bottom left, and Shondell Revell, top center, from the city's Office of Violence Prevention about the rise in gun violence. Read more Against my better judgement, I clicked into the livestream Thursday morning for the latest hearing on gun violence prevention while Philadelphians continued to be shot and killed at record numbers. Or, I tried. In what I decided was a gift from the universe how many times can I listen to the same people say the same things technical issues on the citys side delayed the virtual hearing until later that afternoon. So, I turned my attention to the Mayors Office of Violence Prevention. An Inquirer editorial the day before had called out the office for its lack of answers to basic questions How much did the city invest in violence prevention strategies last year? What services are offered? during another gun violence-prevention hearing last month. Dont mistake the fact that we dont have the numbers as a lack of urgency or caring, Vanessa Garrett Harley, deputy managing director for criminal justice and public safety, which oversees OVP, told Council. Im not here to question her heart. But as someone who has been after the office since 2017 to evaluate the effectiveness of violence prevention programs for which the city blindly spends millions, I am here to tell you that there is absolutely a lack of urgency from that office. As that editorial noted, even before the office was created in 2017, I was calling for the city to require programs and organizations that receive gun violence prevention funding prove that their efforts work. I called for it in 2017 and 2018 and 2019 and Im calling for it now, after receiving another discouraging status report from the office. After it was created, the office dragged its feet for more than a year while insisting, each time I checked in, that yes, of course, they were working diligently on an evaluation process. And then, in 2018, at a meeting where Mayor Jim Kenney announced that he was giving his administration 100 days to come up with a new approach to fighting gun violence, came this nonsense: Garrett Harley triumphantly announced that as part of the time-to-get-serious directive, the Office of Violence Prevention would be evaluating all existing efforts to reduce violence leaving me to wonder just what they had been doing the entire year before. Brian Abernathy was the citys newly named managing director then. When I called BS, he insisted the reason for the delay was staffers who were out of their depth. Friday was Abernathys last day on the job, after disastrously demonstrating his own depth issues, but the Office of Violence Prevention continues to escape its own reckoning for its failures. When I last wrote about the office, taxpayers were paying the offices executive director, Rondell Revell, $118,450, and the senior director of violence prevention strategies and programs, Theron Pride, $133,900. Garrett Harley, who was hired to oversee the efforts as the newly appointed deputy managing director for criminal justice and public safety, makes $164,800. Theyve since hired a communications manager, Dave Kinchen, who makes $70,000, and a criminologist, whose identity and salary is apparently top secret because by the end of Friday, I was still waiting on the information. Heres what I do know: None of those handsomely paid hires has led to the long-promised comprehensive evaluation of programs. When I reached out to the office, Kinchen sent me an emailed statement on behalf of Pride. In short: One youth violence reduction program was independently assessed, and renamed. Another intervention program will be evaluated after a contract with an independent research institution is formalized. And stick with me here they have extensively evaluated violence prevention evaluations done in other cities to best determine how to conduct their own evaluations. Oh, and theres going to be a survey! Basically, a lot of billable hours for very little to show. Unfortunately, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Citys budget, our efforts to evaluate all of the programs related to violence prevention have been hampered considerably with the elimination of the Office of Performance Management and other significant reductions in funding across the Administration, read the statement. However, despite these major setbacks, we remain focused on evaluating our programs and progress to ensure we continually use our limited resources effectively. " There is a lot of debate these days over government budget priorities. Should we defund the police, for example, in order to invest in community programs and institutions that focus on the social causes of crime, from poverty to addiction? Its a worthwhile debate. Heres another: If four years after its creation, the city agency charged with reducing the citys gun violence still has no clue about the effectiveness of its programs, maybe its time to defund them. Down to the Sea in Ships (Again) Commentary An important aspect of the reset of the world economy and the decoupling of the United States and China is the business of world shipping and shipbuilding (the maritime domain) and the military situation (the naval domain). The maritime and naval domains are key pillars of success in our struggle with the Chinese Communist Party. We have a powerful Navy and need an even more powerful Navy. Meanwhile, the maritime domain, an environment the United States once dominated, has become comatose at best. Our nation needs to once again establish a dominant maritime domain (merchant shipping and merchant shipbuilding). We are in a strategic window where we can reestablish unequivocal dominance in both. Although often blurred together, the maritime and naval domains are related, but very different, domains and should be treated differently to make sense out of the discussion, analysis, and hopefully, action. A New Jones Act Needed The era of great power competition between the United States and China provides a backdrop, framework, and imperative for a radical win-win evolution of the 1920 Jones Act. The cyberattack on Maersk Lines in 2017 gave COSCO (the lead Chinese merchant line) a significant gain in market share. Although started with the best of intentions, the Jones Act has become a symbol of legislation that has produced the opposite effect over time. The Jones Act essentially limits trade between U.S. ports to U.S.-built vessels (the delightful policy wonk term of cabotage). Due to the inflexibility of Jones Act advocates in evolving the act, the result has been clearan evaporation of the American merchant vessel industry. Theres a compelling need to transform one of the most important, yet obscure, pieces of American legislation in an atmosphere of cooperation with the vested interests behind it to create a renaissance in U.S. shipbuilding and merchant marine operations. The late Sen. John McCain once said this about the Jones Act, its proponents, and his desire to transform it: But I have to tell you the power of this maritime lobby is as powerful as anybody or any organization I have run up against in my political career. All I can do is appeal to the patron saint of lost causes and keep pressing and pressing, and sooner or later you have to succeed. A Jones Act 2.0 The objective of this strategic evolution to a Jones Act 2.0 is to build the U.S. flag merchant fleet and U.S. shipyards, and get out of the trend line and mindset of managing their decline. The Jones Act 2.0 will grow U.S. shipyard competitiveness, expand the U.S. flag fleet, and drive down the cost of transport to Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. territories. There are seven key elements of Jones Act 2.0 legislation that would be a win-win for all parties involved. They include: Institute a strategic transition period enabled by a downward cap gains valley and holiday over a 35-year period to allow for a strategic reset. Flow of capital is key to building the golden age of maritime affairs. Codify in clear, but reasonably enduring terms, the definitions of maritime activities such as container traffic, heavy lift, float-on/float-off, and enablers such as cyber, cybersecurity, information technologies, autonomy, and artificial intelligence. Codify the meaning of effectively U.S.-controlled (EUSC) fleets and merchant vessels and include them in the Jones 2.0. Facilitate a vertical integration of American shipyards and large maritime and infrastructure activities with key strategic partners. Have the transformed U.S. shipyards act like Boeing and be the integrators and assemblers of a worldwide integrated supply chain. Allow direct vessel and cargo/passenger transport activities between the United States and U.S. territories by foreign flag vessels that are EUSC. Incentivize maximum automation and autonomy for all maritime transport operations, all maritime/infrastructure planning, fabrication, and assembly. The key to the future of maritime is autonomy and artificial intelligence in all aspects of operations, planning, and implementation. Within Jones 2.0, implement a strategic recapitalization of the 300-plus Military Sealift Command/National Defense Reserve Fleet (MSC/NDRF) ship force structure. Reestablishing Dominance in Naval Domain Since World War II, the U.S. Navy has dominated the worlds oceans. At the peak of the Cold War, the Russian navy attempted to challenge the U.S. Navy by introducing large battlecruisers, massive submarine numbers, and light aircraft carrier-type warships. But they could never quite master the strategic art of generating, projecting, maintaining, and logistically supporting far-flung naval operations. In many ways, they were a port navy, sitting pierside for show and propaganda purposes. However, the grand 600-ship U.S. Navy of the Reagan days has shrunk to under 300 ships, and now, the U.S. Navy is struggling to generate and project naval presence at will. At one time, U.S. Navy carrier task forces were simultaneously forward in the Mediterranean, the Persian Gulf, and the western Pacific without breaking a sweat. Those days are a wonderful memory now. A baffling turn of events. So what are the issues and solutions to return the U.S. Navy to greatness? Chinas Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is developing naval projection capabilities on a large scalethey are no longer a port navy. Having served on the defense secretarys staff and the joint chiefs chairmans staff at the Pentagon and seeing the big picture, I would say in many ways, its a loss of the bravado and can do spirit that once instilled confidence in the leadership and planning staffs. I have absolute confidence in the chief of naval operations, Adm. Michael M. Gilday. Hes the right leader, at the right place, at the right time. Brought to the lead in interesting turns of events, he is the one to return the U.S. Navy to the John Paul Jones ethos, I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast; for I intend to go in harms way. Next, a three-year sprint should be established to drive the U.S. Navy as far as possible toward a 400-ship Navy, with radically new capabilities with large swarms of autonomous air, surface, and sub-surface drones. Part of this sprint is expanding the industrial base so there are more shipyards in the United States and forward to build, maintain, and repair the fleet. These shipyards are different than the shipyards needed for vessels of commercenaval and maritime vessels are built to totally different design standards. The U.S. Navy needs to significantly increase the numbers of long-range missiles and air defense missilesyou can never have enough ammunition in a gunfight. Our forward facilities need to be expanded in numbers and readiness. All of these initiatives will help bring this three-year sprint to a successful objective of deterring the CCP from any form of action, anywhere in the world. This proposal will, of course, initiate lively debate and discussion. The intent is to create a golden age and renaissance of American naval and maritime activities and incentivize significant growth and opportunities for the U.S. economy and national security interests. The era of great power competition is upon us and the need for dominance and self-sufficiency of the maritime and naval domains are the missing pieces for U.S. economic growth and security. Col. (Ret.) John Mills is a national security professional with service in five eras: Cold War, Peace Dividend, War on Terror, World in Chaos, and nowGreat Power Competition. He is the former director of cybersecurity policy, strategy, and international affairs at the Department of Defense. @ColonelRETJOHN Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Chinas leaders say promoting the Han culture and nationalising Chinese language provides minorities with better opportunities. Students and teachers in the northern Chinese province of Inner Mongolia are taking part in rare protests against a new policy requiring that certain classes be taught in Mandarin. The main language used now is Mongolian and is spoken by a fifth of the provinces population. Al Jazeeras Katrina Yu is in Beijing. We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. WhatsApp Messenger, or simply WhatsApp keeps on bringing up new features or changes in the app for the convenience of its users. We recently reported that WhatsApp has launched a dedicated security advisory website which will inform users about the security updates, and also about the bugs and vulnerabilities on the platform. Now WhatsApp's latest iPhone beta release suggests that the app is upgrading its Payments feature for iOS users. As per new developments, the social messaging app is working on WhatsApp Payments feature for specific countries especially Spain where the feature isn't available yet. WhatsApp Payments is a UPI-based payment service within the app which allows users to send and receive money. Users can make transactions with the people who are present in their WhatsApp contact list. WhatsApp is also looking to enhance its Security Code Change Notification and the latest beta version suggests that the app is now compiled using the iOS 13.6 SDK. Moreover, with WhatsApp 2.20.100.22 beta for iPhone, the messaging app is improving its WhatsApp voice calling feature. WhatsApp has officially included a new tone when you end a call and a new ringtone when you receive a group call. For the voice call, the app is also working on a feature where a user will be able to join a missed group call in case the group call still exists. This feature is still under development and is hidden in the beta version. WhatsApp packs a tracker WABetaInfo delved into the latest WhatsApp 2.20.100.22 beta for iPhone, which discovers a bunch of features that are still under development. For example: --WABetaInfo tracker notes that WhatsApp is working on improvements to launch the app even when there is low storage available on your smartphone. --The tracker discovers that the new WhatsApp 2.20.100 for iPhone update will add bug fixes for better stable experience. --The tracker also reveals that WhatsApp is working on its 'Media, Links and Docs' section in order to improve the speed to load images, videos, and GIFs. By ANI LONDON: To provide a unique experience for those looking to catch a movie amid the coronavirus pandemic, the estate of Queen Elizabeth II in Sandringham is getting prepared to turn into a drive-in theatre. Reported by Fox News, The Sandringham estate in Norfolk, England, where the monarch retreats during the winter, will transition into a drive-in movie theatre later this month. As mentioned in the estate's official website, moviegoers can catch an array of movies during the weekend of September 25. Tickets are currently available for purchase. Movies like 'Toy Story', 'Moana', 'A Star is Born', '1917' and more have been scheduled for viewing. The estate's website states that a pop-up bar having choices of soft drinks, alcoholic beverages and snacks will be available for attendees. Social distance guidelines will be in place so cars have "ample room" if attendees want to stretch their legs outside of their cars, reported Fox News. Like any of the royal palaces, Sandringham Estate is open to the public, although COVID-19 has brought on some new changes. 'Covid or no Covid, I knew I had made the right decision (calls from my bank to extend the much touted loans offered by Ms Sitharaman, notwithstanding),' says Keya Sarkar. Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com I have had on many an occasions referred to the craft shop I ran in Santiniketan in this column. Having given up my job in Mumbai, I had absolutely no desire to do anything but chill in Santiniketan. But the level of craftsmanship that I saw around here made me change my mind and, over the last 16 years, my engagement with crafts people across Birbhum district became deeper. This, of course, reflected in my setting up of a shop that not only sold to residents and tourists of Santiniketan but also to similar shops across the country. It was fun all the way. Finding new artisans, developing new crafts, meeting customers and truly benefitting from their goodwill. IMAGE: Store Alcha at Santiniketan. All photographs: Kind courtesy Alchashop.com What was difficult was building an administrative set up. While artisans are in plenty, any other skill is scarce in a small town. From having to teach my shop girls to spell in English to basic accounting rigour to the intricacies of GST, it has been an arduous task. IMAGE: The Khesh weaving by using new yarn for the warp and old sarees torn into strips for the weft have been a long standing tradition in Birbhum. Many a designer came to work with me from premium design schools, but the fact that Santiniketan offered them absolutely no after-work social life made them leave in five to six months. And no accounting or management talent is available in Santiniketan for love or money. So basically, one had to manage with the skill sets available and sometimes the lack of education of my staff and their manner of carrying out instructions did get my BP up. IMAGE: Hand bags by Alcha. So I had been contemplating giving up the retail side of my business for a while simply because after 16 years I was just tired of dealing with untutored colleagues. But as with most things, the business ran on its own momentum and I kept the decision pending. IMAGE: Wood curving done by the artisan. Till Covid happened. With no sales in three months and rents to pay and salaries to distribute, I decided to close like many of my ilk across the globe. I announced this to customers in Santiniketan, offered them a 50 per cent discount (my first discount in 16 years) and thankfully managed to clean out the stock. IMAGE: Dupattas by Alcha. First, an opportunity to binge in Santiniketan after the lockdown, second, the fact that most local customers are university professors or school teachers whose salaries had not been cut, third, the fact that we were closing for good and, of course, the discount, all worked in our favour. IMAGE: Leather fashioning by the artisan. After the mandatory hand sanitiser at the entrance and the check to see that all customers were wearing masks, we could pay little homage to Covid. Women fell on each other in the anxiety to get the piece they wanted. Then, after all the stock was gone, the customers started asking me whether I would be selling the furniture that was in the shop. I hadn't really thought about it but quickly quoted prices. Much of what we had went and I was relieved that I would not have to worry about storage space. IMAGE: Furniture in the store. With each passing day, the shop looked more and more empty. First the stock, then the furniture. Three days before June 30, our scheduled day to shut shop, I called the young man who used to sleep in the shop at night and told him that his services would not be needed after the 30th. He asked me 'why?', in complete bewilderment. He had obviously not noticed that the shop was empty when he went there to sleep at night. Covid or no Covid, I knew I had made the right decision (calls from my bank to extend the much touted loans offered by Ms Sitharaman, notwithstanding). I was getting too old to deal with intelligent quotients that were this low! Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com Big Tech has to pay a "fair amount" of taxes in Europe, especially as they are the "real winners" of the coronavirus crisis, a top European official told CNBC Saturday. His comments come amid an ongoing rift between the United States and the European Union over the taxation of companies such as Apple, Alphabet and Amazon. "It is a major problem," Paolo Gentiloni, European Commissioner for economics and taxation, told CNBC at the European House Ambrosetti Forum, acknowledging the difficulty in overcoming differences with the United States. The giants of the digital platforms are the real winners of this crisis. Paolo Gentiloni European Commissioner However, the former Italian prime minister added that it was no longer possible "to accept the idea that those giants, the winners of the crisis, are not paying a fair amount of taxes in Europe." In 2018, the European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, proposed a 3% digital levy, arguing that the tax system needed to be updated for the digital age. However, the White House said a digital tax was unfair as it disproportionately impacted American firms. At the time, the European Commission said digital companies, on average, pay an effective tax rate of 9.5% compared to 23.2% for traditional businesses. San Franciscos Piers 30-32, once the site of a proposed Golden State Warriors arena, would be redeveloped with an audacious mixed-use project that would include a floating public swimming pool and more than 850 housing units, according to a proposal that city staff recommends go forward. Developers Strada TCC Partners and Trammell Crow beat out two other developers as the preferred option in a Port of San Francisco competition for both the piers and the 3.2-acre lot across the street known as Seawall Lot 330. Previous development proposals on the 13-acre site died amid fierce fights. The Warriors proposed arena plans fell apart because of opposition. Talks with George Lucas to put his cultural museum there went nowhere. A developer was picked in 2000 to build a cruise terminal, hotel and housing on part of the site, but the plans sank. Other proposals have also drowned. The site sat vacant since the structures on it were destroyed in a fire in 1984, but the city opened a 200-bed homeless shelter there last year, which caused a neighborhood uproar and a lawsuit. The port sounded the call for proposals in February, before the pandemic hit and many real estate projects stalled amid the economic fallout. Building is always challenging along the waterfront, where height limits and uses are tightly regulated and where activists scrutinize every project and approvals, which are required from several agencies, can take many years. The other two proposals for the sites would have had far less housing. One, from prolific builder Tishman Speyer, called for 459 units while a third, from Vornado, would have 360 units. Steelblue for Strada Investment Group The Strada proposal would include investing $369 million into waterfront infrastructure as well as provide approximately $325 million in lease payments over many years. The proposed investment in critical infrastructure includes strengthening the seawall, developing seismically sound piers as well as the deep draft berth, all of which would provide critical resiliency and sea level rise protection along the waterfront, while also offering first-in-kind recreation opportunities in the bay. This isnt the first time a developer has floated the idea of a bobbing pool in the bay. In 2006, a recreation company proposed a similar idea for Piers 27-31, where Shorenstein Properties wanted to build office space. In the Strada plan, Piers 30-32 would be demolished and replaced with two finger piers and simple shed buildings. Between the piers would be a floating swimming pool and bay recreation area that would allow people to swim and kayak between and around the piers. Our project is designed to succeed where others have failed by basing our proposal on established precedent, a pragmatic design that embraces a less is more ethos, and public trust consistent attractions not seen elsewhere around the Bay, Strada states in its proposal. The sheds on the piers would include 376,000 gross square feet of office space and about 3 acres of the piers 7.2 acres would be publicly accessible open space. A quarter of the homes would be affordable housing. The port commission is expected to hear the proposals at Tuesdays meeting. Supervisor Matt Haney said hes excited that there is finally a long-term plan for that site and one that includes much needed housing and recreation space. This is a dense and growing neighborhood that needs both those things. 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. Haney said the proposal also assuages neighborhood concerns that the current use a Navigation Center for homeless people would be permanent. When we were having the conversation about the Navigation Center, I made it clear that it would be temporary and that there would be a long-term development for that site, Haney said. Im happy to see that come to fruition. Political consultant P.J. Johnston, who has been involved in several waterfront projects that have been killed by neighborhood opposition, said that San Franciscos resistance to change is especially cutthroat and cynical when it comes to the waterfront. They scream and shout about protecting the waterfront, he said. They exploit peoples fear of change. But all they end up doing is protecting parking lots. Strada and Trammell Crow couldnt immediately be reached for comment. J.K. Dineen is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jdineen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfjkdineen The West of Ireland can seize the opportunity to renew itself by attracting thousands of young professionals and families to make new lives in the region. That's according to the Western Development Commission which launched a new campaign recently called 'More to Life' to showcase the growing number of career and lifestyle opportunities available in Sligo and the West. With more and more people working remotely due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the WDC is encouraging people to make a permanent and viable move to the West. Movers can avail of the many job options open across multiple sectors and enjoy housing costs that are among the lowest in Ireland. As well as the new 'More To Life' campaign, the WDC has launched a new website westerndevelopment.ie to showcase the resources and supports available to those thinking of a new role, to work remotely or those thinking of starting a new a business. It includes information and success stories about the 72 million Western Investment Fund (WIF) that provides loans and equity to business and local communities in the West. As part of the campaign, the WDC is launching a new platform to help attract talent for hard to fill roles across all sectors. This Talent Tool will allow job seekers to register for alerts on new roles and give companies information on talent looking to move West. The WDC believes this will help attract more investment from companies and also showcase the range of roles available across the region. A podcast series called 'Pulse of The West' will feature insights from the WDC, industry and academia. In addition, through the Atlantic Economic Corridor (AEC) initiative, the WDC is building a network of over 100 Hubs that support remote working, community enterprises and the development of 'second sites' in the region for businesses. This will include an online booking engine for remote working spaces from Donegal to Kerry, which will be rolled out in the autumn. Commenting on the new campaign, Western Development Commission CEO Tomas O Siochain, said: "The phrase 'More to Life' has never been more true and now is the time for the West of Ireland, one of Europe's great regions, to write a bold new chapter. "Out of adversity comes opportunity and the West of Ireland has a big opportunity to renew and reinvigorate itself. There are now an unprecedented number of career options in the West, some of them caused by the unexpected events of 2020 and the global pandemic. Commenting on new campaign, WDC Communications Manager Allan Mulrooney, said: "We really want people to feel and sense what it's like to live in the West. We also want people to have access to the best quality information and tools, so they can make the extremely rewarding decision and find out there certainly is More To Life. "WesternDevelopment.ie puts the needs of the user first and makes planning a move west easy. The site features unique local content and information on housing, childcare, education and more across the region." Last week, the American president encouraged North Carolina voters to test the system by trying to vote twice. Surely, he was just trying to make a point about the possibility of widespread voter fraud through mail-in voting. But at a time when so many Americans have altered their lives for months because of the COVID-19 pandemic, such a suggestion throws the people working the polls under the bus. Granted, verifying that everyone who turns up to cast their one and only vote is registered and is indeed who they say they are is the reason poll workers are there. But dont the men and women who set up the polling site, explain how the electronic ballot works and hand out those I voted! stickers have enough to do without having to deal with tricksters trying to play gotcha? The rhetorical remarks came just one day after National Poll Worker Recruitment Day, which is meant to raise awareness about working the polls at a time when a pandemic has changed the world. They also came one day after clothing retailer Old Navy announced it would pay employees who serve as poll workers during the 2020 election, even if they are also paid by the elections office for which they serve. The San Francisco-based retailer, owned by Gap Inc., reportedly has around 50,000 employees in 1,106 stores. According to the U.S. Election Assistance Commissions Help America Vote web page, most poll workers are in their 60s or older, which puts them at a heightened risk to develop complications from COVID-19. Many seniors have dramatically changed their lives to protect themselves; they stopped seeing their loved ones, took a hard pass on months of preventive medical appointments and quit using their Silver Sneakers membership at the gym. And thats why its important to recruit younger Americans willing and able to work the polls. The Help America Vote web page, eac.gov/help-america-vote, directs users to information regarding working the polls. The problem is that, as far as young people are concerned, its hard to get them to vote at all. On ExpressNews.com: Drink Texas owner and Texas Bar and Nightclub Alliance board member on the unfairness of Abbotts coronavirus bar closures Thats why Old Navys move is worthy of a ticker-tape parade. The retailer is offering its employees a challenge to serve America on the company dime, and it has 50,000 employees. Old Navy is sure to have some takers with a number that big, but its not just a numbers game; its about demographics. Anyone who has stepped into an Old Navy knows that the men and women folding the jeans, working the cash registers and hanging up the T-shirts left in the dressing rooms arent the same kids who traditionally have been minding the polling places. And while young people have been traditionally less likely to make time to cast their one vote, social demonstrations of the past six months have shown that young people arent apathetic to getting involved. This is the kind of election-year challenge America needs. Nobody needs to prove that troublemakers can sabotage an election; we know that people who have more time on their hands than common sense will take a rhetorical statement and run with it just because its something to do. But compelling young people to get involved or, more important, to enable them to get involved is harder. On ExpressNews.com: Suspected H-E-B shoplifter shot and killed after allegedly stabbing officer Heres where the employers most likely to hire the young can step in. Its where colleges and universities can make a tremendous impact, especially in introducing the concept of this often overlooked service. Its how business owners, big and small, can turn up the volume, because getting involved is empowering and habit forming for those at the start of their careers. The practice of giving employees time off to vote is admirable, but rewarding them for Election Day service tweaks the new normal and molds it into something that can really change America. Something as significant as a presidential election threatened by a pandemic doesnt need more roadblocks. Instead, it merits a sea change in how we view the polling places, and it would be great to see a move like that of Old Navy leading the charge. mariaanglinwrites@gmail.com Patna, Sep 6 : Two persons including a sub inspector were injured after an encounter between police and liquor mafia in R-block railway crossing here, police said. The liquor mafias have smuggled liquor consignment from Jharkhand in a special train bound to Patna via Gaya. Liquor sale in Bihar is completely banned by the government. The local police has information about the liquor consignment, subsequently Patna police deployed a team at railway crossing, police said on Sunday. "When train was stopped at outer signal of Patna railway station near R-block crossing, the liquor traffickers deboarded there with consignment. When police chased them, they pelted stones on cops in a bid to flee from the spot," said SHO of concerned Jakkanpur police station. Despite stone pelting, police team managed to nab one of the traffickers named Subodh Paswan. By then local residents and relatives of Paswan assembled at the place and manhandled with police in a bid to release him," The official said. In retaliation, senior officials have sent reinforcement at the place. Till the time, they started firing on police party leading on our one Sub inspector Ashutosh Kr Rai sustained gun shot injuries in leg. Police team also fired in retaliation to disperse them. Paswan also sustained gun shot injury, " he said. Both the injured were admitted to private hospital. Further investigation is on. China using Congress's shoulders to fire at India, alleges BJP India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Sep 05: The BJP on Saturday cited a Chinese newspaper report to hit out at the Congress, alleging that India''s enemies were using the opposition party''s shoulders to fire at the country. This is a classic definition of "anti-India stand", BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said at a press conference alleging that the Gandhi family has got "endorsement" from China and its president Xi Jinping. Hitting back at the BJP, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said Chinese have dared to "intrude" into our territory but the ruling party questions those who raise questions. "Stop betraying the country," he tweeted. Earlier, Chinese daily Global Times had tweeted, "PM Narendra Modi and the BJP face huge pressure amid border tensions with China, as the Indian National Congress is waiting for a chance to shake the BJP''s rule by heavily criticizing failed domestic governance and risky foreign policy: expert." Pulwama: BJP's Sambit Patra mutes Rahul Gandhi over his questions to Centre Patra said this report by a daily controlled by the Chinese state seems to underline the country''s frustration after the Indian Army thwarted its attempts to violate the Line of Actual Control and, that China sees the Congress as a party which "runs" its agenda. "The love between China and the Congress is out in open," the BJP leader said and claimed that it was linked to a MoU the Congress had signed with the Chinese Communist Party in 2008 which, he added, spoke of close relations between the two parties. "Be it Pakistan, terrorists or China; why is this that all of them like the Congress," he asked, adding that Pakistan had included Congress leader Rahul Gandhi''s comments in its dossier against India in the United Nations after Article 370 was revoked. Taking a swipe at Gandhi, he said, "Congratulations to Rahul Gandhi. You were earlier a hero of Pakistan. Now, you are a hero of China too. But you are a big zero for India. You are a hero for our enemies. China is in a disadvantageous position and is using the Congress''s shoulders to fire at India... This is a classic definition of anti-India stand." Surjewala alleged that Modi is "scared" of even naming China but the BJP is lecturing others. Patra also cited Gandhi''s meeting with the Chinese envoy during the Doklam crisis and alleged donations to the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation by the Chinese embassy here to attack the opposition party. Patra said Gandhi had described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as "scared" of China and had suggested that Modi had surrendered, adding that now the enemy is "using" the Congress leader to target India. "The name Xi Jinping now sounds a lot like Sonia Xin and Rahul Ping," he said, mocking the Congress leaders. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, September 5, 2020, 20:31 [IST] Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, says the social media giant is taking steps to not contribute to potential nationwide fallout from the November contest Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg sounded the alarm during an interview with Axios on HBO about the heightened risk of violence or civil unrest that could potentially occur during the time frame between election night and when the presidential winner is announced. I think the country is very charged right now, so I think, regardless of what we do, theres some chance that this happens across the country. I just want to make sure we do our part to not contribute to it, said Zuckerberg, referring to the civil unrest that might take place after the election. The comments were made in a taped interview set to air on HBO Tuesday night. Read More: Republican congressman threatens to kill protesters in Facebook post Zuckerberg said that Facebook is trying to make sure that we do our part to guarantee that any post-election unrest is not organized on Facebooks platform. The company is set to ban all new political ads in the week before the election, as well as upgrade its policies around voting misinformation. Mark Zuckerberg (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, polls show that most Republicans prefer the ballot box and most Democrats are opting to vote by mail. A Democratic data group warned of the possibility of a red mirage in which Trump could appear to be winning on election night, resulting in him declaring victory. However, after the mail-in ballots have been sufficiently counted, Democratic nominee Joe Biden could end up as the winner, which could lead to Trump refusing to accept his loss and could also result in chaos erupting around the country. Read More: Twitter, Facebook censor Trump accounts over coronavirus misinformation During the civil unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Facebook came under scrutiny when it refused to block Kenosha-Guard, a self-described militia group and a Facebook event that encouraged a call to arms directly before two protestors were killed. Story continues According to BuzzFeed News, hundreds of users reported the event to Facebook, but the company stated that the page did not violate their policies. Zuckerberg later acknowledged that Facebooks stance was an operational mistake. Have you subscribed to theGrios podcast Dear Culture? Download our newest episodes now! The post Facebooks Mark Zuckerberg warns of Election Day-related violence, civil unrest appeared first on TheGrio. The Esplanade Court has sent actor Rhea Chakraborty's brother Showik and her associate Samuel Miranda to the Narcotics Control Bureau's (NCB) custody till September 9. The Esplanade Court sent actor Rhea Chakrabortys brother Showik and her associate Samuel Miranda, who were arrested yesterday under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in a case related to actor Sushant Singh Rajputs death, to the Narcotics Control Bureaus (NCB) custody till September 9. The court also sent Kaizen Ibrahim, who was arrested in the same case to 14-day judicial custody. NCB deputy director KPS Malhotra on Friday said that Showik and Miranda have been arrested under sections 20 B, 27 A, 28, and 29 of the NDPS Act. Zaid Vilatra, an alleged drug peddler was arrested after NCB uncovered his linkages with Abbas Lakhani, who was apprehended after a raid in which bud (curated marijuana) was seized from him. In the Esplanade Court on September 3, the NCB argued that Vilatra was arrested in connection with the actors death. Also read: Sushant Singh Rajput death case LIVE news updates: Showik, Miranda sent to NCB custody till September 9 Also read: With highest single-day spike of over 86k cases, Indias Covid-19 tally breaches 40L mark While arguing the remand application of Vilatra on Thursday, the Special Public Prosecutor for the NCB told the Magistrate that the drug case is connected to Rajuputs death case. Meanwhile, Vilatra and Abdul Basit Parihar, who was held in the same case have applied for bail in Mumbai Sessions Court. Vilatra has been sent to the NCB custody till September 9. Their lawyer Tarak Sayyad also reached the NCB office to serve them a notice for the same. Parihar was arrested based on Vilatras statement. Later, Ibrahim was nabbed after Parihars statement. According to the NCB, Vilatra disclosed that he has been into drug peddling especially bud (curated marijuana), through which he used to earn a substantial amount of money. The NCB launched an investigation after it received official communication from Enforcement Directorate (ED), in which there were various chats related to drug consumption, procurement, usage and transportation in connection with the Sushant Singh Rajput case. The agency had said that linkages of Parihar with the earlier registered i.e., based on the preliminary enquiry on the details submitted by ED, were found. The ED had on July 31 registered an Enforcement Case Information Report in the late actors death case after a First Information Report (FIR) was filed by Rajputs father KK Singh against Rhea Chakraborty in Bihar on July 28. Rajput was found dead at his Mumbai residence on June 14. Also read: 15 districts across 5 states exhibiting high Covid-19 caseload: Centre directs to bring mortality below 1 pc NOVO PROGRESSO, Brazil (AP) In May, facing urgent international demands for action after a string of massive wildfires in the Amazon, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro put the army in charge of protecting the rainforest. Instead, The Associated Press has found, the operation dubbed as Green Brazil 2 has had the opposite effect. Under military command, Brazils once-effective but recently declining investigation and prosecution of rainforest destruction by ranchers, farmers and miners has come to a virtual halt, even as this years burning season picks up. The Brazilian army appears to be focusing on dozens of small road-and-bridge-building projects that allow exports to flow faster to ports and ease access to protected areas, opening the rainforest to further exploitation. In the meantime, there have been no major raids against illegal activity since Bolsonaro required military approval for them in May, according to public officials, reporting from the area and interviews with nine current and former members of Brazils environmental enforcement agency. The AP also found that: The number of fines issued for environmental crimes has been cut by almost half since four years ago, especially under Bolsonaro. Two high-ranking officials from IBAMA, the environmental agency, say they have stopped using satellite maps to locate deforestation sites and fine their owners __ a once-widely used technique. IBAMA officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the press. IBAMA is no longer penalizing the heads of big networks of illegal logging, mining and farming, according to two other officials. Meat packers who sell beef from deforested areas now operate freely, according to three IBAMA officials. The order putting the military in charge of fighting deforestation was initially due to end in June, but it was recently extended by Bolsonaro until November despite widespread criticism that it is making the problem worse. Story continues At stake is the fate of the forest itself, and hopes of limiting global warming. Experts say blazes and deforestation are pushing the worlds largest rainforest toward a tipping point, after which it will cease to generate enough rainfall to sustain itself. About two-thirds of the forest would then begin an irreversible, decades-long decline into tropical savanna. The Amazon has lost about 17% of its original area and, at the current pace, will reach a tipping point in the next 15 to 30 years, said Carlos Nobre, a prominent climatologist. Bolsonaros office and IBAMA did not respond to requests for comment, but Bolsonaro declared in May that our effort is great, enormous in fighting fires and deforestation. He also called reports of the forest on fire a lie. Brazils Defense Ministry defended its record, saying its deployment was an operation of multiple agencies involving 2,090 people a day, along with 89 vehicles and 19 ships. Those figures are rising by the day, as resources become available and operations are gradually intensified, the ministry said. It said the operation had led to the destruction of 253 machines involved in illegal logging as of Aug. 24 but did not specify what type of machines or say anything about other illegal activities like mining. While the threat under Bolsonaros administration is the latest and most severe, efforts to preserve the Amazon have been struggling for years. In the 2003-2011 administration of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Brazil developed a multi-agency plan to slow Amazon deforestation that worked well, according to virtually all observers. That ended in 2012 when the government of his successor, Dilma Rousseff, pardoned illegal deforestation prior to 2008, among other measures that emboldened violators. Many believe Bolsanaro will issue new pardons. IBAMA once had more than 1,300 agents. That has dropped to about 600 since 2012, when the agency stopped hiring under Rousseff in an attempt to rein in spending. In the field, IBAMA has hundreds of inspectors who are supposed to conduct investigations, raid illegal sites, issue fines, destroy equipment and request arrests by local and federal police, along with a corps of temporary contract firefighters. But after the last major raid by IBAMA against illegal mining in April, the two inspectors in charge were fired by the environment ministry, allegedly for political-ideological bias. In 2016, the year Rousseff's successor Michel Temer took office, there were almost 10,000 fines nationwide for environmental crimes, according to IBAMAs website. In 2019, the first year of the Bolsonaro presidency, that shrank to 7,148. In the first six months of 2020, it stood at 3,721. There is a reduction in fines because the president doesnt like them, campaigns against them, an IBAMA inspector based in the Amazon said. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak with the press by agency heads in the capital, Brasilia. Appointees to local IBAMA offices know that, the official said. If a given unit fines too much, they get a call from Brasilia. Another IBAMA agent who has organized hundreds of raids nationwide said the agency also is no longer investigating the heads of big networks of illegal logging, mining and farming. That type of high-end investigative work slowed down under Temer, with some prominent exceptions, and stopped entirely under Bolsonaro, with new regional leaders of IBAMA offices tending to be former or active military or police officials seconded to civilian positions. A simple but effective change could be issuing fines to land owners through satellite imagery-aided investigation. An IBAMA specialist on data said 70% of deforestation in many areas can be located on aerial maps by Brazils space agency. That alone would allow IBAMA to find who owns the land in question and then try hold the owners accountable. That is not happening under the army, agency veterans said. We are not even trying now, one high-ranking official said. _____ AP reporters Tatiana Pollastri, Marcelo Sousa and Ricardo Coletta contributed to this report from Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia. As many as 3,543 new COVID-19 cases were reported in in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of positive cases in the state to 1,20,221, the health department informed on Saturday. The total figure includes 90,331 people who have recovered and 29,299 active cases. So far, 538 lives have been claimed by the infectious virus. Meanwhile, India registered the highest single-day jump of 86,432 new cases taking the national caseload past the 40-lakh mark, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. With 1,089 more deaths in the last 24 hours, the cumulative toll reached 69,561. The total case tally stands at 40,23,179 including 8,46,395 active cases and 31,07,223 cured/discharged/migrated. (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.) KEY FACTS 1:39 p.m. Quebec is reporting 175 new cases today, along with two new deaths related to the coronavirus. 11:12 a.m. Ontario is reporting 169 new cases today, with Peel Region, Toronto and Ottawa each reporting dozens of new diagnoses. 8 a.m. Fifteen people have tested positive for COVID-19 after attending church services in Toronto and Vaughan. The latest coronavirus news from Canada and around the world Saturday. This file will be updated throughout the day. Web links to longer stories if available. 8:00 p.m. Two organizations in Manitoba are currently developing learning strategies to help Indigenous families during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Manitoba Metis Federation is developing a homeschooling plan to help parents who prefer to keep their children at home because of safety concerns. Eligible families will receive Food for Thought hampers, including school supplies delivered to their front door, as well as access to tutors. The federation will ensure teachers record online seminars which will be posted for all age groups. Whether your child is required to stay home due to health concerns or you are being cautious because of the threat of COVID, it is critical that children further their education either at home or school, said Joan Ledoux, minister of education for the Manitoba Metis Federation, in a written statement. As well, the Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre is working on a remote learning strategy for more than 30 of its schools. We have the ability to provide a blended model for schools. We will be supporting our schools and teachers by preparing essential packages. These packages will be grade-level packages that they can use in their schools if they wish, said Executive Director Charles Cochrane. The packages provided will contain not only academic, literacy and numeracy components, but will include a blend of First Nations culture, traditional values and languages. 6:30 p.m. There are now 131,319 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Canada. Here is the breakdown by province: Quebec: 63,117 confirmed (including 5,767 deaths) Ontario: 43,003 (2,811 deaths) Alberta: 14,474 (242 deaths) British Columbia: 6,162 (211 deaths) Saskatchewan: 1,643 (24 deaths) Manitoba: 1,294 (16 deaths) Nova Scotia: 1,085 (65 deaths) Newfoundland and Labrador: 269 (3 deaths) New Brunswick: 192 (2 deaths) Prince Edward Island: 47 Yukon: 15 Northwest Territories: 5 Nunavut: 0 Repatriated Canadians: 13 6:00 p.m. Four Americans have been fined $500 each for violating emergency orders under the Quarantine Act, reports the RCMP in British Columbia. Spokeswoman Dawn Roberts said a vehicle with Alaska licence plates sparked suspicion in the Vancouver area late last month. After police found the vehicle, they determined the driver and three passengers were in breach of restrictions in place for Americans travelling to and from Alaska through Canada. Such travellers are allowed a reasonable length of time to take the most direct route to their destination, and receive a tag for their rear-view mirror that indicates the date they must leave the country. Roberts says it appears the four Alaskans werent on the most direct path to Washington state, and were in B.C. outside the prescribed timeline. The four travellers were escorted to the Peace Arch border crossing and Roberts says there was no indication they posed a public health risk. She said similar situations have so far been rare. We believe the majority of citizens that are either travelling in B.C. because theyre deemed essential service, or theyre transiting through British Columbia, have been compliant, Roberts said. Read the full story here. 1:42 p.m. Ontarios education minister is aiming to reassure parents that his provinces school reopening plan is different from Quebecs, where 47 schools have at least one case of COVID-19 since opening. Stephen Lecce responded Saturday to a report from the Quebec government that showed dozens of schools including preschool, elementary, secondary and adult career centres reported one or more infections between Aug. 26 and Sept. 3. Lecce says Ontario has mandated masking in classrooms while Quebec has not, and more than 600 public health nurses will be stationed in Ontario schools this fall. Speaking at an event in Toronto, Lecce urged parents to actively screen their children for virus symptoms before sending them to school. The Ontario government has been under increasing pressure to reduce class sizes at the elementary level to enhance physical distancing. 1:39 p.m. Quebec is reporting 175 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, along with two new deaths related to the coronavirus. The Ministry of Health and Social Services says 68 new cases cropped up on the island of Montreal, pushing the total there past 30,000 since the start of the outbreak. Thirteen cases were reported in Laval today and 29 in the region of Monteregie. The ministry says the two deaths occurred between Aug. 29 and Sept. 3. Quebec is now reporting a total of 63,292 confirmed cases of the virus, while the death toll stands at 5,769 more than any other province in both categories. 1:11 p.m. The head of Britains civil service is telling public sector bosses to get staff back to the office, as the government seeks to revive city centres. Cabinet Secretary Mark Sedwill has written to government department chiefs strongly encouraging an increased workplace attendance and saying 80 per cent of civil servants should be working from the office at least part time by the end of September. The government urged people to work from home when the country went into lockdown in March to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Society is gradually reopening, but many people remain reluctant to return to workplaces and public transport. Thats bad news for downtown cafes, shops and restaurants that rely on commuters for trade. The number of new coronavirus infections in the U.K. is rising. Unions say the need for social distancing makes a full-time return to offices impractical. Dave Penman, head of civil service union FDA, says the government needs to accept that the world of work had changed for good. 12:45 p.m. The personal doctor of Silvio Berlusconi has expressed cautious but reasonable optimism for the former Italian leaders recovery from the coronavirus. The 83-year-old Berlusconi is hospitalized in Milan after testing positive this week. Dr. Alberto Zangrillo said in a written statement Saturday that Berlusconis clinical condition remains stable. Zangrillo said Friday, several hours after Berlusconi was admitted to San Raffaele hospital, that his patient has an early stage lung infection and was breathing on his own. 11:12 a.m. Ontario is reporting 169 new cases of COVID-19 today, with Peel Region, Toronto and Ottawa each reporting dozens of new diagnoses. There were also 106 cases newly marked as resolved in Saturdays provincewide report. The total number of cases in Ontario now stands at 43,003, which includes 2,811 deaths and 38,847 cases marked as resolved. (The Stars own count, which differs somewhat, will be updated after regional health units report today.) Health Minister Christine Elliott says Peel Region is reporting 46 new cases, Toronto has 42 and Ottawa has 30 new cases. She says 28 of the provinces 34 public health units are reporting five or fewer new cases. The province was able to complete 28,672 tests over the previous day. 10:25 a.m. With the coronavirus spreading through U.S. colleges at alarming rates, universities are scrambling to find quarantine locations in dormitory buildings and off-campus properties to isolate the thousands of students who have caught COVID-19 or been exposed to it. Sacred Heart University has converted a 34-room guest house at the former Connecticut headquarters of General Electric to quarantine students. The University of South Carolina ran out of space at a dormitory for quarantined students and began sending them to rooms it rented in hotel-like quarters at a training centre for prosecutors. The Air Force Academy sent 400 cadets to hotels to free up space on its Colorado base for quarantines. The actions again demonstrate how the virus has uprooted traditional campus life amid a pandemic that has killed nearly 200,000 people in the U.S. and proven to be especially problematic for universities since the start of the school year. Many colleges quickly scrapped in-person learning in favour of online after cases began to spike, bars have been shut down in college towns, and students, fraternities and sororities have been repeatedly disciplined for parties and large gatherings. Health officials such as White House coronavirus task force member Dr. Deborah Birx have been urging colleges to keep students on campus to avoid them infecting members of their family and community. Read the full story here. 9.20 a.m. Police in Australias hardest-hit state of Victoria made several arrests among a crowd of about 300 people protesting the lockdown in Melbourne, as the countrys death toll rose to 748. Victoria reported 11 more deaths and 76 new infections. The Melbourne restrictions, including a night curfew, were put in place in an attempt to reduce a huge spike in infections and deaths. Police earlier urged people to adhere to restrictions on community movement. But four men were arrested and charged with incitement over the so-called Freedom Day protests planned for several Melbourne locations. 8 a.m. Fifteen people have tested positive for COVID-19 after attending church services in Toronto and Vaughan. Public health officials in Toronto and York Region say the exposures occurred at a pair of Miracle Arena for All Nations events. The health units say several people who attended services at both locations on Aug. 16 were contagious with COVID-19. They also believe there may have been others at the services who had the virus and were contagious. The health units say anyone who has attended these events should monitor for COVID-19 symptoms until Sept. 18. They have also followed up with all known close contacts of the identified cases and directed them to self-isolate for 14 days and go for testing. Read the full story here. 6:47 a.m. Indias coronavirus caseload surpassed four million on Saturday, deepening misery in the countrys vast hinterlands, where surges have crippled the underfunded health-care system. Initially, the virus ravaged Indias sprawling and densely populated cities. It has since stretched to almost every state, spreading through villages and small towns. With a population of nearly 1.4 billion, Indias massive caseload isnt surprising experts. The countrys delayed response to the virus forced the government to implement a strict lockdown in late March. For more than two months, the economy remained shuttered, buying time for health workers to prepare for the worst. But with the cost of the restrictions also rising, authorities saw no choice but to reopen businesses and everyday activities. Most of Indias cases are in western Maharashtra state and the four southern states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka. But new surges are popping up elsewhere. The 86,432 cases added in the past 24 hours pushed Indias total to 4,023,179. Brazil has confirmed 4,091,801 infections, while the U.S. has had 6,200,186 cases, according to Johns Hopkins University. Indias Health Ministry on Saturday also reported 1,089 deaths for a total of 69,561. 5 a.m. The coronavirus pandemic has hit Mexico so hard that the governments of several states ran out of death certificates. Officials said Friday the federal forms started running out about 15 to 20 days ago in at least three states Baja California, the State of Mexico and Mexico City. Authorities say a million new forms have been printed and are being distributed. The certificates are printed with special characteristics because falsification has been a problem in the past. Mexico has suffered the fourth-highest level of COVID-19 deaths in the world. On Friday, the number of confirmed cases rose by 6,196 to 623,090, while deaths rose by 522 to 66,851. Cases in Mexico now appear to have plateaued and are no longer decreasing. 5 a.m. President Donald Trump is urging Americans to remain vigilant about the coronavirus over the Labor Day weekend. Trump said at a White House briefing Friday that we need everybody to be careful and to apply common sense in their interactions with one another. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nations top infectious disease expert, said this week that several Midwestern states that have seen jumps in coronavirus caseloads should be especially vigilant during the holiday weekend. They are North Dakota, South Dakota, Arkansas, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Missouri. Past increases in cases of COVID-19 have followed the Memorial Day and Fourth of July holidays. Trump is eager to put the pandemic in the past, but he tells Americans to lets just try to get through this one weekend. Friday Sept. 4 5 p.m. Ontarios regional health units are reporting another 128 COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, according to the Stars latest count. As has been the case this week, the vast majority of the new cases came in the GTA, where Toronto reported another 43 new cases, Peel Region added 32 and York Region 22. Among Ontarios 34 health units, Ottawa was the only other to report in the double digits, with 13 new cases. As the rate of infection has gone up steadily inside the GTA since early August, most of the rest of the province has seen cases continue to slow. Overall, Ontario has seen an average of 132 cases reported daily over the last week. The same seven-day average hit a recent low of 85 cases a day on Aug. 16. Even with the recent increases, the rate of infection remains well below the worst of the pandemic; Ontario saw that seven-day case average reach a mid-April peak of nearly 600 cases daily. Correction Sept. 5, 2020: An earlier version of the headline mistakenly said Indias death toll had surpassed four million; it was the case toll. Read more about: Melbourne: Australian government has advised its citizens travelling to India to ensure their trip is planned in such a way so as not to depend on the availability of cash, claiming that some visitors are facing difficulties in exchanging 100 dollar notes in India after demonetisation. In the latest advisory issued on Thursday, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) said, Indian authorities have replaced withdrawn 500 and 1,000 notes with new 500 and 2,000 rupee notes slowly entering circulation. Withdrawals from ATMs are subject to a daily limit of 4,500 rupees (around 90 Australian dollars), which applies to international bank cards. Expect queues and cash shortages at ATMs and note that many ATMs will not accept cards issued by foreign banks. Foreigners are permitted to exchange foreign currency up to 5,000 rupees (around 100 Australian dollars) per week at banks and foreign exchange bureaus. It advised travellers to use electronic payments such as bank and credit cards wherever possible. Due to the ongoing uncertainty of obtaining cash, ensure your trip is planned in such a way so as not to depend on the availability of cash, it said. Be aware that some travellers have reported difficulties in exchanging 100 dollar notes for local currency in India, it also said. However, the overall advisory of exercising high degree of caution while travelling to India was kept unchanged for the travellers. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. President Akufo-Addo has expressed disgust at recent ethnocentric comments by former President John Dramanin Mahama. In a post on his official Facebook wall, Monday, August 31, 2020 endorsing the position of the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bongo, Isaac Adongo on the much talked-about Agyapa Royalties Agreement, Mahama wrote An interesting piece from Hon. Isaac Adongo on the Agyapa Deal. Agyapa Royalties fraud is the last straw: The Akyem Sakawa Boys and Grandpas must go. The comment was seen by some as distasteful, especially coming from a man who has presided over the administration of Ghana and seeking reelection, even though the members of his party, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) saw nothing wrong with it. An obviously unhappy Akufo-Addo could not hide his feelings when the opportunity presented itself Friday evening. This was when members of the Catholic Bishops Conference led by its President, Most Reverend Phillip Naameh, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Tamale called on him at the Jubilee House and among other things reiterated their call on political actors to ensure decorum and courtesy to their political opponents in how they present themselves before the citizens. There is no need to denigrate, debase and dehumanize others to justify your own ability to perform, Naameh told the President whilst encouraging him to ensure that those who speak, advocate and campaign for him commit to respecting his values and etiquette. Concerns That, however did not seem to have gone that down well with President Akufo-Addo, saying this name-calling and insulting seems to be a feature of Ghanaian public life; but sometimes we will hope that when things come out, people will comment on them. He then went on to say the comment made by my opponent 'Akyem Sakawa people' I've not heard any public figure in this country independent, ourselves or anybody comment on it; its completely unacceptable. That, he said was because if I was to get up to make a comment about Northerners or Gonjas, you can imagine the uproar there will be in the country. However, he said a Presidential candidate, a former President of Ghana you can call a group of Ghanaians 'sakawa' people and it involves the group from which the sitting President comes and thatthat statement goes without comment and in the same time, we hear these statements 'let's all try and bring the politics of insults to an end' etcetera. Disappointment I'm very very disturbed by this remark that the former President Mahama made that Akyem people are 'sakawa' people and up till today, I've not heard any senior citizen of this country, lay, religious, civil society organization, public think tank reprimand him for that statement, he said whilst asking rhetorically what can be the basis of such a remark. It's a public act that you have a problem with, fair enough but that the people who are doing it had given this ethnic branding, it cannot be right, he noted with deep-seated concern, saying thats the kind of language that we dont want in our politics. President Akufo-Addo then told the Catholic Bishops I am a hundred percent on the same wavelength as you as to kind of politics that will make sense in our but Im very keen also Archbishop that when things happen, we deal with each mother on its merits, dont worry ourselves whether the person is government or position or this or that or whether their political persuasion is fine, insisting if what they have said is unacceptable, it should be pointed out that it is unacceptable; it goes for me. Worry The President opens his mouth and says something which is unacceptable, he should be reprimanded and in same way opposition politicians, people in the public space comment if they conduct themselves by their utterances in an unacceptable manner they should be brought to book; they should be reprimanded so that we all know that the goal that we are seeking is one about a sanitized public space where we debate issues, are the ones that dominate our public life, was his belief. Meanwhile, he said occasions can be given where specific comments can be made and nothing happens and then its lost; it's lost in the generalities. He therefore noted, we need to focus on this matter in an even-handed way. His reason was that I get the impression that because of the unfortunate in some ways authoritarian origins of our state in this area where it was considered dangerous to criticize government, the pendulum has now swung the other way where government is the only group you can criticize, if you criticize government, no matter what you say it's legitimate. Interestingly however he indicated that if government was to respond, this time round illegitimate; media freedom is interpreted as meaning the freedom to criticize others, but you cant criticize the press if for instance they step out of bounds or they conduct themselves in an irresponsible manner. So all of this, Im trying to say that it's a package we all have to look at dispassionately and act on this issues when they occur, the President advised. ---Daily Guide Christine Forster arrives ahead of the Australian LGBTI Awards 2017 at Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia on March 2, 2017. (Brendon Thorne/Getty Images) Bigotry Allegations Against Former Aussie Prime Minister Dishonest: Sister Sydney Councillor Christine Forster has called the comments of British pundits and politicians cheap political potshots after they labelled her brother, former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, a misogynist and a homophobe. The pundits comments came after Abbot gave a speech at the British think-tank Policy Exchange. Abbott was in London to be appointed as a trade envoy for the United Kingdom. He will serve as one of 12 advisers to the United Kingdoms Board of Trade. Former Australian PM Tony Abbott arrives for the fourth day of the Conservative Party Conference 2016 at the ICC Birmingham in Birmingham, England on Oct. 5, 2016. (Carl Court/Getty Images) Refuting jibes against Abbott, Forster wrote on Twitter: It is nothing short of dishonest for commentators and politicians who do not know Tony to label him a homophobe and misogynist for the purposes of scoring cheap political points. As a woman who has always been part of his life and who came out to him as gay in my early 40s, I know incontrovertibly that Tony is neither of those things. In reality he is a man of great conviction and intellect: an unabashed conservative but with great compassion, respect for others, and an indelible sense of doing what is right. Forster said her brother would make an outstanding trade envoy for the UK, and cited his achievements while prime minister in bringing about trade deals with Japan, China, and South Korea. While the Chinese Communist Party continues to use its tactic of diplomatic coercion against Australiajeopardising trade in barley, beef, and tourismtrade with Japan and South Korea has grown since Abbots term as prime minister between 2013 and 2015. Australias Minister for Finance Mathias Cormann speaks during a press conference in Sydney in this file image. (William West/AFP/Getty Images) Finance minister, Senator Mathias Cormann, who served in the role even under Abbott, also lept to his defence. From where I sit, Tony Abbott is clearly a giant on Australian politics who has made a great contribution over a long time, Cormann told Sky News on Sept. 4. Not everyone will agree with him, but people are entitled to their views, and thats the way things work in a democracy, he said. During an interview on Sky News on Sept. 3, UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock was pressed by host Kay Burley whether Abbot was the right person for the trade ambassador position given his alleged views. Is Tony Abbott the right person to represent useven if hes a homophobic misogynist? she asked. Hancock shutdown the claims and reiterated that Abbott was appointed for his experience and expertise. We need to have the best experts in the world, working in their field, he said. Tory MP Caroline Nokes and UK Opposition International Trade Minister Emily Thornberry also weighed criticsed Abbott for his alleged views. Nokes said: He has very poor views on LGBTQ rights, and I just dont think this is a man that should be anywhere near our border trade. Julia Gillard speaks in parliament in Canberra, during her time Australia on June 26, 2013. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft) Tony Abbott and his family have faced accusations of him being a misogynist for over seven years, which were sparked after an infamous parliamentary debate in 2013 with then Prime Minister Julia Gillard. She claimed Abbott, then the Liberal opposition leader, had made inappropriate comments towards her at a previous encounter. He denied the claims and says the Labor ministers comments were politically motivated. Bhubaneswar, Sep 5 : A minor girl was allegedly gang-raped by seven persons, including three police personnel and two persons from an electronic media outlet in the Odisha capital during the lockdown period, police said on Saturday. The matter came to light after the girl's mother lodged an FIR with the Mahila police station recently. Bhubaneswar Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Umashankar Dash informed that the girl's mother had lodged a complaint regarding the gang-rape at the Mahila police station here on August 30. "On August 30, a woman lodged a complaint with Mahila police alleging that her minor girl was gang-raped between March and April. On that basis, a case has been registered under various sections of the IPC and POCSO Act," said the DCP. In her complaint she mentioned about the involvement of two people from the electronic media and two security personnel, added Dash. During the investigation, the girl in her statement informed about the involvement of one policeman and his two associates. The DCP said the case has been handed over to the Investigating Unit for Crime Against Women dealing with cases related to women and children. Don MacVicars term on the Hamilton Police Services Board has come to an end. Local MPP Donna Skelly informed him Thursday morning his five-year term wouldnt be extended despite his desire to stay on, he told the board. MacVicar is a well-known community development activist, founding member of the Robert Land Community Association and former record-setting powerlifter. It has been a privilege to serve alongside each and every one of you, MacVicar, who joined the board in 2015, told fellow members. This leaves a vacancy on the board that normally includes three city council members, three provincial appointees and one municipal appointee. MacVicars term has coincided with turbulent times, most recently related to polices response to violence at Pride celebrations in 2019 and calls to defund the budget. Critics have also pointed to the boards mostly white male membership and missed chances to widen its diversity and relevant expertise. In March 2019, provincial appointee Geordie Elms, a former commanding officer of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, joined the board. Then council tapped Fred Bennink, retired president of Zip Signs, who is also white. Pat Mandy, a health-care industry professional and member of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, is another provincial appointee. On Thursday, Coun. Tom Jackson, whos Armenian-Canadian, said he was very disappointed in the provinces decision. Coun. Chad Collins praised MacVicar for his calming demeanour and presence. Mayor Fred Eisenberger, chair of the board, said he was equally disappointed. Stephen Warner, a spokesperson for Solicitor General Sylvia Jones, said in an email the ministry makes every effort to ensure that there is a strong pool of candidates of diverse backgrounds for consideration ... We thank Donald MacVicar for his service on the Hamilton police services board. The ministry expects to announce a new appointee in the very near future. As is the case with all provincial appointments, we will be appointing a capable and committed member who reflects the diversity found in the community and who is committed to keeping their community safe. police has launched a probe following reports that five people, who had gone hunting in a forest in Upper Subansiri district on the Sino-India border, were allegedly kidnapped by the Chinese military, a senior official said on Saturday. The alleged incident occurred on Friday in Nacho area of the district, their families said. Two others, who were in the group, managed to escape and informed police. "I have sent the officer-in-charge of the Nacho police station to the area to verify the facts and directed him to report immediately. However, the report will be available only by Sunday morning," Superintendent of Police Taru Gussar said. Those allegedly kidnapped have been identified as Toch Singkam, Prasat Ringling, Dongtu Ebiya, Tanu Baker and Ngaru Diri. All of them belong to the Tagin community. Their family members living at district headquarters Daporijo said some of their relatives had left for Nacho Saturday morning to discuss the matter with the Indian Army. Nacho is around 120 kilometers from the district headquarters. The families urged the authorities to take steps to bring them back. The Army could not be reached for comments. Pasighat West MLA Ninong Ering said that befitting reply must be given the China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) for the incident. Five people from Upper Subansiri district of our state have reportedly been abducted by Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA). Few months earlier, a similar incident happened. A befitting reply must be given to #PLA and #CCPChina. @PMOIndia, he tweeted. In March, a 21-year-old man was abducted by the PLA from Asapila sector near the McMahon line. While his two friends managed to escape, Togley Sinkam was taken away at gunpoint, his family had said. After 19 days in captivity, the youth was released by the Chinese Army. Presidential Candidate for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama has slammed the sitting President Nana Akufo-Addo for expressing anger over Akyem Sakawa Boys he reposted on his Facebook timeline a few days ago. President Akufo-Addo has condemned and complained to Catholic Bishops at a meeting at the Jubilee House after Mr. Mahama shared an article by lawmaker Isaac Adongo which used the labelling Akyem Sakawa Boys for some individuals in government. Archbishop, this name-calling seems to be a feature of Ghanaian public life. But sometimes, when things come out, we would hope that you will comment on them. The comment made by my opponent, Akyem Sakawa people, I have not heard any public figure, independent person, yourselves, comment on it. It is completely unacceptable. If I were to get up to make comments about Northerners or Gonjas, you can imagine the uproar that would be in the country. Presidential candidate, a former President of Ghana, you can call a group of Ghanaians Sakawa people, and it involves the group for which the sitting President comes, and that statement goes without comment, and at the same time we hear all these statements, let all try and bring the politics of insults to an end, the President bemoaned. But former President Mahama reacting to the complaint of President Akufo-Addo in an interview with XYZ in Wa said that the posture of the President before the Catholic Bishops is not the best as a leader. He added that temperament in leadership is very important, thus, President Akufo-Addo should learn to control his anger in public as he seemed very angry when talking to the Catholic Bishops in a meeting at the Jubilee House. There are many things a president should attempt to and you must not seem to appear in public to have lost your cool. He seems very angry, thats cool, I think he should maintain his temperament to come across as a good leader, he said. It is important to point out that no one has described his [Akufo-Addo] ethnic group or any other ethnic group as in the manner in which the President mounts this complaint. He, however, explained that sharing the post of one of his finest and brilliant MPs from Bolgatanga Central, Hon. Isaac Adongo, describing certain people in the Akufo-Addo government as Akyem Sakawa Boys. What I remember is that I shared the post of one of our finest and brilliant MPs from Bolgatanga Central, Isaac Adongo. In that post, Adongo described certain people in the Akufo-Addo governmentyou know he has a lot of his friends and members of the family in his government so Isaac Adongo described those people behind a certain shady deal in the government in that particular manner. In the first place, the National Chairman of my party, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, is an Akyem and so are so many leading members and supporters of the NDC. When I was a President, I appointed a lot of Akyemsthe head of the NDC manifesto drafting committee, Prof Danso Boafo is an Akyem and they have all contributed to our government and our forward march to recapture power in December he said. Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here Donald Trump made multiple disparaging remarks about members of the US military who had been captured or killed, and referred to the American war dead at the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery in France as losers and suckers, according to reports. The president said the story, first reported in The Atlantic, is totally false. A senior Defence Department official with first-hand knowledge of events and a senior Marine Corps officer who was told about Mr Trumps comments confirmed some of the remarks to the Associated Press, including the cemetery incident. The officials said he made the comments as he begged off visiting the cemetery outside Paris during a meeting following his presidential daily briefing on the morning of November 10 2018. Staff from the National Security Council and the Secret Service told Mr Trump that rainy weather made helicopter travel to the cemetery risky, but they could drive there. He responded by saying he did not want to visit the cemetery because it was filled with losers, the official said. At the time the White House blamed the cancelled visit on poor weather. In another conversation on the trip, The Atlantic said, Mr Trump referred to the 1,800 marines who died in the First World War battle of Belleau Wood as suckers for getting killed. He denied the Atlantic report, calling it a disgraceful situation by a terrible magazine. Speaking to reporters after he returned to Washington from a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, Mr Trump said: I would be willing to swear on anything that I never said that about our fallen heroes. There is nobody that respects them more. No animal nobody what animal would say such a thing? He also reiterated the White House explanation of why he did not visit the cemetery. The helicopter could not fly, he said, because of the rain and fog. The Secret Service told me you cant do it. They would never have been able to get the police and everybody else in line to have a president go through a very crowded, very congested area. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said: Its sad the depths that people will go to during a lead-up to a presidential campaign to try to smear somebody. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, whose son served in Iraq, said: If the revelations in todays Atlantic article are true, then they are yet another marker of how deeply President Trump and I disagree about the role of the president of the United States. Read More Suspect in Portland killing shot dead during arrest Duty, honour, country those are the values that drive our service members. I will ensure that our American heroes know that I will have their back and honour their sacrifice always. The defence officials also confirmed to the AP that Mr Trump, on Memorial Day 2017, had gone with chief of staff John Kelly to visit the Arlington Cemetery gravesite of Mr Kellys son Robert, who was killed in 2010 in Afghanistan, and said to Mr Kelly: I dont get it. What was in it for them? The senior Marine Corps officer and The Atlantic, citing sources with first-hand knowledge, also reported that Mr Trump said he did not want to support the August 2018 funeral of Republican senator John McCain, a decorated navy veteran who spent years as a Vietnam prisoner of war, because he was a loser. The Atlantic reported that the president was angered that flags were flown at half-mast for Mr McCain, saying: What the f*** are we doing that for? Guy was a f****** loser. Trump acknowledged Thursday he was never a fan of McCain and disagreed with him, but said he still respected him and approved everything to do with his first-class triple-A funeral without hesitation because I felt he deserved it. In 2015, shortly after launching his presidential candidacy, Mr Trump publicly criticised Mr McCain, saying: Hes not a war hero, and adding:: I like people who werent captured. The magazine said Mr Trump also referred to former president George HW Bush as a loser because he was shot down by the Japanese as a Navy pilot in the Second World War. Yesterday four employees (pictured) of U.S.-headquartered enterprise startup PandaDoc were arrested in Minsk by the Belarus police, in what appears to be an act of state-led retaliation, after the companys founders joined protests against the 26-year-long regime of President Alexander Lukashenko. Lukashenko is widely believed by international observers to have rigged the country's recent elections in his favor, preventing the election of opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. PandaDoc which has raised $51.1 million and is now headquartered in San Francisco after debuting at a TechCrunch Meetup in Berlin in 2013 issued a statement saying their Minsk development office was raided by police and the "Financial Investigation Department" yesterday morning. PandaDoc has released a statement on a new web site, SavePandaDoc, outlining the incident, saying employees had been prevented from leaving the office, refused access to lawyers and a director was taken away by police. One of the founders of the company, Mikita Mikado, who lives in the U.S., has also released a statement to this effect on his Instagram and YouTube. Four of the arrested PandaDoc employees have been charged with embezzling 107,000 BYR ($41,000) from the company and therefore avoiding tax. The employees have been detained for two months. However, PandaDoc released a statement saying: We declare that this accusation is completely untrue and has no basis whatsoever. All activities of the company were carried out in full compliance with the legislation, which is confirmed by repeated international audits and inspections. Now held in custody are: Yulia Shardiko, Chief Accountant Dmitry Rabtsevich, Director Victor Kuvshinov, Product Director Vladislav Mikholap, HR Although the company HQ is in San Francisco, it has a large office on the Belarusian High Technologies Park, which was set up by the government supposedly to support the tech industry. Story continues PandaDoc said the police raid was likely linked to the fact that the founders of PandaDoc, in particular Mikado, have protested publicly against the brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protesters by Lukashenko, but have done so strictly in a personal capacity. Mikado recently became a leading voice in the protest movement. He set up an initiative, ProtectBelarus.org, offering financial aid and re-training in the tech industry for Belarusian police officers who had decided to disobey orders to beat and torture protesters. Belarussian police officers are effectively "indentured employees" because they are paid in large sums at the beginning of their contract, but this immediately becomes a debt to the state the moment they decide to break their contract. In a statement, Mikado said that as of August 29th, the platform had received more than 6,000 messages and almost 600 requests for help. The platform is run by volunteers and has no relation to PandaDoc, the company. Mikado said in a statement: We are asking international tech community to support PandaDoc by sharing this message and reaction to it with a #SavePandaDoc tag. There is no more law. The authorities do not even try to act according to the law, they simply fabricate cases for political orders that come from above. And if you thought that this would not affect you, then we can safely assure you of the opposite - it has already affected everyone, the statement reads. We will not be silent anymore! The country is full of legal chaos. The actions of the authorities cannot be called anything except genocide and repression. The further it goes, the longer the road back. And soon there will be a cliff. We demand to immediately release our colleagues, close the criminal case, let the company work normally and bring benefits and income, including to the state. The company now says it will be forced to close the company in Belarus and will begin to establish an alternative to the Park of High Technologies outside the Republic of Belarus. PandaDoc only recently raised $30 million in a Series B extension from One Peak, Microsoft Venture Fund M12 and EBRD Venture Fund. After the Belarusian presidential election on August 9th (which was not recognized as free and fair by the EU, the U.K. and the U.S. due to widely reported and documented vote-rigging in favor of Lukashenko), the police violently cracked down on peaceful protests, leading to six reported deaths and 450 UN-documented cases of police torture. The commerce and industry ministry will on Saturday release the ranking of states and union territories (UTs) in terms of ease of doing business. Steps towards easing the business environment in India: Will release ranking of states based on implementation of business reform action plan tomorrow, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal tweeted. The exercise is aimed at triggering competition among states to improve business climate in order to attract domestic and global investors. The parameters include areas such as construction permit, labour regulation, environmental registration, access to information, land availability and single window system. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) conducts the exercise for all states/UTs under the Business Reform Action Plan (BRAP). In the last ranking released in July 2018, Andhra Pradesh topped the chart, followed by Telangana and Haryana. Irish Water spokesman: 'The teams have intensely investigated and repaired 29 leaks on the towns network to date which is saving 25 mega litres cubed per hour in night leakage flows.' Stock image A senior figure within Wexford County Council has said that the high number of water outages that have occurred in the Enniscorthy town area in recent months was the result of ongoing repair work on the water network. Senior Executive Engineer Tadhg O'Corcora said that a lot of work has been ongoing fixing problems with hydrants and valves to ensure they are all working correctly. In addition, a lot of work has also been taking place to find and repair new and existing leaks within the network. Mr O'Corcora confirmed that in June the network was under a lot of pressure and that a lot of measures had to be taken to prevent the system from reaching tipping point. 'We were doing a lot of night testing to see where the leaks were,' he said. 'That is the reason for most of it and continuing with the work on [existing] leaks that have to be repaired.' Mr O'Corcora also said that a lot of connections had to be fixed in addition to the leaks and he said that for two weeks after the June bank holiday weekend it was necessary to shut off water at night in certain areas to conserve water and that a few 'big leaks' had to be fixed. Mr O'Corcora described the situation as 'a moving target'. 'We have people working in the area and one group is finding and fixing leaks and the other group is fixing the leaks we [know] we do have.' 'We have a lot of work ongoing,' he added. Mr O'Corcora said that the upshot of recent events was that it allowed the local authority to focus a lot of attention on Enniscorthy town. He also said ongoing development was another contributory factor. 'We have a lot of new houses going up as well,' he said. 'It's a moving target and if you have development then you have to improve the services as well,' he added. 'It's a good sign but you are always working to keep up but we need more infrastructure with plant and equipment.' The major water source for Enniscorthy is the Slaney and Mr O'Corcora said it's hoped that services from that will also improve. Work has also been ongoing to replace old lead pipework on the network throughout the town in terms of backyard services. He said that while the situation was 'not in a good place' a few weeks ago, things have improved since and now the main pump is getting a rest at night time which is good. A spokesperson for Irish Water said Irish Water's Leakage Reduction Programme and Wexford County Council's Find and Fix Scheme commenced in Enniscorthy in late June 2020. 'The teams have intensely investigated and repaired 29 leaks on the towns network to-date which is saving 25 mega litres cubed per hour in night leakage flows,' he said. 'These savings are further demonstrated by the reduction of 100 megalitres cubed per day of water at the Edermine borehole [and] a reduction of 400 mega litres cubed of water treated at the Vinegar Hill Water Treatment Plant,' he added. The spokesperson said the pumps are operating 22-hours-a-day as opposed to 24 hours which is saving energy and the towns reservoirs are continuously maintaining their storage capacities. 'When these investigations are carried out, it is necessary to turn water supply off for a period of a few hours but the reward far exceeds the short term interruption and homes and businesses will see a more secure and reliable supply going forward,' he added. The most notable absentees from Colm Bairead's film McGuinness (RTE1) were Mary Lou McDonald, Michelle O'Neill, Gerry Adams - or, indeed, any senior figure in the current Sinn Fein. These same people had no problem flouting social distancing when attending the funeral of IRA hardman Bobby Storey in June, but they kept their distance from this profile of Martin McGuinness, as if aware that reminding viewers of Sinn Fein's links to a violent past might not be the best idea for a party intent on being our next government. Perhaps they weren't asked to participate, but if so that was remiss of the makers, who had no problem in obtaining interviews with Bill Clinton, Tony Blair, Bertie Ahern, Eileen Paisley and other politicians who had dealt with the terrorist-turned-statesman. There was nothing really new in this profile, except perhaps its insistence that, despite McGuinness's declaration of leaving the IRA in 1974, he had remained a central IRA figure for long afterwards and was complicit in many of its atrocities. But then most of us had always assumed that this was the case, just as we had always rolled our eyes whenever Gerry Adams denied direct involvement in the IRA. Read More But if the McGuinness film was moderately interesting, it wasn't the week's most arresting documentary. That honour goes to The Silver Branch (RTE1), an exquisitely shot reverie about landscape and nature and about one man's relationship to the immediate rural world around him. The man in question was Co Clare farmer Patrick McCormack, and Katrina Costello's film accompanied him as he went about his day, while also gradually telling the story of how he and other locals formed the Burren Action Group in the early 1990s to oppose an OPW plan for an interpretive centre on the nearby Mullaghmore mountain. Their decade-long campaign, pursued through the courts, was ultimately successful, but, as McCormack ruefully reflected, it came at a local cost, with some neighbours shunning them to this day. "We paid a price for it - it broke friendships", he said. This was all interesting, but the film's main and most potent focus was on the handsome and charismatic McCormack himself, who raised five children with his American-born wife Cheryl on their Burren farm and whose declared relationship to the land was almost mystical in its intensity. The film was perhaps over-long, but almost every moment of it was visually ravishing, with remarkable footage of birds and animals in their natural habitats, unthreatened by the depredations of tourist-hungry humans and their interpretive centres. Video of the Day For Costello - who comes from a farming background herself and who was director, camera operator and editor - the film was clearly a labour of love, and that shone through in every frame. I really enjoyed the first couple of seasons of Strike (the creation of JK Rowling under the pen name Robert Galbraith), but that was mainly because of the terrific chemistry between Tom Burke as one-legged private eye Cormoran Strike and Holliday Grainger as his plucky sidekick Robin. But in this latest incarnation, Strike: Lethal White (BBC1), chemistry was all that I could clutch on to, and even that was wearing thin as the duo's will-they-won't-they relationship started to get a bit tedious. Oh, just get it on. As for the plot, it seemed to be almost an afterthought and didn't make a lot of sense, though that may have been the result of trying to squeeze a lengthy novel into four hour-long episodes. Maybe it will all become clear in next week's concluding two episodes, but already I've ceased to care. In contrast, I Hate Suzie (Sky Atlantic) grabs you from the start as thirtysomething former child star Suzie Pickles finds her comeback photoshoot for a Disney series derailed when phone pics of her having sex are hacked and downloaded on social media. Her husband is predictably outraged, only to be derided by Suzie's manager, who tells him there's no big deal about people "seeing your dick". Unfortunately, though, it's someone else's dick. Playing Suzie, Billie Piper taps into a grotesque version of her own career and does it with such venomous gusto that you don't know whether to be sympathetic or appalled. Either way, you can't take your eyes off her. As for the besieging media who call to her door, they're portrayed as a ghastly lot. So far I've only watched two of its eight episodes, but you can gorge on the whole lot in one sitting if you like. Elsewhere, how could you not be intrigued by a programme titled Me and My Penis (Channel 4)? Or, then again, why would you want to watch an hour-long succession of male appendages filmed in all their dubious glory? As it happened, the film was more sociological than titillating in intent, with most of the volunteering males confiding their fears and physical insecurities, rather than any priapic boastings, to charmingly avuncular photographer/interviewer Ajamu. Van Morrison turned 75 this week and to honour the occasion we got a re-screening of Van Morrison: Up on Cyprus Avenue (BBC4), a filmed afternoon concert that marked his 70th birthday in 2015. This took place in the tree-lined Belfast avenue immortalised in his great song of the same name, and in truth it was a somewhat staid affair, though it sent me back yet again to his marvellous early albums, from Astral Weeks to Wavelength. Seven months ago, Dr. Brent Roussin took to the microphone in a lecture hall at the University of Manitobas Bannatyne campus in what are now unfathomable conditions for a public health discussion: 50 people, none of whom wore masks, many sitting shoulder to shoulder. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 4/9/2020 (503 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Seven months ago, Dr. Brent Roussin took to the microphone in a lecture hall at the University of Manitobas Bannatyne campus in what are now unfathomable conditions for a public health discussion: 50 people, none of whom wore masks, many sitting shoulder to shoulder. It was a different time, and Roussin, the provinces chief public health officer, was sitting among colleagues in the medical world, trying to execute a gargantuan task: putting into words what he knew and what he didnt know about the novel coronavirus, which had yet to be reported in Manitoba. Every one sat focused, as Roussin stressed the importance of washing hands, using proper cough etiquette, and not panicking. "We know fear and stigma can often be a pathogens greatest ally," he said. At that point, he said, the risk of the virus spreading in Manitoba was low. RUTH BONNEVILLE Dr. Brent Roussin speaks at a public forum on the novel coronavirus on Feb. 5. (Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press files) A few weeks later, the first three cases were confirmed in the province, and daily news conferences involving Roussin and Lanette Siragusa, the chief nursing officer of Shared Health, became regular viewing for concerned Manitobans. With thousands of residents at home, the audience was literally captive, hanging on every word. But as time wears on, risk communications experts and historians say it becomes increasingly difficult to effectively reach the public, even if the risk of infection and transmission continue to be present. Fundamental preventative measures, such as physical distancing and staying home when sick, also can slip from the public consciousness. "In March, we were dealing with the equivalent of a massive heart attack," said Robert Steiner, a former health adviser to prime minister Paul Martin during the SARS outbreak in 2003. He now heads the global journalism program at the University of Torontos school of public health sciences. "But were in a different world now, and were looking at the virus much more like a chronic disease." In other words, as Roussin has repeatedly said, we have to learn to live with COVID-19 and its associated trade-offs. WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Lanette Siragusa, chief nursing officer (left) and Dr. Brent Roussin, chief public health officer giving an update on the coronavirus in March. (John Woods / Winnipeg Free Press files) Dr. Sonja Rasmussen worked for 20 years for the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the U.S. and had leadership roles during outbreaks of the 2009 H1N1 influenza, the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, and Zika virus. She said its always more difficult to capture the publics attention when the threat seems less acute. "I think the hardest thing about emergency response is that youre constantly dealing with new information, but youre also dealing with a population that is in a different place than you are; they arent necessarily thinking about (that information) every day," she said. "You need to figure out a way to get the messages to them in a way that theyll hear them." You need to figure out a way to get the messages to them in a way that theyll hear them. Dr. Sonja Rasmussen Glen Nowak didnt exactly write the book on communication during a pandemic, but he did co-write the chapter on it in the CDCs field epidemiology manual, published in 2019. Nowaks background made him uniquely positioned to contribute to the chapter, which lays out strategies for public health messages that actually reach the public: he holds a masters degree in journalism, a PhD in mass communications, and is a professor of advertising. He spent 14 years working at the CDC, including six as the director of media relations. Hes also the director of the University of Georgias Center for Health and Risk Communications. So he knows a thing or two about the challenges of reaching the public. "One thing is that its dangerous to assume that there is a monolith called the general public" he said. "There are different population groups with different life experiences, different values, and different ways of looking at the world, and that makes it very challenging to do public health communications. Theres rarely an instance where one size, or one message fits all. "As weve seen with COVID-19, theres no such thing as a single message," he said during a phone interview with the Free Press. As weve seen with COVID19, theres no such thing as a single message." Glen Nowak The CDCs guidelines, much like the Canadian federal communications strategy, emphasizes transparency, frequent communications and empathy throughout the pandemic, along with a list of dos and donts. Do: remain calm. Dont: let emotions interfere with your ability to communicate a positive message. Do: focus on the facts. Dont: speculate on hypothetical situations. Do: promise only what you can deliver. Dont: make promises you cannot keep or fail to follow through on promises made. Even if those pieces of advice are followed which is up for debate in Manitoba, where the provincial governments transparency has been criticized communication gets more difficult as time goes on, Nowak said. In the early stages, when the public has less experience with the virus, compliance tends to be relatively high. Over time, Nowak said its not uncommon for people to get complacent, which he said happened with HIV-AIDS and takes place every year with seasonal influenza. "If youre a relatively healthy person, and you have not seen anybody in your network become seriously ill from COVID-19, you might then surmise that this really isnt as significant a health threat as it initially appeared to be," he said. Poll Loading... How closely do you follow the latest information and directives on the pandemic? I watch every news conference, visit the province's dashboard and read every word I catch up daily on the latest developments I'm reasonably informed and know where to look if I need more information If something's important, someone will tell me What's this pandemic everyone's talking about? How closely do you follow the latest information and directives on the pandemic? I watch every news conference, visit the province's dashboard and read every word 7% (103 votes) I catch up daily on the latest developments 61% (860 votes) I'm reasonably informed and know where to look if I need more information 26% (364 votes) If something's important, someone will tell me 2% (29 votes) What's this pandemic everyone's talking about? 3% (47 votes) Total Votes: 1403 View ResultsHide Results That could provide a window into Manitobans changing psyches as the pandemic moved into the summer. In mid-July, there was only a single active case of the coronavirus in Manitoba, making the province the envy of jurisdictions across North America. On July 13, after 13 consecutive days with zero cases recorded, Dr. Roussin held to the message that even if the case count dwindled, the threat of the virus hadnt. "We cant let our guards down," he told reporters. "The low number does set us up for people to think that were done with this virus or that this virus is done with us, and I can assure Manitobans that that is not the case." For the next few weeks, the province continued to enjoy what some called a pandemic holiday. Then August arrived: from Aug. 4 to 31, the number of active cases rose from 50 to 464 an increase of 828 per cent. Dr. Brent Roussin, chief provincial public health officer, speaks to the media about COVID-19 in mid-March. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press files) During a news conference on Aug. 31, Roussin lamented that the average number of contacts per confirmed case had gone up since the start of the pandemic. "To me, that represents stepping back from the fundamentals" of hand-washing and social distancing, he said. Nowak said thats somewhat to be expected: the audience hasnt been able to sustain the same amount of attention as it had in the beginning of the pandemic. "As this thing evolves, you have to evolve your communications and messaging," he said. "So really, you end up in a position that looks a lot more like what commercial marketers face every day," he added. "Really, you end up in a position that looks a lot more like what commercial marketers face every day." Glen Nowak Steiner of U of T said, "Simply repeating the same mantra over and over again wont be effective." So, like Pepsi and Coke, McDonalds or Popeyes, public health officials have to fight for attention. Without the capital resources of those behemoths, the message is at risk of being drowned out, Nowak said. In Manitoba, the provincial government has been criticized heavily for running a $425,000 advertising campaign centred on the tagline, "Ready, Safe, Grow." Its focus shifted to "Know The Facts" once cases began to surge in August. Reach has always been a challenge for public health officials, said Nancy K. Bristow, the chair of the University of Puget Sounds history department and the author of American Pandemic: The Lost Worlds of the 1918 Influenza Epidemic. There are vast parallels between the pandemic of a century ago in which 20 million to 50 million died globally from the Spanish flu and COVID-19 when it comes to public response and public health communications. First, the message was generally to avoid large gatherings and practise proper hygiene. The U.S. surgeon general coined a catchy phrase to prevent the spread of germs: "Cover up each cough and sneeze, if you dont, youll spread disease." Newspaper messaging about the Spanish flu. (The Associated Press) "As influenza spread, public health leaders called for more significant preventative measures that required Americans to change the patterns of their basic lives," Bristow writes. In some locales, common drinking cups were outlawed, overcrowding on public transit was discouraged. Slowly but surely, masks were encouraged for wider use, something 84 per cent of Manitobans would support at all indoor gathering places, according to a recent Probe-EPI poll. But in 1918, even if citizens followed guidelines at the start of the pandemic, it was often the case that they suffered from the same type of compliance fatigue some people feel today, Bristow said. "They were, like us, very co-operative at first," Bristow said, before restrictions were somewhat relaxed and a sense of normalcy returned. "Its a lot of the same dynamics." A good example is San Francisco, where from the relatively early stages of the 1918 influenza, health commissioner William Hassler called for all residents of the city to wear masks on public streets or any place where more than two people assembled, even in their own homes. Anyone who handled or distributed food or clothing had to do the same. "San Franciscans responded enthusiastically, exhausting the supply of masks as quickly as they were offered," Bristow writes. Even before it became law on Nov. 1, the vast majority of citizens obliged. The case count dropped significantly, so much so that observers nationwide took notice, and Hassler hoped to keep the masks mandated until the epidemic ended. Gradually, despite the success of masks to quell the spread of the virus, citizens abandoned wearing them, including the mayor and the chief of the health bureau. By December, with masks in the trash, a new wave started, and infections and deaths surged. Wwinnipeg Free Press carriers wearing masks during the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918. (Winnipeg Free Press archives) Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Hassler appealed to the citizens, Bristow writes, reminding them that only a few weeks earlier, a simple change had turned their fortunes around: after that, 90 per cent of the population failed to return to using masks. "As the epidemic waned, so, too, did Americans willingness to accept governmental intervention in their daily lives," she writes. One constant message from public health officials has been to remind citizens their own fate is in their hands: measures such as keeping physically distant, while difficult, are much more palatable than infection, illness, or death. Its as true today as it was in 1918, and while much of the burden is on public health officials to continue to communicate effectively, public compliance plays an invaluable role in improving the situation in every city, town, or province. As Steiner of U of T said, there are two sides to communication strategies: the people talking, and the people listening. Historian Alfred Crosby, who wrote a definitive book on the 1918 epidemic, said that even the most extensive public education campaigns would be nothing without the co-operation of the public. "If influenza could have been smothered by paper, many lives would have been saved in 1918." ben.waldman@freepress.mb.ca 1 Advertisement This research is one of three studies, published in, that suggests steroids improve survival of the sickest COVID-19 patients. As a result, the World Health Organisation will be issuing new guidelines to include the use of steroids to treat critically ill COVID-19 patients.Professor Gordon, Chair in Anaesthesia and Critical Care at Imperial and a Consultant in Intensive Care Medicine at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, said: "At the beginning of the year at times it felt almost hopeless, knowing that we had no specific treatments. It was a very worrying time. Yet less than six months later, we've found clear, reliable evidence in high quality clinical trials of how we can tackle this devastating disease."The work was funded by the National Institute for Health Research and supported by the NIHR Imperial Biomedical Research Centre.Professor Gordon added: "The studies published show that we now have more than one choice of treatment for those who need it most. Steroids are not a cure, but they help improve outcomes. Having a choice of different types of steroids, all of which seem to improve patient recovery, is great as it helps ease the problem of drug supply issues."NHS chief executive Sir Simon Stevens said: "One of the distinctive benefits of having our NHS is that we've been able to mobilize quickly and at scale to help researchers test and develop proven coronavirus treatments.Just as we did with dexamethasone, the NHS will now take immediate action to ensure that patients who could benefit from treatment with hydrocortisone do so, adding a further weapon in the armoury in the worldwide fight against COVID-19.""These findings offer further evidence that corticosteroids can be an important part of COVID-19 treatment for severe patients."Both the REMAP-CAP and the Bristol University papers show the important work that has been done here in the UK by researchers in making further major contributions towards the international evidence.It is impressive to see so many UK participants willing to take part in studies, and able to volunteer due to the rapid recruitment response of the NIHR's Clinical Research Network. Research such as this will make the difference in controlling this virus."Steroids are anti-inflammatory drugs, and evidence strongly suggests that they reduce the lung inflammation in patients with COVID-19 who are seriously ill and require oxygen support for their breathing difficulties.In the hydrocortisone study, 403 patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 who required respiratory or cardiovascular organ support (such as mechanical ventilation or drugs to support their blood pressure) were enrolled between March and June 2020.The cohort included patients of mixed ethnicities in the UK, Ireland, Australia, the US, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Canada and France and patients were randomly assigned to different treatment regimes.One group were treated with a fixed dose of 50mg hydrocortisone four times a day for seven days, another group were treated with hydrocortisone only if their blood pressure dropped, and a third group received no hydrocortisone.The trial showed that using the fixed dose of hydrocortisone led to a 93% chance of a better outcome (greater chance of survival and less need for organ support) than not using hydrocortisone. If the hydrocortisone was given only when the blood pressure was low, the chance of a better outcome was 80%.A different study, called the RECOVERY trial, was also investigating whether another type of steroid, called dexamethasone, helped improve recovery of patients with COVID-19. The first results from the study, published in early June, suggested dexamethasone boosted recovery.Because the dexamethasone study showed positive results, the hydrocortisone steroid study stopped recruiting patients on 17 June. These new results add to the previous study and provide additional support that steroids improve recovery in severe COVID-19.The findings are published inalongside two further clinical trials which have also evidenced the benefits of steroids as a treatment for the severely ill COVID-19 patients. This journal edition also includes an overall analysis of the three independent studies, plus data from the original RECOVERY trial and three other smaller trials.It concludes that a range of steroids - all safe, cheap and readily available - can improve the outcomes of patients receiving intensive care.Professor Gordon, from the Department of Surgery and Cancer at Imperial, added: "This been an incredible international effort. We were all aware of the other studies and were happy to share our raw data before it was published. Only by collaborating were we going to make real advances and make them fast."Source: Eurekalert At the moment, some 30% of money envisaged in the coronavirus fund of Ukraine have been de facto used, Minister of Finance Serhiy Marchenko has said. "The coronavirus fund is a very flexible mechanism. At the moment, de facto, 30% of the money provided for in the coronavirus fund have been used. Out of UAH 66 billion, only UAH 19 billion have been used. This is in fact. Indeed, we distributed funds in different directions, and if in some directions they are ineffectively used, we will be able to redistribute the funds to those areas that will need more attention, including that of the state," Marchenko said on the air of the Podrobytsi Tyzhnia (Details of the Week) program on Inter TV Channel. The minister stressed that "there is now no critical problem with the coronavirus fund." According to him, the issue of efficiency and the use of funds specifically to combat COVID-19 is not relevant, as Ukraine is provided with the necessary resources, but even if there is not enough money, they will be redistributed from other programs. "If there is not enough money in the COVID-19 fund, we will redistribute them from other programs, we will find resources at the expense of the budget revenues, since the budget revenue part is now being overfulfilled," the minister explained. It was not clear how exactly China was using its influential position in the W.H.O. to gather information about vaccine work around the globe. The organization does collect data about vaccines under development, and while much of it is eventually made public, Chinese hackers could have benefited by getting early information on what coronavirus vaccine research efforts the W.H.O. viewed as most promising, according to a former intelligence official. American intelligence officials learned about Chinas efforts in early February as the virus was gaining a foothold in the United States, according to current and former American officials. The C.I.A. and other agencies closely watch Chinas moves inside international agencies, including the W.H.O. The intelligence conclusion helped push the White House toward the tough line it adopted in May on the W.H.O., according to the former intelligence official. Besides the University of North Carolina, Chinese hackers have also targeted other universities around the country and some may have had their networks breached, American officials said. Mr. Demers said in his speech that China had conducted multiple intrusions beyond what the Justice Department revealed in an indictment in July, which accused two hackers of working on behalf of Chinas Ministry of State Security spy service to pursue vaccine information and research from American biotechnology companies. The F.B.I. warned officials at U.N.C. in recent weeks about the hacking attempts, according to two people familiar with the matter. The Chinese hacking teams were trying to break into the computer networks of the schools epidemiology department but did not infiltrate them. A U.N.C. spokeswoman, Leslie Minton, said that the school regularly receives threat alerts from U.S. security agencies. She directed further questions to the federal government, but said the school had invested in around-the-clock monitoring to help guard against advanced persistent threat attacks from state sponsored organizations. Besides hacking, China has pushed into universities in other ways. Some government officials believe it is trying to take advantage of research partnerships that American universities have forged with Chinese institutions. ISIS extremists parade down a street in Raqqa, Syria, on Jan. 14, 2014. (ISIS Website via AP) Albania Arrests Woman Wanted in Italy for Terror Conviction TIRANA, AlbaniaA woman wanted in Italy for trying to recruit people to join the ISIS terrorist group was arrested in Albanias capital on Saturday, police said. Lubjana Gjecaj, 43, will be extradited to Italy where a court in Milan has sentenced her to three years in prison for association with terror groups, Albanian anti-terror police said. She was taken into custody in Tirana, where she lived. Local media reported that Gjecaj, a mother of three children, helped to marry other people in both Albania and Italy and then sent them to Syria through Turkey to join ISIS. It is believed she was part of a terror cell discovered in 2014 in Italy after the marriage of an Italian girl with an Albanian man. Ten people were arrested at the time in Italy. Authorities say that no Albanians have joined extremist groups in Syria and Iraq in the last four to five years. Earlier, scores of Albanians joined radical groups in Syria and Iraq though mainstream religious leaders urged believers not to become members. About two thirds of Albanias 2.8 million inhabitants are Muslims. In 2017, Los Angeles started its eco-friendly project by buying a hundred electric-BMW vehicles for its police department. However, after a few months, police officers' issues using the car for their private usage were reported. Now, the state government was allegedly selling the cars batch-per-batch for very rip-off prices on online stores. Here's how much to buy one. LAPD sells police cars to auction online? LAPD adds 100 BMW i3 EVs to its non-emergency fleet pic.twitter.com/rR9f531fU2 Klaudia Boorn (@lvoadd1) June 8, 2016 LA Mayor Eric Garcetti planned to make a more eco-friendly neighborhood for all Los Angeles citizens. By purchasing electric BMWs for its police officers in LAPD, they began the project. Electrek reported that the city spent an estimated $10.2 million to finish the project, including the charging station facilities. "It's all a part of saving the Earth, going green ... quite frankly, to try and save money for the community and the taxpayers," said LAPD Deputy Chief Jorge Villegas in 2017. However, as per recent times, these cars were reportedly being sold online for lower prices. Business Insider reported that several local news found LAPD's 2017 version of BMWs being sold online. All of them range their prices starting at $15,000 up to as low as $18,000. Originally, these car models are priced at more than $43,000. So, that is actually considered very rip-off prices. Of course, compared to newer models of electric BMWs, these cars were already three-year-old, had low-mileage CPO while some had only 9,000 miles on them. Business Insider asked the dealership representative on the said websites were the cars were seen. They claim that the store's first shipment of BMW i3s contained exactly 28 vehicles. Impressively, all of them were sold in just four days. Another shipment was said to be coming over next month, and the dealer estimated that these cars will be sold instantly as the demand remains high. If you want to have your own LAPD BMW i3 car, the store won't be accepting online orders, so you need to physically go in the shop and buy for a first-come, first-basis protocol. LAPD denies the sell-out of vehicles Though the dealer already confirmed the LAPD units found in the store, the police department denied the said allegations about the sell-out. Instead, they explained that the car leases had expired, and that's why the leasing company is reselling them. "The 50 vehicles were turned in by us at the end of the leasing period per the contract," the spokesperson said. This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Jamie Pancho 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 03:12:05|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DUBLIN, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Irish government has nominated two candidates as Ireland's next European Commissioner, according to a government statement released here on Friday. Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin "has today written to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to propose for nomination as Member of the European Commission Mairead McGuinness, currently vice president of the European Parliament, and Andrew McDowell, until recently vice president of the European Investment Bank," said the statement. The statement said that von der Leyen will consult with the European Parliament before the appointment of a new Commissioner is made by the European Council. Irish national radio and television broadcaster RTE reported that von der Leyen will interview the two candidates next week. The nomination of the candidates for Ireland's next European Commissioner came after its former European Commissioner for Trade, Phil Hogan, resigned in late August after he was accused of breaching COVID-19 restrictions during his trip to Ireland. A European Commissioner is a member of the 27-member College of Commissioners. Each member holds a specific portfolio. Ireland's new European Commissioner may not necessarily be assigned the same portfolio as held by Phil Hogan in the European Commission, according to local media reports quoting sources familiar with the matter. Enditem This is an exciting time for the Virgin Islands to embrace data, as it can support the health care industry, private businesses, government, non-profits, public safety and so much more. Working together with companies like Cane Bay Partners, we have an opportunity to not only pr The University of the Virgin Islands School of Science and Mathematics will now be offering a minor in data science, supported, in part, by donations provided by Cane Bay Partners VI LLLP. Over the last 11 years, Cane Bay Partners has contributed more than $125,000 to UVI, with a focus on supporting initiatives around data science and analytics. Just last week the company donated an additional $10,000 to support UVIs efforts in providing the data science minor. This is a very exciting milestone in the development of a core curriculum for those wanting to pursue a career in data science and analytics in the Virgin Islands, said Kirk Chewning, co-founder of Cane Bay Partners. We hope young people consider this field of study as there are many positions locally and globally that are high paying, have great growth trajectory, and are meaningful to our communities. We are proud of the work UVI has done here and we look forward to partnering with them further to help the curriculum path be successful for the UVI and its students. The new program is a multidisciplinary program which uses mathematics, statistics, and computer science together to gain knowledge and insights from data in all disciplines. It will be available to all majors and includes 18-20 specialized credits. Students will be exposed to the data science workflow: asking the research questions, creation of and access to data, data privacy, data policy, data standards, and data ethics. Students will be introduced to programming in Python, data exploration and visualization, basic statistics, modeling, evaluation of results and telling stories with data. Dr. Joanne Luciano, the data science professor at UVI, said the contribution from Cane Bay Partners allowed her to hire a teaching assistant and launch the program while challenged by the pandemic. This is an exciting time for the Virgin Islands to embrace data, as it can support the health care industry, private businesses, government, non-profits, public safety and so much more, said Dr. Luciano. Working together with companies like Cane Bay Partners, we have an opportunity to not only provide a career path for young Virgin Islanders but also to support all areas of our community. Cane Bay Partners is a consulting firm in St. Croix that specializes in complex underwriting analytics as well as marketing analytics. The company employs a team of data scientists and marketing analytics specialists that work every day to optimize client portfolios. As a VI Economic Development Commission beneficiary, the company is required to hire 80 percent Virgin Islands residents for these positions. To honor the true intent of this law, the company has sought to invest in the education and training of those interested in pursuing this field of study. We are very interested in investing in the development of this skill set in the Virgin Islands so that we and other similar technology companies have access to a cadre of candidates to fill these high paying positions, said David Johnson, co-founder of Cane Bay Partners. And we want young Virgin Islanders to know that these opportunities exist if they choose to pursue this specialty. Cane Bay Partners previously supported UVI in developing a computational science and modeling curriculum to provide students with cutting-edge training in decision sciences, predictive analytics and econometrics. They have provided opportunities to dozens of Virgin Islanders through internships and full-time employment in the fields of data science, analytics, marketing and other business roles. I met Kirk and David when Cane Bay Partners first opened their doors in St. Croix. At the time, we understood UVI had an obligation to expose our students to this industry. The University has progressed substantially since our initial meeting, with much of the credit due to Dr. Joanne Lucianos ongoing efforts, said Mitchell A. Neaves, vice president for Institutional Advancement at UVI. We appreciate the long-standing commitment Kirk and David have made to our Data Science Program and hope other industry partners will join the effort to cultivate future industry professionals in the Virgin Islands. About Cane Bay Partners VI, LLLP: Cane Bay Partners VI, LLLP was formed in June 2009 and founded by internationally experienced business executives with many years of experience in the financial services industry. Focusing our efforts primarily in the financial services industry, our management consulting practice specializes in providing services to clients in need of sophisticated risk management models, debt collections organizations which require liquidation models and analytics, and portfolio management companies desiring a variety of services. More specifically, our practice has elected to specialize in three areas where we believe our core competencies reside: (1) management consulting (2) risk management/scorecard development and (3) service provider analysis. About UVI: The University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) lies in the heart of the beautiful Caribbean. Although UVI is located in one of the most popular vacation spots in the world, it offers far more than just sun, sand and sea. The UVI experience is uniquely multi-cultural, international, entrepreneurial and intellectually stimulating. UVI provides a vital and exciting environment for educating future leaders of the global 21st century community. Founded in 1962, UVI is a public, co-ed, land-grant HBCU (Historically Black College and University) in the United States Virgin Islands (USVI). Approximately 2,500 students are enrolled on the two campuses: the Albert A. Sheen Campus on St. Croix and the St. Thomas campus. The institution offers 47 undergraduate and graduate degree programs across its five colleges and schools. Tuolumne County cooling centers for Labor Day weekend View Photo Sonora, CA As the forecast for the Labor Day heats up with temperatures heading into the mid-triple digits Tuolumne County now plans to open two cooling centers. As reported here earlier this week, public health officials had decided not to offer cooling stations citing that areas in the county did not meet the criteria for activation of a cooling center. Upon further consideration those plans have changed with the two centers opening at these locations and times: Sonora Senior Center: 540 Greenley Road, Sonora Saturday (Sept. 5) through Tuesday (Sept. 8) from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. each Groveland Library:18990 Main Street, Groveland Sunday (Sept. 6) and Monday (Sept. 7) from noon to 7 p.m. each day *Hours may be adjusted based on conditions As earlier reported this week, Calaveras County Public Health reported that one cooling station would open at the San Andreas Calaveras Health and Human Services Agency in the Sequoia Room and located at 509 E. St. Charles in San Andreas. Its hours of operation are noon 6 p.m., Saturday through Tuesday. They are also providing transportation assistance through Calaveras Connect by calling (209) 754-4450. All state guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19 will be in place at these centers, including the requirement of face coverings. - President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has appointed a new CEO for the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital - The newly appointed CEO is Dr Opoku Oware Ampomah - He is one of the eight Consultant Plastic Surgeons in Ghana - Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in Dr. Opoku Oware Ampomah has been appointed new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Korle Bu Teaching hospital. According to a statement sighted by YEN.com.gh, President Akufo-Addo nominated Dr. Opoku Ware Ampomah for the appointment as the Chief Executive of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. The statement signed by the Secretary to the President, Nana Bediatuo Asante indicated that Health Minister, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu must take the necessary steps to regularise the said appointment in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Ghana Health Service and the Teaching Hospitals Act, 1996 (Act 525). President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has appointed Dr Opoku Oware Ampomah as new CEO of Korle Bu. Source: Facebook/Nana Akufo-Addo Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Ghana is very safe for Nigerians - Akufo-Addo raps high-powered Nigerian delegation The appointment of Dr. Oware Ampomah comes on the back of the expiration of the tenure of office of Dr. Daniel Asare on Thursday, September 3, 2020. The Board chairman of Korle Bu, Jerry Ahmed Shaib, according to YEN.com.ghs sources at the hospital announced to the staff that the tenure of Dr. Daniel Asare, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Hospital, comes to an end with effect from September 3, 2020. Meanwhile, the newly appointed CEO of the countrys biggest health center is the Director of the National Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Burns Centre at the hospital, as well as a Consultant Plastic Surgeon. Dr. Ampomah is one of the eight Consultant Plastic Surgeons in the country who are working hard to correct various deformities among both the young and the old. He is a proud alumnus of the Presbyterian Boys Secondary School. READ ALSO: Dagbon is deeply grateful to President Akufo-Addo - Ya Na Some of his many academic achievements after that include, the Overall Best Candidate in West Africa for the Final Exam in Plastic Surgery Part II in 2005, the first West African based practitioner to be the recipient of the prestigious Intercollegiate Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons with a specialty in Plastic Surgery. YEN.com.gh earlier reported that at least four more people have died from COVID-19 in Ghana, taking the countrys death toll to 280, the Ghana Health Service said on Thursday, September 3, 2020. The total confirmed cases are now 44,713 after 55 new ones were added from the labs. In total 43,577 people who were infected with the disease have recovered or have been discharged, the GHS announced. "Akufo-Addo deserves more than 8 years" - Ghanaian woman commends | #Yencomgh Got a story you think we should know about? Get interactive via our Facebook page! Source: YEN.com.gh Elderly people are delaying entering aged care during the COVID-19 pandemic, sending the occupancy rates of residential aged care homes plummeting to the lowest level in more than a decade. The proportion of available beds that are occupied fell from 90.5 per cent nationally in January 2020 to 89.1 per cent in August, the lowest rate in at least 10 years. The figures, from Mirus Australia based on Medicare data, imply there were about 3000 more people in aged care at the start of the year than now. The death toll from COVID-19 in nursing homes is 285 nationally, with 254 in Victoria. There have also been seven deaths within home care services. Credit:Virginia Star In NSW occupancy fell from 89.2 per cent in January to 88 per cent in August. In Victoria, which has been worse hit by the pandemic, it fell from 89.7 per cent in January to 86.6 per cent in August. Grant Corderoy, senior partner at chartered accountancy Stewart Brown, which specialises in aged care, said that was "a very significant decline and the largest for many years". Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 00:42:16|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close COPENHAGEN, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- As the COVID-19 infections resurge in Europe, Danish Minister for Health and Senior Citizens Magnus Heunicke acknowledged during a press conference on Friday an upsurge in the coronavirus outbreaks across the country. Copenhagen Municipality and the Capital Region were singled out as "special focus," according to the Health Minister. "The infection rate is rising again. Eighty-eight of Denmark's 98 municipalities have been affected, and the Ministry of Health is watching developments in 14 municipalities that currently have more than 20 infected per 100,000 inhabitants," said Heunicke. Copenhagen has seen a spike in positive cases in the past week and the minister promised to provide more testing centers in response. "The infections in Copenhagen are very different from what we saw in other cities in Denmark. They are spread over a much larger area, which is why we are acting differently this time," said Anette Lykke Petri, acting director of the Danish Patient Safety Authority (STPS), at the press conference. According to Kare Molbak, executive vice president of Statens Serum Institut (SSI), most of the recent infections can be attributed to young people and their behaviors. "It is especially young people who are infected. Probably it has to do with the fact that society is open again. But it is not necessarily through workplaces and in educational institutions that people have become infected. Infections have occurred in private gatherings and during nightlife," Molbak explained. On Friday, 173 new cases of COVID-19 were registered in Denmark, bringing the total confirmed cases to 17,547, with 627 deaths, according to the daily update from the SSI. If COVID-19 infections continue to increase, the health authorities warned, the government would not "hesitate for one second to act." "It is not unrealistic that we will use other tools next Monday. We follow the situation closely," noted the STPS acting director. Enditem ALTON OSF HealthCare Saint Anthonys Health Center and the OSF Moeller Cancer Center have welcomed Benita Lanham to their staff. Lanham is a nurse practitioner specializing in oncology, with extensive knowledge in palliative care, adult medicine, medical oncology, leukemia and stem cell transplantation and cancer genetics counseling. Lanham received her bachelor and master of science in nursing from Saint Louis University School of Nursing and post masters certificate for adult nurse practitioner from Jewish Hospital of Nursing & Allied Health at Washington University Medical Center in St. Louis. Benita believes in the importance of building a strong relationship with her patients and their families, said Angela Halliday, manager of Oncology Services at OSF Moeller Cancer Center. Benita exemplifies the Mission of OSF HealthCare to Serve with the Greatest Care and Love, and we are delighted to welcome her to the OSF family. Lanhams office is located at the OSF Moeller Cancer Center, 2200 Central Avenue, Alton. Appointments can be made by calling 618-433-7600. Story of a billionaire Trieu Quang Trung decided to leave university to pursue his passion growing mushrooms. He now owns a mushrooming growing facility which brings turnover of VND30-36 billion a year. Trung from Soc Son district in Hanoi, one of 63 excellent farmers of the nation honored in 2020, tells an interesting story about how he became a billionaire. When Trung was a second-year student at the Hanoi Transport University, he met an acquaintance of the family who talked about high-tech agricultural production. The story, plus his passion for mushroom cultivation that he had cherished for a long time, prompted him to give up studying at the university and become a farmer. To implement his mushroom dream, Trung left for South Korea to study microbiology and edible and medicinal mushrooms for four years. He realized that mushrooms are a clean food with high nutritional content, so the demand is increasingly high. So he decided that he would build a plant to produce clean mushrooms and provide products to Vietnamese consumers. In 2014, a plant that produces mushrooms in accordance with South Korean technology, covering an area of 2,400 square meters, was built in Vietnam. However, the first step was the hardest. He was disappointed as the production failed. At least 95 percent of mushrooms were affected by mold because of under-standard input materials: (sawdust, rice bran, corn cobs) were at a high humidity level and were not preserved well enough. Trieu Quang Trung decided to leave university to pursue his passion growing mushrooms. He now owns a mushrooming growing facility which brings turnover of VND30-36 billion a year. The situation lasted two years, which caused him to lose VND2-3 billion a year and fall into despair. However, he never thought of giving up, and put all of his enthusiasm and his money into the plant. He continued to borrow money from banks, relatives and friends to overcome the difficulties. Trung not only had to work hard at the plant, but also had to persuade his wife and relatives to believe that he would succeed with the knowledge he received during the training in South Korea and his lessons from failures. He had to visit every supermarket, restaurant and residential quarter to introduce his products. However, he sold only 20-30 kilograms a day and lost VND6-7 billion within two years. After a lot of effort, farming improved with the high success rate of 95 percent. He said that mushroom production on an industrial scale doesnt depend on weather conditions. In 2017, Trung expanded the plant to 3,600 square meters. And now, his mushroom farm covers an area of 5,000 square meters which produces 330 tons a year and brings turnover of VND30-36 billion year. Every day, he can sell 500-600 kilograms of mushrooms of different kinds. Phuong Thanh Has Vietnams sustainable agriculture developed well? Consuming green organic farm produce is a growing tendency in Vietnam. Meanwhile, the scale of the sustainable agriculture remains modest. A marine observation test of China's newly launched ocean-monitoring satellite HY-1D has been completed, sources with the Ministry of Natural Resources said Wednesday. Led by the ministry's National Satellite Ocean Application Service, the experiment at sea is an important part of the in-orbit testing of the satellite, which has provided synchronous observation data for payload performance and product authenticity. China launched the HY-1D on June 11. Together with the HY-1C satellite, launched in 2018, the HY-1D will form the country's first civil-use satellite constellation to increase its global observation coverage and improve its monitoring of ocean color, water temperature, coastal resources and the environment. Once built, the constellation will also offer support for industries such as meteorology, agriculture and water conservation, the ministry said. The BJP on Saturday cited a Chinese newspaper report to hit out at the Congress, alleging that India's enemies were using the opposition party's shoulders to fire at the country. This is a classic definition of "anti-India stand", BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said at a press conference alleging that the Gandhi family has got "endorsement" from China and its president Xi Jinping. Hitting back at the BJP, chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said Chinese have dared to "intrude" into our territory but the ruling party questions those who raise questions. "Stop betraying the country," he tweeted. Earlier, Chinese daily Global Times had tweeted, "PM Narendra Modi and the BJP face huge pressure amid border tensions with China, as the Indian is waiting for a chance to shake the BJP's rule by heavily criticizing failed domestic governance and risky foreign policy: expert." Patra said this report by a daily controlled by the Chinese state seems to underline the country's frustration after the Indian Army thwarted its attempts to violate the Line of Actual Control and, that China sees the as a party which "runs" its agenda. "The love between China and the Congress is out in open," the BJP leader said and claimed that it was linked to a MoU the Congress had signed with the Chinese Communist Party in 2008 which, he added, spoke of close relations between the two parties. "Be it Pakistan, terrorists or China; why is this that all of them like the Congress," he asked, adding that Pakistan had included Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's comments in its dossier against India in the United Nations after Article 370 was revoked. Taking a swipe at Gandhi, he said, "Congratulations to Rahul Gandhi. You were earlier a hero of Pakistan. Now, you are a hero of China too. But you are a big zero for India. You are a hero for our enemies. China is in a disadvantageous position and is using the Congress's shoulders to fire at India... This is a classic definition of anti-India stand." Surjewala alleged that Modi is "scared" of even naming China but the BJP is lecturing others. Patra also cited Gandhi's meeting with the Chinese envoy during the Doklam crisis and alleged donations to the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation by the Chinese embassy here to attack the opposition party. Patra said Gandhi had described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as "scared" of China and had suggested that Modi had surrendered, adding that now the enemy is "using" the Congress leader to target India. "The name Xi Jinping now sounds a lot like Sonia Xin and Rahul Ping," he said, mocking the Congress leaders. (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.) By Online Desk NEW DELHI: China's territory cannot be lost, said the country's defence minister General Wei Fenghe after his counterpart Rajnath Singh "emphasised that the actions of the Chinese troops to unilaterally alter the status quo were in violation" of agreements between the neighbours. "The cause and truth of the current tension on the border between China and India are very clear, and the responsibility lies entirely with India," said General Wei after the duo held talks in Moscow. "China's territory cannot be lost," he added, calling on India to "strengthen control of frontline forces" and "refrain from any actions that may cause the situation to heat up". READ| Chinese troops abduct five members of hunting party in Arunachal Pradesh, claims Congress MLA Both ministers were at a meeting of the eight-nation Shanghai Cooperation Council. India has withdrawn from military manoeuvres organised by the group where its troops would have been alongside Chinese forces. It has also stepped up economic pressure by banning Chinese apps and blocking Chinese products at ports and stopping its companies from bidding for contracts. Earlier, Rajnath said they had a "frank" discussion on the dispute and the strained relations between the world's two most populous countries. Their troops have had a number of showdowns since a clash in the Ladakh region on June 15 in which 20 Indian troops died. China has also acknowledged suffering casualties but not given figures. Both sides have since sent tens of thousands of troops to the remote, inhospitable region which sits at an altitude of more than 4,000 metres (13,500 feet). Singh "emphasised that the actions of the Chinese troops, including amassing of large number of troops, their aggressive behaviour and attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo were in violation" of agreements between the neighbours, said an Indian statement. "India wanted to settle the dispute through talks but at the same time there should also be no doubt about our determination to protect India's sovereignty and territorial integrity," the statement said. (With AFP inputs) Mr Michael Okyere Baafi, Chief Executive of the Ghana Free Zones Authority (GFZA) has revealed that the organization has set up a new Debt Collection System to retrieve all the monies owed the company. Besides, the organization has also put in place measures to setup a new Credit Control Unit and a task force to recover and manage the debt owed the GFZA. As I am talking to you now, we have been able to collect the chunk of the money with some of them left, but those are companies not actively operating as Free Zones companies. Mr Baafi made the revelation when he appeared before the Public Account Committee (PAC) of Parliament, which was considering the 2017 Auditor General's Report on Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MMDAs). Mr Samuel Nartey George, Member of Parliament (MP) for Ningo-Prampram during the PAC sitting of also inquired from Mr Baafi whether an amount of US$150,853 being the ground rent and annual licensing fee renewals as well as a total of US$733,789 and GHC271,600 owed as premium on land or power supply in 2015 has been recovered? Mr Baafi also explained that when they took over the management of the organization, they realized that the credit control and debt collection systems were weak and most of the debt owed them was not paid because they did not have good strategies to retrieve the monies. He said as an organization they decide to setup a new system to recover all the monies owed the Ghana Free Zones Authority. He said even though some companies were capable of paying for their debts, but were either refusing or delaying in paying because they thought it was not necessary. Mr Baafi also announced that the GFZA is working to delist companies that were not actively operating as Free Zones companies from the concept. He said at the last board meeting the officials gave the organization the go ahead to delist companies that were inactive. He explained that the inactive companies still had their outstanding balances on their books, which were not good for them, saying that they had to delist them to have a clean sheet. He announced that the organization had prepared letters to serve notices to the inactive companies that were to be delisted from the Free Zones. As am speaking to you now, the letters are ready and by next week we would serve them notice, he added. ---GNA BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 5 By Elnur Bagishov Trend: The new school year in Iran has started from today (September 5), Trend reports citing Iranian media. An event was held in connection with the starting of the new school year in Iran. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Iranian Education Minister Mohsen Haji-Mirzaei attended an event via videoconference. According to the report, the new school year in Iran started two weeks earlier than in previous years. The goal is to address last year's education shortfall, the report said. Iran's National Committee on Combating Coronavirus issues has allowed for conducting classes in Iran based on health protocols, the report added. Due to the spread of the coronavirus, education in some regions of Iran is conducted virtually. Iran continues to monitor the coronavirus situation in the country. According to recent reports from the Iranian officials, over 382,700 people have been infected, and 22,044 people have already died. Meanwhile, over 330,300 have reportedly recovered from the disease. The country continues to apply strict measures to contain 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. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 19:48:57|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close -- Covering a 358,000-square km expanse, the Yangtze River Delta, consisting of Shanghai and the provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui, is one of the most populated and urbanized city clusters in China. -- A spate of measures has been rolled out by local authorities in the delta region to support domestic sales of export products after the State Council released a guideline in late June. -- The four regions in the Yangtze River Delta are teaming up to further integrate their industrial chains to meet diversified domestic demands. HEFEI, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Instead of shuttling across exhibition venues around the world as before, Pan Bin, general manager of Anhui San Cunguang Reflective Material Co., Ltd. was busy promoting products to the domestic market through e-commerce platforms. "We used to export reflective materials to Southeast Asian and European countries, but the overseas orders were all canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and we turned our focus to tapping the domestic market," said Pan. The company was one of the trailblazers in the Yangtze River Delta to make its foray into China's new development pattern known as "dual circulation" that takes the domestic market as the mainstay and allows the domestic and foreign markets to boost each other. An electric vehicle at the 2020 International (Hefei) Energy Conservation and New Energy Automobile Exhibition in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, Sept. 5, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhang Duan) First introduced in May this year, the new development pattern has been placed high on the authorities' agenda. The top leadership of China has recently urged the delta region to take the lead in forming this new development pattern based on its various advantages. Covering a 358,000-square km expanse, the Yangtze River Delta, consisting of Shanghai and the provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui, is one of the most populated and urbanized city clusters in China, contributing one-fourth of the country's gross domestic product. INCREASING DOMESTIC SALES Sales of quality export products at home can further enrich the country's market supply and take full advantage of its super-large market size and demand potential, China's commerce ministry said in late June. Pan's company has benefited from the vibrant domestic market after selling products at home. "We launched seven online shops on several major e-commerce platforms, including Tmall and JD.com, and our total sales have surpassed 6 million yuan (about 877,200 U.S. dollars) as of July," he said. To better meet the growing domestic demand, the company has employed more staff and expanded production while developing new products. The company's successful transformation was possible thanks to the local government's support. "The local government has given us financial support and helped us to open up new sales channels," he said. A spate of measures has been rolled out by local authorities in the delta region to support domestic sales of export products after the State Council released a guideline in late June. Foreign students visit the leading Chinese tech firm iFlytek in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, Oct. 18, 2019. (Xinhua/Zhang Duan) Jiangsu Province adopted 12 new measures, including streamlining the certification process for the domestic sale of export products and reducing certification fees to promote the integrated development of domestic and foreign trade, according to a circular released by the provincial government. Anhui provided financial support to encourage export enterprises to sell their products to domestic customers via online exhibitions organized by the provincial department of commerce. STABILIZING THE INDUSTRIAL CHAIN Building a modern and stable industrial chain to supply quality products is one of the key forces in developing the "dual circulation" pattern, said Chen Wen, a professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, who has participated in national-level planning of the delta region. From small chips to big planes, and from cloud computing to the Internet of Things, the four provincial-level regions in the Yangtze River Delta are teaming up to further integrate their industrial chains to meet diversified domestic demands. A man works at a workshop of the Hefei plant of Changan Automobile in High-tech Industry Development Zone in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, Feb. 26, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhou Mu) Anhui Shenghuabo Auto Electric Co., Ltd., a company that specializes in manufacturing windscreen wipers, is a participant and beneficiary of the increasingly integrated development within the Yangtze River Delta region. With its manufacturing base located in Anhui, the company's R&D center is based in Shanghai, and its mold processing is conducted in Zhejiang Province. "Regional integration has brought us new opportunities as we can tap the best potential of each place and share resources within the region. Our clients have expanded from domestic brands to joint ventures," said Zhang Weixing, vice general manager of the company. "As time goes by, the region is becoming increasingly dynamic and appealing. Geographic proximity and similar cultures have nurtured friendship among cities. At the same time, cities in the region can also complement each other in terms of industrial chains," said Xu Xianping, a professor at Guanghua School of Management, Peking University. "The region will explore a high-level regional integration model for the country to achieve high-quality development," said Xu. DEEPENING OPENING-UP While the potential of the domestic market is being emphasized, China will not shut the door on the world. Instead, it will further open up its economy. Contributing to about one-third of China's foreign trade and investment, the Yangtze River Delta has the advantage of serving as a bridge between domestic and international markets. Statistics showed that in the first half of this year, Zhejiang Province achieved a total import and export volume of 1.47 trillion yuan, up by 4.2 percent year on year while that of Anhui totaled 244.16 billion yuan, up by 9 percent from last year. The deepening opening-up is reflected in the busy production lines at LCFC (Hefei) Electronics Technology Co., Ltd., the largest personal computer research and development and manufacturing base of the Chinese tech giant Lenovo. A worker works on the production line at LCFC (Hefei) Electronics Technology Co., Ltd. in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, March 5, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhou Mu) In the company's workshop, based in Hefei, capital of Anhui Province, workers are putting in extra hours in production. The lifestyle of stay-at-home and work-from-home amid the epidemic has spurred the booming global demand for computers and tablets, and in the first half of the year, LCFC exported 4.05 million computers, an increase of 15.9 percent from the previous year. "By participating in global competition, the enterprise can speed up technological innovation and industrial upgrades, which can, in turn, boost sales in the domestic market," said Bai Peng, CEO of LCFC. According to Bai, the enterprise is continuing to innovate new products to meet both domestic and global demands. "For example, as the ultrabook is popular in the domestic market, we launched new product lines including Xiaoxin and Yoga to keep up with demands of customers," Bai said, adding that they also offer customized products and services. China's development cannot be segregated from the world. By developing an efficient "dual circulation" pattern, China's economy can be more resilient and open up wider, said Ma Jiantang, a senior official at the Development Research Center of the State Council. (Reporting by Wang Haiyue, Liu Fangqiang, Ma Shurui, and Ma Xiaoran; Video reporters: Cao Li, Bai Bin; Video editor: Jia Xiaotong) A spectacular space event of "Mars Eclipse" will take place this coming Labor Day weekend. The moon will be illuminated 86% in the late-night hours of Saturday night or early Sunday morning, Sept. 5 to 6, appearing close to Mars. The moon will rendezvous with Jupiter, Saturn and Mars in the coming nights, please dont forget to behold this rare event! pic.twitter.com/AFg1uHGIy5 Renjiang Xie Jason (@JasonXie1977) April 14, 2020 Also Read: High-Resolution GREGOR Image of Sunspot Published Online and It's Terrifying and Stunning People who are unaware of the event will wonder as they catch a glimpse of what appears to be a bright orange-yellow light hovering above the moon on this holiday weekend night. This kind of occasion makes some people call weather offices, planetariums, radio and TV stations, and even police stations to report and ask what is happening. Also Read: [Spotted] SpaceX Ships Raptor Vacuum Engine for Starship to Texas from California: The Testing Continues? Some individuals might even mistake Mars as a mysterious UFO closely hovering Earth's natural satellite vicinity. From the middle of South America and a narrow slice of western Africa, the moon will look like it is hiding the Mars from view, leading to an eclipse for a short period during the predawn hours on Sunday morning. This space event is called an occultation, the Latin word for "hiding." The occasion is a rare opportunity to view the moon as it covers a bright planet at night. For those people at locations where the rare occasion is visible, the upcoming space event is one that they really should not miss. You can find a map of the visibility zone of this "Mars Eclipse" at "lunar-occultations.com," courtesy of David Dunham of the International Occultation Timers Association (IOTA). Mars will approach its closest distance to Earth Mars will approach Earth at the rate of 183,000 miles or 294,400 km each day, getting close to the planet at the distance of 44,243,000 miles or 71,202,000 km on Saturday, Sept. 5. The Red Planet becomes more spectacular as it comes near its closest Earth approach, which will last until 2035. Moon passes Mars around September 4-6 - Mars is the planet to watch this month and next! Earth will pass between Mars and the sun in October, and the planet is now very bright and very red. via pic.twitter.com/tQPKWgkR9l 1/2Moon passes Mars around September 4-6 -Mars is the planet to watch this month and next! Earth will pass between Mars and the sun in October, and the planet is now very bright and very red. https://t.co/QTiOCaayE8 via @shareaholic Lunar Astronomy; Moon' Exploration & Coloniz/ News (@DubnHG1) September 4, 2020 On Oct. 6, the planet will glow nearly twice as bright as it currently does when it makes its closest approach at 38.57 million miles or 62.06 million km. For more news updates about spectacular space events, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Also Read: China Secretly Launched a "Reusable Expiremental Spacecraft": Could It Be for Human Exploration? This article is owned by TechTimes, Written by: Giuliano de Leon. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. FARMINGTON An Albuquerque man shot and killed by a San Juan County Sheriffs Office deputy allegedly committed a crime spree that included robberies and attacks on multiple people before leading law enforcement on a high-speed pursuit. Marco Benito, 36, was killed on Aug. 31 between 9 to 9:30 a.m. near County Road 3177 in the area of the San Juan County landfill, according to a San Juan County Sheriffs Office news release and Capt. Kevin Burns. Benito threatened deputies, stating he had a firearm, and refused to show his hands. An unidentified deputy fired his weapon, striking Benito. Law enforcement at the scene attempted life-saving measures before paramedics arrived but Benito died from his injuries. The incident occurred near County Road 3100 and 3177 in the Crouch Mesa area. The Sheriffs Office release detailed events starting around 7:51 a.m. and leading to the shooting. Deputies had responded to multiple calls involving Benito. Benito reportedly assaulted a homeowner on County Road 3523 around 7:51 a.m. during a break in, then fled in a diesel truck pulling a trailer. A woman around 8:14 a.m. around Mile Marker 5 on County Road 3000 reported items stolen from her residence. It was around 8:17 a.m. near Mile Marker 4 on County Road 3000 where Benito jumped out of a vehicle and assaulted a homeowner with a spear-type weapon. The two got into a fight. Benito reportedly stole an SUV around 8:35 a.m. around Mile Marker 7 on County Road 3000. It was a 9-year-old who, around 8:40 a.m. near Mile Marker 8 on County Road 3000, reported Benito entered the residence through a window. The child said the man may have possibly stolen ammunition along with a weapon, or weapons. When law enforcement located the SUV, Benito led them on a chase until he abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot. Deputies and New Mexico State Police officers located Benito in an irrigation ditch, where he was fatally shot. Benito reportedly ignored commands to surrender. Benito had an active warrant for failing to appear in a residential burglary case in Bernalillo County and one out of Illinois for criminal damage to property. The Farmington Police Department Detective Division is leading the investigation as part of the San Juan County Regional Officer Involved Shooting Taskforce. This is the first law enforcement shooting involving the San Juan County Sheriffs Office since Aug. 27, 2017, when William Wilson was killed by a deputy and a State Police officer at the Citizens Bank at 4200 Hudson St. in Farmington. The Trump administration's Justice Department and the attorneys general from almost every state have spent the past year laying the groundwork for an antitrust lawsuit against Google, with a decision on filing the case expected to come this summer. But now it's Labor Day weekend, and disagreements between the department and mostly Democratic AGs are holding up the launch of what would be the biggest antitrust battle in a generation, seven people involved in the discussions told POLITICO. Meetings in the coming weeks could resolve the impasse, which include questions about what aspects of Google's empire to target, the people said. Another crucial dispute is whether to push to file the suit before Election Day assuring it as a legacy for Attorney General William Barr or risk leaving the case's future in the hands of a Biden administration. Widespread consensus still exists between Barr's department and dozens of AGs of both parties that they have a strong case against Google, whose command of both the online search and digital ad markets has brought complaints from competitors in industries such as advertising, tech and media. But the closeness to the Nov. 3 election has heightened the partisan dimensions of the disputes, including qualms about President Donald Trumps anti-tech agenda and doubts about Joe Bidens past closeness with Silicon Valley. That's all on top of the questions of legal strategy that prosecutors need to answer before they can pull the trigger. "This is a massive case and there will be a massive amount of hand-wringing and jockeying as we get closer," someone close to the antitrust probe said Friday. This could be the case of the century, the case of the decade, another person familiar with the case said. I can see why there would be some legitimate, tough discussions among people who are serious about the odds of winning. The Justice Department and Google declined to comment. The seven people who spoke to POLITICO about the progress of the case declined to speak on the record while discussing the confidential deliberations. Story continues 'Decision time' delayed The case's fate could become clearer in the coming days, as the states are expected to make a pitch to the Justice Department on their preferred approach to the lawsuit. After that, if the department decides to push ahead, it would finalize a complaint before sending it to the states, which would have seven to 10 days to determine whether they want to join. If they do, the result could be a unified, bipartisan legal assault against one of America's largest, wealthiest corporations. The New York Times reported Thursday that Barr has set a Sept. 30 deadline for the case over the objections of some career staff who believed that the investigation needs more time. Barr told The Wall Street Journal in March that he hoped decision time would come by early summer, although the pandemic later helped slow progress by forcing a switch to working online. Under Barr, a former top lawyer for Verizon who was highly involved in that companys antitrust skirmishes, DOJ has made the Google investigation one of its highest priorities, spending the past 15 months delving into the tech giants control over search, mobile and the technology underlying much of the advertising that funds the open web. A coalition of 48 states, plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, started its own investigation in September 2019, initially focused on advertising technology but later expanding to cover other areas of Googles business. During a July meeting with dozens of state AG offices, Justice Department prosecutors outlined an antitrust case that would focus on the companys dominance in online advertising and search, three people familiar with the deliberations told POLITICO. But cracks have emerged since then on both the timing and substance of the case, the seven individuals said. They said Barr and some of the lead Republican AGs are pushing to file the case before the November election among other reasons, so that it would survive if a more Silicon Valley-friendly Biden administration takes office next year. Meanwhile, other AGs are pressing to continue the investigation, which could delay the suit's launch until after the election and insulate it from any appearance of being driven by Trumps personal agenda. Ads or search? Everyone involved in the debate largely agrees on the need to bring an antitrust suit against Google, and DOJ could opt to file the suit without any help from the attorneys general. But involvement by major Democratic-run states such as New York would achieve an important goal for the cases supporters making it clear that bipartisan support exists for taking on a $1 trillion tech company that has largely escaped changes to its business despite nearly $9 billion in European antitrust penalties. One of the biggest questions: What parts of Google's business to sue? Ad technology may present the easier antitrust case because Google commands such a large share of the $162.3 billion global market for online display advertising. But some Democratic attorneys general believe that a case largely focused on advertising would be too narrow that suing Google without going after search would be like suing Standard Oil without focusing on oil. (John D. Rockefellers Standard Oil became the United States first major antitrust breakup in 1911.) The states have continued gathering information over the summer, sending out document requests to Googles rivals and other companies involved in the probe as recently as last week. Colorado Attorney General Philip Weiser an Obama-era DOJ antitrust official has taken the lead for the states on search issues, and in January brought on Jonathan Sallet, who served in key roles at the Federal Communications Commission and Justice Department under Barack Obama, to take a lead role in the Google case. Top DOJ officials and some Republican attorneys general fear that any delays in filing the suit will be to Googles advantage, since technology markets can change quickly while antitrust suits tend to drag on for years. (The antitrust case that the U.S. filed against IBM in 1969 took 13 years before the Reagan administration ultimately dismissed it.) And filing now wouldnt prevent prosecutors from later amending the suit to include additional antitrust claims, or pursuing a second suit against Google, several of the people noted. What would Biden do? Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden joined by his running mate Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., speaks at the Hotel DuPont in Wilmington, Del., Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) If a suit isnt filed before Election Day and Biden wins, the president-elect would be within his rights to ask the Justice Department to not go to court until after his appointees are in place, which would delay that at least six to nine months, one individual said. Weiser and New York state Attorney General Tish James are among those who are viewed as potential nominees for a Biden Justice Department, which could ultimately take credit for an eventual Google suit. Biden also has not spelled out his view on tech and antitrust. Some progressive Democrats fear that Biden would rely on the former Obama administration antitrust enforcers who largely declined to take action against Silicon Valley giants like Google, which emerged unscathed in 2013 from a two-year probe by the Federal Trade Commission. That means some antitrust hawks would rather hand the lawsuit to Biden as a fait accompli. You want Biden to have to kill the case, not to have to make the decision to bring the case, said Matt Stoller, director of research at the American Economic Liberties Project, who supports a Google antitrust suit but isnt involved in the probe. Doubts about Trump and Barr FILE - In this May 1, 2019 file photo, Attorney General William Barr testifies during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, on the Mueller Report. Former FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith will plead guilty to making a false statement in the first criminal case arising from U.S. Attorney John Durham's investigation into the probe of ties between Russia and the 2016 Trump campaign. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Some career staff at the Justice Department have also expressed concerns about filing a complaint so close to the election, given Trumps repeated focus on alleged anti-conservative bias by the tech giants, two other individuals said. DOJ career staffers also are wary because of alleged politicization of other antitrust probes by Barr. Earlier this year, John Elias, a career antitrust staffer, testified before a House Judiciary panel that Barr had ordered investigations into 10 marijuana mergers because of animus towards the industry. The DOJs internal misconduct office found that Barrs request didnt violate agency rules, though Elias and at least one other staffer have reported their concerns about the attorney general to the departments inspector general. Toward the beginning of the year, the Justice Department moved dozens of prosecutors onto the Google case from other investigations that were less time-sensitive. At one time, between 30 and 40 DOJ staffers were involved in part of the probe and helping with interviews and document requests, according to two people close to the investigation. Later in the summer, the department slimmed that team to about 20, while the others transitioned back to their previous work. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 5) - Another Filipino seafarer from the missing Panamanian cargo ship off Japans water was rescued, said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). DFA said the second Filipino sailor survivor was found alone in a life raft. It added that he is conscious and able to walk. However, DFA withheld the identity while waiting for his consent to publish his name. Meanwhile, the first Filipino sailor rescued, identified as Chief Officer Edwardo Serrano, is currently recovering in the hospital and will return to the Philippines soon. Serrano was rescued by the Japanese Coast Guard, after more than half a day in the water. The search for the thirty-seven other Filipino crew members of Gulf Livestock 1 is still ongoing. A report by CNN said that the second sailor was found on Friday morning near Japan's Amami Oshima island, about midway between Okinawa and Kyushu, Japan's southernmost main island. He was already brought to the hospital. DFA added that an incoming storm is forecasted to hit the searching area on the evening of September 5 and might affect the search and rescue operations by the Japanese Coast Guard. The cargo ship was supposedly bound for Tangshan, China from Napier, New Zealand. It transmitted a distress signal early Wednesday when it was about 185 kilometers (115 miles) west of Amami Oshima island. The first day at school is always an anxious one but this year it wasn't just the parents who were feeling a bit worried as they watched their precious off-spring settle into a new environment. School principals and teachers around the country have spent the summer months pouring over regulations and wondering how to configure desks to provide as safe an environment as possible for the children entrusted into their care. And no more so than in Rampark National School in Lordship where the senior pupils are being crammed into classrooms above the recommended number after the school lost two teachers. Principal Joan O'Hanlon, who will be handing over the reins to the Deputy Principal Julie Kirk Carolan next month, explains that there is an empty classroom in the school lying idle. 'We are in this unfortunately position due to the loss of two classroom teachers.' In a bid to ease the situation, she has returned to teaching duties, but even so says 'We find ourselves with classes of over 30 pupils.' This is considerably higher than the national average of 25 pupils and is of particular concern when there is an emphasis on social distancing in the classroom. Four classrooms in the school have more than 30 pupils, with split classes in a number of the classrooms. She admits that she is 'very disappointed and disheartened' by the response they have received to their pleas to the Department to be allowed retain the lost teaching posts. 'Given that the current Minister for Education stated in the Dail earlier this year before her appointment that no school should lose a teacher during this time, we feel let down. Unfortunately no extraordinary measures have been put in place to support schools in that regard.' Nonetheless, she is confident that the school management team and Board of Management have done the best they could to prepare the school for the return of its 170 pupils. 'We worked very hard with our caretaker to prepare the school. Everything was cleaned and sanitized and all the requirements were fulfilled,' she explains. While pupils arriving in the school for the staggered openings last Wednesday and Thursday were greeted by certain changes, she points out 'children are very adaptable.' 'They were very happy to be back in school as were the staff who are happy to be back working in their own environment.' 'We have provided a very safe environment for the children, and are glad to have them back, especially after the last number of months which have been very difficult for them.' Bibek Debroy By There were trains in India before 1853, even commercial. But officially, the birthday of the railways is 16 April 1853, with that passenger train from Bori Bunder to Thane, carrying 400 invited VIP passengers. Years ago, economic historians of the Marxist variety used to debate the relevance of the Asiatic mode of production for India. In that context, there is a familiar Karl Marx quote from The Future Results of British Rule in India. The railway-system will therefore become, in India, truly the forerunner of modern industry. People will probably not readily recall when this essay was first published. Marx wrote it on 22 July 1853 and published it on 8 August 1853. Karl Marx must have known of the Bori Bunder to Thane train and reacted to the news. It is 166 years from 1853 to 2019. Most people probably dont know that in recent years, the track record of Indian Railways (IR) on safety has been remarkably good. This becomes evident if one normalises and divides absolute numbers by something like total passengers, or total kilometres travelled by trains. Irrespective of the indicator used, IRs performance is superior to that of many so-called advanced countries. That record may be good, but 2019-20 was exceptional. For the first time in 166 years, there have been no deaths to passengers from consequential railway accidents. As a reaction, there has been skepticism and criticism. What about those who die on Mumbai local trains? What about 20-year-old Dilshat Khan? In December 2019, near Kalyan station, he decided to perform a stunt on the footboard of a local train. He crashed into a pole and died. What about 19-year-old Abzad and 22-year-old Mohammed Matti? In September 2019, werent they killed near Bengaluru, trying to make a TikTok video on a railway track? Werent they run over by a train and killed? In Delhi, in July 2019, an Indian Army captain committed suicide by throwing himself in front of a train. Incidentally, as Bollywood evolved, trains featured in Hindi films. If you think of old black-and-white Hindi films, and not recent ones, you will recall trains figured in films because they were convenient ways of committing suicide. They provided that setting and no more. The NCRB (National Crime Records Bureau) brings out a publication, Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India. We have this for 2018. The 2019 version will probably be available in December 2020. In 2018, according to NCRB, there were 24,545 deaths because of railway accidents1,507 at railway crossings and the remainder primarily due to people falling off trains or being run over by them. There were also a few instances (with relatively fewer deaths) of derailments/collisions in UP. There may not have been derailments/collisions in 2019-20. Unmanned level crossings may have become manned. But what about people falling off trains or being run over by them? One can understand skepticism about the 2019-20 numbers. But this is because one has failed to understand what the numbers signify. Since every statement issued by IR uses the expression consequential railway accident, there must be some meaning attached to the word consequential. Other than the NCRB, the Commission of Rail Safety (CRS), under the Civil Aviation Ministry because of historical reasons, also provides numbers on such deaths. That too is for consequential and the latest numbers are for 2017-18. Consequential is defined in the following way. For the purpose of Railway working, accident is an occurrence in the course of working of Railway which does or may affect the safety of the Railway, its engine, rolling stock, permanent way and works, fixed installations, passengers or servants or which affect the safety of others or which does or may cause delay to train or loss to the Railway. These are railway-related and are included if they are above a certain threshold. We think IRs figures are about all accidents. No, they are only about consequential or serious accidents and it is those that have been eliminated in 2019-20. These are also incidents where IR has implied culpability and is responsible. To make it clearer still, CRS states, Cases of trespassers run over and injured or killed through their own carelessness or of passengers injured or killed through their own carelessness are excluded. IR then statistically classifies these accidents from A to R. Take for example L2, no tension in OHE (overhead equipment) for more than three minutes. This may not fit with our usual perception of accidents, but the effect on IR can be disastrous. Alternatively, there are also F (averted collisions), G (breach of block rules), H (a train passing a signal at danger), J (equipment failures), K (failure of permanent way), L (failure of electrical equipment), M (failure of signaling and telecommunication), Q6 (blockade to train services due to agitation). IR accident data are for a specific purpose and do not, and need not, reflect our passenger-based and citizen-based perceptions of death on the tracks. It isnt the case that other types of deaths (Dilshat Khan, Abzad, Mohammed Matti, the Army captain) arent captured by the system. They are classified as trespassing and untoward incidents and fed into the system through the NCRB. As I said, we will know the 2019 numbers in December 2020. The railway crossing ones will certainly be fewer. Going by 2018, I think numbers for falling from a train and getting run over on a track will not be more than 20,000, perhaps lower. Bibek Debroy Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the PM. Views are personal (Tweets @bibekdebroy) New Delhi, Sep 5 : The Centre on Saturday conferred Andra Pradesh as the best performing state in terms of implementing business reforms. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman released the ranking of states on the basis of implementing the 'State business reforms action plan' on Saturday. The 'State Business Reform Action Plan 2019' is aimed at improving business environment by streamlining regulatory structures and simplifying procedures, digitisation of information and easing the compliance burden. It aspires to create creating an investor-friendly business climate by cutting down red tape. As per the latest ranking, Uttar Pradesh stood second and Telangana was the third-best state in implementing business reforms in 2019. The biggest change in the fourth edition of ranking is the way in which implementation of all reforms were measured on the ground by taking feedback from actual users. This meant that such feedback became an important cornerstone to evaluate the performance of a state on all 181 reform parameters. Some of the reform areas where states performance was measured included, Get ting Credit, Paying Taxes, Resolving Insolvency, Construction Permits, Regis tering Property, Enforcing Contract, Starting a Business and Trading Across B orders. Apart from best performing states, the 2019 ranking has also brought out that states such as Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Lakshadweep have shown marked improvement in their ranking over previous year. I n fact, UP improved its rank to 2 in 2019 up from 12 th position it secured i n 2018. But states like Haryana, Odisha, Kerala, Karnataka, Bihar, Goa, Assam and surprisingly even Gujarat has been worst performing states in terms of reform initiatives in 2019 as compared to their performance in previous year. Indust rial state Maharashtra and retained 13th position, a rank that it even secur ed in 2018. After releasing the report Finance Minister said that Centre is trying to build a competitive spirit among states through this initiative. She pointed out that India has a credible background in implementing reforms which is one of the key reasons for FDI inflow even during the strictest period of the lockdown. Furthermore, the FM cited that the Centre's Atmanirbar Bharata initiative envisages the country to increase exports by becoming competitive and offering quality products. "With a unique model of competitive and cooperative federalism and diligent work by all states, India is succeeding in emerging as an attractive investment destination as is seen in the recent surge in foreign direct investments. The industry feedback system captures the perspectives of thousands of businesses, testifying to the transparency of the process and making the rankings extremely credible and accurate. The announcements today on creating a land bank of 1 lakh hectares try and energising ease of doing business at the district level go a long way towards further instilling confidence in industry," Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII ), said. The United Kingdom is nothing if not a trading nation. For centuries our island status has made us a leader in world commerce, and that continues to this day. Last year alone, foreign nationals made almost nine million business trips here, a staggering total. Those visits generated jobs, investment and prosperity for our country prosperity that will be doubly important after Brexit. By the same token, millions of British businessmen and women have grown used to travelling the world in pursuit of new opportunities, while millions more flights are taken for holidays and leisure. Heathrow has already got its testing stations in place and is willing to organise staff and even home-tests for its travellers. All this could be put in place almost immediately if only the Government would change its mind Ever since Freddie Laker pioneered no-frills air travel in the 1970s, this country has been at the heart of the low-cost travel industry. Britons made more than 58 million overseas holiday trips last year, spending some 43 billion in the process. All of this has been shattered by the Governments clumsy quarantine policy. Such crude measures might have been understandable had they been introduced at the very start of the crisis, before wed imported Covid-19 infections in large numbers from France, Spain and Italy. And to be fair, some countries have imposed such measures, limiting the number of foreign visitors, with great success. But we introduced the policy as late as June, many months into the crisis, locking the stable door long after the horse had bolted. It was obvious even then that blanket quarantines would be the worst of all worlds. The way the policy has been implemented chopping and changing which countries are in or out on a weekly basis has maximised the economic uncertainty and damage. If it continues, the already huge job losses in the travel sector will increase still further, while airlines and travel companies will go bankrupt. An empty looking Heathrow Airport is seen above Many of us feared that forcing people to isolate themselves at home after returning from holiday would do maximum economic damage but give minimum protection against infection. Badly needed holidays would be wrecked. But for factory workers, shop assistants and garage mechanics who cannot comfortably work from home, it would also cost them income and possibly even their jobs. And so it has proved. The way the policy has been implemented chopping and changing which countries are in or out on a weekly basis has maximised the economic uncertainty and damage. If it continues, the already huge job losses in the travel sector will increase still further, while airlines and travel companies will go bankrupt. The damage will not stop there. Companies that trade internationally and which rely on customers and salesmen crossing our borders will face almost incredible difficulty. And this will cripple the international trade which is so important to us when the Brexit process is completed later this year and we stand on our own two feet. We are risking self-strangulation of our economy and we have become a laughing stock to our competitors. How, then, did we get into this ridiculous position? Ministers tell us that they base their policy on the science. They have my sympathy. The scientific advice during this crisis has been about as reliable as a weathervane in a whirlwind, changing from moment to moment, and almost never right. But I suspect the real reason behind the chaos and ensuing damage might be rather less respectable. When the policy was first introduced in June, it was reported in some knowledgeable quarters that it was actually being driven by the opinions of focus groups and by polling data gathered by Dominic Cummings at No 10. I hope this is not true. Because if it were, it would be a disgrace given the savage economic consequences arising from it now. So what is the alternative? What should we have done instead? Perhaps more importantly, what should we do now? The answer is straightforward. At least 30 other countries, all with better records than the UK at controlling the virus, have pursued an alternative and much more rational policy. They have chosen to test incoming travellers from countries with high infection rates, either at the airport, or even in some cases before travel. Look at the countries around the world that have done this. Take Austria, for example, where the rules are that people either supply a negative test taken 72 hours before entering the country, or have one done at the airport. Results are available in three to six hours and provided the result is negative travellers avoid the mandatory 14-day quarantine. At Vienna airport, on-site testing was available as early as May 3. That was a full month before our Government instituted its own ham-fisted quarantines. Since then, a host of countries have enacted similar policies. Italy, Croatia, Hungary, Malta, Turkey and Japan all have systems in place offering tests at airports. A greater number of others, including Germany and France, allow passengers to avoid full quarantine if they can provide a negative coronavirus test result taken in the days before they travel. Remember, these systems work! Which brings us back to the scientific data that underpins the UK policy. A number of Ministers have claimed that testing on arrival at airports would only pick up seven per cent of Covid-19 cases. Boris Johnson repeated this claim on Friday. In the measured words of Thorolfur Gudnason, the chief epidemiologist of Iceland, this is incorrect. And since Iceland has successfully used a border-testing policy since June, he knows what hes talking about. A number of Ministers have claimed that testing on arrival at airports would only pick up seven per cent of Covid-19 cases. A traveller is pictured above at Heathrow Airport The trouble is that the UK advice is based on modelling estimates made in the early stages of the crisis when little was understood about the disease. The so-called scientific data is now out of date. But even if this advice had been correct, our Governments policy is singularly unimaginative. A safety-first approach could have introduced a test at airports and a follow-up carried out at home four or five days later. If both tests showed negative, the quarantine period could have been limited to five days, a much more manageable option for people with manual or public-facing jobs. What is more, the airlines and airports industry have volunteered to organise just such an arrangement. Heathrow has already got its testing stations in place and is willing to organise staff and even home-tests for its travellers. All this could be put in place almost immediately if only the Government would change its mind. Indeed, every day that passes the technology gets better, faster and more capable. Even in April, testing technology gave a result within 90 minutes to two hours, rather than the 24-hour time lag that the Government now nominally offers (that is when you can actually get a Government test). The Japanese have cut down the waiting time for airport test results to under an hour, and even this is slow compared to the latest tests. The American company Cepheid had a proven accurate test that was cleared for use by the American Food and Drug Administration in March. It produced results in 30 to 45 minutes. Last week, another US firm, Abbott Laboratories, announced it had secured emergency use approval for a new test it has developed. It works like a pregnancy test. Users take a nasal swab, pop the swab back into the test card and within 15 minutes a result is given one line shows a negative result, two lines positive. These technological advances make it easier and easier to have a rational testing system at national borders and harder and harder to understand why our Government does not change course. If Public Health England (PHE) is advising against this, perhaps its time to recognise that this organisation has been wrong countless times since the start of this crisis. The Health Secretary has quite rightly replaced PHE because of its incompetence. Perhaps it is now time he replaced its advice with something a little more balanced, more practical and, frankly, more scientific. This policy is not saving lives, but it is destroying jobs and disrupting livelihoods. It is long past time for change. Vineet Upadhyay By Express News Service DEHRADUN: Amidst border tensions with Nepal and China, in an attempt to boost mobile network connectivity, the Uttarakhand state cabinet on Saturday approved an amendment in the state's information technology policy to provide incentives of up to Rs 40 lakh for companies which decide to set up mobile network towers in remote areas in 'dark villages' of the hill state. 'Dark villages' are those with no or poor mobile network connectivity where there is no telecom service provider (TSP) or internet service provider (ISP), leaving them lagging behind in terms of connectivity. Madan Kaushik, state cabinet minister and spokesperson for the government, said, "This will boost mobile connectivity and enhance the lives of people. Internet and mobile phones have become an integral part of our lives and are essential for education, banking and flow of any necessary information." According to state government sources, 438 'dark villages' have been identified till date. Other decisions by the cabinet also included approval of a proposal for the expansion of a helipad at the Kedarnath shrine in Rudraprayag district up to 5000 square metres till October this year to make it suitable for landing of the Indian Air Forces Chinook helicopters. Kedarnath shrine at present has one MI-26 helipad with an area of 2,000 square metres and another VIP helipad with an area of 2,400 square metres. The Chinooks will be used to transport to Kedarnath newly-procured heavy machinery required for rebuilding work after the 2013 floods. Senior government officials added on condition of anonymity that the helipads expansion is important strategically as it can be utilized for landings of advanced IAF helicopters as well as transportation. In June this year, 49 villages in Pithoragarh district along the China and Nepal borders were equipped with satellite phones amidst ongoing border tensions. The locals however say that this is not sufficient and a robust infrastructure is needed to tackle the problem. According to the sources, 200-300 satellite phones will be distributed in border areas. After satellite phones were distributed in border areas of Pithoragarh, Chamoli and Uttarakashi districts, residents complained of inflated call rates up to Rs 25-30 per minute. Earlier, the state government officials said that the call charges will be fixed at Rs 12 per minute and an SMS would also cost the same amount. International calls and SMS rates have been fixed at Rs 260 per minute and Rs 260 per SMS. Uttarakhand border villages are compelled to use Nepalese SIM cards due to no or poor availability of Indian network providers including the government owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL). Many residents had added that with this kind of call rates, Nepalese SIM cards which work in border areas seem a better option. The receding population on the Uttarakhand-Nepal-China border has become a source of worry for Indian security forces amidst increasing border tensions with Nepal. According to reports of the Uttarakhand Rural Development and Migration Commission, 14 villages have become totally empty since 2011 while in many parts population has declined 'significantly'. Other decisions of the cabinet included clearing various important projects such as ropeway in Yamunotri, approval of 25 megawatt solar power projects for youth under the Chief Minister Employment Scheme and expansion of duration of guest teachers in government degree colleges benefiting 275 teachers. There wont be any Labour Day parades this weekend, due to physical distancing. Instead, trade unions in Canada will celebrate workers annual day with online events and other COVID-aware activities. But the absence of physical crowds should not be taken as some kind of metaphor for unions declining visibility. To the contrary, the pandemic actually corresponds with a surprising rebound in unions size and importance. Theres nothing like a crisis, it seems, to remind workers that when times are tough it helps to have a powerful ally at your back. There were already signs of an uptick in union membership before coronavirus hit. The number of workers covered by a union contract reached an all-time high of almost five million by end-2019. As a share of total employment, union coverage rebounded slightly (after years of slow erosion) to 30.2 per cent. During the first half of 2020, however, union coverage surged to almost 32 per cent the highest in 15 years. To be sure, that increase was driven by a disproportionate decline in non-union employment. Union-covered workers were half as likely to lose their jobs during the initial shutdowns as non-union workers. Thats because unionized employers cant just dispose of staff like so much excess inventory: they must follow negotiated procedures, including notice, severance, and seniority. Workers without a union especially in precarious temporary or part-time roles had no such protection. The hardship experienced by workers without a union is distressing. And it highlights a gritty reality of industrial relations. In good times, unions help workers win a healthy share of a growing pie. But in bad economic times, unions really show their value. When individual businesses (or the whole economy) are in crisis, employers naturally try to shift the burden onto the workers: through layoffs, wage cuts, and other take-aways. So that is precisely when workers most need a countervailing force to represent them, and defend their past gains. Without that collective power, employers can easily make the workers pay for the crisis. It is not surprising, then, that during tough times workers tend to particularly appreciate the benefits of union membership. Indeed, the pandemic has been associated with similar upticks in union membership and activity in several other countries, not just Canada. Union membership has increased in the U.K., Australia, and New Zealand. Even in union-hostile America, union coverage has stabilized (after many years of decline), and there has been a sharp rise in strike activity. The COVID-19 pandemic is having terribly unequal impacts on Canadian society. It has hurt insecure and low-income workers the most, and will worsen inequality across many dimensions: including income, job security, and health. And there will be great conflicts in coming years over the shape of Canada as we rebuild after COVID-19. Familiar voices are already calling for the dismantling of emergency protections, a focus on reducing deficits, and attacking wages and conditions for public and private sector workers alike. Having the protection of a union will matter a lot as these struggles over post-COVID reconstruction unfold. A telling parable for this moment is the current scrappy strike by 1,400 Unifor members at Dominion grocery stores (a division of Loblaw) in Newfoundland. After all, the grocery industry perfectly captures the unequal impacts of the pandemic. Grocery revenues surged thanks to panic buying and the decline in restaurant dining, and profits are strong. Retail workers were initially celebrated as heroes for braving infection to do their jobs, and Loblaw and other grocers even offered $2-per-hour bonuses to reward that dedication (not to mention elicit strong attendance). But as soon as the CEOs thought it was possible, they clawed back the $2. Sure, the companies were pilloried in the media for their greed, and their executives grilled at a Parliamentary committee. But none of this hand-wringing and public complaint will get the workers back their $2. However, a determined union just might: by stopping production and imposing a cost of disagreement on the employer, it can wield real power. So if retail workers, cleaners, carers, and all the other unsung heroes of the pandemic want to protect themselves against more take-aways, and be treated fairly in post-COVID reconstruction, they need to get themselves a union. And the bounce in union membership indicates they know it. Police keep groups apart during an anti mask rally in Derrys Guildhall Square on Saturday. One of the placards at a demonstration in Derrys Guildhall Square at the weekend. 05.09.20 One of the placards at a demonstration in Derrys Guildhall Square at the weekend. 05.09.20 People carry placards at a demonstration in Derrys Guildhall Square at the weekend. Police at the protest in Derrys Guildhall Square on Saturday. PSNI officers kept the two protests apart. Anti-mask protesters gathered near the BBCs Broadcasting House in Belfast on Saturday where they were met by a counter demonstration and a heavy police presence. In a video of the gathering organised by Yellow Vest NI a speaker told those present the group represented the ordinary working man and woman. Another speaker gestured towards the BBC headquarters in Ormeau Avenue and said: BBC, why are you telling lies? Half the country is in the house, scared to leave the house, because they think people are dropping dead everywhere, he said. This is why we picked the location today because we want answers...every single one of us here is being attacked by mainstream media. One of those who also spoke claimed that Covid-19 is not as deadly as people are making it out to be despite the majority of medical evidence suggesting otherwise. A heavy police presence kept apart the Yellow Vest NI supporters and counter demonstrators from Belfast Anti-Fascist Alliance. One man held up a sign which said: Doctors know the craic. Covid is real you eejits. A similar anti-mask and anti-lockdown demonstration was held in the Guildhall Square in Londonderry on Saturday afternoon. There participants held up placards with slogans against school children wearing masks and calling for any Covid-19 vaccine to not be mandatory. Its not the first time Yellow Vest NI have held an event, with a protest at Cornmarket in the city centre which was also met with a large counter demonstration. A disgraced Boys' Brigade captain from Co Down who swindled 34,000 from his organisation has been stripped of his MBE, it has emerged. According to sources in Killinchy, a number of groups have been informed of what is called a forfeiture linked to David Morrow in recent days. The Cabinet Office in London refused to confirm or deny the claim that the honour has been taken away from Morrow (57), from Ballydorn Road, Killinchy. A spokesman said: "The forfeiture process is confidential and it would be inappropriate to comment on individual cases." According to a government website a forfeiture committee usually consider cases put to them when award holders have 'brought the honours system into disrepute". It added that a recommendation for forfeiture would be submitted through the Prime Minister to the Queen. The Cabinet Office spokesperson said that news of forfeitures are normally carried in the London Gazette. The latest edition will be published later this month. Morrow, a former bank official who led his BB company for 19 years, pleaded guilty at Downpatrick Crown Court to a series of charges including false accounting, fraud by abuse of position, fraud by false representation and transferring criminal property. Sentencing him to 200 hours of community service in December 2018, Judge Piers Grant attacked Morrow's "arrogance" over how he "spitefully" betrayed the trust of the congregation of Killinchy Presbyterian Church. He said Morrow had lost his reputation in the community and added: "You should be utterly ashamed. You inflicted enormous damage on the community and on the church." The offences were committed between July 2009 and May 2011. In 2012, even though he appears to have been the subject of a PSNI probe, Morrow was awarded an MBE and the citation said it was "in recognition of his work with the Boys' Brigade movement and with the community in Northern Ireland (Newtownards)". In 2013 Morrow was also recognised for his service to the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme, receiving a long service certificate from the Earl of Wessex at a ceremony in Hillsborough Castle. Two years ago a fraud court was told that Morrow had paid back over 34,000 - fractionally more than what was stolen. A prosecution lawyer said that Morrow was stood down as captain of 1st Killinchy BB attached to the local Presbyterian Church in November 2010 after "spiritual differences". A defence lawyer said Morrow had tried to use most of the money at the centre of the charges to provide 'a massive amount of facilities for the youth of the area' and added that he had not benefited personally. This week in Killinchy it was clear that there are still major divisions in the area with many people having moved to different churches in the wake of the fall-out and it is clear that there is still strong support for Morrow who maintains key roles within the community there. He is listed online as a contact for the Killinchy Community Association's Covid-19 support service. Morrow has not commented on reports that his MBE has been removed but friends said they still had a sense of unease over what had happened to him. (CNN) It was a woman with blonde dreadlocks who capped off one of the biggest anti-coronavirus demonstrations in Europe on Saturday, which saw tens of thousands of anti-vaxxers, conspiracy theorists and the far-right march through the German capital, Berlin. Speaking on a stage by Germany's parliament, the Reichstag, she egged the crowds on to occupy the building. "Trump is in Berlin," the woman falsely said, according to a video posted of her speech on social media. "Go up there and sit peaceably on [the] stairs and show President Trump ... that we want world peace and that we are sick of it," she shouted from the stage by the Reichstag. CNN has attempted to reach the woman, identified as Tamara K. in German media, for comment. The gathering turned into a mob, who pushed past barricades and made their way towards the Reichstag's steps in scenes that horrified politicians, bringing back memories of darker times in the country's history. Protesters held up imperial banners, a flag now deployed by the far right as the swastika is banned in Germany. Among them were QAnon supporters toting the US conspiracy group's insignia, as well as a symbol rarely associated with German anti-government protests: the US Stars and Stripes. Germany has been lauded for its pandemic response, thanks to widescale testing and its fast response to the outbreak which has helped keep its COVID-19 mortality rate low despite a high number of reported cases. Yet the events at the Reichstag have worried experts that the country has become a victim of its own success, allowing for the spread of coronavirus scepticism. "Virologists say there is no glory in prevention; if prevention is successful, people don't see the danger," Thorsten Quandt, a professor at University of Munster who has been researching right-wing conspiracies in the pandemic, told CNN. "The irony is the less you can feel it, and more successful you are with pandemic measures, the more people say we should stop [those measures]." Sky-high support This is all happening as German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been enjoying sky-high approval ratings for her decisive approach to the outbreak. Voters have rallied around traditional parties, with the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) slumping to single figures in local opinion polls, according to Bild newspaper. This is one of the AfD's worst showings since winning third place in elections in 2017, becoming the first far-right party to enter the Bundestag since the 60s. The party, which has been riven with infighting in recent months, has instead tried to capitalize on pandemic skepticism. In the past few weeks its national spokesperson Tino Chrupalla has denied the viability of masks and urged his social media followers to attend Saturday's protests. It comes at a time when researchers say conspiracy theories like QAnon which sees US President Donald Trump as a savior figure secretly battling a cabal of Satan-worshipping pedophiles and the so-called deep state have grown exponentially in Germany. Marchers last Saturday held signs that implored Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin to "free" Germany, waving the American flag as symbols of their conspiracies. Others told a CNN crew Trump was an "angel," and the pandemic was fake, and Trump knew it "because he never wore a mask from the beginning. The American flags and the hero-worshipping of Trump is a break from the traditional view of the US -- of a staunch geopolitical ally committed to multilateral institutions. "What we see here is a different narrative, a conspiracy theorist representation of the US. This is the America of Donald Trump, and it is an America of White supremacists," Quandt said. Historically, German conspiracy groups and the far right have reviled the trans-Atlantic relationship US, according to Michael Butter, a Professor at the University of Tubingen and a conspiracy theory expert. "These people are highly skeptical about the US acting as a hegemon in global affairs," he added, "especially those on the extreme right ... and the only president these people have sympathy for is Donald Trump." Common cause The rage-filled scenes outside Germany's Parliament were the latest expression of how the outbreak has provided common cause for people who would normally be on the opposite sides of the political spectrum. "What we can see now is what I would call some kind of crossover extremism," Quandt said. "What unites them is a belief in the state and the political party being corrupt, and being part of a conscious conspiracy of not being able to run a country." Anetta Kahane, founder of well-known anti-racism group the Amadeu Antonio Foundation, watched the march from her Berlin apartment's window in horror. She told CNN it looked like disparate groups of conspiracists, neo-nazis, anti-vaxxers and esoterics appeared to have overcome their political differences. "It is against liberalism, against globalised society, against science, against intellectuals, against multiculturalism and all the [trappings of] modern society," she said. German politicians have long agonized over the threat of far-right extremism in the country. A pro-immigrant politician in Merkel's party was killed by a suspected far-right sympathizer in 2019. Weeks before the country went into lockdown in March, a gunman who espoused racist views killed nine people at shisha bars in the German city of Hanau. And in June, the government said it was disbanding an elite military unit in a bid to clean up far-right extremists in its ranks, Reuters reported. The German Office for Protection of the Constitution warned last year that right-wing extremism was on the rise in Germany. It said that there was evidence of a "high willingness" of right-wing extremists to use violence. Its latest report on extremism said authorities were aware of at least 24,100 people who were active within various far-right organizations. But experts cautioned that conspiracy theorists only reflect a tiny proportion of Germany's population of more than 80 million people who, according to recent polling, overwhelming back Merkel's coronavirus measures. The outrage that followed the protests was not because "more Germans believe in conspiracy theories, but a realization that these people exist," Butter told CNN. Far-right watchers say the real worry is AfD eventually being able to connect with voters affected by the economic fallout from the pandemic, which has seen hundreds of thousands of Germans lose their jobs. "It could be a boost for the AfD [if they gain] people who either believes the coronavirus crisis was a big, a big plot, and by those who think it was real, but the government just handled the economic crisis badly," Butter said. CNN's Stephanie Halasz contributed to this report. This story was first published on CNN.com "Germany's virus response won plaudits. But protests over vaccines and masks show it's a victim of its own success" CLEVELAND, Ohio Two missing teen girls were recovered by federal agents and police Thursday afternoon from a home on the West Side as part of Operation Safety Net, according to the U.S. Marshals Service. Operation Safety Net, which is focusing on missing children who might be victims of sex trafficking, has now recovered just under 30 children between the ages of 13 and 18 in Ohio in the past three weeks, federal agents say. The two girls found Thursday, ages 14 and 15, were reported missing Friday from Jackson Township in Stark County. The girls, who were unharmed, will be turned over to Childrens Services in Cuyahoga County, according to the Marshals Service. U.S. Marshal Peter Elliott has said Operation Safety Net likely will continue into October. A similar operation in Georgia, Operation Not Forgotten, has recovered 26 children, the safe location of 13 others and the arrest of nine suspects, authorities say. Tips on missing children can be called into the U.S. Marshals tip line at 1-866-492-6833. More crime-related content on cleveland.com: Judge declares Cleveland man who spent two decades on death row wrongfully imprisoned Canton couple accused of keeping 7-year-old in dog cage Bedford man accused of sexually assaulting 11-year-old girl Deputies searching for Akron man accused of firing shots during road rage incident near Portage Lakes Woman charged in fatal shooting during argument in Cleveland Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Saturday criticised the governments response to coronavirus pandemic in the country as he predicted Indias infection tally may touch the 6.5-million mark by the end of September. I had predicted that total number of infections will reach 55 lakh by September 30. I am wrong. India will reach that number by September 20. By end September, the number may touch 65 lakh, Chidambaram said in a series of tweets. I had predicted that total number of infections will reach 55 lakh by September 30. I am wrong. India will reach that number by September 20 By end September, the number may touch 65 lakh P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) September 5, 2020 PM Modi who promised that we will defeat coronavirus in 21 days must explain why India failed when other countries seem to have succeeded, he added. The only country that is not reaping the benefit of the lockdown strategy appears to be India PM Modi who promised that we will defeat coronavirus in 21 days must explain why India failed when other countries seem to have succeeded P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) September 5, 2020 Also read: GDP estimates a matter of shame for Modi government, says Chidambaram India registered the highest single-day jump of 86,432 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the countrys caseload past the 4-million mark, according to the Union health ministry on Saturday. With 1,089 more deaths in the last 24 hours, the cumulative toll reached 69,561, it said. The former Union finance minister also alleged that the country has not been able to reap the benefit of the lockdown strategy. Chidambaram also hit out at the Union finance ministry for the state of Indias economy. Targeting the Nirmala Sitharaman-led union finance ministry, Chidambaram said, MoF does not have a word of explanation for the unprecedented negative growth in Q1 of 2020-21. But it is back to its old game of misleading the people of India and predicting a V shaped recovery. Also read | Will the messenger of god answer?: Chidambarams jibe at Sitharaman The people have not forgotten that the V shaped recovery has been promised by MoF for the last 15 months, the former finance minister said. Like the actress who plays her, the 2020 version of Mulan is on the wrong side of history. She may have paved a way for other women to be warriors, but had she not been guided by the warrior witch, she would have upheld systems of oppression as a perceived male foot soldier. The sentiment she conveys is that a progressive movement will be the death of people who participate, and protecting the government is the just and right cause. It comes off as a justification of the actions of the Chinese Communist Party. The chemical industry bore the brunt of coronavirus fallout during the first half of 2020. The pandemic brought industrial activities to a grinding halt globally, sapping demand for chemicals across major end-markets including automotive and construction. The industry also faced headwinds from the short supply of raw materials as a result of the contagion. The closure of a large number of factories across China to stem the spread of the virus disrupted the global supply chain and impaired logistics. However, the chemical industry appears to have crawled out of the worst of the coronavirus impact on the back of a return of global economic activities and an economic rebound in China, a top consumer of chemicals. Manufacturing Recovery Puts Wind Back Into Industrys Sails With the easing of restrictions on business activities across the world, demand for chemicals has recovered of late across major end-use industries. The global economy is gradually pulling out of its coronavirus-induced rut as businesses reopen following lockdowns and restrictions. Notably, recent positive manufacturing data from the United States, Eurozone and China signalled a recovery in global manufacturing activities. The rebound in manufacturing is welcome news for the chemical industry. The recovery strengthened for the U.S. manufacturing sector in August with activities rising at the fastest pace since November 2018. According to the Institute for Supply Management, the U.S Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) clocked 56% in August, rising from Julys reading of 54.2% on strong growth in new orders. A reading above 50 indicates expansion in activity. New orders rose for the third straight month in August on the back of a growth in new export orders. ISM's New Orders Index registered 67.6% in August, rising from 61.5% in July. Out of the 18 manufacturing industries, 15 reported growth in new orders in August. The manufacturing sector serves as a barometer to gauge the overall health of the U.S. economy and has a major influence on the chemical industry. Manufacturing activity is also a key indicator for chemical demand. As such, the rebound in manufacturing activities augur well for the U.S. chemical industry. Moreover, economic activities in China are picking up pace as the country continues its recovery from the pandemic-led slowdown. Chinas industrial sector is gradually returning to pre-pandemic levels, supported by a revival in domestic demand and Beijings infrastructure push. Chinas official manufacturing PMI expanded for the sixth consecutive month in August on strength in its services sector. While the manufacturing PMI eased slightly to 51 from 51.1 in July due to flooding in parts of China, it remained in the expansion territory. Meanwhile, the Eurozone manufacturing sector continued to recover in August from the coronavirus-led shock. IHS Markits final Eurozone manufacturing PMI came in at 51.7 in August, a tad below Julys reading of 51.8 but higher than the 50 mark that separates expansion from contraction. New orders rose for the second month in a row in August, per IHS Markit. Italy, Germany and Ireland saw strongest gains in manufacturing output. Notably, Eurozone manufacturing output expanded for the second consecutive month in August and also reached its highest level in more than two years. The expansion in manufacturing activities instils optimism regarding the recovery in the overall Eurozone economy. Story continues 5 Chemical Stocks Worth a Wager The chemical industry grappled with demand slowdown and supply chain disruptions due to coronavirus in the first half. However, with China seeing an economic rebound and manufacturing activities are improving around the world, things are looking up for the industry. As such, it would be prudent to zero in on stocks in the space that have healthy prospects. We highlight the following five stocks, with a solid Zacks rank, that are good options for investment right now. Koppers Holdings Inc. KOP This Pennsylvania-based company, sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), has has delivered an earnings surprise of 25.1%, on average, over the trailing four quarters. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has been revised 42.8% upward over the last 60 days. Ashland Global Holdings Inc. ASH Kentucky-based Ashland carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). The consensus estimate for the current year has been revised 13.8% upward over the last 60 days. The company also has an expected long-term earnings per share growth rate of 10.7%. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Hawkins, Inc. HWKN The Minnesota-based company, carrying a Zacks Rank #2, has expected earnings growth of 21.4% for the current fiscal year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current fiscal has been revised 7.7% upward over the last 60 days. The company has also delivered an earnings surprise of 45.5%, on average, over the trailing four quarters. Stepan Company SCL Illinois-based Stepan has a Zacks Rank #2. It has expected earnings growth of 1.6% for the current year. The consensus estimate for the current year also has been revised 17.4% upward over the last 60 days. The company has also surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, the average being 25.9%. Flexible Solutions International Inc. FSI Canada-based Flexible Solutions carries a Zacks Rank #2. It has expected earnings growth of 106.3% for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has been revised 50% upward over the last 60 days. The company has also delivered an earnings surprise of 35.6%, on average, over the trailing four quarters. More Stock News: This Is Bigger than the iPhone! It could become the mother of all technological revolutions. Apple sold a mere 1 billion iPhones in 10 years but a new breakthrough is expected to generate more than 27 billion devices in just 3 years, creating a $1.7 trillion market. Zacks has just released a Special Report that spotlights this fast-emerging phenomenon and 6 tickers for taking advantage of it. If you don't buy now, you may kick yourself in 2021. Click here for the 6 trades >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Ashland Global Holdings Inc. (ASH) : Free Stock Analysis Report Koppers Holdings Inc. (KOP) : Free Stock Analysis Report Flexible Solutions International Inc. (FSI) : Free Stock Analysis Report Stepan Company (SCL) : Free Stock Analysis Report Hawkins, Inc. (HWKN) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Detectives arrested a man accused of fatally shooting a man and woman during a dispute over an alleged debt last Tuesday in Roswell. Roswell Police spokesman Todd Wildermuth said Ignacio Juan Gamez, 29, has been charged with two counts of murder, felon in possession of a firearm, and tampering with evidence in the deaths of Mark Montoya, 33, and Crystal Aguilar, 38. Gamez was booked into the Chaves County Detention Center on Saturday. Wildermuth said officers responded around 8 p.m. to reports of gunfire at a home in the 500 block of South Kansas Avenue. Police found Aguilar and Montoya shot multiple times in the backyard. Aguilar died at the scene and Montoya was taken to a hospital where he died Thursday morning. Wildermuth said police quickly identified Gamez as a suspect, believing that he and the victims argued about Gamez owing one of them money before the shooting. He said investigators arrested Gamez early Friday afternoon, on unrelated probation violations, at a South Roswell home known as the base. Detectives questioned him at the police station before taking him to jail, where he was served Saturday with the arrest warrant for the murders, Wildermuth said. As coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases and deaths rise in India with businesses, transport and activities opening across states, the responsibility of stopping the spread of the infection lies with each one of us, besides the government. Indias test, track and treat strategy can be effective only if people with symptoms or with possible exposure to a Covid-19 case voluntarily get tested or stay in home isolation for two weeks after exposure or symptoms. Since the infection can be spread by asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic people, wearing masks and maintaining social distancing in public places is non-negotiable, irrespective of symptoms, till a vaccine is widely available. Protection and vaccination are the only way to get a semblance of normalcy back. The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Friday called national lockdowns a blunt instrument that could be avoided with the right mix of targeted and tailored measures, such as using a data-driven approach to drive a targeted response. For example, instead of waiting for test results that have a lag of five days to a week after a person gets infected, develops symptoms, gets tested and, finally, receives the result containment zones with mass testing should be set up the moment people in a neighbourhod report symptoms. Hopes for an early vaccine were bolstered on Friday with Russian researchers publishing results from two small, early-phase clinical trials that demonstrated that their Covid-19 vaccine, Sputnik V, is safe, and produced antibodies and an immune response in all 76 volunteers. It stimulates both arms of the immune system antibodies and T cell responses attacking the virus in the body and also cells infected by Sars-CoV-2. Sputkin V has two formulations (frozen and freeze-dried). The frozen formulation is planned for large-scale use with the help of existing global supply chains for vaccines, while the more stable freeze-dried formulation was developed for hard-to-reach regions where it can be stored at 2-8 degrees centigrade. I think they have a good vaccine, the early-phase results are promising. Like for all other vaccines, it needs to undergo larger and more safety and efficacy trials before it is approved for population use, said Dr K Srinath Reddy, president, Public Health Foundation of India. Dr Randeep Guleria, director, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, agreed. Sputnik V has elicited an immune response and caused no adverse side-effects. The results are encouraging, but its a very small sample size, he said. All vaccines aim to expose the body to an antigen that wont cause disease but will provoke an immune response that can block or kill the virus if a person becomes infected. Each type relies on different viruses or viral parts to trigger an immune response. Russias vaccine consists of two shots that use two adenoviruses (26 and 5) to carry the gene for the surface spike protein of Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. Adenoviruses, some of which cause the common cold, are efficient vectors for delivering genes or vaccine proteins to the target host tissue. It is a tried-and-tested method used in vaccines and gene therapy. Russia drew flak last month when it approved Sputnik V, which became the worlds first Covid-19 vaccine to be approved for use on August 11, before publishing early trial results for scientific scrutiny. The experimental Sputnik V is now in Phase 3 trials that include 40,000 volunteers from different age and risk groups. Vaccines developed by Oxford-Astra Zeneca, Moderna and CanSino are the other candidates in large late-stage trials. There are 34 experimental vaccines in clinical trial phases and 142 vaccines in preclinical evaluation stages, according to the WHO landscape of Covid-19 candidate vaccines on September 3, which raises hope that one or more effective vaccines will be ready for use by early next year. Even so, the supply will be limited and priority will be given to vaccinating essential workers and those most at risk. The Covid-19 Vaccine Global Access Facility (COVAX Facility) partnership, which is the worlds largest and fastest-ever procurement and supply of vaccines effort supported by WHO, GAVI-The Vaccine Alliance, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, Pan American Health Organization, World Bank, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and other partners, aims to ensure no one gets left behind. Unicef is leading efforts to supply Covid-19 vaccines on behalf of the COVAX Facility to 92 low- and lower middle-income countries whose vaccine purchases will be supported by the mechanism through the Gavi and a buffer stockpile for emergencies. Unicef will use its existing supply chains as it is the worlds largest single vaccine buyer, procuring more than two billion doses of vaccines annually for routine immunisation and outbreak response on behalf of nearly 100 countries, including India. As the governments, both Centre and states, ramp up testing and streamline medical support and infrastructure, each one of us must do our bit to stay safe and break the chain of infection till the world gets a vaccine. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Mohanlal The Complete Actor tweeted the Sanskrit shloka (chant) to remember gurus of the world and wrote, "GururBrahma GururVishnu GururDevo Maheshwaraha Guru Saakshaat ParaBrahma Tasmai Sri Gurave Namaha Pranams." Kamal Haasan Ulaganayagan who will next be seen in Indian 2, took to his social media handle to wish the teachers on this special day. The actor wrote in Tamil, "We hope for a Tamil Nadu that educates its children and make them better persons for tomorrow. Let's remember and honour the teachers today and forever." (loose translation) Mahesh Babu The Sarkaru Vaari Paata actor praised the teachers for supporting their students during the COVID-19 pandemic. He wrote, "Learning knows no bounds! Here's to all the teachers who are doing their best to ensure students receive all the support they need during the pandemic. Always grateful to all those who've inspired, helped me learn, and been my source of guidance. Happy Teacher's Day." Nivin Pauly Mollywood heartthrob and Premam star, who is also celebrating a year of his film Love Action Drama today, tweeted, "A big thank you to all those teachers both at school & college who helped me to discover, to dream and to fly." At the initiative of Kazakhstan, at a meeting of the Council of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) held on Friday, some activities of the draft strategy for Eurasian integration until 2025 were revised and agreed upon. The meeting discussed the draft strategic directions for the development of EAEU integration, the press service of the government of Kazakhstan reported. In May, the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev, said that the document should be further worked out, taking into account the principle of reasonable sufficiency and necessity, TASS informs. A Pomona motel has settled civil litigation brought by Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey's office, in what she says is a first of its kind use of consumer protection laws to address sex trafficking in Los Angeles County. (Los Angeles Times) In a novel use of consumer protection laws, Los Angeles County prosecutors announced Friday that the owner of Pomona motel has agreed to a court settlement that restricts his business and aims to stop sex-trafficking and prostitution at the site. The owner of the motel, the Pomona Lodge, agreed to stop renting rooms by the hour and turn over security footage to law enforcement upon request, among other measures. The Los Angeles County district attorneys office said the settlement represents the first time county prosecutors have used consumer protection laws to go after properties where sex is sold and people are trafficked. County prosecutors had charged that the motel was a public nuisance and its owners had violated business codes and the state's Red Light Abatement Law legislation written 107 years ago to shut down brothels. The settlement's terms will remain in place for four years, and the motel's owner also will pay a $9,000 fine. The owner, according to state business records, is Kanu Patel. His attorney, Frank A. Weiser, called the settlement "very reasonable." Patel, who also owns motels in Whittier and Corona, was not the on-site manager of the Pomona Lodge and was as "almost like an absentee landlord," his lawyer said. Weiser said he believed certain aspects of the district attorney's investigation presented grounds for a federal lawsuit, such as their sending undercover officers into motel rooms posing as sex workers, but ultimately, his client "didn't want to fight." "He took care of whatever alleged issues they had, immediately," Weiser said. "He was very cooperative, and he settled voluntarily." Two years ago, undercover investigators noticed troubling signs at the brown and tan motel on Holt Avenue in Pomona, sandwiched between a health clinic and a Jack in the Box. Pomona police know the area as "the Blade." They regularly arrest dozens of men there, many of them from out of town, for soliciting sex acts from undercover police officers, the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin reported earlier this year. Story continues One city councilman, who said his own wife had been solicited at a pastry shop on Holt Avenue, lamented that Pomona had become known as a place to buy sex. If youre a female in Pomona, someone will try to offer you money for sex. Thats what its become, the councilman, Rubio Gonzalez, told the newspaper. Prosecutors say the Pomona Lodge's front desk clerk, Ravirajsinh N. Zala, rented rooms to sex workers and exacted a cut of their earnings. Zala, 25, is charged with four counts of pimping and trafficking a minor for a commercial sex act. He pleaded not guilty to all four counts, and his trial is tentatively scheduled to begin later this month. Weiser, the owner's attorney, said the decision to charge Zala with felonies was almost unheard-of. In his four decades handling litigation in the motel industry, Weiser could recall only one other case that of a motel owner in Long Beach who faced a felony sex trafficking charge. The charge was ultimately dropped, he said. Zala was laid off once he was charged with pimping, Weiser said. Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey said in a new release that the civil action brought against the motel should be a warning to owners of any property where sex is being sold. Lacey said her deputies will pursue anyone who silently gave refuge to these criminals, disregarding their victims and benefiting financially from these crimes. Weiser said the terms of the settlement show that county authorities believe Patel can clean up his motel, noting they didn't request the property be placed under a court-appointed receiver. "If they didn't think he could remediate it, they wouldn't have allowed him to keep running it," Weiser said. (CNN) More than 410,000 people in the US could die from the coronavirus by January 1, more than doubling the current death toll, a new model often cited by top health officials predicted Friday. That would mean 224,000 more lives lost in the US over the next four months. Near-universal mask use could cut the number of projected additional fatalities by more than half, according to the model from the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. But it also warns the cumulative death toll could be much higher by the new year if all restrictions are eased. "If a herd immunity strategy is pursued, meaning no further government intervention is taken from now to Jan 1st, the death toll could increase to 620,000," according to IHME's briefing. The death rate could reach nearly 3,000 a day by December, an unprecedented number, due in part to "declining vigilance of the public," the IHME expects. For now, the model points to declining mask use in some regions from peak usage in early August. FOLLOW LIVE UPDATES The IHME model is more aggressive in its predictions than others. It comes a day after a new CDC ensemble forecast predicted 211,000 US deaths from Covid-19 by September 26. Coronavirus has infected over 6.1 million people nationwide, and more than 186,800 have died, according to Johns Hopkins University. Fauci: US has to get the baseline of cases down Dr. Anthony Fauci says there is only one way to prevent the death toll reaching the numbers predicted in this new model. "We've got to get our baseline back down to a much lower level," Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said on CNN. Currently, the US is seeing about 40,000 cases a day, but if the baseline of cases is lowered, the country could get a better handle on stopping the spread, according to Fauci. And the use of masks would help the country prevent the "scary" number of predicted Covid-19 deaths, he added. "You can actually handle them, get good identification isolation and contact tracing. But when you have an intensity of community spread, it makes it that much more difficult," Fauci said. "That's the reason why I keep saying over and over again we've got to be very careful, particularly as we enter this holiday weekend." He's encouraging people to make outdoor plans and keep gatherings small to prevent the spread of Covid-19 during the Labor Day weekend. Fauci also said he's not sure what President Donald Trump meant when he said the country is "rounding the corner" on the coronavirus pandemic. "There are certain states that are actually doing well in the sense of that the case numbers are coming down," Fauci said. However, experts remain concerned by a number of states, including Montana, Michigan, Minnesota and the Dakotas, that are starting to see an uptick in the percentage of coronavirus tests coming back positive. Fauci said he would call out any political interference involving the approval of a Covid-19 vaccine in the US if he saw it. Sources in the administration have told CNN President Trump is ramping up pressure on health officials to approve a Covid-19 vaccine before the November election. "I'm not a regulator, I mean, I just do the science. I'd report the science in an accurate way, and certainly if I saw interference, I would be very disturbed and call it out," Fauci said. He added that he had faith the FDA would do what's right. Fauci also congratulated Russia on their vaccine development process. He said they had done "the correct thing" in publishing early results Friday. "I really hope they have a vaccine that works," Fauci said. "We need as many vaccines as we possibly can get into the system." Atlas: I never advised Trump on herd immunity strategy The White House Coronavirus Task Force's new member, Dr. Scott Atlas, is denying he ever advised President Donald Trump to pursue a herd immunity strategy against the novel coronavirus. In a wide-ranging interview with BBC Radio's News Hour, Atlas says, "I have never, literally never, advised the President of the United States to pursue a strategy of herd immunity, of opening the doors and letting people get infected." A Trump administration official told CNN this week all of the policies Atlas has pushed for are in the vein of a herd immunity strategy. But Atlas told the BBC, "I have never advised that, I have never advocated for that to the task force, I have never told anybody in the White House that that's what we should be doing." But he also says a second wave of the coronavirus is not certain and he's accusing public health experts of unnecessarily worrying Americans. "Americans are just assuming there is going to be a second wave of Covid-19, but nobody knows for sure if that will happen," Atlas said. "We don't throw out decades of knowledge about immunology, virology and infectious disease, just because we're afraid." Atlas also claims an ongoing lockdown to try to control the coronavirus pandemic has worse effects than the virus itself. "There's nothing that's more of a slam dunk issue on that, than the schools, because the closing schools to our children is a heinous abuse of public policy." He also said that there is "very little evidence that children significantly, significantly, transmit to adults. There is overwhelming evidence that they do not." But Atlas says, that doesn't mean people should all go back to their normal lives without social distancing. He also says it's not appropriate to compare coronavirus deaths in the US to deaths in other countries. When the BBC brought up Johns Hopkins University data that shows the United States has the 4th highest number of deaths per 100k people, Atlas said it's "simply wrong." Atlas, whose expertise is in neuroradiology, told the BBC he laughs it off when people bring up the fact that he's on the coronavirus taskforce despite not being an infectious diseases expert. "It's sort of silly" to think "there's some kind of reason that I would need to be a virologist or an immunologist," Atlas said. Campuses urged to ban tobacco use in the fall Lawmakers are reiterating a call for universities and college campuses to prohibit tobacco use this fall due to the pandemic. In a letter to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Democratic lawmakers urged the federal health agency to review its Covid-19 guidelines and recommend no smoking, vaping or chewing tobacco in schools. The letter cites a study suggesting that young people who've used e-cigarettes can be five times more likely to be diagnosed with Covid-19. Stanford University researchers published the report last month in the Journal of Adolescent Health. "Following the Stanford study, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) announced that it was banning tobacco use on campus in the fall ... In making that decision, UNLV took into account that if someone is smoking, vaping, or chewing tobacco, they cannot be complying with requirements to wear a mask," Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin wrote in the letter. With the public health risk posed by coronavirus, they said, the CDC should "act quickly and forcefully." Last month, Krishnamoorthi wrote a letter to the Food and Drug Administration asking it to temporarily clear the market of all e-cigarettes during the coronavirus crisis. He wrote it on behalf of the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy. Young people urged to be cautious More young people are getting infected with the coronavirus at higher numbers. Experts fear that will only grow as many colleges and schools reopen. In August alone, for example, nearly 7,000 people between ages 18-24 tested positive for Covid-19 in Missouri, Gov. Mike Parson said. About 30% of the new cases in the state are among that age group. "While young, healthy people are likely to have mild symptoms and quick recoveries ... they may unknowingly carry Covid-19 to someone older or with underlying conditions, who is unable to fight off the virus. This is why it is so important for young people to take precautions and understand the responsibility," Parson said. While more young people continue to test positive, the vast majority of them have not required hospitalization. "I know there is a lot of concern right now regarding college students. But I want to assure you that our colleges, and our universities, have plans in place and are taking all steps necessary to keep their students and communities as safe as possible," Parson said. College campuses in at least 40 states have seen outbreaks of the virus, and officials are urging caution heading into the holiday weekend. "I understand many will probably not be going home since they just got on campus. So they'll be around and they'll have some free time," Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said. "You've got to be cautious over this weekend." Over 200 of the 969 new cases reported in the state are from Washington County, home to the University of Arkansas, he said. In the county, four out of every five positive tests were among people between the ages of 18 and 24. Dr. Anthony Fauci pointed out measures that colleges and universities should take to open successfully. Colleges should only consider reopening if they have several protocols in place, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases told CNN by phone. They include testing every student, surveillance testing at various intervals and readily available quarantine spaces. "They've got to have the capability of doing the testing to begin with," said Fauci, who emphasized testing upon arrival. "They've got to have the capability of doing surveillance testing as you get into the school year, and they have to have a plan of how they handle the inevitability of some students who are going to wind up getting affected." It would be unrealistic to assume that there are no Covid-19 cases on campus, he said, noting that planning should include designated specific quarantine spaces for students who contract the virus. Pressure for a vaccine grows as election nears With a persistent polling deficit and a struggling economy, President Donald Trump has cranked up pressure on federal health officials to expedite work on a coronavirus vaccine and treatments. In his public remarks and through private prodding, Trump has pushed for more good news on the pandemic, insisting that even developments considered minor by health experts be expanded into major announcements for which he can claim credit. In the last week alone, FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn was forced to apologize for an overhyped plasma announcement, subsequently removed a new communications aide and found himself on the receiving end of criticism from the West Wing. And officials inside the FDA have told CNN that Trump has consistently pressed agencies to speed up their time line for developing a vaccine so he can have a vaccine victory by Election Day. While the CDC has asked states to get ready to distribute a coronavirus vaccine by as early as next month, health officials have said this time line is unlikely. This story was first published on CNN.com "The US coronavirus death toll is projected to reach 410,000 in the next 4 months if mask use wanes." The video of a woman,18, in which she accused at least four police personnel of misbehaving with her and harassing her inside a park in east Delhis Krishna Nagar went viral on Instagram with over 15,000 users watching it. The Delhi Police on Saturday afternoon released a statement, describing the womans allegations as false. In the statement, the police said that woman and her friend, 19, had assaulted a shopkeeper, Nitin Jain,37, because he had brushed past the couple inside the park while walking on Thursday evening. Police also said the father of the 19-year-old man, who was with her in the park, admitted that his son had assaulted Jain and settled the matter that day. Initially, none of the two parties (Jain and the couple) filed a complaint but when the womans video was widely circulated on social media, Jain approached the police on Saturday and gave his complaint regarding Thursdays incident, police said. We are yet to receive any complaint from the couple or their families. Jain has given his complaint, said deputy commissioner of police (Shahdara) Amit Sharma. In the 14 minutes and 38 seconds video, the woman has alleged that she was walking in the park with her friend when an unidentified man overpowered them and held them hostage. She says that they both pushed the man to set themselves free. She alleged that a policeman, who was in plain clothes confronted them, made videos, and passed derogatory remarks. ..They became aggressive and assaulted my friend with sticks and belts. I was also hit while saving my friend... my friends parents arrived...they both started shouting at me saying why I was in the park so late in the night..., the woman says in the video. The police in their statement, however, said that the accused constable was patrolling Lal Quarter market when Jain approached him and alleged that he was assaulted by a couple in the park. ...the constable rushed to the park where the couple started arguing and abusing him. They even pushed him on multiple occasions. The constable called his senior to the spot. The couple hurled abuses and also physically engaged with the policemen. The woman also threatened to lodge a false complaint against the police staff, the police said in the statement. Police said the father of the womans friend reached the park, apologised for his sons behaviour and had settled the matter. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON SANTA FE Enrollment in Medicaid has increased by nearly 7% in New Mexico since the outset of the coronavirus pandemic as employers shed jobs and more families descend into poverty, state health regulators told a panel of legislators Friday. Human Services Secretary David Scrase praised federal legislation approved in March that increased the federal matching rate for Medicaid health care, and allowed the state to quickly extend no-charge coronavirus testing to the poor and undocumented immigrants. At the same time, he said the current 6.2% boost in federal matching funds is inadequate to keep up with rebounding demand for medical services under Medicaid and could end abruptly at the discretion of federal health regulators. He warned that changes to a federal public health emergency declaration could thrust as much as $150 million in annual Medicaid obligations into the state general fund. He said it is too soon to know how the federal government will proceed in a presidential election year. I think our congressional delegation is well aware of the need to sustain funding in the Medicaid program through at least June of 2021, he said. The federal government now provides $4.15 for every dollar in state general fund expenditure on Medicaid spending, up from $3.54 before the pandemic, Medicaid Assistance Director Nicole Comeaux told legislators. That federal support has enormous implications for public health, where more than half of all children get health care through Medicaid. The program covers 72% of births statewide. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is asking most executive agencies to trim general fund spending by 5% for the coming fiscal year as the state confronts a nearly billion-dollar annual deficit. Scrase said the target for cuts at the Human Services Department is 3%. The agency is a conduit for multibillion-dollar annual federal spending on health care, food stamps and emergency income assistance. The state has earned federal approvals to tailor Medicaid to the local pandemic response allowing reimbursement to physicians for remote tele-health appointments and underwriting drive-thru coronavirus testing. Undocumented immigrants who test positive for COVID-19 will not receive Medicaid support, Scrase said. Those resources will come from the Health Resources and Services Administration, a federal agency that attends to people who are geographically isolated and medically vulnerable. Scrase is warning that COVID-19 infections are disproportionately afflicting the poor, a trend that is likely to drive up Medicaid spending. Just over 1% of the states population has tested positive. Medicaid enrollment among Native Americans has increased by 3% since March, or about 4,000 people, even though indigenous communities can opt for federally subsidized care through Indian Health Services. In other coronavirus developments: The state Supreme Court rejected without explanation a complaint by the governors office against Lea County Sheriff Corey Helton on accusations that his deputies coerced restaurants into opening in violation of a public health order. Heltons office denied any action to open restaurants and challenged the governors authority over the sheriffs office. The states ban on indoor dining service was lifted in late August. Health Secretary Kathy Kunkel on Friday issued a public health order that will limit the number of voters allowed at any one time at polling locations around the state as a way to limit spread of the coronavirus this fall. Under the order, polling sites can accommodate four voters at once or 25% of maximum occupancy whichever is greater. Only two voters at a time will be allowed at mobile polling stations. Kunkel said the states election code requires polling sites to remain accessible to the public, so officials have to ensure that everyone casting a ballot can do so safely. Our job is to make these facilities as safe as possible while strongly encouraging New Mexicans to take every precaution while casting their ballot this fall, Kunkel said. In-person early voting begins Oct. 17 and continues through Oct. 31. Election Day is Nov. 3, with in-person polling locations open in each county from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Associated Press Writer Susan Montoya Bryan contributed from Albuquerque. Central govt asks states and UTs to vaccinate all school teachers on priority before Teachers' Day 2021 Grateful to teachers for their contribution towards building nation: PM Modi on Teachers' Day India oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P New Delhi, Sep 05: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday expressed his gratitude to teachers for their "remarkable efforts" in shaping minds of the young and building the nation. Taking to Twitter, PM Modi said, "We remain grateful to the hardworking teachers for their contributions towards shaping minds and building our nation. On Teachers Day, we express gratitude to our teachers for their remarkable efforts. We pay tributes to Dr. S. Radhakrishnan on his Jayanti. #OurTeachersOurHeroes." PM Modi hails police for good work during COVID-19 pandemic while interacting with IPS probationers Teachers' Day is celebrated across India in the memory of former president Dr S Radhakrishnan, a philosopher-author and India's second president who was born on September 5, 1888. His contributions to the field of education are exemplary. In 1962, the tradition to celebrate Teachers' Day started to honour Radhakrishnan and all the teachers in the country. New Delhi: The Union HRD ministry has decided to constitute a three member committee to search for a new chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC) as the tenure of the present incumbent Ved Prakash is about to end. According to officials the ministry has decided to constitute the panel which would be headed by Dr H R Nagendra, who is Chancellor of S-VYASA and is also likely to include former VC of Saurashtra University D P Singh and former VC of Lucknow University. It is also learnt that as the present UGC chairperson is on leave, the HRD ministry has asked JNU VC M Jagadesh Kumar to officiate as the Commission head in his absence. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. The four-month-old border crisis between nuclear-armed India and China has escalated sharply in recent days, posing the danger of a military conflict that could have catastrophic consequences for the people of Asia and the world. New Delhi and Beijing have accused each other of violating their de facto border, the Line of Actual Control (LAC), on the night of August 2930, in the remote Himalayan region where Indian-held Ladakh meets Chinese-held Aksai Chin. Indias Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, which is presiding over a COVID-19-triggered health and socioeconomic disaster, has been especially bellicose. Shortly before last weekends confrontation on the shores of Pangong Tso lake, Indias Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat, declared that India had a viable military option to deal with transgressions by the Chinese Army in Ladakh if talks at the military and the diplomatic level fail. Indias increasingly aggressive stance against China has been encouraged at every point by Washington, which is working to exploit the geopolitical rivalry between India and China to further integrate New Delhi into its military-strategic offensive against Beijing. Even before the border dispute erupted into a violent clash in the Galwan Valley on the night of June 15, which left dozens of Indian and Chinese soldiers dead, the Trump White House and senior Congressional Democrats had demonstratively intruded into the dispute, labelling Beijing the aggressor. Since then, Washington has repeatedly tied the Indo-Chinese border dispute to the US-incited South China Sea conflict, citing both as examples of Chinese aggression and key reasons why it must dramatically escalate its anti-China offensive. Both India and China now have tens of thousands of troops, warplanes and tanks forward deployed at bases and camps near the LAC, whose exact location is itself in dispute at numerous points along their roughly 3,480-kilometer (2,160-mile) border. Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar recently called the tense situation at the border surely the most serious situation since the month-long 1962 Sino-Indian border war. In making this assessment, Jaishankar noted that the quantum of forces currently deployed by both sides at the LAC is unprecedented. According to media reports, India has deployed three additional army divisions, comprising about 60,000-70,000 troops, in eastern Ladakh (which borders Aksai Chin), raising its total troop strength in the region to 80,000-90,000. More than 120 main battle tanks have also been positioned at strategic points. Newly purchased US-made lightweight howitzers, as well as various missile batteries, have also been deployed. China has similarly poured large numbers of troops, artillery, planes and missiles into the border area. In a statement issued last Monday, Indias Ministry of Defence asserted that pre-emptive action by its troops on the southern bank of the Pangong Tso lake on the night of August 29 had prevented Chinese troops from securing a strategic position on the Indian side of the LAC. Its statement went on to repeat New Delhis position that the onus is on Beijing to deescalate the months-long crisis. Underscoring that a military clash between India and China could rapidly involve other regional and great powers, New Delhi has accused Pakistan, a close ally of Beijing, of taking advantage of the war tensions with China, to escalate pressure on Indian-held Kashmir. Yesterday, Chief of Defence Staff Rawat vowed that India is prepared for the possibility of a two-front war against China along its northern border and Pakistan in the northwest. Should any threat develop along our northern borders, Rawat told a meeting of the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), Pakistan could take advantage of that and therefore we have taken adequate precautions to ensure that any such misadventure by Pakistan is thwarted In fact, they may suffer heavy losses. Pakistan, against which India has fought three declared wars and the Modi government has twice ordered provocative and illegal surgical strikes, is also a nuclear-weapons state. Beijing has angrily rejected New Delhis claims that its troops violated the LAC last weekend and has accused India of responsibility for the ratcheting up of the border crisis and war tensions. A Chinese Foreign Minister spokesperson told a press conference Wednesday, that Indias claim that it pre-empted Chinese aggression is in fact evidence that it was the one who had violated the LAC. In China, said Hua Chunying, we have a saying about a guilty mind protesting conspicuously hes innocent. That is what India did. It shows that the Indian troops illegally crossed the line in provocation and unilaterally changed the status quo and broke the two sides agreement and consensus. Meanwhile, the state-owned Global Times issued a stern, threatening warning to New Delhi in an editorial published Wednesday. China, it declared, is an immovable neighbour and much stronger than India. The two countries are suitable to be partners in seeking common development. But if New Delhi wants to label Beijing its long-term strategic rival, it needs to be prepared to pay a huge cost. In the meantime, it will never manage to get one more inch of land at China-India border areas. The reference to strategic rival is a pointed reference to US imperialisms drive to harness New Delhi to its strategic agenda and transform India into a frontline state in its reckless, incendiary confrontation with Beijing. Speaking at the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum conclave the same day that New Delhi levelled its latest charge of Chinese aggression, US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun called for a NATO-style Indo-Pacific alliance to counter China, adding that India is critical to US domination of the region. So as important as Id like to think the United States is to this strategy, said Biegun, its not going to be successful for us without India also standing side by side. Publicly, Foreign Minister Jaishankar and the BJP government maintain that India will not become a treaty ally of Washington so as to preserve its strategic autonomy. The reality, however, is that Modicontinuing on the path blazed by the previous Congress Party-led government, which forged an Indo-US global strategic partnership in 2005has integrated India ever more completely into the US strategic offensive against China, in pursuit of the Indian ruling elites own predatory ambitions. This has included opening Indian air bases and ports to routine use by US warplanes and warships, and establishing a web of bilateral, trilateral and quadrilateral military-security partnerships with the US and its most important Indo-Pacific allies, Japan and Australia. According to Indian government sources, India will join the other members of the Quada US-led military security dialogue consisting of India, Japan and Australiain signing a new intelligence-sharing agreement at a forthcoming meeting of the Quad. That meeting, likely later this month, will reportedly be timed to coincide with the annual joint meeting of the US and Indian foreign and defence ministers. New Delhi is also expected to invite Australia to join the US and Japan as a regular participant in the annual Indian-sponsored international naval exercise, Malabar. In what was an unprecedented message to Beijing from Washington and New Delhi as to the closeness of their ties, they arranged an impromptu naval passage exercise when a US naval battle group led by the USS Nimitz, the Pentagons biggest aircraft carrier, passed near India on July 2021. Highlighting the exercises significance, US Defense Secretary Mark Esper tweeted, The strength of US navy aircraft carriers includes the friendships they build. The Modi government, abetted by the corporate media and the opposition parties, is using the border crisis with China to whip up a bellicose atmosphere so as to divert attention away from the catastrophic social crisisIndia is now leading the world in new COVID 19 cases, and its economy contracted by 23.9 percent between April and Juneand so as to push politics further right. In this the Congress Party is playing a particularly foul role. Throughout the current border crisis, it has attacked Modi and the BJP from the right, accusing them of failing to aggressively oppose China. In a statement issued on Monday, Congress spokesman Randip Surjewala said: Every few days there are attempts on Indias sovereignty and news of Chinas aggression is coming to the fore. They are attacking on our country and capturing our land, but where is the Modi government? Taiwan's president, Tsai Ing-wen, said Thursday that she hoped the Czech visit would strengthen ties with Europe. "Our actions are telling friends in Europe and all over the world, whether Taiwanese or Czechs, we will not succumb to oppression, we will bravely speak up, actively participate in international affairs and contribute with our capabilities," she said. Speaking Tuesday in the Taiwanese parliament, the president of the Czech Senate, Milos Vystrcil, called for democracies to safeguard their way of life. In Czech and Mandarin, he said, "I am Taiwanese," echoing the famous speech by John F. Kennedy on a visit to divided Berlin in 1963. Vystrcils address drew a standing ovation from Czech lawmakers. The dispute comes as Europe has hardened its language toward Beijing on a range of disagreements in recent months, from the crackdown on pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong to China's handling of the coronavirus pandemic. A bitter dispute between China and the Czech Republic threatens to affect relations between Europe and Beijing. A delegation from the Czech Senate has visited Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory. A strongly worded threat from Beijing against the head of the delegation prompted criticism from European Union leaders. Beijing has reacted with fury. Hua Chunying, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told reporters that Beijing "hopes that the Czech side will recognize the serious damage caused by the Senate president's actions to Sino-Czech relations. Their actions will not change in the slightest the fact that Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory." Touring European capitals this week, China's top diplomat, Wang Yi, warned that the Czech Senate president would "pay a heavy price." That drew widespread European condemnation, and the Czech government summoned the Chinese ambassador. China's diplomatic approach could backfire, said professor Steve Tsang, director of the School of Oriental and African Studies' China Institute at the University of London. "We are seeing a Chinese government which is much more assertive if not outright aggressive in its approach, and that is changing opinions in Europe," Tsang told VOA. The Czech population is especially sensitive to threats from a foreign power, said China analyst Filip Jirous of the Prague-based analyst group Sinopsis. "It's sort of part of the Czech historical narrative that it was always, like, this foreign power that was sort of dictating what we do," Jirous told VOA. "Obviously there was Germany, or it was Russia in the past, and now you have China as this big country that tells us, 'You can't go to Taiwan.'" Just a few years ago, relations between Beijing and Prague were among the strongest in Europe. In 2015, the Czech Republic welcomed a visit from Chinese President Xi Jinping, with a pledge the country would become the gateway for Chinese investment in Europe -- in President Milos Zeman's words, "an unsinkable aircraft carrier of Chinese investment expansion." It didn't work out as planned, said Jirous. "The economic side of things that were promised never came, and in the end, I would say lots of people below the top tier of politics sort of felt uncomfortable with what was happening here." Czech public opinion has since swung against China, fueled by a series of financial scandals, including secret payments made by the Chinese government to staff at Prague's Charles University in return for favorable coverage and contacts. Europe as a whole also is hardening its language toward Beijing. In a recent newspaper article, the EU's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, described China as a "new empire" that was "undermining international norms." "Russia, China and Turkey share three common characteristics -- They are sovereigntists on the outside and authoritarian on the inside," Borrell wrote in an article in newspaper Le Journal de Dimanche. In another article for the journal Politica Exterior, Borell wrote: "[China's] objective is the transformation of the international order toward a selective multilateral system with Chinese characteristics, in which economic and social rights are prioritized over political and civil rights." Tsang said there is a general hardening of attitudes within the EU. "And that hardening is primarily a response to the 'wolf warrior' diplomacy of China, whether it is pitched against the COVID-19 crisis or because of events in Hong Kong, or in Xinjiang, or Tibet, or the Sino-Indian borders and South China Sea." Xi is expected to attend a summit hosted by EU leaders and German Chancellor Angela Merkel this month. Embroiled in a bitter trade war with the United States, analysts say, China is reluctant to sour relations with Europe. Taiwanese independence touches the rawest of nerves in Beijing, however, and there could yet be further fallout from the visit by the Czech delegation. SONOMA, Calif. Harvest season in wine country should be a time when tourists flock to enjoy the food, wine and hospitality offerings of the San Francisco Bay Area. Instead, disaster on top of disaster is crippling local businesses this year. Following shelter-in-place orders mandated due to the coronavirus pandemic, nearly 250 businesses in the Napa and Santa Rosa metro areas have closed permanently as of July 10, according to data gathered by online review platform Yelp. That was before nearly 6,000 lightning strikes exploded across the San Francisco Bay Area earlier this week and ignited hundreds of fires, according to California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire) spokesperson Lynette Round. Photos: Wildfires rage in Northern California Several fires are burning out of control in the world-famous wine regions of Napa and Sonoma counties. The 220,000-acre LNU Lightning Complex fire has already claimed four lives, is 7 percent contained and threatens more than 30,000 structures. Among the fires early victims was Napas oldest family-owned winery, Nichelini Family Winery. Thanks to extensive firefighting efforts and family members wielding hoses to help, the historic tasting room, built largely of redwood in 1890, was saved. Pretty much everything is burned out around it, said Aimee Sunseri, the fifth-generation family winemaker. Even irrigation hoses melted with the heat of the fire as it tore down Hennessey Ridge Road and towards their 60 acres of unpicked grapevines. Among the fires early victims was Napas oldest family-owned winery, Nichelini Family Winery. Thanks to extensive efforts from firefighters and family members, the historic 1890 tasting room was saved. (Fred Madigan) And business was tough before the fire. Their tasting room was forced to close because of the pandemic, and then eventually reopened for outdoor tastings only. Its just like one thing after another We are very worried about how things will be in the wintertime. We dont expect things to change that much. We may have to shut down. How do we keep our employees? Sunseri asked. We have no power. We dont have much water left: All the reservoirs were tapped into to try to save the property. We arent sure how we are going to have a harvest. We havent even started picking yet, she told NBC News. Story continues In the winerys 130-year history, the Nichelini family has never missed a harvest not even during Prohibition. They are trying to come up with creative solutions to somehow make that happen this year even if that means trucking in water and a generator. We dont know if our vineyards have smoke taint or not. That is the next big question are the vineyards okay? Sunseri said. But she is determined to make it work somehow. We are going to do everything we can to make sure we dont break our family tradition, she said. This early raging fire season is hitting wine country just as harvest was set to begin for many wineries. In the Russian River Valley, near the town of Windsor, Bricoleur Vineyards was supposed to have a grand opening of a new tasting room the first weekend in May. We spent four years in construction, landscaping, and building out a commercial kitchen. We hired Chef Shane McAnelly on March 15. But then, two days later, we entered lockdown [because of the pandemic], said Bricoleurs founder and CEO, Mark Hanson. They had to cancel every single one of their planned 18 events for the year, events that would have catered to over 100 guests each and mostly benefited charities. While he couldnt put a number on their losses, Hanson estimates it has impacted revenue by at least half. We spent four years in construction, landscaping, and building out a commercial kitchen. Then we entered lockdown, said Mark Hanson, founder and CEO of Bricoleur Vineyards, speaking about his brand-new tasting room. (Brittany Hosea-Small) Theyve managed to keep their entire 14-person staff employed and have transitioned to virtual tastings and food and wine package deliveries, but theyve only been able to use their brand new tasting room for a total of three weekends. We have been doing outdoor tastings since Memorial Day, five days a week. But now we have power outages and fires. The property lost power as the heatwave and lightning strikes pummelled the area together, forcing them to again close their tasting room over the weekend. And then came the Walbridge Fire which has already burned 21,000 acres, is 0 percent contained, and threatens the cities of Healdsburg, Windsor, Guerneville and Rio Nido. On Thursday morning, as Hansons rose harvest was set to begin, his winery, too, was under an evacuation warning. We have smoke and ash falling in our courtyard and around the winery barn, said Hanson, who again had to close even his outdoor tasting room as the town of Windsor was added to the evacuation list and air quality worsened. The health and safety of everyone is the top priority. It wasnt the year theyd planned so hard for, but Hanson is looking ahead to harvest nonetheless. It definitely adds a layer of complexity. The key is, we are only going to harvest if conditions are safe. With COVID-19, there is already a layer of safety precautions we didnt have to do in the past, he explained, referring to spreading out the workforce, washing equipment more frequently, and wearing gloves and masks. Whats supposed to be the biggest time of the year for all wineries this fall harvest season thats the best and most exciting time to be in wine country! said Hanson. Tourism is down already because of COVID-19, and fires happening in Sonoma and Napa are going to make whoever was coming a little more nervous. Indeed, tourism has been bleak in Napa and Sonoma counties since lockdown began in March. Compared to the previous year, Napas hotel occupancy was down 83.9 percent in April and Sonomas was down 62.4 percent, according to STR, a hotel analytics firm. Those numbers have improved somewhat in recent months, but revenue is still at about half where it was last year. Its not just beloved wineries feeling the impacts of this trifecta of weather, health, and economic disasters. On the Sonoma Plaza, the historic center of the town of Sonoma, signs reminding residents and visitors to Wear a Mask or announcing You Cant Quarantine Love have new additions reading The Love in the Air is Thicker than the Smoke. Its like all the plagues are getting us, said Heidi Geffen, owner of quirky gift shop Tiddle E Winks Vintage 5 & Dime on the Sonoma Plaza. She left her shop on March 18 when the shelter-in-place order came into effect. I closed the doors to my store and I had tears in my eyes as I walked out, because I didnt know what was going to happen, Geffen said. She has owned and operated the store for 15 years but now, business is down by half and she has had to reduce her hours, she said. She cant afford to pay her employees, so shes worked every day since April, save for one. Its hard when people dont come in. It starts to weigh on you. Why am I going in today? Its really hot. I might see six people today. I can only sit there for so long, Geffen said. We cannot catch a break weve lost the summer, Geffen said, as fires burn in every direction around the city of Sonoma. For Geffen, and many other wine country residents who have survived year after year of deadly and destructive fires, every night now feels like a gamble. Referring to the Tubbs Fire in 2017, Geffen recalled, I remember going to bed that Sunday night in October with the fire in Napa and thinking, Okay, thats Napa and then waking up and it was here. The Tubbs Fire spread rapidly overnight to Sonoma, not giving many people enough time to escape. And now, as the LNU Lightning Complex fire has exploded in size and thousands in its path have been evacuated, CalFire Incident Commander Sean Kavanaugh said in a press conference Thursday that theyre hoping for more resources, including aircraft. Make no mistake about it, we have a very large-scale incident here. Normally, even for us were used to lots of resources, and thats not where were at today, Kavanaugh said. With the amount of fires and large fires that we have throughout the entire Northern California, were just one small piece of the big, bigger picture there is in that bigger, bigger view, we have to share the resources. Despite the uncertainty and fire danger, Geffen says shes taking it one day at a time and putting on a brave face. People who are coming in, I think they come in to support me. It brings tears to my eyes, but thats why you have to show up. You still want to put on a good face and be the best of Sonoma. People are longing to fly again. But is it safe? Bay Area airports saw a steady uptick in travelers over the past few months. Oakland International Airport reported a jump of 90,000 more passengers between June and July. San Francisco International Airport counted an increase of 210,000 in the same period. (SFO also reopened a concourse in the International Terminal on Tuesday, bringing back several flights previously put on hold.) San Jose International Airport saw an upturn of 120,000 passengers between June and July. But boarding an airplane during the coronavirus pandemic remains a scary prospect for most. The number of air travel passengers passing through security checkpoints across the country as of Sept. 1 was down 75% year over year (up from the staggering 96% drop reported in mid-April), according to the Transportation Security Administration. As a result, many airlines are cutting employees and parking their fleets as they wait for a vaccine for COVID-19 to become widely available. Until then, air travel is going to be complicated. The day after he saw his daughter off to college by plane, we asked Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist with UCSF, to talk us through the risks of taking to the skies right now from planning your trip to arriving at your destination. Before you fly: Flying during a pandemic is going to require patience and planning. Travelers can take several measures to prepare for trips, such as downloading electronic boarding passes to their phones, loading up on hand sanitizer, and making sure they have adequate personal protective equipment for the flight. When purchasing your ticket, Chin-Hong recommends opting for a window seat if you have a choice. He does not advise picking a seat in the front of the cabin or in areas where people could potentially congregate while waiting to use the bathrooms. The goal is to minimize exposure to others. Choose a flight thats not as populated and choose a part of the plane where not a lot of people are sitting, he said, if possible. Give some extra thought to what you pack in your carry-on bag. You will most likely want to bring your headphones, pillow, and blanket. You should also consider disposable gloves, snacks and a water bottle. Keep in mind all airlines now mandate face coverings. Look up the COVID report of your destination just like you look up the weather report, he said. Try not to fly into a region where you are at a higher risk of infection. You also do not want to spread the virus if you are traveling from a hot spot. Reschedule your flight if you are feeling ill or had recent contact with someone infected with COVID-19. Getting to the airport: As more people resume travel, the risk of getting to the airport using public transportation also increases. Chin-Hong recommends using a private car or hitching a ride with someone in your pod. The next safest option would be hiring a personal Uber no more ride-shares with strangers. Everyone in the vehicle should wear a mask, and the windows should be open to increase ventilation. While local transit agencies such as BART and Muni have put stringent measures in place to keep passengers safe, it is hard to account for the behavior of others especially when things get crowded. The more people you have around you, the more potential for things to go awry, said Chin-Hong. If you have to take public transportation, he advises finding a spot on the bus or train where you can maintain social distance. Sit where there arent many noses and mouths around you, he said. Once you arrive at the airport, make time to walk to your terminal rather than taking a crowded shuttle. Sanitize your hands after touching any surfaces. In the terminal: There are several changes you can expect when you return to the airport, such as plastic barriers at the counters, physical distancing markers on the floors, and mask requirements. Airports have also stepped up their cleaning protocols. Try to arrive when it is less crowded. Sanitize your hands after touching surfaces such as counters, ID scanners, and the plastic trays at the TSA gate. Some experts recommend wearing several layers of disposable gloves and removing one each time you pass through a high-touch point. As you approach the boarding gate, try to separate yourself from others. Dont rush for the comfy seats everybody else is using, said Chin-Hong. This is the time to be anti-social. Most airport vendors are closed, but if you need to grab a cup of coffee, you should order and pay electronically to avoid person-to-person contact. At the boarding gate: In the past, people would swarm the gate as soon as the first distorted call for pre-boarding went out over the PA system. It is time to break that habit. Hang back and wait until they call your group. You dont want to be in that crowd situation, said Chin-Hong. Be patient in the tunnel while boarding the plane, leaving plenty of distance between you and others in the line. And try to touch as few surfaces as possible when stowing your bags. Let the flight attendants shut the overhead compartments. On the airplane: Once you are on board, control your environment as much as possible. Wipe down the surfaces in your seating area, sanitize your hands, and turn on the overhead fan to keep the air circulating in the immediate area around your seat. Keep your mask on for the duration of the flight. Fit and comfort are important, said Chin-Hong. Sometimes wearing an N95 might be more difficult for people. It doesnt serve anybody if you have to constantly adjust your mask and take it off. He also recommends wearing face shields or safety glasses for an added layer of protection. Even with all those precautions, this is where the risk of flying could skyrocket due to the behavior of the people around you. You might wear the mask and disinfect everything, but its a wild card who is going to sit next to you especially not knowing where theyre coming from and what their COVID values might be, said Chin-Hong. Most commercial airlines boast highly efficient air circulation systems, which are capable of filtering virus particles every few minutes. They also claim to follow a long list of precautions to ensure the safety of passengers and flight crews. But then there are the widespread reports citing overcrowded planes, lax mask policies, and less-than-rigid implementation of advertised cleaning procedures. If possible, book your flight with a carrier that keeps the middle seats open, such as Delta, JetBlue, or Southwest. Popular carriers like United and American currently have no passenger limits. Avoid conversations with the people around you. Try to stay in your seat. Make sure to face forward, so as to reduce direct exposure to the people behind you, Chin-Hong 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. Eating, drinking and using the restroom while in flight: Risk rises if you are on a flight that offers meal and beverage service because people have to remove their masks to eat and drink. It is probably better to pack your snacks, too, since you will not know how many people came into contact with the prepared food served on a commercial airplane. Abstain from drinking alcohol, which may cause some people to become laxer with safety measures. You may want to avoid using the bathroom, as well. If you are not able to hold it, wipe down all the high-touch surfaces, such as the doorknob and sink handles. Sanitize your hands thoroughly before returning to your seat. You do not want to accidentally transfer any viral particles to your nose or mouth. And, yes, you should flush the toilet. But the most important thing is to wear a mask. According to a report published by the CDC, researchers have evidence that a woman who wa s among a group of South Korean nationals evacuated from Italy in March caught the coronavirus on the flight. She only removed her N95 mask while in the bathroom. What to do if another passenger refuses to wear a mask: Airlines have become stricter about mask requirements, in some cases even turning planes around when someone refuses to wear a face covering. But it is hard to monitor everyone at all times. If you spot another passenger who refuses to follow safety protocols, Chin-Hong said it is best to avoid confrontation, which often causes people to dig in harder. Nobody wants to end up in a viral tweet for getting into a fistfight in seat 23C. You dont want to be belligerent, he said. You want to be emphatic. You might want to ask them, Im wondering, is there a reason its hard for you to wear a mask? Ask in a nonthreatening way driven by true curiosity. He recommends carrying an extra face shield you can offer them. Some people may have medical reasons for not being able to wear face coverings. If reasoning does not work, you can alert the flight crew or move to a different part of the plane. Once you arrive at your destination: Your instinct may be to leap out of your seat as soon as that seat belt indicator light goes off. Do not do that. Stay seated and wait for a break in the line that is not going to put you close to other passengers. You dont want anybody depositing droplets into your nose and mouth, Chin-Hong said. After you get off the plane, follow the familiar coronavirus protocols for the baggage claim, connection gates and commuter terminals. Mostly, you want to avoid heavily populated areas as much as possible. Congregations are a problem, he said. In general, it is better to take a series of shorter flights rather than one long flight to your destination. It may seem counter-intuitive, but the duration of viral exposure is a factor in the severity of the infection. While the data is still sparse on the likelihood of catching this coronavirus on a plane, some recent scientific studies point to infection on specific flights. On one flight from Israel to Germany, two passengers who were sitting within two rows of an asymptomatic individual were potentially infected. In August, 16 people linked to a flight from Greece to the UK tested positive for the virus, and nearly 200 other passengers had to self-isolate for two weeks. The bottom line? Travel by plane only when it is essential. While many of us may feel conceptually better about flying, it is probably best to avoid it for the time being unless you have a pressing reason. If a relative was sick, I would get on a flight, said Chin-Hong. But if I was going on vacation, I would drive. Aidin Vaziri is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: avaziri@sfchronicle.com Russia's potential coronavirus vaccine, Sputnik V, approved in the country last month, induced an antibody response in all participants with no serious side effects, according to the first peer-reviewed data on studies of the project. The vaccine produced a response in T-cells, a type of white blood cells that helps the immune system combat any infection, according to the preliminary results from phase 1 and phase 2 trials as published in The Lancet medical journal on Friday. In this study, experts reported on two trials which took place in Russian hospitals involving 76 healthy adults in the age bracket 18-60 years, who were given a two-part immunisation. All participants were administered the vaccine without any control group, which is also one of the limitations cited in the report. The researchers took convalescent plasma from 4,817 people who recovered from mild or severe COVID-19 for comparing post-vaccination immunity with natural immunity. As per data, antibody responses were higher in those who were vaccinated. Each participant was given a dose of the first part of the vaccine and then given a booster with the second part 21 days later. They were monitored over 42 days and all developed antibodies within three weeks. The trials were open and not randomised, implying there was no placebo and the participants knew they were receiving the vaccine and were not randomly assigned to different treatment groups. Russia has been trying to seek international credibility after health officials across the globe have harshly panned the country's approval of Sputnik V last month, before it had gone for final stage trials. Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed Sputnik V named after the Soviet Union's 1957 launch of the world's first satellite into space, as the first vaccine globally to receive clearance. Also read: COVID-19 crisis: Scientists flag concerns over vaccines from Russia, China Also read: COVID-19 vaccine: Russia invites Moscow residents to join advanced trials for Sputnik V A small group of firefighters from The Woodlands Fire Department recently returned from a relief mission in Louisiana, helping clean up the damaged homes of fellow firefighters in two cities hit by Hurricane Laura. On HoustonChronicle.com: Trash, gas leaks and coronavirus: A Louisiana city begins Hurricane Laura recovery Erik Secrest, president of The Woodlands Professional Firefighters Association, the union for the department, said he and five other department staffers helped do relief work in both Sulfur, Louisiana, and Lake Charles. The six were part of an 18-person team organized by the Texas State Association of Firefighters and included other fire officials from Conroe, Tyler, Beaumont and Baytown. We were over there Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday in Sulphur and Lake Charles. We had multiple teams over therethey call it a Go Team that is in place for natural disasters, Secrest said of the volunteer group. (Ive) done this four to five years. When ever something comes up, they deploy us. We went in and there are firefighters who live in the area who were working for five days straight. We were given addresses of all firefighters in the area; we went to their homes and assessed needs. (We) removed trees and did clean up, we then covered their homes with tarps to protect them. Most of these firefighters had not even seen their homes since we were there. Part of the International Association of Fire Fighters Disaster Relief Go-Team, the 18 firefighters worked from Aug. 28 through Aug. 31 and helped with yard clean-up, cutting down of fallen trees and removal of destroyed brush and shrubbery. The teams also distributed supplies and gift cards to those in need in the areas hit by the massive hurricane last week. Related: Woodlands officials preparing for Hurricane Laura; fire department on alert After those efforts were completed along with some other light repairs, Secrest said the teams then covered the homes of the other firefighters with tarps to prevent further damage. With Hurricane Laura largely missing the Houston region and The Woodlands, he added that is was good to be able to help others and not worry about his own home. It is wonderful not being affected and being able to assist our brothers and sisters instead of having to receive the assistance like we got in (Hurricane) Harvey, Secrest added. We interacted with some of the Sulphur firefighters when they came home. They were all extremely appreciative of the assistance we provided them. Theyd been working for five days. We wanted to make sure when they came home, it wasnt to have to do a lot of (clean-up) work. Erin Powers, a spokesperson for the Texas State Association of Fire Fighters, stated in an email that the firefighters on the mission trip hailed from departments in The Woodlands, Conroe, Bryan, Baytown, Tyler and Beaumont and the Texas-based and local firefighters were assisted by others from the states of from New York, Florida, North Carolina and Louisiana as part of the International Association of Fire Fighters Disaster Relief Team. (They) worked at 88 damaged firefighter homes in Sulphur and Lakes Charles, Louisiana. They cleared debris, cut fallen trees, and tarped roofs, Powers stated in the release. Between the IAFF and TSAFF, the team issued 257 relief (gift) cards totaling more than $128,000 for displaced firefighters. The group of firefighters was not the only local group to travel to Louisiana and areas where Hurricane Laura wreaked havoc. Township board Chairman Gordy Bunch owns an office in Lake Charles, part of his massive insurance firm, The Woodlands Financial Group. Bunch said he and other TWFG employees went to the affected areas to help clean up and also process insurance claims in-person. Hurricane Laura veered eastward as the strorm approached the coast and largely missed the greater Houston region. Damage from the massive storm included destruction of power grid facilities owned and maintained by Entergy. Although no damage was done to power grid infrastructure in Montgomery County, there was a multi-hour power outage on Aug. 27 due to the damaged power lines in Louisiana. jeff.forward@chron.com By Klavdiya Romakayeva - Trend: BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 5 Head of the Antimonopoly Service of Tajikistan, Abdulmajid Muminzod announced the termination of liquefied gas supply from Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan to Tajikistan, Trend reports with reference to UzNews.uz news agency. Uzbekistan has completely stopped the export of liquefied gas to Tajikistan until the end of 2020, while Kazakhstan decided to stop fuel supplies only for September. At the same time, Abdulmajid Muminzod did not specify how much gas transportation figures had decreased. Mainly Tajikistan exports gas from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Russia. Some 15 companies producing liquefied natural gas are engaged in import to Tajikistan. In the first seven months of 2020, Tajikistan imported more than 264,000 tons of liquefied natural gas for a total of over $102 thousand at an average price of $435 per ton. The liquefied natural gas supply from Uzbekistan amounted to 19,700 tons. The exact reasons for the termination of supplies of this type of gas from Uzbekistan to Tajikistan have not yet been reported. Presumably, Uzbekistan stopped supplies because earlier Dushanbe (Tajikistan) stopped fulfilling contracts and refused to export electricity to the neighboring republic against the background of a decrease in the water level in the Nurek reservoir. Under these conditions, Tashkent had to urgently purchase electricity from Turkmenistan, which could lead to difficulties in the entire energy sector. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @romakayeva Defence Minister Rajnath Singh meeting the Chinese Defence Minister, General Fenghe in Moscow (Image: Twitter/DefenceMinIndia) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh categorically conveyed Indias position on the developments along the India-China Line of Actual Control (LAC) during his meeting with Chinese counterpart General Wei Fenghe on September 4. Singh asserted that while the Indian soldiers had always taken a very responsible approach towards border management, there should be no doubt about their determination to protect Indias sovereignty and territorial integrity. Singh and the Chinese State Councillor met in Moscow, Russia on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting. The meeting came amid heightened tensions between Indian and Chinese defence forces along the LAC. Indian and Chinese soldiers have been engaged in a border stand-off in eastern Ladakh for nearly four months. The Defence Ministers Office said the two had frank and in-depth discussions about the developments in the border areas and the broader India-China relations. Singh conveyed to his counterpart that the two sides should continue discussions, through both diplomatic and military channels, to ensure complete disengagement and de-escalation and full restoration of peace and tranquillity along the LAC at the earliest. According to the ministers office, Singh cautioned that the current situation should be handled responsibly and neither side should take any action that could either complicate the situation or escalate matters in border areas. RM (Raksha Mantri) emphasised that the actions of the Chinese troops, including amassing of large number of troops, their aggressive behaviour and attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo were in violation of the bilateral agreements, the ministry said. The defence minister said that both sides should take guidance from the consensus of the leaders that maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the India-China border areas was essential for the further development of bilateral relations and that the two sides should not allow differences to become disputes. Tensions flared in eastern Ladakh once again last week when the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) unsuccessfully attempted to occupy Indian territory on the southern bank of Pangong Tso , even as the two sides were engaged in diplomatic and military talks to resolve the festering border row. Charge Kangana with treason says MNS India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Mumbai, Sep 05: Day after Kangana Ranaut courted controversy by comparing Mumbai to Pak-occupied-Kashmir, the film wing of Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) on Friday said she should be charged with "treason". Ameya Khopkar, who heads the MNS film workers union, said they will not tolerate Ranaut's comments about Mumbai Police. Delhi riots: Bail plea of murder accused rejected "Kangana should be charged with treason and arrested immediately by the government. She came and lived here in Mumbai, earned her livelihood and then she is abusing the city, the Mumbai cops, who does she think she is?" Khopkar told PTI. Horns honked, American flags waved and confetti poppers exploded from the windows of cars driving Saturday morning along Creekbend Drive past Henry Hank Lees home. The 92-year-old veteran grinned as he sat in a lawn chair, taking it all in. Its great, a surprise really, Lee said. I didnt think I was going to get all this kind of honor. Lee was among seven Chinese American World War II veterans celebrated Saturday morning in a car parade hosted by the Houston Lodge of the Chinese American Citizens Alliance. Wednesday marked the 75th anniversary of the end of the war. The seven veterans are Lee, Lewis Yee, George Eng, Henry Gee, Tom Ligh, Tom Ng and Bock Mah. Several dozen cars snaked through neighborhoods in southwest and west Houston on Saturday morning, stopping with smiles, gifts and words of gratitude at each veterans house. State Rep. Gene Wu, D-Houston, gave each veteran a Texas flag that had been flown in their honor at the state Capitol. Wu said he wanted to recognize each veterans sacrifice and remind people of the often overlooked contributions from Asian Americans. During this time of strife and contention, especially as the Asian American community feels more under attack than it has been in a very long time, it is a good time to remind people that Asian Americans and Chinese Americans have fought and sacrificed, given their lives for this country, Wu said. The veterans were supposed to receive a Congressional Gold Medal in April, but the Washington, D.C., ceremony was canceled due to the pandemic. Alice Lee, president of CACA Houston, said she felt compelled to do something else. With each passing day, theyre up in age. Were losing so many of them already, Lee said. I dont want to have this opportunity go by and not have our youth know the significance of the vets and their contributions. Lewis Yee, who turns 98 next week, served as a staff sergeant in the Flying Tigers of the U.S. Army Air Corps from 1943 to 1946. He loves to tell his family harrowing, fascinating stories about his World War II experiences, said his daughter Alice Yee Fan. In Bellaire, Tom Ligh stood outside his home beneath a pop-up tent, his family posing for photos by his side. It was tremendous, the 93-year-old veteran said of the parade. I didnt expect so many cars. Ligh, who came to the U.S. from China at age 10, volunteered in 1945 to serve in the Army Air Corp, the predecessor of the Air Force. Stationed in Puerto Rico, he worked in radio operations and became a U.S. citizen during his time in the service. He moved to Houston in 1951 and worked in the engineering and sales departments at Anderson Greenwood for more than three decades. At 60, he started his own valve company. Ligh credits the Army for teaching him discipline, and urged younger generations to be patriotic and supportive of their country. Tom Ng also volunteered to serve in the Army Air Corps where he was stationed in the Pacific and worked as a pilot and radio operator. Ng returned from the Army to earn his business degree at St. Marys University in San Antonio and launch a career in real estate. On Saturday, the 97-year-old sat in a wheelchair outside the Treemont Retirement Community while his fans drove past with praise. He called the parade a great honor. I feel good, Ng said. I feel like I contributed something to the country here. Across town, Lees family members and neighbors crowded in his driveway with doughnuts and coffee. Big letters lodged in the grass spelled out: WWII Vet! and Salute to Hank. Lee recalled his time in the service as life changing. I was nobody before I left, before I joined the Army, he said. It changed my life. Eva Quearry, 67, read about Saturdays event on Nextdoor. Clutching a mini American flag, she stood in her neighbors driveway learning about his life. Quearrys husband and father both served in the military. We all have some stories from our history, but I havent met a 92-year-old vet, she said. So this is an honor for us. Bringing up the rear of the parade was Nick Sissa in a M1078 cargo truck. He used the massive vessel, designed to carry troops, to conduct high-water rescues during Hurricane Harvey after he bought it at a 2016 military auction. Both of Sissas grandfathers served in the military. After hearing about the parade on Nextdoor, he wanted to show up with his military vehicle to honor veterans. Its a huge sacrifice to serve your country in the military, and you just cant show enough support for the people that do that, he said. anna.bauman@chron.com President Donald Trump floated an idea Friday that he hopes might help speed up stimulus payments to Americans in need while Republicans and Democrats continue to be at an impasse regarding a deal that would provide a second relief package for the country. Trumps idea? According to the New York Post, he urged Congress Friday to approve stimulus checks by redirecting $300 billion in unused coronavirus pandemic relief funds. The Post said Trump said he considered redirecting the funds himself, but prefers for Congress to approve the idea. We have $300 billion ready to go, all Congress has to do is say, Use it, the Post reported he said at his press briefing. Id like to use it without their permission, but I guess Im not allowed to. The report said Trump didnt specify where that $300 billion would come from, exactly, but speculated that he was referencing unused business loan money that was approved in the $2 trillion CARES Act in March. Trumps idea came as Republicans and Democrats continue to fail to reach an agreement that would send stimulus payments to Americans who are struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sides agree that a second payment is needed, but cannot agree on what that next package should look like. Multiple reports, however, continue to indicate that, at least for individuals, a second round of payments will look very much like the first with $1,200 the likely base payment for many. Timing is key, though, with a recent CNBC report indicating that if Republicans and Democrats reach an agreement this month payments may not come until October or later. Perhaps Trumps idea could speed that process up. Were willing to spend it, Id like to get approval from Congress, the Post reported that he said. Theres a theory that I dont have to do that, but Id rather be up front and Id like to get approval from Congress. If You Go What: B-17 Bomber rides and tours When: Tuesday through Sunday, Sept. 8-13 Flights: Friday, Saturday and Sunday Ground tours: Tuesday 2 to 6 p.m.; Wednesday, Thursday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday, Saturday, Sunday, 2 to 6 p.m. Where: Tri-Cities Airport, Blountville, Tennessee Ticket Prices Individual ground tour: $10 Ground tour for a family of four: $20 Flight in a bombardier (nose) seat: $850 Flight in a radio room/gunner seat: $425 Also: Flight passengers must be at least 12 years old To schedule a ride or tour: Call 480-462-2992 or book online at www.azcaf.org/tour He's one of the most in-demand models in the world. And on Friday, Jordan Barrett showed off his genetically blessed looks while out at lunch with a female friend in London's trendy Notting Hill. The 23-year-old, who dressed casually for the outing, drew attention to his shaggy locks and striking facial features. Off-duty model: Jordan Barrett (pictured), 23, showed off his signature good looks while out at lunch with a female friend in London's Notting Hill on Friday Jordan opted for an all-black ensemble, consisting of a black hooded jacket, casual trousers, socks and Birkenstock slides. His signature shaggy locks framed his face, and he added touches of bling in the form of a bracelet and statement rings on his fingers. Jordan enjoyed a bite to eat at a trendy Pan-Asian restaurant in the area, and caught up with a brunette pal, who looked to have brought her child along. Chow down: Jordan drew attention to his shaggy locks and striking facial features while enjoying a bite to eat at a trendy Pan-Asian eatery in the area Casual: The Australian-born star, who is now based predominately in the United States, dressed for the occasion in an all-black ensemble The pair engaged in friendly banter, and were later spotted strolling the streets. Jordan was discovered at age 14 by a model scout working for the agency IMG. The chance meeting took place when he was caught stealing matches from a convenience store in Byron Bay, Australia. Jordan previously told New York Magazine of the incident: 'I wanted to have a cigarette, but I couldn't get a lighter because apparently you have to be over 18, so I decided I was gonna take matches from the counter.' Effortless style: He added touches of bling in the form of a gold bracelet and statement rings on his fingers Comfy: Jordan wore a black hooded sweater, teamed with casual trousers, socks and Birkenstock slides Out and about: Jordan, who balances modelling with philanthropy, engaged in friendly banter while strolling the streets with his female pal The Australian-born star, who is now based predominantly in the United States, balances modelling with philanthropy. Jordan recently appeared in a new campaign clip for the Lion Recovery Fund. The Lion Recovery Fund aims to support conservation groups in Africa and offer financial aid to help save the kings of the jungle. It was created by the Wildlife Conservation Network in partnership with The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation. Chance encounter: Jordan was discovered at age 14 by a model scout working for the agency IMG By Trend The fact that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, accepting credentials of the newly appointed ambassador of Greece, openly expressed his position, and supported Turkey, will become an example of unity in the Turkic world, Professor Naciye Selin Senocak, the head of the cultural diplomacy department at the Institute for European Studies in Brussels, told Trend on Sept.5. According to Senocak, these statements of President Ilham Aliyev once again demonstrated to the international community that Turkey and Azerbaijan are brotherly countries. "This exemplary, praiseworthy act of President Ilham Aliyev will give impetus to the strengthening of the Turkic world," she said. The professor also noted that Turkic-speaking countries can become a very important regional power in the world if they act together everywhere, following the example of Azerbaijan and Turkey. "If united in a political and economic context, in deeds, and not in words, the Turkic world (Turkic Council) can become a force with a serious position within the UN and international law," added Senocak. Statements in support of Turkey, made by President Ilham Aliyev on September 2, when accepting the credentials of the new Ambassador of Greece to Azerbaijan, Nikolaos Piperigos, were widely spread by the Turkish media outlets. Turkeys Anadolu and IHA agencies, TRT HABER, CNN TURK, A HABER, TGRT HABER TV channels, newspapers Milliyet, Hurriyet, Sozcu, Takvim, Star, and others made publications on this topic with major entitlements, including "Support for Turkey from President Aliyev of Azerbaijan", "Azerbaijan's support to Turkey on the Eastern Mediterranean: we support without hesitation!", President Aliyev said to Greek ambassadors face: we support Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean without any hesitation". The publications were also entitled as "Gratitude of Minister Cavusoglu to President of Azerbaijan Aliyev in connection with the Eastern Mediterranean", "Message of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev regarding the Eastern Mediterranean: we support Turkey with no hesitation." The white professor of African American studies who faked being black, deceiving colleagues and students for years, will not teaching at George Washington University this semester, the school announced Friday. The university's history department said it was 'shocked and appalled' to learn that 38-year-old Jessica Krug was a race faker when she revealed her true identity in a Medium post earlier this week. An update from the university said they were continuing to investigate Krug's revelation as calls mount for her to be fired. It comes as a Bronx activist claimed that Krug also said she was a Puerto Rican from the South Bronx and attempted to establish herself under that persona, adding another layer to her deception. Despite assuming various black identities over the years, Jessica Krug revealed in a Medium blog post on Thursday she is actually white and that she has been deceiving her colleagues The university's history department said it was 'shocked and appalled' to learn that 38-year-old Jessica Krug was a race faker when she revealed her true identity in a Medium post. She is pictured here in her yearbook before she passed herself off as a black professor Despite the university's decision to not allow Krug to teach in the Fall, her colleagues are still pushing for her time at the school to be put to a permanent end. 'She has betrayed the trust of countless current and former students, fellow scholars of Africana Studies, colleagues in our department and throughout the historical discipline, as well as community activists in New York City and beyond,' the university's history department said in a joint statement. 'The discipline of history is concerned with truth telling about the past,' the statement continued. 'With her conduct, Dr. Krug has raised questions about the veracity of her own research and teaching.' The department then recommended that she resign or that her tenure be rescinded and her appointment terminated. The university has not yet hinted if they will fire Krug. While announcing that she would not be teaching on Friday, they said that they would be communicating with affected students in her introductory-level history class and advanced courses on African studies. 'We are working on developing a number of options for students in those classes, which will be communicated to affected students as soon as possible,' said the statement, which was signed by M. Brian Blake, the provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs, and Paul Wahlbeck, the dean of the school's Columbian College of Arts and Sciences. 'We want to acknowledge the pain this situation has caused for many in our community and recognize that many students, faculty, staff and alumni are hurting,' they added. The statement was condemned by some who feel that the university should be acting faster. George Washington University announced Friday that Krug would not be teaching this Fall The university said that it is still investigating the revelation However, the history department has called on Krug to be fired or resign 'In my "Afro Latinx History" class, Jessica Krug discussed dynamics of white scholars engaging in black studies,' wrote Lena Haime on Twitter. 'She really had the audacity pull up an image of the white woman who won an award over her, illustrating how black scholars are often overlooked in the academy. LOL.' 'Basically she's not fired... at least not for now,' added tech entrepreneur Rebecca Enonchong. 'Another day, another WEAK A** pathetic response from this university,' @shoobyjr tweeted. The criticism comes as a whole other aspect of Krug's deception is revealed. According to the New York Post, the bogus black college professor also previously tried to pass herself off as a Puerto Rican from the South Bronx. Blogger and photojournalist Ed Garcia Conde told the Post that she claimed to be a black Puerto Rican who had grown up there, instead of the white, Jewish middle-class woman from Kansas City she really was. She even tried to pass herself off as a salsa instructor but it was her dancing that caught her out. The university's slow response faced some criticism online Some accused the university of a 'weak' response instead of firing Krug 'It was mediocre at best, but she was talking about how great she was,' he said. 'She was showing off her moves, and I'm trying to be nice. 'She said she was Puerto Rican and from The Bronx she said she had roots in The Bronx and taught salsa,' Garcia Conde added. 'She was adamant of that. I can't dance salsa, but I know salsa when I see it. 'And not that this wasn't salsa, but she did not dance like a salsa teacher I was thinking, "No, I can't see it". ' He said that Krug joined him at a meet up with some other friends but that the dance session became 'my two hours of hell' because of how terrible she was. He claims she rocked up to the group wearing short shorts and a sleeveless black tank top with Puerto Rican flag on it. Garcia Conde said the only thing worse than Krug's dancing as her preaching. 'She came across to me as someone who was uber-militant about her activism whether it was anti-racism or anti-gentrification,' he claimed. 'She was questioning anyone who she thought was not as militant as her. 'She stole food from people's mouths as someone who pretended to be one of us I hope she gets the therapy she needs, but the issue for me is the victims in her wake,' he added. Krug seen speaking at the Embassy of Haiti in Washington, DC on a panel discussion titled, 'Columbus 525: An Exploration of Christopher Columbus's Impact on the Atlantic World' Krug's students have also spoken out on the extent of the deception in her classroom On Friday, it emerged that Krug's family suspect she skipped her own mother's funeral so relatives wouldn't rumble her black alter ego. The George Washington University professor was a surprise no-show when her loved ones gathered to pay respects to Sherry Krug, who succumbed to pneumonia in 2013. After learning this week of her astonishing false persona they now wonder if Krug cruelly snubbed her 65-year-old mom because she was worried about being 'caught out'. 'It was a terrible thing to do. She didn't even offer any sort of excuse,' said a family friend. 'And maybe we now know why. I'm not aware of anyone in the family having had any contact with her ever since.' Krug grew up in a 'typical, loving middle-class' Jewish family in Kansas City, Missouri, where her mom and father Stuart Krug ran a grocery store, according to the friend. She stood out as an extremely intelligent child and was developing a deep passion for politics and civil rights by the time she reached high school. 'She was always extremely smart. She was interested from a young age in racial justice and equality, she had a passion for helping the downtrodden. You knew she would go far,' the friend went on. 'As for the rest of the family, I would say they were moderates. I would not say there was any racism in the family at all. Sherry Krug died in 2013 in New York 'If anything they went the other way, because when you're Jewish, you have to face anti-Semitism, you're used to sometimes being the odd person out.' Krug's parents split during her childhood and her father settled in Las Vegas where he died in 2017, aged 69. Her mom's side of the family did not attend the funeral and do not know if Krug showed up. Sherry spent her final years living in Albany, New York where she died in October 2013. The family friend said Krug didn't go to see her ailing mother in the hospital before she passed. He said her family remained proud of her academic achievements but were saddened by her lack of contact. And they had absolutely no idea that Krug was passing herself off as black until they were contacted this week by news media. 'She was blonde the last time I saw her. And as for her voice, well that's interesting. I don't know if she's acting but the voice she has now is not one I've heard before,' he said. 'I think what a lot of people are looking for here is some kind of trigger to explain all this. But you have to understand we have no clue. 'When she made the decision many years ago to just go off and be on her own and to not connect with those behind her, that was a decision on her part, not on anybody else's.' The friend said family members were now worried what could happen to Krug given the race reckoning sparking protests and chaos across the US. 'There's no shortage of stupid and crazy out there and I do worry for her safety,' he added. 'If she wanted to reach out to us, to come home, we would never say no.' The saddest part of Krug's astonishing admission is her fall from grace from academic 'superstar' to racial pariah, he told DailyMail.com. 'She got a PhD, she wrote books. She was extremely hard working and gifted. She did all that all by herself. 'I just cannot understand how anyone in this day and age could expect to get away with this. Everyone walks around with a camera, everyone has access to the internet.' It has been claimed that Krug only came clean after realizing that several scholars had started questioning her background. Yomaira Figueroa, who is an associate professor of global diaspora studies at Michigan State University, claims a young black scholar approached two senior scholars on August 26 with allegations that Krug was lying about her identity Despite assuming various black identities over the years, Krug revealed in a Medium blog post on Thursday she is actually white and that she has been deceiving her friends and colleagues. As details of the 38-year-old's deception continue to emerge, it has been claimed that Krug only came clean after realizing that several scholars had started questioning her background. Figueroa said the allegations came up during a discussion about that late novelist H.G. Carrillo. It emerged after his death in April that he was not a black Latino from Cuba like he had claimed but, instead, was an African American from Detroit Yomaira Figueroa, who is an associate professor of global diaspora studies at Michigan State University, claims a young black scholar approached two senior scholars on August 26 with allegations that Krug was lying about her identity. Figueroa, who does not know Krug personally, would not identify the scholars. In an interview with the New York Times, Figueroa said the allegations came up during a discussion about that late novelist H.G. Carrillo. Carrillo's sister revealed after he died in April that he was not a black Latino, who fled Cuba with his family as a child, like he had claimed his entire life. His sister said he was an African-American born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. Figueroa said the junior scholar came forward with claims that Krug had also been lying about her identity. In a series of tweets, Figueroa said there was no 'witch hunt' but claimed Krug published the blog post in an attempt to control the situation. 'The only reason Jessica Krug finally admitted to this lie is (because) on Aug 26th one very brave very BLACK Latina junior scholar approached two senior Black Latina scholars & trusted them enough to do the research & back her up. Those two scholars made phone calls & reached out to other senior scholars & institutions with proof. 'There was no witch hunt, but there was a need to draw the line. Krug got ahead of the story because she was caught & she knew the clock was ticking bec folks started to confront her & ask questions. Krug, who lives in East Harlem, New York and has previously described her as an 'unrepentant and unreformed child of the hood', went to the exclusive Barstow school in Kansas City where she was said to have identified as a white, Jewish girl. She is pictured in her yearbook Krug has been teaching classes on African history at GWU since 2012. She is pictured above during a panel discussion last year on African studies at Columbia University 'DO NOT BELIEVE FOR ONE SECOND that she would have come out with the truth on her own. She made a living & a whole life out of parroting Black Rican trauma and survival.' Figueroa told Inside Higher Ed that Krug was a respected historian and couldn't understand the need to lie about her background. 'I do know that she's a very well-respected scholar who has done really incredible work, so this is not an issue about her not being a talented academic or good at her job,' Figueroa said in the interview. 'But she did it all in this guise, building on the worst types of stereotypes, calling herself a hood academic, taking on accents and talking about specific kinds of trauma.' It has since emerged that Krug, who lives in East Harlem, New York and has previously described her as an 'unrepentant and unreformed child of the hood', went to the exclusive Barstow school in Kansas City where she was said to have identified as a white, Jewish girl. One of Krug's former peers, who did not want to be named, said Krug was 'very political', boycotted prom and planned a flag burning while at the school from where she graduated in 1999. Her current neighbor, Anna Anderson, told the DailyMail.com that Krug would call her 'white trash' and tell Anderson she was 'gentrifying' the neighborhood by going running. Following a dispute over their bikes Anderson said Krug asked her: 'Do you know what the police do to black people like me?' Anderson told DailyMail.com: 'She called me white trash, which is ironic.' In a video posted online under her activist pseudonym, Jessica La Bombalera, Krug denounces 'all these white New Yorkers who waited four hours with us to be able to speak and then did not yield their time for Black and Brown indigenous New Yorkers' In a video posted online in June of this year under her activist pseudonym, Jessica La Bombalera, Krug denounced 'all these white New Yorkers who waited four hours with us to be able to speak and then did not yield their time for Black and Brown indigenous New Yorkers'. She adds: 'Much power to all my siblings who were standing up, my black and brown siblings who were standing.' Krug has been teaching classes on African American history at George Washington University since 2012. Her biography page on the university website says she also specializes in subjects including Latin America, Africa, imperialism and colonialism. She has a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, according to the GWU page. Krug has also written several books and essays on blackness and black culture. Some of the outlets who have published her work started deleting the posts on Thursday after the revelations. She has taken financial support from the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, The Guardian reports. In 2009 she is understood to have been award as Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Fellowship. Her book Fugitive Modernities includes the acknowledgement: 'My ancestors, unknown, unnamed, who bled life into a future they had no reason to believe could or should exist...Those whose names I cannot say for their own safety, whether in my barrio, in Angola, or in Brazil.' In her blog post titled 'The Truth, and the Anti-Black Violence of My Lies', Krug wrote: 'For the better part of my adult life, every move I've made, every relationship I've formed, has been rooted in the napalm toxic soil of lies.' Krug has been teaching classes on African American history at George Washington University since 2012. George Washington University said it is currently investigating the blog post but refused to comment any further 'To an escalating degree over my adult life, I have eschewed my lived experience as a white Jewish child in suburban Kansas City under various assumed identities within a Blackness that I had no right to claim: first North African Blackness, then US rooted Blackness, then Caribbean rooted Bronx Blackness. 'I have thought about ending these lies many times over many years, but my cowardice was always more powerful than my ethics. 'I know right from wrong. I know history. I know power. I am a coward. There is no ignorance, no innocence, nothing to claim, nothing to defend. I have moved wrong in every way for years. Her scathing online confession is reminiscent of the scandal involving Rachel Dolezal - a former NAACP leader in Washington state who was exposed in 2015 as a white woman pretending to be black 'You should absolutely cancel me, and I absolutely cancel myself. 'I have built my life on a violent anti-Black lie, and I have lied in every breath I have taken. 'I have not lived a double life. There is no parallel form of my adulthood connected to white people or a white community or an alternative white identity. I have lived this lie, fully, completely, with no exit plan or strategy. I have built only this life, a life within which I have operated with a radical sense of ethics, of right and wrong, and with rage, rooted in Black power, an ideology which every person should support, but to which I have no possible claim as my own.' She acknowledged that it would be unlikely she could repair any relationship she has made given the extent of her lies. 'I have burned every bridge and have no expectation that any of my relationships are flame resistant. I would never ask for nor expect forgiveness. 'To everyone who trusted me, who fought for me, who vouched for me, who loved me, who is feeling shock and betrayal and rage and bone marrow deep hurt and confusion, violation in this world and beyond: I beg you, please, do not question your own judgment or doubt yourself. You were not naive. I was audaciously deceptive. 'I have a very clear, loud conscience, but I have acted as if I had none. I gaslit you. I begged for your compassion and love for my isolation and loneliness - real and raw feelings, but borne of the avalanche of deceit. In her blog post, Krug said she has battled 'unaddressed mental health demons' her entire life and that she first assumed a false identity as a child. She wrote that her mental health issues could never explain or justify why she pretended to be black. Hari Ziyad, a black author and screenwriter, claimed that she had only penned the post because she had been 'found out' Krug has also written several books and essays on blackness and black culture. Some of the outlets who have published her work started deleting the posts on Thursday after the revelations 'When I was a teenager fleeing trauma, I could just run away to a new place and become a new person. But this isn't trauma that anyone imposed on me, this is harm that I have enacted onto so many others. There is nowhere to run. I have ended the life I had no right to live in the first place,' she said. 'No white person, no non-Black person, has the right to claim proximity to or belonging in a Black community by virtue of abuse, trauma, non-acceptance, and non-belonging in a white community. The abuse within and alienation from my birth family and society are no one's burden but my own, and mine alone to address. 'Black people and Black communities have no obligation to harbor the refuse of non-Black societies. I have done this. I know it is wrong and I have done this anyway.' Following the revelations in her post, Krug has since been slammed on Twitter by several black writers and scholars who she had contact with throughout her career. Hari Ziyad, a black author and screenwriter, claimed that she had only penned the post because she had been 'found out'. In a series of scathing tweets, Ziyad said he considered Krug to be a friend until she called him a few hours prior to the Medium post being published to confess. 'Jess Krug... is someone I called a friend up until this morning when she gave me a call admitting to everything written here. She didn't do it out of benevolence. She did it because she had been found out,' Ziyad tweeted. 'For years I defended her work, and her from her own self-loathing. I did it despite warnings from Black friends, from those who said she wasn't Black enough even if they could accept that she was Black, and from my own mind and body. 'I always knew there was something off. It was in her persistent negativity and jealousy, her always needing to prove her authenticity at the expense of everything else. 'I kept her at arm's length, but still close enough that she could harm Black people around me. I owe so many people apologies.' Satellite imagery of a North Korean shipyard on Friday shows activity suggestive of preparations for a test of a medium-range submarine-launched ballistic missile, a US think tank reported on Friday. The Center for Strategic and International Studies said the images it published on its website of North Korea's Sinpo shipyard showed several vessels within a secure boat basin, one of which resembled vessels previously used to tow a submersible test stand barge out to sea. It said the activity was 'suggestive, but not conclusive, of preparations for an upcoming test of a Pukguksong-3 submarine launched ballistic missile from the submersible test stand barge.' North Korea said last October it had successfully test-fired a Pukguksong-3, a new submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), from the sea as part of efforts to contain external threats and bolster self-defence. A handout photo shows an overview of the Sinpo South Shipyard in Sinpo, North Korea, taken yesterday A handout photo shows a close-up view of a ROMEO-class submarine (SS) anchored within the southern section of the bay of the Mayang-do Submarine Base in Mayang-do, North Korea, issued yesterday North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends an enlarged meeting of the Politburo of the ruling Workers' Party in Pyongyang, North Korea at the end of August That launch was seen by analysts as the most provocative by North Korea since it entered dialogue with the United States over its nuclear weapons and missile programs in 2018. North Korea has suspended long-range missile and nuclear tests since 2017, but efforts led by U.S. President Donald Trump to persuade it to give up its nuclear and missile programs have achieved little. Trump is seeking reelection in November and a North Korean missile test before that would highlight the lack of progress despite Trump's unprecedented meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. There was no immediate comment from the State Department or the Pentagon on the CSIS report. At news conference earlier on Friday, Trump hailed his relationship with North Korea, saying that when he was elected people had predicted he would be at war with the country within a week. 'In the meantime, we've gotten along with them. We didn't get to war,' he said. A handout photo shows two ROMEO-class submarines (SS) anchored within the bay of the Mayang-do Submarine Base in Mayang-do, North Korea yesterday A handout photo shows an overview of the rail-mounted service stand and test stand strong arm at the Sinpo South Shipyard in Sinpo, North Korea yesterday Trump has held up the absence of intercontinental ballistic missile and nuclear tests by North Korea since 2017 as a success from his diplomacy and has sought to play down numerous shorter-range tests in the period. 'North Korea already tested a PKS-3 SLBM last October. And it didn't cross Trump's redline then, and is unlikely to this time. Trump won't care,' Vipin Narang, a non-proliferation expert at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, wrote on Twitter. South Korea's military said the Pukguksong-3 tested last year flew 280 miles and reached an altitude of 565 miles and would have had a range of about 800 miles on a standard trajectory. News of the activity at Sinpo comes amid signs that North Korea may be preparing for a major military parade in October, which some analysts believe could be used to show off new missiles as the country has done at such events in the past North Wales food and drink firms adapt business models to survive Covid-19 This article is old - Published: Saturday, Sep 5th, 2020 Transforming their business models ensured local food and drink producers and hospitality venues survived the Coronavirus lockdown. The COVID-19 pandemic has been one of the most challenging periods in the countrys history, but it has also led to a sea change in attitudes and innovation. Driven by community concern and health and safety requirements, firms across rural towns and villages adapted their normal working hours and processes to meet demand and support customers when they needed it most. From home deliveries to takeaway services and e-commerce, there have been myriad approaches to supplying the public with fresh, artisan and homegrown items. Supported by Taste North East Wales which takes place virtually this year these companies hope people will continue to support them in the months ahead and centre their weekly shop around local shops and farm stores. Among them is Aballu Artisan Chocolatier, based in Rossett, whose owner Jo Edwards was able to continue producing truffles and other sweet treats behind closed doors at a crucial time. When lockdown was first announced I wondered whether I could work at all, said Jo. But because I can operate alone and live close to the unit where the chocolate is produced, I was able to keep going, which was a huge relief. The response from customers was amazing, theyve been so supportive and continued to buy our chocolate; we started carrying out free deliveries locally, sending via mail order and people came to collect it helped us to survive. She added: I only really had to cancel one order due to lockdown, which was for around 300 truffles. To ensure they didnt go to waste I donated them to staff at our local grocers, to thank those on the frontline for everything theyve done. And one of the key points in the calendar for Aballu was more hectic than ever. It was coming up to Easter when the Coronavirus outbreak took hold in the UK so that was a tough time, said Jo. I had to enlist the help of family and was even out on Easter Sunday myself delivering chocolate eggs because I didnt want to let anyone down. In past weeks the mail order and deliveries have slowed down but our suppliers have increased their orders, particularly the farm shops who say our chocolate has become part of peoples weekly shopping list, which is just brilliant and provides a light at the end of the tunnel. Jo now has her sights set on the Christmas period, which she expects to predominately consist of online sales. Another looking ahead to the festive season is Janet Costidell, who runs the Cross Foxes in Nannerch with husband Tim. She admits to the unrealistic chances of them having a traditional pub Christmas because of the Coronavirus and hopes the new normal will enable them to reopen fully in the months ahead. The pandemic and subsequent lockdown came as a complete shock to all of us, she said. We quickly formed a team to deliver meals and provide a takeaway service so we could remain operational, and as the Cross Foxes is central to the community, we collected prescriptions for the vulnerable and elderly. We reopened at the end of July but only outside, and also set up a little village shop with milk and all of the essentials for local residents, which was open for two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon every day. It kept us busy at what was a challenging time. We all really came together, and the support has been amazing one morning we even came out to find people had put bunting up for us to say how much they love us! They have been incredible. The second annual Taste North East Wales is taking place online this year after organisers Clwydian Range Food and Drink and Llangollen and Dee Valley Food and Drink, with the support of Cadwyn Clwyd, the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley AONB and the local authorities of Flintshire, Wrexham and Denbighshire, decided to host a virtual celebration to ensure the health and safety of participants. This project has received funding through the Welsh Government Rural Communities Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government. Coordinator Jane Clough said loyalty to the local businesses that supported concerned communities in their hours of need has never been more apparent. The way producers, hospitality businesses and local shops adapted to survive and help people, especially those shielding and self-isolating, will hopefully not be forgotten, she said. We are already hearing how people are planning their weekly shop to continue supporting local businesses by maintaining home deliveries, pick-ups and a socially-distanced visit to their nearby farm shop or delicatessen. Its wonderful to see and highlights the unity displayed in so many of our towns and villages in north east Wales. Long may that continue. For more on Taste North East Wales, follow them on social media @taste_blasu or email taste.blas@gmail.com. Alternatively, visit the website: www.tastenortheastwales.org. For more information on Cadwyn Clwyd, email admin@cadwynclwyd.co.uk, call 01490 340500 or visit the website. Veteran producer-director Johnny Bakshi passed away on Saturday after suffering a cardiac arrest at a hospital here. He was 82. Bakshi was admitted to Arogya Nidhi hospital in suburban Juhu on Friday morning after he complained of breathlessness. He was tested for Covid-19, which came out negative. He was hospitalised yesterday due to breathlessness and was put on ventilator. The COVID-19 test was conducted and he tested negative for it. He passed away between 1.30-2.00 am due to cardiac arrest, Bakshis daughter Priya told PTI. The filmmakers last rites were performed on Saturday at a crematorium here in presence of family members. In his career spanning over four decades, Bakshi mostly worked as a producer, backing films such as Manzilein Aur Bhi Hain, (1974), Raavan, (1984) and Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayee (1993). He has also directed two films Daku Aur Police (1992) and Khudai (1994) starring Rajesh Khanna in the lead. Bakshi is survived by sons Brando, Kennedy, Bradman and daughter Priya. On Twitter, actor Anupam Kher paid tributes to the veteran filmmaker, remembering him as a man with the most infectious laughter. Deeply saddened to know about the demise of dear #JohnnyBakshi. He was a very integral part of my early life in Mumbai. As a producer, friend, a supporter and as a motivator. He had the most infectious laughter which made everybody happy around him, he said. Deeply saddened to know about the demise of dear #JohnnyBakshi. He was a very integral part of my early life in Mumbai. As a producer, friend, a supporter and as a motivator. He had the most infectious laughter which made everybody happy around him. pic.twitter.com/xmlcldfk9k Anupam Kher (@AnupamPKher) September 5, 2020 Shabana Azmi also wrote, Sorry to learn about the passing away of filmaker Johny Bakshi this morning.. Did a film with him Vishwasghat very early in my career. He was invested in cinema.Condolences to the family and friends. Sorry to learn about the passing away of filmaker Johny Bakshi this morning.. Did a film with him Vishwasghat very early in my career. He was invested in cinema.Condolences to the family and friends. Azmi Shabana (@AzmiShabana) September 5, 2020 Filmmaker Kunal Kolhi also condoled Bakshis death and said he was a sweet helpful person. Saddened to hear about the passing of #JohnnyBakshi sir. Met him during my days in #PlusChannel with @MaheshNBhatt & @amitkhanna. He was a sweet helpful man. Always smiling. Part of the old guard of the film Industry. RIP sir, Kohli tweeted. (With HT inputs) Follow @htshowbiz for more TANZANIA, Tanzania - U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that there is a risk of famine and widespread food insecurity in four countries affected by conflict Congo, Yemen, northeast Nigeria and South Sudan and the lives of millions of people are in danger. In a note to Security Council members obtained by The Associated Press on Friday, the U.N. chief said the four countries rank among the largest food crises in the world, according to the 2020 Global Report on Food Crises and recent food security analyses. But funding to help is very low, he said. Action is needed now, Guterres said. Having endured years of armed conflict and related violence, the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Yemen, northeast Nigeria and South Sudan are again facing the spectre of heightened food insecurity and potentially famine. The U.N. chief said key indicators are similarly deteriorating in a number of other conflict-hit countries including Somalia, Burkina Faso and Afghanistan. The situation varies from country to country, but civilians are being killed, injured and displaced; livelihoods are destroyed; and availability of and access to food disrupted, amid growing fragility, Guterres said. At the same time, humanitarian operations are attacked, delayed or obstructed from delivering life-saving assistance. He said food insecurity in conflict-affected countries is now further exacerbated by natural disasters, economic shocks and public health crises, all compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic. U.N. humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock said in an interview with AP that the economic fallout from the pandemic including lock downs, border closures and restrictions on movement have all had a big effect on food security and agricultural productivity. And extremists have taken the opportunity to make hay out of all this, he said. Everybody is very preoccupied by COVID and the virus, Lowcock said. But it is not the virus thats creating most of the carnage. It is other things, and we need to focus on the things that will really cause the biggest loss of life. Lowcock said many of those things are consequences of COVID-19 __ the economic contraction, the declining availability of basic public services, the insecurity into which extremist groups are occupying themselves. He said a lot of effort has gone into things like providing personal protective equipment, public information campaigns on the virus, water and sanitation campaigns, all of which are good things. But if you do those at the expense of basic humanitarian needs in these badly affected places, what you end up with is not a reduction in loss of life but an increase in loss of life, Lowcock said. He said having four countries meet the requirement in a 2018 Security Council resolution to report to the council when the risk of conflict-induced famine and widespread food insecurity occurs is highly significant. According to the secretary-generals note, escalating violence in volatile eastern Congo is again driving disastrous levels of food insecurity and hunger, and the latest analysis indicates that over 21 million people are in crisis or worse levels of acute food insecurity. With only 22% of the U.N. humanitarian appeal currently funded, Guterres said, core programs will need to be reduced or suspended. In Yemen, where the international community mobilized to prevent famine two years ago, he said, the risk is slowly returning. Escalating conflict and economic decline brought the Arab worlds poorest nation to the brink of famine two years ago, and similar conditions and worsening key indicators are emerging today, he said. A recent survey indicated that 3.2 million people in government-controlled areas are now highly food insecure, and food prices are 140% higher than averages before the conflict began in 2015, Guterres said. But with only 24% of humanitarian requirements funded in 2020, agencies are now forced to reduce or close core programs. In northeast Nigerias Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states, he said, alarming levels of food insecurity and hunger have arisen largely as a result of the actions of extremists affiliated with armed groups. Guterres said estimates suggest more than 10 million people in the three states about 80% of the population need humanitarian assistance and protection, an almost 50% increase since last year and the highest recorded since humanitarian operations began. Yet, the U.N. appeal is only 33% funded, its lowest level, he said. In South Sudans Jonglei and Greater Pibor administrative area, Guterres said the situation deteriorated rapidly in the first half of 2020, fueled by escalating violence and insecurity, Guterres said. Fighting has been accompanied by widespread attacks on agricultural and pastoral land and the looting of livestock and food, leaving more that 1.4 million people in the area facing crisis or worse levels of acute food insecurity, he said. In addition, at least 350,000 children suffer from severe or moderate acute malnutrition. Guterres said the latest outlook from the Famine Early Warning Systems Network is flagging worsening catastrophe conditions ... in areas affected by the violence. Lowcock said theres a paradox because overall U.N. humanitarian funding is ahead of 2019, which was a record year. But the money is not following the greatest need, he said. Some of our appeals are relatively well funded, but some of the places where the problems are worst are poorly funded Nigeria, Yemen, Congo, theyre all in that category. Imelda Munster, Sinn Fein TD for Louth and East Meath has called on Leo Varadkar, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, to intervene in the ongoing dispute at RHI Magnesita, Premier Periclase Ltd., Drogheda, where workers have been on strike since last Monday (24th). Deputy Munster has also said that reports of a breakdown in the collective agreement are 'deeply worrying'. 'Workers have been on strike for almost a fortnight now at the plant, due to the unreasonable changes that management is trying to impose upon staff. It has been brought to my attention that the management at Premier Periclase have made the collective agreement at the company null and void,' said Deputy Munster. 'This is a deeply worrying development that will have negatively affect workers at the plant, as well as the industrial relations structure that operates in this state'. She said companies must not be allowed to use the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse to dismantle workers' rights. Workers need certainty that collective agreements will be honoured during this crisis. 'I have written to Minister Leo Varadkar asking him to intervene to ensure that existing workers' rights are protected, and I have asked that his department facilitates a return to talks at the Workplace Relations Commission as a matter of urgency,' she concluded. Meanwhile SIPTU representatives have condemned a threat by management to the jobs of members employed at the plant. 'Union members have been conducting a strike at this plant since 17th August in a dispute resulting from an attempt by management to unfairly select workers for layoff. The dispute has now been escalated by management with a threat to sack workers if they do not concede to a demand to return to work on undefined changed terms and conditions, said SIPTU Organiser, Stephen Lewis. "This threat was relayed to our members in a letter delivered to their homes by taxi. The letter states the company will not engage directly with the workers' representatives. It further states that the company is considering the implementation of compulsory redundancies if workers do not return to work and accept undefined changes to their terms and conditions." SIPTU TEAC Division Organiser Karan O'Loughlin said the continued 'intransigence of management, including a refusal to directly engage with union representatives or the Workplace Relations Commission, is responsible for the continuation of this dispute'. 'The threatening letter which was sent to our members clearly indicates that management remain opposed to a just solution to the dispute,' she concluded. Kannada actress Ragini Dwivedi at the Central Crime Branch office for question in connection with the sandalwood drug scandal, in Bengaluru, Friday, Sept. 4, 2020. (PTI) Bengaluru: Days after the sandalwood drug scandal blew up in the state, political blame game began on Saturday. While celebrity manager Prashanth Sambaragi, who had spilled the beans over Sandalwood's drug links, accused former minister BZ Zameer Ahamed Khan of having links with Rahul, who was arrested on Friday, Tourism Minister CT Ravi charged that a lot of political pressure was mounted to hush up the case against Ragini. While the Congress working president Saleem Ahamed and Opposition leader Siddaramaiah wanted the minister to spell out the names of the people exerting pressure, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai endorsed Ravi's allegations on pressure. Though Sambaragi named Zameer, it is not a secret in Karnataka that many politicians and their children attend high profile Page-3 parties. Most of the politicians are in touch with the celebrities and those organising such parties. Many of the politicians, cutting across political party affiliations, also want to launch their children on the silver screen and do get in touch with party organisers. The BJP has a lot of stakes in the entire case. In the first place, Karthik Raj, whose name figured just after the arrest of Ravi Shankar himself, is a BJP member. He had joined BJP during last by-elections and campaigned in the Shivajinagar constituency. Even Ragini Dwivedi wanted to become the Brand Ambassador for the Karnataka government in fighting against depression. She had met Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa once and Health and Family Welfare Minister B Sriramulu twice in this regard. However, things could not move forward due to the lockdown and COVID-19 outburst. Ragini had also campaigned for a BJP candidate on personal basis during 2018 general elections. This September marks 75 years since the Vietnamese people, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), overthrew 80 years of French colonial rule. browser not support iframe. President Ho Chi Minh declared independence for the Democratic Republic of Vietam on September 2, 1945 and the country then recorded significant victories in its resistance wars against the French and the Americans as well as in its oi moi economic reforms. Tremendous achievements have been posted in a range of endeavours over the last 75 years. Political system On January 6, 1946, the first election for the country's National Assembly (NA) was held. In combat zones throughout then-South Vietnam, elections took place amid fierce circumstances and even bloodshed as every Vietnamese citizen exercised their democratic right to vote. Following the success of the election, the National Assembly, at its first session on March 2, 1946, elected its Standing Committee. The Democratic Republic of Vietnam was officially established, with the NA as the highest State power and the Government, elected by the NA, as the highest administrative body. That was the State of the nation, by the nation, for the nation, which had full legal capacity to carry out key national tasks -- the resistance wars and the construction and defence of national independence and freedom. For the last 90 years the CPV has been at the vanguard of the struggle for national independence, liberating the country from almost a century of domination by Western colonialists and leading the people to full victory in the 30-year resistance war against powerful aggressors. Since the countrys reunification, the Party has led the Vietnamese people in carrying out renewal, modernisation, and industrialisation. The CPV takes Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thoughts as its firm ideological foundation, guiding its activities, promoting its traditions, and absorbing the essential ideas of other nations. By grasping objective laws, epochal trends, and the countrys reality, the Party developed sound political programs and revolutionary policies that meet the aspirations of the people. Important changes were also made to the functions of State administrative bodies, including the Government, ministries, and Peoples Committees at all levels, in line with the transition to a socialist-oriented market economy. The government apparatus has been restructured on the principle of organising multi-branch and multi-domain ministries through various stages suitable with managerial capabilities, personnel qualifications, and facilities and conditions, so as to ensure continuity, stability, development, and compatibility with reality. The Government also improved its method of operation by conducting unified macro-management over political, economic, cultural, social, defence, security, and foreign affairs tasks nationwide through a synchronous system of laws, policies, plans, and other macro-management instruments. Economy After the declaration of independence on September 2, 1945, the Provisional Revolutionary Government then held its first session. The primary task for the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was to eradicate starvation and illiteracy. A war economy had been developed since 1951, the State Bank of Vietnam had been set up, and Vietnamese bank notes began circulating from June 10, 1951, marking an important point in the distribution of goods, trade, and commercial activities. At that time, Vietnam was still a poor agricultural country, with 80 per cent of its population and 70 per cent of its workforce living in rural areas and subsisting on farming. Production was still not enough to meet demand for food. By 1984, socialist economic sectors and State-owned enterprises (SOEs) held the greatest proportion of total social production. A mechanism based on public property dominated all social production. Meetings of the Politburo and of the 5th Party Central Committee from July to December 1986 concentrated on compiling and approving a Political Report for submission to the 6th National Congress. The congress placed special emphasis on improving and enhancing the effectiveness of external economy. In building a new management system, a major reform of the State apparatus was carried out. In the 1996-2000 period, GDP increased by an average of 6.94 per cent each year. Agriculture posted an annual increase of 1 million tonnes of food, industry rose by an average of 13.5 per cent, and GDP doubled compared to 1990. Despite devastating natural disasters in 2000 and 2001, GDP still increased by 7 per cent and 6.8 per cent, respectively, and would continue to grow in the years to come. Guidelines on developing a multi-sector economy had been carried out effectively. A socialist-oriented market economy had been formed and the macro economy stabilised. With a developing economy and social issues addressed, the lives of the majority of people improved. To revitalise SOEs and enhance the effectiveness of their production and business, and so promote competitiveness and regional and international integration while maintaining the key role of SOEs in the national economy, the Government launched a three-year programme on restructuring SOEs (2002-2005). Economic competitiveness was taken to a higher level. Vietnam ranked 78/148 in the Global Competitiveness Index in 2013, and 61/141 in 2019. Social welfare From 1945 to 1954, Vietnams first policies on labour rights, employment, and social welfare for war invalids and relatives of war martyrs were issued. Since 1986, support policies for those who contributed to the countrys revolution and social welfare policies for groups of vulnerable people have been fully implemented. The rate of social insurance is increasing. Unemployment in cities fell from 4.5 per cent in 2010 to 3 per cent in 2020. From 2001 to 2006, the country created more than 8 million jobs. The rate of trained workers increased from 40 per cent in 2010 to 65 per cent in 2020. Health Health outcomes have improved in tandem with rising living standards. From 1993 to 2017, the infant mortality rate fell from 32.6 per 1,000 live births to 16.7. Between 1990 and 2016, life expectancy rose from 70.5 to 76.3 years -- the highest in the region for countries with a similar income level. Vietnams universal health coverage index is at 73 -- higher than the regional and global averages -- with 87 per cent of the population covered. Since the countrys reunification on April 30, 1975, the health sector has made great strides forward and posted key achievements in the care and protection of peoples health. Regarding the fulfilment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Vietnam has been able to eradicate polio and control neonatal tetanus, pertussis, and diphtheria. It has maintained an immunisation rate of more than 95 per cent for children under one, pregnant women, and women of reproductive age. The rate of malnutrition among children under five decreased from 30.1 per cent in 2000 to 13 per cent in 2018, while the rate of stunting malnutrition fell from 36.5 per cent in 2000 to 23.3 per cent in 2018. Over the last 30 years of implementing epidemic prevention and control efforts, Vietnam has built up a capacity to monitor, detect, diagnose, and identify diseases and respond quickly and effectively. The countrys capacity to prevent dangerous and emerging diseases has improved, as has available treatment. Preparations for coping with dangerous diseases have also been put in place. As a result, many dangerous epidemics have been controlled, repelled, and eradicated, such as smallpox in 1978, polio in 2000, and neonatal tetanus in 2005. Since 2002 there have been no cases of plague. Some epidemics could have been hundreds or thousands of times worse had it not been for the expanded vaccination programme that began in 1981, such as diphtheria, whooping cough, and measles. Other circulating epidemics such as dengue fever, viral encephalitis, tuberculosis, typhoid, and cholera have also been controlled. Vietnam was also one of the first countries to successfully control SARS, the A/H5N1 flu, and the A/H1N1 flu, while preventing a number of dangerous emerging epidemics such as the A/H7N9 flu, Ebola, and MERS-CoV. It has also mastered and improved many world-class medical techniques and been transferred advanced techniques for diagnosis and treatment, such as laparoscopic surgery, cardiovascular intervention, and diagnostic imaging. Education Illiteracy has been in decline since 1986 and about 2.5 million Vietnamese children are admitted to school each year. In 1986 there were 3 million children enrolled in childcare centres and kindergartens, close to 12 million students in general schools, and more than 300,000 learners in vocational and professional schools and colleges. Vietnams accomplishments over the years have been truly remarkable in terms of attendance, completion, and student achievement. Equality in access to education has seen a host of accomplishments. A network of boarding schools for ethnic minority students has been built, and the country now has 316 such boarding schools in 49 of its 63 cities and provinces. The Government has been paying a great deal of attention to support policies for the education sector, in particular exemptions or reductions of tuition fees for poor students and a student loan programme. The quality of education has been boosted to a remarkable degree. Over recent years, Vietnam has expanded enrolments while defining and enforcing minimum quality standards for school facilities. Teacher quality also matters, and the country has laid a solid foundation by professionalising its teaching workforce and establishing standards around teacher knowledge, skills and disposition. In 2016-2019, Vietnam picked up 45 gold medals, 60 silver medals, 31 bronze medals, and six certificates at international and regional education Olympiads. Its higher education sector ranked 68/196 in the world in 2019, while three Vietnamese universities were in the top 1,000 best globally in the same year. Diplomacy Over the course of the last 75 years, the diplomatic sector has made great strides forward and contributed substantially to the struggle for national independence and reunification as well as the ongoing process of renewal, international integration, and national defence, thus helping elevate Vietnams standing in the international arena. Vietnam has actively joined international economic organisations such as ASEAN (1995), the Asia-Europe Economic Meeting (1996), APEC (1998), and the WTO (2007). It now plays an increasingly important role in ASEAN and ASEAN and its partners, and actively participated in the UN Security Council in 2014-2016. In addition to economic integration, integration in politics-diplomacy, defence- security, and culture-society has also been promoted strongly. Vietnam has also participated in joint maritime exercises with the US for the first time, within the framework of ASEAN, signed a Framework Participation Agreement with the European Union that will facilitate its contribution to the EUs Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP)s missions and operations, and ratified Convention 98 of the International Labour Organisation (ILO). The country sent a second Level-2 field hospital to the UN Peacekeeping Mission in South Sudan after the first successfully completed its mission. The countrys achievements in multilateral relations over the years have boosted its growing international status. In terms of bilateral relations, Vietnam has maintained stable and positive relations with all countries worldwide and now has 30 strategic partners and comprehensive partners. VNS Vietnams 'soft power' in diplomacy The traditional cultural values of Vietnamese people are spread widely, winning the hearts of many people around the world. This is the "soft" index that contributes to building Vietnams image, prestige, and position in the world arena. SIOUX CITY -- Amy and Amrit Gill, founders of Restoration St. Louis, had a vision to give Sioux City a premiere historic downtown hotel that would be the "heartbeat" of the community. They say that vision has been realized with the renovation of The Warrior Hotel into the city's first Marriott Autograph Collection hotel. The Warrior sat vacant for more than three decades, before Lew Weinberg partnered with Restoration St. Louis to redevelop the 200,000 square feet of combined space in The Warrior and the Davidson building into a 148-room hotel and 22 luxury apartments. "It's for the people of Sioux City. Have a drink and enjoy being here. Have a staycation," Amy Gill said, as she sat next to her husband on an upholstered sofa bench in the second-floor lobby, which features "miles" of the hotel's original granite and Tennessee Pink stone floors. Imperial Red Granite from India was acquired to cover lower portions of the lobby's walls and its columns, which were rebuilt. "It matches almost perfectly the stone that used to be there," Amrit Gill said, noting that the rain forest green marble, which encases the doorways and also came from India, is a match to the original. During a media tour Friday afternoon, construction workers were putting the finishing touches on the 10-story Art Deco-style hotel, which will host two weddings Saturday. Amrit Gill said memories will be made once again in the spacious ballroom, which has chandeliers that remind Gill of "upside-down wedding cakes" and Greek key, a decorative border that was carried over from the lobby. "Ultimately, these buildings are repositories of the community. There will be new stories that will be written," he said. The Gills say a grand-opening celebration likely won't happen until early next year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They said they put their focus into completing The Warrior before the adjacent Davidson Building, which has 56 hotel rooms and 22 upscale apartments. "We weren't really supposed to open anyway until the end of the year, but we decided to prioritize," Amy Gill said. A modern interpretation Built in 1930, The Warrior later fell on hard times and closed in 1976. Since the late 1990s, the boarded-up structure had been red-tagged by the city for building code violations. Amy Gill said knowing what made the structures so significant to Sioux City residents helps "bring the building back to life in an even more authentic way." Restoration St. Louis tries to stay as true as possible to the original designs during renovation, re-purposing what it can. Working in association with BSI Constructors, Inc., FEH Architects, and Checkmate Design, Restoration St. Louis has restored the original terra cotta ornamentation and brick exterior of the buildings, including the infamous Warrior icons and ornate buffalo heads. The sweeping grandeur of the two-story marble staircase, along with its unique plaster detail work and ornamental railings, have also been authentically restored. "When they wrote about it, they talked about how it was moody," Amy Gill said of The Warrior. "It was dark. It was lots of red and dark colors, so we wanted to take off of that and do a modern interpretation of what that would look like." Black, gray, gold and hues of red and green can be found throughout the hotel, as well as items that pay homage to Iowa's birds, including bird-themed art, a decorative wooden birdcage and bird books that guests can read. "When you're a part of the Marriott Autograph Collection, you have a theme. Our mark is birds, because we want to be all about Iowa and all about the Goldfinch," explained Lila Plambeck, The Warrior's director of sales and marketing. "We've done a lot of birding throughout the hotel so to speak." Lighting behind the bar in Woodbury's American Steakhouse changes colors. It's one of a number of high-tech updates. In the ballroom, projectors and screens drop down with the push of a button. The entire building is equipped with state-of-the-art lighting, which is controlled remotely. Both the hotel's heating and cooling are powered by geothermal energy and rooms offer mirror TVs. During a soft opening on Sept. 12, guests will get to experience the hotel accommodations and facilities ahead of The Warrior's official opening date. Woodbury's American Steakhouse will be open for dinner only to overnight guests and Siouxlanders with reservations. Woodbury's will showcase three and four-course meal options from appetizers to dessert. Later this fall, Executive Chef Rich Grothaus and his team will unveil the full menu, offering breakfast, lunch and dinner. Also opening on Sept. 12 is the hotel's six-lane bowling alley -- War Eagle Lanes, which has vintage lanterns above the bar and LED lighting throughout. "We named it War Eagle Lanes because there was a War Eagle Lanes in downtown Sioux City back in the 70s," Plambeck said. "Now, there is one again." Two Finches Spa, as well as the hotel's pool/sauna will open later in the fall, while The Crown, a rooftop bar, will open next spring. The hotel also has a pre-function space, business and exercise centers and commercial space on the first floor. The renovation project, which began in Feb. 2019, started out with an estimated cost of $56 million based on preliminary drawings, but that figure rose to $73 million, largely due to construction cost inflation. The Iowa Economic Development Authority awarded the project more than $11.3 million in historic preservation tax credits; and the Sioux City Council agreed to guarantee $16.5 million for it. Love 9 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Secretary of State for Defence of the United Kingdom Ben Wallace has issued in a letter to the family of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian woman detained in Iran, saying the British government is seeking ways to resolve a 40-year-old British debt to Iran in order to secure her release from prison. The letter, which was also sent to Zaghari-Ratcliffe's lawyers and obtained by The Guardian, showed the British government admitting for the first time that Zaghari-Ratcliffe's detention in Iran since 2016 could be related to the 400 million debt that Britain has refused to pay to Iran for over four decades. The British debt to Iran is related to a contract between Britain and the Pahlavi government in 1971 involving an Iranian order of 1,500 Chieftain tanks and armored vehicles, for which Iran paid the full amount at the time. The contract was canceled after the Shah of Iran was deposed in 1979, and Britain has not refunded the money since then. Zaghari-Ratcliffe is currently serving a five-year sentence in Iran for allegedly serving as a British spy. Richard Ratcliffe, Zaghari-Ratcliffe's husband, has long said that Iran took his wife hostage to pressure the British government to settle its debts. Wallace also stressed that Zaghari-Ratcliffe's detention in Iran is illegal and urged Iranian authorities to release her immediately with no conditions. Neither the British government nor Iran had previously acknowledged the connection of Zaghari-Ratcliffe's case with Britain's debts. The payment of the debt and the interest accrued over the decades is not likely to be a straightforward process due to the U.S. sanctions on Iran. In January, The Guardian said Sir Alan Duncan, the former Foreign Office Minister of State for Europe and Americas who became involved in Zaghari-Ratcliffe's case, proposed that the British government pay its debt into a new escrow account to sidestep U.S. sanctions. Iran would be able to withdraw money from the account in the form of humanitarian aid to avoid violation of the U.S. sanctions if this proposal was accepted. The Foreign Office shelved his plan to resolve the debt issue after Duncanresigned in July 2019, but the plan is now being reconsidered. Demi Rose has admitted her world 'could have spiralled out of control' following the deaths of her parents, as she opens up about her grief in a new interview. The model, 25, suffered the loss of her father Barrie Mawby at the end of 2018, with tragedy striking again soon after when her mother Christine passed away in June 2019. And amid her heartache, the star also discussed her mental health, telling how it almost 'got the better' of her during lockdown, in a candid chat to mark World Suicide Prevention Day next week. Heartache: Demi Rose has admitted her world 'could have spiralled out of control' following the deaths of her parents, as she opens up about her grief in a new interview Speaking to the Evening Standard, Demi shared how she's coping with her personal tragedy and reveals how her heartbreaking loss has in a way made her 'stronger'. The star revealed how she was forced to 'grow up' from a young age after her mother was left disabled following a heart attack, resulting in a then 17-year-old becoming her carer. She recalled that after losing her loved ones in quick succession left her 'angry, sad, bitter and lonely', but added that she was 'lucky' that she had a 'good support system' around her and didn't 'bottle up' her grief. Admitting that she could have easily succumbed to her anger and grief, Demi said: 'When my parents died my world could have spiralled out of control but you have to hang on.' Tragic: The model, 25, suffered the loss of her father Barrie Mawby (pictured) at the end of 2018, with tragedy striking again soon after when her mother Christine passed away in June 2019 She went on to say that she was helped greatly by doing a lot of self-care and reading books about 'spirituality' and 'enlightenment', while she tried to look at her tragedy as part of 'lifes plan'. Demi added that though she's been through trauma, she's come out 'stronger' and tries to reflect her strength through her positive and 'confident' social media posts. She went on: 'Behind closed doors theres been a lot of torment and I suppose I have turned that into a positive as I feel I have been through so much nothing can push me down again'. The social media sensation Demi also opened up about her mental health in the interview, and admitted it played a part in her recent move to Ibiza. Candid: The star also discussed her mental health, telling how it almost 'got the better' of her during lockdown, in a candid chat to mark World Suicide Prevention Day next week She explained: 'During lockdown I lived on my own in London and my mental health really did get the better of me. I had up and down days and with so much time on my hands I obviously had a lot of time to reflect on things.' After battling her sadness while confined at home, when lockdown restrictions were eased, she made the decision to relocate to Spain, a decision she states is one of the 'best choices' she's ever made. Demi, who has teamed up with non-profit organisations We are Hummingbird and Panic Loves Company to film a video discussing her mental health, also suggested that the sunshine and abundance of friends she has in Ibiza have helped her immensely. Earlier this year, the brunette beauty revealed she is 'healing' from her parents' deaths following a tough year. Grief: She recalled that after losing her loved ones in quick succession left her 'angry, sad, bitter and lonely', but added that she was 'lucky' that she had a 'good support system' around her Hard: Admitting that she could have easily succumbed to her anger and grief, Demi said: 'When my parents died my world could have spiralled out of control but you have to hang on' The Birmingham native explained how their tragic passings made her 'grow up really fast' as she opened up about dealing with grief during the recording of her PrettyLittleThing podcast episode. She said: 'I've lost both of my parents, my dad cancer and my mum had a heart attack which caused a stroke when I was 17 and I was left as her carer as she was left disabled. 'I was caring for her for so many years, about 7 years,' explained the social media star. Demi then went into detail about the impact the death of her parents had on her and how she aims to help others experiencing the same thing. Sad loss: Demi added that though she's been through trauma, she's come out 'stronger' and tries to reflect her strength through her positive and 'confident' social media posts (pictured with her father) Tough time: The social media sensation Demi also opened up about her mental health in the interview, and admitted it played a part in her recent move to Ibiza She explained: 'Then my dad passed away with cancer and then my mum then sadly passed away 7 months after him with a stomach infection, and it just made me grow up really fast and be really really strong about things. 'And I think if I can inspire people by talking about grief, then you know if they can relate to me and they can understand it a little bit and I can help them then that's important to me. After experiencing the loss of both of her parents, Demi admitted: 'I've gone through a lot, so I can talk on it. 'I feel like nothing can really affect me now, nothing can really make me feel a certain way - I've gone through it all.' - The leader of Ghanaian startup, BACE Group, has become the 1st woman to win the Royal Academy of Engineering Africa Prize - Charlette Desire N'Guessan, an Ivorian who lives in Ghana, won the award out of 16 brilliant competitors and took home 25,000 - BACE API, Charlette's innovation that won the Africa Prize, uses live facial recognition technology to verify identities and protect financial and online identity fraud Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in Charlette Desire N'Guessan, an Ivorian lady who leads a Ghana-based startup called BACE Group, has become the first woman to win the Royal Academy of Engineering Africa Prize. Reports obtained by YEN.com.gh confirm that Charlette, out of 16 great competitors for the prize, won and took away 25,000 after eight months of learning, networking and hard work. Her innovation, BACE API, is a secure facial recognition technology for secure identity verification. BACE API uses live facial recognition technology to verify identities and protect financial and online identity fraud. READ ALSO: 11-year-old boy rescues sick grandmother, drives her to hospital in Mercedes Benz Her team, BACE Group, is a FinTech company that provides digital services to financial institutions. Speaking after the historic journey to winning the massive prize, Charlette expressed her gratitude to everyone who contributed to the success. In her own words, Thanks, Royal Academy of Engineering and Africa prize judges for the trust. We are honoured to be recognized as the winner of Africa prize 2020. Thanks to our mentors Lara Srivastava, FRSA, JD, PhD , Nabou Fall and Cameron Burt for their advice and supports since day 1 Charlette says her company is ready to take on business opportunities and local talents to join their winning team. READ ALSO: Beauty with brains: Lady melts hearts with graduation photos after bagging master's degree Charlette Desire N'Guessan 1st lady from Ghana to win 25,000 pounds Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation Source: LinkedIn, Charlette Desire N'Guessan Source: UGC In a separate report, a stunning Ghanaian medical practitioner whose full name is, Dr. Vanessa Aseye Mensah-Kabu, became the youngest medical doctor for her batch when she graduated. In an interview with YEN.com.gh's Edward Asare, the young doctor disclosed that although she graduated from the DaLian Medical University in the Peoples Republic of China, she was inducted as a doctor in Ghana in May 2015 at age 22. Dr. Vanessa Aseye Mensah-Kabu who is also an alumnus of Holy Child Senior High School has, therefore, been practising medicine for five years. Enjoy reading our stories? Download YEN's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Ghana news! Ghanaians speak up about Bawumia's promise about new cars for trotro drivers | #Yencomgh Share your stories and news by getting interactive on our Facebook page! Source: YEN.com.gh Ghana and Nigeria are considering adopting legislation, to be called the Ghana-Nigeria Friendship Act that proposes the Ghana-Nigeria Business Council to guide the friendship, investment and trade matters of the two nations. Consequently, a meeting would soon be held between the Trade and Foreign Affairs Committees of the Legislatures of the two sister West African nations, to deliberate on the applications of Trade Laws. The proposed meeting would discuss in particular the Ghana Investment Promotion Act, the GIPC Act 2013 (Act 865) and make recommendations for appropriate solutions. The Speakers of the legislatures of the two West African nations- Prof Aaron Michael Oquaye of Ghana, and his Nigerian counterpart Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, agreed to the proposal at the end of a bilateral meeting, involving a 12-member parliamentary delegation from Nigeria and the Speaker and the Leadership of Ghanas parliament, as well as some key Ministers of the Government of Ghana, in Accra. The proposed moves were announced in a joint communique at a press conference by the two Speakers, In Accra, before the Speaker of Nigerias House of Representatives left for Abuja. The communique was jointly read by MR Cyril Kwabena Oteng Nsiah, Clerk to Ghanas parliament, and Mr Benjamin Kalu, Spokesperson to Nigerias House of Representatives, in the presence of the two Speakers. The meeting was to resolve the trade challenges between Accra and Abuja and to improve their international relations following the recent closure of shops of some foreigners, including some Nigerians in Ghana alleged to have breached Ghanas domestic trade laws. The meeting recognized that limited appreciation of the trade laws of Ghana, and the implementation of the GIPC Act had resulted in the closure of some retail shops and urged the GIPC and the Trade Attaches to educate their citizens on the trade laws. It also discussed the US$ 1 million capital requirement for foreign retail traders in Ghana and called on the Trade Ministries of the two nations to work out modalities to meet the required capital requirement. The meeting also discussed the demolition of some properties belonging to the Nigeria High Commission in Accra. The delegation also met with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who assured them of the safety of Nigerians in Ghana. The communique called for measures to be adopted to support law-abiding to properly regularize their business in the face of the ravaging impact of COVID-19 on businesses and families. It stressed the need for efforts to be made to ensure that the ECOWAS Agenda for free movement of people and goods in furtherance of a shared and prosperous future of citizens of the sub-region is not compromised. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video You've lived through a number of global health emergencies, including swine flu in 2009, the poliovirus and Ebola in 2014, the Zika virus in 2016 and Ebola again in 2019, "yet none of these have devastated or disrupted our lives in a way that can be compared to the current COVID-19 pandemic," GP clinical lead at Treated.com Dr. Daniel Atkinson points out to Eat This, Not That! Health. With most of the world still in the throes of the virus, the question on everyone's mind is when life is going to go back to "normal"and what that even means. While so much is unknown, and according to Dr. Atkinsonand most other health experts"a return to 'normality' will not come quickly," here's when you can expect life to start feeling recognizable again. Read on, and to ensure your health and the health of others, don't miss these Sure Signs You've Already Had Coronavirus. 1 Things Can't Be Norma-lish Until We Have a Vaccine Vaccine and syringe injection It use for prevention, immunization and treatment from COVID-19 While it's impossible to put a date on when life will really return to normal, Jaimie Meyer, MD, a Yale Medicine infectious disease doctor and assistant professor of medicine at Yale School of Medicine, doesn't think it will be until we have a vaccine. "The reason why a vaccine will drive normalcy is that it is really only with a vaccine that we can be assured of protection against future infection. Even someone who has been sick with COVID-19 and recovered may not have sufficient antibodies to protect them from future re-infection. This is an important area of active investigation." 2 Even Once There is a Vaccine, it Has to be Distributed Medication nurse wearing protective gloves and white scrubs get a needle or shot ready for an injection. - Image Once a vaccine is developed, it is going to take awhile to get everyone the vaccine. "Even when we have a vaccine, developing it on a mass scale and distributing it to the entire world will be an issue to be addressed in itself, at the time," Dr. Atkinson points out. 3 We Should Social Distance Until There is a Vaccine Story continues Grandmother and grandson separated by social distancing on park bench Even where lockdowns are relaxed, social distancing should be practiced, says Dr. Atkinsoneven when things start to reopen. "This means not socializing in pubs or restaurants, not being able to work for certain job types, maintaining distance while shopping and during other activities," he says. Although some politicians may disagree, the doctor feels: "Until a vaccine is developed and made widely available, this is the new normal." RELATED: 11 Signs COVID is in Your Heart 4 The First Step Toward "Normal" is Improved Testing While all governments are tailoring their approaches to the virus, Dr. Atkinson points that out improving our testing capabilities needs to be one of our priorities. "Finding out who is infected and where infection rates are highest will help us focus our efforts and resources," he explains. "We should also consider how we're going to handle this information once it's available. It's all very well identifying hot spots or outbreaks but if people can't or won't comply with restrictions to limit the spread of disease then we have to question whether testing is really as useful as we'd hoped." 5 Restrictions Will Ease in Certain Cities Social distancing rules in practice, alternate seating in local public food courts In the meantime, we can likely approach normal-ish in the next few months, as rates of new cases, hospitalizations, and COVID-related deaths fall in some states, Dr. Meyer points out. "This may mean being able to leave our homes but still practice social distancingso, for example, attending restaurants with reservations, hair salons with appointments, and perhaps small gatherings." 6 Parks Might Keep Opening Retired couple walking in a park under quarantine during coronavirus outbreak Based on various data points across the country, parks will continue to open. "I think sanction wise (as far as parks are concerned) that may be a state/city/county subject based on data points," says Brandon Lawrence, MD, an Arizona ER doctor. Some may open as early as May, while others will likely open in the following months. 7 Antibody Protection Could Make Life More NormalBut is Still Being Studies Scientist studies the curves of the Covic-19 pandemic and the dna of an infected person, holding a sample vial in a hospital If we do find that antibodies are protective against reinfection and are able to test for them in an evidence-based way, we may be able to do more and edge toward normalityperhaps with certificates of immunity. RELATED: I'm an Infectious Disease Doctor and Would Never Touch This 8 It May Take a While for Our Mental Health to Recover Sick man with face mask looking out the window being quarantined at home Emotionally, it is going to take all of us a long time to get back to normal. "We may also never be pre-COVID 'normal' in some ways because we are all experiencing a collective trauma," points out Dr. Meyer. "That post-traumatic stress may impact us for years to come." 9 "Rushing Things" Will Set Us Back NYC timesquare busy crowd The most important thing to keep in mind, that until we have a vaccine, we aren't ready to return to normal. "The biggest mistake from a public health perspective, however, would be to rush back to normal before this pandemic is ready for it," Dr. Meyer reminds us. 10 And, There Could be Another Wave Infected patient in quarantine lying in bed in hospital, coronavirus concept. Dr. Atkinson points out that if some countries ease their lockdowns too early, and the rate of infection increases, then it's possible lockdowns will have to be enforced again, "as another wave of high infection, and fatality, will become likely"a.k.a. another peak. "It's quite possible that some countries will undergo several lockdown procedures, as the rate of infection fluctuates." 11 Schools Will Eventually Require the COVID-19 Vaccine Nurse administering vaccination to students arms in a high school. While the COVID-19 vaccine isn't going to be ready as schools reopen in the fall, once it is available it is going to be a necessity for all children. "I have to imagine school will require the COVID vaccine." As for yourself: To get through this pandemic at your healthiest, don't miss these 35 Places You're Most Likely to Catch COVID. Controversial former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott says he is looking forward to contributing his expertise in global commerce to help Britain in his new role as adviser to the UK Board of Trade. Mr Abbotts appointment has sparked a heated reaction in some quarters, with critics saying he is well known for holding misogynistic and homophobic views, as well as drawing attention to his scepticism on climate change. After Prime Minister Boris Johnson came out in support of the 62-year-old, Mr Abbott who led Australia from 2013-15 said he was only too keen to help the UK and looked forward to helping facilitate trade deals between Britain and other countries, including Australia. A UK-Australia trade deal, maximising the movement of goods, services and people is clearly in the best interests of both our countries, Mr Abbott said in a statement on Twitter. Its important for the wider world that Britain make the most of its post-Brexit opportunities and I am proud to be playing a part. My government finalised trade deals between Australia and China, Japan and Korea. Im looking forward to bringing that expertise to bear as Britain works towards mutually beneficial improvements with its major trading partners. Statement on appointment as adviser to UK Board of Trade. pic.twitter.com/Xw08RDmmAf Tony Abbott (@HonTonyAbbott) September 4, 2020 Labour shadow trade secretary Emily Thornberry said Mr Abbott was not the right person to advise the UK on trade policy due to his history of offensive comments and lack of experience. She told Times Radio on Saturday: Hes never been involved in detailed trade negotiations, he thinks that issues like climate change and workers rights are just not important and during the two years that he was prime minister of Australia he was personally responsible for killing off Australias car industry. When he arrived, there were 200,000 cars that were being made in Australia and by the time he left the three companies had left. Expand Close Former Australian prime minister Julia Gillard (Chris Radburn/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Former Australian prime minister Julia Gillard (Chris Radburn/PA) Ms Thornberry added: What we need to have surely on the Board of Trade is people who can negotiate carefully and in detail, and diplomatically. And Tony Abbott does not have that character. The appointment of Mr Abbott, who has also said coronavirus restrictions should be lifted, seems to have caused divisions even among his fellow Board of Trade appointees. Anne Boden, founder of the online-only bank Starling, tweeted to say she was pleased to be advising the Board of Trade and said it was important that we have challenging voices speaking to ministers. But the financial technology expert added that she supported diversity and so did this woman, linking to a 2012 speech by another former Australian prime minister, Julia Gillard, in which she accused Mr Abbott of being a misogynist in the countrys equivalent of the House of Commons. Wales-born Ms Gillard quoted the then-leader of the opposition as having asked during a discussion: What if men are by physiology or temperament more adapted to exercise authority or to issue command? London-born Mr Abbott, who moved to Australia with his family aged two, also campaigned as an MP against Australias ultimate adoption of same-sex marriage legislation in 2017, and once said he felt a bit threatened by homosexuality. Mr Johnson has defended him, heralding his status as a former leader of freedom-loving and liberal Australia. The new Board of Trade will play an important role making the case for free and fair trade in and . The Board brings together a diverse group of people who share Britains belief in free enterprise, democracy, high standards and rules-based trade.https://t.co/ffqcKD9dnB Liz Truss (@trussliz) September 4, 2020 Alexander Downer, a former Australian high commissioner to the UK, said the arguments against his ally Mr Abbott did not stack up. He told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: He is not a misogynist, he has appointed many women to positions he was appointed to this position by a woman. I dont think it stacks up, I think its just party politicking. The Department for International Trade formally announced on Friday Mr Abbott would form part of the new-look Board of Trade, in what is said to be an unpaid role. In its announcement, the department stressed advisers to the board would have no direct role in striking trade deals. The UK is currently looking to agree its own trade agreements for the first time in more than 40 years after leaving the European Union in January. It is conducting negotiations with the US, Japan, New Zealand and Australia. Trade Secretary Liz Truss said: The new Board of Trade will play an important role in helping Britain make the case for free and fair trade across the UK and around the world. U.S. weapons experts believe North Korea may be preparing to test a new strategic weapon system that would vastly expand Kim Jong Uns arsenal and defy President Donald Trumps threshold requirements for continued engagement with the U.S. The experts, led by Dr. Victor Cha of the Center for Strategic and International Studies Beyond Parallel website, have posted new and unusually clear satellite images taken Friday that show North Korea may be preparing its first submarine-launched ballistic missile test, potentially a major new development for the North. The experts say the pictures show a submersible test stand barge at the Sinpo South Shipyard. Image: Sinpo (Airbus) According to the Beyond Parallel assessment, the primary indicator suggesting preparations for a test launch is the presence of several vessels within the boat basin, one of which resembling ships used to tow the test barge out to sea. Another indicator is two Romeo-class submarines anchored within the base that experts say could be used as escorts for an SLBM test maneuver. This looks like they are certainly preparing to do an SLBM test for the first time," said Cha, an NBC News contributor on Asian Affairs. "Kim Jong Un has been talking about unveiling a new strategic weapon and this may be it. Theres been a lot of activity around this one site where the test barge is located." Since the failed Hanoi Summit between President Trump and Kim in February 2019, Trump has dismissed a series of short-range, land-based missile tests as not threatening the United States, although they do violate United Nations Security Council resolutions. Image: Sinpo (Airbus) A sea-launched missile test would definitely cross all of President Trumps red lines because it would involve a major ballistic missile," Cha said. "It would be difficult for President Trump to ignore this. The experts believe the earliest North Korea would be ready to launch would be September 8th in the U.S. which would be September 9th in North Korea. That is North Koreas Foundation Day, honoring the establishment of the state. In the past, Kim has liked to test new weapons on his countrys holidays, as well as ours, to get maximum attention. Launching the test only months before the U.S. election would raise a major political challenge to the Presidents claim of progress with the North as one of his diplomatic achievements. More specifically, drivers in select Audi models manufactured in 2017 and in all cars launched since 2019 will now be provided with a timer to see when the red light turns to green right on their dashboard.Its all powered by the Audi PRIME Traffic Light Information feature, a system thats available on the said models in several other locations across the U.S. and which could soon get a sibling on cars from other brands, including Volkswagen.Lake County officials said they installed the necessary hardware to transmit the required information to Audi cars in more than 100 intersections, and the program should kick off this fall.Drivers will thus be provided with traffic light information on the dashboard or the heads-up display, and Lake County representatives say they are already exploring other improvements, including even more advanced systems that would allow the Audi system to indicate the car speed required to arrive at an intersection on a green light.The Lake County Division of Transportation has been working with Traffic Technology Services (TTS), Inc. to launch a new program featuring cloud-based technology that allows vehicles to receive information from Lake County's traffic signal network. Through this program, Lake County receives anonymous information from TTS and Audi about motorist's experiences, such as how long a vehicle waits at a red light, that it can use to improve traffic signal operations, the Lake County officials announced this week.Needless to say, the long-term goal here is to make similar capabilities available on as many cars as possible, but this also depends on the manufacturers themselves. Only the latest-generation Audis and a few older models come with the system, but the more carmakers install similar tech on their vehicles, the faster the adoption of the smart roads can increase not only in the U.S. but across the entire world. New Delhi, Sep 5 : Automobile major Tata Motors sees green shoots in some segments but remains cautious about the long-term sustainability of such demand, said its MD and CEO Guenter Butschek. "We are seeing green shoots in some segments of the auto industry, and I do hope that it heralds the dawn of a new era," he said while speaking at the 60th ACMA Annual Session, which was held virtually. "However, I remain cautious about the prospect of its long-term sustenance in the absence of an overall economic recovery. Plus, the challenges from Covid-19 are continuing, which can possibly create more intermittent disruptions." Besides, he said: "Times like this remind us that you are a unique fraternity; if any one of you falls, OEM production is stopped and it further affects hundreds of you. If any of our competitors fail, it impacts hundreds of you and so on, as the spiralling circle of impact continues." Furthermore, Butschek acknowledged the need for some "demand impetus to trigger revival". "I think we have a fantastic opportunity to work together, build scale and benefit from the changes expected in the global supply chains." "This will help our industry become a more valued partner in fulfilling India's aspirations for scale, which helps attract investments and create employment," he said. "In addition, we must stretch beyond products and build capabilities to localise design, engineering content, technology, and processes etc." According to Butschek, the industry's singular intent must be to emerge stronger from the crisis and "we can do so only collectively". "Yes, our industry has been scarred, but our best medicine will be a quick return of volumes and revenues to fuel our working capital so that we heal and rebound to our full market potential," he added. "But for that, we must be agile to stretch more and revitalise faster." Officials declare assembly unlawful as demonstrations in tense US city at the front lines of BLM protests continue. Police in Portland, United States have made multiple arrests overnight as the Oregon city nears 100 days of demonstrations against racism and police brutality. A few hundred demonstrators met at the citys Kenton Park on Friday before making their way to the Portland Police Association building, where police warned protesters to stay off the streets and private property. Yes, we have made multiple arrests tonight, a Portland police spokesman told Reuters news agency in an emailed statement after police declared the gathering was unlawful. Officers will continue to make targeted arrests of those who fail to adhere to this order, police said earlier on Twitter. Demonstrations against racism and police brutality have swept the US since the death in May of George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man who died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. Portland, in particular, has seen more than three months of daily demonstrations calling for policing and social justice reforms. These have at times turned into clashes between demonstrators and officers, as well as between right and left-wing groups. On Thursday, police shot and killed a self-declared anti-fascist activist in Washington state as they moved in to arrest him on suspicion that he fatally shot a right-wing counterprotester last weekend in Portland. 100 days of protests The exact date of the 100-day milestone depends on how the protests are counted, but everyone agrees the benchmark falls over the Labor Day weekend. Black Lives Matter protests, vigils and speeches marking the occasion are planned over three days, and Trump supporters are planning a caravan rally. US-based journalist Sergio Olmos on Saturday told Al Jazeera more protests are expected in Portland. Energy levels are pretty high. Tomorrow [Saturday] is the 100-day mark [after the death of George Floyd], so there are protests planned throughout the day, he said. The administration of US President Donald Trump deployed federal forces to Portland in July to crack down on the protests. On Wednesday, Trump signed a memo that threatens to cut federal funding to lawless cities, including Portland. His Democratic challenger in the November 3 presidential election, Joe Biden, has accused Trump of stoking violence with his rhetoric. The thing about the protests in Portland is most of the demands are to the mayor here. They want him to defund and abolish the local police, Olmos told Al Jazeera. A lot of it is not centred on the president, but when President Trump [decides to] send federal agents here, it [is] definitely much more repressive. THE State is now facing a potential lawsuit for tortious assault and battery by a family that was tear-gassed by police while at the Queens Park Savannah in Port of Spain last Sunday. Acting Police Commissioner McDonald Jacob has been given 28 days within which to provide specific pieces of information to attorneys representing the family or, in default, a civil claim will be filed at the High Court, the familys attorneys warned yesterday. PORTLAND, Ore. - The fatal shooting by law enforcement of a far-left activist who was suspected of killing a far-right activist renewed tensions in this city Friday, as investigators sought to learn more about both incidents and officials braced for further unrest. There were more questions than answers even as prosecutors released a lengthy arrest affidavit detailing what witnesses had said and video had revealed about the initial killing last weekend. Dueling demonstrations are expected in the region in coming days. A protest for racial justice is set for Saturday and a pro-Trump event honoring 39-year-old Aaron "Jay" Danielson, a supporter of the far-right Patriot Prayer group who was shot dead a week ago, is planned for Monday. Oregon Democratic Gov. Kate Brown said at a news briefing that she remained concerned about more violence and urged calm. "There needs to be a community-wide effort to stop the violence," she said. "Because the violence must stop. Period." Portland has experienced more than three consecutive months of protests against police brutality, with some of the demonstrations descending into destruction and mayhem. But the tension intensified when a caravan of President Trump's supporters drove through the city in trucks, sparking skirmishes with those who objected to their presence. After one of those confrontations, Danielson was shot and killed on the street, and police soon identified as their top suspect 48-year-old Michael Forest Reinoehl, an ardent supporter of the far-left antifa movement who had been a fixture at the nightly protests. Then on Thursday, officers working on a federal task force shot and killed Reinoehl when they moved in to arrest him as he approached a vehicle in the southern part of Washington state, about two hours north of Portland. Both shootings remain mired in confusing and incomplete accounts. Reinoehl, a construction contractor and former professional snowboarder, claimed in an interview that aired on "Vice News Tonight" on Thursday that he had acted to defend himself and a friend in the shooting that left Danielson dead, all but admitting he had pulled the trigger. "I was confident that I did not hit anyone innocent, and I made my exit," Reinoehl told Vice News when asked about what happened immediately after the incident. "I see a civil war right around the corner," he added later. "That shot felt like the beginning of a war." But Chandler Pappas, a friend of Danielson's who was with him during the incident, has said it "didn't even register that somebody was pointing a gun at us until the shots went off." He has claimed that whoever fired the shots "recognized our Patriot Prayer hats" and that just before the gunfire, he heard someone say, "We've got a couple of 'em right here. Pull it out. Pull it out." The affidavit released Friday details what investigators have found in Danielson's killing. Police interviewed at least five people who saw some portion of the incident and reviewed video footage, the document says, but their accounts stopped far short of providing a cohesive narrative. Investigators found a loaded, holstered gun on Danielson's body that they do not think was fired during the incident, as well as an expandable metal baton nearby, according to the affidavit. They also recovered from the scene a canister of "Bear Attack Deterrent" that seemed to have been hit by a bullet. One witness, who knew Danielson, told investigators he heard a Black man say, "We're going to [expletive] kill you," saw Danielson pull out a can of mace, then heard two gunshots, according to the affidavit. Another witness said he saw a Black man turn to another person and say, "Hey there's the guy." The witness said he then saw Danielson spray mace and heard two gunshots, according to the affidavit. Pappas told investigators he and Danielson were facing off with two people and one of those people fired a weapon, according to the affidavit. In one chilling detail contained in the affidavit, a Portland police detective wrote that surveillance footage showed Reinoehl looking back toward Danielson and walking into a garage entryway to conceal himself as he watched Danielson walk by. Danielson is seen on the camera walking by, apparently holding a can in his right hand and an expandable baton in his left. Seconds after he passes, Reinoehl emerges, reaching toward his waist. Shortly after, the detective writes, the gunfire rang out but the shooting was not captured on the video. Videos of the incident that have circulated online have also offered little clarity. In one video, men can be heard shouting, followed in rapid succession by the sound of something spraying and then two gunshots. In another video, shouts of "We got a couple right here" and what sounds like "He's pulling it out" can be heard before the gunfire. On Friday, Portland police released a picture of a man who they said witnessed the incident, indicating they were seeking the public's help in locating him and were still investigating Danielson's killing. Trump has praised his supporters who have descended on the city while lashing out at local leaders. Attorney General William Barr issued a fiery statement Friday calling Reinoehl a "a dangerous fugitive, admitted antifa member, and suspected murderer" who was shot by law enforcement after he "attempted to escape arrest and produced a firearm." "The streets of our cities are safer with this violent agitator removed, and the actions that led to his location are an unmistakable demonstration that the United States will be governed by law, not violent mobs," Barr said. Activists who knew Reinoehl disputed that account, describing Reinoehl as a protector over the past several months of protests who was inspired to join because he believed in equality. Elizabeth Pruden, 38, of Salem, said Reinoehl stuck out easily in the crowd of demonstrators because he brought his young daughter. She said she got to know Reinoehl several weeks ago when protesters regrouped outside a downtown Apple Store to avoid police. "Like a lot of us, he came into it with a lot of weight on his shoulders and not being the best person he felt like he could be," Pruden said. "Through the protesting and all the trauma bonding we all went through, he saw himself growing. He saw himself becoming a better father and a better human being. He was becoming a protector." Some activists said the death of Reinoehl - particularly when set against the comparatively uneventful arrest of Kyle Rittenhouse on charges of killing two protesters last month in Kenosha, Wis. - risked inflaming tensions on the streets of Portland. "If the cops want this to stop, how is coming out here and killing us helping? That's literally why we are out here," said Teal Lindseth, a protest organizer who met Reinoehl at a gathering outside the county jail early on in the demonstrations. "They aren't giving us a day in court and are shooting us before asking questions." Lindseth and fellow activist Ronan Williams said protesters who gathered Thursday night after learning of Reinoehl's death were despondent and more irritable while confronting police. The coming days, they said, were laced with uncertainty. "It could literally be the start of something bad or something amazingly nice," Lindseth said. Reinoehl's Instagram page indicates that he had been attending Black Lives Matter demonstrations in recent months, and he told Bloomberg News in July that he was "working security" to protect people in the crowd. In a lengthy post on June 16, he wrote that he was "100% ANTIFA all the way!" and hinted of violence. "I am willing to fight for my brothers and sisters! Even if some of them are too ignorant to realize what antifa truly stands for. We do not want violence but we will not run from it either!" he wrote. His friends, though, said that did not reflect his character and that he did not appear to be part of any organized antifa groups. "He never meant to personally harm someone but to protect us," Lindseth said. "I've never even seen him be violent." It is unclear where Reinoehl went after last Saturday's shooting, or when he was interviewed by Vice News. But about 7:30 p.m. Thursday, members of the U.S. Marshals Service Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force caught up with him in a quiet residential area near Olympia, Wash., according to a statement from the U.S. Marshals Service. The Marshals Service said that officers were trying to arrest him on a murder warrant in the Portland shooting and that "initial reports indicate the suspect produced a firearm, threatening the lives of law enforcement officers." Reinoehl was fatally shot, authorities said. Portland police on Friday said in a statement that their officers had obtained an arrest warrant for him a day earlier on two charges stemming from Danielson's death - a charge of murder in the second degree with a firearm and unlawful use of a weapon, also with a firearm. Law enforcement officials on Thursday also sought a search warrant for his home, where officials found evidence, including the clothes Reinoehl wore during the shooting, authorities said. Portland police noted their officers were not present when Reinoehl was shot "and defer questions about that incident to agencies involved." Lt. Ray Brady of the Thurston County Sheriff's Office, which is leading the investigation into the shooting of Reinoehl, said that officers were surveilling Reinoehl as he left an apartment complex and confronted him as he made his way to a vehicle. He said that Reinoehl was armed and that officers fired shots into the vehicle, then - after Reinoehl fled - fired more shots. In total, four officers fired shots, Brady said Friday. These officers were from the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, the city of Lakewood's police force and the Washington State Department of Corrections, and they were all part of a federal task force run by the Marshals, he said. Trevor Brown, 24, who lives nearby, said he heard gunfire, got up, and saw three or four officers pointing long guns and wearing body armor. He said he could not see whomever they were aiming at. In total, he said, he heard roughly 10 shots - first three that were fired slowly, then a more rapid volley. He said he did not hear anyone say anything, though he might have been too far away to have done so. "Nobody seemed to know who he was," Brown said of Reinoehl. "I have no idea what his connection was with the people out here." Brady said Friday that while "multiple" bullet casings were recovered at the scene, it was too soon to say how many rounds struck Reinoehl or were fired during the encounter. Reinoehl's autopsy should take place sometime in the middle of next week, which should provide more information, Brady said. The Thurston County Sheriff's Office found that Reinoehl had "a semiautomatic handgun" that was found "immediately on his person," Brady said, but he did not know whether Reinoehl fired any shots or brandished the weapon. Brady said he also did not know how investigators tracked Reinoehl to the area. "We do know that he was at an apartment in that complex," Brady said. "But we don't know yet at this time what brought him there, what the ties are between the residents and him." When the sheriff's office finishes its investigation, the case will be sent to the Thurston County prosecuting attorney, Brady said. But he cautioned that there is "quite a bit of evidence and other documentation in this case," so it could take at least a few months. - - - The Washington Post's Julie Tate in Washington contributed to this report. John Nickerson / Hearst Connecticut Media STAMFORD A former Florida resident pleaded guilty Thursday to federal charges linked to the theft of a van from a New York hospital and burglary of a city post office, according to authorities. Leon Clinedinst, 37, formerly of Ocala, Fla., waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty before a federal judge in Bridgeport on charges of burglary of a U.S. Post Office and interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle. A Tibetan national has been detained by the Delhi Police from outside the Embassy of China in the diplomatic area of Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, where he had come to stage a protest on Saturday morning, officials said. The detained Tibetan citizen has been taken to a nearby police station, where he is being questioned to ascertain why he was protesting outside the embassy, carrying a flag in his hand. Also read: Will sanction Chinese officials responsible for human rights abuse in Tibet if elected, says Joe Biden We have detained the Tibetan national as soon as he reached there. He is being questioned to know the reason behind the protest. We have deployed police personnel outside the Chinese embassy and traffic has also been diverted to ensure nobody else reaches there for demonstration, said additional deputy commissioner of police (New Delhi) Deepak Yadav. Around noon, the Delhi traffic police posted an alert on Twitter, informing the public that traffic movement was closed from Shanti Path to Panchsheel Marg and Kautilya Marg roundabouts due to a demonstration. Motorists are advised to take alternate route _ Kautilya Marg, Panchsheel Marg, Vinay Marg, Sardar Patel Marg, etc, traffic police unit tweeted. Nearly 15 minutes later, Delhi traffic police updated on Twitter that traffic was normal on the routes. According to a police officer who did not want to be named, the New Delhi district police received an input that some Tibetan nationals would gather outside the Chinese embassy and carry out a protest. One Tibetan national came to protest but he was immediately detained and removed from outside the embassy. Adequate police arrangements have been made and areas outside the embassy have been barricaded to stop protesters. We anticipate that more protesters may attempt to reach the embassy, the officer added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Islamabad: The trick to calming an unhappy elephant? Sing him Frank Sinatra songs, according to one of the vets tasked with assessing whether Kaavan can be moved from poor conditions in a zoo in Pakistan's capital to a sanctuary in Cambodia. Amir Khalil, a vet who has worked in war zones to rescue animals, is now in Islamabad with welfare organisation Four Paws to determine whether Kaavan is healthy enough to travel after a Pakistani court ruled in May that all animals at Islamabad's zoo must be set free or transferred to a better environment. A veterinary from Four Paws offers comfort to an elephant named 'Kaavan' during his examination at the Maragzar Zoo in Islamabad, Pakistan. Credit:AP "When we arrived 10 days ago ... I started to train him and to sing to him and he accommodated me so we have a relationship," he said, adding he chose Sinatra's hit My Way. Animal rights advocates have long raised concerns about conditions at Islamabad's zoo, where dozens of animals including six lion cubs have died in the past four years. JAMMU: Three Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists were killed and three security forces personnel, including an Army officer, injured in an encounter at Pattan area in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday (September 4). The gunbattle between forces and terrorists lasted for almost 12 hours with the killing of three terrorists. Sharing details of the encounter, the Jammu and Kashmir Police and Indian Army in a joint statement said, "The terrorists took 12 civilians as hostage and their rescuing was our priority. Hizbul Mujahideen have been trying to strengthen itself in the north Kashmir." Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police north Kashmir range, Muhammad Sulaiman Choudhary said, "We had a information about the presence of terrorists in the area and joint teams of district police Baramullah, 29 Army and 176 CRPF local unit laid a cordon and search operation at around 5 am at Yeddipora, Pattan. We had information that terrorists were hiding inside the residential complex. As we approached towards it, the terrorists, who were holed up inside the building, began firing at the forces. Some civilians were taken as hostages. Security forces retaliated to the gunfire. Our first priority was to evacuate civilians. Once the hostages were rescued, the encounter was carried out, leading to the elimination of three terrorists." Choudhary added that in the latest operation at Pattan in Baramulla, one army major and two SPOs of police were injured during the evacuation process. He added that their condition are stable. Two out of three terrorists were identified as locals, named Shafkat Ali Khan of Rawatpora, Delina and Hanan Bilal Sofi of old town Baramulla. "Two AK-47 riffles, four magazines, one pistol and two pistol magazines besides incriminating matter was recovered from killed terrorists," he said. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) has offered employees stock options at one-third the market price, it informed the exchanges on September 4. The move comes ahead of the companys impending privatisation. In a statement to the exchanges, BPCL said its board on September 4 approved the proposed Employee Stock Purchase Scheme (ESPS) to the specified employees through the trust mechanism, subject to the approval of the shareholders. The companys upcoming annual general meeting (AGM) is due later this month, which is when shareholders' approval will be sought. While the company did not offer details, the exchange filing said the trust formed for the purpose shall purchase the aforesaid shares from the 'BPCL Trust for Investment in Shares' by way of secondary acquisition through the stock exchanges as per the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) (Share Based Employee Benefits) Regulations, 2014 and other applicable laws. 'BPCL Trust for Investment in Shares' is an independent entity, of which the company BPCL is a beneficiary. A source told PTI that the 'BPCL Trust for Investment in Shares holds close to 9.33 percent stake of the company's paid-up share capital of which 2 percent will be offered to employees in the preceding six months, at one-third the market price. Number of shares to be offered under the ESPS will depend on the grade of the employee and even directors on the company board would be eligible for the offer. There will be a one-year lock-in period for the shares that employees buy under ESPS, the source added. BPCL is yet undecided on the remaining 7.33 percent stake held by the Trust, but government shareholding in the company will be unchanged, the source added. The Centre is looking to sell its entire 52.98 percent stake in BPCL to a strategic investors. Interested parties have till September 30 to submit their Expression of Interest (EoI). (With inputs from PTI) Agriculture was the mainstay of Nigerias economy before the discovery of crude oil. From 1960 to 1969, the sector accounted for an average of 57.0 per cent of GDP and generated 64.5 per cent of export earnings. From 1970 to the late 2000s, the sectors contribution to GDP and export earnings steadily declined, because Nigerias focus shifted to petroleum. However, Cocoa was a major agricultural export commodity in Nigeria, and a top foreign exchange earner in the 1950s and 60s. Prior to the discovery of crude oil in commercial quantities in the 1970s, Nigeria was the worlds second-largest producer of cocoa. Unfortunately, Nigerias average cocoa production declined from 420,000 tons in the 60s to 170,000 tons in 1999. Production rose to 389,272 tons between 2000 and 2010, but declined to 192,000 tons in 2015 and 2016. Nigeria dropped to fourth place in the global ranking this period. However, Nigeria is currently the sixth largest producer of this commodity. Recently, during a national broadcast to commemorate the Nigerian Democracy Day, President Muhammadu Buhari said Nigerias revenue from cocoa and sesame seeds has increased by $79.4 million and $153 million respectively in the past year. Our efforts on growing non-oil exports have started to yield some results. For instance, in the past year, our revenue from cocoa and sesame seed increased by $79.4 million and $153 million, he said. Midcrop harvest, cocoa farmers lament Nigerian cocoa farmers, who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES in late August, have, however, raised alarm over the continuous dwindling of production which they attributed to lack of adequate support from the government and seizure of rainfall in August, as mid-crop harvest commences. Cocoa farmer spreading harvested cocoa bean First we have an unprecedented seizure of rainfall, which is close to a drought in August, Sayina Rima, the president of Cocoa Association of Nigeria (CAN), told this reporter when contacted. He said the rainfall was rather very low, but that farmers are still optimistic, looking at the forecast from the Nigerian Meteorological department. There will be rainfall in the remaining season, but the mid crop harvest has already started in earnest and hopefully we will be given our percentage production, but that has cut our mid-crop forecast by almost half, he added. Mr Rima said cocoa farmers are poorly treated in Nigeria, and that they are not accorded the right support as at and when due. Cocoa that should be treated with utmost priority is being treated with levity and not given the attention that it deserves, he said. The farmers never got palliatives, like we should expect from other sectors. Cocoa farmers should have been given palliatives, but Im not sure any farmer will tell you that theyve gotten any palliative that is meant for the sector, he added. Before now, the Nigerian government had flagged off the distribution of about 66, 000 cocoa seedlings and other essential inputs to smallholder farmers in the bid to mitigate the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the sector. READ ALSO: This, the CAN president described, as a right step in the right direction, but that it came in rather late. We create the resources and get nothing from it. Were the geese with the golden eggs and we do not even have quail eggs to eat, he said. No Finance Cocoa has not really been featured in the Anchor Borrowers Scheme, all because we keep asking for a good gestation period, Mr Rima said in frustration. Cocoa might be getting some attention, but Im not sure for those who have gone in, if there have been any payment to any cocoa farmers yet, he added. Checks by PREMIUM TIMES revealed that cocoa farmers in these regions (Ondo and Cross River states), do not have access to subvention or soft loans from the federal government, despite cocoa being among the mandate crop of the federal governments Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP). In November 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari launched the ABP to provide farm inputs in kind and cash to small-holder farmers (SHFs) to boost agricultural production and for the country to reverse its negative balance of payments on food. Farmers captured under this programme include those cultivating cereals, cotton, roots and tubers, sugarcane, tree crops (cocoa, rubber, oil palm, etc.) legumes, tomato and livestock. The loans are disbursed through any of the Deposit Money Banks (DMBs), Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) and Microfinance Banks (MFBs), all of which the programme recognises as Participating Financial Institutions (PFIs). According to the guidelines of the programme, upon harvest, benefiting farmers are expected to repay their loans with harvested produce, which must cover the loan principal and interest, to an anchor, who pays the cash equivalent to the farmers account. Advertisements When contacted in March before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in Nigeria, the spokesperson of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Isaac Okoroafor, told this reporter that under the Anchor Borrowers Programme, the sum of N2.45 billion has been disbursed to cocoa farmers. He said the apex bank has also supported cocoa farmers under its other initiatives, namely; Commercial Agricultural Credit Scheme (CACS): N2 billion, Nigerian Export Stimulation Fund: N1.5 billion and Differentiated Cash Reserve Requirement: N5 billion, he said. The loans are ongoing and we cant disburse directly to the farmers except through their banks, he added. According to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), an international auditing firm, Ondo State, being the largest cocoa producing state in Nigeria, has an output capacity of about 77,000 tons annually. Odo aladura is one of several communities that earned the state the ranking. However, the dwindling fortunes of farmers in the community is fast reducing production. When PREMIUM TIMES spoke with Adesoro Grace, a famous cocoa farmer in the settlement, she said farmers are currently harvesting. She however, highlighted that the temporary seizure of rainfall is affecting the ripening, fruiting and production of cocoa. Look at all these empty spaces within the trunks of these cocoa trees. They are supposed to be bearing cocoa fruits, but due to lack of rainfall and proper chemical treatment, theyre all bare, and its not good for us, she lamented. Cocoa trees bearing fruits Were hoping that when rain later falls, they will pick up, she added. Our major problem still lies in our inability to access good support from the government, in terms of fertilizers, chemicals and soft loans to aid our production, she said. Mrs Grace lamented that some of these inputs are provided to them by their produce buyers in lieu of cocoa beans during harvest, which are usually sold to them at a higher cost, knowing that they (the farmers) do not have sufficient capital to do so on their own. Data from PwC indicates that a combination of rural poverty, increasing rural-urban migration, land degradation and the absence of incentives, have kept production at a subsistence level. Major Constraints In Cocoa Production When contacted via telephone in September, the Director of Cocoa Research Department of Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN), Rasheed Adedeji, said the major complaint theyre faced with currently is the sudden change in the climatic condition, which is bringing in an array of problems. Presently, the weather is not what it used to be and that is affecting the performance of all the crops, as well as the emergence of pests and diseases. Like in the south-south area, theyre experiencing global warming. The rain is not falling in the pattern it used to, he said. Meanwhile, in early February, when PREMIUM TIMES spoke with Mr Adedeji at his office at Ibadan, he said the major reason why Nigeria still lags behind in cocoa production globally could also be a failure to pass across technology to cocoa farmers. We have the potential to reclaim our position in the global market. One of our major problems is that we have enough technology on the shelf, but to get them across to farmers, the support is not all that there, he said. When you get to our markets, you will see fairly used jute bags imported from Ghana, written there Ghana Cocoa; our farmers will buy it and use it to bag our cocoa then export it through back doors. When you see that one outside the country, you will think it is a cocoa bag from Ghana. So, a lot of things are playing out that affects the actual production figure of Nigerias cocoa, Mr Adedeji said. More so, he highlighted that the dissolution of the Nigerian cocoa marketing board is a major bane to the growth and development of the sector. The head of the Vintners' Federation in Co. Louth has described as 'crumbs' an aid package announced by the government. It includes a 40% top-up to the restart grant for those venues that remain closed to assist with their re-opening. Collette Nugent, president of Louth VFI, pulled no punches in her reaction to Friday's announcement. 'How utterly disgraceful this so-called further supports to pubs which are still closed. 'While we are not surprised at the decision again to keep us closed unless we go down the fake food option route, we were assured by Tanaiste Leo Varadkar of upcoming support.' However, Collette said the measures announced don't go far enough. 'Waiving the licence renewal fee, and a 40% top-up on the re-start grant, doesn't even come close to assisting us pubs to remain closed and compliant to help the government tackle COVID-19.' 'The damage is incalculable. We are outraged at this behaviour. 'We asked, no we begged, for support, and they threw us crumbs.' A significantly larger number of wet pubs in Dundalk have opted not to re-open by taking the food option compared to Drogheda. Indeed, Collette said she had been told her own family's Market Bar was the only pub not to have re-opened in the Boyneside town. Of the others, some were only trading for certain hours on certain days. She believed with most premises the social distancing aspect was being adhered to but did not know about the food aspect. Colette said a lot of older publicans believed it immoral to ask pensioners or men and women on low income to pay for a meal so they could have a drink. Some Dundalk publicans have stated they are particularly disadvantaged by being so close to the border with people heading to Northern Ireland to drink. Colette pointed out drinkers are also leaving for the north from Drogheda, and in some instances staying overnight. 'They are not social distancing when they come back.' With the news that the date for all licensed premises to re-open has been pushed back, Colette spoke of the frustration of the 123 VFI members in the county. 'They are numb with anger. We have done all we can do to prove we are capable of opening in compliance with the regulations,' she said. What's more, Colette added it was hard to understand the dynamics of the regulations when Bewley's in Dublin can open at half capacity of 200, when there was a limit of 50 permitted at weddings, for example. 'There is so much confusion on the guidelines, it's mind-boggling. Publicans are disheartened.' Of the wider issue of the continuing threat of COVID-19 she says: 'We are not naive. We know lives are at stake. We also knew we were never getting open in August.' Colette believed if there was a huge spike in the virus as a result of children being back at school, 'it will be the death knell for the licensed trade'. Humans are to blame for 96 per cent of all mammal extinctions over the past 126,000 years, a study has found. Scientists also concluded that by the end of this century, a further 558 mammal species could be gone for ever. Other experts believe major climatic changes associated with Ice Age cycles were the driving force behind most prehistoric extinctions. Humans are to blame for 96 per cent of all mammal extinctions over the past 126,000 years, a study has found [File photo] But study co-author Daniele Silvestro, of Gothenburg University in Sweden, said: We find essentially no evidence for climate-driven extinctions during the past 126,000 years. Instead, we found that human impact explains 96 per cent of all mammal extinctions during that time. The study, published in the journal Science Advances, added that human-caused climate change and other human-related threats posed a large risk for many species. Maisie Williams has said that her Game of Thrones co-star Kit Harington was initially told his character, Jon Snow, would kill The Night King in the series finale. In the divisive final season of the fantasy epic, a shocking twist saw Williamss character Arya Stark kill The Night King during the Battle of Winterfell, effectively naming her as The Prince That Was Promised, a title that many viewers had presumed would go to Jon Snow. Harington was just as shocked by this ending as fans, as Williams revealed in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter. Kit expected it to go that way, said Williams, and he even said, It was going to go that way. Someone told me in season three that I was going to kill The Night King. And then, he read the script, and it was Arya the whole time. She added: Yeah, I think it wouldve been too obvious. Im glad that it was Arya, honestly. I think I had the best storyline of the final season. Williams can currently be seen in Two Weeks to Live on Sky One alongside Fleabags Sian Clifford. AIB has yielded to public pressure and dropped plans to introduce a fee for contactless payments. However, it still intends to go ahead with fee changes that will hit a large number of current account customers. From November, the 10pc of customers who have been able to avoid fees and charges by keeping a certain amount of money in their current account will no longer have that option. The largely state-owned bank has around two million current accounts, meaning charges will apply to 200,000 customers. Avoid At the moment, customers who keep a balance of at least 2,500 in their account at all times can avoid quarterly maintenance fees and other charges. From November 28, AIB plans to end fee-free transactions and account management for customers who avoided fees and charges up to now. This will mean average ann- ual costs of around 72. It comes as rival Bank of Ireland plans to charge all its customers a monthly fee of 6 from November 23, a move that will see four out of 10 of its current account customers paying more. AIB's withdrawal of the free banking for those who could keep 2,500 in their current account will negatively affect around one in 10 of its current account customers, it said. They will be hit with a quarterly maintenance fee of 4.50. In addition, transaction charges will apply. These range from 20c for an automated transaction to 35c for an ATM withdrawal. AIB free banking will still apply to those over the age of 66, students, those with a basic bank account provided as part of the Government's Strategy for Financial Inclusion and customers who pay their AIB home mortgage from their AIB current account. "Stars and Stripes is an essential part of our nation's freedom of the press that serves the very population charged with defending that freedom," the senators said in the letter. Members of Congress have objected to the defunding move for months. And senators sent a letter to Defense Secretary Mark Esper this week urging him to reinstate the money. The letter signed by 15 senators -- including Republicans and Democrats -- also warns Esper that the department is legally prohibited from canceling a budget program while a temporary continuing resolution to fund the federal government is in effect. The order to halt publication by Sept. 30, and dissolve the organization by the end of January, follows the Pentagon's move earlier this year to cut the $15.5 million in funding for the paper from the Defense Department budget. And it is a reflection of the Trump administration's broader animosity for the media and members of the press. The Pentagon has ordered the military's independent newspaper, Stars and Stripes, to cease publication at the end of the month, despite congressional efforts to continue funding the century-old publication. 'Valued' Paper Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, in a separate letter to Esper in late August, also voiced opposition to the move, calling Stripes "a valued 'hometown newspaper' for the members of the armed forces, their families and civilian employees across the globe." He added that "as a veteran who has served overseas, I know the value that the Stars and Stripes brings to its readers." In the memo, the department says Esper made the decision as a result of his department-wide budget review. Signed by Army Colonel Paul Haverstick, acting director of the Pentagon's Defense Media Activity, the memo says plans to close the paper are due on Sept. 15 and the last newspaper is to be published on Sept. 30. The memo adds that if the paper continues to be funded by either a continuing resolution "or other unforeseen circumstances," then Stripes must submit a plan by Sept. 15 to shut down at the end of the next budget year, Sept. 30, 2021. Haverstick's memo says that in that case, the last date for publication of the newspaper will be determined based on budget or other circumstances. The Stripes ombudsman, Ernie Gates, told The Associated Press on Friday that shutting the paper down "would be fatal interference and permanent censorship of a unique First Amendment organization that has served U.S. troops reliably for generations." Long History The first newspaper called Stars and Stripes was very briefly produced in 1861 during the Civil War, but the paper began consistent publication during World War I. When the war was over, publication ended, only to restart in 1942 during World War II, providing wartime news written by troops specifically for troops in battle. Although the paper gets funding from the Defense Department, it is editorially independent and is delivered in print and digitally to troops all over the world. The Pentagon proposed cutting the paper's funding when making its budget request earlier this year, triggering angry reactions from members of Congress. The House-passed version of the Pentagon budget contains funding for the paper's publication, but the Senate has not yet finalized a defense funding bill. It is about mid-morning when my mobile phone rings. I pick up. "Hello Jessica, I'd just like to run you through a few issues we've identified with your car during today's service..." I sigh, internally, and brace for impending financial ruin. Safety concerns weigh heavily on tyre purchasing decisions. Credit:Andrey Rudakov At the ripe old age of five years, my trusty Volkswagen Tiguan is beginning to show its age. My two front brake pads have been worn down from their original thickness of 10 millimetres to just a millimetre or two. And the front brake discs also need replacing, for a total cost of about $700. Remember last fall when Pacific Gas & Electric repeatedly cut power to California customers amid critical fire weather? This could happen again next week. PG&E has a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) Watch in effect for Tuesday and Wednesday when hot, desiccating winds are expected to pick up at the tail end of a heat wave. Northern California has seen well below-average rainfall in 2020 and the concern is the winds can damage equipment and spark wildfires that spread quickly in a dry landscape. California's largest utility company has said power shutoffs in 2020 will impact fewer customers and be shorter in duration compared to last year's events when some customers were in the dark for days. "In 2020, we are aiming to cut restoration times in half over 2019 performance, so that we restore power to a majority of customers within 12 daylight hours after severe weather has passed," PG&E said in a statement on its website. Blustery conditions are forecast to develop Monday night and continue into Wednesday with sustained winds of 20-40 mph in the North Bay and East Bay hills and Santa Cruz Mountains likely. "It's a moderate offshore wind event, but the problem is that it's coming right after a strong heat event," said Will Pi, a forecaster with the National Weather Service. "This combination will cause the problems for fire risk. The heat could generate new fires and then the winds could help spread flames." The National Weather Service has issued a Fire Weather Watch for Monday night and this could be changed to a more severe Red Flag Warning closer to the event. PG&E officials will make the decision whether to cut power in coming days. "The start of the event is still 4 days away, so magnitude and location of the event is still uncertain at this time and some changes are likely in the forecast moving forward," PG&E said in its forecast. Some of the most destructive blazes in the state in recent years were started by PG&E power lines. Winds can knock down live wires and power poles or drive trees and other vegetation into contact with them. To receive outage alerts via email or text, visit the PG&E website. Amy Graff is the news editor for SFGATE. Email her: agraff@sfgate.com. Twenty-two and over 100 classes in were closed due to the spread of the coronavirus, Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer announced, three days after the opening of across the country. "In mainland France, there are now 12 (schools) closed out of a total of over 60,000, which is small figure. In La Reunion (an overseas department), there are 10 schools," Blanquer told local broadcaster Europe 1 on Friday. "In general, (the detection of) three cases of COVID-19 infection would trigger the closure of a school," he added, noting that all the relevant cases had been infected before the return to school, Xinhua news agency reported. Some 12.4 million students in returned to classrooms on Tuesday. Under the government's back-to-school plan, students aged over 11 must wear face masks all the time, including in classrooms. have to limit the flow of pupils and parents during the rush for arrival and departure. In addition, classrooms should be regularly disinfected and ventilated. The start of the new academic year came amid worsening sanitary indicators. On Thursday, the second day in a row, more than 7,000 patients have caught the virus, and the cumulative number of cases reached 300,181, according to figures from the country's public health agency. The number of hospitalised patients rose by 11 to 4,643, of whom 464 needed intensive care, up by 18. The two indicators, which are key for evaluating the ability for hospitals to cope with the epidemic, have been increasing since the end of August. --IANS rt/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Doneraile-based community group has embarked on a moving project to remember all of the people who have lost their lives in Ireland as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Doneraile Push for Charity organisation is the group behind the annual Remembrance Tree, erected each Christmas in the village, that is adorned by hearts and ribbons to recall and remember the dearly departed from the local community. The initiative has been ongoing for the past seven years, with funds raised through it being donated to local charities. This year the group decided to come up with something unique and special to mark the current pandemic times but also, more importantly, mark the toll it has taken on lives across the country. They came up with the idea of 'The Heart Remembers' project, a visual arts project which is due to be officially launched at the Church of the Blessed Virgin in Doneraile on Culture Night (September 18.) The amount of hearts on the completed visual display will represent the total number of people that have lost their lives up until September 18. This stands at 1,777, so 1,777 hand-crocheted hearts have been created as part of the exhibition. Group member Margaret O'Rourke explained how the project was inspired by the nightly news reports on television, detailing the number of people that had died as a result of contracting the Coronavirus. "After much musings, I made a few hearts to see what way they would look. I asked Marie Kiely, who is the arty one in the group, about putting them together, and she came up with a few ideas and finally we settled on a real work of art," said Margaret. It has taken over 300 hours to make all of the hearts, and 20 hours putting each of them in place. "Marie's daughter, Mary, is putting them on while we wire each one following a colour scheme... The finished work is spectacular and a work of love," said Margaret. It is hoped that following the launch. the finished project will go on display in libraries and churches across Cork. NEW DELHI : Declaring a "war" on coronavirus, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the recent surge in COVID-19 cases in Delhi is attributable to doubling of testing, but asserted that the situation in the city is completely under control and there is no need to panic. Addressing an online media briefing, Kejriwal said he is not worried about the data, but more concerned about keeping people healthy. "Delhi declares war on corona. We have doubled testing, started testing at markets, bus stands, mohalla clinics etc. Test, test, test. Isolate infected people and provide them good treatment. I have told officers not to worry if the number (of cases) increases due to multifold testing," Kejriwal later tweeted. On Friday, Delhi recorded 2,914 fresh COVID-19 cases, the highest single-day spike here in 69 days. This is the fourth successive day in September when over 2,000 new COVID-19 cases have been reported in a day. Also, over 36,000 tests were conducted on Friday. "The biggest reason for the increase in the number of positive cases in the last few days is that the Delhi government has doubled daily testing to 40,000 from around 18,000-20,000 a week ago. "You can see this doubling of testing as a big attack on the coronavirus pandemic. We have mounted this big assault against coronavirus. I would ensure testing of everyone every day if it was possible for me," the chief minister said at the media briefing. Kejriwal said some people opposed doubling the number of tests, but now everyone is on the same page. "We have doubled tests to identify more infected people so that they are isolated to prevent further spread. Do not think that the situation has deteriorated," he said. The chief minister asserted that COVID-19 cases in the national capital have "slightly" increased in the last few days, but the situation is completely under control and there is no need to panic. In March, the World Health Organization, in its recommendation for countries to break the chain of COVID-19 transmission, had said, "Test, test, test. Test every suspected case. You cannot fight a fire blindfolded." Kejriwal said on Saturday that he has been "honestly" presenting the COVID-19 situation before the people of Delhi from time to time since the virus started spreading four-five months ago. Appealing to Delhiites to follow preventive measures against COVID-19, such as wearing a mask and maintaining social distancing, he reiterated that there is no scope for being negligent. The chief minister asserted that there is no need to worry with the rise in the number of coronavirus cases, adding that he would need to worry if the number of deaths increases. The AAP government has taken several steps to reduce deaths due to the virus, Kejriwal said. "Yesterday (Friday), 2,914 cases were reported but only 13 fatalities and the death rate was 0.4 per cent which is the lowest not only in the country but the whole world. "A day earlier, the cases were 2,737 and fatalities were 19 which is 0.6 per cent death rate. Since August 15, the fatality rate in Delhi is about 1 per cent while the national figure is 1.7 per cent," he said. According to the chief minister, the situation in Delhi is much better as the recovery rate here is 87 per cent against the national average of 77 per cent. There is no shortage of hospital beds for COVID-19 patients in Delhi. Out of 14,000 beds, only 5,000 are occupied, Kejriwal said. "Of those 5,000 beds, 1,600-1,700 are occupied by those who belong to other states." During the media briefing, the chief minister said the government had made plans and if the need arises, it will increase the number of beds, but presently, there are sufficient beds in the hospital. "The number of Delhi patients is not increasing in hospitals. The number of patients is not increasing, deaths are not increasing and people are recovering after infection," he said. Kejriwal warned that some people in Delhi have become lax and negligent. They have started violating social distancing and were not wearing masks, he said. "Some people are becoming negligent, not wearing masks and also not following social distancing. We have to go to our jobs, run the household, take care of children and revive the economy. But, we should not become negligent. So, wear masks and follow social distancing," the chief minister said. "Also, some people are not getting tested despite having a fever. Such persons not only endanger their own lives, but they also put their family and neighbours at risk. COVID-19 tests are free, so go for testing and do not be negligent." The Delhi government has improved health services and upgraded its hospitals and mohalla clinics to such an extent in the past five years that people from all over the country come here for treatment, Kejriwal added. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Rwanda points to a video posted online in 2018 in which Rusesabagina says it is imperative that in 2019 we speed up the liberation struggle of the Rwandan people ... the time has come for us to use any means possible to bring about change in Rwanda, as all political means have been tried and failed. Newly unsealed court documents help provide a timeline of the fatal shooting of a pro-Trump protester in Portland, Oregon, late last month, including surveillance images that allegedly capture the suspect waiting for the victim in a parking garage moments before opening fire. The Multnomah County District Attorney's Office released the search warrant and arrest warrant affidavits for the suspect, Michael Reinoehl, on Friday, a day after he was killed during an encounter with authorities in Lacey, Washington. MORE: Clothes, ammunition tied to fatal Portland protest shooting found in suspect's home: Officials Reinoehl, 48, was wanted for murder in the second degree with a firearm and unlawful use of a weapon with a firearm. The district attorney's office was preparing to prove that Reinoehl intentionally killed 39-year-old Aaron Danielson during violent protests last weekend between a large caravan of pro-Trump supporters and Black Lives Matter protesters. According to court documents, Portland police were able to identify Reinoehl as a suspect in the Aug. 29 shooting through "open source" videos posted online that allegedly placed him in downtown Portland that day wearing "unique attire," including a vest. They also matched a "distinctive fist tattoo" on the suspect's neck to Reinoehl's Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles driver's license, court records show. PHOTO: Surveillance footage shows Michael Forest Reinoehl, right, before he allegedly shot and killed pro-Trump protester Aaron Danielson, far left, in Portland, Ore., on Aug. 29, 2020. (Multnomah County District Attorney's Office) The shooting occurred near the entrance to a parking garage, on the west side of Southwest Third Avenue, just south of Southwest Alder Street, at 8:44 p.m. local time, according to court documents. Detectives obtained surveillance video from Moda Tower, an office building in downtown Portland, that captured the intersection of Southwest Third Avenue and Southwest Alder Street. The court records allege that Reinoehl can be seen in the surveillance footage at that time at the northeast corner of the intersection. He allegedly then crosses southbound on Southwest Third Avenue with three others, stares east down Southwest Alder Street, then continues. Story continues Danielson and a friend are then seen rounding the corner from the east and turning south onto Southwest Third Avenue, according to the court records. Reinoehl looks back toward them, "but continues walking and begins reaching toward his waistband," the affidavit states. MORE: Suspect sought in connection of deadly Portland shooting killed during encounter with authorities According to court records, Reinoehl then concealed himself and waited in the garage entry and watched as Danielson and his friend walked by. "Danielson appears to be holding a can in his right hand and what appears to be an expandable baton in his left hand," the affidavit states. After they walk by, Reinoehl emerges from the garage "while still reaching toward the pocket or pouch on his waistband," the court documents allege. An unidentified person looks back toward Reinoehl, and Reinoehl and that second person follow Danielson and his friend as they cross westbound across Southwest Third Avenue, according to the affidavit. "The shooting occurs shortly thereafter and is not captured on the surveillance video," it states. PHOTO: Surveillance footage shows Michael Forest Reinoehl, right, before he allegedly shot and killed pro-Trump protester Aaron Danielson, not pictured, in Portland, Ore., on Aug. 29, 2020. (Multnomah County District Attorney's Office) Immediately after the shooting, Reinoehl can be seen again in the surveillance footage with his right arm raised while facing toward Danielson, according to court documents. The second person runs away, then Reinoehl allegedly turns and runs north then east on Southwest Alder Street. Based on timestamps, the entire incident as described happened within one minute, according to the affidavit. Stills of the surveillance video included in the affidavit allegedly place Reinoehl in front of the parking garage as a group approaches, inside the parking garage as Danielson and his friend walk by, emerging from the parking garage and on the street after the shooting as the second person runs away. PHOTO: MichaelA ReinoehlA is seen during a protest in front of Mayor Ted Wheeler's residence, Aug. 28, 2020, in Portland, Ore. (Beth Nakamura/The Oregonian via AP) Witnesses of the fatal shooting allege that Danielson pulled out a large can and sprayed it, followed by the sound of two gunshots, according to the court documents. Police found a metal canister of "Bear Attack Deterrent" in the middle of Southwest Third Avenue, north of where Danielson was found, that appeared to have been struck by a bullet, court records show. Danielson was killed by a gunshot wound to the chest, and the Oregon State Medical Examiner ruled his death a homicide, according to the affidavit. During the execution of a search warrant issued Thursday for Reinoehl's residence, Portland police recovered clothing that matched what he was wearing on Aug. 29, at the time of Danielson's death, the district attorney's office said Friday. They also found ammunition that matched the ballistic evidence recovered from the crime scene, authorities said. ABC News' Ahmad Hemingway contributed to this report. Portland suspect waited in garage before shooting pro-Trump protester: Court documents originally appeared on abcnews.go.com EU Special Representative for South Caucasus arrives in Armenia Quake hits Armenia: 28 km northwest of Jermuk Crete island lighthouse illuminated with colors of Armenian tricolor Aurora Humanitarian Initiative to allocate $500,000 to projects in Artsakh Sajid Javid: Britain must learn to live with COVID-19, it could be with us forever Erdogan suggests Putin and Zelensky meet face to face EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus meets Aliyev US imposes sanctions on Ukrainians related to 'Russian harmful foreign activities' Sabah: Ankara refuses to hold next Armenian-Turkish meeting in a third country US general discusses regional security and bilateral cooperation in Armenia Secret graves of alleged protesters discovered in Almaty Armenian side members to Armenian-American Intergovernmental Commission confirmed WHO advises countries to lift or ease international travel restrictions US sanctions against Vladimir Putin, Ruben Vardanian and members of the Russian government Armenian Foreign Ministry discusses Mirzoyan's participation in Turkey forum Thailand to resume non-quarantine travel scheme from February 1 Instagram introduces paid subscription feature NEWS.am daily digest: 20.01.22 Europe considers new strategy to combat COVID-19 Norwegian prosecutors refuse release Anders Breivik, 2011 mass murderer Erdogan urges Turks to sell foreign currency for liras Azerbaijan not yet returned about 300 sheep of Armenia villager Media: Israeli President thinks about visiting Turkey Dollar quite stable in Armenia Trade turnover between Ukraine and Armenia increases by 24% Armenia legislature speaker meets with of International Republican Institute president, and director for Eurasia Kremlin does not exclude new call between Putin and Biden EU Special Representative for South Caucasus to soon visit Armenia, Azerbaijan State Duma discusses work of biolaboratories near Russia's borders US lawmakers to parliament speaker: Armenian POWs must be returned to their homeland immediately Security Council chief: Armenia expects OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to visit region Armenia government does not approve plan to considerably raise minimum wage Turkish FM: Armenian representatives invited to diplomatic forum in Antalya Twitter suspends Mexican billionaire's account over offensive behavior Armenian PM says Omicron strain is slowly spreading Azerbaijan says it supports launching border delimitation process with Armenia with no conditions Zakharova speaks on Aliyev's visit to Kyiv Zakharova does not comment on Azerbaijan president's threats against France presidential candidate for her Artsakh visit Cavusoglu: Steps to increase mutual trust will be discussed at next meeting with Armenia US gives go-ahead to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia to send missiles and other American-made weapons to Ukraine Zakharova: Russia, as OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair, supports continuation of work in this format Cyber attack on Red Cross: data of over 515,000 people compromised Pashinyan: UK has been strong partner of newly independent Armenia Israel hopes UN will unanimously condemn Holocaust denial Armenia, Ukraine depositories sign memorandum of cooperation Azerbaijan advises Armenia to correctly assess the new geopolitical realities and draw conclusions Australia, UK to fight back against cyberattacks from China, Russia and Iran Protesting residents of Armenias Parakar community march to territorial administration ministry Armenia government approves protocol on implementation of readmission agreement with Lithuania Iran suspends gas supplies to Turkey MFA: Armenia has no preconditions for border delimitation 621 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Paris to have place named after Hrant Dink Armenias Parakar enlarged community residents protesting outside government building Turkey opposition party MPs petition for parliamentary inquiry into Hrant Dink assassination France, Germany, Italy and Spain call on Israel to halt construction in East Jerusalem Armenia parliament speaker in US, meets with Nancy Pelosi Iranian MFA: Relations between Iran and Russia have moved into a new diverse, intensified direction Biden says invasion of Ukraine will be disaster for Russia Newspaper: Armenia PM Pashinyan plans to hold Presidents office Newspaper: Opposition Armenia bloc, led by ex-President Kocharyan, starting new processes Taliban PM calls on Muslim countries to be first to formally recognize their government 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 FM on mirror withdrawal of troops: Not a single Armenian village will be left without proper protection Macron: EU countries must work together on agreement for stability and security PM Pashinyan assumes accountability for Armenia special representative for negotiations with Turkey Turkey Central banks and UAE sign agreement worth almost $5 billion Blinken: Western countries need unity to stop Russian aggression against Ukraine Iranian President performs evening namaz in Kremlin after talks with Putin Turkish police detain women protesting price hikes in hygiene products Delegation headed by Chief of the Cypriot National Guard General Staff has meetings in Armenia Merkel refuses job in UN structure Greece receives the first batch of French Rafale fighters After three months of dodging spoilers and hearing international critics laud I May Destroy You as one of the best shows of the year, Australians have finally been able to catch up. The BBC and HBO 12-part comedy-drama, which swelled into a cultural sensation after it premiered in the UK and US in June, landed on streaming service Binge on Wednesday. It's a show that musician Janelle Monae told Variety gave "me and so many the bravery to walk in our [truth]", while singer Adele wrote she'd "never felt so many emotions at once", and actor Seth Rogen declared, "holy s--t it's good". I May Destroy You was almost destined to capture the zeitgeist, seamlessly blending together the knotty themes of sexual assault, consent, race, youth culture, friendship, career and social media, with careful nuance and somehow razor-sharp humour. The All Ireland Irish language body, Foras na Gaeilge, is carrying out preparatory work at present to get a process underway so that Macroom can gain official status as a service town for the Muscrai Gaeltacht. An Daingean/Dingle in west Kerry and Leitir Ceanainn/Letterkenny were this week named as service towns for the Corca Dhuibhne and Donegal Gaeltachtai respectively. This means that each town will be funded to the tune of 80,000 per year for seven years which will enable them to employ an Irish language promotion officer and carry out activities as Gaeilge. In the coming weeks, a public meeting will be held on an online forum such as Zoom or Google Meets to start a consultation process with townspeople about the project and get their feedback on how it might work for Macroom. The aim, according to Foras na Gaeilge Language Planning Co-ordinator, Ursula Ni Shabhaois, is to develop a language plan for the town which would see a gradual improvement in the provision of services in Irish in the town as well as a general uplift in the use of the language locally. "This is a project Macroom can get involved in and can benefit from," Ursula told The Corkman. "The language planning process is supported by legislation and will bring new investment to Macroom which can be used to increase the use of Irish in business, social opportunities and learning opportunities through Irish. "Every community that takes part in that language planning process drafts their own plan which then has to be approved by the Minister for the Gaeltacht so that it can be implemented." While Macroom doesn't have a 'Gaelscoil' in the town, the townspeople do have a positive attitude to the Irish language as there are many links with the Muscrai Gaeltacht, through sport, music and literature as well as family links. Historically, Macroom can boast of its links to characters like the Irish language novelist, an tAthair Peadar O Laoghaire, and the poet and co-founder of Damhscoil Mhuscrai, Padraig O Cruadhlaoich, who was also known as 'Gaedhal na nGaedhal/The Gael's Gael'. O Cruadhlaoich had a tailor's shop on Castle Street and he would be visited daily by a teacher in the local school, Padraig Mac Suibhne, and they would spend hours conversing as Gaeilge. Those conversations would later lead to the establishment by the two Padraigs, who were by then joined by Domhnal O Ceochain, an Irish language organiser/timire in the Muscrai Gaeltacht, of what is still Ireland's only 'poetry court', Daimh Scoil Mhuscrai, which takes place annually in Baile Mhuirne. In more recent times, many of the local shops have adapted Irish language signage and a service as Gaeilge is available from some proprietors. Irish language conversation classes were also being held in the local library until the COVID pandemic hit. The process could take some time to bring to completion. Macroom is just one of 16 towns throughout Ireland to be selected to participate in this scheme. Cork city is also in line to get this status while, in Kerry, Cahersiveen and Tralee are earmarked for the designation. While informal consultations have taken place and are continuing for the moment, a notice is likely to be published soon about the public meeting. Liadh Ni Riada, the recently appointed Oifigeach Pleanala Teanga in the Muscrai Gaeltacht, told The Corkman that she had been in touch with Ursula Ni Shabhaois. "It's a welcome step but it will take a lot more consultation to get it done," she said. Type address separated by commas Your Email: During the trial, when the woman took the stand to be cross-examined by Graham, he asked questions including, Do you think the defendant is handsome? and Have you ever seen the movie Fifty Shades of Grey? The unorthodox questioning and other conduct prompted Judge Danya Dayson to order that Graham, who has a history of mental illness, undergo additional evaluations. Tehran: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday arrived in Tehran where he will meet his Iranian counterpart and discuss bilateral defence ties, a day after he urged the Persian Gulf countries to resolve their differences through dialogue based on mutual respect. Singh arrived in Tehran from Moscow after concluding his three-day visit to Russia where he attended a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defence ministers. He also held bilateral talks with his counterparts from Russia, China and the Central Asian countries. "Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh reached Tehran this evening. He will be meeting the Iranian Defence Minister (Brigadier General Amir Hatami) during his visit," his office said in a tweet. Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh reached Tehran this evening. He will be meeting the Iranian Defence Minister during his visit. pic.twitter.com/gatbcRXZwL / RMO India (@DefenceMinIndia) September 5, 2020 India on Friday said that it was deeply concerned about the situation in the Persian Gulf and called upon the countries in the region to resolve their differences by dialogue based on mutual respect. A series of incidents in the Persian Gulf involving Iran, the US and the UAE in recent weeks have flared up tension in the region. We are deeply concerned about the situation in the Persian Gulf, Singh said in his address at a meeting of the SCO here. "We call upon countries in the region - all of which are dear and friendly to India, to resolve differences by dialogue based on mutual respect, sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs of each other," he said in his address at the combined meeting of defence ministers of the SCO, Collective Security Treaty Organisation and Commonwealth of Independent States member states. Last month, Iranian navy briefly seized control of a Liberian-flagged oil tanker in what the US said were international waters near the Strait of Hormuz, which links the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman to the south and the Arabian Sea beyond. Iran has threatened to disrupt oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz if the United States tries to strangle its economy. The SCO, seen as a counterweight to NATO, has emerged as one of the largest transregional international organisations which accounts for almost 44 per cent of the world population stretching from the Arctic Ocean to the Indian Ocean and from the Pacific Ocean to the Baltic Sea. The aim of the SCO is to maintain peace, stability and security of the region. Iran has observer status in the SCO, which was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the Presidents of Russia, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan were admitted as observers of the grouping in 2005. Both the countries were admitted as full members of the bloc in 2017. The fresh Chinese provocations in eastern Ladakh in the past week made a region already tense over the past four months even more volatile, as troops of the Peoples Liberation Army attempted fresh incursions on the southern banks of Pangong Tso last Saturday night but had to retreat as the Indian Army put up stiff resistance. The Indian Army occupied most of the areas hilltops and dominant heights to deter future misadventure by the Chinese forces, that have moved in thousands of additional troops in the Chusul sector, which Army Chief Gen. M.M. Naravane visited on Thursday as part of his tour of forward areas. With both armies having deployed thousands of troops, tanks and armoured vehicles, Ladakh is more of a tinderbox than ever, and cooler heads are needed to ensure it doesnt erupt again. And despite a lot of talk about the Army being given a free hand and of the military option not being ruled out, the realisation seems to be dawning on both governments that a political or diplomatic solution may be the only way out. With defence minister Rajnath Singh in Moscow for a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting, his Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe has sought a one-to-one discussion on the sidelines, which might take place late on Friday. New Delhi hopes such a meeting, which would be the highest-level physical encounter between the two countries since the crisis erupted in May, might pave the way for a faster de-escalation process on the ground in Ladakh. While the external affairs ministrys spokesman on Thursday squarely blamed Beijing for the current standoff, saying it was a direct result of China trying to unilaterally change the status quo at the LAC, foreign minister S. Jaishankar categorically said the way out of the current difficult situation is through diplomacy. Acknowledging while India and China had a long history which was very good in some parts, very indifferent in some parts and very difficult in some ways, he added that this was not the easiest of times in the relationship, given the seriousness of the current situation or the actual challenges of the boundary question. Perhaps responding to Chinas overtures to keep trade and commerce on track despite the flareup, after Indias intensified ban on Chinese-linked apps and entities, Mr Jaishankar emphasised that the reality is that whatever happens on the border will impact the relationship, you cannot separate it. He will have a chance to take the diplomatic process further as he meets Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi in Moscow next week when the two attend a SCO meeting. In a signal to Beijing to stick to the path of dialogue, Mr Jaishankar said at the launch of his book The India Way on Thursday: Both sides must understand that its in their own interest to reach an accommodation. With Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Bipin Rawat, among others, emphasising a bigger role for the Quadrilateral, which includes the United States, China hit back over US deputy secretary of state Stephen Beigums reference to Beijings outsized claims in the Galwan Valley, and said: China and India have the ability to resolve their border disputes bilaterally. We dont accept countries outside the region pointing fingers. If it is really serious, New Delhi and Beijing should be able to move forward. A special NIA court here convicted two men on Saturday for circulating Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) smuggled from Bangladesh and sentenced them to four years in prison, an official said. Habibur Rahman (24) and Fakirul Seikh (22), both residents of West Bengal's Malda, were convicted under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). On March 6, 2017, fake notes with a face value of Rs 2 lakh and Rs 1.90 lakh were seized from the possession of Rahman and Seikh respectively and a case was registered, an NIA spokesperson said. The NIA re-registered the case and filed a chargesheet against the two accused. They had hatched a criminal conspiracy for procuring and circulating FICN in India, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) official said. The fake currency notes were smuggled from Bangladesh and intended to be circulated in different parts of India, he added. After the completion of the trial, the accused were found guilty and convicted by the special NIA court in Kolkata. They were sentenced to four years of imprisonment and slapped with a fine of Rs 3,000 each, the official added. FILE PHOTO: A photo shows the production of vaccine against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) near Moscow By Anthony Boadle BRASILIA (Reuters) - The technology institute for the Brazilian state of Parana, which has agreed to produce Russia's "Sputnik-V" COVID-19 vaccine, said on Friday it plans to conduct phase III trials on 10,000 volunteers in Brazil at the start of next year. Jorge Callado, head of Parana's Technology Institute, known as Tecpar, said approval for the trial will be requested of Brazil's health regulator, ANVISA, by the end of this month. Doses will be imported for the tests and Tecpar plans to start producing the vaccine for Brazil's market in the second half of 2021. Tecpar could eventually look to export to Latin American neighbors, Callado said. Parana is one of several Brazilian states that have struck out on their own to secure access to COVID-19 vaccines, motivated at least in part by a distrust of the federal government's response. Brazil's president, Jair Bolsonaro, has consistently minimized the gravity of the pandemic, which has infected more than 4 million people in the country and killed 124,600 in the worst outbreak outside the United States. [nL1N2G02C9] Callado said Friday's publication in The Lancet medical journal of results showing the vaccine had produced an antibody response in early-stage trials was an important development. He dismissed suspicion of Russia's decision to fast-track registration of Sputnik V. [nL8N2G13LH] Russia heralded the development of the world's first registered coronavirus vaccine as proof of its scientific prowess. [nL1N2FD0R8] Parana's government signed a memorandum of understanding last month with Russia's Gamaleya National Research Institute, which is developing the vaccine, and the Russian Direct Investment Fund, which is marketing it. Callado said the vaccine will be given in two doses 15 days apart early next year and the results will take two to three months to process before it can be registered in Brazil. He said 200 million reais ($38 million) have been earmarked to purchase the vaccines, used firstly to inoculate the state's population. (Reporting by Anthony Boadle; Editing by Stephen Eisenhammer and Steve Orlofsky) Following frequent fights with him, a 25-year-old CNG station attendant slit his fathers throat on a dark street in outer Delhis Ranhola on Thursday night, police said. While there were no eyewitnesses to the murder, the police arrested the alleged killer, Umesh Chauhan, on Friday _ within 12 hours of the crime _ after he made contradictory statements and also absconded when he realised that he was the prime suspect. Also read: Delhi robbers target taxi driver, visually impaired passengers; arrested within 20 minutes The police identified Umeshs father as 52-year-old Ramesh Chand Chauhan. He worked as a fuel station attendant until five years ago when his wife passed away due to illness. After his wifes death, Ramesh stopped working and would live off the rent earned from letting out his three-storey building, said a police investigator who didnt want to be identified. Ramesh lived on one floor with his younger son while his older son, Umesh, lived with his family on another floor. Relations between the father and son soured after the death of Umeshs mother. Umesh would hold his father responsible for not saving his mothers life. There were frequent quarrels between them. Umesh has told us that his father would also abuse his wife, but that is yet to be probed, said the investigator. But the trigger for the murder, neighbours told the police, was a domestic dispute over Umeshs contribution to the payment of the electricity bill. Neighbours have told us about this dispute, but we are yet to ascertain it, said the officer. According to A Koan, deputy commissioner of police (outer district), the call about Rameshs murder was received on Thursday night when some neighbours noticed him lying injured on a street near his home. His throat was slit and he succumbed to his injuries soon after being admitted to hospital, said DCP Koan. When we began probing the crime, it emerged that the victim and his older son shared a troubled relationship. When we questioned him, his behaviour came across as suspicious and his statements contradictory, said the DCP. But even as the police were investigating the crime, Umesh allegedly went into hiding, further confirming the polices suspicion. We arrested him on Friday morning while he was planning to flee to Uttar Pradesh. We have recovered the murder weapon from him, said the DCP. Umesh has confessed to killing his father, said the other investigator, adding that he had waited for his father to return from the market that night and slit his throat with a knife on finding him alone on an isolated and dark stretch of the road. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON For infusing joyful learning to making maths easy and developing innovative methods of teaching---47 teachers from across the country were conferred the National Teachers' Awards by President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday. The national level awards are given on Teachers' Day to celebrate the unique contribution of some of the finest teachers in the country and to honour those teachers who through their commitment have not only improved the quality of school education but also enriched the lives of their students. "Good buildings, expensive equipments or facilities do not make a good school but teachers have a crucial role in building a good school.They are the ones who develop foundation of knowledge and character building in our students," Kovind said at the virtual award ceremony. Lauding the role of teachers during COVID-19 pandemic when schools and colleges are closed, the president said, "We also need to ensure that the medium for availing digital education facility is also available in rural and distant areas." The Ministry of Education invited self-nomination by teachers through online portal for the awards. First level scrutiny was done by District Selection Committee (DSC) headed by the District Education Officer. Based on prescribed selection criteria, DSC shortlisted three names and the same were forwarded to State Selection Committee through an online portal. This year, the candidates appeared before the jury through video conference and made presentations. " The selected awardees with their commitment and industry have not only improved the quality of school education but also enriched the lives of their students and community through various activities like improving enrolment and reducing dropouts, adopting joyful and experiential teaching-learning practices. "... development and use of cost effective teaching learning materials, organizing extra-curricular and co-curricular activities, spreading social awareness among children, encouraging community participation, appropriate and effective use of ICT in teaching, promotion of nation building and national integration," Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' said. Also read: Teachers' Day 2020: Google honours educators with special Doodle Also read: Teachers' Day: Grateful for their contribution towards nation building, says PM Modi Jenny Ryan and Shaun Wallace of The Chase with the Best Quiz Show in the winners room during the National Television Awards held at The O2 Arena on January 22, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Joe Maher/WireImage) The Chase star Jenny Ryan has branded Joey Essex lazy and not a very nice person after the pair both appeared on Celebrity MasterChef. Ryan, best known for the ITV quiz show, made the comments while appearing on Dan the Man's Desert Island D**** podcast, which sees guests revealing who theyd least like to be stranded on a desert island with. The 38-year-old, who goes by the nickname The Vixen on The Chase, told how she was unimpressed with the former TOWIE star when they both appeared on the BBC cooking contest. Read more: Joey Essex to explore effects of mother's suicide in new documentary Talking on the podcast Ryan said: I thought, I'll take people as I find them and I want to give him a chance. "The fact that he put this additional workload onto everybody else showed that he just doesn't seem to be a very nice person. Joey Essex attends the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards at Prudential Center on August 26, 2019 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/WireImage) "I assumed it was a bit of a persona and when you get into that situation the nice, co-operative side of you tends to come out." Discussing a challenge which saw contestants cooking a meal for 60 diners, she added: "I spent much of the time allocated to us to cook the 60 portions cajoling, bossing Joey about, trying to find things for him to do, then trying to explain to him how to do them, then watching him make a halfhearted attempt to do them before making an excuse as to why he couldn't do that task - and then having to find another task" Read more: The Chase star Jenny Ryan admits it is "upsetting" when the Chasers get answers wrong on the show He took up half of my time. It was so exasperating, it was excuse after excuse after excuse. I just thought, 'It's not a put-on, this - he's just lazy'. The series was eventually won by athlete Greg Rutherford who beat Vicky Pattison and Neil Ruddock in the final. Dan the Man's Desert Island D**** podcast is available online now. A former prime minister of the Cook Islands turned Auckland GP is one of two people in New Zealand to die from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. Joe Williams, 85, and an Auckland father-of-four aged in his 50s succumbed to the deadly virus in New Zealand, after 99 days without any loss of life. Aotearoa enjoyed 102 days without cases of in the community before the emergence of a new cluster in Auckland. On Saturday, health officials announced another two cases linked to that cluster, as well as a third new case picked up within the country's border regime. Joe Williams (pictured), 85, and an Auckland father-of-four aged in his 50s succumbed to the deadly virus in New Zealand, after 99 days without any loss of life There are currently 112 active cases in New Zealand, with one receiving treatment in an intensive care unit in Waikato Hospital. Foreign Minister Winston Peters said he was saddened by Dr Williams' passing. 'As a doctor, a health researcher and as a politician, Dr Williams made a serious mark on the communities he served. He will be greatly missed in both New Zealand and the Cook Islands,' he said. 'Dr Williams was a dedicated and passionate man. He was an enduring example of a Cook Islander who came to New Zealand for education, and then made a real difference in his chosen career.' Dr Williams was a one-time candidate for Mr Peters' NZ First party. The two new deaths have lifted New Zealand's death tally to 24. ' 'I acknowledge the anxiety New Zealanders may be feeling about today's news, both in the wider community and also for the family and whanau (relatives) grieving over this death,' health chief Ashley Bloomfield said in a statement following the death of the man in his 50s. 'Our thoughts are with his family and community at this time of loss and grief.' The Auckland cluster emerged in a family-of-four and has since grown to 152, including three new cases recorded on Friday. It has proved difficult to eliminate despite a two-and-a-half week lockdown (pictured) in Auckland that ended on Sunday night The Auckland cluster emerged in a family-of-four and has since grown to 152, including three new cases recorded on Friday. It has proved difficult to eliminate despite a two-and-a-half week lockdown in Auckland that ended on Sunday night. 'We have always recognised that further deaths linked to Covid-19 were possible,' Bloomfield said. 'Today's news reinforces the importance of our shared vigilance against Covid-19, the very serious consequences the virus can carry with it.' While Aucklanders were allowed out of their homes this week, the government limited non-school social gatherings in the city of 1.5 million to 10 people and made masks compulsory on public transport nationwide. Authorities said earlier on Friday, before the latest death was announced, that the restriction would remain in place until at least September 16. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (pictured) said indications were that the Auckland cluster was contained but there was no room for complacency The source of the Auckland cluster remains unknown but genome testing indicates it is not linked to the virus strain that New Zealand experienced earlier this year, which was largely eliminated in a seven-week lockdown that began in late March. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said indications were that the Auckland cluster was contained but there was no room for complacency. 'We've been prepared and, by going hard and early, particularly with Aucklanders pitching in, we look at this early stage to have contained our resurgence,' she told reporters. 'But (there are) also areas which suggestion caution is very much required... every country has faced second outbreaks in this global pandemic, and some have turned into significant second waves.' New Zealand, with its low death rate of 24 in a population of five million, has been hailed as one of the countries most successful in handling the virus. Its response to the latest outbreak has included a blitz of around 600,000 tests in recent weeks, accompanied by extensive contact tracing and the pre-emptive quarantine of close contacts linked to confirmed cases. NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / September 5, 2020 / ALT 5 Sigma Inc. an emerging leader in blockchain powered financial platforms provides its daily digital instruments market summary for Bitcoin (BTC/USD), Ether (ETH/USD), Litecoin (LTC/USD). Real-Time Market Data is available at www.alt5pro.com and Real-Time Market Data feed is also available at www.alt5sigma.com. ALT 5 Sigma Digital Instrument Market Summary for BTC, ETH, LTC, BCH About ALT 5 Sigma Inc. ALT 5 is a fintech company specializing in the development and deployment of digital assets trading and exchange platforms. Alt 5 was founded by financial industry specialists out of the necessity to provide the digital asset economy with security, accessibility, transparency and compliance. ALT 5 provides its clients the ability to buy, sell and hold digital assets in a safe and secure environment deployed with the best practices of the financial industry. ALT 5's products and services are available to Banks, Broker Dealers, Funds, Family Offices, Professional Traders, Retail Traders, Digital Asset Exchanges, Digital Asset Brokers, Blockchain Developers, and Financial Information Providers. ALT 5's digital asset custodian services are secured by GardaWorld. GardaWorld is the world's largest privately-owned business solutions and security services company, offering cash management services. For more information, visit www.alt5sigma.com. Contact: Andre Beauchesne Tel. 1-800-204-6203 info@alt5sigma.com For more information on ALT 5 Pay, visit www.alt5pay.com For more information on ALT 5 Pro, visit www.alt5pro.com SOURCE: ALT 5 Sigma Inc. View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/604959/ALT-5-Sigma-Digital-Instrument-Market-Summary-for-BTC-ETH-LTC-BCH New Delhi: Union Minister Prakash Javadekar on Saturday (September 5, 2020) said the National Education Policy 2020 is a revolutionary reform of the 21st century and that early childhood education, inquiry-based education, teacher training, foundational and numeric literacy, have all been laid emphasis on. He said that the NEP 2020 will empower India's youth, which will take the nation forward in the 21st century and expressed that "the policy is such that it will make the teaching-learning experience enjoyable for both students and teachers". #NationalEducationPolicy is a revolutionary reform for the 21st century. Early childhood education, enquiry-based education, teacher training, foundational and numeric literacy, have all been laid emphasis on.#NEP2020 will inculcate a scientific temper and critical thinking. pic.twitter.com/nhneajlYRj Prakash Javadekar (@PrakashJavdekar) September 5, 2020 The Union Minister was delivering the keynote address at the Centenary Year Teachers Day Celebration of the Parle Tilak Vidyalay Association of Mumbai through video link. Javadekar opined that India would double the Gross Enrolment Ratio within the next 10 years from the current level of about 25%. He said students across the country have become aspirational and economic growth has pushed parental earnestness to provide a good education for their children. "Wider geographical spread of higher education institutions, especially covering rural areas and increased demand would be the critical factors that will improve GER in India," he added. The Minister began his address by invoking Lokmanya Tilaks views on education as means of creating awareness, He said the new policy lays emphasis on foundational and numerical literacy and institutes like National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) would give access to education to all. The Minister underlined the importance of Early Childhood Education as the main characteristic of NEP. He said, 3 to 8 years of Age Group is to build Cognitive skills, curiosity and mental capacity. He also said that education with subject understanding is important rather than rote learning. "While activity-based learning is emphasized at the early stages, 9th to 12th education would focus on detailed, relevant and new knowledge, which will induce scientific temper among children." Javadekar opined research and innovation are key to enabling our education to mould globally competitive citizens. He said that 3,000 Atal Tinkering Labs are running successfully to encourage research-based innovation, which is essential for building an Aatmanirbhar Bharat. Speaking about the role of teachers in the society, the Minister said, "A teacher does not simply teach through books or blackboards. An ideal teacher is the one who instils values in students through his/her conduct." A four year integrated B.Ed degree is being introduced to provide a holistic training programme for teachers, which will include practical teaching skills. It will encourage teachers to become teachers by choice and not as a last resort, he added. Javadekar said the National Education Policy has been formulated after extensive consultations. Narail Deputy Commissioner Anjuman Ara, also President of Bir Shreshtha Nur Muhammad Trust, places wreaths at the Bir Shreshtha Nur Mohammad Sheikh\'s portrait marking his 49th death anniversary on Saturday. Pyongyang: Thousands of North Koreans have rallied in Pyongyang, chanting communist slogans and vowing support for leader Kim Jong-Un, who in his New Years message announced plans to test-fire a ballistic missile capable of reaching the US mainland. Clad in thick winter coats and pumping their fists in the air, those assembled in Kim Il-Sung square chanted long live comrade Kim Jong-Un and held banners proclaiming let us accelerate the victorious advance of socialism! Kim marked the New Year with a 30-minute televised speech that largely focused on the countrys rise as a nuclear power, announcing that it was in the final stages of developing an intercontinental ballistic missile of the kind that could threaten US soil. The people should regard Kim Jong-Uns New Year address as a motto of life and struggle, state media KCNA quoted a party official at the rally as saying. Kims New Year address drew swift response from US president-elect Donald Trump, who took to Twitter vowing to halt Pyongyang in its tracks. In 2016, North Korea conducted two nuclear tests and numerous missile launches in its quest to develop a nuclear weapons system capable of hitting the US mainland, prompting Washington to reinforce its antimissile defenses in the region. But analysts are divided over how close Pyongyang is to realising its full nuclear ambitions, especially since it has never successfully test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile. Kim also admitted to his shortcomings as a leader in his New Years speech and pledged devoted efforts to make North Korea prosperous again. Thae Yong-Ho, North Koreas former deputy ambassador to Britain who defected to the South in August, has referred to growing public discontent about the leadership, saying ordinary North Koreans have had to learn ways to survive on their own rather than relying on the party. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. At the top of Shaas Mountain, the views over the slopes to Lough Allen usually steal the show. But there has been a rival attraction since late June that locals are calling the floating forest. Clusters of rogue evergreens dot the slopes as if they randomly took root away from the main plantation further up. They are actually part of that forest but they floated downhill, perfectly upright, on slabs of ground wrenched from the mountain top by a flood of peat and water. The effects of the landslide are still being felt by the community two months on. A geological survey team taking ground-penetrating radar readings of the peaty gloop deposited on the slopes say it is up to six metres deep in places. Watch out for crevices, they warn. It's a long way down to a sticky end. Expand Close Mary McVeigh (right) on her farm as council workers clear some of the landslide. Photo Brian Farrell / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Mary McVeigh (right) on her farm as council workers clear some of the landslide. Photo Brian Farrell At the bottom of the mountain, 79-year-old Mary McVeigh was checking on her daughter's beehives when she saw what she thought was a flock of her neighbour's sheep trundling towards her. "I saw a big white ball coming down the mountain. I said I better check the gates so they don't go too far," she recalls of the evening of Sunday, June 28. "And then I heard it. It was like thunder roaring." What McVeigh witnessed was hundreds of thousands of tonnes of peat rushing down the mountain, following the course of the local river and whipping its waters into a torrent of white foam. She watched incredulously as it sped past her haggard, turned at her neighbour's house, rounded the front of her property and rolled on towards Drumkeeran village. John O'Donnell, McVeigh's neighbour, took her phonecall and heard the word "flood" with concern but no great panic. "The river has flooded before but I got a fright when I saw this," he says of arriving at the property to find a thick blanket of what looked to him like lava lying around the house. "I never in my life saw anything like it." Expand Close Clogged: Council workers assess the damage at the Dawn of Hope bridge, which is blocked with fallen trees, with thousands of tonnes of peat piled up behind / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Clogged: Council workers assess the damage at the Dawn of Hope bridge, which is blocked with fallen trees, with thousands of tonnes of peat piled up behind Even now, two months and much clearing up later, the many trees around the property, including prized ancient alders, are stained black and bedraggled. Across the river, Paul and Marie O'Donnell and their five children watched from their living room window as the great black soup swept by. They built on a height, an awkward site that left Marie's heart in her mouth more than once as the kids whizzed down it on trikes and bikes. "My mother insisted we build high," says Paul, pointing out his home place down the lane. "All her life she talked about the flood that came in on top of them before I was born. She's a wise woman." Luckily, Mary Jo Gallagher's home escaped harm but she spent an anxious night with Paul and the family, fearful of what she might see when she got back down the lane next morning. She points to the bend in the river opposite her front door. "When the water comes fast, it can't make it around and shoots straight out at the house," she says. "We were fortunate." Expand Close Uprooted: The 'floating forest' near Shaas Mountain in Co Leitrim / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Uprooted: The 'floating forest' near Shaas Mountain in Co Leitrim It was indeed fortunate that the landslide took the route of the Differagh River, which channelled it through the Co Leitrim countryside for 6.5km. Otherwise, the flow could have spread out in all directions, possibly taking homes and lives with it. Severe damage As it is, the damage to surrounding lands is severe, with fields smothered in layers of pureed peat a metre deep. Drains dug decades ago to stop the land flooding are blocked, so fields that escaped the peat are sopping even before the winter rains begin. Fences are down, grazing is gone and meadows maintained for environmental schemes are destroyed. The 450 young birch, alder and ash trees Paul O'Donnell planted under the Glas scheme are marooned in a sea of black. Wet and dirty hay bales sit forlornly in their fields, unusable now even for bedding. The river and its streams are full of sediment, their banks broken and their fish life threatened. Lough Allen, into which the Differagh flows, has blobs of peat bobbing in its shallows and strewn over its sandy shores. Tarmac was torn from the surface of small roads, two bridges were inundated and one, nearly a century old, crumbled. Another, the Dawn of Hope bridge, sits halfway up the mountain, providing a vital crossing over a deep gorge for more than 150 years. Its stone arch became blocked solid with fallen trees while thousands of tonnes of peat piled up behind. Fear that it would give way and unleash an even greater slide prompted the emergency construction of a new concrete bridge in front of it. Water can now get through but the peat remains stuck, keeping the new structure under constant pressure. As winter rains swell the peat, that pressure will increase. "It's a big concern," says Des McHugh, chairman of the Irish Farmers' Association in Leitrim. "People are wondering how stable the rest of the mountain is and if more of it is going to give way." His concerns are reflected in a preliminary report by the consulting engineers RPS, who estimated that 180,000 cubic metres of dislodged peat and other materials were still lying loose on the mountain and "anticipated to slip further". If you were to pack all that into 20ft shipping containers, you would need 5,000 of them. RPS are on a six-week deadline to produce a further report, advising what work should be prioritised. Leitrim County Council says that could mean building banks, barriers, holding ponds or other structures to stabilise the situation while the longer-term clean-up and restoration project is planned. A working group comprising the council, several government departments and agencies such as the National Parks and Wildlife Service and Inland Fisheries Ireland have met several times to plot the way ahead. The cost of remedial works will run into the millions - but how many millions, nobody is prepared to predict. They said after meeting last week: "The group also discussed the scale of the costs incurred to date and those arising in the future which will require significant financial support for Leitrim County Council." Des McHugh says the 25 farmers directly affected understand there is no quick fix. They were able to invoke force majeure to apply for their farm payments and hope the arrangement will be extended for as long as needed. "No-one was hurt and that's the main thing but what do you do with all this?" he says, referring to the layers of mushy peat all around. "Even if you were to dig it up and take it all away in trucks, where do you take it to? Do we try and dig it into the soil? We just don't know. It's not the priority at the moment, I accept that, but there'll have to be a lot of thought put into coming up with a solution." What caused the slide The landowners, and the wider community, are also looking for answers as to what caused the slide. Torrential rain certainly played a part. Dr Mary Bourke, a geologist with Trinity College Dublin and one of a team of scientists from several universities who are studying the incident, said heavy rain can swell peat like a balloon to the point where it explodes, a phenomenon called a 'bog burst'. Another likely explanation is the weather extremes the area experienced in the months before the slide. Leitrim, like most of the rest of the country, had a prolonged drought and exceptionally warm temperatures in spring and early summer, followed by relentless rain. "When the peat dries out, it shrinks and you get these what we call tensional fractures," says Dr Bourke. "They're long cracks that act as an open culvert for the rain to go down into the peat. So now you've got an accelerated pathway for moisture in the peat, which will increase the weight of the peat but also it will act like a lubricating layer at the base of the peat, and the peat will just slide off it." Contributory factors are also being examined, chiefly the impact of commercial forestry and windfarms, both of which are contentious developments, not only in this part of Leitrim but all over the county and among communities in similar terrain throughout the country. Draining, digging and levelling land for such projects can have a destabilising effect. This is not the first landslide in the region. In September 2008, a similar incident occurred at the site of a windfarm development on Corry Mountain, on the far side of Drumkeerin, opposite Shaas. That time the Owengar River, which joins the Differagh, was badly affected, as was Lough Allen. In December 2016, tragedy struck when a landslide on Kilronan Mountain in neighbouring Co Roscommon killed 37-year-old Paddy McCaffrey as he worked on the construction of a windfarm. In 2003, two incidents, at Pollatomish, Co Mayo, and at Derrybrien, Co Galway, caused major damage to property, infrastructure and wildlife. Pollatomish was particularly distressing, with 40 individual slides occurring in one day, forcing dozens of households to evacuate and ploughing up a graveyard. Derrybrien continues to cause controversy to this day, with Ireland currently accumulating millions of euro in daily penalties from the European Court of Justice for failure to have adequate environmental assessments on the site carried out before or since the windfarm was granted planning permission. Those two incidents led the Geological Survey of Ireland (GSI), the state's earth science agency, to produce a report and set up a landslide database. The report, published in 2006, emphasised the "paucity of knowledge and understanding of such landslides and bogslides in Ireland". The database now holds information on more than 2,500 landslides, both ancient and recent, large and small, concentrated mainly in the west, northwest and southwest but also the east, where mountainous Co Wicklow stands out as particularly susceptible. A landslide susceptibility map for the entire country has also been developed but Dr Bourke, who is acclaimed for her studies of the surface of Mars, says much more work is required. ROBUST CONDITION Disturbance by windfarm construction, drainage for commercial forestry and intensive grazing can all weaken hillside land and leave it vulnerable to landslides. But Dr Bourke says early surveys at Shaas Mountain show the land to have been in a robust condition which, she says, makes it all the more alarming how much of it spilled down the mountain side. It points the finger more firmly at the weather extremes and raises worrying questions for the future as climate change increases their frequency. "It's a really interesting and very important event for understanding and hopefully helping to mitigate any such future events because there's increased likelihood of them happening under a changing climate," she says. "The more we know about why events like Shaas Mountain landslide happened, the better we can predict where and when it might happen again." But to do that, she says we also need to know our land in much greater detail. Precise topographical surveys are scarce in Ireland, where mapping is often based on survey points 20 metres apart. It doesn't sound a lot, but in the UK, every centimetre of the land mass has been mapped by highly sensitive airborne technology so no potential hazard escapes detection. While data alone could not have prevented the fatal train derailment caused by a landslide in northeast Scotland last month, Dr Bourke says it is an essential base to work from. "I work on Mars and I have better resolution for sites on Mars than I do for places in Ireland," she says. Back at the foot of Shaas Mountain, space also comes to Paul Gallagher's mind as he surveys a field where the peat has lain untouched for two months, a thin crust forming on its contorted ripples and folds, covering a bizarre sponge and goo consistency beneath. "It's like what you'd imagine a lunar landscape to be," he says. "I don't think anyone really knows how we'll get it back to normal." WASHINGTON - An Atlantic story containing a series of damaging quotes attributed to President Donald Trump about the military and war dead shook up the 2020 presidential race on Thursday night. And Trump was quick to respond with a broad - and, in the case of the late Sen. John McCain, specific - denial. "I never called . . . John a loser and swear on whatever, or whoever, I was asked to swear on, that I never called our great fallen soldiers anything other than HEROES," Trump tweeted. Except Trump has most definitely called McCain a loser - in fact, he was so proud of doing so that on July 18, 2015, he tweeted a headline of him saying exactly that. Trump's denial may have been intended to mean he never called McCain a loser in this specific instance. But Trump's past commentary makes it utterly believable that he did. And while the anonymously sourced quotes in the Atlantic are remarkably callous, Trump's public commentary on the same subjects also often pushed the bounds of good taste. Below are some of the big quotes from the Atlantic's piece, compared with things Trump has done and said. - McCain as a 'loser' The specific instance in which Trump allegedly called McCain a "loser" was following the Arizona Republican's death in 2018. Via the Atlantic's story: "When McCain died, in August 2018, Trump told his senior staff, according to three sources with direct knowledge of this event, 'We're not going to support that loser's funeral,' and he became furious, according to witnesses, when he saw flags lowered to half-staff. 'What the f--- are we doing that for? Guy was a f---ing loser,' the president told aides." Trump did call McCain a "loser" in 2015, questioning his status as a war hero and saying of the former prisoner of war, "I like people who weren't captured." It was hardly the only time Trump attacked McCain viciously, and he continued to insult McCain even in death. Trump's attacks remained very personal, including going after McCain's academic record. The idea that Trump was sore over giving McCain a state funeral is also believable based upon Trump's actions and comments surrounding the ceremonies. For instance, he complained that the McCains didn't give him sufficient thanks for approving military transportation for the funeral. "I didn't get a thank you, that's OK," Trump said. "We sent him on the way. But I wasn't a fan of John McCain." The White House also notably, after McCain's death, returned its flags to full-staff even as flags as the U.S. Capitol and Washington Monument remained at half-staff - later reversing course amid criticism. Former Department of Homeland Security aide Miles Taylor, who has offered a number of very serious allegations about Trump in recent weeks, confirmed that White House staff told him Trump was angry about flags being lowered for McCain. To a Trump tweet that said he "did so without hesitation or complaint," Taylor tweeted on Sept. 4: "Mr. President, this is not true. You were angry that DHS notified federal buildings to lower the flags for Sen. McCain. I would know because your staff called and told me." None of this proves that Trump called the recently deceased McCain a "loser" in 2018, but he most definitely called him a loser before that and suggested he wasn't a war hero. He even suggested he was being magnanimous by complying with the pomp and circumstance of McCain's funeral - as if McCain wasn't necessarily entitled to such things. This isn't the first time Trump has denied calling McCain a loser. He also did so in a February 2016 MSNBC interview - just seven months after the tweet in which he called McCain a loser. - George H.W. Bush as a 'loser' McCain isn't the only war-hero-turned-Republican-politician Trump is described as having attacked as a loser: "On at least two occasions since becoming president, according to three sources with direct knowledge of his views, Trump referred to former president George H.W. Bush as a 'loser' for being shot down by the Japanese as a Navy pilot in World War II," the Atlantic reported. Again, the "I like people who weren't captured" quote applies here. (Bush wasn't captured; Trump's comments suggest he also might not respect people being shot down.) A former senior administration official confirmed to The Post that Trump frequently derided soldiers who were captured and missing in action as "losers." Trump also attacked Bush from time to time over the years, though nothing along the lines of his attacks on McCain. And he publicly offered laudatory comments after Bush's 2018 death. In light of this, a reporter asked him the day after Bush died, "Do you regret any of your comments about George H.W. Bush or the Bush family?" Trump listened to the question, paused and dismissed the reporters in the room without answering. - John Kelly's son, and 'suckers' A particularly poignant section deals with Trump visiting the gravesite of his then-chief of staff John Kelly's son, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2010: "According to sources with knowledge of this visit, Trump, while standing by Robert Kelly's grave, turned directly to his father and said, 'I don't get it. What was in it for them?' Kelly (who declined to comment for this story) initially believed, people close to him said, that Trump was making a ham-handed reference to the selflessness of America's all-volunteer force. But later he came to realize that Trump simply does not understand non-transactional life choices." Another stunning section recalls Trump referring to the war dead as "suckers": " 'Why should I go to that cemetery? It's filled with losers.' In a separate conversation on the same trip, Trump referred to the more than 1,800 Marines who lost their lives at Belleau Wood as 'suckers' for getting killed. . . . "Trump, on that same trip, asked aides, 'Who were the good guys in this war?' He also said that he didn't understand why the United States would intervene on the side of the Allies." And another scene: "According to eyewitnesses, after a White House briefing given by the then-chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Joe Dunford, Trump turned to aides and said, 'That guy is smart. Why did he join the military?' " The author of the piece, Jeffrey Goldberg, quotes people around Trump saying he genuinely doesn't have regard for people who died for their country, viewing them as having failed - and has even derided or at least not understood their decisions to serve in the first place. Trump has employed the "sucker" language when it comes to the military and questioned what the United States gets out of protecting Western Europe. After announcing the removal of troops stationed in Germany earlier this year, Trump said, "Germany is not paying for it. So why should we leave them if they were not - we don't want to be the suckers anymore." (The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is generally intended to protect the Western world - the "common defense" - not just Germany or even Europe.) Trump in 2017 was also alleged by a congresswoman and the mother of a fallen soldier, Sgt. La David T. Johnson, to say on a phone call with them that Johnson "must have known what he signed up for." Trump has also offered occasionally callous comments about his lack of service and compared his nonmilitary actions to military service. Of his controversial deferment for bone spurs from the Vietnam War, Trump suggested that his actions as president compensated for it. "I would have been honored" to serve, Trump said, "but I think I make up for that right now. Look, $700 billion I gave last year, and this year $716 billion. And I think I'm making up for it rapidly, because we're rebuilding our military at a level it's never seen before." He also responded to Gold Star parent Khizr Khan saying Trump had never sacrificed for his country by saying, "I think I have made a lot of sacrifices. I've worked very, very hard. I've created thousands and thousands of jobs, tens of thousands of jobs, built great structures." The idea that these things could be any kind of substitute for military service isn't generally how military service is understood. But it does suggest a certain view of the value of service. - Not wanting to feature wounded veterans And one final scene, from the end of Goldberg's piece: "In a 2018 White House planning meeting for [a military parade], Trump asked his staff not to include wounded veterans, on grounds that spectators would feel uncomfortable in the presence of amputees. 'Nobody wants to see that,' he said." Trump's public record on this topic is less robust. But as USA Today reported in May, Trump has spent significantly less time visiting wounded warriors than his predecessor. While President Barack Obama visited them 29 times in eight years, Trump had made just three visits in three years. (Trump would make another visit in July.) Trump, however, has held multiple events with the Wounded Warrior Project at the White House. Trump also offered somewhat off-color comments when he was given a replica of a man's Purple Heart at a rally in 2016. "Something very nice just happened to me. A man came up to me and he handed me his Purple Heart," Trump said. "I said to him, is that the real one, or is that a copy? He said, 'That's my real Purple Heart. I have such confidence in you.' And I said, 'Man, that's big stuff.' "I always wanted to get the Purple Heart," Trump continued. "This was much easier." Again, it doesn't prove Trump said what he's reported to have said, but it's relevant. A young surfer who was savagely mauled by a five metre great white shark has jumped back into the water just months after the terrifying ordeal. Phil Mummert, 28, was surfing at Bunker Bay, south of Perth, when the huge shark bit his right thigh and took a chunk off his surfboard on July 31. He was left with a large gnash about 150mm deep where the shark's teeth penetrated through his skin. His girlfriend Mish Wright shared a heartwarming photo of them together, announcing that Mr Mummert is finally back into the water after the incident. Mish Wright (right) shared a heartwarming photo of them together, announcing that Phil Mummert is finally back into the water after being attacked by a 5m great white shark Phil Mummert (right), 28, was surfing at Bunker Bay, in the Bunker Bay, south of Perth, when the five-metre shark bit his right thigh and took a chunk of his surfboard around 2.15pm on July 31 (pictured with girlfriend Ms Wright) 'It's not easy getting back in the ocean after being attacked by a five metre Great White,' she captioned the photo. 'Splashing around in the shallow end of the Ningaloo reef is probably the best way to do it.' Ms Wright previously shared a photo of Mr Mummert smiling in a hospital bed following his encounter with the great white, thanking those who came to his rescue. 'I honestly don't know how a person can see a total stranger getting attacked by a four-metre great white shark and swim towards to save him so we are beyond grateful to everyone that helped save Phil's life,' she wrote. 'So lucky that Phil got away with his life and limbs and beyond lucky that we live in such a kind and caring community. 'So thankful for everyone who carried him to shore and for the ones that held his leg together for half an hour while waiting for the ambulance. 'Thank you from the bottom of our hearts,' she said. Ms Wright previously shared a photo of Mr Mummert smiling in a hospital bed (pictured) following his encounter with the great white, thanking those who came to his rescue Mr Mummert's long gnash was about 150mm deep following the shark's penetration (pictured) One of Mr Mummert's rescuers recounted how quickly the brutal attack unfolded. 'He's just sitting on his board and the next thing you know we just heard someone go 'shark',' he said. 'I turned around and I've just seen this white (shark) kind of breach and it had already smashed, hit Phil. 'It just obliterated his board, it was just floating there like icicles.' The five-metre great white shark also bit Mr Mummert's board in half (pictured) during the attack on July 31 Pictured: Phil Mummert and Mish Wright before the brutal shark attack left him in hospital Another surfer who came to Mr Mummert's aid, Jess Woolhouse, said it was a 'life or death' situation. 'We all sort of made an effort to get him onto the board and start heading in just sort of yelling and trying to splash the water,' he explained. Mr Woolhouse said a group of six or seven people had also formed on the beach and it was a community effort to help Mr Mummert to shore. He explained Mr Mummert was in good spirits and his bleeding had slowed down before he was taken to hospital. A group of armed, pro-Trump supporters have clashed with Breonna Taylor protesters on Kentucky Derby day in Louisville. A Black Lives Matter demonstration to honour the life of Ms Taylor, a 26-year-old black woman who was fatally shot in her home by Louisville police, gathered on Saturday afternoon outside Churchill Downs where the 146th annual horse race was getting underway. Protests have been ongoing in Louisville for months amid growing calls for the city to charge the officers involved in the shooting. Ms Taylor, an emergency medical technician, was killed by police on 13 March during a "no-knock" warrant raid at her apartment. A number of social justice groups said they would use Derby Day, the city's biggest event of the year, to protest officials' handling of Ms Taylor's case. As anti-racism demonstrators reached Jefferson Square Park on Saturday afternoon, they were met with hundreds of armed militia members brandishing "Make America Great Again" and other pro-Trump signs. Video and pictures showed the two different groups clashing in the middle of Louisville. The confrontation appeared tense but remained mostly peaceful, according to local reports. Police swiftly descended upon the scene in riot gear to break up skirmishes. The local chapter for Democratic Socialists of America claimed that the armed militias showed up specifically "to threaten" protesters who were gathering to call for justice for Ms Taylor. Self-described "patriots" and armed militia members carrying semi-automatic weapons told local news stations that they were in Louisville to protect the city against protestors. At a separate location, NFAC, a black militia group, also gathered with guns. But this militia group was reportedly joining demonstrators to protest the police shooting of Ms Taylor. It is legal in Kentucky to openly carry a firearm in public. The Louisville police said it would work to allow for protesters to express their First Amendment freedoms while preventing any violence. "We are prepared for others to express their First Amendment rights. We don't know how large these crowds will be, but we do intend to not intervene with lawful protests that are not violent," Louisville Metro Police Department Deputy Chief LaVita Chavous said. The Kentucky Derby was initially supposed to take place in May, but the annual horse race was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Congress on Saturday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to take the nation into confidence on talks with China on the border row in Ladakh, saying people want to know about the outcomes of the repeated conversations with the Chinese side. The Opposition party's demand comes a day after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Chinese counterpart Gen. Wei Fenghe held an over two-hour-long meeting in Moscow with a focus on easing escalating border tension in eastern Ladakh. Congress's chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said it was "Rajdharma" of the prime minister and the defence minister to take the nation into confidence on the important issue. Listing the various levels of talks held with the Chinese from the foreign ministers level and corps commanders level to the defence ministers' discussions, Surjewala asked what is the outcome of these talks. "What is the conversation about, what is happening. Will Prime Minister Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh take the country into confidence?" he asked. Surjewala also referred to Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla's remarks that it was an "unprecedented" situation at the India-China border and "we've never had this sort of a situation since 1962", to underline the seriousness of the issue. "The important part is what is the outcome of the repeated conversations with the Chinese counterparts by our government. How will we ensure that Chinese transgressions are defeated," Surjewala said in a video posted on his Twitter account. He said people want answers to questions such as how the Chinese will be repulsed to "reclaim our motherland". "We hope Prime Minister Modi and the defence minister will come forward and take the nation into confidence. That is the true Rajdharma. We will await an answer," he said. Later, at an online briefing, Congress leader Rajeev Shukla said, "We hope that the issue can be resolved through talks." He, however, demanded that the government should give a clear picture of the situation. "Conflicting statements coming from the government is a matter of worry for us," he added. The tension between the two sides had escalated manifold after the violent clashes in Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh on June 15 in which 20 Indian Army personnel were killed. The Chinese side also suffered casualties but it is yet to give out the details. According to an American intelligence report, the number of casualties on the Chinese side was 35. Grateful to teachers for their contribution towards building nation: PM Modi on Teachers' Day Central govt asks states and UTs to vaccinate all school teachers on priority before Teachers' Day 2021 Happy Teachers Day 2020: Some easy speech ideas for students India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Sep 05: Teachers are those who show us the correct path and guide us in life, providing us with the light of the righteous path. In India, we celebrate Teacher's Day on September 5 every year which is also the birth anniversary of India's second President Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishanan. So as you celebrate Teacher's Day, here's a look at some of the teachers day speeches: Good morning to all the teachers and dear friends. First of all I would like to Thank all the teachers here to make us what we are today. Thank you for having so much patience, Thank you for inspiring and motivationg us. We truly are grateful to you for guiding us and taking us to the right path. Good morning, everyone. As we celebrate Teachers' Day today, it is my honour to salute all the teachers that have taught in this school. There is a saying that teachers are greater than the parents. Parents give birth to a child whereas teachers mould that child's personality and provide a bright future. Apart from academics, teachers stand by us at every step to guide, motivate and inspire to become better human beings and bring about positive change in society. Teachers are the building blocks of our lives. They act as second mothers to all students. On this August occassion, on behalf of all the students, I would like to thank you teachers for moulding us into worthy people to face the world boldly. Teacher's day is celebrated in commemoration of the great leader Dr Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan. He was the President of India in the tenure between 1962 to 1967. He was a scholar and a firm believer of education such that his birth anniversary came to be celebrated as teacher's day. Good morning to one and all. We have gathered here today to commemorate the efforts of our teachers who are believed to be the second parents and guiding masters of our career. It is an honourable occasion for all our students to wish our Teachers or Gurus on this Teachers' Day, which is celebrated on September 5. Animal control personnel capture a puma Aug. 19 in the Lo Barnechea neighborhood, on the outskirts of Santiago. (Javier Torres / AFP / Getty Images ) The big cat was first spotted sniffing in a backyard in the affluent Lo Barnechea neighborhood. He started running toward me, trying to escape, so I took the shot, but the dart needle broke on his back leg, recalled Julio Bustamante, an animal control officer summoned to the scene one afternoon last month. The nimble feline jumped a wall and scampered away, trailed by TV crews and neighbors with cellphones recording the scene. The cat later determined to be a 97-pound adult male mountain lion was finally cornered in the bushes on a nearby street, where Bustamante shot him twice more with tranquilizing darts, putting him to sleep. Here in the Chilean capital, home to 7 million people, an overnight curfew imposed more than five months ago to curtail the COVID-19 pandemic has had an unanticipated side effect: nocturnal incursions by mountain lions onto suburban and city streets, now largely devoid of nighttime traffic and noise. Since the curfew, which runs from 11 p.m. (pushed last month from 10 p.m.) to 5 a.m., took effect in March, authorities have captured seven mountain lions or pumas, as they are known here roaming the capital and environs. Only two such captures occurred in all of 2019, well before the government moved to battle the pandemic that has killed more than 11,000 in the South American nation. Six of the seven captured cats were tranquilized and returned to the wild after medical evaluations, officials say. All six were outfitted with microchips facilitating identification if they are encountered again; one was also fitted with an electronic GPS collar to aid in studies of behavior and travel patterns. A seventh, a female in ill health, remained under observation at the national zoos wildlife rehabilitation center. A puma, approximately 1 year old, on March 24 on the streets of Santiago. (Andres Pina / Aton Chile / AFP) Mountain lion encounters in the capital have become a new normal, regularly documented on social media and in the press. Surveillance video, cellphone footage and witness accounts all suggest that additional pumas are likely on the loose, prowling about town. Story continues Across the globe, coronavirus stay-at-home orders have spawned breathless stories of wildlife boldly venturing into deserted urban areas, some of the accounts apocryphal like those dolphins supposedly cavorting in newly pristine Venetian canals. But the puma visitations in Santiago are real, as are periodic sightings of cougars in the Los Angeles area, another place where mountainous habitat abuts suburban development. Last year, residents of a Simi Valley neighborhood expressed alarm after a mountain lion attacked two dogs, killing one, and was seen roaming the area. Meanwhile, in June, a young mountain lion was captured in downtown San Francisco, where it had been seen roaming the streets and napping in a planter box. In California, vehicular collisions have been a major source of mountain lion mortality. A June study by researchers at UC Davis found that reduced traffic from stay-at-home orders beginning in March likely contributed to a 58% reduction in road deaths of mountain lions in California. In Santiago in normal times, a 112-mile grid of highways in and around the city deters Chile's top predator from urban forays. But a quieter and darker metropolis has encouraged some of the hunters to make their way into town from their mountain abodes. As in California, central Chiles pumas are mainly nocturnal animals, and traffic creates impenetrable barriers for them to cross without being run over, said Cristian Bonacic, a veterinarian and wildlife professor at the Catholic University of Chile. So when traffic drops to nearly zero, they start traveling to urban areas. No pandemic-era attacks on humans have been recorded, and there has been only one reported case of a dog being eaten. Officials have advised residents to keep pets indoors when puma sightings are reported. Pumas are a protected species in Chile. Illegal hunting of the predators can land violators in prison for five years. Santiagos first puma alert came March 24, two days after the nighttime curfew was declared. A residents tip led animal control personnel to a garage in Nunoa, a middle-class neighborhood five miles southeast of Santiagos central Plaza de Armas, where Spaniards founded the capital in 1541, at the foot of the Andes Mountains. Called to the scene was Bustamante, 47, who has tranquilized six of the seven big cats caught this year in the Santiago area. I got to the garage, crawled under the car, turned the flashlight on, and there he was, looking right at me, recalled Bustamente. His ears went back, and [he] showed me his teeth a little. It took Bustamente two shots with the tranquilizing dart to hit the target. The Nunoa mountain lion, which weighed in at 68 pounds, was the first of four males, three of them juveniles, that have been snagged this year in the Santiago area. The largest was the 97-pound adult that Bustamante tranquilized last month in the bushes of Lo Barnechea. The females captured were two juveniles and an adult. Santiagos noise pollution has declined by 75% since the curfew was imposed, according to a survey by the Autonomous University of Chile. While the lack of urban racket and lights are drawing the pumas, precarious environmental conditions also help explain the intrusions, experts say. A drought lasting more than a decade has reduced prey in the cats mountainous terrain, prompting some to risk descending from higher elevations and approaching populated areas, including suburbs that have pushed up against the foothills of the Andes. Suburban sprawl and an attendant proliferation of lawns have drawn rabbits and hares tempting morsels for the cats. Many herbivores like rabbits are increasing in numbers in the green-grass suburbs, said Horacio Borquez, Chile's national director of agricultural and livestock service. Most pumas have turned up in tony districts, a fact that has led to some teasing repartee on social media. "Equal distribution of pumas," one resident of a puma-less Santiago neighborhood demanded on Twitter. The infiltrators have inspired more wonder and curiosity than fear, perhaps because no attacks have been reported. For many, a close encounter with a mountain lion has been an awe-inspiring experience. Imagine seeing such an impressive animal in your backyard it was crazy, said Veronica Stange, a civil engineer and mother of two, of the mountain lion spotted April 2 outside her home in Chicureo, an affluent suburb north of Santiago. Animals see a calm city, and they come down to hunt. Its as simple as that. The cat she saw an 8-year-old female, it turned out was dehydrated, weighing only 48 pounds and bleeding from the snout, medical records show. Her bottom canine teeth were broken off, and she had a snare wire embedded in a paw. Unlike other captured mountain lions, which are quickly released, she remained under observation and treatment. Six days later, another big cat was spotted in the same Chicureo suburb. This time, neighbors used a cage to trap the 73-pound juvenile male with a bulging stomach from digesting a dog carcass, medical records showed. Authorities are investigating whether it hunted the unfortunate dog or if someone put the canine in the cage as bait, which would be illegal. The puma sorties will likely abate once the lockdown ends and life in the Chilean capital returns to its customary clamor and bustle, experts say. But some big cats will inevitably continue slipping into the city under the cover of night, seeking prey no longer abundant in their Andean enclaves. Mountain lions were here before us here in this city. We are the ones who have invaded their habitat, Alejandra Montalba, director of Chiles National Zoo, said this month at a conference on Instagram Live. We already know that this is going to keep happening. Encounters with wildlife are here to stay. Special correspondent Poblete reported from Santiago, and Staff Writer McDonnell reported from Mexico City. A plurality of Canadians support Ottawas moves to get people off the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) income-support program, according to a new poll by Innovative Research Group at least for now. Company president Greg Lyle said the online poll results held good news for the government because its changes to the CERB are enjoying support, but the bad news for Ottawa is few people are following those changes. The issue is, how firm is this? Lyle said. Thats where youd be nervous if you were the government. A lot of people are not paying very close attention right now. The results of the poll show 43 per cent of respondents supported the CERB changes to different degrees while 19 per cent opposed them. Twenty-six per cent of those polled neither supported nor opposed the changes. Twelve per cent said they did not know. Of the respondents who were personally receiving CERB, 39 per cent either strongly or somewhat supported the changes versus 30 per cent either strongly or somewhat opposing them. Lyle said the results show the government had a positive launch to the program changes, while also carrying the threat of the changes becoming unpopular down the road. Thats because few Canadians are paying close attention, Lyle says, and their views may not have solidified. Of the nearly 2,300 polled, 12 per cent said they are following the CERB changes very closely while 35 and 17 per cent said they are not following them closely or at all. Thirty per cent of respondents said they are following somewhat closely. Even among the people on the program only 25 per cent said they are looking at this very closely, Lyle said. So they may not actually understand what they say it is they are supporting. As of late August about 4 million people in Canada were receiving the CERB payments of $500 per week. With the new changes, those still needing the benefit will be transitioned over to the EI program at $400 per week for 26 weeks. Those not eligible for EI, such as self-employed people or contract workers, will be able to access the same funds for the same time period via a new benefit program. Eighteen per cent of respondents to the Innovative Research Group poll said they had received the CERB themselves with 14 per cent saying someone in their home has received it. But, among recipients, interest in the changes is still low. Those who are following the CERB changes very closely were more likely to strongly support them at 37 per cent with another 21 per cent of those saying they somewhat support the changes. Sixteen per cent of those following very closely opposed the changes. Liberal partisans were found to be monitoring news of the changes more closely than others. The poll of 2,287 people, aged 18 or older, was conducted from Aug. 20 to Sept. 1 via Innovative Research Groups 20/20 national research panel as well as respondents via online survey company Lucid. The company said a margin of error could not be calculated because it was not a random probability based sample instead using a panel. The results were weighted based on census data to reflect the Canadian population, according to the polls methodology. With files from The Canadian Press Read more about: New Delhi: At least five people have been killed and eight others injured when a gunman opened fire at US Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida, the latest mass shooting incident to rock the country. Floridas Broward County Sheriffs office confirmed the shooting at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Friday. The sheriff also said that a suspect was in custody at the airport. The gunman identified by authorities as 26-year-old Esteban Santiago, who served in Iraq with the National Guard but was demoted and discharged last year for unsatisfactory performance was immediately taken into custody. His brother said he had been receiving psychological treatment recently. Also read | US: Gunman opens fire at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood airport in Florida, at least one dead "We don't know a motive at this point," said Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida. "This could well be someone who is mentally deranged, or in fact it could be someone who had a much more sinister motive that we have to worry about every day, and that is terrorism." The Sheriffs office said five people were dead and eight had been taken to a hospital. The shooting took place in Terminal 2 in the baggage claim area, outside the TSA checkpoint, police said. Air Canada and Delta Airlines operate out of Terminal 2. People were corralled onto the tarmac and paramedics were at the scene, police said. All services at the airport have been temporarily suspended, the airport tweeted. Hundreds of people were standing on the tarmac as dozens of police cars and ambulances rushed to the scene. Police received a call just before 1300 local time (2330 IST yesterday) about shots fired at Terminal Drive. Former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer said in a tweet, Im at the Ft. Lauderdale Airport. Shots have been fired. Everyone is running. A Miami TV station tweeted footage claiming to be from inside the baggage terminal. The video shows several injured people lying on the floor as witnesses shout for medical help. Broward County Mayor Barbara Sharief told CNN that the shooter acted alone and that there is no evidence of a partner. At this time we do not have a motive, but we are actively investigating that, she said. Florida Governor Rick Scott wrote on social media, I am on my way to Fort Lauderdale International Airport to be briefed by law enforcement. The shooter was very skinny. He seemed to be very young... He was just letting himself be dragged by the police. It was scary, an eyewitness said. More than 325 departure and 325 arrival flights come in and out of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in a day, according to the airports website. Over 73,000 travellers are at the airport on a daily basis. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Older style light bulbs have not changed in their basic design since the days of Thomas Edison: Rex During his visit to Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Thursday, Democratic candidate Joe Biden claimed that a black guy invented the lightbulb, not a white guy named Edison. Mr Biden made the claim in a section of a speech delivered at the Grace Lutheran Church following his meeting with the family of Jacob Blake, the black man shot seven times by a police officer in August. Promising to improve the countrys record on racial justice if he wins the election, Mr Biden decried the lack of representation in the teaching of history. Why in God's name don't we teach history in history classes? A black man invented the light bulb. Not a white guy named Edison There's so much. Did anybody know? He also referred to the 1921 Tulsa massacre and destruction of Black Wall Street in Oklahoma, as not being taught in schools. The former vice president appeared to be referring to the black American inventor Lewis Howard Latimer who worked on the development of both the light bulb and the telephone. A Lemelson-MIT biography states that after becoming part of Thomas Edisons elite research team, he made his most important contributions to science by improving the light bulb patented by his employer in 1880. The original prototype for the light bulb was lit by a glowing, electrified filament made of paper, which would quickly burn out. Mr Latimer created a version with a filament made of the much more durable carbon. He sold the patent for the Incandescent Electric Light Bulb with Carbon Filament to the United States Electric Company in 1881. He then went on to patent a process for efficiently manufacturing the carbon filament and developed the threaded socket for the improved bulb. In 1890 Mr Latimer wrote the first book on electric lighting, Incandescent Electric Lighting and supervised the installation of public electric lights throughout New York, Philadelphia, Montreal, and London. Latimer's other inventions include the first toilet for railroad carriages and an early forerunner of the air conditioner. Story continues Employed as a draftsman and assistant by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876, there have also been claims that it was Mr Latimer that actually invented the telephone, though these are often disregarded as he defended Mr Bells claims to first inventions in court. While it was Mr Edison that invented the first commercially viable light bulb, it was Mr Latimer who made its widespread use possible with his patented improvements. Mr Biden may have overstated Mr Latimers role, but he remains a crucial figure in science and the development of modern life. For his part, president Donald Trump is a big fan of old-style Edison light bulbs, frequently complaining that newer energy efficient models make him look orange. In 2019 his administration rolled back an Obama-era requirement for more energy efficient light bulbs. Read more Trump complains new light bulbs give him an 'orange look' Using internet-enabled light bulbs has made my life much easier Trump scraps Obama-era rule for more energy efficient light bulbs Scientists invent new sensing eye mask to track what you're looking at Apple employee who invented cut, copy and paste, dies aged 74 The Kolkata Metro will run around 66 special trains on September 13 when the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) is scheduled to be held. Earlier this week chief minister Mamata Banerjee had said that out of the 4,652 students who were supposed to appear for the JEE exam in West Bengal on September 1, only 1,167--around 25%-- could sit for the exam. Around 75% of the candidates could not appear primarily because of the lack of public transport during the Covid-19 pandemic. On September 13, Kolkata Metro authorities will operate 66 special trains for candidates between 11 and 7 pm. Those who dont have smart cards will be issued paper tickets. The metro is expected to run from September 14. Passengers may have to book e-passes through an app a few hours before they want to take a ride as a restricted number of passengers would be allowed to board each train. The QR codes of the e-passes would be scanned before the passenger is allowed to enter the station, said a metro official. Also Read: Bengal government floats e-pass idea for Kolkata Metro to tackle rush The JEE Main is being held between September 1-6, while the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) 2020 is scheduled for September 13. The rush of candidates on September 13 is expected to be more as nearly 16 lakh candidates across India have registered for the NEET exam. Also Read: Bengal banks to resume normal service, will open on 1st and 3rd Saturdays The Supreme Court had on Friday refused to entertain the petition filed by ministers of six states seeking a review of the top courts August 17 order to conduct NEET and JEE (Mains) examinations as scheduled. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee had earlier said that the centre should undertake a survey to find out how many candidates could not appear for the examination across the country. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 01:53:59|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JERUSALEM, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Friday that Israel is to establish diplomatic relations with Kosovo, while Serbia will move its embassy to Jerusalem. The agreements were reached with U.S. mediation, as an announcement was made by U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House alongside Kosovo and Serbia leaders. The United States moved its embassy to Jerusalem over two years ago after a controversial decision to recognize the city as Israel's capital. The majority of the international community does not recognize Israel's sovereignty over Jerusalem. Palestinians see the eastern part of the city as the capital of their future state. "We will continue in our efforts so that more European countries will move their embassies to Jerusalem," said Netanyahu in a statement. The announcement comes two weeks after Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) reached an agreement to normalize ties. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008. Serbia rejects it and considers Kosovo its own province. Enditem HARTFORD Eleven stolen vehicles were recovered and five people arrested Thursday in connection with the thefts of the automobiles, police said. Six of the vehicles were stolen from Fairfield County, including five from Trumbull. Police said all of the vehicles stolen were taken with key fobs left inside. The recovery of the vehicles and the arrests Thursday were a collaborative operation involving members of the Hartford Police Auto Theft Unit & Violent Crimes Unit. The operation targeted stolen motor vehicles and identified suspects of gun violence, police said. Among those arrested were: A 16-year-old juvenile was charged with three counts of first-degree larceny. Police said the juvenile was arrested two weeks ago on auto-theft charges. Luis Sanchez, 25, was charged with first-degree larceny and tampering with a motor vehicle. Luis Ramos, 20, was charged with three counts of first-degree larceny, operation of chop shop, second-degree larceny and conspiracy. Nelson Colon-Davilla, 19, was charged with three counts of first-degree larceny and conspiracy, operation of chop shop, second-degree larceny and conspiracy. Police said he was arrested 10 days ago on auto theft charges. Franky Roman, 20, was charged with three counts of first-degree larceny and conspiracy, operation of chop shop, second-degree larceny and conspiracy. Police said he was arrested he was also arrested 10 days ago on auto theft charges. Marcus Gordon, 21, was charged with third-degree larceny and interfering with police. Among the stolen vehicles recovered were: A 2013 Honda Civic stolen from Stratford; a 2019 Jeep Cherokee stolen from Johnston, R.I.; a 2020 Mazda CX5 stolen from New Canaan; a 2011 Subaru Outback stolen from Glastonbury; a 2019 Lincoln Nautilus stolen from Avon; a 2011 Jeep Cherokee stolen from Trumbull; a 2014 Grand Cherokee stolen from Trumbull; a 2017 Audi Q5 stolen from Trumbull; a 2016 Mazda CX5 stolen from Trumbull; a 2019 Jeep Cherokee stolen from Hartford; and a 2005 Subaru Forester stolen from Hartford. Leaders of the ruling BJP in Friday asserted that no alliance or new party stands as a hindrance for the saffron party's return to power in the state for the second time in the assembly polls due in early 2021. State BJP president Ranjit Kumar Dass and senior party leader and Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also attacked the opposition Congress for the tardy development in the state and for going out of its way to "disrupt and destroy" Addressing the state BJP Executive meeting here on Friday, Dass claimed, "In front of our dedicated karyakartas (workers) no alliance/new party stands as a factor of hindrance". This was a reference to the coming together of AASU, AJYCP and KMSS to form an allaince and fight the polls. "If the 42 lakh karyakartas of BJP bring even one new member we we will undoubtedly be successful in our Mission #BJP + = 100 +," he said. "Three Cs - that is Congress, Communist and Communalist have constantly gone out of their way to disrupt and destroy Assam," asserted the BJP state chief. A true Indian, patriot of Assam along with the karyakartas of BJP Assam should reject these three Cs, he said. Sarma said no alliance/new party was a hindrance to BJP's return to power for the second term in the state by winning the hearts of the people. Without referring to AASU, AJYCP and KMSS coming together with like-minded organisations and Congress, besides Congress' efforts for 'Mahajuth' for the assembly polls, Sarma said "There may be two political parties, three political parties and Mahajuth (grand alliance). "But they cannot stand one day in front of the three crore people of Assam. I tell those who (AASU) criticised the National Register of Citizens (NRC) or made public the report on the Clause 6 of Assam Accord without it being laid in assembly to face the people by fighting the coming assembly polls", he said. Clause 6 of Assam Accord provides constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards, as may be appropriate, to protect, preserve and promote the cultural, social, linguistic identity and heritage of the Assamese people. Criticising the 15-year Congress rule in Assam under Tarun Gogoi, Sarma said only the national games held then defined the three terms of the Gogoi government when the BJP government is defined by the 55 stadia and the slew of development schemes it undertook for the welfare of the people and the development of Assam in just five years. Sarma was a powerful minister in the Congress regime till he fell out with Gogoi and joined BJP on the eve of the 2016 elections. Chief Mininister Sarbananda Sonowal in his speech asked whether Congress has the moral right to criticise BJP. "Look at Congress' history. Beginning with first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru down to their other premiers, Congress created history by being involved in corruption." "So do not engage in any arguments with Congress but concentrate on finding a place in the hearts of the people", exhorted Sonowal. Stating that Assam in the pre-Independence era was one of the most developed states of India, he said due to the misrule of Congress it got relegated as one of the most backward states. "Now under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi we want to go forward as a developed state. We seek the help of the people to make the youths of Assam self-reliant and able citizens of the state and country. I want to make our state economically developed," Sonowal said and urged the BJP workers to work for the party. (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.) Six years before Jacob Blake was shot seven times by police in front of his children, and George Floyd was suffocated to death by cops, a New York City district attorney announced that the cops who killed an unarmed Black man, Eric Garner, would not face charges. The movement for independent prosecutions was born anew with the district attorney's announcement. Garners family members and community residents especially New Yorkers of color said in no uncertain terms that justice could not be served when local prosecutors were tasked with investigating and charging the very cops they work with every day. Less than a year later, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the creation of an independent special prosecution role to investigate police killings of unarmed persons. People prepare to march in support of Jacob Blake and his family to the Kenosha County Courthouse on August 29, 2020 in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The next day, I was put in charge of the special prosecution unit inside the state attorney generals office. I knew that I had to learn quickly how to navigate these complex, emotional and highly contentious investigations. The calls for special prosecutors came again this summer. The cases involving Floyds death were moved from the local Minneapolis prosecutor to Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison. The Justice in Policing Act, passed by the House but spurned by the Senate, provides financial incentives for states to have special prosecutors. And, most recently, focus has turned to who will prosecute the shooting of Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Pursuing police killings of unarmed civilians is perhaps the most challenging work a prosecutor can do. I oversaw several investigations and the prosecutions of an NYPD police officer and a sitting district attorney including the most painful moment of my legal career: watching a jury deliver a not guilty verdict in a case where an NYPD officer killed an unarmed Black man, Delrawn Small. Small's case was one of two we took to court during my time as head of the attorney general's investigative unit. I thought we had a strong case against the officer, who was off duty, when he shot and killed Small at a stoplight after a run-in between the two. Story continues I thought we had built a strong case. The lessons I learned as a special prosecutor are more urgent now than ever: The first lesson I learned in my role was to listen to the families of the victims. It may sound obvious, but too often in cases of police killings, investigators treat family members like they are under investigation. What l heard from families was heart-breaking and eye-opening. Some prosecutors had not returned families calls for years. Some family members were not even allowed to see the body of their loved one at the morgue. Listening to and focusing on the trauma of families is the starting point for these investigations. Second, I learned that transparency is essential, both for family members and for the larger community. The people deserve to know what happened, what went wrong, how it might be prevented in the future and that justice is being pursued without bias. That is why we issued a report detailing our factual findings and our legal analysis in every investigation in which we did not file charges. Third, I realized that the news media plays a critical role in informing the public about the facts of these cases. Prosecutors are trained to try cases in the courtroom and not in the news, and there is a good reason for this: Everyone deserves a fair trial. However, the defense playbook for police killing cases is to attempt to use the news media to dehumanize the victim. Too often, the defense trots out tired tropes suggesting that the victim was the generic dangerous Black bogeyman. Prosecutors must use every avenue at their disposal to remind the judge and the public at large that the victim was a real person, with a life and dreams far beyond this single, tragic fatal event. Fourth, I found that everything about this kind of trial feels different, because the defendants are police officers. Long before I had the special prosecutor role, I was a federal prosecutor and I tried an FBI agent for misconduct. It sounds terrible because every defendant is presumed innocent as a matter of law but this trial was the first time that the presumption of innocence was palpable in the courtroom. Jurors including Black jurors played cops and robbers when they were kids. Many spent their lives looking up to police. Even those who fiercely want reform still sit in the jury box thinking, If someone breaks into my house, Ill call the police. Many people have difficulty holding police officers accountable. Prosecutors must probe this issue thoroughly during jury selection and repeatedly emphasize that no one is above the law. And finally, I learned that you must keep pushing, despite the strong political and social headwinds. You will be criticized by someone maybe even everyone no matter what you do. Relationships with law enforcement will be strained. Commentators will second guess your every move. I always told my team to feel liberated by this. If you will be criticized no matter what you do, all the more reason to do exactly what you think is just and proper. Follow the facts without fear or favor. As the protests against racism and police brutality rightly continue to swell, we will see even more calls to take police violence cases out of the hands of inherently conflicted local prosecutors. I hope the hard-earned lessons my team and I learned as one of the nations first standing statewide prosecutors offices for police killings will help provide a roadmap to greater justice. Alvin Bragg is co-director of the Racial Justice Project at New York Law School and a candidate for Manhattan district attorney. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: In wake of Floyd, Blake shootings, lessons for prosecutors investigating cops Funeral Announcements A daily list of current funeral annoucements as heard on KXRA 1490 AM/100.3 FM News Updates The daily news, sports, and events delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Sports Update This current sports headlines delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Upcoming Events This email is the events of the area delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Breaking News The big news. Sent only as it happens. The Ministry of Finance has clarified that there are no restrictions on filling up of vacancies in the government of India. The clarification comes a day after the ministry banned creation of new posts, except with the approval of the department of expenditure, in central ministries and offices and bodies. "There is no restriction or ban on filling up of posts in Govt of India. Normal recruitments through govt agencies like Staff Selection Commission, UPSC, Railways Recruitment Board, etc will continue as usual without any curbs," finance ministry tweeted on Saturday. CLARIFICATION: There is no restriction or ban on filling up of posts in Govt of India . Normal recruitments through govt agencies like Staff Selection Commission, UPSC, Rlwy Recruitment Board, etc will continue as usual without any curbs. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/paQfrNzVo5 Ministry of Finance (@FinMinIndia) September 5, 2020 The ministry added that the department of expenditure circular dated September 4, 2020, deals with internal procedure for creation of posts and does not in any way affect or curtail recruitment. Also read: Centre identifies 24 sectors to push manufacturing; aims Rs 20 lakh crore output in 5 years The circular issued on Friday issued a set of instructions for curtailing administrative expenditure amid the coronavirus pandemic in India and save resources for "priority schemes". "In the context of the present fiscal situation and the consequent pressure on the government resources, there is a need to for further economy and rationalisation of non-priority expenditure...," the finance ministry said in a statement. The decision came on the back of COVID-19 pandemic crippling India's supply chain, while severely affecting government's revenues. India's GDP contracted by a record 23.9 per cent to Rs 26.90 lakh crore in April-June period of the financial year 2020-21, compared to compared to Rs 35.35 lakh crore in the corresponding period last year. This is the worst quarterly GDP numbers ever recorded since India started compiling GDP data on a quarterly basis in 1996. The contraction in nominal GDP numbers means India's fiscal deficit ratio calculated as a percentage of nominal GDP will also look worse. Also read: India's GDP contraction worst among G-20 countries: IMF's Gita Gopinath Other administrative expenditure guidelines are: 1) No printing/publishing of books, publications, documents, etc will be done on imported paper, except where printing is done abroad by Indian Missions, etc. 2) Expenditure on functions such as celebrations of Foundation Day, etc. should be discouraged or it felt necessarily be appropriately curtailed. In any case, travel for such functions and provision of bags or mementoes should be avoided. 3) Consultancy assignments -- all ministries/departments may carry out a review of the individual consultants appointed in their respective ministries or departments in consonance with the provisions of GFR and reduce the number of consultants to the minimum requirement. 4) There will be a ban on creation of new posts, except with the approval of department of expenditure, in ministries, attached offices, subordinate offices, statutory bodies and autonomous bodies. Meanwhile, Congress president Rahul Gandhi slammed the Modi government for issuing "freeze on hiring" in central ministries and related offices. "The Modi government's thinking: minimum government, maximum privatisation. Covid is just an excuse, the government plan to free government offices of all permanent staff, steal youngster's future and propel its own friends forward," Gandhi said in a Hindi tweet. Also read: Andhra Pradesh tops 'ease of doing business' ranking again; UP, Telangana bag 2nd, 3rd spots A man who filmed an unconcious woman naked in a hotel room has been sentenced for voyeurism after his victim fought a five-year battle with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS.) Christopher Killick, 41, admitted he had recorded the one-minute video of Emily Hunt for his sexual gratification. At Stratford Magistrates Court on Friday he was sentenced to a 30-month community order, fined 2,000 and told to pay Ms Hunt 5,000. Ms Hunt, who has waived her right to anonymity, had woken up without any clothes on in a hotel room in Bethnal Green, east London, in 2015 and no memory of how she had got there. The last thing she could remember was having lunch with a family member at a nearby restaurant five hours earlier. Killick was initially arrested on suspicion of rape but police dropped the case because they could not find sufficient evidence to substantiate the allegation. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 18 January 2022 Surfers enter the sea as the sun rises over Tynemouth on the North East coast PA UK news in pictures 17 January 2022 Bonhams Danny McIlwraith holds a Nigerian polycrome carved wood mask during a photocall for the sale of the Jim Lennon Collection at Bonhams in Edinburgh PA UK news in pictures 16 January 2022 The moon rises above the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth, Hampshire PA UK news in pictures 15 January 2022 Demonstrators outside Downing Street during a Kill The Bill protest against The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill in London PA UK news in pictures 14 January 2022 Ecologist Emma Smart (left) and retired GP Dr Diana Warner outside HMP Bronzefield, in Surrey, following their release from the prison where Emma undertook a 26-day hunger strike during her incarceration. Ms Smart was sentenced in November, along with other members of Insulate Britain, to serve four months for breaking a High Court injunction by taking part in a blockade at junction 25 of the M25 motorway during the morning rush hour on 8 October last year PA UK news in pictures 13 January 2022 A TV presenter holds a copy of a newspaper outside 10 Downing Streetafter the Prime Minister apologised for attending a gathering of colleagues in the Number Ten garden in May 2020, while the UK was in strict lockdown due to the Coronavirus pandemic Getty UK news in pictures 12 January 2022 Fitness guru Derrick Evans after receiving an MBE during an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 11 January 2022 A couple walk underneath an umbrella during wet weather on Westminster Bridge in central London PA UK news in pictures 10 January 2022 A jogger passes the Covid Memorial Wall in London AP UK news in pictures 9 January 2021 The sun rises over horses at Seaton Sluice in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 8 January 2022 Riders compete during the Veterans Men's race at the UK Cyclo-Cross National Championships 2022 in Ardingly, south of London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 7 January 2022 A dog looks out of a car window at the wintry conditions in Killeshin, Co. Laois PA UK news in pictures 6 January 2022 People walk through frost and mist alongside a frozen lake during sunrise in Bushy Park, London REUTERS UK news in pictures 5 January 2022 A skier jumps on the slopes at Allenheads in the Pennines to the north of Weardale in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 4 January 2022 Freshly-fallen snow covers houses in Corbridge, near Hexham in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 3 January 2022 Dean Morrison, 13, receives his Covid-19 vaccine from student nurse Anthony McLaughlin during a vaccination clinic at the Glasgow Central Mosque PA UK news in pictures 2 January 2022 Konastantinos Tsimikas of Liverpool with Chelseas Mason Mount during the Premier League match at Stamfrod Bridge Liverpool FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 January 2022 New Years Eve Lasers, drones and fireworks illuminate the sky in front of the Royal Naval College in Greenwich shortly after midnight in London EPA UK news in pictures 31 December 2021 Competitors in fancy dress run across the Pennine tops near Haworth, West Yorkshire, in the annual Auld Lang Syne Fell race which attracts hundreds of runners every year PA UK news in pictures 30 December 2021 Sunrise at Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 29 December 2021 The Very Revd Dr Robert Willis, Dean of Canterbury Cathedral, looks at Becket, a six month old red-billed chough as he visits Wildwood Wildlife Park in Kent on the anniversary of the murder of Thomas Becket PA UK news in pictures 28 December 2021 Troops of the Household Cavalry are seen reflected in a puddle during the changing of the Queens Life Guard, on Horse Guards Parade, in central London PA UK news in pictures 27 December 2021 A pedestrian walks past a winter sale sign outside a John Lewis store on Oxford street in London Getty UK news in pictures 26 December 2021 Riders take their bikes through the snow near Castleside, County Durham PA UK news in pictures 25 December 2021 Patrick Corkery wears a santa hat and beard as waves crash over him at Forty Foot near Dublin during a Christmas Day dip PA UK news in pictures 24 December 2021 People stand inside Kings Cross Station on Christmas Eve in London Reuters UK news in pictures 23 December 2021 Christmas shoppers fill the car park at Fosse Shopping Park in Leicester PA UK news in pictures 22 December 2021 The sun rises behind the stones as people gather for the winter solstice at Stonehenge. Getty UK news in pictures 21 December 2021 People take part in a winter solstice swim at Portobello Beach in Edinburgh to mark the solstice and to witness the dawn after the longest night of the year PA UK news in pictures 20 December 2021 An auction employee displays poultry to buyers and sellers attending the Christmas Poultry Sale at York Auction Centre in Murton PA UK news in pictures 19 December 2021 Joao Moutinho of Wolverhampton Wanderers looks on during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea at Molineux Getty Images UK news in pictures 18 December 2021 Freight lorries queuing at the port of Dover in Kent PA UK news in pictures 17 December 2021 Newly elected Liberal Democrat MP Helen Morgan, bursts 'Boris' bubble' held by colleague Tim Farron, as she celebrates following her victory in the North Shropshire by-election PA UK news in pictures 16 December 2021 Brussels sprouts are harvested by workers as they prepare for the busy Christmas period near Boston in Lincolnshire PA UK news in pictures 15 December 2021 Lewis Hamilton is made a Knight Bachelor by the Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 14 December 2021 The Royal Liver Buildings surrounded by early morning fog in Liverpool PA UK news in pictures 13 December 2021 People queue outside a walk-in Covid-19 vaccination centre at St Thomas's Hospital in Westminster Getty Images UK news in pictures 12 December 2021 People take part in the Big Leeds Santa Dash in Roundhay Park, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 11 December 2021 People arrive at a Covid-19 vaccination centre at Elland Road in Leeds, PA UK news in pictures 10 December 2021 Stella Moris speaks to the media after the US Government won its High Court bid to overturn a judges decision not to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange PA UK news in pictures 9 December 2021 Camels are lead around Salisbury Cathedral during a rehearsal for the Christmas Eve Service PA UK news in pictures 8 December 2021 Margaret Keenan and Nurse May Parsons, a year after Margaret was the first person in the UK to receive the Pfizer vaccine PA UK news in pictures 7 December 2021 Snowfall in Leadhills, South Lanarkshire as Storm Barra hits the UK with disruptive winds, heavy rain and snow PA UK news in pictures 6 December 2021 A person tries to avoid sea spray on New Brighton promenade in Wallasey as the UK readies for the arrival of Storm Barra Getty UK news in pictures 5 December 2021 People release balloons during a tribute to six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes outside Emma Tustin's former address in Solihull, West Midlands, where he was murdered by his stepmother PA UK news in pictures 4 December 2021 People walk through a Christmas market in Trafalgar Square Reuters UK news in pictures 3 December 2021 A pedestrian carries a dog as they dodge shoppers on Oxford Street in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 2 December 2021 Duchess of Cambridge inspects a Faberge egg at the Victoria and Albert Museum Getty UK news in pictures 1 December 2021 Meerkats at London Zoo with an advent calendar PA UK news in pictures 30 November 2021 Workers put the finishing touches to the Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree ahead of the lighting ceremony later in the week PA However, during their investigation they discovered a 62-second video of Ms Hunt lying naked on the hotel bed which Killick admitted to having taken for his later sexual gratification. But prosecutors said although Ms Hunt had not consented to the video being taken it was not unlawful under the Sexual Offences Act as it was in a private space and she may have previously consented to being looked at while naked. After campaigning against this decision, Ms Hunt, with the backing of the Centre for Womens Justice, crowdfunded a judicial review last year. Shortly before her legal challenge was due to be heard, the Court of Appeal ruled in a separate case that filming someone in an intimate act without consent was always unlawful. As a result, the CPS reviewed Ms Hunts case and charged Mr Killick with voyeurism. Sentencing Killick, judge Louisa Cieciora said: The facts of this case are shocking. You prioritised your own desires without any real thought of how this might affect the victim. You saw an opportunity for personal sexual gratification and took it. Had he not pleaded guilty to the charge he would have been jailed, she added. Ms Hunt, who has struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder since the incident, said she was pleased with the powerful words of the judge. The recognition that this was a serious sexual offence and the acknowledgement of the devastating impact this has had on my life is the most important thing to me, she said in a statement through her lawyer. But she added: "It is appalling that it has taken five years to get to this point. I hope that in the future no other victim of a sexual offence has to go through what I have experienced." Other victims who have suffered similar ordeals have approached her since the landmark ruling by the Court of Appeal in January, she said. A spokesperson for the CPS spokesperson said: We recognise the delays in bringing this case to court have had a lasting impact on the victim. This is a complex area of law, which was clarified for the first time in the Court of Appeal this year. In light of that significant ruling, the CPS reviewed all the evidence in this case and authorised a charge of voyeurism. The CPS does not make or decide the law; that is the remit of Parliament and the courts respectively. The White House is targeting training on critical race theory and white privilege, calling them anti-American. US President Donald Trump has directed the executive branchs budget office to crack down on federal agency training programmes that are meant to support diversity and combat racism, calling them divisive, anti-American propaganda. In a letter on Friday, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, Russell Vought, told all executive branch agencies to identify any spending related to training on critical race theory, white privilege, or any theory that posits that the US, as well as any race or ethnicity, is inherently racist or evil. The divisive, false, and demeaning propaganda of the critical race theory movement is contrary to all we stand for as Americans and should have no place in the federal government, the letter reads. Critical race theory refers broadly to a school of thought that argues that systemic racism exists in US law and institutions and that race is a social construct created for the benefit of white citizens. White privilege is the concept that white citizens inherently benefit from the systemic racism in US society. The US presidents advisory comes amid months of racial justice demonstrations following the police killing of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, in May in Minnesota. Trump has rejected the idea that there is systemic racism in the US, particularly in law enforcement. He argued during a trip to Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Tuesday that high-profile incidents of police killing Black people are the result of bad apples in the police force or good cops who choke. The US president spent Saturday morning retweeting conservative supporters of his decision to end the training, which he called a sickness that cannot be allowed to continue. Please report any sightings so we can quickly extinguish! Trump tweeted. Press reports Fridays memo said Trumps decision came following press reports that described training programmes in which employees across the Executive Branch are told that virtually all white people contribute to racism or where employees were required to say they benefit from racism. The memo did not specify which reports it was citing, although Fox News has recently run critical segments on the training, according to The Associated Press news agency. Voughts memo added that additional federal guidance on training sessions would be forthcoming. But it maintained that the president, and his administration, are fully committed to the fair and equal treatment of all individuals in the United States. The president has a proven track record of standing for those whose voice has long been ignored and who have failed to benefit from all our country has to offer, and he intends to continue to support all Americans, regardless of race, religion, or creed, Vought added. At least eight migrant workers from Odishas Ganjam district on their way to Surat in Gujarat were killed and seven others injured when a bus carrying about 59 of them collided head-on with a truck at Cherikhedi in Chhattisgarh on Saturday. Also read: 5 friends headed to Nagarjunasagar dam crushed to death in Telangana car accident Odisha police chief Abhay said he has spoken to his Chhattisgarh counterpart about the accident and added the bus had left for Surat from Ganjams Aska area at 12 am on Saturday. He added the injured were being treated at Raipur Medical College and Hospital. Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik announced an ex-gratia relief of Rs 2 lakh each from his relief fund to the next of the kin of those killed in the accident and free medical treatment to the injured. He sent state labour minister Sushant Singh to Raipur to extend necessary assistance to the victims and asked Abhay to remain in touch with Chhattisgarh police for coordination. Tens of thousands of migrant workers left jobless by the lockdown imposed to check the Covid-19 pandemic spread returned to Odisha this summer. Ganjam emerged as a Covid-19 hotspot in June and July with the return of over 500,000 migrant workers from Gujarat, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Kerala, and Karnataka. The migrant workers have begun returning to their places of work with an increase in testing and recoveries. The state government has tried to offer jobs to migrant workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme but there is hardly any work for skilled workers. Many textile mill agents from Surat have been camping in Ganjam to take back the migrant workers to Gujarat. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ni Nyoman Wira (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, September 5, 2020 14:29 502 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c42e0db2 1 Destinations Atourin,Wisata-Kreatif-Jakarta,kampung-berseri-astra,virtual-tour,virtual-trip,Thousand-Islands-regency Free Thousand Islands regency is often seen as a convenient travel destination during the transitional period of large-scale social restrictions (PSBB). Located not too far from Jakarta, the regency consists of several islands, including Bidadari, Kelor, Cipir, Onrust and Pramuka. The head of the Thousand Islands Tourism and Creative Economy Agency, Puji Astuti, told kompas.com in August that all islands had reopened for visitors. The regency can be reached from several points in North Jakarta, including Marina Ancol wharf and Kali Adem port. Travelers are required to comply with health protocol, such as by undergoing temperature checks, carrying medical certificates and maintaining good hygiene, to cross to the islands. Guide Agnes Felicia from tour operator Wisata Kreatif Jakarta said the fee for water transportation services would depend on which island to visit, and the best time to travel was from May to September. The price from Marina is usually higher, but it equals comfort and a shorter traveling time, said Agnes during a virtual tour to the Thousand Islands on June 27. The tour was a collaboration between Wisata Kreatif Jakarta, tourism technology company Atourin and conservation-based village Kampung Berseri Astra. To book a speedboat from Marina to Bidadari Island, for instance, is around Rp 400,000 (US$27.20) or Rp 500,000. Each speedboat can fit 16 to 20 people and the trip will take about 20 minutes. The tours first stop was the 6-hectare Bidadari Island, which features resort areas and historical sites filled with old canons and fort ruins. Visitors would need around 30 minutes or one hour to explore the whole area. Our next destinations were the uninhibited islets of Cipir, Onrust and Kelor. They are often included in a one-day itinerary by tour organizers as they are located close to each other. Reachable in only 15 minutes from Bidadari Island, Cipir was made a quarantine site by the Dutch in the early 1900s, when Batavia was hit by cholera. The islet features a museum and ruins of old buildings. Ruins of Martello fort on Kelor Island in Thousand Islands regency draw many tourists. (Atourin & Wisata Kreatif Jakarta/File) Kelor is smaller than Cipir and was previously used for Batavias marine defense system. Travelers can visit the ruins of Martello fort on the islet. Like Cipir, Onrust also served as a quarantine site in the past. The islet is said to have been home to one of the largest shipyards in Southeast Asia in the 17th and 18th centuries. From Onrust, we traveled to Pramuka Island, an inhibited 16-ha island, where the office of the Thousand Islands regency administration is located. Mahariah, a native and pioneer of Kampung Berseri Astra, said the island had five wharfs, each serving a different purpose, such as for the boats of civil servants and fishermen. Pramuka Island has spots for sunrise and sunset viewings, diving and snorkeling. (Atourin & Wisata Kreatif Jakarta/File) Mahariah said that the island used to be uninhibited and was known as Elang Island. Most of the residents had come from the neighboring island of Panggang and now work as fishermen, guides, civil servants or teachers. Visitors can cover the entire part of the island in less than one hour by bike. It also has spots for sunrise and sunset viewings, diving and snorkeling. Those who travel to Pramuka Island can stay at residents homes. All homestays are sprayed with disinfectant before guests arrive and after they depart, said Mahariah. On the second weekend of June, just after the PSBB had been relaxed to allow for more economic activity, around 1,900 travelers flocked to Thousand Islands regency. It welcomed 619 visitors on June 13 and 1,265 people on June 14. (wng) 11 Arrested, 3 Officers Injured During Unrest in Rochester, New York Eleven people were arrested and three officers were injured late Friday during protests and rioting in Rochester, New York, over the death of Daniel Prude. Prude, 41, died in March from complications of asphyxia in the setting of physical restraint, according to an autopsy. Prude was taken into custody by a number of police officers in Rochester. Video footage from the city showed a bus stop lit on fire. Another video showed demonstrators flipping over tables and smashing glass at outdoor restaurants while chanting Black Lives Matter. Were shutting the party down, one person who was part of the crowd shouted as diners fled from the scene. Police officers ultimately declared an unlawful assembly, deployed crowd control munitions, and took people into custody. Three people were charged with felony first-degree rioting, the Rochester Police Department said in news releases. Four of the 11 arrested were booked into Monroe County Jail while the others were cited. People use umbrellas and shields during clashes with police officers in Rochester, N.Y., on Sept. 4, 2020. (Maranie R. Staab/AFP via Getty Images) Police officers attempt to clear the streets after a march for Daniel Prude in Rochester, N.Y., on Sept. 4, 2020. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) Joe Prude, the brother of Daniel Prude, leads demonstrators in a march for his brother in Rochester, N.Y., on Sept. 4, 2020. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) Dispersal came after the crowd threw rocks and other projectiles at officers and set multiple fires, police said. Two officers suffered cuts and other injuries while the third suffered burns to their neck. Anger at Prudes death has stirred demonstrations in Rochester and New York City, where several were arrested during rioting on Friday. According to the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, Joe Prude, Daniel Prudes brother, told the crowd that this is an unstoppable moment, adding: Its time to get rid of them sons of [expletive]. Mayor Lovely Warren, a Democrat, announced this week that the seven officers involved in the arrest of Prude were being suspended. Prudes relatives had called police to report that he was suffering from a mental episode. Officers found him running naked in the street. He initially complied when officers asked him to put his hands behind his back to be handcuffed. Later, Prude sat up and began spitting at the officers while saying he had contracted the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, which causes COVID-19. Officers then put a spit guard over his head and pinned him to the ground face down for about two minutes to restrain him, after which he stopped breathing. Prude received CPR on the scene and was taken to hospital. He died seven days later, on March 30, after being taken off life support. This undated photo shows Daniel Prude. (Courtesy Roth and Roth LLP via AP) In this still image from police body camera video, a Rochester police officer puts a hood over the head of Daniel Prude in Rochester, N.Y., on March 23, 2020. A medical examiner concluded that Prudes death was a homicide caused by complications of asphyxia in the setting of physical restraint. The report lists excited delirium and acute intoxication by the recreational drug phencyclidine, or PCP, as contributing factors. New York Attorney General Letitia Jamess office took over the investigation into the death in April. Warren told reporters that she only learned that Prudes death involved the use of force last month. Police Chief LaRon Singletary portrayed it as a drug overdose, she alleged. Experiencing and ultimately dying from a drug overdose in police custody as I was told by the chief is entirely different than what I ultimately witnessed on the video provided to me by the law department on August 4th, the mayor said. Prude was failed by our police department, our mental healthcare system, our society, and he was failed by me, she added. Singletary told reporters earlier this week: The investigation has to take its course. This is not a cover-up. Let me be clear when I say that: This is not a cover-up whatsoever, he added. The mayor also claimed that James office asked her not to release information, a claim challenged by the attorney general. There was never a request from the Attorney Generals Office to the city of Rochester Corporation Counsel to withhold information about the events surrounding the death of Daniel Prude, plain and simple. Once again, the city of Rochester and the Rochester Police Department are free to move forward with their own investigation, the office said. Lovely Warren, mayor of Rochester, speaks during a press conference on the death of Daniel Prude, in Rochester, New York, on Sept. 3, 2020. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) People light candles at a make shift memorial at the site where Daniel Prude was arrested in Rochester, N.Y., Sept. 3, 2020. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) Councilman Mitch Gruber, a Democrat, echoed calls by the Rochester Black Agenda Group for an independent probe, citing supposed inconsistencies in recent testimonies and press conferences. I call upon my City Council colleagues to exercise our subpoena authority to uncover the truth, he said. Black Lives Matter activists said police officers killed Prude. On March 23, 2020, the Rochester Police Department executed a black man named Daniel Prude, Stanley Martin, a lead organizer with Free the People Roc, told reporters at a press conference this week. Mr. Prude was naked, defenseless, unarmed, and experiencing a mental health crisis. Elliot Shields, a lawyer representing Prudes family, told reporters earlier Friday that the whole system failed Daniel on the night of the incident and failed on holding these officers accountable. But Michael Mazzeo, president of Rochesters police union, told reporters on Friday that the officers followed protocol. An officer doesnt have the ability to go off-script, he said. They have to follow protocol and do what they are trained to do. If an investigation shows a need to change the way policing is done, he added, then changes should be made. Mimi Nguyen Ly contributed to this report. GENEVA The World Health Organization does not expect widespread vaccinations against COVID-19 until the middle of next year, a spokeswoman said on Friday, stressing the importance of rigorous checks on their effectiveness and safety. None of the candidate vaccines in advanced clinical trials so far has demonstrated a clear signal of efficacy at the level of at least 50 percent sought by the WHO, spokeswoman Margaret Harris said. Russia granted regulatory approval to a COVID-19 vaccine in August after less than two months of human testing, prompting some Western experts to question its safety and efficacy. U.S. public health officials and Pfizer Inc said on Thursday a vaccine could be ready for distribution as soon as late October. That would be just ahead of the U.S. election on November 3 in which the pandemic is likely to be a major factor among voters deciding whether President Donald Trump wins a second term. We are really not expecting to see widespread vaccination until the middle of next year, Harris told a UN briefing in Geneva. This phase 3 must take longer because we need to see how truly protective the vaccine is and we also need to see how safe it is, she added. This referred to the phase in vaccine research where large clinical trials among people are conducted. Harris did not refer to any specific vaccine candidate. All data from trials must be shared and compared, Harris said. A lot of people have been vaccinated and what we dont know is whether the vaccine works...at this stage we do not have the clear signal of whether or not it has the level of worthwhile efficacy and safety..., she added. The WHO and GAVI vaccine alliance are leading a global vaccine allocation plan known as COVAX that aims to help buy and distribute shots fairly. The focus is on first vaccinating the most high-risk people in every country such as healthcare workers. COVAX aims to procure and deliver two billion doses of approved vaccines by the end of 2021, but some countries that have secured their own supplies through bilateral deals, including the United States, have said they will not join. Essentially, the door is open. We are open. What the COVAX is about is making sure everybody on the planet will get access to the vaccines, Harris said. Pollster Ben Ephson says the decision by former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, to contest the December presidential election is nothing but a return to her hobby. The Managing Editor of the Daily Dispatch newspaper, said Thursday, September 3, 2020, that the founder and leader of the National Democratic Party (NDP), an offshoot of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), would be better off staying away following her poor showing in the 2016 elections. Looking at the number of votes she had that is about 16, 000 representing 0.16 percent of the total ballot cast, which could not even cross 17, 000 and given her age which is also about 70 to 71 years, I am sure she is just contesting for the seat as a hobby, he said. Ben Ephson Her coming back will only show records of her contesting again but to win again might be a yes or no answer to be decided by the electorate, he reiterated. 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 Madison County sheriffs deputies have arrested a fifth person in a July fatal shooting in the north Alabama town of Hartselle. Angela Stolz, 33, is currently in the Morgan County Jail charged in the death of Anthony Larry Sheppard, Hartselle police said today. Police found Sheppard dead in his Hartselle home July 24 after being called to perform a welfare check. Friends called police saying they had not seen Sheppard for some time, police said. He was found shot multiple times. No suspected motive has been released for the shooting, which was the first murder in Hartselle since 2006. But police have said only one of the five suspects actually knew the businessman and lifelong Hartselle resident. The FBI Violent Crimes Task Force passed information about Stolz to the Madison County Sheriffs Office Friday, the sheriffs office said. At about 2 a.m. Saturday morning, the Madison County Street Crimes Unit and county drug agents found and arrested Stolz in Moores Mill, the sheriff said. Game of Thrones makers to adapt Chinese sci-fi classic for Netflix View(s): Netflix has announced its recruited two of the masterminds behind Games of Thrones to adapt bestselling Chinese sci-fi novel The Three-Body Problem. Writers David Benioff and DB Weiss will work on the series with True Blood writer Alexander Woo. The news has drawn mixed reactions with some fans doubting a US adaptation of the Chinese story will work. The book is the first instalment of the trilogy Remembrance of Earths Past by writer Liu Cixin. First published in 2008, the books were soon translated into English and have received both critical acclaim and a global readership, counting former US President Barack Obama and Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg among their fans. The plot of the saga spans from Chinas Cultural Revolution to events several thousand years in the future. Liu Cixins trilogy is the most ambitious science-fiction series weve read, taking readers on a journey from the 1960s until the end of time, from life on our pale blue dot to the distant fringes of the universe, Netflix cites writers and executive producers Benioff and Weiss as saying. We look forward to spending the next years of our lives bringing this to life for audiences around the world. The pair signed an exclusive deal with Netflix in 2019. The streaming company has not released any information on the release date nor other details about the series. Courtesy BBC She will be starring in the film adaptation of the Tony Award winning musical Dear Evan Hansen. And Amy Adams looked every bit the Hollywood starlet on Friday afternoon, while exiting a hair salon in Beverly Hills. The 46-year-old actress' lengthy auburn hair blew around in the breeze as she made her way back to her parked vehicle. Camera ready: Amy Adams looked every bit the Hollywood starlet on Friday afternoon, while exiting a hair salon in Beverly Hills Adams kept her famous face concealed behind a patterned mask and a pair of 70s inspired sunglasses. She had on a pale blue peasant blouse and a pair of denim straight leg jeans. The Sharp Objects star slipped her feet into a pair of platform heels and she carried a matching purse in her hand. Once she made it to her luxury vehicle, Adams opened the driver's side door, sat down, and drove off. All the drama: The 46-year-old actress' lengthy auburn hair blew around in the breeze as she made her way back to her parked vehicle Despite being in quarantine with husband Darren Le Gallo and their 10-year-old daughter Aviana, Amy has continued to rake in future acting roles. Most recently, it was announced that Amy would be reuniting with her The Woman in the Window co-star Julianne Moore for the impending Dear Evan Hansen film, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Actors Danny Pino, Amandla Stenberg, Colton Ryan, Nik Dodani, and Ben Platt, who won a Tony for his role as Evan Hansen in the Broadway production, are all joining the film's cast. Safety first: Adams kept her famous face concealed behind a patterned mask and a pair of 70s inspired sunglasses Heading off: Once she made it to her luxury vehicle, Adams opened the driver's side door, sat down, and drove off Platt will be reprising his role as the show's lead Evan Hansen, 'a socially awkward teen who gets caught up in a lie when he says he was best friends with a schoolmate who commits suicide.' Adams and Moore will be portraying the two significant maternal roles in the beloved musical. Dear Evan Hansen will be directed by Stephen Chbosky, while Steven Levenson, who wrote the book that inspired the stage play, will pen the script. Since the film is still in the casting phase, a theatrical release date has not been published. Reunited: Most recently, it was announced that Amy would be reuniting with her The Woman in the Window co-star Julianne Moore in the impending Dear Evan Hansen film, according to the Hollywood Reporter; Amy Adams (left) and Julianne Moore (right) Adams and Moore's thriller The Woman in the Window was recently snatched up by Netflix, although the film is a Disney-owned 20th Century Studios production, as reported by Deadline last month. The Woman in the Window is a film adaptation of the bestselling novel of the same name by A.J. Finn. The film/book follows 'agoraphobic Dr. Anna Fox,' played by Adams, who witnesses 'a disturbing act of violence,' while spying on her seemingly picturesque next door neighbors. ROBERTO SCHMIDT/Getty Images Donald Trump visiting Arlington National Cemetery in 2018 President Donald Trump is denying a report that he called U.S. soldiers "losers" and "suckers" during a 2018 trip to Paris when he canceled a visit to the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery. Trump, 74, slammed a report from The Atlantic on Thursday that said he "rejected the idea of the visit because he feared his hair would become disheveled in the rain, and because he did not believe it important to honor American war dead, according to four people with firsthand knowledge of the discussion that day." The magazine did not name the four sources. "Why should I go to that cemetery? Its filled with losers," Trump reportedly said to senior staff members the morning the trip was scheduled to take place. He also reportedly later called the marines who died at Belleau Wood the battle during which American troops and allies halted Germany's advance into Paris during WWI in 1918 "suckers" and asked his aides, "Who were the good guys in this war?" In another scene from the magazine's sources, Trump went to Arlington National Cemetery in 2017 and visited the grave of the son of then-Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly. Robert Kelly had died in 2010 while serving with the Marine Corps in Iraq. "I dont get it. What was in it for them?" Trump reportedly said at the cemetery, according to The Atlantic. I was never a big fan of John McCain, disagreed with him on many things including ridiculous endless wars and the lack of success he had in dealing with the VA and our great Vets, but the lowering of our Nations American Flags, and the first class funeral he was given by our.... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 4, 2020 ....John a loser and swear on whatever, or whoever, I was asked to swear on, that I never called our great fallen soldiers anything other than HEROES. This is more made up Fake News given by disgusting & jealous failures in a disgraceful attempt to influence the 2020 Election! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 4, 2020 Sources also told the magazine that in a 2018 White House planning meeting for a military parade, Trump allegedly did not want wounded veterans included as "Nobody wants to see that." Story continues The remark attributed to him by the magazines sources is similar to what he said out loud to Olympic and Paralympic athletes at a White House ceremony in April 2018: that the Paralympic competitions between athletes with disabilities were tough to watch too much. Speaking with reporters on Thursday, Trump denied the story, calling it a "disgrace." He claimed that the Secret Service would not let him go to the cemetery because of rainy weather conditions. RELATED: Trump Triples Down on Bizarre Attacks Against Evil John McCain, Complains He Was Horrible On Twitter, the president said he "never called our great fallen soldiers anything other than HEROES." The Atlantic report also touched on Trump's repeated criticisms of the late Sen. John McCain, both on his 2016 campaign trail and after the senator died of brain cancer in August 2018. "Were not going to support that losers funeral," Trump reportedly told senior staff members of McCain after he died. President Donald Trump (left) and Sen. John McCain Trump on Thursday told reporters that though he disagreed with McCain, he had to "approve" his funeral in 2018 "without hesitation and without complaint." "I felt he deserved it," Trump said Thursday. Trump did not have to approve McCain's funeral. His heated denials on Twitter and at the foot of the stairs of Air Force One rang hollow alongside his past public, on-the-record disparagements of McCain, which has included calling the senator not a hero and "horrible" as recently as last year. RELATED: A Brief History of the Bad Blood Between the Trump Family and Meghan McCain "Im not a fan of John McCain, and thats fine," Trump said at a speech in Ohio in March 2019, criticizing McCain's support of the Affordable Care Act. "I was never a big fan of John McCain, disagreed with him on many things including ridiculous endless wars and the lack of success he had in dealing with the VA and our great Vets, but the lowering of our Nations American Flags, and the first class funeral he was given by our Country, had to be approved by me, as President, & I did so without hesitation or complaint," Trump tweeted Thursday. "Quite the contrary, I felt it was well deserved," he continued. "I even sent Air Force One to bring his body, in casket, from Arizona to Washington. It was my honor to do so. Also, I never called John a loser and swear on whatever, or whoever, I was asked to swear on, that I never called our great fallen soldiers anything other than HEROES. This is more made up Fake News given by disgusting & jealous failures in a disgraceful attempt to influence the 2020 Election!" But at the 2015 Family Leadership Summit in Ames, Iowa, Trump said of McCain: He lost and let us down. I've never liked him as much after that. I don't like losers. And on July 18, 2015, Trump seemed to boast about the insult when he tweeted a link to a political blog that quoted him at the same event calling McCain exactly that a loser. Trumps bad blood with McCain started as early as 1999 when Trump questioned whether or not the senator was a war hero during a 60 Minutes interview. RELATED VIDEO: Meghan McCain Slams Donald Trump for Attacking Her Late Dad John: 'My Father Was His Kryptonite' Meghan McCain Slams Donald Trump for Attacking Her Late Dad John: 'My Father Was His Kryptonite' Meghan McCain blasted the president for his time spent 'obsessing over great men'. McCain was a prisoner of war in North Vietnam for more than five years. The former Navy pilot previously told PEOPLE that he survived thanks to his faith in God, faith in my fellow prisoners and faith in my country. But on 60 Minutes, Trump, who received a deferment from the military draft, was openly derisive. He was captured Does being captured make you a hero? he said of McCain. I dont know. Im not sure. Trumps comment resurfaced during the 2016 Republican presidential primary. This time, Trump doubled down. Hes not a war hero, Trump said at the Family Leadership Summit in Iowa in July 2015. He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who werent captured. A group of drug companies competing with one another to be among the first to develop coronavirus vaccines are planning to pledge early next week that they will not release any vaccines that do not follow rigorous efficacy and safety standards, according to representatives of three of the companies. The statement, which has not yet been finalized, is meant to reassure the public that the companies will not seek a premature approval of vaccines under political pressure from the Trump administration. President Trump has pushed for a vaccine to be available by October just before the presidential election and a growing number of scientists, regulators and public health experts have expressed concern over what they see as a pattern of political arm-twisting by the Trump administration in its efforts to combat the virus. The companies joint statement was planned for early next week, but it may be released before then after its existence was made public on Friday by The Wall Street Journal. The manufacturers that are said to have signed the letter include Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi. The pharmaceutical companies are not the only ones pushing back. Senior regulators at the Food and Drug Administration have been discussing making their own joint public statement about the need to rely on proven science, according to two senior administration officials, a move that would breach their usual reticence as civil servants. they just look like two friends having a kiki Reply Thread Link Hes def checking his grindr Reply Parent Thread Link Lmao her name is Vanessa Good for him I guess Id do the same if I had his money I watched bits of his Netflix show cause deliciously Ella was on it and it seems Hollywood really fucked with his head so it seems like hes prioritising his health doing this Reply Thread Link Yeah, he really seemed absolutely done with Hollywood in that Netflix show, so it's good he's taking a time out. Reply Parent Thread Link I couldnt finish his Netflix show, Reply Parent Thread Link yeah i got the impression that he was starting to realize his mental health and actual health were being fucked up by it. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link She's really pretty, kinda refreshing to see a Hollywood actor date someone who looks like her instead of a bombshell blonde type. Reply Thread Link its also kind of nice to see an actor date someone who isn't in the industry Reply Parent Thread Link True but the power differential between a millionaire actor and a waitress who quit their job to be with them is a little tough. If/when they break-up she'll have nothing. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link i love her hairstyle, i don't have the facial structuring for that, she is so lucky Reply Parent Thread Link Zacs probably been in Australia since March and the two times hes been pap , was with her, and according to daily mail she quit her job and is living with him? Thats nice but also if he wanted I dont think hes calling himself? Considering daily mail posted her full name in July article. Reply Thread Link Im saying, back in July when they were first spotted together daily mail had her full name out there, shes a nobody, and can easy find her Instagram , / zacs been out in Australia since March and not seen, so either hes calling the paps on himself or someone is, sorry what Im saying makes no sense Reply Parent Thread Link Zac has been in Australia since March and has only been papped twice. Both times were with her, a nobody whose full identity (including insta) is now known. Is sis calling the paps? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link im surprised he hasnt been able to hustle his way into a superhero movie i mean noah centineo could do it Reply Thread Link I will never wrap my head around Noahs career. Just...how...? Reply Parent Thread Link wormed his way in by being a boy toy for several female writers and directors in thottywood i mean hollywood, my good sis who is always in the know spilled the oolong Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I guess the impact of his former hollywood persona is still too big to Hollywood consider him in these roles, he's an actor for girls movies, he's a star made for girls I would love to see him in Guardians of the Galaxy, not necessarly Adam Warlock (that I think as someone young, handsome and taller than Chris Pratt, like Jacob Elordi), but he would make a great Nova Reply Parent Thread Link I bet he's been offered something. Reply Parent Thread Link I feel like he's more than likely been offered smth but turned it down tbh. He seems over it these days and rly into his health. Reply Parent Thread Link He should ask Thor if he could rent a room abp. Reply Thread Link the editing on his netflix show is so weird and awkward, or maybe it's me as someone with acute secondhand embarrassement. like the episode with the guide who didn't know anything about the waterfalls and couldn't answer their questions, or the one with the water dude who got PISSED when he got interrupted and went on a rant about how a hollywood actor didn't intimidate him. like why leave that in?? i couldn't finish the show. Reply Thread Link It ended on the BIGGEST bummer, too. Reply Parent Thread Link how did it end?? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I enjoyed his Netflix program. He seems to be in a better place compared to a few years ago. Reply Thread Link Damn. Zaddy* keeps him an ethnic girl on deck! (*Zac Efron is the only man who it is acceptable to call Zaddy. Please direct all inquiries to the management!) Reply Thread Link I also heard he's an undercover big girl lover as well. Zaddy likes all types! Reply Parent Thread Link Oh no, not an undercover BBW lover! This is apparently really common and so tragic. So many men are into bigger women, but date and marry slim women because they date to impress their friends/for social capital. Ironically, many women are dieting to stay slim for men who would prefer a curvier woman! Sigh. If he showed up with a big girl, it would be over for these faux Zaddies! Reply Parent Thread Link I give no praise to men who refuse to be seen in public with bigger girls but want to fuck them in private. Reply Parent Thread Link I ... need details? Spill Reply Parent Thread Link He does! And it seems to goes beyond the generic Kim K 'ethnic' type which is a pleasent suprise. Edited at 2020-09-05 10:43 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link Because leaving a job for a man is such a wise decision I say as Im absolutely sure I would do it for Henry Cavill Reply Thread Link i'm sure it was devastating to quit waitressing and fuck off with a rich celeb if they break up, the industry will likely welcome her back with open arms Reply Parent Thread Link Henry prefers his girlfriends leave high school for him. Reply Parent Thread Link And then he dis-invites them to his birthday party!!! Reply Parent Thread Expand Link let my vagina have its fun :( Reply Parent Thread Link Ive left shitty jobs for far less LOL Reply Parent Thread Expand Link i heard he has a thing for underage girls and i just can't Reply Parent Thread Link I checked out his Netflix show but only a couple episodes. Zac seemed like a harmless bro for the most part but that guru guy idk... Reply Thread Link zadddy destroy my bussy Reply Thread Link She quit her job? Thot is not a job.... bloody pathetic Reply Thread Link Girl, she was a waitress Reply Parent Thread Link I mean , judging from her Instagram she models, Reply Parent Thread Link What the fuck kinda comment is this Reply Parent Thread Link A Thot? Really? Reply Parent Thread Link you seem upset Reply Parent Thread Link Don't be bitter, sweatie Edited at 2020-09-05 10:11 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link I still root that someday people will see how talented he is... the guy made a travel documentary top 10 in USA, I guess he can simply demand to be in good films now Reply Thread Link Lmao what is the logic in this comment? Reply Parent Thread Link Zac Efron started his career as a teen dreamboat, grew up as an adult romantic star lead, then parodied his self star persona in movies like Neighbors and Baywatch (not to say, even "Extremely Wicked", that he played a monster hidden behind a nice, charismatic man) I mean, at this point, it's more than ten years he's acting, but he feels more like a "brand" than an actor, I remember his small cameo in The Disaster Artist and I saw a lot of people saying he was very good in the movie, he was unrecognizable, I watched the movie and he wasn't unrecognizable AT ALL, it was just a cameo, it wasn't even a performance lol maybe I guess it was the first time people saw him acting and not Zac Efron playing (or playing with the idea of) Zac Efron, it's already tired for me that like him, I try to imagine how it is for people that hate him (and I think he don't give a lot of reasons to be hated, people hate this idea Hollywood made of him, not him) This is my point, he can increase his influence to demand good roles and better movies for these streaming services because he apparently have a better "star power" in this than a "teather movie star" And I know, maybe I sound more full nonsense talking this than I sound before, but this is my point Reply Parent Thread Link i have a big soft spot for him after watching his netflix show. he doesn't seem to be the smartest dude but that's fine not everyone is; he does seem to be really earnest and curious and it was very clear that hollywood wrecked his body image / relationship with food so i wish him the best. i wish more men would talk about how fucked up having to get absolutely ripped for movies is, it seems horrible and unhealthy. i hope he chills with his money and eats pasta for the rest of his days. Reply Thread Link iasfm. i feel like now and then we get an acknowledgement of the stress it does to the body, especially the heart, but there needs to be so much more acknowledgement of how much restriction and restrictive diets mess with you psychologically even long afterwards, especially since it's something that's been documented in research for decades. Reply Parent Thread Link right? i feel like thers a collective delusion in hollywood and la culture about it. you could sense going to places really helped him realize he could live somewhere that didn't constantly reinforce that. yeah, people forget restrictive diets can really harm your organs. karen carpenter people! Reply Parent Thread Link yeah agreed. he seemed, while maybe not the brightest, super genuine and interested in everything and was so clearly looking for healing. Reply Parent Thread Link Yeah, the process of putting yourself into dangerous dehydration for weeks or months at a time so that you can have visible abs is gross. What's worse is the number of people who now seem to act like that body type is "expected" and call a male actor "too small and skinny" if they don't completely roid out. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 08:01:22|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close More than 17,300 hectares of paddy is ready to be harvested in Chongqing, SW China. Modernized farming methods have helped secure harvest despite COVID-19. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.-- Relatives of Barry Moultrie have had a large weight lifted off their shoulders. Two days ago, detectives contacted Moultries sister, Jasmin Lawton, and told her that they had finally found the suspect who allegedly killed her brother in Pennsylvania. Day and night, Lawton constantly thought about when her brothers killer would finally be brought to justice. Im relieved and were all relieved, said Lawton. All of us (his siblings) and the rest of the family will do whatever it takes to make sure that the killer gets the maximum time locked up. Although Lawton is relieved at the fact that someone was in custody, she explained that the entire situation shouldnt even be happening. Its something we dont have to worry about anymore; that his killer is out there, but then he shouldnt have even been killed, she said. I think Barry would be happy knowing that they got the guy who killed him According to Lawton, law enforcement officials told her that she couldnt be told the name of the individual in custody yet because his extradition to New York is still pending. Lawton said NYPD detectives have been actively updating her through the ordeal. Moultrie, 35, was shot and killed near the intersection of Castleton Avenue and Barker Street in West Brighton on July 22 at around 11:25 a.m. Emergency personnel found the victim with gunshot wounds to his torso, and he succumbed to his injuries after being transported to Richmond University Medical Center in West Brighton, police said. Following the shooting, a suspect fled the scene in an unknown direction in a green, four-door Acura with Pennsylvania license plates, an NYPD spokesman previously told the Advance/SILive.com. Moultrie was born and raised in Brooklyn before moving to Staten Island. He was one of five siblings. Moultries five kids - four boys and a girl - lived with him. The boys are 3, 5, 6 and 8 years old, and the girl is 12 years old, according to Lawton. Law enforcement sources Moultrie was killed as part of a dispute over a woman. Back to school season has looked a little different this year as the coronavirus pandemic continues. And with in-person and online classes beginning at Texas' universities, many are tracking COVID-19 cases among students, faculty and staff. Here are some of the universities in Texas and in the Houston area sharing coronavirus case numbers. Numbers of coronavirus cases reported are as of Sept. 4. COVID-19 UPDATES: Houston passes 3K COVID deaths, Texas' positive rate drops University of Houston UH is currently reporting 190 coronavirus cases among students, faculty and staff since March 2020. Rice University Rice has reported 15 positive tests since Aug. 1 among students, faculty and staff. Between March 5 and July 31, the university reported 69 cases, making for a total of 84 positive coronavirus cases since March 5. Before the semester began, Rice University contracted 60,000 coronavirus tests to conduct on campus. Prairie View A&M University Prairie View A&M's dashboard shows several details, including whether it was a student, staff or faculty member who tested positive and when they were last on campus. The university has reported 82 cases since March 27. Sam Houston State University The university's dashboard provides age range, gender, and date reported for each COVID-19 confirmed case. Sam Houston State has reported 206 cases total. The University of Texas at Austin Since March 1, UT-Austin has reported a cumulative total of 600 positive COVID-19 cases. MEET THE TEACHER: Texas businesswoman Kendra Scott joins UT Austin staff to teach women in entrepreneurship course Texas State University Texas State has reported 277 positive cases since March 1. Texas Tech University Texas Tech has reported 671 positive cases of COVID-19 and currently has 477 active cases. The University of North Texas UNT's dashboard only shows active cases among students, faculty and staff. There are currently 41 active cases at the university. Baylor University Baylor reports 759 positive cases since Aug. 1. The university currently has 522 active cases. Texas A&M University Between Aug.21 and Sept. 1, 771 students, faculty and staff self-reported cases of COVID-19 at Texas A&M. Out of tests processed by Texas A&M University Student Health Services, the university reports 747 coronavirus cases since Aug. 2. Come September, and universities and colleges in the national capital would usually gear up for the high-stakes students union elections in Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University. Hoardings and pamphlets would appear on campuses and campaign slogans would be painted over walls. This year, however, the Covid-19 crisis has inevitably delayed the process. Last year, the Delhi University students union (DUSU) election was conducted on September 12 and the polls for Jawaharlal Nehru University students union (JNUSU) was held on September 7. Jamia Millia Islamia another central university in the capital does not have an elected students union since 2006 when it was disbanded. The matter is currently sub-judice. It is further recommended that elections be held on a yearly basis and that the same should be held between six to eight weeks from the date of commencement of the academic session, state the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations, which formulate the guidelines for conducting student elections in universities. Dean of Students Welfare at DU, Rajeev Gupta, who oversaw the election process last year, said, Students union elections are not a time-specific thing and they are related to admissions. We used to follow a particular calendar. This time admissions are going to start sometime in October and so everything will start once they are complete. The existing unions in both the central varsities will complete a year this month. In the absence of a newly-elected student body, the question remains over what happens to their tenure. I think till the time the newly-elected union doesnt join office, the existing union can continue, Gupta said. Across universities, the new academic session generally begins in the July-August period. However, the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown delayed the process of admission for first-year students in all courses in DU and JNU. Admissions are yet to be conducted in JNU, which conducts entrance tests for all its courses. In DU, the admission process is currently underway and is expected to be completed by October. Classes for other students, however, have already begun or are in the process of starting soon in these universities. While DU already started the semester for second and third-year students from August 10, JNU is in the process of conducting provisional registrations for the monsoon semester and is expected to start online classes soon. Asked about the gap between the commencement of the academic session for the two groups of students, Gupta said, The Covid-19 pandemic has caused an unprecedented situation, the solution to this also has to be an unprecedented one. I doubt if anybody has a discreet or clear answer on these queries at this point. JNU Registrar Pramod Kumar too said there has been no discussion on the subject so far. The institute hasnt even opened yet. We will carry out the necessary processes for the students union election only once things normalise in the university, he said. The current registration process for the next academic session is also provisional so that we can just start the online classes for students willing to attend. DUSU president Akshit Dahiya said, Since we are students representatives, it is our responsibility to look at various issues within the community during a pandemic. Our tenure usually continues till admissions and doesnt end till the next session begins officially. Even once the admission process is completed and classes begin, the university will have to look at how it will conduct the elections. JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh said, During a pandemic, students issues need to be represented, which is why an elected students body is required. As new semester has not begun, and the process of ongoing semester is still pending, the current union will continue till free and fair elections are held as per Supreme Court order on Student Union Elections & JNUSU Constitution once the new academic session begins and campus reopens properly. Elections for JNUSU and DUSU have always been significant in university spaces. Several political leaders like Arun Jaitley, Prakash Karat, Sitaram Yechury and Kanhaiya Kumar were earlier members of the students bodies in these universities. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kainat Sarfaraz Kainat Sarfaraz covers education for Hindustan Times in Delhi. She also takes keen interest in reading and writing on the intersections of gender and other identities. ...view detail The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had on Wednesday scolded the All Progressives Congress (APC) over what it considered false accusation against the wife of incumbent Governor Godwin Obaseki. The Chief Press Secretary to the Wife of the Governor of Edo State, Peter Okonkwo, in a statement in Benin City acknowledged a press statement of the APC issued by John Mayaki alleging that the wife of the incumbent governor, Betsy Obaseki, ordered the police to stop a free medical outreach organised by the wife of the APC candidate in Uromi. The CPS to the Edo First narrated Mrs. Betsy Obaseki is busy with the Women Wing of the PDP Campaign Committee and she has been engaged in series of meetings and mobilisation for the September 19 governorship election as could be seen with the success of the campaign in Esan Land. He maintained that the Governors wife does not run the Police force, arguing: so, this accusation is totally frivolous. He was of the view that the APC is intimidated by the massive support the Esan people have given to the PDP government and their resolve to return Governor Obaseki for second term; declaring: so, they are now making up excuses not to continue their campaign. PV: 8 Polit Bureau member of CPI(M) on Friday wrote a letter to Minister of Railways requesting his intervention on the judgment of August 31, directing the removal of all jhuggi clusters on railway land. "This is with reference to the judgment of August 31 directing removal of all jhuggi clusters on railway land adjacent to railway tracks within three months. You are no doubt aware that the Delhi High Court in its judgment last year had directed that arrangements for rehabilitation must be made in the event of relocation being required," wrote. "It appears that since the jhuggi dwellers were not made parties before the Supreme Court, the bench may not have been aware of this Delhi High Court judgment otherwise it is difficult to understand how a three-member bench of the apex court could have given such an inhuman judgment, that too at the time of a pandemic," she added. She further said that the Minister should intervene in the matter and prevent the eviction of people from the railway land. "I would request you to intervene to prevent eviction without relocation, rehabilitation and compensation. People, families are not homeless or do not live in jhuggis out of choice but because of policies of successive central Governments that have pushed them to the margins. The right to a home is a basic human right, not charity," she 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.) Aaron Brady is set to appeal the conviction of capital murder of Det Garda Adrian Donohoe and the related robbery, it was reported this week. Brady was convicted by a jury last month and is due back before the Central Criminal Court in October for sentencing. The 29 year old, who is a married father of one, is facing a prison term of 40 years for the crime of capital murder of Det. Garda Donohoe on January 25th, 2013 at Lordship Credit Union Brady, from Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, was part of a five-man gang laying in wait in the credit union car park in a planned robbery of the cash escort. Four of the gang members emerged from behind a wall in the car park and Brady was convicted of shooting Det Garda Donohoe, fatally wounding him. Anyone convicted of capital murder is also entitled to remission of 25 per cent, which is automatic. This would mean he will serve 30 years. Although Brady cannot lodge an appeal until after he is sentenced on October 14th, the Irish Times reported last week he plans to exercise his right of appeal. If he does mount an appeal, his legal fees would be met by the State. Once sentencing takes place, he must register his intention to appeal within 14 days of being sentenced. As he is already convicted he would remain in prison serving his sentence as he waits for his appeal to come before the courts. Meanwhile gardai have pledged to continue the fight to hold all of those involved in the murder of Det Garda Donohoe to account. NEW DELHI: The Patiala House Court of Delhi on Friday directed the defendants to restrain from publishing the book titled "Gunning for the Godman: The True Story behind the Asaram Bapu Conviction" till the next date of hearing. Additional District Judge RS Meena on Friday granted interim relief to Sanchita Gupta and restrain the publication of a book. Sanchita is a co-accused in a case related to self-styled Godman Asaram Bapu and had approached the Court seeking urgent relief against the publication of the book as the pre-released chapter published on a web portal was defamatory of her and was likely to prejudice her appeal pending before the High Court of Rajasthan. Sanchita Gupta had approached the Court in a civil suit filed by her advocates Naman Joshi and Karan Khanuja and the matter was strongly argued by Advocate Vijay Aggarwal. Arguing for Sanchita, Advocate Aggarwal informed the Court that the book was being published by Harper Collins and scheduled to release on September 5, 2020, both physically and online. The book authored by Ajay Lamba, Additional Commissioner of Police, Jaipur and Sanjiv Mathur claims to be a true story, however, is at variance with the trial record and most importantly interfered with Sanchita`s appeal which was sub-judice and where the High Court of Rajasthan had already suspended her sentence. Advocate Aggarwal argued that an appeal is nothing but a continuation of the trial and when the sentence had been suspended, Sanchita was entitled to a presumption of innocence. Aggarwal also argued that it was completely possible that the High Court of Rajasthan could order a re-examination of witnesses or even a retrial and in such a circumstance the publication of the book in its present form could not be allowed. Aggarwal also contended that publication of the book claiming to be the true story would prejudice Sanchita and run counter to her rights under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. Aggarwal cited numerous precedents where courts had restrained publication of books and movies to protect the rights of an accused person including those whose appeals were pending before courts. After hearing substantial arguments, the court directed the defendants to restrain the publication of the book till the next date of hearing which is September 30, 2020. Previously, Vijay Aggarwal had secured similar ex parte ad interim reliefs for Chanda Kochhar, Former Managing Director of ICICI Bank, Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Senior Advocate, and Jindal Steel & Power Ltd and are presently appearing in the High Court of Delhi for Mehul Choksi against Netflix in relation to release of a documentary titled 'Bad Boy Billionaires'. Attorney General William P. Barr issued this statement regarding Thursday nights police shooting of Michael Reinoehl, who was wanted in the fatal shooting of Aaron Danielson in downtown Portland Aug. 29: Last Saturday, Aaron Jay Danielson was shot and killed amid the continuing violence in Portland. Local authorities subsequently obtained an arrest warrant for Michael Forest Reinoehl, a self-described Antifa member suspected of the alleged murder. Reinoehl fled to Washington State, where he was located yesterday by members of a fugitive task force led by the U.S. Marshals Service, the FBI, and state and local law enforcement partners. When Reinoehl attempted to escape arrest and produced a firearm, he was shot and killed by law enforcement officers. The tracking down of Reinoehl a dangerous fugitive, admitted Antifa member, and suspected murderer is a significant accomplishment in the ongoing effort to restore law and order to Portland and other cities. I applaud the outstanding cooperation among federal, state, and local law enforcement, particularly the fugitive task force team that located Reinoehl and prevented him from escaping justice. The streets of our cities are safer with this violent agitator removed, and the actions that led to his location are an unmistakable demonstration that the United States will be governed by law, not violent mobs. The statement was posted on the U.S. Department of Justice website. The tower of Pisa has been leaning so long -- nearly 840 years -- that it's natural to assume it will defy gravity forever. But the famous structure has been in danger of collapsing almost since its first brick was laid. It began leaning shortly after construction began in 1173. Builders had only reached the third of the tower's planned eight stories when its foundation began to settle unevenly on soft soil composed of mud, sand and clay. As a result, the structure listed slightly to the north. Laborers tried to compensate by making the columns and arches of the third story on the sinking northern side slightly taller. They then proceeded to the fourth story, only to find themselves out of work when political unrest halted construction. Advertisement The tower sat unfinished for nearly 100 years, but it wasn't done moving. Soil under the foundation continued to subside unevenly, and by the time work resumed in 1272, the tower tilted to the south -- the direction it still leans today. Engineers tried to make another adjustment, this time in the fifth story, only to have their work interrupted once again in 1278 with just seven stories completed. Unfortunately, the building continued to settle, sometimes at an alarming rate. The rate of incline was sharpest during the early part of the 14th century, although this didn't dissuade town officials or the tower designers from moving forward with construction. Finally, between 1360 and 1370, workers finished the project, once again trying to correct the lean by angling the eighth story, with its bell chamber, northward. By the time Galileo Galilei is said to have dropped a cannonball and a musket ball from the top of the tower in the late 16th century, it had moved about 3 degrees off vertical. Careful monitoring, however, didn't begin until 1911. These measurements revealed a startling reality: The top of the tower was moving at a rate of around 1.2 millimeters (0.05 inches) a year. In 1935, engineers became worried that excess water under the foundation would weaken the landmark and accelerate its decline. To seal the base of the tower, workers drilled a network of angled holes into the foundation and then filled them with cement grouting mixture. They only made the problem worse. The tower began to lean even more precipitously. They also caused future preservation teams to be more cautious, although several engineers and masons studied the tower, proposed solutions and tried to stabilize the monument with various types of bracing and reinforcement. None of these measures succeeded, and slowly, over the years, the structure reached an incline of 5.5 degrees. Then, in 1989, a similarly constructed bell tower in Pavia, northern Italy, collapsed suddenly. President Donald Trump participates in a signing ceremony with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, seated left, and Kosovar Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti, seated right, in the Oval Office of the White House, in Washington on Sept. 4, 2020. (Evan Vucci/AP Photo} Serbia, Kosovo Agree to Normalize Economic Ties, but Postpone Mutual Recognition Serbia and Kosovo have agreed to normalize economic ties, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday, calling the agreement a real breakthrough that would help the two Balkan countries prosper after decades of war and failed negotiations. Both countriesparts of the former Yugoslaviaagreed to freeze talks about normalizing political ties for a year to allow the economic agreement to take root, U.S. officials said, according to Reuters. Serbia agreed to stop for one year its campaign to persuade other countries to derecognize Kosovo and Kosovo agreed to stop for one year its efforts to join international organizations, according to Balkan Insight. These were difficult talks for us, but Im truly satisfied, Serbias President Aleksandar Vucic told Serbian reporters in Washington. He stressed that the economic agreement does not include mutual recognition between Serbia and Kosovo. But he hailed the talks as a big victory for Serbia and a step toward closer ties with the U.S. Despite officially seeking membership in the European Union, Serbia has been forging close political, economic, and military ties with Russia and China. Kosovos Parliament declared independence from Serbia in 2008, nine years after NATO conducted a 78-day airstrike campaign against Serbia to stop a bloody crackdown against ethnic Albanians in Kosovo. Most Western nations have recognized Kosovos independence, but Serbia and its allies Russia and China have not. The ongoing deadlock and Serbias unwillingness to recognize Kosovo have kept tensions simmering and prevented the full stabilization of the Balkan region after the bloody wars in the 1990s. In addition, Kosovo and Israel have agreed to establish diplomatic relations. Serbia has committed to move its embassy to Jerusalem by July and open a commercial office in Jerusalem this month, Trump said. The move will make Serbia the first European country opening an embassy in Jerusalem. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the first working cabinet meeting of the new government at the Chagall Hall in the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament in Jerusalem, on May 24, 2020. (Abir Sultan/Pool via Reuters) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the moves and said Israel would establish diplomatic relations with Kosovo, according to the Times of Israel. Kosovo will be the first country with a Muslim majority to open an embassy in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said Both Serbia and Kosovo also agreed to designate Hezbollaha Lebanese Shia militiaas a terrorist organization and keep their 5G communication networks clean by excluding equipment from untrusted vendors from them, reported Balkan Insight. Trump also praised Vucic and Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti for tremendous bravery to embark on these talks and to come to Washington to finalize these commitments. Trump said that have made safer not only their countries but also the Balkans, and the world. Vucic said that having a unified economic zone, an entire Western Balkans, will bring Serbia to the real economic results. Hoti said that in his opinion the agreement is a huge step forward that should lead eventually to mutual recognition between the two countries. We share the same values of freedom, democracy, an open-market economy, Hoti added. National Security Adviser Robert OBrien said that in his opinion the economic agreement is a first step toward achieving political solutions. The agreement signed today also stipulates opening new border crossings, regulates U.S. investments in Serbia and Kosovo, and includes provisions to recognize Kosovo diplomas and licenses in Serbia and vice versa, OBrien said. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued a statement supporting this economic normalization agreement and confirming U.S. support for the ongoing negotiations between Kosovo and Serbia toward comprehensive normalization of relations. Pompeo called the normalization of ties and mutual recognition between Kosovo and Israel the monumental achievement and said that together with Serbias commitment to open a commercial office and move its embassy to Jerusalem it will contribute to peace between our partners in Europe and the Middle East. Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Investment funds involved in Vietnams equity market reported positive growth in net asset value (NAV) in August due to a stock market upturn. Illustrative image. File photo The VN-Index enjoyed an increase of 10.43 per cent in August, reaching 881.65 points. This was also reported as the strongest increase among markets around the world, according to statistics from Stock. The local exchange-traded fund VFMVN Diamond ETF, operated by the Vietnam Fund Management Co (VFM), had a NAV of VND1.9 trillion (US$81.6 million) as of the end of August. In August alone, the NAV per certificate increased 16.7 per cent, reaching more than VND12,724. This fund focuses on stocks that have reached their limit of foreign ownership. Many of those stocks recorded high price increases in August such as Mobile World Group (MWG), Refrigeration Electrical Engineering Corporation (REE), Phu Nhuan Jewelry (PNJ), logistics firm Gemadept Corporation (GMD), FPT Corporation (FPT), Vietinbank (CTG) and Techcombank (TPB). The SSIAM VNFIN LEAD, managed by SSI Asset Management Co Ltd (SSIAM), had initial capital of VND262 billion which had risen to VND779 billion by the end of last month. In August alone, the fund's NAV per certificate increased by 14.4 per cent. This fund's portfolio mostly comprises of leading financial stocks. In August, stocks in banking, securities and insurance climbed including Vietinbank (CTG), insurer Bao Viet Holdings (BVH) and Saigon Securities Company (SSI). Other ETFs also enjoyed NAV growth including VFMVN30 ETF, up 11.6 per cent, SSIAM VNX50 ETF, gaining 11.2 per cent, SSIAM VN30 ETF, climbing 11.2 per cent and VinaCapital VN100 ETF, rising 10.5 per cent. Active funds Pyn Elite Fund, the Finnish fund which focuses on Vietnamese shares, led the uptrend with positive NAV growth of 12.76 per cent in August. The fund attributed the growth to rising banking and retail shares, such as Vietinbank (CTG), increasing by 21.2 per cent, HDBank (HDB), rising by 18.4 per cent and Mobile World Group (MWG), up by 25.4 per cent. Dragon Capital's billion-dollar VEIL fund also witnessed NAV growth of 12.1 per cent in August, with a portfolio size of $1.39 billion. VEIL's biggest investments also include banking stocks which account for about 26 per cent. Vietnam Holdings, a fund managed by Dynam Capital, reported a NAV increase of 11.1 per cent in August. The fund manages more than $126 million in assets with the largest proportion in the portfolio invested in FPT Corporation (FPT), Hoa Phat Group (HPG) and Mobile World Group (MWG). However, some investment funds still reported poor NAV growth such as LionGlobal Vietnam Fund, JPMorgan Vietnam Opportunities Fund, Tundra Vietnam Fund and VOF. VNS Most investment funds in VN suffer losses in the first half Most investment funds in Vietnams equity market reported negative growth in net asset value per share (NAVPS) in H1 due to a stock market downturn, resulting from the impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak. Private equity funds still interested in Vietnam Despite the Covid-19 crisis, more private equity funds have been seeking ways to enter Vietnam as investors see bright prospects in the long term. Nigeria resumed international flights from two of its major cities, Lagos and Abuja, on Saturday after a five months of travel restrictions imposed amid the coronavirus pandemic. Passengers were seen being screened on their arrival at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, the country's largest city. The airport's manager Victoria Shin-Aba said after thorough planning she was "happy and confident" the resumption of flights would go smoothly. The reopening also meant travellers were able to fly out of the country for the first time since March. Lebanese national Ninerve Constantine, who is pregnant with her third child, was "excited" to be flying to Beirut to deliver her baby. (Image Credit: AP) A number of powerful interest groups including the Sydney Anglican Diocese, the Association of Independent Schools and Catholic Schools NSW have declared support for One Nation leader Mark Latham's bill to amend the state's discrimination laws in favour of religious freedom. But other church groups, as well as the peak body promoting diversity in Australian workplaces, have condemned the bill, arguing it would permit vilification and harassment in the name of faith and prevent firms from fostering "inclusive cultures". The comments are contained in submissions to a state parliamentary inquiry which are yet to be published but have been obtained by The Sun-Herald. One Nation NSW leader Mark Latham has proposed a bill to bolster religious freedom in the state. Credit:Kate Geraghty Mr Latham's bill would explicitly make it unlawful for a person to be discriminated against on the basis of their religion, bringing NSW into line with other states. However, it would also go much further, protecting people such as former rugby union player Israel Folau from adverse action by employers for comments made outside the workplace that are motivated by religious belief. Jessie Buckley has revealed that she and Olivia Colman have been sending each other risque text messages in Italian. The actors are starring together in The Lost Daughter, Maggie Gyllenhaals adaptation of the 2008 book by the Italian novelist Elena Ferrante. Buckley has been in quarantine after flying to Chicago for filming commitments and she told The Telegraph that, to kill time, she and Colman have been texting each other the naughtiest Italian phrases that we know, which I suppose just about counts as rehearsal. The Lost Daughter also stars Dakota Johnson, Gyllenhaals husband Peter Sarsgaard, and Normal Peoples Paul Mescal. Buckleys other film and TV credits include Wild Rose, Beast and Chernobyl. Olivia Colman and her Golden Globe for 'The Crown' (Rex) She can currently be seen in the horror movie Im Thinking of Ending Things on Netflix. Annette Bening has said she initially turned down the role in her latest film because she thought there were too many words. The American Beauty actress, 62, plays a woman whose husband suddenly leaves her after 30 years of marriage in Hope Gap. She told the PA news agency: I thought it was really strong and original, painful, very well-written, but I couldnt make it work as a film because I thought there were too many words. The director, Bill Nicholson, had written me a beautiful and very thoughtful letter and talked about how it was based on his own life, and my instinct at the moment was I cannot tell this man that I think there are too many words, that is rude and presumptuous, so the better thing to do is just to pass. So I passed, and then about a week later I thought to myself, That was so stupid, why did I do that? I should have just called him up. So I did. I just picked up the phone and called him and told him my concern, and he said Of course, dont worry. Hes a very charming man, and so we ended up meeting halfway in New York and we just went from there. The movie is based on the real-life experience of the British film-maker, who was a young man when, after three decades of marriage, his father announced he was leaving his mother for another woman, triggering a family crisis. Expand Close William Nicholson and Annette Bening (Ian West/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp William Nicholson and Annette Bening (Ian West/PA) Benings role is based on his mother and she said: I like how impossible she is, I love that. I feel like this is what women have been complaining about in terms of storytelling, that we want women to be written in the way we somehow can identify. Video of the Day Not that every woman is like Grace but she has these contradictions inside of her and she can be absolutely impossible and I can identify with that, I can identify with the idea that there are times that we have that response to things and thats human and thats part of who we are. Seeing that reflected in writing, I respond to that, I know thats good writing, when shes not always doing what we think she should do. Grace is a model of someone who is responding to a crisis in a way that is so particular and in total denial to such a degree I can look back and can laugh because shes so irrational and that is the way life presents itself at times. Hope Gap is in cinemas and on Curzon Home Cinema now. DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) An underground gas pipeline near a mosque exploded during evening prayers outside Bangladeshs capital, leaving 16 Muslim worshipers dead and dozens injured with critical burns, officials said Saturday. The blast occurred Friday night as people were finishing their prayers at Baitus Salat Jame Mosque at Narayanganj, local police chief Zayedul Alam said. By Saturday afternoon, 16 people, including a 7-year-old boy, had succumbed to their injuries. Doctors at a burn unit of a state-run hospital were treating at least 37 people with burns on up to 90% of their bodies, said Samanta Lal Sen, a coordinator of the unit. TV stations reported that because of the impact of the blast, at least six air conditioners also exploded inside the mosque. Firefighters were investigating the cause of the explosion. A man stands by the bodies of victims of a gas pipeline explosion at a hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020. (AP Photo/Al-emrun Garjon)AP Abdullah Al Arefin, assistant director of the Fire Service and Civil Defense, said that officials suspected that gas had accumulated inside the mosque from a leak in the underground pipeline, and that it had gone unnoticed. The gas could not go out as the windows of the mosque were shut because of the air conditioners, he said. Faulty installation of gas lines are often reported by Bangladeshi media, while unplanned road-digging work often leads to disasters in the country, which is seeking rapid industrial expansion and economic development. More: College professor battling coronavirus dies after collapsing during virtual class The 75th anniversary of the end of World War II: Japan surrenders, Truman says never again Pence told to be on standby for Trump hospital visit: book The cast of The Princess Bride is reuniting for a live, virtual table read of the film for one night only as part of a fundraiser event for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Carol Kane, Chris Sarandon, Mandy Patinkin, Wallace Shawn, Billy Crystal and director Rob Reiner will all participate in the virtual table read and reprise their roles from The Princess Bride, as will some other special guests. The event will conclude with a Q&A that will be moderated by Patton Oswalt. The Princess Bride table read will be live-streamed just one time and will be available to those who donate, but there is no minimum donation amount required for those who RSVP. The Princess Bride live stream event will be held on September 13 at 6:00 p.m. CT, 4:00 p.m. PT. Also Read: 'The Princess Bride' Remake? Cary Elwes, Jamie Lee Curtis Call Idea Inconceivable Anything you donate will be used to ensure that Trump loses Wisconsin, and thereby the White House, WisDems said in an announcement listing for the event, which has become one of the key battleground states in the election after the recent riots in Kenosha, Wisconsin over the killing of Jacob Blake. Both Reiner and Elwes have been particularly vocal about the election, with Elwes recently using one of his famous lines from the movie to mock one of President Trumps tweets. The full cast of The Princess Bride last got together on GMA back in 2011, but Elwes and Wright recently reintroduced the movie ahead of it becoming available on Disney+ this spring, and some of the other cast members reunited for the films 30th anniversary back in 2017. Whats more, The Princess Bride recently took off on Quibi earlier this summer when the platform released brief videos of celebrities performing homemade videos of themselves re-enacting the entire movie start to finish, with stars like Paul Rudd, Tiffany Haddish and The Rock taking on some of the iconic roles. Story continues You can RSVP for The Princess Bride live stream event here. Deadline first reported the news. Read original story The Princess Bride Cast to Reunite for Virtual Table Read in Support of Wisconsin Democrats At TheWrap Veterans havent been spared from the hardships brought by the coronavirus pandemic, which is why the Rotary Club of Tomball is holding a fundraiser in hopes of helping Tomballs local VFW. Caley Baillio, Rotary Club of Tomball president, said this is the first year theyve done the fundraiser. It will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 12 at 620 W. Main St., where anyone can drive up and order a $12 BBQ plate. The cost of the plates and preparation have been covered, Baillio said, so all funds raised at the event will go toward VFW Post 2427. Readying for online instruction: Tomball ISD approves $1M purchase of Chromebooks and hotspots for the new school year Baillio said they are moving to more service projects this year to raise money, as the Rotary Club also had their largest fundraiser get cancelled due to the pandemic, leaving them with a limited budget. The VFW post has been financially affected from the pandemic as well. They rely on raising money to be able to help their veterans and they havent been able to do near the amount of things theyve done in the past to keep going, Baillio said. Theyre suffering pretty bad to the point where theyre thinking they may need to shut down, so were trying to keep that from happening. On HoustonChronicle.com: New COVID testing strategy could be 'a game-changer' for Harris County Those interested can buy plates in advance by going to https://venmo.com/Tomball-Rotary or they can buy them the day of. Because of the ongoing pandemic, the fundraiser will just be a drive-thru picking up plates of food. Its just a quick in-n-out, she said. Were gonna be wearing masks and handing out plates. More Information RSVP to the fundraiser here. See More Collapse The Rotary Club did a similar fundraiser earlier in the summer for the local music venue Main Street Crossing, where Baillio said they raised about $5,500 for the venue. We were pleasantly surprised with that amount, so we would like to do that or exceed that again, she said. paul.wedding@hcnonline.com Narcotic Control Bureau (NCB) probing the drug angle in the actor Sushant Singh Rajput death case, arrested Rhea Chakrabortys brother Showik and Rajputs manager Samuel Miranda today. The development came after NCB had said a few hours ago that it will soon arrest Showik Chakraborty, Miranda in connection with the drugs probe linked to the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, officials said. The questioning of the two is in the last stages and they are expected to be placed under arrest in the next few hours, they had said. NCB sleuths, accompanied by police officials, raided the residence of Showik Chakraborty in Santa Cruz (West) and Miranda's house in suburban Andheri (West) from 6:30 am. Showik lives with sister Rhea. Both Showik Chakraborty and Miranda, who is Rajputs house manager, were handed over the summons to join the investigation during the search, the officials said. "They have intended to go along (with the search team) due to media presence," an officer said. They were later brought to the agency's zonal office in the Ballard Estate area. Earlier, NCB conducted searches at residences of Showik and Miranda under the NDPS Act in a case related to Sushant Singh Rajput's death. The NCB launched an investigation after it received official communication from Enforcement Directorate (ED), in which there were various chats related to drug consumption, procurement, usage and transportation in connection with the Sushant Singh Rajput case. The ED had on July 31 registered an Enforcement Case Information Report in the late actor's death case after a First Information Report (FIR) was filed by Rajput's father KK Singh against Rhea Chakraborty in Bihar on July 28. Rajput was found dead at his Mumbai residence on June 14 With inputs from PTI Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics BOLIVIA, N.C. Thom Tillis has struggled to mollify conservatives in North Carolina since joining the Senate six years ago. But standing onstage and addressing volunteers in a county Republican headquarters here this week, he had a message for any base voters still wary of him: You may not love me, but I guarantee you'd hate Chuck Schumer running the Senate. Set aside your differences on any minor issue, Tillis said to the crowd of nearly four-dozen Republicans. Is there anyone in this room who thinks there's any good scenario where Chuck Schumer gets the gavel? Any? Is there any scenario where it makes sense for President Trump not to get reelected? None. So what we have to do is come together. Tillis had just returned from an official event with Trump in nearby Wilmington, where hundreds of Trump supporters braved scorching heat and no shade to see Air Force One touch down at the local airport and hear briefly from the president before he went to a battleship to dedicate the city as an American World War II Heritage City. The first-term senator made his in-person appeal hours later to a crowd seated in folding chairs set up a few feet apart inside the local headquarters, with most but not all attendees wearing masks including Tillis, who took his off before speaking. The pitch came at an urgent moment in the race: Voting is underway after more than 533,000 absentee ballots were sent to voters on Friday with Democrats holding an enormous edge in the number of requests so far and the first debate between the candidates a week from Monday. North Carolina is shaping up as the most expensive Senate race on the map this November and a critical battleground for the majority. Democratic nominee Cal Cunningham has doubled Tillis fundraising this year and consistently led in polling since late spring, though the most recent public survey showed the incumbent only a couple of points behind. Tillis numbers are weaker than Trumps, but both parties expect a tight race in one of the most polarized states in the nation come November. Story continues FILE - In this March 3, 2020 file photo, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Cal Cunningham speaks to supporters during a primary election night party in Raleigh, N.C. North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis was outraised nearly 3-to-1 by his Democratic challenger in the last quarter, according to campaign reports that signal a more precarious reelection bid for the Republican in the presidential battleground state. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome, File) Its probably going to be however Trump goes, Tillis goes, said GOP consultant Charles Hellwig, who briefly worked for Tillis would-be primary challenger before the candidate dropped out. If Trump wins the state, I dont see Tillis not winning as well. But if Trump loses, itll be hard to get over the top. That sentiment was on display at the Wilmington airport, where a half-dozen voters who spoke to POLITICO said they were enthusiastic about Trump, but tepid about Tillis. Still, almost all said theyd vote for him. "He's okay. He's flip-flopped a little bit on some issues, said Joe Quarino, who works at the sheriffs office in Brunswick County, in the southeast corner of the state. I'm going to support him obviously because he's a Republican, but he might need to step up his game a little bit. Asked about those half-hearted endorsements, Tillis grinned and argued its impossible for a Republican senator to be known as well as Trump, even by the party faithful. It's like a saying they have in the mountains: When they learn us, they like us Tillis said in an interview, seated in folding chairs on a concrete patio outside the party headquarters. I'm glad they said they're going to vote for me. I hope to get to know them better in my next six years. But they do know what's at stake." Cunningham, an Army veteran and former one-term state senator, switched from the lieutenant governors race last year and quickly earned consolidated support in the party, routing a liberal primary opponent despite GOP meddling to derail his candidacy. But much has changed since the March 3, Super Tuesday primary, held just a week before the coronavirus shutdowns began. In an interview on Zoom from his home in Raleigh, Cunningham this week downplayed efforts to nationalize the race and said hes confident not just in Democratic enthusiasm, but that he can pick off conservative-leaning independents and even some Republicans. I'm hearing from voters who feel left behind, left out, not respected by Thom Tillis and his service, he said. We're fighting for every one of those votes." Asked where he could work with Trump, Cunningham cited infrastructure, which hasnt been pursued seriously in the past four years, and also said he agreed with the presidents concerns about trade, though he criticized how Trump has handled the issue. Tillis declined to cite any issues where he agreed with Joe Biden, except if hes talking about reasonable regulatory policy, maybe. He said not only was Bidens agenda radical, but as president he would be driven by a radical left leadership in the Congress." Tillis has closely aligned with Trump since the primary scare last year. In the interview, Tillis said Trump was 100 percent treating coronavirus like a serious crisis and praised the administrations work with the Senate on the federal response though he stressed Republicans needed to find agreement within their party on the next round of legislation when the Senate returns to Washington next week to advance further negotiations. He also dismissed a question about Trumps rhetoric downplaying the severity of the virus. Sen. Thom Tillis speaks during a campaign rally for President Donald Trump in Charlotte, N.C., in March 2020. The president of the United States is the person who can try to provide people with optimism that this isn't the new normal, Tillis said. We've got some people who want to settle for that. Cunningham, when asked about where he diverged from Biden, cited voices within our party who have pushed for defunding police departments, pointing out he has called for increased investment in law enforcement. He also cited his support for a public option and opposition to Medicare for All and eliminating private health insurance. When it was pointed out that those were issues where he and Biden agreed, Cunningham said his focus was on Tillis and North Carolinans, but that he was confident there will be some places where Joe Biden and I diverge, and I'll evaluate those as they come." The race may be one of, if not the most expensive in Senate history. Theres already been $80 million spent on TV 60 percent of it by Democrats. Cunningham and outside allies have nearly $50 million booked between Labor Day and Election Day; Tillis and Republicans have nearly $40 million reserved, according to data from Advertising Analytics. Democratic outside groups have hit Tillis on campaign donations from the pharmaceutical industry, as well as Obamacare repeal and pre-existing conditions. Cunninghams most recent ad criticized Tillis for not speaking out against Trump over reports of Russian bounties on U.S. service members, which followed an ad from VoteVets that contrasted Tillis with Cunninghams service. Republicans have run ads slamming Cunningham as a elitist liberal, running multiple ads attacking him for using a tax credit for home renovation, and for a 2001 vote in the state Senate for a budget that hiked taxes by $1 billion; Cunningham has defended that vote as in best interest of the state facing fiscal challenges. In his most recent ad, Tillis says the Democrat is being sneaky about supporting tax increases. Tillis has also used the filibuster as a wedge in the race, arguing Democrats would undo the 60-vote threshold and bring on a wave of liberal legislation if they take control of the presidency and both chambers of Congress. Republicans have pointed to a 2010 email from his campaign at the time in which he called to "end the filibuster in its current form" and "revisit and reform" it. Cunningham told POLITICO he wants to reform the filibuster and force the minority party to hold debate on the floor rather than just stifling legislation without debating it. He said he would not support undoing the 60-vote threshold entirely. What I've called for is reforming the filibuster, not abolishing it, Cunningham said. If it's a straight up-or-down about abolishing it, I wouldn't support abolishing the filibuster. Both candidates last week urged absentee voting. Cunningham said in a virtual town hall with College Democrats the massive increase in ballot requests from his party "reflects enthusiasm" the majority of voters who have applied for absentee ballots have been registered Democrats. Tillis also implored his supporters to vote absentee he cautioned about the risk a voter or family member could become infected and make voting on Election Day impossible. He also pointed out that Democrats would have to turn out fewer voters than Republicans on Election Day because they can track returned ballots. "They'll outwork us, if we let them," he said. As the fall campaign gets underway, campaigning itself has become an issue. Tillis held in-person events over the August recess, many of them visits to small businesses aided by the Paycheck Protection Program including this week when he met with three leaders at a local business that benefited from the loans who praised the response as essential for their company. Cunningham has held more than 70 virtual events, including four town halls in two days last week, but has not restarted in-person campaigning. Tillis said he thinks Cunningham is staying virtual to avoid scrutiny that would come with more in-person events and less structured interactions. He also defended his own events as safe, pointing out that he was distanced from voters, almost all of whom wore masks though a couple people did not have them on, and Tillis removed his mask to speak. He apologized last month for not wearing a mask at the White House for Trump's acceptance speech, saying he fell short of his own standards. Cunningham said hes trying to be incredibly mindful about the risks that a candidate poses to the public by being out and about, particularly with a virus where there's such a high incidence of asymptomatic carrying. Nationally, some Democrats have begun to return to the trail, including Joe Biden for the first time this week. Cunningham said his campaign is evaluating as it goes on returning to in-person events. He acknowledged that hes missing the interactions with voters, but he's covering ground across the state virtually including holding area-specific events to reach more voters. Republicans argue he could find a safe way to return to the campaign trail if he wanted. I dont care how many TV ads you run people want to see you. They want to talk to you. They want to know you care about the state, state GOP chairman Michael Whatley said. The fact that President Trump has been on the ground more than Cal Cunningham says a lot to me." It says a lot to Democrats, too. The more Thom Tillis pokes his finger in the eye of public health and public safety, said Wayne Goodwin, the Democratic Party chair, it underscores how desperate he is. Bhubaneswar: Trinamool Congress MP Tapas Pal, arrested in the Rose Valley chit fund scam, was on Friday sent to jail, after CBI interrogated him jointly with the party MP Sudip Bandopadhyay. Pal, arrested in Kolkata on December 30 and brought to Odisha the next day, was produced in the Special Chief Judicial Magistrate (SCJM) court, designated as the CBI court, after the expiry of his six-day remand in two phase. The MP's lawyer Sabyasachi Banerjee had earlier moved a bail plea but SCJM P K Mishra reserved judgement on it and sent Pal to Jharpada jail here till January 19. "My client is clinically ill and he requires bail on health ground," Banerjee told reporters outside the court. Officials of the investigating agency said the actor turned politician was interrogated jointly with the party's leader in the Lok Sabha, Sudip Bandopadhyay, who was arrested in Kolkata in the same case on January 3. Pal was arrested on December 30 by CBI for his alleged involvement in the multi-crore Rose Valley chit fund scam. He was taken on remand in two phases by the CBI from December 31. During the first phase of his remand period, Pal had complained about his health and spent most of the time at the Capital Hospital. CBI in its petition to the court said that Pal was one of the directors of the chit fund group in 2010. Pal is also accused of promoting the company through his speeches and misleading people to make deposits with it. The group allegedly duped investors in at least four states, including Odisha and West Bengal. In its charge sheet submitted at the court here on January 7, 2016, CBI had charged the chit fund of defrauding investors of Rs 17,000 crore, out of which Rs 450 crore from Odisha alone. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 20:56:52|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Ndalimpinga Iita WINDHOEK, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- In some spheres of society in Namibia, community members are not adhering to regulations under the COVID-19 State of Emergency, which can be detrimental to their health. "When you visit certain areas, you find people sharing one glass of traditional brew amongst each other at liquor outlets. Some are not wearing masks nor social distancing. Hence the need to educate all," said Helvi Jonas, a community health worker in the Ministry of Health and Social Services on Friday. Jonas is one of the community health workers at the helm of combating COVID-19, based in the Namibian capital Windhoek. Community health care workers in Namibia are empowering communities at the grassroots level to curb the spread of COVID-19. Interventions include the provision of primary health care as well as robust public health education. According to Jonas, when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in Namibia, the health sector had to shift public health care efforts to be inclusive of COVID-19 related matters. "Our work involves reaching out to residents to bridge the gaps. Lately, we also provide public health education on how people can prevent contracting COVID-19," she said. The community health workers also facilitate and promote safety and hygienic practices, which are a necessity in curbing the spread of COVID-19. "These entail erecting tippy taps and other sanitation facilities for our community members and making sure that they have running water. Handwashing and proper sanitation are one of the preventative measures," she said. Emphasis is also made on getting tested. However, despite good progress reported, the community health care workers face some challenges. According to Jonas, fear and stigma triggered by COVID-19 are derailing community health care workers' efforts. Other challenges include inadequate personal protection equipment for community health workers, currently only equipped with masks, which puts them at risk. "This is limiting because we have patients that tested positive and in isolation at home. We are afraid to attend to them as we do not have the protective gear," she added. Kalumbi Shangula, Health Minister recently announced that about 333 health workers in Namibia had been infected with COVID-19. Likewise, it has also limited the provision of general primary health care. "Due to the pandemic, we are limited to do other tasks such as weighing babies and inspections. As well community members are not allowing us to go in their houses," she said. But even in the face of the challenges, Jonas said it is her passion to drive change to fight COVID-19. "It is our conviction and commitment to providing robust health care and information to address the challenges on behavioural change and adhering to new challenges and the new normal," she said. Meanwhile, support by the local development partners complements efforts by community health care workers. Elizabeth Shakujungua, the Khomas regional coordinator for Namibia Red Cross Society (NRCS), said that the institution formed a partnership with the Health Ministry to address gaps by performing risk community engagement activities. The collaboration has fostered the embedment of community health volunteers and workers in the social environments they work in, Shakujungua said. Furthermore, NRCS and the ministry formulated different information material in indigenous languages, distributed countrywide to reach everyone and where the community health workers. In the interim, locals have commended the role community health workers are playing in the fight against COVID-19. Absai Kashululu, a national training coordinator at Women Action for Development, said that the community health workers are the backbone of society. "They bring health services to the public directly or informative manner, promoting and giving information and helping families and homes. They put their lives on the line even amid COVID-19 pandemic to save the lives of others," said Kashululu. Enditem Negotiations are part of US-Taliban peace deal signed in February in the Qatari capital to end the 19-year conflict. A Taliban delegation has returned to Qatar, paving the way for the start of peace talks with the Afghan government that are expected to take place in the Gulf state. The delegations arrival early on Saturday was announced by Taliban officials, who were speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media. The negotiations are part of a peace deal the United States signed with the Taliban in February in Doha. Washington has ramped up pressure on Afghans on both sides of the conflict to get started with their negotiations to decide what a post-war Afghanistan might look like. The US National Security Advisor Robert OBrien held a telephone call with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani last week. The US officials have also pressed neighbouring Pakistan to get the Taliban to the table. Intra-Afghan talks Relentless delays over the exchange of prisoners 5,000 held by the Afghan government and 1,000 by the Taliban have hindered efforts to get intra-Afghan talks started. In late August, a delegation led by the Talibans political office head and the chief negotiator of the February deal with the US, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, visited Pakistan. While little was revealed about the details of his meetings with Pakistani officials, it is believed he was pressed to get started with intra-Afghan talks. With many of the Taliban leadership council living in Pakistan, Islamabad has been pressed by Washington to use its influence to push negotiations forward. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has repeatedly said he wants peace talks started and a military solution for Afghanistan is an impossibility. Pakistani officials reportedly met a second time with Baradar on Friday before his return to Doha, again pressing for a swift start to Afghan peace talks. US and Afghan officials have said they want to see a reduction in violence in the conflict going into talks with the Taliban, but the group maintains that a ceasefire would only be on the agenda once talks begin. Washingtons February agreement with the Taliban was reached to allow the exit of US troops after nearly 20 years at war in keeping with a promise President Donald Trump made during the 2016 US election campaign. The withdrawal, which has already begun, is not dependent on the success of the Afghan negotiations but rather on commitments made by the Taliban to fight armed groups and ensure Afghanistan cannot be used to attack the US or its allies. Photographs that make you stop and take heed By Adilah Ismail Humanity & Earth, now on at the Harold Pieris Gallery marks the conclusion of a two-year project by the Goethe-Institut Sri Lanka View(s): View(s): If you were to walk into the Harold Pieris Gallery at the Lionel Wendt in the coming week, the first object to meet your eye is a large photograph of buffalo grazing through mounds of garbage, surrounded by a flurry of crows. The photograph is transferred onto a glass window and looms large. Firstly, there is a visual shock when youre used to consuming images of pollution and poor waste management through pixelated images on social media or a small printed photograph sandwiched in a newspaper, it is jarring to see it enlarged in this manner. It forces the viewer to stop and take heed. The photograph is a part of Ramanathan Parilojithans photo series which explores the impact of dumping garbage and medical waste along the Batticaloa lagoon on the surrounding families who are dependent on fisheries. While Ramanathan, unsupported, has been documenting the adverse environmental effects on communities since 2018, the grant and mentoring he received as a part of the current exhibition helped him delve deeper into the issue. For a year, Ramanathan followed David, a fisherman in Batticaloa, documenting how his livelihood and surroundings had been impacted by the dumping of medical waste in the vicinity. Davids family is one of 56 families in the area affected by this. Ramanathans photographs foreground aspects of everyday life in the area: close-ups of glass tubes, cotton wool blotted with blood, syrup bottles washed along the lagoon; a fisherman in repose; a meal. The photographs are a part of the Humanity & Earth exhibition currently on display at the Harold Pieris Gallery at the Lionel Wendt. The exhibition marks the conclusion of a two-year project by the Goethe-Institut Sri Lanka where two photographers from Germany mentored and worked with a small group of emerging photographers from around the island, who were interested in ecological themes. The project began in May 2018 with a road trip around the island to areas of environmental interest such as the Port city, the collapsed Meethotamulla landfill, the Norochcholai coal power plant and the analog forest project in Bellipola. Both mentors, Andy Spyra and Liz Fernando, came from different backgrounds photojournalism and fine arts and each evening resulted in knowledge sharing and a dissection and feedback session of the days photographs among all participants. The photographers were then encouraged to focus on a specific project for a year and seed grants were awarded to fund logistics and field visits for these projects The group reconvened in May 2019 for a seven-day master class in Unawatuna, supervised by the mentors. The master class provided an opportunity for the participants to showcase what they had been working on, hold their work up for discussion and analysis and gave them the space to focus on their projects outside their everyday routines. This long-term, detailed engagement had different effects on the photographers creative practice. The most important thing is that I learned how to view a photograph, explained Sandranathan Rubatheesan, a freelance journalist at the Sunday Times who picked up photography as a hobby and tells interesting stories from around the island with a phone and a compact camera. The project helped him delve into the thinking process, technical details, composition and interpretation of a photograph and then translate the learning into his photo practice and journalism. Shehan Obeysekara and Munira Mutaher left the master class with photographs from a years worth of field visits whittled down to just four images between them. In one sense, it sent them back to the drawing board and encouraged them to push their visual boundaries with the project but it also embedded significant changes to their creative practice in the long run. For the duo, the two-year-long engagement enabled them to think about depth and layers within a photograph and pushed them to tell complicated stories through images. The exhibition succeeds with a few things. First, it demonstrates what long-term engagement and critical thinking about a subject can result in. It is also a much-needed reminder of the kind of creative alchemy that can take place when there is mentorship, financial resources, time and space given to emerging creative practitioners in Sri Lanka. This kind of engagement isnt easy to pull off and sustain, and the mentors, participants and the Goethe-Institut should be congratulated on the exhibitions ability to tell environmental stories with nuance. Theres care and thought behind the photographs and stories on display, and instead of being didactic with the topic, it encourages curiosity. It succeeds in taking on a vast theme (humanity and earth is a too broad, all-encompassing theme) and balances the beauty, potential, uneasiness and anguish at the way Sri Lankans interact with their surroundings. Even as Tharmapalan Tilaxans evocative photo series on how the residents in Gurunagar live amongst piles of garbage and plastic waste dumped in the area will make you despair at the injustice of fellow Sri Lankans being forced to co-exist with garbage, Tashiya de Mels stunning, stark photographs of Sri Lankas landscapes are a reminder of how intensely beautiful this country can be. And this hope, this discomfort is so important if we are to reflect and significantly rethink the ways in which we engage with our world. Humanity & Earth features photographs by Tashiya De Mel, Munira Mutaher, Sandranathan Rubatheesan, Tharmapalan Tilaxan, Ramanathan Parilojithan and Shehan Obeysekara. The exhibition is on till September 13 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.at the Harold Pieris Gallery at the Lionel Wendt Arts Centre. For more details https://www.humanityandearth.co/ Member of Parliament for North Tongu constituency, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has disclosed that the country is likely to be the biggest loser in the highly controversial Agyapa Royalties deal. To him, the deal is a high-risk venture likely to plunge the country's economy into a complete mess. Describing the deal as "messy and opaque", Hon Ablakwa pointed out that listing on the London Stock Exchange does not guarantee the deal's success. "Listing your business on the stock market does not make it a guaranteed investment. The Stock market can fluctuate anytime, so those saying listing it on the London Stock Exchange guarantees some kind of security or we will have more value for the packaged gold deal under this messy and opaque deal are absolutely wrong," he strongly held. Explaining further, he recounted how people lost their whole investments somewhere in 2007 during the global financial crisis. "This makes this deal very risky," he added. Whiles bemoaning the fact that chiefs and custodians of lands where these natural resources can be mostly found were not consulted prior to the deal, the NDC MP also held that if one wants to assess the corporate good governance of a government, there are certain countries that cannot be cited as examples because of their negative global connotations. "In the world over, countries are moving away from or have stopped doing business in tax haven and jurisdictions that look shady and do not represent any transparency. "Ghana right now has been downgraded in terms of money laundering by the European Union because of some these shady, and dubious dealings going on in the country.... "These natural resources belongs to all us, therefore one needs to consult with the chiefs and people in whose lands these natural resources can be found.....but unfortunately, this has not been done," Hon Ablakwa stated. Watch Video Below Meanwhile, the Minority in Parliament and opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) have described the deal as lacking transparency and clothed with corruption.They have thus threatened to petition the London Stock Exchange.We will today [Tuesday] put the London Stock Exchange and the Financial Conduct Authority on notice that this agreement does not meet the minimum requirement of diligence and transparency and minimum requirements of our constitution.The Minority wishes to state emphatically that the SPV and its accompanying agreements as structured by the current Government is not just opaque but inimical to the interest of the Republic of Ghana. We, therefore, wish to completely disassociate ourselves with the proposed relationship agreement and subsequent flotation of shares on the London Stock Exchange, the Minority stated.The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu briefing the press about the deal further stated that "the Minister of Finance in presenting this deal is in breach and a clear violation of the law and is required to have reported this deal with full disclosure in his 2020 Supplementary budget to Parliament. Our position is that no future NDC government will honor the terms of this Agyapa Royalties Transaction''.In a related development, former President and NDC flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama, has vowed not to "respect the deal" should he be voted back to power. Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The mausoleum of Muslim saint Hazrat Nizamuddin in New Delhi will reopen for devotees on Sunday with strict social distancing norms in place six months after it was closed as part of sweeping measures of check the Covid-19 pandemic. It will remain open to visitors between 5 am and 10 pm, the shrines caretakers said. The area around the shrine was one of the first containment zones after the nearby Tablighi Jamaat headquarters emerged as a Covid-19 hotspot in March. The caretakers said the devotees will be required to maintain a minimum six feet distance at the shrine and will not be allowed to spend more than 15 minutes there. They have set up various points, where the devotees will have to sanitise their hands. Wearing masks inside the dargah is mandatory. No bags or luggage will be allowed..., the shrine management said in a statement. No sitting or waiting is allowed... The devotees will not be allowed to offer flowers, perfumes, and incense at the shrine or touch any part of the mausoleum. The Thursday night qawwalis at the dargah, which attract hundreds of visitors, will not be organised for now. Anybody suffering from fever, cough, or cold or any symptoms of Covid-19 will not be allowed inside the dargah, said a caretaker. Children below 10 and senior citizens above 65 will be discouraged from visiting the shrine. T hirteen people have been arrested amid Extinction Rebellion (XR) protests that stopped delivery trucks for nine major UK newspapers leaving printing presses. More than 100 protesters used vehicles and bamboo lock-ons to block roads outside the Newsprinters printing works at Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, and Knowsley, near Liverpool on Friday night. Delivery lorries had not left the Broxbourne site as of 6am on Saturday, with 13 arrests made and more expected, Hertfordshire Police said. The presses publish the Evening Standard, as well as Rupert Murdoch's News Corps titles including The Sun, The Times, The Sun on Sunday and The Sunday Times, and The Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph, and the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday. Newsprinters condemned the protests as an attack on all of the free press that affected workers' jobs and meant newsagents could face a "financial penalty". The company said it had been able to print papers at other sites, but that some deliveries of The Sun, The Times, the Daily Mail, the Daily Telegraph and the Financial Times would be delayed. Officers were called to Great Eastern Road near the Broxbourne plant around 10pm, where they found around 100 protesters who had secured themselves to structures and one another. Under a banner that Free the truth, XR tweeted that it was using the disruption to expose the newspapers failure to report on the climate & ecological emergency, and their consistent manipulation of truth to suit their own agendas. Protesters at the printing presses / Extinction Rebellion UK The group added: Coverage in many of the newspapers printed here is polluting national debate on climate change, immigration policy, the rights and treatment of minority groups, and on dozens of other issues. The group said it planned to continue the blockade throughout the night. Hertfordshire Police assistant chief constable Owen Weatherill said officers were working to facilitate the rights of both the protesters and those affected by their presence but protesters were not co-operating. The rights to protest are well established in this country and we remain committed to facilitating peaceful protest and ensuring compliance, he said in a statement. Protesters at the printing presses / Extinction Rebellion UK However, at this time, the group are not engaging with us and the protest is causing major disruption to local businesses. At this time, 13 people have been arrested in connection with the incident, and we anticipate more arrests will be made. Id like to reassure you that we are doing all we can to bring the incident to a peaceful conclusion, ensuring minimum disruption to the affected businesses. Merseyside Police tweeted on Saturday morning that officers were still in attendance at the Knowsley plant. A spokesman for Newsprinters said in a statement: This attack on all of the free press impacted many workers going about their jobs. Overnight print workers, delivery drivers, wholesale workers and retail newsagents have faced delays and financial penalty. This is a matter for the police and the Home Office. Extinction Rebellion: London demonstrations 1 /102 Extinction Rebellion: London demonstrations PA PA Extinction Rebellion UK AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images PA AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images PA AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images PA Getty Images Getty Images AFP via Getty Images PA AFP via Getty Images Jeremy Selwyn The environmental campaign group has planned events to be held at several landmarks in the capital PA Extinction Rebellion protesters in Parliament Square, London PA Extinction Rebellion protesters tussle with police officer in Parliament Square PA Extinction Rebellion protesters in Parliament Square PA Actor Juliet Stevenson speaks at an Extinction Rebellion protest PA PA AFP via Getty Images PA PA REUTERS AFP via Getty Images PA Jeremy Selwyn Jeremy Selwyn Jeremy Selwyn Jeremy Selwyn Jeremy Selwyn PA AFP via Getty Images PA REUTERS PA Reuters AFP via Getty Images Reuters PA Jeremy Selwyn AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images Reuters PA Reuters Reuters PA AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images PA PA Reuters Getty Images Getty Images REUTERS AFP via Getty Images Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AP REUTERS AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images PA Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images Thanks to other industry partners, printing was transferred to other sites. We apologise sincerely to any readers of The Sun, The Times, the Daily Mail, the Daily Telegraph and the Financial Times who may be unable to buy their usual newspaper this morning due to late deliveries. XR protesters also held a smaller demonstration near Motherwell aimed at disrupting the distribution of Saturdays Scottish Sun newspaper. It comes after climate change protesters were warned they could get a large fine if they fail to comply with coronavirus rules banning gatherings of more than 30 people. The Met Police said risk assessments explaining how XR activists were minimising the possibility of Covid-19 transmission at a planned march in Westminster did not meet the required standard. Protesters in London on Friday / Getty Images The force said XRs latest round of demonstrations pose a risk, not only to those involved, but to the wider public and communities of London. On Saturday a procession of activists that set of from Brighton on foot a week ago is due to march the final stretch to Parliament. They have been banned from taking a 20ft model boat named after teenage activist Greta Thunberg to the streets of Westminster. On Friday Met Police Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe warned the group not to take The Lightship Greta into an area stretching from Green Park to Lambeth. Advertisement She arrived in Venice earlier this week as her new film Mainstream is set to make its debut at the 77th Film Festival. But Maya Hawke enjoyed a break away from the big screen as she headed to the beach with a group of friends on Friday. The Stranger Things star, 22, who is the daughter of Hollywood star Uma Thurman, showed off her incredible physique in a black thong two-piece as she stripped down to her underwear for a dip in the ocean. Beach babe: Maya Hawke enjoyed a break away from the big screen as she headed to the beach with a group of friends in Venice during the Film Festival on Friday Maya showcased her toned abs and cleavage in the lace bikini top which featured a pretty scallop hemline. The actress put on a cheeky display in the barely-there bottoms which highlighted her peachy derriere and long legs. Maya headed into the water with a male pal and the pair appeared in high spirits as they enjoyed a swim before heading back to shore to join their friends. Sizzling display: The Stranger Things star, 22, who is the daughter of Hollywood star Uma Thurman, showed off her incredible physique in a black thong bikini All eyes on her: Maya showcased her toned abs and cleavage in the lace bikini top which featured a pretty scallop hemline Peachy: The actress put on a cheeky display in the barely-there bottoms which highlighted her peachy derriere and long legs Happy: Maya headed into the water with a male pal and the pair appeared in high spirits as they enjoyed a swim After drying herself off with a fluffy towel, the upcoming actress donned a khaki camouflage tracksuit and sat on a day bed with her pals. Maya got her breakout role as Robin on Netflix's Stranger Things aged just 20. Her new film Mainstream is set to make its debut at the 77th Venice Film Festival. While the plot remains under wraps, Maya stars in the film alongside Andrew Garfield, Nat Wolff and Jason Schwartzman. Drying off: Maya later headed back to shore to join her friends and wrapped herself up in a white fluffy towel Stunning: Maya showcased her natural beauty by going make-up free for the beach outing Time for a swim: The Stranger Things star enjoyed a quick dip in the sea The Venice Film Festival is one of the world's oldest award ceremonies and is listed as one of the 'Big Five' events. It started on Wednesday and ends on the 12 September. Though the event is still taking place, it is a markedly toned down affair to previous years amid the coronavirus crisis, with temperature checks and mask wearing becoming mandatory. Maya's appearance comes after she appeared to confirm her budding romance with Sienna Miller's ex Tom Sturridge, 34, in New York City in August. The Once Upon a Time in Hollywood star and The Boat That Rocked actor looked very cosy as they walked arm-in-arm and kissed. Living her best life: Maya looked like she was having the time of her life as she enjoyed Venice amid the Film Festival Romance in the air: Maya's appearance comes after she appeared to confirm her budding romance with Sienna Miller's ex Tom Sturridge, 34, in New York City in August Just keep swimming: Maya appeared a confident swimmer as she did several lengths before heading back to shore Tom has a daughter, Marlowe, eight, whom he shares with ex-fiancee Sienna Miller, who recently split from her third fiance Lucas Zwirner, 29. Since Stranger Things season four suspended filming in Atlanta back in mid-March, Maya has been quarantining in upstate New York at the homes of her famous parents Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Delighted to be spending some quality time with her daughter, Uma, 49, posted a picture of herself giving Maya a haircut in April, she wrote on Instagram: 'Home hair cuts bring us back home. We are all finding ourselves again.' Maya discussed her living situation in an interview with Nylon, and lamented losing her independence in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. Casually clad: After drying herself off with a fluffy towel, the upcoming actress donned a khaki camouflage tracksuit and sat on a day bed with her pals Lookalike: Maya bore a striking resemblance to her mother, Hollywood starlet, Uma 'I feel like the last three years of my life have been a dream and I'm just a kid again with my family,' she explained. Maya added: 'I moved out and got my whole life together and became a person. And this disease is like, "Ha ha ha, just kidding! You're a kid, and you live with your parents."' In addition to Maya, Ethan Hawke and ex-wife Uma also share an 18-year-old son named Levon. Ethan and second wife Ryan, whom he married in 2009, have children Clementine, 12, and Indiana, nine, together. While Uma also has daughter Luna, eight. Each week since the start of Melbourne's seemingly endless lockdown I've had the pleasure of seeing my treasured dad for a minute or so albeit over the top of masks to hand over some groceries. From the early days of the pandemic I've been perhaps too well-informed about the risk the virus poses to people of his age and stage (and grateful mum is a little safer living in the regions). Tony Abbott greets his father Richard Abbott during the Federal Coalition campaign launch in August 2013. Credit:Peter Ellinghausen I worry about his health more than he lets on he does, and my anxiety has only been relieved by the knowledge he and his partner are staying inside and definitely not going into supermarkets. The thought of my vital dad on a respirator makes me feel physically ill; seeing the pain of hundreds of families who have lost loved elders his age to COVID-19 has been deeply distressing. Orange County Supervisor Donald Wagner, center, speaks as Newport Beach Mayor Will O'Neill, left, and Lake Forest City Councilman Dwight Robinson, right, listen at a news conference calling for the expedited reopening of Orange County businesses and schools in Orange, Calif., on Sept. 4, 2020. (Drew Van Voorhis/The Epoch Times) Leaders Push for Reopening as OC Moves Closer to Easing Restrictions ORANGE, Calif.Leaders from across Orange County held a news conference in the City of Orange on Sept. 4 to call for the expedited reopening of county businesses and schools as the county moves closer to making it a reality. Standing in Old Towne Oranges Plaza Park, County Supervisor Donald Wagner, Newport Beach Mayor Will ONeill, and Lake Forest City Councilman Dwight Robinson addressed the states strategy for reopening and called on Gov. Gavin Newsom to loosen restrictions they said were hurting Orange County residents. Weve seen the governor now come up with three different iterations of how the state deals with COVID, and how we get the state reopen. Every one of those efforts has failed, Wagner said. Wagner said the strategies for reopening have lurched from one to the other without a change in science. He urged the crowd of about 40 people to sign an OpenCALNow petition to allow local leaders to determine reopening strategies. Orange County residents have been denied the right to educate their children and put food on the table. The data say it is safe to reopen, but California remains shut down, the petition states. Newsom introduced a new Blueprint for a Safer Economy on Aug. 28 which included a statewide color-coded tier system for reopening based on the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents and percentage of positive tests. We have made notable progress over recent weeks, but the disease is still too widespread across the state. COVID-19 will be with us for a long time and we all need to adapt, Newsom said in a press release introducing the system. The Blueprint builds on lessons learned from the first six months of the diseaseand the new scientific understanding that has been collectedto create a new system for regulating movement and COVID-19 transmissions, the release stated. Based on the metrics, Orange County was placed in the purple, or widespread, tier. Orange County health officials were told on Sept. 4 that the county is expected to move up to the red, or substantial, tier by Sept. 8 as it has met the states metrics for two weeks. Wagner addressed inconsistencies in the new rating system, saying that San Francisco, with a higher number of cases per 100,000 than Orange County, had already progressed to the red tier. What have they got besides a worst case rate? The governor used to be their mayor, he said. Newport Beach Mayor ONeill addressed the discrepancy between private and public school reopenings. Here in Orange County, over 100 private schools have already gotten to the point where theyve been allowed to reopen. But our kids in public schools are still closed. Why? We still dont know, ONeill said. We need to be able to trust our parents. We need to be able to trust our teachers. We need to be able to trust our school boards. We need to give parents a choice. Thats what weve been denied. ONeill also criticized the new color-coded system, saying Orange County would have to average less than 30 cases a day to reopen. Even with a vaccine, theres no guarantee we get to that point. And it still doesnt fully reopen our economy, ONeill said. Councilman Robinson said, All businesses are essential, every single business, in calling for the state to allow them to fully reopen. Orange County officials gather for a news conference in Plaza Park in Orange, Calif., on Sept. 4, 2020. (Drew Van Voorhis/The Epoch Times) Supervisor Lisa Bartlett, who did not attend the gathering in Orange, said she was encouraged by decreasing case rates in the county. This significant move to the red tier for Orange County indicates that we are hopefully getting the upper hand on COVID-19, Bartlett said. Our numbers are holding steady or declining, we still have excess capacity in our hospital system, and as long as we all continue to follow prescribed health and safety guidelines our trend should keep improving in the county, she said. I look forward to cautiously opening up our local economy so we experience some level of normalcy once again [in] our day-to-day lives. Under the red tier, the county will be able to reopen movie theaters and restaurants for indoor dining at 25 percent capacity and churches for indoor worship at 25 percent capacity. Shopping centers may expand from 25 percent capacity to half capacity under the red tier. Orange County health officials on Sept. 4 reported 313 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, along with 24 deaths related to the disease. The new deaths increased the countys overall fatalities to 1,042, while a total of 49,258 cases have been confirmed in the county since the pandemic began. City News Service contributed to this report. Izmir: Turkeys justice minister says police have detained 18 people in connection with a foiled attack at courthouse in the western city of Izmir that nevertheless killed a policeman and a courthouse employee. The two assailants were also shot dead in Thursdays incident after they detonated an explosives-laden vehicle at a road block and engaged in a shootout with police. The attackers were armed with automatic rifles, rocket launchers and hand grenades. Bekir Bozdag said on Friday that authorities had no doubt that the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, gave the orders for the attack. He was speaking at a memorial service for the slain police officer, who is believed to have thwarted a larger attack. The attack was the latest in a string of assaults that have hit Turkey. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Paul Rusesabagina was arrested abroad in an unnamed location on international warrant last week. Supporters of Paul Rusesabagina, the hotel manager portrayed in Hollywood film Hotel Rwanda, say the Rwandan authorities have denied him access to a lawyer, a week after he was paraded in handcuffs and accused of terrorism. In a statement on Saturday, the Hotel Rwanda Rusesabagina Foundation said Rusesabagina, a United States permanent resident and Belgian citizen, has had no consular visits. The foundation also rejected the Rwandan governments claim that the outspoken government critic had talked to his sons about a potential visit as not true. Pauls wife has called the jail and has not been allowed to talk to him, it added. The family believes he was kidnapped during a visit to Dubai and that he would never knowingly have boarded a plane for Rwandas capital, Kigali. He has lived outside the East African nation since 1996. Rusesabagina was awarded the US Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005 for saving the lives of more than 1,200 people as a hotel manager during Rwandas 1994 genocide in which some 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed. Rwandan authorities have not responded to questions about how and where Rusesabagina was apprehended, and have not publicly shared any international arrest warrant. They have referred to international cooperation but given no details. There is a deliberate effort to sanitise and present Rusesabagina as a victim, the state-run Rwandan newspaper The New Times said in an editorial on Saturday. The editorial rejected allegations he was arrested because of his criticism of the government. Rwandan authorities have granted what they called an exclusive interview with Rusesabagina to a Kenyan newspaper, The East African, in which he said he had been treated with kindness but did not discuss the accusations against him or how he was apprehended. It is not clear when Rusesabagina will appear in court. Rwandan law says a suspect can be in provisional detention for 15 days, renewable for up to 90 days. The Rwandan government has said it issued an arrest warrant for Rusesabagina to answer charges of serious crimes including terrorism, arson, kidnap and murder perpetrated against unarmed civilians. Police called him the suspected founder, leader, sponsor and member of violent, armed, extremist terror outfits including the Rwanda Movement for Democratic Change (MRDC). Rwanda points to a video posted online in 2018 in which Rusesabagina says it is imperative that in 2019 we speed up the liberation struggle of the Rwandan people the time has come for us to use any means possible to bring about change in Rwanda, as all political means have been tried and failed. The MRCD has an armed wing, the National Liberation Front (NLF), that has been accused of attacks inside Rwanda in 2018 and 2019. Rwanda arrested NLF spokesman Callixte Nsabimana last year. Rusesabagina in the past has denied charges that he financially supports Rwandan rebels, saying he is being targeted for criticising the administration of President Paul Kagame over human rights abuses. Rusesabaginas detention has prompted concern among human rights activists, who call it the latest example of the Rwandan government targeting critics beyond its borders. The US government has said it expects the Rwandan government to provide humane treatment, adhere to the rule of law and provide a fair and transparent legal process for Rusesabagina. By ANI MOSCOW: The meeting between Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Chinese counterpart General Wei Fenghe has concluded, informed the Union Defence Minister's office. "The meeting between Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh and Chinese Defence Minister, General Wei Fenghe in Moscow is over. The meeting lasted for 2 hours and 20 minutes," tweeted the Union Defence Minister's office. The meeting between Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh and Chinese Defence Minister, General Wei Fenghe in Moscow is over. The meeting lasted for 2 hours and 20 minutes. / RMO India (@DefenceMinIndia) September 4, 2020 India has earlier urged China to sincerely engage with it to restore peace and tranquillity in border areas through complete disengagement and de-escalation. Speaking at the weekly briefing on Thursday, MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said that the way ahead is negotiations both through diplomatic and military channels. The situation with China has been tense and India is continuously engaging with them at the military and diplomatic level, Army Chief General MM Naravane, in an exclusive interview to ANI, said earlier today, who visited Ladakh to review the situation. India recently outflanked China by taking control of strategic height near Pangong lake's southern bank. It thwarted an attempt by the Chinese army to transgress into Indian areas near the southern bank of Pangong Tso near Chushul in Ladakh. ALSO READ | New headache for Delhi? China funding anti-India stir on Nepal border, say sources At least two rounds of Brigade-Commander level talks have taken place ever since China tried to unilaterally change the status quo. Singh is on a three-day visit to Russia to attend the combined meeting of Defence Ministers of SCO. India and China are engaged in a standoff since April-May over the transgressions by the Chinese Army in multiple areas including Finger area, Galwan valley, Hot springs and Kongrung Nala. The situation worsened after 20 Indian soldiers were killed in violent clashes with Chinese troops in Galwan valley in June. The talks between the two sides have been going on for the last three months including five Lieutenant general-level talks but have failed to yield any results, so far. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 22:53:06|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIRUT, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- A Lebanese tourism expert said that the monthly losses caused by the closure of restaurants and cafes in Beirut following the port's blasts stand between 500 million U.S. dollars to 600 million dollars, Elnashra news website reported on Saturday. Khaled Nazha, vice president of the Syndicate of Owners of Restaurants, Cafes, Night-clubs & Pastries in Lebanon, said that owners of restaurants and cafes are incapable of withdrawing their money from banks to fix the damage due to the unofficial capital control imposed by banks on depositors. Nazha added that the government can't afford to compensate owners of tourism institutions for their losses. He called for holding an international aid conference to attract funds aimed at reviving the tourism sector in Lebanon, noting that 2,096 restaurants and pubs were completely destroyed by the explosions. Two huge explosions rocked Beirut's port on Aug. 4, destroying a big part of the city and causing damage with a cost estimated at over 15 billion U.S. dollars. Enditem The University of Namibias School of Veterinary Medicine is training dogs to detect coronavirus. The plan is to deploy the dogs at airports and borders, the Namibian newspaper quotes Conrad Brain, a physiology and epidemiology lecturer as saying. Dogs have been proven 95% accurate at detecting coronavirus, veterinary lecturer Alma Raath adds. The project started two months ago, the Namibian reports, but it does not say when the dogs will be ready. The Namibian says this is the first African country to use dogs to sniff out Covid-19. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Separately, iDs entry-level SIM Only plan has also had a data boost to 3GB (usually 1GB), which including unlimited minutes and texts (SMS) will set you back just 6 per month on the same 30-day term. Mobile operator iD Mobile , which is a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) on Three UK s platform, has dropped the price of their unlimited calls, texts and data ( mobile broadband ) plan from 20 to just 18 per month on a short 30-day minimum contract term. As a result its one of the most affordable data plans around. Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on Twitter Facebook and Linkedin Leave a Comment 16 Responses Javascript must be enabled to post (most browsers do this automatically) Please note that news comments are anonymous, which means that we do NOT require you to enter any real personal details to post a message. By clicking to submit a post you agree to storing your comment content, display name, IP, email and / or website details in our database, for as long as the post remains live.Only the submitted name and comment will be displayed in public, while the rest will be kept private (we will never share this outside of ISPreview, regardless of whether the data is real or fake). This comment system uses submitted IP, email and website address data to spot abuse and spammers. All data is transferred via an encrypted (https secure) session.Sometimes your comment might not appear immediately due to site cache (this is cleared every few hours) or it may be caught by automated moderation / anti-spam.Comments that break our rules, spam, troll or post via known fake IP/proxy servers may be blocked or removed. Farmers have hit back at claims from new research that suggest traditional farming methods should be halted, with trees planted where sheep now graze. The suggestions come from a new report by the University of Sheffield that claims British sheep farmers would profit from allowing their grasslands to regenerate into forest. The study says most sheep farms in the UK are unprofitable without subsidies, but farmers could make a profit if they use their land for tree planting. It found that farmers would no longer need to rely on subsidies if they allowed native trees to return to their land and sold credits for the carbon dioxide (CO2) the forest absorbs. The National Sheep Association said it 'strongly disagreed' with the report, saying there were a 'number of fundamental flaws'. NSA Chief Executive Phil Stocker explained that the report assumed all sheep farmers were still receiving the old style of subsidy, but in reality farmers did not get subsidies anymore. "They were withdrawn over 10 years ago with the transition to the basic payment scheme from previous production support," Mr Stocker said. "Since then farming businesses have received government income, but in recognition for keeping land in good environmental and agricultural condition, and for doing specific environmental works through schemes such as Countryside Stewardship. "This became a public investment in incentivising and rewarding good environmental land management." He added: We are now on the verge of another step in the evolution of farm support and are moving more clearly towards reward for public goods, things that farmers deliver and that society value but that cant be recouped from the normal marketplace. "So sheep farming is not subsidised, farmers are increasingly simply being rewarded to deliver wider goods that the public value. The report's authors found that farmers with at least 25 hectares of land could turn a profit if they allowed it to naturally regenerate into native woodland and were paid as little as 3 per tonne of CO2. If farmers were paid 15 per tonne of CO2 by businesses and individuals looking to offset their emissions, forests of any size would make a profit. But Mr Stocker said that expecting sheep farmers to give up farming sheep and plant forests 'ignored two basic facts'. "Firstly sheep farming is more than just a business, it is part of our culture and heritage and farmers get huge pride and satisfaction from farming sheep. "Secondly, its really easy for scientists to justify the planting of forests through a carbon calculation alone because it is easy to measure how much carbon is in a tree and then apply an offset value. "What these scientists ignore is that we have to look at land management on a multi- functional basis, not just one metric of carbon." Want to manufacture BrahMos so that no country has audacity to cast evil eye on us: Rajnath Singh IAF chopper crash: Rajnath Singh likely to be apprised of probe team's findings in next couple of days In 2.20 hours talks with Chinese defence minister, Rajnath made strong pitch for status quo ante India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Sep 05: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh during his 2.20-hour talks with his Chinese counterpart General Wei Fenghe at Moscow pushed for restoration of status quo ante at all the friction points in Eastern Ladakh. Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar and Indian Ambassador to Russia D B Venkatesh Varma were part of the Indian delegation at the talks that began at around 9:30 pm(IST) at a prominent hotel in Moscow following a request from Gen. Wei. Sushant Singh Case: Rhea Chakraborty's brother arrested over drug charges "The meeting between Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh and Chinese Defence Minister, General Wei Fenghe in Moscow is over. The meeting lasted for 2 hours and 20 minutes," Singh's office tweeted. A source familiar with the developments told OneIndia that the Indian delegation strongly objected to the fresh attempt made by China to change the status quo in the southern bank of Pangong Tso in Eastern Ladakh. The delegation insisted on the resolution through talks. The Indian side said that there should be restoration of status quo ante at all friction points in Eastern Ladakh. Hours before the talks, Singh, in his address at the SCO ministerial meet, said peace and security in the region demands a climate of trust, non-aggression, peaceful resolution of differences and respect for international rules. Singh's comments in the presence of the Chinese defence minister was seen as a veiled message to China over the border row in eastern Ladakh. In his address, Singh referred to the Second World War and said its memories teach the globe the "follies of aggression" of one state upon another that brings "destruction" to all. Would love to get involved: Trump on Indo-China face-off "Peaceful stable and secure region of SCO member states, which is home to over 40 per cent of the global population, demands a climate of trust and cooperation, non-aggression, respect for international rules and norms, sensitivity to each other's interest and peaceful resolution of differences," Singh said. The meeting took place amid heightened tensions between the two countries triggered by China's fresh attempts to occupy Indian territory in the southern bank of Pangong lake. As both sides increased deployment of troops in Ladakh, Chief of Army Staff Gen MM Naravane, wrapping up a two-day visit to the region, said the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) is "tense" but added that the nation can count on the Indian Army. "The situation along the LAC is tense. We have undertaken precautionary deployment in some areas. The troops are prepared for all contingencies that may arise. All these actions have been carried out only along the LAC," he said after holding a series of meetings with top army commanders. Separately, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said there will be no compromise on India's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and asserted it cannot be "business as usual" in bilateral ties unless there is peace and tranquillity in the border areas. At the same time, he said India is open to resolving outstanding issues through dialogue. "This is one of the most serious challenges we have faced in many decades," he said, adding, "we have not seen this magnitude of amassing of forces on the border also in recent years". Shringla was speaking at an Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) webinar. (With agency inputs) New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday filed a charge sheet against two people accused of stealing electronic devices from an aircraft carrier project in Kochi, Kerala. The case pertains to the criminal trespass and theft of critical electronic components including processors, Random Access Memory (RAM) and Solid State Drives, installed aboard the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC) that is under construction at the Cochin Ship Yard Limited (CSL), between July and September, 2019. The case was originally registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code at Ernakulam Town South Police Station, Kochi City on September 16, 2019 based on the complaint of the Deputy General Manager, Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC) Project, Cochin Shipyard Ltd. As the Kerala Police had invoked sections of Information Technology Act in the case as well, NIA then re-registered the case on September 26, 2019 and taken over the investigation from Kerala Police on October 16, 2019. During investigation it was revealed that Sumit Kumar Singh hailing from Munget in Bihar, and Daya Ram hailing from Hanumangarh in Rajasthan, were behind the crime. They were arrested from their respective locations and they confessed to the crime. NIA investigations revealed that both the accused were contractual employees for painting work aboard the IAC between February and September 2019. While working aboard the IAC, they had observed the computer systems functioning on the warship that was under construction and conspired, since May, 2019, to commit theft of computer hardware components, for monetary gain. Between second week of July and first week of September, 2019, the accused trespassed into the locations aboard the IAC, where the critical computer resources were installed, and stole critical computer hardware including Processors, RAMs and SSDs with data, knowing that the same pertains to the security of the Nation. In September, 2019, the accused had sold one of the stolen Processors for monetary gain, which led to the detection of the theft. After that a case was registered. In late-September, 2019, the accused left Ernakulam for their native places, along with the remaining stolen property, that was recovered after their arrest by NIA on June 10. NEW DELHI: US President Donald Trump has repeated an offer to mediate between China and India to lower tensions between the two countries stating that the situation along the India-China border has been "very nasty" and the Chinese are "going at it" much more strongly. Its been a nasty situation.. and we stand ready to help with respect to China and India." "If we could do anything. We would love to get involved and help and we are talking to both countries about that," Trump told reporters at a White House briefing on Friday. When asked if China is bullying India, Trump said that he hoped it is not the case. "I hope not... But they (China) are certainly going at it. They are going at it much more strongly than a lot of people even understand," Trump said in response to a question. This is not the first time Trump has offered to mediate in the ongoing tensions along the border with China. In April, the US president had offered to intervene that New Delhi turned down. Trump has previously offered multiple times to try and make peace between India and Pakistan which India has firmly but politely refused. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Buildings damaged by Hurricane Laura are seen in an aerial photograph in Lake Charles By Suzanne Barlyn and Alwyn Scott (Reuters) - As insurers brace for an expensive natural-disaster season because of storms and wildfires ravaging parts of the United States, the novel coronavirus is giving them an odd financial break. Many companies that were damaged or evacuated because of natural catastrophes were already generating far less revenue due to the pandemic. That means they will get lower payouts upon filing business-interruption claims, according to analysts, lawyers and industry sources. It is another hit for small businesses that rebuilt after major disasters in recent years, only to see revenue screech to a halt during the pandemic, and then enter another aggressive disaster season. It could leave some companies unable to survive, said John Ellison, an attorney at Reed Smith LLP who has represented policyholders in cases stemming from hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Sandy. "There is a reasonable chance that any business in that situation is not going to make it," he said. Claims are never simple to file or process, with insurers, lawyers and accountants quibbling over calculations. They rarely cover all losses. The past several months have been particularly tough for policyholders in states like California, Iowa and Louisiana. They were already battling insurers in court over pandemic claims and then suffered damage from Hurricane Laura, wildfires and a destructive, fast-moving storm that devastated parts of the Midwest. Most disaster claims are for property damage, but a "significant" amount still comes from business interruption, based on the way insurers have attributed losses after major disasters, said Piper Sandler analyst Paul Newsome. Insurers do not disclose how much of their total disaster losses are for business interruption. The amount of payouts for disasters during the pandemic depend on the business, said Loretta Worters, a spokeswoman for the industry-funded Insurance Information Institute. A liquor store whose business is booming might have higher revenues than six months ago, she said. Many insurers make a 12-month income projection when calculating the claim, Worters said. Story continues Business-interruption policies cover losses based on recent income trends, so payouts will almost certainly be lower for companies whose operations suffered because of the pandemic, said Credit Suisse analyst Mike Zaremski. Government-imposed lockdowns, supply-chain disruptions and weaker customer demand have hurt many businesses. That is the situation in Guerneville, California, a wine region where many businesses had to evacuate because of wildfires after already being hurt by the pandemic. For instance, Big Bottom Market, a gourmet deli there, had to close from March to May. When it re-opened, business was initially off by 40% compared with the prior year, said owner Michael Volpatt. Introducing new services like catering stemmed the tide, but July revenue was still down 9%, Volpatt said. An Aug. 18 mandatory wildfire evacuation forced Big Bottom Market to close for 12 days. The store escaped property damage but lost over $20,000 in revenue, said Volpatt, who is preparing an insurance claim. Business interruption was already a sore point between insurers and customers, who are battling in court about whether policies cover pandemics. Only a few of nearly 1,000 lawsuits that are pending have produced rulings, with mixed results. Hair-salon owner Berlin Fisher is a plaintiff in one such case filed in July. A Hiscox Ltd unit denied business interruption claims for Fisher's two California salons, whose revenue was wiped out by a measure barring indoor haircuts, he said. Fisher's San Francisco salon went under as the pandemic dragged on. A Hiscox spokesman declined comment. In June, Fisher began cutting hair under a tent in Guerneville to make ends meet. He evacuated four weeks later because of the fires and filed another claim, which is pending. Fisher pays about $100 monthly for the policy, but said it may not be worth the expense. "There's a huge discrepancy between what people who sold the insurance told me then and what actually happens," he said. (Reporting by Suzanne Barlyn and Alwyn Scott; Editing by Lauren Tara LaCapra and Dan Grebler) TULSA, Okla. - A jury has indicted a white Tulsa police officer on a reckless conduct charge for shooting a Black man during a traffic stop in March, saying the officer took unreasonable risk when he shot at the mans car multiple times. The Oklahoma multicounty grand jury on Thursday charged Aaron Russell, 29, with misdemeanour reckless conduct with a firearm in the March 21 shooting of 35-year-old Michael Delaney, who was struck in the shoulder when Russell shot at his car. The grand jury determined that Russell created a situation of unreasonable risk and probability of death or great bodily harm and demonstrated a conscious disregard for Delaneys safety when he shot multiple times at the car while Delaney was in it. I was completely shocked by that, Russells attorney, Scott Wood, said of the indictment. He did everything related to this incident pursuant to his training. The grand jury, however, declined to charge Russell with felony assault and battery with a deadly weapon. On March 21, Russell approached Delaney after a 911 caller reported him as a suspicious person. Police said Russell saw what appeared to be a pistol in the vehicle and ordered him to get out of the car. Delaney refused, and he accelerated while Russell was partially in the vehicle trying to get him out, police said. Russell proceeded to shoot at Delaney as he drove away, striking him once in the shoulder, according to police reports. Review of the in-car video and body worn camera evidence did not support the initial belief that officers were assaulted with a vehicle, and the firearm was determined to be an airgun, Tulsa Police Officer Jeanne Pierce said in a Thursday press release. Pierce said that information led authorities to amend the case against Delaney, who pleaded guilty to a misdemeanour count of obstruction in July. Delaney is being held in the Tulsa County Jail on complaints of eluding police, reckless driving and driving without a license. Pierce said Russell has been on administrative leave since the shooting and will not return to work until the criminal case is complete. She added that his work duties will be restricted, and he will be reviewed by Internal Affairs. The indictment comes at a time of increased scrutiny of law enforcement after the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis in May. Hamid blamed an apparent breakdown in communication, with the Home Office failing to give any warning to the translators, the authorities in Glasgow or their dedicated case workers that the visas were about to be granted Five interpreters are enduring a heartbreaking and shameful delay in being reunited with their families after a Home Office blunder. The former Afghan translators for UK forces were told two months ago that their families had been approved for visas to Britain. But at the last minute they were told their wives and children could no longer travel from Afghanistan to Glasgow to join them because there was no suitable accommodation available. The interpreters say their visas were blocked after case workers decided their homes were not big enough for a family, and offered no suitable accommodation instead. The men have now been put on a council waiting list for a home. The average waiting time for a two-bedroom flat with Glasgow council is estimated at six months and for a two-bedroom house 14 months. The bungled policy has left five families devastated, with their hopes of being reunited being dashed yet again after nearly five years of waiting. Only two of the interpreters who risked their lives on the front line in Helmand province were reunited with their families last month when the families flew into Glasgow airport. The Daily Mails award-winning Betrayal of the Brave campaign revealed how interpreters allowed into the UK had been separated from family members. This led to the Home Office changing its policy last year and allowing family members to join them even if they did not travel with them at the time. But the policy has taken 14 months to implement, with only two families coming to the UK so far. Hamid, 30, one of the five to have their hopes dashed, said: This has been a big blow and extremely disappointing for us and our families. At one point we had the wonderful news that at last we would be together in the UK only for this to be followed by the news they would not now be coming. It makes us crazy and causes depression for both sides. Interpreters pay for their families flights to the UK, and the five had not yet booked the flights. Hamid, who worked with UK troops in Helmand for 20 months, had planned to fly to Afghanistan to accompany his 26-year-old wife and daughter back to Glasgow. Then he received a call out the blue from his case worker saying the Home Office had approved the visas and asking what accommodation he was living in. Like many translators relocated to the UK, Hamid had not been accompanied by his wife, which meant he was placed in shared accommodation. I was told there was no suitable accommodation available and so my wife and daughter could not join me, he said. There is no indication when this might change so the wait will go on. All the time we wait, the situation in Afghanistan becomes more dangerous. Hamid blamed an apparent breakdown in communication, with the Home Office failing to give any warning to the translators, the authorities in Glasgow or their dedicated case workers that the visas were about to be granted. We received no email, no telephone call, no advance notice from the Home Office this was about to happen or we could have planned for it and prepared a home, he said. The Daily Mails award-winning Betrayal of the Brave campaign revealed how interpreters allowed into the UK had been separated from family members Hamid, who works as a taxi driver, came to the UK in 2015 and could not see his wife for the first three years before being able to visit her in Afghanistan. Campaigners described the decision as heartbreaking and shameful, claiming the authorities had more than a year to ensure suitable accommodation was available. Simon Diggins, a former British Army colonel who campaigns on behalf of Afghan translators, said: After the positive, and long-overdue, news that seven of our former Afghan interpreters, resident in UK, would at last be united with their families, it is the cruellest disappointment to hear that five families cannot travel because there is no accommodation here for them; this feels like insult piled on injury. Are there really no spare military married quarters close to where the family are to settle, even on a temporary basis? A Government spokesman said: We can confirm that those who have been cleared for relocation and are waiting to travel will be brought to the UK as soon as suitable accommodation and support arrangements have been made for them. US to set up academy in Vietnam to foster young Southeast Asian leaders YSEALI network was launched in December 2013 and has gathered more than 150,000 members, including 30,000 from Vietnam. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Mission to ASEAN. The U.S. plans to set up a Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative Academy (YSEALI) next year at the Fulbright University Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City. It will cost $5 million, the U.S.s Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, David R. Stilwell, announced at a virtual event held in HCMC on Friday. It will offer capacity-building seminars to entry- to mid-level professionals aged 25-40 from across Southeast Asia on themes like technology and innovation, public policy and entrepreneurship. Selected fellows will participate in seminars, group projects and site visits. YSEALI seeks to improve the education and skills of future leaders from all 10 member states of ASEAN and Timor-Leste, Stilwell said. Fellows will receive a certificate and be part of the YSEALI and Fulbright University Vietnam alumni networks. The academy builds on previous cooperation between the university and the U.S. government, a statement from the U.S. consulate in HCMC said. Speaking from Hanoi, U.S. ambassador to Vietnam, Daniel Kritenbrink, said: "The U.S. Mission to Vietnam, on behalf of the U.S. Department of State, and the entire U.S. Government, considers YSEALI to be a signature program, strengthening human capital development across the region." Also joining the event virtually was U.S. Mission to ASEAN Charge d'Affaires Melissa A. Brown, who said: "At its core, YSEALI is about training, mentoring and empowering young people and strengthening people-to-people ties." Since it was launched in December 2013 the YSEALI network has gathered more than 150,000 members, including 30,000 from Vietnam. WASHINGTON (AP) Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden declared President Donald Trump unfit for the presidency on Friday, delivering an impassioned reaction to a report that Trump who never served in uniform allegedly mocked American war dead. The president and his allies have dismissed the report in The Atlantic as false. The allegations, sourced anonymously, describe multiple offensive comments by the president toward fallen and captured U.S. service-members, including calling World War I dead at an American military cemetery in France as losers and suckers in 2018. The reported comments, many of which were confirmed independently by the AP, are shining a fresh light on Trumps previous public disparagement of American troops and military families. That opens a new political vulnerability for the president less than two months from Election Day. ELECTION 2020: Get the latest election news and analysis from the Houston Chronicle Voice cracking, Biden told reporters that you know in your gut Trumps comments, if true, are deplorable. Ive just never been as disappointed, in my whole career, with a leader that Ive worked with, president or otherwise, Biden added. If the article is true and it appears to be, based on other things hes said it is absolutely damning. It is a disgrace. He added that "the president should humbly apologize to every Gold Star mother and father, to every Blue Star family that hes denigrated ... Who the heck does he think he is? Trump was alleged to have made the comments in Nov. 2018, as he was set to visit the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery during a trip to France. The White House said the visit was scrubbed because foggy weather made the helicopter trip from Paris too risky and a 90-minute drive was deemed infeasible. Speaking Friday in the Oval Office, Trump denied ever uttering such comments: It was a terrible thing that somebody could say the kind of things and especially to me cause Ive done more for the military than almost anyone anybody else." Biden's critique was personal. The former vice president often speaks about his pride for his late son Beaus service in the Delaware Army National Guard. As he spoke, Biden grew angry, raising his voice to rebut Trumps alleged comments that Marines who died in battle were suckers for getting killed. When my son was an assistant U.S. attorney and he volunteered to go to Kosovo when the war was going on, as a civilian, he wasn't a sucker, Biden declared. When my son volunteered to join the United States military as the attorney general, he went to Iraq for a year, won the Bronze Star and other commendations, he wasnt a sucker! Beau Biden died of cancer in 2015. Trump, who traveled to Pennsylvania on Thursday, told reporters after he returned to Washington that the Atlantic report was a disgraceful situation by a terrible magazine. I would be willing to swear on anything that I never said that about our fallen heroes, Trump told the reporters, gathered on the tarmac in the dark. There is nobody that respects them more. No animal nobody what animal would say such a thing? TRUMP COUNTRY: President's 'silent majority' in Houston isn't backing down Biden has framed the election from the start as a referendum on Trumps character. His allies quickly seized on the reported comments in hopes that could drive a wedge between military families and veterans from Trump. They also believe that the issue could help win over disaffected Republican voters who are fed up with Trumps constant controversies. In particular, Biden's team believes his well-documented experience, both personally and politically, with military issues could help him make inroads with a population that broadly supported Trump in the 2016 election and could help sway the election this year in a number of close swing states. Military families were broadly supportive of Trump in the 2016 election, and a Pew Research Center survey of veterans conducted in June of 2019 found overall that veterans were more supportive of Trump than the general public, and that roughly 60% of the veterans polled identified as Republicans. On a call with reporters hosted by the Biden campaign Friday, Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth lambasted Trump for belittling the sacrifices of those who have shown more bravery than hes capable of. Duckworth, a retired Army National Guard lieutenant colonel who lost both of her legs in the Iraq War, has been a prominent critic of Trumps handling of military issues. Knocking Trump for allegedly inventing an injury to avoid serving in the Vietnam War, Duckworth said that shed take my wheelchair and my titanium legs over Donald Trumps supposed bone spurs any day. Khizr Khan, the Gold Star father who drew national attention after criticizing Trump during the 2016 Democratic National Convention, joined Duckworth on the call and said that Trumps life is a testament to selfishness. Words we say are windows into our souls. So when Donald Trump calls anyone who places their lives in service of others a loser, we understand Trumps soul, he said. Khan's son, Humayun, was killed in action in Iraq in 2004. In 2016, Trump responded to the criticism from Khan by claiming he'd made sacrifices of his own and making an Islamophobic attack on Khan's wife, Ghazala Khan, who was wearing a headscarf at the Democratic convention, saying, She had nothing to say. She probably maybe she wasnt allowed to have anything to say. You tell me. Trump also denied calling the late Arizona Sen. John McCain, a decorated Navy officer who was a prisoner of war in Vietnam, a loser" after his Aug. 2018 death. CHRIS TOMLINSON: Biden must reject extremist demands by fringe climate activists Trump acknowledged Thursday he was never a fan of McCain and disagreed with him, but said he still respected him and approved everything to do with his first-class triple-A funeral without hesitation because I felt he deserved it. In 2015, shortly after launching his presidential candidacy, Trump publicly blasted McCain, saying Hes not a war hero. He added, I like people who werent captured. At the time, Trump also shared a news article on Twitter calling McCain a loser. Trump only amplified his criticism of McCain as the Arizona lawmaker grew critical of his acerbic style of politics, culminating in a late-night no vote scuttling Trumps plans to repeal the Affordable Care Act. That vote shattered what few partisan loyalties bound the two men, and Trump has continued to attack McCain for that vote, even posthumously. Its sad the depths that people will go to during a lead-up to a presidential campaign to try to smear somebody, said White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows Thursday. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Fox & Friends on Friday that he was with the president for a good part of the trip to France. I never heard him use the words that are described in that article, Pompeo said. Asked Friday about possibly seeing Trump when they will both be in Shanksville, Pennsylvania for the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks next week, Biden said, I didnt know he was going until after I announced on my own. Of course. Asked if hed be willing to share a stage with Trump he said Yes. Hes still the president of the United States of America. AP writers James LaPorta and Jill Colvin contributed. As the coronavirus forced schools to close in the spring, startup Swing Education, which matched substitute teachers with schools, saw 90% of its revenue evaporate in two weeks. It laid off staff. With most school districts sticking to online classes in the fall, the 5-year-old San Mateo startup is focusing on a new kind of business: learning pods, where it matches teachers looking for work with families who want self-contained classes. The need thats out there right now is pretty overwhelming, said Mike Teng, Swings CEO. More than 10,000 families, mostly in California, have expressed interest, along with more than 3,000 teachers, he said. The first learning pods, which Swing calls Bubbles, opened last month in Oakland. Pods can include two to eight families. Unlike some other pod arrangers, Swing requires that students remain enrolled in school, typically online classes, and teachers work off of the existing curriculum. Other education-related startups are reporting huge demand for setting up pods. Some parents have taken to social networks like Facebook to find podmates and teachers. But critics say the model will further inequalities between rich and poor families by giving wealthier students access to in-person instruction in smaller class sizes. Meanwhile, other students will have to grapple with the challenges of online learning. In July, 14 Oakland Unified School District principals wrote an open letter that pods may cause feelings of exclusion. In many ways, this idea of podding is a creative solution to an impossible situation. At the same time, the formation of these groups holds the risk of exacerbating educational inequities throughout our country, they wrote. Teng said Swing is seeking to work with corporations and school districts about possible subsidies for parents, but said the problem is far larger than pods. Educational inequality really existed before this. COVID and shelter-in-place has exposed and exacerbated those inequalities both within education and outside education, Teng said. Swing has monthly fees which can start as low as $690 for a student in a group of four. Teachers are paid $25 to $50 an hour, depending on location and class size. Teng isnt sure if pods will make up for Swings lost revenue from finding substitutes, but sees it as the best path forward for now. Annie Pang, a retired teacher who previously taught in the East Bay, started teaching Cantonese to a San Francisco pod last month through Swing. Pang wears a mask and teaches outdoors five hours a day, though her class had to go inside during wildfire smoke. In-person teaching has big advantages over remote learning over video classes, where its harder to engage students, she said. You have no personal interaction. Thats what we need, Pang said. Its very difficult to build relationships. The downside is that Pang has a longer commute, driving around 40 minutes from the East Bay and paying the toll. Still, Pang said the children are well behaved and eager to learn and parents are very supportive. She expects to continue teaching until school reopens fully. Lea Suzuki / The Chronicle Some new startups in San Francisco are focusing matching families for shared child care and socializing, rather than primarily teaching, and havent begun charging fees. CareVillage, founded in June by husband and wife Michael Beckmann and Eline van der Gaast, describes its model as a complement, not a replacement, for traditional schooling. The way were doing it and encouraging it is in alignment with existing school, said Beckmann, who previously worked at Uber. Its offerings include huddle pods and play pods, where children can socialize or get help with homework after classes. The company has a school pod option but expects only a small percentage of families to hire teachers, Beckmann said. The founders were inspired by their own struggles with juggling work and child care for their 1-year-old daughter, Wyatt. Preschool and day care options were scarce before the pandemic started. Thousands of families expressed interest in the first six weeks, and Beckmann said he was surprised by the amount of interest. Demand is extremely strong, he said. its a solution that works for all families, in all shapes and sizes. Applicants fill out questionnaires based on coronavirus safety preferences and are matched by location and what kind of supervision theyre seeking, ranging from outside nannies to parents trading duties. CareVillage doesnt choose which families to match. Instead, a family can view each others profiles and request to match. The company started in the Bay Area and is now matching families in Seattle, Chicago, New York and Los Angeles. The company encourages mask wearing but leaves the decision up to parents. CareVillage now has two full-time employees and five contractors. Beckmann and his wife have personally invested less than $10,000, keeping costs down in part by offering equity to workers. Fees for CareVillage havent been finalized, he said. Another San Francisco startup, Nurture Pods, was originally envisioned as matchmaking for adult roommates for co-living. The pandemic changed that, with co-founders Joey Jelinek and Deborah Tu shifting to matching families for shared child care and education. The company had hundreds of signups in the first two weeks after opening in July. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes There are a lot of parents out there that are desperate, said Tu, who is a new mom and works for Google. The matching system includes 14 questions such as immune system health history, tolerance for risk, location, the ages of children, their schools and interests. Families in the same pod must agree to follow the same coronavirus safety protocols, such as not dining in restaurants or avoiding social contact outside immediate family. The company is going through the MassChallenge Boston startup accelerator and hasnt raised outside capital. Matching is currently free but donations are requested for families that can afford it. When money is involved, teaching pods can attract controversy. Lea Suzuki / The Chronicle Last month, backlash ensued after a Twitter post by venture capitalist Jason Calacanis, who sought a teacher for two to seven students in his backyard in San Francisco. Calacanis, an early investor in Uber, offered to match the one-year salary of a fourth- to sixth-grade teacher, along with a $2,000 Uber Eats gift card. Twitter users calling the concept elitist and such groups exclusive and discriminatory. Calacanis later said some students who cant afford to pay will be allowed to join for free based on merit. Other students could each expect to pay about $5,000 to $10,000 a year, a fraction of the $50,000 annual tuition of a private school, he said, and he plans to hire a teacher who was out of work. We found dozens of teachers who are not employed, and we found them in 10 days. We are selecting one of those individuals, so it will create a net new job for society, Calacanis said in an email. Only a small number of folks seem to object ... many of them anonymous accounts in Twitter, but none of them can seem to explain why they object! The San Francisco Unified School District has sought to separate itself from any pods forming in the city. The districts website states that staff cannot help organize pods or connect families, and teachers cannot receive pay for outside work during the workday or for teaching students enrolled in school. The district said it can help parents connect with community groups and nonprofit resources such as essential worker child care. But other city officials said the growth of pods is inevitable as the pandemic drags on. Theres no stopping this train, Supervisor Hillary Ronen previously told The Chronicle. The parents are doing it anyway. Note: This story has been updated with Swings latest pricing and pay information. Roland Li is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: roland.li@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rolandlisf Kurnool: A 20-year-old woman allegedly threw acid on her ex-boyfriend in Pedda Kottala village in Nandyal Mandal of Kurnool district on Thursday. According to the accused woman, the two have been in love for more than three years. The victim had promised to get married to her. But a few days ago, he said that his parents arranged a match for him and he has to marry her. After getting married to the other woman, the guy came back to me saying he would not live with her, as per the accused woman`s statement. The victim claimed that his family forced him to get married. In a fit of rage, the accused woman threw acid on her beau. "I skipped college for three years for him and he cheated on me. This is why I poured acid on him," said the accused. On the contrary, the acid attack victim said that they mutually ended their relationship. Following which he got married to someone else. Nandyal Taluk Police Station Circle Inspector Diwakar Reddy told ANI that the woman threw acid on him at around 9 PM on Thursday near her house in Pedda Kottala village. In fact, she had poured acid on his hand a week ago. But this time, she threw it on his face. "He is admitted in Nandyal Government General Hospital for treatment," said Reddy. A case has been filed under the relevant sections of IPC and probe is underway. President Trumps approval rating has risen to the level it was at before most of the country was forced to shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to a public opinion poll. A survey taken by Rasmussen Reports indicates that 52 per cent of Americans approve of the job the president is doing. It is the first time since February 27 that Rasmussen has given Trump a 52 per cent approval rating. In March, the coronavirus began to spread more widely forcing many states into lockdown. The Trump administration was criticized for not taking the virus seriously enough and waiting too long to enact measures that could limit its spread. The administrations coronavirus response appears to account for the presidents relatively low approval ratings during the spring and summer months. President Trump (left) has seen his approval ratings return to pre-COVID-19 levels, according to one polling organization, though other surveys show him trailing Joe Biden (right) in the race for the presidency The latest Rasmussen survey found that 52 per cent of Americans approve of the job the president is doing - the first time since February 27 that Rasmussen has given Trump a 52 per cent approval rating. Rasmussen, which is considered a polling organization that is friendly to the president, gave Trump a 42 per cent approval rating and a 55 per cent disapproval rating on June 29 - an all-time low. At the time, the coronavirus began to make an even larger footprint in the middle of the country, where states had to adopt mitigation measures that negatively impacted the economy. The presidents all-time high approval rating - 53 per cent - was recorded about a year ago, according to Rasmussen. Trumps high water mark bests that of his predecessor, Barack Obama, who peaked at 52 per cent in January 2011, according to Rasmussen. Rasmussen conducts telephone surveys of 500 likely voters every night. It then compiles three-day rolling averages. According to Rasmussen, Obama and his predecessor, George W. Bush, won re-election when they had 51 per cent approval ratings. But other polling organizations believe that Trumps approval rating is lower than what Rasmussen has found. Trump is also believed to be on course to lose this Novembers election to his Democratic opponent, Joe Biden, the former vice president. According to FiveThirtyEight, which factors in all available polling and then weighs them according to methodological standards and historical accuracy, Trumps actual approval rating is 43.5 per cent while 52. 3 per cent of Americans disapprove. FiveThirtyEight grades pollsters, including Rasmussen, by taking into account perceived biases and a record of accurately calling previous races. It gives Rasmussen a grade of C+. Other polling organizations believe that Trumps approval rating is lower than what Rasmussen has found. According to FiveThirtyEight, which factors in all available polling and then weighs them according to methodological standards and historical accuracy, Trumps actual approval rating is 43.5 per cent while 52. 3 per cent of Americans disapprove As for this Novembers presidential election, FiveThirtyEights projections give Biden a 70 per cent chance, while Trump has just a 30 per cent chance to win a second term. Trump on Thursday lashed out at Fox News over the right-leaning network's new set of swing state polls, which showed the president losing to Biden. On Wednesday, Fox News released a fresh batch of polls that had Biden leading in Arizona, North Carolina and Wisconsin. Trump has traveled to both Wisconsin and North Carolina this week. 'Fox New polls are, as in the past, Fake News. They have been from the beginning, way off in 2016. Get a new pollster. I believe we are leading BIG!' Trump tweeted Thursday. The US, which has now surpassed 6.19 million infections, has been averaging about 41,000 new COVID-19 cases per day for the past week. Cases are now plateauing following an initial sharp decline in late July after surges in Sunbelt states saw average daily rates of 66,000. Infections spiked across the US following previous holidays, including Memorial Day and July 4. Health experts are warning that behaviors this Labor Day weekend will determine if there will be a COVID-19 spike in the fall - as a new forecast model is predicting that more than 410,000 Americans could die from COVID-19 by January if people don't continue to wear masks. The University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation revised its forecast model on Friday to predict that deaths from COVID-19 will reach 410,000 by the end of the year. That figure is more than double the current death toll of 187,750. The model predicts that deaths could also soar to 3,000 per day in December. BJP President JP Nadda on Saturday said Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik should be large-hearted to give credit to the Centre for its welfare schemes, which were being hijacked by the BJD government in the state. Nadda said he has received reports of the state government inserting its logo on central schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. Naveen Babu... chhota dil chod dijiye, bada dil rakhiye (shun meanness and be large hearted), he said, urging the ruling BJD to acknowledge welfare programmes of the central government in the state. Also read: Congress urges PM Modi, Rajnath Singh to take nation into confidence on India-China border row The BJP chief also came down heavily on the Odisha government for not adopting the Ayushman Bharat Yojana, which he said would benefit around 2.40 crore poor people of the state. Those people could not avail the Rs 5-lakh medical coverage because of the BJD governments refusal to adopt the scheme, he said. It has been two years since the Ayushman Bharat Yojana was introduced, but it has not been implemented in Odisha. Naveen Babu, please do not become a hurdle for the poor, who face difficulties in getting proper healthcare services, Nadda said, addressing the partys state executive meeting through video conference. The state government is there to look after your (Patnaiks) health issues. But, what about the poor and needy who suffer from different deadly diseases like cancer? I appeal to you to adopt the Ayushman Bharat scheme, he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is committed towards the development of Odisha and has sanctioned several projects for the state and its people, the BJP president said. Also read: Govt took care of economy, turned tragedy into opportunity: JP Nadda I am informed that the state government is taking credit for central schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) by putting its logo on the housing projects. This is not fair to deny credit to the Centre, which funds such schemes, Nadda said. He further said there were reports of corruption in the implementation of the PMAY in the state, reiterating that politics should not come in the way of Implementing programmes meant for the poor. We have been in politics for decades, but never seen such kind of central funding to states to the tune of thousands of crores. The states should also give credit to the Centre for that, he said. Nadda said the people of Odisha have recognised BJPs contributions and that is why it emerged as the states main opposition party. We got 38 per cent votes in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, much higher than 21 per cent votes in the 2014 polls. Similarly, the party also bagged 32 per cent votes in the 2019 assembly elections as against 18 per cent five years ago, he said, appealing to BJP workers to ensure that it gets over 50 per cent votes in the next Lok Sabha and assembly elections. Nadda also asked BJP state president Samir Mohanty to prepare a plan for the ensuing urban polls in the state. Days are not far when we will form the government in Odisha. We take a vow to achieve this, the BJP chief added. The former President of the Nigerian Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has no remorse on the way he and Dino Melaye were stopped from returning to the Ninth Senate by the All Progressives Congress (APC) government; he ridiculed President Muhammadu Buhari that governance has gone worse while himself and Melaye are out of the way in the National Assembly. Saraki celebrated that the APC accused him and Dino Melaye of sabotaging President Buhari from performing in governance, accusing them of cooperating with the Opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to frustrate the president. He noted that they have been taken out of the way, yet, Nigerian has gone worse within 15 months of Buharis second term. Saraki on his page on a social media platform narrated: When I was the Senate President, they said I and Dino Melaye were the ones who prevented Buhari from working in the first tenure, accusing us of working with the opposition PDP then to frustrate the Buhari government. They forced us out of the party, and we returned to our original home, the PDP. They worked tirelessly to ensure I and Dino never returned to the senate to perfect all their game plans against Nigerians. Today, the coast is clear for them, and just within 15 months into the second coming of Buhari, the foundation of Nigeria is already quavering with unnecessarily increase of prices of essential consumable items and services. China becomes our new colony with the level of loans. Saraki, however, assured Nigerians that divine intervention will occur someday to save the country from bad leadership. According to Saraki, this will not continue forever, God will rise and deliver Nigerians from the common enemies of our dear nation. PV: 12 Randall Grahm, founder of Bonny Doon Vineyard, tends to young grenache noir vines. As the Earth continues to heat up and water tables decrease, he says, hearty varieties of grapes will be important. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) A couple of years ago my wife and I visited the Bonny Doon Vineyard near Santa Cruz to sample the offerings of winemaking savant Randall Grahm. While we were there, Grahm told us something I haven't been able to forget. It wasnt nearly as foggy along Monterey Bay as it used to be, he said, and that was worrisome for winemakers. With each dose of aberrant weather California has had since then, I found myself wondering how California's wineries were faring and whether the noble grape was becoming a marker along with sea level rise and deadly wildfires of an overcooked planet. A few weeks ago I called Grahm to continue the conversation. About 25 years ago I started to see substantially less fog, and in the last 20 years, less and less, said Grahm, and that's starting to affect California wine. With more sun and heat, the grape maturation process is rushed, he said, and while it's possible to still make good wine, it's harder to get the acid-sugar ratio, pH balance, color and flavor just right. Grapes that he buys used to ripen maybe the first week of November, and now its a good three to four weeks earlier. And thats not trivial. The subtle differences in fragrance and complexity Grahm talks about are beyond my palate grade, but what I do understand is that winemakers are adapting because they have to. For them, climate change is not some abstract, distant worry. It's creeping into their vineyards right now. And that's a big deal. The United States is the world's fourth-largest wine producer behind Italy, France and Spain, and California produces 80% of the nation's vino. Retail sales top $40 billion, and the industry employs more than 30,000 Californians directly in growing grapes and producing wine and many more in related jobs. Here, as in other wine-growing regions of the world affected by climate change, there won't necessarily be less production in coming years. But growers are switching varieties, tinkering with techniques and moving to higher elevations. Story continues Randall Grahm, founder of Bonny Doon Vineyard, tends to young grenache noir vines. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) :: After a lot of time on the phone with vintners and climate experts, I took to the highway during the second week of August to see what was happening in the vineyards. I beat the fires and thousands of lightning strikes by a week, but even without an inferno bearing down, what I found was alarming, though I also saw encouraging innovations. Having grown up in the Bay Area, not far from wine country, I recall hot and breezy summer days as the reliable norm, but definitely not with the kind of lightning storms Northern California is now seeing. On summer excursions to San Francisco from Contra Costa County when I was a kid, we brought jackets because the city was always cool in the summer. On June 10 this year, the thermometer at the San Francisco airport hit 100, the highest temperature on record in the months of June, July and August. It had been a while since I traveled the Napa Valley wine trail, and Id forgotten how beautiful it is. Miles of roller-coaster slopes are crocheted with the vines of Californias king of grapes cabernet sauvignon, often just referred to as cabernet or cab. And it turns out, thats one of the grapes that may be most imperiled. It doesn't stand up to extreme heat as well as many lesser-known varieties. To understand the significance of this, you have to go back to 1976, when a bottle of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon put California indisputably on the international wine map once and for all. The underdog California Cabernets were pitted against the best French Bordeaux in a blind tasting that came to be known as the Judgment of Paris, and a California wine from Stag's Leap Wine Cellars. To this day, Napa's Cabernet is in demand worldwide. In the United States, it is the top-selling red wine, and the best bottles command stratospheric prices. To suggest that different, cheaper and perhaps less marketable grapes might be the future of Napa Valley is almost an act of heresy. For decades, tourists have flocked to the valley's tasting rooms to buy bottles that sell for hundreds and even thousands of dollars. Tablas Creek Vineyard is growing grape varieties that require very little water. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) But how long can that go on? Nobody knows for sure, but as far back as 2011, a Stanford University study predicted that the amount of Northern California land suitable for growing premium grapes could shrink by half as early as 2040, due to increased heat. That's bad news for the cabernet grape. Too much heat can mean the berry develops sugar before it has developed its full character, throwing off balance and coloring. Winemaker Dan Petroski has been clanging his glass to sound the alarm. Petroski, who worked in the magazine business and first got interested in wine at high-end New York lunches with clients, has likened the suns escalating assault on Napa Valley's trophy grape to the slow boiling of a frog. Farmworkers pick white wine grapes grown for Massican Winery in Napa Valley. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) The changes in climate that are predicted both worldwide and in the Napa Valley mean that in 10, 20, or 30 years timeNapa will be a different agricultural region, Petroski wrote recently for a trade publication. This is what we must prepare for now. :: Petroski loves Cabernet and makes some of the finest in Napa Valley for Larkmead Vineyards, a high-end producer founded in the 1890s. For 10 years, he said, winemakers have been doing things like shading and misting vines, but he sees a day when "there's no silver bullet that's going to mitigate climate change." And Petroski isn't just talking and writing about the problem. At Larkmead, he led me to a three-acre research block he has planted with grapes you may never have heard of grapes he hopes have a better chance of standing up to climate change than cabernet. Here, surrounded by trellised rows of cabernet vines, he's got young stalks of aglianico, charbono, tempranillo, shiraz and touriga nacional. Those sturdy reds might not be as familiar tasting as Cabernet, and they don't have anywhere near the cachet, but they can handle heat. Well see what works best, said Petroski, who isn't entirely wedded to red wine. Under his own label, Massican, he makes Italian-inspired white wine from grapes including greco, pinot bianco, friulano and ribolla gialla, which he says seem to be handling climate change pretty well. Dan Petroski, right, chief wine maker of Larkmead Vineyards, prepares Cabernet Sauvignon grapes for a mock fermentation to check grape maturity and color development in the tank room at Larkmead Vineyards in Pope Valley. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) Farmworkers pick white wine grapes grown for Massican Winery. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) "Maybe cabernet, pinot noir, chardonnay and other grape varieties that built Napa and Sonoma ... in the last 30 years won't be suitable in the next 30 years," Petroski said. "We have to adapt to what's going on in the world. This is not a wine industry problem. This is an agriculture problem. This is a global problem. This is a humanity problem." :: Not everyone thinks California's big-money grapes cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir and chardonnay will wither, and some of those grapes still prosper in cooler micro-climates throughout California. At least for now. Just west of Buellton, Kathy Joseph of Fiddlehead Cellars told me fog still pumps through the valley and creates a perfect growing environment for her pinot noir grapes. Jim Clendenen of Au Bon Climat said he's got the same golden ribbon of marine climate in the valleys near Santa Maria, where his chardonnay grapes grow. In hotter climates, like Napa Valley, Jon Priest of Etude Wines is using computer models and artificial intelligence to improve growing and irrigation techniques, and vines can be pruned in a way that creates a canopy of shade over grapes. The thing we have at our disposal in the U.S. is technology and knowledge, and well find a way to make Cabernet last, said Kaan Kurtural, cooperative extension specialist in viticulture at UC Davis. Or maybe it's time for California wine drinkers to branch out. There are somewhere around 5,000 grapes we can grow and make wine from, said Greg Jones, a climatologist and director of wine studies at Linfield University in Oregon, and a contributor to the Stanford study that forecast shrinking acreage for certain varieties in California. If the state had never grown grapes and were to start from scratch today, says UC Davis agricultural water management specialist Daniele Zaccaria, the smartest bet might be to plant the grapes of southern Europe rather than the cab of Bordeaux. In fact, such grapes were planted in California a century ago by European immigrants, but they were all but forgotten after the success of Napa Valley's trophy grapes. I asked Zaccaria what wine he thinks he'll be reaching for in 30 years, when preparing a nice meal and pairing it with a quintessential California wine. Probably a Primitivo, a Tempranillo, a Negroamaro, a Nero dAvola, he said, naming wines typical of Southern Europe, including Sicily. Something from areas very similar in climate. You won't find those in many grocery stores today, but they've been on the shelves of specialty shops for years. For shoppers interested in branching out, Keith Mabry of K&L Wine Merchants in Hollywood says he'd point out that Primitivo is an Italian cousin of Zinfandel. With Tempranillo, he'd ask if the customer is familiar with wines of Spain's Rioja region, and if not, he might say it's a medium-bodied dry red similar to Chianti. For California grapes and other crops, the climate change problem isn't just about too much heat, it's about too little water. But some grape varieties can handle harsh conditions, and Zaccaria said that in his native Puglia in southern Italy, vineyards do well in craggy areas with little rainfall and no irrigation. The roots grow strong, he said, digging deeper into the cracked earth, and the vines can thrive for decades. :: Fog starts to roll in over the hills from the west into the valleys surrounding vineyards in Lompoc. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times) You dont have to cross an ocean to see whats possible. I settled instead for a trip to Paso Robles. Jason Haas did not plan as a young man to get into the wine business, but his father, Robert, was a major U.S. importer of wine and a friend of French winemakers. That was how Jason ended up working at a French vineyard one summer, at 16. He returned two more times, then studied economics, art and archaeology in college before working in tech. By then, Robert Haas had purchased some land in Paso Robles and planted the southern Rhone Valley grapes he had come to love, including grenache, mourvedre, syrah, roussanne and grenache blanc. In 2002, the elder Haas needed someone with a tech background to help out at his Tablas Creek Vineyard, and his son joined the family business. At Tablas Creek Vineyard, in the Adelaida district west of Paso Robles, California, Jason Haas, partner and general manager, is growing grape varieties that require very little water. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times) Jason took me to the top of a hill at Tablas where Grenache and Syrah were planted about 15 years ago. They were spaced farther apart than is common, so roots have less competition for water. Haas keeps a herd of 200 sheep as farmhands. They weed the vineyard, their fertilizer helps the soil hold water, and their hooves cultivate rather than compact the earth. One-third of the vines at the 120-acre winery are dry-farmed. The rest have irrigation but the water isn't needed when rainfall is close to normal, Haas said. He is now a proprietor of the winery his late father established, and the award-winning wines include the classic Paso blend of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre. Two weeks ago, temperatures topped 100 several days in a row, Haas said. But his Rhone grapes handled the heat, no problem. :: I have nothing against Cabernet Sauvignon. With a steak, or on a cold October night when the Dodgers are losing, that's the grog I might reach for because it's a soothing salve, your tongue becomes a flap of peppered jerky in an oak barrel, and you feel like you might grow hair on your head again. But if the wines of California's future are from Southern Europe, I'm OK with that. They can be lighter and go better with the chicken, fish and produce that are the essence of California cuisine. My favorite thing about them? They don't cost nearly as much as the more famous stuff. Kathy Joseph harvests Chardonnay grapes along with the crew in Lompoc. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) With that in mind, I paid a visit to the man who first got me thinking about the relationship between wine and climate change. I found Randall Grahm on his vineyard in San Juan Bautista, which he said he first saw in a dream, before he knew it existed. Here, on 280 acres of terrain he calls Popelouchum paradise in the Native American language of the Mutsun people he is trying to create a new variety of grape that will, among other things, stand up to climate change. Grahm, 67, grew up in Los Angeles and after college got a job "sweeping the floors" at Wine Merchant in Beverly Hills, where he managed to sample enough of the product to know what he wanted to do with himself. That took him to UC Davis for a plant science degree in 1979, after which he borrowed enough money to buy some land in the Santa Cruz mountains town of Bonny Doon, and set out to make a great Pinot Noir, a wine whose light, earthy complexity he considered worthy of worship. That didn't go as well as he'd hoped, so Grahm switched his focus to Rhone varietals, and the results catapulted him to wine industry stardom. In 1989, Grahm landed on the cover of Wine Spectator, which crowned him the Rhone Ranger. You've probably had one or more of his wines. Maybe the Big House Red or the Cardinal Zin, both of which were easy on the tongue and the wallet. Another big hit was the somewhat more expensive Le Cigare Volant, or Flying Cigar. To Grahm, soft red blends are more interesting than the big Cabs of Napa Valley. But commercial success has never defined nor particularly motivated Grahm, who last year sold Bonny Doon but is still the face of it. He is the piano player who must play like no one else has, the artist who's never entirely satisfied with a painting. His current obsession is to create a wine that is not an impersonation of any other, but is instead a California original. A wine that is the essence of the place and the climate where its grown a vin de terroir. Ultimately whats very important to me is trying to make something thats truly distinctive, because theres so much wine in the world, and the world doesnt need a carbon copy of something that already exists, said Grahm. A cool breeze flowed in from the west, across the berry farms east of Watsonville, as I toured paradise with Grahm. The fog doesn't make many appearances here, he said, but the grapes hes seeding wont require a daily cover of maritime mist. Here the Rhone Ranger is a lone ranger, growing genetically diverse European vines, some of them obscure, with the goal of breeding thousands of new grape varieties. Ultimately, the married vines might produce a grape the world can't yet imagine but will one day recognize as a true California original, like the giant Sequoia. This could take years, and might or might not work, but in the Grahm gestalt, this project is about more than wine. Grahm says he aspires to touch the land as lightly as possible, create disease-resistant plants without pesticides or chemicals, dry farm as much as possible, and create grapes that reflect the elements rather than fight to survive them. In other words, he's after a grape and a wine built to withstand climate change. The new grape is a ways off, but at a picnic table overlooking paradise, Grahm brought out some of the first wines he's grown here a white blend, a Pinot Noir he said he literally made in a galvanized garbage can, and a silky smooth Grenache that was so good I had to raise a glass. To paradise, to the planet, to the fog that once was. steve.lopez@latimes.com Kathy Joseph harvests Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes along with the crew at night. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) For the record: 4:06 PM, Sep. 05, 2020: An earlier version of this story misidentified the winery with the winning red wine at a 1976 Paris tasting. It was Stags Leap Wine Cellars, not Stags Leap Winery. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Winged Victory Naturalist and H Is for Hawk author Helen Macdonald alights at #13 in hardcover nonfiction with Vesper Flights, an inviting collection of 41 new and previously published essays that are infused with wonder, nostalgia, and melancholy, our review said. The message throughout is clear: the world humans enjoy today may not be around tomorrow, so it should not be taken for granted. Macdonald told PW in a prepublication interview that the success of H Is for Hawk gave her permission to take a more activist stance.Some of the more political aspects of Vesper Flights, some of the ways in which I try to talk about class, about privilege, about climate changeI think I would have been too scared to have done that a few years ago, she said. Leading by Example Presidential biographer and former Random House executive Jon Meacham profiles civil rights icon John Lewis in His Truth Is Marching On, the #2 book in the country and a gripping work [that] is deeply relevant to Americas current turmoil over racial injustice, our review said. Lewis, who died July 17, contributed the books afterword, in which he discussed this ongoing struggle. The war for justice, the war to make America both great and good, goes on, he wrote. Weve come too far, weve made too much progress as a people, to stand still or to slip back. Mr. Sunshine Carl Hiaasens Squeeze Me, #3 in hardcover fiction, is a heavy-handed satire, our review said, offering light distraction from current events. The book kicks off with the disappearance of a socialite belonging to, in the authors words, a group of Palm Beach women who proclaimed brassy loyalty to the new, crude-spoken commander-in-chief. Reptiles, literal and metaphorical, abound. If all politics are local, so too is publishing33% of the Floridian storys sales were in the South Atlantic region. NEW & NOTABLE THICK AS THIEVES Sandra Brown #1 Hardcover Fiction Brown follows up 2019s Outfox, which debuted at #1 in mass market last week, with a novel our review praised for its good pacing, smooth prose, inventive action scenes, and a touch of hot romance. HOAX Brian Stelter #6 Hardcover Nonfiction, #9 overall Though close observers of the news will be familiar with Stelters larger points, our review said, this is a copious and alarming catalogue of the damage the Trump-Fox merger has done to American journalism and politics. THE EXILES Christina Baker Kline #12 Hardcover Fiction The Orphan Train authors account of three women in 19th-century colonial Australia is filled with surprising twists, empathetic prose, and revealing historical details, our review said. Klines resonant, powerful story will please any historical fiction fan. Two hundred and fifty hours. This is the average amount of time it takes Dallas Taylor and his team to produce the popular podcast Twenty Thousand Hertz. For comparison, it takes an average of four hours to produce National Reviews Editors podcast, and seven to eight hours to produce our show Political Beats. But before you roll your eyes at this seemingly exorbitant amount of production time employed by 20K, hear them out. Whats so special about the Seinfeld intro music? How did Ben Burtt create Darth Vaders now-iconic breathing? What is misophonia? Have you ever stopped to contemplate birdsong?* Most of these facts can be learned through a quick Google search, but this special podcast has taken each and found its story. Through a carefully crafted script and deliberately placed audio, the creators draw you in, engaging your imagination and holding your attention. And they do it all through the power of sound. Have you ever tried to walk through your house with your eyes closed and avoid bumping into furniture? I suspect many of us did, and my attempts were inspired by a particularly memorable Adventures in Odyssey episode (a long-running audio series produced by the lovely folks at Focus on the Family). In it, a blind girl, Jenny, is kidnapped by two book thieves. Shes returned to her family safely but is brought in by a detective to help catch the culprits. The detective plays to Jennys strengths namely, her incredibly heightened sense of hearing to re-create a soundscape of what happened, and through it, they are able to uncover and solve a much deeper crime. I was entranced by this story, amazed at how much could be gleaned from ones surroundings if you only took the time to hear, and eager to know more. Babies and young children are attracted to sound. It catches their attention, scares or delights them. But as we grow older, we begin to talk more, listen less, and grow endlessly busy. Sound surrounds but does not penetrate us. Taylor realized how often we take our sense of hearing for granted. In fact, 20Ks description runs: A lovingly crafted podcast that reveals the stories behind the worlds most recognizable and interesting sounds. He knows that recognition doesnt always translate into comprehension, and he wanted ordinary people to take note of sounds and realize that appreciating them isnt just for audiophiles. But how do you capture someones attention? Tell them a story, of course. A story full of life, detail, and fascinating sounds. Paint a picture in their mind and encourage them to concentrate. There is a difference between hearing something and actually listening to it, and Taylor understands this. Story continues In a recent interview on the Working Class Audio podcast, Taylor spoke about the shows creation process, detailing how they find their topics, work with writers, set up and record interviews, and master the final product. He even gives us some of his own back story, starting as a trumpet player, getting into radio, sound designing for the Discovery Channel and National Geographic, and finally starting his own sound-design studio. The podcast was an outgrowth of the studio that took on a life of its own. Dallas and his team of four work on a rolling schedule, giving each episode about four months of lead time. While some are timed to come out to coincide with real-time events, the 20K team is careful to pick and write their stories as evergreen episodes. Depending on your aural tastes, not every episode is a win, and some may not appeal to you at all. Plants that Sing was an odd trip into the world of bioacoustics and cognitive ecology. Baby Shark had potential, but do you really want that song stuck in your head? On the whole, though, the podcast stays true to its mission, telling the amusing, quirky, and impactful stories behind the sounds of cars (yes, recorded motor sounds are often piped in through speakers), Mel Blancs incredible talent, The Price Is Right theme song, who invented the iconic NBC chimes, where the amen break came from, and even how to beat box. If memory serves me, it was the NBC chimes episode that introduced me to 20K. Podcast crossovers are a brilliant marketing tool, and the show 99% Invisible (which is also worth a listen) decided to run this 20K episode on its feed. Just as that Adventures in Odyssey episode had captured my imagination years earlier, I was completely drawn in by the story crafted by Taylor and his team and immediately went looking for more. 20K is indelibly linked in my mind to long walks down NYCs Sixth Avenue, my route home every day last summer. A main avenue in NYC could easily be one of the loudest places down which one can walk, and the irony of listening to a podcast about sound during these treks was not lost on me. But it wasnt just on Sixth. Riding the F subway from LaGuardia to Midtown, I nearly cried listening to the episode Deaf Gain. Waiting to cross 23rd Street, I was awed at the intricacy of birdsong. Standing on the uptown D-train platform under Rockefeller Center, I let the rich sound of Eric Whitacres virtual choir wash over me. And that Seinfeld episode? Well, I was on an uptown C train, and it was all I could do not to start dancing to the beat of that bass. Now, standing in my quiet Ohio kitchen, 20K moved me again, this time with a sound that is fast disappearing. The Italian city of Cremona is home to some of the most precious stringed instruments in the world. Due to their great age, though, and the nature of wood, their voices are beginning to fall asleep, never to be heard again. Curators of these instruments knew how priceless their sounds were and wanted to find a way to preserve the notes and tones for posterity. 20K follows the story as these curators strive for this goal, which ultimately leads to the temporary hushing of an entire city and the delicate capturing of heartbreakingly beautiful notes. Much more could be said about Dallas Taylor, his team, and their exceptional show. But dont take my word for it. Tune in, turn it up, close your eyes, and listen. What you hear will amaze you. *The answer to these questions can be found in the episodes Seinfeld(85), Pew Pew (94), Misophonia (45), and Birdsong (64). More from National Review NEW DELHI : After grabbing the lions share of the smartphone market in India, Chinese companies Xiaomi and Honor have set their sights on winning the PC market amid a boom in demand for laptops following the twin-shift to working and schooling from home. The Indian PC market is largely dominated by US and Taiwanese companies, but Chinese manufacturer Lenovo has managed to hold its own. The Hong Kong-based company upstaged Dell to become the second-largest PC brand in India in the June quarter on the back of a 31.6% year-on-year growth in PC shipments, largely driven by strong demand from small and medium businesses, and enterprise and consumer segments, market intelligence firmIDC reported. The new Chinese entrantsHonor and Xiaomihave seen encouraging early response in India. Huaweis Honor MagicBook 15 laptop went out of stock in a recent sale on Flipkart. Xiaomis Mi laptops have also been well received by Indian customers. Xiaomi and Honors lowest-priced offerings are targeted at students and professionals with modest work requirements and limited budgets, while the higher-end models are targeted at young professionals, particularly content creators looking for a compact yet powerful notebook with a dedicated graphics card. These Chinese offerings cost 10,000-15,000 less than any of the rivals. The Indian PC market still offers a lot of growth potential for new entrants as PC penetration in India is quite low at 11%. However, replicating Lenovos success wont be easy, said industry experts. And, unlike the smartphone market, the PC industry is largely offline with the business/commercial segment still accounting for half of the overall sales. PC segment requires a strong presence in the offline channel and a better connect with consumers. Selling a PC requires a lot of retailing and influencing at a lot of touchpoints," said Jaipal Singh, associate research manager, client devices, IDC India. He said Lenovo has a strong foothold in the enterprise segment and that the relationship they have built with distributors and channels over time puts them in a strong position. The new players can do well in the consumer segment as they already enjoy some rapport with individual buyers. But aggressive pricing alone wont help. Chinese brands are well known through their smartphone business and have a significant online presence. The aggressive pricing will get them more exposure, but when people buy PCs, they look at multiple factors like support, after-sales and warranty," said Ranjit Atwal, senior research director, Gartner. The border clashes with China led to a 9% decline in the market share of Chinese smartphone companies in the June quarter, but Lenovo has remained unaffected. In fact, its market share has only increased, according to IDC. We havent heard any customers asking specifically for PCs by non-Chinese brands as there is a lot of pressure in organizations to ensure everyone has a laptop to work remotely," said a spokesperson for SIG Systems, which leases laptops to companies. To be sure, privacy has been an issue for most Chinese brands, including Huawei. In the case of PCs, too, Chinese brands have had their share of concerns. We have seen instances when pre-loaded software by manufacturers come with malware or have certain security flaws," said Rahul Tyagi, co-founder, Lucideus, a cybersecurity firm. Lenovo, Xiaomi and Honor declined to comment. View Full Image The business/commercial segment still accounts for half of overall PC sales.bloomberg Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics In Macon, Ga., 1922, magic swordwielding Maryse Boudreaux leads a group of African American women in battle against the demonically possessed Ku Klux Klan, who are using the film The Birth of a Nation to conjure an apocalyptic confrontation. Ring Shout (Tor.com, Oct.), which PWs starred review called a thrilling, provocative, and thoroughly badass fantasy, is the latest work of science fiction by P. Djeli Clark, the pen name of historian Dexter Gabriel. In the book, he examines Americas racial trauma and violence through a Southern gothic narrative of weird fiction and body horror. Clark, author of three previous novels and a Nebula Award and Locus Awardwinner for the short story The Secret Lives of the Nine Negro Teeth of George Washington, spoke with PW about what haunts America and how speculative fiction can illuminate history. Why write Klansmen as literal demonic creatures? Its complicatedwhen I told people about Ring Shout I was sometimes asked, Are you saying the Klan are occult monsters? Much of my inspiration came from accounts of formerly enslaved people who described the first iteration of the Klan in the 19th century as being these horned, fearsome beasts; members of the Klan consciously cultivated that image. Still, the actual Klan doesnt need to be composed of otherworldly creatures to be inhuman. Whats the significance of The Birth of a Nation? D.W. Griffiths movie was responsible for the second iteration of the KKK, which became widespread throughout the country. The Birth of a Nation exploded because it was such a change in media. The movie influenced people in ways they never had been before. It seemed real to people at the time. In the same way that lots of people are radicalized into the alt-right today through the internet, the movie became a recruiting tool for the Klan. How can speculative fiction address issues of racial injustice? As an example, in 1902 the Black writer Pauline Hopkins wrote Of One Blood, a science fiction novel about a doctor who discovers an ancient African city run on advanced technology. Hopkins wrote this entirely as an attack on notions of white supremacy. For me, the great ability of speculative fiction is that it allows people to critique this present by both looking to the past and imagining a future, and to wrap those issues in the fantastic so as to draw in people who might otherwise not pay attention. In what ways do you see the contemporary U.S. as haunted by its history? As a historian, I can tell you that the past haunts us. Ring Shout is about how these legacies of slavery, or racism, never really fade away. We feel them, even traumatic events that happened centuries ago. There is a sense in which the psychic power of the Middle Passage stays with you. We are constantly in the presence of that history. What genre is Ring Shout? When people asked me what I was writing, I would say Southern gothic horror, but honestly I said that because I needed an answer. As I was writing, I began to think of it as a Southern fantasyafter all, youve got a heroine with a magic sword fighting monsters. It occurred to me that not all fantasy stories need to be set in some imagined medieval world, so I brought a little bit of the South to the genre, and the rest fell into place. Return to the main feature. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Saturday slammed the Janata Dal (United) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Bihar over what she called enticing the scheduled caste and scheduled tribes (SCs/STs) for their votes just ahead of the assembly polls in Bihar. Mayawati, a four-term Uttar Pradesh chief minister, was reacting to Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumars move to provide jobs to family members of people from the SC/ST community killed in the state. On Friday, the CM had instructed the chief secretary to frame rules for providing jobs to next of kin of persons from the SC/ST community killed in the state. He also directed officials to dispose of all pending cases registered under Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribe Act within a time frame. Also read: Jobs to kin of SC/ST killed in Bihar. What about OBCs, asks Tejashwi Yadav Advising people not to get swayed by allurements offered by the Nitish government, Mayawati tweeted that the Bihar government should have learnt from the rule of the BSP government in Uttar Pradesh. Now, ahead of the Bihar polls the government is trying to woo SC/STs by making tall promises to them though the fact is that throughout their tenure the government didnt pay attention to SC/STs and remained indifferent to them, she tweeted. If the Bihar government was actually so serious about the welfare of this section of society, why did it sleep over their demands and needs? she stated. By Express News Service HYDERABAD: A vehicle in the convoy of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party supremo, N Chandrababu Naidu, met with an accident at Dandumalkapuram near Choutuppal of Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district on Saturday, while it was on its way to Hyderabad from Amaravathi in Andhra Pradesh. A stray cow appeared in the middle of the road as the convoy was moving. An escort vehicle at the front of the convoy had to suddenly apply the brakes and met with an accident. Naidu was in another bulletproof vehicle in the convoy and did not receive any injuries. The security personnel inside the escort vehicle suffered minor injuries and were shifted into another vehicle after provision of first aid. Later, the convoy continued its journey to Hyderabad. Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash The setup of the two friends agricultural venture was unusual. Their farm sat next to a gas station, inside a shipping container where the plants grew in vertically stacked shelves. And the timing of their first sales during the early days of Malaysias coronavirus outbreak seemed less than ideal. We were a nascent product in an uncertain market, said Shawn Ng, 28, a co-founder of the vertical farm, the Vegetable Co. We werent too sure if it would take off. But somehow, he added, the market kind of played in our favor. As in-person shopping wanes during the pandemic, Ngs Malaysia-based operation is one of many small farms around the world that are selling fresh produce directly to consumers in ways that bypass brick-and-mortar grocery stores. Some farms sell on e-commerce platforms like Amazon or Lazada, Alibabas online emporium for Southeast Asia, or through smaller ones like Harvie, a Pennsylvania-based website that connects consumers with individual farms across the United States and Canada. 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 Others, like the Vegetable Co., sell directly to customers. I was very kan cheong during the lockdown period, said one of Ngs regular customers, Ayu Samsudin, using a Cantonese word for anxious. Having fresh vegetables delivered to your doorstep was such a relief. The Vegetable Co. consists of a 320-square-foot shipping container on the edge of a parking lot in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysias largest city. It opened for business, with just a handful of customers, about a month before the countrys restrictive lockdown took effect in mid-March. Revenue grew by 300% in the first few weeks, and the shipping container is now approaching production capacity because of high demand, said Ngs business partner, Sha G.P. Apart from the gas station, the shipping containers other neighbors are a driving range and an oil palm plantation. Inside, tightly packed shelves with hydroponic lettuce, sprouts and other vegetables grow under LED lights. The wallpaper outside the growing chamber shows blue sky and clouds, evoking the view from an old-fashioned farm. But employees pace the chambers narrow corridor wearing rubber gloves, surgical masks and white lab coats, as if it were a hospital ward. The founders have scant experience with traditional farming, and they speak about their work with Silicon Valley-like jargon. Sha said he first became interested in vertical farming after watching The Martian, the 2015 film in which an American astronaut played by Matt Damon is stranded on Mars and learns to grow his own food. I was lost in awe about the degree of precision in the technology along with the elegance of the solution to grow vegetables in a zero-gravity environment, he said. Since then, I have gone down the rabbit hole of independent research. The coronavirus took off in Malaysia in March, after an Islamic revivalist groups gathering there became one of the pandemics biggest vectors in Southeast Asia. Since then, the country of about 32 million has weathered the outbreak relatively well, at least compared with some of its neighbors. As of Thursday, it had reported fewer than 10,000 confirmed cases since the pandemic began, according to a New York Times database. Malaysias initial lockdown allowed only one person per household to go outside for essential errands, and police enforced local travel restrictions with roadblocks. But even though the rules were gradually loosened to let most businesses reopen, many urban Malaysians have maintained the online shopping habits they developed during the initial lockdown, said Audrey Goo, founder of MyFishman, an e-commerce platform that connects fishermen from villages along the countrys west coast with consumers in Kuala Lumpur. Not many end users are willing to go back to the wet market, said Goo, adding that her companys sales had roughly doubled during the pandemic. So I think the whole business model will continue to change. Ng said the Vegetable Co.s parent company, Future Farms, was now seeking seed capital to finance an expansion into a larger facility. He recently hired an architect and a software developer to design it. For now, though, the operation remains modest. On a recent afternoon, Ng climbed into his car for a delivery run that snaked through low-rise residential neighborhoods, as the sun sank below Kuala Lumpurs hazy downtown skyline. One of the customers on the 40-plus-mile route, Gudrun Olafsdottir, said that along with yoga and meditation, greens from the Vegetable Co. were part of a routine that helped her keep physically and mentally fit during the pandemic. Olafsdottir, who is from Iceland and works in retail, found the farm on Facebook through a local chef who specializes in raw and vegan cooking. She said it was one of several local businesses that she was supporting these days with a financial hug. I think that we could do so many things to support those in need if we just consciously choose how we spend our time and money, she has written on her blog. A hug and a squeeze. c.2020 The New York Times Company Vikas Singh Calls Showik's Arrest 'Just The Tip Of The Iceberg' Sushant's family lawyer said, "All I want to say is that this is just the tip of the iceberg. Just imagine what all Mumbai Police is hiding from everyone and this is just the tip of the iceberg." Earlier, Sushant's Sister Shweta Singh Kirti Expressed Her Relief After The News Of Arrest Broke Out "Thank you God Keep guiding all of us in the direction of TRUTH! #JusticeForSushantSinghRajput #GreatStartNCB #Warriors4SRR #Flag4SSR," she wrote on her Twitter page. Showik and Sushant's house manager Samuel Miranda have been arrested under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, a senior NCB officer said, as per a PTI report. Both Showik and Samuel have been named as accused by the Enforcement Directorate and the CBI in the FIRs registered by them in Sushant's death case. The NCB Had Earlier Raided Showik And Samuel's House Earlier, on Friday, the NCB had raided the homes of Showik Chakraborty and Samuel Miranda. NCB Deputy Director (operations) KPS Malhotra, who is heading the probe team of the agency, had told journalists that Showik and Samuel's houses were being searched as a "procedural" action. After questioning them in the NCB office, the agency arrested them later in the evening. Here's What Sources Have To Say As per a report in DNA, Showik confessed to NCB that he used to buy drugs for Sushant Singh Rajput on the behest of his sister Riya through Samuel Miranda. Further, Samuel told NCB that he used to arrange drugs, named Budd, at the behest of Showik for the late actor. 3 1 of 3 Cesar G. Rodriguez /Laredo Morning Times Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Cesar G. Rodriguez /Laredo Morning Times Show More Show Less 3 of 3 A man who was arrested for transporting heroin and cocaine told authorities that he will give them all the details regarding the smuggling attempt, states the arrest affidavit filed on Thursday. Jose Leobardo Ramos was arrested and charged with possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance and conspire to possess with intent to distribute the controlled substance. New development in the Summers Corner neighborhood south of Summerville continues to move along. Lennar Carolinas plans to build 211 homes on 86 acres in a development called Azalea Ridge Phase 7 southeast of Beech Hill Road and Summers Drive. The Miami-based home builder recently asked state environmental regulators for permits for stormwater, wastewater and water line construction. The development is part of the 72,000-acre East Edisto Tract. About 53,000 acres that flank the Edisto River in the tract in Dorchester and Charleston counties are protected from development under a 2016 agreement. Changing hands A 48-unit apartment development on James Island and a multi-tenant commercial building in Mount Pleasant are now in the hands of new owners in separate deals. Nashville-based real estate firm Durham Hill Capital LLC recently paid $8.5 million for The Charthouse, a four-story multifamily development at 1559 Folly Road, according to Andy Batkins of Charleston-based Woodlock Capital, which brokered the deal for the seller. Hoplite Capital Strategies LLC, an arm of Charleston-based Hoplite Capital Management LP, is an equity partner in the purchase. Greensboro, N.C.-based 1559 Acquisition Co. LLC was the previous owner. It acquired the 3-acre site in 2015 for $490,000 and built the apartments two years later. Also changing hands is a 7,500-square-foot former McDonald's with three tenants in Mount Pleasant. Sign up for our real estate newsletter! Get the best of the Post and Courier's Real Estate news, handpicked and delivered to your inbox each Saturday. Email Sign Up! The free-standing structure now housing Dunkin' Donuts, Scoogie's Chicago Style Deli and Headley Family Chiropractic at 840 Coleman Blvd. sold for $1.55 million, according to Buddy Bebergal and Will Moore of Carolina Commercial Real Estate, who handled the sale for the buyer. The new owner is MG Mount Pleasant LLC of Columbus, Ohio. Dunston Powell, also of Carolina Commercial, handled the sale for the seller, 840 Coleman LLC. Bebergal said the new owner bought the property as an investment and does not plan any immediate changes. The nearly 1-acre property last sold in 2011 for $825,000, according to Charleston County land records. Topping out A new $30 million, five-story office building under construction in downtown Charleston has officially topped out the steel frame. Workers celebrated the topping out of the 84,000-square-foot structure at 677 King St. on Sept. 2. Completion is expected late next spring on the Atlantic South Development-owned building. No tenants have been announced. Taipei: Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen left for the United States on Friday on her way to Central America, a trip that will be closely watched by Beijing, incensed by her congratulatory call to Donald Trump. While the focus of the nine-day trip is to visit Taiwans ally nations in Central America, Beijing-sceptic Tsais transit stops in Houston this weekend and San Francisco next weekend will be under scrutiny as cross-strait tensions rise. Tsais conversation with Trump in December after he won the presidency upended decades of diplomatic precedent in which Washington has effectively ignored Taipei in favour of Beijing, which considers Taiwan a breakaway province to be brought back within its fold. Since then, China has stepped up military drills near Taiwan, with speculation its sole aircraft carrier may pass through the Taiwan Strait during or shortly after Tsais trip. The drills are seen as a show of strength by Beijing as its ties with the self-ruled island and the US deteriorate. Beijing has asked Washington to bar Tsai from flying through US airspace. A transit is a transit, the Taiwanese leader told reporters last week, when asked whether she would be meeting anyone from Trumps administration. Trump himself appeared to have ruled out meeting Tsai this trip, saying it is a little bit inappropriate to meet anybody until he takes office January 20.Taiwans presidential office declined to provide details of Tsais itinerary during her US stays. What China cares most about is whether Tsai and Trump will meet, political analyst Liao Da-chi told AFP. These are all warning signals to see how Taiwan will respond, as well as testing waters with the US, added Liao, a professor at the National Sun Yat-sen University. Tsai will visit Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and El Salvadoramong the dwindling number of states that officially recognise Taiwan. She will attend the presidential inauguration in Nicaragua on Tuesday and meet with the heads of states of the other three nations. Taiwan is down to 21 allies after the small African nation of Sao Tome and Principe switched recognition to Beijing last month. The Vatican is Taiwans highest-profile supporter, but the Holy Sees recently improving relations with Beijing is casting doubt over ties with the island. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Neutral Citation Number: [2020] EWHC 2379 (Comm) Case No: CL-2019-000752 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE QUEENS BENCH DIVISION COMMERCIAL COURT IN AN ARBITRATION CLAIM AND IN THE MATTER OF APPLICATIONS UNDER S.67 AND S.68 OF THE ARBITRATION ACT 1996 Royal Courts of Justice Strand, London, WC2A 2LL 04/09/2020 B e f o r e : SIR ROSS CRANSTON sitting as a Judge of the High Court ____________________ Between: THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA Claimant and PROCESS & INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENTS LIMITED Defendant ____________________ MARK HOWARD QC, PHILIP RICHES QC and TOM PASCOE (instructed by MISHCON DE REYA LLP) for the Claimant IAN MILL QC and SIDDHARTH DHAR (instructed by KOBRE & KIM (UK) LLP) for the Defendant Hearing dates: 13 and 14 JULY 2020 ____________________ HTML VERSION OF JUDGMENT APPROVED ____________________ Crown Copyright Covid-19 Protocol: This judgment was handed down by the judge remotely by circulation to the parties representatives by email and released to BAILII. The date and time for hand-down was 10:30 AM on 4 September 2020. SIR ROSS CRANSTON sitting as a Judge of the High Court: Introduction These are applications by the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Nigeria) for an extension of time to bring challenges under sections 67 and 68(2)(g) of the Arbitration Act 1996 (the 1996 Act or the Act). There is a related application for relief from sanctions to adduce new evidence in response to an enforcement application. The hearing before me was by order of Butcher J in The Federal Republic of Nigeria v Process & Industrial Developments Limited [2020] EWHC 129 (Comm). It occurred over two days but, as I explain shortly, there were later written submissions about what was said to be new evidence. These challenges and the enforcement application concern arbitral awards by a London Tribunal relating to a gas processing contract (the GSPA) between Nigeria and Process & Industrial Developments Limited (P&ID) dated 11 January 2010. The Tribunals Final Award of 31 January 2017 ordered Nigeria to pay P&ID damages of US$6.6 billion, as well as pre- and post- judgment interest at 7 percent. The current outstanding amount is some US$10 billion. Nigerias case for an extension of time is that the GSPA, the arbitration clause in the GSPA and the awards were procured as the result of a massive fraud perpetrated by P&ID, and that to deny them the opportunity to challenge the Final Award would involve the English court being used as an unwitting vehicle of the fraud. P&IDs case is that the awards date back some three to five and a half years and it would be unprecedented to grant the extensions. Speed and finality are essential features of London arbitration and the case that there has been any fraud (which is denied) is at best weak. The parties have produced a large volume of documents, some thirty-four bundles with hundreds of pages of evidence and thousands of pages of exhibits. It is not my function at this preliminary stage to decide whether a fraud took place. As Butcher J pointed out in ordering the hearing, it would tend to defeat the purposes of the 1996 Act for there to be a substantial investigation of the merits at this stage: at [30]. However, it has been necessary to consider a considerable amount of the material to decide firstly, whether, as Nigeria contended, there is a prima facie case of fraud and how strong that case is, and secondly, the steps Nigeria took to investigate the alleged fraud from late 2015. Both matters are relevant to the issues of whether Nigerias claim is barred altogether and whether time should be extended in its favour and relief from sanctions granted. Following the hearing, P&ID submitted a Supplementary Note to comment on new evidence which it said had only now come to its attention, in particular a letter dated 5 June 2020 from Nigerias Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami SAN, to President Buhari. P&ID contended that the letter strongly supported the case it advanced at the hearing. On 21 August Nigeria sent a Note in response, together with the eighth witness statement in the proceedings from Mr Malami. The material is considered later in the judgment. Background P&ID and Project Alpha The defendant, P&ID, was incorporated in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) on 30 May 2006 by Michael Quinn and Brendan Cahill, both Irish citizens. In July 2006 an associated company, Projects & Industrial Developments (Nigeria) Ltd (P&ID Nigeria), was established. P&ID had no assets, only a handful of employees, and was without a website or other presence. Messrs Quinn and Cahill had a number of other companies relevant to this case, including an Irish company, Industrial Consultants International Ltd (ICIL). There was also Lurgi Consult Ltd (Lurgi), a Cypriot consulting company in the oil and gas industry. Its Nigerian counterpart had as its directors Adam Quinn, Mr Quinns son, and James Nolan. Other associated companies appear in the course of the judgment. The narrative conveniently begins on 27 June 2006, when P&ID signed an engineering service agreement with General T. Y. Danjuma (retired), a prominent Nigerian businessman, for the undertaking of what was called Project Alpha. That was followed by a further engineering service agreement of 6 September 2006 with General Danjumas company, Tita-Kuru Petrochemicals Ltd (Tita-Kuru). Project Alpha concerned the design of a polypropylene plant in Badagry, south-west Nigeria. Advertisements In a letter to the Economic & Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) dated 20 September 2019, Tita-Kuru states that one aspect of the arrangements with P&ID was that it would organise a gas offtake agreement from the Folawiyo gas field at Badagry, but that it later informed Tita-Kuru that it was unsuccessful in doing this. The letter continues that Mr Quinn of P&ID suggested that the engineering work undertaken could be used for a similar gas stripping plant at Calabar, capital of Cross River State in south-east Nigeria. The letter continues: 3.1.6We are therefore persuaded the studies, technology licencing fees and engineering designs that formed the basis of P&IDs presentation to the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources were, in fact, ours 3.2.2[A]s per the matters in paragraph 3.1.6 hereof, we had paid the sum of $40m (Forty Million USD) to P&ID for the development of the Engineering work, Design and Off-take Consultancy Services which P&ID later used in their presentation to FMPR [Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources] to secure the now disputed [GSPA]. The letter also explains that there had been a falling out between Mr Quinn and General Danjuma but that later a memorandum of understanding was signed. Steps leading to the GSPA The reference in the Tita-Kuru letter to P&IDs presentation to the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources (MPR or the Ministry) is to one of the steps in the negotiation of the GSPA. In October 2008 Mr Quinn made a power-point presentation at the Ministry. Slides 5 and 6 were computer aided design drawings, entitled Propylene & Butane for Export, Phase 1 and Propylene & Butane for Export, Phase 2. They were both marked in boxes in the right side, lower corner, Project Alpha. Another step was that P&ID had written to Nigerias President YarAdua with a formal proposal on 7 August 2008. (Nigeria does not admit that this letter was sent.) Amongst other points the letter stated that: we are willing to fund, from our own resources, the entire US$700,000,000 for the gas processing facilities on land and we are also willing, if necessary, to participate in all or part of the financing of the gas gathering offshore portion of the project On 18 December 2008 Dr Rilwanu Lukman was appointed as Nigerias Minister of Petroleum Resources. The following year there was correspondence and meetings between P&ID and members of the technical committee of the Ministry, among whose members were Dr M M Ibrahim (special senior technical assistant and head of policy at the governments Oil & Gas Sector Reform Implementation Committee) and Mr Taofiq Tijani. In June 2009 Mr Quinn wrote to the office of the Minister of Petroleum Resources, for the attention of Dr Ibrahim, enclosing P&IDs letter to the Ministry in mid-March detailing our expenditure of more than 40 million US dollars to date on the project. There was a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed on 22 July 2009 between the Ministry and P&ID Nigeria regarding the GSPA project. On 1 December 2009 Dr Ibrahim sent a letter to P&ID indicating that Dr Lukman had directed all stakeholders [to] fast track their processes. Just over a fortnight later, on 18 December 2009, Ms Grace Eyanena Taiga, legal director of the Ministry, sent a note to Dr Lukman advising him to sign the GSPA with P&ID. She wrote: Subject to your comments to the contrary, I advise that HMPR [the Minister] signs these Draft Agreements to ensure a leap forward for Short Term Gas operations in the country as directed by Mr President. READ ALSO: In his fourth statement for the court the Attorney General of Nigeria, Mr Malami, states that the GSPA did not obtain the requisite authorisation of the Bureau of Public Procurement or consent of either the Federal Executive Council or the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission. Nor was it registered with the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion. In his seventh statement, the Attorney General states that the individual at the Ministry responsible for compliance with these procedures was Ms Taiga. The GSPA and immediate aftermath The GSPA was entered into between Nigeria and P&ID on 11 January 2010. It was signed by Dr Lukman on behalf of Nigeria. His signature was witnessed by Ms Taiga. Mr Quinn signed the agreement for P&ID, and his signature was witnessed by Mr Alhaji Mohammed Kuchazi, an associate of Mr Quinn. Under the contract Nigeria was to supply natural gas (wet gas) at no cost to P&IDs facility. For its part P&ID was to construct and operate the facility. It would process the gas to remove natural gas liquids which P&ID was entitled to and return lean gas to Nigeria at no cost, which would be suitable for use in power generation and other purposes. The contract was to run 20 years from Nigerias first regular supply of natural gas to the facility. Clause 20 of the GSPA provided that, in the case of disputes, the parties could refer them to arbitration under the rules of the Nigerian Arbitration and Conciliation Act 2004. The venue of the arbitration was stated as London or otherwise as agreed by the parties. In his fourth statement the Attorney General, Mr Malami, states that the form of the arbitration agreement did not match the model reflected in a government circular in force at the time providing for arbitrations with their seat in Nigeria. A month later, on 11 February 2010, the Government of Cross River State wrote to P&ID, confirming approval for a grant of land, subject to payment of NGN21,015,138 (about 44,500). On 14 May 2010 Mr Quinn wrote as chairman of P&ID to the incoming group managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Nigerias state oil corporation. Mr Quinn requested assistance with the negotiations with Addax Petroleum, who were to provide the flared wet gas for the project. The letter stated that all necessary project finances were in place, 90 percent of the engineering designs were complete, a 50 hectare site had been allocated to P&ID by the Cross River State government, and Addax had confirmed its readiness to the Ministry to supply wet gas for the project. Dr Lukman had ceased to be Minister for Petroleum Resources in March 2010. He was replaced the following month by Mrs Alison-Madueke. At the same time Mr Mohammed Bello Adoke SAN was appointed as the Nigerian Attorney General and Minister of Justice. As regards officials, Dr Ibrahim had left the Ministry on 1 February 2010. It seems that Ms Taiga left her position at the Ministry at some point later that year. Mr Tijani retired from the Ministry in January 2011. From 2011 until 2013 Ibrahim Dikko was legal adviser to the Ministry. Between 2010 and 2012 P&ID wrote a number of letters to the Ministry, the NNPC and the President seeking implementation of the GSPA. There was a ministerial stakeholders meeting including P&ID in August 2010 and meetings with other stakeholders. Commencement of arbitration The GSPA was not implemented. On 22 August 2012 P&ID sent a Notice of Arbitration to Nigeria to commence proceedings under the Nigerian Arbitration and Conciliation Act 2004. Arbitration took place in three stages in London and resulted in three awards relating to jurisdiction, liability and quantum. Except to make sense of matters relevant to the current proceedings there is no need to set out the details of the arbitration and associated proceedings, which are dealt with in Butcher Js judgment in Process & Industrial Developments Limited v The Federal Republic of Nigeria [2019] EWHC 2241 (Comm); [2019] 2 Lloyds Rep 361, [7]-[34]. In broad outline, P&ID and Nigeria appointed arbitrators in September and November 2012 respectively. In its initial statement of case P&ID alleged that Nigeria did not deliver the wet gas as required under the GSPA and had repudiated the contract, a repudiation which it had accepted. It claimed some US$6 billion in lost profits. P&ID served its Statement of Case in late June 2013. Nigerias notice of preliminary objection in October 2013 disputed the tribunals jurisdiction on the grounds that: (1) the GSPA was void because the Ministry, as a government body, did not have legal capacity to enter into contracts; and (2) the contract breached section 54 of the Companies And Allied Matters Act 2004, which requires foreign companies to carry out any business through a local subsidiary. Mr Olasupo Shasore SAN was appointed as counsel for Nigeria in the arbitration. Mr Shasore was a former Attorney General of Lagos State, author of a textbook on Nigerian arbitration and a past President of the Lagos Court of Arbitration. He worked at a law firm, Ajumogobia & Okeke. The senior partner of that firm has given evidence to the EFCC that Mr Shasore kept his involvement in the case hidden and ran it through a different firm, Twenty Marina Solicitors, which was used to provide secretarial services. In a statement to the EFCC dated 24 December 2019, Mr Shasore has said that he was paid a fee of US$2 million for the first two stages of the arbitration, including disbursements. On 14 February 2014 P&ID served its submissions on preliminary issues, with a witness statement from Mr Quinn and an expert report from Justice Alfa Belgore. Evidence of Mr Quinn Mr Quinns 34-page witness statement was dated 10 February 2014, which he gave as chairman of the company. Mr Quinn died in February 2015, before the liability hearing, and never gave evidence in person. In the arbitration P&ID relied on the factual evidence contained in the statement. After some introductory paragraphs, Mr Quinn stated at paragraph [4] of his statement that the GSPA represented a substantial project involving anticipated profits of $5 to $6 billion for P&ID over a 20 year period. The paragraph continued: It was the culmination of years of research by my team of engineers into the production of clean energy from natural gas. Mr Quinn then set out what he said was his experience in Nigerian infrastructure projects (paragraphs [10]-[16]), before turning to the incorporation in July 2006 of P&ID Nigeria the operating company and P&ID, the BVI-incorporated company which signed the GSPA. As to P&ID he said: I believe that the Government regarded the involvement of a BVI entity as a contracting party, rather than the Nigerian entity, to be commercially beneficial, especially from the perspective of the sale of NGLs [natural gas liquids] on the international markets: para [21]. After passages on natural gas and power generation, the power crisis in Nigeria, and the countrys gas master plan, Mr Quinns statement turned to the nature of the project, the construction of a gas stripping plant. Work started in earnest, Mr Quinn said, in 2006: para [41]. A little later he said: 47. During the course of the next two years, we made good progress and reached a very advanced stage of the preparatory engineering work necessary to implement such a project on the ground. I would estimate that the total costs sunk into the preparatory work during that period were in excess of US$40 million, including initial feasibility studies, the cost of licences for the technology required to operate the gas stripping plant and the polypropylene plant respectively, the production of detailed engineering drawings and our own internal project management costs. 48. By way of example, extensive work was commissioned from various specialist engineering companiesThe cost of the work from these 3 companies alone was about $29 million 49. By the end of the first 2 years of our work on the Project, we had put together a completed engineering package which comprised about 100 volumes of documentation, together with a 3-D model of the plant Mr Quinn then summarised what he said were the discussions with the government leading to the signing of the GSPA. Under the heading Implementation of the GSPA, Mr Quinn referred to a number of steps which he said P&ID had taken. One was that a site for the onshore gas stripping plant had been selected by P&ID and secured[and] on 16 February 2010 approval was granted, by the Government of the Cross River State, to P&ID, of the allocation of Parcels 1 & 2 of Energy City (Industrial) at Adiabo: para [109]. Mr Quinn added: 110. On 14 May 2010, I wrote to NNPC [Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation] on the progress made by P&ID. I pointed out that all of the project finance was in place, 90 percent of the engineering designs had been completed, a 50 hectare site had been allocated to P&ID by the Cross River State Government Mr Quinns statement then contained an account of what he said was the Nigerian governments repudiation of the GSPA. To his statement Mr Quinn exhibited the power-point presentation given at the Ministry in October 2008. Jurisdiction Award and attempts at settlement In its Partial Final Award of 3 July 2014, the Tribunal determined that it had jurisdiction and that the GSPA was valid and binding between the parties (the Jurisdiction Award). The Tribunal noted that in May 2014, Twenty Marina Solicitors had emailed the Tribunal stating that it would not be able to lodge Nigerias skeleton argument by the deadline or attend the jurisdiction hearing due to a difficulty in obtaining instructions. There was no request for an adjournment of the hearing, and the Tribunal dispensed with an oral hearing for the purposes of the award. P&ID served its statement of case on liability on 28 June 2014. On 21 July 2014 the Tribunal ordered that Nigeria serve its statement of defence by 19 September 2014 (Procedural Order No.5). Nigeria did not comply. There were then attempts at a settlement. On 17 July 2014 Mr Shasore had written to Nigerias Attorney General, Mr Adoke, that there appears to be a lack of exonerating facts or any documentary evidence with which to defend the claim and urged a possible settlement. On 11 August 2014 Mr Adoke then wrote to President Goodluck Jonathan expressing his agreement with Mr Shasores advice of mid-July that there were no exonerating facts and therefore no legal grounds to defend the claim. Separately the NNPC wrote to the Minister for Petroleum Resources, Mrs Alison-Madueke, on 1 September 2014, agreeing with the Attorney General and outside counsel that the Ministry had a bad case. To that end it recommended that settlement be explored but that Nigeria should, nonetheless, file a defence. On 11 November 2014 the Attorney General wrote to Mrs Alison-Madueke, including the advice from Mr Shasore, urging her to pursue settlement discussions. On 11 November 2014 Ms Folakemi Adelore, legal adviser to the Ministry from 2013 to 2017, sent a memorandum to the permanent secretary of the Ministry recommending a settlement with P&ID. On 18 November 2014, US$100,000 of cash was deposited into Ms Adelores account in ten US$10,000 tranches. As explained later in the judgment, Mr Shasore and Ms Adelore accept that Mr Shasore was the source of the payment. There was an equivalent payment of US$100,000 to Mr Ikechukwu Oguine, who was the coordinator, legal services at the NNPC. Both Mr Shasore and Mr Oguine accept that Mr Shasore made the payment. In December 2014 Mr Shasore, Ms Adelore and Mr Oguine travelled to London for settlement negotiations with P&ID. On 30 December 2014 Ms Adelore wrote a memorandum to the Ministrys permanent secretary. She stated that there was no doubt the Ministry was in breach of the GSPA; the negotiating team was apprehensive that the Tribunal might award P&IDs claim of US$5.9 billion; and Nigeria should offer a lower amount which P&ID might accept. The Liability Award The Tribunal made Procedural Order No.6 on 16 February 2015, noting that Nigeria had missed an agreed, extended deadline of 3 October 2014 for filing its defence for the liability hearing, and ordering it to do so by 27 February. Nigerias statement of defence was filed and served by Mr Shasore on 27 February 2015. On 17 March 2015 Mr Adoke, the Attorney General, forwarded a letter from Mr Shasore to the Minister for Petroleum Resources, Mrs Alison-Madueke, stating that notwithstanding our line of defence, the Federal Government is still liable for failure to supply the requisite gas. On 16 April 2015 Mr Shasore wrote to Mr Adoke, stating that the Ministrys defence was in grave need of evidence, documents and witnesses, and asking for an urgent response on a proposal to settle the claim. In response to Procedural Order No.8 directing Nigeria to serve its evidence and supporting documents by 1 May 2015, Nigeria served the witness statement of Mr Oguine, legal coordinator at the NNPC. The statement explained why Nigeria was unable to supply gas to P&ID and argued that its only role was as a facilitator between P&ID and the oil companies. There were no exhibits to the statement. The Tribunal held a case management hearing by telephone on 6 May 2015. Neither side applied for cross-examination of witnesses. Following the case management hearing, the Tribunal made Procedural Order No.9 by consent. It required Nigeria to serve, within 48 hours, a statement of any primary facts alleged in the evidence of Mr Michael Quinn which are challenged and of any other facts alleged to be relevant to the question of liability. The Tribunal set down a hearing for 1 June, with 2 June in reserve. On 12 May 2015 Mr Shasore served Nigerias statement of disputed facts. In substance they occupied less than a page and were six in number: P&IDs knowledge that the Nigerian government had commenced building a pipeline; whether P&ID initially regarded Lagos as an attractive area for the project; whether the purpose of the GSPA was for P&ID to take wet gas free of charge from Nigeria; whether the government had access to unlimited supplies of natural gas in the Calabar area; whether Phase 1 of the contract was planned to take two years to implement after the grant of government approvals; and whether Nigeria was obliged to deliver wet gas free of charge to the site of the plant. P&ID served its written arguments for the hearing on liability on 25 May 2015. On 28 May 2015 Nigeria did likewise, contending inter alia that the Ministry lacked capacity to enter the GSPA, that P&ID failed to fulfil its obligations under the GSPA, that construction of the gas processing facilities at Calabar was a precondition to Nigeria supplying wet gas, that the GSPA was for the supply of ascertained wet gas, misrepresentation by P&ID, fundamental change in circumstances, illegality, and that the GSPA was contrary to public policy and international law. The liability hearing began at 10am on 1 June 2015 and ended early in the afternoon the same day. In the course of submissions on the first issue of the Ministrys capacity to enter the GSPA, Mr Shasore stated that he hoped to cross-examine Mr Quinn on the matter. The chairman responded that there had been no application to cross-examine Mr Quinn. He added that P&ID had stated that it did not need to rely on the disputed facts Nigeria had raised on 12 May 2015, so that there was no scope for cross-examination. Mr Shasore replied that that was not his understanding, and he applied to cross-examine Mr Quinn, at which point P&IDs advocate informed the Tribunal that Mr Quinn had died earlier in the year. The Tribunal made a formal ruling: there was no application to cross-examine Mr Quinn, and under Procedural Order No. 9 Nigeria had to serve a statement of any primary facts in Mr Quinns affidavit which it challenged, and any other facts alleged to be relevant. Nigeria had done this, but P&ID took the view that none of the challenged facts were relevant to its claim and were content that those facts should not be accepted. The hearing continued. In reply submissions following the hearing, Mr Shasore returned to his inability to cross-examine and asserted that his statement of disputed facts essentially challenged all the facts in Mr Quinns statement. The Tribunal issued its Partial Final Award concerning liability on 17 July 2015, finding that Nigeria had repudiated the GSPA and that P&ID was entitled to damages (the Liability Award). As to the evidence, the Tribunal said at paragraph [35] that although Mr Ikechukwu Oguine made what was called a witness statement, he gave no relevant evidence; his statement consisted of references to documents on the record and submissions in similar terms to those made by Mr Shasore. The Tribunal used Mr Quinns evidence, where it had not been contested by Nigeria, as the factual basis of events preceding and subsequent to the GSPA. The Tribunal dismissed Mr Shasores defences to the claim. President Buhari elected and the Quantum/Final Award Having won the elections, President Muhammadu Buhari was sworn in on 29 May 2015. Professor Yemi Osinbajo became the vice-president. On 11 November 2015, Mr Malami was appointed as Attorney General and Minister of Justice. He continues in that role to the present day. In his sixth statement for this court he recalls that after his appointment he studied the arbitration case file and noticed some lapses in how the matter had been handled. Meanwhile, on 27 October 2015, the Tribunal had made Procedural Order No.10, noting that Mr Shasore had informed the Tribunal that he was without instructions. The order required P&ID to serve its evidence on quantum and for Nigeria to serve reply evidence. On 23 December 2015 Nigeria applied to this court for orders to make an out of time application to set aside the Liability Award on grounds of internal inconsistency in the Tribunals reasoning, the Tribunals failure to deal properly with the authority argument, and the Tribunals failure to give reasons that Nigerias breach was repudiatory. On 10 February 2016 Phillips J considered the application on the papers (as is customary) and rejected it: the application was more than four months after the expiry of the 28 day time limit, and for reasons he explained Nigeria had not shown compelling reasons for an extension. In refusing to extend time, Phillips J also took into account that the grounds had no merit, for reasons he explained. Nigeria then filed an originating motion in the Nigerian Federal High Court. Dated 24 February 2016, it sought an order: (i) extending time to set aside the Liability Award; and (ii) setting aside and/or remitting for further consideration all or part of the Liability Award. On 5 April 2016 Nigeria also sought an order restraining the parties from participating in the arbitration, pending the courts determination of the 24 February 2016 application. That was granted on 20 April 2016. In response to the position where Nigeria had made an application to the Nigerian court, the Tribunal made Procedural Order No. 12 on 26 April 2016, setting out its reasons for finding that the seat of the arbitration was England, not Nigeria. Nigeria challenged the Order in the Federal High Court on 9 May 2016, but that application was struck out for want of prosecution later in the year. On 24 May 2016 the Nigerian court made an order: (i) extending time for Nigeria to apply to set aside the Liability Award; and (ii) setting aside and/or remitting for consideration all or part of the Liability Award. The Tribunal held a two-day hearing on quantum in late August 2016. Nigeria participated, while maintaining its position as regards the Liability Award. By this time Mr Shasore had been replaced as Nigerias counsel by Chief Bolaji Ayorinde SAN. In a letter to the Vice President on 29 March 2017 the Attorney General, Mr Malami, stated that Mr Shasore had failed to cooperate properly in handing over material when his (the Attorneys) office assumed the conduct of the case from the Ministry in mid-2016. For the purposes of the quantum hearing both sides commissioned expert reports. P&ID had an expert report prepared by Berkeley Research Group LLC (BRG), dated 19 August 2016. Amongst other things it concluded, from reviewing P&IDs CAD (computer aided design) model and its proposal to the government, that it was well advanced in its preparation to build the facility. The Tribunal issued its final award on quantum on 31 January 2017 (the Final Award). In part E, Findings on liability, beginning at paragraph [29] it recalled its findings in the Liability Award. The evidence of P&ID, it said, consisted of a statement of Mr Quinn, parts of which it quoted, including his paragraph [110], set out earlier in the judgment. It then recalled Procedural Order No. 9, and that Nigeria had served a statement of the facts it challenged, but which P&ID had elected not to rely on. Then in part G, Measure of Damages the Tribunal stated at paragraph [50] that the evidence showed a high degree of likelihood that if the government had been willing to perform, P&ID was fully prepared to acquire the land and start constructing the plant, quoting again from Mr Quinns statement. At paragraph [51] the Tribunal recalled Procedural Order No. 9, that Nigeria had not disputed any of the matters the Tribunal had mentioned and concluded: P&ID thus showed every sign of being willing, indeed anxious, to implement the project and there is no dispute over its ability to have done so. By a majority the Tribunal found that, had Nigeria not repudiated its obligations under the GSPA, P&ID would have performed its obligations and had suffered loss. That was measured by the income it would have achieved in the 20 years of the contract from the sale of the NGLs which would have been extracted from the wet gas, less capital expenditure (capex) of some $500 million and $50m operating expense (opex) per annum. It awarded P&ID lost profits of US$ 6.6 billion, together with pre- and post-award interest of 7 percent. Response to the Final Award On 2 March 2017 there was a meeting at the Attorney Generals office to consider all options available to Nigeria. The meeting included Mr Malami, the Attorney General, the Nigerian law firm representing Nigeria in the arbitration and representatives of the Ministry and the NNPC. Following that meeting, on 13 March 2017 Mr Malami wrote to Vice President Osinbajo, who was acting president at the time, exploring five scenarios and making recommendations on each. The first was to negotiate a reasonable settlement. The second was to undertake a forensic and extensive examination of the original contract, Award and other Processes to discover loopholes to upset or vary the Award. The merits were said to be that a loophole might be discovered, for example fraud, technical grounds or a conflict of interest of the arbitrators. The other options were to inquire whether there was the possibility of an appeal, an investigation by the EFCC and a challenge to the recognition and enforcement of the award. Mr Malami wrote further to the Vice President on 17 March 2017, following a meeting on 13 March where the scenarios in the 13 March letter were extensively deliberated. Scenario 1 was now expressed as the urgent need (emphasis in original) to negotiate a settlement. The scenario about involving the EFCC was that it should be directed to undertake a discreet investigation of the matter, and also to ascertain the personalities and beneficiaries behind P&ID. There was a further letter from Mr Malami to the Vice President dated 29 March 2017. On 6 April 2017 the Vice President approved in manuscript on the letter its proposal to pursue settlement negotiations. There followed on 16 May 2017 (and afterwards) without prejudice settlement discussions with P&ID. After P&ID stated in September 2017 that it intended to enforce the Final Award, on 7 December 2017 the Vice President granted approval to negotiate further. However, settlement negotiations broke down. The Attorney General, Mr Malami, together with the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources wrote to the Vice President on 23 May 2018 in light of US enforcement proceedings which P&ID had initiated, recommending the reopening of negotiations with P&ID while efforts were being made as regards the enforcement proceedings. On 12 June 2018 the Vice Presidents office reported that he had agreed with the recommendation and would take up the matter with the President. That same day, 12 June 2018, the Vice President wrote to the President recommending the reopening of negotiations with P&ID. The President approved this recommendation on 26 June 2018. There was a meeting on 12 July 2018 in anticipation of settlement negotiations involving Nigerias international legal representatives, Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP (Curtis), the Attorney General, Mr Malami, and Nigerian officials. A memorandum of the meeting records that Nigeria still preferred a reasonable settlement with P&ID. It added that the Nigerian team also alleged that there may be fraud involved in the circumstances surrounding the GSPA. However, the Curtis team pointed out that in order to advance fraudthere is need to have concrete evidence of same. Negotiations with P&ID the following day, 13 July 2018, were unsuccessful. Enforcement of the Final Award Meanwhile, on 16 March 2018 P&ID applied to this court under section 66 of the 1996 Act for an order that it have leave to enforce the Final Award of 31 January 2017. Nigeria did not file an acknowledgement of service in time and applied for relief from sanctions. On 21 December 2018 Bryan J granted relief from sanctions: Process & Industrial Developments Limited v The Federal Republic of Nigeria [2018] EWHC 3714 (Comm). Meanwhile, on 28 March 2018, P&ID had commenced enforcement proceedings in the United States District and Bankruptcy court for the District of Columbia. Nigeria raised a number of objections to the section 66 application, including that London was not the seat of the arbitration. In his judgment in Process & Industrial Developments Limited v The Federal Republic of Nigeria [2019] EWHC 2241 (Comm); [2019] 2 Lloyds Rep 361, handed down on 16 August 2019, Butcher J held that the Tribunal had correctly construed the arbitration clause in the GSPA that London was the seat of the arbitration, and its decision created an issue estoppel precluding Nigeria from raising the issue at the enforcement stage. He then went on to dispose of various grounds Nigeria had raised against enforcement, including that it would be against public policy. The application by P&ID to enforce the Final Award as a judgment or order of the court was consequently granted. At a hearing on 26 September 2019 to consider consequential matters, Butcher J gave Nigeria permission to appeal: Process & Industrial Developments Limited v The Federal Republic of Nigeria [2019] EWHC 2541. In the course of his judgment he said: [15][T]here has been some mention before me of there being an investigation conducted by Nigeria into the award of the GSPA and related matters. There is a suggestion that there may have been some sort of fraud, conspiracy or tax evasion. Those were not grounds which were relied upon before me at the hearing in June as reasons why the Final Award should not be enforced. They are not relied upon now as reasons for the grant of permission to appeal nor as grounds of appeal. On the contrary, Mr Matovus skeleton argument states in terms that The court is not asked to act on these investigations or convictions at the present hearing. Those allegations have accordingly played no part in my decision in relation to permission to appeal. Nigeria launched the current challenges under sections 67 and 68(2)(g) of the 1996 Act on 5 December 2019. As we have seen, on 24 January 2020 Butcher J ordered Nigerias applications for an extension of time and relief from sanctions to be heard as preliminary issues and not as part of a rolled up hearing with the substantive applications: The Federal Republic of Nigeria v Process & Industrial Developments Limited [2020] EWHC 129 (Comm). That is the present hearing. On 29 January 2020 Flaux LJ, the supervising Lord Justice of the Commercial Court, stayed the appeal from Butcher Js enforcement order pending the outcome of this hearing. EFCC investigations The EFCC is a statutory body under the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act 2004, with power to conduct investigations into whether any person has committed an offence under the legislation constituting it or any other law relating to economic and financial matters. 2016 investigation In February 2016 the Attorney General, Mr Malami, asked the EFCC to investigate P&ID. This investigation was the result of a letter of 1 February 2016 from Stephenson Harwood to Ms Adelore, the legal advisor to the Ministry. Nigeria had engaged the firm to assist it. It had written recommending that sufficient resources be deployed to challenge the legal and expert evidence submitted by P&ID. Further, it said, a credible investigations company should be appointed to carry out investigations into the history, financial capability and track record of P&ID given its offshore structure, apparently small size and lack of significant track record. The letter commented that this may assist Nigeria at the quantum stage of the arbitration either directly or indirectly. For the purposes of its inquiry, the EFCC requested that the legal directors of the Ministry (Ms Adelore) and the NNPC (Mr Oguines successor) be released for interviews as part of the investigation into what it described as a case of conspiracy, abuse of office and misuse of public funds. From late February 2016 until 2 March 2016 these officials were interviewed and provided the EFCC with documents relating to the GSPA and the arbitration. In a briefing note for the EFCC, Ms Adelore criticised Mr Shasores strategy in the arbitration. In April-May 2016 the EFCC conducted further meetings with the NNPC and reviewed the GSPA, the July 2009 MOU and other documents received from both the Ministry and the NNPC. On 16 June 2016 the EFCC submitted an interim report. In the section headed Findings, the report canvassed the background to the GSPA. It noted that the process of awarding the GSPA was significantly hinged on the report of the technical committee of the [Ministry] [and] had the certification and recommendation of the legal unit of the Ministry and that the agreement was signed by the Legal Adviser, Grace Taiga, as a witness to the MOU and the [GSPA]. The report observed that the Tribunal appeared to have acted on the material before it, although there were strands of information that the panel acted out of the scope of its work. Focus should be the underlying transaction, if anything. The interim report then set out short conclusions and recommendations. P&ID, it said, was not entirely blameless as there are key gaps noticed in the transaction for which it may be necessary to go beyond their capacity. It added: It is definite that the award of the contract by the [MPR] was a function of the recommendation of the technical committee of the Ministry. While the technical committee of the Ministry had experts, the report continued, the findings of gaps in the reasons for default by parties might require a further investigation. It recommended a further detailed investigation of the circumstances surrounding the award of the contract and the key parties to the transaction. EFCC investigation beginning June 2018 On 13 April 2018, the NNPC wrote to the Attorney General, Mr Malami, reminding him that at a meeting on 2 March 2017 it had identified deficiencies in the GSPA and suggesting among the options for resolving the P&ID matter that there be an independent forensic examination of the entire case file. As referred to earlier, the Attorney General together and the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources had written to the Vice President on 23 May 2018 recommending further negotiations with P&ID. The Vice President had agreed, adding in manuscript on the letter that he was still of the opinion that the underlying transaction was a fraud on the nation, and that perhaps there might be a need to independently review this view and investigate the entire affair more diligently. On 12 June 2018 the Vice Presidents office (no doubt using his manuscript on the joint ministerial letter) replied formally to the Attorney General and Minister of State, stating his view that the whole arrangement amounts to a fraud on the nation, and that he had therefore additionally recommended to the President the need to independently investigate all the relevant circumstances. That same day, 12 June 2018, the Vice President wrote to the President recommending that as well as reopening negotiations with P&ID he might also wish to direct the acting chairman of the EFCC to independently investigate all relevant circumstances surrounding the transaction underlying the arbitral award with a view to determining whether or not there was a fraudulent intent in the conception of the agreement. The President issued a direction on 26 June 2018 that the Ministry and the Ministry of Justice was to provide all necessary information, documents and support to the EFCC to enable a thorough investigation of the circumstances surrounding the GSPA and subsequent events. In addition, he directed the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency to investigate P&ID with a view to uncovering the identities of all the promoters, directors and shareholders of the firm. The President also ordered an urgent review into any lapses that had led to the current situation. On 28 June 2018 the Attorney General, Mr Malami, wrote to the acting chairman of the EFCC, passing on the Presidents instructions to conduct a thorough investigation of the circumstances surrounding the [GSPA] and the subsequent events. As well he sent the documents his department had as part of the inquiry. In his sixth witness statement in these proceedings, Mr Malami states that the EFCC investigation began with research into open and closed sources, including the profiling of some thirty potentially relevant suspects. In August 2018 information requests were sent to various government agencies. In January 2019 the EFCC requested further information from the Ministry of Lands at Cross River State and the Federal Inland Revenue Service. Events after Butcher Js judgment of 16 August 2019 including P&IDs conviction Following Butcher Js judgment of 16 August 2019, which meant that P&ID could enforce the Final Award, on 20 August 2019 Nigerias Solicitor General involved the Nigerian police in the investigation into P&ID. The Attorney General states in his sixth witness statement that this was because of the EFCCs limited remit to financial and related matters. On 28 August 2019 the Federal Inland Revenue Service informed the EFCC that P&ID had not opened a tax file. Early the following month, on 3 September 2019, the Special Control Unit against Money Laundering reported that P&ID Nigeria had failed to register its activities with it. In a letter of 4 September 2019 to the EFCC, the Director of Lands of Cross River State wrote that a letter of allocation was only issued to applicants on payment of all the land charges and fees within the 120 days specified. P&ID could not claim that the land had been allocated to it in 2010, since there was no proof of payment and no issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy. Criminal proceedings against P&ID, Ms Taiga, Mr Cahill and Mr Kuchazi were commenced on 17 September 2019. Two days later, on 19 September 2019, P&ID and P&ID Nigeria pleaded guilty before Ekwo J in the Federal High Court to ten and eleven counts respectively relating to conspiracy to defraud Nigeria, money laundering, tax evasion and trading without proper authorisations. The convictions were on evidence given by an officer of the EFCC. EFCC: interview and statements The EFCC began interviews in September 2019. Included among those interviewed was Ms Taiga, who had been the senior lawyer in the Ministry until 2011. She was detained between 3 September 2019 and 21 September 2019. She gave a statement on 11 September 2019. She has complained about her treatment when detained. The EFCC interviewed Mr Tijani under caution on 4 September 2019. At the time of the GSPA he was a member of the Ministrys technical committee. He told the EFCC that the committees role was to conduct due diligence on projects, including P&IDs. He denied wrongdoing, receiving gifts and recalled that he had no objections to P&IDs project and subsequently recommended it. During a further interview on 15 November 2019 once EFCC had accessed certain bank records Mr Tijani accepted that he had received bribes from P&ID in return for overlooking shortcomings in its bid. His account is also contained in a witness statement for this court; it is summarised later in the judgment. In response to a letter from Mr Tijani in early December 2019, the Attorney-General entered a non-prosecution agreement with him on 8 January 2020. In a statement to the EFCC on 13 September 2019 Mr Oguine, legal director at the NNPC at the time, said that Mr Shasore counsel for Nigeria in the arbitration offered him US$100,000 towards his (Mr Oguines) expenses. Mr Oguine initially declined but eventually took the money on the basis that it would be repaid as a loan. No part had yet been repaid. Mr Oguine also stated that he was charged with obtaining potential witnesses of fact for the liability hearing before the Tribunal. No witnesses could be found, so Mr Shasore prepared a witness statement which he reviewed and signed. As explained earlier in the judgment, in a letter to the EFCC on 20 September 2019 General Danjumas company, Tita-Kuru, stated, in effect, that P&ID had stolen its plans for a gas stripping plant which it then used to obtain the GSPA. Mr Shasore, who conducted the arbitration for Nigeria at the jurisdiction and liability stages, was interviewed on 24 December 2019. He told the EFCC that he made personal gifts of US$100,000 each to Ms Adelore (the senior lawyer at the Ministry) and Mr Oguine (legal director at the NNPC). In an interview on 6 and 7 May 2020 Ms Adelore accepted that she received an unsolicited payment of US$100,000 in cash from Mr Shasore, which she had a colleague collect from Mr Shasores office. She has told the EFCC that she felt Mr Shasore was working against Nigerias interests in the arbitration. EFCC: bank records During its inquiries EFCC obtained bank statements and Swift records of interbank payments in relation to various accounts. Among the information obtained from September 2019, and the date EFCC obtained it, is the following (described in greater detail later in the judgment under Payments/bribes). Ms Taiga received two cash transactions of US$10,400 and US$6,500 into her Access Bank account (but not linked to P&ID) (information EFCC obtained on 27 September 2019). There were payments in 2017 into her Zenith Bank account from Eastwise and ICIL (information EFCC obtained on 2 October 2019). Her daughter received payments from ICIL, Ireland, in March 2019 (information EFCC obtained from Citibank NA, London, 2 March 2020). Dr Lukman opened a US Dollar account at GT Bank on 16 January 2009, with an initial cash deposit of US$10,000. Dr Lukman then deposited a further US$10,000 of cash into another GT Bank account on 8 April 2009 (information EFCC obtained on 5 October 2019). Mr Tijani received two payments from Lurgi totalling around 30,000 in April 2014 and April 2015 (information EFCC obtained early November 2019). Dr Ibrahim, a member of the technical committee reviewing the GSPA, opened a US dollar account on 28 April 2008 under the name of his company, Equatorial Petroleum Coastal & Process Limited, with an initial cash deposit of US$10,000. There were further periodic cash deposits totalling US$69,300 until 2015. On 28 October and 1 December 2008 there were also two cash deposits totalling NGN 4,000,000 (approximately 8,500) into his personal account at Firstbank. In March this year Nigeria applied to the US District Court for the Southern District of New York under 28 USC [United States Code] 1782(a) to obtain discovery of bank accounts at ten different banks. P&ID intervened in the course of the application. It stated that it did not object to the order although its submission to Judge Schofield was that the use of the information obtained should be limited to criminal prosecutions in Nigeria. The US court made disclosure orders on 7 May 2020. As a result of the application Nigeria obtained information, including payments to Ms Taigas daughter in 2009 and 2012. Role of acting chairman of EFCC, Mr Ibrahim Magu After the hearing I received written submissions relating to the role of acting chairman of EFCC, Mr Ibrahim Magu. On 5 June 2020 the Attorney General, Mr Malami, had sent a letter to President Buhari headed Flagrant abuse of public office and other infractions committed by Mr Ibrahim Magu, acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. In the course of the letter the Attorney General stated that as regards the investigation of P&ID, although he had passed on the Presidents direction in June 2018, the EFCC did not accord this presidential directive with any serious attention until a year after around July/August when the scale had already tilted dangerously against Nigeria. In view of the delay, the Attorney General continued, he had involved the police. That had prompted Mr Magu to prosecute charges against P&ID, but without recourse to the wider team. Mr Magu was detained on 6 July 2020 and a panel is investigating matters. On 31 July 2020, after the hearing before me, a Nigerian news outlet, The Cable, published what purported to be a copy of the Attorney Generals letter of 5 June 2020 and the reply of Mr Magu. In Mr Magus reply he says that the EFCC investigation was conducted expeditiously in 2018-2019, and that a staggering and unprecedented volume of work was done in less than a year. After The Cable report, on 4 August 2020, the Attorney General wrote again to the President under the same heading. He sought to clarify that his complaint was against Mr Magu and his lack of support within the EFCC for the P&ID investigation. The EFCC had begun the investigation, he said, but it had taken a lot of coercion from his office to have the investigation progress. Under Mr Magu, said the letter, the EFCC did not share information with the Attorney Generals office or the police. In a further statement for the court Mr Malami states that he has never seen what is reported as Mr Magus letter and his understanding is that the President has never received it. He states that despite his criticisms of Mr Magus personal handling of the EFCC investigations into P&ID, the investigation itself made excellent progress. Payments/alleged bribes In his fourth witness statement in these proceedings the Attorney General, Mr Malami, acknowledges that fraud has been endemic in Nigeria, until the arrival of President Buhari in 2015 at the very highest levels, and especially in the oil and gas sector. He adds that the endemic corruption, which the present regime was taking great strides to eliminate, was in existence at the time the GSPA was entered into, when the dispute arose and during the early stages of the arbitration. The alleged bribes which Nigeria relied on for the purposes of the hearing were collected in a schedule. In summary the date and amount of these payments, their source, and the date Nigeria uncovered them, are as follows: Ms Taiga, senior legal adviser to the Ministry at time of GSPA On 19 and 20 August 2010 Ms Taiga made two payments into her Access Bank account, in total US$10,400. Ms Taiga says this cash may well have come from the sale of a car or property from her late mothers estate. In her second statement, she says that it represented the proceeds of sale of a number of vehicles and a plot of land. There was a further deposit of US$6,500 on 14 June 2013 in the Access account. Ms Taiga made a payment to her daughter the same day of US$6,500. In her first statement Ms Taiga says that the US$6,500 may have been a loan from a family member intended for her daughter. Ms Taiga received US$1,000 on 14 September 2015 from Eastwise Trading Ltd; US$10,000 on 18 December 2017 from ICIL; and US$10,000 on 27 June 2018, also from ICIL. Eastwise and ICIL are associated companies of P&ID. There were payments of EUR 500 on each of 1 March and 25 March 2019 from ICIL. The EFCC uncovered these on 2 March 2020. Mr Cahill says he has made further transfers to Ms Taiga since she was released from custody, but there is no information about how these payments were made and in what amount. Ms Taigas daughter As a result of its application in New York under 28 USC 1782(a) in March this year, Nigeria discovered payments to Ms Taigas daughter of US$4,969.50 on 30 December 2009 and US$5,000 on 31 January 2012 respectively. Their source was companies associated with Messrs Quinn and Cahill, Marshpearl Ltd and Kristholm Ltd respectively. Mr Tijani, member of the Ministrys technical committee at time of GSPA In addition to the US$50,000 cash which Mr Tijani says he was given as a gift in April 2009 described shortly there was a payment of some US$30,000 by SESFTF Progress Limited (a company controlled by Messrs Quinn and Cahill) to Conserve Oil Limited (Conserve Oil) (a company associated with Mr Tijani). In addition, Lurgi (a company associated with P&ID) paid Mr Tijani NGN 3,440,000 (approximately 15,310) on 3 April 2014. The same day Mr Tijani was paid NGN 4,350,000 by Conserve Oil. A year later, on 22 April 2015, he was paid NGN 4,000,000 (approximately 13,375) by Lurgi. Ibrahim Dikko, Ms Taigas successor as legal adviser to the Ministry Mr Quinn offered him US$2,000 in cash to attend the International Bar Conference in Dublin, which he accepted (although he does not appear to have attended). Ms Adelore and Mr Oguine, legal directors at the Ministry and NNPC respectively Already mentioned are the payments of US$100,000 to each of Ms Adelore and Mr Oguine by Mr Shasore on 18 November 2014 (Ms Adelore) and in 2014/2015 (Mr Oguine) respectively. Other payments Nigeria also relies on the payments into the bank accounts of Dr Lukman and Dr Ibrahim, referred to earlier. Nigeria states that their source is unknown at this point. In addition to these specific payments, Nigeria also points to a spike in withdrawals from ICIL Nigerias bank account in Q2 of 2008 and Q1 of 2010 by James Nolan, a long-time business associate of Messrs Quinn and Cahill, and by ICILs accountant, Mr Anekperechi Nworgu. In total these amounted to US$770,000 and NGN 15,000,000 (approximately 122,000) and were mainly in cash. Witness statements There are some 34 witness statements before the court, including eight from the Attorney General, Mr Malami. At this point, I offer brief summaries of what I see as the key statements and those which require mention in fairness to their deponents. Ms Taiga As we have seen, Ms Taiga was legal adviser to the Ministry at time of GSPA. In her first statement she says that at no time did she provide illegitimate assistance to P&ID. She provided legal assistance to her Ministry and did not negotiate the commercial terms of contracts, and that included the GSPA. She witnessed Dr Lukmans signature, but that was routine. She was not responsible for ensuring compliance with public procurement or other legislation. As far as she was aware other ministries and departments were aware of the GSPA. The GSPA appeared a perfectly legitimate contract. After she retired in September 2010, she says, she remained in touch with Mr Quinn. The payments which Mr Cahill made to her between 2015 and 2019 were as a favour, and at her request, to meet medical expenses. As regards the payment of US$10,400 into her Access bank account on 19 and 20 August 2010, Ms Taiga says this cash may well have come from the sale of a car or property from her late mothers estate. Ms Taiga says that the US$6,500 deposited on 14 June 2013 may have been a loan from a family member intended for her daughter, not from Messrs Quinn or Cahill or anyone associated with P&ID. In her second statement, Ms Taiga clarifies what she had previously said about the deposit in her bank account on 19 and 20 August 2010 and explains that it represented the proceeds of sale of a number of vehicles and a plot of land. As to the payments to her daughter in December 2009 and January 2012 by companies associated with Messrs Quinn and Cahill, she says that they provided financial support for private medical treatment in London and had nothing to do with the GSPA. Mr Tijani Mr Tijani was a member of the Ministrys technical committee until he left in January 2011 to become (until 2015) the Commissioner of Energy and Mineral Resources in Lagos State. In his first statement to the court, Mr Tijani states that he was chairman of the technical committee to review P&IDs proposal. He says that in early 2009 he attended an unusual meeting in the office of Dr Lukman, the Minister of Petroleum Resources at the time. Mr Quinn, and a colleague, Neil Hitchcock, were there. Dr Lukman directed him to recommend P&IDs project. After the meeting Mr Hitchcock dropped a black bag into his car, describing it as a gift and that they normally took care of their friends. It contained US$50,000 in cash. Mr Tijani explains that as chairman of the technical committee he had the responsibility for assessing the project and that his recommendation was mostly binding on the technical side. He states that there were serious concerns about the project, including P&IDs lack of a track record in this area, its failure to respond to the availability of wet gas for the project, which had not been properly investigated by the time the GSPA was executed (which the technical committee learnt about only after the event). Throughout the process the contract was withheld from the Minister responsible for gas resources, Mr Odein Ajumogobia. In approving the project, the committee overlooked the deficiencies because of Dr Lukmans direction. Mr Tijani adds that shortly after the GSPA was signed there was a meeting to discuss gas flaring issues in the Calabar region but nobody at the meeting was aware that a contract for a gas processing plant in the area had been signed and Dr Lukman kept silent about it. In his statement, Mr Tijani confirms the bribes outlined earlier in the judgment. The payment of US$30,000 to Conserve Oil on 17 October 2013 was intended for him personally; the two payments of NGN 3,440,000 and NGN 4,350,000 on 3 April 2014 from Lurgi and Conserve Oil were intended as P&IDs contributions to his sons wedding (the second being funded out of an earlier payment by Lurgi to Conserve Oil on 10 March 2014). Mr Tijani says that none of these payments were for services rendered by Conserve Oil in connection with the Bonga Audit project. He was not involved with that project beyond making the initial recommendation of Conserve Oil, the company of his close friend from childhood, Mr Tunde Odebunmi. It was only later when he retired from his post as the Lagos State Energy and Mineral Resources Commissioner in May 2015 that he acquired an interest in Conserve Oil. Mr Cahills statements Mr Cahill was Mr Quinns business partner and co-founder of P&ID. For the purposes of the proceedings before the court Mr Cahill has given two statements. He denies that the GSPA or the Awards were procured by fraud, corruption or other illegal conduct. In his first statement he accepts at paragraph 50 that the costs sunk in the preparatory work, referred to in paragraph 47 of Mr Quinns statement, were funded by Tita-Kuru. However, because Nigeria never challenged that part of Mr Quinns evidence it was not a contentious issue in the arbitration. As regards finance for the GSPA, Mr Cahill states at paragraph 80: It was never intended that the finance for the entire project would come from spare cash which [Mr Quinn] and I might havewe intended to fund the project with our own money to the point at which it became bankable, and thereafter we would raise financesP&ID had been incorporated in the BVI in part to be an entity which would be attractive to lenders a bankable proposition. We were comfortable with the notion that the General [Danjuma] might be the source of such funding, but we were also nurturing interest from our discussions with other potential funders. In his second statement, Mr Cahill adds that when Mr Quinn said in his witness statement for the arbitration that the Cross River State Government had approved the land for the GSPA plant, that was accurate; Mr Quinn had not said that P&ID had bought the land. Regarding the payments which Nigeria says are bribes, Mr Cahill says in his first statement that Mr Quinn and he became friendly with Ms Taiga when she was in the Defence ministry. He knew nothing about the deposit of US$10,400 in her bank account in August 2010. After she retired as a civil servant, Mr Cahill said, she would telephone him during Mr Quinns long illness and he was happy to provide her with support. Mr Cahill states that he arranged for Ms Taiga to receive US$1000 through one of his companies, Eastwise Trading Ltd in September 2015. When she had a bad fall in late 2017, he made two payments through ICIL, each of US$10,000, on 18 December 2017 and 27 June 2018. They were not large amounts to him and intended for an old friend needing to meet medical needs. There were two further payments of US$500 each in March 2019, which his (Mr Cahills) assistant made, possibly for medical expenses. Mr Cahill adds that he provided further (unspecified) assistance to Ms Taiga for legal and other expenses after her release from arrest in September 2019. In his first statement Mr Cahill denies the black bag cash payment of US$50,000 to Mr Tijani allegedly made in April 2009. Further, he adds, Mr Tijani was not remotely critical to obtaining the GSPA. As to the payments to Mr Tijani and Conserve Oil, these were for the services provided to Lurgi in obtaining technical personnel for the Bonga Audit project in 2013. Payment had been made of US$30,000 in October 2013 from another company he controlled, SESFTF Progress Ltd, since Lurgi had a joint account and payment (which Mr Tijani was insisting on) might be delayed. The Bonga Audit work was completed by the end of 2014. In his second statement, Mr Cahill says that they chose Mr Tijani to assist with the Bonga Audit given his former membership of the technical committee of the Ministry and his extensive experience in the petroleum industry. The payment of N4,350,000 in March 2014 was to Conserve Oil for services rendered; he did not know whether it was then paid to Mr Tijani, although it would not surprise him since Conserve Oil was his company. Mr Cahill cannot recall the two payments of some US$30,000 made to Mr Tijani personally on 3 April 2014 and 22 April 2015, but he had no doubt that they were for Bonga Audit work and it was entirely possible that they were bonus payments. As for the payments to Ms Taigas daughter of US$4,969.50 and US$5,000 in December 2009 and January 2012, which the Nigerian authorities had recently learnt about in the US, he had been told by someone working for ICIL at the time that he recalled they would be to help Ms Taiga with her medical expenses. They would have been authorised by Mr Quinn, who was the type of person who would always want to assist a friend. The payment to Mr Dikko, explains Mr Cahill, would have been Mr Quinns home-town pride, with the IBA conference occurring in Dublin. Mr Cahill explains in his second statement that during the negotiation process of the GSPA, in response to inquiries about progress, government officials would occasionally provide an update and from time to time documents. That included Dr Ibrahim, who was the likely source of an internal Ministry memorandum referred to in Mr Quinns witness statement for the arbitration. Mr Nolan Mr Nolan has worked with Messrs Quinn and Cahill for many years. In his first statement he attributes the spikes in ICILs cash withdrawals in 2008 and 2010 to Nigeria being a cash economy and to the need for cash for foreign exchange transactions on the parallel market. He also refers to cash being required for salaries, contractor payments, accommodation, travel and so on in relation to ICILs various projects in Nigeria. Ramatu Lukman Ramatu Lukman is the daughter of Dr Lukman, who was Minister of Petroleum Resources at the time of the GSPA and who died in 2014. She refers to Dr Lukmans distinguished career, both in Nigeria and internationally. She states that he was a devoted public servant, of the highest integrity and would never have taken a bribe. As to the deposits of US$10,000 in 2009 in the GT Bank accounts, she says that may have been her father bringing relatively modest amounts of cash into Nigeria, as he was permitted to do, to help with the costs of living when he was there. Legal framework Position prior to award Section 73 of the 1996 Act governs the position before an award is published: it has no relevance to the conduct of the party from that moment onwards: Merkin and Flannery on the Arbitration Act 1996 (6th edn) at [73.7]. Under it parties lose their right to object to a serious irregularity like fraud unless they raise the matter forthwith and can show that, at the time they took part or continued to take part in the proceedings, they did not know and could not with reasonable diligence have discovered the grounds for their objection. In Sumakan Ltd v Commonwealth Secretariat [2007] EWCA Civ 1148, [2008] 2 All ER (Comm) 175 the Court of Appeal agreed with Toulson J that it was wrong to construe section 73 to hold that a person could with reasonable diligence have discovered facts which it neither knew nor believed nor had grounds to suspect: [36], [38], [62]. Extending time and the Kalmneft factors Section 70(3) of the 1996 Act applies a 28 day time limit to an application or appeal under sections 67, 68 or 69. As a result of section 80(5) the court has discretion to extend the time limit. Colman J considered the background to this discretion in AOOT Kalmneft v Glencore [2001] 2 All ER (Comm) 577, [2002] 1 Lloyds Rep 128 a case of an alleged procedural irregularity and continued: [59] Accordingly, although each case terms on its own facts, the following considerations are, in my judgment, likely to be material: (i) the length of the delay; (ii) whether, in permitting the time limit to expire and the subsequent delay to occur, the party was acting reasonably in all the circumstances; (iii) whether the respondent to the application or the arbitrator caused or contributed to the delay; (iv) whether the respondent to the application would by reason of the delay suffer irremediable prejudice in addition to the mere loss of time if the application were permitted to proceed; (v) whether the arbitration has continued during the period of delay and, if so, what impact on the progress of the arbitration or the costs incurred in respect of the determination of the application by the court might now have. (vi) the strength of the application; (vii) whether in the broadest sense it would be unfair to the applicant for him to be denied the opportunity of having the application determined. The Kalmneft factors and (i)-(iii) as primary factors Later courts have regularly applied the so-called Kalmneft factors. In Terna Bahrain Holding Company WLL v Bin Kamil Al Shamsi [2012] EWHC 3283 (Comm), [2013] 1 Lloyds Rep 86 Popplewell J stated them in a slightly refined form ([27]) and some courts have used these. The Kalmneft factors have been regarded as exhausting the considerations bearing on the exercise of the discretion to extend time. In Nagusina Naviera v Allied Maritime Inc [2002] EWCA Civ 1147, [2003] 2 CLC 1, the Court of Appeal held that a judges exercise of discretion refusing to extend the time for service of an arbitration appeal under section 1(2) of the Arbitration Act 1979 could not be faulted. One of the submissions the court considered was that, although made under different provisions, the judge had not considered all the Kalmneft factors. At paragraph [39] Mance LJ (with whom Simon Brown and Latham LJJ agreed) said the judge had well in mind as primary factors those which in Kalmneft were factors (i)(iii). In his discussion of what in Kalmneft is factor (vi), Mance LJ thought it material that the case was not one where the appellants challenge was so strong that it would obviously be a hardship for them not to be able to pursue it: [41]. As to factor (vii), he said that considerations of overall justice and fairness had always to be viewed in the particular context that Parliament and the courts had repeatedly emphasised the importance of finality and time limits for any court intervention in the arbitration process: [42]. Later courts have taken Mance LJs remarks in Nagusina as determining that factors (i)(iii) are primary factors. Thus in L Brown & Sons Ltd v Crosby Homes (North West) Ltd [2008] EWHC 817 (TCC), [2008] BLR 366, Akenhead J said that the weight to be given to factor (vi) (the strength of the section 68 application) was not a primary factor, but an intrinsically weak case will count against the application for extension whilst a strong case would positively assist the application: [32 (c)]. Among other examples is Daewoo Shipbuilding v Songa Offshore Equinox [2018] EWHC 538 (Comm), [2018] 1 Lloyds Rep 44, [89], per Bryan J. However, in Ali Allawi v The Islamic Republic of Pakistan [2019] EWHC 430 (Comm), Carr J said: [47] For my part I do not read that judgment [Nagusina] as authority for the proposition that the first three factors are necessarily of more significance than any others. What weight each factor is to be attributed will depend on the facts of each case. All factors are relevant for consideration. If it were necessary, I would regard Carr Js approach as correct. In my view her Ladyships approach is consistent with the judicial power being exercised, a discretion, so that the weight given to each Kalmneft factor must vary with the context. As Colman J stated in the original enunciation of the factors, each case turns on its own facts. Mance LJ explained in Nagusina that Parliament and the courts had repeatedly emphasised the importance of finality and time limits in arbitration. Certainly section 1(a) of the 1996 Act states as a general principle that the object of arbitration is the resolution of disputes without unnecessary delay, and section 1(c) states non-intervention by the courts as another general principle. These point in favour of the importance of factors (i)-(iii). However, as general principles section 1 also refers to the fair resolution of disputes (sub-section (a)), and to party autonomy, subject only to public interest safeguards (sub-section (b)). It may have been that Carr J had these other general principles in mind in her analysis of the potential importance of the Kalmneft factors (iv)-(vii), depending on the circumstances. Factors (i)-(iii): extent and reasons for delay In Kalmneft [2001] 2 All ER (Comm) 577, [2002] 1 Lloyds Rep 128, Colman J emphasised that the relatively short period of time for making an application for relief under sections 67 and 68 reflected the principle of finality; parties had to live with an award unless they moved with great expedition: [52]. This need for expedition identified by Colman J recurs in the case law. Important in this regard is Terna Bahrain Holding Company WLL v Bin Kamil Al Shamsi [2012] EWHC 3283 (Comm), [2013] 1 Lloyds Rep 86. There Popplewell J refused to extend time to challenge an award because the applicant would in any event have failed in its serious irregularity challenge. However, he considered whether an extension would have been refused as a matter of discretion. From the authorities he derived the following principles governing an extension of time: [27]Section 70(3) of the Act requires challenges to an award under sections 67 and 68 to be brought within 28 days. This relatively short period of time reflects the principle of speedy finality which underpins the Act, and which is enshrined in section 1(a). The party seeking an extension must therefore show that the interests of justice require an exceptional departure from the timetable laid down by the Act. Any significant delay beyond 28 days is to be regarded as inimical to the policy of the Act. Popplewell J then restated the Kalmneft factors and made four observations. First, delay had to be judged against the yardstick of the 28 days provided for in the Act: a delay measured even in days was significant, one measured in many weeks or in months was substantial: [28]. He continued: [29] Secondly, factor (ii) involves an investigation into the reasons for the delay [W]here the evidence is consistent with laxity, incompetence or honest mistake on the one hand, and a deliberate informed choice on the other, an applicants failure to adduce evidence that the true explanation is the former can legitimately give rise to the inference that it is the latter. [30] Thirdly, factor (ii) is couched in terms of whether the party who has allowed the time to expire has acted reasonably. This encompasses the question whether the party has acted intentionally in making an informed choice to delay making the application[I]n cases of intentional non-compliance with time limits, a public interest is engaged which is distinct from the private rights of the parties. There is a public interest in litigants before the English Court treating the Courts procedures as rules to be complied with, rather than deliberately ignored for perceived personal advantage. [31] Fourthly, the Courts approach to the strength of the challenge application will depend upon the procedural circumstances in which the issue arises. On an application for an extension of time, the Court will not normally conduct a substantial investigation into the merits of the challenge application, since to do so would defeat the purposes of the Act. However, if the Court can see on the material before it that the challenge involves an intrinsically weak case, it will count against the application for an extension, whilst an apparently strong case will assist the application. At paragraph [32] Popplewell J then considered cases where the court was examining an extension of time when also considering the substantive issue (what could be described as a rolled-up hearing). As regards cases like the present, where by contrast the extension of time is being heard as a preliminary issue, he said: [33][W]here the court can determine that the challenge will succeed, if allowed to proceed by the grant of an extension of time, that may be a powerful factor in favour of the grant of an extension, at least in cases of a challenge pursuant to s. 68. In such cases the court will be satisfied that there has been a serious irregularity giving rise to substantial injustice in relation to the dispute adjudicated upon in the award. Given the high threshold which this involves, the other factors which fall to be weighed in the balance must be seen in the context of the applicant suffering substantial injustice in respect of the underlying dispute by being deprived of the opportunity to make his challenge if an extension of time is refused. Where the delay is due to incompetence, laxity or mistake and measured in weeks or a few months, rather than years, the fact that the court has concluded that the s. 68 challenge will succeed may well be sufficient to justify an extension of time. The position may be otherwise, however, if the delay is the result of a deliberate decision made because of some perceived advantage. After canvassing the circumstances, Popplewell J concluded that the 17 weeks delay in that case was for deliberate, tactical advantage, and culpability for it was very high: [74]. The principle of finality in the Act would be undermined if parties could deliberately delay for a tactical advantage and the court would not be sympathetic in such cases: [82]. That was so even for an applicant who has good grounds for challenging the award: [83]. Fraud and the Kalmneft factors Relevant to the courts discretion in deciding whether to grant an extension of time is the strength of the applicants case on the merits, factor (vi). In brief, section 68(1) of the 1996 Act provides that an arbitral award may be set aside on the grounds of a serious irregularity affecting the tribunal, the proceedings or the award. Under section 68(2) a serious irregularity means one which causes substantial injustice to the applicant and which is listed in the sub-section, including (g) the award being obtained by fraud or the award or the way in which it was procured being contrary to public policy. There is a high hurdle to set aside awards under section 68, including for fraud and breach of public policy: see the synthesis in Stockman Interhold v Arricano Real Estate [2017] EWHC 2909 (Comm), [2018] 1 Lloyds LR 135, [169], per Christopher Hancock QC, sitting as a Deputy High Court Judge. Counsel cited eight cases involving extension applications where fraud was alleged. Of the cases where the application was refused, the applicant was either aware of the position, the fraud allegations were weak or both these considerations were in play. Thus in Thyssen Canada Ltd v Mariana Maritime SA [2005] EWHC 219 (Comm), [2005] 1 Lloyds Rep 640, involving a five month delay, evidence of the alleged perjury was available to the appellant during the arbitration with reasonable diligence, but there was a deliberate tactical decision not to rely on it on since the new evidence could damage its own case: [35]. While expressing no overall view on the merits, Cooke J noted that the allegation of perjury in the case faced obvious challenges. Whilst the strength of the application is one which the Court can take into account, he said, it is self-evident in the present case that there are extensive conflicts of evidence between the parties: [56]. In DDT Trucks of North America Ltd v DDT Holdings Ltd [2007] EWHC 1542 (Comm) | [2007] 2 Lloyds Rep 213 Cooke J had no difficulty in refusing an extension of 14/15 weeks (a futile exercise). The section 68 challenge was bound to fail, he held, because evidence of the alleged perjury was available to the appellant throughout but its lawyer had forgotten about it. In any event, the evidence was not so strong that it could reasonably be expected to affect the outcome of the arbitration ([27]-[30]). The position was similar in L Brown & Sons Ltd v Crosby Homes (North West) Ltd [2008] EWHC 817 (TCC), [2008] BLR 366 (documents allegedly withheld in first arbitration in possession of appellant before 28 day deadline expired; solicitors explanation for needing extra 66 days to draft the application unconvincing ([57]); in any event, fraud challenge very much at the intrinsically weak end of the spectrum ([81])); Colliers International Property Consultants v Colliers Jordan Lee Jafaar SDN BHD [2008] EWHC 1524 (Comm), [2008] 2 Lloyds Rep 368 (no evidence (a) of the alleged fraud or (b) to show that it could not have been raised during arbitration ([32]); Nestor Maritime SA v Sea Anchor Shipping Co Ltd [2012] EWHC 996 (Comm), [2012] 2 Lloyds Rep 144 (alleged fraud in technical evidence about ships thickness measurements reasonably discoverable sooner than the six months delay; in any event application under section 68(2)(g) at best extremely weak ([28], [54]). The three remaining cases, where an extension was granted were, unlike the present, rolled up hearings so that the court was considering the exercise of its discretion to extend the time limit in the context of a full consideration of the merits. In Elektrim SA v Vivendi Universal SA [2007] EWHC 11 (Comm), [2007] 1 Lloyds Rep 693, the appellant alleged that a document had been fraudulently withheld in the arbitral proceedings. Although Aikens J held that there was no evidence of deliberate concealment, he held that it was reasonable to wait until the matter was investigated, then to make the extension application at the same time as the substantive challenge: [72]. Then in Chantiers de lAtlantique SA v Gaztransport & Technigaz SAS [2011] EWHC 3383 (Comm) the allegation was that scientific evidence presented in the arbitration was fabricated and contradictory evidence deliberately withheld. Flaux J held that the deliberately misleading evidence did not have an effect on the tribunals decision: [296]. Given the significance of the allegations, he also held, it had been a responsible approach that the appellant should investigate the matter properly before making the application: [66]. Finally, in Celtic Bioenergy Ltd v Knowles Ltd [2017] EWHC 472 (TCC), [2017] 1 Lloyds Rep 495, Jefford J granted the extension after a short delay in a case where there was a deliberate and utterly misleading withholding of information from the tribunal on significant issues in the case: [53]. Citing Elektrim and Chantiers cases, Russell on Arbitration, 24th ed, London, 2015 suggests that cases regarding alleged fraud under s.68(2)(g) are arguably treated as special cases for the purposes of granting an extension, for if the relevant evidence comes to light after the award (as it necessarily has to for an arguable s.68(2)(g) application to be made) and is then investigated diligently by the applicant an extension of time would usually be granted. Relief from sanctions Nigeria requires relief from sanctions for adducing new evidence in response to P&IDs enforcement application after the deadline directed by Bryan J in his Order dated 21 October 2018. The test for granting relief from sanctions is the three-stage test in Denton v TH White [2014] EWCA Civ 906, [2014] 1 WLR 3926. It was common ground that the relief from sanctions application would stand or fall with Nigerias extension of time application, although I was referred to Lord Neubergers judgment in Prince Abdulaziz v Apex Global Management Ltd [2014] UKSC 64, [2014] 1 WLR 4495, that the strength of the parties cases would generally be irrelevant when the court was considering whether to grant relief from sanctions: [29]. The impact of Takhar [2019] UKSC 13 In Takhar v Gracefield Developments Ltd [2019] UKSC 13, [2020] AC 450 the Supreme Court allowed an action to proceed to set aside an earlier judgment on the basis of fraud. At the first trial, although Mrs Takhar had suspected fraud, she had not alleged it, and only later obtained evidence that a key document had, in fact, being forged. Lord Kerr for the majority held that where a party seeks to set aside a judgment on grounds of fraud, it is not necessary to show that the evidence of fraud could reasonably have been uncovered sooner: [54]. Two possible exceptions were where fraud has already been argued at the trial and where a deliberate decision had been taken not to investigate the possibility of fraud in advance of the first trial, even if fraud had been suspected: [55]. Lord Sumption agreed, in particular that a claimant who had deliberately decided not to investigate a suspected fraud might be shut out: [63]. In considering Takhar in Elu v Floorweald Ltd [2020] EWHC 1222, Linden J held that it did not apply in situations where a party positively believes that a claim is fraudulent and has evidence to prove it: [156(vi)]. That was a case where Ms Elus new evidence of fraud was in her possession at the time of the original trial but she had not put it before the court. For Nigeria, Mr Howard QC submitted that Takhar decided that in previous decisions English law had taken the wrong turn in requiring the exercise of reasonable diligence regarding an abuse of process and that, as a general principle, a fraudster cannot contend that a person failed to exercise reasonable diligence to uncover a fraud. He contended that, because it is a general principle of English law, Takhar applies equally to challenges to set-aside an arbitral award under section 68 of the 1996 Act. In other words, an applicant is not required to prove that it could not reasonably have discovered a fraud sooner in an arbitration. Mr Mills submission for P&ID was that Takhar had no application to arbitrations. Before the award, section 73(1) of the 1996 Act governed, and that imposed a reasonable diligence test as a matter of statute. After the award the principles of finality and non-intervention in section 1 of the Act applied, as did section 70(3) with its 28 day time limit for any application under sections 67, 68 and 69 of the Act, including a challenge based on fraud under section 68(2)(g). The fraud unravels all cases on which Lord Kerr relied, continued Mr Mill, preceded the 1996 Act. The drafters of that Act must have been aware of them, but notwithstanding that did not make any exception in cases of fraud. In examining the general principles applicable to setting aside a judgment, the Supreme Court in Takhar cannot be supposed to be addressing the limited grounds in sections 67 and 68 of the 1996 Act to set aside an arbitral award on grounds of fraud. If it had been necessary to decide the issue, it seems to me that Mr Howard has the best of the arguments. It is a fundamental principle of our law that, as Lord Bingham said in HIH Casualty and General Insurance Ltd v Chase Manhattan Bank [2003] UKHL 6, [2003] 2 Lloyds Rep 61 referring to what Rix LJ had said in the Court of Appeal that fraud is a thing apart, it unravels all: [15]. There seems to be no reason why the finality of arbitration awards should be afforded greater importance than the finality of judgments in circumstances of fraud. The statutory bar in section 73 is limited to irregularities discoverable during the arbitration. Otherwise, the effect of section 81(1) of the Act is to preserve the right to challenge the enforcement of an award on public policy grounds under the common law. As Mr Howard contended, there is no reason to interpret the Act so that Takhar is confined to common law public policy challenges and not to those under section 68(2)(g). Fraud in the GSPA and the arbitration Nigerias case in brief is that it has established a prima facie case of fraud against P&ID, which justifies the extension of time and will give it the opportunity to establish at trial its full ramifications for the arbitration. Although referring to other aspects of the alleged fraud, Mr Howard QC concentrated on three aspects: first, that P&ID procured the GSPA by paying bribes to Nigerian officials; secondly, that Mr Quinn gave perjured evidence to the Tribunal to give the false impression that P&ID was able and willing to perform the GSPA; and thirdly, that Nigerias counsel in the arbitration, Mr Shasore, dishonestly failed to challenge Mr Quinns perjured evidence or to seek disclosure from P&ID such that the Tribunal had no choice but to find in its favour. Nigerias challenges under sections 67 and 68(2)(g) of the 1996 Act are wider than this; for example, the section 67 jurisdictional challenge is based on the allegation that clause 20 of the GSPA, which differs from the normal Nigerian model clause for arbitration, was itself procured by fraud and was part of P&IDs overall fraudulent scheme. However, I focus on Mr Howards three main points. In his submissions for P&ID, Mr Mill QC said that, at best, I could not conclude one way or the other whether there was a case of fraud; at worst, I would conclude that the case was weak. The fraud alleged was, in Mr Mills submission, startlingly ambitious, beginning with the procurement of the GSPA though bribery, continuing with the fabricated dispute and arbitration and finishing years later with the enforcement and execution of the award and the division of the spoils. On Nigerias case, Mr Mill emphasised, the fraud was sustained over many years, and involved many different persons and interests. That, he submitted, told against the case Nigeria had advanced. This was a genuine, not a fabricated commercial dispute, he underlined, which had properly been submitted to arbitration and been dealt with in the arbitration in a perfectly straightforward manner. Negotiation of the GSPA Mr Howards case for Nigeria was that P&ID procured the GSPA by paying bribes to Nigerian officials, including Ms Taiga and Mr Tijani. In return, these officials overlooked the shortcomings of P&IDs bid. It was only recently, with the successful application in New York under 28 USC 1782(a), that evidence came to light that a payment was made by P&ID to Ms Taigas daughter just before the GSPA was signed. Yet, Mr Howard submitted, P&ID tried before the New York judge to prevent this evidence from being used in these proceedings. Until then, Mr Howard added, P&IDs evidence had been that payments to Ms Taiga occurred well after the GSPA was concluded. In any event, Mr Howard contended, the bribes P&ID paid after the GSPA, indeed until very recently in Ms Taigas case, were in return for the continued silence about the fraud. In addition to the bribes identified for Ms Taiga and Mr Tijani, Mr Howard submitted, there was evidence of supporting payments to other corrupt officials, including the Minister for Petroleum Resources, Dr Lukman. There was the spike in cash withdrawals from ICILs bank account, around the time the GSPA was signed in 2010, totalling US$770,000 and NGN 15,000,000 (approximately 122,000). Mr Nolans explanation for this in his statement did not bear scrutiny; there was expert evidence that quite apart from money-lending considerations, the oil and gas sector did not operate in the informal sector. Mr Howards case was that it could be inferred, against the background of strong evidence of bribery and corruption by P&ID, that this cash was used to pay bribes to Nigerian officials, including Dr Lukman. Mr Mills response to this was that following the entry into the GSPA, in the two years until the commencement of the arbitration, P&ID was pressing the government to implement its side of the bargain in forums which made it highly unlikely that all the participants were a party to the alleged fraud. As to Dr Lukman, said Mr Mill, he was a distinguished Nigerian and an international statesman. There was no credible evidence in support of his involvement in a fraudulent scheme with P&ID. There was no link between P&ID and the payments into his bank accounts which the EFCC had identified. His daughter had given an acceptable explanation for them in her statement (referred to earlier in the judgment). With Ms Taiga, Mr Mills submission was that it was impossible to reach any conclusion on the payments to her. The one suspicious payment was in 2009 but, Mr Mill submitted, an explanation had been given that it was for medical expenses. Ms Taigas daughter had also explained that in Nigeria it was common to make requests to friends in circumstances where a person was facing difficulties, as with her mothers medical condition. Mr Mill submitted that the later payments to Ms Taiga were after she had retired so could have had no bearing on the execution of the GSPA. In any event good reasons had been given, he said: Ms Taiga had complex and serious medical conditions and her friends at P&ID had agreed to help. As for payments to Mr Tijani other than the alleged US$50,000 black bag payment for which, Mr Mill asserted, there was no evidence whatsoever Mr Mill recalled that they were made well after the GSPA was agreed and Mr Tijanis involvement on the technical committee had ceased. Nowhere, adds Mr Mill, does Mr Tijani himself explain these later payments on the grounds that they were designed to buy his silence. In Mr Mills submission, there was contemporaneous evidence that the payments were for the Bonga Audit project, work which was in fact done. It was not possible for me, Mr Mill contended, to come to any conclusion on the Bonga Audit payments one way or the other. In my view there is a strong prima facie case that the GSPA was procured by bribery. It is sufficient to focus on the two senior officials whose positions ensured its safe passage by giving the requisite approvals. First, there is Ms Taiga, who was the senior legal adviser to the Ministry at the time of the GSPA and recommended its execution. In their second statements both Ms Taiga and Mr Cahill accept that payments were made to her by P&ID, but their account is that they were intended for Ms Taigas medical expenses. There is no supporting evidence for this, such as contemporaneous communications between P&ID and Ms Taiga referring to her medical needs. In any event, whether these payments were for medical or other expenses, as the Attorney General explains in his seventh statement, benefits received by public officials from individuals holding or seeking to obtain a contract are assumed to be bribes under the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 and the Nigerian Constitution. Further, as he explains in his sixth statement, Ms Taigas annual salary was US$5,000. The total amount paid to Ms Taiga from 2009 was many times that amount. There is also the point Mr Howard highlighted, that Ms Taiga and Mr Cahill did not mention any payments to her before 2015, after her retirement. Earlier this year, following the applications in New York under 28 USC 1782(a), the payments to Ms Taigas daughter of US$4,969.50 and US$5,000 on 30 December 2009 and 31 January 2012 respectively, were identified. The first payment is especially significant, since it was 11 days before the GSPA was signed. As I explained earlier, in the New York proceedings P&ID did seek to prevent Nigerias use of that information in these proceedings. Then there were the payments to Mr Tijani, chairman of the committee in the Ministry assessing P&ID, which he admits he received. Mr Tijani accepts that the technical committee, which he chaired, overlooked deficiencies in P&IDs bid, although he attributes his own behaviour to the direction that Dr Lukman had given him. Even if I accept Mr Mills submission that it is impossible to reach any conclusion in relation to some payments to Mr Tijani, there is no explanation as to why the payments of US$30,000 in April 2015 went to Mr Tijani directly and after the Bonga Audit was completed. There is nothing to support Mr Cahills story that these might be bonus payments. Moreover, there is Mr Tijanis own account that the P&ID payments had nothing to do with that project. Mr Quinns evidence and P&IDs ability to perform the contract Mr Howards case was that Mr Quinn gave perjured evidence to the Tribunal that P&ID had (i) invested US$40 million in the project and had completed 90 percent of relevant engineering design work (including 100 folders of technical documents); (ii) put in place all necessary project finance; and (iii) acquired a plot of land for the gas stripping. Contrary to this evidence, he contended, P&ID was never willing and able to perform the GSPA. Yet, he continued, P&IDs readiness and ability to finance the project and to perform the GSPA were critical to its successful claim in the arbitration to have suffered loss by reason of its repudiation. First, then, the US$40 million spent on the project and the almost completed engineering design work. Mr Howard submitted that this was a lie in light of the letter to the EFCC from Tita-Kuru of 20 September 2019, stating that it had paid the sum of $40 million to P&ID for the development of the engineering work, design and off-take consultancy services for the Badagry project, Project Alpha, not P&IDs Calabar project in a different part of the country. The letter stated that P&ID used this work in their presentation to the Ministry. The clear, and most likely, inference, Mr Howard contended, was that apart from Tita-Kurus work product nothing else was ever produced and that P&ID would never have been in a position to perform the contract. Drawing in part on the BRG expert report for the quantum hearing, Mr Mills submission was that P&ID and those working with it had undertaken a very considerable amount of work such that they were in an advanced state of preparation for building the facility. Mr Quinn never said explicitly that P&ID had spent the US$40 million, only that it had been spent. In Mr Mills submission it did not matter who had spent the money; the Tita-Kuru letter confirmed that it had been spent. The issue was P&IDs state of preparedness. The fact was that the work had been done; that was all Mr Quinn was saying. In my view there are serious difficulties with Mr Mills submission. First, that is not the impression Mr Quinn conveys at paragraph 47, and later at paragraph 110 of his statement, both quoted earlier in the judgment. At paragraph 47 Mr Quinn stated that in the first two years of the project he estimated that the total costs sunk into the preparatory work were in excess of US$40 million, which had involved commissioning a number of specialist companies, and that there were about 100 volumes of documentation. On my reading of the paragraphs it is P&ID which is alleged to have done all this. (I note in passing that in other correspondence referred to earlier Mr Quinn refers to our expenditure.) Next, Mr Cahill does not give unequivocal support to Mr Mills submission. In his first statement to this court at paragraph 50, Mr Cahill accepts that the cost of the preparatory work referred to in paragraph 47 of Mr Quinns evidence was funded by Tita-Kuru, not P&ID, adding (in my view significantly) that Nigeria never challenged this part of Mr Quinns evidence a COVID-19 has created a new normal for school children learning by video applications and broadcast channels, including in Uganda. But while many embrace the new normal, not all families are able to afford paying for data or even electricity for the television, as Halima Athumani reports Authorities warn hospitals may lose control amid record rise in single-day COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began. Iraq has recorded its highest single-day rise in COVID-19 cases since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, prompting authorities to warn hospitals may lose control in the coming days. According to the Iraqi health ministry, 5,036 new coronavirus infections were confirmed within 24 hours on Friday, bringing the total number of cases across the country to 252,075, of which 7,359 had died. The health ministry attributed the spike to recent large gatherings that took place without recommended safety measures, including mask-wearing or social distancing. The events included the marking on August 30 of Ashura, a significant Muslim day of mourning that commemorates the killing of Prophet Muhammads grandson Hussein in 680 AD. On that day, tens of thousands of Shia Muslims converged on the holy city of Karbala in southern Iraq. Karbalas authorities introduced new measures to stem the spread of the virus, including restricting access to areas of worship and widespread spraying of disinfectants. But the health ministry warned the measures were not enough. The number of cases is expected to escalate further in the coming days, which we fear will lead our health institutions to lose control as they try to deal with these large numbers, its statement said on Friday. This will lead to an increase in the number of deaths, after we made headway in reducing them over the past few weeks. Iraqs hospitals have already been worn down by decades of conflict and poor investment, with shortages in medicines, hospital beds and even protective equipment for doctors. Before Ashura, the World Health Organization had warned that COVID-19 cases in Iraq were rising at an alarming rate and said Iraq should take action to end the community outbreak at all costs. The country is already in a semi-lockdown. There is a partial curfew, Al Jazeeras Dorsa Jabbari, reporting from Baghdad, said on Saturday. Twenty-five percent of government employees are allowed to go to work. Schools are still not reopening until probably the end of October. Four Marines were able to get out of a heavy lift helicopter safely after it made an emergency landing just miles from their air station. A CH-53E Super Stallion assigned to Marine Corps Air Station New River in North Carolina made an emergency landing on Thursday. The aircraft landed in Dixon, which is about 11 miles from New River. Read Next: US B-52s Skirt Crimea, Join Ukrainian Jets for Training All four crew members aboard the aircraft were safe and no injuries were reported. The Marine Corps released few details about the mishap, citing an ongoing investigation. "We are thankful for the quick response to the scene by the North Carolina Highway Patrol, Onslow County Sheriff's Office and Onslow County Emergency Medical Service," the service said in a Thursday statement. The reason for the precautionary landing was not immediately known, the statement adds. The Daily News in Jacksonville said the aircraft started on fire shortly after it landed. All the Marines were out of the aircraft before it caught fire, according to the paper. In-flight aircraft fires are rare but not unheard-of. In June 2019, a Marine Corps Super Stallion caught fire while conducting a training flight over Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif., and was forced to conduct an emergency landing. The crew emerged safely. -- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @ginaaharkins. Related: General, Colonel Rebuked After Marine Corps Finds Serious Flaws in Crash Investigation A 65-year-old indebted farmer, who suffered damages to his crop, on Friday allegedly died by suicide by hanging himself from a tree in Madhya Pradeshs Bundelkhand days after he received a notice warning of action if he did not pay Rs 19,469 electricity bill, his family and police said. Also read: NCRB data shows in 2019, a person died by suicide every four minutes Prithvipur police station in-charge Narendra Tripathi said prima facie it appeared to be a case of suicide. The farmers family said his uncle was traumatised and was under stress since he received the Rs 19,469 bill in July. He had taken a loan of Rs 92,000 from a bank and some loans from local money lenders too. What traumatised my uncle more was the notice...received in August and issued by a tehsildar that he would have to face legal action if he did not pay the power bill by August 26. Yesterday [Friday], he told me that he was much worried given the notice and he wondered how he would pay the bill, said a nephew of the farmer. Another nephew of the farmer said their uncle owned 9-acre land and he had invested over Rs 40,000 in the summer-sown kharif crop so far. The crop was destroyed due to insufficient rains. ...there was [also] pressure on him to repay the loan to the bank... All this tension led to his taking the drastic step. M K Soni, an executive engineer with a local power distribution company, said he has come to know that there was some domestic reason behind the farmers suicide. I am not aware if he had got any notice to pay the bill. Sub-divisional magistrate Tarun Jain said he visited the farmers village and found his crop was affected. I will have to check how much was the amount of the electricity bill. Tripathi said the body of the farmer was handed over to his family after a post-mortem. A case has been lodged and an investigation is going on. Assistant surgeon Dr Sarah Spargo was almost through a routine hip replacement when she started seeing double. She suspected something in her eye, so she blinked and shook her head. It didn't work. She set aside the retractor holding the patient's skin open and, for the first time in her career, declared to colleagues around the operating table that she was stepping back. "I found a chair to sit down on and [surgeon, Professor Peter Choong] said Sarah, look over at me," Dr Spargo said. Dr Sarah Spargo, who suffered a stroke while performing surgery, is urging Australians to seek treatments a the first signs. Credit:Darrian Traynor "I remember looking up and not being sure who to look at. He said, very calmly, 'I think well get an emergency CT [scan]'." Regular bus operations resumed in Madhya Pradesh on Saturday, following the state government's announcement that vehicle tax will be waived for the Covid-19 lockdown period. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had on Friday announced that the monthly vehicle tax payable on buses will be waived completely for the period from April 1 to August 31 in view of problems faced by bus operators and citizens. CORONAVIRUS SPECIAL COVERAGE ONLY ON DH Chouhan also announced an exemption of 50 per cent in vehicle tax payable for September and extended the date of depositing the tax amount till September 30, he said. The Madhya Pradesh Bus Owners Association, however, said it will take about a month for bus operations to normalise in the state. "Although we resumed operations on Saturday morning, most buses were almost empty as people are still scared of travelling," the association's vice president Santosh Pandey told PTI. Vehicles have been sanitised and other precautionary measures were also taken, he said, adding that passengers who don't have masks are being given the protective gear on buses. For latest updates and live news on coronavirus, click here Meanwhile, some bus operators in Bhopal and Indore are also using thermal scanners, eyewitnesses said. Buses operations were suspended in Madhya Pradesh from March 25 after the coronavirus-induced lockdown came into force. While the state government had granted partial permissions for buses when the Centre announced the easing of the lockdown, regular operations could not be restored due to impasse over taxes and among other issues. In the aftermath of the Jacob Blake shooting and subsequent riots in Kenosha, Wis., weve once again been barraged with claims that America is an inherently racist nation. These claims take their cue from Critical Race Theory (CRT), a theoretical framework that interprets society and culture through the lens of race. CRT started in left-wing social-science departments, and has now been made mainstream by woke ideologues such as Ibram X. Kendi and Robin DiAngelo, whove rebranded it as anti-racism. It can seem a daunting task to dissect and rebut this ascendant intellectual fad. To do so, you must seek out voices of reason, and one voice I keep coming back to is Jean-Louis Chretien. Chretien, a French philosopher and devout Catholic, was a phenomenologist interested in ones personal encounter with God particularly as experienced through speech. In a 2013 interview, Chretien said that the guiding theme of all of my writings has been a phenomenology of speech as the place where all meaning comes to light and is received. I bring up Chretien and his focus on speech because were at a point in our socio-political climate where to even question the morality of rioting is off limits if youre white (thanks to CRT). As a white college student post-George Floyd, I am told that the privilege of my white skin means I must remain quiet and allow for black voices to permeate the national dialogue. I am told my voice is not important, needed, or warranted. To even question a particular narrative is considered a form of violence, and thus, the only way forward is to turn off my conscience and let those higher up in the intersectional hierarchy lead. Chretien would call these demands a subversion of listening and speech. In his seminal work, The Ark of Speech, he spends a lot of time explaining what true listening actually is. First, he conceives of listening as a form of hospitality. A hospitable person lets another person speak, listening intently without interruption. If we interrupt or try to finish the speakers sentences for him, we deny him the being of his existence namely, the opportunity to speak the truth about himself. As Chretien writes, We do not want to talk to those who know everything all too well, long in advance; we do not want to speak if others are going to finish our sentences for us; we do not start speaking to relinquish the ground of our being. . . . If listening understands too much . . . it tends to become vision, autopsy, a perspicacity that sees through me, instead of greeting me around the hearth of language. Story continues So, in dealing with cultural and political questions of race, Chretien would say that is very important to listen to those who have experienced racism, and to listen to them honestly so as to be a true conversant. But he would not end there. An equally important facet of listening is participation. Listening is not true listening unless it actively participates in whats been said. The interlocutor must be able to reciprocate and engage. As Chretien says: To bear with the other the burden and responsibility of his words can only happen if we ourselves bring our offering, the fresh air of our whispered meanings. To allow myself to be questioned by what he has to say means also having, myself, to question and interrogate him. . . . It is certain that [listening] must always be answerable to and for what is said to it. Not only must the listener be attentive, he has a responsibility to question whats been said to test its validity. Thus, listening is reciprocal. Any speech uttered requires a response from the listener. Chretien would scoff at our current cultural dialogue, which places identitarian restrictions on who can or cannot engage. He would denounce such restrictions as subversions of one of the most fundamental, basic activities of humanity. In a political climate seeking to dictate who can say what to whom, think about what Chretien says about listening and speech. True listening requires you to allow the other person to speak the fullness of his being, without interrupting. But it is not true listening if there is no active participation. After allowing the other person to say his piece, you must engage with what hes said, question its validity, and see if it aligns with reality. There cant be identitarian prerequisites for such engagement. It is its own kind of moral relativism to assert that being white, privileged, or heteronormative should bar a person from participation in conversations about race or gender. So, next time you go at it with your Critical Race Theory professor, remember Chretien. The fundamental prerequisite to both listening and speech is the ability to reciprocate. Without it, neither can exist. More from National Review The has canceled USD 224 million loan to the government of for the proposed Bisri Dam Project because it failed to fulfil preconditions required before the funds were disbursed, the organization said in a press release. "The today notified the Government of (GOL) of its decision to cancel the undisbursed funds under the Water Supply Augmentation Project (Bisri Dam Project) due to non-completion of the tasks that are preconditions to the commencement of construction of the Bisri Dam," the release said on Friday. "The canceled portion of the loan is USD 244 million and the cancellation is effective immediately." failed to meet the Friday deadline to finalize the Ecological Compensation Plan and to mobilize a contractor at the dam project worksite, the release said. The government also failed to finalize operation and maintenance arrangements by August 24. The had raised these issues with Lebanon since January, as per the release. (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.) President Trump refused to condemn Russia after the poisoning of opposition leader and Putin critic, Alexei Navalny, saying: "We haven't had any proof yet." Mr Trump made the remarks during a press conference on Friday, saying that while the incident was "tragic", the press should focus on China over Russia. The president said: "So, I don't know exactly what happened. I think that it is tragic. It is terrible. It should not happen. We have not had any proof yet, but we will take a look. ... I would be very angry if that is the case." He did not criticise Russian leader Vladimir Putin and redirected attention to China. Mr Trump said: "It is interesting that everybody is always mentioning Russia. I don't mind you mentioning them, but China at this point is probably a nation that you should be talking about much more so than Russia, because the things that China is doing are far worse." Mr Navalny, an anti-corruption activist, fell ill on a flight to Moscow on 20 August and was taken to a hospital in the Siberian city of Omsk after the plane made an emergency landing. The 44-year-old was moved two days later to Berlins Charite hospital, where doctors said initial tests indicated Mr Navalny had been poisoned. This week, the German government said that the Kremlin critic was poisoned with the same type of Soviet-era nerve agent used in a 2018 attack on a former Russian spy. The news provoked outrage from Western leaders who demanded Moscow provide an explanation. The German government said that testing by a German military laboratory showed proof without doubt of a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group. British authorities identified Novichok as the poison used on former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in England two years ago. NATO supported the findings. The findings which experts say point strongly to Russian state involvement added to tensions between Russia and the West. German Chancellor Angela Merkel called Mr Navalnys poisoning attempted murder, meant to silence one of Mr Putins fiercest critics. The Berlin hospital treating the dissident said he remains on a ventilator though his condition is improving. It said it expects a long recovery and still cant rule out long-term effects on his health from the poisoning. Russias Foreign Ministry said on Saturday it had noticed multiple hostile statements directed at Russia on the topic of Mr Navalnys health. In relation to these presumptuous comments that... (Novichok) was developed here, it is imperative to say the following, the ministry wrote in statement. For many years, specialists in many Western and countries and in the specialised structures of NATO have worked with this wide-ranging group of chemical components. Wires contributed to this report Mumbai, Sep 5 : A Mumbai magistrate granted bail to one of the accused drug peddlers Kaizen Ebrahim in the ongoing probe into the narcotics angle in the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, here on Saturday. Earlier this morning, Ebrahim - who was arrested on Friday by the Narcotics Control Bureau - was sent to 14 days' judicial custody in the same case. He was among five persons arrested by the NCB in a bid to unravel the drugs angle in Bollywood. Ebrahim's name was revealed by another accused Abdel Basit Parihar, who was nabbed by NCB on September 3. Parihar - who the NCB described as an 'active member' of a drug syndicate with high-profile customers and narcotics suppliers - on his interrogation told the NCB that he purchased the drugs from Ebrahim and Zaid Vilatra on instructions from Showik Chakraborty. The brother of Bollywood actress Rhea Chakraborty, Showik and Sushant's home manager Samuel Miranda were arrested late on Friday and have been sent to 4 days' NCB custody on Saturday afternoon Latest updates on Sushant Singh Rajput Death Mystery Kathryn Thomas hit the road to Sligo with her daughter, Ellie (2) in No Place Like Home aired on RTE on Sunday night where they met up with Westlife's Kian Egan in Strandhill where he lives. Each half hour programme in the special series was packed with inspirational and informative ideas for short breaks in Ireland. Fans of the show were in for a surprise as Kathryn Thomas' husband, Padraig McLoughlin, joined the star on holiday. The couple recently celebrated their first wedding anniversary. Kathryn and her daughter, Ellie, 2, have been travelling around Ireland for the last number of weeks in a campervan to highlight all that Ireland has to offer. Sunday night was the final show of the series as the mother and daughter duo headed to Mayo and Sligo. The family later moved to Sligo where they met up with Westlife star Egan and his children. The group later hit the waves to surf in Strandhill. Kanye West is forging ahead with his U.S. presidential bid as he continues to file for his name to be placed on the ballots in Kentucky and Mississippi. The rapper is filing a slot in these two states' ballots as an independent candidate. Interestingly, West has loaned $6.7 million for his presidential bid campaign, as stated on the Federal Election Commission's campaign finance report, according to a report by the TMZ. West has paid the $2,500 fee to the office of the Mississippi Secretary of State, where he has submitted documents for his name to be printed on the ballots. The rapper needs about 1,000 signatures from registered voters of the state to earn a slot on the Mississippi ballots. According to Y'all Politics, West submitted a total of 1,219 signatures that need to be validated first. His petition in Mississippi will be reviewed on Sept. 8 by the State Board of Election Commissioners manned by Attorney General Lynn Fitch, Secretary Michael Watson, and Governor Tate Reeves. In Kentucky, West would need about 5,000 valid signatures. He has submitted 19,000 petition signatures. In terms of electoral votes, Kentucky has eight, while Mississippi has six. The U.S. presidency is won by electoral college votes and not by popular votes. According to the Latin Post, West has already secured his ballot slots in Minnesota, Tennessee, Arkansas, Vermont, Colorado, Utah, and Oklahoma. West has announced his bid for the U.S. presidency in July and has taken preacher Michelle Tidball of Wyoming as his running mate. However, West failed to get his name unto the ballots in Wyoming even though he owns a ranch there and his running mate being from there. West has been accused of being a "nuisance" candidate by the Democrats as he had previously pledged his support for President Donald Trump, who is bidding for a second term in the White House. According to pundits, West's candidacy is the Republican's tactic to take away votes from Democrat presidential candidate and former vice president Joe Biden. The GOP or the Republican Party allegedly assists the rapper's campaign, and some Republican operatives have been helping him get on the ballots. Nevertheless, West failed to get his name on the ballots in Wisconsin, where Trump won in 2016. A recently released national poll also pointed to West not having the support of the entire Black community. Democratic pollster Terrance Woodbury said that West would be able to get enough votes to win the presidency. However, what West can do is to get enough votes to determine who between Trump or Biden will win in the November elections. West has a long way to go as he had already missed out having his name on 30 states ballots after failing to make the deadline in 25 of those states. In other states, his petition was denied for not submitting the required number of valid signatures. Check these out: Rapper Kanye West's U.S. Presidential Bid Gains Ground in Minnesota US Election Issues: Trump, Biden Present American Realities That Are Polars Apart Trump Promises More Funding for Police, Local Businesses in Kenosha The Centre is considering making the law against manual scavenging more stringent and forcing someone to manually clean a sewer could soon attract up to seven-year imprisonment and also a fine, people aware of the matter said. The Union social justice and empowerment ministry is working on legislation in this regard even as it was not immediately clear whether it would be introduced during Parliaments monsoon session from September 14. The new law may provide for a fine of 10 lakh to discourage the practice of manual scavenging. In September 2013, Parliament passed a bill prohibiting the employment of individuals as manual scavengers. It prescribed stringent punishment, including imprisonment of up to five years, to those employing such labour. The law also provides for the rehabilitation of manual scavengers and their family members. Despite the strong legislation on the issue, manual scavenging has continued to be one of the concerns. The Supreme Court last year equated the practice with sending people to gas chambers, while expressing concerns over the working conditions of manual scavengers. A three-judge bench questioned the Centre over the lack of protective gear like oxygen cylinders and masks given to those involved in such work. According to the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (sanitary workers), 50 workers died cleaning sewers in the first half of 2019 alone. A survey of The Centre in 2018 identified around 40,000 manual scavengers across 14 states. Most scavengers belong to the economically weaker and socially backward strata of the society. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Heres a list of top ten stocks that may be in news on Thursday: IndusInd Bank: The lender has approved allotment of 4.76 crore shares to qualified institutional buyers (QIB) at 524 per share on a preferential basis, for an aggregate consideration of 2495.79 crore. IL&FS: The Mumbai bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has approved the sale of the bankrupt company's education assets to its minority partner Lexington Equity Holdings Ltd (LEHL) on a slump sale basis. Ashok Leyland: The commercial vehicle manufacturer has "ambitious plans" for a global play in the EV segment in both passenger and light commercial vehicles in the short and medium term, it said, adding that it will pursue its goal of achieving zero emission mobility. Coal India: The state-owned miner reported a consolidated profit of 2,077 crore in the June quarter, down 55% year-on-year as demand for the dry fuel slumped due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Net sales fell 26% to 17,007 crore. Vedanta: An affiliate of the company and US-based Eight Capital are among a group of 11 bidders who have submitted binding offers for Videocon Industries which is undergoing insolvency proceedings, a report in The Economic Times said. Airline companies: Scheduled airlines in India will be able to sell seats up to 60% of an aircrafts capacity on domestic flights, up from 45%,as the government further eases restrictions on the sector clobbered by the covid-19 pandemic. Edelweiss Financial Services: Edelweiss Group has said it secured an investment of $350 million from Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board, Canadas largest single-profession pension plan, for its alternate investment arm Edelweiss Alternate Asset Advisors. TVS Motor: The company has increased its stake in electric motorcycle startup Ultraviolette Automotive Pvt Ltd from 25.76% to 29.48% by investing an additional 30 crore. Kalpataru Power Transmission: The company has incorporated a wholly- owned subsidiary, Kalpataru Power Senegal - SARL, in Republic of Senegal to foray into transmission and distribution and railways business. Engineers India: The company has received a contract from Gail India for setting up PDH/PP plant and pipeline at Usar, Maharashtra for 448 crore. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 18:39:27|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LAGOS, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- A road crash involving a pick-up van along a major route in Ogun state, southwest Nigeria on Friday killed three people and injured one other, according to local road police. The crash was suspected to be caused by excessive speeding and loss of control by the pick-up van, said Ahmed Umar, the Ogun state sector commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps in an interview with Xinhua on Saturday. The pick-up van with no registration number hit a truck after loss of control and went up in flames immediately. "Five persons, all males were involved in the accident, with one person sustaining injuries and three others burnt to death," he said. The FRSC boss added that the injured victim had been taken to a hospital for medical attention while the corpses were deposited at the hospital mortuary. Deadly road accidents are frequently reported in Nigeria, often caused by overloading, bad road conditions, and reckless driving. Enditem New Delhi: Twitter is buzzing with news alerts from India and rest of the world. Here are the latest updates from the micro-blogging site in one scroll: #10:53pm Facility for NRIs for depositing specified bank notes made available till 30 June 2017: MEA - ANI #10:45pm Chhattisgarh: Security forces recovered a 100 metre live wire from underground in Durgkondal in Kanker district - ANI #10:03pm PM is elected by people of country. Mamata ji shouldn't have made such statement; shouldn't take it seriously: Kiren Rijiju, MoS Home #9:21pm Will contest 30 out of the total 40 assembly constituencies in Goa, if pre-poll alliance with Congress does not happen: NCP - PTI #8:53pm Kerala Vigilance & Anti-Corruption Bureau books CPI(M) MLA E P Jayarajan in alleged case of nepotism in appointments to key posts in PSUs - PTI #8:35pm Three men carrying Rs 54 lakhs in Rs 2,000 notes arrested in Gujarat's Palanpur while entering from Rajasthan: Police - ANI #8:00pm J&K: CM Mehbooba Mufti reviewed and visited many city areas to monitor snow clearance & restoration work post-snowfall situation in Kashmir - ANI #7:41pm Punjab: Amritsar parliamentary seat byelections scheduled to take place on Feb 4th - ANI #7:36pm Uber hikes fares of entry-level 'UberGo' by 50% in Delhi-NCR; minimum fare raised to Rs 60 from Rs 40, ride time charge up at Rs 1.5/min - PTI #7:34pm My heartfelt condolences to the family, sad to hear about the pasing away of a veteran & legendary actor Om Puri, may your soul rest in peace: Yuvraj SinghA #7:30pm Rose Valley scam: TMC MP Tapas Pal sent to 14-day judicial custody by CBI court, Bhubaneswar - ANI #7:27pm IRCTC to roll out new ticketing app for faster ticket booking - PTI #7:16pm Chhattisgarh: 2 Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) weighing 5.5 KG recovered by security forces in Bijapur; later defused - ANI #7:15pm Important findings show that Jindal bullion Ltd had sold around 300 crores of bullion post demonetisation: IT Sources - ANI #7:07pm We will have to work hard to provide job opportunities to our youths. We have provided everything to develop Odisha in all aspects: Pradhan - ANI #7:00pm Saradha chit fund scam: Calcutta High Court division bench confirms bail of Kunal Ghosh as his name was not mentioned in the charge sheet - ANI #6:50pm Economic survey and budget will spell out what steps the Govt will take: Shaktikanta Das,Economic Affairs Secretary - ANI #6:34pm Brazilian officials say at least 33 prisoners die in prison, days after rebellions at two other prisons killed 60 - AP #6:21pm We are instructing district collectors to start registering details of single women in the district: Telangana CM KC Rao - ANI #6:18pm Poverty inflicts more misery among women than men. Hence, decided to give Rs 1000 per month per person pension to these single women: KC Rao #6:15pm Telangana Chief Minister KC Rao announces monthly Rs.1000 Pension Scheme for single women #6:10pm Amit Shah said demonetisation and the surgical strike were historic decisions of the govt: Prakash Javadekar after National Exec meet - ANI #6:08pm Agriculture sector to show growth of 4.1% in GVA during 2016-17, as against previous yearas 1.2%: TCA Anant, Chief Statistician #6:00pm The growth rate in per capita income is estimated at 5.6 per cent during 2016-17, as against 6.2 per cent in the previous year - ANI #5:57pm Per capita income during 2016-17 is expected to grow by 10.4 per cent to Rs 1,03,007 compared to last fiscal - PTI #5:50pm Anticipated growth of real Gross Value Added(GVA) at basic prices in 2016-17 is 7.0%, against 7.2% in 2015-16 - ANI #5:40pm GDP growth in 2016-17 is estimated at 7.1 per cent as compared to 7.6 per cent in 2015-16: Govt - PTI #5:38pm Delhi HC dismisses plea of Payal Abdullah, she asked for retention of official residence or alternate Govt accommodation on security grounds - ANI #5:30pm Himachal Pradesh: Shimla receives light snowfall - ANI #5:25pm Nirbhaya case: SC asks convicts to file an affidavit stating the aggravating and mitigating factors in their sentencing - ANI #5:22pm CBI filed a charge sheet against Sahendra Singh, one of the accused in Vyapam case - ANI #5:20pm J&K: Kashmir University defers all exams that were scheduled for Jan 7, 8 due to snowfall in the Valley; new dates to be notified soon - ANI #5:18pm India examining all options and also consulting with the other co-sponsors in the matter: Sources on resolution against Masood Azhar at UN - ANI #5:15pm DGCA begins its probe into a major near miss between Jet Airways & Air India Subsidiary Alliance air flight that took place on Dec 2, 2016 - ANI #4.45pm Parasmal Lodha sent to 3-day CBI custody by CBI court in Chennai. He was arrested for helping Sekar Reddy in a money laundering case. - ANI #4:22pm Yuvraj Singh included in both ODI and T20 teams against England Team for 3 T20Is: Virat (Capt), MSD (wk), Mandeep, Rahul, Yuvraj, Raina, Rishabh, Pandya, Ashwin, Jadeja, Chahal, Manish, Bumrah, Bhuvi, Nehra #4:21pm Team for 3 ODIs: Virat (C), MSD (wk), Rahul, Shikhar, Manish, Kedar, Yuvraj, Ajinkya, Pandya, Ashwin, Jadeja, Mishra, Bumrah, Bhuvi, UmeshA #4:20pm Virat Kohli appointed captain of the ODI and T20 team.A #4pm PM Modi, FM Jaitley and Amit Shah at BJP national executive meeting in Delhi pic.twitter.com/10u6M5YNY5 a ANI (@ANI_news) January 6, 2017 A BJP national executive meeting to begin shortly in Delhi pic.twitter.com/rNw8ebWxGq a ANI (@ANI_news) January 6, 2017 A #3.50pm Madras High Court confirms Rs 28cr penalty levied on Sasikala Natarajan's relative Ttv Dinakaran by ED in a Foreign Exchange Regulation Act case: ANIA A #3.30pm Bail matter adjourned for tomorrow by Delhi's Saket Court on Parasmal Lodha case in money laundering matter as his lawyer was not present - ANI #3:15pm To save country, let a national Government be formed. Advani, Rajnath or Jaitley can head it. Current situation unacceptable: Mamata Banerjee - ANI #3:10pm In current situation a national Govt should be formed with another BJP person at helm. He (PM Modi) has to go: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee - ANI #14:07 PM ED arrested D.Senthil,brother of Don Sridhar Dhanapalan under PMLA in a case related to extortion & acquiring properties from crime proceeds-ANI #13:35 PM Police detained Shashi Tharoor and other Congress leaders who were protesting against Demonetisation outside RBI offce in Kerala #13:08 PM Madras High Court dismisses a PIL seeking direction to Centre to announce Bharat Ratna for J Jayalalithaa 12:40 PM Due to snowbound runway, flight operations to and from Srinagar airport have been suspended-ANI #12:38 PM AIADMK General Secy Sasikala Natarajan urges PM to issue commemorative coin special postal stamp for MG Ramachandran on his birth centenary #12:37 PM SC said Aircel spectrum to be seized and transferred in 2 weeks if controller and owners don't appear in court in connection with the case-ANI #12:28 PMA He got not only national fame but also international fame. It's a big loss to film industry: Venkaiah Naidu on Om Puri's demise #12:20 PM Party under leadership of Akhilesh Yadav is the real Samajwadi party, and should be seen so. Cycle symbol must be allotted to us:Ramgopal- ANI #12:02 PM 2G Case: Supreme Court says four accused in the Aircel maxis case will have to appear in Special Court #11:59 AM Uttar Pradesh: Meeting underway at Mulayam Singh's residence, Shivpal Yadav and Amar Singh present in the meet-ANI #11:32AM Jammu and Kashmir: Kashmir valley receives snowfall.-ANI #11:31AM Tamil Nadu CM O Panneerselvam writes to PM Modi to issue commemorative coin andA special postal stamp on birth centenary of former CM MG Ramachandran. -ANI #11:23 AM Case relates to conspiracy hatched by Lashkar-e- Taiba, based in Pakistan, to commit terror attacks in India: NIA #11:21 AM NIA files charge sheet at the NIA Special Court at Patiala House against captured LeT terrorist Bahadur Ali #10:56 AM UP Elections 2017: BSP releases second list of 100 candidates #10:47 AM Supreme Court refuses to give an urgent hearing into a plea seeking that the budget should be presented after March #10:44 AM Supreme Court decides to hear Sahara matter next week-ANI #10:28 AM Karnataka: Suo motu case registered against MP of Kanara constituency, Ananth Kumar Hegde on charges of assaulting a doctor on January 2nd #10:27 AMA Had inputs on Muzzafar Ahmed.He tried to break cordon,was cornered & killed. No collateral damage:Anoop Nair (2IC, 53 RR)on Budgam encounter- ANI #10:25 AM Shivpal Yadav reaches Chief Minister's residence to meet Akhilesh Yadav #10:15 AM Amar Singh reaches Mulayam Singh Yadav's residence in LucknowA #10:13 AM Spice Jet plane from Bengaluru lands under emergency conditions at Delhi airport due to technical issue: airport sourcesA #10:03 AM Mastermind' of Bangladesh cafe siege killed in raid: police-AFP #09:45 AM Veteran actor Om Puri passes away at 66 due to heat attackA #9:00 AM Train services affected on KazipetaBalharshah section of South Central Railways due to derailment of a goods train at Wihirgaon station in Maharashtra #8:33 AM Incident happened in the night, no casualties. National conference MLC Showkat Ganie wasn't present at his Shopian residence during incident- ANI #8:33 AM Terrorists opened fire on a guard outside National conference MLC Showkat Ganie's residence in Shopian, guard fired back in retaliation-ANI #8:18 AM The boy is saying that she is murdered by her family, further probe is underway: DSP Pushpa Khatri on Rohtak(Haryana) murder case of a womanA #8:12 AM The boy is saying that she is murdered by her family, further probe is underway: DSP Pushpa Khatri on Rohtak(Haryana) murder case of a woman #7:45 AM A Al-Badr terrorist Muzzafar Ahmed killed in encounter with Army &Police in Machu area of district Budgam in Jammu and Kashmir #7:40 AM Four International and eight domestic flights delayed at Delhi's IGI Airport due to prevailing weather conditions For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. SACRAMENTO California exempted more workers Friday from AB5, its controversial gig-work law, including musicians, translators, interpreters, writers and photographers. Workers in dozens of jobs can now operate as self-employed professionals after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB2257, a cleanup measure designed to address criticisms that the state went too far last year when it tightened the rules for who can be considered an independent contractor. Newsom signed the bill without comment. It passed the Legislature without opposition Monday and takes effect immediately. The new law expands the range of occupations that will be held to an earlier standard for determining employment status. It includes major exemptions for the music industry, which argued that musicians needed more flexibility to string together performance opportunities, as well as freelance writers and photographers, eliminating a previous cap of 35 submissions a year for any publication. The change will allow agencies that connect freelancers with clients and handle the payments without supervising their work to continue operating. That will benefit event planners, for example, who could hire florists, makeup artists and musicians for a wedding without becoming their employers. Sole proprietors doing businesses with each other will also be exempted. Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, the San Diego Democrat behind the bill, said in a statement that it was a product of robust dialogue over the last year with workers and businesses from every part of the state. AB2257 strikes a balance and continues to provide protections for workers against misclassification that had previously gone unchecked for decades under the old rules, she said. The state adopted AB5 last year, in response to a 2018 California Supreme Court decision. It requires that businesses treat workers as employees unless they meet three conditions: (A) The worker is free from the companys control, (B) the work they perform is not central to the companys main business, and (C) they have established their own independent business in that line of work. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes Supporters, led by organized labor, said it was a necessary change to address rampant misclassification that allowed companies to exploit workers and skirt giving them benefits. But it was widely criticized by business groups and many freelancers who said the new standard was too rigid and jeopardized their livelihoods. The new law does not exempt companies such as Uber, Lyft and Postmates, which hire freelance drivers and couriers. While California and some cities are trying to enforce AB5 against companies through lawsuits, the gig-work companies have poured $181 million into a November ballot measure that would exempt them from the standard. Alexei Koseff is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: alexei.koseff@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @akoseff Norton dug up these single celled fossils known as Forams at the 25 Mile site. They are more than 13,000 years old and were deposited by melting ice from the Wisconsin Ice Age when seas covered most of the Chilkat Valley. Retired biology teacher and geology aficionado John Norton recently sent out clay containing fossil samples from three areas in the Chilkat Valley to get radiocarbon dated. The results help paint a picture of what the local landscape looked like between 11,250 to 13,450 years ago when the fjord reached up to what is now 25 Mile Haines Highway and when what we know as the Chilkat Valley was at the bottom of the sea. Norton tested samples from the old homestead of Dennis and Mary Miles just past 25 Mile, a subdivision around 9 Mile Haines Highway, and near 4 Mile Haines Highway. The fossil remains in the layer of glacial sediment from each area reveal a greater diversity of life as he moved closer to town-reflecting more than 2,000 years of retreating ice, sedimentation and rising land. The area he sampled near 25 Mile was about 250 feet above today's sea level. The clay contained single-celled marine organism fossils, called Foraminifera, and other shells such as mussels and barnacles that a Florida lab radiocarbon dated to about 13,000 to 13,425 years ago. "The area would have been a seashore," Norton said. "You can take a topographic map and draw a line around the 250-foot elevation on a topo map and it will give you a fair idea of the area that was once covered by marine waters throughout the valley. They would have gone up the Chilkat River Valley, the Klehini, the Tsirku, all of our major river valleys of our area." Life in the area would have appeared similar to the landscape that appears today that has only recently been revealed by melting glaciers, said Tongass National Forest geologist Jim Baichtal. "As that landscape was flooding, it would have been willow and alder choked lower valleys with tundra dominated higher elevations at ridge tops at the time that John's deposit was being laid down there at 25 Mile." Baichtal and Norton have worked together trying to piece together the geologic history of Southeast Alaska. Both likened the data to pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that creates a picture of the region's geologic history. Norton's samples are among the scant data studied in the Chilkat Valley, Baichtal said, but he'll use the samples for a paper he's working on that includes more than 700 records of shell-bearing strata across Southeast that will help give scientists a better idea about sea levels and ice thicknesses through geologic time. Norton's snapshot of time from 25 Mile occurred after what's known as the Wisconsin Ice Age, which lasted until about 18,000 years ago. During the peak of glaciation, ice covered Haines and continued all the way out to the continental shelf in front of Icy Bay. Cathy Connor, former University of Alaska Southeast geology professor, said Juneau was covered by ice about a mile thick, and Haines was covered by at least that much if not more. When the global climate warmed, the Wisconsin ice beat a fast retreat and the land, thinner than larger continental crusts, rose rapidly relative to geologic time-at least 625 feet over 15,000 years. The crust of Southeast Alaska was formed after shards of other continents slammed together, like a demolition derby of terranes-what Baichtal described as "the great terrane wreck." "It's huge changes in a really dynamic landscape," Baichtal said. "It's incredibly hard to wrap your head around. This thing we call terra firma, this earth we live on, being that flexible." At 25 Mile, organisms got a small foothold but as the land continued to rise the environment was no longer suitable. And like local snowbirds avoiding unpleasant conditions, life flew south-about a dozen miles south across a few centuries. The site Norton sampled at 9 Mile was about 160 feet above sea level. Those samples were dated to about 12,500 years ago. The third site, about 100 feet above sea level, came from a pit on Roger Schnabel's Southeast Roadbuilders property at 4 Mile Haines Highway. The clay he sampled from the area had larger clam shells that dated approximately 11,250 years old. "By the time you get there, life's starting to stabilize and you're (seeing) more diversity, different clams and sea urchins and stuff like that," Baichtal said. "You have this changing habitat. By the time you get to 10,000 years ago the clam species would not look appreciably different than what we would find in a very productive intertidal clam bed today." Norton said part of his interest in learning about how the landscape changed includes theorizing about places suitable to human habitation. "Interestingly, on the backside of the Southeast Roadbuilders site on the downhill side is Yandeistkya, the old native village," Norton said. "Whether or not Yandeistkya goes back to the time of great antiquity, it would be hard for me to say. There's never been a kind of effort to date that site to see how far back occupation goes. If one were to look at our area and ask is there a candidate site where food is plentiful, that early inhabitants would be drawn to, that would definitely be on my list." Baichtal and colleagues have used sea level models to predict shorelines suitable for human habitation. In 2009, there were five cultural sites known to scientists older than 7,000 years old. Using their model of shorelines, researchers have now found more than 30 sites across Southeast-the oldest dated at 10,600 years before present. Scientists have found stone tools made from rocks found in isolated areas dispersed through the Southeast, indicating that people were likely here longer than 10,600 years ago. As the glacial uplift continued, the sea was also rising from melting ice and the land was flooded. Significant flooding was believed to have occurred from 17,000 to 12,900 years ago, Baichtal said. Daa_x_koowdein (Tommy Jimmie), a former Haines resident, retired teacher, and Tlingit Native, said his peoples' stories tell about a time of darkness and a flood that lasted for eight generations. "While the world was flooding, Raven flew up and stuck his beak in the cloud and he hung there until the water started to go down and he saw the mountains of our country and that's when he let go of the cloud," he said. Daa_x_koowdein said Raven stories have traditionally been associated with creation, but he believes they have more to do with restoration and repair after the floods receded. "Most of our people, they think (we) begin with Raven. They give Raven the credit for being the creator. Baloney. That's not what the story is about, it's about survival," he said. "When people came back, that's the time of restoration. All of the damage that was caused because of flood was restored." Daa_x_koowdein said Tlingit stories indicate that his distant ancestors go as far back as the ice age. He said there are stories about "a girl who was feeding the glacier," which caused the advancing ice to force his people to flee the region. His clan, he said, lived as far south as South America. He said he's spent a lifetime reading what he described as disparate stories in an attempt to put them back together-all in an attempt to add context to Tlingit history. He, like Baichtal and Norton, likens the stories to pieces of a puzzle. Courtesy of John Norton. Norton dug up this layer of sediment near a pit at 4 Mile Haines Highway. The material contained fossilized clams, sea urchins and other signs that life that dated to more than 11,000 years old. "When I go and read those stories it's like someone took them and cut them into all kinds of jigsaw puzzles and threw them up into the air," he said. For his part, Baichtal said learning about the region's geologic history makes living there more meaningful, and the more data they can collect, the sharper the image will become. "It makes our experience on the landscape richer if we have a basic understanding of why the landscape looks the way it does." Both Norton and Baichtal asked the public to inform them of anything they find that might add another piece to the puzzle. "Maybe when they're digging in their backyard or fly fishing up a stream or hiking some place, they might take a second to look at a grey mud bank and if they see something let John or I know about it," Baichtal said. Baichtal can be reached at baichtal557@gmail.com and Norton can be reached at jnorton@aptalaska.net. Now this is a story all about how schools went into lockdown over one students voicemail. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is celebrating 30 years since its debut on Sept. 10, 1990, and the show has created countless fans over the years thanks to its lively characters and funny stories. It put Will Smith on the map and launched the careers of many others. Will Smith on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | Chris Cuffaio/NBCU Photo Bank Who appeared on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air? The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was Smiths first big acting role. The show became a career highlight for the entire cast, including Alfonso Ribeiro (thanks to his iconic Carlton dance) and James Avery (who gave Uncle Phil so much depth as a character). Beyond the main cast, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air attracted many noteworthy guest stars over its six-season run. Tyra Banks joined the show in a recurring role as one of Wills girlfriends, as did Nia Long a role Jada Pinkett Smith ironically auditioned for. Everyone from Queen Latifah and Naya Rivera to Oprah Winfrey and, yes, our current president stopped by the Fresh Prince set. RELATED: The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: Why NBC Executives Repeatedly Tried to Fire Will Smith What is The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air about? The Fresh Prince of Bel-Airs theme song gives viewers a breakdown of the shows premise. A teenage boy named Will from West Philadelphia was getting into trouble at home; to help fix this, his mother sent him off to live with his uncle, aunt, and cousins across the country in Bel-Air, Los Angeles. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is, at its core, a coming-of-age story where Will (Smiths conveniently-named character) learns many life lessons. Of course, there are lots of laughs along the way. But the show was unique because of its portrayal of many of the struggles that young Black men like Will often face. Yo Home to Bel-Air is The Fresh Princes universally recognizable theme song. DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince (Smiths stage name) worked with Quincy Jones to write and create the track. Like Smiths character in the song and the sitcom, Smith was born and raised in West Philadelphia. Will Smith on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme song caused schools to go into lockdown In 2013, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme song was the cause of a countywide school lockdown in Pennsylvania. According to The Washington Post, a receptionist at Ambridge Area High School near Pittsburgh called a student to remind him about an appointment and was horrified when she was sent to voicemail. The student recorded his own rendition of the Fresh Prince theme song as his voicemail message. The receptionist misheard him saying shooting some b-ball outside of the school as shooting some people outside of the school. She called the police, and the schools in Beaver County, Pennsylvania were put on lockdown while they searched for the student. Turns out he was in his guidance counselors office the whole time. Police took him into custody, and after closely listening to his voicemail message, they realized he was indeed rapping about shooting b-ball. Web Toolbar by Wibiya Since the death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis police, it has sprung a wave of protests globally, prompting Canadians to look closely into systemic racism in the country. The extent at which systemic racism is being swept under the carpet in Canada was once again brought into the spotlight when Erin OToole, new conservative leader, failed to agree that systemic racism exists in Canada. During an interview with Mercedes Stephenson, host of West Block, OToole commented on the importance of eradicating racism from the society but refused to admit the existence of systemic racism, or what exactly it is. OToole said he believes racism exists and he committed to phasing it out of the society but the term systemic does not have a definition. I fight for people that wear a uniform. And when you use a term like systemic, some of those people feel that youre calling them racist, he said. There is no definition. It gets tossed around. Clearly, OTooles comments show complete ignorance about systemic racism and how it affects the Canadian society. However, there is widespread confusion about the concept of systemic racism, and this has led to a lot of people making wrong comparisons and ultimately, stepping on many toes. In June, RCMP Commissioner,Brenda Lucki, affirmed during a session with the parliamentary committee that there is systemic racism in the RCMP but, completely missed the mark when asked to cite an example. She went on to describe how there is a recruitment bias that favours taller people during the obstacle course test for new officers, adding that cultural differences and gender can influence ones height. She then went on to talk about an aptitude test before directing the question to a subordinate. However, the concept of systemic racism is not centred on individual behaviour but how the society works and discriminates certain communities. Therefore, even good people can be guilty of systemic racism. An Ontario Superior Court judge aptly put while sentencing a black man, 25, on gun possession charges, that the offender has had a disadvantaged life from birth due to poverty, anti-black racism and segregation in Canada. Therefore, this was simply not the normal unfairness of life but structural and systemic. Black Canadians are victims of systemic racism and according to the most recent census data, they face much more difficult economic obstacles than white Canadians or those from other racial groups. Theres an income gap between black Canadians and non-visible minorities as the 2016 data reports an average of $37,000 annually for first-generation black Canadians and $50,000 for immigrants of non-visible minorities. In an interview, Andrea Davis, co-ordinator of the York Universitys Black Canadian Studies Certificate and chairman of the department of humanities, said the numbers are quite disturbing and people often assume theres a good reason for this disparity. However, the reality is that black immigrants are in a biased system that makes negative assumptions about them due to their race. While most Canadians are familiar with George Floyd and Trayvon Martin, very few Canadians are aware of some of the victims of police brutality in Canadaand this is evident in OTooles denial of systemic racism. Black Canadians such as DAndre Campbell, Olando Brown, Jermaine Carby and many more have been killed by the police in controversial circumstances. In fact, black people in Toronto are 20 times more likely to be shot by the police than white residents. They also account for 25 per cent of police-related shootings, despite making up only about 9 per cent of the entire citys population. With lots of ongoing debates and protests sparked by high-profile police killings, the issue of systemic racism isnt limited to the justice system. It impacts lives through access to quality education, equal employment opportunities, generational wealth, attaining leadership positions, access to quality health care and housing, societal influence and many more from a system that is largely controlled by white supremacists. O'Toole's ignorance and failure to understand historical fact on systemic racism are uncharacteristic of a leader who is supposed to play an important role in a multicultural society like Canada. In a video shared by CBC, Rinaldo Walcott, black diaspora cultural studies professor at the University of Toronto, said that the denial of members of the Canadian government is part of the system of systemic racism. Walcott added that Canada, just like the U.S. is founded on a history of systemic racism with both countries having attempted genocide and slavery targeted at indigenous people. If only OToole searched through the history books, he would find all the proof he needs. Between 1628 and the early 2000s, there has been a long history of slavery, discrimination and maltreatment by those of African ancestry, Jews, Chinese and other visible minorities in Canada. Walcott added that leaders should offer more substance than symbolism when tackling systemic racism by making actual changes in policies, practices and existing systems. With the next federal election still a few years awayand current PM, Justin Trudeau entangled in a controversy around the WE CharityOToole and other members of Parliament who fail to stand against systemic racism and call it out for what it is are unfit to take up any leadership position. Following the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput on June 14, the film industry has been subjected to a number of accusations including nepotism and alleged drug abuse in Bollywood. On Friday, the Producers Guild of India issued a statement to show solidarity for the industry. Actress Kareena Kapoor Khan took to her Instagram handle and lent out her support to the guild. She shared the letter posted by filmmaker Zoya Akhtar on Instagram stories section and captioned it as, With my industry, followed by a red heart emoji. Take a look: Apart from Kareena, other Bollywood celebrities like Abhishek Bachchan, Dia Mirza, Bipasha Basu, Nimrat Kaur, Richa Chadha, Farhan Akhtar, Reema Kagti, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Nikkhil Advani, Riteish Deshmukh among others too shared the letter on social media, showing their support to the industry. In a statement issued on Friday, the Guild said: The last few months have seen relentless attacks on the reputation of the Indian film industry across all media. The tragic death of a promising young star has been used by some as a tool to defame and slander the film industry and its members. A picture has been painted of the industry as a terrible place for outsiders to aspire to; a place that treats those who dare to enter it with contempt and derision; a murky den of substance abuse and criminality. This narrative is salacious enough for the media to exploit to great effect in order to boost its ratings, readership and page views." But it is not the truth, the Guild asserted. The film industry has its imperfections, accepts the Producers Guild of India, but it is one of the most important sources of soft power for the nation at a global level, the Guild said Highlighting the positive aspects of the industry, the Guild added: The film industry employs hundreds of thousands of people, boosts travel and tourism and is one of the most important sources of soft power for India across the world. It has entertained hundreds of millions of people for over a century and has brought joy, honour and glory to the nation. It has welcomed and embraced talent from across the country - from the worlds of literature, poetry, art and music - and has drawn them in to create a unique cinematic language." This has ensured that we are one of the few countries in the world to still have a vibrant and thriving local film industry across multiple languages, despite the decades-long onslaught of Hollywood." The industry has contributed generously to national causes in times of need, and has readily offered its resources name, recognition, time and funds - whenever called upon to do so, and often even without having to be called upon". They agreed that its not easy to enter the industry and there are struggles. We do not negate the personal experiences of anyone from the industry, and undoubtedly many of those entering the business and seeking to establish themselves have faced numerous hardships, struggles and disappointments in the course of building a career here. But that is no different from the challenges and obstacles faced by new entrants in any field that they are not born into - be it politics, law, business, medicine or the media. However, a concerted effort has been made to single out the film industry as one that specifically inhibits and prohibits new talent from the outside from thriving. This could not be further from the truth," the statement read. There are scores of talented actors, directors, writers, musicians, cinematographers, editors, sound designers, production designers, costume designers, art directors and numerous other film professionals across multiple disciplines who have had absolutely no connection to the industry, but who have flourished and produced inspiring and pathbreaking work, which has defined and then redefined Indian cinema." Being born into the industry most definitely affords you the privilege of access and a first break, but after that it is up to each individuals talent, hard work and drive to propel them forward." The statement further read: This is a place that ultimately rewards your talent, work ethic and ability to connect with an audience - regardless of your religion, gender, caste or economic strata. While it is undoubtedly more difficult for those on the outside to get that first chance to display their talent - with perseverance, persistence and a little bit of luck - you can and do succeed. These are difficult times for our country and the world, so rather than venting our fears and frustrations on each other with vile and vicious trolling, it is more important than ever to come together instead of tearing each other apart. Members of the industry on both sides of this debate, especially women, have been subjected to rape threats and death threats. This is unacceptable and must stop now," the statement said. The mother of a little boy who was killed at the hands of his own father in a tragic murder-suicide has issued a gut-wrenching message dedicated to her son. Natsuko Kurihara wrote that her 'beautiful son' Koah was killed by his dad Troy Harvey on Friday and begged her son to forgive her, saying 'I'm so sorry I couldn't save you'. Paramedics and police called to the horrific scene worked for an hour to try and save the boy's life after officers were called to a property in the town of Rossville, north of Cairns, just before 10am on Friday morning. 'My beautiful boy Koah, he has had only four years of life, this has been taken by his father. He then took his own life,' Ms Kurihara posted on Saturday. Koah, 4, (pictured) was killed by his dad in a horrific murder suicide in Queensland on Friday Natsuko Kurihara (pictured, left) wrote that her 'beautiful son' Koah (centre) was killed by his father, and expressed her pain that she 'couldn't save him' Mum Natsuko Kurihara (pictured, left) said Koah's dad, Troy Harvey (right), had killed his own son 'I'm in pain life is not fair.' 'Let the people you love know you love them as they can be taken from you. 'I'm so sorry Koah l couldn't save you. Love you forever.' Detective Acting Inspector Jason Smith told The Cairns Post, 'they worked on him for a significant period of time.' He is one of a number of detectives who are specialist officers who are travelling to the remote town on the Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland about 30km north of Cooktown, on Saturday. Little Koah's mum issued a heartwrenching Facebook post after her little boy was killed by his own dad Koah (pictured playing) was killed on Friday morning despite paramedics rushing to the scene to try and save his life 'I'm so sorry Koah l couldn't save you. Love you forever,' his mum wrote on Facebook after the four-year-old (pictured) was killed Koah (pictured playing) was killed on Friday morning and his mum has posted a heartbreaking tribute A crime scene has been established and detectives have launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Harvey, 46, and the boy. 'We're treating it seriously and looking at all possibilities. We'll have a total of eight detectives and we're seeking to speak to anyone who had any information about the family,' Dect Insp Smith said. It is understood Ms Kurihara was not at home when officers arrived on scene. Ms Kurihara said there are 'no words to describe how I feel. Sad and regrets,' she posted to Facebook. Cook Shire Mayor Peter Scott described the incident as 'terrible' and offered his commiserations to the family and friends. Pictures posted online appear to show the suspected killer as a loving, doting father. But the fisherman at the centre of heartbreaking tragedy who also taught boxercise at a nearby gym in Rossville, may have offered some insight into his mental state about one month earlier. Harvey (pictured) who also taught boxercise at a nearby gym in Rossville, may have offered some insight into his mental state about one month earlier The fisherman (pictured) is understood to have posted a message to a local Facebook group apologising to people he had 'hurt or let down' Harvey (pictured) took his own life after killing his young son, his mother has alleged in a social media post Mr Harvey is understood to have posted a message to a local Facebook group apologising to people he had 'hurt or let down'. 'I had a full on nervous mental breakdown whatever you want to call it,' he said. 'I am so sorry to all the people I have hurt or let down over the years due to excessive drug and alcohol abuse. 'I am seeking help, so come on down get fit, let's support those with mental health issues, past traumas or anything else that's (sic) seems to pull us down and feel like know (sic) where to run to.' The town of Rossville has a population of just over 200 people. Lion's Den Hotel pub owner, Darryl Paradise, said it's the kind of close-knit community where 'everyone knows everyone'. 'We don't expect to see this sort of thing happening in the neighbourhood,' he told the ABC. 'We heard about it at lunch time today we're all totally shocked and just find it hard to believe. 'It is a very small community, everybody knows everybody and everybody speaks to everybody.' If you or anyone you know is in need of mental health support, you can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. Rio Rancho Public Schools students will not return to the classrooms this week, after a special 2-hour virtual school board meeting took place Friday morning. Instead, mainly due to a few curveballs thrown Thursday, hybrid-learning students in grades K-5 at 50 percent capacity along with pre-K students enrolled at the new Shining Stars Preschool, will return to the classrooms Sept. 14. The previous plan was to open the classrooms Tuesday. Principals want students back, said Janna Chenault, the districts elementary school improvement officer. Eighty percent of parents with hybrid students are OK with the return to classrooms, according to last weeks survey. Teachers werent as sure: On their surveys, 54 percent of teachers in pre-K through fifth grade, 57 percent of middle-school teachers and 61 percent of high school teachers said no to going back in person. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams current state public-health order limits in-person schooling to elementary and some special-needs students. Under RRPSs re-entry plan, students in grades K-3 whose parents selected the hybrid model would return in-person four days per week; students in grades 4-5 would return two days per week. Pre-K students would attend on their regular schedule of half a day, four days per week. If the state amends the public-health order, middle and high school students may be able to return later in the year, and Superintendent Sue Cleveland said no specific date has been set. The survey was sent out to 13,000 parents and RRPS staff members; 7,211 responses were recorded. It went out Tuesday, with a response deadline of noon Thursday. Research and Polling Inc., one of New Mexicos most respected polling organizations, tabulated the responses. Questions asked about childrens grade levels, registration in hybrid or virtual learning and comfort with returning to school in person with COVID-safe practices. Board members not only evaluated the survey results, but also countless emails they had received. All five, plus Cleveland, favored a return to the classrooms. They voted 5-0 to take an extra week after hearing Cleveland tell them she had learned the night before that barriers were needed in the cafeterias, and two masks were required for everyone at all schools. Chenault, Chief Operations Officer Mike Baker and Curriculum & Instruction Executive Director Carl Leppelman assured board members Sept. 14 would be a better day to open the facilities. Baker told the board the HVAC systems will be turned on a couple hours before students arrive for fresh air and better circulation, he said, although that will cost the district another estimated $250,000 on its utility bill. Another problem cited by Cleveland, although not likely to be remedied by Sept. 14, was filling 160 vacancies not all teachers the most weve ever had, she said. Once the middle and high school students return to the classrooms, she said she expects more teacher retirements. We dont have a lot of people waiting in the wings, she said. Many teachers, especially in the at-risk demographic, have their own health concerns. The staff is very divided on wanting to come back, Cleveland said. Whatever you decide (on re-opening), well make it work. More than half of the staff members questioned by the union favored retaining virtual learning. Billie Helean, president of the Rio Rancho School Employees Union, said after the Albuquerque Public Schools decision to continue virtual-only learning until at least late December, the union surveyed the entire membership, around 1,800 people, including teachers, bus drivers, clerical staff and education assistants. In that survey, the union found that 65 percent of the respondents would prefer to stay in a remote environment until after winter break, Helean, also a first-grade teacher at Stapleton Elementary, said in an email to the Observer. We are grateful for the collaborative effort with the district to further survey the staff and the community at large to get a better sense of how people feel after the governors press conference, she said. We will always advocate for the bargaining unit based on factual survey results and data. There were a variety of reasons. Safety is the primary one, said Helean. We want to make sure were keeping all the staff safe and the kids safe, and by extension their families. But in addition to those concerns, there were also concerns about stability for students. Options come aplenty for a model like this, and the final price could balloon depending on how many options, packages, and/or accessories are thrown into the deal. To give you an idea of how much each Lamborghini costs, weve compiled a list detailing each model thats currently in the market and a couple of special edition Lambos that were released in the past few years. A Huracan EVO RWD, for example, is the cheapest Lamborghini model thats currently in the market. The price for the rear-wheel-drive supercar starts at $208,000, but thats just for the base model. Lamborghini models are expensive. Lets get that out of the way. Most people already know that, and just as many are resigned to the reality that not everyone can afford a Lamborghini. Too expensive for most of us, that much we can tell you LISTEN 16:40 Lamborghini Huracan EVO RWD The Lamborghini Huracan EVO RWD is the cheapest Lamborghini you can buy, but it still costs $208,571. Talk about cheap, huh? Then again, theres a price to be paid if you want to buy a Lambo. That price can also shoot up if youre looking to add a few options to make your Huracan EVO RWD stand out from the rest of its kind. Basic options like cruise control and a smartphone interface with Apple CarPlay are available should you want to add them to your Huracan EVO RWD. Lamborghini is also offering plenty of interior customization features, and if youre still not settled, you can also throw in bundles and packages into the mix. One, in particular, that looks enticing is the Life Style + Driver Pack that puts together a front end lifting system, a transparent engine cover, ceramic brakes, adaptive magneto suspension, and a choice of wheel designs in one all-encompassing package. A fully loaded Lamborghini Huracan EVO RWD will set you back $261,807. Lamborghini Huracan EVO Coupe / Huracan EVO Spyder Six years into its life, the Lambo supercar now comes in the form of the Huracan EVO. Its the first version of the Huracan after the models mid-cycle facelift, and, as part of the many changes its received, the Evo now shares its engine and several tech features with the higher-spec Performante variant. This includes a 5.2-liter V-10 engine that produces 631 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque. It takes only 2.9 seconds for the Huracan EVO to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph and its top speed now sits at 202 mph. You can opt for 21-inch wheels thatll set you back anywhere from $2,000 to $6,600. If you want an exclusive paint finish on your Huracan EVO, youll need to spend at least $9,800 and as much as $14,000 for the really special ones. A new hood costs $6,000 and an equally new black rear diffuser will add another $3,600 to your receipt. On the technical side, you can score a new lift system that can raise the front section of the Huracan by as much as 1.77 inches. That should come in handy when youre driving over speed humps and speed traps. For only $2,400, you can also add brake calipers that Lamborghini will paint in the color of your choice. Add another $3,200 and you can have those standard seats replaced with power heated seats or you can just drop $7,200 and get racing seats. The list of options available to the Huracan EVO runs like a grocery list during the Apocalypse. There are enough choices to make your head spin. The base version of the Lamborghini Huracan EVO Coupe starts at $264,569 while a fully loaded model costs north of $381,569. Its the same story when you buy the Lamborghini Huracan EVO Spyder. Most of the options available on the Huracan EVO Coupe are also available for the Huracan EVO Spyder. The base price of the Spyder model is understandably higher at $281,095, while an optioned-out version will set you back $353,195. Lamborghini Aventador S Coupe / Aventador S Roadster Nine years after hitting the market it replaced the Lamborghini Murcielago the Lamborghini Aventador is still going strong as Lambos top-flight supercar. Like the Huracan, the Aventador has evolved throughout the years with its current form the Aventador S arriving in 2017 as a mid-cycle facelift, complete with aesthetic and mechanical upgrades. The Aventador S is still powered by the same 6.5-liter V-12 unit that past versions of the nameplate used. The output, on the other hand, has been raised to 730 horsepower and 509 pound-feet of torque, though performance figures remain the same compared to the version it replaced, the Aventador LP700-4. The Aventador S also received an updated suspension thats controlled by the Italian automakers Lamborghini Dinamica Veicolo Attiva (LDVA) control unit. Changes were also made to the Aventadors design, specifically the supercars nose and front splitter. A pair of new air ducts in the front bumper was also added. All of that comes with a cost, and, in the case of the Aventador S, that cost starts at $421,321. Should you wish to customize your Aventador S, you can go crazy with all the available options that Lamborghini has to offer. For starters, you can choose among 41 separate paint colors and six upholstery treatment to set up your supercars colors. Carbon fiber trim is available, but thats going to set you back as much as $20,000. More carbon fiber goodies are available, including a carbon fiber hood that costs $2,700, a carbon fiber X-frame thatll hit you back another $5,5000. Change the engine compartment to carbon fiber and thats another $4,500, and if you want to go all out, throw in a carbon fiber hood for $7,600 while youre at it. All told, a fully loaded Lamborghini Aventador S will set you back a staggering $509,121. The Lamborghini Aventador S Roadster comes with almost all the available options that you can get on the Aventador S Coupe, though a few extra goodies in the form of a shiny black hardtop or a carbon-fiber roof are available on the Aventador S Roadster. These add-ons cost $2,100 and $5,600, respectively. As expected, the Aventador S Roadsters starting price of $467,617 is a tad more expensive than the Coupe model. That also holds for a tricked out model, which will cost $554,717. Lamborghini Aventador SVJ / Aventador SVJ Roadster Unveiled in 2018, the Aventador SVJ is the limited-run, track-focused iteration of the Aventador S. Its powered by the same 6.5-liter V-12 engine that all Aventadors use, except that the engines output has been bumped to a whopping 759 horsepower and 531 pound-feet of torque. In other words, the Aventador SVJ is the most powerful Aventador ever built, and the performance numbers prove as much. It only takes 2.8 seconds for the SVJ to screech from 0 to 60 mph and its top speed has been rated at 219 mph. The downside to all that such a machine deserves the exclusive treatment. That means that production is capped, and, in the case of the Aventador SVJ, only 963 units of the Aventador SVJ are available. Of those 963 units, 63 units were given the Aventador SVJ 63 Edition treatment, a special edition version that celebrates the year (1963) that Lamborghini was founded. Should you be interested in a Lamborghini Aventador SVJ, youll need to spend at least $517,770 for the coupe version and a ridiculous $573,966 for the Aventador SVJ Roadster. Like its coupe counterpart, the Aventador SVJ Roadster is an exclusive model thats limited to just 800 units. Neither of the two Aventador SVJ models comes with any available options. Lamborghini Urus As a brand thats known for building supercars, Lamborghinis u-turn into the world of SUVs resulted in the arrival of the Urus. Depending on what you think of the Rambo Lambo LM002, the Urus is either the first or second production SUV that Lamborghini has released in its history. What we can all agree on, though, is that the Urus is a spectacular SUV that checks all the boxes of a super SUV. Its sporty and aggressive in ways youd expect from a Lamborghini. The interior is dressed to the nines. Its powered by a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 engine that produces 650 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque, allowing the SUV to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.2 seconds on its way to a top speed of 190 mph. Despite what some people have said, the Urus is a proper Lamborghini, and its certainly priced as one with a base price of $211,321. The Urus base price is surprisingly cheap for a Lamborghini; its price is not that far off from a Huracan EVO RWD. But theres a catch with the Urus, something Lamborghini smartly leveraged when it rolled out the SUV in the market. The relatively cheap price is offset by a litany of options, upgrades, accessories, and add-ons that you can buy. Its when you dive into these options that the price of the SUV starts going up. You can upgrade the SUVs wheels for $5,000. You can score black painted brake calipers for $1,137. Care for a sunroof? Thats another $2,778. The SUVs interior is also loaded with options, including a Bang & Olufsen audio system for $6,313, heated and ventilated front seats for $3,157, and a suite of driver-assist safety systems with a head-up display for $6,313. The latter is the perfect example of Lamborghinis savvy in leveraging features that typically come standard on a vehicle of any brand. Theres a reason why the Urus base price barely hedges over $200,000. Its a bare SUV that compels you to load up on all the options and accessories that Lambo has to offer. Do that and the price of the SUV balloons to around $260,000 to $270,000. Lamborghini Centenario Technically, the Lamborghini Centenario Coupe is sold out. Only 20 units were made after Lamborghini unveiled the dynamic supercar at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show. You can say the same thing for the Centenario Roadster. It was also limited to 20 units and, yes, all 20 units are already accounted for. That goes with the territory of being a limited-edition supercar that was created specifically to celebrate the 100th birthday of the automakers founder, Ferruccio Lamborghini. The Centenario came out with all these features, and we havent even gotten to the engine. The Centenario was powered by a 6.5-liter V-12 engine that was tuned to produce 759 horsepower and 509 pound-feet of torque. All told, the Centenario can sprint from 0 to 62 mph in just 2.8 seconds before maxing out with a top speed of 217 mph. There werent that many options available to the Centenario, though you could choose from a painted or raw carbon fiber exterior. The interior, on the other hand, could be customized to your specification, and depending on those specifications, the price of the model went up from the $1.9 million price tag of the coupe version and the $2.23 million price tag of the roadster. Lamborghini Sian FKP 37 As if the Lamborghini Centenario wasnt special enough, the Italian automaker rolled out the mental Sian FKP 37 at the 2019 Frankfurt Auto Show. The special edition model is limited to just 63 units, and to the surprise of absolutely no one, all 63 units were scooped up faster than the hybrid supercar can hit 60 mph from an idle position. Yes, folks. The Sian FKP 37 is a hybrid supercar. Its the first-ever model of that ilk that Lamborghini has ever produced with power coming from a 6.5-liter V-12 engine and a 48-volt electric motor. Put together, the Sian FKP 37s hybrid setup can produce a whopping 807 horsepower, making it the most powerful production model that Lamborghini has ever built. The Lamborghini Sian FKP 37s outrageous performance capabilities it can sprint from 0 to 62 mph in just 2.8 seconds to go with an electronically limited top speed of 217 mph is backstopped by a design thats just as outrageous. Lamborghinis Ad Personam customization division was in charge of manufacturing the Sian FKP 37 so that explains the level of exclusivity that each model has with it. Lamborghini didnt specify the kind of options you could have gotten with the Sian FKP 37, but it did say that the Sian has been designed to offer the widest possible range of customization. That includes the exterior, which can be configured in fully exposed carbon fiber with custom colors. The Lamborghini Sian FKP 37s stature as the most powerful production Lamborghini model in the companys history is reflected in the $3.6 million price tag. How Much is a Lamborghini? Lamborghini offers some of the most expensive cars in the market. The cheapest Lamborghini thats in the market today is the Huracan EVO RWD, which starts at $208,571. The Lamborghini Urus SUV is not far off that price at $211,321. What is the average price of a Lamborghini? Taking into account all the Lamborghinis that are in the market today, the average price of a Lambo sits at around $300,000 to $320,000. The Huracan and all its variants are priced anywhere from $208,571 for the EVO RWD to $281,095 for the EVO Spyder. The Aventador, on the other hand, is priced from $421,321 for the Aventador S Coupe and $467,617 for the Aventador S Roadster. The Lamborghini Urus starts at $211,321. What is the cheapest Lamborghini? The cheapest Lamborghini is the Huracan EVO RWD. It starts at $208,571. What is the most expensive Lamborghini? The most expensive production Lamborghini thats in the market today is the Aventador S Roadster, which is priced from $467,617. Special edition models that are no longer in the market carry higher sticker prices. The Aventador SVJ and SVJ Roadster, for instance, are priced from $517,770 and $573,966, respectively. Recent limited-run models like the Centenario and the Sian FKP 37 are exceptions in more ways than one, including pricing. The Centenario was limited to just 20 units each in coupe and roadster forms. They were priced at $1.9 million and $2.23 million, respectively. Then theres the Sian FKP 37, which sold for $3.6 million per unit. Advertisement Images have revealed a brief test run of the 9/11 Tribute In Light in Manhattan, after Mayor Bill de Blasio was criticized for allowing it to be cancelled and the hosts reversed their initial decision to call off the display. The test run on Friday night gave a preview of what the memorial will look like next week, when the twin beams of light will illuminate the sky from dusk to dawn on the night of September 11, the 19th anniversary of the attacks. The tribute was first displayed six months after the attacks that took down the World Trade Center towers, and has been held every year since to honor the victims of the terror attacks. The 9/11 Memorial and Museum last month reversed its initial decision to call of the tribute, with the museum's President and CEO Alice M. Greenwald saying in a statement: 'On the night of September 11, from dusk until dawn, these two beloved beams of light will again shine as beacons of our citys resilience. And this year, they will be powered by the will of the community.' A passing helicopter creates a cross through the beams of the Tribute in Light as it is tested over lower Manhattan and One World Trade Center in New York City as the moon rises on September 4, 2020 as seen from Jersey City, New Jersey Initially, the museum had said that organizers were particularly worried about the health risks to workers who would set up the display in the coronavirus pandemic, and that the the tribute would be called off. To create the installation, known as 'Tribute in Light', 40 stagehands and electricians work in close proximity for more than a week. After the cancellation, the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation said it would produce the display, before the museum reversed its decision to cancel and said the tribute was back on. Paul Nunziato, president of the Port Authority Police Benevolent Association, said at the time that the cancellation of the light tribute would only feel more 'demoralizing' for New Yorkers as they battle the coronavirus pandemic. He also criticized Mayor Bill de Blasio for not doing enough to save the ceremony. 'For all the nonsense the mayor has allowed in recent months, what is the problem with putting the lights up?' he told the Daily News. However, de Blasio does not have direct authority over the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, which made the initial decision to call off the tribute. The Tribute in Light that will mark the 19th anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center is tested in New York City The 9/11 Memorial and Museum said that the display would be assembled on the roof of the Battery Parking Garage south of the 9/11 Memorial. The twin beams reach up to four miles into the sky and are comprised of eighty-eight 7,000-watt xenon lightbulbs positioned into two 48-foot squares, echoing the shape and orientation of the Twin Towers, according to the museum. The installation can also be viewed from a 60-mile radius around lower Manhattan. 'It has become an iconic symbol that both honors those killed and celebrates the unbreakable spirit of New York,' the museum said in a statement. This year's tribute will be funded with financial support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, and Rechler Philanthropy. Mayor Bill de Blasio came under criticism after the museum that normally hosts the event tried to cancel. However, he does not have direct authority over the museum Then the Tunnel to Towers foundation initially offered to take over the display, Staten Island Councilman Joe Borelli praised the organization for stepping up to the plate after he had criticized the decision to cancel the event. 'Final Update: Problem solved. We should all pay a debt of gratitude to the Tunnel to Tower foundation. They are getting the job done. The Tribute in Lights will happen!' he tweeted. The lights first appeared in March 2002, six months after the attack, when they were originally organized by the Municipal Art Society. The lights are typically turned on at dusk and would shine through the night until dawn on September 12. It has become one of the signature elements of the annual commemorations, and the memorial and museum took over the organization of the tribute in 2012. Russian scientists have published results from early tests of their Sputnik-V coronavirus vaccine that was approved by the Russian government with much fanfare in August. The study published in the British medical journal The Lancet on September 4 said patients involved in early tests developed antibodies with "no serious adverse events." Russia approved the vaccine for domestic use on August 11, the first country to do so and before any data had been published. President Vladimir Putin said at the time of the announcement that the vaccine provided "sustainable immunity" and that one of his own daughters had been inoculated. This raised concerns among some scientists that Russia was rushing to use a vaccine without safety data. Experts said the first trials were too small and carried out over too short of a duration to prove safety and effectiveness. The study also did not use a placebo or control vaccine. In the Lancet study, Russian researchers reported on two trials conducted in June and July each involving 38 healthy adults aged between 18 and 60. Each participant was given a first dose, followed by a booster shot 21 days later. They were monitored over 42 days and all developed antibodies within the first three weeks. The report said participants would continue to be monitored up to 180 days. The early-stage trials also suggested the Sputnik-V vaccine produced a response from T cells, a key part of the immune system that may play in role in providing longer-term protection against the coronavirus. A weakness of the study is that many of the participants were people in their 20s and 30s, while the coronavirus is particularly dangerous for unhealthy people and older populations. The Russian vaccine uses modified strains of the adenovirus, which usually causes the common cold. It is then combined with a part of the new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, to trigger an immune response. Expanding The Trial Despite any drawbacks, Russian developers claimed great success and announced plans to expand trials. Professor Aleksandr Gintsburg, director of the Gamaleya Institute that developed the vaccine with Russias Defense Ministry, told reporters that the vaccine triggers sufficient immune response to counteract any imaginable dose infecting [a person] with COVID-19. We are ready to assert that the protective effect of this vaccine will be detectable and remain at a proper level for 2 years, or maybe even more," Gintsburg claimed without presenting evidence. A phase 3 clinical trial will involve 40,000 volunteers "from different age and risk groups, according to the paper. In a commentary in The Lancet, Naor Bar-Zeev of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, who was not involved in the study, said the research was "encouraging but small." "Showing safety will be crucial with COVID-19 vaccines, not only for vaccine acceptance but also for trust in vaccination broadly," he wrote. "Since vaccines are given to healthy people and, during the COVID-19 pandemic, potentially to everyone after approval following phase 3 trials, safety is paramount." The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned countries not to sacrifice safety to rush development of a vaccine. The Geneva-based body says it will not endorse a vaccine that has not proven safe and effective. There has been massive pressure globally to roll out a vaccine quickly as the pandemic continues to spread and countries seek to gain access to treatments for their population. WHO said a total of 176 potential vaccines were being developed worldwide, including 34 being tested on people. Among those eight are phase 3 clinical trials, the most advanced involving tens of thousands people. Kirill Dmitriev, who heads a Russian investment fund behind the vaccine, told reporters that The Lancet publication "is a powerful response to the skeptics who unreasonably criticized the Russian vaccine." Dmitriev stated that Russia had received requests from 20 countries for the supply of 1 billion doses of the vaccine. Russia has said that industrial production for the Sputnik V vaccine is expected to start in September. With reporting from AFP, AP, Reuters, and TASS Talks between the Afghan government (a view of Kabul is seen here) and the Taliban have been repeatedly pushed back by disagreements over ongoing violence and a prisoner swap The Taliban's negotiating team has arrived in Qatar, a spokesman said Saturday, in a sign that long-delayed peace talks with the Afghan government are inching closer to starting. A date for the talks, to be hosted in Doha, has not been set but the warring sides have this week signalled that negotiations could launch soon, following efforts to wrap up a drawn out prisoner exchange. "All members of our negotiating team have arrived in Doha. The talks will begin once some small technical issues are resolved," Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen told AFP. US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad traveled to Doha on Friday, the State Department said, in another sign that talks could be imminent. "The Afghan people are ready for a sustainable reduction in violence and a political settlement that will end the war," the department said in a statement. "Afghan leaders must seize this historic opportunity for peace. All sides have taken important steps to remove obstacles for the start of IAN. Now is the time to start," it added, referring to Intra-Afghan Negotiations. The Taliban team had recently been in Pakistan discussing the peace process with the government in Islamabad. Qatar authorities have been imposing a seven-day quarantine period on all arrivals to the country, but have made exemptions for some delegations who undergo regular testing. The Afghan government's negotiating team remained in Kabul on Saturday, but a logistics team landed in Doha earlier this week. Faraidoon Khawzoon, a spokesman for the Afghan government's reconciliation council, said its negotiating team was ready for talks. "The release of the prisoners is completed and there is no excuse for delaying the talks," he tweeted. "But the Taliban don't seem to be ready for the talks. We expect the Taliban to get ready and start the negotiations." The talks were initially due to begin in March as set out in a deal between the United States and the Taliban in February, from which Kabul was excluded. But disagreements over ongoing violence and the prisoner swap have seen the start repeatedly pushed back. emh/ecl/dw/sst General Staff of Vietnam Peoples Army marks 75th founding anniversary The General Staff of the Vietnam Peoples Army (VPA) received the first-class Fatherland Defence Order and celebrated its 75th founding anniversary at a ceremony in Hanoi on September 5. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc greets officials of the Defence Ministry and the General Staff of the Vietnam Peoples Army prior to the ceremony on September 5 (Photo: VNA) Reviewing the General Staffs development, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said its foundation on September 7, 1945 was a historic event, marking a step forward in the development of the VPA. Upon its establishment 75 years ago, the VPA General Staff gave advice and directed the implementation of urgent tasks to protect the young revolutionary administration and develop the peoples armed forces. During the resistance war against France, it directed armed forces to launch offensives to defeat the colonialists highest warfare efforts and march with the entire people to final triumph after a nine-year resistance war full of hardships, with the peak being the victory of the Dien Bien Phu Campaign. In the fight against the US, the General Staff submitted timely proposals to the Politburo, the Central Military Commission and the Defence Ministry, directed the change of methods of struggle in the south, built combating plans and opened strategic transportation routes to ensure timely support for the southern battlefield, according to the Government leader. PM Phuc also highlighted the General Staffs contributions to the victory of the wars to safeguard the nation along both the northern and southern borders, the Cambodian peoples win over the genocidal regime, and Laos victory over acts of sabotage by hostile forces to protect revolutionary achievements. He also spoke highly of the General Staffs performance in instructing the VPA in preventing and dealing with natural disasters and epidemics, search and rescue, building new-style rural areas, and especially combating against COVID-19, thereby helping to enhance the solidarity between the army and the people. On this occasion, he applauded the performance by the Vietnamese military delegation to the International Army Games 2020 and their gold medal in the Tank Biathlon at this event. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday arrived in Tehran where he will meet his Iranian counterpart and discuss bilateral defence ties, a day after he urged the Persian Gulf countries to resolve their differences through dialogue based on mutual respect. Singh arrived in Tehran from Moscow after concluding his three-day visit to Russia where he attended a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defence ministers. He also held bilateral talks with his counterparts from Russia, China and the Central Asian countries. Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh reached Tehran this evening. He will be meeting the Iranian Defence Minister (Brigadier General Amir Hatami) during his visit," his office said in a tweet. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has reached Tehran this evening. He will be meeting the Iranian Defence Minister during his visit: Office of Defence Minister pic.twitter.com/q7s1qtRDpi ANI (@ANI) September 5, 2020 India on Friday said that it was deeply concerned about the situation in the Persian Gulf and called upon the countries in the region to resolve their differences by dialogue based on mutual respect. A series of incidents in the Persian Gulf involving Iran, the US and the UAE in recent weeks have flared up tension in the region. We are deeply concerned about the situation in the Persian Gulf, Singh said in his address at a meeting of the SCO here. We call upon countries in the region - all of which are dear and friendly to India, to resolve differences by dialogue based on mutual respect, sovereignty and non interference in internal affairs of each other," he said in his address at the combined meeting of defence ministers of the SCO, Collective Security Treaty Organisation and Commonwealth of Independent States member states. Last month, Iranian navy briefly seized control of a Liberian-flagged oil tanker in what the US said were international waters near the Strait of Hormuz, which links the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman to the south and the Arabian Sea beyond. Iran has threatened to disrupt oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz if the United States tries to strangle its economy. The SCO, seen as a counterweight to NATO, has emerged as one of the largest transregional international organisations which accounts for almost 44 per cent of the world population stretching from the Arctic Ocean to the Indian Ocean and from the Pacific Ocean to the Baltic Sea. The aim of the SCO is to maintain peace, stability and security of the region. Iran has observer status in the SCO, which was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the Presidents of Russia, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan were admitted as observers of the grouping in 2005. Both the countries were admitted as full members of the bloc in 2017. In one famous scene of the Arabian Nights, a thief paints a mark on Ali Babas door so that his companions can visit later at night to murder him. But Ali Babas wise maid notices the mark and paints a similar one on each door of the neighbourhood to confuse the robbers. It is this scene that one feels transported to while walking in Old Delhis Chatta Sheikh Mangloo. Each door on the long winding street is marked with an O or E painted in yellow. O stands for odd and E stands for even, a chai stall owner, across the lane from a guesthouse named Just For You, explained. ALSO SEE | Photos: Stories told in photographs from a capital in lockdown While easing up the Coronavirus-triggered lockdown, the Delhi government had announced that shops could finally open for business on an Odd-Even basis, which meant that no two adjacent shops would be open at the same time, as a way to avoid crowds. Our markets pradhan got these signs painted, the tea seller said. That was in May. It is now September and all the shops are free to open even as Covid-19 remains a part of daily life. The hand-drawn signs have remained. One early morning in August, the street is empty. Many shops in the neighbourhood deal with spare motor parts and open only around 11 am. Dismantled car doors, steering wheels and rear view mirrors hang from the top of shuttered fronts, making for a sight as fascinating as the Mughal-era Jama Masjid, just a few steps away. The lane is full of other distractionsbeautiful or ugly depending on your aesthetics. Curiously, some of the signs of odd and even are drawn on doors of residences. Its because the man painting the signs just went along without bothering with what kind of door it was, said an elderly man, gazing upon a green doorway painted with an O. A few beggars are sitting right under these signs, some are breakfasting on chai and bun. The elderly Sab Begum is asking for money from passersby under an E. Under another E, stands a goat. The yellow shade of these signs hasnt faded over the months; instead it has acquired a darker hue, seemingly enriched by exposure to the elements. They look like guests who have permanently settled down in their hosts house. What will happen to these signs, in that longed-for future when pandemic has passed? Will they be allowed to stay on as souvenirs of these unprecedented times? In any case, you ought to take a walk past these Os and Es, just to see for yourself how history is made: by the addition of new layers over older ones. Go in the morning when the shutters are down, obviously. Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter A new federal agency would lead a national response to emergencies such as bushfires, pandemics and large-scale cyber attacks under a proposal being drawn up by the federal government. The Commonwealth's vast array of resources including the military, communications, intelligence and logistics would be more quickly mobilised under the changes. There is a growing acknowledgement within the Morrison government that Australia will likely face more national emergencies in the coming years. Credit:Getty Images The civil defence agency will be under the Department of Home Affairs and likely plug into the national cabinet so it can be made immediately available to state leaders to respond to a crisis. The responsibility for emergency management has been a massively fraught area in state and Commonwealth relations this year. In January the NSW Rural Fire Service commissioner, Shane Fitzsimmons, said Prime Minister Scott Morrison did not inform him he was deploying 3000 army reservists to help with the bushfire crisis. James Middleton has revealed he and fiancee Alizee Thevenet have been forced to postpone their wedding twice this summer amid the Covid-19 crisis in a gushing online post. The Duchess of Cambridge's brother, 33, who is usually based in London but spent lockdown in Berkshire, where his parents live, shared a tribute to his future wife on Instagram yesterday. Posting a series of holiday pictures from a couple's getaway in Sicily, he wrote: 'Its a year since I asked Alizee to marry me what a year its been! Two homes, lockdown, two attempts at a wedding, a litter of puppies, launching of new company @ella.co, a beard shave, and much more.' He continued: 'The best part is that I get to share it with you Alizee and I cant wait to take on whatever the future holds for us.' The Duchess of Cambridge's brother James Middleton, 33, has revealed he and fiancee Alizee Thevenet have been forced to postpone their wedding twice this summer in a gushing online post The entrepreneur revealed the couple have had 'two attempts at a wedding' during the coronavirus crisis The entrepreneur added: 'We managed to escape to Italy for a quick dip in the the sea, lots of wine and pasta and now ready to face the world again.' Calling the yacht holiday an 'unforgettable experience', James also shared a number of snaps from the luxurious trip. In the photographs, the couple could be seen relaxing on the deck of a lavish yacht, while James and Alizee also got behind the wheel of the boat. The Duchess of Cambridge's brother announced his engagement to his French partner last October after he is believed to have proposed while in the Lake District. James revealed the couple had 'managed to escape to Italy' on a luxury yacht holiday, adding: they had enjoyed 'lots of wine and pasta' The 33-year-old revealed the couple have had 'two attempts at a wedding' in the year since he first proposed to his French partner The couple have been dating for just over two years now, and the pair were first spotted together at a Middleton family holiday in St. Bart's over Christmas 2018. The entrepreneur, who runs personalised greeting card company Boomf, met the 30-year-old City worker in 2018. A friend revealed Miss Thevenet did not know who Mr Middleton was when they started talking at the South Kensington Club after she said hello to his Cocker Spaniel Ella. According to Miss Thevenet's father, Jean-Gabriel Thevenet, she was won over by Mr Middleton's British charm and is 'deliriously happy' with the businessman. The couple, who first announced their engagement last October, jetted off to Sicily for the lavish holiday Miss Thevenet is a keen skier who speaks four languages, helped by growing up in Chile, Indonesia and Belgium. She moved to Britain six years ago and has a masters degree in investment and finance from Queen Mary University of London. James latest post comes after he revealed that he also treated his French financier partner, who he proposed to in October 2019, to a philanthropic gift - having bought her a piece from a jewellery collection which benefits the Save the Childrens COVID-19 Emergency Response. The entrepreneur shared a snap of his fiancee with one of their pooches, showcasing the romantic setup he'd delivered - which included plenty of vibrant coloured flowers and beverages. It comes after James surprised Alizee (pictured) with a romantic date night - complete with a countryside picnic and their adorable dogs The Duchess of Cambridge's brother shared a glimpse of his dreamy evening (pictured is his partner during the date) to Instagram Alizee sported a dazzling necklace teamed with a blue, patterned maxi dress, while James opted for a low-key trouser look complete with colourful slippers. Sharing a video and photographs from their date night, James wrote yesterday: 'Alizee and I havent been on a date for ages.so I decided to surprise her with a little picnic with the dogs and a special little gift. 'I was looking for something special and I discovered the @bulgari @savethechildren jewellery collection where a proportion of each sale in the UK goes directly to Save the Childrens COVID-19 Emergency Response. 'Save the Children is an amazing UK charity doing life-saving work across the world and Im proud to support @bulgari who have raised around $100million for @savethechildren.' Tony Abbott's sister, who is gay and wed her long-term partner with her brother by her side, has come to the former prime minister's defence after he was labelled a 'sexist homophobe'. He has received widespread criticism from British politicians and commentators following his newly appointed role as a trade envoy for the United Kingdom. The former Australian prime minister was even branded a 'misogynist, a sexist and a climate change denier' by Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on British morning television. He has also been criticised for suggesting older people should be left to die from coronavirus, to spare younger generations from the economic burden. But his young sister, Christine Forster, has since released a very personal statement online defending her 'compassionate and respectful' brother. 'It is nothing short of dishonesty for commentators and politicians who do not know Tony to label him a 'homophobe' and a 'misogynist' for the purpose of scoring cheap political points,' she said. Tony Abbott's sister Christine Forster (pictured, centre) wed long-time partner Virginia Flitcroft (left) in 2018, and has now come out in defence of her brother Ms Forster, has since released a very personal statement (pictured) online defending her 'compassionate and respectful' brother 'As a woman who has always been part of his life and who came out to him as gay in my early 40s, I know incontrovertibly that Tony is neither of those things'. She married her long-time partner, Virginia Flitcroft, in 2018. Criticism of the appointment grew once again this morning, however, with shadow international trade secretary Emily Thornberry describing 'two factors that should have immediately disqualified him'. She said: 'First, his history of offensive statements is so long and repetitive that it speaks to serious defects in his character, which is not one I think should be representing Britain on the world stage. 'And second, the fact that he has no experience of detailed trade negotiations, no understanding of Brexit, no belief in climate change, no concern for workers' rights, and no compunction about killing off Australia's car industry mean, to my mind, that he has no credentials for this role. 'Tony Abbott is therefore the wrong appointment on every level, which begs the more important question of why on earth Boris Johnson and Liz Truss have given him the job. The former Australian prime minister was branded a 'misogynist, a sexist and a climate change denier' by Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on British morning television (pictured: Tony Abbott arrives at a book launch in Sydney, Monday, November 25, 2019) 'However, with this shambolic excuse for a Government, we may continue to be appalled and disappointed at their serial incompetence, but we should never any longer be surprised.' It comes as Mr Abbott released a statement on Twitter about his new role, in which he said he was 'only too keen' to help the UK. 'A UK-Australia trade deal, maximising the movement of goods, services and people is clearly in the best interests of both our countries,' he said. 'It's important for the wider world that Britain make the most of its post-Brexit opportunities and I am proud to be playing a part. 'My government finalised trade deals between Australia and China, Japan and Korea. I'm looking forward to bringing that expertise to bear as Britain works towards mutually beneficial improvements with its major trading partners.' Bronwyn Bishop, Australia's longest serving female politician, also leapt to Mr Abbott's defence, stating he was a victim of 'disgraceful character assassination'. 'To say that he is a misogynist is just outright wrong,' she said on Sky News Australia. 'He has a good record as a father of three girls and he had chiefs of staff who have been female. 'I have known Tony for over three decades and I have never ever seen him have any of those traits of misogyny. 'So it is a disgraceful character assassination trying to destroy someone by people who are clearly political opponents.' Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon called Mr Abbott's comments 'disgraceful' after labelling him a 'misogynist, sexist and climate change denier' Her defence comes after Ms Sturgeon said if she had anything to do with the hiring process, then she would not have Mr Abbott as the UK's trade envoy. 'The idea that anyone could take that view is deeply offensive and wrong,' she told Sky News UK anchor Kay Burley. 'But Tony Abbott, even before these comments, is a misogynist, he's a sexist, he's a climate change denier. 'In my view he's not the kind of person who should be a trade envoy or any kind of envoy for the United Kingdom'. British opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer agreed with Ms Sturgeon's comments, saying British prime minister Boris Johnson made the wrong decision. 'I have real concerns about Tony Abbott and I don't think he's the right person for the job. If I was prime minister I wouldn't appoint him.' Rita Panahi an Iranian Australian opinion columnist, also came to Mr Abbott's defence and called out the 'defamatory' comments 'Absolutely despicable, defamatory BS from a repeat offender,' she tweeted, referring to UK news presenter Ms Burley. Bronwyn Bishop (pictured), Australia's longest serving female politician, has leapt to Mr Abbott's defence, stating he was a victim of 'disgraceful character assassination' 'To say that he is a misogynist is just outright wrong,' Ms Bishop said about Tony Abbott (pictured) on Sky News Australia 'Tony Abbott should consult a lawyer. These unfounded slurs, pushed by his loony left political opponents, are stated as fact by ''journalists'' in the UK.' UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock attempted to defend Mr Abbott's 'disgraceful' comments insisting 'he's also an expert in trade'. 'We need experts in different areas and somebody who is the former prime minister of Australia is obviously an enormous expert in the field of trade,' he said. Mr Abbott was officially appointed on Friday, UK time. Senior coalition minister Mathias Cormann, who served under Mr Abbott, said he had a distinguished record. 'From where I sit, Tony Abbott is clearly a giant on Australian politics who has made a great contribution over a long time,' Senator Cormann told Sky News on Friday. 'Not everyone will agree with him, but people are entitled to their views, and that's the way things work in a democracy.' Abbott has previously said he feels 'a bit threatened' by homosexuality and opposed same-sex marriage. He was also accused of misogyny in front of Australian parliament by then prime minister Julia Gillard. Ms Gillard references his comments about the price of electricity when opposition leader in 2010. 'What the housewives of Australia need to understand as they do the ironing is that if they get it done commercially it's going to go up in price and their own power bills when they switch the iron on are going to go up,' he said. FILE PHOTO: A Danske bank sign is seen on a bank's headquarters in Copenhagen COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Danske Bank will pay out a total of up to 100 million Danish crowns ($16 million) in compensation to 900 customers after over-charging them for an investment product, it said on Friday, in the latest scandal to hit the Danish bank. The overcharging, which relates to an investment product called Danske Portefoljepleje between February 2017 and July 2018, was discovered after review of a similar case, Denmark's biggest bank said. "Our review shows that approximately 900 customers were not adequately informed about the expected negative net return for the affected low-risk strategies," Bente Nielsen, Danske's head of private banking in Denmark, said in a statement. The bank said the findings came after reviewing similar problems with its Flexinvest Fri product, for which the country's financial watchdog had reported Danske to the police. The bank last year said it had failed to inform customers it expected poor performance from Flexinvest Fri and continued to sell it to new customers after raising fees associated with it in 2017. In that case, Danske said it would pay out a total of around 400 million crowns in compensation to 87,000 customers. "This (new case) is part of the Flexinvest Fri case where a number of management decisions were made in 2017 in connection with the implementation of new regulation (MiFID II)," Danske said. Danske is separately under investigation in the United States and several other countries for payments totalling 200 billion euros ($228 billion) through its small Estonian branch, many of which the bank said were suspicious. ($1 = 6.2791 Danish crowns) (Reporting by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen; Editing by David Goodman and Mark Potter) PATNA: In poll-bound Bihar, the ruling NDA is headed for trouble as rift surfaces between two of its crucial allies Ram Vilas Paswans Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and Jitan Ram Manjhis Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM). Sources said that Jitan Ram Manjhis entry in the NDA fold and his announcement for unconditional support to Bihar CM Nitish Kumar has irked LJP chief Chirag Paswan. A section in the LJP also feels that Manjhi has been inducted in the NDA at the insistence of Nitish Kumar but without consulting alliance partners. LJP leaders said that the party has called a meeting on September 7 in New Delhi to discuss the states political scenario and Manjhis entry into the NDA fold. Reports suggest that the party may also discuss its relationship with JD(U) during the meeting. "The September 7 meeting is crucial not only for our party but also for the NDA. We have been asked to be prepared for any eventuality," a source aware of the development said and also dropped hints that the top leadership of the party is not pleased with Jitan Ram Manjhi being inducted in the NDA. When asked whether the LJP was planning to field candidates against the JD(U) he said, "There is no clarity on the issue yet. Party Chief Chirag Paswan is likely to discuss all these issues during the meeting on September 7". Political experts feel that the conflict between LJP and HAM could be due to their Dalit vote bank in the state. LJPs Ram Vilas Paswan and HAMs Jitan Ram Manjhi are considered prominent Dalit leaders in Bihar. Dalits make up for around 16 per cent of the total population in the state. Among Dalits, there is also an extremely marginalized section called Mahadalits. Political observers are of the view that Jitan Ram Manjhi has a major stake in the Mushahar community, a sub-caste among Dalits in Bihar. The community has a population of around 40 Lakh and was classified among Mahadalits in 2007 by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Reacting on the reports regarding resentment in the LJP over his partys entry into the NDA, HAM spokesperson Danish Rizwan told this newspaper, "Our only agenda is to extend support to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar who has been working hard for the states development. We are not concerned with parties who are not happy with our entry in the NDA. Being an NDA partner, the LJP should not field its candidates against JD(U) in the state". I received a text message from a neighbor at 10:28 p.m. this past week asking for prayer for a family in our neighborhood whose 20-year-old son had just shot himself over girlfriend difficulties. A bright, talented, 26-year-old, struggling with depression, after a nice evening with friends, went to bed experiencing an overwhelming feeling and certainty of thinking, I can do this, I can take my life. A veteran experiencing moral injury from war, distraught and convinced that suicide was his answer, made a last attempt for help by reaching out to another veteran. After hours of talking, his fellow veteran was unsuccessful in influencing his unwanted feelings and suicidal thoughts. September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Suicide is declared a public health crisis, ranking the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S. Suicide is no respecter of age or gender, youth to senior adults and both men and women die by suicide. Madison County recorded 361suicide deaths from 2010 to 2019. Last year, 2,673 county residents screened positive for suicide risk by local mental health providers and hospitals. This demands attention and action for community-wide awareness and suicide prevention education. There are numerous false beliefs and myths about suicide. Some believe that nothing can be done to prevent someone from contemplating suicide from taking their life. Not true suicide is preventable. Also, there is a belief that asking someone about suicide may plant thoughts of suicide. Asking the question never gives a person the idea they arent already thinking but is a first step to intervening. Fear is another reason for avoiding asking the question; if they say yes what do I do then? Q.P.R. (Question, Persuade and Refer) is a free, one-hour, effective suicide prevention training for anyone and everyone. Q.P.R. can educate and foster a comfort level in asking a friend, co-worker, or loved one, Are you having thoughts about hurting yourself? The training gives guidance on how to persuade someone to access professional help when the answer is yes. The 26-year-old I mentioned earlier was a colleague. She reached out to a friend that night, was hospitalized and now develops suicide prevention social media messaging. She also is a certified Q.P.R. trainer who shares her personal story to help individuals who are depressed, feeling alone and hopeless. The veteran, aided by a Q.P. R. trained advocate, assisted him in contacting the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline where another veteran listened and persuaded him to seek professional help. The young man who attempted to take his life with a gun survived and has another chance at life. Be prepared to help anyone at risk of suicide choose life. A resource that can be at your fingertips is your cell phone. Pick up your phone and enter the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255 as a contact. The Madison County Mental Health Board can connect you to Q.P.R. training and suicide prevention resources. Deborah Humphrey, MBA, BSN, RN is the Executive Director of the Madison County Mental Health Board. She has over thirty years of experience in behavioral health and twenty years working with County Government. She has been the President of the Association of Community Mental Health Authorities of Illinois. She has been commissioned by the Governors to serve statewide on the Illinois Childrens Mental Health Partnership; she has been a member of the Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, School of Social Work Board; and she has been a leader in local boards, advisory councils, committees and workgroups working to advance and enhance behavioral health services in the Metro East. The Presidential Candidate for the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama says President Nana Akufo-Addo has lost the right to complain about the Akyem Sakawa Boys statement he posted his Facebook timeline a few days ago. According to him, President Akufo-Addo cannot lose his cool as a leader over the Akyem Sakawa Boys comment as he used to call his predecessors all sorts of names when he was in opposition. President Akufo-Addo has lost the right to complain because while he was in opposition, he called his predecessors all sorts of names, NDC Flagbearer said. He called me Dr. Do Little and called somebody Simpa Panyin and I dont want to repeat some of the things he has said. He is a President who has called his critics naysayers and Jeremiahs, so I dont understand on what standard he will be offended at this time because, when he has precedence of name-calling, he said. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has condemned a reference to himself and his home townsfolk as Akyem Mafia and Sakawa people by opposition MP Isaac Adongo, which was amplified by former President John Dramani Mahama, who shared it on his Facebook timeline a few days ago. The Bolgatanga Central MP, in a statement relating to the controversial Agyapa Royalties deal, accused the President and his kith of forming a families-and-friends cartel to capture the mineral resources of the state via the deal. At a meeting with the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference at the Jubilee House on Friday, 4 August 2020, President Akufo-Addo not only said he was very disturbed by the ethnocentric tagging his ethnic group but also said, that is the kind of language we dont want in our politics. Sometimes, one would hope when things come out, people will comment on them. The comment made by my opponent: Akyem Sakawa people, I have not heard any public figure in this country or anybody comment on it. If I was to get up to make a comment about northerners or Gonjas, you can imagine the uproar that will be in the country, the President bemoaned. But the former President reacting in an interview with Radio XYZ in Wa said that the attempt by President Akufo-Addo to campaign on ethnic lines will not wash as he [Mahama] has advocated for an issue-based campaign in the upcoming elections. Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video By PTI MUMBAI: Observing that Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are not keen on donning the mantle of Congress president, Union minister Ramdas Athawale on Saturday suggested the NCP be merged with the grand old party and Sharad Pawar be made new chief of the merged entity. The Republican Party of India (A) president also said that such decision should be taken jointly by the Congress and Pawar. "Currently, Rahul and Sonia Gandhi are not keen on becoming the Congress president. It is my instruction to Congress of getting NCP merged and making Sharad Pawar party president. The decision should be jointly taken by Pawar and the Congress," Athawale tweeted. Athawale's merger suggestion came against the backdrop of leadership churn in the Congress, with a group of leaders demanding a "full-time and active leadership". In a Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting held last month, party leaders urged Sonia Gandhi to continue as its interim chief till an AICC session can be convened and authorised her to effect necessary organisational changes to deal with the challenges facing the party. Pawar had quit the Congress in 1999 over the issue of 'foreign origin' of Sonia Gandhi and formed the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Police are investigating a fatal stabbing in Camden Friday evening, the third violent death in the city in a dozen days. Authorities rushed to Northgate Apartments on North 7th Street around 7:30 p.m. for a call about a man who had been stabbed, according to a statement from the Camden County Prosecutors Office. The victim, Sven Ash, 53, of Camden, was already dead from a stab wound to the chest, the office said. No arrests have been made, and authorities have not released any other details. The death comes about 10 days after the stabbing death in Camden of Zaire Davis, 22, of Pennsauken. Police have charged Jared Streater, 28, of Pennsauken, with aggravated manslaughter for stabbing Davis during a fight Aug. 25. On Aug. 24, Camden County police found Michael Twiggs, 27, of Camden dead of multiple gunshot wounds. They arrested Tyrell Gibbs of Glassboro on murder and weapons charges. Camden has seen fewer homicides this year compared to past years. Ashs death Friday marks the 11th homicide in the city in 2020. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here. In yet another gold smuggling incident reported in Kerala, the Airport Intelligence Unit (AIU), Calicut on Saturday seized 700 gm gold from a passenger travelling from Saudi Arabias Jeddah. Gold worth Rs 32.67 Lakhs concealed inside a pressure cooker was recovered from the passenger who boarded flight SG 9760. The AIU officials opened the base of the cooker, to recover the metal. The passenger has been arrested and further investigation is underway. Kerala: Officials of Air Intelligence Unit at Calicut International Airport have seized 700 gms gold from a passenger from Jeddah. The gold was concealed inside a pressure cooker pic.twitter.com/k7a3cKnsPe ANI (@ANI) September 5, 2020 READ | Gang Steals Gold, Cash From Bank In Kerala In a similar incident on September 2, the AIU in Kerala seized 1.12 kgs gold in compound form (978.5 gram extracted) valued at Rs 50.42 lakhs from a passenger in Kannur International Airport. Earlier on August 31, the AIU in Thiruvananthapuram seized 225.38 grams of gold in foil form valued at Rs 11.11 lakhs, concealed inside a trolley bag. The passenger was arrested and an investigation was initiated into the matter. However, there have been multiple such cases in the recent past. Earlier on August 27, the Customs Preventive Unit (CPU) in Palakkad seized over 3 kg of smuggled gold bars and ornaments worth Rs 1.70 crores and Rs 6 lakh in cash. READ | Owners Of Kerala-based Finance Firm Held In Rs 2000 Crore Fraud Kerala gold smuggling case All of these developments also come at the backdrop of the ongoing investigation in the Kerala Gold Smuggling case where on July 5, Customs officials seized 30 kg of gold worth Rs.15 crore at the Thiruvananthapuram Airport from a diplomatic cargo addressed to a person in the UAE Consulate. Sarith Kumar, who worked at the UAE Consulate was arrested in this regard. Reportedly, he told the Customs about the role of Swapna Suresh, an ex-Consulate employee now working as the manager of the Kerala State Information Technology Infrastructure Limited. The case took a political turn after photos with Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan surfaced. READ | Kerala Gold Smuggling: Police Arrests Swapna Suresh In Forgery Case, To Seek Custody It has been alleged that Suresh has links with the CM and has been seen with him at parties when she was working at the UAE Consulate. Following the backlash over her appointment, she was sacked by the state government. Additionally, a state government-appointed two-member committee ruled that former Principal Secretary to the CM M Sivasankar had violated the All-India Services Conduct rules due to his connections with the Thiruvananthapuram gold smuggling accused. Based on its recommendation, Vijayan announced Sivasankar's suspension pending inquiry. READ | UK Magazine Names Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja As World's 'top Thinker' For COVID-19 India and Bangladesh are set to operationalise a new riverine trade route on Saturday, when a Bangladeshi vessel will transport a cargo of cement to Tripura, as part of efforts to boost connectivity between the two countries. A trial run of an inland waterways protocol route between the two nations began on Thursday with a cargo vessel leaving for Sonamura port in Tripura from Munshiganj in the neighbouring country. Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb in a tweet on Thursday night said, First Vessel with consignment started its trial run today from Munshiganj, Bangladesh for Sonamura port, Tripura. First Vessel with consignment started its trial run today from Munshiganj, Bangladesh for Sonamura port, Tripura. With the successful run, Indo-Bangla waterways will open up new avenues for economic development in both the countries where Tripura will play an important role. pic.twitter.com/Y2vV90XA45 Biplab Kumar Deb (@BjpBiplab) September 3, 2020 Heres all about India-Bangladesh inland waterway route: The route connects Tripura with the National Waterways of India through Bangladesh. With the successful run, India-Bangladesh waterways will open up new avenues for economic development in both the countries where Tripura will play an important role. The boat-sized vessel with a consignment of cement set sail for Sonamura port in Sepahijala district of the northeastern state from Munshiganj on Thursday. Union minister for shipping Mansukh Mandaviya will welcome the vessel carrying 50 tonnes of cement from Daukandi in Bangladesh to Sonamura on Saturday through video conferencing from Delhi, officials said. The inland waterways protocol route would be made operational in the presence of the chief minister and chairman of the Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI) Aditya Mishra, secretary of Tripuras Industry and Commerce Department Kiran Gitte said. The 90-km long Sonamura-Daudkandi route, included in the list of Indo-Bangla protocol (IBP) routes in May this year, is expected to boost trade, Gitte had told reporters on Sunday. A floating jetty was set up on the Gomati river on July 4 as part of the Indo-Bangla international inland waterways connectivity project. A high-level team of officials of the Bangladesh shipping ministry had surveyed the riverine protocol route on August 12, Sonamura sub-divisional magistrate Subrata Majumder had said. (With inputs from PTI) Melbourne could remain in lockdown for up to six more weeks until COVID-19 cases reach single digits daily. Victoria recorded 63 new cases and five deaths on Sunday, as Premier Daniel Andrews prepares to unveil his 'roadmap' out of lockdown. Senior government officials said Mr Andrews is waiting for case numbers to get below 10 per day before reopening the economy. But University of Melbourne modelling obtained by the Herald Sun shows this could be at least six weeks away, despite Stage 4 restrictions set to end on September 14. The modelling shows case numbers have been halving on average every 18 days, meaning the state could see 30 new cases per day by early October, 15 by mid-to-late October before eventually reaching single-digit daily increases by November. Victoria recorded 63 new cases and five deaths on Sunday, as Premier Daniel Andrews prepares to unveil his 'roadmap' out of restrictions across Melbourne and regional Victoria Case numbers have been halving on average every 18 days, meaning the state could see 30 new cases per day by early October, 15 by mid-to-late October before eventually reaching single-digit daily increases by November It also estimates Victoria will have a 14-day average of 63 cases a day in mid-September. 'There is going to be a bit of chance in there but clearly we're still a bit off the thresholds we think we would like to be at, and that would mean that yes, we do need to extend some form of lockdown for longer,' author Professor Allen Cheng told the ABC. Daily case numbers in Victoria have been tracking steadily down in recent weeks and are now usually below 100. But the state hasn't had a day of single-digit new case increases since July 13. There are still 1956 active cases in Victoria, with residents being urged to 'work harder' than ever before. University of Melbourne modelling obtained by the Herald Sun shows this could be at least six weeks away, despite Stage 4 restrictions set to end on September 14 Victoria recorded 63 new cases and five deaths in the 24 hours to 8pm on Saturday. Pictured: People are seen exercising in Prahran The modelling warns that easing restrictions when there are as few as 25 daily cases would lead to a 60 per cent chance of the state being plunged into another lockdown before Christmas. 'It is unlikely we will have aggressively suppressed the virus by mid-September,' author Prof Cheng said. 'We're coming down maybe not quite as quickly as we'd like, but the numbers are definitely coming down.' 'We know this is a health problem in the first instance we can't begin to repair and rebuild until we aggressively suppress this virus,' Mr Andrews will say in a statement today. 'Today we will give all Victorians a pathway forward to achieving a 'COVID normal'. Case numbers will continue to guide our actions to reopen Victoria steadily and safely.' On Saturday, a swarm of more than 1,000 anti-lockdown protesters descended on Melbourne and clashed with police officers at the 'Freedom Day' rally Anti-lockdown protesters were bombarded with police outside the Shrine of Remembrance on Saturday (pictured) One man is seen shouting for the end of lockdown during the wild protests on Saturday. It's believed dozens have been arrested Officers and Melburnians fall to the ground during dramatic arrests from the anti-lockdown protest on Saturday It comes just one day after a swarm of more than 1,000 anti-lockdown protesters descended on Melbourne and clashed with police officers at the 'Freedom Day' rally. Victorian police have since charged a protester with assault after an officer suffered cuts to the head during the rally. Another seven people have been charged with breaching COVID-19 directions after about 200 gathered at the Shrine of Remembrance and Albert Park on Saturday. Violent scuffles between protesters and police broke out resulting in police arresting 17 people and handing out more than 160 fines. 'Despite all the warnings, it was disappointing to see individuals turn out to protest in the city today, putting the lives of Victorians at risk,' a police statement said A photographer at the scene says a man punched officers at the city's Shrine of Remembrance before being fitted with a mask and handcuffs. Later at Albert Park, police reportedly surrounded a group of about 30-50, pushing some to the ground. Some of the demonstrators carried placards with anti-government sentiments and at one stage were singing the national anthem. Before Saturday, police confirmed they had arrested four men in connection with the planned Freedom Day rally. Those arrests followed the well-publicised arrest of a pregnant Ballarat woman over allegations of a separate rally planned there for Saturday. Investigations continue. The effects of the Victorian situation are felt across the country as state and territory leaders try to keep the virus out of their communities while protecting agriculture and other necessities. Friction between federal and state governments over border closures remains, with Liberal MP Andrew Laming the latest to criticise premiers for their caution. The federal MP attacked West Australian premier Mark McGowan over his decision, contrary to other premiers, not to reopen borders before Christmas, saying it was 'bizarre' and 'poll-driven'. Daily case numbers in Victoria have been tracking steadily down in recent weeks and are now usually below 100 Federal opposition health spokesman Chris Bowen criticised the federal government for 'bullying' premiers into opening their border before they're ready. 'Labor backs all our premiers ... regardless of political parties when they're following the health advice,' Mr Bowen said. Queensland's extended 'border bubble' to the NSW town of Moree has drawn criticism from federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud, who said the rule would distress high school boarding students, some as young as 12, who would have to isolate alone in a hotel before coming home. The effects of the Victorian situation are felt across the country as state and territory leaders try to keep the virus out of their communities while protecting agriculture and other necessities Queensland, Tasmania and Western Australia have refused to endorse a national agriculture code that would deem agricultural work an essential service. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says the code is crucial for Australia's agricultural sector, after years of drought were this year succeeded by a bumper harvest. She has implored Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to revise her hardline position on borders, saying Australia's eastern states are 'inextricably linked'. All states except WA have given in-principle endorsement to the idea of defining a coronavirus hotspot but the complex definition of the nation's acting chief medical officer has been rejected. After failing to secure consensus on easing restrictions, the prime minister said on Friday he had changed the rules for national cabinet so consensus wasn't needed. The prime suspect in the murder of Greater Noida resident Gaurav Chandel in January this year, during a car-jacking incident, was arrested by a joint effort of the Mumbai crime branch and a team from the Hapur police department in Mumbai on Saturday. Chandel was allegedly murdered on the intervening night of January 6 and 7 while he was on his way home to Gaur City in Greater Noida West. He was returning from Gurugram where he worked as a regional manager with a private health care firm. He had spoken to his wife, Preeti Chandel, at 10.22pm when he had informed her that he was near the Parthla roundabout. Chandel was missing for more than five hours and his body was found around 4.15am on the service lane between Parthla roundabout and the Hindon Bridge, where his location was traced via his mobile phones GPS tracker, under the Phase 3 and Bisrakh police jurisdiction. A case was then registered at Phase 3 under sections 302 and 201 of the Indian Penal Code. The victim had received head injuries and the autopsy later revealed that he had been shot twice on the back of his head. Police suspected it to be a robbery gone wrong. His SUV, a Kia Seltos which he had purchased in December 2019, had been found abandoned in Ghaziabads Akash Nagar on the night of January 14. The Hapur police had later arrested the prime suspects wife Poonam (single name) and Ashus friend and accomplice Umesh in connection with the case. Akash Rajendra Singh (32), aka, Ashu, the prime suspect in the case, carried a reward of Rs 2.5 lakh on him. He is a history-sheeter who is a part of the Mirchi gang and has several murder, robbery and kidnapping cases registered against him in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Haryana. So far, 19 cases against him have been identified, the police said. Ashu Jaat was arrested in Mumbai on Saturday. He is wanted in a number of criminal cases in UP and carried a reward of Rs 2.5 lakh on his arrest. Our special teams from Hapur police were also looking for him since long and were also present in Mumbai. The team is bringing the suspect to UP on transit remand, said Praveen Kumar, inspector general, Meerut range. According to a statement from the Mumbai police, Ashu was arrested on Saturday morning from the Jogeshwari West Prem Nagar area of the city where he was incognito, under the garb of selling vegetables using different aliases for the better part of the past one year. Ashu had also been charged with the murder of BJP leader Rakesh Sharma in Hapur in September 2019. He was notorious for using stolen vehicles for various crimes. A team from the Hapur police had also visited Mumbai following tip-offs about his movement. Mumbai police had inputs about him and was tracking his movements for a while, the police statement said. Police added that he had been hiding using different disguises across Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Maharashtra. Ashu was one of the top wanted criminals in the district. Besides the Chandel case, he had several cases of murder, extortion, robbery, etc., registered against him in the district, said Kumar Ranvijay Singh, additional deputy commissioner of police, zone 1, who was the then superintendent of police (rural) at the time of the incident. He said that multiple teams had been formed at the time to track the suspects behind Chandels murder. Raids had been conducted in multiple districts in several states like Punjab, UP, Haryana etc., he added. Chandels family did not respond to multiple calls and messages. A senior Noida police official, on condition of anonymity, said if the need arises, they will take Ashu in police custody for questioning. Loveth is pictured with friends Katy Wilson, Anna Spearman and Tara McGowan at an event to show support for her fight against deportation held last February in Andersons Bar and Grill. Pic: Carl Brennan Loveth Oyiboka, who has lived at Globe House Direct Provision Centre for the last four years has said there has been no cases of Covid-19 at the centre and things continue to be managed at the centre. "Everything is okay here," she tells The Sligo Champion. Direct Provision Centres have come under increased scrutiny after a number of clusters emerged in these facilities across the country since the pandemic started, with the latest cluster identified at a centre in Bray, Co Wicklow. Still in a state of limbo after successfully halting a deportation order granted last February, Loveth is still awaiting updates as to the ongoing status of her appeal and her right to reside in Ireland. "I'm waiting to hear from my lawyers about what is happening." For the enthusiastic volunteer, the Covid-19 pandemic has been tough, with limited volunteering activities for her to take part in. A keen volunteer with Sligo Tidy Towns pre pandemic, by way of helping during the pandemic she began making face masks. "I like to volunteer, I still make them [face masks] if people need them for free. I'm going to start volunteering again with Sligo Tidy Towns again every Tuesday." Her fight to stay in Ireland, recently received attention from Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland (MASI) after it reported that Una McGurk SC, a member of the International Appeals Tribunal (IAPT), which had refused to grant Loveth refugee status, had addressed an anti mask rally in Dublin. The event was organised by Health Freedom Ireland which says it is a non-political organisation, with support from so called Yellow Vest Ireland. The HFI states on their website that the protest was "against government mandates, demanding transparency, proportionality of decisions and accountability by government officials and advisors". A list of speakers for the protest on August 22nd, included Ms McGurk, describing her as Senior Counsel who was to speak "about the impact of mandating masks without conclusive evidence." Ms McGurk is included as one of up to 70 lawyers listed as a part time member of the International Appeals Tribunal which deliberate on appeals in asylum seeker cases such as Loveth's. In 2015 Loveth's village in Borno State was destroyed when terrorist organisation Boko Haram attacked her village. She fled with other survivors before being trafficked via France. Her passport included an Irish visa and she was brought to Ireland. Having lived in Sligo for the last four years she now sees Sligo as her home. In February a petition called for her deportation to be revoked and was signed by over 5,000 people. A North Korean Defector speaks of her life inside Kim Jong Un's world, calling it as hellish, so escaping and dying if caught is better. Yeonmi Park grew up not knowing what friendship or love is. In North Korea, people are brain-washed and mind-controlled to perfection, which is why many are yearning to go to South Korea, reported in NY Post. Citizens are kept in the dark by the government In her own words, all citizens are comrades, and all affection was only for the supreme leader and no one else. Even children are never told by their parents they love them. She added that in North Korea, it was normal to see others die of famine because there are little food and electricity. Walking in parks was chilly and dark as the elites had it differently. Miss Park is only one of the many people who left North Korea as defectors. They defected to the U.S. in 2007 when she was only 13 years old. At 26 years old, she lives in Chicago, as an activist for human rights. She gave her insights as a survivor from the North, noted Business Insider. She said that North Korea is a different world from Iran or Cuba. Also, in those cloistered nations, knowing something is not right. In the North Korean peninsula, the people are unaware of the world at large. Growing up there, no one knows isolation, nor did anyone know their leader is a dictator. She and her sister only know that late supreme leader Kim Jong Il and his son Kim Jong Un are deities who can read minds. This terrified everyone to perfection, even ill thoughts were avoided, or they will know. Also read: Kim Yo Jong Authorizes Using Nuclear Weapons Against the US With Kim Jong-Un's Support School children are given lessons in finding nothing nice in another person. Trust is a big mistake for anyone. They are taught that it is better to be divided in heart and mind. No one is a friend there, she added back home. The gap between the rich and the poor Most of the world knows only of Nuclear Testing but it is worse coming from one of the few defectors that tell about the inhumane conditions that exist in the hermit kingdom where Kim Jong Un is a god. Data from the United Nations reveal that 40% of the people don't have enough to eat and are hungry. It is inhuman for such existence especially now with resources for all. She said that insects were food or go hungry, while the Kim family gets much more. Her uncle and grandmother starved to death, while the elite had feasted. Everyone got used to relatives and people dying from hunger or sickness, seeing corpses on the streets. Life there is cheap. The slums of Mumbai are far better than North Korea were and citizens are starved to death by an uncaring government. Her mother was raped by smugglers when they crossed the Yalu River in the cold. After fleeing and crossing into China over the frozen Yalu River, Park's mother was raped by human traffickers. They were both sold to Chinese men, with Park's first owner paying less than $300 for her. Related article: Tension Builds Up as North Korea Blows up Border Liaison Office, Will South Korea Retaliate? @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. As the world battles an invisible virus, the Philippines has seen the enemy Filipinos themselves. For President Rodrigo Duterte, the global war against the pandemic has allowed him to launch yet another battle on the home front. Once again, a nation of 110 million people is at war with itself. Under cover of combating COVID-19, the strongman of the Philippines has repurposed his no-holds-barred war on drugs into a take-no-prisoners war on terror, a take-new-prisoners war against the media, and a takedown of human rights. It is an all-purpose show of force. It also reminds us how rapidly democracy can be distorted even in a country that prides itself on People Power movements that ousted corrupt presidents in 1986 and again in 2001 (when I covered the fall of Joseph Estrada). Duterte is now a darling of Donald Trump a disrupter of democracy, a populist who can rally the public and divide the people. He made his mark, as many dictators do, by first targeting drug dealers for summary justice. First they came for the dealers. Then they came for the terrorists. Then they came for the journalists. And all along, they came for ordinary people, instilling fear rather than restoring law and order. Democracy in the Philippines was long backstopped by an independent, inquisitive and aggressive media that shined a spotlight on corruption and abuse of power. Now, at the very time that Filipinos need unfiltered information to guard against the hidden threat of COVID-19, and the hidden hand of security forces, Dutertes government has silenced his journalistic adversaries. None has been hounded more than Maria Ressa, a fearless ex-CNN reporter who pioneered an online local news site that got under the governments skin. Persecuted and prosecuted, arrested and rearrested, she has become a symbol of journalistic resistance and a model of democratic resilience. This summer, she was convicted on trumped-up cyber-libel charges filed by the justice department with a possible six-year jail term and still faces charges of alleged tax evasion, fraud and foreign funding of her Rappler website. I first saw Ressa at work for CNN during my coverage of the Philippines out of the Stars Asia Bureau, but when we compared notes last year she was honoured by the Canadian Journalism Foundation (and will be hosted by the CJF again later this month) she argued that the domestic abuses go far beyond one website and one person. Every democracy is based on information information is power, Ressa told Ryersons DemocracyXChange summit last year. The first line of defence is journalism. When journalists are under attack, democracy is under attack. Her words proved prescient. This summer, shortly after Ressas court conviction, the government revoked the broadcast licence of the influential ABS-CBN television network that Duterte had long accused of bias, forcing it to close stations across the country. Dutertes anti-drug campaign long ago devolved into mass executions by police settling scores without accountability, with more than 5,700 dead. The president is unrepentant, exhorting his forces to go further, farther. Id like you to kill if its drugs, you shoot and kill thats the arrangement, Duterte publicly ordered his customs chief last week. Now, the lessons learned by his war on drugs are being applied to the battle against the pandemic. Once again, the tactics are intimidating ordinary people under the pretense of saving lives. We shall fight this pandemic with the same fervour as our campaign against illegal drugs, criminality, insurgency and corruption, Duterte warned in his State of the Nation address this summer. With more than 230,000 cases and 3,700 deaths, the Philippines has emerged as a COVID-19 hot spot in Asia, where most neighbouring countries now have the virus under control. Given the traditional mass movements of its overseas workers, this impoverished country with an underfunded health-care system is braced for the worst a medical crisis compounded by an economic emergency and a human rights crackdown. Duterte told security officials they have a free hand to shoot anyone who defied lockdowns. Tens of thousands have been arrested for alleged curfew violations and forced into crowded quarantines (precluded from social distancing), and police were instructed to go door-to-door looking for suspected COVID-19 patients (the government later retreated under pressure). Against that backdrop of fear, the president pushed through a tough anti-terrorism law with unprecedented powers of detention 24 days without charge sending a chill among human rights organizations. Few can deny the Philippines faces chronic challenges with insurgencies two Canadians were among those kidnapped and killed by Abu Sayyaf terrorists in 2016. One of those beheading victims, ex-CBC journalist John Ridsdel, worked for a Canadian mining company in the violence-plagued southern island of Mindanao when I visited the area years ago. The capture, last month, of an Abu Sayyaf commander linked to the kidnappings served as a reminder of the perennial instability of the south. But under Duterte, the entire country has become a battleground. Not just terrorist hot spots but entire cities are treated like war zones where police can shoot on site with no questions asked least of all by questioning journalists who are now fair game for a government on the attack. Read more about: One of Rocket Lab's carbon-fiber Electron launch vehicles lifts off from New Zealand. Trevor Mahlmann/Rocket Lab Rocket Lab just launched its first Photon satellite: a spacecraft designed for missions to the moon, Venus, or Mars. This spacecraft, called "First Light," is just a demo, but NASA has already contracted Rocket Lab to fly the agency's robotic moon mission in 2021. CEO Peter Beck says that, together, the Electron rocket and Photon spacecraft can cut out the most difficult parts of sending satellite missions to other planets. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Rocket Lab a private rocket company quietly launched its own satellite for the first time this week. Rocket Lab has been launching other firms' satellites aboard its Electron rocket since 2018, but it has never put its own spacecraft into Earth's orbit before. But the spacecraft it launched this week, the first demo of its own Photon satellite, is designed to carry other companies' and government agencies' technology into space. Eventually, it could carry missions to the moon, Venus, and Mars. Monday's launch at first appeared routine, like the 13 missions Rocket Lab previously launched. The company's Electron rocket lifted off from its New Zealand launch complex on Monday, shedding its unneeded sections as it roared through the atmosphere. About an hour later, the remaining section of the rocket, called the kick stage, made a final push into an orbit high above Earth and deployed a microsatellite for the company Capella Space a Rocket Lab customer. But then something totally new happened: Instead of firing its boosters to push itself back into Earth's atmosphere, where it would disintegrate, the kick stage settled into its own orbit and entered satellite mode. "There was a real magical moment, sitting with the engineers, where we sent a command to the kick stage ... a command that turned the kick stage into our very first satellite," Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck said in a video announcement on Thursday. Story continues The company hopes that Photon will extend its launch service to include a spaceflight service taking its customers' satellite missions not only past Earth's atmosphere but beyond to other planets. All the customer has to do is make its hardware fit onboard Photon. If successful, the project could make Rocket Lab an end-to-end satellite flight company. That would give it a unique role in the new commercial era of space, where private companies launch, fly, and land spacecraft for government agencies like NASA. With the help of companies like Rocket Lab, NASA plans to eventually establish a permanent moon base, and then potentially spring-board missions from there to Mars. Future Photons could travel to other planets and one is booked for the moon A photo from Rocket Lab's first Photon Satellite, "First Light," in Earth's orbit. Rocket Lab Rocket Lab shared its plan to create the new satellite, called Photon, last year. The disk-shaped, single-motor spacecraft is designed to carry missions for other companies to the moon, Venus, and even Mars it's equipped with solar cells and navigation hardware. This was its first launch. Rocket Lab dubbed the new spacecraft "First Light." Beck told reporters that it would remain in orbit for the next five to six years. "This first Photon mission is really focused as a technology demonstrator, to prove out all the systems and the operations everything we need to take us to the moon and Venus and beyond," Beck said. "It also provides an opportunity for our customers who are interested in Photon to actually take a look at what we've built." Rocket Lab's Photon spacecraft (right) is designed to ride atop an Electron rocket's second stage (left) and fly missions to high orbits and even the moon. Rocket Lab Once the service is up and running, customers should be able to buy a ready-made Photon spacecraft, load it up with the instruments for their mission, and pay Rocket Lab to launch it into space. From there, the satellite can set itself on a path that takes it as far as the moon or Venus, or even Mars. "Launching the first Photon mission marks a major turning point for space users it's now easier to launch and operate a space mission than it has ever been," Beck said in a statement. "When our customers choose a launch-plus-spacecraft mission with Electron and Photon, they immediately eliminate the complexity, risk, and delays associated with having to build their own satellite hardware and procure a separate launch." NASA already plans to use the 55-pound, $13.7 million Photon spacecraft to fly a robotic moon mission called CAPSTONE (short for "Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment"). In February, NASA awarded Rocket Lab a $9.95 million contract. The mission is supposed to launch in 2021 and spend a few months winding its way into lunar orbit as a demonstration part of NASA's Artemis moon-landing program. Rocket Lab announced on Thursday that it has opened a new manufacturing facility in Long Beach, California "to accommodate streamlined, rapid production of Photons." An illustration of Rocket Lab's Photon spacecraft carrying NASA's CAPSTONE mission. The $23.6 effort is slated to launch in 2021. Rocket Lab "It's such a powerful platform for people to experiment with and then utilize at its full force," Beck previously told Business Insider. "You don't need to build a launcher. You don't need to build a spacecraft. In fact, you don't even need to develop your sensor you can just give us a spec [specification] and we'll do the whole thing. It's a very different approach to the current state-of-the-art." Dave Mosher contributed reporting. Read the original article on Business Insider What if we pull the plug too early? In the age of COVID-19, decisions about death are fraught. What if we pull the plug too early? In the age of COVID-19, decisions about death are fraught. SAN ANTONIO For nearly an hour, Nora Rangels husband and son hovered outside her hospital room, hoping she could feel their presence through her sedation. Tears came and went as they contemplated what the doctors were saying that, more than a month into her illness, the 63-year-old was losing her battle with COVID-19. A hospital case worker approached, proffering a form and a business card for hospice care. Had they made a decision? The visit was supposed to help them arrive at one. But at this distance, Noras husband, Enrique, and son, Andy, couldnt discern how she was doing. Through the window, they could barely make out her face, and her motionless body was covered in a sheet. If only they could see her up close, Andy thought. Heavy with worry, father and son walked to the parking lot, where Noras other children were waiting. They decided they werent ready to give up on Nora, the backbone of their family mother of four, grandmother of eight, wife of nearly 44 years. Not yet. As the coronavirus burned through San Antonio this summer, Noras family confronted a series of agonizing choices while she deteriorated at Southwest General Hospital. Many families were facing the same questions, making complex decisions about the medical care of loved ones from a distance. As infection rates soared, hospitals and other health care facilities adopted strict visitation policies that largely kept families from patients bedsides. The physical separation upended some of the most delicate conversations in medicine, those between hospitals and families about the end of life. Hospital staff fielded frequent calls from the families of seriously ill COVID patients, who were hungry for information and desperate for signs that their loved ones were recovering. They tried to bridge the gap through videoconferencing and daily phone calls, but those workarounds could not fully replace face-to-face conversations and extended time at a patients side. How the Express-News did this Photographer Lisa Krantz and reporter Lauren Caruba spent more than a month reporting on the family of Nora Rangel after she fell critically ill with COVID-19. Before Nora's death, Krantz photographed her family during their video calls with her and as they held a prayer vigil outside the hospital. Krantz and Caruba both traveled to Del Rio in late July to attend her funeral visitation and burial. In addition to interviewing Nora's four children, Caruba also spoke with palliative care doctors and nurses, a pastoral care director and a bioethics expert. This is not normal, to be separated when your loved one may be dying, said Erin Perez, a palliative care nurse practitioner at University Hospital. All this occurred during a period of crisis for San Antonios hospitals, where overworked staff cared for a flood of COVID patients. The disconnect between families and hospitals was made all the more difficult by COVID itself, a disease that can chart an unpredictable course and lead to lengthy hospitalizations in the most severe cases. Blindsided by an illness no one could have planned for, families have had to grapple with the reality that those closest to them were suddenly dying. Noras family endured weeks of frustration and indecision. They struggled to understand how sick she was becoming. Different hospital workers relayed conflicting information about her condition. During numerous calls among themselves and with her care team at Southwest General, they talked in circles about her prognosis. At times, it felt like the questions they faced had no clear answers. Would a ventilator help or hurt? When was the right time to remove life support? How could they know for sure? You read about so many stories of these people that have COVID for two months, three months, more. Theyre on ventilators even longer than my mom, and theyre walking out of the hospital, said her other son, Henry Rangel. What if we pull the plug too early? How can we live with that? They decided to let their faith guide them. All along, they were praying for a miracle. Before the pandemic, the Rangel family gathered almost every weekend. There was regular traffic between Nora and Enriques house in Del Rio, where their daughter Alex Vasquez also lived, and the San Antonio area, home to her sons and other daughter, Vanessa Dyer. At the center of it all was Nora, whose given name was Leonor. She always seemed to be worrying about everyone but herself cooking her childrens favorite meals, doting on her grandchildren and driving to Mexico to bring food and gifts to relatives. As the coronavirus began spreading across Texas, the Rangels had to resist their instinct to be together. It wasnt until a weekend in early June that the entire family gathered at Vanessas home in Helotes to celebrate her twin daughters second birthday. In San Antonio, coronavirus cases and hospitalizations were rising. They wouldnt begin to spike until the following week. On HoustonChronicle.com: Night Shift: 18 hours inside a COVID-19 ICU Before the party, Henry developed a cough and felt fatigued. After hearing that a worker at a bar hed patronized had contracted the coronavirus, he decided to get tested before seeing his family. The results were negative, but, still feeling tired, he stationed himself on the couch. The following week, Henrys symptoms worsened. Other family members began to fall ill. Henry got tested again. This time, it showed he was infected. Im sorry that I tested positive, he wrote in a group text to the family, urging them to get tested if they felt sick. I never meant to put anyone at risk, especially the kids. I know this could have happened to any of us, Vanessa replied. You didnt know you were really positive, Alex wrote next. In the end its our own responsibility to stay safe. Vanessa and Andy were developing symptoms consistent with COVID. By June 19, their mother, a diabetic, had a fever, chills and fatigue. At STAT Specialty Hospital, a free-standing emergency center in Del Rio, she registered a fever and low oxygen saturation levels, though she wasnt struggling for breath. The hospital recommended Nora be monitored overnight. Late that night, she was transferred by ambulance to Southwest General. *** The familys expectation that Nora would be released quickly from the hospital dissolved. She was soon transferred to the intensive care unit, where she spent a few days before being moved back to a regular room. Nora, who only spoke Spanish, didnt have access to bilingual nurses. She kept her phone on her lap, and when she needed something, she called her daughters so they could contact the nurses station on her behalf. She had to rely on a translation device to communicate with doctors. Accustomed to being surrounded by loved ones, Nora frequently contacted friends and family. Each morning, she prayed with a friend by phone. Her family members, meanwhile, were coping with their own bouts of COVID. Andy grew depressed while isolating from his wife, son and newborn daughter. Henrys illness was serious enough to land him in a different hospital in San Antonio for three days. Enrique eventually tested positive, too, but his only symptom was lower back pain. Over the next two weeks, the responsibility of communicating with Nora and the hospital fell to Alex and Vanessa, who tested negative but was still quarantining herself as a precaution. On July 5, Nora told Alex the doctor had asked her about a machine but she couldnt provide further details. Alex called the nurse, who confirmed that Noras doctor wanted to know how the family felt about placing her on a ventilator. Later that day, a doctor told Noras daughters that her organs were shutting down, that she was dying. Alex and Vanessa were shocked. They had been under the impression that Nora was fine. The other day, she had been sitting up on her own. Over and over, the family had heard that her oxygen levels were good, not understanding that was due to increasingly aggressive oxygen therapy. They grew more confused when a nurse said that Noras lungs were the only failing organ. They wondered if the doctor was talking about another patient. *** The next day, three of Noras children drove to the hospital, intent on straightening things out. They expected to hear that it was all a misunderstanding. Instead, as they crowded into a break room with the doctor, the message was the same: Nora wasnt likely to recover. They had two choices: give her medications and allow her to die comfortably, or transition her to a ventilator. The doctor wasnt optimistic that she would survive intubation. Andy, Henry and Vanessa were allowed to don protective gear to visit Nora, who was receiving oxygen through a BiPAP machine. Through the window to her room, Andy thought she looked exhausted, like a prisoner. At her bedside, her children held her hand and offered words of encouragement, but they didnt relay what the doctor had said. Isolated and unable to communicate easily with hospital workers, Nora had already received anxiety medication. When Alex and Enrique visited later that day, Nora was alert and joking. Alex could not believe the doctors dire prediction. To her, Nora looked and sounded strong. She evaded her mothers questions about the ventilator. Only if its going to help me, Nora said of being hooked to the breathing machine. On HoustonChronicle.com: A last resort against COVID-19: A ventilator wasn't enough for this 30-year-old patient, so S.A. doctors improvised At Vanessas house that evening, the family discussed their options, explaining to Enrique the choices the doctor had laid out. They agreed being put on a ventilator wasnt what Nora wanted. Noras family was sure their visit had done her good. The next several days, she needed less oxygen and worked with a physical therapist. By the end of the week, it all fell apart. Through a series of frantic calls, the family learned the morning of July 10 that Nora wanted to be put on a ventilator. When Alex finally reached her mother by phone, she explained that the procedure was risky. Nora, a devout Catholic, said she had faith in Jesus Christ. OK, Mom, Alex said. Well do it. Noras other children rushed to the hospital, where the procedure was already underway. Prepared for the worst, they frantically asked various nurses to check on her. They were relieved, and surprised, when one finally told them she was stable. *** The family began researching experimental drugs and procedures to treat COVID, peppering hospital staff with questions, calling around to other hospitals. Anything that could help save Noras life. They fixated on her ventilator settings, growing hopeful any time she needed less oxygen. Each night, hospital staff set up an iPad in Noras hospital room so her family could talk to her through group video calls that eventually stretched to an hour long. They sang and prayed, hoping she could hear them through the sedatives. After about a week, Nora wasnt getting better. Andy got a call from a palliative care doctor, who asked whether the family had considered withdrawing life support. The family wasnt ready to give up. Still, during one call, her children all told her the same thing. Mom, if youre done, you can rest. Were all going to be OK. The next morning, the oxygen on her ventilator was increased to the maximum level. The Rangels conferred again. This time, they decided that if she didnt improve soon, they would remove her from the ventilator. Days passed with little change. They couldnt bring themselves to make the call. Doctors mentioned hospice care. The Rangels werent interested in talking with the palliative care doctor, who didnt respond to their questions about what was being done to help Nora. Andy wanted answers, not attempts to persuade him that all options had been exhausted. The family bristled at doctors suggestions that she was suffering. How could she be, if she was sedated? You might be a doctor, but you cant tell us that shes suffering, Henry said. Andy didnt want his mother to struggle. Could this be the end? Then Vanessa and Alex said something that brought the family clarity. Only God could decide when Nora died. It wasnt their place to choose. *** As the coronavirus reached into every corner of the country, it exposed the cracks in the U.S. health care system, said Serife Tekin, a University of Texas at San Antonio assistant professor who focuses on bioethics. That includes thorny discussions about advanced directives wishes about ventilators, resuscitation and quality of life after a serious illness or injury which can be articulated formally in documents but remain an afterthought for many families. This should serve as a learning lesson for us, just like a lot of points in the history of medicine, Tekin said. We need to use this moment to talk more proactively about end-of-life decisions. But the suddenness of San Antonios coronavirus surge over the summer interfered with that. Throughout July, more than 1,000 people were being treated for COVID in area hospitals on any given day. Hundreds were critically ill. To keep up, hospitals brought on extra staff from contract agencies, the state health department and the military. At Southwest General, three ICUs were opened just for COVID patients. At the height of the surge, the hospital had nearly doubled its normal number of staffed beds, with help from around 150 visiting nurses. In many cases, staff, who were physically and emotionally exhausted, were working alongside strangers. On HoustonChronicle.com: Were all fearful of what could happen: COVID deaths rise in San Antonio as hospitals are pushed to capacity Death was inescapable. At Northeast Baptist Hospital, where Timothy Cranfill directs pastoral care, deaths were 60 percent higher in July than the same month last year. The cumulative toll of one death after another began to weigh on hospital workers, who at times felt helpless against the ravages of the virus. Stuck on the outside, families might not have fully grasped the crisis hospitals were in or what was happening with their loved ones. At bedside, family members can see swelling as excess fluid builds up in the body. They can hear the machines that are keeping the person artificially alive. They can feel the persons hands, icy cold from medications that draw blood from the extremities to keep the heart pumping. Take away that close contact and families lose those clues about a persons condition. Instead, they can be left bewildered by the diseases progression, including sudden downturns that are a hallmark of COVID. Mixed messaging from different hospital staff, while not intentional, can inadvertently add to families confusion about a loved ones medical care. In some cases, Cranfill said, the families of COVID patients have clung to little pieces of hope that their family member would be the exception to a devastating disease. Sometimes, hope can become desperation. The math just doesnt add up across telephone lines, Cranfill said. *** Even under the best of circumstances, discussions about seriously sick patients can force physicians and families into an uncomfortable spot, said Dr. Jason Morrow, a University Hospital palliative care physician and UT Health San Antonio associate professor who helps lead the medical schools ethics curriculum. Families dont want to hear bad news, and doctors dont want to give it. There is danger of sugarcoating the situation or being overly negative about it. You can either empathize and be kind, or you can be the Grim Reaper, Morrow said. And that feels like an unfair dichotomy. To circumvent that, Morrow tries to connect with families as soon as a person enters the ICU. He lays out two sets of milestones: the ones that would indicate the patient is recovering, and those that are worrisome. This approach, he has found, allows him to be factual during his daily updates with families, who already know the good signs and the bad. Those indicators can help families make choices that are guided by the patients wishes, including whether theyd want extreme life-saving measures. At one point, Morrow treated an elderly man with COVID whose wife also was hospitalized with the virus. They had been married for the better part of a century, and his wife couldnt bear to let him go. But the man, recognizing that his body was failing, had already decided against being put on a ventilator. Before he died, hospital staff brought his wife to his room so they could hold hands and say their goodbyes. On HoustonChronicle.com: Its going to last a while: Influx of COVID-19 patients threatens to push San Antonio hospitals to the breaking point Vanessa grieves the loss of her mother, Nora. Vanessa and her brother Andy were able to see their mother in person the evening before she died. Vanessa grieves the loss of her mother, Nora. Vanessa and her brother Andy were able to see their mother in person the evening before she died. Photo: Lisa Krantz, Staff Photographer Photo: Lisa Krantz, Staff Photographer Image 1 of / 13 Caption Close What if we pull the plug too early?: In the age of COVID, decisions about death are fraught 1 / 13 Back to Gallery Before the pandemic, Morrow would bring doctors and immediate family together in a room to discuss a critically ill persons prognosis. During these conferences, family members would often turn to each other with a common refrain: What do you think? In the age of COVID, that couldnt happen. Morrows communication with families now revolves around daily video calls, relegating complex conversations and emotions to a digital medium. Morrow said he could see how a surge might pressure hospitals to rush end-of-life decisions. But he is acutely aware that, to each family, only one person matters. He said daily video calls, while time-consuming, were the least the hospital could do under the circumstances. At Northeast Baptist, one of the chaplain residents rigged an iPhone on a selfie stick to a remote-controlled car, so that families could videoconference with patients without health care workers having to enter the room for each call. Steward Health Care, Southwest Generals parent company, declined to comment on the specifics of Noras case. In a statement, a spokesperson said the hospital went above and beyond to provide compassionate care for this patient and to keep the patients family informed through regular communication during an incredibly emotional and difficult time. Jonathan Turton, Southwest Generals president, said the circumstances created by the pandemic were simply impossible. Even as they followed state visitation guidelines and tried to augment communication through video calls, there was no way to fully meet families need for information. Sure, theyre talking to the nurse. Theyre having short, brief conversations with doctors that are carrying tremendous workloads, Turton said. And theyre still not getting enough. Because even if they were getting accurate and complete information, it still doesnt meet the emotional needs of, That is my family member. That is my loved one. I need to know more. I need to see more. On HoustonChronicle.com: Towards the fire: Still filled with COVID-19 patients, San Antonio hospitals dance on the edge of disaster Dr. Diana Fite, a Houston emergency room physician and president of the Texas Medical Association, said as the coronavirus raged across the state, member physicians complained about limited visitation for the families of critically ill patients. Visitation policies for hospitals, nursing homes and long-term care facilities were hastily drafted at the beginning of the U.S. epidemic, when there were still many unknowns about how the virus spread. In many cases, COVID patients couldnt have any visitors. Such rules were intended to ensure safety, Fite said. But they failed to account for the agony this would put patients families through, nor the stress that it would impose on doctors and nurses, some of whom were at a loss to explain the nuances of a still new disease. On Aug. 12, Fite, along with leaders from the states other medical professional groups, asked the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to allow daily visitation with patients who are likely near death or already in hospice care and in-person meetings to discuss their care. Such a change would hinge on the availability of protective equipment for visitors and staff to guide them. But the public health crisis created by the coronavirus could last for years, the request noted, heightening the need for flexibility in end-of-life situations. Theyre dying, Fite said. There just has to be some consideration to the emotional and mental and spiritual aspect of all of this. *** On July 23, the Rangels and a small group of supporters gathered in the parking lot outside Southwest General. For an hour, they sang and prayed for Noras recovery. It was streamed to a Facebook page Andy created to collect prayers for Nora from friends and family. Both doctors and the nurse believed that mom wouldnt survive the transition to the ventilator, he wrote on the pages description. Mom and God proved them all wrong. He had been posting daily updates on his mothers condition, fervently maintaining faith that she would survive, even as her prognosis grew increasingly dire. The family wanted Nora to be put on dialysis, but doctors said she was too fragile and it would only prolong the inevitable. The kidney doctor mentioned she wasnt showing any dilation in her pupils yesterday and believed she was brain dead, Andy wrote July 25. A nurse also said that mom occasionally takes a breath on her own. I understand these are tiny signs of life but they keep us hopeful. The family had blanched at this assessment. Scared, they pressed doctors for more information. We want to know if shes brain dead and thats going to help our decision, Andy said, referring to his conversation with the doctor. And then hes like, What does it matter if her lungs are already done? That evening, a nurse called. Noras blood pressure and oxygen levels were plummeting. The whole family got on a video call with Nora; and after more than three hours, Andy and Vanessa got permission from the hospital to see her in person. They remained on the phone with their family as they drove. At the hospital, a nurse gave them gowns but blocked Vanessa when she attempted to open the door to Noras room. He apologized as she began to cry. They stood in the hallway for some time, until there were no staff in the area. Vanessa wanted to go inside, but Andy was hesitant. Other family members, still on the phone, encouraged them to take the risk. What did they have to lose? Vanessa made up her mind. She wasnt going to say goodbye through a window. She opened the door and quickly stole inside. When Andy went in next, he was finally close enough to truly see what COVID had done to his mother. He noticed how swollen her body had become, her chapped lips, the crust that had formed on her eyes and nose. He hugged her, ran his fingers through her hair and kissed her stomach. He traced the sign of the cross over her. The hospital didnt have a chaplain, so before they left, they arranged for a priest in Del Rio to say a prayer by phone. A nurse agreed to place a rosary in her room. That night, Vanessa and Andy fell asleep immediately. They felt at ease. Early the next morning, the hospital called again. Nora was fading. Her family rushed to get on a video call with her. Within minutes, she was gone. *** Five days later, the Rangels filed into the Del Rio funeral homes chapel, where Noras casket lay. Her visitation and rosary would begin in a half-hour. Masks were mandatory. Blue tape roped off alternating pews to encourage physical distancing. A cordon of yellow tape created a buffer of several feet around her casket. A blue surgical mask had been carefully placed on her face. Shortly before their arrival, the funeral home director had called to inform them that the skin around Noras mouth had been damaged by the ventilator and embalming chemicals. The mask was covering the disfigurement. Noras family understood that the mask was there to protect them from further pain. But it almost added insult to injury, Henry thought, considering how she died. He was also bothered by the barrier, which they hadnt been told about beforehand, and the idea that it could ever keep him from touching his mother. One by one, Noras husband and children walked to the side of the casket where the barrier didnt extend, so they could caress her face, hold her hand and whisper in her ear. Noras 8-year-old grandson, Fabian, who had been particularly close to her, knelt at the casket. He bowed his head and began to cry, removing his glasses to wipe away the tears that fell above his mask. For the next four hours, Andy found himself looking up at a screen on a wall, which was playing a slideshow of photos and videos of Nora. Lounging at the beach, celebrating holidays, holding her grandchildren, dancing in a purple dress. That was who his mother was. Not this body that looked nothing like her. Less than a week after her funeral, Enrique and his children visited Noras grave to mark their 44th wedding anniversary. After the emotional roller coaster of Noras illness, her children are grateful for the frequent video calls and the limited visits they did get, that they were on the phone with her when she died. Not all families of COVID patients had such access, especially during the worst of the surge. Still, they wish they had known what questions to ask the hospital. They wish they had earlier understood the severity of her illness. They wish the hospital had more clearly communicated to them what was happening. The whole thing felt excruciating, even cruel, Henry said. His mother was separated from her family when she needed them most. She deserved all of us to be at her bedside. Thats what she deserved, Henry said. Not to be alone, in a bed. Design by Joy-Marie Scott Lauren Caruba covers health care and medicine in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. To read more from Lauren, become a subscriber to the San Antonio Express-News. lcaruba@express-news.net | Twitter: @LaurenCaruba Lisa Krantz is a national-award winning photojournalist at the San Antonio Express-News. lkrantz@express-news.net | Twitter: @Lisakrantz -- The 2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services opened on Friday, presenting an opportunity to strengthen open cooperation in the service sector and invigorate global economic recovery. -- It is the first major international economic and trade event held both online and offline by China since the COVID-19 outbreak. -- The fair demonstrates China's confidence and determination to unswervingly promote its opening-up policy, and sends positive signals to uphold economic globalization and strengthen international cooperation. BEIJING, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- The 2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services opened on Friday, presenting an opportunity to strengthen open cooperation in the service sector and invigorate global economic recovery. Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng declared the opening of the first major international economic and trade event held both online and offline by China since the COVID-19 outbreak, at the China National Convention Center in Beijing. Chinese President Xi Jinping addresses the Global Trade in Services Summit of the 2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) via video on Sept. 4, 2020. (Xinhua/Li Tao) Themed "Global Services, Shared Prosperity," the six-day fair has one comprehensive exhibition area and eight special exhibition areas. A total of 18,000 enterprises and institutions from 148 countries and regions and about 100,000 people have registered for the fair. Overseas guests, exhibitors and merchants will mainly attend online exhibitions and all types of entities in China will mainly participate in offline exhibitions. The event includes the Global Trade in Services Summit, four summit forums and more than 100 industry seminars and forums. It covers service trade of culture, tourism, finance, sports, robotics, education and 5G. The fair will release more than 30 industry development reports, indexes and rankings, including an action guide for urban tourism recovery amid COVID-19. The fair demonstrates China's confidence and determination to unswervingly promote its opening-up policy, and sends positive signals to uphold economic globalization and strengthen international cooperation, according to Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce Wang Bingnan. China is an important contributor to the growth of global trade in services. According to statistics, China's services exports have grown at an average annual rate of 9 percent in the past 15 years, 2.9 percentage points higher than the global average. In the same period, China's services imports totaled 4.5 trillion U.S. dollars, contributing 12.9 percent to the growth of global services imports. Photo taken on Sept. 2, 2020 shows the outdoor exhibition area of the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli) SPECIAL EVENT China's effective containment of the epidemic and the stable recovery of its economy have allowed the fair to be held, said Xu Hongcai, deputy director of the Economic Policy Commission with the China Association of Policy Science. In the comprehensive exhibition hall at the China National Convention Center, humanoid robots were watering flowers while greeting the busy staff. "I hope we can find new partners and reach new cooperation agreements at the trade fair to expand our business at home and abroad," said Zhou Jian, founder of Shenzhen-based company UBTECH Robotics Corp. Facing the adverse business situation, it developed three types of intelligent anti-epidemic robots within 20 days, which helped attract more orders for the company in the first half of the year. Photo taken on Sept. 1, 2020 shows a rehabilitation robot in an exhibition area of the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing, capital of China.(Xinhua/Peng Ziyang) "The deep integration of advanced manufacturing and the modern service industry has become the key for enterprises to adapt to the new round of industrial revolution and enhance their competitive advantages," said Yuan Feng, vice president of BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd., a leading Chinese high-tech company. POSITIVE SIGNALS In recent years, China has been deepening reform and opening up in the service sector, improving the system and mechanism for trade in services and raising the level of development, with pilot programs for innovative development of the service trade. China will develop open platforms for the pilot program of innovative development of the services sector, further ease market access for the services sector, and take greater initiative to increase imports of quality services, said Chinese President Xi Jinping while addressing the Global Trade in Services Summit of the services trade fair via video. "To meet the actual needs for growing trade in services, China will promote greater harmonization of rules for the service sector at the multilateral and regional levels, and work for continued improvement in global economic governance and more inclusive growth of the world economy," Xi said. Photo taken on Sept. 1, 2020 shows winter games statues exhibited in an exhibition pavilion of the China International Fair for Trade in Services in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Peng Ziyang) In 2019, China's services imports and exports totaled 5.4 trillion yuan, ranking second in the world for the sixth consecutive year. As China vigorously develops its service industry and trade, this will be the country's new growth point for the coming decades and generate new momentum for higher-level opening up, according to Wang Huiyao, president of the Center for China and Globalization. US President Donald Trump has come under fire over reports he mocked the countrys war dead as suckers and losers, with Joe Biden, his main opponent in the upcoming presidential election, declaring him unfit for the commander-in-chief role. Bidens comments on Friday came as Trump again sought to dismiss as false the alleged comments, first reported on by The Atlantic magazine and then by The Associated Press news agency. Voice cracking, Biden told reporters in Delaware that you know in your gut Trumps comments, if true, are deplorable. Ive just never been as disappointed, in my whole career, with a leader that Ive worked with, president or otherwise, Biden added. If the article is true and it appears to be, based on other things hes said it is absolutely damning. It is a disgrace. Trump, in the Oval Office, said no apology was necessary, because it was a fake story. The allegations, sourced anonymously, describe multiple offensive comments by the president towards killed and captured US service members during a trip to France in November 2018. In the morning of a scheduled visit to the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery, Trump reportedly told senior staff, Why should I go to that cemetery? Its filled with losers. The White House later said the visit was cancelled because foggy weather made the helicopter trip from Paris too risky and a 90-minute drive was deemed infeasible. The Atlantic also said Trump, in a separate conversation on the same trip, referred to more than 1,800 US soldiers who died during the consequential 1918 battle at Belleau Wood as suckers for getting killed. Speaking in the Oval Office on Friday, Trump denied ever uttering such comments. It was a terrible thing that somebody could say the kind of things and especially to me, cause Ive done more for the military than almost anyone anybody else. Later, in a news briefing, Trump suggested the source of the story was his former chief of staff, retired Marine General John Kelly. It could have been a guy like John Kelly, Trump told reporters, saying his former top aide was unable to handle the pressure of this job. Youre no patriot But that denial was met with scepticism, with critics seizing on the media reports to shine a fresh light on Trumps previous public disparagement of US troops and military families. That includes his criticism of the late Arizona Senator John McCain, a decorated Navy officer who was a prisoner of war in Vietnam. Hes not a war hero, Trump said of McCain in 2015. He had also said at the time: I like people who werent captured. On a call with reporters hosted by the Biden campaign on Friday, Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth lambasted Trump for belittling the sacrifices of those who have shown more bravery than hes capable of. Duckworth, a retired Army National Guard lieutenant colonel who lost both of her legs in the Iraq War, has been a prominent critic of Trumps handling of military issues. Knocking Trump for allegedly inventing an injury to avoid serving in the Vietnam War, Duckworth said she would take my wheelchair and my titanium legs over Donald Trumps supposed bone spurs any day. Khizr Khan, whose son, Humayun, was killed in action in Iraq in 2004, joined Duckworth on the call and said Trumps life is a testament to selfishness. Khan, who drew national attention after criticising Trump during the 2016 Democratic National Convention, added: Words we say are windows into our souls. So, when Donald Trump calls anyone who places their lives in service of others a loser, we understand Trumps soul. Veterans also condemned the presidents alleged remarks. Paul Eaton, a retired major general, in a Twitter video said Trump had shown disrespect to the military in countless occasions, adding: Youre no patriot. Read Jeff Goldbergs article in The Atlantic. How could anyone support Trump? pic.twitter.com/xqfnklmCBq Major General (ret) Paul Eaton (@PaulDEaton52) September 4, 2020 VoteVets posted online a video, in which six families of US soldiers who died while on duty criticised Trump, each one declaring their children were not losers or suckers. You dont know what it is to sacrifice, one father said. Donald Trump called our fallen troops "suckers" and "losers." They can't speak for themselves, but these 6 Gold Star families speak for our fallen. Here is their POWERFUL message.#GoldStarParentsAgainstTrump #VeteransAgainstTrump pic.twitter.com/ZnbFevqkNR VoteVets (@votevets) September 4, 2020 Al Jazeeras Rosiland Jordan, reporting from Alexandria in the US state of Virginia, said Trumps alleged comments had been confirmed by multiple news outlets. This story isnt going away, because now, a number of news outlets here in Washington have confirmed the same scope and the same quotes that were in that story. That includes Fox News, which has been the presidents go-to television news network. Jordan was referring to reporting by Jennifer Griffin, Fox Newss national security correspondent, who said two former Trump administration officials had confirmed The Atlantics reporting. According to one former senior Trump administration official: "When the President spoke about the Vietnam War, he said, 'It was a stupid war. Anyone who went was a sucker'." Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) September 4, 2020 This never happened Trumps supporters, meanwhile, took to television networks and social media to defend the president, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo telling the programme, Fox and Friends, on Friday that he was with the president for a good part of the trip to France. I never heard him use the words that are described in that article, Pompeo said. US Defense Secretary Mark Esper issued a statement saying Trump has the highest respect and admiration for our nations military members, veterans and families and has fought for greater pay and more funding for the armed forces. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who was the White House press secretary at the time of Trumps visit, said of The Atlantic report: I was actually there and one of the people part of the discussion this never happened. These were some of the moments I witnessed the President show his heart and demonstrate how much he respects the selfless and courageous men and women of our military. I am disgusted by this false attack. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (@SarahHuckabee) September 4, 2020 First Lady Melania Trump also defended her husband, issuing a rare public statement, calling Trumps alleged mockery of US war dead not true and blasting The Atlantics reliance on anonymous sources. Mike Pence, the vice president, said he was not in Paris but it never happened. He told CNBC: American people just roll their eyes at these late-hit, anonymous-source media coming from The Atlantic or anywhere else. Its just politics as usual. The remoteness of the Croatian island of Vis proved to be a boon for the island's economy this year, as large numbers of foreign visitors sought escape from lockdowns by flocking to this pristine place in the Adriatic, undeterred by the country's fresh surge in confirmed cases. Croatia was originally not affected by the pandemic as severely as some other western European nations. However, strict lockdowns imposed throughout the continent and in Croatia itself from March to May gave rise to fears that this year's summer tourism season would collapse. The industry employs about a quarter of the 1.5 million-strong workforce and accounts for around 20 percent of total GDP. Last month, the state statistics bureau reported that Croatia's GDP shrunk in the second quarter of the year by 15.1% compared to twelve months ago - the sharpest drop on record since 1995 when statistics began, and nearly double the 8.8% drop in early 2009 during the global financial crisis. But as lockdowns throughout Europe were eased in June, tourists mainly from Central European German-speaking countries - who accounted for 60 percent of the country's 21 million visitors in 2019 - flocked to its shores in unexpectedly high numbers. For Vis, the island located farthest from the mainland, reachable via a two-and-a-half hour ferry ride, the relative isolation proved to be a boon, with not a single coronavirus case and visitor numbers reportedly at almost 90 percent of last year's capacity. "When I look back a few months, I can understand why people wanted to visit the island of Vis and see Komiza. It's the most remote island (of Croatia) after all, it has a sense of isolation. So amid the coronavirus pandemic, this may have had a psychological effect motivating them to come to the island," Komiza Mayor, Tonka Ivcevic, told the Associated Press. July and August saw a resurgence in virus cases across the country, with Croatia posting record high daily numbers several times over the past week, with more than 300 cases detected over the last three days. This forced some EU countries including Slovenia, Italy, Germany, and the United Kingdom, to impose mandatory 14-day isolation or tests for people returning from Croatia, forcing many visitors from these countries to cut short their vacations. As of Friday, Croatia had recorded around 11,000 coronavirus cases and 195 deaths. But both locals and foreign visitors in and around the island's two main towns - Vis and Komiza - seemed unconcerned by the new rise in cases and pandemic-related restrictions. People throughout Lebanon observed a moment of silence on Friday to mark one month since the devastating Beirut explosion, while rescuers dug through the rubble of a building destroyed in the blast, hoping to find a survivor. Images reflected the pain and anguish that persists one month after the August 4 blast that killed 191 people, injured 6,000 others and traumatized Lebanon, which already was suffering under a severe economic crisis and financial collapse. People held up pictures of their lost loved ones, while others held up nooses - a symbol that has become used in demonstrations against the government and those responsible for the explosion. Meanwhile, the search operation in the historic Mar Mikhail district - on a street once filled with crowded bars and restaurants - has gripped the nation for the past 24 hours. The possibility, however unlikely, that a survivor could be found after one month gave hope to people who followed the live images on television, wishing for a miracle. The rescue operation began on Thursday after a dog used by the Chilean search-and-rescue team TOPOS detected something as it toured Gemmayzeh and Mar Mikhail streets and rushed toward the rubble. Rescue workers used cranes, shovels and their bare hands in a meticulous search after a pulsing signal was detected. Pictured: An anti-government protester carries pictures of victims and a hangman's noose as people mark the 1-month anniversary of the deadly Beirut explosion with demonstrations against the government, and demand punishment for those responsible Images of the black-and-white 5-year-old dog named Flash, wearing red shoes to protect its paws, circulated on social media and was trending on Twitter in Lebanon. People thanked the dog and said it cared more about the Lebanese people than their own government. Across from Mar Mikhail, near the wreckage of Beirut's port, a commemoration was held for the victims of the blast in the presence of some of their relatives. Soldiers fired a salute, then laid a white rose for each of the 191 victims at a memorial. The crowd fell silent at 6:08 p.m., the moment of the most destructive explosion in Lebanon's violent history. Church bells tolled, mosques made a call for prayers and ambulances blared their sirens simultaneously. Some people wept silently. Others held ropes tied as nooses - a sign of the grief and raw anger toward officials that persists in the country. The blast was caused by nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate that had been improperly stored at the port for years. In addition to the dead and injured, thousands of homes were damaged by the blast, which smashed windows and doors for miles and was felt on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. It still isn't clear what caused the fire that ignited the ammonium nitrate. The public blames the corruption and negligence of Lebanon's politicians, security and judicial officials, many of whom knew about the storage of the chemicals and did nothing. 'We will hold you accountable,' one banner read. A firefighting force drove from headquarters in the direction of the port, marking the route that 10 of their colleagues took when they rushed to put out the fire but were killed instead. Pictured: Anti-government protesters light candles in front of the martyrs statue during a moment of silence to mark one month of Beirut port explosion Pictured: Protesters line the streets in Beirut as Lebanese firefighters stand on their Fire truck during a minute of silence and prayer for the victims A woman wearing a mask and holding a sign joins the protests in Beirut to mark the 1-month anniversary of the explosion that killed 191 people and injured 6,000 others on August 4 The state still has failed to provide any answers as to how such a thing could happen, the investigation has been slow and ineffective, and no senior official has been detained, although many of them knew the dangers and did not act for six years. 'I know rationally it's been one month, but at a very visceral level it all just feels like one long bad day, that moment stretches out for what feels like forever,' posted Carmen Geha, an activist and university professor. 'I cannot rest, we cannot rest with bodies still under rubble. We need accountability like air.' At the Mar Mikhail search site, rescue workers slowly removed debris from the building. The more they dug, the more careful the work became to protect anyone buried there. Later, a 360-degree camera at the end of a long pole was pushed into a hole in the building. Images did not turn up any trace of humans in that particular section. On Thursday, the team used audio equipment to try to hear signals or a heartbeat and detected what could be a pulse of 18 to 19 beats per minute. The origin of the pulsing sound was not immediately known but it was enough to set off the frantic search. On Friday morning, the beats dropped to seven per minute, according to a Chilean volunteer who spoke to local TV station Al Jadeed. The head of the Chilean team, Francisco Lermanda, said he could not confirm or deny the presence of a person - dead or alive - under the rubble and that the work would continue. Pictured: Anti-government protesters carry torches as they demand the punishment of those responsible for the port explosion Pictured: Protesters in Beirut light torches while holding a hangmans noose during protests against those responsible for the explosion in the port of Beirut Families of Beirut port explosion victims carry their pictures, during a minute of silence and prayer to mark one month of Beirut port explosion The Chilean group has been part of multiple international rescue efforts, including the earthquakes in 2010 in Chile and in 2017 in Mexico. It is credited with rescuing 14 people found after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, one of them 28 days after it struck. 'As far as I can understand from my Chilean colleagues, the search area is quite narrow,' said a French civil engineer who identified himself only as Emmanuel. He added that the search area is not very deep and is just above the vault of the ground floor. 'What we are searching for at the moment is likely one person' not under much material, he said. The anger on the street was palpable, especially when the search was suspended briefly before midnight on Thursday, apparently to find a crane. Outraged protesters at the site claimed the Lebanese army had asked the Chileans to stop the search. In a reflection of the staggering distrust of the authorities, some protesters donned helmets and started searching, while others tried to arrange for a crane. 'Where's your conscience? There's life under this building and you want to stop the work until tomorrow?' one woman screamed at a soldier. Protesters hold torches and nooses, which have become symbols of public anger against the Lebanese government since the explosion Christian and Muslim clerics speak as families of Beirut port explosion victims and anti- government protesters gather during a minute of silence and prayer Pictured: A woman waves the Lebanese flag next to placards depicting the names of some of the victims of the Beirut explosion on August 4 Members of Lebanon's Civil Defense team returned after midnight and resumed work. The army issued a statement Friday in response to the criticism, saying the Chilean team stopped work at 11:30 p.m. because it feared a wall might collapse. It added that army experts inspected the site and two cranes were brought in to remove the wall, after which the search resumed. Recent weeks have been extremely hot in Lebanon, with high humidity. The Chilean team occasionally called for people on the streets, including a group of journalists, to turn off their mobile phones and be quiet for five minutes to avoid interfering with their instruments. Two days after the explosion, a French rescue team and Lebanese civil defense volunteers had searched the same building, which had a bar on the ground floor. At the time, they had no reason to believe there was anyone still at the site. Heartbeat of possible Beirut blast survivor detected under rubble a MONTH after explosion slows to just seven beats a minute as race to save them resumes Sniffer dog belonging to the Chilean rescue team first detected a pulsing sound A pulsing signal was detected on Thursday from under the rubble of a building The team used audio detection equipment and detected what could be a pulse Search resumed in the early hours of this morning after a short break at midnight More than four tonnes of ammonium nitrate found near Beirut's port yesterday By Emer Scully For Mailonline Rescuers are continuing to search through rubble for a potential survivor of the Beirut blast last month - but a pulsing signal thought to be a human heart beat has now dropped to seven beats per minute. It comes as the Lebanese military said it discovered more than four tonnes of ammonium nitrate near Beirut's port on Thursday. Search operations began on Thursday afternoon after a sniffer dog belonging to a Chilean search and rescue team detected something as the team was going through the neighbourhood of Gemmayzeh and rushed towards the rubble. After hours of searching the work briefly stopped following sunset before some protesters arrived at the scene claiming the Lebanese army had asked the Chilean team to stop the search. A Chilean rescue worker uses a sensitive listening device to locate vital signs of a survivor at a site of the Beirut blast on September 4 A rescue worker chains concrete to a crane while removing debris at a site of the Beirut blast on September 4 Rescue workers clear debris. A sniffer dog with a Chilean rescue crew responded to the suspected presence of a person in the rubble of a building damaged in the deadly explosion The origin of the pulsing signal was not immediately known but it set off a frantic search and raised new hope The protesters started searching themselves until members of Lebanon's Civil Defence team arrived an hour after midnight and resumed work. The army issued a statement on Friday saying the Chilean team stopped work half an hour before midnight because of fears that a wall might collapse, endangering them. It added that army experts inspected the site and two cranes were brought in to remove the wall and the search resumed. On Friday morning, rescue workers were slowly removing debris with their hands and shovels. The more they dug, the more careful the work became to protect any possible survivors under the rubble. On Thursday, the team used audio detection equipment for signals or heartbeat, and detected what could be a pulse of 18 to 19 beats per minute. As night fell, rescue workers set up light projectors to work through the darkness. Every now and then, the team asked people on the streets to stay quiet for five minutes so as not to interfere with the sounds being detected by their instruments. The origin of the pulsing signal was not immediately known but it set off a frantic search and raised new hope. Rescuers work at he site of a collapsed building after getting signals there may be a survivor buried in the rubble, early Friday It is extremely unlikely that any survivors would be found a month after the blast that tore through Beirut when nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate ignited at the port Every now and then, the team asked people on the streets to stay quiet for five minutes so as not to interfere with the sounds being detected by their instruments The army issued a statement on Friday saying the Chilean team stopped work half an hour before midnight because of fears that a wall might collapse, endangering them On Friday morning, the beats dropped to seven per minute according to reporters at the site. It is extremely unlikely that any survivors would be found a month after the blast that tore through Beirut when nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate ignited at the port. The explosion on August 4 killed 191 people and injured 6,000 others and is considered to be one of the biggest non-nuclear explosions ever recorded. Thousands of homes were damaged. There were 2,750 tonnes of the hazardous chemical held in the warehouse at the time of the explosion - which measured as the equivalent of a 3.5 earthquake. 'Ninety-nine percent there isn't anything, but even if there is less than 1% hope, we should keep on looking,' said Youssef Malah, a civil defence worker. But a Chilean volunteer said their equipment identifies breathing and heartbeat from humans, not animals, and it detected a sign of a human. Rescuers are searching through the rubble of a building in Beirut after reports that a heartbeat was detected The worker, Francesco Lermonda, said it is rare, but not unheard of, for someone to survive under rubble for a month. Meanwhile, according to the military, army experts were called in for an inspection and found 4.35 tonnes of ammonium nitrate in four containers stored near the port. There were no details on the origin of the chemicals or their owner. The military statement said that customs officials had called in the army to inspect containers at a facility near the port, where they found 4.35 tonnes of ammonium nitrate. A sniffer dog belonging to the Chilean search and rescue team first detected something as the team was going through a street in one of the worst hit areas The team then used audio detection equipment for signals or heartbeat, and detected what could be a pulse of 18 to 19 beats per minute as they search the rubble Every now and then, the team asked people on the streets to stay quiet for five minutes so as not to interfere with the sounds being detected by their instruments Fires were still burning at the destroyed port following the blast as the full extent of the devastation - in a country that was already in the midst of an economic crisis - was laid bare It said army experts were 'dealing with the material', suggesting it was being destroyed. Lebanon's president and prime minister were warned last month that a stash of ammonium nitrate at the port of Beirut could destroy the city if it exploded. Security officials wrote a letter on July 20 saying the industrial chemicals which had been idling in a warehouse since 2013 needed to be secured immediately. Thousands of protesters continue to take to the streets and clash with police. The prime minister and his cabinet resigned after the devastating explosion. President Donald Trump trashed the character and reputation of retired Marine Gen. John Kelly Friday, suggesting that Kelly was a possible source of a damaging story -- one alleging that Trump routinely disparaged the military and called troops "suckers" and "losers" for volunteering to serve. Trump also ripped the performance of Kelly as White House Chief of Staff, charging that he was not up to the job and was burned out to the point where he had to be told to resign. "Now he goes out and badmouths me," Trump said of Kelly, saying the former commander of I Marine Expeditionary Force in Iraq may have been one of the anonymous sources in a story in The Atlantic by editor Jeffrey Goldberg. The story painted a picture of a commander in chief incapable of appreciating the sacrifices of the military. Read Next: Trump Vows to Keep Stars and Stripes Funded After Pentagon Moves to Shut It Down Trump said he didn't know for sure if Kelly was a source, but "it could've been a guy like a John Kelly." "I know John Kelly, he was with me -- didn't do a good job," Trump said in an outburst at the end of a White House news conference mainly on the economy. "He had no temperament, and ultimately he was petered out. He was exhausted, this man was totally exhausted," Trump continued about the 70-year-old Kelly, a 46-year veteran who began service in the enlisted ranks and earned two Legions of Merit with Combat "V" device. "He was sort of a tough guy, but in time he got eaten up in this world. It's a different world than he was used to. He was unable to function. And I told him, 'John, you're gonna have to go. Please give me a letter of resignation,'" Trump said. There was no immediate response to requests for comment from Kelly, who left the White House in January 2019. At the news conference, Trump repeatedly called the Atlantic story a "hoax," likening it to the allegations against him that led to his impeachment by the House and ultimate acquittal by the Senate. Several current and former White House aides supported Trump's contention that the story was more "fake news." The Washington Post, The Associated Press and Fox News all report they have confirmed claims made in The Atlantic's reporting. Citing anonymous sources, the magazine piece alleged that Trump balked at going to the Aisne-Marne cemetery for U.S. troops killed in World War I while on a trip to Paris in 1918. "Why should I go to that cemetery? It's filled with losers," Trump allegedly said. He also allegedly referred to Marines who fell in the battle of Belleau Wood as "suckers" for getting killed. Trump disputed that and several other claims made in the story on Friday, saying he insisted on visiting the cemetery in France, but the weather and Secret Service personnel prohibited it. "They had a rainstorm, the likes of which you rarely see," Trump said. "The fog was so great -- it was as dense as I've ever seen. I almost knew that you couldn't use the helicopter. And because they had a drive through I guess certain parts of Paris, Secret Service ... said, 'Nope.'" Trump, according to The Atlantic, was also reportedly incapable of understanding how troops would be willing to risk their lives without the promise of gaining anything in return more than pride of serving and defending the nation. On a Memorial Day visit in 2017 to Arlington National Cemetery with Kelly, whose Marine son Robert, a first lieutenant, was killed serving in Afghanistan in 2010, Trump allegedly turned to Kelly before the gravesites and said, "I don't get it. What was in it for them?" Trump was also reported to have asked to keep wounded warriors out of military parades, according to the magazine, "on the grounds that spectators would feel uncomfortable in the presence of amputees." "Nobody wants to see that," Trump allegedly said. Fox News reporter Jennifer Griffin tweeted that a source confirmed the claim on Friday, saying the president said including wounded warriors in a parade is "not a good look" and that "Americans don't like that." Trump also allegedly called the late Sen. John McCain, who spent more than five years facing torture as a prisoner during the Vietnam War, and former President George H.W. Bush, who'd been shot down during World War II, "losers," in The Atlantic report. As a presidential candidate in 2015, Trump famously said that McCain was no war hero, adding, "I like people who weren't captured." A former senior administration official confirmed to the Washington Post on Thursday that the president "frequently made disparaging comments about veterans and soldiers missing in action, referring to them at times as 'losers.'" When asked again on Friday about his feelings on McCain, Trump said he "wasn't a fan." "I disagreed with John McCain on a lot of things," Trump said. "That doesn't mean I don't respect him. I respect him, but I really disagreed with him on a lot of things." -- Richard Sisk can be reached at richard.sick@military.com. -- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @ginaaharkins. Related: Secret Service Said No to WWI Cemetery Visit in France, Trump Says Agra, Sep 5 : Nature lovers and bird watchers on Saturday expressed grave concern over the fast declining vulture population in the country and demanded a national policy for their conservation. At a meeting to observe the International Vulture Awareness Day organized by the Biodiversity Research and Development Society (BRDS) in collaboration with green groups through video-conferencing, activists demanded firm action by government agencies to conserve the vulture population. Environmentalist Devashish Bhattacharya said vultures as scavengers have a very critical role in the eco-system. Unfortunately, a large number of these birds have been killed by poachers who have been supplying them for medicinal purposes. The BRDS President Dr K P Singh said the United Nations Environment report released in 2019 had listed only 10 of the 22 varieties of vultures found all over the world. In India only nine species of vultures were found, including the residential and migratory. These species were the Long-billed vulture, White-backed vulture, Slender-billed vulture, Himalayan-griffon vulture, Bearded-vulture, King-vulture, Egyptian vulture, Cinereous-vulture and Eurasion-griffon vulture. "Unfortunately, all these species are under threat of extinction. In Agra region the Egyptian vulture species is under grave threat. Two years ago, there were nine in Etah area, eight in Mathura, three at the Dussehra Ghat near the Taj Mahal, five in Bah, two each in Keetham lake area and Achnera town," Singh added. From nearly 45 to 50, the number of vultures left in Agra region was now between 25 to 30. The exact count of the numbers can be done only through GPS by the forest department personnel. In neighbouring Bharatpur district of Rajasthan, nearly 30 Egyptian vultures were seen in the bird sanctuary area, till nearly five years ago according to bird watchers Dhirendra and Mehranuddin. "Now only a few breeding sites of Egyptian vultures are left in Agra and nearby at Bayana, Mathura, Dholpur and Bharatpur. We feel there is an urgent need to conserve these sites." Interacting through video from Madhya Pradesh, Dilsher Khan and Dr Sonika Kushwaha, who have done extensive studies, said "vultures make nests in cracks, old buildings and the ruins of rocky hills. During mining of the hills for stones and due to large-scale new constructionS coming up everywhere, the habitats of vultures have come under threat." Devendra Singh Rathod and Sara Khan demanded that the state governments take steps to develop sites for the preservation of vultures. A site identified by the nature lovers is Pharenda in Maharajganj. When talking about the complexities of news, or how information is distributed in the 21st century, the word bully might seem out of place. But as Facebook threatens to cut off access to sharing news in response to a proposed Australian law, its hard not to think that bullying might be exactly what is going on. Heres the (slightly complicated) situation: in April of this year, after an 18-month inquiry into the role of digital platforms, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission was asked by the government there to develop a code to address the imbalance in power between digital platform businesses such as Facebook and news organizations. In July, the ACCC announced that its solution was to enforce a set of rules in which Facebook and Google would have to negotiate prices to have news pieces from vetted news organizations shared on their platforms. If they cannot, a panel will arbitrate a final, binding price. Finally, Facebook or Google would have to inform news companies of any changes to their algorithms that would negatively impact the news business. In response, Facebook threatened to simply ban the sharing of news links on its platform in the country. Hence the justified use of the term bully. There is legitimate debate over whether Australias approach is the right one. But the fact that Facebook can threaten to simply stop distributing news when a significant portion of the population gets its news from its platform highlights the problem: Facebook and Google simply have too much power over the distribution of news and need to be reined in. What Facebook and Google did to news is now a well-worn story. Because they became so dominant in the attention they command in our lives, digital platforms became the distribution centres for information online. In doing so, ad spending shifted billions of dollars from print and news organizations over to the more efficient, targeted ads that tech giants produce because they have so much data on users. That change, coupled with the decimation of classified ads by Craigslist and Kijiji et al, meant that news organizations share of revenue plummeted just at the time that millions more were reading things online. Thats not to say the news business is somehow free of blame. Not only was the broad reaction to the effects of the web and mobile devices excruciatingly slow, it was also full of misstarts and poorly thought out schemes. But if that story is familiar, what is sometimes less talked about is how Facebook in particular flattened discourse such that legitimate news organizations were often overtaken or overshadowed by those of a much lower quality. As The New York Times Kevin Roose points out almost daily, what is most shared on Facebook tends to be hard right, inflammatory posts that often distort truth if not outright lie. The economic framework of news thus has a real social impact. In acquiring such enormous economic power, digital platforms undercut news organizations ability to create profitable business models. In turn, not only is the existence of news organizations threatened, the vacuum left would be easily filled by charlatans and bad actors. The sheer power and size of the digital platforms has become a problem all its own. Australias lesson for Canadas news industry, however, may in fact be a study in what it means to tackle power. Regulation is a tricky beast; for example, if one were to legally insist on human content moderation, only companies the size of Google or Facebook might have the resources to have a chance of enacting such policy, thus entrenching their dominant positions by cutting off smaller companies. There is a risk, too, that Australias approach threatens to do something similar by simply doubling down on the privacy-invading data model of Facebook and Google and then asking for a slice of that poisonous pie. Canadas response to the inarguably excessive power of Facebook and Google has to thus be in prioritizing truth-seeking, fact-checked, vetted news, while also challenging the dominance of Facebook and Googles business models themselves. How that happens will likely be in finding a way to fund both local and national news organizations without directly tying that funding to either Facebook and Googles distribution, or the whims of changing government ideology. But that we are talking about government intervention at all outlines the stakes of the problem. Facebook, Google, and other digital platforms have become so powerful and rich that regulation is the only way to rein them in. How we go about that is something we will have to decide soon. But the thing with bullies is that they dont give up power on their own it has to be taken back, and sometimes, the only option is to use force. Read more about: Typhoon Haishen is slamming the Korean Peninsula less than a week after Typhoon Maysak made landfall in South Korea. Haishen made landfall near Ulsan, just north of Busan, on Monday morning, local time, according to The Korea Herald. The typhoon had the equivalent strength of a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale in the Atlantic or East Pacific basins. By Monday afternoon, Haishen had emerged over the Sea of Japan. The typhoon lost wind intensity while over land, now the equivalent of a Category 1 hurricane in the Atlantic or East Pacific basins. The Korea Herald reported that Haishen has caused significant travel disruptions, power cuts and tree damage across the region. Work was shut down at the Hyundai Motors factory in Ulsan after the power was knocked out, and the company said it may take some time for the factory to become fully operational. Haishen's landfall marks the third significant typhoon strike within a week's time on the Korean Peninsula, following Maysak and Typhoon Bavi, which made landfall in North Korea on Aug. 27. Residents had little time to recover from these storms prior to Haishen's arrival. This satellite image shows Haishen over the Korean Peninsula on Monday afternoon, local time. (CIRA/RAMMB) Haishen became the first super typhoon of the season in the western Pacific Ocean this past Friday, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The typhoon first swept through southern Japan over the weekend. Late last week, Japanese officials told residents to brace for impacts from the typhoon, urging many to evacuate their homes. By Sunday morning, local time, more than 810,000 people across four prefectures in southwest Japan were ordered to evacuate. Minamidaitojima, a small island in southern Japan, spent much of Saturday and Saturday night in the eye wall of Haishen and reported a wind gust of 185 km/h (115 mph). Rainfall totals of 50-100 mm (2-4 inches) have already been reported across southwestern Japan. As of Sunday night, Miyakonojo in southern Kyushu has received 219 mm (8.62 inches). Story continues According to the Kyushu Electric Power Co., at least 319,790 households were without power across the Kyushu region as of Sunday night. Technicians were responding as weather conditions allowed. Ahead of the arrival of Typhoon Haishen, the search and rescue mission for missing sailors in the East China Sea was temporarily suspended. Dozens of sailors have been missing since the middle of last week after a cargo ship carrying cattle capsized in the rough surf from Typhoon Maysak. CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP Tracking in an area of light wind shear and very warm ocean waters late last week, Haishen surpassed Maysak as the strongest storm in the West Pacific so far this season. "Any building or infrastructure that was weakened or sustained minor damage from Maysak could then be taken out by Haishen," AccuWeather Meteorologist Jake Sojda said. Widespread heavy rain will continue to fall across the Korean Peninsula and spread into northeastern China. Rainfall from Haishen, in addition to the recent heavy rain from Maysak, could lead to significant and widespread flooding. Many areas along the path of the storm are expected to receive 100-200 mm (4-8 inches) of rain. An AccuWeather Local StormMax of 400 mm (16 inches) is possible. Because of these impacts, Haishen is expected to be a 4 on the AccuWeather RealImpact Scale for Tropical Cyclones in Japan and a 4 in South Korea. The RealImpact Scale is a 6-point scale with ratings of less-than-1 and 1 to 5. In comparison to the Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale, which has been used by meteorologists for decades and classifies storms by wind speed only, the AccuWeather RealImpact Scale is based on a broad range of important factors. The scale covers not only wind speed, but also flooding rain, storm surge and economic damage and loss. This communicates a more comprehensive representation of the potential impact of a storm to lives and livelihoods. Widespread flooding across North Korea and China could lead to significant agricultural impacts and crop loss as the storm sweeps through these regions early this week. North Korea is a country that relies heavily on agriculture, so the threat for widespread flooding may put a strain on the country's food supply. The West Pacific tropical season was suspiciously quiet earlier this summer, but has turned active and even record breaking through August and the beginning of September. Meteorologist Robert Speta, a Western Pacific weather expert, stated that Typhoon Haishen could rival Hurricane Laura, a storm that made landfall along the Louisiana coast in August, as the strongest storm on the planet in 2020 so far. In addition to becoming the strongest typhoon so far this year, Haishen became the fifth named tropical system to make landfall in South Korea in 2020. The five landfalls broke the record number of landfalls in the country in a single year. Haishen is also be the fourth tropical system to impact the Korean Peninsula in the past 30 days, with each system stronger than the last. Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-04 23:52:43|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- China urges the United States to fulfill its due international responsibilities and obligations, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said Friday. Hua made the remarks at a press briefing in response to a query about U.S. State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus' statement on Thursday, announcing the next steps concerning the U.S. withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the redirection of American resources, including scaling down its engagement with the WHO. Hua said the timeline and facts of China's fight against the pandemic are clear. "In the face of the ferocious and unknown COVID-19 virus, we shared the information we learned with the world in the shortest possible time, and contained the spread of the pandemic with the most resolute prevention and control measures in the shortest possible time." Noting that, as of yesterday, there were more than 6.11 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States, with more than 185,000 deaths, Hua said some in the United States should do more self-reflection, respect science, respect facts, and take more effective actions to save as many American lives as possible as a responsible attitude towards their people. Hua said the WHO is an international body made up of 194 sovereign states, and it does not serve any particular country or should not defer to any country that provides more funding than others. "As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread around the world, the fight against the pandemic remains a top priority for all countries, and requires concerted efforts at national, regional and global levels," she said. In the face of COVID-19, any attempt to oppress or blackmail the WHO is a disregard for life, a challenge to humanity, and a destruction of international anti-epidemic cooperation that will not be accepted by the international community, Hua said. Hua said the WHO plays an indispensable central coordinating role in the face of the global public health crisis. "We hope the United States will stop blaming others for its own failures, as it helps neither its own anti-epidemic efforts nor the international anti-epidemic efforts," Hua said. "What's worse, it will have a serious, negative impact on developing countries in urgent need of international support." "We urge the United States to fulfill its due international responsibilities and obligations. We also call on the international community to further consolidate the consensus of multilateralism, increase its support and input in the WHO, and jointly safeguard global public health security," Hua added. Enditem Kolkata: A special NIA court here convicted two men on Saturday for circulating Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) smuggled from Bangladesh and sentenced them to four years in prison, an official said. Habibur Rahman (24) and Fakirul Seikh (22), both residents of West Bengals Malda, were convicted under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). On March 6, 2017, fake notes with a face value of Rs 2 lakh and Rs 1.90 lakh were seized from the possession of Rahman and Seikh respectively and a case was registered, an NIA spokesperson said. The NIA re-registered the case and filed a chargesheet against the two accused. They had hatched a criminal conspiracy for procuring and circulating FICN in India, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) official said. The fake currency notes were smuggled from Bangladesh and intended to be circulated in different parts of India, he added. After the completion of the trial, the accused were found guilty and convicted by the special NIA court in Kolkata. They were sentenced to four years of imprisonment and slapped with a fine of Rs 3,000 each, the official added. Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor THERE are eight Turks for every Greek, so you might think the Greeks have to fold. But Greece has the backing of France, Italy, Israel, Egypt and practically every other country in the eastern Mediterranean and the Arab world, as well as the entire European Union, so it has just called the bet and raised it. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 5/9/2020 (502 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion THERE are eight Turks for every Greek, so you might think the Greeks have to fold. But Greece has the backing of France, Italy, Israel, Egypt and practically every other country in the eastern Mediterranean and the Arab world, as well as the entire European Union, so it has just called the bet and raised it. This poker game is all about rival claims to seabed territory with promising gas reserves in the eastern Mediterranean. Turkeys strongman president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has been throwing his weight around or maybe hes just bluffing, but how much is Greece willing to risk to find out? Especially since Athens cant be sure which way its friends will jump if the shooting starts. The quarrel between Greece and Turkey is mainly about control over the water and seabed of the Aegean Sea that separates them. The Aegean is only an average of 200 km wide, and it would be easy just to run a line down the middle except that there is a chain of Greek islands running down Turkeys west coast, often within sight of the mainland. Almost all the other islands in the sea are Greek, too. So its a Greek sea, really but Turkey refuses to accept that. In defiance of both traditional maritime law and the 1982 United Nations Convention for the Law of the Sea, Ankara insists that the Greek islands do not generate their own territorial waters and seabed rights. It claims half the Aegean Sea as its own, and a big chunk of the Mediterranean beyond it, too. You can see why Turkey feels cheated by geography, but the law is the law for every country, and by and large Turkey abided by it until the prospect of undersea gas wealth and the pressures of populist politics spurred it to push its spurious claims very hard. Its really fools gold. The recent collapse in gas and oil prices is likely to last long after the COVID-19 crisis ends, perhaps even permanently, for renewable energy prices are now competitive with fossil fuels and demand is trending downward. Laying seabed pipelines is expensive, and even without the risk of war, its unlikely to happen in the eastern Mediterranean now. Does Erdogan realize this? Maybe so, maybe not, but either way he needs a foreign crisis so he can pose as the hero of Turkish nationalism. The long, credit-fuelled boom that sustained his popularity has given way to economic stagnation, his military incursions into Syria, Iraq and Libya have made him many enemies, and he badly needs a win. Since last year, Turkish seismic exploration and drilling ships, escorted by warships, have been searching for gas in waters off Crete and Cyprus that no other country in the world regards as Turkish. In reply, French and Italian warships and fighter aircraft from the United Arab Emirates have taken part in joint exercises with Greek and Cypriot forces. The European Union has given Turkey until late September to stop its "illegal activities" in the eastern Mediterranean, after which sanctions may be imposed. On Aug. 27, Greece declared it was going to extend its territorial waters in the Ionian Sea from six nautical miles to the maximum permitted 12 miles. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Thats the Ionian Sea, between western Greece and Italy, not the Aegean, between eastern Greece and Turkey. In the Aegean, both Greece and Turkey still observe the old six-mile limit in practice, although it is unclear whether Turkey officially accepts it in theory. But Greece is signalling that it might go to 12 miles in the Aegean, too, which would pretty well turn it into a Greek lake. Both Greece and Turkey joined NATO during the Cold War out of fear of the Soviet Union, and the other NATO members are now trying hard to ward off a conflict that could break the alliance. But its an uphill struggle, because the two countries have been enemies for a long time. The Turks conquered all of the Balkan peninsula, including Greece, and ruled over it for centuries. Greece took part in the attempt to carve up what was left of Turkey as European colonies after the First World War. The Turks expelled the long-established Greek minority from most of the country when that attempt failed. Two generations later, the Greek government engineered a bloody coup by ex-EOKA terrorists in Cyprus, with the intention of unifying the island with Greece. Turkey invaded in order to stop that and protect the Turkish minority in 1973, and its troops are still there to support the separatist government of the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus. There have been at least three other Greek-Turkish crises since then, none of which ended in war. This one probably wont either, but its going to come closer than any of the others did. Erdogan sees his power slipping away, and hes getting desperate. Gwynne Dyers latest book is Growing Pains: The Future of Democracy (and Work). Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Eisya A. Eloksari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, September 5 2020 The Satellite of the Republic of Indonesia (Satria) project took a step forward on Thursday with the signing of a preparatory work agreement between an Indonesian consortium and a French-Italian firm. The US$550 million joint endeavor seeks to build the countrys largest telecommunications satellite. Satellite provider PT Satelit Nusantara Tiga, part of the PT Pasifik Satelit Nusantara (PSN) consortium, and French-Italian aerospace manufacturer Thales Alenia Space (TAS) signed the agreement on the project, which is being managed by the Communications and Information Ministry. The PSN consortium will be the lead contractor and operator of the project. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Russias sovereign wealth fund, which has backed the countrys vaccine against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), has shot down criticism concerning the safety of Sputnik V after western experts warned against its use until all internationally approved testing and regulatory steps have been taken. With this (publication) we answer all of the questions of the West that were diligently asked over the past three weeks, frankly with the clear goal of tarnishing the Russian vaccine, said Kirill Dmitriev, the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF). Also Read: India registers highest single-day spike with 86,432 new Covid-19 cases; death toll reaches 69,561 All of the boxes are checked. Now... we will start asking questions of some of the Western vaccines, he told Reuters. Dmitriev complained that certain politicians and media were not concentrating on the research that led to the development of the vaccine but are busy in negative publicity against Russia. The vaccine, named Sputnik-V in homage to the worlds first satellite launched by the Soviet Union, is a human adenoviral vector vaccine which fights against Covid-19. Dmitriev also lauded India for expressing interest in locally producing the vaccine. India has historically been a very important partner of Russia. India is one of the leading countries in production. Around 60% of all the vaccines in the world are produced in India. We are in close dialogue with the corresponding ministries and the India government and the leading manufacturer of the country regarding localisation of production of Sputnik V vaccine in India, he said, according to ANI. Also Read: Covid-19 vaccine developers plan pledge, Russian shot passes early trial test: All you need to know Results of the clinical trials of Sputnik V were released on Friday and the clinical trials showed that 76 participants who participated in the trial developed strong immune responses. The research team said that the heterologous rAd26 and rAd5 vector-based COVID-19 vaccine induced strong humoral and cellular immune responses in participants, according to results published on Friday by The Lancet medical journal. The participants in the study were followed for 42 days and the scientists said the sample of study participants was small and there were no placebo or control vaccines used. The Lancet study stated that two Russian hospitals involving healthy individuals, both men and women, aged between 18-36 years were enrolled between June 18 and August 3. The study headed by Dr Denis Logunov of the NF Gamaleya National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology, Moscow said that participants were administered with heterologous COVID-19 vaccine consisting of two components, a recombinant adenovirus type 26 (rAd26) vector and a recombinant adenovirus type 5 (rAd5) vector, both carrying the gene for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike glycoprotein (rAd26-S and rAd5-S). The study authored by Logunov and his team of researchers pointed out that there were no adverse effects barring some common systemic and local reactions. The study said, The most common systemic and local reactions were pain at the injection site (44 [58%]), hyperthermia (38 [50%]), headache (32 [42%]), asthenia (21 [28%]), and muscle and joint pain (18 [24%]). Most systemic and local reactions were mild. Changes in laboratory variables were mild and transient. In volunteers who received both vaccine components (rAd26-S and rAd5-S), most adverse events occurred after the second vaccination (appendix pp 57). No adverse events, either during phase 1 or phase 2, led to the withdrawal of a participant from the study or withdrawal of study drug. Criticism regarding Russias Sputnik V continues as experts say that the approval has been immature. Russian president Vladimir Putins daughter was also among the participants and in a cabinet meeting, he said that his daughter feels fine. I know [the vaccine] works quite effectively, helps to develop strong immunity, and has gone through all the necessary tests, Putin said. According to another Lancet report, Peter Openshaw, professor of experimental medicine at Imperial College London, raised concerns about the effectiveness of the vaccine based on the immune response. Immune response might not be directly proportional to the degree of protectionyou can only find this out in large-scale trials, he said. The man accused of killing Newark education advocate Johnnie Lattner told police he had been out of town when authorities suspect the murder occurred, but surveillance showed otherwise, court records obtained by NJ Advance Media say. Joshua Wise, 28, called 911 to report an injured person and greeted police at Lattners Mt. Pleasant Avenue apartment on Aug. 17. Authorities say everything Wise originally told them was a ruse, according to the court complaint. Lattner was a co-founder of Parents Unified for Local School Education (PULSE), a non-profit that advocated for students and parents in Newark. His group helped file a civil rights complaint in 2014 that claimed school closings in Newark proposed under then-Superintendent Cami Andersons administration discriminated against African American students. He also unsuccessfully ran for Newark school board in 2018. Johnnie felt like the only way kids are going to survive is if their parents are involved in their educational experience, said Yolanda Johnson, who worked with him and considered him a mentor. And Johnnie wanted the best. He wanted the best educational experience. He wanted future doctors. He wanted future lawyers. He wanted future successful children. Lattner was most recently working on a parents bill of rights and was a strong advocate for community schools in Newark. He moved to Jersey City from North Carolina around 1983 and worked at Snyder High School as a security guard, according to his obituary and Johnson. He was a loving person who loved everyone that he met, his obituary read, which also explained he had no children of his own. Johnnie had a smile that would light up a room. You could always find Johnnie with a pen and pad. Because of this, the kids called him Mr. Clipboard. Wise told police that Lattner, 55, was his uncle and that he lived with him at the apartment, the court complaint says. Wise explained to cops at the scene that he had been away from Aug. 13 and returned to the apartment on Aug. 17 and smelled a foul odor when he came home. While no suspected murder weapon is indicated in the complaint, it says an autopsy determined that Lattner died from sharp force injuries to his chest and extremities. Apparent defensive wounds were also found, the complaint says. Joshua Wise, 28, of NewarkEssex County Prosecutor's Office Lattners cousin later told law enforcement she had a key to his one-bedroom apartment and checked on it Aug. 18 after she learned of his death. She told authorities that she was greeted by Wise and another unidentified man in the apartment, the complaint says. She didnt know who Wise was. Wise told her that he was a friend of Lattners and that he had been staying in the apartment since March, the complaint says. The cousin told the two men to leave and asked Wise for the key to the apartment. Wise left carrying a small bag. She tried to fit the key in the door, but it didnt fit, the complaint says. She told police that Lattner would frequently post on social media, but his posts stopped on Aug. 13. Detectives obtained surveillance footage from Lattners building that showed Wise going into the apartment at approximately 10:30 pm. on Aug. 12 and leaving about a minute later. Hes observed entering and exiting the apartment several more times for about 25 minutes. He was seen going inside the apartment the last time detectives say they saw Wise that day in surveillance video, the complaint says. Wise was seen leaving the apartment on Aug. 15 in the morning carrying two garbage bags and he returned four minutes later without them. Wise gave a statement to authorities on Sept. 2 saying he didnt see Lattner between Aug. 13 and 17 because he spent the weekend with his girlfriend, the complaint says. Authorities confronted Wise while he gave his statement with video stills they say contradicted his account about being away for the weekend. He then admitted he was home all weekend, but did not know what happened to Lattner, the complaint said. No one else entered or exited the apartment between Aug. 12 and 17, authorities wrote in the complaint. A detention hearing for Wise is scheduled for Wednesday. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Rebecca Panico may be reached at rpanico@njadvancemedia.com. A shoplifting suspect was shot and killed Friday afternoon after a police officer was stabbed in the face in what Chief William McManus called a vicious attack. McManus said the unidentified man, who was in his mid-40s, was pronounced dead at the scene. The officer, who also was not identified, was rushed to San Antonio Military Medical Center in serious condition. At 2:37 p.m., officers were called to the H-E-B at 2118 Fredericksburg Road after store security detained the shoplifting suspect, McManus said. An off-duty Floresville police officer who was working security at the grocery store turned the suspect over to the SAPD, McManus said. The SAPD officer and the security guard then escorted the suspect to an SAPD cruiser in the H-E-B parking lot. As the two officers watched, the suspect went through some personal items from his backpack on the hood of the police cruiser, McManus said after watching video of the incident. They walked out and the suspect was standing in front of the car, in front of the police vehicle, going through some things in his backpack. Im not sure what that was about, McManus said. It is unclear whether the man was handcuffed or why he was allowed to go through his backpack. Officials also did not reveal what the suspect was accused of trying to steal. McManus said it was not clear what happened next, because the suspect briefly stepped out of view of the patrol-car camera. Then the suspect very suddenly, very quickly lunged at the SAPD officer, and stabbed him in the face with a knife, the chief said. McManus said the knife was 7 inches long, with a 4- to 5-inch blade. It was quite a vicious attack; I just watched the video, the chief said. He came back hard at the officer. It wasnt a sneak attack, or surprise attack. He rushed the officer and stabbed him in the face and then fought afterward. Im not sure what he was trying to do. In response, both the SAPD officer and the security guard fired their weapons. McManus said he didnt know which one fired the shot that killed the suspect. The injured officer originally was bound for University Hospital but was diverted to SAMMC, officials said. My understanding is he was passing out on the way to the hospital because of loss of blood, the chief said. The off-duty Floresville officer was not injured, McManus said. A member of H-E-Bs security team also was transported to a hospital out of an abundance of caution, said H-E-B spokeswoman Dya Campos. The employees injuries were not considered severe. Dozens of SAPD vehicles surrounded the store after the incident, blocking off portions of streets adjacent to the crime scene. The H-E-B said it closed the store for the night after the incident out of respect for families involved and to let employees go home to their families, as well as to allow police to investigate. The store was set to reopen at 6 a.m. Saturday. Fridays incident occurred 10 days after Damian Daniels was shot and killed by a Bexar County deputy. On Aug. 25, three deputies were sent to check on the despondent 30-year-old Army veteran, who had been the subject of three previous mental health checks. He was fatally wounded during a struggle with the deputies over a firearm. Between May 2016 and May 2018, SAPD officers were involved in 35 shootings, the Attorney Generals office reported. District 7 Councilwoman Ana Sandoval and District 1 Councilman Roberto Trevino expressed their condolences and sympathies for the families involved in Fridays incident, and wished for a speedy recovery for the injured officer. Im saddened and shocked to see this tragic turn of events at our Deco H-E-B, a true neighborhood landmark, Sandoval said. This is an incredibly unfortunate circumstance, Trevino said. Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh affirmed that global and regional solidarity, cooperation and coordination are essential to help the world overcome the COVID-19 crisis while addressing online G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh attends the online G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting on Thursday. VNA/VNS Photo Minh attended the meeting on strengthening international cooperation across borders amid the COVID-19 pandemic as 2020 ASEAN Chairman at the invitation of Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia which assumes the 2020 G20 Presidency Faisal bin Farhan AI Suad. This is a special Foreign Ministers Meeting of the G20 which was held as the COVID-19 pandemic continues developing across the globe, causing many big economies to fall into serious economic crisis. Solutions such as closing border gates and travelling limitations have contributed to controlling the spread of the disease but also had negative impacts on socio-economic development, leading to disruption in trade-investment chains and international exchanges. Deputy PM Minh applauded the G20s efforts and contributions in the fight against the COVID-19 and coronavirus vaccine research as well as promoting global economic recovery. He thanked the G20 for supporting Vietnam in effectively coping with the disease and coordinating with Vietnam to help repatriate Vietnamese citizens abroad safely. He affirmed that Vietnam, as ASEAN Chair in 2020, has closely coordinated with partners to maintain cooperation activities as well as proposed many initiatives to promote common acts in COVID-19 prevention and control, supporting people and boosting economic recovery. Minh shared measures to enhance cooperation in border management to cope with COVID-19 such as increasing border management in the spirit of double goals ensuring effective disease prevention while creating conditions for trade and investment exchanges across the borders. He called for promoting cooperation in border management, including sharing of information and experience, ensuring health safety measures at the border checkpoints, applying technologies to discover and trace cases, and illegal migration. He said the G20 could work together with international organisations and other countries to advance discussion on a Code of Conduct or Roadmap for cooperation in border management and international travel facilitation. He urged G20 countries to continue taking the lead with innovative actions, joined by the international community and institutions to promote the research and development of effective and safe vaccines against COVID-19 while ensuring equitable access to affordable vaccines. Minh stressed that it is important to enhance cooperation in capacity-building to prepare for and respond to future non-traditional security challenges. At the meeting, participants affirmed their commitment to increased cooperation in responding to COVID-19 and mitigating its impacts on socio-economic development and promoting economic recovery. VNS ASEAN, Australian ministers hold special online meeting on COVID-19 Foreign ministers of ASEAN member countries and Australia agreed to enhance cooperation in COVID-19 control and vaccine development at a teleconferenced special meeting on June 30. Climate change demonstrators in London have been told they could be hit with a massive fine if they infringe regulations which outlaw gatherings of more than 30 people. The Met Police said risk assessments which outline how Extinction Rebellion (XR) activists are keeping the chance of Covid-19 transmission to a minimum did not meet the required standard. Police said XRs latest round of demonstrations pose a risk, not only to those involved, but to the wider public and communities of London. It comes after Boris Johnson reportedly infringed his own social distancing regulations by going into a packed room with 50 Tory MPs earlier in the week. In an open letter to XR protesters on Friday, the Met said: It is your responsibility to check the position and ensure you are not committing an offence by being involved in a large gathering. We urge anyone arranging a gathering to inform your local police. We all need to continue to do our part to prevent the spread of the virus. Recommended National newspapers disrupted by Extinction Rebellion protest The announcement comes after Jeremy Corbyns brother Piers was slapped with a 10,000 fine last Sunday for organising an anti-lockdown protest. The ex-Labour leader 73-year-old brother, who is a climate change denier, arranged a protest in Trafalgar Square involving hundreds of anti-mask and anti-vaccination activists. While the climate action, which began on 1 September, has so far seen more than 500 arrests. About 200 of those were linked to a blockade of Lambeth Bridge on Thursday, which shut the route off to traffic. Earlier in the day, protesters glued themselves to the ground around parliament, while others staged sit-ins at other entrances to the parliamentary estate. Friday was a quieter day, but on Saturday a procession of activists that set off from Brighton on foot a week ago is due to march the final stretch to parliament. They have been banned from taking a 20ft model boat named after teenage activist Greta Thunberg to the streets of Westminster. On Friday Met Police Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolf warned the group not to take The Lightship Greta into an area stretching from Green Park to Lambeth. She imposed an order under Section 12(3) of the Public Order Act 1986, saying: I reasonably believe that the procession may result in serious disruption to the life of the community. The Lightship Greta features the words Sound the alarm Climate Emergency on its side. Claudia Fisher, 58, of Extinction Rebellion Brighton, said of the boat: The voyage of Lightship Greta aims to highlight the journey that many climate refugees are taking right now and many millions more will be forced to undertake. More of us will be displaced and have to leave our homes for each degree of heating of our earth. As the seawater rises and the fires burn, where would you go? This is a crisis that will impact us all it is just a matter of time, and time is running out. Print runs for government-supporting newspapers such as The Sun, the Daily Telegraph, the Daily Mail and the Times were thrown into disarray after dozens of XR activists blockaded factory gates into the early hours of Saturday morning. Labour TD Brendan Howlin says he can't see Wexford pubs opening their doors again any time soon. While pubs serving food have been able to welcome customers since June 29, those that don't have been left in limbo, constantly waiting for a date that's being pushed further and further back until they can open their doors. 'I think it will be a while before pubs open their doors again,' Deputy Howlin said, speaking from his office at Leinster House. 'While you could make the argument that there's not too much of a difference between places who sell food and those that don't, I think if we don't see an improvement in the figures soon, the government are not going to loosen any restrictions that are currently in place. The feeling would be that any loosening would allow for the further spread of the virus.' Deputy Howlin, however, remained optimistic that despite the spike we've seen in recent weeks, things will improve. 'I'm very optimistic that we will get through this,' he said. 'The problem is, if we suffer another setback as we have in recent weeks, it could have a really demoralising impact on people. Ultimately, we all have to play our part and be responsible for our own actions.' Washington By some measures, the shrunken U.S. job market continued a solid recovery last month, with many employers recalling workers who had been temporarily laid off when the coronavirus erupted in the spring. The economy added nearly 1.4 million jobs in August, and the unemployment rate sank to 8.4 percent from 10.2 percent in July. Those improvements came despite a summertime surge in confirmed COVID-19 cases and the failure of Congress to pass another rescue aid package that most economists say is essential to sustain any recovery. "The recovery continues to plow on," said Andrew Hunter, senior U.S. economist at Capital Economics. Yet hiring slowed for a second straight month. The August job gain was also the smallest in four months. And Friday's jobs report suggested that many of the springtime job cuts have become permanent. Here are takeaways from the August jobs report: There's still a long way to go As the pandemic slammed the United States in March and April, employers slashed 22 million jobs. Since then, the job market has been gradually bouncing back. From May through August, it's added 10.6 million positions. That's a robust gain. But it equals not even half the jobs that vanished in the springtime collapse. To take one example, factories now employ 720,000 fewer workers than they did in February. "There obviously remains a lot of work to be done to return the labor market to a semblance of health," said Sophia Koropeckyj, a managing director at Moody's Analytics. "If the labor market were to generate jobs at the August rate, it would take 8.5 months to get back to the pre-pandemic level. "And that is a big if, since we expect that pace of recovery to slow in coming months as the U.S. grapples with the containment of the spread of the virus in the absence of a widely available vaccine for COVID-19." The easy part is over Much of the job growth in August and since May comes from employers recalling workers they had laid off when the viral outbreak forced them to either curb operations or close down entirely. As businesses have begun to reopen, the number of Americans on temporary layoff has dropped sharply, from 18.1 million in April to 6.2 million in August. Last month alone, the number fell by 3.1 million. But lots of jobs aren't coming back. The number of people who are considered permanently laid off has risen from 1.3 million in February to 3.4 million in August. Hispanic employment rose, but disparities persist The unemployment rate dropped for all races in August. But white Americans, as always, enjoyed much lower joblessness than Black and Hispanic workers. One million more Hispanics reported having jobs in August, a 4 percent increase from July. Hispanics are disproportionately likely to work in the kinds of services jobs at restaurants or construction sites, for example that have been returning as businesses reopen. The unemployment rate for Hispanics tumbled to 10.5 percent from 12.9 percent in July. In August, the number of white Americans with jobs rose by 3.1 million, or 2.8 percent. White unemployment fell to 7.3 percent from 9.2 percent. Black employment increased by 367,000, or 2.1 percent. The Black unemployment rate dropped to 13 percent from 14.5 percent. Census jobs partly offset slowdown in private sector The federal government's hiring of 238,000 temporary census workers in August drove up the number of government workers at all levels federal, state and local by 344,000. It was the sharpest such monthly gain since May 2010. By contrast, hiring by companies in the private sector has decelerated, to 1 million added jobs last month from 1.5 million in July and 4.7 million in June. And the private companies that are now hiring tend to be those, like banks and retail stores, that provide services, rather than goods-producing employers like manufacturers, which tend to pay higher wages. Goods-producing companies had accounted for 21 percent of added jobs in May and 10 percent in June. In July and August, they represented just 4 percent. Law enforcement officers released details in the shooting death of Michael Forest Reinoehl, a man suspected of shooting a right-wing protester during a rally in Portland. Agents from the FBI and the US Marshal Service killed Reinoehl during an attempt to apprehend him in Lacey, Washington, about 120 miles north of Portland. According to The New York Times, the US Marshals are claiming that Reinoehl shot at agents as they attempted to capture him. "Initial reports indicate the suspect produced a firearm, threatening the lives of law enforcement officers," the US Marshals said in a statement. "Task force members responded to the threat and struck the suspect who was pronounced dead at the scene." Agents tracked Reinoehl to an apartment complex. Reinoehl left the building and allegedly entered a vehicle. At that point, agents attempted to apprehend him. Recommended Suspect in Trump supporter shooting in Portland killed by officers Law enforcement agents claim Reinoehl drew a weapon while he was attempting to flee. As a result, the agents shot and killed Reinoehl. Lieutenant Ray Brady of the Thurston County Sheriff's Office said that while Reinoehl did have a gun on him, he said "we are not able to confirm at this time if he fired shots." An arrest warrant was issued for Reinoehl on 29 Aug. On the same day, Vice News published an interview with Reinoehl in which he claims he "had no choice"in the shooting, as he was defending the life of his friend. The man Reinoehl was accused of killing was Aaron J Danielson. Mr Danielson was wearing a "Patriot Prayer" hat at the time of the incident, which suggests he was a member of the far-right organisation. Patriot Prayer is an ostensibly Christian far-right organisation that had brawled with left-wing protesters in and around Portland for years. "Over the past three years, the group has hosted and promoted rallies in progressive cities like Portland, frequently engaging in violence against their political opponents," the Southern Poverty Law Centre said in a report. "Patriot Prayer rallies regularly include the Proud Boys, a hate group, and various antigovernment extremist groups." Reinoehl - who once wrote "I am 100% ANTIFA on his Instagram page - said he previously provided security during Black Lives Matter protests. He told Vice News that he thought Mr Danielson was going to stab him and his friend. "I could have sat there and watched them kill a friend of mine of colour. But I wasn't going to do that," Reinoehl said. Reinoehl was a nightly fixture at the Portland protests. He was shot in the arm while attempting to wrestle a gun away from a right-wing protester during a fight. He was also arrested for carrying a loaded gun and for resisting arrest on another occasion. "Nightly, he would break up fights," Randal McCorkle, a regular attendee at the demonstrations and a friend of Reinoehl said. "He wanted change so badly." Teal Lindseth, a main organiser of the protests in Portland, said he was "literally a guardian angel." Before his death, Reinoehl said he and his attorneys were considering a a self defence argument once he turned himself in to authorities. Dr. Abdulfatai Buhari A member of the National Assembly, Dr. Abdulfatai Buhari, has tacked electricity distribution companies in Nigeria over the increment of electricity tariff. The Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) and Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) had earlier announced the implementation of the new Service Reflective Tariff Plan. But, Buhari, who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Land Transport, said that the electricity distribution companies cannot just wake up in one day and announce increment of the tariff without commensurable electricity supply. Buhari, who represents Oyo North at the green chamber, while speaking in Iseyin town during an empowerment program, added that the issue of tariff increments by the DISCOs is one of the issues the Senate will look into when the Senators resume. At the program held at the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camp in Iseyin were former Governor of Oyo state, Chief Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala, former Senate Leader, Teslim Folarin, an Ibadan Chief, Chief Adegboyega Adegoke, Dr. Yunus Akintunde, Hon. Sina Peller and traditional rulers among others. Buhari while speaking, maintained that the national assembly, particularly, the Senate will discuss the issue of tariff increments when they resume. He said, This is where the consumer protection council will have to come in. You cant just wake up in the morning and increase electricity tariff. So, the CPC has to come in heavily on them. If they refused some of us, when we go back to the National Assembly, we will raise a motion and stop them. The money is not there. Even the electricity they are increasing the tariff, the price is not commensurate with what they are giving us. In my house, before the increment, I normally use 20,000 in a month. Now, the 20,000 card is the one I used in a week. You will use the 20,000 in one week. It is going like air. And it should be pay as you use. Like DSTV, we are trying to block them that look, pay as you view which is the sensible thing. They will resist it, but, the moment we have the support of the masses particularly the press, it makes our job over there easy. It makes it very easy. You should also help us to enlighten the public that when we are raising this issue, that we are raising it for the benefit of the masses. Chandigarh may boast of being the first planned city of Independent India and educational and political hub of the region, but when it comes to ease of doing business, the Union Territory has shared the bottom rank with seven other states in 2019. The capital of two states has achieved 29th rank, same as last year (2017-18), in the fourth edition of Business Reform Action Plan rankings for 2019, released by the Union finance minister in New Delhi on Saturday. Haryana is ranked 16th and Punjab 19th. Chandigarh is tied with Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Odisha, Sikkim and Tripura at the 29th position. Andhra Pradesh has topped the rankings, with Uttar Pradesh at second and Telangana at third positions. Business Reform Action Plan rankings began in 2015 with an objective to introduce healthy competition among states and UTs and thereby attract investments and increase the ease of doing business. Chandigarh achieved 24th rank in the inaugural report, but was placed last in 2016 . Reform parameters The Business Reform Action Plan 2018-19 contained a list of 80 reforms (187 reform action points) including access to information and transparency enablers, availability of land, environmental registration enablers, obtaining electricity connection, labour regulation enablers, single-window system, environmental registration enablers, land administration and transfer of property and sector-wise enablers. Of the 187 reform points, Chandigarh only implemented nine, and there was no action on the remaining 178. As per the ranking report, the reforms were implemented in some points falling under access to information, obtaining electricity connection, and environment, but the performance was not good. Calling the rankings extremely disappointing, Pankaj Khanna, president, Industries Association of Chandigarh, said: The administration needs to take concrete steps in consultation with all stakeholder to reverse this situation. Naveen Manglani, president, Chamber of Chandigarh Industries, said: The main reason of low ranking was non-implementation of Chandigarh Industrial Policy 2015. Major issues are non-conversion of leasehold industrial plots to freehold and no increase in floor area ratio. The rigidity of rules is leaving no scope for growth and ease of doing in business. Chandigarhs loss is Punjab and Haryanas gain. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON SAO PAULO - Critics of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro are again speaking out against the leaders stance on the coronavirus pandemic, this time rejecting his view that vaccination for the virus shouldnt be mandatory. Bolsonaros first such comments came Monday, when he told a supporter, No one can force anyone to get a vaccine. He repeated it Thursday night during a live broadcast on Facebook, adding his opposition to administering vaccines that are yet to be proven on Brazilian soil. It has been proven in other countries, but not here in Brazil, he said, without specifying to which potential vaccine he was referring. We cannot be irresponsible and put a vaccine into peoples bodies. As I said, nobody can oblige someone to take a vacccine. The comments were swiftly rebuked by opponents on social media. Sao Paulo state Gov. Joao Doria, a former Bolsonaro ally turned foe, said in an interview with The Associated Press on Friday that immunization cannot be viewed as a personal decision. Sao Paulo, with 46 million residents, is the pandemics epicenter in Brazil, with its more than 30,000 dead from COVID-19 accounting for about a fourth of the countrys death toll from the illness. It is sad that once again Brazils president is setting a denialist example, Doria said in a video call. It should be obligatory, except in special cases or under health circumstances that justify not taking a vaccine. An infected person infects others, and makes possible the death of others. Brazils Workers Party, an adversary of both Bolsonaro and Doria, said in a statement that the presidents efforts to create an air of doubt about a future vaccine ignores the importance of the shots to protect the health of the entire population. The national health council, which is a branch of Bolsonaros own health ministry, said in a statement that the government should not be talking about vaccination against COVID-19 not being mandatory. The right to individual liberty is not absolute to the point of being above the collective well-being, the council said. Since the onset of the crisis, Bolsonaro has set himself against lockdowns and other broad restrictions on activity imposed by governors at the recommendation of health experts. The president called COVID-19 a little flu, and warned that shutting down the economy would inflict a greater hardship on the millions who live hand to mouth. Brazils health ministry to date has confirmed more than 4 million cases of the disease and 125,000 deaths. Both numbers trail only the United States, according to the tally kept by Johns Hopkins University. Because Brazils caseload is so high, and it has a large, dispersed population of 210 million people, several vaccine developers selected the nation to conduct human trials of their products. Bolsonaros federal government struck an initial deal with AstraZeneca for 30 million doses of its vaccine, which could later rise to 100 million in total. Sao Paulos state government, meanwhile, forged an agreement with Chinese vaccine developer Sinovac for 60 million shots, if it is proven effective. But Bolsonaro supporters frequently call COVID-19 a Chinese virus and reject working with companies from China. Doria said Bolsonaros move to stir skepticism about foreign-made vaccines is a mistake. With one vaccine we cannot immunize the entire Brazilian population. We need two, three, maybe four, produced in large scale, the governor said. As long as it is proven to be efficient, it doesnt matter if it is Chinese, Russian, French, American or British. What matters is that it saves lives. A recent poll by Ipsos Institute in 27 countries published Wednesday found 88% of Brazilians surveyed said they would get immunized against COVID-19 if a vaccine was available. Brazils health ministry expects the distribution of vaccines can start in the first months of 2021. Max Igor Lopes, an infectious disease specialist at Sao Paulos Hospital das Clinicas, believes controversy about mandatory vaccination isnt helpful. What is important is that people take the vaccine because they understand that it brings a benefit to them, he said. And this is the vaccines purpose. Read more about: Olasupo Shasore, Nigerias first counsel in the P&ID arbitration saga, accused of sabotaging his own client, has reacted to the allegations against him. He, however, failed to address the allegations of bribery and other corrupt acts levelled against him in Fridays judgment of a British court. The former Attorney General of Lagos State was appointed counsel for Nigeria in the arbitration that culminated in a British Virgin Islands firm, Process & Industrial Development Limited (P&ID) awarded about $10billion. The court judgment of Friday revealed that despite receiving the sum of two million dollars to assist in the first and second stages of the arbitration, Mr Shasore worked against the interest of his client. The Nigerian government also presented evidence that he did not give his best to defend the countrys interest but rather kept pushing for settlement, suggesting that he was compromised. Back story On January 11, 2010, P&ID, a British firm, signed a gas supply and processing agreement with the Ministry of Petroleum Resources on behalf of the Nigerian government. Going by the provisions of the agreement, the foreign company was expected to build and operate an Accelerated Gas Development project to be located at Adiabo in Odukpani Local Government Area of Cross River State. On the other hand, the Nigerian government was to provide natural gas from oil mining leases (OMLs) 123 and 67 operated by Addax Petroleum and supply to P&ID to refine into fuel suitable for power generation in the country. An initial volume of about 150 million cubic feet of gas per day was expected to be supplied by Nigeria. Eventually, it was to be summed up to about 400 million cubic feet per day during the 20-year period. The company accused Nigeria of not fulfilling its part of the bargain after negotiations were opened with the Cross River State government for allocation of land for the project. P&ID claimed the failure to construct the pipeline system to supply the gas frustrated the construction of the gas project, thereby depriving it of the potential benefits from over 20 years worth of gas supplies. The company said attempts to settle out of court with the Nigerian government failed. In August 2012, P&ID served the Nigerian government a Request for Arbitration. However, Nigeria argued before the tribunal that the failure of P&ID to acquire the site and build Gas Processing Facilities was a fundamental breach and that no gas could be delivered until this has been done. But the tribunal ruled that Nigerias obligations under Article 6B were not conditional upon P&ID having constructed the gas processing facilities. In July 2015, the arbitral tribunal found that Nigeria had repudiated its obligations under the GSPA and that P&ID had been entitled to accept the repudiation and claim damages for breach. On December 23, 2015, the government asked for the award to be set aside. That was after earlier committing that the arbitration decision shall be final and binding upon parties. Consequently, on February 10, 2016, the application was dismissed, paving way for the hearing on July 22 to 24, 2016 to determine the damages. Consequently, a commercial court in the United Kingdom, awarded $8.9 billion (about N3.2 trillion) in favour of P&ID. In a twist of event on Friday, the Nigerian government secured a judgement of a British court following its appeal to suspend the unfavourable ruling. The judgment, delivered by Ross Cranston, granted Nigerias appeal for a stay of execution of the awarded sum. Allegations Amongst the allegations against Mr Shasore is the non-disclosure of his involvement in the case to members of his law firm and running it through a different firm, Twenty Marina Solicitors. Also, Mr Shasore failed to cross-examine Michael Quinn, the founder of the company, on the matter, an attempt believed to aid the argument of P&ID and sabotage the interest of his country. More so, the Nigerian government noted in its appeal that Mr Shasore, for more than a year, failed to cooperate in handing over necessary materials to Bolaji Ayorinde, the senior lawyer who replaced him. Advertisements Nigerias legal representative, Mark Howard, added that in the first two stages of the arbitration, Mr Shasore, deliberately defended the case thinly. Nevertheless, while the case was still ongoing, Mr Shasore allegedly made a questionable payments of $100,000 each to Folakemi Adelore and Mr Ikechukwu Oguine, both legal representatives of the ministry of petroleum resources and NNPC respectively. The trio, who also discouraged Nigeria from strongly contesting claims of the British firm, formed the settlement team that jetted to London for settlement negotiations with P&ID. Reaction In a statement signed by Mr Shasore on Saturday, he said he is disappointed that the case made against him hinged on false statements. He described the federal governments position as spiteful personal attacks on his professional conduct and reputation. I was instructed in this matter and accepted the instructions on behalf of my firm and to the knowledge of my partners in late 2012 and I made every effort to defend and vindicate my client at every stage with very few tools and with minimal support from within the government itself, Mr Shasore said. I represented Nigeria up until the liability stage in the arbitration. I did not represent Nigeria in the damages stage of the arbitration. Which means I was not involved when the huge sum of damages was awarded against Nigeria. The complete records will show the series of steps that I took to defend Nigeria and the several results, which I secured in that effort at various stages. He noted that he put up the best defence with very little or no cooperation from relevant government officials at the time. I filed a jurisdiction objection that potentially could and should indeed have terminated the case in favour of Nigeria because it was clear to us from the beginning that the contract was a scheme against Nigeria. When the then Nigerian officials failed to supply documents or any witness to defend their case, I fought liability by enlisting the support of the legal adviser of NNPC who gave evidence to the best of his knowledge when everyone else with knowledge, refused to do so. As part of efforts made, Mr Shasore added that he obtained an injunction restraining the parties and the tribunal from proceeding with the arbitration then. Speaking on the legal fees, he stated that it was payment to two law firms and not exceptional or unusual in the context of such a dispute. In fact, in order to extract the best possible case for Nigeria, it was from these fees that expenses were paid to ensure attendance at hearings and meetings in the UK by witnesses for Nigeria. While he neither debunked or confirmed the allegations of bribery and corruption, he reaffirmed his commitment and professional integrity to always act in the best interest of Nigeria, victimized by fraud and corruption. However, Mr Shasore failed to explain why he made suspicious payments to NNPC officials and why he failed to challenge or push for the nullification of the witness statement of Mr Quinn who died while the arbitration proceedings were underway. He claimed he got no cooperation from officials of the then government. But he did not say why he did not withdraw from the matter in protest against uncooperative officials. Originally, this was a farm truck according to ICON 4x4 of California. The Old School Edition before your eyes started life as a 1950 Thriftmaster, but now packs 430 horsepower and independent suspension all around.We had the opportunity to completely redesign the visual elements as well as the chassis for a much smoother, really enjoyable ride, and the restomodding specialist has also made a statement with the period-correct interior. The vanilla hue of the dashboard contrasts nicely with the saddle leather seats, and in the rear of the cabin, you will also notice a Saint Francis badge that signifies safe travels for all.Made-to-order green suede piping and a lovely column-mounted shifter are also featured, along with two apparently old-school gauges. The one on the right - the 120-mph speedometer - incorporates a small digital display that adds a little modernity to the otherwise vintage but exquisite interior. Indeed, this is an extremely tasteful makeover.Brembo brakes at all four corners, African teak for the bed, Bluetooth connectivity for the stereo, ice-cold air conditioning, and a 4L85-E automatic transmission are also featured. The small-block LS3 under the hood only adds to the specialness of this build, which is capable of lighting up the rears and carving corners better than it hauls.At ICON 4x4, our passion is in celebrating timeless designs and giving them new life with increased performance, handling, and comfort, said founder and lead designer Jonathan Ward. More than 22 items are said to be unique to this build, but frankly speaking, the attention to detail is what makes this truck so special among Thriftmasters.Its hard to put a price on this build, but its an expensive makeover without a shadow of a doubt. Lest we forget, the Californian company typically charges $235,000 or thereabouts for the most simple of Thriftmaster restomods. There are worse places than the sunny climes of Majorca to find yourself in lockdown. When the virus halted Europe in March, Colm Meaney found himself in his holiday home in the sunny Spanish island with his wife, costume designer Ines Glorian, and youngest daughter Ada. We were very fortunate if I had been in an apartment in New York like my eldest daughter, I would have gone nuts, he says, speaking from Dublin, where he returned after lockdown. He always did have a knack of being at the right place at the right time. Throughout his count em 41-year acting career, hes flitted between Dublin, London, and LA, picking up an enviable variety of roles. Youd almost forget his ubiquity. Hes well known as Miles OBrien in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine or in Roddy Doyles triptych of The Van, The Snapper, and The Commitments, but hes also lent his talents to some genre-defining productions, from Moonlighting to MacGyver, Con Air to Intermission. When I started doing Star Trek [in 1987] I was aware that when you do a high-profile show like that, its easy to be pigeonholed, and maybe subconsciously I wanted to make sure that didnt happen to me, he says. I always tried to do two or three projects every year outside of the show, so it was almost as if I had two different careers going on. I was a recurring character on Next Generation, which suited me fine. Id do a few episodes then Id go away and do a movie, as I wasn't tied to a contract. When they asked me to commit to Deep Space Nine as a regular cast member, I was a bit reluctant to do that. Sometimes what happens if you go into a series like that, it takes over your life, and that becomes the only thing you do. If you do that for long enough, then you lose the other aspects of your career. But Rick said: Look, if there's any films that you really want to do, come to me. Ill do everything I can to let you out'. And for seven years, he was good to his word, he always got out to do other things. With the air of a man whose largest worry is how to work Zoom, hes settled on a terracotta sofa and relaxed. Hes there on his own: his wife and daughter are still in Spain, but hes glad to settle back into life in his native Dublin for a while. Kindly, he heaps praise upon this very publication, having recently rediscovered it last year Its terrific. Ive been really impressed with the columnists and international coverage he says, the charmer. Hes returned to help raise awareness and funds for the arts sector during Covid, though its one of the many shape-shifting changes hes seen in the industry during his tenure. In that time, hes watched as social media altered the cult of celebrity, broadcast channels and services exploded in numbers, and he now believes that cinemas are a thing of the past I think that may have been accelerated by lockdown. Yet the shift thats affected Meaney the most is found in filming. With cheaper cameras and a digital editing process, its less important to get something perfect in the can which means less need for rehearsals. We developed a process over a hundred years where you rehearsed the scene with the director, he says. "Then you brought in the technical crew, the director of photography had a look, and then you built it, block by block you didnt want to waste film, because it was expensive. But that went by the wayside when digital came in. Nowadays a lot of directors don't even rehearse anymore. They just put three, four, five, six cameras on. So you dont know what youre doing, and at times you don't know where the fucking camera is. And part of our craft is playing to the camera. I don't like digital, but my good friend Stephen Frears [the award-winning director of The Snapper and Philomena] told me I cant blame digital for that, because he shoots exactly the same way as hes always done. So it depends who is behind the camera. The change isnt stopping Meaney in his tracks. His quiet, career-long purple patch continues, even during this unusual year. We first saw him in one of lockdowns big-hitters, Skys violent drama Gangs of London. As the kingpin Finn Wallace, his murder in the opening scenes starts its chain of events, though were intermittently treated to Meaneys talents in the form of flashbacks throughout the series. His new role is a world away from Londons ganglands in fact, its in The Singapore Grip, a big-budget Second World War series adapted from Anglo-Irish writer J.G. Farrells book of the same name. After Troubles (set in Ireland), and The Siege of Krishnapur (in India), this formed the last of the Empire Trilogy, which unravelled the impact of Britains imperialism because, as Farrell described, history leaves out the most important thing of all: the detail of what being alive is like. The Singapore Grip The Singapore Grip centres around two colonial families and their business at the time of the Japanese invasion in 1941. With a cast led by David Morrissey ( The Walking Dead, Britannia), Jane Horrocks ( Little Voice, Absolutely Fabulous) and Luke Treadaway ( A Streetcat Named Bob, Fortitude), Meaney takes on the role of Major Brendan Archer, one of the less scheming and self-serving characters of the bunch. Hes a very gentle soul, and a sensitive man, says Meaney. "You know he's probably troubled, but he deals with it. Im rarely asked to play that I'm usually a much more forceful character. I was excited because you're never asked to play British in Britain, he adds. In America, its no problem if Brits play Americans, Irish play Americans, Australians play Americans. But in Britain, you're never asked to play British. "Even Stephen Frears said it to me: You can't do that, youre Irish! I said: I'm also an actor, Stephen. Given Laura Whitmores promotion of the British Army, its an eyebrow-raising choice of character, especially as Meaney is a renowned Republican. But he explains that that as actors, you play a character, you play fascists, or whatever. Your own personal beliefs and politics dont come into it except you don't want to be doing fascist propaganda. While the two episodes Ive seen tell the familiar tale of colonial high-jinx and high life, Farrells critical lampooning of the system begins soon after, Meaney assures. It is lampooning to some extent, but there are also serious points made about the nature of imperialism, he says. It talks about how they claim to be bringing progress and civilisation, but basically all they're doing is setting up infrastructure in this country in order to be able to extract the resources of that country, and repatriate the profits to Britain, which is what imperialism was all about. Its the same bullshit as with the Christian missionaries. The book and series deal with it in a smart way: theres no preaching, it's just there, it's in the nature of these people. And the incompetence! You wonder how these people organised an empire. Christopher [Hampton, screenwriter] made a good point the other day, that the level of incompetence and casual racism that existed still very much exists in this particular British government. It's a combination of arrogance, incompetence, and casual racism. And yet it seems to get votes, even in this day and age. It's extraordinary. Has it helped inform his opinion of British imperialism? Its reinforced my opinion, he says. Being Irish and reading on history and politics, imperialism was never a positive. I always saw it for what it is: the exploitation of weaker nations by stronger nations. As Singapore itself looks remarkably different from the 1940s, the series was filmed over five humid months in Kuala Lumpur and Penang in Malaysia. I'd walk out of the apartment building in the morning, and my glasses would instantly steam up, says Meaney. I couldnt see a thing, I was blind like Mr Magoo, instantly. That's how humid and hot it was. The schedule did allow some time for exploring Southeast Asia he became familiar with the cities during gaps within his filming, and jetted off to Vietnam and Cambodia once it wrapped. Happily, the series finished filming well before the coronavirus crisis, allowing us to reap the rewards at a time when were watching a little more telly than usual. Thats also the same with his next two films: The Happy Worker, by Twin Peaks collaborators David Lynch and Duwayne Dunham, and Pixie, an Irish comedy-thriller about a woman on the run from gangsters, with Olivia Cooke, Ben Hardy, and Alec Baldwin also in the cast. That said, the crisis and restricted cinema markets mean that dates are still yet to be confirmed. Actor Colm Meaney(Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images) Looking further forward, I wonder if he might reprise his role of The Major in J.G. Farrells Troubles, where the Major makes his first appearance? I read Troubles to explore the background of the Major, and it really explains an awful lot about him, Meaney says. Id love to do it, but it was 20 years before we see him in Singapore, so I think theyd be looking for a younger 'me' to play that. If thats the case, good luck to the actor: those are some big army boots to fill. The Singapore Grip is part of Virgin Media Television's new season of programming, and will air in early autumn With pleasant weather this Labor Day weekend, state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection officials expect a large number of people visiting state parks. On Friday, they announced that state parks have been closed a record 519 times this summer 358 more times than last year. The reason? The number of parking spaces at state parks has been reduced to maintain safe social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic. Once parking capacity was reached, new visitors were turned away. It announces the park closings on the state parks Twitter feed, @CTStateParks and on its website. Here are the parks that are now closed on Saturday: 11:33 a.m. - Sleeping Giant State Park, Hamden, is closed due to parking lot full to capacity. 1:33 p.m. - Silver Sands State Park, Milford, is closed due to parking lot full to capacity. Check back for updates. Boris Johnson has said he will "support anything" to get justice for Harry Dunn, the teenager motorcyclist who was hit and killed outside a military base. A car crashed into Dunn's motorbike outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire on 27 August, 2019, and Anne Sacoolas, the wife of a US intelligence official, was accused of killing the 19-year-old. Following the crash, Ms Sacoolas claimed diplomatic immunity and returned to her home country, causing international uproar. She was charged with causing death by dangerous driving in December, but an extradition request submitted by the Home Office was rejected by the US secretary of state, Mike Pence, the following month - a decision described as a "denial of justice" by the Home Office. But when asked about the prospect of a virtual trial on Friday, the the prime minister said: "There is the legal possibility that you mention. I think the best thing that I can say is, I will support anything that helps to bring justice for Harry Dunn and bring some sort of closure for his family because they have suffered for a long time." Harry's mother, Charlotte Charles, said: "We were very encouraged to see the prime minister's comments this afternoon about getting justice for Harry." She told PA: "It's been the worst year of our lives and we cannot even begin the grieving process until we get justice and then closure. "It has taken every ounce of our very being to get to this point, and we are so grateful to our supporters and the media for all their support. It means the world to us. "We can now see that with Mr Johnson on board we are nearly there, and we hope to put an end to this nightmare soon." The Attorney General is currently considering the possibility of trying Sacoolas, 43, virtually, or in her absence. Last month Mr Dunn's family confirmed they had withdrawn their intention to sue the US government in a bid to find justice. Mr Dunn's parents previously said they would pursue a claim against Donald Trump's administration for its handling of their son's case. But Ms Charles said the family "can now see that the US government are working towards" Ms Sacoolas facing the UK justice system. Additional reporting by PA Media Chief Minister on Saturday ended his week-long self-isolation after testing negative for coronavirus, informed the Chief Minister's Office (CMO). The Chief Minister had earlier come in contact with two MLAs who had later tested positive for the virus. He came in contact with the legislators in the Vidhan Sabha on August 28 during a one-day session of the House. " Chief Minister ends his week-long self-isolation after testing negative for COVID-19. Chief Minister had self-isolated himself on August 28 after coming in contact with 2 MLAs who had later tested positive for coronavirus," said the CMO. "Captain Amarinder, who presided over a virtual high-level meeting of ministers, Congress MLAs and senior officials, disclosed during the interaction that he had got himself tested today and was found negative," it stated. This was the third time the Chief Minister got himself tested for COVID-19 since the outbreak of the pandemic. According to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the total number of active cases in stand at 15,731. While 42,543 patients have cured/discharged/migrated, the death toll stands at 1,739. (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.) Students walk along Liacouras Walk at Temple University on Thursday. The university has now confirmed more than 300 students with the coronavirus. Read more As the country reached the Labor Day weekend still under the thumb of the coronavirus pandemic, Pennsylvania and New Jersey officials implored people to avoid behavior that has caused case spikes after other holidays. As usual, they said to not attend large gatherings, to wear masks, and to keep your distance from others. COVID-19 knows no bounds it doesnt respect county or state lines, and it certainly doesnt take a holiday, Pennsylvania Health Secretary Rachel Levine said, so it is important that we remind our neighbors to stay safe over the long weekend. An increasing number of people who test positive for the coronavirus are telling state case investigators they became sick days after attending mass gatherings defined as indoor events with 25 or more people, or outdoor events with 250 or more, Levine said. Labor Day weekend marks six months since the first confirmed cases of the coronavirus in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. And it comes as those states and the United States as a whole have seen a moderate but encouraging slowing of new cases. Still, as the infection spreads through colleges, the average number of new cases each day nationwide remains much higher than it was at the end of the spring. Pennsylvania also saw an uptick in its seven-day average for new daily cases this week, going from a low of 602 on Aug. 27 to 810 on Friday. The state reported 891 newly confirmed cases Friday. New Jerseys seven-day average, which has been steadily lower all summer than in Pennsylvania, stood at 338 new daily cases on Thursday, though that also represented a small increase from late August. Officials reported 478 cases on Friday. READ MORE: Will there be a coronavirus vaccine by Nov. 1? New Jersey Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli urged people to wash hands, wear masks, and stay outside if gathering with others. The cost of attending a barbecue or enjoying a drink with friends should not be a deadly virus, she said. Labor Day weekend began with some good news for unemployed Pennsylvanians: They can begin receiving the $300 in federal jobless benefits coming via the Federal Emergency Management Agency starting Sept. 14, earlier than the state had anticipated, Labor and Industry Secretary W. Gerard Oleksiak said Friday. People can apply for the program starting Sunday at www.uc.pa.gov/cert. They must log in as if they are filing a biweekly claim and select the Complete LWA Certification. Unemployed New Jersey residents will also be able to receive the benefit, but the state has said it will take several weeks to get the program running. READ MORE: Unemployed? You may get an extra $300 a week through FEMA grant to Pa., N.J. The outbreak at Temple University expanded as 80 more students were confirmed to have the virus, bringing the total number of known cases to 318. All but one of the cases are among students. That continued to affect the number of cases reported by Philadelphia, which on Friday was 134, with 50% in people under 30. Temple moved to almost fully remote instruction Thursday, and Pennsylvania State University leaders were contemplating the same move Friday. The school reported 215 cases on Friday, nearly tripling since Tuesday. Fifty-eight students are in isolation after testing positive, and 26 in quarantine because they had close contact with someone who tested positive, according to the schools coronavirus dashboard. Penn State officials urged students to socialize only with roommates and refrain from gatherings. We know the virus is here, and I am, of course, concerned by the numbers and trends we are seeing, Penn State president Eric Barron said. Next week, we will assess data following the holiday weekend, and determine whether we need to take mitigation steps at University Park, including temporary or sustained remote learning. READ MORE: Penn State turns Centre County into a massive coronavirus research project Two hours south, Gettysburg College, which locked down all its students in their dorms on Tuesday, decided Friday to send all but about 900 of its 2,600 students home to complete the semester remotely. Students who are eligible to remain on campus include first-year, transfer, and international students, along with students who need to stay for various reasons, according to the schools website. The liberal arts college may have been the first in the country to quarantine all students in response to an outbreak. Twenty-five students tested positive on Tuesday. Dean of students Julie Ramsey said in a letter to the community the college would determine how to operate for the rest of the semester based on the weeks coronavirus tests. The campus-wide quarantine will remain in place as students depart, and classes will be suspended next week. They will resume both in person and virtually on Sept. 14, the school said. In New Jersey, health officials released guidelines for when K-12 schools should close if children become infected, though the ultimate decision will lie with local health departments and school districts. If there are two or more cases in one classroom, the school can stay open, provided all students or staff who had contact with those infected quarantine for two weeks. But if two or more students from different classrooms who took part in the same activity become sick, local health officials must decide whether to close the school. The state recommends a school close for two weeks if two or more unrelated cases from multiple classrooms are confirmed, if a significant community outbreak affects multiple members of the school, or if virus transmission rises to the states high risk level in the surrounding region. READ MORE: New Jersey is reopening indoor dining. Restaurants are still worried. As indoor dining resumed in New Jersey on Friday, Gov. Phil Murphy said he would expand the 25% capacity limit if the state sees good compliance with safety protocols. The state revoked the liquor license of Il Portico, a Burlington City restaurant that authorities said threw a 500-person July Fourth party and then violated its license suspension, Murphy said. Murphy said restaurateurs should see the revocation as a warning to comply with the capacity limits on indoor dining, saying they are not kind suggestions. They are required. Murphy also said smoking would not be permitted at casinos even as dining service resumes, reversing an order that originally allowed it. We have looked closely at the science, the governor said, and agree with the experts who have concluded that smoking is too big a risk to take. Staff writers Laura McCrystal and Susan Snyder contributed to this article. United States Postal Service (USPS) workers are reporting that management is attempting to severely restrict their freedom of speech by imposing guidelines that pressure workers into keeping quiet and instructing them to direct all questions from journalists and concerned customers to media representatives. Post office mail boxes Vice News released a document sourced by postal workers, which revealed the content of the guidelines[1]. The management memo states, If you are contacted by a media representative, please respond politely that you are not authorized to respond on the Postal Services behalf, but you will have an authorized person contact the representative. To that end, please ask the representative for this information: The name of the media representative The name of the media organization The representatives contact information (phone number and e-mail address); and A brief summary of the information requested. USPS management tells workers not to answer questions from the public, writing, Avoid the temptation to answer a few questions. Keep in mind that while most media representatives will identify themselves up front, sometimes they do not. If you are dealing with a customer, particularly one who asks a series of questions, it is perfectly appropriate to ask, Are you a member of the media? The motivation behind the memo is revealed near its end. When a media entry could result in a negative or controversial coverage, it is crucial that the Postal Service provide a response as quickly as possible. Since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, USPS workers have faced increasingly dire threats of privatization. Multi-millionaire stockholder of rival USPS firms and a major GOP donorLouis DeJoyhas assumed leadership of the Postal Service through a bipartisan process, and within three months has centralized power around himself and used the manufactured budget crisis as a pretext to slash operational efficiency by ordering the destruction of mail sorting units and postboxes, curtailing overtime and shutting down post offices while overall making the USPS more reliant on third party contractors. These measures have been carried out with the aim of clearing the path for privatization of a service, which processes over 40 percent of the worlds mail. The deaths of postal workers from COVID-19 have been largely hidden by management from USPS workers and the broader public. At the same time, USPS is being turned into a political tool by the Trump administration to ensure its re-election. To this end DeJoy has ordered the creation of a new department responsible for processing mail, putting a large question mark on the integrity of the 2020 election, in which mail-in ballots will be one of the primary methods of voting. The USPS is a highly popular public service and has received an outpouring of support. While DeJoy told Congress that USPS workers need to have their heath care and pension benefits rationalized, a recent survey taken between August 14 and August 18 by Reuters showed that 88 percent of Democrats and six in 10 Republicans said that funding for the United States Postal Service should be increased to ensure Americans mail gets delivered in a timely fashion. Overall, 78 percent said the US Postal Service was essential for the election and nearly three-quarters of respondents said additional funding was necessary for timely mail delivery. As reports flood in from around the country of mail delays, including essential items such as medicine, questions are being asked about the internal operations of the Postal Service. Management is seeking to impose a gag order not only to keep workers quiet, but also to undermine their resistance, knowing full well that postal employees have the support of the vast majority of the US population. One question workers may ask is, How is it that a government agency is allowed to violate the First Amendment of the US Constitution, which guarantees the right of freedom of speech? A brief published by the Brennen Center for Freedom of Information in the University of Florida shows that the United States Government and its related agencies have routinely violated the First Amendment for decades[2]. The brief states: Decades worth of First Amendment case law establishes that public employees have a constitutionally protected right to speak about work-related matters without needing their employers permission. Policies and regulations that require pre-approval before government employees can discuss their work with the news media are invariably struck down as unconstitutional when challenged. Still, agencies persist in enforcing rules curtailing public employees ability to share information with journalists. Gag policies similar to those declared unconstitutional in courts across the country remain on the books at all levels of government, from Cabinet-level federal agencies down to the tiniest local police department. Journalists regularly report encountering heavy-handed screening by government public-relations offices, delaying or outright denying access to news sources. Because the process of filing a lawsuit against these policies is very cumbersome and costly, government agencies have been able to get away with severely restricting their employees First Amendment rights. The brief clarifies a critical point, that the effort to silence workers is a bipartisan affair. It notes that during the Obama administration (also responsible for the shutdown of over 3,700 US Post Offices, and reduction of over 150,000 full-time jobs), The Society For Professional Journalists sent a letter in 2015 stating: Requirements that no one in federal offices speak to reporters without notifying an authority, often a public information officer, have become more entrenched. We are similarly unable to obtain information from previously available experts within agencies, who are often only allowed to speak when in the presence of a press office staff, which chills their speech, or are prohibited from speaking with the media at all. The drive to silence workers is not limited to just federal employees. Recently, reports have come out showing that Amazon has conducted surveillance of its workers on private Facebook groups, subreddits, and twitter; and hired employees for the specific purpose of spying, particularly monitoring any discussion of strikes and organizing. USPS workers involved in Facebook groups have also reported instances of co-workers being reprimanded for posts on social media. The suppression of information about internal conditions within the USPS serves the interests of management, composed of a bipartisan cabal who are terrified of broader opposition developing within the working class, especially as rank-and-file committees of teachers and autoworkers have formed, independent of the Democrats, Republicans and pro-company unions. Within this context of an increasingly combative working class they fear that any news that exposes the true internal conditions of the USPS may spark a broad movement of postal workers. Postal workers must insist on their fundamental right to free speech. This requires the development of rank-and-file workplace committees independent of the bankrupt and impotent government unions such as the American Federation of Postal Workers. We strongly encourage all postal workers who want to expose their working conditions and fight to defend the post office as a public service to contact the World Socialist Web Site. We will make sure that your identity is protected and that what you have to say gets heard by fellow workers around the world. [1] https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/7041222-Guidelines-for-Handling-Local-Media-Inquiries.html#document/p1 [2] https://brechner.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Public-employee-gag-orders-Brechner-issue-brief-as-published-10-7-19.pdf By Express News Service COIMBATORE: A section of doctors in the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) said that the administration of convalescent plasma therapy on comorbid patients is failing to fetch desired results. A doctor said two comorbid persons, out of 11 Covid-19 patients who underwent the therapy, succumbed to the infection. On August 23, Health Minister C Vijayabaskar inaugurated a plasma bank at the hospital to mark the launch of the therapy. A higher official said that the nine patients, who did not have comorbid conditions, responded to the treatment effectively and their condition is stable now. Explaining the process involved in the therapy, the official said that a small amount of blood plasma is extracted from a Covid-recovered person after completion of 14 days of home quarantine. About 400 ml of plasma is extracted from a Covid survivor. The extract goes through a host of screening processes before administering it to at least two infected persons. We are seeing that the health condition of patients without comorbidities is becoming stable, the official said.A source in the hospital administration said that the officials are contemplating on restricting the therapy only to persons without comorbidities. Presently, the therapy is provided only to those who have given their consent, while others are put on regular medical care. Currently, CMCH has five registered plasma donors. Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts Director of Development Clara Lewis said theyve had to reinvent themselves since first closing in March amid the COVID-19 pandemic and reopening three months later in June. During that time, Lewis said the museum figured out the virtual world and started displaying exhibitions and videos online and art projects at home to help parents with home schooling. After opening this summer with safety protocols like temperature checks, masks, hand sanitizing and social distancing, Lewis said theyve had a huge response in virtual exhibitions with over 1,500 visitors on average compared to 200 in-person. Nonprofit launches campaign: TOMAGWA Tomorrow Campaign seeks communitys help to endure the COVID-19 pandemic Didnt imagine wed have this many hits. Its certainly served a purpose and were continuing with it, Lewis said. The Spring-based museum recently held its 2020 Pearls of Art Gala, themed Art Heals, Aug. 8, with Lewis calling it a big success. When they closed in March, Lewis said it was just days before the in-person event was supposed to take place. Instead, the museum engaged a video production company and rescheduled the event. On HoustonChronicle.com: New COVID testing strategy could be 'a game-changer' for Harris County The event featured an online auction and a gourmet steak dinner prepared in take-home bags by the caterer. The honorees were The Hamill Foundation, Claud and Marie Hamill, and Grants Director Tom Brown, with mother-daughter Anais Watsky and Elizabeth Naggar the gala chairs, Commissioner Jack Cagle and Dr. Calvin Cobb serving as master of ceremonies, and Judge Lincoln Goodwin serving as auctioneer. We didnt know what to expect. We delivered the meals to individual homes and then the virtual presentation, people really enjoyed that, Lewis said. We didnt know if anybody would buy anything from a picture or not, but they did, enough that were able to continue through the fall. Weve been able to keep all our staff members employed. Lewis said the goal for the virtual gala was to raise $100,000 and they surpassed that by another $30,000. Were we really pleased; we did a fill the heart donation appeal, that was a $50,000 goal and we exceeded that goal and then the auction we had a $50,000 goal and we exceeded that, Lewis said. Lewis said the museum more than doubled the number of people that would have come to the event after the video was posted online, reaching way beyond Houston, Texas. She said one of the artists is from England and has a following thats all over Europe and now some of those people have seen and experienced what the museum does in Spring. Houston coronavirus updates: Abbott's COVID response criticized by Dems and some Republicans Supporters come from thousands of miles away, so its a new era, Lewis said. Nothing will ever take the place of first-hand experience with fine art but as far as being able to have families interact with one another through art. Thats been very gratifying just to know that beyond our shores people are enjoying whats going on in our little city. Sense of hope With the fall 2020 exhibitions opening Sept. 19, Lewis said members have the option to call for an appointment time. She said people have been coming to the museum in small groups, which are spaced out throughout the day to make people feel comfortable. Lewis said Idyllic Times: Selections from the Gary T. Leach Collection of American Art will be shown in the Main Gallery; Vistas and Voyages: The Photography of Don Pine will be shown in the Rebecca Cole Gallery; and the Hillery Community Gallery will display Along for the Journey by local illustrator Cheryl Pilgrim. (Don Pines) from this northwest area and were so happy to show his works, Lewis said. Very different type of exhibition (Pilgrim) that weve done, and I think people are really going to enjoy this. Lewis said there will be in-person tours available and will be continuing virtual tours as well with online lectures. BACK IN BUSINESS: Houstons River Oaks Theatre reopens this week Just the fact that were open and art is going on, and people can have that dimension in their lives, it makes it not feel so much like youre stuck at home but that youre safe at home, that sense of hope, Lewis said. Lewis said the museum will also be installing one of five murals that they commissioned from mural artist Anat Ronan, which were revealed in a time lapse at the gala, to honor the frontline medical workers of Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital sometime in September. Lewis said they are working with Keith Barber, CEO, and his staff on the reveal of that installation. That will be another exciting dimension, we are so fortunate to have such a fine medical facility here, Lewis said. We wanted to thank them in a way that only art can express. Express themselves To provide more resources for the northwest Houston community, the museum will be launching the School of Art this month. Registration for fall in-person and virtual classes is Sept. 4, and is aimed at ages 8-12, with classes beginning, Sept. 29. Lewis said class size is limited, in keeping with and exceeding Centers for Disease Control and Prevention safety protocol guidelines. With nothing similar outside of downtown, School of Art Coordinator Karri Clark said the museum wanted bring classes that were dedicated to fine arts to the northwest Houston area. She said theres an infrared scanner in the front entrance to the museum into the lobby where students will get their temperature checked when entering. PREVIEW: Get our experts picks for concerts, kids stuff, fine arts, movies and more each week in our entertainment newsletter. Families are not allowed to come in with them, only the students, and then they have to wear a mask while theyre in the building at all times, Clark said. In addition to that, Clark said theres plexiglass stations on the tables that are around the students. She said theres one per student and the teacher as well, with each student having their own set of supplies and no sharing in place. Clark said instructors are going to work and teach the same concepts but that classes will be unique in the way that teachers instruct and create projects with students participating in a variety of things like drawing, painting and sculptural projects. She said all the teachers on staff are certified art teachers in the state of Texas, with some of them being retirees and others who are presently teaching. The imagination part of it and the creativity part of it is really one of the main focuses, Clark said. Its kind of a place to escape and for students to have a voice in what theyre making because sometimes art students tend to be a little bit more quiet and sometimes this is the way that they are able to express themselves. Clark said participants can range anywhere from a beginning student to a serious amateur. We invite anyone to enroll because theyre going to start off with the basic fundamentals, kind of the elements of art and expand off that, Clark said. Clark said a lot of times art creates dialogue between students and their classmates and also provides an opportunity for them to create dialogue with parents and teachers. Give them an opportunity to express themselves because once they start talking about their artwork, they tend to really get excited about what theyre doing and be able to talk about what they created, Clark said. alvaro.montano@chron.com Jesse Plemons, from left, Jessie Buckley, Toni Collette and David Thewlis in the movie "I'm Thinking of Ending Things." (Mary Cybulski/Netflix) If you just finished watching the new Netflix psychological thriller "I'm Thinking of Ending Things," chances are you have a lot of questions. You may be perplexed, disturbed, exhilarated or all of the above. On a basic level, you may be wondering, "What was that?" Rest assured, you're not alone. You're supposed to feel that way. That's how you know it's a Charlie Kaufman movie. Adapted from a 2016 novel by Canadian author Iain Reid, "I'm Thinking of Ending Things" begins from an utterly simple, even mundane premise: A young couple (Jesse Plemons and Jessie Buckley) takes a road trip through a snowstorm to visit the boyfriend's parents (Toni Collette and David Thewlis) at their family farm. But where the story goes from there and where it ends up involves a whole other kind of journey. "I'm Thinking of Ending Things" bears all of the thematic obsessions and formal daring of Kaufman's previous work as a screenwriter and director in mind-bending films such as "Being John Malkovich," "Adaptation" and "Synecdoche, New York." Characters trapped in the labyrinths of their own psyches. Explorations of regret, failure and loneliness. Fantasies, projections, memories and delusions. Surrealistic storytelling that bends back in on itself like an M.C. Escher painting. Heady stuff in every sense of the word. Even the cast members are still pondering the enigmas and deeper meanings of the film, which Kaufman purposefully designed to reward repeat viewings. "I know what it meant to me while we were shooting, but it was a different experience watching it," says Jesse Plemons, who plays the boyfriend, Jake. "It was really unsettling to watch. Its still mysterious." "In truth, it's about so many deep, human experiences and emotions that it can be whatever you want it to be," says Collette, who plays Jake's mother. "It doesn't manipulate the audience. And Charlie likes it that way. It's just story upon story upon story, just beautifully complex. There is a simple narrative to cling to and then there is what it is really about." Story continues Indeed, there's a lot to unpack in the film too much, frankly, for one article. But here is some of what you may have missed. Warning: Major spoilers ahead. If you haven't seen "I'm Thinking of Ending Things," we suggest reading this review or this story about the making of the film, then come back. Kaufman's film concludes with a revelation: Everything we have seen, from start to finish, has essentially been the mental projection of a lonely old high school janitor who has failed to live up to the dreams of romantic and academic glory he had as a young man. Jake's girlfriend was never actually his girlfriend, just an idealized version of someone he briefly encountered one night at a bar but didn't have the guts to pursue or maybe an amalgam of all the "ones that got away." The whole road trip has been a journey through Jake's memories, unfulfilled wishes, obsessions and regrets. The story ends, tragically, with the janitor's suicide, revealing the double meaning in the film's very title. All of this is made much more explicit in Reid's original book, with the voice of the girlfriend (who is never named) fusing with that of the janitor in the final pages, as he/she stabs him/herself in the neck with a wire hanger. Kaufman handles the conclusion more elliptically, with a dance sequence (one of many references to the musical "Oklahoma!") that essentially acts out the sad life of a man who has metaphorically killed his promising young self and a fantasy sequence in which Jake accepts the Nobel Prize. Buckley's girlfriend visits the fictional Tulsey Town in a scene from "I'm Thinking of Ending Things." (Mary Cybulski/Netflix) In writing the book, Reid says he saw it more as a literary character study than some nail-biter with a twist ending. Likewise, Kaufman says he never cared about delivering a head-snapping M. Night Shyamalan-style turn at the end, nor did he see himself as making a thriller per se. "Im not interested in twists in movies," he says flatly. "I dont think I was particularly interested in maintaining suspense. I felt like it was kind of for me a fools errand to make that the point of the movie. So I tried to reframe it in my mind as a character exploration of a relationship, with the ideas of memory and projection and loneliness and isolation as the things that move you through the story." Indeed, as Kaufman points out, the it-was-all-a-dream gimmick is pretty old hat anyway: "That particular twist in movies is not much of a twist at this point. Its been done, so therefore youre looking for it as an audience." The fact is, if you go back and watch the movie a second time, you'll realize that the clues were there in plain sight from the start. In the film's opening moments, we see the janitor looking out the window at the young woman. As she speaks in voice-over of her "rare and intense attachment" to her boyfriend, we see first the back of an old man and then the back of Plemons as Jake. Coming so early in the story, that dead giveaway likely goes straight over the head of most viewers but Kaufman isn't exactly trying to hide it. As Jake and his girlfriend drive to his parents' house, their strange, meandering conversation contains numerous clues that things are not at all what they seem, with virtually every line a piece of a larger puzzle. The girlfriend's name changes several times, as does her supposed academic field of study, suggesting that she may be less a flesh-and-blood woman than a hazily reconstructed memory of one. At one point, Jake references Wordsworth's poem "Intimations of Immortality From Recollections of Childhood," an exploration of aging and the faded glories of youth. At the family farm, things get even more surreal. Jake's parents shift ages several times, suggesting again that we are in some strange and slippery world of memory and fantasy rather than observing actual events. Jake's girlfriend receives a number of foreboding phone messages that echo the words we heard the first time we saw the janitor in the window ("I can feel my fear growing. Now is the time for the answer."). In the washing machine in the basement, she finds what is later revealed to be the janitor's uniform, reinforcing the idea that the basement itself is a kind of metaphor for the part of Jake's mind where he hides his deepest shame. As strangely shapeshifting as the scenes at the parents' house were as scripted, Collette says Kaufman helped the cast stay locked into the deeper meaning. "The thing that helped me click into it the most was when Charlie said, 'It's like the characters are all part of the same mind,' " she says. "It really helped to define what to lean into, the very rhythm of it and how it swung around between the four of us." Kaufman directing Buckley on the set of "I'm Thinking of Ending Things." (Mary Cybulski/Netflix) For Buckley, playing a character whose very identity is conjured out of Jake's idealized fantasies was a difficult but thrilling challenge. Before shooting began, the actress spent hours sharing bits of inspiration back and forth with Kaufman, including paintings and poetry. "Charlie was so incredible about preparing how you might approach being somebody who doesnt exist at all," she says. "It was the most vulnerable and exposing place to stand in but also the most liberating." In Jake's childhood bedroom, the camera pans at one point across a number of books, DVDs and artworks that are later revealed to be totems of his memory, references to which are sprinkled throughout the film. For example, when Jake and the girlfriend begin speaking, seemingly out of nowhere, about the 1974 John Cassavetes drama "A Woman Under the Influence," her take on the film quotes directly from a review of the film by Pauline Kael, whose collected reviews were on Jake's shelf (though not the same collection that contains that review). Jake's fantasy Nobel Prize acceptance speech at the end quotes verbatim from the one given by mathematician and economist John Nash, whose struggle with schizophrenia was chronicled in the film "A Beautiful Mind" one of the DVDs on Jake's shelf. At the Tulsey Town ice cream stand where Jake and his girlfriend later make an impromptu stop which has the dreamlike, old-timey feel of a place lodged deep in one's memory attentive viewers may notice that the teenage employees were fleetingly seen earlier as students at the school where the janitor works. For Plemons, a big part of the job of playing Jake was connecting all the various dots on the map of the character's psyche that Kaufman constructed. "There was a lot of reading because there were an infinite number of references," he says. "It was interesting to figure out what these pieces were all leading up to." There are many more such Easter eggs and metaphysical rabbit holes throughout the film, but we don't want to spoil all the fun of finding them. (Tip: On a second viewing, you might want to use the pause button on your remote and be ready to do some Googling.) From the outset, Kaufman carefully crafted the film to repay close attention. "I like reading different interpretations of the things that I do," he says. "It is part of my goal to allow for that and to give people something that can resonate with them." In the end, while "I'm Thinking of Ending Things" may contain some of the trappings of a conventional horror film ominous music, scratches on the door to a basement no one ever enters, creepy voicemail messages from the beyond those are just tropes that Kaufman is toying with. What he has really created is something far richer than your typical Hollywood fright fest, and it is ultimately up to you to supply the existential scares from your own mind and experience. "In a way, it is a psychological horror film its just not a genre film," Kaufman says. "Its about the horror of different elements of the human psyche, of human life." The discovery of the bodies of two men in a block of flats in Portadown has shocked the Co Armagh town. The body of well-known local man Keith Strain was found at his home in West Street on Thursday. And last night police were investigating the discovery of another body in another flat in the same apartment block. The second man has not been named but it is believed he was a foreign national. The PSNI said last night that the death of Mr Strain - known to friends as 'Straino' - was not being treated as suspicious. A post-mortem examination has already been carried out. However, the spokesman added that the results from a toxicology report on the local man had not yet been received. The body of the second man was discovered at the West Street premises yesterday. A post-mortem examination to ascertain the cause of his death will be carried out. Last night dozens of messages of condolence appeared on social media mourning the death of Mr Strain, a keen angler. One friend posted: "I'm truly sorry to hear of Keith's death. We talked all the time about his fishing trips with his dad, he loved to get down to Fermanagh, and caught some great fish, camped and fire light, why does these thing happen? I hope all his family always smile when they think of Keith, and remember the good hearted, kind person he was, and all the tales of his fishing trips." A private funeral for Mr Strain will take place on Monday. Those wishing to pay respects may do so as the cortege passes over the Bann Bridge on Monday at 2.30pm, the family said. Upper Bann MLA Doug Beattie said his thoughts were with the two men's families as they came to terms with their loss. "It's a tragedy for the families, their friends, and for the whole town," he said. Local councillor and former Mayor Julie Flaherty offered her sympathies. "Keith was very well-known in the area. People are really shocked. It's a tragedy for the families. They have an awful time ahead of them," she said. Address staffing shortages at long-term care facilities Re: Preparing nursing homes for second wave starts with staffing, Aug. 27 As a person with a loved one in long-term care I am well aware of the staffing shortages which have plagued our nursing homes for well over a decade. I fully agree with the writers that: In most cases, front-line workers cant ensure basic care is provided, such as bathing, feeding and changing. Opportunities to provide emotional support to seniors are non-existent despite an epidemic of loneliness and depression created by COVID-19. The writers note the situation is compounded by family members being denied access to homes for in-person care. The article asks for improved pay and sick leave for staff. The $4 per hour pandemic pay raise for essential staff ended as of Aug. 13. Minimum staffing levels, nonexistent now, need to be established and monitored, the article points out. For those who missed reading the whole piece in its original publication, the online version is easily accessible. Joan WorthingtonSt. Catharines Did Lake Erie swimmer have to quarantine? Re: Julia Notebomer becomes youngest swimmer to cross Lake Erie, Aug. 31 Reporter Paul Forsyth missed the most interesting aspect of Julia Notebomers remarkable achievement in swimming across Lake Erie. Reading the item, I was left with some nagging questions, the answers to which would make for fascinating reading indeed. While I dont know whether Ms. Notebomer holds both Canadian and U.S. citizenship, I remain perplexed as to how she managed to enter the U.S. to start her epic journey and why did she not have to quarantine in New York for 14 days. Also, as a returning Canadian, is she now in self-quarantine? Please, can we have some more information? Bert DandyNiagara Falls Labour Day is an opportunity to rally for a stronger Canada This Labour Day, as we pause to recognize the historic contributions of working people in Canada, it feels like there is little to celebrate and much to hope for. This COVID-19 crisis has been very hard for workers across the country those who have lost loved ones, those who were put out of work, and those who were deemed essential and had to keep working at great risk to themselves and their families. As the dust settles, we need to start to rebuild. We need a robust economy, built around a fair, generous and inclusive society where no one is left behind. The Canadian Labour Congress and Canadas unions are calling on all levels of government to replace lost jobs with better ones by hiring people to build green infrastructure, to educate our youth, to care for others and to give workers paid sick leave and a living wage. Workers are calling for a strengthening of public health care to include mental health, pharmacare and home care, and an end to privatization in the long-term care sector. Workers want reforms to employment insurance, disability benefits, education and training, as well as pensions to make all of these more secure and reliable. We all must reject U.S.-style cuts, austerity and the me-first politics we are seeing in the United States. The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us a very important lesson: Canadas economic, health and social goals are inseparable. Its time to disaster-proof our nation. Lou Ann Binning President, Niagara Regional Labour Council Letters welcome We welcome letters from our readers. Send them to letters@niagaradailies.com or mail to 55 King St., Suite 600, St. Catharines, Ont., L2H 3HR. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. Please include your name, address and phone number for verification purposes. Manoj Bajpayee on Saturday dropped the teaser of an upbeat Bhojpuri rap 'Bambai Mein Ka Ba' which has been created by filmmaker Anubhav Sinha. The rap is based on the plight of migrants amid the coronavirus lockdown. The Bhojpuri rap talks about the migrants who come to the city of dreams to earn their living. The teaser showcases the lyrics of the song, as the rapper sings it. The short clip concludes with a shot featuring Bajpayee lying down on a couch at Mumbai central station. Actor Manoj Bajpayee on Saturday dropped the teaser of an upbeat Bhojpuri rap Bambai Mein Ka Ba which has been created by filmmaker Anubhav Sinha. The rap is based on the plight of migrants amid the coronavirus lockdown. BREAKING !!! Bringing you a BHOJPURI RAP on the plight of the migrants!! Recited and sung a little bit by yours truly. Song by Sagar concept and video by our friend @anubhavsinha Aa gael aapke duarey!!! Teaser hai gaana jaldi aaega, wrote the Gangs Of Wasseypur actor as he posted the teaser of rap on Instagram. The Bhojpuri rap talks about the migrants who come to the city of dreams to earn their living. The teaser showcases the lyrics of the song, as the rapper sings it. The short clip concludes with a shot featuring Bajpayee lying down on a couch at Mumbai central station. Anubhav Sinha who has directed, created and produced Bambai Mein Ka Ba, talked about his collaboration with Bajpayee for the music video. He said, One fine morning, Manoj sent me a Bhojpuri song and wanted me to listen to it. By then I had made this song Bambai Mein Ka Ba already and felt that Manoj should sing the song and feature in it. But I was not sure about it, so didnt reach out to him. Then one day, he sends me another Bhojpuri song and I told him that I dont like the new-age Bhojpuri songs. And then I told him about my song which I had created already. Also Read: From Hema Malini to Preity Zinta, Bollywood stars extend wishes on Teachers Day Talking about the reaction of the Special 26 star after hearing the rap, Sinha said, When he heard the song, he loved it. I asked him if he would sing and feature in it and he said yes. Next day, he was in the studio rehearsing and in a week, we were shooting. There were good reasons for both of us to get motivated and work on the song since it talks about migrant workers, and I hope there will be many more to follow. Sinha added, The song Bambai Mein Ka Ba was shot at a city studio in a day in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. I have finished shooting most of my songs in one day, including the popular track Dus Bahane and fortunately all those songs have been chartbusters. Produced by Benaras Mediaworks in collaboration with T-Series, the song Bambai Mein Ka Ba featuring the Manoj Bajpayee will be launched soon. (ANI) Also Read: NCW chief seeks arrest of Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik for threatening Kangana Ranaut A Panamanian-registered oil tanker burned out of control for a second day off Sri Lanka on Friday, raising fears of a major new oil spill in the Indian Ocean. Sri Lankan navy and India coastguard vessels fired water cannon while an air force helicopter dropped water on the drifting New Diamond. Just a week after a huge oil slick hit the Mauritious coast, Sri Lanka authorities are preparing for the worst as the navy warned it could take five days to put out the blaze on the 330 metre (1,000 feet) long New Diamond. The ship was carrying 270,000 tonnes of crude from Kuwait to India when the engine room exploded on Thursday killing one Filipino crew member. The other 22 crew -- five Greek and 17 Filipino - were taken off the vessel. The Sri Lankan navy said there was no immediate danger of the tanker breaking up, despite reports of a two-metre (six-foot) crack in the hull above the water line. Rear Admiral Y. N. Jayaratne said the metal had cracked in the intense heat as the fuel tanks burned when the fire spread from the adjoining engine room. The fire has not yet touched the crude however. - Closer to coast - "It will take another four to five days to completely put out the fire," Jayaratne said. "Thereafter we should be able to tow it away and let the owners decide what they want to do." The ship was heading for the eastern Indian port of Paradip when it issued a distress signal 60 kilometres (38 miles) from Sri Lanka's east coast. On Friday the stricken vessel had drifted 25 kilometres closer to the shore, Sri Lankan officials said adding that it was now being pushed back. India and Sri Lanka have deployed reconnaissance planes to track the ship. Sri Lanka's Disaster Management Centre said there was no immediate danger of an environmental disaster. "It is not as bad as it seems," DMC head Sudantha Ranasinghe told AFP. "Once the fire is put out, the vessel will be towed further away into deeper waters." Story continues But the head of Sri Lanka's Marine Environment Protection Agency (MEPA) Dharshani Lahandapura said legal action could be taken against the owners, Liberian-registered Porto Emporios Shipping Inc "should the worst happen and the ship breaks up." Lahandapura told reporters that Sri Lanka did not have the resources to contain a major oil spill. But Ranasinghe said authorities were considering a ship-to-ship transfer of the crude before salvaging the tanker. - Maldives fears disaster - The vessel is larger than the Japanese bulk carrier MV Wakashio, which crashed into a reef in Mauritius in July leaking more than 1,000 tonnes of oil into the island nation's pristine waters. Sri Lanka's neighbour Maldives has raised concerns that any oil spill from the New Diamond could cause serious environmental damage in the atoll of 1,192 coral islands that depends on fisheries and tourism. Maldivian minister at the president's office, Ahmed Naseem, called for precautionary measures across the archipelago that is about 1,000 kilometres southwest of Sri Lanka. "Maldives needs to watch this oil spill carefully and take all precautions to prevent it from reaching her shores," Naseem said on Twitter. "This could be a major disaster." aj/tw/mtp Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Venice, Italy Sat, September 5, 2020 18:01 502 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c42ea4b3 2 Entertainment Greta-Thunberg,activist,climate,environment,documentary,Italy,Sweden,Greta Free Greta Thunberg said Friday the weight of having to sound the alarm on climate change was "too much" for her or any child after a hugely surprising fly-on-the-wall film about her rise was premiered at the Venice film festival. The Swedish teenager allowed film-maker Nathan Grossman to follow her for a year after he met her in 2018 on the very first day of her schools' strike, sitting alone outside parliament in Stockholm with her homemade placard. In that time she went from being a self-confessed "shy nerdy person" to global icon. The resulting film, Greta, reveals not only the inside story of the pain and risk Thunberg has put herself through for the climate cause -- braving death threats and a hair-raising North Atlantic crossing in a racing yacht -- but her love of breaking into dance and her gift for comedy. Thunberg told AFP that she hoped the intimate, often touching portrait that tracks her extraordinary rise would put an end to the "conspiracy theories that I don't think for myself and someone else writes my speeches. "In the movie you can see that is not actually true, that I do decide for myself," said the activist, who has been dismissed as a "brat" by Brazil's far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, who claimed she was being manipulated. Read also: Greta Thunberg back in class after year off for climate Living off baked beans Several scenes show in the documentary her clashing with her actor father, Svante -- who she convinced to become a vegan -- often over her perfectionism as she writes and rewrites her speeches. Speaking via Zoom during a break in classes at her secondary school in Stockholm, Thunberg said the film was true to the real her, someone who "loves her dogs and routines" but whose life has been turned upside down by the climate cause. The film shows how she dances in her pajamas to relieve stress as she criss-crosses Europe on trains and in her father's electric car, living off baked beans and pasta as she urges leaders to act to save the planet. At another point she despairs that the responsibility of her role to remind the world of the existential crisis it faces is "too much", a fear she repeated Friday during her virtual press conference at Venice. "It is such a responsibility. I don't want to have to do all this," she said. Yet when far-right critics vilified her as "mentally ill" in the film, Thunberg, who has Asperger syndrome, laughed it off saying, "Sometimes I think it might be good if everyone had a bit of Asperger's. "I don't see the world in black and white, just the climate crisis." Read also: Greta Thunberg meets Merkel in fresh push for climate action 'Kids were mean to me' Despite the adoration Thunberg now receives at demonstrations and on social media, in the film she admits that "kids were mean to me" when I was younger. "I was never invited to parties and was left out." The activist, now 17, said she was relieved the documentary does away with the idea that she is an "angry naive child who sits in the United Nation General Assembly screaming at world leaders, because that is not the person I am." Indeed, she drew a laugh from reporters and Grossman by admitting that at one stage she "doubted his seriousness" as a film-maker because he worked on his own. "Why don't they send a sound guy? Why aren't they more professional?" she wondered. The film shows how the straight-talking schoolgirl went from being a quiet introvert to a global celebrity in a few months in 2018, and her frustration at the gulf between politicians' promises and their actions. "I think the most surprising thing about Greta is that she is very, very funny," Grossman told reporters. "Sometimes I joke that she could have been a comedian. She is very charming and funny as you have seen in this press conference." Burning questions as fire onboard MT New Diamond simmers down By Sandun Jayawardena and Tharushi Weerasinghe Sri Lanka's ill preparedness to face maritime disasters under scrutiny View(s): View(s): Though Sri Lanka is aiming to be a global maritime hub, this weeks fire onboard oil tanker MT New Diamond raises serious concerns over the countrys lack of preparedness to meet potential maritime disasters, industry experts said. The stricken vessel, which was beginning to drift dangerously close to the island, was successfully towed to about 40 nautical miles (74 kilometres) off the Sri Lankan coast yesterday. The international effort to tow the oil tanker carrying 270, 000 Metric Tonnes of crude oil and bring the fire onboard under control involved vessels from the Sri Lankan and Indian navies as well as ships from the coast guard of the two countries, two tugs sent by the Hambantota International Port Group and two tugs sent by the salvage company hired by the ships owners. Meanwhile, the Indian Coast Guard tweeted on Friday (4) that it deployed two Dornier aircraft with pollution response spray pods and oil spill dispersants to Mattalla International Airport as a preventive measure towards oil spill contingency. The aircraft, together with their specially trained crew, are currently on standby at the Mattala airport. Both the Sri Lanka Navy and the Indian Coast Guard stated yesterday that the fire onboard had reduced. Nevertheless, the incident raises serious concerns. Sri Lankas preparedness for emergencies on its sea routes was far behind where it should be, noted Ikram Kuttilan, Chairman of the Ceylon Association of Shipping Agents. Sri Lankas close proximity to key sea lanes is common knowledge, he said as he expounded on the areas of development required in order to become the maritime hub that Sri Lanka aims to be. The tugs that are available in Sri Lanka are only suitable for berthing ships. Its important to invest in better tugs that can be useful during emergencies and even for things like towing, he said. Mr.Kuttilan also noted that facilities for the containment of oil spills were also a need of the hour. We have booms that can only be used to contain a spill around the immediate ship, but this is not sufficient for the containment of a major spill. A boom is a plastic contraption that is generally used to reduce the spread and consequent destruction of marine resources as a result of oil spills. Booms concentrate oil in thicker surface layers so that skimmers, vacuums, or other collection methods can be used more effectively. Sri Lankas boom resources are very limited and insufficient for the handling of a spill like the one we just avoided, he said. He also added that the next part of the emergency response would include facilities to vacuum the oil into a barge for transportation and the spraying of chemicals to nullify the oil remnants to avoid contamination. He noted that it was very fortunate that the authorities were able to utilize the resources they had to control the situation. It didnt affect the cargo which wouldve been catastrophic. He noted that authorities like the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA), and the Sri Lanka Ports Authority needed to invest in expertise and encourage private sector investments into resources of this nature. It wont be a free service that the private sector provides as insurance claims and compensation is provided for the use of these, he said. Sri Lanka was currently very poorly equipped and unprepared to fight disasters of this nature, said Dr Hiran Jayawardene, founder and former Chairman of the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA). It is not the fire we have to worry about but the physical impact on the marine environment, beaches and ecosystems, he pointed out, adding that any oil spill will choke off everything it comes in contact with, including reefs and beaches. A former harbourmaster that wished to remain anonymous also noted that Sri Lanka was nowhere near to where it should be in terms of resource management. If an oil spill were to occur, a total of 2500 metres of booms would have been required to lay around the 330 meter ship. Sri Lanka is bound to have a maximum of 1500 booms across the entire country, according to the harbormaster. Without oil skimming resources or tugs that are big enough, its no surprise that the Indian Coastguard had to get involved, he said. He noted that the private sector has since invested in equipment purchases from Singapore to prepare for future events. If the oil spilled and polluted the many lagoons on the east coast we wouldve had to say goodbye to our tourism for the next 10 years while we cleaned it up, he said. This damage would be apart from the destruction of the livelihoods of thousands of people that depend on the lagoons. While a major ecological disaster may have been averted, the incident was an eye-opener for Sri Lanka and the region, acknowledged MEPA Chairperson Dharshani Lahandapura. She added that they have already identified several weaknesses that constrained the agency, including within the Marine Pollution Prevention Act, which needed to be amended. At a press conference on Friday, Ms Lahandapura said the resources MEPA had to deal with a potential disaster of this nature were negligible. She however, told the Sunday Times that the Government has now essentially given MEPA a blank cheque to purchase whatever material it required to counter any potential threat from such a spill. Ms Lahandapura said the incident management team set up just after the incident was reported on Thursday has been busy working with various stakeholders to draft a plan to counter any threat from an oil spill if it were to occur. We have identified the area extending from Hambantota to Ampara as being vulnerable to any oil spill from the vessel. Obviously, we cannot cover all areas on the coast. As such, we have designated specific areas as high, medium and low risk areas. The areas have been designated as per the severity of the risk, the ecological sensitivity of the area and the probability of an oil spill affecting them, the MEPA chairperson said, adding that these areas are being assigned to various stakeholders so specific agencies will be responsible for a designated area. All equipment belonging to MEPA and other stakeholders that can be used to counter a potential spill are now stationed in Kirinda, Hambantota and Trincomlaee to be deployed immediately in the event of a disaster. No one country can handle such a disaster alone, however well it prepares, Ms Lahandapura stressed. We also need to strengthen regional cooperation and capacity, she insisted. Met Dept. teams up with Indias ocean info centre to chart oil spillage drift patterns By Nadia Fazlulhaq The Meteorology Department has been receiving hypothetical oil drift patterns from an ocean information service centre in India to be in readiness for a worst case scenario in case of spillage from the distressed vessel carrying 270,000 metric tonnes of crude oil and 1,700 tons of diesel oil. On a request from the Met Department, a hypothetical oil drift simulation is being carried out by the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Servicess (INCOIS) coming under the Indian governments Ministry of Earth Sciences. It is being done, using an oil spill model. Deputy Director Meril Mendis said the Met Department had been sending INCOIS details of the vessels position and using the data, the Indian Centre determined the hypo spill start date/time and oil spill model run duration. INCOIS oil spill trajectory maps show the directions of the the oil drift pattern. Through the departments Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre, the information is then shared with Sri Lanka Navy the Disaster Management Centre and the fisheries authorities, he said. Sri Lanka has no modelling capabilities to determine a possible oil spill and its directions based on ocean patterns. Therefore we are constantly in touch with the Indian authorities who are providing assistance free of charge, he said. According to the later oil drift advisory, the simulations based on hypothetical spill indicates that Sri Lankas coast is not under threat of being affected by oil pollutants until 11pm on Monday, provided there is no change in vessel position. The oil drift pattern will be forecast in periodic intervals with updated vessel position and different spill start timings. New Diamond owner wanted ship to be harboured in Trinco The Greek owner of the MT New Diamond vessel initially planned to harbour the ship in distress at the Trincomalee harbour, said Ranjan Perera, Lanka representative for the International Transport Federation.The crude oil tanker is owned by Porto Emporios Shipping Inc., New Shipping Limited based in Greece. Among the crew members five including the Captain are Greeks. I telephoned the owner when the fire erupted. He said once the fire is fully under control the ship will be brought to the Trincomalee harbour. But now there are doubts as the engine is damaged and our government will be reluctant to drag it back to its shores when there is a potential oil spill, said Mr. Perera. He said that it will take two to three weeks to completely control the situation and cool down the engine. Most probably the assistance of Indian Oil Company tankers will be sought to move the oil away from the damaged tanker. Moving crude oil is a difficult task, he said. Moves to seek release of Lankan officer held over oil leak off Mauritius The Sri Lanka office of the International Transport Federation (ITF) is to obtain the Foreign Relations Ministrys assistance to approach the Mauritius government to release the Lankan Chief Officer presently arrested over the major oil spill that occurred in July.Japanese oil tanker MV Wakashio crashed into a reef in Mauritius setting off a leak of more than 1,000 tonnes of oil to the coral reef surrounding the island-nation. Both the Indian Captain and the Lankan second in command Tilak Suboda were arrested under the countrys Piracy and Maritime Violence Act. It was reported that the ship was brought towards the shore from mid sea to have a party. We are taking action to release the Sri Lankan national being detained by the Mauritius government. The support of the embassy there is also sought. The Indian government is taking all measures to get the Indian national released, Ranjan Perera, ITFs Lankan representative said. President thanks defence forces of India and Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday thanked Sri Lankan and Indian defence forces for their efforts in controlling the fires aboard oil tanker MT New Diamond. Thank you! to the #SLNavy , the #SLAirforce, the #SLPA and the Indian Defence Forces for their efforts in controlling the fires in MT New Diamond. I greatly appreciate your contribution in conserving marine biodiversity by preventing a disastrous situation out in the ocean, the President said in a Twitter message. Meanwhile, in a twitter message, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) Chairman Shrikant Madhav Vaidya also hailed the valiant efforts of the Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard, Indian Air Force and the Sri Lanka Navy. The New Diamond had been chartered by IOC and had been on its way to the Indian port of Paradip, where the state-run IOC runs a 300,000 barrel-per-day refinery. (Bloomberg) -- The Defense Department reaffirmed its decision to award Microsoft Corp. a $10 billion cloud-computing contract after a re-evaluation. The department said in a statement Friday that it determined that Microsofts proposal continues to represent the best value to the government. The Pentagon previously said it wanted to reconsider certain aspects of the procurement, including elements of the bidders price proposals and online marketplaces, after a legal challenge of the award by market leader Amazon.com Inc. The contract, known as the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure, or JEDI, is valued at as much as $10 billion over a decade. A Microsoft spokesperson said in a statement that the Pentagon confirmed that the company offered the right technology and the best value. Were ready to get to work and make sure that those who serve our country have access to this much needed technology. Amazon said in a blog post that the Pentagons re-evaluation was nothing more than an attempt to validate a flawed, biased and politically corrupted decision. The Pentagon made its request to revisit the cloud award after Federal Claims Judge Patricia Campbell-Smith wrote in March that the Defense Department might have misjudged part of Microsofts pricing proposal. Amazon Web Services, Amazons cloud unit, filed a lawsuit in November alleging that political interference by President Donald Trump cost the company the deal. Amazon said in the suit that the Defense Department failed to fairly judge its bid because Trump viewed Amazon Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos as his political enemy. As part of that lawsuit, Amazon argued that Microsofts bid failed to comply with a government requirement that the winners data storage be highly-accessible under one of six possible price scenarios. The government argued that Amazon was elevating superficial labels over technical performance. Campbell-Smith said it was likely Amazons chances of receiving the award would have increased if it werent for the Pentagons errors in evaluating the pricing proposals. After the ruling, the government requested to revisit the contract and allow bidders to revise the problematic part of that pricing scenario. Story continues Amazon had sought a broader review of the bidding process by the Pentagon. Judge Campbell-Smith has yet to rule on most of the merits of Amazons legal challenge. The court had paused proceedings in the case while the Pentagon revisited its decision to award the deal to Microsoft. Earlier this week, a U.S. appeals court rejected Oracle Corp.s legal challenge fighting its exclusion from seeking the cloud-computing deal. (Updates with Amazon statement in sixth 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. Sorry! This content is not available in your region Labour strategists are plotting to 'outflank' Boris Johnson on law and order by portraying leader Sir Keir Starmer as an heroic figure who helped to prevent a 'British 9/11'. As part of Sir Keir's drive to rebuild his party's credibility, the strategists will highlight Sir Keir's role as Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in what Theresa May described as 'one of the most significant terrorist plots the UK has ever seen'. As DPP, Sir Keir oversaw the prosecution of the terrorists involved in an Al Qaeda plan to place suicide bombers on board seven flights leaving Heathrow for North American cities, after the plot was disrupted by the security services' Operation Overt. Three men were convicted in September 2009, but Sir Keir successfully sought a retrial of three further suspects after a jury failed to decide whether they were guilty, and they were subsequently found guilty of plotting to murder in 2010. The plot led to the introduction of restrictions on liquids that passengers are allowed to carry on board aircraft. A Labour source said: 'It is going to be hard for Boris to beat a CV like that and to be able to assume that the Tories will automatically be regarded as the party of law and order.' As DPP, Sir Keir Starmer (pictured) oversaw the prosecution of the terrorists involved in an Al Qaeda plan to place suicide bombers on board seven flights leaving Heathrow for North America Ironically, the new Labour bid to make a virtue of the party leader's barrister past comes after repeated attempts by Mr Johnson to taunt Sir Keir for being out of touch with public opinion because of his 'lawyer' background. But it also comes after Sir Keir specifically invoked his previous role as DPP last week to fend off Mr Johnson's attempt at Prime Minister's Questions to tar him with former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's perceived sympathies for the IRA. In a heated exchange, the Prime Minister tore into Sir Keir for having supported Mr Corbyn, 'an IRA-condoning politician who wanted to get out of Nato'. Visibly angered, Sir Keir replied: 'As DPP, I prosecuted serious terrorists for five years, working with the intelligence and security forces and with the police in Northern Ireland. I ask the Prime Minister to have the decency to withdraw that comment.' Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has now issued what is being taken as a warning to Mr Johnson to tone down his behaviour, saying everyone needed to be respectful of others in the Commons chamber. Labour sources also hit back later by pointing out that the Prime Minister had supported a peerage for former Brexit Party MEP Claire Fox, who had once been a member of a far-Left party which defended an IRA attack. Pictured: (Top row, from the left) Waheed Zaman, Ibrahim Savant, Arafat Waheed Khan, Umar Islam and (bottom row, from the left) Tanvir Hussain, Donald Stewart-Whyte, Abdulla Ahmed Ali and Assad Sarwar, plotted to use 'home made bombs' disguised as soft drinks to blow up transatlantic planes mid-flight The men plotted to blow up seven planes mid-flight, leaving from Heathrow Terminal Three, in what Theresa May described as 'one of the most significant terrorist plots the UK has ever seen'. Pictured: The routes of the planes leaving Heathrow to North America The Labour re-positioning comes amid mounting unease among Tory backbenchers at how often Mr Johnson is outperformed by 'charisma-light' Sir Keir in the Commons. One senior Tory MP told The Mail on Sunday: 'Boris should realise that playing the showman and hurling off-the-cuff insults at Starmer is not the way to deal with him. 'He should respond to each of Starmer's questions seriously and soberly not try to raise a cheer from Tory MPs with some new swipe at him. His current approach just isn't working.' But last night, Tory MP David Morris mocked the bid to portray the Labour leader as a hero. He said: 'I'm sure that, as DPP, Sir Keir played his part in those important prosecutions. 'But when it comes to electing a Prime Minister, the British people do it on the basis of a politician's all-round abilities not the size of his ego.' " " Some members of the environmental movement, like this woman demonstrating against the U.S. energy policy, protest peacefully, while eco-terrorists take it to the extreme. Alex Wong/ Getty Images Individuals have defended the environment for decades. The Sierra Club and Greenpeace, which formed in 1892 and 1971 respectively, are two activist organizations that have pressured legislators, corporations and individuals to protect the environment throughout their existence -- without resorting to violence. According to the FBI, eco-terror was born in 1977. In 1980, the group Earth First! came along and raised the stakes by engaging in acts of civil disobedience like tree spiking (the practice of hammering a nail into a tree to prevent it from being cut down, which can severely injure loggers). Advertisement The most well-known group linked to eco-terror in the U.S., the Earth Liberation Front, or ELF, was formed when some members of the group Earth First! became frustrated with what they saw as an insufficient pace of change and began a group that would engage in more violent, direct action. Like the members of ELF, eco-terrorists are radical environmentalists who believe traditional ways of bringing about change are not adequate. They view politicians as ineffective and believe that if something is to be done, they must do it themselves. Members of the eco-terror movement liken their predicament to fighting in a war. They suggest that animals and the environment are being attacked by humans and need to be defended. In an interview with National Geographic magazine, Leslie James Pickering, an ELF spokesman, claimed that members are simply defending the Earth and the elements that humans need to survive: "I'm representing a group that is fighting in self-defense, for preservation of our species [and] all species of life on Earth" [source: Foreman]. Other extreme environmental and animal rights groups compare their fight to the struggle to free slaves or to win women the right to vote. Those advocates didn't sit back and wait for their rights to be handed to them, activists say. They fought hard and often broke the law. Pickering seconds this argument, saying that "every successful social justice movement throughout history has had an element of radical activism or radical engagement. We're not gonna stop at what the system tells us to stop at" [source: Foreman]. Eco-terrorists argue that they are not the enemy; the enemy is all the people they are fighting. But some environmental groups disagree. They fear that the violent extremism displayed by groups like ELF could create a backlash against the entire environmental movement and make it harder for more mainstream groups to effect change. Some people even look favorably, or at least neutrally, upon groups like ELF [source: Schabner]. After all, they don't seek to intentionally harm anyone, even those they see as "the system." And how bad can they be if they're defending pristine waters, open prairies and cute little bunnies? Pretty bad, according to the FBI, who considers them a top priority. Bad enough to be charged with federal crimes in some cases and sentenced to decades in prison -- if they can be caught. On the next page, you'll learn more about the organization and tactics of eco-terror groups and why they're so difficult to track down. A strange series of developments this week in the US capital of Washington, DC demonstrates the right-wing character of both the Trump administration as well as his nominal opponents within the Democratic Party in regard to the democratic rights of the population. On Tuesday, calls by Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser and her administration for accelerated prosecutions of peaceful protesters swept up in the weeks and months since the police killing of George Floyd in late May were publicly rebuked by a federal prosecutor representing the administration of President Donald Trump, who stated that the Democratic mayor was demanding the federal government skirt constitutional protections and due process. The weeks events were set in motion Sunday, when Trump launched a fusillade against Mayor Bowser for supposedly failing to aggressively crack down on protesters in DC, which has been one of many cities beset by nightly protests and demonstrations against police brutality. Trump called on Bowser to arrest these agitators and thugs! Clean up D.C. or the Federal Government will do it for you. Enough!!! In response Monday, Bowser demanded the Trump administration assist us the best way that they can, by supporting our officers. When we make an arrest for violent protests, we need those violent agitators prosecuted. Bowser continued by alleging, There hasnt been a willingness from the U.S. attorneys office to prosecute the dozens of people arrested at DC protests since May. John Falcicchio, Bowsers chief of staff, said at the same press event Monday, You [President Trump] can tweet fast but cant actually make your prosecutors prosecute fast. Bowser said that protests and demonstrations over the weekend had resulted in the arrest of at least an additional 29 people alleged to have been involved in confrontations with police in the area around Black Lives Matter Plaza close to the White House. Bowser maligned the latest wave of protests and clashes between police and bystanders as the result of outside agitators who were looking for police to confront. Finally, Bowser threatened to institute a nightly curfew, as her office had done in the days immediately following the mass demonstrations against police brutality in late May and early June. Then, on Tuesday, the office of Acting US Attorney for the District of Columbia Michael Sherwin releasing a public letter addressed to Bowser, stating all but one of the cases against protesters had been dropped due to the fact that arrests were carried out collectively and presented to the Office without any articulable facts linking criminal conduct to each individual arrested. Simply put, we cannot charge crimes on the basis of mere presence or guilt by association, the letter said. Sherwin reminded Bowser, As I am sure you are aware, without some evidence to establish probable cause of a particular arrestees criminal conducte.g., a police officers observation or video footage of the alleged crimewe cannot bring federal charges. The police had arrested these individuals on suspicion of spray-painting buildings and burning patio umbrellas. The most sharply worded portion of the letter states: Surely, by your comments, you are not suggesting that this Office skirt constitutional protections and due process. Sherwin, the top federal prosecutor in DC, even claimed his office worked with the DC police to try to further develop these cases to establish a bare minimum of probable cause, but To date, no sufficient evidence has materialized. This created the paradoxical situation in which the fascistic administration of Donald Trump and the nominally progressive Democratic administration in Washington, DC were goading one another to run roughshod over constitutional protections, and it in turn being scolded by a representative of the Trump administration for ignoring these basic civil liberties. This unlikely scenario was upended when Sherwin publicly sought to distance himself from his Tuesday comments. Following a meeting with Police Chief Peter Newsham on Wednesday, Sherwin penned a letter saying, As we further discussed, you should not take my letter of September 1, 2020 as suggesting that there had been no probable cause for the arrests. That was not the Departments position. Rather the concern was that we needed certain additional information to be reflected in the supporting affidavits to proceed with criminal charges. For the record, Sherwins office has charged at least 121 people involved in protests around the country between May and August. On Thursday, Sherwin added that his office would be charging a number of arrestees today. The impetus for Sherwins cowardly about-face was spelled out Wednesday, when the Trump administration filed a memo calling for the federal government to consider withholding funds from anarchist jurisdictions. The District of Columbia was among the locales listed. This, in addition to arm-twisting and threats behind the scenes, on both the part of Trump and Bowser, likely brought the prosecutors office into line. The latest feud between the Democratic Party and the Trump administration again exposes the right-wing and reactionary character of the entire political establishment, and the Democrats claims to support the mass demonstrations against the police or even sympathize with the victims of police brutality. Bowser in particular had sought to put herself forward as the unlikely foil to the fascistic Trump in the weeks following the presidents efforts to enact a presidential dictatorship on the streets of the District of Columbia, utilizing militarized police forces to clear the area surrounding the White House of peaceful protesters. It has been revealed since that time that Trumps dictatorial putsch was aided and abetted by the Democratic mayor, who also sent local police to attack unarmed protesters fleeing from flash grenades and rubber bullets. As is abundantly clear, in confronting Trump, the working population will find no greater enemy than the Democratic Party opposition, whose differences with Trump and the Republican Party amount to little more than tactics and certain issues of foreign policy. Several hundred US troops started arriving in NATO member Lithuania on Saturday for military exercises near the border with Belarus, where tensions are mounting over its disputed presidential election. More than a dozen Abrams tanks crossed the Lithuanian border from neighbouring NATO partner Poland on Saturday afternoon, an AFP photographer said. The deployment, to last until November, is "pre-planned and not associated with any events in the region," a Lithuanian defence ministry statement said. Lithuania took the lead in European diplomacy on Belarus after veteran strongman Alexander Lukashenko was re-elected in an August 9 vote that the opposition claims was rigged. Vilnius has given refuge to opposition challenger Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who claimed victory in the ballot, and has blacklisted Lukashenko along with Baltic neighbours Estonia and Latvia. Maintaining that he won the ballot fairly, Lukashenko has cracked down on an unprecedented wave of mass protests demanding his ouster. He has also accused the NATO defence alliance of building up forces in Poland and Lithuania along Belarus's western border. Warsaw, Vilnius and the Western defence alliance have dubbed these allegations baseless. Belarus's Soviet-era master Russia, which has long courted Lukashenko as a buffer against the West, has promised him military support. It is not the first time the US sent a battalion of troops to Lithuania. During a visit to Vilnius in July, Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said the United States will continue deploying hundreds of troops for exercises in Lithuania. Three years ago, NATO deployed permanent troop rotations to Poland and the Baltic states to guard against Russian adventurism on its eastern flank, a region formerly under Moscow's control and spooked by its 2014 annexation of territory from Ukraine. Search Keywords: Short link: Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 14:33:57|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BISHKEK, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Eight people were killed when a truck and a car collided in southern Kyrgyzstan on Friday morning, the press service of the country's Emergencies Ministry reported. All passengers and the car driver -- six men and two women -- died on the spot. Their bodies have been handed over by rescuers to the police, the press service said. The cause of the accident is under investigation. Enditem MOUNT PLEASANT Sue Lynch would have been happy with a gathering of 100 like-minded Republican women on Wednesday night at the Meadowbrook County Club. She was ecstatic when a crowd of more than 200 showed up for A Time to be a Light for the Nation, a gathering co-hosted jointly by Women for Trump and the 77-member Republican Women of Southeast Wisconsin. For Lynch, it was a wow moment. The numbers are just beyond our wildest dreams, said Racine native and Kenosha resident Lynch, president of the Republican Women of Southeast Wisconsin. Its unbelievable. You can see the excitement and the commitment that women are willing to make to support President Trump and those Republicans running for all elected offices. Lynch believes the large and enthusiastic turnout Wednesday night is a good sign that President Donald Trump is going to be re-elected on Tuesday, Nov. 3. An advocate for Republicans since the 1970s when she started working local campaigns, Lynch has led local and regional groups of Republican women over the ensuing decades, unanimously elected to serve as president of the National Federation of Republican Women in 2009. Republican women have so much to offer and so much to give in the community, in the party, in our churches, in our families, Lynch told the gathering. Understand how important each of you are in your own way. I look at Republican Women as my avenue of connection, be it church, community or politics. Republican Women we have the heart to make our world better, to make life better for our children, to make good choices in electing candidates to office. We are counting on all of you to be a part of us. Schmaling is keynote speaker Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling was the evenings keynote speaker, receiving a standing ovation from attendees for his wide-ranging presentation, which was followed by a question-and-answer period. Schmaling has served as Racine County Sheriff since January 2011. Much of Schmalings presentation focused on the vital role of law enforcement, particularly in these challenging and troubling times with COVID-19 and the civil unrest gripping the nation, including the City of Kenosha last week. Whos in favor of law and order in this room? Schmaling asked the crowd, garnering widespread applause and a sea of raised hands. We must learn from what is occurring across the country. We cannot, and will not, allow violence and destruction. I promise you this what happened in Kenosha will not happen here. Schmaling said he believes it is completely irresponsible, inappropriate and dangerous for political figures to render an opinion about an officer-involved use of force unless they were there or until all the facts are known. In his presentation, Schmaling stressed the importance of partnerships among law enforcement agencies, citing the Racine County Sheriffs Offices recent assistance in Kenosha County during the civil unrest in Kenosha. Schmaling also highlighted the importance of transparency and accountability for law enforcement agencies. The Racine County Sheriffs Office insisted on transparency before communities demanded it, he noted. We have been using body cameras for over four years, including new technology last year that automatically turns on the camera when a deputys weapon is drawn or lights and/or sirens are activated. Schmaling also emphasized the need for citizen support of the law enforcement community in these troubled times. Now, more than ever, law enforcement needs the support of our communities, he said. Support law enforcement. We need your support. Schmaling also addressed the topic of COVID-19, including his stand that he would not enforce Governor Tony Evers stay-at-home orders, which were ultimately overturned by the Wisconsin Supreme Court after a May challenge by Republican state lawmakers. His stand generated the receipt of more than 17,000 emails, largely supportive of his decision. I know B.S. when I see it, Schmaling said, drawing applause from the crowd. I took a strong stand for constitutional rights we have certain privileges. I choose freedom. Isnt that the American way? I suggest we think for ourselves. Schmaling contends that following simple health and safety practices to protect against COVID-19 are effective to check the spread of the novel coronavirus, citing the Racine County Jail as an example. I would never dismiss that this virus can be deadly to certain high-risk members of our community, he said. However, at the end of the day, by taking reasonable precautions we were able to keep our jail population and our front line healthy To this day, it is rare to have one of our staff members sick with COVID. Other speakers Also among the speakers at Wednesday nights gathering was Caledonia Village Clerk Karie Pope, a Republican challenger on the Nov. 3 ballot seeking to unseat incumbent Democrat Racine County Register of Deeds Connie Cobb Madsen, who was appointed in May 2019 by Gov. Tony Evers after the April 2019 resignation of former register of deeds Tyson Fettes. Pope stressed the importance of supporting Republican candidates in local races. Its important to get out there and vote for your local officials that is your county clerk, your treasurer, your register of deeds, your D.A., she said. They are just as important to your everyday lives. Also speaking at Wednesday nights gathering were two uncontested Republican candidates, Racine County District Attorney Patricia J. Hanson and Racine County Clerk Wendy M. Christensen. Attendees enthused Among those attending Wednesday nights Republican gathering was Jorena McKinstry, an African-America woman from Racine. Im an African-American woman and first of all Im an American. I think there are many things we can come together on we all want safety, we all want to see every race thrive and have equality. If we can just come together and not lead with our emotions, I think we can get to the solutions. I know that with prayer, with faith, and as we see each other as valuable people, we can turn things around. After more than years of chronic uncertainty, Huron Central Railways short-line freight service between Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury might finally derail. Genesee & Wyoming Canada Inc., HCRs Montreal-based parent company, announced this week that it will cease operations by the end of the year because it has not been able to secure $40 million in government funding to rehabilitate the 288-km line. Although this isnt the first time the company has anticipated closure, GWCI President Rick McLellan said that the formal process required to cease operations cannot be delayed any longer. The railway, which employs more than 40 people and services Algoma Steel, Domtars Espanola pulp and paper mill, and EACOMs Nairn Centre sawmill, could see its final train run sometime in December. Sault Ste. Maries Joe Fratesi, who was hired to lead a task force to secure government funding for the rail line, said that HCR is disappointed it has not been able to save this strategic asset, and he believes that no rail line will spell disaster for Domtar, the Town of Espanola and Nairn Centre. The pulp and paper mill, which employs more than 500 people, said it cannot operate without the line. The Domtar pulp and specialty paper mill in Espanola relies on rail service for inbound manufacturing chemicals and outbound finished product destined for customers. We are hopeful that the investment proposals put forward to the provincial and federal governments by the Huron Central Railway will be carefully considered and supported, said Bonny Skene, regional public affairs manager for the Espanola mill. In the meantime, we are making every effort to ensure our customers are not affected and we remain committed to doing our part to ensure sustainable rail service to the mill in Espanola. EACOM Timber Corporation, which owns the Nairn Centre sawmill about 55 km southwest of Sudbury, said the company has no specific comment on this issue. GWCI had originally planned to cease operations of the HCR in March, but due to COVID-19, the company extended the timeline. The supply route for the regions forestry and steel industries transports more than 12,000 carloads of freight annually. If the federal and provincial governments have something to offer the company by year end, then GWCI said it is prepared to return to the table. We know how important this transportation link is for many of Northern Ontarios largest employers and communities along the railway. Sadly, we have reached the point where further delay would be irresponsible, but we will remain at the table working until the very end to try and avoid the inevitable, Fratesi said. Michael Forest Reinoehl lived life recklessly and died violently. Though he was a middle-aged father, the Oregon man received a gunshot wound when he interceded in a confrontation, was caught driving 111 miles per hour in a Cadillac while apparently racing his 17-year-old son in another car and packed a gun as he joined in the Portland protests. It was there that he allegedly shot and killed a pro-Trump counter-protester only to die himself Thursday in a shootout with federal agents who had come to arrest him outside Olympia, Washington. His actions shatter any conception of left-wing protesters shunning the use of deadly weapons while their counterparts on the far right show up in groups that wear military fatigues and openly carry pistols and assault rifles. Those who study extremism say that the events in Portland in the past week underscore the potential for demonstrators on both sides to arrive armed, vastly increasing chances that peaceful protests can turn violent. The situation becomes "extremely dangerous," said Mary McCord, a Georgetown University law professor and former acting assistant U.S. attorney general. The constitutional right to peaceful protest is trampled when "you have armed factions ideologically opposed to each other." Reinoehl, 48, who had described himself in a social media post as a supporter of the left-leaning antifa, allegedly fatally shot Aaron Jay Danielson, 39, in the chest Aug. 29. Danielson, who was carrying his own pistol in a holster, was taking part in a caravan organized by a group called Patriot Prayer. Opponents had tried to block Patriot Prayer's vehicles as they paraded through the streets. Patriot Prayer members allegedly fired paintballs at them. The fatal shooting of Danielson brought the Portland confrontation to a new level. Reinoehl told Vice News that he "had no choice" but to shoot because he feared a friend was about to be attacked. The shooting came days after Kyle Rittenhouse, 17, allegedly shot and killed two people during the protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The protests began after a Black man was shot in the back seven times by a police officer. Rittenhouse, who has been charged with homicide, was carrying a rifle and was reportedly part of a right-wing group that had come to Kenosha. Story continues "It was an inevitability that we ended up here," said Jason Blazakis, director of the Center on Terrorism, Extremism and Counterterrorism at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California. In the case of Reinoehl, he said, "I think it is unfortunate that weve seen someone on the far left take the populist bait." Michael Reinoehl, the prime suspect in the deadly shooting of Aaron 'Jay' Danielson in Portland was killed as federal agents tried to arrest him. But given the life on the edge that Reinoehl had been living, it isn't all that surprising. Records show Reinoehl, who most recently had been living in Sandy and Gresham, Oregon, had been repeatedly ticketed and or arrested by police in Oregon for speeding, driving under the influence of intoxicants, or operating a vehicle without a drivers license or insurance dating back into the 1990s. Many of the cases were closed with the payment of fines that ranged from $24 to $120. However, he was arrested in a more serious vehicle-related criminal case in June. Reinoehl was behind the wheel of a 2005 Cadillac STS when an Oregon State Police trooper spotted the car speeding at 111 miles per hour on Interstate 84, according to a report by the Baker City Herald. He had apparently been racing his 17-year-old son, who drove a Subaru Impreza, the report said. A police search of the Cadillac found marijuana and pills, along with a loaded and concealed Glock pistol, the report said. Along with driving under the influence, unlawful possession of a firearm and other charges, Reinoehl was hit with the reckless endangerment charge because his 11-year-old daughter was in the car with him, the report said. There was more trouble. On July 5, Reinoehl was cited for possessing a loaded gun in a public place, resisting arrest and interfering with police. On July 26, he was involved in a dispute between two groups in which he was shot in the elbow. I jumped in there and pulled the gun away from peoples heads, avoided being shot in the stomach and I got shot in the arm," he told an Associated Press videographer that day. He remained caught up in violence until the end. When federal agents went to arrest Reinoehl in connection with the death of Danielson, he was fatally shot when he brandished a firearm, according to Attorney General William Barr. Reinoehl's actions in Portland show left-wing protesters can be armed, and experts say he's far from the first. "It is not a brand-new phenomenon," McCord said. She points to groups like the NFAC and the John Brown Gun Club which both favor liberal views and firearms. The sheer size and scope of the street protests that have gripped the nation are also bringing out different types of demonstrators, said Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino. "Today the protests are more widespread and dispersed creating a greater diversity of people showing up over a longer expanse of time," he said. That's a change, says Levin. The hard left has been more about using humiliation tactics on opponents who are perceived as bigots and trying to get them to retreat. The hard right has been more about what it sees as protecting turf, a "defense vigilantism" that models itself on being a civil guard. Now, with peaceful protestors on both sides having to contend with armed interlopers showing up at demonstrations, it's "an escalating arms race," Levin said. Contributing: Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Portland shooting: How protesters right and left may arm themselves for rallies Dia Mirza has called out Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut for using the word haramkhor for actor Kangana Ranaut while expressing his anger against her. The actor said he must apologise for using such language. She took to Twitter to express her disappointment in reaction to a viral video which shows Raut criticising Kangana for disrespecting Maharashtra and Shivaji Maharaj. Dia tweeted, Strongly condemn the word haramkhor used by @rautsanjay61 . Sir you have every right to express your displeasure for what Kangana has said but you must apologise for using such language. Strongly condemn the word haramkhor used by @rautsanjay61. Sir you have every right to express your displeasure for what Kangana has said but you must apologise for using such language. https://t.co/6uY3AObCcw Dia Mirza (@deespeak) September 5, 2020 Talking about the trend of abusing women on social media and otherwise, Dia further wrote in another tweet, The last few months have seen an unprecedented rise in name calling and personal abuse. It is something that undermines every effort made to build a safe/equal society for women. Unfortunately many women are also perpetuating this culture. This must stop. Lets stand together! ALSO WATCH | You cant strangle...: Kangana Ranaut gets support from Haryana minister The last few months have seen an unprecedented rise in name calling and personal abuse. It is something that undermines every effort made to build a safe/equal society for women. Unfortunately many women are also perpetuating this culture. This must stop. Lets stand together! Dia Mirza (@deespeak) September 5, 2020 Earlier on Saturday, Kangana had reacted to a Twitter user who claimed that the Queen actor had not insulted Shivaji and had called out freedom of speech warriors for not speaking up for her. Reacting to the tweet, Kangana had written from her teams account, In 2008 Movie Mafia declared me a Psycho, in 2016 they called me a Witch and Stalker in 2020 Maharashtra Minister publicity gave me the title of Haramkhor Ladki, because I said after a murder I feel unsafe in Mumbai, where are INTOLERANCE debate warriors? In 2008 Movie Mafia declared me a Psycho, in 2016 they called me a Witch and Stalker in 2020 Maharashtra Minister publicity gave me the title of Haramkhor Ladki, because I said after a murder I feel unsafe in Mumbai, where are INTOLERANCE debate warriors? https://t.co/me91rxsShr Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) September 5, 2020 Also read: Milind Soman marks 17 years of Rules: Pyaar Ka Superhit Formula, says it has some of his favourite songs After a major star has been killed I spoke about drug and movie mafia racket, I dont trust @MumbaiPolice cos they ignored SSRs complaints, he told everyone they will kill him yet he was killed, if I feel unsafe,does that mean I hate the industry and Mumbai? #ShameOnSanjayRaut https://t.co/EyoUCgRPSL Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) September 3, 2020 Kangana had earlier said in her defence on Twitter, After a major star has been killed I spoke about drug and movie mafia racket, I dont trust @MumbaiPolice cos they ignored SSRs complaints, he told everyone they will kill him yet he was killed, if I feel unsafe,does that mean I hate the industry and Mumbai? Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON FAIRFIELD Authorities arrested a 30-year-old Norwalk woman Thursday they said sideswiped a police sergeant's cruiser as the officer was working DUI enforcement. Its the second time Fairfield police vehicles have been struck in alleged drunken-driving incidents during the past two weeks, the department said in a prepared statement. Erin Daley was charged with driving under the influence, evading responsibility and failure to maintain proper lane. Police said a chemical test revealed her blood alcohol content to be nearly three times the legal limit. The officer involved was working a DUI enforcement assignment near Old Post Road and South Benson Road around 8 p.m. when the womans car crossed over the double yellow lines while traveling east bound on the Old Post Road, police said. The officer maneuvered his car out of the way to minimize the impact. The striking vehicle sideswiped the police vehicle and immediately fled the scene, police said. The sergeant was not injured in the collision and both cars received minor damage. The sergeant radioed for assistance, then followed the striking vehicle which pulled to the side of the road a couple hundred yards away where a motor vehicle stop was initiated, police said. Daley posted $1,000 in bond and was released. She is due to appear in court Sept. 29. On Friday (Sept. 4), Great Canadian Gaming Corporation provided an update on the status of the companys 25 operations across Canada. On March 16, Great Canadian suspended operations at all its properties to contribute to the containment of COVID-19. In Ontario, Great Canadian will be reopening its 11 properties on Sept. 28, as part of Ontarios Stage 3 framework for the reopening of its economy. As part of that framework, the company will be adhering to provincial guidelines, which include indoor gathering limits up to a maximum of 50 guests, and will not include the operation of table games or other amenities. In New Brunswick, the company will be reopening its Casino New Brunswick property on Sept. 28 as part of New Brunswicks COVID-19 recovery plan. The reopening of the property will be premised upon following prescriptive operational plans and protocols developed by the company, including reduced facility guest capacity to approximately 25 per cent, the availability of just over 50 per cent of the propertys slot machines, and the suspension of most amenities. In Nova Scotia, where casinos have been granted the ability to reopen, the Company continues to work with the Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation on preparations required for the reopening of the Companys two Nova Scotia properties. In British Columbia, Great Canadians properties remain closed as mandated by the provincial government. "I'm pleased we are able to safely reopen our facilities in Ontario and New Brunswick, allowing us to bring back to work team members in each province, stated Rod Baker, the companys chief executive officer. Once open, gaming revenues in each jurisdiction will be significantly reduced due to operating restrictions, Baker continued. The reductions will be especially significant for our Ontario properties where, due to the 50-guest maximum restriction, we expect no material financial benefit to the company from our 11 Ontario locations. In B.C., no approval has been granted for casinos to reopen, and as such, the company will continue to manage its assets in the closed state, Baker concluded. (Great Canadian Gaming Corporation) WASHINGTON Long before he moved into the White House, Donald J. Trump had cemented his reputation as a lover of lawsuits, turning to federal and state courts for battles big and small. Mr. Trump once even boasted, I like beating my enemies to the ground. Since becoming a public official, he has remained litigious. But he now has found a variety of new ways to fund his legal fights, often without having to personally cover the tab, by turning to money donated to his campaign committees. Here are some of the highlights of what could be dubbed the Trump Docket, a dizzyingly diverse collection of lawsuits and other legal actions filed by Mr. Trump or against him since he began his bid for the president. It helps explain why he and his political allies have spent nearly $60 million of donor money on legal and compliance bills since 2015, far more than any other president. Patna: The parliamentary board of the party will take the final decision on the seat-sharing formula for the upcoming assembly elections in the Bihar Assembly, Bihar BJP chief Sanjay Jaiswal has said. "BJP`s parliamentary board will take a decision in this regard. All parties of NDA will together fight the elections and emerge victorious with over three-fourth majority," Jaiswal said at a press conference here. He was replying to a question about suggestions that there should be 50-50 seat-sharing formula between BJP and JD-U in the elections. Jaiswal also announced several election-related appointments. JD-U had ended its 17-year-old alliance with BJP in 2013 but rejoined the BJP-led NDA in 2017 after snapping its ties with RJD. The two parties had fought the last assembly polls against each other and fought the 2019 Lok Sabha polls together. Elections on 243 Assembly seats of Bihar is due in October-November. The tenure of the current Assembly will end on November 29. The Election Commission has not yet taken a final call on poll dates in Bihar due to the COVID-19 outbreak. City man charged with multiple drug felonies Detectives with the Henderson County Drug Task Force with the assistance of the Hendersonville Police Department and Henderson County SWAT Team charged a 61-year-old resident with multiple drug felonies on Friday after executing a search warrant at 624 Jonas St., the sheriff's office said. The search warrant resulted from detectives conducting an investigation into complaints received from the community about a high volume of foot traffic at the residence, which is near the site of the new police station. As a result of the search warrant, detectives found marijuana, crack cocaine and a small amount of cash in the residence. Detectives arrested Gary Vernon Jones, of Hendersonville, and charged him with the following manufacturing cocaine, possession with intent to sell/deliver cocaine, possession with intent to sell/deliver marijuana, maintaining a dwelling for purposes of sell/delivery of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. Jones was jailed at the Henderson County Detention Center under a $37,000 bond. MUMBAI: A 21-year-old man was attacked with a sword and killed in Chembur on Friday (September 4) afternoon by a mob which also stole valuables worth over Rs 3 lakh, police said. An official said the incident happened in Postal Colony at around 2:00 pm and identified the deceased as Utkarsh Vinaya Dhumal. "Dhumal was rushed to hospital where he was declared dead on arrival. The mob also hit other people in Dhumal's home. Efforts are on to nab them," he added. Maha Bodhi Society mourns Mukherjees death View(s): The Maha Bodhi Society of India has expressed its condolences on the passing away of Indias former President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday, August 31. The society in a statement issued from Kolkata said the late President was a well-wisher of the Society and had visited its headquarters Sri Dharmarajika Chaithya Vihara in Kolkata and the Mulagananda Kuti Vihara at Sarnath during his tenure as President of India and Finance Minister of the Union Cabinet. The statement added that Anagarika Dharmapala, the founder of the Society, was honoured by the issuance of a postal stamp in 2014 at a ceremony at Rashtrapati bhavan, when the late Shri Mukherjee was President. The demise of the former President of India is a great loss to the country, The Mahabodhi Society also lost a great well-wisher, the statement added. Shri Mukherjee was a former Minister of External Affairs of India and visited Sri Lanka several times during this period. The Liberal Elite on Defense Commentary Imagine yourself a young professional or nearly finished graduate student, a law school graduate about to take the bar exam or a humanities Ph.D. going on the academic job market, or an early-career psychology researcher eager to make a name in your field. The odds are heavy that you are white and slightly that you are female. In 2018, according to the Survey of Earned Doctorates, 3,321 people who were U.S. citizens or permanent residents earned a Ph.D. in psychology, and 2,342 of them were white. The entire area of the humanities awarded 4,150 doctorates, 3,167 of them to whites. Overall, whites took more than two-thirds of Ph.D.s that year (24,951 out of 35,404), and women took a bit more than half the total. (These figures do not include temporary visa holders, most of them Asians, who collected another 17,604 doctorates from U.S. universities.) Youre ambitious, and so are all the other upwardly mobile 20-somethings with whom you compete for jobs and status. You study late into the night, or if youre a new professional, you dont leave the office until eight or nine oclock. The meritocracy can be heartless, your superiors having themselves climbed a steep cliff to reach their high positions and often showing little sympathy for younger cohorts. The only way to rise is to work harder than the others, over-prepare for meetings and duties, and lead your senior colleagues to regard you as an asset that makes their lives easier. And, of course, you have to make them believe that youre very smart, just like they are. But what does our young psychologist think when she reads a message from the American Psychological Association (APA) that renounces racial injustice and turns against itself with this charge: We must also examine our role as a field and as an association in perpetuating these ills? Another statement from the APA recites a pledge to dismantle institutional racism over the long term, including within APA and psychology. She cant help but wonder whether her race will disadvantage her in an already arduous ascent up the professional ladder. The clearest indication of institutional racism, we are told, is insufficient representation of black and brown minorities in the professional ranks. Our psychologist draws the obvious inference: Lets hire and promote fewer white aspirants. The same goes for young literature Ph.D.s, most of whom are also white, who read a recent statement from the Modern Language Association on Deploring Systemic Racism that has this insistent appeal: We call on educational institutions to renew their commitment to actively undo structures that limit access by and hinder full participation of Black Americans and other nonwhite people at all levels. They know what that means: another hurdle for white candidates to cross, and this one cant be done by working harder and being smarter. The insistence is spreading. I just looked up some agents for a friend working on a childrens book project and came upon this stipulation in the submissions page of one of them: I am most actively looking for graphic novels and non-fiction for MG and YA readers, especially from BIPOC creators. BIPOC, for those of you who dont know, stands for Black, indigenous, and people of color. I take it that this signals what the presses are looking for, not what the agents decree. A Generation Gap My point here is not to oppose this urge for diversity, but to point out how differently it looks relative to ones age. Awhile back I sat down to dinner with some humanities scholars, four of whom were established figures in their fields and one of whom was a 28-year-old with a Ph.D. from a renowned department but no regular job. Shed tried the job market for a few years and had landed only a temporary post-doc at an institution in New England. It was all unfair, she said, the way in which social factors had taken over hiring. She was smart and had good pedigree, but she was white, as were 144 of the 183 doctorates granted in art history in 2018. But her dismay wasnt directed at the policy of favoring under-represented minorities in hiring. It was, rather, the timing of it that bothered her. This process of diversification of the professors was good, she agreed, but it should have happened long ago, not now. She was fully in support of preferential hiring in order to correct a historical injustice; she had all the right liberal attitudes that academia requires. But why should she pay for the prejudices and biases of previous generations? The others at the table liked her and sympathized, but had no lasting words of comfort. There was nothing to say. Nobody wanted to object to the final aim of boosting minority representation, and the others were many years older than her and in or nearing retirement, making it hard for them to connect with her experience. This was a generation gap. You dont hear from people like our post-doc in these discussions of institutional reform. Its usually the persons at the top of elite schools and businesses and organizations that speak, the people in charge, college presidents and organization directors. They voice in solemn tones the necessity of doing better. They regret the dominance of white individuals in the upper ranks. They steer money and resources toward upgraded efforts of inclusion, such as the employment of more diversity officers. But younger people in the fields add something else to the promises. They know that the people calling for and directing change are unaffected by the reforms they promote. Its a glaring but unspoken circumstance. Nothing those leaders approve will affect their working conditions. Theyre secure and confident; they dont put themselves forward as having anything at all to do with the problem. On the contrary, they claim to be essential to the solution. In a letter dated Sept. 2, President Christopher Eisgruber told members of the Princeton University community that the campus is fraught with systemic racism. Princeton is dedicated to inclusion, he said, but racism and the damage it does to people of color nevertheless persist. He proceeds to lay out a plan to combat it. The plan includes outreach to nearby minority communities; adjusting the curriculum so that it specifically addresses victims of systemic racism; the hiring of more minority professors; anti-racism professional development; an annual Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion report; and so on. Heres what it does not include: any changes to existing personnel in Princetons leadership. No, Eisgruber does not conclude his letter in this way: Princeton suffers from systemic racism. I have profited very well from this system. My continued presence at the top of the university is a clear denial of the very reforms that must proceed. There is no other course for me to take but to resign and ask that Princeton appoint a member of an under-represented minority group to take my place. Of course, this is unthinkable. In the etiquette of the elite, the dedication to change is enough for one to maintain standing. Indeed, if one leader were to step down for this precise reason, it would pressure every other white leader to do the same thing. The logic would be consistent; the moral imperative obvious. On the Defensive Whats really going on here is a defensive reaction by those who run the very institutions claimed to be unjust. You almost have to admire the audacity, the shamelessness, of people whove been in charge for decades stepping forward to declare the malevolence of the organizations in which theyve triumphed. Why should we trust them? Because they say so, with palpable sincerity. But where have they been all these years? What have they been doing while systemic racism has damaged and dehumanized so many people? Well, theyve been making their careers. But lets not go there. Its an uncomfortable issue. They are earnest and caring now, eager to do the right thing, so lets move forward. I dont think this tactic is going to work much longer. The sight of aged white dignitaries disowning white privilege, then retiring to their corner offices, may not be enough to satisfy protesters in their current state of ardor. A new diversity plan doesnt impress them, not as much as a figure of white privilege taken down and a person of color chosen as replacement. Identity politics have become more shrill, not less, and progressives who see the world through a racial lens are impatient. They disdain liberal ideals of colorblindness, and they certainly dont respect people who occupy distinguished positions in prestigious institutions. Rather, they suspect them. I will not be surprised if identity politicians take another leap toward the extreme, skip policy questions entirely, and go straight for personnel. We saw a case of this occur in 2017 at Evergreen State College when the president tried to engage with angry students and they shouted him down with obscenities. The same thing may spread to other schools and businesses, to media and sports, foundations and governments and politics as the country enters 2021especially if President Donald Trump has just been granted four more years. Mark Bauerlein is an emeritus professor of English at Emory University. His work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Weekly Standard, The Washington Post, the TLS, and the Chronicle of Higher Education. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaskela Law LLC announces that it is investigating Evoqua Water Technologies Corporation ("Evoqua" or the "Company") (NYSE: AQUA) on behalf of the Company's stockholders. Recently a shareholder class action complaint was filed in federal court on behalf of investors who purchased shares of the Company's stock between November 1, 2017 and October 30, 2018. Among other things, the complaint alleges that during that time period "Evoqua engaged in increasingly aggressive tactics to artificially inflate its reported revenue, including fraudulent accounting manipulations in blatant violation of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ('GAAP')." The investigation seeks to determine whether the members of Evoqua's board of directors breached their fiduciary duties in connection with the above alleged misconduct. Current Evoqua stockholders who purchased or acquired shares of the Company's stock prior to October 30, 2018 are encouraged to contact Kaskela Law LLC (D. Seamus Kaskela, Esq.) at (484) 258 1585, or by email at [email protected] or online at http://kaskelalaw.com/case/evoqua/, for additional information about this investigation and their legal rights and options. Kaskela Law LLC exclusively represents investors in securities fraud, corporate governance, and merger & acquisition litigation. For additional information about Kaskela Law LLC please visit www.kaskelalaw.com. CONTACT: D. Seamus Kaskela, Esq. KASKELA LAW LLC 18 Campus Blvd., Suite 100 Newtown Square, PA 19073 (484) 258 1585 (888) 715 1740 [email protected] www.kaskelalaw.com This notice may constitute attorney advertising in certain jurisdictions. SOURCE Kaskela Law LLC Related Links http://www.kaskelalaw.com Updated 3pm All pubs could be allowed to reopen by the middle of this month, with Government discussions underway on the issue. The move would coincide with the release of the Government's new long-term strategy for dealing with Covid-19 on September 14th. The Government is now finalising a new set of guidelines to be shared with publicans organisations in the coming days and it is understood that the reopening of "wet" pubs would be subject to strict regulation and inspection, according to the Irish Times. CEO of the Licensed Vintners Association, Donal O'Keefe, said it was important that there would be no confusion over the rules when they do reopen: All hospitality businesses, whether they are pubs, restaurants or hotels, should face the same guidelines, the same restrictions, and have the same opportunity to trade. Advertisement "So a critical issue for us now is that wet pubs do not face any additional restrictions. They should face the same guidelines as pubs that serve food, and hotels and restaurants." Rogue operators Drafts of the Department of Healths long-term plan for "living" with Covid-19 have now been circulated causing intense discussion, with some sources believing it is overly-restrictive. It is understood that the plan will change the relationship between the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) and the Government, with more collaboration and communication between the two sides on public health measures. Senior figures in the Government are keen to get away from the model where Nphet is seen as making public health recommendations and the Government is then watering them down. Meanwhile the Taoiseach has said that new rules requiring pubs and restaurants to keep a record of food orders for 28 days will protect law-abiding businesses. Responding to recent criticism surrounding new laws requiring pubs and restaurants to keep individual details of food consumption, Mr Martin said it was overstating it to claim it was a communications calamity. The Government has no interest in knowing what people are eating, he said, adding that the regulations had been designed to deal with rogue operators who were serving drink but not food. Elementary school students walk to classes to begin their school day in Godley, Texas, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020. LM Otero/AP Imagse As schools reopen, teachers and parents worry that weak ventilation will put students at greater risk of catching the coronavirus. Poor air quality can impact test scores and learning; it's been a problem in US schools for decades. A June report estimated that 41% of school districts 36,000 schools need major upgrades to their ventilation systems. Experts suggest schools with poor air quality install portable ventilation systems. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Three years ago, teacher Kerri Landry found a hole in the wall of her middle-school classroom in Coventry, Rhode Island. It looked strange, so Landry took a flash photo of the inside of the hole and captured a troubling image. "The entire inside of that wall was all black mold, the entire thing," she told Business Insider. Left: A hole in the wall of Kerri Landry's classroom at the Alan Shawn Feinstein Middle School in Coventry, Rhode Island. Right: Black mold inside the wall behind the hole. Kerri Landry Landry showed her husband Tom the picture. A specialist in heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) at a local company called Environmental Systems, Tom knew the mold was an indicator of the building's poor air quality. School custodians patched up the hole and treated the mold, but Landry said she's seen mold in other classrooms, too. She thinks it may be a sign that her school the Alan Shawn Feinstein Middle School shouldn't bring students back at all. "This has been an ongoing issue for years," Landry said, adding that she's recently been telling anyone who will listen that the school district must fix its ventilation systems before students return. She feels strongly about that for her own safety as well as that of her students and two youngest sons, who attend a high school in the district. However, Landry's school district decided on Monday to do a phased reopening, with all grades slated to be back by October 13. Kerri Landry, a teacher in the Coventry School District in Rhode Island, with her youngest sons. Courtesy of Kerri Landry Landry's school isn't exceptional: Research shows that air quality is a major issue in tens of thousands of schools across the US. A June report from the Government Accountability Office estimated that 41% of districts nationwide, or 36,000 schools, need major upgrades to their HVAC systems. Story continues Before the pandemic, poor air quality in schools was problematic because it impeded kids' learning and lowered their test scores. But now, faulty HVAC systems are even more concerning since they could facilitate the spread of the coronavirus. The link between coronavirus transmission and HVAC systems The coronavirus most commonly spreads via respiratory droplets emitted when an infected person coughs, sneezes, speaks, or breathes heavily. But research suggests it can also be airborne, meaning the virus gets transmitted via aerosols: tiny particles or droplets that can hang in the air, potentially for hours at a time. Either way, most instances of documented coronavirus transmission have occurred in tight, poorly ventilated indoor spaces; one study (though not yet peer-reviewed) suggested that a person might be nearly 20 times more likely to spread the coronavirus inside than outside. Students are seen inside a classroom at a high school in Shanghai Aly Song/Reuters Studies have also shown that poor HVAC systems can spread the coronavirus around, sparking outbreaks. In one case study, a single person infected nine others at a restaurant in Guangzhou, China. Epidemiologists found that the strong airflow in the restaurant's air conditioning and lack of effective filtration and ventilation likely carried droplets from one table to several others. "The biggest risk comes from poorly ventilated, crowded environments where people spend a lot of time. Unfortunately, that kind of perfectly describes a lot of schools," Jeffrey Siegel, a professor of civil engineering at the University of Toronto, told Business Insider. To ensure an HVAC system removes coronavirus particles from the air at a school or elsewhere it needs have adequate ventilation and filtration, not just circulation. One crucial factor, then, is airflow: the amount of new air that flows through a building. Most buildings should have at least 15 cubic feet per person per minute. Mike Saladino cleans an air duct before installing an HVAC filter at Gold's Gym in Islip, New York, August 24, 2020. Al Bello/Getty Images Filtration is also key: On commercial HVAC units, filters are rated according to their minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV). Both HEPA and MERV-13 or -14 filters can block most coronavirus particles. Most schools don't have safe indoor air Most US schools don't meet the standards necessary to prevent coronavirus transmission indoors, according to Corey Metzger, who leads the school-reopening task force for The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, or ASHRAE. The group offers a list of HVAC guidelines for schools. "A large percentage of facilities, if not the majority, don't meet our recommended minimums for ventilation or other operating capabilities," Metzger said. These standards include proper filter installation, ensuring circulation of outdoor air, and balanced humidity levels. A teacher wears a mask at a private school in Saint-Sebastien-sur-Loire, France, May 12, 2020. Stephane Mahe/Reuters Landry's husband, Tom, said these problems certainly persist in the schools where his wife teaches and sons study: Most don't have systems that can support MERV-13 and 14 filters. "Our schools are very old and [have] antiquated HVAC systems," he said. "The majority of schools in our town don't have any fresh air coming into them at all." Craig Levis, the Coventry district's superintendent, told Business Insider that the middle school where Landry teaches is his "primary focus" in terms of addressing air quality. He said he's hired HVAC specialists to inspect the district's other buildings and help with quick fixes, like placing fans near windows to increase ventilation. "If there are simple things I can do to mitigate the virus, I put a stake in the ground, and that's what we're doing," he said. Siegel said he's concerned that fall and winter could make air-quality problems in schools even worse, since cold weather will likely lead teachers to close windows, and holding classes outside will be difficult. Plus, Siegel said, indoor heating could dry out the air, enabling viral particles to travel farther and drying out people's mucous membranes, which can weaken immune systems. What parents can look out for, and what teachers can do Even before the coronavirus hit, poor ventilation in schools created problems for students, primarily due to the buildup of carbon dioxide. Previous studies have shown that high levels of CO2 in classrooms can contribute to poor focus and lower test scores. But upgrading a school's HVAC system can cost millions of dollars and take months to years. Siegel said a few other measures can mitigate the risks of low-quality ventilation systems in the meantime, though. For instance, portable ventilation systems can help filter air in individual classrooms. The filters are loud, but they work. "I don't want anyone to think that I'm saying this is a simple problem, but it is a solvable problem," Siegel said. Additionally, although there's no simple, easy, or cheap way to measure coronavirus particles in the air, carbon dioxide can be a "canary in the coal mine," according to Roger Silveira, an air-quality specialist and the facilities director at San Jose's East Side Union High School District. Carbon-dioxide monitors sell for about $100. In a building with good ventilation, CO2 levels should generally stay under 1,100 parts per million, Silveira said. A wall-mounted carbon-dioxide meter reads 818 ppm in Walnut Creek, California, September 2, 2019. Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images Opening windows is another obvious way to mitigate the problem, as is holding classes in larger spaces, like gymnasiums and auditoriums, according to Dr. Tina Tan, an infectious-disease specialist at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. "I think right now we have to think outside the box," Tan said. She also recommends that teachers limit activities involving shouting or singing, since those create more potentially virus-laden droplets than ordinary talking. Of course, remote learning is likely the safest option for many districts, though it comes with plenty of its own challenges. Some districts that are reopening still offer a remote option for that reason; Landry's is one of them. At the moment, she's not sure what to do. Her sons want to go back to school, but both have preexisting respiratory issues. She doesn't want them to have a subpar, remote education, but she's also afraid for their lives. "It's so difficult as a parent to make this decision no parent should have to make it," Landry said, adding, "it's like playing Russian roulette." Read the original article on Business Insider The three-person Expedition 63 crew focused its attention today on Japanese science hardware and Russian cardiac studies. The International Space Station trio also serviced air conditioning and plumbing systems. The Kibo laboratory module from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) enables a multitude of space science taking place both inside and outside the orbital lab. Kibo has an airlock that the crew can place external experiments and even satellites for deployment into the vacuum of space. Commander Chris Cassidy spent the first part of Thursday removing a commercial science payload from Kibo's airlock. The NanoRacks External Platform supports a variety of research requiring exposure to the space environment. The automated science experiments look at different technologies and phenomena including robotics, physics, and microbiology that can benefit Earth and space industries. Cassidy switched roles in the afternoon from space scientist to orbital maintenance man. The veteran NASA astronaut checked out spacecraft atmosphere monitor components and updated software supporting the Waste and Hygiene Compartment, the station's restroom. Roscosmos cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner continued a second day of heart research to understand how the human body adapts to long-term weightlessness. The duo explored the benefits of a negative pressure lower body suit that prevents blood and body fluids from pooling toward an astronaut's head, a unique space condition commonly known as "puffy face." Ivanishin also replaced battery components before setting up advanced Earth photography gear. Vagner worked on fluid transfers throughout the station's Russian segment then moved on and updated lab inventory files. On-Orbit Status Report Payloads NREP Hardware Remove: Following the extension of the slide table into the JEM pressurized volume and removal of NREP from the slide table, the crew removed External Platform Module-7 (Craig-X) and External Platform Module-12 (Astrileux) from NREP. NREP was then placed back on the slide table and will be returned to its external location. Craig-X is a Flight Test Platform (FTP) designed to promote electronics testing to raise Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) at a low cost and a reduced time frame. This experiment began having communication issues early this year and despite multiple recovery attempts, was never able to recover. Astrileux evaluates the effects of space exposure on new materials that, for the first time, show optical performance in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) wavelength range (10-20 nm). These materials have potential for a new generation of space instrumentation that can capture EUV radiation for use in remote sensing, planet mapping, telescopes, semiconductor applications and other systems. Spacecraft Atmosphere Monitor (SCRAM): The crew removed the Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) plug from the SCRAM and powered it up. The MCA plug is used to protect the SCRAM's sensor when the unit is powered off. SCRAM demonstrates the capabilities of a small, reliable, portable gas chromatograph mass spectrometer instrument aboard the ISS to conduct major and minor elements of air measurement (Nitrogen, Oxygen, Carbon Dioxide, Methane, Water, etc). The instrument transmits data back to the ground research team every two seconds, providing a continuous analysis to the ground research team. It has a mass of less than 9.5 kg and consumes less than 40 watts of power in its nominal configuration. Systems Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) Software Transition: Today the crew assisted the ground team in performing a firmware update on the UPA to acquire new software capabilities. The software updates are required prior to the installation of the new Toilet System. The crew performed a setup and teardown of the SSC-to-UPA Data Module connections in the Water Recovery System 2 (WRS-2) Rack. The new software will perform additional UPA leak checks and add leak annunciation to additional UPA states to alert the ground and crew to a potential leak or fluid backflow resulting from Toilet System faults. Environmental Health System (EHS) Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Water Recovery System (WRS) Sample Analysis & Data Record: Crew performed an analysis of the water processing assembly (WPA) using the TOCA. The TOCA unit oxidizes organic carbon species present in the water to carbon dioxide gas and measures the concentration using nondispersive infrared spectroscopy. Analysis of the potable water using the TOCA occurs on a weekly basis. Completed Task List Activities: Station Support Computer (SSC) 8 Hard Disk Drive (HDD) Swap Wanted Poster ACME Igniter Arm 2 Swap of N2 PCS and USCV PCS ZBooks for Log File Save Crew Communication Headset Inspection and Replacement Today's Ground Activities: All activities are complete unless otherwise noted. Passive Thermal Control System (PTCS) PMA3 Heater Test FGB Solar Array Video Survey Ground Supt for MISSE Ops VES limit adjustment for CIR activation Thruster disable/enable for JEMRMS Ops JEM RMS Ops Video Support Look Ahead Plan Friday, 9/4 (GMT 248) Payloads: Astrobee Localization/Mobility Ops Biolab TCU Clean JEMAL Ops MELFI1 EU Swap Radi-N2 Retrieve & Handover Systems: EHS CFM T+2 Saturday, 9/5 (GMT 249) Payloads: Astrobee Off Systems: Crew Off Duty Sunday, 9/6 (GMT 250) Payloads: No Utilization Activities Systems: Crew Off Duty Today's Planned Activities: All activities are complete unless otherwise noted. JEM PS-120 Junction Box Troubleshooting JEM Airlock Press & Leak Check Transfer of [] tank from DC1 to MRM2 . Check - #07 thermostat temperature and keep out zones in front of - inlets and outlets URAGAN. Closeout operations and teardown of SOVA and photo equipment JEM Airlock Slide Table (ST) Extension & Retraction to/from JPM Side Life on the ISS photo and Russian video NanoRacks External Platform Removal from the Slide Table NanoRacks External Platform Payload Hardware Removal BIOCARD. Experiment ops. JEM Airlock Depressurization Health Maintenance System (HMS) ISS Food Intake Tracker (ISS FIT) Spacecraft Atmosphere Monitor Power On Station Support Computer Transition Relocation to Node 3 Urine Processing Assembly 6.4.1 Software Transition Setup, Init & Closeout Environmental Health System (EHS) Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Water Recovery System (WRS) Sample Analysis & Data Record VIZIR. Experiment session using - hardware Spacecraft Atmosphere Monitor MCA Plug Remove JEM Airlock Vent & Confirmation Water transfer from DC1 Progress #444 Rodnik water tank #1 (1) into a EDV Preparation of -1 storage battery current converter unit R&R (position A307) URAGAN. SOVA and photo equipment setup and power on. Flight Director/ISS Crew Conference Astrobee Stowage Clear Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. Taoiseach Micheal Martin (right) at a fundraising cycle at the Mater Hospital in Dublin Taoiseach Micheal Martin has signalled the end of the traditional night out even when so-called 'wet' pubs are allowed to reopen. People will be told to limit their socialising with others, and reduce movement between venues in the new Covid era. The Government fears a return of the pub crawl if and when more bars reopen, particularly because patrons won't be having a meal. It is expected the 9 meal rule will only be abolished when 'wet' pubs eventually reopen. But controversial rules on recording every meal could be abolished within 10 days. Limits Mr Martin admitted there are "limits to how you can regulate behaviour". He said Government will be relying more on people's own "personal behaviour". There is "growing anger" among rural publicans and that is teetering on a protest movement - as 'wet' pubs mark almost half-a-year of closure. A small protest took place in Dublin city centre on Thursday by Monaghan Publicans For Common Sense. The Herald understands discussions have been taking place across rural Ireland. Larger protests are also being discussed to highlight how many are struggling financially after the long closures. However, ministers have also been warned that their eventual reopening will have public health implications, and could prompt the return of mixing in great numbers, or even the pub crawl. They are currently considering how to issue advice to people to demonstrate personal responsibility. This will mean many of the activities of a traditional night out will be curtailed - from visiting several venues, to meeting new people, to mixing in numbers. But scrapping the 9 meal requirement - which was never recommended by Nphet in the first place - will be necessary to at least balance customer numbers when 'wet' pubs reopen. It comes as there were signs the new 28-day retention of individual food receipts in gastropubs - bitterly resented by the hospitality sector - could be dropped in just 10 days. Tanaiste Leo Varadkar told the Irish Independent: "This regulation remains in place until September 13, which is when it expires. "At that point, we'll make a decision as to whether it needs to continue or not. Hopefully, well I won't say hopefully, because what I think is another matter, but that's where we stand at the moment." He added: "I want to clarify that there is no requirement for restaurants or pubs to keep evidence of every individual's meal and what it was, but instead to show that a substantial meal was served." Taoiseach Mr Martin said the communication of the new regulation "could have been better", while insisting the law was "misinterpreted and misrepresented" by critics. He said the Government had meanwhile received new guidance on pubs and it will be working with the sector to enable the reopening of the pubs "in due course". Mr Martin was asked about how to discourage pub crawls and he initially feigned disbelief: "We don't do pub crawls anymore do we?" However, he added that the 9 meal rule for pubs was brought in with a view to keeping people seated along with time limits. Mr Martin and public health officials are worried about people congregating and the need to reduce social contact. "In the event of pubs reopening again, they want to make sure people are in a seated situation, there's a whole range of guidelines that they've issued." The Government wants to enable pubs to reopen, Mr Martin said. Put to him that pub crawls will be very difficult to prevent he replied: "There are limits to how you can regulate behaviour. "We can't over-regulate, and we don't want to. We want to get a fair situation for all." He added: "Above all, I think we have to really emphasise the importance of personal behaviour in preventing the spread of this virus. "That's the key objective of the plan and we want to protect lives as well as protecting livelihoods. That is important." Nadia Bartel is spending some quality time with her sons ahead of Father's Day. On Saturday, the 35-year-old shared a number of photos of Aston, four, and Henley, one, in an Instagram post. The images showed the boys playing outside their home, smiling and cuddling as they did. Family time: Nadia Bartel is spending some quality time with her sons ahead of Father's Day. All pictured Nadia captioned the sweet photographs: 'Both equally as golden. Love these caps on my stud muffins'. The photos come after Lauren Mand, the girlfriend of Nadia's ex, Jimmy Bartel, revealed she's gearing up to celebrate Father's Day. She shared an Instagram Stories post on Friday that showed her wrapping gifts. Cute: On Saturday, the 35-year-old shared a number of photos of Aston, four, and Henley, one, in an Instagram post Siblings: The images showed the boys playing outside their home, smiling and cuddling as they did Nadia captioned the sweet photographs: 'Both equally as golden. Love these caps on my stud muffins' The Melbourne socialite posted a photo of blue ribbons and a gift box, along with a card that said 'Dad' on the front. Lauren declared in June that she 'loved' Jimmy's sons, and after Jimmy posted a photo of his kids playing his backyard, Lauren commented: 'My besties! Love them'. Earlier this year, Lauren told her Instagram followers that coming home from work to the two young boys was the 'highlight' of her day. Close: The photos come after Lauren Mand, the girlfriend of Nadia's ex, Jimmy Bartel, revealed she's gearing up to celebrate Father's Day. Both pictured Gifted: The Melbourne socialite posted a photo of blue ribbons and a gift box, along with a card that said 'Dad' on the front Family ties: Lauren declared in June that she 'loved' Jimmy's sons, Aston, four, and Henley, one. After Jimmy posted a photo of his kids playing his backyard, Lauren commented: 'My besties! Love them'. Jimmy is pictured with his sons Jimmy shares his two sons with his ex-wife, Nadia Bartel. The ex-Geelong Cats star was romantically linked to Lauren just days after his split from Nadia was made public last year. The Bartels announced their separation on August 15, but it is believed they actually split two months prior. You can understand why Democrats didnt want President Donald Trump to visit Kenosha to respond to last weeks mob violence, looting and arson. Theyre embarrassed. Theyre worried about the election in a few months. Its getting close, and Democrat Joe Bidens lead in key Midwestern swing states is shrinking. Trump is trying to take advantage of their weakness. Hes the president. Hes in a campaign. And if he had not visited Kenosha, hed be guilty of political malpractice. He applauded the cops there for restoring order to the city that had burned, talked to business owners who lost everything, and brought with him $47 million in federal money to rebuild ruined businesses and bolster law enforcement. You may have (peaceful) protesters, but you may have really bad people, too, Trump told reporters during a brief question-and-answer session. Its hurt the media ... someone saying its a peaceful protest and over their shoulder the whole place is burning down. Urban violence has been building for some time. And despite what Democrats say now, it did not begin with Trump. Republicans dont run the public schools in these cities where special interests, including public schoolteachers unions, are served first and the kids come last. Republicans dont impose high taxes that kill business development where its needed most, in economically depressed urban areas. Democrats control their police departments. In Chicago, Baltimore, Detroit, Oakland, Portland, Washington and elsewhere, the Democrats rule. And the road to urban despair was paved over decades and decades by failed Democratic policy, as I wrote in 2016. What we see now and what some Democrats have tried to avoid since violence erupted after the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd are liberal Democratic mayors being devoured by the hard left. Thats the real conflict. Democrats dont want to say so, publicly, because theyre all about unity now. Theyve been trying to distract the voters from the division among Democrats, and one way to do it is to feed chaos and ride it like a tiger. Theyve been riding that tiger since Trump was elected, trying to delegitimize his presidency from the beginning, through the failed Mueller investigation of alleged Russia collusion that consumed years of Trumps presidency, and the failed presidential impeachment. Democrats were successful in politically weaponizing the coronavirus, due to Trumps early blunders and boasts that hed handle it in a couple of days. Then came urban violence, and Democrats sought to use it for their advantage. They miscalculated. Polls began turning. But anarchy isnt policy. Anarchy is chaos, and chaos frightens voters. Think back a few years ago, to U.S. Rep Maxine Waters, the California Democrat, trying to take things to the edge of anarchy, with angry confrontations, and use chaos as a ladder. If you see anybody from that (Trump) Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd, and you push back on them, and you tell them theyre not welcome anymore, anywhere, Waters said in 2018. Democrats didnt criticize her. She was their hero. What she wanted grew. Just the other day, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul and his wife were surrounded by an angry Jacobin mob on the streets of Washington and much of the country saw it. A few weeks ago, in July, U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler, a Democrat, was asked about antifa violence in Portland. Its a myth, Nadler said. A myth? The violence in Portland has been going on for months. Just the other day, a Trump supporter in a counterprotest was killed. The defiant mob rioting outside Portland Mayor Ted Wheelers home the other night isnt the stuff of myth, Mr. Nadler. Its the stuff of chaos. Much of the violence in cities was sparked by the police shootings of Black men, the police killing of Floyd in Minneapolis, the shooting of Jacob Blake by police in Kenosha, the police killing of Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta. These are legitimate reasons for angry protests, something many Republicans, including Trump, try to minimize, even avoid. In the balance now are swing voters in the key battleground states. Trump promises to protect them, and Biden blames Trump for any anxiety they may feel. Most Americans decry police brutality. They want police reform. But they also want safety. Now Wisconsin could be in play. Minnesota, too. That blue wall the Democrats had in Minnesota seems threatened, after the riots in Minneapolis and liberal city officials caving to the calls of Black Lives Matter protesters to defund the police department. And Pennsylvania also is a battleground state. Thats where Joe Biden visited the other day. He made a short speech, condemning Trump. Unlike Trump, Biden wont take questions. His handlers know him well and must be afraid of what might come out of his mouth. But he can still read a speech. Unfortunately, he read this line. Does anyone believe that there will be less violence in America if Donald Trump is re-elected? That doesnt sound like a man seeking to calm his nation. It sounds like the threat of a man worried about a tightening election, promising more chaos if Democrats dont get what they want: power. John Kass is a columnist for the Chicago Tribune. His Twitter handle is @john_kass. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The common cold virus may be able to prevent the flu virus from infecting airways, a new study suggests. Researchers say the rhinovirus could jump-start the body's antiviral defences, providing protection against the flu. The findings help answer a mystery surrounding the 2009 H1N1 swine flu pandemic, when an expected surge in swine flu cases never materialised in Europe during autumn. A Yale University team led by Dr Ellen Foxman studied three years of clinical data from more than 13,000 patients seen at Yale New Haven Hospital with symptoms of respiratory infection. They found that even during months when both viruses were active, if the common cold virus was present, the flu virus was not. Dr Foxman, assistant professor of laboratory medicine and immunobiology and senior author of the study, said: "When we looked at the data, it became clear that very few people had both viruses at the same time." But she added that it is not known whether the annual seasonal spread of the common cold virus will have a similar impact on infection rates of those exposed to the coronavirus that causes Covid-19. Dr Foxman said: "It is impossible to predict how two viruses will interact without doing the research." In order to test how the rhinovirus and influenza virus interact, the researchers created human airway tissue from stem cells that give rise to epithelial cells, which line the airways of the lung and are a chief target of respiratory viruses. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 17 January 2022 Bonhams Danny McIlwraith holds a Nigerian polycrome carved wood mask during a photocall for the sale of the Jim Lennon Collection at Bonhams in Edinburgh PA UK news in pictures 16 January 2022 The moon rises above the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth, Hampshire PA UK news in pictures 15 January 2022 Demonstrators outside Downing Street during a Kill The Bill protest against The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill in London PA UK news in pictures 14 January 2022 Ecologist Emma Smart (left) and retired GP Dr Diana Warner outside HMP Bronzefield, in Surrey, following their release from the prison where Emma undertook a 26-day hunger strike during her incarceration. Ms Smart was sentenced in November, along with other members of Insulate Britain, to serve four months for breaking a High Court injunction by taking part in a blockade at junction 25 of the M25 motorway during the morning rush hour on 8 October last year PA UK news in pictures 13 January 2022 A TV presenter holds a copy of a newspaper outside 10 Downing Streetafter the Prime Minister apologised for attending a gathering of colleagues in the Number Ten garden in May 2020, while the UK was in strict lockdown due to the Coronavirus pandemic Getty UK news in pictures 12 January 2022 Fitness guru Derrick Evans after receiving an MBE during an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 11 January 2022 A couple walk underneath an umbrella during wet weather on Westminster Bridge in central London PA UK news in pictures 10 January 2022 A jogger passes the Covid Memorial Wall in London AP UK news in pictures 9 January 2021 The sun rises over horses at Seaton Sluice in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 8 January 2022 Riders compete during the Veterans Men's race at the UK Cyclo-Cross National Championships 2022 in Ardingly, south of London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 7 January 2022 A dog looks out of a car window at the wintry conditions in Killeshin, Co. Laois PA UK news in pictures 6 January 2022 People walk through frost and mist alongside a frozen lake during sunrise in Bushy Park, London REUTERS UK news in pictures 5 January 2022 A skier jumps on the slopes at Allenheads in the Pennines to the north of Weardale in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 4 January 2022 Freshly-fallen snow covers houses in Corbridge, near Hexham in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 3 January 2022 Dean Morrison, 13, receives his Covid-19 vaccine from student nurse Anthony McLaughlin during a vaccination clinic at the Glasgow Central Mosque PA UK news in pictures 2 January 2022 Konastantinos Tsimikas of Liverpool with Chelseas Mason Mount during the Premier League match at Stamfrod Bridge Liverpool FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 January 2022 New Years Eve Lasers, drones and fireworks illuminate the sky in front of the Royal Naval College in Greenwich shortly after midnight in London EPA UK news in pictures 31 December 2021 Competitors in fancy dress run across the Pennine tops near Haworth, West Yorkshire, in the annual Auld Lang Syne Fell race which attracts hundreds of runners every year PA UK news in pictures 30 December 2021 Sunrise at Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 29 December 2021 The Very Revd Dr Robert Willis, Dean of Canterbury Cathedral, looks at Becket, a six month old red-billed chough as he visits Wildwood Wildlife Park in Kent on the anniversary of the murder of Thomas Becket PA UK news in pictures 28 December 2021 Troops of the Household Cavalry are seen reflected in a puddle during the changing of the Queens Life Guard, on Horse Guards Parade, in central London PA UK news in pictures 27 December 2021 A pedestrian walks past a winter sale sign outside a John Lewis store on Oxford street in London Getty UK news in pictures 26 December 2021 Riders take their bikes through the snow near Castleside, County Durham PA UK news in pictures 25 December 2021 Patrick Corkery wears a santa hat and beard as waves crash over him at Forty Foot near Dublin during a Christmas Day dip PA UK news in pictures 24 December 2021 People stand inside Kings Cross Station on Christmas Eve in London Reuters UK news in pictures 23 December 2021 Christmas shoppers fill the car park at Fosse Shopping Park in Leicester PA UK news in pictures 22 December 2021 The sun rises behind the stones as people gather for the winter solstice at Stonehenge. Getty UK news in pictures 21 December 2021 People take part in a winter solstice swim at Portobello Beach in Edinburgh to mark the solstice and to witness the dawn after the longest night of the year PA UK news in pictures 20 December 2021 An auction employee displays poultry to buyers and sellers attending the Christmas Poultry Sale at York Auction Centre in Murton PA UK news in pictures 19 December 2021 Joao Moutinho of Wolverhampton Wanderers looks on during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea at Molineux Getty Images UK news in pictures 18 December 2021 Freight lorries queuing at the port of Dover in Kent PA UK news in pictures 17 December 2021 Newly elected Liberal Democrat MP Helen Morgan, bursts 'Boris' bubble' held by colleague Tim Farron, as she celebrates following her victory in the North Shropshire by-election PA UK news in pictures 16 December 2021 Brussels sprouts are harvested by workers as they prepare for the busy Christmas period near Boston in Lincolnshire PA UK news in pictures 15 December 2021 Lewis Hamilton is made a Knight Bachelor by the Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 14 December 2021 The Royal Liver Buildings surrounded by early morning fog in Liverpool PA UK news in pictures 13 December 2021 People queue outside a walk-in Covid-19 vaccination centre at St Thomas's Hospital in Westminster Getty Images UK news in pictures 12 December 2021 People take part in the Big Leeds Santa Dash in Roundhay Park, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 11 December 2021 People arrive at a Covid-19 vaccination centre at Elland Road in Leeds, PA UK news in pictures 10 December 2021 Stella Moris speaks to the media after the US Government won its High Court bid to overturn a judges decision not to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange PA UK news in pictures 9 December 2021 Camels are lead around Salisbury Cathedral during a rehearsal for the Christmas Eve Service PA UK news in pictures 8 December 2021 Margaret Keenan and Nurse May Parsons, a year after Margaret was the first person in the UK to receive the Pfizer vaccine PA UK news in pictures 7 December 2021 Snowfall in Leadhills, South Lanarkshire as Storm Barra hits the UK with disruptive winds, heavy rain and snow PA UK news in pictures 6 December 2021 A person tries to avoid sea spray on New Brighton promenade in Wallasey as the UK readies for the arrival of Storm Barra Getty UK news in pictures 5 December 2021 People release balloons during a tribute to six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes outside Emma Tustin's former address in Solihull, West Midlands, where he was murdered by his stepmother PA UK news in pictures 4 December 2021 People walk through a Christmas market in Trafalgar Square Reuters UK news in pictures 3 December 2021 A pedestrian carries a dog as they dodge shoppers on Oxford Street in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 2 December 2021 Duchess of Cambridge inspects a Faberge egg at the Victoria and Albert Museum Getty UK news in pictures 1 December 2021 Meerkats at London Zoo with an advent calendar PA UK news in pictures 30 November 2021 Workers put the finishing touches to the Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree ahead of the lighting ceremony later in the week PA UK news in pictures 29 November 2021 Home Secretary Priti Patel is greeted by a police dog at a special memorial service for Met Police Sergeant Matiu Ratana Getty They found that after the tissue had been exposed to rhinovirus, the influenza virus was unable to infect the tissue. "The antiviral defences were already turned on before the flu virus arrived," Dr Foxman said. According to the study, published in The Lancet Microbe, the presence of rhinovirus triggered production of the antiviral agent interferon, which is part of the early immune system response to invasion of pathogens. The researchers are now looking at whether introduction of the cold virus before infection by the Covid-19 virus offers a similar type of protection. Edo Gov Godwin Obaseki is leaving no one behind as he doles out campaign promises to different categories of voters, including the idle kids in advanced fee fraud Nigerians notoriously refer to as Yahoo-Yahoo. I will train young boys who do Yahoo to work in our technology park. We will train them and ensure they become more useful to society, the PDP said at a rally in Ikpoba Okha LGA of Edo on Friday. According to him, he has planned for a technology park to train the repentant ones among the internet fraudsters on something better than advance fee fraud: advanced information and communication technology and other vocational skills. The second-term promise also include channelling of 50MW of energy from the Independent Power Plant at Ihovbor near Azura, in the Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area, to the remodelled technical college through Ikpoba Hill. He said this will help to put idle hands to work and create employment opportunities for youths in the state. About 14 million Nigerian youth currently wallow in unemployment, according to the Nigeria Bureau Statistics. PV: 4 TCN News New Delhi: Over 1000 professionals including journalists, academics, filmmakers, political leaders, rights activists and various others have issued an urgent statement questioning the manner in which Delhi Police has been conducting the probe into the Delhi riots cases. Support TwoCircles The statement, released online on September 4, has expressed strong evidence of coerced confessional statements and manufactured evidence, seeking assurances from the Delhi Police Commissioner to stop such practices and conduct a fair and impartial investigation to book the real culprits of the riots. Signatories among popular names include Aparna Sen (filmmaker), Jawahar Sircar (former Culture Secretary culture), Ramchandra Guha (historian), Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan (former Chairperson, Delhi Minority Commission), Margaret Alva (Former Governor), Wajahat Habibullah (former senior civil servants), Teesta Setalvad (rights activist), Aruna Vasudev (writer), Amitabha Basu (scientist) and others. The collective statement of concerned citizens is a follow up to a letter sent by youth rights activist and JNU scholar, Umar Khalid to the Delhi Police Commissioner, Shri SN Shrivastava on September 1, with shocking evidence of the Delhi Police manufacturing evidence against him, through extorted statements. According to the signatories, the letter has glaring evidence revealing that a young man was interrogated by the Delhi Police (Special Cell) and a false confession against Umar Khalid, related to Delhi riots, was extracted and videotaped. The young man was threatened that he would be arrested under UAPA if he refused to which he submitted to the coercion. Further, in one of the charge-sheets at Dayalpur Police station, presented by the Delhi Police, there were 4 identical confessional statements. There were 7 identical statements and 10 more identical statements in the Jaffrabad police station charge-sheet. In his letter, Umar Khalid had pointed out this pattern of coerced statements and false evidence, stating that it was alarming. Against such repeated patterns of the indictment are witnessed in arrests related to anti-CAA protestors, the statement highlighted that over the past half-year, the supporters and participants of these protests continue to be summoned by the police, harassed and subjected to long interrogations. Several young activists and students also continue to languish in prison under the draconian UAPA for almost 6 months now, without any official charges framed against them. Despite inconsistencies and lies that have been rebutted publicly, the Delhi Police has continued unrelentingly with the theory not coincidentally propounded by the ruling dispensation that the roots of the conspiracy of the riots lie in the protests against CAA, the signatories wrote. The letter states that on several occasions since December 2019, BJP leaders were seen inciting people to take the law into their own hands and making hate speeches. It would therefore have been reasonable to expect any fair investigative agency to probe the impact such speeches had on the gradual breakdown of law and order in Delhi subsequently leading to a complete collapse in parts of North-East Delhi between 23-26 February. The letter has resonated that the majority of targets of the Delhi violence as pointed out even in the affidavit filed by the police in court were Muslims, their livelihoods, properties and places of worship. But instead, the investigation of the conspiracy behind the riots has chosen to target exactly those whom these hate speeches were made against the participants and supporters of the protests against CAA/NRC/NPR. The signatories have accused that on one occasion, the police has tried to build a chronology of events as part of this conspiracy. In this version, the conspiracy of these riots began with the anti-CAA protests in Jamia Millia Islamia and Shaheen Bagh in mid-December. The chronology then goes on to detail other major anti-CAA protests in Delhi as all part of this conspiracy and the prominent voices as conspirators. This chronology, however, is conspicuously silent on the actions and statements of leaders of the BJP and actual incidents of violence since December, it outlined. Similarly, between December and February, BJP leaders like Kapil Mishra, Satya Pal Singh, Jagdish Pradhan, Nand Kishore Gujjar and Mohan Singh Bisht made several inciting statements asking people to shoot the traitors, going as far as threatening in front of the DCP that the BJP supporters will take the law into their own hands if the police does not clear the protestors. In this regard, the signatories have questioned whether the Delhi police do not consider these utterances as clearly an attempt to provoke violence and promote disaffection and divide between communities. In addition, during the Delhi violence in February, multiple videos emerged of persons associated with the ruling dispensation openly inciting and participating in the violence and carnage. In one such video, which was streamed live on Facebook from Maujpur, a woman named Ragini Tiwari is seen openly asking people to kill or die but her name finds no mention in the chronology of the conspiracy put out by the Delhi Police. The collective statement of concerned citizens has also made significant points in the way the Delhi Police has been approaching the probe. It has proven with available evidence that the police has been coercing people it has summoned for questioning to give false statements. The statement openly called this work of Delhi Police as a desperate attempt by the police to buttress its conspiracy theory in the absence of any real credible evidence. It even raised questions against the latest line of questioning by the police, accusing that the Delhi Police has been grilling people on their conversations in some Whatsapp groups with hundreds of members, calling it ridiculous to believe that riots of this scale were conspired for several weeks in Whatsapp groups with hundreds of people and the police never got to know about them. The signatories have praised the nationwide anti-CAA-NRC-NPR protests, strongly supporting the massive protests whose nature was peaceful, democratic and continuously spoke about the supremacy of the constitution and unity in diversity of the nation. It acknowledged that the protests were mostly led by women and saw spirited participation by all sections of the society, and therefore the current witch-hunting of anti-CAA protesters is not only an attack on a few individuals but sinister profiling of the democratic mass movement basically criminalizing our basic right to protest against the policies of the ruling dispensation of the day. The statement then spoke against the Centre for granting impunity to the supporters of the ruling dispensation, and indicated that this act of clear incitement to violence seems to be a repeat of the impunity that the Delhi Police has provided over decades to the political leaders who were involved in inciting and participating in the 1984 anti-Sikh genocide. Only that this time, the Delhi Police seems to have gone one step ahead, and while providing impunity to the netas, it has started targeting the students and activists who have been critical of the regime. In the light of the above, the statement rejects the current probing approach of the Delhi Police, expressing that this investigation is not into a conspiracy but the investigation itself is a conspiracy, as it erodes public faith in rule of law and chokes democratic dissent. With the statement, the signatories have reiterated their opposition to CAA-NRC-NPR and assured that they would continue peaceful and democratic protest against such anti-people laws. With regard to the conspiracy into the Delhi riots, the statement has demanded a court-monitored investigation or an inquiry into the current investigation under the Commission of Inquiry Act, 1952, by sitting/retired judge(s) of the higher judiciary. NEW DELHI: India will not compromise on its sovereignty and territorial integrity and ties with China cannot go back to normal unless peace and tranquility is restored along the common border, Indian foreign secretary Harsh Shringla said on Friday. The comments came hours ahead of a meeting between Indian defence minister Rajnath Singh and his Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe in Moscow on the sidelines of a regional conference amid heightened tensions between the two countries. In his comments Shringla at a speech to the government backed Indian Council of World Affairs think tank in New Delhi, noted that India had, an unprecedented situation" on the India-China border. We have never had this sort of situation since 1962," he said referring to a short but bitter war between the two countries that ended badly for India. We have also lost for the first time lives of soldiers in the last forty years," he said, a reference to a violent clash between Indian and Chinese troops on 15 June in which 20 Indian soldiers and an undisclosed number of Chinese personnel were killed. There has been an attempt to take unilateral action to change the facts on the ground," Shringla said referring to the cause of the current tensions between the two countries that sprung up in May when India discovered Chinese intrusions into Indian territory at multiple points in Ladakh. India believes China aims to take more of its territory under its control by moving the undemarcated Line of Actual Control westwards. Beijing on its part says New Delhi has encroached into its territory. The two sides have amassed thousands of men and military hardware along their borders. We will be firm and resolute in resisting this. As far as we are concerned, there will be no compromise on sovereignty and territorial integrity," Shringla said referring to India's red lines on the subject. At the same time, we are, as a responsible nation, we are always ready to talk, we are always ready to engage. We have kept our communications line open. Even as we speak, the ground commanders are talking to each other," he said referring to multiple conversations at the military and diplomatic level that however have not yielded any results. On Thursday, the Indian foreign ministry said that dialogue was the only way forward and urged Beijing to engage seriously with New Delhi to find a way to resolve the tensions. It is a fact that it cannot be business as usual. Unless there is peace and tranquility in our border areas, the normal bilateral relationship will be affected," Shringla said echoing comments made earlier by Indian foreign minister S Jaishankar There is a linkage between what is happening on the border and the larger relationship. And that fact I think is very, very evident -- as we seek to resolve this issue, as we seek to maintain and revert to the status quo that existed before such aggressive actions took place, as we seek to deescalate and disengage, I think that could be the way to go back where we were. But not until then," he said articulating Indias position. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics MPs will be given lessons on woke language and history by consultants who declared the words lady and pensioner to be offensive. Parliament has paid Challenge Consultancy 7,000 to design a course on unconscious bias for MPs. In total the company, which has also trained BBC staff, has raked in nearly 800,000 from Parliament for conduct lessons in what one MP last night called an absurd waste of taxpayers money. An outline of the training leaked to The Mail on Sunday says MPs will be schooled on words they should avoid and woke-friendly history as part of the training. The consultancy uses a giant blue puppet called UB as part of its unconscious bias training. One MP invited to take part told The Mail on Sunday they were aghast at the amount Parliament has spent on the consultants. The firm was paid 746,250 to conduct valuing-everyone training, which focused on harassment, bullying and sexual misconduct, Parliamentary authorities told this newspaper, adding that another 9,000 was spent on BAME work. It is understood the total cost of unconscious bias training could add another 700,000 to the bill. PUPPET POWER: Femi Otitoju with UB puppet, that is said to be used in the 'unconscious bias' training given to MPs in a course designed by Challenge Consultancy The firm boasted that previous clients who received similar training include people managers at the BBC, Bafta and Oscar judges. The MP said: Its a money-printing exercise. It isnt about actually helping people its about consultants getting richer. So much more can be done with the money, like disabled access and sufficient toilets for women. Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the former Tory leader, said: This is quite ridiculous. The idea MPs need to be trained to learn about British history is an absurdity. To get elected MPs have to talk to people. We dont need someone to come along and tell us what unconscious bias is. Tory MP Neil OBrien said: It strikes me as an absurd waste of taxpayers money. We are to be treated like children. The idea that people need to go an expensive training course to learn how to be reasonable and respectful people is ridiculous. 'If this company regards the use of the words pensioner or lady as unreasonable, it would be interesting to see what their take on British history will be. Challenge Consultancy said it would teach MPs to understand, recognise and address their unconscious bias and that they may encounter in others, and develop their cultural competency. It said lessons on respectful language will be one of the main pillars of the course for MPs. The firm previously ran training courses for Scottish Parliament staff in which it included the words lady, pensioner and girl in a list of words that could offend. In addition, West Indian and asylum seeker were flagged up as potentially discriminatory. It said some MPs did not speak up for Black Lives Matter because they were unsure of how to frame their responses and anxious that they may be misrepresented. The training will involve two-hour sessions in groups of up to ten. MPs will get homework to continue their learning and recommended reading on historical context. Even Prime Minister Boris Johnson (pictured) had to take a sexual harassment course, which was made compulsory for MPs and peers following a series of so called 'Pestminster scandals involving male MPs Even Boris had to take Pestminster course A sexual harassment course called Valuing Everyone was made compulsory for MPs and peers, including Prime Minister Boris Johnson, following the series of so-called Pestminster scandals involving male MPs. The course is run by Challenge Consultancy, which was founded in 1985 by campaigner Femi Otitoju. Since then the consultancy has grown into an association of trainers and consultants that has provided lessons on equality and diversity to the BBC as well as judges for Bafta and the Oscars. It has also trained Whitehall staff including in the UK Passport Office and the Ministry of Justice. It previously ran training courses for Scottish Parliament staff in which it included lady, pensioner and girl in a list of words that could offend. Advertisement Run by the firms founder, Femi Otitoju, the sessions will combine presentations and interaction with the MPs. Dates in October have been selected to train the members of smaller parties such as the Lib Dems, Plaid Cymru and the DUP, with a view to then roll the scheme out to more MPs. Cabinet Ministers are concerned that Whitehall is increasingly becoming Wokehall, government sources said last night. This week Ministers revealed that 39,826 civil servants had received unconscious bias training in the past five years in four departments alone. The figures were released in response to Parliamentary questions from Mr OBrien to the Treasury, Cabinet Office, Home Office and Department of Health and Social Care. He said: The evidence is that so-called unconscious bias testing doesnt work and may make things worse. But crafty consultants are pocketing large sums of taxpayers cash peddling this snake oil. 'They are the dodgy time-share salesmen of our generation, but woke officials are lapping it up. A Commons spokesman said: As part of our commitment to creating an inclusive workplace, we have offered unconscious bias training to staff for a number of years. Challenge Consultancy said more than 70 per cent of MPs took part in its valuing-everyone training, adding: We have been helping organisations take positive approaches to equality, diversity and inclusion since 1988. 'We deliver engaging training that helps people treat others fairly, create more inclusive and respectful workplaces and provide more accessible services. The High Court has appointed an interim examiner to the Cara group of pharmacies, which employs over 160 people. The group's directors are former RTE's Dragon Den presenter Ramona Nicholas and her husband Canice Nicholas, who had opposed the application. The application for the examiner's appointment was sought by Elm Corporate Credit DAC, which is the group's lender and is its largest creditor. Rossa Fanning SC for the company told the High Court on Friday that the group had been loss making every year since 2016, and was insolvent. The best course of action to save the business and the jobs was the appointment of an examiner, counsel said. Aillil O'Reilly Bl for the group asked the court to adjourn the Elm's application for the appointment of an interim examiner to the group. He said the directors were very concerned about the impact the appointment of an examiner would have on the employees and the communities they serve, as well as their own professional reputations. The company also said that the negative portrayal of Elm of the group's financial system was overstated'. At the High Court Mr Justice Michael Heslin said he was satisfied to appoint experienced insolvency practioner Mr Ken Tyrell of PWC as interim examiner to Cara Pharmacy Unlimited Company, and a dozen related companies. The court was not prepared to adjourn the application to appoint an Intermin examiner. Noting the objections raised by the company the judge said his decision "in no way impugns" the director's reputations, skills and professionalism. The judge said that an independent expert's report stated that the group, which operates 13 pharmacies and provides prescriptions to nursing homes, has a reasonable prospect of sucess if certain steps are taken. Those steps include restructuring of the business, fresh investment in the group, and court approval for a scheme of arrangement put together by an examiner with the group's creditors. The appointment of an examiner, Mr Fanning said, was in the best interests of all the stakeholders, including the 160 employees. Two parties are interested in investing in the group, counsel said. Counsel said Elm was prepared to provide sufficient funds during the examinership period on terms including that any such monies be certified by the examiner. In the event the group is wound up there would be a deficit of 16.3m. Counsel said Elm is owed 14m by the group which is due by the end of the year. Other creditors include suppliers, landlords and local authorities, counsel said. Counsel said that the group had pre-tax losses of 4.6m between 2016 and 2019. Its losses were partly due to the challenging retail trading environment, deficiencies in stock control, and an unsustainable cost base. The group had struggled to grow sales, and changes by the group's main supplier United Drug to its payment terms had a negative effect. There was a big gap between its budget and actual revenues, which counsel said had undermined Elm's confidence in the group's management. The Covid19 pandemic had exasperated matters, counsel said. Counsel said that earlier this year the group missed scheduled repayments, totalling 360,000 to Elm. Elm sought proposals from the group for the repayment of its facilities, but none have been received. Elm was concerned by a lack of explanations over items including a 83,000 directors loan made when the group was experiencing cash-flow problem, a payment of 100,000 to somebody outside the group, and over 37 cheque payments totalling 804,000. Counsel said while it was understandable for businesspeople like the directors to resist the appointment of an examiner over their business, he hoped they would not ultimately oppose the examinership application. The prospect of examinership was flagged to the group well in advance of the court hearing, counsel added. Counsel said given the group's financial situation any objections to the appointment of an examiner were "unrealistic" and compared it to "King Canute telling the sea to go back." The judge after appointing Mr Tyrell adjourned the matter for two weeks. Any objections to the examinership process he said can be heard on that date. Andhra Pradesh government signed 8 pacts with reputed global and domestic players. These MOUs will help the food processing sector of various agricultural products, including bananas, tomatoes, mangoes, sugar, chillies, vegetables, and aqua products. Aiming to boost the food processing sector, the Andhra Pradesh government signed 8 pacts with reputed global and domestic players. The MoUs were signed in the presence of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy at the Tadepalli camp office. These MOUs will help the food processing sector of various agricultural products, including bananas, tomatoes, mangoes, sugar, chillies, vegetables, and aqua products. Speaking on occasion, CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said the tie-up with these big companies aims to empower the women and the socially backward communities economically. CM also urged farmers to involve in food processing and utilize the best technology in those processing centres. He said the Government would take all the measures to support the farmers in the state. Also read: With highest single-day spike of over 86k cases, Indias Covid-19 tally breaches 40L mark Also read: Teachers Day 2020: PM Modi extends greetings, pays tribute to Dr S Radhakrishnan Company representatives briefed the CM on new technology and manufacturing of new products in the field of food processing and have outlined the technology aspects. 1. NRCB National Research Centre for Banana The NRCB is expertise in developing technologies on the Banana Value chain along with capacity building, promoting new micro food processing enterprises with special preference to Banana. They plan to establish quality testing laboratories. Team NRCB was headed by Principal Scientist Dr. Shiva and Senior Scientist Dr. Suresh Kumar. 2. FUTURE TECH As a knowledge partner to support the food processing sector in Andhra Pradesh, the companys special focus is on the Vacuum technology of fruits and vegetables in the state. Company CEO Ajit Soman briefed CM Shri YS Jagan on the vacuum technology. 3. BIG BASKET The company aims to support the food processing sector in Andhra Pradesh and value chain development, focusing on Banana, tomato, and other fruits and vegetables in Andhra Pradesh. Zonal Head K. Ramachandra Kiran explained to CM that they were currently processing in Anantapur and that they are focusing mainly on collection centers. 4. LAWRENCEDALE AGRO PROCESSING (LEAF) The company entered into an agreement to support the food processing sector in Andhra Pradesh and value chain development with a focus on Onion, sweet orange, Banana, Tomato, and other fruits and vegetables in the state of Andhra Pradesh 5. ITC LIMITED As a Technical partner and establishment of ITC spices processing unit and for quality assaying, they mainly focus on spice crops (Chilli and Turmeric) in the state of Andhra Pradesh 6. EMBASSY OF KINGDOM OF NETHERLANDS & GVK SOCIETY Partnered along with ECOR, GVK society, DSM, FMO, The Embassy Of Kingdom Of Netherlands have come forward to establish paddy straw processing unit to manufacture panels, fibre boards, wood material. The event was attended by the Ambassador of Netherlands to India, Marten Van Den Berg, from New Delhi via video conference. 7. AP has entered into an agreement with IFB on technology, marketing, etc. in shrimp and fish farming. 8. AP has also entered into an agreement with the Umpire Company on shrimp and fish exports and retail marketing. Also read: Amid India-China border tension, Rajnath Singh meets Chinese counterpart in Moscow Give them their due, Meghan and Harry appear to have played a blinder with their Netflix deal. We have wondered about the valuation they place on their celebrity: it turns out to be about 100 million, if reports are to be believed. No wonder they bet the 11 million, nine-bedroom, 17-bathroom Californian house on it. We dont know what audiences will make of their documentaries of hope and inspiration but the Duke and Duchess of Sussex can afford to get professionals in to make the shows, plus a ton of liberal money is moving towards the causes they support. It might irritate their critics but wokeness is commercial. The exiled couple are a triumph of their own narrative. They have taken to heart the guidance of the self-help guru Brene Brown: You either walk into your story and own your truth, or you live outside of your story, hustling for your worthiness. Celebrity is an act of faith. The British tend to say: It is for other people to judge. Americans have been quicker to understand that a new world is ready to take them at their own estimation. Publicists and admirers and influential friends such as Oprah Winfrey are there to help the couple achieve what they want. To be virtuous and rich and private. Meghan has studied her role model Michelle Obama carefully and exhibits some of the same luminous charisma. I wonder if she would like to be on a political ticket if Michelle should ever change her mind about keeping out of politics. Or perhaps Brene Brown has a more audacious narrative: Michelle Obama as a supporter of Meghans presidential bid. Michelle and Meghan have both spoken about finding a voice. SARAH SANDS: Harry and Meghan (pictured earlier this year) appear to have played a blinder with their new Netflix deal which, if reports are to be believed, is worth over 100 million Meghans ordeal in Britain was, to her mind, the subjugation of her voice. A colleague who was at a broadcast by the Royal Familys short-lived Fab Four how poignant it is to recall the two couples looking so happy together remembers the microphone moving down the line: WilliamKateHarry Meghan, at the end of the line was disinclined to wait. Dont I have a voice? she asked, icily. At last, she can be heard, loud and clear. Its obvious that she feels delighted to be home again. Can California also feel like home for Harry? Three years ago, he guest edited an edition of the BBC Radio 4 Today programme and, as the regular editor, I spent some time with him. My first trip to Kensington Palace to discuss his plans for the show was just about this time of year. Wed had the 20th anniversary of the death of Diana and the gates to the palace looked like Lourdes a shrine of offerings to the wronged princess, piled high with photos and mementos of her life. I wonder... Could we one day see Meghan fighting for the White House? The Greek tragedy of a sons revenge for his mothers suffering could have been an irresistible theme. Instead, I thought how sane Prince Harry was to put aside the sanctification of Diana and the populist attempt to use her image to destroy the monarchy. But he was very down on the press and keen to crack on with his agenda of filtering out the cruelty of social media, of seeking out positive leadership, and of supporting British troops. As we discussed the running order of the programme, I slyly suggested that his address book was a lot fancier than mine. President Obama would return his calls. Prince Harry was organised and pragmatic. He was happy to make those calls. And he offered to do some of the interviews himself. He asked former President Obama about the direction of America, confronting Trumpism by implication. Sarah Sands, the outgoing editor of the Today programme on BBC Radio 4, writes: We have wondered about the valuation Harry and Meghan place on their celebrity: it turns out to be about 100 million, if reports are to be believed And he added some cheeky quick fire questions, including asking Obama his opinion of his fiancees television drama, Suits. Obama sounded fatherly. Netflix will also want access to the Princes pulling power and they may have ideas about his interviews. During his Today guest edit, Harry suggested that the presenter should put a question to the Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick. It was that oficers were doing a fine job under difficult circumstances. I winced that it was not really a question. Harry struck me as bursting with ideas and passion and needing only a restraining hand. I was happy that Meghan would be a savvy, cool-headed influence. She claimed that she didnt really know who he was when they first met. Perhaps I was naive, but I was so pleased that she was apparently unaware of the heartbreaking image of the small boy walking behind his mothers coffin, in perhaps the most televised funeral since President Kennedys. We interviewed Prince Harry at the end of the programme and he said how delighted he was that Meghan would join his relatives at Christmas, because she hadnt grown up with this kind of family unity. I remember smiling at his loving, reconciled expression as he spoke. How impressive that he could find such comfort in his own family, given its own, well-reported problems. NOBLE CAUSE: How Prince Harry might look building bridges with Scotland Last week I reflected on all this as I looked at the shrine building at Kensington Palace for the 23rd anniversary of Dianas death. Those of us who have been through divorce know that it is a state of flux. Lives are rebuilt and grievances resolved. Would Princess Diana who would now be 59 be the same vulnerable, beautiful, destructive force she was in 1997? Of course not. Would she have fled Britain, as she threatened to, to become a Hollywood humanitarian? Or might she have been drawn back to her Sloane Ranger roots, a doting Norfolk grandmother? This year I noticed that the anger of the crowd had subsided. The letters D-I-A-N-A were spelt out as if on a wedding cake. The photographs of her among the flowers were radiant rather than reproachful. A banner congratulated her sons on continuing her work. And there is work to be done. Harry is a prince and his country needs him. In the first of the punishments that he doled out on his family, he and Meghan turned down an invitation to Balmoral. Apparently a small thing at the time, its significance is magnified now. Nicola Sturgeon is calling for another referendum on Scottish independence, the polls north of the border are moving and the threat to the Union is graver this time than at the referendum in 2014. It was close enough then. Nature films are fine but theres a bigger prize to fight for: the UKs future I remember an urgent conversation between the then prime minister David Cameron and the London mayor Boris Johnson. It was at the opening of Prince Harrys Invictus Games on September 10, 2014, at the Olympic Park in East London. I was editing the Evening Standard at the time, and was a guest of Boriss at the ceremony. The referendum was the following week and Cameron stopped to talk before taking his seat. Boris asked him if it was going to be OK and Cameron replied that he thought so, but it was tense. I measured the popularity of the respective heads that evening by the welcome from the veterans and their families. Cameron got polite applause, Boris a great cheer, Prince Harry a deafening one. Prince Harry and Boris Johnson joshed together, bonded by optimism and a common touch. And patriotism. David Cameron won the Scottish referendum and divulged later that he had sought the Queens help, asking if she could raise an eyebrow about the Scots voting for independence. SARAH SANDS: We dont know what audiences will make of Harry and Meghan's documentaries of hope and inspiration but the Duke and Duchess of Sussex can afford to get professionals in to make the shows Boris Johnson needs all the help he can get from the Royal Family this time. Downing Street has made the Union the priority. The reason that the Brexit negotiations are stuck firmly on fish is that the Scots (to whom the industry is worth about 600m a year) must see the benefits of leaving the EU. We need to nurture every union bond. We need more than the economy and common currency to hold things together. What of the emotional ties? What of the monarchy and the military? Prince Harry can evoke both. The monarchy embraces two important concepts, the Commonwealth and the Union. Weve got off to a bad start, for Harry and Meghan have undermined the Commonwealth by framing it is an instrument of oppression. Surely they cannot think the same of Scotland. What can Harry say now about the Union? Come on, Harry. Nature documentaries are fine and will pay the bills, but there is a bigger prize to fight for. The survival of the United Kingdom is at stake. You must evoke Shakespeares Henry V at Agincourt: By Jove, I am not covetous for gold,/ Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost;/ It yearns me not if men my garments wear;/ Such outward things dwell not in my desires:/ But if it be a sin to covet honour,/ I am the most offending soul alive. Doesnt that sound a more stirring cause for a noble Prince than being just another West Coast Wokeness Warrior? Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 4) Philippine officials are meeting with two COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers on Friday, Health Spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire confirmed. She said the Office of the President, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, and Foreign Affairs Chief Teodoro Locsin Jr. are set to meet with Pfizer to identify possible arrangements in procuring the COVID-19 vaccine the pharmaceutical company is developing. Pfizer previously said it hopes to release the results of the final stages of its clinical trial in October. The official added the DOH is also meeting with the Russian Embassy and the developers of "Sputnik V." She said the Philippine panel of vaccine experts are still reviewing the results of the first two phases of Russia's clinical trial before deciding if they can hold a medical research for Phase 3 in the country. Vergeire said closing deals with several counties and companies developing a coronavirus vaccine will increase the chances of the Philippines receiving more doses that will ultimately benefit Filipinos. She is set to provide updates about the said meetings next week. This really should be one of the biggest public health scandals of the decade, but instead its given little attention mainly because of the high-profile nature of the people and organisations involved. The United Nations has been forced to admit that a major international vaccine initiative is actually causing a deadly outbreak of the very disease it was supposed to wipe-out. While international organisations like the World Health Organization (WHO) will regularly boast about eradicating polio with vaccinesthe opposite seems to be the case, with vaccines causing the deaths of scores of young people living in Africa. Health officials have now admitted that their plan to stop wild polio is backfiring, as scores children are being paralyzed by a deadly strain of the pathogen derived from a live vaccine causing a virulent wave of polio to spread. Health officials administers polio vaccine to children at refugee camp in Maiduguri, Nigeria, Aug. 28, 2016 (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba) This latest pharma-induced pandemic started out in the African countries of Chad and Sudan, with the culprit identified as vaccine-derived polio virus type 2. Officials now fear this new dangerous strain could soon jump continents, causing further deadly outbreaks around the world. Shocking as it sounds, this Big Pharma debacle is not new. After spending some $16 billion over 30 years to eradicate polio, international health bodies have accidentally reintroduced the disease to in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and also Iran, as the central Asia region was hit by a virulent strain of polio spawned by the a pharmaceutical vaccine. Also, in 2019, the government of Ethiopia ordered the destruction of 57,000 vials of type 2 oral polio vaccine (mOPV2) following a similar outbreak of vaccine-induced polio. The same incident has happened in India as well. Its important to note that the oral polio vaccine is being pushed by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), a consortium which is supported and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. All of this should be cause for concern, especially with western governments and transnational pharmaceutical giants all rushing to roll-out their new Gates-funded experimental coronavirus vaccine for the global population. Currently, the first experimental COVID-19 vaccine is being tested on the African population through GAVI Vaccine Alliance, another organization funded by the Gates Foundation. A large round of human trials is taking place in South Africa, run by the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburganother Gates-funded institution. This latest revelation from Africa should prompt journalists and health advocates to ask harder questions about the efficacy and safety of the much-hype COVID miracle vaccine. AP News reports LONDON (AP) The World Health Organization says a new polio outbreak in Sudan is linked to an ongoing vaccine-sparked epidemic in Chad a week after the U.N. health agency declared the African continent free of the wild polio virus. In a statement this week, WHO said two children in Sudan one from South Darfur state and the other from Gedarif state, close to the border with Ethiopia and Eritrea were paralyzed in March and April. Both had been recently vaccinated against polio. WHO said initial outbreak investigations show the cases are linked to an ongoing vaccine-derived outbreak in Chad that was first detected last year and is now spreading in Chad and Cameroon. There is local circulation in Sudan and continued sharing of transmission with Chad, the U.N. agency said, adding that genetic sequencing confirmed numerous introductions of the virus into Sudan from Chad. WHO said it had found 11 additional vaccine-derived polio cases in Sudan and that the virus had also been identified in environmental samples. There are typically many more unreported cases for every confirmed polio patient. The highly infectious disease can spread quickly in contaminated water and most often strikes children under 5. In rare instances, the live polio virus in the oral vaccine can mutate into a form capable of sparking new outbreaks. Last week, WHO and partners declared that the African continent was free of the wild polio virus, calling it an incredible and emotional day. On Monday, WHO warned that the risk of further spread of the vaccine-derived polio across central Africa and the Horn of Africa was high, noting the large-scale population movements in the region. More than a dozen African countries are currently battling outbreaks of polio caused by the virus, including Angola, Congo, Nigeria and Zambia. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, many of the large-scale vaccination campaigns needed to stamp out polio have been disrupted across Africa and elsewhere, leaving millions of children vulnerable to infection. In April, WHO and its partners reluctantly recommended a temporary halt to mass polio immunization campaigns, recognizing the move could lead to a resurgence of the disease. In May, they reported that 46 campaigns to vaccinate children against polio had been suspended in 38 countries, mostly in Africa, because of the coronavirus pandemic. Some of the campaigns have recently been re-started, but health workers need to vaccinate more than 90% of children in their efforts to eradicate the paralytic disease. Health officials had initially aimed to wipe out polio by 2000, a deadline repeatedly pushed back and missed. Wild polio remains endemic in Afghanistan and Pakistan; both countries also are struggling to contain outbreaks of vaccine-derived polio. "Depend upon it, sir, when a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully." Samuel Johnson Michael Reinoehl must have been concentrating wonderfully on his own death when he agreed to be interviewed by Vice News while on the lam. Just days maybe hours; the timing is deliberately unclear in order to obscure the exact whereabouts of the interviewee before, Reinoehl had shot and killed a man in Portland, Ore., in a rough set-to between Trump-supporters and Antifa activists. The man on the other end of Reinoehl's gun: Aaron Danielson, a "friend and supporter" of Patriot Prayer, a conservative protest group. Less than twenty-four hours after Reinoehl's interview premiered, he was gunned down by the U.S. Marshals Service fugitive task force. He reportedly loosed off "forty or fifty shots" from a rifle in the direction of approaching law enforcement before taking a fatal bullet. Reinoehl's on-the-run death makes his last living interview all the more fascinating, even macabre. His face is drawn; his eyes are steely blue, concave within sunken sockets. Toss him into a time machine and set the year to 1934, and he could easily be mistaken for a Dust Bowl roughneck. The raised-fist tattoo on his neck, poking out of his wicking polo shirt, is not the ink typical of a humble conscientious objector. On appearance alone, one might gather that Mr. Reinoehl is a wee bit truculent, a plug-ugly brawler who has had more than a few brushes with violence. His rap sheet belies a checkered history: bringing a gun to a previous riot; resisting arrest; reckless driving with his teenage son while zooted on grass and yocky-dock. Give him a pink-vulva hat, and Mr. Reinoehl is a honey recruit for the resistance army. To put an even finer point on it, he once described himself as "100% [Antifa] all the way!" Antifa's comms shop may want to consider a press release distancing itself from its enthusiastic, and now deceased, flunky. Reinoehl's description of himself, his views, and his deadly hand reveal a deeply disturbed man. The interview reveals more revelatory details. "Every time I see a big truck, especially with a flag on it, I immediately think they're out to get me." That's how Reinoehl described the Trump bannertoting cavalcade that rolled through Portland last weekend. This paranoid prattle of being hunted by rednecks from a white man in the Northwest suggests that something not quite right sat within Reinoehl's cerebral cortex. Any credentialed alienist will tell you loons always feel besieged by massing forces. Reinoehl doesn't differ from the mean. He also doesn't suffer from remorse over his deathly deed. His interlocutor asks: "You feel that [the killing] was totally justified?" Reinoehl waits a beat before answering: "Totally justified. Had I not acted, I am confident that my friend and I'm sure I would have been killed." Reinoehl was so confident of his innocence that he didn't care to stand trial or swear out his story to a judge and jury. Instead, he repaired to the woods to avoid the law. When the law did come, he tried to keep it at bay with a spray of bullets. Had the fourth-rate Butch Cassidy taken Joe Strummer's advice, he might still be alive today. It should be asked how Vice's interview may have assisted federal marshals in locating Reinoehl. Donovan Farley, one of the irreverent outlet's reporters behind the scoop, is an Antifa apologist. But shining a light on Reinoehl and the arboreal locale near where he was presumably holed up may have tipped off law enforcement to his location. Technology being what it is today, with satellite-tethered chips wired into everything from phones to watches to sneakers, it wouldn't be hard for the feds to home in on his location using the devices of his interviewers. Reinoehl was the subject of a murder investigation, after all. Early on in the interview, Reinhold describes the arrival of the Trump-fan caravan as feeling "like the beginning of a war." Well, it takes two sides to fight a war, and bullets to make it a real one. Reinhold took the conflict within his head and manifested it into the street. He was a short-lived folk hero among his Antifa compatriots. How ironic would it be if a left-wing outlet like Vice assisted the police in nabbing an infamous Antifa member? About as ironic as the same defund-the-police Democrats supporting the author of the 1994 crime bill for president. Twenty twenty is full of such strange coincidences. The strangest may be yet to come: when Democrats burn their urban core to the ground, along with their chances at the White House. Image: VICE News via YouTube. /* custom css */ .tdi_75_d35.td-a-rec{ text-align: center; }.tdi_75_d35 .td-element-style{ z-index: -1; }.tdi_75_d35.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_75_d35.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; }@media (max-width: 767px) { .tdi_75_d35.td-a-rec-img { text-align: center; } } Advertisement From Ahmad Mohammed, Bauchi Bauchi state Governor , Senator Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir has visited flood affected areas in Warji Local Government Area of the state. During the sympathy visit, Governor Bala commiserated with the people of Warji Local Government Area especially the affected community of Dagu over the massive flooding. /* custom css */ .tdi_74_f74.td-a-rec{ text-align: center; }.tdi_74_f74 .td-element-style{ z-index: -1; }.tdi_74_f74.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_74_f74.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; }@media (max-width: 767px) { .tdi_74_f74.td-a-rec-img { text-align: center; } } He said said Government would take inventory of all affected flood areas in the state so as proffer lasting solution to the problems Governor assured the affected communities of his governments plans to provide them with relief materials as well as providing engineering solutions to their environmental problems. He said his administration will partner with relevant stakeholders in order to overcome environmental challenges facing various communities of the state. The governor assured people of the Local Government that in addition to the ongoing construction of District Head Palace, his administration will provide them with other services. He said his administration is determined to mordanize Warji local Government Area considering its political growth and development saying that more developmental projects are to be executed soon in the area. The Commissioner, Ministry for Local Governments Affairs, Nuhu Zaki said Governor Balas administrations cannot be compared with any other interms of execution of projects, adding that Warji local government is the governors second home. Nuhu Zaki thanked the governor for rehabilitating the District Heads palace, numerous primary schools,PHCs among others. [9/3 The Gov had a stopped over in Warji town to inspect the ongoing renovation of the district head palace calling on the contractor to make sure that quality materials are used. On his way back to Bauchi Governor Bala Inspects ongoing renovation Projects,at the Special School Kafin madaki in Ganjuwa Local Government area, to assess ongoing renovation of the Special School project awarded By his administration where he expressed satisfaction on the level of job done so far, because over 80 percent of the project was completed. Governor Bala directed the Contractor to complete the renovation on time and in line with the contractual agreement. Principal of the Special School Kafin madaki thanked His Excellency Governor Bala Muhammad for the visit and pledged their loyalty and support to the present administration. New Delhi: The web currency Bitcoin lost over $3 billion in market value in just 40 minutes on within minutes of hitting all-time high value on Bitcoin Price Index. On , the unit broke the USD 1,100 barrier, an average of major exchanges, only to plunge more than 20 per cent in a dramatic correction over next three hours. The drop that broke bitcoins continuous rise since 2016 slashed the value of cryptocurrency from $14.6 billion from $17.7 billion, a plunge of about 17.5 per cent. The price has since recovered somewhat; bitcoin is currently trading around $950, versus $1,100 just before the crash. The current price is around the same level as a week ago, but more than double what it was at this time last year. Also read | Internet currency Bitcoin nears all-time high as it becomes 'safe haven' asset Crypto traders have attributed bitcoins more general surge to recent devaluation of the yuanyuan-holders, the theory goes, are turning to the cryptocurrency as a hedge and store of value. That idea gained credence as the yuan rallied over the past 48 hours, while bitcoin fell. But that yuan rally, triggered by new Chinese capital controls, is likely to be temporary. [Traders should] see this quick blip as a buying opportunity, says Harry Yeh at hedge fund Binary Financial. Expect further upside for bitcoin. Now is the time to buy and hold, because the one thing we are certain of is there will be more uncertainty. For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. UPDATE: According to the citys Office of Emergency Management, the incident has been cleared, but residual delays should be expected. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Shortly after authorities cleared an accident Friday afternoon on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, another incident occurred blocking part of the span. According to the New York City Office of Emergency Management, all Brooklyn-bound lanes of the bridges upper levels were blocked by a jackknifed tractor trailer. The alert recommends considering alternate travel routes and allowing for additional travel time. Due to a jackknifed tractor trailer, all Brooklyn-bound lanes on the upper level of the Verrazzano Bride are closed. Consider alt routes. Multilingual & ASL link: https://t.co/GpdlTK7FPB. NYCEM - Notify NYC (@NotifyNYC) September 4, 2020 The FDNYs Office of Public Information did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication. This is a developing story, so please check back for further information. We attempted to send a notification to your email address but we were unable to verify that you provided a valid email address. Please click here to update your email address if you wish to receive notifications. Otherwise, you may click here to disable notifications and hide this message. FINANCIAL NEW YORK STATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL Patrick Kelly was elected to serve a two-year term as chair. Kelly is the chief executive officer of the St. Lawrence County Industrial Development Agency. Other officers elected to two-year terms were James Johnson (chair-elect), Thomas Kucharski (vice chair), Laurie Villasuso (vice chair), Sarah Lee (vice chair), Kipp Hicks (treasurer), Sarah Reginelli (secretary), Marnie LaVigne (immediate past chair). New board appointees include Hudson Valley Community College president Roger Ramsammy as well as Heather McDaniel, Brittany Davis, Harry Coghlan, Elena Garuc and Luiz Aragon. ULTIMUS LEVERPOINT Leah Bishop joined as a senior accountant and Robert Lombardo, Josh Tabek, Niranjan Malik and Dylan Mattson joined as staff accountants. Carlos Aliaga joined as a tax accountant. HEALTH CARE ALBANY MEDICAL CENTER Dr. Nagendra Madisi joined the pulmonary and critical care medicine division. Madisi is an interventional pulmonologist who treats patients with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or emphysema, pulmonary nodules, pleural diseases, interstitial lung diseases and cancers involving the chest and airways. Madisi most recently completed an interventional pulmonary fellowship at Cooper University. He previously completed fellowships in critical care medicine, pulmonary medicine and sleep medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital. Madisi earned his medical degree from Rangaraya Medical College in India and completed a residency at Johns Hopkins University/Sinai Hospital. Dr. Asha Pandu joined the hospital's internal medicine group. Pandu has a special interest in providing primary care for oncology and asthma patients. She recently completed a residency in internal medicine at NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan where she was part of a team caring for COVID-19 patients in the intensive care unit. She earned her medical degree from Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Medical College in India. Pandu recently completed a fellowship in medical oncology at National Cancer Care Centre in Singapore and a residency in internal medicine at Narayana Hrudayalaya Institute of Medical Science in India. Dr. Pandu is a member of the Royal College of Physicians in the United Kingdom. NEW YORK ONCOLOGY HEMATOLOGY Christine Roe joined as a nurse practitioner in the Clifton Park office. Roe earned her nursing degree from SUNY Brockport and a master's degree from SUNY Upstate Medical University. She is certified with the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and is a member of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and Oncology Nursing Society. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Dr. Reju George joined as a hemotologist. George earned his medical degree from St. George's University School of Medicine in Grenada. He completed a residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in hemotology and oncology at Baystate Medical Center. NONPROFITS MAKE-A-WISH NORTHEAST NEW YORK Lisa Clifford was elected to a two-year term as chair of board of trustees. Clifford is the former vice chair and replaces Sarah McKinney who completed her tenure and will stay on the board. The board also elected Robert Roemer as vice chair. Jennifer Boll and David Druzynski were re-elected to treasurer and secretary, respectively. Clifford is senior vice president and a family wealth strategist with Key Private Bank, Capital Region. Roemer is senior vice president of systems delivery at CAP COM Federal Credit Union. Boll is a member of the law firm Bond, Schoeneck and King while Druzynski is vice president of People and Culture at DealerSocket. WILDWOOD PROGRAMS Lou Deepe was appointed chief executive officer/executive director effective Jan. 1. Deepe will succeed Mary Ann Allen who is retiring after holding the position since 2001. Deepe has been at Wildwood for 12 years and served as the chief operational officer since 2016. He was director of strategic development from 2012-16 and the director of transitional day services from 2008-12. He began his career in 1993 working with people with disabilities at the Warren/Washington County ARC. Deepe earned a bachelor's degree in nonprofit management from Northeastern University. Rick Clemenson Dalit identity politics is taking centre stage in poll-bound Bihar and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) seems to be the battleground to decide which party holds sway over the community, considered a formidable vote bank in the state. Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) came out with a full-page advertisement on Friday, with a stinging tagline, Wo lad rahe hain hum par raaj karne ke liye, aur hum lad rahe hain Bihar par naaz karne ke liye (They are fighting to rule us, we are fighting for Bihars pride). Chirag Paswan is also giving out a call Aao Banayein naya Bihar, yuva Bihar; chalo chalen Yuva Bihari ke saath (Lets build a new Bihar, a young Bihar; lets move with the young Bihar). Chirag identifies himself as a Yuva Bihari, and his twitter account also carries the name Yuva Bihari Chirag Paswan. The slogans, deemed to be an attack on chief minister Nitish Kumar, were repulsed by JD (U)s newfound ally in local Dalit icon and former chief minister, HAM-S chief Jitan Ram Manjhi, who said his party was ready to take on Chirags party head on if it chose to field candidates against JD (U). Chirag says wherever there will be a JD (U) candidate, LJP will field its candidate. If this is so, my party HAM-S will field candidates against the LJP in the assembly elections. In the NDA, if all the constituents fight together, it will be good for the state and the country, said Manjhi, adding he was there to strengthen Nitish Kumar, who has been under continuous attack from LJP, an NDA constituent at the Centre. Manjhi, whose decision to join forces with Nitish Kumar is being seen as a tactical ploy to neutralize Union minister Ram Vilas Paswans LJPattacked Paswan, alleging he did nothing for the Dalits despite doing Dalit politics for decades. Also Read: Nitish expedites pending cases as battle for Dalit votes intensifies In the evening, Manjhi also attended the meeting of the state-level vigilance and monitoring committee, set up as part of the SC,ST (prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1955, in which chief minister ordered that rules be made for giving a job to the kin of a SC/ST person, who gets killed. Manjhi was quick to welcome the move within minutes and sought that the same be implemented in other states too. Dalits, constituting nearly 18% of the state population, are very significant in Bihar politics these days due to their growing assertion, and the face-off between Manjhi and Paswan is for establishing credentials to lead the community. Also Read: Grand Alliance constituents set to contest Bihar assembly election on common agenda Former Bihar minister and Dalit leader Shyam Razak, who recently switched over to the RJD, however, accused Nitish Kumar of opportunistic wooing of Dalits before the polls. So many Dalits got killed and he has woken up now on the eve of elections. Dalits are also watching. As far as infighting within the NDA is concerned, it is their internal matter, he added. BJP MLC and former union minister Sanjay Paswan termed the Manjhi-Chirag face-off, a generational issue. It (fight) is not between Manjhi and Ram Vilas Paswan. Bihar is itself standing on the threshold of generational shift and that may give an edge to Chirag, who wants to shape his politics in a new way, but NDA will be the ultimate gainer, he added. Apple has been researching the feasibility of expanding iPhone assembly in Vietnam Since its first investment in Ho Chi Minh City, Intel Products Vietnam Co., Ltd.s operations have grown into a major driver of the corporations global growth. At first, the location Intel Products selected to develop the assembly facility was empty, but now it homes a hi-tech park that can meet almost all of the needs in service demand for overseas investors, Kim Huat Ooi, vice chairman cum general director of Intel Products Vietnam said. With this growth basis, the group has built an assembly facility and one of the largest testing centres in Ho Chi Minh City. Apart from generating employment and tremendous revenues for both the corporation and Vietnam, Intels activities have also opened doors for large-scale tech groups to invest in Ho Chi Minh City, such as Samsung. After 12 years in Vietnam, Samsung Vietnam now makes up a sizeable chunk of the countrys export turnover. To date, the South Korean-backed company is home to 130,000 workers with six factories and one research and development centre across the country. Thanks to its localisation policy, it has cooperated with over 50 local first-tier vendors and hundreds of second-tier vendors. Elsewhere, multinational group Techtronic Industries (TTI), which is developing a $650 million plant complex in Saigon Hi-Tech Park (SHTP), recently met with more than 100 domestic suppliers to find vendors for its project manufacturing hand-held cordless power tools and outdoor power equipment. Nate Easter, executive vice president of Global Sourcing and Outdoor Products Operation of TTI, said that the company will provide details of a domestic supplier development plan for the SHTP and a Center of Supporting Industries Development that will help establish Vietnamese supplier links with TTI. The company will support domestic vendors to receive tech from TTI or its partners when they are selected to join our supply chains, Easter said. Meanwhile, the local market took notice of Apples plans to shift iPhone production lines to Vietnam as COVID-19 remains serious and US-China tensions continue to boil over. However, not all tech giants will be able to improve Vietnams supply chains, especially groups heading to the country to seek assembly partners. Representatives of Apple visited Luxshare ICT in the northern province of Bac Giang last month to investigate the feasibility of expanding iPhone assembly work there. However, the company has not yet met Apples requirements. According to Nguyen Quyen, director at CEL Consulting Vietnam, Luxshare ICTs missed opportunity to become an iPhone assembler is not too regrettable because it would not have opened opportunities for Vietnamese suppliers to set foot in Apples supply chain. Luxshare, which has already had a deal to manufacture AirPods, is also targeting assembling but the agreement with Apple would not allow it to select new partners in Vietnam. Apple is also unwilling to change its existing suppliers. Vietnamese suppliers could only join in the packaging segment, which brings little added value. It would be similar to Microsofts Nokia assembly plant in the northern province of Bac Ninh which also did not improve Vietnams capacity in the mobile phone sector, Quyen said. Adding to Apple and Microsoft, in 2015, South Korean-based LG selected 4P Co., Ltd. as its local partner to supplement chips and assemble LG items. South Koreas fourth-largest tech group also plans to relocate some manufacturing lines, mainly assembling, to Vietnam, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Pointedly, the authority of the northern city of Haiphong is proposing to add 687 hectares to Dinh Vu-Cat Hai Economic Zone, aiming to facilitate LGs expansion. If Vietnam manages to lure in large-scale mobile phone assembly projects, foreign suppliers will also come, Quyen said. For example, LG Display is currently a second supplier for organic LED screens for iPhones. Once Apple selects Vietnam to assemble iPhones, LG Display could consider developing a screen manufacturing plant here too. Actor Taapsee Pannu is calling out the treatment meted out to actor Rhea Chakraborty online. Rhea was the girlfriend of late actor Sushant Singh Rajput and is accused of abetment to suicide by his family. Rhea has also received hateful messages on social media and has been called a gold digger and an opportunist who was siphoning off Sushant money. Taapsee reacted strongly to harassment Rhea is being subjected to. She also tweeted about the sexism in calling women gold diggers. Every woman who is with a relatively more successful man is NOT a gold digger and for the rest , truth and investigating agencies will do their job. One step at a time, she wrote. Taapsee also retweeted a bunch of news clippings of how the Enforcement Directorate could not find any evidence that Rhea had been stealing Sushants money. Also Watch | 4 days in jail for Rheas brother, Sushants house manager as NCB gets custody Earlier, Taapsee had also slammed the media trial of Rhea. I didnt know Sushant on a personal level nor do I know Rhea but what I know is, it only takes to be a human to understand how wrong it is to overtake judiciary to convict someone who isnt proven guilty. Trust the law of the land for your sanity and the deceaseds sanctity, she had tweeted. Also read: Bambai Main Ka Ba: Manoj Bajpayee turns rapper with Bhojpuri song, Anubhav Sinha directs. Watch teaser Other stars such as Lakshmi Manchu, Vidya Balan and Shibani Dandekar have also called out the unfair treatment. Shibani said in a long note on Instagram that she has known Rhea for 12 years and also talked about her being tagged a gold digger in an interview with India Today Every woman who is with a relatively more successful man is NOT a gold digger and for the rest , truth and investigating agencies will do their job. One step at a time. https://t.co/EYPmTplu5Q taapsee pannu (@taapsee) September 5, 2020 Of course, why wouldnt people say that? Where is this money that shes stolen? Please tell me. Where are these 15 crores that she has stolen? Have we found it yet? I mean, you know, its just so easy to paint that picture, isnt it? Its so easy to date a high-profile person and then have people say that you are only dating them for that reason, she said. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Actor Sushant Singh Rajputs sister Shweta Singh Kirti expressed her sense of relief after the news of the arrest of Rhea Chakrabortys brother Showik, by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), broke. She took to Twitter to express her feelings. Shweta wrote: Thank you God Keep guiding all of us in the direction of TRUTH! #JusticeForSushantSinghRajput #GreatStartNCB #Warriors4SRR #Flag4SSR. She also shared the screengrab of the news. On Friday morning as the NCB conducted a raid at Rheas residence, she had put out a jubilant tweet and said: Good going NCB... Thank You God. #GreatStartNCB. The NCB is also investigating the Sushant Singh Rajput death case after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) found evidence of a drugs angle while looking into financial irregularities. Other than Showik Chakraborty, NCB on Friday arrested Sushants house manager Samuel Miranda in connection with the drugs probe linked to actor Sushants death, officials said. Various angles surrounding the death of the 34-year-old actor are being probed by three federal agencies, the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) being the other two. Showik and Samuel have been arrested under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, a senior NCB officer said. Both Showik and Miranda have been named as accused by the ED and the CBI in the FIRs registered by them in Sushant s death case. The sections pressed against them, the official said, are 20(b) that deals with production, manufacture, possession, selling, purchase and transport of cannabis, 28 (punishment for attempt to commit offences), 29 (punishment for abetment and criminal conspiracy) and 27(a) that defines punishment for financing illicit traffic and harbouring offenders. Showik and Samuel will be produced before a local court on Saturday. The two are required to be put under custodial interrogation to unravel more details about the procurement, transportation and usage of the narcotics. The agency has a strong case, the officer said. The arrests came after over 10 hours of questioning of the two, who were brought to the agencys office in Ballard Estate area, Mumbai after their premises were raided early morning. Accompanied by police officials, the NCB searched the residence of Showik in Santa Cruz (West) and Mirandas house in suburban Andheri (West) from 6:30 am. Showik lives with sister Rhea. The search teams included women officials and they were seen wearing masks and gloves and using multiple vehicles. NCB Deputy Director (operations) K P S Malhotra, who is heading the probe team of the agency, was seen leading the search and he told media persons on the ground that the houses of Showik and Miranda were being searched which was a procedural action. Sushant was found dead at his Bandra flat on June 14. (With PTI inputs) Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Taslimbano Harun Pathan, the school principal of Aasha Marathi Vidyalay, points to a writing from textbooks of various subjects painted on the wall of a house to teach students who are unable to carry smartphones to attend online school classes amid Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic in Solapur. AFP Photo The Covid-19 pandemic, unprecedented in its spatial extent, has hit every aspect of human life across the world. Political and geographic boundaries have lost their meaning, and even the remoteness of islands have not deterred it from marching ahead. As long as the fury of the calamity lasts, unabated and unchallenged, its effect will keep rattling all mankind. While the divide based on income differentials will continue to determine the gravity of its impact on individuals, however temporary that impact may be in some cases, young children all over are turning out to be the worst sufferers, as recent reports suggest. According to a Unicef report released in June 2020, there are 28 million children in India, who otherwise could have gone to anganwadis but for their closure due to the pandemic health risk and have been at home for the past six months. These children, in general, belong to the economically disadvantaged sections of society, but its also true that those enrolled in private institutions, mostly in urban and semi-urban areas, such as nursery or KG schools, are not better off either. What early childhood education intends to impart is to develop social and emotional skills of compatibility and conflict, which wont happen except in the company of other children. Instead of technology-leveraged remote learning, it requires a physical environment which grooms listening, speaking and interacting for the healthy mental growth of a child. Digital accessibility and affordability, to some extent, can compensate for proficiency in literacy and numeracy but the overall growth of a child happens best in the company of peers. Why early childhood learning is so important in the growth of children and its effect on lifestyles has been documented in various studies and reports that show that it is directly linked to a childs seamless and confident migration to primary school and further transition to secondary education, a reduced probability of being school dropouts and attaining life skills and higher education. Thats the reason why deprivation of early childhood development carries a risk on the lives and future of children cutting across the economic divide or digital divide. On the extent of deprivation of early childhood care and education, another Unicef report says that worldwide nearly 40 million children, of which 22 million are from South Asia alone, have missed out on learning in the critical pre-primary school year as Covid-19 has shuttered all early education facilities. The new National Education Policy document that was released last month, amid the pandemic crisis, undoubtedly emphasises the governments resolve to give renewed focus to this critical aspect of child development. Though the report candidly admits that crores of children, and more so those belonging to socio-economically disadvantaged sections, are deprived of quality early childhood care, it provides a roadmap on curriculum design, infrastructure development, technology use and capacity infusion. But these are long-term solutions with primary focus on achieving sustainable development goal SDG 4.2, which is about a commitment to ensure that by 2030 all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood education so that they are ready for Class 1 as a stepping stone for primary education. Every species survives because it cares for its offspring. This is true for human beings as well. A solution to the obstruction posed by the current pandemic is not easy to find. The strategy, therefore, must be on mitigating the effects of this obstruction. On the education front, countries across the globe are grappling with back-to-school plans. Many in Western countries are seriously considering it as a viable choice as they are worried about the loss to society due to missing childhood. In a vast country like India, one solution may not fit all. There will be different solutions for rural areas, urban areas and metropolises for the purpose of restoring early childhood learning. In rural areas, where open spaces are available, active community support will help in organising small groups of neighbourhood children to keep them engaged with day-to-day activities like listening, speaking and learning while maintaining a safe distance. Home-based technology tools such as smartphones, radio, television and cable networks can be used, depending upon digital accessibility and affordability. In urban and metro setups where open spaces are hard to find, the neighbourhood grooming of one or two children by an older person can be adopted for this purpose. Though group activities may be difficult to perform, such grooming will keep children engaged and save them from neglect due to the closure of pre-schools. Like all other pandemics in the past, Covid-19 will also become history one day, thanks to human ingenuity. But young children who have lost their formative years of learning should not become victims. This needs to be pre-empted by early action. Anything done too late will be too little. The lack of finance should not be allowed to come in the way. A study by James Heckman, a Nobel laureate in Economics and an expert in the economics of human development, shows that investment in early childhood yields better returns and offers a cost-effective strategy even during a budget deficit. Inside an apartment on a quiet suburban street near Lacey, Wash., on Thursday evening, Michael Forest Reinoehl fretted about his future. He talked about his children in a telephone call to a friend, wondering how to keep them safe should anything happen to him. Outside, the F.B.I. kept watch. Moments later, U.S. Marshals and local law enforcement agents, with an arrest affidavit that accused Mr. Reinoehl of the shooting death last week of a far-right activist, raced toward the brick apartment building in two S.U.V.s. Mr. Reinoehl, 48, a self-identified proponent of Antifa and a regular presence at the long-running protests against racial injustice in Portland, had seemed to confess to the killing in an interview with a journalist released hours earlier. He also said that he feared being killed in custody. Soon after he emerged from the apartment, he was dead, shot and killed by law enforcement agents. The U.S. Marshals Service said in a statement that Mr. Reinoehl was armed with a handgun when they arrived and threatened the lives of officers. But many details remain unknown, including whether Mr. Reinoehl fired any shots before or after several law enforcement officers opened fire. The declining number of travelers to Turkey's golden beaches is a misfortune for the nation's economy but a relief for loggerhead sea turtles. Loggerhead turtles are an endangered species that uses Turkey's western Mediterranean coast as one of their main nesting areas, laying eggs there before returning to the sea. The shores and water are cleaner and safer today, since the global health crisis has prevented millions of tourists from traveling to Turkey this year. This enables the turtles to lay their eggs in peace on mostly empty beaches. Animal activists are happy that these protected creatures can breed freely. Each year, during hatching season, dozens of animal lovers and activists flock to the nesting grounds to protect the hatchlings from humans. Artificial lights from hotels or other tourism establishments are very dangerous to the newborns, and may disorient them and ultimately cause their deaths. Hatchlings orient themselves toward the sea using the brightness of the horizon and the reflection of the moon on the water's surface. Ecological Research Association president and Hacettepe University biology instructor Ali Fuat Canbolat says the tourism season opened late this year, in early July, because of the coronavirus outbreak and lockdown restrictions. "As 95 percent of hotels were closed in the southern provinces, the loggerhead sea turtles were not disturbed by artificial lights. They prefer not to lay their eggs where the lights are too bright," he says. This year, his association detected over 3,000 nesting grounds, a record number, on the beaches of Belek district in Antalya province, which has dozens of luxury hotels. "The previous highest number was around 2,600 in 2016. So, we can say that the turtles were a bit more comfortable this year," he says, adding that they lay eggs every three to four years. "When they do, they may nest three to four times a season." Loggerhead sea turtles are migratory and spend the winter in the Aegean and other seas, including the Adriatic. Several associations, including EKAD, have for years worked with general success to increase awareness about this endangered species, Canbolat explains. Yet, he insists local administrations still have a long way to go as they sometimes consider the turtles' presence a "nuisance "to development projects. Turkish first lady Emine Erdogan made an appearance earlier this month on an Antalya beach in Kas district with government ministers to release injured turtles back to the sea. The turtles had received treatment for injuries inflicted by boat propellers. "The turtles are one of the oldest inhabitants on the Earth. Unfortunately, they face the danger of extinction. We need to help their survival because they are essential for the ecosystem," she said on the occasion, the semi-official Anadolu Agency reports. The turtles were fitted with tracking chips so scientists can monitor their journeys and the dangers they encounter. "Only a few out of a thousand hatchlings survive to become an adult, and that takes up to 15 years at least. So, this animal is a feat of nature that should be protected," she adds. Not afraid to speak out, former New York state assemblyman (representative) Dov Hikind (D), who represented a Brooklyn district with a large traditional Jewish constituency (not to be confused with the 85% or so Jews who confuse Judaism with the oh, so liberal causes du jour) for 35 years until his retirement in December, 2018, blasted U.S. president wannabe Joe Biden (D) for his friendly get-together with avowed racist and bigot Jacob Blake, Sr. (probably D), father of martyred serial abuser of individuals with cervixes (known as women to the 99% non-P.C.) Jacob Blake, Jr. (probably D). Interviewed by Tucker Carlson, another individual who also bravely goes up against liberal operatives on television, Hikind called Biden's meeting with Blake Sr. "pathetic." "It is hypocrisy, it's a double standard and people need to recognize that. It is just beyond comprehension. Someone who follows Farrakhan, the number one anti-Semite in this country, someone who preaches hate for the Jewish people... and Blake is a follower of Louis Farrakhan spreading his hate on social media to millions of people." "So how in God's name does the former vice president go and meet with this individual and praise this individual?" Hikind called on fellow Democrats to "wake up" and see that members of their party are "endangering this country." "People are afraid and people in my community asked me, is there a future in America? This is what this is where we are today. Is there a future in America? This the greatest country in the world. We are not perfect, no one is perfect and no country is perfect. But this is the greatest country in the world," he said, adding that while still a registered Democrat, he is "ashamed of the Democratic Party." "It is a betrayal of all the values that America is all about," said Hikind. Later, Carlson asked Hikind why Biden wasn't stopped from meeting with Blake Sr. "It's simple. They are cowards and afraid of upsetting the Democratic Party and the radical left," he responded. "Isn't it strange that Bernie Sanders and Tlaib and Omar -- isn't it funny how quiet they are?" Hikind continued. Not "strange" at all, as Hikind, a son of Holocaust-survivors, well knows; the Democratic party is now the Democratic Party of the "radical left" and its racist, bigoted followers. Why, even the first grandmother to ascend to speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi (dark hair today, not gone tomorrow, no matter what, so D) willingly donated 14,000 Democratic Party Benjamins to Minnesota's Ilhan Omar (hate for the county that saved her because Jews dominate, so D) successful re-election campaign to the House of Representatives. Admittedly, Joe Biden is not much of a bigot; why, even two of his children married Jews! But his and/or his handlers' inability, fear, unawareness of the need to criticize Blake Senior, combined with Leader Pelosi's actions, indicate their at best weaknesses, the "radical left's" and their followers, strength in tolerating/advocating hate. Not funny at all. And if Biden and Pelosi can't or won't stand up to them, will they stand up to Communist China? Russia? Iran? Not afraid to speak up and ask, Hikind and Carlson revealed the answer. Thank goodness they're not quiet. Hopefully you're not, either. On Tuesday night, James Madison University sent out a stark message to its community: The threat of the coronavirus had become too great for students to remain on campus and for in-person classes to continue. Across the state, students were left wondering if their college campus would be the next to shut down. Positive cases of the coronavirus are still rising at several Virginia colleges. On Friday, when JMU announced it had 772 total cases among students and staff, Virginia Tech announced 416, Radford University had 293, the University of Virginia had 201 and Virginia Commonwealth University had 198. But there are more factors in a colleges decision making than just total case count. The number of isolation rooms on campus is another major factor, and JMUs has almost run out of space. Its also important to watch if the virus is spreading beyond campus, university and health leaders said. In a shocking case of mob justice, a youth who was apprehended by a group of people on the suspicion of theft, has died after he was tortured by the captors. The incident happened in Bareilly's Aonla area on Thursday night. screengrab The youth, identified as Basit Khan was caught by a group of men after the guard of the tube well office there accused him of theft after he saw him carrying the iron. Soon, a crowd gathered there and tied the youth to a 'neem' tree and allegedly beat him for hours before the police arrived. screengrab Even after the police were informed, they did not take the accused, who was beaten badly by the locals to a hospital. He was taken to a hospital by the family after his condition deteriorated and died on Friday while under treatment. The family alleged that if the cops had taken him to the hospital on time instead of the police station, the deceased might have survived. Several videos posted online by some of the mob showed them interrogating and assaulting Basit. When I was told that Basit was being beaten by some villagers, I asked my younger son to rush and save him. But he was so scared that he locked himself in a room. Locals thrashed my son for fun. Then policemen dropped him home in a rickshaw and left. He was in enormous pain. We took him to hospital, but he died there, the victim's mother told media. screengrab A local political leader said that Basit was innocent and that he had no criminal history. He also alleged that even after some relatives and neighbors tried to rescue Basit, the mob continued the assault. According to the police, Basit was not arrested as nobody had filed a complaint against him. The cops also claimed that they did not take him to the hospital as there were no injury marks on his body. Four people died during a Saturday morning fire at a North Philadelphia row house, officials told The Philadelphia Inquirer. The blaze reportedly began around 7:52 a.m. on the 3300 block of Kip Street, according to The Inquirer. Fire Commissioner Adam Thiel told the news outlet flames and smoke were already on the first and second floors of the home by the time firefighters arrived. They soon found the four victims inside, Thiel said, The Inquirer reported. Thiel told The Inquirer there were about 60 firefighters, EMS and other personnel on scene Saturday morning. The cause of the fire is under investigation, he said. READ MORE: Eight men charged after video of them raping unconscious teen surfaces on Facebook Pipeline explosion near Bangladesh mosque kills at least 16, leaves others critically burned Police looking for men accused of assault, robbery at Capital City Mall Donald Trump; Taxes Donald Trump | Taxes Getty Images/Salon A passing news item about taxes caught my attention as an example of why people can find government so annoying at times. Perhaps it's even more so with this particular White House that promises, but then falters on delivery, spreading distrust for the role of government more generally. About 1.3 million federal workers, about 60% of the total, are about to see an increase in pay as the result of that promised payroll tax deferral but they will have to repay that tax next year since the deferral is temporary. Only those earning less than $100,000 are affected. Donald Trump signed an executive order for this deferral and said he had plans to eliminate the tax altogether. But then, he and Congress are not talking. And, so, any deferred taxes now will have to be repaid later. Meanwhile, businesses across the country are basically ignoring this order since they don't want to spend extra money to retool payrolls for deductions that will have to be repaid later. In other words, this particular proposal apparently offered both as part of economic stimulus of a seriously weakened economy and election ploy will do nothing except annoy federal workers. Now, having looked at it, I'm not a fan of cutting the payroll tax. But if you're going to do it, Mr. President, shouldn't we expect that it will be done completely and not be half-baked? Forget politics With all the political division in the country, this one seems pretty simple. This is not pro-Democrat or anti-Trump or the opposite. It's a simple plea that we do what we say. The basics here: The payroll tax is a big support for Social Security and Medicare. It takes 12.4% contribution from tiered portions of salary split evenly between employer and employee to a cap. The deferral applies only to people who earn up to $4,000 on a biweekly basis, and less than $104,000 annually. When Trump announced that we should have a deferral from September to December payrolls, he said he would seek permanent elimination of this particular tax upon his reelection, which, of course, is not assured. Further, he said he was both for and against cutting funds for Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid. Story continues Unions, business, retirees and a wide bipartisan crowd voiced collective unhappiness with his executive order, and few companies have said they would actually do so for such a temporary situation. What it means is that any gain now will result in lower paychecks in 2021. Moreover, the payroll tax obviously only affects a tax cut for working employees and does nothing to put people back to work. And, it is a back-handed way to undercut Social Security and health services for seniors and low-income people. If Trump wants to do that, he needs to act more broadly and as a major policy debate, all sides agree. A statement from the Office of Management and Budget said "The president put forward this action to give relief to all Americans during this pandemic," adding that the executive branch as an employer is "implementing the deferral to give our employees relief as quickly as possible, in line with the presidential memo." Now comes politics At base, the move on payroll taxes seems aimed at snubbing Congress, with which the administration is at an impasse over coronavirus aid, and coming up with something that might appeal to voters who just hear the words "tax cut," and start clapping and voting. So far, this tax cut is not a tax cut. It is a deferral. Trump's insistence on using executive orders rather than legislation to accomplish his goals too often ends up with policies that fall short of whatever he wanted in the first place. Does he mean to short Social Security? Is he accounting for employees who leave the job before repaying the tax? Can he make the cut permanent? The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service apparently only issued how-to information four days before the order is to take effect, meaning even businesses wanting to comply won't possibly know exactly how to change their payment systems. One federal employee union said its members might not be able to support paying a double tax next year. It does make you wonder whether Trump the politician actually knows Trump the president. I can understand that Trump wants to act, but not that he does not follow through. Even the smaller government that conservatives want should be effective in what it does. Related Articles South-east Queensland's mayors are hoping to use the proposed Fast Rail network as a legacy project that will boost the state's post-COVID recovery and link regional areas to Brisbane. The first business case of a Fast Rail line between Maroochydore and Brisbane is now being evaluated by Queensland's Transport Department, and a second business case for a line between Brisbane and the Gold Coast will be completed by late 2022. The new Roma Street station could be connected to Fast Rail under the proposal. But a third proposal for Fast Rail between a regional centre and Brisbane this time from Toowoomba is also under way. The SEQ Council of Mayors hope the Fast Rail proposals can build on opportunities presented by Brisbane's underground Cross River Rail. Trump hails historic Serbia-Kosovo deal normalizing economic relations Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment President Donald Trump announced Friday that as a result of U.S.-brokered talks, the leaders of the two rival Balkan nations of Serbia and Kosovo have normalized their economic ties after decades of dispute. Serbia and Kosovo have each committed to economic normalization. Theyve been working on this for many, many years decades, actually," said Trump, who presided over the White House signing of a deal between Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti of Kosovo. Trump said his administration proposed a new way of bridging the divide after a violent and tragic history, and years of failed negotiations. By focusing on job creation and economic growth, the two countries were able to reach a major breakthrough something that nobody thought was going to be possible. And I think its going to work out very well. And were going to be working with them on economic cooperation across a broad range of issues, the president said. Theres been tremendous death over a long period of time, and that all stops, he added. In the conflict between Serbia and Kosovo, which began with the breakup of the former Yugoslavia, more than 13,000 people have been killed. While Serbia considers Kosovo part of its territory, the latter says its an independent state. Former acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell served as a special envoy for the talks, according to The Washington Times, which quoted Grenell as saying, Lets give them a little taste of the Trump economy. Its not known when the agreement will be implemented, however. Officials from both countries said it could depend on whether Trump gets reelected, according to The Wall Street Journal. The Journal also reported that Serbia and Kosovo said they will remove 5G equipment provided by untrusted vendors from their mobile networks and ban them from bidding in the future, referring to Chinese companies such as Huawei Technologies Co. that's controlled by China's communist regime. Weve also made additional progress on reaching peace in the Middle East, Trump added. I will say that Kosovo and Israel have agreed to normalization of ties and the establishment of diplomatic relations. The agreement we made with UAE has been incredible. And we have other countries in the Middle East coming very much to us and saying, When do we go? When can we sign? I think were going to have great peace in the Middle East. And nobody has been able to say that for a long time. Trump added that Serbia had committed to opening a commercial office in Jerusalem this month and to move its embassy to Jerusalem in July. This comes about three years after the Trump administration recognized Jerusalem as Israels capital and about two years after it moved the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem in May 2018. When President Muhammad Buhari inaugurated his ministers after he was sworn in for a second term last year, many had high hopes of a transformational change in the economy especially in the area of information and communication technologies (ICT) despite some failings in his first term. During Mr Buharis first term, the ministry of communications, saddled with all responsibilities regarding ICT, could not meet the expectations of many. The ministrys mandate is hinged on facilitating easy access to communication and promoting ICT usage to drive transparency and development. Headed by Adebayo Shittu, the ministry failed to reposition Nigeria in the areas of advancing communication, increasing foreign exchange, quality service and creation of jobs as promised by the then minister, a 2019 PREMIUM TIMES findings revealed. Fast forward to the start of another term, Mr Buhari, for reasons he did not explain, did not return Mr Shittu as the minister of communications. Instead, on August 21 that year, he got Isa Pantanmi, a former Director-General of the National Information and Technology Development Agency (NITDA) on board to pilot the ministrys ship. Mr Pantami, 46 at the time of his appointment, fostered an image of confidence and competence as contrast to his predecessor, after having enjoyed a cordial relationship with other agencies in the ministry, as the DG of NITDA. As a technocrat, many felt he was the man for the job. Not long after his inauguration, the minister pushed for a rechristening of the ministry to the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, to cover the goals of digitalising Nigerias economy and approved by the President on October 17. One year after, his performance appears to tally with peoples expectations, an analysis by PREMIUM TIMES reveals. There are five subsumed agencies in the ministry he heads, namely: Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), National Information and Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST), Nigerian Communication Satellite Limited (NigComSat) and Galaxy Backbone. In the assessment of the ministrys progress in terms of public service standards and efficiency, PREMIUM TIMES finds that there have been some considerable improvements in communication and digital ecosystem in the last one year. Communications: SIM cards registration policy Upon assumption of office, Mr Pantami said his mandate was to ensure that the ministry plays its role adequately as a supervisory ministry to agencies under its fold, in tandem with Mr Buharis focal points to facilitate economic development, anti-corruption and security. He hit the ground running, asking for reports from all agencies in the ministry for performance targets. Receiving a report from the NCC that about 9.2 million SIM cards in Nigeria were not properly registered, he directed telecom operators to stop the issuance of unregistered and pre-registered ones, and asked the NCC to block improperly registered SIM cards. Mr Pantami said the security implication of having such irregularity was too grave for the ministry to ignore as it will not tolerate any actions or inactions that will compromise the nations security. This was to ensure the SIM cards would not be used for criminal activities. After having set a deadline for telecom operators to alert their subscribers, the NCC deactivated 2.2 million improperly registered SIM cards nationwide. Suspending telecom USSD charges Last October, when a telecom firm, MTN, said it was going to impose a N4 charge on customers who use its shortcodes to access banking services, many Nigerians expressed outrage on social media over the plan. Mr Pantami, who said his ministry was unaware of the plan, swiftly directed the NCC to suspend it. The telecom giant halted the plan as the order came in. Data cost deduction As 2019 advanced to a climax, there were public outcries on a raft of tax and charges people were paying. One of those was the high cost of data. Reacting to the situation, Mr Pantami ordered a downward review of the prices of data packages within five days from when the directive was given. The minister argued the order was to stop unstructured supplementary service data deductions by network providers because Nigerians appeared to spend more on data than the little value they get for their money. Advertisements But the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) said the order was counter-productive for its members since their operating costs are mired by several challenges such as infrastructure vandalism, taxation, levies, Right of Way (RoW). At a special reception organised by ALTON, Mr Pantami said the government was aware of the challenges the mobile operators experience in their business. He added that the government was committed to resolve decades-long challenges facing the sector. The way we pursue the mobile operators to do what is right, we should also work together to protect their interest and resolve the challenges operators face, he said. Nothing still signposts that there has been a full compliance with the ministers directive even as the number of subscribers increased this year amidst the coronavirus pandemic. Right of Way (RoW) The issue of Right of Way (RoW) charges is one of the decade-long challenges bedevilling the telecommunication sector. The RoW is a legal permit that allows telecom operators to use the state lands to lay their telecom infrastructures such as connectivity cables. According to the minister, for 13 years, the problem had hindered broadband penetration (extent of internet transmission). Addressing the Governors Forum in January this year, Mr Pantami entreated the state governors to follow the national benchmark for RoW charge of N145.00 per linear metre of fibre. After the meeting, some states such as Ekiti, Imo, Plateau and Katsina slashed the RoW chargesformerly N4,500to N145 per linear metre, a 97 per cent reduction. Others like Anambra and Kaduna completely waived the levy. The minister had argued that the implementation of the new RoW charges would not only reduce the cost of service but also improve the states economy. As glamorous as it might look, many states are yet to implement the levy for a healthy relationship with the telecom operators, thereby losing out in the investment plan for a digital Nigeria if it does not circulate adequately to all parts of the country. Naming telecom infrastructure as CNI There had been calls for governments help in battling the issue of vandalisation of telecom infrastructure as it had a stint on the growth of the ICT sector in the country. According to the NCC, the telecom industry recorded about 33,000 cases of vandalism and theft of telecoms facilities within a period of 13 months spanning June 2017 to August 2018. READ ALSO: Buoyed by this, the minister played a significant part to have the telecom infrastructure named as part of Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) since a bill in its name was first introduced 12 years ago. In June this year, Mr Buhari approved the provision of security for the telecom infrastructure nationwide, as he named them CNI. Cancelling NIPOSTs cash payment method Last November, Mr Pantami directed the Nigerian Postal Services (NIPOST) to stop cash payments in its offices nationwide. The minister said all payments across NIPOST offices in Nigeria should be made through Point of Sales (POS) machines or bank tellers. He said the move was in tandem with the presidents anti-corruption agenda. But analysts believe achieving nationwide compliance now seems superfluous. Digital economy Cutting-edge digital policies As the ministry expanded its goals to include digitalisation of the Nigerian economy, it became necessary that good policies are put in place. One of the highpoints of the Pantami-led ministry is the formulation of cutting-edge policies that seek to reposition Nigeria in the global digital ecosystem, the reason for which the ministry was renamed last October. Conceptually, a digital economy comprises goods and services that either were produced using digital technologies or include these technologies, according to researchers at Brookings Institution. The yardsticks for a blooming digital economy are hinged on the performance of the ICT industry. According to Oxford Economics, the value of the digital economy today is 11.5 trillion USD, which is approximately 16 per cent of the world economy. The launch of policies such as the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (2020-2030), National Broadband plan (2020-2025), National Policy for the Promotion of Indigenous Content in the Telecommunications sectoris panned out to reposition Nigerias economy from its over-reliance on oil and gas. The digital revolution is expected to transform lives with unprecedented speed and scale as it expands the many potentials of a digital age. According to the World Economic Forum, by 2022, 60 per cent of the world economy will be digitalised. By 2030, almost 85 per cent of the world economy is going to be a digital economy. Increased broadband penetration In 2013, Nigeria unveiled its first broadband plan for a period of five years. At the time, the plan was to achieve broadband access, defined as minimum download speeds of 1.5Mbps with at least 30 per cent coverage, and an objective of achieving 3G coverage to at least 80 per cent of the population, according to the NCC. The rollout of broadband services would have tackled socio-economic challenges faced by the country such as economic growth, job creation, increased financial inclusion, improved digital literacy and educational standards; identity management and security challenges through the effective use of technology, and improved quality of life, the communication agency said. However, the 30 per cent penetration achievement in the Nigerian National Broadband Plan 2013 2018 was obtainable but with unserved and underserved communities left out, setting grounds for another effort to increase the countrys internet coverage of 4G as the world embraces 5G coverage. Noting the importance of increasing investment in fixed broadband penetration, Mr Pantami rolled out the National Broadband plan (2020-2025) last November which was later unveiled by Mr Buhari. By July this year, the new policy had Nigerias broadband penetration increased by five per cent, to tally40.1 per centup from 35.1 per cent in August, 2019. Increased ICTs contribution to GDP The ICT sector has contributed greatly to Nigerias Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the last year, as noted by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). In the second quarter of 2019, before Mr Pantamis appointment, ICTs contribution to the real GDP stood at 14.6 per cent of the real GDP while in the same quarter a year later, it leapfrogged to 17.8 per cent. This is even in spite of the economic slowdown. Consequently, many Nigerians on social media attributed the feat to the ministrys strategic policy directions under Mr Pantamis stewardship. The minister himself described the ICT sector as the new oil a euphemism for a major revenue-generating sector. The GDP Report has shown how critical the ICT sector is to the growth of our countrys digital economy and, by extension, the general economy, Mr Pantami said. 5G trial Last November, the ministry approved trials for the fifth-generation (5G) network for a period of three months. Nigeria is one of two West African countries that ever held the 5G trial. The fifth generation of mobile technology is an improvement on the current 4G technology being used, with enhanced capabilities that provide the platform for new and emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data to improve the way people live and work. The trial was conducted by MTN in three major citiesAbuja, Lagos and Calabar. It used 26GHz frequencies and was concluded earlier this year. There was, however, no licence given to telecom operators to go on with its installation. This seems to be unsettling for some who taught the installation of 5G no doubt would bring more development to the sector. The ministry, through its communications agency, had defended the decision to let it stop at the only trial stage because it is technology-neutral. We dont license technology but assign spectrum to operators for deployment of any service when allocated by the National Frequency Management Council (NFMC), a statement by the commission once said. However, experts believe the deployment of the 5G would transform Nigeria into a smart city, improve its economic growth and migrate it to a digital economy, this newspaper reports. Across all geopolitical zones, the ministry had, within a year, launched about 80 digital capacity training centres, IT hubs, IT community centres, innovation and incubation parks, IT community centres and capacity-building centres in higher institutions of learning. Fairly well For Idris Oladipo, the head of Digital Innovation at EduFirst, there have been some significant improvements in terms of sound policies and regulatory framework. The ministry has been very deliberate about the implementation of its National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy and the National Broadband plan among others. As at July 2020, the broadband penetration in the country was reported to be 42.04 per cent which is a significant progress, meaning more people can access the internet and do so much more with the power of the web, Mr Oladipo said. He added that the deliberate attempt at digitising core government functions across MDAs is another milestone recorded by the ministry in the past one year. When asked to grade the ministerial performance, he said the ministry has done well, but not excellently well because it will be too early to assess its performance within a one-year calendar as some of the key efforts made by the ministry have growth implications which may only be visible in the next 5 to 10 years. It is expected to be one of the functional ministries to drive the much-desired socio-economic growth Nigeria wants. The digital expert, however, entreated the ministry to work closely with telecoms service providers in keeping the cost of mobile data more affordable A marketing communication consultant, Lara Obaremi, said Mr Pantamis one year in office has been topsy-turvy, especially with the pandemic. However, the communication sector, she said, has helped unify Nigerians as the providers really upped their game during the lockdown. If she were to rate the ministers performance, it would be a 50 per cent pass mark, saying there is room for improvement, she said. This was echoed by Sani Yakub who works with Main One, a vast telecom company in Africa, As with everything, there is always a room for improvement, Mr Yakub said. He said the major loophole towards taking the industry to the desired height lies with the legislation that empowers the state with the sole right over the Right Of Way. This has been the perennial issue bedevilling the deployment of service by the operators, he said. He expressed optimism that there would be a positive turnaround as there are still ongoing engagements with the states and well critical stakeholders in surmounting the problem. He rated the ministrys performance80 per cent. Overall Grade for the ministry is: Above average. Karma tends to get a bad rap, but Creative 360 in Midland is about to correct that negative connotation. The arts and humanities nonprofit is hosting a series of wholesome activities for the next few weeks as part of its Karma Month. The idea for Karma Month resulted from a conversation among Creative 360 staff on how to bring positive energy back into Midland during the pandemic and after the devastating effects of the May flooding. "Ever since the pan shut things down and the flood came, we've been trying to find ways to serve the community in a spiritual way," said Director Laura Vosejpka. Vosejpka, who is also a yoga teacher, explained that karma is all about generating energy. There are 12 laws of karma, but they essentially narrow down to a simple concept. "The great law of karma says that the energy you give out is the energy that returns to you," she said. Despite the disasters that have affected the local community, Midland has responded with positivity by providing aid to those in need and reaching out to establish connections among residents. Karma Month is designed to give back a little bit of that "good karma." "This Karma Month wouldn't work if we didn't feel that positive energy from the community already," Vasejpka said. The month kicked off on Tuesday with the launch of take-home art kits for meditation flags. Commonly found in Tibet and Nepal, meditation or prayer flags are grounded in old spirituality. As a person makes a flag, they are supposed to put their intentions into the material; for instance, if one meditated on safety, then the flag would imbibe that trait. As the flag blows in the wind and begins to disintegrate, then that quality would flow into the nearby area. "All that good energy can blow into the community," Vosejpka stated. The free kits, which are available for pick-up 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, provide enough materials for participants to make three flags so that one may be returned to Creative 360 while the others may remain at a person's home or shared with a friend. Creative 360 will begin to display finished meditation flags on its front lawn on Sept. 14. Since the project can be enjoyed by artists of all ages and skill sets, Creative 360 staff are looking into the possibility of providing kits to senior living centers and other nonprofit organizations to hand out to clients. "You just need some good energy and good intentions and creativity," Vasejpka said. Other activities throughout the month include the following: An encore performance of the Midland Saxophone Quartet, 6-7:30 p.m. Sept. 12. This uplifting outdoor concert will feature music from Bach to the Beatles. Cost is $10. A tour of the John Pratt Mosaic House, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Sept. 16. John Pratt used art to cope with his mental illness; this tour will explain how he created the mosaic house. Cost is $5. Mandala rock dot painting, 6-8:15 p.m. Sept. 17. The workshop will help you create dot painted mandalas on Michigan lake stones. Cost is $20. Cocktails and Canvas: Twilight Reflections, 7-9 p.m. Sept. 18. A painter will lead participants through a beautiful painting of a boat on the night water and colorful lakeside lights. Cost is $35. Mala Beads, Mandalas and Meditations open workshop, 1-4 p.m. Sept. 20. The workshop will provide instructions on how to create meditation beads, a personal mandala or inspiration for mediation flags. Cost is $30. Equinox Yoga, 6-7 p.m. Sept. 22. Join guitarist Mike Zureich and Kim Scott of The Yoga Place through 108 Sun Salutations. Cost is $10. Embroidery for Everyone: Mountain Escape, 6:30-9 p.m. Sept. 23. Participants will learn how to create a serene mountain landscape using colorful embroidery techniques. Cost is $45. The month will end with Neighboring Week, hosted by the Midland Area Community Foundation. No specific events were available at the time of publication. Vosejpka believes Neighboring Week is an appropriate ending to Karma Month, as the week celebrates the community's connectivity which has been evident in the past few months. "We capitalize on each other's strengths during this time so we can engage with as many people as possible," she said. Karma Month will give way to another month of themed activities surrounding Creative 360's 25th anniversary. The organization's original expectations for the celebration had to change due to the pandemic, but planning is still ongoing. Creative 360 will set themed weeks centering on visual arts, performing arts and the nonprofit's history and founders. "October has always been our month to have a really special event. We're finding creative ways to connect with our supporters," Vosejpka said, alluding to another law of karma, "Life doesn't just happen. You have to make it happen." Pro-Trump Christian group knocks on over 1M doors, plans to spend $40M on 2020 voting campaign Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Hundreds of canvassers affiliated with a grassroots campaign dedicated to mobilizing conservative evangelical and Catholic voters have knocked on nearly 1 million doors nationwide in the past month to encourage people to vote for President Donald Trump this November. As the U.S. heads into the final two months before the 2020 election, volunteers from the Faith & Freedom Coalition have been going from neighborhood to neighborhood in battleground states speaking with residents about the upcoming election and handing out voter guides to be distributed in churches. The Faith & Freedom Coalition, a national social conservative organization based in Atlanta, Georgia, and founded in 2009 by prominent evangelical activist Ralph Reed, has chapters in 21 states and began its election mobilization efforts during the first week of August. Normally, we start in September. But we backed it up a little bit this year just because the gravity of the election cycle merited an extra month of engagement, FFC Executive Director Tim Head told The Christian Post. As we head into Labor Day weekend, we are expecting on Sunday or Monday to hit our 1 millionth door. The organization, whose canvassers knocked on 1.2 million doors during the buildup to the 2016 general election and 2.25 million doors for the 2018 midterms, is hoping to knock on as many as 5 million doors by Nov. 3. Head said FFC has as many as 800 volunteers nationwide who've engaged in the voter-turnout campaign so far and expects that when the election is over as many as 6,000 volunteers will have engaged with the perspective voters. As more and more people get interested in the election, more and more volunteers will start to pick up the pace, Head expects. Well hit about 1 million in the month of August. Well probably hit just shy of 2 million in the month of September. Then, well probably hit just over 2 million in the month of October. The efforts are mostly focused on the presidential and U.S. Senate races, but in some states, FFC voter guides highlight competitive House races as well as some state-level gubernatorial races. The voter guide is a side by side comparison of the Republican candidate and the Democrat candidate and where they fall on various issues, Head said of the political literature. All of this is researched and documented from their campaign documentation or remarks they have made in the media or something to that effect. If we are talking about abortion-on-demand, it will show President Trumps position and Vice President Bidens stated position. We document that and footnote down at the bottom. If somebody needs to corroborate it, they can find the timestamp on the voter guide itself. Over the course of the last decade, Head said FFC has refined the voter guides quite a bit. They are simple. But their simplicity is their complexity, he added. But canvassing during a pandemic brings its own set of challenges and opportunities. More people are home than normal. But we also see a fair number of people who come to the door but dont necessarily want to open the door, the executive director stressed. I would say 20% of the people that we go to their home just kind of come to the window and kind of wave politely but may not open the door. In that case, we leave the voter guide on the door hanger or knob. We get a lot of thumbs up and waving and smiling. Ironically, some people are even in masks in their homes. We have gotten a smattering of reports to that effect in different parts of the country. FFC expects to spend upwards of $40 million on various mobilization efforts and strategies to encourage voters of faith to cast their ballots in November. Such efforts include a direct mail campaign and even operating phone banks on college campuses across the country. Its probably a 15% increase [in spending] from 2016 and comparable to 2018, Head said. That will include a pretty elaborate mail component and a pretty elaborate phone component in the closing weeks and days. While FFC is operating in 21 states, the organization has a special eye on swing states as it has footprints in Florida, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada and Arizona. FFC is not alone as other organizations like My Faith Votes and the social conservative advocacy group Family Research Council have also engaged in efforts to drive evangelical voter turnout in 2020. Earlier this year, the nonprofit voter mobilization organization My Faith Votes launched a bipartisan initiative called Our Church Votes that seeks to encourage the 25 million Christians who didn't vote in 2016 to vote in 2020. The initiative serves as a tool for pastors and church leaders to engage with their congregations about the political process. In the 2016 election, exit polls show that Trump got about 81% of the white evangelical or born-again Christian vote while Hillary Clinton got just 16% of that demographic. Although Head believes the Biden campaign has done more outreach to voters of faith than the Clinton campaign, he believes more white evangelicals support Trump in 2020 than they did in 2016. In 2016, then-candidate Trump was running was running purely on his rhetorical statements and never held office, so there was no track record to point to, he said. Some people thought that was smoke and mirrors and he was going to deviate from the stuff he was promising on the stump. But honestly, he has delivered. It's been one thing after another. He has done that for the evangelical and Catholic crowd to extraordinary degrees, he continued. On top of that, Vice President Biden has changed a lot of public policy positions over the decades and I think a lot of people dont consider him to be a particularly strong leader. At a time when our nation needs a strong leader with a proven record, I actually think the contrast is becoming even more stark in 2020 than it was, ironically, in 2016. FFC canvassers are reporting that faith voters they talk with are most concerned right now with the economic recovery efforts from the COVID-19 shutdowns and law-and-order amid the riots, vandalism and arson attacks, Head stressed. So COVID shutdowns and riots are top of mind for faith-based voters, he said. If that continues to be the case for the next 60 days, I think that Trumps positioning on those two issues bodes well for him. The proliferation of riots and the lack of responsiveness by Democrat leaders across the country is repelling a lot of moderate Democrats, Head argued. There is a significant uptick just in the last month alone of moderate Democrats moving in the direction of Trump because of local Democrat leaders lack of action and silence on the part of national Democrats. For Akshay Kumar, Age Is Just A Number On being asked if turning older by a year makes him fear that things would soon change for him in terms of work, offers or anything else, the actor said that he is not affected by his age, and that it concerns the others. Akshay was quoted as saying, "Every actor has a shelf life, either via popularity, opportunities, hard work, and sometimes, age, if you're lucky enough to reach that far. Either way, there's a time in every man/woman's life where they have to hang their working hat up." He further added, "Do I need to worry about that now? I hope not, but, yes, I'm aware that I've had an incredible 30 years in this industry already, but another 30 would be a dream, if possible. So, it's back on the bicycle for me, gotta keep my fresh face glow on for it's these pretty newbies that are the ones giving us old dogs a run for our money." Akshay Kumar Opens Up About His Birthday Plans When the tabloid quizzed Akshay about his birthday plans for this year, the superstar said, "That's something you'll have to ask my wife and kids, for they're the ones planning my birthday, but for sure I'm shooting that day. My Bell Bottom team is super cool, so it'll be lots of games, home made pizzas by my master chef of a son, and I'm hoping he makes me his famous cheesecake or Cinnamon buns, they're so good they made even Mr Mahesh Bhupati drool with pleasure. Either way, I'm surrounded by my family and that's all that matters." Akshay Kumar Reveals Why He Is Grateful To His Fans He said, "I'm grateful to still be here, I'm grateful for having the best fans in the world who I know will send me videos of them reading to the blind, feeding the poor and donate their kid's toys to orphanages. My fans are literally the best blessing about my birthday; they celebrate me by being incredible to others and for this I'm eternally grateful for all their love, support and genuine kindness. I'm unbelievably lucky to have all that I have." In The Same Interview, Akshay Also Opened Up About Resuming Work Amid The Pandemic "Apart from being humbly aware that I'm a very lucky man to be one of the first actors in the world to shoot a feature film in these unprecedented times, I'm also aware that many are struggling in all walks of life the world over, and I wish everyone the best to get through this difficult year, it's not easy but never give up," Akshay was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times. A man already sitting in jail for murder has been convicted for killing a young mum while her one-month-old baby slept in a neighbouring room in order to steal her engagement ring. The young woman was brutally killed when she confronted her attacker in her home in Port Elizabeth in South Africa's Eastern Cape province. The conviction puts to bed a shocking murder story which made national and even global headlines back in 2018. Police hunting the killer of Kelly Bain, 26, put fingerprints into a nationwide database system to try and find the attacker who had stolen his victim's engagement ring and was searching the house when he was confronted by her fiance who had come home for lunch. During that process, authorities found a match with Sizwe Jika, 28, already serving a 20-year jail term for the murder of 86-year-old Anne Smit in Kamma Parkalso in Port Elizabeth in May 2018. The South African mother was murdered during a home invasion in 2018. Source: Australscope Police spokesperson Colonel Priscilla Naidu said Ms Bain had confronted the killer after he entered her Shabani Road home in Brymore in Port Elizabeth on 25 July 2018. He overpowered her and stabbed her multiple times before taking her engagement ring off her finger, she said. While rummaging through the house, Jika was surprised by the appearance of Christopher Bonus, Bains fiancee, who had come home for lunch. A struggle ensued between both men and Jika managed to escape. Jika had been arrested four months later in September but escaped from a police station, but was then arrested again a month after that. As well as the existing jail term for murder he is also serving a 16-year sentence for six housebreaking cases committed between January 2011 and July 2018. His sentences will run concurrently with the life sentence. Jika is also expected to appear in court for the murder of Anne Ferreira, 83, found strangled and murdered in May 2018. Provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Liziwe Ntshinga said it was clear that Jika, has no respect for human life and had attacked vulnerable women. Story continues To commit such heinous crimes in a space of three months shows that he lacks emotion and is a heartless and ruthless criminal. Australscope 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. "Comparing the amounts allocated to the grants awarded to families and the amounts of loans granted under the Reactiva Peru Program is not correct," the government official pointed out. "The grant program, whose financial support is not expected to be returned, cannot be compared with a loan guarantee program, through which the Government has not disbursed a single Peruvian Sol," she said when answering questions during an interpellation session at Congress headquarters. Alva went on to say that, in addition to the number of companies and amounts, referring to the jobs generated by such companies is fundamental, since they sustain many families. "As of August 21, a total of 381,014 micro and small-sized enterprises (MSEs) have benefited from the program, accessing state-guaranteed loans worth S/21.016 billion (around US$5.93 billion)," she said. According to the Cabinet member, suggesting that the measures in favor of families and those in favor of companies are exclusive is incorrect since they are actually complementary. "The Reactiva Peru Program loans, for example, are only intended to pay salaries and suppliers. The payment of salaries supports the income of thousands of households. In fact, the companies participating in this program generate more than 2.3 million formal jobs out of 3.8 million jobs throughout the country," she stressed. Additionally, the high-ranking official explained that paying suppliers will help retain jobs at these companies. (END) VLA/JJN/RMB/MVB Inside Hook In 2018, Honda made a bold announcement for American customers: its iconic Super Cub motorcycle would be made available in the United States for the first time in decade. The Super Cub C125 is wildly popular around the globe: a moderately-sized, affordable bike thats tailor-made for travel within a city. But lets say you like the idea of paying less than $4,000 for a new motorcycle but are looking to spend a little more time off the beaten path? Turns out Honda has a plan for that as well. AutoBlog has news that Honda recently announced the 2021 Honda Trail 125 ABS what may be the ideal bike for someone looking to embrace off-road exploration. gRPC is a Google-created, open source, schema-first remote procedure call (RPC) framework that takes advantage of HTTP/2 protocol to transport binary messages. These messages are serialized and deserialized using Protocol Buffers, a binary serialization protocol also from Google. gRPC takes advantage of Protocol Buffers as its Interface Definition Language (IDL). This article presents an overview of gRPC and how we can work with it in ASP.NET Core. In this article well introduce gRPC, discuss why we need it, and implement both a gRPC server and a gRPC client. What is gRPC? Initially designed by Google, gRPC has become extremely popular for building distributed systems. gRPC supports several programming languages including C#, C++, Java, Objective-C, Python, Ruby, Go, and Node.js and the list is growing. Support for gRPC was introduced in .NET Core 3.0, which makes gRPC a first-class citizen in the .NET Core ecosystem. gRPC provides the following benefits: High performance Light weight Support for bi-directional streaming Support for binary serialization using Protocol Buffers Support for language agnostic implementations gRPC communication patterns gRPC supports the following communication patterns. Unary RPC: The client sends a single request and the server sends back a single response. Server streaming RPC: The client sends a single request and the server sends back a stream of responses. Client streaming RPC: The client sends a stream of messages to the server and the server sends back a single response. Bi-directional streaming RPC: The client sends a stream of messages to the server and the server sends back a stream of responses. Now lets get started. To work with the code examples provided in this article, you should have Visual Studio 2019 installed in your system. If you dont already have a copy, you can download Visual Studio 2019 here. Create a gRPC project in Visual Studio First off, lets create a gRPC project in Visual Studio. ASP.NET Core 3.0 (and later) ships with a gRPC template that you can take advantage of to build gRPC services. Assuming Visual Studio 2019 is installed in your system, follow the steps outlined below to create a new gRPC Service project in Visual Studio. Launch the Visual Studio IDE. Click on Create new project. In the Create new project window, select gRPC Service from the list of templates displayed. Click Next. In the Configure your new project window, specify the name and location for the new project. Click Create. In the Create a new gRPC Service window, click Create. This will create a new gRPC service project in Visual Studio. If you observe the list of packages in the Solution Explorer of your new gRPC project, you should see the Grpc.AspNetCore package listed there. When you expand Grpc.AspNetCore, you should see the following three packages: Google.Protobuf Grpc.AspNetCore.Server.ClientFactory Grpc.Tools IDG Your gRPC service project should include the Google.Protobuf, Grpc.AspNetCore.Server.ClientFactory, and Grpc.Tools packages. Further, two solution folders will be created by default one named Protos, which will contain the .proto files, and the other named Services, which will contain your concrete, strongly-typed service classes. IDG Your gRPC service project should also include two solution folders, named Protos and Services. Protos stores .proto files used to define contracts and messages. Services stores strongly typed service classes. Note that a gRPC service consists of a code file that implements the service and a .proto file that describes the service. gRPC takes advantage of .proto files to define services and message contracts. The Protos folder is where you will have all your message contracts. gRPC .proto file example in ASP.NET Core The name of the default gRPC service created with your project is GreeterService, and it is stored inside the Services folder. The default .proto file created for you with the gRPC project looks like this: syntax = "proto3"; option csharp_namespace = "gRPCDemo"; package greet; // The greeting service definition. service Greeter { // Sends a greeting rpc SayHello (HelloRequest) returns (HelloReply); } // The request message containing the user's name. message HelloRequest { string name = 1; } // The response message containing the greetings. message HelloReply { string message = 1; } In the preceding code snippet, Greeter is the name of the service and HelloReply and HelloRequest are the message contracts also known as POCO classes in C# jargon. SayHello accepts HelloRequest as a request message and returns HelloReply as the response message. Here is another example of a .proto file. Note the use of AuthorRequest and AuthorResponse message contracts. syntax = "proto3"; service AuthorService { rpc GetAuthor (AuthorRequest) returns (AuthorResponse); } message AuthorRequest { string author_id = 1; } message AuthorResponse) { string first_name = 1; string last_name = 2; } gRPC service example in ASP.NET Core The default Greeter service generated by Visual Studio looks like this. For the sake of simplicity, lets use this service as the server in our example. public class GreeterService : Greeter.GreeterBase { private readonly ILogger _logger; public GreeterService(ILogger logger) { _logger = logger; } public override Task SayHello(HelloRequest request, ServerCallContext context) { return Task.FromResult(new HelloReply { Message = "Hello " + request.Name }); } } In the preceding code example, the GreeterService class extends the Greeter.GreeterBase class, where Greeter is the name of the service (mentioned in the greet.proto file) and GreeterBase is the name of the class generated when creating C# stubs. Configure gRPC in ASP.NET Core You can enable gRPC support for your ASP.NET Core web application by calling the AddGrpc() method in the ConfigureServices method as shown below. public void ConfigureServices(IServiceCollection services) { services.AddGrpc(); } To add a gRPC service to the routing pipeline, you should call the MapGrpcService() method as shown below. public void Configure(IApplicationBuilder app, IWebHostEnvironment env) { app.UseRouting(); app.UseEndpoints(endpoints => { endpoints.MapGrpcService(); endpoints.MapGet("/", async context => { await context.Response.WriteAsync("Hello World!"); }); }); } Create a gRPC client in ASP.NET Core Now that the gRPC service has been created, the next thing you need to do is implement a gRPC client to consume the service. While there are no templates available to create a gRPC client, you can take advantage of a .NET Core console application to build a gRPC client. Follow the steps outlined below to create a new .NET Core console application project in Visual Studio 2019. Launch the Visual Studio 2019 IDE. Click on Create new project. In the Create new project window, select Console App (.NET Core) from the list of templates displayed. Click Next. In the Configure your new project window shown next, specify the name and location for the new project. Click Create. This will create a new .NET Core console application project in Visual Studio 2019. Well use this project to build a gRPC client. First well need to install the following NuGet packages in the gRPC client application. These packages will enable the client to connect to the server application we created earlier. Grpc.Tools contains the necessary types that can be used to provide tooling support for protobuf files Grpc.Net.Client contains the .NET Core client that can be used to establish a connection channel and send messages to a particular endpoint Google.Protobuf contains the protobuf APIs that can be leveraged for writing protobuf files Install the Grpc.Tools, Grpc.Net.Client, and Google.Protobuf NuGet packages via the NuGet Package Manager or execute the following commands in the NuGet Package Manager Console of the console application project you just created. Install-Package Grpc.Net.Client Install-Package Google.Protobuf Install-Package Grpc.Tools Once these NuGet packages have been installed, you should copy the .proto files residing at the server to the client application. Open the .proj file of the client application and insert the following line inside the tag. The following code snippet illustrates how you can connect to the gRPC service from the client application. static async System.Threading.Tasks.Task Main(string[] args) { using var grpcChannel = GrpcChannel.ForAddress("https://localhost:5001"); var grpcClient = new Greeter.GreeterClient(grpcChannel); var reply = await grpcClient.SayHelloAsync (new HelloRequest { Name = "Joydip" }); Console.WriteLine(reply.Message); Console.ReadKey(); } Now, first execute the server application and then the client. The output for the server (left) and client (right) should appear as shown in the image below. IDG Output from our demo gRPC server application (left) and gRPC client (right). Two of the biggest benefits of gRPC are its support for bidirectional streaming over HTTP/2 and its binary message format for information exchange. You can take advantage of gRPC to build microservices-based applications, native mobile applications, and Internet of Things (IoT) applications. And building a gRPC service is easy. You dont have to define controllers on the server side (like you do for a RESTful service) or build HTTP requests on the client side to consume the services. Well explore working with gRPC in more depth in future posts here. How to do more in ASP.NET Core: Nejma Sulaiman By Express News Service IDUKKI: Raman (name changed) has a postgraduate degree and a job at a reputed private company to boot. But that's not enough for him to get his hair cut at any of the barber shops in his village. Reason: The salons are frequented by upper caste people and Raman belongs to the Chakkliya community. In Vattavada, a village located in the rainshadow area of the Western Ghats in Idukki, higher caste people have announced a blanket ban on Dalits accessing services at salons visited by them. "Barbers in the village have been pressured by the upper caste," sources said. This practice has been common in Vattavada, an area dominated by Tamil settlers. The ancient customs practised in neighboring Tamil Nadu are followed more here. Even the Dalits hardly raise any voice against it. It was only recently that some Dalit youths from the village decided to complain to the panchayat authorities about such discrimination. But the barbers continued to refuse and said they preferred shutting their shops to cutting the hair of Dalits. Eventually, two barber shops in Vattavada were closed by the panchayat authorities five months ago. Dalit men from the village continue to get their hair cut at salons in Munnar or Ellappetty, both nearby towns. Earlier, bizarre practices like serving food in coconut shells or keeping separate tumblers for dalits in tea shops existed in Vattavada. Thanks to the joint efforts of local politicians and social workers, those practices were put to an end by 1990. Vattavada has a population of 270 families from the Chakkliya commmunity and the rest belong to the Mannadiyar, Maravar, Thevar and Chettiyar communities. Vattavada panchayat president Ramaraj said: "The practice of lower caste men cutting hair in separate salons has been there in Vattavada for nearly a century now. However as per the request of some Dalit youngsters, we convened a meeting with the community representatives recently to take a decision on the issue. But the barbers were adamant that they would not cut the hair of people from the Chakkliya community. The shops were closed following this," he said. To curb the discrimination, Ramaraj said the panchayat would soon open a public salon near the bus stand at Koviloor, where men from all communities can get their hair cut. Although the issue of higher-caste men staying away from public salons still remains a question, Ramaraj said people belonging to upper castes, including him, will get their hair cut at the salon so that it will become a model for others to emulate. Moreover, the panchayat has also decided to appoint a barber with progressive thinking from the barber community in Vattavada at the salon so that it will help others of his community change their mindset. "The panchayat is also undertaking various community programmes where upper castes and Dalits are encouraged to drink and eat together and sit together to study. This is a slow process and we are putting our best efforts to overcome the issue," Ramaraj said. Actor Shekhar Suman, who has been following the Sushant Singh Rajput death case closely, reacted to the arrest of Rhea Chakrabortys brother Showik Chakraborty on Friday. He took to Twitter and said it was time for the big sharks. He wrote: The first step toward success. congrats all of you.The small fish are caught.Now the time for the Big Sharks.i hope they are caught soon.The industry is cleaned up.The caucus is busted.The kingpins are arrested.Amen #ShowikChakrabortyarrested. The first step toward success. congrats all of you.The small fish are https://t.co/8e6yFDmJz5 the time for the Big Sharks.i hope they are caught soon.The industry is cleaned up.The caucus is busted.The kingpins are arrested.Amen#ShowikChakrabortyarrested Shekhar Suman (@shekharsuman7) September 4, 2020 Shekhar also spoke about how this act will lead to the film industry getting cleaned. He added that it was also the time to reopen up the death case of Sushants one time manager, Disha Salian. He wrote: On our first victory even tho it is small,i request all of you to make short videos on #SushantSingh Rajput and release it on the 14th September.Now Disha Salians case also needs to reopen.I believe there is a paedophile angle in it as well. On our first victory even tho it is small,i request all of you to make short videos on #SushantSingh Rajput and release it on the 14th https://t.co/20HwOnDXyh Disha Salian's case also needs to reopen.I believe there is a paedophile angle in it as well. Shekhar Suman (@shekharsuman7) September 4, 2020 He believed Sushant was killed and said: Thats why a lot of us feel that there were two bodies that were taken out on the 14th,and probably there were two ambulances.All of that wd come out.Sushant knew about the dark secret which he was about to divulge and thats why he was killed. Thats why a lot of us feel that there were two bodies that were taken out on the 14th,and probably there were two ambulances.All of that wd come out.Sushant knew about the dark secret which he was about to divulge and thats why he was killed. Shekhar Suman (@shekharsuman7) September 4, 2020 Shekhar has been speaking about cartels operating in Bollywood ever since Sushants death. In early July, he had tweeted about the cartel and how they were scared of power of the people. He had written: The Cartel is already scared and shitting bricks.Thats the power of ppl.From now on YOU will decide who has to stay,who has to go.Teach them a lesson once and for all.Punish d culprits.Dont let them get away this time.#downwithgangeism#justiceforsushantforum. Shekhar was among those who had called for a probe into the case by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). He had told Hindustan Times in an interview soon after Supreme Court of India ordered CBI to take over the case: I am rejoicing, no words to express our happiness, because this has been an unending, and relentless fight. Its been June 14 since I have been raising my voice (Rajputs death took place that day), I went to Bihar to meet his family, and people joined and it became a huge worldwide movement. I think this is victory of democracy, truth and hope of billions of people, and especially youngsters who were continually at it and gave me a lot of support. Together all of us were able to achieve this. After a point, this was a foregone conclusion, because when people rise to an occasion, there is no stopping, its like a Tsunami. Its a historical verdict and day. Also read: Adhyayan Suman says he saw actors doing drugs at high-profile parties, calls Kangana Ranaut a huge star who knows everything Sushant was found dead in his Mumbai home on June 14. In July, Sushants father KK Singh filed an FIR in Patna, accusing Rhea Chakraborty of abetment to suicide and siphoning off funds from his sons accounts. Enforcement Directorate and Narcotics Control Bureau are also investigating the case. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON DEAL OF THE WEEK Nobel Laureate Lands at Oprah Imprint With preempt, Bryn Clark at Flatirons An Oprah Book imprint bought Nobel laureate Denis Mukweges The Power of Women. Susanna Lea at Susanna Lea Associates brokered the world English rights agreement. The nonfiction book by the Congolese gynecological surgeon examines, Flatiron said, what humanity can learn from the stories of women who have endured sexual violence, how we can begin to prevent indifference within our communities, and the role global leadership can take in moving forward. The Power of Women is slated for a 2021 publication. FROM THE U.S. U.K. Editors Debut Snapped Up by Holt Kasim Alis debut novel, Good Intentions, was nabbed in a preempt by Holt. North American rights to the title were bought by Barbara Jones and Ruby Rose Lee on the heels of what the Macmillan imprint described as a heated auction in the U.K., where the book sold to Fourth Estate. Ali, a 25-year-old assistant editor at Penguin Random House UK, was represented by Juliet Pickering at the London-based shingle Blake Friedmann. The book follows a young British man of Pakistani descent who, Holt said, has kept his relationship with a Black woman secret from his family for far too long and is caught at a breaking point. It offers a brilliant and overdue new perspective on millennial relationships in the face of racism and immigrant obligation.Good Intentions is set for spring 2022. McKenzie Does Double at Atria Atrias Kaitlin Olson took world English rights to two new novels by You Cant Catch Me author Catherine McKenzie. The first book is titled Six Weeks to Live and follows, Atria said, a woman with a devastating cancer diagnosis who comes to believe she may have been poisoned, casting suspicion on her estranged husband, adult triplets, and even herself. The second book, Please Join Us, is about, the publisher explained, a midcareer lawyer who joins a secretive womens career development group and soon suspects its members may have more sinister intentions. The deal was brokered by Abigail Koons at Park & Fine Literary and Media. You Cant Catch Me was recently optioned by Paramount Television Studios. Atria Haunts Fawcetts Octagon House In another Atria deal, editor Loan Le preempted world rights to Jennifer Fawcetts The Octagon House. Le compared the book to fiction by Jennifer McMahon and the Netflix series The Haunting of Hill House. Its about a woman who returns to her hometown following her friends attempted suicide in a local haunted house, where, Le said, a traumatic incident shattered their lives 20 years ago. She added, Its a story about not only supernatural hauntings, but also the trauma and pain that haunt us from childhood to adulthood. Victoria Marini at Irene Goodman represented Fawcett. Booker Nominee Crosses Pond to Bbury Daniel Loedel at Bloomsbury preempted North American rights to the Booker-longlisted novel Who They Was by Gabriel Krauze. Sally Harding at CookeMcDermid brokered the sale on behalf of Jo Unwin at Jo Unwin Literary. The autobiographical novel, Bloomsbury said, is written in a unique lyrical slang and unpacks the life of a young man straddling two cultures: the university where he is studying English literature and the disregarded world of London gang warfare. Hogarth Takes Khabushanis Debut Our New Names, the debut novel by Khashayar Joshua Khabushani, was acquired at auction by Hogarths Parisa Ebrahimi. Bill Clegg at the Clegg Agency sold North American rights. The book, Hogarth said, is about the powerful bonds that make and break an Iranian American family, and the journey a son must make in order to find his place in the world. Khabushani has an MFA from Columbia. Puppy scams are a growing problem across the country as fraudsters look to take advantage of lonely animal lovers during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Better Business Bureau. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 5/9/2020 (502 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. People watch puppies in a cage at a pet store in Columbia, Md., Monday, Aug. 26, 2019. The Better Business Bureau says puppy scams are a growing problem across the country as fraudsters look to take advantage of lonely pet lovers during the COVID-19 pandemic. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Jose Luis Magana Puppy scams are a growing problem across the country as fraudsters look to take advantage of lonely animal lovers during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Better Business Bureau. Canadians have lost about $300,000 so far this year after falling prey to fake breeders, compared to about $150,000 during all of 2019, the non-profit organization warns. The bureau and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre have received 364 pet-scam complaints combined, with more than 250 of those reporting money lost and August as the worst month since the outbreak. "Theres people all over the country, from the Maritimes to B.C., that are getting scammed with this type of puppy fraud," said Jessie St-Cyr, a spokeswoman for the bureau. Red flags include low prices under $1,000 for a purebred puppy pressure to complete the purchase quickly and unsecured payment methods such as Bitcoin, gift cards or Western Union. "The last complaint I saw, from someone in Calgary who lost $2,225, the fake breeder asked the person to pay with Walmart gift cards," St-Cyr said. Another giveaway is repeated attempts to draw more money out of the buyer through "expenses." "They say, 'OK, you to need to pay $1,500 more to rent an electronic, temperature-controlled crate. Its going to be 95 per cent refundable.' And then for vaccines, for insurance. They're going to ask for more and more money." Buyers can sniff out fraudsters by asking for several references including the vaccinating veterinarian checking the creation date of the website of the breeder and transport company, and holding off on payment until having seen the dog in person or by virtual meeting. The website who.is allows users to input a web address and view the date it was registered. "A legitimate breeder, a legitimate delivery company, is going to have a website thats well-established for way longer than two weeks or even six months," St-Cyr said. Would-be dog owners can also take steps to confirm whether photos of their future family member are authentic by drag-and-dropping a picture into the Google Images search box. "If you see that its coming up on different websites, on a lot of classified ads, thats a big red flag," St-Cyr said. She said scammers often cite the coronavirus as a reason to avoid in-person meetings and are trying to exploit people who are seeking companionship amid the isolation of the pandemic. "People, because they are at home, are going to think, 'I have time to take care of a puppy. This is the best time to adopt one,'" she said. "Some people are lonely when they are confined at home. Not everybody has the chance to have family and friends around. The scammers are really taking advantage of the situation." Waterloo Regional Police said Friday a 24-year-old woman had been arrested in Cambridge, Ont., in connection with a puppy scam that saw 10 victims respond to an online ad featuring baby French bulldogs. "When the buyer requested to see the puppies in person, the seller allegedly stated that due to current COVID-19 and physical distancing restrictions, no viewings were allowed. The victims transferred the money, however never received their puppy," police said in a statement that announced several fraud-related charges. Customers searching for a purebred canine can check the Canadian Kennel Club to confirm the breeder is listed, said Marilyn Burleson. Demand for her Yorkshire terriers, which she's bred for 21 years, has surged over the past six months. "It's ridiculous," she said. "I probably get five phone calls a day, and thats not counting emails." Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Some dog seekers come to Burleson with "nightmare stories" of being defrauded of thousands of dollars. "One woman phoned me, she said shes been scammed three times," said Burleson. A complaint filed to the Better Business Bureau on Aug. 13 stated a loss of $4,519. Another from July 9 claimed $3,500. While some victims hope for a new pup to play with, others are trying to fill the void of a recently deceased best friend. "I know that people are lonely," Burleson said. "The people that I feel sorry for are...just trying to replace their companion that theyve always had." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 5, 2020. Gulf Navigation Holding (GNH), a leading maritime and shipping company based in Dubai, has approved a new board of directors under the chairmanship of Sheikh Theyab bin Tahnoon bin Mohammad Al Nahyan. Engineer Abdulla Atatreh has been named the Vice Chairman. At its meeting held recently, the General Assembly gave approval for the induction of Mohamed Alhammadi, Dr Abdulaziz Alongary and Waleed Mohammad into the board in addition to the current members - Dr. Abdul Rahman Mahmoud Al Afifi and Ahmad Kilani. Shareholders and investors count on the new board members and their extensive experience in managing both joint-stock and private companies, it stated. On the new board, Sheikh Theyab said: "These new appointments support the company's relentless efforts for a new start in the maritime sector after the peak of the impact of Covid-19, which greatly affected the global markets, is over." The board has appointed Rudrik Flikweert as the Group's Chief Financial Officer. Owing to his extensive financial and analytical expertise, his appointment is a fundamental step in forming the executive management. According to him, the UAE is one of the most important global maritime hubs, and Dubai ranks fifth among the best maritime cities worldwide. The maritime economy is a key pillar for preparing the economy of the UAE for its golden jubilee. "The UAE will continue to support the maritime industry, inject more investments and build more capabilities to develop it further," he stated. "Thats why, investing in the maritime sector is in fact reinforcing the future of the new generations in the UAE. We assume this responsibility at an exceptional time with totally different rules for doing business from what the world was used to before Covid-19," he added. Sheikh Theyab said: "This is a major challenge, but what makes us optimistic is the strategic position of the maritime sector in this new order. Seafarers and employees in the maritime sector have been the Blue Army, securing fuel, food and other necessary supplies for the medical teams or the White Army in particular and societies around the world in general." "Theres still strong demand for shipping services around the world and we are very optimistic about the promising opportunities the future holds for Gulf Navigation," he noted. Sheikh Theyab pointed out that the other aspect that makes us optimistic at Gulf Navigation is our diversified fleet of ships, which includes petrochemical tankers, livestock transport vessels and marine support vessels. "This allows us to provide our services to different markets that do not necessarily depend on one sector such as oil or gas, which often witness fluctuations, affecting the shipping sector," he noted. With our robust relationships in the market, and by building strategic partnerships with key players in the market, we will work to secure long-term contracts that ensure greater stability in cash flow and allow for the organizational and financial restructuring of the company. This will achieve the best commercial results and returns for investors. We are confident that the company will regain its position and overcome all the effects of the pandemic." Gulf Navigation Holding conducted many mandatory maintenances for its main tankers in 2018 and 2019, stated Sheikh Theyab. This allows these vessels to have contracts for long periods of time without any interruption to carry out major maintenance operations, some of which take months as ships remain in the dry docks, he added. Gulf Navigation Holding Group is the first joint-stock company in the maritime sector to be listed on the Dubai Financial Market. It owns a fleet of 8 ships including petrochemical tankers and livestock transport vessels in addition to 4 crew boats-TradeArabia News Service Nearly 23 million students nationwide celebrated the official start of the 2020-2021 school-year on September 5 morning. Due to the complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, most schools held a solemn but short ceremony with the direct attendance of only a limited number of students in line with epidemic prevention measures. Other students followed the ceremony in their classrooms. Schools in areas under social distancing held online ceremonies to ensure health and safety for students. Schools also made use of the occasion to guide students in measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. More than 260,000 students in the central city of Da Nang began a new school year with a virtual ceremony broadcast on local television as social distancing measures remain in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The programme, set up by the citys education department and television-radio station, featured preparations for the new school year as well as the wishes of teachers, schoolchildren and their parents in the new school year. In the first week of the 2020-2021 academic year, students in Da Nang will attend online classes while those who are unable to attend via electronic means will receive physical learning materials from their teachers. Schools in the city are also making plans to clean and disinfect classrooms when students go back to school. Due to the coronavirus, the Da Nang government has decided to waive tuition fees for students from nursery to high school level in the first term of the 2020-2021 academic year. In the meantime new school year opening ceremonies took place as usual at other localities across the country but on a slimmed-down scale. In Hanoi, Party Secretary Vuong Dinh Hue attended the ceremony at Giang Vo Secondary School where he presented the school with a painting depicting Uncle Ho helping a pupil wrap a red scarf. Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh beat the drum to mark the new school year at Le Quy Don High School in Ho Chi Minh City while Minister of Education and Training Phung Xuan Nha visited local schools in Dan Phuong District on the outskirts of Hanoi. According to projects of the Ministry of Education and Training, in the 2020-2021 schooyear, there will be more than 5.38 million children attending kindergartens, 8.7 million students at elementary schools, over 6 million at lower junior high schools and over 2.8 million at senior high schools in the country. Party leader encourages teachers and students ahead of new academic year Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong has praised the nation's efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic while sustaining teaching and studying in schools nationwide. He noted that the pandemic situation might be complex in this academic year so schools needed to do both tasks effectively and safely. In a letter sent to teachers and students nationwide on Friday ahead of the beginning of the new school year (September 5), Trong mentioned the semester of the previous school year when students were forced to study at home due to the closure of schools earlier in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That was the time when the education sector had to make efforts to implement measures to complete the school year and hold the high school graduation exam. In the 2020-2021 school year, Trong asked the education sector to thoroughly implement the Party and State's guidelines and policies on education and training. The sector needed to focus on gathering resources to improve the quality of education, especially the training of high-quality human resources to meet the requirements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. He sent his best wishes to teachers and students, and expressed his hope that educators, teachers and students would have enthusiasm and creativity in teaching and studying. Let's take a look at the opening ceremony of new school-year at schools throughout the country: Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Vuong Dinh Hue beats the drum to open the new school year at Giang Vo Secondary School, Hanoi. Photo: Le Anh Dung Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh opens the new school year at Le Quy Don High School in HCMC. Photo: Truong Thanh Tung Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung attends the opening ceremony at Vinh Phuc High School for the Gifted, Vinh Phuc Province The Minister of Education and Training beats the drum to open the new school year at Dan Phuong Primary School, Hanoi. Photo: Education & Times Newspaper Body temperature check for students before the opening ceremony at Archimedes Secondary School, Hanoi. Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the opening ceremony of the 2020-2021 school year at Nguyen Sieu School, Hanoi is held directly and online. At Tran Phu High School in Hanoi, only 50% of students gathered at the school yard to attend the opening ceremony directly, the rest stayed in the classroom and watched the ceremony through the screen. browser not support iframe. First-grade students attend the opening ceremony at Khuong Thuong Primary School, Hanoi. Photo: Thuy Nga First-grade students at the opening ceremony of Trung Trac Primary School (Hanoi). Photo: Mai Huong Students perform hand antiseptic movements at the opening ceremony of Giang Vo Secondary School, Hanoi. Students of Giang Vo Secondary School, Hanoi salute the flag at the opening ceremony A first-grade student at Khuong Thuong Primary School, Hanoi. Photo: Thuy Nga Students waiting for the opening ceremony at Le Quy Don High School (District 3, HCMC). Photo: Thanh Tung Flag saluting ceremony at Tran Quang Khai Primary School, HCM City A school in Da Nang, the country's Covid-19 epicenter, on the school opening day. Students and teachers of Nam Nhu Primary School, Dien Bien after the 17-August flashflood. At Bac Ly 2 Primary School, Nghe An province Students of No Trang Long Ethnic Minority School (Buon Ma Thuot City, Dak Lak) attend the opening ceremony Students of a primary school in the northern port city of Hai Phong. Nearly 250 students attend the opening ceremony at Ha Tinh Boarding Secondary School Photo: Thien Luong PV China, Iran and Russia are the three countries that are seeking to undermine US elections, US National Security Adviser (NSA) Robert OBrien has alleged noting that some of them prefer Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden as the next White House occupant. When it comes to elections and what the intelligence community has made very clear is that first you have China, which has most massive programme to influence the United States politically. You have Iran and you have Russia. These are all three adversary countries that are seeking to disrupt our elections, OBrien told reporters at the White House. US presidential elections is scheduled to take place on November 3. President Donald Trump from the Republican party is seeking his second four-year term. He is being challenged by former vice president Joe Biden from the Democratic party. Biden (77), leads the national polls but Trump has been catching up fast in the last two weeks. Some of them prefer Biden. Some people say some of them prefer the president. My position is it doesn't matter what these countries want, than any country that attempts to interfere with free and fair elections in the United States has to be stopped, OBrien said in response to a question. We've taken unprecedented action. The president has taken unprecedented--precedented action in funding the hardening of our elections infrastructure, whether it's cyber or otherwise, he said. Noting that there are tremendous concerns about mail-in ballots, he said that on the news every night, there seems to be another picture of some apartment building in some city with thousands of ballots stacked up in its foyer and that sort of thing. So, I think there are concerns about mail-in ballots. I think those concerns are very different than being concerned about foreign adversaries trying to influence our elections. And we've made a red line, he said. We have made it very clear to the Chinese, to the Russians, the Iranians and others that haven't been publicly disclosed that anyone who tries to attempt to or anyone that attempts to interfere with American elections will face extraordinary consequences, OBrien said. Responding to another question, the NSA said that American technology companies have been doing a good job in this regard. Some of our tech companies are doing a good job... whether it's Facebook or Twitter or others, they're trying to police things in a way they didn't before, he said. Our intelligence community is doing a good job in trying to track these things. Department of Homeland Security, with increased funding from this administration, is doing a good job in hardening our infrastructure to make sure that whether it's the cyber infrastructure or physical infrastructure, we are not susceptible to having the choice that the American people make on election day changed by some foreign party, he said. There's always going to be propaganda, he noted. There's always going to be efforts to influence us. And again, we know that the Chinese have taken the most active role. But the Russians and the Iranians and other countries are involved and as well. So, we're going to keep monitoring it and we're going to do everything we can to protect the sanctity of our election. That's the foundation of our democracy. That's what makes us America, and we're just not going to tolerate these other countries trying to get involved in our elections, OBrien said. September 05 : While the country is celebrating Teachers Day today, Bollywood celebs took to social media to pay respect to their teachers. From Ajay Devgn to Kangana Ranaut and Shilpa Shetty, the actors shared pictures and showed their gratitude to their teachers who taught them life lessons. Taking to Twitter, Ajay Devgn shared a photo of himself in front of a film camera as he wrote, On Teachers Day, I salute the Camera. Ive realised that every time Im behind it, Ive learnt something new. Its an ongoing process. #HappyTeachersDay2020. On Teachers Day, I salute the Camera. Ive realised that every time Im behind it, Ive learnt something new. Its an ongoing process #HappyTeachersDay2020 pic.twitter.com/msfox6qzG1 Ajay Devgn (@ajaydevgn) September 5, 2020 Kangana shared a throwback picture from her class one annual day celebration, where she is seen with her teachers. The actress expressed her gratitude for her teachers, and wrote, This picture is from annual day in class 1st I think, we performed pahadi Natti and got gifts from our teachers, so many great teachers have added to my life directly or indirectly, my heartfelt gratitude to everyone. This picture is from annual day in class 1st I think, we performed pahadi Natti and got gifts from our teachers, so many great teachers have added to my life directly or indirectly, my heartfelt gratitude to everyone #HappyTeachersDay2020 pic.twitter.com/bpeVJeaSwW Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) September 5, 2020 Shilpa shared a photo of her favourite Physics teacher, Radha Miss, and wrote, How does one thank a person who has helped shape their life? Words truly can never do justice to express gratitude for the role teachers play in our lives...Radha Miss always had this joie de vivre, positive energy and a huge smile when she entered the class...Maybe, I learnt to smile like that from her... Meanwhile, it is reported, that Sushant Singh Rajputs teachers of St Karens High School, who have not yet come to terms with his death, miss their beloved shy and smart student on the eve of Teacher's Day. They remember the late actor as a submissive and obedient student. A Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper who was fired for allegedly ripping the face mask off a man filming a traffic stop has now been arrested and charged with assault. Harvey Briggs, 52, was arrested and charged with assault Thursday at about 9pm. He was released on a $1,000 bond at about 11.30pm that night, WKRN reported. Briggs' arrest comes nearly a month after he was caught on camera getting right up into the face of a protester and supposedly yanking off his face mask near the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville, Tennessee. Warning: Graphic language Posted by Andrew Golden on Monday, 10 August 2020 Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper Harvey Briggs, 52 (right), was arrested Thursday night and charged with assault after allegedly ripping the face mask off protester Andrew Golden (left) The incident occurred August 10, when Golden was filming a traffic stop while on the sidewalk Briggs, who was standing across the street, shouted at Golden not to impede the officers The August 10 incident began when protester Andrew Golden started filming police as they pulled over a protester in a car. As Golden films the incident, Briggs - a 22-year veteran of the Tennessee Highway Patrol - can be heard shouting at him, from across the street, to move away and not to interfere with the traffic stop. Posted by Andrew Golden on Monday, August 10, 2020 Golden swears while pointing out that he's on the sidewalk and not getting close to the police officers, prompting Briggs to march over to him. The two then begin arguing, with Briggs noting that he doesn't appreciate Golden's colorful language, while Golden asks why Briggs has his hand on his gun handle. After Golden swore while saying he was isn't impeding the officers, Briggs marched up to him During the heated confrontation, Golden claimed that Briggs - who wasn't wearing a face mask - ripped off the one that he was wearing and threw it on the ground (pictured) Briggs was a 22-year veteran of the Tennessee Highway Patrol. He was fired on August 14 and is currently appealing the decision During the argument, Briggs gets close enough to Golden that they are nearly nose-to-nose - despite Briggs not wearing a face mask. Although the precise moment isn't shown on camera, Golden suddenly exclaims that Briggs ripped off his face mask and shows it lying nearby a tree trunk. Briggs, meanwhile, can be seen marching back to his post across the street. As he walks away, he tells Golden not to impede the traffic stop officers. When Golden asks the other officers if they're 'going to do something' about what happened, Briggs denies removing the mask and says he's 'tired of you people making stuff up.' Golden, in his Facebook post about the incident, wrote that he was 'met with a blank stare' from the other officers. Golden also noted that Briggs is 'A notorious figure at the Capitol protest,' but didn't elaborate on why that was the case. Briggs was fired four days later, on August 14, for 'unprofessional conduct.' He appealed his termination, but no decision has been made about his termination, a THP spokesperson told WKRN. Briggs' arrest warrant claimed that while removing Golden's mask and throwing it, Briggs touched Golden's face. Golden was described as having participated in a 'peaceful demonstration' near the state capitol building. The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security said in an internal investigation that Briggs had violated department policy, resulting in his being fired by the THP, the Tennessean reported. A California couple has been left stunned after finding their wedding rings amid the smoldering remains of their home, which was torched by wildfires. Last Wednesday, Jason and Chloe Caroll were forced to flee their property in Vacaville, northeast of San Francisco, as the LNU Lightning Complex fire tore toward them. 'It looked like a tornado of flames,' Chloe stated in an interview with KCRA on Saturday. California couple Jason and Chloe Carroll left stunned after finding their wedding rings amid the smoldering remains of their home, which was torched by wildfires 'I have just never seen something move so fast The flames were taller than trees.' The couple were able to safely evacuate with their two sons, but left some of their most prized possessions - including the wedding rings - back at the house. Jason and Chloe decided to drive back to the property, only to discover it was already going up in flames. 'I just watched it all burning down,' an emotional Chloe stated, adding that the home had been in her family for more than 35 years. 'I just thought of everything. My kids' ultrasound photos. My kids' footprints from their birth,' she continued. The Carrolls returned 48 hours later to find their home reduced to a pile of smoking rubble and almost all of their belongings turned to ash One of Chloe's aunts discovered the couple's wedding rings completely intact The LNU Lightning Complex fires have scorched more than 352,913 acres of land in Northern California. The blaze is pictured near the Caroll's home in Vacaville on Wednesday The Carrolls returned 48 hours later to find their home reduced to a pile of smoking rubble and almost all of their belongings turned to ash. However, determined family members started searching through the char to try and salvage something sentimental. After half an hour, one of Chloe's aunts discovered the couple's wedding rings completely intact. 'I just started screaming, 'We found it! We found it! I told you we would find it!,' the aunt, Denise Pennington, said. Jason says he was stunned by the find. 'It gives you a little hope': Chloe was left overwhelmed after finding her wedding ring An emotional Chloe is seen holding her young sons as they survey the site where their home once stood 'I did not believe anything would be found, and I thought if it was found, it'd be melted to nothing,' he told KCRA. Chloe says the rings will help her as she faces a long and painful rebuilding process. 'I got something that I thought was completely gone,' she stated. 'It gives you a little bit of "we can do this". It gives you a little hope.' The LNU Lightning Complex fires have scorched more than 352,913 acres of land in Northern California. The wildfire has been burning for close to three weeks and has destroyed at least 1,449 structures. Five people have died, and four more have been seriously injured. The LNU Lightning Complex fire has destroyed at least 1,400 structures Army of the Dead, directed by Zack Snyder from a screenplay he penned with Shay Hatten, is about a group of mercenaries plotting a heist on a Las Vegas casino during a zombie outbreak Filmmaker Zack Snyder's Army of the Dead is yet to hit Netflix but the streamer has already started working on a prequel film and a spin-off anime series. The upcoming zombie heist movie, directed by Snyder from a screenplay he penned with Shay Hatten, is about a group of mercenaries plot a heist on a Las Vegas casino during a zombie outbreak. Led by Dave Bautista, the film will also feature Ella Purnell, Ana de la Reguera, Garret Dillahunt, Huma Qureshi, Raul Castillo, Omari Hardwick, Hiryouki Sanada, and Tig Notaro. "Im incredibly excited for the opportunity to partner with Netflix again as we expand the Army of the Dead universe with both an international prequel, as well as exploring the visually dynamic world of animation. Its been a great collaboration and we are thrilled that Netflix sees this as big of an IP as we do," Snyder said in a statement from Netflix. Hatten will write the prequel as well as the anime series. The prequel will be directed by Matthias Schweighofer, who also stars in Army of the Dead in a pivotal role. It will be produced by Snyder and Wesley Coller's The Stone Quarry production along with Schweighofer and Dan Maag. "It has already been a great pleasure to be part of this wonderful ensemble around Zack Synder - a fascinating project. I am happy that it is now being developed on so many different levels," Schweighofer said. The anime series, titled Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas, will chronicle the origin story of Bautistas character and his rescue crew during the initial fall of Vegas as they confront the mysterious source of the zombie outbreak. Snyder will direct two episodes of the series, which will be showrun by Jay Oliva. Bautista, De la Reguera, Notaro, Hardwick, and Purnell will be reprising their characters for the show. Army of the Dead will release on Netflix in 2021. Dariusz Urban, 49 (pictured), was caught with 25kg of heroin with a six-figure street value A lorry driver has been jailed for 12 years after police found 1.25 million worth of heroin stashed inside a crisps delivery. Dariusz Urban, 49, was intercepted as he drove a lorry into Harwich International Port, Essex. Border Force officers found 25kg of heroin with the six-figure street value hidden in a cover load of crisps. Urban, of Ostrzeszow, western Poland, admitted attempting to import Class A drugs and was sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court on Thursday. When searching the lorry, the officers discovered 50 packets of drugs hidden inside two ramps in the vehicle. The lorry had arrived into Harwich having travelled from Poland, via the Netherlands. His arrest came after a military-grade encrypted communication system used by organised criminals was hacked by law enforcement. EncroChat was an encrypted platform where users could speak privately between specially-designed handsets, thought to be used exclusively for criminal purposes. There were thought to be 60,000 EncroChat users internationally, including 10,000 in the UK, with prices at 1,500 for a six-month contract. Because of the information found through the hack, the National Crime Agency (NCA) was able to tip off Border Force. When searching the lorry, the officers discovered 50 packets of drugs hidden inside two ramps in the vehicle (pictured) They were waiting for Urban at the Essex port on April 15 this year. He was found with an EncroChat phone and was one of hundreds of arrests made as part of a UK-wide probe known as Operation Venetic. After the NCA publicised the arrest, an international drug supplier shared a screenshot of the story on EncroChat, asking the suspected UK recipient of the drugs: 'This you?' Urban was intercepted as he drove a lorry into Harwich International Port, Essex (pictured), after a encrypted communication system used by organised criminals was hacked by law enforcement The supplier has since been arrested by Dutch authorities in the Netherlands. NCA deputy director Matt Horne, who is the gold commander on Operation Venetic, said: 'Dariusz Urban's sentencing is another example of the impact the NCA, Border Force and UK policing are having on serious organised crime. 'Like many other cases, with this operation we were able to plot how the drugs would be picked up and moved and when would be best to strike. 'There is much more to come.' Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment When I was a kid, I loved summer and dreaded the fall, returning to school with playtime over. But this year I am glad to see summer is over. Phew. There are some parts of this country that I dont even recognize anymore that changed this summer. Portland, Seattle, Minneapolis, Kenosha, New York City. The Marxists in the streets have turned some parts of America into the wild, wild West. There are reported to be at least 30 dead in violence 14 of them cops. Sean Hannity said (8/28/20) that 3,000 policemen have been injured in the recent riots. Early in the summer, a group of Marxists seized a few city blocks of Seattle and turned it into a supposedly different country than America, which they called CHAZ Capitol Hill Autonomy Zone, then later CHOP (Capitol Hill Occupied Protest). The mayor of Seattle (at first) called it the Summer of Love. No police were allowed. But then the murders started, and soon the feds had to shut the whole thing down. While it lasted, CHAZ/CHOP may well have been the murder capital (that is, per capita) of the whole country. On more recent events, former Reagan administration advisor Gary Bauer wrote, There is no connection between a man being shot by police and burning down a furniture store or car dealership, ruining the lives of others.Whatever happened in Minneapolis regarding George Floyd's death three months ago bears no conceivable connection to 90 days of rioting in Portland, radicals chanting, Death to America, and burning Bibles and American flags in the streets (End of the Day Report, 8/27/20). And he adds, Feckless politicians + apologists for anarchists = horror coming to your community soon. Billions of dollars in damage has been done to businesses, including many small businesses. Many of these stores have closed their doors for good. At present, it is difficult for people to get enough moving trucks in New York City to get out of there fast enough. On his popular Fox News program, Tucker Carlson noted (8/27/20): Our cities are burning because people in charge have allowed them to burn. The scary thing is the notion that this could all be prelude for something bigger. American Communist Angela Davis, who spent time in jail for violent revolutionary activities, once said, Demonstrations are rehearsals for revolution. Much of the battle is over the police. The cities with the worst crime are the liberal cities that want to handcuff the police. For example, Virginia has passed a bill that lessens the officer assault charge. If the officer isnt injured, its only a misdemeanor, per The Daily Wire (8/28/20). Lost in all the mayhem is the Gallup Poll that found that 81 percent of African-Americans do not favor defunding the police. Some people like to compare todays revolutionary movement of anarchy to the American Revolution, more properly called The War for Independence. But I dont agree. Americas founders were very concerned about the rule of law. For example, in the Declaratory Act (1766), the British Parliament had asserted that their taxing authority extended to America without American input. But this vexed the Americans, who as British citizens expected to enjoy their God-given liberties although on a different continent. In response to this and similar acts, John Adams a man who defended British soldiers in the Boston Massacre, on principle said this: I would ask by what law the Parliament has authority over America? By the law in the Old and New Testament it has none; by the law of nature and nations it has none; by the common law of England it has none; by statute law it has none; the Declaratory Act of 1766 was made without our consent by a Parliament which had no authority beyond the four seas. Adams went on to say, The two characteristics of this people, religion and humanity, are strongly marked in all their proceedings. We are not exciting a rebellion. Resistance by arms against usurpation and lawless violence is not rebellion by the law of God or the land. Resistance to lawful authority makes rebellion. If the rule of law goes down in a nation, what is left? The so-called summer of love has brought nothing but looting, violence, destruction, and even death. What America needs more than anything is Jesus, is genuine revival, which begins with genuine repentance. May we truly see Christian love in our country where the command to love our neighbor as ourselves is widely put into practice. We need to pray for America, lest the riots in the streets become the new normal. We should not forget this warning from Scripture: Do not be deceived. God is not mocked. Whatever you sow, that shall you reap. That applies to nations, as well as to individuals. A 50-year-old man found dead in Northeast Portland earlier this week was killed, but its unclear how or why, police said Friday. The man has been identified by the Oregon State Medical Examiners Office as Gus Dino Komas. Portland police responded to a call around 4:30 a.m. Tuesday at the intersection of Ivy Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard about someone, reported to be possibly hit by a vehicle and lying in the street. Komas died at the hospital hours later. Investigators believe Komas was injured by someone, but its unclear if he was hit by a car or assaulted in some other way. Portland police asked anyone with information about what happened to Komas to contact their non-emergency line, 503-823-3333. -- K. Rambo krambo@oregonian.com @k_rambo_ By Chris Yelland, EE Business intelligence, and Mariam Isa, independent financial journalist Eskoms unexpected escalation of load-shedding this week has confirmed that South Africas post-COVID-19 economic recovery will be throttled by energy constraints, and that unless swift action is taken to support private electricity generation, crippling power cuts will continue for years. In the meantime, a big shake-up is taking place at Eskom Generation, with the former CEO of the Eskom Generation Division shifted out of the way. The power station managers at Tutuka and Kendall power stations were also summarily dismissed yesterday pending disciplinary inquiries, and further interventions at Kriel and Duvha power stations are underway. Lockdowns imposed in SA and elsewhere to curb the spread of COVID-19 tipped the domestic economy into its worst recession in nine decades, and business, industry and government have scrambled to get back up and running as restrictions were eased. But with the pickup in demand for electricity, Eskoms ageing infrastructure immediately took strain and multiple breakdowns forced the utility to resume load shedding in July to protect the national grid. By the end of the month, the number of power reductions for the year had already exceeded the levels seen in 2019, which was the worst year on record. Eskom insists that its new programme of stepped-up maintenance, which aims to address decades of neglect and mismanagement, will end load-shedding within 18 months. But it is increasingly clear that this target will not be met, given the scale of problems at its poorly performing coal-fired power stations. The solution is for government to take bold policy initiatives enabling all of Eskoms customers industries, municipalities, businesses, farms and households to rapidly bring on new generation capacity with reliable, low cost and environmentally friendly wind and solar PV installations, together with battery storage. Self-generation in the private sector has already begun, with an estimated 1,1 GW (1100 MW) of capacity installed the equivalent of one full stage of load shedding. But policy paralysis and cumbersome, time-consuming regulations are still hobbling a process which could address the widening gap between supply and demand of electricity in the economy within just six to 18 months. Too little, and maybe too late In the midst of the crisis which South Africa now faces, the steps which government has taken to enable self-generation are too little, and may quickly become too late. By 2030 several of Eskoms old coal-fired plants are due to be decommissioned, taking about a quarter of its existing capacity offline, and there is nothing in the pipeline to replace them. South Africa has reached a stage where the country simply doesnt have enough generating capacity which is reliable and which is going to enable the economy not only to recover from COVID-19, but to make any sort of progress over the next ten years, says Roger Baxter, CEO of the Minerals Council of South Africa. As a country we must understand that we have gotten to a point where the government has run out of options and that they have no choice but to bring in private sector participation. Without a reliable electricity grid, without diversified supply and real competition on the generation side of the business, South Africa cant grow its economy at all. Itll be gridlock. South Africas economy grew at an average rate of 4,5% between 2001 and 2008, but in the past decade, growth has averaged 1,5%, shrinking to less than 1% in the past three years. Baxter says that electricity constraints were a big factor, and that the mining sector alone could generate 2,3 GW (2300 MW) of its own power to help alleviate the pressure on Eskom. The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) predicted in August that load shedding would carry on for two to three years in the absence of enabling regulations to allow and even incentivize customer response at scale with self-supply options to supplement Eskoms existing grid capacity. Its a burning platform that we are on we need to be moving faster, we need to be doing more, CSIR chief engineer Jarred Wright said during a presentation of research on the crisis. An urgent response is needed to both ensure short-term adequacy and to get South Africa on the path to long-term adequacy. Scaling up self-generation, which could be installed as early as this year, would be the first step, he said. The second was completing the Emergency Power Procurement Programme which the government committed to in December 2019, seeking to add between 2000 and 3000 MW to the countrys electricity grid by enlisting the help of the private sector. But progress has been slow, with the Department of Minerals and Energy (DMREs) only extending requests for project proposals in August nine months later. The timeline to completion is mid-2022, but given the governments bureaucratic and sluggish approach to procurement, it may take a year longer. The third step identified by the CSIR is the implementation of the DMREs latest Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), a long-term strategy for the countrys future energy mix which was released last October eight years behind schedule. Energy availability factor Evidence that Eskoms infrastructure cannot cope is the steady decline in its EAF (energy availability factor) which is the percentage of maximum energy generation that a plant is capable of supplying to an electrical grid over a given period. It fell from more than 90% two decades ago to about 67% in 2019, and has hovered at an average of 66,1% percent so far this calendar year. The IRP 2019 and the Eskom recovery plan targets an EAF of 78% by the end of 2020, but this is looking hopelessly unrealistic. Eskoms maintenance drive is vital for the stability of supply in the near term, but the utility cannot resurrect its aged infrastructure, and the best which can be hoped for is stabilisation of the EAF at its current, low levels. Eskom acknowledges that its outdated vertically integrated electricity supply model is at odds with the global shift towards disaggregated networks, microgrids, distributed generation, smart grids, and embedded generation in the private sector. Last year, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced plans to separate the utility into generation, transmission and distribution units, but the utility has since indicated that significant headway is difficult before its mammoth and steadily increasing debt burden of R488-billion has been restructured. Ironically, a similar plan was drawn up 22 years ago. Eskom has to borrow to service its debt, and if it were not for the latest government bailout of R49-billion, it would not have been able to meet its repayments of capital and interest in the last financial year. In a report presented to parliament last week, Eskom said that as its debt had climbed tenfold in the past decade, while tariffs had only increased five-fold, and thus its electricity prices were still too low and not cost-reflective. Baxter believes it is unfair for Eskom to insist that tariffs must reflect the cost of its borrowing because much of the debt stems from corruption and mismanagement, particularly related to the construction of Medupi and Kusile two new power plants which are now more than six years behind schedule and five times more expensive than originally planned. Pricing is a big issue. Competitive pricing and pricing predictability are as important as electricity availability, Baxter says. By ANI MUMBAI: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) will produce Rhea Chakraborty's brother Showik Chakraborty and her associate Samuel Miranda, who were arrested yesterday under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in a case related to Sushant Singh Rajput death's death, before a court. "We have arrested two persons, we will be producing them in the court," Sameer Wankhede, Joint Director, NCB said. NCB deputy director KPS Malhotra on Friday said that Showik Chakraborty and Miranda have been arrested under sections 20 B, 27 A, 28, and 29 of the NDPS Act. Showik Chakraborty, Samuel Miranda, Zaid Vilatra and Kaizen Ibrahim have been brought to Sion Hospital in Mumbai for the COVID-19 test, Malhotra said. Vilatra, an alleged drug peddler was arrested after NCB uncovered his linkages with Abbas Lakhani, who was apprehended after a raid in which bud (curated marijuana) was seized from him. In the Esplanade Court on September 3, the NCB argued that Vilatra was arrested in connection with the actor's death. While arguing the remand application of Vilatra on Thursday, the Special Public Prosecutor for the NCB told the Magistrate that the drug case is connected to Rajuput's death case. Meanwhile, Zaid Vilatra and Abdul Basit Parihar, who were held in the same case have applied for bail in Mumbai Sessions Court. Vilatra was sent to the NCB custody till September 9. Their lawyer Tarak Sayyad also reached the NCB office to serve them notice for the same. Parihar was arrested based on the statement of Vilatra. Later, Ibrahim was nabbed after Parihar's statement. According to the NCB, Vilatra disclosed that he has been into drug peddling especially bud (curated marijuana), through which he used to earn a substantial amount of money. The NCB launched an investigation after it received official communication from Enforcement Directorate (ED), in which there were various chats related to drug consumption, procurement, usage and transportation in connection with the Sushant Singh Rajput case. The agency had said that linkages of Parihar with the earlier registered i.e., based on the preliminary enquiry on the details submitted by ED, were found. The ED had on July 31 registered an Enforcement Case Information Report in the late actor's death case after a First Information Report (FIR) was filed by Rajput's father KK Singh against Rhea Chakraborty in Bihar on July 28. Rajput was found dead at his Mumbai residence on June 14. He's been back to work on Mission Impossible 7 after filming was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And Tom Cruise wasn't taking any chances as he prepared to film another heart-stopping scene, as he donned a face mask to practice his latest fight on Saturday. The Hollywood star, 58, was dressed in all-black as he rehearsed his latest scuffle with a stuntman atop train in Norway, after production for the blockbuster was relocated from the UK following a five-month break. Head-to-head: Tom Cruise, 58, wasn't taking any chances as he prepared to film another heart-stopping scene, as he donned a face mask to practice his latest fight on Saturday Dressed in a black jumper and beanie hat, Tom sported a matching filtered face mask as he rehearsed the fight. The star - who will reprise his role as Ethan Hunt in the spy film series - was attached to a harness for the scuffle on the roof of a train, and briefly chatted to crew members as he prepared to film the scene. The scenes were filmed in the heart of the Norwegian countryside with a vintage-style train recreated as the setting, surrounded by plenty of scaffolding. Back to work: The Hollywood star was dressed in all-black as he rehearsed his latest scuffle with a stuntman aboard a train in Norway Busy: Dressed in a black jumper and beanie hat, Tom sported a matching filtered face mask as he prepared to rehearse the fight Committed: The star - who will reprise his role as Ethan Hunt in the spy film series - was attached to a harness for the scuffle on the roof of a train Daring: Tom has long been known for performing all of his own stunts in the Mission Impossible series, but has hinted he'll give up the feat when he turns 60 Never shy to take on a challenging stunt, the scene also saw Tom running towards a helicopter as it took off into the sky. After production for Mission Impossible 7 was moved to Norway, it was reported that Tom hired a 500,000 ship for the film's crew to avoid any coronavirus-related delays. Filming was already delayed for five months after COVID-19 spread across Italy, where production had been based in March, leading the release date to be pushed back to November 2021. Focused: Tom was also seen chatting to the mask-clad crew members as they practised the dramatic scenes Thrilling: Never shy to take on a challenging stunt, the scene also saw Tom running towards a helicopter as it took off into the sky Sheilding: After production for Mission Impossible 7 was moved to Norway, it was reported that Tom hired a 500,000 ship for the film's crew to avoid any coronavirus-related delays Sources claimed the screen star rented the Hurtigruten watercraft for filming as he is 'determined' to avoid further set-backs on the franchise. 'They are terrified of further delays. Tom is determined not to see any more hold-ups. The studio believes it will keep everyone safe and get this shoot wrapped up', a source told The Sun. It was recently claimed that Tom was 'exempt from Norway's quarantine rules' as he restart filming in the Scandinavian country. The media personality revealed how 'excited' he was to start shooting the latest instalment of the franchise in a phone call with Norways Minister of Culture Abid Raja. Chaos: Filming was already delayed for five months after COVID-19 spread across Italy, where production had been based in March Departing: Of course the scene appeared to a feature a helicopter, a fixture in the Mission Impossible series On the move: The scenes were filmed in the heart of the Norwegian countryside with a vintage-style train recreated as the setting Safe: It was recently claimed that Tom was 'exempt from Norway's quarantine rules' as he restart filming in the Scandinavian country Speaking about his return, he said: 'Its a gorgeous country, I cant wait to get back there. Im very excited, as is the whole crew, about coming back.' During the call, the minister told how Norway is 'looking forward to having [Tom] back' and insisted how the Hollywood star and crew are allowed to shoot in the country without having to quarantine at home first, Norwegian publication VG reported. However, cast and crew had to pass two tests for coronavirus within 48 hours of landing in Norway and a series of daily rigorous health checks were in place. Abid added that the film production team wouldn't not have contact with anyone that is not part of the set. The films focus on agent Ethan and will be directed by Christopher McQuarrie, who previously worked on 2015's Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation and Mission: Impossible Fallout in 2018. Mission Impossible 7 will be released on November 19, 2021. Health checks: However, cast and crew had to pass two tests for coronavirus within 48 hours of landing in Norway and a series of daily rigorous health checks were in place NEW DELHI : The Indian and Russian navies on Saturday carried out a range of complex maritime operations as part of a mega military exercise in the Bay of Bengal to further enhance their operational convergence, officials said. The exercise comes at a time India is significantly expanding deployment of its warships in the Indian Ocean region in the wake of the festering border row with China in eastern Ladakh. The Indian Ocean, considered the backyard of the Indian Navy, is critical to the country's strategic interests. The officials said a wide spectrum of drills including surface and anti-aircraft drills, helicopter operations, maneuvers and cross-deck flying was carried out for the second consecutive day as part of the 11th edition of the biennial Indo-Russian exercise Indra Navy. "The exercise epitomises the long-term strategic relationship between the two navies," Indian Navy Spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal said. The assets deployed in the exercise by the Russian Navy include destroyer Admiral Vinogradov, destroyer Admiral Tributs and fleet tanker Boris Butoma of the Pacific Fleet which are normally based at Vladivostok. The Indian Navy is represented by guided missile destroyer Ranvijay and fleet tanker Shakti, along with their integral helicopters. In July, the Indian Navy carried out a military exercise with a US Navy carrier strike group led by nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz off the coast of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The USS Nimitz is the world's largest warship. In the exercise with the US Navy, four frontline warships of the Indian Navy participated. The US carrier strike group was transiting through the Indian Ocean Region on its way from the South China Sea. The US Navy carrier strike group comprises USS Nimitz, Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Princeton and Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers USS Sterett and USS Ralph Johnson. The Indian Navy carried out a similar exercises with the Japanese navy in June. The Indian Navy has significantly expanded its deployment in the Indian Ocean region, deploying a plethora of warships and submarines following the border row to send across a message to Beijing. The maritime space around the Malacca Strait is very critical for China's supply chain through sea routes. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics Some of former tycoon Sean Quinn's adult children have informed the liquidators of IBRC they have no claim to a stake in the current Quinn Industrial Holdings (QIH), the Irish Independent has learned. That puts them at odds with the position set out in a legal letter sent to QIH threatening legal action if the stake was not transferred to them. The letter, first reported in the Sunday Independent, was sent to QIH on July 24 by solicitors on behalf of Sean Quinn's five adult children: Sean Jr, Brenda, Aoife, Colette and Ciara. Sources have confirmed that IBRC wrote to the five Quinn children seeking clarification after learning that the claim to own the stake had been made. It is understood that IBRC believes owning the stake would put the Quinns in breach of a legal settlement they reached last year with the liquidators of the bank to end a series of related legal cases. Under the terms of the agreement, the Quinn children committed to give "full disclosure" in relation to assets allegedly previously put beyond the reach of IBRC. That would include the claimed ownership of part of QIH, sources said. Under the deal with the bank, the Quinns also consented to judgments against them for 88m each but the bank agreed that execution and registration of the judgments would be stayed on condition they help return assets to IBRC. It is understood the bank believes the Quinns' claimed ownership of a valuable stake in QIH, if correct, should have been part of the settlement but was not disclosed to the bank. The Irish Independent understands that solicitors for IBRC wrote to the five Quinn siblings seeking clarification of their QIH claim. The letters sent by IBRC do not accuse the family of breaching the 2019 settlement, it is understood. But the bank believes they would be in breach if the claim to a QIH stake proved correct. The Irish Independent has learned that some of the Quinn children have replied to the bank, saying they do not own the asset. The earlier letter to the directors of QIH claimed the stake was owned based on the family's association with the consortium of business people and former Quinn Group executive who bought the business in 2014 with backing from US investors. Part of that consortium is called Quinn Business Retention Company (QBRC), a vehicle created by a group of local business people to support the acquisition of the group. The letter sent to QIH says the family is entitled to its stake in the business because QBRC was "formed and run entirely for the benefit of the Quinn family" and to recover control over former Quinn company businesses. The consortium hired Sean Quinn Snr as a consultant after the 2014 sale but the relationship proved short-lived and the QIH owners have insisted his family was never part of the ownership. The Quinn family did not respond to a request for comment. IBRC declined to comment, as did QIH. By William Schwartz | Published on 2020/09/04 On September 4th SEM Company released a statement saying that Hwang Jung-min, an actor who they represent, had returned to South Korea on September 2nd having completed Jordanian location shooting for "The Point Men". SEM Company also stated that Hwang Jung-min was currently being tested for COVID-19, as is standard. It is suspected that Hyun Bin has also returned and is also being tested for COVID-19, though his agency has released no statement as to this effect. Advertisement Hwang Jung-min went to Jordan on July 13th for location shooting in sweltering 46 degree weather. The unfortunate filming conditions were prompted by the COVID-19 epidemic forcing location shooting back several months, as opposed to March when the weather would have been more tolerable. Hyun Bin, Kang Ki-young, and Jeon Sung-woo were among the cast members also confirmed to have gone to Jordan in July. Director Yim Soon-rye is in charge of "The Point Men", the first major project from a director known for more low key films such as "Whistle Blower" and "Little Forest". "The Point Men" has been seen as a big hope for the proof of the South Korean film industry's recovery, and the relevant producers have been hoping it will be finished in time to premiere at the Busan International Film Festival in October. As of yet, "The Point Men" does not have a proper release date or even a release window. Written by William Schwartz Retail deals will abound at stores around Cowlitz County next weekend during a Shop Local Saturday event organized by the Cowlitz Economic Development Council. The Sept. 12 event is intended to give businesses a much-needed boost in end-of-summer sales by reminding shoppers that their local storefronts are still open for business, despite statewide COVID-19 restrictions that limit their usual operations, said Lindsey Cope, CEDC community engagement coordinator. As these business owners are in the trenches of making payroll or applying for grants or diversifying their business model, one of the easiest things to forget to do is to remind people that you exist. Its so counterintuitive, but if you do not remind people you exist and that you are open for business they will forget, Cope said. Thats kind of the purpose of this. Maybe it will help the general public put local businesses back in the front of their minds before they order two-day shipping from Amazon. Unlike traditional shop-local events, this event will not emphasize big gatherings in local downtown districts. There are no set hours for the sales or special pop-up markets to encourage increased foot traffic. Instead, the intention is to remind people to support local stores, whether thats with an in-person purchase or online order. Encouraging a mass amount of people to congregate is kind of out of the question right now. However, that does not mean that we as a community dont need to support these businesses, Cope said. What we are doing is putting it out there as an awareness-type activity that these businesses are open. You can shop there and depending on your level of comfort, a lot of them have an online presence or curbside pickup. In-person shoppers should follow the states COVID-19 safety restrictions, including wearing masks, social distancing from other shoppers and abiding by a stores capacity limitations, Cope said. Nearly 40 businesses have signed up to participate, and most of the shops will offer special discounts or sales for the event, Cope said. Each business will determine its hours of operation and the nature of its sale, and store owners are individually responsible for promoting what that is to their customers, she added. The list of participating businesses is attached to this story at tdn.com. The number of participating continues to grow, and retailers can still sign up to participate, Cope said. Participation is open to all Cowlitz County businesses. The truth is our struggles and challenges in Downtown Longview are the same struggles and challenges businesses are facing in Downtown Kelso, Castle Rock and Kalama, said Cope, who also serves as the president of the Longview Downtowners business association. Everyone is facing decreased revenues and increased restrictions. Despite those restrictions, businesses are still open for customers, Cope said. The shop-local event is really just a matter of supporting your local economy when small businesses need it most, Cope said. You can still buy a shirt at Posh (on Commerce) and pick it up at the curb. Or you can get flowers from Pollen in Castle Rock and have them delivered, Cope said. Its not just food to go. Its clothes to go. Its plants to go. Its services to go. Its easy to shop Amazon, but our local businesses have so much to offer, and these small businesses are the lifeblood of our cities and our towns. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept.4 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: The trade turnover between Turkey and Kazakhstan rose by $13.1 million in June 2020 compared to same month of 2019, having surpassed $160.9 million, the Turkish Trade Ministry told Trend. In the reporting month, Turkeys exports to Kazakhstan made up $75.8 million, while imports from Kazakhstan were $85.1 million, the ministry said. From January through June 2020, the trade turnover between the two countries dropped by $170.2 million compared to the same period of last year, amounting to $935.5 million. Turkeys exports to Kazakhstan for the first half of this year amounted to $382.4 million, and imports from Kazakhstan stood at $553.08 million. Reportedly, Turkey's exports increased by 15.7 percent in June 2020 compared to the same month of last year, amounting to $13.4 billion. Imports of Turkey in June 2020 rose by 8.3 percent over the year and exceeded $16.3 billion. From January through June 2020, Turkey's trade turnover amounted to over $174.1 billion. In 1H2020, Turkey's exports dropped by 15.1 percent compared to 1H2019, making up $75.2 billion, the ministry said. In the first half of this year, Turkey's imports declined by 3.2 percent compared to the same period of 2019, amounting to $98.8 billion. The foreign trade turnover of Turkey in 2019 made up $374.2 billion. --- Follow the author on twitter: @rhafizoglu On Thurday, a rally for Donald Trump was held in Fred Roger's hometown of Latrobe, Pennsylvania. His 92-year-old widow Joanne made it clear in an interview with The Daily Beast that she's not a fan. "Fred tried to stay pretty quiet about politics, basically because his program was for children," Joanne Rogers said. She is under no such constraints herself. "I'm alone now," she said. "I don't do a program for children." She made clear her feelings about Trump: "I think he's just a horrible person." "I think maybe the fact that Mr Trump seldom tells the truth," she said. "If he does, it's just a fluke, I think. But the fact [is] that I can't believe anything he says, not even the simplest thing." She was speaking what she feels is the simple truth when she said, "This man is pathologically ill. Mentally ill." STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Authorities arrested and charged a teen on Friday in relation to a West Brighton shooting that occurred in August. Daniel Falcon, 18, allegedly fired several shots near the intersection of Alaska Street and Castleton Avenue on Aug. 18, activating ShotSpotter technology in the area, a spokesman for the NYPD said. No one was harmed in the incident. Officials charged Falcon, a resident of West Brighton, with multiple weapons possession charges and a felony charge of reckless endangerment, according to the states unified court system. His attorneys denied the charges against Falcon on Friday, and said he remains held on bail. According to the unified court system, the judge set bail at $250,000 cash or $500,000 bond Falcons next hearing is to be held Wednesday, according to the unified court system. The Willis Independent School District is preparing to reopen for students who chose in-person learning. School officials are expecting about 55 percent of the student population, all grade levels who elected the option, to return to the classroom full time on Tuesday. We are (ready) and we are excited, Willis ISD Communications Director Jamie Fails said. Those who return to Willis ISD will continue to submit assignments and work within the Canvas Learning Management System while experiencing live instruction and help from the teachers. On HoustonChronicle.com: Thousands of students head back to Houston-area classrooms Tuesday for first time since March Last week, the Montgomery County Public Health Authority, Dr. Charles Sims and the Executive Director of the Montgomery County Public Health District, Randy Johnson, sent an update to the July 20 Letter of Advisement to all the Montgomery County area public school superintendents. The letter included several recommended precautions, including that all teachers and staff should wear a mask, even with a face shield. MCPHD recommended all students including under the age of eight wear a mask at all times during the school and be told not to share masks. The public health officials also recommended that teachers and students practice good and frequent hand washing and cleansing, refrain from touching their face, do not wear gloves in place of frequent hand hygiene; frequently disinfect the environment, limit crowd size when possible, and monitor both staff and students for fever, coughing, sore throat, and/or loss of taste and smell. Fails said the district has taken various steps to keep students safe and healthy, including by installing plexiglass, new signage around campuses, offering hand sanitizer and making security enhancements at Brabham Middle School. Students will be required to wear masks. The district prefers that students wear their own masks but will supply a disposable mask provided by the Texas Education Agency, if needed. When the bell rings Pre-K 8:15-11:35 a.m. 12:35-3:55 p.m. Elementary schools: 8:25 a.m. - 4:10 p.m. Middle schools: 7:30 a.m. - 3:20 p.m. High School: 7:20 a.m. - 3:05 p.m. See More Collapse Houston coronavirus updates: Abbott's COVID response criticized by Dems and some Republicans In order to open schools safely we have certain policies and procedures to follow governors orders and also TEA and health department recommendations, Fails said. If we didnt put those things in place, its not likely we would be able to keep our schools open for very long. So, in-person learners are required to wear masks at all times. There is one exception. The only exception to that is based on UIL guidelines that they do not have to wear them to physical activity, and we have extended that to recess as long as they are not close to each other, Fails said. But in general P.E. and recess will not have to wear it during physical activity time. If students wish to not wear a mask or parents wish them not to wear a mask, then the option is to become a remote learner, she added. The district has already been phasing back in for the past couple of weeks. Some of those who the district welcomed back, included some students with specialized instructional setting or those who were new to campuses such as kindergarten and ninth-grade students. MORNING REPORT: Get the top stories on HoustonChronicle.com sent directly to your inbox Its been going great, Fails said. The kids have been super excited to be back and very gracious and understanding of the new procedures that we have in place in terms of social distancing and wearing face coverings and that is what is going to allow us to continue to keep schools open safely is everybody working together. This year the district decided to extend the school day by 30 minutes at each level to build in additional minutes within the instruction day to prevent the need to make up for a loss in instructional hours such as in the case of extended closures. It also allows more time for cleaning procedures and social distancing requirements, including for lunch time. The districts regular school board meetings are now held on the second Wednesday of each month at 5:30 pm at the Cargill Administration Building located at 204 W. Rogers Rd. For more information about the reopening plan, visit Willis ISDs website. mellsworth@hcnonline.com The World Bank said Friday it was canceling a loan to fund a dam in Lebanon that environmentalists claimed could destroy a valley rich in biodiversity. The Bisri Dam was partially suspended in June after the Washington-based development lender said it raised concerns about the project's implementation, and given the government of Lebanon until September 4 to finalize key agreements related to operations and maintenance as well as the environment. In a statement, the World Bank said it had notified the government that it was withdrawing its financing "due to non-completion of the tasks that are preconditions to the commencement of construction." "The canceled portion of the loan is $244 million and the cancelation is effective immediately," the bank said. Located in a valley 30 kilometres (20 miles) south of the capital, the dam aims to supply drinking water as well as irrigation for 1.6 million residents. Environmentalists and some farmers had disputed assurances from the government and the World Bank that the dam, to be built on a seismic fault line, does not increase the risk of earthquakes. Roland Nassour, an activist who has campaigned against the project, said he was delighted the loan had been cancelled. "Today one of the corruption deals in the country has collapsed," said Nassour, the coordinator of the Save Bisri initiative, adding that popular anger had made the project a "burden" for the global lender. - 'Glimmer of hope' - Eddy Akl, the owner of land expropriated by the state to build the dam, said the loan's withdrawal was a step in the right direction. "The decision is of course positive. But our other battle will be for the state to hand us back our land," he said. "It's a glimmer of hope, but no one knows what the state has in store for us next." On social media, users shared the image of a stork flying across a valley in blossom, carrying a banner that read: "We saved the Bisri valley." "Finally some good news in 2020," one wrote. Gebran Bassil, the head of the president's Free Patriotic Movement political party and a backer of the project, claimed the Lebanese public would ask for a dam again soon. "There will come a day when the Lebanese state, and with it the people of Beirut, Jezzine, Saida, Chouf, Baabda and Aley will ask for the Bisri dam to be funded," he wrote on Twitter. "The need for water will become apparent... and nothing will do except to secure a new loan to return to the same dam." Search Keywords: Short link: Andhra Pradesh has bagged the first rank among all the states in the country in the state business reforms action plan-2019 (BRAP-2019), representing ease of doing business for Atmanirbhar Bharat. The ranks were announced by the Department of Industrial Promotion and Internal Trade (DPIIT) during a virtual event chaired by Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in the presence of Union minister of commerce Piyush Goyal and all state industries ministers on Saturday. While Uttar Pradesh stood in the second position, Telangana bagged the third spot in the overall ranking of the state business process reforms undertaken during 2019. Andhra Pradesh minister for industries Mekapati Gautam Reddy said these rankings represent the ease of doing business in the state with increased transparency, efficiency and effectiveness of the government regulatory functions vis-a-vis the business enterprises. He said these rankings, which were done through a survey of the investor community during January and February 2020, truly stand testimony to the investor-friendly commitment of the state and a transparent governance in place. Highlighting the efforts taken by the state government in ensuring true business reforms, Reddy said the state government had initiated steps for starting an enterprise with low-cost and quick single desk approvals. He said Andhra Pradesh was the first state to have come up with the ReSTART package in post-Covid scenario for business continuity of micro-small-and-medium enterprises (MSMEs). Andhra Pradesh has undertaken several reforms in the last year, ranging from the development of online systems, enhancing transparency to regulating inspections covering the entire lifecycle of the business. The Business Reform Action Plan 2019 released by the Centre contains a list of 80 reforms (187 reform action points) to be implemented by 19 State departments. Andhra Pradesh has achieved 100 percent compliance to the 187 reform action points by DPIIT-World Bank as a part of BRAP 2019, the minister pointed out. Some of the reforms for facilitating setting up of industries included exemption of all shops and establishments from renewal under AP Shops & Establishments Act, 1988, the introduction of single Integrated returns under all labour laws; the amendment to Single Desk Policy, 2015 to include new features and services and setting up of special court in Vijayawada with a jurisdiction to exclusively deal with commercial disputes in addition to the special court in Visakhapatnam. A woman was taken into custody Wednesday for allegedly being intoxicated as she drove her car with five young children unrestrained. Angela Deneane Grandfield, 40, of Conroe, is being charged with driving intoxicated with a child under 15, a state jail felony, according to the Montgomery County Precinct 1 Constables Office. Around 5:17 p.m., a Pct. 1 deputy was at a Sonic Drive-In located at 815 W. Montgomery in Willis. He saw a driver of a black Infiniti walk out of the car parked in a handicapped space. The driver entered the restroom and left five kids, between 5 months and 6 years, unrestrained in the running car, according to Precinct 1. When she returned, the deputy spoke to her about needing to have the children properly secured in the car. The deputy noticed multiple signs of intoxication and conducted a field sobriety test, whereupon she was taken into custody, according to Precinct 1. The kids were taken to the Precinct 1 office where Child Protective Services took them to family members, according to the constables office. It was not clear what the relationship was between the woman and the children, Pct. 1 spokesman Cpt. Joe Sclider said. On Friday afternoon, two spokeswomen for CPS in the Houston area could not be reached to clarify. As of Friday afternoon, Grandfield was not in jail custody, according Montgomery County Jail records. jose.gonzalez@chron.com twitter.com/jrgzztx JEFFERSON CITY U.S. and Missouri flags will be flown at half-staff at government buildings in St. Louis today in honor of a slain city police officer. In an order announced Friday, Gov. Mike Parson said the observance is in honor of Officer Tamarris Bohannon, who was shot as he responded to a call in the Tower Grove South neighborhood on Aug. 29. Bohannon, 29, died of his injuries a day later. His memorial service is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. today at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis on Lindell. Before the service, a procession will leave Serenity Memorial Funeral Home on Union Boulevard, travel through Forest Park and pass the South District Patrol Division on Sublette before returning to the Cathedral. Police didn't say what time the procession would start, or what route it would take. The family also asked local churches to ring their bells at 2 p.m. today. Parson praised Bohannon as a model public servant in his four years with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Officer Bohannons courage, commitment to excellence in policing, and devotion to his young family and the St. Louis community are his lasting legacy. We will never forget all of the good Officer Bohannon accomplished in his brief time with us, said Parson, a former county sheriff. Thomas J. Kinworthy Jr., 43, is facing first degree murder charges in connection with the shooting. Kinworthy, of Owensville, fatally shot Bohannon in the head with a 9 mm pistol and shot Officer Arlando Bailey in the leg as they responded to a home in the 3700 block of Hartford Street. 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. By PTI LATEHAR: Members of the Tana Bhagat community withdrew their rail blockade in Jharkhand's Latehar district in the early hours of Saturday, following which services normalised, officials said. They started the blockade at Tori station on Wednesday evening, seeking amendment of the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act -- which protects the land rights of the tribals. Several attempts to pacify the agitators over the past three days failed as the members of the tribal community sought a meeting with Chief Minister Hemant Soren at the protest venue. However, after several hours of discussions with the local authorities, the agitators withdrew the blockades around 2 am on the assurance of MLA Baidyanath Ram that the chief minister would look into their demands. The community has been demanding that the provisions of the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act be strengthened through an amendment, and its members be granted a tax waiver on any land they possessed. Freight services resumed in the Barka Kana-Barwadih section around 4. 15 am with the first goods train leaving the Tori Junction for Biratoli, Dhanbad's divisional railway manager Anil Kumar Mishra told PTI. Railway services were completely shut in the section for around 57 hours, and the Ranchi-bound Rajdhani Express got stuck at the Daltonganj station on Thursday, following which 930 passengers of the train had to be sent to their destinations in buses, officials said. The agitation hit hard the coal sector as several goods trains were stranded, causing damages worth crores of rupees, they said. President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference the White House, in Washington, on Sept. 4, 2020. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Trump: Pentagon Will Not End Funding to Stars and Stripes Newspaper President Donald Trump said he will not let the Department of Defense stop funding Stars and Stripes, a newspaper that is subsidized by the Pentagon. The United States of America will NOT be cutting funding to @starsandstripes magazine under my watch, Trump said in a post on Twitter. It will continue to be a wonderful source of information to our Great Military! Secretary of Defense Mark Esper defended shifting money from the paper in February, telling reporters it was part of a defense-wide review aimed at finding at least $5 billion that officials could reallocate to put into modernization priorities like hypersonics. At the end of the day, that was not a priority that met the cut line. And so we trimmed that support for thatfor Stars and Stripes, because we need to invest that money, as we did with many, many, many other programs, into higher-priority issues, he said. A phone call to the Pentagon on Saturday went unanswered and the voicemail wasnt accepting messages. Pushback to the proposed cuts to Stars and Stripes emerged from a number of quarters, including Congress. A bipartisan group of 15 senators wrote in a letter to Esper this week that the paper is an essential part of our nations freedom of the press that serves the very population charged with defending that freedom. The House-passed version of legislation containing defense funding for next year contains additional funding to keep operating Stars and Stripes and the Senate hasnt released its defense appropriations bill, the lawmakers noted. The House version contained $15.5 million for the paper. Defense Secretary Mark Esper speaks during a briefing on counternarcotics operations at U.S. Southern Command in Doral, Fla., on July 10, 2020. (Evan Vucci via AP Photo) Stars and Stripes says the rest of its budget comes from advertising, subscriptions, and sales. The paper describes itself as the U.S. militarys independent news source. Lawmakers signing the letter included Sens. John Boozman (R-Ark.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), and Patty Murray (D-Wash.). Trump told reporters in Washington Friday that nobodys done more for the military than him. I love those people. Ive gotten them pay raises when they didnt get anything near what Ive been able to do. And Ive rebuilt, $2.5 trillion, Ive rebuilt the United States military. Now were including Space Force, he said. Trump also condemned anonymously-sourced reporting in The Atlantic magazine that he didnt want to go to a military cemetery while in France in 2018. The story has been widely rebutted by on-the-record sources, but has not been altered or retracted. The magazine didnt respond to a request for comment. Jeffrey Goldberg, the magazines editor-in-chief, said during an appearance on CNN on Friday that his sources didnt want to go on the record because they dont want to inundated with angry tweets and all the rest. Rubi Chakravarti By BENGALURU : Good morning, Bangalore It is nice to see a quiet buzz in Bangalore as restaurateurs and retailers open their doors to welcome customers. Since liquor has made its way back to pubs and bars, owners are waiting with bated breath, hoping that the young and old will want to venture out and enjoy themselves after months of being mentally and physically locked up. Some areas are doing better than others. For instance, the UB City Mall seems to inspire a certain confidence and its nice to see it buzzing during the weekends. I live in the CBD area and every time I pass the multitude of retail outlets, beauty parlours and restaurants, I see them partially full. Way better than the eerie and gloomy situation that one witnessed a couple of months ago. I have been doing quite a bit of reading up on this strange predicament (for the lack of a better word) we find ourselves in. My friend Priya Chetty-Rajgopal, an activist and head hunter, is of the view that never before has the entire planet been subjected to the same economic conundrum or illness before. The world has had its share of economic upheavals, but never before has it happened to all the countries at the same time for the same reason. We are subjected to so many varying theories on a daily basis, that sometimes we find it difficult in separating fact from fiction. In my opinion, the lockdown has been a failure. It has devastated the economic health of our country. The first lockdown was initiated within four hours and that didnt give panicked immigrants time to get back to their respective homes and their mass exodus on foot perhaps contributed to the further spread of the virus into the hinterland. Sufficient funds were not spent on upgrading medical facilities and no plan for dealing with the ensuing health and financial crisis was effectively communicated. This left a nation of over a billion people reeling with a crisis of halved salaries, unpaid loans and EMIs, a dark cloud of death looming over them and forced imprisonment in our homes or wherever we were caught, with dire consequences if we disobeyed And we were told it was all for our good! Well, all that is in the past. Bangalore has opened up and our safety is now our responsibility. This has put the swish set in a fix! Damned if you do and damned if you dont. This has resulted in a very hush-hush situation. I remember when the initial lockdown was lifted there were self-appointed monitors who used Facebook, like all cowards, to chastise and shame people who ventured out. Many people even today venture out incognito, always afraid that someone may disapprove! I can only say my mood lifted by many notches to be at the intimate and responsible brunch at the newly re-opened Zen at The Leela Palace. There were only the six of us and our charming hosts GM Kunal Chauhan and his wife Sunaina gave us a whiff of how we can still revel in good company, and excellent cocktails and food, with the sun on our faces, the wind in our hair and music in the air! I think I was myself after ages! I playfully demanded hand-made mayonnaise from their executive chef Mir Zafar Ali, and while the rest of the guests gasped at my impunity, he obliged with a smile. It was a care-free afternoon with all the safety protocols adhered to.Places are opening because of the economy, not because its safe Lets keep that in mind and be responsible and safe, not paranoid! Jacob Blakes father has said his happy-go-lucky son is optimistic for his future, despite being paralysed from the waist down after being shot seven times in the back by a police officer. Jacob Blake Sr, speaking on a video call from a Milwaukee hotel, told the Associated Press that the past two weeks have been surreal and like a dream since the shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and he is mentally worn out. He has driven from North Carolina to be with his son in hospital. Expand Close President Donald Trump talks to business owners in Kenosha, Wisconsin (AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp President Donald Trump talks to business owners in Kenosha, Wisconsin (AP) Mr Blake Sr said he has been receiving death threats, which he said he could not talk about in detail. Its been hard on everybody, he added. Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old black man, was shot on August 23 in Kenosha, setting off days of protests that made Wisconsin the epicentre of the nations ongoing debate over police violence and racial injustice. Over three days, dozens of fires were set and some Kenosha businesses were destroyed. On August 25, prosecutors say a 17-year-old from Illinois shot and killed two demonstrators. Lawyers say the teenager, who was patrolling the streets with a rifle, was acting in self-defence. Expand Close Jacob Blake answers questions during a hearing in Kenosha, Wisconsin (Kenosha County Court/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Jacob Blake answers questions during a hearing in Kenosha, Wisconsin (Kenosha County Court/AP) Mr Blake was released from intensive care this week and is doing a little bit better, his father said. Still, from the waist down, no movement, Mr Blake Sr said. He cant move. Mr Blake Sr told the AP he talks with his son about what he will be able to do once he is released from hospital, rather than his limitations if he remains paralysed. Well go fishing together in the chair, he said. Ive got the perfect spot for us. Things of that nature, things that have nothing to do with the sickness or anything. Five days after the shooting, Mr Blake Sr followed through on his plans to attend the March on Washington commemoration in the nations capital. His father had marched with Martin Luther King Jr, and Jacob Blake Sr said he considered it his duty to attend the march even though his son was in hospital. Earlier this week, Mr Blake Sr said another one of his sons had a nervous breakdown and was admitted to hospital. Two days after that, members of the Blake family met Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden in Kenosha. Expand Close A Justice for Jacob Blake march in Salt Lake City (The Deseret News/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A Justice for Jacob Blake march in Salt Lake City (The Deseret News/AP) Jacob Blake spoke to Mr Biden by phone from hospital. President Donald Trump travelled to Kenosha on Tuesday. He thanked law enforcement for their efforts in quelling violence and met people whose businesses were destroyed in fires, but he did not meet with Mr Blakes family. Mr Blake Sr said Mr Trump made it clear he has no interest in his family. He said meeting with Mr Biden and his wife was like speaking with an uncle and aunt. He came in that room with sympathy, empathy, a caring nature, Mr Blake Sr said. It was not an interview, it was not a political thing. The Blake family told Mr Biden that they want all police to be required to have body cameras, something the Kenosha officers did not have. Mr Blake Sr said the family also told the former vice president they want police trained in de-escalation techniques. And they want the officer who shot Mr Blake to be sacked. Theres nothing that my son did that justifies getting shot seven times in his back, Mr Blake Sr said. Nothing. All three officers present when Mr Blake was shot are on administrative leave pending an investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Justice. The state agency said police were sent to the scene after a woman reported her boyfriend was present and was not supposed to be on the premises. Expand Close Justin Blake, uncle of Jacob Blake, protests outside the Grace Lutheran Church (AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Justin Blake, uncle of Jacob Blake, protests outside the Grace Lutheran Church (AP) Mr Blakes lawyer Ben Crump has said that Mr Blake was trying to break up a domestic dispute. The US justice department said a knife was recovered from an SUV he was leaning into when he was shot, but has not said whether Mr Blake was holding it when officers tried to arrest him. The man who made a widely seen video of the shooting, 22-year-old Raysean White, said he saw Mr Blake scuffling with three officers and heard them shout: Drop the knife! Drop the knife! before gunfire erupted. He said he did not see a knife in Mr Blakes hands. The Kenosha police union said Mr Blake had the knife and refused orders to drop it. Mr Blake fought with police, including putting one officer in a headlock, the union said. Police twice used a Taser, which did not stop Mr Blake. Mr Blake, who had an outstanding arrest warrant when he was shot, pleaded not guilty to charges accusing him of sexually assaulting a woman in May and waived his right to a preliminary hearing. Mr Blake appeared remotely via video conference from his Milwaukee hospital bed, wearing a dress shirt and tie. He spoke only to respond to the judges questions. A trial date was set for November 9. She was announced as part of the Dancing With The Stars series 29 line-up earlier this week. And Carole Baskin stood out from the crowd as she arrived for her second day of rehearsals in Los Angeles on Friday dressed head-to-toe in animal print. As her official portrait for the show was revealed, the Tiger King star, 59, said she's excited for viewers to see the real her and not the 'husband killer' she was made out to be on the hit Netflix documentary. Carole Baskin stood out from the crowd as she arrived for her second day of Dancing With The Stars rehearsals in Los Angeles on Friday dressed head-to-toe in animal print Carole took a walk on the wild side as she teamed a red leopard print T-shirt with velour trousers. On her feet, she wore white plimsolls which had cat faces on them. The Big Cat Rescue owner added to her eccentric outfit with a tiger drawstring rucksack and pink sunglasses. Carole took her own spin on her face mask which featured a cat's mouth and whiskers and her signature slogan 'Hey all you cool cats and kittens'. Excited: As her official portrait was revealed, Carole, 59, said she's excited for viewers to see the real her and not the 'husband killer' she was made out to be on the hit Netflix documentary All eyes on her: Carole took a walk on the wild side as she teamed a red leopard print T-shirt with velour trousers Catty: On her feet, she wore white plimsolls which had cat faces on them Hey! Carole took her own spin on her face mask which featured a cat's mouth and whiskers and her signature slogan 'Hey all you cool cats and kittens' During a recent appearance on Good Morning America ahead of shooting DWTS, Carole said: 'Tiger King really glamorised animal abusers and villainized me for trying to stop animal abuse, and so I felt really betrayed by that. 'But what amazed me was how many people believed that false portrayal of me without doing anything to find out who I really am. It's been a nightmare since Tiger King aired.' The 'false portrayal' to which Baskin refers is the insinuation, in the documentary, that she was responsible for the mysterious disappearance of her second husband Don Lewis in 1997. Roar: The Big Cat Rescue owner added to her eccentric outfit with a tiger drawstring rucksack Star-studded: Carole will be joined on the new season of Dancing with the Stars by rapper Nelly, Backstreet Boys star AJ McLean, former Desperate Housewives actor Jesse Metcalfe It's possible that Lewis may have absconded to Costa Rica, but the Tiger King filmmakers gave considerable screen time to wild theories and accusations that Carole fed him to her tigers, or hid his body in a septic tank, or both. Carole said she wants to take the focus away from her feud with Joe Exotic, and focus on animal rights and welfare, especially when it comes to big cats. 'The longer my partner and I can stay in the running and in the competition it will keep the cats forefront in the viewer's eye and to me that was where Tiger King missed the ball - it really should have been focused on the animals,' she continued on GMA. 'I am competitive, but I am competitive with myself. I want to do the very best that I can possibly do.' Carole will be joined on the new season of Dancing with the Stars by rapper Nelly, Backstreet Boys star AJ McLean, former Desperate Housewives actor Jesse Metcalfe, Disney Channel star Skai Jackson, and Return To Paradise actress Anne Heche. The new season premieres on ABC on Monday, September 14th. SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 FILM Treat dad to a Fathers Day preview screening of Rams (rated PG) at Palace Central, Palace Verona and Palace Norton Street with a glass of wine, small popcorn and ice-cream included. The flick stars Sam Neill and Michael Caton as two sheep-farming brothers who must overcome a long-standing estrangement for a shot at saving their flocks. 3pm, various locations, $30, palacecinemas.com.au Sam Neill headlines the Australian adaptation of the award-winning Icelandic film. Credit:Ian Brodie MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 EXHIBITION Art Deco from the National Collection: The World Turns Modern (until November 8) showcases more than 60 pieces from the period, with paintings, sculpture, decorative arts and fashion of the era. 10am-4pm, Hazelhurst Arts Centre, 782 Kingsway, Gymea, free, hazelhurst.com.au An Thoi ward the centre of a future metropolis In light of the plan, Phu Quoc city will have a natural area surpassing 575 square kilometres (the same size as Singapore), encompassing the two wards of Duong Dong and An Thoi, and six communes. Hon Thom commune will later be merged to An Thoi ward. As central urban subzones, Duong Dong and An Thoi will play the growth engine driving the development of the whole city. Along with this, with more than 2,518 hectares of space, Duong Dong will become an administrative centre as well as a gateway for international exchange, with an estimated population of 240,000 people by 2030. Meanwhile, with an area of more than 1,000ha, An Thoi (after including Hon Thom) is set to become a world-class port urban area, a trade, tourism, light industrial development hub, as well as a cultural and historical centre closely attached to local tradition, with a population of more than 70,000 people. The plan aims to expand the urban space in Phu Quoc, with An Thoi stretching to the southern pole of the island to encompass what is currently Hon Thom commune. After turning into a city, Phu Quocs urban space will undergo far-ranging changes As for population scale, with the orientation to become an island city, Phu Quoc is expected to hail several dozens of thousands of people moving from the mainland, as well as thousands of experts and management teams from foreign players doing business on the island. The population scale of Phu Quoc would amount to about 510,000 people by 2040 and 680,000 people by 2050. Expanded urban space, fast-paced urbanisation, and a jump in population will inevitably lead to rising demand for urban housing. Second investment wave incoming The enhanced status that would come with the proposal is expected to bring vitality to the development of the Pearl Island. With its new status, Phu Quoc would keep abreast of major cities in the region like Singapore, Phuket (Thailand), Bali (Indonesia), Malacca (Malaysia), or Danang and Nha Trang (Vietnam). New orientations would entail fresh investment attraction. In fact, since 2014 the island was recognised as a Grade 2 urban area and intensive investment amounting to hundreds of millions of US dollars has been channelled into local infrastructure development. With its new status, Phu Quoc would keep abreast of major cities in the region like Singapore, Phuket (Thailand), Bali (Indonesia), Malacca (Malaysia), or Danang and Nha Trang (Vietnam). Of this, more than VND5.8 trillion ($252 million) was spent on the transport system, VND2.4 trillion ($104 million) on the power system, over VND1.6 trillion ($69.5 million) on building the international marina, and more than VND3 trillion ($130 million) on the airport expansion. Until now, Phu Quoc has allured more than 300 projects covering nearly 11,000ha of space, 47 of which are operational and 71 are under construction. Total committed capital surpasses $16 billion, nearly double the total FDI volume in the Mekong Delta. Most of the projects are in tourism and marine economic development. Most leading local players have made forays in Phu Quoc, such as Vingroup, Sun Group, BIM Group, and CEO Group to name but a few. Leading hotel brands worldwide like InterContinental, Park Hyatt, Marriott, Wyndham, Accor Hotels, Novotel, and Pullman have also made inroads in the island. Most recently, the investment plan of a project to build a duty-free area on the island has got the thumbs-up. As the first island city in Vietnam, Phu Quoc would soon welcome an influx of investment into its infrastructure, healthcare, education, urban landscaping, and environment. The planned urban space expansion would help charm investment into other associated fields. Its upgraded status as a city is also expected to create a turnaround in the islands economic structure as well as the cultural and spiritual life of the islanders. Urban real estate to become centre point In the eyes of experts, with Phu Quoc rising to a city status, improved standards of living would inevitably lead to soaring demand for upscale living spaces with modern utilities. On the other hand, with perfect living conditions and a new operational mechanism, Phu Quoc will soon go beyond its current status as a tourism destination to grow into a livable tourism city. Significantly, the development planning of Phu Quoc city would accommodate three urban areas: Duong Dong centre, Nam An Thoi new urban area, and Bac An Thoi new urban area. With Phu Quoc approaching the target of becoming Vietnams first island city, investors might re-navigate their investment targets into urban real estate development, instead of resort real estate as in the past when investors had the vision for the island to become a new resort paradise in Asia. Under the development plan of Phu Quoc city, Meyhomes Capital Phu Quoc will be located in Bac An Thoi new urban area The multi-colour tropical island city Meyhomes Capital Phu Quoc of developer Tan A Dai Thanh-Meyland Group is part of Bac An Thoi new urban area. The project kicked-off construction in November 2019 and has strictly observed its schedule. According to the developer, Meyhomes Capital Phu Quoc will be a truly modern metropolis to live, to relax, and to trade. The area is also a new economic, cultural, and financial centre south of Phu Quoc city. On Thursday, The Atlantic published an article that used anonymous sources to claim that President Trump repeatedly disparaged American troops, both living and dead. By Friday morning, Democrats were weaponizing the article to cover for Biden's serious problems with the military: his support for the Iraq War, and the way the Obama administration weakened the military. Trump, however, revitalized the military and fought for the troops. The article's primary allegations are that Trump refused to visit a WWI cemetery because of his hair, said the Marines who died taking Belleau Wood were "suckers" and "losers," and drew back in revulsion from troops who lost limbs. Every assertion is false. People with firsthand information who were willing to go on the record exposed how terribly The Atlantic lied about Trump. John Bolton, a Trump foe, was clear. "I was there," he said, about the decision to cancel the Belleau Wood trip, and "I didn't hear that." Contemporaneous documents support Bolton, but The Atlantic ignored them: Spare me the bogus outrage. Where is your apology for running a story so fake that Mueller had to come out and correct the story? pic.twitter.com/cHDd7qZM4z Techno Fog (@Techno_Fog) September 4, 2020 Regarding the lede of this story: I obtained documents from the Navy via #FOIA about Trump's 2018 trip to Aisne-Marne American Cemetery near Paris and the documents say his transport was canceled by the Navy due to rain. https://t.co/oNWsvAPy1z pic.twitter.com/keFtW7QC8b Jason Leopold (@JasonLeopold) September 4, 2020 Additionally, Trump does not withdraw in revulsion from wounded troops: The only accurate thing in the article is that Trump insulted John McCain but he did so only after McCain called Trump supporters "crazies." Trump, new to campaigning, foolishly borrowed from a Chris Rock comic sketch about McCain. Rock said McCain would have been a better guy had he escaped. Trump shouldn't have gone there. Still, many people feel that McCain had it coming, especially when he got his petty revenge by blocking Obamacare's reversal. Friday's events show that, for The Atlantic, the truth was irrelevant. Democrats needed the story to help Biden get past some problem issues he has with the military mainly, that the Obama administration gutted the military, started unnecessary wars, and failed to protect the troops. Trump, on the other hand, has restored the military's might, started no new wars, brought many troops home, and killed Qassem Soleimani, a terrorist who murdered American troops. The day started with a left-wing group called Vote Vets instantly having ready a video for Morning Joe almost as if they'd gotten an advanced warning. Then, when Biden appeared for a rare press conference, his opening remarks mostly attacked Trump about the alleged insults to the troops: Quite frankly, if what is written in the Atlantic is true, it's disgusting. At affirms what most of us believe to be true, that Donald Trump is not fit to do the job of President, to be the Commander in Chief. Biden went on in this vein for some time. The hoax story allowed him to drag his son, Beau, out of the grave to show Biden's love for the troops. More importantly, by making Trump appear anti-military, Biden could gloss over the fact that he enthusiastically supported the Iraq War, something that Trump opposed, and then squandered the victory two things most Americans now see as terrible mistakes, in terms of both blood and gold. Biden's pro-military rap also covered for the Obama administration's turning the military into a social justice experiment, defunding it, overusing it, and not protecting it. The "tell" that this hoax has a specific goal is this headline and lede from the New York Times home page on Friday night: Biden's keepers milked the story even more by giving the first question to Isaac Dovere of The Atlantic. Dovere attacked Trump and then followed up with a bizarre question "What does it tell you about President Trump's soul and the life he leads?" allowing Biden to hurl more insults at Trump as an indecent human being. Reporter: "When you hear these remarks -- 'suckers, losers, recoiling from amputees' -- what does it tell you about President Trump's soul and the life he leads?" Joe Biden: "...You know in your heart, you know in your gut, it's deplorable. It's deplorable." pic.twitter.com/Q2BBsY4N4e The Hill (@thehill) September 5, 2020 If I had to bet, I'd say The Atlantic always knew the report was a lie. I'd go even farther and say someone in Biden's campaign asked The Atlantic to publish the story. The fact is that the truth was never important. All that was important was to get the story out there to help Biden hide the military-related uglies in his past. Image: Biden press conference using a screen grab from a publicly shareable video. Apologists for China like Thomas Donohue's U.S. Chamber of Commerce (USCC) and numerous leading politicians in the U.S. say that decoupling from China is both unadvisable and hard to do. They are wrong on the first point but right on the second. China makes no bones about it: the Chinese intend to, if not rule the world, then at the very least dominate it. That is Beijing's strategic ambition in the coming decades. China's values are not our values, and they never will be as long as the communists remain in power. The threat posed by China is not just to the United States, but to the Western world's very concept of democracy and civilized norms. The equation is simple and straight forward. The stronger China becomes, the greater threat it is. Hence, it is not merely advisable to decouple from China. It is imperative. Why does this not faze the USCC and many in the political class? T he answer is money that is, money for them, a select few, at the expense of the many. Donohue's Chamber of Commerce represents the interests of big international corporations and Wall Street. It could not care less what it costs Main Street for America to keep accommodating China as long as its fat-cat clients can continue to reap large profits from doing so. It's the same with politicians. One way or another, Chinese money finds its way into their pockets so they're willing to shortchange the U.S. national interest. Take Joe Biden, the Democrat presidential standard-bearer. He isn't called China Joe for nothing. While Biden was vice president, his corrupt son Hunter made millions from cozy insider deals with the Chinese Communist Party. It is no wonder Biden has China openly rooting for him in the November election. And who knows what the Chinese are doing for Biden under the table? But decoupling is easier said than done. Since the time of the Bill Clinton administration, the integration of China into the U.S. economy has proceeded step by step. It has to be demolished as it was built systematically. President Donald Trump started the process of demolishing it when he served notice during the 2016 campaign that the China trade was overall a detriment to the United States. And despite the wailing and gnashing of teeth from the special-interest crowd, the president began the work. He imposed stiff tariffs on China and is now requiring Chinese officials to get permission to visit universities and local officials. Trump has banned Huawei's 5G from the U.S. and is encouraging other countries to do the same. He has restricted many high-tech exports to China, which is hurting China's advanced industries. And the president has been vocal on encouraging Western businesses to relocate their supply chains out of China. As China grows richer and more powerful, it becomes ever more dangerous. But despite China's impressive growth, its future depends on an America that continues to accommodate it. Here is a short summary of China's dependencies and what it needs from the U.S.:. 1) access to the America markets, 2) U.S. universities to educate their brightest, 3) the ability to steal intellectual property and trade secrets with abandon, 4) trade agreements tilted in its favor, and 5) food and energy. In matters of trade, America holds the commanding heights. President Trump is addressing each one of these factors predicated on what is good for America, not China. This is a 180-degree change from previous administrations. But it will take at least a second term to decouple from China to the point necessary. China's best hope to stop this process cold and continue its march forward is a Joe Biden presidency. Hopefully, the American people will not throw China that lifeline. Image: Pixabay Highlighting the great relationship that he has developed with Indian Americans and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Donald Trump said that he would think that Indian Americans would vote for him in the November 3 presidential election. We have great support from India. We have great support from Prime Minister Modi. I would think that the Indian (American) people would be voting for Trump, the president told reporters at a White House news conference. Trump was responding to a question on a video titled, "Four more years" released by the Trump Campaign during the Republican National Convention last month. Tweeted by Kimberly Guilfoyle, national chair of Trump Victory Finance Committee and retweeted by his son Donald Trump Jr, the video conceptualised by Al Mason, co-chair of the Trump Victory Indian American Finance Committee, has short clips from the Modi-Trump joint address in Houston last year and Ahmedabad in February this year. Would Kimberly, Don Jr., and Ivanka Trump, who are very popular among Indian Americans, would be campaigning on your behalf among the Indian Americans with your views on India-US relationship? he was asked. I know India and I understood those young people (Kimberley, Donald J Trump Jr and Ivanka) that you mentioned. They're very good young people. And I know their relationship with India is very good and so is mine, Trump said. Also read: US elections: Trump accepts Republican Presidential renomination; blasts Biden, radicals in speech The president said that he has a very good relationship with Modi. Prime Minister Modi is a friend of mine and he's doing a very good job. Nothing easy, but he's done a very good job, he said as he recollected his historic address at the 'Howdy Mody' event in Houston last September. We had an event in Houston, as you know. And it was a fantastic event. I was invited by Prime Minister Modi and this was a massive (event)... And it was incredible. And the prime minister could not have been more generous. We have great support from India. We have great support from Prime Minister Modi, Trump said. The president then referred to his India visit early this year in February before the coronavirus pandemic hit the two countries. I also, as you know, went to India just prior to the pandemic setting in because India has been hit very hard, left really about a week before that, and we had an incredible time. What we saw the people are so incredible it's really an incredible place, an incredible country and its definitely big, he said. But you've got a great leader and he's a great person, Trump said. In recent weeks both the Democrats and Republicans have intensified their outreach to the Indian American community, in particular in the battle ground states. Also read: Americans have to 'make this China virus go away' and it's happening: Donald Trump A recent research by Mason in battle ground states showed that Indian Americans who traditionally vote for the Democrats are switching over to the Republican party in significant numbers because the friendship that Trump has with Modi and the latter's high popularity among a large section of the community who number four million in the US, of which 2.5 million are eligible to vote. In the battleground states, they number 1.3 million as per a recent remark made by Indian Americans in the Democratic party. Mason's survey was conducted before former vice president Joe Biden, the Democratic party's presidential candidate, selected Indian-origin Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate, a move Democratic party leader believe would stem the flow of Indian Americans towards the Republicans. Also read: Chance of 'mini trade deal' between India, US before Nov 3 election: Top US diplomat Both Trump and his campaign, in recent remarks, assert that more Indian Americans support them than the Democrats. In various writings and remarks the Democratic leaders in recent weeks have apprehended that Trump's friendship with Modi might sway their traditional vote bank the election. The Trump campaign believes that Indian Americans can play an important role in the election, especially in the battleground states like Michigan, Pennsylvania and Ohio, where the two rival campaigns would be battling for every vote. Democratic campaign too is coming out with ideas and commercials to woo Indian Americans. Also read: US Congressional Caucus on India co-chairs ask USTR to expedite India-US mini trade deal The Democratic National Committee chair Tom Perez has addressed the community virtually, wherein he has acknowledged the key role that Indian Americans can play in battleground states. On August 15, both Biden and Harris made a video address to an Indian American event. The campaign has released a policy paper for Indian Americans. Employment recovery levels across Canada appear to be slowing, with fewer jobs added in August than recent months, worrying economists about future prospects. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 4/9/2020 (503 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Employment recovery levels across Canada appear to be slowing, with fewer jobs added in August than recent months, worrying economists about future prospects. Labour force figures from Statistics Canada announced Friday show about 246,000 jobs were added last month in contrast to the 419,000 jobs reported in July. Those gains in employment numbers have brought the country to 1.1 million jobs below pre-pandemic levels, as Canada has lost at least three million jobs due to COVID-19 since March. Still, its the "smallest increase since recovery began," says Cory Renner, senior economist at the Conference Board of Canada. "While a slowdown in the labour markets recovery was expected," he said, "it continues to be concerning. Recovery to the pre-pandemic level of employment remains far off." Recent gains are largely concentrated in full-time work, accounting for about 84 per cent of all jobs added in August. Part-time work only grew by about 40,000 jobs. Ontario had the largest increase in jobs, with more than half of all gains made in August. Quebec and British Columbia representing about 22 and seven per cent of all jobs, respectively also had large increases. Manitoba fell in the middle of the pack, with 4.1 per cent of employment down compared to pre-pandemic levels from February, ahead of Saskatchewan (at 4.3 per cent) and Alberta (at seven per cent). In Winnipeg, unemployment rates continue slumping downhill at 11.2 per cent. StatCan says about 50,000 people remain out of work in the city. While these figures suggest labour markets may be "losing steam," Renner says they indicate a new norm for the months to come. He said numbers are concerning because they show temporary layoffs are becoming permanent over time. "At this point, restrictions have been mostly lifted across Canada," he added. "That means many jobs lost due to restrictions have been recovered, and the current jobs lost are more structural in nature and will take longer to come back, if they ever do." Meantime, the agency noted unemployment rates were higher for racialized workers than non-racialized workers. The jobless rate for Arab workers was 17.9 per cent, followed by 17.6 per cent for Black workers, and 16.6 per cent for those who identify as Southeast Asian. More than one-third of Filipino (35.2 per cent) and Latin American (33.7 per cent) Canadians reported living in a household experiencing financial difficulties. The agency also says employment among Indigenous people living off-reserve fell by 1.8 per cent from July. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Renner believes nows the time for industries to start looking elsewhere for innovative solutions. "Many of those jobs may never come back," he said. "Recovery should now focus on creating jobs in other segments of the economy with a brighter future." Twitter: @temurdur Temur.Durrani@freepress.mb.ca This is what a society in the early stage of collapse looks like: pandemic illness, environmental degradation, the demise of political norms, alienation from foreign allies, growing economic inequality, a failure to give youth an education adequate to the future's challenges. Does this strike uncomfortably close to home? Perhaps you consider it overly pessimistic. Certainly it does little good to wallow in worry: Better to light a candle than curse the darkness, the wise Chinese proverb goes. Yes, let's appreciate exhortations to fight on for better days ahead (often a role of this column). But let's also be clear about the peril of our time and what has brought us here. Let us understand, then, what's going on in Donald Trump's America. Over two successive nights this week, the school boards in Schenectady and Albany came to grips with what will happen if state support for schools is cut by 20 percent. That is what lies ahead unless the federal government provides more aid to state and local governments hard-hit by the pandemic-caused revenue collapse which the president has flatly ruled out. The two urban districts project cuts totaling more than $50 million, which would force more than 400 job cuts in Schenectady schools and 222 in Albany. The impact to Albany schools, Superintendent Kaweeda Adams said, would be "devastating." Times Union reporter Rachel Silberstein saw school board members "tearing up because they knew children would suffer," she wrote in a tweet. Every school district in the country is facing cuts, but the toll will be heaviest in poorer urban and rural districts areas always undermined by a political system that is more egalitarian in principle than in practice, whatever rhetoric about racial justice you may hear these days. Trump has called the plea for $1 trillion in aid to state and local governments "bailout money." What kind of bailout does he propose for the kids whose schools will no longer offer arts and workforce readiness programs? He is unlikely to rescue them by reversing the trillion-dollar bailout of the rich via his 2017 tax law, which left working class Americans paying a higher tax rate than billionaires. To be clear, it's not Donald Trump's fault that our country was beset by a novel coronavirus. That's a global crisis. But Trump first called it a "hoax," then said that "like a miracle, it will disappear," and then, for months, dodged his responsibility to confront it bravely, as though his backbone had developed bone spurs. So we have more COVID-19 cases than any other country more cases than the entire European Union plus Britain, in fact. In a rich country with low population density and a strong health care network, it didn't need to be this bad. Yes, it is Trump's fault. As bad as COVID-19 is, our long-term prospects are more at risk due to climate change another "hoax," according to Trump. Bill Gates, who has given billions of dollars to global health needs, noted recently that in just 40 years, climate change is likely to be as toxic as the coronavirus is now, and by 2100, it could be five times more deadly. Yet the president is steadily cutting environmental protection in this country and abandoning U.S. participation in international climate efforts. These decisions will kill some of our grandchildren. Our traditional allies are clearly horrified by America's abdication of leadership, as China steps into the void and Russia pushes for another Trump term. As our leader mimics the tactics and rhetoric of the world's worst autocrats attacking free speech and ignoring human rights abuses our global moral standing has never been lower. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Perhaps all this is just what happens as societies mature. Civilizations don't last forever. Luke Kemp, a researcher at Cambridge University, has calculated that the average lifespan of a civilization is 336 years. If you count America's independence in 1776 as the founding of ours, we have about nine decades left, statistically speaking; if you start at the settlement of Jamestown in 1607, our demise is overdue. Kemp, who heads the remarkably named Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, cites key metrics that history shows have measured a civilization's peril: climate change, environmental degradation, inequality and complexity, along with external shocks (war, famine and plague) and simple bad luck (like a volcanic eruption). "Great civilizations are not murdered," Kemp wrote last year. "Instead, they take their own lives." He added, "Their self-destruction is usually assisted." Surely there is still time for America. But it's hard to escape the fear that if we are not yet in collapse, then we are at best at an inflection point, where our survival as a society is at stake. A Performance Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for export promotion is needed to generate demand, said Kenichi Ayukawa, MD & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India and SIAM President. Ayukawa spoke at the 60th ACMA Annual Session which was held virtually. The scheme such as PLI envisages to provide manufacturing and export incentives to companies. Requesting, the to help the industry in creating demand, Ayukawa asked Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant for support. Kant was attending the session in which Ayukawa spoke. He requested Kant "to help us in creating demand". Ayukawa listed steps such as PLI scheme for exports, GST rate reduction and the 'Scrappage Incentive' scheme for domestic demand that can aide the sector in attracting demand. "The 'Scrappage Incentive' scheme for domestic demand can be a big support from your side in these challenging times," he said. Besides, he requested the auto components manufacturers for maximum localisation of inner parts and raw material to build 'Self-Reliant India'. "There is opportunity in adversity. Many companies in China are relocating or putting plants in other countries to cover geo-political risk," he said. "We should bring those investments to India or tie-up with them to produce in India. I will make efforts to organise some business exploration meetings with manufacturers of Japan to increase 'Make in India'." "Similarly we could do with other countries like Europe or Korea or USA." According to Ayukawa, SIAM's sourcing group has identified four categories of components where imports should be converted to local. "These are Electronics, some grades of Steel, Tooling and EV components. We would request you to take leadership and assume responsibility for localisation of these components," he said. "If we are able to achieve this, India will become very powerful for exports also. If you can produce ventilators and PPE in two months, I am confident you can achieve auto component localisation also. If there are challenges, I am sure Niti Aayog and the government will try to help us, as it is an important national objective also." --IANS rv/sn/kr (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.) Sonora, CA A family camping trip turned ugly when a fight broke out over sleeping arrangements, resulting in one relative being arrested for making threats and assault with a deadly weapon. Tuolumne County Sheriffs Deputies recently responded to the River Ranch Campground in the Twain Harte area for a report of a physical fight between three men with one brandishing a knife. Two male victims along with a witness told arriving deputies that their relative, 31-year-old John Olguin of Sonora, had attacked them. The victims detailed that Olguin also had a can of bear mace and that he had damaged/vandalized some property. They were able to walk away from the brawl without sustaining any injuries and Olguin was not hurt either. Olguin was arrested at the campsite without incident. A records check determined he was on parole. Olguin was arrested on a $40,000 bail for assault with a deadly weapon, criminal threats, violation of parole, and vandalism. MANZINI Well-known traditional healer, Elliot Black Cat Fakudze, claims he can find the missing corpse within three days. After reading the article which was published by this publications sister newspaper, The Times of Eswatini yesterday, where the family of the deceased businesswoman appealed to the nation to help them find closure, the traditional healer said his speaking calabashes could find the thieves and the corpse. Fakudze gained popularity in 2013 after claiming that he had a talking calabash which he consulted after the death of his son, Mukelo, who was a soldier and died after being allegedly punished by military police. He told this publication that his speaking calabashes could enable those who took the missing corpse to reveal their identities and confess their wrongdoing. The speaking calabashes can also find the corpse within three days, either buried or mutilated, Fakudze said. He said people could steal a corpse for many reasons and the main one was using some of the bones for muti. In that regard, he said actions to locate the people who took the body of Gladness Kimoro Edje and the corpse should be done immediately, before it was too late. He said in instances like these; especially when the intentions were to use the corpse for muti, they could reduce it to ashes in order to conceal evidence. He said they could have waited for the corpse to be buried and dig the tomb, but he supposed that she could be cremated. Fakudze also revealed that as a person who was initiated at Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and the fact that the family of the deceased from the country that made him what he was, and was encountering a problem in his native country, makes the matter close to his heart. Meanwhile, Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati said investigations were still ongoing and she appealed to the nation to assist them with any information that could lead to the recovery of the corpse and the people who took it from the morgue. She said those who might have any information about the missing corpse, should contact Manzini Police Station Commander Dumisani Dube on 7633 5818 or the Manzini Regional Crime Branch Officer (RCBO) Thabo Hlophe on 7605 3042. Alternatively, Vilakati said they should call the police through their emergency toll free line 999/9999. Again, the Director of Health Services, Dr Vusi Magagula, said they were still waiting for a formal report from the police, who were investigating the matter. Businesswoman It is worth noting that the late businesswoman died from a COVID-19 related sickness early August 2020 while undergoing treatment at Manzini Clinic and her corpse was taken to The National TB Hospital morgue at Moneni. However, a few days later, on August 5, 2020 to be specific, impeccable sources revealed that a group of unknown males came to collect her body and claimed to be her relatives. Thereafter, during the past weekend, the real family came to the hospital to claim the body of their loved one, but they learnt witch shock that a group of unknown men had already claimed it. This means that it has been a week since the family of the deceased businesswoman discovered that her body was missing from the morgue at The National TB Hospital. - Ghanaians have shaken to social media with photos of themselves displaying miscellaneous items as UN awards - This follows the popular Kofi Annan-UN Awards event that happened at the Alisa Hotel in Accra and honoured about 23 renowned individuals in Ghana - The awards ceremony turned out to be unreal, which set social media ablaze with different kinds of reactions Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in Rib-cracking photos have hit social media as some Ghanaians took to Twitter to 'honour' Dr UN, the organizer of the supposed fake Kofi Annan-UN Awards. As would be recalled, many top Ghanaian celebrities and icons were awarded on August 28, 2020, at the Alisa Hotel in Accra for their outstanding roles in society. As it turned out, checks made by some internet users have indicated that the award scheme was not credible and people have been reacting to that development wildly. READ ALSO: Video shows how fake UN award ceremony was touted as huge event with sponsors Photos drop as Ghanaians exchange items as awards in honour of Dr UN Source: Twitter, @cobbyarmstrong, @frankbecks2 Source: UGC READ ALSO: 7 Adorable grown-up photos of Home Sweet Home's young star Nina Check out some of the hilarious of people imitating photos below: Cobby O. Armstrong honoured his wife for Extraordinary WIFE of Distinction in a similar fashion as Dr UN's awards DerfliW dropped a photo displaying champagne bottles supposed to be awards he once received. READ ALSO: D-Black replies critics trolling him over fake UN award; photo pops up Franky pounds caused another stir with liquid soap being exchanged as an award: Popular comedian DKB also came with a video of himself holding cooking oil as an award from the UN As a representation of a fake award, @donovanarthur7 said his photo showed a photo of what he thinks the award received by Sarkodie would look like after 12 months. In a separate report, a video of the trending fake Kofi Annan-UN Award ceremony that many top Ghanaian celebrities and icons fell prey to, has surfaced. The footage sighted by YEN.com.gh on the official Facebook page of OMGVoice was an advertisement by the young man who paraded himself as a representative of the United Nations (UN). As it turned out, checks made by some internet users have indicated that the award scheme is not credible and that the Ghanaian claiming to be coming from the UN and representing the international body was actually a fraud. Enjoy reading our stories? Download YEN's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Ghana news! "Akufo-Addo deserves more than 8 years" - Ghanaian woman commends | #Yencomgh Share your stories and news by getting interactive on our Facebook page! Source: YEN.com.gh Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 13:43:55|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Photo taken on Sept. 4, 2020 shows United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Secretary-General Mukhisa Kituyi addressing the Global Trade in Services Summit of the 2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) via video, in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli) BEIJING, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Government leaders worldwide and officials in international organizations have applauded the 2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) unveiled on Friday in Beijing, stressing the importance of services trade and cooperation with China in promoting global economic recovery. Trade in services must underpin most national and regional development strategies, said Mukhisa Kituyi, secretary-general of UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in his online speech at the opening of the fair on Friday. "A services-led structural transformation is today a viable development strategy for many developing countries, and efforts at addressing challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic can be a catalyst at setting this transformation in motion," he said. Taking ICT (Information and Communications Technology) services and digitization as an example, Kituyi held that services-backed digitization can be instrumental to improving supply and export capacity and therefore enhancing economic resilience and promoting post-pandemic recovery. "China knows better than most countries the critical role the new generation of information technologies can play in epidemic control and prevention, and continuation of industrial production," he noted. Argentine President Alberto Fernandez stressed on Friday the importance of trade in services for the country's development, saying that Argentina is "proudly" joining the fair, which is one of the largest and most important events following efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. He also highlighted that mutually beneficial cooperation with China is key to global economic recovery, and expressed the desire to deepen ties with the Asian country. Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha also said Friday that his country is looking forward to stepping up bilateral trade and service cooperation with China. He expressed admiration for China's commitment to strengthening international trade and economic cooperation, promoting world economic recovery and ensuring stable global demand and supply chains. As Thailand has taken an active part in exhibitions and forums on food, energy and many other areas during the CIFTIS, Prayut said he hopes trade barriers will be reduced and more transparent rules for trading services will be introduced. To prevent the global economic downturn caused by the pandemic and boost trade in services as a new growth engine, South Korean Deputy Prime Minister Hong Nam-ki said Friday that South Korea and China are "required to alleviate excessive regulations and policy barriers that restrict services trade." "Trade barriers and regulations inflated the cost for services trade compared to goods trade," he added. The deputy prime minister also said that the two countries should expand their bilateral exchanges and innovative services development. "The CIFTIS can provide a great opportunity to expand the exchange of innovative services technology," said Hong, adding that the event is also a symbol of China's victory against the pandemic. Similarly, in his online speech for the CIFTIS' opening, World Trade Organization (WTO) Deputy Director-General Yi Xiaozhun said that the event highlights China's success in the combat against COVID-19, and demonstrates that the Chinese government constantly promotes market opening and trade in services. Highlighting services as the new frontier of global trade, the WTO official noted that services trade plays a crucial role in achieving sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth, adding that it is of crucial importance that policy-makers place services at the center of their future work. "Recognizing that unilateral protectionist actions lead to international trade tensions and bring damage to global economy, most WTO Members choose to cooperate within the multilateral trading system which provides rules-based, transparent and predictable conditions for services trade," he added. World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also suggested that events such as the CIFTIS should focus on not only economic growth, but also human development and creating opportunities to lift people out of poverty. In his online speech at the fair's opening, Tedros welcomed innovation such as big data and digital technology, but said "innovation is of most value when it narrows inequalities, not widens them," calling for building more equitable, sustainable and resilient societies through innovation against the backdrop of COVID-19. The 2020 CIFTIS is the first major international economic and trade event held both online and offline by China since the COVID-19 outbreak. Themed "Global Services, Shared Prosperity," the six-day fair has a comprehensive exhibition area and eight special exhibition areas. A total of 18,000 enterprises and institutions from 148 countries and regions and about 100,000 people have registered for it. Enditem This is the first in an ongoing series of stories The Road to a Vaccine that will look at Canadas quest to secure a COVID-19 vaccine amid the global pandemic, as well as the hurdles and history it faces to do so. Its been compared to the space race. Nations around the world are in fierce competition. But this time, the end goal is a lot closer to home, as dozens of labs are rushing toward a singular goal: a COVID-19 vaccine. Equally important are the agreements to buy access to that vaccine, when one eventually proves successful. One after another, Canada has inked deals with four companies whose candidates look promising, and officials say there are likely more to come. This past week, it was with Maryland-based Novavax and Janssen Inc., the pharmaceutical arm of Johnson & Johnson which has agreed to deliver millions of doses of its eventual COVID-19 vaccine, should it develop one that works, and should it pass Health Canada approval. Those arent small hurdles to clear, but with the first shipment of vaccine possible as soon as early 2021, global jockeying to establish a supply of vaccine that works is now underway. Listen to Alex Boyd discuss the road to a vaccine Over the past six months, the relentless spread of a no-longer-novel coronavirus has forced millions inside and laid waste to economic growth around the world. Hopes that the world may yet return to some semblance of the old normal are largely resting on one thing: a vaccine. But for possibly the first time in history, countries around the world all want the same thing, and they want it as soon as they can get it. The environment is incredibly competitive and intense, said Anita Anand, federal minister of public services and procurement. Anand is leading a group of public servants she says have been working day and night all summer to make sure Canadians will have access to vaccines when the time comes. Scenes from around the world have almost evoked the space race: last month, Russia became the first country to announce it was approving a vaccine for use on its own citizens Vladimir Putin even claimed his own daughter had been inoculated though the global scientific community remains skeptical. China is offering experimental vaccines to aviation workers, according to Reuters, while the U.S. was quick out of the gate, signing some of the very first purchase agreements. You get huge prestige for being first, and you get huge prestige for being first in line to buy it from the winner, said Colin Furness, an infection-control epidemiologist and assistant professor at the University of Toronto. Canada, like many deep-pocketed western countries, is hedging its bets by negotiating advance deals with companies at work on vaccine candidates currently considered front-runners, as well as providing financial support to a few homegrown efforts. Were spending like drunken sailors saying, Oh, lets put our eggs in multiple baskets and see what happens, Furness said. I think thats smart. Its a gamble, but its a gamble thats absolutely worth taking because the stakes are high. Anand told the Star the government is looking to invest in a diverse portfolio of vaccines: We cant afford, for the sake of Canadian health and welfare, to bank on one vaccine alone. There are roughly 200 groups in the world working on vaccines, Anand says, and the Vaccine Task Force made up of 18 vaccine, immunology and industry experts is giving the Canadian government advice, along with Health Canada, on which horses to back. This past weeks announcement brings Canadas total agreements to four, including Pfizer and U. S-based Moderna, and Anand says the government is in active negotiations with more. Those four contracts have Canada locked in to buy a minimum of 88 million doses. From there, depending on which vaccine proves most useful, the agreements include options to buy an additional 102 million doses. That means if Canada a country of 37.5 million people decided to buy the maximum amount, its currently entitled to a total of 190 million doses. All of the purchase agreements involve advance payments that Canada will have to pay out, regardless of whether a viable vaccine ever materializes. This system is also still a gamble, albeit one backed by expert advice, so there is a chance Canada could end up with too many vaccines or miss out on an important one, at least at first. A lot of details are still being worked out or are being kept under wraps with global haggling underway, including such things as how much the vaccines would cost, when theyd be delivered, and where theyd be produced. Anand says the government is bound by confidentiality agreements that prevent it from disclosing how much its spending but called the investment substantial. Other countries, including the U.S., have also signed agreements with the same companies and without delivery dates its also not clear whether Canada is in front of or behind the States in line. But part of the reason why Canada is putting multiple eggs in multiple baskets is because experts dont see this as a hunt for just one silver bullet. There will probably be several successful vaccines, each working slightly differently. Think of it like different kinds of toothpaste: they all clean, but using different ingredients and additives. Some also whiten your teeth, while others are better for your enamel. In the same way, some vaccines may give you stronger immunity for a short period of time, while others could give you slightly less protection for longer. Others might work better on different age groups, or with people who have particular health concerns. Canadas plan, advocates say, means we have a better chance of ending up with a grab bag of vaccines that collectively work for most Canadians. In many ways, the governments scrambles to get its hands on PPE early on in the pandemic in which it was criticized for not manufacturing more at home have acted as training wheels for this new, larger task. I think theres been a real consciousness that we cant just assume everythings going to be fine. We need to get our elbows out, Furness said. We need to line up the supplies that we need, and the contracts and the agreements that we need, so that vaccine flows here, and that were able to administer it in a reasonable time. Anand said the government has taken a two-pronged approach to making sure the country has enough PPE; officials have imported such things as gloves and masks from overseas while also beefing up domestic capacity. Its taking the same approach with vaccines. So far, the government has put down $600 million to support various vaccine and therapy clinical trials. Part of that money is being used to scale up Canadian bio-manufacturing, which is the ability to make large amounts of things such as vaccines. A separate chunk of change $126 million was also announced this past week for a new two-storey facility in Montreal that the government says will be able to singlehandedly produce two million doses of vaccine every month by the end of next summer. At the same time, the government is also snapping up things such as syringes, needles and alcohol swabs so when it gets a vaccine in hand, it can actually be given out. Which is not to say its been smooth sailing. Canadas vaccine effort was possibly set back months recently when China refused to allow a Tianjin-based company known as CanSino Biologics, Inc. to ship vaccine samples to Halifax for testing. The company had a partnership with the National Research Council to develop a potential vaccine that is believed to be pretty far along, and the loss was a major blow to researchers. Thats frustrating, obviously, because we were doing the study for a purpose, which was to accelerate the availability of a vaccine in Canada, Dr. Scott Halperin, director of the Canadian Centre for Vaccinology, told the Star at the time. But as rich countries continue to lock down supplies for themselves, the result is an intensifying global marketplace in which money is becoming the determining factor in who gets access to a vaccine first, Furness notes. As we approach the finish line, the global competition could heat up. There isnt one set of rules, and crises bring out the worst in people, he said. This is a scarce resource thats proven quite vital. How do we ensure equitable access? I doubt that exists. I think ultimately its going to (come down to) money, and I think thats going to look pretty ugly. One attempt to make sure countries that cant afford vaccines arent left out in the cold is known as the COVAX Facility, which the World Health Organization has billed as an attempt to guarantee rapid, fair and equitable access to vaccines worldwide. The plan is to allow partner countries to pool money that will be invested in a wide range of vaccine candidates and any successful vaccines would then be shared among both the nations that chipped in and a list of lower-income countries supported by donations. Canada has expressed interested in joining the project, which, if successful, would deliver two billion vaccine doses around the world by the end of next year, of which Canada would get a share. Still, Furness says, the World Health Organization which has faced major criticism over its early handling of the pandemic doesnt have the global weight to make sure vaccines are distributed anywhere close to equitably. Its more likely, he says, that countries with vaccines might use them to flex their international muscle. For example, China might send doses to regions where it has a lot of investment interests, such as South America or Africa. We may see a country like China actually exerting a huge effort to ingratiate itself with areas in the world where it wants to increase influence, Furness said. This all matters to Canada, because while the world faces the spread of the same virus, the flow of vaccines will be buffeted by geopolitics and money. Still, Anand says her team is up to the task. Do not underestimate the sophistication and heft that Canada brings to the table, she said. The ability to be flexible in terms of doses and our delivery date, the ability to secure competitive pricing is a result of a very sophisticated group of public servants that are working day and night. Although delivery timing depends on clinical trials, regulatory approval from Health Canada and manufacturing capacity, she said the earliest of Canadas aggressively negotiated delivery schedules could see vaccines arriving as soon as early 2021. For Parliament's young fathers, an unexpected silver lining in the pandemic has been spending more time with their children while doing the notoriously family-unfriendly job. Greens leader Adam Bandt wants the government to give all new fathers the chance to do the same by increasing the amount of use it or lose it parental leave on offer to dads and supporting partners. Greens leader Adam Bandt, here with his wife Claudia and children Wren and Elke, wants to increase the amount of parental leave on offer to new fathers. Credit:Justin McManus At the moment, mothers have 18 weeks parental leave paid at the minimum wage while their partners get two weeks. But while more than 158,500 women used this entitlement in 2017/18, only 81,500 men did. Mr Bandt points to international experience showing increasing the daddy quota of leave leads to more fathers actually taking it. He wants it to become the normal thing to do. Ethiopia's northern Tigray region will head to the polls on Wednesday in defiance of the federal government, the latest challenge to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed from a slew of regional leaders flexing their muscles ahead of next year's national elections. Abiy has overseen sweeping democratic reforms since taking power in Africa's second most populous nation two years ago. But the federal government - and major opposition parties - agreed to postpone national and regional elections due in August until the COVID-19 pandemic was under control. Tigray, whose leaders dominated the previous administration and have often bitterly denounced Abiy, announced it would hold elections anyway. "We know there is an open threat by Abiy to militarily intervene against Tigray and to cut funds, but we will still go ahead with the vote," said Getachew Reda, a former federal information minister and now a spokesman for the Tigray People's Liberation Front. "We know there will be consequences." Abiy has given little away about his plans. A spokeswoman for his office said in a text message that the vote would provoke "a constitutional response" and referred Reuters to parliament. The spokesman for parliament, Ato Gebru Gebresilasie, did not return calls seeking comment, but a report by the International Crisis Group think tank warned last month that the two sides were on a "collision course" and said: "If Tigray proceeds, Abiy's government is ready to consider any new regional administration illegitimate." Tigrayans are only a small minority in the Horn of Africa nation of 110 million, but dominated power since 1991, when the Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front drove a Marxist military dictator from power. The Front was a coalition of four ethnically-based parties, including the Tigray People's Liberation Front. Last year, three of the four parties in the coalition joined to create the new Prosperity Party under Abiy. The Tigrayans refused. Some said they felt persecuted - many former officials who have appeared on trial since Abiy took power are Tigrayan. But in a dynamic playing out all over Ethiopia, the long-ruling regional party is itself facing pressure from more zealous ethnic nationalists. A new party is openly pushing Tigrayan secession from Ethiopia, a polyglot nation of more than 80 ethnic groups. For now, that's a fringe idea, said Dr Asnake Kefale, associate professor of political science at Addis Ababa University. "Among the people there isn't a will to become independent," he said. "It's an idea that is played with by the elites." Search Keywords: Short link: Britain will not 'blink' in crunch Brexit talks this week, Boris Johnson's chief negotiator has declared, in a marked ratcheting up of pressure on Brussels. In an exclusive interview with The Mail on Sunday, Lord Frost warned his EU counterpart Michel Barnier the UK would not become a 'client state' of Brussels by accepting restrictions on fishing rights and vetos of our laws. His comments come ahead of Mr Barnier's arrival in London for a fresh round of talks on Tuesday. The two sides have just weeks to finalise any legally binding agreement that needs to be in force by December 31 if a No Deal Brexit is to be avoided. In the interview his first since being appointed in January Lord Frost said the EU needed to realise that Mr Johnson's Government was adopting a more steely and determined approach than Theresa May's. Britain will not 'blink' in crunch Brexit talks this week, Boris Johnson's chief negotiator, pictured, has declared, in a marked ratcheting up of pressure on Brussels He said: 'We came in after a Government and negotiating team that had blinked and had its bluff called at critical moments and the EU had learned not to take our word seriously. 'So a lot of what we are trying to do this year is to get them to realise that we mean what we say and they should take our position seriously.' To demonstrate the Government's readiness to accept No Deal, the Prime Minister has created a No 10 Transition Hub, with officials across key departments said to be 'working at pace' to prepare to trade without arrangements in place. The unit, boasting 'handpicked' officials from across Whitehall, will work with Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove, who has led the Government's work on No Deal preparations since last year. Lord Frost said the EU 'have not accepted that in key areas of our national life we want to be able to control our own laws and do things our way and use the freedoms that come after Brexit'. 'We are not going to be a client state. We are not going to compromise on the fundamentals of having control over our own laws. 'We are not going to accept level playing field provisions that lock us in to the way the EU do things; we are not going to accept provisions that give them control over our money or the way we can organise things here in the UK and that should not be controversial that's what being an independent country is about, that's what the British people voted for and that's what will happen at the end of the year, come what may.' Michel Barnier, right, and David Frost pictured arriving for Brexit trade talks last month. The comments come ahead of Mr Barnier's arrival in London for a fresh round of talks on Tuesday The bullish Brexit rhetoric is part of an attempt by Mr Johnson's No 10 to 're-grip the agenda' after a chaotic summer marked by an endless series of U-turns on issues such as Covid policy and A-level exam grades, with Tory backbenchers expressing growing disquiet over the professionalism of the Prime Minister's Downing Street operation. Meanwhile, in another febrile day in politics: Mr Johnson tried to face down continuing criticism over the lack of Covid testing at UK borders by considering replacing the economically ruinous 14-day quarantine period with tests after eight days; As the UK recorded 1,813 new coronavirus infections yesterday, and 12 more deaths, Public Health England figures showed that the highest case rates were among 15- to 44-year-olds, with young working adults aged between 20 and 29 most likely to be affected; Mr Johnson's drive to encourage workers to return to the office was undermined by this newspaper's discovery that the Civil Service is advertising new jobs as 'work from home' positions; The Prime Minister and Home Secretary Priti Patel condemned environmental protesters who blockaded newspaper printing presses as 'completely unacceptable', and asked advisers to draw up tougher laws to deal with the action by the Extinction Rebellion group; Hundreds of anti-immigration protesters clashed with police in Dover after a record 409 desperate asylum seekers crossed the Channel in one day. This week's Brexit talks the eighth round mark the final phase of the negotiations, with Lord Frost's team calling for 'more realism' from the EU side to break the deadlock. Mr Barnier's refusal to countenance an increase in the amount of fish the UK can take from its own waters, combined with an insistence on a Brussels veto over taxpayer support for businesses, have made a No Deal exit more likely that a deal, according to Government sources. One blamed the EU's 'self-imposed doctrine of parallelism' and a 'refusal to settle the simplest issues first, despite our willingness to up the pace and get into the detailed discussions of legal texts. The source added: 'We hope this week to see more ambition from the EU.' A source close to the negotiations said: 'We intensified the talks in July in order to reach a broad outline of an agreement this summer. Due to the EU's repeated refusal to accept that in key areas we need to do things in our own way, reflecting our new status as a sovereign, independent country, those difficult discussions are ongoing. We now face a critical round of negotiations. 'The EU must also realise that we are serious about leaving with an Australian-style trading relationship and reclaiming our independence as a sovereign nation if we cannot find acceptable terms. The bullish Brexit rhetoric is part of an attempt by Boris Johnson's No 10 to 're-grip the agenda' after a chaotic summer marked by an endless series of U-turns (pictured: PM on September 2) 'The whole Government has been extensively preparing to ensure that businesses and citizens are ready for the end of the transition period in any scenario. Outside the customs union, outside the single market and outside the EU.' Lord Frost said: 'Obviously, lots of preparation was done last year, we are ramping up again and have been for some time under Michael Gove's authority. 'I don't think that we are scared of this at all. 'We want to get back the powers to control our borders and that is the most important thing. 'If we can reach an agreement that regulates trade like Canada's, great. If we can't, it will be an Australian-like trading agreement and we are fully ready for that.' Mrs May was not available for comment last night. 'We want the EU to realise that we mean what we say': Boris Johnson's chief Brexit negotiator David Frost attacks ex-PM Theresa May for 'bluffing at crucial moments' in talks as he tells Brussels to take UK seriously By Glen Owen for the Mail on Sunday David Frost has quietly almost invisibly risen to hold an epoch-defining position in Boris Johnson's Government. While Rishi Sunak and Michael Gove vie to be the Prime Minister's 'chief executives', Lord Frost has been handed the dual responsibilities of leading the UK's post-Brexit trade negotiations with the EU and acting as Mr Johnson's National Security Adviser. It is a daunting in-tray for anyone, let alone someone who is still suffering such after-effects from the coronavirus infection he contracted in March that he struggles for breath when jogging. But the addition of Lord Frost's security brief is also a signal to Brussels that Downing Street expects the negotiations to be wrapped up soon, to allow Lord Frost to concentrate on the threats posed by Russia and China. When his new job was announced in June, it triggered a tart response from Theresa May, who called him a 'political appointee with no proven expertise in national security'. In his first interview since he started his duel with Michel Barnier, the EU's chief negotiator, Lord Frost delivers a dish-served-cold retaliation to Mrs May. With deadly understatement, Lord Frost contrasts Mr Johnson's gung-ho attitude with his predecessor's tortuous and ultimately doomed attempts to strike a deal With deadly understatement, he contrasts Mr Johnson's gung-ho attitude with his predecessor's tortuous and ultimately doomed attempts to strike a deal, saying that his 'big task' has been to 'reset the credibility of our words' in the wake of her administration. Making clear that the UK side will not 'blink first' when the eighth round of talks start in London on Tuesday, Lord Frost said: 'We came in after a Government and negotiating team that had blinked and had its bluff called at critical moments, and the EU had learned not to take our word seriously. 'So a lot of what we are trying to do this year is to get them to realise that we mean what we say and they should take our position seriously'. There have been many 'crunch' periods since the 2016 referendum, but the coming weeks promise to be the crunchiest of them all. Mr Barnier who will touch down in the UK just hours after Lord Frost takes up the Lords seat handed to him by Mr Johnson arrives with the two sides locked in an impasse over fishing rights and Government subsidies for businesses. If an agreement can't be signed by December, one of the many No Deal impacts could be a revival of the 'cod wars' of the 1970s, with Royal Navy vessels patrolling our sovereign fishing waters. Barnier's obduracy during the Zoom negotiations of the summer has led to mutterings in European capitals about him being elbowed aside in favour of leaders such as Germany's Angela Merkel. Lord Frost, 55, a former diplomat who rose to become the UK's ambassador to Norway, chooses his words with professional care, but is clearly seething about the EU's obstinacy. 'They have not accepted that in key areas of our national life we want to be able to control our own laws and do things our way and use the freedoms that come after Brexit,' he says. 'We are not going to be a client state. We are not going to compromise on the fundamentals of having control over our own laws. We are not going to accept level playing field provisions that lock us in to the way the EU do things; we are not going to accept provisions that give them control over our money or the way we can organise things here in the UK and that should not be controversial that's what being an independent country is about, that's what the British people voted for and that's will happen at the end of the year, come what may'. In his first interview since he started his duel with Michel Barnier, the EU's chief negotiator, Lord Frost delivers a dish-served-cold retaliation to Theresa May (pictured, file photo) Barnier is flatly refusing to countenance British demands for an increase in the fishing quota reserved for UK vessels in our own waters, describing it as a 'common resource'. Lord Frost appears baffled that, nine months into the post-Brexit transition period, the EU have still not 'internalised' the fact that the UK intends to be an 'independent sovereign nation'. He says: 'Let's hope that the end of the year concentrates minds for them, because that is a hard deadline. I think the EU is used to being in negotiations where they can go on endlessly where there is no fixed deadline, they stick to a position and it is really for the other side to move. 'What we want, which is the restoration of our own sovereignty and freedom as a country, happens whether the EU likes it or not at the end of the year. They are not used to doing that sort of negotiation. 'I think they spend too much time trying to guess what our intentions are and not enough time listening to our words'. It has been claimed that No 10 puts the chance of a deal no higher than per cent. 'I don't get in to percentages,' is all Lord Frost will say. Fish appears to be the biggest stumbling block. 'At the moment the EU is not engaging in that discussion,' says Lord Frost, before revving up for a small joke: 'They are looking to continue the status quo they want to have their fishcake and eat it'. He adds: 'The gap is huge and the constructive discussions on this have not started but there are fundamentals we are not going to compromise on and there has got to be a huge difference for our fishermen. We will need to control access to our waters in future and we will. The freedom to support fledgling technology firms is a keystone issue for Dominic Cummings (pictured on September 2) 'Michel says quite often that we accept that you are an independent coastal state, but then doesn't draw the legal conclusions from that'. Could we see the Royal Navy on patrol in January? 'I wouldn't like to comment on how we are going to control our waters, but it will be our job to control our waters and allow access to our waters if there isn't a fisheries agreement.' Almost as intractable as fish is the issue of state subsidies for business: UK negotiators say that the EU is insisting on retaining the power to stop the Government supporting private enterprise with taxpayers' money. The freedom to support fledgling technology firms is a keystone issue for Mr Johnson's powerful adviser Dominic Cummings, who wants to plough 800 million into 'high risk, high-reward British research' to stop foreign giants such as Apple from dominating the market. Lord Frost says: 'We are not going to agree to any arrangement that leaves the EU with some say over what we do with our money. We're not going to accept that sort of control because that wasn't what Brexit was about'. He also declares that he is 'in complete lockstep' with Mr Johnson's view that the UK does not have anything to fear from No Deal despite emergency planning in the Cabinet Office for a 'perfect storm' of a second wave of Covid-19 coinciding with a No Deal Brexit including power shortages, petrol queues and military airdrops of food. He says: 'Obviously, lots of preparation was done last year, we are ramping up again and have been for some time under Michael Gove's authority. 'I don't think that we are scared of this at all. 'We want to get back the powers to control our borders and that is the most important thing. 'If we can reach an agreement that regulates trade like Canada's, great. If we can't, it will be an Australian-like trading agreement and we are fully ready for that'. Lord Frost left the Civil Service in 2013 to join the Scotch Whisky Association, but as a rare Whitehall Brexiteer he was lured back by Mr Johnson as an adviser when he became Foreign Secretary and has remained a close member of his inner circle ever since. He brushes aside questions about Tory backbench unease over the No 10 operation following a string of U-turns 'it is a very professional operation' and decisions such as appointing 'homophobic' former Australian PM Tony Abbott as a trade adviser 'that's not my patch so I wouldn't like to comment'. Lord Frost, who is married to his second wife Harriet and has two children from his first marriage, studied medieval European history at Oxford, a period marked by plagues and wars. 'My view is that Medieval history is just as relevant to making decisions as more recent history,' he says. 'You can learn a lot.' So what does the EU need to learn? 'They need a model for dealing with independent states in the continent of Europe,' he says. 'They are struggling to relate to us as an independent sovereign state.' New Delhi, Sep 5 : The Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBIC) has decided to roll out the faceless assessment at an all India level in all ports of import and for all imported goods by October 31. The Faceless Assessment is being rolled out under the umbrella of the next generational Turant Customs programme. The key elements of the Turant Customs programme are faceless, contactless and paperless customs clearance processes. This includes faceless or anonymised assessment, self-registration of goods by importers, automated clearances of bills of entry, digitisation of Customs documents. "The objectives sought to be achieved are exponentially faster clearance of goods, reduced interface between trade and Customs officers and enhanced ease of doing business", as per an internal CBIC circular. The phased launch of the Turant Customs programme in select ports of import was aimed at testing in a real-life environment, the IT capabilities as well as the responsiveness of the trade and Customs officers to the various initiatives. "The results have been reviewed and these have confirmed that the stated objectives are being met. The stage is now set for extending the Turant Customs programme across all Customs ports pan India and thereby ushering in a more modern, efficient, and professional Customs administration with resultant benefits for trade and industry", CBIC noted. The pilot programme of Faceless Assessment was launched in Chennai on August 14 for primarily electrical machineries falling under Chapter 85 of the Customs Tariff Act,1975. This pilot programme was subsequently expanded to Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Delhi, Mundra and Visakhapatnam for goods primarily falling under Chapters 39, 84, 86 to 92, 72 to 83 and 50 to 71 of the Customs Tariff Act, 1975. CBIC said it was intimated that the designated nodal Commissioners would be precursors to the National Assessment Centres (NACs). Accordingly, the Board has decided to constitute a total 11 NACs, as mentioned in Annexure II. These NACs are organized commodity-wise according to the First Schedule to the Customs Tariff Act, 1975. Each NAC shall be co-convened by the Principal Chief Commissioners/Chief Commissioners of the Zones. Each NAC shall consist of the Principal Commissioners/Commissioners of Customs. The NACs have a critical role in the successful implementation of Faceless Assessment. In addition to their existing work, the NACs need to work in a coordinated manner to ensure that all assessments are carried out in a timely manner and there is no delay or hold up of the Bills of Entry. The NACs would also examine the assessment practices of imported goods across Customs stations to bring about uniformity and enhanced quality of assessments. The important responsibilities of the NACs will be to monitor the assessment practice for enhancing uniformity of classification, valuation, exemption benefit and compliance with import policy conditions. It will also assess the application of Compulsory Compliance Requirements (CCRs) and ensure uniform practices in accordance with the relevant statutes/Legal provisions. It will also study audit objections and take corrective actions regarding assessments, wherever necessary and provide inputs to the concerned ports of import. NACs shall also coordinate with Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI) related to management of alerts undertaken by the NAC, Directorate General of Valuation (DGoV) to enhance expertise related to sensitive commodities handled. DGoV shall also appoint a nodal person for every NAC for better coordination. Before the rollout of Faceless Assessment, the Nodal Commissioners in the NAC shall coordinate to take all measures to ensure that Faceless Assessment is smooth and creates no disruption in the assessment and clearance of goods. Before the launch, the Customs locations within each Zone, performing Faceless Assessment may be identified. The volume of import and availability of adequate officers may be taken into consideration for such identification and nominate sufficient number of officers for the Faceless Assessment. The officers should be more than two at all levels, to ensure availability. To the extent possible, a dedicated team of officers may be posted to the Faceless Assessment Groups. Europe's unprecedented stimulus plan has changed how many investors look at the region, the head of the euro zone's crisis fund told CNBC Saturday. Investors have often criticized Europe for its lack of coordination and weak institutions, especially since the sovereign debt crisis shook the bloc. However, according to Klaus Regling, head of the European Stability Mechanism a crisis fund set up in 2012 there's a different opinion in the market now, after the European Union agreed to jointly raise funds to address the coronavirus crisis. "Many people in the markets tell me: 'We are more positive on Europe than the last 10 years ever,' because of the quick reaction, the big volume of money and the good coordination," Regling told CNBC's Steve Sedgwick at the European House Ambrosetti Forum. In May about two months since strict lockdowns were imposed across Europe the EU announced its first stimulus measures to support nations dealing with the economic shocks from the virus. This was then escalated in July, when the 27 countries of the EU announced they would be raising 750 billion euros ($888 billion) in public markets to invest across the region. The plan still has some legislative hurdles to overcome, but it marks the first time that the group of nations has agreed to issue such a vast amount of common debt. Markets welcomed the move, with some calling it Europe's "Hamiltonian moment," in reference to the deal struck by U.S. Founding Father Alexander Hamilton to convert previous debts into joint obligations of the federal union. Some believe the deal opens the precedent for common debt issuances in future crises. Speaking to CNBC, Regling also noted that the global response to the crisis had lacked coordination in comparison with the 2008 global financial crisis. "But of course we know why it's so different this time," he said, citing that "the United States has moved away from multilateralism" and the "big conflict between China and the U.S." AUCKLAND, New Zealand Its a question many parents of children with dwarfism have contemplated: If a medication could make them taller, would they give it to them? Now, that possibility is becoming less hypothetical. A study published this weekend in the journal The Lancet found that an experimental drug called vosoritide increased growth in children with the most common form of dwarfism to nearly the same rate as in children without the condition. The study has raised hope that the drug, if taken over the course of years, can make life easier for those with the condition, known as achondroplasia, including the distant prospect of alleviating major quality-of-life issues such as back pain and breathing difficulties. But the drug has also ignited a contentious debate in a community that sees dwarf pride as a hard-won tenet where being a little person is a unique trait to be celebrated, not a problem in need of a cure. E xtinction Rebellion protesters are now facing large fines for if they breach police rules this weekend after hundreds were arrested over the last few days. More than 500 people were detained at the central London protests this week after the group launched its two-week action on Tuesday. Around 200 arrests were linked to a blockade of Lambeth Bridge on Thursday, which shut the route off to traffic. Earlier in the day, people glued themselves to the ground around Parliament, while others staged sit-ins at other entrances to the parliamentary estate. Extinction Rebellion: London demonstrations 1 /102 Extinction Rebellion: London demonstrations PA PA Extinction Rebellion UK AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images PA AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images PA AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images PA Getty Images Getty Images AFP via Getty Images PA AFP via Getty Images Jeremy Selwyn The environmental campaign group has planned events to be held at several landmarks in the capital PA Extinction Rebellion protesters in Parliament Square, London PA Extinction Rebellion protesters tussle with police officer in Parliament Square PA Extinction Rebellion protesters in Parliament Square PA Actor Juliet Stevenson speaks at an Extinction Rebellion protest PA PA AFP via Getty Images PA PA REUTERS AFP via Getty Images PA Jeremy Selwyn Jeremy Selwyn Jeremy Selwyn Jeremy Selwyn Jeremy Selwyn PA AFP via Getty Images PA REUTERS PA Reuters AFP via Getty Images Reuters PA Jeremy Selwyn AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images Reuters PA Reuters Reuters PA AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images PA PA Reuters Getty Images Getty Images REUTERS AFP via Getty Images Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AP REUTERS AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images PA Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images They have been banned from taking a 20ft model boat named after teenage activist Greta Thunberg to the streets of Westminster. While Friday was a quieter day, a procession of activists that set of from Brighton on foot a week ago is due to march the final stretch to Parliament on Saturday. Now the climate protesters ar being warned they face huge fines if they fail to comply with coronavirus rules banning gatherings of more than 30 people. Scotland said risk assessments explaining how Extinction Rebellion (XR) activists were minimising the possibility of Covid-19 transmission did not meet the required standard. Extinction Rebellion protesters in London are now facing large fines for if they breach police rules this weekend after hundreds were arrested over the last week / AFP via Getty Images The force said XRs latest round of demonstrations pose a risk, not only to those involved, but to the wider public and communities of London. Last Sunday, former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyns brother Piers was fined 10,000 for arranging a protest in Trafalgar Square involving hundreds of anti-mask and anti-vaccination activists. In an open letter to XR protesters on Friday, the Met said: It is your responsibility to check the position and ensure you are not committing an offence by being involved in a large gathering. Demonstrators protesting against HS2 / PA We urge anyone arranging a gathering to inform your local police. We all need to continue to do our part to prevent the spread of the virus. On Friday Met Police Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolf warned the group not to take The Lightship Greta into an area stretching from Green Park to Lambeth. She imposed an order under Section 12(3) of the Public Order Act 1986, saying: I reasonably believe that the procession may result in serious disruption to the life of the community. The Lightship Greta features the words Sound the alarm Climate Emergency on its side. Claudia Fisher, 58, of Extinction Rebellion Brighton, said of the boat: The voyage of Lightship Greta aims to highlight the journey that many climate refugees are taking right now and many millions more will be forced to undertake. More of us will be displaced and have to leave our homes for each degree of heating of our earth. As the seawater rises and the fires burn, where would you go? This is a crisis that will impact us all it is just a matter of time, and time is running out. Touzani obviously knew why she wanted to write about a woman like Samia. It was only after she wrote the script, she says, that she realised how much Ablas bitterness reflected her own experience of grief. I started making films when my father passed away, because I felt that I had a real need to express myself, says Touzani. In Moroccan tradition, women are excluded from death; they cannot even go to a family burial. I really felt the need to speak about the way we are allowed to grieve in my society and the way society treats women as well, the things you are allowed to do and the things you are not allowed to do because youre a woman. Abla was made from all that. Film director Maryam Touzani working on her film Adam. Credit:Sharmill Baking becomes both metaphor and vector for Ablas rediscovery of her emotional self. Samia shows her that kneading dough is not just a job, but a sensual pleasure. To be able to make their traditional festive cakes, constructed like nests strips of dough pinched, bunched and thrown together, is a beautiful gift. Both actors practised to master these traditional techniques for real. It was very important to me that they experience this kneading, says Touzani. That its something that is not acted. I wanted it to be something that was really felt. It was also significant that this represented a tradition, those recipes handed down through generations of women. Its about all these things we are losing as well, beautiful things that make us who we are and define our identity. But then, of course, there are a lot of things in tradition I want to question as well. Touzani is married to another filmmaker, Nabil Ayouch, with whom she has collaborated on previous films. Making serious films in Morocco is a challenge, she says, because there are only 40 cinemas in the country, which largely show American blockbusters or the handful of broad comedies made in Morocco each year. Arthouse films will be shown in festivals, but are rarely seen by the people about whom they were made. Adam was the exception. The first screening was for an audience of unmarried mothers. Ever since her family took in their pregnant guest, Touzani has been involved with several NGOs helping pregnant single women, helping where she can and listening to their stories. Now she watched as they saw one of those stories told back to them. I think this was the most beautiful, emotionally intense moment I have experienced in my life, she says. They said that for the first time, they felt dignified. They werent just numbers or statistics, but human beings being looked at in the eyes, you know. Loading The film was then shown widely, she says, stimulating a vigorous public debate. About abortion, about the place of unwed mothers, about the place of these children, she says. What is interesting about Morocco is that when there are films that really tackle these issues in a certain manner, the debate can be very rich. You realise that at the end of the day there are a lot more people who are open to debate than most people think. It also coincided with a broader push for liberty partly centred around the case of Hajar Raissouni, a 28-year-old journalist imprisoned after having allegedly had an abortion. What was wonderful was that there was a huge social movement to defend this journalist and liberate her, says Touzani. Sentenced to a year in prison, Raissouni was released after a month following a pardon from the king. Any suggestions Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had lost his scoring touch were left looking rather foolish as the Manchester United boss showed his strikers how it is done in training. Filmed by assistant manager Mike Phelan, Solskjaer is seen receiving a ball on his right foot, taking another touch beyond a mannequin marker before striking into the top corner. 'Bang, bang... boom,' comes a voice off camera as the Norwegian expertly picks out the top right corner of the net - and the clip quickly got lots of attention on social media. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer showed he has not lost his scoring touch during a training exercise Shifting the ball onto his right foot after a pass from the left, Solskjaer prepared to shoot The net had holes in various locations and the aim of the exercise is to fire into the top corner Solskjaer, who spent 11 years at United as a player, found the top corner finish with aplomb The boss has still got it @Mike_Phelan_1 pic.twitter.com/hCx1cMmtvv Manchester United (@ManUtd) September 5, 2020 The 47-year-old United boss is more used to playing his part on the touchline and in the dugout these days but he has not lost his scoring touch. He formed part of United's attack from 1996 to 2007 and famously scored the winning goal against Bayern Munich to seal the treble in 1999. Solskjaer will hope his strikers saw the clip of his top-corner finish as the Norwegian ramps up preparations for the new Premier League season. Solskjaer is more used to striking on the touchline as manager of Manchester United now Due to United's run to the Europa League semi-finals last month, their start to the new campaign has been delayed by a further week. United start 2020-21 at home against Crystal Palace on September 19 and Solskjaer will look to his strikers to hit the ground running with so much competition for places at the club right now. Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood combined for 62 goals in all competitions last season. With Bruno Fernandes preparing for his first full season, Paul Pogba back healthy and 40million arrival Donny van de Beek looking to make a statement in England, Solskjaer will hope he is seeing the ball go into the back of the net on a regular basis as he looks to build on last season's third-placed finish. Dr. Sarvam TerKonda of the Mayo Clinic Center for Connected Care consults with a patient. In 2019, Mayo Clinics campus in Florida was ramping up its virtual options for patients, and providers conducted about 100 appointments by video throughout the year. This spring, with people staying home as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the clinic was performing about 600 virtual patient visits per day. I think thats been a real advantage of the pandemic its really allowed us to utilize telemedicine to benefit both patients and clinicians, says Dr. Sarvam TerKonda, a plastic surgeon and a medical director for Mayo Clinic Center for Connected Care. And Mayo Clinic patients have embraced the change and are pleased with the process: Surveys are showing that 95 percent to 98 percent of patients rate the video appointments as a positive experience, TerKonda says. During the pandemic, doctors in many parts of the country have connected with their patients online instead of in person for everyones safety. Patients who had adapted to connecting to family and friends via video smoothly transitioned to seeing their physicians that way too, minimizing a lot of potential technical difficulties. And this situational advance of telemedicine has left many doctors and patients hoping it will continue to be an option even when life returns to normal. While some diagnoses require a physical exam, such as listening to the heart or touching a mass, TerKonda says there are many appointments where virtual visits work just as well. For TerKonda, those include pre-op and post-op appointments with his patients. The technology has also helped minimize contact with patients of Mayo Clinic who have COVID-like symptoms. Dr. Eric Singman, a neuro-ophthalmologist and medical director for clinical operations at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, agrees that with a good camera and internet connection, real-time videoconferencing is a great option for some routine consultations, dermatology and radiology appointments and other practices. Hes also excited that telemedicine may offer patients more quality time with physicians. Story continues In a sense, its turned the clock backwards, in that it starts to develop the physician-patient relationship that we were taught were the good old days, when a doctor was someone who knew his patients and the patients knew him. Telemedicine allows that relationship, Singman says. This is your real golden opportunity to ask your doctor questions. Your doctor is hopefully not going to be distracted with looking at and checking your blood pressure or checking your pulse or listening to your lungs which means you have his ears probably better than youve ever had his ears before. With some restrictions temporarily loosened to allow doctors to bill for online appointments in more cases as well as to practice across state lines, patients have been able to safely get the information they need while quickly receiving answers to questions that may have taken more time if they had to go into the doctors office, Singman says. If virtual appointments are still widely available post-pandemic, Singman feels it might free up doctors schedules as well as exam rooms that are needed for more in-depth or physical exams. The time saved from traveling to the office and sitting in the waiting room has been convenient for patients, too. I really liked how easy it was to connect and speak with the doctor, and I can actually make same-day appointments with my own doctor, says Kathia Kortanek of Reston, Va. I really didnt need to be at the doctors office, and it saved me lots of time. Even if the doctor was running late, I was home and could do other things while waiting. Based on her positive experiences, Kortanek says she would love to have the chance to continue with virtual appointments in the future. Telemedicine has gotten a tremendous boost because of the COVID situation. And itd be a real shame to go backwards, Singman says. If the main goal is good patient care and good patient access to care, then I think that telemedicine is an answer to that. USA TODAY's Best Years magazine This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: During the pandemic, more patients are booking telehealth visits Dear Amy: In a previous column, Disappointed relayed a strange statement that her (married male) friend and neighbor made about wanting to kiss her face all over when the pandemic ended. It occurred to me that all of the isolation and masking has been having a really weird effect on some married men. Our youngest daughter works at a local outdoor business, helping customers and doing hard, sweaty, manual labor. Almost every day she tells us about the inappropriate behavior of some male customers. They get way too close to her and make extremely flirtatious or suggestive comments to her with their wives standing just a couple of feet away. Its so weird; weve wondered if these men are so desperate for attention from being cooped up at home. Perhaps they think their mask prevents their wife from hearing what they are saying. The wives clearly do hear it, but dont react, which is also strange. These men may also feel that they can intimidate female employees more during this time, because they desperately need their jobs and wont make a fuss. Social isolation is not a good thing. Mad Mom Dear Mad Mom: Yes, I suppose it is possible that isolation and mask-wearing has prompted strange behavior (not confined to men, surely). I dont know how your daughter can discern whether these mens wives really do hear what they are saying to her, but she should speak up if any customers are sexually inappropriate toward her. Salespeople are expected to put up with a lot of challenging behavior (from the merely obtuse, to the outright rude) but no service worker should have to tolerate suggestive or sexual comments directed at them. I sincerely hope that management has her back regarding this, but even if she does not take up this issue with management, if a customer is standing too close to her, she should say, Sir, you are standing too close. Could you please step back three paces? (People sometimes forget to maintain distance, especially outside, or they may have a hard time hearing someone who is trying to speak through a mask, so they instinctively step closer.) And if a customer makes a sexually inappropriate comment to her, she might say, That is inappropriate. Im going to look for male salesperson to assist you. Hopefully, you will not use this same language with him. Dear Amy: I consider myself to be an easy-going, "low-maintenance" person. I also pride myself on being considerate and expect the same from close friends and family. Here is my quandary: I recently celebrated my birthday, and year after year, my husbands brother and sister neglect to send me any well-wishes. This is despite the fact that we are quite close. They also have been told repeatedly when it is, and have reportedly put it in their calendars. My husband reminds them after the fact, at which point I get belated wishes and apologies, which I have accepted in the past. In addition, both of their birthdays are within weeks of mine, and I always send them a text wishing them a great day. I am trying to "rise above" this, but am at the point where I want to bag it and stop trying on this front. I hate being petty, but this is hurtful. Forgotten Birthday Girl Dear Forgotten: When people behave in a consistent fashion, year after year, the fact that you continue to expect these people to behave differently says much more about you than it does about them. Dialing your own expectations down to zero would truly be the gift that keeps on giving. Many people dont enjoy birthdays their own, or others'. This day seems overloaded with expectations, and the simplest birthday greeting can induce social paralysis. Behaving well should not be transactional, but if it makes you feel like a loser to acknowledge their birthdays, then stop. I suspect that your in-laws might actually be relieved to fall off of your birthday-greeting list. Dear Amy: In your response to Frustrated, you noted that her spying and continuously checking her husbands phone was actually triggering more anxiety. I had that exact experience. I was constantly sneaking a look at my wifes phone (we had trust issues). One day I decided to try to stop looking. I felt much better. It turns out the act of spying made me need to spy more. Happier Dear Happier: Good for you! (You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.) COPYRIGHT 2020 BY AMY DICKINSON. Read more advice: Ask Amy: Separated soulmates are eager to connect Dear Annie: Looking to hop off the hamster wheel Dear Abby: Children cut off stepmother with dads power of attorney Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 4) The Department of Budget and Management said more than 300 billion has been allocated for the governments COVID-19 response. Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado said during the budget deliberation of the House of Representatives Committee on appropriations that they are proposing a health budget of 212.39 billion for next year to fund COVID-19 response, strategies, and programs that are consistent with the implementation of the Universal Healthcare Act. This will be allocated for the governments insurance program, medical assistance to Indigent patients, as well as procurement of more than 2 million personal protective equipment, GeneXpert machines and cartridges, and COVID-19 vaccine, to mention some. Another 90 billion is allotted to various departments for their COVID-19 response programs, Avisado said. This includes the Department of Health, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Health, and the Department of Public Works and Highways. The proposed 4.506 trillion budget for 2021 was approved by President Rodrigo Duterte early-August. This is higher than the 2020 budget at P4.1 trillion, and will focus on projects that will boost the governments response versus the health crisis. Duterte was given special powers to reallocate portions of the 2020 budget for COVID-19 response through the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, or Bayanihan 1. Its second version was already ratified by both houses, and is just awaiting the signature of the President. Some 1.7 million jobs created next year Meanwhile, acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Chua told lawmakers that with their recovery program, which includes the 2021 proposed budget, there will be 1.7 million jobs to be created next year. NEDAs phased and adaptive recovery program has three phases that includes emergency stage, recovery stage, and the resiliency stage. Emergency stage, which used the Bayanihan 1, addressed issues like subsidy to the poor and low income Filipinos, support to small businesses, support to key sectors like agriculture, and improvement of the countrys healthcare system. Key features of the recovery stage, which will be supported by the Bayanihan 2 along with certain measures like Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Act, include resumption of priority infrastructure projects, improved implementation of programs under Bayanihan 1, and targeted tax incentives, among others. For the resiliency stage that will be complemented by the 2021 budget, the government targets to formulate structural reforms to create opportunities under the new normal, and to implement other programs to help in the recovery of Filipinos. The creation of jobs will also be supported by higher spending on infrastructure projects, Chua said. For next year, allocated budget for the governments Build, Build, Build program is up 1.121 trillion from 785 billion in 2020, and Avisado said these projects will generate 140,000 up to 200,000 jobs. The Philippine Statistics Authority reported on Thursday that some 4.6 million Filipinos were out of work in July, with a 10 percent unemployment rate among Filipinos. This lower than 17.7 percent recorded in April this year, but still higher than 5.4 percent in the same period last year. Chua said during the hearing that community restrictions will have a significant impact on employment for the rest of the year. He said they observed that 7.5 million jobs were brought back as the country transitioned to less strict community restrictions between April and July. Britains Got Talent returns to TV screens on Saturday night with the start of the semi-finals. Ant and Dec host the pre-recorded show, which went on a long hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic. The auditions episodes were broadcast on ITV in the spring. The show will see Diversity star Ashley Banjo take Simon Cowells place on the judging panel while the music mogul recovers from back surgery. FIRST LOOK After a tough deliberation, the Judges are finally ready to reveal who will be making it through to the #BGT 2020 SEMI-FINALS! Don't miss Britain's Got Talent: The Finalists Revealed, this Sunday, 6:30pm on @ITV and @WeAreSTV. pic.twitter.com/hjlfm19Ekb BGT (@BGT) August 28, 2020 Ant and Dec previously told fans they will see a virtual audience on-screen instead of the usual live audience in the auditorium. We have 500 people on a huge wall in the studio and they are all sat at home watching it, Declan Donnelly told This Morning. So we have an audience and they are all sat on their sofa clapping and cheering along, its really good. Ant McPartlin added: Its tough for the acts, especially for comedians, to come out there in front of nobody, so we needed something and theyve come up with this. The dozens of acts to have made it through to the semi-finals include Aidan McCann, a young magician from Ireland; Amanda and rescue dog Miracle a magic act from Scotland; the Chineke! Junior Orchestra and Class Dynamix, a choir from Leeds. The show airs on ITV from 8pm. Union Defence Minister of India, Rajnath Singh met his Chinese counterpart General Wei Fenghe in Moscow. Defence Minister Singh's office informed that their meeting went on for around 2 hours 20 minutes. The meeting between Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Chinese counterpart General Wei Fenghe has concluded, informed the Union Defence Ministers office. The Union Defence Ministers office on Friday at around 11.53 p.m., tweeted that the meeting between Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh and Chinese Defence Minister, General Wei Fenghe in Moscow was over, the meeting lasted for 2 hours and 20 minutes. India has earlier urged China to sincerely engage with it to restore peace and tranquillity in border areas through complete disengagement and de-escalation. Speaking at the weekly briefing on Thursday, MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said that the way ahead is negotiations both through diplomatic and military channels. Also read: Russia reiterates policy of no arms supply to Pak on Indias request The meeting between Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh and Chinese Defence Minister, General Wei Fenghe in Moscow is over. The meeting lasted for 2 hours and 20 minutes. / RMO India (@DefenceMinIndia) September 4, 2020 Met with the Chinese Defence Minister, General Wei Fenghe in Moscow. pic.twitter.com/Jex9gKCf98 Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) September 4, 2020 Also read: Japan will offer incentives to companies moving from China to India: Nikkei The situation with China has been tense and India is continuously engaging with them at the military and diplomatic level, Army Chief General MM Naravane, in an exclusive interview to ANI, said earlier today, who visited Ladakh to review the situation. India recently outflanked China by taking control of strategic height near Pangong lakes southern bank. It thwarted an attempt by the Chinese army to transgress into Indian areas near the southern bank of Pangong Tso near Chushul in Ladakh. At least two rounds of Brigade-Commander level talks have taken place ever since China tried to unilaterally change the status quo. Singh is on a three-day visit to Russia to attend the combined meeting of Defence Ministers of SCO. India and China are engaged in a standoff since April-May over the transgressions by the Chinese Army in multiple areas including Finger area, Galwan valley, Hot springs and Kongrung Nala. The situation worsened after 20 Indian soldiers were killed in violent clashes with Chinese troops in Galwan valley in June. The talks between the two sides have been going on for the last three months including five Lieutenant general-level talks but have failed to yield any results, so far. Also read: India proposes voluntary G-20 principles on cross border movement Advertisement Members of the MS-13 and 18 gangs were packed into overcrowded cells yesterday in El Salvador as they waited to be searched and inspected due to coronavirus concerns. Authorities from the General Directorate of Penal Centres (DGCP) visited three Salvadorean prisons, some of them maximum security, to check on the inmates and to carry out searches amid the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic. Pictures show the heavily tattooed gangsters, most of them wearing coronavirus face masks, rammed into tiny cages as authorities inspect the facilities. Gang members are seen inside a cell at Quezaltepeque jail during a media tour, in Quezaltepeque, El Salvador yesterday A member of the 18 gang looks on from an overcrowded cell at the Quezaltepeque prison, in Quezaltepeque, El Salvador yesterday Members of the MS-13 and 18 gangs sit inside a cell while waiting to be searched during an operation at the maximum security prison in Izalco, Sonsonate, El Salvador yesterday Members of the MS-13 and 18 gangs remain under custody as they sit on the floor during a search operation at the maximum security prison in Izalco, Sonsonate, El Salvador yesterday Members of the MS-13 and 18 gangs remain in an overcrowded cell as a security guard of the Director of the General Directorate of Penal Centers, Osiris Luna (out of frame), stands by, at the Quezaltepeque prison, in Quezaltepeque, El Salvador yesterday El Salvador President Nayib Bukele denied a report Friday that his government has been negotiating with MS-13 gang, who are one of the most powerful in the country, to lower the murder rate and win their support in mid-term elections in exchange for prison privileges. The allegation is highly sensitive in the Central American nation, where the gangs have terrorized people with extortion and killings for years. Multiple former officials from previous administrations are currently being prosecuted for allegedly participating in a similar deal with the gangs. Attorney General Raul Melara, whose office is independent of the presidency, said in an interview with a local television show that his office would investigate the allegations reported by online media outlet El Faro. El Faro reported Friday that it had obtained a cache of government documents, including prison logs and prison intelligence reports, that show government officials have held ongoing negotiations with the MS-13 gang since June 2019. Members of the MS-13 and 18 gangs remain in an overcrowded cell at the Quezaltepeque prison, in Quezaltepeque, El Salvador yesterday Members of the MS-13 and 18 gangs remain in an overcrowded cell at the Quezaltepeque prison, in Quezaltepeque, El Salvador yesterday Members of the MS-13 and 18 gangs remain in an overcrowded cell at the Quezaltepeque prison, in Quezaltepeque, El Salvador yesterday Gang members remain in an overcrowded cell at the Quezaltepeque prison, in Quezaltepeque, El Salvador yesterday Gang members look on from an overcrowded cell at the Quezaltepeque prison, in Quezaltepeque, El Salvador yesterday Bukele responded with a storm of denials from his Twitter account. If true, the allegations would be a severe blow to Bukele who campaigned as a law-and-order president and has sought to reinforce that image through tough talk and actions while in office. In April, after several days of street violence in which more than 60 people were killed, Bukele ordered that members of rival gangs be mixed within cells, had sheet metal installed to seal cells so inmates couldn't communicate with those outside and circulated photographs of dozens of gang members stripped to underpants and forced to sit straddling each other on the floor. 'Stop killing immediately or you and your homeboys will be the ones who pay the consequences,' he said in a tweet at the time. 'They are close to you, to your homes, to your hideouts, you have a few hours.' Gang members wait outside their cells during a search at the Izalco jail during a media tour, in Izalco, El Salvador yesterday Gang members wait outside their cells during a search at the Izalco jail during a media tour, in Izalco, El Salvador yesterday Gang members are seen inside their cells at the Izalco jail during a media tour, in Izalco, El Salvador yesterday Members of the MS-13 and 18 gangs remain under custody as they sit on the floor during a search operation at the maximum security prison in Izalco, Sonsonate, El Salvador yesterday Bukele referred to those actions Friday to suggest the allegations that he was negotiating with a gang were absurd, even linking to statements of concern about his harsh actions from the United Nations and Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. He said his critics had 'invented a novel' with the story after exhausting other attacks against him. Bukele won election in 2019 as a candidate from neither of the two historically dominant parties - although he rose through the ranks of one of them. During his first year in office, he earned recognition as El Salvador's notorious murder rate began to fall. Some expressed suspicions that the decline killings indicated an agreement with the new administration. Members of the MS-13 and 18 gangs remain in overcrowded cells at the Quezaltepeque prison, in Quezaltepeque, El Salvador yesterday Gang members wait outside their cells during a search at the Izalco jail during a media tour, in Izalco, El Salvador yesterday A Salvadoran 18th Street gang member looks out from behind bars during a media tour of the prison in Quezaltepeque, El Salvador yesterday In 2012, the government of President Mauricio Funes allegedly reached a similar agreement with the gangs. In July of this year, a court ordered house arrest for retired Gen. David Munguia Payes, who had served as defense minister in that administration and allegedly took part in the negotiations. Funes, who fled to Nicaragua and received asylum there, has denied negotiating with the gangs. On Friday, Melara, the attorney general, said on a local news show, 'There are politicians and ex-politicians prosecuted for negotiations with the gangs. Rumors have arisen that this situation is happening again and we are going to investigate. No one can take advantage of the institutionality to negotiate with terrorists.' Security consultant Luis Contreras said if the documents are real, he would want to know exactly what was negotiated. He welcomed Malara's promise of an investigation 'because that way we can see whether the institutionality is working in the country.' 18th Street gang members remain together behind a cell at the maximum security prison in Izalco, El Salvador yesterday Imprisoned gang members, wearing protective face masks, look out from behind bars during a media tour of the prison in Quezaltepeque, El Salvador yesterday Gang members are seen inside their cells during at the Izalco jail during a media tour, in Izalco, El Salvador yesterday Jeannette Aguilar, lead researcher for a security analysis program coordinated by Central American University and John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said Friday that there were signs suggesting negotiations with the gangs. The report Friday 'verifies that there is a negotiation just like in previous governments to reduce homicides in exchange for various benefits to the gangs,' Aguilar said. 'The important thing is that this time they don't wait for several years to pass and the officials leave their positions, but rather the Attorney General's Office activate the legal mechanisms to investigate these cases and determine responsibility,' she said. The Ministry of Health is in negotiations with foreign companies regarding the purchase of vaccines against COVID-19 immediately after their registration, Health Minister Maksym Stepanov has said during the hour of questions to the government in the Verkhovna Rada. "We are negotiating with AstraZeneca regarding the number of vaccines they will be ready to supply to us. It has already been decided that, if confirmed, we are ready to make an advance payment. In addition, we are negotiating with a Chinese manufacturer, which is also at the third stage of testing. Ukraine was accepted into the COVAX initiative on the distribution of vaccines - 20% of the population, about 8 million doses for our country. The process of signing the relevant agreements, memorandums is underway, so that after the registration of vaccines we could receive them. We also communicate with other companies," he said. In addition, the minister said that the Ministry of Health is increasing its capacity to combat the pandemic. "Laboratory centers are provided with tests for about 1.5 months. The tests are purchased mainly from two Ukrainian manufacturers, they are also purchased at the expense of the World Bank. In five months, we resumed the work of laboratory centers (from four to 69), and increased the number of PCR tests per day from 200 to almost 25,000. The total number of tests made has already reached almost 1.7 million," Stepanov said. He also noted that the situation with the incidence of doctors with COVID-19 has changed: to date, the number of sick doctors has decreased by almost four times. The US trade bans on Chinese companies like Huawei and ZTE might have been just the beginning. The Defense Department has confirmed to the Wall Street Journal that agencies are discussing whether or not theyll add Chinas Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC) to a Commerce Department entity list that effectively bans trade with American firms. As Chinas largest contract chip manufacturer, SMIC would suffer a serious blow it couldnt get much of the US equipment it uses to make and test chips. Sources talking to the WSJ said there was a concern SMIC might be helping Chinas defense infrastructure. US defense contractor SOS International recently issued a report claiming that SMIC worked with one of Chinas largest defense companies, and that university researchers associated with the Chinese military were designing projects to use SMIC technology. It might be impossible for the researchers efforts to use chips made anywhere else, SOS said. SMIC rejected the alleged defense connection in a statement. It insisted that it offers chips and services solely for civilian uses, and that it had no relationship with the Chinese military. SOS has defended the report and argued that SMIC was deeply embedded in military projects. The military links havent been firmly established, and theres no guarantee the discussions will lead to a ban. If the US did add SMIC to the blacklist, though, it could dramatically escalate an already tense trade war. As there are sometimes few or no alternatives to American parts, it could face severe difficulties growing or maintaining its factories. That, in turn, could hamper customers that include Huawei and other Chinese tech giants, many of whom are already running out of manufacturing options. China might expand its retaliation and hurt US companies that depend on Chinese manufacturing and parts for their products. The feud could get very ugly, very quickly. Ah, the back-to-school countdown. Most years, its a time for kids to be excited and a little nervous, teachers to do final preparations on their classrooms, and parents to count the minutes while scrambling to pick up last-minute supplies. This year, not so much. Despite local public health officials telling us that, under the circumstances, it is reasonable to send children back to the classrooms now, frankly who isnt worried? Niagaras school boards have reconfigured classrooms, rewritten lesson plans and done what they can to keep children safely distanced. School bus operators have rejigged their operations to protect drivers and keep kids apart on the bus. Schools will be about 80 per cent full, we are told, while the rest of the kids will study from home for now. Masks, hand sanitizer, limited-touch classrooms, home-screening kids for COVID-19 symptoms. Under the circumstances, the boards have devised the best plans they can to keep our kids safe. Its that under the circumstances that sticks in your throat, but those words have pretty much defined our lives since mid-March as we carried on throughout COVID-19. For our youngsters its a chance to reunite with their classmates or most of them, at least and to see what their teachers look like in masks. Older children, who will understand better what COVID-19 means and be wearing masks themselves, might find it easier to adjust to their new school lives while secondary school kids, if they return, will split their time between the classrooms and home studies. Its going to be difficult for college and university students, too. A large majority start their year learning strictly online, though a few will get some classroom time but under strict rules that limit their time at Brock or Niagara. For the first-year students its especially unfortunate theyre the ones that already had to do without their high school proms and graduation ceremonies. Weve all sacrificed in some way, but you have to feel sorry for them just the same. Also, their chances of landing that all-important part-time job or two to help pay for their studies and maybe provide a little spending money are bleak at best. As of mid-August what you would think should be the peak employment period of the entire year for people in their teens and early 20s Niagaras youth unemployment rate sat at a depressing 28.9 per cent. That accounts for those who want to work, but doesnt include those who gave up looking. According to Statistics Canada, the employment rate among youths in Niagara in August was 48.7 per cent, a sharp drop from the 68.1 per cent we recorded in August 2019. Back-to-school plans vary from province to province, and most are like Ontario and wont reopen their schools until after Labour Day. But Quebec brought its students back in the last week of August, and already 81 students are in isolation after three COVID-19 cases were reported at two different schools. Remember, though, Quebecs reopening plan has been criticized for not being as restrictive as other provinces. And Quebec has had a harder time with COVID-19, reporting about 21,000 more cases than Ontario despite having roughly six million fewer people. So the plans are set. The kids know who is going back and who will stay home a little longer. And the plans can change, depending on what happens next. Under the circumstances weve done our best. And hey ... try to enjoy your long weekend. KYODO NEWS - Sep 5, 2020 - 22:42 | All, World At least 17 people died and more than 20 others were injured by a gas pipeline explosion on Friday at a mosque outside Dhaka, local media reported Saturday. The death toll in the blast, which occurred during the night prayer at the Baitus Saldam Mosque in Narayanganj, included a 7-year-old child, according to the Dhaka Tribune newspaper. The explosion at the Baitus Salam Mosque in Narayanganj occurred after the night prayer. All of the people died at Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka while undergoing treatment, Samanta Lal Sen, coordinator of the institute, was quoted by the paper as saying. An official of the Narayanganj fire service said it appears all six air conditioners on the ground floor of the mosque also exploded. Abdullah Al Arefin, assistant director of the fire service, told The Daily Star newspaper, "We are suspecting that gas accumulated inside the mosque from a leak in the pipeline. The gas could not go out because the windows were closed due to" the air conditioner. Related coverage: Bangladesh wants immediate Rohingya repatriation Japan, Myanmar agree to reopen borders for long-term residents Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 14:01:00|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Photo released by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) on Sept. 5, 2020, shows a vulture in Siem Pang Wildlife Sanctuary in Stung Treng province, Cambodia. Critically endangered vultures in Cambodia remain on the brink of extinction as the population has subsequently declined in recent years, conservationist group said on Saturday. (Phearun/WCS/Handout via Xinhua) PHNOM PENH, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Critically endangered vultures in Cambodia remain on the brink of extinction as the population has subsequently declined in recent years, conservationist group said on Saturday. "There were only 127 vultures recorded in June this year, a remarkable drop from about 280 during a census in 2015," Bour Vorsak, Cambodia program manager for BirdLife International, told Xinhua. Illegal use of carbofuran-based poisons can exterminate vulture populations, he said, adding that these dangerous chemicals should be restricted as they are dangerous to humans too. A joint press statement, issued Environment Ministry, Agriculture Ministry, BirdLife International, Wildlife Conservation Society, and six other conservation organizations to mark the 2020 International Vulture Awareness Day, said vultures need help if they are to survive in Cambodia. The statement said vultures are masters of the air, saying that recent satellite tagging of vultures in Siem Pang Wildlife Sanctuary has revealed vultures fly at heights of 6 km and up to 100 km per hour. Vultures play an important role in maintaining the environment by stripping the carcasses of dead animals, which helps to reduce the spread of disease, it said, adding that they are nature's "clean-up crew." "All Cambodians can be proud to still have vultures in the country but everyone needs to support their conservation efforts by protecting their habitats and especially by stopping wildlife poisoning. Otherwise Cambodia's vultures will go extinct, as in the neighboring countries of Thailand and Vietnam," Michael Meyerhoff, country director of the Angkor Centre for Conservation of Biodiversity, said in the statement. Cambodia is home to three vulture species, namely Red-headed (Sarcogyps calvus), Slender-billed (Gyps tenuirostris), and White-rumped (Gyps bengalensis). All are listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List as critically endangered. The birds live in Siem Pang Wildlife Sanctuary in Northeast Stung Treng Province and Chhep Wildlife Sanctuary in Northwest Preah Vihear Province. In a bid to save this critically endangered bird, the conservationist group has periodically fed the birds with dead domestic cattle and routinely protected their nests and habitats. "The conservation status of the three critically endangered vultures in Cambodia is highly concerning, and carbamate pesticides pose a key risk not only to the survival of vultures but also to human health and livestock," Teak Seng, country director of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)-Cambodia, said. Enditem On the occasion of Teachers Day, Nardev Singh, a chemistry lecturer at Government Senior Secondary School, Biar village, Hamirpur, was honoured with the National Teachers Award at New Delhi by President Ram Nath Kovind. Singh has worked on developing low-cost learning materials and also made good use of information and communication technology. He has helped educate the underprivileged and reached out to the local communities to ensure higher enrolment. Singh also helped conduct fund-raising programmes to improve the school infrastructure. Born on April 19, 1970, Singh completed his initial education from Jeoli Devi village in Hamirpur. He completed his graduation from Government Degree College, Dharamshala, after which he joined a school in Shahtalai as teacher. He has received many state-level awards. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Man Tries to Bribe Police With $1000 to Cross Aussie Border A Victorian man has been charged over allegedly attempting to bribe a police officer at the New South Wales (NSW) southern border. Travel across the border is currently only by permit due to the extreme outbreak of the CCP virus in parts of the states capital, Melbourne. Just before 2 p.m. on Friday, police stopped the man in his vehicle at the Barmah Bridge checkpoint and asked for his border crossing permit. The man allegedly didnt have a permit, instead, he offered an envelope with $1000 to the officer, NSW Police said in a media release. The Victorian man was arrested and taken to Deniliquin Police Station, where he was charged. He was granted strict conditional bail and is due to appear before Moama Local Court on Nov. 4. Australias internal borders have been the subject of impassioned discussion amongst the countrys leaders this week. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks during a media conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia on July 9, 2020. (David Gray/Getty Images) The national cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Scott Morrison with state premiers and territory chief ministers, met on Friday and agreed to work towards the goal of reopening the borders by Christmas. This came after the prime minister and other federal ministers outlined their hopes throughout the week for a common national approach to defining COVID-19 hotspots that allow borders to be reopened proportionally to those people in zones with less risk. The tourism minister warned the state border closures could cost $55 billion this year, with popular destination North Queensland already losing $7 million per day in what is usually their peak season for domestic travellers. The Queensland border will remain closed for at least another month. Its premier said she wont consider a reopening until the southern states significantly reduce the rate of community transmission of COVID-19. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian described Queenslands benchmark of 28 days of no community transmission in NSW before removing its border controls as a pretty tall order. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian speaks at a press conference in Homebush, Sydney, Australia on July 14, 2020. (Brook Mitchell/Getty Images) Weve demonstrated for two months nearly that you can actually maintain a good control of the virus and keep your economy going, she said. I hope other states have the confidence to take their borders down and do the same, she said. The Queenslands chief health officer said on Friday: We cant afford to have a single case. If we have a single case that comes from New South Wales or Victoria and they go into a high-risk setting like an aged care facility, we could immediately have an outbreak, and we could have deaths. Washington, D.C. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden declared President Donald Trump unfit for the presidency on Friday, delivering an impassioned reaction to a report that Trump who never served in uniform allegedly mocked American war dead. The president and his allies have dismissed the report in The Atlantic as false. The allegations, sourced anonymously, describe multiple offensive comments by the president toward fallen and captured U.S. service members, including calling World War I dead at an American military cemetery in France losers and suckers in 2018. Jennifer Griffin, a national security correspondent for Fox News, confirmed the presidents remarks Friday. According to one former senior Trump administration official: When the President spoke about the Vietnam War, he said, It was a stupid war. Anyone who went was a sucker, Griffin said. This former official heard the President say about American veterans: "What's in it for them? They don't make any money." Source: "It was a character flaw of the President. He could not understand why someone would die for their country, not worth it." Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) September 4, 2020 The Atlantics reporting, which was confirmed by the Washington Post and Associated Press, has now been confirmed by Fox News pic.twitter.com/elRxKncfEy Hunter Schwarz (@hunterschwarz) September 4, 2020 Trump repeatedly denied the allegations and urged Fox News to fire Griffin. The reported comments, many of which were also confirmed independently by The Associated Press, are shining a fresh light on Trumps previous public disparagement of American troops and military families. That opens a new political vulnerability for the president less than two months from Election Day. Voice cracking, Biden told reporters that you know in your gut Trumps comments, if true, are deplorable. Ive just never been as disappointed, in my whole career, with a leader that Ive worked with, president or otherwise, Biden added. If the article is true and it appears to be, based on other things hes said it is absolutely damning. It is a disgrace. He added that the president should humbly apologize to every Gold Star mother and father, to every Blue Star family that hes denigrated. ... Who the heck does he think he is? Trump, in the Oval Office, said no apology was necessary, because it was a fake story. Trump was alleged to have made the comments in November 2018, as he was set to visit the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery during a trip to France. The White House said the visit was scrubbed because foggy weather made the helicopter trip from Paris too risky and a 90-minute drive was deemed infeasible. Speaking Friday in the Oval Office, Trump denied ever uttering such comments: It was a terrible thing that somebody could say the kind of things and especially to me cause Ive done more for the military than almost anyone anybody else. Later, in a press briefing, Trump suggested the source of the story was his former chief of staff, retired Marine Gen. John Kelly. It could have been a guy like John Kelly, Trump told reporters, saying his former top aide was unable to handle the pressure of this job. Bidens critique was personal. The former vice president often speaks about his pride for his late son Beaus service in the Delaware Army National Guard. As he spoke, Biden grew angry, raising his voice to rebut Trumps alleged comments that Marines who died in battle were suckers for getting killed. When my son was an assistant U.S. attorney and he volunteered to go to Kosovo when the war was going on, as a civilian, he wasnt a sucker, Biden declared. When my son volunteered to join the United States military as the attorney general, he went to Iraq for a year, won the Bronze Star and other commendations, he wasnt a sucker! Beau Biden died of cancer in 2015. Returning to Washington from a Thursday visit to Pennsylvania, Trump told reporters that the Atlantic report was a disgraceful situation by a terrible magazine. I would be willing to swear on anything that I never said that about our fallen heroes, Trump told the reporters, gathered on the tarmac in the dark. There is nobody that respects them more. No animal nobody what animal would say such a thing? Biden has framed the election from the start as a referendum on Trumps character. His allies quickly seized on the reported comments in hopes they could drive a wedge between military families and veterans and Trump. They also believe the issue could help win over disaffected Republican voters who are fed up with Trumps constant controversies. In particular, Bidens team believes his well-documented experience, both personally and politically, with military issues could help him make inroads with a population that broadly supported Trump in the 2016 election and could help sway the election this year in a number of close swing states. Biden himself has not served in the military. Military families were broadly supportive of Trump in the 2016 election, and a Pew Research Center survey of veterans conducted in June 2019 found overall that veterans were more supportive of Trump than the general public, and that roughly 60% of the veterans polled identified as Republicans. On a call with reporters hosted by the Biden campaign Friday, Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth lambasted Trump for belittling the sacrifices of those who have shown more bravery than hes capable of. Duckworth, a retired Army National Guard lieutenant colonel who lost both of her legs in the Iraq War, has been a prominent critic of Trumps handling of military issues. Knocking Trump for allegedly inventing an injury to avoid serving in the Vietnam War, Duckworth said shed take my wheelchair and my titanium legs over Donald Trumps supposed bone spurs any day. Khizr Khan, the Gold Star father who drew national attention after criticizing Trump during the 2016 Democratic National Convention, joined Duckworth on the call and said Trumps life is a testament to selfishness. Words we say are windows into our souls. So when Donald Trump calls anyone who places their lives in service of others a loser, we understand Trumps soul, he said. Khans son, Humayun, was killed in action in Iraq in 2004. In 2016, Trump responded to the criticism from Khan by claiming hed made sacrifices of his own and by making an Islamophobic attack on Khans wife, Ghazala Khan, who was wearing a headscarf at the Democratic convention, saying: She had nothing to say. She probably maybe she wasnt allowed to have anything to say. You tell me. Trump also denied calling the late Arizona Sen. John McCain, a decorated Navy officer who was a prisoner of war in Vietnam, a loser after his August 2018 death. If youre still wondering if Trump could call our Veterans losers and suckers then this is a video you must see. Here Trump calls John McCain a loser for being a POW. PS: Hope this gets RTd thousands of times so every American can see for themselves.pic.twitter.com/qJA7A0S5vw MuslimMarine (@mansoortshams) September 5, 2020 Trump acknowledged Thursday he was never a fan of McCain and disagreed with him, but said he still respected him and approved everything to do with his first-class triple-A funeral without hesitation because I felt he deserved it. In 2015, shortly after launching his presidential candidacy, Trump publicly blasted McCain, saying, Hes not a war hero. He added, I like people who werent captured. At the time, Trump also shared a news article on Twitter calling McCain a loser. Trump only amplified his criticism of McCain as the Arizona lawmaker grew critical of his acerbic style of politics, culminating in a late-night no vote scuttling Trumps plans to repeal the Affordable Care Act. That vote shattered what few partisan loyalties bound the two men, and Trump has continued to attack McCain for that vote, even posthumously. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Fox & Friends on Friday that he was with the president for a good part of the trip to France. I never heard him use the words that are described in that article, Pompeo said. Asked Friday about the possibility of seeing Trump when they will both be in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, for the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks next week, Biden said: I didnt know he was going until after I announced on my own. Of course. Asked if hed be willing to share a stage with Trump, he said: Yes. Hes still the president of the United States of America. VICTORIAThe square outside city hall in Victoria is peppered with signs of the kind of progressive inclusion on which Canadas westernmost big city has long prided itself. Drinking water and washrooms for the public are available and advertised with prominent signs. Indigenous art takes pride of place at the centre of the square. A highly trafficked multi-direction bike lane features on the main road outside. This week, a large area of the square was fenced off as a worker put up signs instructing people to stay out. For months, an encampment of about 30 tents had sat in that spot, left alone as part of a city policy not to enforce during the COVID-19 pandemic a bylaw that restricts 24/7 camping. Its a policy that has challenged the citys core identity for months as complaints of feeling unsafe and being exposed to needles have piled up from even those residents who say they sympathize with the need to house people who cannot find shelter space. Finally, this week, a scathing police report alleging a drug ring was operating out of Centennial Square prompted the first large-scale clearing of an encampment there in months. Days later, city council voted to permit tenting there again. While increased homelessness has been an element of the pandemic in every major Canadian city, there are few places where it is more visible than Victoria, which is experiencing similarities and differences with Torontos housing crisis. Like Toronto, Victoria has become a destination for the services people experiencing homelessness need people come from all over southern Vancouver Island and sometimes further to access food, shelter and addictions services. Unlike Toronto, the city is tiny. With a downtown core one tenth the size of Torontos, Beacon Hill Park has become something of a second downtown to the 1,500 people without roofs over their heads during the pandemic. Supported by a court decision that allows people to camp in public parks when there is not enough shelter space, urban parks in Victoria have become entrenched with tents. The biggest encampment is at Beacon Hill Park. At first, Max Redman said, he had no intention of staying in at the park. But he visited some friends who had set up tents there in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, at a time when Redman himself had only temporary accommodation. So he set up his own tent, and stayed. Its been five months here at Beacon Hill Park; I cant believe it, he said. But its rent-free, people bring you food, and I can still do what I like to do, which is salvage and fix things. With a friend, Redman has set up a pair of tents and a wide makeshift courtyard out of blankets thats served as home throughout the pandemic. And, as long-term campers, they have many neighbours. Spaced throughout the 75-hectare parks trails and fields is not so much a transient encampment as an established neighbourhood. A couple plays cards outside one tent where a dog is sleeping at the door. Some neighbours wave at one another and go to chat, while others turn away. All the while, walkers and cyclists go by, occasionally eyeing the neighbourhood set-ups and pausing to read playground signs advising parents to do a sweep for hazards before letting their kids play, new additions since the camping began throughout the pandemic. While days pass without major incidents between park campers and their neighbours, there have been concerning incidents from members of the public getting pricked by needles left in the park to people making threats and public defecation. Janice Williams, a mother of two kids ages eight and 10, said she wont take her kids to the park anymore to feed the ducks after hearing a neighbours story of getting threatened. Its really disheartening to see seniors and women and children and parents not be able to use what is such an amazing resource, she said. It feels like, as a resident of Victoria, that weve been abandoned by our local government and they arent fulfilling their duties to be guardians of the city. Williams is among thousands of residents who have signed a petition asking the city council to start enforcing a bylaw that bans camping during the day although a court decision has declared campers have a right to set up in public parks for the evening, if they cant find shelter space. Geoff Young, a city councillor, said requests on the topic have become the dominating issue in Victoria, with dozens of emails coming in every day from concerned residents. Even B.C. Premier John Horgan, who lives in Victoria, has said he disagrees with the citys nonenforcement policy. Young said that if the city enforced the daytime camping bylaw, they may be able to focus on other issues. I am pretty sure that public opinion is not in favour of this unrestricted camping, but only an election can tell, he said. He said hes actually wishing another council election would come sooner to settle the issue. Id happily resign if I thought the rest of the council would resign. Mayor Lisa Helps says thats not going to happen. Unless there are indoor sheltering opportunities, dismantling encampments does more harm than good, she said. I would be the first to admit that its not working for anyone. Sheltering outside doesnt make sense we should be able to do better. Helps said the provinces move to purchase motels during the pandemic went a long way to moving vulnerable people into more permanent housing situations but they still need more spaces for the people currently without homes, and are worried about what will happen when some of the coronavirus supports dry up. She said more spaces funded by the provincial and federal governments are badly needed. Im worried about the second wave of COVID-19 homelessness, she said. People are pouring into Toronto from the hinterlands, and so, too, with Victoria we see people moving in from other areas of the region. We may see more people slide into positions of being homeless. I hope that powers that are greater than myself take every action they can to prevent that. Read more about: People take part in a demonstration outside the Chinese Embassy in Kuala Lumpur to show solidarity with ethnic Uyghurs in China, as they mark the 10th anniversary of deadly riots in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, July 5, 2019. Malaysias new government will not extradite ethnic Uyghurs to China if Beijing requests it and will allow them safe passage to a third country, a cabinet member told parliament recently, responding to questions from a lawmaker concerned that the policy could damage relations with China. Although the government believes every country has the right to solve its internal problems as it chooses, the government also believes Uyghurs are being oppressed in China, so it wont send them back there, said Redzuan Md Yusof, minister in the Prime Ministers Department. [I]n the matter of Uyghur refugees, the government is of the stand not to interfere in the internal affairs of China, Redzuan said in his written response. However, if any Uyghur refugees flee to Malaysia for protection, Malaysia has decided not to extradite them even if China requests it, Redzuan said. Malaysia believes every nation has the right to solve its internal problems without any interference from other countries. [But] the issue of oppression against Muslims around the world, including of the Uyghurs in Xinjiang in China, does exist and must be admitted by all parties, he said. Redzuan further said that any Uyghurs would be allowed to go to a third country via Malaysia because they have valid fears about their safety and about persecution against them in their own country. Redzuans comments mark the first time that the government of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has publicly articulated a stance on the Uyghurs since coming to power in Muslim-majority Malaysia six months ago. The previous government, led by Mahathir Mohamad, had also said it wouldnt extradite Uyghurs to China. The ministers comments outlining the Muhyiddin governments policy on Uyghurs were in response to written questions posed by opposition parliamentarian Chan Foong Hin in July-August. The ministers replies were published on the parliaments website on Friday. The opposition lawmaker told BenarNews that he had questions about Uyghur refugees in Malaysia because he wanted to know what the new governments stance was and what its implications would be for Sino-Malaysian relations. As far as I am concerned, I recalled that the government extradited Uyghur refugees to China during the Najib [Razak] administration, but Mahathirs administration altered the previous policy and refused to extradite them to China, though there was a request from China, said Chan. I am really concerned about it as the changes in policy could have implications for Malaysia and China bilateral relations. Human rights group Amnesty International Malaysia, however, lauded the new governments position on Uyghur refugees. We are glad that the authorities have stated on record that they will not violate the principle of non-refoulement in international law, prohibiting the return of refugees to their country of origin where they may face violence and persecution, Katrina Maliamauv, executive director of the rights group, told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. The plight of Uyghur refugees in China has gone on for far too long and the governments recognition of Uyghurs refugee status is a positive step forward. Maliamauv also said the refuges must be able to seek asylum. To uphold the principle of non-refoulement also means that refugees must be allowed to seek asylum. On Friday, officials at the Chinese Embassy in Kuala Lumpur did not immediately respond to requests for comment from BenarNews about the ministers statement to parliament. Beijing has been accused of committing mass atrocities against Uyghur and other Muslim minorities in northwestern Chinas Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR). Chinese authorities are believed to have held up to 1.8 million people in a vast network of internment camps in the region since April 2017. Beijing describes the network of camps as voluntary vocational centers, but reporting by RFA and other media outlets shows that detainees are mostly held against their will in poor conditions, where they are forced to endure inhumane treatment and political indoctrination. Chinas government has also defended its policies in the region as part of an official bid to combat extremism. Policy shift The move by a senior official from Muhyiddins government to say that it will safeguard Uyghurs from extradition to China is significant because governments in Malaysia have often shied away from commenting on the plight of that community. At the same time, though, they have been vocal about criticizing the mistreatment of the Rohingya Muslims by Myanmar, and have also supported the Palestinians in the Middle East. The change began with the Mahathir government, even though the veteran politician told BenarNews last year that many Muslim countries leaders tend to be silent on the Uyghurs because China is a very powerful nation. In October 2018, the Mahathir government sent 11 Uyghur refugees from Xinjiang to Turkey after dropping immigration charges against them, in defiance of a request by Beijing that they be returned. In doing so, Mahathir distanced himself from the previous Najib administration, which wanted to extradite the 11 Uyghurs who had entered Malaysia illegally after they escaped from a Thai prison in Nov 2017. They have done nothing wrong in this country, so they are released, Mahathir told media days after the Uyghurs were sent to Turkey, Reuters reported. Mahathir took a firmer stand on the Uyghurs a year later. The issues of oppression against Islam worldwide, including the Uyghurs, exist and must be acknowledged by all parties, Mahathir said in parliament in December 2019, even as he reiterated that his government wouldnt interfere in Chinas internal affairs. If Uyghurs are fleeing to Malaysia to seek asylum, Malaysia will not extradite them even if there is an application from China. They are allowed to go to the third country because they have valid fears over their safety. Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. BEIJING, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- The 2020 China Cybersecurity Week, a campaign to promote public awareness of cybersecurity, is scheduled to be held from Sept. 14 to 20 nationwide, China's cyberspace affairs authority said Friday. The campaign's main events, including a forum on cybersecurity, will be held in Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province, said the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission. The campaign will also feature a digital exhibition, in which more than 100 companies will use livestreaming and 3D modeling, among other technologies, to showcase major achievements, cutting-edge technologies and the latest products in the field of cybersecurity. Zhengzhou has built the first cybersecurity science and technology museum in China and the museum boasts a total exhibition area of 15,000 square meters. The event will be jointly hosted by departments including the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission and the ministries of education, public security and industry and information technology. China initiated the first China Cybersecurity Week in 2014. The Johnson government is intensifying its drive to reopen the economy despite mounting proof of the rising dangers of infection, and in the face of mounting popular opposition. Its response to the pandemic has been driven from day one by a vicious herd immunity policy and indifference to the deaths of tens of thousands. After the government abandoned all national lockdown measures from July 4, coronavirus infections surged in many densely populated areas. The number of new cases averaged more than 1,000 each day for most of August. In the first week of September increases are officially already edging towards 2,000 a day. Analysis by Kings College Londonusing data taken from four million app usersshows that this rate has already been reachedan increase from the 1,300 cases per day recorded last week. Many office workers are refusing to risk their own lives and that of their families by returning to unsafe workplaces. At the beginning of last month, a survey by Morgan Stanley revealed that only 34 percent of UK office workers had returned. In London, that figure dropped to 29 percent. As of this week, that figure had risen to just 37 percent. This compares with the return of over three-quarters of employees in Germany, Italy and Spain, and 84 percent in France. A survey by academics at Cardiff and Southampton universities reported that 90 percent of respondents would like to continue working from home in some capacity. A YouGov poll last week asked whether businesses, whose staff have been working from home, should be encouraging their return to the office. Only 31 percent thought they should. Last week, Transport for London (TfL) reported a 17.2 percent increase in Tube passengers over the previous weekbut this was nearly 30 percent lower than the same period last year. TfL reported a 22.2 percent increase in bus journeys on the previous week, down 54.3 percent on the same period last year. Figures provided by the private train operating companies reveal that on Tuesday this week there were three million fewer passengers traveling compared to the equivalent day in 2019. Daily Mail front page headline: THEYRE BACK AT WORK... WHERES REST OF UK? Incensed, the Daily Mail led its front-page Wednesday with a photo of children returning to school, alongside a picture below of an almost empty Paddington rail station in London. Its headline read, As thousands of children return to school, railways, roads and offices stand empty: THEYRE BACK AT WORK... WHERES REST OF UK? Writing in the Daily Mail, Carolyn Fairbairn, director general of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), made clear the drive to reopen schools is a vital first step to enable parents to go back to work they must stay open wherever possible. The result of this criminal policy will itself fuel the increase in infections, with 10.3 million pupils and 1.5 million teachers and school staff returning to the classroom from Tuesdaynearly 18 percent of the entire population of the UK. By yesterday, outbreaks had been reported in 100 UK schools. There have been 73 outbreaks in Scotlands schools, which were reopened on August 11 by the Scottish National Party government. In Northern Ireland there have been 15 outbreaks and in Wales one outbreak. Even though schools in England had only been open for two days, by Thursday 5 outbreaks were recorded and by Friday 11 schools reported infectionsmore than a doubling in a single day. Many school pupils will use buses and other forms of public transport, with Transport for London already declaring that measures to limit passenger numbers do not count for school services, which are permitted to be full to capacity. Many of the new cases of the virus are connected to international travellike the seven confirmed cases on a tourist flight from Greece to Wales last week. This week, Scotland and Wales demanded that arrivals from Portugal and parts of Greece self-isolate, whereas England and Northern Ireland did not. This is despite Portugals seven-day infection rate increasing from 15.3 to 23 per 100,000 peopleabove the threshold of 20 where a quarantine is supposed to be applied. The Tories and their counterparts in Scotland and Wales have for weeks imposed local lockdownsdescribed idiotically by Johnson as a whack a mole strategy in reference to the arcade game. These were put in place with the government insisting that it would not countenance reverting back to a national lockdown and without the testing and tracing strategy required to combat the virus. Imposed haphazardly, with contradictory rules, these lockdowns have had virtually no impact in stopping the spread of the disease. Lockdowns have been put in place whereby two different households are not allowed to gather in one household, yet the same households can go to the pub together or travel freely to somewhere a few miles away where lockdown rules do not apply, to meet who they please, go to cafes, shop, etc. Residents can also go on holiday abroad so long as they avoid sharing hotel rooms with people they do not live with! The absurdity of the entire system is seen in the cases of Bolton and Trafford in Greater Manchester. Greater Manchester, comprising a population of nearly three million people in two cities and eight towns, was put under lockdown at the end of July, along with large parts of east Lancashire and West Yorkshire. On Tuesday night, the populations of Bolton and Trafford (over 430,000 combined) went to bed under conditions of a lockdown. Just hours later lockdown measures in the towns were due be lifted. But on Wednesday afternoon, Health Secretary Matt Hancock was forced to keep restrictions in place after reviewing the latest data showing infection rates increase more than 3 times in Bolton in under a week, and double in Trafford since the last review. After being in a local lockdown for over four weeks, it was revealed Wednesday that Bolton had the highest infection rate in England, with a rate of 76.5 per 100,000 people in the week ending August 31. In the last seven days, 220 new cases of COVID-19 were recorded in Boltona spike of 340 percent from the week beforehand. The growth in the infection rate could see millions more peopleover an even larger area of northern England, with a population affected larger than that of Scotland and Walesplaced under local lockdown. Large parts of the North East of England, including County Durham including Darlington, Teesside, South Teesside and North Yorkshire have been added to Public Health Englands hotspot map after an infection rate surge. One of the countrys largest cities, Leeds in West Yorkshire, was this week listed as an area of concern and close to lockdown after a surge to 29.4 infections for every 100,000 people. Over 40 cases were identified on Wednesday. Last week, the infection of 20 staff at a distribution depot of the Greggs bakery chain in Leeds forced its closure. The government is only able to push its pro-big business agenda because of the collusion of the Labour Party and the trade unions. On Wednesday, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer reminded Johnson that as the government prepared to open schools, he sent him a private and confidential letter offering to help try and move this forward in a way that would ensure consensus and confidence before complaining and I havent even had a reply. Workers must assert their own interests and oppose the homicidal agenda of the ruling class. What is required is the building of rank and file safety committees in every workplace and school, linking the fight for workplace safety with the transformation of society on a socialist basis. MUMBAI: Actor Rhea Chakraborty's brother Showik Chakraborty and Sushant Singh Rajput's house manager Samuel Miranda were arrested on Friday (September 4) after being questioned by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) which is probing allegations of drug abuse in Sushant death case. Both Showik and Samuel will be produced in court by the NCB on Saturday. The NCB had also told a court that Showik used to order ganja and marijuana from drug-peddler Abdul Basit Parihar, and made payments to him over Google Pay. An NCB official said that the agency will seek their custody for interrogation and to confront them with the other arrested accused. The official said that the duo will also be grilled over information from seized laptops and chats obtained by the agency. According to reports, Showik confessed to NCB that he used to buy drugs for Sushant at the behest of his sister Rhea through Samuel Miranda. Following his admission, NCB summoned Rhea for questioning on Saturday, said sources. Reports are there that after Showik and Samuel's arrests, the NCB may arrest Rhea in the coming days in connection with drug misuse related to Sushant's death. On Friday night, the NCB also called Sushant's staff Dipesh Sawant at its office for questioning. On September 4 morning, a team from the NCB accompanied by Maharashtra police officials raided houses of Rhea-Showik and Miranda. The search teams, which also included female officials, conducted raids to gather additional evidence in the drug angle in connection with Sushant death case and seized laptops and a few documents from Showik's house. They said both Showik and Miranda were handed over summons to join the investigation during the search. Later, both Showik and Samuel were taken to the NCB office in Mumbai, where after a 10-hour interrogation, both were arrested by th central probe agency. Berlin, Sep 5 : Tesla CEO Elon Musk before returning to the US after a three-day visit to Germany paid a friendly visit to Volkswagon CEO Herbert Diess to get a special look at VW's new upcoming electric cars. The two auto executives met at a small airport in Braunschweig for about two hours on Thursday evening and Musk test-drove VW's ID.3 electric-car, reports Electrek. Meanwhile, Musk also inspected the ID.4 electric SUV that VW will launch toward the end of the year. Musk and Diess both had good things to say about each other in the past. Diess has often praised Tesla and Musk's approach to electric vehicles and even recently predicted that Tesla could become the most valuable company in the world. "Elon Musk delivers results that many did not think possible. They show: you can be profitable with electric cars. As one of few car manufacturers (Porsche AG also, for example), Tesla will drive through the corona crisis without a quarter of losses," Diess said on LinkedIn in July. Musk also visited CureVac to assess the company's progress in its partnership with Tesla. The project's goal is to manufacture RNA printers intended to distribute the company's upcoming Covid-19 vaccine. In addition, Musk met with German officials related to support for Gigafactory Berlin. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text C Shivakumar By Express News Service CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu may have notched a rank higher in the Ease of Doing Business ranking for the year 2019 by jumping to the 14th position from the earlier 15th position but officials feel it doesn't reflect the true picture. Officials told Express that Ease of doing Business ranking is an assessment of certian specified approval processes and inspection system and is not reflective of actual investment climate. A source in the government said that the state has been ranked second in the State Investment Potential Index published by National Council for Applied Economic Research and is ranked third in the recently published Export Preparedness Index, 2020 by Niti Aayog. Even the Union government's good governance index has recognised the state as the best government state. Even the recent survey by Projects Today recognised Tamil Nadu having attracted the highest amount of investments during the period April to June 2020 mong Indian states. During the Covid period, the state signed 41 memorandum of understandings amounting to 30,664 crore. Officials also pointed out that states like Maharashtra which is placed in 13th postion, Karnataka whose ranking dipped from 8th to 17th, and Gujarat whose ranking dipped from 5th to 10th doesn't reflect their true potential. However, while the trade and investment climate is attractive in the state, what impacted the ranking is commercial court computerisation, which is under the Madras High court jurisdiction, and the digitisation of Records of Rights at all Land Records Offices which will ensure the requisite information on ownership is available for pre-mutation verification of land transactions. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, wanted the state to create a website which will have all digitised land records, property tax payment data and align it with revenue court case data (Court case number, Name of parties involved, Date of filing of court case, Status of case [Ongoing/Resolved]) and Civil Court case data. Official sources said that it could not be done. Similarly, the other challenge is having a data of revenue and civil cases. These include court case numbers, name of parties involved, date of filing of court cases. Currently, there is no online system available for both revenue and civil court cases data based on survey numbers. However, sources in the government said that though the ranking may not reflect the the actual investment climate, it is working towards bettering the ease of doing business ranking in the year 2020. The ease of doing business ranking for 2019 was delayed by six months due to Coved-19. In 2018, the state was ranked 15th under Ease of Doing business ranking with an overall score of 90.68 as per the evaluation done on implementation of 372 reforms suggested under Business Reform Action Plan in 2017-18. The biggest challenges before the state are single window portal as well as services by departments which are yet to be made online. These include registration under legal metrology, weights and measures and change of land use. Similarly, end-to-end online services are not available for many services and so is implementation system for paperless courts by Home department. Where the state bungled: 1. Single window portal as well as services by departments which are yet to be made online. These include registration under legal metrology, weights and measures and change of land use. 2. Computerisation of commercial courts as there is no online system available for both revenue and civil court cases data based on survey numbers. 3. End-to-end online services are not available for many services and so is implementation system for paperless courts by Home department. If not for the masked children, abundant hand sanitizer stations and curtailed capacity, Friday would have almost looked like a typical late-summer day at Liberty Science Center. But it was far from it for New Jerseys premier science museum it was the first time it opened its doors to guests in nearly six months. The Jersey City museum closed its doors March 13 as the coronavirus pandemic hit the nation, but hosted a members-only preview event Friday and welcomes back the science-loving public Saturday with a slew of safety precautions. If didnt have my mask on, you would see a gigantic smile on my face right now, Liberty Science Center President and CEO Paul Hoffman said as children milled around the Wild About Animals exhibit. Its wonderful. Capacity is capped at 25%, masks are required, guests have their temperatures screened upon entry, sanitation protocols have been increased and air filters have been upgraded and now exceed CDC recommendations. It stands to reason that a science center would take the science behind coronavirus safety seriously. Its been six months and a tremendous amount of planning to be able to keep our guests and our staff safe, Hoffman said. Weve switched a lot of the exhibits so theyre no-touch or low-touch. Obviously social distancing, mask-wearing and having people buy their tickets online, encouraging that you even buy parking online, so theres less physical exchange. Critters from the Wild About Animals exhibit are brought out of their enclosures throughout the day as part of demonstrations with experts so more guests can see them. Popular exhibits like Angry Birds Universe, which takes guests into the world of the popular game while explaining the science and technology behind it, have been extended. But Liberty Science Centers newest and loudest new exhibit is Boom Time, featuring thunderous (but controlled) explosions in a custom-built, clear, movable, 57-square-foot safe room. Items like watermelons, pinatas and pumpkins have bottles of liquid nitrogen placed inside them, leading to combustion. The science of the explosion is explained by the staff, but you dont need to like science to enjoy watching a watermelon get the full Gallagher treatment. Liberty Science Centers Jennifer Chalsty Planetarium, the largest in the western hemisphere, is hosting multiple new live shows, including Planets Tonight and Deep Space Tour. Right now is an incredible time to look at the night sky in the evening, Hoffman said. There are four planets that are out now Saturn, Jupiter, Mars and Venus and we teach you how to spot them in the planetarium.The museum was closed during what is typically its busiest time of the year April, May and June and Hoffman says the centers base donors and board of trustees has stepped up and helped make up for the financial shortfall. And the center is reopening at a time when science is more essential than ever. Our mission is to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers. There might be a young girl here, for instance, who goes to our microbes exhibit and someday grows up to be an immunologist that wards off the next pandemic, Hoffman said. We want to stimulate young minds. I think that everybody knows in the back of their head that science is important, but I think the COVID crisis really underscores the importance of science. Bayonne's Lilia Karpukhina, 11, tests out her wingspan in the Angry Birds exhibit at the Liberty Science Center, which reopened Friday after being closed due to the coronavirus outbreak and shutdowns.Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Jeremy Schneider may be reached at jschneider@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here. How this ISIS operative from Mangaluru lured her victims and converted them to Islam 9 months later, how NIA cracked the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier theft case India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Sep 05: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a chargesheet against two persons in connection with the theft of computer devices from the under-construction Indigenous Aircraft Carrier. The chargesheet was filed against Sumit Kumar Singh and Daya Ram, residents of Bihar and Rajasthan respectively. The case pertains to the criminal trespass and theft of critical electronic components including processors, random access memory and solid state drives, installed aboard the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC) under construction at the Cochin Ship Yard Limited (CSL), between July and September, 2019. The investigation into this case spread across several states. After a thorough probe that lasted nine months, the NIA zeroed in on the two accused persons. They were arrested and following sustained investigation, they confessed to their crime. Started as a blind probe, how NIA cracked the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier theft case The accused were engaged as contract employees for painting work aboard the IAC between February and September 2019. While working aboard the IAC, they had observed the computer systems functioning on the warship under construction and conspired, since May, 2019, to commit theft of computer hardware components, for monetary gain. They then trespassed into the locations aboard the IAC, where the critical computer resources were installed and committed theft of the critical computer hardware including processors, RAMs and SSDs with data, knowing that the same pertains to the security of the nation and hence is restricted. In September 2019, the accused had sold one stolen processor. They then left Kerala for their native places along with the stolen devices. The stolen devices which was in their possession was however recovered by the NIA. President Donald Trump revealed on Friday the "$300 billion" unused funds from the coronavirus pandemic relief aid. In a press briefing at the White House, Trump urged Congress to authorize the sending of stimulus checks to Americans and use the leftover money in COVID-19 relief funds. The President has accused the Democrats of blocking the cash to be sent to the Americans. He noted that the money is available and "ready to go." "All Congress has to do is say, 'Use it.' I'd like to use it without their permission, but I guess I'm not allowed," the President said. "We're willing to spend it, I'd like to get approval from Congress," he added. Trump said he would rather be upfront and obtain permission from Congress even if there's a theory that he doesn't have to do it. The Republican President did not identify the exact funding source but seemed to be referring to unused business loan money approved in March in the $2 trillion CARES Act. Trump insisted that he wanted to give the untouched cash to the American people as a "potent stimulus." He then called on the Democrats in Congress to issue a "one sentence approval" for him to redirect the funds. The long-awaited second stimulus checks might come if both parties finally strike a deal at any point from September 8, when Congress and Senate return from summer recess. Congressional lawmakers were criticized by those who said that the break was inappropriate and untimely knowing that many Americans are continuing their fight against the coronavirus pandemic without paychecks. Congress adjourned early last month without reaching an agreement on the next coronavirus stimulus package. According to The Sun, if the Senate passes a new COVID-19 relief bill on September 11, the House will pass it on September 16, and then Trump could sign it on September 17. On the week of September 28, the first checks could be distributed. White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said that Trump is the "only one" moving to get financial relief to the American people amid the ongoing pandemic. In an interview with CBS This Morning on August 24, Meadows lambasted the Democrats in Congress, saying they "failed to come together on anything that would address... enhanced unemployment [and] eviction protections." In May, the House Democrats passed the $3 trillion HEROES Act, but Senate Republicans proposed a much smaller $1 trillion package in August. Both proposals include another round of $1,200 stimulus checks for eligible Americans. However, the two parties disagree strongly on several aspects of the next COVID-19 relief package, with both sides blaming the other for stalling the bill. According to the Washington Times, Trump seemed to suggest that the leftover COVID-19 relief aid from legislation approved in March would be enough, saying the $300 billion is "sitting in an account that we didn't need because things are going so well with the economy." The President's comment indicated that the money could be used for direct payments similar to the $1,200 checks that were delivered to most taxpayers in the spring. On Friday, the government reported that the unemployment rate plummeted to 8.4 percent in August from 10.2 percent in July - a positive indicator that the economy continues to slowly recover. Check these out: Trump's Payroll Tax Deferral Won't Give Benefit to this Group of People Beneficiaries Who Owe More Stimulus Money have Until September 30 to Get It Second Round of Stimulus Checks Seem to be in Danger What transpired at the Rajnath Singh-Wei Fenghe meeting at Moscow India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Sep 05: Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh made it clear that India wants restoration of status quo ante along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The Chinese defence minister General Wei Fenghe said that the responsibility of the ongoing tension lies entirely with India. India has repeatedly brushed this off repeatedly and said that the border aggression has been shown by the troops of the People's Liberation Army. China's news agency, Xinhua reported that Singh during the meeting hoped that the two sides would adopt a responsible attitude and fully disengage front line forces as soon as possible. Singh also said that the two sides should avoid taking measures that may escalate or complicate the situation. He also insisted that differences should not turn into disputes and bilateral military relations should be brought back on the right track as soon as possible. The report also said that Wei had said that recently the relations between the two countries and the two militaries have been seriously affected by the border issue and that was important for the two defence ministers to have a face to face and candid exchange of views on relevant issues. The news report also said that the cause and truth of current tension on the China-India border are very clear and the responsibility lies with the Indian side. Not an inch of China's territory should be lost. Would love to get involved: Trump on Indo-China face-off The Chinese military has the resolve, capability and confidence to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, Wei also said. He further said that both sides should earnestly implement the important consensus reached by President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Both sides should stay committed to resolving the issue through dialogue and consultation. He also hoped that the Indian side would strictly abide by the series of agreements reached and effectively strengthen the control over front-line troops and refrain from provocations. The two sides should bear in mind the overall interests of China-India relations and regional peace and stability, make joint efforts to meet each other halfway, cool down the current situation as soon as possible and safeguard peace and tranquillity in the China-India border areas, Wei said at the meeting. Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar and Indian Ambassador to Russia D B Venkatesh Varma were part of the Indian delegation at the talks that began at around 9:30 pm(IST) at a prominent hotel in Moscow following a request from Gen. Wei. "The meeting between Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh and Chinese Defence Minister, General Wei Fenghe in Moscow is over. The meeting lasted for 2 hours and 20 minutes," Singh's office tweeted. A source familiar with the developments told OneIndia that the Indian delegation strongly objected to the fresh attempt made by China to change the status quo in the southern bank of Pangong Tso in Eastern Ladakh. The delegation insisted on the resolution through talks. The Indian side said that there should be restoration of status quo ante at all friction points in Eastern Ladakh. Hours before the talks, Singh, in his address at the SCO ministerial meet, said peace and security in the region demands a climate of trust, non-aggression, peaceful resolution of differences and respect for international rules. Singh's comments in the presence of the Chinese defence minister was seen as a veiled message to China over the border row in eastern Ladakh. In 2.20 hours talks with Chinese defence minister, Rajnath made strong pitch for status quo ante In his address, Singh referred to the Second World War and said its memories teach the globe the "follies of aggression" of one state upon another that brings "destruction" to all. "Peaceful stable and secure region of SCO member states, which is home to over 40 per cent of the global population, demands a climate of trust and cooperation, non-aggression, respect for international rules and norms, sensitivity to each other's interest and peaceful resolution of differences," Singh said. Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on Saturday backtracked on filing criminal cases against its staffers indicted in the missing 328 Guru Granth Sahib saroops case fearing external interference into its matters, nine days after passing resolutions for same. In its August 27 meeting, the executive committee had resolved to file criminal cases against its six staffers dismissed for their role in misappropriation in the case. However, on Saturday SGPC decided to take action against the erring employees within the organisation as per the panthic traditions. Working on the mission for which the SGPC was founded, stringent punishment will be awarded to the employees who committed irregularities, under Gurdwara Act as per the panthic traditions, so that nobody dares to do so in future, said SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal. No one will be allowed to interfere into the matters of SGPC and Sri Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple). The SGPC is an independent entity and competent to take decision on its own, he elaborated, a day after former Rajya Sabha member and National Commission for Minorities chairman Tarlochan Singh alerted him about police interference if cases are filed against the erring employees. Notably, in a TV interview, Akal Takht acting jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh had also advocated criminal cases against the employees nominated in this case. However, the SGPC chief made it clear that the decision to initiate legal proceedings against the controversial CA firm SS Kohli and Associates for recovering the service charges would remain intact. Formal apology before Akal Takht on Sept 18 Under fire for being head of the organisation that witnessed misappropriation, Longowal apologised for having hurt the sentiments of the Sikh community. In the recent past, the SGPC had to face worrisome circumstances due to some employees performing their duties with irresponsibly and committing irregularities. Misappropriation in the record related to the holy saroops is becoming a hot topic. I feel this has hurt the sentiments of all followers of Guru Nanak. So, I personally seek forgiveness from the Sikh sangat, he said. Longowal said the incumbent office-bearers and the SGPC executive committee would appear before the Akal Takht on September 18 to tender a formal apology for the same. He appealed to the employees accused in the case to also do so. On severe demand from the Sikh masses, the SGPC has finally made the inquiry report public, based on which it has initiated action against the accused on Akal Takhts direction. The SGPC chief said this report will be available on the official website. However, only 10 pages containing conclusion of the report have been disclosed. Responding to the Sikh bodies seeking whereabouts of the missing saroops, Longowal said, I assure you that the saroops are not missing, nor have they been desecrated. The erring employees issued these saroops to the sangat without making their entries in the record books. These indulged in this illicit practice for their personal gains, which is also mentioned in the inquiry report. Feeling the anguish caused by this matter to Khalsa Panth, suggestions of Sikh intellectuals, saints and religious organisations will be given shape. The shortcomings highlighted in the inquiry report will be eradicated, so that the system could be run in an adequate manner. The SGPC is bound to give hard punishment to every accused, but some people are politicising this sensitive matter, which should not be done, said the SGPC chief. State human rights wing warns of moving court Reacting on the SGPC decision, Punjab Human Rights Organization (PHRO), which had uncovered the matter, warned of moving the court directly to file criminal cases against the SGPC functionaries. Its totally a U-turn by the SGPC from its previous decisions, including filing of criminal cases. It is another attempt of hushing up the matter. Why did Longowal keep mum on the 2016 fire incident and whereabouts of the missing saroops, asked PHRO investigator Sarabjit Singh Verka. He said, The Akal Takht jathedar must take cognizance of the matter otherwise the PHRO would have no option than to move the court. As per the inquiry, the accused deserve criminal proceedings against them. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Chandigarh, Sep 5 : Punjab Police and security agencies in neighbouring states have launched a manhunt after a carjacking incident at gunpoint by three men in Punjab's Gurdaspur district, police said on Saturday. Three motorcycle-borne miscreants stopped a white-coloured Verna car near the Bariar bypass, fired shots into the air and snatched the vehicle on Friday evening, a senior police official told IANS. He, however, ruled out the possibility of a terror angle to the incident even though the whole district has been put on high alert. The Director General of Police in Punjab in a letter to his counterparts in Jammu and Himachal Pradesh asked them to step up the security. Security agencies were taking the incident seriously in view of two major terrorist strikes in the area in recent years. Terrorists from Pakistan had attacked the Indian Air Force (IAF) base in Punjab's Pathankot in 2016 and Dinanagar town in neighbouring Gurdaspur district in 2015. The suspect in the Madeleine McCann case is being investigated over a separate child sex allegation a month before she vanished in Portugal. The German drifter known as Christian B is suspected of exposing himself and performing a sex act in front of a young girl on a beach in 2007. German prosecutor Hans-Christian Wolters, who is investigating Christian B in the Madeleine case, revealed his new investigation to Sky News. He said: "In this case of 2007 he is suspected of showing himself in a sexual, offensive way in front of a 10-year-old German child on a beach. I cannot say exactly if he was masturbating in front of the child or if he has just shown himself naked. "In Germany that is a sexual abuse of a child - and that's why we are investigating. But he is just a suspect, we haven't charged him, so I cannot say anything about how this investigation will end. "What I can say is that Christian B knows about this second investigation - we sent his lawyer the files of this case." The victim is thought to have been a 10-year-old girl who was with her family on Salema Beach, about a 15-minute drive from Praia da Luz, where Madeleine disappeared from a holiday apartment in 2007. The original investigation was closed without a suspect, but re-opened after the girl's mother went to police when Christian B, 43, was identified as the new suspect in the Madeleine case three months ago. Mr Wolters said: "Of course we are looking for other crimes related to Christian B. And if we have any findings we will start new investigations. "You have to look at these things detached. A concrete connection between this crime, even with this new child abuse, and even if it was in the year 2007, but there is no direct connection to the Madeleine case except that the suspect is Christian B." Christian B, as he is know in the German judicial system, is a drifter who lived on and off in the Algarve between 1995 and 2007. He is currently in jail in Germany after being convicted of rape and drug trafficking. His lawyer Friedrich Fulscher has told Sky News he denies any involvement in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 18:25:18|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close PHNOM PENH, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Mosques in Cambodia will reopen their doors to worshippers every Friday, starting from Sept. 11 after temporary closure since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Health Minister Mam Bunheng said on Saturday. Worshippers must strictly adhere to the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health, he said. "They must wear face masks, have their body temperature checked, regularly wash hands with soap or alcohol- and gel-based sanitizers, and keep social distancing of at least 1.5 meters," Bunheng said in a press statement. "Muslims should bring their own prayer mats from home, as children and ill people are not allowed to enter the mosques," he added. Attendees are refrained from shaking hands, and they can greet each other by raising hands and saying "Salam," the minister said, adding that the gatherings for Friday prayers should not last longer than 30 minutes. The move came after the situation of the COVID-19 in the kingdom is under control. According to the Ministry of Health, the Southeast Asian nation has recorded a total of 274 confirmed COVID-19 cases to date, with 272 patients cured and two remained hospitalized. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 15:28:23|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KABUL, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Afghan Air Force killed two militants and destroyed a camp of Taliban used as a command center and a factory for building home-made improvised bombs in the northern Faryab province during an operation Friday night, the military command said Saturday. "The airstrike was conducted at 11:15 p.m. local time in Qaysar district. The strike targeted camp of Mawlawi Ismahil, who served as Taliban insurgents' shadow district chief for Qaysar. As a result, two militants, including a Taliban bomb expert, were killed and the camp destroyed," Afghan National Army Special Operations Corps said in a statement. Some amount of explosive materials and 30 Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) were also destroyed in the sortie, the statement added. In another development, special bomb disposal teams of Afghan National Police found and defused five IEDs in Fayab and western Herat provinces on Friday, the Interior Ministry has confirmed. The national security forces have been continuing cleanup operations across Afghanistan since early this year as daily violence and clashes remain in the war-torn country. Enditem SHENZHEN, China, Sept. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Huntkey, a leading provider of power solutions, has recently announced the special deal for its PC power supplies and monitors in Vietnam. The deal is operated by Huntkey's business partner in Vietnam, and at the deal, travel bags will be given away for free to the customers who buy Huntkey power supplies and monitors. Huntkey Special Deal: https://en.huntkey.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Huntkey-Vietnam-1.jpg The deal covers power supply - the GS700 and monitor - the N2491WH. The GS700 is a PC power supply with rated output power of 600W, which is able to support mainstream gaming PCs. It is an 80 Plus certified power supply that it is rated over 80% energy efficiency at 20%, 50% and 100% at rated load. It will waste less electric energy to lower electricity bills. The GS700 Power Supply: https://en.huntkey.com/product/gs-700/ The N2491WH is equipped with a 23.8-inch screen and a Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080. Its brightness is 250cd/, and with static contrast ratio of 1000:1, it allows the users to clearly and comfortably see in the darkest or brightest scenes. With a Full HD resolution, it is able to provide users with high quality images. The N2491WH Monitor: https://en.huntkey.com/product/n2491wh/ Utilizing eye-care technologies, mainly blue light filtration and flicker-free technology, it is capable of delivering the most comfortable viewing experience to users by reducing eye fatigue and strain, which will ensure greater user comfort after a long period of use, leaving them without any eye-related worry. It is equipped with an easily detachable base, and feature VGA and HDMI inputs. For more information, please visit: http://en.huntkey.com/ About Huntkey Huntkey Enterprise Group, founded in 1995 and headquartered in Shenzhen, is a member of The International Power Supply Manufacturer's Association (PSMA) and a member of The China Power Supply Society (CPSS). With branch companies in the USA, Japan and other areas, and cooperating factories in Brazil, Argentina, India and other countries, Huntkey has specialized in the development, design, and manufacturing of PC power supplies, industrial power supplies, surge protectors, adapters and chargers for many years. SOURCE Huntkey Related Links https://en.huntkey.com/ A tangy taste or that purple hue in your mouth. Theres nothing like jamun, quite literally! And Jamun Jam seems to be a favourite this season, since quite a few home chefs are putting up social media posts about this fruit spread. In fact, its quite easy to make at home and city-based chefs share its benefits, too. This time of the year, Delhi witnesses an abundance of black jamuns (Indian blackberries) which are both healthy and pocket-friendly, says Manali Ghosh, a Delhi-based food stylist, sharing that one can savour this jam even in winter months when fresh Jamuns wont be a common sight. Jamuns are low on calories, which makes them a perfect go to snack. One can have it with bread, on cookies or just like that; they also aid in digestion and promote natural bowel movement, says Ghosh sharing how jamun juice has bioactive phytochemicals that reduce risk of liver diseases, and adds, Jamuns are also known to be effective in treatment of diabetes. So diabetic friends, not to worry! Add less sugar to the jam and you are good to go. Stand-up comedienne Vasu Primlani, who has been making this for years, says, Of all the jams in the world, jamun jam has to be the most angelic with a low glycemic index of the fruit itself standing at 7; its full of antioxidants, is said to be anti-carcinogenic and anti-diabetic. Some eat it directly from the bottle, with dosa, or top it on ice cream to watch the incredible purple stain, or even make jamun gin alcoholic beverages. Recipe by home chef Shradha Saraf: Take two cups jamun and one cup sugar. Wash jamun properly and leave them in water for 30 mins; dont choose jamun that are too soft since they dont yield desired results. After 30 mins mix jamun and sugar and leave them for another 15 mins. Sugar will start melting. Turn on the gas and cook this mix on slow flame stirring continuously; you will see the pulp becoming soft. Keep pressing the Jamuns so that pulp becomes soft and deseed. This will take 10-15 mins atleast. Take our the seeds and keep mashing the pulp till you get a jam like consistency. Once cool add lime juice a pinch of cinnamon, and jamun jam is ready! Author tweets @Nainaarora8 Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON One of the best investments we can make is in our own knowledge and skill set. With that in mind, this article will work through how we can use Return On Equity (ROE) to better understand a business. To keep the lesson grounded in practicality, we'll use ROE to better understand American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NYSE:AEP). Return on equity or ROE is an important factor to be considered by a shareholder because it tells them how effectively their capital is being reinvested. In other words, it is a profitability ratio which measures the rate of return on the capital provided by the company's shareholders. View our latest analysis for American Electric Power Company How Do You Calculate Return On Equity? ROE can be calculated by using the formula: Return on Equity = Net Profit (from continuing operations) Shareholders' Equity So, based on the above formula, the ROE for American Electric Power Company is: 9.3% = US$1.9b US$20b (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2020). The 'return' is the income the business earned over the last year. So, this means that for every $1 of its shareholder's investments, the company generates a profit of $0.09. Does American Electric Power Company Have A Good ROE? By comparing a company's ROE with its industry average, we can get a quick measure of how good it is. The limitation of this approach is that some companies are quite different from others, even within the same industry classification. You can see in the graphic below that American Electric Power Company has an ROE that is fairly close to the average for the Electric Utilities industry (9.4%). roe That's neither particularly good, nor bad. While at least the ROE is not lower than the industry, its still worth checking what role the company's debt plays as high debt levels relative to equity may also make the ROE appear high. If true, then it is more an indication of risk than the potential. The Importance Of Debt To Return On Equity Story continues Companies usually need to invest money to grow their profits. That cash can come from issuing shares, retained earnings, or debt. In the first two cases, the ROE will capture this use of capital to grow. In the latter case, the debt used for growth will improve returns, but won't affect the total equity. That will make the ROE look better than if no debt was used. American Electric Power Company's Debt And Its 9.3% ROE American Electric Power Company clearly uses a high amount of debt to boost returns, as it has a debt to equity ratio of 1.57. With a fairly low ROE, and significant use of debt, it's hard to get excited about this business at the moment. Investors should think carefully about how a company might perform if it was unable to borrow so easily, because credit markets do change over time. Summary Return on equity is useful for comparing the quality of different businesses. A company that can achieve a high return on equity without debt could be considered a high quality business. If two companies have the same ROE, then I would generally prefer the one with less debt. But when a business is high quality, the market often bids it up to a price that reflects this. The rate at which profits are likely to grow, relative to the expectations of profit growth reflected in the current price, must be considered, too. So I think it may be worth checking this free report on analyst forecasts for the company. Of course American Electric Power Company may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have high ROE and low debt. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. Asserting that the situation along the India-China border has been 'very nasty' and the Chinese are 'going at it' much more strongly, United States President Donald Trump said he would love to get involved and help. IMAGE: IAF chopper seen flying in Leh. Photograph: Mohammad Arhaan Archer/ANI Photo "While we're at it, we're talking about China and India are going at it pretty good on the border, as you know. It's been very nasty," Trump told reporters on Friday evening at a White House news conference. Trump reiterated that he is talking to both India and China about the situation. "And we stand ready to help with respect to China and India. If we can do anything, we would love to get involved and help. And we are talking to both countries about that," he said. When asked if China is bullying India, he said that he hoped it is not the case but noted that China is 'certainly going at it'. "I hope not... But they (China) are certainly going at it. They are going at it much more strongly than a lot of people even understand," Trump said in response to a question. This page requires Javascript. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. RFI 1, 2, 3 Bye, Bye Algerie. And Gambia upset the form books to beat 10-man Tunisia. Mirror, MirrorThere's a magnificent episode of the Star Trek sci-fi series from the 1960s in which Captain Kirk and three of his Starship Enterprise crew are transported onto their vessel which exists in an alternative universe. Perhaps that's where the actual Algeria team is. Because the players who have been in Cameroon are light years away from the operators who conquered all before them in Egypt in 2019. It's o Tony Abbott, the former Australian prime minister, has been named to the UKs Board of Trade. There had been outcry when it was first revealed he was in the running, following years of controversial comments and behaviour. Campaigners have labelled Mr Abbott a homophobe, a misogynist and more in the last few days. Below, we collect a few of his most polarising moments. Coal is good for humanity The world has heard much in recent years from another outspoken politician on the virtues of beautiful, clean coal, but Tony Abbott got there before Donald Trump. In 2014, while prime minister, he attended the opening of multi-billion-dollar coal mine in Queensland and spoke out against criticism of coal. He said: Coal is good for humanity, coal is good for prosperity, coal is an essential part of our economic future, here in Australia, and right around the world. Energy is what sustains our prosperity, and coal is the worlds principal energy source and it will be for many decades to come. As a fossil fuel, coal contributes to global warming when burned for power and pollutes both the air and water. Ditch the witch Not a comment by Mr Abbott, but a banner next to which he campaigned against Australias carbon tax in 2015. He addressed opponents of the measure from a podium in front of Parliament House in Canberra, flanked by protesters holding signs describing then-PM Julia Gillard as a witch and a b***h, images show. Mr Abbott later said he regretted that some people had gone over the top in their criticism of Ms Gillard. This took some ironing out Five years earlier, in 2010, it was also carbon offsetting that provided Mr Abbott a chance to offend. Visiting a dry cleaners, he said that an emissions trading scheme championed by Malcolm Turnbull would damage small businesses through increased power costs. But he also addressed Australian women directly on the matter, saying: What the housewives of Australia need to understand as they do the ironing is that if they get it done commercially its going to go up in price, and their own power bills, when they switch the iron on, are going to go up. He was forced to climb down sheepishly from his remark some time later, ironing his own shirt for the cameras. Threatened by homosexuality Again in 2010, Mr Abbott told a television interviewer he felt probably feel a bit threatened ... as most people do by the concept of homosexuality. Provided a chance to clarify on a different programme, he admitted it had been a spontaneous answer. He added: The truth is I try to take people as I find them. Ive always tried to be that way and I hope as I get older I become better at it. However, reports said at the time, he did not explain exactly what he felt threatened by. He also told the second interviewer that homosexuality challenges, if you like, orthodox notions of the right order of things. Opposition to same-sex marriage In 2017, as the fraught Australian debate on this subject raged, Mr Abbott derided the idea of extending marriage to gay couples as political correctness. Mr Abbott is Catholic, and attended seminary in his younger years. In 2016 he spoke at an Assembly of Catholic Professionals luncheon and, addressing the topic of same-sex marriage, said: Who would have thought even 10 years ago that which has been taken for granted for millennia would be so questioned? He also penned an op-ed for The Sydney Morning Herald, which was more nuanced than his political correctness jibe. The wink Mr Abbott was caught winking at an ABC radio host when he was told a caller he was about to be introduced to was a phone sex worker. The woman informed the then-PM she had been forced to work on a phone sex hotline to make ends meet. Unfortunately for Mr Abbott, he appeared to have forgotten he was being filmed. He later said: I was looking at [the studio host], he was smiling at me and I winked back at him. I shouldnt have done it. I shouldve been more focused on the caller and more focused on the interview. DECATUR Hallie Niemerg of Mattoon is majoring in elementary education at Lake Land College, rather than pay more to study online at a university. Lake Land provided being closer to home with my family as well as being more affordable, Niemerg said. In a COVID-19 world, community colleges are seen an affordable option close to home for students facing concerns about the virus or uncertainties about four-year universities. Colleges around the country have either opened with online-only classes or switched to an online-only format after trying to open with in-person classes which had to be converted to online when COVID-19 cases started appearing on campus. Very few are offering discounts for virtual instruction. According to market research firm Fullscreen, more than 6,300 COVID-19 cases have been linked to 270 US colleges over the course of the pandemic. As more universities abandon plans to reopen and decide instead to keep classes online this fall, its leading to conflict between students who say they deserve tuition discounts and college leaders who insist remote learning is worth the full cost. Among the Fullscreen findings: While 44% of college students are completely open to online learning, 43% of students are open to online learning but expect a discount in tuition from their college or university 3% are unwilling to enroll in online-only classes if it is unsafe for colleges and universities to open 63% of college students are not considering taking a year off In some ways, community colleges are better equipped to weather the pandemic than traditional four-year universities. Unlike larger institutions, community colleges dont rely on revenue from residence halls which will plummet if students dont return to campus for fear of getting sick. Lake Land College in Mattoon is offering a variety of options, from in-person, to online, to a hybrid model, said Mercury Bowen, communications engagement coordinator. Counselors have heard both from students who are worried about online classes and face-to-face classes and has worked with them to help them be comfortable no matter what form their classes take. The college has implemented extensive safety precautions to create a safe environment including a daily Campus Visit Screening Form and a COVID Check-In Station where everyone coming to a college facility must prove they have completed the screening form and have a mask with them, Bowen said. Social distancing signage is placed throughout, as well as the requirement that face masks that cover the nose and mouth are required in all college facilities." Against the gap year The Illinois Community College Board, which oversees 48 community colleges and one consortium across the state, will release fall enrollment data next month. One concern is that students might choose to pause their studies or opt out of college altogether because of cost or other uncertainties. To combat that, the board launched a messaging campaign against the gap year, instead encouraging students to enroll at their local community college and earn credits that can be transferred to another institution. College student Virginia Book said she knows people her age who decided to opt out of the school year because of COVID-19. A few of my friends decided to take a semester off, and I cant say I didnt consider it as well, Book said. With a global pandemic going on around us, there is a lot of stress that is also a factor." She ended up taking classes at Richland Community College in Decatur. Nearly all of Richland's classes are online, with only a few offering in-person labs. While Richland hasn't seen an influx of students who were planning to attend local universities, they have heard from students who had planned to go much further who have decided to stay local instead. We've had some students enrolled in Iowa State, Arizona State, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, who had opted to stay with us who are from the area, said Isaac Zuniga, vice president of student success. We have seen an increase, not so much so for local universities in our surrounding area, but students who have gone to further universities. We are seeing an uptick of that. The majority of those students, Zuniga said, are taking their general education courses at Richland and will likely go on to those universities later. When you have a university experience nullified because of COVID and have gone into remote learning, why not come to the local community college and get an academic experience? he said. That was the reason Ashley Arnold chose Richland as her first choice. "Right now, with COVID-19, if you go the community college route, it will also be much cheaper compared to what a four-year charges for similar classes," she said. "While most incoming college students want to go off on their own, which is completely understandable, it's also important to take into account whether you are ready for that step." The average annual cost of attending a community college for someone within the college district was $4,206 in 2018, the most recent period for which Illinois College Board data was available. The average annual for an Illinois public university was $13,239. The right choice Usually during times of high unemployment, community colleges typically see more demand for career training and professional development. After the Great Recession, community colleges and vocational schools offering programs in cosmetology and automotive training saw enrollment spike. But researchers warn that todays economic conditions are distinct and note that community colleges have become less popular since enrollment peaked in 2010, according to the American Association of Community Colleges. Vocational classes at community colleges often rely on experiential learning, but students might be hesitant to return due to health concerns. You cant be a welder without having actually done a weld, said College Board Executive Director Brian Durham. You may be able to learn English composition online, but you really need to work in the shop and do some welding in order to do that, so there are many occupational areas that require face-to-face. Zuniga said Richland has added several services since his arrival, he said, which provide students with a traditional college experience, and in light of the pandemic, has added META Health Therapy Services, which provides mental health counseling with virtual visits. The college also has a food bank for students who are struggling, and assistance with rent and utilities if that's an issue, too. We pride ourselves in evolving as an institution, he said. (The pandemic) is unfortunate for us, because we had just started semester planning. The science labs, math labs, learning resource center, remodels we're doing, were planned for this semester. We're still moving forward and hope that soon students can take advantage of those. Book said Richland staff have been incredibly supportive in what's an unprecedented moment. "The staff at Richland knows that this is a difficult time for all of us," she said, "and they want to take care of their students in such a difficult time." Niemerg said attending Lake Land was the right choice. I didnt see the necessity of paying a lot more money to go away from home and not be able to go on campus for classes anyway," she said. The Chicago Tribune contributed to this report. Gov. J.B. Pritzkers graduated-rate income tax: Heres what you need to know Contact Valerie Wells at (217) 421-7982. Follow her on Twitter: @modgirlreporter Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 This year's Sept. 11 remembrance ceremony will be livestreamed for the first time, allowing students, faculty and staff on any of the University of North Georgia's (UNG) five campuses and the public to watch. The UNG Corps of Cadets and Student Government Association (SGA) Instagram pages will broadcast the remembrance. Dr. Billy Wells, a retired Army colonel and UNG's senior vice president for leadership and global engagement, is the speaker for the event. Wells, a Distinguished Military Graduate from Mississippi State University, retired from the Army in 2005 after 30 years of service. He is a graduate of the Army War College and holds a master's degree in education from Louisiana State University and a doctorate in higher education from Vanderbilt University. In a change from previous years when a candlelight vigil was held, this year's event and the livestream will be at noon Friday, Sept. 11, on the Gen. William J. "Lipp" Livsey Drill Field. The crowd, which will include local police, firefighters and nurses, will be limited to 50 people on a first-come, first-served basis to promote social distancing amid the COVID-19 pandemic. About 3,000 Americans were killed when terrorists hijacked airplanes and crashed them in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania on Sept. 11, 2001. UNG has lost eight alumni in combat since 9/11. "It's a very important event to a lot of students. It's something we want to honor and remember," said Molly Vandiver, Student Government Association (SGA) representative on UNG's Dahlonega Campus. "It will give us a sense of normalcy." Vandiver, a senior from Chickamauga, Georgia, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, said the inclusion of nurses in this year's event was a natural fit. So many of the faculty members in the nursing department have been serving on the front lines of the COVID-19 fight. "It's important to honor these people putting their lives on the line and facing so many changes in the middle of this pandemic," Vandiver said. Some leaders from UNG's Corps of Cadets will take part in the ceremony, but due to safety considerations, the whole Corps will not march at the event as it has at the previous vigils. Mallory Rodriguez, director of student leadership at UNG, said Sept. 11 is a vivid reminder of the sacrifices Americans can easily take for granted. "It definitely reminds you of people who are willing to go into situations with great care for others that we don't really think about until something happens," Rodriguez said. "They think about it every day." In addition to the remembrance ceremony, UNG will host a station on the promenade on UNG's Dahlonega Campus from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 10 where students can write letters of support to military service members and local first responders. The letter activity will be known as "Lest We Forget," a phrase often used in military remembrances. "It's such a historical event that shaped so much in our nation," said retired Sgt. 1st Class Chris Cato, UNG's assistant director of military operations. "It motivated a lot of people to raise their right hand to join the military and say 'send me.'" Cato also noted the way Sept. 11 highlighted the importance of first responders. "That was the front line then, all those firefighters and police officers who ran into the burning buildings to try and save people," Cato said. "It's extremely important for society today to remember the sacrifices of so many men and women on 9/11." It does take courage to announce Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) for power subsidies in agriculture, as Ajeya Kallam, principal advisor to the Andhra Pradesh chief minister, put it in his defence of the state Cabinets decision to go in for the controversial move. More so in a state like Andhra Pradesh, where free power is a sensitive issue and none other than YSR, father of Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, was the original champion of the scheme. The trigger for the Cabinet decision is the Centres incentive that ties reforms in the power sector to relaxation of the borrowing limit under the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act. The state, being sorely in need of funds, has no option other than to implement the suggested reforms. Nonetheless, it cannot plunge headlong into it without taking into consideration the possible repercussions. The DBT, to be implemented as a pilot project initially, would see the government transfer the subsidy directly to the farmers accounts, from where it will be paid to the distribution companies. The state has as many as 17.55 lakh agricultural power connections. First up, metering itself is a Herculean task given the apprehensions farmers have. It is also as yet unclear if the accounts will be opened in the land owners names or tenant farmers. The government has said the subsidy amount will be credited to the farmers accounts up front at the beginning of every month. But will it? The financial situation of Discoms has over the years deteriorated partly because of accumulated unpaid subsidies. Going by history, farmers associations are understandably afraid. f these apprehensions are addressed, none should have any objection to DBT. It is indeed time to undertake these reforms to bring about accountability, clarity and transparency in the power sector. The Discoms too stand to benefit as a scientific picture will emerge of the utilisation of power by the farm sector and their finances could be better managed. Jumping the gun as the opposition TDP has done, claiming that free power will be withdrawn, is ironic since Chandrababu Naidu was the original champion of power sector reforms. New Delhi: The Ministry of Health on Saturday (September 5) issued an updated advisory on COVID-19 testing which has further simplified the testing process and given more freedom and flexibility to the State authorities. As per the new advisory, the state governments can decide simplified modalities for on-demand testing for all individuals who wish to get themselves tested. The Health Ministry statement read, ''A totally new section has been added in the Advisory on Testing on Demand which for all practical purposes does away with prescription by a registered medical practitioner although State governments have the freedom to decide on simplified modalities.'' The Advisory also said that no re-testing is recommended prior to discharge from a COVID-19 facility after clinical recovery, including for transfer from a COVID area/ facility to a non-COVID area/ facility. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health informed that there has been an unprecedented upsurge in Indias daily testing capacities, adding that for two successive days more than 11.70 lakh tests have been conducted per day. The total COVID-19 test count in the country now stands at 4 crore and 77 lakh till date. There are now 1647 testing laboratories operational which cover all States/UTs. Earlier on Friday, ICMR suggested that 100 percent of people living in containment zones should be tested by rapid antigen tests, particularly in cities where there has been the widespread transmission of the infection. Under `routine surveillance in containment zones and screening at points of entry`, the advisory recommended testing of all asymptomatic high-risk individuals (people above 65 and those with co-morbidities etc.) in containment zones, it said. Union Minister said the introduction of the Policy was a landmark step by the Modi government in clearing several anomalies prevailing in the system of the country, according to an official statement. Addressing a webinar on National Policy-2020: Health Education Perspective, he said it was the strong political will of the Modi government to take out of the box decision of introducing the NEP which focuses more on skill and vocational education. Singh, Minister of State for Personnel, said major reforms were introduced in higher education, including a target of 50 per cent gross enrolment ratio by 2035 and a provision for multiple entry and exit in the new education policy. The introduction of the National Education Policy-2020 was a landmark step by the Modi government in clearing several anomalies prevailing in the education system of the country, the statement said. The webinar was organised by Shri Vishwakarma Skill University(SVSU), Haryana, in association with Indira Gandhi National Open university (IGNOU) here. The minister said the education policy is aptitude based rather than score based. Speaking on the health-education perspective, he said the coronavirus pandemic has taught the importance of the integrity in health education. Singh said as the human life is at stake, changes in curriculum should be an evolving process, according to the statement issued by the Personnel Ministry. He said the government's decision to set up the National Recruitment Agency (NRA) is also a game-changer. Singh said it is not only a governance reform but also a socio-economic reform and brings recruitment to villages and towns. While mentioning about the Mission Karmayogi--a National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building (NPCSCB) by the Union Cabinet-- he said it will go a long way in creating a new future-ready civil service for a new India. It is an endeavour to incarnate civil services into a real Karmayogi who is creative, constructive, pro-active and technically empowered to face the future challenge and this is also aimed at ending the culture of working in silos and to overcome the multiplicity of training modules, Singh said. He said, after the historic passage of the National Recruitment Agency on August 19, 2020, the Mission Karmayogi will prove to be the largest civil services reform in the world in terms of depth and spread. Singh added that a mid-career training will be available for all services at all levels in all languages and underlined that this will help in professional delivery of services at all levels of government of India. (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.) Egypt sent on Saturday medical aid to Iraq to help the Arab country face the coronavirus outbreak. The move was initiated by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, the Armed Forces said. A military cargo plane carrying medical supplies and sensitisers took off from East Cairo air base to Iraq and was received by a number of Iraqi officials in Baghdad. Iraq's Ambassador in Cairo Ahmed Nayef said the aid will help Iraq's health sector combat the coronavirus crisis. Nayef and Iraqi officials said they appreciate Egypt's support of Iraq at this critical time, the statement added. Iraq has recorded 256,710 coronavirus cases since February, including 7,422 fatalities and 195,259 fully recovered patients. Search Keywords: Short link: The head of Rochester, New Yorks police union on Friday defended the actions of officers involved in the March arrest of Daniel Prude, a Black man whose death triggered protests, saying they followed protocols in using a hood to restrain him. They had to do exactly what they did, Rochester Police Locust Club President Michael Mazzeo told a news conference on Friday, adding that there was a substantial amount of evidence to show why the protocols used by the officers were employed. Prude, a 41-year-old Black man, died after an encounter with police in Rochester, New York, in March. His family this week released body camera footage from his arrest, showing a group of officers putting a mesh hood over Prudes head - apparently to prevent his spit from possibly transmitting the novel coronavirus - as he kneels naked and restrained on the street. Release of the video was followed by protests in Rochester, turning the city of 200,000 people in the northwest corner of the state into the latest flash point in a summer of civil unrest over racism and police brutality. Seven police officers were suspended Thursday over the arrest. The medical examiner ruled his death a homicide caused by complications of asphyxia in the setting of physical restraint, with intoxication by phencyclidine, or the drug PCP, among additional contributing factors. Rochester police chief LaRon Singletary and mayor Lovely Warren, both Black, have faced questions over why the officers were not disciplined until the videotape became public five months later. Singletary has said internal and criminal investigations were underway. Mazzeo, in his first comments since the body camera footage was made public, said he had been told by Singletarys office after the arrest that there were no concerns with the officers and that they had followed training. Maria Haberfeld, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said that based on the known facts and the video evidence available online she believes the officers acted properly, including in their use of a so-called spit hood. This device is intended to protect officers and others from somebody who threatens to bite or spit, or uses their mouth to infect them, Haberfeld said, describing their response to the situation as absolutely by the book. The video footage also shows officers forcing Prudes face down on the ground. Prude can be heard shouting, Take this ... off my face! and Youre trying to kill me! in response to the hood. Officers are heard saying Calm down and stop spitting. Prudes head was then pressed onto the pavement for two minutes, according to video footage and records released by Prudes family. He died a week later at the hospital. Pressing a persons face down is also a common procedure among police departments as a way to gain control over someone who is resisting arrest or who appears to be under the influence of drugs, Haberfeld said. Joseph Bartscherer, a fine-art photographer who created rigorously conceptual work about the constructed world, the natural world and the intersection of the two, was found dead on Aug. 13 at his home in Brooklyn Heights. He was 65. His brother Thomas said the cause was hypertensive cardiovascular disease. Mr. Bartscherers four-decade career as an artist was defined by long-term observation and doggedness of focus. His works include Canal, for which he traveled along a 19th-century canal between Liverpool and Leeds in England; Nevada, a deep dive into that states geology; and Forest, for which he returned again and again over a decade to a section of New England woods to capture, in rich color, the changes to an eternal landscape. For Pioneering Mattawa, he spent nine years photographing a government irrigation project in Washington State that turned a desert into a fertile fruit-growing region. Through black-and-white photos, Mr. Bartscherer subtly revealed the way humans shaped the land; one image shows a row of newly planted trees being bent back by the wind. COVID-19 measures reimposed in Phang Nga PHUKET: Phang Nga, north of Phuket, has become Thailands first province to reimpose strict health measures following news of the first local Covid-19 transmission case in more than three months and the outbreak in neighbouring Myanmar. By Bangkok Post Saturday 5 September 2020, 11:57AM Phang Nga Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada. Photo: PR Dept Among the measures is a required 14-day home quarantine for those arriving in, or returning to, the southern province from areas considered Covid-19 outbreak zones, said Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada, reported the Bangkok Post. The stay-at-home requirement is being waived if people can show proof of having quarantined at a state or local quarantine facility before arriving in the province. Mr Chamroen, who has previously served as Governor of Phuket, said many people had taken health safety measures for granted and in doing so reduced public awareness about the still-present threat of COVID-19 infections. Apart from the home quarantine, people in Phang Nga must wear a face mask at all times in public places, never engage in any activity that may heighten the risk of spreading the virus and strictly follow COVID-19 prevention regulations when attending mass gatherings. Punishments would be meted out against anyone who violates the health measures, Gov Chamroen said. Governor Chamroen also ordered officials in all districts in the province to be on alert for any illegal migrant workers being smuggled into their areas. The employers involved and leading officials in the areas where any illegal migrant workers, who in Phang Nga are mostly from Myanmar, are found would be held responsible, he said. In Kanchanaburi, army chief Gen Apirat Kongsompong inspected border security at the Three Pagodas Pass in Sangkhla Buri district on Friday (Sept 4) as part of the governments policy to maintain security along the Thai-Myanmar border. The government has told 10 provinces to seal off the border with Myanmar to prevent illegal crossings. They are Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Mae Hong Son, Tak, Kanchanaburi, Ratchaburi, Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Ranong and Chumphon. COVID-19 outbreak scares have been reported in Tak, Kanchanaburi and Ranong, making it necessary to tighten borders to ease fears, Gen Apirat said. In Tak, eight Myanmar nationals suspected of illegal entry were on Friday detained at a rental house in Ban Huay Muang, Mae Sot district. A woman identified only as Makin, 40, admitted that they had sneaked into Thailand through natural border channels to seek work in Thailand. She said most businesses in towns on the Myanmar side of the border had been shut due to the new virus outbreak. About 100 Myanmar nationals have been detained recently after trying to sneak into Thailand. (Newser) Ahead of Labor Day, unions representing millions across several working-class sectors are threatening to authorize work stoppages in support of the Black Lives Matter movement amid calls for concrete measures that address racial injustice. In a statement first shared with the AP, labor leaders who represent teachers, autoworkers, truck drivers, and clerical staff, among others, signaled a willingness Friday to escalate protest tactics to force local and federal lawmakers to take action on policing reform and systemic racism. They said the walkouts would last for as long as needed. "The status quoof police killing Black people, of armed white nationalists killing demonstrators, of millions sick and increasingly desperateis clearly unjust, and it cannot continue," the statement says. story continues below It was signed by several branches of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the Service Employees International Union, and affiliates of the National Education Association. The broader labor movement has been vocal since the May 25 killing of George Floyd, a Black man who died when a white police officer pressed his knee into Floyd's neck for nearly eight minutes during an arrest. The death of Floyd in Minneapolis set off an unprecedented surge of protests and unrest from coast to coast this summer. In July, organized labor staged a daylong strike with workers from the service industry, fast-food chains and the gig economy to call out the lack of coronavirus pandemic protections for essential workers, who are disproportionately Black and Hispanic. (Read more Black Lives Matter stories.) A Google map pinpointing Nacho, the area where the porters are said to have been detained by China's People's Liberation Army. (Photo: Google) Guwahati: The Arunachal Pradesh police are investigating social media chatter that five porters engaged by the Indian Army were detained by Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) in a forest area on the border. The incident is reported to have taken place two days ago but the administration of Upper Subansiri district said they have not received any complaint in this regard as of Saturday. The deputy commissioner of the district, Kento Danggen, said they came to know of the matter from social media posts by local villagers. A defence spokesperson in Guwahati said he had not received any information on the matter from his headquarters. Security sources in the intelligence wing, engaged in international border management, said the Indian Army HQ have been trying to establish contact with patrols operating in remote areas of the frontier along the MacMahon line to verify the claim of villagers. News agency PTI quoted superintendent of police Taru Gussar as saying, I have sent the officer-in-charge of the Nacho police station to the area to verify the facts. However, the report will be available only by Sunday morning." A senior journalist of Itanagar, Jarpum Gamlin, said the incident became public when the porters families claimed to have learnt of it from a wireless message of the Indian Army. The message reportedly said that the porters were from the Nacho administrative block, which I 120 km from the state capital Itanagar, and the detentions took place at Sera-7 area near the McMahon line. The porters have been identified as Tanu Bakar, Prasad Ringling, Ngaru Diri, Dongtu Ebiya and Toch Singkam. PTI said they belong to the Tagin community. The Itanagar-based newspaper Eastern Sentinel quoted Prakash Ringling, elder brother of Prasad Ringling, as saying, We have received information from our village people that my brother along with four others has been abducted by the PLA near the McMahon Line. My brother was part of 36 people serving as porters near the China border. Congress MLA Ninong Ering said the five men had gone to fish in the area when they were taken by the PLA. "The Chinese have again started creating a nuisance. Just like in Ladakh and Doklam, they [Chinese Army] have started incursions in Arunachal Pradesh," he said, claiming it was the second time that the Chinese Army has abducted people from India. Earlier, on March 19 this year, a 21-year-old man was abducted by PLA from Asapila sector near the McMahon line in Upper Subansiri district. He was released after 19 days in captivity. The on Friday allowed consolidation of multiple FIRs lodged in against foreign nationals in connection with the activities, and also agreed to the transfer of pending trials before specified courts. A bench comprising Justices A.M. Khanwilkar, Dinesh Maheshwari and Sanjiv Khanna directed the UP government to move the principal bench of Allahabad High Court with an application on the number of courts, which would take up pending trials across the state. The bench also asked the High Court to identify the specific courts within a period of one week for hearing of these matters, and that these courts should attempt to wrap up the trial within 8 weeks. The observation from the top court came while considering applications by foreign nationals facing trials across UP, seeking consolidation of FIRs and an expedited trial, as granted by the top court with respect to the original matter led by 34 petitioners from Delhi. On September 1, the apex court had allowed the transfer of all trials pending before trial court in Bihar to one particular court. Senior advocate Maneka Guruswamy, representing the petitioners, suggested a total of two to three courts, should be tasked with taking up the trials in UP. The bench expressed willingness to allow one court per zone in UP. Guruswamy cited the example of Zone 3, Bareilly, where eight Indonesian nationals were granted bail. She contended that the first three bail conditions are fine, but the fourth condition sought the presence of the First Secretary of the Embassy before the court. She argued that only a few special courts should be designated to hear the trials of applicants. --IANS ss/vd (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.) Premier Daniel Andrews has warned 'thousands' of Victorians would die if strict coronavirus restrictions were to be lifted. Stage Four restrictions in Melbourne, and Stage Three in the rest of the state, are set to lift on September 13 at 11.59pm after weeks of enduring the miserable lockdown. But speaking on Saturday, a day ahead of his announcement on easing restrictions, Mr Andrews said lockdown was unlikely to end. 'To open up with those numbers would, of course, see the total number of coronavirus infections explode,' Mr Andrews said. 'It would see many, many hundreds, indeed thousands, of Victorians infected with this virus. While the Victorian government has claimed the leaked map is 'out of date', Premier Daniel Andrews (pictured) on Thursday refused to rule out continuing Stage Four restrictions 'So, as frustrating, as challenging as it is, we need to stay the course on this. 'Thats why tomorrow we will outline a road map to ease these important restrictions, to ease out of the second wave, once its appropriately and properly defeated. Truly defeated.' Victoria recorded 76 new coronavirus cases and 11 deaths on Saturday, with the welcome infection numbers coming after a spike earlier in the week saw 113 new cases after days of double digit transmission. Friday was Victoria's deadliest day of the pandemic so far, with 59 deaths announced - but 50 of those had occurred back in July and August in aged care homes. The new deaths come as bombshell leaked documents reveal Melbourne's strict stage four lockdown could be extended (pictured, police roam Melbourne on Thursday) Stage Four restrictions in Melbourne, and Stage Three in the rest of the state, are set to lift on September 13 at 11.59pm after weeks of enduring the miserable lockdown But speaking on Saturday, a day ahead of his announcement on easing restrictions, Mr Andrews said lockdown was unlikely to end Melbourne's Stage Four lockdown, with the rest of the state in Stage Three - regardless of how many coronavirus cases towns have - had come under increasing scrutiny as the numbers fall. Bombshell leaked documents revealed on Thursday that Melbourne's strict Stage Four lockdown could be extended by another two weeks. A top secret draft for Victorias recovery appeared to reveal the government's plan to extend the 8pm-5am curfew and keep restrictions on businesses for an additional two weeks. While the Victorian government has claimed the leaked map is 'out of date', Mr Andrews on Thursday refused to rule out continuing Stage Four restrictions. If COVID-19 infections were to spread out-of-control, Australia's health system could become overwhelmed, according to modelling by the Grattan Institute (pictured, their report) Everything is on the table, he admitted. It will be driven by the data and the science, how many cases there are, the types of cases there are. According to the road map, residents will be given the luxury of two hours of exercise a day, which can be split into two sessions, from September 14 - the official date Stage Four comes to an end. The decision will be announced on Sunday. Single people and single parents would also be given the right to have a nominated visitor at their home. According to the report, which was obtained by the Herald Sun, there are bigger changes coming from September 28, which includes the curfew being lifted and increased social gatherings. But the Victorian Chamber of Commerce has denied there is a plan to extend Stage Four lockdown by two weeks - claiming it is out of date. But a growing number of locked down residents are growing increasingly frustrated with the Premier's tough restrictions. On Saturday, 'Freedom Day' protests broke out near the Shrine of Remembrance in in central Melbourne. Scenes turned ugly at the demonstrations and early reports indicate a number of arrests have been made A growing number of locked down residents are growing increasingly frustrated with the Premier's tough restrictions On Saturday, 'Freedom Day' Protests broke out near the Shrine of Remembrance in in central Melbourne Demonstrators were warned a large police presence would be in place to crack down on anti-lock down protesters and coronavirus deniers who defy the city's strict COVID-19 restrictions. In the lead up to the march, many of the anti-lockdown movement's most notorious members announced they would no longer attend. James Bartolo was charged with incitement on Friday for allegedly encouraging his mass following to attend the rally. Following his arrest, Bartolo told Nine News he would not longer be in attendance. 'I wanted people to not go to the protests, now, hopefully, (the) protest won't go ahead, I hope you put that on,' he said on Friday night. 'It's a trap because Daniel Andrews just wanted to blame the protest to extend the lockdown.' A man who is not wearing a face mask is seen speaking with police at the 'Freedom Day' rally The man is now pictured wearing a face covering and is seen handing a note to police officers Several officers are seen detaining the man as police crack down on anti-lockdown protesters and coronavirus-deniers Infectious disease specialists in the Bay Area and around the country are worried that the Trump administration is preparing to bypass science and rush unproven coronavirus vaccines into use, a move that physicians warn could have dire consequences. President Trump and administration officials have said a coronavirus vaccine could be ready by the end of the year, possibly even before the Nov. 3 election. That timeline has lit a fire under scientists, including doctors conducting at least four vaccine trials in the Bay Area, but it has also made a lot of people uneasy. I understand the urgency, but the urgency should be that we want to protect people from disease, not because of other agendas, said Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, chief of pediatric infectious diseases at the Lucile Packard Childrens Hospital at Stanford University, who will be conducting two vaccine trials. These vaccines could have side effects. At a very minimum, they might not work. We need some time to determine if these vaccines will work. Several drugmakers, including Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson and Moderna, told the Wall Street Journal on Friday that they plan to issue a pledge not to seek government approval of the vaccines they are developing until they have proved to be safe and effective. The vaccine sweepstakes took on space-race qualities on Aug. 11, when Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that his country had approved a COVID-19 vaccine named Sputnik V, a tribute to a spacecraft test flight launched by the Soviet Union in 1961. The vaccine race is the new arms race its the Russians versus the U.S. versus the Chinese for who can get their vaccine out, said Peter Chin-Hong, a professor of medicine and infectious diseases at UCSF. Putins move outraged the worlds medical community because the Russian vaccine had not gone through the standard drug trials to determine safety and effectiveness, let alone phase three trials, which are the scientific standard for determining safety and effectiveness. Photos by Alison Yin / Special to The Chronicle Epidemiologists are afraid that Trump might be planning to approve an untested drug, which violates what Chin-Hong calls the three Ts testing, transparency and trust. Whether Putins gambit raised the presidents competitive juices is unclear, but White House Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Matthews said Friday that Trump is cutting through every piece of red tape with the goal of delivering a vaccine as quickly as possible. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the countrys top infectious disease expert, and Dr. Stephen Hahn, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, told reporters late last month that an American vaccine might be made available before the completion of clinical trials. The independent Data and Safety Monitoring Board has the authority to end phase three trials only when the preliminary data show the drugs are overwhelmingly effective. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has since directed public health officials in all 50 states to be ready to distribute a vaccine by late October or early November. The announcements set off alarms because it looked to many physicians as if Trump was more interested in timing vaccine approval for maximum effect on election day than protecting the health and safety of Americans. Robert Siegel, an infectious disease specialist at Stanford University, said cutting short testing would be irresponsible because there is no way of knowing whether a vaccine is safe unless it is tested on people of different ages, genders and ethnicity. SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, mutates once or twice a month, so a vaccine would also have to be tested against different strains and lineages to make sure it is safe. There is no way to determine the long-term consequences of vaccination in a short period of time, Siegel said. The worst-case scenario is the premature licensing of a vaccine that actually increases illness and death. The race for a cure in the United States is largely being driven by Operation Warp Speed, a partnership among at least six federal agencies developed by the Trump administration that is supposed to cut bureaucratic red tape and speed the approval process. Alison Yin / Special to The Chronicle Administration officials insisted last week that the rush to get a vaccine by November has nothing to do with the presidential election and promised that no corners would be cut on safety. This has to do with delivering safe, effective vaccines to the American people as quickly as possible and saving peoples lives, Alex Azar, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, told CBS This Morning on Thursday. Whether its Oct. 15, whether its Nov. 1, whether its Nov. 15, its all about saving lives. But even at warp speed, developing a safe and effective coronavirus vaccine by January about a year after the pandemic began would be unprecedented. It normally takes about a decade to develop vaccines for new diseases. The CDC did approve four new vaccines five months after the H1N1 influenza virus, also known as the swine flu, was detected in 2009, but flu viruses were already well known. What were talking about now is a brand-new virus that weve never seen before, Maldonado said of the coronavirus. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. The faster process is nevertheless yielding promising results. More than 175 vaccine candidates have been developed, and eight of them are undergoing phase three trials, including the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, according to the World Health Organization. The San Francisco Department of Public Health is scheduled to begin a phase three trial of the AstraZeneca vaccine, developed by Oxford University, this week in partnership with UCSF. In phase three, each vaccine will be tested against a placebo on 30,000 volunteers from around the world. Dr. Susan Buchbinder, a UCSF professor of medicine and epidemiology, is enrolling 1,000 Bay Area residents for the AstraZeneca trial. It is being conducted at remarkable speed, she said, but none of the checks and balances is being sacrificed, including monitoring by regulators and independent review boards. Alison Yin / Special to The Chronicle What we are trying to do is remove some of the bureaucratic barriers in the way of the speed with which we do trials, she said. What we are not short-shrifting on are the safety measures we take in the trial itself or in the very thorough evaluations of everybody in the trial. The problem is that most vaccine developers are attempting to use neutralizing antibodies, which bind to the virus crown-like spikes and prevent them from entering and hijacking human cells. Recent studies have cast doubt on whether these protective antibodies last long enough in the body to provide lasting immunity. Some of the vaccines would also stimulate T cells, which attack and destroy the pathogen itself, but many questions remain about the ability of a vaccine to effectively use these armaments. Recent evidence suggests that people who get the virus once can be infected a second time. The history of medicine is rife with promising therapies that have proved ineffective or even harmful, particularly when they were rushed into service without proper testing. Hydroxychloroquine, which the president touted as a coronavirus cure, was one such drug. It had to be pulled after evidence emerged that it could cause heart problems. A study by the National Academy of Medicine discovered an increased risk in children who were given a swine flu vaccine in 1976 of developing Guillain-Barre syndrome, a disease in which the bodys immune system attacks its own nerves. Failing to adhere to rigorous standards of testing increases the risk of these side effects and diverts money and resources away from potentially effective coronavirus drugs, disease specialists said. If all were doing is cutting out paperwork and business planning, thats fine, said Dr. George Rutherford, a UCSF infectious disease specialist. But if were cutting out review, ending the trials early or we have too few patients to find unusual side effects, thats a concern. That could potentially lead to mistakes. Peter Fimrite is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: pfimrite@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @pfimrite The CDC has developed a test to check for A and B type seasonal flu viruses and the virus that causes COVID-19, and the test will be used by U.S. public health laboratories, according to the CDC website. The District Chief Executive for Garu District in the Upper East Region Emmanuel Avoka has described President Akufo-Addo performance as the best. He said President Akufo-Addo has performed remarkably to retain power come December 7. The District Chief Executive said this at a town hall meeting in Garu. He outlined activities the assembly has undertaken over the past three and half years to improve lives and better lot of the people. The forum also provided the people in the district the opportunity to know much about the developmental projects and programmes being implemented by the assembly over the years. The people also shared their grievances with the assembly for redress. The Garu District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Emmanuel Asore Avoka, explained that the assembly was committed to the principles of transparency, probity and accountability to build the trust and confidence of the people. He touched on governments flagship programmes such as Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ), One-Village-One-Dam (1V1D) and the Rearing for Food and Jobs are some of the major initiatives that have benefitted thousands in the District. Mr Avoka renewed his resolve to enable the people to reap the maximum benefits from these programmes and other policies to improve their living standards. On agriculture, the DCE said, over 40,000 farmers benefited from the PFJ programme. According to him, the assembly distributed cashew seedlings to farmers in 2018 under the Planting for Export and Rural Development programme as measures to improve their economic activities. Mr Emmanuel also called on the youth to embrace the government initiative of Rearing for Food and Jobs saying the government is poised to support interested farmers with small ruminants and fowls for a start. He also informed the people about other development initiatives in other sectors such as health, education, water and sanitation, security as well as infrastructure for poverty eradication. Under education he said, the district has witnessed significant improvement with the introduction of the Akufo-Addo's Free SHS. The participants at the town hall meeting turn the attention of the DCE to the poor nature of the roads, the need for improved access to potable water, health care delivery, youth skills development centre, among others to propel the development of the district. A wife watches over her dying husband, separated by a glass window he is so ill, he can no longer even see or hear her. The hand of an elderly parent, desperately reaching through the gap in railings toward her daughter, only to be forcibly pulled away. A son, made to speak to his mother, already bewildered by dementia, through a closed door. Families admonished, yelled at, and chased away simply for trying to speak to a relative. Sally Goodman, 59, left, pictured with her husband Steve, 67, right, have not seen each other in person since May, as Mr Goodman, who has advanced dementia, lives in a care home who do not allow visitors because of the threat posed by Covid-19 Ghastly, cruel, and inhumane are words that spring to mind and they are all the more harrowing as this is going on in British care homes right now, according to a dossier of evidence compiled by dementia charity Johns Campaign. While restrictions have eased across the country, huge numbers of these vital facilities are still in lockdown, refusing or drastically limiting visits, it has emerged. And, it seems there is no end in sight. Last week, Johns Campaign launched a legal challenge hoping to force the Department of Health and Social Care to revise guidance that it says has led to this situation. The instructions, published in July, are vague and leave the bulk of decision-making down to individual managers. It states that homes can now develop a policy of limited visits with alternatives sought wherever possible, but the first priority must remain preventing infections. Managers are instructed to carry out something called a dynamic risk assessment. Martin Green, chief executive of Care England, one of Britain biggest care home bodies, said last week that part of the current problem was that many facilities were still struggling to get staff tested regularly. He called the situation extremely chaotic and warned that many feared legal action over Covid-19 deaths, so were being over-cautious. The reality is that scores of families have now been kept apart for six torturous months. The lack of clear direction has led to many homes implementing blanket bans that seem arbitrary, unfathomable and are causing a huge amount of avoidable distress. The Governments stance is, perhaps, understandable: in May, Secretary of State for Health Matt Hancock promised to throw a protective ring around the care sector. His words seemed particularly hollow when it emerged that at the peak of the outbreak, the NHS was instructed to clear 30,000 hospital beds meaning homes had to accept thousands of infected patients. Mr Hancock had failed even to meet with care home bosses prior to this. Secretary of Health Matt Hancock wanted to 'throw a protective blanket around the care home system', but dementia charities have warned this is causing a 'hidden catastrophe' as patients with such conditions are deteriorating and dying with their families left reeling Staff were also unable to access PPE, adding to the risk. The result? More than 3,000 residents died in just one week in mid-April, according to a recent report.Official statistics suggest a total death toll of roughly 20,000. They want to avoid another disaster like this. But is this the way? Dementia charities have been warning for months of the hidden catastrophe that awaits, should restrictions not be lifted. Draconian measures and social isolation has undoubtedly led to the deterioration and death of dementia patients while families have been left reeling. The Office for National Statistics has reported a disturbing 52 per cent spike in deaths from dementia itself, unrelated to the virus. But the scale of bereavement, now, is almost impossible to fathom. Anecdotally, families have reported discovering loved ones had been left in bed for weeks, effectively starving as time-pressed staff were unable to feed them. Others, deprived of any contact, simply gave up. Weve watched Mum get thinner and thinner, deteriorating before our eyes on a once-weekly, 15-minute window visit, writes one contributor to the Johns Campaign legal documents. Its been five months of torture. The lady in question has now died. In another account, a young woman from Stockport, near Manchester, says she simply wanted to be able to hold her mothers hand before they lost her forever. That never happened. Some patients have been told they will only get to see their families in person if they are about to die She added: There was a pub full of people next to the home where my mum was dying. People could go to the pub but I couldnt see my mum, who was dying, for more than 30 minutes. Another tells of a father, so confused by seeing his daughters through a window, that he smashed his head on the glass, trying to get to them, again and again. Sally Goodman, 59, says she is terrified she may not see her husband Steve, 67, who has advanced dementia, before he dies. In early May, Steve developed Covid-19, and was admitted to hospital for four weeks. Sally had been permitted to visit him every day in full PPE while he was an in-patient. But once he recovered, and was back in care, that stopped. Sally, from Skipton, North Yorkshire, says: Since then, Ive only been allowed to see him through the window or via Skype, both of which are hopeless as he has no idea whats going on. Its clear that he is increasingly withdrawing and deteriorating. Angela McIntyre, a retired emergency doctor, has not seen her 92-year-old mother Joan, who has dementia and is in residential care, for six months. Angela says: Mum doesnt understand why shes not allowed visitors, why her family have abandoned her. Its like care homes have become prisons. She, like many others, heap praise on the workers in care homes. Yet few have much good to say about the bosses who no doubt continue to draw their executive pay packets amid all this suffering. Last week, Angela received the following email from the manager of her mothers care home: Hi Angela. If Joan was deemed to be dying, visiting in her room would be permitted. And that, basically, was it. Its often said the way in which a society treats its most vulnerable is a true measure of its humanity. And it seems something is going horribly, horribly wrong, right now. In April, after horrifying stories emerged of patients even children dying alone in hospital due to corona restrictions, Mr Hancock pledged to allow families to be together, in person, wherever possible. Yet last week he seemed unable to acknowledge the current problem when it was put to him, reiterating that he had put in place a new protocol to allow more localised decisions over protection of care homes and when visitors are allowed. Clearly, he is missing the point. Johns Campaign co-founder Julia Jones puts it simply: These are not visitors, these are husbands, and wives of 60 years or more, and children. What is really important is that people in the last months of their lives are able to be together with the people who make their lives worth living. Thats what matters. How can anyone fail to see that? The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has allowed testing on-demand for Covid-19 even as it has allowed states to adapt to the recommendation as per their requirements. ICMRs advisory is generic in nature and may be modified as per the discretion of state health authorities, said the national research agency in its advisory. Also read: India registers highest single-day spike with 86,432 new Covid-19 cases; death toll reaches 69,561 The advisory came after the Delhi high court asked the state government to re-strategise its policy to include asymptomatic patients for testing. ICMR told the court it is just an advisory body and states were free to make changes as per their needs. Rapid antigen testing (RAT) is the preferred strategy for screening in Covid-19 containment zones. People with influenza-like illnesses, all direct and high-risk contacts (family members, colleagues, those above 65, immunocompromised, or have conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, or heart, kidney, and lung diseases), are required to be screened. The new strategy lists situations where molecular testing such as reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) should be preferred over the cheaper and faster but less accurate RAT. Ideally, it is suggested that 100% of people living in the containment zones should be tested by RAT particularly in cities where there has been a widespread transmission of the infection, say ICMR guidelines. In non-containment areas, the ICMR strategy suggests that preference should be given to molecular methods to test all those with influenza-like symptoms, all symptomatic contacts of confirmed cases, and all asymptomatic high-risk contacts. Testing methods like RT-PCR should also be used for routine surveillance of all symptomatic travellers within seven days of illness and healthcare or frontline workers involved in Covid-19 management. The ICMR strategy says that molecular tests should be preferred over RAT within hospitals for testing those with severe acute respiratory infections, all patients with influenza-like symptoms, all asymptomatic high-risk contacts in need of hospitalisation, asymptomatic patients undergoing surgery or other invasive procedures, and all pregnant women in or near labour. The guidelines say that no emergency procedure should be delayed for the want of a test. Hospitals have been directed not to refuse admission to pregnant women citing lack of testing facility. All arrangements should be made to collect and transfer samples to a testing facility. Mothers, who test positive for the infection, have been advised to wear masks, wash hands frequently while handling babies, and cleaning breasts before feeding them. The ICMR guidelines say all neonates with acute respiratory or sepsis-like illnesses or those with non-respiratory symptoms such as fever, lethargy, poor feeding, seizures, and diarrhoea -- should be tested for Covid-19 using RT-PCR. The strategy also suggests testing those with the atypical presentations for Covid-19 such as stroke, encephalitis, blood mixed sputum, pulmonary embolism, acute heart conditions, etc. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON MUMBAI: A team of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrived at late actor Sushant Singh Rajput's Mont Blanc residence at Bandra at Mumbai's Carter Road area on Saturday (September 5) morning. According to sources, the CBI team was accompanied by a team of AIIMS doctors, forensic team, Sushant's elder sister Meetu Singh, cook-caretaker Neeraj Singh, cook Keshav and actor's friend and flatmate Siddharth Pithani. Sources said that the central probe agency, which is investigating the Sushant death case, is likely to recreate the crime scene once again. Meanwhile, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) along with Rhea Chakraborty's brother Showik Chakraborty and Sushant's house manager Samuel Miranda, arrived at around 11 am at a Mumbai court on Saturday. According to reports, the agency, which is investigating the drug conspiracy in connection with Sushant death case, is likely to seek a custody of 5-8 days of the duo for further interrogation. If remanded in custody, the duo is likely to be grilled over information from laptops and chats that were seized from their homes during Friday morning's raids by the agency. Showik and Miranda were arrested on Friday after a day-long questioning by NCB as part of its probe into the drug angle in the Sushant death case. They have been arrested under several sections of the NDPS Act, including 20(b), 28, 29, 27(A). According to NCB officials, the duo was arrested after 10 hours of questioning, and after the agency got adequate evidence against them about their involvement in the drug case. The arrest came after it was found that Showik used to order the drugs from another arrested accused Abdel Basit Parihar. Parihar was arrested on Thursday evening and sent to the agency`s custody till September 9. According to NCB, Showik used to order ganja and marijuana from drug-peddler Parihar and make payments to him over Google Pay. The NCB registered a case on August 26 under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, naming Rhea, her brother, talent manager Jaya Saha, Sushant`s co-manager Shruti Modi, and Goa-based hotelier Gaurav Arya, after the Enforcement Directorate wrote to it about the drugs angle. This followed discovery of WhatsApp messages between Rhea and Shruti Modi, Miranda and Sushant`s flatmate Siddharth Pithani. NCB is the third Central agency to join the probe into the death case of Sushant, after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the ED. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 5) The Joint Task Force COVID Shield, in coordination with the Philippine National Police, has ordered all police commanders to monitor social media to spot possible quarantine violations like mass gatherings for parties and drinking sessions. According to JTF COVID Shield Commander PLt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, social media is full of photos of evidence of hardheaded people, who according to him, deliberately violate the quarantine protocols. These can be used as pieces of evidence to warn, to fine and to summon the people concerned in coordination with the barangay officials concerned, he said in a statement Saturday. He said that those who will be caught engaging in drinking sessions may face additional charges if there is an existing liquor ban in their area. Eleazar is also urging netizens to assist the PNP in running after the violations, even if the violators are police officers. I will see to it that everybody who imposes or implements the law shall be disciplined and should also follow the law they are implementing, said PNP chief General Camilo Cascolan. According to the JTF COVID Shield data, more than 365,000 individuals were warned, fined, and charged for violations of quarantine rules since March 17. Republican lawmakers presented a $1 billion COVID-19 package during a Tuesday, Sept. 1, news conference. The proposal which they plan to pass this week during a two-day session sets the stage for a showdown with Gov. Roy Cooper, who earlier released his budget priorities. Those priorities differ drastically from Republicans' plans.The $1 billion plan is the third relief package from the General Assembly since the COVID-19 outbreak began. Lawmakers have until the end of December to spend federal dollars remaining from the CARES Act, between $552.4 million and $903.9 million.The legislature's package relies on federal dollars and savings the state has accumulated in recent years in the Rainy Day Fund and the Unemployment Trust Fund.Sen. Brent Jackson, R-Sampson, said during the news conference.The package includes $5 million to support fall elections, including $3 million to boost every poll worker's pay by $100. Thirty million dollars would expand broadband access.The bill provides millions for grants to support child care centers and community-based organizations. More than $6 million would go toward eliminating waitlists for the Children with Disabilities Grant Program and the Education Savings Account Program.Republican lawmakers' proposal includes an across-the-board boost to unemployment benefits of $200 per month. Cooper wanted to increase unemployment from $350 a week for 12 weeks to $500 a week for 24 weeks.Parents have faced unexpected costs because schools have shifted to full-time remote learning, Jackson said. The COVID-19 package includes a $440 million "Extra Credit Grants" program to help offset costs related to remote learning, he said.Under the program, households with at least one dependent child would get a $325 tax credit. Parents who didn't file taxes this year will have to apply to the program.When asked why the package didn't include a boost in teacher pay, Jackson said Cooper had vetoed three bills with teacher pay hikes, so the General Assembly instead decided to give money to parents with kids in school.The bill increases the income eligibility level for families to enroll in the Opportunity Scholarship Program.Sen. Deanna Ballard, R-Watauga, said.Cooper, at odds with Republicans, wants to cut the program altogether.Last week, Cooper announced a $25 billion proposed budget weeks after the fiscal year began July 1. The plan cuts $85 million from the Opportunity Scholarship program and diverts it to the public school system. Cooper's proposal includes millions in one-time bonuses for teachers, principals, and non-certified school support staff, including janitors and cafeteria workers. It adds money to several education and teacher support programs.Cooper said during an afternoon news conference that he has yet to review Republican lawmakers' proposed COVID-19 relief package. Democratic lawmakers have and they aren't happy.Rep. Darren Jackson, D-Wake, said in a news release.Jackson called the Republicans' plan a band-aid that looks good in a press release but doesn't solve the long-term effects of COVID-19. One of Britain's best-known private equity barons will make 50million when The Hut Group floats this month. Dominic Murphy, who led the 12billion takeover of Boots in 2007 when he was a partner at KKR, is one of a string of City big-hitters set for a significant windfall from the online retailer's 4.5billion stock market listing. He has a stake in The Hut Group believed to be just over 1.1 per cent, which is expected to be valued at around 50m when the company floats, and sits on the board as a non-executive director. Windfall: Dominic Murphy has a stake in The Hut Group believed to be just over 1.1 per cent The Hut Group has emerged as one of the major winners from the shift to online shopping during lockdown, selling a plethora of beauty and health products through its 200 websites. Its founder Matt Moulding's stake is worth 765million. He will receive up to 700million of shares if the company reaches a value of 7.25billion in the next two years. Former Tesco boss Sir Terry Leahy holds a stake worth 100million, after buying in at a tenth of the price, and is expected to cash out a proportion of his shares. Sir Tom Hunter, the former owner of House of Fraser, has been an investor for ten years after mentoring Moulding. His firm, West Coast Capital, owns a 3.37 per cent stake, which will be worth more than 150million when The Hut lists. Former Debenhams boss Terry Green and Angus Monro, the former boss of Matalan, are also shareholders. Murphy rose to fame at KKR when he helped orchestrate the acquisition of Alliance Boots in 2007 Europe's biggest leveraged buyout and its subsequent 17billion merger with US rival Walgreens. He struck up a relationship with Moulding while he was KKR's London partner and was again a key player when the American private equity giant bought a 20 per cent stake in The Hut Group in 2014. Back then it was valued at 500million. Murphy put his own money into The Hut Group and took a place on the board, which he kept when he left KKR to start his own investment firm 8C Capital. In 2018, in a rare setback, he was forced to abandon 8C's inaugural 890million fundraising when his co-founder quit to re-join KKR, leaving him to 'take stock'. Murphy became head of UK investments at KKR's rival CVC Capital Partners last year. KKR will sell its 17.8 per cent stake when The Hut lists but Murphy will hold on to his shares and his place as a non-executive director. Beauty boom: The Hut Group sells a plethora of products through its 200 websites The firm is planning to sell 920million of shares in the offering. Moulding, the son of a tarmac layer, has been accused of 'awful' corporate governance standards due to his insistence that he hold both the chief executive and executive chairman roles. He insists the role of executive chairman is common at other top global firms, including investment banks JPMorgan and Blackrock. The Hut will also transfer its properties into his personal ownership meaning he will be able to charge it 19.4million in annual rent. One analyst called it an 'outrageous amount'. A new hotline has been announced by the Santa Cruz County Emergency Operations Center to assist CZU Lightning Fire wildfire evacuees in using the free hotel program Evacuees can call (831) 454-2181 to apply for the program or renew their seven-day reservation if they are already at a hotel and within 24 hours of their reservation's check-out date. The hotline can also answer general program questions. With evacuation orders lifted in many areas, those now in a hotel must check out once they are able to return home. Evacuees are required to check out on the following morning of an announced evacuation ending even if the seven-day reservation has not expired. You "The repopulation process is ongoing and evacuees should maintain awareness of current evacuation orders," the county said in an announcement. "If you have been evacuated but have not been permitted to return home, you may remain in your hotel for the remainder of your seven-day reservation duration." Those still under evacuation order and within 24 hours of the end of their seven-day reservation should call the hotline for assistance in renewing their reservation. To see if an area's evacuation order has been lifted visit https://tinyurl.com/y3zc8hpt for an online map. The hotel program is managed by the State Department of General Services and supported by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. 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. As of mid-2020: Turkey is still tolerating ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) within its borders where the Islamic terrorists conduct illegal banking activities as well as obtaining supplies from black market or legitimate sources. Turkey has long tolerated black market activities and since the 1980s this has included Islamic radicals doing business with these covert trading and supply operations. This tolerance comes with an obligation to refrain from carrying out attacks in Turkey. Between 2014 and 2016 there were some ISIL attacks in Turkey and the Turks responded with more and more pressure on ISIL. In 2017 there was a major ISIL attack Turkey that left 39 dead. Turkey responded by cracking down on ISIL supply and support activities in Turkey while also letting it be known (unofficially) that a truce deal could be had. Subsequently ten senior ISIL officials were released from prison and there were no more attacks in Turkey. ISIL was not left completely alone. The Turks monitored ISIL activity and occasionally took ISIL members off the streets for interrogations. Many ISIL members and leaders opposed easing up on the Turks. But most ISIL leaders realized that access to Turkey was too valuable to throw away on ideological grounds. The Turkish government, despite being fans of the Moslem Brotherhood (which ISIL hated) was willing to help ISIL in an unofficial non-aggression pact. The Turks continued to monitor ISIL and arrest members who were deemed a threat to Turkey. This worked for ISIL leadership, which did not have to discipline members who disobeyed ISIL orders and attacked Turkey or Turks. ISIL leadership made it clear to its followers that access to Turkey was only possible if the non-aggression deal was honored. In short, no killing people in Turkey meant ISIL personnel can travel through Turkey and access Turkey based suppliers. This deal with ISIL was unpopular with everyone else in the region, including Iran, Israel, NATO and the Arab states. Turkey didnt care. With policies like this Turkey was becoming more of a problem for its traditional friends and allies. The main force behind this Turkish hostility is the Turkish leader Recep Erdogan. He has been running things in Turkey since 2004, first as prime minister and then as president. Erdogan is hostile to Israel but has not cut trade ties or made any actual military moves towards Israel. Erdogan is all about the Israel-Palestinian conflict and he sides with the Palestinians. Yet Erdogan does not offer to replace the aid (over half a billion dollars a year) that the U.S. and Arab states have stopped providing because of continued Palestinian corruption, violence against Israel and refusal to make a peace deal. Erdogans support for the Palestinians is all theater and little in the way of substance. In that respect Erdogan is acting like many opportunistic Moslem politicians worldwide; blame all bad things on Israel while trading with Israel on the side because that is economically (or militarily) advantageous. Erdogan has also maintained Turkish NATO membership, which has value given the potential threat from Iran. Israel is making noise about how Turkish NATO membership is a threat to NATO as well as Israel. A particularly alarming example of this is Turkey receiving F-35 stealth fighters. In 2002 Turkey agreed to buy over a hundred F-35s with assembly taking place in Turkey. That deal came apart in 2012 because of rising costs and the American refusal to provide Turkey (or any other foreign buyer) with access to the source code for F-35 software. That software is one of the key elements why the F-35 is so effective. There was also a problem with Erdogan, who was becoming ever more hostile to the United States, Israel and the West in general. Technically because of the software issue, Turkey reduced its F-35 order to two aircraft, which was just enough for evaluation. That could mean covertly sharing F-35 tech with Russia, China or whoever else could pay. That order was increased in 2015 when another six aircraft were ordered. This made Americans wonder what was going on. Israel pointed out that if Turkey got an F-35 nothing good would be going on. In 2019 Turkey was expelled from the F-35 program and never received the eight F-35s it had ordered. Refunds were made and in 2020 the U.S. Air Force agreed to purchase the eight Turkish F-35s, which had never left the United States. These new Turkish attitudes were not a sudden development. In the 1990s the Turks, who had gone secular after their centuries old Ottoman Empire collapsed in the 1920s, decided to give Islam another chance as an elected ruler (Recep Erdogan) tries, with some success, to revive the Ottoman empire using a combination of Islam, technology and creative diplomacy to make Turkey great again. This comes into conflict (as it has in the past) with Iranian efforts to restore their imperial past. The new Turkish empire builder (called Sultan Erdogan I behind his back) is not that much interested in taking back lost real estate but is eager to regain the Turkish leadership of the Islamic world. That was lost a century ago when Turkish secular reformers renounced the title of caliph the Turkish Sultan (emperor) had long held. Sultan Erdogan has a lot of opposition at home and not much support in the region for an Ottoman revival. But Erdogan is a resourceful and ruthless politician. In early 2018 he won re-election as president, just barely and under dubious circumstances. This keeps him in power until 2023 as an elected official even though his political allies are doing much less well with the voters. For the Arabs, there is a very real fear that the Turks are trying to rebuild the empire they had a century ago and lost because they were on the wrong side during World War I. The empire was not popular with most Turks, who were fed up with ruling the troublesome and often self-destructive Arabs. Recep Erdogan leads an Islamic party that got elected on promises to reduce corruption. It did that for a while before becoming quite corrupt itself. Now Erdogan is trying to regain his popularity by invading Syria to establish an area where he can move the millions of unpopular (with most Turks) Syrian refugees. The EU states are threatening sanctions and other economic retaliation over what the Turks are doing in Syria. The UN is now having a more difficult time justifying the Turkish military presence in Libya. The Turks expected more of a welcome in Libya. They should have known better. The Turks first showed up there in the 1550s as the Ottoman Empire conquered the coastal towns and cities of what is now Libya. Eventually, the Turks advanced inland but there was no real incentive to stay because south of the coast it was mainly desert and, before oil was discovered and developed in the 1960s, there was little economic value down there. Empires have bills to pay and tend to keep their soldiers where the money is. From the 1550s to 1910 Libya was technically a province of the Ottoman Empire but was actually run by local strongmen who were often Turks who had gone native. In 1911 Italy took advantage of the weak control the Turks exercised and invaded. By 1912 Italy controlled what is now Libya. The Italians sent in colonists and brought the industrial revolution to Libya. Italian rule ended in 1943 when Italy, an ally of Germany during World War II, surrendered to the allies. Occupied by Allied troops, Libya was given independence in 1951 as a constitutional monarchy. The royal family was led by a prominent local religious leader who became king. The parliament demonstrated the political divides between eastern and western coastal Libya, and the less populous tribal interior. The discovery and development of oil fields down south in the 1960s brought unprecedented wealth and prosperity to Libya. It also brought a military takeover in 1969. This coup was led by Moamar Kaddafi who misruled Libya until 2011 when he was overthrown and killed. The Turks had good relations with the Libyan monarchy but less stable and cordial relations with Kaddafi. Now the Turks have returned and are backing the Islamic militias. This is not popular with most Libyans, who have learned to fear the chaotic and unpredictable militias. Libya remains a thinly populated and divided (by tribal and local loyalties) place. When the kingdom was established in 1951 the population was about a million. The 1960s oil wealth triggered a population explosion (and lots of imported workers) that reached six million when the 2011 revolution occurred. Despite many Libyans fleeing the country the population is still about six million and a third of that is found in and around Tripoli. Thats why the city is so important to the UN backed GNA (Government of National Accord), and why the more popular LNA (Libyan National Army) went after Tripoli only after they had established themselves in the rest of Libya and gained control over all the oil facilities. LNA victory, unity and peace were imminent until the Turks showed up. Technically the Turks are against Islamic terrorism but not the imposition of Islamic religious rule on countries. That effort is faltering in Turkey and exports to Syria and Libya are not going well. NATO members are aware of the fact that one of their own is, in fact, a major supporter of Islamic terror groups. Despite that no one is willing to take on the Turks and demand change. Not yet. (Newser) He's had six murder trials, spent nearly two dozen years behind bars, and been sentenced to death four times. Now, Curtis Flowers is officially free. The Black man from Mississippi was released on bail in Decemberafter the US Supreme Court overturned his most recent conviction involving a 1996 quadruple murder at a Winona furniture storeas it was decided to drop the charges against him or bring him to yet another trial. On Friday, it was announced the former had been chosen, with prosecutors noting a lack of witnesses, AFP and USA Today report. "It is in the interest of justice that the State will not seek an unprecedented seventh trial of Mr. Flowers," prosecutors from the Mississippi attorney general's office said in a memo, per the New York Times. story continues below Until January, the same prosecutor, Doug Evans, had attended to Flowers' case through all six trials. Evans was accused of keeping Black jurors from servingout of the 72 jurors in total who'd heard Flowers' case, 61 of them were white. In the US Supreme Court's decision last year, the justices found Evans had improperly kept Black jurors away. Flowers' first three convictions, which came with death sentences, were overturned by the state's Supreme Court, which cited misconduct on the part of the prosecution. The next two trials ended in hung juries, with the final conviction and death sentence handed down in 2010. Evans recused himself from the case earlier this year. Flowers, meanwhile, has always maintained his innocence. "I am finally free from the injustice that left me locked in a box for 23 years," Flowers, 50, says in a statement on the charges finally being dropped. (Read more Mississippi stories.) Two American men accused of smuggling Motor Co. Chairman out of Japan while he was awaiting trial on financial misconduct charges can be extradited, a federal judge ruled Friday. U.S. Magistrate Judge Donald Cabell issued a ruling approving the extradition of Michael Taylor, a U.S. Army Special Forces veteran, and his son Peter Taylor, but the final decision rests with the State Department. The Taylors are wanted by Japan so they can be tried on charges that they helped Ghosn flee the country last year with the former boss tucked away in a box on a private jet. The flight went first to Turkey, then to Lebanon, where Ghosn has citizenship but which has no extradition treaty with Japan. Ghosn said he fled because he could not expect a fair trial, was subjected to unfair conditions in detention and was barred from meeting his wife under his bail conditions. Ghosn has denied allegations that he underreported his income and committed a breach of trust by diverting money for his personal gain. Bank records show Ghosn wired more than $860,000 to a company linked to Peter Taylor in October 2019, prosecutors said in court documents. Ghosn's son also made cryptocurrency payments totaling about $500,000 to Peter Taylor in the first five months of this year, prosecutors say. The Taylors have been locked up in a Massachusetts jail since they were arrested in May. Their attorneys never denied the allegations, but argued they can't be extradited because they say their actions don't fit under the law with which Japan is trying to convict them. Michael Taylor, a former Green Beret, ran a private security business initially focused on private investigations, but their caseload grew through corporate work and unofficial referrals from the State Department and FBI, including parents whose children had been taken overseas by former spouses. In 2012, federal prosecutors alleged Taylor had won a U.S. military contract to train Afghan soldiers by using secret information passed along from an American officer. When Taylor learned the contract was being investigated, he asked an FBI agent and friend to intervene, prosecutors charged. The government seized $5 million from the bank account of Taylor's company. Facing 50 charges, he spent 14 months in jail before agreeing to plead guilty to two counts. The government agreed to return $2 million to the company as well as confiscated vehicles. (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.) About 20,000 doctors have fled Iraq in recent years over threats and targeted killings, severely hampering healthcare. Baghdad, Iraq After graduating from the College of Medicine last year, Dr Omar al-Shimmari felt pretty confident and was convinced he would soon take the first step in a long career path. But the reality was different. Instead, he has become a pharmaceutical sales representative a job he dislikes but needs for the paycheque. Going door-to-door to provide product information to doctors and to persuade them to prescribe the drugs to patients is not a decent job for a doctor, but I have no other choice to make ends meet, al-Shimmari said. However, a lack of government funding has derailed the employment of thousands of graduates of medical universities and other health workers in Iraq at a time when the countrys health institutions are limping along because of decimated infrastructure and a shortage of medical staff. As a result, pressure has increased on the dwindling number of medical professionals mainly in hospitals with the onslaught of COVID-19 patients, forcing them not to take time off while in some places they work even if they have the symptoms of the disease. Fourteen months have passed now since graduation and we are staying at home, al-Shimmari, 26, told Al Jazeera in a phone interview from the northern city of Kirkuk. Without practising medicine, we will forget everything, he said. Omar al-Shimmari graduated 14 months ago but could not find work as a doctor despite a severe shortage [Al Jazeera] The delay in employing nearly 2,300 graduates has not only affected the efforts to fight coronavirus, but has also delayed the training chain the physicians must go through, as those in service cannot move to the next level, said the head of the Iraqi Medical Association, Abdul-Ameer Muhsin Hussein. The employment of these graduates is a good addition to the health system that will bring new energy of youth, Hussein added. Protests for jobs Iraq is one of the countries badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic. On Friday, the confirmed cases surpassed 5,000 for the first time since the outbreak in February, bringing the total to 252,075. Total deaths stand at 7,359. The health ministry has warned it fears the number of infections will lead our health institutions to lose control in the coming days. The pandemic is only one issue in a long list of woes Iraq is suffering through, however. Like other oil-producing countries, the war-ravaged nation is taking a massive hit after oil revenues which make up nearly 95 percent of its income dropped more than 50 percent. The months-long unrest which started in October when Iraqis took to the streets to demand a better life has delayed the approval of the 2020 budget. Alarmed by the lack of medical practitioners, the Iraqi government formed a ministerial committee in July to find ways to employ medical graduates, but the finance ministry refused because of the absence of the budget and a lack of funds. On Tuesday, the cabinet issued an exemption for the newly graduated physicians to be employed, but did not give details on how to pay their salaries. The decision does not cover nearly 31,000 healthcare graduates, according to Firas al-Mousawi, deputy director of state-run Al-Shafaa Centre for Crises. Like his colleagues, al-Shimmari is still not convinced the government is serious. In a bid to stop what they call procrastination by the government in implementing the decree, the graduates are planning protests in the capital Baghdad and other cities on Sunday. The protests will run for two days, said al-Shimmari. If nothing will happen then there will be a partial strike by those in service except emergency wards and intensive care units, and later well start a general strike. Karrar Abbas al-Shuwaili, 26, works on a social media campaign for healthcare workers from the southern city of Nasiriya [Al Jazeera] Ailing health system Iraqs health system has suffered in recent years as more than 20,000 doctors fled because of insecurity, threats, and targeted killings, leaving the country with less than 30,000 doctors, according to Iraqi Medical Association. And 363 doctors were assassinated while hundreds endured kidnappings since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, an attack that unleashed instability and chaos that persists to this day. What has further strained the health system, Hussein continued, is the new retirement law that went into effect this year, which mandates the retirement at 60, forcing more than 3,000 senior doctors out of the healthcare system. To be honest, there is a huge shortage of mainly doctors as well as health workers, said Hussein. He added the country has one of the lowest numbers of doctors and nurses per capita, standing at about 0.8 doctors per 1,000 people. Iraqi healthcare workers are increasingly being targeted in attacks One of the major obstacles for doctors and medical workers is the absence of a safe environment as they increasingly face harassment and assaults from disgruntled families of patients, Hussein said. He is pushing authorities to deal with attacks against medical staff using the anti-terrorism law. Deteriorated health infrastructure and a lack of protective gear while dealing with coronavirus patients have caused infections among doctors, he said. Since the outbreak, 44 doctors have died while more than 1,500 others were infected, a number that could be even higher. Like prisoners Healthcare graduate from Baghdad, Mayssam Muqdad Mahmoud, 26, describes delaying their employment as unfair as we are left in the middle of nowhere and we dont know our fate. We are all disappointed and shocked, she said. What is the government waiting for amidst the current crisis of coronavirus and shortage of medical staff? She said she is upset at being a housewife after studying medicine for six years. In order not to forget what she studied, Mahmoud joined other colleagues in a Facebook group where they review the college curriculum. Graduates cannot seek jobs in the private sector or outside Iraq as authorities do not issue their certificates before completing seven years in public service, or a person guarantees the graduate will not leave the country. We are like prisoners, said Mahmoud. They dont let us start our public service nor issue our certificates so that we can leave the country. Mayssam Muqdad Mahmoud, 26, says health professionals are disappointed and shocked at the governments inaction [Al Jazeera] Protesters will be joined on Sunday by those in service who want protection from assaults, improvements in their work environment, and review benefits offered. In advance of the protests, the graduates launched an online campaign on social media to martial support and increase pressure on the government. A doctor revolution, said one post on Twitter. Another showed a picture of a group of men pumping their fists in the air while being led by a man holding a banner saying: Doctors without protection, without jobs. The race to distribute Covid-19 vaccines to hundreds of millions of Americans could come down to one question: Do we have enough freezers? Some of the shots now in late stages of testing must be stored at temperatures potentially as cold as minus 80 degrees Celsius, or minus 112 Fahrenheit, similar to conditions for transporting ice cream and steaks to supermarkets and eventually to peoples doorsteps. Hospitals, pharmacies and physicians offices are expected to be vaccination sites, but they have few such specialized freezers. That is prompting a mad dash by logistics, public-health and drug-industry officials to cobble together a cold-storage supply chain that can deliver vaccines around the country without letting them become warm and ineffective. To address concerns about equipment and storage capacity, hospitals are considering plans to buy special freezers. Logistics companies and other nontraditional health-care competitors are building facilities to house hundreds of mobile cold-storage units, known as freezer farms. At least one drugmaker has created its own specialized container to keep vaccines cold for at least 10 days uninterrupted. Meanwhile, vaccine makers are studying whether their shots could be shipped at warmer temperatures to potential vaccination sites. Vaccines are similar to dairy or meat products in that their chemical structures are maintained when they are kept within certain temperature ranges. Drug companies have lots of data on optimal temperatures for vaccines such as chickenpox and shingles. But given the breakneck pace of Covid-19 vaccine development, researchers lack the information about storage requirements that they would normally learn after clinical trials are completed. A Covid-19 vaccine stored at ultracold temperatures would stress the supply chain because of the demands required for transportation and storage, said Chaun Powell, who leads disaster preparedness and response at Premier Inc., a major group-purchaser for U.S. hospitals, physician clinics and other places. When you think about getting this out to 300 million American adults, every logistical efficiency you can garner is going to help us with that," he said. Its really about trying to figure out, how are we going to get it to those peoplewithin an hour of their home?" Vaccines are viewed by health and industry officials as key to stopping the spread of the new coronavirus that causes Covid-19. The most advanced are undergoing testing with clinical trials involving 30,000 people or more, and the U.S. government has begun planning for these vaccines potential distribution as soon as later this year. Two leading Covid-19 vaccine candidates, from Pfizer Inc. and partner BioNTech SE, and from Moderna Inc., rely on a new gene-based technology called mRNA that requires the shots be stored at subzero temperatures. Both vaccines have been stored at ultracold temperatures, around minus 70 or minus 80 degrees Celsius. Medications such as cell-based therapies also are shipped at ultracold temperatures, often using liquid nitrogen or dry ice. But doing so can be costly. And never have so many vaccines been shepherded so quickly. Health and industry officials expect hospitals to be the sites where the first vaccines are administered to millions of health-care workers. But many hospitals dont have the space or mechanical requirements to store vaccines at subzero temperatures, according to industry officials. The lack of equipment means access to some vaccines might vary around the country. Pharmacies and clinics arent expected to become vaccination sites until a vaccine is authorized for the broader population, possibly next year. You have to target the vaccines to the location where the storage and handling facilities are available," said Dr. William Schaffner, professor of preventive medicine and infectious disease at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. It may be that every vaccine cant be used in every location." Ultracold freezers arent common in hospitals because most drugs and vaccines dont need them. The chickenpox vaccine is one of the few vaccines that needs to be stored frozen. Flu vaccines are refrigerated. Because of their limited shelf life even while in cold storage, Covid-19 vaccines might need to be used within six months, a much smaller window than for other pharmaceuticals, according to experts. Hopefully the vaccines are going to be used as quickly as theyre made, and therefore cold-chain storage is only to get it where its needed, rather than stored for long periods," said James Robinson, a consultant helping the Oslo-based Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, which is financing coronavirus vaccine projects. Philadelphias Jefferson Health hospital system should be able to store vaccines at minus 30 degrees Celsius but might have limited ultracold storage space, said Brian Swift, chief pharmacy officer. He said Jefferson, which expects to begin vaccinations with its 30,000 employees, anticipates purchasing at least 15 special freezers. Everyones going to be looking for these things," he said. Were talking about high-end freezers that are not readily available, that have a limited supply chain. I am concerned about the availability of that." To ensure its vaccines remain frozen at minus 70 degrees Celsius, Pfizer created a temperature-controlled container about the size of a suitcase that can keep between 1,000 and 5,000 doses cold for 10 days before requiring more dry ice. Once thawed, the vials can be refrigerated for as long as two days. Most commercial containers preserve temperatures for just a few days, and Pfizer wanted to offer hospitals temporary cold storage, said Tanya Alcorn, the drugmakers vice president of supply chain. We dont want them to feel rushed," Ms. Alcorn said. Earlier this year, Moderna stored its vaccine at minus 70 degrees Celsius in preparation of clinical trials. Since then, it has done further study and now plans to ship the shots at minus 20, the company said. Once thawed, the vaccine can remain refrigerated for a week. Some other Covid-19 vaccines in human testing dont require ultracold temperatures. Johnson & Johnsons experimental vaccine is expected to be shipped commercially at standard refrigeration, a spokesman said. AstraZeneca PLC, which co-developed a vaccine with University of Oxford researchers, expects its vaccine to need refrigeration, a spokesman said. Meanwhile, physicians offices, pharmacies and other places Americans go for routine health care are poised to be sites for Covid-19 vaccinations early next year, and public-health and industry officials are worried that many of them lack ultracold freezing capabilities. Pfizers own containers might not work for smaller clinics or pharmacies that wont be administering thousands of doses, public-health officials said. The containers are not going to be something that can go to your corner pharmacy or your local family physician," said Dr. Kelly Moore, associate director of immunization education at the Immunization Action Coalition. Pfizer said it also is working on a smaller container to ship its vaccines. It is also developing a powder version of its vaccine, known as a lyophilized formulation, that can be stored at warmer temperatures, but it might not be ready until the end of 2021. Moderna, Dr. Moore said, will ship its vaccine in minimum 100-dose packages through McKesson Corp., which the government has tapped as a central distributor of Covid-19 vaccines. A CVS spokesman said that its locations can accommodate refrigeration and freezing storage requirements for many of the experimental Covid-19 vaccines and that it is in talks with the Trump administration about vaccine administration. A McKesson spokesman said the wholesaler will ship Covid-19 vaccines requiring refrigeration to minus 20 Celsius. Since at least 2018, the Irving, Texas-based wholesaler has worked with Cryoport Inc., which provides temperature-controlled shipments for pharmaceutical companies. Cryoport already uses technology that can keep livestock-animal vaccines at minus 196 degrees for about a month, said Mark Sawicki, who leads Cryoports legacy logistics division. Cryoport is in discussions with other parties to potentially help distribute Covid-19 vaccines, Mr. Sawicki said. United Parcel Service Inc. plans by October to finish construction of its freezer farms filled with mobile freezer units in Louisville, Ky., and the Netherlands to serve as stopover points during distribution or while awaiting regulatory decisions, said Wes Wheeler, president of UPS Healthcare. He said the freezers, which can hold as many as 48,000 vials each, can be configured to hold a vaccine at between minus 85 and minus 20 degrees Celsius. Elaine Chen contributed to this article. Write to Jared S. Hopkins at jared.hopkins@wsj.com Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Three people died in two separate road accidents on Jammu-Srinagar national highway in Ramban district on Saturday morning with a truck and a mini-truck plunging into a deep gorge. A driver of a mini truck and his helper died when their Srinagar bound mini-truck (JK-19-7275) rolled down into a deep gorge at Digdol near Ramban this morning, said a police officer. The dead were identified as driver Rouf Ahmed, 32, and his helper Usman Ahmed, 18, of Magerkote in Ramsu. Earlier, at about 6 am, another truck (JK18 A -0557) on its way from Jammu towards Srinagar, rolled down into a 120 feet deep gorge near Chamalwas in Banihal. Truck driver Mayssar Ahmed, 24 of Pampore in Srinagar, died while two others identified as Basid Ahmad and Furkan Ahmad of Pampore were injured. Also Read: After brief disruption, traffic resumes on Jammu-Srinagar highway They were shifted to the district hospital in Banihal for treatment. The 270 kilometre-long Jammu-Srinagar, the only all-weather surface link to Kashmir-- has seen disruptions in the last few days due to heavy rains and landslides. The highway reopened for traffic on Friday afternoon after a brief disruption caused by landslides due to persistent rains. Earlier, this week, fresh traffic on the highway was affected for about 5 days due to landslides washing away a portion of the road in Ramban. SANDY, Ore. Trucks carrying bales of hay, horse paddocks and Christmas tree farms drive a few miles out of Portland and the suburbs quickly give way to rural Oregon. Barely a half-hour from the Portland streets where racial justice protesters on Saturday were marking 100 consecutive days of tempestuous, sometimes violent, demonstrations, there are plenty of communities where people dismiss the protesters as lawless hooligans. Portland is an island in Oregon, said Stan Pulliam, the mayor of Sandy, a more conservative town of 10,000 people about 30 miles southeast of Portland that feeds off the economic dynamism of Oregons largest city but also strives to be separate from it. We are scared to death that whats happening in Portland will ever come out to where we live. The rural-urban divide is a reality writ large across much of the nation, a crucial dynamic as the Nov. 3 election approaches. But the proximity of left and right in Oregon, both moderates and extremists, has created a dynamic of fear, mistrust and anger that feeds the conflicts in the streets in ways that it has not in other states. Kelly, meanwhile, has had to deal with a hostile legislature where Republicans can override her vetoes with the support of two-thirds of the members of each chamber. State House Republicans took the same 85-40 majority in 2018 that they'd won in 2016, though their edge dropped to 84-41 after state Rep. Metro Video Services A woman was killed early Saturday in southwest Houston when a gun went off during an apparent argument between four to five people, authorities said. Officers responding to a 2:57 a.m. shooting reported in the area of Lindenloch and Greenpark Manor lanes found the woman, described only as being between 45 and 50, lying on the ground in front of her home suffering from a single gunshot wound, said Houston police detective Jason Escobar. The woman was taken to a hospital, where she died. The raging row over the appointment of Tony Abbott as trade envoy is ongoing after Labour's Emily Thornberry slammed his 'history of offensive comments'. However, former Australian foreign minister and high commissioner to the UK, Alexander Downer, has spoken out in favour of Mr Abbott and said he has secured 'huge' trade deals for the country. Mr Abbott has received widespread criticism from British politicians and commentators following his newly appointed role as a trade envoy for the United Kingdom. The former Australian prime minister was even branded a 'misogynist, a sexist and a climate change denier' by Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on British morning television. Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme about Mr Abbott's appointment, Mr Downer said: 'He was the prime minister whose government was responsible for concluding - they're not just minor trade agreements, they're huge trade agreements with China, Japan and the Republic of Korea. Former Australian foreign minister and high commissioner to the UK, Alexander Downer, has spoken out in favour of Tony Abbott and said he has secured 'huge' trade deals for the country Mr Abbott has received widespread criticism from British politicians and commentators following his newly appointed role as a trade envoy for the United Kingdom 'That was a remarkable achievement to pull that off.' He said the criticism directed against Mr Abbott by Labour was 'all-out party politicking' after he defeated the Australian Labour Party at the polls. Six controversial things Tony Abbott has said over the years 1.) Homosexuality is 'threatening' In 2010, when asked about his views on homosexuality, Mr Abbott said: 'I probably feel a bit threatened, as so many people do.' He also campaigned against same-sex marriage. In his campaign against gay marriage he said: 'If you're worried about religious freedom and freedom of speech, vote no, and if you don't like political correctness, vote no because voting no will help to stop political correctness in its tracks.' 2.) Abortion 'the easy way out' When discussing abortion rates in Australia in 2004, he described a woman's choice to end a pregnancy as 'the easy way out'. 3.) Men are more suited for leadership roles He said that men are suited to leadership roles as they are 'by physiology or temperament more adapted to exercise authority or to issue command'. 4.) Climate change is 'probably doing good' Speaking in 2009 he said he is 'hugely unconvinced' by the science on climate change. He previously said global warming is 'probably doing good' and likened environmental policies to 'primitive people once killing goats to appease the volcano gods'. 5.) 'Nature should take its course' with elderly COVID victims Mr Abbott said people should be allowed to choose to 'let nature take its course' if their elderly relatives get COVID-19. 6.) Female candidate's 'sex appeal' During the 2014 election campaign, he described a female opposition candidate as 'feisty' and said she had 'a bit of sex appeal'. Advertisement Asked about Mr Abbott's past comments about women, Mr Downer said: 'It is an attempt to try to denigrate Tony Abbott by searching, searching, searching for any quote that can be found (but) the truth is he is not a homophobe - his sister is gay and has stood up for him, very strongly for him over this issue. 'He is not a misogynist, he has appointed many women to positions - he was appointed to this position by a woman. I don't think it stacks up, I think it's just party politicking.' The selection of former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott as a UK trade adviser is 'a wrong appointment on every level', shadow trade secretary Emily Thornberry has argued. He has also been criticised for suggesting older people should be left to die from coronavirus, to spare younger generations from the economic burden. Tony Abbott's sister, who is gay and wed her long-term partner with her brother by her side, has come to the former prime minister's defence after he was labelled a 'sexist homophobe'. Christine Forster released a very personal statement online defending her 'compassionate and respectful' brother. 'It is nothing short of dishonesty for commentators and politicians who do not know Tony to label him a ''homophobe'' and a ''misogynist'' for the purpose of scoring cheap political points,' she said. 'As a woman who has always been part of his life and who came out to him as gay in my early 40s, I know incontrovertibly that Tony is neither of those things'. She married her long-time partner, Virginia Flitcroft, in 2018, just one year after her brother campaigned against the legalisation of same-sex marriage. In his campaign against gay marriage he said: 'If you're worried about religious freedom and freedom of speech, vote no, and if you don't like political correctness, vote no because voting no will help to stop political correctness in its tracks.' Criticism of the appointment grew once again this morning, however, with shadow international trade secretary Emily Thornberry describing 'two factors that should have immediately disqualified him'. She said: 'First, his history of offensive statements is so long and repetitive that it speaks to serious defects in his character, which is not one I think should be representing Britain on the world stage. 'And second, the fact that he has no experience of detailed trade negotiations, no understanding of Brexit, no belief in climate change, no concern for workers' rights, and no compunction about killing off Australia's car industry mean, to my mind, that he has no credentials for this role. 'Tony Abbott is therefore the wrong appointment on every level, which begs the more important question of why on earth Boris Johnson and Liz Truss have given him the job. Tony Abbott's sister Christine Forster (pictured, centre) wed long-time partner Virginia Flitcroft (left) in 2018, and has now come out in defence of her brother Ms Forster, has since released a very personal statement (pictured) online defending her 'compassionate and respectful' brother The former Australian prime minister was branded a 'misogynist, a sexist and a climate change denier' by Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on British morning television (pictured: Tony Abbott arrives at a book launch in Sydney, Monday, November 25, 2019) 'However, with this shambolic excuse for a Government, we may continue to be appalled and disappointed at their serial incompetence, but we should never any longer be surprised.' It comes as Mr Abbott released a statement on Twitter about his new role, in which he said he was 'only too keen' to help the UK. 'A UK-Australia trade deal, maximising the movement of goods, services and people is clearly in the best interests of both our countries,' he said. 'It's important for the wider world that Britain make the most of its post-Brexit opportunities and I am proud to be playing a part. 'My government finalised trade deals between Australia and China, Japan and Korea. I'm looking forward to bringing that expertise to bear as Britain works towards mutually beneficial improvements with its major trading partners.' Bronwyn Bishop, Australia's longest serving female politician, also leapt to Mr Abbott's defence, stating he was a victim of 'disgraceful character assassination'. 'To say that he is a misogynist is just outright wrong,' she said on Sky News Australia. 'He has a good record as a father of three girls and he had chiefs of staff who have been female. 'I have known Tony for over three decades and I have never ever seen him have any of those traits of misogyny. 'So it is a disgraceful character assassination trying to destroy someone by people who are clearly political opponents.' Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon called Mr Abbott's comments 'disgraceful' after labelling him a 'misogynist, sexist and climate change denier' Her defence comes after Ms Sturgeon said if she had anything to do with the hiring process, then she would not have Mr Abbott as the UK's trade envoy. 'The idea that anyone could take that view is deeply offensive and wrong,' she told Sky News UK anchor Kay Burley. 'But Tony Abbott, even before these comments, is a misogynist, he's a sexist, he's a climate change denier. 'In my view he's not the kind of person who should be a trade envoy or any kind of envoy for the United Kingdom'. British opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer agreed with Ms Sturgeon's comments, saying British prime minister Boris Johnson made the wrong decision. 'I have real concerns about Tony Abbott and I don't think he's the right person for the job. If I was prime minister I wouldn't appoint him.' Rita Panahi an Iranian Australian opinion columnist, also came to Mr Abbott's defence and called out the 'defamatory' comments 'Absolutely despicable, defamatory BS from a repeat offender,' she tweeted, referring to UK news presenter Ms Burley. Bronwyn Bishop (pictured), Australia's longest serving female politician, has leapt to Mr Abbott's defence, stating he was a victim of 'disgraceful character assassination' 'To say that he is a misogynist is just outright wrong,' Ms Bishop said about Tony Abbott (pictured) on Sky News Australia 'Tony Abbott should consult a lawyer. These unfounded slurs, pushed by his loony left political opponents, are stated as fact by ''journalists'' in the UK.' UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock attempted to defend Mr Abbott's 'disgraceful' comments insisting 'he's also an expert in trade'. 'We need experts in different areas and somebody who is the former prime minister of Australia is obviously an enormous expert in the field of trade,' he said. Mr Abbott was officially appointed on Friday, UK time. Senior coalition minister Mathias Cormann, who served under Mr Abbott, said he had a distinguished record. 'From where I sit, Tony Abbott is clearly a giant on Australian politics who has made a great contribution over a long time,' Senator Cormann told Sky News on Friday. 'Not everyone will agree with him, but people are entitled to their views, and that's the way things work in a democracy.' Abbott has previously said he feels 'a bit threatened' by homosexuality and opposed same-sex marriage. He was also accused of misogyny in front of Australian parliament by then prime minister Julia Gillard. Ms Gillard references his comments about the price of electricity when opposition leader in 2010. 'What the housewives of Australia need to understand as they do the ironing is that if they get it done commercially it's going to go up in price and their own power bills when they switch the iron on are going to go up,' he said. A fire broke out in an operation theatre at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Cantonment General Hospital of the Pune Cantonment Board on Saturday morning. Three fire tenders were rushed to the spot. The fire is suspected to have started as a result of a short circuit in the air-conditioning unit inside the operation theatre, according to a fire officer. There were 3-4 attendants inside the operation theatre. They were preparing for surgery when the air-conditioner caught fire. Four ACs and furniture was damaged in the fire. Nobody was injured in the blaze, Prakash Hasbe, Fire Superintendent, PCB fire brigade said. Amit Kumar, CEO of PCB, has not yet responded when he was contacted. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned Greece to enter talks over disputed eastern Mediterranean territorial claims or face the consequences. At a hospital's opening ceremony in Istanbul, he said: 'They're either going to understand the language of politics and diplomacy, or in the field with painful experiences.' Ankara is currently facing off against Greece and Cyprus over oil and gas exploration rights in the eastern Mediterranean. All sides have deployed naval and air forces to assert their competing claims in the region. 'They are going to understand that Turkey has the political, economic and military power to tear up the immoral maps and documents imposed,' Erdogan added, referring to areas marked by Greece and Cyprus as their economic maritime zones. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (pictured) said Greece will 'understand the language of politics and diplomacy, or in the field with painful experiences' He stressed that Turkey was 'ready for every eventuality and result'. Meanwhile, Turkish media reported that tanks were being moved towards the Greek border. The Cumhuriyet newspaper said 40 tanks were being transported from the Syrian border to Edirne in northwest Turkey and carried photographs of armoured vehicles loaded on trucks. A military official speaking on condition of anonymity in line with government regulations said the deployment was a regular movement of forces and unconnected to tension with Greece. The president's comments come after NATO said military officers from Greece and Turkey had begun technical discussions to reduce the risk of armed conflict or accidents. Ankara is currently facing off against Greece and Cyprus over oil and gas exploration rights in the eastern Mediterranean The two NATO allies have been locked for weeks in a tense standoff in the eastern Mediterranean, where Turkey is prospecting the seabed for energy reserves in an area Greece claims as its own continental shelf. Ankara says it has every right to prospect there and accuses Athens of trying to grab an unfair share of maritime resources. Simulated dogfights between Greek and Turkish fighter pilots have multiplied over the Aegean Sea and the eastern Mediterranean. A Turkish and a Greek frigate collided last month, reportedly causing minor damage to the Turkish frigate but no injuries. Erdogan said Turkey had repeatedly expressed its willingness to come to a just agreement. He said: 'Our word is sincere. The problem is those before us disregard our rights and try to situate themselves above us.' Ships from Greece, Italy, Cyprus and France participate in a joint military exercise which was held from August 26 to 28 south of Turkey in the eastern Mediterranean sea Turkey faces a wide range of opponents in the eastern Mediterranean. France, Italy and the United Arab Emirates have all sent forces to join war games with either Greece or Cyprus in recent weeks. Egypt has signed an energy exploration deal with Athens for the Mediterranean. The European Union, which counts Greece and Cyprus as members, has also threatened possible sanctions against Ankara over its 'illegal' actions. This week, the US announced it was easing a 33-year-old arms embargo against ethnically divided Cyprus. The island split in 1974 when Turkey invaded following a coup by supporters of union with Greece. The Greek island Kastellorizo is just 1.2 miles from the Turkish coast and can be seen from Turkey's Antalya province Turkey is the only nation to recognise a Turkish Cypriot declaration of independence and it maintains more than 35,000 troops in northern Cyprus. The recent crisis is the most serious in Turkish-Greek relations in decades. The neighbours have come to the brink of war three times since the mid-1970s, including once over maritime resources in the Aegean. Earlier, Ankara announced joint military exercises with northern Cypriot forces from Sunday to September 10. The air, land and sea drills are held every year. Tensions between the two countries escalated in August, with both sides staging military drills. Greece argues that waters surrounding Kastellorizo are under their sovereignty and oppose any Turkish exploration nearby Turkey accused Greece of 'piracy' and attempting to 'arm' the island at the centre of their row energy resources in the Mediterranean. Greece argues that waters surrounding Kastellorizo are under their sovereignty and oppose any Turkish exploration nearby. The rocky island is the island furthest removed from Greece and is 1.2 miles off the Turkish coast. On August 10, Turkish navy ships escorted an exploration vessel, the Oruc Reis, into the waters south of Kastellorizo. Four days before, Greece had signed an agreement with Egypt on the two countries' respective maritime economic zones, which the parliament in Athens waved through on Thursday. But its claim that the waters around the island are under Greek sovereignty had Ankara seeing red, after recent discoveries of large gas deposits in the eastern Mediterranean. A Greek and a Turkish warship were involved in a mild collision on August 14 during a standoff in the eastern Mediterranean, in what a Greek defence source called an accident but Ankara described as a provocation. Donald Trump has flown three B52 bombers into Ukrainian airspace as a warning to Russian president Vladimir Putin. The B-52H stratofortress bombers swooped along the border of the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula in a clear show of strength before flying close to areas under the control of Kremlin-backed separatists. The bombers, which are capable of carrying nuclear weapons, took off from RAF Fairfold in Gloucestershire, UK. It comes amid mounting tensions between Washington and Moscow over the poisoning of Putin's main rival Alexei Navalny and Russia's interference in unrest in Belarus. A week ago a Russian Su-27 fighter jet performed a potentially dangerous manoeuvre in front of another B-52H flying over the Black Sea. Three B-52H bombers flew into Ukrainian airspace in a show of strength against Putin The elite warplanes, capable of carrying nuclear weapons, swooped by the border of Russian-occupied Crimea before flying near to areas occupied by Kremlin-backed separatists Flight path maps show the elite warplanes entering Ukrainian airspace and flying towards Crimea, where they circled in a racetrack-like formation. The planes then moved towards Russian separatist-controlled areas and headed, at their furthest point, to the city of Melitopol, which is around 100 miles from separatist regions. It is thought that several Ukrainian Su-27 Flankers joined the bombers when they entered the country's airspace. At least one British Eurofighter Typhoon flew from RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus, to join the formation. Several spy planes also operated in the region, according to website The Drive, including American Rivet Joint and RAF Airseeker. It is thought they were accompanied by Ukrainian Su-27 warplanes (pictured) and an RAF plane from Akrotiri, Cyprus Two of the three planes, with the call signs Julia, are pictured on the above images Observer Petri Makela said: 'This is the most intensive (spy plane activity) I've seen in a while. 'At least two USAF RC-135V/W Rivet Joint SIGINT planes recording the Russian emissions (radar, comms etc.) from Crimea and Russia as a flight of B-52H bombers circle along the Azov coast in Ukrainian airspace.' A build-up of Russian forces on the Crimean peninsula has recently been spotted, which may have sparked the sortie. S-400 and S-300 surface-to-air missile systems have been deployed to nine different sites in the region. The German government said on Wednesday it had 'unequivocal proof' that Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny had been poisoned with the nerve agent Novichok. They said tests carried out in a military laboratory had found evidence of the Soviet-era chemical that was also used on Sergei Skripal in Salisbury in 2018. It comes after the poisoning of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny. He remains in a coma at a hospital in Berlin, Germany And amid warnings to Russia not to interfere in Belarus as thousands protest against its government. Pictured is the country's president Alexander Lukashenko (centre) with Russian prime minister Mikhail Mishustin (left) Navalny, 44, remains in a coma in a Berlin hospital nearly two weeks after collapsing on a plane in Siberia, which made an emergency landing when he fell ill. Russia has also been warned against interfering in Belarus where protesters have lined the street decrying the results of the August 9 election and calling on president Alexander Lukashenko to stand down. On Thursday Lukashenko claimed Navalny had not been poisoned, saying the Europeans made it up 'in order to discourage Putin from sticking his nose into Belarus's affairs'. Lukashenko and Putin are set to meet in Moscow in the coming weeks. Photo credit: Elaine Chung From Esquire If anyone can do a remake well, its Disney. The House of Mouses newest addition to its live-action remake canon is Mulan, which hits select theaters and Disney+ on Friday. But, much like the recent adaptation of The Lion King, expect major changes to the much-beloved story. After continuously pushing the release date back for months due to the pandemic, Mulan is finally available to stream this weekend. The 1998 animated version is a classic and a fan favorite, but viewers should anticipate a more realistic story from the new film, as 2020s Mulan follows its original source material (the ancient Chinese folk story called The Ballad of Mulan) much more closely. Though the 1998 version is based on this same legend, it pulls many Westernized additions out of thin air, like Mulans pint-sized dragon sidekick Mushu and love interest Shang. While you might not be able to picture the story without these elements, they ultimately make for a more historically accurate film. You might even be surprised to find that the historical Mulan is even more badass than the Disney Princess youve come to love. Who was the original Mulan? Although there are many different stories about Mulan beyond the Ballad of Mulan , the original poem tells the tale of the brave female warrior known as Mulan, who was a soldier in China during the Northern and Southern dynasties period (between 420 and 589 CE). Much like in the animated movie, she disguised herself as a man and joined the army so that her father, a sickly veteran conscripted a second time by imperial decree, wouldn't be killed in combat. That said, there are sizable differences between the '98 movie and the ancient poem. In the ballad, Mulan fought against Rouran invaders instead of the Huns, a historical inaccuracy that the new film takes care to correct. The original Disney film also collapses the historical timeline. In the Ballad of Mulan, Mulan served twelve years in the army, culminating in an offer from the Emperor to take a government post. Mulan declined the offer, then retired to her village in the province of Hunan. After spending over a decade posing as a man, she finally revealed her true identity to her brothers in arms, who were shocked. Story continues Is the story true? Was Mulan a real person, or simply a character in an ancestral story? Debate remains ongoing. Tour company China Highlights confirmed that a real war happened between the Northern Wei state and a Mongolic state called Rouran, based on Chinese historical documents. Plus, Smithsonian Magazine reported that scientists found physical evidence suggesting that female warriors once rode across what is now Mongolia. When it comes to Chinese folklore, The Ballad of Mulan is unusual in that it contains no supernatural elements, suggesting that the story may be nonfiction. However, scholars generally disagree that Mulan existed. The story was passed down orally, leaving room for error and providing no historical evidence to prove Mulans existence. Regardless, the original poem has inspired countless film and stage adaptations throughout the 20th century. How does the live action version differ from the animated movie? In the live-action remake of Mulan, the familiar storyline remains intact, but many details have been changed. In addition to axing a few characters like Mushu, Grandmother Fa, and Li Shang, iconic scenes like Mulan cutting her hair and climbing up the pole to retrieve the arrow during training do not appear in the new film. Although none of the actors will break out into song like the 1998 movie, viewers can expect to hear familiar melodies. There are a number of songs that are iconic for the movie and tell a great version of the story and they are very helpful to us in how were putting the movie together, producer Jason Reed told Collider . It gets a little easier in animation to keep the tension and the reality in place and still have people break into song and sing to camera. We made the decision that we wanted to keep the worldeven though its a fantasymore grounded and more realistic, so those emotions really played and the threat is very real so we are using music in a slightly different way. Why is the new movie following The Ballad of Mulan rather than the earlier Disney version? Although it might be hard to envision Mulan without some of its most beloved components, the filmmakers felt that the changes were necessary to tell a more culturally accurate story. Their goal was to faithfully adhere to the legend, not to keep each and every piece of a Disneyfied classic intact. Its worth noting that Mulan will be released globally, with Disney targeting the large Chinese moviegoing market in particular; as a result, the creators felt it was important to keep their Chinese audiences in mind. Many decisions about adhering to the ballad were made in an effort to create a more real and relatable story, as well as to respect Chinese culture. One important omission was Mushu, Mulans wise-cracking sidekick, who hit the cutting room floor due to the fact that many Chinese viewers disliked his character. This kind of miniature dragon trivialized their culture, USC professor Stanley Rosen told The Hollywood Reporter . Photo credit: Disney Though Mulan did not have a surname in the original ballad, Hua Mulan eventually became her most commonly known name. According to Vulture , the 98 movie renamed her to Fa Mulana Cantonese rendering more closely related to the Fa Mu Lan of Chinese-American Maxine Hong Kingstons memoir, The Woman Warrior. Some viewed the animated Mulan as a Western appropriation due to her Anglicized name. In the remake, Mulan once again comes from the Hua family. "We had a lot of conversations about it ... [We wanted] to tell this story in a way that is more real, more relatable, where we don't have the benefit of the joke to hide behind things that might be uncomfortable and we don't break into song to tell us the subtext, Reed told The Hollywood Reporter. Meanwhile, director Niki Caro took several research trips to China before filming began, where she spoke with historians and brushed up on the original story. "I certainly wasn't aware of how deeply important it is to Mainland Chinese all children were taught it," Caro said . "[Mulan] is so meaningful that many places I went, people would say, 'Well, she comes from my village.' It was wonderful to feel that profound connection but also terrifying." The new version of Mulan might be different from the animated classic that we all know and love, but in an age when cultural appropriation has at long last come under the microscope, Disneys efforts to honor Mulans authentic story are long overdue--and resonating with audiences. Glamour even reported that journalists are calling it Disneys best-ever live-action remake. Not so sure? Stream Friday to judge for yourself. You Might Also Like A public letter which was released recently by Bollywood filmmakers addresses the allegations of nepotism, bullying and drugs and terms them as "vile and vicious trolling. It also urges newcomers not to be discouraged by the criticism of the film industry. The film industry in Mumbai has been facing serious scrutiny and has been a subject of allegations after Sushant Singh Rajputs death. There have been relentless attacks on the reputation of the industry. An open letter which was released recently by Bollywood filmmakers addresses the allegations of nepotism, bullying and drugs and terms them as vile and vicious trolling. It also urges newcomers not to be discouraged by the criticism of the film industry. The Producers Guild of India has said in the letter that There are some things more important than ad revenues and ratings. The tragic death of a promising young star has been used by some as a tool to defame and slander the film industry and its members. The letter further states that A picture has been painted of the industry being a terrible place for outsiders to aspire to; a place that treats those who dare to enter it with contempt and derision; a murky den of substance abuse and criminality. Also Read: From Hema Malini to Preity Zinta, Bollywood stars extend wishes on Teachers Day While the letter admitted to the industry being imperfect and having flaws, it suggested that to paint an entire industry with the same brush is a gross misrepresentation of reality. Calling it a much-needed move, filmmaker Sanjay Gupta says that he is very happy with the statement and totally supports the guild.It is ridiculous that people are maligning the whole industry with no proof. Earlier it was nepotism, then that was thrown out of the window, then came Bollywood mafia and now the drug cartel narrative, which has nothing to do with Bollywood. How do you keep on maligning the film industry, asks Gupta. There is no single industry that does not have a few people who might be not be doing the right thing, that is not the reflection on the whole industry, argues director Kunal Kohli, while adding, I really support the letter because people have been asking why isnt the industry talking. You have to understand that there are certain associations within the industry, given the right time, they will talk. They are doing it , the guild is one of the premiere organizations and I am sure many such associations will do so in the coming days. I am so glad to read this. All ignorant ill informed outsiders must stop now. I am so proud to be an outsider and a part of my lovely joint family called Indian film industry. https://t.co/MCGiNg36Ie Vishal Bhardwaj (@VishalBhardwaj) September 4, 2020 Many celebrities such as Kareena Kapoor Khan, Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, Farhan Akhtar, Ekta Kapoor, Bipasha Basu Singh Grover, Nimrat Kaur, Hansal Mehta, Dia Mirza, Abhishek Bachchan, Rakul Preet Singh, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and Vishal Bhardwaj, took to social media to express solidarity with the guild. Sushant Singh Rajput, a Bollywood actor who had successfully transitioned from TV to movies, died on June 14. His death sparked off the allegations against the film fraternity for bullying of newcomers, nepotism, drug abuse and toxic rivalries. Also Read: Manoj Bajpayee drops teaser of upbeat Bhojpuri rap Bambai Mein Ka Ba However, a concerted effort has been made to single out the film industry as one that specifically inhibits and prohibits new talent from the outside from thriving. This cannot be further from the truth, said the letter. Being born into the industry most definitely affords you the privilege of access and a first break, but after that, it is up to each individuals talent, hard work and drive to propel them forward. This is a place that ultimately rewards your talent, work ethic and ability to connect with an audience regardless of your religion, gender, caste or economic strata. Also Read: Ajay Devgn urges people to wear masks, shares Kaano Par Zimmedari illustration video The Andhra Pradesh government on Saturday issued the "AP Tourism Trade (Registration and Facilitation) Guidelines, 2020" to position the state as a premier tourist destination by improving the standards of services. The new guidelines are aimed at offering tourism services to world-class standards and strengthening the tourist ecosystem in the state by establishing better industry linkages, according to Special Chief Secretary (Tourism and Culture) Rajat Bhargava. "Andhra Pradesh has emerged as one of the most-visited destinations in the country and the number of visitors has been growing significantly every year. To meet the growing demand and position the state as a premier tourist destination, it is important to improve the standards of tourism services offered," Rajat Bhargava said. He pointed out that the state so far did not have a mechanism to register the tourism trade operators, which was essential for maintenance of statistical information for planning and development. "The guidelines we now framed will encourage improvement of standards and offer best quality tourism services. They will provide a simple mechanism for registration of tourism trade similar to those in practice at the Union Ministry of Tourism and in states like Goa, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, and Karnataka,"Rajat Bhargava added. The AP Tourism Authority would now be able to collect statistical information from service providers and establish a database on tourism for planning and development of tourism in the state. The Special Chief Secretary said this would also ensure linkages with tourism departments of other states, national and internationally-renowned travel and tourism players, travel and tourism related associations and societies. Under the new guidelines, registration would now become mandatory for all tourism related trade establishments and service providers to be eligible for any government-sponsored initiatives, incentives, subsidies and schemes, Rajat Bhargava said. Also Read: Rajnath Singh likely to meet Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe in Moscow this evening Also Read: Daiichi-Ranbaxy case: Delhi Police summons Radha Soami Satsang chief Gurinder Singh Dhillon OTTAWAErin OToole is already putting his stamp on the Conservatives, filling senior ranks with loyalists and repositioning the party to take on a leftward lurching Liberal party. The Conservatives announced late Thursday that TD Bank Group Vice President James Dodds will head up the Conservative Fund, a powerful board that controls the partys purse strings. Dodds is a longtime conservative hand who led OTooles fundraising efforts during the leadership race. It was at Dodds Toronto Christmas party last December that OToole officially decided to run for the partys top job. Hes also the latest in a line of OToole people to be given top jobs in the party apparatus, as the Conservatives look toward a possible fall election after their bitter leadership race. Fred DeLorey, OTooles leadership campaign manager, will lead the partys national campaign. Tausha Michaud, who served as principal secretary during the leadership, is the new leaders chief of staff at the Opposition Leaders Office (OLO). Alupa Clarke, a former Quebec MP who was central to OTooles efforts in that province, will serve as a senior adviser. Melanie Paradis, who handled communications for the campaign, will also join OLO. Dan Robertson, who with DeLorey drafted OTooles overall strategy, is expected to have a significant role on the national campaign. Dodds takes over the Conservative Fund from Irving Gerstein, the powerful former senator who managed the partys finances for most of Stephen Harpers and all of Andrew Scheers tenure. A senior Conservative source, who only agreed to speak about internal party politics on the condition they not be named, said Gerstein had been looking to step back for some time. The Conservative Fund doesnt tend to make headlines, and thats the way the party likes it. But an exception to that rule came in December, when the Gerstein-led organization found itself in the middle of the controversy over its decision to pay Scheers childrens private school fees. It was a rare moment of the Conservatives airing dirty laundry in public, with the fund and the partys elected national council seemingly at odds. The Stars source said the Conservatives have enough money in the bank to fight a fall campaign, should Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus minority government fall after the Sept. 23 throne speech or after it unveils its pandemic-delayed budget. A source familiar with national campaign preparations also expressed confidence in the partys aging voter identification platform, known as CIMS. The party believes it remains an effective tool. OToole also gave some signals this week about where he intends to take his party, and what his campaign pitch might be. OToole has emphasized repeatedly since his victory that he wants Canadians to see themselves reflected in the Conservative party. He reiterated that sentiment on Wednesday, after naming Manitoba MP Candice Bergen his deputy leader. OToole said he wants more and more Canadians to see a Conservative when they look in the mirror. Thats expected to be a theme when OToole announces his shadow cabinet next week. The new Conservative leader has also signalled that while the party will still strive toward fiscal restraint, he would not rush the country back to a balanced budget after historic levels of spending during the COVID-19 crisis. In an interview with the Globe and Mail published Friday, OToole said his goal would be to balance the books in a decade should his party win power in the next election. Were going to come up with a plan that shows there is no bogeyman with the Conservatives, that were going to try and get back to a balanced budget in two or three years or something like that, OToole was quoted as saying. We know this (pandemic) has been a shock, but we also know that economic growth is as important as controlling spending. OToole also took aim at the Liberals pandemic response in an interview with Global News on Sunday, suggesting that the government screwed up by announcing the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), a $2,000 monthly payment to workers laid off during the pandemic, before it rolled out the Canadian Emergency Wage Supplement (CEWS), which covered up to 75 per cent of workers salaries if businesses kept them on the payroll. Both comments suggest OToole is moving the party toward the economic centre, as the Liberals prepare to unveil a throne speech billed as an ambitious and expensive attempt to build back the Canadian economy ravaged by the pandemic. Read more about: Photo: RCMP Master Cpl. Patrik Mathews, shown in this undated RCMP handout photo. The lawyer for accused neo-Nazi Patrik Mathews will be back in court Jan. 12 to try to convince a Maryland judge to drop weapons charges against the former Canadian Forces reservist and to allow him to stand trial separately from his alleged co-conspirators. In a series of motions filed this week in Maryland District Court, lawyer Joseph Balter also urged District Judge Theodore Chuang to quash a raft of wiretap, email and location evidence that he argues is prejudicial against Mathews and was obtained with warrants that violated his client's constitutional rights. A separate motion also seeks to suppress statements Mathews himself gave to investigators, whom the defence accuses of violating his right against self-incrimination, his constitutional right to counsel and his Miranda rights. Mathews, a former combat engineer, vanished from Beausejour, Man., last year following media reports alleging he was a recruiter for a white-supremacist group known as The Base. He's been in custody since January along with two others, Brian Lemley Jr. and William Bilbrough, after the trio were arrested as part of a broader FBI investigation of the group. All three have pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors, defence lawyers and Chuang all gathered via conference call Friday to hash out deadlines for the government's response to the motions and subsequent defence rebuttals Oct. 16 and Nov. 16, respectively and to set a date for a hearing. Chuang also granted some procedural motions allowing Lemley Jr. and Mathews to adopt each other's motions, and gave partial permission to the defendants to file additional motions, provided they can prove the filings are based on information that wasn't available prior to the Aug. 31 deadline. Prosecutors in Maryland allege the three men were part of an elaborate white-supremacist plot to touch off a U.S. race war. They accuse Mathews of advocating for killing people, poisoning water supplies and derailing trains to incite a civil war in the name of creating a white "ethno-state," and of planning to violently disrupt a pro-gun rally in Virginia. Mathews is facing four charges, including two counts of being an alien in possession of a firearm and two counts of transporting a firearm across state lines with intent to commit a felony. The latter two charges are "multiplicious," Balter argues the offence they describe is essentially the same as in the other two, meaning that Mathews is being charged twice for the same offence. He has also moved for his client to be tried separately from the other two on the grounds that Mathews won't be able to get a fair trial as a co-accused. "The presentation of evidence against the co-defendants in a single trial will be prejudicial to the rights of Mr. Mathews because the vast majority of discovery does not relate to Mr. Mathews' alleged offences," Balter writes in one motion. Because Lemley and Bilbrough face a number of charges that Mathews does not, "the jury will be unable to compartmentalize the evidence as it relates to Mr. Mathews." The motion also contemplates the likelihood that prosecutors will introduce evidence of statements made by either co-defendant that would implicate Mathews. "Should the co-defendants not testify at trial, Mr. Mathews would be denied his confrontation rights as provided by the Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution." The flurry of filings this week is the first public movement in months on the case, which like countless others has been slowed and complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The court agreed twice to waive U.S. speedy-trial deadlines owing to the complex nature of the case, the sheer volume of evidence and the extenuating public-health circumstances. Authorities in Georgia and Wisconsin also arrested four other men in January linked to The Base, a group that has been attracting more scrutiny from law enforcement in recent months. Officials say it is part of a wider spread of white nationalism and extremist ideology throughout the U.S., following a model similar to that of al-Qaida, the Islamic State group and other violent organizations that rely on the internet and social media to mobilize independent cells or individuals who share their philosophies. Trump Says He Has Not Seen Proof of Navalny Poisoning, Awaits Results From Germany President Donald Trump said at a press briefing Friday that while theres nobody been tougher on Russia that I have, he wants to wait until he sees proof that Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny was poisoned and so declined to criticize the Kremlin over what German authorities have said explicitly was a poisoning using a military-grade nerve agent. I dont know exactly what happened. I think itsits tragic. Its terrible. It shouldnt happen. We havent had any proof yet, but I will take a look, Trump told reporters when asked about what message he had for Russia in the wake of Navalnys apparent poisoning and how the United States should respond. Trump said he expects to receive evidence regarding the incident soon and that he would be very angry if it confirms that Navalny was poisoned. I would be very angry if thats the case, and well take a look at theat the numbers and the documents, because were going to be sent a lot of documents over the next few days, Trump said. Navalny, a politician and corruption investigator, fell ill on a flight to Moscow on Aug. 20 and was taken to a hospital in the Siberian city of Omsk. He was later flown from Siberia to Germany for treatment and has been in an induced coma in a Berlin hospital. German authorities said on Wednesday that tests showed that Navalny was poisoned with a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group. British authorities previously identified the Soviet-era Novichok as the poison used on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in England in 2018. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Friday condemned what he called an appalling assassination attempt on Navalny and called on Moscow to answer questions about the poisoning to international investigators. President Vladimir Putins spokesman has rejected allegations that the Kremlin was involved in poisoning Navalny and accused Germany of not providing Moscow with any evidence about his condition. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Sept. 3 that Russian investigators tested Navalny for poisonous substances when he was in a hospital in Siberia and didnt find any. Germanys announcement that Novichok was the poison used on Navalny was met with support from Trump administration officials, with White House National Security Council spokesperson John Ullyot writing in a tweet that Alexei Navalnys poisoning is completely reprehensible. Russia has used the chemical nerve agent Novichok in the past. White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany on Thursday said the U.S. is working with its allies to determine what happened to Navalny and would seek to hold those in Russia accountable wherever the evidence leads and restrict funds for their malign activities. Trump, at Fridays briefing, challenged members of the media for what he said was their selective focus on Russia at the expense of scrutinizing China. I dont mind you mentioning Russia, but I think probably China, at this point, is a nation that you should be talking about much more so than Russia because the things that China is doing are far worse, Trump said. The president referred to the outbreak of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus, saying that by not keeping that within the confines of China, Chinas communist authorities have put other countries in danger. Employees' Union of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has expressed resentment at the government run telco's plan to retrench another 20,000 contractual workers. The union claims that BSNL has already retrenched 30,000 contractual workers and all these workers remained unpaid for a period of over one year. The union has also asked the company to review its decision in this regard. In a letter addressed to BSNL Chairman and Managing Director P K Purwar, the union said the financial condition of the company has deteriorated after implementation of voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) and the faults in the networks have increased due to shortage of manpower in various cities. On September 1, BSNL had issued an order with the permission of its human resource director asking all the chief general managers "to take immediate steps to curtail the expenditure on contract works and reduce engagement of labours through contractors". The move is expected to lead to retrenchment of another 20,000 contractual workers now, according to the union. The government had approved Rs 69,000 crore revival package for BSNL and MTNL in October 2019 that includes merging the two loss-making firms, monetising their assets and giving VRS to employees so that the combined entity turns profitable in two years. Meanwhile, last month, Finnish telecom equipment company Nokia had said it will terminate its employees currently working on a BSNL project if the state-owned company doesn't clear its pending dues worth over Rs 900 crore. The company has said the non-payment of dues by BSNL has adversely impacted its cash flow and it will have no option but to take the cost-cutting measures amid the coronavirus pandemic. Also read: Nokia warns of terminating staff working on BSNL project if dues not cleared Also read: BSNL, MTNL VRS scheme: Employees opting for VRS will have to wait till FY21 for dues region at 5 pm. MDS2 DEF-LANKA-SHIP Oil tanker on fire off Sri Lanka coast towed to safety Chennai: An India bound vessel from Kuwait with a crude shipment that caught fire off theSri Lankan coast has been towed to safe waters while fire fighting continues and there has been no oil slick, defence authorities said here. MDS4 KA-DRUGS-ARREST African arrested in connection with Kannada film industry drug case Bengaluru: An African has been arrested by the Central Crime Branch in connection with their probe into the alleged drug peddling and substance abuse case involving those in the Kannada film industry, CCB officials said here. MES1 TL-VIRUS-MINISTER Telangana Finance Minister Harish Rao tests COVID-19 positive Hyderabad: Telangana Finance Minister T Harish Rao said he tested positive for COVID-19 and was fine. PTI ROH ROH 09051706 NNNN. Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor China is planning a more than 1 trillion yuan ($146 billion) push to accelerate infrastructure investment in Tibet, including new and previously announced projects, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The renewed push to step-up development of the remote and impoverished southwestern region signals Beijing's intent to bolster frontier security amid heightened border tensions with India in recent months, two of the sources said. Last week, during a senior Communist Party meeting on Tibet's future governance, President Xi Jinping lauded achievements and praised frontline officials but said more efforts were needed to enrich, rejuvenate and strengthen unity in the region. He said a number of major infrastructure projects and public facilities would be completed, including the Sichuan-Tibet Railway, according to remarks published by the official Xinhua news agency. The construction plans include completion of the challenging middle section of a high-elevation Sichuan-Tibet railway link, a railway line between Nepal and Tibet that has remained in the planning stages, and a newly planned dry port in the Tibet Autonomous Region, the sources said. The sources declined to be identified because they were not authorised to speak with media.It was not immediately clear how much of the targeted spending is new, or over how many years it would be invested.China's State Council Information Office and the Tibet regional government did not immediately respond to requests for comment.Construction on the most difficult section of the Sichuan-Tibet railway - linking Chengdu with Lhasa - will begin in coming weeks, said two of the sources. The 270 billion yuan section of the railway has been known for construction challenges posed by rough terrain and complex geology, notably the segment linking Sichuan's Ya'an city with Nyingchi in southeastern Tibet near the border with India.Beijing also wants to push ahead with the Tibet-Nepal Railway linking Kathmandu with Shigatse, the second-largest city in Tibet, which was among a number of bilateral deals signed in 2018 between Nepal and China, but has yet to gain much traction.Nepal is a buffer between China and India and is considered by New Delhi as its natural ally, but China has made inroads by pouring aid and infrastructure investment into what is one of the world's poorest countries. A June clash in the western part of the China-India border was the worst violence between the Asian giants in decades, and there is little sign of easing tension, with more military action in the past week. RAIL ACCESSBeijing has long aimed to build a high-speed rail network to make Tibet more accessible from China's inland provinces, and it plans to improve or extend railways being planned or constructed that connect it with other parts of China, two of the sources said.Last month, China announced plans to expand the country's railway network by one-third over the next 15 years.Within Tibet, the planned spending covers the revamp and expansion of highways, roads and scenic spots, two of the sources said. Beijing sent troops into Tibet in 1950 in what it officially terms a peaceful liberation and maintains a heavy security presence in the region, which has been prone to unrest.China rejects criticism from rights groups and Tibetan exiles of its rule there, saying it has brought much-needed development to a remote region and that it respects Tibet's culture and religion. China's policies towards Tibet have come under the spotlight again this year amid worsening ties with the United States.In July, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States would restrict visas for some Chinese officials involved in blocking diplomatic access to Tibet and engaging in "human rights abuses". Also Read: Rajnath Singh likely to meet Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe in Moscow this evening Also Read: Daiichi-Ranbaxy case: Delhi Police summons Radha Soami Satsang chief Gurinder Singh Dhillon Kim Brent / The Enterprise The Beaumont Police Union now has the art members have been seeking to decorate their offices at police headquarters thanks to members of local Hispanic media. Friday morning, Fernando Ramirez and the Rev. Joselo Hernandez presented members of the union with a wooden plaque painted by Greg Sisco, an Orangefield veteran. The Texas flag painting bore the message, Back the Blue. It was a show of support for local police in turbulent times for law enforcement across the country. She's currently enjoying a sunshine Ibiza break with her roommate and former Love Island co-star Arabella Chi. But that didn't stop Harley Brash from putting in the work in as she posed up a storm in yet another sizzling photoshoot with ISAWITFIRST.COM on Thursday. The 21-year-old beauty showcased her incredible figure in a strapless mismatched bikini as she pulled off a number of seductive poses. Wow: Harley Brash from putting in the work in as she posed up a storm in yet another sizzling photoshoot with ISAWITFIRST.COM in Ibiza on Thursday Harley oozed confidence as she modelled a nude bandeau bikini top, which was paired with white snakeskin bottoms. The skimpy top and tie-waisted bottoms allowed the star to fully display her taut midriff and slender pins. Harley added a floor length, silky white cover-up to her beach look which served to highlight her sun-kissed skin. Strike a pose: The 21-year-old beauty showcased her incredible figure in a strapless mismatched bikini as she pulled off a number of seductive poses The reality star's poker straight blonde tresses were left to cascade down her back, while her features were accentuated with a subtle palette of make-up. Proving less is more, the Geordie beauty accessorised with just a pair of dainty earrings and a gold necklace. Harley certainly appeared to be in her element as she posed this way and that for the stunning snaps. Work it: Harley oozed confidence as she modelled a nude bandeau bikini top, which was paired with white snakeskin bottoms Looking good: The skimpy top and tie-waisted bottoms allowed the star to fully display her taut midriff and slender pins She's got the flow: Harley added a floor length, silky white cover-up to her beach look which served to highlight her sun-kissed skin Finishing touches: The reality star's poker straight blonde tresses were left to cascade down her back, while her features were accentuated with a subtle palette of make-up The holidaymaker will face 14 days of quarantine when she returns to the UK after the government pulled its air bridge with Spain following a spike in COVID-19 cases. Harley rose to fame on last year's Love Island, when she was partnered up with Chris Taylor and later became the first couple to split after leaving the villa. The media personality revealed details about her single life during an interview with FUBAR Radio. Showstopping: The TV star pulled off her best model poses in the shoot for the fashion brand Golden girl: Proving less is more, the Geordie beauty accessorised with just a pair of dainty earrings and a gold necklace Lovely: Harley looked a vision in white as she strutted her stuff around the venue She said: 'Im happy being single at the moment. Im just enjoying myself. Im having fun. I dont kiss and tell but it is nice.' The blonde bombshell also blamed their 'busy schedules' for pulling them apart from each other. She confessed: 'We were just better off as friendswe had such busy schedules and we both realised that it was better to break it off now and we could still be friends. The former couple's relationship appeared to be on the rocks when fans noticed they were sat apart from one another at the Love Island final. A natural: Harley certainly appeared to be in her element as she posed this way and that for the stunning snaps Vancouver, British Columbia and Johannesburg, South Africa--(Newsfile Corp. - September 4, 2020) - Platinum Group Metals Ltd. (TSX: PTM) (NYSE American: PLG) ("Platinum Group" or the "Company") reports that it has entered into an Equity Distribution Agreement (the "Sales Agreement") with BMO Capital Markets Corp. ("BMO"), effective as of September 4, 2020. Under the Sales Agreement, Platinum Group may sell its common shares in the capital of the Company from time to time for up to US$12.0 million in aggregate sales proceeds in "at-the-market" transactions. No offers or sales of common shares will be made in Canada, to anyone known by BMO to be a resident of Canada or on or through the facilities of the Toronto Stock Exchange (the "TSX") or other trading markets in Canada. For more complete information about the Company and the offering, investors are directed to read the prospectus supplement relating to and describing the terms of the offering, and the related registration statement on Form F-3 and other documents that Platinum Group has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). You may get these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC website at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, copies of the prospectus supplement relating to the offering may be obtained, when available, from: BMO Capital Markets Corp. 3 Times Square New York, NY 10036 Facsimile: (212) 702-1205 Attention: Equity Capital Markets Desk or by emailing bmoprospectus@bmo.com. The Company has relied on the exemption for "Eligible Interlisted Issuers" under Section 602.1 of the TSX Company Manual in connection with the listing of the common shares on the TSX under the offering. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities being offered, nor may there be any sale of the securities being offered in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any state or other jurisdiction. Story continues The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the offering for its share of pre-development costs on the Waterberg Project, general corporate purposes, partial repayment of debt and other amounts due. About Platinum Group Metals Ltd. and Waterberg Project Platinum Group Metals Ltd. is the operator and majority owner of the Waterberg Project, a bulk underground palladium, platinum, gold and rhodium deposit located in South Africa. An Independent Definitive Feasibility Study for the Waterberg Project was approved by Waterberg JV Resources Pty Ltd. ("Waterberg JV Co."), the project joint venture company, on December 5, 2019. The Waterberg Project was discovered by Platinum Group and is being jointly advanced with the shareholders of Waterberg JV Co., being Platinum Group, Impala Platinum Holdings Ltd., Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation, Hanwa Co. Ltd. and Mnombo Wethu Consultants (Pty) Ltd. ("Mnombo"). In 2019 the Company founded Lion Battery Technologies Inc. in partnership with Anglo American Platinum Limited to support the use of palladium and platinum in lithium battery applications. In 2019, the Company founded Lion Battery Technologies Inc. in partnership with Anglo American Platinum Limited to support the use of palladium and platinum in lithium battery applications. On behalf of the Board of Platinum Group Metals Ltd. R. Michael Jones President and CEO For further information contact: R. Michael Jones, President or Kris Begic, VP, Corporate Development Platinum Group Metals Ltd., Vancouver Tel: (604) 899-5450 / Toll Free: (866) 899-5450 www.platinumgroupmetals.net Disclosure The TSX and the NYSE American have not reviewed and do not accept responsibility for the accuracy or adequacy of this news release, which has been prepared by management. The recent COVID-19 pandemic and related measures taken by government create uncertainty and have had, and may continue to have, an adverse impact on many aspects of the Company's business, including employee health, workforce productivity and availability, travel restrictions, contractor availability, supply availability, the Company's ability to maintain its controls and procedures regarding financial and disclosure matters and the availability of capital and insurance and the costs thereof, some of which, individually or when aggregated with other impacts, may be material to the Company. This press release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws and forward-looking statements within the meaning of U.S. securities laws (collectively "forward-looking statements"), including statements with respect to the sale of common shares under the Sales Agreement and the amount and uses of proceeds thereof. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, plans, postulate and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. All statements that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes any forward-looking statements in this press release are reasonable, it can give no assurance that the expectations and assumptions in such statements will prove to be correct. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future results or performance and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including possible adverse impacts due the global outbreak of COVID-19 (as described above), the Company's inability to generate sufficient cash flow or raise sufficient additional capital to make payment on its indebtedness, and to comply with the terms of such indebtedness; additional financing requirements; the 2019 Sprott Facility is, and any new indebtedness may be, secured and the Company has pledged its shares of Platinum Group Metals (RSA) Proprietary Limited ("PTM RSA"), and PTM RSA has pledged its shares of Waterberg JV Co. to Sprott, under the 2019 Sprott Facility, which potentially could result in the loss of the Company's interest in PTM RSA and the Waterberg Project in the event of a default under the 2019 Sprott Facility or any new secured indebtedness; the Company's history of losses and negative cash flow; the Company's ability to continue as a going concern; the Company's properties may not be brought into a state of commercial production; uncertainty of estimated production, development plans and cost estimates for the Waterberg Project; discrepancies between actual and estimated mineral reserves and mineral resources, between actual and estimated development and operating costs, between actual and estimated metallurgical recoveries and between estimated and actual production; fluctuations in the relative values of the U.S. Dollar, the Rand and the Canadian Dollar; volatility in metals prices; the uncertainty of alternative funding sources for Waterberg JV Co.; the Company may become subject to the U.S. Investment Company Act; the failure of the Company or the other shareholders to fund their pro rata share of funding obligations for the Waterberg Project; any disputes or disagreements with the other shareholders of Waterberg JV Co. or Mnombo; the ability of the Company to retain its key management employees and skilled and experienced personnel; conflicts of interest; litigation or other administrative proceedings brought against the Company; actual or alleged breaches of governance processes or instances of fraud, bribery or corruption; exploration, development and mining risks and the inherently dangerous nature of the mining industry, and the risk of inadequate insurance or inability to obtain insurance to cover these risks and other risks and uncertainties; property and mineral title risks including defective title to mineral claims or property; changes in national and local government legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments in Canada and South Africa; equipment shortages and the ability of the Company to acquire necessary access rights and infrastructure for its mineral properties; environmental regulations and the ability to obtain and maintain necessary permits, including environmental authorizations and water use licences; extreme competition in the mineral exploration industry; delays in obtaining, or a failure to obtain, permits necessary for current or future operations or failures to comply with the terms of such permits; risks of doing business in South Africa, including but not limited to, labour, economic and political instability and potential changes to and failures to comply with legislation; the Company's common shares may be delisted from the NYSE American or the TSX if it cannot maintain compliance with the applicable listing requirements; and other risk factors described in the Company's most recent Form 20-F annual report, annual information form and other filings with the SEC and Canadian securities regulators, which may be viewed at www.sec.gov and www.sedar.com, respectively. Proposed changes in the mineral law in South Africa if implemented as proposed would have a material adverse effect on the Company's business and potential interest in projects. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/63267 Trump says US must look very seriously into Russian politicians illness, but Washington had not yet seen any proof. President Donald Trump has said the United States must look very seriously into the suspected poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny, but that his administration had not yet seen any proof. Its tragic. Its terrible, it shouldnt happen. We havent had any proof yet, but I will take a look, Trump said at a news conference, before telling journalists they should be focusing on China, not Russia. Trump did not take as strong a stand as the State Department, which earlier on Friday expressed grave concern about the finding that Navalny was poisoned. In a meeting in Washington earlier on Friday, Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun told Russian Ambassador Anatoliy Antonov that Moscows use of this chemical weapon would be a clear violation of its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention. The Deputy Secretary urged Russia to cooperate fully with the international communitys investigation into this attack, department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement. Germany, where Navalny, 44, is in hospital, has said the Russian opposition figure was poisoned with a Soviet-style Novichok nerve agent and wants the perpetrators held to account. Beyond doubt Berlin briefed NATO on the case and the chief of the military alliance Jens Stoltenberg said there was proof beyond doubt Novichok was used. The Russian government must fully cooperate with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons [OPCW] on an impartial international investigation, Stoltenberg said after an emergency meeting of NATOs ruling council. European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell also called on Moscow to cooperate with an international probe into the poisoning and said the 27-nation bloc would not rule out sanctions. Russia has not opened a criminal investigation and said there is no evidence yet of a crime. Navalny, the most popular and prominent opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin, fell ill on a Siberian flight last month and was evacuated to Germany for treatment. He has been in an artificially-induced coma for the past two weeks. The Kremlin again denied responsibility for the attack on Friday. A whole number of theories including poisoning were considered from the very first days, Putins spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. According to our doctors, this theory has not been proved. Paralympic athlete Eve McCrystal is leading calls for Louth cyclists to 'get on their bikes' for the All Ireland Cycle to help the National Breast Cancer Research Institute. Eve, from Jenkinstown, has appealed to all cyclists, from those who took it up as a hobby during the pandemic to the more experienced racers, to join the All Ireland event, and help Louth win the challenge. The event is taking place this week to encourage cyclists to complete the '200 kilometres in 10 days'. 'It could be 20 kilometres a day for 10 days,' said Eve. 'It is to raise much needed funds, it's for a great cause.' All monies raised will go to the National Breast Cancer Research Institute (NBCRI) to help fight a disease that has impacted so many of lives across the country. 'It is a county versus county challenge. So the county with the largest kilometres built up will be crowned the All Ireland Cycle challenge champion. I'm very competitive so I want Louth to win!' 'During this pandemic it is a great way to get outside into the fresh air, and I guarantee you will make friends along the way that you'll have for life, like I have done on the bike.' The All Ireland Cycle Challenge began as an 8-day event 10 years ago, with people taking part from all over the world. A spokesperson for the event said: 'We continue to be inspired by our family and friends who have battled with this terrible disease, by the fundraising our cyclists have done by raising over 500,000 euro, and by the great research and work done by the staff at the NBCRI. That's teamwork! ' 'This year it's your turn to join us and challenge your friends to see who can do the most kilometres or raise the most money.' 'We will create an All-Ireland Cycle leaderboard and you'll see each County's kilometre total grow every time a cyclist logs their distances.' Getting involved is as easy, just log on to register at www.allirelandcycle.ie MBABANE For two months, her newly-born babys body was left in an open veld all by itself and maggots had a field day with the dumped infant. For this, Sibongile Bongiwe Mamba, the mother of the child, should count herself lucky because instead of being found guilty of murder, the court sentenced her to 52 weeks of community service for having allegedly caused the demise of the child. Mamba of Madvuma area in the Lubombo Region will clean the Siphofaneni Police Station twice a week being Wednesday and Saturday. Mamba was sentenced by Judge John Magagula. She pleaded not guilty of murder but admitted of having exposed an infant or disposing of the body of a child with intent to conceal the fact of its birth. Judge Magagula found Mamba guilty as per her own plea. During the arguments of the matter, the court was informed that Mamba was forced by circumstances to commit the offence. Denying The court heard that when Mamba was eight months pregnant, she went to Siteki to inform her mother that one Sifiso was denying paternity of the child and she did not know what to do. Her mother is said to have also told her (Mamba) that she was also a needy person and could not take care of the child. Mamba narrated that she went back to Tambuti to her husband, Buhle Zwane, who told her that he would not assist her with the child since he was not father. Mamba recounted that on October 31, 2014 at Phumulacashi area, she gave birth to a child, a boy, in the presence of Ntombikayise Dlamini and Nosimilo Nozi Mafampane. Submitted She submitted that she left Phumulamcashi with the newly-born baby and her three other children to Tambuti. She told the court that along the way, she left her other children at a spot and took the newborn a distance away from the road. Mamba said she rolled the child with a baby blanket, placed it into a plastic and proceeded to put it next to a fence. Ignored According to Mamba, the baby cried but she ignored it and went to where she had left the other children. She said she went to Tambuti with her three children and found Buhle Zwane, who was their (three childrens) father. Zwane, according to Mamba, asked her the whereabouts of the newborn baby and she told him she had taken it to its father, which was a lie. The court heard that on December 1, 2012, detective P Simelane of Big Bend Police Station arrested Mamba in relation to the death of the new- born. Mamba is reported to have led the police to where she left the newborn baby and it was found decomposed in a plastic, On question of sentencing for such offence, Mambas lawyer Sabelo Bhembe referred the court to Section 148 of the Child Protection and Welfare Act of 2012. Psychological Section 148(1) provides that: Any person who being a person having the care of a child, abuses, neglects, abandons or exposes the child in a manner likely to cause the child physical, psychological or emotional injury or causes or permits the child to be so abused, neglected, abandoned or exposed, commits an offence and is liable on conviction for the offence to a community based sanction to imprisonment for a term not less than five years. The lawyer implored the court to impose a community-based sanction. In support of this contention he invited the court to consider that Mamba was remorseful. He said this was evident from the fact that she pleaded guilty to an appropriate charge in the circumstance of the case. Bhembe further told the court that Mamba was led into committing the offence by the situation she found herself in at the time. The accused is said to have had a misunderstanding with her husband. The misunderstanding was so serious that the two went into self-separation. During the separation Mamba met another man and she got pregnant with the deceased child, submitted the lawyer. The court was told that things did not go well with the other man and she eventually reconciled with her husband. Support It was submitted that her husband wanted her back but did not want anything to do with the child. At the same time the biological father of the child also wanted nothing to do with it. The accused is said to have tried to take the child to her mother but she also pointed out that she had no means to support it. Appearing for the Crown in this matter was Ayanda Matsenjwa from the chamber of the Director of Public Prosecution while Senior lawyer Sabelo Bhembe was representing the accused. Sunny Deol Gurdaspur: Gurdaspur BJP MP Sunny Deol visited his constituency and held discussions with senior officials over the coronavirus pandemic and other issues. Sunny in the past has faced criticism from his political adversaries, including the Congress, for staying away from his constituency for long periods. Advertisement Sunny DeolThis time, he visited Gurdaspur after a gap of about six months. He met Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Ishfaq and SSP R S Sohal. After meeting the SSP, Deol tweeted, Positive discussions were held with the SSP related to making people more aware towards corona and on key issues pertaining to Gurdaspur's law and order. He said in his meeting with the deputy commissioner, the fight against coronavirus and development work being carried out by the Union government were discussed. Advertisement Sunny Deol He is likely to meet senior district officials in Pathankot today. Two days ago, Deol had met Union minister Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi in connection with development work of his constituency.

The baby's mother, 43-year-old Mandy, safely gave birth overnight on Friday after an eight-and-a-half-month pregnancy.

Primate experts at Chester Zoo have not yet established the new arrival's gender but mother and child appear to have already bonded well.

In the wild, the Western chimpanzee is under huge threat from hunting, the illegal bush meat trade and extensive habitat loss - all due to human activity, say experts.

As few as 18,000 Western chimpanzees are thought to remain in Africa and it is the first subspecies of chimpanzee to be added to the list of critically endangered apes.

The Western chimpanzee is found in West Africa, including in Senegal and Ghana, but is already believed to be extinct in Benin, Burkina Faso and Togo.

Andy Lenihan, team manager of the primates section at Chester Zoo, said: "Mandy is a wonderful mum. She's bonded instantly with her new baby and can be seen protectively cradling it in her left arm at all times.

"It's a little too soon to tell if her new arrival is male or female as a newborn chimpanzee will remain in the arms of mum for several months until they develop the confidence to start exploring independently.

"Most importantly though, it's bright eyed, alert and getting stronger by the day.

"A new arrival always creates a lot of excitement - it's a real extended-family affair as many of the females in the group often want to help to take care of the newcomer while, for some of the juveniles, seeing a mum with a new baby is a completely new experience."

Mike Jordan, animal and plant director at the zoo, said: "We're incredibly proud to see a precious new baby in the group - it's a hugely significant addition and a big boost for this species.

"The chimpanzees here at Chester are a key part of the international efforts working to ensure there's a viable safety-net population of these critically endangered animals."

Mumbai: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Saturday (September 5, 2020) arrested Sushant Singh Rajput's personal staff Dipesh Sawant in connection with the drug probe related to late Bollywood actor's death. "Dipesh Sawant has been arrested by NCB for his role in procuring and handling of drugs. He has been arrested based on statements and digital evidence. He will be produced before court tomorrow at 11 am. Cross-examination of arrested people underway,'' Deputy Director, Narcotics Control Bureau, was quoted as saying by ANI. The news comes hours after the NCB was granted 4-day custody of Rhea Chakraborty's brother Showik Chakraborty and Sushant's house manager Samuel Miranda by the Mumbai court. The duo was also arrested in link with the drug probe related to Sushant's death who was found dead at his Mumbai residence on June 14. Showik and Samuel were arrested on Friday night under several sections of the NDPS Act, including 20(b), 28, 29, 27(A) after the raids at their respective residences in Mumbai. According to sources, Showik has confessed to NCB that he used to buy drugs for the late 34-year actor at the behest of his sister Rhea, whereas, Samuel has also told NCB that he used to arrange drugs, named Budd, as per Showik's instructions for Sushant. The digital records of as many as 12 financial transactions between Samuel and Showik have evidently come out and apparently Rhea's credit card was also used for several transactions. The NCB had registered a case on August 26 under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, naming Rhea, her brother, talent manager Jaya Saha, Sushant`s co-manager Shruti Modi, and Goa-based hotelier Gaurav Arya, after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) wrote to it about the drugs' angle. This was followed by the disclosure of WhatsApp messages between Rhea and Shruti Modi, and Samuel's conversation with Sushant's friend and flatmate Siddharth Pithani. According to PTI news agency, the NCB Deputy Director-General of the south-west region, Mutha Ashok Jain, told reporters that the agency will take this probe to its "logical conclusion" and added that the NCB's mandate is to 'look for the big fish' and investigate international and inter-state drugs transactions. "Normally this is not part of our mandate but now that we are getting information...This case has given us an inkling of the network and the extent of the penetration," he said when asked if the agency has evidence on the drugs nexus in Bollywood or Hindi movie industry. Earlier in the day, a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team arrived at Sushant's Mont Blanc residence at Bandra which was accompanied by a team of AIIMS doctors, forensic team, Sushant's elder sister Meetu Singh, cook-caretaker Neeraj Singh, cook Keshav and Siddharth Pithani. According to sources, the central probe agency, which is investigating Sushant's death case, recreated the crime scene once again. Sushant's death case is being investigated by three Central agencies namely CBI, NCB and the ED. In the Presidents last but one COVID-19 address, he reported the startling finding in a Ghana Health Service (GHS) survey that 82 per cent of people in the sample had the overall intention to use a mask. Regular mask wearing watchers such as the writer of this column challenged the GHS to provide details of the survey because those figures did not match up with what we all see around us. In the 16th address, the President acknowledged that the latest survey report paints a far worse figure than the previous one. The President did not mention the figure in the new survey, but we understand that to be in the 40s range, with that outrageously optimistic. Again, as with all survey reports, the devil is in the details. It appears that the figures being used by officials on mask wearing are way out of variance with what one observes in real life in many parts of the country. In surveys, especially where the subject concerns a law or regulation to which people are expected to comply, it is unlikely to find respondents admitting to breaking the law. Surveys It appears from the Presidents repeated citing of these GHS surveys on masks that the government puts a large store by its own survey reports. CoronaLife Web Series Of course, it is important that the government conducts these surveys, but if the result is going to be used as a basis for policy, it has to make sure that they are based on reality. We must be concerned that these figures seem to be out of sync with what we can all see. I spent last Sunday in a part of the Volta Region travelling on the Sogakope-Adidome-Ho Road to Kpetoe. Of course, with this columns stated concern, I took an extra special interest in masks. The report, as with what I have observed in other parts of the country, is abysmal. There was very little evidence of mask-wearing anywhere, not even in the more urban settings where one would think people would comply with the government directives. The situation is even worse in the places where people congregate to do their business cheek by jowl. At the scenic Lower Volta Bridge, where women and children sell all kinds of foods to passengers, the vendors who rushed to vehicles as they stopped to pay the road toll, were all maskless as were the Okada riders waiting for passengers at major road intersections. We stopped at Adaklu to admire the majestic Adaklu Mountain and because it was Sunday, saw many people going to church at that time. They were not masked. Perhaps, they would wear their masks at the entrance to the church. The truth is that they wore no masks and there was nothing to suggest that face masks have been accepted as part of the culture in those parts of the country. Concern We must be concerned that the government appears to believe that Ghanaians are wearing masks and bases its policies partly on that assumption, when in reality, we are not complying. In parts of Accra, especially in the posh areas where government people live, people are likely to comply, but in many of the inner-city and outlying areas, the situation is as dire as it is in the rural areas. In fact, the attitude one has to confront is that people appear to think that the pandemic is over, if they ever believed it to be real. Maybe, the governments communication is the victim of its own success. As the President keeps emphasising, we have been spared the worst of the pandemic so far. New infections are low and the high recovery rates mean that we have a reducing number of active cases in the country. Many people have taken this good news to mean that the pandemic is over. The President was right to start his last address on this subject and to give a warning that people will be punished if they ignore the directive on face mask. However, as we all know in Ghana and as has become part of our discourse, the problem is with implementation. When it comes to fine laws and regulations beautifully written, Ghana must be the envy of the world. But when it comes to how those laws and regulations are implemented, we are the country of zero. We cannot expect the President to come on the street to physically enforce our laws. There are agencies that have the mandate to carry out their tasks; most of the time, they are either unwilling or unable to do their job. Readers of this column would know the repeated references to traffic regulations for motorcycle riders in the country. Basically, they are not enforced so riders are a law unto themselves. I have often wondered why this was the case. Astonishing Three weeks ago, I met a top commander of the traffic police unit in Kumasi where the MTTD had organised a workshop. I engaged the boss on this subject. What he told me was astonishing. The police could not keep up with motorcycle riders breaking the law. When they drive through red lights, we cant chase them, he said. It is as simple as that! It is incredible that in the 21st century, the police cannot use technology or any other resource to stop motorcyclists committing traffic offences or worse using their bikes for crime. That is another story. We shall return. Now, back to masks. The country is being returned to normal piecemeal. We are grateful to the President and the government for its leadership in the management of the disease. But the whole thing can unravel if they do not ensure that the effort is sustained. The Accra International Airport has opened and people from overseas are coming into the country again. This is happening at a time when countries in Europe may be going through the so-called second wave. It is expected to get worse in the winter months. We would not have forgotten so soon that the first cases of COVID-19 in Ghana were imported into the country through that same airport. However, the numbers grew and the sad death toll got to where it is because of community spread. Therefore, we ought to recognise that the combination of factors second wave in Europe, lax application of protocols in our communities and influx of people from Europe poses a risk for our wellbeing. The government cannot relax now. We know that the President is determined to provide the leadership with clarity and energy but the government must translate that into a coherent plan of action to get us to do what we must do to keep our nation healthy and safe. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Islamabad: Pakistans recently retired army chief Gen Raheel Sharif will head the Saudi Arabia-led 39-nation Islamic military coalition formed to combat terrorism, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Friday. Asif, while speaking during a talk show on Geo TV, admitted that an agreement in this regard was finalised a few days back. He said the decision was taken after taking the incumbent government into confidence and it was finalised here first. The headquarters of the new Saudi-led coalition would be based in Riyadh. Asif said that both the government and army were on board regarding the decision to let General Raheel take charge of the alliance. He, however, refused to share the details of agreement under which Raheel has been appointed the chief of the Saudi-led alliance. As you are aware that this thing was in the pipeline for quite some time and the Prime Minister was also part of the deliberations, Asif was quoted as saying. Raheel retired as the army chief in November and has been succeeded by General Qamar Javed Bajwa. Pakistani leaders were initially taken aback when Saudi Arabia, without proper consultation with them, had announced in 2015 that Islamabad was also part of the new alliance to combat militancy. Iran was not included in the grouping which appeared as a vague attempt to forge a Sunni Muslim alliance against Shiite Iran to curtail its influence in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and rest of the Middle East. Pakistan was in an unenviable position as it has good ties with both Iran and Saudi Arabia. It was also not ready to be dragged into the politics of Middle East. Hence, the government had announced that a decision about joining the group would be taken once its details were known. Later, Pakistan confirmed its participation in the alliance, but had said that the scope of its participation would be defined after Riyadh shared the details of the coalition it was assembling. After remaining dormant for months, the group is trying to reassemble. The coalition includes countries like Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Tunisia, Sudan, Malaysia, Egypt, Yemen among others. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 19:43:56|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIRUT, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon's state security arrested members of a terrorist cell linked to the Islamic State (IS) group, the National News Agency reported on Saturday. The terrorist cell, headed by Khaled al-Tallawi, received military training, collected weapons and ammunition, and engaged in several theft practices with the aim of carrying out security activities inside Lebanon. The eradication of this cell comes within the framework of pre-emptive operations and the permanent follow-up by Lebanon's security agencies of terrorist organizations and cells associated with them. Enditem The famous Hollywood actor, citizen of the Russian Federation Steven Seagal met with the head of Crimea, Sergey Aksenov. The politician informed about the meeting on his VKontakte page. Aksenov said that he was "glad to welcome" the world famous actor and musician, martial arts master, as well as the special representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Russian-American humanitarian relations, Steven Seagal, on the Crimean land. Married At First Sight star Hayley Vernon clashed with police at an anti-lockdown protest in Melbourne on Saturday. She joined more than 1,000 anti-lockdown activists at the 'Freedom Day' rally to protest Daniel Andrew's Stage Four lockdown laws. According to posts on her Instagram account, the 33-year-old was out getting her daily exercise when she decided to join the protest. Activist: Married At First Sight star Hayley Vernon attended an anti-lockdown protest in Melbourne on Saturday 'It's Saturday, I'm just walking down St Kilda road which is in my 5km radius,' she explained in a video. 'We're getting our one hour exercise today,' she continued. 'We thought we'd walk past the Shrine [of Remembrance] and see what's going on, so this should be interested.' She added: 'Maybe lend our support if people need it.' Incident: Photos from the protest show her clashing with a police officer on the grass of the Shrine of Remembrance Protest: Vernon joined more than 1,000 anti-lockdown activists at the 'Freedom Day' rally to protest Daniel Andrew's Stage Four lockdown laws In the next post, the former reality star was marching down the road with other protesters, who were chanting 'freedom'. Photos from the protest show her clashing with a police officer on the grass of the Shrine of Remembrance. Vernon has previously shared conspiracy theories about COVID-19 on her Instagram page. In a post on Tuesday, she urged her followers to attend the anti-lockdown protest. Exercise: According to posts on her Instagram account, the 33-year-old was out getting her daily exercise when she decided to join the protest 'I'm calling on all activists, SJW's [social justice warriors], BLM protestors, pro-life choices, concerned Victorians, anyone! Join the walk in protesting our freedom,' she wrote. 'In this together Melbourne,' she added in another reminder post for the protest. Hayley - who joined the explicit adult streaming site OnlyFans last month - has been regularly accused of spreading misleading and false information about COVID-19 since it was declared a pandemic in March. In July, she criticised Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews for making face masks mandatory in a bid to stop the spread of coronavirus. Support: The reality star marched alongside other anti-lockdown protesters Pandemic: Hayley has been regularly accused of spreading misleading and false information about COVID-19 since it was declared a pandemic in March 'Why are we wearing masks? Us people who are healthy,' she wrote on Instagram. 'This as you said "is about curbing behaviour". I'll be dammed if you are going to curb anything about me.' She continued: 'You are a walking talking oxymoron. I am woke. I will not be wearing a mask. MELBOURNE AND AUSTRALIANS STAND UP FOR YOUR RIGHTS. This is not the time to comply.' Victoria recorded 76 new coronavirus cases and 11 deaths on Saturday, with the welcome infection numbers coming after a spike earlier in the week saw 113 new cases after days of double digit transmission. Friday was Victoria's deadliest day of the pandemic so far, with 59 deaths announced - but 50 of those had occurred back in July and August in aged care homes. Kit Willow launched the KitX brand after departing her namesake label in 2013. Anyone who took an interest in Australian fashion in the aughts will remember Willow. And after four years in hibernation, it's coming back. Originally launched in 2003 with a small collection of lingerie, Willow gained a cult following for its structured jackets and architectural style, and made founder Kit Willow a household name. In 2011, Willow sold a controlling stake in the brand to Apparel Group & Co (APG&Co), which owns Sportscraft and Saba, staying on as creative director. But things didn't gel and in 2013, Willow departed APG&Co, telling The Sydney Morning Herald at the time her "employment was terminated without my consent". Willow said she was "heartbroken" by her sudden exit from the brand she "lived and breathed" for a decade. She launched legal action, ultimately reaching a confidential settlement, which prevents her from discussing the events in any great detail to this day. Three unidentified militans were killed and three security forces personnel, including an Army officer, injured in an encounter in district of on Friday, police said. Security forces launched a cordon and search operation at Yedipora in the Pattan area of district in north Kashmir following specific information about the presence of the militants, a police official said. He said the search operation turned into an encounter after the militants fired upon a search party, who retaliated. A police spokesman said during the cordon and search operation, as the presence of hiding terrorists was ascertained, they were given an opportunity to surrender. "However, they refused to surrender and instead held two families comprising 12 members, including children, as hostage, he said. It was, therefore, after strenuous efforts of joint forces that the hostages were rescued and evacuated to a safer place, he said. In the initial exchange of firing, an Army officer sustained injuries, the official said, adding that he was taken to 92 Base Hospital for treatment. A defence spokesman said three militants have been killed in the operation. He said the injured Army officer is undergoing treatment and his condition is stable. As the gunfight raged, two special police officers also sustained injuries, the police official said, adding the injured cops were evacuated to a local hospital for treatment. Meanwhile, another gunfight broke out in the Babhaar area of Pulwama district after militants opened firing on a security forces party, the official said. The exchange of firing was going on between the two sides but there were no reports of any casualties on either side so far, he added. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two weeks after his death, Trayford Pellerins family and community shed tears and called for justice at the gas station where Pellerin was killed by Lafayette police officers. The candlelit vigil began and ended with prayer as roughly 200 friends, family members and community attendees packed into the parking lot at the NW Frontage Road Shell station and watched from tailgates as speakers called for Gods peace and comfort for Pellerins family. Loved ones gathered around Pellerins mother, Michelle Pellerin, throughout the evening, resting reassuring hands on her shoulder, offering tissues to wipe her tears and wrapping her in their arms. Michelle Pellerin and other family members sat feet from a memorial table of framed photos of her son. Pellerin, 31, was pursued on foot from a gas station on NE Evangeline Thruway to the Shell station at NW Frontage Road and Chalmette Drive after officers responded to a disturbance call Aug. 21. He was shot as he neared the door of the Shell convenience store. Louisiana State Police said Pellerin was armed with a knife when he was shot. +12 Photos: Vigil held for Trayford Pellerin Friends and family of Trayford Pellerin honored his life with a candlelight vigil on Friday, commemorating the two week anniversary of his fat Attorney Ronald Haley, part of the Pellerin familys legal team, said two weeks after the shooting little is known beyond the details revealed in the hours immediately after the shooting. Haley and Pellerins family met with Lafayette Mayor-President Josh Guillory privately Friday morning; Guillory promised to allow the family private access to body camera footage of the shooting, attorneys said. Pellerins family commissioned an independent autopsy, released publicly Thursday, that found Pellerin was struck by 10 bullets. Its one thing to lose someone and to rhetorically ask the question, Why did this happen? Its an entirely different thing to ask the question and to know your government has the answers to why it happened, Haley said. Sharp criticism has been directed at Guillory, law enforcement and other elected officials for their handling of Pellerins death and the ensuing protests. Haley said Friday wasnt a night for discussing the legalities or stomping the pavement to demand accountability; it was about the life Pellerin lived and honoring his loved ones left behind. Latasha Richard, Pellerins cousin, said his family was grateful for every day they had with him during his tragically short life. Even so, their gratitude doesnt outweigh their sorrow, she said. Top stories in Acadiana in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up +13 Josh Guillory promises viewing of body camera footage for Trayford Pellerin's family Lafayette Mayor-President Josh Guillory on Friday made peace, for the moment, with the family of Trayford Pellerin, the 31-year-old Black man He was 31 years old. He still had a full life to live. Because of the actions two weeks ago, he will never get married. Trayford will never stand at that altar and watch his bride come to meet him. He will never have children. He will never experience that, Richard said. Pellerin was a Dallas Cowboys fan, an aspiring barber, a man who loved spending time with his extended family and enjoyed cooking, Pellerins aunt Choicey Pellerin said. He was somebody. I appreciate all the supporters, the voices, the fighters. I appreciate it all. We could not do it without you. As you can see, were weak. Im weak. It might not look so, but when I look at my sister, my brother, my niece when I look at the hurt and the pain in their eyes thats what gives me strength. With every breath that I take I will ensure justice will be served, Choicey Pellerin said. The crowd reflected on more than Pellerins life, at times pivoting to discuss the call for justice after his death, the need for reformed representation in government, the pain of police violence in Black communities, discrimination, how to harness the moment to make change and the desensitization thats happened after numerous Black deaths around the country. +2 Trayford Pellerin's family releases independent autopsy challenging Lafayette police shooting The preliminary results of an independent autopsy obtained by Trayford Pellerin's family were released Thursday along with a prepared statemen Jalen Mouton, junior president of Unity 7, at one point called children in the crowd into the inner circle where the speakers and family stood. He gathered roughly a dozen children, looked them in the eye and promised he and older generations would ensure the children arent endangered for being Black. Your life matters. Dont let nobody deter you from your mission in life. If you have a dream, follow that. Dont let nobody discourage you. Dont let negativity creep into your mind, Mouton said. At the end of the evening, as candles were blown out and the crowd packed up, Pellerins sister Treneca Pellerin carried a candle and bouquet to a makeshift memorial erected for Pellerin beside a light pole in the Shell parking lot. She crouched beside a photo of Pellerin, reaching out a hand to touch her brothers face as she wiped her tears. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 20:09:35|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BANGKOK, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) published on its website on Saturday that it had decided to scrap the ban on food and drinks served on domestic flights. The decision to scrap the ban came as the number of COVID-19 cases has dwindled, and domestic flights have resumed and flight frequencies are on the rise. "So airlines can serve food and drinks on board from now on," said CAAT director-general Chula Sukmanop, "souvenirs can also be sold on board." Chula, however, maintained that airlines must continue to follow the health and safety regulations, and that passengers must don face masks. Airlines must also install effective cabinet air filter systems. Also, no social distancing on seats are required in the aircraft. Thai commercial flights were suspended at the end of April as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. Domestic flights then resumed on May 1, however food and drinks were barred then. Chula said international inbound flights are still barred from entering Thailand, as worldwide pandemic still prevails. Enditem Actor Akshay Kumars look from Bell Bottom, his upcoming spy thriller, has made its way to the internet. Multiple pictures from the films shoot in Scotland can be found online. Sporting a thick moustache, Akshay can be seen in two different looks in the pictures. In one he is wearing a pullover, paired with a dark blue blazer and, what appears to be, a pair of corduroy pants. In another one, he is more casually dressed in a black and grey sweater, paired with a grey denim jacket and jeans with 80s style sneakers. In both the pictures, he is seen getting off a vehicle. In another picture, a person can be seen holding the clap board of the film; his face is not visible. In a fourth picture, Akshay is seen walking on a busy street. After months of staying home during the coronavirus lockdown, the actor along with his family, few members of Bell Bottom crew and producers of the film left from Mumbai for the United Kingdom for the shoot. Lara Dutta and Huma Qureshi had also left with the team. A couple of days back, Vaani Kapoor was spotted at Mumbai airport, on her way to Scotland to join the team. She plays the female lead in Bell Bottom. Also read: Adhyayan Suman says he saw actors doing drugs at high-profile parties, calls Kangana Ranaut a huge star who knows everything After the mandatory quarantine period of two weeks, Akshay took to Instagram on August 20 to announce the start of shoot. He had written: Lights, Camera, Mask On and Action Following all the new norms and filming on for #BellBottom! Its a difficult time but work has to go on. Need your love and luck. The video showed him holding a clapboard in one hand and putting a mask on his face with the other. The film is being directed by Ranjit M Tewari and is produced by Vashu Bhagnani, Jacky Bhagnani, Deepshikha Deshmukh, Monisha Advani, Madhu Bhojwani and Nikkhil Advani. It is set for a release on January 22, 2021. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 5/9/2020 (502 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. This article was published originally in Manitoba Pageant in autumn 1965. At the time of incorporation of the City of Winnipeg in 1873, Andrew Graham Ballenden Bannatyne was its leading citizen. He was possibly the wealthiest, probably the most influential, certainly the most highly esteemed man in the Red River community. When the first legislature of Manitoba sought a place of meeting, Bannatyne offered four large rooms in his home "the best and most commodious building in Winnipeg," according to The Manitoban newspaper of that time. "Mr. Bannatyne yields so much of his house room at very considerable personal inconvenience." These words give a hint of his generosity and unselfishness. Bannatyne was born in South Ronaldsay, Orkney Islands, on Oct. 31, 1829, of a long line of Hudsons Bay Co. officials. His great grandfather was governor of a company district in Ruperts Land and is buried at Severn. His grandfather was governor of York Factory near the mouth of the Nelson River, in its day the chief port on Hudson Bay, and his uncle Ballenden was a chief factor of the company. James B. Bannatyne, Andrews father, was government inspector of fisheries but he died when his son was three years old. Andrew was educated at Stromness, in the Orkneys, but owing to his mothers straitened circumstances he entered the companys service at the age of 14 and set sail for Canada. He arrived at Quebec after a voyage of 32 days. As his uncle was in the companys service at Sault Ste. Marie he was assigned there and remained for two years until he was transferred to Fort Garry. Later he was stationed at Norway House under chief factor Andrew McDermot, who had come from Ireland in 1812 as a company employee in the first expedition organized by Lord Selkirk. After a period of service, McDermot became an independent trader and the wealthiest man in the Red River Settlement. His Fort Garry warehouse and store were between the Red River and Main Street near the corner of Portage Avenue. On May 22, 1851, Eden Colville, governor of Assiniboia, wrote to Sir George Simpson: "Andrew Bannatyne informed me the other day that his contract expired on June 1st next and that he had received a very good offer from McDermot to take charge of a shop and his watermill at Sturgeon Creek. I understand that he is to marry one of McDermots daughters. I told him that as he had not given the years notice, I did not think I could allow him to leave for another year; but if he be not released I do not think it desirable that he should remain in the Settlement." On Aug. 24, 1851, Gov. Colville reported again to his superior: "McDermot has taken as his partner young Bannatyne, Ballendens nephew, who has married one of McDermots daughters, (Annie). I do not think this youth will be a formidable opponent." A poor prophecy! Bannatyne did not enter into partnership with his father-in-law but opened his own store on Post Office (Lombard) Street. In doing this he opposed the power of the Hudsons Bay Co., which claimed monopoly of trade in Ruperts Land under the terms of its charter of 1670. He got his first stock of goods direct from England via York Factory and York boats to the Red River. After 15 years, Bannatyne sold his retail business in Winnipeg but continued as a wholesale merchant under the firm name of Bannatyne and Company. His energy, confidence in the country, sound judgment and fearlessness in business were recognized, and gained for him positions of honour and responsibility. In 1868, he was appointed a member of the Council of Assiniboia, the legislative body under the Hudsons Bay Co. prior to the sale of Ruperts Land to Canada in 1869. In the troubled times of 1869-70, Bannatyne took a moderate position. When Louis Riel, leader of the Metis, seized Fort Garry in 1869, and proceeded to form a provisional government, he urged Bannatyne to join his government. Bannatyne became postmaster general of Manitoba and endeavoured to smooth out difficulties. In the words of a Free Press editorial of May, 20, 1889, "he always lent his influence against harsh conduct on the part of the provincial government." When Col. Wolseleys expedition reached Fort Garry on Aug. 24, 1870, order was restored and when the first lieutenant-governor of Manitoba, Adams G. Archibald, arrived in Winnipeg by canoe on Sept. 2, 1870, a new regime was instituted. Manitoba then took its place in the Confederation of Canada. Andrew Bannatyne was appointed in 1872, as a member of the Council of the North West Territory, and in the federal election of 1874 he opposed Donald A. Smith, Hudsons Bay Co.s commissioner, for the constituency of Selkirk but was narrowly defeated. In that election Louis Riel was elected MP for Provencher constituency and went to Ottawa but was not permitted to sit in the House. A new election was called and Provencher returned Riel by acclamation. Parliament then unseated him and banished him from Canada. In the ensuing election Bannatyne was elected by acclamation on March 31, 1875, and he continued to represent Provencher until he withdrew from politics in 1878. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. He continued to be the moving force in community enterprises. He was the first president of the Board of Trade founded in 1873, first president of the Manitoba Club, 1874-1879, first President of the board of trustees of Manitoba College, president of the St. Andrews Society of Winnipeg and vice patron of the Selkirk Rifle Association. It should be noted that Winnipeg formed part of the county and federal constituency of Selkirk. Possibly the institution which most appealed to him was the Winnipeg General Hospital. He occupied the chair at the organization meeting on Dec. 18, 1872 and on May 14, 1875, he was named as one of the incorporators of the hospital. Andrew McDermot gave a plot of land as a site for a 20-bed hospital erected in 1882 but when a rush of settlers followed railway construction the small building was soon outgrown. McDermot and Bannatyne exchanged the lot on which it stood for two city blocks west of Nena, now Sherbrook Street, between McDermot and Bannatyne Avenues. On this was erected in 1884-85 one of the most modern hospitals of its time. Bannatyne was elected president of the board of trustees and he held office from 1877 until his death in 1889. By 1882 he had gained a considerable fortune but fell victim to the crash of that year. When the bubble burst he was left with many debts and to a man of his sturdy and honest independence these debts were a heavy burden, though he laboured to discharge every obligation. The struggle affected his health. In the days of his affluence Bannatyne had built a noble mansion, Ravenscourt, in the Scottish baronial style on the banks of the Assiniboine River but he had little opportunity to enjoy it. Ill health compelled him to spend the winters in the south but he was never happier than when he was able to return in the spring to his beloved home. The winter of 1888-89 was spent in Texas and he was returning home by easy stages when death overtook him in St. Paul on May 18, 1889. The funeral service was at his home conducted by Rev. Prof. Thomas Hart and that at the graveside in Old Kildonan cemetery by Principal John M. King of Manitoba College. In the obituary which appeared in the Free Press of May 20, 1889, the editor spoke of Andrew Bannatynes noble quality of unselfishness and predicted that he would live in the hearts of thousands. Twenty years later a writer declared that he had never heard one unkind word spoken against A.G.B. Bannatyne. His widow, Annie McDermot Bannatyne, survived him till 1908 and was buried beside him in Old Kildonan Cemetery. For more information or to become a member of the Manitoba Historical Society, call 204-947-0559 or email: info@mhs.mb.ca. The MHS is on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as manitoba-history. A US report said the presence of thousands of Syrian mercenaries sent by Turkey to Libya to fight on the side of the UN-supported government was likely to degrade security and generate backlash from the Libyan public. The US Defense Department's inspector general also said in a new report that it was concerned about the growing presence of Russian mercenaries fighting for the rivals of the Tripoli-based government in the Libyan war. The report, which was released Tuesday, said Turkey has sent to Libya at least 5,000 Syrian mercenaries who previously worked closely with Ankara in Syria's civil war. They were sent to help Tripoli-allied militias fight the forces of east-based military commander Khalifa Hifter. Turkey also deployed several hundred regular troops to Libya, including operators and technicians for Turkish air defense systems deployed in western Libya, the report said. While the Syrian mercenaries have bolstered the UN-supported government's position, their continued presence will continue to negatively affect the overall security situation in Libya, said the report, which covers the second quarter of 2020. Libya was plunged into chaos when a NATO-backed uprising in 2011 toppled longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi, who was later killed. The country has since split between rival east- and west-based administrations, each backed by armed groups and foreign governments. Hifter's forces launched an offensive in April 2019 trying to capture Tripoli. But his campaign collapsed in June when the Tripoli-allied militias, with heavy Turkish support, gained the upper hand, driving his forces from the outskirts of the city and other western towns. Fighting has died down in recent weeks, but both sides were preparing for a possible battle over the strategic city of Sirte, the gateway to Libya's major oil fields and export terminals, controlled by Hifter. The chaos has worsened in recent months as foreign backers increasingly intervene, despite pledges to the contrary at a high-profile peace summit in Berlin earlier this year. Thousands of mercenaries including Russians, Syrians and Sudanese are fighting on both sides of the conflict. The US Africa Command, or AFRICOM, described the Syrian mercenaries fighting with the Tripoli-based government as inexperienced, uneducated, and motivated by promises of considerable salary. It said Turkish private military company Sadat has overseen supervision and payment to the mercenaries. Increasing reports of theft, sexual assault and misconduct by Syrian mercenaries in western areas are likely to further degrade the security situation and generate backlash from the Libyan public, AFRICOM said. The report says extremists with previous militant links have been involved in the Tripoli fighting, although it is possible they were fighting for financial and personal reasons rather than ideological reasons. Protests took place over deteriorating economic conditions last month in the capital and elsewhere in western Libya, which is controlled by forces loyal to the UN-supported government. Tripoli militias opened fire on demonstrators with rifles and truck-mounted guns and abducted some of the protesters. The US military has grown increasingly concerned about Russia's growing influence in Libya, where at least 3,000 Russian mercenaries and 2,000 Russia-sponsored Syrian mercenaries backing Hifter's army, the report said. A private Kremlin-linked military company known as the Wagner Group has since its initial deployment to Libya in 2019, provided trained snipers armed drones, resulting in significant casualties to Tripoli-allied militias, the report said. In May, the US military accused Russia of sending at least 14 warplanes to a central Libyan airbase, claiming they were repainted in Syria to hide their Russian origin. Moscow dismissed the US military's accusations, insisting the Russian military is not involved in any processes in Libya in any way. Analysts have noted that the conflict in Libya has devolved into a proxy war, or 'the new Syria,' with Russia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt competing for access and influence, the report said. Hifter is supported by Egypt, the UAE and Russia. Tripoli-allied militias have backing from Turkey, a bitter rival of Egypt and the UAE in a broader regional struggle, as well as from the wealthy Gulf state of Qatar. Lawmakers are concerned that racial tensions will be exploited again in a redux of a 2016 misinformation campaign led by Russians WASHINGTON (AP) The tensions coursing through the United States over racism and policing are likely targets for adversaries seeking to influence the November election, lawmakers and experts warn and there are signs that Russia is again seeking to exploit the divide. Earlier this year, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pulled down dozens of accounts with names like Blacks Facts Untold that had been followed or liked by hundreds of thousands of people. The accounts were fake, created by an organization in Africa with links to Russias Internet Research Agency. Similarly, this past week Facebook announced it had removed a network of accounts linked to that troll factory that had pushed out stories about race and other issues. The network had tricked unwitting American writers to post content to the pages. Its a troubling but familiar pattern from Russia, as the Internet Research Agency overwhelmingly focused on race and the Black Lives Matter Movement when targeting the U.S. in 2016. The goal, part of the Russian playbook for decades, was to sow chaos by posting content on both sides of the racial divide. Indeed, no single group of Americans was targeted by IRA information operatives more than African-Americans, concluded a report from the Senate Intelligence Committee. With the election just two months away, some lawmakers are worried that the Russian efforts, now evolved and more sophisticated than four years ago, could again take hold. They fear the Trump administrations decision to limit what it tells Congress and by extension the American people about election threats will allow the propaganda to spread. READ MORE: US Intel bulletin warns Russia is amplifying claims of mail-in voter fraud Race was a big piece of what they did in 2016, and given heightened racial tensions this year, theres no reason they wouldnt be doing the same thing again, says Maine Sen. Angus King, an independent who is on the Senate Intelligence Committee. He says the information that is now being limited belongs to the American people. Story continues Senate Intelligence Committee member Sen. Angus King (I-ME) (L) listens to fellow committee memebrs question witnesses during a hearing in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill March 21, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Democrats were furious last weekend after Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, a close Trump ally, informed Congress that the office would supply written information to the intelligence committees about election threats but would no longer be doing in-person briefings, denying lawmakers the chance to ask questions. The cancellation came a few weeks after U.S. intelligence officials publicly stated that Russia is using a variety of measures to denigrate Trumps opponent, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, ahead of the election. Trump responded to that assessment by saying that nobody has been tougher on Russia than I have. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden greets Tim Mahone, chair of Mahone Foundation, with an elbow bump as he arrives at a meeting with members of the community at Grace Lutheran Church in Kenosha, Wisconsin. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) Election interference has always been a sensitive subject for Trump. The president has often dismissed the idea that Russia interfered at all in 2016, and has replaced many long-serving intelligence officials with his own appointees. READ MORE: Biden, during Kenosha visit, says America will tackle original sin of slavery The intelligence statement did not offer specifics about what tactics Russia is using, but the past provides important clues. In 2016 the Internet Research Agency had an overwhelming operational emphasis on race that was apparent in the online ads it purchased more than two-thirds contained a term related to race. The company targeted that content to African-Americans in key metropolitan areas with well-established black communities and flashpoints in the Black Lives Matter movement, according to a Senate Intelligence Committee report. One of its top performing pages, Blactivist, generated 11.2 million engagements with Facebook users. Bret Schafer, an expert on foreign disinformation with the bipartisan group Alliance for Securing Democracy, said stoking racial animosity is a Kremlin strategy that goes back decades. His group tracked a major uptick in social media activity on racial issues from Russian state-sponsored media and political figures this summer, especially after the killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. We have seen a constant messaging theme being race and racism in the U.S., Schafer said. Theyre very good at it. There is evidence that the recent police shooting of a Black man in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and the resulting protests the focus of political sparring between Trump and Biden this week have fueled a new round of social media activity from foreign governments. English-language media outlets linked to the Russian government have published stories supporting the protests, and Cop Injustice in Kenosha is the headline on a video posted by an online news organization with ties to Russia. Another video from the Kremlin-backed outlet Redfish shows Trump supporters driving aggressively through protesters in Portland, Oregon, where there have been protests for weeks. The stories are precisely the kind of content lawmakers are trying to keep tabs on. The acting chairman of the Senate intelligence panel, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, told a local news outlet this week that has spoken to Ratcliffe and expects the in-person briefings to continue. But it is unclear if they will. The top Democrat on the panel, Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, says he has been working with Rubio to urge Ratcliffe to reverse the decision. Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) questions witnesses during a hearing about Venezuela in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill August 04, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Ninety percent of the information Ive ever gained from any briefing is not from the briefing, its from the questions, Warner said. The briefings are less likely to be reinstated in the House intelligence committee, which is led by Democrats. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff said cancelling the briefings is a shocking abdication of its lawful responsibility. He has urged vigilance on the Russian meddling, noting that the tactics have evolved but the underlying malign goals remain the same. The intelligence committees are receiving some information from the social media companies themselves, notably Facebook and Twitter. The companies were slow to respond in 2016, but are now waging sophisticated efforts to root out foreign interference. Twitter stopped accepting political ads, while Facebook began verifying the identity of ad buyers in 2018 and this week said it will restrict new political ads in the 7 days before the election. Nina Jankowicz, disinformation fellow at the nonpartisan Wilson Center, says there has been an improvement in tracking, but because the issue of interference has been so politicized, Congress and the public arent getting enough information. What people need to be looking for is stuff that is seemingly trying to get a rise out of them, Jankowicz said. Dont think you are going to find a troll. Its about guarding yourself from emotional manipulation. ___ Associated Press writers David Klepper in Providence, Rhode Island, Amanda Seitz in Chicago and Barbara Ortutay in Oakland, California, contributed to this report. Have you subscribed to theGrios podcast Dear Culture? Download our newest episodes now! The post Racial tensions roiling US pose target for election meddling appeared first on TheGrio. Her husband makes a very good version of chicken curry. But we havent had it for a long time, says Kamni, who only goes by her first name. Her reason is simple enough. I no longer earn as much as I used to before the lockdown so we cant afford maas-machhi. For 20 years, Kamni has been working as a housekeeper to scores of one-room pads in Hauz Khas Village, rented mostly by single people pursuing all sorts of occupations: some are documentary filmmakers, some are shop assistants, and a few are even musicians. She herself lives in the same village with her family, her home a walking distance from the places where she works. Most of Kamnis employers gave up their accommodations not long after the Covid-19-triggered lockdown started, because of job losses or salary cuts, leaving Kamni with less income. I used be responsible for more than a dozen rooms... now just 3 or 4, she said. ALSO SEE | Photos: Stories told in photographs from a capital in lockdown Its a sultry August afternoon. She has just finished cleaning the home of a didi, a woman living on the third floor of an apartment block that overlooks Hauz Khass 14th century monuments. Sitting on the staircase, Kamni shows the mehendi that she applied on her hands a few weeks ago. She isnt sure of her age but she is parent to two college-going children. She regrets that she hasnt been able to buy them any new dresses or shoes due to the money crunch, but she isnt worried about her own sense of style. Corona could not affect my fashion, she said, laughing. Covering her unmasked face with her henna-dyed hands, she says that each year she gets a pair of salwar suits stitched for herself from a tailor in Yusuf Sarai. Thats my only personal expense, and everything else goes into the education of children. Despite the massive changes that the pandemic has inflected in peoples life, Kaminis schedule hasnt been affected. She still wakes up at the unearthly hour of 4 in the morning and heads straight to a residential block whose roofs, corridors and staircases she has been cleaned for many years now. The only difference now is that her workday ends by noon, rather than 2 pm as it did in March. These days I reach home early, yes, but my husband still makes lunch for the family. Born in the hills of Pauri Garwhal in Uttarakhand, Kamni came to Delhi not long after marrying Chander Mohan, who adds to the household income by cleaning private cars in the village. Leaning against the staircases railing, Kamini gradually grows sombre. So many people I worked for have left. Everyday I pass in front of those empty rooms. I hope they are fine wherever they are. Work done, she will walk home, or sit on a bench for a while. Around this time, before the lockdown, I would be so busy, she said. Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter As the world looks forward to a shot against the deadly coronavirus disease (Covid-19), several major drug developers have decided to establish a pledge to not seek government approval until their vaccine candidates are proven to be safe. The move is being considered to be a bulwark against increasing political pressure to introduce a vaccine in a pandemic-ravaged world. Additionally, the president of the United Nations General Assembly has warned that a Covid-19 vaccine must be made accessible to everyone as the exclusion of even one country from the global recovery measure will mean that the world will still face the coronavirus crisis. Coronavirus disease outbreak has killed nearly 870,000 people and infected more than 26 million others worldwide as well as upended hundreds of millions of lives and wreaked havoc on the global economy. Also read | Covid-19: 4 million milestone paints a grim picture nationally Here is all you need to know today about the race for Covid-19 vaccine: Covid-19 vaccine developers, including Pfizer Inc, Johnson & Johnson and Moderna Inc, have said they will pledge to adhere to high scientific and ethical standards in the conduct of clinical studies and in their manufacturing processes, Wall Street Journal reported. WSJ added the draft of a joint statement that is still being finalised. The companies might issue the pledge as soon as early next week, reports added. * Russia continues to spearhead the race of Covid-19 vaccine as results of early tests have shown encouraging results. The Russian coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V was tested in two small trials, with each including 38 healthy adults aged between 18 and 60 who were administered a two-part immunisation. Twenty-one days after the first dose, the candidates were given the second shot with a booster and then were monitored over 42 days. All candidates developed antibodies to fight the virus contagion within three weeks, allowing Russia to lead the race for vaccine despite concerns raised by experts. Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, the president of the UN General Assembly, said a vaccine for the virus must be made available to everyone who needs it because if just one country is left out the world will still face a crisis from the coronavirus. Inclusion is key, because without inclusion the suffering of those who are already left behind, will continue and we cannot guarantee peace in that kind of a context, Muhammad-Bande said. The turmoil around Covid-19 vaccine in Brazil sparked a new debate after President Jair Bolsonaro said vaccination for coronavirus should not be mandatory and no one can force anyone to get a vaccine. Bolsonaros critics and opponents slammed his latest take and said immunization cannot be viewed as a personal decision. It is sad that once again Brazils president is setting a denialist example. It should be obligatory, except in special cases or under health circumstances that justify not taking a vaccine. An infected person infects others, and makes possible the death of others, Sao Paulo state governor Joao Doria, a former Bolsonaro ally turned foe, said. Also read | Covid-19 vaccine distribution not expected until mid-2021: WHO chief scientist Amid rising global expectations to defeat the Covid-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) has taken a step back and said it does not expect widespread immunisation against Covid-19 until mid-2021. The statement from WHO comes as the US is expected to release a vaccine within weeks. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has also said the global body will not endorse a vaccine that is not safe and effective. Covid-19 has claimed hundreds of thousands and infected more than 26 million people, increasing the pressure on players in the fray to develop a vaccine for the contagion. Lewis Arthur Matthew Sumberg, 96, died at St. Josephs Hospital in Tampa, Florida on August 30, 2020. Born and raised in Schenectady, New York, Lew, or Luigi as he was known to close friends and family, had a full life. He graduated high school two years early, earning his B.A. at SUNY Albany. His studies were interrupted by the outbreak of the Second World War. On completing officer training at Cornell, he served as a lieutenant on LST-799 (USS Greer County) in the Pacific, seeing action in the Battle of Okinawa. At the wars end, his ship docked at Nagasaki, where he viewed the ruins left by the atomic bomb blast, an event that shaped his perspective on war for the remainder of his life. Despite this experience, he remained a proud veteran, viewing his service as one of his greatest achievements. Following the war, Lew returned to studies at the University of Montreal, receiving his Masters in French. He also pursued studies in medieval history. He then earned his PhD (with highest honors) at the University of Paris (Sorbonne). Lews scholarly writings while in Paris earned him academic recognition, leading to his employment at Yale University. While teaching there, he met and soon married his beloved wife, Catherine. Lew and Catherine then moved on from Yale to Boston College, where Lew co-edited, with Fr. Joseph Gauthier, an anthology of French literature, Les Grands Ecrivains Francais (1964). Following publication, Lew accepted a full professorship at Lake Forest College. Through the 1960s and 1970s, he climbed the academic ladder across several universities, working at SUNY Oswego, and later becoming department chair at the University of Kentucky at Lexington and, finally, at UTC, where he closed his career as a professor emeritus. From the 1970s through 1980s, he also published the highly regarded French medieval history journal Tristania, which examined the Tristan and Isolde legend. Far beyond his Navy service and academic accomplishments, Lew was proudest of and took most satisfaction in his family and in his vast circle of friends. Like many professors, he was an inveterate, and on occasion, relentless, conversationalist, keen to discuss, and to hold forth, on a wide range of subjects. He loved good food and was often teased for his rhapsodies of long-ago meals in exotic locales. Mostly though, Lew loved good company. He was a great one for painstakingly burnished anecdotes, ad hoc puns, absurd nicknames, bawdy limericks, and surprisingly direct and heartfelt compliments. He was strengthened and informed always by his deep Catholic faith and his belief that there are high ideals always to be served, and to be served humbly. While a lifelong, dyed-in-the-wool, Eisenhower Republican, Lew looked forward to voting for the opposition in the 2020 election, noting that hed put his life on the line fighting extremist regimes in the Second World War. Lew was predeceased by his beloved wife, Catherine (She Who Must Be Obeyed), in May 2020; by his parents Samuel and Rose; stepfather, Max; brother-in-law, Martin; sister-in-law, Darcy; and by lifelong friends, Bill Matheson, and Arsene and Anne-Marie Lauziere. He is survived and is deeply missed by his son, Chris/Beastopher (Mary Member of Parliament Pat); daughter, Martha/Miss Mush (Kevin) Moore and grandchildren, Alyssa and Aaron; sister, Betty; sister-in-law, Barbara; nephew and niece, Marty and Sue; and by many friends, including but not limited to Joel (Zainab) Lauziere, Pat and Vernon Lattin, Kimberly Astrand, Jim Massengale, Robert Stanley, Ted and Marcia Caldwell, Robin Vandergriff, Gail Carter, Satoko Thel, Pedro Campa, Linda Geselbracht, Trish Bowers, and Nancy Allshouse. In light of coronavirus, no service will be held at this time. As with Lews wife, Catherine, a mass will be said at the Basilica of Sts. Peter & Paul in Chattanooga. (The mass will be video streamed and archived online.) Lews ashes will be interred at St. Bernard Abbey in Cullman, Alabama. Lews family asks that, in lieu of flowers, memorials be made to St. Jude Childrens Hospital, Disabled American Veterans (DAV), and Chattanoogas Hope Kitchen. Arrangements entrusted to Lane Funeral Home, 601 Ashland Terrace, Chattanooga, Tn. 37415, www.lanefh.com, 423 877-3524. While empty ships from major cruise companies bob idly in the waters off our south coast seaside resorts, one small British outfit has found a solution to the temporary suspension of cruising turning its vessels into holiday homes. Moored in a pretty marina near Oban in Scotland, the three cruise ships of St Hilda Sea Adventures normally take up to 11 passengers on wildlife, art and sightseeing cruises around Scotlands west coast and islands. However, just like the giant ships from major cruise lines, they have been unable to operate for months because of the pandemic. So now the company is offering the chance to book any one of its cruise ships in its entirety as an exclusive, self-catering holiday home. Innovative: St Hilda Sea Adventures has turned its cruise ships into holiday homes For any cruise addicts missing the view through a porthole and meals served from the galley, it offers a chance to experience all the excitement of being a passenger without having to leave port. Colette Dubois, co-owner and chef for the Oban-based company, describes these holidays as like staying in a quirky cottage with the feeling of being on the water. Its a perfect place to sit on the deck and watch the sun set in the evening. Her ships are much smaller than the gargantuan cruisers moored in the English Channel. St Hilda is an ex-tall ship with mast, rigging and sails which sleeps six from 204 per night. Seahorse II, formerly a Norwegian ferry, sleeps up to 11 people and costs from 396 per night. While Gemini Explorer is a converted cruising lifeboat that sleeps eight people from 300 per night. The minimum stay is three nights. None has a casino, grand atrium or waterslide, but all have plenty of room to enjoy a socially distanced nautical break. Each is equipped with plush guest accommodation and high quality galley facilities. Seahorse II, for example, offers wood-panelled double cabins plus modern en-suite shower rooms with fluffy towelling dressing gowns. It also has a dining saloon with leather sofas which looks out to sea, and plenty of deck areas with wooden sun-loungers. Paul, from Kent, and his grandchildren were among the first guests to try renting Seahorse II. They wrote in the visitors book afterwards: Covid-19 might have prevented us from setting sail, but the view from the marina each morning and life on our quirky Norwegian ferry made for a wonderfully different experience. Exclusive: The ships have plush guest accommodation and high quality galley facilities St Hilda Sea Adventures leaves a 72-hour gap between bookings, during which the vessel is deep cleaned and sanitised. All electricity, gas, bed linen and towels are provided, plus complimentary hand sanitiser. But theres no crew on board and the vessels do not set sail. They are moored in the Dunstaffnage Marina, three miles north of Oban in the middle of a spectacular seascape framed by the mountains of Mull and the western Highlands. It makes a perfect base for walking, wildlife spotting, fishing and sampling whiskies. The beauty spot is overlooked by the imposing Clan MacDougall castle and chapel on the headland, a Historic Scotland site that has recently re-opened with pre-booked tickets. The marina has a bar, restaurant and shop, and attractive Oban has shops, pubs and plenty to do, including short wildlife boat trips. St Hilda is hoping bookings will help it stay afloat during the pandemic, and has a programme of cruises lined up for next year. India has categorically conveyed to China that there should be no doubt about its determination to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity, the defence ministry said in a statement on Saturday, summing up the Moscow meeting between Rajnath Singh and his Chinese counterpart the day before. Singh met Chinese defence minister General Wei Fenghe on Friday in the first political contact between the two sides since tensions flared up along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh in May and then again last month. The meeting, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defence ministers meeting, continued for more than 2 hours. Honble Raksha Mantri categorically conveyed Indias position on the developments along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) including in the Galwan valley in the Western Sector of the India-China Border Areas in the last few months. He emphasised that the actions of the Chinese troops, including amassing of large number of troops, their aggressive behaviour and attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo were in violation of the bilateral agreements and not in keeping with the understandings reached between the Special Representatives of two sides, the statement said. Honble RM stated clearly that while the Indian troops had always taken a very responsible approach towards border management, but at the same time there should also be no doubt about our determination to protect Indias sovereignty and territorial integrity, it added. An official privy to the meeting said, It seemed the Chinese dont want an escalation. They asked for the meeting they came to the RMs (defence ministers) hotel. The discussion was very frank. RM emphasised that the actions of the Chinese troops, including amassing of large number of troops, their aggressive behaviour and attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo were in violation of the bilateral agreements. / RMO India (@DefenceMinIndia) September 5, 2020 RM stated clearly that while the Indian troops had always taken a very responsible approach towards border management, but at the same time there should also be no doubt about our determination to protect Indias sovereignty and territorial integrity. / RMO India (@DefenceMinIndia) September 5, 2020 RM said that both sides should take guidance from the consensus of the leaders that maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the India-China border areas was essential for the further development of bilateral relations & that2 sides should not allow differences to become disputes / RMO India (@DefenceMinIndia) September 5, 2020 RM advised that it was important therefore that Chinese side should work with the Indian side for complete disengagement at the earliest from all friction areas including Pangong Lake as well as de-escalation in border areas in accordance with the bilateral agreements & protocols, the statement further said. Raksha Mantri conveyed that the two sides should continue their discussions, including through diplomatic and military channels, to ensure complete disengagement and de-escalation and full restoration of peace and tranquillity along the LAC at the earliest. / RMO India (@DefenceMinIndia) September 5, 2020 The statement clearly counters the Chinese state media claims that sole responsibility for the tensions was placed on India at the meeting. Chinas state-run Global Times had earlier quoted Wei as saying that India had owned full responsibility for the current tensions. India bears full responsibility for current China-India border tensions and Chinese military has determination, capability and confidence to safeguard Chinas territorial integrity, Chinese defense minister Wei Fenghe said during meeting with his Indian counterpart Fri in Moscow, it tweeted. Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar and Indian Ambassador to Russia DB Venkatesh Varma were part of the Indian delegation at the talks that began at around 9:30 pm IST at a prominent hotel in Moscow. The meeting was requested by the Chinese defence minister, the sources said. Sources said the Indian delegation strongly objected to Chinese army's fresh attempts to change the status quo in the southern bank of Pangong lake and insisted on resolution of the standoff through talks. "The focus of the talks between the two defence ministers was on ways to resolve the prolonged border standoff," a source said. In a significant move apparently aimed at building international consensus in favour of India, Singh postponed his return to the country and will now meet the defence ministers of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, which share a border with China, and Uzbekistan. Singh will also reportedly make a stopover in Tehran before turning to India. Tensions flared up again in the region after China unsuccessfully attempted to occupy Indian territory in the southern bank of Pangong lake five days ago when the two sides were engaged in diplomatic and military talks to resolve the border row. India occupied a number of strategic heights on the southern bank of Pangong lake and strengthened its presence in Finger 2 and Finger 3 areas in the region to thwart any Chinese actions. China has strongly objected to India's move. India has, however, maintained that the strategic heights are on its side of the LAC. India has also rushed in additional troops and weapons to the sensitive region following China's transgression attempts. The tension between the two sides had escalated manifold after the violent clashes in Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh on June 15 in which 20 Indian Army personnel were killed. The Chinese side also suffered casualties but it is yet to give out the details. According to an American intelligence report, the number of casualties on the Chinese side was 35. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is also scheduled to travel to Moscow next week to attend a meeting of the foreign ministers of the SCO on September 10. He is expected to have a meeting with Wang Yi on the sidelines of this meeting. Upping the ante ahead of the Bihar Assembly polls, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on September 5 targeted the Nitish Kumar-led state government over its decision to grant jobs to the kin of persons from the scheduled caste (SC) and scheduled tribes (ST) killed in Bihar. "Since polls are nearing, Nitish Kumar has announced government jobs to the kin of SC/ST person killed in Bihar. Why shouldn't jobs be given to kin of people of OBC, or general category, who are killed? This is like encouraging the murder of SC/ST people," Yadav said during the briefing. Yadav, who is the son of former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, said Bihar has one of the highest unemployment rates in India at 46 percent. "Around 4.5 lakh posts are vacant in different departments of the state government. If given a chance, our government will fill all the vacant posts and create new vacancies in proportion to population," he added. Earlier on September 4, Kumar ordered disposal of cases pending under Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act by September 20. He also asked officials to frame rules for providing job on compassionate grounds to one dependent of a SC and ST in the event of untimely death. Kumar instructed Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Welfare Department Secretary Prem Kumar Meena to get in touch with officials of the concerned departments for speedy disposal of the cases, an official release said. Caracas (VZA) Aggression against Venezuela from the US has intensified in recent weeks and all signs are pointing towards an escalation ahead of elections in the US and Venezuela. The hybrid war against Venezuela is intensifying as the US presidential campaign is heating up. The Trump administration and its Venezuelan and international allies have set the stage for an October surprise, a possible attack by the United States or one of its proxies designed to boost President Trumps reelection. The attacks on Venezuela are coming from multiple dimensions, including overt military pressure, economic pressure, covert operations, and disinformation campaigns. All of these are elements of a hybrid war that has sought to overthrow the government of President Nicolas Maduro over the past years, and each element has seen new developments over the past few weeks, just as Venezuela is battling a surge in COVID-19 cases. Overt military pressure The US naval deployment to Venezuelas maritime border is about to begin its fifth month of operations in the area. Even the few Democrats in Congress willing to criticize Trumps Venezuela policy have said nothing about this deployment, perhaps because it is entirely normal for the United States to threaten war on a country and then dock its Navy right outside. The silence from Democrats is unfortunate, as this could easily have been used as an example of the Pentagons wastefulness. Deploying a massive counter-narcotics operation to the Caribbean, when 84% of the cocaine in the US transits through the Pacific, could be low-hanging fruit in the debate to cut military spending. In Colombia, President Ivan Duque met with National Security Advisor Robert OBrien and Head of US Southern Command Craig Faller on August 18, where they announced the Colombia Growth Initiative, a multi-billion-dollar plan that OBrien says is focused on rural development, infrastructure expansion, security, and the rule of law, though the announcement was short on details. Two days after the visit with US officials, Duque baselessly accused Venezuela of trying to acquire medium and long-range missiles from Iran. Both Iran and Venezuela denied the allegations. On August 27, a Colombian court authorized a US military unit to restart its advising mission after previously suspending such cooperation in light of a constitutional challenge with regards to the deployment of foreign troops on Colombian soil. This unit, a Special Forces Assistance Brigade, is designed to build a professional military force. Its worth noting that in his tell-all book, former National Security Advisor John Bolton claims to have learned in February 2019 that Colombias troops simply werent ready for conventional conflict with Maduros armed forces. Venezuelas southern neighbor, Brazil, is also involved in the escalation. The Brazilian Air Force is holding military exercises between August 17 and September 4. The exercises, which were reported as training for non-conventional combat against insurgent or paramilitary forces, include Black Hawk helicopters and fighter jets. Brazil and Colombia cooperate closely on military matters with the United States. In a July event in Miami, President Trump was introduced to Brigadier General Juan Carlos Correa of Colombia and Major General David of Brazil by Admiral Faller, who said the men work for [him]. Former Brazilian President Lula da Silva expressed alarm that his countrys military may be used for actions incompatible with constitutional principles of non-intervention and self-determination of peoples. Economic pressure On the economic front, the United States seized two tankers of fuel purchased by Venezuela on August 14. This brazen act of piracy didnt get much attention in the mainstream media but is part of the strategy to suffocate Venezuelas economy, which is facing gasoline shortages due to the difficulty in importing necessary chemical additives and spare parts for refineries. Now, the Trump administration is considering ending a sanctions exemption of diesel-for-crude swaps that oil companies Reliance, Repsoil and Eni have been carrying out with Venezuela. Sanctions on diesel would have widespread impacts on Venezuela agriculture, transportation, health, and energy industries. Trucks used for shipping food and buses that transport people both depend on diesel fuel. Hospitals throughout the country rely on backup diesel generators to weather erratic electricity supplies. In western Venezuela, diesel is commonly used in power plants for local electricity generation. The diesel exemption is set to end in early November, and the Trump administration has told the companies to wind down such swaps, prompting criticism from prominent members of Venezuelas opposition, including economist Francisco Rodriguez, who characterized it as a clearly electoral measure that will cost lives. Sanctions are becoming one of the main drivers of division within the opposition, as more and more opposition figures have begun to criticize them for not leading to regime change and for punishing ordinary Venezuelans. Covert operations and criminal disorder Although we may never know the extent of US involvement in the August 2018 assassination attempt on President Maduro, the March 2019 cyberattack on Venezuelas power grid, or the May 2020 attempted incursion by two ex-Green Berets and other mercenaries, it would be disingenuous to think that US intelligence agencies and special forces are sitting idle. In Venezuela, theres growing concern that several crimes over the past weeks are part of a plot to sow chaos. There is no way to confirm that theory, but it is not far-fetched. Military analyst Frank G. Hoffman states that hybrid war can incorporate a range of different modes of warfare, including conventional capabilities, irregular tactics and formations, terrorist acts including indiscriminate violence and coercion, and criminal disorder [emphasis added]. An example of this occurred during the weekend of the May incursion when there was an outbreak of gang violence in Petare, Venezuelas largest slum. One of the captured mercenaries later alleged that the Drug Enforcement Agency had paid for gunfire to act as a smokescreen for the incursion. The current concern is a series of crimes that began on August 8th with the disappearance of an iconic revolutionary leader. This was followed by the August 20th death of a well-known leftist artist under mysterious circumstances and the August 21st murder by police of two leftist communications workers. Authorities continue to investigate all three cases; in the latter, eight police officers and a district attorney have been charged for the murder and attempted coverup. Attorney General Tarek Saab called the nine people charged infiltrators who had entered the police force to engage in crime. Regardless of whether these events are connected to a plot to generate criminal disorder, they are certainly causing psychological harm to the Venezuelan people. In addition to these crimes, there have been recurrent violent confrontations between the police and well-armed criminal groups. On August 25, a gang equipped with AR-15s, AK-103s and FN-MAG machine guns ambushed a police arms depot. Above, the picture on the left is allegedly of one of the gangs founders holding a bazooka during the confrontation. Attacks on barracks or arms depots linked to coup plots have occurred several times since 2017, resulting in the theft of assault rifles, heavy weapons, grenades, and other explosives that end up in the hands of criminals. Social media shutdowns Tech giants appear to be joining in on the Trump administrations maximum pressure campaign. In March, just as the coronavirus pandemic was beginning in Venezuela, Twitter suspended 40 accounts belonging to officials, state institutions, journalists, and influencers, including those of the Health Ministry and Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, who was in charge of the COVID-19 response. Most, but not all, of those accounts were recovered, but Twitter gave no explanation for its actions. On August 19, Twitter restricted the account of Venezuela Analysis, one of the most important websites for English-language news about the country. The Grayzones Ben Norton notes, these are accounts that conflict with Washingtons pro-war narrative. Their suspensions represent an escalation in the media dimension of the hybrid war. On August 21, Google blocked or erased three YouTube and Gmail accounts belonging to Venezuelan state television outlet VTV, preventing Venezuelans from accessing live news and 68,000 videos VTV had uploaded since 2011. Disinformation campaigns and COVID-19 The timing of these shutdowns is curious, occurring just as a major disinformation campaign about Venezuelas COVID-19 response is underway. The New York Times and other media outlets have published stories about the plight of returning Venezuelan migrants and the allegedly extreme measures taken by the Venezuelan government to fight the pandemic. Missing from these articles is the fact that Venezuela has received 130,000 returning migrants since the pandemic began. Venezuela may be the only country in the world that is receiving such vast numbers of people during the pandemic, as most countries have closed their borders, and returning home has been difficult for people all over the world. Of those returning Venezuelans, 90,000 have entered through official channels, where they are immediately tested for COVID-19. Most are then sent to a Comprehensive Social Care Point (PASI) to comply with quarantine protocols. At the PASIs, migrants receive food, medical care, and personal hygiene products as they wait 2-3 weeks to ensure they are not infected with the coronavirus (positive tests can extend their stays). The other 40,000 migrants returned to the country through unofficial routes, skipping health and immigration controls. In late May, Venezuela began experiencing rapid growth in COVID-19 cases after controlling the pandemic for two months. Much of this growth was attributed to migrants who did not heed the health warnings; at one point, 80% of Venezuelas new cases were imported from abroad. In mid-June, the numbers flipped and community transmissions surged rapidly. There are good reasons for migrants to avoid official entry points, including dismal conditions on the Colombian side of the border and long waits to enter given the limit on the number of people who can cross the border daily. However, many of the migrants have been victims of fake news. Telesurs Madelein Garcia interviewed a returning Venezuelan who was told in Colombia that Venezuelans were injecting migrants with COVID-19 because doctors were being paid by case numbers, as well as lies about migrants not being fed and being locked in cages in PASIs. Although there are reports in social media of poor conditions in certain PASIs, they appear to be the exception, rather than the rule. A United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs report noted the differences between the over 200 PASIs, with those in universities and hotels having better infrastructure than those in grade schools and gymnasiums, some of which require greater support to strengthen their capacity to offer services. The United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have visited PASIs and are contributing aid to the migrants temporarily quarantined in them. Government and local officials routinely inspect PASIs, and Venezuelan media have reported from them. The PASIs have been much maligned in the media without any context of the vastness of the program or the challenge of fighting off a pandemic for a country economically suffocated by sanctions. The mainstream media narrative around COVID-19 and Venezuelas migrants is being used to present the country as being in need of humanitarian intervention. Indeed, the Trump administration and think tanks like the Center for Strategic & International Studies, which put out a report titled Venezuela: Pandemic and Foreign Intervention in a Collapsing Narcostate, have been attempting to turn Venezuelas COVID-19 response into an issue of regional security. The Atlantic Council, considered to be NATOs think tank in Washington, held an event on August 13 with Admiral Faller in which he declared that the Maduro government is an urgent threat to democracy, economic stability and the COVID-19 response. Yet as seen in the graph above, its ludicrous to claim that Venezuela is a COVID-19 threat. The country is doing significantly better than its neighbors in controlling both the spread of the disease and the number of casualties. Venezuela has experienced 358 total COVID-19 deaths, a rate of 13 deaths per million population (Argentina is the next lowest in South America, with 180 deaths per million). After a surge in cases from July through mid-August, the curve of new cases looks like it is flattening, although it is still too soon to tell. Venezuela has been able to weather the storm thanks to its policy choices and timely aid from Cuba, China, Russia, the European Union, the ICRC and UN agencies. Of course, military action against Venezuela would impede, if not destroy, its capacity to deal with the pandemic, which would lead to increased infections in Brazil, Colombia and other nations if theres a wave of war refugees. Yet these concerns seem secondary to Venezuela hawks, who view a second Trump administration or a Biden administration as less likely to deliver regime change than a pre-electoral attack. According to sources that spoke to La Politica Online, Senator Marco Rubio has been advising the Trump administration that military action against Venezuela would ensure Floridas Electoral College votes in November. It should be noted that these allegations have not been independently verified and Senator Rubio has not commented on them. However, President Trumps hawkish Venezuela policy is based around winning Florida and many of the events detailed above have been put into motion to give the president the military option hes been threatening since August 2017. The stage is set for a disastrous October surprise, especially if Trumps chances for re-election look dim. This post was originally written by Leonardo Flores for Venezuelanalysis and appears here under a creative commons license. BRANFORD Stony Creek Brewery, a supporter of the Connecticut Brain Tumor Alliance , will offer a special beer on tap called Junebug for September, a portion of the proceeds of which will benefit the CTBTA, according to a release. Stony Creek owner Edward Crowley, Jr. is a champion for the cause of brain tumor awareness and support, and the beer is named Junebug in memory of the life of his mother-in-law June Rice, who succumbed to brain cancer, the release said. Further, the name evokes the ladybug, which has been a symbol of hope and faith for CTBTA Executive Director Chris Cusano over the past 12 years since his own brain tumor diagnosis. The beer is available on tap at the Branford location and $1 for every beer sold will be donated to the CTBTA, the release said. For every Junebug beer sold in September, $1 will be donated the CTBTA. Also, the seventh annual Playing for the Cure: Brainstormin event will be held at Stony Creek on Thursday, Sept. 10 (virtually and in-person, although space is limited inside the brewery due to COVID-19 compliance). Cusano and his family started the fundraiser in 2014 and it has since become a popular and important annual event to support the CTBTA, the release noted. One of the blessings from my diagnosis has been the friendship formed with Ed Crowley and his wife Kim and her sister Melissa following their mothers courageous battle with glioblastoma, Cusano said, in the release. What began as a fundraiser at Stony Creek Brewery has transformed into a mutual desire to work together and honor June by celebrating the courage of brain tumor patients, but also to inspire hope for all who are fighting and to let them know they are not alone. This collaboration will, I hope, be enjoyed by the brain tumor community and aid us in our quest to advance brain tumor awareness and our quest to find the cure. he said. I cannot truly express how grateful I am to Ed, his family and Stony Creek Brewery for their continued support of the CT Brain Tumor Alliance. An Orleans Parish judge on Friday dismissed a lawsuit against the owners of The Times-Picayune and The Advocate filed by Frank Scurlock, who made an unsuccessful bid to become mayor of New Orleans and is now running a longshot campaign for the U.S. presidency. Civil District Judge Piper Griffin threw out Scurlocks suit, which sought damages against the newspapers owners and a former reporter. The suit alleged that The Times-Picayune in April 2018 published a story by the reporter, Kevin Litten, that falsely stated Scurlock had been arrested in California a year earlier. The story in quesetion also reported Scurlock had pleaded no contest to a charge of lewd and dissolute conduct a charge that was based on an Uber drivers complaint that Scurlock had masturbated in the backseat of her car. Frank Scurlock, former mayoral candidate, sues newspaper over story on masturbation charge Frank Scurlock, the eccentric businessman who ran a longshot race for New Orleans mayor and more recently announced he was running for preside The lawsuit did not discuss or dispute the specifics of that incident, instead focusing on the use of the word arrest and asserting that Scurlock was never arrested. That allegation was injurious to Scurlocks personal and professional reputation, the suit claimed. The lawsuit named as defendants Litten plus Georges Media Group LLC and Capital City Press LLC, the entities that have owned The Times-Picayune and its affiliated website, since mid-2019. Scurlock represented himself in the suit, which was filed in Civil District Court on June 13. Almost since the moment it was announced, both tenants and landlords have complained that the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance does not work. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 4/9/2020 (503 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Almost since the moment it was announced, both tenants and landlords have complained that the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance does not work. A two-month extension is about to end, but there is no end date for the coronavirus pandemic. Its ill effects on business owners and their landlords will continue indefinitely. The Free Press recently reported that less than one-third of the $3 billion the federal government budgeted for the program has been used, with only about $11 million of that dispersed in Manitoba. A recent national survey by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business showed that only 15 per cent of its members have been able to use the program, and 20 per cent think it is helpful. "It's not enough help. It is targeted at the wrong people, or the right people can't get the help." Sandy Shindleman, president of Shindico Realty Inc. Jonathan Alward, CFIBs director of provincial affairs for Manitoba, said, "There are so many layers of bad with this program, frankly." Even the property manager in Manitoba that has used the program the most, has nothing good to say about it. "Its not a good program," said Sandy Shindleman, the president of Shindico Realty Inc., whose company is responsible for more than 10 per cent of the provincial takeup: about $1.6 million. "Its not enough help. It is targeted at the wrong people, or the right people cant get the help." Shindico has developed over 8 million square feet of mostly commercial real estate, most of it in Manitoba. Its tenants may have received about 10 per cent of the support but Shindico is not responsible for 10 per cent of the commercial tenants in the provinces. "Many landlords have chosen not to participate," Shindleman said, not as a slight against his peers. The program forces landlords to initiate the process that requires tenants to pay 25 per cent of their rent, with the federal government covering 50 per cent and landlords agreeing to forfeit 25 per cent. Shindleman said one of the fundamental flaws of the program is the assumption that landlords can handle that size of a hit. "The misnomer is that landlords dont have a 25 per cent margin," Shindleman said. "If rent is $5,000 per month, you dont have $1,000 net profit. Youre lucky if you have seven per cent." Tom Thiessen, the executive director of BOMA (Building Owners and Managers Association) Manitoba, said even though the CECRA program was extended for couple of months, there is no noticeable change in the way landlords use it. Thiessen said, "Many of our members have been working with tenants through various means, including rent deferrals on a case-by-case basis, and, in rare instances, abatements." Retail and service industry businesses have been forced to close for varying lengths of time and to varying degrees, but to be eligible for CECRA support, a business must show a year-over-year revenue decline of 70 per cent. Shindleman said that on one hand, many businesses do not want to have to disclose to their landlord that their business has declined that much. On the other hand, he said, "If their business has declined 70 per cent, they would close up. They would not pay their utility bills." Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Every business has a different level of tolerance when it comes to declining revenue. Many have scrimped and reduced overhead, laid off staff and undertaken every manner of cost-cutting. Many well-known retailers have declared bankuptcy. "We studied the program for weeks before we participated because it did not make any sense," Shindleman said. "If our tenants business declined by 70 per cent theyre not able to pay staff, theyre not paying suppliers. If it is a food business they could go a month without paying suppliers, then (the food suppliers) dont deliver any more." Shindico is known to have more professional staff per square feet of leasable space and has the human resources to keep talking to its tenants. While clearly the commercial real estate business is challenged, Shindleman said his company prospects more than ever with tenants looking to downsize, relocate and sublet. "The pipeline is bigger than ever," he said. "But who knows if any of it will fall to the bottom." martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca Nigeria would not have been enmeshed in the current P&ID legal quagmire if a former Attorney General of Lagos State, Olasupo Shasore, had played his role transparently, without corruption, a British court has found. In 2014, Mr Shasore was appointed as counsel for Nigeria in the arbitration leading to the legal tussle considering his expertise in the legal profession and his position as a former president of the Lagos Court of Arbitration. According to documents obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Shasore was paid $2 million to assist in the first and second stages of the arbitration. Sequel to an investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), a senior partner of his firm reportedly gave evidence that Mr Shasore kept his involvement in the case hidden and ran it through a different firm, Twenty Marina Solicitors. The Nigerian government also presented evidence that he did not give his best to defend the countrys interest but rather kept pushing for settlement, suggesting that he was compromised. Background On January 11, 2010, P&ID, a British firm, signed a gas supply and processing agreement with the Ministry of Petroleum Resources on behalf of the Nigerian government. Going by the provisions of the agreement, the foreign company was expected to build and operate an Accelerated Gas Development project to be located at Adiabo in Odukpani Local Government Area of Cross River State. On the other hand, the Nigerian government was to provide natural gas from oil mining leases (OMLs) 123 and 67 operated by Addax Petroleum and supply to P&ID to refine into fuel suitable for power generation in the country. An initial volume of about 150 million cubic feet of gas per day was expected to be supplied by Nigeria. Eventually, it was to be summed up to about 400 million cubic feet per day during the 20-year period. The company accused Nigeria of not fulfilling its part of the bargain after negotiations were opened with the Cross River State government for allocation of land for the project. P&ID claimed the failure to construct the pipeline system to supply the gas frustrated the construction of the gas project, thereby depriving it of the potential benefits from over 20 years worth of gas supplies. The company said attempts to settle out of court with the Nigerian government failed. In August 2012, P&ID served the Nigerian government a Request for Arbitration. However, Nigeria argued before the tribunal that the failure of P&ID to acquire the site and build Gas Processing Facilities was a fundamental breach and that no gas could be delivered until this has been done. Olasupo Shasore, former Attorney General of Lagos State. [Credit: Olasupo Shasore Facebook account] But the tribunal ruled that Nigerias obligations under Article 6B were not conditional upon P&ID having constructed the gas processing facilities. In July 2015, the arbitral tribunal found that Nigeria had repudiated its obligations under the GSPA and that P&ID had been entitled to accept the repudiation and claim damages for breach. On December 23, 2015, the government asked for the award to be set aside. That was after earlier committing that the arbitration decision shall be final and binding upon parties. Consequently, on February 10, 2016, the application was dismissed, paving way for the hearing on July 22 to 24, 2016 to determine the damages. Consequently, a commercial court in the United Kingdom, awarded $8.9 billion (about N3.2 trillion) in favour of P&ID. In a twist of event on Friday, the Nigerian government secured a judgement of a British court following its appeal to suspend the unfavourable ruling. The judgment, delivered by Ross Cranston, granted Nigerias appeal for a stay of execution of the awarded sum. Shasores alleged betrayal Right from when Mr Shasores service was engaged in 2014, he alongside members of the settlement team, discouraged the Nigerian government from strongly contesting claims of the British firm, according to to the documents PREMIUM TIMES has seen. Rather, they encouraged the then minister of petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke, to pursue settlement discussions. The team consisted of Mr Shasore, the legal representative of the ministry of petroleum resources, Folakemi Adelore, and Ikechukwu Oguine, who was the coordinator, legal services at the NNPC. Advertisements The NNPC wrote to the Minister for Petroleum Resources, Mrs Alison-Madueke, on September 1, 2014, agreeing with the Attorney General, Mohammed Adoke, and an external counsel that the ministry had a bad case. To that end, it recommended that settlement be explored but that Nigeria should, nonetheless, file a defence. On November 11, 2014 the Attorney-General wrote to Mrs Alison-Madueke, on the advice of Mr Shasore, urging her to pursue settlement discussions. Ms Adelore, legal adviser to the Ministry from 2013 to 2017, sent a memorandum to the permanent secretary of the ministry recommending a settlement with P&ID. In December 2014, Mr Shasore, Ms Adelore and Mr Oguine travelled to London for settlement negotiations with P&ID. On December 30, 2014, Ms Adelore wrote a memorandum to the ministrys permanent secretary. She stated that there was no doubt the ministry was in breach of the GSPA adding the negotiating team was apprehensive that the tribunal might award P&IDs claim of US$5.9 billion; and Nigeria should offer a lower amount which P&ID might accept. On March 17, 2015, Mr Adoke, the Attorney-General, forwarded a letter from Mr Shasore to Mrs Alison-Madueke, stating that notwithstanding our line of defence, the Federal Government is still liable for failure to supply the requisite gas. The statement explained why Nigeria was unable to supply gas to P&ID and argued that its only role was as a facilitator between P&ID and the oil companies. However, there were no exhibits to the statement. Meanwhile, when the Tribunal held a case management hearing by telephone on May 6, 2015, neither Nigerias counsel nor P&ID legal representative applied for cross-examination of witnesses. During the liability hearing, which began at 10 a.m. on June 1, 2015 and ended early in the afternoon the same day, Mr Shasore stated that he hoped to cross-examine Michael Quinn, the founder of the company, on the matter. The chairman of the Tribunal responded that there had been no application to cross-examine Mr Quinn, a procedural goof on the part of Mr Shasore, a senior arbitrator. Mr Quinn had died at the time Mr Shasore wanted to cross-examine him, an attempt believed to aid the argument of P&ID and sabotage the interest of his country. More indictment Also, the Nigerian government noted in its appeal that Mr Shasore, for more than a year, failed to cooperate in handing over necessary materials to Bolaji Ayorinde, the senior lawyer who replaced him. Nigerias legal representative, Mark Howard, added that in the first two stages of the arbitration, Mr Shasore, deliberately defended the case thinly. The reason was that he had colluded with P&ID, with the inevitable result that Nigeria would lose the case, Mr Howard stated. He further argued that Mr Shasore dragged his feet when the conduct of the arbitration was transferred from the Ministry to the Attorney General for the quantum stage. At the quantum stage, Mr Howard submitted, Nigerias new counsel, Mr Ayorinde, was precluded from reopening the matter. Not only did he not know of Mr Shasores behaviour, he had no basis to apply to reopen the Tribunals prior findings. Corruption allegations While the case was still ongoing, Mr Shasore allegedly made a questionable payment of $100,000 each to Ms Adelore and Mr Oguine. However, what persuades me of a prima facie case of dishonesty in Mr Shasores conduct of the arbitration are his payments of US$100,000 each to Ms Adelore and Mr Oguine. Their salaries as public servants, according to the Attorney General, Mr Malami, were some US$5000 per annum. EFCC had information from the bank accounts of the recipients which contradicts the argument that Mr Shasore gave them as a gift. .. that does not seem to me a complete and honest explanation for why he should make these payments to these senior public servants. Part of the picture is that after the payment to Ms Adelore, she wrote to the Ministrys permanent secretary on 30 December 2014 recommending a settlement. We also saw that when the EFCC investigated in the first part of 2016, she was the source of information at the Ministry. I have also mentioned that Mr Oguine was charged with producing witnesses for Nigeria but instead put his name to a witness statement in May 2015 which the Tribunal said was of no assistance to its case, Mr Howard argued. A Labour council that spent tens of millions of pounds on brand-new offices has not had a single employee return to work since lockdown restrictions were lifted. The startling revelation comes as a Mail on Sunday audit of local authorities across the country found most council staff are still working from home, despite government advice for people to get back to the office. Of the 30 councils that responded, one admitted it was making no efforts to get its staff back Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council in Greater Manchester. Not one of its 1,000 staff has yet to return to its brand-new 48 million office in Ashton-under-Lyne and chiefs have no plans to encourage a return to normal working conditions. Pictured: The Tameside One building that houses the Tameside Metropolitan Borough council offices in Ashton-under-Lyne, which is yet to have an employee return In May, in a sign to council taxpayers of how comfortable Tameside staff had grown to working from home, the local authoritys chief executive Steven Pleasant, who commands a 210,000 annual pay package, tweeted a picture of his slippers. The continued policy of working from home comes a year after the Labour-led council unveiled the new 160,000 sq ft office. Doreen Dickinson, leader of the Conservative group at Tameside, said: Council employees should definitely be going back to work to support the local economy if nothing else. This is a brand-new, supposedly state-of-the art office, which should be able to accommodate employees. A spokesperson for the council said: Approximately 1,000 staff are working from home. Our current policy is for staff to continue working from home. No council services have been cut or adversely affected by the expectation to work from home. Pictured left: The local authoritys chief executive Steven Pleasant, who commands a 210,000 annual pay package, on a bike ride Pictured: Steven Pleasant shared a picture of his slippers on his Instagram page Elsewhere, in Hammersmith and Fulham, 1,700 employees normally at their desks are still working from home and only 380 employees have returned to the office. A spokesman claimed the council is championing a digital economic recovery and working hard to avoid a miserable second lockdown. In many cases, the reason for continuing to work from home was because Covid rules dictate fewer people should be allowed in the office at one time. Brighton Council claimed that their office capacity was reduced to just 20 per cent of what it had previously been. They added: We are reviewing our office capacity in mid-September to decide on next steps. Meanwhile in Slough, the councils communications manager Kate Pratt inadvertently replied to the MoS request with an email clearly intended for colleagues, telling them: Ignore this one again. When contacted, she said: Some of us are working from home and some of us arent. People who need to be in the office are in there, but those who can do their work from home are doing so. The chief executive is in the office. So much for back to the office! Civil servants are 'making a mockery' of Boris Johnson's push to get people back to their desks by advertising 'work from home only' jobs MPs have said civil servants are making a 'mockery' of PM's back to work push Civil Service is putting up recruitment adverts for 'work from home only' jobs The job applications close in mid or late September suggesting Whitehall has plans to continue working from home for months, drawing rebuke from MPs By Anna Mikhailova Deputy Political Editor for The Mail On Sunday Civil servants are making a mockery of Boris Johnsons push to get staff back into the office by advertising work from home only jobs, MPs said last night. While Ministers have ordered officials to return to their desks, Whitehall departments are putting up recruitment adverts saying office work will not resume any time soon. MPs said this deliberately undermines Government efforts to get Whitehall working. The Ministry of Defence, the Department of Health, Public Health England and the Food Standards Agency are among those advertising work from home only jobs, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. One advert reads: Due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation, you will initially be required to work from home with no travel required. Pictured: Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson returns to Downing Street in central London on September 1, 2020 A man walks past the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, on Whitehall. MPs have accused the Civil Service of making a 'mockery' of Boris Johnson's push to get staff back into the office by advertising 'work from home only' jobs Applications for the jobs close in mid or late September, suggesting Whitehall has plans to continue working from home for months. Steve Baker, the Conservative MP, said: What an extraordinary situation. Public service extends to leading the country in the right direction at all levels. And that should mean Civil Service hiring managers planning to bring people into their offices. How anyone could be pulling in the wrong direction like this, at this time, I really cannot imagine. It makes a mockery of Ministers and backbenchers trying to encourage our constituents back to work. Michael Gove [Cabinet Office Minister] and Dominic Cummings [the Prime Ministers senior aide] need to get a grip and persuade the Civil Service to set an example. Last week the Cabinet Secretary wrote to all Whitehall ministries setting a target to get 80 per cent of staff to attend their usual workplace each week by the end of September. Steve Baker, the Conservative MP (pictured), said the job adverts 'makes a mockery of Ministers and backbenchers trying to encourage our constituents back to work' However, a Ministry of Defence job advert seen by the MoS says it will require home working until such a time as we are able to safely return to the office while a Department of Health and Social Care job calls for ideally one day a weeks work in the office or remote working as agreed with line manager. An advert for a job with the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), a quango, says: The post will be based in London once Covid-19 restrictions on our office capacity have been removed. In the meantime all OBR staff have been working remotely. It undermines efforts to get country back to work Richard Holden, the Conservative MP, said: With adverts like this it looks like the Civil Service are deliberately undermining the efforts of the Government to get the country back to work and our economy moving again. Nothing makes the argument that broad reform is clearly needed better than the Civil Service going against clear Government policy. Yesterday Dave Penman, General Secretary of the FDA union, which represents civil servants, accused the Government of virtue signalling by calling for civil servants to get back to their desks. It comes as MPs have their right to claim for travel around London removed in a push to get them to use public transport. From tomorrow MPs will no longer be able to claim for commuting costs between their London home and Parliament. The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, the expenses watchdog, said the measure was designed to help MPs avoid public transport during the height of the pandemic, but that the circumstances have changed significantly. A Government spokesman said: The Civil Service prides itself in being a flexible employer and has offered elements of homeworking across the service for many years. This has not changed. We are clear that it is safe to return to a Covid-secure workplace and Government departments have ensured that appropriate measures are in place to enable as many civil servants as possible to return to offices safely. The chances of the UK leaving the European Union without a trade deal have risen sharply as negotiations have been threatened by London's insistence that it have full autonomy over its state-aid plans, according to negotiators and diplomats. Fears in Dublin, London, Brussels and other European capitals are mounting that a UK exit without a trade deal could sow yet more economic chaos amid the turmoil of the coronavirus crisis which has hammered European economies. "The chances for a deal, or a no-deal, are 50/50," said one senior EU diplomat. "There has been absolutely no movement from the British side in the talks. If this approach doesn't change quickly, we won't be able to negotiate a deal in time." Failure to reach a trade deal could hammer financial markets as nearly a trillion dollars in trade - from car parts and medicines to lamb and fish - would be thrown into turmoil. A British source close to the negotiations said the European Union was slowing down negotiations and should understand that its demands on state aid and fishing were not compatible with the UK's status as an independent country. "We have also consistently tried to move discussions forwards but have been prevented from doing so by an EU which insists everything must go at the pace of the most difficult issue," the source said. "Their ask that we accept continuity with EU state-aid and fisheries policy is simply not compatible with our status as a fully independent country," the source said. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said if the EU was sensible, it would give the UK the Canada-style solution it is seeking. He also said the UK was ready for any eventuality over Brexit. European Council President Charles Michel told reporters: "Sooner or later, the UK should clarify what they want. It's not possible to leave the European club and at the same time keep all the benefits. We have no certainty that we'll reach a deal," he said. The current sticking point is state aid. EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier went to London on Tuesday to tell his UK counterpart, David Frost, that the UK must move on state aid, or there will not be an agreement, according to EU diplomats. Afterwards, Mr Barnier said London had not shown enough flexibility and creativity on fair competition, fisheries and solving disputes in order to seal a deal on new trade ties by a "strict deadline" of the end of October. Even as Russia continues to overcome production issues with its Su-57 stealth fighter, Moscow reportedly has its eyes set on a sixth-generation fighter jet, which could be developed under the MiG-Sukhoi joint brand. Such a fighter could build on the best features of the MiG-21, which has become the most-produced supersonic jet in aviation history; and the very capable MiG-35, as well as the Su-57, The National Interest writes. Possibly, this will be so: the fighter produced by the MiG-Sukhoi, Rostec Aviation Cluster Industrial Director Anatoly Serdyukov told Tass on Tuesday. But so far, all the work is at the stage of discussions and it is early to speak about details. This is not the first time that Russia has suggested a sixth-generation fighter jet could be developed in the near future. In March 2016, then-Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Rogozin, announced that Russia had launched work on the sixth-generation combat plane. Rogozin said at the time that the Sukhoi Design Bureau had even submitted a preliminary project for creating the sixth-generation fighter. While the delivery of the Su-57 has been slowed, in part due to problems in the advanced aircrafts development, the fifth-generation fighter is still intended to succeed the MiG-29 and Su-27 in the Russian Air Force. It is unclear how the Su-57 would fare against the American Lockheed Martin-built F-35 Lightning II, which has become the worlds most dominant multi-role fighter. The F-35s detection range, geolocation, threat identification, and system response capabilities allow the jet to precisely fix and destroy the most advanced threats in the world including every layer of Russia's latest SA-20 surface-to-air missile (SAM) system. Instead of going on all-in with the Su-57, Moscow could now be turning its attention to a sixth-generation fighter, which specialists have noted would have the capability to perform combat missions without human participation and use its artificial intelligence along with the availability of a radio-photonic radar to reach a target. Such a fighter aircraft would also likely have the ability to utilize hypersonic speed and fly into the near-Earth space and employ weapons based on new physical principles. Russian Aerospace Force Ex-Commander-in-Chief, Chairman of the Federation Councils Defense and Security Committee Viktor Bondarev previously told TASS that the Russian Armed Forces would be switching to sixth-generation hardware, including strike drones, smoothly and gradually, after being convinced in the reliability of previous-generation aircraft. Russia, along with China, has continued to explore ways of utilizing machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) in weapons platformsa move that the Pentagon has considered dangerous, as AI may not be able to properly separate civilians from targets in hostile zones. Moscow is not alone in its announcement of the next generation of fighter aircraft. The United States, China, the United Kingdom, Italy, Sweden, Japan, Germany, Spain, Taiwan and France have all made progress on the jet fighter of the future. A common element to emerge at this point is more of modular design that could enable the aircraft to tackle a variety of missions, while swarms of drones or similar mini-aircraft could work to provide defense and reconnaissance for the fighter. However, it will likely still be a decade or longer before any actual aircraft even comes into focus. Disney could have unveiled a bit of magic. Disney debuted its live-action blockbuster Mulan on its Disney+ streaming platform ahead of the long weekend. The film is available for a premium price months after its expected premiere back in March. Investors hope for another streaming smash hit similar to its Hamilton release earlier in the summer. Gina Sanchez, CEO of Chantico Global says the house of mouse is about to make a very valuable move. "Disney+ has a lot of legs," said Sanchez on CNBC's "Trading Nation" on Friday. "Right now it's a new shiny toy, and I think it's going to remain that way. I think this could be a very valuable move for Disney, and also to flex the muscle of their Disney+ streaming channel." Disney has made a steady climb back from its March lows, but is still down nearly 9% for the year. The company was forced to shut the doors temporarily on many of its parks due to the Coronavirus pandemic, but Sanchez says that once things get back to normal, Djsney could outperform again. "If you look at the things holding them back the inability to open their parks, the challenges they have around sports," said Sanchez. "Within the next six to12 months, we're going to see some changes there that are going to be very beneficial to Disney, so I would actually think that as soon as we get back to a more normal situation, Disney could participate significantly more than the market." Matt Maley, equity strategist at Miller Tabak, points out that although the stock is lagging, you shouldn't count Disney out. "The stock actually hasn't been acting all that badly," Maley said during the same segment. "Even though it hasn't been as aggressive in its rally as a lot of other stocks, it has still been making a series of "higher lows" and "higher highs" in a nice upward sloping trend channel." Maley does point out that Disney is reaching some overbought levels, which is why it's pulling back with the rest of the market. "One of the good things that could take place in the next week or two is that it would see a golden cross with the 50-day moving average moving above its 200-day moving average. 2 out of the last 3 times that has happened, the stock has rallied dramatically after that has taken place, and the 3rd time, it didn't go down, it just didn't rally quite as dramatically. It still went up about 5% over the next month. So either way, it was a positive move." In the alternate 19th century of Alix E. Harrows second novel, The Once and Future Witches (Redhook, Oct.), the reemergence of witchcraft reunites three estranged sisters in New Salem, Mass., and alters the course of the suffragist movement. Harrow, a 2019 Hugo Award winner for the short story A Witchs Guide to Escape, deploys fairy tales and feminist thought in a novel PWs review called gleefully referential; folklore and history enthusiasts will have a feast. She spoke with PW about why witches might just be the heroes modern times demand. Whats your approach to crafting a fictional universe? Ive never done as much worldbuilding before as I have for this novel. Normally my writing takes places in a more recognizable version of our world; here I had to imagine what it would mean if witchcraft actually existed. How would it have changed history? As a rule, I use the idea that history doesnt repeat, but it rhymes. History would be different, but there would still be elements that are recognizable. How has your background as a historian informed your writing? Its easy to get sucked into historiographical arguments about witchcraft or suffragism, but that can narrow your vision. Fiction allows you to fudge the details a bit, so that I could imagine a womens movement where credit was given to those who arent as famous, or where diverse voices can be more widely acknowledged. How did you do this in the novel? If we imagine a world where magic exists as an elemental language, its silly to pretend that different cultures would be using the same termseach culture would develop its own. In imagining an alternate history of the womens movement, while giving credit to the actual diversity of the suffragettes I based my characters on, I wanted that sort of diversity represented, even in a novel about witchcraft. We can suspend our disbelief about magic in a novel, but our reality should still be reflected. Why did you incorporate fairy tales into the narrative? Theyre a good way for us to understand how it is that people cling to stories, and they help me to describe the differences between the real world and the fictional one in the novel. One thing that Im aware of, however, is that Western fairy tales arent universal. In graduate school we discussed how much the Western perspective has shaped what we read, so that nothing is exactly objective. This became important in the novel when I incorporated different sorts of fairy tales, from different cultures. What do you think is behind the recent resurgence of stories about witches? People are comfortable with men who practice magic in novels: the wise, old wizard who gets the ring. But women depicted as witches are these infertile people who live in the woods and curse crops. Some recent novels are about reclaiming whats subversive and challenging about witches. I dont want to claim that everything is related to the #MeToo movement, or the Womens March, but theres a new urgency to bring things to light and to speak our stories. Being a female-presenting person has a way of making you angrier as you confront unfair things. In that way, I think that witchcraft helps to supply a language of power and resistance. Return to the main feature. Each of these methods comes with different costs and drawbacks. And so theres another option that utilities employ in the hope that knowing the pole is there will make it easier for drivers to steer clear. As a 2004 white paper published by the National Academies Press explained: This may be done with warning signs, reflective paint, sheeting, object markers placed on utility poles, or roadway lighting. It is considered a last resort in some cases where more comprehensive treatments are not practical. RTHK: India records four millionth case as virus spreads India has become the third country to pass four million coronavirus infections, setting a new record daily surge in cases on Saturday as the pandemic showed no sign of peaking. The new cases took India to 4,023,179 infections, third behind the United States which has more than 6.3 million and just trailing Brazil on 4.1 million. The growing caseload comes after the World Health Organisation said it did not expect widespread immunisation against Covid-19 until mid-2021. The WHO also ruled out endorsing a vaccine that has not been proven safe and effective, over concerns around the rush to develop a jab for the virus. As governments around the world enforce measures to slow the virus, police in Australia which has reported 26,200 cases and 748 deaths arrested more than a dozen protesters in Melbourne on Saturday for deliberately flouting the city's stay-at-home orders. Several thousand people rallied in the main square of the Croatian capital Zagreb to protest against coronavirus curbs. They carried banners proclaiming: "Covid is a lie, we are not all covidiots," and "Take off the mask, turn off the TV, live a full life". About 1,000 protesters demonstrated in central Rome against the mandatory use of face masks. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte reacted frostily to the event, saying: "More than 274,000 ill and 35,000 dead. Full stop." India has eased restrictions in a bid to revive the economy but faces the world's fastest growing number of cases at more than 80,000 a day and the highest daily death toll at more than 1,000. The death toll now stands at 69,561. The country's caseload has soared from three to four million in just 13 days, faster than the US and Brazil. The pandemic is now spreading through rural areas that have poor health facilities but is also surging again in big cities like Delhi and Mumbai. (AFP) This story has been published on: 2020-09-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Republican senator Ted Cruz has faced massive backlash for co-authoring a letter to the U.S Food and Drug Administration or FDA demanding that the abortion pill be banned. Misleading claim In the letter, Sen. Cruz and 20 Republican senators asked the FDA to classify the abortion pill as an imminent hazard to the public health that poses a "significant threat of danger" and removes the pill from the market. The document also stated that pregnancy is not a "life-threatening illness," and the abortion pill does not cure or prevent any disease, as reported by USA Today. But according to the latest figures from the World Health Organization, in 2017, around 810 women died from preventable causes every day, and they are related to pregnancy and childbirth. Also Read: Senate Republicans Rolling Out New Stimulus Package Next Week In the United States, the maternal mortality rate in 2018 was 17.4 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, rising to 37.1 live births for black women, as reported by the CDC. Democrat Shannon Freshour, who is running for Congress in November, shared a tweet by Sen. Cruz claiming that pregnancy is not life-threatening. She said that Cruz's statement is a "dangerous, misogynistic lie." Freshour added that pregnancy could and is often a life-threatening or life-ending medical condition, especially among black mothers and women of color. The president of reproductive rights lobbying and advocacy organization NARAL Pro-Choice America, Ilyse Hogue, tweeted taht medication abortion is safe. Hogue added that Sen. Cruz knows that the pills are safe and that fear and lies are all that they have to push their unpopular agenda. Hogue also said that politicians who push ideology over science to shape public policy are the ones who give people a disastrous response to COVID-19 and that the ideology over science mindset should end now. The associate professor at Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health, Dabney P. Evans told Newsweek that the FDA is a highly respected scientific organization that should be left to conduct its regulatory responsibilities free from political interference. Evans said that the letter represents an overstep that endangers the health and the rights of pregnant women under the guise of protecting women's health. The professor in the faculty of health sciences at the University of Ottawa, Dr. Angel Foster, said that carrying a pregnancy to term and delivering carries a greater risk of death "than having an early medication abortion. Foster also said that the claims made by Sen. Cruz and 20 other Republican Senators are belied by the clinical and public health evidence, and the way that they use data in the letter is distorted and misleading. Safe abortion pill The abortion pill involves taking medicines to terminate a pregnancy, and they are mifepristone and misoprostol. Mifepristone is taken first to block the production of progesterone to prevent a fetus from growing after than misoprostol is taken, which causes cramping and bleeding to empty the uterus, which is similar to a heavy period or miscarriage. The letter comes as some states have banned abortions amid the pandemic, deeming them as "non-essential." In May 2020, the ACLU sued the FDA for requiring patients to travel in person to collect the abortion pill. This was immediately followed by a federal court in Maryland ruling the FDA must ease restrictions. Related Article: Senator Ted Cruz Accuses Facebook of Manipulating American Votes With New Political Ad Ban @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A pair of Offaly siblings originally from Clara but living in New York have discovered their long-lost relatives by chance thanks to a simple Facebook post. Danny Price and Mary Willis are the children of Joe and Phyllis Price and have lived in New York for 11 and 8 years respectively. Their father Joe, being an only child, lost contact with his aunt Nelly and uncle Davy when they emigrated to New York. Davy moved in 1926 and although he wrote home to his sister for a time, communication stopped in the 1960s. PICTURED: Davy Snr and Nelly who both emigrated from Clara to New York It was a mystery Danny and Mary were intrigued by, especially when they moved to New York themselves many decades later. They had even tried to find Davy having located their aunt Nelly's grave a few years ago. She never married and lived in New Haven, Connecticut until her death. "We could never find Davy," Mary told the Offaly Express this week, "even though now and then wed look online." "We knew he had been in touch with our granny, his sister, by mail but for some reason, they stopped communicating around the sixties. His last name was McDonald so there were always a lot of results. Dad even tried ringing McDonalds in Richmond Hill, New York where Davy had lived but there were so many. His son Davy Jnr had spent a year in Ireland as a teenager so dad remembered him well but had no more information," Mary explained. PICTURED: Davy Jnr with Mary and Danny's grandmother Molly in Ireland "Dad always wondered if we had relatives here we didnt know about," Mary added. He is turning 72 this year and is still living in Clara with his wife Phyllis. The trail had run cold for many years with Mary and Danny unable to track down Davy and his family. Roll forward to 2020 in the middle of a global pandemic and something extraordinary happened. Mary takes up the story: "My brother Danny is opening a bar in a few weeks time in East Meadow, Long Island called The Noon Inn. He joined a neighbourhood Facebook page to plug it and a woman called Kathy asked him where in Ireland he was from. "She said that she had Irish heritage, her family being from Offaly. Danny said that his grand-uncle Davy had moved here, explaining that he was a bus driver in Manhattan but lived in Jamaica, Queens. He said he might as well ask," Mary said. Her reply absolutely stunned Danny and Mary. "She replied that her grandfather was Davy McDonald, who drove a bus in Manhattan and lived in Jamaica, Queens. He had a sister called Molly, our granny, and she had married a Joe Price (Snr), our grandfather." The long-lost relatives began exchanging Facebook messages to trace the family tree from Clara to New York. Davy himself died in 1966, explaining the lost contact with his sister around that time. He had five children, three of whom are still alive - Davy Jnr RIP, Mike, Helen, Susan and Dianne RIP. "Helen and Susan live in Florida but Mike turned out to live in Merrick, Long Island, the town where my brother's wife Kelly is from, five minutes away from where he and his family live," Mary told us. Mary and Danny shared the news with their father at home in Clara. "Hes still in shock I think," Mary said of her Dad. "Hes always wondered about them, especially Davy Jnr who spent the year living with them. He would have been around 15 or 16 at the time, my Dad around six. "Hes delighted that weve made contact. Being an only child and with his aunt and uncle moving to the US before he was even born, he has had no brothers, sisters or cousins up to this," she said. He was sad to learn that Davy Jnr who had spent time with his family all those years ago had passed away. "Davy Jnr lived close by in Levittown, although he died two years ago at the age of 80," Mary said. Speaking about her father possibly meeting these relations after all these years, Mary explained: "Hes in Kerry right now and that alone took a lot of persuasion. Hes a homebird but hopefully, he will come out to meet them all when its safe." Back in New York, Danny met with Mike and his family, including Davy Jnrs widow Betty earlier this week. "It was tough with the Covid-19 restrictions but a small group of them went for dinner. Were still figuring out the relations we have and all that through messages back and forth but it was so lovely to find them," Mary concluded. ABOVE: Danny Price meets Davy Snr's son Mike in New York Thiruvananthapuram: In an embarrassment to ruling CPI(M) in Kerala, Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau booked senior leader and former Industries minister EP Jayarajan on Friday in a case related to alleged nepotism in appointments in key posts in PSUs during his tenure. The development came on a day when the top leaders including party general secretary Sitaram Yechury and other polit bureau members are here for the party's ongoing Central Committee meeting. Vigilance registered the case under the Prevention of Corruption Act after a quick verification and Jayarajan has been named as first accused. His nephew Sudheer Nambiar, son of party's Kannur MP PK Sreemathi, and additional chief secretary (industries) Paul Antony are also accused in the case. According to vigilance sources, the case was registered for "violating due process of selection" while appointing Sudheer as the managing director in Kerala State Industrial Enterprises Ltd. The FIR said though two other persons were shortlisted for the posts after interview and other procedures, Sudheer was selected overlooking them. The industries secretary had issued order appointing Sudheer allegedly as per the directive of Jayarajan, it said. It was stated that mandatory vigilance clearance needed for appointments in such key posts were also not obtained. When the issue turned into a controversy, Jayarajan, party strong man from Kannur and also a confidant of chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, resigned in November last year. He represents Mattanorr segment in the state assembly. Meanwhile, Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala said registering FIR against Jayarajan clearly vindicated the opposition's stand on the issue. He also wanted the role of chief minister to be inquired. The leader criticised Vigilance for delaying the quick verification in the case even though there is a Supreme Court directive to complete it within 42 days after getting the complaint. In this case, the agency took 89 days to complete the Quick Verification and register the case, he said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. By Express News Service VIJAYAWADA: The State government on Friday signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the Netherlands government and seven companies in food processing, marketing and technologies, to benefit the horticulture and aquaculture farmers across the State. The MoUs were signed in the presence of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, Agriculture Minister K Kannababu, Andhra Pradesh State Agriculture Mission vice-chairperson MVS Nagi Reddy and Special Chief Secretary (Agriculture) Poonam Malakondaiah. The government signed an MoU with the Netherlands for interior architecture, design, packaging and containers for the food processing. Ambassador of Netherlands to India Martin Van Den Berg attended the programme through video conference from New Delhi, while its representative Sani Girdina attended in person. During a review meeting, the CM emphasised the need for having MoUs with big companies for technology and marketing and observed that lack of such agreements will create problems of marketing the agriculture produce. He also stressed the need for involving women SHGs in food processing and marketing. He said there should be integration between big companies and SHGs on food processing. He directed the officials concerned to introduce food processing technology courses in colleges as special courses and set up food testing labs as part of the integrated labs to be set up in the districts. The CM said focus should be on seven to eight main crops, which create a problem for the farmers. Food processing of these crops will help the farmers to a large extent. An MoU with Tiruchirappalli-based ICAR-National Research Centre for Banana was signed for banana cultivation and processing. The institute promotes micro food processing and is involved in quality testing laboratories. Principal Scientist Dr Siva and senior scientist Dr Suresh Kumar, who signed the MoU on behalf of the institute, showed dried banana products and explained the process and technology used to the Chief Minister. An agreement was reached with Pune-based Futuretech Foods Private Limited for processing of bananas and other foods along with different vegetables. CEO Ajit Soman, who signed the document, explained the vacuum technology. An MoU with Big Basket for marketing infrastructure pertaining to food processing of tomato and banana was signed. Company zonal head K Ramachandra Kiran explained that Big Basket is involved with food processing in Anantapur district and now they are focusing on collection centres. The MoU with ITC, signed by its vice president G Krishna Kumar, was meant for food processing of mango, sweet lime, chillies among others. Similarly, the MoU with Lawrencedale Agro Processing India Private Limited is for food processing of onions. CEO Vijaya Raghavan signed the MoU. The government also entered into an agreement with IFB for technology and marketing of shrimp and fish and also signed an MoU with Empire Company for export and retail marketing of shrimp and fish. An Army soldier was killed and two others got injured during an incident of ceasefire violation in north Kashmirs Nowgam sector on Saturday. Defence spokesman said that Pakistan initiated an unprovoked Ceasefire Violation (CFV) along the Line of Control in Nowgam sector, Baramulla on the morning September 5 by firing Mortars and other weapons. Befitting response was given. One soldier laid down his life in the line of duty. Two soldiers sustained injuries and have been evacuated to 92 Base Hospital. Their condition is stable. The soldier who was killed has been identified as gunner Bhupinder Singh of 17 Brigade. Officials said that Pakistani troopers used light weapons and mortars. The Indian soldiers deployed on the forward posts also responded to the ceasefire violation. Also read: Congress urges PM Modi, Rajnath Singh to take nation into confidence on India-China border row Nowgam sector falls under the jurisdiction of strategic 19 infantry division. This year, Nowgam sector has been very volatile as many ceasefire violations were reported in the sector in the last four-five months. Last month, the army also foiled an infiltration bid in the same sector and killed two militants. Senior army officials blamed Pakistan for frequent ceasefire violations in the sector to facilitate infiltration. Recently armys top commanders in Kashmir had said that militants are waiting to sneak into Valley from the launching pads, however, the army is alert to face any challenge, the officials said. Amazon itself was forced to take action on Friday and deleted 20k of its reviews Amazon has deleted 20,000 reviews written by its top 10 reviewers after it was revealed that some appear to be receiving free products in exchange for five-star feedback. One such reviewer, Justin Fryer, who was found to have given five-star reviews on average once every four hours, seemed to then go on to sell the same products on eBay. In August alone he reviewed 15,000 worth of products including smartphones, electric scooters and gym equipment. Mr Fryer then seemingly sold many of the same products on eBay, making almost 20,000. The investigation, done by The Financial Times, found that the majority of the products were from small Chinese brands - who in the past have been known to send free items to reviewers for positive feedback. Justin Fryer, who was found to have given five-star reviews on average once every four hours, seemed to then go on to sell the same products on eBay Online review analysis group, Fakespot, estimates that 58 per cent of products on the UK site had seemingly fake reviews in May When contacted by the FT, Mr Fryer denied posting any reviews which had been paid for but then proceeded to delete his review history from his profile page. He added that products he sold on eBay which were listed as 'unopened' were duplicates. Six other top 10-ranked Amazon UK reviewers also deleted their review history. The FT found that nine of Amazon UK's current top 10 reviewers were dabbling in suspicious behaviour and the majority of five-star reviews were for Chinese products from unknown brands. Investigators then found many of the same items in forums which offered free products in exchange for reviews. Amazon itself was forced to take action on Friday and deleted 20,000 of its reviews. Amazon has said it will investigate the recent findings and that is suspends, bans and sues people who flout its rules (file photo) The Competition and Markets Authority launched a probe into suspicious online store reviews in May. The UK watchdog estimates that such reviews influence 23billion worth of shopping in the country every year. A spokesman told the FT: 'We will not hesitate to take further action if we find evidence that the stores aren't doing what's required under the law.' Online review analysis group, Fakespot, estimates that 58 per cent of products on the UK site had seemingly fake reviews in May. The company's chief executive, Saoud Khalifah, told the FT: 'The scale of this fraud is amazing and Amazon UK has a much higher percentage of fake reviews than other platforms.' Amazon has said it will investigate the recent findings and that is suspends, bans and sues people who flout its rules. A spokesman said: 'We want Amazon customers to shop with confidence, knowing that the reviews they read are authentic and relevant.' However, the company was told of Mr Fryer's suspicious activity since early August when one user emailed CEO Jeff Bezos directly when his initial complaints were ignored. While some of Mr Fryer's reviews were removed, no other action was taken. On August 13 Mr Fryer was found to have sold an electric scooter for 485.99, just one week after posting a review of the same item on Amazon in which he described it as 'hands down my favourite toy'. Mr Fryer has said that eBay listings he makes are using duplicate products and denied that he was given free products in exchange for positive reviews. That the first Monday in September is a statutory holiday in Canada has roots that go all the way back to 1872, when Toronto printers went on strike for decent working conditions. Nowadays Labour Day is celebrated more than anything else as a last-gasp holiday before the end of summer. But this holiday Monday, even without the customary parades, cant help but evoke more of its traditional role in calling attention to the need for better pay and conditions for the workers abandoned on the sidelines of economic progress. And not just because the coronavirus has cut into the possibilities for long-weekend fun. As the pandemic laid waste to our economy it ruthless exposed the deep inequalities in our communities and how badly frayed our social safety net has become. It revealed how much is wrong with the labour market and how completely outdated and inadequate are government regulations when it comes to doing anything about it. Millions of Canadians were plunged into unemployment as much of the economy were closed overnight to curtail the coronavirus. So few of them would have qualified for existing unemployment benefits that the federal government had to rush out new support programs to stave off an even bigger economic disaster. The crisis made it impossible to ignore how low-paid and precarious work has become for so many people. And its made it clear thats not just a tragedy for them; its a problem for us all. The use of poorly paid, part-time personal support workers and temp agency staff in long-term-care homes, for example, served to undermine the precautions that could have kept seniors in those homes safer and indeed alive. And on the front lines of essential services, from food production to grocery stores, too many people had no sickness benefits, making it difficult for them to stay home when ill, increasing the risks for everyone. Ontario actually had to recall the legislature to pass a law making it clear that workers cant be fired just for being sick or staying home to care for children at a time of crisis. Thats how bad weve let things get. Already the crisis has forced some improvements. Last month, the Trudeau government announced an overhaul of Canadas antiquated Employment Insurance program, making it easier for people to qualify and increasing the payouts. It also launched three new programs, including an income benefit for the self-employed and contract workers and a COVID-19 caregiver benefit and sickness benefit. The benefits still need to be enacted by Parliament and, even then, theyre meant to be temporary while the government drafts what the Liberals have promised will be a more equitable and inclusive post-pandemic economy. Canadians must hold Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to that promise and keep at bay those who push back against those who will prematurely call for cutting back on government spending. Theres still so much work to do to build the better labour market that workers deserve and Canada needs. We need only look at how quickly businesses Loblaws, Metro, Sobeys and Walmart, to name a few clawed back the $2-per-hour pay premium for their hero front-line workers to know that. Or that food-delivery giant Foodora abruptly left Canada rather than face the possibility of a unionized workforce in a position to demand better pay and conditions. Or that Ontario Premier Doug Ford still doesnt believe in paid sick leave for everyone. Even after all weve learned about how the coronavirus spreads and how many people cant afford to stay home without pay, Ford still doesnt get it. If the mantra of build back better means anything, we must revalue low-paid but essential work and tackle the scourge of precarious work, gig economy jobs and temp agencies that leave workers scrambling just to earn minimum wage. We need to legislate paid sick days for all workers (and not just for those directly affected by COVID-19) and dramatically expand affordable childcare so that women arent held back. Its long past time that our labour laws recognized the current realities of what work is actually like for people on the lower rungs of the economy and the lengths that some businesses will go to undercut worker compensation and protections. The pandemic has shown how essential much low-paid, undervalued work really is, and revealed that people are working in conditions society should no longer tolerate. Having accepted that better job protections and income supports are necessary in a crisis, we cant go back to pretending theyre not needed all the time. Fixing the labour market and ensuring more workers have a chance at a decent job isnt just the right thing to do. Its vital to making Canada more resilient to future upheavals, whether that be another wave of COVID-19 or some other new disaster we havent yet imagined. This Labour Day is a time to reflect on lessons learned the hard way through the pandemic and redouble efforts to create a better future for all workers. Trooper describes last weeks shootings Alaska Wildlife Trooper Colin Nemec said two of the bears he and Haines Police officer Brayton Long shot last Monday near Small Tracts Road were in the process of tearing through the siding and insulation of a residents guest house. As of Wednesday morning, 17 bears have been killed in the Haines Borough this year, 11 in the townsite and six outside the townsite, according to Alaska Department of Fish and Game data. Law enforcement have killed 10 bears including four cubs that couldnt survive on their own. Three bears have been wounded, but are not confirmed dead. Residents were surprised by gunfire last week as law enforcement officers killed four bears. Residents reported dozens of shots fired and one said an injured bear with blood on its head ran through her yard during the shooting. Nemec, who was unavailable for comment last week after the incident, told the CVN Monday morning that he and Long killed four bears that arrived at the scene and displayed aggression. They literally ripped a side of the building off, Nemec said of the first two bears officers encountered. They went through the 2x4s and the insulation and the siding to get through to the house. We got ten to fifteen feet away from the bears and tried to scare them away. They didnt leave. They bolstered up to us. We agreed to dispatch them. Nemec said they shot one of the bears and the other ran off. They were unable to fire again because of an unsafe backdrop, Nemec said. When the officers returned to the original scene, two more bears had arrived. We shot one of those because they were displaying a possessive aggression toward that cabin, like it was their food source they were protecting, Nemec said. As we were taking care of those, we had others come back at us, getting back on their hind haunches. The bears were seeing the shed they were destroying as theirs, that they needed to defend it. One bear was wounded and the officers tracked it, but were unable to locate it because they lost the blood trail. Nemec says eight bears approached the officers and that some of the gunfire residents heard was the sound of rubber bullets and cracker rounds, a shotgun type round designed to scare wildlife. We did scare several bears away, Nemec said. We fired cracker rounds and some rubber bullets to try and scare the bears away. (We shot) the ones that were either in the process of tearing down the building or the ones who werent scared away by our presence or by our shouting. We didnt track these bears down. They came to us. Nemec said the police department received 24 calls related to property damage in the two weeks prior to the event, many of the calls from people living on Small Tracts Road and near 24 Mile Haines Highway. This weekend Ive had reports of six bears entering property and three reports of bears charging people, Nemec said. On Monday morning, Nemec said he hazed a bear using cracker rounds on Young Road that promptly ran away because of the noise. It was afraid of us and thats what we like to see, Nemec said. Luck Dunbars storage facility was severely damaged by bears last weekend. Bears ripped the doors off eight storage areas. On Sunday, a week after the four bears were shot by police, the storage area was damaged again. When asked if residents are leaving out bear attractants, Nemec said police arent seeing many citable offenses. Police have issued two such citations this year. Theres berries and fruit trees everywhere, Nemec said. Theres going to be bears in town because it is a food source for them. If (people) are leaving trash out, if they are leaving compost unattended and we have to respond to calls, those people will definitely be getting tickets. In Juneau, nine bears have been killed this year. Juneau Police Department officers have issued 33 citations this year, according to Community Services officer Bob Dilley, who said the department is receiving many reports of damage related to bears this year. The Juneau police department has five community service officers that largely respond to bear calls. Shannon Donahue, executive director of the Great Bear Foundation, said the Haines townsite will always have bears passing through as they travel to various food sources. Whether those sources are from human or natural sources is up to the community, she said. If one person in a neighborhood is rewarding bears by leaving attractants out, they can cause trouble for everyone, and bears will stick around and get into our stuff, Donahue said. If they keep getting rewards, thats when we get situations like what weve been seeing this summer--where bears find meals in enough peoples sheds that they start breaking into structures even when theres not an overwhelming attractant, because theyve had enough luck in the past. Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologist Carl Koch last week said hes seeing instances of sheds and vehicles with food and trash in them that might not always be considered nuisances, but should be secured to prevent property damage. When someone calls me, we go down this list: chickens, garbage, freezers. Often theres something. It may be something that would not be illegal under statute, but Im still very often going to ask them to secure it and suggest ways to do it. He said local police often choose to educate people about bear attractants. When I talk to the police and I say hey looks like there is trash involved, they have determined that the best course of action is education. Fish and Game provides electric fences to residents during bear season and a local group of volunteers have been volunteering to pick fruit trees for residents. Call the public library at 766-6420 for more information on fruit picking options. Haines Borough code states that material completely enclosed in a structure or container which requires hand tools to open does not qualify as a bear attractant. Thats in line with Sitka and Juneau law except that those municipalities codes goes on to specify that such a container would be considered a nuisance if it has proven ineffective to withstand entry by a bear whether by design or improper use. Patrick Bentley is one of Fingal's most unique authors because when he's done writing, he hits the road selling his latest work from door to door and touching people's lives as he goes. A committed anti-drugs campaigner, Patrick has written a couple of novels sent against the background of addiction and petty crime, a works he was all to familar with as a youth. Since then he has found his God and a new path and mission in life, which he pursues through the medium of storytelling. With the arrival of his latest novel, Greenridge, Patrick has been hitting the doors again and the reception has been fantastic for a change in direction and his first foray into the world of comedy, albeit dark comedy. The set-up for this story does not sound like the perfect launch pad for laughs, but with the local author's skills a storyteller, he managed to weave tragedy and comedy together seamlessly. We meet the author in the Bracken Court Hotel in Balbriggan which makes an appearance in the book. Patrick explains: 'I wanted to go down a different route as a writer so this is a comedy/drama. 'People are saying they got a great laugh out of it but it's a comedy/drama and there's a serious side to the story too where there's a girl after losing her mother in a car crash. 'She has head injuries and an arm injury that stopped her going back to work and left her in a big mess. 'She's consumed by grief and she's trying to rebuild her life. 'She meets this guy that helps her rebuild her life and they are getting married here at the Bracken Court Hotel and everything is all planned out but this guy is not what he seems and she's not heading for redemption, she's heading for a cliff.' The comedy mostly comes through a second strand in the story. Patrick explains: 'There's a second thread to the story, set in a fictional psychiatric hospital in Naul where there's an under-qualified doctor trying to run the hospital and this is the Greenridge of the title. 'There's a character at the hospital called Christy Boyle who is a maintenance guy but he has an obsession handed down to him by his father that he is going to take over as head nurse. 'He's on a mission and hears voices from his father pointing him in certain directions.' Patrick expands on the character, saying: 'He is hilarious, he's trying to date a nurse who is only 21 and he believes she is mad about him. So his plan is to get the top job and marry this young, beautiful nurse. 'So the story jumps back and forth from the dark comedy of the hospital and the story with the girl heading for that cliff and the two stories intersect at the end.' It took two years to complete the book but that also included starting a sequel to the book which is already some 65,000 words in. A sequel was invited by the ending of Greenridge, which Patrick says 'ends on a real cliffhanger'. All that productivity came before the pandemic lockdown which inspired another change in direction for the local author. He put aside the sequel to Greenridge for a while and began to revisit his first autobiographical book, The Jagged Halo. Patrick has a new perspective on the darker days of his life that feature in that book and felt a new perspective was needed on the story of his life, and the life of his late and beloved brother, Alex. He explains: 'When the lockdown came, I left that aside and did something I always wanted to do and revisit my autobiography, Jagged Halo. 'When Alex died, I decided I wanted to go back to Jagged Halo and bring him into it and write about his childhood and what happened to him. 'The story of his childhood has never been told. He was taken into residential care as a five-year-old.. ended up in an institution - left a lot of scars in his life which he never recovered from. 'He was a year older than and his death, two years ago, was devastating, absolutely devastating.' But that is not the only reason the local author had for revisiting the story. He explains: 'It was for me as well. When I read over it now, there are parts I don't like. In quite a lot of that book, I'm talking as a victim. 'But when Alex died, I went for counselling and it all emerged from those counselling sessions that I could see things from both sides and not be the victim anymore and take more responsibility for my own actions. 'That was one of the reasons I wanted to go back to the book and tear it apart and look at it from that new perspective.' The petty crime of his youth was revisited in those counselling sessions and what cam out of it was an 'overwhelming' sense of shame, as illustrated by a story Patrick tells of meeting a garda officer who once put him in jail. He explains: 'I did feel shame in those counselling sessions and when it came, it was overwhelming. 'I actually bumped into a guard recently, who was responsible for me being locked up. He's not well and he had a Mass Card for Alex. 'We had a chat and he said I should be proud of myself for turning my life around from where I came from. He asked me if I thought I was unfairly treated, and I said: 'No'. 'I said I feel more responsible for my own actions and I told him I'd love to visit the homes of people I did wrong to over the years and apologise.' Since lockdown was lifted, Patrick has been hitting the road and selling his latest book, door-to-door around Fingal and beyond. Selling the book is only part of his daily mission though and what the local author really loves about this part of the job is getting to talk to people about their lives. He is fascinated by the stories of particularly older people he meets along the way but also values time spent with younger people where he takes the chance to advise them how to avoid some of the mistake he made as a youth. Patrick's creative juices are flowing at the moment and he has three books on the go at the same time. He's returned to the sequel for Greenridge, as well as that update on The Jagged Halo and as a committed Christian, he's decied for the first time, to write a small book about the spiritual journey he continues to travel. There's a lot on his plate and as he deals with it all, his ever present partner in life, Sharon has been there there back him up. Patrick also thanked the Arts Office in Fingal County Council for their support in getting the new book off the ground and said that Greenridge is only available in Paddy's Bookshop in Skerries or from the author himself. You can find Patrick on Facebook or if you're patient, you can wait for him to knock on your door some evening and sell the book directly to you on the doorstep. It's a unique way of doing business but one that keeps the author in touch with his readers like no other author can boast. He's built up a real loyal following over the years and gathers new fans all the time. Among the more notable fans of his work has been blues supremo, Don Baker who once again gave his seal of approval to Greenridge. Those who have finished the book cannot wait for the sequel and Patrick promises that Greenridge II is on the way. But we can look forward to much, much more from this dedicated local author in the not too distant future. Whether its re-examining his own extraordinary life, delving into the darker sides of Irish life of just making you laugh, there is something in Patrick Bentley's writing for every reader. If the local author turns up on your doorstep in the coming weeks and months, invite him in for a cup of tea and a chat and you might just learn something as this reporter always does when we sit down for our occasional chats. Showik Chakraborty and Samuel Miranda were arrested by the NCB under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act on Friday night A Mumbai court on Saturday remanded Showik Chakraborty and Samuel Miranda, arrested in connection with the drugs probe linked to actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death, to the custody of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) till 9 September. While Showik is the brother of Rhea Chakraborty, the main accused in the case, Miranda was Rajput's house manager. According to a tweet by CNN News18, Kaizan Ibrahim, the alleged drug peddler, has been sent to a 14-day judiacial custody. Check out the tweet below #Alert - Showik Chakraborty, Samuel Miranda Sent to NCB Custody Till September 9. @Herman_Gomes reports from outside NCB office Join the broadcast with @AnushaSoni23. pic.twitter.com/5oLJMiO6wQ CNNNews18 (@CNNnews18) September 5, 2020 The NCB earlier took Showik and Miranda to a civic hospital here for medical tests on Saturday morning, an official said. After the tests, the duo were presented in a local court, he said. They were arrested by the NCB under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act on Friday night after over 10 hours of questioning. "Both the accused were taken to the civic-run Sion Hospital around 9.15 am on Saturday by an NCB team for formalities of medical tests," the official said. "After the completion of the process, they will be produced in a court," he added. The NCB has already arrested Zaid Vilatra (21) and Abdel Basit Parihar (23). They are currently in the probe agency's custody. It is probing the drug angle in this case under criminal sections of the NDPS Act after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) shared with it a report following the cloning of two mobile phones of Rhea Chakraborty. Meanwhile, the NCB will record the statement of Rajput's cook on Saturday in connection with a drugs probe linked to the actor's death, officials said. They said the cook, Dipesh Sawant, has been made to join the investigation. His role is that of a "witness" and he will be questioned and his statement recorded by the agency, they said. * A collection of Suicide prevention helpline numbers are available here. Please reach out if you or anyone you know is in need of support. The All-India helpline number is: 022 2754 6669 Experts say it's not a good idea to warm up your car in winter Experts say it's not a good idea to warm up your car in winter. Here's why. When asked what carnival ride Zoey Watson liked best at the Twin Falls County Fair, the 3-year-old pointed to "that one and that one and that one." Her parents, Melinah Chester and Kyle Watson, escorted Zoey through a maze of stuffed animals and food vendors while her week-old brother, Elijah, slept soundly in a shaded stroller. Adults and children alike staggered out of green and orange spinning dragons and teenagers rode carousel horses while multitasking on their cellphones. Squeals of laughter wafted through the air, accompanied by the smell of barbecued pork, chili burgers and onions. The fair opened Wednesday with a respectable number of visitors, considering no event was scheduled in the grandstand. About 3,500 people came through the gates on opening day, fair manager John Pitz said. Normal attendance on the first day of the fair averages between 6,000 to 7,000 folks. But with no event in the grandstand that night, Pitz expected a 3,000-visitor drop in attendance. He hopes a fourth rodeo added to this year's lineup will make up the difference. An extraordinary roster of rodeo cowboys signed on this year, he said. With many rodeos canceled this summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic, rodeo contestants need additional points to qualify for the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. "We have the top 20 guys in every event scheduled every night," Pitz said. The Twin Falls Fair runs through Labor Day. Yesterday, OMB Director Russell Vought issued on behalf of the Executive Office of the President a memorandum to the heads of all federal departments and agencies. The memorandum bans all agencies from training their employees in critical race theory or white privilege. It is a thing of beauty. Here is the memo, in its entirety. It is also embedded below. The President should make this order, and his opposition to the half-baked racism and anti-Americanism that masquerade under the names of equity and white privilege, a centerpiece of his campaign. These leftist initiatives, which have been imposed on much of corporate America and the public schools as well as on government employees, are deeply unpopular. Do you suppose a reporter will ask Joe Biden whether he agrees with this order, or is that too much to hope for? Newsfrom Japan Tokyo, Sept. 4 (Jiji Press)--A total of 149 lawmakers are set to join a new opposition party to be created through the planned merger of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and the Democratic Party for the People, the two parties and other groups said Friday. Meanwhile, 22 DPFP members have decided not to take part in the new party. The new main opposition party, the first such large force since the 2017 breakup of the Democratic Party, is determined to take political power from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. The new party will have 106 members in the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of parliament, and 43 in the House of Councillors, the upper chamber. The CDPJ has 89 lawmakers--56 in the Lower House and 33 in the Upper House. All of them except Genki Sudo, an Upper House lawmaker, will join the new party. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] A sister of one of the Takoradi girls who were kidnapped and later killed has said she heard her sister crying on the telephone the kidnappers used to contact them. Rita Quayson, who is the fifth prosecution witness in the case of kidnapping and subsequent murder of four Takoradi girls, told a Sekondi High Court on Wednesday that her younger sister, Ruth Love Quayson, whom DNA results conducted by the police showed she is dead, had begged her family to find GH500 for the kidnappers for her to be released. She told the court presided over by Justice Richard Adjei-Frimpong that her sister was kidnapped on December 4, 2018 and when she was not being found, the kidnappers used her sisters mobile phone to call their mother to inform her that Ruth Love had been kidnapped. My mom gave the phone to me, so I was the one who spoke to her. She told me the kidnapper was demanding GH500 ransom. My sister was crying as she spoke, the witness narrated. Looking For Job She said on December 4, 2018 around 9:30 a.m., she was with her mother when Ruth Love left home for the MTN office at the Takoradi Market Circle. She said her younger sister told them that a friend had called her that there was a job vacancy at MTN and so she was going for that job. She said Ruth Love went out with her friend, Stacy, who is a next-door neighbour at Diabene, near Takoradi. She said around 1:00 p.m. same day, Ruth Love called their mother to inform her that she had been kidnapped. She said the mother gave the phone to her (Rita) and after speaking with her younger sister, she asked for another sister of theirs, Rebecca Quayson, to go to the police station to report the matter. Calling Pastor My mother also asked me to call our pastor who was already in Takoradi for a meeting. My sister and the pastor met at the police station and made the report, she said. According to Rita, when Stacy (Ruth Loves friend) returned, she indicated that before the two of them left for Takoradi, Ruth Love was charging her phone while she went to have her bath. Sammy N/F Stacy said while Ruth Love was bathing, a number which was saved as Sammy N/F called several times and that while they were in a car going, the same number kept on calling so Ruth Love had to get down from the trotro between a place called BU and Nkroful Junction, the witness said. She said later she went to give the police that information and a police CID called Ametepey asked that she should go to the police station with Stacy and so they went and Stacy gave her statement. She said later in the evening, the one alleged to have kidnapped the sister called their mother again with Ruth Loves number and because my moms phone was put on loud speaker I could hear the kidnapper demanding more money before she would release my sister. Informing CID The person who called was a male. Immediately, I called Mr. Ametepey to inform him about all that the kidnapper had said. The CID told us not to send any huge amount and so I sent GH100 through my sisters MTN number on the instructions of the kidnapper, she told the court. The witness said the next day, December 5, 2018, early in the morning, the kidnapper called my mother and asked for a GH10,000 ransom but my mother told him she did not have that amount and the kidnapper asked my mom to pay GH8,000. We decided to go back to the police station and on our way the kidnapper kept calling and repeated his demand for the ransom. When we got to the police station the CID told us that the best thing to do in that situation was to get the call list on Ruth Loves phone, she added. Court Order She said the CID explained that they needed a court order in order to get the call list on her sisters phone. She said later the CID asked for financial assistance to enable him to process for the court order and so he was given GH200. Rita Quayson said the CID told them that when the kidnapper called again, they should tell the criminal the family was making the arrangement to get the money for him. She said the order for the call list was delaying and so she sought the assistance of the BNI, who later assisted in getting the call list. She noted that on the call list, some three numbers were consistent and so they gave it to the police for further investigations. SMS Alert She said the following day in the afternoon, the kidnapper sent an SMS message which read, You want to joke with us right? and added that she had the message on her phone. She said in the evening, the kidnapper sent another message which also read, Your daughter is sick; you better pay so that she can come back home. She said the kidnapper followed it with a call and demanded the money again, and she recorded the conversation and sent it to the CID officer. She said her phone developed a fault so she used the pastors phone to call the kidnapper on her sisters phone and told him they were arranging to pay the money. Kidnapper Arrested So one Sunday, the kidnapper called the pastors number and our pastor managed to send him GH500. So later, the police called to inform us that someone had been arrested in connection with the kidnapping. When we went to the Takoradi Central Police Station we realized from the accent that Samuel Udoetuk Wills who was arrested, was the one who demanded the ransom, she pointed out. She added that after the arrest, the call to demand ransom ceased but continued after the suspect escaped from police custody. Skeletal Remains She said sometime in January 2019, the police made a discovery of skeletal remains at the uncompleted building at Nkroful, the same place where the prime suspect in the case, Samuel Udoetuk Wills, was rearrested. She said later samples of her mother and herself were taken for the DNA test and also said that the Inspector General of Police organized a press conference in Accra and announced that the test conducted indicated that the skeletal remains belonged to the missing girls including my sister. Cross-Examination During cross-examination, the Counsel for the suspect, Mark Bosia, of the Legal Aid Board, asked the witness, The first time you met Samuel Wills was at the Takoradi Police Station, right and she answered in the affirmative. He asked again When you spoke to the alleged kidnapper, how did he introduce himself to you? The witness answered, He only said he had kidnapped my sister. The lawyer asked, What was so unique about the voice? She answered the person spoke broken Twi and English with a Nigerian accent and used the same accent when he was before the Takoradi Magistrate Court for causing damage and escaping from custody. The lawyer said to the witness I suggest to you that the alleged kidnapper never spoke Twi in court and that it was your own opinion. The witness responded, He spoke broken Twi and I have recorded his voice on phone. Sitting continues next Monday. Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Use of tear gas, rubber bullets, batons, shields, chokeholds and sound cannons against peaceful protesters has been temporarily banned DETROIT (AP) A federal judge late Friday temporarily barred Detroit police from using tear gas, rubber bullets, batons, shields, chokeholds or sound cannons against peaceful Black Lives Matter protesters after a group accused the city for excessive force. U.S. District Court Judge Laurie Michelson partially granted a temporary restraining order filed Monday by Detroit Will Breathe against the city of Detroit, accusing police of using excessive force to deter protesters from practicing their free speech rights. The order will be in effect for at least 14 days. Its a win but the fight continues, said Jack Schulz, who filed the lawsuit for Detroit Will Breathe. For a short period, we know that the police will not be able to use the brutal tactics they have in the past against peaceful protesters without violating a court order. Protesters and Detroit Riot Police officers engage in an escalating series of confrontations in Downtown Detroit following a day of protests for the death of George Floyd on May 29, 2020 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images) Meanwhile, Police Chief James Craig said the order wont change how his department handles protests because officers have used force only when protesters werent peaceful. READ MORE: AG William Barr says Jacob Blake shooting may have been justified A spokesman for the city of Detroit didnt immediately have a response to Fridays ruling After reviewing videos of police interactions with protesters, Michelson determined that some protesters could win their case. These videos, buttressed by the testimonial evidence, establishes that at least some Plaintiffs have a likelihood of success on their claims that the DPD used excessive force against them, she wrote. Demonstrators protest against police brutality for a second day following a night of confrontations between protesters and riot police on May 30, 2020 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images) The lawsuit, filed Monday in U.S. District Court, alleges that Detroit police used batons, shields and rubber bullets to crack bones, cause lumps and concussions, collapse lungs other injuries that left protesters hospitalized and disoriented during demonstrations that started on May 29, days after Minneapolis police killed George Floyd. Story continues READ MORE: Video in Black mans suffocation shows cops put hood on him Under Michelsons order, Detroit police are prohibited from: Dispersing chemicals, including pepper spray and tear gas, absent a verbal warning and a reasonable amount of time to disseminate Using batons or shields to hit peaceful protesters who arent posing a physical threat to public safety or police Placing protesters in chokeholds Arresting protesters in groups without probable cause or tightening zip ties or handcuffs to cause injury Have you subscribed to theGrios podcast Dear Culture? Download our newest episodes now! The post Judge bans Detroit police tactics against protesters appeared first on TheGrio. The long-awaited provision of funding for a footpath at Boyne Business Park has been welcomed Local TD Fergus O'Dowd has welcomed a total of 1,119,000 which has been allocated for Active Travel and Climate Change Adaption measures in County Louth and East Meath. Singled out for special mention is the long-awaited provision of a footpath at Boyne Business Park, where business owners have campaigned for years to get safety measures installed on the busy section of road which leads to the park. 170,000 has been allocated for provision of new or widened footpaths or cycle tracks; crossing facilities in towns and villages including raised surfaces, zebra crossings and signalised crossings. 'I'm particularly happy to see that long awaited funding for the Boyne Business Park has finally been awarded which I have campaigned on for a number of years now,' says Deputy O'Dowd. Business owner Geoff Fitzpatrick is also delighted at the news, having lobbied for years to get improvements installed by Louth County Council. 'This is great news and very positive for all the people who work here and use the facilities, says Geoff, owner of Fitz Scientific. 'There is no lighting or footpath along here, and hopefully it will be constructed soon, as it is not safe at the moment, 'That said, this is a good positive move, to show support for local businesses, and our customers.' People living in the Victorian coastal town of Apollo Bay are being urged to get tested for coronavirus after viral particles were found in wastewater taken from the sewerage network. Anyone with even the mildest symptom of the virus living in Apollo Bay or neighbouring communities should be tested and isolate while they await their results, Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton warned late Saturday afternoon. People living in the Victorian coastal town of Apollo Bay are being urged to get tested for coronavirus after viral particles were found in wastewater taken from the sewerage network. The discovery of the virus in the sewerage water comes after a sample was taken from the Apollo Bay wastewater treatment plant on Tuesday, with a positive result returned on Friday. Scientists from Melbourne Water have been taking samples of sewage from around the state since early May in the hope it will lead to an early-warning system that can sense an outbreak before it shows up in clinical testing. New Delhi, Sep 5 : Controversial yet popular, detested yet followed - BJP's lone MLA from Telangana has a fan base base of his own. Raja Singh's alleged hate speech was central to the recent Wall Street Journal article that sparked a debate on Facebook's alleged pro-BJP bias forcing it to belatedly ban Singh. However, it hardly has affected his fan base that continues to run fan pages on Facebook, some of which are very active and have lakhs of followers. For instance, "Tiger Raja Singh Fan Club" is one of the most active and followed pages that idolises Singh, someone the opposition calls a "hate monger" and Facebook has banned. It has a whopping 211,164 followers and 180,880 likes. This Facebook page cover's photo screams, 'I am not secular, I am Hindu'. It has also been sharing articles about the recent controversy about the social media giant banning him where the comment section has been dominated by assertions that make him look like someone who has been wronged for raising his "voice". The same page recently posted a screenshot of Singh's tweet demanding to know from Facebook authorities the reason for his removal. The page administrators posted it with a comment "By banning him they have taken his pro-Hindu work across India. Lakhs of ppl are his fans already. Now millions more will join. Raja Singh Bhai aap aage badho." Meanwhile, there is "We Support Raja Bhai" with 10,940 followers. This page primarily showcases Singh's video statements, for instance on Citizenship Amendment Act or Ram Navami parade being cancelled to the pandemic. But, the page also gives platform to video of RSS training or the video of the Palghar lynching of saints - things that set the larger Hindu nationalist narrative. The 'about' section of the page reads, "Bharat Mata Ki Jai! Can't stop worshipping India due to the noise made by anyone. As long as there is a stir in the blood, saffron cannot bow down !! Jai Shree Ram." Similarly, there is another Facebook page by the name of "T.Raja Singh Yuva Sena" which has 9,440 followers. Though this page, which was created in 2015, has not been very active, it is riddled with propaganda material which shows him as a politician who espouses the 'Hindu cause' with photos of him standing next to Shivaji. Then there are pages like "I like Raja Singh" with 7,034 followers. The latest post is about the BJP MLA meeting Telangana Home Minister Md Mahmood Ali where he asked, "From which terror organisation I have threat". This after he was asked to travel in bullet proof cars only following his rising threat perception. In another post, it flaunts a news article talking about the threat perception, where he is referred to as "Hindu Hriday Samrat". Notwithstanding the grave allegations of hate speech against Singh, who in a string of controversial statements said that he will "behead" those opposing Ram temple at Ayodhya. In 2017, he was quoted to have said, "To those who warn of dire consequences if Ram Mandir is built. We were waiting for you to say this so we can behead you." The same year, in a video released, Singh had asked West Bengal to repeat the 2002 riots in Gujarat, in the state. A Facebook spokesperson said, "We have banned Raja Singh from Facebook for violating our policy prohibiting those that promote or engage in violence and hate from having a presence on our platform." However that doesn't dissuade his fan base. On the contrary, that's what makes him "popular" in the virtual world. Not just Facebook pages with lakhs of followers but many individuals too started fan pages for Singh with a limited number of followers. One of them is "I Support T. Raja Singh" with just 2,617 followers or "Raja Singh Team Jai Sri Ram" with a humble 3,940 followers. And there are plenty like these. However, there is an overarching trend - Singh is pictured next to either Shivaji, Lord Ram or Ganesha statues too ooze that Hindu nationalist sentiment. Regardless of what Facebook has to say about him, his fans view him as a "fighter", "saviour" who does not care about being banned from one social media platform. Singh did not respond to calls or text messages seeking his view on this, till the time this article was written. There is no data to suggest whether there has been any surge or dip in Singh's approval ratings after the social media giant took the big decision. However, he continues to be a 'Hindutva icon' fighting for a 'cause', for his cult fan base, on Facebook. (Anindya Banerjee can be contacted at anindya.b@ians.in) Consumers are facing a winter of price increases that will hit household budgets hard. Electricity prices, health insurance premiums and bank charges are all to rise, while cuts this month in the Vat rate are unlikely to be passed on to consumers by all firms and service providers. The good news is that Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe is promising no income tax rises in the Budget. But it seems firms have decided not to absorb pandemic-related losses and will force prices higher instead. This is set to continue and will encourage people to hoard. Energy prices to rise The move by Electric Ireland to raise electricity prices from October will mean one million customers paying more. And the dozen other providers in the market are expected to now hike prices. The date of the higher prices coincides with an increase in the levy on electricity bills to cover the cost of subsidising electricity generation from renewable sources. The price rise and the levy increase combined will add about 80 to the average household bill. Some energy providers did cut their prices at the start of the year when wholesale energy costs collapsed. There were small reductions and are against a background of cumulative price hikes of between 20pc and 28pc in the past three years. Now prices are rising again. It all means the thousands of people forced to work from home will be forking out more. Health insurance going up Just months after offering their members refunds, health insurers are engaging in a new round of price rises. Irish Life Health is first out of the traps with a 2.4pc rise from the start of October - but this is expected to be followed by hikes from competitors VHI and Laya. The 2.5pc average rate increase will mean annual costs rising from between 30 and 150 for a family of two adults and two children. It comes after price rises at the start of the year from all three insurers. Then they decided to refund members some of their premiums when claims collapsed for the three-month period that the State took over the private hospitals. Health insurance broker Dermot Goode warned of more rises to come from other insurers after the Irish Life Health increase. "There is no doubt others will follow suit. Consumers need to brace for what is coming," he said. Banks to seek more fees Never shy about hitting consumers when times get tough, our old friends the banks are about to get into a charges-rising frenzy. Already this year, banks have been granted permission to increase a string of customer charges. But there is more to come as the Central Bank has admitted it is reviewing 12 applications to raise charges again. AIB said this week it had ditched plans to charge for using a contactless card, but it is planning to plough ahead with controversial moves to introduce transaction fees in November for around 200,000 customers who have been able to avoid them up to now. Mortgage arrears to rise There are already 26,000 residential mortgage accounts in long-term arrears, with a threat of repossession hanging over these households. Thousands of families whose incomes were affected by the pandemic have applied for temporary payment breaks on their home loans. Those deals are due to finish at the end of this month. The expectation is that a proportion of the 37,000 who are still on the payment holidays will not be able to resume full payments. Vat cut The good news is that the standard rate of value added tax (Vat) has temporarily come down from 23pc to 21pc. This rate applies to the likes of adult clothes, alcohol, telecoms services, most household goods, and petrol and diesel. It also applies to the likes of face masks, and other medical equipment, sold in pharmacies and retail outlets. Some grocery retailers and sellers of mobile phones and laptops are passing on the cut to consumers. Other firms are likely to absorb the cut to boost flagging profit margins, something the Government is not opposed to them doing. Eir is not passing on the Vat reductions. Staycation incentive Couples may be able to claim tax back on hotel and restaurant bills under the Government's staycation subsidy from October 1. It will enable those who holiday in Ireland to reclaim 20pc of their hotel or restaurant bills. The incentive is designed to give a boost to the domestic tourism industry and was announced as part of the July stimulus package. The scheme will provide a maximum of 125 in income tax credits to taxpayers who spend up to 625 in restaurants, pubs, hotels, B&Bs and other qualifying businesses Whether the Vat cut and the staycation subsidy succeed in attracting those who have been squirrelling away cash during the pandemic remains to be seen. Cash in banks and credit unions rose by 2bn in July to a record 120bn. Most people say they have pulled back on big purchases such as cars because of the pandemic. With the travel industry hit hard by the pandemic and associated travel restrictions, a Bray travel agent is demanding retention of the wage subsidy and a grant for the industry. (Brian Lawless/PA). The owner of a Bray travel agency has set up a petition to help save 3,000 jobs in the travel industry in Ireland. The petition is demanding retention of the wage subsidy and a grant for the travel industry. Linda Jones of the Travel Boutique said that the purpose of the petition is to try to highlight 'the serious crisis facing every travel agency in Ireland'. 'We are the first hit and worst hit business in the pandemic,' she said. Travel agents have been prevented from trading due to the government's non essential travel ban. They lost all of our existing bookings and are making no new bookings for 2020. No other business has had to give back everything they previously earned as well as having no sales this year, the petition explains. Since March travel agents have worked for zero income processing thousands of refund requests and changing holidays for their clients. Linda said that please for help made to the government have been ignored so far. 'The "supports" they have announced to date are inappropriate for a business that has been handing out cash to customers for the past six months and are likely to be doing so for another nine months,' she said. 'Our companies retained reserves have been almost wiped out in keeping the company operating and servicing the refunds for our clients, pending some meaningful assistance coming from our government. Over 4,500 people had signed the 'Support Irish Travel' petition on change.org at the time of going to press. Linda said that supports announced to date are not effective nor suitable for an industry going through such devastation. 'We feel the Government just do not understand what a micro-business is and have therefore designed supports for an entirely different type of business.' The SME owners in the Irish travel business are despondent and have asked the public to express their support for their cause. 'Our experience to date is that the Government will not listen and do not understand the effect their non essential travel ban has had on our businesses as it has effectively stopped us trading,' said Linda. 'Young Irish people, with mortgages, creche fees, utility bills are being made redundant in their hundreds already. Soon to be thousands. 'Many are jobs in small towns and villages that will be impossible to replace. We have good forward business but need to get to Easter of next year but we won't without tailored supports from the Government this will not be possible.' B ritains Got Talent has returned to TV screens for the start of the semi-finals, which were delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The auditions episodes were broadcast on ITV in the spring. Hosts Ant and Dec opened the show by reflecting on "a strange few months" and saying how much they have missed the talent. They performed a musical number in which they showed off a huge screen of fans watching the pre-recorded show at home, in place of a live studio audience. The song also introduced viewers to Diversity star Ashley Banjo, who will take Simon Cowells place on the judging panel while the music mogul recovers from back surgery. The semi-final also featured a performance by Diversity, inspired by the coronavirus pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement, which saw the dance troupe take a knee in the middle of the routine. It also saw a dancer dressed as a police officer hold down Mr Banjo, while others performed with police riot shields. Britain's Got Talent - Manchester red carpet: In Pictures 1 /12 Britain's Got Talent - Manchester red carpet: In Pictures Amanda Holden arrives at the Britain's Got Talent photocall PA Anthony McPartlin (left) and Declan Donnelly (right), arrive at the Britain's Got Talent photocall PA Amanda Holden greets fans as she arrives at the Britain's Got Talent photocall PA David Walliams (left) and Simon Cowell, attending the Britain's Got Talent photocall PA Anthony McPartlin (left) and Declan Donnelly (right), arrive at the Britain's Got Talent photocall PA David Walliams (left) and Simon Cowell PA Simon Cowell (left) and David Walliams (right) PA Anthony McPartlin greets fans PA Marilyn Monroe lookalike Suzie Kennedy PA The judges were seated at socially distanced individual desks, rather than on one long desk together. The hosts also stressed all the acts would be "following Government guidelines" and said "some acts will have created bubbles especially for the show", adding that they are in a bubble together. They also announced a format change, saying that after all eight acts perform, the judges will choose one act to send straight to the final. The dozens of acts to have made it through to the semi-finals include Aidan McCann, a young magician from Ireland; Amanda and rescue dog Miracle a magic act from Scotland; the Chineke! Junior Orchestra and Class Dynamix, a choir from Leeds. The first act to perform during the semi-finals was dance troupe Urban Turtles, who showed off their moves to a medley of tracks including I Dreamed A Dream from Les Miserables. Simon Cowell is recovering from back surgery / Getty Images The Britains Got Talent judges were left horrified by the performance of former marine James Stott. They were asked to choose boxes and then press a detonator button to drop a huge weight on top of them. They were relieved when Stott finally cut himself out of the final box left on the stage, unharmed. "It was very butch dear, it was, just the sight of you was masculine enough," Judge David Walliams told him. "It was very, very impressive, I like the seriousness of you. Very original and very memorable." Alesha Dixon said: "The presentation of this act was pretty much perfect for me, suspenseful and exciting." The final act was comedian Steve Royle, who had the judges on their feet with his routine that featured dancers and juggling. Mr Walliams told him: I was totally wowed and if you are not in the final of Britains Got Talent 2020, there will be no justice." Ms Dixon added: You did not disappoint, you had me ugly laughing, you are superhuman, you are perfect at this show and I really hope you are in the final. Amanda Holden told him: You are what the nation needs, I just want this for you so much because I know you have been on this road and you have honed this act over years and years. Meanwhile, Mr Banjo said: It just absolutely killed me, it felt like there was a thousand people here, that is how much energy you brought. Afterwards Mr Royle spoke about how difficult it has been for him to not be able to work and provide for his family during the pandemic, saying: The last few months have been blooming hard. Mr Royle was given a place in the final after the judges voted for him unanimously. The other seven contestants will now face the public vote in the hope of securing the other place in the final. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-04 22:40:27|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (L) greets the Chinese medical experts in Caracas, Venezuela, April 8, 2020. (Venezuela's Presidency/Handout via Xinhua) Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that China and Venezuela share basically similar views on safeguarding their legitimate rights and interests, jointly supporting multilateralism, and improving global governance. BEIJING, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- China stands with the Venezuelan people in their fight against COVID-19 and upholds the Venezuelan government's right to safeguard national sovereignty, and national dignity and development, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday. Wang made the remarks while holding talks with his Venezuelan counterpart Jorge Arreaza via video link. Noting that Latin America is one of the "epicenters" of the COVID-19 pandemic, Wang said Venezuela is facing the challenge of preventing and controlling the epidemic and resolutely fighting hegemony as well. China and Venezuela share basically similar views on safeguarding their legitimate rights and interests, jointly supporting multilateralism, and improving global governance, Wang said, adding that China is willing to provide additional help and support in accordance with Venezuela's needs. Maintaining sovereign equality of nations, resolving disputes by peaceful means, and non-interference in other countries' internal affairs are the most important principles of the UN Charter. But the United States has publicly declared to overthrow the Venezuelan government, and has even escalated its sanctions against Venezuela at this critical anti-epidemic moment, violating the basic humanitarian spirit. "Any external interference runs contrary to the will of the people, and will not be sustainable," Wang said, adding that China believes that Venezuela has the ability and wisdom to resolve the problems it faces through domestic dialogue and China is willing to play a constructive role in this regard. Arreaza said Venezuela appreciated China for dispatching a team of medical experts, providing anti-epidemic material assistance, and speaking up for Venezuela on the international stage to oppose unreasonable unilateral sanctions by the United States. The United States does not want to see the rise of China and emerging market economies. It attempts to delay China's development process and also promote the Monroe Doctrine again in Latin America. These attempts will not succeed, he said. Venezuela firmly supports the one-China principle and believes that China will succeed in its economic and social reform, said Arreaza. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Zainal Abidin Bakar (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, September 5, 2020 09:50 503 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c42d8899 3 Opinion malaysia-indonesia,Malaysia,bilateral-relation Free The month of August will always represent a significant milestone for Indonesia and Malaysia. It marks the celebration of Independence Day of Indonesia and Malaysia, and as its founding members, the anniversary of ASEAN, an organization that continues to advance the growth of the region. More importantly, and in the context of our presence in Jakarta and other important cities in Indonesia, we celebrate the establishment of our official diplomatic relations immediately after Malaysia gained its independence on Aug. 31, 1957. Historically, our relations with Indonesia can be traced to as far as the 7th century when both countries were part of the ancient empires and kingdoms of Majapahit, Aceh, Srivijaya and Johor-Riau. Some of the ethnic groups, including Minang, Bugis and Javanese had migrated to the Malay Peninsula and formed significant communities in modern day Malaysia. The shared history results in many similarities between Malaysia and Indonesia, be them in religion, culture, history and language. These commonalities facilitate unique sociocultural relations, and allow for a special relationship often referred to as serumpun (kinship). We see each other as our closest friend, a strategic partner and an important neighbor. Bilateral ties have continued to be fundamentally strong. Our cooperation with Indonesia continues to expand, generating greater trust and mutual benefits for both countries. There is strong commitment on both sides to further strengthen our relations at every level and in all fields. This has been demonstrated through active engagements between both sides, where high level exchanges continue to shape the framework for Malaysia-Indonesia relations moving forward. As leaders of both countries provide a sound framework for the relations to prosper, economic cooperation has greatly benefitted both sides. Bilateral trade between the two countries stood at US$16,805 billion in 2019. Indonesia is currently Malaysias ninth-largest trading partner and the third largest among ASEAN countries. Malaysia is the fifthlargest investor in Indonesia with investment over $15 billion in areas such as banking, plantation, construction, toll-road, transportation, food industry, chemicals, oil and gas, energy, as well as telecommunications. The strong participation of Malaysian companies signaled Malaysias keen interest to continue investing in Indonesia, which is underpinned by the confidence in the countrys economic trajectory and reforms initiated by President Jokowis administration, especially in improving bureaucratic effectiveness for investors. Notwithstanding the advanced economic cooperation, challenges continue to be aplenty. One of the more current challenges that we face together is on the increasingly disturbing discrimination against palm oil. Insofar, Malaysia and Indonesia, as the worlds leading crude palm oil producers and exporters continue to cooperate through the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC), oftentimes sharing the same voice in fighting discrimination against palm oil. This is an area where our commitment will not waver, especially for the benefit of our peoples whose livelihood depends on honest businesses, such as palm oil plantations. Our close cooperation in this particular area is also replicated in other areas, including transnational crime, terrorism and disaster management, among other things. To illustrate, we are quick to extend humanitarian assistance to each other in the face of tragedy. For instance on MH370, Indonesia offered its assistance in the search and rescue (SAR) mission. Similarly, Malaysia mobilized its assets in the SAR mission of the earthquake and tsunami in Palu, Central Sulawesi. These show the fondness that we always have toward each other when times are hard. The ties between Malaysia and Indonesia have remained strong and we believe will continue to stand the test of time. Malaysia and Indonesia share extensive land and maritime boundaries. While disputes over the land and maritime boundaries continue to linger, engagements to resolve these issues have always been in a friendly and peaceful manner with the aim to ensure mutual benefits to both countries. A significant achievement is marked by the technical teams agreement on the settlement of four out of nine outstanding land boundary problems and two joint proposals in the Sulawesi Sea and Strait of Malacca that have proved the commitment of both sides to achieve an amicable solution. Being one of the founding members, ASEAN remains the cornerstone of both Malaysia and Indonesias foreign policy. Our close relations have ensured and contributed significantly to the regional stability, peace and ASEAN Community. We also work closely in various regional and international organizations. Malaysia and Indonesia are two recognized Muslim countries globally. We share similar challenges in fighting the threat of extremism and Islamophobia. We have the same voice in championing Palestinian rights and the rights of other Muslim minorities across the world. Malaysia and Indonesia are both modern, progressive, and yet we still maintain our Islamic virtues and values. In the face of new challenges created by the global COVID-19 outbreak, both foreign ministers have continued to collaborate closely, bilaterally and within the framework of ASEAN in addressing the impact of the pandemic. At the same time, due to travel restrictions and reduced frequencies of flights, the governments and embassies of both countries have assisted stranded citizens of both countries to return home to their loved ones. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has ravaged both Indonesia and Malaysia, it has strengthened our resolve to work together, bilaterally, and also within the ASEAN framework. Malaysia will continue to work hand-in-hand with Indonesia to revitalize both countries economies, including the previously booming tourism industry now adversely affected by the pandemic. Talks on a travel bubble remain on the immediate agenda of both governments. Malaysia believes in a winwin collaboration and the larger concept of gotong-royong. While the governments may have countless agreements and memoranda that seek to strengthen our cooperation through bilateral mechanisms, we value greater activism and participation of the people on both sides to seek and further promote mutually beneficial collaboration. Today, after 63 years of building relations, we wish to cement our engagements with greater success in the future, thus fulfilling the hopes and dreams of our peoples. --- The writer is ambassador of Malaysia to Indonesia. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. HOUSTON: A federal judge ordered the Trump administration on Friday to stop detaining immigrant children in hotels before expelling them from the United States, saying the much-criticized practice skirted fundamental humanitarian protections." U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee ruled that the use of hotels as long-term detention spaces violates a two-decade-old settlement governing the treatment of immigrant children in custody. She ordered border agencies to stop placing children in hotels by Sept. 15 and to remove children from hotels as soon as possible. Immigration agencies since March have expelled 148,000 people crossing the U.S.-Mexico border under an emergency declaration citing the pandemic. The Trump administration says people crossing the border without authorization threaten public health and must quickly be forced out of the country. Advocates for immigrants argue the administration is using the pandemic as a pretext to sidestep federal anti-trafficking laws and asylum protections. To prevent them from being allowed to stay in the U.S., the Trump administration has taken at least 577 unaccompanied children to hotels since March, where they are detained and then typically placed on deportation flights. Most of the children have been placed in Hampton Inn & Suites hotels two in Texas, one in Arizona. Thats instead of sending them to shelters operated by the Department of Health and Human Services, where minors receive legal services, education, and the chance to be placed with relatives living in the U.S. Those facilities are licensed by the states where they are located. More than 13,000 beds in HHS facilities are currently empty. Gees order directs the Trump administration to resume sending unaccompanied children to HHS, and it also applies to children with parents who crossed the border without authorization. It also gives lawyers who work with immigrant youths access to the children that the government is trying to expel under the emergency declaration. Separately, legal groups have sued the U.S. to prevent the expulsions of immigrant children altogether. The government cannot seriously argue in good faith that flouting their contractual obligation to place minors in licensed programs is necessary to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, Gee wrote. Hotels can still be used for one- or two-night stays as part of travel between different places, she said. The Justice Department did not immediately comment Friday, but government lawyers indicated that they would consider an appeal. Private contractors at the hotels monitor detained children and families around the clock and generally dont allow people to leave their rooms. Families that have been detained in the hotels have told The Associated Press that they are served regular meals, but that the telephones have been removed from their rooms. One father from Haiti alleged that before his family was taken from their room, a contractor gave him and his wife ice to swallow and to feed to their infant daughter, in case their temperatures were checked before boarding a flight. They were expelled to Haiti without the chance to request asylum. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement denied using ice as an artificial cooling measure. It has described the contractors from MVM Inc., as transportation specialists who ensure each minor remains safe and secure while in this temporary housing. The Trump administration has argued that Gee doesnt have the authority to stop the use of hotels because the children it is expelling fall outside a longstanding court settlement known as the Flores agreement. It has previously appealed several of Gees rulings targeting detention practices. Leecia Welch, an attorney at the National Center for Youth Law, called the ruling a resounding victory for immigrant children. The governments attempt to use the pandemic as a subterfuge to carry out its ruthless immigration agenda clearly violates the rule of law and human decency, Welch said. Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor Andhra Pradesh has topped in the ease of doing annual business ranking of states and Union Territories by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade for the third time in a row. The ranking is based on the implementation of the business reform action plan 2019, according to a report released by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on September 5. Registering a jump of 10 places in the rankings, Uttar Pradesh occupied the second position in 2019 as against 12th in 2018. Telangana slipped to the third position from second in 2018. It was followed by Madhya Pradesh (4th), Jharkhand (5th), Chhattisgarh (6th), Himachal Pradesh (7th), Rajasthan (8th), West Bengal (9th) and Gujarat (10th). Delhis position improved to 12th from 23rd in the last edition, while Gujarat slipped from 5th place in 2018. Among the laggard states and UTs in the ranking, Assam was at 20th, J&K at 21st, Goa at 24th, Bihar at 26th and Kerala 28th place. Tripura was ranked at the bottom 36th. Releasing the report, Sitharaman said that states have taken the exercise in its true sense and it would help states and UTs to become better place to do business. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said these rankings reflect the efforts that states and UTs are doing to better their systems and processes. "It is also a wake-up call for those states which have slipped in the ranking," he said. Goyal said that the ministry is working on steps like creating a single-window system for approvals and clearances. In 2015 Index, Gujarat featured at the top, with Andhra Pradesh grabbing the second position and Telangana 13th. In 2016, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana jointly topped the chart. In the last ranking released in July 2018, Andhra Pradesh topped the chart, followed by Telangana and Haryana. In 2015 Index, Gujarat featured at the top, with Andhra Pradesh grabbing the second position and Telangana 13th. Haryana slid to 16th position in the latest ranking. The exercise is aimed at promoting competition among states with a view to improving the business climate to attract domestic as well as foreign investments. This was the fourth edition of the report, which was first released in 2015. The Business Reform Action Plan 2018-19 includes 181 reform points covering 45 business regulatory areas such as access to information, single window system, labour, and environment. The DPIIT in collaboration with the World Bank conducts an annual reform exercise for all States/UTs under the Business Reform Action Plan (BRAP). In the World Banks latest Doing Business report, India has jumped 14 places to the 63rd position. (With PTI input) If I had to pick a favorite song, it would be a toss-up between Neil Diamonds Sweet Caroline and Stephen Fosters My Old Kentucky Home. But Fosters soaring Kentucky state anthem, played each year as the thoroughbreds parade to post at the Kentucky Derby, would win. In a handful of notes, the song instantly floods me with memories of a bluegrass childhood of family love, luscious food and warm hospitality. That music is a siren song to Kentuckian sons and daughters like me. No matter how long we have been away from the southern state, it wills us home. Despite Fosters lyrics, the sun is not shining brightly on my old Kentucky home these days. Today's Kentucky Derby, already moved from its typical date on the first Saturday in May to Labor Day weekend due to Covid-19, will be run without spectators. But the home of the race, Churchill Downs, will be far from calm. Downtown Louisville has been a cauldron of marches and unrest since May, following the deaths of George Floyd, who was killed by police during an arrest in Minneapolis, and unarmed EMT Breonna Taylor, who was shot by Louisville law-enforcement in her home during a no-knock warrant in March. These events sparked 100 days of protest in Louisville. Recommended Kentucky Derby postponed over coronavirus fears with new date revealed Crowds will be headed to the track today, when all eyes are on Louisville. The Courier-Journal reports that the Not F**cking Around Coalition, an armed Black militia that mustered in tactical gear and weapons in July, will arrive at Churchill Downs. A pro-Second Amendment group, called the Angry Vikings, will be gathering at Coxs Park morning and driving in a caravan towards Downtown. Other groups like the Justice and Freedom Coalition, Until Freedom, and some local church marchers will be protesting nearby. I fear another tragedy and am praying that the groups can share their messages peacefully in my hometown with no aggression or violence from protesters or police. When I was a little girl, I witnessed demonstrators streaming along the interstate downtown waving an enormous upside-down American flag. Dad told me it meant Americans in distress. Then, it was a protest against race-integration busing. I saw that same flag, flipped over and waving outside my Brooklyn windows carried by marchers protesting the killing of George Floyd over 40 years later. America is in distress. As Stephen Fosters lyrics warn, hard times, have indeed come a knocking at the door. I always cry at Derby. Its expected. Its in the song. Weep no more, my lady, laments Foster. But in all the years that I have been singing it, Im not sure theres ever be so much to weep about, when Churchill Downs plays the song, preceded by a moment of silence. This year, when they call the horses to post on Saturday, I will stand in my Brooklyn kitchen tuned to the race. I will raise a mint julep to my old Kentucky home. When the music begins, I will weep like always. But this year, I will weep for George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. I will weep for barbecue joint owner David McAtee and photographer Tyler Gerth, both shot in Louisville. I will weep for the essential workers at risk from coronavirus and the families who have lost loved ones. For those who suffer prejudice. I will weep for black lives that matter and for the police that honorably protect and serve, shamed by the actions of a murderous few. I will weep for those who have lost jobs and businesses. For people who have lost hope, feel ignored, or left behind. I will weep for those who cling to the past and feel wronged and uncertain in the coming future. For dreams deferred and not dreamed at all. For injustice and pain. I will weep for America in distress. And I will pray that with all those converging on Churchill Downs, we wont weep for any more loss on this September day. And then after those two minutes of racing, as the song says, its time for all of us to weep no more. After Labor Day, we must come together and rise. Hospice of Chattanooga Foundation invites community members from all over to participate in the first ever Miles for Memories virtual fundraiser event from Oct. 5-31 to celebrate 40 years of not-for-profit care. Participants can register at hospiceofchattanooga.org/milesformemories.Miles for Memories, sponsored by First Horizon, McGriff Insurance Services, Sandler Training and HHM Wealth Advisors, celebrates the life and memory of those who have died. Participants are asked to share stories about loved ones they have lost.Registration costs vary. Participant package includes toolkit with downloadable race bib.We are navigating new obstacles in these unprecedented times and we wanted to create an event to give people the space to celebrate the lives of their loved ones, to share with others their favorite memories and their stories," said Jasmin Rippon, executive director of Hospice of Chattanooga Foundation. Getting outdoors and moving plays a valuable role in helping people adapt to loss. We hope families and friends will come together to walk, run, bike or swim to help us celebrate our 40th anniversary and honor the memories of those we have lost."The virtual event lasts the entire month of October leading up to National Hospice and Palliative Care Month in November. The event is self-paced, and participants can choose whether they would like to walk, run, bike, hike, swim or a mixture of all. The location is decided by the participant who can be accompanied by family members, friends or even furry companions.Once participants have registered for Miles for Memories, they will create a personal challenge page to log their activity as well as donations from supporters. Participants can make an account with Strava, a free app, and connect to various fitness devices and technology to easily keep track of distance.For more information, to register, or to donate online, visit hospiceofchattanooga.org/milesformemories or contact Susan Day, Susan_Day@HospiceofChattanooga.org or by phone at 423-805-7119. By Associated Press VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis is next month set to make what would be his first visit outside Rome since Italy was put under lockdown in early March when it became the first country in Europe to feel the full brunt of the coronavirus pandemic. The pope is to journey to Assisi, the birthplace in the central Italian region of Umbria of his namesake saint, to sign an authoritative papal letter to clergy and faithful worldwide - a document known as an encyclical, the Vatican said Saturday. The encyclical is expected to stress the value of brotherly relations during and after the pandemic, a theme Francis evoked repeatedly during the pandemic. Encyclicals lay out a pontiff's views on important issues and usually shape Catholic teaching and policy in the years to come. "Because of the health situation, it's the desire of the Holy Father that the visit be carried out privately, without any participation by the faithful," a reference to rank-and-file Catholics, the Vatican said. The encyclical will be entitled in Italian "'Fratelli tutti' sulla fraternita' e l'amicizia sociale". The English-language version's title wasn't given, but it roughly translates to "'Brothers all' on brotherhood and social friendship". "Brothers all," is a saying of St. Francis that the pope has cited in the past. Francis has repeatedly stressed how the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically revealed how fragile existence can be and how vitally important it is for people to unite in helping each other, with special attention to the poor. Francis' last trip away from Rome was to the southern Italian city of Bari, in late February of this year, just as the COVID-19 outbreak was erupting in northern Italy. A couple of weeks later, the Italian government banned travel between regions and even towns until late spring, when the spread of the coronavirus in the country began to slow. This year seems set to become the first year in decades that a pope hasn't made a pilgrimage abroad. Francis will celebrate Mass near St. Francis' tomb, which is under the lower level of the Basilica of St. Francis. The next day, October 4, the church celebrates the saint's annual feast day. "It is with great joy and in prayer that we welcome and await the private visit of Pope Francis," said the Rev. Mauro Gambetti, an official of the Franciscan Sacred Convent in Assisi. The one-day trip will "highlight the importance of and the need for brotherhood", he said in a statement. Francis issued his last encyclical, "Praised Be", 2015. In the landmark document, Francis exhorted people to work together worldwide on healing and protecting the natural environment. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk speaks during a press conference in Brisbane, Australia on June 16, 2020. (Jono Searle/Getty Images) Queensland State Minister ORourke to Step Down Queenslands minister for communities, disability services and seniors has declared she will not recontest her seat at the upcoming state election. Coralee ORourke, the MP for the Townsville-based seat of Mundingburra, said she needed to put her health first after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018. She will not recontest her marginal seat for Labor on October 31. Throughout the years, I have been open and honest with our community about my battle with breast cancer, ORourke said in a statement on Sept 5. ORourke has served as member for Mundingburra since early 2015. She said she was proud of the work shed achieved, including the establishment of the Townsville Womens Centre and The Oasis Townsville for ex-ADF members. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk thanked ORourke for her service. I am sad that she will not recontest her seat but family and health come first I wish Coralee all the best for the future, Palaszczuk said in a statement. By Angelo Risso in Brisbane President Trump has directed administration officials to make significant changes to sensitivity training sessions across the government, calling such efforts that often focus on promoting awareness of racism divisive and un-American propaganda. The directive was laid out on Friday afternoon in a memo from the director of the Office of Management and Budget, Russell T. Vought, to executive branch agency heads. The brief memo which repeatedly referred to press reports, not government documents tells the agencies to begin to identify all contracts or other agency spending related to any training on critical race theory, white privilege, or any other training or propaganda effort that teaches or suggests either (1) that the United States is an inherently racist or evil country or (2) that any race or ethnicity is inherently racist or evil. The memo comes at a time of a national discussion about race, in which Mr. Trump has been firmly against systemic changes in policing and government. on Saturday reported 2,655 new COVID-19 cases, the highest ever reported in a single day, taking the infection count in the state to 84,758, while the death toll has mounted to 337 with the addition of 11 more fatalities. Chief Minister said currently, 21,800 people are under treatment in the state forCOVID-19, and 62,559 people have so far been cured of the disease. "There are currently 1,98,120 people under observation in various districts of the state and 17,222 are in isolation wards of various hospitals across the state," he said. Out of the fresh cases,2,433 are locally transmitted cases and the contact source in 220 cases was unknown. "At least 38 of them are returnees from foreign countries and 114 from other states," he told reporters. Vijayan said 61 healthcare workers were also among those infected. "At the same time, 2,111 patients under treatment for the disease have recovered today," Vijayan said. Thiruvananthapuram has the highest number of infections on Saturday with 590 cases, followed by 276 from Kasaragod district and 249 in Malappuram district. There are 244 cases from Kozhikode, 222 from Kannur, 186 in Ernakulam, 170 in Kollam, 169 from Thrissur, 148 in Pathanamthitta, 131 from Alappuzha, 119 from Kottayam, 100 in Palakkad, 31 from Idukki district and 20 from Wayanad district. At least 40,162 samples were tested in the last 24 hours, Vijayan said. He said 14 new places were declared as hotspots today while 22 places were exempted. At present, there are 551 hotspots in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital district, has 5,044 active COVID-19 cases, followed by Ernakulam with 2,392. Kozhikode has 1,905 cases,Malappuram 1,728, Kasaragod 1,620 and Kollam 1,599. (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.) Some love them. Some hate them. But nobody working in education today can escape pandemic learning pods: the increasingly popular phenomenon in which families band together and hire a private tutor to offer in-person learning to a small group of children. Teachers throughout the nation are sketching out schedules and pondering whether they can squeeze in pod tutoring after virtual school. They are weighing health risks, deciding on ground rules - should all pod students wear masks? - and asking parents how much they will pay (a lot, it turns out). Sometimes, they are quitting their jobs to lead pods instead. That is what Kendra Newton is doing: The 24-year-old first-grade teacher resigned from her job with Orange County Public Schools in Florida after learning she would have to teach in-person this fall. She is moving across the country to Oregon, where she will lead a pod of eight students - for a higher salary than she earned in Florida. "It gave me a way to feel safe working," Newton said. "I will have guaranteed money coming in and a stable idea of what my life will be like because there won't be a school district changing its mind every two seconds. For my mental health, it's just a better option." No reliable data exists on how many teachers have left, or are considering leaving, their jobs to teach pods. But worried school officials are sending emails claiming pods pose just as much of a health risk as returning to the classroom. Some are warning teachers that pods will drive inequity. Others are scrambling to figure out if they can somehow co-opt the pod model. Still, others are announcing that employees who try to lead pods while keeping their regular teaching jobs will risk getting fired - even as they hope they do not have to follow through on that threat. "As a reminder . . . [Arlington Public Schools] teachers are not permitted to take on additional positions such as tutoring or learning supervision during the school day," officials in the northern Virginia district wrote in a recent message to staff. "Nor are they allowed to tutor students they work with . . . outside of the classroom for pay." Stacy Reiber, a New Jersey elementary school teacher, quit a 20-year teaching career this summer to lead a pod. Come fall, she will instruct six children in a private home - first outside, then in a garage with heaters - for $15 per hour per child (a small pay cut). "I'm going to get to know every kid in my pod because I won't be juggling 25 kids like I was," Reiber said. "All teachers want smaller classrooms - so I do believe, actually, that people are going to love what pods offer, and I do think there's going to be a shift beyond the pandemic." She pointed to long-running and well-established problems with the public school system: underpaid teachers, an overemphasis on the use of standardized test scores for evaluation and too-large class sizes. "I truly hope," she added, "that [the pods do] reshape American education." - - - As school district after school district announced plans for an all-virtual fall, parents flocked to Facebook groups with titles such as "Pandemic Pods and Microschools" or "Matching Students with Teachers . . . (Pandemic Pods)." They sought other families to pod with and teachers to lead the groups. Educators began joining these groups and soon formed groups of their own. Felicia Drake, principal of a northern Virginia elementary school, said the sudden push for pod learning has shocked her beyond anything else in her 30 years as an educator. The change is so seismic, she said, that it calls to mind the development of charter schools. "That would be the only thing I could compare it to," Drake said. "Except this is faster. And, although I don't support [pods], I do get the appeal: There just aren't enough answers as to how we can keep people safe right now." Data on how many teachers are choosing to lead pods this fall is difficult to gather partly because many educators are hiding their activities from school districts. Some school leaders contacted by The Washington Post said they could not estimate the number of pod leaders in their ranks for this reason. Another reason is that the school year, although underway in a few places, has not started for much of the country, and some teachers are leaving the decision until the last minute. Still, it is clear the coronavirus is driving retirements nationwide, including among teachers - there were 79 in one Utah county alone. Worry over impending teacher loss is widespread, with school leaders nationwide speaking out against pods in recent weeks. In Minneapolis, the school district denounced them as perpetuating "systemic inequities." In Los Angeles, the County Office of Education declared that pods "do not align with current Public Health directives." And in Denver, the Board of Education posted an extraordinary, more-than-1,000-word statement in mid-August pleading with parents not to start pods. "If you choose to participate in a pod, please do not hire [Denver Public Schools] teachers," the statement reads. This "pulls [educators] away from students that need them most." In Fairfax County, Va., the district published a similar August message to parents, noting "tutoring pods are not part of the public school system" and asserting that pods are "not supported" by the school system. For at least one Fairfax teacher, that message backfired. The elementary school teacher, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, had already been feeling ill-used by the school district, which is starting the year all-virtual but with the hope of sending children back to classrooms within a few weeks. Asked to submit her preference between in-person and virtual teaching, she chose to teach remotely, but her preference was ignored. As soon as her students reentered classrooms, she would be back, too, administrators told her. That upset her, and the email against pods made it worse: It cemented her conviction that the school district did not care about her safety. Now, the teacher has applied for five corporate jobs teaching instructional design. If those do not pan out, she will quit her position with Fairfax and lead a pod. She knows several families are interested, and she has already decided on the ideal setup: Two pods of seven kids each, with parents paying $300 a week per child. That will just about cover her living expenses, she said. In Florida, Newton also concluded that continuing as a teacher would imperil her health. First, Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis told some school districts that they would lose state aid if they did not reopen in person. Then Orange County Public Schools, Newton's employer, announced it would offer virtual instruction for the first nine days of the school year before letting parents choose between in-person and remote learning for the remainder of the semester. Once back in the classroom, Newton said, one of her school's only requirements was that kids had to wear masks - classes would be just as large as before, and social distancing would happen only "to the extent feasible," according to the school's plan. In her 20s and healthy, Newton was certain she would be among the first asked to return. Around then, a cousin in Portland, Ore., reached out and mentioned she knew a group of families looking for a teacher. Pretty soon, Newton had hashed out the details: She would teach a pod of eight children from eight different families. Each family would pay roughly $4,300 per child per semester. The classes would take place from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., five days a week, in the basement of a private home. She would generally follow the online offerings of the kids' public school system but embellish them as needed. The families would not pay her health insurance, because Newton is still on her parents' plan. When she tendered her resignation and told her principal of her plans, Newton said, her boss was "not thrilled" but was supportive. The principal said she understood it was a crazy time. "I will miss Florida, but it's really worked out well for me," Newton said. "It's not exactly the typical situation, but there isn't really a typical situation right now." - - - Some, having accepted pods as a fact of the education landscape in 2020, are trying to take advantage of the model. In Maryland's Montgomery County, private child care providers have organized "distance learning hubs" in which small groups of students will bring their Chromebooks to empty public school classrooms each day and participate in online learning together (spurring protest from some parents who ask why, if this program is allowed, regular school cannot reopen). In the nation's capital, some businesses are offering families a version of learning pods. Last week, a Florida working group of business executives, public health professionals and educators formally recommended schools develop "learning pods to support academic success [by] making spaces available with the right technology." In Broward County, Superintendent Bob Runcie is several steps ahead of them. For weeks, he has been working with two local groups - the Children's Service Council, a government group that serves children and families, and United Way of Broward County, a nonprofit that provides social services - to develop a pod system. Under the initiative, students will be grouped in pods of nine. They will spend the school day in "community spaces" such as YMCAs and Boys & Girls Clubs, Runcie said; the Children's Services Council has published an online application seeking agencies that are willing to provide a "safe and supervised learning pod environment." "The desired populations are families who are unable to afford the added expense of learning pods," the application reads. "Priority will be given to first responders and essential workers." Runcie estimates the program will be able to serve up to 2,000 children in the county (admittedly a small percentage of the school system's roughly 260,000 students). Kids enrolled in the pod initiative will attend online school taught from a distance by Broward County staffers - education in the county is virtual through Oct. 1 - and will be supervised in-person by employees of whatever agency is hosting the pod. So far, Runcie's role in developing the pods has been to provide school data on the children most likely to benefit: those from high-poverty neighborhoods, for example. "I think this will help," he said. "It's a unique pod situation, sort of like a combination of child care and after-school programming." In areas where school systems have been slower to pick up on pods, some teachers are taking matters into their own hands. That is what Minnesota technology and media teacher Nate Edwards is doing. Twice a week, after he finishes his teaching duties for Richfield Public Schools, the 42-year-old father of three plans to drive to a park outside his church - once the weather gets cold, he will switch to the church basement - to teach a pod of six or seven students for an hour or two. He is not accepting payment and is hoping to recruit students from families who, like his own, could not otherwise afford pods. "Right now it's the rich folks that are doing this," Edwards said. "But maybe we can learn from that and see if there's a way we can modify it to help non-rich kids, too." STAMFORD Mayor David Martin Friday afternoon transmitted an emergency message, warning residents that the city likely is set for an increase in coronavirus cases. There are early indications that an increased amount of virus is entering the citys wastewater treatment system, Martin said in a blast sent via the citys email alert system. The citys Water Pollution Control Authority has been working with Yale University to detect virus residue at the treatment plant, Martin said. Recently weve seen a spike in this activity, Martin said in the voice message. This normally is an indication that we will see a spike in cases in another week or so, and an indication that there is more coronavirus out there than we are normally able to see. Martin included a plea to residents. I urge you, please, to make certain you follow the guidelines so we step up our game, the mayor said. He repeated safety guidelines to maintain social distancing, wear masks, keep hands clean and do all we can to protect ourselves, our families and our community. I urge you to do this so we dont have a situation where we have to go back to the shutdown, Martin said. We have had 10 weeks since weve been reopened, without a significant increase in cases. I thank you for your support in helping our community be safe. Yales COVID-19 wastewater testing program began in New Haven in March and expanded to Stamford, Bridgeport and New London on Aug. 3. A team led by researchers with the Yale School of Engineering and Applied Science, working with the state Department of Health, measures levels of coronavirus genetic code in feces. Changes in the amount of genetic code can indicate whether the virus is spreading in a community. Researchers have said it can provide evidence of outbreaks up to seven days earlier than other testing. Friday evening Martins administration issued a notice reminding residents to avoid crowded events, especially over the Labor Day weekend, and to self-quarantine for 14 days and get tested if they show signs of COVID-19 infection. Symptoms may include fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, or diarrhea. Symptoms may appear two to 14 days after exposure to the virus. Anyone with any of the symptoms should contact a medical provider immediately. Stamford Director of Health Dr. Jennifer Calder urged residents to follow measures to help control the spread of the virus. Wear a mask or face covering that covers both your nose and face at all times when outside, she said. Social distance; stay six feet away from others. Wash your hands frequently. Avoid crowded events. COVID-19 is still a Public Health Emergency, Martin said. It is everyones responsibility to protect themselves and reduce the spread of COVID-19. Its time for residents to be more vigilant and increase compliance with all health and safety protocols. Filmmaker says new movie The Trump I Know humanizes the president, highlights his faith and family Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The upcoming film, The Trump I Know, aims to give viewers a look into the faith and family life of President Donald Trump, as told from the perspective of the women in his family and those who've worked with him in the White House. Producer Joe Knopp is gearing up for his latest film release set to premiere in October. In this new film, Knopp gives viewers a glimpse behind the scenes into the life of the 45th president of the United States from the perspective of those who know him best. The documentary was born after Knopp struck up a friendship with Lara Trump, the president's daughter-in-law, while premiering his pro-life film, UnPlanned, for the White House staff. Lara Trump then introduced the filmmaker to other women in the Trump family, as well as those who work in his administration and for his reelection campaign. Knopp said each person provided him with insights into a side of the president that the world has yet to see. My passion for this story began when I met Lara Trump and she shared stories of the first family that I never heard before, Knopp told The Christian Post in an interview on Wednesday. Instantly, those stories humanized the family for me and I feel God wanted me to share the why behind their stories. God takes us on journeys usually in preparation for future events. When I listened to Lara, I began to understand why God placed their family in the White House during the most critical years our country has faced in decades, if not a century, the Christian filmmaker continued. The documentary is shown through the lens of the conversations Knopp had with Lara Trump, Kellyanne Conway, Mercedes Schlapp, Katrina Pierson, Paula White Cain, head of the White House's Faith and Opportunity Initiative, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany, as well as the president himself and his sons, Don Jr. and Eric Trump. The movie was in production for months but all filming was kept secret. Those featured in the documentary were interviewed by Knopp about what it's like to work for Trump, and discussed the importance of their faith and prayer, as well as what it's like for them being working moms at the White House. There is definitely a thread of faith that organically became part of these stories. Almost every woman interviewed began her own story, humbly thanking God for leading her to the White House. Most give God the credit for them enduring the hardest aspects of their jobs, Knopp told CP. The women spoke of their reliance on God. It was more than just words, the women were able to reflect on their journeys and highlight Gods direction in their own lives, he added. McEnany shared in the film that the president has stood for religious freedom for all Americans, regardless of the faith or denomination. And on the pro-life issue, hes been an unashamed voice for the pro-life movement. Trump's spiritual advisor, Paula White recounts in the film a conversation she had with Trump before he ran for president. He said, I want you to pray. I said, About what? He said, Im thinking about running for president. I really need to hear from God. Ive got to make a pretty big decision. Can you bring some people around to pray? So we brought about 20 pastors. We went there to Trump Tower. We prayed for six hours, White recalled. Knopp maintained that people cannot dispute the real-life accounts of others. You cant argue with the truth, that is what I have found with storytelling. The problem in politics is everyone distorts the truth, he said. This documentary highlights over a dozen stories by women of the Trump administration, campaign and organization, that know the President well, and all have great respect and appreciation for him. I truly believe the audience will gain an admiration and emotional connection to these women and begin rooting for them all, Knopp ended. The audience will recognize what President Trump values in his staff and applaud the President on his selection of these inspiring, God-fearing women that are mothers and leaders of this administration. Directed by Matthew Thayer, the Wolf Rock Pictures film will be available on Oct. 1. Other producers of the film include Daryl Lefever and Joy Thayer. For more information, visit www.thetrumpiknow.com Just four months after winning the April 15 general election by a landslide, and securing 176 seats in the 300-seat National Assembly, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his governing Democratic Party (DP) are faced with an alarming change in public sentiment. Last month, for the first time since the 2016 political scandal that led to President Park Geun-hyes removal from office, the approval rating of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP, formerly known as United Future Party) surpassed that of the DP. In an August 13 Realmeter poll, 36.5 percent of the respondents expressed support for the PPP, compared with just 33.4 percent for the DP. Public support for President Moon also plummeted in recent weeks, with an August 14 Gallup Korea survey putting his personal approval rating at 39 percent his lowest since October 2019, when his close ally Justice Minister Cho Kuk was forced to step down amid corruption allegations This drastic decline in public support for the president and the government illustrates not only the volatile nature of South Koreas democracy, but also the growing backlash against their attempts to make abuse of power the new norm in the country. Indeed, since their stunning election victory in April, President Moon and his party have repeatedly undermined the rule of law, ignored the procedures put in place to ensure the separation of powers, and made controversial moves to further their populist agenda and help their allies escape accountability. After winning the election with a margin unprecedented in South Koreas democratic history, which enabled it to dominate all 17 standing committees of Parliament, the DP transformed the National Assembly into its own law-passing agency. It rammed through numerous contentious laws, without subcommittee review or any other consultative procedure required under the National Assembly Act. The governing party also railroaded a series of housing laws in an attempt to stabilise skyrocketing real estate prices in the Seoul metropolitan area, where half of the countrys population lives. The measures not only failed to bring the housing market under control, but also drew public anger, as they created more hurdles for middle-class first-time-buyers under the age of 40 the main support group for the government. In July, as real estate prices in the country continued to rise, the Citizens Coalition for Economic Justice, an influential Seoul-based civic group, revealed that 42 governing party legislators elected in the April 15 parliamentary elections owned two or more houses, and made a considerable profit as a result of the soaring real estate prices. The revelation caused many to question the sincerity of the governments pledge to resolve the housing crisis, and added weight to the accusations that President Moon and his party are using their dominance over the legislature to further their populist agenda and personal interests. Since the election, the DP government also made several moves to bring the Supreme Prosecutors Office (SPO) fully under its control. President Moon had appointed Yoon Seok-youl as head of the SPO in July 2019 because of his proven record of going after the most powerful without hesitation. However, ever since taking office as prosecutor general, Yoon has become Moons biggest headache and rocked the government several times by relentlessly investigating allegations of abuse of power directed at the presidents top aides and high-level government officials. Yoons determination to get to the bottom of these allegations even led to him being seen as a potential future president. In response, Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae embarked on a relentless campaign to isolate and silence Prosecutor General Yoon under the guise of prosecution reform. She assigned pro-government prosecutors to key posts while demoting those close to Yoon, who have been investigating the Cho Kuk scandal, and the governments other alleged abuses of power, including the allegation that 13 Blue House top-aides and other high level officials unlawfully intervened in the 2018 Ulsan mayoral election to get Moons 30-year-old friend, Song Cheol-ho, elected. Choos reshuffle and recently unveiled plan to reorganise the SPO led to a backlash, however, with many prosecutors, both at the senior and junior levels, publicly criticising her plan as solely aimed at reducing Yoons authority. The public also seems to be concerned about the direction the DP governments prosecution reforms appear to be taking. According to the third National Indicator Survey jointly conducted by four polling companies, only 32 percent of the population thinks the reform drive is doing well, while 52 percent believes it is now aimed solely at taming the prosecution. The governments attempts to shield its members and supporters from being held accountable for alleged abuses of power are not limited to bringing the SPO under control either. President Moon and the DPs silence on and apparent unwillingness to get to the bottom of the sexual harassment allegations directed at powerful heads of local government, including the highly influential Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, is yet another example of their desire to make abuse of power and impunity the new norm in South Korea. In light of all this, it is hardly surprising that Koreans are starting to turn their backs on Moon and his party who were elected on a promise to end corruption and abuse of power ills that have beset Korean governments since the countrys successful transition towards democracy in 1987. The alarming decline in the publics support for Moon and the DP is a clear warning that Moon risks becoming a lame duck in the fourth year of his five-year presidency and in the lead-up to the April 2021 by-elections and the 2022 presidential election. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. "Although she did not get the part, she left a note for me at the casting desk asking that I call her. I had no reason to question how old she was, since the role she read for required an actor who was of age. We later went out on a couple of dates and remained on friendly terms for years," he added. "While I cannot allow false statements about events twenty-nine years ago to go uncorrected, I will continue to wish only the best for Rose." From left: Alexander Payne, Jim Burke and Jim Taylor, 'The Decendants' producers. Credit:Jason Merritt Payne, 59, also said that he and the Charmed actress have had "cordial interactions" over the years and that he's admired her commitment to activism and her voice in the "important, historic" #MeToo movement. McGowan, who has not yet responded to Payne's column, called out the director in a series of tweets and Instagram posts on August 17. "Alexander Payne," McGowan tweeted. "You sat me down & played a soft-core porn movie you directed for Showtime under a different name. I still remember your apartment in Silverlake. You are very well-endowed. You left me on a street corner afterwards. I was 15." Loading The actress, 46, said she just wants "acknowledgement and an apology" and does "not want to destroy." Then, in an Instagram post that has since been deleted, McGowan shared more explicit details of the alleged encounter, which for years she thought was a sexual experience rather than a grooming situation. She also told Variety that Payne took her to his place after she auditioned for him and that he left her on the corner in front of Cafe Tropical in Silver Lake to find her own way home. She said she quit acting entirely for about six years after that. "It wasn't until three weeks after the Weinstein story broke that I re-evaluated the situation," she said on Instagram. "I feel badly about throwing a bomb into someone's life and career, but I guess that's social conditioning. I'm more sad than angry. Sad for 15-year-old me. Sad for the adult me that still thought it was a choice I made. Grooming is real. I want you all to know that it's not your fault if you were mentally massaged into thinking it's okay. It is not. I know this now," she wrote. McGowan's allegation comes after she alluded to an incident with a "very famous" director in a 2018 conversation with journalist Ronan Farrow in the wake of the Weinstein scandal and subsequent #MeToo movement. She spoke of a sexual encounter and said she recently learnt it was statutory rape. "I would even go up to this director at events and ask him, with a smile, 'remember when you had sex with me at 15?' And I would laugh it off. That is deep societal programming," she wrote on Instagram. "If you are out there trying to have sex with an underage minor, you are committing a crime, even if the minor doesn't know it. I was attracted to him, so I thought it was on me, but that's not correct. I was not an adult." Rowan Farrow's reporting shed light on the sexual misconduct of Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. Credit:AP McGowan accused Weinstein of raping her in his hotel suite at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival. Gardai cant proceed with setting up long-planned regional cyber-crime units as they are awaiting funding approval from the Government since March 2019. The delay risks affecting the ability of gardai to make inroads into its backlog of cases, including the forensic examination of digital devices for child abuse imagery. Garda HQ says that as well as being unable to set up the necessary technical infrastructure that ongoing support for the existing cyber infrastructure is also at risk. Six regional cyber-crime units have been planned since 2016, but only two pilot units are operating, under the direction of the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau (GNCCB). The forensic examination of child abuse imagery is by far the biggest request for assistance to the bureau from local gardai, followed by online fraud, child exploitation/grooming, and sexual assault/rape. The bureau also assists in examining devices for investigations into murders, gangland activity and terrorism. Cyber-crime policing has been dogged with staff and resource shortages for years, leading to ongoing criticism in the courts regarding delays in examining devices for online child abuse. Proposals by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris for funding to set up six permanent regional cyber-crime units were submitted to the Government some 16 months ago but he has not yet received a response. The Commissioners latest report to the Policing Authority spells out a serious issue in relation to regional Cybercrimes Hubs. It said: A business case to proceed to tender for Support Contract and Regionalisation Hubs was issued to the Department of Justice & Equality for review and forwarding to the Department of Public Expenditure & Reform in March 2019 and awaits a formal response. Garda Commissioner Drew Harris submitted the proposals for the six permanent regional cyber-crime units 16 months ago. File picture An Garda Siochana has been unable to proceed with procurement until this review is complete and sanction is received from the Department. The report adds: Delivery based on the necessary forensic technical infrastructure in 2020 is no longer feasible based on procurement timelines. Ongoing support for the existing cyber infrastructure is also at risk. Contingency plans are being developed. Plans to boost the GNCCB and set up regional cyber-crime units were first detailed in the Gardas Modernisation and Renewal Programme, launched in June 2016, which envisaged regional units being in place by the end of 2017. The report of the Future of Policing in Ireland Commission, published in September 2018, said the cyber-crime and security capacity and expertise of the Garda needed to be substantially expanded as a matter of urgency. Two pilot regional cyber-crime units have been operating in Ballincollig, Co Cork and New Ross, Co Wexford. The Garda Annual Report 2018, published last December said the GNCCB dealt with a significant volume of requests for assistance with 248 child pornography enquiries, accounting for the highest volume of new requests. It said that while the GNCCB case backlog had reduced in recent years, it stood at 493 cases, and continued to be a critical priority for the bureau. It said: The introduction of Regional Cybercrime Units with forensic capability in 2019 will help reduce the backlog. Last June, Commissioner Harris said that certain crimes, including cyber-crime and online abuse imagery had increased exponentially. He said there had been a startling and shocking increase in referrals on online child abuse material during the lockdown, between March and May. He said he was making investments into both the National Protective Services Bureau and the GNCCB. Last October, officers in GNCCB said the bureau currently had 32 members, but that the commissioner had approved a plan to bring the number to 120 in the next two years, which would also include staffing new divisional cyber units. The rollout of regional cyber-crime units is a key part of the Commissioners New Operating Model the greatest restructuring ever of the force which he launched a year ago. A Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DEPR) said: "The Digital Government Oversight Unit received the business case from the Department of Justice in August 2020. The business case is currently under consideration. A Department of Justice spokesman said: This business case is currently under review by DPER. The Department is expecting a preliminary response from DPER in the next number of weeks. The business case suggests an estimated 6 months tender implementation period. It is not possible to comment on the cost involved as this is commercially sensitive information. J acob Blakes father said his happy-go-lucky son is optimistic for his future, despite being paralysed from the waist down after being shot seven times in the back by a police officer. Jacob Blake Sr, speaking on a video call from a Milwaukee hotel, said the past two weeks have been surreal and like a dream since the shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and he is mentally worn out. He has driven from North Carolina to be with his son in hospital and said he has been receiving death threats. Its been hard on everybody, he said. Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old black man, was shot on August 23 in Kenosha, setting off days of raging protests that made Wisconsin the epicentre of the nations ongoing reckoning with police violence and racial injustice. Over three days, dozens of fires were set and some Kenosha businesses were destroyed, before federal National Guard troops were deployed. Wisconsin, Kenosha: Jacob Blake Protests - In pictures 1 /21 Wisconsin, Kenosha: Jacob Blake Protests - In pictures REUTERS Law enforcement officers walk amidst tear gas during a protest following the police shooting of Jacob Blake REUTERS REUTERS REUTERS REUTERS REUTERS Protestors run for cover as police shoots tear gas in an effort to disperse the crowd during the demonstrations AFP via Getty Images Police clash with protesters in Kenosha on Monday night AP Flames roar from cars torched by protestors a few blocks from the County Court House AFP via Getty Images Protesters clash with officers during demonstrations against the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha AFP via Getty Images Kenosha County Sherriff and police officers in riot gear form a line behind a burning truck during demonstrations against the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin AFP via Getty Images A protester stands in a cloud of tear gas near a burning garbage truck outside the Kenosha County Court House AP AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AP AP On August 25, prosecutors say a 17-year-old from Illinois shot and killed two demonstrators. Lawyers say the teenager, who was patrolling the streets with a rifle, was acting in self-defence. Mr Blake was released from intensive care this week and is doing a little bit better, his father said, but that from the waist down he has no movement he cant move. Mr Blake Sr told the Associated Press he talks with his son about what he will be able to do once he is released from hospital, rather than his limitations if he remains paralysed. Jacob Blake made a public appearance from his hospital bed during a court hearing on September 4 / AP Well go fishing together in the chair, he said. Ive got the perfect spot for us. Things of that nature, things that have nothing to do with the sickness or anything. Earlier this week, Mr Blake Sr said another one of his sons had a nervous breakdown and was admitted to hospital. Two days later, members of the Blake family met Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden in Kenosha. Jacob Blake spoke to Mr Biden by phone from hospital. US president Donald Trump travelled to Kenosha on Tuesday but refused to meet with Mr Blakes family. Mr Blake Sr said Mr Trump made it clear he has no interest in his family. But recalling the meeting with former vice-president Mr Biden, he added: He came in that room with sympathy, empathy, a caring nature. It was not an interview, it was not a political thing. The Blake family told Mr Biden that they want all police to be required to have body cameras, something the Kenosha officers did not have. Additional reporting by Associated Press. The Chinese army has reportedly abducted five youths who had gone hunting in a forest in Upper Subansiri district on the India-China border in Arunachal Pradesh, amid escalating tensions along the border in eastern Ladakh. According to local media reports, the five were abducted from the Sera 7 patrolling point in Under Nacho Circle. The five people have been identified as Dumtu Ebiya, Prasad Ringling, Ngaru Deri, Toch Singkom, and Tanu Bakar. All of them belong to the Tagin community. Their family members living at district headquarters Daporijo said some of their relatives had left for Nacho on Saturday morning to discuss the matter with the Indian Army. News agency PTI reported that two others who were in the group managed to escape and informed the police. I have sent the officer-in-charge of the Nacho police station to the area to verify the facts and directed him to report immediately. However, the report will be available only by Sunday morning," Superintendent of Police Taru Gussar said. Nacho is around 120 km from the district headquarters. The families urged the authorities to take steps to bring them back. Taking a swipe at the Centre, Congress MLA Ninong Ering said the abduction took place while Defence Minister Rajanth Singh was meeting his Chinese counterpart in Russia to discuss the latest round of border confrontation. Chinas PLA (Peoples Liberation Army) has abducted 5 boys from Nacho, Upper Subansiri in Arunachal Pradesh. This has happened at a time when Rajanath Singh is meeting defence ministers of Russia & China. PLAs action has sent a very wrong message, the Pasighat West MLA tweeted. SHOCKING NEWS: Five people from Upper Subansiri district of our state Arunachal Pradesh have reportedly been abducted by Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA).Few months earlier,a similar incident happened. A befitting reply must be given to #PLA and #CCPChina. @PMOIndia https://t.co/8gRdGsQfId pic.twitter.com/KbDMJ3bUi2 Ninong Ering (@ninong_erring) September 4, 2020 India and China on Friday held the highest level face-to-face political discussions since tensions flared in May. Defence minister Rajnath Singh met his Chinese counterpart General Wei Fenghe on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defence ministers meeting in Moscow. Sources said that during the talks Singh insisted on restoration of the status quo ante in eastern Ladakh and disengagement of troops in an expeditious way. The meeting between Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh and Chinese Defence Minister, General Wei Fenghe in Moscow is over. The meeting lasted for 2 hours and 20 minutes," Singhs office tweeted. Tensions flared up again in the Ladakh region after China unsuccessfully attempted to occupy Indian territory in the southern bank of Pangong lake five days ago when the two sides were engaged in diplomatic and military talks to resolve the border row. India occupied a number of strategic heights on the southern bank of Pangong lake and strengthened its presence in Finger 2 and Finger 3 areas in the region to thwart any Chinese actions. China has strongly objected to Indias move. India has, however, maintained that the strategic heights are on its side of the LAC. India has also rushed in additional troops and weapons to the sensitive region following Chinas transgression attempts. The tension between the two sides had escalated manifold after the violent clashes in Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh on June 15 in which 20 Indian Army personnel were killed. The Chinese side also suffered casualties but it is yet to give out the details. According to an American intelligence report, the number of casualties on the Chinese side was 35. Highlighting the great relationship that he has developed with Indian Americans and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Donald Trump said that he would think that Indian-Americans would vote for him in the November 3 presidential election. We have great support from India. We have great support from Prime Minister Modi. I would think that the Indian (American) people would be voting for Trump, the president told reporters at a White House news conference. Trump was responding to a question on a video titled, Four more years released by the Trump Campaign during the Republican National Convention last month. Tweeted by Kimberly Guilfoyle, national chair of Trump Victory Finance Committee and retweeted by his son Donald Trump Jr, the video conceptualised by Al Mason, co-chair of the Trump Victory Indian American Finance Committee, has short clips from the Modi-Trump joint address in Houston last year and Ahmedabad in February this year. Would Kimberly, Don Jr., and Ivanka Trump, who are very popular among Indian Americans, would be campaigning on your behalf among the Indian Americans with your views on India-US relationship? he was asked. I know India and I understood those young people (Kimberley, Donald J Trump Jr and Ivanka) that you mentioned. Theyre very good young people. And I know their relationship with India is very good and so is mine, Trump said. The president said that he has a very good relationship with Modi. Prime Minister Modi is a friend of mine and hes doing a very good job. Nothing easy, but hes done a very good job, he said as he recollected his historic address at the Howdy Mody event in Houston last September. We had an event in Houston, as you know. And it was a fantastic event. I was invited by Prime Minister Modi and this was a massive (event)... And it was incredible. And the prime minister could not have been more generous. We have great support from India. We have great support from Prime Minister Modi, Trump said. The president then referred to his India visit early this year in February before the coronavirus pandemic hit the two countries. I also, as you know, went to India just prior to the pandemic setting in because India has been hit very hard, left really about a week before that, and we had an incredible time. What we saw the people are so incredible its really an incredible place, an incredible country and its definitely big, he said. But youve got a great leader and hes a great person, Trump said. In recent weeks both the Democrats and Republicans have intensified their outreach to the Indian American community, in particular in the battle ground states. A recent research by Mason in battle ground states showed that Indian Americans who traditionally vote for the Democrats are switching over to the Republican party in significant numbers because the friendship that Trump has with Modi and the latters high popularity among a large section of the community who number four million in the US, of which 2.5 million are eligible to vote. In the battleground states, they number 1.3 million as per a recent remark made by Indian Americans in the Democratic party. Masons survey was conducted before former vice president Joe Biden, the Democratic partys presidential candidate, selected Indian-origin Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate, a move Democratic party leader believe would stem the flow of Indian Americans towards the Republicans. Both Trump and his campaign, in recent remarks, assert that more Indian Americans support them than the Democrats. In various writings and remarks the Democratic leaders in recent weeks have apprehended that Trumps friendship with Modi might sway their traditional vote bank the election. The Trump campaign believes that Indian Americans can play an important role in the election, especially in the battleground states like Michigan, Pennsylvania and Ohio, where the two rival campaigns would be battling for every vote. Democratic campaign too is coming out with ideas and commercials to woo Indian Americans. The Democratic National Committee chair Tom Perez has addressed the community virtually, wherein he has acknowledged the key role that Indian Americans can play in battleground states. On August 15, both Biden and Harris made a video address to an Indian American event. The campaign has released a policy paper for Indian Americans. LAKEWOOD, Ohio Criminal mischief: Detroit Avenue Police responded at 8:42 a.m. Aug. 21 to the Army recruitment office after feces were found all over the door and handle. Theft: Clarence Avenue A woman called police at 12:42 p.m. Aug. 22 to report that her parked vehicle had been entered and tools were missing. Disorderly conduct: Clifton Prado Officers arrested an adult woman for disorderly conduct while intoxicated after a man called them at 7:15 p.m. Aug. 23 to report that he had invited over a friend he knew from high school. They had a few drinks, but she then refused to leave. Theft: Madison Avenue Police responded at 2:23 p.m. Aug. 23 to Madison Park Pool to take a report from an employee that credit cards had been taken out of their wallet. Theft: Hazelwood Avenue A complainant called police at about 8 a.m. Aug. 21 to report that an unlocked vehicle parked on the street had been entered and a credit card stolen. Driving under the influence: Madison Avenue Police stopped a car at 12:14 a.m. Aug. 21 on Madison Avenue near Lincoln Avenue and arrested the female driver for operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Theft: Clifton Boulevard Police at 7:20 p.m. Aug. 22 arrested a man for theft and possession of a hypodermic syringe. Officers had been called to the CVS pharmacy regarding a man suspected of taking a phone charger and leaving eastbound on Clifton. Officers found the suspect nearby. Theft: Chesterland Avenue A man contacted police Aug. 25 to report that someone had gone through his parked vehicle the previous night. A phone that did not belong to the man was discovered in the car. Theft: Detroit Avenue Police cited a man for petty theft after Walgreens pharmacy at 10:59 p.m. Aug. 25 reported that a man had walked out with miscellaneous items he had not paid for. Officers found the suspect at Newman and Detroit avenues. Grand theft of a vehicle: Cohassett Avenue A woman called police at 7:44 a.m. Aug. 25 to report that a vehicle that had been parked in the street with the keys inside had been stolen. Read more from the Sun Post Herald. The University of Hyderabad, on Wednesday announced that it will comply with the Supreme Court order and conduct the end semester exams online for the final semester post-graduate students from September 16. The decision was taken after a meeting of a high-level committee and discussion with Heads of Department and Deans of Schools. The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Appa Rao Podile said that the University was compelled to comply with the orders of the Supreme Court on August 28 upholding the guidelines of the UGC to declare the results only after conducting end-semester examinations for the final semester students. Those students who are unable to attend the exams from September 16, will have another opportunity to appear in the second spell of exams scheduled for October 5, said the university. This is a shift from the earlier stance that the University took in June, where results were announced through an alternative evaluation mechanism based on continuous assessment and the cumulative grade point average (CGPA), in order to facilitate their graduation so that they could pursue further education or career opportunities. The authorities say that those results will now stand cancelled. Students at the University of Hyderabad are opposing the announcement, however also saying that contempt of court should not take place. UoH Student Union President Abhishek Nandan said, "We can attempt to file a review petition in the Supreme Court order to help the students, but if it gets rejected, we will be left with no option to take the exams while risking our health. It is the responsibility of the University to facilitate the students in every way in such a scenario. Only online examination is not enough. Students should be given different options to take the exam", added Nandan. The UoH Student Union has recommended that the university accept the option of open book examination wherein students can either use postal services to send their answers and assignments for the exams or dictate answers over phone verbally. Explaining the decision, Vice Chancellor Prof. Appa Rao, in an open letter to the University community said that while the earlier decision was taken with the best interests of students in mind, after the SC judgement, the University has scheduled the end-semester examinations so as to not jeopardise the future of students if their degrees were to be invalidated by regulatory authorities. The Heads and Deans will work out a range of flexible options to administer the examinations online and minimise the inconvenience to students, he added. A group of pharma companies are reportedly planning to stand together against the release of any coronavirus vaccine till all safety protocols are complete. The firms may issue a joint pledge in the coming week that they would not send any COVID-19 vaccine to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for review without being satisfied with its potency and safety standards. It comes as the US President Donlad Trump is seen by many as pushing for a vaccine to be ready by October, ahead of the presidential election. The move is expected to counter the political pressure being exerted on the FDA to release a vaccine as soon as possible. It was on Friday that the existence of such a joint pledge was first put into public domain by The Wall Street Journal. Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi are the manufacturers to have signed the letter, according to reports. Even as many in the US have recently criticised FDA for making several controversial decisions under political pressure, Trump has accused the agency of slowing work to hurt him politically. Meanwhile, a majority of US states recently rejected the new Trump administration's COVID-19 testing guidance in an extraordinary rebuke of the nation's top agency for disease prevention, according to officials at state health agencies and public statements reviewed by Reuters. At least 33 states continue to recommend testing people who have been exposed to COVID-19 and have no symptoms, spurning guidance published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this week that said testing may be unnecessary. Sixteen states did not immediately respond to requests for comment and North Dakota said it had not made a decision. Also read: US Presidential elections 2020: Indian Americans would vote for me, says Donald Trump By Bob Conley After Tropical Storm Isaias, which was just the latest in a series of major weather events, swept through New Jersey on Aug. 5, thousands were without power. All the usual suspects were factors in the outages and extended recovery time, including overhead wires, older street trees, help called in too late and poor communications. Some of those conditions can be mitigated but others pose monumental challenges. Lets look at the first two usual suspects. We not only love our tree-lined streets but trees are essential for our quality of life and many are on private property. They can be managed but trees will be coming down more frequently in climate change fueled storms. And lets be realistic, the overhead wires will not be put underground any time soon. The cost and disruption are too prohibitive. Yes, the utilities need to put in an aggressive utility pole replacement program but that wont cause outages to completely go away. Madison is one of nine New Jersey municipalities that owns its electric utility, a very smart move made by our first mayor and council back in 1889. I know firsthand that pre-storm prep is essential. As the saying goes, prepare for the worst and hope for the best. JCP&L bringing in the crews after the storm is more of prepare for the best while praying that it isnt the worst. Valuable time was lost with not only waiting for crews to arrive from out of state but then training them on JCP&L protocols while thousands were without power. There is one issue that hasnt been discussed that makes recovery from a major storm difficult: Doing business in New Jersey, the home-rule capital of the world. In a way, we have 565 siblings making up one big, mostly happy but very dysfunctional family. As mayor for the past nine years, I know the mayors job description very well. No. 1 on the list is to fight hard for your residents. This means that on a given day there could be 565 mayors fighting for their residents and if were all on the same call it can get very overwhelming. After the storm, JCP&L reported that all 39 Morris County municipalities had power outages, thats 39 mayors pulling out all the stops to try to move their town up on the recovery list. Of course, this was a statewide storm so many of the 565 municipal leaders were working every angle. In the best case, it bogs down communication and managing the recovery and in the worst case, it creates a giant game of Whack-a-Mole as crews are shifted to the town who shouted the loudest or had the best connections. Our own line crews had Madison fully restored within 48 hours of Isaias leaving town and on Day Three we loaned our crews to JCP&L to help neighboring towns. I got calls from every neighboring town asking for our help. I tried to balance their requests and soon realized how difficult it must be to be JCP&L or PSE&G handling calls from hundreds of towns not to mention every county. We have to be honest, New Jerseys love for home rule makes it difficult to conduct business efficiently in our great state. I also feel this challenge as we deal with COVID-19. Throughout the pandemic, I have been participating in the Morris, Somerset and Union counties regular calls with the governors office. If were all on the call, thats 82 mayors representing populations of 124,000 to as small as 412. Each mayor is given equal time and each fights for their residents on issues important to their constituents. On one call, a mayor asked about the timing of indoor dining, an important issue to many, while another mayor wanted to discuss garage sales, which was very important for that one community. Again, not the most efficient way to manage a crisis. Rest assured I am not calling for the required merger of small towns but it is time that we recognize that while our electric utilities can do better, we must reduce the hurdles we have created. Every mayor wants to be heard, but that cannot happen during major power outages as we each try to outshout or outplay the others in the goal to do the best for our residents. I would suggest the states Board of Public Utilities set up a county or regional boards to serve as the conduit between the municipalities and each utility. Each board member would represent multiple towns and during times of widespread outages would be sitting in on the allocation of crews and repair progress. This would reduce the shouting to fewer voices. And, in between the storms, board members would be kept abreast of the infrastructure improvements, so every town knows what is going on. It is time for us to leave Whack-a-Mole to the boardwalk and stop playing it with our electric utilities. Madison Mayor Bob Conley is a lifelong resident of the borough. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Heres how to submit an op-ed or Letter to the Editor. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow us on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and on Facebook at NJ.com Opinion. Get the latest news updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. A Niagara Indigenous activist, radio show host and journalist says he will fight criminal charges laid against him while covering a Caledonia land dispute last month. Karl Dockstader, co-host of One Dish, One Mic on CKTB 610 AM and employee of the Fort Erie Native Friendship Centre, was charged with criminal mischief this week following a week of reporting from a camp at the land dispute. I thought I had covered all my bases and that my being there in my capacity as a journalist would have protected me, said Dockstader. So long as I was not assisting the land defenders and was there in my capacity as a journalist, I thought I was protected. He filed live videos for One Dish, One Mic from the site dubbed 1492 Land Back Lane by the Haudenosaunee land defenders which had been marked as off-limits by a court injunction. Dockstader was also compiling interviews to do reports for the friendship centre and filed reports for the news podcast Canadaland and CKTB. He and his One Dish, One Mic co-host (and Niagara Falls Review reporter) Sean Vanderklis, were the 2020 recipients of the annual Canadian Journalism Foundation-CBC Indigenous Journalism Fellowship. My lawyer says we have a case and were going to fight the charges, said Dockstader, a member of the Oneida Bear Clan who lives in Niagara Falls. Dockstader, with Vanderklis, began to visit the property and started filing reports shortly after a small group of land defenders occupied the McKenzie Meadows construction site in Caledonia, about an hour south of Toronto, on July 19. According to Dockstader, the property in question is traditional Haudenosaunee land that was never ceded. For decades it has been farmed, but was recently sold to Foxgate Developments which plans to erect a housing complex there. In court documents, Foxgate argued the land was no longer Haudenosaunee territory because it had been sold in 1853 by a Canadian Indian Agent an officer of the federal government of the day and not a representative of the Haudenosaunee to a private buyer. The company also signed an agreement with the elected Six Nations of Grand River council elected by less than 5 per cent of the Six Nations population. It agreed to support the development and use all reasonable efforts to work with the (Foxgate) to support a cessation of any action or conduct by any member of any First Nations that is intended or reasonably likely to delay, frustrate or interfere with the development. The elected council is at odds with the areas traditional Indigenous government, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy council, which released a statement Aug. 15 opposing the development and calling on the federal government to intervene. The land defenders set up at night, said Dockstader. They were trying to avoid any confrontation with anyone during the workday. Foxgate received a court injunction barring anyone from the property, and by Aug. 5 the Ontario Provincial Police-enforced court order, resulting in a brief confrontation between police and the land defenders. What is notable is that the number of people at the camp was very small at first. Maybe a few dozen, said Dockstader. That increased dramatically after the police showed up. So in a way, the arrival of the OPP brought more people to the camp. Last week, he stayed at the camp to file reports. His last live report was a short video posted to the One Dish, One Mic Twitter page Aug. 29. In it, he said the land defenders were not seeking confrontation and wanted the federal Crown to uphold their treaty rights. He also said he played in a lacrosse game at the camp. On Sept. 2 after Dockstander had returned home, he was contacted by OPP and informed he would be charged with mischief and violating a court injunction. While other news media were at the camp including APTN, the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network Dockstader is the only member of the press charged. He suspects his final video may have played a role in the OPP laying charges against him. Although the OPP would not discuss the charges, a spokesman indicated that doing anything other than reporting could result in charges. The OPP is committed to the freedom of the press and respects the important role the media has in the community. We value and strive to have collaborative relationships with our media partners, said Const. Rod LeClair in an email. Engaging in activities outside of their reporting purpose, could subject media personnel to charges in relation to a violation of a court order and other applicable offences. RELATED STORIES Niagara Region Deal expected to bring Indigenous friendship centres, Niagara municipalities together to solve social issues It is not clear if the lacrosse game Dockstader played in is being viewed by OPP as grounds for the charges. LeClair said to date 17 people have been charged, including 15 for allegedly violating a court injunction. Late Friday, the Fort Erie Native Friendship Centre released a statement condemning the arrest of Dockstader, as well as Indigenous policy analyst Courtney Skye, as an abuse of power designed to control the way the story is being told. Indigenous media and policy analysis is critical in ensuring our diverse perspectives are broadly available and acknowledged, the statement said. CKTB released a statement late Friday in support of Dockstader. We fully support the journalism of Karl Dockstader, the statement says. We deeply oppose his arrest and charges and have offered to assist him in anyway we can. Support also came from the Canadian Association of Journalists, which released a statement Friday condeming Dockstaders arrest as an attack on press freedom. The OPP are well aware that journalists have an established constitutional right to be present and cover matters of public interest, said Brent Jolly, CAJ president. Attempting to prevent a journalist from documenting a moment of contentious action is impermissible in a country like Canada. Journalism can never be silenced. Malaysia bars Bangladeshis until Dec 31: Minister Staff Reporter : Malaysia barred the entry of Bangladeshi citizens to the country until December 31, 2020, Bangladesh state minister for foreign affairs M Shahriar Alam said in a Facebook post on Saturday. 'Malaysia barred the entry of the citizens of 12 countries. The ban was imposed on the citizens of three countries previously - the Philippines, Indonesia and India. Nine countries upon which the ban has been imposed on Thursday are Bangladesh, United States, Britain, Brazil, Spain, France, Italy, Saudi Arabia and Russia,' the minister wrote on his verified page. 'Those, who are on leave, have to wait until December 31 for the moment. None please try to go influenced by the brokers. If you do this you could be blacklisted forever. We will continue the discussion and if the decision is changed will inform it,' he wrote. Bangladesh is currently 15th most COVID-19 affected countries, with 323,565 cases and 4,447 deaths until Saturday. Multiple boats have sank and several made distress calls during a "Trump Boat Parade in Texas, according to law enforcement. Boats reportedly ran into trouble around 1:20pm (CDT) with several 911 calls made about vessels in distress. Other boats were reportedly sinking while sailing the parade route on Lake Travis. A spokesperson with the Travis County Sheriffs department confirmed to CBS Austin that multiple boats have been sinking on the lake. There was no details about the precise number of boats in distress. A Facebook page for the event showed that more than 2,000 people were scheduled to attend the parade. An additional 5,000 people said they were interested. The event encouraged boat owners to bring boats of all shapes and sizes to participate in the parade. Trump memorabilia, such as Make America Great Again flags and Trump/Pence signs, as well as American flags were pictured on many boats in attendance. This was not the only boat parade taking place over the Labour Day holiday weekend. Choctawhatchee Bay in the Emerald Coast region of Florida was also packed with hundreds of boats filled with Trump supporters eager to show their love for the president. These boats also were decorated with Trump signs and American flags. Entitled the Emerald Coast Florida Trump Flotilla, the group of boats went towards Navare to join another boat parade in an effort to break the Guinness Book of World Records Worlds Largest Boat Parade. A pro-Trump boat parade at Toms River on the Jersey Shore also launched on Saturday morning in an effort to break the world record. Currently, a 2014 celebration in Malaysia holds the Guinness world record for the largest boat parade in history after 1,180 boats gathered. Guinness was reviewing a potential record-setter from Augusts gathering in Clearwater, Florida, according to The Tampa Bay Times. PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaskela Law LLC announces that it is investigating Mohawk Industries, Inc. ("Mohawk" or the "Company") (NYSE: MHK) on behalf of the company's stockholders. Recently a securities fraud complaint was filed against Mohawk in federal court on behalf of investors who purchased shares of the Company's stock between April 28, 2017 and July 25, 2019. According to the complaint, during that time period Mohawk and certain of the Company's senior executive officers engaged in a "fraudulent scheme to fabricate revenues through fictitious 'sales' of products that were not delivered to customers and to conceal from investors the true reasons for the Company's ballooning inventory." The complaint further alleges that "[w]hen the truth was finally revealed to investors through a series of partial disclosures beginning in July 2018, the price of Mohawk common stock plunged, wiping out $7.4 billion in shareholder value." The firm's investigation seeks to determine whether the members of Mohawk's board of directors breached their fiduciary duties to Mohawk and its stockholders in connection with the above alleged misconduct. Current Mohawk stockholders who purchased or acquired shares of the company's stock prior to April 28, 2017 are encouraged to contact Kaskela Law LLC (D. Seamus Kaskela, Esq.) at (484) 258 1585, or online at http://kaskelalaw.com/case/mohawk-industries-inc/, to discuss this investigation and their legal rights and options. Kaskela Law LLC represents investors in securities fraud, corporate governance, and merger & acquisition litigation. For additional information about Kaskela Law LLC please visit www.kaskelalaw.com. This notice may constitute attorney advertising in certain jurisdictions. CONTACT: D. Seamus Kaskela, Esq. KASKELA LAW LLC 18 Campus Blvd., Suite 100 Newtown Square, PA 19073 (484) 258 1585 (888) 715 1740 www.kaskelalaw.com [email protected] SOURCE Kaskela Law LLC Related Links http://www.kaskelalaw.com GREENSBORO A Durham man found injured early Saturday has died and police are investigating the death as a homicide, police said. Police said about 1:15 a.m. Saturday that officers responded to an aggravated assault on Teague Street and that the street was closed for the investigation. Less than nine hours later, police said the victim, 21-year-old Keith Lamont Edwards, had died. No further details about what happened were released Saturday. Police ask anyone with information to contact Greensboro/Guilford Crime Stoppers at 336-373-1000. Tips can also be sent to the P3Tips app or website. Excessive thirst, frequent urination, unexplained weight loss and exhaustion. If Cypress mother Anne Imber and her son had known what these symptoms might indicate, he could have been treated sooner for the serious health complications from his undiagnosed Type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is a chronic autoimmune condition that causes the bodys immune system to mistakenly attack the insulin-making beta cells of the pancreas, explained Dr. Daniel DeSalvo, pediatric endocrinologist at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Childrens Hospital. MORE FROM MELANIE FEUK: Magnolia resident to represent Texas Gulf Coast at inaugural pageant If a person with diabetes isnt receiving insulin, then they can develop a life-threatening condition called diabetic ketoacidosis, or DKA. It causes stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, tiredness, lethargy, sometimes it can cause rapid or heavy breathing, and if its severe it can lead to the point of confusion or even unconsciousness, DeSalvo said. DeSalvo is on the science advisory board for Beyond Type 1, a nonprofit focused on building awareness and support for people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes worldwide. Among the organizations initiatives is to prevent the development of DKA by educating people about the warning signs of Type 1 diabetes. Imber became a Beyond Type 1 volunteer after her sons diabetes diagnosis and has been advocating on behalf of the DKA Campaign. Texas was actually one of the first states to adopt the Beyond Type 1 DKA Campaign, Imber said. We have a really passionate group of diabetes advocates in the Houston area, and especially in the Cypress area, because we have a Type 1 diabetes school advocacy group. One factor that can lead to the delayed diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes is the symptom similarities to some viral illnesses such as the flu or a stomach virus, DeSalvo said. During the COVID-19 pandemic, making people aware of Type 1 diabetes telltale symptoms is of vital importance. On HoustonChronicle.com: Ventilation expert reveals how Texas schools can stop the spread of COVID in classrooms Its an issue that Imber knows all too well. Imber said her son Tristan was 12 years old when he and his sister contracted the swine flu in 2009 during the H1N1 pandemic. My daughter immediately bounced back, Imber said. She was on the mend in two days. My son, he went down with the swine flu and then he never recovered his full energy that hed had before. He started suffering from extreme exhaustion. He started having a lot of weight loss. There were many factors that Imber thought might be at play he was slimming due to a growth spurt; he had started running cross-country; and, of course, hed just been sick with the swine flu. He would come home incredibly exhausted, falling asleep, and I really attributed it to the swine flu his recovery from the swine flu just not taking the path that his sister had taken, Imber said. He continued to go downhill over the next month, losing 20 pounds in just four weeks. Hed tell his mom he was starving but was too nauseous to eat. He became more emotional than usual, Imber said. She knew something was wrong, so she made a Friday appointment with a pediatrician. They knew immediately how bad it was, but they wanted us to come back Monday morning for a fasting blood glucose (test), she said. Halloween happened to fall on that weekend. Thank god he did not eat his candy, Imber said. He was waiting for his braces to come off on Tuesday. RENEW HOUSTON: Get the latest wellness news delivered to your inbox By Tuesday morning, his pediatrician had called to relay his diagnosis Type 1 Diabetes. They realized Tristan had been going into phases of DKA because of his untreated condition. Because he was running cross-country, his blood sugar would go really high and then it would drop again because of the activity, Imber said. So, it was a really unusual case and thats one of the reasons it took so long to manifest in really obvious terms of, something was seriously wrong. Imber believes something as simple as an informational poster in the doctors office waiting room, like the ones distributed by the DKA campaign, could have tipped them off sooner. He hadnt been sharing the excessive thirst and the frequent urination because 12-year-old boys dont do that with their moms; they dont talk about those things, she said. And I know had he been sitting in that office at that time with the DKA Campaign poster there, he would have been able to say, Mom, Ive been having these symptoms and that wouldve really prompted us to get immediate help Friday versus waiting until Tuesday to seek out support for him. Nowadays, Imber said a DKA diagnosis warrants immediate hospitalization; but at the time, doctors felt the severity level of Tristans condition was low enough to treat him outside of a hospital. Imber said her son was fortunate to not have experienced the organ failure that some do from DKA. She knows of several cases in which lives have been lost because of an incorrect or delayed diagnosis. If her son had not been diagnosed in a timely manner, Imber doesnt doubt he wouldve ended up in the hospital. Houston coronavirus updates: Abbott's COVID response criticized by Dems and some Republicans We were lucky that he did not incur that seriousness of it, but we immediately saw relief from being able to be treated with the insulin under the care of an endocrinologist, and then started that learning process on how to manage it with the insulin dosing since his pancreas was no longer able to provide that hormone to regulate his food intake, Imber said. Imber had attributed several of Tristans diabetes symptoms to the residual effects of his flu recovery a relatively common misidentification among people with undiagnosed diabetes, she said. When its flu season, youll see a lot of people struggling and thinking, It is just the flu, but in reality there are some symptoms that really stand out that frequent urination, that excessive thirst that really differentiate from a flu symptom, Imber said. The COVID-19 pandemic presents similar challenges for the diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes and DKA, explained Beyond Type 1 Leadership Council Member Michelle Berman. We are seeing many families protecting themselves and wanting to avoid visits to doctors or the hospital, Berman said. And on top of that, if they arent armed with the knowledge of the warning signs, they also arent taking action when they appear. We really want families to get to the hospital or contact their physician right away, in spite of COVID or in addition to looking for the COVID warning signs. Type 1 diabetes does not stop just because theres a pandemic. On HoustonChronicle.com: What about Mom? Menninger Clinic launches virtual support group for mothers during pandemic Berman serves as the National Family Advocate for the DKA Campaign. Her child was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2007. She took him to the doctor after hed fainted from what she thought was abnormal blood pressure. After his diagnosis, Berman felt frustrated that shed never been made aware of the warning signs for Type 1 diabetes. Berman learned of the Beyond Type 1 organization in 2016. So, I partnered with Beyond Type 1 as a family advocate and began working on partnerships with the American Academy of Pediatrics and individual chapters in each state, Berman said. Together, Beyond Type 1 and the AAP partnered and brought awareness to families. Currently, I think theres 25 states across the country that partnered with Beyond Type 1 and disseminated materials warning signs, posters, fliers and handouts to families at well visits. The campaign began its push to disseminate the information in November of 2016 and has distributed the material in 25 states to more than 28,000 pediatric offices serving over 90 million patients a year, according to Berman. And thats just phase one. With a grant from the Helmsley Charitable Trust Foundation, we were able to expand the campaign into phase two, into 10 states across the country, Berman said. Phase two targets the general public, schools and businesses such as gyms. In February of this year, the National Association of School Nurses partnered with Beyond Type 1 with the awareness campaign, and so thats been very exciting to expand beyond the pediatricians, Berman said. With the school nurses, were raising awareness of the warning signs, really to be distributed to tens of thousands of school nurses nationally in the United States. So, weve been really thrilled with the awareness and partnerships with this campaign. For more information or to get involved, visit www.beyondtype1.org/dkacampaign or email dka@beyondtype1.org. Find Beyond Type 1 on social media: @beyondtype1. mfeuk@hcnonline.com A crisis erupted in the New Zealand Green Party late last month after co-leader James Shaw boasted that the Labour Party-led coalition government, which includes the Greens and the right-wing NZ First Party, would give $11.7 million to the private Green School in Taranaki. James Shaw in 2014 [Credit: Wikimedia Commons] Shaw, who is associate finance minister, said the funding would create construction jobs and help the school expand to meet growing demand from parents all over New Zealand, and the rest of the world, wanting to enrol their children. In fact, the Green School is an elite institution with domestic student fees ranging from $16,000 to $23,000 a year and almost double that for international students. Its website says it aims to shape the leaders of the future in a world of huge environmental threats and massive entrepreneurial opportunities. Shaws enthusiastic announcement triggered a significant backlash from working people. Teachers and public school staff, who held nationwide strikes last year over chronic understaffing and a funding crisis, were particularly angered. Marfell Community School acting principal Kealy Warren sent Shaw and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern an open letter demanding equivalent funding for her school to fix leaky classrooms, upgrade technology and address other urgent needs. On September 1, Shaw publicly apologised, saying he made an error of judgement in violating the Green Partys policy, which states that public funding for private schools should be phased out and transferred to public schools. In an attempt at damage control, the Green School said it could accept some of the money as a loan instead of a grant. Far from being an anomaly, however, the funding decision is completely in line with the governments pro-business response to the economic crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. The money for the Green School came from a $50 billion Covid Response and Recovery Fund (CRRF). The fund, fully supported by the Greens, is being distributed to businesses in the form of wage subsidies, tax concessions, handouts and loans. The Reserve Bank, meanwhile, has allocated up to $100 billion for quantitative easing, i.e., buying back government bonds from private banks in order to prop up their profits. As economics commentator Bernard Hickey recently wrote in Newsroom, the Labour-led government has delivered the biggest shot of cash and monetary support to the wealthy in the history of New Zealand, while giving nothing to the renters, the jobless, students, migrants and the working poor who mostly voted it in. A historic social crisis is unfolding as a result. Mass redundancies have pushed tens of thousands more people into poverty. Median incomes have plummeted by 7.6 percent in the past year and the Ministry of Social Development expects 16 percent of the population will be on welfare by January. Conscious that workers and young people are shifting to the left, the Green Party is seeking to market itself as progressive in the lead-up to the October 17 election. Shaw and co-leader Marama Davidson both acknowledged that the Green School funding scandal could make it harder to return to parliament. The party is polling around 5 percentthe minimum required to gain seats. The Greens first policy announcement in June called for everyone not employed, including students, to receive at least $325 a week, $75 more than the current unemployment benefit. This would be funded by a small wealth taxjust 1 percent on any assets over $1 million and 2 percent for assets over $2 millionand slightly higher income tax for people earning more than $100,000. These modest reforms would not raise enough money to reverse decades of austerity, and in any case they will never be implemented by a Labour-Green government. The Ardern government has betrayed its promises to alleviate poverty and inequality, which were worsening even before the pandemic. Prior to the 2017 election, the Greens agreed with Labour on a set of Budget Responsibility Rules, which promised to pay down debt and cap government spending at 30 percent of gross domestic product, about the same level as the 20082017 National Party government. This ensured ongoing austerity, leading to a worsening crisis in public hospitals, schools and other public services. The Greens most high-profile policy achievement in government was an essentially meaningless Zero Carbon Act, implemented last year following climate strikes involving tens of thousands of school students. It sets the goal of making the country carbon-neutral by 2050 and contains exemptions for the agriculture industry, New Zealands biggest source of emissions. The governments main mechanism is an emissions trading schemea market-based tool which will do nothing to stop the threat of catastrophic climate change. As part of the Ardern government, Shaw and Davidson have worked closely with the right-wing and anti-immigrant New Zealand First Party. Ardern gave NZ First a major role in government, including the roles of foreign minister, defence minister and internal affairs minister. Late last year, Shaw, in his capacity as minister for climate change, joined NZ Firsts Ron Mark, the defence minister, in releasing a climate change policy for the armed forces. Shaw presented the governments $20 billion plan to upgrade the military, including new aircraft and navy vessels, as necessary to respond to natural disasters caused by climate change. In fact, the spending is to assist New Zealands integration into the US-led war preparations against China. While the Greens sometimes posture as antiwar, they have previously backed New Zealands role in the occupation of Afghanistan, as well as the Australian-led interventions in East Timor and the Solomon Islands. A number of former Green MPs, including Catherine Delahunty, Mojo Mathers and Sue Bradford, have criticised Shaw for undermining the party. Bradford wrote: Just when you think the Greens might be sticking to their principles after three compromising years, Shaw gifts $11.7m to a private school. Some of the Greens pseudo-left supporters called for Shaw to step down to give the party a more left image. Emilie Rakete, from Organise Aotearoa, tweeted that Shaw needs to resign, adding that co-leader Marama Davidson stands with working class and brown communities. Socialist Aotearoas Elliot Crossan similarly wrote on Facebook that a Marama Davidson-led Green Party would be a force for good that the left could (critically of course) support, whereas Shaw was a neoliberal who should be booted out. Such statements are nonsense. As the record shows, the Greens, like their counterparts in Australia, Europe and elsewhere, are a party of the upper-middle class, backed by significant sections of big business. In 2020, the party has received tens of thousands of dollars from Peter Kraus, a multi-millionaire shareholder in healthcare company Ebos; Phillip Mills, founder of the Les Mills chain of gyms; and Bruce Copeland, who owns software development company Sandfield. Shaw, a former advisor to PricewaterhouseCoopers and HSBC bank, was elected as co-leader in 2015, not by mistake, but because he embodies the capitalist politics of the party. If the Green Party is still part of the government after the election, it will continue to support an agenda of austerity, handouts to businesses, militarism and anti-immigrant policies. A powerful typhoon threatening record-breaking wind and rain for Japan has put companies and transportation networks on high alert, with some moving to cut operations starting this weekend. Supertyphoon Haishen has drawn comparisons to a 1959 storm that battered the nation's Pacific coast, leaving more than 5,000 dead or missing. In an unusually early series of warnings, weather authorities have been urging "maximum alertness" for days ahead of a possible landfall on southwestern Japan's island of Kyushu on Sunday or Monday. Companies have started taking precautions, with the experience of recent deadly floods fresh in mind. Yamato Transport, the country's top home delivery company, canceled operations in Kyushu for all or part of Saturday, Sunday and Monday, depending on the location. Sagawa Express has called off parcel pickups across the island on both days. Supply chains are under threat in Kyushu, which serves as a manufacturing base for companies in industries as diverse as electronics, shipbuilding and food. Canon has called off production at factories in Kyushu on Monday. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has told workers at shipyards in Nagasaki, Shimonoseki and Hiroshima as well as other facilities not to report to work that day. In the retail sector, industry leader Aeon is boosting inventories at supermarkets in Kyushu and Okinawa to prepare for possible interruptions in deliveries. Seven-Eleven Japan, the country's top convenience store chain, has prepared plans for rolling shutdowns of about 1,000 stores in the typhoon's path. New Delhi, Sep 5 : Although the "pace was slow due to Covid-19 pandemic", a review report submitted to the Central government asserted that North India's first Biotech Industrial Park project in Jammu and Kashmir will be ready by the end of February 2021 "possibly". Benefiting neighbouring Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, the report mentioned that round the clock work has now resumed to complete the project which is spread over an area of around 10.5 acres in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district. As per the report, the project work was delayed due to the over 60-day lockdown implemented across the country from March 25 to avoid the spread of coronavirus or Covid-19 pandemic which has infected more than four million people in the country so far. With the beginning of Unlock 1.0, work continued on the project and it will possibly meet its second fixed deadline by the end of February, the report mentioned. The deadline of the project was earlier fixed for September. While reviewing the project report on Saturday through video conferencing, Union Minister Jitendra Singh appreciated the fact that the work on the Biotech Industrial Park was "carrying on in spite of the constraints of COVID pandemic, although the pace was slow", an official said. Director General, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Dr Shekhar Mande from New Delhi, Advisor to Lieutenant Governor Jammu and Kashmir Rajiv Bhatanagar from Srinagar and Dr D Srinivasa Reddy, Director IIIM from Jammu informed the Minister in the meeting that the deadline for the completion of the project had got delayed due to "Covid-19 related difficulties and the new deadline would possibly be around February 2021". Singh called for conducting awareness programmes to sensitise people about the new avenues of livelihood, startup ventures, entrepreneurship and research which will become available when the Biotech Park becomes functional. While this park will carry out research on biodiversity and the medicinal and aromatic plants of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, it will also promote green category businesses. From the Kandi areas of Jammu division to Bhadarwah, Bani, Basohli and Kishtwar, the climatic yields of medicinal plants will be increased and farmers will have better income, apart from traditional farming. Work has already been started by IIIM, Jammu to promote the entrepreneurial idea.In addition to Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, this biotech park is going to be a big help to other states including Himachal and Punjab. Work on it started on February 10, 2019, following the personal interest in the project shown by Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh. After the park is ready, scientists will be able to do research here. Referring to the first ever Seed Processing Plant which is almost ready at Kathua, the Minister said the Biotech Park and Seed Processing Plant will be able to supplement each other's resources and this would be in line with the Prime Minister's vision of doubling farmers' income. "The projects will promote economic development and also quality export projects." About the Canadian collaboration Cannabis Medicine Project launched at IIIM Jammu, Singh said this is the first major foreign investment in Jammu and Kashmir after its conversion into a Union Territory. He added that special permission had to be obtained to produce pain-relief medicine for patients suffering from cancer and diabetes from this plant. The medicine prepared from the cannabis plant can be utilised even for export to other countries, he said. The Minister was also given an update about the Lemon Grass Cultivation Project launched by the CSIR on his personal intervention. He was informed that presently Lemon Grass cultivation has been undertaken in the districts of Kathua, Udhampur, Doda and Kishtwar. (Rajnish Singh can be contacted at rajnish.s@ians.in) Professional freestyle motocross rider and rally car racer Brian Deegan is selling his modern North Carolina mansion for $4.95 million. Completed in 2018, the Morganton, NC, home brings a distinct California vibe to the Carolinas. Overlooking Lake James, the home features huge windows on the backside to show off the gorgeous views. Set on 5 acres with over 800 feet of beach frontage, the 7,699-square-foot residence has five bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms. Upon entry, you'll notice the glass everywhere, which allows for an abundance of natural light and gorgeous views. The chefs kitchen features a massive butler's pantry, along with ample countertop space. Adjacent to the indoor kitchen, youll find a tempting outdoor kitchen, complete with a grill and sink. The master suite has a private balcony overlooking the lake. The suite also has a massive walk-in shower and tub area enclosed with glass, as well as two large walk-in closets. A floating staircase leads up to top-floor bedrooms and down to the home's lower level. Below, you'll find the personal home gym area, a hot yoga room with a half-bathroom, sauna, guest suite, wet bar, and an office. Exterior realtor.com Glass hallway realtor.com Living area realtor.com Chef's kitchen realtor.com Master bedroom realtor.com Master bathroom realtor.com Back patio realtor.com Home gym realtor.com Three-car garage with workshop realtor.com Covered boat dock realtor.com Aerial view realtor.com High-end amenities include an intercom system and a pre-installed Sonos sound system. Gearheads will appreciate the three-car garage with epoxy flooring, plus a workshop area with built-in cabinetry. To enjoy all the lake has to offer, there's a covered dock for a boat and lake accessories. Arise, and go down to the potters house, and there I will cause thee to hear my voice. Jeremiah 18:2 On the 50th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, Jan. 27, 1995, Bob Guinee invited nearly two dozen people to his North Side apartment for a ceremony of remembering. Standing in the living room and leading that ceremony with his painful remembrances was Sam Rosenzweig, who, while Auschwitz was being liberated, was one of thousands of Jews on a six-week death march to Buchenwald. That night, his memories of the Holocaust led to a discussion of Americas children and the evil to which many of them had been abandoned. The collective agreement was that what happens to these children isnt a Holocaust, but it is certainly a tragedy. Guinee always wanted people to remember, whether it was the Holocaust, slavery or the plight of Americas poor children. Thats why, in September 1998, Guinee, then 68 and an Air Force retiree, founder of a successful engineering consulting firm and Methodist lay minister, moved out of his comfortable apartment and into his dream home in one of San Antonios poorest and most crime-ridden neighborhoods. It was a home hed first envisioned 17 years earlier, when in the joy of the birth of his first granddaughter, he felt the pain of children who wouldnt be as fortunate as she. Her arrival, paired with his Bible reading, stirred in Guinee an idea whose fulfillment would be the driving passion for the rest of his life: to build a place and create a space that would be a refuge for poor children and their parents, a place to better themselves. I dont have a save-the-world complex, he told me one month after opening and moving into the Potters Home Ministry on the West Side. But this brings me as close to Jesus as I can get, reaching out to people he wants us to reach out for. Guinee spoke with a gruff, no-nonsense tenderness and resembled the actor Carroll OConnor. In fact, he was from Queens, N.Y., home of OConnors most famous character, Archie Bunker. After graduating from Fordham University, Guinee enlisted in the Air Force. Across a 20-year career, he fought in Vietnam, flew more than 100 missions and was decorated with, among other awards, the Bronze Star Medal and the Air Medal. While in the military, he married, started a family and earned a masters degree in engineering from the University of Michigan. Upon retirement from the military, he established Engineering Safety Consultants before retiring and leaving it to be run by one of his sons. On ExpressNews.com: Commentary: Help available for targets of bullies Using $51,000 of his own money and donations from other sources, Guinee bought four lots in the shadow of San Juan Homes and built a white 3,000-square-foot building. He used a third of it for his residence and the rest of the space for the neighborhood kids to play, get help with homework, put on puppet shows and eat a hot meal. He took them on field trips and regular swimming lessons at Palo Alto College. The core of his volunteers were the mothers of the children who were regulars women who came to trust the man whod become part of their community so their children could have more access to the larger community. When family and friends expressed concern about his safety, Guinee would ask, Are you concerned about these children? I first met Guinee on the same November day in 1993 that the Express-News published an essay Id submitted about my neighborhood. I had no public profile, but Guinee tracked me down at my grandmothers house. At that time, he was attempting to build the Potters Home on the East Side and wanted to learn more. We became friends, and I became one of the many to whom hed send books he thought wed be interested in or should be interested in. He especially loved to give any of the versions of Frederick Douglass memoir. He believed the horrors of slavery were understated and, as with the Holocaust, he wanted people to remember the barbarity and to learn from the failure of people of faith to act on that faith and resist evil. And he wanted people to remember poor children. When Sam Rosenzweig died July 24, 2008, at 87, Guinee said, He was one of the holiest men of great faith. I loved the guy. Since Guinees death on July 24 of this year, at 90, many of us have been saying the same about him. cary.clack@express-news.net VENICE, Italy (Reuters) - Australian director Roderick MacKay braved COVID-19 restrictions to make a "daunting" trip to the Venice film festival, where his debut feature "The Furnace" premieres on Friday. MacKay had to get permission from Australian authorities to leave his own country, quarantine in Rome for two weeks before travelling to Venice, and will have to quarantine again when he goes back to Australia. "Travelling during this time in history is sort of just a little bit daunting for any purpose," 33-year old MacKay, who filmed a video of his journey and self-isolation on his mobile for Reuters, said in an interview. "But to be doing so, to come to a top tier festival like Venice, to have your debut film premiere on the world stage, it's certainly a whole other layer of dauntingness," he said, adding he was happy and honoured to be at the world's oldest film festival. "The Furnace", which is in the Horizon section outside the main competition, tells the little known story of cameleers brought to Australia by the British empire from India, Afghanistan and Persia in the second half of the 19th century and the local Aboriginal people they befriended. The Venice film festival is the first such international event to go ahead in front of live audiences since the coronavirus pandemic shut much of the movie world down. It runs until Sept 12. (Reporting by Hanna Rantala, Writing by Silvia Aloisi; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky) It could break a San Franciscans heart to see what the coronavirus has done to the citys downtown these days. Its almost empty, like a ghost town. Its a bit of shock to stand at Powell and Market these days. Only a few months ago it was one of the centers of the city. You could walk most anywhere from there, eat, drink, shop, buy most anything, see most anybody. So I was dismayed to find so little traffic on Market Street at noontime that I could cross it against the traffic light. A lot of shops and eating places were not only shut but boarded up. The Westfield mall was half empty, and workers wearing masks were cleaning out the flagship Gap store at Powell and Market. The inventory was all gone. What was left was being hauled to two trucks labeled Junk King parked on the cable car tracks. Wow, I thought, junk trucks at noon on the cable car tracks? This city must be dead. But this is San Francisco, and any obituary for the life of the city is premature. Its come back to life in a new way with sidewalk dining. Id noticed a boomlet in restaurants serving on the streets in North Beach a few weeks ago, but now the trend has spread around the city, especially in the neighborhoods. Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle I started with Johns Grill, an old downtown favorite. Ive been going there for years, but always in the dark, wood-paneled dining room. The shutdown ended that. Now we had lunch outside on Ellis Street, in booths set up in what used to be parking spots. Johns had a staff of 60 people only a few months ago. Now we have about 15, said Johnny Konstin, who is the third generation of the Konstin family to run the place. Its not bad, he said. It gives us a chance to keep some of our staff and to keep open, he said. Look, we have white tablecloths, we have palm trees on the street. Its an oasis on Ellis Street. Maybe, but it wasnt exactly crowded the other day, and the noises of the city traffic and a big construction project across the street brought the city to your table. That was fine with Victor Makras, a real estate man and former port commissioner who was having lunch at the next table. You can feel the neighborhood outside, he said. You can see the city. I spent the afternoon making an unscientific survey of outdoor dining, driving around, stopping for a beer or a light snack. North Beach is ground zero for food on the street, so I skipped that. I looked on Divisadero, upper Fillmore, outer Sacramento, Castro, Valencia and Mission streets. Some places are plain, just a table and some chairs on the sidewalk outside, like the one at a grocery store that sells sandwiches on Folsom Street in the Mission or the Royal Cuckoo bar not far away. Some are fancier, especially on Castro Street where one big street-dining spot is painted in the colors of the rainbow flag. I must have looked at two dozen of these restaurants on the street, and the best looking of them all is at the Front Porch, a New Orleans-style place on 29th Street, just off Mission. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. The Front Porch had just celebrated its 14th anniversary when the shutdown hit. It tried takeout for a while, but that was difficult and demand was unpredictable. The next move was relocating the restaurant into 29th Street, but the first effort was not only plain but homely an orange construction barrier flanking tables and chairs. With the help of neighborhood architects and designers, that evolved into an elegant street restaurant: booths enclosed by a bright wall to suggest a New Orleans scene. Atop the wall are three down-home rocking chairs, three orange parasols and a wooden chicken in full crow. We are known for our fried chicken, said Josey White, one of the partners. Still, converting from a conventional restaurant to one out in the street is not easy. The new operation is half the size of the old, and the booths have to be taken down and stored every night. Costs are up. We spend $1,000 a month just on cleaning supplies, just to be safe, White said. And volume is down 40%. Its like having to reinvent the business overnight, she said. But thats what happened. A bit of new style in the old city. Carl Nolte is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cnolte@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @CarlnolteSF Kaas Plateau Reserve Forest, locally known as Kaas Pathar (plateau of flowers), may have turned into a sea of blooming flowers in the absence of human intervention because of the Covid lockdown restrictions, according to botanists and environmentalists. Pune-based botanist Kanchanmala Gandhe said that the virus situation has had a positive impact on conservation of rarest of rare species in the region and would lead to revival of nature at the biodiversity hotspot. Kaas, located 140 km from Pune in Satara district in western Maharashtra region and home to varieties of flowers, is a world heritage site declared by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). The reserve forest is still out of bounds for visitors as the district administration and the forest department are yet to a take a decision on permitting tourists in the area. Tourists, nature lovers and students visit the plateau during the flower blooming season from August to October. Authorities imposed many measures to protect the nature spot after it became a part of a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site in 2012. Ecologist Madhav Gadgil, who headed the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel formed in 2010, said, Commercial developments in the form of hotel constructions and ecotourism affected the rich biodiversity of Kaas plateau. There has been a huge rush of people to this sensitive area in the guise of ecotourism and it has triggered commercial activities in the Western Ghats, followed by construction activities like hotels and other infrastructure which has defeated the purpose of protecting the green cover and habitat protection of the plateau. Gadgil said that there is a need to strengthen acts like Biological Diversity Act of 2002, which empowers local bodies like panchayats to take appropriate steps for conservation. The participation of locals comprising Adivasis and forest dwellers is of crucial importance in carrying out sustainable development in the area. Currently, the government has taken control over the area and Adivasis and locals, the original stakeholders, have been left out in the sustainable development process, he said. Gandhe said, The colour of the plateau changes with season as many flowers, including rare wildflowers, bloom throughout the year. It is natural that the bloom will last for longer period this year because of the Covid restrictions and one can look forward to more varieties of flora in the coming season. Nature comes to its original state if there is no disturbance. The plants will flower with full bloom this time and next year too. Pink balsams, blue utricularies and yellow smithias are in full bloom during monsoons. Kumudini (lotus flower) blossom during October and November. As the number of Covid-19 cases in Satara and its surrounding villages is on the rise, giving permission to visitors to visit Kaas is not in public interest. The authorities have not taken any decision on allowing visitors to the plateau, S Pardeshi, range forest officer, Kaas Pathar, Satara. Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, the Malian president ousted by a military coup in August, was evacuated late Saturday to the United Arab Emirates for medical treatment, a diplomat said. The 75-year-olds health has been in question since he was hospitalized following his detention for 10 days by the military junta now in power. He left Mali with is wife, Aminata Maiga Keita, an attache, two doctors and four security agents, said the diplomat with knowledge of the situation but who insisted on not being quoted by name because he was not permitted to speak to press on the matter. The plane was dispatched by the United Arab Emirates following a request from Malian authorities and Keita, so he can be treated at a military hospital in Abu Dhabi, the diplomat said. Keita had been moved to his residence earlier this week after hospitalization at a private clinic under the tight security of the junta. Leaders of the junta had said they were open to whatever treatment he needed to get, even if in another country. The junta, which calls itself the National Committee for the Salvation of the People, is now running Mali under the leadership of Col. Assimi Goita. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Every school in the country has had to adapt to the new normal, and made extensive changes to the school buildings and system to ensure the safety of all students, staff and families of those who attend the school. Some schools have come up with invention ways to make social distancing easier, and St Joseph's CBS on the Termonfeckin Road enlisted the help of the Drogheda Mens Shed to help out. 'We are blessed in St. Joe's to have extensive school grounds that we were able to adapt and develop over the summer in order to create designated external spaces for each of our year groups,' explains Deputy Principal Ms Jenny Kelly. 'Principal Paul Savage got in contact with the Men's Shed to explore the possibility of them supplying us with 50 picnic benches. They were amazing and no job was too big. Over the space of two weeks we were supplied with 70 robust and durable benches that I have no doubt will be in place for many years to come'. Like almost every school in the country, they were also in a situation where they had to replace their double desks with singles and with huge demand, supply of these desks nationally was limited. 'Once again, the Men's Shed came up with a solution,' she adds. 'They are currently in the process of converting up to a hundred double desks into singles in order for us to be able to lay out our classrooms in a safe and socially distanced way'. Staff at Drogheda Grammar School have been busy all summer transforming their building to not only follow guidelines but offer extra health and safety measures for the students. As well as the required measures that have been taken in all schools, they have reorganised and repainted outdoor areas of school, and increase the seating. 'We aim to get out in the fresh air and get healthy as much as possible,' says Headmaster Hugh Baker with a laugh. 'When students can't eat outside, new colour coordinated dining areas have been created to help split lunches, there are one way systems in all corridors, as well as sanitising stations, new bins and equipment in every room. There's still the same welcome, just sanitise your hands too!' St Oliver's Community College has kept students and parents up to date with procedures every step of the way on social media, with regular Tweets and Facebook posts. 'We have produced a full roadmap to returning to school, based on 600 responses from parents of students,' explains Deputy Principal John Heeney. 'This has been distributed to all of our parents/guardians, students and staff and you can also see the individual steps taken as we have tweeted out daily updates on the different measures taken.' HARBOR BEACH When recognizing social and economic achievements made by the blue collar workforce this year, National Filters, Inc. of Harbor Beach rose to the spotlight. The industrial filter manufacturer wasted no time aiding in coronavirus relief efforts, according to a press release from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. By mid-March face masks were already in production, an accomplishment General Manager Beth Gornowich was most definitely proud of. National Filters launched NFI Masks, which produces face masks in KN95 style, Gornowich said. We have customers and distributers all over the United States, primarily in Michigan and Louisiana. Its a growing industry. The manufacturer started off with a record year in 2020, including a great demand for orders. NFI was even able to donate face masks to local schools, businesses, medical care facilities, law enforcement and government agencies. We were eager to take on the challenge of procuring equipment, raw materials and labor to manufacture masks to help our community, said Gornowich. Behind the scenes, the factorys 45 employees labored to make it all possible. Many of which, felt relieved to know they would not face threat of lay off. Holly Hale works as a production supervisor and has been with the factory for seven years, in a position she has no desire to leave. Thanks to the companys overwhelming success, she continues to work 40 hours per week. It is easy going but driven, Hale said. We all have the same mindset. I am speaking from the heart. Honestly, they make you feel like you are part of a team. For example, yesterday we were short staff and Jessica offered her assistance. Jessica Hill works has been with the company for five years. She works as a production manager. It is like a big family, Hill said. We all have the same end game. We try to look out for one another. At NFI, employees work Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This gives them time away from their work families to be with their actual families, creating a more positive workplace environment. Overseeing the companys dedicated team of general laborers, Gornowich was pleased to speak on how it thrived in an otherwise uncertain production market. National Filters has always sought to look forward and create new opportunities, she said. It is a sense of job security. In the press release, Senior Communications Strategist Kathleen Achtenberg stated that the Huron County Economic Development Corporation worked alongside National Filters to find viable options aimed at fighting the pandemic. The outcome was monetary support from the Michigan Strategic Fund in the amount of $196,625. This made way for the manufacturer to increase surgical mask production. According to the release, production numbers jumped to over 7,200 masks in a single hour and allowed for the increased production of more than 2,000 N95 respirators per hour. We are happy that we were able to match available state resources with one of our local manufacturers during this challenging time, said Huron County EDC Director Carl Osentoski. NFI delivers original equipment manufacturer replacement hydraulic filters and strainers. Its website reads that the company offers one of the largest hydraulic filter element product lines on the market, adding more products during the last 8 months than majority of competitors introduce in a three-year period. NEW DELHI : The Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project, which is scheduled to be completed by December 2023, may fail to meet its deadline due to the coronavirus pandemic that has led to delays in opening tenders and land acquisition, officials said. The National High Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRCL) has already acquired 63 per cent of the land for the project -- about 77% land in Gujarat, 80% in Dadar Nagar Haveli and 22% in Maharashtra. Officials said there are still issues in acquiring land in areas like Palghar in Maharashtra and Navsari in Gujarat. Last year, the company had floated nine civil work tenders which could not be opened because of the coronavirus pandemic, officials said. Because of COVID we had to postpone the opening of a few of the tenders. It is difficult to assess the impact of the pandemic on the project as it is still continuing. We cannot say how the pandemic will affect the project as I don't know how long it will last," NHSRCL MD Achal Khare said. Officially, the NHSRCL spokesperson maintained that the deadline for the project remained 2023. One of the civil work contracts for construction of stations, bridges, viaducts, maintenance depots, and tunnels across the network is to the tune of 20,000 crore. Tenders for civil works for 345 kms out of 508 kms alignment, or 68 percent of civil works, have already been floated. This includes six MAHSR stations (including one underground station in Mumbai). The works related to utility diversion are progressing well and the construction of Sabarmati passenger hub (a multi modal hub) in Sabarmati, Gujarat has also started. The hostel building of High Speed Training Institute ( which is presently being used for COVID patients) and training tracks in Vadodara are also completed. The 508.17-kilometre long network will pass through three districts in Maharashtra (Mumbai, Thane, and Palghar) and eight districts in Gujarat (Valsad, Navsari, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Kheda, and Ahmedabad). Apart from land acquisition, another major cause for delay could be cost escalation owing to a fall in the rupee against the Japanese yen. The total cost of the project is pegged at 1.08 lakh crore and as per the shareholding pattern, the Government of India is to pay 10,000 crore to the NHSRCL, while the two states involved, Gujarat and Maharashtra, are to pay 5,000 crore each. The rest is to be paid by Japan through a loan at 0.1 per cent interest. One section of the Ahmedabad-Mumbai high-speed rail corridor is likely to be tendered out within three months after nearly 90 per cent of the land acquisition for the project is completed, an official said. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 5 Trend: Minister of Defense of Azerbaijan, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov has watched the competition of Azerbaijani tank crews with other teams that reached the final of the Tank Biathlon contest held at the Alabino range in the Moscow region on September 5 on the final day of the International Army Games - 2020 and took part in the ceremony of awarding the servicemen who became the winners, Trend reports citing the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry. The solemn ceremony of the International Army Games-2020 ended with a gala concert. It should be pointed out that the servicemen of the Azerbaijan Army have represented our country at a high level in the "Sea Cup" and "Tank Biathlon" contests, which were held as part of these competitions. CRIB undergoes reforms with a new points system By Bandula Sirimanna View(s): View(s): The government is now set to reform the Credit Information Bureau (CRIB) with a points system for borrowers, instead of branding customers as bad borrowers, State Minister for Finance Ajith Nivard Cabraal told the Sunday Times. The aim is to classify borrowers who used to service their debts without defaulting and allow them to get further banking facilities by considering their track record, he said. This decision was taken at a recent meeting with bank officials and the General Manager of the CRIB Nandi Anthony has already been entrusted with the task of making necessary changes in the system, he added. It will introduce a new phase to the CRIB report with a points system soon, he revealed. According to available data, the CRIB currently covers 46.5 per cent of the countrys adult population, which includes 6.3 million people and over 212,000 firms. This figure is expected to significantly increase with the expansion of data from non-financial institutions soon. The new system will provide better information for banks and financial institutions to take informed decisions on borrowers with a clear understanding on good customers, he explained. These financial institutions will have to adjust their credit disbursing calculations; he said adding that it makes the duties of credit managers and officers easier. If customers pay dues on time they get a high credit score and if they dont pay dues on time you get a low credit score, he pointed out. The credit points system will influence the decisions of financial institutes in offering attractive rates for creditworthy customers, he said. It will evaluate the creditworthiness or the probability of defaulting of individuals and firms assisting the financial institutions to provide loan facilities to their customers based on the credit scores, rather than relying on collaterals. CRIB will be implementing a plan to switch to a new system soon, which includes activating the non-financial (non-traditional) data module. The new credit bureau system will also provide businesses outside the financial services sector, such as telecommunications and utilities like electricity and water with access to consumer credit and risk information. This is allowing businesses to identify which customers are creditworthy, and those which may be likely to default on any credit payment plan, CRIB sources revealed. The credit managers and officers of financial institutions should consider a case by case basis in granting loan facilities as the individual credit score is generated based purely on the repayments of formal borrowings available to CRIB, Minister Cabraal said. However the credit scoring system assures the creditworthiness of worthy customers and firms to persuade the financial institutions to extend the loan facilities without depending on collaterals, he pointed out. However, the contract cant move forward yet due to a court order putting it on hold as Amazon pursues a lawsuit over the bidding process. Amazon was considered the lead contender to provide technology for the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) programme, with Amazon Web Services dominating the cloud computing arena and the company already providing classified servers for other government agencies including the CIA. Amazon has alleged it was shut out of the deal because of Trumps vendetta against the company and its chief executive Jeff Bezos. (Photo | AP) San Francisco: The US Department of Defense said Friday it is sticking with its decision to award a $10 billion cloud computing contract to Microsoft, despite Amazons claims that President Donald Trump improperly influenced the process. After a second look at proposals for the JEDI cloud computing contract, the Pentagon concluded anew that Microsoft is the preferred choice. Microsofts proposal continues to represent the best value to the Government, the department said in a statement, adding it is eager to begin delivering this capability to our men and women in uniform. However, the contract cant move forward yet due to a federal courts order putting it on hold while Amazon pursues a lawsuit over how the bidding was handled, the Pentagon noted. We appreciate that after careful review, the DoD confirmed that we offered the right technology and the best value, Microsoft said. Were ready to get to work and make sure that those who serve our country have access to this much needed technology. The 10-year Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) programme will ultimately see all military branches sharing information in a cloud-based system boosted by artificial intelligence. Amazon has alleged it was shut out of the deal because of Trumps vendetta against the company and its chief executive Jeff Bezos. The entrepreneur, who also owns The Washington Post, is a frequent target of the US president, who claims the newspaper is biased against him. Amazon is seeking testimony from Trump and other top officials on the reasons for awarding the lucrative deal to Microsoft. Amazon contended in a blog post that the DoDs re-evaluation of bids was a do-over to let Microsoft fix a flawed proposal so US officials could validate a flawed, biased, and politically corrupted decision. There is a recurring pattern to the way President Trump behaves when hes called out for doing something egregious: first he denies doing it, then he looks for ways to push it off to the side, to distract attention from it and delay efforts to investigate it, Amazon said in the post. And then he ends up doubling down on the egregious act anyway. Amazon was considered the lead contender to provide technology for JEDI, with Amazon Web Services dominating the cloud computing arena and the company already providing classified servers for other government agencies including the CIA. Amazon argued in court documents that the Pentagons choice of Microsoft was mystifying if not for Trumps repeated expressed determination to, in the words of the president himself, screw Amazon. The protest filed in the US Court of Federal Claims urges that the rival JEDI bids be re-evaluated. BEIJING, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- China stands with the Venezuelan people in their fight against COVID-19 and upholds the Venezuelan government's right to safeguard national sovereignty, and national dignity and development, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday. Wang made the remarks while holding talks with his Venezuelan counterpart Jorge Arreaza via video link. Noting that Latin America is one of the "epicenters" of the COVID-19 pandemic, Wang said Venezuela is facing the challenge of preventing and controlling the epidemic and resolutely fighting hegemony as well. China and Venezuela share basically similar views on safeguarding their legitimate rights and interests, jointly supporting multilateralism, and improving global governance, Wang said, adding that China is willing to provide additional help and support in accordance with Venezuela's needs. Maintaining sovereign equality of nations, resolving disputes by peaceful means, and non-interference in other countries' internal affairs are the most important principles of the UN Charter. But the United States has publicly declared to overthrow the Venezuelan government, and has even escalated its sanctions against Venezuela at this critical anti-epidemic moment, violating the basic humanitarian spirit. "Any external interference runs contrary to the will of the people, and will not be sustainable," Wang said, adding that China believes that Venezuela has the ability and wisdom to resolve the problems it faces through domestic dialogue and China is willing to play a constructive role in this regard. Arreaza said Venezuela appreciated China for dispatching a team of medical experts, providing anti-epidemic material assistance, and speaking up for Venezuela on the international stage to oppose unreasonable unilateral sanctions by the United States. The United States does not want to see the rise of China and emerging market economies. It attempts to delay China's development process and also promote the Monroe Doctrine again in Latin America. These attempts will not succeed, he said. Venezuela firmly supports the one-China principle and believes that China will succeed in its economic and social reform, said Arreaza. Chinese intelligence hackers were intent on stealing coronavirus vaccine data, so they looked for what they believed would be an easy target. Instead of simply going after pharmaceutical companies, they conducted digital reconnaissance on the University of North Carolina and other schools doing cutting-edge research. They were not the only spies at work. Russias premier intelligence service, the SVR, targeted vaccine research networks in the United States, Canada and Britain, espionage efforts that were first detected by a British spy agency monitoring international fiber optic cables. Follow: Coronavirus Worldometer | 15 countries with the highest number of cases, deaths due to the Covid-19 pandemic Iran, too, has drastically stepped up its attempts to steal information about vaccine research, and the United States has increased its own efforts to track the espionage of its adversaries and shore up its defenses. In short, every major spy service around the globe is trying to find out what everyone else is up to. The coronavirus pandemic has prompted one of the fastest peacetime mission shifts in recent times for the worlds intelligence agencies, pitting them against one another in a new grand game of spy versus spy, according to interviews with current and former intelligence officials and others tracking the espionage efforts. CORONAVIRUS SPECIAL COVERAGE ONLY ON DH Nearly all of the United States adversaries intensified their attempts to steal American research while Washington, in turn, has moved to protect the universities and corporations doing the most advanced work. NATO intelligence, normally concerned with the movement of Russian tanks and terrorist cells, has expanded to scrutinize Kremlin efforts to steal vaccine research as well, according to a Western official briefed on the intelligence. The contest is reminiscent of the space race, where the Soviet Union and America relied on their spy services to catch up when the other looked likely to achieve a milestone. But where the Cold War contest to reach the Earths orbit and the moon played out over decades, the timeline to help secure data on coronavirus treatments is sharply compressed as the need for a vaccine grows more urgent each day. It would be surprising if they were not trying to steal the most valuable biomedical research going on right now, John C. Demers, a top Justice Department official, said of China last month during an event held by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The Accra Regional Police Command in Friday dawn swoops arrested some 93 suspected criminals at drug peddling and crime noted areas in the Accra Metropolis. The Police seized quantities of wrapped dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp. The suspects, between the ages of 18 and 60 were arrested in separate operations at the Tesano Division, Jamestown and Odokor Division. Other areas included Dome Railways, Lapaz, Akwetteyman, Ofankor Cemetery, Asofan, Alajo and Christian Village. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Afful Boakye Yiadom, told the media that the rest of the swoops were conducted at Palledium, Akuma Village and Adedenkpo/Timber market within James Town command and Odorkor Official Town, Odorkor Township, Mallam and Gbawe under Odorkor division. DCOP Yiadom said the operation formed part of Police outlined strategies to frustrate and weed out criminal elements within the metropolis and create an enabling environment for the upcoming general elections. The Regional Commander said the exercise would be sustained throughout the period. He said the suspects were currently being screened as part of profiling processes to ascertain their involvement or otherwise in other criminal activities being investigated by the divisions. ---GNA Terror offenders are not being prosecuted for crimes committed in prison, including making weapons and glorifying terrorism, a report has revealed. Jonathan Hall QC, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, said opportunities were being lost to delay the release of dangerous inmates or jail them for new offences. The report found that failing to act on reports about potential offences in prison were causing lost opportunities to mitigate risk. Crimes that have not been prosecuted include the discovery of homemade weapons, the glorification of terrorism, dissemination of extremist material and possession of illicit phones. There are cases where people are coming to the end of their sentence where there is serious concern with the risk they pose, Mr Hall told The Independent. One of the ways of keeping them in prison for longer is by prosecuting them for a new offence, if it has happened in prison. He said he became aware that things that would have been investigated and prosecuted if they had taken place outside prison werent always being processed with a view to prosecution if they happened inside. A prison officer working in the high-security estate told The Independent he agreed with the assessment, adding: Thats pretty much the case anywhere. It comes down to a lack of experience with staff and its a case of governors wanting to keep a lid on whats happening in their jails. They think lets just sit on it, monitor is the buzzword. The officer said staff who reported potential crimes got deflated when action was not taken and became less likely to act on future incidents. He added: The police are very reluctant to get involved because they think, Is it in the public interest? They are already in a prison. The report found that some incidents were referred to internal prison disciplinary processes rather than being investigated as possible crimes. Mr Hall said there was a risk of missed opportunities, as well as a knock-on effect on the information shared with other agencies when extremists are released. His review was commissioned after the Fishmongers Hall attack, where Usman Khan stabbed two people to death at a rehabilitation event in November. Usman Khan: What we know about the London Bridge attacker It was the first of at least four alleged terror attacks committed by serving or freed prisoners in England within the past 10 months. Mr Hall made a series of recommendations to improve the monitoring of released terror offenders, and other criminals deemed to be at risk of committing terror-related crimes. Terrorists are going to be living amongst us for a very long time on licence and they cant always be subject to the most intense monitoring, because the resources wont always be there, he told The Independent. The very main point is the need to make sure that the people who have got the powers for dealing with released offenders have all the information. Mr Hall called for changes to multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA), which were originally established for violent and sexual offenders. The scheme is meant to bring police, probation and prison services together to manage the threat posed by released inmates, but a report released this week said vital information was not always being shared. It called for clearer means of identifying offenders who pose a terror risk, additional powers to manage them, better availability of mental health treatment and other resources, and improved sharing of sensitive intelligence. The report found the flow of information from prisons to those managing risk in the community has been considered unreliable for some time. Mr Hall said risk assessments for MAPPA were being carried out by people without access to intelligence held by police and the security services. Its not a very functioning risk assessment if someone doesnt know what is going on, he added. Terror plotters Naweed Ali, Khobaib Hussain and Mohibur Rahman, who were jailed in 2017, met in HMP Belmarsh (West Midlands Police) Risk assessment has got to be a holistic approach, particularly the cases where people havent been convicted of terror offences but have been identified as carrying a terrorist risk. Mr Hall warned of the threat from inmates who had become radicalised in prison, and those who were prosecuted for offences unrelated to terrorism as a disruption tactic because evidence of their extremist activities was not strong enough. People can move from being ordinary prisoners to terrorist prisoners at any stage in their journey, he added. I saw examples of people equally dangerous [as terrorists] who are not convicted of terror offences. Mr Hall said that deradicalisation schemes should be widened to include extremists who have not been convicted of terror offences, although the Fishmongers Hall attackers compliance with such programmes raised questions over their effectiveness. His report warned that officials may be putting too much emphasis on good behaviour while in jail when assessing inmates, and mitigating a set list of factors thought to increase risk. Khan had been jailed in 2012 as one of a nine-man terror cell who plotted to bomb targets including the London Stock Exchange, and was released automatically from prison almost a year before his eventual attack last year. An alleged terror attack took place in January 2020 on prison guards by two inmates at HMP Whitemoor in Cambridgeshire. In February, terror offender Sudesh Amman was shot dead after launching a knife attack in Streatham days after he was released from jail. Another recently freed prisoner, Khairi Saadallah, is accused of murdering three victims in an alleged terror attack in Reading in June. Ian Acheson, a former prison governor who carried out a 2016 review of Islamist extremism, warned this week that the threat of radicalisation inside prisons was growing. Insufficient staff, poorly trained and lacking confidence, have been unable to counter the spread of hateful ideologies peddled by sophisticated and charismatic prisoners, he wrote in an essay published by the Civitas think-tank. The offending behaviour tools which have been created to help extremists tackle their identity-based offending are at best generic and primitive, and at worst able to be manipulated by offenders to feign disengagement. He said that some jails had become incubators for extremism, allowing radicalisers and prisoners vulnerable to hateful and anti-British ideas relatively free access to each other. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 18 January 2022 Surfers enter the sea as the sun rises over Tynemouth on the North East coast PA UK news in pictures 17 January 2022 Bonhams Danny McIlwraith holds a Nigerian polycrome carved wood mask during a photocall for the sale of the Jim Lennon Collection at Bonhams in Edinburgh PA UK news in pictures 16 January 2022 The moon rises above the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth, Hampshire PA UK news in pictures 15 January 2022 Demonstrators outside Downing Street during a Kill The Bill protest against The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill in London PA UK news in pictures 14 January 2022 Ecologist Emma Smart (left) and retired GP Dr Diana Warner outside HMP Bronzefield, in Surrey, following their release from the prison where Emma undertook a 26-day hunger strike during her incarceration. Ms Smart was sentenced in November, along with other members of Insulate Britain, to serve four months for breaking a High Court injunction by taking part in a blockade at junction 25 of the M25 motorway during the morning rush hour on 8 October last year PA UK news in pictures 13 January 2022 A TV presenter holds a copy of a newspaper outside 10 Downing Streetafter the Prime Minister apologised for attending a gathering of colleagues in the Number Ten garden in May 2020, while the UK was in strict lockdown due to the Coronavirus pandemic Getty UK news in pictures 12 January 2022 Fitness guru Derrick Evans after receiving an MBE during an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 11 January 2022 A couple walk underneath an umbrella during wet weather on Westminster Bridge in central London PA UK news in pictures 10 January 2022 A jogger passes the Covid Memorial Wall in London AP UK news in pictures 9 January 2021 The sun rises over horses at Seaton Sluice in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 8 January 2022 Riders compete during the Veterans Men's race at the UK Cyclo-Cross National Championships 2022 in Ardingly, south of London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 7 January 2022 A dog looks out of a car window at the wintry conditions in Killeshin, Co. Laois PA UK news in pictures 6 January 2022 People walk through frost and mist alongside a frozen lake during sunrise in Bushy Park, London REUTERS UK news in pictures 5 January 2022 A skier jumps on the slopes at Allenheads in the Pennines to the north of Weardale in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 4 January 2022 Freshly-fallen snow covers houses in Corbridge, near Hexham in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 3 January 2022 Dean Morrison, 13, receives his Covid-19 vaccine from student nurse Anthony McLaughlin during a vaccination clinic at the Glasgow Central Mosque PA UK news in pictures 2 January 2022 Konastantinos Tsimikas of Liverpool with Chelseas Mason Mount during the Premier League match at Stamfrod Bridge Liverpool FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 January 2022 New Years Eve Lasers, drones and fireworks illuminate the sky in front of the Royal Naval College in Greenwich shortly after midnight in London EPA UK news in pictures 31 December 2021 Competitors in fancy dress run across the Pennine tops near Haworth, West Yorkshire, in the annual Auld Lang Syne Fell race which attracts hundreds of runners every year PA UK news in pictures 30 December 2021 Sunrise at Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 29 December 2021 The Very Revd Dr Robert Willis, Dean of Canterbury Cathedral, looks at Becket, a six month old red-billed chough as he visits Wildwood Wildlife Park in Kent on the anniversary of the murder of Thomas Becket PA UK news in pictures 28 December 2021 Troops of the Household Cavalry are seen reflected in a puddle during the changing of the Queens Life Guard, on Horse Guards Parade, in central London PA UK news in pictures 27 December 2021 A pedestrian walks past a winter sale sign outside a John Lewis store on Oxford street in London Getty UK news in pictures 26 December 2021 Riders take their bikes through the snow near Castleside, County Durham PA UK news in pictures 25 December 2021 Patrick Corkery wears a santa hat and beard as waves crash over him at Forty Foot near Dublin during a Christmas Day dip PA UK news in pictures 24 December 2021 People stand inside Kings Cross Station on Christmas Eve in London Reuters UK news in pictures 23 December 2021 Christmas shoppers fill the car park at Fosse Shopping Park in Leicester PA UK news in pictures 22 December 2021 The sun rises behind the stones as people gather for the winter solstice at Stonehenge. Getty UK news in pictures 21 December 2021 People take part in a winter solstice swim at Portobello Beach in Edinburgh to mark the solstice and to witness the dawn after the longest night of the year PA UK news in pictures 20 December 2021 An auction employee displays poultry to buyers and sellers attending the Christmas Poultry Sale at York Auction Centre in Murton PA UK news in pictures 19 December 2021 Joao Moutinho of Wolverhampton Wanderers looks on during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea at Molineux Getty Images UK news in pictures 18 December 2021 Freight lorries queuing at the port of Dover in Kent PA UK news in pictures 17 December 2021 Newly elected Liberal Democrat MP Helen Morgan, bursts 'Boris' bubble' held by colleague Tim Farron, as she celebrates following her victory in the North Shropshire by-election PA UK news in pictures 16 December 2021 Brussels sprouts are harvested by workers as they prepare for the busy Christmas period near Boston in Lincolnshire PA UK news in pictures 15 December 2021 Lewis Hamilton is made a Knight Bachelor by the Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 14 December 2021 The Royal Liver Buildings surrounded by early morning fog in Liverpool PA UK news in pictures 13 December 2021 People queue outside a walk-in Covid-19 vaccination centre at St Thomas's Hospital in Westminster Getty Images UK news in pictures 12 December 2021 People take part in the Big Leeds Santa Dash in Roundhay Park, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 11 December 2021 People arrive at a Covid-19 vaccination centre at Elland Road in Leeds, PA UK news in pictures 10 December 2021 Stella Moris speaks to the media after the US Government won its High Court bid to overturn a judges decision not to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange PA UK news in pictures 9 December 2021 Camels are lead around Salisbury Cathedral during a rehearsal for the Christmas Eve Service PA UK news in pictures 8 December 2021 Margaret Keenan and Nurse May Parsons, a year after Margaret was the first person in the UK to receive the Pfizer vaccine PA UK news in pictures 7 December 2021 Snowfall in Leadhills, South Lanarkshire as Storm Barra hits the UK with disruptive winds, heavy rain and snow PA UK news in pictures 6 December 2021 A person tries to avoid sea spray on New Brighton promenade in Wallasey as the UK readies for the arrival of Storm Barra Getty UK news in pictures 5 December 2021 People release balloons during a tribute to six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes outside Emma Tustin's former address in Solihull, West Midlands, where he was murdered by his stepmother PA UK news in pictures 4 December 2021 People walk through a Christmas market in Trafalgar Square Reuters UK news in pictures 3 December 2021 A pedestrian carries a dog as they dodge shoppers on Oxford Street in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 2 December 2021 Duchess of Cambridge inspects a Faberge egg at the Victoria and Albert Museum Getty UK news in pictures 1 December 2021 Meerkats at London Zoo with an advent calendar PA UK news in pictures 30 November 2021 Workers put the finishing touches to the Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree ahead of the lighting ceremony later in the week PA Mr Acheson raised concern that increased terror sentences currently being considered by parliament might actually increase their dangerousness in custody and on release. Naweed Ali, Khobaib Hussain and Mohibur Rahman were jailed in 2017 for plotting a terror attack on a police or military target after meeting in jail. A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: This government is doing more than any before it to protect the public from terrorists. We have ended early release and will introduce a 14-year minimum sentence for the most dangerous terrorists and we will shortly be announcing additional measures to tackle this scourge further. We will always punish those who break the rules in prison, including referring them to the police where appropriate. By Ayya Lmahamad The volume of trade operations between Azerbaijan and Bulgaria increased by 1.3 times during the period of January-July 2020, local media reported with reference to State Customs Committee. According to the statement, foreign trade operations between two countries amounted to $7.6 million during the reporting period. Moreover, export of Azerbaijani products to Bulgaria amounted to $0.4 million, while during the same period in 2019 it amounted to $3.03 million. Likewise, import of Bulgarian products to Azerbaijan fell from $7.2 million in 2019 to $7.19 million in 2020. Export-import ratio in foreign trade relations of two counties is 5.3 and 94.7 percent, respectively, for the period of January-July 2020. It should be noted that export-import ration was 29.5 and 70.5 percent, respectively, during the same period in 2019. Furthermore, during the reporting period foreign trade operations between Azerbaijan and Romania amounted to $100.7 million. Export of Azerbaijani products to Romania amounted to $68.5 million during the first seven months of the year. Meanwhile, the year before this figure was $55.1 million. In addition, export of Romanian products to Azerbaijan grew from $28.1 million to $32.2 million. Likewise, the export-import ratio in foreign trade relations of two countries is 68.1 and 31.9 percent, respectively, for the period of January-July 2020. It should be noted that for the same period of 2019, the export-import ratio was 66.2 and 33.8 percent, respectively. Additionally, foreign trade operations between Azerbaijan and Lithuania amounted to $11.5 million during the reporting period, which is by 38.5 percent more than the same period last year. Export of Azerbaijani products to Lithuania for the first seven months of this year amounted to $1.7 million, while a year earlier this figure was $1 million. In addition, import of Lithuanian products to Azerbaijan grew from $8.2 million to $9.8 million in 2020. Export- import ratio in foreign trade relations of two countries is 14.8 and 85.2 percent, respectively. It should be noted that for the same period in 2019 the export-import ratio was 12.1 and 87.9 percent, respectively. The volume of Azerbaijans foreign trade turnover amounted to $15 billion in the period between January and July 2020. During the reporting period, export amounted to $9.1 billion, which is 61.46 percent of the total volume of foreign trade. Meanwhile, imports amounted to $5.9 billion, which is 38.54 percent from the total volume of foreign trade. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz LAKE GEORGE Paulist Fathers are used to saving souls. But an incident in August had them saving a life. First-year theologian Noah Ismael said he and a group of six other from St. Marys on the Lake, a summer retreat for the fathers, were out on the Tiki Tour boat when they noticed a man in the water who looked like he needed help. It seemed like something was off, Ismael said. He was holding onto a kayak and it looked like it had taken on water somehow. He was yelling 'help.' It was interesting because there was other people around and none of them seemed to stop. So the captain of the tiki boat nosed the boat over to him. Myself and the dock hand (Debbie Oliveira), we dragged him out of the water. Aside from a scratch on his head, the man, Jimmy MacDonald of Albany, appeared fine. One of the priests said a little prayer over him, Ismael said. We didnt need to call an ambulance. Apparently, MacDonald did not put the drain plug into his kayak, according to Frank Desiderio of Congregation of St. Paul. As the one-man vessel took on water and started to sink, MacDonald also lost his paddle. Tiki Tour boat Captain Greg Barrett noticed too that MacDonald's life jacket was tangled and rising over his head. "When we saw his eyes, the size of silver dollars, we knew he was in trouble," Barrett said. Through struggling, MacDonald worked to save his iPhone, by holding it above his head. He said to us I should have dropped the phone and swam. I was more worried about the phone and not my life, Ismael said. Ismael said that was not the only amusing thing that MacDonald told them. He said MacDonald was a recovering addict who has been clean for 7 years and is now a drug and alcohol counselor. He found it ironic he was being saved by a bar boat. He also said he was praying to be saved and he can't believe his prayer was answered by a boat-load of priests. "He had a good sense of humor," Barrett said. "He said 'Can I get a prayer?' We threw in a few amens and it was all smiles after that." McDonald could not be reached for comment. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. The incident, previously reported by Glens Falls Living and WNYT, might not have ended as happily if it were not for the coronavirus pandemic. Typically, Desiderio said, Paulists spend only a week or two at the Lake George refuge. But this year, the seminarians are there for 10 weeks to keep them safe and out of the cities where they would normally be doing their internships. Knowing that, Barrett offered the priests a free ride, filling an empty time slot in the afternoon of Aug. 11. "My mother was a devote Catholic," said Barrett, a former U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer. "I knew my mom would be proud if I took the Paulists out." Desiderio, who didnt take the ride because he was in a meeting, said that one good deed led to another. Ismael agreed, adding You never know what the Holy Spirit with bring you. It reminds people in that moment, Ismael said. "We were blessed that the Holy Spirit put us there at the right time and the right place." Less than two weeks before the start of the school year, a Western Massachusetts school district turned to their greater community with a time-sensitive request: Have an extra laptop or phone? In the weeks before the start of the school year for just under a million public school students in Massachusetts, education officials had an urgent request to fulfill: Buying laptops for each student enrolled in hybrid or remote learning. This request came with a hefty price tag and a dwindling supply as educators and parents searched online and in stores for remaining devices on the shelves. Production of Chromebooks, the device of choice for schools, was halted earlier this year due to shutdowns of Chinese factories which built electronic components for the cost-effective laptops. The largest public school district in Massachusetts, Boston Public Schools, made it a priority this spring to obtain thousands of laptops and distributed 20,000 to K-12 students in April. Everybody is fighting for them, Mark Racine, chief technology officer for the Boston Public Schools, told EdWeek. We had some districts reach out to us and say, Can we buy some off of you? For smaller school districts, orders were left unfulfilled for weeks, even months. Northampton Public Schools placed two orders for Chromebooks in June and July which have not arrived by the first week in September. The delayed shipments led to district officials turning to the greater community seeking loaner devices to distribute to their youngest students. District officials said Friday they have enough devices for most staff members, all students in third grade and older. The shortage currently leaves too few computers for students in kindergarten, first and second grade. The devices that best fit the citys needs are Chrombooks (any brand) with at least 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage and OS version 80 or Windows 10 Laptops with integrated web camera, the district said. Donations or computer loans can be arraigned here. Northampton officials anticipate their orders of Chromebooks will arrive by the first two weeks of October. Just under a third of all Massachusetts school districts - including its largest three in the state: Boston, Springfield and Worcester - will start the school year fully remote. The majority of Massachusetts will begin the 2020-2021 school year with a mix of in-person and remote schooling. Few districts will return to the classroom for full-time, in-person learning. Remote learning for school-aged children this fall will significantly differ from remote learning offered by Massachusetts school districts this past spring. Technology gaps limited remote learning options for thousands of Massachusetts students this spring. About 9% of students dont have reliable internet access and about 15% dont have their own computer, tablet or phone, having to rely on devices shared with siblings, parents or guardians to log into classes. To address such gaps, state education officials mandated local school districts ensure that every individual student and educator has access to a laptop or table and adequate internet access for remote learning. In addition to laptops, many districts are offering families hot spot devices or partnering with communication companies to offer discounted internet connections. Following statewide school closures this spring, districts could chose two educational models for the remainder of the school year: resources and supports, which included sending packets and assignments home to students; or instruction and services, which included structured learning time and video conferencing. For the 2020-2021 school year, schools must offer only the latter learning option, offering remote students a regular and consistent schedule of classes, interventions, services, and therapies including frequent interactions with teachers and other staff members to ensure participation. The consistent schedule of classes, interventions, services, and therapies must include time students spend interacting directly with teachers and related service providers on a regular basis, as well as some independent work time, as appropriate, and opportunities for interacting with classmates, the guidance states. Synchronous remote lessons or tele-therapy sessions can be provided via telephone or video conferencing. Students might also benefit from asynchronous pre-recorded videos of lessons to follow at home. For students receiving the majority of their daily instruction through special education, teachers and therapists should assign supplemental work (beyond lessons taught synchronously or asynchronously) during the school day that can be accomplished independently with guidance from and accountability to the teacher or therapist. As part of ensuring students are engaged, attendance will be taken daily for in-person and remote classrooms. For remote schooling, attendance may be traced by students submitting assignments online, logging onto online learning platforms or attending virtual check-ins. Parents and guardians are responsible for ensuring their child attends daily for both in-person and remote learning. Grades are back, as is state testing. While many schools transitioned away from offering a letter grade this past spring, student performance will be graded across in-person, hybrid and remote learning. State education officials urge schools to consider exemptions for students experiencing extreme circumstances - such as family members severely ill due to COVID-19 - and ensure they receive additional supports. All students will be required to take the MCAS tests in the spring. 11:01 | Lima, set. 4. This comes in response to the South American nation's contribution to the clinical trials that will be conducted to test vaccines' efficacy. Loreto Concerning the Peruvian eastern region of Loreto which for the fourth consecutive day registered no COVID-19-related deaths he said it is very likely that herd immunity has been reached in the area. "Based on the information we handle, it could be said that they have reached this stage," he expressed. "That is evidence, which suggests that they may have overcome the pandemic. This decline could correspond to the fact that the population started to take better care of itself. However, that does not seem to be the case based on the conversations held with the people there, since life has followed its course and people's behavior remains the same, so there is another reason for the decline in the number of (daily) cases," he said. Prevalence studies The expert revealed that an antibody prevalence study was conducted afterwards, and it was found that 71% of the people living in the region's capital, Iquitos, already had antibodies against the virus. "That makes me think that herd immunity was reached there, but of course, that 29% who have not yet been infected, could become infected and die. So, if I lived in Iquitos, I would continue taking care of myself until the vaccine comes out," he expressed. Carcamo said that between the end of June and the beginning of July a prevalence study carried out in Lima found out that 25% of its population was infected , that means, 3 out of 4 were still susceptible to contagion. This could change, and probably 40% of people are immune. Yet, in the same way, there is a large percentage of the population that is still susceptible to the disease, he concluded. On 9th of August 2020, a Pakistani Hindu migrant family consisting of 11 members was brutally murdered in Indias Jodhpur district. The murdered ones belonged to the Bhil tribe. by Ali Sukhanver No sympathy, no enmity on the basis of religion; total indifference; that must be the dominating characteristic of a secular society; if it is secular in real sense of the word. When worlds biggest democratic state, India claims that it is a secular society, some people take this claim with a grain of salt. The fact of the matter is that India is a secular state in real sense because even the moderate Hindus are not safe at the hands of the extremist Hindus. According to the NEWS 18, in January 2020, an examination was conducted by the Public Service Commission. In the reading comprehension section of the paper a paragraph was included which mentioned that the Bhil tribe members are under the grip of liquor and that the community engages in unlawful and immoral activities. Various Bhil Tribe leaders expressed their resentment on this statement and demanded a detailed inquiry into the matter. But even after six month, nothing has yet been done. The Bhil community has ever been a target of the extremist Hindus in India. In 2017 the Tribal Research and Training Institute (TRTI) run by the Gujarat government's Tribal Development Department referred to the tribal Bhil community on its official as black community. It also stated that most of the members of the Bhil community are criminals. TRTI claimed that the Bhils use mobile phones for carrying out crimes and formulating criminal strategies. Dr Gaurang Jani said commenting upon the humiliating comments on the Bhil community on an official website, In my opinion, it is a social crime to speak of Bhils or any other tribal community in this manner. This is insulting not just to the tribe; it is insulting that the government sees its own citizens this way. Dr. Jani is a renowned scholar and a well known sociologist. He teaches at Gujarat University. The government of India conducted a survey in 2013 which said Bhils were the largest tribal group in India with a total population of 1.7 crore; now after a period of seven years, in 2020 certainly they would be more in number. Being the largest tribal group, the Bhils must not have been treated like this. The people belonging to this tribal community are so much frustrated and annoyed at the maltreatment done to them by the Hindu extremists that they have started demanding for a separate homeland. Tribal belt of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat has ever been the epicenter of this separate Bhil state demand. These Bhil people want that migrant people of this community should be brought back to their original place with full dignity. These people also demand that the tribal communities should have first right on natural resources. The demanded Bhil state comprises of different districts including Dungarpur, Banswara, Pratapgarh in southern Rajasthan, Ratlam, Jhabua, Alirajpur, Dhar, Petlawad, etc. of Madhya Pradesh and the eastern districts of Gujarat including Panchmahal, Godhra, Dahod and Dang and the northern districts of Maharashtra. The Bhil people mostly earn their living by working in the fields of agriculture, animal husbandry, poultry and manufacturing of handloom products but at the same time they have a very powerful understanding of changing political needs and requirements too. The Bharatiya Tribal Party is a very strong political identity of the Bhil community and it was formed in 2017. The basic reason of formation of this party was to put firmly the demand for a separate Bhil state before the state governments. This new-born party became so popular among the people that it won two seats each in Gujarat and Rajasthan Legislative Assembly. On 9th of August 2020, a Pakistani Hindu migrant family consisting of 11 members was brutally murdered in Indias Jodhpur district. The murdered ones belonged to the Bhil tribe. The people in the neighborhood are of the opinion that this innocent family was murdered just because it belonged to Pakistan. According to the media details, the unfortunate Pakistani Hindu migrant family had been living on the farm in the village, which it had hired for farming. It is being said that the 11 members of Pakistani migrated family were murdered just to kill two birds with one stone; the first purpose was to threaten those Bhils who are living in other countries and want to migrate to India to strengthen their community; the second purpose was to give tough time to the rapidly emerging Bharatiya Tribal Party. The BJP is planning to crush the Bhil Independent State movement in the same way as it had crushed the Sikh Khalistan Movement. By spreading fear of death, fear of deprivation from the land and by spreading a sense of insecurity among the Bhil community, the BJP government is simply creating hurdles in the way to their independence movement. ARTHURPatriotism is overflowing in this village. Since 1942, Arthur 40 kilometres north of Guelph on Highway 6 has worn the title of Canadas most patriotic village. Thats when the Toronto Star reported Arthur had contributed the highest percentage in Canada of its local citizens to fight in the war. With a population of 836, it had 116 citizens in uniform overseas. It also had the highest spending per capita in Canada for buying war bonds to help Ottawa finance the war effort. When old soldiers, sailors and airmen die, their families often wonder what to do with their relatives military uniform, medals and other paraphernalia. For many, it means shipping them off to Arthur. Today, one of Arthurs Second World War vets 94-year-old John Walsh operates a museum that records and salutes the wartime contributions of the people from the area. The museum is a division of the Arthur and Area Historical Society. The village sits in the midst of Ontarios finest agricultural lands. On Saturdays, it hosts an excellent farmers market. Unfortunately, the museum is open only on Wednesday afternoons from 1 to 3. There are Canadian flags and banners hanging throughout the village on homes and businesses. Walsh, a retired pharmacist, survived the Battle of the Atlantic as a sailor on HMCS Wallaceburg, a minesweeper that escorted convoys of supply ships across the Atlantic. The Battle of the Atlantic was the longest battle of the entire war, lasting from 1939 to 1945. More than 3,500 supply ships were sunk, plus 175 Allied warships. The Germans lost 783 U-boats, plus 47 surface raiders like the battleships Bismarck and Tirpitz. The Wallaceburg survived the war, was used for several years as a training vessel for reservists and was then sold to Belgium in 1959 as a coastal patrol vessel. It stayed in service for 10 years before being scrapped. Walsh graduated from the University of Toronto and operated a successful pharmacy in Arthur, which is now in the hands of one of his five sons. He also has three daughters. You can still see Walshs warship. Its depicted at sea on a huge wall mural on the Frederick Street wall of Sussmans clothing store. Sussmans is one of the largest and most popular mens clothing stores in southwestern Ontario. The store, which is more than 100 years old, fronts onto Highway 6, which is also Arthurs main street. The military museum is directly across the street. Walsh operates it in Arthurs chamber of commerce building, but has run out of room to display all the artifacts veterans and their families have sent him mostly from the Arthur area, but also from around Ontario and across Canada. Theres plenty more in storage off-site. Among the most emotional documents are letters sent home to moms by their boys overseas. Those letters were read and recorded by former CBC researcher Gail Donald, who grew up in nearby Kenilworth, worked 40 years in Toronto and retired to Arthur to help Walsh catalogue his thousands of artifacts. She said many of the letters and diaries read like young men enjoying fun times in Britain and away from the front lines, but many of them ended with a notation like were back in the air tomorrow morning for a bombing run over Germany as the last entry. By the wars end, 338 Arthur residents were enlisted, with 25 killed in action. Their names are carved into a large cenotaph just a couple doors farther up main street from the historical society. It was built using field stones gathered on the farms where many of Arthurs warriors grew up. The cost of construction and buying the land was covered by local women, mostly the mothers, wives, sisters and girlfriends of those who went overseas. In spring, the cenotaph is awash with red tulips sent from the Netherlands to thank Arthur for sending its men to help liberate the country from Nazi occupation The museum also salutes a younger generation of Arthur veterans who recently served in the Canadian Armed Forces, like Capt. Debbie (Mullin) Hynes. She was a flight nurse with the RCAF, who served in Afghanistan and in Rwanda. She is now a civilian who was teaching field nursing to cadets at the Royal Military College in Kingston until COVID-19 erupted. Sgt. Tom Tennant of Arthur was the aide-de-camp for Lord Louis Mountbatten, British Admiral of the Fleet, during his two visits to Canada. He attended Mountbattens funeral after he was assassinated by the IRA in 1979. Walsh said he believes Arthur had such an impressive turnout of volunteers during the Second World War because there was a similar turnout for the First World War. We were the sons and daughters of local people who volunteered to defend Canada during the First World War. It just seemed to be the natural thing to do when our turn came, Walsh said. He said Arthur petitioned the Department of National Defence to have a new Canadian warship named after Canadas most patriotic village. They told us there is already a vessel named Port Arthur and it would be too confusing to have another. Arthur, near the top of Wellington County, is named after Arthur Wellesley, the first Duke of Wellington, who defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. Delhi has recorded the highest single-day spike in COVID-19 cases in nearly 70 days, which experts are attributing to reopening of economy, ramped-up testing, patients from outside the city coming here for treatment and violation of safety norms by many people in public. The national capital has reported coronavirus cases in excess of 2,000 for four consecutive days since September 1. On Friday, the daily cases count stood at 2,914. When asked about the spiralling cases and chances of another lockdown, a senior official of the Delhi government on Friday said the cases have shown an increase as testing has been ramped up. "It is not that cases are rising alarmingly, and hence, there is no chance of going back to lockdown," he said. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said the recent surge in cases in the city is attributable to doubling of testing, as he sought to assure people that the situation is completely under control and there is no need to panic. Medical experts have flagged the surge in cases earlier too and warned people about the perils of not wearing masks in public and violating social distancing norms, but underlined that an economy cannot be kept locked forever. "Yes, a large section of people in Delhi have become complacent that everything is okay now, as economy has reopened and even metro services will resume next week. But, they must understand, this ease in lockdown was given for economic sustenance of the country and not for people to roam around as they were doing it before," Director, Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital (RGSSH), B L Sherwal told PTI. However, he said, more cases being reported now should not be a worry at the moment, as earlier in May and June such cases were coming in lockdown, and now it is similar without a lockdown. "Hopefully, in few days, after marked rise in cases due to multiple reasons, including opening of economy leading to greater human interaction, increased testing in past one week, the figures, I reckon will stabilise," Sherwal said. RGSSH is one of the major dedicated COVID-19 facilities run by the Delhi government. Delhi recording 2,914 fresh COVID-19 cases on Friday was the city's highest single-day spike in 69 days, as the tally mounted to over 1.85 lakh, while the death toll jumped to 4,513. The number of Rapid Antigen Tests conducted on Friday stood at 27,731, while the RT-PCR, CBNAAT and True NAAT tests figures were 8,488 in all adding to 36,219, according to the Friday bulletin issued by the Delhi health department. Amid sudden spurt in cases in the last few days in Delhi, medical experts have also warned that many people not wearing masks and violating social distancing norms have contributed to it, and cautioned to still treat the situation as a "health emergency". From doctors at leading hospitals to senior officials of nationwide testing laboratories, all concurred that a "sudden degree of complacency" has crept in the psyche of the masses, especially the youth, who feel that since the lockdown has eased, "all is back to normal". "It is very irresponsible on people's part to go out and enjoy, as if everything is normal. They are either not wearing a mask or slid it on their chin, as if it is a funny thing to do. Such people should be told publicly to adhere to safety norms. They are putting themselves, their family members and others at risk," said Rajesh Rautela, Medical Superintendent of GTB Hospital in east Delhi. Sandeep Budhiraja, Group Medical Director, Max Healthcare, also cautioned the youth to not get swayed in by the lure of social media, as many of those are putting out pictures of going out and socialising in cafes and restaurants, with or without wearing masks. This is such a dangerous trend and youth immediately copy behaviour of fellow youth, especially if they are social media influencers, he warned. "Yes, social media does affect the psyche and behaviour of people. So, people must behave responsibly," he said, and cautioned that "a young person may get infected and recover from COVID-19, but if they unnecessarily go out and socialise, they run the risk of spreading it to older people around them, including their parents and grandparents". The Delhi Metro all set to resume operations from September 7 in a graded manner, has put all safety and social distancing norms in place to make the travel safer for commuters. However, it appealed to people to use the services only if it is urgent, and not otherwise. Medical experts in Delhi also flagged the spread of COVID-19 cases to semi-urban areas and villages on the outskirts of the national capital. "A pandemic that has originated from outside generally follows this trajectory, from foreign countries to another country, then to bigger cities and from urban areas to rural areas," Sherwal of RGSSH said. Arvind Lal, Executive Chairman, Dr Lal PathLabs cautioned that people should not go out unless extremely necessary, as "they may catch infection from asymptomatic ones". "We are still living in a health emergency, we should not forget that," Lal said. Last week, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said the increase in number of COVID-19 cases in Delhi was due to various reasons, including outside patients coming to Delhi for treatment, and increased scale of testing. Also Read: Rajnath Singh likely to meet Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe in Moscow this evening Also Read: Daiichi-Ranbaxy case: Delhi Police summons Radha Soami Satsang chief Gurinder Singh Dhillon Three U.S. B-52 strategic bombers have completed a training flight in Ukrainian airspace, according to a statement by U.S. Air Force command in Europe. According to the DefPost military website, the September 4 mission was the first-ever of its kind. The bombers are based in the U.S. state of North Dakota but are part of a deployment of six B-52s to a Royal Air Force base in Fairford, England. The purpose of the mission over Ukraine was to provide in-air training and to improve collective defense capabilitiesto deter Russia and assure Allies and partners, the statement said. A statement from the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said that Ukrainian Su-27 and MiG-29 fighters rendezvoused with U.S. bombers at the countrys border with Poland and accompanied them over Ukrainian territory to the Sea of Azov and back. The Russian Defense Ministry said that eight fighter aircraft were scrambled to prevent U.S. aircraft from violating Russian airspace in the regions of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. Moscow added that the U.S. aircraft did not violate Russian airspace, which would indicate that they did not approach the Ukrainian region of Crimea that Moscow annexed in 2014. The Victorian government is considering banning indoor dining until community transmissions of COVID-19 reach zero and hold at that level for two weeks. With just one week to go before the coronavirus-hit state's stay-at-home orders are due to end after more than two months, an announcement on what the road out of lockdown will look like is to be announced on Sunday. So far Premier Daniel Andrews has given few details, but a new report by the Herald Sun on Sunday has revealed that ban on indoor dining will continue. The modelling for the plan is based on a similar policy which was introduced in New York after the city was ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic back in April. The Victorian government is considering banning indoor dining until community transmissions of COVID-19 reach zero and hold for two weeks. Pictured a popular Melbourne food court forced to close on July 8 With just one week to go before Victoria's stay-at-home orders are lifted, an announcement on what the road out of lockdown will look like is to be announced on Sunday One of the state's leading restaurateurs has labelled the move a 'disaster' which will cost the already struggling hospitality industry 150,000 jobs. 'They are locked into a death spiral that will see a lot of us go broke,' Chris Lucas, the CEO of Melbourne's largest restaurant group Lucas Restaurants, said. The Restaurant and Catering Industry of Australia predicts about one third of the Victoria's food industry staff could be affected if the restrictions are extended. Mr Lucas says further shutdowns will mean about 20 to 30 per cent of the state's restaurants and cafe will never re-open. In past few weeks government officials have been in talks with the hospitality sector about about the best way to exit lockdown. But some in the industry have called the negotiations 'futile'. Mr Lucas warns further shutdowns will mean about 30 per cent of the state's restaurants and cafes will never re-open (pictured, a closed cafe in Melbourne) That means about 150,000 jobs could be lost in the already struggling hospitality industry (pictured, an empty restaurant in Melbourne's Lygon Street) 'The industry consultations have been a platform used by the government to basically dictate to us what their plan is for each industry,' Mr Lucas said. He claims any genuine concerns they've been dismissed and that a senior government minister told him the state government was committed to it's zero community transmissions policy at all costs. 'The so called plan that they are going around saying that they're getting industry input from is a lie,' Mr Lucas said. In the past two weeks there have been been 531 community transmissions in Victoria. Health experts and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian have warned that COVID-19 infections may never reach zero and remain there for two weeks. But Mr Andrews has warned 'thousands' of Victorians would die if strict coronavirus restrictions were to be lifted too swiftly. Stage Four restrictions in Melbourne, and Stage Three in the rest of the state, are set to end on September 13 at 11.59pm. But speaking on Saturday, a day ahead of his announcement on easing restrictions, Mr Andrews said lockdown was unlikely to end. Victorians have been cooped up since July 8 only permitted to leave the house for essential reasons like grocery shopping, health appointments, work and exercise. 'To open up with those numbers would, of course, see the total number of coronavirus infections explode,' Mr Andrews said. 'It would see many, many hundreds, indeed thousands, of Victorians infected with this virus. 'So, as frustrating, as challenging as it is, we need to stay the course on this. 'That's why tomorrow we will outline a road map to ease these important restrictions, to ease out of the second wave, once it's appropriately and properly defeated. Truly defeated.' Victoria recorded 76 new coronavirus cases and 11 deaths on Saturday, with the welcome infection numbers coming after a spike earlier in the week saw 113 new cases after days of double digit transmission. If COVID-19 infections were to spread out-of-control, Australia's health system could become overwhelmed, according to modelling by the Grattan Institute (pictured, their report) Friday was Victoria's deadliest day of the pandemic so far, with 59 deaths announced - but 50 of those had occurred back in July and August in aged care homes. Bombshell leaked documents also revealed on Thursday that Melbourne's strict Stage 4 lockdown could be extended by another two weeks. A top secret draft for Victoria's recovery appeared to reveal the government's plan to extend the 8pm-5am curfew and keep restrictions on businesses for an additional two weeks. While the Victorian government has claimed the leaked map is 'out of date', Mr Andrews on Thursday refused to rule out continuing Stage 4 restrictions. 'Everything is on the table,' he admitted. 'It will be driven by the data and the science, how many cases there are, the types of cases there are.' According to the road map, residents will be given the luxury of two hours of exercise a day, which can be split into two sessions, from September 14 - the official date Stage 4 comes to an end. The final decision will be announced on Sunday. As women, students, and LGBTQ people march, prominent opposition activist says authorities forced her to leave Belarus. Thousands of women marched through the capital of Belarus calling for the resignation of President Alexander Lukashenko, and university students demonstrated against the detention of classmates during the wave of protests gripping the country. For the first time in the protests, supporters of LGBTQ rights appeared with rainbow flags in the womens march in Minsk on Saturday, an indication that opponents of Lukashenko are becoming bolder on the fourth weekend of protests since his disputed re-election. LGBT people are calling for freedom. We are tired of living in a dictatorship where we simply didnt exist, Anna Bredova, one of the rainbow flag bearers, told The Associated Press news agency by phone. Although same-sex activity was legalised in Belarus in 1994, stigmatisation of it is strong. Authorities have not allowed any LGBTQ organisation legal registry. About 5,000 women took part in the march, according to the human rights organisation Viasna. Police followed the protest, but no detentions were reported. Marches and demonstrations by women have become a frequent feature of the protests, which broke out on August 9 after a disputed election in which Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994, was officially tallied with an 80 percent landslide victory. Earlier on Saturday, hundreds of students formed human chains to demonstrate against the detention of students at the State Linguistics University. Masked security agents dragged students off the streets and bundled them into vans, with up to 30 people detained for taking part in the protests, Russian news agency TASS quoted the Minsk police as saying. Protests took place after some previous elections that Lukashenko won with lopsided margins, but this years have been by far the largest and longest-lasting. Sunday protests have been especially large, bringing crowds estimated at more than 100,000 people. Prominent activist leaves Meanwhile, Belarusian opposition activist Olga Kovalkova arrived in the Polish capital Warsaw on Saturday, saying she had been forced by the authorities to leave Belarus. Kovalkova, a senior figure in the Belarusian opposition Coordination Council, was sentenced to 10 days in jail on August 25. She said she was taken from prison to the border, where she entered Poland at the Kuznica-Bruzgi border crossing before travelling to Warsaw. Representatives of the militia and the interior ministry of Belarus came to me and said that if I did not agree to leave, I would face long arrest, she told a news conference on Saturday. Kovalkova arrived in Poland on the same day that Polish authorities confirmed Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya will visit Warsaw on Wednesday, where she will meet Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. Tikhanovskaya, Lukashenkos main challenger in the election, fled to Lithuania the day after the vote. On Friday, she addressed the United Nations Security Council via video link, asking it to stop blatant human rights violations and cynical disregard for human dignity right in the middle of Europe. She accused Lukashenko of stealing the election and asked the UN to condemn the crackdown on protesters, send a monitoring mission to Belarus, and call a special session of its Human Rights Council to discuss the situation in the country. Lukashenko has denied accusations by the opposition and Western countries that the vote was rigged and has resisted demands to step down. Human rights experts from the UN have confirmed receiving reports of hundreds of cases of torture, beatings, and mistreatment of Belarusian protesters by police. All these activities will not stop me, I will continue to act politically and I intend to return to Belarus to continue my activities, Kovalkova said. By Jonathan Landay and David Brunnstrom WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya called on the United Nations on Friday to condemn the crackdown by President Alexander Lukashenko on protesters who charge he rigged his re-election victory last month. Speaking to a virtual informal session of the U.N. Security Council, Tsikhanouskaya also urged the United Nations to send an international monitoring mission to Belarus and said the U.N. By Jonathan Landay and David Brunnstrom WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya called on the United Nations on Friday to condemn the crackdown by President Alexander Lukashenko on protesters who charge he rigged his re-election victory last month. Speaking to a virtual informal session of the U.N. Security Council, Tsikhanouskaya also urged the United Nations to send an international monitoring mission to Belarus and said the U.N. Human Rights Commission should hold a special session on the human rights situation there. Tsikhanouskaya also called on the international community to impose sanctions on the individuals responsible for electoral violations "and crimes against humanity." "We, the Belarusian people, need the help of the United Nations, in order to stop blatant human rights violations and cynical disregard for human dignity," Tsikhanouskaya said, making her first call for international involvement in the crisis. "We ask the United Nations to condemn the use of excessive force by the Belarusian security services against protesters." The opposition leader spoke from the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, where she fled after Lukashenko launched his crackdown. Representatives of Russia and China, both of which hold veto powers at the United Nations, told the U.N. session they opposed outside intervention in the internal affairs of Belarus. "Attempts to internationalize the situation in Belarus can only aggravate things," said Dmitry Polyanskiy, the deputy U.N. envoy of Russia, which sees Belarus as a vital strategic buffer between itself and and NATO. Lukashenko, in power for 26 years, has faced a wave of opposition protests since his Aug. 9 election victory. He has denied accusations by the opposition and Western countries that the vote was rigged and has resisted demands to step down. Human rights experts from the United Nations said this week they had received reports of hundreds of cases of torture, beatings and mistreatment of Belarusian protesters by police. The government has denied abusing detainees and has said its security forces have acted appropriately against demonstrators. SANCTIONS "We urge the United Nations to send the needed international authority mission to Belarus to document the situation on the ground," said Tsikhanouskaya, adding that the United Nations Special Rapporteur for Belarus must be allowed free access to and movement in the country. Tsikhanouskaya, a political novice, emerged as the consensus opposition candidate in last month's election after better-known figures, including her jailed activist husband, were barred from standing. Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia imposed travel bans on Lukashenko and 29 other Belarusian officials last month, signaling impatience with the Wests cautious approach by announcing sanctions without waiting for the rest of the European Union. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday the United States and European partners were together reviewing imposing targeted sanctions on anyone involved in human rights abuses in Belarus. A senior U.S. State Department officials told Reuters this week Washington was considering imposing sanctions on seven Belarusians it believes were involved in falsifying the election results and in violence against peaceful protesters. The EU is still negotiating the exact list of people to be hit with travel bans and asset freezes when its foreign ministers meet on Sept. 21, diplomatic sources said. Lukashenko has accused foreign powers of being behind the protests, but has provided no evidence. The opposition has denied that there is foreign involvement in the protests and NATO has also denied his allegations that it is massing forces near the Belarusian border. (Reporting by Jonathan Landay, David Brunnstrom in Washington and Andrius Sytas in Vilnius; Editing by Frances Kerry) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. The Lagos State Government has suspended the Executive Secretary of the the State Film and Video Censors Board, Bamidele Balogun. This coming, following the imposing of a five per cent tax on digital platforms including Netflix and Iroko TV. This was container in a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotosho, on Friday, titled, Lagos State Has No 5% Levy on Audio and Visual Contents of Physical and Digital Platforms According to Omotosho, who doubles as the Spokesman to the state government, Balogun acted without authorisation and was therefore suspended. There is no levy on audio and visual contents of all physical and digital platforms in Lagos State. The Executive Secretary, Lagos State Film and Video Censors Board, Mr. Bamidele Balogun, is said to have announced a five per cent levy. The government hereby dissociates itself from the said announcement in the media. The Executive Secretary, who was not authorised to make such an announcement, has been suspended, pending an administrative enquiry, the statement read partly. The commissioner said the Sanwo-Olu-led administration is not insensitive to the fact that the industry has been badly hit by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. The Lagos Film and Video Censors Board had been barred by a Federal High Court from levying film and video producers. In a judgment in June 2020, Justice Chuka Obiozor had stated that the LSFVCB could not be collecting taxes at the same time as the National Film and Video Censors Board as it amounted to double taxation. Balogun, however, despite the judgment had written letters to several digital platforms including Netflix and Iroko TV demanding five per cent. In a letter dated August 31, 2020, addressed to the Managing Director of Iroko TV, Jason Njoku, Balogun stated that the firm must pay five per cent on all visual and audio content. We hereby request for immediate payment of the five per cent levy on all audio and visual content produced, sold, distributed, marketed, exhibited, streamed, downloaded and shared across all physical and digital platform situate, lying and being within Lagos State, the letter read partly. A LIMERICK Prize Bond holder is 50,000 better off after they won the Star Prize in the weekly Prize Bond draw. The Prize Bond Company has confirmed the winning ticket AKL950362 was purchased in 2018 and is held by someone with an address in Limerick. It's the fifth time this year that the Star Prize has been won by a Prize Bond holder in Limerick. The latest winner, whose details will not be released publicly, will be directly contacted and notified of their success. There were 5,500 prizes awarded in this weeks Prize Bond Draw amounting to 338,950. In addition to a 1 million prize which is awarded on the last weekly draw of June and December, there are weekly draws where the top prize is 50,000. Other cash prizes awarded each week include 10 of 1,000 and 10 of 500. Prize Bonds are a State Savings product which, instead of paying interest, offers bond holders the chance to win cash prizes every week. All winnings are tax-free, and Prize Bonds can be cashed in at any time after the minimum holding period of three months. Prize Bonds can be purchased by Direct Debit, online at www.StateSavings.ie, by at 1850 305060 or at your local Post Office. For more Limerick news click here Make Your Teacher Celebrity It is one of the easiest ways to show gratitude to your teacher. Viral your teacher photo on social media and describe how they helped you to excel in academics. Inspiring Quotes Of Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan For Students Handmade Is Love A gift can be a nice gesture. Try to make something handmade with the help of online resources and drop it off at your teacher's doorstep. Send A Gift If you find it difficult with handmade, you can also gift such as a personalized coffee mug, a customised cushion, a novel or book and a succulent plant. Top 5 Teachers Day Gift Ideas For Students E-Greeting Card One can send a personal greeting card to honour your teacher. Try to mention their hard work, especially during online classes. Appreciate Your Teacher Displaying the gratitude with a piece of paper is always the best. Make all your classmates write a few words about your favourite teacher who inspired or helped you a lot to excel in academics. Collect the same and gift it to your teacher in a jar. Say Thank You With A Photo Collage Students can team up with other classmates to make a photo collage message. This is not just a clever idea but easy as well. Try to create a short message and send it to your teacher after photo collage. Teachers' Day Card Ideas For Students To Make September 5 Memorable Exhibit Your Skills One can colour a picture for their teacher in appreciation of their efforts during the pandemic. Students can also think about describing the importance of teachers in the form of poetry. Try to make a video message with an effective speech on Teachers Day and mention your favourite teacher in it. Lawyer and social media goddess, Sandra Ankobiah has waded into the trending Dr Fordjour UN awards and has trolled her fellow celebs for falling for the scam. In a Twitter post made by the lawyer and sighted by Zionfelix.net, Sandra indicated that the UN Awards fiasco was worse than the Cardi B snub in 2019. Sandra indicated that when Cardi Bs meet and greet did not come on and she left the celebs hanging, the whole of Ghana trolled them for days. She went on to compare the two events and wanted to find out from her fans and followers which one was worse. Sandra Ankobiahs tweet read: So this one and the Cardi b nu, which one is worse?? Herh! The way you people trolled us!! Ill never forget She went on to tweet: For those of you so quick to judge and laugh at others, just pray that you dont ever trust the wrong person/people. Social media in Ghana is buzzing with news of an award scheme from one Dr Kwame Fordjour who claimed to be a United Nations (UN) rep and was recognizing efforts of top stars in Ghana. Among the awardees were musicians, politicians, educationists, journalists and traditional rulers. Notable among the award recipients are Sarkodie, Berla Mundi, D-Black, Chairman Wontumi and TV3's John Hughes. The award scheme was organized and held in Alisa Hotel in Accra on Friday, August 28, 2020. Source: YEN.com.gh Asserting that the situation along the India-China border has been "very nasty and the Chinese are "going at it" much more strongly, US President Donald Trump said he would love to get involved and help. "While we're at it, we're talking about China and India are going at it pretty good on the border, as you know. It's been very nasty, Trump told reporters on Friday evening at a White House news conference. Trump reiterated that he is talking to both India and China about the situation. And we stand ready to help with respect to China and India. If we can do anything, we would love to get involved and help. And we are talking to both countries about that, he said. When asked if China is bullying India, he said that he hoped it is not the case but noted that China is "certainly going at it". I hope not... But they (China) are certainly going at it. They are going at it much more strongly than a lot of people even understand, Trump said in response to a question. Also read: Defence minister Rajnath Singh meets Chinese counterpart in Moscow amid border tension in Ladakh France's health minister has ruled out another lockdown a day after the country reported a record daily peak of Covid-19 cases with 8,975 more infections. Health Minister Olivier Veran said today France must stay vigilant as more people will be hospitalised in intensive care units in the next two weeks, reflecting a flare-up in COVID-19 infections in recent days. Veran however ruled out the need for a new nationwide lockdown, telling BFM television that France had other means to fight the virus, including testing. 'I cannot envision a general lockdown. The lockdown was a lid on an overflowing cooking pot,' he said. France yesterday reported 8,975 new confirmed cases, over 1,000 higher than the previous daily record of 7,578 on March 31. However, up until now, the rise in infections has mainly affected young people who are less likely to develop complications from the virus. There has so far been less strain on French hospitals, which were almost overwhelmed at the end of March. After falling steadily for months following an April 14 peak of 32,292, the number of people hospitalised was up by 28 on Friday to 4,671, rising for a sixth day in a row. French Health Minister Olivier Veran speaks during a press conference on the situation of the ongoing coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic in France at the Hotel de Matignon in Paris, France, 27 August 2020 The death toll in France stood at 30,686 people as of Friday. 'We are not all on the same epidemic wave as last spring. We are on a slower trend but one that must alert us,' Veran said. 'This week, 55 patients on average were hospitalised in intensive care units (ICU) each day, this means we are on an average of 1,500-2,000 people hospitalised in ICU units per month in our country. Former President, Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni Sarkozy accompanied by their daughter Giulia Sarkozy attend the wedding of their friend, Mayor of La Baule, Franck Louvrier with Sophie Jolivet at the City Hall of La Baule today 'This is not neutral and we must be extremely vigilant,' he added. Current hospitalisation numbers reflected infections contracted two weeks ago, Veran said. 'So it is obvious that in the next 15 days there will be an increase, it will not be massive but there will nevertheless be an increase in the number of severe cases and in the number of people hospitalised and in ICU units' The Texas Republican Party will not support Vanessa Tijerina, a Rio Grande Valley state Senate candidate, after she was arrested multiple times this summer and charged with driving under the influence with her children in the car. Her behavior does not reflect the values of the GOP of Texas, and we do not wish to promote anyone of her character, the Texas GOP said in a statement issued Friday. Tijerina did not immediately respond to Hearst Newspapers request for comment Friday but told the Dallas Morning News she was not concerned about the state GOPs lack of support. The Texas Republican Party has been against me from the very beginning, she said Friday. Theyve never wanted somebody like me to enter the party. The candidate, who is running against incumbent Democrat Eddie Lucio Jr. in Texas 27th Senate District, was arrested in June. Following up on a tip, police confronted Tijerina outside a Stars Drive-in in Raymondville and said they smelled marijuana in her vehicle, where her daughters sat in the back seat, the Monitor reported at the time. The candidate livestreamed parts of the encounter with police on her Facebook page, accusing officers of trying to take away her children. Tijerina was charged with two misdemeanors: possession of drug paraphernalia and interfering with public duty. She also faced two charges of driving while intoxicated with child passengers, state jail felonies, Raymondville Police Chief Uvalde Zamora said. The candidate was arrested again in July for violating her protective order, Valley Central reported. Due to multiple arrests and shocking evidence of driving under the influence, using controlled substances and endangering a child, we will not be supporting her campaign in any way, the Texas Republican Party said in its Friday statement. In 2016, Tijerina ran as a Green Party candidate in the 15th Congressional District, a thin region that runs from San Antonio to McAllen. She was also arrested that year on a theft charge after authorities said she stole more than $70,000 from the government by falsifying applications for Medicaid benefits and food stamps. At the time, Tijerina said law enforcement officials collaborated against her because she spoke out about their supposed corruption. Getty Images Joe Biden has said that the far-right conspiracy group QAnon should get a mental health check before the president has an opportunity to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. The Democratic presidential candidate made the comment during a campaign speech in Wilmington, Delaware, on Friday after he was asked what he thought about the conspiracy group. Ive been a big supporter of mental health, Mr Biden said. I recommend the people that believe [QAnon] should take advantage while it still exists in the Affordable Care Act. Its bizarre, totally bizarre. Donald Trump has declined to comment on the conspiracy theory, which alleges, that Satan-worshipping paedophiles currently run a sex-trafficking plot and are working against the president. These believers also think that left-leaning politicians and celebrities are involved. The FBI has since deemed the conspiracy theory group a domestic terror threat after incidences of violence surfaced around the supporters. What in Gods name are we doing? Look at how it makes us look around the world. Its mortifying. Its embarrassing, and its dangerous, Mr Biden said. If the president doesnt know better, which he has to know better, then my Lord were in much more trouble than I ever thought we were. This cant go on. This cannot go on. Its the deconstruction of our democratic system. he added. Mr Trump was asked about QAnon last month during a press conference, and he said he was not familiar with the association but believed the people love our country. I understand they like me very much, which I appreciate, he said at the time. But I dont know much about the movement. The president also praised Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, a Republican House candidate who is expected to win her seat in November. Ms Greene is an open QAnon believer and Mr Trump has called her a future Republican star. The words of a president matter. Even a lousy president, Mr Biden said when addressing the president failing to condemn the conspiracy theory. It gives encouragement to people who are spouting irrational views that no one has even close to presuming or showing ever existed. Story continues Read more A third of Republicans believe QAnon mostly true, poll finds Meadows, other GOP donors help QAnon backer reach cusp of House seat The origins of the huge, bizarre QAnon theory spreading online Senior Republican says there is no place for QAnon GOP China's service sector expanded in August, indicating "improved domestic demand as the country's economic recovery continues to gather pace," said the Financial Times in a recent report. The purchasing managers' index (PMI) for China's non-manufacturing sector came in at 55.2 in August, up from 54.2 in July, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said Monday. A reading above 50 indicates expansion while a reading below it reflects contraction. The non-manufacturing PMI has remained above 50 for six months in a row, data from the NBS showed. The improving service sector suggests that China's economic recovery is "feeding through into businesses that were hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak and subsequent measures to contain its spread," said the report. China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced on July 14 that travel agencies and online tourism companies were allowed to resume their trans-provincial group tours gradually, which unleashed domestic travel demand. The resumption could stimulate more spending on services, Iris Pang, chief economist for greater China at Dutch multinational banking and financial services corporation ING, was quoted as saying by the newspaper. "There will be more jobs in the service sector because of this travel recovery, (and) with more jobs people will be more confident to spend," she said. "I think this is sustainable." Dr. Vaughan, a mother of two, is familiar with the usual sounds of having kids at home: the television or tablet on in the background, the low drone of the dishwasher, a dog barking, occasional unexplained crashes and clatters. All these things, she said, range from 60 to 90 decibels, and sound even louder if theyre occurring at the same time. Normal speech is around 50 to 60 decibels and a babys cries can get up to around 110 decibels. My son usually lands in the 70 decibels range, around the same as your average vacuum cleaner. This kind of volume is aggravating for sure, but its only one component of what we call noise. What makes a sound soothing or grating depends on many factors that researchers are still teasing out, as well as personal preference (ocean sounds to you may be lovely, but make me want to run to the restroom). At its most basic, noise is any unwanted sound, experts say, whether the noise is a neighbors leafblower or a stereo playing Bach. While excessive noise poses a certain risk to hearing, the more immediate problem is that it can stress us out, mentally and physiologically. But because its invisible and because parents are already freaking out about so much else right now its often an overlooked source of stress. We are hard-wired to respond to certain sounds in our environment as alerts, said Lynn Bielski, Ph.D., an assistant professor of audiology at Ball State University. Although sound is mostly processed in the brains auditory cortex, unpleasant noises also activate the amygdala, which processes emotions like anxiety and aggression. That activity can provoke the hypothalamus to make physical changes faster heart rate and higher blood pressure that we may not even notice in the moment. Outdoor seating has been a lifeline this summer for some restaurants lucky enough to have it, but it comes with challenges, and worse, itll end with cold weather. For Drew Fleming, who owns the Original Pancake House on Madisons Far West Side, the most recent challenge has been bees attracted to syrup. Like most local restaurateurs, Fleming closed in mid-March. Although the breakfast foods he serves are best eaten at the restaurant, Fleming reopened in late April for takeout. At the end of May, he began indoor dining at the city-county mandated 25% capacity, moving briefly to 50% for the short time it was allowed. Then he went back to 25%, where it stands now. He also bought 13 tables and set them up in an area of his parking lot to supplement what he could do inside. Everything was going great until about three weeks ago when the bees came out. Fleming solved the problem by finding individual screen netting to go over each table, and said its been well received. You just sort of have to adapt to whatever happens and keep going, he said. Wearing masks is one of the strategies that transit agencies and medical experts say can help keep riders safe from coronavirus on buses and trains. But what happens when your fellow rider doesnt wear a required face covering? Mask-less riders are a regular complaint and some riders said they see little to no enforcement, even when train crews walk by offenders. @NJTRANSIT the third time that hes passed the two individuals not wearing a mask on the train. Thanks for not supporting safety for all of your riders. Should be ashamed but Im sure that youre not. pic.twitter.com/RkIEZJU1JI J. Santiago (@joepropsnyc) August 30, 2020 Thats done on purpose on some transit systems to increase mask wearing, officials said. Instead of an enforcement blitz, many transit agencies are providing a barrage of information and hand riders a free mask, instead of a summons. We are not doing anything with police or employee enforcement, said Andrew Busch, a South Eastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority spokesman. We took the approach of outreach, from posters in our system, on vehicles, in stations, we push it out to the media and on social media, that masks are required. We build on them. Officials wanted to avoid diverting SEPTAs small police force from other duties and didnt want to put frontline employees in a situation where they might have a confrontation with a passenger, he said. We dont see how that would be effective, he said. We dont want to escalate (close) contact, Is it working? In July, SEPTA did an analysis using surveillance video and found over 81% of riders were complying, Busch said. We count it if they were properly wearing a mask covering their mouth and nose, he said. Were trying to work on that less than 20% remaining. In an effort to promote mask-wearing compliance and social distancing, Social Distancing Coaches will be positioned at key locations throughout the SEPTA system Tuesdays & Thursdays through August 27th #MaskUpPHL #InItTogether https://t.co/0hOyZgMFx7 pic.twitter.com/IrnCLOhoZD SEPTA_SOCIAL (@SEPTA_SOCIAL) August 27, 2020 Officials are planning another video analysis in the fall. I think well get a higher rate of compliance, he said. A similar approach is being used by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, where police ask travelers to put on a mask and if they dont have one, they give them one. On Thursday morning, PAPD Sgt. Fabian Landa was directing PATH riders to a mask giveaway in the Journal Square station. The approach is similar to SEPTA, using education and handing people masks, instead of tickets. Its well received, people appreciate the effort and were getting thanks, said Scott Ladd, a PATH spokesman. Signs are seemingly everywhere, reminding people that masks are required and how to properly wear one. We have a lot of signage, its an important element, Ladd said. There is messaging and plenty of it so people understand. Its across all our facilities. Last month, Port Authority employees gave out masks to 20,000 people at the midtown Manhattan bus terminal, he said. This month, masks will be given out at the George Washington Bridge and Port Authority bus terminals from 3-6 p.m. on Sept. 10, 15, 23 and 29. NYC Transit uses Operation Respect, which raises awareness with sign announcements and uses a Mask Force, a network of volunteers handing out free masks to any customer who needs one, which has lead to a 92% compliance rate, said Shams Tarek, MTA spokesman. PATCO officials said they are focused on running enough trains to allow riders to maintain social distancing and have messages that using masks protects the wearer, fellow riders and PATCO employees, said Mike Williams, a spokesman. Both NJ Transit and PATH received donated masks from federal agencies. NJ Transit gave masks out at several stations to riders who needed one and have them at customer service. Similar to how its Quiet Car rules are enforced on trains, NJ Transit relies on frontline employees to inform riders about mask regulations. I ride the system every day and Id say there is extremely high compliance in New Jersey because we got hit so hard, said Kevin Corbett, NJ Transit CEO, who estimated there is roughly 98% compliance. We have some cases where people arent, and there is a process. If someone doesnt put on a mask, a train conductor will ask them to get off at the next station. If theyre problematic, police are called to take them off, Corbett said. Bus drivers call a supervisor. Its not for the conductor or bus driver to be police, Corbett said. If only everybody actually wore a mask while on these trains.. Jason HustleHoff (@JasonHustleHoff) September 3, 2020 While he isnt aware of anyone receiving a summons, Corbett said were willing to do it if someone is a repeat offender. Riders tell a different tale on social media, sometimes outing offenders with photos and complaining that crews arent telling them to mask up. Our conductors are instructed to make constant announcements reminding the passengers the Governors executive order requires them to wear face coverings, said Jerome Johnson, United Transportation Workers Union Local 60 general chairman, who represents conductors. All a passenger has to do is say they have a medical condition, and theres nothing we can do. Labor leaders said employees are in the middle, especially when a request to put on a mask escalates. Confrontations have turned into assaults on employees, Johnson said. Assaults on our members continue to rise during this pandemic and now the passengers want us to be police on the train as well? Johnson said. When our members are assaulted, we do not get any assistance from the passengers, (such as) a name, business card, calling the police, or even a video. NJ Transit trains employees to handle those situations, Corbett said. We spend a lot of time with police force and with labor doing de-escalation training. (There) is a process to follow, if it starts getting out of hand, Corbett said. But weve had a number of cases. I wouldnt say its a noticeable uptick, but still an issue. Johnson said the only issue about wearing masks should be safety. Everyone riding public transportation should be wearing some type of face coverings or they shouldnt be using public transportation, he said. This is about everyones safety, not politics. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Under there law, there's a concept called "fraud by omission." It means that the defrauding party withheld an essential part of the truth. No matter the surrounding truth, the hole created by the omission creates an overall lie. On the economy, the DNC committed one of the worst frauds by omission I've ever seen. Let me start by quoting from the DNC War Room email I received today, ominously entitled "ICYMI: CNN: Trump's job losses are the worst of any American president on record." The email then reprints a CNN article. ...except that the DNC's email doesn't really reprint the article; it reprints just parts of it. As you read through the following text, ask yourself what the DNC cut with the highlighted ellipses. The missing text puts the lie to the entire email: Trump claimed to be "the greatest jobs president that God ever created." But in reality, he has the worst jobs record of any American president in modern history. CNN: Trump's job losses are the worst of any American president on record By Chris Isidore September 4, 2020 President Donald Trump is heading into the general election with the worst jobs numbers of any president, based on records that go back to World War II. That's not going to change in the two months between now and Election Day, no matter how the economy does. The US economy is down 4.7 million jobs since January 2017 when Trump took office, according to the Labor Department. The August jobs report released Friday showed employers added back about 1.4 million jobs, bringing the unemployment rate to 8.4%. That is still well short of what would be needed to give Trump a positive jobs record by November 3. The only other President in the last 80 years to own an overall loss in jobs between his inauguration and the following Election Day was George W. Bush in 2004. That was because of the so-called "jobless recovery" after the recession sparked by the dot-com bust. But the loss of 605,000 jobs through September of 2004 was a fraction of the job losses that happened under the Trump administration. ... President Trump has frequently boasted about his pre-pandemic jobs record. And he has promised that once the pandemic is over, the job gains will return. But data show that his administration's job gains before the pandemic were only average compared with predecessors. There were 6.8 million jobs added between the inauguration and February of this year, a 5% gain from when Trump took office. Measured by percentage, that's only the 11th best record out of the last 20 presidential terms. (Percentage gain is the best way to take into account the population growth over the last 80 years.) ... The job rebound appears to be slowing, as many of the jobs that were easy to bring back are already back, said Mark Zandi, chief economist with Moody's Analytics. If the job gains in August are in line with the 1.4 million forecast, that will be down from the 1.8 million added in July. The first five paragraphs are explicit: the Trump presidency has been an economic disaster from January 2017 to today. Clearly, the president must go. But what's hidden behind that first set of three dots? If you go to CNN, this is what you find: To be sure, the bulk of the job losses in the Trump economy were precipitated by the shutdown orders associated with the worst pandemic in 100 years. "I would say Covid-19 is one hell of an extenuating circumstance," said Greg Valliere, chief US policy strategist for AGF Investments. Oh, right! Democrats across America turned a two-week lockdown to flatten the curve in a half-year lockdown interrupted by economy-killing protests. And what's hidden behind the second ellipsis? This: This doesn't necessarily mean that Trump will be joining the ranks of unemployed. The direction of the economy can be far more important than the raw numbers, said Valliere. That could be good news for Trump since in the last four months employers have brought back 10.6 million workers who were temporarily laid off earlier in the year. "The direction in unemployment in all likelihood will be in Trump's favor," he said earlier this week. "If we get more than a million jobs added back on Friday and unemployment drops below 10%, you know he's going to brag about numbers like that." Here's the truth about the economy: we have a soaring stock market (which had an admittedly abrupt correction on Thursday) and an amazing recovery in the jobs market. The DNC's email is fraud by omission on a heroic scale. The best way, of course, to counter it is to deliver such an overwhelming victory to Trump that the DNC learns that these techniques don't work. Image: Fake news from the DNC, made using a screen grab of a DNC email, edited in Pixlr. Washington: Senior intelligence officials have finished briefing a group of eight top US lawmakers about Russias interference in the 2016 election. They met for about one hour this morning. National Intelligence Director James Clapper, CIA Director John Brennan, FBI Director James Comey and National Security Agency Director Adm. Mike Rogers would not comment as they left the briefing. Asked how the briefing went, Rogers replied, Have a nice day. The lawmakers were mum too, refusing to even acknowledge the briefing or how it went. President-elect Donald Trump has been skeptical of the intelligence. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. FedEx Corporation (NYSE: FDX) traded slightly higher on Friday after one analyst raised his price target for the stock ahead of the companys earnings report later this month. The Analyst: Bank of America analyst Ken Hoexter reiterated his Buy rating and raised his price target for FedEx from $235 to $250. The Thesis: Hoexter, who previously raised his price target from $177 to $235 on Aug. 20, said FedExs plan to hire 70,000 seasonal workers ahead of peak delivery season represents a 27% increase compared to a year ago and suggests strong volume trends heading into the second half of the year. Hoexter is also bullish on the expansion of FedExs Sunday residential delivery coverage, which the company says will reach 95% of the U.S. population by mid-September, on par with its current 96% Saturday coverage. Hoexter said this Sunday coverage differentiates FedEx from competitor United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE: UPS), which only offers limited Sunday delivery via SmartPost. With increased B2C demand and conversion of a portion of Express deliveries into its Ground network, we target Ground deliveries to increase 15% y-y in F1Q (following a 25% gain in F4Q) & Ground margins to expand 20 bps sequentially, as June 1 COVID surcharges are offset by higher cost residential delivery, Hoexter wrote in the note. FedEx is projecting U.S. package delivery will reach 100 million units per day by 2023, with e-commerce accounting for 96% of that growth. Hoexter said other retailers will likely follow Walmart Inc (NYSE: WMT) in aggressively pushing for same-day delivery services in the coming years. Benzingas Take: FedEx is expected to report earnings on Sept. 13. While delivery trends have been exceptional in 2020, investors should keep in mind that the market is already pricing in some impressive numbers with FedEx stock up 60.9% in the past three months alone. Related Links: BofA Raises FedEx Expectations, Sees Improving Airfreight Price Environment Story continues Trump's Battle Over US Postal Service Funding: What You Need To Know Latest Ratings for FDX Sep 2020 Berenberg Upgrades Hold Buy Aug 2020 Citigroup Maintains Buy Aug 2020 Bernstein Upgrades Market Perform Outperform View More Analyst Ratings for FDX View the Latest Analyst Ratings See more from Benzinga 2020 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. The COVID-19 Incident Manager in the state, Dr Kayode Soyinka, made this known recently while giving an update at a media roundtable. Governor Dapo Abiodun According to The PUNCH, the Ogun State Government says it shut down four out of its six isolation centres for COVID-19 patients because it had only 18 patients on admission. The government said it decided to close the four centres while it continued to operate the COVID-19 isolation and treatment centres at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu; and the Federal Medical Centre, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta. The COVID-19 Incident Manager in the state, Dr Kayode Soyinka, made this known recently while giving an update at a media roundtable organised by state Primary Health Care Development Board and the Society for Family Health in Abeokuta, the state capital. He revealed that no fewer than 118 COVID-19 patients in the state are currently receiving treatment at their homes. Soyinka, who is also the Director of Public Health at the state Health Ministry, said the state had tested 7,564 suspected cases, recorded 1,646 positive infections as well as 1,489 recoveries and 26 fatalities. He said, As at today, 118 patients are being managed at their homes. 16 admitted at OOUTH and two at FMC isolation centres. Chinese President Xi Jinping addresses the Global Trade in Services Summit of the 2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) via video on Sept. 4, 2020. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) BEIJING, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday called for joint efforts to overcome difficulties to promote the development and prosperity of global trade in services and push for global economic recovery as early as possible. He made the remarks while addressing the Global Trade in Services Summit of the 2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) via video, underlining the need to boost global cooperation amid challenges. "Today, with COVID-19 yet to be brought under full control at the global level, all countries face the formidable task to defeat the virus, stabilize the economy, and protect livelihoods," he said. "It is against such a backdrop that China decided to hold this important international trade event despite many difficulties in preparation. It shows China's willingness to join hands with all of you in this trying time and work together to enable global trade in services to thrive and the world economy to recover at an early date," he said. PROPOSALS FOR COOPERATION Calling the open cooperation in the service sector "an increasingly important driver for development," he made three proposals. Firstly, all countries should jointly foster an open and inclusive environment for cooperation, Xi said. China will stay committed to further opening up, with measures including the establishment of a sound negative list management system in cross-border service trade, and the advancement of constructing open platforms for piloting innovative development of trade in services, Xi said. The country will also continue to ease market access in the service sector and actively expand imports of quality services, he said. Secondly, all countries should work together to invigorate momentum for cooperation driven by innovation. China will work with all countries in enhancing the protection of intellectual property rights and actively promote the development of digital economy and sharing economy, Xi said. Thirdly, Xi called for joint efforts to break new ground in win-win cooperation. All countries should strengthen coordination in their development of trade in services, innovate the ways of cooperation, deepen the areas of cooperation and seek to maximize common interests in development. BEIJING'S SPEARHEADING ROLE In his speech, Xi pledged support to better leverage Beijing's role in spearheading the opening-up of China's service sector. He said the country will support the municipality in developing a national integrated demonstration zone for greater openness in the service sector. A pilot free trade zone characterizing scientific and technological innovation, opening-up of the service sector, and digital economy will be established in Beijing, Xi said, noting that it will serve as a platform of high-standard opening-up for the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. CIFTIS, a large exhibition and trading platform dedicated to trade in services, has already been held six times since 2012. The theme of this year's CIFTIS is "Global Services, Shared Prosperity." TDT | Manama The rate of compliance with Bahrains summer afternoon outdoor work ban reached 99.7 per cent this year, Labour and Social Development Minister Jameel bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan announced yesterday. The high success rate reflects a commitment to the initiative, given its humanitarian and economic dimensions, and its ultimate goal of protecting workers from the dangers of labouring during difficult summer weather conditions. While commenting on the end of the afternoon outdoor work ban for this summer, the Labour Minister said that the ministrys specialised teams carried out 13,658 surprise and regular inspection visits to work sites during the ban, which started on July 1 and which ended yesterday. The teams reported 30 violating establishments and 42 workers while noting that legal action will be taken against them. The Labour Minister praised the compliance of the majority of establishments and companies with the ban, stressing the governments keenness on supporting all measures aimed at protecting workers and ensuring their safety at various work sites, out of its interest in protecting human rights. The Labour Minister added that the growing rate of compliance with the edict, which prohibits work from noon to 4pm, reflects the prestigious status enjoyed by Bahrain in the field of human rights respect. This is particularly for those workers who are participating in nation-building and in the Kingdoms development march. The Labour Minister affirmed that the ministerial edict on the work ban and the civilised behaviour of employers and workers place the Kingdom among the advanced countries in ensuring workers rights, through the provision of a safe and secure work environment, free from injuries and occupational diseases. Under the ministerial edict on the summer afternoon outdoor work ban, a jail term not exceeding three months, and/ or a fine between BD500 and BD1,000, is the penalty inflicted on violators. Gemma O'Toole's baby Sean was born on May 15, while the country was very much locked down. This was Gemma's second child, and Sean has a big brother called Aaron who is nine. The family, including dad Damien, lives in Greystones. 'I was still working coming up to the birth,' said Gemma, who works in Roche's pharmacy in Bray as a technician. As schools closed and other restrictions started to emerge, she began to get increasingly anxious about any risk to her baby. 'Aaron had also been in and out of Crumlin for leg operations, and he was going to his grandparents,' she said. 'I was very nervous at that time.' She and her employer thought it might be best for her safety to go on her maternity leave early. 'I was meant to go on leave at the end of April and I went at the end of March,' she said. After going home, there was just one visit to the clinic in Bray, before she was to go to Holles Street. Due to Gemma being aged 44, her doctors weren't going to allow her to go over her due date of May 11 by a long period. 'They brought me in on the Thursday and induced me,' she said. 'I thought being a second baby it would be quick, but no!' She was induced a second time on the Thursday night. Her waters broke on the Friday morning and he arrived at 4.45 p.m. that evening. Her partner Damien spent a lot of time waiting outside the hospital to get the call that he could come in. 'He hung around outside,' said Gemma. 'There was one coffee shop open. He was going between the coffee shop and the park all day Thursday, until half 12 at night. He didn't want to go home but I told him to go on home. He was straight back in the next morning, going from the park to the coffee shop.' Gemma said that security was tight at the hospital, when Damien presented himself at the door, they checked with the ward that he could go up. He was present for the birth of their little boy, and less than an hour after that, he was told to leave as Gemma was going back to the ward. 'I was able to get home on Saturday evening,' said Gemma. She was confident while in Holles Street that the nurses were very thorough in terms of infection control. It was a busy day, she said, and the hospital was full. The baby was just over six pounds, his older brother had been something over five pounds. Sean is now thriving and over 12 pounds in weight. 'The after care in Holles Street was fantastic,' said Gemma. 'And the Greystones Health Nurses are fantastic. They were just brilliant and put your mind at ease.' They came for the first three mornings to check on mother and baby. 'It was very hard not to have lots of visitors, especially my mam and dad,' said Gemma. Her mother would have been there to help her when Aaron was born. She also has a twin sister and another just two years older, so they are all very close. Both of her sisters live in Dublin so they couldn't see each other until phase three of re-opening. So they did WhatsApp calls to introduce the baby. 'Damien's parents came to see him but just from the patio doors,' said Gemma. 'Friends were also coming and dropping presents and leaving.' On the other hand, the family had some time together which otherwise they would not have had. 'Damien wasn't working because of covid. If he had been he wouldn't have had so much time with the baby' said Gemma. They also had time between them to ensure Aaron didn't feel left out, no to mention the dog, who is 'curious, but a bit put out'! Aaron is delighted with his baby brother and loves to give him cuddles in the morning. Sean, meanwhile, has just had his three-month assessment and is healthy and doing very well. By Express News Service DEHRADUN: 'Himalayan Viagra' business worth over Rs 100 crore has been hit by Covid-induced restrictions in Uttarakhand. The herb is found at an altitude of 12,000 feet onwards in Pithoragarh, Bageshwar, and Chamoli districts in Uttarakhand. Sunil Kumar, forest range officer, Dharchula said, "The collection of the herb starts in April but due to lockdown, things could not set in motion leading to the said loss." Many local families depend on revenue from the collection of the fungal herb. Hem Bhatt, a local researcher from Pithoragarh said, "On an average, a family earns around 2-5 lakh which helps them get through the rest of the year. However, there has been no collection this year due to Covid and lockdown and we are facing a financial crunch." The collection of the valuable fungal herb also known as Keeda Jadi/Yartsa gunbu (Ophiocordyceps Sinensis) can fetch up to Rs 20 lakh per kilogram. ALSO READ | 'Himalayan Viagra' yield registers drastic decline: Study Earlier, on July 9 in a list released by the International Union for Conservation of Natures (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species placed the fungal herb in the vulnerable category. In the same month, a study conducted by the Uttarakhand state forest department indicated that yield of the valuable fungal herb has drastically decreased from year 2010 to 2019. The report states that in 2010, one person on average extracted 80 pieces of the herb per day in year 2010 which declined to 9 pieces per day in the year 2019. The drastic increase in price of the fungi is also attributed to its decline. The average price in the year 2010 stood Rs 17.5 per piece which spiked to Rs 300 in the year 2016. For the year 2019, the prices stood Rs 2,00 per piece. The study report is part of a 3-year research project which started in the year 2018 aiming to explore multiple factors related to the valuable herb including its growth, yield, life cycle, extraction, and effect of climate change. For a president who has spent much of his first term complaining about voter fraud, you might think that the last thing he would do is encourage people to commit that crime. But that is exactly what President Trump did this week when he urged North Carolina residents to vote twice to test the integrity of the mail voting system. Let them send it in (a mailed ballot) and (then) let them go vote, Trump said, and if their systems as good as they say it is, then obviously they wont be able to vote. If it isnt tabulated, theyll be able to vote. Thats bizarre, and irresponsible. No president should ever say something like that. And if he does, his attorney general should condemn it in the strongest terms instead of pretending that he doesnt know whether its illegal or not. (Hint, Mr. William Barr, it is.) Voting twice is illegal everywhere and could be a felony under certain circumstances. Trumps test is also bogus because if someone mails in a ballot, poll workers do not have access to it if that individual comes in later to vote in person. They have no list of mailed ballots at the polling site to compare it to, and most mailed ballots are opened and counted just before election day or on that day itself. The double voting could be discovered afterward, and we hope it is, but this would open the individual to criminal prosecution. Most studies show that actual voter fraud is very low, far less rampant than some Republicans suggest even if its not as nonexistent as some Democrats believe. But encouraging people to commit voter fraud will obviously not reduce the amount of voter fraud, however prevalent it is. Trump also muddied the waters this week by claiming, without a shred of proof, that a planeload of black-clad agitators was seen somewhere intending to disrupt the Republican National Convention last week. We had somebody get on a plane from a certain city last weekend, Trump said, and in the plane it was almost completely loaded with thugs wearing these dark uniforms, black uniforms, with gear and this and that. The next day, Trump told reporters about an entire plane filled up with the looters, the anarchists, the rioters. Sigh. No such planeload of demonstrators has been detected anywhere by law enforcement or reported by any credible news media (or anyone, for that matter). No riots at the GOP convention or anywhere have been linked to a group of protesters like this because they dont exist. Its literally fake news, spread by a president who often complains about fake news, which is usually real news about him that he doesnt like. No public official should spread dangerous rumors like this, and certainly not the president of the United States. Its not going to help ease the violence in any cities or bring all of us closer to the solutions we need for these protests. The coming choice between Donald Trump and Joe Biden for president is an important one. The candidates should be providing clear reasons why they would be the better option. Remarks like this from the president will disqualify him from serious consideration by many voters. If Trump loses in November, he will have no one to blame but himself. Its been four months since the bitter India-China standoff began along the Line of Control. Multiple attempts at disengagement and for restoration of status quo ante have failed. The tricky, non-ending negotiations have only further exposed Chinas expansionist mindset as well as damaged, and irreparably so, Beijings image as a modern nation preferring friends over lands. The border skirmishes, resulting out of Chinese aggression, if not addressed quickly can drag India-China relationship back by 58 years. It can also negate all the gains made in strengthening bilateral ties since 1976, when New Delhi and Beijing decided to restore ambassadorial relations. The ghost of the 1962 war is an embarrassing historical baggage the new generation wants to break-free from. Successive Indian prime ministers, including Rajiv Gandhi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Dr Manmohan Singh and lately Narendra Modi, have made sincere attempts at peace. Yet, mutual distrust didnt dissipate. Despite mechanisms being put in place, localised flare-ups along the borders continued. Yet, despite differences, India and China cooperated on issues such as climate change and at multilateral forums such as the BRICS and SCO. It was felt that the growing business and economic relationship between New Delhi and Beijing would eventually overcome the strains and help settle the border dispute. Chinas inspiring economic growth has been a magnet for many an Indian youth. Like English, learning Mandarin was seen as a passport to the globe. Chinese cinema, culture and art were slowly gaining appreciation in India. Chinese cities like Beijing and Shanghai were seen as an affordable substitute to New York and London. Trading relationship between the two neighbours too saw a sharp rise. Chinas share in Indian imports went up from 1.93 per cent in 1996-97 to 16.40 per cent in 2017-18. From 2011-12 to 2017-18, barring 2012-13, China was Indias top trading partner. From boardrooms to drawing rooms, Chinas achievements were discussed with respect. Many believe that had the process of normalisation continued for another 15-20 years, India may even have agreed on some concessions on the border. The free market reforms China introduced in 1979 while opening up foreign trade and investment made it a frontline country with a sharp trajectory of economic growth. Since then the countrys GDP growth averaged almost 10 per cent a year, according to World Bank estimates. In the last 20 years, China added $13.13 trillion value to its GDP, more than U.Ss $11.12 trillion. Not surprisingly, the World Bank described Chinas spectacular growth phase as the fastest sustained expansion by a major economy in history. In just the last three decades, China has lifted over 850 million citizens out of poverty, a feat unparalleled in human history. Despite joining WTO late in 2001, by 2013, according to its own admission, China was the largest trading partner for 130 countries. All these socio-economic achievements could have made China the true global leader at a time when America under Donald Trump was looking inwards. However, the Peoples Liberation Armys actions beginning May 5 this year have exposed Beijings charade of friendship. A closer look exposes the true reason for Chinas misdemeanours under Xi Jinping. Chinese expansionist designs began way back in 2015 with the launch of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship of Chinas Belt and Road Initiative. The corridor was built through Gilgit-Baltistan of the PoK despite Indias multiple objections and protests. The CPEC is part of Chinas grand designs to cut logistics costs for its products to markets in West Asia, Europe and Africa. Securing the route is thus of paramount importance to China. But India of 2020 is remarkably different from the India of 1962. We were barely a decade and a half into independence then. Our resources had been spent in trying to lift a great mass of people out of abject poverty. Our defences were relatively weak. But today, the country is more than confident that it can challenge the might of China. India is prepared to fight a long-drawn battle of grit and determination in multiple theatres and geographies. New Delhi has so far played its cards well. Suddenly, the Tibetan issue is centre stage. By using the covert Special Frontier Force, comprising mostly Tibetan refugees, for the Pangong Tso operation, India has sent out a very clear message to China that the issue of Tibet remains unsettled. Further, Tibetan guerrillas outdoing PLA would surely not be lost upon the Tibetans craving for independence from China. A subtle message from New Delhi to Beijing also goes out that there may be a rethinking on One China Policy and that their imprudence could well give a fresh lease of life to the Free Tibet cause. Chinas trust deficit with the world is widening. The West has a long list of grudges against China, running from its opaque and unfair trade practices to actions in the South China Sea and the Pacific waters, where it is challenging the American might. Beijings failure on Covid-19 front is just the latest point of discord. Furthermore, Chinas authoritarian streak and blatant expansionism attempts have already alarmed the freedom loving democracies and made them join hands. The border crisis has stoked a rising tide of nationalism both in India and China. The Indian government cannot afford to be seen as going soft on an adversary like China. Noting the change in Indias tactic towards China, scholars Anit Mukerjee and Yogesh Joshi commented that New Delhi has moved from a strategy of deterrence by denial to deterrence by punishment. China clearly wants to force India to its terms of peace by opening up multiple fronts along the LAC. Beijing is also feeling that a long drawn out faceoff would put India at a disadvantage given the asymmetry in the economy between the two countries. The Mandarins guiding Xi Jinping are perhaps under the impression that China is in a better position to settle to border issue today than wait for Indias further rise which may eventually weaken their bargaining power. The irony is that all this is playing out in a year which celebrates the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and China. Jennifer Griffin caused an unexpected media firestorm on Friday when she did something fairly routine for a reporter: A competitor had broken a story on her beat, so she set out to see if she could match it. In this case, it was the Atlantic's blockbuster report that President Donald Trump had made disparaging remarks about veterans. Griffin, a national security correspondent for Fox News, found sources to validate key aspects of the story, sharing her reporting on Twitter and on anchor Bret Baier's news show. Other beat reporters had confirmed aspects of the Atlantic story, too. But the fact that Griffin works for Fox, whose opinion hosts and corporate owners are seen as reliable supporters and defenders of the president, turned her revelations into a watershed new development. It led to an outsized and startlingly personal reaction from Trump, who declared late Friday on Twitter that she should be fired - and an impassioned pushback from Fox News colleagues defending her journalistic honor. In a nine-tweet thread Friday afternoon, Griffin cited two unnamed former senior administration officials who she said confirmed for her many key aspects of Atlantic editor in chief Jeffrey Goldberg's story about Trump's cancellation of a trip to Aisne-Marne American Cemetery while visiting Paris in 2018. "According to one former senior Trump administration official: 'When the President spoke about the Vietnam War, he said, 'It was a stupid war. Anyone who went was a sucker,'" she wrote. "When asked IF the President could have driven to the Aisne-Marne Cemetery, this former official said confidently: 'The President drives a lot. The other world leaders drove to the cemeteries. He just didn't want to go.'" Later, she noted on Baier's "Special Report" news show that she was unable to confirm "the most salacious allegation," in Goldberg's story, "that the president described the American war dead at the Aisne-Marne Cemetery as 'suckers' and 'losers.'" But, even that caveat was not enough for the president, who shared a Breitbart.com story about Griffin's reporting just before midnight on Friday and said, "Jennifer Griffin should be fired for this kind of reporting. Never even called us for comment. @FoxNews is gone!" Before the president took aim at her reporting, Griffin took veiled shots from some of her colleagues, most notably contributor Mollie Hemingway, who is a senior editor for The Federalist. After Fox News national correspondent Jacqui Heinrich shared Griffin's reporting, Hemingway wrote: "Reminder: it is literally impossible for anonymous sources to 'confirm' a report, particularly when the original report is based solely on anonymous sources. The same people can repeat claims to multiple reporters, of course, particularly when engaged in a campaign operation." Elsewhere on Fox News, Griffin's reporting did not seem to persuade some of her colleagues, including "The Five" co-host Greg Gutfeld, who called the Atlantic's story "a hoax" and "a scam" that was "created in a lab." But, Trump's attack on Griffin was a bridge too far for her colleagues, seven of whom took to Twitter over the weekend to defend her. "Jennifer @JenGriffinFNC is a great reporter and a total class act," chief political anchor Bret Baier wrote. "Jennifer Griffin is the kind of reporter we all strive to be like," said national correspondent Bryan Llenas. "She's courageous, smart, ethical, fair and a class act. She's earned the trust of viewers throughout a distinguished career and is credible." "@JenGriffinFNC is a terrific reporter and a wonderful colleague," State Department correspondent Rich Edson wrote. "I'll forever stand by @JenGriffinFNC," said senior news producer Rocco Aloe. "Jennifer Griffin is all you want in a journalist and a friend," wrote senior field producer Yonat Friling. "She's smart, courageous, she strives for professionalism and the truth. I am so proud to be her colleague." Although Griffin's reporter, producer and anchor colleagues defended her from criticism, the Fox News Channel has not yet commented on Trump's attack, in line with how the network has handled broadsides from the president throughout his administration. Griffin, who joined Fox News in 1999, is one of the network's most prized and distinguished journalists. In October 2019, after news anchor Shepard Smith, a frequent critic of the president, abruptly resigned, the network cited Griffin as evidence that a robust journalistic corps remained, despite external skepticism. "Tell that to Jennifer Griffin, whose report just went viral this week," a spokesperson said at the time. "Or Chris Wallace, Bret Baier, Bill Hemmer, Martha MacCallum or Catherine Herridge, who have all done outstanding journalism." (Herridge soon left the network for CBS News.) "She is great," a reporter who worked with Griffin at Fox News told The Washington Post on Saturday. "I don't always agree with some of her reporting, but she is a straight shooter and always diligent." Civil servants are making a mockery of Boris Johnsons push to get staff back into the office by advertising work from home only jobs, MPs said last night. While Ministers have ordered officials to return to their desks, Whitehall departments are putting up recruitment adverts saying office work will not resume any time soon. MPs said this deliberately undermines Government efforts to get Whitehall working. The Ministry of Defence, the Department of Health, Public Health England and the Food Standards Agency are among those advertising work from home only jobs, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. One advert reads: Due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation, you will initially be required to work from home with no travel required. Pictured: Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson returns to Downing Street in central London on September 1, 2020. The Civil Service has been accused of making a 'mockery' of the PM's efforts to get people back into offices Applications for the jobs close in mid or late September, suggesting Whitehall has plans to continue working from home for months. Steve Baker, the Conservative MP, said: What an extraordinary situation. Public service extends to leading the country in the right direction at all levels. And that should mean Civil Service hiring managers planning to bring people into their offices. It undermines efforts to get country back to work How anyone could be pulling in the wrong direction like this, at this time, I really cannot imagine. It makes a mockery of Ministers and backbenchers trying to encourage our constituents back to work. Michael Gove [Cabinet Office Minister] and Dominic Cummings [the Prime Ministers senior aide] need to get a grip and persuade the Civil Service to set an example. Last week the Cabinet Secretary wrote to all Whitehall ministries setting a target to get 80 per cent of staff to attend their usual workplace each week by the end of September. A man walks past the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, on Whitehall. MPs have accused the Civil Service of making a 'mockery' of Boris Johnson's push to get staff back into the office by advertising 'work from home only' jobs However, a Ministry of Defence job advert seen by the MoS says it will require home working until such a time as we are able to safely return to the office while a Department of Health and Social Care job calls for ideally one day a weeks work in the office or remote working as agreed with line manager. An advert for a job with the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), a quango, says: The post will be based in London once Covid-19 restrictions on our office capacity have been removed. In the meantime all OBR staff have been working remotely. Richard Holden, the Conservative MP, said: With adverts like this it looks like the Civil Service are deliberately undermining the efforts of the Government to get the country back to work and our economy moving again. Nothing makes the argument that broad reform is clearly needed better than the Civil Service going against clear Government policy. Yesterday Dave Penman, General Secretary of the FDA union, which represents civil servants, accused the Government of virtue signalling by calling for civil servants to get back to their desks. Steve Baker, the Conservative MP (pictured), said the job adverts 'makes a mockery of Ministers and backbenchers trying to encourage our constituents back to work' It comes as MPs have their right to claim for travel around London removed in a push to get them to use public transport. From tomorrow MPs will no longer be able to claim for commuting costs between their London home and Parliament. The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, the expenses watchdog, said the measure was designed to help MPs avoid public transport during the height of the pandemic, but that the circumstances have changed significantly. A Government spokesman said: The Civil Service prides itself in being a flexible employer and has offered elements of homeworking across the service for many years. This has not changed. We are clear that it is safe to return to a Covid-secure workplace and Government departments have ensured that appropriate measures are in place to enable as many civil servants as possible to return to offices safely. NOT A SINGLE worker has turned up to Labour council's brand-new 48million HQ post-lockdown - as local authority admits to making NO efforts to get 1,000 staff back By Jonathan Bucks and Nick Craven for the Mail on Sunday A Labour council that spent tens of millions of pounds on brand-new offices has not had a single employee return to work since lockdown restrictions were lifted. The startling revelation comes as a Mail on Sunday audit of local authorities across the country found most council staff are still working from home, despite government advice for people to get back to the office. Of the 30 councils that responded, one admitted it was making no efforts to get its staff back Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council in Greater Manchester. Not one of its 1,000 staff has yet to return to its brand-new 48 million office in Ashton-under-Lyne and chiefs have no plans to encourage a return to normal working conditions. Pictured: The Tameside One building that houses the Tameside Metropolitan Borough council offices in Ashton-under-Lyne, which is yet to have an employee return In May, in a sign to council taxpayers of how comfortable Tameside staff had grown to working from home, the local authoritys chief executive Steven Pleasant, who commands a 210,000 annual pay package, tweeted a picture of his slippers. The continued policy of working from home comes a year after the Labour-led council unveiled the new 160,000 sq ft office. Doreen Dickinson, leader of the Conservative group at Tameside, said: Council employees should definitely be going back to work to support the local economy if nothing else. This is a brand-new, supposedly state-of-the art office, which should be able to accommodate employees. A spokesperson for the council said: Approximately 1,000 staff are working from home. Our current policy is for staff to continue working from home. No council services have been cut or adversely affected by the expectation to work from home. Pictured left: The local authoritys chief executive Steven Pleasant, who commands a 210,000 annual pay package, on a bike ride Pictured: Steven Pleasant shared a picture of his slippers on his Instagram page Elsewhere, in Hammersmith and Fulham, 1,700 employees normally at their desks are still working from home and only 380 employees have returned to the office. A spokesman claimed the council is championing a digital economic recovery and working hard to avoid a miserable second lockdown. In many cases, the reason for continuing to work from home was because Covid rules dictate fewer people should be allowed in the office at one time. Brighton Council claimed that their office capacity was reduced to just 20 per cent of what it had previously been. They added: We are reviewing our office capacity in mid-September to decide on next steps. Meanwhile in Slough, the councils communications manager Kate Pratt inadvertently replied to the MoS request with an email clearly intended for colleagues, telling them: Ignore this one again. When contacted, she said: Some of us are working from home and some of us arent. People who need to be in the office are in there, but those who can do their work from home are doing so. The chief executive is in the office. A Nigerian cleric, Emmanuel Omale, has filed a N5 billion suit against First City Monument Bank over the banks report to the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit of an alleged payment of N573 million into his account. Mr Omale is an associate of the suspended chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu. In a court document filed before the FCT High Court on Friday, by Mr Omales lawyer, Gordy Uche, accused the bank of negligently breaching the fiduciary duty of care in its banker-customer relationship with his client. According to the suit, the court also summoned the bank to enter appearance either personally or by a legal representative within 30 days after the service of the writ. It added that failure to appear before the court, judgement may be given in its absence. Mr Omales suit is in reaction to a presidential committee report that audited the EFCC between 2015 and 2020, which claimed that Mr Omale was used as an instrument for the embattled EFCC boss to launder money. The Presidential Committee on Audit of Recovered Assets said Mr Omale had received N573 million to purchase a property in Dubai for Mr Magu. Suspended EFCC Acting Chairman, Ibrahim Magu Mr Magu has been investigated by a panel headed by Ayo Salami, former president of the appeal court over allegations of corruption and insubordination levelled against him. The allegations were made by the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami. But in a statement released last month by FCMBs Group Head, Corporate Affairs, Diran Olojo, the bank said there was no such deposit at anytime into the said account. The bank said what happened was a system error which reflected in the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) records but did not result into any credit into the account. Demands Mr Omale who is the is the general overseer of Divine Hand of God Prophetic Ministries International, Abuja, said the allegations have caused him grave damages. A declaration of this Honourable Court that the Defendant (FCMB), breached the fiduciary duty of care it owes the client (Mr Omale) by its false automated report to the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit of a suspicious credit inflow of N573,228 into the claimant corporate current account number 1486743019 with the defendant, he said. Mr Omale demanded the sum of N5 billion being exemplary, aggravated special and general damages against the defendant which has occasioned grave damages to the claimants. When "Scream 4" happened, some felt that it was quite a stretch already. However, it did go quite well and some fans even clamoured for a 'Scream 5." Now, their wish has come true! Little bits of details are emerging these few days about the movie, most of them adding to the excitement for its release. If you cannot wait for the day to come, here are five details to feast on. They are quite a bit haunting we must say, perfect for this OG slasher film. Freaky #1: Neve Campbell May or May Not Be Part of It Neve Campbell played the lead role in the movie series. In fact, while she has a great career, it was her role in "Scream" that truly made her a household name. People might forget her name sometimes, but they would no longer forget her face -- it's the face always near a masked man raring to stab someone. She plays Sidney Prescott in the movie and, by all means, has the most integral part of the entire "Scream" franchise. Without her, what would the story be? Can it still be called "Scream 5?" At the moment though, producers are yet to announce if she's part of those who have reprised their roles. David Arquette and Courteney Cox are already announced to be part of this 2022 film. Screenrant believes this is because the original director, Wes Craven, has already passed away. Back in 2018, when she was asked about her possible return, she said it would be difficult for her to work on the film without the first director. "Wes was the heart of the thing...I think it would be difficult to work with another director," Campbell said. Freaky #2: The OG Cast Might Not Even Survive This Time. Will Sidney Die?! When we say OG cast, we meant the heroes -- Sidney, Dewey and Gale. They keep surviving every installment, you would think the got nine lives. If Neve Campbell reprises her role, then the whole gang is back together. According to Arquette, there is a possibility that not all of them will survive this time. We are not sure if we are glad to hear that or not. Glad because hey, they're humans! Or sad because hey, they are THE movie. "Oh, you never know! Everyone should always be worried! It's a very scary horror film! Who knows what can happen! But I'd like to see them all [survive]. I love that they've all survived this long," Arquette said. Freaky #3: The Plot Is a Killer!! We do not know if this already the final plot since it was reported back in July. These were just rumours though, but who knows? As shared by a Scream fan account on Twitter, "Scream 5" will be about a character named Sarah. This girl has, surprise, surprise, a troubled past and now has returned to her hometown to look for a criminal committing a series of vicious crimes. There are characters whose names are unheard of in the movie so far, such as Teresa, Ryan, Annie, Leyla, Maud and many more. Some fans think this is a sign that Neve Campbell is not returning because she should be the lead, not someone named Sarah! But then others pointed out that she could very well be Sarah. Again, who knows?! We just cannot wait to scream! READ MORE: Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: HBO Drops Major Will Smith News Amid Pandemic Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-04 23:16:25|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi (front) attends a press conference at the Quirinale Palace in Rome, capital of Italy, on April 12, 2018. (Xinhua File/Jin Yu) Milan's San Raffaele Hospital confirmed that Berlusconi checked into the hospital late Thursday and was under observation. Berlusconi is believed to have contracted the virus in Sardinia, where he has a sprawling vacation villa. Over the last three weeks, Sardinia has emerged as one of Italy's largest coronavirus hotspots. ROME, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has been admitted to Milan's San Raffaele Hospital after testing positive for the novel coronavirus. The hospital confirmed Friday that Berlusconi checked into the hospital late Thursday and was under observation. The hospital did not provide information about Berlusconi's condition when being contacted by Xinhua, but an official did say Berlusconi was not in the hospital's intensive care unit. The development came as the coronavirus infection rate in Italy is on the rise. The country saw more than 1,000 infections a day in nine of the past 13 days through Thursday, a figure that had previously not been surpassed since May 12. According to Deborah Bergamini, a member of parliament from the Forza Italia party Berlusconi founded, the hospital visit is mostly precautionary. "He has a small cough, and obviously, because of his age, it's safer for him to be taken care of in the hospital," Bergamini told state broadcaster RAI on Friday. On Mediaset, the broadcaster Berlusconi controls, Forza Italia Senator Licia Ronzulli called the decision to keep Berlusconi at the hospital "precautionary." Berlusconi's staff confirmed he tested positive for the coronavirus late Wednesday. He was reported at the time to be asymptomatic and self-isolated at his villa in Arcore, a town just outside of Milan. Media reports on Friday said that Berlusconi went to the hospital for an exam late Thursday when a CT scan showed signs of bilateral pneumonia, a common complication for coronavirus patients. Doctors suggested he stay. Berlusconi is believed to have contracted the virus in Sardinia, where he has a sprawling vacation villa. Over the last three weeks, Sardinia has emerged as one of Italy's largest coronavirus hotspots. His girlfriend and two adult children also tested positive, according to media reports. Berlusconi is widely considered to be the most influential Italian politician of the last quarter-century. The Forza Italia party led by Berlusconi has candidates standing in six regional elections set to take place later this month. In a social media post on Thursday, he vowed to continue working despite his illness. "I am fine and I will keep working," he wrote. "I will participate in every possible way for his election campaign." Hospital officials did not say how long Berlusconi would be hospitalized, though Italian media reports speculated he would be kept in the San Raffaele Hospital's isolation ward at least until his case of pneumonia subsides. Half of US Christians say sex is sometimes, always OK in dating relationship Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Half of Christians say sex between consenting adults who are in a committed dating relationship is sometimes or always acceptable, and over half with the exception of evangelical Protestants say casual sex is OK, according to a survey by the Pew Research Center. Some 62% of Catholics, 56% of Protestants in the historically black tradition, 54% of mainline Protestants, and 36% of evangelical Protestants say casual sex between consenting adults is sometimes or always acceptable, according to the survey. Among those who are religiously unaffiliated, as many as 84% say casual sex is sometimes or always acceptable, Pew adds. And the percentage increases to 94% among atheists and 95% among agnostics. Pew clarifies that the survey did not ask respondents if they themselves would engage in any of these practices. Instead, the questions asked if they found the practices acceptable regardless of whether you would do it yourself. The study notes that the gap between Christians and the unaffiliated is not very big when it comes to sex between unmarried adults who are in a committed relationship. Fifty-seven percent of Christians say its sometimes or always acceptable. That includes 67% of mainline Protestants, 64% of Catholics, 57% of Protestants in the historically black tradition, and 46% of evangelical Protestants. In comparison, nearly 80% of religiously unaffiliated Americans say sex between unmarried adults in a committed relationship is sometimes or always acceptable. However, Americans, in general, do not tend to accept a range of other sex and dating practices, for example, having sex on a first date, exchanging sexually explicit photographs with other consenting adults, and having an open relationship. Evangelical Protestants are significantly less likely than most other Christian groups in this analysis to find these practices acceptable, Pew notes. Just over a third of Christians say its sometimes or always acceptable. Church attendance has a bearing on peoples views on what they find acceptable, the survey adds. For example, a little less than half (46%) of U.S. adults who attend services at least once a month say sex between unmarried adults in a committed relationship is sometimes or always acceptable, compared with three-quarters (74%) of those who go less often. And about one-third (35%) of those who go to religious services at least monthly say casual sex is sometimes or always acceptable, compared with three-quarters (75%) of those who attend less frequently, the study points out. In a column for The Christian Post this week, CPs Executive Editor Dr. Richard D. Land addressed the embrace of sexual lifestyles condemned in Holy Scripture, focusing on biblical responses to its incidence. We should never let another Christians moral or theological failures shake our own personal Christian faith, he said, adding that we should forgive regardless of whether they repent or not or they request it or not. When the person confesses their sins and repents, then they should be welcomed back into the fellowship, Land, former president of the Southern Baptists Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, said, cautioning, that restoration to fellowship with the Body of Christ does not mean automatic elevation to the previous or a new position of leadership. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday expressed his gratitude to teachers for their remarkable efforts in shaping minds and building the nation on the occasion of Teachers Day. We remain grateful to the hardworking teachers for their contributions towards shaping minds and building our nation. On Teachers Day, we express gratitude to our teachers for their remarkable efforts. We pay tributes to Dr. S. Radhakrishnan on his Jayanti. #OurTeachersOurHeroes, PM Modi tweeted. We remain grateful to the hardworking teachers for their contributions towards shaping minds and building our nation. On Teachers Day, we express gratitude to our teachers for their remarkable efforts. We pay tributes to Dr. S. Radhakrishnan on his Jayanti. #OurTeachersOurHeroes Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 5, 2020 Teachers Day is celebrated across the country in the memory of Dr S Radhakrishnan, a philosopher-author and Indias second president who was born on September 5, 1888. His contributions to the field of education are exemplary. The tradition to celebrate Teachers Day started in 1962 to honour Radhakrishnan and other teachers. US-based Rovince to increase investment in Sri Lanka View(s): Rovince International Corp, a Solid Tyre manufacturer and distributor based in Los Angeles, California and owned and run by Sri Lankans, is increasing by two-fold capacity its Solid Tyre manufacturing plant in Sri Lanka. The company currently operate multiple warehouses in the US and ship to various other countries worldwide. Its Chairman Lionel Perera said in a media release that, we have seen steady demand growth for our products, and this is the right time to invest in expansion. He also went on to say, we anticipate by this capacity increase to generate both direct and indirect jobs that will help the local economy and bring in much needed foreign revenue. Director Devaka Cooray, based in the US, said this production expansion is part of a strategic growth initiative planned for last year. Despite the challenging economic conditions post COVID-19, we are confident in moving forward in the right direction and continue to be a formidable force in the Solid Tyre industry. Director Ananda Hendalage, based in Sri Lanka, said, despite the recent challenges we continued production to the best of our ability to keep up with the demand and this expansion will add much needed capacity. With the expansion, Rovince hopes to further strengthen its distribution footprint not only in the US but also globally. The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) continues its effort to help douse the fire on an oil tanker 'MT New Diamond' off the east coast of Sri Lanka. After fire fighting for almost two days, ICG, the Sri Lankan ships, and aircraft along with tug ALP Winger through it's consolidated efforts successfully towed MT New Diamond more than 35 nautical miles away from Sri Lanka coast to safe waters on Saturday, ICG informed. It further said that the fire combat continues, however, the fire has now reduced with no oil slick reported. So far 22 out of 23 crew members have been rescued since the ICG fire fighting ships assisted in successfully dousing the fire onboard earlier on Friday. Search is underway for one missing crew member, according to the ICG. READ | Japan coast guard rescue second survivor after Typhoon Maysak sinks livestock ship #ICG & Sri Lankan ships and aircraft alongwith tug ALP Winger after consolidated efforts successfully towed #MTNewDiamond more than 35 NM away from #SriLanka coast to safe waters. #FireFighting continues and fire now reduced. No oil slick reported. pic.twitter.com/bvbnd1fLtw Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) September 5, 2020 Concerted joint #SAR & #FireFighting efforts by ICG Ships, SL Navy & tugs resulted in rescue of 22 out of 23 crew safely. Search for 01 missing crew (Filipino) in progress. No oil spill reported in area. 02 Emergency Towing Vessels being deployed by GoI for #MTNewDiamond. pic.twitter.com/bjqMsQkio9 Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) September 4, 2020 READ | Greek coast guard rescue migrants in Aegean sea operation MT New Diamond- fire fighting operation On Friday, September 4, the ICG fire fighting ships successfully doused a fire after assistance was sought by the Sri Lankan Navy following an explosion onboard the oil tanker MT New Diamond, 37 nautical miles east off Sri Lanka coast. On Thursday, September 3, the Coast Guard had said that after Sri Lankan Navy sought their assistance for the firefight, three vessels were rushed to the Central-eastern Sri Lankan coast to help fight the massive fire onboard the oil tanker. The vessels mobilised by ICG to assist in fighting included Shaurya, Sarang, and Samudra Pehredar. Besides the Coast Guard vessels, a Dornier aircraft too had also been deployed for the firefighting operation. The Panama registered tanker, New Diamond was carrying 2,70,000 tonnes of crude oil from Kuwait to India when its engine room caught fire off the coast of Sangamankanda in the eastern district of Ampara. The rescue mission is being collectively conducted by Search and Rescue (SAR) operation, ICG ships, and Sri Lankan Navy, and two emergency towing vessels have been deployed by India. 02 #ICG Dornier aircraft with Pollution Response spray pods & Oil Spill Dispersants being launched from #Tuticorin to #Mattalla as a preventive measure towards oil spill contingency will augment #ICG & Sri Lankan Navy ships engaged on-scene @DefenceMinIndia @MEAIndia @HMOIndia pic.twitter.com/yFvwIA5aPA Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) September 4, 2020 #FireFighting #ICG ships successfully doused fire in accommodation area. #ICG ship Shaurya continuously fighting fire with 03 tugs engaged in boundary cooling. 02 mtrs crack observed near Port aft portion 10 mtrs above waterline. pic.twitter.com/jQLGPq1Fpf Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) September 4, 2020 Master of #MTNewDiamond along with ICG Officer & Sailor from #ICG ship Shaurya embarked onboard oil tanker & assessed towing & anchoring provision.#ICG efforts on to contain fire. #ICG ship Sarang reached scene of incident and commenced #FireFighting alongwith SL Navy & ICG ships pic.twitter.com/XWMwp7U25G Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) September 4, 2020 READ | Indian Coast Guard sends 10-member team to Mauritius to assist with oil spill operation READ | Indian Coast Guard launches interceptor boat The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has expressed his dismay over the reference to Akyems as being Sakawa people by John Dramani Mahama, the flagbearer of the NDC. In an hour interview with Kwabena Kwakye KenCity Media which was aired on Oman 107.1 FM/Net2 Television, the President could not bring himself to believe what the former president said about the people of Akyem as being Sakawa. "I was appalled by Mahama's Sakawa reference to the people of Akyem" the President stated, worriedly. "Ask yourself what would have happened if I had made such a statement about Gonjas. There would have been an uproar if this had come from me" the President said. In his belief, President Akufo-Addo, observed, he doesn't think it is right for a former leader and the one who wants a comeback to be engaging in such tribal spats since they breed disunity amongst the people. The President also touched on some pertinent issues which he believes are more central to the development of the country than concentrating on issues to do with the flagbearer of the NDC. "Let's talk about more important things than him" President Akufo-Addo urged Kwabena Kwakye. The President, within the last two months, has availed himself to some radio stations in Kumasi, Cape Coast and Accra to tell Ghanaians his achievements and why they should renew his mandate and that of the New Patriotic Party. Source: peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video With the Labor Day weekend coinciding with a record-breaking heat wave, San Francisco Mayor London Breed joined the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence in Dolores Park on Friday afternoon to remind people to continue to practice social distancing and wear face masks. The expected hot weather will jam the city's parks over the three-day weekend. Breed and the Sisters handed out 1,000 free face masks as part of the city's community-led face-covering campaign. The city of San Francisco has averaged about 73 new reported cases of the coronavirus per day for the past week. As of Sept. 4, San Francisco has had 9,755 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 84 deaths. City officials reminded residents of San Francisco always to wear a face covering while outside your house and to keep at least a 6 feet from other people to help prevent infections. This Teachers Day, we thought, would be low-key as children and teachers wont be present physically in the school. Then, we thought why not plan an online session to salute the teachers... After all, teachers have also ensured that learning continues during the pandemic despite all the challenges that we have faced, says Anuradha Rai, principal of a Gurugram-based school. I drew a tree to represent my teacher and wrote: Teachers plant the seeds of knowledge that last a lifetime Samarth Singhal, 8, student School children across Delhi-NCR have come up with creative ways to thank their teachers, albeit virtually. Samarth Singhal, 8, who has made a poster, says, I drew a tree to represent my teacher and wrote: Teachers plant the seeds of knowledge that last a lifetime. Amyrah Chowdhry, 7, has written on her poster: Thank you teachers for working day and night to find innovative ways so that our education doesnt suffer when we are at home. Teachers are our corona warriors! Celebrations might be virtual, but there was no dearth of physical cards that teachers received this year, too. Kiara Gupta, 7, has been practising for days to portray her teacher by wearing a saree like her, and imitating her. Ahead of the little ones final online performance, today, her mother Megha Saraf Gupta, a teacher in Gurugram, says, She was so excited to do something to say thank you. So, I draped my dupatta around her like a saree, and she has been practising to speak like her maam for days now! Even teachers are excited to see what their pupils do to celebrate this day. Robin Bansal, a Delhi-based school teacher, says, Every year, I get lots of chocolates, cards and cookies from my students, but this time Im waiting to know whats in store... Its the love and respect from them that keeps us going. Author tweets @ruchikagarg271 Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Electricity demand in Tucson soared during the spring and early summer as temperatures toppled records and the pandemic continued to keep people home. Reversing a one-month decline from the early spring, electricity sales to Tucson Electric Power customers jumped 9% in the period from April through June compared to the same period a year ago, the utility said this week. While its unclear how much hot weather and how much the pandemic contributed to the increase, certainly the use of air conditioners was a factor, a utility spokesman said. Air conditioning and/or swamp cooling are considered necessities for surviving Arizonas summer heat. But increased energy use caused by air conditioning is also one factor thats been linked to hotter temperatures due to long-term climate change. The electricity use increase was generated by customers of both TEP and its sister utility UniSource Energy Services, which serves Santa Cruz and Mohave County residents, said TEP spokesman Joe Barrios. The utility declined to release sales figures yet for July and August, Tucsons second-hottest and hottest months on record ever, respectively. Those results wont be public until the utility releases its third-quarter earnings statement sometime in October, Barrios said. Tucson Water customers, meanwhile, used more water than average in the record-setting hot months of May and July but less than average in June. Unlike the other record-setting months, June 2020 was the 17th-warmest June since records started being kept in 1895. By Brian Bull, Underscore.news Every decade, American Indians and Alaska Natives are routinely undercounted by the U.S. Census Bureaus massive, nationwide effort to tally everyone within the countrys borders. At stake are millions of federal dollars for community programs. To prevent future undercounts, states and cities are pumping millions of dollars into promoting participation in the 2020 Census. For Oregon, a major point of focus is the historically undercounted Native American population. But the COVID-19 outbreak is only making it more difficult to accurately survey Indian Country, where the Census Bureau has struggled in the past. The curtain rose then quickly fell on a kickoff gala on the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Reservation on March 12. Trumpeted for weeks in advance by Census officials and the media, the gala was to be the centerpiece of efforts to engage reservation residents and push them toward greater participation than was seen in the 2010 Census, which, like previous population counts, suffered an undercount of American Indian and Alaska Natives. A taco lunch was provided, as well as a childrens mini powwow. An esteemed tribal elder and veteran was Oregons first 2020 Census participant. Speeches by tribal officials urged the importance of the Census to Native people. Yet the night before, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown announced limits on crowd sizes at organized events as the state addressed steadily increasing cases of COVID-19. Jaylyn Suppah, a community planner for the tribes health and human services branch, was charged with making sure the Census kickoff had plenty of food for attendees. At the onset, she figures nearly 100 people showed at the Agency Longhouse in Warm Springs. We just finished out the day and we kind of just started looking at the protocol (Brown) put out, Suppah said. It was an all-day event, so people came and went. It wasnt crowded or anything. But afterward, the pandemic slammed the brakes on what was to be an aggressive, far-reaching effort to count more Native Americans and to prevent a repeat of the 2010 undercount. As of Aug. 31, the Warm Springs reservation had a self-response rate of 40.2%. While thats better than its final 2010 rate of 35.8%, its well below that of Oregon (67.9%) and still not as high as Census officials want. In 1990, the undercount for American Indian/Alaska Natives nationwide was more than 12%, while in 2010, that figure was 4.9%. At a 2018 hearing, U.S. Sen. Tom Udall of New Mexico told the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs that the federal government spends $3,000 per person in his state, meaning significant losses for tribes when reservation residents go uncounted. In Oregon, the state has pumped $7.7 million into education and outreach for the 2020 Census in hopes of securing those federal dollars. Suppah has found her role shifted from event catering to Census activities coordinator (from tacos to tallies, essentially). With the slate of originally scheduled Census activities canceled, shes shifted to more pandemic-friendly events. Those included drive-through Census events across the reservation. By her estimate, at least 180 people took part in those activities, out of the 3,330 residents who live on the reservation. This year Census questionnaires can be completed online, but that wont be a great help in Indian Country, Suppah said. When were expecting folks to be counted online, its really hard, she said. You have a lot of folks that dont use the internet or have access to the internet. Its not our strong suit. Services many Americans take for granted like wi-fi access, cell phone coverage, and computers are lacking heavily in Indian Country. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that just over half of reservation homes have computers connected to high-speed internet service. Coordinators were handed some jarring news early this month when bureau officials announced that an extended data collection and self-response deadline of Oct. 31 was being shifted to the end of September. Jeanette Duran Pacheco, media specialist for the Census Bureaus Los Angeles Regional Office, says the bureau is adding employees, training sessions, and awards to motivate enumerators who maximize hours worked. We will improve the speed of our count without sacrificing completeness, Duran Pacheco said. Some arent as upbeat. Moving the deadline sooner only continues to disenfranchise our communities from being counted, said William Miller, a Blackfoot and Cherokee Indian who works with the Oregon Complete Count Committee on Indian Affairs. These efforts will only continue to increase the risk of an undercount, which will require our communities having to wait until 2030 to be accurately accounted for. Enumerators trained in social distancing and equipped with personal protective equipment have been sent out to visit the homes of residents who havent self-reported. We must do everything within our power to successfully, meaningfully, and fruitfully engage our community to ensure a full count, Miller said. While Census workers race to beat the clock, several civil rights groups have filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump Administration, arguing that the truncated timeline violates the Constitutions Enumeration Clause, which requires an actual count of all persons living in the United States. Additionally, 20 U.S. Senators have signed a letter to the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Commerce, urging them to honor their original field data collection deadline of Oct. 31, to ensure an accurate count for Indian Country and the Native Hawaiian community. Failure to get a complete and accurate count of these community populations will have long term and devastating impacts, warns the letter. Besides Oregon Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris of California are also signed on. In Oregon, six out of nine federally recognized tribes have exceeded their response rates from the 2010 Census. Even in the midst of a pandemic, in states like the upper Northwest, the far majority of our tribes have already reached and/or surpassed their 2010 response rates, said Jessica Imotichey, Tribal Partnership Coordinator for the Los Angeles Region. So I feel thats very promising. But with less than a month to go, theres still a push to get as full of a count as possible, in spite of the hurdles of which COVID-19 is just a recent addition. Were one of the hardest to count communities in the United States, and a lot of that has been by design, said Se-ah-dom Edmo. Edmo is Shoshone-Bannock, Nez Perce and Yakama, and serves as tribal community coordinator for We Count Oregon. The statewide organization works to get improved representation of communities including Native Americans in the Census. Besides technical challenges, Native Americans are hard-pressed to trust the same federal government responsible for driving them off their ancestral lands, breaking hundreds of treaties, and eliminating their tribes status as sovereign entities through Congressional actions. Edmo points to the pandemic and Census work colliding as the most recent example of the U.S. government falling short of upholding treaty and trust responsibility. Indian Health Services has never been fully funded across Indian Country, she said. I think the fact that the Census is happening right in the middle of a pandemic only points to the enormous health disparities. Nonetheless, Edmo and her colleagues acknowledge getting tribal members to fill out the Census will be important. She knows well an old AIM (American Indian Movement) guy who hasnt trusted the government his whole life, she said. But for me, this is entering a conversation in the public sphere about representation, about public dollars, and about money and power. Of $675 billion in data-driven funding, the Census allocates $1 billion annually toward federally recognized tribes. These funds help develop housing, employment training, and infrastructure in communities that are largely rural. Debra Whitefoot, a member of the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, agrees about the trust issue. Shes supporting Census-taking efforts with tribal residents living in in lieu sites along the Columbia River. The federal government agreed to build 31 such sites after dams flooded traditional fishing areas. Many of the in-lieu sites, however, lack safe and sanitary conditions. Historically, the trust issue is that those arent designated tribal reservation areas, Whitefoot said. Thats why theyre hard to count, and thats why they fall through the cracks. Because its not a tribally designated area. Its a ceded land. While there have been efforts by Congress to improve living conditions at the in-lieu sites, Whitefoot says mistrust and apprehension are harder to fix. Ive already heard: Why should I be counted, because my government and tribe doesnt help me. And I say, thats exactly what were trying to change, she said. We have to let them know that were here, because its a silent population, its a population thats not seen. We all have kids. We all have grandchildren. We all have to look out for their future, and this is one way to do it. In the past two months, people like Miller, Whitefoot, and Suppah have helped circulate paper Census forms and information in the urban and reservation areas theyve targeted. Whitefoot said that during a food-box drop to some Native American communities along the Columbia River on May 20, she included packets of Census materials, frequently asked questions, and COVID-19 materials, including face masks. Duran Pacheco, the Census Bureau official, acknowledged there are barriers to conducting the count in Indian Country. But she said the bureau has taken steps to improve response rates this year. With its unique public health history and challenges, such as lack of running water, and remote villages, it has been a bit difficult, Duran Pacheco said. But we have our partners, and our tribal liaisons on the ground. Back at the Warm Springs reservation, Suppah tries to coordinate safe and efficient ways to complete the 2020 Census count. She said she has three census takers helping her, but theres still uncertainty as her people deal with the pandemic. Everything changes from day to day. Im always wondering whats going to happen, she said. The Warm Springs tribal government has had several shutdowns this year, and operations are currently at half capacity as of this writing. The tribe says more than 260 cases of COVID-19 have been reported, with seven fatalities. And on top of everything else, the tribe is dealing with several wildfires, and clean water issues. Until late August, most of the reservation was on a boil-water notice, and Suppahs family regularly went to the Bear Springs Campground to fill up six 5-gallon water jugs. So every day were strategizing on how can we do the Census? How can we help our community while were dealing with the pandemic and water? she said. Census data informs fund allocations to programs under the Fair Housing Act, the Public Health Act, and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, among others, that would help address some of those problems. Tribal leaders are banking on getting members counted as thoroughly as possible during the 2020 Census to ensure access to those coveted federal dollars. Brian Bull is a member of the Nez Perce Tribe and a reporter for KLCC in Eugene. Underscore.news is a nonprofit collaborative reporting team in Portland focused on investigative reporting and Indian Country coverage. We are supported by foundations, corporate sponsors and donor contributions. Follow Underscore.news on Facebook and Twitter. HANOVER TWP. An 87-year-old Lowell man died late Friday from injuries sustained in a three-vehicle wreck near U.S. 41 and 119th Avenue, authorities said. Ronald Joseforsky was driving a Kia Soul when his vehicle went left of center, striking a Mazda CX 3 head-on. The Kia rolled over and came to rest on its roof, Lake County Sheriff's Department spokesperson Pamela Jones said. A third, unspecified vehicle, driving behind the Mazda, was then struck by debris from the collision. The Lake County Coroner pronounced Joseforsky dead at the scene. The cause and manner of death are pending. An investigation is ongoing. Other assisting agencies included Lake County Sheriff's Department and Cedar Lake EMS. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 1 Sad 1 Angry 3 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The woman who was surrounded by Black Lives Matter protesters in a viral video has condemned their 'bullying' tactics and admitted that she 'felt fear', but insisted it has not affected her support for the movement. Lauren B. Victor, a 49-year-old urban planner, was aggressively heckled by marchers on August 24, while she was dining with a friend in the Adams Morgan district of Washington D.C. Footage, which showed the demonstrators yelling at Victor, quickly went viral. Victor was shouted at by white protesters outside a restaurant in DC. Footage, which showed the demonstrators yelling at Victor, quickly went viral Lauren B. Victor, a 49-year-old urban planner, was aggressively heckled by marchers on August 24 Writing in the Washington Post, Victor said it was 'never okay to coerce people's participation' and described the tactic as 'bullying'. She added that she did not see any protest signs when the group approached her table and it was unclear what they were demonstrating against. 'I asked who they were and why they were marching. No one would answer me. Why march and hold back your message?' she said. Victor, a MBA graduate of Columbia Business School, explained that it was the protesters' insistence that she participate in something she didn't understand that stopped her from raising her hand in solidarity. 'If you want my support, ask it of me freely. Thats what we do in a democracy,' she said. She admitted that the video looks 'scary' and she had felt 'fear' in that moment. However the experience has not affected her 'wholehearted' support for the Black Lives Matter movement and Victor has participated in marches since then. 'I have actively participated in protests since this event. I have experienced nothing coercive from my fellow protesters, nor toward bystanders,' she said. On the night of the incident, the crowd had come together to protest the shooting of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin. Protesters walked through Washington DC on August 24 to protest the shooting of Jacob Blake Blake was shot seven times in the back by officer Rusten Sheskey while trying to get into his car, where his three children were sat. Protesters gathered outside restaurants, alternately accusing diners of enjoying 'white privilege' and encouraging them to show support for their protest. As they moved into the Adams Morgan district, the unrest continued, with Victor's table outside a Mexican restaurant, Los Cuates, being singled out. White protesters were reportedly encouraged to go to the front, to challenge their fellow caucasians. 'White silence is violence!' protesters chanted, many with fists in the air. 'Are you a Christian?' a protester demanded, yelling into her face, before others demanded she raise her fist. Victor refused, even after her dining companion complied. She said she felt that it was wrong for hundreds of people to surround a small group of diners, approach them with their hands raised, and try to cow them into making a show of support. A large crowd of Black Lives Matter protesters accosted white diners outside several Washington, D.C. restaurants on August 24, demanding that they raise their fists to show solidarity with the movement Many on Twitter took issue with Black Lives Matter protesters accosting Victor. Others stated that it would turn people away from supporting the movement. 'You don't win supporters by screaming in people's faces and intimidating them. How many people have watched this video and been turned off? Is it about making a real change or just ego gratification? Another bluntly theorized: 'This gives Trump four more years.' There has been overwhelming public support for Black Lives Matter protests, which have been taking place across the country following the death of unarmed black man George Floyd on Memorial Day. However, there have been instances where some have questioned whether the movement's leaders have gone too far in trying to subordinate both supporters and passersby. Calling for a collaborative approach among stakeholders, Tata Motors MD and CEO Guenter Butschek on Saturday said there are new challenges for the automotive industry in the restart phase of the economy. "Now that we are in the restart phase, new challenges like growing virus cases and acute shortage of labour have come up. The end of the lockdown doesn''t necessarily mean that we are post-COVID, because it is still there, it can possibly create more intermittent disruptions," Butschek said. He was speaking at the 60th annual convention of the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA) in New Delhi on Saturday. Stating that COVID-19 has placed extraordinary, unprecedented demand on the industry, he stated that the pandemic hit the industry at a time when it was managing transition from the BS-IV fuel emission norms to BS-VI in a new fiscal while battling the extremely low activity and subdued demand in 2019-20. The impact has been nothing short than devastating, he added. He said that supply chain disruption has been a significant problem for the automakers globally in this crisis along with funding issues, a slump in demand, among others. "Collaboration in this new environment are equally important between sour suppliers and strategic partners and OEMs," he said, while emphasising the need for working together. Butschek said that the industry is seeing green shoots in the sub-sectors of industry in the last two months since the gradual opening of the economy. The Tata Motors chief said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Aatmanirbhar Bharat is aimed at taking India to the next level, repositioning India as a global hub by not only focussing and leveraging the Indian market but also going global. To achieve this, auto component makers being a key part of the whole automotive eco-system industry has a role to play, he said. "We must stretch beyond products and focus on building design. We need to make the design in India and then Make-in-India. With the frugal approach to production in India, we will have the opportunity to take on the global supply chain," Butschek said. "If we would like to become a global hub, we just can''t be the global hub for manufacturing leveraging the scale of market or labour cost," he said. Also read: Slowdown Blues: Tata Motors MD says Indian auto industry growth story about to collapse ALBANY Before Marian Milton's granddaughter returned to SUNY Oneonta in August for her sophomore year, she made sure to get a coronavirus test in consideration of her roommate. "Fortunately, she was negative," Milton said. A week into the fall semester, the campus went "on pause" after 100 students were found to be infected with the virus. On Thursday, after screening 3,000 students, officials with the college and the SUNY system announced that the tally of positive tests had risen to 389 and everyone would all be sent home for the remainder of the fall semester. Officials blamed the outbreak on student parties and other irresponsible behavior, but Milton has her doubts. "Why didn't SUNY Oneonta require every student to be tested before they could go through the gate?" she said. "I'm not an epidemiologist, but I question that 400 cases came about in the five or six days kids were on campus. I suspect that many youngsters came on grounds already unknowingly positive." The stunning outbreak at Oneonta and another that unfolded at University at Buffalo last week have exposed wide inconsistencies in mask enforcement, social distancing and testing protocols at New York colleges, including within the sprawling SUNY system. The chain of events at SUNY Oneonta contrasts sharply with how the return to class has unfolded on the nearly adjacent campus of Hartwick College, where students were required to get tested twice once right before and once after they arrive on campus and then every other week until in-person classes end. Despite its proximity to SUNY Oneonta students at both schools are allowed to cross-enroll in classes Hartwick saw a very different outcome: As of Friday, only five Hartwick students have tested positive. As a precaution, the college moved classes online for two weeks. We want to take every step that we can now to stop possible further spread of the virus," Hartwick President Margaret L. Drugovich wrote to students and employees. Oneonta's shutdown also contrasts with the experience of Binghamton University, the only SUNY campus that tested every residential student upon arrival as they came through the gate, to borrow Milton's phrase. Securing the tests was not easy. Months ago, school officials anticipating product scarcity placed multiple orders for more kits than they expected to need. David Hubeny, executive director for SUNY Binghamton's office of emergency management, called the aggressive procurement effort a calculated risk. Only one of those orders from a vendor the school had worked with for years came through, but it got them the tests they needed. Campus volunteers tested about 1,000 people per day for a week, and 28 came back positive. The infected students were then isolated in residence halls until they were cleared to resume normal activities. Theres been one positive test at the school since the Aug. 19-25 move-in week. Binghamton has also been testing wastewater on campus as an early warning sign for outbreaks, and is building up a random testing program. But despite numerous meetings and the establishment of task forces as well as guidance from the state Health Department, by early August few New York colleges and universities had the capacity to perform large-scale coronavirus testing. School officials are now discovering that "surveillance testing" ongoing randomized testing of the student body to detect outbreaks early may be the most effective way to prevent the asymptomatic spread of the highly contagious respiratory illness. A number of private colleges, including Skidmore in Saratoga Springs, have announced partnerships with the Broad Institute, a collaboration out of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University for COVID-19 testing, but the service didn't come cheap. Other partnerships fell through because of demand for COVID-19 tests in other hard-hit states. In the final days before classes began, the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences managed to secure an antigen-based screening device that could process tests within an hour for students and faculty on its own campus and at the College of Saint Rose, Albany Law School, Russell Sage College and Maria College. At those five schools, students were required to provide documentation of a negative test before arriving on campus. But each college purchased thousands of additional tests for students who show symptoms or think they have been exposed. Two students at the College of Pharmacy tested positive pre-arrival; only one has been diagnosed with COVID-19 on campus. Schools with extensive research facilities, including SUNY's University at Albany and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, have been able to develop in-house surveillance testing protocols. As more SUNY schools identified positive cases and saw students defying social distancing orders, newly appointed SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras began to tour campuses to investigate disease prevention practices and talk up a surveillance testing program designed by a team of experts at SUNY Upstate Medical University. On Friday, following questions from the Times Union, SUNY put out a press release announcing that the surveillance testing program would be made available to all students, faculty, and staff at 64 campuses across the state. Upstate Medical had the capacity to test each student every two weeks, according to SUNY officials. By installing regular surveillance testing of our on-campus population, we will be able to much better identify non-symptomatic carriers who otherwise may not have known to get tested," Malatras said in a statement. Over the summer, the United University Professions union pressed SUNY leaders to require students to be tested before they arrived on campus, but campuses were allowed broad autonomy in designing their own reopening plans. "I think what Malatras is trying to do is bring about consistency," UUP President Fred Kowal said Friday. "Some (campus reopening plans) went further than the minimal standards, but the real problem was the way those plans were rubber-stamped back in July without really studying what the implications would be and where the plans were weak." In response to the SUNY outbreaks, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced that colleges will be required to return to remote learning for at least two weeks if there were 100 COVID-19 cases or if 5 percent of that institutions population tests positive. The state's initial guidance for colleges and universities, released over the summer, offered baseline standards for social distancing and mask-wearing and recommended at minimum that students arriving from out of state be tested on arrival. But by the time the states guidance came out, many colleges and universities had already spent months planning for how to have students safely come back to school. As UUP's Kowal noted, many schools have gone well beyond the state requirements and research colleges have innovated new surveillance methods, from wastewater analysis to "pooled" saliva-based tests that can screen multiple students at once. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, for instance, will test every student upon arrival, require two weeks of quarantine for everyone, and then continue testing every undergraduate twice per week or after any time they leave campus. RPI's chemical and biological engineers established a lab to perform RT-qPCR testing, a relatively rapid COVID-19 test that produces results within 24 hours, according to Leslie Lawrence, the school's director of student health services. The university nicknamed its health and safety protocols after a mathematical equation: TSQ for testing, tracking, tracing, surveillance and quarantine. (Of course, because were a math and science school we have to have an exponent in our nickname for it, Lawrence said.) The school has done around 7,400 tests since Aug. 17 and anticipates conducting roughly 6,000 every week. Two RPI students have tested positive since the start of the semester, though one case was later determined to be a false result. We think we have a good chance of making it through November with a very rigorous set of protocols like this," Lawrence said. "I hate to say (we're) confident Im not going to say that out loud but I think we have as good of a chance as making it as any university thanks to our very, very robust plan." Researchers at UAlbany have been studying the disease since March. A collaboration between two campus entities the RNA Institute and the School of Public Health has engineered a surveillance testing system similar to the Upstate Medical program. Patrick Dodson All 18,000 students were required to submit a negative COVID-19 test before arrival. Faculty and students whether they live on- or off-campus will be tested at random at least three times each semester, according to RNA Institute Director Andy Berglund, who in March shifted resources previously focused on muscular dystrophy in order to study how COVID-19 has mutated in the region. The UAlbany test is self-administered: Students spit into three test tubes, wipe down the exterior of each with disinfectant, and place the tubes in a biohazard bag which can be turned in at 10 locations on the sprawling campus. According to Berglund, the institute has already screened 500 students with tests that can produce results within 24 hours. The test is modeled after an FDA-approved diagnostic tool, but can't by itself be used by the UAlbany lab for diagnosis. "It allows us to be a little more nimble," Berglund said. "It's a surveillance the first stage in detection. When those presumed positive pools come up, you can move quickly for isolation, diagnostics and quarantine." So far, the system seems to be working. Despite multiple reports of off-camp partying, which resulted in the recent suspensions of four students, the UAlbany campus has only seen one COVID-19 case since the start of the semester. "It is important to highlight that this incident demonstrates that the safety nets the university has constructed are working as designed: An individual self-reported potential exposure and the University acted swiftly to isolate the person and arrange testing," UAlbany COVID-19 Safety Officer Kevin C. Wilcox wrote to students at the time. Currently, there is no cost-effective way to routinely test an entire student body. Making matter worse, virtually every school is reeling financially in the wake of March's closures, which in most cases meant the loss of income from room and board. At private colleges in New York, the lost revenue added up to more than $1 billion, according to figures the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities. But private schools have made the investment in testing while experimenting with screenings like pool testing and wastewater monitoring that are less intrusive than the nasal swab, according to CICU spokeswoman Emily Morgese. "Bringing students back to college campuses is really difficult and fraught, but its also an opportunity, because there are a lot of innovative people who have the capacity to come up with different solutions," Morgese said. "If there is a silver lining, our colleges have been able to be really creative in how we respond." Berglund, the RNA Institute director, also sees an upside amid the crisis. "One thing that would at least for me be fascinating ... is to know how many asymptomatic people are walking around," he said. "I think that's neat, to understand the virus and how it spreads." Smoking may alter genes in a way that creates more cellular entry points for coronavirus, new research suggests. Australian scientists found that smoking just three cigarettes can trigger a flurry of increased activity in the part of the genome that codes for a protein known as ACE2. The protein lies on the surface of many different types of cells in the human body, including in the nose, lungs and blood vessels. ACE2 is like the 'lock' to coronavirus's key - the spike protein - allowing the virus to enter and hijack a cell. Scientists also found evidence that even secondhand smoke can have a similar effect on ACE2 cells in children as young as one. It comes after an August study found that vapers are five times more likely to test positive for coronavirus, compared to those who don't use e-cigarettes. Smoking, vaping and secondhand smoke can all have damaging effects upon the lungs and broader respiratory system, so it stands to reason that they might increase COVID-19 risks - but scientists are still largely unsure of how, or why. A pre-print of an Australian study suggests that cigarette smoke may trigger an uptick in proteins on human cell surfaces that act like doorways for coronavirus. Nicotine in e-cigs may well have the same effect, and one study found young vapers are at five-fold greater risk for COVID-19 (file) The body of evidence pointing toward the inhaled substances' effects on ACE2 genes is growing. In adult lungs, just three cigarettes can increase the activity of genes with the information for building ACE2, according to an international research team led by Alen Faiz of Australia's University of Technology Sydney. Faiz told Reuters that ACE2 levels were lower in people who had stopped smoking for more than a month. 'Our preliminary data suggest that second-hand smoke exposure of 1-year-old children...increased ACE2 expression in their airways,' he said. His team also found higher levels of the ACE2 genes in the nose compared to the lung airways, indicating the nose may be more easily infected. But while it is known that the coronavirus uses ACE2 to break into cells, there is as yet no proven link between higher expression of the genes and the severity of COVID-19 infection, Faiz said. The study report, posted on Wednesday as a preprint on medRxiv, has yet to be certified by peer review. As of yet, there is good evidence that nicotine increases ACE2 expression, and good evidence that more ACE2 receptors mean more entry points for coronavirus, but little that concretely demonstrates both phenomena in action. Nicotine, the active, addictive, stimulant ingredient in both cigarettes and many e-cigs, is well known to stimulate the expression of these ACE2, which may mean vapers are at greater risk, too, despite controversial (And now largely dismissed) studies that suggested nicotine might have a protective effect against COVID-19. The August research suggested that teenagers who vape are five times more likely to catch Covid-19, according to new research. And the risk soars almost seven-fold if they also use conventional cigarettes. Both forms of smoking weaken the lungs, warn scientists. The study is the first to look at the link between the devices and coronavirus cases in young people using population-based data collected during the pandemic. Oddly, the researchers did not find a link between teens who smoke only combustible cigarettes and higher rates of positive COVID-19 tests. Although research on cigarettes and smoking has turned up some curious results - such as an Italian study that smokers accounted for a lower proportion of hospitalized coronavirus patients they do of the general population. The scientists behind the new study, from Stanford University, think that among the teens they studied, it may simply bet that so few use only cigarettes, and majority who smoke also vape. Regardless, the study suggests these youth are more at-risk for coronavirus than they might think. 'They may believe their age protects them or they will not experience symptoms but the data show this isn't true among those who vape' said lead author Dr Shivani Mathur Gaih. 'This study tells us pretty clearly youths using vapes or are using e-cigarettes and cigarettes are at elevated risk. And it's not just a small increase - it's a big one.' The findings are based on online surveys of 4,351 participants across the US. Around half of the 13 to 24 year-olds had used e-cigs. 'Teens and young adults need to know if you use e-cigarettes, you are likely at immediate risk of Covid-19 because you are damaging your lungs,' said senior author and pediatrician, Dr Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, said. Vapers tested for the virus were five times more likely to be diagnosed than peers who had never consumed any nicotine products, she said. Those who had used e-cigs and conventional cigarettes in the previous 30 days were 6.8 times more prone. They were also almost five times as likely to experience symptoms of Covid-19 - such as coughing, fever, tiredness and difficulty breathing. This may explain why they were also more likely to be tested. In May - when the study was carried out - many regions limited it to people with symptoms. Depending on which nicotine products they used and how recently young people who vaped or smoked were 2.6 to nine times more likely to receive Covid-19 tests. The team at Stanford University, California, hope the results will alert teenagers and young adults about the dangers of e-cigs. They also called on the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to further tighten regulations governing how vaping products are sold to young people. 'Now is the time. We need the FDA to hurry up and regulate these products,' Dr Halpern-Fisher added. 'And we need to tell everyone: 'If you are a vaper, you are putting yourself at risk for Covid-19 and other lung disease.' The results stood after other factors were taken into account including age, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, mother's level of education and BMI (body mass index). And rates of positive tests remained higher among teenage vapers after the researchers took into account readily they complied with stay-at-home orders, social distancing and other restrictions to stem the spread, so higher rates of infection were unlikely a reflection of risky behavior in general. They were also adjusted for rates of Covid-19 diagnosis where individuals were residing - and state and regional trends in e-cig use. Young adults and teens who smoked only cigarettes and did not vape were not more likely than non-users to test positive, but the researchers say this may be because so few teens now use only combustible cigarettes, with most who do also using e-cigs The study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health backed previous research suggesting being poor or from a minority ethnic group increased the risk. It did not identify a connection between a Covid-19 diagnosis and smoking conventional cigarettes alone. This may be due to the prevalent pattern of using both e-cigs and traditional cigarettes. Other research has shown nearly all nicotine-using young people vape - and some also smoke cigarettes. But very few use cigarettes only, explained Dr Halpern-Felsher. E-cigs are promoted as helping smokers to quit. Traditional smoking has fallen by around eleven percent in the UK and US over the past two decades. But vaping has more than tripled in teenagers during the last two years - with most preferring flavours such as strawberry, bubblegum and chocolate. E-cigs turn a liquid into vapour to be inhaled. An estimated one-in-seven 11 to 18 year-olds in the UK have used them, as do some five million American teens. So far, e-cigs do not seem to contain the same kinds of carcinogens that combustible cigarettes do. But previous research has suggested the chemicals can damage the heart and lungs - both of which are particular targets of coronavirus, too. Advertisement Britain has confirmed 1,813 new coronavirus infections - 596 more than last Saturday's total - with 124 new hospitalisations and 69 on ventilator beds. Twelve people died from coronavirus in the UK within 28 days of a positive test today, bringing the country's total number of deaths to 41,549. Meanwhile, two-thirds of new coronavirus infections in the UK are in the under-40s, while the rate among older people has fallen sharply in an 'extraordinary' shift that has left researchers hoping to avoid a second wave. Separate figures published by the UK's statistics agencies show there have now been 57,300 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate. Public Health Wales said the total number of cases in the country increased by 77, bringing the number of confirmed cases to 18,283. One person in Wales died of Covid-19, according to figures released today. Eleven people who tested positive for coronavirus in the last 28 days died in hospital in England, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals to 29,604, NHS England said on Saturday. The patients were aged between 56 and 94, all had known underlying health conditions and the dates of the deaths ranged from August 31 to September 4, with the majority on or after September 3. There were 141 new cases reported in Scotland, but no deaths, and there have been a further 118 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Northern Ireland today, according to the Department of Health, but no deaths. While the department's statistical dashboard provides updates on the number of positive test results over the weekend, it does not relay up-to-date information on coronavirus fatalities on. The latest death toll reported by the department on Friday stood at 564. There have been 344,164 positive tests for coronavirus in the UK since the pandemic began in March. In other coronavirus developments today: Several officers policing this weeks climate change protests have been pulled off duty due to a flare-up of coronavirus among their ranks ; School attendance rates have been well above 90 per cent across England this week, a Daily Mail audit has found, in a much-needed boost to the Government; Father who was pepper-sprayed by police after refusing to wear a mask on train claims he is exempt from the rules because he suffers from panic attacks; More than half of Britain's working adults say they have travelled to the office in the past week, according to a new survey, as employees begin to make their way back to their desks; Hopes for normality grow as Covid shifts to the young: Two-thirds of new UK infections are in under-40s while rate in older people falls - raising hopes deaths will remain low without lockdowns. Yesterday Britain confirmed another 1,940 cases of coronavirus in the biggest surge for more than three months, with May 30 the last time so many people were diagnosed with the virus. There are 1,530 people testing positive, on average, each day - a jump of 30 per cent in one week. The seven-day rolling average has been steadily increasing since reaching record-low numbers in mid-July. Despite this, scientists say the soaring number of tests and still-falling hospitalisations show that a second wave is not incoming, and that a better testing system is simply picking up more young people who only get mildly ill and weren't getting tested before. The number of over-50s testing positive for Covid-19 now represents just a fifth of those nationwide, compared with three quarters in the spring. Just three per cent are now made up of those over 80, down from 28 per cent six months ago, reported The Times. The peak age range for infections is now in the 20s but for most of the pandemic it was in the 80s - sparking hope further restrictions can be reduced because it seems older people are voluntarily shielding. THERE IS NO SIGN OF A SECOND WAVE OF COVID-19 IN THE UK, SAY SCIENTISTS Britain is not entering a second wave of coronavirus infections and the young, mildly-affected people being diagnosed in rising case numbers are not likely to trigger a rise in hospitalisations, experts say. Health Secretary Matt Hancock this week warned that the UK 'must do everything in our power' to stop a second surge of people going into hospital with the coronavirus, which he said was starting to happen in Europe. But experts told MailOnline Mr Hancock's comments were 'alarmist' and that there is currently 'no sign' of a second wave coming over the horizon. The data shows hospital cases are also not rising by much in Europe, contrary to the Health Secretary's claim. As of Monday there were only 764 people in hospital with Covid-19 in the UK, just 60 of whom are in intensive care. This is a sharp drop from a peak of 19,872 hospitalised patients on April 12. The falling number of hospital cases comes despite infections having been on the rise since lockdown restrictions were lifted at the start of July. Experts say this is because the groups getting infected and diagnosed now are completely different to those at the start of the pandemic. Scientists say it is younger people driving up infections and they are less likely to get seriously ill and end up in hospital. For that reason, hospital cases and deaths will not necessarily follow higher cases, and there may not be a deadly wave like the first. Professor Carl Heneghan, a medicine expert at the University of Oxford, said: 'There is currently no second wave. What we are seeing is a sharp rise in the number of healthy people who are carrying the virus, but exhibiting no symptoms. Almost all of them are young. They are being spotted because finally a comprehensive system of national test and trace is in place.' Mr Hancock said in the Commons on Tuesday that he feared this rise in infections in healthy people would creep into vulnerable groups if allowed to continue, saying it was a pattern seen in the US where cases are out of control again. But scientists have shot down Mr Hancock's doomsayer comments, pointing out that deaths have not risen in France or Spain, and the reason hospital admissions have not risen in the UK with diagnosed cases 'simply reflects increased testing'. Official data from the continent shows Europe's hospitals are not filling up with coronavirus patients despite a surge in positive tests - hospitalisations have been falling in France, Spain and Germany while cases have risen. Open University statistician Professor Kevin McConway told MailOnline: 'An important point is that numbers of Covid deaths in France have shown very little evidence of a rise recently. There has been something of a rise in deaths Spain, but not very marked at all.' Statisticians say expansion of testing capacity means infections are being found more easily than at the start of the pandemic. In the UK alone, the number of tests being carried out has increased by 20 per cent from the start of July to now. But the number of positive results has gone up by only 0.3 per cent in the same period, suggesting new cases are a combination of more tests, and only a slight rise in infections in hotspots. Advertisement One Government adviser has suggested a Swedish-style effort to keep workplaces open while advising older people to stay at home. Mark Woolhouse of the University of Edinburgh, who sits on the government's SPI-M modelling group, said 'the epidemic is starting to divide' people by age. Ministers have spoken out against plans to ask people to shield based on their age and are worried if infections are allowed to rise in the young it will eventually spread to more vulnerable members of society. Especially after France reported a rise in hospital admissions just weeks after cases in young people increased. Last week 2,042 cases were confirmed in people in their twenties, more than ten times the number among over-80s. Professor Dame Anne Johnson, professor of infectious disease epidemiology, University College London, told BBC Radio 4: 'This is indeed a critical moment. If you look at the data from PHE across the country, we are now seeing the highest number of detected infections in younger people aged 20-29 and also going up to 45. 'On the one hand, the good news is we aren't at the moment seeing the uptick in cases in hospitals and in deaths but of course that reflects where the transmission is going on.' She added that it would be 'incredibly important' to continue to tell young people about the risks of transmitting coronavirus. Cases started rising in younger people from July, when the hospitality sector was allowed to open up. The number of positive Covid-19 tests are lower in all ages than in the Spring, but the number of elderly people with the disease has fallen. Professor Carl Heneghan, a medicine expert at the University of Oxford, said this week: 'What we are seeing is a sharp rise in the number of healthy people who are carrying the virus, but exhibiting no symptoms... They are being spotted because finally a comprehensive system of national test and trace is in place.' The number of tests being carried out has increased by 20 per cent from the start of July to now. But the number of positive results has only crept up by only 0.3 per cent in the same period, suggesting new cases are a combination of more tests, and only a slight rise in infections in hotspots. It comes as Government scientists warned the Covid-19 reproduction rate was still likely above one across the UK, meaning that the virus is not totally under control and local outbreaks have the potential to spill into larger ones. The R - the average number of people each virus patient infects - needs to stay below one or the outbreak could start to grow exponentially. But SAGE estimates it is still hovering between 0.9 and 1.1, having remained unchanged from last week. However, the UK's low infection rate means small outbreaks can skew the estimate upwards. SAGE also predicts that Britain's outbreak is now growing by up to two per cent per day, after being in retreat for months following lockdown. But other official data published yesterday from swabbing thousands of random people across England suggests the number of people catching the coronavirus each day is at a steady level, and has been since July. Some 27,100 people in England are thought to be infected at any one time - 0.05 per cent of the population or one in every 2,000 people - according to the Office for National Statistics, which said: 'Evidence suggests that the incidence rate for England remains unchanged.' The 1,940 cases diagnosed yesterday was the highest since Saturday, May 30, when 2,445 people tested positive for the disease. But it was nowhere near the rates seen at the height of the pandemic, when more than 5,000 were diagnosed every day. The figure given by the Department of Health each day is in relation to the number of people who have been given a positive test result. Most scientists say the rise in recent weeks is not a concern because it is the result of more testing in hotspots. They say the rising figures are simply the result of young, healthy people being picked up on official figures. Previously, they were being missed because tests were reserved for the sickest people. This graph shows the number of new coronavirus infections by age group over the last two weeks. The number of younger people becoming ill is rising Confirmed coronavirus cases in England by age and gender. Figures show the change in age groups affected by the disease. Left, since start of the pandemic. Right, last two weeks Statisticians at ONS said: 'Evidence suggests that the incidence rate for England remains unchanged.' King's College London researchers, who run an app through which almost four million people report symptoms and test results, also estimate there are 2,000 new cases per day across the whole of the UK. Despite infections being on the rise since lockdown restrictions were lifted at the start of July, experts are sure it is not the sign a second wave. And on top of that, the first 'wave' is not considered to be over, and is likely to see bumps as the coronavirus fizzles out in response to easing of lockdown restrictions. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said efforts to control the coronavirus were working. But nevertheless, he added: 'I would urge everybody to continue to be vigilant - wash your hands, wear a face covering and keep social distance from those outside your household - so we can keep the virus at bay.' The Office for National Statistics further suggests the UK's coronavirus outbreak has remained stable. It estimates how many people are catching the coronavirus each day, including those with symptoms, who would show up in cases data, and those without. Yesterday's report said the number of people catching coronavirus in England remains stable at 2,000 per day - down 200 from last Friday, when the prediction sat at 2,200. Some 27,100 people in England are thought to be infected at any one time - 0.05 per cent of the population or one in every 2,000 people. This total is a decrease of four per cent from the 28,200 estimate last week. Government figures show around 20,000 were in hospital every day during the darkest days of the crisis in April Around 3,000 people a day were admitted to hospital with Covid-19 at the peak of the crisis in April, according to government statistics. The correct figure is not yet known Ministers have spoken out against plans to ask people to shield based on their age and are worried if infections are allowed to rise in the young it will eventually spread to more vulnerable members of society. Pictured, women on a night out in Soho on August 29 HOW HAS THE R RATE CHANGED IN THE UK? AREA ENGLAND UK --- EAST LONDON MIDLANDS NORTH EAST NORTH WEST SOUTH EAST SOUTH WEST THIS WEEK 0.9 - 1.0 0.9 - 1.1 --- 0.8 - 1.0 0.9 - 1.1 0.8 - 1.0 0.8 - 1.0 0.8 - 1.0 0.8 - 1.0 0.8 - 1.1 LAST WEEK 0.9 - 1.1 0.9 - 1.1 --- 0.8 - 1.0 0.9 - 1.1 0.8 - 1.1 0.8 - 1.0 0.9 - 1.1 0.9 - 1.1 0.9 - 1.1 Advertisement HOW HAS THE GROWTH RATE CHANGED? AREA ENGLAND UK --- EAST LONDON MIDLANDS NORTH EAST NORTH WEST SOUTH EAST SOUTH WEST THIS WEEK -2% to +1% -1% to +2% --- -5% to 0% -3% to +2% -6% to 0% -3% to 0% -3% to 0% -4% to +1% -4% to +1% LAST WEEK -2% to +1% -2% to +1% --- -3% to 0% -2% to +1% -3% to +1% -3% to +1% -3% to +1% -2% to +1% -2% to +2% Advertisement Office for National Statistics data: There are now an estimated 2,000 new cases each day, on average Instead, they say the climbing figures are being caused by completely different groups of people getting infected compared to those at the start of the pandemic. Younger people are driving up infections and they are less likely to get seriously ill and end up in hospital. For that reason, hospital cases and deaths will not necessarily follow higher cases, and there may not be a deadly wave like the first. Matt Hancock this week admitted that he feared the rise in infections in healthy people would creep into vulnerable groups if allowed to continue, saying it was a pattern seen in the US where cases are out of control again. But scientists have shot down Mr Hancock's doomsayer comments, pointing out that deaths have not risen in France or Spain, and the reason hospital admissions have not risen in the UK with diagnosed cases 'simply reflects increased testing'. Official data from the continent shows Europe's hospitals are not filling up with coronavirus patients despite a surge in positive tests - hospitalisations have been falling in France, Spain and Germany while cases have risen. Open University statistician Professor Kevin McConway told MailOnline: 'An important point is that numbers of Covid deaths in France have shown very little evidence of a rise recently. There has been something of a rise in deaths Spain, but not very marked at all.' King's College London researchers also estimate there are 2,000 new cases per day across the whole of the UK. But this is a surge of 53 per cent on their estimate given the week prior - 1,300 King's College London estimate there are 2,000 new cases per day across the whole of the UK, which is 53 per cent higher than their estimate last week Meanwhile, Government experts said they think the UK's growth rate - how the number of new cases is changing day-by-day - is between -1 per cent and +2 per cent. Like the R rate, the growth rate is a tool to keep track of the virus. If it is greater than zero, and therefore positive, then the disease will grow, and if the growth rate is less than zero, then the disease will shrink. The value is shown as a range. Because it is +2%, it suggests that a small increasing rate of cases is slightly more likely than a slow fall. Last week's growth rate interval was from -2% to +1% per day, so the interval has moved up by a small amount in the direction of increasing cases, rather than decreasing. But the estimates have a high degree of uncertainty. In a repeat of last week's statistics, SAGE confirmed that every region of the UK could have an R rate at or above 1. The Government's scientists said it had for weeks 'been seeing indications that these values are increasing'. The SAGE report published yesterday showed that for England alone, the R had come down slightly, from 0.9 and 1.1 last week to 0.9 and 1.0 this week. This was helped by the fact four regions in England saw their R shrink slightly - the Midlands, North West, South East and South West. But SAGE warned that when transmission is as low as it currently is in the UK - a 1,000 people are being diagnosed every day - the R and growth rate are more volatile. This means it can be skewed upwards by local clusters of infections. The Office for National Statistics also report a steady 2,000 per day figure. It said: 'Evidence suggests that the incidence rate for England remains unchanged' The positivity rate of coronavirus tests in the UK has remained flat since June, showing that the proportion of people testing positive is not changing drastically - this suggests the rising number of cases is linked to the rising number of tests And because of a lag in the time it takes for patients to fall ill with Covid-19 and appear in the statistics, SAGE says its data is still about three weeks behind and does not accurately reflect the current trajectory of the outbreak, therefore 'are insufficiently robust to inform policy decisions alone'. Commenting on the ONS infection survey and SAGE reports, Kevin McConway, an emeritus professor of Applied Statistics, The Open University, said: 'My interpretation is that both of them indicate that the rate of new infections is approximately stable at the national level. It might be increasing slowly, or it could even be falling slowly. There is inevitable statistical uncertainty in these estimates. 'We just cant be sure of the direction of change, if indeed there is a clear overall direction. 'Unlike many of the other sources of information on new cases, the ONS infection survey estimates arent affected by changes in the numbers of tests done as a result of people having symptoms.' Yesterday, Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon warned that reproduction rate of north of the border was 'probably above one' and could be as high as 1.4 after spikes in Aberdeen and Glasgow. Nicola Sturgeon said: 'I said recently that the R number is of slightly less concern when overall prevalence of the virus is low, and overall prevalence of the virus is still low in Scotland right now. 'But nevertheless this is a reminder that the virus is spreading again here, just as it is elsewhere in the UK, across Europe and indeed in the wider world'. The devolved nations do their own R rate predictions and they are not routinely published. Maharashtra may breach the mark of 26,000 deaths due to Covid-19 on Saturday. The states death count reached 25,964 on Friday, according to data released by state health department. Of the 378 deaths in the past few days, reported on Friday, as many as 248 were reported in the last 48 hours. Also read: How India reached the grim figure of 4 million Covid-19 cases Public health expert Sanjay Pattiwar said delay in treatment is the major reason for such a high toll. People are either not testing after showing symptoms or even if they test positive, they are not getting admitted (for treatment) in time, he said. Apart from Mumbai, said Pattiwar, most areas lack adequate infrastructure to cater to these patients, resulting in such a high toll in the state. The highest single-day toll in the state was 422 on August 18. The state government ,in order to curb the incidence of Covid-19 deaths, has decided to start house-to-house survey, My Family, My Responsibility, beginning September 15. It aims to identify every citizen for Influenza-Like Illness (ILI), Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) and citizens with co-morbidities. Since the government launched its Mission Begin Again, to ease the lockdown, the number of cases have been increasing. There were 19,218 cases reported on Friday and number of cases has now reached 210,978 active cases in the state. Friday was also the third consecutive day when the state witnessed a high number of cases. This has resulted in 70,521 new Covid-19 cases in just four days. Till now 863,062 have tested positive for Covid-19 in the state. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Naresh Kamath Naresh is a Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times, Mumbai, since 2005. He covers the real estate sector, in addition to doing political reportage. ...view detail One of Englands great literary museums, facing closure on the back of the coronavirus crisis, has been given a lifeline by the family of one of the countrys great poets. The Bronte Parsonage Museum in Haworth, West Yorkshire, is attempting to raise 100,000 following a collapse in visitor numbers caused by the Covid-19 lockdown and subsequent social-distancing rules. Now, it has received a 20,000 gift from the estate of TS Eliot. The donation should allow the centre which celebrates the life of sisters Charlotte, Anne and Emily Bronte to secure its immediate future while continuing to generate funds. The gift is understood to have been made possible due to the success of the musical Cats, which is based on Eliots book Old Possums Book of Practical Cats. Clare Reihill, trustee of the poets estate, said: It seems to me crucial we help other literary bodies should they run into trouble. We have to secure our literary past and the Bronte sisters contribution to our literary culture cannot be overstated. The parsonage, which was the family home of the trio, usually welcomes more than 70,000 visitors every year. But, following lockdown, it is unable to cater for anything like those numbers under new social-distancing guidelines because of, what bosses call, the intimate nature of the property. The Bronte Society has now notified staff it will enter a period of consultation, which may lead to redundancies at the 92-year-old museum. A crowdfunding appeal had already been launched with an online festival, Bronte2020, generating 6,000 just this week. Rebecca Yorke, a spokesperson for the society, said the Eliot donation was very generous. She said: It was totally unexpected and has given our fundraising a huge boost, we are extremely grateful and touched by their support. Eliot, who was born in the US but became a British citizen, is one of the giants of 20th century poetry and won the Nobel Prize in literature in 1948. His works include The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock and The Hollow Men. Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall are among the classics written by the Bronte sisters. 'Fatima' filmmaker hopes to inspire people to believe miracles can still happen Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The new film Fatima, now available in theaters and on-demand, tells the story about the power of faith in times of global turmoil. The film is based on the popular account of the "Three Secrets of Fatima," which came from the true story of three young Portuguese shepherds, Lucia Santos and her cousins, Jacinta and Francisco Marto. The children, who grew up in the Catholic faith, witnessed a series of apocalyptic visions and prophecies which they say were given to them by Mary, mother of Jesus, starting on May 13, 1917. The trio claimed to have been visited a total of six times between May and October 1917. Fatima the film follows 10-year-old Lucia and her two young cousins in Fatima, Portugal, as they try to reconcile their visitations and convince their family and the church that what they are experiencing is true. Their revelations inspire believers but anger officials of both the Church and the secular government, who try to force them to recant their story. As word of their prophecy spreads, tens of thousands of religious pilgrims flock to the site in hopes of witnessing a miracle. What they experience will change their lives forever, the movie synopsis reads. The cast features Stephanie Gil (Terminator: Dark Fate), Lucia Moniz (Love, Actually), Joaquim de Almeida (Queen of the South), Goran Visnjic, Sonia Braga and Harvey Keitel (The Irishman). Rose Ganguzza, the producer of the inspiring film, spoke with The Christian Post and shared why audiences will be impacted by this miraculous account. Christian Post: What inspired making this account into a movie? Ganguzza: Like anyone who went to Catholic schools, the story of Fatima was always fascinating. We always heard about the three secrets and all the theories on whether the third secret was ever fully revealed. As the years went by, I kept wondering what those children saw and how three youngsters in the middle of nowhere during World War I could have possibly made up these visions and what was told to them. It was a type of magic realism. My whole life I have always been fascinated by the imagination of children, but also by their ability to cross the line beyond the borders of reality as we understand it. CP: What made you personally want to be a part of this project? Ganguzza: As a producer, I love telling stories which involve children, and with this story, I wanted it to be told in a different way than before ... from the point of view of the children and within the context of what they were experiencing in their small village during a world at war and on the eve of an unprecedented pandemic. CP: How are you hoping "Fatima" impacts viewers? Ganguzza: We had to pull back from our original release date because of COVID and now we have released this film at a time when the world is similarly upside down. I think right now, so many people are angry, not just because of the pandemic, but because our lives have become disrupted. I would love for viewers to come out of this film with a sense of peace and that miracles can and do happen. CP: Why should the Christian community outside of the Catholic community view this film? Ganguzza: This film is a historical recounting. The fact that in October of 1917, on the sixth and final apparition, there were 70,000 people in that grotto from far and wide and the miracle was witnessed and the word was spread, is pretty incredible at a time when there was no social media or nightly news. We created a character who meets with Lucia when she is old and in a cloister in Portugal. The character is a professor writing a book in which he questions seers and they distort what they claim to see. The professor is played by Harvey Keitel and he asks all the questions that a non-Catholic viewer would ask. CP: During the filming of "Fatima," were there any supernatural occurrences? Ganguzza: We were in Portugal filming for five months and shot all over the country because Fatima today is a huge tourist attraction. We witnessed the large gatherings of people in Fatima and their pleas for cures and miracles. The child actors were the most affected by the story of the three shepherd children. We did not have supernatural occurrences, but there was a definite change in all of us involved in a stronger belief that the supernatural does exist. CP: Is there anything else youd like to add? Ganguzza: For me, this is a film unlike any I have ever made. I have mostly dealt with secular stories, but I do love films that surprise and are different from everything else that is out there. We did not get much love when we first tried to raise the funding and get support for this movie; there was no one raising their hand to help. We did this in a very unconventional way, but it gave us the freedom to tell the story in a compelling way that now is surprising everyone who sees the film. Mumbai: Durga Jasraj, daughter of legendary classical vocalist Pandit Jasraj, has thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his moving letter of condolence for her father, who passed away last month. Taking to her unverified Twitter account on Friday, Durga shared the letter dated August 31. It spoke highly of the vocalist and said: "His talent and knowledge will remain forever with us, in our memories and in his students." In response, Durga wrote: "Respected Shri Narendra Modi ji, Thank you so much for your thoughtful letter of condolence. Respected Shri Narendra Modi ji, Thank you so much for your thoughtful letter of condolence. Indeed a colossal loss for the world of Indian Classical Music and all of us... Your loving words of appreciation for Bapu ji and his divine music have come at a time pic.twitter.com/gs4DvHs4Rn Durga Jasraj (@durgajasraj) September 4, 2020 "Indeed a colossal loss for the world of Indian Classical Music and all of us... "Your loving words of appreciation for Bapu ji and his divine music have come at a time which has given us the family, students and his admirers the strength to remain positive and strong... "Bapu ji's love and admiration for you is eternal...Seek your blessings in taking his rich legacy forward... Deeply grateful for this...Jai Ho #panditjasraj #PtJasraj." Pandit Jasraj passed away on August 17 in the US at the age of 90. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, September 5, 2020 16:54 502 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c42e86df 1 News Lion-Air,lion-air-group,East-Kalimantan,Balikpapan,Berau,travel,rapid-testing Free Low-cost carrier Lion Air announced the opening of a new route connecting Berau regency to Balikpapan in East Kalimantan. The inaugural flight will take off from Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Sepinggan International Airport in Balikpapan on Sept. 9 at 8:20 a.m. and arrive in Berau at 9:20 a.m. The return flight on the same day will leave Berau at 10 a.m. and land in Balikpapan at 11 a.m. The flight will operate once daily with a Boeing 737-800NG offering 189 economy class seats. The airline stated that its entire fleet was equipped with High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters to remove viruses from the air. The planes are also routinely cleaned and sterilized. Lion Air Group resumed its domestic flights on June 10 with health protocols in place after a temporary flight suspension. On Aug. 21, Lion Air reopened its Bandung-Balikpapan route. In a statement, Lion Air said it would continue to implement health protocols in its operations. Cooperating with the local health facilities, the airline is offering rapid COVID-19 testing in Balikpapan for its passengers. The service will provide test results that are valid for 14 days. The facilities are Juanson Clinic on Jl. Letkol Pol. H.M. Asnawi Arbain Ruko Bintang Rubiz No. 18-19, South Balikpapan, and Alinka Health Care (Panacea Clinic) on Jl. MT. Haryono, Blok AB 2 No. 18-20, Mal Fantasi Complex, South Balikpapan. Juanson Clinic is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, while Panacea Clinic is open from Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. In late June, it was announced that airlines under the Lion Air Group, namely Lion Air, Wings Air and Batik Air, were offering rapid COVID-19 testing for passengers, with prices starting from Rp 95,000 (US$6.62). The first phase of the test is conducted daily in four locations in Jakarta and Tangerang, Banten. (wng) CLEVELAND, Ohio A Westlake financial adviser and two associates face federal criminal charges that accuse them of stealing nearly $10 million from clients in an investment scheme that used office fronts and call centers to hide the fraud, authorities say. Raymond Erker, as well as Kevin Krantz and Tara Brunst, are charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and other criminal counts, according to an indictment unsealed this week in U.S. District Court in Cleveland. Attorneys for the three were not listed in court records Friday. Attempts to reach the three were unsuccessful. The indictment said Erker formed several businesses, including Sageguard LLC, GenSource Assurance Co. and Provident Securities Co. Krantz and Brunst worked with Erker, and each had an interest in a company that Erker owned, according to the indictment. The charges alleged that Erker, Krantz and Brunst sold investments to 54 people for GenSource and Provident, obtaining more than $9.3 million in the scheme. The scheme began in about 2013 and lasted until July 2018, the indictment said. The three told investors that they were buying annuities and secured notes from GenSource and Provident with no exposure to risk of loss and with guaranteed rates of return, the indictment said. Neither company was authorized to issue annuities, and the notes from Provident were not secured, according to the charges. The indictment said investor money was misappropriated or placed in high-risk start-up companies. The three ran the investments as a Ponzi scheme, which means they used new investors money to pay off misappropriated money taken from early investors, according to the indictment. For instance, the indictment cited an example that happened Feb. 11, 2015 when a client invested $152,149 in GenSource. Two days later, $120,000 from that investor was sent to a previous investor, according to the charges. The indictment said the three set up office fronts in Delaware and Nevada and contracted with call centers to make the operation appear legitimate. They also created false brochures. The indictment alleged the three made misrepresentations to investors in office visits, phone calls and emails. Erker also is charged with money laundering and making false statements. In court records, investors said they were promised returns of as much as 7 percent. Investors, some of whom were retirees, lost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Attempts to reach several of the victims late Friday afternoon were unsuccessful. In August 2018, the Ohio Department of Commerce stopped Erker from working as an investment adviser. That same month, Erker was convicted of burglary, stalking and telephone harassment in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. Judge Nancy McDonnell sentenced him to probation for two years. The MS-13 gang, a reference to its Spanish name Mara Salvatrucha, has footholds across Central America, Mexico and the United States, where it is linked to human trafficking, drug networks and targeted killings. In June, U.S. authorities arrested and charged more than two dozen alleged MS-13 leaders and members, including one suspected gang boss facing terrorism charges. Sant Kumar Sahni, 54, born with a partial visual impairment, has been a torchbearer of literacy in Begusarai for two decades. In recognition of the meritorious service towards the field of education, Sahni and Akhileshwar Pathak of Saran district will by conferred upon the National Teachers Award on September 5. Sahni, principal of Upgraded Middle School at Kharmauli village in Begusarai had joined the school in 2004 as a teacher. Back then, our school had four rooms and 123 students. Now, our school has 30 rooms along with smart class facility to teach altogether 1,336 students, he said. The school had also received award for best school from chief minister Nitish Kumar in 2013. Sahni said, Our village was a naxal-hit area 20 years ago. Locals were indifferent towards education. For connecting them to mainstream, I started involving them in school activities. Also, all my three children studied in the same school. Pass percentage The school has recorded 94% overall pass percentage in Class 10 this year, he claimed. Born in a lower middle-class family with impairment, Sahni coupled with a strong resolve holds a Masters degree in three subjects, including economics, education and psychology. Instead of depending on anyone, he is heading a team of 15 teachers and his dream to eradicate illiteracy has changed the fate of hundreds of economically backward students. Here in Birpur, a major population is dependent on agriculture and animal husbandry. After enrolment in school, at least their next generation wont be illiterate and after passing matriculation from school, students are empowered to find next path and move ahead, he shared. With 20 years of teaching, Sahni feels that teachers training plays crucial role in strengthening education system.At the state-level, 20 teachers have been selected for award on Teachers Day. The statement, which has not yet been finalized, is meant to reassure the public that the companies will not seek a premature approval of vaccines under political pressure from the Trump administration. President Donald Trump has pushed for a vaccine to be available by October just before the presidential election and a growing number of scientists, regulators and public health experts have expressed concern over what they see as a pattern of political arm-twisting by the Trump administration in its efforts to combat the virus. Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal In June, a couple of months into the COVID-19 pandemic, Mirisa Lucero, her husband and their three elementary-age children moved into a small two-bedroom house in northern New Mexico. Matthew Lucero had just gotten a job at a behavioral health agency, moving their family from Springer to Raton a town of about 6,000 residents less than 10 miles from the Colorado border. Then, just as quickly as her husband had gotten the position, he was told they no longer had the budget to keep him, Lucero said. This left the family unable to pay off the remainder of their deposit and the $600-a-month rent, and sent them spiraling quickly into the court system, eviction and living out of a cramped room at the Rodeway Inn & Suites. Mirisa Lucero said her husband applied for unemployment benefits and was approved but has not yet received anything. All this occurred despite the New Mexico Supreme Courts suspension of evictions due to non-payment of rent, issued in late March, in order to minimize the risks of spreading the illness caused by the novel coronavirus. And the situation is tough not only for the Lucero family an attorney for their landlords said his elderly clients depend on rental income to survive and are in dire straits without it. Thomas Prettyman, managing attorney for NM Legal Aid, said he doesnt believe his clients should have been brought before the court for this matter, but in any case they certainly shouldnt have been removed from their home. If the case had gone as it should have, they should be in their home , Prettyman said. What should have happened according to the Supreme Court rules, the magistrate judge would have said yes, you owe rent if the landlord was right, the magistrate judge would have entered a judgment for the money and said no eviction. Instead, court filings show that the landlords, Charles and Lucia Hyde, gave the Luceros three days notice that they owed $267 and legal action would be brought against them if they didnt pay. Five days later, the Hydes filed a petition in Raton Magistrate Court stating the couple misrepresented their rental history since their previous landlord had filed a suit against them for non-payment. Prettyman said this is not grounds for eviction. Both parties attended a telephonic court hearing on the matter on July 17. That same day, Judge Warren Walton issued a writ of restitution ordering the sheriffs office to remove the family from their home. By the following week, they were living out of a motel room. Lucero says most of their belongings were left at the house. Ray Allen Floersheim, an attorney based in Raton who is representing their landlords, said his clients are 84 and 87 years old, and depend on the money they would have gotten from rent to pay their own bills, and for food and utilities. He pointed out that, at some point, the eviction suspension will be lifted and the Hydes will not have made their income. When (the pandemic) ends, whatever happens, whos going to pay whats owed to the Hydes?, Floersheim asked. Is Legal Aid? Are the Luceros? Who? In the interim, my clients need the money to survive See the dilemma? I sure wish I knew the answer. We feel for the Luceros, absolutely, but does anyone care about the Hydes? In late-July, Prettyman filed a 22-page petition with the New Mexico Supreme Court over the matter. In the petition, he asked the judges to order the Colfax County Sheriffs Office and Magistrate Court to let the Luceros return to their home, in part because their circumstances should have been covered under the state Supreme Courts order suspending evictions throughout the pandemic. The Supreme Court hasnt acted yet in the case. A clerk from the Raton Magistrate Court did not return calls from the Journal asking about the order to remove the Luceros from the home. As for the family of five, an anonymous donor provided enough money for them to stay in the motel room through next week, easing their money woes for the time being. They have already been there for six weeks. Matthew Lucero, Mirisas husband, just got a job as an assistant manager at Family Dollar and theyre hoping their luck will turn around. Its a scary thing to go through, Mirisa said. Not knowing whats going to happen day to day. Already in a crisis Its hard to say how many people have been brought to court for eviction proceedings since the COVID-19 pandemic entered New Mexico in mid-March. Its even harder to quantify how many of those households, such as the Luceros, were evicted for non-payment despite the Supreme Courts prohibition, although attorneys say they have heard about it anecdotally. A spokesman from the New Mexico Administrative Office of the Courts provided data on the number of landlord/tenant cases throughout the state. He said that, while the numbers may include more than just evictions, most will likely be eviction proceedings. The data shows that, throughout the state, there were about 4,300 fewer landlord/tenant cases filed between April and August of 2020 than in the same time period the previous year. Maria Griego, an attorney and director of economic equity for the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty, said that, particularly in the beginning of the health crisis, some judges were saying only people who lost their jobs due to the pandemic and resulting public health orders could qualify for an eviction stay. This isnt true the Supreme Court order says anyone who cannot pay is eligible for a stay, not just those who cant pay due to COVID-19 and the ensuing lockdown. We were already in a crisis before the pandemic started, Griego said, referencing reports of a 27% increase in homelessness statewide between 2018 and 2019. New Mexicans have been really left in a pinch right now in regards to the right to housing. There are so many families across the state who just dont know how theyre going to make their rent each month. National data from the Eviction Lab shows that in 2016 the most recent year available New Mexico had 16.41 evictions per day and a rate of 3.18% per 100 rental households. The rate is 0.84 percentage points above the national average. In Albuquerque the eviction rate was even higher, at 4.72%. Kicking the can This week, following the direction of President Donald Trump, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released an order halting evictions nationwide through the end of the year for people who prove they have exhausted all efforts to pay rent including looking into government assistance earn less than $99,000 as individuals and are likely to become homeless if removed from their house. However, there is a possibility that tenants will owe the full amount when the moratorium ends in January, and landlords are not prohibited from charging or collecting fees, penalties or interest due to non-payment in the meantime. Griego said this is a promising step, but she worries the problems will be even greater for everyone once the pandemic is over and the moratorium is lifted. Many landlords, like the Hydes, are small-business owners themselves and cannot afford to indefinitely forgo rent. Without a solution by way of rental assistance, were only kicking the can down the road, growing the debt that the renters will owe and putting landlords in a bind because they are not able to make their mortgage payments, Griego said. Both Albuquerque and the New Mexico government have set up programs for rental assistance. Last month, the City Council allocated $300,000 on top of existing federal funds and private donations to help households pay for rent and utilities. And the state government has allocated $13.3 million from the federal CARES Act funds to go toward emergency housing assistance. The latter program has not yet launched, but a governors spokeswoman said the Mortgage Finance Authority hopes to do so in the near future. Griego said these programs are the most effective way to combat the looming housing crisis, but the funds are already insufficient. Its definitely fallen short of early estimates of what is needed, she said. But the longer we are in the pandemic, the more money we will need. Floersheim, the Hydes attorney, said he was unaware of the governors statewide initiative until told of it by the Journal, but he was eager to find out if it would help his clients. That would truly solve the problem, he said. Someone comes in, pays the rent, the Hydes can live, the Luceros can live, and life is good. Congress member of parliament (MP) from Kerala Remya Haridas was allegedly waylaid and verbally abused by a group of workers belonging to the CPI(M) youth wing, Students Federation of India (SFI), on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday. The police have arrested two SFI workers in the matter. The state has been witnessing a series of attacks against Congress offices in the wake of the murder of two Democratic Youth Federation of India activists. While the ruling CPI(M) alleges they were killed by Congress workers, the latter said both lost their lives in a gang rivalry. In her complaint, the young MP said her vehicle was forcibly stopped and she was showered with verbal abuses by a group of people. She said they forcibly tied a black flag on her vehicle and threatened to eliminate her. She was on way to Kottayam from the state capital. Also read: PM must explain - Chidambaram targets govt on Covid-19, economy Angry protestors did not consider I am a woman. They showered choicest abuses at me and tried to damage my vehicle. I was literally in tears, she said. Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala has condemned the attack on Haridas. Tension is brewing in many parts of the state since the murder of two DFYI activists, Midhilaj (30) and Mohammad Haq (28), on last Sunday. While the Congress disowned the murder saying it was part of a gang rivalry between two groups the ruling CPI(M) insisted that it was a political murder. The Congress party later released the CCTV visuals which showed the deceased also carried lethal weapons and resisted the attack which continued for 15 minutes. State Congress president Mullappally Ramachandran said more than 140 party offices were vandalised since Sunday. Coronavirus tests could be detecting dead virus cells, leading to overestimates of infections, a study suggests. The main test used to diagnose the illness in the UK is so sensitive that it may be suggesting people have the bug when, in fact, their bodies have already fought it off, the research says. That could mean some Britons are being asked to self-isolate despite no longer being infectious. More pertinently, it could also mean entire areas are being put into lockdown on the back of exaggerated numbers. If proven correct, the theory would also at least partly explain why cases now appear to be rising in the UK, while hospital admissions are falling. The researchers from Oxford Universitys Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine and the University of the West of England gathered their evidence by looking 25 studies on the polymerase chain reaction test, the one most widely used in the UK. The results showed that because such tests only offer a yes or no as to whether virus material is in the body, they can suggest someone is infected when in fact their bodys immune system has already dispatched the virus. That means such a person would be told they are positive, despite the bug now being both harmless and non-infectious. Professor Carl Heneghan, of the CEBM, said: Evidence is mounting that a good proportion of new mild cases and people re-testing positive after quarantine or discharge from hospital are not infectious, but are simply clearing harmless virus particles which their immune system has efficiently dealt with. Writing in The Spectator, he warned of the dangers of isolating non-infectious people or whole communities as a result of such potentially misleading data. He said that, while it was not logistically possible to check every positive test to see whether the virus was still active, there may be a way of reducing potential false readings. This is because each test swab goes through a number of cycles in a lab to see if virus material is there. The more cycles it takes to discover the virus, the less of it there is likely to be in the body. If scientists could agree a reasonable cut off point at which they were confident the detected virus was likely to be inactive, it would mean testers could reduce false positives, said Professor Heneghan. The possible unintended consequence, he admits, would be a small portion of people being told they do not have the virus when, in fact, they do. The study itself was published on the Medrxiv online journal and is yet to be peer-reviewed. Public Health England has said it continues to work on ways to potentially refine testing. Ulrich Njoh Mussima, a Cameroonian who went into hiding after inflicting knife wounds on a woman, has been picked up by the Tesano Divisional Police Command. He was picked at the Amasaman court last Thursday after he had gone to court to support his colleagues in another case. The victim (name withheld), according to the police, was injured in the nose, chest and right shoulder during the attack. The Accra Regional Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), DSP Effia Tenge, said on August 27, a complainant who is a neigbour to the suspect reported to the Tesano Divisional Police Command that some foreigners were operating a pub in the area and were making excessive noise. According to the complainant, several reports had been made to owners of the pub and the police about their activities, and the police proceeded to arrest four persons, namely Toungo Thera, Mola Asobo, Michael Matouala and Mouladi Bycther, who are from Cameroon, Congo and Senegal. The machines they were using were also seized and brought to the station by the police team, DSP Tenge disclosed. The police officer said Mussima was not at the scene but upon hearing the news about the arrest of his colleagues, he stormed the house of the complainant to attack him for reporting them, but he (complainant) was not present. He then vented his spleen on the complainant's daughter and inflicted knife wounds on her. DSP Tenge said last Wednesday, the four arrested suspects appeared before court for trial and Mussima went there to offer support for them and was arrested. Daily Guide The fire on board an oil tanker off Sri Lanka's coast has been brought under control with India's help and it was towed to the deep sea away from land, the Navy said on Saturday. The ship was carrying 270,000 metric tonnes of crude oil from Kuwait to India. The Sri Lankan Navy on Friday confirmed that a Filipino sailor died in the boiler explosion in the engine room of the Panama registered tanker MT New Diamond that caught fire on Thursday. Indian ships were supporting the Lankan Navy to douse the flames on the tanker off the coast of Sangamankanda in the eastern district of Ampara. "The fire on board MT New Diamond has been successfully contained to a greater extent and it lies about 35 nautical miles at 5:30 am. As a result of the combined operation, the ill-fated oil tanker has been secured from all sides." the Lankan Navy said in a press release. On Friday evening, a tug boat towed the tanker to the deep sea away from land, it said. The Navy said they were assisted by the Air Force and the Ports Authority as well as the and the Indian Coast Guard who were working jointly. The disaster relief operation was joined by Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Sarang, ICGS Sujay, TTT One - a tug equipped with firefighting equipment and professional firefighters, and 02 Dornier aircraft of Indian Coast Guard since previous night, the release stated. The tanker had 23 crew members - 18 Filipinos and five Greeks. Twenty-two of the 23 member crew had been safely rescued off the tanker. "The fire has been contained by now and the Dornier aircraft are currently at the Mattala Mahinda Rajapaksa Airport," the Navy said. The continuous cooling effect during the disaster relief operation has controlled the fire-spread, it said, adding that there is no risk of an oil spill so far. (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.) Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday urged citizens of the Capital to remain calm after more than 2,000 cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) were registered for four successive days. Kejriwal, while speaking to reporters, attributed the rise in the number of Covid-19 cases due to increased testing and reiterated that the situation is under control. The Delhi chief minister said that the average case fatality rate has dropped and is lower than the national average. I want to assure you that Covid-19 situation in Delhi is completely under control but there is no room for complacency, Kejriwal said while addressing reporters virtually. As per data between August 15 and today, the fatality rate among Covid-19 patients is 1% in Delhi against 1.7% of national fatality rate, he added. The Union health ministry in its briefing on Thursday had highlighted that Delhi was among the states witnessing a fall in the case fatality rate. Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh have seen case fatality rates fall recently. Among these states, Tamil Nadu has witnessed the highest fall in case fatality rate over the past three weeks. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader asked people to remain mindful of the preventive measures and warned those not getting tested. He pointed out that people have also begun flouting rules about wearing masks in public places. Speaking about infrastructure to deal with the pandemic, Kejriwal said beds across several hospitals are ready to cater to Covid-19 affected patients. He said all more than 14,000 beds have been allotted. He said 5,000 beds are currently occupied of which one-third are being used to treat patients who do not belong to Delhi. He added that the Delhi government has refurbished its medical facilities to provide better healthcare services to people all over the country. A vocal proponent of the far-left Antifa movement who was suspected of fatally shooting a supporter of a far-right group in Portland last weekend was shot and killed in a confrontation with police on Thursday night. Investigators were seeking to take Michael Forest Reinoehl into custody in connection with the fatal shooting of Aaron Danielson (39) on Saturday after confrontations between supporters of President Donald Trump and Black Lives Matter protesters. The FBI located Mr Reinoehl in Washington state, the official said, and an officer shot him when he "pulled a gun". Mr Reinoehl died in Lacey, about 100km south of Seattle. In an interview aired on Thursday on Vice News Tonight, Mr Reinoehl said he believed he and a friend were in danger when Mr Danielson was shot and killed. In the footage Vice aired, Mr Reinoehl strongly implied he was the shooter. One person who asserted he was with Mr Danielson during the encounter has previously said he did not realise a gun was being pointed in his direction before shots rang out and believes he and Mr Danielson were targeted because they wore hats showing their affiliation with the far-right Patriot Prayer group - apparently disputing Mr Reinoehl's account. Expand Close Mr Reinoehls body is removed by ambulance on Thursday / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Mr Reinoehls body is removed by ambulance on Thursday "I was confident that I did not hit anyone innocent, and I made my exit," Mr Reinoehl told Vice News when asked about what happened immediately after the incident. "I see a civil war right around the corner," he added later. "That shot felt like the beginning of a war." Vice News reported that Mr Reinoehl approached a freelance journalist, who came to them. Mr Reinoehl's sister had previously told the Washington Post that police asked her if her brother was the person captured in images of the incident that circulated online. "You know, lots of lawyers suggest that I shouldn't even be saying anything, but I feel it's important that the world at least gets a little bit of what's really going on," Mr Reinoehl told Vice News. "I had no choice. I mean, I, I had a choice. I could have sat there and watched them kill a friend of mine of colour. But I wasn't going to do that." Police had not publicly accused Mr Reinoehl (48) of any crimes as of Thursday, and they had said little about the shooting of Mr Danielson. A Portland police spokeswoman said only that the investigation was ongoing. Last Saturday's incident came after a caravan of Trump supporters, including members of the Patriot Prayer group, made their way through Portland, sparking skirmishes with those who objected to their presence. Portland has seen more than three months of often violent protests after the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis. Video posted online of the encounter left few clear answers about what happened. In one video, men can be heard shouting, followed in rapid succession by the sound of something spraying and then two gunshots. In another video, shouts of "We got a couple right here" and "He's pulling it out" can be heard before the gunfire. In a taped interview posted online, Chandler Pappas, who said he was with Mr Danielson during the shooting, said whoever fired the shots "recognised our Patriot Prayer hats". Mr Pappas told the Washington Post Mr Danielson was "killed in cold blood" but did not provide other details. Mr Reinoehl told Vice News that he had seen the caravan of trucks earlier in the day, and that the scene provoked him. "I immediately think that they're out to get me," he said. Mr Reinoehl's Instagram page indicates that he had been attending Black Lives Matter demonstrations in recent months. Mr Reinoehl said he was not a "member" of Antifa, but supported the ideology. Court records indicate Mr Reinoehl was cited on July 5 for possessing a loaded firearm in a public place, resisting arrest and interfering with a peace officer, though the case was later dropped. The Oregonian reported that stemmed from an incident during a protest. ( Washington Post) Disneys long-awaited, live-action remake of Mulan is full of legends. Theres the historic warrior Hua Mulan herself, of course, the hero of Chinese folklore immortalized in the 6th-century poem The Ballad of Mulan, who disguised herself as a man to go into battle in her fathers stead. Her story was given renewed life in Chu Renhuos 17th-century novel Romance of Sui and Tang, and tributed, from then on, ad nauseum: with historical accounts, movies (not only by Disney!), plays, poems, a crater on Venus. But the legends I have in mind are still living: Theyre the names on the marquee. Theres the Wushu master, fight choreographer, and action icon Donnie Yen, star of, among other things, the deservingly popular Ip Man franchise. Theres Jet Li, near-unrecognizable in his role as the Emperor of China, and Gong Li, one of Chinas greatest and most celebrated living actresses, who fabulously and appropriately adds a bit of sorcery to the mix. Theres wuxia legend Cheng Pei-pei, too, recognizable to an American audience as Jade Fox from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, but more notable for starring in the gangbusters wuxia classic Come Drink With Me (1966). And theres added finesse by way of Tzi Ma (as Mulans father, Hua Zhou) and Rosalind Chao (as her mother, Hua Li), both of whom, like many of their co-stars, have long since made headways into the American mainstream, with films like Rush Hour and The Joy Luck Club to their names. This murderers row of actors stars who have all, to varying degrees, led successful crossover careers on which Disney is cannily trying to capitalize is perhaps the most impressive thing about the new Mulan. As directed by New Zealander Niki Caro and manifest onscreen by star Liu Yifei, who could herself become a crossover as of this movie, Mulan is an altogether just-fine affair. It is soggy with bland action and an oversimple script, self-undermined by all the juicy imperial conflict and menacing wizardry that more or less get marginalized in favor of the movies topical but unengaging Big Themes. Mulans story, in its many folkloric variations, is a Pandoras box of potential: Theres war and filial piety, honorable deception, upturned codes of masculinity, and, obviously, a heroic feat of cross-dressing. Theres the fact that, as legend has it, Mulan apparently passed as a man among He-Men for over a decade. Can you imagine? The day-to-day drama of that. The terror, but also the bravery, but also the utter shenanigans, of that. Now theres a movie. Story continues The movie we get instead is decidedly less exciting, less engaged with the fine-grained particulars of Mulan the person and instead overly smitten with the markets its trying to navigate and Mulans status as legend. Shes an icon, pure and simple literally, in this case, as the script imagines little for her beyond the broadest possible strokes. Mulan opens with a young Mulan, in hot pursuit of a chicken run amok, making a mess of her village and souring her familys reputation in the process. Its because shes got a power which, were told, women arent meant to have: an overabundance of chi. And when her father reminds her that sons bring honor through battle and daughters meaning Mulan herself bring honor through marriage, he sets us up for a story that by and large writes itself. Mulan will meet with a matchmaker; shell mess that up (while still, to our sympathetic eyes, showing that shes made of the right stuff). And when an invasion from roving tribe of Rouran warriors threatens to overtake the Silk Road, and with it the empire, an imperial decree will force Mulans war-hero father to consider stepping back into battle with no hope of return. Its no spoiler to say that Mulan goes to war for her father. And, really, as a re-adaptation of a story Disney has told before, spoilable material doesnt exactly abound here. But there are key differences from the 1998 movie. Disneys priority this time around is not to repeat past mistakes financially, that is. That animated Mulan, with its boisterous, catchy hero-anthems and altogether playful attitude, didnt play so well in China, where viewers complained that their storied heroine had been overly Americanized. She was too individual. The new Mulan instead tries to have it both ways: admirably independent but, with Eastern values kept tightly in mind, steadfast in her commitment to family and community. Theres even a #MeToo-friendly update: Gone is the animated movies (somewhat homoerotic) flirtation between the disguised Mulan and one of her male superiors, Captain Li Shang. Instead she gets to flirt, very cautiously, with a guy of her own rank, Chen Honghui (Yoson An), whose butt she entertainingly kicks. The new film is all about navigating compromises like these, pivoting from crisis to crisis in broad, heightened, and often fairly vague strokes in part for kids sake, someone will argue, which doesnt give kids enough credit. The most satisfying but still under-explored addition is Gong Lis Xian Lang, a villain of a sort, only not really; she, like Disneys new take on Maleficent, plays more like a complicated antiheroine whose fate as a powerful woman shares more than a little in common with what awaits Mulan should her chi be revealed to men. But because that revelation never feels like a true threat, because the movie is vague and broad in so many ways, something about even this arc proves unsatisfying. No one expects the Disney version of Mulans story to be rigorous even if the most powerful movie studio in the world could afford to take any risks it pleases. No one expects it to dig deep even if digging deep, being true to ourselves, and unlocking our inner potential are among Disney and the self-help industrys evergreen themes. Its no wonder Disney acquired the Star Wars franchise just as its no wonder that the concept of chi, as described in the new Mulan, feels conspicuously similar to The Force. Which probably tells us where The Force came from in the first place. A better movie would make that connection feel like a more genuine act of reclamation. Itd have a bit more attitude. Itd take better advantage of its deep bench of action stars. It might even I know, I ask too much pay more thorough tribute to the Hong Kong B-movie and wuxia classics it very deliberately evokes without really selling us on the point. Instead, Mulan emerges as a curious act of market negotiation. It is a perfectly fine movie; it will no doubt be meaningful for children, especially those who could afford to see more of themselves onscreen in heroines like Mulan. But More from Rolling Stone See where your favorite artists and songs rank on the Rolling Stone Charts. Sign up for Rolling Stones Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. A university expert on worker protections and the premier both agree: a nurse who spoke out about problems at the Rosslyn Retirement Residence shouldnt have lost her job. But while Premier Doug Ford says laws already exist to protect Ashley Jenkins, Ryersons David Hutton says Canada is wasteland for whistleblower protections. Jenkins is the nurse at the centre of the Rosslyn whistleblowing case. She was hired by a temp agency in May to help bring the home into compliance with provincial standards. The Rosslyn was evacuated May 15 amid a widespread COVID outbreak nearly all 66 residents tested positive for COVID. Sixteen died. The background Working at the home for two weeks, Jenkins determined it to be not safe. She said she found a medication room in disarray, learned from staff that personal protective equipment (PPE) was locked up, and was told by a manager to lie to a Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority (RHRA) investigator about incomplete records. She couldnt stay quiet, worried residents would be allowed back and would then get sick or die, and so she disclosed to an RHRA investigator her allegations of negligence and wrongdoing, she said. Then her temp agency fired her. The agency says she was let go because of trust issues and missed shifts. She denies she missed shifts without giving proper notice. She has filed a complaint with the Ontario Labour Relations Board against the temp agency, but in the meantime, shes out of a job. The Rosslyn which lost its licence two weeks after Jenkins spoke out disputes some of her claims. It is also appealing its lost licence. Whistleblowers do the right thing, then get punished Jenkins case is just one of many in Canada where an employee sees something wrong, speaks out, and then faces retaliation, says David Hutton, a senior fellow with Ryerson Universitys Centre for Free Expression. In some cases, the retaliation is insidious the whistleblower is tasked with less-meaningful work and their shifts or hours are clawed back. In other cases, its outright such as a firing, but the rationale is never whistleblowing, he said. Its then on the whistleblower to accept punishment or fight back. I blow the whistle and suddenly my career is in shambles my employer is making all kinds of false allegations and onus is on me to prove theyre doing it because I blew whistle, Hutton said. That is just impossible. Hutton said Canadian laws need to include duty of protection language putting the onus on the employer to protect their whistleblowing employee and reverse who shoulders the burden of proof regarding why retaliation occurred, he said. Thats the complete opposite of what happens at the moment, he said. Province defends protections During a Thursday visit to Hamilton, the premier addressed Jenkins case specifically and whistleblower protections, generally. Theres a law, a whistleblower protection law, Ford said. They cant just get rid of someone like that, they have to be protected. Whistleblower protection laws do exist. Both the Retirement Homes Act and the Long-Term Care Homes Act include provisions stating it is an offence to retaliate or threaten to retaliate against anyone who discloses information to an oversight body or inspector. The Ministry of Long-Term Care and the Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility call the protections strong. We have taken action in the past where there have been violations of these legislated protections, and wont hesitate to hold employers to account, said a Ministry of Long-Term Care spokesperson. The Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility says whistleblower protection complainants either to go through a union or the Ontario Labour Relations Board for resolution. Hutton calls the acts a joke. While legislation exists in principle, its only when people become whistleblowers themselves that they realize the whole system is rigged against you, he said. The employee usually ends up out a job, possibly blacklisted from their industry, he said. Canada is a wasteland when it comes to whistleblower protection, Hutton said. And its just fantasy to think Ontarios laws offer real personal or professional security to those who speak out. What needs to change and what is expected to change In other countries, legislative change has been spurred by watershed moments, often tragic ones such as a capsized ferry or a rail crash, where its later revealed employees knew of problems and tried to get them fixed, Hutton said. Could thousands of seniors dying in retirement and long-term care homes during a pandemic spur change in Ontario? It should, Hutton says. But I dont know whether it will. He worries Canadians are too trusting of government and too unaware of how protections are failing whistleblowers. On Thursday, Ford praised Jenkins. But instead of committing to improving whistleblower protections, he suggested she find another job. All she was doing is doing her job, Ford said. If she saw a problem, good for her, I congratulate her ... Well find her a place in about a heartbeat. Jenkins said she hopes Ford is serious about helping her find work shes currently unemployed but she wants him to go further. They need to strengthen the whistleblower laws, she said. Read more about: BENGALURU, India, Aug. 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Infosys (NYSE: INFY), a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting, today announced that Gartner Inc. has positioned Infosys as a Leader in its May 2020 Magic Quadrant for Oracle Cloud Applications Services, Worldwide. We consider this positioning by Gartner as validation of our capacity to deliver and carry out tech-powered Oracle cloud application solutions for large, global clients in a cost-effective and bundled manner. For the report, Gartner evaluated 19 service providers on two primary criteria completeness of vision and ability to execute. According to the report, the vendors who are positioned as Leaders are "performing well today, gaining traction and mind share in the market; they have a clear vision of market direction and are actively building competencies to sustain their leadership position in the market." Dinesh Rao, EVP and Global Head Enterprise Application Services, Infosys said, "From our view, this recognition reflects our commitment towards driving customer success and continued excellence in delivering Oracle cloud application services. Leveraging our unique solutions, global innovation hubs and a creative pool of talent, we have been delivering tangible results for our clients across industries. We believe that being acknowledged as a Leader in Gartner's Magic Quadrant validates the investments we have made to help transform our clients to resilient live enterprises." "At Harmonic, we had a critical and complex Agile implementation ahead of us which required a partner with global reach, proven industry capability and continuous investment in innovation. With Infosys' rich experience in multifunction transformation, framework-driven approach, and superlative tools and accelerators, we were able to successfully carry out the implementation in record time. We look forward to our continued partnership with Infosys as we prepare to accomplish many more milestones," said Santhosh Kumar, VP IT Applications & PMO, Harmonic Inc. Kim Nicolaus, NGPS' Program Director & Digital Transformation Director at DNV GL (Business Assurance) commented, "The implementation of NGPS (Next Generation Production System) is a critical milestone in the digitisation journey of the Business Assurance unit of DNV GL, unbundling our various business processes into the Oracle Cloud suite. Infosys partnered with us on this challenging journey, supporting us with the integration of more than 7 applications and systems, across more than one hundred countries serving over 100,000 customers. Together we deployed NGPS within time, resulting in a smooth transition and positive outcome for our digital transformation programme." A complimentary copy of the Magic Quadrant for Oracle Cloud Applications Services, Worldwide report can be accessed here. Gartner Disclaimer Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product, or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. About Infosys Ltd. Infosys is a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting. We enable clients in 46 countries to navigate their digital transformation. With nearly four decades of experience in managing the systems and workings of global enterprises, we expertly steer our clients through their digital journey. We do it by enabling the enterprise with an AI-powered core that helps prioritize the execution of change. We also empower the business with agile digital at scale to deliver unprecedented levels of performance and customer delight. Our always-on learning agenda drives their continuous improvement through building and transferring digital skills, expertise, and ideas from our innovation ecosystem. Visit www.infosys.com to see how Infosys (NYSE: INFY) can help your enterprise navigate your next. Safe Harbor Certain statements in this release concerning our future growth prospects, financial expectations and plans for navigating the COVID-19 impact on our employees, clients and stakeholders are forward-looking statements intended to qualify for the 'safe harbor' under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding COVID-19 and the effects of government and other measures seeking to contain its spread, risks related to an economic downturn or recession in India, the United States and other countries around the world, changes in political, business, and economic conditions, fluctuations in earnings, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, our ability to manage growth, intense competition in IT services including those factors which may affect our cost advantage, wage increases in India, our ability to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, time and cost overruns on fixed-price, fixed-time frame contracts, client concentration, restrictions on immigration, industry segment concentration, our ability to manage our international operations, reduced demand for technology in our key focus areas, disruptions in telecommunication networks or system failures, our ability to successfully complete and integrate potential acquisitions, liability for damages on our service contracts, the success of the companies in which Infosys has made strategic investments, withdrawal or expiration of governmental fiscal incentives, political instability and regional conflicts, legal restrictions on raising capital or acquiring companies outside India, unauthorized use of our intellectual property and general economic conditions affecting our industry and the outcome of pending litigation and government investigation. Additional risks that could affect our future operating results are more fully described in our United States Securities and Exchange Commission filings including our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020. These filings are available at www.sec.gov. Infosys may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the Company unless it is required by law. Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/633365/Infosys_Logo.jpg SOURCE Infosys "Safety" of schools is safety for children, for teachers/staff, and for the community, and includes safety for those with pre-existing conditions who are at higher risk of severe Covid-19. Fortunately, children without pre-existing conditions are at extremely low risk of severe Covid-19 disease, according to current evidence. Now that children are back at school, our task is to maximise safety - ie the balance of benefit and risk - and minimise educational disruption from isolation and school closures. This means reducing the occurrence of clusters in schools, and requires hard choices and ambition. Clusters proceed in three stages. A cluster is seeded when a pupil or teacher who is presympomatic or asymptomatic brings the virus to school - hopefully the symptomatic will stay at home. The chance of this happening is greater the higher the level of virus circulating in the community. The next stage is that the school, and the school bus, acts as a potential transmission hub, the virus spreading before the first symptomatic contact is discovered. Measures in schools and school buses to ensure hygiene, social distancing, masks, and ventilation are important to tackle this stage. The third stage is when pupils and teachers who have caught their infection at school bring it home and infect other family and community members. Tackling the seeding of clusters by reducing the level of virus in the community is the most effective strategy to improve safety and avoid disruption, but requires hard choices. Keeping children at school may require tightening up measures in other settings, particularly indoor venues offering non-essential services. Furthermore, as individuals, we need to understand the effect of our own choices - that by disregarding social distancing measures, the addition of all those seemingly tiny extra transmission risks across many thousands of people raises community transmission and threatens our ability to keep schools open. Policy makers need to choose a clear goal - what does "living with the virus" mean? How much virus? "Living with the virus" could mean going on as we are now, but getting better at it, with more accurate and faster diagnostics, better treatment, better public and employer observance of social distancing, masks and hygiene, better case finding and contact tracing, and better financial support for people to isolate at home. However, "living with the virus" means lurching forward with the foot ready on the brake, a local brake for clusters, a more generalised area brake when R goes above 1. Moreover, the requirement for extensive social distancing and its economic and societal impact is constant and has no endpoint, until the much hoped for vaccine. "Zero Covid Island", as proposed by the Independent SAGE group and Zero Covid Island group, is a more ambitious strategy. It aims to eliminate domestic transmission of the virus entirely by a temporary imposition of the most effective measures - with fair compensation to those shouldering the burden, after which we are able to open up the society and economy to a much greater extent, while strictly controlling the importation of cases across borders. It gives the community a clear goal and endpoint. This strategy would not only allow children back to school with less disruption, but also allow those in our community with vulnerable health - both physical and mental, including children and teachers with pre-existing conditions - to participate fully again in our society and economy, as is their right. North and South would need to work together on the island of Ireland, as they have already committed to doing with considerable success, and there would need to be travel restrictions between the countries of the UK, as is happening between the States of Australia, while elimination is attained. There would be setbacks, as experienced in New Zealand, the "poster country" among those which have adopted this strategy, but imported outbreaks would be less frequent and smaller. Zero Covid requires a policy decision, preparation of systems, and then a concerted push to the goal. Teachers know better than anyone the importance of expectations in raising standards. Zero Covid should at the very least be a policy option on the table in our quest to drive down community transmission. Helen Dolk is Professor of Epidemiology at Ulster University. TOTOWA, N.J. For nearly 50 years, Bill Collins, a retired history teacher, spent Labor Day not at a beach or a barbecue, but at a cemetery. He and a dozen or more relatives would gather around the tombstone of his great-grandfather to celebrate his founding of the national workers holiday. JoAnn Richardson, a retired banker, also celebrates the founding of Labor Day. Ms. Richardson shows friends her family photos and yellowed newspaper clippings applauding her great-grandfather for proposing the holiday. Mr. Collins and Ms. Richardson, who are not related, are honoring different men with similar names: Matthew Maguire and Peter J. McGuire. At least as far back as 1894, there has been a debate over which man is the true father of Labor Day. The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) has urged the public to keep their number of social contacts low this weekend, after 98 new cases of Covid-19 were confirmed on Friday. The new cases bring to 29,303 the total number of Covid-19 cases confirmed to date. No further deaths due to Covid-19 were confirmed by NPHET on Friday. The total number of fatalities to date stands at 1,777. Of the newly confirmed cases, 66% were detected in people under 45 years of age and 42% were associated with outbreaks or were close contacts of a confirmed case. 10% of cases (9) were found to have spread through community transmission. County Dublin saw the highest number of new cases at 24, followed by Kildare (13), Kerry (8), Kilkenny, Limerick, and Louth (6) and Tipperary (5), with the remaining 30 cases distributed across 10 counties. As we head into another weekend, keep physical distance top of mind at all times. Have no more than six visitors to your home and keep 2m between you. Open windows and keep rooms well ventilated if possible, Acting Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, Dr Ronan Glynn, said. Its important that we all keep our number of social contacts low while we focus on keeping our schools safe, continuing to resume healthcare services and ultimately protecting the most vulnerable from Covid-19, he added. Separately a number of doctors have called for an end to the publication of daily Covid-19 figures due to the levels of anxiety and stress they induce among members of the public. Dublin-based GP Dr Maitiu OTuathail recommended moving from daily briefings to a comprehensive weekly briefing. As a society, we need to get off the emotional rollercoaster that is the daily release of Covid figures. When theyre high, they cause mass hysteria. When theyre low, they cause false reassurance. Its leading to huge anxiety and is of little benefit, he tweeted. His comments echoed those of Newstalk radio presenter, Dr Ciara Kelly. Meanwhile, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly attended a virtual meeting with EU health ministers on the procurement of Covid-19 vaccines. Mr Donnelly said: Ireland fully supports the goal of obtaining a broad portfolio of candidate vaccines that includes a range of different technological approaches, which gives us the best chance of securing a safe and effective vaccine against Covid-19. Mexican drug lord Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman (in 2017) filed an appeal asking for his 2019 drug conspiracy conviction to be thrown out Notorious Mexican drug lord Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman wants his US drug conspiracy conviction thrown out. An appeal filed on Friday argues that a judge made rulings allowing a jury to hear faulty evidence at Guzman's trial. It also cites reports that before reaching a guilty verdict, some jurors sought out news accounts about sex abuse allegations against him that were barred from the trial. 'Chapo Guzman's prosecution was marred by rampant excess and overreach, both governmental and judicial needless resorts if he was really the kingpin extraordinaire his adversaries insisted,' Guzman's lawyers said in the 245-page appeal, which was presented to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York. The former leader of Mexico's powerful Sinaloa drug cartel, was convicted in 2019 of crimes spanning a quarter of a century, including trafficking hundreds of tons of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines and marijuana. Guzman was sentenced to life behind bars for the massive drug conspiracy that spread murder and mayhem around the world. Before the federal case, he had attained near-mythical status by escaping from prison twice in Mexico, the second time through a one-mile-long tunnel dug into the shower of his cell. Guzman (center) is arguing that a judge made rulings allowing a jury to hear faulty evidence at Guzman's trial and that jurors followed the case on social media, which is not allowed Guzman (in a January 2020 court sketch) is currently serving a life sentence in a supermax facility in Colorado, where he is being kept in isolation Mexican marines captured Guzman six months later, in January 2016, and he was extradited to the United States in 2017, ending his decades-long cat-and-mouse game with the authorities. Once in the US, he was put in solitary confinement. At trial, Guzman's lawyers argued he was the fall guy for other kingpins who were better at paying off top Mexican politicians and law enforcement officials to protect them. Guzman is currently being kept in isolation, incarcerated one of the United States' highest security prisons, USP Florence, a 'supermax' known as the 'Alcatraz of the Rockies,' located in Colorado's mountainous desert. A lawyer for Guzman, Mariel Colon Miro, told AFP the initial ruling should be annulled because one of the jurors told Vice News he and others found information about the case via the media and social networks during the trial, which is prohibited. Miro added that the complete isolation imposed on Guzman since his extradition to the US in January 2017 prevented him from collaborating on his defense both before and after the trial. 'We are very optimistic that something positive will come of this,' Miro said, adding she hoped a new trial would be held. During Guzman's reign, his cartel's empire expanded across the globe, its tentacles stretching from the Americas to Europe and Asia. Prosecutors declined to comment on Saturday. While the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage across the country with a single-day spike of 86,432 new cases, five states recorded a dip in the number of cases on Friday. Heres a look at the key highlights from the last 24 hours: Indias Covid-19 tally has crossed 40 lakh with a single-day spike of 86,432 new cases, the Health Ministry said on Saturday. The death toll from the pandemic neared 70,000 on Saturday, with more than 1,000 fatalities being reported for the fourth straight day. Fresh recoveries from the infections crossed 70,000 for the first time. Andhra Pradesh Bihar, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal reported a dip in active cases. However, Maharashtra cases saw an alarming 19,200 new cases in the last 24 hours. The number of COVID-19 cases in the state now stands at 8,63,062. The Maharashtra government said it will launch a statewide campaign to screen 2.25 crore families for possible infection. Telangana posted 2,511 fresh coronavirus cases and 11 related deaths, taking the total infection count in the state to 1.38 lakh. Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) accounted for the most number of cases with 305, followed by Ranga reddy 184, Nalgonda 170 and Karimnagar 150 districts, a government bulletin said on Friday, providing data as of 8 pm on September 4. Total number of samples tested till September 4 is 4,77,38,491, including 10,59,346 samples tested on Friday. More than one million Covid-19 tests have been conducted since the last five days, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said. The ICMR issued a new advisory on COVID-19 testing strategy, allowing testing on demand for individuals but left it to the states to modify the approach as per their discretion. It also advised testing on demand for all individuals undertaking travel to countries or Indian states mandating a negative COVID-19 test at the point of entry". The Advisory on Strategy for COVID-19 Testing in India (version VI) said the state governments can simplify the modalities to facilitate testing on demand. Keeping in mind the safety of commuters amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, the Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation (UPMRC) has revised its operational framework to meet the highest standards of health and hygiene. The revamped guidelines extend to every outlet and encompass check-in procedures, station premises and surveillance systems, he said, adding that Lucknow Metro will follow normal timings of operation 6 am to 10 pm when services resume on September 7. Soon after a brief drop in infection cases, Delhi is once again witnessing a rise in cases. On Friday, it reported 2,914 fresh infections, its highest one-day spike in 69 days. Delhi now has over 1.85 lakh cases, while the death count jumped to 4,513, authorities said. Camps will be held outside central government offices in Lutyens Delhi from next week in a bid to increase COVID-19 tests to 40,000 per day as directed by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Kejriwals announcement on increasing COVID-19 tests came against a backdrop of rising number of cases in the national capital. Camp would also be set up outside Parliament, where MPs from all over the country will gather for the Monsoon Session, which is set to begin from September 14. President Trump has compiled an amazing record of accomplishment. His correction of our course in the Obama years represents a great accomplishment all by itself. Factor in the degree of difficulty raised by the Russia hoax and the record becomes damn near miraculous. Yesterday the White House hosted the signing of a deal between Serbia and Kosovo brokered by the Trump administration. Building on the administrations efforts in the Middle East, the deal reportedly includes good news for Israel as well. FOX News reports on the deal in Trump oversees economic deal that includes Kosovo recognizing Israel, Serbia moving embassy to Jerusalem. Richard Grenell is the administrations special envoy for Serbia and Kosovo. He comments on the deal in the Hill column Serbia-Kosovo agreement results from Trumps different brand of diplomacy. In a sidebar to the story on the deal, Grenell had a hard time focusing the attention of reporters at the White House briefing on it yesterday. C-SPAN has posted video of the briefing in its entirety here. FOX News reports the sidebar in Grenell rips journalists for not focusing on Kosovo, Serbia deal: I dont know if you can find it on a map. Below is Grenells critique of the assembled White House press corps via Twitter. WASHINGTON (AP) Sales of previously occupied homes fell in December for the first time in four months as many would-be buyers were frustrated by a lack of available houses, which fell to the lowest level in more than two... The United States is ready to help resolve the dispute between India and China over the mountain border running through the western Himalayas, President Donald Trump said on Friday. Trump told reporters the situation was "very nasty," adding that the two countries were "going at it much more strongly than a lot of people even understand." Both sides deployed additional forces along the frontier after a clash in June, during which 20 Indian soldiers were killed in hand-to-hand fighting. The defence ministers of India and China held talks in Moscow on Friday, the highest level face-to-face political contact since tensions flared along the disputed mountain border in May. In the meeting, Chinese defence minister Wei Fenghe told his Indian counterpart, Rajnath Singh, that New Delhi bears full responsibility for the current border tensions, according to China's state-backed Global Times newspaper. India's defence ministry tweeted that the meeting lasted for 2 hours and 20 minutes, without giving out further details. A US government source told Reuters in Washington the US assessment is that neither China nor India are interested in pushing the dispute to the point that they would engage in war. Trump, asked about the dispute at a news briefing in the White House, said Washington was talking with both countries about what it could do to help defuse the situation. "We stand ready to help with respect to China and India. If we can do anything, we would love to get involved and help," he said. Trump has offered to mediate between the two nuclear-armed nations in the past. China has said that there is no need for a third party to mediate and India has also appeared cool to the idea. The next time that you have a craving for hot wings, skip the usual chain, and head to the recently opened and locally-owned, I Wingz (2445 25th Street S.E., Salem; 971-273-0194; iwingz.net). With build-your-own Mac-N-Cheese, both traditional and hand-breaded boneless wings and tasty hand breaded chicken tenders not only will the kiddos love it, but so will all the kids-at-heart. The standard Mac-N-Cheese comes as cheesy and as gooey as one would hope for, and is topped with Cheez-its, which adds a surprisingly good crunch to the dish; otherwise, opt for breadcrumbs, shredded cheese or even hot Cheetos. The menu also includes more than a dozen add-ins ranging from meat and seafood to veggie options (at an extra charge). The wings may not be particularly big in size, but they sure make up for it in quality and flavor. Wings are freshly-made in-house and come perfectly crispy yet very tender and juicy. Its clear in every bite that they use fresh ingredients and high-quality chicken meat. The sauce selection is extensive and nothing short of excellent with mild, medium and hot options to choose from along with a handful of dry rubs. Consider trying the teriyaki pineapple, Thai curry and the Korean BBQ (request sauce mixed in or on the side). A few salads, plenty of great sides and a small kids menu round out the menu. Although they serve local brews, wines and cocktails, I have a hard time saying no to their lemonades as theyre made with real fruit. Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily with limited indoor/outdoor seating; takeout available. Also new in town, Dude Donut City (3997 Carson Drive S.E., Salem; 971-599-5630; salemdonutshop.com) serves up freshly-made doughnuts 24-hours a day, seven days a week, to satisfy your sugar cravings no matter what time of day it is. This locally-owned and-operated shop has taken off running despite the global pandemic. Due to the smaller space, the shop is not currently offering sit down seating, but that doesnt stop customers from getting their morning coffee and a box of doughnuts to-go. With dozens and dozens of flavors to choose from, theres something for everyone recently, there was even a vegan option. Other varieties include giant apple and blueberry fritters, traditional French crullers, Boston cremes, maple bars, doughnut holes and not-so-traditional options like peanut butter crunch, red velvet, Oreo creme and even a daily managers special; plus so much more. For a heartier breakfast option, biscuits and gravy and breakfast sandwiches are also available. Along with a full menu of coffee drinks, the shop also serves up smoothies as well as a variety of Umpqua ice cream flavors like carrot cake, triple chocolate, chocolate brownie thunder, strawberry, vanilla and pistachio almond (flavors may vary). Much like you would with a slice of cake, try your doughnut a la mode! The all-new fourth edition of Gerry Franks Oregon guidebook is available through oregonguidebook.com; 503-585-8411; gerry@teleport.com; amazon.com; Macys; and P.O. Box 2225, Salem, OR 97308. Pamela Anderson said she was never married to film producer Jon Peters in tweets shared Saturday morning. The 53-year-old Baywatch star described her union with the 75-year-old former hairdresser as a 'bizarre lunch' in a series of posts. The actress was reacting to reports that she'd struck up a relationship with her bodyguard of two years while locked down during the coronavirus pandemic. Denial: Pamela Anderson, 53, claimed that her 12-day marriage to Jon Peters, 75, was just a 'bizarre lunch' in a series of unusual tweets from Saturday; pictured in 2018 in Paris 'Pamela Anderson was never married to Jon Peters it was just a bizarre lunch ... no "marriage" no "divorce" ... [sic],' read the first tweet. The post may have been written by her publicity team, as it referred to her in the third person. Her account returned shortly afterward with a follow-up tweet that reiterated the first one with more detail. 'Pamela Anderson was never legally married to Jon Peters (life long family friend) no hard feelings no Marraige, no Divorce... just a bizarre theatrical lunch Pamela has a good sense of humor about it [sic].' Sources previously told The Hollywood Reporter that Anderson and Peters hadn't filed for a marriage certificate after their wedding. New love: The actress was reacting to reports that she'd struck up a relationship with her bodyguard of two years while locked down during the coronavirus pandemic Odd: The tweets said she was never legally married and called the wedding a 'bizarre theatrical lunch.' They may have been written by her PR team The two-time couple had a ceremony in Malibu on January 20 that was attended by Pamela's two sons and Jon's three daughters, as well as his ex-wife Christine Forsyth-Peters. Although Anderson is treating the union as a goof now, both she and Peters sounded serious about it shortly afterward. 'There are beautiful girls everywhere,' the producer told THR after the nuptials. 'I could have my pick, but for 35 years I've only wanted Pamela. She makes me wild in a good way. She inspires me. I protect her and treat her the way she deserves to be treated,' he continued, while also standing up for her artistic talents elsewhere. Meanwhile, Pam shared a poem about her faux husband. 'He's been there all along./Never failed me -/I'm ready now/and/he's ready too,' she wrote. Prior to their abortive marriage, Anderson and Peters had dated in the late 1980s. Lovestruck: The two-time couple had a ceremony in Malibu on January 20, and both gushed about it afterward to The Hollywood Reporter First time: Prior to their abortive marriage, Anderson and Peters had dated in the late 1980s; pictured in LA in 1989 at the premiere of Glory More recently, Page Six has reported that Pamela is dating her security guard, whose name hasn't been released yet. Her friends have claimed the relationship is 'the pandemic's sexiest tryst' in the report, which was published Friday. The employee has reportedly been working for the Barb Wire star for two years, though it wasn't until their quarantine started that they began a relationship. 'He's in his 40s. A real man, finally,' a source said. 'He knows how to handle her. It's very cool to see. She's completely comfortable, and they're never out of each other's sight.' Going strong! More recently, Page Six has reported that Pamela is dating her security guard, whose name hasn't been released yet; shown in 2016 in NYC 'Security': Pamela appeared to share a photo of her bodyguard on Instagram, where she posted a saucy snap of herself posing by an elevator with the man's reflection visible 'He's not a Hollywood insider,' the source continued. 'That's perfect for Pamela.' Her friends say the two have been 'camping out' at swanky hotels throughout Canada in recent months. Anderson appeared to share a picture of the bodyguard on Instagram when she posted a steamy photo of herself posing by an elevator door with a man's reflection visible in the metal panel above her. 'Security #whereswaldo,' she captioned the image, along with a pink flower and cat with heart eyes emoji. The relationship comes eight months after she and Peters ended their union. In addition to her marriage with Jon, Pamela has tied the knot a total of four times. She was married to Tommy Lee from 1995 to 1998, Kid Rock from 2006 to 2007, and Rick Salomon from 2007 to 2008. Peters, who was part of the inspiration for Warren Beatty's iconic character in Shampoo, was married five times including the most recent nuptials. An ailing couple have been told they may have to wait two years to get a full refund for their dream holiday which was cancelled because of the pandemic. Jon Jones spent $28,000 on a European river cruise to celebrate his wife Shelley's 50th birthday this year. When the trip was cancelled due to the coronavirus crisis, the Newcastle couple were offered full travel credit valued until December 2022 or a 50 per cent refund of $12,837. But due to their lingering health concerns they are unsure if they will even be able to take their dream trip. They are now fighting to get their money back. Jon Jones spent $28,000 on a European river cruise to celebrate his wife Shelley's 50th birthday away from Newcastle on the NSW Central Coast (Pictured: Jon Jones with wife Shelley Jones) The pair were planning to escape Newcastle on the New South Wales Central Coast for a river cruise with Scenic (pictured) 'We both have challenges with our health we don't know what's going to happen in two days' time let alone two years it's just too risky for some unknown party to hold our money for that long,' Mr Jones told news.com.au Mr Jones is a retired Air Force officer who suffers from a fluctuating auto-immune condition. While his wife has beaten breast cancer twice and could be struck down again at any time. The pensioner said there is no guarantee they will be able to travel in the future because of their ill health. The father-of-three has been fighting to get the money back since being told the trip was cancelled. Mr Jones was told by the cruise company Scenic he was eligible a full travel credit for $28,000 until December 2022. Mr Jones is a retired Air Force officer who suffers from a fluctuating autoimmune condition. While his wife has beaten breast cancer twice and could be struck down again at any time But when it came to a cash refund he was told they could only give him 50 per cent of his money back - about $12,837 - despite having bought 'cancel for any reason' insurance. When he contacted Flight Centre - the travel agent who had helped arrange the booking - he was shocked by their reasoning. Email correspondence from a company representative revealed the provider's decision was based on concerns over their own business viability during COVID-19. 'You would have to wait until the credit is about to expire to get the cash refund,' he was told. 'The reason they (Scenic) are doing this is because during these difficult times if they refunded everyone, they would not be able to stay afloat.' After going through the travel insurance policy he managed to claw back 75 per cent of the money except for $5,104 - the 15 per cent not included on his insurance. Email correspondence from a Flight Centre representative revealed the provider's decision was based off concerns over their own business viability during COVID-19 Scenic told the pensioner there were no outstanding issues and the situation had been dealt with under relevant policies. Meanwhile, Flight Centre said they would be willing to advocate for Mr Jones and find out if the company had a hardship clause which could result in a full refund. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Scenic and Flight Centre for comment. Thousands of Australians have been struggling to get refunds on their holidays since the country's borders were closed on March 18. The overseas travel ban was this week extended to December 17. Australian citizens and permanent residents are banned from leaving unless they're a resident of another country, an offshore freight, boat, aircraft or essential worker or a government official. Others can apply for an exemption from the Department of Home Affairs. Australians will have to wait until at least December 17 before they fly go overseas again. (Pictured: a returned traveller at Sydney International Airport on August 8) The overseas travel ban has now been in place for almost six months. (Pictured: A Qantas plane leaves Sydney) The federal government also has strict caps on arrivals back into Australia from overseas. Coronavirus lockdowns and strict border restrictions are expected to cost Australia's tourism industry at least $54.6billion this financial year. New modelling by Tourism Research Australia predicts Australia's tourism industry will be worth $83.8billion in 2020-21, some $54.6billion less than in 2019. The modelling assumes the industry will lose $31.4billion due to international border restrictions and that domestic tourism will decline by at least $23.2billion. Coronavirus lockdowns and border restrictions are expected to cost Australia's tourism industry at least $54.6billion this financial year. (Pictured: The Sydney Opera House) In normal times, tourism directly and indirectly employs one million Australians, accounting for one in 12 jobs. The figures reflect dwindling revenue for airlines, travel agents, tour operators, accommodation providers, hospitality businesses and small business owners. The data, compiled in May and released by Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham today, assumed that domestic borders would begin to open from June 2020. It predicted that if state borders were to remain closed for the December quarter, tourism stands lose a further $9.8billion in interstate travel. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 22:22:39|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TEHRAN, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- The recent report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Iran's nuclear program is "positive and constructive," said Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's ambassador to the Vienna-based international organizations. The report deals with the developments and progress of relations and cooperation between Iran and the IAEA over the past three months, Gharibabadi was quoted as saying by Iran Labor News Agency (ILNA) on Saturday. "It indicates the constructive interaction of the two sides during the period to reach a common understanding and find solutions to issues," he said. The IAEA's quarterly report on Friday said that Iran's stockpile of uranium enrichment has increased to 2,105kg (4,640lb), more than 10 times the permitted 202.08kg enriched uranium under the Iranian landmark nuclear deal, which was sealed between Iran and China, France, Germany, Russia, Britain and the United States in 2015. U.S. President Donald Trump, however, pulled Washington out of the agreement in May 2018, reinstated old and new sanctions on Iran's energy and financial sectors, calling for new accord with the Islamic republic whereby more restrictions could be exerted on the nuclear activities of Tehran and a curb on the country's developing ballistic missile program. Following the U.S. exit, Iran started to gradually renege on its obligations under the deal, and it vowed to produce more enriched uranium, resume relevant research and development activities and to rise the fissile purity of the enriched uranium from the permitted 3.6 percent to 4.5 percent. The IAEA's report also confirmed that the organization's inspectors have taken samples from one of the two requested locations inside Iran, and they would take samples from the second location at the end of September. The agreement of visiting the two locations, for the possibility of past uranium activities, was reached between Iran and the UN nuclear watchdog during the IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi's visit to Tehran on August 25-26. Gharibabadi said Grossi's visit could lead to strengthening of mutual cooperation and trust, according to ILNA. According to the IAEA report, Iran has shown goodwill in its interaction with the IAEA director general, and it expects the remaining issues to be settled by implementing mutual agreements and commitments, Gharibabadi added. Iran has denied any covered nuclear activity and insists that its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes. Enditem Naxals have allegedly killed four villagers in Chhattisgarhs Bijapur district after accusing them of being police informers, a senior official said on Saturday. The killings took place in the last two days in the forest of Dumri-Palnar village under Gangaloor police station area, inspector general of police (Bastar range) Sundarraj P told PTI. As per preliminary information, ultras had called a few villagers, who were supporting development activities, including road construction, to the forest and brutally killed four of them after accusing them of being police informers, he said. The deceased have been identified as Punem Sannu, Gore Sannu alias Dhruva and Aaytu alias Falli, all residents of Pusnar village and Bhusku alias Tulsi from nearby Metapal village, he said. Naxals also beat up a few others villagers, the senior official said. However, it is not immediately known if the victims were killed altogether or at different times in the last two days, he said. On getting information about the incident on Saturday morning, a team of security forces rushed to the spot and further details are awaited, he added. In the last couple of months, the Bastar region has witnessed a spike in alleged atrocities committed by ultras on villagers. On Friday night, Naxals had killed two men after branding them as police informers and also assaulted a group of people accompanying the duo when they had gone to a village in Bijapur from Dantewada district for finalising a marriage plan. Last month, 10 villagers, including women, were brutally thrashed by naxals in Chikpal village of Dantewada, while in a similar incident, in July, 25 villagers were beaten up by ultras in Parcheli village in Dantewada. Naxals are miffed at their shrinking support base and are afraid of the entry of security forces in their core areas in Sukma, Dantewada and Bijapur. They have been killing and thrashing innocent tribals out of frustration," the IG said. During coronavirus-induced lockdown and floods, security forces and local administration have provided necessary amenities to villagers, which has enhanced their confidence, he added. Student workers at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse were joined by fellow students on Friday to protest working conditions they consider unsafe amid the pandemic. On Tuesday, a group of student resident assistants launched a petition asking the university to provide more quality personal protective equipment, $15-an-hour hazard pay, weekly and rapid COVID-19 testing, routine cleaning of spaces, job security and benefits, transparent communication and more bargaining rights. But the university dismissed the requests causing some workers to briefly go on strike on Thursday and released a statement on Friday defending the safety plans they put in place ahead of the semester. At the protest on Friday, one resident assistant told the crowd that when they began work two weeks ago they were met without ample personal protective equipment, more residents than expected, and were expected to police the COVID-19 restrictions of its residents. Coming into this, I knew that there was going to be some risky situations, the RA said. However, I was not prepared to walk into my hall and see that safety measures werent in place. There were clusters of people standing in the basement with no masks, there are clusters of people in the hallway with no masks. And were being expected to confront those residents, she said. Organizers said the response of the administration spoke to a larger issue of feeling powerless as student workers who are largely women of color, marginalized community members and low-income students. The administration in its statement said student workers are free to resign if they feel conditions are unsafe, which organizers called an intimidation factor, as many of them depend on the job for housing, food and financing for school. Because of that, those workers who went on strike Thursday announced they were returning to work, and organizers asked that no other workers strike, because it would put more pressure on the remaining workers, noting that even during the protest on Friday they were struggling to fill second-shift slots. Thats too much pressure on us, said organizer and student worker Sadie Scabelski. The pressure should be on them. UW-L students began moving into dorms last week, and classes are set to begin next week, but organizers reminded those at the rally that the campus was just one piece of a larger community that is at risk because of their actions. As next steps organizers are asking the university to offer an open forum for students, workers and officials to discuss conditions, and encouraged students to reach out to the administration and demand change. We live in a bigger community. Our decisions matter, and we need the administration and the university to step up with us, and work with us, get our input, so that we can make sure we all our safe, Scabelski said. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Archimedes Patti was a special witness as he was invited to a historic event: President Ho Chi Minh's reading of the Declaration of Independence on September 2, 1945. Former Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Foreign Affairs Committee, Ambassador Ha Huy Thong, spoke to VietNamNet about the story of Archimedes Patti, former Chief Representative of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) (the predecessor of the CIA). No one knows how many foreigners attended the September 2 ceremony 75 years ago because at that time there were tens of thousands of people. Perhaps Mr. Archimedes Patti was one of the most special witnesses as he might have been the only American at Ba Dinh Square at that time, Mr. Thong said. Patti was the former Chief Representative of the OSS in Kunming, China. He kept an eye on Japanese soldiers in Indochina from 1943-1944, and began meeting with President Ho Chi Minh. In August 1945, Patti went to Hanoi to monitor the disarmament of the Japanese. He met President Ho Chi Minh again and was invited to attend the Declaration of Independence ceremony. Later, in his memoirs published in 1980 entitled "Why Vietnam: Prelude to America's Albatross", Patti recounted his meeting with President Ho Chi Minh, the Vietnamese people's response to the Declaration of Independence, and the moment when President Ho Chi Minh asked, "Countrymen, can you hear me clearly?" Ambassador Ha Huy Thong. Photo by Pham Hai Meet an old friend, a great one What was your impression while accompanying Mr. Patti during his return to Vietnam in 1982? Thirty-seven years later, Mr. Patti returned to Vietnam in late August 1982. I was fortunate to have been assigned to accompany him, of course, along with many others. I was his interpreter. Traveling with him, I understood that the places he visited were historic. Patti went to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, President Ho Chi Minhs house on stilts and fish pond, the house No.19-21 on Hai Ba Trung Street (formerly the headquarters of the US Consulate General, now the American Club) ... I personally cannot forget the day he visited President Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. In 1982, it was not easy for an American to get a permit to visit the mausoleum. It was important to know why they wanted to pay a visit to the mausoleum. At that moment, Patti said words that I would remember forever. I think that statement was simple but very nice, and convincing. He said: "I go to see my old friend, my great friend again." When Patti entered the Mausoleum, he saw the golden words in the lobby, and he asked me the meaning. I explained it was: There is nothing more precious than independence, freedom. Patti said it sounded like the Declaration of Independence of the United States drafted by the American Thomas Jefferson. He then emphasized that this is not just the thought of Americans, but the common value of humanity and Uncle Ho has used the quintessence of human values to summarize this into a short and concise sentence. Mr. Patti visits the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. Photo courtersy by Ambassador Ha Huy Thong. Returning to Vietnam after 37 years, Patti also visited the house N.48 Hang Ngang Street (Hanoi). When I took him there, he told me that he met Uncle Ho here. Uncle Ho asked him about the US Declaration of Independence. Patti then quoted the classic verse from the US Declaration of Independence of July 4, 1776. Later, in several interviews, Patti recounted that on September 2, 1945, when he attended the Declaration of Independence ceremony, he was not surprised to learn that President Ho Chi Minh named Vietnam with words indicating common human values that have been crystallized for thousands of years. That is democracy, republic, independence, freedom, happiness. He said it was the breath, the trend of the times and Patti understood what President Ho Chi Minh wanted when building a country right was in the Declaration of Independence. After paying a visit to President Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, he visited the stilt house. He was very grateful when seeing a President who did not live in the Presidential Palace but had a simple life in harmony with nature. Patti told me "great people think alike". I really absorbed his deep thoughts about Uncle Ho. In late 1989, while working for the Vietnams mission to the United Nations in New York, I received a call from Mr. Patti asking the mission to help him attend an international conference on President Ho Chi Minh in May 1990 in Hanoi. And he was able to return to Vietnam on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Uncle Ho's birth. American intelligence officer Patti visits Uncle Ho's house on stilts. Photo provided by Ambassador Ha Huy Thong The intelligence officer's vision of Vietnam-US relations Mr. Patti has a lot of experience and associations with Vietnam. From a personal perspective, how do you see an American intelligence officer's vision of Vietnam after 1945? According to documents, in 1945 Patti was perhaps the only person and the highest US official in Vietnam to attend the Declaration of Independence ceremony. In interviews in the late 1990s, Mr. Patti said that after hearing President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence on September 2, 1945 and witnessing the response of thousands of people, he repeatedly sent telegrams to petition the White House and US agencies to recognize the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. He said Vietnam might be an enemy of France at that time, but a country that used to be an ally with the US against the fascists was now not an enemy of the United States, so the US needed to recognize an independent Vietnam. But Patti also admitted that at that time America faced many challenges both globally and domestically, and he did not know how the White House reacted to his telegrams. Some historians and commentators said that if the US government had then focused on Patti's telegrams, both countries would have avoided the "unhappy chapter" later in the Vietnam-US relationship. Thai An Paper of goodwill from ambassador of a powerful country After the announcement of a vote at the UN Security Council was released, the ambassador of a great power forwarded to Vietnamese Ambassador Le Luong Minh a note that said: thank you for a very beautiful decision. Broadway Books has filled its front window with books by the 1993 Nobel laureate in literature in celebration of its Year of Reading Toni Morrison, which started Sept. 1. Its the second time the Northeast Portland bookstore has devoted 12 months to delving into the works of a single author, following its Year of Reading James Baldwin. Sally McPherson and Kim Bissell, owners of Broadway Books, got the idea for the Year of Reading James Baldwin at an American Booksellers Association conference, where they attended a session discussing Baldwins works. When it was over we both turned to each other with big eyes and said, We have to do a year of reading James Baldwin at Broadway Books, " McPherson recalled in a recent email. It was just an instantaneous and simultaneous moment of inspiration we both had. They not only offered Baldwins books at a discount but also set up related events, such as a conversation between Linfield College political scientist Nicholas Buccola, author of The Fire Is Upon Us: James Baldwin, William F. Buckley Jr., and the Debate Over Race in America, and Portland State University English professor Tony Wolk, who once interviewed Baldwin. We really never thought we would be able to come up with another author that hit so many of the right notes, including writing across multiple genres, McPherson said. Then, one day at the store, McPherson and Bissell were discussing the 2019 documentary Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am. Employees eagerly chimed in. Kim and I looked at each other, and it was just like that Baldwin moment ... we knew immediately that Morrison was the obvious choice for another Year of Reading, McPherson said. Broadway Books is not currently holding events, but if it resumes doing so, watch for events tied to the Year of Reading Toni Morrison. Meanwhile, all Morrison books at Broadway Books are 20% off for the next 12 months. McPherson said the store will carry as many copies as it can of the 11 novels, seven childrens books and nine nonfiction books that Morrison wrote, co-authored or edited. (Morrison also wrote two plays and an opera libretto.) Customers have several options for getting Morrisons books from Broadway Books: Order by phone at 503-284-1726 or online at broadwaybooks.net . Phone and online orders can be picked up outside the store four afternoons a week. Make an appointment for in-person shopping. The store is booking 20-minute appointments on Monday afternoons and Friday and Saturday mornings. Appointments must be booked online . The store is not open to customers outside of appointments. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the publication of Morrisons groundbreaking debut novel, The Bluest Eye. In 1975, Morrison delivered a lecture at Portland State University about racism, capitalism, social power and art, titled A Humanist View, that remains one of the most popular audio recordings in the PSU Library archives, according to a recent post on the universitys Facebook page. A transcript is available thanks to Keisha E. McKenzie. McKenzie transcribed the recording over two days several years ago, when she was an independent scholar and technical communicator learning about audio production and how to make audio and video content more accessible. She recalled that an excerpt from the lecture which includes the assertion that the very serious function of racism is distraction had been circulating on Twitter and Tumblr. I wanted to know more of the context, and found the audio hosted by Portland State, McKenzie wrote in a recent email. Once I started listening, I wanted people who couldnt listen to it or who processed text more easily than audio to be able to get the full context too. It didnt seem fair for it to be locked up. And I couldnt find a transcript from the university. Anyone whos ever transcribed a recording knows its tedious work. But it was worthwhile to McKenzie -- now senior vice president, programs, at the Auburn multi-faith leadership development and research center in New York City -- because it helped her understand the material better. Im reading the last collection Morrison published (The Source of Self-Regard), and every word in every sentence counts. Nothing is wasted. Shes using that same verbal precision when she speaks in A Humanist View. awang@oregonian.com; Twitter: @ORAmyW This post is based on two articles that first appeared in our Bookmarks newsletter - subscribe to it here. While Democrats in and out of the media were obsessed with the latest hoax, the one claiming that Trump hates the military, Trump was once again showing that he is an extraordinary diplomat. This time, his triumph was to bring Serbia and Kosovo together, as well as arranging for both nations to help support Israel. Considering the former hatred between Serbia and Kosovo, as well as Kosovo's Muslim-majority population, Trump has achieved something few would have thought possible. Fox News sums up what happened: President Trump on Friday oversaw the signing of an agreement between Serbia and Kosovo that normalizes economic relations between the two countries and also includes Kosovo recognizing Israel, and Serbia agreeing to move its embassy to Jerusalem. The Belgrade-Pristina deal was signed by their two leaders Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo's Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti in front of Trump in the Oval Office, with Trump describing it as a "major breakthrough." "Truly, it is historic," Trump said. "I look forward to going to both countries in the not too distant future." The deal came just weeks after Trump announced an agreement had been reached between the United Arab Emirates and Israel on opening up relations between the two countries. The U.S. moved its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in 2018 after recognizing Jerusalem as its capital a year earlier, and has urged countries to do the same. Until now, Kosovo, a mainly Muslim country, had not recognized Israel. Again, this is an extraordinary diplomatic triumph that helps stabilize a famously unstable region in the Balkans. Even more importantly, it pushes back at the way Obama and Biden isolated Israel and coddled the Palestinians, making peace impossible because Israel was fearful and the Palestinians arrogant. As matters now stand, it's probably that, within a very short time, at the diplomatic level, at least, Trump will successfully have brokered peace in the Middle East: The historic agreement between the United Arab Emirates and Israel is a direct continuation of the profound changes in the Middle East that have been quietly taking place in recent years. The Israeli-Arab conflict is starting to come apart before our very eyes, and Israel finds itself in a place of honor in the moderate Sunni camp against the extremist Shiites. No wonder Jared Kushner predicts that Israel will soon have normal relations with all 22 of the Arab League States. So, yes, this is all big news except that it's not big news if you follow only the mainstream media. As of this writing (late Friday night), there's not a word about Kosovo, Serbia, or Israel on the New York Times' homepage. The top of the page is devoted to the "Trump hates the military hoax" that The Atlantic unleashed to cover for the fact that Biden has a miserable record on the military. The giveaway that it's a hoax is this headline on the home page: "Democrats See Chance to Win Over Military Voters." The Washington Post is only slightly better. In a corner of its home page, about three quarters of the way down, it devoted a tiny amount of space to a somewhat derogatory take on the agreement: "Serbia and Kosovo sign breakthrough economic accord that is short of normal relation." You can feel their pique that Obama never achieved this. Ric Grenell, who is rapidly becoming one of my favorite people in the Trump administration, called out the media during the press conference announcing the accord: .@RichardGrenell brings the : "This is atrocious... You might be too young to understand what this issue is about. Maybe the older journalists should step up and say, 'This is a big deal...' I am astounded about what happens in DC & especially [in the White House Briefing.]" pic.twitter.com/GP3injzowY Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) September 4, 2020 Our president is oneof a kind. He's a character, yes, and can be rough around the edges. However, he's a counterpuncher, not a bully. And whatever you feel about his character or its flaws, he is righting decades of wrongs that monoparty presidents, politicians, and bureaucrats did to America: he is saving America's economy (twice), protecting her sovereign borders, strengthening her military, avoiding foreign wars, bringing peace to regions plagued with discord, providing opportunities without regard to race, tackling a corrupt and entrenched bureaucracy, and generally Making American Great Again again. The media and the tech giants that refuse to acknowledge Trump's accomplishments and spin one Big Lie after another to undermine him remind me of these words from Ezekiel 12:2: "Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house." Just as the "rebellious house" (i.e., the Rebel Army) during the Civil War was on the wrong side of a moral issue, the same is true for the American left, which is dedicated to abandoning our constitutional system. Image: Signing ceremony between Kosovo and Serbia; screen grab from a shareable C-SPAN video. A report analyzing the flash point of Black Lives Matter protests across the U.S. this summer found more than 90 percent of the demonstrations against racial injustice were nonviolent. An analysis by the nonprofit Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project identified more than 7,750 demonstrations across 2,400 cities between May 26 the day after the death of George Floyd and Aug. 22. Fewer than 220 of those events were marked by violence or destructive activity and were largely confined to specific blocks, according to the report. The vast majority of the demonstration events associated with the BLM movement are non-violent, the groups analysis reads. In more than 93% of all demonstrations connected to the movement, demonstrators have not engaged in violence or destructive activity. Peaceful protests are reported in over 2,400 distinct locations around the country. An analysis by the Armed Conflict Location and Data Project found that 95% percent of protests associated with the Black Lives Matter movement this summer were nonviolent. Nationwide protests against police violence and racial injustice surged after the killing of Floyd, an unarmed Black man who died in police custody May 25 when a Minneapolis officer knelt on his neck for about eight minutes. Three other officers failed to intervene as Floyd, 46, complained that he could not breathe. All four officers have since been fired and criminally charged. Floyds final moments were captured on camera, sparking national outcry and demands for police reform. Police arrest 2 after another night of Jacob Blake marches in downtown Sacramento California, New York, Florida and Illinois saw the vast majority of BLM-linked protests this summer, data show. More recently, demonstrators have taken to the streets in Kenosha, Wisconsin, where police were seen on video shooting an unarmed Black man, Jacob Blake, seven times in the back. Blakes father, Jacob Blake Sr., said his son is now paralyzed from the waist down, CNN reported. While protests have remained overwhelmingly peaceful, researchers warned that violent political polarization could intensify ahead of the November election. Story continues In this hyper-polarized environment, state forces are taking a more heavy-handed approach to dissent, non-state actors are becoming more active and assertive, and counter-demonstrators are looking to resolve their political disputes in the street, authors wrote. Without significant mitigation efforts, these risks will continue to intensify in the lead-up to the vote, threatening to boil over in November if election results are delayed, inconclusive, or rejected as fraudulent. The ACLED analysis also highlights the disproportionate police response to the protests, noting that one in 10 Black Lives Matter protests have been met with state-sanctioned intervention compared to 3% of all other demonstrations. Though police were there to keep the peace, the authors said militarized law enforcement presence actually stokes tensions. Sacramento City Council to debate defunding millions from police, fire budgets In demonstrations where authorities are present, they use force more often than not, according to the report. Data show that they have disproportionately used force while intervening in demonstrations associated with the BLM movement, relative to other types of demonstrations. The report also points to other issues that have shaped protest trends in the country, including the coronavirus pandemic, hate crimes and violence targeting women. Other key findings from the ACLED analysis include: The Facebook Reality Labs Research team wants to help people hear better via AR. And not just in the usual ways a hearing aid might help either. Or at least not based on the teams recently-reported description of the latest-developed innovations. In fact, the technology may land in the companys first AR glasses and could give wearers near-genuine hearing superpowers. Dubbed audio presence and perceptual superpowers, the goal is to extend human hearing beyond amplifying overall audio. Instead, the team says it has focused on bringing specific sounds to the forefront. And pushing all other environmental noise to the background. All while ensuring that the audio experience itself remains natural, rather than sounding like it comes from a device attached at the ear. What exactly do audio presence and perceptual superpowers do? The apparent breakthrough stems from the hardware utilized on the Facebook-branded glasses in question, as detailed by the team. In effect, the system seems to work similarly to beamforming or to how some AI speakers do. Namely, those with far-field mics that listen for audio cues at a distance. By utilizing multiple microphones, the system can work out where sounds are coming from. Thats the perceptual superpowers part of the technology. Advertisement The glasses can then use other technology to determine where a userss head is pointing and where their gaze is being directed. It utilizes that information to determine which audio a user is trying to hear. And which sounds the user would rather hear less of. The audio that needs to be heard is amplified while background noise is dampened. Simultaneously, the audio presence technology utilizes facts about how sound travels. Thats so that the Facebook-built AR device can present the amplified audio with directional clarity. Or, put more succinctly, so that it can present audio that differs ever-so-slightly based on ear shape and the direction the audio should arrive from. That would, in effect, allow the audio to come through naturally. As though there was no intermediary device providing the audio boost. Audio Presence could also find its way into more traditional AR and VR experiences, allowing more natural sounds in games and other experiences. Advertisement Is this ever going to make a real-world consumer market appearance? For the time being, Facebooks proposed advances in AR audio are still under testing. There are no details regarding when or even if this technology will ever be made consumer-available. Although it seems unlikely Facebook would be touting the technology if it werent close to finalizing designs for future use. When an incident of police brutality against a Black person in the United States is captured on video, the aftermath follows a pattern. Activists, members of the community, and certain writers say that American policing and police discipline are fundamentally flawed. They say that the way drug possession charges and civil-infraction tickets are pursued in low-income neighborhoods constitutes discrimination against people of color. Sometimes they discover evidence of explicit racism on the part of officers whove been accused of brutality, which they say is evidence of a rotten system. (The Google search for police officer posted picture of Obama monkey returns news stories from multiple states.) Advertisement In response, elected officials, police chiefs, and certain other writers say that most police officers are decent people doing a tough job to the best of their ability. They say that while acts of brutality should be condemned and punished, existing mechanisms are an adequate means of doing so. They say that the American system of policing is basically just and effective, not intrinsically discriminatory, and that the countrys police departments are not run by officers who hold personally racist views and are predisposed to violence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Subscribe to the Slatest newsletter A daily email update of the stories you need to read right now. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. This years presidential election makes for an interesting natural experiment to test which groups viewpoint is correct. One of the candidates, Joe Biden, is critical of officers who perpetrate unjustified shootings and beatings, and supportive of peaceful protests against overpolicing. But he says that most cops are good, decent people. He believes that the existing levels of police funding should be maintained. He does not believe that qualified immunity laws should be changed to allow for easier prosecution of police brutality. One of his most significant achievements as a senator was the 1994 crime bill, which provided federal funding for hiring new officers. He served in a presidential administration that, by the standards of presidential administrations, was exceptionally clean and law-abiding. Advertisement Advertisement The other candidate, Donald Trump, has a history of making racist comments about nonwhite people. (A new one was uncovered in a book published last month.) A number of those comments indicate a belief that predominately Black and Latino countries and communities are intrinsically undesirable places to live. He was accusedby the Nixon administration!of systematically discriminating against Black tenants as a landlord. As a private citizen he fraternized with Mafia figures, worked closely with a convicted drug trafficker and a convicted racketeer, and sold apartments to an impressive number of organized crime leaders. Hes made supportive comments about a white supremacist rally, hired white nationalists in his administration, and defended a white member of a militia who recently shot three protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin, killing two. Two of the most notable chapters of his pre-presidential public life involved him making false accusations against Black people. Hes encouraged police officers to smash suspects heads against the sides of their cars, which is illegal. A number of his political advisers and associates have been convicted of crimes. A majority of voters believes that he, himself, has committed crimes in the past. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Which side are the police on? Do they favor the candidate who believes law enforcement basically means well, as long as it keeps working to root out the bad apples in police departments? Or the candidate with a record of supporting criminal behavior, extrajudicial violence, and racismand of celebrating the bad apples? The countrys largest municipal police union (the Police Benevolent Association of the City of New York) picked the latter candidate; its leader, Patrick Lynch, spoke at the Republican convention. On Friday, the largest national police organization, the Fraternal Order of Police, announced that it was endorsing Trump on behalf of its 355,000 members as well. The police say that they want members of minority communities to believe the officers patrolling their neighborhoods are motivated by the principle of upholding the law and that they do not, as a general rule, hold or condone racist beliefs. Those officers also keep choosing to endorse Donald Trump. In his convention remarks, which were broadcast on a night during which Trump gave a campaign speech on the lawn of the White House, which is illegal, Lynch said that he and other officers cannot afford to have someone like Biden in office. What does it say about American policing if thats actually true? Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 20:51:11|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TOKYO, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- The confirmed COVID-19 cases in Japan increased by 596 to reach 71,585 as of Saturday night, according to the latest figures from the health ministry and local authorities. The figure excludes the 712 cases from the Diamond Princess cruise ship that was quarantined in Yokohama near Tokyo earlier in the year. The death toll in Japan from the pneumonia-causing virus currently stands at 1,374, with nine new fatalities announced Saturday. The death toll includes 13 from the Diamond Princess cruise ship. The health ministry also said there are currently 210 patients considered severely ill with ventilators or in intensive care units. In Tokyo, the epicenter of Japan's outbreak, 181 new cases were reported on Saturday, below 200 for the second straight day, with the capital's cumulative total reaching 21,656, the highest among Japan's 47 prefectures. The metropolitan government has maintained its highest alert level on its four-tier scale, meaning "infections are spreading" in the capital. Enditem Wrightstown Mayor Thomas E. Harper was accused Friday of lying to investigators who were looking into the unauthorized use of the Wrightstown Municipal Utilities Authority (WMUA) to dump waste from a private septic disposal firm, authorities said. Harper, 69, who is also the chairman of the authority, was charged with false swearing following an investigation by the New Jersey Attorney Generals Office and the New Jersey Office of the State Comptroller, officials said. On Aug. 12, former WMUA operator Rodman Lucas, 62, of Pemberton Township, pleaded guilty to third-degree conspiracy to tamper with public records for using the municipal authority to dispose of waste from his private septic disposal firm, Aqua Clean Toilet Systems LLC, without proper authorization and failing to report that waste disposal to the state as required, according to a statement from the New Jersey Attorney Generals Office. Lucas was still awaiting sentencing as of Friday afternoon. When the waste dumping came to light, Harper claimed he had reached a private verbal barter agreement with Lucas that allowed him to dump his companys waste at the WMUA, the office said. In exchange, Lucas would allow the WMUA to use a backhoe, tools and other equipment he owned, authorities said. Harper was charged because he allegedly lied during a formal sworn interview with attorneys and investigators from the state comptrollers office; specifically that he reviewed records maintained by Lucas that documented the waste deposits and use of the equipment in the barter agreement when he never actually did so, the attorney generals office said. It was unclear if Harper had an attorney appointed who could comment on the charges as no defense attorney was named by the attorney generals office. The mayor could not immediately be reached for comment. We formed the (Office of Public Integrity and Accountability) to root out the type of misconduct and abuse of trust that undermines faith in government, said New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal. This case was referred to OPIA after an initial investigation by the Office of the State Comptroller, which began when local residents complained about what they saw happening at the Wrightstown Municipal Utilities Authority Grewal urged the public to contact the offices corruption tipline 844-OPIA-TIPS if they suspect any public official of abusing their position and authority. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. The Star Tribune is still in search of white supremacists allegedly involved in the the festivities in Minneapolis that followed the death of George Floyd on Memorial Day. Now the federal authorities in Minnesota have just unsealed charges against two self-described Boogaloo Bois working the scene of the riots in Minneapolis. The Star Tribune has previously profiled one of the charged defendants. These guys are militant revolutionaries who sought to work with the friends of Jeremy Corbyn in Hamas. Race doesnt appear to have anything to do with it. The Star Tribune reports on the charges unsealed yesterday. Here is the press release from the United States Attorneys office: The Justice Department today announced a federal criminal complaint charging Michael Robert Solomon, 30, and Benjamin Ryan Teeter, 22, with conspiring and attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization (Hamas). SOLOMON and TEETER, who were taken into custody [Thursday] evening, made their initial appearances earlier today [i.e, Friday] before Magistrate Judge Tony N. Leung in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The defendants were ordered to remain in custody pending a formal detention hearing, which is scheduled for Wednesday, September 9, 2020. This case can only be understood as a disturbing example of the old adage, The enemy of your enemy is your friend, said Assistant Attorney General John C Demers. As alleged in the complaint, these defendants sought to use violence against the police, other government officials and government property as part of their desire to overthrow the government. While planning these activities, the defendants met individuals whom they believed to be members of the foreign terrorist group Hamas. Thinking that they shared the same desire to harm the United States, they sought to join forces and provide support, including in the form of weapons accessories, to Hamas. Michael Solomon and Benjamin Teeter proclaim themselves to be members of the Boogaloo Bois, a group that espouses a violent ideology and an objective to overthrow the government. The defendants believed their anti-U.S. government views aligned with those of Hamas, a foreign terrorist organization, and actively developed plans to carry out violence in Minnesota and elsewhere, said United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald. Whenever extremist ideologies, regardless of their roots, move into the realm of violence, the FBI and its Joint Terrorism Task Force stands at the ready to prevent potentially deadly and destructive plots. The FBI is committed to stopping acts of violence against law enforcement officers or anyone else in our communities. According to the criminal complaint, the defendants in this case were willing to work with Hamas, a foreign terrorist organization, in order to get money for potential acts of violence here in the U.S., said Jill Sanborn, Assistant Director of the FBIs Counterterrorism Division. The FBIs Minneapolis Field Office demonstrated that we will continue working with our law enforcement partners to detect and stop such activity and protect public safety. According to the allegations in the criminal complaint and law enforcement affidavit, in late May of 2020, the FBI initiated an investigation into SOLOMON and TEETER, two members of the Boogaloo Bois, and a sub-group called the Boojahideen. The Boogaloo Bois are a loosely-connected group of individuals who espouse violent anti-government sentiments. The term Boogaloo itself references an impending second civil war in the United States and is associated with violent uprisings against the government. According to the allegations in the criminal complaint and law enforcement affidavit, during the civil unrest in the Twin Cities following the death of George Floyd, according to a witness, SOLOMON was openly carrying a firearm in a residential neighborhood in Minneapolis. SOLOMON and TEETER interacted with the witness over the course of several days. The witness told FBI agents that SOLOMON and TEETER possessed firearms and substantial quantities of ammunition and that SOLOMON, TEETER, and other members of the Boogaloo Bois and Boojahideen discussed committing acts of violence against police officers and other targets in furtherance of the Boojahideens stated goal of overthrowing the government and replacing its police forces. According to the allegations in the criminal complaint and law enforcement affidavit, in early June, the FBI received information about SOLOMON, TEETER, and other members of the Boogaloo Bois and the Boojahideen through a confidential human source (CHS), whom the defendants believed to be a member of Hamas. In audio-recorded conversations, SOLOMON and TEETER expressed that Hamas shares anti-U.S. government views that align with their own views. SOLOMON and TEETER also expressed their desire to employ themselves as mercenaries for Hamas as a means to generate cash for the Boogaloo Bois/Boojahideen movement, including funding for recruitment and purchasing land for a training compound. According to the allegations in the criminal complaint and law enforcement affidavit, SOLOMON and TEETER shared with the CHS, and another individual whom they believed to be a more senior member of Hamas (and who was actually an undercover employee of the FBI), their ideas about destroying government monuments, raiding the headquarters of a white supremacist organization in North Carolina, and targeting politicians and members of the media. According to the allegations in the criminal complaint and law enforcement affidavit, SOLOMON and TEETER also expressed their ability to manufacture unmarked parts for guns and create unregistered and untraceable weapons, including suppressors. On July 30, SOLOMON and TEETER delivered to the individual they believed to be a senior member of Hamas five suppressors and expressed their desire to manufacture additional suppressors and fully-automatic weapons for Hamas. SOLOMON and TEETER later negotiated with the individual a price of $1,800 for five additional suppressors. SOLOMON and TEETER also delivered to the individual a drop in auto sear (DIAS), a part designed and intended for use in converting a weapon to shoot automatically. SOLOMON and TEETER believed the suppressors and the DIAS would be used by Hamas overseas to attack Israeli and U.S soldiers. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko gestures while speaking to local citizens in Baranovichi, 150 km (93 miles) southwest of Minsk, Belarus, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020. (Sergei Shelega, BelTA Pool via AP) - Sergei Shelega/BelTA President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus appears set to escape European Union sanctions over last months rigged elections after countries led by Germany and France blocked the move. The EU is preparing to impose sanctions against senior figures in the Belarusian government and intelligence services over the election and the bloody crackdown which followed. But a number of member states including Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands are reluctant to go after Mr Lukashenko personally at this stage, according to EU diplomats. They want to keep channels of communication with the Belarusian regime open and are pressing for the president and his immediate circle to be excluded. There will be sanctions, there was unanimous support for that among member states. The question is who will be on the list and at what level, an EU diplomat told the Telegraph. We believe the first sanctions should not target the political level. We want dialogue and the fear is that if we target Lukashenko that would be shut down. We prefer to keep sanctions on the higher political level as an option B if the situation escalates. The EU agreed last month to impose sanctions against those it holds responsible for the election and the government violence which followed. Mandatory Credit: Photo by STRINGER/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock (10762057o) Belarus police and OMON officers detain students who march with the opposition flags to show their solidarity with political prisoners in Minsk, Belarus, 01 September 2020. Belarusian students marked the beginning of a new schpool year with protest solidarity action. Opposition protests in Belarus continue against alleges poll-rigging and police violence at protests following election results claiming that president Lukashenko had won a landslide victory in the 09 August elections. Belarus students express their solidarity with political prisoners, Minsk - 01 Sep 2020 - STRINGER/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock A list of 17 figures in the Belarusian civil service and intelligence service has been drawn up by the EUs external action service. They are expected to face travel bans and assets freezes in the EU. But the cautious approach is opposed by the Baltic states, which have already imposed their own unilateral sanctions on Mr Lukashenko and are pressing for him to be included in the EU list. Poland and the Baltics want sanctions and the Baltics want them to target Lukashenko. It is true that France and Germany and Italy don't want to go so far at this early stage, another EU diplomat said. They have yet to rule out explicitly aiming for the big man himself at this stage. It is early days. There will have to be a foreign ministers' meeting and a summit before any sanctions can be finalised. Story continues Last months Belarusian elections have been widely condemned as rigged and Britain and the EU have refused to accept the result. It was the first time Mr Lukashenko, often referred to as Europes last dictator, had faced a serious challenger in 26 years in power. Official results gave him 80 per cent of the vote but Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the opposition candidate, claimed to have won with 60 per cent. Belarusian authorities launched a bloody crackdown on the protests which followed the results, and the United Nations has documented more than 450 cases of torture and abuse. Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia refused to wait for the EU and imposed their own travel bans on Mr Lukashenko and 29 other officials this week. Mr Lukashenko previously appeared on an EU sanctions list between 2011 and 2016. Those measures were imposed in response to irregularities in the 2010 presidential election. Jaipur, Sep 5 : This is the story of a doctor-turned-gemstone trader, Dr Rajnikant Shah, who has been a man with a vision and a mission following his passion even in his mid-80s. He fulfilled his long cherished dream of setting up the first-of-its-kind Gem and Jewellery Museum in Jaipur around three years back and now in his mid-80s, he is planning to have a gemstone temple and a Jain Museum of Idols built in India. Settled in New York, Shah made many trips to India to ensure all goes well during the making of the museum. The museum tells the age-old story of gemstone right from its emergence from the centre of the earth to its attaining the final shape after being cut, polished and designed to make an aesthetic piece of jewellery, he says. Shah also got a beautiful temple built in New York which is yet again unique in the city as 5 traditions can worship together under one roof. This temple is one of its kind in the world and symbolises Unity In Diversity. Its construction started in 2000 and it was handed over to the Jain community in 2005, says Shah. He also designed and created a replica of Shri Ashtapad Maha Tirth - Ratna Mandir, a Gemstone Temple which was carved from crystal and gemstones. "The largest structure carved out of gemstones - a work of art as well was again donated to New York Jain Community in 2010. Today, it stands tall and beautiful," he says, adding "Then I started working on an art gallery to present Jainism as a way of life and showcased principles and practices of Jainism via 500+ posters which were installed in the temple." Shah also has an interest in stamp collecting since 1947 and this passion of his is alive till today. He has developed a web museum of gems and jewellery stamps which houses 25,000+ individual stamps collected from all the countries of the world. He has been equally passionate about Shayari since his childhood till today. "Presently, I am bringing all the Shayaris I have been collecting since my childhood in Hindi into a book format," he says. Shah's past is also interesting. He ventured into the gemstone trade after practicing medicine for around 15 years. "It was because of sheer destiny that I left my profession in 1976 as I ventured into the gemstone trade when I was 40," he says. Shah was born in 1935 in Gujarat and was very interested in education. Besides having degrees including MD, MRCP, DTM&H, he also did Sahitya Ratna in Hindi. He was quite active in New York too and was instrumental in holding the Jaipur community together - socially and culturally. Diwali is one amongst those get-togethers. Thinking about the trade 30 years ago, he started the Indian Diamond and Colour Stone Association in New York while bringing colour stone traders from Jaipur and diamond traders from Mumbai together in the market. He has also helped many students to study further and many young traders were helped by him to settle in business. After retiring from trade in 2005, he has been engaged in pursuing his hobbies and philanthropic activities. After his return from abroad, he helped in establishing a hospital and also donated a building in a private college for MBA studies. Currently settled in New York, he keeps visiting Jaipur off and on. Asked what's next on his agenda and he says, "I wish to have a gemstone temple and a Jain Museum of Idols built in India." New York, Sep 5 : US President Donald Trump has asserted that Washington was talking to India and China on resolving "a very nasty situation" in the Ladakh region, but equivocated on whether Beijing was a bully. He said on Friday at a Washington news conference: "We stand ready to help with respect to China and India. If we can do anything we will have to get involved and help. And we are talking to both countries about that." "It's been very nasty, a very nasty situation," he said about the confrontation between the two sides along the Line of Actual (LAC) in Ladakh, where China has fortified its troop presence and, according to India carried out "provocative military movements" on the southern bank of Pangong Tso lake between Sunday and Monday. Asked by a reporter if China was bullying India, he said: "I hope not, I hope not. They are certainly going at it, and they are going it at very much more strongly than a lot of people even understand." Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had on Wednesday accused China of bullying its neighbours. "From the Taiwan Strait to the Himalayas and beyond, the Chinese Communist Party is engaged in a clear and intensifying pattern of bullying its neighbours," he said. But he added, "We are hoping for a peaceful resolution of the situation on the India-China border." Trump's offer of mediation, which both countries have refused, is a reiteration of an earlier mediation bid in May. This was similar to Trump's attempts to mediate between India and Pakistan that was snubbed by New Delhi, which considers their disputes as bilateral issues covered by their 1972 agreement between Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Pakistan's then-President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. While Trump has been critical of China on several issues and saying it poses a global threat to the US, he has hesitated to take a definitive stand on the India-China conflict. The two nuclear nations have remained locked in a stand-off along the LAC in Ladakh since June this year. A fresh face-off erupted last Sunday when India pre-emptively thwarted Chinese intentions to unilaterally change the status quo on the Southern Bank of Pangong Tso in Eastern Ladakh. Both the countries are engaged in a continuous dialogue at both military and diplomatic levels. This was not the first time that Trump offered to mediate between the two Asian giants. Both India and China, in the past, rejected the offer. Bashing China, the US President said: "China at this point is the nation you should be talking about much more so than Russia because the things that China is doing are far worse. Look at what happened with the China virus, look at what they have done to 188 countries all over the world." Admitting that he "gets along with every country" except China, he said, he "did not like what is happening with respect to the pandemic"."I do not like it at all. What they have done to this world, this country, Europe and every place else is terrible," Trump said. Meanwhile, India's foreign secretary Harsh Shringla corroborated Trump's description of the crisis. The situation on the LAC between India and China is "unprecedented" and it cannot be "business as usual", Shringla said while addressing a webinar at the Indian Council for World Affairs (ICWA). "The LAC situation is one of the most serious challenges we have faced in many years. The magnitude of the crisis is huge given that we had not lost lives in 40 years. As far as we are concerned, there will be no compromise in our sovereignty and territorial integrity. At the same time, as a responsible nation, we are always willing to talk. Our communication lines are open," Shringla said. "Also, we have not seen this magnitude of amassing of forces on the border in recent years. This is something that we have to take stock of," he added. (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter at @arulouis) The tough meeting between Indian and Chinese defence ministers in Moscow on Friday evening converged on both sides willing to explore the peace option albeit the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) has beefed up its positions south of Pangong Tso with its troops facing the Indian Army at two points. According to diplomats based both in New Delhi and Moscow, Indian defence minister Rajnath Singh and his Chinese counterpart General Wei Fenghe both held their positions while indicating that both countries were willing to give peace a chance in Ladakh. Singh is en-route to Delhi via Tehran. Also Watch | Amid tiff with China, Rajnath Singh heads to Russia for SCO meet: Key details Also read: Rajnath meets Chinese counterpart amid border tensions. Heres what they said While General Wei wrote down all the points raised by Singh during the two and a half-hour meeting, he claimed that the Indian media was very negative and also said that just like India was not of 1962, the PLA had also moved way ahead of skirmishes with Indian Army in 1962. Minister Singh expressed his helplessness in controlling the Indian media saying that India was a democratic country and the media was totally free. Although both sides refused to give in an inch of land in Ladakh or occupied Aksai Chin, there were indications and hints towards both the armies returning to the previous positions. Perhaps the difference was that the Chinese wanted the previous positions of May, while India was clear that PLA goes back to the positions it occupied in April this year. Also read: At SCO meet, Rajnath Singh tells China to restore status quo at LAC However, even as the two senior leaders discussed the issue, the PLA continued to be aggressive mode south of Pangong Tso as it faces Indian Army troopers at the bump feature and at Rechin La in the Chushul Valley. According to senior officials, around 150 PLA troops are deployed at the bump feature with an anti-aircraft gun being moved up the Black Top by the Chinese army on its side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The Indian and Chinese troops are face to face at Rechin la with the PLA moving in armour early this week to cow down Indian troopers. The Chinese PLA Air Force is continuing with combat air patrols in the area and the troop build-up continues not only in Ladakh but there are signs of force accretion on the Chinese border with Bhutan. With India matching the PLA in not only troop build-up but also heavy artillery, the road to disengagement and de-escalation is long and tenuous. Now that the two defence ministers have had candid conversations, the stage is set for external affairs minister S Jaishankar to meet his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the SCO sidelines on September 10 to give a further push to peace. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Thunderbird American Indian Studies / Contributed photo WASHINGTON This year with social distancing in mind, the Institute for American Indian Studies is hosting its annual Founder's Day clambake, 6-8 p.m. Sept. 12, at the River Walk Pavilion, 11A School Street in Washington. This annual event, held every September, honors the founders of the museum and celebrates Connecticut's Indigenous people, and the bounty harvested from Connecticut's waterways. In addition to a dinner of lobster, clams, corn, and potatoes, folks attending this year's Founder's Day clambake are in for a special treat - a riveting performance by the Thunderbird American Indian Dancers. Formed in 1963, this is the oldest resident Native American dance company in New York. The Thunderbirds are dedicated to keeping the traditions, songs, and dances of Native Americans alive that might otherwise have been lost. The Singapore government has defended the role of foreign talent in the prosperity of its globalised economy amidst claims that foreign professionals, including from India, are taking away jobs from local people. Minister for Communications and Information S Iswaran in a debate in Parliament on Friday said it is important for Singapore to remain open to create jobs and opportunities for Singaporeans and be inclusive at the same time. The debate was on homegrown DBS Bank, which has expanded across the region with a strong presence in India. Iswaran said he is "troubled" by parliamentarian Leong Mun Wai's remarks that DBS Bank does not have a "homegrown CEO". Leong, who is from the Progress Singapore Party (PSP), had said on Tuesday that he is "deeply disappointed" that DBS did not have a homegrown CEO for 22 years after former JP Morgan executive John Olds was made chief executive of the local bank. The current DBS CEO, Piyush Gupta, was born in India and became Singaporean. He has been leading DBS since 2009. "By all means, let us passionately argue the case to do more for Singaporeans. But, as parliamentarians, let us also be careful about what our words convey; in this case, the message we send to those who to paraphrase Mr S Rajaratnam have chosen out of conviction to become citizens of Singapore," Iswaran said. Sri Lankan-origin late Rajaratnam was Singapore's first foreign minister. Iswaran said, "Our citizens must know that the lives and livelihoods of Singaporeans are always our priority; that we have their backs." But at the same time, the country should be inclusive. Being inclusive is a vital complement, he said. "Our efforts to embrace openness must be matched by an equal if not greater effort to achieve an equitable distribution of the benefits and the access to opportunities; to preserve a sense of fairness, the minister said. Responding to a question, Iswaran said we can always advocate the case for doing more for Singaporeans. The issue is when we lament that a Singaporean occupying a certain position is somehow not homegrown. "Then I think we really have to ask ourselves the question - as parliamentarians, as elected representatives, what is the message we are sending to our citizens? What does it say to those who are the spouses, the children of Singapore citizens who have become naturalised Singaporeans?" the Indian-origin minister asked. Iswaran also asked if Leong acknowledges that there is a large number of Singaporeans at the senior levels of DBS Bank. This drew a response from Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung, a board member of the Monetary Authority of Singapore, who explained in the House how Singapore had grown its local talent pool in the finance sector in the past decades. "That process started when we brought in foreign expertise and then put in a lot of effort to groom local talent, grow our own timber, learn from the foreign expertise and from there, many of our own...rose up to take senior positions... we're holding our own by being open to the world," he said. Ong added that it would be the "wrong approach" to achieve this by setting a quota or insisting that a company must have a Singaporean CEO who must be "born here". In recent weeks, Singapore has seen the issue of competition from foreign workers return to the public spotlight. Many have claimed that foreign professionals take away jobs from locals, and that deals like the Singapore-India Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) give preferential treatment to Indian nationals. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Wednesday also said that Singapore cannot send a signal that it is no longer welcoming foreign talent. Lee pointed out how fake news was being spread, and cited an example of a photo of DBS Indian executive meeting posted on a Facebook page with a sarcastic caption: Eye sight test: Find a Singaporean or Chinese in this DBS photo. The picture was posted last September and resurfaced recently as foreign talent issues on taking Singaporean jobs were raised during the July general election. Referring to the photo caption, the prime minister said it was fake news. Suite 430, Northbrook, IL 60062 -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/04/2020 -- According to the new market research report "Track and Trace Solutions Market by Product (Plant Manager, Checkweigher, Barcode Scanner, Verification) Technology (2D Barcode, RFID) Application (Serialization, Aggregations, Reporting) End User (Pharmaceutical, Medical Devices) Global Forecast" published by MarketsandMarkets. The Track and Trace Solutions Market is projected to reach USD 4.21 billion by 2024 from USD 2.16 billion in 2019, at a CAGR of 14.2%. Recent Developments - In 2018, Antares Vision launched its product, ATSFOUR, an enterprise-level serialization software solution. The new ATSFOUR integrates the Antares Tracking System architecture and offers a comprehensive solution which allows the widest connection capability for any traceability network. - In 2018, Ropack Pharma Solutions (Canada) signed an agreement with TraceLink (US) in order to achieve DSCSA compliance for its pharmaceutical customers. - In 2017, OPTEL Group (Canada) acquired Verify Brand LLC (US). The addition of Verify Brand's L4/5 serialization capabilities to the OPTEL solution set enables the connectivity required for pharma companies to implement Track & Trace across the entire supply chain (L1 to L5). Browse 264 market data Tables and 52 Figures spread through 300 Pages and in-depth TOC | Request Research Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=158898570 The plant manager software segment accounted for the largest share of the track and trace software market. Based on types of software, segmented into plant manager, line controller, enterprise & network manager, bundle tracking, warehouse & shipment manager, case tracking, and pallet tracking software. The plant manager segment accounted for the largest market share in 2018. The rising need to secure the supply chain of pharmaceutical and medical devices manufacturing industries along with strict government legislation are the key factors driving the growth of the plant manager segment. Tracking, tracing, and reporting application segment to witness the highest growth in the market Based on application, the track and trace solutions market is segmented into serialization, aggregation, and tracking, tracing, and reporting solutions. The tracking, tracing, & reporting solutions segment is expected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The high growth of this segment is attributed to the increasing number of regulations such as DSCSA, UDI, and Medical Device Reporting (MDR) for medical devices and pharmaceutical products. The 2D barcodes segment accounted for the largest share of the market On the basis of technology, the track and trace solutions market is segmented into linear barcodes, 2D barcodes, and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). The 2D barcodes segment accounted for the largest market share in 2018. 2D barcodes are preferred for packaging over linear barcodes as they have a higher data storage capacity and contain large amounts of data with fewer variations in image size. This is a major factor driving the market for 2D barcodes. Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=158898570 APAC region is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period North America accounted for the largest share of the track and trace solutions market in 2018, followed by Europe. Factors such as the presence of a large number of pharmaceutical & biotechnology companies and medical device manufacturers, stringent regulations regarding serialization, and the growing medical devices market, are driving the growth of the market in North America. Prominent players in the track and trace solutions market are OPTEL Group (Canada), Mettler-Toledo International Inc. (US), Systech International Inc. (US), TraceLink Inc. (US), Antares Vision (Italy), SAP (US), Xyntek Inc. (US), Adents International (France), SEA Vision Srl (Italy), Robert Bosch (Germany), Korber Medipak Systems AG (Switzerland), Siemens AG (Germany), Uhlmann Group (Germany), Jekson Vision (India), Videojet Technologies, Inc. (US), Zebra Technologies Corporation (US), Axway Inc. (US) michael barbaro From The New York Times, Im Michael Barbaro. This is The Daily. [music] Today: For months, the public was unaware of Daniel Prudes death while in police custody, despite body camera video capturing it, raising questions about a possible cover-up. My colleague, Sarah Nir, reports from Rochester. Its Tuesday, September 8. Sarah, just to start, what have you learned about Daniel Prude in the time since this video of his arrest was released last week? sarah nir The day after this really horrifying video was released, I flew up to Rochester to learn more about the incident and about the person. joe prude Oh, man, hes a straight up comedian. No, I swear to god. If yall could have met my brother, yall would be in here laughing and smacking the table like yall stole something. sarah nir I ended up meeting with Joe Prude, Daniel Prudes brother. And he told me that Daniel actually isnt from Rochester. Hes from Chicago. tameshay prude Him and his brother used to argue all the time. joe prude Putting each other in headlock. sarah nir Daniel had been living, for many years, where he was born and raised in Chicago with his sister Tameshay. And he started acting strange. sarah nir Did she explain what he was doing? joe prude Well, like, you know, just talking, like, just talking. You know? I mean, it was, like, [INAUDIBLE]. sarah nir But she was disturbed by worried for him, by how he was speaking? joe prude Yeah. sarah nir Yeah. joe prude Because my brother aint never talked like that. sarah nir His sister called his brother Joe and said, you know, Im going to send him up to you. And maybe you, as his big brother, can talk some sense into him. So she puts Daniel on a train from Chicago to Rochester. And he wasnt right. joe prude Talking about, um, the devil was coming to get me and all this and that. sarah nir He was saying people were out to get him. joe prude And it was, like, that moment then, when I started hearing that more frequently, I say, oh, man. Yeah. Its scaring me. Ive got to get him Ive got to get my brother some help now. And I told my wife, I said now grab me the phone. And she asked me what Im about to do. I said, I need to get my brother some help. And he started to scare me. sarah nir So he called an ambulance and asked for his brother to be admitted because he was having a mental health crisis. But joe prude They just sent him right back home in three hours. sarah nir just three hours later, after arriving at Strong Memorial Hospital, he was sent home in a medical taxi. And his brother was shocked. joe prude No diagnosis, no nothing. sarah nir He felt that Daniel should be there under evaluation. But the doctor said no. Hes free to go. sarah nir What did he look like when he came back? joe prude Oh, like the picture you seen us holding? Same person. Same visual. Same he was upbeat when he came in. He gave me a hug. Brother, I thank you for doing that for me. sarah nir Really? He wasnt resentful? He wasnt mad? joe prude No. No, whatsoever. sarah nir Then the two of them sat down at the kitchen table at Joes home on Child Street in Rochester joe prude Talking, like two brothers that talk. sarah nir And Daniel asked for a cigarette. Joe said he stood up, walked to his room to fetch a cigarette, and when he turned around, Daniel had streaked out the door barefoot into the freezing March weather. And thats when Joe called the police. [beeping] speaker Hey, whats up? Good, how are you? michael barbaro And what happens next? sarah nir So at about 3:00 a.m. on March 23, a police officer arrives at Joes house on Child Street, taking a report. Whats happened? Who are we looking for? police officer Does he live here? joe prude No. Hes just here visiting me. police officer Where does he live? sarah nir And one of the things that is really powerful when you know what transpired here is that Joe is super concerned for Daniels safety. joe prude I just know, man, I just know when he took off running, it was a goddamn train coming. police officer Which way did he go? joe prude I dont know which way he ran to be honest with you. I dont know if he went that way or this way. police officer So you saw him run out this front door here? joe prude No, he ran out my back. police officer Ran out the back door? joe prude He ran out the back. sarah nir Theres a train nearby and train tracks. And hes very worried his brother is going to accidentally hurt himself. police officer You dont know where he went? joe prude No. police officer He didnt say anything? joe prude Nope. And the only thing Im praying is that he dont get in front of that damn train. police officer Yeah. But he didnt say anything sarah nir So at some point, when the officers in Joes house with him taking a report, they hear over the radio officer on radio Theres a male at that location with blood all over him, telling people hes sick and not wearing clothes. sarah nir Theres a male at that location with blood all over him, telling people hes sick and hes not wearing clothes. And Joe immediately knows joe prude Thats my brother. sarah nir thats my brother. police officer 213, wheres that at? That may be this male. joe prude My brother. officer on radio Its at Jefferson Ave. and West Main Street. And hes saying hes a 40-year-old Black male with no shirt and blue pants on. police officer 40? Is your brother 40? [radio conversation] sarah nir Later that same morning, an officer returns to Joes house and tells him, your brothers in the hospital. police officer Um, but the bosses just want me to hang out here with you until they figure some more, some more stuff out. tameshay prude [LAUGHING] police officer Did you call immediately he ran out? joe prude Hell, yeah. tameshay prude He used to run track. He can run. police officer Oh, obviously, I mean, hes all the way down on Jefferson Avenue. So joe prude Yeah, I know. tameshay prude [INAUDIBLE]. joe prude Im glad he went that way and not the way of that damn train. police officer Yeah. Absolutely. sarah nir And bear in mind, Joe has no idea why hes in the hospital. It was freezing cold out. Its late March. He thinks maybe hypothermia, maybe something bad happened while he was having this episode running around. He doesnt know what put him there. police officer I have no idea. joe prude He was butt naked? police officer Yeah. Yeah. tameshay prude He was butt naked? joe prude That boy had to strip out there. All right, I cant do that. tameshay prude We dont know what to do with him. joe prude I cant do that. tameshay prude And neither does your captain? police officer Well, my sergeant sent me over here just to hang out with you guys. sarah nir New York State had just gone on lockdown because of the pandemic about a week before. And he cant visit him at the hospital. He cant go see his brother. No visitors are allowed. Were at the height of the coronavirus. police officer No. Im going to go Im going to go make a phone call real quick. And then I might be back up with you guys. Just to see sarah nir And it takes him till March 30, when he gets a call from the hospital, you can come in. And when he arrives at the hospital, he realizes that he can come in because its time to decide whether or not to take his brother off of life support. michael barbaro And what does Joe do after that? sarah nir Well, in the meantime, this week of being unable to know what happened to Daniel, Joe had contacted a lawyer he knew and said, somethings fishy. My brother ran out the door and never came back. And I need you to help me. So on April 3, the lawyers filed whats called a preservation letter to the city of Rochester, requesting all records be saved regarding Daniel Prude. And they file another request, a Freedom of Information Law request, saying turn over the body cameras from the police officers who apprehended him. And they dont hear anything back. And they chalk it up to coronavirus. And things are closed. And life is very difficult. But while the family was sitting there in the dark about what had happened to him, other people knew something had gone down and were looking into it. And one of those people was the state attorney general, Letitia James. On April 21, her office launched an investigation. And there was another investigation going on, an internal one by the Rochester Police Department. They were reviewing the body camera footage that, bear in mind, the Prudes had still never seen. And they concluded in late April that, quote, Based upon the investigation, the officers actions and conduct displayed when dealing with Prude appear to be appropriate and consistent with their training. michael barbaro So Rochester Police cleared their own officers. sarah nir Yeah. But then on May 18, Joe Prude gets something startling in the mail. Its the medical examiners report on how his brother died. michael barbaro And what does that say? It says, at the top of it, Daniel T. Prude, manner of death: homicide. And under cause of death, it says complications of asphyxia. And Joe, his brother, told me he didnt what that word meant. And he quickly looked it up on his phone. And it means suffocation. Suffocation here on the report in the setting of physical restraint. So the case remains under wraps, even going into May. And it continues to stay locked down through June, through July, until July 31, when the attorney general invites the Prude family to her office to view the body camera footage from the police. And it shows what really happened to Daniel Prude. And what does the family see on that video? archived recording 1 [BEEPING] archived recording 2 Whats his name? archived recording Are you Daniel? archived recording (daniel prude) Yes, sir. sarah nir So theres several separate videos from different officers body cameras. archived recording (daniel prude) Please! Jesus Christ, I pray. sarah nir Theres snow lightly falling. An officer points his taser at Daniel, whos sitting on his knees on the ground totally naked. archived recording Hey! Get on the ground. archived recording (daniel prude) [INAUDIBLE]. archived recording Get on the ground. Get on the ground. Get on the ground, man. archived recording (daniel prude) Look! archived recording Get on the ground. Put your hands behind your back, behind your back. Dont move. Dont move. Chill out, man. Dont move, all right, man? archived recording (daniel prude) Yes, sir. archived recording Just dont move. archived recording (daniel prude) Yes, sir. sarah nir Daniel initially complies, does what the officer says, lets him place him in handcuffs. The officer actually says, well, that was easy and fast. archived recording (daniel prude) [INAUDIBLE]. archived recording One male in custody. archived recording (daniel prude) [INAUDIBLE]. archived recording Can you reach in here and grab my hand sanitizer? Right here. sarah nir And it soon spirals and becomes very complicated. archived recording (daniel prude) I cant help it because my brother is the same. sarah nir And Daniel starts spitting on the ground. He had told at least one passerby, according to 911 reports, that he had coronavirus. archived recording (daniel prude) Jesus Christ I pray, amen. Thank you, Lord. archived recording Hes telling the tow truck driver he had coronavirus. archived recording (daniel prude) [INAUDIBLE] archived recording [INAUDIBLE] Yeah. sarah nir And remember, this is the height of the pandemic. So officers put him in whats called a spit hood. Its a mesh hood. And they put it over his head. And it sets Daniel off. archived recording (daniel prude) [SPITTING] archived recording Stop spitting, man. sarah nir He starts asking for the officers guns. And hes continuing to spit while wearing this hood. archived recording (daniel prude) Give me your gun ID. sarah nir At one point, the officers say, youre going to stay down. And they press Daniel into the ground. Actually, one of the officers kind of makes a triangle with his hands and puts his full body weight onto Daniels skull, pressing him down. michael barbaro Hm. sarah nir And they hold him against the pavement. One places their knee on his back, even as the hood remains on his head. And archived recording 1 I dont know. Its freezing out here. Hes been out naked for 30 minutes. archived recording 2 He feels pretty cold. archived recording 3 You want me to take his temperature? ^archived recording 4 Yeah. archived recording 5 He says he has corona. archived recording 6 Huh. archived recording 7 But he also archived recording I dont know. I couldnt tell you anything. sarah nir At one point, Daniel vomits. archived recording 1 Hes puking? Oh, hes puking, just straight water. Did you see all that water came out of his mouth? archived recording 2 I didnt see it. But I see it now. sarah nir And theres almost some joking between the officers about his condition. archived recording 1 Its all water. My man, you puking? Oh, look at this [EXPLETIVE] archived recording 2 [INTERPOSING VOICES] archived recording 3 I saw the ambulance coming sarah nir But quickly it becomes clear that Daniel is no longer moving and he might not be breathing. archived recording 1 Anything? archived recording 2 He started throwing up. Now it looks like he doesnt even have chest compressions. sarah nir And they begin to administer C.P.R. archived recording We need you. archived recording (paramedic) Coming! Bring those medical bags down [INAUDIBLE]. archived recording 1 Ready? archived recording 2 Yep. archived recording 3 1, 2, 3. archived recording 4 He started expelling, like, all the clear liquid. Like, he was throwing up. archived recording (paramedic) So P.C.P. can cause what we call excited delirium. archived recording Yeah. I know what excited delirium is. archived recording (paramedic) Thats I guarantee you thats why he coded. archived recording Hm. archived recording (paramedic) Its not your guys fault. I mean, you gotta keep archived recording Yeah. archived recording (paramedic) keep yourselves safe. But thats why Im trying to get archived recording Im just going to throw him in my door. archived recording (paramedic) Trying to get sarah nir The final video from the body cameras is Daniel Prude in the hospital. archived recording 1 [BACKGROUND CHATTER IN THE HOSPITAL] archived recording 2 Supposedly he was released from psych earlier is what I was getting archived recording 3 Here? archived recording 4 From here, yep. michael barbaro Well be right back. Sarah, what does the family do once they have seen this video footage? sarah nir Bear in mind, Michael, that Daniel has been gone since March 30. And all this time, they didnt know what had happened to him. Sitting in the attorney generals office, watching that body camera footage, is the first time they see what really went down. Joe Sr., his father, according to their lawyer, hyperventilated. He had an asthma attack. And he had to use an inhaler. A few weeks later, the family decides to go wide. And they release those videos to the public. joe prude I placed a phone call for my brother to get help, not for my brother to get lynched. Now when I say he got lynched, that was a full-fledged ongoing murder, cold-blooded, none other than cold-blooded murder. Who can we hold accountable for this? Why was it a cover-up? Why did my brother get harmed when he complied with everything that them people wanted him to do? Why did he get treated like an African-American male from 1960? If thats the case, you should have just set the damn dog on him. How many more brothers got to die for society to understand that this needs to stop? And I cant even share with you all the pain that Im feeling and my familys going through as well. These things thats going on right now michael barbaro What is the reaction once these videos become public? sarah nir So Rochester erupts in what now has become a familiar scene of protests against police brutality of Black people. At the same time, the mayor announces that the seven officers who were involved in Daniels arrest have been suspended from the force. But if there was any hope that that would quell the protests, it did not. [PROTEST CROWD SINGING] I watched as about 200 people gathered in front of the church on Jefferson Avenue where Daniel Prude was pressed to the ground. It was a passionate, yet largely peaceful crowd. They ended up in front of police headquarters in Rochester, where they sat against barricades calling for more reforms, chanting at police. crowd (CHANTING) No justice, no peace! [EXPLETIVE] these racist ass police. sarah nir Why are you in riot gear? We dont see a riot here. michael barbaro Hm. sarah nir And it quieted down. And someone brought boxes and boxes of pizza. And as I stood there with them, while they were sitting on the ground eating pizza and chanting, suddenly those officers in riot gear rushed the crowd, unprovoked, and shot pepper spray all over them. speaker Like, if I hadnt seen it with my own eyes, I would have thought they did something last night. They did not. sarah nir That set off an escalation. Protesters pulled up barricades. Ran at police with them. Police fired more noxious fumes at them. speaker Murderer! Murderer! sarah nir And I watched as what had begun as a peaceful night emerged as something much more fraught. michael barbaro And Sarah, I have to imagine that part of the reaction here is based on just how long it has taken for the public to learn about whats happened, right? I mean, a video is released four months after Daniel Prudes death and after months and months of protests and counter protests across the country about events just like this. sarah nir Thats another thing thats fueling a lot of the anger surrounding this. There have been accusations of a cover up. And just about everyone involved says, no, thats not the case, blaming other parties for the reason why they didnt come forward. The mayor, for example, her name is Lovely Warren, said that archived recording (lovely warren) After our police department responded to the 911 call on March 23, I was informed later that day by Chief Singletary that Mr. Prude had an apparent drug overdose while in custody. sarah nir She had been told by the police that there was a death in custody. But Daniel Prude had died of a drug overdose. michael barbaro Mhm. archived recording (lovely warren) Chief Singletary never informed me of the actions of his officers to forcibly restrain Mr. Prude. I only learned of those officers actions on August 4 when Corporation Counsel Tim Curtin reviewed the video while fulfilling the FOI request from Mr. Prudes attorney. At no time prior to August 4 did Chief Singletary or anyone make me aware or show me a video of the actions of the RPD officers involved in Mr. Prudes death. sarah nir Mayor Warren said that on June 4, about three months after Daniel died, but a week after George Floyd was killed, actually, the Attorney Generals office asked the city not to release the camera footage. michael barbaro Hm. sarah nir The pretext was to not interfere with the attorney generals investigation, which was ongoing. But the A.G.s office says this never happened. That this is just how long an investigation takes. And that, to them, explains the delay. The police chief came out the other day and said, when we said this was an overdose, we were not covering up what we did here. But the question is, why did it take so long for this to become public? Would we have found out about George Floyd if not for the footage? Would we have found out about Jacob Blake if not for the footage? Often municipalities dont disclose this. And its up to us to figure out why. What happened with Daniel Prude is his family took it into their own hands to take his story public. And now its our job to understand what took so long. michael barbaro You know, Sarah, Im mindful that in the early weeks following George Floyds death at the hands of police, much of the conversation was about the precise role that police do play and should play, and the question of whether police are being asked to do too much. And this is at the heart of the conversation around defunding the police. This idea that, for example, police are not trained as mental health responders. They dont instinctively de-escalate. And the timing of what happened to Daniel Prude feels important here. Because its easy to imagine that if what had happened to him had been known to the public back when it really happened, that Daniel Prude would have been a potentially very important data point in that conversation. But months have passed. And now much of the conversation surrounding these deaths in the hands of police have become about the protests and the counterprotests and how they fit into the presidential election. And in the days since this video of Daniel Prude has been released to the public, we arent really having the conversation you might expect us to be having around mental health and how the police respond when theres a 911 call. sarah nir Actually, that is the conversation that has just started happening in Rochester. archived recording (lovely warren) Good afternoon. sarah nir On Sunday, Mayor Warren announced archived recording (lovely warren) It is my solemn duty as the mayor of this city to honor Mr. Prude, to not let his death be in vain, and to do everything possible to transform how we police our city to truly protect and serve our residents. We are doubling the availability of mental health professionals. At this sarah nir Shell be removing the family crisis intervention team from the police department, where its been for a long time into the Department of Youth and Recreation Services. archived recording (police chief) And I understand that there are certain calls that law enforcement shouldnt handle alone. And we are looking at ways to reimagine policing surrounding mental health and have been for the last several months. sarah nir Really, Rochester is taking steps to maybe say that police arent the people who should be responding to every call all the time. And maybe there are other ways to handle different crises. But nationally, youre right, Michael. The conversation has been about protests, about who does this get elected, and not about police reform. archived recording (lovely warren) What truly matters is creating a city that is dedicated to serving, protecting and lifting up the least among us. What will always pain me about the death of Mr. Daniel Prude is our failure to do that. We had a human being in need of help, in need of compassion. In that moment, we had an opportunity to protect him, to keep him warm, to bring him to safety, to begin the process of healing him and lifting him up. We have to own the fact that in that moment, we did not do that. michael barbaro Sarah, Im curious what Joe Prude now says about his decision to call the police that night. Because in his mind, the police would protect his brother from harm. sarah nir I dont think that Joe gets a moment of rest from exactly that question. What would have happened if I hadnt called the police? sarah nir I know a million people joe prude I would just basically tell them that, you know me, I regret calling them people because [INAUDIBLE] its my fault. tameshay prude Yeah. Yeah, he does. joe prude Ive been beating myself up about that ever since that shit happened. tameshay prude He says that all the time. Making that call is what killed him. joe prude That call really fucked me up. [STREET NOISE] sarah nir Well, its like, the police are were taught you can call for help, right? Thats who you call. joe prude They proved me wrong. Proved me goddamn wrong. [SIGHS] sarah nir I dont think a million people telling you its not your fault will help you. joe prude Nah, it wont. I know its not. But that phone call was my fault. [music] michael barbaro Thank you, Sarah. sarah nir Thank you. michael barbaro Over the weekend, New Yorks attorney general, Letitia James, announced that she would impanel a grand jury to examine evidence in the death of Daniel Prude, a move that was immediately applauded by Prudes family. Well be right back. Heres what else you need to know today. archived recording (jacob blake) Recording? archived recording Yeah. archived recording (jacob blake) just want to say my to all the young cats out there and even the older ones, older than me, its a lot more life to live out here, man. michael barbaro Jacob Blake, who survived after being shot seven times by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, broke his silence over the weekend in a video from his hospital bed. archived recording (jacob blake) Your life, and not only just your life your legs, something that you need to move around and move forward in life can be taken from you like this, man. michael barbaro Blake described debilitating injuries from the shooting, which he said required staples across his stomach and back. archived recording (jacob blake) This pain is nothing but pain. It hurts to breathe. It hurts to sleep. It hurts to move from side to side. It hurts to eat. michael barbaro A public spat between actor Kangana Ranaut and the Shiv Sena continued on Saturday with the partys parliamentarian, Sanjay Raut, telling her to use her own Twitter handle and not make post through the IT cell of a political outfit. This came in the wake of a row triggered by Ranauts allegation that Raut issued an open threat asking her not to return to Mumbai if she had no faith in the city police. Sanjay Raut Shiv Sena leader has given me an open threat and asked me not to come back to Mumbai, after Aazadi graffitis in Mumbai streets and now open threats, why Mumbai is feeling like Pakistan-occupied Kashmir? she tweeted earlier this week. The Shiv Sena and Congress have alleged that the BJP IT cell was behind Ranauts Twitter account. The BJP, however, has distanced itself from the actors remarks, saying the party does not subscribe to anti-Mumbai or anti-Maharashtra sentiments. Ranauts comments sparked a political row with state home minister Anil Deshmukh saying on Friday that she has no right to stay in Mumbai. I dont want to say anything on the issue, he said on Saturday. Deshmukh also evaded a question on Rauts demand that the home ministry should act against Ranaut for casting aspersions over the credibility of Mumbai Police. Meanwhile, Sena legislator Pratap Sarnaik said on Saturday that Senas women workers will slap Ranaut when she arrives in Mumbai. This issue concerns the pride of Maharashtra and there will be no compromise on this front. Ranaut needs to apologise for her PoK remarks or else she will face the music from our womens wing. The National Commission for Woman (NCW) chairperson Rekha Sharma on Friday demanded Sarnaiks arrest. These are highly objectionable statements...will write to the DGP of Maharashtra to take action and arrest this man, Sharma told ANI. The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, which has threatened to file a case against Ranaut for anti-national activity, said on Saturday that the Sena was adopting diversionary tactics to cover its governments failure to handle Covid-19. (inputs from Pradip Kumar Maitra) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Texas Tech and South Plains College alumni associations have formed a dual membership partnership that will benefit future SPC transfer students who choose to continue their degree at Tech. An announcement was made this week via news release noting that part of the funds from the dual membership fees will go toward funding scholarships for transfer students. Stephanie Smith, alumni relations coordinator for SPC, said shed been interested in creating a partnership with Techs alumni program since she joined the staff at SPC about six years ago. One of her major focuses has been to reach out to former SPC students to grow the SPC Alumni Association. Obviously we knew that tapping into where our students transfer is important, she told The Herald Thursday morning. SPC has a long-standing partnership with Tech. Data from the Institutional Research Center at SPC shows the college is Techs largest feeder school. In fall 2018, 357 SPC students transferred to Tech. McLennan Community College is SPCs closest competitor and that institution transferred 88 students. Smith, a graduate of both SPC and Tech, herself, figured it made sense to build this connection between both associations. So she reached out to Curt Langford, president and CEO of the Texas Tech Alumni Association. I think we started talking to Stephanie last fall, Langford said. We had a meeting with administration, our teams and alums. We talked about it in concept. There is a community out there that attended both institutions. Theres really never been a focus on this. Those interested can join the program with a fee of $100 annually, which includes a joint spouse membership. Half of that cost will be allocated to the SPC Transfer Endowment to fund the scholarships for students who transfer from SPC to Tech. Langford sees it as a way to build and strengthen a community of alumni. Its about belonging, he added. Langford and Smith both said theyd hoped to announce the dual membership partnership with a special reception but COVID-19 activity threw off those plans. They both noted that they hope to build similar programs with other entities in the future. Here are todays top news, analysis and opinion. Know all about the latest news and other news updates from Hindustan Times. With abundant precautions in place, Hyderabad metro to resume service from Monday After nearly five-and-a-half months, Hyderabad metro rail services will resume on Monday under stringent guidelines to avoid the spread of Covid-19. Briefing reporters on Saturday, Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL) managing director NVS Reddy said on the first two days, the metro trains would be operational in two high-density corridors in two durations from 7 am to 12 noon and again from 4 pm to 9 pm. Read more 9,746 fresh cases push Karnatakas Covid-19 tally to nearly 390,000 Karnataka on Saturday registered 9,746 cases and 128 deaths due to the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) disease, taking the overall tally to 389,232, the state health department said. The total cases include 283,298 discharges and nearly 6,300 deaths. Read more Top 10 states and region-wise position holders in ease of doing business ranking 2019 Andhra Pradesh retained the top spot in the State Business Reform Action Plan 2019 rankings, while Uttar Pradesh and Telangana bagged the second and third positions respectively. The ranks were announced by the Department of Industrial Promotion and Internal Trade (DPIIT) during a virtual event chaired by Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Read more Covid-19: France expects more severe infections in next two weeks France must stay vigilant as more people will be hospitalised in intensive care units in the next two weeks, reflecting a flare-up in Covid-19 infections in recent days, health minister Olivier Veran said on Saturday. Veran however ruled out the need for a new nationwide lockdown, telling BFM television that France had other means to fight the virus, including testing. Read more IPL 2020 schedule to be announced on September 6, confirms chairman Brijesh Patel The full schedule for IPL 2020 which is slated to begin from September 19 in UAE will be announced on Sunday, September 6, confirmed Indian Premier League chairman Brijesh Patel. It (IPL 2020 schedule) will be announced tomorrow, Brijesh Patel told Hindustan Times over phone. Read more Chaitanya Tamhane brings India back to Venice Film Festival after 19 years with The Disciple, cast and crew take over red carpet Filmmaker Chaitanya Tamhane is making India proud at the Venice Film Festival with his latest film, The Disciple. The film will mark Indias return to the main competition at the festival for the first time in nearly two decades. The festivals official Twitter page shared pictures of Chaitanya and the rest of the cast and crew as they descended on the red carpet. Read more This soulful rendition of Arijit Singhs Laal Ishq will soothe your soul Have you ever come across such a video which instantly brings a smile on your face? If yes, you know what were talking about. In case you are yet to experience that, let this video be your first. Its a clip which captures a beautiful rendition of the song Laal Ishq from the movie Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-Leela sang by Arijit Singh. Read more Teachers Day 2020: The funny side of online classes during pandemic I gave a half-an-hour trial class to a pre-schooler and she started running all over the place, says a Gurugram-based teacher, and another teacher adds, Apne aap ko unmute aur camera off kar lete hain. Read more Watch| Chinese army kidnapped 5 youths from Arunachal Pradesh: Congress leader The father allegedly batters his wife Gloria Ezeobi, a 21-year-old Nigerian student has accused her dad of domestic violence towards her mum and she shared photos of her mother with the injuries inflicted on her. The young lady who is a student of pharmacy at LUTH, said her parents have been married for 22 years and her father, Sunday Vincent Ezeobi, has allegedly been brutally beating her mother, Maureen Ezeobi, for all of those years. She claimed that her fathers apprentice also beats her mum in front of her dad. She said the alleged domestic violence from her dad has caused her mother to have miscarriage twice. She added that her mother recently gathered courage and reported to the police but they did nothing. Gloria claimed her father also abuses her and her sister and that he once stripped her naked and flogged her with a fan belt before sending her out of the house late at night. She said her father also regularly locks her mother out of the house, causing her to sleep in the streets for days. The student said her father has boasted that nothing can be done to him. My money will get me anything in Nigeria so no one can save you, she claims her father told them. Read her tweets below: Jammu, Sep 5 : Pakistani troops repeatedly violated the ceasefire on the Line of Control (LoC) on Saturday by indulging in firing and intense shelling in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, to which the Indian forces retaliated befittingly, the Army said. "After a ceasefire violation in the morning, again at about 5.30 pm, the Pakistan troops indulged in unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing with small arms and intense shelling with mortars along the LoC in Shahpur, Kirni, and Degwar sectors. The Indian Army retaliated befittingly," said Defence Ministry spokesman Colonel Devender Anand. Reports from these sectors on the LoC said that heavy firing and shelling by both the sides was still on. Residents of villages situated in Shahpur, Kirni and Degwar sectors remained huddled inside their homes for the entire day while praying for their lives during the shelling. Pakistan has been violating the LoC ceasefire with impunity since the beginning of this year. At least 24 civilians have been killed and over 100 injured in more than 2,730 LoC ceasefire violations by Pakistan so far in 2020. ??? Hoy conmemoramos el #DiaDeLaMujerIndigena, destacando su importante rol en la difusion de nuestra cultura; asi como, su gran compromiso con la preservacion de los conocimientos ancestrales de nuestros pueblos. pic.twitter.com/d5VHuzgEPA Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal on Saturday said that the government will start One District, One Product programme to help all the districts in the country focus their energies on the outreach of their own products of excellence. Speaking at the release of the Ease of Doing Business ranking of states and union territories, Goyal said government is confident of adding manufacturing output worth at least Rs 20 lakh crore in next five years. We have identified 24 products in partnership with industry, we are confident of adding at least Rs 20 trillion manufacturing output in next five years, it will create jobs, expand economic activity and will lead the way towards Indias rightful place," Business Standard quoted him as saying. The centres plan is based on the lines of the Uttar Pradeshs One District One Product programme, inaugurated two years ago to promote traditional industries of the districts. Photo: BC Wildfire Service The Doctor Creek wildfire is one of two fires causing smoky skies in the Kootenays this weekend. Wildfires in the Kootenays are impacting air quality this Labour Day long weekend. Saturday, Environment Canada issued a special air quality statement for the Slocan Lake, East Kootenay and West Kootenay regions due to wildfire smoke in the area. The areas are expected to be impacted by wildfire smoke for the next 24-72 hours. Hot and dry conditions will continue in southeastern British Columbia until Monday. The Doctor Creek and Talbott Creek wildfires are responsible for the smoky skies, with possible long range impacts from smoke transported from Oregon and California. The government says smoke conditions can change quickly over short distances and can vary considerably hour-by-hour. "It is important to be mindful that exposure to smoke may affect your health. People with pre-existing health conditions, respiratory infections such as COVID-19, older adults, pregnant women and infants, children, and sensitive individuals are more likely to experience health effects from smoke exposure," the Environment Canada alert states. For more details on wildfire smoke and how you can reduce your exposure, click here. Canadian law enforcement has rebutted claims made by pro-Khalistan separatist group, Sikhs for Justice or SFJ, that armed men violently attempted to disrupt a voter registration drive related to its secessionist programme named Punjab referendum 2020. On August 15, as local SFJ activists were proceeding to the Indian consulate in Toronto to conduct the drive, eight men were arrested on a complaint from an unidentified concerned citizen, and five were charged with firearms-related offences after a loaded handgun was recovered from their vehicle. SFJ had alleged that the vehicle was flying the Indian Tricolour and the intent was to sabotage their drive, and this was also reported in local media. However, Peel regional police has denied there was a political slant to this incident. Asked whether this had any connection to the pro-Khalistan groups proposed event and the allegations levelled by SFJ, a spokesperson for the PRP said she had not received information in regards to the persons being Indian agents. In another response to the outlet Indo-Canadian Voice, a different PRP spokesperson said, There have been comments made by local media outlets referring to threats of a political nature, our investigation did not find this to be so. Also Read: Canada: 5 found dead after shooting in Ontario home, say police The charges specified by the spokesperson did not relate to threats of the nature that were stated by SFJ. The men were picked up from a parking lot in the city of Brampton in the Greater Toronto Area and were identified as Simerjit Singh, 23, from Georgetown, Arundeep Sood, 40, from Brampton, Manpreet Singh, 21, who was cited as having no fixed address, Shivampreet Singh, 21, from Brampton and Mehakdeep Maan, 22, from Brampton. Also Read: HC asks Punjab to submit details of FIRs against all police officers SFJs general counsel Gurpatwant Pannun had alleged the men threatened to shoot a local activist belonging to the separatist organisation and termed it as a wake up call for the government of Justin Trudeau. The men were charged by investigators from the 21 division criminal investigation bureau with firearms-related offences. They were released on bail after making an appearance before the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton. Mayank Austen Soofi aka Delhiwale picks six stories that capture the essence of what has been lost, as life in Delhi endures during the pandemic: a couple holds a religious reading without community, for the first time in decades; cellphone numbers on walls tell the story of small businesses hit the hardest; a young poet finds the sublime in the ordinary; a happily married autorickshaw driver and domestic help grapple with the fallout of the lockdown. Which one touched you most? Whats your story? Mail, tweet or share to let us know. Yellow Pages on Walls When the markets shut down, Metro trains stopped running, and those who had the luxury of a house exiled themselves within it, some left their phone numbers behind. Mobile phone numbers etched on boundary walls or on makeshift boards hanging from tress and light poles stared at masked passersby on traffic-less streets. A wall in Green Park was scrawled with the number of a mat seller. One a wall near Nehru Place, the number of a tailor. The barely perceptible number of a Bijli Walla or electrician scratched on a wall in South Extension, etched in desperation. TO MEET THE VOICE BEHIND ONE SUCH NUMBER, GO HERE ALSO SEE | Photos: Stories told in photographs from a capital in lockdown From choir to duet Every July, Kshetra Pal and his wife, Pushpa, hold A Ramayan Paath, a 24-hour reading of the Ramcharitmanas, at their home in Ghaziabad. Every year, their drawing room would be converted into a makeshift mandir. Sofas and coffee table cleared, floor covered in mattresses topped with clean sheets. Hosts and guests would take turns to read the verses aloud, with emotion. In the pandemic, one option would have been to postpone the reading, but that was out of the question, Pushpa says. Instead, they both stayed awake for 20 hours straight and finished the reading of the epic themselves, sitting face to face. TO SEE THE PALS AND READ THEIR ACCOUNT OF THIS YEAR, AND YEARS GONE BY, GO HERE Vowels of the street Each door on the long winding street of Old Delhis Chatta Sheikh Mangloo is marked with an O or E painted in yellow. O stands for odd and E stands for even, a chai stall owner explains. Our markets pradhan got these signs painted. So everyone knew when they can open shop. That was in May. It is now September and all shops are free to open daily. The hand-drawn signs have remained. Curiously, some are even drawn on doors of residences. Its because the man painting just went along without bothering what kind of door it was, says an elderly man, gazing upon a green doorway painted with an O. TO SEE THE DOORS, AND MEET SOME OF THE RESIDENTS, GO HERE ALSO SEE | Photos: Artist Sudhirs Patwardhans Mumbai Her elegy to the ordinary She is in purple palazzos and pink kurti. And a mask, of course. Jonaki Ray has a day job in an IT company, as a technical editor. And a passion for poetry. She wrote a pandemic-era poem for HT, titled The Art of Not Losing Breath (after Elizabeth Bishop) At the corner of the market was Maxims with its air blending butter into rising cakes. Outside, on the crescent-shaped street, cars honking at walkers evading rickshaws, passengers hopscotching with potholes, the three brothers self-proclaiming their permanent vegetable store twenty-five years and counting the diners queuing for Belgian chocolate shakes, while handing leftovers to the waiting children TO READ THE FULL POEM, GO HERE ALSO SEE | Watch: Javed Akhtar recites Hum-safar (Co-travellers) Housekeeper of Hauz Khas Her husband makes a very good chicken curry. But we havent had it for a long time, says Kamni, who goes by only one name. I no longer earn as much as I used to before the lockdown so we cant afford maas-machhi. For 20 years, Kamni has worked as housekeeper to scores of one-room pads in Hauz Khas Village, rented mostly by singles. Most of Kamnis employers gave up their accommodation in the lockdown, because of job losses or salary cuts, leaving Kamni with a shrunken income. I used be responsible for more than a dozen rooms... now just 3 or 4, she says. She has two Every day I pass in front of those empty rooms. These people I have worked for I hope they are fine wherever they are. TO MEET KAMNI AND READ MORE ON HER LOSSES AND LIFE IN LOCKDOWN, GO HERE A Capital drivers new auto etiquette His earnings have shrunk, but Sunil Kumar still spends a small fortune on sanitiser. I must keep the customers protected... if theyre safe, chances are I will be too, he says. Despite his smiling demeanour, he admits that life is full of tension. The world has turned upside down. sometimes things get so desperate that my wife is forced to work as a maid in peoples houses. TO MEET SUNIL AND READ MORE ABOUT HOW THE PANDEMIC HAS AFFECTED HIM AND HIS FAMILY, GO HERE Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter Contributed Photo / Bjoern Wylezich - TNS A 48-year-old Waterbury man who worked as a mechanic pleaded guilty to failing to register as a sex offender in Connecticut after he was convicted of sexually abusing a child in Alabama, the U.S. Attorneys Office said. Yamil Diaz faces up to 10 years in prison on the charge, a news release from the office of John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, said. By SA Commercial Prop News Nelson Mandela Bay council gives the go-ahead for the Mandela Bay Development Agency to start the process of finding a new stadium operator. Current operator Access Managements contract ends in June. The firm has managed the North End stadium since 2009. At yesterdays council meeting, held at the old Woolboard Exchange Building, acting city manager Johann Mettler sought councillors approval for the MBDA to conduct the public participation process to solicit views on the intention to get another stadium operator. The city hopes to get an operator that will manage the stadium for longer than three years and transform the precinct into a national and international sports, leisure, events and tourism destination. It wants an operator that can generate revenue for the city instead of relying on the municipality for funds, create jobs and make the stadium a catalyst for economic growth in the North End area and Bay region. While the majority in the council praised Mettler for getting the process going four months before a new operator would start, COPE and the UDM felt it could be handled internally by municipal officials. UDM councillor Mongameli Bobani said: We want to thank you for starting the process in time so that we dont go for another deviation, which was always the case in the past. My concern is, why use the MBDA to drive the process? You have capable officials who can do it. Or do you not have faith in your own officials to handle it? COPE councillor Rano Kayser said: Its the first time that before a contract is expiring, it comes months in advance. I must congratulate the city manager on that. However, we cannot create another municipality within a municipality. Granted, the MBDA has done good work in revitalising our CBD and so on. But lets make use of internal staff . In any case, there is no stability in the MBDA. The ANC and DA disagreed, saying the MBDA was an entity of the municipality, owned fully by the city. DA councillor Retief Odendaal said: I cant understand why were attacking our own officials. For once, were being proactive instead of reactive. We hope the city manager can ensure that the stadium becomes financially viable and not an albatross around our necks. Economic development department political head, ANC councillor Zukile Jodwana said the MBDA was owned by the municipality. The perception must be taken out that the MBDA is separate because then the MBDA will go around doing its own thing. We need to understand that it is a municipal entity, Jodwana said. BEIJING - Two people who returned to their hometown after contracting the coronavirus in the Chinese city at the centre of the outbreak in January have been sentenced to prison for failing to quarantine themselves or report the visit. After returning from Wuhan, the pair visited supermarkets and other public places in the western city of Yibin in Sichuan province for more than a week before showing symptoms, the Peoples Court of Cuping District in Yibin said Saturday on its social media account. It said one defendant, identified only by the surname Deng, concealed the Wuhan trip when questioned by health workers. The court said 306 people who had contact with the pair were isolated for observation but gave no indication whether any was infected. Deng was sentenced to 11 months on charges of obstructing disease control, the court said. The other, identified by the surname Tian, was sentenced to nine months. Both sentences were postponed for 18 months. Read more about: WASHINGTON - Senior and former military leaders appeared to struggle Friday with how to respond to a report that President Donald Trump disparaged U.S. service members killed in combat as "losers," as the president attacked the allegations as "fake news." The article elicited an array of reactions amid Trump's history with the military, which includes mocking Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., for being captured in Vietnam, belittling the parents of an Army officer killed in Iraq, and dismissing brain injuries suffered by U.S. troops in an Iranian ballistic missile strike as "headaches." The report in the Atlantic, published late Thursday, focused in part on a presidential visit to Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day in 2017 and a canceled visit to the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery outside Paris in 2018. In the first example, according to the magazine, Trump allegedly said, "I don't get it. What was in it for them?" while standing with retired Marine Gen. John Kelly at the grave of Kelly's son, Robert, who was killed in Afghanistan. At the time, Kelly was homeland security secretary. In the second, the Trump administration canceled the visit to the cemetery in France in bad weather when helicopter travel was questionable and Trump seemingly dismissed the World War I veterans who are buried there. "Why should I go to that cemetery?" Trump said, according to the report. "It's filled with losers." The president vehemently denied the report, attacking the Atlantic as a "third-rate magazine" and criticizing Kelly for not doing a good job as his former chief of staff. "This man was totally exhausted. He wasn't even able to function in the last number of months," Trump said. He added that he did not know whether Kelly served as a source for the Atlantic's story, "but it could have been a guy like a John Kelly." Defense Secretary Mark Esper defended the president's work with the military, veterans and their families. "President Trump has the highest respect and admiration for our nation's military members, veterans and families. That is why he has fought for greater pay and more funding for our armed forces," Esper said in a statement, which did not specifically address the inflammatory comments attributed to Trump. A senior defense official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said Esper had not heard about the comments attributed to Trump until the Atlantic's story was published. Retired Navy Adm. James Stavridis, sharing the Atlantic article on Twitter, described the military's cemeteries as "sacred shrines to those who have given everything" and suggested that the lack of denials by Kelly and retired Marine Gen. Jim Mattis, Trump's former defense secretary, were notable. "The phrase: 'shocking if true' is getting worn out," Stavridis tweeted. "Lack of denial from my friends Generals Kelly and Mattis suggest the shock is well placed." Stavridis added in an email to The Washington Post that he hopes Kelly and Mattis, "if they do have firsthand knowledge of such quotes, will step up and affirm or deny the story." Mattis and Kelly did not respond to requests for comment Friday. Other retired Marine generals who have worked with them, including Gen. Joseph Dunford Jr. and Gen. John Allen, declined to comment. Another retired officer, Army Gen. Tony Thomas, criticized former CIA director John Brennan for tweeting that an unnamed four-star general who worked for Trump had called the president "the most loathsome individual" he had ever met. "JOB, my former boss, how is this helpful?" Thomas said on Twitter. "Another unnamed General (did he ask you to speak for him)? Actually hurts our profession to have unattributed allegations like this flying around and only serves to stoke both extremes." Another retired Marine said in an interview that Kelly had shared a similar story about Trump's Memorial Day comments with him after they met by chance at Arlington National Cemetery on a later date. He spoke on the condition of anonymity, citing his current work with the government. Kelly's son, 1st Lt. Robert Kelly, was among three service members who were memorialized by Trump in the ceremony on Memorial Day in 2017. The father of one of the others, Spec. Christopher Horton, said Friday that Trump greeted his family warmly at Arlington National Cemetery that day and that the comments attributed to the president in the Atlantic did not match his experience. "He wanted to know if we wanted some photos, and we said yes," said the fallen soldier's father, David. "He said very complimentary things to us like, 'Your son was a winner. You are all winners,' which is kind of the way he speaks. I left there feeling very honored and very esteemed." Christopher Horton's widow, Jane, works in the Pentagon on issues pertaining to the families of deceased service members, first during the Obama administration and now as a Trump appointee. Retired Gen. Robert Neller, the former commandant of the Marine Corps, said in an email that he had no knowledge of any of the comments attributed to Trump. But he highlighted the sacrifices U.S. troops made during World War I and said France was the first real U.S. ally and "we should not forget that." America has a role and requirement, Neller wrote, to properly recognize the service of its veterans, take care of those who are wounded, and remember those who do not return from combat. "I believe we as a Nation do that well," Neller wrote. "In France, on numerous occasions I have had French citizens thank me for the efforts of Americans in both wars to defend and liberate France. I believe our actions as a Nation were a good and proper thing . . . though the cost was high." The muted reaction from retired officers comes after Mattis lashed out at Trump in an essay in June, accusing the president of trying to divide Americans and taking exception to his interest in using active-duty military forces against U.S. citizens protesting after the police killing of George Floyd. "Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people - does not even pretend to try," Mattis wrote. "Instead, he tries to divide us." Mattis's rebuke was described by some critics as too little, too late, in response to the president, and as an affront by others. John Dowd, a Marine veteran who served as Trump's lawyer, accused Mattis of being used by politicians and not being able to kill the Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, who died in a drone strike approved by Trump in January. "Perhaps, your anger is borne of embarrassment for your own failure as the leader of Central Command," Dowd wrote in a message that was posted by Trump on Twitter. Peter Feaver, a scholar on civil-military relations at Duke University, said that retired senior military leaders were unlikely to speak out now. While Mattis and others took the unusual step of criticizing the president in June, their remarks came after Trump expressed a desire to use the military against civilians and current Pentagon leaders were photographed with him after protesters were cleared with force, he said. The current situation is different, Feaver said, because even though the reported comments would be seen as offensive, former leaders would probably prioritize abiding by norms keeping them out of political brawls, especially this close to an election. "There's not a misuse of the military that's at stake here," he said. The same is even more true for serving military leaders, who are obligated to follow any legal order. Still, Feaver added, the comments could undermine confidence in the commander in chief among service members, who vow to risk their lives in response to orders by national leaders. "It is good for the civil-military relationship when the military trusts that the president has their back, that he understands the sacrifice they're making, and is not cavalier about their death," Feaver said. The reactions to the report stretched to military nonprofit organizations, which were forced to consider how to respond to reported comments that were offensive without clarity on their accuracy. The president of the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), a nonpartisan nonprofit organization founded to help families of deceased service members, raised the Atlantic story with the group's board members Friday, according to an internal email obtained by The Post. Bonnie Carroll, who founded TAPS after her husband was killed in a military plane crash, said in the email that TAPS "is standing strong today with our surviving families, and reminding them that America has steadfastly, historically honored those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom." Carroll added that TAPS has reaffirmed to families that it is there for them, and that it would comfort them "on this difficult day and rally around them with care." The organization confirmed the authenticity of the email. TAPS ultimately published a graphic on Twitter stating that Americans have "steadfastly honored those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom," and that fellow Americans have "draped their caskets with our nation's flag, and laid them to rest in the hallowed grounds of our national cemeteries." The group planned to send an email to tens of thousands of members Friday night. Brian McGough, a former soldier who was severely wounded when an improvised explosive device exploded near his vehicle in Iraq in 2003, said Trump's alleged remarks were shocking but not surprising, given his previous public comments. McGough said that he wanted military leaders to speak out in support of troops, but that "you don't get to be a four-star or a general on the Joint Chiefs by speaking out. They're playing the long game." McGough's wife, Army veteran Kayla Williams, said she was "appalled" by the report. Williams, who now volunteers for a veterans group supporting Joe Biden for president, said fellow veterans, including some who continue to serve as reservists, told her they were shocked by the alleged remarks. She said that for her and those fellow veterans the report appeared to show that Trump "does not have any emotional comprehension of the risks they're willing to make for our country." India has recorded more than 39.3 lakh cases of COVID-19, with 68,472 deaths. Of these, over 8.3 lakh are active cases while more than 30.3 lakh have recovered. Across the country, 11,69,765 samples were tested for the novel coronavirus on September 3, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said. Maharashtras COVID-19 tally remains the highest among Indian states and Union Territories, according to the Union health ministry. The health ministry updates its numbers a day after states release their data. Globally, more than 2.6 crore infections and over 8.6 lakh deaths have been reported due to the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show Here are all the latest updates: >> The World Health Organisation (WHO) said it does not expect wide-spread vaccination against COVID-19 until mid-2021. >> Russian vaccine Sputnik-V produced the required antibodies in volunteers and no serious adverse effects were reported, a study in The Lancet said. >> The Centre exhorted the states to proactively curb the chain of transmission of coronavirus and bring mortality below 1 percent. >> In its biggest single-day spike in cases since June 27, Delhi reported 2,914 fresh COVID-19 cases and 13 deaths. >> Auto industry body Siam on Friday said manufacturers were not in a position to invest further in the implementation of upcoming government regulations as the sector was going through an extremely difficult period. >> Around 40 percent of COVID-19 patients lost antibodies post their recovery from the disease, revealed a survey by the Ahmedabad civic body covering 1,800 previously infected people in the city. >> Actor Robert Pattinson tested positive for COVID-19, halting The Batman production. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 5) The engineering technology the Environment Department claimed it used in the overlaying of white sand on the shores of Manila Bay is very costly and natural alternatives should have been used instead, a geologist says. Geologist and University of the Philippines professor Mahar Lagmay said that going the natural way in solving environmental problems is always the better option, especially during these times. Tayo ay nasa panahon ng COVID at ang pera ay kakarampot at mas kinakailangan dun sa mga talagang... Katulad ng mga frontliners o kaya dun sa mga bagay na mas magandang paglaanan, Lagmay said. [Translation: We are in the middle of COVID and money is scarce and much more needed by frontliners or other things that require immediate help.] Lagmay added that the coastal engineering measures for the rehabilitation project will prove too costly, as the sand will eventually have to be continually replaced and replenished. Yung mga ganyang mga projects kapag coastal erosion. Nangyayari itong beach nourishment sa ibang bansa, it has proven very costly, he said in a CNN Philippines interview on Saturday. [Translation: Projects like that tend to be vulnerable to soil erosion. Beach nourishment is being done in other countries and it has proven very costly.] Some groups have criticized the departments emphasis on aesthetic enhancement and not on addressing critical environmental concerns plaguing the Manila Bay. Asserting that the situation along the India-China border has been "very nasty" and the Chinese are "going at it" much more strongly, US President Donald Trump said he would love to get involved and help. "While we're at it, we're talking about China and India are going at it pretty good on the border, as you know. It's been very nasty," Trump told reporters on Friday evening at a White House news conference. Trump reiterated that he is talking to both India and China about the situation. And we stand ready to help with respect to China and India. If we can do anything, we would love to get involved and help. And we are talking to both countries about that," he said. When asked if China is bullying India, he said that he hoped it is not the case but noted that China is "certainly going at it". I hope not... But they (China) are certainly going at it. They are going at it much more strongly than a lot of people even understand," Trump said in response to a question. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics MBABANE Angry community members held hostage police who were travelling in two vans while demanding justice on three suspected cattle rustlers at Malutha, outside Bhunya. The community demanded the release of the three suspects who had been allegedly apprehended by Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF) border patrols while driving a herd of cattle along the borderline. However, when the police arrived, the crowd was still busy interrogating the suspects, while demanding to know more about their cattle rustling ring. The police from the Bhunya Police Station managed to bundle the suspects in the van but not without difficulty as the crowd pushed and shoved to have them released for jungle interrogation. The crowd barricaded the dusty road and declined to give way to the police vehicle until their demands had been met. Crowds had also encircled the police vehicles ensuring that they not move. There were two police officers in one van and four in the other, which was a double cab. Screaming A video clip shown to Eswatini News, shows a crowd screaming at the police to bring the suspects back. Asikacedzi, We are not done with them! the crowd shouts. The video also shows the residents of about 100 men, women and children blocking the way for the police, while a soldier who is visibly not in possession of a gun is seen pleading with the crowd to allow the police to pass through. It was revealed that a herd of 17 cattle was also recovered when the army apprehended the suspects. A source who was at the scene alleged that the police were manhandled by the irate crowd. They were only saved by the intervention of the border patrols who pleaded with the crowd to let the law take its course and allow the police to go, said a resident who declined to be named for personal safety. It was said that one of the suspects was taken to the Mankayane Government Hospital where he later disappeared, while the two were taken to the Bhunya Police Station where they were formally charged with the possession of stolen livestock. Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati confirmed that one of the suspects had escaped from hospital and that the two were charged and would appear before a magistrates court soon. Charges At the time that the suspect escaped, he was just a person of interest to the police as no charges had been laid against him. Meanwhile, Vilakati said people must allow the law to take its course. Meanwhile, UEDF Public Relations Officer Lieutenant Tengetile Khumalo confirmed having received an operational report on the incident. Members of the UEDF in that particular area, while on operational duty, managed to apprehend alleged cattle rustlers. Shots were fired by members of the Defence Force as deterrence and measure to apprehend the suspects. The livestock was handed back to the rightful owners and the culprits were conveyed to the Bhunya Police Station, she said. Khumalo also said allegations made by some residents to the effect that one of the suspects was shot during the arrests were untrue as no casualties were reported to the army. Meanwhile, a source from the area who recounted the incident said the soldiers had intercepted the three driving the cattle across the border and fired gunshots to stop them. He also alleged that one of the suspects had been wounded and had disappeared on the South African side of the border. The soldiers based at Mafutseni Army Base brought the men to their camp to wait for the police. Along the way, a crowd started forming and wanted answers from the men, he said. Another video clip of one of the suspects was shown to Eswatini News, wherein the suspect was interrogated for the alleged crimes and ordered to name his accomplices. He confessed to have stolen some horses from a Simelane homestead at Mhlabanyoni and further gave the interrogators names of his accomplices, which may not be mentioned for now pending police investigations. He then said he was a resident of Stafford. The source disclosed to this newspaper that during interrogation, the man alleged that their buyers were based in Mayflower, Mpumalanga. He said several families had lost livestock though the rustlers who drove them across the border and then into a certain mountain where they were then ferried by a truck to buyers. Gripe Our gripe is that whenever we call the police they do not do justice in their investigation. This is why we wanted them to tell us all the information so we can go and fetch our livestock from these buyers, he said. He said his estimate was that the community loses at least 1 000 cattle per year to the thieves. He said what enraged the residents was that the wife of one of the suspects is alleged to have gone around bragging that her husband would be released because there is no evidence of his involvement in the crime. That is what further infuriated the crowd because families have lost a lot of wealth to the rustlers. Meanwhile, this newspaper has documented the theft of two herds of cattle within the same area last year, where suspects managed to outpace members of the Malutha Community Police and disappeared into the thick bushes on the South African side. In their performance report for July to September last year, the REPS reported that cattle and goats valued at E616 000 were stolen within three months in the country. Of these, 26 were recovered in South Africa while 106 were recovered in Eswatini. Said the report: Police records reflect that rural livestock farmers are the most affected and cattle remains the prime target for stock theft. The telecom sector faces a number of hurdles, though efforts continue to be made to address them with financial support from the government as well as the World Bank and European Investment Bank. Sydney, Sept. 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Just released, this edition of Paul Budde Communications focus report on Mauritania outlines the major developments and key aspects in the telecoms markets. Read the full report: https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Mauritania-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses Mauritanias small population and low economic output has limited the countrys ability to develop sustained growth. There are also practical challenges relating to transparency and tax burdens which have hindered foreign investment. The telecom sector similarly faces a number of hurdles, though efforts continue to be made to address them with financial support from the government as well as the World Bank and European Investment Bank. These efforts have been focussed on implementing appropriate regulatory measures and promoting the further penetration of fixed-line broadband services by improving the national backbone network, ensuring connectivity to international telecom cables, and facilitating operator access to infrastructure. Much progress has been made to improve internet bandwidth capacity, including the completion of a cable link at the border with Algeria, while by early 2021 the country will also be connected to the EllaLink submarine cable. Mauritel maintains a virtual monopoly in the fixed-line sector, and there is little stimulus for new market entrants. Penetration of fixed telephony and broadband penetration is very low and is expected to remain so in coming years, though growth is anticipated following improvements to backbone infrastructure and the reduction in access pricing. Most voice and data services are carried over the mobile networks maintained by Mauritel, Mattel and Chinguitel though all three have repeatedly fallen short in their quality of service, despite fines being imposed (twice in 2020 alone). This represents a significant challenge, given the importance of mobile networks for basic telecom services. Story continues Population penetration of 3G is relatively high, though developments in LTE have been stalled repeatedly following a succession of failed licence auctions. The regulator continues to pursue it plans, issuing a renewed tender in August 2020. In the meantime, mobile broadband access speeds are low, placing a brake on the potential for mobile commerce and related applications. BuddeComm notes that the outbreak of the Coronavirus in 2020 is having a significant impact on production and supply chains globally. During the coming year the telecoms sector to various degrees is likely to experience a downturn in mobile device production, while it may also be difficult for network operators to manage workflows when maintaining and upgrading existing infrastructure. Overall progress towards 5G may be postponed or slowed down in some countries. On the consumer side, spending on telecoms services and devices is under pressure from the financial effect of large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes. However, the crucial nature of telecom services, both for general communication as well as a tool for home-working, will offset such pressures. In many markets the net effect should be a steady though reduced increased in subscriber growth. Although it is challenging to predict and interpret the long-term impacts of the crisis as it develops, these have been acknowledged in the industry forecasts contained in this report. The report also covers the responses of the telecom operators as well as government agencies and regulators as they react to the crisis to ensure that citizens can continue to make optimum use of telecom services. This can be reflected in subsidy schemes and the promotion of tele-health and tele-education, among other solutions. Key Developments: Some 1,600km of new fibre backbone network laid as part of a WARCIP funded project; Regulator concludes LTE auction with no acceptable bids made, issues another tender; Mauritania improves international bandwidth through connection to the EllaLink submarine cable system; MNOs fined twice in 2020 for poor QoS; Chinguitel introduces improved billing system; Digital High Council named to develop Digital Strategy for Mauritania; Mauritania joins regional free roaming initiatives; Mattel secures satellite backhaul connectivity for remote areas; Report update includes ITU data for 2019, operator data for Q1 2020, assessment of the global impact of COVID-19 on the telecoms sector, recent market developments. Companies mentioned in this report: Mauritel, Mattel, Chinguitel, Sudatel, Expresso Telecom, Tunisie Telecom. Read the full report: https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Mauritania-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses CONTACT: Nicolas Bombourg nbombourg@budde.com.au Europe Office +44 207 097 1241 Oceania Office +61 280 767 665 Former President John Dramani Mahama has admonished President Akufo-Addo to control his temperament in public in order to be seen as a good leader. Speaking in an interview on TV XYZ, the flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress, (NDC) said the president has no right to be angry over a description of some members of his government as Akyem Sakawa boys after he consistently described former presidents with unprintable words when he was in opposition. President Akufo-Addo has lost the right to complain a long time ago, he was the opposition leader who called presidents before him anything you can imagine, including professor Do little and then he described somebody as simpa panyin. He is the president who has called his critics naysayers, professional Jeremiah's, I dont understand what standard he can be offended at this time because he has precedence. I think that temperaments in leadership is very important and there are many things a president must attend to and you must not appear in public to have lost your cool and I think he should maintain his temperament to come across as a good leader, Mr Mahama said. His comments come after President Akufo-Addo complained to Catholic Bishops at a meeting at the Jubilee House after Mr Mahama shared an article by lawmaker Isaac Adongo which used the labelling Akyem Sakawa Boys for some individuals in government. Archbishop, this name-calling seems to be a feature of Ghanaian public life. But sometimes, when things come out, we would hope that you will comment on them. The comment made by my opponent, Akyem Sakawa people, I have not heard any public figure, independent person, yourselves, comment on it. It is completely unacceptable. If I were to get up to make comments about Northerners or Gonjas, you can imagine the uproar that would be in the country. Presidential candidate, a former President of Ghana, you can call a group of Ghanaians sakawa people, and it involves the group for which the sitting President comes, and that statement goes without comment, and at the same time we hear all these statements, let all try and bring the politics of insults to an end, the President bemoaned. ---Starrfm.com McClellan also was identified as the person who burglarized and looted a business on Aug. 11, police said. He was scheduled to appear at a bail hearing Saturday. PR Newswire Aucnet Inc. (hereinafter "Aucnet"), based in Tokyo, Japan, announced that it has joined the Mobility Open Blockchain Initiative (hereinafter "MOBI") headquartered in Los Angeles in the U.S. state of California, a global nonprofit consortium that develops blockchain-based technologies and standards for next-generation mobility. Through its participation in MOBI, Aucnet seeks to contribute to a sustainable society by developing circular distribution platforms for electric vehicles (EVs) and their It comes as a stark and frightening realization that the Democrats are not the idiots they appear to be. Stark, because they tried to use the Steele Dossier, a folder full of ridiculous and easily debunked rumor and imaginative narrative, to at first steal an election and then, depose a president. And they are now trying to convince Americans that law and order Trump, who has decried the riots from the beginning and offered federal support to Democrat-run cities and states to stop them, is somehow now responsible for all the destruction and violence. It is obvious they think Americans are the stupid ones. It is frightening because the realization comes with an understanding that the Democrats have a many-faceted plan to steal the Presidential Election, now less than two months away. They tried everything in Trumps first term, from the aforementioned dossier to the phone call impeachment. None of it worked. Then, the disease from the despicable Chinese befell America. It was a tragedy for America but a stroke of luck for Democrats. They have used the pandemic to so frighten the nation into serial semi-permanent shutdowns intended to so immiserate Americans through the destroyed economy as to cost Trump the election. And mephitic Dems have tried to blame their intention to maintain perpetual lockdowns on Trumps mismanagement of COVID. The rioting was another fortuitous opportunity for Dems. With the coopting of the BLAME (Black, Latin, Antifa, and Minority Excluded) agenda as their own, they hoped to keep support for the rioting high enough to continue through the election, thereby allowing the Dems to use the rioters as stormtroopers at the polls in November to deny Trump voters their right to vote. Of course, they mistook sympathy for a cause as support for the violence and destruction and are only now coming to the epiphany that would seem to have obvious non-epiphany status to non-morons: People dont like their lives, families, property, and livelihoods threatened by violent anarchists who will never be pleased no how much they are given. Oh and Americans as a group are loath to surrender to outsiders breaking and burning their stuff as they prosecute bodily harm to their loved ones. And now that the polls are turning against the rioters, it may seem idiotic that the Dems are trying to blame Trump for the riotous havoc laying waste to our cities they have fomented and excused for months, if not years. Yet, it is all part of their plan. Apart from having Antifa intimidate at the polls, the Biden Campaign has hired hundreds of lawyers to supposedly prevent Trump from stealing the election, but who, in reality, are intended to muck up with legal technicalities and lawsuits what is looking more and more to be a Trump landslide. At least until they find in someones trunk or manufacture enough votes to turn the election. Republicans have always seemed remarkably flaccid in their response to these lost and found votes always being cast for the Democrat. As Angelo M. Codevilla warned: Consider the 2020 election. In July, the Democratic National Committee engaged some 600 lawyers to litigate the outcome, possibly in every state. No particular outcome of such litigations is needed to set off a systemic crisis. The existence of the litigations themselves is enough for one or more blue state governors to refuse to certify that states electors to the Electoral College, so as to prevent the college from recording a majority of votes for the winner. In case no winner could be confirmed by Januarys Inauguration Day, the 20th Amendment provides that Congress would elect the next president. Who doubts that, were Donald Trump the apparent winner, and were Congress in Democratic hands, that this would be likelier than not to happen? COVID is essential for this as well because Dems are going to maintain that since Democrats believe in science and the Chinese flu is more dangerous than ever, most Biden supporters will elect to vote by mail and with the vote totals known early on Election Day, Dems will know exactly how many votes they will need to harvest in the days succeeding the election to steal the election. In addition, look for the fabled October Surprise. For instance, the NY attorney general will probably attempt to charge Trump with some imaginary crime before election day. It is common knowledge a prosecutor can indict a ham sandwich, and there is no bigger ham than Trump -- all they need do is make the sandwich. If they have problems vote-harvesting enough votes to steal the election, Dems will, as they did in 2016, roll out media heads, celebrities, and prominent Democrats to convince members of the Electoral College not to award their votes to Trump. This time they will coerce through doxing, violence, economic intimidation, tweetstorm, and social media ostracism to impel electors to award their votes to Biden. Of course, they will facilitate illegals voting as well as people illegally voting more than once. And then, there are the Democrats strongest supporters, the dead, and the almost dead, whose ballots they will complete and deliver for them. Talk about vote harvesting Americans need to be aware of the harassment they will receive from Democratic Party paramilitary members at the polls and be prepared. Trump must have a plan in place to fight for this victory and organize a resistance to the Democrats installing Joe Biden as president. The author can be found on Twitter @williamlgensert Image: Pikist Active COVID-19 Cases at UW Rise to 47 Ahead of Labor Day Weekend The University of Wyoming reported a significant increase in cases of COVID-19 infection this week, with at least eight new cases today (Friday) and a total of 34 in the past four days. That brings the number of active cases among the UW community to 47 -- 10 students living on campus and 37 students living off campus. There are no active cases involving UW employees. New cases reported over the past two days included 12 students exhibiting symptoms of the disease and eight who were asymptomatic. Twelve more students are being monitored for symptoms and awaiting test results. The university paused its phased fall return plan after seven symptomatic students tested positive Wednesday. Some of these new cases dont appear to be connected with the two off-campus gatherings that were responsible for most of the cases earlier this week, says UW epidemiologist Brant Schumaker, who is directing the universitys testing program. That raises concerns about possible community spread, which would make it more difficult for us to come out of the pause and resume our fall return plan. Six students diagnosed with the virus are isolated in on-campus housing; the others are isolating off campus. With the new cases, the number of people in 14-day quarantine because they had been in close contact with infected individuals rose from 72 Thursday to 98 today. The total number of COVID-19 cases among UW students and employees since the pandemic began is 113. In a message to the UW community today, President Ed Seidel expresses hope for a resumption of the phased return plan but says it likely will depend upon whether students and employees adhere to the restrictions of UWs pause plan over Labor Day weekend. Im writing to let you know how crucial this weekend is for us to return to our phased return plan -- and have a chance at achieving our goal of bringing everyone back to campus Sept. 28 for eight weeks of in-person experiences. Everything we have done has one goal, and that is to be able to safely provide an in-person campus experience for the UW community, Seidel writes. For us to have a chance to come out of our pause next week, we simply cannot do things this weekend that would increase the potential for a further outbreak among our students, employees and the Laramie community. Seidel also notes that some of the students infected with the virus are experiencing serious symptoms. For those younger than people of my generation, theres a temptation to think COVID-19 isnt a big deal. But our experience of the past week at UW shows otherwise, he writes. A number of our students who were infected after attending off-campus parties are now quite ill; in fact, one of them was transported to the emergency room last night. While the hospitalized student and those in isolation and quarantine are receiving support from the university, the Dean of Students Office is conducting an inquiry into last weekends gatherings -- where COVID safety measure reportedly were not followed -- with the intent of pursuing student conduct proceedings. Students hosting or attending such gatherings will be placed on interim suspension from the university and will have their campus access temporarily restricted. Students who are placed on interim suspension may not attend classes until their student conduct cases are resolved. Additionally, all students involved who attend these gatherings will be referred to the Dean of Students Office for conduct proceedings. Possible conduct outcomes include probation, suspension and dismissal from the university. The COVID contingency plan previously approved by UWs Board of Trustees directs that five or more positive tests of symptomatic individuals among UW students and employees in Laramie in a single day would prompt a pause of five business days. By the end of that period Sept. 9, Seidel will determine next steps, such as returning to the phased fall return plan or shifting to a fully virtual environment. UWs fall semester classes began Aug. 24 with online course delivery under the universitys phased return plan. More information about the pause is available at www.uwyo.edu/campus-return, which is being updated as information becomes available. During the pause, the university plans to provide daily email updates on the latest developments. Those with questions may also call 307-766-COVD (2683) or email COVID19@uwyo.edu. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 5 By Nargiz Sadikhova - Trend: The value of trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Denmark amounted to $42.9 million over 1H2020, compared to $31.6 million during the same period of 2019, Trend reports with reference to Kazakhstans Statistics Committee. The share of Denmark in the total value of Kazakhstans trade turnover stood at 0.1 percent during the reporting period compared to 0.06 percent during the same period of 2019. Kazakhstans export to Denmark amounted to $10.08 million over the period from January through June 2020, compared to $8.2 million during the same period of 2019. Denmarks share in the total volume of Kazakhstans export also amounted to 0.03 percent during the reporting period of 2020 compared to 0.02 percent during the same period of 2019. In turn, Kazakhstans imports from Denmark stood at about $32.8 million over the reporting period, compared to $23.4 million during the same period of 2019. Denmarks share in the total volume of Kazakhstans import amounted to 0.2 percent during the reporting period of 2020 compared to 0.1 percent during the same period of 2019. The total volume of Kazakhstans trade turnover amounted to $42.5 billion over the period from Jan. through June 2020 which indicates a decrease from $46.1 billion during the same period of 2019. Kazakhstans export amounted to $26 billion during the reporting period of 2020 ($28.6 billion in the same period of 2019), whereas imports amounted to $16.5 billion ($17.5 billion in 2019). --- Follow the author on twitter: @nargiz_sadikh Employment Development Department Logo View Photo Sonora, CA Concerns are growing about possible widespread fraud at Californias unemployment agency and an emergency audit has been approved. Citizens have reported finding unsolicited letters, some even with debit cards inside, from the agency in their mailboxes. Republican Assemblyman Jim Patterson of Fresno is shining a light on the issue, People all over the state are being sent debit cards and social security numbers that do not belong to them. We are finding instances of thousands of dollars taken by fraud from individuals accounts. Another concern, the U.S. Department of Labor reported that last week the state processed more than 405,000 pandemic unemployment assistance claims, accounting for more than half of all claims filed in the country. Patterson criticizes, Im not going to make the claim that the EDD is an inside job, but Im getting close. Weve got to find out whether the ring is inside or outside. The agency says it is developing methods to stop and prevent fraudulent claims from being paid. Meanwhile, the Joint Legislative Audit Committee approved an emergency audit of the states unemployment agency, including an analysis of claims that are approved, denied, pending, and backlogged. Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the EDD has paid $76.9 billion in unemployment benefits, processing more than 11.9 million claims. On Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom admitted that he is concerned about fraud in this space and that the state is working with local and federal authorities. He added, It is a top priority for all of us. More than 63,000 New Brunswick residents headed to the polls Saturday for the first of two days of advance voting, according to Elections New Brunswick. In the last provincial election in 2018, just over 43,500 electors voted on the first day of advance polls. Paul Harpelle, a communications officer with Elections New Brunswick, attributed the spike to good weather and the organization's Vote Early, Vote Safely campaign "to flatten the election curve." Voters will have another chance to cast ballots on Tuesday between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m., in advance of the Sept. 14 provincial election. Gary Moore/CBC New Brunswick is the first province in Canada to head to the polls since the COVID-19 pandemic hit in mid-March. Elections NB is encouraging people to vote early or vote by mail to avoid long lines at the polls on election day, and to help prevent the potential spread of COVID-19. Janice Beers and her husband seized the opportunity to vote early on Saturday in the riding of New Maryland-Sunbury. "We just thought it would be less contact with more people ... so we thought maybe advance poll would be the best choice," she said. Gary Moore/CBC Workers greet voters at that door to polling stations and run through the typical list of public health questions. The volunteers offer masks, but they are not required. Voters need to keep a proper physical distance and follow direction arrows once inside. Once a ballot is processed, the tablet and pen are sanitized. "It's different for sure," Beers said. "We're in our 70s and we've never had to do stuff like this before." NDP leader casts ballot, but not for himself Mackenzie Thomason, New Brunswick's NDP Leader and candidate for Fredericton North, also cast his ballot Saturday. Thomason lives in Tracy and decided to cast his ballot for the NDP candidate, Christopher Thompson, instead of voting for himself in Fredericton North. "I really wanted to make sure that people understood that I am committed to my community, not only the one that I'm running in and that I work in, but also the one that I live in as well," said Thomason. Story continues Gary Moore/CBC Since he's already cast his ballot, Thomason will spend election day encouraging his supporters to get out and vote. Thomason commended Elections NB for setting up polling on such a short timeline. He said he felt safe inside the polling station. "I think the setup is quite well done." A Do Not Consume notice has been issued for all customers on the Kirakee Public Water Supply. Stock image A Do Not Consume notice has been issued for all customers on the Kirakee Public Water Supply. The notice was issued last Tuesday following discussions between the HSE and Irish Water, working in partnership with Wicklow County Council. The notice was issued after the flooding of the water treatment plant and a raw water borehole caused by heavy rainfall and the subsequent flooding of the Avonbeg River, resulting in the contamination of the drinking water from the plant. The water treatment plant has now been shut down temporarily, therefore this Do Not Consume notice applies to any water remaining in the network at this time. The 90 people on the Kirakee public water supply will be impacted by a water outage while works are carried out at the plant. It is especially important that mains drinking water is not given to bottle fed infants. This is not a boil water notice so Kirakee residents are warned that boiling the water is not a suitable measure to make the water safe to consume. Irish Water and Wicklow County Council have mobilised water tankers which were available at Kirakee community hall and Ballinacor Community Park this evening. Irish Water's drinking water compliance and operational experts are working with colleagues in the Wicklow County Council to resolve this situation as soon as possible. The water from the Kirakee supply should not be used for drinking, drinks made with water, the washing or cooking of food, brushing of teeth or the making of ice. This water should not be used for making up infant formula for bottled fed infants. An alternative source of water should be used. Bottled water can also be used to make up infant formula. All bottled water, with the exception of natural mineral water, is regulated to the same standard as drinking water. It is best not to use bottled water labelled as 'Natural Mineral Water' as it can have high levels of sodium (salt) and other minerals, although it rarely does. 'Natural Mineral Water' can be used if no other water is available, for as short a time as possible, as it is important to keep babies hydrated. The water can be used for personal hygiene and laundry. Donald Trump salutes as he arrives at West Point Military Academy (AFP via Getty Images) President Donald Trump has called for the firing of Fox News' security correspondent after she backed a bombshell report alleged he branded dead US soldiers "suckers" and "losers". The right-wing news channel, which is broadly supportive of the president, spent much of Friday morning attacking the initial exclusive by The Atlantic, particularly its use of unnamed sources. But later the same day, Jennifer Griffin confirmed much of the reporting about Mr Trump's apparent disdain for veterans. In a lengthy Twitter thread, Ms Griffin said former Trump administration officials had confirmed Mr Trump "disparaged veterans" and did not want to drive to a cemetery in France to honour American war dead during a visit to Paris in 2018. When the President spoke about the Vietnam War, he said, 'It was a stupid war. Anyone who went was a sucker'," Ms Griffin said a former official told her. She added: "I read the source a few quotes from The Atlantic article. This former Trump admin official said, 'The President would say things like that. He doesn't know why people join the military. He would muse, "Why do they do it"?'" According to The Atlantic, Mr Trump told aides he did not want to visit the Aisne-Marne American Cemetary because it was "filled with losers". According to one former senior Trump administration official: "When the President spoke about the Vietnam War, he said, 'It was a stupid war. Anyone who went was a sucker'." Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) September 4, 2020 It was reported at the time that the trip was cancelled because his helicopter was unable fly in the rain that day and Secret Service was unable to take him to the cemetery. Another incident from the same trip involved Mr Trump allegedly calling the Marines who died at Belleau Wood, one of the toughest battles for the Marines during the First World War, suckers. Story continues Other allegations in the report include Mr Trump asking his then-secretary of homeland security, General John Kelly, why his son, 1st Lieutenent Robert Kelly, had bothered to sacrifice his life by joining the military. "I don't get it. What was in it for them?," Mr Trump is said to have told General Kelly in 2017 while stood next to his son's grave in Arlington Cemetery, Virginia. Mr Trump has vehemently denied the reports, and the White House on Friday summoned a host of Trump allies to defend the president against the allegations. The Atlantic Magazine is dying, like most magazines, so they make up a fake story in order to gain some relevance. Story already refuted, but this is what we are up against. Just like the Fake Dossier. You fight and and fight, and then people realize it was a total fraud! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 4, 2020 "The Atlantic Magazine is dying, like most magazines, so they make up a fake story in order to gain some relevance," Mr Trump tweeted on Friday, providing no evidence for his claim the magazine is struggling financially. He later attacked Fox News over its coverage, called for Ms Griffin's firing, and suggested General Kelly himself could have been an anonymous source quoted in The Atlantic. Read more Biden condemns 'deplorable' comments mocking veterans Trump says Kelly may have been source for bombshell Atlantic article Trump's new re-election strategy is especially dark KYODO NEWS - Sep 5, 2020 - 15:06 | All, Coronavirus, Japan With the increasing popularity of Japanese cuisine overseas, Japan's exports of farmed yellowtail had been rising -- but then the novel coronavirus pandemic struck and it remains to be seen if they will recover. Those in the industry hope that with demand from Japanese restaurants abroad dropping, the key will be whether yellowtail farmers can expand sales directly to individual households. Yellowtail is one of the most popular fish in Japan, where it is often broiled with soy sauce while also being used for sushi and sashimi. It is also a prime example of the kind of export seen by the Japanese government as having great promise because of the boom in Japanese food overseas. The fish ranked seventh last year in terms of value among Japan's exports of agriculture and fisheries products. Yellowtail exports totaled 22.9 billion yen ($216 million) in 2019, jumping 45.4 percent from a year earlier and more than fourfold from 5.5 billion yen in 2009, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Waters off Miyazaki Prefecture have been a major farming area for yellowtail as they are rich in nutrients carried there by the Kuroshio Current, also known as the Black or Japan Current, running off the country's southern coastline. "Yellowtail are at their best in winter, but we can ship them in summer as well," said Hiroto Kubota, sales planning assistant manager at Kurose Suisan Co., suggesting the fish can fetch a higher price in summer than in winter. The fish farming company in Kushima in the southwestern Japan prefecture, which unloaded a total of about 2,000 yellowtail in early July, said it takes about two years to grow fish in cages in seawater. Just like Kurose Suisan, other fishing companies and cooperatives have been making every effort to boost yellowtail exports. Azuma-Cho Fishery Cooperative in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, has introduced a traceability system and now exports yellowtail to about 30 countries and territories. The cooperative started exporting to the European Union in 2003, five years after the group obtained Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point certification, an international standard for food hygiene management known as HACCP, becoming the first Japanese fish farm to do so. Similarly, Ehime Prefectural Fisheries Cooperative has developed a yellowtail brand that it ships to South Korea, the United States and other markets. However, those in the fishing industry say the virus pandemic has reduced exports, caused stock to pile up and led to a sharp fall in prices. In a bid to spur demand in overseas markets, some companies have been stepping up efforts to strengthen sales of frozen yellowtail products mainly targeted at households in foreign countries. "We could ship more product if consumption of yellowtail grows in overseas households," said an official at Hyoshoku Co., a fishing company in Tsukumi, Oita Prefecture in southwestern Japan. "We mainly export fresh fish now, but we may need to consider further investment in facilities so we can expand the shipment of frozen products." Related coverage: Japan to draw map of marine plastic pollution with help from G-20 Dolphin "drive-hunting" starts in western Japan whaling town External Affairs Minister on Friday urged full support of in reforming the (UNSC) as an exercise in collective faith in meaningful multilateralism. He made the comments during a virtual meeting of the Foreign Ministers convened by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday. "Thank Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for convening the Foreign Ministers' Meeting today. Positively assessed the progress made during the Russian Chair, especially in counter-terrorism, economic cooperation, ICTs and people-to-people contacts," Jaishankar tweeted. He said, "Exchanged views on the situation and regional hotspots including Afghanistan and West Asia. Urged full support of BRICS in reforming UNSC as an exercise in our collective faith in meaningful multilateralism." The BRICS ministers acknowledged the joint statement by BRICS Trade Ministers on Multilateral Trading System and the World Trade Organisation (WTO) reform on July 23 and reaffirmed their support for a transparent, open, inclusive and non-discriminatory rules-based multilateral trading system, as embodied in the WTO, according to a joint statement. "They reiterated the importance of WTO reform and emphasised the central role of the WTO in promoting predictability, stability, and legal certainty for trade. The ministers stressed the value of cooperation between states, both bilaterally and multilaterally," it said. The ministers expressed their support for continuing the diplomatic negotiations in bilateral and multilateral formats to resolve all issues pertaining to the Korean Peninsula, including its denuclearisation, and maintain peace and stability in North-East Asia. "They reaffirmed the commitment for a peaceful, diplomatic and political solution to the situation," the statement further 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.) Flash China on Friday expressed its concern for the possible impact of a huge shortfall in contributed assessments on the United Nations' normal work, vowing to continue fulfilling its due fiscal obligations to the UN as a developing country. In a letter addressed to member states, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the organization is faced with severe financial difficulties, with overdue contributions amounting to 1.52 billion U.S. dollars. He called on member states to pay their assessed contributions on time and in full to support the UN in accomplishing its work this year. Responding to a query about the remarks, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said China, as the second-largest contributor to the UN, has been fully implementing its fiscal obligations to the organization and paid this year's contribution in full, showing its support for the UN through concrete actions. "We will continue to earnestly fulfill the due fiscal obligations to the UN as a developing country," the spokesperson said at a daily press briefing. "China pays high attention to the current financial distress the UN is experiencing, and expresses concerns for the possible impact of the huge shortfall in assessed contributions on the UN's normal operations," said Hua. Hua pointed out that the United States, as the No.1 country in terms of defaulting on membership fees to the UN, has long been delaying payment, with the amount overdue accounting for more than two thirds of the total, which is the main reason that has led to the UN's financial difficulties. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the UN's founding. Hua said that upholding multilateralism, safeguarding the UN's core role in international affairs, and jointly responding to global challenges through united cooperation conform with the common interests of all parties. "China is ready to work with all countries to actively support the UN's work and jointly advance the UN's bigger role in promoting world peace and development," Hua added. The nostalgia of pressure cooker dishes The pressure cooker, ubiquitous in homes and restaurants, became critically important during the pandemic for whipping up quick one-pot meals, broths and cakes It was in the 1940s-50s that several indigenous brands of pressure cookersbe it Rukmani, Icmic or Santoshfirst started making their way into Indian kitchens. They were joined in later years by the likes of Prestige and Hawkins. The convenience they offer has ensured pressure cookers remain a kitchen essential, and the pandemic has just driven home their importance in our lives. The arrival of gas stoves was followed by that of the cookers, says Hemant Oberoi, chef and owner at the Hemant Oberoi Restaurant. The cooker was first invented in France in 1679 by physicist Denis Papin. This contraption then spread across the globe, and inspired indigenous versions in India. advertisement advertisement For some of us, the day continues to be punctuated by the urgent whistle of the pressure cooker in the background. In fact, ours is the only country where cooker whistles are counted, laughs Oberoi, who cooks kabuli chana and rajma in the pressure cooker at home to get that soft texture. As times changed, newer gadgets found space in kitchensbut the cooker held its own. It comes to many as a shock that the widespread use of the cooker is fairly recent, starting in the 1960s, because it feels like it has been in our lives forever, says Shubhra Chatterji, culinary researcher and director of award-winning shows such as Chakh Le India and Lost Recipes. advertisement advertisement Military Hotel style chicken kothu parotta at O Pedro And now, during the pandemic, when people are working all the time, managing household chores and work deadlines, the cooker has become critically important to whipping up one-pot meals, broths, cakes and more. People who had relinquished the cooker in favour of ovens and other gadgets have suddenly realized just how convenient it is during covid-19. If you think of it, the Western concept of one-pot meals has always been done in Indian households using the cooker, says culinary consultant and food writer Roxanne Bamboat. Home cooks are now just putting lentils and veggies, or meat with assorted ingredients, in one vessel and moving on to other chores while the cooker does its job. Bamboat loves doing rice dishes, such as masoor pulao with vegetables, in the cooker these days. Spinach, an ingredient she abhors as a stand-alone dish, goes into mishmash recipes. advertisement advertisement Soumitra Velkar, a food enthusiast and caterer who regularly whips up Pathare Prabhu feasts in Mumbai, swears by a pressure cooker biryani. You put everything in a pot, give it a couple of seetis and its done. The rice is a little softer than regular but the trade-off makes up for it. With no help in the house, its very difficult to make it the traditional way and then wash three-four big vessels, he says. Meatparticularly muttonis now pressure-cooked instead of being braised and slow-cooked. Dhansak, a Parsi dish, or any meat curry acquires a wonderfully intense jus when made in the cooker, says Bamboat. advertisement advertisement Newer avatars of this kitchen fixture are now hitting the market. Electric pressure cookers will now take over. Almost every brand is coming up with one, says chef Ranveer Brar. Some innovations, such as the silent cooker, however, do leave one yearning for the cookers of childhood, with their eight loud whistles. Chefs tend to get nostalgic about recipes from their childhood that would find favour today. Certain things in my childhood were made only in the cooker, such as the tahiri. When there was some function in the house or everyone was in a hurry of some sort, then gobhi, aloo, matar and rice were put together to make the tahiri, says Manish Mehrotra, corporate chef, Indian Accent, New Delhi and New York. advertisement advertisement Hussain Shahzad, executive chef at O Pedro, Mumbai, recalls that at his Bohri Muslim home in Chennai, dishes that required longer cooking time, such as mutton for the biryani, were sometimes made in the cooker. At home you cant replicate the 12-hour-long procedure of meat being cooked overnight, he says. The working of the cooker still psyches him out: the vessel takes the temperature at least 20 degrees above the boiling point of water. That rise in temperature cuts cooking time by at least 30 percent. For Brar, the best memories are of the booklet of recipes that would come with a new pressure cooker. The image on the cover was always that of stuffed tomatoes. It had become synonymous with the opening of a new box of pressure cooker, he says. Brar calls them the original microwaves, having shortened cooking time and helping people multitask. Over time, homemakers began to take pride in giving biryani the perfect dum in the cooker. His friends from Muslim families in old Lucknow perfected the technique. Even now there is this perpetual quest to perfect cakes and cookies in the cooker, adds Brar. in fact, one of the most popular recipes on his YouTube channel is that of the cooker cake. advertisement advertisement For chef Regi Mathew, co-owner, Kappa Chakka Kandhari (Chennai and Bengaluru), the pressure cooker was a saviour 25 years ago, when he was sharing an apartment with three colleagues and didnt have too many cooking utensils. It continues to be the go-to kitchen item for many bachelors even today. Later, when I got married, we would make puttu in an innovative way, says Mathew. A hole would be drilled in half a coconut shell and rice flour put in it. This would be put on the nozzle of the pressure cooker. Inside the cooker, there would be dal or meat or veggies. The steam would pass through the nozzle, cooking the Chiratta puttu outside and the kadala curry within at the same time a trick that would come in handy for sure even today. advertisement advertisement If one travels across the country, one will observe rather novel ways of using the cooker. In most rural areas around the country, wherever woodfire is used for cooking, Chatterji has noticed a mud pack, or lep, being applied on the cooker to ensure that it doesnt blacken. This also regulates the temperature. She recalls another anecdote from when she was in a fishing village in Mangalore for an episode of Chakh Le India, when a lady cooked prawns in a cooker, while giving it three whistles. Our mouths fell open. The prawn was not overcooked, but beautiful and juicy. All the concepts of cooking seafood were flushed down the drain, she laughs. advertisement advertisement Pressure cookers have made their presence felt in restaurant kitchens as well. Indian Accent, with its focus on nostalgia, started using small pressure cookers to serve sorbet in 2010. It is the most important equipment in the Indian kitchen. Earlier, chefs would turn up their noses at this household item but now its used across as it is convenient, clean and energy-saving, says Mehrotra, who uses the pressure cookers at his restaurants in Delhi and New York. At O Pedro, too, the kitchen boasts of big pressure cookers, at least 20 litres in capacity. These are used to make flavourful stocks and broths. In fact, one of the dishes from the special Tamil Nadu and Kerala menu, on offer from 3 September, features a Military Hotel style chicken kothu parotta, a spicy chicken coconut curry with scrambled egg and crunchy parotta, served with onion pachadi. I learnt a trick from a home chef. Chicken legs, necks and bones are cooked in the cooker for maximum extraction of flavour, says Shahzad. Tarun Sibal, chef and entrepreneur who owns Titlie, Street Storyss and One Fine Meal, often serves the quick fix teen seeti mutton kaleji prepared by his grandmother at Titlie. Normally, half a day would be spent making this dish in an iron kadhai, but the same result would be achieved in her cooker. This is a pressure cooked pot of goodness, he says. Even though a lot of chefs like Brar personally prefer the slow cooked method, they cant fathom life without that seeti of the cooker. It has too many connections. You can find it across the country, from fauji households like the one I grew up in, where it was used for steaming cabbage rolls and dhokla, to any basic kitchen, says Brar. Pressure cooker mutton kaleji by chef Tarun Sibal Pressure Cooker Mutton Kaleji By Chef Tarun Sibal Ingredients: 5 tbsp ghee 1/2 tsp cumin seeds 1/2 tsp peppercorn 2 black cardamoms 2 cloves chopped 1 tbsp ginger chopped 1.5 tsp garam masala 1 tbsp coriander powder 1 tbsp deghi mirch 1 tsp turmeric 1.5 cup onion (sliced) 2 cloves garlic (smashed) 2 green chillies (sliced) 300 gm goat leg (boneless) 150 kaleji (cut into cubes) 1 cup tomato (diced) Salt (to taste) Coriander (for garnish) Whole fried red chilies (for garnish) Method: Heat ghee in a pressure cooker. Add whole spices. As they sputter, stir in garlic, ginger and green chillies . Cook for 20-25 seconds. Add the onions and turn the heat to medium. Cook for 8-10 minutes until the onions begin to turn golden. Add the goat meat and kaleji. Sear the meat, add powdered spices and cook, while adding a dash of water. Once the mix starts leaving oil, add the tomatoes and mix well. Tighten the lid of the pressure cooker. Cook for up to 3 whistles (approximately 20 minutes) or until the meat is cooked through. Turn off the heat. Let the pressure settle in before opening the lid. Turn the heat on and cook off any extra liquid, if you like. Garnish with coriander and fried chillies. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.-- Police responded to the scene of a shooting in Clifton on Friday. Police received the call about a shooting at around 1:55 p.m. on the 200 block of Park Hill Avenue, according to emergency radio transmissions. According to an NYPD spokesperson, preliminary information indicates that two males approached the apartment building on scooters and waived a gun and pulled the trigger, striking an apartment window two times. Police officers on scene roped off the entrance to the building and several police officers could be scene entering and leaving the building with what appeared to be evidence-gathering equipment. A bystander who arrived shortly after the shots were fired said the cops were quick to enter the building. They came fast and serious,' said the woman, who wished not to be named. I dont know whats going on lately. Theres so many shootings. Its like when I was a kid. Im moving to Jersey. Its cheaper and safer. According to the NYPD spokesman, there were no injuries sustained and no arrests have been made. The investigation is ongoing and more information will be posted as it becomes available. Fears are growing that the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) are morphing into narco terrorism - Twitter Mexico's fastest growing drug cartel has developed drones laden with C4 explosives in the latest sign the country is losing control of an escalating cartel warfare. Fears are growing that the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) are morphing into narco terrorism as Mexico deals with a bloody battle for territory and drug supply routes into the US. Mexicos General Attorneys Office reported finding drones and the components needed to weaponise them during a search and seizure operation, and is now pursuing terrorism charges against the fast rising CJNG. CJNG split off from the Sinaloa Cartel, belonging to now-US prisoner Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, around 2010, and today it has expanded its territorial control over nearly the entire country in an escalating wave of violence with rival organisations. While both Mexico and the United States have actively arrested and extradited hundreds of cartel members and leaders, over the years the strategy has only caused cartels to fragment and regroup in new, often more violent, organisations. El Chapo, who famously broke out of prison twice, on Saturday appealed against his life sentence handed down a year ago by a US court for trafficking hundreds of tons of narcotics into the country. The end of El Chapo far from spelled the end of cartel violence in Mexico. A drone with a bomb taped to it, recovered by Mexican Federal Police in 2017 Rival CJNG has arguably become the most powerful cartel in Mexico. The drones follow other innovations such as manned planes to attack rivals, submarines to smuggle drugs, as well a tendency towards very public and brazen displays of power. On a recent video that went viral, dozens of heavily armed men wearing military fatigues along with a convoy of armoured vehicles, looking more like a professional military, pledged their allegiance to the cartels leader. The video was released three weeks after a failed assassination attempt against Mexico Citys police chief (who attributed the attack to CJNG) and while President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) was visiting Jalisco. Story continues When asked by reporters about the video, AMLO insisted on keeping up with his hugs, not bullets strategy against organised crime. Soon after taking office he dismantled the Federal Police to incorporate them, along with military troops, to a new National Guard. The force would deploy over 60,000 troops to ensure public safety, but many of these troops are currently diverted to immigration enforcement duties because of pressure from President Donald Trump. AMLO has mostly moved away from the failed strategy of capturing cartel bosses, and claims poverty is what drives people towards organised crime. He has promised economic prosperity and ending corruption to stop violence, but Mexicos economy shrank a year after he took office, before the coronavirus pandemic reached the country. Recent estimates project the economy to contract over 9 per cent, with no prospects for recovery within the next four years. There has been some success. AMLOs Financial Intelligence Unit froze nearly 2000 of CJNGs bank accounts. Yet 2020 is on route to becoming Mexicos bloodiest year on record. National security expert and former intelligence officer Fabian R. Gomez, said of CJNG's drones: We might be looking at a group that could be expanding from drug-trafficking related activities into narcoterrorism to retain their power." Britain's former ambassador to the United States has attacked Boris Johnson, claiming he was partly to blame for his resignation after disparaging comments he made about President Trump were leaked. Lord Darroch has claimed the Prime Minister helped force his abrupt exit from his role as the Britains most important diplomat when he was under attack from Mr Trump. In July last year the Mail on Sunday revealed Lord Darroch, then Sir Kim Darroch, had described the President as inept, insecure and incompetent in a series of explosive memos. In secret cables and briefing notes Lord Darroch warned London that the White House was uniquely dysfunctional and that the Presidents career could end in disgrace. Lord Darroch has claimed the Prime Minister helped force his abrupt exit from his role as the Britains most important diplomat when he was under attack from Mr Trump After the leak, Mr Johnson, then running for the Conservative leadership, repeatedly refused to say that he would keep him in post during a TV debate, in contrast to his opponent Jeremy Hunt. In an interview with The Times, Lord Darroch said he later told Mr Johnson that he was in part to blame after the Prime Minister questioned why he had quit. He said: He sounded just like Boris Johnson sounds starting and then restarting sentences. Very Boris. He said: But why did you resign? Wouldnt it all have blown over after a few weeks? Lord Darroch said he later told Mr Johnson that he was in part to blame after the Prime Minister questioned why he had quit In answer to Mr Johnsons question as to whether the resignation was his fault, he told him that in part it was. It comes as Mr Trumps then national security adviser John Bolton claims the President ordered him to get Lord Darroch out of here after the comments came to light. Mr Bolton told The Daily Telegraph that after receiving the Mr Trumps instructions he rang the Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill and told him things are going to get worse unless you can figure out how to get him out. Sealing in the power View(s): My dear Gota maamey, I thought I must write to you when I saw that you had proposed a 20th Amendment to the Constitution. The details of the amendment were revealed this week and the chances are that, given the two-thirds majority that your pohottuwa party now enjoys in the new Parliament, it will see the light of day. No one can blame you for that, of course. During the recent election campaign, you and Mahinda maama - were upfront about wanting to do away with the 19th Amendment and asked for a mandate to do that. The people have now given you that mandate and you are only trying to fulfil your promise. Pardon me, Gota maamey, but there is a sense of deja vu about all this. The 20th Amendment is very similar to the 18th Amendment, except that the 18th Amendment allowed someone to run for President any number of times and the term of office of the President and Parliament was six years, not five. Gota maamey, we remember how Basil maama worked hard for the 18th Amendment 10 years ago, engineering cross-overs from the Green camp to ensure that it was passed in Parliament. The 20th Amendment too has his signature all over it, though it was said that it was young Sabry who drafted it. It is not that Basil maama has been forgotten in the 20th Amendment. It allows dual citizens to return to Parliament. So, there is no doubt Basil maama will be back before you could say Daisy aachchi and whats more, he will take over some ministries now entrusted to Mahinda mama, wont he? Whenever a government changes, they try to change the Constitution. Mahinda maama replaced the 17th Amendment with the 18th, replacing the Constitutional Council with a Parliamentary Council. Those changes were reversed with the 19th. Yet, with the 20th, the Parliamentary Council is back! You have removed civil society representatives from this Parliamentary Council. Why would you need them when we all saw how responsibly our parliamentarians can behave chairs, chillie powder and all during that infamous constitutional crisis set off by Cheerio Sirisena nearly two years ago? You have ensured that this Council has only five people with three being the PM, Speaker and the PMs nominee. That way, the majority of the ruling party is assured. After all, what is the point is having a Council if it cannot do what you want done? Even a simple task such as sacking an IGP! If you had such a Council in the previous Parliament where Mahinda maama was PM, Chamal maama was the Speaker, and Basil maama was a minister and could have been on that Council, meetings could have been held around the dinner table at Medamulana and how easy would that be? Unlike the Constitutional Council which made recommendations for appointments, this council can only send observations to you which you can ignore if you wish to. If that is their role, why do you need such a council? You can get peoples observations just by looking at a Facebook page! We see that you have also decided to do away with the limit on the number of Cabinet ministers and non-Cabinet ministers which was capped at 30 and 40 ministers respectively just when many people were praising you for appointing a trimmed down Cabinet limited to just 26 ministers. It will be more the merrier now, and given your idea to identify ministries precisely with the subjects they deal with, we may soon have a thora amathi, paraa amathi and kelawalla amathi instead of the Minister of Fisheries and maybe a gal amathi pol amathi and a Mendis Special amathi too! You have also learnt lessons from Cheerio Sirisenas attempted constitutional coup when he dissolved Parliament too soon and got slapped by the Supreme Court for doing so. Now you will be able to dissolve Parliament after one year and anyway, vacancies in the Supreme Court will be filled by you! I was intrigued by another change that has been proposed, Gota maamey - reducing the age limit to run for President from 35 to 30. Surely, Namal baby is the chosen one. He will be 35 next April. You are not taking any chances even in the short period between now and then, are you? You have also taken care to give yourself immunity from the law for anything that you do or may not do. Given the many cases you had before you ran for office, that is not surprising. This means young Sabry will lose out on some business but then, you have compensated him with a Cabinet portfolio. The 20th Amendment is perfect in making you all-powerful, Gota maamey, but I wonder whether you missed out on one tiny detail: something for Cheerio Sirisena. You have a two-thirds majority to get this approved but that is with fifteen votes from Sirisenas party and what is in it for him and them? Our experiences in tinkering with our Constitution over the past 50 years tell us that governments make changes so that it suits them when they are in power, forgetting that they may be in the opposition one day. Can you think about that too before you make all these changes, Gota maamey? Yours truly, Punchi Putha PS: There was a joke that our Constitution was amended so many times that, in libraries, it was in the periodicals section. With the 19th Amendment, it may have been moved to the fairy tales section. The 20th Amendment makes you so powerful that GR might become JR, only being unable to change a man into a woman. I hope our Constitution wont be moved to the horror stories section! Sukhbir Badal Chandigarh: Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal today urged the Lieutenant Governor of J&K to immediately restore to the Punjabi language its due status as an official language in the state. Drawing the attention of the Lt Governor to reports of the discriminatory exclusion of the Punjabi language as one of the official languages of the Jammu and Kashmir, in a letter released here this afternoon, Badal pointed out that Punjabi is not only the mother tongue of a very significant part of the people of the state but it was also a recognised language duly certified in the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir. Advertisement Sukhbir BadalStating that the SAD had always been in the forefront in the fight for justice for the mother tongue of crores of Punjabis, Badal declared that the party would not hesitate to do so in future also. The SAD president pointed out that the Punjabi language had profound religious, cultural and emotional implications for the Sikh community. As such, the exclusion of Punjabi as official language in Jammu and Kashmir is bound to be seen as an anti-minority and is certain to be seen as an anti-Sikh step of the J&K administration. Advertisement SADBadal also cautioned that decisions such as these provide dangerous propaganda ammunition to those who are always looking for such opportunities to disturb peace and communal harmony in the country, especially in the sensitive border states of Punjab and J&K." The Akali stalwart described the move as violative of the spirit that runs through every word of the Constitution of India which stands for unity in diversity. He said the move would deliver a severe blow to the idea of cooperative cultural and political federalism in the country. Advertisement Sukhbir Singh BadalHe said the Founding Fathers of the Indian Constitution were inspired by a vision of India as a multi religious, multi cultural and multi lingual nation. Respect for regional languages was seen as a significant tool for preserving and promoting this ideal. Pointing out that Punjabi language featured prominently among the officially recognised languages in the Constitution and was also the mother tongue of all Punjabis across the globe, Badal emphasized the special status of the language in Punjab and its neighbouring states such as Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan , Delhi and J&K. by Vladimir Rozanskij The Archbishop of Minsk-Mogilev gives some interviews and speaks of the crisis in his country and his priestly experience. The Belarusian people are peaceful, but they want changes. President Lukashenko was surprised by the turn of events. In forced exile in Poland, the prelate hopes to be able to return to his homeland: I feel the moral support of the Vatican authorities. The Orthodox Bishop of Grodno to the authorities: Stop, you do not act according to the Gospel! Moscow (AsiaNews) - The Metropolitan Archbishop of Minsk-Mogilev, Msgr. Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, head of the Catholic Church in forced exile in Poland, gave several interviews to comment on his situation. Abp. Kondrusiewicz spoke on Radio Svoboda with Father Jakov Krotov, a famous Russian publicist and priest of the Eastern Catholic rite. He retraced the stages of his priestly and episcopal mission, recalling his childhood in the village near Grodno, on the Belarusian border with Poland, where he was stopped by border guards on 31 August. "All the inhabitants of my village were Catholics, and even if there was no priest, we were educated in the Catholic faith by our families. They kicked me out of university because a Catholic cannot become a teacher, then I managed to graduate in engineering in Leningrad ", said the prelate. The young Belarusian student attended the only Catholic church open in the northern capital, that of Our Lady of Lourdes. Sent to Lithuania for work, Kondrusiewicz managed to enter the Catholic seminary of Kaunas, when the priests in his country had almost disappeared. Back home, he served the Church with great difficulty, until he was appointed bishop by John Paul II. The metropolitan archbishop expressed his gratitude to Lithuania, "where the Polish spirit and that of the Baltic countries were united, and prayers were also prayed in Russian. It is a motherland for the faith of all ... I speak Belarusian, Polish, Russian and Lithuanian, but when they ask me what nationality I am, I always replied: 'I am a Christian' ". Belarus is a borderland, and Kondrusiewicz considers the coexistence of various religions as one of the most characteristic features of his people: "Over 60% of the families here are mixed marriages, especially between Catholics and Orthodox, but we also have excellent relations with Protestants, Jews and Muslims. When the protests broke out in Belarus, we started reciting the Our Father every day on the internet at 6 pm, and we were joined by many non-Catholics, all over Europe. The privileged place for our joint prayer was the 'red church' of Saints Simon and Helen "(photo 2), the very church where police have been cracking down on in recent days; 'We invited everyone there, and they came! The church was full every day". Moreover, even in Russia the archbishop has always sought loving coexistence with the Orthodox and all the others. The Belarusian people, as Father Krotov recalls, are considered more peaceful than all their neighbors, and even in the demonstrations of these days we note the lack of aggression of the participants: "It is truly our characteristic, in Belarusian we are called the 'measured '(pomerkovnye), and even if blood has been shed, we want everything to take place in peace and in the desire for good, it is our Christian education that imposes it on us ", explains the metropolitan, recalling St. John Paul II, who in 2000, on the jubilee of Christianity, invited everyone to mutual forgiveness. With regard to the protests of recent days, Msgr. Kondrusiewicz notes that "the atmosphere has been growing quite intense for some years now. Now a different generation is emerging compared to 25-30 years ago, and you can see how the students are expressing themselves these days at the opening of the schools, I see it from the internet even though I can't be in Minsk. The kids want something new, they are always on the web, they travel abroad, have many friends and speak many languages, their reactions don't surprise me ". Young Belarusian Catholics, the prelate stressed, participated with great enthusiasm in the World Youth Days, and the rebirth of faith in ex-Soviet land is today entrusted to them. The Archbishop, among other things, spoke of his personal relations with Lukashenko, recalling that he seemed in favor of dialogue between religions, but even the strong man of Minsk was surprised by the turn of events: "Nobody could have imagined all of this one year ago. It is not easy to change, obviously. The metropolitan hopes that the Belarusian authorities will review the decision to ban him from entering the country, "but I'm almost 75 years old, I will soon present my letter of resignation to the pope. I'm sorry I'm not with my people, but I won't do anything to stir things up. Some reportedly go around waving my photo, but I say to them: 'Forget me, go and pray' ". Archbishop Kondrusiewicz confirmed in all the interviews that he has only one passport, the Belarusian one, and that he is confident in Vatican diplomacy, "even if in fact we are without a nuncio, the new one has not yet arrived". From Rome so far there have been no pronouncements on the case of the exiled archbishop, even though he feels all the "moral support" of the Vatican authorities. The Orthodox bishop of Grodno, Artemij Kishenko (photo 3) released a letter to the Belarusian authorities, launching an appeal for repentance: Stop! You are not acting according to the Gospel, you have raised your hands to Christ ... As the Metropolitan-martyr Philipp Philipp said to Ivan the Terrible, you are bloodthirsty!. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept.5 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: The fact that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, accepting credentials of the newly appointed ambassador of Greece, openly expressed his position, and supported Turkey, will become an example of unity in the Turkic world, Professor Naciye Selin Senocak, the head of the cultural diplomacy department at the Institute for European Studies in Brussels, told Trend on Sept.5. According to Senocak, these statements of President Ilham Aliyev once again demonstrated to the international community that Turkey and Azerbaijan are brotherly countries. "This exemplary, praiseworthy act of President Ilham Aliyev will give impetus to the strengthening of the Turkic world," she said. The professor also noted that Turkic-speaking countries can become a very important regional power in the world if they act together everywhere, following the example of Azerbaijan and Turkey. "If united in a political and economic context, in deeds, and not in words, the Turkic world (Turkic Council) can become a force with a serious position within the UN and international law," added Senocak. Statements in support of Turkey, made by President Ilham Aliyev on September 2, when accepting the credentials of the new Ambassador of Greece to Azerbaijan, Nikolaos Piperigos, were widely spread by the Turkish media outlets. Turkeys Anadolu and IHA agencies, TRT HABER, CNN TURK, A HABER, TGRT HABER TV channels, newspapers Milliyet, Hurriyet, Sozcu, Takvim, Star, and others made publications on this topic with major entitlements, including "Support for Turkey from President Aliyev of Azerbaijan", "Azerbaijan's support to Turkey on the Eastern Mediterranean: we support without hesitation!", President Aliyev said to Greek ambassadors face: we support Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean without any hesitation". The publications were also entitled as "Gratitude of Minister Cavusoglu to President of Azerbaijan Aliyev in connection with the Eastern Mediterranean", "Message of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev regarding the Eastern Mediterranean: we support Turkey with no hesitation." --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu India not only took the bold and timely step of imposing a lockdown to save the lives of 1.3 billion people from Covid-19 but also took care of the economic issues faced by the people in this difficult time, said Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president JP Nadda. Nadda also said that the government had tried to turn tragedy into opportunity through the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. Addressing a meeting of the partys Odisha executive committee, Nadda said that while powerful western nations were helpless in combating the pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the decisive action of imposing a lockdown to save the lives of the people. PM Modi made it clear that the lives of 1.3 billion people must be saved. He said Jaan hai to Jahan Hai as public health was at the top of his mind, the BJP chief said. Besides taking care of the health-related matters, the Modi government also addressed the economic issues through several programmes such as the Garib Kalyan Yojana and Atmanirbhar Bharat, Nadda said. Dont count how many cases have emerged; also see how many cases are happening per million. You will see India has under Modi fought Covid from the front, he said. He said that up to 800 million people were provided wheat, rice, cooking oil, etc, indicating that the PM was worried about the people. He said all sections of the society, including women, elderly, farmers and differently abled, were provided support during this period. The tragedy and challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic were effectively turned into an opportunity by the BJP-led government at the Centre, which announced a 20 lakh crore package to revive economic activities amid the crisis, he said. Naddas comments came amid the criticism of the governments handling of the economy by the opposition over the sharp decline in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The countrys economy suffered its worst slump on record in April-June, with a 23.9% decline in the GDP. Nadda also claimed that the Odisha government was trying to take credit for the Centres efforts. He alleged that there was corruption in certain areas of the state. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 05:31:54|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou (R) meets with Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, in Athens, Greece, on Sept. 4, 2020. (Xinhua/Li Xiaopeng) ATHENS, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- China and Greece pledged here Friday to further develop the relations between the two countries and jointly build the Belt and Road. The pledge was made when Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis held separate meetings here with Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee. Yang, also the director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, said China and Greece are true friends sharing weal and woe and good partners for mutually beneficial cooperation. He recalled that the two heads of state exchanged successful visits in 2019, leading the China-Greece comprehensive strategic partnership to a new historical stage. The two countries fought COVID-19 shoulder to shoulder, demonstrating once more the spirit of standing together through thick and thin, Yang highlighted. He said China is ready to work with Greece to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of both countries and inject new impetus into the bilateral relations. The senior Chinese diplomat called on the two sides to continuously strengthen high-level guidance and cement strategic mutual trust, promote the synergy of the Belt and Road Initiative, and jointly build the Piraeus Port into a world-class port. China encourages Greek companies to participate in the third China International Import Expo (CIIE) and welcomes competitive Greek products to Chinese market, Yang said, adding that the two countries should continue to hold the Ancient Civilizations Forum to promote exchanges and mutual learning among different civilizations and jointly oppose the fallacy of "clash of civilizations." He also urged both countries to further advance the stable development of China-EU relations and cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries, strengthen coordination and cooperation on major international and regional issues, firmly safeguard multilateralism, reinforce solidarity and friendship, and work together to build a community with a shared future for mankind. Leaders from the Greek side hailed the fruitful and promising bilateral ties, noting that the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic has brought the two peoples closer and highlighted the importance of mutual understanding and support. The Greek leaders said the country will continue to work hand in hand with China to fight the pandemic, expand two-way trade and investment, and advance key joint projects including the Piraeus Port. They added that Greece is ready to host a successful Greece-China Year of Culture and Tourism in 2021, promote dialogue between civilizations, and jointly build the Belt and Road. Pledging to maintain an open and fair investment environment for Chinese companies, the Greek leaders said their country firmly supports multilateralism and will take a more active part in promoting both the development of EU-China relations and the cooperation between China and CEE countries. Enditem She never fails to put on a stylish display during glamorous night's out. And Maura Higgins won in the fashion stakes once again on Saturday, as she headed for dinner during a night out at Sexy Fish restaurant in London. The Love Island star, 29, flashed her toned and tanned pins in a black mini skirt, which she teamed with a pair of leather knee-high boots. Stylish! Maura Higgins won in the fashion stakes once again on Saturday, as she headed for dinner during a night out at Sexy Fish restaurant in London The reality personality matched her all black ensemble with a black top complete with zip detailing, while accessorising with hoop earrings. Maura wore her brunette locks in a poker straight fashion and highlighted her pretty features with a glamorous coat of make-up. The former Dancing On Ice contestant appeared in high spirits as she strutted her way into the celebrity hot spot. Glam: The Love Island star, 29, flashed her toned and tanned pins in a black mini skirt, which she teamed with a pair of leather knee-high boots Maura's outing comes shortly after her ex Curtis enjoyed a night out with his former Love Island flame Amy Hart, 28, last weekend. The blonde beauty cosied up to Curtis, 24, in a sweet snap captioned: 'Nostalgia babes x', five months after his split from Maura. Curtis also posted a snap of the pair, captioned: 'Good to see you x @amyhartxo.' These boots! The former Dancing On Ice contestant appeared in high spirits as she strutted her way into the celebrity hot spot In the wake of the reunion Amy has now re-followed her ex Curtis on Instagram. Curtis, a professional ballroom dancer with a talent for tango, left Amy devastated after he started to chase after single Islander Jourdan Riane while Amy was away in Casa Amor. Former air-stewardess Amy then told producers she wanted to leave the August series, after her 'half-boyfriend' split with her and began to chase after Islander Maura. Maura split from the professional dancer in March just eight months after leaving the Love Island villa when speculation surfaced that he was getting overly friendly with dancer Amber Pierson, 21. Chic: The reality personality matched her all black ensemble with a black top complete with zip detailing, while accessorising with hoop earrings Upbeat: Maura was in high spirits as she made her way home with a group of pals later that night Let's go: The Love Island star looked a tad tipsy while settling into her seat on Saturday night Amber and Curtis have since confirmed their romance when they were seen passionately kissing earlier this month. Speaking to The Sun's Fabulous, she said: 'Everything happens for a reason and, to be honest, I wish him all the best. 'I'm in a good place now. Its not nice to see, but Im fine. Its kind of a kick in the teeth that Ive been cheated on by my last two boyfriends, but I will be stronger for this.' Former flames: Maura's outing comes as her ex Curtis enjoyed a night out with his former Love Island flame Amy Hart, 28, on Saturday The Irish beauty explained that their relationship began to crumble hours after her first performance on Dancing on Ice when Curtis was pictured in a clinch with a girl at a New Years party. Reflecting on that time, she wished she had tackled the allegations head-on but was so focused on her first skate that she 'didn't want to make it an issue'. She added: 'I tried to brush it aside and maybe it was the worst thing that I could have done. If I hadnt, I probably wouldnt have performed my first live show as well as I did but, looking back, in my gut I knew that there was something.' Exit: Amy told producers she wanted to leave the August series, after her 'half-boyfriend' split with her and began to chase after Islander Maura (pictured August 2019) Maura's comments come after Curtis was pictured putting on a very cosy display with Amber, who he previously denied cheating on Maura with, earlier this month. The Love Island star and dancer walked arm-in-arm and stopped to share a kiss as the enjoyed an evening stroll. After the images were revealed, a source close to Curtis' ex told MailOnline that it was a 'massive kick in the teeth'. At the time of their split, friends of the former couple insisted that Curtis did not cheat on Maura with Amber. Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, leader of opposition in the state assembly, slammed Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar for playing the Dalit card by offering jobs to next of kin of Scheduled Castes and Tribes killed in the state, adding that the move will further encourage their killings. The opposition leader further asked why the same provision was not being extended to the OBCs and to those in the general category, calling it an election gimmick. Chief minister Nitish Kumars priority should be that no person from scheduled caste/ scheduled tribe is killed. But by promising jobs to next of kin from the SC/ST community, the killing of the SC/ST people is being encouraged. I ask where the chief minister was when there was a move to dilute the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. It was only after protests across the country, the Act was kept intact, he said, at a press conference on Saturday at the state RJD office. On Friday, the CM Kumar had instructed the chief secretary to frame rules for providing jobs to next of kin of persons from the SC/ST community killed in the state and also directed officials to dispose of all pending cases registered under Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribe Act within a time frame. Tejashwi also accused the CM of failing to create employment, check migration and reduce poverty in the last 15 years of his stint in power. Bihars rate of unemployment and migration is one of the highest in the country. Now , the CM is talking of hiking the salary of contractual teachers and creating more employment. This is all election gimmicks, he said. Maintaining that unemployment was the biggest problem in Bihar, the Yadav scion said that his party has come out with a dedicated portal and toll free number for preparing a database of unemployed youths in Bihar and will provide jobs to them if the party forms government in the state. While the portal is www.berozgarihatao.co.in the toll free number is 9334302020, he said. Meanwhile, HAM(S) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi, who is back with the NDA, slammed Tejashwi for raising questions about the announcement made by the CM over jobs. There is already a provision in the SC/ST( Prevention of Atrocities) Act for providing jobs to kin of those killed from the weaker sections. Those opposing it should read the act carefully, Manjhi said in a tweet post. Ruling JD(U), however, said that Tejashwi Yadav has no moral right to talk on the issues of migration and unemployment and he should have a glimpse of the track record during his parents regime on the twin issues. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A 10-member delegation from South Africas African National Congress (ANC) is expected in the country on Tuesday to meet its ZANU PF counterparts as part of the revolutionary parties efforts to strengthen mutual cooperation and apprise each other of developments on either side of the Limpopo. ZANU PF director for Information and Publicity Cde Tafadzwa Mugwadi confirmed the visit. I can confirm that the delegation will arrive on Tuesday. I am not sure of the full names of the team, but obviously it is going to include the top brass of the ANC. I understand that ANC secretary-general Cde Ace Magashule will lead the team. ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe acknowledged receipt of enquiries from The Sunday Mail, but had not responded by yesterday. The latest engagement comes as the two liberation movements are being targeted for attacks by forces bent on ousting them from power. Last week, ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa came under vicious attack at the National Executive Committee (NEC) the partys highest decision-making body where he was told by some members to resign. In a statement after the virtual special meeting between August 28 and August 30, the NEC said their leader was clearly under attack from a well-choreographed campaign. The NEC emphasised that what seems to be a well-choreographed campaign against the President will not distract the movement from undertaking an intensified programme against corruption and state capture . . . it said in a statement after the crucial weekend meetings. The party is battling allegations of corruption against senior party officials over procurement of Covid-19 personal protective equipment. Similarly, Government has also been under coordinated attack from some opposition political parties and organisations, including some Western missions, especially following the abortive July 31 demonstrations, which were touted as an uprising. The attacks were concentrated on social media, where old and rehashed videos and pictures were recycled to give an impression of a political crisis in Zimbabwe. The contrived footage also found its way on SA television channels. Mugwadi, however, said the meeting will deliberate on mutual challenges that the two parties are facing. It should be made clear that this meeting is not based on the so-called notion that there is a crisis in Zimbabwe. There is no crisis in Zimbabwe and our position as ZANU PF is that the only crisis that is there is actually in the opposition, which has been torn into smithereens because of the issues that they took to court. We now have a scenario whereby the opposition now wants to frame their crisis as a national crisis. It is not the duty of ZANU PF to assume that the crisis in the opposition should be turned into a national crisis. ZANU PF, he added, expects the ANC to lend its muscle to regional efforts to lobby for the removal of sanctions. Sanctions are the biggest crisis facing Zimbabwe and we expect that as a fellow liberation movement, the ANC, which managed to fight the ruthlessness of apartheid, can also render us assistance in fighting this embargo. Addressing the ANCs NEC meeting last week, the South African president said he had agreed with President Mnangagwa that is was important for the ANC to get a clear picture of the situation in Zimbabwe. In my discussions with President Mnangagwa, he informed me that their Politburo wanted and desired to be in conversation with the ANC to discuss the situation much more fully in Zimbabwe and we agreed that this delegation must now proceed. Last week, Zanu PF secretary for Administration Dr Obert Mpofu said the only crisis in Zimbabwe was the continued demonisation of our Government. In the face of this pro-opposition postured political crisis in Zimbabwe, this ZANU PF-ANC dialogue on Zimbabwe must reinforce our ideological convergences inasmuch as it should unpack the two nationalist parties shared existential threats. CAIRNS, AUSTRALIADiving beneath the ocean, Russell Hosp swam toward the limestone bed of the Great Barrier Reef, where he reattached bits of blue staghorn coral. With tourists gone, he was filling the void with this small act of conservation, which took his mind off the uncertain future on land. It was a bit surreal, Hosp, a reef guide, said of spending hours at sea unaccompanied by the usual enthusiastic visitors. Aboard the quiet catamaran, he said, he realized just how much the coronavirus had changed the world. The pandemic has fast-forwarded a looming reckoning for the tropical city of Cairns, the main gateway to the reef and the base for Hosp and many others whose livelihoods depend on it. Tour operators there were already fighting a perception that the reef is in its death throes, as warming waters cause repeated mass bleaching that has robbed many corals of their vivid colours. But where climate change has been more of a creeping threat to the reefs survival, and thus to Cairns tourism lifeblood, the coronavirus has delivered a hammer blow. Now this city, so linked with the natural wonder just off its shore that it can scarcely imagine life without the visitors who come in droves, has been forced to confront the prospect that it can no longer depend on tourists. Foreign and local travellers, already deterred by last summers devastating bush fires and now locked out by Australias international and domestic travel bans, have all but vanished, and a $4.6-billion (U.S.) industry built around the worlds largest living structure has ground to a near halt. The sudden disappearance of visitors feels all the more unreal because the virus itself has barely touched Cairns: The city of 150,000 people in far northeastern Australia has recorded only a couple of dozen cases and has none currently. But there is no escaping the reach of the pandemic. Wed never stopped running before the global financial crisis, terrorism attacks, airline strikes; you name it, the world has thrown it at us, Hosp said. We dont know if well ever get back to normal. In Cairns, visitors who usually cram the jetty every morning as they wait to pile onto boats have dwindled from the thousands to a few hundred, leaving operators out of work, boats moored at the dock, and some hotels and restaurants shuttered. Storefronts on the main drag are for lease, and the esplanade, usually heaving with tourists at dusk, looks like something out of a sleepy beach town. Its been so quiet, said Heather Forbes, a Cairns resident, adding that because the city had been dependent on tourism for so long, it was difficult to know how to diversify its economy. I dont think anywhere should be solely dependent on one thing, she said. It might seem that there was a silver lining in all this, that the exodus of tourists would be a boon for the health of a reef in critical condition. But while the abrupt absence of visiting crowds has had surprising effects in other places monkeys overrunning a city in Thailand, deer wandering cities in Japan looking for food the environmental impact of tourism on the reef is negligible, scientists say, especially when compared with climate change. The reduction in international travel, and therefore planet-warming emissions, has created only a short-term benefit. The infrastructure of fossil fuels wasnt affected, said professor Terry Hughes, a global expert on coral reefs at James Cook University in Townsville, Australia. In the end, a prolonged downturn in visits to the reef could actually be detrimental to its well-being. Tourism provides a social and economic rationale for why the reef needs to be better protected, Hughes said. The situation has prompted the Cairns region to look more critically at its dependence on international travellers, especially those from China, who make up a large portion of reef visitors. China and Australia are engaged in an increasingly bitter diplomatic tug of war that could keep Chinese travellers away even after the borders are reopened. Were realizing that we cant rely on China, said Samantha Davidson, a travel consultant at the Reef Info Visitor Center. Its good, she added, because its sending a message to those closer to home: Hey, come and see us. As recent flare-ups of the coronavirus have closed state borders within Australia, some people have taken the opportunity to explore their own (very large) backyards. We were supposed to be in Hawaii, but we said we still wanted to take a trip somewhere warm, Alicia Dean said as she lounged in a sarong on the deck of a boat heading out to the reef. She had travelled within the state of Queensland from Brisbane, the capital, to Cairns, more than 1,600 kilometres to the north. And some foreigners, stranded in Australia, figured they may as well take the time to experience the reef, a World Heritage Site. My flight keeps getting cancelled, Julia Pape, a 27-year-old from Germany, said as she donned her flippers and wet suit, ready to plunge into the tropical waters. Tourists like Dean and Pape, however, dont make up for the hundreds of thousands of missing international arrivals in the region, the throngs who help support the jobs of more than 60,000 people (more than those employed by Australias oil and gas industry). Experts have warned that even with a vaccine, it may be years before travel returns to pre-coronavirus levels. But while the idled boats and empty storefronts tell the story of a city shaken by Australias travel bans which led overseas arrivals to collapse by 99.5 per cent in May compared with the previous year in other pockets of Cairns there is a sense of relief at having made a lucky escape from the threat of infection. Patrons at bars flout the rules of social distancing, and backpackers from overseas many of whom have decided to ride out the pandemic wave in Australia share close quarters in dormitories at hostels. Real estate agents say the area has drawn some clients looking to flee the danger of COVID-19. Its a good place to be stuck, said Brent Bundy, a cyclist from Oregon who has been in Australia two months longer than planned. He is in no hurry to return to the United States, given the countrys huge number of infections, he added. At night, parts of the city could almost be mistaken for a pre-pandemic world. On a recent Saturday, locals and backpackers spilled out into the streets, shouting from the back of cycle rickshaws and lining up to get into the only nightclub in town. Inside, guests, mandated to sit down, had organized their stools in a circle on the dance floor, arms draped around one anothers backs. Members of the group took turns sneaking in an illicit dance. Even this limited revelry was not possible a few months ago, with Queensland in lockdown as virus cases were rising. With little else to do during those eight weeks, Hosp, the reef guide, and crew members from other tour companies undertook work that the government had deemed essential: replanting hundreds of pieces of coral as part of a study on the impact of heat stress on their growth. Under the ocean, among the parrotfish and green turtles, Hosp said, you could almost forget what was going on in the world. But aboard the boat, the harsh reality of the viruss impact came flooding back. I definitely missed the tourists, Hosp said. It was very humbling. WRESTLEMANIA IN LOS ANGELES, WWE'S NEW EDICT HITTING THE LEGENDS?, ALEISTER BLACK, WCW'S MINOTAUR, ARANCHIMAN AND MORE Have a question? Submit to the PWInsider Q&A by clicking here! So with this peculiar new WWE edict about third party income, such as Twitch, Cameo and PWtees, how would it affect someone like, say, Hulk Hogan? He runs retail stores selling Hogan merchandise. How would that affect his WWE deal? To the best of my knowledge, those under WWE Legends deals are thus far not included under the WWE edict that came down on Thursday. Where is Aleister Black originally from? My friend says he went to school with him in Kentucky. Black is from The Netherlands so your friend is either a liar or was an exchange student. I have seen some MLW footage from Underground hasn't popped up on the current run of Underground. Any idea why? I know that on one week of the show, they noted there were production issues with digitizing content from the original source material, so it's either that or a creative decision. Gun to your head - are we going to Wrestlemania in Los Angeles? Well, thanks for wanting to put a gun to my head. That's pleasant. It all depends on the scientists. If there's a safe vaccine that is properly vetted that can help, I'd say yes. If not, I honestly wouldn't expect there to see major arenas or stadiums filled to the brim for events, Wrestlemania included. To me, it's still very much to be determined. What are the chances of former wrestling veteran Paul Orndorff being elected to the WWE Hall of Fame sometime next year or so? Not good...he was inducted into the Hall in 2005 in Los Angeles. You can find the induction on the WWE Network. Who was Arachniman? The long-forgotten WCW gimmick was the late Brad Armstrong. The long standing belief is a legal letter from Marvel Comics ended the idea. I seem to remember a guy wrestling in WCW as the Minotaur? Have I lost my mind or am I mixing him up with Mantaur? No, you aren't crazy. Steve DiSalvo, who also worked as Steve Strong, did work some WCW television appeances in the early 1990s. He wasn't long for the company. Have a question? Submit to the PWInsider Q&A by clicking here! If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here! Niagara Falls ReviewNiagara Falls ReviewTwo separate drug investigations by Niagara Regional Police have led to six arrests in Niagara Falls. On Thursday, police arrested a man and woman near the Ailanthus Avenue and Frontenac Street area following an investigation which started last month. Officers seized more than 255g of blue and purple fentanyl, more than 54g of crystal meth (estimated street value of $79,000) and $27,000 in cash. Charged with trafficking and proceeds of crime over $5,000 is 41-year-old Frank Masco and 21-year-old Roxanne Champagne, both from Montreal. On Friday, police arrested four more people stemming from an investigation that started earlier this month. The arrests happened just before noon in a parking lot near Lundys Lane and Belmont Avenue. A quantity of fentanyl with a street value of more than $156,000 was seized, along with more than $7,800 in cash. Charged with trafficking and proceeds of crime over $5,000 are 18-year-old Amnit Johal, 18-year-old Rayshaud Deane and 19-year-old Janny Boodhu, all from Brampton. Also charged is a 17-year-old female who cannot be named due to provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act. In an exclusive interview with Republic Media Network's Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami on 'Nation Wants to Know', External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar spoke at length on Pakistan, China, US, his new book 'The India Way' on Saturday. Jaishankar spoke at length the connect between Indian diplomacy and the Hindu epic Mahabharata, Indo-Pak relations, cross-border terrorism, and revealed what has happened between India and China at LAC through the summer. He also spoke about the US Presidential elections in November, how PM Modi made him EAM and about India's global stature in the UNSC. Mahabharata & Indian diplomacy, tackling terrorism Jaishankar highlighted how the country has gone back to its roots. He further pointed out similarities in Mahabharata and the diplomacy today, stating that every conceivable concept in International Relations and Politics is present in both. The EAM has elaborated the effect the epic has had on him and his tenure in the IFS in length in his book - 'The India Way'. He presented the first copy to PM Modi in April. "Let me back up a bit. I actually refer to what George Stanham wrote about India. If you look at the Mahabharata, every conceivable concept in International Relations and Politics and Strategies, the balance of power is there, the concept of frenemies, the regime changes, the nonalignment is there to various degrees. There is a lot of learning out there. In India, we use examples from Mahabharata in our daily conversation," said Dr. S Jaishankar. #JaishankarSpeaksToArnab | To my mind, when terrorism is committed, whether from across the border or within - it's indefensible, outrageous: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar https://t.co/rGQJsiKgt2 pic.twitter.com/260UIzpLyf Republic (@republic) September 5, 2020 EAM S Jaishankar addresses LAC faceoff, says 'China has not gained from incursions' When asked about Mahabharata and Indian diplomacy with Pakistan, he said, "The thrust of that chapter is to know the difference between Right and Wrong. According to me whenever terrorism is committed - be it across the border or within, morally equating terrorism and the terrorist is outrageous. In a troubling trend for the past few decades, there has been a moral equivalence of a person who is doing something unacceptable and a person who is suffering as a result. Even a suggestion that Pakistan is a victim of terrorism when it is running a business of terrorists is something I find very bizarre." #JaishankarSpeaksToArnab | There is a lot of learning out there, in India we use examples from the Mahabharata in daily parlance. While we use it internally, we have not got the world sufficiently interested or invested: EAM @DrSJaishankar https://t.co/RZHKU3wOei pic.twitter.com/VA6tf7lSCJ Republic (@republic) September 5, 2020 Slams 'Havana handshake' When asked about how to deal with Pakistan he said, "I think it is important to be a responsible power, hence I am cautious to resort to action. But I agree with you that what was done at Havana and Sharm El Sheikh - the messaging which came out of that was not helpful to us. I would not be gung ho, but one cannot be meek when faced with terrorism." S Jaishankar equates Mahabharata analogy to Diplomacy, says 'There is a lot of learning' On becoming EAM Recalling his first meeting with then-CM Modi, "I met him (Modi) first in 2011 when I was ambassador to China and he was CM of Gujarat when he visited China. I had not dealt with him before. For me, it was one of the most meticulously arranged visits that I had handled. I was struck with the detail, planning with which it was arranged and when he arrived he questioned on a lot of issues - political issues and trade issues regarding Gujarat jewellers arrested in China. He wanted a briefing on not only what was he going to do but also on the 'national thinking', what to say and what not say, which left me impressed. I had little doubt that the overall impact on the Chinese was very impressive." #JaishankarSpeaksToArnab | It was not something I had remotely expected, I had retired from foreign services. To say I was surprised would be an understatement of great magnitude: @DrSJaishankar on becoming EAM Watch - https://t.co/rGQJsiKgt2 pic.twitter.com/wP8ePhyWmM Republic (@republic) September 5, 2020 EAM on LAC faceoffs Talking about the LAC standoff"Since April-May we have got a large amassing of Chinese troops at the LAC which is not in accordance with the agreements we have with them dating back to 1993. Typically in the past, when we have had problems in the border the two sides build around it. This time it was different as they came in a very large number on a much broader front. We had a number of faceoffs of which one turned very violent and people got killed on both sides. These developments suggested at attempts to change the status quo unilaterally," said Jaishankar. Breaking his silence on the events on August 29-30 when the Indian Army pre-empted Chinese incursions at Ladakh's Pangong Lake, he said that India responded to ensure positions of strategic importance were not occupied by China. Affirming that these moves won't solve the issue, he urged that India and China must talk on diplomatic, Commander or political level. He also stated that these incursions have not helped China, stating India and China cannot completely be at odds with one other. "What happened last week was one such suggested attempt by their side in the South bank. As our forces were there in a significant number, as a precautionary move, we responded in such a way that positions of strategic importance were not occupied by them. For me, this is one more development in a very difficult situation, something that should not have happened over this summer. That hasn't solved anything as at the end of the day, India and China have to talk - be it ground level, diplomatic level, maybe political level. we need to have that engagement and find a settlement," he added. #JaishankarSpeaksToArnab | We ensured that our security was not compromised out there, but at the end of the day India and China have to talk: EAM Jaishankar on LAC stand-off Watch - https://t.co/RZHKU3wOei pic.twitter.com/2pQu3s13gd Republic (@republic) September 5, 2020 S Jaishankar waxes eloquent on strength of India-US ties, certain of 'bipartisan support' EAM slams Opposition, says 'Incursions have not helped China' Slamming the Opposition for its short-sighted view on a national issue, he said, "Some people in the Opposition will say things, after all, they are in the Opposition. I would hope they would take a more national and more sober response to what is happening at the borders. It is not just an issue of politics or government, its a national issue. Somewhere, the desire to score points must be tempered by a larger responsibility of a national challenge." EAM on China's future acts When asked if China will make more such attempts at LAC, he added, "I think it is important for both India and China to realize if we reach an accommodation, there is a very good ability to co-exist without reaching the situation as we faced now. If we don't do that, it will hurt both countries as you can't talk of an Asian age with India and China at odds at each other. There are powerful reasons to get along with each other. I don't think what we have seen through this year has helped China. My statements stand - don't seek to alter the status quo, observe the agreement. If Indian soldiers get killed in Galwan, it will affect the relationship. The rest of India can't be impervious to it. " EAM on India-Trump relations & 2020 elections Commenting on India and the US 2020 Presidential elections, he said, First of all, we have got along very well with Trump and his administration. Frankly, there is nothing we need to be defensive about. It is in Indias interest that we get the best out of any world situation. A lot of it revolves around the American presidency. An Indian Foreign Minister or any sensible Indian for that matter would say that this is the administration of the day and the President. Let me see how our interests are best advanced. There is politics in both countries. There is policy in both countries. Very often policy and politics run into each other. Because the political edge is much sharper, they (commentators) suggest to you that your options are less, you have made a mistake. I see a lot of this as politics. I have every confidence in the strength of this relationship and in the fact that we have both bipartisan and non-partisan support for it, he added. #JaishankarSpeaksToArnab | We've got along quite well with Trump and his administration and it is in India's interest. India-US relations in a way have very strong structural drivers, the relationship has kept growing: EAM Jaishankar pic.twitter.com/MW6lharZoC Republic (@republic) September 5, 2020 During the interview, Jaishankar elaborated on the fact that India enjoyed support from both Republicans and Democrats. To buttress his point, he pointed out that Barack Obama was the first US President to grace the Republic Day function. Moreover, the EAM recalled that the US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi had attended Prime Minister Narendra Modis community meeting at San Jose. He also highlighted that the PMs address to the US Congress was a result of a bipartisan invitation. EAM on Lutyens disconnect When asked about policy disconnect between bureaucrats and reality, he said,"I have done a lot of my diplomatic dealings with the US, we had an issue when most people who had a sense of the country and the world, knew we needed better relations whereas there was a very negative view through the old order. Any average person will have a good feeling towards Russia, though they don't know about how Khurchev lost his veto in 1959 or how they helped us in 1971. But this feeling is through osmosis. It is a remarkably steady relation. "The average person street has always felt that Pakistan should not get away with cross-border terrorism. A country which does not trade with you, does cross-border terrorism, doesn't allow people-to-people contact with you, which blocks your connectivity - surely there is something fundamentally wrong. It is important for the policy world to be in sync with the feeling on the street." 'World wants India on the UNSC': EAM Talking about India's UNSC bid, he said,"We need to have a more immediate working horizon and yet goals from which you will never be deflected from. The fact that a particular goal may not be in your near term horizon doesn't mean therefore that it is not your goal. We need to operate at this differential timelines. "There are some issues where we must remain resolute and commited and like I spoke of the Indian street, I can tell you the global street wants India to be in the UN Security Council. Often when I visit other countries and talk to their people, the majority of countries in the world would like to see us there. Which is why so many of them actually vote for us when we stood even for the non permanent seat a few months ago. Pennsylvania State Police at York released a blurry image of a box truck Friday, asking for the publics help to identify the driver of it. Troopers say the driver may have witnessed a stabbing that happened late Wednesday night. If anyone recognizes the vehicle or company logo, they are asked to contact the York barracks at 717-428-1011 and ask for the Criminal Investigations Unit. Around 11:45 p.m. on Wednesday, there was a minor crash near Exit 22 on I-83 north. Two women stopped their vehicles on the shoulder and fought. A 59-year-old woman from Red Lion was stabbed. The woman was taken to York Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The suspect in her late 20s or early 30s with reddish-brown hair stabbed the victim multiple times, then fled the scene in a dark-colored sedan, state police said. READ MORE Harrisburg man sentenced to 25 years in prison for leading human trafficking operation Jury acquits Cumberland County man accused of killing wife who disappeared in 2012 N.J. Dunkin manager was attacked by maskless teens demanding free doughnuts: report Evidence for a Neolithic house was recently discovered near Mitchelstown as part of road realignment works on the N73. Pictured (sourced from Cork County Councils Heritage Houses of County Cork publication) is a reconstruction drawing of a Neolithic house found at Barnagore, Ballincollig, constructed at the same time of approximately 6,000 years ago Archaeologists in North Cork have uncovered the foundations of a 5,700-year-old Neolithic house in addition to evidence of Iron Age smelting and Bronze Age burial sites. The archaeologists excavated a total of eight sites as part of two road realignment projects on the N73 road which links Mallow and Mitchelstown, near the villages of Shanballymore and Kildorrery and a house dating back to 3700BC was found at one of the sites. It is believed that the house belonged to some of the very first people to live in the area and found alongside were quantities of grain, pottery, and stone tools dating back to the same period. At a different site in the townland of Waterdyke, archaeologists found evidence of charcoal pits required in the smelting process to produce iron. The pits date back to between 266AD and 1244AD while further evidence of smelting was also found at Annakiska South. There was also evidence of a 17th-century enclosure at Annakiska South as well as clay pipes and glass in addition to evidence of a 17th-century smithy situated on the original road that would have made horseshoes for travelers passing between Mallow and Mitchelstown. Cork County Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), who carried out the excavations and the roadworks, published an "online story map" documenting the archaeologists' results. The online map, created by TII project archaeologist Ken Hanley as well as archaeologist Ed Lynne, also documents previously discovered sites along the route. To access the link to see the story map visit the heritage page of www.corkcoco.ie. Upcoming events Given the impact that Covid-19 has had on physical engagements, from conferences and lectures to meetings and greetings, much of our interactive focus is now online. To this effect so much is now happening online. This certainly extends to heritage with numerous interactive events held over the summer and particularly during National Heritage Week, which ran from August 15th to 23rd. There are many further events ahead, for example, the upcoming An Teagasc series on biodiversity. Over the month of September there will be four webinars, commencing on Friday 4th September (09:30 - 10:30) with a talk on the nature of Irish Hedgerows by Catherine Kenna. Friday 11th at the same time sees a talk on supporting Pollinators through Agri-Environmental interventions with Lorna Cole and Friday 18th sees a talk regarding Biodiversity on Farmland: current status, policy impacts and farm-scale response. This talk will have two speakers from An Teagasc; John Finn and Daire O'Hullachain. The final talk, takes place on Friday 25th from 09:30 to 10:40 and will focus on natural capital on Irish Farmland, with the talk being given by Jane Stout of Trinity College Dublin. For further details of these events and to register visit www.teagasc.ie. Europa Nostra Award Speaking of European Awards, another highly coveted award in the heritage world is the Europa Nostra Award. This scheme was launched in 2002 by the European Commission and is supported by the Creative Europe Programme. These Awards seek to identify and promote best practices in the conservation of tangible and intangible cultural heritage, to stimulate the trans-frontier exchange of knowledge and experience throughout Europe, to enhance public awareness and appreciation of Europe's cultural heritage, and to encourage further excellent initiatives through the power of example. Outstanding heritage achievements are awarded in the categories of conservation; research, dedicated service to heritage and Education, Training and Awareness-raising. The European Heritage Awards/Europa Nostra Awards will honour up to 30 outstanding heritage achievements from all parts of Europe and up to four winners will also receive a Grand Prix with a monetary award of 10,000 Euro. One winner will also receive the Public Choice Award following an online vote conducted via the Europa Nostra website. The closing date for the sending of entries is the 1st October 2020. For more information, contact the Heritage Awards Coordinator, by emailing eb@europanostra.org or see www.europeanherigagewards.eu/apply for more information. Biodiversity initiatives Throughout the County of Cork, the country of Ireland and indeed across the European Union, there are some excellent biodiversity projects and initiatives underway. In recognizing the very best of these projects the European Natura 2000 Awards was created a number of years ago and the 2020 finalists, 27 in total, have now been announced. Stretching over 18% of the EU's land area and more than 8% of its marine territory, Natura 2000 is the largest coordinated network of protected areas in the world and 79 projects were submitted for the 2020 Awards. Amongst them were three Irish projects: The Living Bog Life Project; the Aran Islands EIP & The Rock-a-bill Tern Conservation Project. People can vote for their favourite project on the Natura 2000 website up to the closing date of midnight on September 15th 2020 - https://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/natura2000/awards/index_en.htm. The application which receives the most votes will be awarded the coveted European Citizens' Award. The winners of the five category Awards - Conservation, Socio-Economic Benefits, Communication, Reconciling Interests/Perceptions, and Cross-Border Cooperation and Networking - and the Citizens' Award will be announced at the Award Ceremony in Brussels, tentatively scheduled for 14 October 2020. Culture Night With the month of September now upon us it means that Culture Night is not that far away, this year, taking place on Friday 18th September. While there will be a considerable focus on online activity there will be no shortage of cultural opportunities and more on this will be provided next week. The Republican stimulus package may fail to get its goal of getting a vote from 51 senators after they are divided by Senator Ted Cruz's school choice plan. The Senate GOP leaders have been working on having only a small number of defectors on their party's latest skinny economic stimulus package. They were hoping to vote on it next week soonest so Republicans can have a clear contrast to the Democrats for the election year. For weeks they have been working with their 53-member Senate conference to get that 51 votes from senators for that plan. However, it may not be easy as they face a new hurdle in Cruz, who is pushing for the school choice plan's inclusion, said a report on CNN. Cruz has been lobbying to include billions in tax credits for the controversial expansion of the school choice, a move that has divided the Senate Republican Conference. According to Cruz, the Republican stimulus package does not have enough to earn his support, suggesting that he may not vote for it if the school choice plan would not be included. The The Daily Signal reported that Cruz introduced the expanded school choice legislation in 2018 that would include the expenses for K-12 elementary and secondary school for public, private, and religious schools, including homeschool students. While voters of the GOP strongly support the legislation, critics have said that it would hurt public school systems that do not have enough funding. Another staunch supporter of the expanded school choice plan, which would also include expenses for online classes, tutoring, and after-school programs, was Betsy DeVos, the Secretary of Education, said a U.S. News report. According to Cruz, the expanded school choice must be added to the economic stimulus package as the public school system's inadequacy has been exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the Republicans would face more problems if Cruz's wish would be granted because it would put some of them on a difficult spot, especially those who have resisted such policies and those who are up for reelection, such as Senator Susan Collins of Maine. Other Republicans have also spoken out that the expanded school choice plan is not conducive to their respective states. With this kind of trouble brewing among the GOP Party, the economic stimulus package may not get the 51-senator votes that they are aiming at. Aside from Cruz, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is looking at losing the support of other conservatives. Among those who may vote against the economic stimulus package are Utah's Senator Mike Lee and Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky. Instead of voting on the economic stimulus package next week, they may need to smooth out all differences, which means voting would have to be pushed to the third week of September. Check these out: Kanye West Forges Ahead With US Presidential Bid in Kentucky, Mississippi Trump Promises More Funding for Police, Local Businesses in Kenosha Stimulus Funds Mailed to Dead People Recovered by Treasury Gordon Ramsay plans to open up 200 new restaurants in Asia to expand his empire across the world in the next five years. The TV chef began reopening the first of his 35 restaurants in July after the business struggled during the coronavirus pandemic. But now the father-of-five has unveiled new plans to extend his range of restaurants in contrast to industry competitors, including opening a further 50 sites in the UK. Ramsay, 53, revealed his plans in financial reports filed to Companies House last week. Gordon Ramsay will open up 200 new chain restaurants to expand his empire across the world (pictured: with Tana Ramsay attend the GQ Men Of The Year Awards 2019) The TV chef began reopening the first of his 35 restaurants in July after the business struggled during the coronavirus pandemic The chef has an estimated worth of 200million and his company Gordon Ramsay Holdings announced a pre-tax profit of 15.1million for the year to August 31, 2019. His ambitions to 'create a billion-dollar dining proposition' are undented by the Covid-19 pandemic that has devastated much of the hospitality trade. Ramsay believes the restaurants will create around 2,000 jobs in the UK including some in head office. 'We have big dreams, big plans and a global strategy so ambitious it takes my breath away,' he said. 'We have had to acknowledge and review the impact of the horrendous coronavirus pandemic. 'We continue to be optimistic and ambitious, knowing it is more important than ever before to invest in our industry, to support suppliers and to create jobs.' He has registered charges with Barclays against 16 companies, which includes those overseeing some of his Michelin star outlets (Gordon Ramsay restaurant in London) Gordon Ramsay Holdings said: 'GRNA (Gordon Ramsay North America) has exclusive rights to develop Gordon Ramsay branded restaurants in North America, Canada and the Caribbean where it has plans to open up to 200 restaurants as well as continuing to grow its very successful licence business with other partners. 'The pandemic has had a significant impact on the group. 'It is difficult to estimate how the outbreak will impact trading and for how long and the directors consider this as a level of uncertainty over which they have no control.' Brands in his stable include Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, the three Michelin-starred fine-dining flagship in Chelsea, and Petrus in Belgravia. At the more modest end of the scale are Bread Street Kitchen, Heddon Street Kitchen, Union Street Cafe and Street Pizza. Ramsay, 53, has grabbed headlines throughout the lockdown after he had his wrist slapped for flouting lockdown rules Pictured: The TV chef with one-year-old son Oscar At present, Ramsay's restaurants are concentrated in London. He is expected to look at more openings in other cities such as Manchester and Newcastle-upon-Tyne, as well as further outlets in the capital. Despite the coronavirus, he intends to launch a new 'Street Burger' outlet this winter, which will be modelled on his 15 all-you-can-eat Street Pizza brand. A second Hell's Kitchen is opening in Dubai the first is in Las Vegas and a Pub and Grill is scheduled to open in Macau in the autumn. In May, The Sun reported Ramsay had taken out loans with Barclays against 16 companies, which includes those managing some of his Michelin star outlets. The loans were intended to provide a lifeline to companies which manage some of the TV chef's flagship eateries, such as London's Savoy Grill and Petrus. Ramsay prompted outrage by reportedly using the government's taxpayer funded furlough scheme to pay 500 workers sacked from his restaurants in March as the hospitality industry ground to a halt. It is understood that some of the workers made redundant by Ramsay are being paid via the furlough scheme that is estimated to cost the government around 80bn of taxpayers' money. The lockdown led Ramsay to lay off 500 employees in March, with no guarantee their jobs would be safe in the future. Chefs, waiters and other staff were called to a meeting and told their contracts were being terminated - rather than being furloughed on 80 per cent pay. Ramsay has grabbed headlines throughout the lockdown after he had his wrist slapped for flouting lockdown rules. The coastguard reportedly issued the father-of-five with an official warning after he was seen in Rock, Fowey, Port Isaac and Newquay some distance from his lavish home. Gordon Ramsay Holdings has been approached for comment. 90 Day Fiance stars Michael Ilesanmi and Angela Deem have been preparing for their wedding during the current season of Happily Ever After?. As fans know, the couple did eventually tie the knot in January 2020. But, due to COVID-19 and President Trumps expanded travel ban, Michael and Angela still arent enjoying married life together in the United States. 90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After? stars Angela and Michael Angela Deem could get her own 90 Day Fiance spinoff TLC knows how to monetize a franchise. Since the premiere of 90 Day Fiance in 2014, the network has developed nine spinoffs. And, it doesnt appear that they have any plans to slow down. According to Soap Dirt, Angela might be part of the tenth spinoff in the franchise that would be solely focused on her storyline. Just like Darcey Silvas spinoff Darcey & Stacey and The Family Chantel, Angela could be getting a solo show. Angela has said she wants to get healthy so she can carry a baby for Michael. Cameras recently spotted the Georgia native in Los Angeles with her manager Gina Rodriguez and fitness trainer Natasha Fett. Gina is Mama Junes manager, and Natasha is the woman who helped with Junes weight loss. The speculation is that Angela could be getting her own fitness spinoff to highlight her own body transformation to prepare for pregnancy. Michael hoped Angela would live with him in Nigeria During the latest season of 90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After?, Michael welcomed Angela back to his home country of Nigeria. She wanted to marry Michael in the United States in front of her family and friends. But, as Soap Dirt points out, he was not able to obtain approval for a K-1 fiance visa. Because of the visa problem, Michael and Angela moved their wedding to Nigeria. Their aim is to get Michael a spousal visa after the ceremony. However, when she arrived in the country, Michael secretly hoped that Angela would want to move there instead of returning to the United States. RELATED: 90 Day Fiance: Angela Deem Finally Confirms The Biggest Difference Between Her and Babygirl Lisa Hamme He tried to convince her to move, explaining that Nigerian wives are usually submissive to their husbands. Angela was not on board with that idea. She told Michael that she is an American woman who doesnt need a man to tell her what to do. The 90 Day Fiance stars are currently on different continents Fans will get to see Michael and Angelas wedding in an upcoming episode of Happily Ever After?. Unfortunately, the couple has not been able to live together in America as husband and wife for the last eight months because of two huge reasons. First, the COVID-19 pandemic shut down immigration services in the United States for weeks. This put the process of spousal visas on hold because the offices were closed. However, even if the offices were open, it wouldnt guarantee Michael could come to America with Angela. According to NPR, President Trump widened his travel ban back in February to include six more countries, including Nigeria. This latest proclamation prevents people from Nigeria from immigrating to the United States permanently. At this point, it is nearly impossible for Nigerians to obtain a spousal visa. This means that Michael and Angela need a miracle if they are going to live together in Georgia anytime soon. New episodes of the 90 Day Fiance franchise air Sunday and Monday nights on TLC. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigerias two-time minister of finance, was on June 4 nominated by President Muhammadu Buhari as Nigerias candidate for the job of the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), an election coming up next year. Mrs Okonjo-Iweala, who is among the eight candidates vying for the position, is currently the Chair of the Board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; a member of the Boards of Standard Chartered PLC and Twitter Inc, and was recently appointed as African Union (AU) Special Envoy to mobilise International Financial Support in the fight against COVID-19. She is also the Special Envoy for the World Health Organisations Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator. She served as Nigerias foreign minister briefly in 2006. Despite having a 25-year career at the World Bank as a development economist, rising to the position of managing director (operations), and living in Washington suburbs, she just obtained American citizenship in 2019. Its not uncommon for international civil servants who spend long stretches working abroad to take a second citizenship, especially when their families have been living overseas with them, a spokeswoman for Mrs Okonjo-Iweala told Bloomberg. While some of the candidates boast of holding dual citizenship in their biographies uploaded on the WTO website, Mrs Okonjo-Iweala is quiet about it. She holds a Bachelors in economics from Harvard University and Ph.D. in regional economics and development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She is renowned as the first female and African candidate to contest for the presidency of the world bank group in 2012. Here is her full Biography and statement to the General Council. Opponents Other candidates vying for the post are Abdel-Hamid Mamdouh (Egypt), Amina Mohamed (Kenya), Jesus Kuri (Mexico), Tudor Ulianovschi (Moldova), Yoo Myung-hee (Korea), Mohammad Al-Tuwaijri (Saudi Arabia), and Liam Fox (UK). Jesus Seade Kuri Nominated by the Mexican President, Andres Obrador, Jesus Seade was the first official candidate for the post. He is currently the undersecretary for North America in Mexicos Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) and chief negotiator for the US, Mexico and Canada Trade Agreement. In his statement to the General Council, Mr. Seade said with his wealth of experience as well as his life as an academic in the UK and in France, in Mexico, in Hong Kong-China and in the PRC, makes him the international man that he is: fully multilingual, with a career spanning the four corners of the globe and a profound multilateral consciousness. Having contributed fundamentally to the creation of our WTO, my professional and personal commitment with this House is deep, he said. Here is his full Biography and statement to the General Council. Abdel-Hamid Mamdouh Mr Mamdouh is a senior counsel at King & Spalding and former director of the trade in services and investment division of the WTO. He is also currently a visiting Industry Professor, Queen Mary, University of London. In his statement to the council, he said he aims to provide the kind of leadership that matches the gravity of the crisis. I will rely on my long and proven WTO management experience to make sure that the world class expertise that resides in the Secretariat is put at the disposal of Members to assist going forward. I will stand my ground on the gender balance amongst the DDGs and senior members of the secretariat. Here is his full biography and statement to the General Council. Advertisements Tudor Ulianovschi Nominated on July 16, by the Republic of Moldova, he served as minister of foreign affairs of the Republic of Moldova and has had a distinguished career in diplomatic service for over 15 years. In his statement to the General Council, he made a few promises if elected. I will use my political, ministerial, ambassadorial, managerial and negotiation experience at the strategic and tactical levels, to constantly pursuit to drive the WTO to a brighter future, with fairness, independence, transparency, inclusiveness, bearing in mind that this is a member-driven Organization, where all members, including the smallest, must be part of the driving force and that the DG is an honest broker, who both understands the issues and has the capacity to facilitate political dialogue and a DG that Gets Things Done!. Here is his full biography and statement to the General Council. Yoo Myung-hee Ms Myung-hee is currently the current Minister for Trade of South Korea and the first woman to hold that position. She has a 25 -ear career in Trade. In her statement to the General Council, she said if elected, she will will lead in a supportive and positive manner to keep attracting talented and ambitious professionals from around the world. I will actively support cross-cutting projects and transparency to support new initiatives, but at the same time to help breathe life into longstanding work programs. I will come to work every day enthused and energized and I will seek a secretariat that does so as well. Should I be chosen to become the next Director-General I will give the job everything I have, all my time, my energy, and my hopes to make the WTO more relevant, resilient, and responsive she said. Here is his full biography and statement to the General Council. Amina Mohamed Ms Mohamed is presently serving as the Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Heritage and Culture in Kenya. She was previously Kenyas foreign affairs and international trade minister. In her presentation, she said the role of Director-General carries few powers, but it can and should have a considerable positive influence in moving forward the work of the WTO. If you choose me to be the next Director-General, I commit myself wholeheartedly to work collaboratively and inclusively as I have always done to make this organization work better for all its Members. Here is her full biography and statement to the General Council. Mohammad Al-Tuwaijri Nominated by Saudi Arabia on Juky 8, Mr Al-Tuwaijri was the Kingdoms economy and planning minister from November 2017 till March 2020 He is currently the minister advising the royal court on international and local economic strategic matters. In his presentation, he said if elected he will help deliver the WTO to its goal, and to maintain its path. For my entire career in private sector and in government leadership positions, I have assessed problems, prepared strategies, and implemented plans to deliver on goals successfully. I know that the circumstances of the WTO would keep me quite busy, and I welcome the challenge. Here is his full biography and statement to the General Council. Liam Fox Mr Fox is a member of the UK Parliament and a privy counsellor. He served as International Trade Secretary under prime minister Theresa May from 2016 to 2019. He studied medicine at the University of Glasgow before practicing as a doctor in the NHS. In his presentation, Mr Fox said he had the skills and experience to deliver the political momentum to take the organisation forward. We need the political momentum to take us forward. It is only with vision, and shared purpose, that we can find the compromises required to meet the challenges Ive set out,reversing the rise in trade restrictive measures, recommitting ourselves to the founding principles to which we have all agreed while updating and strengthening this institution so its fit to tackle the challenges of the 21st Century. I believe I have the skills and experience to deliver that political momentum. Here is his full biography and statement to the General Council. Andrew Warner was driving his family home from a Christmas party near Houston when they were rear-ended by a drunk driver. Warners seat buckled, slamming backward into his infant daughter, Taylor. She suffered massive brain trauma and died less than a day later. In the decade since his childs death, Warner has learned that what happened to Taylor was no freak accident. While relatively rare, seatback failures have been injuring and killing people for decades. According to one estimate, roughly 50 children have been killed each year since 2001 in rear-end crashes, and experts say that some of those fatalities were likely from front seats collapsing backwards. Taylor Warner died after a rear-impact collision caused her fathers seat to collapse and strike her in the face. (Photo courtesy of Andrew Warner). For decades, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has required automakers to build seats strong enough to meet a safety standard. But experts regard the standard, established more than 50 years ago, as laughably weakseveral who spoke with FairWarning said that a lawn chair could pass it. In actual rear-end collisions, the seat pushing forward against the weight of a person in the front seat can cause the seat to collapse, sometimes throwing the driver or passenger head-first into the back or out the rear window, and also endangering anyone in the backseat. Although NHTSA has long recommended that young children be seated in the back for safety reasons, critics say the agency should also be telling parents to put a child behind the unoccupied passenger seat, or behind the lightest person in the front, to reduce the risk of injury. NHTSA has been aware for years that collapsing seats can smash into passengers in the rear. Car shoppers have virtually no way to compare seat strength of different vehicles. Automakers boast on their websites about numerous seat features, from their fabric treatment to their ability to be folded and stowed away. But none that FairWarning reviewed mentioned seatback strength. Each individual manufacturer has their own internal seatback standard, said Jeff Wigington, a Texas-based attorney who has handled numerous seatback lawsuits, including a high-profile case against Audi. The problem is that unless you have a lawsuit against them for a seatback that collapsed, youre not going to be privy to that information You could have a situation where the manufacturers standard is 10 percent better than the federal regulation, or 50 percent better, or twice as goodyou just dont know. FairWarning reached out to several major automakers for information about the strength of their vehicle seats. A spokesman for Chrysler said in an email that the companys seats meet or exceed federal safety standards but declined to get more specific. Mercedes-Benz and Volvo widely considered two of the best models for vehicle safetyrefused interview requests. Ford, a defendant in several recent seatback lawsuits reviewed by FairWarning, did not respond to a request for comment. Industry officials have said in the past that strengthening seats without making them so rigid they become less safe is more challenging than critics say. More Coverage:Regulators, Automakers Urged to Warn Parents About Flawed Seats NHTSA declined an interview request and refused to answer a list of written questions. Instead, the agency emailed a brief statement to FairWarning, saying that later this year it intends to seek public comment on major updates to the New Car Assessment Programthe agencys five-star safety rating system that many consumers rely on when shopping for vehicles. But theres no indication that seat strength will be factored into the safety ratings. Victims of seatback failures like Warner and traffic safety advocates have long called for a stronger standard. In July, Senators Edward Markey (D-Massachusetts) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) introduced a bill that would force NHTSA to adopt a stronger standard for seats. But even if the legislation is enacted, it could take years before NHTSA amends the standard and requires vehicle makers to meet it. Still, auto safety experts said they are pleased by congressional interest in the issue. For years, the agency has ignored petitions urging improvements to the standard. Alan Cantor, who runs the engineering consulting firm ARCCA, Inc., petitioned the agency in 1989 and again in 2015 for changes to the standard. Cantor and others note that, just as a seat belt protects passengers from a frontal collision, the seat is essentially the seatbelt for a rear collision. In the more recent petition, Cantor and several co-signers called on NHTSA to make seatbacks provide the same kind of protection to the user that a seat belt provides in a frontal impact. According to Cantor, the agency acknowledged their petition but didnt do anything else. When we talk to NHTSA its like talking to the wall, Cantor said. Yet when he gave a presentation to agency staff about seatback issues a few years ago, Cantor recalled, several members of the audience asked him what cars they should buy for their families. It astounded me, he said. Experts like Cantor said they have been involved in hundreds of seat failure lawsuits where people were injured. An analysis from 2016 calculated that 898 children under the age of 12 died in rear impact crashes from 1990 to 2014. But theres no way to know how many of these children died due to seat failures, said Michael Brooks, chief counsel for the Center for Auto Safety, a Washington D.C.-based advocacy group. Theres not even a true mechanism to capture these kinds of events, Brooks said, adding that police crash reports usually fail to note instances of seat failures. Theres a monumental failure in our reporting, said Todd Tracy, a Texas-based attorney, who has been collecting lawsuits and police reports to build his own count of seatback injuries and deaths. But this method still has flaws, he said, because the standardized police reports do not say if the front seat collapsed. Raymond Paul Johnson, a Los Angeles-based attorney who has handled numerous seat-back accident lawsuits, said that European automakers such BMW and Volvo tend to put more of a premium on safe designs. He recommended vehicles with belt-integrated seats, which are built directly into the frame of the seat. Most dealerships dont know anything about seat strength, Johnson said. If you ask them about the seat, theyll tell you how cushy it is or how the vinyl wont make you sweat The consumer is basically on their own. Alan Cantor, chief executive of the engineering firm ARCCA, Inc. Short of stripping down a seat to its individual components, the only way to really gauge a seats strength is to test itan option only available to engineers. Youre going to think this is nutsif Im looking at a car for myself or a family member, I will buy a seat and Ill run a test on it, said Alan Cantor. Engineers and attorneys said there has been a decline in seatback-related injuries since the 1990s as automakers increased the strength of seats. But lawsuits over the past few years show these accidents are still occurring. In March 2016, a family in a Ford Explorer was rear-ended while waiting in traffic. According to court records, the front passenger seat collapsed and the headrest struck a child sitting in the rear, causing a severe head injury. Ford denied that a seat failure took place, and the parties agreed to settle the case earlier this year, according to court documents. In September 2017, a couple in a 2016 Ford Fusion in Arkansas were rear-ended while waiting at a red light. The front passenger seat failed and struck a 23-month-old child in the backseat, who later died. The passenger, a pregnant woman, also lost her fetus, which had been due in about 10 weeks. The suit claimed that the seat failed, as well as the seat-track locking mechanism, which allowed the seat to slide backward as it collapsed. Ford was dismissed from the case; its unclear if it paid a settlement. The case is still pending against other defendants, according to court records. In August 2017, a driver in Riverside, California was rendered a quadriplegic after her car was struck from behind in a chain reaction collision. The seat failed from the impact, throwing her into the rear compartment of her car, according to a lawsuit. The suit said that the defendant, Ford, has known about the weakness of its seats since the early 1970s. Ford denied the claims and the case is still pending. Lawsuits only capture the most severe incidents. Andrew Warner said he knows this firsthand: seven years after a seatback accident killed his daughter, he was rear-ended again and uninjured. His seat collapsed again, but this time there was no one in the backseat. This story was produced by FairWarning (www.fairwarning.org), a nonprofit news organization based in Southern California that focuses on public health, consumer and environmental issues. NEW DELHI: As India celebrates Teachers' Day 2020 on Saturday, President Ram Nath Kovind will felicitate the winners of National Teachers' Awards 2020 on the occasion in a virtual ceremony amid coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. This year, 47 teachers have been chosen from across the nation. Education Minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, took to Twitter and said, Paid a courtesy visit to President Ramnath Kovind ji and invited him for a virtual program to be held on 5 September 2020 on the occasion of 'Teacher's Day' and discussed the outline of 'National Teacher Award Program. The awards are presented by the Ministry of Education every year to acknowledge and encourage extraordinary and meritorious efforts of teachers from across the length and breadth of the country. This year, the awards will be conferred by President Ram Nath Kovind through virtual mode because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Besides conferring the awards, the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the University Grants Commission will also organise webinars on the occasion to highlight salient features of the recently introduced National Education Policy 2020. Special outreach campaigns will also be run on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms. The National Awards to Teachers are presented every year to celebrate the unique contribution of some of the finest teachers in the country and to honour those teachers who through their commitment and industry have not only improved the quality of school education but also enriched the lives of their students. The 47 awardees have been selected after a rigorous three-stage online transparent process. Drought expanded its reach in Nebraska last week as many areas of the state finished off their driest Augusts in years. According to the updated U.S. Drought Monitor map released Thursday morning by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, nearly 50% of the state is now in some level of drought, and more than 80% is abnormally dry. The amount of severe drought has now grown to cover nearly 20% of the state, and for the first time in more than six years, there is extreme drought in the state, in parts of three counties along the Missouri River in east-central Nebraska. "Droughts of this magnitude will likely take months to recover from," the National Weather Service said in a tweet, noting that it would take several inches of rain to mitigate the drought conditions. After several wetter-than-normal years, many areas of Nebraska have now seen precipitation totals significantly below average, especially this summer. According to the weather service, Omaha had its driest August in more than 100 years, with just 0.46 inches of rain. It also had its fourth-driest summer ever, with rainfall totals that were more than 4.5 inches below normal. All of Douglas County is in a severe drought, and the northeastern corner of the county is in extreme drought. Norfolk also saw its fourth-driest summer ever. Hastings had its second-driest August ever, while Kearney and Grand Island had their third-driest. The eight-county climate district that includes Hastings had its driest August on record. Severe drought has now shown up in that area of the state, while it has expanded its reach in the Panhandle and northeast Nebraska. The weather service said 35 counties in Nebraska have now authorized emergency haying and grazing on Conservation Reserve Program land. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Thursday said some areas of the Missouri River Basin got less than 25% of their normal August rain. Last year, after severe flooding in Nebraska and other surrounding states, 65.6 million acre feet of water was being stored in the Missouri River's reservoir system as of Sept. 1 and more than half of the flood-control storage area was being used. As of Tuesday, the reservoirs were storing 60.1 million acre feet, and less than one quarter of the flood storage area was being used. Last year, water releases from the Gavins Point Dam averaged 70,000 cubic feet per second in August. This year, the average was 30,000 cfps. The Corps said it likely will increase the releases somewhat this month to ensure enough water is in the Missouri downstream to meet navigation targets. Lancaster County has avoided drought conditions to this point, but the entire county is now classified as abnormally dry. August rain totals were 2.2 inches below normal in Lincoln, and the city has seen less than half an inch of rain since Aug. 10. There are some chances for rain Monday-Wednesday in Lincoln, but the forecast shows a better-than-average chance of below-average rainfall for the entire state through the next two weeks. 16 countries that fit inside the state of Nebraska Reach the writer at 402-473-2647 or molberding@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LincolnBizBuzz. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A legendary teacher in life and in death By Kumudini Hettiarachchi In remembrance organised by the Colombo Universitys Department of Medical Humanities, Faculty of Medicine, pays a fitting and moving tribute to Prof. Carlo Fonseka on his first death anniversary View(s): View(s): A startling image on the screen a fire-walker and then back to the present on Wednesday and a walk down not-too-distant memory lane to commemorate a colourful legend! He may have been a diminutive 5 but he was a giant who exuded a powerful influence over thousands of fresh-faced medical students, while striding across the public stage in Sri Lanka and the world like a colossus. Just a year after the death of Prof. Carlo Fonseka (86), scholar, rationalist, philosopher, visionary and most of all wonderful human being, many eminent personalities gave of their time and memories at In remembrance, a poignant ceremony organized by the Department of Medical Humanities, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo on September 2. It was in this Physiology Lecture Theatre with its old-world charm of timber work and arena-style seating, where Prof. Fonseka gave his brilliant deliveries and held fire-walking demonstrations, that his portrait was unveiled by the Vice Chancellor of the University of Colombo, Prof. Chandrika Wijeyaratne, as his family including his wife, Pearl, looked on. Friend and colleague in physiology, Prof. Colvin Goonaratna, regaled the audience on how Carlo who was excellent in both English and Sinhala would correct him after every lecture. But and however mean the same and there is no of after comprised, he said. He reminisced how having studied and photographed the fire-walkers at Kataragama, Prof. Fonseka recreated the scene during the 100th anniversary of the faculty in 1970, using the same dara (wood) and measuring the heat with a thermocouple. He then sought the support of volunteers, who after a bite of beef and a token drink of arrack, walked over the burning wood. This effectively dispelled the belief of purity and divine intervention linked to fire walking. Prof. Chandrika Wijeyaratne reiterated how Prof. Fonseka always sought the truth and had a strong social outlook (it was not a question of being a socialist or rathuwadi). He ran an OPD in his home where he looked after patients without charging any money. The Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Prof. Vajira H.W. Dissanayake reminisced on a brief but fascinating encounter with Prof. Fonseka, when they thrashed out the Ten Commandments for Researchers for an oration that the latter was to deliver, while the Head of the Department of Medical Humanities, Prof. Priyadarshani Galappatthy reminded the audience that the last article that Prof. Fonseka completed from his hospital bed before his demise was in the anniversary volume, The Colombo Medical School at 150. Prof. Fonseka has the distinction of being the sole author writing to the three anniversary volumes 100th, 125th and 150th published in 1970, 1995 and this year (2020), said Prof. Galappatthy. Pointing out that Prof. Fonseka excelled in many areas, the Head of Department of Physiology, Prof. Piyusha Atapattu said that he became world famous for demystifying the myth of fire-walking as being the result of divine protection, with scientist Arthur C. Clarke as a witness, as Prof. Saroj Jayasinghe re-kindled the embers and stressed that he linked religion and physiology, explaining culture and cultural beliefs through physiology. Putting Prof. Fonseka, the politician under the spotlight, Prof. Narada Warnasuriya stated that he and Dr. Tissa Vitarana formed a Socialist Party at the faculty. He also became the most-sought after speaker for the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) in the 1977 election campaign, incorporating in his speeches the Parable of the Burning House by German playwright Bertolt Brecht beautifully translated into Sinhala. He delivered the graveside oration during the funeral of his slain nephew Vijaya Kumaratunga which moved the country, following which he too had to flee Sri Lanka due to threats by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP). Later, on his return, he became a senior advisor to both President Chandrika Kumaratunga and President Mahinda Rajapaksa considered a wise person though from the old left, he added. The task of elaborating on Philosophy & Prof. Fonseka was handled with aplomb by Dr. Panduka Karunanayake, for he had been a chosen one on whom many books were showered by the guru. The first was A History of Western Philosophy by British philosopher Bertrand Russell and to make sure that he knew how precious it was, Prof. Fonseka had explained that when he fled Sri Lanka, he could take only a small suitcase with him. What couldnt he leave behind? He had picked this book and a music cassette with the haunting melodies of the Sinhala movie, Sath Samudura. Dr. Karunanayake says that Prof. Fonseka faced a dilemma over Scottish philosopher David Humes thinking that Reason is, and ought only to be the slave of the passion. For Dr. Karunanayake, Prof. Fonseka had impeccable reasoning skills as well as ungovernable passions. So his solution was to be passionate about reason. Dr. Hemantha Perera keyed in the role music played in the life of Prof. Fonseka, for he was a lyrics writer, composer (of more than 50 songs including the masterpiece Raththaran Duwe Mage Raththran Duwe) and musician. He spoke of the huge influence Sunil Santha of Olu Pipila fame had on him. He then summarized Prof. Fonsekas life (Pethumpathanne ne/perum puranne ne/alum karanne ne/yali kisida nisasala suwaya sada) through one of his own songs penned for the film Viragaya, as the Professors voice resonated through the Lecture Theatre with Mee Amba Wanaye. The final words were from Dr. Chandana Atapattu, whom Prof. Fonseka treated as his GP, setting the scene of how great he was even in his last moments.He was feeble but his memory was sharp. One night, a few days before his demise, I visited him at the Cardiology Unit, National Hospital. His son, Suranga, was explaining his breathing pattern, when I noticed that he opened his eyes. He told me: Putha what my son explained is the Cheyne-Stokes respiration pattern. Google the words on your phone, he told me, spelling them. He wanted me to read the definition, probably to check whether Google was correct. I read the first two sentences and stopped. Why did you stop, he asked and explained that it is the type of breathing patients might experience in terminal stages of heart failure. It was his last physiology lesson to me. When I visited him again a few days later, Madam Fonseka and Suranga were with him. He explained his final will with regard to his funeral arrangements..As soon as I die, confirm the death and obtain a valid death certificate. No function is needed. Place my body in a simple coffin. The attire is a red shirt and a white trouser. Do not waste time at home or funeral parlours. Take my body to the Ragama Medical Faculty and hand over to the Anatomy Department, before which play the song I wrote and composed Dhanayata Eyi Dedi Asha sung by Pandith Amaradeva. He also wanted to spend his last few hours in his own room, in his own house. Prof. Fonseka left the hospital on September 1, exhaling his last breath the next day. His funeral was held to the letter of his wishes. Prof. Fonseka was a legend in our time and it was a legendary departure teaching us many lessons, said Dr. Atapattu, while Dr. Santushi Amarasuriya summed up succinctly: For some, it may have been a few fleeting moments of association and for a few the fortune of prolonged interaction, but for all, Prof. Fonseka has left a lasting impression of an individual whose life is one to celebrate with reverence. Prof. Fonseka, the legend is no more. As the audience sombrely left the Lecture Theatre, there was certainty that his memory lives on. Bay of Plenty Our client has plenty of work in the pipeline and as such they are in need of qualified or experienced carpenters for an... View or Apply on GoodWork.co.nz Uttarakhand government has decided to offer incentives of up to 40 lakh to telecom companies for installing mobile signal towers in dark villages of the state in an attempt to boost mobile phone connectivity, said officials. The decision was taken during the state Cabinet meeting led by chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on Friday. Dark villages are those situated in remote areas, without mobile phone and internet connectivity. There are over 200 such dark villages in the state, especially in the districts of Pithoragarh, Chamoli and Uttarkashi, bordering China and Nepal. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, an official privy to the development, said, The decision was taken after amending the Information & Communication Technology and Electronics Policy of the state to facilitate installation of mobile signal towers in such villages by telecom companies. He informed that it was decided last year during a meeting on the policy, in the presence of CM Rawat, to attract investment from telecom companies by offering them an incentive of 30% of the total cost of project or 50lakh, whichever is less, in case they install mobile signal towers in remote areas. The aforementioned policy was amended on Friday, clearing an incentive of 40 lakh or 30% of the total cost of the project, whichever is less, for telecom companies, the official said. Also Read: At SCO meet, Rajnath Singh tells China to restore status quo at LAC HT had earlier reported that villagers in the hill districts bordering Nepal are using SIM cards of Nepalese telecom companies as their signals are stronger in their area in comparison to the signal strength of phone service provided by Indian telecom companies. The official added that the decision was also strategic in nature considering the recent border tensions with Nepal and China, countries, with which Uttarakhand shares borders. Also Read: Very nasty situation along India-China border: Trum Cabinet minister and government spokesperson Madan Kaushik refused to reveal much on the development, saying There have been certain decisions taken during the Cabinet meeting on the telecom sector, which are related to policy matters. He added that any announcement on policy decisions will be done in the approaching assembly session as per the tradition. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 19:35:49|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MANILA, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- A 65-year-old Philippine teacher, who lost her job due to cutbacks prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, has received 50,000 pesos (roughly 1,000 U.S. dollars) and other assistance from the Chinese embassy in Manila. Eloisa Gicar, who previously taught at and ran a private school in Caloocan City, a suburb in Metro Manila, said she would use the money to fund a small convenience or sari-sari store that she set up recently in her neighborhood. "Thanks to the generosity of the Chinese embassy, I have additional funds to support my business," Gicar, a mother of five and grandmother to 10, told Xinhua in a telephone interview. She said the sari-sari store is her main source of income now, having lost her job recently because of COVID-19. "I am very thankful for the Chinese people. I know now that they are very much willing to help Filipinos who are in need especially during this time of the pandemic. Now I can pay for the water, electricity and other bills that accumulated since March," she said. Gicar, a teacher for nearly 15 years, runs her own small private grade school in Caloocan City before the pandemic struck. She was forced to permanently shut down the school after the Philippine government shifted to distance learning. Due to the lockdowns, the government bans face-to-face classes for fear of virus transmission. Many of the country's schools struggled to adapt to the online and modular set-up for the approaching academic year and shortage of enrollees. Gicar said the school's meager savings were only enough to pay its water and electricity bills, as well as cover the salaries of the five teachers. In March, Gicar felt compelled to take extra measures to make a living, as the jobs of her husband, who was stranded in the province due to the coronavirus lockdown, and children were also struck down by the pandemic. Gicar said vending in the streets easily came to mind. "I used to do it when I and my eight siblings were orphaned at an early age," she said. Gicar's story went viral when it was posted on the social media. The post includes Gicar's picture peddling fresh bread, chocolates, and chips, and carrying a note that says "private school teacher, closed, please buy. Thanks." Netizens and the local media got wind of the Gicar's plight and started to chip in any amount for the teacher. Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian also took note of the viral post, saying Gicar's story "touched a lot of people in China." He immediately instructed his staff to get in touch with the Gicar family "to express support and solidarity." Counselor Xie Yonghui of the Chinese embassy visited Gicar's sari-sari store recently to hand over the cash, 100 kilos of rice, 10 liters of cooking oil, 100 pieces of face masks, and other materials. "As the Philippine National Teacher's month is around the corner, it is our best wishes that you and all teachers in the Philippines would stay safe and healthy until the final victory in fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic," the embassy said in a statement. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, China and the Philippines have been helping and supporting each other to combat COVID-19. "As a close and friendly neighbor across the sea, China has provided a large number of medical supplies and sent a team of experts to assist the Philippines' battle COVID-19," the embassy said. To help local families that are severely affected by the pandemic, the Chinese embassy has been donating "friendship bag" containing essential supplies to help the people get through the difficulties. "The Chinese embassy will always stand together with the Philippine people during this trying time," the embassy added. Gicar is among the millions of Filipinos who lost their jobs when the government imposed a lockdown in mid-March to stem the spread of COVID-19, with workers in the tourism, aviation, and hospitality industries bearing the brunt of the crisis. Starting in June, the government started to gradually reopen the economy. Acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua said that the unemployment rate in the Philippines went down to 10 percent in July 2020 from 17.7 percent in April 2020. The National Economic and Development Authority, the government's economic planning agency, forecast the unemployment rate to further drop as the lockdown restrictions are eased, paving for more businesses to reopen. Enditem Russia is seeking "to undermine public trust in the electoral process" by spreading false claims that mail-in-ballots are riddled with fraud and susceptible to manipulation, according to a new intelligence bulletin by the Department of Homeland Security. Many of the claims made by Russian sources are identical to repeated, unsupported public statements aired by President Donald Trump and Attorney General William Barr, who have said that mailed ballots aren't trustworthy while warning of the potential for rampant fraud in November's elections. Homeland Security's intelligence office has assessed that Russian actors "are likely to promote allegations of corruption, system failure, and foreign malign interference to sow distrust in Democratic institutions and election outcomes," the bulletin states. Russia spreads these claims through a network of state-controlled media, proxy websites and social media trolls, it adds. The document doesn't identify any of those media sources by name. But current and former officials who have seen it said the assessment is based in part on classified intelligence about the Russian government's efforts to interfere with the 2020 elections, in a repeat of its operations four years ago, which intelligence agencies have unanimously concluded were designed to help Trump win. The intelligence on Russian efforts to undermine voting-by-mail has been assessed as credible and was deemed important enough to share in an unclassified form on Thursday with state and local officials so that they can take steps to protect elections from manipulation, the current and former officials said. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because the information was not intended to be shared publicly. The bulletin doesn't cite any particular statements by Trump, Barr or other U.S. officials, but it states that Russia is "amplifying" claims that mail-in-voting is prone to fraud. This week, Trump, who has railed against mail-in-balloting for months and said it could help Democrats win elections, urged voters to cast ballots twice, by mail and in person, to ensure their votes are counted. Intentionally voting more than once is illegal, and in many states it is a felony. On Wednesday, Barr said in an interview with CNN that "elections that have been held with mail have found substantial fraud and coercion." Barr pointed to a case in Texas in which he said the U.S. had indicted someone who had collected 1,700 ballots from eligible voters and "made them out and voted for the person he wanted to." But federal prosecutors brought no such indictment. Claims about ballot fraud are belied by numerous studies that show it is so rare as to be essentially irrelevant to conducting fair, accurate elections. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, millions more Americans are expected to cast votes by mail this year rather than stand in line at polling places, where they might be suspectable to contracting the illness. ABC News first reported on the DHS bulletin Thursday. Russia may also have tried to undermine confidence among Black voters, the bulletin states. Russian media sites and their proxies "highlighted reductions in the number of in-person polling places in large cities due to the pandemic and the long lines this caused, claiming this would disproportionately suppress voting among African Americans and expose them to the spread of Covid-19," the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. A spokesperson for the department's intelligence office, who would not comment directly on the bulletin, said that "foreign influence activities designed to manipulate American audiences are among the most challenging threats facing our country." "We continue to release intelligence on foreign influence activities - we never stopped - including those targeting U.S. elections and democratic processes, with a constant commitment to doing so with increased timeliness, quality, and quantity," the spokesperson said. The bulletin provides a level of detail about Russian efforts that has rarely been heard publicly from Trump administration officials about this year's elections. Democratic lawmakers have criticized the Office of the Director of National Intelligence for not releasing more details publicly and for not briefing members of Congress in person about election security threats. Last month, a senior ODNI official in charge of protecting elections from outside interference referred to "a range of measures" Russia was taking, including the use of a pro-Russian lawmaker from Ukraine - who has met with Trump's personal lawyer - "to undermine former vice president [Joe] Biden's candidacy and the Democratic Party." The statement didn't mention Russia's attempts to cast doubt on mail-in-ballots. Democratic lawmakers criticized the statement for appearing to equate Russia's covert intelligence operations with overt political efforts by China to influence U.S. policy positions. Lawmakers who have seen classified intelligence said China's efforts aren't comparable to Russia's attempts to manipulate and mislead voters. Russia has been trying to undermine mail-in-balloting for at least the past six months, according to the DHS bulletin. "Since March 2020, Russian state media and proxy websites have denigrated vote-by-mail processes, alleging they lack transparency and procedural oversight, creating vast opportunities for voter fraud." In the past, investigators and federal prosecutors have pointed to the Kremlin-run RT media network as well as the website Sputnik as primary conduits for Russian disinformation. Last year, the special counsel investigating Russian election interference in 2016 also brought charges against Russian hackers working for the Internet Research Agency, a propaganda and disinformation outfit based in St. Petersburg, The DHS bulletin cites actions Russia took as recently as a few weeks ago. "Russian state media and proxy websites in mid-August 2020 criticized the integrity of expanded and universal vote-by-mail, claiming ineligible voters could receive ballots due to out-of-date voter rolls, leaving a vast amount of ballots unaccounted for and vulnerable to tampering." Russia is also exploiting concerns that mail carriers may be unable to handle a deluge of mail-in and absentee ballots, according to the bulletin. "These websites also alleged that vote-by-mail processes would overburden the U.S. Postal Service and local boards of election, delaying vote tabulation and creating more opportunities for fraud and error." Five-nation influential grouping Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa (BRICS), which includes India and China, on Friday said conflicts should be resolved by peaceful means and diplomatic engagement through political dialogue and negotiations irrespective of their historic background. IMAGE: External affairs minister S Jaishankar attends BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting online. Photograph: Kind courtesy @DrSJaishankar/ Twitter The BRICS stressed on resolution of conflicts in a declaration issued after a virtual meeting of foreign ministers of the member nations of the grouping. The meeting was attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. Though the declaration mentioned conflicts in various parts of the world, the reference comes at a time when China is engaged in an aggressive military posturing in the South China Sea and a bitter border row with India in the mountainous eastern Ladakh region. 'They concurred that, irrespective of their historic background and distinctive nature, conflicts should be resolved by peaceful means and diplomatic engagement through political dialogue and negotiations in line with principles and norms of international law, particularly the UN Charter,' it said. Besides India and China, the BRICS comprises Brazil, Russia and South Africa. In his address, Jaishankar called for boosting cooperation among the grouping in dealing with the threat of terrorism besides emphasising the need to reform the United Nations to reflect contemporary global realities. Jaishankar also called for expansion of the UN Security Council in both permanent and non-permanent categories besides pitching for reforms in international bodies like World Trade Organisation, International Monetary Fund and World Health Organisation. The foreign minister also indicated that India's effort would be to consolidate intra BRICS solidarity and provide concrete institutional framework for the purpose. The meeting was chaired by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and attended by Brazilian Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo, China's Wang, South African Foreign Minister Grace Naledi Pandor and Jaishankar. The joint declaration said the ministers expressed concerns at the rise of violence and continuing conflicts in different parts of the world that have significant impact at both the regional and international levels. It said the ministers reiterated their strong condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations whenever, wherever and by whomsoever committed, adding that it should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilization or ethnic group. 'They reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to contribute further to the global efforts of preventing and countering the threat of terrorism on the basis of respect for international law and the UN Charter, emphasising that States have the primary responsibility in combating terrorism,' the declaration said. The BRICS foreign ministers also called for establishing long-term peace in Afghanistan on the basis of successful, direct and inclusive intra-Afghan negotiations supported by international partners. 'The peace process should be Afghan-led and Afghan-owned. They condemned in the strongest terms the recent terrorist attacks that took place in Afghanistan,' it said. It said the ministers noted with appreciation the role of the New Development Bank (NDB) in infrastructure and sustainable development financing and its contribution to the efforts of BRICS states to address the health and economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. 'They welcomed the decision of the NDB Board of Governors to establish an emergency assistance facility up to $10 billion to meet related needs and the approval of four loans in the total amount of $4 billion,' the declaration said. It said the ministers reiterated the pressing need to preserve jobs and income, in particular for the most vulnerable groups of society. 'They underscored the urgency of restoring international growth and international trade, strengthening markets stability and resilience. The ministers stressed the value of cooperation between States, both bilaterally and multilaterally,' it said. In his address, Jaishankar said the BRICS has an important role to play in the wake of grave challenges in economic, political and social, health fields. He also highlighted the 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' (self-reliant India) initiative of India as a 'dynamic' and mutually beneficial global economic engagement, covering five key pillars, including economy, infrastructure, technology, demography and demand. Election 2020 Election 2020: The Week in Review -- YANGON Election 2020: The Week in Review offers a summary of the most important developments related to the 2020 election during the past week the stories readers should not miss if they want to understand the electoral landscape. Between Aug. 29 to Sep. 4, the election commission announced the approved candidates and explained COVID-19 preparations while the National League for Democracy (NLD) vowed to reform the militarys role in politics in its election manifesto. 6,969 candidates approved to compete Sunday (Aug. 30) The Union Election Commission announced that 6,969 candidates have been approved to run in the November general election while rejecting dozens of applicants due to issues with citizenship, the fabrication of data and other concerns. One candidate was rejected for allegedly having connections with the Arakan Army (AA), which the government has declared a terrorist organization, although the rejected candidate denied the claims. Candidates will vie for 1,171 parliamentary seats in the Union Parliament and state and regional legislatures on Nov. 8. Shan State will have the highest number of candidates with 1,018. Yangon Region will select from 950 and Sagaing Region from 685. NLD promises to reform military power Tuesday (Sep. 1) Under the subject of Defense and Security in the 34-page of election manifesto, Daw Aung San Suu Kyis NLD said it will work to make sure the militarys first duty is the protection of citizens and that it upholds the policies of the democratically elected government. It also states that it would make the armed forces, or Tatmadaw, a trusted institution on which the people could rely while promising to develop the military in line with modern standards of combat ability and ensure it is equipped with advanced technology. The NLDs manifesto features three main election pledges: to address ethnic affairs and achieve peace; to create a constitution that ensures a genuine democratic federal union; and sustainable development. It also outlines the partys commitments on different subjects including the executive, judiciary, legislature, defense and security, education, health and sport. Archbishop asks voters to reject looters and unethical cronies Tuesday (Sep. 1) The Archbishop of Yangon, Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, advised voters to avoid looters and crony politicians who had ravaged Myanmars resources and made the people poor, in his appeal ahead of the poll. The Christian leader said there are many unpatriotic candidates in the election. Identify them. They are not to be part of any democracy, he told voters. He urged citizens to look for leaders with integrity, not only intelligence, and vote for a true political and economic federalism. He also stressed the importance of active participation in democracy, calling on people to exercise their voting rights. Myanmars Constitution bars members of religious orders from voting. See the full appeal here. UEC to decide any COVID-19 election delay next month Wednesday (Sep. 2) The UEC said at a press conference in Naypyitaw that any COVID-19 delay to the Nov. 8 general election will be announced in October. Despite preparations, it is likely that some constituencies may also not be able to allow voting due to ongoing conflicts, particularly in Rakhine and Shan states. The UEC said it will also name the constituencies where voting will not take place due to security reasons in October. In the 2010 and 2015 general elections, various constituencies in Shan State, including five townships in the Wa self-administrative zone, did not take part. The commission said it has so far approved 8,120 domestic observers from eight civil society groups, including previously barred monitoring group the Peoples Alliance for Credible Elections and two international NGOs to monitor the election. Being impeached is an election campaign, says Kayah chief minister Thursday (Sep. 3) The dismissed Kayah State chief minister, L Phaung Sho, of the NLD said the state parliaments impeachment against him over a funding scandal is like an election campaign for him. He was removed from his position on Thursday, two days after the states parliament voted to impeach him for misusing state funds. L Phaung Sho said the parliament acted partially and unfairly. This is a kind of campaigning for me, he told the media following his dismissal. He said he will stand for the NLD for the state parliament in Mese Township. He won the seat in 2015. The NLD said it was standing by the chief minister, saying the states speaker, who is also a party member, acted against L Phaung Sho out of a personal grudge as he was not selected by the NLD to run in the election. The impeachment of the chief minister received widespread public support, demonstrating the ability of the parliament to control the executive. In their own words: Thieves cannot represent us. Cardinal Charles Maung Bo in his appeal to voters on Sept.1. SEO: Kayah State chief minister L Phaung Sho, National League for Democracy, 2008 Constitution, Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, Union Election Commission, November 8 general election, military in politics, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, COVID-19, coronavirus You may also like these stories: Myanmars Ruling Party Vows to Reform Military in Election Manifesto Myanmar Archbishop Urges Citizens to Go Vote Nearly 7,000 Candidates Approved to Run in Myanmars November Election Each week we answer questions about American English from readers from outside the United States. But today we answer a question from the American state of Alabama. Khan writes: Question: Could you tell me what else I can use instead of heads up? That term is considered informal; therefore, I would like to know the formal word for heads up. Thanks. Khan, Alabama Answer: Dear Khan, Thank you for writing. Let us look closely at this expression and other ways to say it. Meaning of heads up As you said, the term heads up is informal. However, it is so common in American English that we use it in almost every situation. Heads up can be used as a noun. It sends a message that says something is going to happen. Here is an example: She gave him a heads up that the company's president would be visiting the office. Also, you can ask for a heads up by asking someone to report when they are in the process of doing something. Can you give me a heads up about how much time you will need for that project? You might also hear someone say, Thanks for the heads up! This means, Thanks for letting me know! Other ways to say heads up It is worth noting that heads up is a common expression Americans use with friends, family, coworkers and even in business meetings. But there are other ways to express the idea. One word you can use in place of "heads up" is warn: She warned him that the company's president would be visiting the office. Another way to express the idea is with the word let when you want to give or get information: Please let me know how much time you will need for that project. Imagine that your company is moving to a new office and your supervisor is sending you an email. The message could make you aware of something or draw your attention to something, as we hear in these examples: I want to make you aware that we are moving our office. I wanted to draw your attention to the move of our office. Khan, I hope that helps to answer your question about "heads up." And that's Ask a Teacher for this week. What questions do you have about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com. Im Jill Robbins. Gregory Stachel and Dr. Jill Robbins wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story informal - adj. (of language.) relaxed in tone or not suited for serious or official speech and writing aware - adj. knowing that something (such as a situation, condition, or problem) exists Do you have a question for the teacher? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com. For infusing joyful learning to making maths easy and developing innovative methods of teaching---47 teachers from across the country were conferred the National Teachers Awards by President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday. The national level awards are given on Teachers Day to celebrate the unique contribution of some of the finest teachers in the country and to honour those teachers who through their commitment have not only improved the quality of school education but also enriched the lives of their students. Good buildings, expensive equipments or facilities do not make a good school but teachers have a crucial role in building a good school.They are the ones who develop foundation of knowledge and character building in our students, Kovind said at the virtual award ceremony. Lauding the role of teachers during COVID-19 pandemic when schools and colleges are closed, the president said, We also need to ensure that the medium for availing digital education facility is also available in rural and distant areas. The Ministry of Education invited self-nomination by teachers through online portal for the awards. First level scrutiny was done by District Selection Committee (DSC) headed by the District Education Officer. Based on prescribed selection criteria, DSC shortlisted three names and the same were forwarded to State Selection Committee through an online portal. This year, the candidates appeared before the jury through video conference and made presentations. The selected awardees with their commitment and industry have not only improved the quality of school education but also enriched the lives of their students and community through various activities like improving enrolment and reducing dropouts, adopting joyful and experiential teaching-learning practices. ... development and use of cost effective teaching learning materials, organizing extra-curricular and co-curricular activities, spreading social awareness among children, encouraging community participation, appropriate and effective use of ICT in teaching, promotion of nation building and national integration, Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON An inmate caught on camera attacking another prisoner is one of Australia's most violent offenders. Footage released last week showed the moment a pair of inmates ambushed a man at the Port Phillip Prison in Melbourne's west in 2018. The carnage is believed to be linked to the violent Prisoners of War gang. One of the men involved in the incident has an extensive history of causing trouble behind bars. He cannot be named for legal reasons. Shocking footage captured the moment a pair inmates ambush a prisoner inside a maximum security jail The prisoner known as 'Ray' has spent years within the system, convicted over armed robbery but notorious for violent jail outbursts, reported the Herald Sun. He was said to be involved in the brutal attack six years ago on a feared jail figure and former leader of the Prisoner of War Gang. He was also once given more jail time after throwing a television at a prison officer. 'Ray' also endangered inmates and officers after setting fire to his cell. His history of drug abuse and weapons offences are also well-known after long stints behind bars over the past decade. It was only years ago he was convicted over another prison attack. The latest assault reportedly involved makeshift knives. The latest assault reportedly involved makeshift knives The video was reportedly taken at Port Phillip Prison in Melbourne's west (pictured) in 2018 The victim of the attack caught on film was taken away on a stretcher and reportedly needed hundreds of stitches after the ambush The current leader of the Prisoner of Ware Gang is Matthew Charles Johnson - who was sentenced to life in prison in 2011 for killing Melbourne crime lord Carl Williams inside Barwon Prison. The video released last week showed two men wearing white shirts squaring up to the shirtless inmate and trading blows with him on a prison walkway. Other prisoners watched on from the dining area below as the topless man initially fought back against his attackers before being backed into a corner and left severely bloodied by a series of blows. The victim was taken away on a stretcher and reportedly needed hundreds of stitches after the ambush. Port Phillip Prison in Melbourne was the scene of another violent attack earlier this year. Port Phillip Prison (pictured) in Melbourne 's west was allegedly the scene of another violent attack earlier this year Mark Pollard, 48, died in hospital on February 26 after allegedly being ambushed in his cell at Port Phillip Prison Mark Pollard, 48, died in hospital on February 26 after allegedly being ambushed in his cell. The heavily tattooed inmate was allegedly bashed to death after he fought back when a prison gang demanded he hand over an ornate skull ring. Within the past month, two jail staff members have been assaulted when they searched for a missing USB stick and an inmate was repeatedly stabbed in a vicious attack. G4S - which privately operates Port Phillip prison - previously declined to comment when contacted by Daily Mail Australia. Egypts prosecutor-general referred on Saturday an administrative prosecutor to the criminal court for assaulting a police officer on duty last week. The defendant is facing accusations of assaulting a police officer verbally and physically, which resulted in the officer's injury, and destroying public properties, said a statement released by the prosecutor's office. Prosecution investigations concluded that the defendant assaulted the head of security at the Heliopolis courthouse complex after he had told her to wear a face mask and stop filming court employees on duty with her mobile phone, the statement added. The prosecution stated the defendant tore off the officer's rank insignia and crashed his walkie-talkie after confiscating her mobile phone. Security detained the defendant and filed a report along with evidence and a video clip of the incident. The testimonies of a lawyer and a court employee confirmed the statements of the police officer. The defendant, however, denied the charges saying the police officer started a verbal skirmish with her. The prosecution added that after examining the defendants mobile phone, it was found6 photos taken from the court on the same day of the incident taken for some citizens and employees. A video of the incident on Monday went viral. In the video, the defendant said she works with the Administrative Prosecution and United Nations. Another clip showed her resisting arrest. The Administrative Prosecution said on Monday it is investigating the incident involving its member Noha El-Emam, the woman in the video. The United Nations office in Egypt issued a statement regarding the incident and El-Emam's claims that she is affiliated to the international body. Following her detention, the defendant was released on an EGP 2,000 bail after enquiring from her place of work that she is suffering from psychological conditions. Search Keywords: Short link: Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-04 23:30:57|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's emphasis on carrying forward in the new era the great spirit of resisting aggression and striving to achieve national rejuvenation has a practical significance, experts have said. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks on Thursday when addressing a symposium here commemorating the 75th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. The Chinese president said that the great spirit of resisting aggression bred during the war is an invaluable source of inspiration, and will always motivate the Chinese people to overcome all difficulties and obstacles and strive to achieve national rejuvenation. Robert Lawrence Kuhn, a leading U.S. expert on China and chairman of the Kuhn Foundation, said that "Xi's full-throated, rhythmic sentences" constitute a direct rejection of "any attempt to separate the Chinese people from the CPC or to question the country's governance system." "Above all, under difficult circumstances, Xi's speech resonated with unambiguous conviction," he added. Yevgeny Zaitsev, head of the Center for Russian-Chinese Studies at Russia's Lomonosov Moscow State University, said that China's role in World War II (WWII) is generally recognized by all parties to this conflict, and the contribution that the Chinese people made is undoubtedly important and very significant. There is consensus that Russia and China agreed on many significant issues of the time, Zaitsev said, adding that the joint celebration of the victory over fascism plays a stabilizing role and can be viewed as a stabilizing factor in today's turbulent world. Meanwhile, Ethiopian scholar Costantinos Bt. Costantinos noted that the horrific experience of WWII meant the global community was resolved to ensure no conflict of such global magnitude happens again. Likewise, Weng Guoning, chairman of the Confederation of Toronto Chinese Canadian Organizations, said "in the past, we united together to fight against fascism, and today, we should also work together to build a community with a shared future for mankind." Enditem Salwan Georges/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesBy QUINN OWEN, ABC News (WASHINGTON) -- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement this week announced the end of a series of nationally coordinated arrests that resulted in more than 2,000 immigrants taken into custody. The vast majority of those arrested had a prior criminal charge or conviction while 15% did not. Assault and domestic violence topped the list of charges and convictions held by those arrested. The agency tallied the data as individual charges and convictions, meaning a single person could have more than one. The nationally coordinated operations were run out of all 24 national ICE field offices. Eighty-three people were arrested in New York City, 77 arrests were made in New Jersey, 67 in Phoenix and more than 300 were made in Los Angeles. ICE made 2,536 at-large or community arrests from the beginning of July through Aug. 22, according to the latest stats provided by the agency. The arrests came despite limits on ICE operations due to the coronavirus pandemic. So far this budget year, ICE has made 94,490 arrests overall compared to 143,099 arrests in the same time last year. Henry Lucero, the head of ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, said noncriminal immigration violators could have been targeted by ICE if they had repeated violations or a deportation order. "That's really a variety of cases that may have been targeted during this operation because we had a viable lead," Lucero said. "It also could mean that we were targeting individuals that were part of this operation and came across others." Lucero said agents have been working under new protective equipment protocols and providing masks and gloves to those arrested. The operation required ICE to redirect and focus other department resources on the targeted removal operations. The agency announced in March that the coronavirus crisis required it to focus on criminal targets. "We never said we were going to stop arresting individuals," Lucero told reporters on Tuesday. "We said we were going to prioritize and focus on those who were public safety threats and that's exactly what we did during this operation." The pandemic also forced the agency to significantly reduce the number of detainees it holds in custody. The average number of immigrants held at the civil detention facilities was just over 20,000 at the end of August, compared to just over 50,000 last year. More than 5,400 detainees have tested positive for COVID-19 and six have died after contracting the virus, according to ICE statistics. Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Canada, 05 Sep 2020 - In the present day, collecting memorable items is much liked by the individuals, and there are some individuals who also love to collect coins, specifically challenge coins. Collecting challenge coins has become a hobby for many individuals. Challenge coins were specifically used in the military and air force, and the trend of challenge coins first began in the air force as a reward. Challenge coins represent the symbol of an officer. These coins are especially given to those officers when they achieve any target, and these coins also show their bravery and passion. Mostly law enforcement officers and their supporters collect such coins, and even they display them at homes or offices. There are many individuals around the world who collect challenge coins for supporting the police officer, and they also collect various other things, for example, Thin Blue Line Flags, Police Officer Bracelets, and much more. Collecting these coins and things has become far easier for everyone because there are several online vendors available that provide you such kinds of coins. Individuals can find numerous providers in the online world that provide Police Challenge Coins and other items, but it is hard to find a trustworthy provider on the internet that can provide you high-quality Police collectibles. If you are one of those individuals who are looking for the bestseller, you should use one of the trustworthy websites named Police brand. This website provides high-quality Police Challenge Coins and other items with having unique designs and colors. All of the challenge coins provided by this website are really unique that easily attract the individuals, and you can also buy several other items with the help of this site, for example, Police Officer Bracelets, stickers, Thin Blue Line Flags, and much more. If needed, interested individuals can click here or visit our official website to know more about the Police Officer Gifts. It is the only platform that helps you to buy the challenge coins and other items at a very reasonable price, and you can get the fast delivery service as compared to other sites. Police brand is one of the best suppliers in the online world that provide the items at a certain time, and you easily get satisfied by ordering the coins from this platform. There are several reviews available on this site shared by the individuals after getting the Police collectibles from it. All the reviews are proof that it is the right place for buying challenge coins. You can also use the live chat service of this site to contact the service providers, and there are several secure payment options available on this site that you can conveniently utilize to pay money. Better is to click here or visit our official website to know more about the Police Officer Bracelets. If necessary, enthusiasts can click here or on our official site for a complete insight Police Officer Gifts . You can also contact them by providing the information below. Website : https://policebrand.net/ Email: info@policebrand.net Telephone : 573-990-1042 Kevin Magnussen says he wants to meet team owner Gene Haas in person to discuss his Formula 1 future. For 2021, Haas team boss Gunther Steiner has left the door open to either keeping Magnussen and Romain Grosjean, or potentially replacing one or both of them - even with "two rookies". Steiner even admitted the possibility of choosing from the Ferrari talent pool, including Mick Schumacher, Callum Ilott and Robert Shwartzman. "Looking ahead, looking to next year, I think all of them merit a place in a F1 seat," confirmed Ferrari's Mattia Binotto. Haas has an 'option' on Magnussen for 2021, and he said the time is looming for talks about next year to take place. "It's about to be the time of year when you sit down and talk about the future," the Danish driver confirmed to BT newspaper at Monza. "But I cannot comment on dates or details." It was believed that boss Steiner would fly to the US in the coming days to discuss the driver matter with team owner Gene Haas. But it emerges that Haas is now actually en route to Monza. "I will have to talk to Gene," Magnussen said. "Anything else would be strange, right? "But I don't know if we will talk about the future. We have not agreed anything so we will have to wait and see." If Haas does not keep him, Magnussen's options appear limited for 2021. The 27-year-old said he would be happy to stay. "I would like to be further ahead and fighting for points, but I do not want to say I am frustrated," he said. "I believe the team has a bright future." (GMM) Broadcaster and lecturer Dr Aoibhinn Ni Shuilleabhain is being praised for speaking out about her personal experience of sexual harassment at UCD. Dr Ni Shuilleabhain, who is an assistant professor in UCD, described the ordeal an in-depth interview in todays Irish Times. She detailed a number of interactions between herself and a male professor over a two-year period between 2015 and 2017. Prof Hans-Benjamin Braun, 58, was charged with harassment late last year and barred from contacting Dr Ni Shuilleabhain for five years. 1.Sexual harassment in academia is a serious and systemic issue that is too often left unchecked. I spoke with @IrishTimes about my experience of sexual harassment by a colleague @ucddublin 1/n https://t.co/SOryHh47sY Aoibhinn Ni Shuilleabhain (@aoibhinn_ni_s) September 5, 2020 At one point in those two years, he turned up at a hotel in Cork after seeing on social media that Dr Ni Shuilleabhain was on a weekend break with female friends. He was removed by gardai from the hotel twice, on two consecutive days, and Dr Ni Shuilleabhain received a Garda escort out of Co Cork. Dr Ni Shuilleabhain said the Cork incident "was just incredibly stressful ... The whole weekend was." She said the experience left her living in fear and she hopes her story will draw attention to the harassment of female university academics and students on university campuses in Ireland. The National Women's Council (NWC) said speaking out about her two-year ordeal puts a spotlight on shortcomings that still remain across the sector. "Aoibhinn Ni Shuilleabhains experience shows the deep and significant impact sexual harassment has on every aspect of a persons life," said Director, Orla OConnor. It highlights how this trauma can be compounded by the response from an institution that does not fully recognise the seriousness of the issue and its responsibility to offer adequate protection to the victim. The NWC is now calling for urgent action by all third level institutions to ensure both staff and students can be safe on campus. "Where an incident occurs, we crucially need to have in place clear policies and procedures that follow best practice in this area and ensure the victim is supported and protected at all times," Ms O'Connor said. "While progress has been made in many universities and colleges in this regard in relation to students, we now need a comprehensive approach that encompasses all staff and is recognised and reinforced through the governance structures of the institutions. We call on all third level institutes to prioritise the full implementation of the 'National Framework on sexual harassment and violence for higher and further education." WASHINGTON, Sept. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- CSIOS Corporation today announced a General Services Administration Information Technology Schedule 70 fiveyear single award contract with the DoD High Performance Computing Modernization Program (HPCMP) totaling approximately $60 million. Under the new fiveyear agreement, CSIOS will serve as the prime contractor to the HPCMP Cybersecurity Service Provider (CSSP) and provision fullspectrum cybersecurity services to DoD subscribers worldwide. "The DoD HPCMP CSSP is one of 23 certified and accredited DoD CSSPs authorized to provision 24x7x365 cybersecurity services to protect and defend a portion of the DoD information networks (DoDIN). Through this contract, CSIOS will assist the HPCMP CSSP in providing an important layer of cyber defense to two very important segments of the DoDIN: the classified and unclassified Defense Research and Engineering Networks," said Cesar Pie, President and CEO of CSIOS Corporation. Mr. Pie added, "We are excited about our new partnership with HPCMP; together, we will continue to advance the DoD CSSP program's mission and cybersecurity objectives." Media Contact: Email: [email protected] Related Images csios-corporation.png CSIOS Corporation SOURCE CSIOS Corporation Pickering long-term-care home cited over procedures, Sept. 1 Premier Doug Ford has repeatedly vowed to spare no cost and do whatever it takes to keep us safe, yet, in at least two cases, he has abundantly demonstrated that he will do neither. To do as he says for the young, Ford would need to assure families that their children are in cohorts no larger than 15 students for safe distancing, and to follow his health experts advice. Instead, he is fighting the teachers unions who balk at letting their members work under conditions violating the ministrys own standards, prompting them to go to court. To do as he says for the elderly, Ford would have to issue directive orders to halt admissions and revoke the licenses of residences violating regulations. Instead, he sends in toothless inspectors and tolerates non-compliant residences under private ownership. Ford urgently needs to consider lowering rather than raising class sizes, and exploring alternative living arrangements for the elderly, including publicly owned residences as well as alternative elderly living models. But he has adamantly refused to do either. His actions belie his rhetoric. Salvatore Amenta, Stouffville Schools are perfect conditions for COVID-19 to flourish, Letter, Aug. 30 I wish to add to the excellent points raised by letter writer Douglas Clarke regarding school reopening in September. I have personally witnessed the strict public health regulations imposed on health-care establishments in the past two weeks. When I visited my dentist, I had to wait outside because there was already one person in the really spacious waiting room. My question is, why do we abandon these social distancing concerns when it comes to class sizes in the schools? I feel really sorry for the teachers and parents, who may end up getting infected by this easily transmissible virus. Irene Fung, Mississauga Is the full-time school, at five days a week, without any reduction of the class size, safe? The hybrid model, which would have allowed classes of far fewer students, was rejected. Why? Teaching is given a few days at school, and the rest of the week online at home. In the hybrid model, if both parents work, they would have to do what they dont like: pay out of their own pocket somebody who looks after their children when the they are at work. The government, on the other hand, could help a single parent family to pay a helper for the children during the days the kids are home. If you have a look around in the world, you will notice that in Europe, they are already in the second wave. In Germany, thousands of teachers and students are in quarantine. We are about to set out on the same path only because the government, or those in charge, do not want to reduce the class size to an acceptable number of students. I am outraged for their cynical, economic calculation, made at the expense of the health and the life, and death for some, of all of us. Enrico Piacenza, Oakville Teachers launch labour board challenge, Sept. 1 The provinces four main teacher unions are sounding the alarm that it is not safe for teachers to return to their classrooms. To illustrate their point, each one of the four unions has filed an appeal with the Ontario Labour Relations Board arguing that the government has not taken every reasonable precaution to protect workers as required in its own workplace health and safety act. At a news conference, Premier Ford angrily responded to this appeal by declaring that the teacher unions want to fight, want to fight with everyone, adding he distinguishes between the unions and the actual teachers. Actually, the overwhelming majority of teachers stand firmly behind their union leaders and point to the premiers divisive rhetoric as being responsible for inflaming relations between his government and the unions. Asking teachers to step up and make the same sacrifices as front-line workers is merely a diversion from the unsafe working conditions that teachers are forced to accept in their classrooms. Teachers and their unions have every reason to be concerned that the Ford governments diversionary tactics are helping to mask its flawed and underfunded school plans. Robert Ariano, Scarborough Ford tests downtown school on safeguards, Sept. 2 My new-found respect for Doug Ford is waning as he continues to blame teachers unions for not co-operating with the very belated and incomplete back-to-school plan. He and Stephen Lecce are well aware that many parents are very uneasy about the missing safety elements and are glad to have the unions be their voice as well. Good luck with getting young children and teens to social distance in other places, when they are told it is not necessary at school, and (its) inside to boot! Fords visit to a school would appear to be more genuine if it was done when the students were actually in the building. How about a few hours visit to a kindergarten class, and another to a high school where some teenagers are not known for following rules? Margaret Perrault, North Bay, Ont. Trish Dyer, Perth, Ont. Bell is ringing on plans for safe return to class, Sept. 1 Let me get this straight. The federal government has injected money into the educational system for the pandemic response. The number of students attending in-person classes will be reduced because many parents are afraid of the risk to their children and their families. Yet with more money and fewer students, class sizes will not be reduced. On the contrary, classes will be collapsed, and the remaining classes will be the same size as before the pandemic. As the online teachers will have more students, some teachers might even be laid off. If this is true, thank you Bruce Arthur for pointing this out. The result: There will be no physical distancing in the elementary classrooms, the government may actually save money on staffing, and soon COVID-19 will surge in schools and in the community. Linda Genova, Toronto Read more about: London, Sep 5 : E-commerce giant Amazon has taken down nearly 20,000 product reviews after some of the top reviewers in Britain were suspected to have accepted money or products in exchange for a five-star rating. The action by Amazon came on Friday after a Financial Times investigation flagged suspicious activities by nine of the top 10 reviewers on Amazon.co.uk. Amazon removed all of the reviews by seven of the users highlighted in the investigation. The reviewers profited from providing five-star ratings for products most of which were from little-known Chinese brands, according to the report. The investigation revealed that Justin Fryer, the top reviewer on Amazon.co.uk, provided his five-star approval on average once every four hours. Fryer reviewed a gamut of items ranging from gym equipment to smartphones and then he appears to have sold some of these products on other e-commerce platforms, raking in nearly 20,000 pounds since June. When the FT contacted Fryer, he denied receiving any benefit for the reviews. But review history disappeared from his Amazon profile page, FT reported, adding that at least two other UK reviewers deleted their history after Fryer. Fryer said the products described as "unused" and "unopened" on the eBay listings were for duplicates. Promising an investigation into the findings, Amazon said it took such a fraud seriously. "We want Amazon customers to shop with confidence knowing that the reviews they read are authentic and relevant," the company was quoted as saying. Amazon said that it may suspend, sue or ban people for violating its policies. Flash China and Greece pledged here Friday to further develop the relations between the two countries and jointly build the Belt and Road. The pledge was made when Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis held separate meetings here with Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee. Yang, also the director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, said China and Greece are true friends sharing weal and woe and good partners for mutually beneficial cooperation. He recalled that the two heads of state exchanged successful visits in 2019, leading the China-Greece comprehensive strategic partnership to a new historical stage. The two countries fought COVID-19 shoulder to shoulder, demonstrating once more the spirit of standing together through thick and thin, Yang highlighted. He said China is ready to work with Greece to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of both countries and inject new impetus into the bilateral relations. The senior Chinese diplomat called on the two sides to continuously strengthen high-level guidance and cement strategic mutual trust, promote the synergy of the Belt and Road Initiative, and jointly build the Piraeus Port into a world-class port. China encourages Greek companies to participate in the third China International Import Expo (CIIE) and welcomes competitive Greek products to Chinese market, Yang said, adding that the two countries should continue to hold the Ancient Civilizations Forum to promote exchanges and mutual learning among different civilizations and jointly oppose the fallacy of "clash of civilizations." He also urged both countries to further advance the stable development of China-EU relations and cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries, strengthen coordination and cooperation on major international and regional issues, firmly safeguard multilateralism, reinforce solidarity and friendship, and work together to build a community with a shared future for mankind. Leaders from the Greek side hailed the fruitful and promising bilateral ties, noting that the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic has brought the two peoples closer and highlighted the importance of mutual understanding and support. The Greek leaders said the country will continue to work hand in hand with China to fight the pandemic, expand two-way trade and investment, and advance key joint projects including the Piraeus Port. They added that Greece is ready to host a successful Greece-China Year of Culture and Tourism in 2021, promote dialogue between civilizations, and jointly build the Belt and Road. Pledging to maintain an open and fair investment environment for Chinese companies, the Greek leaders said their country firmly supports multilateralism and will take a more active part in promoting both the development of EU-China relations and the cooperation between China and CEE countries. A slew of Love Islanders hit London town on Friday night. Eve Gale, 21, turned heads as she strutted through Mayfair to Amazonico with twin sister Jess, Joanna Chimonides, 23, and Francesca Allen, 24. The reality star showed off her ample cleavage and a hint of her toned waist in a ribbed bandeau crop top, which she teamed with figure-hugging white jeans. Girls' night out: Eve Gale, 21, turned heads as she strutted through Mayfair to Amazonico with Joanna Chimonides, 23, on Friday night Eve amped up the glamour with a Louis Vuitton clutch bag and perspex heels. Jess, meanwhile, put on a leggy display in a ruched nude long sleeved minidress. The former barmaid complemented her look with a Fendi handbag and sky-high heels. Party-time: Eve was joined by her twin sister Jess and a stylish Francesca Allen Wow: The reality star showed off her ample cleavage and a hint of her toned waist in a ribbed bandeau crop top, which she teamed with figure-hugging white jeans Francesca also flashed her washboard abs in a plunging cropped shirt which had a bow on the neckline. The boutique owner paired the skin-flashing top with high waisted light wash jeans and a matching blue bag. Joanna caught the eye in a slinky pink floral minidress which clung to her slender physique. The girls appeared in the party mood as they held hands to walk to the bar. Strutting her stuff: Jess, meanwhile, put on a leggy display in a ruched nude long sleeved minidress Designer: The former barmaid complemented her look with a Fendi handbag and sky-high heels Fashion maven: Francesca also flashed her washboard abs in a plunging cropped shirt which had a bow on the neckline She's got style: The boutique owner paired the skin-flashing top with high waisted light wash jeans and a matching blue bag It comes after Jess and Eve recently returned from a sun-soaked getaway to the Greek island of Mykonos. The pair shared a number of jaw-dropping bikini snaps from their break as they enjoyed the island holiday. Jess has been trying to move on since her split from Love Island beau Ched, 23, during the pandemic. It's been reported that lockdown made it impossible for the couple to 'build a relationship' as they were unable to meet up with one another. In a statement shared with MailOnline, the blonde beauty confirmed the COVID-19 lockdown played a role in the demise of their romance, but insisted they continue to be friends. Letting their hair down: The girls appeared in the party mood as they held each others hands to walk to the bar The statement read: 'After a whirlwind romance in the Love Island villa, unfortunately Jessica Gale and Ched Uzor have made the mutual decision to split. 'They have unfortunately felt the effects of lockdown separation but will continue as friends. 'They wish nothing but the best for each other and full success in each others careers.' Jess and Ched are the latest couple from this year's inaugural winter season of Love Island to part ways, with Luke Mabbott and Demi revealing their split last month. They've just got back from a ski holiday together in Thredbo. And it seems things are going from strength to strength for Zac Efron, 32, and rumoured new girlfriend, Vanessa Valladares. On Saturday, the pair were spotted enjoying brunch at a beachside cafe in Lennox Head, which is close to Byron Bay. Something to tell us? On Saturday, Zac Efron and rumoured new girlfriend Vanessa Valladares stepped out for brunch in Lennox Head after their ski holiday Casual: High School Musical star Zac cut a casual figure in a black T-shirt, which he teamed with beige shorts and thongs High School Musical star Zac cut a casual figure in a black T-shirt, which he teamed with beige shorts and thongs. He covered up in a black hat and dark sunglasses. Vanessa meanwhile, showed off her trim pins in a leather-look miniskirt and a white printed T-shirt. Flashing the pins: Vanessa meanwhile, showed off her trim pins in a leather-look miniskirt and a white printed T-shirt She teamed the look with maroon sandals, a gold necklace and dark sunglasses. The pair looked relaxed on the outing, sitting by an open window as they waited for their meals. At one point, Zac kept occupied on his phone. Making the most of the day: The pair looked relaxed on the outing, sitting by an open window as they waited for their meals Trip away: The pair have just got back from a ski holiday in Thredbo. In photos obtained by The Herald Sun, the pair were spotted leaving a plane in Ballina together following the trip Texting away? At one point, Zac kept occupied on his phone The pair have just got back from a ski holiday in Thredbo. In photos obtained by The Herald Sun, the pair were spotted leaving a plane in Ballina together following the trip. The Hollywood actor, 32, reportedly met Vanessa in July when she was working as a waitress. She's rumoured to have quit her job now and is said to be staying with Zac at Belongil Beach. Rumours: The Hollywood actor, 32, reportedly met Vanessa in July when she was working as a waitress New flame? She's rumoured to have quit her job now and is said to be staying with Zac at Belongil Beach Last month, Daily Mail Australia revealed that Zac had cancelled a scheduled flight back to Los Angeles. 'He was only planning to fly home if he had to,' a source revealed. 'He didn't really want to go back to America.' Zac had purchased the plane ticket several months ago in case his application for a visa extension was denied by the Department of Home Affairs. Staying put: Last month, Daily Mail Australia revealed that Zac had cancelled a scheduled flight back to Los Angeles Extended stay: Zac had purchased the plane ticket several months ago in case his application for a visa extension was denied by the Department of Home Affairs Loving Australia: It comes just days after The Daily Telegraph reported that Zac had 'inspected and put in an offer' on a home in Byron Bay But it seems his request to have his tourist visa extended from three months to 12 months was granted, hence why he cancelled his trip home. Daily Mail Australia understands Zac received a last-minute refund for his ticket. It comes just days after The Daily Telegraph reported that Zac had 'inspected and put in an offer' on a home in Byron Bay. However, he was apparently outbid at the last minute by a rival buyer. Zac was apparently disappointed because he had 'fallen in love' with Byron Bay. While he is staying in Australia for the time being, the Baywatch star will have to return to America eventually due to his filming commitments. He is scheduled to star in the Disney+ remake of Three Men and a Baby, based on the classic 1987 comedy starring Steve Guttenberg, Tom Selleck and Ted Danson. Daily Mail Australia has contacted a representative of Zac for comment, in relation to this article. Kayla Cronin and Emma Twomey looking forward to first day at school in Millstreet Presentation NS Alyssa Morse getting to know the Ballydesmond National School mascot, Teddy, on her first day in Junior Infants What is usually an exciting, fun and emotional time for everyone involved in 'first day at school' has been hugely impacted by the pandemic. In fact, it's 102 years ago, as the Spanish Flu began to spread globally in 1918, since anything even remotely as virulent threatened our health and peace of mind. While staff at schools continue to be as welcoming and helpful as ever, there is a new climate of wariness and worry, as well as vigilance about strictly adhering to all the safety guidelines. However, for The Corkman this week, it was a breath of fresh air to photograph and chat to the new arrivals. As there is no 'social distancing' required for that age group, it was fantastic to be able to capture images of the children without fretting about the two-metre rule. In addition, the infants were as happy and cheerful as ever, with their age and innocence largely shielding them from the worry of COVID. The Corkman chatted to teachers and new school-goers, and here is a taste of what they had to say. Nora Moynihan, Principal of Cullen NS: "Schools have been faced with many challenges over the last couple of months. The greatest challenge of all now is to keep the school open. We hope that we will be able to do that and will do our utmost to prevent the spread of COVID-19. "The pupils and staff of Cullen NS were all thrilled to be back on Monday, August 31. We were greeted with the biggest smiles and the happiest children. It was wonderful to see our pupils so happy to be returning to school. "It was a mammoth task preparing the schools for re-opening post the COVID-19 school closure. Keeping all in the school community safe is our priority now - our pupils, staff and parents, and people in the wider community also." Eileen Herlihy, Junior Infants Teacher at Kiskeam NS: "We are all delighted to be back to school, and it is wonderful to see all the children again. "There was great excitement on Monday morning when the children arrived through the school gates, especially the seven new Junior Infants." Ella O'Sullivan, Junior Infants Teacher at Ballydesmond NS: "It's wonderful to be back and meeting all our pupils again. Everyone is excited to start the new school year and be back where we belong. We welcome especially our 17 new Junior Infants and wish our pupils who graduated from Sixth Class all the best". Junior Infants, Ballydesmond NS: Rian Fitzpatrick: "I like the pictures of Mickey Mouse on the wall." Joseph Rohan: "I like coming in the gate and meeting Timmy the Tiger. He helps us sanitise our hands." Gearoid O' Rourke: "I like my classroom, it has pretty flowers on the window and lots of colours." Kathryn Buckley: "I like it when we do our work and learn new things." Junior Infants, Boherbue NS: Lorcan Aherne: "I liked watching the white board and reading about Old Mother Hubbard feeding her dog; there were no bones left for him and then it rained bones". Sive O'Connor: "I loved looking at the books, my favourite book is 'Super Kitty'". Excitement for Millstreet students By John Tarrant Excitement was high in Millstreet early this week as large numbers made it back to the classroom for the first time in six months. The pandemic had taken its toll, and a welcome return to a normal routine met with unanimous approval from parents and pupils. At both national schools, there was delight, the majority of the pupils thrilled to renew acquaintances with great friends. And for the newcomers entering Millstreet Presentation NS as Junior Infants, there was a sense of delight and nerves, with mums and dads on hand to provide encouragement. Thankfully, the weather was favourable to allow entry at staggered times, and a comprehensive run of protocol measures had been drawn up and circulated in advance were adhered to by all involved. Everybody involved at both Millstreet Presentation NS and nearby Boys National School are confident that the routines to counteract COVID-19 will be easily adapted, with hand washing, hygiene and working together seen as key aspects to everyday school life. More coverage in The Kerryman newspaper Virgin Australia creditors yesterday voted in favour of a $3.5 billion buyout by private equity firm Bain Capital after union leaders urged workers to back the deal. While the sale will allegedly allow Virgin employees to receive the approximately $451 million owed to them, it will not result in the reinstatement of the 3,000 workers sacked last month, or guarantee the jobs of the remaining 6,000 Virgin staff. Virgin CEO Paul Scurrah said yesterday that while further cuts were not planned in the short term, if there are changes to the federal governments JobKeeper wage subsidy, clearly our position on that will have to be reviewed. We cannot give any guarantees at this point in time. Virgin Australia Airbus A320 at Christmas Island International Airport [Source: Wikimedia Commons] In other words, the airlines remaining workers will keep their jobs for only as long as its owners continue to receive massive sums of public money. JobKeeper is being progressively wound back, beginning this month, meaning that Scurrahs statements are a virtual guarantee of further mass sackings. The Australian Federation of Airline Pilots (AFAP), which covers most Virgin pilots, called on workers to support the Bain deal, claiming that the only alternative was liquidation which would mean millions in lost entitlements for thousands of employees. Despite the recent sacking of one third of Virgins crew, AFAP has not flagged any action beyond a nebulous vow to focus on holding Bain and CEO Paul Scurrah to their commitments to grow the airline once the pandemic subsides. The Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association (ALAEA), which represents 350 Virgin maintenance workers also urged its members to support the deal. The ALAEA, along with the Transport Workers Union (TWU) previously objected to Bains plan to appoint former Qantas executive Jayne Hrdlicka in a leadership position. Hrdlicka ran low-cost Qantas affiliate Jetstar between 2012 and 2017, during which time the group slashed more than 5,000 jobs. In reality these voluntary redundancies were executed with the backing of the Australian Council of Trade Unions and the Australian Services Union, which also helped the company impose an 18-month pay freeze on thousands of employees. The TWU threw its support behind the deal after Bain promised to create a union advisory council at the resurrected Virgin. The body, which will comprise three union representatives, Bain, and Virgin CEO Paul Scurrah, will further entrench the unions as an arm of management. Bain has a long history in the parasitic practice of leveraged buyouts in which cash-strapped companies are bought up, huge management fees are accrued, assets are stripped and workers are thrown on the scrapheap to prepare the company for quick resale. The union advisory council will enforce this agenda. It will insist that workers continue to accept sackings and reduced conditions, in a never-ending regression based on a lie that this will protect some jobs. TWU National Secretary Michael Kaine said he hoped to use the advisory council to influence the makeup of the Virgin board, flagging the unions intention to subordinate unrest among workers to appeals to upper management. In an August 25 statement, the TWU welcome[d] the administrators creditors report on Virgin as another milestone for the airline. The union made no criticism or demands of the company, instead laying the blame for the wave of job losses at Virgin and Qantas at the feet of the Liberal-National federal government. The statement read: We will hold the Federal Government to account over its failures on Virgin. It has provided little direction or assurances on the future despite the fact that tens of thousands of jobs are dependent on Virgin getting back up and running. In other words, the union is calling for a further transfer of public money into the coffers of big business based on the premise that Virgin is too big to fail and must be propped up. Virgin has already claimed an estimated $156 million in wage subsidies from the falsely-titled JobKeeper scheme, despite sacking thousands of workers and compelling others to take their accrued leave during the pandemic. The company also shared in a $715 million federal relief package for the airline industry announced in March. Prior to the announcement of JobKeeper 2.0, the administrators handling the Virgin sale warned the federal government that leading bidders had threatened to pull out if the wage subsidy was not extended beyond its original end date of September 27. While airlines throughout the world have been severely impacted by COVID-19, the reality is that Virgin had been running at a loss for years before the pandemic. In August last year, Scurrah announced 750 jobs would be slashed after the airline recorded its seventh consecutive annual loss. The devastation in the Australian aviation industry is not limited to Virgin. Despite receiving at least $515 million in government handouts and wage subsidies, Qantas last month announced that it would shed 2,050 ground-handling jobson top of 6,000 cuts issued in Junewhile its Jetstar will let go 370 workers. The cuts follow strikes in December and January by Jetstar pilots and baggage handlers. The TWU and AFAP collaborated with management to minimise the impact of the industrial action, engaging in only rolling stoppages, and halting the strikes over the busy Christmas period. In response to the latest cuts, the TWU has called for Qantas CEO Alan Joyce to step down and let some civilised, moderate, responsible leadership take place at Qantas. This characterisation of the assault on workers as the product of an individual CEO promotes the illusion that a change in management could provide fair conditions and stable employment for workers. The reality is that the attack on jobs and conditions currently being carried out under the guise of the coronavirus pandemic is the inevitable result of businesses being operated solely to serve the profit interests of their shareholders. Contrary to the claims of the unions, no change in management, advisory council or corporate bailout will protect jobs in aviation or any other industry. The establishment of the advisory council demonstrates that the unions are the direct agents of the most predatory and rapacious sections of finance capital. The fight to defend jobs and conditions means a rebellion against these corporatised, anti-working class organisations. New organisations of struggle, including independent rank-and-file committees, must be established throughout the industry, to develop a genuine industrial and political counter-offensive, uniting all aviation employees and turning out to other sections of the working class facing similar corporate attacks. The issue of an alternative political perspective is bluntly posed by the situation itself. The unending cuts to jobs and wages show that the defence of the most basic social rights is incompatible with the private ownership of the airlines. They must be placed under public ownership and democratic workers control. This means the fight for a workers government and for socialism. Rivals Serbia and Kosovo have agreed to normalize economic ties following two days of U.S.-brokered talks in Washington. U.S. President Donald Trump announced what he described as a "truly historic commitment" at the Oval Office on September 4, sitting alongside Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovar Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti, who signed an economic cooperation agreement. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 5) The National Task Force Against COVID-19 counts on an additional 5 billion fund under the proposed Bayanihan to Recover As One Act to discourage asymptomatic patients from home quarantine. The money will be used to send patients to hotels during their 14-day isolation, Defense Secretary and task force head Delfin Lorenzana said Saturday. That will encourage the people to really volunteer to come dahil komportable 'yung tirahan nila, meron pa silang TV, meron pa silang Internet, Lorenzana said in a public meeting with local officials in Caloocan City. Hinihintay natin mapasa yung batas na yan para mapakinabangan natin yung 5 billion para sa quarantine." [Translation: That will encourage the people to really volunteer to come because they will have a comfortable stay, with TV and Internet. We are waiting for the signing of the law for us to use the P5 billion for quarantine.] The bill, also known as Bayanihan 2, is only awaiting President Rodrigo Dutertes action after it was ratified by both houses of Congress in late August. The measure consists of a stimulus plan worth 165.5 billion for pandemic response and recovery. This includes a 4.5 billion allotment for the construction and maintenance of isolation facilities including billing of hotels, food and transportation, to be used by the Office of Civil Defense as head of the task force. Officials suspect that home quarantine contributes to the rise in COVID-19 transmissions as patients with mild or no symptoms stay in their houses instead of isolation facilities, Lorenzana said. The task force also hopes to get discounts since hotel operations are limited by the coronavirus crisis, he added. The Department of Health does not prohibit home quarantine as long as the patient has his own room and toilet and does not live with vulnerable people, including the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions. READ: Gov't sets restrictions for home quarantine Your tax-deductible gift today powers our reporters and keeps us independent. We rely on you, our reader, not paywalls to stay funded because we believe important news and information should be freely accessible to all. Start your day with LAist Sign up for the Morning Brief, delivered weekdays. Subscribe Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily newsletters. To support our non-profit public service journalism: Donate Now. Last week, Sarah Mengoni started her first shift as a census taker. She was excited to be going door-to-door in her own neighborhood in North Hollywood, helping people to fill out their questionnaires. "I've just been telling people, I live two blocks away from here. We're neighbors! I'm doing this for our neighborhood!" she said. Those first shifts went well, despite the occasional slammed door or maskless person. Since that first day, Mengoni would wake up at 7 a.m. to check her government-issued phone to see where she'd be working. On Wednesday morning, she was assigned to visit households in Van Nuys that afternoon. But a couple of hours later, she got a message from her supervisor informing her she and several of her co-workers had been laid off. It read: "Dear Sarah, Thank you for your participation in the 2020 Census Non-response Follow-up Operation. Because we are approaching completion of the survey, we regret that we must lay off enumerators due to lack of work." A week after receiving her census bag, ID badge, phone and clipboard, it seemed time to turn it all in. "It does not make a lot of sense to me," Mengoni said. "It sure seemed like there was a lot more work to be done." At least as far as available census completion data can tell us, it would seem so. As of the second week of August, when in-person counting began, 40% of LA County households had yet to fill out their census forms. Stephania Ramirez, Director of Strategic Initiatives with the California Community Foundation, helps oversee LA-based non-profits doing census outreach. She was shocked to hear census enumerators are being let go. "I am appalled," Ramirez said. "Our numbers do not reflect nearing completion...I don't understand how they can signal that." RACING THE CLOCK In recent weeks, census advocates, like Proyecto Pastoral, have been racing against the clock to reach historically undercounted communities and urge participation before the time runs out on the 2020 Census. The California Complete Count office just distributed 4 million dollars to LA-based non-profits to do last-minute census outreach. This work has been especially urgent lately because at the beginning of the in-person phase of the Census last month, when enumerators like Mengoni hit the street in L.A. County, response rates in the region were looking dire. In Los Angeles proper, the response then was even lower than in the county: Nearly 50% of households in the city of Los Angeles hadn't responded. In many census tracts, especially in South LA, South East LA, Downtown and the Westside, those numbers were even higher -- around 70% of households had yet to fill out their census forms, signaling a massive undercount. All of those unresponsive households needed to be reached by a census bureau worker. Now, according to the Census Bureau website, in-person outreach has nearly done that. For the Woodland Hills Census Office, where census-taker Mengoni was working, just 20% of unresponsive households still need to be visited by an enumerator, with four weeks left to go until the count closes. Around the South Gate Census Office, a region with some of the lowest responding tracts in the state, in-person work is 70% complete -- but this average includes census tracts that aren't considered hard-to-count. The Trump administration recently bumped up the deadline for the decennial count to Sept. 30 from the previously planned Oct. 31. EARLY END DATES The Census Bureau recently acknowledged that in-person census work may end even earlier in easier to count regions, like San Diego. Bureau officials would not say if any of Los Angeles County would be affected by these earlier end dates. In the text received by Mengoni, the enumerator, her supervisor explained to the group chat of census workers, "The system is starting to automatically generate termination lists since we are nearing the end of our operation. I suspect we'll all be finished in the next couple of weeks." We asked the Census Bureau how many enumerators have been laid off in L.A. County. The bureau didn't provide that information. The agency said in a statement: "The Census Bureau does not comment on personnel matters." But some people took to Reddit to discuss layoffs and changing schedules. One user posted, "Layoffs have already begun in the San Fernando and San Gabriel [valleys]." Another user posted about light workloads: "I'm in SFV, was assigned one case today. Haven't gotten work any other day this week. This is my first job so I have no idea what to think." In another statement, the Census Bureau acknowledged that in-person enumeration is wrapping up ahead of schedule: "The self-response for many of the Southern California ACOs was actually higher than we expected. This means [we] have more great, locally hired dedicated staff available to complete the work. Combined with the higher productivity we are seeing everywhere, we are well on our way to a complete and accurate count. Our community partners, including state and local [complete] count committee, deserve credit for increasing the self-response rate above expectations." Mengoni said she didn't understand why she was told there was a lack of work to do when she was still being assigned to new shifts, or how the Census Bureau has made so much progress over just a couple weeks in a region that had such poor response rates as of last month. "It seems like somehow they are being disingenuous," she said. "I don't know what's happening, but there's a disconnect between all this information. Something is awry." There's been a twist since: on Thursday this week, Mengoni was reinstated as an enumerator. Her supervisor -- who declined to comment for this story -- explained to Mengoni that she fought to keep some of her employees. According to Mengoni, other enumerators are still unemployed. Fake Chinese Louis Vuitton Bags a Security Threat?; Xi Jinping Unveils His Never Agrees Policy In Shanghai, police arrested 62 criminal gangs that were manufacturing and selling counterfeit Louis Vuitton bags. Chinese state news outlet CCTV reported that authorities seized 30 sets of counterfeiting equipment, 2,000 counterfeit bags, and over 100,000 pieces of raw materials. The estimated value of the seized goods was around $14.6 million. These are not normal counterfeits, however. In the knock-off bags were anti-counterfeiting NFC sensor chips that could be scanned with a smartphone, and would redirect people to the official website of Louis Vuitton. The inclusion of the chips is adding to concerns both that chips are being used for illegal purposes in China, and that chips like this could be used for domestic and foreign surveillance. Meanwhile, Chinese leader XI Jinping is pushing a new policy called the five Never Agrees. Under this, Xi says the Chinese people will never agree with anyone who attempts to split the Chinese Communist Party from the Chinese people, or impose their will on China. Xi explained the position during an event commemorating the 75th anniversary of the victory over Japan in World War II. These stories and more in this episode of Crossroads. Crossroads is an Epoch Times show available on Facebook and YouTube. Join Patreon to Support Crossroads: https://www.patreon.com/Crossroads_Josh We asked six master artists the poet Javed Akhtar, photographer Sooni Taraporevala, writer Shanta Gokhale, and artists Sudhir Patwardhan, Sudarshan Shetty and Sameer Kulavoor what the lockdown had meant to them. They conveyed their responses in verse, photo, prose, sculpture, and pen and pastel on paper. Here, then, is the repository of art created for the Hindustan Times, themed on Mumbai and the lockdown. Save, share, ponder, tweet and write in to tell us what resonated most with you, and what youve been created, or would have created, in response. * Fellow Traveller (Hum-Safar) by Javed Akhtar (Translated from Urdu by Rakhshanda Jalil) Walking barefoot, On the scorching-searing road Melting in the heat of the sun , Carrying their bundle of hunger and thirst Both have set out from the Big City, To return to their small house in their small village The house, That is far, far beyond. The strength of their feet, And the resolve in their heart Who knows how far away?... READ THE WHOLE POEM AND WATCH JAVED AKHTAR RECITE IT IN THE ORIGINAL URDU, HERE ALSO SEE | Watch: Javed Akhtar recites Hum-safar (Co-travellers) * Our need for human connection remains: Sooni Taraporevala Pictured at top is the image (35mm shot on a Leica M10). Heres how the image happened I found this couple deep in conversation, she seemed agitated, and he was comforting her by just listening. He glanced up, saw me with my camera, I gestured to ask if it was okay to shoot he nodded yes went back to her and never glanced at me again. What this photo says to me is that our need for human touch and physical contact will never disappear. TO READ THE ENTIRE ACCOUNT BY TARAPOREVALA, A PADMA SHRI AND AWARD-WINNING CHRONICLER OF MUMBAI, GO HERE * A Walk in the Park by Shanta Gokhale At 80, Jayantrao Chowdhary is spry He pulls on his ankle length socks, brown canvas shoes and hes ready to go [His wife] Suman says, One minute. Id like to make a superfluous point. We are under lockdown. Theres a virus wandering outside. Its blind. It cant see who is fit or unfit. Todays paper says... The reason why I havent read it is I dont want to know. Jayantrao places one canvas-covered foot outside the door. In that case, there is something else Id like to say. Make it quick. If you bring the virus home Im going to mothers. Your mother died 12 years ago. TO READ THE WHOLE STORY, ABOUT A WIFE WHO WILL STOP AT NOTHING TO PROTECT HER HUSAND (AND HERSELF), WRITTEN BY THE SANGEET NATAK AKADEMI AWARDEE, GO HERE * Departure by Sudhir Patwardhan The migrant is not a new figure in Sudhir Patwardhans work. I have been painting people who lived in the city, but this is the first time Im painting them as migrants; the migrant in a condition of absolute precarity. Whether they can return to being residents of a city is an open question, he says. The city was home to everyone, despite all contrasts and differences in economic positions, he added. But this crisis brought home the frailty of that view. For so many thousands of people, Bombay could not be home. They were forced to leave. ALSO SEE | Photos: Artist Sudhirs Patwardhans Mumbai TO SEE THE PASTEL ON PAPER CREATED BY THE RENOWNED ARTIST, AND READ THE FULL ACOUNT OF HOW IT WAS CONCEIVED, GO HERE * Dysfunctional by Sameer Kulavoor Ever since Covid-19 restrictions were imposed in March, I have missed seeing and doing things I enjoy in the city. People-watching, cab rides, the normalcy of social interactions at restaurants, cafes, shops, the fast pace of the metropolis theyre ingredients essential to my art practice I have felt mostly dysfunctional through the last few months. And I have turned my eye to objects and things at home. I collect different kinds of scissors; theyre very interesting as a functional object and a piece of design. Two parts must work together in order to be of any use like any good partnership. One thing led to another and I ended up drawing different versions of dysfunctional scissors TO SEE THE WORK IN PEN AND INK ON PAPER BY THE RENOWNED ARTIST AND READ HOW IT WAS BORN, GO HERE * For All That We Gather by Sudarshan Shetty Pots, pans, shoes, rolled-up bedding, a metallic box, a gunny sack: these are the meagre possessions that speak to us of a familys life. It is easy to assume that the family in question is poor, and that these possessions have been abandoned in haste, but thats not all that artist Sudarshan Shetty would want you to think about. Standing 7 feet tall, this new work is carved out of re-used wood that has been collected from various dismantled structures in and around Mumbai. While this piece may open up a space for multiple stories of the imaginary person in question, it may also evoke a sense of a foreboding absence, Shetty says TO SEE THE SCULPTURAL INSTALLATION IN REUSED TEAK CREATED BY THE RENOWNED ARTIST AND READ HOW IT CAME ABOUT, GO HERE Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter in early 2021, the health minister said on Tuesday, under a deal being negotiated by the European Union. The EU hopes to sign a contract soon for millions of doses of the vaccine, the European Commission announced on Monday, hours after the two companies said it had proved more than 90% effective, in what could be a major victory in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. A group of drug companies competing with one another to be among the first to develop coronavirus vaccines are planning to pledge early next week that they will not release any vaccines that do not follow rigorous efficacy and safety standards, according to representatives of three of the companies. The statement, which has not yet been finalized, is meant to reassure the public that the companies will not seek a premature approval of vaccines under political pressure from the Trump administration. President Donald Trump has pushed for a vaccine to be available by October just before the presidential election and a growing number of scientists, regulators and public health experts have expressed concern over what they see as a pattern of political arm-twisting by the Trump administration in its efforts to combat the virus. The companies joint statement was planned for early next week, but it may be released before then after its existence was made public Friday by The Wall Street Journal. The manufacturers that are said to have signed the letter include Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi. The pharmaceutical companies are not the only ones pushing back. Senior regulators at the Food and Drug Administration have been discussing making their own joint public statement about the need to rely on proven science, according to two senior administration officials, a move that would breach their usual reticence as civil servants. Scientists have been rushing at record speed to develop a vaccine that could end the pandemic, which has taken nearly 190,000 lives and infected more than 6 million people in the United States. Three companies Moderna, Pfizer and AstraZeneca are testing their candidates in late-stage clinical trials. 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 Pfizers chief executive said this week that the company could see results as early as October, but the others have said only that they plan to release a vaccine by the end of the year. Public health experts have applauded the companies rapid development of a vaccine, and early results have been promising. But in recent weeks, they have grown worried as Trump and his allies have begun talking about a vaccine that could be ready before the election on Nov. 3. Even as companies are competing to be the first to bring a coronavirus vaccine to market, they must navigate perilous political terrain. If they are among the first to bring a successful vaccine to market, they could earn major profits and help rehabilitate the image of an industry battered by rising drug prices. But if a vaccine turns out to have dangerous side effects for some people, the fallout could be catastrophic, damaging their corporate reputations, putting their broader portfolio of products at risk and broadly undermining trust in vaccines, one of the great public health advances in human history. In tweets and public comments, Trump has explicitly tied his reelection fortunes to a vaccine, an idea detailed last week at the Republican National Convention, where promotional videos featured the administrations efforts to fund and develop one in its crash program called Operation Warp Speed. Trump campaign advisers have privately called a preelection vaccine the holy grail. Also last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sent letters to public health agencies around the country asking them to prepare for the possibility that a vaccine could be ready by late October or early November. And Friday, even as federal health officials had been tempering expectations about when a vaccine would be ready, Trump said one would probably be ready in October. Even the companies cant see the results while the trials are underway, but he promised, You are going to see results that are shockingly good. Just the day before, Dr. Moncef Slaoui, the top scientist on Operation Warp Speed, warned in an interview with National Public Radio that the chance of successful vaccine results by October was very, very low. Scientists within the federal government and outside of it say they are dismayed by what they see as meddling by the Trump administration in the federal pandemic response, from the presidents misguided promotion of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment and his exaggeration of the benefits of convalescent plasma to the CDCs changing guidance on who should be tested. Several top health officials have made it explicit in recent weeks that they would rather quit than be co-opted by the White House in approving a vaccine. Slaoui told Science magazine Thursday that he would immediately resign if there is undue interference in this process, although he said there had been none so far. In a conference call last month, Dr. Peter Marks, who heads the FDA division that approves new vaccines and treatments, made the same pledge to members of a vaccine working group at the National Institutes of Health. If something is not safe enough and effective enough for my family, theres no way Im going to stand by and see it given to the rest of the country, Marks said in an interview Thursday. Its not going to happen under my watch. Dr. Stephen Hahn, the FDA commissioner, has repeatedly said his decisions are based on scientific data alone. He has publicly committed to vet any vaccine approval through an advisory committee of outside experts, who typically review clinical trial data before a vaccine is approved. Senior FDA officials, including political appointees, have been frustrated by comments Trump has made in recent weeks about his efforts to speed along approvals, giving the impression the White House is playing a regulatory role. At his news conference Friday, Trump said he had just spoken to the head of Pfizer, describing him as a great guy whose company is a leader in the race to develop a vaccine. In a separate appearance Friday, the president said pharmaceutical companies had told him that if this was a more typical kind of president, getting these approvals would take two or three years. With vaccines, Trumps ability to influence the approval process has its limits. While a government agency, such as the CDC, can request vaccine approval, requests typically come from the drugmakers. Companies have separately sought to underscore their commitment to rigorous scientific review. On Monday, AstraZenecas chief executive, Pascal Soriot, released a statement acknowledging recent questions about the speed of vaccine development. I want to reiterate my commitment that we are putting science and the interest of society at the heart of our work, he said. We are moving quickly but without cutting corners. And on Friday, Modernas chief executive, Stephane Bancel, told CNBC that the company was slowing enrollment in its trials to include more people from groups at high risk for COVID-19. I would rather we have higher diverse participants and take one extra week, Bancel said in the interview. c.2020 The New York Times Company Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 16:27:53|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close YANGON, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar's president has granted a pardon to 55 inmates who passed the matriculation examinations, according to a release issued by the President's Office on Saturday. The presidential pardon was awarded on Friday to the inmates who passed the matriculation examination in the academic years of 2018-2019 and 2019-2020. In accordance with the Code of Criminal Procedure, the presidential pardon was granted for the inmates to continue their education as ordinary persons with understanding of the government's good intention, the release said. In 2019-2020 academic year, a total of 910,229 students sat for the matriculation exam countrywide, of whom 291,798 students passed, registering a pass rate of 32.06 percent. Students in Myanmar are set to take the matriculation exams before entering universities. Enditem They put everything on the line to protect their home, only to end up on the streets. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, nearly 40,000 veterans lived on the streets in 2019. While that is a great misfortune, one organization has decided to do their part to reduce veteran homelessness. The Veterans Community Project (VCP) is a nonprofit organization focused on building tiny-home communities for veterans and providing other services. Their most recent site is in Longmont, Colorado, where they are plotting 26 tiny homes that can sleep up to a family of 7. The 3,000-square-foot community is one of several innovative housing solutions for homeless veterans in the nation. (Illustration Glynnis Jones/Shutterstock) This project will aid in bringing homeless veterans off the streets and get them the help they need. But the VCP doesnt stop with merely housing our nations warriors. They get to the heart of what causes homelessness, and also offer assistance, counseling, and therapy to nurture the emotional well-being of community residents and help them make a complete return to civilian life. Jason Kander, former Missouri Secretary of State, says he spent years struggling to cope with PTSD after returning home from deployment in Afghanistan. At the time, Kanders decision to get help appeared to many as a huge blow to his career as a strong candidate for Kansas City mayor. He withdrew from the elections to focus on his own mental health. I was afraid of the stigma but its just getting worse, Kander wrote in a public letter to his supporters in November 2016. So, after 11 years of trying to outrun depression and PTSD symptoms, I have finally concluded that its faster than me. That I have to stop running, turn around, and confront it. When he turned to VCP, Kander was put in touch with the right resources, and he learned vital coping mechanisms for dealing with the realities of PTSD. Now, hes set his sights on helping veterans like himself. VCP was there for me, says Kander, who is now spearheading the VCPs nationwide expansion. Kander is not alone in suffering from the invasive symptoms of PTSD after deployment. The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs reports that over 8 million adults suffer from PTSD in the United States every year. (Courtesy of Veterans Community Project) This is only one example of the challenges U.S. veterans face when returning to civilian life, which is why recovery resources are just as important as the housing itself. The VCP first broke ground in Kansas City in 2018, where 49 tiny homes were erected to create their first tiny home community for homeless vets. The Kansas City community is already seeing veterans graduate from the tiny village, meaning theyve retained long-term employment and have moved into permanent housing. Every mayor in this country knows that you have to learn to do more with less, Kansas City Mayor Sylvester James told VCP. This is something I believe every mayor wants in their town. Indeed, VCP says theyre already receiving offers from cities all over the country that want to help the veterans who gave up everything to defend our freedoms. We know how to end veteran homelessness, says Bryan Meyer, co-founder of VCP. The only question is, which community is willing to step up and be our next partner? If you or someone you know is at risk or experiencing homelessness, please contact the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which offers numerous resources and homelessness assistance programs. VALLEJO (BCN) A civil case has been settled against the city of Vallejo for $5.7 million over the fatal police shooting of Ronell Foster in 2018, city officials announced Friday. "We think it's the largest settlement in Vallejo history and it's fitting considering how outrageous the shooting was," said attorney Michael Haddad, who represented Foster's youngest child in the case. Attorney John Burris represented Foster's other child and parents. Foster was shot and killed by Officer Ryan McMahon, who Vallejo Police Chief Shawny Williams recommended be terminated for his actions in a separate shooting. Williams made that recommendation in March. McMahon is exercising his due process rights and his termination is pending, according to city officials. McMahon was also involved in an unrelated controversial shooting about a year later that took the life of 20-year-old Willie McCoy in a Taco Bell drive-thru. City officials did not say whether that shooting is what prompted the chief to recommend firing McMahon. On the evening of Feb. 13, 2018, McMahon tried to stop 33-year-old Foster, of Vallejo, because he was riding a bicycle in an unsafe manner, police said. McMahon tried to stop Foster at Marin and Florida streets around 7:40 p.m. Haddad said that Foster decided to ride away, and McMahon drove after Foster for a petty offense. Foster crashed his bike and a foot pursuit ensued, according to Haddad. McMahon shot Foster with a Taser, which had no effect, police and Haddad agree. Foster tripped and fell, and then McMahon pushed him down some stairs, Haddad said. Foster was on his back when McMahon held his Taser against Foster's body and fired, according to Haddad. Then, McMahon allegedly starts hitting Foster with his flashlight. "Some officers call it their flash clubs," Haddad said. Later, McMahon admitted that hitting Foster with the flashlight was using deadly force, and at least one blow was to Foster's head, Haddad said. Police said early after the shooting that Foster then took away McMahon's flashlight and "presented" it in a threatening manner. But Haddad disagreed. He said Foster took away the flashlight, and on his buttocks, tried to turn around and move away from McMahon when McMahon fired at Foster. The shots killed him. "He never struck the officer or tried to hurt him," Haddad said of Foster. Police said shortly after the shooting that the altercation was a violent physical one and occurred in the 400 block of Carolina Street. City officials said they are not admitting any liability for the killing even though they have decided to settle the case. Police did not respond to a request Friday for a comment on the settlement. 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. Jammu: A pilgrim going to Vaishnodevi died near Ban Ganga area of Katra town in Reasi district on Saturday. The pilgrim was identified as Vishno Sonaba and was a resident of Maharashtra. The pilgrim was found dead under mysterious circumstances, a police officer said. The body has been brought to Community Health Centre in Katra and a case has been registered. The body will be handed over to the relatives after conducting all the legal and medical formalities, the officer said. Waly served as minister of agriculture from 1984 to 2004 Egypts former minister of agriculture Youssef Waly passed away on Saturday at the age of 89. Waly, a graduate of the Faculty of Agriculture, served as minister of agriculture from 1984 to 2004. He also served as deputy prime minister and deputy chairman of ousted president Hosni Mubarak's now-dissolved National Democratic Party. In 2018, an Egyptian Criminal Court annulled a 2011 decision to freeze the assets of Waly and his family after accepting his appeal. The decision went into effect in 2019. The prosecution had frozen Waly's assets following the January 2011 Revolution in what was dubbed the "agriculture minister's corruption case." Several corruption cases against Wali were dismissed. The latest, in 2017, involved Hussein Salem, a Mubarak-era business tycoon. Salem reconciled with the government in 2016 following a deal in which he and his family gave up EGP 5.3 billion, reportedly 75 percent of their wealth, to have corruption cases against him dropped. In February 2017, an Egyptian court dismissed corruption charges against Salem and Waly, in a case in which Waly, in office at the time, was accused of selling Salem 36 acres of land at Luxor's Bayadeya Island for an undervalued price. Waly was sentenced to 10 years in jail in the case in 2012. His sentence was overturned in 2013. Search Keywords: Short link: Senior advocate Rebecca John, appearing for Ramani, told the court that as per law it is not defamation to impute anything which is true concerning any person if it is for the public good New Delhi: Journalist Priya Ramani told a Delhi court on Saturday that her remarks alleging sexual harassment by former Union minister MJ Akbar were her truth which she disclosed in "good faith" for the "public good" and, therefore, do not amount to defamation. Ramani submitted this before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vishal Pahuja through her lawyer during the final hearing of a private criminal defamation complaint filed by Akbar against her. During the #MeToo movement, Ramani in 2018 accused Akbar of sexual misconduct around 20 years ago when he was a journalist. Akbar resigned as Union minister on 17 October, 2018. Senior advocate Rebecca John, appearing for Ramani, told the court on Saturday that as per law it is not defamation to impute anything which is true concerning any person if it is for the public good. A true imputation made in the public good is not defamation... it is not defamation to make an imputation on the character of another when it is made in good faith for the protection of his or other's interest, she told the court during a virtual hearing. John further said that Priya Ramani's alleged defamatory tweets and the Vogue article were her truth. I am saying this is my (Ramani's) truth... it is the truth, is in good faith, touching public good". The court will further hear the arguments on 8 September. Akbar had earlier told the court that Ramani had defamed him by using adjectives such as "media's biggest predator" against him that harmed his reputation. Akbar has denied all the allegations of sexual harassment against the women who came forward during the #MeToo campaign against him. Akbar had told the court that the allegations made in an article in the Vogue and the subsequent tweets were defamatory on the face of it as the complainant had deposed them to be false and imaginary and that immediate damage was caused to him due to the false allegations by Ramani. Ramani had earlier told the court that her disclosure of alleged sexual harassment by Akbar has come at a great personal cost and she had nothing to gain from it. She had said her move would empower women to speak up and make them understand their rights at the workplace. Several women came up with accounts of the alleged sexual harassment by Akbar while they were working as journalists under him. He has termed the allegations false, fabricated and deeply distressing and said he was taking appropriate legal action against them. The U.S. Postal Service's Philadelphia Processing and Distribution Center on Lindbergh Blvd. in Southwest Philadelphia handle about 8.9 million letters daily. Read more Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has claimed responsibility for one significant operational change since he took over at the massive federal agency in June: directing the U.S. Postal Service to ensure that trucks leave on schedule. The same order came out of headquarters in April 2019, but apparently was ignored, with the agency logging 591,000 late trips nationwide in the second half of last year, including 13,000 late trips from the Philadelphia processing and distribution center in Southwest Philadelphia, according to a Postal Service report. What happened? When orders come from up top, sometimes theyre not followed because the district manager or the plant manager knows they cant implement it without having plant failures, mail left behind, mail not processed, said Nick Casselli, president of the American Postal Workers Union Local 89 in Darby. With this new postmaster general, they followed his orders to the T, Casselli said. A Postal Service spokesperson declined to provide any information specific to the Philadelphia center, which is among the nations largest. The spokesperson denied union reports that, during the last week of August, trucks were leaving the Philadelphia processing center empty to stay on schedule and claims that large quantities of mail were left behind last week. The Postal Service employs 18,133 in Southeastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey, and Delaware. It employees 630,000 in total, making it one of the nations largest employers. The turmoil caused by DeJoys insistence that trucks leave on time is a window into the wide-ranging disarray at the Postal Service, an unwieldy, independent federal agency that has seen its operating losses mount, its efficiency deteriorate as it increasingly fails to meet its own delivery standards, and its business shift from the paper mail it was built for to less-profitable packages. All of those unfortunate trends including the accumulation of as much as $119 billion in retirement liabilities were in place, creating a ticking time bomb for taxpayers if no solution was found, long before DeJoy, a Trump campaign donor, took over in June. Theres tremendous dysfunction at the organization, said Paul Steidler, a senior fellow at the nonprofit Lexington Institute, which advocates for limited government. A lot of that dysfunction goes back to the fact their core business, their monopoly business for 200 years, the overwhelming proportion of that, which is mail delivery, is under severe stress, and its contracting. A trucking executive seizes on what he knows DeJoy, a former trucking company executive, seized on late truck departures as a problem at the agency. The decision to focus on our transportation discipline was not made in a vacuum, he told lawmakers last month. He estimated $1 billion in savings from keeping trucks on time and eliminating extra trips to local post offices. The Postal Service declined to answer questions about that estimate, which is significantly more than the $410 million spent last year on extra trips, late trips, and associated overtime. Consumers have been irate at mail delays. Im getting letters that are six weeks old, including bills that are already past due, said Edward Riley, who lives in Abington Township. That doesnt sit well with me, said Riley, who started noticing mail not showing up in early June. While complaints about mail delivery have grown into a firestorm this summer, fanned by unions, elected officials, and worries about the expected volume of mail-in ballots for the November election, they are not new. Northern Liberties resident Sharon Richman said she has endured poor mail service ever since moving to the neighborhood in 2010 and despite many efforts to get it fixed. My route has not had a dedicated carrier in 10 years, she said. In 2018, 6ABC news aired a report about missing and delayed mail in neighborhoods scattered throughout Philadelphia. Billy Penn a year ago documented rising complaints about missing mail and other delivery problems in the city. A political firestorm around Trump DeJoys critics on Capitol Hill, in state government, and in unions fear that the push to keep trucks on schedule and other changes at the post office are part of a plan, encouraged by Trump, to undermine Novembers election. During an Aug. 12 news conference, Trump riffed on the House of Representatives desire to give the Postal Service $25 billion, so the post office can handle this vast amount of ballots that are being sent at random all over the place, suggesting universal mail-in voting would be one of the greatest frauds in history. At least two federal lawsuits have been filed by nine states, including Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and several cities, asking courts to restore Postal Service operations to the pre-DeJoy days. Along with the resumption of late trips, the lawsuits demand that the Postal Service restore overtime pay and return sorting equipment to processing centers. Both lawsuits claim that the Postal Service should have sought what is called an advisory opinion from its regulator, the Postal Regulatory Commission, before making any changes, such as directing trucks to leave on time and removing machines that sort mail. Such opinions are not regular occurrences. There were six from 2010 through 2014, and none since, according to the commission website. Theres no sign of an advisory opinion last year, when top management previously directed trucks to leave on schedule. The political and media conversation around the Postal Service has become intense, politically polarized, and largely divorced from the agencys actual short-term and long-term problems, Kevin Kosar, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, in Washington, said in a paper last week. An agency with serious long-term problems Clearly, the presidents musings on Twitter and elsewhere about how mail-in voting could be undermined have set many state and federal politicians on edge, but that doesnt mean there arent serious financial and operational problems at the Postal Service that need to be fixed, experts said. Like many legacy institutions, the Postal Service, which dates to the Revolutionary era, has struggled to adapt to the digital age. The volume of first-class mail, where it has a monopoly and which is its most profitable service, is down nearly 50% since its peak in 2001, according to the nonprofit USA Facts. Last year, the agencys 54.9 billion pieces of first-class mail amounted to 167 per U.S. resident, down from 364 pieces of mail per person in 2001. Meanwhile, the agencys parcel deliveries have boomed, more than doubling in volume since 2010. Over the same time period, revenue from packages climbed 124%, to $22.8 billion, not far behind the $24.4 billion in revenue from first-class mail in the year ended Sept. 30, 2019. The agency had a total of $71 billion in revenue last year, up 6% from 2010. Some, the president included, have suggested that the Postal Service should charge more to deliver packages, where the agency competes with for-profit businesses such as FedEx Corp. and United Parcel Service Inc. But that might not help because shippers can find alternatives, which is not the case with first-class letters delivered to a mailbox. During a time of sharp growth in package delivery, the Postal Services core operating results, what it calls its controllable results, have deteriorated from a gain of $610 million in fiscal 2016 to a loss of $3.4 billion last year. Controllable costs do not include such things as the advance payments for retiree health benefits that are required by a 2006 law and have accounted for a large chunk of the Postal Services losses since then. Most federal agencies pay retiree health benefits as they incur them. Some analysts believe that packages may be causing other services to suffer. The percentage of three- to five-day first-class mail delivered on time fell to 81% last year from 92% in 2010. Through June, the on-time delivery rate in the Philadelphia region was slightly better than the national average, at 83%, according to Postal Service data. Package delivery is a very different type of service, said Steidler, of the Lexington Institute. Packages dont go to every address like mail does on a typical day. It requires more trips to the Postal Service. Its more expensive. Its just harder to handle and to work with. Casselli, the union president whose local represents 1,500 clerks, drivers, maintenance and others in the Philadelphia region, agreed that the Postal Service has not done enough to change its operations for parcels. The post office is always the last to adjust, he said. What to do about the post office Many of the ideas to fix the Postal Service require Congress to take action, which does not often happen. For example, experts say, Congress could help the Postal Service by giving it more flexibility in setting prices. For most mail, including periodicals, marketing mail, and first-class letters, the Postal Service cannot raise prices more than the increase in the Consumer Price Increase. DeJoy suggested in his Aug. 21 Senate testimony that the Postal Service could trim its massive health-care costs for 600,000 retirees by integrating the coverage with Medicare. Unions oppose this change because it would cost workers more money. The Postal Service owes $114 billion to its retiree health-care benefit fund. In a more abstract move, Congress could clearly define what the Postal Service is required to do, what kind of mail is essential to the public and deserves government protection in the form of price caps and mandated delivery standards, according to a presidential task force report from December 2018. That report said that six-day delivery should be an option, rather than a requirement. DeJoy, for his part, told a senator who suggested that mail be delivered five days a week that he thinks delivery to 161 million addresses six days a week is probably our biggest advantage to capitalize on. The trick, he said, is that we need to get costs out and more pieces into our pouches. Mumbai cops were hiding many...: Sushant kins lawyer on Rhea brothers arrest The lawyer of Sushant Singh Rajput's family criticised the Mumbai police over the arrest of multiple individuals by the Narcotics Control Bureau. The brother of Sushant's girlfriend, Rhea Chakraborty, and the late actor's house manager, Samuel Miranda, were among those arrested. They have been sent to NCB's custody till September 9 by a Mumbai court. Vikas Singh, the lawyer engaged by Sushant's family, said that the arrests showed that Mumbai police were trying to hide the drug angle. The Central Bureau of Investigation is currently probing the actor's death after the case was taken from the Mumbai police. Sushant was found dead at his residence on June 14. His girlfriend was accused of abetting his suicide and siphoning off his assets by the late actor's father. Watch the full video for more. ...read more The World Health Organization insisted Friday it would never endorse a vaccine that has not proven safe and effective, amid concerns over the rush to develop a jab for COVID-19, The Japan Times reported. Across the globe, governments are hoping to deploy a vaccine as soon as possible against the virus, which has infected well over 26 million people, killed hundreds of thousands, upended millions of lives and wreaked havoc on the global economy. Under normal procedures, test administrators must wait for months or years to verify that vaccine candidates are safe and efficacious. But as the pandemic continues to take a devastating toll, there has been massive pressure to roll out a vaccine quickly, sparking concerns that testing standards could be lowered. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus insisted that was not the case. WHO will not endorse a vaccine that is not effective and safe, he told a virtual briefing. He also took issue with the so-called anti-vax movement that has been stoking fears about the vaccines in development. They might be able to build narratives to fight against vaccines, but the track record of vaccines tells its own story, he said. Hyderabad, Sep 5 : Nearly two months after two mosques and a temple were demolished at the old state secretariat here, Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao on Saturday announced that the government will rebuild them along with a church in the new secretariat complex. He made the announcement when a delegation of Muslim leaders led by Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi called on him to demand reconstruction of the demolished places of worship. Earlier, Christian leaders had also demanded construction of a church, saying church services were used to be held in the old secretariat. Rao assured the delegation that he will lay the foundation stone for all three places of worship on the same day in true spirit of communal harmony for which Telangana is known and will ensure their speedy completion. The Chief Minister noted the views and suggestions of the delegation of Muslim leaders which included All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader in Telangana Assembly Akbaruddin Owaisi, All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) secretary Moulana Khalid Saifullah Rehmani, AIMPLB member Mufti Khaleel Ahmed and Jamat-e-Islami Telangana unit chief Hamid Mohammed Khan. KCR, as the Chief Minister is popularly known, said the government will bear the cost of construction of all four places of worship. The Chief Minister said each mosque will be constructed over an area of 750 square yards, thus the two mosques will be built over 1,500 square yards. He assured the delegation that the mosques would be reconstructed at the same sites where they stood and after the construction they will be handed over to the Wakf Board. He also announced that the temple will be built on 1,500 square yards and after reconstruction, the same will be handed over to the endowments department. KCR said since Christians also demanded the construction of a church in the secretariat, the government has decided to build the same. Stating that Telangana is a symbol of 'Ganga Jamuni tehzeeb', the Chief Minister said the government respects all religions equally and hence it decided to build places of worship of all faiths in the secretariat. The Muslim leaders, in their representation, demanded reconstruction of the mosques at the same place where they existed prior to July 7. They cited the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 under which the religious character of a place of worship existing on August 15, 1947 shall continue to be the same as it existed on that day. The representation also referred to the Waqf Act, 1995, under which the nature of a Waqf property can't be changed. Later, addressing a news conference, the Muslim leaders thanked the Chief Minister for his announcement. Asaduddin Owaisi said the Chief Minister also announced that 1,500 square yards of land between the two mosques will also be given to the mosques. The MP said KCR agreed to allot a total of 150 acres in the Outer Ring Road area for Muslim graveyards. KCR also proposed the post of vice-chairperson in the Official Languages Commission who will be entrusted with protection of Urdu language in Telangana. FILE PHOTO: A homeless teenage couple carry their months-old infant as they queue to receive free meals from volunteers on August 7, 2020 in Caloocan, Metro Manila, Philippines. The Philippine economy suffered its worst slump on record in the second quarter, falling into recession for the first time in 29 years as economic activity reels from months of strict coronavirus restrictions which has left millions of Filipinos jobless and hungry. (Photo by Ezra Acayan/Getty Images) By Claire Jiao Employment prospects for Filipino youth remain bleak as pandemic-hit companies freeze hiring and choose experienced workers for fewer jobs. Youth unemployment rate was 22.4% in July, when new graduates would typically enter the workforce, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority. Thats more than double the overall 10% jobless ratio and compares with 14.7% a year ago. It was at 31.6% in April. There were 1.7 million Filipinos age 15 to 24 years old without work in July, up 55% from a year ago. About 149,000 Filipino youth joined the labor force in that period. The capital region, which accounts for more than a third of the economy, registered the worst youth jobless rate at 32.1%. Manila and surrounds, the nations virus epicenter, have been subject to among the worlds strictest lockdowns that shut most businesses and required anyone below 21 years old to stay at home. Heres what analysts say: Robert Dan Roces, chief economist at Security Bank Corp. in Manila This is a hallmark of extreme economic downturns where premium is put on more seasoned workers in the meantime Youth employment will likely be slower to bounce back, as businesses gradually recover from the lockdown Michael Ricafort, chief economist at Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. in Manila New graduates are competing for fewer jobs, as businesses layoff workers and freeze hiring A bright spot could be a possible increase in foreign companies outsourcing work to the Philippines to cut costs 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Lounge Heroes | Ehraz Ahmed: The protector of your privacy Ehraz Ahmed, 24, the entrepreneur and ethical hacker revealed security flaws in companies such as Airtel and True Caller and safeguarded the data of over 700 million app users in 2019 alone Ahmed, who started with a passion for gaming and set up game and web hosting servers, moved to the cybersecurity field while he was still in school. By the time he was 16, Ehraz Ahmed says, he was on 50 halls of fameof companies like Facebook, Netflix, Microsoft and Apple. If you find a security flaw in a company like Facebook, then they acknowledge your efforts by putting your name on their hall of fame. That is a term they use, says the 24-year-old, a tech entrepreneur and ethical hacker who now runs three startups. These companies all had security teams of their own, so to catch these flaws you have to be better than them. advertisement advertisement Ahmed, who started with a passion for gaming and set up game and web hosting servers, moved to the cybersecurity field while he was still in school. He has been dabbling in stocks since he was 18 and runs two web platformsand has just set up a third. In 2017, he started Voxy Wealth Management, a fintech start-up which offers a web platform to scan and research financial markets. The same year, he started Aspirehive to provide web security to companies and startupshis interest in data protection, he says, started with the desire to secure his own data. At present, he is working on Stacknexo, a single platform to provide solutions for hosting, server, malware and security issues. The idea came to him two years ago, when his brother had a serious accident and shared his professional aspirations. advertisement advertisement In August last year, Ahmed began rooting out security flaws in big companies to keep the tension at bay as he waited in hospital for his fathers open-heart surgery to end. By December, he had discovered and reported data breaches to 10 companies, including Airtel, Truecaller, Justdial and Nykaa. In the case of Airtel, which has over 300 million users, the vulnerability lay in the Airtel apps API (application programming interface), which could be exploited to access personal datasuch as address, sex and IMEIthrough a users mobile number. This took Ahmed a mere 15 minutes to crack. Business Insider called it one of the biggest data breaches of 2019. advertisement advertisement Ahmed found a similar flaw in Justdial, which had over 150 million users. I was shocked when I found the flaw with Justdialthe platform has a payment gateway! There is JD Business, where a merchant can create an account and accept payments. I could have diverted the payment to some other account. Luckily (for them), I approached the company and got it fixed, he says. Ahmed jokes about how people started assuming he had a company hitlist. The reality, he says, was far less excitingI started with my own phone, I wanted to ensure the apps I had on my phone were secure, then I wanted to ensure my telecom provider was secure. And through that, I protected the data of over 700 million users in those four monthsthats 70 crore users on various apps. advertisement advertisement By the age of 10-11, Ahmed, who grew up in Mysuru, had started accompanying his brother, a web developer, to the cyber cafe. He would try to understand software, ways to build a website, and, of course, use social media such as Orkut and Facebook. As he grew older, he started going on his own. The nearest cyber cafe was close to school. We would bunk classes to go there. You have to buy credits 30 for an hourand you have an account where you can log in from with an ID and password. I hacked my friends account and would use his credits in the cyber cafe and surf the web for free, he says. Unethical hacking was the first step towards ethical hacking, he laughs. advertisement advertisement After the family bought a computer, Ahmed would spend nights on it. His entrepreneurial bent became evident earlyas someone who played a lot of Counter-Strike, he decided to sell game hosting servers and web hosting servers. When his father first suffered a heart attack, Ahmed, then in class X, decided to move on from the server business, which wasnt doing too well, and enter the cybersecurity field. He quickly made a mark. After school, he joined an engineering college, but dropped out after his first semester to set up Voxy Wealth Management, following it up with Aspirehive. Through it, as well as his own website, Ehraz.co, and referrals, he has helped secure close to 1,000 websites so far. advertisement advertisement Stacknexo, the latest venture, is run remotely. Mysuru, says Ahmed, is a small town, and not a tech town. The 10-member team, scattered around India and other parts of the world, has been on a work-from-home mission to launch the platform. He does hope to have a physical setup once the pandemic subsides. Ahmed believes that a country like India, with a population of more than billion, offers considerable opportunities in the data protection space. I think CEOs need to invest in security the same way they invest in infrastructure. If a person is trusting you with their information, they are uploading their driving licence and Aadhaar for KYC (know your customer requirements), you have to keep it secure, he says. advertisement advertisement Companies must acknowledge and encourage ethical hackers so that they can help you find flaws and help you fix themthey are helping you rectify the infrastructure and not leaking the data. Close Trump denies calling war dead 'losers' and 'suckers' Donald Trump's niece Mary Trump has become the latest to slam the president for a report that said he allegedly mocked American veterans as "losers" and "suckers". In a tweet, Ms Trump shared a picture of her father, Mr Trump's brother, who served in the National Guard. This comes after Captain Chelsey "Sully" Sullenberger posted a series of tweets calling Mr Trump "disgusting" for allegedly speaking against war heroes. Mr Sullenberger, who is known for saving 155 passengers on a commercial flight by landing the plane on the Hudson River, spoke about how both he and his father served for the US. Democratic candidate Joe Biden also reacted negatively to The Atlantic's report, saying he believed the report to be true and thought Mr Trump was "unfit" for the presidency. Mr Biden told reporters on Friday that Mr Trumps comments, if true, are deplorable. The Trump administration has dismissed the report as false. Following the report, a Fox News reporter independently confirmed key points from The Atlantic's report. Mr Trump slammed the reporter and called for them to be fired. But Mr Trump found support among Osama bin Laden's niece on Saturday, after she gave her first public interview. Noor bin Ladin told the New York Post that she believed another 9/11-inspired attack could happen if Mr Biden were to win in November. Mr Trump, in her opinion, would be the only one to prevent that type of attack. Please allow time for the liveblog to load. Four persons have been confirmed dead following a heavy downpour and the spillage of the Bagre dam in the North East Region. The heavy downpour affected many people, farmlands and infrastructure especially road network resulting in the death of a 3 year old girl and 43 year old man in the Bunkpurugu district. Another person at Lamgbinsi and one Abudu, 32 also died at Janga in the North East Region as a result of the spillage of the Bagre Dam. DGN Online gathered that Iddrisu Baliyatu, 3 year old girl left with her colleagues to play before the rain started and therefore decided to get back to the house after the rain subsided but got drowned by flooding waters that carried her into a nearby pit. Kanfantin Kojo ,43 year old man from Kpentaung also drowned in a river after crossing to mourn with a relative who also lost a family member. The heavy downpour and spillage of the Bagre dam has destroyed over 30 acres of farm lands and displaced over hundreds of homes in the area. The spillage of the Bagre dam was necessitated due to the 81 per cent increased in the water level. The North East Regional Director of the National Dissaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Mr Alhassan John Kweku told DGN Online that NADMO personnel have been dispatched to the affected communities to ascertain the level of damage. He however indicated that some relief item have been arraigned to be sent to assist the affected victims. Mr. Kweku appealed to residents living close to the bank of the Black and White Volta to relocate to safe grounds. Daily Guide After the recent SpaceX test on the Starships which Elon Musk hilariously commented that it turned out that almost anything can fly with the right type of rockets. It seems like it isn't over as SpaceX recently tweeted that the Raptor Vacuum Engine otherwise known as the RVac which was designed for the Starships are now being shipped over to McGregor, Texas all the way from Hawthorne, California. The first Raptor Vacuum engine (RVac) for Starship has shipped from SpaceX's rocket factory in Hawthorne, California to our development facility in McGregor, Texas pic.twitter.com/xp2luf6XaI September 5, 2020 SpaceX recent test SpaceX recently tested out the SN6 prototype that launched way into the skies above the southern part of Texas on Thursday of September 3 in a sort of brief uncrewed test flight of the specific rocket that was designed for later on handling trips to the moon and also Mars. The whole cylindrical vehicle is known as the Starship SN6 that looks just like a grain silo that is attached to a sort of rocket engine rising high into the air all the way above the SpaceX Boca Chica test site. The SN6 actually hovered for a couple of minutes before setting down on its really stubby landing legs. This was all according to the given video of the whole event that was captured by the particular tourism site known as SPadre.com as well as NASASpaceflight.com. The flight actually appeared to be quite similar to an August 4 test of the whole SpaceX Starship SN5 model, which recently was able to reach an altitude of about 500 feet or 150 meters on that specific hop. Read Also: Fact-Checking Elon Musk's Claim of Inevitable Death for Mars Settlers Reveals It's Not a Bad Idea: Why are Volunteers 'Dying to Go' Regardless? More about the SN6 The SN6 was actually launched as the second flight of the day for the SpaceX company all under the tested and proven Falcon 9 rocket that previously carried about 60 Starlink internet satellites all into orbit for the known SpaceX's growing megaconstellation of satellites aiming to provide better internet connection. Starlink satellites have been able to go through a private beta and the results are pretty satisfactory in terms of the limited satellites deployed to the ratio of success they were able to accomplish. The Starlink mission was able to provide a minimum of 100 Mbps connection which is fairly enough for the limited amount of satellites in orbit. The plan is to send a total of 12,000 satellites in space in order to be able to provide the service worldwide. Read Also: Elon Musk's SpaceX Starlink Shows Download Speed Over 100Mbps: Here's How to Subscribe! Back to the SN6, The mission was able to lift off from the known Pad 39A of NASA's very own Kennedy Space Center located in Florida at about 8:46 AM EDT. It seems like with SpaceX's tweet in which Elon Musk retweeted, the whole Starship is not yet done testing and those Raptor Vacuum Engines are to be put towards good use once they get to Texas. There's always a lot going on with SpaceX which makes it really hard to fathom how billionaire Elon Musk is capable of managing SpaceX, Tesla, Neuralink, and all his other companies at once. This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Urian Buenconsejo 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The autumn is traditionally a crowded and happy time for theatre-goers, with the Dublin Theatre Festival providing a platform for some of the industry's highlights as well as opportunities to see international work without having to get on a plane. This year's slender programme shows the devastating impact on the performing arts of the pandemic. But gems there are still, all the more precious for being rare. The Irish production of Theatre for One (Abbey Theatre Foyer, Sept 28-Oct 10) premiered at Cork Midsummer in 2019. It is a series of six micro-plays, performed in a booth for an audience of one. The writers are Marina Carr, Stacey Gregg, Emmet Kirwan, Louise Lowe, Mark O'Rowe and Enda Walsh, and the cast includes Sean McGinley and Fiona Bell. Landmark Productions and Octopus Theatricals from the US present this intimate experience, created before the pandemic woes but providing a poignant comment on the current loneliness of the theatre-lover. One of the few world premieres will be Fishamble: the New Play Company's Embargo by Deirdre Kinahan (Enterprise Waiting Room at Connolly Station/The Pump House at Dublin Port, Oct 2-11), a story about events in 1920 when dockers and railway workers refused to transport troops or weapons during the War of Independence. Kinahan continues to expand her writing vision into more political arenas with this historical drama. Visiting from the US, 600 Highwaymen present A Thousand Ways (Smock Alley Theatre/by phone, Sept 24-27). It can be experienced as either a phone call or as a live encounter where participants sit at opposite sides of a table separated by a pane of glass. They interact and follow instructions in a script, making the participants both actors and audience in this innovatively shaped show, particularly suited to our socially distanced times. The Abbey Theatre in partnership with Imma has created an outdoor promenade version of The Great Hunger (Imma Oct 1-10). Patrick Kavanagh's enduring 1942 poem that upended the popular romanticised conception of the Irish rural male and presented his reality of spiritual and sexual starvation. At time of writing, government guidelines are uncertain about outdoor gatherings after September 13, so the Abbey is unable to confirm audience numbers yet. But the artists' preparation is ongoing and the audience awaits word. The Ark cultural centre for children presents What Did I Miss? (The Ark, Sept 27-Oct 1), a new play by Shaun Dunne. It was originally created for outdoors but following changes in guidelines has been reshaped for inside. Created as part of Dunne's artist residency, the show is about a child's experience of lockdown, with the content informed by the Ark Children's Council. The Party to End All Parties (Meeting point details on website/Livestream, Sept 22-Oct 10) from innovative company ANU was conceived with social distancing in mind so has not required any tweaking. It is inspired by events in 1949 when Ireland became a Republic, the moment then celebrated on O'Connell Bridge. It is played each time by a cast of three to an audience of two. ANU's style of disruptive interactive theatre lends itself to experimental shape-shifting and their many fans will appreciate the livestream. Theatre designer Monica Frawley died earlier this year. A book of her costume drawings produced by Katy West and Vincent Woods, Monica Frawley Costume, will be launched in the Abbey with a panel event and streamed live (Sept 26). This is a welcome spotlight on the work of a brilliant Irish designer and a reminder of how crucial design is in the creation of theatrical magic. Kudos to the artists and producers who have had to do several backflips to make work available in this difficult year. The 2020 DTF is a compact and defiant placeholder, keeping theatre alive in the autumn calendar as hungry audiences await better times. The Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office has identified the suspected H-E-B shoplifter who was shot and killed after allegedly stabbing a San Antonio police officer in the face last week. The suspect was identified as 61-year-old Major Carvel Baldwin. According to the medical examiner's office, Baldwin's cause of death was due to a gunshot wound. Baldwin is believed to have been wanted on an outstanding warrant for aggravated assault, officials said on Saturday. The incident occurred around 2:30 p.m. on Friday at the H-E-B on 2118 Fredericksburg Road. Officers were called to the incident after store security detained Baldwin, who was accused of shoplifting, said SAPD Chief William McManus. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox According to authorities, Baldwin was escorted out of the store by SAPD officer Corey Rogers, H-E-B loss prevention officer Michael Rios and off-duty Floresville police officer Roland Casillas. Once in front of Rogers' patrol car, Baldwin started looking into his backpack and going through his pockets, officials said. A second later, he came back "very aggressively, very quickly," and allegedly stabbed Rogers once in the face with a knife that had an approximately 5-inch blade, McManus said. Baldwin then placed Rogers in a chokehold while attempting to slit his throat, officials said. Baldwin then continued to fight with the officers, and multiple shots were fired by the authorities. Baldwin died at the scene, officials said. The officer who was stabbed by a now-deceased suspected shoplifter was identified Saturday afternoon as SAPD officer Corey Rogers a four-year veteran. Roger was transported to San Antonio Military Medical Center in serious condition, but has since been released fro the hospital, police said. Scottish television presenter Gail Porter appeared in good spirits on Friday as she joined pals for an afternoon in London's Soho. The TV star pulled several animated expressions as she chatted to her friends while sitting at a table outside. The 49-year-old wrapped up for the catch up as she donned a khaki-coloured raincoat over a black roll-neck top. Catching up: Scottish television presenter Gail Porter appeared in good spirits on Friday as she joined pals for an afternoon in London's Soho Gail complemented her afternoon attire with a pair of denim cut-off shorts, rainbow-detailed tube socks and Nike high-tops. The Fully Booked host accessorised her casual look with several necklaces, rings and a pair of aviator-style shades. In June, an emotional Gail branded late Prodigy star Keith Flint the love of her life. The TV star dated Keith between 1999 and 2000. He who was found dead aged 49, at his home on March 4, 2019. All smiles: The TV star pulled several animated expressions as she chatted to her friends while sitting at a table outside Gail discussed the romance with Louis Theroux, 50, for his BBC Sounds podcast Grounded and reflected: 'Keith was the love of my life, I absolutely loved him, I miss him.' She continued to open up about Keith and shared: 'I was single and we went out and we did not stop laughing for the entire evening and then practically that was us together, almost for two years. 'The good thing was, he didn't really talk about work, I didn't really talk about work, we would just go and do fun things. Gail added: 'I was actually doing a programme called Wish You Were Here ... I got asked to go to the Maldives ... me and Keith went and he had a few issues with a few things.' 'He was the love of my life': In June, an emotional Gail branded late Prodigy star Keith Flint the love of her life (pictured in 1999) Asked by Louis if he suffered with poor mental health, Gail continued: 'He had a few wobbles but by the end of it, he was swimming every day, we were going to the gym and both of us, our mental health was just so fantastic. 'Of course everyone is going to be extremely happy if you're in the Maldives, we were so lucky and then when we got back I said, "Right, I'm going to go back to work and you go back to work". 'He just didn't get his mind back into things properly. And he was going that way and I was like, we need to keep our minds positive and it just didn't work that way. 'He was on a downer, I was trying to work my hardest, so it was a shame.' Friends: Gail spoke to Louis Theroux for his Grounded With Louis Theroux podcast Acknowledging they both had their issues, she said: 'I always thought there was going to be that moment when we are going to have bad times at different times and it kind of worked that way unfortunately.' In May, Gail revealed she 'never expected' the news of her ex-boyfriend's death, admitting that she was gobsmacked when she learned he had died. Keith was found dead in his home in Essex, with toxicology reports finding that the star had cocaine, alcohol and codeine in his system. Following an inquest into his death, a coroner recorded an open verdict after ruling that there was insufficient evidence to rule he took his own life or that it was an accident. For help and support call Samaritans helpline 116123 or visit www.samaritans.org Pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Thailand have urged moviegoers to boycott Disney's live-action remake of "Mulan" one of the biggest releases since film production was shut down by the coronavirus pandemic. Controversy around the movie, set in China, erupted after the lead actress, Liu Yifei, shared a post supporting Hong Kong police on the Chinese social media site Weibo, last August. "I also support Hong Kong police. You can beat me up now," the China-born American actress wrote in Mandarin. "What a shame for Hong Kong," she added in English. Liu was apparently decrying the brutality of protesters after a widely televised incident went viral, of a mainland Chinese journalist being assaulted at a Hong Kong airport. But her comments prompted an angry backlash from pro-democracy activists, who have repeatedly accused police in the region of using excessive force. Her "Mulan" co-star Donnie Yen, was also criticized by activists after posting a comment on Facebook celebrating the 23rd anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China from British colonial rule in July. The comments caused a stir on social media, spawning the #BoycottMulan hashtag, which regained prominence over the weekend on the film's release. This, in turn, became part of the wider #MilkTeaAlliance hashtag on Friday, which has united some pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Thailand. It is named after the popular sweet drink common in those countries. Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong, on Friday, supported calls to boycott the movie, which will debut in Chinese cinemas later this month. In the United States, it will skip theaters going straight to the Disney+ streaming service due to the pandemic. "Because Disney kowtows to Beijing, and because Liu Yifei openly and proudly endorses police brutality in Hong Kong, I urge everyone who believes in human rights to #BoycottMulan," he wrote on Twitter. Story continues He added that Hollywood was "betraying" the values it "purports to champion." Disney, Liu and Yen have been approached by NBC News for comment. Download the NBC News app for breaking news and politics Anti-government protests have roiled Hong Kong since last year and intensified in June after China unveiled a sweeping national security law for the city, limiting protests and dramatically reducing the territory's autonomy, according to pro-democracy activists. The law has been widely condemned in the West and prompted President Donald Trump to impose economic sanctions on Hong Kong and Chinese officials found guilty of human rights abuses, in an increasingly strained relationship between the two countries. In nearby Thailand, where youth-led protests against the government have seen unprecedented calls for reforms of the monarchy and many demonstrators have adopted a three-finger salute mimicking a gesture from the "Hunger Games" movie there have also been calls to boycott "Mulan." Urging people to shun the film that rolled out in Thai cinemas Friday, netizen Ben Muangwong, 28, told NBC News: "Joining the boycott is not only about showing our solidarity with Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters, but also about showing that supporting police brutality is not acceptable anywhere." Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal, 23, said: "Hollywood can't separate from politics, what they are doing people around the world are watching." Citing issues around human rights in Hong Kong, environmental concerns and China's economic assertiveness, the Bangkok-based student activist, told NBC News: "The threat of China is real, it affects people in many ways." Based on a Chinese legend, "Mulan" tells the story of a fierce heroine who disguises as a man to join the army in a bid to protect her sick father and bring honor to her family. Disney released an animated version of the film in 1998. "The Asian market for Disney is undeniable," said Dr. Wing-Fai Leung, a specialist in Chinese film and media industries at King's College London, adding that the calls for a boycott showed "how a Hollywood conglomerate can be caught up in a political dispute." Image: Beijing movie theater (Mark Schiefelbein / AP file) However, in mainland China the "Mulan" topic garnered more than 410 million hits on the social media platform Weibo, with many saying they were keen to watch the movie. "There is no doubt that I will watch Mulan several times and it's not only for the heroine Mulan, but more for supporting Hong Kong police," user @NaWoJiuJiaoXiaJiaoHaoLe wrote on Weibo Friday. However, some critiqued the costumes and depiction of Chinese culture, while others lamented that a Hollywood studio was making a film about a Chinese legend and chided the national film industry for missing an opportunity. "I think I will refuse to watch Mulan. From the directors to the actors, who is a Chinese national?" a user named DaXia Security wrote on Weibo. Adding, "All the Chinese people should be patriotic and conscientious and try our best to help our country boycott the U.S." 04.09.2020 LISTEN Ghanaian filmmaker and director Socrate Safo has bitterly revealed that most of the members who supported president Akufo-Addo and NPPs creative arts agenda have lived with empty stomachs and beg friends for food for the past four years. We cant come and sit here on empty stomachs for four years and go beg friends for food afterwards only for some people to sit at certain places and want to be hailed, sometimes we even struggle to get information, Socrate Safo stated. Speaking as a panel member on Okay FM with Halifax Ansah-Addo, he said anyone listening and closer to president Akufo-Addo should tell him that they are getting tired and frustrated. As the Chairman of the Film Classification Committee of the National Film Authority, Socrates Safo explained that even though they promised to start the operation of the classification of video contents somewhere July, it has never been possible because of the NFA. "What Im supposed to do as the committee chairman per what the law says I have done it, the rest of the job that the NFA has to do is what is left, so if the NFA is not doing what they are supposed to do there is nothing the classification committee can do. "If somebody is listening they should tell the president that some of us are getting tired, the frustration is too much, we have been quiet for far too long and some people think when you are quiet you are stupid. We voted for a party and the president is doing his possible best but there are people who dont understand why they are even in office and value what they are assigned to do, somebody should tell the president," he emphasised. By Laman Ismayilova Stained-glass windows (shebeke) by national artists will decorate the facade of the Vatican Embassy in Ukraine. The art work is ready to be sent to Europe. It is 6 m high and 1.5 m wide and consists of 8 parts, used 6,000 pieces of glass and wood, and national motifs, Report informed. National artist Ilgar Rasulzadeh prepared the work together with his father, famous shebeke artist Tofig Rasulov. The relevant documents are being prepared to send the work to Ukraine. The Vatican has ordered a truck to deliver the handicrafts of Sheki artists safely. Three artists, including Tofig Rasulov, will leave to Kyiv to set up the network. Shebeke art appeared in the Azerbaijani architecture from the 9th-12th centuries. The earliest examples of Shebeke art, made of stone were discovered in the palaces, some houses, baths, and mosques. The main feature of this art is based on the fact that no glue or nails have been used during the construction of the figures. Little pieces of colored glass are inserted into a wooden lattice usually made from walnut or oak trees. Folk craftsmen of the 17th-18th centuries used in their compositions colored glass with thickness of only one millimeter. Nowadays no one can reach this skill level: the material used by them is glass about three millimeters thick. Famous for its magnificent shebeke art, the Palace of Sheki Khans never cease to amaze visitors. The Palace was built in the 18th century without a single nail with fascinating wall paintings and openwork windows, the Palace of Sheki Khans is rightly called the pearl of Azerbaijani architecture. The summer residence is renowned for the lavish decoration of its exterior and interior. Large portions of the residence's facade, including the entire southern elevations of the central halls on both floors, are covered by a mosaic of colored glass set in a wooden latticework (shebeke). The interior walls of the residence are covered entirely with frescoes painted at different times during the eighteenth century. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz The former editor of the Today programme has slammed 'entitled' young BBC staff who 'expect to have their view of the world on air'. Sarah Sands suggested workers at the broadcaster, which she quit earlier this year, cannot understand right-wing views. The journalist said impartiality is still key for the BBC, but 'respect for the rules is weakening' and it needs to try not to conform to a 'cultural like-mindedness'. It comes after the new director-general told staff if they want to be opinionated columnists or a campaigners online they 'should not be working' there. Tim Davie, who took over this week, said the broadcaster needed to 'urgently champion and recommit to impartiality'. Sarah Sands (pictured) suggested workers at the broadcaster, which she quit earlier this year, cannot understand right-wing views Ms Sands wrote in the FT: 'The BBC is not just a broadcaster but also an attentive employer in the age of the employee activist. 'The result is a sense of entitlement among younger employees: they expect to have their view of the world on air. 'In its drive to reflect a new world, the BBC sometimes overlooks an older one. It can treat social conservatism with polite incomprehension.' Mr Davie insisted his drive was 'about being free from political bias, guided by the pursuit of truth, not a particular agenda'. But it came just days after he floated a radical overhaul of the broadcaster's comedy output in the coming months, over fears it is seen as 'too one-sided'. His remarks - widely seen as a swipe at woke presenters mouthing off on Twitter - came after he ordered a u-turn on a ban on Rule Britannia and Land of Hope and Glory at Last Night of the Proms. The comments were in his first official speech in Cardiff on Thursday lunchtime and follow controversies over impartiality, including Newsnight host Emily Maitlis sparking a furore with a monologue on the Dominic Cummings lockdown row. The BBC later said the episode 'did not meet our standards of due impartiality'. BBC Breakfast host Naga Munchetty was also rebuked last year after commenting on remarks made by US President Donald Trump. Match of the Day host Gary Lineker is also known for tweeting political views and opinions on his social media. New BBC Director General Tim Davie is pictured delivering his first speech with a few warning shots Mr Davie said: 'We urgently need to champion and recommit to impartiality. It is deliverable and it is essential. 'If you work here, nothing should be more exciting than exploring different views, seeking evidence with curiosity and creatively presenting testimony. 'Making use of our own experiences but not driven by our personal agendas. I wonder if some people worry that impartiality could be a little dull. 'To be clear, this is not about abandoning democratic values such as championing fair debate or an abhorrence of racism. 'But it is about being free from political bias, guided by the pursuit of truth, not a particular agenda. 'If you want to be an opinionated columnist or a partisan campaigner on social media then that is a valid choice, but you should not be working at the BBC.' Bhopal, Sep 5 : In the eye of a social media storm over the recent allegations of sexual misconduct, the Dhrupad Sansthan appears unfazed by the controversy. Umakant Gundecha, the chairman of the Sansthan located in Neelbad on the outskirts of Bhopal, has been ignoring phone calls. He has, however, ordered an inquiry into the allegations levelled by Lilian van Dam, a disciple and a yoga teacher based in Amsterdam. Regular teaching activity has continued undistracted by the recent allegations of sexual abuse against one of the gurus, Akhilesh Gundecha. Anant Gundecha, the nephew of the Umakant Gundecha, said the chairman has instituted an inquiry by an independent committee into the issue. "We are putting out all the information on our website www.dhrupad.com. The website had little to show for now about the institute and its activities and the latest controversy. A safe environment and impartial teaching have always been the paramount concern at Dhrupad Sansthan," said a statement issued by Anant Gundecha. "The committee shall look into the complaints brought into its notice and will strive to deliver justice," it added. Akhilesh Gundecha, a leading pakhwaj artiste and the brother of Umakant and Ramakant Gundecha, the famed exponents of the Dhrupad style of music, has recused himself from the activities of the Sansthan that imparts training in one of the oldest surviving classical music forms in India. He is facing an inquiry following allegations of sexual abuse were levelled against him and Ramakant Gundecha. One of Lilian van Dam's Facebook posts claimed that many students were sexually propositioned, told to give in if they "ever wanted to have a career in music", and that saying no would mean "trouble at the Gurukul". The post also claimed that the gurus touched their students inappropriately. Umakant and Ramakant Gundecha learned Dhrupad from Zia Fariduddin Dagar and his brother Zia Mohiuddin Dagar, who had earned a legendary status. The Gundecha brothers were awarded Padma Shri in 2012 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2017. Dhrupad has a dedicated audience in Europe where concerts are held regularly. Many students at the Dhrupad Sansthan are also Europeans. After Dagar brothers led the revival of Dhrupad music, Gudecha brothers almost became synonymous with the style over the years. Other musicians such as Uday Bhawalkar and Ritwik Sanyal have also played a major role in making it popular in other parts of the world. At first glance, George looked much like any other baby. But mum Lucy knew something wasnt quite right. Sitting up, he was wobbly and struggled to support his own head. At the age of ten months, when he started crawling, his movement was slow and laboured. Often, he would collapse on to the floor, unable to support himself. If you put a child in a bouncer, youd expect them to be springing up and down, bending their knees, says his mum, Lucy Frost, 40, from Tunbridge Wells in Kent. But Georges legs were just like spaghetti. They just flopped, and couldnt bear any weight at all. George Frost, 9, pictured with his older sister Evie, left, from Kent, was diagnosed aged one with the muscle-wasting disease spinal muscular atrophy. At the time, there was no treatment for the condition, but the youngster is involved in a clinical trial of a new drug which is providing hope Spinal muscular atrophy is caused by a faulty gene. Both parents must have the mutation to develop the illness A health visitor told Lucy that George would develop in his own time. But Lucy, also mum to Evie, who is about to turn ten, was convinced something was wrong and instead decided to pay to see a doctor privately. After scores of tests, George by then aged one was diagnosed with the muscle-wasting condition spinal muscular atrophy, which affects up to 2,500 children and adults in the UK. At the time, there were no available treatments. So as George grew older, and other children passed milestones, he became weaker and weaker. By the age of six, as his health faltered, the most basic tasks turning a door handle or switching on a light had become impossible. Even swallowing was difficult. But today, George, who has just turned nine, is almost unrecognisable thanks to a new drug that experts believe could transform the lives of patients with the devastating condition. Risdiplam, a syrup swallowed daily, has been shown in studies to slow the march of the condition and, in some cases, reverse it. Unlike Spinraza (nusinersen), another new treatment that is injected into the spine every four months, risdiplam can be taken at home. George began taking the drug in March 2018 after joining a trial in Paris and his condition soon began to improve. He could grip a pencil again, write, colour in, tear paper, Lucy says. Then he could squeeze toothpaste out of a tube and peel a yogurt lid back and push his Lego together. His swallowing improved and he began to put on weight. Now George can get on all fours something he has not been able to do since he was two and put his arms above his head. He has even learnt to swim. The drug has given him so much independence, Lucy, a full-time carer to George, adds. Even just being able to turn the door handle to get outside the front door, turn a tap on, or push a light switch things you wouldnt even think about doing. Spinal muscular atrophy also known as SMA is caused by faults in a gene called SMN1. Most children born with it have two parents with the genetic mutation. The fault causes spinal cord motor neurons vital nerve cells that send instructions to muscles to gradually deteriorate, impairing movement. Symptoms include floppy limbs, and difficulties sitting up, crawling, breathing and swallowing. As sufferers cannot cough properly, mucus can build up in the airways leading to recurrent infections. Older children may also develop bone problems, including scoliosis, when the spine twists. The most severe form of spinal muscular atrophy, Type 1, develops in babies under six months, most of whom will not live beyond their second birthday. Type 2 which George was diagnosed with is less severe, but it is degenerative and still shortens life expectancy. Most Type 2 patients do not make it to middle age. There is no cure for any form of the condition. Risdiplam, also known under the brand name Evrysdi, increases levels of a protein needed to keep spinal motor neurons alive. It was approved last month in the US and is currently undergoing evaluation by European and British medicines watchdogs. It is being offered to some UK patients by manufacturer Roche on a compassionate basis. The main difference with this new drug, and whats already available, is you can take it orally, Laurent Servais, professor of paediatric neuromuscular disease at the MDUK Oxford Neuromuscular Centre, explains. In older children with problems with their spine, the injections needed to administer Spinraza can be very challenging. Roche drug chief Bill Anderson has also hinted that risdiplam will be cheaper than its rivals. Over five years, the cost of Spinraza per patient is a staggering 1.35 million. Another treatment, Zolgensma a one-off gene therapy developed by Novartis for children with SMA under the age of two is also being evaluated by UK health officials. But it has been described as the worlds most expensive drug with a price tag of 1.6 million. Prof Servais stresses that there is not yet evidence to suggest any one of these drugs is better than the other. But its clear that the future now looks much brighter for patients diagnosed with SMA. Patients with the condition live their whole lives thinking: what is the next skill I am going to lose, he says. But then you start treating them, and their perspective on life changes dramatically. Its no longer about what they are going to lose, but what they can gain. Lucy, who is co-founder of charity TreatSMA, agrees. George may never walk, she says, but risdiplam has improved his upper body strength, so Im hoping he will be able to move himself on to the toilet, his chair, and his bed. That would mean, when he grows up, he might not need constant care. Georges outlook has improved too. An incredibly bright child, he had become acutely aware of his disability. Imagine being paralysed and laying in your bed, thinking what if there is a fire, what if someone breaks in, Lucy says. Those fears have eased a bit now, because he can sit himself up in bed and he can turn a door handle if he needs to. Now, when he tries to do something, he thinks, I can do it and I will. For more information visit treatsma.uk. Mali's military junta has begun talks on Saturday to begin hammering out details of a transition to civilian rule after growing regional pressure to yield power since it ousted President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. The West African country has long been plagued by chronic instability, a simmering jihadist revolt, ethnic violence and endemic corruption, prompting a clique of rebel colonels to detain an elderly Keita last month. They pledged to step down after an undefined transition period, but the putsch has prompted Mali's neighbours and former colonial ruler France to demand a swift transfer of power, with fears the crisis could impact neighbouring states. The 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) regional bloc has imposed sanctions and closed borders to Mali as part of efforts to press the junta into handing over power quickly. Saturday's summit was originally planned for last weekend but was called off at the last minute after a quarrel between the military and the June 5 Movement, which spearheaded the protests that led to the toppling of president Keita. The opposition coalition of civil and religious leaders has demanded that the military rulers give it a role in the transition to civilian rule, but was not invited for transition talks last Saturday. It has now been included for the rescheduled talks on Saturday and Sunday, along with political parties, former rebels, unions, civil society organisations and media representatives. The weekend talks, chaired by junta leader Colonel Assimi Goita, are set to begin at 9:30 am (0930 GMT) Saturday in the capital Bamako. Parallel talks will take place in regional capitals, led by regional governors, according to the junta. Members of the Malian diaspora will also have their say, according to a spokesperson for the National Committee for the Salvation of the People (CNSP), as the junta is known. One of the key issues will be the length of the transition to civilian rule. Story continues No carte blanche The June 5 Movement led the protests against Keita for weeks before he was removed from power after seven years in charge. It fears the junta is hijacking the coup and is demanding equal billing during the transition period. Influential imam Mahmoud Dicko, a key player in the mass opposition protests that led to Keita's ouster, has insisted that the junta does not have "carte blanche". "We will not give a blank cheque to anyone to run this country, that's over," he said. "We led the fight. People have died and the soldiers who have completed (this fight) must keep their word." Third attack since coup Mali's security situation had deteriorated in the lead-up to the country's fourth coup since it became an independent nation 60 years ago. The ill-equipped army has the Herculean task of securing an area two-and-a-half times the size of France from different groups allied to Al-Qaeda or the Islamic State and various militia groups -- some fighting for the government and others against it. At least 10 Malian soldiers were killed in an overnight ambush in a central region near the Mauritanian border where armed jihadist groups are rampant, security and local sources said Friday. It was the third time Malian security forces have suffered heavy losses since the military took power. (with AFP) Raipur: In a tragic incident, at least eight labourers were killed and several others were gravely injured after a bus-truck collision in Raipur, Chhattisgarh on Saturday (September 5) morning. The bus was carrying labourers ferrying them to Surat in Gujarat from Ganjam in Odisha. The bus collided with a truck when it was passing through the Cheri Khedi in Raipur. Earlier on Saturday, there were reports of seven deaths and later the Director General of Police, Odisha confirmed ANI that about one more death in the incident. SSP Raipur, Ajay Yadav told ANI, ''Seven people killed, seven injured after a bus transporting labourers from Ganjam in Odisha to Surat in Gujarat, collided with a truck at Cheri Khedi in Raipur, early morning today.'' Meanwhile, the local police arrived at the accident spot soon after the incident was reported. Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik has announced Rs 2 lakhs each to the kin of seven labourers, who died in a bus accident in Raipur. The CM has also directed Minister Susanta Singh to immediately proceed to Raipur to extend necessary assistance. The Hanoi Department of Natural Resources and Environment has proposed an emissions reduction scheme where residents in the capital will be financially supported to get rid of dated motorbikes no longer meeting emissions standards. The program is expected to be conducted by the department in collaboration with the Automobile and Motorcycle Association Vietnam (AMAV). According to the proposal, eight motorbike garages in Hanoi will be selected to be installed with equipment to measure motorbikes emissions in the six districts of Hoan Kiem, Cau Giay, Dong Da, Hai Ba Trung, Ha Dong and Thanh Xuan. People who bring motorbikes to these centers to check their emissions will be granted a gift valued at VND300,000 (US$13). At the same time, 30 motorbike retailers across the capital city will be appointed as places for people to come and exchange motorbikes that were manufactured before 2002. Each person who wishes to exchange their outdated motorbike for a newer model at these points will enjoy a discount of VND2-4 million ($86-172) on their purchase. If approved by the municipal Peoples Committee, the program will be piloted as early as this month. There are currently about 5.7 million motorbikes in Hanoi, including approximately 2.5 million registered before 2000, according to the Hanoi environment departments deputy director Le Tuan Dinh. The lack of control over emissions from motorbikes, particularly old ones, has damaged the environment and worsened air pollution in the capital city, he added. Meanwhile, the majority of motorbike riders are not aware of the importance of regular motorcycle inspection and maintenance as well as its impact on the air quality and the communitys health, according to the municipal environment department. The department thus expects that the proposed program will not only help to increase vehicle longevity but also indirectly contribute to reducing air pollution in the capital. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Anyone who knows anything about diners understands that people seated at the counter represent a different breed of eaters. They rub elbows. Talk shop about politics. Sports. World stuff. Local gossip. And most of them, especially early-morning visitors, are guys who leave their wives in bed for fraternity its male bonding before heading home to tackle a honey do list. The state mandated 25-percent capacity indoor dining rule offered six-feet of counter space Friday morning for Bucky Sandford and Jack Dressler as their lives regained some sense of normalcy. Same for New Ewing Diner employees Allura White and Kim Weaver as they served hot coffee and breakfast as soon as indoor dining resumed beginning at 6 a.m. Sandford and Dressler found counter seats just after opening. I used to come every day before (COVID-19). Ive gone out for breakfast every day for just about my entire life. My wife doesnt like it though, Dressler said. Come in enough and friendships develop. Thats how Jack and I met. Their first counter introduction happened about a dozen years back then experienced interruption as coronavirus precaution suspended indoor dining in March. Sandford limited breakfast visits to three per week when The New Ewing Diner opened for outdoor dining in June. He supplemented morning eating with fast food purchases. It was okay. Didnt really like it because I love the counter experience. You have coffee, breakfast, talk, read the paper and then head home. Dressler, a retired Department of Transportation employee, seemed content with the flow of life although he despises masks. I communicate with people by seeing their eyes, facial expressions and mouths. Its just so different but to be back eating inside and at the counter its getting better, Dressler offered. Even before Peter Gromitsaris and Peter Kritsikokas created the New Ewing Diner (2000), a glitzy silver and red showplace, patrons flocked to its predecessor Parkway Diner. Weekends produced waiting lists and lines as tables attracted politicians, pastors and dedicated patrons. Still the same. Fridays indoor diners included Ewing Twp. Mayor Bert Steinmann as well as Shiloh Baptist Rev. Darrell Armstrong and Francis Thomas, chairman of Shilohs Deacon Ministry. Steinmann found booth space. He underscored his limited impact on COVID-19 restrictions as Gov. Phil Murphy served as point man for state guidelines and timelines. When Gov. Murphy gave the go ahead for outdoor dining, we attempted to limit a lot of the red tape involved with installation of say, a tent. We did what we could, especially with supporting small businesses because its important that they stay open. Indoor dining at 25-percent capacity here and at other restaurants represents a good first step. Steinmann frequents The New Ewing Diner and other local eateries and businesses. He said Ewing Twp. residents should support local businesses, especially during difficult times. I would call myself a regular here and other places, Rev. Armstrong, whose church advertises on the paper placemats on each table and counter, said. Chairman Thomas and I meet here occasionally. The food and service are absolutely good. Weaver heads the service staff with a 21-year work history while the White resume notes 15 years. Both stepped up their game as business gained momentum with indoor settings. Its great to be back inside after several months of uncertainty about work, finances and health, Weaver said. Sandford tucked his creased newspaper under his arm. Dressler slipped on his darned mask and the friends paid their bill then exited. Life seemed a little back to new normal at The New Ewing Diner. A new political party inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement plans to contest seats at the next General Election, the Mail on Sunday can reveal. Among those spearheading the Taking The Initiative Party (TTIP) is Sasha Johnson, who has been whipping crowds into a frenzy during recent protests. Wearing camouflage trousers, a black beret and a stab-proof-style vest, she told supporters at last weekends Million People March in London that the TTIP will be the first black-led political party in the UK. We want representation. This is what democracy looks like. Sasha Johnson, who has been whipping crowds into a frenzy during recent protests, is among those spearheading the Taking The Initiative Party (TTIP) Ms Johnson, who calls herself Oxfords Black Panther, said that the group was not just a party for black people and would also represent the working class. She told a 400-strong crowd: We are tired of being let down by Labour, Conservatives, Lib Dems and all of them. We want our own political party, one that reflects the multicultural nation that we have become. I want my black younger generation to exercise your civic rights. Look at the manifesto of TTIP because its the future. The party has been registered with the Electoral Commission and says it aims to create real change in communities across the UK by setting the agenda in government. In its constitution it says there will be no discrimination with regard to sex, race, colour, creed, age, disability or sexual orientation. It is not yet clear what role Ms Johnson, who has been prominent during demonstrations in London and Oxford, will play within the party and an announcement on its leadership is expected later this month. But a spokesman said: She has great potential and great talent. We do have plans for her. The new political party is inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement. Pictured: Black Lives Matter protests at the base of Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square in June this year Ms Johnson, 26, has campaigned for statues to be removed and is part of the secretive group Forever Family Force. Footage on Instagram shows her parading with female FFF members in military-style garb during a march in Brixton last month for African Emancipation Day. Comparisons have been made with the Black Panthers, the radical far-Left protesters who wore similar uniforms as they campaigned against police brutality in 1960s America. Ms Johnson, a youth worker and cafe owner, has called for the establishment of a black militia in the UK. In a video posted in July, she compared the police to the Ku Klux Klan and dismissed ethnic minority politicians David Lammy, Priti Patel and Sadiq Khan as tokenistic. Ms Johnson, a mother of two, also recently led chants of f*** the police and one solution, revolution in a fresh campaign to remove the statue of Cecil Rhodes from Oxford University. Last night, Ms Johnson told the MoS: I believe passionately in equality. I do what I do because racism is a plague that needs to be seared at the root. I feel that people need a new politics, where racism and race crime is dealt with swiftly and robustly, which is something among many things I believe will be found in the TTIP. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 5) A Bangsamoro leader on Saturday penned an enraged statement calling out the recent killings of Muslims in the country and urging for government action. Bangsamoro Transition Authority Parliament Speaker Pangalian Balindog cited the recent massacre of nine people in Kabacan, North Cotabato as well as the reported killing of two boys near the area and a Muslim couple in Pasay City. "This is infuriating," he said. "I call on the Bangsamoro Government to give utmost attention and act expeditiously to get to the bottom of this." Balindog stressed that regional leaders should be consulted on who should head the local police force especially since the uniformed personnel are suspected to have a hand in some of the deaths. "We have to persistently call on the President to closely assist us in this regard," said Balindog. "They would likely strike again if we don't act." The Philippine National Police on Wednesday said it will look into the alleged involvement of their personnel in the deaths of the nine victims in North Cotabato. The global death toll from the coronavirus pandemic could triple by year's end, with an additional 1.9 million deaths, while a fall wave of infections could drive fatalities in the United States to 410,000, according to a new forecast from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington. The estimate reinforces warnings by many experts that cooler, drier weather and increased time spent indoors could boost viral transmission in the Northern Hemisphere surge this fall and winter - something typically seen with other respiratory viruses. The institute's forecasts were influential earlier in the pandemic in guiding policies developed by the White House coronavirus task force, but they have been criticized by some experts as projecting further into the future than can be done reliably. The U.S. death toll from covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, now stands at 183,000, according to health data analyzed by The Washington Post. The IHME model projects that under the most likely scenario, 410,451 people in the United States will have died by Jan. 1. The best-case scenario is 288,381 deaths and worst-case is 620,029, that model forecasts. The scenarios pivot on human behavior and public policy. The best-case scenario would result from near-universal mask-wearing and the maintenance of social distancing and government mandates limiting the size of indoor gatherings. The worst-case scenario assumes that people and their communities stop taking precautions. "It's easy given the summer lull to think the epidemic is going away," Christopher Murray, director of IHME, said Friday on a conference call. But there are "bleak times ahead in the Northern Hemisphere winter, and unfortunately we are not collectively doing everything we can to learn from the last five months." In recent weeks, the daily numbers of U.S. infections and deaths have gradually tapered, following an early-summer surge driven largely by community transmission in the Sun Belt. But experts warn that viral infections typically spike in the weeks after school resumes and when colder, drier weather can help viruses stay viable longer and spread more easily. One key insight in recent months is that the coronavirus has a much harder time transmitting outdoors. But as temperatures drop, people will spend more time inside. Few models forecast as far into the future as IHME does. Many do not project further than four to six weeks ahead. "Beyond that, it's all conjecture and guesswork because there are so many factors we just can't predict and factors about transmission that truthfully scientists don't understand very well yet," said Jeffrey Shaman, an infectious-disease expert who leads the modeling team at Columbia University. "What happens the next few months really depends on what we do as a society the next few weeks." Murray defended the longer-range projections, however, saying they are intended to help government leaders and the public make decisions now to avoid the worst-case scenario. The new forecasts represent the institute's first attempt to model the global spread of the virus and show the daily death toll peaking in mid-December at about 30,000, a more than fivefold increase from the current daily fatality numbers. The specific timing of the second wave matters less, he said, than the fact that it is likely to happen and that many deaths could be avoided if precautions are taken now. The IHME projects that with rigid adherence to social distancing and mask-wearing, 770,000 lives could be saved globally by year's end. One of the most useful tools for public health officials following different projections has been "ensemble models" - an aggregation of several of the country's leading models to make a more reliable forecast. One of the most heavily used ensemble models - assembled by Nicholas Reich, a biostatistician at the University of Massachusetts - shows deaths declining slightly but maintaining a fairly high rate of more than 5,000 a week for the next four weeks, with a likely total of 205,093 before the end of September. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. But the recent declines in cases and deaths appear to be prompting a relaxation in behavior that could quickly drive those numbers back up. One model that takes into account the extent of social distancing, using cellphone data, forecasts the daily number of deaths increasing over the course of this month from roughly 1,000 deaths a day to almost 2,000 by end of September. "We've been seeing mobility increase the last few weeks," said Lauren Ancel Meyers of the University of Texas at Austin, who developed the model that factors in mobility. In Texas, for example, mobility data shows more people staying home in June when hospitalizations were going up at alarming rates. But since August, that mobility has accelerated. "One of the challenges is as soon as things look good in the community, it's tempting to say the virus is gone," Meyers said. "What we really should be thinking is: How did we get to this better place? By being cautious and vigilant. And instead of relaxing, we should focus on the things that worked." About 910,000 people globally are known to have died of the virus, according to IHME - a tally higher than the 865,000 used by the World Health Organization. But most experts agree the true death toll is probably higher, with many people dying at home or without having been tested for the virus. The "most likely" scenario produced by IHME is for 2.8 million global deaths by the end of December. The best-case scenario would about 2 million, and the worst-case about 4 million. When Jim Caviezel agreed to play Jesus of Nazareth over a decade ago in a Mel Gibson film, it became a pivotal event both in his life and career. The Passion of the Christ is still the highest-grossing Christian movie of all time. But now when Caviezel goes to speak at schools and universities, he says hes baffled when hes told that he can talk about any of his movies except that one. We tiptoe around issues of faith in the strangest way, like visiting Rome only to ignore all the sacred architecture. You cant isolate history and say, Oh were not going to talk about God here; that makes no sense at all. Obviously, faith, religion, have great influences, even in non-Christian societies, [they] have big influences on how societies think, act, walk, talk, everything, said Caviezel by phone. The actor is also known for his role in the drama Person of Interest. Caviezels character in his latest film, Infidel, which premieres on Sept. 18, is fearlessly outspoken about his Christian faith, and that was what drew Caviezel to the character. I related to the character, I guess, because he stands up for what he believes in. And I know thats something thats lacking in todays cancel culture, he said. People want to be liked so badly; theyre so misinformed. You can be liked by the world, but do you want to be liked by many or loved by one? Caviezel initially wasnt approached to play the lead character, an American kidnapped in Cairo who ends up in an Iranian prison on spying charges. But he insisted. Writer and director Cyrus Nowrasteh had worked with Caviezel a decade ago on The Stoning of Soraya M., beginning a long conversation between the two about faith and religion. So when he came to me, and he was looking for me to do a smaller part on the film [Infidel], Id spoken to him so much and at great length that I said, Why didnt you come to me for the lead in this movie?' Caviezel said. Nowrasteh said that he thought Caviezel would be too busy, but Caviezel replied: Not too busy for this. This is too important. Bridging the Divide Infidel is a suspenseful thriller that drops you right in the middle of an Islamic regime, where every character has their deepest beliefs, no matter how different, tested in the face of life-or-death situations. Caviezel plays an outspoken Christian blogger, Doug, and Claudia Karvan stars as his wife, a State Department official who has to try to rescue him herself when the American government refuses to intervene. The film isnt based on one true story; its an amalgamation of several true stories that viewers may recognize from the news. It is not a graphic film, though perhaps in todays climate, religion is more provocative than violence. Caviezel remembered the 21 Christians executed by ISIS when he read what the character Doug would go through, how it blew him away that none of them would deny their faith. He thought about the disappearance of American agent Robert Levinson in Iran and the CIA scandal it revealed just a few years ago. The Stoning of Soraya M. put a spotlight on stonings, and Caviezel says that Infidel touches on other things that need light, like honor killings. There was one just recently where a father chased down his daughter and beat her to death, and drank tea next to her corpse while waiting for the police to show up, he said. Obviously, these are the things that we cant even fathom, but in order to stop them we have to draw them out into the light. Caviezel adds that there is less media coverage of these injustices than there used to be, that these arent the stories theyre telling. When I was younger, we learned about the hostages in Iran, Caviezel said. When I was going to school in the 70s, we would see daily tolls: day 2, day 10, day 300you knew those hostages, how long they were there. They were part of the definite narrative; we had to get those Americans home. Thats different; thats changed now. Acting is Caviezels craft, and he said that he wants to use it to lend a voice to those who are crying out. When he and Nowrasteh worked on The Stoning of Soraya M., he remembers Nowrasteh telling him to be prepared to be asked tough questions about his religion by curious Muslims. He told Caviezel: Dont be afraid of offending Muslims. Theyre tough. Theyll ask you a lot of questions about your faith and why you believe what you believe, and you probably better know your faith well, because theyre going to want to know why [you believe that]. And what Caviezel learned from these conversations was how the Muslims who want peace are suffering at the hands of the extremists. A lot of them said, much of the world panders to extremist Muslims, but the sad thing is the real victims are Muslims, the ones who arent extreme, who want peace. Theyre the ones who are the most oppressed by these Islamic regimes, and many of them are in those prisons [that we see Doug in], Caviezel said. Caviezel had a lot of security while he worked on these two films, and he wrote down what one of his security personnel told him: He wanted people to understand what its like there: Let people know in the West. Tell your media, youre not harming [peaceful] Muslims by taking a stand against radicals; youre helping [us], Caviezel said. What Caviezel learned on that first film and in conversation with Nowrasteh thereafter crystallized in the script for Infidel, so when Nowrasteh finally approached him, Caviezel already had the heart to tell this story. No one wanted the film to be anti-Muslim. We have Muslim characters in the film that do take proactive measures, at the risk of their own lives, to fight against the extremists and the Islamic government, he said. Pressure and oppressive regimes can never quash true faith. In fact, the opposite often occurs, and weve seen many times in history that religion grows right in the middle of oppressive regimes. Speaking the Truth Caviezel said that the absolute most important thing in Infidel, in any story, and in the conversations we have today between people of different faiths, is the truth. Im looking for the truth thats in the story, and is it a fake truth? Is it a fake respect? Is it a fake peace? he asked. We see examples of both false peace and true reconciliation of ideas in Infidel, and their consequences. Like this [film], youre looking at Muslims and Christians and trying to bring the bridges together, trying to bring the divide together, and you cant do it by not being true, by pretending to be something youre not that solves nothing, he said. Theres some great, entertaining things going on in Infidel as well. Weve got this Hezbollah leader and this Christian professor who, on another day, they might have been very good friends. The truth is, people of different faiths arent at war with each other, Caviezel said. If anything, there is a culture war that has been waged against people of faith, and you dont have to look far to find, sometimes rather vicious, anti-Christian rhetoric or policies that would draw outrage if it were against any other group. This is a war that has to be fought and has to be won, and no one has ever won a victory on the backs of fake moral platitudes. We have to be bold and speak the truth, so thats what this thing equals to me. Looking for the moral redemption in that story is really what means [something] to me, he said. I dont believe we can sit there and be victims, but we have to be bold still and speak the truth that God gave us. At the end of the day, youre going to be held accountable for what you did, you and your small voice, he said. As a child, Caviezel saw Ben-Hur on the big screen. I would say to myself, Man, these people really suffered for their faith, never thinking that I would be on the screen, big and small, playing a guy suffering for his faith and representing a people suffering for theirs, he said. The challenge from God is, Yes, Jim, you have a purpose, and can I use you now, as a man? and thats all I can do. Our culture isnt one that tends to see the good that can come from suffering. Caviezel himself loves the stories of saints and how they created greatness from it, but he says that you dont even need to look that far to understand it. Think about it like this: Look at an athlete; every day he goes in and works and trains, and hes in a lot of pain he has to deal with. The muscles hurt, but he knows that if he continues and engages in that, then that muscle will get stronger, Caviezel said. Under pressure, how do you perform? Well, his training will show you if his training was good, when the rubber meets the pavement. Caviezels character goes through the same thing as those martyrs and those athletes, preparing long before he meets great suffering. The actor says that his character must have read the Gospel and the stories of the martyrs leading up to the story as we see it. My character faces the same fate and has the same resolve in the face of evil, and I think that will inspire many people, even non-Christians who watch the film, he said. Thats how you start to engage in the truth of whats really going on. As we approach the 19th anniversary of 9/11, there is a conversation going on in many communities about defunding police departments. I am an admirer of our police and all of our first-responders. I am a proud father of a Norwalk firefighter. While I respect the opinion of all individuals, I vigorously reject defunding of the police. However, I will leave that debate for another day. As a 9/11 World Trade Center survivor, I witnessed the police performing in their finest hour. In the eye of my mind I can still see, so many citizens like myself running away from danger while a courageous body of blue ran toward the danger. In doing so the police and all the first-responders were performing their core mission of protecting the public and saving lives, and to that end there is no higher calling. Before the towers fell I was able to make my way to a clients office and watch in terror as the events unfolded. I prayed for all those who did not make it out, and for all the first-responders who went in. A couple hours later I left the building and started the long walk uptown. As I came out of the building I immediately found the air quality was awful and I started to cough. While walking and coughing a guardian angel in blue appeared, a New York City police officer gave me a towel to breath into. Along the way police were at every intersection watching over us, supporting, directing and protecting us. As I arrived to Grand Central Terminal, I was comforted to see not only New York Citys Finest, but also the New York City Transit Police, the Metro-North Police, the State of New York Police and the National Guard. All there for one reason, to protect us and to make sure we were safe. The trains finally started to run toward late afternoon. As I got into a train, I found our guardian angels, the Connecticut and New York State Police, along with Metro-North Police. As my train made its way to Connecticut I noticed that at every stop there was a police presence. When I arrived in South Norwalk that day, I remember getting off the train taking a moment to reflect on the days event. I must say it was emotional moment for me. I thanked God for the gift of my life and I prayed for all those who did not make it out. While walking down the train platform a Norwalk police officer came up to me and asked how I was doing. I said fine and that I just wanted to get home. I was about ready to call my wife to come and get me, but the officer said sir, let me give you a ride home, you have had a long day. So the officer drove me home, and we talked about the day. I forgot to get the officers name. Still, I sent a thank you note to the Norwalk Police Department the next day. Sept. 11, 19 years ago, will always hold a special place in my heart. I will never forget not only the courage of the police that day, but also their compassion, kindness and humanity. The police were my guardian angels that day, who made sure I got home safe. They will always have my respect and support. In loving memory of those lost on 9/11/01. Gone but never forgotten, from a proud and grateful survivor of One World Trade Center. Jim Lyons is a Norwalk resident. A place to fall in love, with the wild again By Smriti Daniel Having inherited his deep love for the land from his father Nihal Fernando, Yohan Weerasuriya is pursuing his own brand of pragmatic conservation View(s): View(s): The grass is alive. Its after dark in Sigiriya and a full moon swims through a sea of stars above us. On my head I wear a headlamp masked by red tape (to protect the sensitive eyes of animals we encounter) and a pair of outsized wellington boots (to protect me from any irate reptiles out for a night-time slither). When I turn the headlamp on the ground beneath my feet, the field around us is aglow with tiny red dots each is an eye reflecting my light. Sajith Buddhika Withanage Don, Back of Beyonds in-house naturalist, leans down and shows me a small spider nestled in its web. In the branches above the grey slender loris are calling. Their dextrous hands and feet are perfect for plucking fruit, and their enormous eyes, wide as saucers in the dark, greedily drink in the moonlight. These creatures are tiny, and prone to freezing in place when threatened becoming effectively invisible in the process. Luckily, we have with us the man dubbed lorisge thaththa or the father of the loris. 42-year-old Gamagedera Ananda has worked for Back of Beyonds founder Yohan Weerasuriya for many years now and has an uncanny gift for finding the loris in the dark. He points out the slender-limbed primates, as Sajith explains they were once common in Sri Lanka. Unfortunately, as forest habitat has shrunk, so has their population. Yet, at Back of Beyond in Pidurangala, you dont have to go much further than a few steps to find yourself in the company of a loris. It isnt an accident. All these properties focus on conservation, and Yohan has long been interested in the space where eco-tourism, nature conservation and sustainable agriculture meet. Before he began working for Yohan, Ananda says that like most locals he didnt know much about conservation, and certainly he knew even less about the loris. No one understood what Yohan was trying to do and at first we all dismissed him, he says. But now we have become more serious about conservation. Many now understand it can also be a source of income. Yohan might blush to hear it, but Anandas change of heart is a beautiful testament to what Back of Beyond has accomplished since they opened their doors in 2007. They began with Jungle Hideaway in Pidurangala, where Yohan built his first treehouse he wanted to recreate his own childhood, where his father, the renowned photographer Nihal Fernando, constructed a treehouse in their home on Skelton Road, Colombo 5. It was from Nihal that Yohan inherited this deep love for this island. Today, Back of Beyond has many treehouses to offer guests, and perhaps the most beautiful are at their property in Dehigaha Ela, bordered by a gurgling stream and encased in an envelope of wild, dense forest. Leopards and elephants come to visit, and otters leave fish bones and other debris from their feasts on the banks of a pond in the clearing. At Dehigaha Ela one of the most rewarding things you can do is take a walk. Sajith leads us into the forest, reading paw prints and scat to identify which animals have passed through. He picks up fresh elephant dung, and explains how it can be a good source of water in the unlikely situation youre dying of thirst. He shows us how to use vines to clamber up rocks and get the best view of the forest cloaked hills, and points out the motion-sensor activated cameras theyve installed to help researchers studying animals in this area. There is so much to do in this tiny country, Yohan says, tramping along. He is utterly relaxed, yet his quiet eyes dont seem to miss much. My father never wanted to travel overseas because he said it would take five lifetimes just to explore Sri Lanka. Back of Beyond is this promise made real: visitors here are taken out into the fields, the forests, the lakes; shown the Mee tree that sends its roots deep, and its branches high above the forest floor; youre led to the stream where the fish nibble your feet and given thambili cooled by the rushing water to quench your thirst. Youll walk alongside the tracks of elephants that visited while you slept, and the dark cave in which bats sleep as you trek through their forest. From a boat at sunset, youll be offered the most perfect view of Pidurangala and Sigiriya side by side. Its a kind of magic, and even if youve grown up on this island, youre not immune. Yohan didnt stumble across this spectacular view of Sigiriya and Pidurangala by accident. Hes spent years patiently exploring the area and found this reservoir on one of those trips. They collaborated with local fishermen to offer this magical boat ride which is really a unique water safari thanks to the hundreds of birds all around . When its time for dinner, torches light the way along the borders of a paddy field, guiding you to a table and a personal chef: wine and hot cheese kottu never tasted so good. These experiences are what make Back of Beyond so exceptional in a country crowded with wonderful tourist offerings. For Yohan, its all about getting people to fall in love with the wild again. He is a pragmatic conservationist he recognizes the value in tourism, the necessity for sustainable agriculture models, and the importance of protecting our forests and wildlife and he works hard to reconcile these often diverging interests. One way is through Back of Beyonds Nature Conservancy Project, which is designed to improve forest cover on Back of Beyonds property as well as land leased from the Forest Department through strategic tree planting as well as assisted natural re-generation (ANR). Yohan explains that it will not only help the local community and Sri Lanka at large through increasing forest cover on the island, it will also help to mitigate the human-elephant-conflict in the area. You can see another aspect of their work at the organic farm at Dehigaha Ela where they have converted what was once slash and burn farmland into organic agricultural land and now grow indigenous and heirloom varieties of local fruits and vegetables, so rare now even in regional markets. During the pandemic and the lockdown thats followed, Back of Beyond began selling produce from these farms as a way to support the farmers they work with. And now as the island carefully opens up again, theyve had good news they were awarded the TripAdvisor Travellers Choice award for 2020. Guests who would like to visit can take advantage of many packages on offer. Meanwhile, youll find Yohan where he is most comfortable out in the forests, where the tall trees offer the best company. He knows this is the work of a lifetime, and that the properties he manages will continue to evolve, throwing up new challenges, and fresh delights. Yohan is working toward blurring the boundaries, so that the wild lands stretch into his own, allowing people a glimpse of the beauty beyond. I want this whole area to be a safe haven for biodiversity, he says, looking around at the treehouses embedded in the wilderness. LONDON - Far-right protesters clashed with police Saturday in the English port of Dover, where thousands of migrants have arrived in recent months after crossing the Channel in small boats. Dozens of anti-immigrant demonstrators, some wearing Union Jack face masks, blocked a main road, singing Rule, Britannia! as they marched in the middle of the road. The song has sparked debate over its celebration of the British Empire at a time when critics are reevaluating the nations colonial past. Some protesters scuffled with police near the entrance to the towns harbour. Police said nine people were arrested. Anti-racism protesters held a rival demonstration in the town to say asylum-seekers were welcome. On Friday night, the humanitarian charity Freedom from Torture beamed the words Rise above fear. Refugees welcome onto the White Cliffs of Dover overlooking the English Channel. Migrants have long used northern France as a launching point to get to Britain, either in trucks through the Channel tunnel or on ferries. Some have turned to small boats organized by people smugglers because coronavirus lockdowns have reduced opportunities to stow away on vehicles. More than 5,000 migrants have crossed the Channel, one of the worlds busiest waterways, this year, most during the warm summer months. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Nathalie Olof-Ors (Agence France-Presse) Camorino, Switzerland Sat, September 5, 2020 20:07 502 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c42eb7c6 2 News switzerland,Europe,Transportation,railway Free Switzerland opened its Ceneri tunnel on Friday -- completing a mammoth project cutting a new route through the Alps which should transform rail links between northern and southern Europe. After opening the Lotschberg Base Tunnel in 2007 and the Gotthard Base Tunnel in 2016, the Ceneri in Switzerland's southern Ticino region is the final stage of the New Railway Link through the Alps project. The route should ease the flow of goods along a railway freight corridor running from the North Sea at Rotterdam, Europe's largest seaport, to Genoa, Italy's biggest port, on the Mediterranean. It is hoped the link will slash the number of trucks rumbling through the Alps by offering an alternative rail route. But the 15.4-kilometer-long Ceneri tunnel, which fully enters service in December, will also cut travel time for passengers crossing western Europe's greatest mountain range. For example, travel times between Zurich and Milan -- already significantly shortened by the Gotthard tunnel -- will be cut by 40 minutes to just three hours. Transporting freight in Switzerland has long required powerful locomotives to navigate the mountain passes -- and also heavy operations to load containers onto trains at the border before crossing the landlocked country. "This is the final link that gives us a flat line straight through the Alps," Swiss Federal Railways chief executive Vincent Ducrot told AFP at the tunnel's media launch on Thursday. "In the future, we will be able to have freight trains 750 meters long that can carry up to 2,100 tons of goods" per convoy, he said, highlighting the environmental benefits. By taking the equivalent of 3,000 trucks off the roads and transporting those containers on the new rail route, it should be possible to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 900 tons per day, he said. Read also: Back on track: Europe's fading night trains win reprieve 'Project of the century' The tunnel, at 329 meters above sea level, should see 170 freight and 180 passenger trains passing through per day. Swiss President Simonetta Sommaruga officially opened the tunnel in a ceremony marked by alphorns and musicians from German-speaking parts of Switzerland and Italian-speaking Ticino, symbolizing the new link between the north and south of the mountainous country. Sommaruga cut the ribbon at the northern end as the first freight train passed through, heading south. "This new train line through the Alps is the project of the century for our country," the president told AFP. "It is the biggest investment we have ever made,", she said, calling it "a strong sign of an intelligent transport policy." The NRLA plan was initially approved by a referendum in 1992. The three-tunnel project cost 24 billion Swiss francs ($26.4 billion, 22.7 billion euros) and was partly financed by licence fees on heavy goods vehicles. The Ceneri tunnel cost 3.6 billion francs -- far behind the 12.2 billion invested in the Gotthard tunnel, which is the world's longest at 57 kilometers. Topics : switzerland Europe Transportation railway Sushant Singh Rajput Mumbai: A team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is probing Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death case, visited his flat in suburban Bandra again on Saturday as part of its investigation, an official said. CBIIn the last two weeks, the central probe agency had visited the flat at least two times to reconstruct the sequence of events leading to the actor's death, among other things, he said. Advertisement "The probe team along with forensic experts reached the late actor's flat in Mont Blanc Apartments around 11.30 am," the official said. Sushant Singh RajputRajput's cooks Neeraj and Keshav along with his flatmate Siddharth Pithani accompanied the team, he said. "After inspecting the flat, the investigators went to the terrace of the building. Later, the team members left the place for the DRDO guest house at Santacruz, where they are stationed," he said. As protests continue to erupt in the streets of Kenosha, Wisconsin, and across the world in outrage against the horrific shooting of Jacob Bla Read more Bengaluru, Sep 5 : Karnataka will study the findings of a 2012 Legislative Committee report to fight the growing drug menace in the state, especially in the Kannada film industry, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Saturday. "I have asked Additional Chief Secretary Rajneesh Goel in the Home department to study the findings of the 2012 report to tackle the drug menace that has revived in the state of late," Bommai told reporters. The report prepared by the then Deputy Speaker N. Yogish Bhat as the Assembly's Petitions Committee Chairman was tabled in the assembly in 2012 when the BJP was in power. As the report recommended measures to control the menace, we will study and implement them to fight drug trafficking in the state, Bommai said after a video conference with the Superintendents of Police (SPs) and Inspector-Generals of Police (IGP) across the state. As the BJP lost the May 2013 Assembly elections, the report remained buried since then under the Congress government till 2018 and the JD(S)-led coalition government that was in power till July 2019. Noting that the drug menace was not only in Karnataka but also in other states across the country, Bommai added the police would use all resources and technology to tackle the drug menace. The 8-year-old report studied how students in colleges across the state were falling prey to narcotics and the growing nexus between drug suppliers and consumers. Alarmed by the alleged drug links in the Kannada film industry and huge consumption of narcotics in this tech city, Bommai ordered a crackdown on drug supplies in cities and towns across the southern state. "I have directed the police to crack down on supply of narcotic drugs like ganja (marijuana) in cities and towns across the state to prevent their consumption, especially by the youth," Bommai said on Friday when Kannada film actress Ragini Dwivedi was arrested in the city for her alleged drug links. Asserting that the state government was firm on ending the drug menace in the state, Bommai said the Central Crime Branch (CCB) was investigating the cases to find out the source of narcotics, who sells, buys and consumes them. "I have told the police to conduct raids on suppliers and consumers of banned drugs in all 30 districts across the state, including border areas to prevent drug trafficking from other states," Bommai added. Leads from the present investigation indicated that the banned drugs were entering Karnataka from other states and overseas through peddlers. "We will continue our operation against drug peddlers and consumers till the menace is brought under control, as the recent arrests by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in Bengaluru revealed the links of peddlers with the Kannada film actors and musicians," reiterated Bommai. Warning offenders of stringent action, the Minister said no one involved in the business of narcotic drugs, however influential, would be spared. "Everyone involved in the drugs business, however influential or popular, will be punished to set an example to others indulging in the menace," Bommai added. Those who follow Jill Duggar noticed Jills taken a severe step away from her famous parents and its her husband, Derick Dillard, whos been speaking out for her. According to Derick, Jill and her father, Jim Bob Duggar, do not get along. And Jill seems to be excluded from a variety of Duggar household events. Dericks in law school, too, and hes been going for his degree for a few years now. He just explained to a Twitter fan why he wants to pursue law, and it seems it may have something to do with Jill. Derick Dillard is in his final year of law school RELATED: Jill Duggar Told a Follower She Doesnt Have Advice About Homeschooling: Not Sure I Have Much to Offer While many of Jim Bob and Michelles sons pursue jobs within the family business and ditch school, Dericks not going that route. Hes attended law school for years. And he made the announcement hed be pursuing his degree at the University of Arkansas School of Law after he and Jill were kicked off of Counting On for Dericks inflammatory anti-trans tweets. We are excited to announce our future plans! Jill and Derick wrote on their Dillard Family website back in 2018. We will be remaining stateside for now as Derick is beginning law school at the University of Arkansas. We look forward to seeing how God will continue to direct our family in this new chapter of life! Now, Dericks entering his final year of law school just as his son, Israel, enters his first year of kindergarten. Today was a special day my sons 1st day of kindergarten and my 22nd (and last) first day of school, Derick captioned his Instagram post on Aug. 24. Derick continues to defend Jill Duggar as she separates herself from the other Duggars While Dericks law degree used to be the talk of fans and critics alike, its Dericks involvement in the alleged Duggar family feud thats causing a stir now. At the end of 2019, Derick took to his Instagram to tell his followers that he and Jill rarely see her side of the family. And its all because of Jim Bob. Since then, Derick has come forward via Instagram and other publications to speak his truth about Jim Bob. Derick claimed Jim Bob told the Duggars who participate in Counting On that the show was on a volunteer basis and they werent getting any money from it. And Derick also claimed that Jim Bob is the one who decides who comes and goes from the family home, which is why Jill needs special permission to see her parents and siblings at the big house. Jill hasnt said anything about the alleged feud. But considering Derick continues talking about whats going down, it seems it might be legitimate, as she hasnt stopped him. He told a Twitter follower why hes getting his degree in law Now that Derick is nearly finished with his law degree, fans are wondering what his plans are afterward. When a Twitter user asked what he plans to do with it, he tweeted back, Help people who are taken advantage of, among other things. Duggar family critics noted this as well and they think Derick plans on helping Jill more than ever. Would Derick actually sue JB/TLC or both? Like if he did, Jill would definitely be shunned, one Reddit user questioned. Yes I think Derick and Jill should get what theyre owed from the show and Id love for him to sue JB, but no way I believe hes looking out for anyone else, another mentioned. Others think Derick wont use his law degree for anything to do with the Duggars, though. I doubt he has any real basis for suing JB, unless he has some kind of breach of contract claim, which i think is unlikely, another commented. There could always be something we dont know about but i dont see any solid basis from whats been aired in public and discussed here. Well have to wait and see what happens when Derick finishes his final year of law school. In any case, he and Jill are definitely proud of how far theyve come and were looking forward to seeing more from the couple. Check out Showbiz Cheat Sheet on Facebook! Find all of the most important pandemic education news on Educating N.J., a special resource guide created for parents, students and educators. Remember when finding the coolest backpack and the perfect outfit were your biggest back-to-school concerns? A further 118 new cases of the virus have been confirmed (Simon Dawson/PA) A further 118 cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed on Saturday, September 5, the Department of Health has said. The death toll is now at 564. There are three patients in intensive care units in Northern Ireland hospitals, with 17 inpatients. It brings to 7,621 the total number of people who have tested positive here. Of the new cases diagnosed over the past week, the majority (194) have been in the 20 to 39 age bracket. 471 people have tested positive over the past week. In the Republic of Ireland, 231 new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed, with 133 new positive tests in Dublin. There were no further deaths linked to the virus reported on Saturday, with the Republic's death toll remaining at 1,777. The new cases take to 29,534 the number of confirmed cases since the outbreak began. Acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn said: "While there is a significant number of cases in Dublin today, it is important to look at the day's figures in the context of our seven and 14-day incidence rates. "NPHET pays close attention to trends and patterns in the data over time in order to analyse the progression of Covid-19 both across the country and in particular areas or settings. "However, it is now really important that people in Dublin keep their social contacts as low as possible." Meanwhile, a top medic has said the council area surrounding Craigavon hospital has one the highest levels of the virus in the UK. A total of 931 cases have been confirmed in Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council - the second highest number in a council area in Northern Ireland. 76 cases have been diagnosed there in the past week. Read More The medical director for the Southern Trust Dr Maria O'Kane said an investigation is ongoing to establish the source of the infection in a number of wards in the hospital. It's after two patients died in the hospital after contracting Covid-19 while on the haematology ward, while a third patient died after testing positive for the virus and being discharged. The Trust has stressed the virus was not the primary cause of death. Dr Maria O'Kane warned that further outbreaks in the hospital are possible. "We aren't completely sure at this point in time [about the source of the clusters] because we actually think it has come from a variety of sources," she said. "We have been working with the Public Health Agency (PHA) and have undertaken genetic testing on the virus samples to try and ascertain the source and the spread." Asked if the patients who have died contracted the virus while being treated in the hospital, Dr O'Kane continued: "We suspect they did. "Armagh, Craigavon and Banbridge has the fifth highest level of Covid in the UK, although Belfast has slightly more. "We hear talk about Oldham and other parts of England, but really we are not that desperately far behind and you will appreciate that the hospital replicates what goes on in the community," she said. An unusually warm Arabian Sea is likely to have contributed to intense bursts of monsoon rain in parts of India in August, which in particular led to flooding and landslides in many parts of the west coast, scientists said, citing sea surface temperature readings that strengthen concerns of global warming possibly leading to extreme rain events in the future. Coupled with the consecutive low pressure areas of Bay of Bengal that put the monsoon in its active to vigorous phase, the warmer waters in the Arabian Sea further compounded the climatology that triggered heavy rain in several parts of the country. In the vigorous phase, rain increase by 1.5-4 times the normal volumes. Arabian Sea has been warming rapidly in recent decades. This makes the air above warmer, humid and unstable. As a result, the monsoon winds are exhibiting more fluctuations than earlier. So occasionally there are episodes where huge amount of moisture is dumped along the west coast of India in a few days time. This year again, the northern Arabian Sea was up to 2-3C warmer than usual in August, and we saw several spurts of monsoon rains across the west coast, said Roxy Mathew Koll, climate scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology. According to monitoring by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the average monthly SST (sea surface temperature) for August in parts of north Arabian Sea was 29 to 31 degree C and in southern parts was 29 to 30 degree C. The SST anomaly map showed temperatures to be 2 to 3 degree C and 0.5 to 1.5 degree C higher than expected in pockets of north Arabian Sea. With the formation of a low pressure area over Bay of Bengal on August 4, there were instances of extreme rain along the west coast. For example on August 3, Mumbais Dharavi got 38 cm rain; Santacruz and Colaba recorded 26 and 25 cm respectively; Hosanagar and Bhagamandala in Karnataka recorded 21 and 19 cm respectively. On August 4, Palghar recorded 46 cm; Talasari 39 cm; Dahanu 38 cm Mahabaleshwar 32 cm; Khanvel 39 cm; On August 6, Vaibhavwadi in Sindhudurg recorded 71 cm rain; Avalanchi in Tamil Nadus Nilgiris recorded 58 cm; Bhagamandala 49 cm, Mumbais Colaba 33 cm according to India Meteorological Department data. There are several scientific papers that have concluded that the Arabian Sea is becoming warmer as a result of climate change. The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) report titled Assessment of Climate Change over the Indian Region which has analyses and data from 1901-2018 and is modeled on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Changes assessment reports, said increased variability of low-level monsoon westerlies and warming of north Arabian sea lead to increased moisture supply and thus enhance extremely heavy rain events. Rapid warming in the Arabian Sea has resulted in a rise in widespread extreme rains over Western Ghats and central India, since warming induces increased fluctuations in the monsoon winds, with ensuing episodes of enhanced moisture transport from the Arabian Sea towards the Indian subcontinent. Indian Ocean warming is also found to reduce rainfall over India during the onset phase and increase it during the withdrawal phase, the report states. Models also indicate that there will be higher SST warming over Arabian Sea compared to Bay of Bengal. Monsoon was very active in August and the westerlies were very strong. Warm Arabian Sea could lead to more moisture incursion along the west coast. More moisture availability could lead to extreme rain episodes, said M Rajeevan, secretary, ministry of earth sciences. The SSTs are supposed to drop by 2-3 degrees in August compared to May. Higher SSTs means more evaporation and the moisture gets transported to the west coast with strong westerly winds when monsoon is active. There is more warming being recorded in the equatorial Indian Ocean, explained R Krishnan, executive director, Centre for Climate Change Studies at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM). Some scientists cautioned that SSTs may have been one of the factors. Low pressure areas formed over Bay of Bengal which strengthened the monsoon winds are an equally dominant factor, said RK Jenamani, senior scientist at IMD. IMD in its two week forecast issued on Friday said below normal rains are likely in most parts of the country except over northeastern states, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala between September 10 and 16. Development of features for monsoon withdrawal from western parts Rajasthan is likely during the same week. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON 09:15 | Lima, Sep. 5. "Every patient who's discharged is a win for us," said Maritza Huapaya, head nurse at the overflow facility set up at the venue to treat the South American country's huge caseload. Lima hosted the Pan American Games in 2019, and the purpose-built athletes' compound hosted thousands of competitors and their delegations. It has proved a rare bright spot in the country's grim fight against the disease, as more than 10,000 patients have recovered there and been sent home. One of the oldest survivors, 97-year-old Maria Isabel Velasco, was wheeled out of the hospital amid fanfare on Wednesday as nurses in light blue biosafety overalls released colorful balloons and danced to cumbia music, celebrating another small win against the coronavirus. A sign said: "Believe in yourself, everything is possible." "She is leaving totally recovered and lucid," said Carlos Olivera, the director of the facility. Peru, with more than 660,000 infections and nearly 30,000 deaths to date, is Latin America's second hardest-hit country after Brazil. It has the world's highest mortality rate from COVID-19 90.48 per 100,000 inhabitants, according to data published by Johns Hopkins University in the United States. The regions Cusco, Moquegua, Puno and Tacna will remain in lockdown. Life In the former athletes' facility, more than 1,000 apartments were in the process of being refurbished for sale when the pandemic struck and the government turned four of the complex's seven buildings into a hospital for COVID-19 patients. The facility has lost only 53 patients among the more than 12,000 it has treated over the past five months, with more than 10,500 discharged and recovered, officials said. Around 1,600 people are hospitalized there at any one time. Cesar Sayan, 64, was admitted with breathing difficulties in early August. "Now that I'm going home after 33 days, I am grateful to God for giving me this opportunity," Sayan told AFP. More than 1,000 people, including 325 doctors and 354 nurses, work in the emergency hospital in the south of Lima. "This is a small town that has become our new home," said nurse Huapaya, 53, who has lived and worked in the so-called Pan American Village since March. "The Village is life," she concluded. (END) AFP/LIQ/MVB Noel Edmonds has been accused of fleeing the country to avoid paying back a 1million debt to the man who helped to bankroll Nigel Farage's Brexit campaign. The Mail on Sunday can reveal that Arron Banks, who co-founded Mr Farage's Leave.EU campaign in 2015, has used private investigators and satellite technology to track down Mr Edmonds to a 'hideout' in New Zealand where he plans to serve legal papers to recover a total of 1,344,000 from the TV presenter. Mr Banks says he is 'fuming', claiming Mr Edmonds still owes him the money as a result of the Deal Or No Deal presenter's high-profile battle to recover millions of pounds from Lloyds Banking Group lost as part of a fraud. Mr Edmonds covered his legal costs by taking out an insurance policy from the Legal Protection Group wholly owned by Mr Banks. A fee for the policy was due when he reached a settlement with the bank. Last night a source close to Mr Edmonds denied he had fled the country or was in hiding, and disputed being liable for the sum. Noel Edmonds has been accused of fleeing the country to avoid paying back a 1million debt to the man who helped to bankroll Nigel Farage's Brexit campaign (pictured with wife Liz) Arron Banks says he is 'fuming', claiming Mr Edmonds still owes him the money as a result of the Deal Or No Deal presenter's high-profile battle to recover millions of pounds from Lloyds Banking Group lost as part of a fraud Mr Banks the self-confessed 'Bad Boy of Brexit' told The Mail on Sunday: 'I'm fuming. Mr Edmonds has run off to a lush part of New Zealand with my money, dishonestly trying to hide from his debtors. We backed him when no one else would in his fight with the banks, he won and then he headed for New Zealand without even acknowledging his debt to me and my company. No deal is not an option cough up, or I will drag you back to the UK to face the music.' Investigators working for Mr Banks, reputed to have earned 100 million from his various insurance businesses, tracked down Mr Edmonds by comparing images in the backdrop of a local TV interview given by Mr Edmonds with those from a satellite. Their dossier on 'Noel Ernest Edmonds', which has been seen by this newspaper, describes obtaining the breakthrough in their manhunt 'by focusing on the positioning of the swimming pool in relation to the main dwelling house, the spacing of the box hedging visible in the background of the pool shot, and the roofline and relationship between the dwelling house and outbuildings'. Land covenants taken out at the time of Mr Edmonds' move to New Zealand also pointed to it being his property, the dossier said. Mr Edmonds was reported to have come to a financial agreement worth a reported 5 million with Lloyds after corrupt financiers from the bank's Reading branch were imprisoned in 2017 for a 245 million loans scam, which destroyed a number of businesses including Mr Edmonds' Unique Group while the criminals squandered the profits on high-class prostitutes and luxury holidays. He received an apology from the group for the distress he suffered, but sources close to him said last night that a final legal settlement had not been reached with the bank. A source close to Mr Banks said: 'The 1 million premium became due in July 2019 when Mr Edmonds reached an out-of-court settlement with the bank. 'We wrote to Mr Edmonds in August 2019 pointing out the policy conditions but he ignored the communications. We have established that Mr Edmonds emigrated in a hurry shortly after the settlement. His solicitors have deliberately obstructed and delayed, but now that we have tracked down his hiding place we are seeking to serve papers on him in New Zealand to recover the money.' The Mail on Sunday can reveal that Mr Banks has used private investigators and satellite technology to track down Mr Edmonds to a 'hideout' in New Zealand Mr Edmonds, who rose to fame as a Radio 1 disc jockey and became a prime-time Saturday night BBC fixture with Noel's House Party featuring Mr Blobby gave an interview last year in which he branded claims that he would move to New Zealand out of disappointment at his early exit from ITV reality show I'm A Celebrity as 'absolute disgusting lies'. He said: 'The house that I have in the UK was put on the market a couple of years ago and is now sold and they were told all this last week and they've still run the story that apparently I'm going to skulk off to New Zealand. It is absolute disgusting lies.' The 71-year-old lives on the outskirts of Auckland with his wife Liz and her 16-year-old son. Mr Edmonds has set up a 'positivity' radio network which includes a station playing music designed for houseplants. Another broadcasts 'healing frequencies', while a third plays soothing tunes for cats and dogs. Mr Edmonds said: 'We ran an experiment with two plants, one of which we neglected and the other we played Positively Plants to. The difference was absolutely amazing, and then we played those tones, because it's all about tones, we played those tones to the plant that didn't look so good, and it perked up again.' He added: 'Kiwis can rest easy. I'm not going to inflict myself upon this proud nation. I'm not bringing Mr Blobby over. I'm here to behave.' The source close to Mr Edmonds said: 'This issue will become a legal fight. Noel is taking action against the legal representatives who advised him to embark on litigation funding. Their conduct has been reported to the Solicitors Regulation Authority.' One week after 16-year-old Kyan King was shot and killed in Harrisburg, around 100 members of the community marched in his honor from the site of the shooting to the steps of the Capitol. That could have been my child. Ive got two kids, Jamicia Johnson, one of the organizers said. I know he wasnt blood, but he was a part of me. If we dont stand up now, we will fall for everything. Johnson co-organized the march with her mother Leah Jennings. CANT SEE THE VIDEO ABOVE? CLICK HERE. The group held signs that read Rest in Peace Kyan and Justice for Kyan and were dressed in fatigues and camouflage as soldiers of change. Marchers were led by the Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club as they walked towards the Capitol and shouted Save our children! and Stop the killing! Stop the violence! It could happen to anybody, Ann Wilson from Voices for the Voiceless said. He was killed in broad daylight, thats insane we have to support everyone. Kyans alleged shooter, Orlando Duarte, was charged with criminal homicide and unlawful firearm possession after several witnesses said they saw Kyan running from Duarte, naked, before they say Duarte shot and killed him. Police said the investigation is still open, but said Kyan and Duarte were acquaintances. Duarte was a registered sex offender and had been charged in two other sexual assault cases in Dauphin County more than a decade ago. The group gathered on the steps of the capitol building and several speakers addressed the crowd. One of them was Kyans sister Mary King, who said she was overwhelmed by the support from the community. I cant put it into words, she said. We respect it, we appreciate it. Kyans death has caused many people in the community to come together and find solutions to make sure this doesnt happen again. I dont have kids, but I do have nieces and nephews, so this kind of hit home. We definitely need to watch our kids more, Chris Traynham said. Im out here for the kids. CEO of Voices for the Voiceless Kevin Maxson said the group will present proposed changes, such as neighborhood watch efforts, in the coming weeks. Were out here to commemorate Kyan King, let the community know that we stand in solidarity, Maxson said. We know the community is hurt and it affected a lot of mothers and fathers, and its a time for change and we fight for change. Over $32,000 was raised for Kyans funeral expenses through a Gofundme fundraiser. Nearly 1,000 people have donated so far. Megans Law provides a registry of all sex offenders in a given area. There are nearly 900 sex offenders in Dauphin County. NEW HAVEN The medical examiners ruling that an 8-year-olds shooting death was a homicide does not determine whether the death was accidental or intentional, Police Chief Otoniel Reyes clarified in a statement Friday. The New Haven Police Department offers its condolences to the family members of the deceased child, Reyes said. Determining whether the child was shot accidentally or intentionally will be up to the ongoing investigation by city police, the chief said. With respect to the ruling of the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, a determination of homicide means the childs death was not a result of his own actions and not due to natural causes, he added. On Thursday, the department announced the boys death had been ruled a homicide by the OCME. Police were called to the 600 block of Howard Avenue Aug. 6 for a report of a male child shot. The boy was rushed to Yale New Haven Hospitals pediatric emergency room with a gunshot wound to the head, where he later died. Police said in August the wound was thought to be the result of an accidental firearm discharge. Mayor Justin Elicker said at the time that he was with the childs mother at the emergency room the night of the shooting. Just to see the look in the mothers eyes who could never see their 8-year-old child again, to think about her arms never to be able to hold her 8-year-old child again, Elicker said. This is a community calendar. To accommodate demand for the print edition, we ask that items be brief and include time, date, place, address, admission cost and a contact number for publication. Inclusion of items is at the discretion of the newspaper. Further information is available at 541-812-6078 or jane.stoltz@lee.net. Assistance SUNDAY Emergency food boxes, by appointment, North Corvallis Ministry Center, 5050 NE Elliott Circle, Corvallis. Appointments: 541-220-1040. Stone Soup Supper, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., McLean Hall, First Christian Church, 602 SW Madison Ave., Corvallis. A free meal to anyone in need. MONDAY Greater Albany Public Schools offers free grab-and-go sack lunches for all children ages 1 to 18: 11 to 11:30 a.m., Columbus Greens, Memorial Middle School, Oak Elementary School, Tangent Elementary School; 11:15 to 11:45 a.m., Lafayette Elementary School, Lake Creek Ranch; 11:20 to 11:50 a.m., Waverly Elementary School; 11:30 a.m. to noon, Albany Meadows, Sunrise Elementary School; 11:40 a.m. to 12:10 p.m., Periwinkle Elementary School, South Shore Elementary School; 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., Albany Boys & Girls Club; Takena Elementary School; noon to 12:30 p.m., Lexington Park, South Albany High School, Three Lake Estates. Corvallis School District free grab-and-go breakfast and lunch for all children ages 1 to 18. Open noon to 1 p.m.: Lincoln Elementary School, 110 SE Alexander Ave.; Linus Pauling Middle School, 1111 NW Cleveland Ave.; Wilson Elementary School, 2701 NW Satinwood St.; and Clemens Primary School, 535 S. 19th St., Philomath. Open noon to 12:45 p.m.: city bus stop, top of Witham Hill Drive; and Santiam Christian School, 7220 NE Arnold Ave., Adair Village. Information: 541-757-5859. Corvallis Men's Shelter, 211 SE Chapman Place. Now serving men and women in need during the COVID emergency. Food, showers and laundry available from 1 to 6 p.m.; hot meal served from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.; overnight shelter not available. Emergency food boxes, 1:30 to 4 p.m., St. Vincent de Paul Society Corvallis Conference Food Pantry, campus of St. Marys Catholic Church, 501 NW 25th St. No appointment needed. A thrift store is in the same building; proceeds help support the pantry. Information: 541-286-4183. Free meal, 5 to 6 p.m., soup kitchen, St. Mary's Catholic Church, 815 Broadalbin St. SW, Albany. Stone Soup dinner, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., gymnasium, St. Marys Catholic School, 501 NW 25th St., Corvallis. Free meal for those in need. Stone Soup dinner for all, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Hygiene Center, 211 SE Chapman Place, Corvallis. Free meal for those in need. Classes MONDAY Gentle Yoga, 10 a.m. Suitable for all bodies. By donation. Go to www.livewellstudio.com for details on how to join in online. Opportunities The Oregon Department of Human Services' Office of Developmental Disabilities Services is seeking public comment regarding the 1915 (c) #0565 Medically Involved Waiver renewal. The renewal is asking to revise language regarding employees who complete the nursing facility Level of Care assessment, making it more specific to the qualifications and not job title. The proposed renewal is available at https://www.oregon.gov/dhs/seniors-disabilities/dd/pages/compass-project-waivers-rules-policy.aspx. Comments can be submitted in writing to ODDS Medicaid Waiver/State Plan Analyst, 500 Summer St. NE E-09, Salem 97301; or eamiled to odds.info@state.or.us. The deadline is Sept. 30. Support groups SUNDAY Alcoholics Anonymous during the COVID-19 pandemic: Local hotline, 541-967-4252, answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by members of the local AA community. Many local and global AA groups are hosting meetings virtually. You can attend virtual meetings on your computer, smartphone or by dialing in. Attendees will remain anonymous and need only introduce themselves by first name. To access both local and global meetings occurring online 24 hours a day, visit https://aaoregon-district21.org. Al-Anon Care and Share meeting, 4 to 5:30 p.m., community room, First Christian Church, 432 Ferry St. SW, Albany. Information: 541-224-6651. Narcotics Anonymous, 5 p.m., Room 11, First Christian Church, 602 SW Madison Ave., Corvallis. Information (24 hours): 877-233-4287 or www.lblna.org. Overeaters Anonymous, 5:30 p.m., meeting room at back of building, Free Methodist Church, 580 'F' St., Lebanon. Information: 541-405-5032. Sex Addicts Anonymous, 7 p.m., Room 18, First Christian Church, 602 SW Madison Ave., Corvallis. Information: 541-286-5315. MONDAY Alcoholics Anonymous during the COVID-19 pandemic: Local hotline, 541-967-4252, answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by members of the local AA community. To access both local and global meetings occurring online 24 hours a day, visit https://aaoregon-district21.org. TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly), 8:30 a.m., Peace Lutheran Church, 2540 Applegate St. Philomath. Self-help weight-loss support group. Information: 541-619-1358. Narcotics Anonymous, noon to 1 p.m., 7 p.m., Room 11, First Christian Church, 602 SW Madison Ave., Corvallis. Information (24 hours): 877-233-4287 or www.lblna.org. Overeaters Anonymous, 5:30 p.m., meeting room at back of building, Free Methodist Church, 580 'F' St., Lebanon. Information: 541-405-5032. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 In Navtej Singh Johar & Others v. Union of India, the Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court struck down a part of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code as unconstitutional as it offended right to privacy. As noted in K.S. Puttaswamy, privacy has been treated as a fundamental right and a premise for this upliftment was that the privacy of the individual is an essential aspect of dignity. The Court held that Section 377 of the IPC insofar as it criminalizes consensual sexual acts between adults of whatever sexual orientation is an anathema to a constitutional order in which liberty must trump over stereotypes and prevail over the mainstreaming of culture. The following passage from the said judgement brings home the notion of dignity. From the aforesaid, it has to be appreciated that homosexuality is something that is based on sense of identity. It is the reflection of a sense of emotion and expression of eagerness to establish intimacy. It is just as much ingrained, inherent and innate as heterosexuality. Sexual orientation, as a concept, fundamentally implies a pattern of sexual attraction. It is as natural a phenomenon as other natural biological phenomena. What the science of sexuality has led to is that an individual has the tendency to feel sexually attracted towards the same-sex, for the decision is one that is controlled by neurological and biological factors. That is why it is his/her natural orientation which is innate and constitutes the core of his/her being and identity. That apart, on occasions, due to a sense of mutuality of release of passion, two adults may agree to express themselves in a different sexual behaviour which may include both the genders. To this, one can attribute a bisexual orientation which does not follow the rigidity but allows room for flexibility. (...) This evolving concept of dignity has encompassed liberal individualism as well as collective identities into we the people, thereby bringing the aspects of inclusiveness into our Constitution. Many other facets of dignity jurisprudence, pending before the courts in different forms, are going to enrich the concept of Dignity in times to come. From the aforesaid discussion, it follows that dignity as a jurisprudential concept has now been well defined by the Supreme Court. Its essential ingredients can be summarized as follows: 1. The basic principle of the dignity and freedom of the individual is an attribute of natural law, which is manifested as basic or fundamental rights of all individuals in a constitutional democracy. 2. Dignity has a central normative role as well as constitutional value. This normative role is performed in three ways: First, it becomes basis for constitutional rights; second, it serves as an interpretative principle for determining the scope of constitutional rights; and third, it determines the proportionality of a statute limiting a constitutional right. Thus, if an enactment puts a limitation on a constitutional right, and such a limitation is disproportionate, such a statute can be held to be unconstitutional by applying the doctrine of proportionality. Justice AK Sikri is a former judge of the Supreme Court and is currently a judge at the Singapore International Commercial Court. He was the author of many path-breaking judgements, including NALSA vs Union of India in 2014, where the top court confirmed the rights of transgender persons. (Excerpted with permission from Sex and the Supreme Court, edited by Saurabh Kirpal, published by Hachette India.) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON On a recent evening, Dr. Ray Altamirano urged a group of teens in a video conference call to be COVID-19 heroes instead of spreaders. If they have to ask themselves why should they be concerned about the virus, he said, then look no further than home. Consider what is COVID-19 and how it pertains to me who else can get sick because of my actions, he said. Altamirano was one of two physicians tapped by Juvenile District Judge Carlos Quezada to conduct a question-and-answer session recently via video to discuss the Rona with teens connected to his court. Dr. Uchenna Umeh, a pediatrician and global speaker on youth suicide known as Dr. Lulu, The Momatrician, focused her discussion on mental health issues. On ExpressNews.com: Newest juvenile judge readies launch of gang court in Bexar County Quezadas wellness exercise on COVID-19, conducted on a recent Wednesday evening, was aimed at enhancing the youths knowledge of the coronavirus, the importance of proper hygiene, social distancing, wearing a mask and other protocols to prevent the spread. About 25 people participated in the Zoom video conference call in the 289th Juvenile District Court. Participating youths were eligible to receive their required community service restitution hours, as the pandemic has limited other in-person options, said Lynne Wilkerson, chief of Bexar County Juvenile Probation. This is the first time we have ever done it, she said, referring to the wellness exercise. The goal is to strengthen the bond between child and community, to allow children to understand what COVID-19 is, why it is so important for them and for the community to practice caution. I thought it was really good. Quezada said he wanted this first event to focus on the virus because there is too much misinformation being widely circulated. He is concerned that young people many of whom feel invincible are letting their guards down and not following protocols, which could endanger others. They will bring it back to grandma or grandpa, Quezada warned of the virus. Thats one of the reasons he said he wanted the youths to hear from doctors and learn that teens can have the virus without knowing it and can spread it to others, especially elders. According to the Texas COVID-19 dashboard, there are 1,879 confirmed cases of the virus in people between the ages of 10-19. On ExpressNews.com: Get the latest update on coronavirus and a tracking map of U.S. cases Quezada said the virus has upended life for everyone, especially teens, preventing them from seeing their friends and causing increased difficulties for those who have mental health issues. The COVID-19 crisis is trauma, Dr. Lulu said. People have lost their jobs, and theres stress, which increases domestic abuse and domestic violence, and these things increase suicides. She urged teens who may have trouble at home or problems with isolation to seek therapy or to talk to someone they trust. I want you to remember bad things can happen to you, but you are not a bad person. Be careful about the thoughts in your head, she said. Learn how to tell yourself you are good enough. Top hits: Get San Antonio Express-News stories sent directly to your inbox Altamirano, who said he has cared for coronavirus patients while working in emergency rooms and at his clinic, said until some sort of normal returns, everyone needs to stick to the basics. We need to be looking at prevention and how do I go along with life without getting sick, he told the group. No one knows when normal will come back. He said social distancing, wearing masks, washing hands and following all protocols will help keep people safer. Altamirano equated it to traffic rules, like wearing a seat belt. If everyone follows the rules, there is going to be less bad stuff, he said. If we all do our part there, it will minimize who will get sick. Elizabeth Zavala covers county and state courts in San Antonio. To read more from Elizabeth, become a subscriber. ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863 A blockade of three newspaper printing plants by climate change protesters was an attack on our free press, the home secretary has claimed. Priti Patel said the action by Extinction Rebellion (XR) activists was completely unacceptable, while other government ministers branded the protesters an intolerant minority. Prime minister Boris Johnson also reacted angrily, warning that activists should not seek to limit the publics access to news in this way. Print runs for newspapers including The Sun, the Daily Telegraph, the Daily Mail and the Times were disrupted after dozens of activists blockaded factory gates late on Friday night and in the early hours on Saturday. The activists accuse the newspapers of failing to report on the climate crisis, spreading climate denialism and dehumanising marginalised groups. Recommended National newspapers disrupted by Extinction Rebellion protest Seventy-two people were arrested at the printing presses in Hertfordshire, Merseyside, and North Lanarkshire. Newsagents reported late delivery of many newspapers, including missed delivery rounds. More than 100 protesters were involved, blocking roads to the printing plants with vehicles, while individuals chained themselves to structures. They brought banners with messages such as Free the truth and Refugees are welcome here. Ms Patel said: This morning, people across the country will be prevented from reading their newspaper because of the actions of Extinction Rebellion. This attack on our free press, society and democracy is completely unacceptable. Robert Jenrick, the communities secretary, said: A free press matters to all of us who value a free society. They mustnt be silenced by an intolerant minority. Labours shadow international trade secretary Emily Thornberry said the action was very worrying and said she didnt know what the action was expected to achieve. Jo Stevens, Labours shadow culture secretary, said it was wrong to stop papers from being distributed and that a free press is vital for our democracy. But reactions in the opposition party to the protest were mixed. As news of the action broke, MP Dawn Butler tweeted Bravo Extinction Rebellion, excellent work though she later deleted the message. Some of the newspapers blockaded have in the past published material questioning the case for action on climate change, as well as articles that deny climate change. Their owners point to positive coverage of other environmental matters. XR protesters defended the action, arguing that the composition of the media undermined a functioning democracy. Activist Amanda Stanley, 23, from Liverpool, said: The right-wing media have been spreading lies and creating divides for decades, from the Hillsborough disaster to the demonisation of asylum seekers, but the problem doesnt end there. The entire institution of the media follows the same toxic rulebook, dehumanising marginalised groups and perpetuating inequality. It has become necessary to block lies in order to free the truth, thereby showing ordinary people that they are the ones with the power, not the elite minority that own the newspapers and run the country. Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Show all 50 1 /50 Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Youth Strike for Climate: London protest in photos Angela Christofilou/The Independent Extinction Rebellion activist Gully Bujak, 27, added: You cannot have a functioning democracy with a mainstream media that is ruled by a small, unrepresentative sect of society, who are in bed with politicians and the fossil fuel industry ... For a night were going to filter out the lies and take the power back. For a night were going to show the world that you are vulnerable, just like us. Responding to the home secretarys comments, XR said in a statement: We need a free press but we do not have it. They have failed us. Last nights action has brought us one day with far less misinformation, division and hate. For one night ordinary people terrified by the climate and ecological emergency that so much of our media is failing to report sufficiently made these powerful and undemocratic corporations feel the vulnerability ordinary people live with every day. China is expecting strong demand for flu shots in the coming months and will make up to 50 million doses available, an official with the agency in charge of vaccines said. Zhang Hui, deputy director of China's National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, said people were concerned about the coming flu season amid the coronavirus pandemic, and that there was more public acceptance of vaccination. "[We have] so far released over 30 million doses of flu shots this year and the final number may reach 50 million when the influenza season begins next month," Zhang told an industry forum on Sunday, according to Shanghai-based news site ThePaper. But he said while the agency had stepped up inspection checks - required for all vaccines before they can enter the market - other factors such as constraints on production could affect the supply of flu shots. In China, about 30 million flu shots are usually given each year, covering 2 per cent of the population, according to official data. The vaccines are distributed by the government to medical organisations. Zeng Guang, chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, has previously warned that China - which has brought its coronavirus outbreak under control - still faces the double threat of Covid-19 and influenza this autumn and winter, and he advised people to get flu shots. "There is a high probability that the two respiratory illnesses will surge at the same time," Zeng told a conference in July, according to mainland media reports. Many Chinese have already taken that advice. In the central province of Henan, Sunny Ni, a 33-year-old mother, went with her two daughters to get flu jabs at a clinic in Pingdingshan on Monday. Ni said she was aware of the vaccine safety scandals in China in the past decade, but she still thought getting immunised was the safest option. "I still felt compelled to get the flu shots," she said. "I was worried they will be in short supply this year." Story continues A spokesman for Chinese drug maker Sinovac Biotech - which has also developed an experimental coronavirus vaccine - said producers relied on chicken eggs to make influenza vaccines, and they were usually prepared months in advance, meaning their ability to boost production could be limited. "This year, because people are concerned about influenza and the Covid-19 pandemic, [vaccine] producers and the government are both trying to increase supply," spokesman Liu Peicheng said, but he declined to say how many flu shots Sinovac would produce this year. Liu added that 50 million flu shots may not be enough to meet demand in China. He noted that they were generally not provided for free, but some cities had free vaccine programmes for at-risk groups such as the elderly. 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. After years spent trawling behind in the ratings, Nine's Today show is finally catching up to Seven's Sunrise. This week, the once-struggling breakfast program fronted by Karl Stefanovic and Allison Langdon, won on the east coast. Today beat Sunrise by 195,000 to 181,000 in total people, across Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Watch out, Kochie! The Today show WON on the east coast in the ratings war this week, narrowing the gap with Sunrise. Pictured: Today co-hosts Karl Stefanovic and Allison Langdon Sunrise, hosted by Samantha Armytage and David 'Kochie' Koch, is still however the nation's most-watched breakfast TV program across the five capital cities, with a viewership of 259,000 compared to Today's 229,000. Nine's news boss Darren Wick told TV Blackbox on Saturday of the improvement in the ratings: 'We've got a good team behind the scenes and on air. 'These guys are working together nailing big stories and having fun.' A week earlier, Today had claimed victory in the east coast capitals of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, pulling a combined average audience of 191,000 - which was more than Sunrise's 189,000. Impressive: Today beat Sunrise by 195,000 to 181,000 in total people, across Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane These figures represent a triumphant leap in the ratings for Today, which had previously dragged around 70,000 viewers behind Sunrise back in June. Speaking to investors last week, Channel Nine's CEO, Hugh Marks, commented on Today's progress over the past nine months. 'If you look at morning segments, Today show numbers are up around 10 or 15 per cent year on year and continuing to grow. Karl and Ally are doing a good job there for us,' Marks said. Still top spot: Sunrise, hosted by Samantha Armytage and David 'Kochie' Koch (pictured), is still however the nation's most-watched breakfast TV program across the five capital cities, with a viewership of 259,000 compared to Today's 229,000 Narrowing the gap: These figures represent a triumphant leap in the ratings for Today, which had previously dragged around 70,000 viewers behind Sunrise back in June. David is pictured with co-host Samantha Armytage Karl is understood to have recently signed a new contract with Nine, and Allison and the rest of the team are also locked in multi-year deals. Today's growing popularity coincides with Karl's renewed focus on his job, after he admitted last year that his performance wasn't great in 2018, when ratings were falling at a rapid rate and his personal life was dominating headlines. He said at the time: 'Towards the end of last year, I was cooked. It had taken its toll, a lot of the [media] attention - all the unwarranted attention I thought, and you can't control any of that. 'I'm not going to complain too much about that, but what it meant was that in a work capacity I don't believe for a second I was at my best. I think I was struggling towards the end of last year.' By Joseph Batory Times Guest Columnist With the 2020 presidential election rapidly approaching, Americans need to steer away from personality worship, party loyalty, superficial sound bites, and meaningless slogans. There are serious issues confronting America and voters need to demand that the new president focus on what really matters. Protect the Environment: The recent National Climate Assessment Report developed by 300 world class scientists has issued a clear warning that the earth is continuing to warm because of human-created fossil fuel emissions. These scientists concluded that ignoring the problem will produce more dangerous climate-related disasters including killer hurricanes, floods, droughts, extreme precipitation, forest fires, and intense heat waves. The new president cannot endanger the future of Americans by continuing to ignore and/or curtail measures to reduce climate change. In addition, the politically influenced Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has ironically been targeting rollbacks of a wide variety of regulations which previously protected water, air, land, and public health across America. The result is that in many cases, pollution by businesses has now been given the OK by the EPA over the health interests of our nations citizenry. Research at the Harvard Law School and the Columbia Law School has counted more than 80 environmental rules which have been recently cancelled or are in the process of being repealed. Regulations meant to control greenhouse gases, coal ash waste, water pollution, mercury, and smog are under attack. The new president needs to return the EPA to its true purposes. Science Matters: The recent deaths 180,000+ American citizens via Covid 19 are at least in some part the result of political stupidity. Heres what went wrong: The USA Global Health Security Office should never have been dismantled. It should be restored as a key player in the nations defenses against pandemics. Medical issues endangering Americans should never have been distorted by any elected official. The World Health Organization should never have been discredited/dismissed and removed as a key ally to fight Covid 19. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention should never have been questioned as the chief spokesperson re the health of American citizens. Health threats to USA citizens when documented by medical experts cannot be naively refuted by the new president. Improve and Enhance the Affordable Health Care Act: Many elected officials have vilified President Obamas Affordable Health Care Act. However, the reality is that after multiple political efforts to expand medical care across America over decades failed, President Obama is the one who finally succeeded. The Affordable Care Act has now produced health coverage for 20 million additional Americans. It has protected 100+ million citizens with pre-existing conditions. And it allows young adults to stay on parent plans until 26. There are racist overtones to many of these condemnations of the Affordable Health Care Act, President Obamas signature project. Is the criticism about the legislation or is it about vilifying the former president? Since no credible alternatives to replace the Affordable Care Act are being proposed, the motives of these critics are questionable at best, and threaten the welfare of our nations citizens. The new president should seek to expand and enhance health care protection that is already in place! Legislate New Gun Control Measures: The USAs episodes of mass killings have always been followed by the usual array of political hypocrites offering thoughts and prayers and little else! What is really needed is Congressional action to curtail this American epidemic of killing. The United States is 4.4 percent of the global population, yet USA citizens own 42 percent of the worlds guns. The new president must advocate tougher gun control laws despite the NRAs (National Rifle Association) threats and demagoguery. Better Foreign Policy Needed: The world is a mess.And the USA has been marginalized. North Korea has resumed missile testing. Human rights abuses in North Korea and China are still rampant. The USA relationship with Iran has reached the bottom. Russian meddling in the last election via Vladimir Putins orders has been well-documented by USA intelligence experts and more Russian interference is assured. And the State Department is now full of absent or acting officials The new president must restore American leadership in the world via meaningful negotiations to build worthwhile international agreements. Create A More Equal America: The USAs outrageous poverty rate is at the heart of much of the turmoil, anger and despair across the USA today. The latest U.S. Census reveals a national disgrace, in that more than 40 million Americans live at o near the poverty level. The stock market as a barometer of success for poor people is meaningless. One in five American children live in poverty, the highest rate among all developed nations. And 500,000 homeless sleep on the streets every night. The new president must recognize that the American Dream does not exist for many citizens and propose plans to remedy this situation. Enhance Education for All: Many of our international economic competitors have already prioritized heavy investments in universal Pre-Kindergarten (Pre-K) education for children in their countries. These advanced nations understand far better than the USA that universal Pre-K will yield future economic as well as societal benefits. For example, China is well on the way to providing Pre-K education for all three and four-year-old children in its nation. 2. Equalizing the funding to enhance educational quality across all public schools (K-12) should also be a clear government priority. That fact is that many USA public schools struggle financially with supplying resources, staffing and other needs, while many other schools have little or no fiscal problems in providing high quality educational opportunities. The new president needs to put these ignored education issues on the front burner for the future of America. Control the Deficit: The USA federal budget deficit is currently $1.1 trillion and growing. Meanwhile, the 2016 tax cuts were a giveaway of more than one trillion dollars to the richest Americans and many wealthy corporations. No prudent person would run the finances of his/her household as badly as the USA has done. The new president must work with Congress to correct this monumental deficit problem. Joseph Batory has been widely published on education, politics, history, and culture. He is a retired superintendent of schools (Upper Darby, PA) and is the author of three books. But its stature in the world is slipping. Last quarter the Indian economy shrank by 24 percent, while Chinas is growing again. Economists say India risks losing its place as the worlds fifth largest economy, behind the United States, China, Japan and Germany. This is probably the worst situation India has been in since independence, said Jayati Ghosh, a development economist at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. People have no money. Investors arent going to invest if there is no market. And the costs have gone up for most production. Many neighborhoods in the capital of New Delhi where low-paid workers used to live are deserted, shell-like, a hot wind blowing through empty, tin-walled shacks. A few years ago, when the economy was expanding at a 9 percent clip, it was difficult to find a place here to rent. When Mr. Modi was swept to power in 2014 on a tide of Hindu nationalism, many Indians felt their nation had finally found the forceful leader to match their aspirations. But Mr. Modi has concentrated his energies on divisive ideological projects, like a new citizenship law that blatantly discriminates against Muslims or tightening the governments grip over the mostly Muslim region of Kashmir. Quarter by quarter, Indias economic growth rate has been dropping, from 8 percent in 2016 to 4 percent right before the pandemic. Four percent would be respectable for a developed country like the United States. But in India, that level is no match for the millions of young people streaming into the work force each year, hungry for their first job. As the COVID-19 pandemic drags on, Americans are eager for a return to normalcy. And we should be: For months, our lives have been disrupted by a virus whose deadliness has been exaggerated. Ever since the World Health Organization pegged the COVID-19 fatality rate at 3.4 percent, uncertainty gave way to anxiety, fear and paranoia. People worried about the second coming of the Spanish Flu. Lets be clear: Reality is far more optimistic. In 1918, the Spanish Flu brought a fatality rate of more than 2.5 percent, infecting one-third of the worlds population and killing as many as 100 million people. Fast forward to today, and the COVID-19 fatality rate is 0.26 percent. Globally, about 800,000 people infected by the coronavirus have passed away. Every death is a tragedy. But 800,000 is still a far, far cry from 100 million. In my home state of West Virginia, for example, there have been fewer than 10,000 cases, and fewer than 200 people have died. Perspective still matters and we cant allow hysteria to cloud the facts. Most states, especially rural ones, are coping with the coronavirus remarkably well. NEW DELHI: Defence ministers of India and China who held talks to defuse tensions along their common borders on Friday seemed to have failed to make any headway on a common approach to disengage thousands of troops ranged against each other. Statements from the Indian and Chinese delegations after the talks on Saturday showed a clear and persistent difference of views between the two sides. While China demanded that India meet it half way, India stressed that Chinese troops should withdraw to positions they held in May. Both sides held the other responsible for the tensions that have been simmering since May and expressed their intentions to take actions to preserve their sovereignty and integrity. The conversation between defence minister Rajnath Singh and his Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe took place on the sidelines of the China and Russia dominated Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) regional grouping in Moscow at a time when the two nations are locked in a bitter deadlock in eastern Ladakh for almost four months. This is the first face-to-face correspondence at a political level in an attempt to break an impasse in dialogue between military commanders and diplomats on disengagement and de-escalation. An Indian statement said that Singh and Wei had frank and in-depth discussions" about the developments in the India-China border areas as well as on Sino-Indian relations. Singh emphasized that the actions of the Chinese troops, including amassing of in large numbers, their aggressive behaviour and attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo were in violation of the bilateral agreements and not in keeping with the understandings reached between the special representatives of two sides," the Indian statement said. Singh stated clearly that while the Indian troops had always taken a very responsible approach towards border management, but at the same time there should be no doubt about our determination to protect Indias sovereignty and territorial integrity." Wei, who is state councillor and China's defence minister, said that both sides should scrupulously implement the consensus reached between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping and continue to solve the issues through dialogue and consultation, strictly follow the various bilateral agreements, strengthen the regulation of frontline troops and not undertake any provocative actions that might escalate the situation," the Indian statement said. The two sides should focus on the overall situation of India-China relations and work together to de-escalate the situation as soon as possible, and maintain peace and tranquillity in the India-China border areas. The Chinese defence minister suggested that both sides should maintain communication at all levels including between the two ministers," according to the Indian statement. Singh underlined Indias position that maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the India-China border areas was essential for the further development of bilateral relations and that two sides should not allow differences to become disputes. Accordingly, the two sides should resolve the ongoing situation and outstanding issues in the border areas peacefully through dialogue. The Chinese defence minister conveyed that Chinese side too desired to resolve the issues peacefully," the Indian statement said. Singh also advised that it was important therefore that Chinese side should work with the Indian side for complete disengagement at the earliest from all friction areas including Pangong lake as well as de-escalation in border areas...strictly respect and observe the line of actual control and not try to unilaterally change status quo. the statement said. Singh added that the current situation should be handled responsibly and that neither side should take any further action that could either complicate the situation or escalate matters in the border areas. The minister conveyed that the two sides should continue their discussions, including through diplomatic and military channels, to ensure complete disengagement and de-escalation and full restoration of peace and tranquillity along the LAC at the earliest," it added. As per a Chinese statement, Wei said that the Chinese military has determination, capability and confidence to safeguard China's territorial integrity. Wei Fenghe said that the relations between the two countries and the militaries have been severely affected by the border issue," a statement posted on the Chinese defence ministry website said. The cause and truth of the current tension on the border between China and India are very clear, and the responsibility lies entirely with India. Chinas territory cannot be lost, and the Chinese military is fully determined, capable, and confident to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Both sides should earnestly implement the important consensus reached by Chairman Jinping and Prime Minister Modi and insist on solving problems through dialogue and consultation," it said of the Singh-Wei meeting. The Chinese statement may be seen as suggesting that China will not step back from places it has intruded into on the banks of the Pangong Tso lake and around Patrolling Point 17. If so, it suggests that the positions of the two countries remains far apart with no convergence, given that India has been demanding that China vacate the positions it had intruded into. It is hoped that the Indian side will strictly abide by the series of agreements reached by the two sides, effectively strengthen the control of the frontline forces, refrain from provoking the current line of actual control, refraining from any actions that may cause the situation to heat up, and from deliberately hyping and spreading negative information. The two sides should focus on the overall situation of Sino-Indian relations and regional peace and stability, work together and meet each other halfway, to promote the current situation to cool down as soon as possible, and to maintain peace and tranquility in the Sino-Indian border area," it said mirroring comments made multiple times by the Chinese ambassador to India Sun Weidong to different audiences in New Delhi. The talks that started at 9:30 pm India time on Friday continued for two hours and twenty minutes, according to a person familiar with the matter on the Indian side. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Opposition to the forced reopening of schools across Florida is building each day, as this policy has already produced over 1,200 confirmed cases of COVID-19 at dozens of schools. In just the first three days after reopening schools Monday, Hillsborough County School District, which encompasses Tampa, Florida, reported 28 cases involving 23 schools and the district office, bringing the total cases in Hillsborough to 37,821. More broadly, the spread of COVID-19 continues to deepen throughout the state, with 637,013 confirmed cases and over 11,800 deaths as of September 4. Both figures likely represent only a fraction of the total as a lack of testing and an official misinformation campaign on the part of the right-wing Republican Governor Ron DeSantis and the Trump administration have deliberately concealed the true spread of the disease. On Friday, students in Leon County, home to the state capitol Tallahassee, protested the deadly conditions under which they are being forced to learn. Announcing their walkout on Facebook, the group of students stated: During the summer Florida Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis released a statewide executive mandate overriding local rule and forcing Florida school boards to open brick and mortar schools in August despite local COVID testing positivity rates and despite Florida remaining one of the top three states for community spread of the coronavirus in the nation. The statement added, Students, teachers, and parents across the state spoke out all summer. Florida Education Association filed a lawsuit that has constantly been tripped up by judges that are playing politics with people's lives. The demonstration took place shortly after the Leon County School district confirmed that seven cases of COVID-19 had been confirmed within the first week of reopening schools. Maddelina Kaji, a senior at Leon High School digitally, told local news station WCTV: This means so much to me because my grandfather died in April because of coronavirus. So, since then, trying to prevent the spread has been my number one priority and really how Ive been dealing with that trauma. So thats why Im here today. I dont want anyone else to ever experience what I experienced. Florida educators have continued to organize opposition to reopening. In Jacksonville on Tuesday, the Duval County school board was addressed by multiple teachers throughout the district including Bradley Fisher, a member of the newly formed Duval County Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee. Fisher told the assembled board members, I think its appropriate tonight that the board meeting started with a discussion of how many students are enrolled and how that will affect money. Because clearly that is at the heart of the decision to reopen these schools so unsafely. Dollars and cents before the lives of our children. Fisher was referring to a figure presented in Duval County Superintendent Dr. Dianne Greens opening report. She stated that student enrollment in the county, currently at 108,041, was off by 3,416 students. If those students are not enrolled in classes by mid-October, the district stands to lose $23,376,464 in state funding. Fisher went on to state the demands issued by the safety committee. He was followed by more local educators who criticized the safety measures in place as grossly inadequate to prevent the spread of the virus, including a science teacher who described the ineffectiveness of desk shields and other token items to contain the aerosolized virus. The teachers were followed by three local doctors who strongly criticized the reopening of schools and called for any further decisions on reopening schools to be guided by genuinely scientific data. The DeSantis administration has remained intransigent in fighting efforts by educators and students to reverse the reopening of schools. It was reported this week that the governors office will spend at least half a million dollars to pay private attorneys to represent the state in its court battle against the Florida Education Association (FEA) and the Orange County Classroom Teachers Association, who filed a lawsuit last month challenging Education Commissioner Richard Corcorans July 6 order requiring all schools to be open five days a week for in-person classes at the beginning of the school year. If districts do not comply with the Commissioners order, they face the elimination of state funding. In hearings last week, a Leon County judged sided with the unions and issued a preliminary injunction against the commissioners order. However, that order was later blocked by the state court of appeals, which placed a stay on the injunction. In rejecting the plaintiffs claim that Corcorans order violated the Florida state constitutions guarantee of safe and secure public schools, the appellate court made the outlandish claim that Nothing in the emergency order requires any teacher or student to return for in-person instruction at a brick and mortar school. DeSantis has also moved to reduce testing in Florida. Earlier this week, DeSantis eliminated the states contract with Quest Diagnostics to conduct COVID-19 testing after the company had delayed reporting the results of 75,000 tests to the Florida Department of Health due to a technical error. Though the individuals who had taken the tests were informed of their results in a timely manner, DeSantis cited the negative impact the newly released figures would have on the states COVID-19 Dashboard, which had initially reported 3,773 new cases last Monday, with a 5.9 percent test positivity rate. When the new data is included, the number of new cases more than doubled to 7,643, with a 6.8 percent positivity rate. Before the contract with Quest was eliminated, the company had conducted approximately 1.4 million tests since the start of the pandemic, roughly 30 percent of the total in Florida. DeSantis is evidently seeking to exploit the companys recent failure to promptly report test results in order to dramatically reduce overall testing in Florida and facilitate the further reopening of the economy. The governors contempt for the lives of those he represents was displayed earlier this week, when he met with representatives of bars and nightclubs and pledged to lift the ban on their operations soon. DeSantis also lifted the states ban on personal visits to nursing homes, a move that will further imperil the states most vulnerable population. Approximately 80 percent of COVID-19 deaths in Florida have occurred among residents 65 or older. In order to fight back against the thoroughly reactionary DeSantis administration, which is dutifully implementing the policies demanded by Trump and the entire ruling class, the working class must assert its own independent interests by organizing the vast opposition that exists throughout the state and country. The urgent task is to unite across district and state lines through the formation of a network of independent, rank-and-file safety committees. No confidence can be placed in the FEA and its parent organizations, the National Education Association (NEA) and American Federation of Teachers (AFT), which are intimately tied to the Democratic Party and fully support the capitalist system that is responsible for mass deaths and suffering from the pandemic. The legal maneuvers of the FEAwhich even if successful would still allow districts to reopen at their discretionare meant to cover up the fact that they refuse to mobilize their 137,000 members to halt the homicidal drive to reopen schools across Florida. There is growing sentiment for a broad-based struggle to halt the opening of schools, stop the spread of the pandemic, and save lives. What is required is the building of a conscious leadership to orient educators, parents and students to the broader working class, and to coordinate this struggle on a national and global scale. The Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee is holding weekly online call-in meetings to bring together educators from across the US and internationally, to discuss this perspective and the way forward. We urge you to attend todays call-in meeting, invite your coworkers, engage in our Facebook group, and join the committee today. The proportion of freeze-all cycles doubled in five years from 13 per cent to 26.7 per cent in 2018. Professor Rombauts said the main driver of the freeze-all trend was the rise in pre-implantation genetic testing, in which embryos are screened for chromosomal abnormalities in the hope of selecting only the healthy embryos to transfer. "For women over 35 in particular genetic screening can be beneficial, when there is a higher risk of abnormalities," he said. "Genetic testing can reduce the time, money, energy and trauma it takes to have a healthy live birth because you're potentially not transferring embryos that are doomed to fail." However, growing evidence suggests there could be a small risk that pre-implantation genetic testing could lead to viable embryos being discarded by incorrectly flagging them as abnormal. Loading "For women under 35 I would certainly not recommend it it's an extra manipulation on the embryos and an extra cost," Professor Rombauts said. "But for older women, it can be an important test and I would raise it as an option because there is potential benefit." Laura Smith, 34, from Forest Lodge is the proud mother of 4-month-old Hunter after undergoing IVF at Genea. "For me, he's perfection and everything I ever wanted," she said. Ms Smith, who has polycystic ovarian syndrome, and her husband Ben spent a couple of years trying to conceive naturally then about a year trying other fertility treatment before turning to IVF. Her eggs were harvested in one cycle and the embryo that became Hunter implanted a month later, while the others are frozen for future use. The couple intend to try for a second child fairly quickly. It's an absolutely fantastic thing that we've been given this technology ... who knows if I would have had a baby by now if I didn't have IVF? Laura Smith "I was very lucky I fell pregnant the very first round of IVF and I had no complications or issues," Ms Smith said. "It's an absolutely fantastic thing that we've been given this technology and the ability to be able to have babies in this way who knows if I would have had a baby by now if I didn't have IVF?" She opted to use a frozen embryo because of medical advice it would improve her odds to harvest and implant on different cycles and to enable genetic testing. IVF clinics are reporting dramatic differences in their success rates. One clinic had a live birth rate of roughly 7 per cent of initiated cycles, compared to 31.5 per cent at the clinic with the highest success rate. The clinics were not identified in the report and should be interpreted with caution. For instance, some clinics may specialise in second referrals for complex patients, older women, or younger, uncomplicated cases. Loading A new federal-government-funded website will soon give would-be parents access to individual clinic success rates and their own chances of taking home a baby after undergoing IVF based on their individual characteristics. The 'My IVF Success' website is expected to be ready to launch before the end of the year in response to growing calls for greater transparency in the sector. Age is still a powerful determiner of IVF success, with younger women having better chances. For women under 30 years, live birth rate per fresh embryo transfer was 40.4 per cent compared to 9.5 per cent for women aged 40 to 44. For frozen embryo transfers, the live birth rate was 34.9 per cent in women under 30, and 20.1 per cent for women aged 40 to 44. Professor Georgina Chambers, the report's lead author and Director of UNSW's National Perinatal Epidemiology and Statistics Unit said the higher live birth rate for older women via frozen cycles was mostly because the embryo was created in an earlier fresh cycle when she was younger. "It's also because we're increasingly using pre-implantation genetic testing to select the healthy embryos for transfer rather than putting back embryos that aren't viable," Professor Chambers said. In 2018, the average age of women using their own eggs was 35.8 years about five years older than the median age at which women, in general, gave birth in Australia (30.7 years). The average age of women using donor eggs or embryos was 40 and the average age of male partners of women undergoing IVF was 38.1 years old. 05.09.2020 LISTEN NPP DEPUTY OTI REGIONAL YOUTH ORGANIZER, CHALLENGE MP FOR KRACHI WEST, HON. HELLEN ADJOA NTOSO OVER HER CLAIMS THAT THE CONSTRUCTION OF KETE-KRACHI TOWN ROADS WAS GIVEN ON CONTRACT BY THE NDC I have received with utter dismay, comments attributed to the MP for Krachi West, Hon. Hellen Adjoa Ntoso to the effect that the construction of Kete-Krachi Town Roads was given on contract by the erstwhile NDC government in 2015. Hon Hellen Adjoa Ntoso aka Madam Do Little initially made this revelation on Nyewaase FM an NDC Radio station based in Kete-Krachi, of which I spent some time to offer her Free Education on my previous article titled HON HELLEN ADJOA NTOSO LIED, THE NPP NEVER CANCELLED NOR REVIEWED KETE-KRACHI TOWN ROADS CONTRACT. Read More: NPP Fires Krachi MP Over Kete-Krachi Town Road Contract She has since been repeating same on several media platforms she grants an interview to, an example is on the d-day of the sod cutting of the Kete-Krachi town roads, she was on GBC Kaakye Fm a state-owned Radio station spewing propaganda and lies to steal the glory and shine from the unprecedented lobbying done by Justice Amankwa Mensah aka JAM 1, NPP Krachi West Parliamentary candidate. Moreover, there is a video going viral of her in parliament asking the Roads minister Hon. Amoako Atta on the floor of parliament on the state of Kete-Krachi town roads, so she wants to steal the glory with the mere asking of question which is the main reason she represents the good people of Krachi West in parliament, she even said the minister told her the Kete-Krachi town roads was not captured in the 2020 budget and that unless 2021. But little did she knows that it was captured as critical roads in the budget for the onward allocation by the Oti Regional Coordinating Council (ORCC). This development has justifiably created a lot of fears and panic among the good people of Krachi West; many of whom have vowed to vote her outcome December 7th for such an unpardonable gaffe of not being able to construct the Kete-Krachi town roads when she was the former Volta Regional minister and a close confidante of the former President John Mahama. I, therefore, deem it expedient to come clear the air on the matter and put the facts in proper perspectives. In setting the records straight, I wish to begin by stating unequivocally that the claims by Hon Hellen Adjoa Ntoso are factually incorrect, spurious, and as such should be disregarded by all. I am DARING hon. Hellen to make public the said budget statement she claims captured the asphalting of 10Km and surface dressing of 5km Kete-Krachi town roads? If Hon. Hellen fails to produce that budget which she claims received the endorsement of parliament then she should not only desist from making such claims but should also retract and render an unqualified apology to the good people of Krachi West for this unwarranted disservice and shall advise themselves accordingly. If Hon. Hellen thought the kitchen is too hot for her, she should get out. And if she intends to withdraw from contesting, then she should gather the necessary courage to make that point loud and clear rather than this cowardly approach of trying to fuel her relevance as a coverup for her unpopular move and non-developments. It is very much obvious that Madam Do Little is afraid of the consequences and political ramifications of such move hence the decision to play a smart one at all of us. For the avoidance of doubt, I wish to once again state emphatically that the NDC never gave the asphalting of Kete-Krachi town roads to any contractor. In fact, I am still yet to see the contract documents, awarding of contract is not by word of mouth. For the records, the current contract given to First Sky Constructions is on the 4th September 2020 has the following, Source of funding as Road Fund(GOG), not under cocoa roads funding as Yaanom wants us to believe. 10Km asphalt and 5km surface dressing, not Sapetti as Yaanom are alluding to. The 2019 budget captured it as part of the critical roads to be constructed in Oti Region and wasnt captured in any budget under the NDC. I, therefore, find it disingenuous that Hon. Hellen continuously makes reference to this non-existing claims that nobody but herself has known. Why hasn't the said budget statement and contract documents been issued to the media as source of evidence Obviously, a budget statement cannot be a secret document and I demand to see it NOW and NOW. Enough of this political gymnastics, communist inferior tactics and merry go round hon. I wish to conclude by reiterating my long-standing impregnable position in respect of this matter that I shall vehemently RESIST any attempt by the NDC Krachi West to deceive the unsuspecting voter. The good people of Krachi West are wide awake and discerning, and wont allow themselves to be bamboozled. Hon. Hukash Muntari 0547302234 [email protected] NPP Deputy Oti Regional Youth Organizer/Assembly Member Soldier Camp Electoral Area. WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump said Friday that he wont allow the Pentagon to cut funding for the militarys independent newspaper, Stars and Stripes, effectively halting Defense leaders plan to shut the paper down this month. The United States of America will NOT be cutting funding to @starsandstripes magazine under my watch, Trump tweeted. It will continue to be a wonderful source of information to our Great Military! Trumps tweet came as he fought off new accusations that he called service members killed in World War I losers and suckers during an event in France in 2018. The comments, first reported by The Atlantic and confirmed by The Associated Press, are shining a fresh light on Trumps previous public disparaging of American troops and military families and they delivered a new campaign issue to his Democratic rival Joe Biden, less than two months from Election Day. The Defense Department has ordered the paper to halt publication by Sept. 30, and dissolve the organization by the end of January. The order, in a recent memo to Stripes, follows the Pentagons move earlier this year to cut the $15.5 million in funding for the paper from the Defense Department budget. The Trump White House hadnt spoken out against the Pentagon plan to close the paper before Thursday, even though its been in the works and publicly written about for months. On Friday, however, Trump worked to shore up his reputation as a staunch supporter of the nations armed services. Ive done more for the military than almost anyone else, he said Friday in the Oval Office. Trump was alleged to have made the comments about the war dead as he was set to visit the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery during a trip to France in November 2018. Members of Congress have objected to the defunding move for months. And senators sent a letter to Defense Secretary Mark Esper this week urging him to reinstate the money. The letter, signed by 15 senators including Republicans and Democrats also warns Esper that the department is legally prohibited from canceling a budget program while a temporary continuing resolution to fund the federal government is in effect. Stars and Stripes is an essential part of our nations freedom of the press that serves the very population charged with defending that freedom, the senators said in the letter. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., in a separate letter to Esper in late August, also voiced opposition to the move, calling Stripes a valued hometown newspaper for the members of the Armed Forces, their families, and civilian employees across the globe. He added that as a veteran who has served overseas, I know the value that the Stars and Stripes brings to its readers. In the memo, the department says Esper made the decision as a result of his department-wide budget review. Signed by Army Col. Paul Haverstick, acting director of the Pentagons Defense Media Activity, the memo says plans to close the paper are due on Sept. 15 and the last newspaper is to be published on Sept. 30. The memo adds that if the paper continues to be funded by either a continuing resolution or other unforeseen circumstances then Stripes must submit a plan by Sept. 15 to shut down at the end of the next budget year, Sept. 30, 2021. Haversticks memo says that in that case, the last date for publication of the newspaper will be determined based on budget or other circumstances. The Stripes ombudsman, Ernie Gates, told The Associated Press on Friday that shutting the paper down would be fatal interference and permanent censorship of a unique First Amendment organization that has served U.S. troops reliably for generations. The first newspaper called Stars and Stripes was very briefly produced in 1861 during the Civil War, but the paper began consistent publication during World War I. When the war was over, publication ended, only to restart in 1942 during World War II, providing wartime news written by troops specifically for troops in battle. Although the paper gets funding from the Defense Department, it is editorially independent and is delivered in print and digitally to troops all over the world. The Pentagon proposed cutting the papers funding when making its budget request earlier this year, triggering angry reactions from members of Congress. The House-passed version of the Pentagon budget contains funding for the papers publication, but the Senate has not yet finalized a defense funding bill. -- The Associated Press Kolkata: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) special court, Kolkata on Saturday (September 5, 2020) pronounced judgement in a Fake Indian Currency Note (FICN) case and convicted two smugglers who have been sentenced to four years of imprisonment along with a fine of Rs. 3,000. Two people namely Habibur Rahman (24) and Fakirul Seikh (22) who hail from Malda (West Bengal) were booked under Sections 489C and 120B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Earlier on March 6, 2017, fake currency notes of the face value of Rs 2,00,000 and Rs 1,90,000 were recovered from the possession of accused persons and a case was registered at English Bazar Police Station in Malda under sections 489B and 489C of IPC. Subsequently, on the directions of Government of India, NIA re-registered the same on March 28, 2017. After completion of the investigation, NIA filed charge-sheet against the two accused under sections 489B, 489C and 120B of IPC on June 2, 2017. During the investigation, it was revealed that the accused had hatched a criminal conspiracy for procuring and circulating fake Indian currency notes in India. The FICN was illegally smuggled from Bangladesh and was intended to be circulated across different parts of India. After the completion of the trial, both the accused persons were found guilty of the offence and convicted by the Special NIA Court, Kolkata. C lose to three million people in England have developed coronavirus antibodies, new figures suggest. Analysis by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) found that if the country's entire population was tested, around 1 in 17 people would show positive results for Covid-19 antibodies. The ONS data comes just a day after researchers said antibody testing may be underestimating the number of people previously infected by the virus. In an article published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), scientists said large-scale surveys may not capture all the people who have developed an immune response to the disease. In its own study published on Friday, the ONS said that six per cent of individuals aged over 16 had shown antibodies when blood samples were tested. This suggests 2.7 million people in England have developed some degree of Covid-19 immunity. However, it said there was evidence of regional differences in the percentage of people testing positive for antibodies. In London, an estimated 11 per cent of people have tested positive for antibodies the highest for any region in England. The lowest regional estimate was 3.5 per cent for south-west England. The estimates refer to people in private households and are subject to revision, the ONS said. It comes after British scientists suggested major seroprevalence surveys may not offer an accurate indication of immunity levels. Seroprevalence surveys estimate the proportion of the population that have previously been infected with a virus by measuring the presence of antibodies produced. The team of researchers, from the University of Cambridge, University Hospital Wales, and St Georges, University of London and St Georges Hospital, said these are important for calculating hospitalisation and fatality rates. They said in their report, published in the BMJ on Thursday, that large-scale UK seroprevalence surveys have generally provided low estimates of virus spread, suggesting that 15 per cent of people in London and only four per cent of people in the south-west and south-east of England have been exposed to the virus. But they said more thorough forms of antibody testing conducted in Luxembourg and Austria offered up to five times as many positive results. Such tests measure antibody classes in the bloodstream as well as in mucus, respiratory and digestive tracts, and fluid around the eye. Dipender Gill, a clinician at St Georges, University of London and St Georges Hospital, said: Current seroprevalence surveys may be dramatically under-estimating the proportion of people that have been infected by the virus. Further work is required to determine the optimal survey strategy and appropriately revise these figures. Researchers said that timing could also be an issue because testing too early could mean an immune response might not have developed but testing too late could mean the immune response has diminished. Mark Ponsford, a clinical immunologist at the University Hospital of Wales, said: The immune response to the virus is more complex than a simple yes or no to the presence of a single antibody type in the blood. Its important that future surveys take this into account, and that we begin to standardise our approach to testing. This will help us to improve accuracy and allow more valid comparisons of the results from different surveys. WASHINGTON President Donald Trump said late Friday that he planned to reverse Pentagon budget cuts that would have permanently closed Stars and Stripes, the military newspaper that has both informed and spoken for U.S. troops over the decades. Under Defense Department spending plans, the paper would cease print and online publication by Sept. 30, a move seen as expanding the Trump administrations war on news media to include those paid by the government to cover the military. Yet, while the demise of Stars and Stripes had been in budget cuts first proposed by Trumps Pentagon in February, the president announced the paper would continue to publish. The United States of America will NOT be cutting funding to @starsandstripes magazine under my watch, Trump posted on Twitter several hours after major news organizations began publishing stories about the pending closure of the newspaper. It will continue to be a wonderful source of information to our Great Military! The reversal came as the White House was in full defensive mode over published reports that the president had disparaged U.S. military personnel killed in the nations wars. A senior administration official confirmed that Trump tweeted after aides had showed him news coverage that blamed him for shuttering Stars and Stripes, and so he decided to reverse the Pentagon spending cuts. Begun during the Civil War, Stripes has more recently frustrated presidents and defense secretaries during the forever wars that began after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks by elevating the voices of those in uniform who contradicted commanders and political leaders. But while the newspaper found enough backers in Congress and among retired military officers to keep it alive during previous administrations, that support has been unable to reverse Defense Department plans to zero-out the Stars and Stripes budget during a Trump presidency characterized by continuing battles with journalists. A bipartisan group of 11 Democratic and four Republican senators called on the Defense Department to maintain funding for the publication, which has about 1.3 million readers online and in print. In a letter on Wednesday to Defense Secretary Mark Esper, the senators said the Pentagon, with its budget of more than $700 billion, could surely find the $15.5 million in federal funding needed to keep Stars and Stripes going. We urge you to take steps to preserve the funding prerogatives of Congress before allowing any such disruption to take place, said the letter, signed by, among others, Sens. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.; Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill.; and Susan Collins, R-Maine. Stars and Stripes is an essential part of our nations freedom of the press that serves the very population charged with defending that freedom. The challenge facing Stars and Stripes maintaining editorial independence from the government while depending on government funding is playing out in other parts of the Trump administration. Similar efforts to weaken federally funded news outlets are underway at the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees international broadcast outlets like Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia and the Middle East Broadcast Networks. In February, Esper, who was appointed by Trump last year, proposed ending the Defense Departments funding to Stars and Stripes. The paper has struggled with the same economic challenges of all print publications in the internet age. Advocates also point out that government funding is required because no newspaper, even in the industrys most successful days, could reliably distribute in war zones without financial assistance. But the Trump administrations decision to kill off Stars and Stripes was especially pointed given the presidents public antipathy toward journalists and his disdainful comments toward military sacrifice surfacing in recent days. Trump on Thursday night denied a report in The Atlantic that he canceled a trip to the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery near Paris in 2018 because he did not want his hair disheveled in the rain and because he did not believe it important to honor American war dead. According to the article, the president referred to the 1,800 U.S. Marines who lost their lives at Belleau Wood during World War I as suckers. But Trumps denials are hampered by the fact that he has often disdained veterans who had been captured in war, including John McCain, who served as a Republican senator from Arizona. Signs of a growing discontent among troops for the commander-in-chief are starting to show. A Military Times poll released this week showed a continued decline in active-duty service members views of Trump, and a slight but significant preference for former Vice President Joe Biden in the upcoming election among troops surveyed. The poll, taken in late July and early August, before the political conventions, found half of 1,018 respondents surveyed had an unfavorable view of Trump, compared with 38% who had a favorable view. In a poll conducted at the start of Trumps presidency, 37% of troops had an unfavorable opinion, and 46% had a favorable view. Stars and Stripes first started as a publication for Union troops during the Civil War, when soldiers commanded by Ulysses S. Grant overran Bloomfield, Missouri, en route to Cape Girardeau. Former pressmen were among the troops, and they set up shop at a local newspaper office that had been abandoned by its Confederate-sympathizing publisher. Max Lederer, the publisher of Stars and Stripes since 2007, said the administrations rolling conflict with the news media had given cover to Pentagon officials to move against the publication. As an example of articles that he said contradicted the administrations narrative, he cited reporting by Stars and Stripes this year on Fort Hood, Texas, which a recent article called the Armys most crime-ridden post, after the killing in April of a soldier there, Spc. Vanessa Guillen. Stars and Stripes staff members first learned of plans to shutter the publication when it appeared in the defense secretarys proposed budget in February. Stars and Stripes has been a journalistic port of call for the grunt on the ground because it has always been available to them, even during the height of combat. The U.S. military as a whole is trying to reduce its electromagnetic signature, and that means service members will likely not have their phones or even access to the internet while in a war zone, said Jeff Schogol, a former Stars and Stripes reporter who now writes for the online publication Task & Purpose. Thats why Stars and Stripes is still vital to keeping troops downrange informed. The Russians and Chinese cannot jam or launch a denial of service attack against physical copies of a newspaper. Stars and Stripes goes into a level of detail about things that matter to troops that other publications do not. For instance, headlines on Friday included U.S. Army Japan Eases Travel Restrictions in Time for Labor Day Weekend and Face Masks With Valves Are Now Off Limits for Soldiers in South Korea. Journalists who work for Stars and Stripes have known for months that their publication was on the chopping block, but they said their hope remained that pressure from Congress might save their jobs. Employees of broadcast operations under the State Departments purview have been expressing similar concerns. In April, Trump called Voice of America disgusting and urged the Senate to confirm Michael Pack an ally of Steve Bannon, a former Trump adviser to head its parent agency. His nomination languished for two years over concerns from Democratic and Republican lawmakers that he would make federally funded outlets a mouthpiece for the Trump administration. Since taking over the agency in June, Pack has fired the heads of the four media outlets and an internet freedom nonprofit under his management. He has threatened to withhold visa approvals for at least 76 foreign journalists at VOA, who were recruited to translate news into languages like Swahili and Mandarin, putting many at risk of deportation. In August, he published an internal report alleging systemic security failures within the agency, and then suspended many of the remaining career officials in his front-office who disagreed with his leadership. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. To help reduce the risk of infection, experts suggest using a mosquito repellent when outdoors and avoiding being outside at dusk, which is a peak time for mosquito activity. Slamecka also encourages people to get rid of any containers that may have standing or stagnant water and to regularly clean birdbaths or fountains. Diplomats abusing self-isolation facility; stern warning by Foreign Ministry By Namini Wijedasa View(s): View(s): The Foreign Ministry has issued a demarche to one foreign embassy and expressed strong concern to all missions based in Sri Lanka about diplomats abusing the allowance to let them self-isolate after flying into the country. The Government has made provision for foreign diplomats to avoid quarantine in centres and hotels. Heads of Mission and foreign national staff of Diplomatic Missions/UN Organisations who hold Diplomatic/UN/Official Passports and their immediate family members will be permitted to self-quarantine at their residences for a period of 14 days, subject to the supervision of the respective Heads of Mission and the local health authorities, the relevant circular reads. The word residences, however, has resulted in diplomats also self-isolating in condominiums. And, according to reports, some have violated health guidelines by using common amenities like the gymnasium and pool. By contrast, any Sri Lankan staff members of Colombo-based diplomatic missions or UN organisations will, upon their arrival in Sri Lanka after an overseas assignment or training, have to undergo a 14-day mandatory quarantine in a Government-approved quarantine centre. Last month, a foreign diplomat tested positive for COVID-19 on the 12th day of his self-quarantine. It was found that he had visited a supermarket when he was meant to be in isolation. This caused a demarche to be issued by the Foreign Ministry. We have a clause that lets the diplomatic community to be quarantined in their residences, said Admiral Jayanath Colombage, Secretary to the Ministry. It is a special privilege. We heard of a few cases where there were violations and we have written strong letters that they are jeopardising our process. Another communication insisting that self-quarantining diplomats must not use common amenities is also due. Admiral Colombage pointed out that many foreigners lived in condominiums or flats they had rented or bought. Others in those facilities must also take an interest in ensuring they stay in their apartments, he said. He referred to condominium committees, security, pool attendants and other staff. While Public Health Inspectors also visit these persons, it cannot be done all the time. We have now indicated to diplomats that, if they are not following health guidelines, we will move them to a hotel, the Foreign Secretary said. People were also encouraged to report violations if detected. Meanwhile, the management committee of The Emperor condominium in Kollupitiya this week protested strongly to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa opposing the self-isolation of US Embassy staff in their block of flats. The US Embassy recently notified The Emperor management committee that its staff would self-quarantine in their rented flats therein. The Ministry also issued instructions. On August 26, the relevant committee wrote to the Foreign Ministry, stating that their condominium was a shared living apartment complex with common amenities such as lifts, garbage disposal areas and recreational facilities. It has 163 residential apartments, housing diplomats from many countries, most of whom have not left Sri Lanka since the Government imposed COVID-19 travel restrictions. There are also chairpersons, CEOs and senior private sector and Government officials, senior citizens, young families with childrentotaling 1,600 people with close contacts. If, as advised by the Ministry, they were to permit US Embassy personnel to self-quarantine at the condominium, there is a risk of infection spreading among our community if any self-quarantined persons were found to test positive for COVID-19, the letter said. Therefore, our advice was that diplomats, and others returning from abroad should quarantine themselves in Government-approved quarantine centres, it continued. They could return to their apartments on presenting certificates issued by the health authorities. There was no response from the Ministry or any other Government agency to the letter, a copy of which was sent to the Sunday Times. For this reason, the management committee has written to the President. Global communities most at risk from the impact of coronavirus due to long-term conflict, food and water shortages, and crowded living conditions will get a funding boost from the UK. Twenty new projects will get a share of 7.2 million to develop new technology and processes to address the challenges faced by some of the worlds most vulnerable people, such as refugees and children. Projects include delivering mass vaccination capacity in Bangladesh, protective equipment for refugees in Jordan and remote healthcare access for patients in Nigeria. Defeating coronavirus is a truly global endeavour, which is why were backing Britains scientists and researchers to work with their international counterparts Alok Sharma, Business Secretary The University of Oxford will work with the University of Cape Town to develop a parental advice app for families affected by Covid-19 school closures across Africa. Birmingham City University will partner with Lusaka and Ndola Colleges of Nursing to help improve the clinical decision making of nurses in Zambia. This will help to free up their time and prevent healthcare systems from becoming overwhelmed. The University of Edinburgh and the Open University of Tanzania will work together to identify measures to make voting safer and more secure in African elections to promote social distancing and to slow the spread of coronavirus. Business Secretary Alok Sharma said: Defeating coronavirus is a truly global endeavour, which is why were backing Britains scientists and researchers to work with their international counterparts to find tech solutions to treat and combat this virus around the world. The research projects we are backing today will ensure that we equip some of the most vulnerable communities with the resources they need to tackle Covid-19 and build their long-term resilience to respond to future pandemics, making us all safer. The 7.2 million UK Government funding will be managed by UK aid programmes, the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) and the Newton Fund, through UK Research and Innovation. NYE fireworks and COVID an explosive mix Gladys Berejiklian has spent most of 2020 playing catch up with the coronavirus ("Easter show will go on but NYE in doubt", September 3). She stubbornly refuses to mandate the wearing of masks on public transport. Now, her latest priority is putting on Sydney's New Year's Eve fireworks. What absurdity. The Premier should cancel the fireworks rather than risk a super-spreader event. Instead she might ask all TV channels to rerun their footage of the fireworks from last year. Maybe then we all might avoid a rerun of 2020's devastation in 2021. Get ahead of the game, Premier. Brian Brennan, Wollstonecraft I have never really understood the obsession with the New Year's Eve fireworks. Reorganising my sock drawer has more appeal to me. Anyone who thinks social distancing will happen on New Year's Eve of all nights is clearly delusional. Simon Squires, Hornsby If you've seen one Sydney fireworks, you've seen them all. Della Strathen, Bowral Fifteen minutes of "hope" or a lifetime of heartache and misery. With social distancing and loss of tourism why would NSW even contemplate risking an outbreak of COVID-19 and a massive waste of money."Hope" is a job and an income. Marli Davies, Wentworth Falls What a windfall! How about the fireworks costs going to affordable housing? Carolyn Thornley, Ashfield Crossing the line The Queensland Premier has been right to try to protect Queenslanders ("Texting times in cross-border feud", September 3). There now needs to be a reality check on border closures; some rules have reached the level of the ridiculous. AFL teams allowed to fly from Melbourne but the unfortunate residents of Mungindi unable to go a few kilometres over a theoretical line in order to obtain essentials now their supermarket has burned to the ground. Many of these decisions seem to be politically motivated. Upcoming election? Stephanie Edwards, Roseville Would it be asking too much for all state leaders to base their constantly-changing rules on science, rather than political expediency? Peter Mahoney, Oatley Spread far and wide There are limited spaces to quarantine Australians who wish to return home ("Hardship funds for Aussies stuck overseas", September 3). As a result airlines have hiked prices. The government is looking to provide loans to assist the stranded Aussies which must be repaid in six months on pain of forfeiting passports. What about the Christmas Island facility? It was reopened at great expense to much fanfare. Surely a win-win situation would result. Australians quarantined and a white elephant being used. Christine Hackwood, North Lakes Let's stick to facts on gas debate Anyone defending natural gas in transitioning to a cleaner energy future risks a flare-up from those who'll question their authority to suggest such a perceived heresy (''Chief Scientist's critics are wrong on gas'', September 3). But it's not just our Chief Scientist who sees such a role for this resource there are many other experts and agencies around the world who agree. So let's have a realistic debate on the facts instead of the distraction of personal attacks. Christopher Zinn, Bondi Richard Bolt expertly but perhaps inadvertently pinpoints the glaring issue with Australias energy mix it's not tilting at gas pipelines, its the national energy grid. The idea that we build a gas pipeline, another iteration of the dinosaur model of energy distribution infrastructure, is a backward step. Gas is part of the transition, yes, but it is already transported by sea and has sources on the east coast. We do not need to waste time, money and more energy building infrastructure from distant mines and refineries to consumers delaying the inevitable. As the writer points out, the crucial infrastructure change and adaptation must involve the grid. In our current energy market, the march toward renewables is occurring apace, so a more flexible and decentralised grid structure is the solution. This requires federal government action on energy policy, but it is another responsibility it is shirking. Scientists and their quite rational debates are not the great challenge here, it is federal government intransigence that stands in the way of a great energy future for Australia via a national energy grid fit for current and future purpose. Christopher Hill, Kensington Richard Bolt helps explain the gas problem, and it is a complex issue. Using gas as back-up makes sense but my problem is this: will the gas companies invest time and money if its only for back-up? Will they gracefully back away when renewables ramp out or fight to hold market share? I fear they will not go quietly. Janet France, Northbridge Runaway train The far-seeing NSW Transport Minister believes the new batch of Waratah trains "dont break down'' (''New Chinese-built trains rolled out amid manufacturing spat'', September 3). Didn't they say the Titanic was "practically unsinkable"? Jack Dikian, Mosman By belittling the local manufacturing sector through sending contracts overseas, the minister et al need to realise they do nothing to nurture the economies of scale, the productivity and the local innovation that would foster a cost-effective domestic industrial base. Money sent overseas, often to support less than satisfactory outcomes, also means that there are more local families being means-tested for welfare payments because the work is just not there. Steve Dillon, Thirroul Fingers crossed the track record of Transport Minister Andrew Constance improves with the delivery of his new Chinese trains. Hopefully they don't have a top deck and will fit through our tunnels. Viv Munter, Pennant Hills Arrest over the top When did it become acceptable for police to arrest you in your own home in front of your children and take you to the station to be charged for disagreeing with the government (''Pregnant Ballarat mum blames 'bimbo moment' for lockdown protest'', smh.com.au, September 3)? Police could have issued a summons and required the woman to attend court the next day. Where are all the lawyers, journalists and other activists demanding action over this flagrant abuse of power? Brendan Manning, North Epping Positively ageing I agree that healthy ageing needs to be presented differently (''Ageing isn't our problem - it's how'', September 3). At present, most talk about ageing is focused on frailty and deterioration, eliciting at best sympathy, often patronising, and at worst, dismissal. There is little mention of the hugely positive benefits we elders bring to society, especially if we can keep active and do all we can to not be a perceived drain on government budgets. Judy Finch, Cedar Party As Pru Goward says, there is much we can do for ourselves to improve quality of life in old age but the government needs to tackle obesity and excessive alcohol consumption by taxing sugar and increasing the excise on beer, wine and spirits. Andrew Macintosh, Cromer Audit concern The article on the extreme fall in auditing of aged care services provided in the home is deeply disturbing (''Services providing aged care at home go unchecked'', September 3). To read that as far back as February 2019 the government was committed to action on this after Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck had flagged the need and that there has only been a reported remarkable reduction in the number of quality reviews and assessment contacts shows how little importance has been afforded this area of government oversight. The choice between an institution or staying at home becomes even more bedevilled. Louise Dolan, Birchgrove The deflection skills the PM has demonstrated in coping with the aged care crisis were already well developed at the time of the sports rorts'' scandal (McKenzie adviser made case for more sports rorts money to aid marginal seats , September 3). A Senate committee has heard how the money available for the biased scheme was increased from $30 million to $100 million after a meeting between the PM and the then sports minister. Will the PM keep refusing to comment or find another scapegoat? Judy Sherrington, Kensington Going postal Now let me see how this works (''Australia Post boss eligible for $277,000 deferred bonus despite board veto'', September 3). Reduce services to core customers and decrease service expectations for all stakeholders. Dont understand why staff do not appreciate working longer hours and having to include different work for the same amount of money. Dont understand why clients cant see the changes as beneficial. Set KPIs, then tailor the results to allow for a big fat bonus for management while the rest of the country is reeling from a recession. What on Earth are the criteria used and who hires the CEOs for Australia Post? Lesley Buckley, Niagara Park Simply superb job Now we know why our country has no high mountain ranges (''Lyrebirds 'displace 155 tonnes per hectare' downhill'', September 2). Bob Liddelow, Avalon Force of Abbott The drop in the number of people who are traveling has led to layoffs at south Louisiana airports. Stellar Partners, which operates six retail stores in Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, told the Louisiana Workforce Commission it plans to permanently lay off 38 employees on Oct. 15 if they have not been called back to work by Oct. 14. Never in the history of aviation and the hospitality industry, have we experienced such catastrophic customer traffic declines, said Kia Acevedo, with Stellars corporate human resources. Stellars operations at the New Orleans airport include WhereTraveler, The New.Stand, Dirty Coast and Bourbon Sweets. Avis Budget Car Rental also told the workforce commission it will continue to furlough five workers at Louis Armstrong, Baton Rouge Metro Airport and Lafayette Airport. The employees were temporarily furloughed between April and June. At the time, Avis said it expected the furloughs would last less than six months. The furloughs will continue until further notice. Vasquez noted the combination of health and economic pains caused by the virus and said it has deeply impacted residents in Precinct 4, which is the western part of Brazos County. The 77803 zip code, which is part of her precinct, has seen 1,272 total cases since the start of the pandemic, the second-highest total in the county. I can only speak on Precinct 4 and in Precinct 4, people have lost jobs and are economically hurting. I hear and see that first-hand every single day that many are unable to make ends, Vasquez said. I think its the right thing and the necessary thing to do. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Precinct 3 Justice of the Peace Rick Hill said Friday that tenants that to be covered by the order, must provide a declaration to their landlord, under threat of perjury, that they fit a five-point criterion as outlined by the CDC. Were going to follow the CDC order, he said. Youre still responsible for paying your rent and they can be evicted, however, for things other than nonpayment of rent, Hill said. Hundreds of backers of President Trump took to the roads and the water on Saturday to demonstrate their support. By noon, riders on about 200 motorcycles gathered at Gratwick Park in North Tonawanda. They trekked down to Erie Basin Marina, where they met up with boaters who paraded up and down the Buffalo River. Many participants in the motorcycle run and the boat parade were decked out in "Trump 2020" T-shirts and hats, or waved Trump or American flags. Members of the crowds, including onlookers who watched the boats float by at the marina, also were vocally pro-police. "With all the craziness that's going on in the world today, there seems to be a lot of negativity towards our president," said Paul Fedorsak of Kenmore, one of the event organizers. "Well, in my mind, if you really take time out and do your research, you'll find out the man has done a great job for us." Before the motorcycle run kicked off, local conservative activist Rus Thompson addressed the crowd in the park. "We're here to support, as far as I'm concerned, the best president since Ronald Reagan," Thompson said. This article was first published on 4 September 2020. In a pub in South-East London, a friend leans over to speak to me. Its 10pm and hes inching towards me, raising his voice over the swelling noise of the crowd. In one corner an Irish man in his 30s shouts and sways at the piano and is quickly told to shut the lid, which he does, reluctantly, shortly before falling off his chair. To his left and right, friends gather in groups of three or five or 10; the pool table has a crowd of its own and 50ps lined up on the cushion. Outside the vast smoking area, over two levels, is so packed you can barely find a place to stand, let alone sit. This feels so normal, doesnt it? my friend says. This particular pub is not exactly an anomaly. Over the last few months, socialising has been privy to a slow but steady uptick. In some circles, in some places, worries have dissipated from the centre of conversation to whispers on the periphery that maybe the fear of Covid-19 and its terminal impact is significantly lesser. The threat over the UK remains, yet dating is back. For some, parties are back. Why? In August, some organisations and, especially in the US, politicians, pointed to increasing apathy from young people as the reason for a drive in the spread of Coronavirus. The World Health Organisation (WHO) warned that people in their 20s, 30s and 40s in the Asia-Pacific region are unaware they are infected because they have no or mild symptoms. WHOs regional director for the Western Pacific, Takeshi Kasai, said that many people in this age range have only mild symptoms, or are asymptomatic which in turn increases the risk of spill over to the most vulnerable, the elderly, the sick in long term care, people who live in densely populated urban areas and underserved rural areas. Undoubtedly this is a frustrating indictment for those duly following remaining government guidelines and suffering the financial, physical and mental repercussions, especially as talk of a second full lockdown continues to gently simmer in the background. But is it true of the UKs younger population, too? And if so, what is fuelling an attitude that, on the face of it, could lead to long term danger? Its not that I dont think theres a point because I do truly believe in protecting wider society with social distancing and wearing masks, Layla*, 21, a marketing exec in London, says. However, that being said, I rarely trust this government. I dont think theyre doing enough in terms of policy and it shouldnt be on individual people to do that. The government is supposed to work for us opening schools, encouraging returning to work etc are all going to increase the likelihood of a second wave. Over the last few months, socialising has been privy to a slow but steady uptick (iStock) So, it feels kind of ridiculous to enforce social distancing and wearing masks when the best solution is to continue to stay at home (for the most part) and wait out for a vaccine. There is also the general feeling of being over it, she adds. Being in lockdown has been horrible working from home in my tiny bedroom hasnt been fun and I want to see my friends I think I have a lot of trust in my friends that they would protect themselves and me by extension if they were feeling ill or having symptoms. And I guess I am buying into the idea that young people are less likely to get it, as my friends and I are relatively healthy. Layla is in plenty of company with her distrust of the government and subsequent step away from rule-following. There is a bubbling feeling of being let down in terms of education in lockdown, mental health support and, ultimately, the idea that their futures are so uncertain, they may as well lean into it. In some ways, thats relatable. The A-level algorithm that gave students all over the country lesser grades than their worth, or even took away their chance to go to university, left young people reeling over government treatment and class inequality. University students paying thousands of pounds per year saw their education either cut off almost entirely or reduced to sketchy Zoom lectures. Further, the spirit-building experience of university travelling, dating, exploring was extinguished. Most importantly, just like the generation that graduated into the 2008 recession, job security, financial security and the potential for success for graduates were all plunged into disarray by the announcement of another, even more severe, economic recession. For those already working their way up the ladder, studies estimated that young people would be most likely to lose their jobs in lockdown. A study for HOPE not hate found that, among 16-24-year-olds, 12 per cent of young people in households with an income of 10,000 or less have got into debt, 11 per cent have lost their jobs, 10 per cent have struggled to meet rent demands and 9 per cent have applied for Universal Credit. In house or flat shares, 18 per cent have struggled to pay their rent and 26 per cent have been forced to dip in their savings, if any. Inevitably, those from disadvantaged backgrounds have been hit hardest. A study found that 11 per cent of young people in households with an income of 10,000 or less have lost their jobs (iStock) It is bleak. Though its also true that it hasnt exactly been a walk in the park for anyone. Is there an element of naivety involved? Or selfishness? Or is this a wider problem, of poor leadership and chronic mishandling, that young people are simply footing the bill for? "I was working 50-hour weeks at one point before we even had to wear masks and customers weren't keeping their distance from me," explains Anna, 27, a shop assistant in London. "So why should I keep my distance from my friends? I don't want to come across as selfish; I'm not. But it just feels slightly hypocritical." Ruby, 25, a musician from Nottingham, concurs that publicly hypocritical behaviour encouraged her to soften her distancing behaviour. A lot of me not abiding by the rules anymore comes from political disillusionment, she says. As soon as the Dominic Cummings saga occurred, it was like there was a double standard whereby those in charge could do one thing and everyone else had to do another. I think if the government had handled the whole situation better, I would trust them more and would therefore listen to what they had to say. Ruby believes that with a second wave inevitable, she may as well meet up with friends while I have the chance. While she hasnt done anything she deems majorly against the rules, she says that among my friends it [coronavirus] doesnt exist anymore. Im under the idea that a hug isnt going to hurt anyone. If hugs are on the table, so is dating too, some of those I speak to agree. Sophie*, a 30-year-old designer from Kent explains that for single people, especially those living alone, isolation can be feel dangerous. The rules mean that technically were not supposed to have sex with anyone new. But for single people this is a huge ask, she explains. There was a sense that my life had been put on hold, that the inevitable ticking clock was getting even louder Over the course of lockdown, it felt like Id been forgotten as a single person living on my own. While talk turned to elderly people feeling lonely, less of a light was shone on people of my age in their 30s and how painful it would potentially be to spend hours on our own with only our thoughts for company. There was also a sense that my life had been put on hold, that the inevitable ticking clock was getting even louder. When we were able to meet people again, I started dating right away, cautiously at first, but less so as time went on. Having had depression and anxiety in the past, Sophie says that decisions she made came down to compromising lockdown or her mental health. And since, given the lack of funding even pre-crisis, I dont trust the government to put my (or anyone elses mental health) as any sort of priority. In the end I had to do that myself. WHO state cooperation is key to coronavirus recovery It is somewhat unsurprising that a lack of clarity from the government in general, combined with an enduring apathy towards younger people, has resulted in this division. But, of course, the important point should be made that its not only younger people behaving in this manner, and that not all young people are ignoring the guidelines. Some, like Dominique Palmer, a 20-year-old student and environmental activist, are still abiding and angry that young people are taking the brunt of the governments incompetence. Instead of reflecting back on government policies, how late they implemented measures and the rules in place, its young people who are the scapegoats, Palmer explains. A good example is the weaponization of the Black Lives Matter protests not only were they as socially-distanced as possible, but they were fighting for their lives. Instead of reflecting back on government policies, how late they implemented measures and the rules in place, its young people who are the scapegoats A lot of us are just abiding by the rules weve cancelled things that could help us in our pursuit of careers, my friendship groups havent been seeing each other. When were out were still aware of the pandemic happening around us. A lot of young people have taken it upon themselves to abide by the rules. This is about money, essentially. We can see how broken the system were in is as soon as this has happened it exposed the reality of America not having free healthcare and what austerity has done to our NHS. Were protecting ourselves and others, but we see the incompetence too. Whats clear going forward is that the widening gap between generations is quickly becoming a permanent fissure. Disillusionment and fear, the feeling of being overlooked, the loss of a hopeful future are all threading tightly through young people in the UK today. Youll likely find them in the pub, on a date, ordering another pint, pretending for another night that everything is just fine. Senior policy analyst Dr. To Xuan Phuc from non-profit organisation Forest Trends As the pandemic has disrupted Vietnams timber and furniture exports, what are the prospects for the industry to restructure itself? Up until now, Vietnams wood industry has been strongly focusing on exports, but the ongoing pandemic disrupts both the input and output of domestic enterprises. However, the crisis can also be an opportunity to build new development strategies and select key products. Vietnam will only be able to find the best position on the global processing, trade, and consumption map if these strategies are developed thoroughly. Moreover, if the country wants to further favour the export market, the developments parameters should aim for the importing countries demands and export forecasts. Policy changes such as the one from China three years ago can have a devastating impact on Vietnams woodchip industry. So, if the country blindly focuses on expanding the woodchip industry, without knowing which partners could buy or import these products, the plan will fail. The same is true for other wood products. If Vietnam wants to export these, it must at least know where and how to do so. Furthermore, there should be policies to regulate local consumption, and domestic producers should be competitive within their respective product lines. However, up until now, Vietnam has not carried out any research on this. Currently, planted forests are mainly concentrated in the central and north-eastern regions, but there is no developed system of processing facilities, especially in the central region. Although the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) introduced some policies to support growers, there is a lack of output for post-harvest products. Ultimately, Vietnams wood industry needs a clear vision and development policy for the next 20 years that also takes care of enriching all stakeholders involved in the industry. To achieve this, Vietnam must focus more on processing facilities and growers, as well as on developing the domestic market. New strategies required to set deeper roots for wood industry, photo: congthuong.vn You have said that Vietnams policy focus lies on expanding exports. What are the criteria for the sectors upcoming development strategy? Exports are important and directly related to employment. However, if responsible state agencies give more attention to other industry-related groups, such as the 1.4 million afforestation households, the social and economic benefits are significant. However, so far, their policies look at 5,300 businesses in the industry, especially at the over 2,000 exporters among them. While the export turnover of wood and products thereof has gradually increased year by year, from $6.9 billion in 2015 to $11.2 billion in 2019, Vietnamese businesses spend about $0.8-1.2 billion importing roughly two million cubic metres of sawn timber. Nevertheless, it is a bit too early to state specific criteria for Vietnams wood industry as there is still no development strategy. It is, of course, very important to have a set of criteria for strategic products. However, such criteria cannot be given by a few state management agencies but must be based on findings of group discussions with those who understand the industry the most. In that way, establishing a guiding strategy is a bit like how the United Nations Development Programme assesses poverty criteria. More and more markets that import Vietnamese wood mention the risk of wood sourcing from China. Should Vietnam include measures against this risk in the contents of a new development strategy? This risk has indeed become a concern of several countries that import our wood products as the US-China trade tensions intensified. Temporarily, such illegal imports could lead to a short-term decline in Vietnams timber exports. However, I think that the country should not wait until a new development plan is designed but rather take immediate action in order to prevent any damage to the industry. Currently, domestic wood production is dominated by Chinese-invested enterprises, which are enjoying benefits that should belong to Vietnamese ones especially, since export figures for timber and wood products remain strong, despite pandemic impacts. If not in the development plan, how would you suggest reducing the risk of Chinese wood sources? Vietnams state management agencies and business associations should work on detecting every single enterprise that partakes in the import of wood products from China. To do so, they should closely monitor import and export of timber to and from Vietnam, thereby trying to detect any fluctuations in product quantity and other suspicious factors right away. However, this is a huge workload due to the large volume of product lines. For instance, just the wares exported to the European Union include over 250 different products. Therefore, the main issue is to find measures to ensure that related agencies have enough capacity and resources to do this work. Nonetheless, Vietnam can successfully minimise the risk from Chinese imports if there are a clear focus and mutual mechanisms for information sharing among state agencies and associations, and businesses as well. While Vietnamese customs acts as a guardian at the border, there is one hole to plug in this system, which is the current lack of similar agencies in localities that can inspect factories and detect any frauds. It also would be better if Vietnam had an independent watchdog. For example, amid working on regulations needed to implement the Vietnam-EU Voluntary Partnership Agreement, which came into force in June 2019, Vietnam could inquire the EU to monitor illegal timber sourcing into the country, which could be a good solution to minimise such risks. Amid an escalation of tensions between Israel and Gazas Hamas government, Palestinians have launched hundreds of incendiary devices carried by balloons over the border into Israel. Now, Israel has developed a laser defense system the first of its kind in the world to shoot them down. Republicans were certain that the jumbo unemployment benefits Congress created in the CARES Act were going to hold back hiring and the hurt economy once businesses tried to reopen. Thanks to the extra $600-per-week payments, many workers were suddenly able to collect more in government benefits than theyd previously earned at their jobs, and as a result, lawmakers believed that, given the choice, Americans would largely choose to stay at home, rather than return to the grind. As South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham put it: If a person is making $23 an hour on unemployment, its going to be hard to get you go back to work for $17 hour job. Advertisement This was not a totally ludicrous idea, at least in the abstract. After all, economists calculated that the median beneficiary stood to collect 134 percent of their old income in unemployment aid. That would seem like a pretty powerful incentive to wait out a pandemic in your living room, possibly while taking care of your kids, rather than return to work and risk catching the plague. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But reality seems to have bucked the GOPs expectations. There have of course been lots of anecdotal stories about small businesses that have had trouble luring their workers back, because their staff preferred to keep collecting benefits. But by August, economists had cranked out at least four different studies that failed to find evidence jobless aid had significantly weighed on employment overall. (Counting a less formal analysis by Evercore ISI economist Ernie Tedeschi, there were five.) Meanwhile, hiring seems to have slowed down, rather than sped up, since the $600-a-week payments expired at the end of July, which is the exact opposite of what youd expect if government benefits had been suffocating the economy. In June, employers added 4.8 million workers to their payrolls; in July they added 1.7 million; and in August they tacked on just 1.4 million. Econ 101 assumptions about incentives and the labor market just dont seem to have panned out. Advertisement Advertisement Why not? One can imagine a few different potential answers (none of which, by the way, involve the $300-per-week benefits the Trump administration has tried to jury-rig through executive order, which are only being paid out in a few states so far). Some people just like to work, even if it means potentially exposing themselves to a deadly virus. Others may have thought it wise to take a job because the $600-a-week payments were only temporary. Still others might have been worried that turning down their old job would cost them their benefits, anyway (UI recipients can lose eligibility if they reject an employment offer). Some may have just wanted to chip in and help their employer stay afloat out of loyalty. Advertisement The simplest answer, though, is that while some Americans did stop looking for work, there were so few jobs open, and enough other people who wanted them, that it didnt really hurt employers ability to hire. Thats the basic finding from an August paper by economists at the University of Pennsylvania, the Federal Reserve, and job search site Glassdoor, which looked at the number of help wanted ads and applications on its platform before and after the pandemic set in. Advertisement Advertisement Job applications did in fact fall by 21 percent on Glassdoor once the coronavirus crisis went into full swing. But job openings plummeted by a full 64 percent. As a result, the number of applicants per vacancy actually increased after the CARES Act. The team did find some evidence that the number of people applying for jobs may have dropped a bit further in states with more generous unemployment benefits, but it wasnt enough to make a meaningful difference in the grand scheme of things. In an ordinary economy, paying people more money to stay at home than theyd make at work would obviously have a horribly distortionary effect on employment. But we arent in a normal economy. Were in the midst of a pandemic, which has completely cratered the demand for workers in some large industries. The only thing thats going to restore the job market entirely back to normal is beating this disease. Remembering Gauri Lankesh: Three years on, family awaits justice India oi-Madhuri Adnal Bengaluru, Sep 05: Today marks the third death anniversary of journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh who was shot dead outside her Bengaluru residence on 5 September 2017. The 55-year-old was shot dead from point-blank range by unidentified assailants outside her residence in Bengaluru on September 5, 2017. The men fired at least seven bullets at her at around 8 p.m. while she was unlocking the main door of her house after returning from her office. Gauri Lankesh murder case: Maharashtra Police to seek info on accused held in Jharkhand One of the killers, who was waiting for her near her house, fired the first shots at her, while the two others, who are suspected to have followed her from her office, joined the initial shooter thereafter. The killers were wearing helmets and escaped on a two-wheeler Honda Dio after the murder. Three of the bullets pierced Gauri's head, neck, and chest, resulting in her death at the scene. The brutal murder sparked a nationwide outrage from civil rights activists and journalists, as it was similar to those of rationalists Narendra Dabohlkar, Govind Pansare and M.M. Kalburgi. In 2018, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the murder case detained two suspects, whom they also suspected of being involved in the murders of Dabholkar and Kalburgi. Shift 3 Gauri Lankesh murder accused to Mumbai from Bengaluru: Bombay HC In June 2018, the SIT stated that Parashuram Waghmore had confessed to the murder: he claimed that he was told to kill someone to save his religion, and that he did not know who the victim was. In September 2018, Maharashtra ATS detained 2 suspects related to her murder and also recovered cache of arms from them. She worked as an editor in Lankesh Patrike, a Kannada weekly started by her father P. Lankesh, and ran her own weekly called Gauri Lankesh Patrike. She was shot to death by assailants outside her home in Rajarajeshwari Nagar on 5 September 2017. At the time of her death, Gauri was known for being a critic of right-wing Hindu extremism. She was honored with Anna Politkovskaya Award for speaking against right-wing Hindu extremism, campaigning for women's rights and opposing caste based discrimination. At the height of the coronavirus outbreak, with New Jersey restaurants offering only takeout and delivery and many completely closed, I often found myself fantasizing about my first post-pandemic dine-in meal. It would be a celebration, I told foodie friends and restaurant owners, coronating us overcoming COVID-19 and returning to normalcy. Not just a reprieve from delivery and doing dishes, but from the disease that has rocked our world and put much of the dining industry on the brink of collapse. BEIJING: China National Biotec Group (CNBG) and Sinovac Biotech Ltd said on Saturday four more countries have agreed to run late-stage clinical tests of their coronavirus vaccine candidates, as China steps up its efforts in the global race. Serbia and Pakistan are among the new countries agreeing to Phase 3 trials, as the two companies seek more data overseas amid dwindling new cases in China. Serbia will test two vaccines developed by CNBGs Wuhan and Beijing units, and Pakistan will test the Beijing units candidate, the company told Reuters. CNBGs Phase 3 trials are expected to involve 50,000 people in about 10 countries, said CNBG vice president Zhang Yuntao. Trials have already begun in United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Peru, Morocco, Argentina and Jordan. Zhang said foreign countries have expressed interest in ordering a combined 500 million doses of its vaccines. CNBG is expected to be able to produce 300 million doses of vaccine a year once it upgrades manufacturing techniques, and is working on a plan to raise its annual capacity to 1 billion doses, Zhang said. Sinovacs vaccine candidate CoronaVac, being tested in Brazil and Indonesia, also obtained approvals from two other countries for Phase 3 trials, said Helen Yang, senior director of global strategy and business development at Sinovac. She declined to name the countries as the information is still confidential. While the final stage of trials are still underway to prove the vaccines are safe and effective, China has already authorized the vaccine candidates from Sinovac and CNBG for emergency use for those in high-risk groups such as medical workers. Several tens of thousand people have already taken CoronaVac through the emergency programme, Sinovacs Yang said. CNBG will soon begin providing its vaccines to Chinese staffers working in overseas embassies and consulates, Zhang said. Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor Arsenal have reportedly discussed the option of signing Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey in exchange for Gunners duo Matteo Guendouzi and Alexandre Lacazette. The 27-year-old Ghanaian international Partey is Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta's top transfer target this summer, and can leave his current club if his 44million release clause is triggered. With the player himself said to be open to making the move, Gunners' chiefs have offered Atletico the French pair in a potential swap deal - though the LaLiga side are not said to be keen on Lacazette in particular at this moment in time. Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey is Arsenal's top transfer target this summer Arsenal's Matteo Guendouzi was reportedly offered in exchange for the Ghanian Partey Striker Alexandre Lacazette has also been offered, but Atletico are not currently keen 'For sure they [Arsenal] spoke with Atletico Madrid,' journalist Fabrizio Romano told Lee Gunner on his YouTube channel. 'It was during the meeting they had for Thomas [Partey], the first time it was in July. They spoke about Matteo Guendouzi and they spoke also about Lacazette. 'But at the moment, Atletico Madrid was (sic) not going for Lacazette.' Partey's current deal runs until 2023, though it is reported that the impact of the coronavirus pandemic have resulted in Atletico being unable to offer the player a financially lucrative extension. Simeone is said to be very keen on keeping hold of his player, though talks between Partey and Atletico have not been fruitful. Romano also said that 29-year-old Lacazette may be subject to a transfer away from the Emirates this summer, depending on other forward moves across Europe. Atletico are keen to keep Partey but are said to be struggling to offer a fresh, lucrative contract 'We will have to wait a bit to see about this situation because it will also depend on what will happen to other clubs if Atletico Madrid will sell for example Diego Costa and what will happen with Luis Suarez,' Romano added. 'I think in September we will have a domino effect about strikers - with Lacazette, Luis Suarez, Edin Dzeko, Edinson Cavani who has agreements with Benfica. 'When we have the first one to move, we will have many others as well but I don't think Lacazette will play in Italy or in Spain.' Arteta is looking to strengthen his squad this summer after an eighth-placed finish in the Premier League last season, and re-signed Dani Ceballos on loan from Real Madrid on Friday. A nine-year-old boy in Victoria has become the first Australian child to be struck down with a rare coronavirus-related illness - PIMS-TS. He is now fighting for life after being admitted to Monash Hospital in Melbourne's southeast. PIMS-TS causes blood vessels in the body to swell which can trigger a rash, shock, severe fever, diarrhoea, vomiting and heart complications. The Victorian health department's Better Safe Care has now sent out an alert advising paediatric and emergency staff to be on the lookout for PIMS-TS in children who present to hospital with COVID-19. Emergency departments in the UK reported 78 cases of the disease in April and May. With health authorities across the world on alert for the disease, cases were also found in France, Switzerland, Spain and the US. PIMS-TS normally appears two to six weeks after contracting COVID-19 with the average age of patients being just 11 years old. A nine-year-old boy in Victoria has become the first Australian child to be struck down with a rare coronavirus-related illness - PIMS-TS (stock image) A study by respected medical journal the Lancet in the UK found boys and non-anglo minorities were over represented in case numbers. There have been three children across the globe who have died from the illness, which is similar to Kawasaki disease - an inflammatory syndrome which causes fever and peeling skin. Despite the low number, at least half the patients require ICU admission and about 15 per cent suffer coronary aneurysms. Paediatric infectious diseases expert Professor Robert Booy from the University of Sydney told The Age he was not surprised that the country's first case was in Victoria. 'There have been literally thousands of cases of coronavirus in Victoria and probably hundreds of cases in older children so you do expect to eventually get a case,' Professor Booy said. The boy is now fighting for life after being admitted to Monash Hospital (pictured) in Melbourne's southeast WHAT ARE THE CORONAVIRUS SYMPTOMS? The virus, called COVID-19, is transmitted from person to person via droplets when an infected person breathes out, coughs or sneezes. It can also spread via contaminated surfaces such as door handles or railings. Coronavirus infections have a wide range of symptoms, including fever, coughing, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. Mild cases can cause cold-like symptoms including a sore throat, headache, fever, cough or trouble breathing. Severe cases can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory illness, kidney failure and death. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure. Advertisement 'There have been a lot of people looking very carefully for the possibility of this disease so it is very unlikely that there are many hidden cases because paediatricians have been searching very carefully for this very particular problem.' According to Department of Health and Human Services Victoria there are currently 85 active coronavirus infections among children under 10 - 48 boys and 37 girls. Professor Booy said there are some existing treatments used for Kawasaki disease which may offer some hope. Elsewhere, intravenous antibodies have been used effectively to treat young patients with PIMS-TS. But the long term effects of the rare disease remain a mystery to medical experts. 'What it tells us though is that if you're genetically predisposed, you can get moderate to severe inflammatory response, which affects the whole body including fever and inflammation in many of the organs. It can affect the heart, the lungs, the kidneys and the circulatory system,' Professor Booy said. Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton said the case has now been referred to the paediatric adverse events disease surveillance system. 'It is rare. But obviously when you've got thousands of cases of coronavirus anywhere in the world, then you're going to get the potential for one or two of these cases to occur,' he said. The U.S. attorneys office in Chicago demanded that Harmons office, which he took over early this year after the retirement of former Senate President John Cullerton, turn over all documents and communications related to a property at Cermak Road and Wentworth Avenue in Chinatown. The parcel is a state-owned parking lot long coveted by developers. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 11:41:34|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WELLINGTON, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand reported three new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, said the Ministry of Health in a statement. Of the three new cases, one was an imported case in a managed isolation facility. Two were defined as community transmitted cases, said the ministry. According to the ministry, both community cases have been epidemiologically linked to the wider Auckland August cluster. The one imported case was a child linked to a previously identified case who arrived from India on Aug. 23. There were two COVID-19 patients in the hospital on Saturday, including one in ICU. The total number of active cases in New Zealand was 112, as the total reached 1,416, which was the number the country reported to the World Health Organization, said the ministry. The number of COVID-19 related deaths in New Zealand was 24, as the ministry confirmed on Saturday a second death in the last two days. Laboratories nationally processed 9,470 tests for COVID-19, bringing the total number of tests completed to date to 807,460, it is said. New Zealand will remain at COVID-19 Alert Level 2 until Sept. 16, with extra restrictions in place for its largest city Auckland, announced the government on Friday. Enditem 05.09.2020 LISTEN Accra 5th September 2020. Scancom Plc. (MTN Ghana) would like to inform its customers, shareholders and other stakeholders that it filed papers on Friday 4th September at the Supreme Court seeking to review the High Courts recent decision regarding the declaration of MTN Ghana as a Significant Market Power (SMP). This step was taken after a careful review of the Courts judgment. On September 1, 2020 the High Court of Justice (Commercial Division) dismissed the companys application for a judicial review of the declaration by the National Communications Authority (NCA) of MTN Ghana as an SMP. MTN Ghana respects the decision of the Court, however in our opinion the judgment did not address our concerns that the NCAs decision did not meet the requirements of procedural fairness. MTN Ghana acknowledges the duties and powers of the NCA to promote fair competition amongst licensed operators. We also support the legitimate exercise of the NCAs regulatory powers, but as a good corporate citizen and considering the international investment community we believe that a decision by the highest court of the land would provide certainty and a veritable precedence on the procedural fairness in this, and future regulatory decisions of the Authority. This will no doubt safeguard the interest of customers, shareholders, investors and the wider industry. We believe Fridays step still provides an opportunity for further engagements with the regulatory authorities. Indeed, MTN Ghana continues to reach out to the regulator and key stakeholders to have the concerns of both sides addressed in a collaborative and amicable manner. MTN Ghana further assures its cherished customers, shareholders and other stakeholders of its unflinching commitment to its regulatory obligations and support for the Ghanaian Governments efforts to enhance growth and competition in all segments of the telecommunications market. The company will continue to invest and innovate to realise its belief that every Ghanaian deserves the benefits of a modern connected life. MTN Ghana will refrain from further statements or comments on this matter until it becomes necessary to update all stakeholders of future material developments. 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. Syracuse, N.Y. -- A new surveillance testing system will allow all State University of New York schools to test all students for the coronavirus every two weeks, according to an announcement from SUNY. The testing advancements from Upstate Medical University and University at Albany mean the states college system can process as many as 100,000 tests a week, according to SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras. By installing regular surveillance testing of our on-campus population, we will be able to much better identify non-symptomatic carriers who otherwise may not have known to get tested, Malatras said in a news release. Earlier this week, the states Department of Health approved a saliva diagnostic test developed by Upstate Medical University. The test can analyze more than 15,000 samples a day, according to SUNY. The system relies on pool testing. Samples from 10 to 25 people are combined, then tested as one sample. Any positive result means each individual in that group would be retested. Reopening plans varied across SUNYs 64 campuses. Some schools required students test for Covid-19 before or upon returning to campus. Some didnt, and instead required questionnaire screenings. SUNY Oneonta did not require any testing before returning to campus. The school shut down all on-campus classes and activities during the second week of class after more than 500 students tested positive. Got a story idea or news tip youd like to share? Please contact me through email, Twitter, Facebook or at 315-470-2274. Rescue workers may have found another 'heartbeat' under the rubble left when an explosion rocked the Port of Beirut last month - raising fresh hopes a buried survivor might still be alive after the blast. Search operations began on Thursday afternoon after a sniffer dog belonging to a Chilean search and rescue team detected something as the team was going through the neighbourhood of Gemmayzeh and rushed towards the rubble. On Thursday, the team used audio detection equipment for signals or heartbeat, and detected what could be a pulse of 18 to 19 beats per minute. Last night, a month after the blast tore through Beirut, unconfirmed social media reports suggest the Chilean search team have now found an additional heartbeat under the debris. Volunteers dig through the rubble of buildings which collapsed due to the explosion at the port area, after signs of life were detected, in Gemmayze, Beirut this morning Chilean rescue dog Flash, walks near collapsed buildings from last month's massive port blast in Gemmayze, Beirut, Lebanon September 4, 2020 'The #ToposChile team just ran a test and breathing was confirmed. Digging into the rubble continues. Some new reports are that it may be two children-most likely flower vendors,' Maya Yahya, the director of Carnegie Middle East, wrote on Twitter, citing a TV report from AlJadeed News. Salman Andary, of Sky News, wrote in Arabic on Twitter that the rescue team's sensors had detected a heartbeat again under the blast wreckage. 'Chilean team finished the process and were able to, once again, find a person's breath under the rubble,' Andary said, adding that the process took 40 minutes and the 'heartbeat' was scanned several times. Rescue workers continued to dig through the rubble of a Beirut building for a third day this morning. About 50 rescue workers and volunteers, including a specialist team from Chile, had yet to locate anyone after sensors on Thursday detected the signs of breathing and heat. Volunteers and a member of the Chilean rescue team dig through the rubble of buildings which collapsed due to the explosion at the port area, after signs of life were detected, in Gemmayze, Beirut, Lebanon this morning Rescuers search at the site of a collapsed building after getting signals there may be a survivor under the rubble, in Beirut, Lebanon this morning. A pulsing signal was detected Thursday from under the debris of a Beirut building that collapsed during the horrific port explosion in the Lebanese capital last month, raising hopes there may be a survivor still buried there Fires were still burning at the destroyed port following the blast as the full extent of the devastation - in a country that was already in the midst of an economic crisis - was laid bare They said they would continue while there was a small chance of finding a survivor, and had narrowed their search. 'Always in search operations like this, you can neither lose hope nor absolutely say there is hope,' George Abou Moussa, director of operations in Lebanon's civil defence, told Reuters. The Aug. 4 blast killed about 190 people, injured 6,000 more and devastated whole neighborhoods. The authorities held ceremonies on Friday to mark a month since the explosion tore into a city already reeling from a crippling economic crisis. Rescue efforts dominated local and social media, as the Lebanese were transfixed, desperate for some good news. Anti government protesters light candles in front of the martyrs statue during a moment of silence to mark one month of Beirut port explosion, in front the Beirut's port, Lebanon yesterday The ruined building where the search was continuing lies between the residential districts of Gemmayze and Mar Mikhael, among the hardest hit areas by the blast and home to many old buildings that crumbled as the shockwave ripped through. Work was slow, rescue workers said, as the badly damaged building was at risk of collapse. 'The building is really crumbling, it's scary and there's a lot of danger to the team,' Abou Moussa said. Workers were using shovels and their hands to dig, while mechanical diggers and a crane lifted heavy debris. Emmanuel Durand, a French civil engineer who was training local university students, volunteered his services and was working with the rescuers to monitor the structure. Scanning the building with high-precision lasers, Durand said his team had so far not found any signs of movement. Bengaluru: Karnataka will soon reach its goal of conducting one lakh COVID-19 tests per day as it has increased the number of labs and the tests done, Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar said here on Saturday. From one testing lab for COVID-19 test, we have opened 108 labs in six months. From 300 tests per day, we have increased it to 75,000. This will soon reach the goal of one lakh tests per day,"Sudhakar was quoted as saying in a release by his office. He said the state government has shown its commitment to contain the pandemic and has been successful. The Minister was speaking after inaugurating the MVJ Molecular Lab at MVJ Medical College & Research Hospital at nearby Hoskote Stating that COVID-19 can be prevented completely only with the use of a vaccine, he said the death rate in the state was about 1.65 per cent and the aim is to bring it down to less than one per cent. As of September 4 evening, cumulatively 3,79,486 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, which includes 6,170 deaths and 2,74,196 discharges. Bengaluru urban district tops the list of positive cases, with a total of 1,41,664 infections. A total of 31,97,110 samples have been tested so far, out of which 73,192 were tested on Friday alone, and among them 31,641 were rapid antigen tests. Stressing the need to improve the quality of the medical education system in Karnataka and also bring about change, Sudhakar said a study of the medical education system in developed nations must be carried out and measures that aid the system here has to be incorporated to make this possible,. A decision will be taken in this regard," he added. The Minister noted that molecular test labs should be opened in government medical colleges and asked the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences to look into it. He said medical universities must collaborate with international medical colleges to send medical students from the states clinical expos and added that this was necessary to provide exposure to newer findings in the field of medicine. The state government had planned to launch an initiative this year, but it could not be carried out due to Covid pandemic. However, it will be planned next year," he added. Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor Even as China escalates tensions, Indian Army rescues 8 Chinese nationals India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Sep 05: The Indian Army has rescued Chinese citizens in North Sikkim. The Indian Army has extended a helping hand to three Chinese citizens who lost their way in the plateau are of North Sikkim. Realising the danger to the lives of the Chinese citizens, which included two men and one woman in sub zero temperatures, the soldiers of the Indian Army immediately reached out and provided medical assistance including oxygen, food and warm clothes to protect them from the vagaries of the extreme altitude and harsh climatic conditions. A press note said that the Indian troops gave them appropriate guidance to reach their destination after which they moved back. The Chinese citizens expressed their gratitude to the Indian Army for their promotion assistance. This gesture comes in the wake of a Congress MLA from Arunachal Pradesh saying that five people have been abducted by the People's Liberation Army. Would love to get involved: Trump on Indo-China face-off The MLA, Ninong Erin said that the five people had gone for fishing when they were abducted by the Chinese Army. The five-Tanu Bakar, Prasat Ringling, Ngaru Diri, Dongtu Ebiya, and Toch Singkam were reportedly abducted from the Sera 7 area under the Subansiri district along the India-China border in Arunachal Pradesh. Ering told India Today TV that the Chinese Army has started incursions in Arunachal Pradesh after Ladakh and Doklam. He also said that the Chinese have crossed the Line of Actual Control. The Chinese have again started creating a nuisance. Just like in Ladakh and Doklam, they have started incursions in Arunachal Pradesh. It is proved that they have entered our side of the LAC, he further added. Mohammad-Reza Pour-Ebrahimi, the Chairman of the Parliament's Economic Committee, has repeated the allegations that Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE) is "manipulated," furthering claims that the government of President Hassan Rouhani has manipulated the market and created a bubble the in TSE to augment its own budget deficit. The government of President Hassan Rouhani is expected to have a large deficit due to the almost complete halt in oil exports stemming from crippling U.S. sanctions, Vice-President Mohammad-Baqer Nobakht said this week. Pour-Ebrahimi, who was speaking on the state-run television channel IRIB on Friday, September 5, said some companies have artificially increased share prices by disseminating false information and misleading investors, though he did not specify which companies or entities were responsible for the manipulation of the market. According to Pour-Ebrahimi, many individuals have been misled into believing that they could make quick gains in the capital market and have sold all their belongings and even borrowed to make investments. Economic analysts previously warned about the government's role in creating a bubble in the TSE. Gholam-Hossein Davani, a member of Iran's Chartered Accountants, was quoted by Sharq newspaper on Thursday as saying that the government is "directly responsible for the growth of the index and engineering the public opinion" to reduce the amount of liquidity and to augment its own budget. The index of TSE does not reflect the realities of the Iranian economy, Davani said. Due to the housing crisis, the industrial sector's recession, and widespread government propaganda to attract people's assets, many Iranians have rushed to the stock market in recent months. According to Davani, the freeze in the "tempting growth of the indices" has shocked many of these inexperienced investors who purchased over 870 billion rials worth of shares in recent months. According to a Labor Ministry official quoted by IRNA, 63 percent of the earnings of Iranians come from bank interests on their savings, investment in gold and foreign currencies and real estate. While the country is struggling with stagflation, quadrupling the total index in the first five months of the Iranian calendar year (starting March 21) meant quadrupling the value of mostly government-controlled companies' shares. During the same period the country's national currency, the rial, lost more than 40% of its value against foreign currencies. Experts and the media regarded such developments as surprising and suspicious. The Tehran Stock Exchange index was around 500,000 units as late as in March, but aggressively climbed to more than two million points by early August without any economic fundamentals backing its rise. However, the shares of many giant corporations and companies such as the Persian Gulf Petrochemical Company, Mobarakeh Steel and National Iranian Copper Industries that were sold by the government lost significant value in mid-August, and the overall index of the TSE fell sharply, despite Rouhani's efforts to instill optimism in people by claiming that "corrective fluctuations in the stock market are normal." A sobering trio of coronavirus news hit the St. Louis region on Friday, as the city mayor indefinitely extended bar curfews and capacity limits, hospitalizations spiked in St. Clair County, and the state of Illinois, citing a data backlog, reported the most new coronavirus cases in a single day since the pandemic began. St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson announced that bars, restaurants and nightclubs must continue to restrict capacity to 50% and close no later than 11 p.m. each night. The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 5,368 new positive COVID-19 cases, topping the states previous single-day record of just more than 4,000 cases in mid-May. Another 29 Illinois residents died from the virus, including two men in their 70s in Madison County, bringing the total number of deaths from COVID-19 to 8,143. And 11 more COVID-19 patients were admitted to St. Clair County hospitals, increasing that total to 52. The hospitalizations are really a telling number, said St. Clair County Chairman Mark Kern. Thats why people want to take extra care this Labor Day weekend and remember that you dont want to end up in the hospital. Illinois informed some counties earlier in the week that it discovered a problem with some of its data reporting. By Friday, the state said it had fixed the problem, reporting the results from an additional 149,273 testing specimens. The state public health department said it instituted two upgrades to its data systems, which now have significantly faster processing capacity. Illinois officials emphasized that individuals results were not delayed. Despite the uptick in cases, the Metro Easts seven-day average positive test rate, which the state uses to determine public health measures, stayed the same Friday at 9.3%. The Metro East is one of two regions in the state that have exceeded the 8% threshold triggering public health restrictions. The rate has remained above the threshold for weeks in the Metro East, prompting Gov. J.B. Pritzker to close indoor dining at bars and restaurants on Wednesday. On the other side of the Mississippi River, Mayor Krewson announced the extended restrictions, originally set to end Sept. 7. We must remain vigilant to protect our community, Krewson wrote in a social media post. Large venues, including museums, event spaces and theaters, are also capped at 50% occupancy, down from a previous limit this summer of 75%. In St. Louis County, the health department released a new report of both public and private school-related COVID-19 exposure during August that found 39 students and 34 staff members tested positive for the virus. Those cases resulted in nearly 450 students and staff being quarantined after school-related exposures to those that tested positive last month. Dr. Alex Garza, head of the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force, which tracks hospital admissions at the regions four big systems, reported no major changes on Friday, with the seven-day average of hospital admissions ticking up to 41 and the seven-day average of total hospitalizations unchanged at 304. Garza also said he received a shot Friday as part of a COVID-19 vaccine study being conducted by St. Louis Universitys Center For Vaccine Development. Its a double-blind study, so he doesnt know if what he received was a placebo or a vaccine, but researchers will be following up with him for the next two years as part of it. He encouraged other St. Louisans to sign up to take part in the study, particularly those who may be from higher-risk populations researchers most need to participate, such as people of color. Im a firm believer in vaccines, vaccines have proved to save millions of lives throughout time, they have very good safety profiles, Garza said. This is just my small contribution to the science, also to hopefully show people its perfectly safe and acceptable to participate in these trials. Dr. Randall Williams, director of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, urged Missourians to remain vigilant during the Labor Day weekend. People tend to let their guard down during these long holiday weekends, Williams said in a statement. We dont want to see people become complacent. We dont want anyone to contract COVID-19, young or old. There are those that may be considered high risk and low risk, for adverse outcomes, but there is no population that is at no risk. Erin Heffernan of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report. COVID-19 in Missouri and Illinois: By the numbers These maps and charts show the spread of COVID-19 in Missouri and Illinois. Stay up to date on life and culture in St. Louis. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The comments were contained in a memo as the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) was directed to crack down on spending relating to learning about subjects such as white privilege. OMB director Russell Vought asked federal agencies to identify spending related to any training on critical race theory or any other material that teaches or suggests that the United States or any race or ethnicity is inherently racist or evil. The memo comes as the country has faced a reckoning this summer over racial injustice in policing and other spheres of American life. Mr Trump has spent much of the summer defending the display of the Confederate battle flag and monuments of Civil War rebels from protesters seeking their removal, in what he has called a culture war ahead of the November 3 election. Advertisement Meanwhile, he has rejected comments from Democratic nominee Joe Biden and others that there is systemic racism in policing and American culture that must be addressed. Mr Voughts memo said additional federal guidance on training sessions is forthcoming, adding: The President, and his Administration, are fully committed to the fair and equal treatment of all individuals in the United States. The President has a proven track record of standing for those whose voice has long been ignored and who have failed to benefit from all our country has to offer, and he intends to continue to support all Americans, regardless of race, religion, or creed. The divisive, false, and demeaning propaganda of the critical race theory movement is contrary to all we stand for as Americans and should have no place in the Federal government. MOUNT PLEASANT Sue Lynch would have been happy with a gathering of 100 like-minded Republican women on Wednesday night at the Meadowbrook County Club. She was ecstatic when a crowd of more than 200 showed up for A Time to be a Light for the Nation, a gathering co-hosted jointly by Women for Trump and the 77-member Republican Women of Southeast Wisconsin. For Lynch, it was a wow moment. The numbers are just beyond our wildest dreams, said Racine native and Kenosha resident Lynch, president of the Republican Women of Southeast Wisconsin. Its unbelievable. You can see the excitement and the commitment that women are willing to make to support President Trump and those Republicans running for all elected offices. Lynch believes the large and enthusiastic turnout Wednesday night is a good sign that President Donald Trump is going to be re-elected on Tuesday, Nov. 3. An advocate for Republicans since the 1970s when she started working local campaigns, Lynch has led local and regional groups of Republican women over the ensuing decades, unanimously elected to serve as president of the National Federation of Republican Women in 2009. Republican women have so much to offer and so much to give in the community, in the party, in our churches, in our families, Lynch told the gathering. Understand how important each of you are in your own way. I look at Republican Women as my avenue of connection, be it church, community or politics. Republican Women we have the heart to make our world better, to make life better for our children, to make good choices in electing candidates to office. We are counting on all of you to be a part of us. Schmaling is keynote speaker Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling was the evenings keynote speaker, receiving a standing ovation from attendees for his wide-ranging presentation, which was followed by a question-and-answer period. Schmaling has served as Racine County Sheriff since January 2011. Much of Schmalings presentation focused on the vital role of law enforcement, particularly in these challenging and troubling times with COVID-19 and the civil unrest gripping the nation, including the City of Kenosha last week. Whos in favor of law and order in this room? Schmaling asked the crowd, garnering widespread applause and a sea of raised hands. We must learn from what is occurring across the country. We cannot, and will not, allow violence and destruction. I promise you this what happened in Kenosha will not happen here. Schmaling said he believes it is completely irresponsible, inappropriate and dangerous for political figures to render an opinion about an officer-involved use of force unless they were there or until all the facts are known. In his presentation, Schmaling stressed the importance of partnerships among law enforcement agencies, citing the Racine County Sheriffs Offices recent assistance in Kenosha County during the civil unrest in Kenosha. Schmaling also highlighted the importance of transparency and accountability for law enforcement agencies. The Racine County Sheriffs Office insisted on transparency before communities demanded it, he noted. We have been using body cameras for over four years, including new technology last year that automatically turns on the camera when a deputys weapon is drawn or lights and/or sirens are activated. Schmaling also emphasized the need for citizen support of the law enforcement community in these troubled times. Now, more than ever, law enforcement needs the support of our communities, he said. Support law enforcement. We need your support. Schmaling also addressed the topic of COVID-19, including his stand that he would not enforce Governor Tony Evers stay-at-home orders, which were ultimately overturned by the Wisconsin Supreme Court after a May challenge by Republican state lawmakers. His stand generated the receipt of more than 17,000 emails, largely supportive of his decision. I know B.S. when I see it, Schmaling said, drawing applause from the crowd. I took a strong stand for constitutional rights we have certain privileges. I choose freedom. Isnt that the American way? I suggest we think for ourselves. Schmaling contends that following simple health and safety practices to protect against COVID-19 are effective to check the spread of the novel coronavirus, citing the Racine County Jail as an example. I would never dismiss that this virus can be deadly to certain high-risk members of our community, he said. However, at the end of the day, by taking reasonable precautions we were able to keep our jail population and our front line healthy To this day, it is rare to have one of our staff members sick with COVID. Other speakers Also among the speakers at Wednesday nights gathering was Caledonia Village Clerk Karie Pope, a Republican challenger on the Nov. 3 ballot seeking to unseat incumbent Democrat Racine County Register of Deeds Connie Cobb Madsen, who was appointed in May 2019 by Gov. Tony Evers after the April 2019 resignation of former register of deeds Tyson Fettes. Pope stressed the importance of supporting Republican candidates in local races. Its important to get out there and vote for your local officials that is your county clerk, your treasurer, your register of deeds, your D.A., she said. They are just as important to your everyday lives. Also speaking at Wednesday nights gathering were two uncontested Republican candidates, Racine County District Attorney Patricia J. Hanson and Racine County Clerk Wendy M. Christensen. Attendees enthused Among those attending Wednesday nights Republican gathering was Jorena McKinstry, an African-America woman from Racine. Im an African-American woman and first of all Im an American. I think there are many things we can come together on we all want safety, we all want to see every race thrive and have equality. If we can just come together and not lead with our emotions, I think we can get to the solutions. I know that with prayer, with faith, and as we see each other as valuable people, we can turn things around. Love 7 Funny 6 Wow 2 Sad 1 Angry 9 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. New Delhi, Sep 5 : A Performance Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for export promotion is needed to generate demand, said Kenichi Ayukawa, MD & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India and SIAM President. Ayukawa spoke at the 60th ACMA Annual Session which was held virtually. The scheme such as PLI envisages to provide manufacturing and export incentives to companies. Requesting, the Centre to help the industry in creating demand, Ayukawa asked Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant for support. Kant was attending the session in which Ayukawa spoke. He requested Kant "to help us in creating demand". Ayukawa listed steps such as PLI scheme for exports, GST rate reduction and the 'Scrappage Incentive' scheme for domestic demand that can aide the sector in attracting demand. "The 'Scrappage Incentive' scheme for domestic demand can be a big support from your side in these challenging times," he said. Besides, he requested the auto components manufacturers for maximum localisation of inner parts and raw material to build 'Self-Reliant India'. "There is opportunity in adversity. Many companies in China are relocating or putting plants in other countries to cover geo-political risk," he said. "We should bring those investments to India or tie-up with them to produce in India. I will make efforts to organise some business exploration meetings with manufacturers of Japan to increase 'Make in India'." "Similarly we could do with other countries like Europe or Korea or USA." According to Ayukawa, SIAM's sourcing group has identified four categories of components where imports should be converted to local. "These are Electronics, some grades of Steel, Tooling and EV components. We would request you to take leadership and assume responsibility for localisation of these components," he said. "If we are able to achieve this, India will become very powerful for exports also. If you can produce ventilators and PPE in two months, I am confident you can achieve auto component localisation also. If there are challenges, I am sure Niti Aayog and the government will try to help us, as it is an important national objective also." By Daniela Desantis and Maximilian Heath ASUNCION/BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Argentina asked for an explanation on Friday from Paraguay about the deaths in a police and military operation against a rebel group of two 11-year-old girls it said were Argentine citizens. The Paraguayan government said on Wednesday a confrontation in the country's north with members of the Paraguayan People's Army (EPP) had left two "rebels" dead. The EPP, said to have been trained by Colombian rebels and active in marijuana-growing regions, has been accused of kidnappings and attacks in Paraguay over the past ten years. On Friday, Paraguay said those killed had been two teenage women, without giving their age or nationality. The Argentine foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday evening after receiving a request from Paraguay that it consulted the country's national registry and established that the deceased were both eleven years old and Argentine citizens. Federico Gonzalez, an advisor to the Paraguayan presidency, told reporters that Paraguay's forensic report suggested the deceased were Paraguayan and older. "The information we have is that these people were born in Paraguay and later transferred to Argentina, where they obtained these (identity) documents," said Gonzalez. He denounced the girls' parents for "sending their children into battle with the security forces." Argentina's foreign ministry said it was in touch with authorities in Paraguay, a landlocked nation with a population of around 7 million, to clarify the circumstances of the deaths. Gonzales said the EPP camp raided by the security forces had been occupied by some 14 people now being sought in the surrounding area, known as Yby Yau, about 370 km (230 miles) north of capital Asuncion. The Paraguayan security operation brought criticism of rightist President Mario Abdo's government from opposition lawmakers and human rights organizations. Story continues "Instead of offering forensic data and documentary evidence, the government of Mario Abdo rushed to bury the bodies of these girls before they had even been identified," the country's main opposition parties said in a statement. Paraguay's Human Rights Coordinator said the operation "bears all the hallmarks of a fresh state crime." (Reporting by Daniela Desantis and Maximillian Health; Writing by Aislinn Laing; Editing by Tom Hogue) 1. A True Believer Has a New Awareness of Sin 1 John 1:5-9 This is the message we have heard from Him, and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. The unsaved man is not concerned about sin. He may have regret for his actions when the consequences are not to his liking, but he can easily set aside any lingering shame or guilt in the pursuit of his desires. He justifies himself when he acts outside the laws of man or morality, and when that doesnt satisfy, he redefines what sin is. He compares himself to others, always able to find someone more unworthy, so that he can feel better about himself. In contrast, the person who has experienced salvation has an ever-heightened sense of his own sin. There is the initial, life-changing, moment-of-salvation recognition of our sinful condition before a holy God, in which we know that we are lost and condemned; this awareness results in a confession of sin. Forgiveness is humbly sought, and repentance takes place; we turn away from our sin and turn to God. A true believer also exhibits a growing awareness of his sinful flesh, as God exposes our weaknesses, failures, desires, and old habits that are displeasing to Him. The regenerated heart is continually humbled and contrite, hating all things sinful and desiring fellowship with God. Photo credit: Getty Images/tommaso79 Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley believes the $600 million to be awarded to Flint residents as part of a class action lawsuit against state and local governments is the floor, not the ceiling when it comes to compensation for those impacted. The $600 million is the floor, not the ceiling, Neeley told Yahoo Finance (video above). We still have probably another 12 defendants in the case. So that number is going to go up. And so we're not at the final total of the dollar amount that's going to be furnished to the residents of the city of Flint. Sheldon Neeley. (Yahoo Finance) The water pollution crisis began in 2014 after officials, looking to save money, switched the citys water source to the Flint river. The water was never properly treated, causing chemicals from the pipes to seep into the water delivered straight to residents homes and buildings. In early 2016, officials declared a state of emergency in the city of roughly 100,000 more than half of whom are Black and wider Genesee County. In 2017, criminal charges were filed against many government officials. (The charges were dropped in 2019, though the Michigan attorney generals office said it had plans to keep investigating.) Many people in the city continue to rely on bottled water, and the elevated levels of lead in some childrens blood caused many to worry about the long term complications such as potential irreversible damage to their developing brains. Workers load bottled water into vehicles waiting in line at a water distribution site at Greater Holy Temple in Flint, Mich., on Thursday, December 20, 2018. (Photo by Brittany Greeson/The Washington Post via Getty Images) Neeley stressed that restoring trust with the community is not going to be a fix that can happen overnight. We have to restore that with a level of faith and commitment and actually a show of good works. A lot of the replacement of our lead lines in the city of Flint has yet to be remediated. Roughly 90% of the citys pipes have been replaced, according to the mayor, and we will start to restore trust when the project is completed. After fixing the pipes, the mayor said, the city will work to address crime, poverty, and racism. We're at the intersection of crisis in this community and also in this country when we have communities of color in low-to-moderate income areas that have been ravaged with crime and now we have a pandemic, Neeley said. We have a level of high disparities in health care, education, economic growth, and justice. Story continues Given the circumstances, the mayor added, Flint is going to be the lighthouse of hope for the rest of the nation because we're going to come out of this on the other side with a positive and strong spirit. Read more: Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, LinkedIn, YouTube, and reddit. BEIJING, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- China on Friday expressed its concern for the possible impact of a huge shortfall in contributed assessments on the United Nations' normal work, vowing to continue fulfilling its due fiscal obligations to the UN as a developing country. In a letter addressed to member states, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the organization is faced with severe financial difficulties, with overdue contributions amounting to 1.52 billion U.S. dollars. He called on member states to pay their assessed contributions on time and in full to support the UN in accomplishing its work this year. Responding to a query about the remarks, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said China, as the second-largest contributor to the UN, has been fully implementing its fiscal obligations to the organization and paid this year's contribution in full, showing its support for the UN through concrete actions. "We will continue to earnestly fulfill the due fiscal obligations to the UN as a developing country," the spokesperson said at a daily press briefing. "China pays high attention to the current financial distress the UN is experiencing, and expresses concerns for the possible impact of the huge shortfall in assessed contributions on the UN's normal operations," said Hua. Hua pointed out that the United States, as the No.1 country in terms of defaulting on membership fees to the UN, has long been delaying payment, with the amount overdue accounting for more than two thirds of the total, which is the main reason that has led to the UN's financial difficulties. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the UN's founding. Hua said that upholding multilateralism, safeguarding the UN's core role in international affairs, and jointly responding to global challenges through united cooperation conform with the common interests of all parties. "China is ready to work with all countries to actively support the UN's work and jointly advance the UN's bigger role in promoting world peace and development," Hua added. Dozens of mourners on Saturday attended the funeral of a disabled teenager who was allegedly gunned down last week by police, setting off protests against racism and police brutality across the country. Nathaniel Julies, a 16-year-old with Down syndrome, was shot dead on August 26 near his home in Eldorado Park, a township ravaged by drugs and crime. Wearing T-shirts branded with Julies' face, angry mourners sang apartheid struggle songs and demanded justice. "We knew that Nathaniel would at some time have to pass, but not in that fashion," his uncle Cyril Brown told local television station eNCA. His family said the boy, whose speech was impaired, was out to buy biscuits from a shop when he was shot by police on patrol. Community members claim Julies was killed by police after they became frustrated with his responses to their interrogations. The teenager's death sparked outrage in both Eldorado Park, south of Johannesburg, and around the country, renewing calls for tougher action against police brutality. Nathaniel Julies' family carry his casket as hundreds of residents took to the street denouncing his death. By Ali Greef (AFP) But Brown appealed to the community to refrain from rioting in protest. "Today is about Nathaniel Julies, the justice will come after that," he said. Three police officers have been charged in connection with the boy's death and will make their second appearance in the Protea magistrates court on Thursday. Police presence was especially high during the funeral ceremony, increasing agitation among mourners. "It's like a gangster is being buried here," bemoaned MP and opposition party leader Kenneth Meshoe who was in attendance. "It is insulting and provoking." Bridget Harris, the boy's mother, told mourners that she has forgiven the officers arrested in connection with her son's death. When he saw Omaha had been one of the first airmail relays 15 stops, that dragged me into the vortex, he said. Finding that no one else planned to mark the 1920 flight, Moore contacted the 67-year-old Experimental Aircraft Association and got its list of members living along the route. About three-fourths of the pilots flying Air Mail 100 this week are EAA members, he said. His own private pilots license is inactive. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Only one serviceable DH-4 survives in the United States, he said, making it necessary for the pilots to use their own Cessnas, Beeches, Pipers and other private aircraft. But some of them are classic in that theyre dating back to the 1940s era, Moore said. Sam Seafeldt, Lee Bird Fields airport manager, thanked Moore and the pilots for seeing to it that the transcontinental airmail centennial wont pass unremarked. I think events like this are of great importance to maintaining the history of aviation, Seafeldt said. Its not a long history, but its important, and every step of the way led to where we are now. Hoang Liet Primary School begins the new school year In the 2020-2021 academic year, the education sector applies a new curriculum for first graders, while making preparations to gradually move classes towards the new education targets of improving the capacity and virtue of students. In Hanoi, there are about 2,800 schools with over 2.1 million students in the new school year, an increase of 68,000 from the previous year. Hanoi plans to have an additional 44 schools, six of which have already been put into operation while 38 others will be completed within the school year. Vuong Dinh Hue, Secretary of Hanoi Party Committee, beat the drum to begin the 2020-2021 school year at Giang Vo Secondary School in Hanoi Schools also held shorter ceremonies to begin the term to prevent the spread of the pandemic. To prevent a virus outbreak, only a few representatives of classes were required to attend their schools' welcoming ceremony. Hoang Liet Primary School has made thorough preparations to welcome new first graders and to prevent the pandemic. The school was surrounded with flags and flowers, overwhelmed by the smiles and radiant faces of pupils. Nguyen Thi Thu Hang, who is the form teacher of a Grade 1 class at Hoang Liet Primary School, told VIR that she was moved by welcoming the new term as this school year is special for her and her colleagues. They promised to work extra hard to fulfil the new education targets and prevent and fight the deadly virus. I will try my best to accompany my pupils and give them the best in these special circumstances, she noted. In Ho Chi Minh City, about 1.74 million pupils and students started the new school year on the same day, 54,645 more than in the previous school year. Vice State President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh beat the drum to begin the 2020-2021 school year at Le Quy Don High School in Ho Chi Minh City In Danang, the municipal Department of Education and Training organised an online welcoming ceremony to prevent the pandemic and get students excited for the new school year. Despite the challenges ahead, the education and training sector is pinning high hopes on the new academic year with stronger efforts to reach new achievements, improving the countrys quality of human resources and promoting socioeconomic development amid increasing global integration. Muhammad Ibrahim, 25, of Chhatiya village is busy making bamboo tree guards/bamboo protectors locally known as jafri. Ibrahim is not alone as several of his co-villagers including Md Rahul, Md Akhtar, Md Islam and Md Azizur are also doing the same. They said each of them was earning Rs 400 to Rs 600 daily and was happy doing the job. When we lost jobs due to Covid-19 lockdown and had to return home from other states, this job gave us hope as we are earning as much we used to in other provinces as migrant workers, said Ibrahim. Chhatiya village with a population of about 10,000 under Purnia east block has set an example for the rest of the country facing a job crisis during the pandemic. We get Rs 4 for making one protector and we make 100 to 150 protectors daily and earn Rs 400 to 600, they said, adding, they would have faced extreme crisis without this job. There is never a dearth of jobs, it is created and one should know this very art, said Md Tabrez, 22, of the same village. Over 3,000 people of the village are engaged in making bamboo protectors and the products are being supplied to all the districts of Bihar for meeting the requirements of the highly ambitious Jal Jeevan Hariyali project of Bihar government, requiring plantation of 2.50 crore saplings. Md Sabir, the man behind the bamboo protectors, praised the local administration for giving the business a boost by linking it to the government scheme. After it was linked to government schemes such as planting saplings by MGNREGA and Jal Jeevan Hariyali, it started taking the shape of an industry with most of the over 3000 villagers getting accommodated in the job, he said. He said bamboos, the chief ingredient of the product they are making, are most brought from Assam. To fence a sapling, a set of four bamboo protectors is needed. Also Read: Bihar Assembly Election 2020: BJP Parliamentary board to decide on seat-share with JD(U) Purnia district magistrate (DM) Rahul Kumar, who oversaw the campaign to identify migrant workers skills to help them find a matching job, said he was happy that over 3,000 workers, mostly migrants, were engaged in the work of making Bihar green. Besides, we have set up units for making readymade garments at Dagarua and Jalagarh and banana processing and bags manufacturing units are in pipeline, Kumar added. Also Read: Bihar NDA turns battle ground for Dalit leadership as Manjhi, Paswan face off Bihar government has resolved to plant 2.50 crore saplings to overcome the green deficit in the state. After Jharkhand was carved out in the year 2000, Bihar was left with just 9 per cent of green cover of its total area (94,163 sqkm). The Nitish Kumar government has already launched a unique initiative called Jal Jeevan Hariyali to recharge and rejuvenate natural water sources like wells and ponds across the state and to plant trees. The state government has fixed a budget of Rs 24,000 crore for the scheme which will be spent over a period of three years. Election Day 2020 is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Many major retailers and companies are encouraging their employees to vote and, in some cases, offering paid time off Nov. 3. The non-partisan coalition Time to Vote, which was started in 2018 by Levi Strauss & Co., Patagonia and PayPal, has been compiling a list of the hundreds of retailers and companies planning to make accommodations for employees on Election Day 2020. Accommodations include paid time off; a day without meetings; or providing resources for mail-in ballots and early voting, according to the organizations website. No American should have to choose between earning a paycheck and voting, Dan Schulman, PayPals CEO, said in a statement. Business leaders around the country must step up and do whats needed to ensure all of their employees will have the opportunity to have their voices heard this November. Time to Vote says its main goal is to increase voter participation to 1,000. The organization now has about 713 participating retailers and companies, a Patagonia spokesman told NJ Advance Media. These are some of the major retailers and companies that are participating: These are some of the major food companies that are participating: To view a full list of all retailers and companies participating, click here. RELATED STORIES ABOUT RETAIL AND SHOPPING: Tiny houses are the latest shopping trend during the coronavirus pandemic Uniqlos AIRism face mask is finally available in the U.S. Heres how to buy a 3-pack for $15. Payless is making a comeback with 500 stores and a new name Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Nicolette Accardi can be reached at naccardi@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter: @N_Accardi. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips A police officer responds during a protest in the city of Detroit, Mich., on May 29, 2020. (Seth Herald/AFP/Getty Images) Federal Judge Orders Detroit Police to Stop Using Batons, Gas, Chokeholds on Peaceful Protesters A federal judge has issued a restraining order, temporarily barring Detroit police from using a range of response tacticsincluding tear gas, rubber bullets, and batonsagainst peaceful protesters after a group accused officers of excessive force, with the citys police chief dismissing the decision, saying no such methods have been used on people protesting peacefully. U.S. District Court Judge Laurie Michelson partially granted a temporary restraining order filed on Aug. 31 by Detroit Will Breathe against the city of Detroit (pdf), accusing police of using brutal tactics to deter protesters from practicing their free speech rights. Since May 29, 2020, Defendants (collectively DPD) have repeatedly responded to peaceful demonstrations for equal rights under the law for Black Detroiters with unnecessary, unreasonable, and excessive violence, subjecting nonviolent demonstrators to, among other things, tear-gas, pepper-spray, beatings, rubber bullets, deafening and disorienting sound cannons, police vehicles, flash grenades, chokeholds, and cordoning them off in small groups (kettled), and arresting en masse without probable cause, the motion claims. Michelsons order, as cited by Detroit News, prohibits police from using certain tactics against peaceful protesters like using batons or shields to hit them, while extending the ban to bar the use of certain other tacticslike applying chokeholds or using vehicles for rammingagainst any demonstrators whatsoever. Detroit Police Chief James Craig responded to the order by saying his officers only have used force when protesters were not peaceful and that the ruling will not change how the department handles demonstrations, according to a statement on Twitter by the Detroit Police Department. Were going to continue to do our jobs the way weve done it, Craig said. We respect peaceful protesters. We understand the judges order and well make sure the protesters understand if theres any aggression or violation of law, they will get ample notice like weve done in the past. Detroit Corporation Counsel Lawrence Garcia, the citys top attorney, said in a statement, We are disappointed the order was entered without an evidentiary hearing because we believe when the evidence is heard, the police actions to date will be deemed justified, Garcia added. The judge, after reviewing some evidence, including videos of interactions between protesters and police, said some protesters could win their case. These videos, buttressed by the testimonial evidence, establishes that at least some Plaintiffs have a likelihood of success on their claims that the DPD used excessive force against them, Michelson wrote. The order, as cited by Detroit News, bars the police from using the following tactics for a period of 14 days: Using striking weapons (including, but not limited to, batons and shields), chemical agents (including, but not limited to, tear gas and pepper spray), or rubber bullets against any individual peacefully engaging in protest or demonstrations who does not pose a physical threat to the safety of the public or police; Deploying chemical agents or a sound cannon against persons peacefully engaging in protest or demonstrations without an audible warning and a reasonable amount of time to disperse; Placing in a chokehold or ramming with a vehicle any individual attending a demonstration; Tightening the zip ties or handcuffs placed on any individual to the point that the restraints cause physical injury, including loss of circulation or change in color; Arresting any demonstrators en masse without probable cause. Michelson wrote that the order may be extended by up to 28 days if there is reasonable cause to do so. The Associated Press contributed to this report. India tops four million virus cases as pandemic rages The 86,432 new cases took India to 4,023,179 infections, third behind the United States and just trailing Brazil India has become the third country to pass four million coronavirus infections, setting a new record daily surge in cases on Saturday as the pandemic showed no sign of peaking. The new cases took India to 4,023,179 infections, third behind the United States which has more than 6.3 million and just trailing Brazil on 4.1 million. The growing caseload comes after the World Health Organization said it did not expect widespread immunisation against Covid-19 until mid-2021. The WHO also ruled out endorsing a vaccine that has not been proven safe and effective, over concerns around the rush to develop a jab for the virus. As governments around the world enforce measures to slow the virus, police in Australia -- which has reported 26,200 cases and 748 deaths -- arrested more than a dozen protesters in Melbourne on Saturday for deliberately flouting the city's stay-at-home orders. Several thousand people rallied in the main square of the Croatian capital Zagreb to protest against coronavirus curbs. They carried banners proclaiming: "Covid is a lie, we are not all covidiots," and "Take off the mask, turn off the TV, live a full life". About 1,000 protesters demonstrated in central Rome against the mandatory use of face masks. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte reacted frostily to the event, saying: "More than 274,000 ill and 35,000 dead. Full stop." India has eased restrictions in a bid to revive the economy but faces the world's fastest growing number of cases at more than 80,000 a day and the highest daily death toll at more than 1,000. The death toll now stands at 69,561. - Iran reopens schools - The country's caseload has soared from three to four million in just 13 days, faster than the US and Brazil. The pandemic is now spreading through rural areas that have poor health facilities but is also surging again in big cities like Delhi and Mumbai. Iran meanwhile reopened the school year Saturday after nearly six months, with about 15 million pupils returning to class, mostly remotely. Story continues Iran's outbreak is the deadliest in the Middle East with over 22,000 killed and more than 384,000 infected since February. President Hassan Rouhani appeared in a video to inaugurate the new academic year at a school -- a break with tradition that drew criticism. "Rouhani rang the bell (to start the school year) remotely, then he expects me to send my son in person?" reformist journalist Maziar Khosravi tweeted. - Work from home - Worldwide, Covid-19 has killed more than 875,000 people and infected more than 26 million, wreaking havoc on the global economy. Around the world, businesses and individuals are counting the cost of the pandemic, as flare-ups continue to force governments into imposing restrictions. France registered its highest daily figure on Friday since last March, as Paris and other cities start requiring face masks in all public areas -- indoors and outdoors -- including for children above 11 returning to school this week. Even in areas where curbs have eased, those who can work from home often prefer to keep doing so. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government is trying to encourage people to return to the office, but that is easier said than done. Oil giant BP has been actively encouraging non-frontline staff to work from home, with many of Barclays, HSBC and Lloyds banks staff also working remotely. However, some sectors have seen big gains with suppliers of personal protective equipment seeing orders rocket. Malaysian rubber glove manufacturer Top Glove said it now had orders for 11-12 billion a month, compared with 4.5 billion prior to the pandemic. And it does not appear that demand for such equipment is likely to vanish soon. The 83-year-old media tycoon had tested positive for coronavirus earlier this week after returning from a holiday at his luxury villa on Sardinia's jet-set Emerald Coast. burs-ach/jj Relatives and friends of Dijon Kizzee gather in Westmont, near West 109th Place and South Budlong Avenue, where the 29-year-old Black bicyclist was shot and killed this week by Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) Denise Nelson remembers when her Westmont neighborhood wasn't filled with liquor stores, storefront churches and abandoned buildings. There used to be a theater across the street from her bargain store near Imperial Highway and Vermont Avenue. The area was once home to a roller skating rink and thriving Black-owned businesses. Recent years have brought hard luck to the small South L.A. community of nearly 34,000 people wedged between the city of Los Angeles and Inglewood. This week, Dijon Kizzee, 29, was shot and killed by Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies, sparking protests and national headlines decrying excessive use of force against Black people, including George Floyd, Jacob Blake and Breonna Taylor. On May 26, another man was shot by sheriff's deputies on the same street as Kizzee. Deputies fired 19 rounds at Robert Avitia, 18, who was a suspect in a killing and had a handgun, authorities told coroner investigators. Residents in the area say they fear street violence and the potential for violence perpetrated by authorities. Their struggles are compounded by a decades-long lack of investment and resources, and the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic that has disproportionately affected Black and brown communities. Latex gloves left by emergency medical technicians litter the ground in Westmont where L.A. County sheriff's deputies killed Dijon Kizzee , 29. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) "It's like a forgotten city," said Kevin "Twin" Orange, a longtime gang intervention worker who was born and raised in Westmont. "All we got is candles where people have been killed at, abandoned buildings and motels and liquor stores." Recently, there's been a string of violence in the area. Alan Snipes, 42, was found on a sidewalk with gunshot wounds the morning of Aug. 4. On June 30, Derek Wilson, 61, was killed in his car. Two days earlier, Lorenzo Hall Jr., 27, and William Lay, 31, were shot hours apart. Kizzee was on a bike when he was flagged down for what the Sheriff's Department said was a vehicle code violation. Kizzee dropped his bicycle and ran. Deputies shot him after Kizzee dropped a jacket he was carrying and made "a motion toward" a gun that fell to the ground, sheriff's officials said. Story continues People who witnessed the killing said deputies kept firing at Kizzee after he collapsed to the ground. His family said he was a family-oriented man. On a recent afternoon, Gregory Brown and two friends sat outside an apartment building to relax after a long day of work. A breeze blew through the neighborhood as other residents sat on their porches, talking to one another. Brown said he's frustrated not only by the violence but years of injustice and the economic disadvantages that Black people have faced for hundreds of years. Relatives and friends of Dijon Kizzee gather at the site where Kizzee was killed. Recently, there's been a string of violence in the South L.A. neighborhood of Westmont that has left four men dead from gunshots. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) We survived the '80s, we went through that, Brown said. But now you got this pandemic and now you got the police you have to watch out for at the same time. Brown tries to set an example for his two sons. He votes because he wants them to vote when they grow up. Its the only way to change things, he said. The median household income in Westmont whose residents are 44% Black and 53% Latino is lower than other areas of South L.A. and the county as a whole, according to census figures. Only 6% of residents hold a bachelor's degree. In a 2018 L.A. County Department of Public Health report examining community disparities, Westmont ranked as one of the lowest in the county for life expectancy. "There's just structural and historical abandonment," said Alejandro Villalpando, a professor of Pan African and Latin American Studies at Cal State L.A. who grew up in the neighborhood and lives nearby. Villalpando recounted as a youth walking to Washington Preparatory High School to prepare for an SAT test and witnessing a shooting. At 19, sheriff's deputies pulled their guns on him while he was riding his bike in the neighborhood. Villalpando said at the heart of the problem is a lack of investment in recreation programs and mental health services, and what he calls "active disinvestment" in the community. People arent born to be shooting at people at 7 in the morning," Villalpando said. Thats not the order of things. Kala Patterson, a social worker at Westmont Counseling Center who runs a group for women, said people in the neighborhood experience structural racism, poverty and violence on a daily basis. People gather in the South L.A. neighborhood of Westmont on Budlong Avenue and face off with sheriff's deputies for hours after the deputy-involved shooting of Dijon Kizzee. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) "They've learned to function in a state of trauma," she said. Patterson said she's used to hearing ambulance sirens and the hum of helicopters during sessions. "You hear it every single day," she said. In recent years, there have been efforts to reinvest in the area. Plans are in place to redevelop a stretch of land near Vermont and Manchester avenues that has sat vacant since the 1992 civil unrest with a shopping center, boarding school for at-risk youth and affordable housing. A homeless shelter is scheduled to be built near the sheriff's station. And the Public Health Department has also launched an initiative to help stem violence and trauma. "We can't let the community give up on itself," said Mark Ridley-Thomas, a county supervisor whose district includes Westmont. Besides the other efforts, his office has also planted trees and is working to build a small park. "We've gone in and tried to make a number of things happen," he said. Los Angeles Sheriff's Capt. Duane Allen said before this year, the area had seen a record low number of shootings before a surge this summer. Budget cuts in the department slashed additional summer patrols and a youth program. We dont have extra people to engage the community," Allen said. A sign with a photograph of slain 16-year-old Anthony Weber is held up during an emergency town hall meeting of the sheriff's Civilian Oversight Commission in February 2018 to discuss the deputy-involved shooting that killed Weber. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Demetra Johnson, whose son Anthony Weber, 16, was shot and killed by deputies in 2018 in the neighborhood, said the changes haven't come soon enough. Relations between the Sheriff's Department and community are tense, she said. That much was visible on a wall and building not far from where Kizzee was killed. Graffiti spelled out expletives and the word sheriffs" was crossed out. When Kizzee was killed this week, Johnson joined other demonstrators in a march to the South Los Angeles sheriff's station. She said Kizzee was a patron at the market she runs. "It's just heartbreaking," she said of another police shooting in the neighborhood she's called home since 1983. Johnson worries about her 14-year-old son. She says she's lucky that he prefers playing video games to going outside to play. When Alani Snipes, a 22-year-old mother of two, saw signs in the area listing local landmarks such as Los Angeles Southwest College, she was disheartened: The streets are in need of repairs. Schools lack decent equipment. It felt, Snipes said, as if officials are pretending that crime, murder and police killings are not occurring in the area. "The things that truly matter are not given the time and effort as they should," she said. Paint peels off commercial buildings along Normandie Avenue in Westmont. In recent years, there have been efforts to reinvest in the area, including plans to redevelop vacant land with a shopping center, boarding school for at-risk youth and affordable housing. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) Snipes, who lives near the sheriff's station, said she thought her proximity to law enforcement meant safety. Last month, her father, Allan Snipes, was killed while on a morning walk. The shooting of Kizzee left her thinking that police officers need better training. Police reform is needed, she said, and it's an issue that must be spearheaded by local officials. "You have to nourish the people in order to nourish the city and they don't see that," she said. Nelson, who owns Connaisseurs Bargain Store in Westmont, is working to improve conditions. She runs A Step Above Your Vision, a nonprofit that provides transitional housing and life skills to homeless people. She mentors young women in the area. She wants to add a juice bar and sandwich shop in her store. Her dream is to one day open up a homeless shelter and resource center next door. Her goals are an attempt to bring something to the community she thinks is needed: a message of hope. "I'm trying to be a good example for people," she said. "I'm trying to show what they can do." Times staff writer Sandhya Kambhampati contributed to this report. A university students union has banned drag-themed parties, claiming the events make a mockery of transgender people. Students at Aberystwyth University in Wales have been told not to dress up as the opposite gender for nights out, unless the event is designed to celebrate the LGBT community. Students union officials said drag socials are "usually about members of random groups dressing up as the opposite gender in a general way that has the intention of being as funny as possible. Aberystwyths LGBT society, AberPride, said it supported the ban as most student drag nights make "a mockery of trans women and the trans femme experience. Often cisgender (and frequently heterosexual) males will take drag socials as an opportunity to ridicule trans people, and AberPride will not stand by and accept that, the society told student news site The Tab. Aberystwyth University said exceptions to the ban would be made on a case-by-case basis / AFP via Getty Images Students must consider a range of angles and factors to ensure maximum inclusivity if they wish to be exempt from the ban, an Aberystwyth students union spokesman said. Drag usually involves males wearing make-up and clothing to present as females, and some universities have drag societies and charity drag catwalk events. Nights out will be severely restricted when students return to campus this month due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Aberystwyth students union said groups dressing up as the opposite gender as a general fancy dress theme should not be called drag as this could be deemed offensive. Several universities have outlawed fancy dress forms in recent years. Earlier this year, Oxford Universitys students union urged students to avoid highly gendered themes such as vicars and tarts or pimps and hoes for fears non-binary students could be affected. Guidance published by the body in January also warned against culturally appropriative party themes like Cowboy and Indian because it could leave ethnic minority students feeling excluded, mocked or distressed, and urged against stereotype-driven themes such as fox hunting. Sheffield Universitys students union urged students not to wear sombreros for Halloween 2019, warning such cultural appropriation could mock or demean another persons race, culture or disability. Given the recent run-up, some caution is warranted, however, we would not recommend completely staying away from the markets. At the same time, we do believe that the broader market can potentially outperform largecaps this year owing to better growth visibility and valuation comfort, Ajit Mishra, VP Research at Religare Broking said in an interview to Moneycontrol's Sunil Shankar Matkar. Edited excerpts: Q: Do you think one should stay away from market now given the expensive valuations and the economy is yet to show major signs of growth? Given the recent run-up, some caution is warranted however we would not recommend completely staying away from the markets. Investors should see probable correction as an opportunity to invest in companies that offer value and have sound fundamentals. Also, the government and central bank not only in India but across the globe are swayed more towards reviving the economy and we expect the announced measures would starting yielding results in the coming quarters. Q: Some experts are saying the rally seen in midcap and smallcaps is largely driven by few stocks. Do you feel so? If yes then when can we see the broader rally? Also will it be a year of Midcap and Smallcap over Largecaps? To answer this, we've analysed the performance of the stocks in Midcap and Smallcap index on multiple time frames. In the first case, we checked the calendar year performance and data is marginally skewed towards the stocks giving negative side. However, the scenario is completely different if we see the performance from the March lows as most stocks have posted exceptional returns. After the phenomenal run, we believe investors should now maintain caution and be more selective in this space. In the past instances, we had seen carnage in midcap and smallcap stocks due to deteriorating fundamentals and corporate governance issue so it's prudent to focus on companies offering decent value, have strong corporate governance and healthy growth prospects. At the same time, we do believe that the broader market can potentially outperform largecaps this year, owing to better growth visibility and valuation comfort. Q: Do you think liquidity, the major driver for rally so far, is the key risk for market? Also what are other risks which one should consider while looking at investment in equity? The liquidity risk is certainly there but we do not see it materialising any time soon, taking cues from the US Fed latest commentary. However, there're certain aspects which we feel that investors should know and plan their investments accordingly. The recent run-up in anticipation of growth has taken market valuations to another level, which may turn out to be a key risk, if the COVID situation worsens further and revival takes more time than anticipated. We've also observed that several stocks have managed to gain noticeable traction especially in the midcap and small cap space, without having any fundamental backing. Globally, the geopolitical tension and upcoming US elections may also result in volatile swings in the coming months and derail the prevailing recovery trend. Investors should plan their strategy while keeping in mind all these potential risks. Q: Lot of brokerages tied up with global investment firms like Vested Finance to give their customers opportunity to invest in global stocks like Apple, Amazon, Facebook etc. But do you think these stocks look expensive now as majority of global markets are either at all-time highs or near to that? Also is it really a great opportunity? Stocks like Apple, Amazon, Facebook etc. have been driving the recovery in the US market. Further, they have a good robust business model, prudent management and steady financial which helps to drive through the crisis. Importantly, they're benefiting from the recent situation, thanks to the unprecedented rise in the online activities and work from home theme playing out well for them. These stocks thus command a premium and trade at a high valuation and we feel this trend would continue in the future as well. However, they could see some correction after the phenomenal rally and investors should take this as an opportunity to gradually invest with a long term horizon. The opportunity to invest in these stocks would help investors to diversify their risk further and participate in global growth stories, which were not accessible to them earlier. Q: Banking & financials gained the momentum again after a lull of more than a month. Should one start looking at investing in banking & financials stocks? We believe that the banking pack would play a critical role in the next leg of the upmove in the market as we're seeing the fear of rising NPA subsiding with the reopening of the economy. Also, successful fundraising activities have further strengthened their positioning to tackle possible challenges in the future. We thus advise investors to gradually invest in private banking names such as the HDFC group, Kotak Mahindra Bank, ICICI Bank as they have strong management, good long term growth plans, decent financials and improving asset quality. In the PSU pack, we prefer SBI and suggest avoiding others until there is some improvement in financials as well as asset quality. Q: Do you really see strong momentum in primary market in coming months as many experts said lot of IPOs are going to hit Dalal Street in next few months? As per industry sources, there are around 30+ IPOs that have received approvals and several companies like Happiest Minds, UTI AMC, Route Mobile, CAMS, etc have already lined up. With the improvement in the market sentiments and strong listing of recent IPOs (Rossari Biotech and Mindspace Business REIT), we are hopeful that we'll continue to see the buzz in the primary market in the coming months as well. : 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. has reversed itself on a recall to fix a defect that could cause engine fires and is now telling owners of more than 200,000 vehicles to park them outdoors until repairs are made. The company, along with affiliated South Korean automaker Kia, on Thursday said they were recalling over 600,000 vehicles in the US and Canada to fix a brake fluid leak that could cause the fires. initially said it was OK for its vehicles to be parked indoors. The recalls cover 203,000 Santa Fe SUVs from 2013 to 2015. Also included are over 440,000 Kia Optima midsize sedans from 2013 through 2015 and Kia Sorento SUVs from 2014 and 2015. Hyundai spokesman Michael Stewart said the company's North America safety team met on Friday and decided that the Santa Fes should not be parked in garages. After further review, it was determined that out of an abundance of caution, customers should park the vehicles outside until the recall is completed, Stewart said. The recalls cover 203,000 Hyundai Santa Fe SUVs from 2013 to 2015. Also included are over 440,000 Kia Optima midsize sedans from 2013 through 2015 and Kia Sorento SUVs from 2014 and 2015. A message was left Friday seeking comment from Kia on whether it also recommends the vehicles be parked outside. The automakers said in paperwork released on Thursday by US safety regulators that brake fluid can leak inside a hydraulic control unit for the anti-lock brakes, possibly causing an electrical short that can lead to fires. Kia's recall will start on October 15, while Hyundai's will start October 23. Dealers for both will inspect the control units for leaks and replace them if needed at no cost to owners. In company documents posted on Thursday by US safety regulators, Hyundai said it had 15 reports of engine fires caused by the fluid leaks, while Kia said it had eight. Hyundai said it's not aware of any injuries, and Kia said it had none. Hyundai said earlier that if the anti-lock brake warning light comes on, owners should not drive their vehicles and should contact a dealer. If there's a warning light, owners also should disconnect the 12-volt battery by removing the positive cable, the company said. Hyundai documents said the company received its first complaint about an engine fire in a 2014 Santa Fe in April of 2018, and it started an investigation. Kia began investigating after getting a complaint of a melted control unit in a 2015 Sorento last February. The recalls are the latest in a series of engine fire problems that have plagued the two automakers and have touched off investigations by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Hyundai said the latest recall is not related to the previous recalls or the US investigations. Engine failure and fire problems with Hyundais and Kias have affected more than 6 million vehicles since 2015, according to NHTSA documents. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 07:05:50|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- More than half-million absentee ballots, the first ballots of the 2020 U.S. presidential election, have left elections offices en route to voters who have requested them across the southern state of North Carolina, a spokesman for the North Carolina Board of Elections said on Friday. Over 643,000 North Carolinians have requested ballots so far this year, and hundreds of thousands more are likely to do so in the 60 days remaining before the Nov. 3 elections, according to a The Hill report. State data showed Democratic voters are requesting ballots at more than three times the rate of Republican voters. The figure far exceeds the previous presidential contest. At this point in 2016, just 38,871 voters had asked for their absentee ballots, said the report. The number of U.S. voters who cast ballots by mail has roughly doubled this century, from about 10 percent in the 2000 election to about 21 percent in 2016, according to data compiled by University of Florida political scientist Michael McDonald. That number is expected to explode this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Up to 44 million voters in nine states and the District of Columbia will have their ballots automatically mailed to their homes. Another 118 million voters live in 34 states that, like North Carolina, allow no-excuse absentee voting. Enditem EDWARDSVILLE Madison County States Attorney Tom Gibbons has offered a public response to a lawsuit filed by fired former Madison County Information Technology Director Rob Dorman. Dorman filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against Gibbons on Tuesday, claiming Gibbons was not providing information Dorman was seeking about Gibbons 2016 campaign. Dorman was fired earlier this year after an investigation into allegations that he was computer spying on other county officials and judges. The States Attorneys Office answers hundreds of Freedom of Information Act requests, including countless requests from this individual, Gibbons said Friday in a released statement. We take very seriously our responsibility to be transparent to the public because we work for the citizens of Madison County. Unfortunately, this is a disgruntled former county employee who is constantly looking to blame anyone but himself for his termination, Gibbons said. He currently has multiple pending lawsuits against current or former county officials, and this is just one more. Gibbons said details about Dormans termination are available in investigative documents released at Dormans insistence. Ironically, once he caused the details of the investigation to become publicly known to the (Madison) County Board, he was one of two top administration officials terminated by a vote of 26-1, Gibbons said. Gibbons said Dormans FOIA request was, in part, duplicative of other prior requests Gibbons has already answered. He said Dormans request contained such generic terms that it would have required a full legal review of more than 750,000 emails going back years none of which contain any use of pubic email by the states attorneys office for political or fundraising purposes, Gibbons said. This is simply a fishing expedition by a disgruntled former employee who continues to waste taxpayer money with his frivolous lawsuits and FOIA requests, Gibbons said in his release. As with all cases, we will continue to fulfill our legal obligations and respond fully once we have been served with process and will defend the matter vigorously. TROY The family of a Troy nursing home resident who died during a recent coronavirus outbreak is calling for the state to take a deeper look into the facility's handling of the crisis after it was revealed that an employee who worked at the site of another local outbreak may have carried the virus in. The employee in question worked as a nurse at both the Troy Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing and the Diamond Hill nursing home in Schaghticoke, which had an outbreak of COVID-19 earlier this year and periodic cases since. The employee allegedly did not disclose to the Troy Center that they also worked for Diamond Hill, said Eileen Riley, an ombudsman for the Troy Center. But Denise Benoit, the niece of 91-year-old Rita Drozdzal, who died Aug. 8 after becoming infected at the Troy Center, said she questions whether the facility really didnt know about the employees other job. It seems very convenient for the organization to blame it on an individual not disclosing their full employment, Benoit said. A spokesperson for the facility did not directly respond when asked to confirm if the employee had withheld this information. Rather, Jeffrey Jacomowitz said that for per diem employees like this one it has been traditionally our policy that we cannot limit the earning potential for these employees since they have to take care of their families. Nursing homes pay nurses and nurse aides less than hospitals, with aides' salaries near the minimum wage. Direct care staff often work multiple jobs to make ends meet. Rich Crist, director of operations for Rensselaer County, said the Riverside Center in Castleton also experienced an outbreak this summer that appeared to stem from someone with multiple nursing home jobs, and said the county nursing home prohibits outside employment for this reason. They dont do that at these other (homes) and we see a lot of cross-exposure, he said. A lot of these people migrate from job to job. I mean, all of these places have been on lockdown since March. How else is the virus getting in? Troy Center outbreak The outbreak at Troy Center was first reported publicly on July 30 after the county health department said 22 residents of the facility had tested positive in the previous 24 hours. But the actual origin of the outbreak remains unclear. The county, facility and state Health Department have all provided different dates for the first cases at the home. Jacomowitz, who serves as spokesperson for the homes parent company, Centers Health Care, said the facility was alerted to positive test results among residents on July 29. He did not respond to a question about when the first staff case occurred but said the facility was notified that the Diamond Hill employee had tested positive for the virus on July 24 six days after the test was administered. Our labs are inundated with specimens, therefore they had been delayed, he said. Nursing homes are required to test staff weekly for the virus in an effort to curb its spread. But the number of tests that must be processed has led to backlogs at laboratories. Another Centers facility the Essex Center in Elizabethtown saw the virus spread unchecked for over two weeks because of a 19-day turnaround delay. As of Wednesday, 88 people associated with the home had been infected and six had died, local media reported. Jacomowitz said the Troy Center responds proactively and quickly after a positive case is discovered among employees, and works with the state to test all residents after each occurrence. Once the facility identifies a COVID positive employee, the centers responsibility is to immediately remove the staff according to local and state mandatory quarantining per the Department of Health, he said. Additionally, according to the guidelines, employees are not allowed to return to work until a negative test is provided. By the time the facility says it learned of the Diamond Hill case, the employee had been working with residents while infected for at least six days. Benoit and her cousin Mary Ann Berghela say theyre mystified by this timeline. The very first communication they received from the home about a positive case came July 30 six days after the facility learned of the positive Diamond Hill employee. While nursing homes are required to notify families of cases among residents within 24 hours, they are only encouraged to acknowledge cases among staff, said Jeffrey Hammond, a spokesperson for the state Department of Health. Whether the center complied with the resident notification requirement is also in question. County officials say they were first notified of a positive case among residents on July 25. Hammond, meanwhile, said the state was first informed that a resident had tested positive on July 27, and went to the facility the next day to assist with testing. Benoit and Berghela told the Times Union they received a call from the home July 28 seeking permission to test their aunt for COVID-19 as part of a routine sweep. No one said anything about positive cases at the facility, they said, and Benoit was told there was no cause for alarm. Benoit said she learned the home was battling a large outbreak two days later when she saw it on the news. "I immediately contacted the home and was glibly informed that Rita had tested positive for COVID," she said. I asked why we had not been contacted and was told that her results came in very late at night. Official communication in the form of a letter arrived Aug. 1, she said. On July 30, Benoit said her aunts medical provider (who was not affiliated with the home) called to let her know they had given Drozdzal an X-ray to see if she had pneumonia. Again, there was no communication regarding the results, Benoit said, adding that she called the facility two days later to find out and was told her aunt had pneumonia. Ritas medical care In the days to come, both Benoit and Berghela who were Drozdzals health care proxies said the facility never initiated contact with them to provide updates on their aunts status. Whenever Benoit called for updates, she said she was told her aunt was resting comfortably, had good oxygenation levels, and had no symptoms other than a loss of interest in food and drink. She had also been placed on an IV cocktail of saline, antibiotics and blood thinner for the pneumonia. I asked if she needed to be in a hospital, and they informed me that she was fine and being treated in-house, Benoit said. Benoit said that when she called again on Aug. 7 the facility told her the same thing that her aunt was comfortable and didnt require hospitalization. They said her oxygenation level had dipped slightly, but indicated there was nothing to worry about and said they had begun providing her aunt with mouth care a form of palliative care that can reduce the risk of aspiration in pneumonia patients. The next day, Benoit and Berghela got a call just after 5 a.m. informing them Drozdzal had died. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. We were absolutely shocked, Benoit said. There had been no indication that it was dire. The family questions why Drozdzal wasnt seen by a physician or transferred to a hospital in the days leading up to her death. According to her death certificate, the last time Drozdzal was seen by a physician was nine days earlier on July 30 the day she was diagnosed with COVID-19. Asked why Drozdzal wasnt seen by a physician closer to her death, Jacomowitz said Drozdzal did not have an acute illness that required a physician visit prior to her 30-day routine visit. Her underlying diagnosis included hypertension and heart failure, which initiated a comfort care status from her family members, he said. Comfort Care care plan status indicates care measures that are less aggressive and oral food and fluids will be given as tolerated and/or as desired." He also said she had a physicians order that included a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR), Do Not Intubate (DNI) and Do Not Hospitalize (DNH) order. Benoit disputed that her aunt had a DNH order. As her health care proxy she would have known, she said. At the time we put the DNI/DNR order in place, just after she entered the home, it was contentious in the family whether to even put that into place, as we had a family member who objected to that, she explained. We finally convinced him that if she had a heart attack, we would see that as God's will. But absolutely no DNH from the family. She said the issue even came up when the medical provider called to inform her they would be X-raying her aunt for pneumonia. She said, Well, you know shes DNI/DNR, and I said Im aware of that but that doesnt mean dont treat. That doesnt mean dont give antibiotics. It doesnt mean if she needs to be hospitalized dont hospitalize her. She also questioned how her aunt could have had underlying hypertension or heart failure without her proxies knowing. She was elderly and 91, so she wasn't skipping across campus," Benoit said. "But she was healthy, not on any medications or anything like that. She didnt deserve to die that way. State investigates A total of eight residents have died at the Troy Center, the most recent announced Saturday, according to figures kept by the county. The county has also recorded 31 resident and six staff infections at the home as of Aug. 24. The state Department of Health says it conducted two unannounced inspections at the facility this summer one on June 11 and one on July 28 but declined to share the results. Hammond said the department has been working with the facility since it first learned of the positive staff case. He also said the department is investigating a complaint against the facility, but declined to describe the nature of the complaint or whether it was related to the facilitys handling of the outbreak, citing an ongoing investigation. Every complaint is kept confidential, and at the conclusion of every investigation the outcome is shared with the complainant, Hammond said. Individuals who have a complaint or concern about a nursing home should contact the Centralized Complaint Intake directly at 1-888-201-4563, so appropriate action can be taken. Drozdzal, who never married or had children of her own, was beloved and cared for by many nieces and nephews, her family said. They moved her into the Troy Center in 2017 after police found her wandering the streets in winter without a coat, unsure of where home was or how to get there. In Drozdzals obituary, Benoit described her aunts death as senseless and urged people to remember her situation when voting in the election this fall. In her view, the federal government's failure to take the virus seriously contributed to the widespread contagion in communities and nursing homes. "I believe the vulnerable people at the mercy of these nursing homes, and their families who care for them, deserve better communication regarding their care, deserve to be treated by a physician when they are ill, and deserve better than my aunt was given," she said. Here are todays top news, analysis and opinion at 5 PM. Know all about the latest news and other updates from Hindustan Times. PM must explain: Chidambaram targets govt on Covid-19, economy I had predicted that total number of infections will reach 55 lakh by September 30. I am wrong. India will reach that number by September 20. By end September, the number may touch 65 lakh, Chidambaram said in a series of tweets. Read more Situation under control in Delhi, spike in Covid-19 cases due to increased testing: CM Kejriwal Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said the Covid-19 situation in the national capital is totally under control despite the recent spike in daily cases, and urged people not to hesitate to go out and get tested. Read more Must continue talks to ensure full restoration of peace: Rajnath Singh to Chinese defence minister Defence minister Rajnath Singh held frank and in-depth discussions with his Chinese counterpart General Wei Fenghe on Friday over the border stand-off along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh as well as on India-China relations. Read here Jacob Blake pleads not guilty to charges prior to Kenosha shooting Jacob Blake, the 29-year-old Black man whose shooting by a white police officer in Kenosha, Wisconsin, reignited nationwide protests over racism and police brutality, pleaded not guilty on Friday to criminal charges filed prior to the shooting. Read more Every woman who is with relatively more successful man isnt a gold digger: Taapsee Pannu Actor Taapsee Pannu is calling out the treatment meted out to actor Rhea Chakraborty online. Rhea was the girlfriend of late actor Sushant Singh Rajput and is accused of abetment to suicide by his family. Read more These are the top ten selling cars in August Marutis dominance in the top selling cars in India is a no-brainer. As many as seven of them are expectedly on the list, including some of the models which have been ruling the segment for years. Read more How an animator created creepy yet fascinating video of himself sitting inside his eyeball Kevin Parry shared a video which shows himself sitting inside his own eyeball, and its absolutely intriguing to watch. However, its not just that video which has now enthralled people. Read more Man, his car swept away by flash flood in UPs Mathura A man and his car were swept away by flash flood in Uttar Pradesh. The scary incident took place in Uttar Pradeshs Mathura. According to locals, the man is a police inspector and had come to drop a girl. Read more The Lok Sabha Secretariat made clear that Question Hour has been temporarily done away with to avoid assembling of a large number of officials in galleries of the house in view of the need for social distancing. The Lok Sabha Secretariat on Friday clarified that Question Hour has been temporarily done away with to avoid assembling of a large number of officials in galleries of the house in view of the need for social distancing.It was decided to do away temporarily with Question Hour due to extraordinary situation caused by COVID and to avoid assembling of large number officials in galleries of the House during Question Hour in view of the need for social distancing, Lok Sabha Secretariat said in a press note. The Lok Sabha Secretariat further said that the change is only for the monsoon session and the Question hour will be back in the winter session. Holding Question Hour for one or two days is totally different from having it continuously for 18 days. This change is only for the monsoon session and the government has made it clear that the Question Hour will be back in the winter session, the LS secretariat said. It further clarified that the government will reply to 1,120 questions every week. Every day, the government will be giving written replies to 160 Unstarred Questions in the upcoming session. This effectively means the government will reply to 1,120 questions every week, the Lok Sabha Secretariat said. The Lok Sabha Secretariat further said: Since March 2020 assembly sessions ranging from 1-3 days were held in Andhra Pradesh (June 16-18), Kerala (August 24), Punjab (August 28), Rajasthan (3 sittings between August 14-21), Uttar Pradesh (August 20-22). It is learnt that there will not be a question hour in state assemblies of Maharashtra and West Bengal which are slated to meet in near future. ALSO READ: NCW chief seeks arrest of Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik for threatening Kangana Ranaut There will be no question hour in the monsoon session of Parliament, which is scheduled to begin from September 14 and only zero hour will be allowed, sources have confirmed. During zero hour, parliamentarians can raise matters of great importance without the mandatory 10 days advance notice. The question hour is the first hour of a sitting in which Members of Parliament ask questions from ministers. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi had earlier said that he has requested Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu to keep the duration of the zero hour at 30 minutes.However, he said that the Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha Chairman will take the final decision regarding the zero hour.Opposition parties are raising questions regarding question hour and zero hour. Arjun Ram Meghwal, V Muraleedharan and I had spoken to every party regarding this and except for TMCs Derek OBrien, everyone agreed (to scrap question hour), Joshi told ANI on September 2. I have suggested to Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha Chairman to keep the duration of the zero hour at 30 minutes. They will take the final decision. Govt is ready to have discussions on every issue. We have also requested the Speaker to take unstarred questions, he said. According to official bulletins by Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, there will be no question hour and private members business in both Houses of Parliament in the monsoon session amid coronavirus pandemic. The monsoon session of Parliament is scheduled to begin from September 14 and conclude on October 1, without any day off.Both the Houses of Parliament will sit for four hours daily adhering to coronavirus precautionary measures.On the first day of the session on September 14, the Lower House will meet from 9 AM to 1 PM and sitting in the Upper House will be held from 3 PM to 7 PM. On subsequent days, proceedings in Rajya Sabha will be held from 9 AM till 1 PM while the time for Lok Sabha sittings has been fixed from 3 PM to 7 PM. ALSO READ: With highest single-day spike of over 86k cases, Indias Covid-19 tally breaches 40L mark STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- As police officers responded to one shooting then another during a summer that saw a surge in gun violence on the North Shore, the detectives searching for the gunmen never stopped pursuing justice, Assistant Chief Kenneth Corey, the NYPD borough commander, told the Advance/SILive.com. That is how, in a span of several days this week, police were able to arrest six suspects wanted in connection with five shootings or shots-fired incidents within the confines of the 120th Precinct. Ive said many times before that we are fortunate in Staten Island to have the best detectives and police officers in the world. The women and men in the 120th Precinct Detective Squad are relentless in their pursuit of justice, Corey said. These arrests were made based on the hard work of a team of dedicated, talented investigators from the 120th Precinct Detective Squad led by Lieutenant Justin Farren and the Staten Island Homicide Squad led by Lieutenant Joseph Perrotto, with support from the Violent Crimes Squad. Staten Island Borough Commander Asst. Chief Kenneth Corey at the Police Officer of the Month ceremony on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2019. (Staten Island Advance/Shira Stoll) A LOOK AT THE INCIDENTS On Thursday, police apprehended Michael Lewis, 19, after he allegedly shot his girlfriend, also 19, in the leg in West Brighton several days earlier. About 24 hours later, Staten Island police officers were able to make three additional arrests, one of which took them as far as Pennsylvania. That suspect, whose name has not been released yet, was sought in the fatal shooting of Barry Moultrie, 35, near the intersection of Castleton Avenue and Barker Street in West Brighton on July 22 at around 11:25 a.m. Moultrie, a father of five, was shot in his torso and succumbed to his injuries after being transported to Richmond University Medical Center in West Brighton, police said. Police were able track down the individual with the help of the Fugitive Task Force, which investigated possible locations where the suspect could have been until he eventually had no more places to hide, Corey said. They use a variety of methods, Corey said. They end up hitting a few locations and coming up empty. As the net tightens around him, he has fewer and fewer places to run. Two teens were also arrested and charged on Friday. A 16-year-old boy, whose name has not been released because of his age, was arrested after he allegedly shot a man on July 26 at approximately 3:30 p.m. outside of 225 Park Hill Ave. in Clifton, police said. The boy is facing several charges including attempted murder, according to police. Daniel Falcon, 18, was also arrested Friday after he allegedly fired several shots near the intersection of Alaska Street and Castleton Avenue in West Brighton on Aug. 18, activating ShotSpotter technology in the area, a spokesman for the NYPD said. No one was injured in the incident. An additional two individuals were taken into custody earlier this week in another shots-fired incident in the Park Hill section of Clifton, but their identifications are not being released due to investigative reasons. Many of these cases, weve had a very good idea from the get-go whos responsible, and its a matter of building as strong a case for the district attorney to prosecute, Corey explained. Locating witnesses, getting witnesses to cooperate, getting victims to cooperate. SHOOTINGS QUIETED DOWN IN AUGUST While almost half of all the shootings on Staten Island this year occurred from mid-June through the end of July when there were 13 incidents reported, cops responded to only one incident through the first 30 days of August, according to the NYPDs CompStat figures. Staten Island was the only borough in New York City that saw a decrease in shootings that month, the NYPD announced. With a team like this, it should come as no surprise that the 120th Precinct Detective Squads case clearance rate is consistently among the best in the city, Corey said. The police officers and detectives all across Staten Island are out there each and every day and night working to keep people safe, and I could not be more proud and grateful of their efforts. The city overall experienced a whopping 166% increase in the number of shootings with 242 incidents last month compared to 91 in August 2019, police said. Homicides in the city were up 47% last month, with 53 deaths compared to 36 in August 2019, according to the NYPD. The growingly unstable and dangerously unpredictable situation in the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding regions of the latter has been further aggravated by increasingly more provocations by the Armenian side. As EurActiv writes, emboldened by the military support it enjoys from its external patrons, Armenia has even started attacking the units of the Azerbaijani army in the territories beyond the occupied region as exemplified in the July 2020 clashes between the two sides in the Tovuz region of Azerbaijan. In a few weeks following this escalation, Armenians made another provocative move by promoting illegal settlements in the occupied territories of Nagorno-Karabakh and beyond that are recognized internationally as belonging to Azerbaijan. On 5 August, after the explosion in Beirut, Lebanon, Armenian media reported a decision by the leader of Armenias subordinate regime in Nagorno-Karabakh Arayik Harutyunyan to immigrate Lebanese Armenians of 100 150 families. Towards the end of August, 2 families have reportedly arrived in the region and been provided with necessary living conditions by the local authorities. The Armenians living abroad are seen as the favourite people for this purpose, as local Armenians protest the proposals to allow the inflow of other nations to their strikingly monoethnic and remarkably nationalist society, even though this is supported by the government as a possible remedy to the domestic demographic crisis. The immigration of Armenians based in foreign countries is part of Armenias policy to populate the occupied territories to consolidate the occupation and create a fait accompli for the future negotiations on the status of the region. Bako Sahakyan, Harutyunyans predecessor, had determined the expansion of the settlements in the adjacent territories around Nagorno-Karabakh as a priority for 2017 2020. In 2018, for the first time, funds ($800,000) from the budget of the occupational regime were allocated to populate and develop new settlements in this region. Azerbaijan has long warned that Armenia, violating the internationally-accepted laws and norms, including the Geneva Convention of 1949 and its Additional Protocols, builds settlements in the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding regions, although according to the international law, states that seize a territory of another state by force are not allowed to populate that territory with their own citizens. These concerns have been confirmed by the fact-finding missions of the OSCE in 2005 and 2010 and satellite imagery of the settlements. The fact-finding mission of the OSCE into the occupied territories between 30 January and 5 February reported evidence of the new settlements in the occupied territories. The Co-Chairmen of OSCE Minsk Group, an international body tasked with the mediation of the resolution of the Armenia Azerbaijan conflict, emphasized that [p]rolonged continuation of this situation could lead to a fait accompli that would seriously complicate the peace process. They discourage[d] any further settlement of the occupied territories of Azerbaijan and urge[d] the parties [] to avoid changes in the demographic structure of the region, which would make more difficult any future efforts to achieve a negotiated settlement. In a similar vein to the four resolutions (1993) of the UN Security Council that demanded immediate withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, the call of the OSCEs Minsk Group for the suspension of the settlements failed to affect the process. The Minsk Group, in another fact-finding mission from 7 to 12 October 2010, discovered developments detrimental to the peace process including new illegal settlements by ethnic Armenians. Revealing the settlement of around 14,000 Armenians in the occupied seven districts of Azerbaijan, they urged Armenians [] to avoid any activities in the territories [] that would prejudice a final settlement or change the character of these areas. Azerbaijan sees the construction of new settlements in the occupied territories as another testimony of the deliberate efforts towards creating a new demographic situation on the ground and preventing the return of the Azerbaijani displaced persons to their homes. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan asserts that Armenia must be held accountable for its illegal activities in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan which has been named so by numerous international organizations, including the European Course on Human Rights. The Courts resolution in 2015 ruled that Armenia exercises effective control over the occupied region of Azerbaijan and is responsible for them under the European Human Rights Convention. Nevertheless, the major states and international organizations that hold the power to affect the process and help the de-occupation of Azerbaijani territories seem reluctant to take action. This happens against the backdrop of the loud criticism and practical measures by those states in the case of, for instance, the settlements of Israel in the Palestinian territories. Not only do such inconsistent international policies and the maintenance of double standards threaten the international peace and security, but also ultimately legalize the illegal activities and encourage others to reach their unlawful objectives through the use of force and violation of international law and norms. This is therefore important for all the states and international organizations to take a strong position against Armenias settlements in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan and demand its leaders to put an end to the creeping expropriation of these territories. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-06 05:12:46|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CAIRO, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Iran and Russia will cooperate to produce a COVID-19 vaccine in the Islamic republic as COVID-19 cases in Iran surged to 384,666 on Saturday. Meanwhile, an Iraqi health official warned that the citizens should not play down the seriousness of the coronavirus as 4,644 daily new infections were reported. Iran, the hardest-hit country in the Middle East region, reported 1,894 new cases, bringing the total number of infections to 384,666. The pandemic has so far claimed 22,154 lives in Iran, up by 110 in the past 24 hours. A total of 332,131 coronavirus patients have recovered, with 3,708 still in critical condition. The announcement of Iran-Russia cooperation on producing a coronavirus vaccine was made on Friday at the online meeting between Kazem Jalali, Iran's ambassador to Moscow and Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of Russian Direct Investment Fund, Iranian semi-official FARS news agency reported on Saturday. Jalali called for further health and medical cooperation between the two countries. In Iraq, 4,644 COVID-19 cases were reported during the day, bringing the total nationwide infections to 256,719. The death toll rose to 7,422 with the addition of 63 new fatalities, while 3,891 more patients recovered in the day, bringing the total number of recoveries to 195,259. "The lack of compliance of the citizens will increase the number of infections and make the ministry to stop at a certain stage because our health institutions have a limited capacity and this will also lead to an increase in deaths," Ryadh Abdul-Amir, head of Iraqi Public Health Department in the Health Ministry, said in a press release. Saudi Arabia announced 791 new cases and 34 more deaths, raising the tally of confirmed infections to 319,932 and the death toll to 4,049. The kingdom also reported 779 more recovered patients, taking the total recoveries to 295,842. The total number of COVID-19 cases in Turkey climbed by 1,673 to 278,228, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca tweeted. The death toll from the coronavirus in the country rose to 6,620 after 56 new fatalities were added in the past 24 hours, Koca said, adding that the total recoveries increased to 250,092. In Qatar, 227 new cases of coronavirus infections were detected, increasing the total number to 119,864, including 202 deaths and 116,780 recoveries. In Israel, 2,517 new COVID-19 cases were recorded, taking the tally of coronavirus infections to 128,936. The death toll of the virus in Israel increased to 1,007 while the recoveries rose to 101,481. The country will soon impose a full nationwide closure because of the recent jump in coronavirus morbidity, Israeli Interior Minister Aryeh Deri told Channel 12 TV news on Saturday. Kuwait reported 720 new cases, taking the country's total number of infections to 88,963, of whom 540 have died and 79,903 recovered. In Morocco, the tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 70,160 after 1,555 new cases were added, which included 1,329 fatalities and 53,929 recoveries. Algeria reported 298 new COVID-19 cases and 10 more deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total infection cases to 46,071 and the death toll to 1,549, while 222 more patients were newly discharged from hospitals, increasing the total recoveries to 32,481. Palestine reported 433 new coronavirus cases, raising the tally of infections in the Palestinian territories to 33,250, including 199 deaths. In the mean time, Hamas-run Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip warned of the increase in the infections "because the residents do not abide by the precautionary instructions." In Lebanon, the number of COVID-19 infections increased by 531 to 20,011, while the death toll went up by four to 187. Sudan's nationwide coronavirus infections surged to 13,407 with 218 new ones, including 6,725 recoveries and 832 deaths. Enditem To get a sense of how low the Biden campaign is going to go in its quest to oust President Trump, the Atlantic hit job from Thursday is a pretty good indicator. The evidence is piling up that the easily refutable, anonymously sourced so-called story, claiming that President Trump disparaged veterans, wasn't really an Atlantic news story at all; it was a coordinated hit job involving the press, Democratic operatives, and associated leftist groups connected to the military, executed with impeccable timing. The Atlantic is building a name for itself for its uncorrected false stories, and this one's not at all different. First, Jeffrey Goldberg's Atlantic story came out Thursday, claiming that four anonymous sources had told him that Trump, on a visit to France a few years ago, didn't want to go to a U.S. military cemetery there to honor fallen U.S. troops, because they were all "losers" and "suckers." It was raining, see, and he didn't want to get his hair mussed up. This is solid crap, The official email records, exposed at the time when the media tried to make a flap about it even then, showed that it was indeed bad weather that prevented the trip. There was a motive, though: to distract attention from Joe Biden's actual bad record with the military. Andrea Widburg has an excellent must-read analysis here. It comes against a broader picture of the Democrats seeking to divide and disloyalize the military with all their coup talk see this startling analysis called "The Coming Coup" by Michael Anton, writing in the American Mind here. The Atlantic's lie was derived from an overheated exchange that Trump had with John McCain, a man he hated for many reasons, in 2016. Trump official after Trump official, including fired former NSC adviser John Bolton, who now has an acrimonious relationship with Trump, say they didn't hear what Goldberg claims was said, or more strongly, adamantly say it never happened. They are going on the record with their own names, and they are unequivocal about it. The first lady, Melania Trump, who rarely speaks about political matters, also says she was there and it never happened. Not too long after the mendacious report, an ad from a leftist veterans group, "VoteVets," bounced out, featuring six interviews with outraged family members of fallen soldiers. "My son was not a loser," they said. VoteVets claims they had no idea that the Atlantic story was coming out, and they were just busy beavers who stayed up all night to get the interviews, write the slick script to ad length, edit the interviews, string the interviews together, get the sound and photography edited, put the graphics in, and get the finished product out, not just on the web, but in the hands of the morning television networks, such as Joe Scarborough's MSNBC Morning Joe show, to ensure they could run the ad and wax their outrage. According to Joel Pollak's excellent writeup in Breitbart: The article was published Thursday evening. By Friday morning, a left-wing group called Vote Vets had not only produced an ad based on the article, but had aired it on Morning Joe MSNBC's early-morning flagship news and opinion show. Meanwhile, the article spread across social media like a brush fire in a derecho. It trended at the top of Twitter; it was shared widely on Facebook, all without any of the "fact checks" that typically accompany disputed news reports on such platforms. Here's one other thing not noted in any of the excellent national analyses I read: after Scarborough's item ran, follow-on broadcasts featuring "outraged" veterans appeared in countless local news broadcasts. Here in San Diego, the local press moved right on cue. NBC7 of San Diego interviewed one Dave Baril, identified as a retired Marine lieutenant colonel who was furious about the purported statement. "America has given up its sons and daughters for over 200 years I would always like to think that deep down the commander in chief have held those folks to the highest of regard and said it was something that needed to be done in the national interest, but now I can see that this gentleman doesn't care at all," said David Baril, a retired San Diego based Lieutenant Colonel in the Marines Corps. Actually, he's a gun control activist, with an outfit called VetsForGunReform or Vets4GunReform. His Twitter account is private, most likely because his position is unpopular. Does VetsForGunReform have any connection to VoteVets? Surprise, it does. Here's a 2018 tweet showing a connection: To students around the country taking part in #NationalWalkoutDay: We hear you. We're with you. And we will fight right alongside you!#VetsForGunReform #VetsVsTheNRA #NeverAgain #MarchForOurLives VoteVets (@votevets) March 14, 2018 That tweet suggests they're either the same group or else closely enough aligned for one to speak for the other an unlikely thing, actually. More likely, they're the same thing. A little research (coming soon) should tell us more. It got worse. Soon as the press was out, Biden came out of his basement to hold a press conference. He hasn't done any of those, but somehow, he was ready for this one. The reporters were handpicked by staff for questions to ask Biden, and by the wildest of coincidences, a reporter from The Atlantic was the first guy called on. Pollak continues: At the end of his presentation, Biden turned to his campaign staff, who chose which reporters would be allowed to ask questions, and in what order. The first question went to Edward-Isaac Dovere, who writes for surprise! The Atlantic. Dovere asked, "When you hear these remarks 'suckers,' 'losers,' recoiling from amputees what does it tell you about President Trump's soul, and the life he leads?" It was a setup for Biden to attack Trump over The Atlantic allegations again. None of the other questions asked were challenging in any way; all appeared to be setup questions for Biden to attack Trump or to clarify some lingering problem whether he had been tested for coronavirus (yes), where his running mate was (busy). No one asked Biden whether it was appropriate to attack Trump based on an unconfirmed report. No one even asked Biden about his economic policies. What we witnessed Thursday night into Friday morning was the deployment of the Death Star the full Democrat-media complex on display, coordinating journalists, outside political organizations, tech platforms, and unnamed military sources. Some characters whose names are coming up in connection to this include the ones Trump said he suspected -- disgruntled generals who got fired in his term. Pollak notes that there's also Gen. Stanley McChrystal in on this. Goldberg has admitted to being close to, surprise, Ben Rhodes, whom he says protected him from flak about being called a narrative "retailer" earlier in this gripey piece here. I also called Ben Rhodes. Like many reporters in Washington, I've known Rhodes for years, and have interviewed him repeatedly. (One of Samuels's strangest assertions is that Rhodes is an "invisible" player in Washington; he does not seem invisible here, and he is also among the most frequently quoted senior administration officials inwait for itThe New York Times, as has been noted to me by several Times reporters who were appalled by the Samuels piece). I asked Rhodes if he told Samuels that he, or other administration officials, had ever handpicked me to retail their case for the Iran deal. This is what Rhodes said: "I told him that our goal was to try to convince you and a handful of other columnists that the Iran deal wasn't a total catastrophe. I told him I don't think I ever convinced you that it was a good deal." I asked again, "Did you tell him that I was handpicked by you to 'retail' your public relations message?" "Of course not," Rhodes said. Ben wouldn't do a thing like that, not for his friends, now would he? Ben protects his friends. Pollak says that Goldberg's been carrying Democrats' water for years. Here's another thing: The Atlantic is owned by Biden mega-donor Laurene Powell Jobs, who devotes her time to promoting leftist causes, and is often on the phone with Goldberg. According to the Daily Caller: Billionaire philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs, the widow of former Apple CEO Steve Jobs, obtained a 70% stake in The Atlantic in 2017 through her firm, the Emerson Collective. In November, she further solidified her control over the magazine after its longtime chairman, David Bradley, said he was going to step away from management, according to Politico. Politico noted in its report that Powell Jobs communicates often with The Atlantic's editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg. Powell Jobs contributed $2,800 to former Vice President Joe Biden's primary campaign in October, and in June she divvied out an additional $610,600 to the Biden Victory Fund. She's also provided maxed out donations to at least 66 other Democratic politicians since the start of 2019, all the while providing nothing to Republican candidates, according to Federal Election Commission records. Who else might be involved? I suspect the Lincoln Project, or other NeverTrump groups, particularly if they are associated with former President George W. Bush. Why would I suspect that? Because of the swift boat ads on John Kerry, dating from 2004, which have a remarkable resemblance in tactics, albeit not merit, to what the Bushies pulled in that year, much to the Democrats' fury. Their campaign people, who are known for their rough play and dirty tricks, are busy at work with their bid to elect Joe Biden, and have pulled out their old template. By coincidence, this same bid to smear Trump was reportedly used by George McClellan to attack President Lincoln in 1864, a disgusting thing when you think about it. Maybe 'Lincoln Project' to them means 'do a number on Lincoln' or do a number on Trump the way Lincoln's enemies did. It's well worth watching if this is the modus operandi and these are the characters at work. Because one thing's for sure - this won't be their last dirty smear directed at Trump. If they had anything with truth, they'd use is, but as it is, all they have are lies, and they're comfortable with lies. Image credit: Screen shot from a camera aimed at a television set, processed with FotoSketcher. File image Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath on September 5 sought a CBI probe into supply of substandard rice to fair price shops. In a tweet, Nath said the "rice scam" was not confined to Balaghat and Mandla districts but to several other places and was connected to "higher-ups". "It should be probed by the CBI and the ambit of inquiry should cover districts beyond two districts. Efforts are on to hush-up the scam," Nath stated. Two days ago, MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had said the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) would investigate supply of poor quality rice in Balaghat and Mandla. The state government had, on September 2, terminated the services of two quality controllers (of Food and Civil Supplies Corporation FCI) in Balaghat and Mandla and had ordered filing of FIR against millers involved. WATERLOO REGION Food connects people like nothing else. Its a necessity everyone understands, and sharing a meal is sure to bring joy. Two new Waterloo Region initiatives hope the community will come together to ensure more people who are marginalized or in need can enjoy nutritious food. At a better tent city in Kitchener, work is underway to begin making meals with the residents at Lot42, which offers one-room cabins to people who are struggling with homelessness. Its going to feel like home, said volunteer Laura Hamilton. Theyre looking for people interested in helping to cook a meal for or with people living at the industrial site with the aim of moving away from a charitable food model to one thats more sustainable. Plus cooking meals is a basic skill that will help the residents succeed when they get a spot in permanent housing. We thought that was a very tangible way that we could help people take the next step in their transition, said Jeff Willmer, former Kitchener chief administrative officer who helped set up the settlement at Lot42. He said its remarkable to see how quickly peoples lives become more stable, and problematic behaviours diminish, when they have a place where theyre welcome and their basic needs are met. The first step of the project, which got a United Way grant and is in partnership with the Community Kitchen Co-operative Kitchener-Waterloo, is renovating the kitchen to add a proper stove, oven and sinks. Now it just has basic amenities with a stocked pantry to grab a quick meal. The plan is to have volunteers, and already people are interested, come out to Lot42 most days of the week to cook a dinner that can serve 40. People can just help in the kitchen or take the lead on a nights menu. We want to make sure everyone knows theres plenty of food, said Hamilton, who is also on the board of the community kitchen. Theres not always 40 people on site, but food never goes to waste. Residents have suffered through food scarcity and any leftovers can be handed out to people still living on the streets by active volunteer and advocate Nadine Green, who goes out every night to talk with them. She knows a home-cooked dinner goes a long way for people who are experiencing homelessness and often feel forgotten by the community. All they need is some compassion and caring and having a good meal helps, said Green, who welcomed homeless people into her Kitchener convenience store before being evicted in January. She likes the plan of inviting the community to Lot42 to help prepare meals with its residents. Its a wonderful idea, Green said. Having a home atmosphere helps the mind, the brain, the body. Everything. Hamilton agrees, adding that the Lot42 volunteers and supporters witness the benefit too. They see the change that happens when people have a home. Meals prepared for residents have been getting a boost of fresh produce from the new community fridge at Zero Waste Bulk in uptown Waterloo. The fridge is stocked with donated fresh fruit, vegetables as well as non-perishables thats available for free for anyone who needs it, no questions asked. Food insecurity should not be as big a problem as it is, said Angel Zolfiqar, who launched the Community Fridge KW initiative with a team of three others. It has a dual mission: reducing food waste and enabling access to fresh and nutritious food. Zolfiqar saw fridges set up in other cities like Windsor, Toronto and Hamilton, and knew there was a need in this region too. The first one in Waterloo opened last week, and theyre working to soon add more locations. We definitely see this initiative growing, she said. Volunteers are connecting with local businesses and farms for donations, and reaching out to agencies who support people who could benefit from the fridge. Volunteers, and more are needed, can also deliver food to those who cant get to the shop. Zero Waste Bulk owner Ellin Park happened to have an unused fridge, and was happy to lend it to the cause because it fits with her goal of reducing waste. It started being filled up right away and also people taking from the fridge, Park said. Its definitely been the highlight of our day. The shelves are loaded with goods like lettuce, kale, tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, onions, herbs and other fresh produce, as well as non-perishables when theres space. People are really excited about the idea, Park said. Zolfiqar appreciates residents, businesses and organizations stepping up and working together to tackle the problem of food insecurity in the region. Any produce thats in the community fridge on Sunday evening that will be wilted when the store reopens on Tuesday goes into Lot 42 meals. The fridge was set up in a matter of weeks, supplying healthy, fresh food to anyone who needs it. Its our way of showing we care, Zolfiqar said. Its a very positive solution and were trying to normalize it. Both ventures are grateful for everyone who helps out in any way they can to make sure more of the regions residents feel welcome and well fed. The community support has just been tremendous, Hamilton said. Flash As China and the European Union (EU) celebrate 45 years of relations this year, the two sides vow to expand bilateral trade and investment, deepen cooperation on post-epidemic economic recovery and promote multilateralism during the recent back-to-back European visits by two top Chinese foreign policy officials. Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee visited Spain and Greece on Sept. 3-4, closely following Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi's trip to five other European countries which concluded on Sept. 1. Deepening cooperation At a time when Europe is tamping down a resurge of COVID-19 infections, jointly fighting the pandemic and seeking recovery in the post-epidemic era is a common issue discussed at the meetings the two Chinese officials held separately with leaders and high-level officials from the seven European countries. Cooperation is the way they all agreed to. China has shown its spirit of cooperation and solidarity during the past months when it mobilized large quantities of medical supplies and rushed to some European countries' aid to fight the virus. During their respective meeting with Yang, both Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez thanked China for its assistance and support in their fight against COVID-19, saying that such deeds helped strengthen bilateral relations. Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio also expressed his gratitude for China's help during a meeting with Wang. Looking forward, cooperation should be intensified, Sebastian Carlens, deputy editor-in-chief of German daily newspaper junge Welt, told Xinhua on Friday. "The recovery of the Chinese economy also offers the rest of the world opportunities to overcome the economic consequences of the lockdown more quickly," Carlens said. Close cooperation with China is important for Germany and other EU states, he continued, warning that European states "would be doing each other a disservice if they took part in a confrontation against China." Leaders and high-level officials of the seven European countries also expressed similar views on future cooperation. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas expressed the hope to deepen cooperation in such fields as economy, trade and humanities, vaccine cooperation; Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis confirmed Greece's interest in strengthening cooperation especially in investment, trade and tourism; The Dutch Foreign Ministry said that the two countries need each other for sustainable recovery of the economy after the COVID-19 crisis. In the Netherlands and Norway, besides the ongoing preventive measures, officials have already turned their attention to post-pandemic collaboration with China. Xulio Rios, director of the Chinese Policy Observatory in Spain, told Xinhua on Thursday that Yang's visit has been a very important initiative for strengthening bilateral relations and given the importance of China as a partner for Spain, it helped reduce uncertainty in the context of the pandemic. "Given that the pandemic has affected vital sectors of the relationship, from trade to tourism or investment, the visit highlights the interest of both parties to relaunch these areas of cooperation," Rios said. Greek enterprises have also expressed a strong wish to improve ties with their Chinese counterparts. "Upon the announcement of this important high-level interaction, many expectations were created for further development in business and investments," George Xiradakis, managing director of XRTC Business Consultants and vice president of the Hellenic Chinese Chamber, told Xinhua on Friday. The Greek business community "from the very beginning has been in favor of the widest possible win-win business partnerships between our two countries and proves daily its support in practice," commented Fotis Provatas, Chairman of the Chamber of Greek-Chinese Economic Cooperation. Defending multilateralism Defending multilateralism is a major consensus reaffirmed during the two top Chinese diplomats' trips to the seven European countries. Yang said China and Spain need to jointly uphold multilateralism, uphold international equity and justice, and improve global governance during his meeting with Sanchez, while Greek leaders also pledged to support multilateralism and continue promoting both the development of EU-China relations and the cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries. "The strongest voice heard during my trip to Europe is that we need to steadfastly safeguard multilateralism, and we agreed on this," Wang said on Tuesday in Berlin. Andras Inotai, former director of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences World Economics Research Institute, said that both the EU and China are strongly committed to strengthening multilateralism. "In some areas globalization needs corrections but its basic and overwhelming positive achievements should not be questioned. A corrected path of globalization has to be accompanied by strengthened multilateralism. In this context, a new quality of cooperation between the EU and China is crucial," he said. Rios from Spain told Xinhua that Madrid and Beijing, united in the fight against the pandemic, have also been able to appreciate the importance of adhering to multilateralism to face present and future challenges. "For China, Europe is of great strategic importance," the Dutch financial newspaper Het Financieele Dagblad reported. "The U.S. wants to involve Europe in its fight against Beijing's growing political and economic power. At a time when Washington is increasingly going its own way, Beijing presents itself as a defender of multilateralism." Carlens from Germany also pointed out that increasing international tensions and the aggressive foreign policy of the current U.S. administration is a source of concern for many in Germany. "Political, cultural and economic exchanges are the best way to reduce tension," he said. 'So far we have paid our salaries and pension in full because we had some reserve fund.' 'But we cannot afford to do so for more than another three months.' IMAGE: The Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala. Photograph: ANI Photo Not only industries, even religious shrines are suffering because of the pandemic. With devotees kept away from temples in these last five months of lockdown, not just small temples, even the richest temples in India like in Tirupati and Sabarimala are finding it difficult to manage their day-to-day affairs. Desperate times require desperate measures. That was why the Travancore Devaswom Board decided to pledge the gold its temples have with the Reserve Bank of India to earn some revenue. According to the World Gold Council, the gold lying with all the religious trusts in the country is worth a whopping $1 trillion! "In January itself we took an in principle decision to hand over our gold to the Reserve Bank and get the 2.5% interest from the central bank," N Vasu, president, Travancore Devaswom Board, below, tells Shobha Warrier/Rediff.com. The first of a two-part interview: How much has the pandemic and the lockdown affected the temples in Kerala? There are 1,250 temples under the Travancore Devaswom Board, including Sabarimala. For the past six months, all these temples have remained closed due to the pandemic. Sabarimala was also closed to devotees. In fact, we had cancelled not just the Vishu and the annual festival, but even the monthly puja at Sabarimala. As a result of this, we had sustained a loss of Rs 300 crores (Rs 3 billion). You should also understand that we have around 5,000 employees and 4,000 pensioners under the Travancore Devaswom Board. When we need at least Rs 50 crores (Rs 500 million) per month to pay the salaries and pension, and other administrative affairs including the daily puja, we have not been getting a single paisa for the last six months. Have you been able to pay the salaries to all the employees and also the pension in these last six months? So far, we have paid the salary and pension in full because we had some reserve fund. But we cannot afford to do so for more than another three months. By the end of this year, our funds will be empty. Did the Sabarimala temple contribute the maximum to the Devaswom Board? Yes. More than 50% of our income comes from Sabarimala alone, which is around Rs 350 crores (Rs 3.5 billion), while we get almost an equal amount from all the other temples put together. I have heard that most of the temples in small towns are managed from the income you get from big temples. Is it true? Yes. Out of these 1,250 temples, we get surplus income only from 60 temples. So, we are managing the affairs of the more than 1,000 small temples from whatever we get from Sabarimala and these 60 temples. It was reported that the Travancore Devaswom Board and many other rich temples in India are planning to pawn the gold they have so that you can tide over the difficult times... Yes, that is what we are planning to do. In fact, even before the Covid crisis, in January itself, we took an in principle decision to hand over our gold to the Reserve Bank and get the 2.5% interest from the central bank. This decision had nothing to do with the pandemic. Was it because the gold was remaining idle in some vaults? Exactly. We had three sets of items in gold; one is the gold ornaments which we use to adorn the deities on a day to day basis or on special occasions. We had no plans to pledge them; they would remain in the temple itself. Then, many temples have several antique items. These things will not go to the bank. There are many gold bars, gold coins, etc also with the temples. That were offered by the devotees? Yes. These gold coins, bars, etc were offered by the devotees, and we had proposed to pledge these items in the bank. These things have been remaining in the temples for decades without providing any revenue to the temples. We have even started taking stock of the gold in almost all the temples under our board. Under the Gold Monetisation Policy, we can avail a 2.5% interest against gold loans deposited with the RBI through banks. Ten days back, the economic affairs secretary had organised a meeting and around 24 temple administrators were invited to the meeting, and 10 of us including the Travancore Devaswom Board participated in the meeting. I would say this meeting was a welcome step. So 2.5% interest from the gold loans means we can at least get Rs 10 crores (Rs 100 million) annually as interest. Six months after the lights were dimmed on stages across Sydney, curtains are beginning to rise once again as theatres attempt a new life in the COVID-19 era. Sydney Theatre Company, Belvoir St Theatre, New Theatre and Griffin Theatre Company will all reopen this month for what will be a very different experience for theatre goers. Getting back to work has been especially sweet for Griffin's artistic director Declan Greene. Appointed in December, he had been at the helm for only a fortnight before the company's Kings Cross theatre was shuttered by the pandemic. Ready to reopen: Griffin Theatre Company artistic director Declan Greene at the Seymour Centre in Chippendale. Credit:Brook Mitchell "I arrived and then COVID arrived and then the theatre shut down," says Greene. "I'm trying not to take it too personally!" Lord (David) Frost is due to hold another round of key negotiations in London with his counterpart Michel Barnier, the European Unions chief negotiator, next week as they look to agree a trade deal before autumn sets in. In a bullish interview with the Mail on Sunday (MoS), the Prime Ministers Europe sherpa said the UK was preparing to leave the transition period come what may even if that meant exiting with no deal, which officials have dubbed a so-called Australian-style arrangement. Informal talks this week between Mr Barnier and Lord Frost failed to find a breakthrough ahead of the eighth round of formal negotiations, which begin on Monday. The agenda for next weeks round of EU-UK negotiations with @MichelBarnier & @DavidGHFrost is now available online. Talks will take place in London https://t.co/amWaMsD4PS pic.twitter.com/zTXISdjKKL Advertisement Daniel Ferrie (@DanielFerrie) September 4, 2020 Both sides want a deal agreed next month in order to have it signed off by politicians on both sides of the Channel by the end of the transition period on December 31. Differences remain between the pair on issues such as fishing and the level of taxpayer support the UK will be able to provide for businesses once it is an independent nation. Lord Frost told the newspaper the UK would not agree to being a client state to the EU and said Theresa Mays administration had allowed Brussels to believe there could be an eleventh hour concession on a trade deal. He said: We came in after a Government and negotiating team that had blinked and had its bluff called at critical moments and the EU had learned not to take our word seriously. So a lot of what we are trying to do this year is to get them to realise that we mean what we say and they should take our position seriously. The former diplomat, who is soon to add national security adviser to his portfolio, continued: We are not going to be a client state. We are not going to compromise on the fundamentals of having control over our own laws. Advertisement He ruled out accepting level playing field terms that lock us into the way the EU do things and argued that wanting control over the countrys money and affairs should not be controversial. Thats what being an independent country is about, thats what the British people voted for and thats what will happen at the end of the year, come what may, Lord Frost added. The MoS reported that Downing Street has created a transition hub, with handpicked officials across Government departments working to ensure the UK is ready to trade without a deal when the transition period ceases on January 1 2021. The unit will work with Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove, who has led the Governments work on no-deal preparations since last year. Obviously, lots of preparation was done last year, we are ramping up again and have been for some time under Michael Goves authority, Lord Frost said. I dont think that we are scared of this at all. We want to get back the powers to control our borders and that is the most important thing. If we can reach an agreement that regulates trade like Canadas, great. If we cant, it will be an Australian-like trading agreement and we are fully ready for that. His comments came as the EU sought to dismiss a report in the Telegraph that Mr Barnier would be sidelined before the talks were over so European leaders could thrash out a deal before the deadline. Leaving London after talks w/ @DavidGHFrost. will continue these difficult negotiations w/ patience and determination. Full round in next week. Virtual tour of EU capitals is on going to help Member States prepare for all scenarios and inevitable #Brexit changes on 1/1/21. pic.twitter.com/K6gnWQXzNw Michel Barnier (@MichelBarnier) September 2, 2020 But bloc spokesman Sebastian Fischer tweeted on Saturday: Whoever wants to engage with the EU on Brexit needs to engage with Michel Barnier. He is the EUs Brexit chief negotiator and enjoys the full trust, support and confidence of the EU 27. He has a proven track record of leading successful Brexit negotiations on behalf of the EU. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 5 Trend: With funding from USAID, hardworking Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society volunteers are delivering 7,000 more boxes of food and hygiene supplies to families experiencing hardship during the pandemic. These supplies will help 3,500 families across eight regions of the country. This is the second delivery of supplies to vulnerable families supported by USAIDs COVID-19 response funding to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) for Azerbaijan. On September 2, U.S. Ambassador Lee Litzenberger met Azerbaijan Red Crescent Vice President Qafar Asgarzade and Secretary General Jeyhun Mirzayev at the warehouse where workers and volunteers were busy packing and loading boxes for delivery. The United States continues to stand with the Azerbaijani people as we work to overcome the challenges presented by the Covid-19 global pandemic. We are proud to support the Covid-19 response efforts of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society through USAID, said Ambassador Litzenberger. With USAIDs support to IFRC, Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society has been able to train over 800 volunteers to respond to the pandemic and reach almost 200,000 individuals across the country with up-to-date infomation about how to protect themselves from Covid-19. They have also been able to provide psychosocial support to those experiencing distress during the pandemic. "The Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society reaches the most vulnerable the elderly, people with chronic illnesses or disabilities, those who cannot leave their homes providing them with food, hygiene items, and assistance with daily chores. With the support of USAID, Red Crescent teams will continue to provide much-needed assistance to those in need during these difficult times," said Olga Dzhumaeva, Head of IFRC Delegation in South Caucasus. In total, the United States government has provided over $4.6 million to help Azerbaijan manage the health and economic effects of the pandemic. Globally, the U.S. has provided $20.5 billion in assistance to fight the pandemic. Manila: The last time Marielle June Chunanon heard from her partner Dante Addug aboard the storm-struck Gulf Livestock 1, he told her he was frightened and praying for typhoon Maysak to pass. That message exchange between the Filipino couple was on Tuesday night, as a ferocious storm in the East China Sea battered the 140-metre ship, its 43 crew and nearly 6000 cattle cargo. Addug, 34, the ship's captain, sent hours of instant messages to the mother of his four children, typing frantically, telling her the typhoon had intensified and water had caused the engine to fail. A crew member of a cargo ship is rescued by Japanese Coast Guard members off the Amami Oshima, Japan, on Friday. Credit:JCG/AP "The typhoon is so strong up to now. Here I am praying for the typhoon to stop," Chunanon, 35, said by phone, recalling his message. France must stay vigilant as more people will be hospitalised in intensive care units in the next two weeks, reflecting a flare-up in COVID-19 infections in recent days, Health Minister Olivier Veran said on Saturday. Veran however ruled out the need for a new nationwide lockdown, telling BFM television that France had other means to fight the virus, including testing. "I cannot envision a general lockdown. The lockdown was a lid on an overflowing cooking pot," he said. Health authorities on Friday reported 8,975 new confirmed cases, almost 1,500 higher than the previous daily peak of 7,578 on March 31, when France was in one of Europe's strictest coronavirus lockdowns. The death toll in France stood at 30,686 people as of Friday. As the rise in infections has mainly affected young people, who are less likely to develop complications, there has so far been less strain on French hospitals, which were almost overwhelmed at the end of March. But after falling steadily for months after an April 14 peak of 32,292, the number of people hospitalised was up by 28 on Friday to 4,671, rising for a sixth day in a row. "We are not all on the same epidemic wave as last spring. We are on a slower trend but one that must alert us," Veran said. "This week, 55 patients on average were hospitalised in intensive care units (ICU) each day, this means we are on an average of 1,500-2,000 people hospitalised in ICU units per month in our country. This is not neutral and we must be extremely vigilant," he added. Current hospitalisation numbers reflected infections contracted two weeks ago, Veran said. "So it is obvious that in the next 15 days there will be an increase, it will not be massive but there will nevertheless be an increase in the number of severe cases and in the number of people hospitalised and in ICU units". Search Keywords: Short link: TPC VINA representatives hand over there COVID-19 positive pressure chamber units to Committee of Vietnam Fatherland Front of Dong Nai Province The chamber has been co-developed by SCG in Thailand, using SCG's chemical materials and pressure principle and had been used extensively by major hospitals in Thailand during the pandemic combat. COVID-19 is posting many challenges for everyone, especially for the medical workforce who have been working intensively to monitor and prevent the spread of the disease, said Chaowalit Treejak, general director of TPC VINA. As Dong Nai province is the hub for industrial zones and is in proximity to Ho Chi Minh City, it is even more challenging for the medical team here to control the pandemic. Therefore, TPC VINA would like to share this responsibility to support and protect the local medical workforce via our innovation and expertise, Treejak noted. Designed and built by SCG, these mobile positive pressure isolation chambers aim to avoid direct contact between the sample collecting staff and the person providing the sample. When collecting samples, the medical workforce is prone to get in contact with the virus in micro-droplets from the talking, sneezing, and coughing during the swap. Designed and built by SCG, these mobile positive pressure isolation chambers aim to avoid direct contact between the sample collecting staff and the person providing the sample. The chambers are built on the positive pressure room principle, in which the inside air pressure is greater than the pressure outside the room. This status is achieved by pumping in filtered and sterilised, clean air. The purpose of positive pressure is to ensure that outside airborne pathogens do not contaminate the inside of the room. Operationally, the overall sample collection time, including changing latex gloves and disinfecting the booth will take 5-7 minutes per person to accompany the large number of samples collected per day. A close-up shot of mobile positive pressure isolation chambers Having tested through the peak time of COVID-19 in Thailand, the mobile positive pressure isolation chamber concept is once again brought by SCG to Vietnam. The first batch of four chambers was delivered to Danang Centre for Disease Control (CDC) early this August by SCG Cement Building Materials LLC. This time, TPC VINA has imported three mobile units, with a plastic-based design which is foldable and easy-to-use to equip for three medical centres of Dong Nai province including Dong Nai General Hospital, Dong Nai Lung Hospital, and Dong Nai Centre of Disease Control (CDC). As a responsible corporation who cares for the community's benefits, TPC VINA has been contributing to the COVID-19 combat in Dong Nai since the very early stage, with the support of VND200 million ($8,700) and 50 sterilising sprayers to the authority of Dong Nai province in April this year. Besides, the company is also well-known for the "School Renovation Project" which has brought a clean and safe environment for more than 17 local schools in the past four years. "Making contributions to local community development is the mission that has been driving our operations in the past years. We will continue to deliver these values in the years to come, pursuing the sustainable principle that SCG sets forth ever since," said Treejak. TPC VINA is the first PVC manufacturer in Vietnam, located in Go Dau IZ, Long Thanh district in the southern province of Dong Nai with nearly 200 employees. The company has been operating in the past 20 years with nearly 200 staff to produce PVC Resin. Following SCG's sustainable principles, TPC VINA has always cared about environmental and community welfare, with the commitment to deliver a better living to everyone. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 11:48:01|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- A speech made by President Xi Jinping at a recent symposium commemorating the 75th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War has been published. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivered the speech at the symposium Thursday. The booklet, published by the People's Publishing House, is available at Xinhua Bookstore outlets across the country. Enditem Defence Minister Rajnath Singh discussed defence ties with counterparts from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.The meetings were held on the sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday met his counterparts from Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and deliberated on ways to give greater thrust to defence cooperation between India and the Central Asian countries.Singh is currently visiting Russia, where he attended the combined meeting of defence ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). In a tweet, the Defence Minister said he had a productive interaction with his Kazakh counterpart Lieutenant General Nurlan Yermekbayev and discussed ways to further boost bilateral defence cooperation. Productive interaction with the Defence Minister of Kazakhstan, Lieutenant General Nurlan Yermekbayev. We discussed ways to add further momentum to India-Kazakhstan defence cooperation, he said.The Defence Minister said he interacted with his Tajik counterpart Colonel General Sherali Mirzo on a wide spectrum of defence ties between the two countries. He described the meeting as extremely fruitful. Had an extremely fruitful meeting with Defence Minister of Tajikistan, Colonel-General Sherali Mirzo in Moscow. Our talks included a wide spectrum of India-Tajikistan defence relations, Singh tweeted. ALSO READ: Indias Covid-19 tally may touch 65L mark by September end: Chidambaram targets Centre Productive interaction with the Defence Minister of Kazakhstan, Lieutenant General Nurlan Yermekbayev. We discussed ways to add further momentum to India-Kazakhstan defence cooperation. pic.twitter.com/qXxWY54MnH Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) September 5, 2020 He also met his Uzbek counterpart Major General Kurbanov Bakhodir Nizamovich in Moscow. I had a wonderful meeting with Uzbekistans Minister of Defence, Major General Kurbanov Bakhodir Nizamovich in Moscow today. Defence Cooperation remains an important pillar of India- Uzbekistan bilateral relations, the Defence Minister said in another tweet. On Friday, Singh told his Chinese counterpart General Wei Fenghe that attempts by Chinese troops to unilaterally alter the status quo along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) were in violation of the bilateral agreements and Beijing should work with New Delhi for complete disengagement from all friction areas including Pangong Tso.The Defence Minister made these remarks during their meeting in the Russian capital yesterday, which lasted for two hours and 20 minutes. According to an official statement, the two ministers had frank and in-depth discussions about the developments in the India-China border areas as well as on India-China relations. During the meeting, the Defence Minister categorically conveyed Indias position on the developments along the LAC, including in the Galwan valley in the Western sector of the India-China Border Areas, in the last few months.The meeting took place in the backdrop of the standoff between India and China since April-May over the transgressions by the Chinese Army in multiple areas including Finger area, Galwan valley, Hot springs and Kongrung Nala in eastern Ladakh. I had a wonderful meeting with Uzbekistans Minister of Defence, Major General Kurbanov Bakhodir Nizamovich in Moscow today. Defence Cooperation remains an important pillar of India- Uzbekistan bilateral relations. pic.twitter.com/efUCKiHbDL Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) September 5, 2020 ALSO READ: 15 districts across 5 states exhibiting high Covid-19 caseload: Centre directs to bring mortality below 1 pc On Thursday, Facebooks chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, announced the companys New Steps to Protect the U.S. Elections. They include blocking new political ads in the week leading up to Election Day and attaching labels to posts containing misinformation, specifically related to the coronavirus and posts from politicians declaring victory before all the results are counted. One can and many will debate just how effective these measures will be at preventing election night chaos during a pandemic. (So far Facebooks misleading ... German authorities have asked Portuguese police to investigate 'more sexual abuse and rapes' they believe Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Brueckner could have carried out on the Algarve. The chief prosecutor in the Maddie McCann probe in Germany confirmed the move as he offered further details of a sex offence Brueckner is being linked to against a 10-year-old on an Algarve beach a month before the British youngster vanished. Hans Christian Walters told investigative Portuguese journalist Sandra Felgueiras: 'We are investigating whether he committed more crimes in Portugal. 'I'm not able to say how many cases are under investigation at the moment. But we think there could be more crime, more sexual abuse, more rapes. 'We are asking the Portuguese authorities to investigate whether that possibility exists.' He went on to confirm reports yesterday in Germany that Bruckner was a suspect in a crime which occurred in April 2007, in which a man masturbated in front a young girl on a beach near the Praia da Luz resort where Madeleine vanished on May 3 that year. Christian Brueckner (pictured) allegedly grabbed a 10-year-old girl and masturbated in front of her on Salema beach in April 2007 - just weeks before Madeleine disappeared on May 3, Spiegel reported yesterday. German authorities have confirmed they are investigating additional cases of sexual abuse and rape in the Algarve and whether they were committed by Brueckner Madeleine McCann went missing while on holiday in Portugal with her family in May 2007 He told Portuguese state broadcaster RTP, referring to Breuckner only as Christian B: 'We think he could be responsible for a crime of sexual abuse on a 10-year-old German child in Portugal in April 2007. 'We are investigating currently if Christian B did this. He has not been charged. He is only a suspect. 'We have been investigating since April 2019. 'German police asked Portuguese authorities if there had been any sexual crime in Portugal around the time Madeleine McCann disappeared and they came back with this case. 'It was in the same area where Madeleine was kidnapped. 'We have spoken to the victim. I cannot confirm at the moment if she recognised Christian B. 'It didn't occur during a burglary. I cannot go into detail about the case because the investigation is ongoing but I can say it happened on a beach. 'He's suspected of masturbating in front of the young girl. In Germany this is classified as sexual abuse.' He added: 'Christian B's lawyer is aware of this case and has received the file and that means he can speak to his client about this case. 'This is because there is no connection between this incident and the Madeleine McCann case. 'I don't know if the police have tried to speak to Christian B about it.' Asked what evidence German prosecutors had linking Brueckner to the April 2007 incident, Hans Christian Walters added: 'I'm not allowed to speak about the details at the moment. 'I can't say at this time how close we are to charging him.' The attack on the girl, ten, happened just six miles from the Ocean Club (pictured) in Praia Da Luz where Madeleine is thought to have been taken from her bed in the middle of the night German magazine Spiegel reported yesterday the girl was grabbed on Salema Beach around a 15-minute drive west of Praia da Luz. It said she was saved when adults rushed to her aid, causing the man to flee the scene. She was said to have been playing with other children during a trip to the beach with her tourist parents and family friends when a naked man grabbed hold of her. The magazine said the investigation against Brueckner had already been closed because the victim could not identify him in pictures. But it is said to have been resumed after he was named as the main suspect in the Madeleine McCann case, and the young woman contacted the police again and stated she was now '99 per cent' sure he was the perpetrator. Drifter Brueckner was arrested in 2017 on suspicion of exposing himself to young children at a playground in Sao Bartolomeu de Messines a 40-minute drive from Praia de Luz. Police discovered after his detention he was wanted by Germany on an international arrest warrant for children sex abuse and possession of child pornography. He was extradited to his homeland and was never prosecuted in Portugal following his Algarve arrest and the criminal probe was mothballed despite protests from the youngsters' angry parents. The 43-year-old is currently in Germany's Kiel Prison for drugs offences and is due to start a seven-year sentence for the 2005 rape in Praia da Luz of an American OAP. He was convicted of the horrific sex crime late last year in Germany. A former girlfriend spoke out last month to reveal he had sexually assaulted her five-year-old daughter and would also launch violent attacks against her during their nine-month relationship in the northern Germany city of Braunschweig. The crimes, which sparked the European Arrest Warrant and his 2017 extradition to Portugal, ended up with him receiving a 15-month prison sentence. Brueckner's lawyer Friedrich Fulscher said recently his client was 'innocent' of any involvement in Madeleine's disappearance. Flag carrier is set to resume its services to from here with three flights per week, starting September 15, an official has said. The flights between the two cities were suspended in the wake of the pandemic. The airline's operations from airport to New Delhi and Hyderabad have already been restored earlier. is starting Mumbai-Aurangabad- flights from September 15, an Airport official said. The services on the route will be operated on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and will remain operational up to October 24, according to the official. (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.) US President Donald Trump has asserted that Washington was talking to India and China on resolving "a very nasty situation" in the Ladakh region, but equivocated on whether Beijing was a bully. He said on Friday at a Washington news conference: "We stand ready to help with respect to China and India. If we can do anything we will have to get involved and help. And we are talking to both countries about that." "It's been very nasty, a very nasty situation," he said about the confrontation between the two sides along the Line of Actual (LAC) in Ladakh, where China has fortified its troop presence and, according to India carried out "provocative military movements" on the southern bank of Pangong Tso lake between Sunday and Monday. Asked by a reporter if China was bullying India, he said: "I hope not, I hope not. They are certainly going at it, and they are going it at very much more strongly than a lot of people even understand." Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had on Wednesday accused China of bullying its neighbours. "From the Taiwan Strait to the Himalayas and beyond, the Chinese Communist Party is engaged in a clear and intensifying pattern of bullying its neighbours," he said. But he added, "We are hoping for a peaceful resolution of the situation on the India-China border." Trump's offer of mediation, which both countries have refused, is a reiteration of an earlier mediation bid in May. This was similar to Trump's attempts to mediate between India and Pakistan that was snubbed by New Delhi, which considers their disputes as bilateral issues covered by their 1972 agreement between Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Pakistan's then-President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. While Trump has been critical of China on several issues and saying it poses a global threat to the US, he has hesitated to take a definitive stand on the India-China conflict. The two nuclear nations have remained locked in a stand-off along the LAC in Ladakh since June this year. A fresh face-off erupted last Sunday when India pre-emptively thwarted Chinese intentions to unilaterally change the status quo on the Southern Bank of Pangong Tso in Eastern Ladakh. Both the countries are engaged in a continuous dialogue at both military and diplomatic levels. This was not the first time that Trump offered to mediate between the two Asian giants. Both India and China, in the past, rejected the offer. Bashing China, the US President said: "China at this point is the nation you should be talking about much more so than Russia because the things that China is doing are far worse. Look at what happened with the China virus, look at what they have done to 188 countries all over the world." Admitting that he "gets along with every country" except China, he said, he "did not like what is happening with respect to the pandemic"."I do not like it at all. What they have done to this world, this country, Europe and every place else is terrible," Trump said. Meanwhile, India's foreign secretary Harsh Shringla corroborated Trump's description of the crisis. The situation on the LAC between India and China is "unprecedented" and it cannot be "business as usual", Shringla said while addressing a webinar at the Indian Council for World Affairs (ICWA). "The LAC situation is one of the most serious challenges we have faced in many years. The magnitude of the crisis is huge given that we had not lost lives in 40 years. As far as we are concerned, there will be no compromise in our sovereignty and territorial integrity. At the same time, as a responsible nation, we are always willing to talk. Our communication lines are open," Shringla said. "Also, we have not seen this magnitude of amassing of forces on the border in recent years. This is something that we have to take stock of," he added. To mark the 75th anniversary of the Chinese people's victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45), an exhibition related to the war kicked off at the Museum of Evidence of War Crimes by Japanese Army Unit 731 in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, on Thursday. The museum released evidence of human experiments and crimes involving biochemical weapons by Japan, including 220 old photos, 1,810 artifacts and 51 hours of audio and video files. The materials, which were collected from China, the United States, Japan, Russia and other countries, mainly focus on new evidence. "This exhibition is an overall display of the academic research achievements of the museum," said Jin Chengmin, the curator. "Some of the files, including the name list of two Japanese germ warfare units Japanese Army Unit 1855 in Beijing and Japanese Army Unit 9420 in Singapore are being displayed to the public for the first time." "The site of Japanese Army Unit 731 is a special memory left to us about the cruel war. It is also a warning to the world," said Zhang Shenghuo, 87, a descendant of a germ warfare victim. "I hope more people come to know the history and safeguard the peace." Actress and comedian Nikki Osborne is relocating her family to Queensland amid Melbourne's poor 'quality of life'. The 39-year-old I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! star will arrive in Brisbane on Monday with husband Jamie Starr and their children, after receiving a border pass. In an interview with The Courier Mail on Saturday, the mother-of-two described life in Victoria under stage four restrictions as 'depressing'. 'It's depressing down here': Nikki Osborne (pictured), 39, told The Courier Mail on Saturday that she's relocating her family to Queensland amid Melbourne's poor 'quality of life' Nikki, who was raised in Queensland and has lived in Victoria for 15 years, had her national comedy tour cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. 'It's really depressing down here. All our friends' businesses are going bust and all my industry mates can't work... it's depressing watching your kids staring at a screen or a wall,' she told the publication. Nikki and her family will spend two weeks in mandatory hotel quarantine, and from there she hopes to secure work on productions in Queensland. Victoria just announced a record 59 new coronavirus deaths - its highest daily total during the pandemic - but the number of new cases is falling. Life amid pandemic: 'It's really depressing down here. All our friends' businesses are going bust and all my industry mates can't work... it's depressing watching your kids staring at a screen or a wall,' the actress and comedian said Health bosses recorded 87 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, a marked drop compared to the 113 reported on Thursday. The latest figures come as bombshell leaked documents reveal Melbourne's strict stage four lockdown could be extended by another two weeks. While the Victorian government has claimed the leaked road map is 'out of date', Premier Daniel Andrews refused on Thursday to rule out continuing stage four restrictions. 'Everything is on the table,' Andrews said. 'It will be driven by the data and the science, how many cases there are, the types of cases there are.' Granted a border pass: Nikki and her family will spend two weeks in mandatory hotel quarantine, and from there she hopes to secure work on productions in Queensland. Pictured with husband Jamie Starr Fifty of the deaths announced on Friday were people who had passed away in aged care in July and August, after a federal and state government review of previous deaths in facilities across the state. According to the road map, residents will be given the luxury of two hours of exercise a day, which can be split into two sessions, from September 14 - the official date stage four comes to an end. Single people and single parents will also be given the right to have a nominated visitor at their home. According to the report, which was obtained by the Herald Sun, there are bigger changes coming from September 28, including the curfew being lifted and increased social gatherings. But the Victorian Chamber of Commerce has denied there is a plan to extend stage four lockdown by two weeks - claiming it is out of date. WHO says will not endorse vaccine if not safe, effective View(s): GENEVA, Sept. 5 (AFP) The World Health Organisation insisted Friday it would never endorse a vaccine that has not proven safe and effective, amid concerns over the rush to develop a jab for Covid-19. Across the globe, governments are hoping to deploy a vaccine as soon as possible against the virus, which has infected well over 26 million people, killed hundreds of thousands, upended millions of lives and wreaked havoc on the global economy. Under normal procedures, test administrators must wait for months or years to verify that vaccine candidates are safe and efficacious. But as the pandemic continues to take a devastating toll, there has been massive pressure to roll out a vaccine quickly, sparking concerns that testing standards could be lowered. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus insisted that was not the case. WHO will not endorse a vaccine that is not effective and safe, he told a virtual briefing. He also took issue with the so-called anti-vax movement that has been stoking fears about the vaccines in development. They might be able to build narratives to fight against vaccines, but the track record of vaccines tells its own story, he said. There are currently more than 30 candidate vaccines being tested on humans, with at least eight in final-stage Phase III trials, which typically involve tens of thousands of people. It is a very optimistic scenario because theres a huge field of candidates, WHOs chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan told Fridays briefing, emphasising that only around 10 percent of candidate vaccines succeed. She explained that the unprecedented speed of development of Covid vaccines was largely enabled by prior investments in vaccine platforms for other diseases, which had been repurposed for use against the novel coronavirus. But she stressed, developers must not skip over the various phases of stringent testing. No vaccine is going to be mass-deployed before the regulators are confident and the governments are confident and that WHO is confident that these vaccines have met the minimum standards of safety and efficacy. Tedros voiced hope that one would soon become available so that the world can get back to norma.. But while the WHO has said it expects to see results from a range of Phase III trials by the end of the year, it on Friday tempered hopes that a vaccine is imminent. Pointing to the massive challenge of manufacturing and rolling out vaccines to the billions around the world who need them, widespread vaccination is not expected to begin until the middle of 2021. Tedros stressed that, initially at least, supply would be limited. Priority must be given to vaccinating essential workers and those most at risk, he said, stressing that the first priority must be to vaccinate some people in all countries, rather than all people in some countries. The WHO has set up a mechanism, known as Covax, aimed at ensuring a more equitable distribution of any future vaccines, but has struggled so far to raise the funds needed to provide for the 92 poor countries that have signed up. But Tedros hailed Friday that 78 high- and upper-middle income countries and economies have now confirmed they will participate, including Germany, Japan, Norway and the European Commission in just the past week. He pointed out that in an interconnected world, the virus will continue to kill and the economic recovery globally will be delayed if poorer countries are unable to gain access to a vaccine. Sharing equitably, he said, is not just a moral imperative and a public health imperative, its also an economic imperative. British rider Adam Yates held onto the overall race leader's yellow jersey after the first of two difficult stages in the southern Pyrenees Mountains. One of the pre-race favourites, Thibault Pinot, was left behind on the climb to Port de Bales. This was the first day of climbing in the Pyrenees, and it produced the first real surprises of this year's Tour. Not only did local hope Pinot drift inexorably backwards on the second-last climb of the day, defending champion, Egan Bernal of Colombia, appeared to be struggling on the final haul to the finish line. Primoz Roglic and Nairo Quintana both seemed to be comfortable, but neither was risking any heroics. At the close of Saturday's stage, watched by French Prime Minister Jean Castex, Nans Peters beat Toms Skujins of Lithuania and the Spaniard Carlos Verona by 47 seconds. Peters won a stage in last year's Giro d'Italia, but this is his first appearance in the Tour de France. He attacked with 9 kilometres to go on the climb to Port de Bales, the first out-of-category climb in this year's race. In the overall standings, Adam Yates maintains his lead, but has dropped over 40 seconds to Slovenian rider Tadej Pogacar, and a handful to Frenchman Romain Bardet. Thibault Pinot, who has been suffering with a back injury after a fall on the opening day in Nice, was struggling with 45 kms to go, and lost more than 7 minutes on his main rivals on the second-last climb. He trailed in more than 20 minutes down on the race leader. European champion, Giacomo Nizzolo of Italy, is among those who have been forced to abandon the race in the course of today's stage. Sunday's ninth stage will cover the 153 kms between Pau and Laruns, including the Category One climbs to the mountain passes at Hourcere and Marie-Blanque. Several concerns regarding national security have been raised about the use of Huawei and ZTE equipment in U.S. networks, but small carriers are struggling with the cost of replacing the equipment. A new report from the Federal Communications Commission suggests that removing the Chinese equipment will cost small carriers as much as $1.8 billion. According to Eastern Oregon Telecom, replacing the $500,000 of Huawei equipment is likely to cost an enormous amount of $1.5 million. Moreover, the FCC's report is focused on carriers that receive support from the Universal Service Fund and is meant to subsidize coverage of undeserved areas. The report does not cover all the carriers in the U.S. using Huawei and ZTE equipment. This suggests that there may be many eligible carriers who haven't reported their equipment yet, therefore, the replacement cost would actually be much higher than the estimated $1.8 billion. Huawei and ZTE were designated as risk to national security by the FCC back in in June. As a result, telecoms were not allowed to use federal subsidies to purchase their equipment. However, the task of replacing or removing the Huawei and ZTE equipment that is already in use has not been brought into action as carriers can not afford to do so without federal assistance. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai encouraged the Congress to take action to appropriate the money to pay for the equipment replacement. Pai further said that small and rural carriers, especially, ''rely on infrastructure from trusted vendors.''. RIYADH, Saudi Arabia , Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The CMA Board issued its resolution on 22/12/1441 H., corresponding to 12/08/2020G, which included allowing residents and non-residents foreigners to invest directly in listed and non-listed debt instruments. This comes as part of CMA's strategic goals to develop the capital market "Financial Leadership Program" and in line with "Financial Sector Development Program" one of the main programs to achieve the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030. This resolution comes as a continuation of the CMA's endeavor to develop the debt instruments market by aligning its regulatory requirements with international best practices. In addition to that, the continuity of the approach of opening up the Saudi financial market to the world and enhancing the investment environment attractive for foreign investors, thus contributing to raising the efficiency of the market and increasing its competitiveness regionally and internationally. This resolution will also contribute to deepening the financial market, enhancing its role in capital formation, and diversifying investment products for foreign investor segments. The CMA Board resolution included the following: a) All foreign legal and natural persons may invest directly in debt instruments. b) A non-resident foreign person may not invest in the market as a direct investor in listed debt instruments and as a qualified foreign investor or an ultimate beneficiary in swap agreements at the same time. c) A foreign person who invests directly in debt instruments may not convert such instruments into shares listed in the Main Market, unless such person is among the categories of investors who are allowed to invest directly in the shares listed in the Main Market, or becomes an ultimate beneficiary in a swap agreement in accordance with the provisions of the Authority's instructions on swap agreements. It is noteworthy that the Capital Market Authority worked on preparing a guide that aims to clarify the investment channels available for non-resident foreign investors, the methods of investing in listed securities, and the procedures of investment account opening. The guide can be viewed through the following link: (Link) Contact: Capital Market Authority Communication & Investor Protection Division [email protected] About CMA: The Capital Market Authority (CMA) is the supervisory and administrative authority responsible for regulating and developing the financial market by issuing the laws, regulations and instructions necessary to implement the rules of the Capital Market Law, in order to provide the appropriate climate for achieving confidence, fairness and efficiency for issuance of securities and full disclosure of joint stock companies and protect investors from the illegal acts in the stock market. For more information about CMA, please visit the official website: www.cma.org.sa SOURCE Saudi Arabia Capital Market Authority (CMA) Related Links http://www.cma.org.sa/ Not for distribution to U.S. newswire services or for dissemination in the United States OAKVILLE, Ontario, Sept. 04, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Giyani Metals Corp. (TSXV:EMM, GR:A2DUU8) ("Giyani" or the "Company") announces that it is undertaking a private placement of units to raise $1.0 million in immediately available new funding. The Company is undertaking a partly brokered private placement of units priced at $0.125 per unit to accredited investors and other exempt purchasers, with each unit consisting of one (1) common share of the Company (each, a "Common Share") and one half () of one Common Share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"). Each whole Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one common share at an exercise price of $0.20 per share for a period of 18 months from the closing of the private placement (the Offering). To date the Company has received subscription agreements totaling approximately $740,000. In addition, director, officer and insider subscriptions totaling approximately $225,000 have been received. Robin Birchall, CEO of Giyani Metals Corp. commented: "I am delighted to announce a partially brokered financing with Tactex. These funds will allow the Company to conduct additional value-accretive engineering work complementary to the feasibility study. As mentioned in our recent news release, we are working on a further update to the preliminary economic assessment, which was announced on 28 April 2020, to include high purity manganese sulphate monohydrate as an additional product stream. This is as a result of recent insights into the direction that cathode manufacturers and battery electric vehicle manufacturers are moving. In connection with the Offering, the Company has retained Tactex Asset Management Inc. ("Tactex"). Tactex is entitled to receive a 6% cash commission on the aggregate dollar amount of subscriptions for units provided by Tactex as well as agent's warrants equal to 6% of the number of units purchased by eligible investors provided by Tactex. The agent's warrants will be exercisable with an exercise price of $0.125 per unit. The securities to be issued to Tactex will be subject to a four-month-and-one-day hold period from their date of issuance. Story continues Completion of the private placement remains subject to receiving the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV"), and subject to receiving that approval, the closing on received subscriptions is expected on or about September 11, 2020. Securities issued in the private placement will be subject to a four-month-and-one-day hold period from their date of issuance. About Giyani Giyani Metals Corp. is a mineral resource company focused on the development of its K.Hill, Lobatse & Otse manganese oxide projects in the Kanye Basin, Botswana, Africa. The Company's flagship K.Hill project is a near-surface deposit currently going through a feasibility study to produce high-purity electrolytic manganese metal and manganese sulphate, both key cathode ingredients for batteries in the expanding electric vehicle (EV) market. Additional information and corporate documents may be found on www.sedar.com and on Giyani Metals Corp. Website: https://giyanimetals.com/. On behalf of the Board of Directors of Giyani Metals Corp. Robin Birchall, CEO Contact: Giyani Metals Corporation Robin Birchall CEO, Director +447711313019 rbirchall@giyanimetals.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV") nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. The securities described herein have not been registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any state securities laws, and accordingly, may not be offered or sold to, or for the account or benefit of, persons in the United States or "U.S. persons," as such term is defined in Regulation S promulgated under the U.S. Securities Act ("U.S. Persons"), except in compliance with the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities requirements or pursuant to exemptions therefrom. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the Company's securities to, or for the account of benefit of, persons in the United States or U.S. Persons. Forward Looking Information This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical fact, that address events or developments that Giyani expects to occur, are "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "does not expect", "plans", "anticipates", "does not anticipate", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential", "scheduled", "forecast", "budget" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could", "should" or "might" occur. Specific forward-looking statements and forward-looking information herein includes completion of receipt of TSXV approval for the private placement and completion of the private placement. All such forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of the relevant management as of the date such statements are made and are subject to certain assumptions, important risk factors and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Giyani's ability to control or predict. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on estimates and assumptions that are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In the case of Giyani, these facts include their anticipated operations in future periods, planned exploration and development of its properties, and plans related to its business and other matters that may occur in the future. This information relates to analyses and other information that is based on expectations of future performance and planned work programs. Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause actual events or results to differ from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking information, including, without limitation: inherent exploration hazards and risks; risks related to exploration and development of natural resource properties; uncertainty in Giyani's ability to obtain funding; commodity price fluctuations; recent market events and conditions; risks related to the uncertainty of mineral resource calculations and the inclusion of inferred mineral resources in economic estimation; risks related to governmental regulations; risks related to obtaining necessary licenses and permits; risks related to their business being subject to environmental laws and regulations; risks related to their mineral properties being subject to prior unregistered agreements, transfers, or claims and other defects in title; risks relating to competition from larger companies with greater financial and technical resources; risks relating to the inability to meet financial obligations under agreements to which they are a party; ability to recruit and retain qualified personnel; and risks related to their directors and officers becoming associated with other natural resource companies which may give rise to conflicts of interests. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect Giyani's forward-looking information. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in the forward-looking information or statements. Giyani's forward-looking information is based on the reasonable beliefs, expectations and opinions of their respective management on the date the statements are made, and Giyani does not assume any obligation to update forward looking information if circumstances or management's beliefs, expectations or opinions change, except as required by law. For the reasons set forth above, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. For a complete discussion with respect to Giyani and risks associated with forward-looking information and forward-looking statements, please refer to Giyani's financial statements and related MD&A, all of which are filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com . GIYANI METALS CORP. 1155 North Service Road West, Unit 11 Oakville, Ontario L6M 3E3 T: 289-291-4032 www.giyanimetals.com TSX.V-EMM Judge Orders Trump Admin to Stop Holding Migrant Children in Hotel Detention A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to end its practice of detaining children asylum seekers in hotels while arrangements are made to expel them from the country as part of an immigration policy designed to curb the spread of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic. U.S. District Court Judge Dolly Gee in Los Angeles ruled on Friday that the children who were brought over or crossed over illegally into the United States during the pandemic are entitled to protections under the 1997 Flores settlement agreement. The agreement is a court ruling that says minors who cross the border illegally cannot be detained for more than 20 days and requires children in the custody of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to be housed in facilities that meet certain standards as well as be given certain standards of care. To curb the spread of the CCP virus pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an order in March closing the U.S.-border with Mexico and Canada. The order called for certain foreign people to be removed from the United States and returned to their country of origin, or another practicable location, as quickly as possible. The order has been extended twice and the second time it was extended indefinitely. As part of this policy, the DHS has been using hotels to temporarily house accompanied and unaccompanied children for multiple days before they are removed from the country. In her ruling, Gee found that this practice breaches the DHSs duty under the Flores agreement because children are meant to be placed in licensed programs after arrest, if no qualified adult or entity can take custody. Moreover, she ruled that the practice of hoteling lacks oversight and raises concerns about the standard of care for young children. She also found that children and families also have trouble in accessing a lawyer and that legal services providers have claimed that they face unusual difficulty locating children that are held in hotel detention. When attorneys were able to locate a child, ICE physically prevented them from entering the hotel, Gee wrote (pdf). ICE has also limited childrens ability to speak to attorneys by phone. Citing an independent monitor, the court said 660 minors between the ages of 10 and 17 were being housed in 25 hotels in three states, where 577 of them were unaccompanied. Although Gee acknowledged that the Trump administration may make changes to the immigration system to protect public safety against the pandemic, it is still no excuse for DHS to skirt the fundamental humanitarian protections that the Flores Agreement guarantees for minors in their custody, especially when there is no persuasive evidence that hoteling is safer than licensed facilities. While the legality of the Closure Order generally is beyond the scope of this Courts jurisdiction, the Court is obligated to ensure that minors in DHS custody are not left in a legal no-mans land, where no enforceable standards apply, Gee wrote. She ordered the department to cease placing children in hotel detention by Sept. 15, with the exception of one to two-night stays while in transit or prior to flights. She also ordered DHS to transfer all minorsboth accompanied and unaccompaniedcurrently held in hotels to licensed facilities. The National Center for Youth Law, who brought the motion, applauded the decision. The Court held that the federal government cannot continue to place or hold immigrant children in unmonitored and unlicensed motels for weeks on end before expelling them from the United States, the organization said in a statement. The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Streetwise - A Chip Off the Old Block by Frank Dunnigan April 2009 My folks have been gone for quite a while now, but a few times a year, I call or pay a visit to one of the last remaining neighbors who was a parent on the street where I grew up in the Parkside, and we both sit back and remember when... There were dozens of pre-schoolers living on that stretch of 18th Avenue in 1955everyone called it "The Block." Most of us were born in the early 1950s, and spent our early years growing up together. We were about evenly divided between girls and boys, though when older and younger siblings were counted, the balance tipped a bit in favor of the girls. We truly grew up as one big extended family, living in houses with essentially the same layouts, featuring Spanish/Moorish archways and tile roofs, and presided over by stay-at-home Moms, while the Dads were away at work all day. Our parents were all friends with one another, with some of the Dads having been classmates at St. Ignatius High School on Stanyan Street, and several of the Moms having graduated from the old St. Peter's Academy in the Mission District, generations before it closed in 1966. Chatting with one of my contemporaries awhile back, I was amazed that she could so clearly recall the layout and the furnishings in my parents' home, even recalling a couple of details that I had almost forgotten. Then again, I had a fairly good recall of her parents' placehow the furniture was arranged, the color of the bathroom tiles, where the toys were kept, plus the location and usual contents of her family's kitchen cookie jar. We both recalled that we were in and out of each other's homes almost daily in those early preschool years, without anyone ever having to arrange "play dates" or enlisting others to "babysit". The only question ever asked by any of the Moms whose homes were being visited was, "Does your mother know that you're here?" Once answered in the affirmative, everyone was satisfied that we could amuse ourselves harmlessly until it was time to go back to our own homes later in the day. Countless early mornings back then found a group of 5-year-olds sitting on the living room floor of one family's house, in front of the standard black-and-white television set of that era, surrounded by friends, all slurping bowls of Kellogg's Frosted Flakes in unison, while following the adventures of Captain Kangaroo and his side-kicks, Mr. Green Jeans, Mr. Moose, Bunny Rabbit, Grandfather Clock, and Magic Drawing Board. Cold cereal and milk was the standard weekday breakfast in those years, and even now, I'm surprised when people recoil in horror at the thought of feeding children a processed food that is loaded with sugar. Even those kids whose mothers fed them the aptly named and nutritionally deficient "Sugar Pops" have grown up to be healthy and productive citizens, with no apparent problems. It's amazing the things that we all survived. Practically everyone had a younger sibling during those years, and the little ones were routinely relegated to the playpenanother issue that seems to cause anguish for many in this new era. Again, playpens allowed those toddlers free rein to explore their new worlds, without causing any serious damage to themselves or to others. In addition, several of those younger ones with more, ahem, "outgoing" personalities were thus appropriately restrained so that they were actually able to achieve adolescence and adulthood unscathed by older siblings who might have caused them serious harm had they ventured too far outside the confines of those playpens. If we were still visiting and playing with our friends when lunchtime came, we were automatically fed, and no one needed a signed permission slip. In fact, it was these impromptu meals that opened up whole new culinary worlds for many of usbreakfast with the Captain having been pretty standard fare. Always trying to become more worldly and sophisticated, most of us would politely eat anything placed in front of us at a neighbor's house, rather than go through our standard reaction of "EEYEWwhat's that?" that we might have voiced in the inner sanctum of our own kitchens. The first place I truly enjoyed mustard was on a baloney sandwich at a neighbor's housenow I'm an aficionado with at least half a dozen varieties lined up in my refrigerator door. It was also with my neighbors that I learned for the first time that soup does not always begin with the opening of a can, tuna sandwiches are not necessarily limited to just three basic ingredientstuna, mayonnaise, breadand Jell-O really does come in flavors other than RED. I was gradually introduced to a world that embraced onion, garlic, and spices, and all of these revelations eventually progressed to my discovery of lox, bagels, and cream cheese when I was about 11 or 12, plus baklava, haroset, pigs' feet, mole poblano, and sushi in later years. It takes outsiders to make kids realize that there is a whole world beyond meat and potatoes. We were on a first-name basis with each other's pets, as well as grandparents, aunts, and uncles. I still remember Tiger, Junior, Red, Hercules, Henry Heinrich, Blackie, Bingo, Freckles, Chi-Chi, and Molliethose were the pets, not the relatives. The family membersBig, Little, Pop, Jackson, Mag, Nana, Uncle Sam, Uncle Moe, Auntie Roe, Auntie Marg, Auntie Mildred, Uncle Elmer, Uncle Tom, and othersknew all of us just as well as they knew their own relations. Playing hide-and-seek and other street games (ignoring the fact that there was a large open schoolyard and a city park just one block away), there was only one basic parental rule, and that was, "Be home when the street lights come on." Ours was a hilly block and parents were always concerned about the terrain contributing to accidents involving bikes, skates, flexi-flyers, and the skateboards that came later. However, other than an occasional mishap involving little more than skinned knees, we all survived to tell our stories in the 21st Century. In those preschool days, the Moms had a safety valve for themselves when we were all indoors and underfoot for too many days in a row. One quick round of phone calls among their group, and we would all be hastily assembled onto someone's front lawn and/or garage entryway for an impromptu picnic lunch. Even in the damp, foggy summer months, bundled up against the chill, we were able to release excess energy by playing ball with one another and racing through the empty garage area, without "catching cold." Among the "Mom-isms" that I remember from those front-lawn picnic days are: 1) No drinking milk and Coca-Cola at the same meal, or you'll throw up; 2) No popcorn before nap time or you'll throw up; 3) No fresh fruit with lunch if we're having something from Johnson's Tamales for dinner, or you'll throw up. We suffered through most of our childhood illnesses together, and I distinctly remember either getting or infecting several of my neighbors with chicken pox in 1957, as our parents urged us to pass around our Dixie cups one day when a large group was playing together in our living room. We were all out of commission for a week or two at the same time, and I guess that turned out to be a good thing, since we weren't trying to get out and see one another. Eventually, most of us ended up in kindergarten at Parkside School, either with Mrs. Beckerman in Room 17 or Mrs. McAtee in Room 16. I still have a group shot in front of our living room fireplace of all of us who started school together that same day in the Fall of 1957. We were a carefree bunch, all swinging our new lunch boxes (mine was a yellow Lone Ranger model), containing sandwiches slathered with either butter or mayonnaise, and wrapped in waxed paper (no one ever got sick eating them, even after they sat for hours, un-refrigerated, in the cloakroom). A thermos of milk, plus some cookies and some cut-up fruit rounded out the daily ration. Hula hoops and pogo sticks, battery-operated robots, tricycles, bicycles and board games kept all of us amused day in and day out, year after year, regardless of the weather. One member of our group was fortunate enough to have her own sandbox in the back yard, another lived in a house whose downstairs room contained an old, semi-burned piano from 1906 that still played reasonably well, and one family even had a pinball machine tucked away in a corner of the garage next to their furnace. Those of us who later became interested in electric trains would always be working on them and occasionally displaying our train-and-town layouts to the others. Hillary Clinton said that "It Takes A Village," but our parents created that motto well over half-a-century ago, as all of the neighbors had been persuaded to keep a watchful collective eye on every one of us. If anyone did anything wrong while playing or going to and from school, an invisible network of concerned adults, including the many childless, older, single folks living among us, would become aware of it instantly, and be on the phone a minute later, reporting the details to our mothers. Christmas on "The Block" was something special. From the time most of the houses were built, circa 1936, the owners always grouped together to put on a fabulous display of outside holiday lighting. Each house had a custom-made wood frame that held the lights, and most families maintained the same color scheme year after yearred/green, all clear, multi-color, all red, all greeneven our Jewish neighbors joined in with a Star of David frame, lit with blue and white lights. Santa would arrive by fire engine from the fire house located just a few blocks up 18th Avenue, near Rivera. Sitting on his "throne" in the garage entryway of the "Mayor and First Lady" of the block (an honor rotated among residents on a yearly basis), Santa would dispense candy canes and listen to wish lists. It was a block-wide celebration of goodwill and hospitality, to which many people invited their friends and relatives; my aunts and uncles and many of our first, second, and third cousins would all be there, and Grandma would sometimes take us out to dinner at the Hot House at Playland beforehand. Every family hosted an open house that night with vast quantities of Chex Mix, Lipton's Onion Dip, Christmas cookies, and a good bit of liquid cheer for alla wonderful tradition that lived on until the late 1960s. By 1958, most of us made the move from Parkside School to St. Cecilia's (those who weren't Catholic remained at Parkside and later moved on to Hoover Middle School). Particularly at St. Cecilia's, going to school was one big extension of 18th Avenueolder siblings, cousins who lived nearby, other children whose parents were friends with our parentswe got to know them and their own personal friends, and our social circles began to widen considerably. Going from Parkside's Kindergarten classes of fifteen or twenty to the fifty-plus pupils in each of St. Cecilia's classrooms was a huge change. Friendships were made, secrets exchanged, and alliances forged, but those that we knew from "The Block" still had a special cachet that set them apart from all our new friends. As grammar school wore on many of us still played togetheroften congregating at the old Parkside Theater on Taraval Street for summer matineesa ten-week subscription of thin, perforated yellow tickets was only $1.00. It was probably about the same time, 1962-1963, that many of us also developed an interest in coin collecting. Armed with fifty cents each, our group would wander up and down Taraval or West Portal Avenue, from one bank to the next, every Friday afternoon, and ask the teller for "one roll of pennies, please"this was at a time when banks stayed open past 3:00 p.m. only on Fridays. Then, sitting outside the building, we would go through the coins carefully to see if there were any with the necessary dates and mint marks to fill up those blue Whitman coin albums that we had purchased at Toy Village. There were a dozen or so banks and savings & loans that were on our regular path, and we'd regularly share our finds with one another before adding in a few replacement coins, and re-rolling the remainder with our supply of coin wrappers, ready to approach the next institution for another try. The eight years of grammar school were over in the flash of an eye, and we were soon off to St. Ignatius, Riordan, Mercy, Star of the Sea, or St. Rose (or Lincoln or Lowell). We didn't see as much of each other as we formed even more new social connections among our high school classmates, but eventually one of our new friends would turn up with someone who had some sort of an association with a member of our original group. It was amazing to see all the interwoven connections. Several of my S.I. classmates dated girls who had an 18th Avenue connection. One S.I. student began dating my third cousin circa 1969, when they played a pair of bumble bees together in a school play (they now have four adult children who are in their 20s and 30s); another friend who sat next to me on Stanyan Street in Father Jacobs' algebra class began dating one of our original preschool group about that same time (resulting in yet another happy thirty-plus year marriage and many children); the girl who sat in front of me in fourth grade later married one of my Bank of America coworkers (thirty-five-plus years of marriage and several grandchildren); and three months after high school graduation, another S.I. classmate married a girl from the neighborhood who was not my cousin, but who shared the very same aunt and uncle with my mom (you need to be a trained genealogist to understand this point!). In those days Irish-Catholic San Francisco was a populous but very small place. Cars quickly became a big part of our lives, and many of us found ourselves zipping around in VW Beetles, Karmann Ghias, or the occasional Chevy Vega. Things were changing slowly but surely in the Outside Lands, and neighborhood parking soon became a real issue that has remained troublesome to this day. Eventually, it was off to college for most of usUSF, Santa Clara, Loyola, UC-Davis, UC-Riverside, College of San Mateo, SF State, and others, most of us remaining within an hour's travel, by either car or plane. Sadly, however, for the most part, we were beginning to lose regular contact with each other save for an occasional update about someone's new job, new car, or new major that was routed to each of us through the Mom network. After college was over, we were out into the working world. We mostly managed to keep track of each other's weddings, whether we were able to attend or not. Working in downtown San Francisco, as I did, resulted in a series of fortuitous bump-intos during the course of the average work week in the mid-to-late 1970s. It was always a hasty catch-upmostly trying to keep track of the general geographic area where all of us were settling, almost always outside of San Francisco. I was one of the few who bought a house and remained living in the Sunset, a few avenues away, but near "The Block" until the end of the 1990s. Again, the Mom network kept us up on who was having babies in the late 1970s and the early 1980s, but the contacts among all of us remained few and far between in many cases, as our lives grew more complex. By the mid-1990s, a few of us began corresponding via that hallowed tradition (loved by some, despised by others) of the annual Christmas letter. By the late 1990s, we were mostly online, and in contact electronically. Email and online class directories became even more commonplace in the new millennium, and most of us were then able to stay current on each other's goings on, including the arrival of the first grandchildren while some of us were still having or just starting to have children of our own. Face it, there is going to be a huge mix of older parents and younger grandparents at children's school events in the future! Sadly, funerals have become our standard meeting place recently. First, it was the Dads who were departing the scene, and then in more recent years, one-by-one, nearly all of the Moms have taken their leave of us, generally at far more advanced ages than the Dads were ever able to achieve. It came as a shock in the past year to learn that several of us have already lost a sibling, and in one case, even a spousewell before reaching the age of 60. Even though most of us have managed to survive reasonably intact following the rigors of child-bearing, child-rearing, and other adult adventures, including the occasional divorce, we all know friends our own age who have had to deal with pacemakers, new titanium hip joints, and/or life-threatening health conditions. It's strange to think that that we used to pop body parts on and off Mr. & Mrs. Potato Head with unabashed glee, and now some young surgeons are eyeing up each one of us in exactly the same way. We still recognize one another when we meet in spite of changes involving baldness and gray hair on most of usor some surprisingly stylish blonde hair on a couple of the girlsplus glasses, wrinkles, and weight gain. As we sit and talk and reminisce, there's that tiny little chip of the past nestled deep within us. We chat on and on, recalling distant adventures that we've shared, including triumphs, tragedies, and some of life's extraordinarily sad moments. We all know instinctively that whatever happens, we are still here for one another, still holding on to a bit of our collective youth, and still able to remember when life was so good to all of us and to our families on a tiny little spot of land that we called "The Block" on the western edge of San Francisco. Contribute your own stories about western neighborhoods places! You cannot say he does not live his creed of personal freedom the rest of the Australian population is grounded, but Tony Abbott got special exemption to leave the country, and has alighted in the UK, where he has now been appointed as that country's new trade adviser, seeking out post-Brexit trade opportunities. It is certainly a courageous decision, in the best Yes Minister tradition. Illustration: Reg Lynch Credit: The former prime minister's Oxford Blue for boxing has become the founding legend of his political narrative, and not for nothing. Peace is not something that descends easily on him. He doesn't court controversy so much as he body-smashes it. Shirt-fronts, even. Abbott applied his skills for contact sport almost immediately on arrival. He gave a speech this week in London, to the Policy Exchange think tank, where he appeared to apply a cost-benefit analysis to the lives of elderly people most vulnerable to the coronavirus. The Ashanti Regional capital, Kumasi, is expected to come to life with the glittering blue, white and red colours of the ruling New Patriotic Party as the Second Lady of the Republic of Ghana, Her Excellency, Hajia Samira Bawumia, joins thousands of party functionaries to perform the official launch of Regional Women's Campaign. The Second Lady is expected to join other leading figures in the party, including the Chief of Staff, Hon. Frema Osei and Regional Chairman of the party, Mr. Bernard Antwi Boasiako aka Chairman Wontumi, at the Centre For National Culture, as the ruling party kick starts outdoor campaign with the view to retaining power come December 7, 2020. Already, the city is bubbling with excitement with thousands of flags and other paraphernalia in anticipation of the arrival of the Second Lady. The Ashanti Regional Women's Organizer of the party, Nana Ama Ampoma, told this website in an interview that about 5,000 party functionaries are expected to grace the occasion. According to her, all the necessary measures, ad far as COVID-19 protocols were concerned, have been put in place to protect everyone who will be at the grounds. She said the party would use the occasion to outdoor the various committees under which the women's wing would embark on its campaign activities, adding that the function would present the opportunity for the women's wing to consolidate its key position as 'election deciders'. "We have seen the data from the Electoral Commission and the percentage of female voters on the register. Its therefore crucial that we involve women in every single activity the party will undertake so as to garner enough votes from them" she noted. According to her, there is no doubt that women are the major beneficiaries of the various social interventions introduced by government under the able leadership of His Excellency, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo. "Talk about Planting for Food and Jobs, Free SHS, NABCO, amongst others; women as a group, form the bigger portion of beneficiaries so I have absolutely no doubt at all that Ghanaian women will once again reward the NPP in December 7 in order for us to continue these laudable programmes" Nana Ama Ampoma emphasized 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 Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Alya Nurbaiti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, September 5, 2020 16:41 502 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c42e789e 1 City LGBT,LGBT-in-Indonesia,LGBT-persecution,LGBT-rights,Jakarta-police,raids,persecution,South-Jakarta,party Free Civil groups have criticized the Jakarta Police over the criminalization of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community following a recent raid on a private party in Kuningan, South Jakarta. On Aug. 29, police officers broke into an apartment where 56 males were holding a private gathering. The police later named nine people, who were the party organizers, as suspects, while the 47 attendees became witnesses in the case. Investigators charged the nine suspects under Article 296 of the Criminal Code, which is generally used to charge pimps. They also charged the suspects under Article 33 of the 2008 Pornography Law, which restricts people from funding or facilitating pornographic services, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years imprisonment. Read also: EDITORIAL: The politics of gay-bashing The Civil Society Coalition for the Protection of the Rights of Vulnerable Groups criticized the forces decision to name the party organizers suspects, saying the charge was unsuitable as the organizers did not hold the party for profit. The coalition -- consisting of several civil groups including the Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (ICJR), LGBT rights group Arus Pelangi and the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute (YLBHI) -- also argued that partying in a private space could not be considered a violation of the law. It went on to say that the police had violated the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which was ratified by Indonesia through Law No. 12/2005, which restricts state authorities from arbitrarily entering citizens residences. The state shouldnt use criminal law to target certain groups. The police shouldnt justify ways to obtain evidence that violate the suspects rights, the coalition wrote in a statement on Saturday. The coalition also argued that the police had ignored the suspects rights to a fair trial during the raid and investigation as the force did not notify their relatives about the arrest. The police only made an announcement about the raid five days later during a press briefing. Read also: 'Moral panic' targets Indonesia's LGBT community Civil rights groups also lambasted the police for not providing legal assistance to the suspects and witnesses during the investigation, although it is guaranteed by Article 54 of the Criminal Law Procedures Code (KUHAP). We urge the Jakarta Police to prioritize the fair trial principles and stop using all means that violate the citizens privacy. The National Commission on Human Rights [Komnas HAM] should ensure that the case wont become a precedent for future persecutions against LGBT groups. Being LGBT is not illegal in Indonesia, but members of the community have persistently faced discrimination from authorities, society as well as radical Islamic groups. United States-based Pew Research Institute found in 2019 that only 9 percent of Indonesians agreed that homosexuality should be accepted by society. Although the figure had increased from 3 percent in 2013, it was still far below other countries, including the neighboring Philippines, where 73 percent of respondents responded that they were tolerant of homosexuality. 12 people died and dozens of others suffered serious burn injuries after 8 air conditioners exploded in a mosque on the outskirts of Bangladesh's capital Dhaka. Reports suggest that the blast took place at the mosque in Narayanganj river port town at around 9 pm on September 4. Fire officials reportedly said that a gas from a leaked pipeline caused a fire that might have led to an AC explosion. Read: Historic! Bangladesh Court Rules Hindu Widows Entitled To Share In Husbands' Properties Blast in Bangladesh mosque The coordinator of the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka, Samanta Lal Sen told local media that 12 people died with major burns on their bodies. He added that at least 37 were injured and rushed to the hospital. According to the reports, most of the victims suffered from 60 to 70 per cent burns. Dr Samantha said that 25 victims are being treated at the unit. However, their condition is "very critical as the burn caused more than 90 per cent damage to their bodies. Read: AC Explosion In Bangladesh Mosque Kills 12, Injures 25 According to the reports, there were 100 worshippers at the 3 storey mosque when all the 8 air conditioners on the ground floor burst into flames. Officer-in-charge of Fatullah Police Station in Narayangan, Shafiqul Islam reportedly said window glasses of the mosque came down on the streets along with ceiling fans, wires and electric switchboards due to the huge blast. A control room official at the fire service headquarters in Dhaka, Kamrul Ahsan, said firemen managed to bring the fire under control after half an hour of struggle. The Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence have formed a committee to investigate the incident. Read: West Bengal: NIA Nabs Key Fake Currency Racketeer Active Across Indo-Bangladesh Border Also Read: Friends Bring Businesses To Aid Needy Bangladeshi People (With Inputs from PTI) (Image Credits: Unsplash) Mercy Baguma, 34, was found dead with her baby Adriel beside her in Govan, Glasgow The father of a baby who was found starving next to his dead mother said it was a miracle the child had survived. Eric Nnanna, 30, said his 16-month-old son Adriel had survived for four days without food or water after the death of his mother Mercy Baguma. Miss Baguma, 34, a restaurant worker, was found dead in her flat in the Govan area of Glasgow on August 22, days after last speaking to friends. Her body was only discovered when Mr Nnanna, her former partner of three years, visited the flat after becoming worried. He told how at first he had thought it was empty, but called the police when he opened the letter box and heard Adriel crying inside. He said the child was covered in blood and was too weak to stand up in his cot. Adriel was taken to hospital before being handed to his father, who is now his sole carer. Eric Nnanna, 30, said his 16-month-old son Adriel had survived for four days without food or water after the death of his mother Mercy Baguma Eric Nnanna, 30, with his son Adriel, who was found dead with his partner Mercy Baguma Mr Nnanna, a graduate of the University of Aberdeen who lives in Glasgow, told the Daily Mail: The whole trauma has made him glued to my body. He now follows me everywhere. He basically doesnt want me to ever leave his sight. Each time I remember the state and condition he was found, tears run out of my eyes uncontrollably. Privately educated Miss Baguma had moved to Scotland from Uganda 14 years ago before taking a job as a waitress. She was one of 14 children in the family of former Ugandan MP Abdu Balingilira Nakendo. Miss Bagumas sister Hajirah Nakendo, a lawyer in Uganda, revealed her sibling had come to the UK in search of higher wages after struggling to find work in her homeland. But she had fallen on hard times when the restaurant she worked at closed during lockdown. Her situation was then made worse when her visa expired, giving her refugee status and forcing her and her child to live on government handouts of 35 a week. At the time of her death, charity African Challenge Scotland (ACS) said she had been plunged into extreme poverty and contacted them looking for food parcels. Miss Bagumas death came just weeks after she appeared in an ACS online video thanking charity workers for their help. The details of her death were expected to be revealed to her family yesterday. Her friends in Uganda say she had struggled with depression for many years. Reliving the moment police broke down the door of her top- floor flat, in the shadow of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Mr Nnanna told the Glasgow Times: When they opened the door they said I shouldnt come into the flat. Adriel was left so weak from starvation when found that he was unable to stand up in his cot They said they saw Mercys body lying in her hallway and Adriel was in his cot. She died on the Tuesday night, so Adriel didnt have food or water or anything from that Tuesday night until that Saturday morning when he was found. It is a miracle he survived. I dont know where he got the strength from to cry because he had been there for so many days. Mr Nnanna disputes the charitys claims that Miss Baguma was living in poverty. He said: To say that Mercy died of starvation or hunger is wrong there were people there to help. Mr Nnanna said he hopes Adriel grows up knowing that his dad will always be there for him, that his dad will love him and care for him. He added: When he grows older, I will tell him how loving his mum was. A spokesman for the Home Office said: We will be conducting a full investigation into Miss Bagumas case. Golden Plains wasn't the last chance to see Hot Chip perform live this year. The British synth-pop band team up with Streamland to play their only performance for the rest of the year. Fans can join the global livestream, which features the maximalist production of a full festival set. Unsettling Scores is a three-part program that examines how experimental sounds and acts of listening can become vehicles of resistance. Curated by Liquid Architecture for Monash University Museum of Art, the program brings together artists, musicians and writers, and is distributed in newsletter form. Until Sep 30, free, liquidarchitecture.org.au FOOD Prahran Market's Say Cheese Festival goes virtual this year with three interactive events. Learn about local and imported varieties of cheese, cook a cheesy Greek dinner, and see chefs compete in the annual Grilled Cheese Invitational. Tasting and recipe boxes are available to purchase. Sep 10-12, various times, free, prahranmarket.com.au Chandigarh district education officer Harbir Singh Anand, 58, who had tested positive for Covid-19 on Thursday passed away in early hours on Saturday after his blood oxygen level dipped. Anand had opted for home isolation, but was shifted to Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, when his condition worsened, confirmed health officials. He was a resident of Nayagaon in Mohali. His case has been added to neither Chandigarhs nor Mohalis tally so far. Anand was earlier principal of Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 10, from 2014 to 2019. In an unfortunate turn of events, his death happens to have coincided with Teachers Day. He had served the department for 33 years and was well respected by everyone, said Bhag Singh Kairon, president of Joint Action Committee of Government School Teachers of Chandigarh. Three other employees of the DEO office in Sector 19 had also tested positive along with Anand. UT education secretary Sarpreet Singh Gill said: We are following the protocol and will get all employees of the DEO office and who had come in contact with Anand and other three employees tested. For now, the office has been closed. 234 fresh cases, 1 more death Meanwhile, for the fifth consecutive day, more than 200 Covid cases were reported in Chandigarh. A death was also confirmed, taking the toll to 69. Also, 185 patients were discharged, including those who were asymptomatic and completed 10 days in home isolation. With 234 fresh cases, the total has reached 5,502, of which 2,140 are active. As many as 70% of them are in home isolation. The person who died has been identified as a 27-year-old man from Sector 14, who also suffered from diabetes. Afghan territory must not be used to carry out terror attacks against other countries: BRICS Leaders Resolve conflicts peacefully: BRICS India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Sep 05: Five-nation influential grouping BRICS, which includes India and China, on Friday said conflicts should be resolved by peaceful means and diplomatic engagement through political dialogue and negotiations irrespective of their historic background. The BRICS stressed on resolution of conflicts in a declaration issued after a virtual meeting of foreign ministers of the member nations of the grouping. The meeting was attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. In 2.20 hours talks with Chinese defence minister, Rajnath made strong pitch for status quo ante Though the declaration mentioned conflicts in various parts of the world, the reference comes at a time when China is engaged in an aggressive military posturing in the South China Sea and a bitter border row with India in the mountainous eastern Ladakh region. "They concurred that, irrespective of their historic background and distinctive nature, conflicts should be resolved by peaceful means and diplomatic engagement through political dialogue and negotiations in line with principles and norms of international law, particularly the UN Charter," it said. Besides India and China, the BRICS comprises Brazil, Russia and South Africa. In his address, Jaishankar called for boosting cooperation among the grouping in dealing with the threat of terrorism besides emphasising the need to reform the United Nations to reflect contemporary global realities. Jaishankar also called for expansion of the UN Security Council in both permanent and non-permanent categories besides pitching for reforms in international bodies like World Trade Organisation, International Monetary Fund and World Health Organisation. The foreign minister also indicated that India's effort would be to consolidate intra BRICS solidarity and provide concrete institutional framework for the purpose. The meeting was chaired by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and attended by Brazilian Foreign Minister Ernesto Ara jo, China's Wang, South African Foreign Minister Grace Naledi Pandor and Jaishankar. The joint declaration said the ministers expressed concerns at the rise of violence and continuing conflicts in different parts of the world that have significant impact at both the regional and international levels. It said the ministers reiterated their strong condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations whenever, wherever and by whomsoever committed, adding that it should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilization or ethnic group. "They reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to contribute further to the global efforts of preventing and countering the threat of terrorism on the basis of respect for international law and the UN Charter, emphasising that States have the primary responsibility in combating terrorism," the declaration said. The BRICS foreign ministers also called for establishing long-term peace in Afghanistan on the basis of successful, direct and inclusive intra-Afghan negotiations supported by international partners. "The peace process should be Afghan-led and Afghan-owned. They condemned in the strongest terms the recent terrorist attacks that took place in Afghanistan," it said. It said the ministers noted with appreciation the role of the New Development Bank (NDB) in infrastructure and sustainable development financing and its contribution to the efforts of BRICS states to address the health and economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. "They welcomed the decision of the NDB Board of Governors to establish an emergency assistance facility up to USD 10 billion to meet related needs and the approval of four loans in the total amount of USD 4 billion," the declaration said. It said the ministers reiterated the pressing need to preserve jobs and income, in particular for the most vulnerable groups of society. "They underscored the urgency of restoring international growth and international trade, strengthening markets stability and resilience. The Ministers stressed the value of cooperation between States, both bilaterally and multilaterally," it said. In his address, Jaishankar said the BRICS has an important role to play in the wake of grave challenges in economic, political and social, health fields. He also highlighted the 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' (self-reliant India) initiative of India as a "dynamic" and mutually beneficial global economic engagement, covering five key pillars, including economy, infrastructure, technology, demography and demand. A doctors prescription will no longer be required for people to get a Covid-19 test, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said in its revised testing advisory to states on Saturday, paving the way for walk-in tests. The move comes after a prod by the Delhi high court that asked why people who show no symptoms of the disease which can be a large proportion of Covid-19 patients cannot get a test. The rule until now required people to either have flu-like symptoms or come in close contact with an infected person, following which a doctor could issue a prescription for a test. The new guidelines will allow people to get tested for Covid-19 without any prescription. The guidelines also say that states can have their own simplified modalities for testing. What this means is that states cannot put in any restrictive requirements on testing. There were some states where people needed a chief medical officer or someone to certify that they needed the test; those restrictions will have to be removed, said a senior official from the Union health ministry, asking not to be named. ICMRs advisory is generic in nature and may be modified as per the discretion of state health authorities, said the advisory. In a Delhi HC hearing over improving testing in the Capital, the ICMR stated on September 3 it was just an advisory body and states were free to make changes as per their needs. With the new strategy, the doctors will be a little freer in ordering testing. Influenza-like illnesses was too restrictive a category for testing, especially as many patients with Covid-19 are asymptomatic. Clinical testing or depending on a doctors judgement should have been allowed a long time ago. This is what is good for medical care, said Dr Jacob John, former professor of virology at Christian Medical College in Vellore. He added that the government should now move to an approach where patients with Covid-19-like symptoms living in an area where the disease is in transmission should be considered a positive case and treated as such. The guidelines also suggest testing those with atypical presentation for Covid-19 such as stroke, encephalitis, blood mixed sputum, pulmonary embolism, acute heart conditions, and Guillain-Barre syndrome (a condition where the bodys immune system attacks the nerves causing weakness in legs, multiple organ dysfunction, progressive gastrointestinal symptoms, and inflammatory disease ) in paediatric patients. The new guidelines make testing more freely available and this decision has been taken after ramping up Indias testing capacity to over a million a day, the ministry official quoted above said. Dr Lalit Kant, former head of epidemiology at Indian Council of Medical Research, said that the non-ambiguous guidelines will help resolve many systemic issues. This will make testing more accessible. Although, this was even true earlier, but the clear-cut guidelines on who to test in a hospital or when to do an RT-PCR is helpful in addressing any ambiguities. Like in Delhi, we should increase RT-PCR testing (elsewhere), he said. The guidelines also mentions places where molecular testing such as RT-PCR, CBNAAT, and TrueNat should be preferred over the cheaper and faster but less accurate rapid antigen tests (RAT). Within containment zones, a rapid antigen test is the preferred modality for screening. Those to be screened include all persons with influenza-like illnesses, all direct and high-risk contacts (family members, colleagues, above the age of 65, immunocompromised, or have conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, or heart, kidney, and lung diseases). Ideally, it is suggested that 100% people living in the containment zones should be tested by RAT particularly in cities where there has been widespread transmission of the infection, the guidelines mention. In non-containment areas, however, the ICMR strategy suggests that preference should be given to molecular methods to test those with influenza-like symptoms, all symptomatic contacts, and all asymptomatic high-risk contacts. RT-PCR, CBNAAT, or TrueNat should also be used for routine surveillance of all symptomatic travellers within seven days of illness, and health care or frontline workers involved in Covid-19 management. Within hospitals, the ICMR strategy says molecular tests should be preferred for testing those with severe acute respiratory infections, influenza-like symptoms, high-risk contacts in need of hospitalisation, asymptomatic patients undergoing surgery or other invasive procedures, and all pregnant women in or near labour. The guidelines state that no emergency procedure should be delayed for the want of a test; a sample can be sent simultaneously. Hospitals have been instructed not to refuse admission to pregnant women citing lack of testing facility. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON September 5 is observed as Teachers' Day in India every year. Google has decided to dedicate a Doodle to mark this special occasion. Today's Google Doodle features multiple objects linked to different subjects we learnt at school, right from a colour palette to laptop, books, ruler and craft material. Teachers' Day Google Doodle celebrates all those wonderful teachers who make sure that learning never stops and that monotony never sets in the process of learning. Google also shared today's Doodle on Instagram and stated, "From being our very first role models to guiding us through life. This #TeachersDay, our #GoogleDoodle celebrates all the teachers who have made sure that learning never stops (sic)." Google India also shared Teachers' Day 2020 Doodle on Twitter and said, "Raising our hands to say #HappyTeachersDay with today's #GoogleDoodle. Thank you for making sure that learning continues, even as classes changed from seats to screens." Raising our hands to say #HappyTeachersDay with todays #GoogleDoodle. Thank you for making sure that learning continues, even as classes changed from seats to screens https://t.co/Ux6XMj5uF0pic.twitter.com/uDPn54gYgK Google India (@GoogleIndia) September 5, 2020 This day is also celebrated as the birthday of a renowned scholar, second President of India and a Bharat Ratna awardee, Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. "Instead of celebrating my birthday, it would be my proud privilege if September 5 is observed as Teachers' Day," Dr Radhakrishnan had said. Teachers' Day was first celebrated in 1962, the year he became India's President. He was an impeccable academic and a star teacher who had an illustrious career. He was born in a Telugu-speaking family on September 5, 1888 in Tamil Nadu. Also read: Teacher's Day 2020 Date: Know about Dr Radhakrishnan; why this day is celebrated in India Also read: Teachers' Day: Grateful for their contribution towards nation building, says PM Modi Commuters wear face coverings as workers are encouraged to return to their offices despite fears of a second wave of coronavirus infections. (PA via Getty Images) The coronavirus reproduction rate in the UK - the R rate - could be as high as 1.1. Experts on the government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) announced on Friday the estimate for R across the UK is between 0.9-1.1. The estimate came a day after Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon said Scotlands R rate could be as high as 1.4. The growth rate for the virus is -1% to +2% which means the number of new infections is somewhere between shrinking by 1% and growing by 2% every day. This is a slight increase on the growth rate published last Friday of -2%-1%. In a report on the official Gov.uk website, it said: SAGE does not have confidence that R is currently below 1 in England. R Rate across England, published 4 September. (Gov.uk) Schools across England reopened this week with new social distancing measures in place to prevent a spike in new coronavirus infections (Danny Lawson/PA Images via Getty Images) On Thursday, figures released by the NHS through the Test and Trace programme revealed that the weekly number of coronavirus cases in England in late August was the highest since the end of May. A total of 6,732 new cases were confirmed between 20 August and 26 August an increase of 6% on the previous week, NHS Test and Trace data showed. The R rate of coronavirus represents the number of people each COVID-19 positive person goes on to infect. R does not reveal how quickly an epidemic is changing. Different diseases with the same R can generate epidemics that grow at very different speeds. For instance, two diseases both with an R rate of two could have very different lengths of time for one infected individual to infect two other people; one disease might take years, while the other might take days. The growth rate provides information on the size and speed of change, whereas the R value only gives information on the direction of change. In its infection survey pilot, the latest data from the ONS released on Friday showed that that there appeared to be a small increase in the percentage of people who tested positive for COVID-19 in July after a dip in June but that has continued to level off. The news of an increase in growth rate came as schools in England fully reopened, but with social distancing measures in place to help stem the spread of COVID-19. Story continues In total across the UK, there have been 340,411 recorded cases and 41,527 deaths within 28 days of a positive test. Coronavirus: what happened today Click here to sign up to the latest news, advice and information with our daily Catch-up newsletter After months of trying to project caution about coronavirus safety measures, Mr. Biden and some of his surrogates are (cautiously) hitting the road again. It started this week in Kenosha, Wis., where Mr. Biden held a listening session that brought together police officers, racial justice activists, civic leaders and business owners in a conversation about healing and racial equity. Timing his trip just days after Mr. Trump visited Kenosha and focused on vandalism and looting, it was clear that Mr. Biden wanted to project what he thought a presidential visit should look like. The visit had the side benefit of neutralizing an infamous argument about Wisconsin from 2016, when the Democratic presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton, did not visit the state during the general election campaign and lost there by fewer than 23,000 votes. In the days since Mr. Bidens visit to Kenosha, his campaign has announced new events in Delaware, Michigan, Minnesota and Pennsylvania. Based on conversations with Democratic advisers, and the campaigns recent virtual events, heres what to expect: A focus on the pandemic, and Mr. Trumps failures. The Biden campaign believes the pandemic response has all the hallmarks of the ways that Americans are dissatisfied with Mr. Trumps administration, and is a singular issue that has affected every Americans life. Although Mr. Trumps convention framed his record as one that stopped the health crisis from being worse, Mr. Biden will highlight the ways the incumbent has ignored experts and public health advice. One example: an upcoming trip to Minnesota by Jill Biden, who is embarking on a national Back-to-School Tour as the country grapples with reopening procedures. A catchall strategy on racial equity and protests. First, the Biden campaign debuted a digital advertisement embracing law and order and condemning rioting and looting in cities. Then, the campaign started running an advertisement titled Were Listening, in which Mr. Biden and his running mate, Senator Kamala Harris of California, express sympathy for protesters and outline steps for police reform. Though the ideas are not in conflict, they are indicative of Mr. Bidens catchall approach when it comes to the current moment of racial unrest in the country. Integrating new reporting on Mr. Trump and veterans. Few reports break through the fire hose of political noise, but the Atlantic report captured both campaigns attention this week. There are signs that Mr. Bidens campaign will further integrate the controversy into its messaging, including a web video it posted on Friday. And Vote Vets, a liberal group of veterans that has endorsed Mr. Biden, has already made an advertisement about the issue. Trump encourages supporters to vote twice. Will they take him literally? Framing his suggestion as a way to stress-test the security of election systems, Mr. Trump this week said voters in North Carolina should try to vote twice, once by mail and once in person, to make sure their choice was counted. Intentionally voting twice is illegal an offense that can send you to jail in some states and the comments served as the presidents latest attempt to cast doubt on the integrity of the November election and set the stage to claim the election was somehow rigged, if he loses. Mr. Trump makes so many outlandish and vaguely worded statements that it makes it easy for his defenders to wave some of them away when he is criticized. White House officials said Mr. Trump was only encouraging his supporters to verify that their mail-in ballots had been counted, and denied that he was encouraging people to vote twice. Whats not clear yet is whether North Carolina voters took him seriously and literally, and whether they will try to break the law as the state begins its vote-by-mail process. The North Carolina State Board of Elections issued a statement reminding people that voting twice is illegal the latest reminder that living in America under the Trump administration is a daily civics lesson. What you might have missed We will continue to deal with Chinese PLA in firm, resolute manner: Army chief Viral Video: People forced to quarantine in metal boxes as China enforces zero Covid policy Chinese Army abducted 5 from Arunachal Pradesh claims Congress MLA India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Sep 05: A Congress MLA from Arunachal Pradesh has said that five people have been abducted by the People's Liberation Army. The MLA, Ninong Erin said that the five people had gone for fishing when they were abducted by the Chinese Army. The five-Tanu Bakar, Prasat Ringling, Ngaru Diri, Dongtu Ebiya, and Toch Singkam were reportedly abducted from the Sera 7 area under the Subansiri district along the India-China border in Arunachal Pradesh. Ering told India Today TV that the Chinese Army has started incursions in Arunachal Pradesh after Ladakh and Doklam. He also said that the Chinese have crossed the Line of Actual Control. The Chinese have again started creating a nuisance. Just like in Ladakh and Doklam, they have started incursions in Arunachal Pradesh. It is proved that they have entered our side of the LAC, he further added. SHOCKING NEWS: Five people from Upper Subansiri district of our state Arunachal Pradesh have reportedly been 'abducted' by China's People's Liberation Army (PLA). Few months earlier, a similar incident happened. A befitting reply must be given to #PLA and #CCPChina, the MLA said in a tweet. SHOCKING NEWS: Five people from Upper Subansiri district of our state Arunachal Pradesh have reportedly been abducted by Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA). Few months earlier,a similar incident happened. A befitting reply must be given to #PLA and #CCPChina. @PMOIndia https://t.co/8gRdGsQfId pic.twitter.com/KbDMJ3bUi2 Ninong Ering (@ninong_erring) September 4, 2020 The development comes in the wake of Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh meeting with his Chinese counterpart General Wei Fenghe at Moscow. A source familiar with the developments told OneIndia that the Indian delegation strongly objected to the fresh attempt made by China to change the status quo in the southern bank of Pangong Tso in Eastern Ladakh. The delegation insisted on the resolution through talks. What transpired at the Rajnath Singh-Wei Fenghe meeting at Moscow The Indian side said that there should be restoration of status quo ante at all friction points in Eastern Ladakh. Hours before the talks, Singh, in his address at the SCO ministerial meet, said peace and security in the region demands a climate of trust, non-aggression, peaceful resolution of differences and respect for international rules. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 22:33:33|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), speaks at the board of governors meeting in Vienna, Austria, March 9, 2020. (Xinhua/Photo Credit: Dean Calma / IAEA) Iran welcomes the report by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Iran's nuclear program, saying it's positive and constructive." TEHRAN, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- The recent report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Iran's nuclear program is "positive and constructive," said Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's ambassador to the Vienna-based international organizations. The report deals with the developments and progress of relations and cooperation between Iran and the IAEA over the past three months, Gharibabadi was quoted as saying by Iran Labor News Agency (ILNA) on Saturday. "It indicates the constructive interaction of the two sides during the period to reach a common understanding and find solutions to issues," he said. The IAEA's quarterly report on Friday said that Iran's stockpile of uranium enrichment has increased to 2,105kg (4,640lb), more than 10 times the permitted 202.08kg enriched uranium under the Iranian landmark nuclear deal, which was sealed between Iran and China, France, Germany, Russia, Britain and the United States in 2015. U.S. President Donald Trump displays a signed presidential memorandum at the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, on May 8, 2018. (Xinhua/Ting Shen) U.S. President Donald Trump, however, pulled Washington out of the agreement in May 2018, reinstated old and new sanctions on Iran's energy and financial sectors, calling for new accord with the Islamic republic whereby more restrictions could be exerted on the nuclear activities of Tehran and a curb on the country's developing ballistic missile program. Following the U.S. exit, Iran started to gradually renege on its obligations under the deal, and it vowed to produce more enriched uranium, resume relevant research and development activities and to rise the fissile purity of the enriched uranium from the permitted 3.6 percent to 4.5 percent. The IAEA's report also confirmed that the organization's inspectors have taken samples from one of the two requested locations inside Iran, and they would take samples from the second location at the end of September. The agreement of visiting the two locations, for the possibility of past uranium activities, was reached between Iran and the UN nuclear watchdog during the IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi's visit to Tehran on August 25-26. Gharibabadi said Grossi's visit could lead to strengthening of mutual cooperation and trust, according to ILNA. According to the IAEA report, Iran has shown goodwill in its interaction with the IAEA director general, and it expects the remaining issues to be settled by implementing mutual agreements and commitments, Gharibabadi added. Iran has denied any covered nuclear activity and insists that its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Law enforcement sources told the Advance/SILive.com Friday night that Pennsylvania authorities have a man in custody in relation to a West Brighton homicide that occurred in July. The individuals extradition to New York had not yet been completed Friday night, so the name of the individual and where he was being held were not immediately available. The suspect allegedly shot and killed Barry Moultrie, 35, near the intersection of Castleton Avenue and Baker Street on July 22 at around 11:25 a.m. Emergency personnel found the victim with gunshot wounds to his torso, and he succumbed to his injuries after being transported to Richmond University Medical Center, police said. Following the shooting, a suspect described by police as a Black male wearing white shorts and a red shirt fled the scene in an unknown direction in a green, four-door Acura with Pennsylvania license plates, an NYPD spokesman previously told the Advance/SILive.com. Barry Moultrie, 35, was fatally shot on Wednesday, July 22, 2020 in West Brighton. (Family photo) Born and raised in Brooklyn, Moultrie moved to Staten Island to be closer to his partner, his sister, Jasmin Lawton, said. He was one of five siblings. Moultries five kids - four boys and a girl - lived with him. The boys are three, five, six and eight years old, and the girl is 12 years old, according to Lawton, who could not provide information on a possible motive. Patna: Two persons belonging to Mahadalit community were shot dead while three others injured in firing by unidentified persons in Bihars Purnea district, police said on Saturday. The incident took place in Chandpur Bhangahan village under the jurisdiction of Janki nagar police station on Friday midnight when some armed people reached the house of a Mahadalit family and started thrashing them with cane, stickand iron rod and later shot dead two persons, police said. The deceased have been identified as Anmol Rishi (50) and Subodh Rishi (45), both residents of Chandpur Bhangahan village, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Vibhash Kumar said. Police are investigating the matter, the SDPO said while refusing to say anything on the reasons behind the incident except that the incident seems to be the result of a land dispute between Mahadalits and other persons of the village. A police team is camping in the village after the incident, he added. The three injured persons Bhupendra Rishi, TetarRishi and Raj Kumar Rishi- have been admitted to Banmankhi referral hospital for treatment, the SDPO said. Bhupendra Rishi, one of the three injured persons, said that around 50 persons armed with weapons, cane, iron rod suddenly attacked their houses. They (the miscreants) firstbeat us with canes, sticks and iron rods and then they fired at two persons killing them on the spot.. For a place with a population of fewer than 300, Glendalough receives plenty of attention. The old monastic settlement, with its iconic round tower, welcomes visitors each year by the hundreds of thousands. Now it is not necessary to join the tourists who arrive in their droves in order to enjoy at least some of the Glendalough experience. The Glendalough Heritage Forum has developed a website which would do credit to a town many times the size. A link to this remarkable collection of articles and images https://glendalough.wicklowheritage.org/ may be found through the Wicklow County Council site. It is managed by locals who are always on the lookout for more documents, images and short videos to share with the world. Here is a brief taster of just some of the material held on the site and open to general review For instance, at the more scholarly end of the spectrum, there is an article originally published during 1893 in the esteemed 'Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland'. The piece was written by the Most Reverend Nicholas Donnelly - notionally the Bishop of Crete but actually employed far from the Mediterranean in the diocese of Dublin. Glendalough has long been part of that diocese but Doctor Donnelly was hot on the scent of the controversial insistence that it had maintained its own bishop during the 15th century. In search of the truth, he visited the Vatican archives and transcribed a series of documents, duly reprinted by the journal in the original Latin. However, his conclusions were delivered in very readable English as he passed on evidence that a succession of Bishops of Glendalough were indeed recognised by Rome. A man whose name is not known held the post up to 1468 when Bishop John took on the job, to be followed in turn by Bishop Michael who died in 1481. Bishop Michael was succeeded by Bishop Denis, believed by Donnelly to have been the Dominican friar Denis Whyte. A fresh appointment was made in 1496 when the baton of the bishopric passed to Bishop Yvo Rum before Bishop Francis de Corduba assumed responsibility in 1500. Glad to have cleared all that up The authors of 'A Guide to the County of Wicklow', which appeared in 1834 in the 'Dublin Penny Journal', were less concerned with high religious office and more with the sheer marvel of the glen with the two lakes. Like many before and since, they struggled to find words which would convey the majesty of the place but, as the extract on the website makes clear, they really liked it. Really, really, really liked it: 'We shall not be accused of under-valuing the wonder-working powers of nature in her exhaustless combinations: we must nevertheless affirm, that the effects of height, depth, and extent; the magic of light and shade, with all that is imposing in form, or exquisite in colouring - all enchants the sense or transports imagination beyond it: in a word, beauty, and stern sublimity in their most splendid varieties, are ineffective, compared with the moral power of associations belonging to a scene like Glendalough ...' The connections with Saint Kevin are duly marked on the website, most notably in an article from a journal issued by the Old Dublin Society in 1974. Contributor Lennox Barrow noted that the holy man was reported to have been born in the year 498, though he could not vouch for accuracy of this assertion. The 498 date was apparently first proposed by Archbishop James Ussher (1581-1656), a man with a record of making bold statements on matters of religion and the faith. No one now lends any credence to the oft-repeated notion that Saint Kevin lived to be 120 years of age. Lennox Barrow accepts, on the other hand, that the saint probably died in the year 618, a fact noted in several mediaeval annals The website https://glendalough.wicklowheritage.org/ opens the way to viewing a number of videos, with UCD professor of archaeology Graeme Warren the undoubted star of the movies. He comes across on the various YouTube clips as having a relaxed authority, whether up to his neck in a trench or at the microphone during a heritage conference. During one of the videos, he recalls that he and his colleagues, led by Conor McDermott, have been working in Glendalough since 2009. They have brought undergraduate students with them and in more recent summers they have also recruited members of the general public to provide enthusiastic manpower. Warren states that the work undertaken has included a very successful graveyard survey pinpointing 2,078 grave markers, many times more than found in the average rural burial ground. The survey has led to compilation of a gravestone trail which picks out 24 graves of particular interest. Pictures of volunteer Cormac McGrane feature on the website, as he is given credit for uncovering one of the nicest finds in more than a decade of digging into the past. It is a small cross, a centimetre wide, and it was sieved by Cormac from the mud where it may have been hidden since the 12th or 13th century. Made of jet, it was once covered in gilt so that it seemed to shine like gold on the chest of the person who wore it as an amulet. Anyone wishing to get truly down and dirty as far as is possible in virtual reality should click the link which leads to the UCD research record. The 31-page report from 2010, for instance, gives details down to the last bucket of earth on what the dig of that year produced in the townland of Lugduff beside the upper lake. Much of the material so meticulously logged by the team was clearly of relatively recent origins, such as a Victorian penny and some ceramic fragments. However, there were at least two finds dating back to monastic days in the 12th or 13th century amongst the 40-plus entries- a piece of cooking ware and traces of a strap handle. The rate of old artifacts brought to light has picked up since digging was switched to the lower lake area. Time was when Irish worshippers were told that seven pilgrimages to Glendalough weighed as heavily on the heavenly scales as one pilgrimage to far-off Rome. This is according to Pat Reid, chief architect of this ever-expanding fount of knowledge. The site gives details of the seven churches in the valley which most pilgrims visited. One, the cathedral - constructed in part using stones imported from a quarry near Bristol in England in or around the year 1200. Two, Saint Kevin's church - a small church probably built around or shortly before the year 1100. Three, St Mary's Church - found west of the main graveyard. The name suggests that it may have been connected to a nunnery. Four, Trinity Church - the chancel includes a hefty granite built arch, so solid that it remains intact 1,000 years on. Five, St Saviour's Priory - a kilometre downstream from the modern-day visitor centre, it was likely built for Saint Laurence O'Toole in the 12th century. Six, Reefert Church - it dates back to around the year 1100. Seven, Temple-na-Skellig - a tiny chamber cut into the vertical cliff face 10 metres above the upper lake, accessible only by boat. Pat Reid reckons that a project which took off with county council and National Museum support as a way for him to combat lockdown tedium now extends to at least 90 articles presented online. Though many of these are all text, some contain pictures from various sources, at least 200 illustrations in all. He is especially drawn to the songs and poems which he has posted. 'It kept me amused during lockdown,' he laughs, adding seriously that he intends to continue expanding the scope of the site, pandemic or no pandemic. 'This is an ongoing project and I will be keeping an eye out to add 20 to 25 more items per year.' However, he stresses that it is open to everyone associated in any way with Glendalough to come forward with their own ideas. By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A day after fresh allegations over the Bengaluru drug case were raised against Bineesh Kodiyeri, son of CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala and Kodiyeri crossed swords over the issue. Terming it shocking that a drug case accused had direct links with the CPM state secretarys son, Chennithala claimed that the chief minister was trying to trivialise the issue. The CPM state secretarys house has been extending all support to the drug case accused, he alleged, and demanded an in-depth probe into the Kerala links in the case. Terming the chief ministers silence mysterious, Chennithala said he would write to the CM seeking investigation by the state Narcotics Cell. Kodiyeri, meanwhile, shot back, challenging Chennithala to hand over evidence, if he has any, to the investigation agency. Bineesh has already responded in the matter and investigation by a central agency is currently on. If Bineesh has done anything illegal, let him face legal action and undergo punishment. If its a case worth hanging, let them hang him, he said, making it clear that the party wont protect anyone. At the same time, reiterating BJPs allegation of links between the gold smuggling and drug cases, Chennithala too claimed both cases were closely linked. Whats happening in the state? The CMO is supporting the smuggling mafia while the CPM state secretarys residence supports drug rackets. Why is the CPM state secretary silent on the same? asked Chennithala. He demanded that the state police should probe the link between the accused in the two cases. Are the police shying away because these are dealings by the CPM state secretarys son? he asked. Responding to questions at a press conference later, Kodiyeri said the BJP and UDF are now feeling the heat over the smuggling case. Most of the arrested belong to either Muslim League or BJP. Such campaigns will not hold water. Investigation is being carried out by Central agencies. Let them probe everything. Instead of trying to cash in on the issue, Chennithala should hand over the evidence to the probe team. While raising allegations, he should also try to prove the same, he said.Stating that the Congress partys attempt was to create a smokescreen with such allegations, he went on to ask if any parent would protect their children if they came to know about such things. Customs to grill gold smuggling accused Kochi: The Customs will interrogate K T Rameez, the mastermind behind the gold smuggling case, over his alleged links with Kochi native Anoop Mohammad who was arrested by Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) with drugs at Bengaluru. Sources in the Customs said the interrogation aims to verify reports that Anoop and Rameez are e associates. We dont have any concrete evidence yet. Rameez frequently visited Bengaluru and has several friends there. We do not know whether he was involved in the drug business, said a Customs official. Actor Ragini Dwivedi arrested in Karnataka Bengaluru: After five hours of grilling by the CCB sleuths, Kannada actor Ragini Dwivedi was arrested in connection with the drug menace in Sandalwood, the city police commissioner said in a press meet on Friday. A few other actors are likely to be detained based on her statement before the investigation officer, he said. We have found links between international drug peddlers and Ragini. We are analysing her phones, laptops and other gadgets seized from her house, he added. The CCB in Bengaluru carried out a search at the residence of Ragini. Kannada actress Ragini Dwivedi has been arrested and taken into custody for her alleged involvement in a drug case, said Bengaluru police on Friday.Ragini Dwivedi (Kannada actress) has been arrested and taken into custody, Sandeep Patil, Joint CP, Crime, Bengaluru City in a statement. Two more accused have been arrested in this case, said police. Earlier in the day, Kamal Pant, Commissioner of Police, Bengaluru addressed a press conference and said, We have arrested 2 accused Ravi and Rahulin the case. It has come to light that they were procuring drugs from a foreign national. We are zeroing in on him and trying to contact him. The Central Crime Branch (CCB) was following drug issue from last one month. Further investigation is underway, he added. Notably, Kannada filmmaker Indrajit Lankesh, a couple of weeks back, had appeared before the CCB and revealed information about the consumption of drugs in the Kannada film industry. The Anti-Narcotics Wing of the CCB issued a notice to Lankesh regarding his statements on media channels over the consumption of drugs in the Kannada film industry and asked him to share information. ALSO READ: Producers Guild of India slams relentless attacks on film industrys reputation Lankesh had earlier claimed that some budding actors do consume banned substances. He had raised these points, during the course of many interviews given to the media, after the death of a young Kannada actor, Chiranjeevi Sarja. ALSO READ: Ishaan Khatter shares first glimpse of Khaali Peeli Technavio has been monitoring the digital health market and it is poised to grow by 207.34 bn during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of over 20% 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/20200904005109/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Digital Health Market 2020-2024 (Graphic: Business Wire) Although the COVID-19 pandemic continues to transform the growth of various industries, the immediate impact of the outbreak is varied. While a few industries will register a drop in demand, numerous others will continue to remain unscathed and show promising growth opportunities. Technavio's in-depth research has all your needs covered as our research reports include all foreseeable market scenarios, including pre- post-COVID-19 analysis. Download a Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impacts Frequently Asked Questions: What are the major trends in the market? Increasing support for digital health from the governments is a major trend driving the growth of the market. Increasing support for digital health from the governments is a major trend driving the growth of the market. At what rate is the market projected to grow? The year-over-year growth for 2020 is estimated at 18.98% and the incremental growth of the market is anticipated to be 207.34 bn. The year-over-year growth for 2020 is estimated at 18.98% and the incremental growth of the market is anticipated to be 207.34 bn. Who are the top players in the market? Alphabet Inc., Apple Inc., Cisco Systems Inc., General Electric Co., International Business Machines Corp., Koninklijke Philips N V, McKesson Corp., Qualcomm Inc., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., and Siemens Healthineers AG,. are some of the major market participants. Alphabet Inc., Apple Inc., Cisco Systems Inc., General Electric Co., International Business Machines Corp., Koninklijke Philips N V, McKesson Corp., Qualcomm Inc., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., and Siemens Healthineers AG,. are some of the major market participants. What is the key market driver? The increase in the number of M&A activities is one of the major factors driving the market. The increase in the number of M&A activities is one of the major factors driving the market. How big is the North America market? The North America region will contribute 45% of the market share. The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. Alphabet Inc., Apple Inc., Cisco Systems Inc., General Electric Co., International Business Machines Corp., Koninklijke Philips N V, McKesson Corp., Qualcomm Inc., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., and Siemens Healthineers AG are some of the major market participants. The increase in the number of M&A activities will offer immense growth opportunities. To make most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. Buy 1 Technavio report and get the second for 50% off. Buy 2 Technavio reports and get the third for free. View market snapshot before purchasing Technavio's custom research reports offer detailed insights on the impact of COVID-19 at an industry level, a regional level, and subsequent supply chain operations. This customized report will also help clients keep up with new product launches in direct indirect COVID-19 related markets, upcoming vaccines and pipeline analysis, and significant developments in vendor operations and government regulations. Digital Health Market 2020-2024: Segmentation Digital Health Market is segmented as below: Application Wireless Health Mobile Health EHR Telehealth Geography North America Europe APAC South America MEA To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR40912 Digital Health Market 2020-2024: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. The digital health market report covers the following areas: Digital Health Market Size Digital Health Market Trends Digital Health Market Industry Analysis This study identifies the increasing support for digital health from the governments as one of the prime reasons driving the digital health market growth during the next few years. Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Technavio's in-depth research has direct and indirect COVID-19 impacted market research reports. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Digital Health Market 2020-2024: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2020-2024 Detailed information on factors that will assist digital health market growth during the next five years Estimation of the digital health market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the digital health market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of digital health 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 Forces Summary Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition Market Segmentation by Application Market segments Comparison by Application Wireless health Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Mobile health Market size and forecast 2019-2024 EHR Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Telehealth Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Market opportunity by Application Customer landscape Geographic Landscape Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison North America Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Europe Market size and forecast 2019-2024 APAC Market size and forecast 2019-2024 South America Market size and forecast 2019-2024 MEA Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Key leading countries Market opportunity by geography Volume driver Demand led growth Market challenges Market trends Vendor Landscape Vendor landscape Landscape disruption Vendor Analysis Vendors covered Market positioning of vendors Alphabet Inc. Apple Inc. Cisco Systems Inc. General Electric Co. International Business Machines Corp. Koninklijke Philips N V McKesson Corp. Qualcomm Inc. Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. Siemens Healthineers AG Appendix Scope of the report Currency conversion rates for US$ Research methodology List of abbreviations About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200904005109/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ In a bid to step up strong bilateral ties between the Czech Republic and Taiwan, mayors of Prague and Taipei announced new areas of cooperation, which include orchestra tours, on Friday, September 4. As per reports, the announcement marks the end of the Czech delegation's weeklong visit to Taiwan that was highly condemned by China. Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je is reported to have said that the has donated 100,800 face masks and will share experiences with the sister city in curbing the spread of coronavirus. READ: Czech, Taiwan, US Officials Speak At Joint Taipei Forum READ: Czech Delegation Arrives In Taiwan Defying China's Diplomatic Isolation Tactics Czech-Taiwan bilateral relations Czech Senate leader Milos Vystrcil, along with his 80-plus member delegation, visited Taiwan last week; both the countries focussed on discussing a wide range of subjects which include trade, cybersecurity and the coronavirus pandemic. As per reports, the Czech Senate leader also met with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen. Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said that Taiwan is planning to start direct flights between Taipei and Prague using its flagship airline, China Airlines. The visit has added to Taiwan's diplomatic confidence at resisting China's isolation tactics. The high-level delegation was greeted upon their arrival by Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu at Taoyuan International Airport on August 30. READ: Taiwan Unveils New Passport Asserting Independent Identity, Removes 'Republic Of China' China condemned Vystrcils visit touting it as undermining the political foundation of China-Czech relations and said that the attendants were acting out of their own interests. China has repeatedly laid claims on Taiwan as its own sovereign territory and increased diplomatic pressure, leaving the self-governing island a handful of formal allies, mostly in the Pacific, Central America and the Caribbean. Taiwan's rugged democracy and strong defence has led to the international community recognising the island as a sovereign self-governing territory. Earlier, the US envoy to Taiwan joined President Tsai Ing-wen at military memorial service in a fresh show of warming relations much criticized by China. The attendees, wearing masks as a precaution against the coronavirus, observed one minute of silence. Military personnel lit incense at soldiers' graves. With growing Chinese military might across Taiwan Strait, the island's military on August 22 took to anti-aircraft, anti-tank, and vessel missiles combat in mock invasion drills. (With AP inputs) READ: Taiwan Denies Reports Of Shooting Down Chinese Fighter Jet, Condemns 'false Information' President Trump needs to drain the swamp at national laboratories responsible for maintaining the safety and reliability of U.S. nuclear weapons -- starting with Sandia National Laboratory. Christopher Rufo and Tyler Durden (see Sandia Labs Goes Nuclear On Employee Who Sparked Internal Revolt Over Critical Race Theory) are among the few journalists who are spotlighting Sandias treasonous program to brainwash white male employees that America is inherently racist and evil. The Left-stream national media are burying this story. Casey Peterson is an electrical engineer at Sandia National Laboratory, one of thousands of white male employees forced to undergo brainwashing in something called White Mens Caucus on Eliminating Racism, Sexism, and Homophobia in Organizations. This training is mandatory for all white males employed at Sandia and is paid for by taxpayers. Heroically, Peterson exposed Sandias indoctrination in Critical Race Theory -- the ideology of Black Lives Matters and Antifa promoting revolutionary violence against the U.S. government and the existing social order. Peterson sent an e-mail to Sandias 16,000 employees and posted a two-hour YouTube briefing Pushing Back on the Narrative of Modern Systemic Racism and White Privilege which exposes the fallacies of critical race theory: Critical race theory (CRT), the view that the law and legal institutions are inherently racist and that race itself, instead of being biologically grounded and natural, is a socially constructed concept that is used by white people to further their economic and political interests at the expense of people of colour. The way Systemic Racism and White Privilege are represented and taught today are, at a minimum, controversial and vastly overblown. Much of the mainstream claims and data are outright false. Racism is NOT a public health crisis. Systemic Racism is NOT a major problem in 2020 America. Peterson notes that Sandia employees are scared to speak out because of a repressive lab culture. Peterson correctly observes: We need to completely rip [CRT] out of Sandia root and stem It is cancer and we need to get it out of the labs right now. For bravely telling these truths, Sandia is punishing Peterson by putting him on paid administrative leave while launching an investigation to get him fired. Sandia executives have made it clear: they want to force critical race theory, race-segregated training, and white male reeducation camps on their employees -- and all dissent will be severely punished. Progressive employees will be rewarded; conservative employees will be purged, Tyler Durden concludes from Sandias persecution of Peterson. Christopher Rufo reports, According to multiple sources, the executives who have pushed the most toxic elements of critical race theory and race-segregated trainings are James Peery, Dori Ellis, David White, and Mark Sellers: James Peery is Director of Sandia National Laboratory (SNL). Dori Ellis is SNLs Associate Lab Director for Energy and Department of Homeland Security Programs, also affiliated with the University of California and the Russian Academy of Sciences, according to her SNL biography. David White is SNLs Director of Cyber Research and Development, whose SNL biography indicates his gender preference is (He/Him). Mark Sellers is SNLs Associate Director for the Mission Assurance Division for Department of Defense weapon systems. President Trump should immediately suspend these SNL executives before they do more damage to U.S. national security. Although there is an Inspector General (IG) investigation ongoing, more often than not, IGs -- who are funded by and work for the departments and agencies they are supposed to investigate -- provide political cover for executives. Dangerously for Americas survival, all the so-called "nuclear weapon labs" have become countercultural sinecures for the Left. Politicization of the labs deeply corrupts their capabilities to do science, for example: Sandias gross underestimation of the EMP threat, hysterical views on "climate change," and irrational commitment to a so-called "science-based stockpile stewardship program" that cannot really guarantee the safety and reliability of U.S. nuclear weapons. A former senior scientist at SNL shared these observations with me: A well-known university scientist who was a member of the Union of Concerned Scientists told me that he would not send good students to the National Laboratories but would write strong recommendations for poor students in order to help sabotage its staff. The young current workers at Sandia were all fervent Bernie supporters whereas the retirees (from a former generation) were quite different. The present people will not have the sense of duty and commitment that motivated the development of the weapons of the past. Edward Teller [inventor of the H-bomb] wished that the weapons laboratories would change from being multi-purpose laboratories to being devoted to their original task [nuclear weapons]. I was present with Edward when he suggested to a laboratory director that a dedicated laboratory of one-third the size would better serve the nation than an aimless multipurpose laboratory. Needless to say, Edwards suggestion was not well received. Sandia, Los Alamos, and Livermore are more accurately "anti-nuclear weapon labs." Their Left-leaning cultural climate, imposing "Critical Race Theory" on employees, undermines loyalty to the United States and greatly increases risk of treasonous activities, including betraying nuclear secrets to hostile foreign governments. Dr. Peter Vincent Pry is Executive Director of the Task Force on National and Homeland Security, served as Chief of Staff of the Congressional EMP Commission, was Director of the U.S. Nuclear Strategy Forum, and on the staffs of the House Armed Services Committee and the CIA. He is author of Will America Be Protected? (2020 Amazon.com) and The Power and The Light (2020 Amazon.com). Image: Sandia National Laboratories Detectives have charged a man who they say ran over and killed a woman with a stolen recreational vehicle in the North Valley earlier this year. Santos Garcia, 24, was charged with an open count of murder, aggravated battery against a household member, leaving the scene of a crash resulting in death, tampering with evidence and receiving or transferring a stolen motor vehicle in the May 29 death of 48-year-old Zinnia Sillivent. Garcia was also charged with trafficking a controlled substance after 33 grams of methamphetamine was found on him after his arrest. I hope the Sillivent family and the community have a sense of relief, knowing the suspect is in custody, Sheriff Manuel Gonzales III said in a statement. We will continue to work hard with prosecutors to see that justice will be served in this horrific case. According to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court: Deputies responded around 6 a.m. to Fourth and Robin Meadows NW, near Alameda, and found a half-naked Sillivent dead in the street. Her body was badly bruised and scraped, with tire marks across her legs. An acquaintance of Sillivent told deputies she showed up the day before her body was found in an RV with Garcia and another woman. The next day, the acquaintance said, Garcia returned alone and asked for the key to the RV. A man came forward and told deputies Garcia admitted to running over Sillivent but said he didnt mean for her to get hurt. The man said Garcia told him he was going to smack her around for smarting off when she fell out of the vehicle, hit a pole, and he ran her over. Detectives interviewed Garcia, who told them he had been with Sillivent and drove around with her in a recreational vehicle, but he dodged further questions and asked for a lawyer. In June, deputies located surveillance footage from a church and gas station that shows Garcia driving the RV, with Sillivent in the passenger seat, in the area before honking, a crash and a woman screaming are heard. SYLVANIA, Ga. - A Georgia judge has denied bond for a former Georgia State Patrol trooper accused of murder in the August shooting death of a 60-year-old Black man who refused to stop for a broken tail light. Screven County Judge F. Gates Peed on Friday ruled that it would be inappropriate to grant bond at the moment for Jacob Gordon Thompson, given the facts of the case. Thompson, who is white, briefly chased Julian Lewis on Aug. 7 before forcing Lewis car into a ditch and fatally shooting Lewis in the head. Thompson wrote in his incident report that he feared for his life and fired one shot when Lewis revved his engine and turned his steering wheel as if he wanted to ram the trooper. Thompson was arrested a week later on a charge of felony murder and aggravated assault by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. He remains in custody at the Screven County Jail, near the states South Carolina border. Attorney Francys Johnson, who is representing the Lewis family, said that Peeds denial of bond for Thompson is a positive sign for the current movement for racial equality in American policing. The unprecedented pace of the investigation is a direct result of years of activism on these issues along with a sea-change in law enforcement leadership at the top of the GBI, Johnson said in a statement Friday. This case is not proceeding as business as usual. The incident report Thompson filed says he spotted a Nissan Sentra driving with a broken tail light at about 9 p.m. and turned on his lights to initiate a traffic stop in rural Screven County. He said the driver flashed both his turn signals and motioned with a hand outside his window but made no effort to stop. Thomspon wrote that he followed the car at speeds up to 65 mph (105 kph) until the vehicle rolled through a stop sign. The trooper then performed a manoeuvr that forced the car into a ditch. Thompson said he pulled alongside the vehicle and drew his gun as he got out of his cruiser. At some point, I heard the engine on the violators vehicle revving at a high rate of speed, Thompson wrote in his report. I activated the light on my weapon and observed the violator with both hands on the steering wheel. I saw him wrenching the steering wheel in an aggressive back and forth manner towards me and my patrol vehicle. He continued: It appeared to me that the violator was trying to use his vehicle to injure me. Being in fear for my life and safety, I discharged my weapon once. The troopers bullet hit Lewis in the forehead. Thompson wrote that he tried to render first aid until paramedics arrived. I always say that the reason I ended up being an anarchist is because most people dont think anarchism is a bad idea they think its insane, Dr. Graeber told the British publication New Statesman in 2018. But if you grow up in an environment where its not seen as insane, and you know thats not the case, what reason is there not to be an anarchist? Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) Marcel Ciolacu launched on Saturday the idea of bundling local and parliamentary elections, due to the coronavirus epidemic. During a visit to Sendriceni - Botosani County, Ciolacu said that the concomitant organization of elections would "considerably lower the risk of the population's exposure". "I believe that if elections were merged, the risk of exposing the population would be much lower. Normally, the government, not Parliament should raise this for discussion for us to see what is best for the Romanians, not for the PNL or for the President, for how they want to form their future government," Ciolacu said. He explained that local elections could be "frozen" and that September 27 was set as ballot date "when things were under control", whereas the Covid death rate has meanwhile surged in Romania. "It's possible, because no ballot paper was distributed, they weren't even printed. The candidates remain the same. We freeze the process and resume it another time. The date was set when things were under control, but in the meantime I see that we have the highest mortality, the intensive care system is blocked, we don't know what happens with the schools. They have stretched things for far too long, they avoid making decisions, they only play in the electoral logic and all of us will get the bill," said the PSD Chairman. PSD leader Marcel Ciolacu, accompanied by the president of the PSD National Council and by the party's Secretary general visited on Saturday afternoon the school in Sendriceni, which was rehabilitated with funding under the National Local Development Program. The Social Democrat leaders then had a meeting in Dorohoi with the mayors of Botosani and with the leadership of the PSD county organization. AGERPRES . Taoiseach Micheal Martin has signalled the end of the traditional night out even when so-called wet pubs are allowed to reopen. People will be told to limit their socialising with others, and reduce movement between venues in the new Covid era. The Government fears a return of the pub crawl if and when more establishments reopen, particularly because patrons wont be having a meal. Read More It is expected the 9 meal rule will be abolished only when wet pubs eventually reopen. But controversial rules on recording every meal could be abolished within 10 days. Mr Martin admitted there were limits to how you can regulate behaviour. He said the Government would be relying more on peoples own personal behaviour. There is "growing anger" among rural publicans which is teetering on a protest movement as 'wet' pubs mark almost half a year of closure. A small protest took place in Dublin city centre on Thursday by Monaghan Publicans For Common Sense. But the Irish Independent understands discussions have been taking place across rural Ireland. Larger protests are being discussed to highlight how many are struggling financially after the long closures. But ministers have also been warned that their eventual reopening will have public health implications and could prompt the return of mixing in great numbers, or even the pub crawl. They are currently considering how to issue advice to people to demonstrate personal responsibility. This will mean many of the activities of a traditional night out will be curtailed - from visiting several venues, to meeting new people, to mixing in numbers. But scrapping the 9 meal requirement - which was never recommended by Nphet in the first place - will eventually be necessary to at least balance customer numbers when 'wet' pubs reopen. It comes as there were signs the new 28-day retention of individual food receipts in gastropubs - bitterly resented by the hospitality sector - could be dropped in just 10 days. Tanaiste Leo Varadkar told the Irish Independent: "This regulation remains in place until September 13, which is when it expires. "At that point we'll make a decision as to whether it needs to continue or not. Hopefully, well I won't say hopefully, because what I think is another matter, but that's where we stand at the moment." He added: "I want to clarify that there is no requirement for restaurants or pubs to keep evidence of every individual's meal and what it was, but instead to show that a substantial meal was served." The Taoiseach said the communication of the new regulation "could have been better" while insisting the law was "misinterpreted and misrepresented" by critics. He said the Government had meanwhile received new guidance on pubs and it will be working with the sector to enable the reopening of the pubs "in due course". Mr Martin was asked about how to discourage pub crawls and he initially feigned disbelief, "We don't do pub crawls anymore, do we?" But he added that the 9-meal rule for pubs was brought in with a view to keeping people seated along with time limits. Mr Martin and public health officials have been consistently worried about people congregating and the need to reduce social contact. "In the event of pubs reopening again, they want to make sure people are in a seated situation, there's a whole range of guidelines that they've issued," he said. The Government wants to enable pubs to reopen, he said. However, regarding pub crawls, he added: "There are limits to how you can regulate behaviour. "We can't over-regulate and we don't want to. We want to get a fair situation for all who are operating." The Taoiseach added: "Above all, I think we have to really emphasise the importance of personal behaviour in preventing the spread of this virus. "That's the key objective of the plan and we want to protect lives as well as protecting livelihoods. That is important." As ministers tried to play down the imposition of new layers of bureaucracy on the pub and restaurant sector, Marc MacSharry - the Fianna Fail TD who highlighted the burden - told his own Government to "stop digging", suggesting they were in a hole of their own making. Mattie McGrath, Independent TD for Tipperary, said: "Last week I questioned Nphet on the farcical requirement in relation to the 9 meals. "Nphet responded that this was never their recommendation and they never sought such requirements." Charlie Chawke, one of Ireland's best-known publicans, has also signalled displeasure is on the rise. Mr Chawke said the Government now must open up the 'wet ' pubs, to allow people to start rebuilding their lives. "Let the decent publicans prove to Micheal Martin and Leo Varadkar they can open and abide by the regulations. "If the Government doesn't open all pubs, including those in rural Ireland where people rely on their local pubs as a social outlet, it might as well build bypasses and close the towns." 20A: JRJ Plus View(s): The 20th Amendment (20A) to the Constitution approved by the Cabinet this week revisits the 1978 Junius Richard Jayewardene Constitution, and goes even beyond. It strengthens the Executive Presidency that was long vilified by those who called the Gaullist Constitution more Napoleonic, and its architect Junius Caesar. Nowadays, there are no better converts to the 1978 Constitution than those very antagonists of yesteryear who have become the greatest protagonists these days that the Executive Presidency needs to be entrusted with even more powers than the 1978 Constitution ever gave the holder of that office. Sri Lankas constitutional reform process has, for some time, been at the mercy of political power considerations rather than the nations best interests. The 19th Amendment, warts and all, had an organic connection to the public demand (2001, 17th Amendment and 2015, 19th Amendment) that an abundance of power should not be vested in a single man or woman sitting as the Executive President. This was due to the realisation that such powers are susceptible to politicisation and abuse, even if the best of individuals hold that office and indeed, act with the best of intentions. A greater separation of powers between an elected Parliament and an elected President was meant to be the sop for a public cry for the abolition of the entire Executive Presidency. The 18th Amendment was the embodiment of a concentration of power in a President. Now, as the proposed 20th Amendment returns to the 18th Amendments status quo in fundamental respects, and more, those fears will naturally be rejuvenated. The 20th Amendment, in Bill form, leaves intact some positive features of the 19th Amendment, including the constitutional Right to Information (RTI) which is now part of the political consciousness of the nation. Government politicians have pledged support to Sri Lankas globally hailed RTI Act and the pro-transparency RTI Commission possibly in a placatory nod to a voter base eagerly using the RTI. It has also preserved the five-year term limit and the two-term prohibition for the President. But the weight of its other clauses raises serious concerns regarding the Governments avowed claim of greater transparency. Restoration of Presidential immunity and unfettered Presidential powers to make appointments of senior justices, to commissions and key public offices, are some of these. Abolishing the Audit and Procurement Commissions and emasculating the National Police Commission depriving it of its authority over the dismissal, transfer and disciplinary control of Police officers (other than the Inspector General of Police) is disturbing. Sri Lanka becomes only the second country to Afghanistan in South Asia to allow dual citizens to enter the National Legislature and the Constitutional Council that vetted appointments has been discarded entirely for what is a mere advisory Parliamentary Council. The Prime Minister has been reduced to a mere functionary consulted in most cases only if necessary in an open-ended Cabinet of Ministers. This is a constitutional wheel that is reinvented each time a different Government is brought into power by an electorate largely unconcerned with constitutional niceties. With this 20A serving the purpose of the new regime, theres hardly a need now for a new Constitution, other than to look into 13A (Provincial Councils) and electoral reforms. Undersea cables and undercurrents The burning oil tanker off the eastern coast while all the hot shots of officialdom, military top brass and diplomats were conferring on undersea cables at a seaside hotel in Galle was like an irony of fate; the gods, or fate amusing themselves with mere mortals. It was not funny though. The fire had the delegates at the resort hotel scramble to frantically engage in firefighting the blaze on the super tanker carrying over a million barrels of crude oil from Kuwait to India. The irony also being that despite all the boasts of Hambantota Port being of such strategic interest and geo-political significance to global shipping and naval forces, it just didnt have the tools to control the fire nor a contingency plan to save Sri Lankas marine life and coastal belts if an oil spill disaster befell this island-nation. Eventually, the Indian Coast Guard had to be called in to assist the SL Navy and Air Force as first responders. The on-going Galle conference was to discuss crucial issues revolving around undersea telecom and other cables wrapped around Sri Lanka. Foreign Governments also have an added interest in this subject; covert sea surveillance or monitoring submarine movements of hostile navies. All of this comes in the backdrop of a superpower spat that is having its ripples felt in these necks. The US has imposed sanctions on Chinese companies, which include the CHEC (Chinese Harbour Engineering Corporation), accused of being part and parcel of growing Chinese militarisation plans in the Indo-Pacific region. CHEC is involved in several mega projects in Sri Lanka, the biggest being the Colombo Port City. The Chinese embassy hit back asking the US to mind its own business and concentrate on putting its own house in order first. A spokesman for CHEC claims the company is not included in the ban and in any event, the Colombo Port City is part owned by the Government of Sri Lanka, thereby drawing Sri Lanka into the orbit of US actions and sanctions. A telephone call to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa from the US Defence Secretary a few days ago is all within the playing field of this global game between the superpowers. US Defence Secretaries rarely call Colombo, a job left to its State Department which handles its foreign policy. This weeks call was the third from a high-level US dignitary to the Sri Lankan President following calls from its National Security Adviser and Secretary of State. Not to mention the letter from President Donald Trump that was hand delivered by a White House aide to President Rajapaksa earlier. The message is loud and clear; the US wants to stay relevant in Sri Lankas foreign policy. The Defence Secretary kept away from issues controversial in Sri Lanka right now SOFA, ACSA and MCC but clearly briefed by the State Department he did touch on a touchy subject reconciliation. Washingtons goal is to get countries in the Indo-Pacific region to work together, as a bulwark against a potential challenge from China, says the US Deputy Secretary of State adding that a major summit is planned soon with Japan, India and Australia for a NATO style alliance in these parts of the world. Sri Lanka is bound to get more and more sucked into this global power play. The recent Colombo Harbour East Terminal protest by trade unions allegedly backed by one superpower is not without deep significance. India is insisting Sri Lanka abide by previous agreements to develop the port and stories are floated that otherwise, they have plans to develop their own Andaman and Kerala ports that will undermine trans-shipment traffic from Colombo to India. The world is closely watching the happenings in Sri Lanka. Its not just the undersea cables, which are the new frontiers of the superpower power games, but the geopolitical undercurrents that Sri Lanka needs to closely watch out for. US President Donald Trump has again expressed his readiness to help India and China resolve their border standoff, which he described as very nasty, repeating an offer that has previously been rejected by New Delhi. In May, the external affairs ministry tacitly turned down Trumps offer to mediate on the issue, made through a tweet, by saying India was directly engaged with China to peacefully resolve the standoff. While were at it, were talking about China and India are going at it pretty good on the border, as you know. Its been very nasty, Trump told reporters on Friday at a White House briefing. We stand ready to help with respect to China and India if we can do anything we would love to get involved and help. And we are talking to both countries about that, the US President said. Trump had in May extended an offer to mediate the standoff. We have informed both India and China that the United States is ready, willing and able to mediate or arbitrate their now raging border dispute, he tweeted then, prompting both sides to turn down the offer. On another previous occasion, New Delhi rejected Trumps remarks regarding mediation between India and another country. In July 2019, India dismissed his remarks, at a joint news briefing along with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, that Modi had asked him to help resolve the Kashmir issue. At that time, Trump contended he had spoken directly with Modi about Kashmir. And he actually said, Would you like to be a mediator, or arbitrator? I said Where?, and he said Kashmir, because this has been going on for many, many years, Trump had said at the time. On Friday, Trump also expressed confidence that Indian-Americans will vote for him in the November 3 presidential elections as he cited the incredible turnout at the Howdy Modi event in Houston last September. Responding to a question about his expectations from Indian-American voters, the President said: We have great support from India. We have great support from Prime Minister Modi and I would think that Indian people would be voting for Trump. We had an event in Houston, as you know, and it was a fantastic event. I was invited by Prime Minister Modi it was incredible. It was actually incredible and the Prime Minister could not have been more generous. The Trump campaign recently released a collection of clips from the Houston event and the Namaskar Trump rally that the US President attended in Ahmedabad this February, seeking to project his support among India-Americans. The video, based on a slogan chanted at his re-election rallies, is called 4 More Years. The US President has claimed he has the support of more Indian-Americans than Kamala Harris, the Indian-descent Democratic nominee for vice-president. Though there are no numbers or polls to back that up, others in his campaign have also made the claim. There are an estimated 1.8 million Indian-American voters in the US they have historically favoured Democrats. But only 50% of the registered voters among them identified as Democrat in a survey of Asian-American voters in the run-up to the 2018 mid-term elections; 18% identified themselves as Republicans; and the rest 32% were non-identifiers. Experts say that there is enough anecdotal evidence to suggest the novel coronavirus has reached most corners of India As COVID-19 cases surge so do worries about how to contain the spread of the disease that is spreading inexorably through India, initially in urban centres and now increasingly into the hinterland where medical infrastructure is scarce. Though there are no exact numbers about the spread of the virus into rural areas, there is enough evidence to suggest it has reached most corners of India and there is community transmission, say experts. Just two figures could tell the story: an estimated 65 percent of India's 1.3 billion population lives in rural areas. And, according to the website How India Lives, 714 districts in India have coronavirus cases, putting 94.76 percent of the population at risk. Increasingly, COVID-19 positive persons are being reported from small-sized towns, as well as from rural areas. Sero-surveys have revealed that the disease has spread to most parts of the country indicating community transmission of COVID-19," a group of public health experts said in a statement earlier this week. The experts, from the Indian Public Health Association, Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine and the Indian Association of Epidemiologists, also expressed concern that reports of stigma, fear and discrimination continue even after six months. A higher number of infections are being reported from semi-urban areas, said a Health Ministry official as India's COVID-19 tally raced past the 40 lakh mark on Saturday with 86,432 fresh cases. The death toll also climbed to 69,561 with 1,089 fatalities in a day. In the face of the relentless march of the disease India took just 13 days to go from 30 lakh to 40 lakh and is the third worst-hit nation by the pandemic after the US and Brazil in terms of cases and deaths the inescapable truth is that India's villages and semi-urban centres don't have the same facilities as bigger towns in terms of hospitals and laboratories to treat and test patients. Experts also stress the need for more data. "There is not enough data yet to do a detailed comparison, but anecdotal reports suggest that testing is limited and not accurate enough to be a good measure of trends," Gautam Menon, professor, Departments of Physics and Biology, at Ashoka University said while discussing trends in rural districts. Explaining the trajectory of the disease, Sitabhra Sinha, professor at Chennai's Institute of Mathematical Sciences (IMSc), told PTI, "As of now, the bulk of the active cases are centred in the major urban metropolitan areas and their immediate surroundings." "Places like Odisha which are still low in terms of numbers have a high R value - which means over the next few weeks, if the growth rate continues unabated, they may well turn out to be the new frontline in the fight against COVID," he cautioned. R value is the reproductive number that indicates the number of people getting infected by an already infected person on an average. The incidence of the disease in the eastern state demonstrates the vulnerability of those in rural areas. Since more than 75 percent of the state's population lives in rural areas, it is natural the infection rate is also high among villagers in comparison to towns and cities, an official in Bhubaneswar said. More than 60 per cent of Odisha's cases are from rural areas and the number is rising as the pandemic gets prolonged, he said. Though the infection was mostly confined to urban areas till April end, it entered rural pockets after migrant workers left places such as Surat, Mumbai and Delhi to return home. Stage one of the infection was from people traveling to foreign countries. Stage two was those returning from the Tablighi Jamaat event in Delhi's Nizamuddin locality in March. The third stage of the infection, said Odisha's COVID-19 spokesperson Subroto Bagchi, came through people with a West Bengal link. And the fourth was when more than six lakh migrants returned to their home state. In neighbouring West Bengal, too, the incidence went up after the migrants started returning. This also added to the community transmission of the disease," a senior official of the West Bengal health department told PTI. In the south, Tamil Nadu Health Secretary Dr J Radhakrishnan compared the fight against the coronavirus to a test match. The more aggressive we test -conducting about 76,500 RT PCR tests per day the more the number of cases," said Tamil Nadu Health Secretary Dr J Radhakrishnan. The state's health department will launch a programme to re-emphasise the importance of wearing masks, maintaining social distancing and hand washing. In Maharashtra, one of the country's worst hit by the pandemic, rural areas had reported a rise in the number of fresh cases as well as deaths by the end of fifth month of lockdown in the state, said a senior state health official. He also cited the trajectory of the infection in August to make his point. As of 26 August, there were 7,03,823 cases of COVID-19 in Maharashtra, of which 5,07,022 (72.03 per cent) were from municipal corporation areas. Similarly, out of 22,794 deaths reported, 17,423 (76.43 percent) had taken place in municipal corporation areas and 5,371 in rural areas. But now the picture is changing, he said. With sizeable number of people have officially or unofficially travelled to rural areas, the infection has spread there as well followed by more deaths, the official said. For instance, on 1 August, there were 4,22,118 cases of COVID-19 in Maharashtra of which 3,36,740 (79.77 percent) were from municipal corporation areas. Similarly, there were 14,994 total deaths in the state of which 12,543 (83.65 percent) were from urban areas and 2,451 from rural areas, he said. We have to admit that some people have illegally snuck into rural areas and spread the virus, he said. Efforts are on to ramp up infrastructure at the grassroots level to meet the escalating challenge. In Andhra Pradesh, for instance, every primary health centre (PHC) and community health centre (CHC) in semi-urban and rural parts area is doubling up as a Covid Care Centre. According to government data, about 40 percent of COVID-19 cases in recent weeks have been reported from rural areas. "We have accordingly improved the infrastructure in PHCs and CHCs, so much so that they are now equipped with oxygen facilities as well to handle the caseload," state Health Commissioner Katamaneni Bhaskar told PTI The 104 service (mobile medical units) that makes rounds of villages is also coming handy to treat coronavirus patients at their doorstep. "The good thing about rural areas is that they are not as compact and dense as urban areas, except a few so proper testing and isolating measures can control the outbreaks, said Dr Giridhar Babu of the Public Health Foundation of India and a member of Karnataka's technical advisory committee. In Puducherry, the numbers have gone up from three in April to 5,042 active cases and 10,279 who have been cured and discharged, according to Union Health Ministry figures on Saturday, hospital infrastructure and testing facilities are being improved, said Health Minister Malladi Krishna Rao. Kerala, a state grappling with a resurgence in the number of cases, is doubling up on its efforts to make sure that everybody receives high-quality treatment. Now we have enough COVID First Line Treatment Centres (CFLTC), enough labs for testing, COVID care hospitals, more health workers, COVID brigade and other facilities which would help us to contain the pandemic when it reaches the peak, said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Officials in Telangana said the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) area, the state capital region, has been the COVID-19 hotbed in the state but cases in the area have been mostly stable in recent weeks. However, there has been a rise in the numbers in rural Telangana. "We have earlier said the cases would gradually come down in the GHMC area by the end of August. We also said though there would be some uptick, the cases in rural Telangana would be under control by the end of September. The trend is as expected," state Director of Public Health G Srinivas Rao said. Officials in Madhya Pradesh estimate that the infection has spread its footprint in rural areas of 51 of the state's 52 districts. In neighbouring Gujarat, a bulk of its more than 97,000 cases have emerged from its seven main cities but the rural areas make up the rest In Goa, almost 50 per cent of COVID-19 cases are from rural areas. According to the Health Department's data, rural areas such as Curchorem, Canacona, Valpoi and Sankhalim are the worst affected. Vasco town was the first point of infection and from there it spread to the villages through government employees who travel from towns to their home back in villages. In Uttar Pradesh, however, officials said the infection is still urban centric. Surveillance teams and gram nigrani samitis' have been activated and the strategy is to conduct maximum number of tests and do intensive contact tracing. When the migrants had returned to the state, we had some problems, an official said, adding that 58,000 nigrani samitis' are working and the government already has a data base of 35 lakh migrants. Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 5 : A day after CPI-M's State Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan asked the opposition to produce documents regarding his businessman son Bineesh Kodiyeri's alleged links to a drugs case exposed by the NCB, the IUML's youth wing on Saturday hurled more accusations and demanded probe against Bineesh's companies. Early this week, Indian Union Muslim League youth leader PK Firoz had pointed to the alleged links of Bineesh with the Bengaluru drug mafia unearthed by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) last month. On Saturday, Firoz claimed that Bineesh owns a money exchange company in Bengaluru which began operations in 2015. "The appropriate authorities which regulate such business in the country should launch a probe into the functioning of this money exchange firm. What's even more baffling is how can the son of a Communist leader open such a business. Also, a probe has to be initiated into two business units in the state capital which are alleged to be 'benami' holdings of Bineesh. There is also a link with the UAE Consulate here," the Youth League leader alleged. In a related development, lawyer Koshy Jacob on Saturday filed a complaint with various departments under the Finance Ministry to seek a probe into the working of financial companies where Bineesh is a director. Meanwhile, state BJP President K Surendran demanded that the Kerala Police register a case in the Bengaluru drug mafia case since it had links with persons in Kerala. "It appears that the Kerala government has something to hide and is keeping mum, when ideally it should have registered a case and begun a probe by now. Bineesh himself has said that he was good friends with Anoop Mohammed who was arrested in Bengaluru by the NCB. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is trying to shield someone. It has also now come out that the drug mafia has roots in the Malayalam film industry too. Hence, the Kerala Police should undertake an investigation," said Surendran. New Delhi: On the occasion of Teachers' Day (September 5), many Bollywood celebrities wished their fans on social media. Actress Vaani Kapoor shared that her entire family is her best teacher! The gorgeous star, who is currently in Scotland for Akshay Kumar starrer 'Bell-Bottom' shoot, credits her parents Shiv Kapoor, Dimpy Kapoor and sister Nupur Chopra for invaluable life lessons. My family wears multiple hats like second nature and have always supported and encouraged me to follow my dreams. Theyve guided me, steered me towards my goals remaining unflinching and uncompromising in our value system. I couldn't ask for a better teacher and I'm grateful to have them taught me the right lessons in life, she said on Teachers Day. On September 5 every year, Teachers' Day is celebrated in the country to pay reverence to the teachers, Gurus and mentors for nurturing young minds in different stages of life. Different countries celebrate Teachers' Day on different dates, depending upon their own cultural history. In India, Guru Purnima is also dedicated to the reverence offered to the Guru and September 5 - the birth anniversary of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan - the second president of India, is celebrated as Teachers' Day. Here's wishing a very Happy Teachers' Day to all! A paramount ruler of Waja tribesmen in Gombe State, Mohammed Danjuma, on Saturday appealed to indigenous Lunguda and Waja tribesmen in Adamawa to sheath their swords and embrace peace for the progress of their communities. Mr Danjuma made the appeal in his palace at Tallase, headquarters of Balanga Local Government Area of Gombe State when he received members of Lunguda/Waja Forum from Abuja, who brought relief materials to victims of a clash between the two communities who fled to his domain and now reside as Internally Displaced Persons. It would be recalled that the two communities in Adamawa were engaged in conflict in July, which led to the loss of lives and property, with many persons rendered homeless, forcing them to flee to Gombe State. The communal clashes occurred between the indigenous Lunguda tribesmen of Guyuk Local Government Area and Waja settlers of Lafia in Lamurde Local Government Area all in Adamawa. He said Lunguda and Waja people were neighbours under one Chiefdom in Gombe State and had been enjoying harmonious relationships and inter-marriages. The traditional ruler vowed that his chiefdom would not allow any group to incite hatred and violence against others. Speaking earlier, Iliya Dongs, team leader of Lunguda/Waja Forum, Abuja Chapter, said the two tribes were united and therefore saw no reason why those of them in Gombe and Adamawa would engage themselves in a clash. He further appealed to traditional leaders to collaborate with relevant authorities and fish out the perpetrators of the violence. The team leader presented the relief materials for distribution to the victims in Gombe State and the displaced persons from Adamawa. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the items include bags of rice, beans, semolina, sugar, as well as soap, detergent, vegetable oil and salt, among others. Also speaking, two past deputy governors of Gombe State who are also members of the group, Thaanda Rubainu and John Yoriyo, described the crisis as unfortunate. They expressed appreciation to the Adamawa state government for setting up a panel of inquiry to investigate the matter with a view to finding a lasting solution. (NAN) Screening measures such as temperature checks should not be conducted in schools, a review of international public health guidance has found. It found general agreement across countries that universal health screening, including temperature screening, should not be carried out. There has been limited evidence of child-to-child or child-to-adult transmission of Covid-19. Read More There is also agreement that if a child or young person becomes symptomatic, they should be isolated rapidly. The health watchdog Hiqa released the results of a study that examined 96 guidance documents - across 20 countries and two international health bodies - on the identification and management of symptoms of Covid-19 in schools. The study states that Ireland's approach to managing and responding to Covid-19 in schools is similar to the international approach. The Hiqa review found that in general the symptoms associated with Covid were consistent across guidance documents. It is also widely recognised that decisions to close schools should not be taken without input from public health authorities, and such decisions should take account of local levels of community transmission. Dr Mairin Ryan, Hiqa's deputy chief executive and director of health technology assessment, said it was important Irish guidance was informed by international best practice in the context of rapidly evolving evidence. "In our review, we found that most guidance documents acknowledged the difficulty of there being no single symptom that is uniquely predictive of a Covid-19 diagnosis and that many of the symptoms are shared with the common cold, which regularly affects children. "Additionally, many children who have Covid-19 have no symptoms. "The best management of Covid-19 in schools is prevention, by ensuring that students and staff who have symptoms suggestive of Covid-19 stay at home, and that everyone practises good respiratory etiquette and performs frequent hand hygiene. "Guidelines around physical distancing and face coverings should also be followed, as appropriate." But she said the pandemic was "evolving" and guidance may need to be updated in the future. CLEVELAND, Ohio - People in Cuyahoga County maintained their distance from one another during August, unlike many other areas of the country, according to one measure based on cell phone location data. Person-to-person interactions were up just 0.3% in Cuyahoga County during August while mask orders were in place, according to research by Top Data, which used cell phone location data to estimate the interactions. In comparison, interactions were up more than 50% across much of middle America, and in a handful of small Ohio counties, the research said. Much of Northeast Ohio trended like Cuyahoga County with the change in social interactions during August plus or minus roughly 1% in Lake, Lorain, Medina and Summit counties. In more rural areas regionally, the increases were often sharper, including up 28.6% in Portage County, 27% in Wayne County, and 12.1% in Geauga County. Several smaller Ohio counties were up more than 50% - Paulding County (78.4%), Vinton County (73.6%), Morgan County (69.6%), Putnam County (67.2%), Hardin County (53%) and Carroll County (52.1%). Gov. Mike DeWine in recent weeks frequently has discussed the sharpest increases in coronavirus cases concentrated in Ohios smaller counties. An interactive version of the national map shown above, including all the counties in Ohio, can be viewed at this Top Data link. Ohio was listed among the states where there was an increase in social interactions of at least 5% during August, as shown below. (Some readers may need to use this link instead to view the illustration.) The sharpest increase was in Arkansas, where the research found a 14% hike social interactions. Read related coverage College coronavirus cases in Ohio significantly contributing to county alert status Gov. Mike DeWine says hes confident President Donald Trump wouldnt rush a coronavirus vaccine Ohio launches coronavirus wastewater monitoring network in 22 cities 7 Ohio counties are red, but Lorain down two levels PORTLAND, Ore. - People gathered for Black Lives Matter rallies Saturday evening in Portland, Oregon, and a memorial was held for the man fatally shot last weekend after a right-wing caravan went through downtown, as daily demonstrations stretched well past the three-month mark in the city. Hundreds of people gathered in a park just north of Portland in Vancouver, Washington, for a memorial service for Aaron Jay Danielson, a supporter of a right-wing group called Patriot Prayer, who was killed Aug. 29. The suspect was himself shot and killed by police Thursday. Families showed up at the event with their kids, lining up for the free BBQ and picnicking on the grass at Esther Short Park. As various speakers addressed the audience on stage, attendees waved their flags enthusiastically, occasionally breaking out into chants of U-S-A! Many of the crowd were President Donald Trump supporters, wearing MAGA hats and shirts or holding Trump-Pence flags. Some also waved flags and wore T-shirts showing support for the police. Some attendees also wore T-shirts with Justice for J that were handed out at the event. Several local members of Proud Boys, a far-right group that has been involved in skirmishes at local protests, attended. We honour a man who died for what he believed in, said James Johnson, who has been a member of the Proud Boys for two years. Johnson, who is Black, said he disagreed with people who label the group as a white supremacist organization. The crowded regularly erupted in boos with any mention of Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler and Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, whom Patriot Prayer founder Joey Gibson demanded apologize to Danielsons family because they felt he had been unfairly portrayed. This is about truth and lies, Gibson said. Jay was not a white supremacist. Authorities released additional court documents late Friday detailing the moments before Danielsons slaying. The documents included shots of security footage that showed the suspect, Michael Forest Reinoehl, ducked into a parking garage and reached toward a pocket or pouch at his waist before emerging to follow the victim. Danielson was holding bear spray and an expandable baton and had a loaded Glock handgun in a holster at his waist, according to the documents. Authorities have said they believe Reinoehl, who was fatally shot by law enforcement officers late Thursday in Washington state, killed Danielson. Witnesses told police that just before they heard gunshots someone said something like, wanna go, which is frequently a challenge to a fight. Danielson, 39, was shot in the chest and died at the scene. The court documents were filed to support second-degree murder charges against Reinoehl, who was a supporter of antifa shorthand for anti-fascists and an umbrella description for the far-left-leaning militant groups that resist neo-Nazis and white supremacists at demonstrations and other events. Demonstrations in Portland started in late May after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. They have often been marked by vandalism and violence. Black Lives Matter rallies were taking place in the city Saturday evening and night, and BLM supporters drove vehicles through the city earlier Saturday. At one event Saturday afternoon, people stenciled names on a pathway of Black people killed by police. Late Friday protests continued into early Saturday in Portland, with police declaring an unlawful assembly and arresting 27 people. A few hundred demonstrators had met at Kenton Park Friday before making their way to the Portland Police Association building, where officers warned protesters to stay off the streets and private property. Those who refused could be subject to citation, arrest, the use of tear gas, crowd-control agents or impact munitions, police said. The Portland Police Bureau issued a statement Saturday morning saying some officers reported that rocks, a full beverage can and water bottles had been thrown at them, prompting police to declare the gathering an unlawful assembly. Police said one woman who was detained was bleeding from an abrasion on her head, and she was treated by medics at the scene before being transported by an ambulance. The Portland Police Bureau said she jumped out of the ambulance and ran away before it left the scene, however. Most of those arrested were arrested on suspicion of interfering with a peace officer or disorderly conduct, police said. ___ This story has been corrected to reflect that Michael Forest Reinoehl was killed by law enforcement officers, not federal agents. ___ Ding reported from Vancouver, Washington. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 22:14:51|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NEW DELHI, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on Saturday said the fire on a supertanker has been reduced and the tanker has been pushed away from Sri Lanka's coast and into deeper waters. A spokesman of ICG said the firefighting operation was still underway. "ICG and Sri Lankan ships and aircraft along with tug winger after consolidated efforts successfully towed New Diamond more than 35 nautical miles (NM) away from Sri Lanka coast to safe waters," the ICG spokesman said. "Firefighting continues and fire now reduced." According to ICG, so far no oil slick has been reported from the spot. The fire broke out on the oil tanker in the Indian Ocean 37 nautical miles east off Sri Lanka coast on Thursday morning. Since then the efforts to contain the fire are going on. The ICG ships reached the spot Thursday evening, along with aircraft. Firefighting continued for the whole day on Friday and Saturday marked the third day of the blaze. According to officials, of the 23 crew members on board, 22 have been rescued. However, one crew member is still missing and is presumed to be dead. Photographs shared by ICG on its social media platform show thick smoke billowing out from the tanker. The New Diamond, a very large crude carrier (VLCC) chartered by Indian Oil Corp (IOC), was heading to the port of Paradip in India, where the state-run firm operates a 300,000 barrel-per-day refinery. Reports said the tanker was carrying 2 million barrels of crude oil. Enditem It has been proven in other countries, but not here in Brazil, he said, without specifying to which potential vaccine he was referring. We cannot be irresponsible and put a vaccine into peoples bodies. As I said, nobody can oblige someone to take a vacccine. The devastation wreaked by Covid-19 has hurt people across India in numerous ways. While there has been much talk of safety net schemes and programmes for the rural poor, the same cannot be said for the urban poor. The reverse migration of the unorganised sector workers to cities has exposed not just the debilitating impact of the pandemic, but decades of neglect and the inability of the State to reach out to the large swathes of informal workers and make them an integral part of the growth story. And lest we forget, many of them are women managing women-alone or women-dependent households. In fact, women in urban settings facing distress hardly feature in social welfare schemes. Most women are in the unorganised sector and the lockdowns imposed to curb the spread of the pandemic have had a terrible effect on their earning capacity. A number of surveys, including one by the Azim Premji University with the support of the Centre for Advocacy and Research, show that economic stress has caused hunger, deaths from related morbidities, and an increase in suicides in various parts of the country. The survey also showed that even for households where one person was employed, there was a drop in income by over half. The impact of the lockdowns and job losses has been more severe among women with lower levels of education. For the situation to improve, there has to be much greater public spending. The government, in collaboration with civil society organisations, must focus on urban poverty and find ways to address the different levels of vulnerability that the poor, especially women, face for they confront the triple burden of raising a family, earning a livelihood and contributing to community work. There are many schemes which could help. The government can think of increasing the number of days of work available under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, but add on a national urban employment guarantee component to it. Some states such as Odisha, Kerala and Himachal Pradesh have put such schemes in place, and best practices from these could form a template for a national scheme. Women who work from home in urban areas to produce items for sale are finding it difficult to get money to buy raw materials. More importantly, they no longer get orders as there is no demand, and this means there is a high likelihood of them sliding into poverty. Most of them now have to shoulder a huge burden in terms of childcare too, since children are not going to school. In addition, many have to tend to the elderly in the family. In urban settings, there are also other risks for women. One is the lack of availability of water which means they have to rely on private sources of water, which brings with it health risks. The government has to look at strategies keeping in mind the increased vulnerabilities of women in urban settings. Perhaps one way would be to first create a database and consider some form of cash incentive to at least tide them over at a time when the cost of food, medicines and other necessities has gone up. Resident welfare associations could think of setting up recovery funds for women in need. This is also a time when companies, though themselves in a difficult spot, could focus on this group when it comes to social responsibility. lalita.panicker@hindustantimes.com The views expressed are personal SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Lalita Panicker Lalita Panicker leads the opinion section at Hindustan Times. Over a 33-year career, she has specialised in gender issues, reproductive health, child rights, politics and social engineering. ...view detail Tomball Independent School District held a special ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday, September 4, at Grand Oaks Elementary School and proceeded with a second event at Tomball High School Agricultural Science Project Center to celebrate the two new facilities ahead of the 2020-21 school year. The elementary school is the districts 11th and is located inside the Elmer and Dorothy Beckendorf Educational Complex at Cypress-Rosehill Road and the agricultural project center is located at Quinn Road and was made for Career and Technical Education students. Both facilities were made possible by Bond 2017. Nonprofit launches campaign: TOMAGWA Tomorrow Campaign seeks communitys help to endure the COVID-19 pandemic Today was another grand example of the Tomball community coming together to play an integral role in supporting continued excellence and education in Tomball ISD, Superintendent of Schools Martha Salazar-Zamora said. Salazar-Zamora said the district is excited to open the doors for students that have chosen face-to-face instruction to come into this brand-new state of the art elementary school. She added that families that have chosen virtual remote learning will also be connected to the structure. On HoustonChronicle.com: Ventilation expert reveals how Texas schools can stop the spread of COVID in classrooms Although theyre not on the actual premise, they will still be receiving the same high-quality education through their virtual program, Salazar-Zamora said. Besides the elementary school, the new complex will also house a junior high school that opens next year, a community center, and a new district stadium that is currently under construction. The new project center is the districts second agricultural center but will be different in that it will hold a science area for STEM projects, according to Salazar-Zamora. When you think about the importance of science, technology, engineering and math, this is a science center for the entire district of all grade levels. Were so were excited about our FFA (Future Farmers of America) students and all students that will come and learn more about the important curriculum area of science. Salazar-Zamora said that when students arrive at the state-of-the-art facilities, they will be welcomed by staff and take all the necessary safety precautions for those who are there. She added that students at the agricultural center were scheduled to begin housing their animals shortly and that the district will keep protocols in place as long as theyre necessary for the safety of staff and students. Were excited about both new opportunities for our destination excellence district, Salazar-Zamora said. Were so excited that so many community members came out to embrace our new project and we look forward to really having it filled with our students and eventually our parents when were able to get our other visitors back into our facilities. Salazar-Zamora said Tomball ISD is grateful for the passionate community that understands the importance of accommodating growth in the district. We continue to grow so much and so fast; we continue to need these type of facilities, Salazar-Zamora said. alvaro.montano@chron.com The central government on September 5 exhorted three states- Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka to focus on breaking the chain of COVID-19 transmission and keeping the mortality below 1 percent. In an official statement, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare stated, "The Health Ministry has been regularly engaging with States and UTs that have been exhibiting either a sudden surge in COVID cases, high caseload or reporting higher mortality in some districts. The Centre today exhorted the States of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka to focus on undertaking aggressive measures to break the chain of transmission and to ensure that the mortality is kept below 1%. The States have been advised to proactively ensure higher testing, effective clinical management to lower fatality and save lives along with efficient monitoring at various levels," Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka account for about 46 percent of active cases reported nationally in the last 24 hours. Maharashtra alone accounts for 22% of all active cases reported in the last 24 hours. Similarly, these three states account for 52 percent of all COVID deaths reported across the country in the last 24 hours. Maharashtra alone accounted for 35 percent of all deaths reported in the last 24 hours. 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 Union Home Ministry also highlighted the districts of concern in each State. In Maharashtra, Pune, Nagpur, Kolhapur, Sangli, Nashik, Ahmednagar, Raigad, Jalgaon, Solapur, Satara and Palghar were highlighted and need for effective containment and contact tracing was emphasized. In Andhra Pradesh, Prakasam and Chittoor were highlighted as districts of concern and the need for daily monitoring of facility wise deaths, strengthening of hospital facilities, increasing the number of ICUs, oxygen beds and efficient clinical management were focused upon. In Karnataka, the highlighted districts of Koppal, Mysuru, Davangere and Bellari were advised to optimally utilize RT-PCR testing facilities, to strengthen their door to door active case search and to protect their healthcare workers. In cumulative terms, five States account for more than 60 percent of the total active cases in the country. Maharashtra contributes maximum to the active caseload amounting to almost 25 percent, followed by Andhra Pradesh (12.06 percent), Karnataka (11.71 percent), Uttar Pradesh (6.92 percent) and Tamil Nadu which stands at 6.10 percent. Of these, three states of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka account for nearly 49 percent of the active cases and more than 57 percent of COVID-19 deaths. Of the total deaths in the country, 70% are recorded in just five states of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Delhi and Andhra Pradesh. Maharashtra alone accounts for 37.33 percent of the total deaths. India's COVID-19 infection tally sprinted past 40 lakh, just 13 days after it crossed 30 lakh, with a record 86,432 cases being reported in a day, while recoveries have surged to 31,07,223 on September 5 pushing the recovery rate to 77.23 percent, reported news agency PTI The crisis in Tata Steel Europe hits the inflection point as the Indian parent informed the British government that it won't be able to fund the losses in the UK, said sources. "Tata group Chairman N Chandrasekaran told the same to company executives in January, but the present economic crisis forces the steelmaker to compensate for heavy losses," said a source in the group. Tata Steel posted a steep consolidated net loss of Rs 4,609 crore in the April-June quarter because of the bleeding UK business. The Indian entity reported a profit of Rs 1,193.27 crore in the first quarter, despite the lockdowns. Also read: Tata Steel Europe stares at bleak future amid global and local concerns According to latest reports, the British government has roped in investment bankers to help thrash out a rescue plan for the country's biggest steel producer after months of talks over a deal that could preserve thousands of jobs. Sky News reported that Credit Suisse has been asked by the Treasury to advise on talks. Tata Steel owns the giant Port Talbot plant in South Wales. The government has also deputed McKinsey to draw up a blueprint for the future of the UK's steel industry. Also Read: Will assets sale, job cuts turn around Tata Steel Europe? The management of Tata Steel is left with limited options to turn around its sick European business. N Chandrasekaran at the company's annual general meeting (AGM) had said the company simplified the structure in Europe by reducing the number of subsidiaries to 151 from over 300. He added the management is actively involved in finding a sustainable and structural solution in Europe. The CEO and Managing Director TV Narendran and Executive Director and CFO Koushik Chatterjee, in the company's integrated report 2020, said that significant market headwinds, particularly in the last two quarters, and the disruptions caused due to the COVID-19 pandemic, have made the issue complex in Europe. The company is running a transformation programme, which aims at reducing the cost of operations, to improve productivity, focus on marketing and sales, and improve competitiveness both in the UK and the Netherlands. Also Read: Tata Steel faces battle with unions over plans to cut up to 3,000 European jobs The debt-ridden steelmaker has realised benefits of about Euro 370 million in the last financial year due to these improvement programmes. Earlier, Tata Steel and German steelmaker Thyssenkrupp planned to combine the steel businesses in Europe to turn around their ailing businesses. But the proposal failed to receive the approval from the European Commission. Tata Steel Europe, erstwhile Corus Plc, was acquired by the Indian steelmaker for $12 billion in 2007. It has a 12.3 MT steel-making capacity. The reports said that Tata Steel had earlier sought 900 million Pound financial aid from the UK government in exchange for an equity stake of up to 50 per cent in its UK business. It employs about 8,000 people in the UK, including 3,500 at Port Talbot. Also Read: Tata Steel Europe to fire 2,500 employees as the company continues to bleed money: Report Haiti - Social : 36 Haitian migrants arrested at the border with Costa Rica 36 Haitian migrants, who had left a detention camp in Panama in an attempt to resume their journey to the United States, were arrested and detained near the Costa Rican border, the National Border Service (Senafront) said. Haitians who were part of a much larger group of 639 foreigners, mostly of Haitian origin, remained stranded at the Los Planes Gualaca immigration post, about 100 kilometers from the Costa Rican border, after the border was closed due to the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic. On Thursday evening, the border police said in a statement that the Haitians resisted their arrests by throwing stones and other objects at the police who had to use "The necessary force" to hand them over to the health authorities and later lead them to a detention camp (refuge) in the western province of Chiriqui. Recall that more than 2,500 migrants are in Panama, from Africa, India and Haiti, are stranded in camps in Chiriqui and Darien near Colombia, where there have already been several incidents due to the fact that the most are reluctant to continue in the country because of persistent rumors of violence and ill-treatment. S/ HaitiLibre B ritain is at a critical moment with the return of thousands of students to universities, a top disease expert has warned, amid forecasts of significant outbreaks on campuses. Students from across the country are trickling back to campus over the next few weeks, with the Governments scientific advisers warning national Covid-19 transmission rates could be amplified and mini-lockdowns may be needed. University leaders insist they have worked to make it safe, but unions are calling for institutions to stay fully online. Dame Anne Johnson, a professor in epidemiology at University College London, told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme that communicating to young people the risks of transmitting the virus would be incredibly important. She cited the latest Public Health England data, showing two thirds of confirmed infections are concentrated in the under-40s, with only a fifth in the over-50s and just three per cent among over-80s. Universities are reopening over the next few weeks / Getty Images "We are now seeing the highest number of infections or at least detected infections in younger people aged 20 to 29 and also going up to 45-year-olds, she said. It comes as the Sage committee called for national oversight of the reopening of higher education because of a significant risk that higher education could amplify local and national transmission, warning clear test and trace strategies would be essential. The leading experts added in a report published on Friday: "It is highly likely that there will be significant outbreaks associated with higher education, and asymptomatic transmission may make these harder to detect. But universities insist that a raft of measures including one-way systems, face coverings, confining students in bubbles of up to ten in residences and curtailed nights out and Freshers Weeks make campus safe. Dr Mike Tildesley, an associate professor at the University of Warwick and expert in infection modelling, told the BBC: What universities are trying to do is trying to minimise that risk so strategies such as grouping students together within year groups and within courses so that we can try to minimise that risk and also putting in place local testing and tracing policies so if we do start to see outbreaks, we can try to manage them as rapidly as possible. But he added the migration of students to and from university towns and cities, particularly at Christmas, could have a knock-on effect and prompt a wave of infection. Leeds, home to 60,000 students, has been added to the coronavirus watchlist / AFP via Getty Images Dr Tildesley said: What we need to remember is at the moment in the country were dealing with a series of really local outbreaks that were trying to manage with local control policies." It comes as Leeds, which has a student population of more than 60,000, was added to the UK Government's coronavirus watchlist after a rise in infections. Council leader Judith Blake said there was "complacency coming in" amid an increase in music events, house parties and illegal raves, with 10,000 fines issued. Sage has advised universities to consider providing dedicated accommodation facilities to enable students who test positive to effectively isolate and minimise the risk of an outbreak. Universities have been urged to ramp up in-house testing to prevent outbreaks / AFP via Getty Images Experts and unions say students should be tested on arrival at campus and regularly thereafter, but this is missing from Government guidance. Cardiff and Oxford have established their own test regimes, but many institutions have not. Peter Openshaw, professor of experimental medicine, Imperial College London, said: It is vital that there is alignment and co-ordination with local borough public health officers to avoid duplication of effort and ensure a collaborative approach that takes advantage of the skills in both sectors. The University and College Union (UCU), which represents 120,000 academics and other staff, has called for all classes to take place online until at least January. However, more than 100 academics wrote in The Times on Friday that well established harms to mental health, attainment and disadvantaged students brought by remote learning outweigh the risk of Covid-19. Professor Julie Buckingham, president of Universities UK, said institutions have been working hard over many months and investing considerable resource and expertise into planning for all scenarios. Ive written before about how Montgomery County, Maryland, where I live, discriminates against Asian-Americans in education. The discrimination consists of limiting the number of Asian-Americans admitted to the Countys magnet programs for gifted students. The County wants more Black and Latino students in these programs. To achieve this, it admits these students based on lower standards than are required for other applicants. The result is the exclusion of some Asian-Americans due to their race. In response to this blatant discrimination, and having failed to persuade the powers that be to end it, a group of parents has filed a lawsuit against the County school system. The group, organized as the Association for Education Fairness, is asking a federal court in Maryland to find that changes to the admissions process that have limited the number of Asian-American students violate the Constitutions Equal Protection Clause. The facts underlying the lawsuit are basically those I recounted here. This article in the Daily Signal also discusses them. The complaint is here. What is the likelihood that the parents discrimination claim will succeed? The federal courts around here are stacked in favor of the left. If the case gets to a jury, the panel is also likely to be dominated by liberals, including some of the same kind of people who elect school boards that discriminate on the basis of race without batting an eye. At a minimum, though, the suit should succeed in shedding light on the degree to which the County discriminates against Asian-Americans. The County school board reportedly has thus far refused even to release complete information about the variables it uses to determine admissions into the magnet schools. Presumably, it will have to end its stonewalling as discovery proceeds in this lawsuit. It seems to be dawning on Asian-Americans that the left disfavors them and, especially, their children. One school board member told the Asian-American parents that their pursuit of the American dream is not necessarily everyones pursuit of the American dream. Some pursue the dream by making sure their children work hard at the things that put it within reach. Others pursue the dream for their children by holding gifted hard workers back. - A husband sought the help of Idol Raffy after his wife reportedly had an affair in Italy - His wife is 22 and the alleged guy whom his wife is staying with at the moment is 20 years old - Idol Raffy was able to contact the mother of the guy whom his wife was staying with and she said that the woman was the one who came to them - Idol Raffy eventually stated that they were supposed to talk to the wife and not to the mother of the guy PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed Maryon Aryoso sought the help of Raffy Tulfo in Action because his wife allegedly had an affair in Italy. His wife, Kristine, was 22 and according to him, she was with a 20-year-old guy, Jaypee Matira. Raffy Tulfo was able to get in touch with the mother of the guy, and she said that her son told her that Kristine was already separated from her husband. Photo: Raffy Tulfo In Action Source: Facebook She narrated that the wife of Maryon came there and said that she had nowhere else to go. The mother insisted that it is what she told her. Maryon, on the other hand, said that she already informed the mother that they are not separated and he also shared photos with RTIA showing the mom taking photos of her son and his wife. PAY ATTENTION: Shop with KAMI! The best offers and discounts on the market, product reviews and feedbacks. Here's the full story: PAY ATTENTION: Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! A number of celebrities have received complaints. One of them was Xander Ford, when his girlfriend Ysah sought the help of Idol Raffy in filing a case against him. On the other hand, there were also celebrities who sought the help of Idol Raffy. One example was Marc Pingris who complained about an engineer. Raffy Tulfo in Action is a public service program. It seeks to help those who need assistance. Please like and share our amazing Facebook posts to support the KAMI team! Dont hesitate to comment and share your opinions about our stories either. We love reading about your thoughts and views on different matters! Source: KAMI.com.gh Democrats and Republicans might be able to come up with an agreement starting on September 8, which is the day that they return from their summer recess. This means that Congress could reach a deal on the new stimulus package, which will include sending another round of $1,200 stimulus checks to eligible Americans in just five days after they return to Washington. New stimulus checks Congressional lawmakers have been criticized by those who said that the summer break was inappropriate, especially now that a number of Americans are unemployed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Congress adjourned for summer break at the beginning of August without reaching an agreement about the second round of stimulus checks. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told Fox News on August 31 that hopefully, Mitch McConnell will enter new legislation next week. Also Read: New Weekly $300 Unemployment Benefit May Not Be Available For Other Americans Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said that closed-door negotiations over stimulus checks have stalled because liberals have demanded funding for non-COVID-related issues. If the Senate passes a new relief bill on September 11, the House passes it on September 16, and President Trump signs it on September 17, the first checks could possibly be distributed on the week of September 28. Representative James Clyburn spoke at a House subcommittee hearing and said on September 2 that additional economic stimulus is urgently needed. He added that as the pandemic drags on, states, cities, and businesses are warning that more layoffs may be coming. White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said that President Donald Trump is the only one who is making moves to get financial relief to American people amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Meadows then slammed the Democrats on Capitol Hill, who he said "failed to come together on anything that would address unemployment and eviction protections" during his interview on August 24 with CBS This Morning. Catch up stimulus Last week, the IRS announced that it would be sending out 50,000 catch up stimulus checks next month to some Americans who did not receive the first round of checks earlier this year, as reported by CNBC. House Democrats passed the $3 trillion HEROES Act in May 2020, but Senate Republicans countered with a much smaller $1 trillion package in August 2020. Both packages did include another round of $1,200 stimulus checks for all eligible Americans. But Democrats and Republicans have not been able to come to an agreement about how to move forward on different aspects of the relief package, with both sides blaming the other for stalling the bill. According to the White House, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is standing in the way of $1,200 stimulus checks and coronavirus relief. But if Congress agrees on a deal and the $1,200 coronavirus relief checks could be signed, and both parties agree on it, the checks can be sent out to eligible Americans at the end of the month. The first round of stimulus checks was sent out in April 2020, and it gave $1,200 to all taxpaying Americans and $2,400 to couples. An additional $500 was given to the dependents. It is still not clear if there will be additions to the new stimulus package and how much the additions will be. Related Article: Senate Republicans Rolling Out New Stimulus Package Next Week @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Members of Unemployed B.Ed TET Pass Teachers Union held a protest march in the city of state school education minister Vijay Inder Singla on Teachers Day on Saturday. The aspiring teachers raised slogans against the state government and sought jobs. Sukhwinder Singh, state president of the union, said around 3 lakh new students had been enrolled in government schools during this academic session and 15,000 posts of master cadre are required in Punjab. We demand that 10,000 posts of teachers should be filled immediately and the age limit of recruitment should be increased from 37 to 42, said Randeep Sangatpura, press secretary of the union. Another body of teachers, the Democratic Teachers Front (DTF), has opposed the Nation Education Policy 2020 and initiated a campaign Teachers reject NEP. Members of this organisaton held a protest across parts of the state. DTF members also termed the New Education Policy (NEP) as being pro-privatisation, centralisation, commercialisation and saffronisation. The new education policy sidelines democratic, multicultural and scientific values and even represents mythology as history, a joint statement from the teachers said. People from who recently visited the twopopular eateries in Murthal whose large number of staff have been found to be COVID-19 positive, should immediately self-isolate and get themselves tested after a couple of days, officials said on Friday. Sixty-five workers at Amrik-Sukhdev Dhaba and 10 at Garam Dharam dhaba on the highway had tested positive for novel infection, following which both the eateries were sealed on Thursday till further orders, Sonipat's Deputy Commissioner Shyam Lal Punia said. Both famous eateries are located in Sonipat's Murthal and nearly 50 km away from Delhi, and on regular days a large number of people from the national capital visit these joints for 'parathas' and other delicacies. A senior official of government said the people who went to these outlets by the highway should immediately self-isolate and go for testing after 3-4 days. "Highway dhabas are dangerous places to go to as of now, as customers can go to any city from that point. So, it's also a logistical nightmare for the surveillance team," the official said on the condition of anonymity. "The best is families should not go out as much as possible. This is still a heath emergency and people should not be complacent, and venture out only if really necessary," he said. Contact tracing will be done by the surveillance team given the constrains in this case, the help of apps might be taken, another official said. "It is very irresponsible on people's part to go out and enjoy, as if everything is normal. They are putting themselves and their family members and others at risk," he said. Murthal is known for its eateries which dot a stretch on both sides of the Ambala- national highway. People generally drive in cars in groups to relish the lip-smacking delicacies these dhaba-cum-restaurants are known for. Meanwhile, theSonipat district administration has launched a massive contact-tracing drive after the 75 workers tested positive for COVID-19, officials said on Friday. The Sonipat Deputy Commissioner said sampling work has been initiated at other eateries also. The DC said in the wake of the pandemic, all the eateries had already been directed to maintain a register to record the number of visitors and their contact details. "On the basis of these, we are trying to contact as many as possible who have eaten food at these two dhabas during the past few days," he said. Sonipat's Chief Medical Officer Dr J S Punia said the majority of those infected at the Sukhdev dhaba were workers who had recently come from Bihar. Delhi recorded 2,914 fresh COVID-19 cases on Friday, the highest single-day spike here in 69 days, as thetally mounted to over 1.85 lakh, even as a senior official claimed it "wasn't an alarming surge" and so there was no chance of another lockdown. (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.) Well, it could have ended up where we had no fair at all, he said. Anything compared to zero is positive. Using round numbers, a 10% figure translates to about 30,000 people, Ogg said. We also have three strong days to go. So, shoot, you can still come out, have some good fair food, enjoy some free music and watch some wonderful kids compete, he said. Fairgoers can also recognize our veterans on Monday, and enjoy some wholesome things about Nebraska, and life in general. Beth Smith, chairwoman of the State Fair Board, agrees that the fairgoers are really happy people. Friday was a beautiful day, Smith said as she and another board member welcomed FFA trailers to the fairgrounds. People are pleased that 4-H activities have been separated from FFA events, she said. It gives them a little bit more room, she said. We did it for COVID. We did it for spacing issues, and I think the people are really appreciating that. A lot of cars were parked in the unpaved lots on the west side of the fairgrounds Friday afternoon, she said. Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden speaks at Grace Lutheran Church in the aftermath of the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wis., on Sept. 3, 2020. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images) Biden Claims Black Man, Not White Guy Named Edison, Invented Light Bulb Democrat presidential nominee Joe Biden claimed during a community meeting in Wisconsin on Thursday that a black man invented the light bulb, not a white guy named Edison. Biden made the remarks in the context of calling for a reckoning on racism and urging America to confront its original sinslaveryand all the vestiges of it. He then suggested that historical accounts have been falsified out of racist motives. People fear that which is different. Weve got to, for example, why in Gods name dont we teach history in history classes? A black man invented the light bulb, not a white guy named Edison, Biden said. Theres so muchdid anybody know before what recently happened that Black Wall Street in Oklahoma was burned to the ground? Anybody know these things? Because we dont teach them. Weve got to give people facts. Teach them whats out there. Historical records show that while Thomas Edison is universally credited with inventing the light bulb, a black inventor by the name of Lewis Latimer improved on Edisons invention and helped make it available more widely. Latimer, who was a member of Edisons elite research team and himself held multiple patents, created a light bulb that had a more durable carbon filament. He was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2006 for his work on electric filament manufacturing techniques. Biden visited Kenosha in the wake of unrest that was sparked by the shooting of Jacob Blake in a confrontation with police, during which he was shot multiple times in the back. Blake, who resisted arrest and could not be subdued even after being tased, had a warrant out for his arrest on suspicion of sexual assault. Protests following the shooting, which left Blake paralyzed from the waist down, devolved into violent riots, which peaked in a tragic incident in which a 17-year-old armed with a semi-automatic rifle shot two people dead and wounded another while being chased and possibly attacked. Saying that violence of any form is wrong, Biden blamed President Donald Trump for inflaming divisions in the country and called for his supporters to step up their efforts to cut another slice off institutional racism. I dont think we have any alternative but to fight. I dont think we have any alternative but to fight back. I dont think we have any alternative but just to go tell the truth, Biden said. In earlier remarks in Pittsburgh, Biden also accused the president of stoking division, before saying that the violence wouldnt stop if Trump gets reelected. Trump visited Kenosha several days before Biden, to survey the damage on the city inflicted by rioters and to express support for efforts to rebuild. Attorney General William Barr was among the administration officials to accompany Trump on the trip. During a community safety roundtable, Barr denounced the violence, saying it was another hijacking of protests by a hardcore group of radicals. These are the same people, many of them who came from out of town. Out of 175 arrests, 100 were from out of town, Barr said. These are the same people using the same tactics that have been used in various cities: Washington, Atlanta, Chicago, now Kenosha, Portland. And they use these black-bloc tactics, throwing projectiles at police and literally trying to inflict injuries on police, arson, and rioting, Barr added. Prior to Trumps visit, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, urged the president not to visit Kenosha, claiming an in-person appearance would lead to further divisiveness. Marquez, who has homes in Chicago and Arizona, has not responded to repeated attempts by the Tribune to reach him. When a Tribune reporter went to his condo building in the South Loop in August 2019, a manager at the security desk said he hadnt seen Marquez in weeks. A reporter visited Marquezs lobbying office in the financial district that same day, but was told by an employee that Marquez was on leave. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Borough Hall will co-sponsor a blood drive Friday, September 11, in honor of the 275 Staten Islanders who died on 9/11 19 years ago. The 9/11 Memorial Blood Drive with the New York Blood Center will take place at the centers Staten Island location, 2791 Richmond Ave., from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., according to a media release from the office of Borough President James Oddo. This blood drive is a great opportunity to honor those we lost on that tragic day 19 years ago, while at the same time giving back to our community in need, Oddo said Thank you to our friends at the New York Blood Center for partnering with us to recognize such a trying day for our community in this way. Due to coronavirus concerns, donors temperatures will be taken prior to being allowed to start the donation process, and they will be required to wear a face covering. Appointments will need to be made in advance. The centers senior executive director of recruitment and marketing, Andrea Cefarelli, thanked the borough president for his partnership and encouraged Staten Islanders to donate. This year, we honor the lives lost in the September 11th attacks by donating blood and saving the lives of others, she said. As COVID-19 continues to present obstacles, we need everyone who is healthy and able to visit our donor centers and blood drives across the city. To make an appointment, visit their website or call Jenn McCorry at 516-477-5872. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 13:31:36|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Worshippers injured in a masjid air conditioner explosion receive treatment at a hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh on Sept. 5, 2020. Twelve worshippers including a boy died and dozens of others suffered serious burn injuries after air conditioners of a masjid burst Friday night in Bangladesh's central Narayanganj district, about 20 km from the capital Dhaka, an official said Saturday morning. (Xinhua) DHAKA, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Twelve worshippers including a boy died and dozens of others suffered serious burn injuries after air conditioners of a masjid burst Friday night in Bangladesh's central Narayanganj district, about 20 km from the capital Dhaka, an official said Saturday morning. Samanta Lal Sen, the coordinator of the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka, told journalists that "12 people till Saturday morning died after being admitted to the institute with major burns on their bodies." He said at least 37 injured were rushed to the institute on Friday night. Most of the victims suffered from 60 to 70 percent burns, and the health condition of 25 others is also critical. Fire officials suspected a gas leak when the Muslim worshippers were about to leave the masjid after their Isha (night) prayers at around 9:00 p.m. local time on Friday. All eight air-conditioners on the ground floor burst into flames when there were reportedly around 100 worshippers at the three-storey masjid. Shafiqul Islam, officer-in-charge of Fatullah Police Station in Narayanganj, said huge blasts caused window glasses of the masjid fly onto the street and burnt ceiling fans, wires and electric switch boards. Kamrul Ahsan, a control room official at the fire service headquarters in Dhaka, said firemen managed to bring the flames under control after hectic efforts of around half an hour. The Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defense formed a committee to investigate the incident. Enditem The candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC in the Edo governorship election, Osagie Ize-Iyamu has rejected to debate with the deputy governor of the state, Philip Shaibu at a debate organised by BBC News Pidgin on Friday. Ize-Iyamu made this known when Governor Godwin Obaseki and the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, excused himself from the debate just at the beginning. Ther governor had featured briefly in the virtual debate but stepped out to attend another meeting. He asked the moderator and his co-panelists to allow his deputy to continue the debate in his stead. This development infuriated Ize-Iyamu, who objected to the idea, insisting that he would not debate with Shaibu. He said that the debate is for governorship candidates, not one the governor can delegate or ask his deputy to take over form him. Ize-iyamu added that if the governor wants to debate, he has to stay but he wont sit down with the deputy governor and debate. The APC candidate noted that if Shuaibu wants to represent his principal, he will collect his deputy to come and debate with Obasekis deputy. New Delhi: Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Friday met with Chinese defence minister General Wei Fenghe in Moscow in a first high level political contact between the two countries who are involved in a four month tense military stand-off in the Ladakh sector. The two sides discussed the current military stand-off in Ladakh and ways to bring down tensions between the two nuclear armed countries. It was the Chinese side which requested for a meeting with defence minister Singh who is in Moscow to attend the joint meeting of the heads of defence ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). The meeting started at 9:30 pm Indian Standard Time at Hotel Metropol in Moscow. Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar and Indian Ambassador to Russia D B Venkatesh Varma were part of the Indian delegation. It is the first highest level face-to-face meeting between the two sides after the border row escalated in eastern Ladakh in early May. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has previously held telephonic talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the border standoff. Hours before the talks, Singh, in his address at the SCO ministerial meet, said peace and security in the region demands a climate of trust, non-aggression, peaceful resolution of differences and respect for international rules. Singh's comments in the presence of the Chinese defence minister was seen as a veiled message to China over the border row in eastern Ladakh. In his address, Singh referred to the Second World War and said its memories teach the globe the "folies of aggression" of one state upon another that brings "destruction" to all. "Peaceful stable and secure region of SCO member states, which is home to over 40 per cent of the global population, demands a climate of trust and cooperation, non-aggression, respect for international rules and norms, sensitivity to each other's interest and peaceful resolution of differences," Singh said. Mr Jaishankar, who would also be travelling to Moscow for a foreign ministers meeting of the SCO member countries on September 10 could also meet his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. Earlier, Chinese state owned Global Times said that the meeting would help the two countries enhance communication in defence, control the situation and avoid the recent stand-off at the South Pangong Tso escalating into a wider clash. The meeting comes in backdrop of tension between the two countries flaring up after India in a preemptive move occupied around two dozen peaks in Southern banks of Pangong Tso and Spanggur gap. There is a high tension in Chushul sector as China is angry with Indias preemptive move with both armies near to each other in the sector. Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the centre not giving full GST compensation to the states, saying this act of sovereign default runs against the very spirit of the cooperative federalism. In a letter addressed to the prime minister, Soren said this is symptomatic of the withering trust between the centre and the states. Also read: Bihar Assembly Election 2020: Incarcerated Lalus political meetings cause uproar In the letter, dated September 4, Soren said the states were given assurance that the centre would compensate the losses they suffer for the next five years, but it has just been three years, and we find ourselves deserted. Reluctance and inability of the GOI to give full compensation to the states is betrayal of the commitment it made in the Union Parliament and also in all the council meetings held so far (sic), the chief minister said. Soren is the latest non-NDA chief ministers to come out against the centres offer on the Goods and Services Tax (GST) compensation to the states. Soren is heading a coalition government in Jharkhand consisting of JMM, Congress and the RJD. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has also written to Modi, saying depriving states of GST compensation is an attempt to undermine federalism and urged him not to belie the trust between the states and the centre on the issue. Also read: Over 1 lakh respond to Jharkhand CMs Twitter poll on NEET-JEE exams Besides the two, the chief ministers of Punjab, Kerala, Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Rajasthan and Puducherry have also rejected the centres proposal. Banerjee and Soren were among the opposition parties CMs who had participated in a virtual meeting called by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, a day before the GST council meeting. In the 41st meeting of GST Council on August 27, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said that the Covid-19 pandemic is an act of God which has hit GST collection and ruled out paying compensation to states from its coffers. As per the centres calculations, the compensation requirement of states in current fiscal would be Rs 3 lakh crore, of which Rs 65,000 crore would come from levy of cess. Out of the shortfall of Rs 2.35 lakh crore, the shortfall due to GST implementation is Rs 97,000 crore and the remaining is due to Covid-19 impact. The centre has given two options to states - to either borrow the entire Rs 2.35 lakh crore or borrow only Rs 97,000 crore through a special window, which would be provided by the RBI- to meet the revenue shortfall. Referring to the prime ministers speech at the launch of the GST in July 2017, Soren said, Modi had portrayed the new tax regime as a great example of cooperative federalism that would herald inclusive growth of the nation. I echo your sentiments but you would agree that India as a nation can grow only if its constituent states also grow and become self-reliant. But reluctance of the central government to fulfil its constitutional obligations regarding GST compensation goes against the interests of the states and the spirit of cooperative federalism, he said. ... Jharkhand contributes to compensation fund a cess of nearly Rs 5,000 crore from the mineral sector alone. What we get in return is just a paltry sum of nearly Rs 150 crore as monthly compensation. And now we are being asked to borrow at a time when the state is hard pressed to fulfil salaries of government servants, he added. Soren said that as the states economy is in a precarious situation at present, it needs more funds to take care of farmers, migrant workers, those in the unorganised sector and unemployed youths. At this critical juncture we naturally expected you to give us more than just the admissable compensation. We also expected you to announce that the GST compensation would continue even beyond the original period of five years, he said. Urging the prime minister to intervene in the matter and issue directions to the ministry concerned for the release of the compensation amount, Soren said, it will not only melt away all the apprehensions but also reinforce the trust in the spirit of cooperative federalism. Kannada cinema is facing an existential crisis, a crisis of a different kind. The ongoing police raids on cinema stars to bust the drug rackets operating in the state and the arrest of actor Ragini Dwivedi have shocked the film industry, which is already going through its worst phase due to the coronavirus pandemic. The shocking details of the drug abuse among actors has virtually divided the struggling celluloid world. Some are calling it a vendetta to paint the entire field with the same brush while the others are demanding a total cleanup of the silver screen. The 85-year-old Kannada cinema was highly conservative two decades ago. Globalisation, satellite television boom, and the growth of Bengaluru into a megapolis changed that and made the industry vulnerable to outside influence. Meanwhile, worried about the effect of the negative publicity on the brand image of Karnataka due to the ongoing raids, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa has cautioned the police to exercise restraint. According to a senior police officer, Yediyurappa does not want Karnataka to go the Punjab way. After a six-month lockdown and the near collapse of the cinema industry, a few had resumed shooting just a month ago, raising some hopes. The raids and arrests have come as a rude shock to many who have nothing to do with the drug menace. It all started last week, with a Narcotics branch of Bengaluru Police raiding an apartment to bust a drug racket. They arrested three persons, including an alleged woman drug peddler identified as D Anika. According to the police, she spilled the beans on the drugs and cinema nexus. The 24/7 television news coverage it has garnered during the current coronavirus-dominated news cycle appears to have forced the police to go after everyone allegedly linked to cartels. In the last week, the police have arrested Dwivedi; her friend Ravishankar; Rahul, a friend of another actor Sanjana Galrani; a local BJP worker Karthik Raju; and a Delhi-based rave party organiser Viren Khanna in connection with the case. The list is likely to grow as the sleuths have recovered a lot of details from those arrested about the extent of the drug menace plaguing the industry. Many more stars are likely to be summoned for questioning based on these explosive documents. Some of them may even face arrest. Kannada filmmaker Indrajit Lankesh, currently with the BJP, and self-proclaimed filmmaker Prashant Sambargi have come out in the public alleging large-scale drug abuse in the celluloid world. Their statements have angered a larger section of the Kannada cinema for trying to paint the whole industry with the same brush. Veteran film producer Sandesh Nagaraj criticised the hyper publicity. There may be a few actors linked to drug abuse. Their number is just 1%. Because of that, branding the entire industry bad is dangerous. I request the leading stars to come out and defend the innocent, he said. Nagaraj said after the death of thespian Rajkumar and two other superstars, Vishnuvardhan and Ambareesh, the Kannada cinema is like a boat adrift on the sea. A few argue that actors from outside Karnataka in the last two decades have destroyed the reputation of the industry by indulging in all kinds of immoral, unethical and illegal activities, leading the film world to a certain ruin. The city police who have decided to go all out to eradicate the drug menace are also facing a dilemma. Yediyurappa and many others are worried about the fallout. He is worried, because he does not want the entire state to get a bad name. Police should exercise caution before making a huge show of it. Karnataka is not certainly another Punjab. Media should also show responsibility and restraint, said a person close to Yediyurappa. Meanwhile, the opposition Congress is gleefully sharing pictures and videos of Dwivedi with Yediyurappas younger son BY Vijayendra, who is also the state BJP vice-president. Dwivedi was a star campaigner for the ruling BJP in last years Assembly by-polls. Despite the CMs instructions to his party colleagues not to comment on the ongoing raids, many of them are falling over each other to demand strict action against the drug menace. Surprisingly, the low-profile Home Minister Basavaraj S Bommai has suddenly become hyperactive, directing the police investigation, leading to a lot of speculation in political circles. Will Kannada cinema come out of this crisis or will it sink deeper into the abyss? MBABANE The trouble of going after patients who are discharged from public hospitals without paying for treatment, after recovering from an illness, will now be a thing of the past. Government is at an advanced stage of introducing National Health Insurance (NHI), which will be responsible for indemnifying patients who may not have the luxury of medical aid schemes. The National Health Insurance (NHI) is a health financing system that is designed to pool funds to provide access to quality affordable personal health services for all emaSwati based on their health needs, irrespective of their socio-economic status. This is being done against the backdrop of the state losing millions of Emalangeni from patients who dont pay after recovering. Some of the patients had undergone complicated treatment programmes and had been accommodated in hospitals for several months. However, government says when its time for the patients to be discharged, they either neglect payment or plead being broke or at times it is plainly an issue of administrative gaps. The concern over the non-payment of treatment fees emanates from the Auditor General, Timothy Matsebulas report for the year 2019, where he states that the owed fees had accumulated to E410 650.00 and that there seemed to be no means to recover the money. I am concerned that the ministry is not prioritising to recover the outstanding revenue and I am not aware of any action undertaken towards recovering these debts that have been outstanding over a period of four years. The outstanding revenue should be recovered promptly and should not be written off until all efforts and possible measures have been exhausted, the AG said. Liability Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Health Dr Simon Zwane said one of the reasons patients fail to pay was because there is no means to transfer liability of the patient from the time that they are transferred in emergency from health centres or hospitals to referral hospitals. Eventually, they leave the health centres without settling their bills. Some patients being discharged literally do not have money to settle their bills, but make promises that they will settle the bills at a later date, to no avail; and others deliberately abscond from health facilities without settling their outstanding bills, he said. Dr Zwane said this week, the process to come up with an NHI had been initiated and was receiving positive feedback from those preliminarily engaged. He said the ministry had engaged the services of a consultancy firm known as the Oxford Policy Management under the support of the World Bank. One of their deliverables was to come up with a draft legislation to establish the NHI. There were certain engagements and consultants on a number of individuals and institutions because when you introduce such a development it is essential to make widespread consultation. These consultations have not been concluded but I can say the response is positive as many people are giving it a nod, he said. He said there would be further consultations when the actual legislation is being formulated. Many of those we have been consulting have been positive, though they do say the devil is in the detail. They will only be definitely positive once the draft legislation has been made, he said. The PS said the manner in which the NHI would work was such that it will be able to pool funds from wherever possible to pay for treatment from an accredited health institution. Purpose, The fund has to be properly managed to be able to do its intended purpose, he said. He said Eswatini was taking notes from other countries such as South Africa, who are currently at testing phase, in readiness to roll out the NHI throughout the country. We have very good examples of countries that have NHI, such as Taiwan and South Korea and Rwanda, who are implementing it. We have good examples on the ground. Dr Zwane said the intention was to ensure the process of establishing it was at an advanced stage by now, had the ministry not been impeded by the COVID-19 pandemic. If it was according to me, by March next year, we would start to pilot it in Parliament, he said. The PS said government was still busy with the Health Bill but was also simultaneously working on the NHI. The NHI will put the country in a favourable spot to achieve one of the Sustainable Development Goals which is to make health care universally affordable for all. In South Africa the NHI will be funded through payroll taxes for employees and employers, a surcharge on personal income tax, the reallocation of medical scheme tax credits to the fund and general taxes. A judges ruling Friday blocked Dana Balter from gaining a third-party ballot line in her campaign for Congress against Rep. John Katko and could keep a candidate in the race who has no interest in running. The Working Families Party had given its nomination to Syracuse lawyer Steve Williams before the Democratic primary election between Balter and Francis Conole. Williams was viewed as a placeholder for the Democratic nominee. After Balter won the Democratic primary on June 23, the Working Families Party decided to give her its ballot line. To legally remove Williams from the ballot under New York election law, the party nominated him to run on the ballot for a state Supreme Court justices seat in Queens. But that move was challenged by Onondaga County Republican Chairman Tom Dadey and Katko supporters. In court filings, the Republicans claimed the Working Families Party did not follow rules to have a quorum of its members present for a judicial convention in which Williams was nominated. State Supreme Court Justice Scott J. DelConte agreed on Friday, blocking Williams from the ballot for the judges seat. DelConte also ordered the state Board of Elections to put Williams back on the ballot in the 24th Congressional District as the Working Families Party candidate. The ballot line could be important in a close race between Katko and Balter. Balter received 4,784 votes on the WFP line in the 2018 election against Katko. Balter lost the election by about 13,000 votes. She had 123,226 votes on three ballot lines compared to Katkos 136,920 votes on four ballot lines. Third-party ballot lines are especially important in close elections. If Balter and Katko had appeared only on the Democratic and Republican lines in 2018, Balter would have won the election, 115,902 to 113,538. Balters campaign and Williams did not return calls Friday. Williams and the Working Families Party could still appeal the judges ruling. Katkos campaign manager, Tom Haag, said the judge made a good decision. In a coordinated and dishonest effort, Steve Williams and Dana Balter attempted to manipulate state election law, Haag said. Their efforts were appropriately halted today. Dana Balter will be removed as a candidate on the Working Families line, and we believe that is the appropriate action. If the judges decision stands, Balter will appear only on the Democratic ballot line in November. Katko will appear on the Republican, Conservative and Independence Party ballot lines. Williams campaigned for the Democratic nomination for Congress in 2016 in a three-way race with Colleen Deacon and Eric Kingson. Deacon won the primary election, but lost to Katko in the November election. MORE ON THE 2020 ELECTION Trump keeps saying he could win New York. Heres why thats dreaming Trump suggests voting twice. If you do that in NY, your vote counts only once New York opens web portal to accept applications for absentee ballots New York recruits poll workers to ease shortage caused by coronavirus Absentee ballot vs. mail-in ballot: Whats the difference? Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact Mark Weiner anytime by: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751 Pupils stand in line at St Luke's Church of England Primary School in East London on September 3, - Pupils stand in line at St Luke's Church of England Primary School in East London on September 3, Turning up to primary or pre-school presents no greater risk to children or staff than staying at home, a Public Health England (PHE) study has found. More than 12,000 tests carried out over June and July yielded only three positive results. Antibody blood test - looking for evidence of past infection - also identified that rates were no higher than in the general population. Gavin Williamson, the Education Secretary, described the results as hugely encouraging and evidence that the wider harm to children from missing school is greater than that from coronavirus. From the 0.02 per cent of positive results, there was no evidence of onwards transmission either to household contacts or the wider educational setting, said PHE. The government scientists also found that children and staff who attended school more frequently were not more likely to test positive for antibodies than those who did not attend school at all or went less often. Surveillance revealed similar levels of antibodies in both staff and pupils, suggesting that children are as likely to get infected as adults. PHE said the low numbers of confirmed infections in children nationally could be due to children experiencing asymptomatic coronavirus or mild symptoms going undetected, rather than them being less susceptible than adults. But they added that the scarcity of positive cases and the extremely low number of outbreaks suggests that children are less likely to pass the infection on. The results, which come from surveillance of 131 primary and preschools, will give a boost for ministers as they call for all children to return to school this week. A warning for secondary schools However, PHE said the findings cannot be extrapolated to secondary school pupils, and follow warnings from some experts that adolescents have a higher risk of catching and spreading the virus. Dr Shamez Ladhani, Consultant Epidemiologist, Public Health England said: This is the largest study of its kind in the country and suggests attending preschool and primary school brings no additional risk to either staff or students. Story continues Although these results are preliminary, they should be very reassuring to parents who may be anxious about their children returning to school. As has been found in previous research, infection within educational settings is extremely low, and while it appears that children do contract Covid-19, the overwhelming majority experience mild or no symptoms, and are unlikely to pass it on. Mr Williamson said: I am hugely encouraged by the findings of this report, which support what the UKs Chief Medical Officers have already made clear - that the risk of catching coronavirus at school is low, meaning that the risk to children being out of school is, in fact, far greater. This week has seen thousands of children reunited with classmates and teachers as schools across the country begin to reopen for full-time education for all pupils at the start of the autumn term. Parents can be reassured that schools have in place protective measures to reduce the risk of transmission and these findings add to the assurance that the return to school has been based on the best scientific and medical advice. The Offaly branch of the Beef Plan Movement has this week called upon the Evaluation Committee of the Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP) to change its position about the proposed meat processing plant in Banagher called Banagher Chilling Ltd. The plant might generate 150 jobs and it was given planning approval by Offaly County Council in July. However, a group of about twenty local people, many of them living in Banagher, objected to the approval, and sent a signed objection to An Bord Pleanala on August 28. The Board will reveal its decision on the matter on January 4 next. Kieran Delaney, Chairman of the Offaly Beef Plan Movement, said his group strongly wants to see the project to be given the green light. When we heard the County Council had given the go-ahead, he said, we were very pleased, but then came the news last week that the IIP is in disagreement with that decision. We are worried that the IIP's position might influence An Bord Pleanala's thinking and the project will be put into a permanent deep freeze. Ireland needs more meat processing plants because at the moment you have a monopoly of big meat factories who are often giving farmers unfair prices for their cattle. More meat plants coming onstream would mean more competition and therefore farmers would be better off. Jobs are also badly needed and the new plant would become one of the major employers in the South Offaly region. Seeing the project being undermined by the IIP is a major disappointment. If this project was to be mothballed it would be a major loss for farmers in the midlands. This week Deputy Carol Nolan called on the Minister for Justice Helen McEntee to supply greater detail and clarity as to the reasons why the application for the proposed new meat processing plant in Banagher was rejected. Deputy Nolan said the decision of the Immigrant Investor Programme evaluation committee to deny support to the Banagher Chilling project could lead to a significant chilling effect being generated with respect to future investments within Offaly and indeed the wider midlands region. The proposed 40 million meat plant at Banagher represented a very welcome and much needed opening for job creation and the injection of vital investment funds within the county. Now that this has been thrown into doubt because of the decision of the evaluation committee, there is a real risk that other potential investors will look at this example and reconsider any interest they may have had. She said the project hadwide-ranging and broad support, not just from farmers but also from state bodies such as Bord Bia and Offaly County Council. That represented a level of agreement and collaboration that should be encouraged. The minister must press the evaluation committee, which ultimately determines the outcomes of applications under the Immigrant Investment Programme, to immediately engage with the level of local concern that has been generated by its almost incomprehensible decision. Offaly and indeed the entire midlands cannot afford to let valuable job creation prospects like the Banagher project pass without a fight. We must have answers from the minister and from the committee on why this project has reached the current impasse. One local person campaigning against the plant said it made no sense during our Climate Change era to be opening a facility which would process meat that would then be transported by air to China. It was first announced in the summer of 2019 that a significant expansion Banagher Chilling Ltd was being planned, and the project was being backed by Chinese investors. The expansion, if given the go-ahead, will be the building of ancillary facilities that will enable the slaughtering and processing of beef cattle. It's estimated the plant will process up to 140 cattle per day, primarily for export to China. Regional Four arrested in teenage gang-rape case in Manipur Correspondent IMPHAL, SEP 5 | Publish Date: 9/5/2020 12:27:43 PM IST Imphal West District police on Saturday said it has arrested all four allegedly involved in the gang rape of a 14-year-old girl, a heinous crime that took place on September 2. While assuring to submit the charge-sheet of the case within two months, the police appealed to the family of the victim girl to allow performing necessary post-mortem. The victim was abandoned near a public pond at Mayang Imphal of Imphal West district after allegedly being gang raped succumbed at RIMS hospital the next day. The body of the girl is at RIMS morgue after the family and relatives of the victim along with villagers who formed a joint action committee (JAC) in connection with the incident refused to accept the body demanding justice. Addressing a press conference at the conference hall of Imphal West SP, IGP of Manipur police K Jayentakumar said that with the arrest of all the four accused , the police have established the main accused. He claimed that police rushed to the spot where the girl was found abandoned and tried its best to save her by admitting her at a hospital immediately. Unfortunately, she could not be saved, he added. It may be mentioned here that on the same day of the crime, police arrested the boyfriend of the victim identified as Md Arish alias Maja Khan (19) son of Shikandar of Heibongmakhong Mathak Leikai. Allt he accused are in police custody. As the crime is under the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012) case, the trial will be conducted at a first track court and police have to submit the charge-sheet within two months. For speedy investigation and to collect clear evidence, police desire to conduct necessary post-mortem before the body decomposes, he said. The IGP opined that delay in the conduct of the post-mortem may lead to the loss of various important evidences related to the alleged sexual assault. New Delhi, Sep 5 : Soon corona testing will be carried out at Delhi's markets, bus stands and mohalla clinics. The number of Corona tests in Delhi has been increased to 40,000 per day. With the increase in the number of tests, the number of new cases is also increasing in the national Capital. Over 2,900 corona patients have been detected during the last 24 hours. To this Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said, "There is nothing to worry about the spread of coronavirus in Delhi right now. The situation is completely under control, however no negligence should be allowed at any cost." Kejriwal has emphasised on preventing deaths from the pandemic. "If someone catches Covid-19 and that person recovers, then there is no problem. The problem arises when a person has Coronavirus and dies of it," said the CM. The Delhi government has constituted a special panel of doctors to prevent deaths from coronavirus. This committee has audited all hospitals where more people were dying due to corona. During the audit, many small and major flaws came to light, after which changes have been carried out. Kejriwal said, "Over 2,900 new cases of corona have been reported in Delhi in the last 24 hours. During this time 13 people have died. We want not even one person to die from corona but if we talk about the 13 deaths, it is 0.4 per cent of the coronavirus patients reported in a single day. On June 27, 2,900 new cases were reported in a single day and 66 persons died of Coronavirus on the same day. Now this figure has drastically come down. At present, 10 to 20 persons are dying every day due to corona. This is something that we are trying to bring under control." Kejriwal admitted that corona cases have increased in Delhi in the last few days. The Chief Minister said, "We have spoken to health experts on this subject. Some experts say we are witnessing the second wave of corona. Some say it is not the second wave. We must take necessary precautions keeping these technical things aside. The death rate due to the pandemic in Delhi is still 1 per cent since August 15 till now. While at the national level, it is 1.7 per cent." "14,000 beds in Delhi's hospitals have been reserved for corona patients. Of these, only 5,000 beds have been filled. As many as 1,600-1,700 of them have come from other states outside Delhi. This means only Delhi Only 3300-3,400 hundred people are admitted in hospitals. Adequate beds are available in hospitals, but if more beds are required, we will make arrangements for that, too," Kejriwal added. The Chief Minister expressed displeasure over people not wearing masks and not following social-distancing norms. He said, "We should get out of our house for work, but during this time masks should be used and social distancing maintained. In case of ill health, get the corona test done immediately so that if one suffers from corona then others remain alert and get right treatment at the right time. " Data Consultant, Home Based Organization: UNDP - United Nations Development Programme Country: Home-based Closing date: Friday, 11 September 2020 Data Consultant Advertised on behalf of : Location : home-based with with travel as required Application Deadline : 11-Sep-20 (Midnight New York, USA) Type of Contract : Individual Contract Post Level : International Consultant Languages Required : English Starting Date : (date when the selected candidate is expected to start) 01-Oct-2020 Duration of Initial Contract : 12 months Background UNCDF is the UNs capital investment agency for the worlds least developed countries. It creates new opportunities for poor people and their communities by increasing access to microfinance and investment capital. UNCDF focuses on Africa and the poorest countries of Asia and the Pacific, with a special commitment to countries emerging from conflict or crisis. It provides seed capital - grants and loans - and technical support to help microfinance institutions reach more poor households and small businesses, and local governments finance the capital investments - water systems, feeder roads, schools, irrigation schemes - that will improve poor peoples lives. Recently, UNCDF has formulated its strategy Leaving no one behind in the digital era based on over a decade of experience in digital finance in Africa, Asia and the Pacific. UNCDF recognizes that reaching the full potential of digital financial inclusion in support of the Sustainable Development Goals aligns with the vision of promoting digital economies that leave no one behind. The vision of UNCDF is to empower millions of people by 2024 to use services daily that leverage innovation and technology and contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals. Please refer to the link for further information: https://www.uncdf.org/article/4931/global-strategy-leaving-no-one-behind-in-the-digital-era The Chinese government has always attached great importance to the construction of inclusive digital economies that is built on the foundations of a financial system which is inclusive and acts as an important policy tool for poverty eradication and achieving resilience and prosperity for people at large. China has had many useful experiences in the process of building inclusive digital economy, especially in the field of digital inclusive finance, mobile payments and internet-based credit. In China, UNCDF started operating in May 2019 to combine its expertise and know-how in the development of financial solutions for low- and moderate-income people with the rich experience of Chinese institutions in the digital economy. The Chinese economy and the digital eco-system have been on a growth path and has set lessons for most of the other markets in the world on how digital eco-systems could be developed. With some of the fundamental elements that are available in the market, UNCDFs work is focused on driving innovations leveraging the infrastructure of payments, data, etc. In 2020 and 2021, UNCDF aims to invest in building new innovative partnerships that could help achieve the objectives of innovations in the space of financial health. UNCDF requires the advisory services of a Data Consultant to: Set up UNCDFs data collection system for partner interventions in country. Conduct research on thematic topics relevant to UNCDFs country learning agenda. Duties and Responsibilities Under the supervision of the Data and Insights Lead and Global Innovation Manager, the Data Consultant will: Set up UNCDFs data collection system for partner interventions in country: Develop a data system that tracks aggregated programme results. Design partner monitoring tools and train partners in data collection and reporting. Analyse project and programme performance and extract relevant findings for strategic decision-making. Conduct research on thematic topics relevant to UNCDFs country learning agenda: Identify secondary datasets and research relevant to the implementation of the programme and develop and update the country evidence base. Conduct analysis of secondary sources on digital financial services uptake and usage to identify to programme priorities and inform market engagements. Conduct thematic research on financial health and the digital economy using primary and secondary data sources. The table below shows the detailed activities and deliverables and indicative timeline and estimated efforts. Activities Deliverables % Estimated effort (days) Calendar Conduct analysis of secondary data sources on Digital Financial Services (DFS) uptake and usage to identify to programme priorities and inform market engagements. This includes gender-, age group-, country- and thematic-specific analysis (e.g. agriculture, MSME, energy). Report outlining the problem statements and trends in the DFS eco-system 10% 20 Month 1-4 Conduct research on financial health using quantitative and qualitative research methods/ Research methodology and tools Research report 10% 20 Month 4-5 Support partners to identify critical Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and drive analysis and understanding of customer behavior. Training tools Training report including recommendations 15% 30 Month 3-6 Design project specific monitoring tools including project KPIs, a data collection plan and reporting templates. Monitoring tools for 6 projects 10% 20 Month 6-12 Ensure quarterly reporting of UNCDF partner institutions on KPIs and project logs, and conduct data analysis to extract relevant findings for strategic decision-making on project level. Updated project workbook for all active projects Progress report with key insights and learnings 10% 20 Month 6-12 Update data system that tracks aggregated programme results and conduct data analysis to extract relevant findings for strategic decision-making on programme level. Updated programme data repository / dashboard 13% 25 Month 6-12 Contribute to communication material to share analysis findings, including data visualizations. Contributions to 6 UNCDF publications 10% 20 Month 6-12 Support the evaluation of projects. 6 completed project evaluations (mid or end line) 15% 30 Month 9-12 Update the country evidence base Updated country evidence base 7% 15 Month 12 Total 100% 200 Competencies Excellent organizational, inter-personal and communication skills; Able to work effectively in a team and in an international environment; Excellent skills in data analysis. Required Skills and Experience Education: Bachelors degree in economics, statistics, public/business administration, social sciences, technology or related discipline. A Masters degree in the same is preferable but not mandatory. Experience: At least 3 years of experience in conducting data analysis to inform strategic decision-making in the public or private sector is mandatory; Tags advisory services capital investments data analysis data collection data visualization developed countries digital finance financial inclusion financial services inclusive finance least developed countries local government microfinance poverty eradication procurement programme priorities project evaluation qualitative research results measurement social sciences sustainable development sustainable development goals Experience with data analysis and/or data visualization tools is preferable but not mandatory; Experience in conducting socioeconomic research is preferable but not mandatory; Experience in innovation and technology for inclusive finance is preferable but not mandatory. Language: Fluency in English (written and spoken) Fluency in Mandarin is a plus. Timeline: October 2020 - September 2021 Home-based with travel as required Total Number of Working Days for Assignment: Max of 200 working days within 12 months Standard travel costs and living expenses: Home-based with travel as requested by UNCDF. Travel will be processed according to UNCDF Policies. Progress Controls & Payments: Payment will be made against satisfactorily completion of each deliverable. All payments shall be disbursed only upon written confirmation of acceptance of the outputs and authorization for payment by the Research and Results Measurement Analyst (RRM Analyst). Disbursement of the final payment shall require a signed performance evaluation of the consultant. Application: Interested individuals must submit the following as proposals in order to demonstrate their qualifications: (NOTE: the system does not allow multiple uploads of document. Applicants must make sure to upload all documents in one PDF file). All applications must contain the following information: Cover letter with a summary statement of competencies in relation to the TOR deliverables; Curriculum Vitae and/or Completed P11-Personal History Form with names and current contacts of 3 referees (available from http://sas.undp.org/documents/p11_personal_history_form.doc); Signed financial proposal for the full assignment outlining: All-inclusive fee including professional fees and other professional expenses, such as insurance, taxes, etc (Available at: http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_file.cfm?doc_id=29916). Incomplete applications may not be considered. Please make sure you have provided all requested materials. Evaluation: Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology: Preliminary Evaluation - Step I: Screening Technical Evaluation Weight - 70% x (Step II: Desk review 20 Points + Step III: Written test 40 Points + Step IV: Interview 40 Points = 100 Points) Financial Evaluation Weight - 30% = Step V Step I: Screening Applications will be screened and only applicants meeting the mandatory criteria (listed under education and experience) will progress to the pool for shortlisting. Bachelors degree in economics, statistics, public/business administration, social sciences, technology or related discipline. At least 3 years of experience in conducting data analysis to inform strategic decision- making in the public or private sector is mandatory. Step II: Desk Review - 20 points UNCDF will conduct a desk review to produce a shortlist of candidates and technically evaluate the candidates. Only candidates that obtained 80% of the points at this stage shall be invited for the next step. Shortlisting scoring: Bachelors degree in economics, statistics, public/business administration, social sciences, technology or related discipline 20% At least 3 years of experience in conducting data analysis to inform strategic decision- making in the public or private sector is mandatory 50% Experience with data analysis and/or data visualization tools is preferable but not mandatory 10% Experience in conducting socioeconomic research is preferable but not mandatory 10% Experience in innovation and technology for inclusive finance is preferable but not mandatory 10% Step III: Written test - 40 points A written test will be administered to the top 4 shortlisted candidates. The test will have a pass/fail score of 70%. Step IV: Interview - 40 points A competency-based interview shall be conducted for all the candidates who passed the written test. Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 70% on the total of Steps II (20 points) + III (40 points) + IV (40 points) will be considered as technically qualified and will be reviewed further for financial evaluation. Step V: Financial Evaluation The following formula will be used to evaluate financial proposal: Lowest priced proposal / Price of the proposal being evaluated x 30 Award Criteria The contact shall be awarded to the applicant whose offer have been evaluated and determined as: Responsive/compliant/acceptable; and Having received the highest combined weight technical (desk review, written test and interview) 70% + financial 30% = 100%. Both individual consultants and individuals employed by a company or institution are welcome to apply. Any individual employed by a company or institution who would like to submit an offer in response to a Procurement Notice for IC must do so in their individual capacity (providing a CV so that their qualifications may be judged accordingly). Women candidates or women-owned businesses are strongly encouraged to apply. /ma UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks. National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi has taken yet another swipe at President Akufo-Addo He said the NDC will not succumb to the petty whining and frustrations of the Akufo-Addo led government. Last Monday, the flagbearer of the NDC, Mr John Dramani Mahama in a post on his Facebook page chided President Akufo-Addo and his government over the controversial Agyapa Gold Royalties deal. Agyapa Royalties fraud is the last straw: The Akyem Sakawa Boys and Grandpas must go, the former President said while commenting on the Agyapa Royalties deal. But at meeting with Catholic Bishops, President Akufo-Addo described the utterances by Mr John Dramani Mahama as completed unacceptable. The comment made by my opponent, Akyem 'sakawa' people. I have not heard any public figure in this country, independent, yourselves, anybody comment on it. It's completely unacceptable. "If I was to get up to make a comment about Northerners, or Gonjas, you can imagine the uproar that will be in the country, the president said. The NDC firebrand Sammy Gyamfi in a Facebook statement noted that President Akufo- Addo made worst pronouncements in the past. Again, has President Akufo Addo forgotten about his description of President Mills of blessed memory as Professor do little, as well as his recent description of his critics as naysayers and political Jeremiahs?" a part of the statement reads. Sammy Gyamfi concludes, Until President Akufo-Addo rises above pettiness to address these critical issues that actually border on the peace and cohesion of Ghana, I would consider his comments in the attached video as another joke from him. May I remind him that the 2020 election is about rescuing this country from his misrule and divisive governance and not about pandering to his petty whining and frustrations. Read full post below: Comrade Sammy Gyamfi writes on his Facebook Wall: It is now obvious that President Akufo Addo and the NPP's obsession with the name "Mahama" can no longer be discounted. Indeed, for those who had time to count, President Mahama's name is said to have received over 1000 mentions during the NPP's recent manifesto launch, far more than any policy proposition the NPP presented to the Ghanaian people. In fact, President Akufo Addo's own incessant references to the name "Mahama" in nearly every public appearance of his, goes to confirm that the central focus of the NPP's campaign this year is President Mahama and nothing more. But suffice it to say also that this campaign based on a "Mahama phobia" is falling apart. In the video below, President Akufo-Addo is actually asking the Catholic Bishops Conference to condemn what exactly? So President Akufo Addo is actually alive to social media political jabs, whilst he pretends not to see nor hear about any of the state-sponsored acts that have threatened and continue to threaten the peace and cohesion of this country? Can President Akufo Addo remind himself of his description of "ECOWAS Citizens" in reference to a particular ethnic group and the deliberate misuse of state security agencies against that ethnic group during the recent voter registration exercise? Was he not in this country when the NPP MP for Adansi-Asokwa, K.T Hammond described Ewes as Togolese? So President Akufo Addo has not heard about the state-sponsored ethnocentric harassment against Ewes and northerners at Banda, Ketu South, Ahafo Ano North among others, during the recent voter registration exercise? Again, has President Akufo Addo forgotten about his description of President Mills of blessed memory as Professor do little, as well as his recent description of his critics as naysayers and political Jeremiahs? Until President Akufo-Addo rises above pettiness to address these critical issues that actually border on the peace and cohesion of Ghana, I would consider his comments in the attached video as another joke from him. May I remind him that the 2020 election is about rescuing this country from his misrule and divisive governance and not about pandering to his petty whining and frustrations. Sammy Gyamfi Esq. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 19:26:39|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TRIPOLI, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Libyan municipal elections continue to take place in several cities despite the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic and security threats, which previously forced the elections to be stopped in several cities in southern Libya. The municipal councils elections have recently started in Libya and the first phase is scheduled to continue until the end of September. More than 100 Libyan municipalities are preparing to organize elections for their councils in the second session this year, as most of the councils have ended their 4-year mandate. Salem bin-Tahia, head of Libya's Central Committee for Municipal Council Elections (CCMCE), confirmed that the elections in a number of cities are proceeding according to the plan, despite threats related to the COVID-19 epidemic and some security threats that stopped elections in some towns. The Libyan official expressed satisfaction with the electoral process, considering that the elections were held in smooth conditions and without problems, except some security issues. "For security reasons, the electoral process stopped in the towns of Traghen and Qatrun in southern Libya recently," bin-Tahia said. The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said it was dismayed by an armed group affiliated to the eastern-based army halting elections scheduled to take place in Traghen. The mission reminded all parties in Libya of their obligations to act in accordance with international law and called on them to protect democratic processes across the country. "The municipal councils elections represent the vitality of the democratic process at the local level and UNSMIL warmly welcomed the elections that took place in Ghat last week," UNSMIL said. UNSMIL on Friday praised the successful municipal elections in the city of Misurata, some 200 km east of the capital Tripoli, and reiterated its strong support for the Libyan people in conducting municipal elections and strengthening local governance and to the CCMCE. Al-Tayeb Omaima, head of the Misurata Municipal Council Elections Sub-Committee, also commended the elections in the city and the security preparations for the voting process. "The electoral program in Misurata ran on time smoothly and without security problems. As for the low number of participants, I think it is because of the current circumstances due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the long hours of electricity cuts," Omaima told Xinhua. According to the National Center for Disease Control, the total number of COVID-19 cases in Libya so far is 17,094, including 2,025 recoveries and 272 deaths. Misurata is the fourth largest city in Libya with a population of more than half a million out of total population of less than 8 million people. Enditem The feature of machete-wielding thugs parading some streets of the Odododiodoo Constituency in Accra during a voter registration exercise, not the last one, comes to our mind. It happened when the NDC was at the helm and others were managing the Electoral Commission (EC). Nii Lante Vanderpuiye, the man who allegedly organised the thugs at the time, said the traders at Kantamantotargets of the hoodlums engaged for the machete-wielding operationdid not live in the constituency and so should not be allowed to register let alone vote there. The impunity was smelly and observers could not believe what was unfolding on the political plane. It was clear that Akan speakers were tagged, because in Nii Lante's reckoning, the Kantamanto traders were going to vote against the NDC; hence, the orchestrated effort at stopping persons belonging to that ethnic grouping from registering in the constituency under review. It sounded crude and cheap yet nothing, absolutely nothing could be done in the direction of restoring sense in what was, of course, a show of imbecility in an otherwise civilized society. Gratefully, another voter registration exercise has come and gone and no machete was wielded as was the case during the previous political administration and we must add, when a different set of managers were managing election matters in the country. Emerging details show that some of the hoodlums who allegedly assaulted Nii Lante saw action during the attack on the Kantamanto traders. It would appear that when the NDC is in power there is an aggravated instance of violence and general lawlessness. Once upon a time, the former President now flagbearer boasted about the violent antecedents of the NDC. It is baffling that those who wielded the machete and stopped people the MP did not want to be registered were not apprehended. A few people were injured but they have not been served justice so many years since it happened. They would certainly not be served justice; the case having joined others on the dusty shelves of the relevant state agency. How we wish Nii Lante Vanderpuiye could address this query of how his boys descended upon other citizens of the country in a crazy bid to prevent them from registering. Such a response will assist us to understand more about what constitutes political violence and how impunity is a major factor in its perpetration. We may not get an answer. We have learnt though that he has reported an assault case against some persons. What a world! The boys he sent to assault others have turned the guns against him. While we kick against such acts of brutality against individuals regardless of their positions in society, we would be quick to add that Nii Lante Vanderpuiye should join hands with others, especially the Ghana Peace Council, to steer politics in Ghana away from the banks of violence as was visited on many persons at Kantamanto. In a previous editorial 'Avoidable Diplomatic Spat', we wrongly referred to Lai Mohammed as the Foreign Minister. He is rather the Information and Culture Minister. We are sorry for the blunder. Daily Guide Mukesh Ranjan By Express News Service RANCHI: A private hospital in Ranchi has been booked for handing over the body of a Covid-19 victim to the family members of another victim. The deceased Samir Ansari, 60, was taken to ACS Hospital in Ranchi after his conditions deteriorated where the hospital authorities declared him to be coronavirus positive and put him in isolation without letting the family members meet him. He Ansari died on Saturday. Presuming that it was Ansari's body, his family members took it to Jamshedpur. But while performing the last rites, they discovered it to be a body of a woman. Later, they lodged a complaint with the Ranchi District Administration. Ranchi SDM Lokesh Mishra after investigated the matter, lodged an FIR against the hospital administration. Wrong body was handed over to the family members hailing from Jamshedpur who lodged a complaint with the district administration. When the matter was looked into, the complaint was found to be true and FIR is being lodged against the hospital, said SDM Lokesh Mishra. Such negligency will never be tolerated in this time of pandemic, he added. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 5) A private school group is opposing calls for an academic freeze or suspension of classes in the wake of the health crisis, warning it may lead to learning loss. Hindi po ito praktikal at lalo pong dadami ang problema. Yung effects po will be more serious and compounding, Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations managing director Joseph Noel Estrada told CNN Philippines Newsroom Weekend on Saturday. [Translation: This is not practical. There will be more problems. Effects will be more serious and compounding.] Estrada said the cancellation of classes in all levels since March to curb the spread of coronavirus wiped out at least half of the knowledge gained by students from last school year. Yung retention, yung knowledge, education gains nila from last year, 70% na lang sa reading; and sa math and other subjects, around 50% na lang, Estrada noted. [Translation: Their retention, knowledge, education gains from last year for reading have gone down to 70 percent. In Math and other subjects - it is down to 50 percent.] Estrada said this means that theyve lost almost one school year in terms of learning. He said further delaying the opening of classes means students would have to catch up to more lessons. People online continue to call for academic freeze as students and teachers share struggles in distance learning such as lack of gadgets and connectivity. Estrada said learners and educators with economic difficulties deserve help and support from the government. He said the academic freeze should not be for everyone, although it remains an option for some parents. The Department of Education moved the opening of school year 2020-2021 for kindergarten to high school to October 5. The earlier date was August 24. But DepEd allowed some private basic educational institutions to hold classes before October 5 as long as these are limited to distance learning. Meanwhile, some colleges and universities have begun classes using the digital platform, the Commission on Higher Education previously said. Hundreds more are set to begin their academic calendar this month and in October, it added. E xtinction Rebellion activists have been criticised across the political spectrum after delaying some newspaper publication by blockading printing presses. Home Secretary Priti Patel and Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry both condemned the protests, which targeted nine major UK newspapers, including the Evening Standard. Ms Patel branded the demonstration an attack on democracy. She wrote on Twitter: This morning people across the country will be prevented from reading their newspaper because of the actions of Extinction Rebellion. This attack on our free press, society and democracy is completely unacceptable. A Labour party spokesperson said: "A free press is vital for our democracy. People have the right to read the newspapers they want. Stopping them from being distributed and printers from doing their jobs is wrong. It came after Labour MP for Brent Central Dawn Butler posted a tweet supporting the group, which was later deleted. The tweet read: "Bravo #ExtinctionRebellion....Excellent work...." Shadow International Trade Secretary Emily Thornberry said the printing press protest was very worrying amid concerns elderly people may miss out on newspaper deliveries. She told Times Radio: I dont really know what it is that is expected to be achieved and I know that for many older listeners its very much part of their daily life, getting their paper delivered in the morning and I just think its wrong. Robert Jenrick, the Housing Secretary, labelled the Extinction Rebellion protesters an intolerant minority. Police and fire services outside the Newsprinters printing works at Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, as protesters use bamboo lock-ons continue to block the road. / PA Wire/PA Images Posting on Twitter, he said: A free press matters to all of us who value a free society. They mustnt be silenced by an intolerant minority. Meanwhile Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood told Times Radio that Extinction Rebellion had lost sight of how to campaign. He added: The Government has done much itself but obviously could do more and we need to work with the people to get that message across so we all can be more aware of the carbon footprint that we create. But what theyre doing here is to alienate more people. I fear the organisation itself has been hijacked. It comes after 30 people were arrested amid the protests, which stopped delivery trucks for nine major UK newspapers leaving printing presses. Protesters on Friday night / Extinction Rebellion UK More than 100 protesters used vehicles and bamboo lock-ons to block roads outside the Newsprinters printing works at Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, and Knowsley, near Liverpool on Friday night. Some 13 arrests had been made in Broxbourne by Saturday morning, with more expected, Hertfordshire Police said. The presses publish the Evening Standard, as well as Rupert Murdoch's News Corps titles including The Sun, The Times, The Sun on Sunday and The Sunday Times, and The Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph, and the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday. Newsprinters condemned the protests as an attack on all of the free press that affected workers' jobs and meant newsagents could face a "financial penalty". The company said it had been able to print papers at other sites, but that some deliveries of The Sun, The Times, the Daily Mail, the Daily Telegraph and the Financial Times would be delayed. The blockade was still in place at 10am on Saturday. Extinction Rebellion said the blockade was "an escalation of our tactics". Scottish members of the group said on their Twitter account: "Weve moved on from general disruption to target the institutions that are causing and covering up the climate and ecological emergency. The time for change is now. Twenty-five years ago, Ontario Provincial Police entered Ipperwash Provincial Park and attacked members of Stony Point First Nation, who were re-occupying land illegally taken from them in 1942. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 5/9/2020 (502 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion Twenty-five years ago, Ontario Provincial Police entered Ipperwash Provincial Park and attacked members of Stony Point First Nation, who were re-occupying land illegally taken from them in 1942. Police were acting on the order of Progressive Conservative Premier Mike Harris, who allegedly told government officials: "I want the f---ing Indians out of the park." Harris denied saying that, but former attorney general Charles Harnick testified at an inquiry that Harris did, and the message was transmitted to police officials. Members of the Kettle and Stony Point First Nation march during a "Going Home Walk" to the gates of the former Camp Ipperwash in 2015, in London, Ontario. The land was returned to the Kettle and Stony Point First Nation after being expropriated by the Federal government during the Second World War. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Dave Chidley Until then, the re-occupation of territory stolen by the federal government which Stony Point First Nation members call Aazhoodena ("the place where the heart of the community lives") had been peaceful. In fact, the people of Stoney Point First Nation had been re-occupying Aazhoodena for two years by then. After 50 years of making peaceful requests, receiving promises the land would be returned, and being forced to amalgamate with the nearby Kettle Point First Nation (creating "Kettle and Stony Point First Nation"), community members moved back home permanently in 1993. Re-entering their own territory was not a demonstration or "protest," but a re-occupation of their spiritual, political, and physical home. Activists said they were repatriating their ancestral burial sites, located in Ipperwash Provincial Park, which community members moved in to two days before the OPP arrived to remove them. Aazhoodena is "where Creator put us," elder Clifford George would later testify at the inquiry, because "everything was there for our livelihood everything was in there. Even to the weaving of baskets, the making of chairs, the timber and everything, the fish, because we used it all. Everything." This is why the Stony Point people committed to a spirit of non-violence when re-occupying their homelands. According to George, leaders banned alcohol and drugs, built a sacred fire and planted a "peace tree" to signify "no weapons would be used in the reclaiming of the land." Daily ceremonies and education of Anishinaabe young people took place there. Life in Aazhoodena became peaceful, respectful, and relational despite the dispute. Unfortunately, Harris and his government were not interested in hearing arguments from the Stony Point people. The premier just wanted "the f---ing Indians out of the park." So, on Sept. 6, 1995, OPP dressed in riot gear and opened fire on 35 community members in Ipperwash many of them women and children. Police claimed activists were armed, but community members say no weapons were allowed there. During the invasion, acting Sgt. Kenneth Deane shot and killed 38-year-old community member Dudley George, who was unarmed George was an activist, nephew of many elders at Aazhoodena, and an etwaagnikejig, what the community called "a protector of the heavenly home." He was a warrior of peace. To Deane, however, he was just a f---ing Indian. This was proven two years later when Deane was convicted of criminal negligence causing death, after it was ruled he did not have "reasonable belief" George was armed. But Georges death was not in vain. In April 2004, the public inquiry into the death of George took place. It found not only that Deane was responsible but so was the OPP, Harris and the federal government. This led to the province of Ontario agreeing to hand over Ipperwash Provincial Park and 56 acres of their original homelands to Stony Point in 2007. It would take nine more years to negotiate the Ipperwash final settlement agreement, which included $95 million in damages and assurances that the federal government clean up the damage from the former military base on the site. Unfortunately, this is not where the story ends. While Kettle and Stony Point First Nation has taken control of the former Ipperwash park and vowed to build a cultural centre there, the cleanup of most of Aazhoodena is expected to take 25 years due to hundreds of unexploded grenades, mortars, and tons of contaminated soil. Meanwhile, the people wait. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Some live in the former army barracks in deplorable conditions surrounded by walls full of asbestos, lead paint, and covered with leaky roofs. Most suffer from a lack of suitable water. Once the barracks are removed, community members will need temporary housing. Its clear the $95 million in compensation is not close to enough to bring the community home. Still, this weekend, a community enters its 78th year of trying to return home. Today, at the spot where he was shot, a stone monument reads: "Dudley George, who made the ultimate sacrifice on Sept. 6, 1995." Meanwhile, media reported this week that an archeological study has revealed that a burial site exists metres away just as George and his people had said it did. niigaan.sinclair@freepress.mb.ca Australias golden ticket out of COVID-19 may well be international students. But to capitalise, premiers need to drop their airport arrival caps and fast. About a quarter of the $150 billion economic impact of international education flows to Australia. The remainder is captured by the United States, Britain and Canada but the lot is up for grabs for the first-mover nation that establishes a safe arrival model for students. Brisbane's International Terminal ... business goes begging. Credit:Attila Csaszar Unlike other parts of the economy, global students wont stop seeking qualifications. Australia needs to decide if it wants to meet that market. At present we are the laggard. We are also the only nation worldwide that limits our citizens returning. Set by paranoid premiers who jumped the Prime Minister in early July, these caps on arrivals from overseas were a panicked response to Victorias self-inflicted second wave of the virus. Astoundingly, the limits were arbitrarily extended to October 24 with barely a whimper. More Canadians are returning back to work during the coronavirus pandemic. Canadas economic recovery is continuing. Economic recovery: Canada adds another 246,000 jobs in August More Canadians are returning back to work during the coronavirus pandemic. Canadas economic recovery is continuing. Economic recovery: Canada adds another 246,000 jobs in August More Canadians are returning back to work during the coronavirus pandemic. Canadas economic recovery is continuing. Economic recovery: Canada adds another 246,000 jobs in August More Canadians are returning back to work during the coronavirus pandemic. Canadas economic recovery is continuing. Alexandra Miekus Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A Some 3 million jobs were lost following lockdowns introduced across Canada in March to contain the spread of the coronavirus. However, more people are now back to work. The results of the August Labour Force Survey released on Friday show that the recent easing of public health restrictions has meant more employment for Canadians in general and for immigrants in particular. In August, employment rose 1.4% for Canadians, rising to within 5.7% of pre-COVID levels. Meanwhile, employment for landed immigrants was up 1.6% while employment for recent immigrants was up 2.2%, an increase driven mainly by the reduction in the population of recent immigrants due to lower newcomer arrivals during the pandemic. The vast majority of the employment gains were in full-time positions. Employment growth was concentrated in the services sector (+1.5%) as opposed to the goods producing sector. The services sector growth was concentrated in educational services, accommodation and food services, and the other services industry which includes hard-hit hair and beauty salons. In the goods producing sector, gains in manufacturing were partially offset by declines in natural resources. While these gains are very good news for all Canadians, some disparities exist in the employment picture. The labor force participation rate for men is now within 0.2% of pre-covid levels while for women it is 1.3% below pre-covid levels an indication that many women are engaged in non-employment related activities such as child-care. Unemployment rates remain higher for visible minorities as compared to people who are not members of a visible minority group. The national unemployment rate of 11.1% (not seasonally adjusted) compared to 17.9% for Arab, 17.6% for Black, and 16.6% for Southeast Asian populations. Low-wage workers and youth have employment levels only 86.0% of February levels while other employees have nearly returned to pre-COVID levels (99.1% of February employment levels). This is entirely driven by the concentration of low-wage employment in hard-hit services-producing industries. As such, there remains plenty of room for improvement. Canada still needs to recover 1.1 million jobs that have been lost since the start of the pandemic. This new report, however, shows that Canadas economic recovery is moving in the right direction. Nearly 1.9 million jobs have been recovered in recent months. In addition to the 246,000 jobs created in August, another 419,000 were recovered in July, and 1.2 million were recovered in May and June. Find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration programs 2020 CIC News All Rights Reserved The boss of Debenhams has warned they will close sites in deserted city centres unless workers return to the office soon. Chairman Mark Gifford said his firm needed to see a strong recovery to keep stores in Edinburgh, Leeds and central London open long-term. At the same time Pret A Manger's boss Pano Christou said there was 'no doubt' workers will come into the office less as he predicted a long-term shift to home working. Warning: Chairman Mark Gifford said his firm needed to see a strong recovery to keep stores in Edinburgh, Leeds and central London open long-term Many of Britain's largest companies have said they will not require staff to return to the office until next year, sucking the life out of local economies that feed off lunchtime and after-work footfall. Figures from the British Retail Consortium this week painted a grim picture of 'ghost cities', with footfall down by 41.7 per cent in August compared to the same month last year. Gifford said: 'The city centre stores are really experiencing the most difficult conditions. 'There are less tourists around and less city workers, and that's all contributing to them trading less well than we would like. 'And for them to be long-term viable stores we really do need to see a stronger recovery than what we are seeing.' Pret a Manger made 2,890 staff redundant last week and has launched a coffee delivery service to drum up business. Christou told the BBC: 'There's no doubt that workers will come into the office less often, and I think from Pret's perspective very early on we said: 'This is not for us to decide.' MarCom Collective continues to engage stakeholders on rebuilding sector View(s): The MarCom Collective, the industry body comprising eight associations linked to the advertising and marketing communications sectors as well as businesses and professionals associated with them, continued to engage with its members and other stakeholders to bring to light the diverse issues faced by the sectors and how they could work together to address them in a post COVID-19 business environment. As part of these efforts, a team of senior representatives from the MarCom Collective met the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, S. R. Attygalle, recently. They apprised him on the significant contribution the sector has made to the national economy which has largely gone unrecognised, the collective said in a media release. A study undertaken by Ernst and Young notes that the MarCom sector generates Rs.151 billion in annual net revenue and employs over 100,000 people directly and indirectly, with about another 200,000 people depending on it. The sector also contributes 1 per cent to the countrys GDP and it therefore requires immediate and serious attention before the crippling effects of COVID-19 take its toll on the industry and the economy. The revenue yield from the sector as estimated by Ernst and Young is Rs.1.510 million per employee. The significance and relevance of this is accentuated when juxtaposed with the per employee yield from other key sectors such as Tea Rs.232,000, Textile and Garments Rs.444,444, Rubber Rs.452,308 and Tourism Rs.1.068 million, the release said. The MarCom Collective also facilitated a discussion with members from within the industry. Ernst and Young Sri Lanka presented their findings and recommended proposals to help complement the governments effort to accelerate the recovery of the sector and the economy. Taking note of the policy framework shared at the forum, representatives from the eight constituent industry associations confirmed that they would be incorporated into the final proposal to be presented to the government in the coming weeks. Alexei Navalny showed signs of poisoning when he fell ill on a flight last month, and is now in a coma: Getty President Trump refused to condemn Russia after the poisoning of opposition leader and Putin critic, Alexei Navalny, saying: "We haven't had any proof yet." Mr Trump made the remarks during a press conference on Friday, saying that while the incident was "tragic", the press should focus on China over Russia. The president said: "So, I don't know exactly what happened. I think that it is tragic. It is terrible. It should not happen. We have not had any proof yet, but we will take a look. ... I would be very angry if that is the case." He did not criticise Russian leader Vladimir Putin and redirected attention to China. Mr Trump said: "It is interesting that everybody is always mentioning Russia. I don't mind you mentioning them, but China at this point is probably a nation that you should be talking about much more so than Russia, because the things that China is doing are far worse." Mr Navalny, an anti-corruption activist, fell ill on a flight to Moscow on 20 August and was taken to a hospital in the Siberian city of Omsk after the plane made an emergency landing. The 44-year-old was moved two days later to Berlins Charite hospital, where doctors said initial tests indicated Mr Navalny had been poisoned. This week, the German government said that the Kremlin critic was poisoned with the same type of Soviet-era nerve agent used in a 2018 attack on a former Russian spy. The news provoked outrage from Western leaders who demanded Moscow provide an explanation. The German government said that testing by a German military laboratory showed proof without doubt of a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group. British authorities identified Novichok as the poison used on former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in England two years ago. NATO supported the findings. The findings which experts say point strongly to Russian state involvement added to tensions between Russia and the West. German Chancellor Angela Merkel called Mr Navalnys poisoning attempted murder, meant to silence one of Mr Putins fiercest critics. Story continues The Berlin hospital treating the dissident said he remains on a ventilator though his condition is improving. It said it expects a long recovery and still cant rule out long-term effects on his health from the poisoning. Russias Foreign Ministry said on Saturday it had noticed multiple hostile statements directed at Russia on the topic of Mr Navalnys health. In relation to these presumptuous comments that... (Novichok) was developed here, it is imperative to say the following, the ministry wrote in statement. For many years, specialists in many Western and countries and in the specialised structures of NATO have worked with this wide-ranging group of chemical components. Wires contributed to this report Read more Navalny poisoning shows Russia will carry on and get away with it Trump calls racial sensitivity training a 'sickness' Peter Strzok says FBI wondered if Trump was 'Manchurian candidate' Bin Laden niece claims another 9/11 attack could happen if Trump loses Having a diverse range of employees can help boost creative thinking, improve decision-making and also boost performance. Photo: Getty When hiring, its not just what is on a candidates CV that counts. As an employer, you want to make sure the new hire not only has the ability and experience to do the job, but also the right attitude to get along with everyone else. Hiring people that align with your companys culture is one of those concepts that is great in theory. After all, most employers want people to get along and work towards the same goal. But there is increasing concern that hiring based on cultural fit is a veil for discrimination and when someone is told they arent the right fit, it may be because theyre a woman, too working class, too foreign or too old to fit in. Over two years, Professor Lauren Rivera of Northwestern Universitys Kellogg School of Management conducted 120 interviews with hiring professionals at elite firms, with 40 each in banking, consulting and Big Law. READ MORE: How gender bias affects feedback and performance reviews Rivera asked the hiring professionals specific questions about what they were looking for from an interviewee, as well as who they had previously recruited. She also asked them to comment on a set of mock candidates. By the time an applicant had jumped through the hoops and made it to the interview stage, Rivera found, they were more likely to be assessed on their similarity to the interviewer. She found that when interviewers said they clicked or had chemistry with a candidate, they often meant that they shared a similar background. Whether or not they had the right skills for the job became less important. One hiring professional described it as the Stranded In the Airport Test: Would I want to be stuck in an airport in a snowstorm with them? And if Im on a business trip for two days and I have to have dinner with them, is this the kind of person I enjoy hanging with? Being likeable is important. But the key problem is that our view of who is good fit is subjective and can contain unconscious gendered, socio-economic and racial bias. Interviewers are also often influenced by looking-glass merit, in which managers assess a candidates future job success based on how closely the candidate mirrors their own life experiences. And if interviewers are predominantly male, white and wealthy, it inevitably leads to a lack of diversity in workplaces. Story continues There are many reasons why making sure our workplaces are inclusive is important. Not only is it morally right, but having a diverse range of employees can help boost creative thinking, improve decision-making and also boost performance. Highly inclusive organisations generate 1.4 times more revenue and are 120% more capable of meeting financial targets, according to Deloitte research. Hiring people that fit with a companys culture isnt necessarily the problem, however. Rather, we need to rethink what the term culture fit actually means and consider how diverse candidates can add to culture, instead of fitting into it. READ MORE: How cultural bias affects your chances in a job interview A companys culture can be seen as the values and beliefs of the company, as well as the behaviours and experiences that make up the working environment. Some firms may put an emphasis on a good work-life balance, for example, which may mean employees go home on time and flexible working is encouraged. And its important, too. Research from Glassdoor Economic Research, based on analysis of employee reviews, has found that culture and values are the biggest driver of employee satisfaction in the UK. Its natural for employers to want to assess candidates on their attitude to work, motivations and values. Making sure a company has a shared goal can lead to a happier workforce, higher retention rates and better engagement. But its essential to tackle the preconceived ideas of what those values look like. Bear and elephant attacks strike terror in Norths mighty jungles By N. Lohathayalan Mannar people want action to save their way of life View(s): View(s): Residents of Mannar are aggrieved at being left out of a recent meeting on wildlife issues at the Presidential Secretariat even though they in particular, and others in the Northern Province, which has the countrys greatest jungle cover, suffer the most from wild animal attacks. Elephants, bears, leopards and serpents cause the most injuries and, as villagers ward off attacks, the animals too suffer: last year saw 200 elephants losing their lives. Across the country last year, 122 people lost their lives in elephant attacks. In the first eight months of this year, the meeting at the Presidential Secretariat on August 27 was told, 62 people succumbed to elephant attacks. In Mannar, some 2,500 families living in Vilaathikkulam, Iranai Iluppaikulam, Chinna Pandivirichaan, Periya Pandivirichaan, and Periyapathakulam and the surrounds of the Madhu Temple face the greatest threat and live in terror of wildlife attacks. In Vavuniya District, the divisions of Vavuniya North and Chettikulam are severely affected, and in the areas of Nedunkerni, Palampaasi, Olumadu, Nainaamadu, Karappukkuththi, Vingnanakulam, Omanthai and Channar, and in Mullaitivu District the areas of Muththiankattu, Maankulam, Karippattamurippu, Othiyamalai, and Koolaamurippu, elephants are effectively daily guests coming to dinner. In July, an elephant entered the Jaffna Universitys Kilinochchi Campus and attacked a prized lecturer from the south, causing her death. In the Madhu Divisional Secretariat in Mannar District, even the use of up to 300 giant explosive crackers a month is insufficient to chase off elephants, Divisional Secretary I Prathaban confessed. Mannar District covers 2002 sq km or some 500,000 acres, four-fifths of which is controlled by the Forests Department and a mere 93,360 acres used for human habitation and means of livelihood. Unlike in most other districts, there are no fences to keep out elephants. A report by the Madhu Secretariat Division says a 190km fence would suffice to keep out elephants and provide safe human habitat in the area. Bear attacks are particularly feared in the Madhu area. At around 10 a.m. on July 15, 41-year old Nadarasa Mohanthas of Chinnavalaiyankattu in Mannar and his friend were attacked by a bear while they were looking for honey in the wilderness. The bear first attacked the friend. In an attempt to save his friend, Mohanthas picked up a stick and struck the bear a blow. It growled loudly and engaged the two in battle, biting them both repeatedly. Both men suffered huge wounds to their arms in the 30-minute conflict. Mohanthas, a father of three, has lost his capacity to fend for his family. With these injuries to our arms, we cant work, he lamented. Joseph Velu, 50, who lives on the Madhu Road near Pannai Vetuvaan, described how he escaped a bear this year on May 25. My family relies solely on paddy cultivation. On the day of the attack, my cows had strayed in the direction of the jungles. Fearing that leopards would prey on them, I followed them with two other friends around 3pm with the intention of chasing them back home. At the time we heard the noise of a different kind of animal. I told my companions to run but on account of my age and my inability to run fast or for long, I attempted to climb up a tree. At that moment, a bear jumped up, grasped my leg in its mouth and pulled me down. Mr. Velu said he had managed to kick free but his leg had been torn open by the bears teeth. My wounds healed but I am still unable to walk, he said. As a result, my three children, wife and I struggle for our livelihood and can barely sustain ourselves. Last year, Navaratnam Yogeswaran was mauled by a bear, losing a leg and sustaining deep arm wounds. He and his family now live in hardship with a child working as a mason and his wife as a daily wage labourer. Sivaguru Sivarajasingham, 45, was tending his fields in Mullikulam last year when he was attacked by a bear that came suddenly out of the jungles abutting his fields. Although he escaped with his brother-in-laws help, he lost an eye and suffered severe injuries to his face and body. The government gives Rs. 500,000 in compensation to families of people killed in wildlife attacks. Where no life is lost but a person is injured, a lesser amount is awarded. After this, affected families must fend for themselves, with no sustained help in their harsh environment. This fate of being abandoned and alone does not befall only those who go into the jungles to earn a livelihood. Today, jungle-life is inexorably moving into settled villages, exposing the inhabitants to danger. In the first eight months of this year, some 50 domesticated animals such as goats and cattle were carried away by leopards in the Madhu area while three more animals died in elephant attacks. Nine people and more than 40 cattle and goats were injured in attacks. In the Mullaitivu District, three people have been killed in elephant attacks in the past four years and 140 acres of paddy land ruined, the District Secretariat said. Residents claim government machinery and the Forest Department move very slowly and engage in data-gathering and little else. Villagers allege rogue elephants from the south have been furtively brought into the Vanni jungles and that this is one cause of trouble. The head of the Nedunkerni Paddy Cultivators Association, V. Poopalasingham, said three people have been killed by elephants in Vavuniya North since the resettlement of alien elephants there. Elephants now come deep into the town centre, Mr. Poopalasingham said. He pointed out that an elephant had even entered the hospital in Vavuniya North, as terrified patients scattered. More than 500 coconut saplings and thousands of papaw trees are dug up each day and administrators maintain a care-free silence, he alleged. They value elephants far more than our lives and livelihood. The hour of 6pm, in essence, brings a curfew as people huddle down in their homes, fearing to enjoy the outdoors. The one cause of all this is elephants, Mr. Poopalasingham said. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met his Chinese counterpart in Moscow and conveyed that India will not "cede an inch of its land" and is determined to protect integrity and sovereignty of the country at all costs. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh talked tough with his Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe during Fridays meeting that took place on the sidelines of the SCO dialogue in Moscow and conveyed that India will not cede an inch of its land and is determined to protect integrity and sovereignty of the country at all costs, sources told ANI. The meeting between Singh and Wei took place amid heightened tensions between New Delhi and Beijing as troops of both sides are engaged in a standoff along the Line of Actual Control. According to the official statement, the meeting went on for two-and-a-half hours. Singh and Wei both were in Moscow to attend a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defence ministers which took place on Friday. According to informed sources, Singh gave point by point rebuttal to the claims made by the Chinese minister. Also read: Amid India-China border tension, Rajnath Singh meets Chinese counterpart in Moscow Also read: US ready to help in India-China border tensions: Trump Sources told ANI that Defence minister Singh told Chinese side in clear terms that India will not cede an inch of land and is determined to protect its integrity and sovereignty at all costs. The meeting was unscheduled and was held after the Chinese side requested for it. Experts believe that since India took control of strategic heights north of Pangong Lake in Ladakh at the LAC, China is keener for talks. This is established from the fact that the Chinese minister even chose to come down to the hotel where the Indian Defence Minister was putting up for the dialogue, according to informed sources. Wei has made three requests for the meeting in the last 80 days. He is a People Liberation Army veteran, having served for 50 years in the forces. India also issued an official statement on the meeting which said the Defence Minister categorically conveyed Indias position on the developments along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) including in the Galwan valley in the Western Sector of the India-China Border Areas in the last few months. During the meeting, Singh emphasised that the actions of the Chinese troops including their being amassed in large numbers, their aggressive behaviour and attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo were in violation of the bilateral agreements and not in keeping with the understandings reached between the Special Representatives of two sides. Defence Minister (Singh) stated clearly that while the Indian troops had always taken a very responsible approach towards border management, at the same time there should also be no doubt about our determination to protect Indias sovereignty and territorial integrity, an official release said. Also read: India proposes voluntary G-20 principles on cross border movement Her kidney was a perfect match and Potter had a successful transplant on July 21 An Alabama woman formerly on the state's 'Most Wanted' list saved the life of a cop who threw her in jail eight years ago by donating her kidney. Jocelynn James, a recovering drug addict, reached out to former officer Terrell Potter when she saw on Facebook he was in dire need of a kidney transplant. James, 40, credits Potter arresting her as the moment that saved her own life, encouraging her to change how she was living and she was eager to give back. Potter had been facing an eight-year wait for a transplant before James came forward with a perfect match. Jocelynn James (pictured right) reached out to her former arresting officer Terrell Potter (pictured left) when she saw on Facebook he was in dire need of a kidney transplant James was a perfect match and Potter, pictured with James, had a successful transplant in July James was arrested 16 times for drug and theft charges between 2007 and 2012 According to Fox 5 NY, James was arrested 16 times for drug and theft charges between 2007 and 2012. She says that she was in a very dark place and was not sure how she was going to survive, having lost her car, licence and job. She told WVTM13 that at the height of it she was shooting up 16 times a day and using break-ins to fund her habit. 'I was just living a really bad life, doing a lot of really bad things that I shouldn't have had no business doing, and I was just a really lost person,' James said. Potter, who previously worked with Phil Campbell Police Department, was her arresting officer on two of those occasions. 'She was out running crazy, stealing and doing drugs and things she shouldn't be doing,' Potter said. 'I locked her up a couple of times.' James was serving a six-month stint in a halfway house in 2013 when she says she was finally given the strength to battle her opioid addiction, and on November 5 will celebrate eights years of being out of jail and sober. 'I was sick of living that life, and I wanted to do something different,' James said. 'I'm perfect, I'm healthy, and I had no idea that I was that healthy.' James was arrested 16 times for drug and theft charges between 2007 and 2012 but credits her arrest to helping her turn her life around In November 2019, however, recently retired Potter learned that his kidney was only functioning at 5 percent, leaving him in desperate need of a life-saving transplant and searching for a donor. Doctors told him he could face a wait of up to eight years for a kidney. 'We began praying about getting the right kidney,' Potter said. 'We were looking all over the Southeast. Potter's search was posted to Facebook where James said she came across it in December and instantly knew that it was what she had to do. 'I just threw my phone down and the holy spirit told me right then that I had that man's kidney,' she said. Having gone through all the tests, doctors found that James was a perfect match. In fact, doctors at Vanderbilt University Hospital in Nashville told her they 'never had a better match for a kidney transplant'. On July 21 Potter successfully received his transplant, adding years to his life. 'All the numbers were great. It started working from the time it was put in,' Potter said. 'If you asked me 100 names of who may give me a kidney, her name would have not been on the list. It's just unbelievable that she was willing to do that. 'It's not just a coincidence. It's just God. There is no other way,' he added. The ex-cop says he now considers James one of his daughters after her life-saving generosity. 'It's made a great relationship and a bond between us that can go forever. There's no doubt about that,' Potter said. 'Her giving me a kidney, It extended my life.' James said that it means even more that she could use a part of her body that she abused for so long to save another. Potter, pictured with James, said he was stunned when she reached out offering help Potter, who recently retired, said that he now considers James as one of his daughters James now runs an organization called 'The Place of Grace' that works to aid women battling opioid addiction as she was to get treatment. She has been sober almost eight years. She is pictured here with Potter after the successful kidney transplant Potter had a successful transplant on July 21 that has added years to his life 'God restored me from the inside out, and to be able to give another human a kidney to extend his life is really rewarding,' James said. 'For God to use me as a vessel to extend Mr. Potter's life is my greatest accomplishment. I should be dead. Instead, God helped me save a life. I am overwhelmed.' She now runs an organization to help women like herself called 'The Place of Grace' to aid them in getting treatment. 'I want people to realize that there is help out there for them,' James said. 'It doesn't matter what happens in your life. You can always turn it around.' In the organization, women complete a 9- to 12- month live-in program 'where women will learn Bible principles and life skills necessary to recover from addiction'. 'Since August 2013, [James] has helped 508 women seek help with their addiction. She also has a jail ministry at the Franklin County Jail that she has been doing for 5 years,' their website states. - A Nigerian man with the Twitter handle @DoctorEmto has helped his Canadian friend put out a call for a serious marriageable partner - @DoctorEmto added that a genotype of AA, among other things, is a must if anyone wants to apply - Tweeps tagged those who may be interested as some Nigerian men asked how they could go further in indicating their interest A man with the Twitter name Dr Emmanuel has told tweeps that he has a female friend in Canada looking for a Nigerian man to settle down with. The first condition, according to him, is that the interested party must be willing to relocate. Other conditions are but not limited to the fact that the person must be responsible, educated, classy, and love God. In a subsequent tweet, he pleadingly said that whoever wants to show an interest must have AA genotype. Emmanuel added that married should not bother about applying at all. The womans friend also posted screenshots of their chat to further show what the womans expectations are. She said she is from Oyo state and does not mind any tribe. For her, religion is also not negotiable. On occupation preferences, she said software engineer, developer, finance, insurance, pharm*acy or someone who is a medical doctor among others. The woman added that though she cannot relocate to Nigeria, she could consider moving to the UK, America, or Australia. Read his tweets: Below are peoples reactions to the call: A collage of the Nigerian man whose friend is in Canada and an illustrative Candian city picture: Photo source: Twitter/@DoctorEmto/HuffPost Source: UGC Meanwhile, a young Hausa lady identified as Salmerh Umar took her search for a husband to social media as she urged Nigerians on Twitter to pray for her. The young lady with Twitter handle @SalmerhUmar said she cannot hide her feelings anymore. Salmerh, who is from Gombe state, shared two pictures of herself on the microblogging site to let people know how beautiful she is. Her post generated reactions from tweeps who took to the comment section to share their thoughts. Some of those that commented indicated their readiness to take the young lady as their bride, saying they are also single. Someone even dropped his number in the comment section, asking her to contact him. In other news, the general overseer of Living Faith Church Worldwide aka Winners Chapel, Bishop David Oyedepo, spoke on the issue of marriage and the place of a wife. On his ministrys Instagram page on Thursday, September 3, the man of God said that total submission from the wife to the husband is the only condition for a fruitful marriage. Source: YEN.com.gh COVID-19 accelerated a change that was already happening: a digital shift by businesses large and small toward e-commerce and using technology for everyday purchases and services. From scanning a QR code to see the menu at a restaurant, to using an app or website to wait in line for the bank, smartphones are becoming increasingly integrated into our daily lives as businesses adjust to help curb the spread of the pandemic. But what if you dont have a smartphone? Or even a mobile phone? Or ready access to the internet? Experts say the digital divide the gap between Canadians with access to internet and mobile phones and those without access is widening thanks to the pandemic in myriad ways from access to contact tracing apps and public health information, to basic services such as banking. Marina Pavlovic, an associate professor at the University of Ottawas law faculty, considers this divide both a social and an economic problem. Businesses and government services are increasingly moving online, which is highly problematic for a lot of people, she said. The gap is widening, Pavlovic said, and only becoming harder to cross. Sam Andrey, director of policy and research at the Ryerson Leadership Lab, said there are three main aspects to the digital divide: hardware, such as computers or cellphones; software, the programs that hardware can run; and connectivity, the ability to access the internet via Wi-Fi or data. This kind of rapid shift to in many respects an entirely digital lifestyle ... has brought renewed urgency to the issue and exacerbated existing gaps, he said. According to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commissions 2019 Communications Monitoring Report, 90 per cent of Canadian households have a mobile subscription, while 89 per cent have internet. These are both up 1.8 per cent from the previous years report. However, the percentage of Canadians with access to mobile phones and internet changes when income is factored in: the same report found that while 2.4 per cent of the highest-income households relied solely on a landline, 23.9 of the lowest-income households only had a landline. And a June 2020 report by the Cybersecure Policy Exchange, found that only 74 per cent of households with an income below $20,000 had access to a smartphone, while 97 per cent of households with an income above $100,000 had access to a smartphone. Older generations were also less likely to have a mobile phone or internet: the 2019 CRTC report showed that 70 per cent of Canadians 65 years and older had a mobile phone, compared to 93 per cent of Canadians between the ages of 35 and 49. Pavlovic said many vulnerable, low-income people have trouble getting a smartphone not just because of the cost, but because they dont have a credit card or a credit score. Its this infinite loop where you need a credit card in order to get a loan and you need a phone to get a bunch of other services, including the credit card. Its not enough to have a smartphone its also about the plan the phone user is able to afford and whether they can access the internet without a Wi-Fi connection. Lower-income households spend less on mobile subscriptions just over $50 per month on average than higher-income households that spend about $150 per month, according to the 2019 CRTC report. This likely means much lower data limits for lower-income phone users. While 85.3 per cent of all mobile subscribers had a data plan, 43 per cent of them had 2 GB or less. Pavlovic said public libraries and school campuses have often served as backups for people who dont have a lot of data to use, or who may not have their own home internet. But as school increasingly moves online and libraries limit their services, those connections are harder to access, she said. Alejandra Ruiz, a member of advocacy group ACORN Canada, said many people rely on libraries and community centres to stay connected, apply to jobs and more. She said ACORN is advocating for Toronto to provide free Wi-Fi in public parks to offset that gap and make it more accessible to the wider population. Adela Colhon, general manager of the YMCA of Greater Toronto, said while the YMCA has moved a great deal of its services online, and created new opportunities including the digital community platform The Bright Spot to keep people connected, it has made sure to keep other ways of accessing services available. It is encouraging clients to book appointments via an app, but allows people to phone in as well, she said. Its important to have both. Michael Geist, a University of Ottawa professor specializing in technology law, believes access to affordable connectivity should be considered a basic utility, and that for years the government has been pushed by advocates to fill in the gaps. Now, he said the pandemic has made these needs even more urgent. There are too many Canadians that dont have affordable access at a time that is absolutely critical. Pavlovic said businesses are adapting to the next shift, and may fall behind if they fail to adapt. In order to drive economic growth, businesses need to reinvent themselves, she said, adding businesses arent trying to leave out a segment of the population, but may inadvertently be doing so. Before COVID-19, there was always an analog option, she said, but now those options are disappearing, and may never return. Businesses that cant afford to boost their online presence may be left behind, said Pavlovic. This will impact both the families that own those businesses and the people who rely on them. Dan Kelly, president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses, said while e-commerce and the use of technology for businesses were trends before COVID-19, they took a giant leap at the start of the pandemic. It has been a struggle for small- and medium-sized firms to try to ensure that they can offer the same degree of digital services that the customers have demanded and in some cases needed, he said. Businesses that didnt have an online presence had to rush to make one, he said. For example, many restaurants started adopting meal delivery services to make ends meet while their dining areas were closed. But that has come at a giant cost, said Kelly. These services charge extra fees. Kelly has noticed more restaurants offering online menus accessed by scanning QR codes, or using online booking. Theres more technology involved in many retail spaces too, he said. But as they shift, businesses risk shutting out certain customers, he said, such as older clients or lower-income people. Businesses need to figure out how to offer both options. Its a really delicate balancing act. A July 2020 report by the Cybersecure Policy Exchange found that Canadians have been banking and shopping online more since the pandemic began. But Andrey said those numbers again differ depending on respondents income. He said 54 per cent of households with an income below $20,000 reported online shopping during the first two months of physical distancing, compared to 85 per cent of households with an income above $100,000. Recently, the Canada-wide contact tracing app COVID Alert came under scrutiny, because it only works on newer smartphones. Experts are concerned that just being able to download and run the app could become an accessibility issue that leaves out a large portion of the population. Andrey is concerned that in the near future, stores might require their customers to have the app. We have been pushing government to pass legislation and new regulation, to make sure that having the app is not used to refuse service, he said. Meanwhile, Pavlovic is concerned some employers will require employees to have the app, leaving certain people out of the economy in the process. How far can businesses go in terms of requiring particular preconditions for people to go back to work? While there are programs that offer free cellphones to some people, or assistance with the cost of home internet and some telecom companies have their own programs for lower-income customers experts and advocates say the government and telecom companies need to work together to co-ordinate a wider strategy. Andrey said as a start, hed like to see more investment in some of the programs that exist, such as device refurbishment and loan programs. Pavlovic said there isnt one uniform way to attack this issue, as it requires all levels of government to do their part. I think we need a national strategy and I think we need to build that strategy collaboratively. Geist said there are two issues that need addressing: the accessibility of broadband and mobile coverage, which are much less widespread in rural communities; and the affordability of both. The solutions are already out there, he said. The choice ultimately has to be made are we as a society willing to foot the bill? Read more about: India is contributing two teams of specialists to fortify medical facilities in UN peacekeeping operations in South and the Democratic Republic of (DRC) to meet the Covid-19 challenge, according to India's UN mission. New Delhi was responding to a request from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for assistance to scale-up hospital facilities managed by Indian peacekeepers in those countries to counter the Covid-19 outbreak there, the mission said on Friday. "This gesture has been welcomed," it said. A team of 15 specialists will go later this month to Goma in DRC where the hospital run by India since January 2005 already has 90 Indians including 18 specialists, according to it. The main command and control centre for the UN peacekeeping mission known as MONUSCO for the French acronym for UN Organisation Stabilization Mission in DRC is located in Goma. There are 2,030 Indian peacekeepers deployed with MONUSCO. Another team of 15 specialists will go to Juba in South Sudan, where the Indian hospital with 77 Indians including 12 specialists has been running since 2016 with the UN Mission in South (UNMISS), which has 2,420 Indian peacekeepers. (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter at @arulouis) --IANS al/pgh (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) T hree people smugglers caught hiding a family of five in the back of a van have been jailed. Leontin Padure, 37, Maria-Mirabela Bulumez, 22, and Marcel-Ionut Frant, 27, were all arrested on February 16 after they were stopped at an Essex port. Border Force officers searched a red Mercedes Sprinter van driven by Padure at Harwich International Port after it arrived on a ferry from the Netherlands. The officers found four people hiding in a false bulkhead in the rear of the van, with a fifth person hiding behind the row of seats. Air holes had been drilled into the hiding place where the family of three men and two women from Afghanistan were found. Officers also found tools used to seal up the false partition between the drivers cab and the back of the van. The three smugglers, all originally from Romania with no fixed UK address, admitted charges of assisting unlawful immigration. They were each sentenced to 30 months in prison on August 24 at Chelmsford Crown Court, the Home Office said. Frant was also handed a nine-month concurrent sentence for possessing a false driving licence. "We will not tolerate people smuggling in any form, and are doing all we can to tackle those responsible for this appalling trade," Home Secretary Priti Patel said. "This was a reckless attempt to circumvent our border controls and anyone in doubt about the consequences of such actions should take note you will be caught and put behind bars." The Home Office said the cases of the family are being dealt with according to the immigration rules. The Abrams are proud members of the Kingwood community, where they have raised their daughter and spent 20 years of their lives. As residents in the Elm Grove subdivision, which flooded twice in 2019, they also have first-hand experience of what it is like to experience loss from a flood and the priceless value of any support in the aftermath of a storm. LOCAL: Katherine Persson begins retirement after 12 years as LSC-Kingwood President Richard Abram, the founder of the newly formed Kingwood Kindness group, started to organize on social media to collect items and donations for those who were affected when Hurricane Laura made landfall on Aug. 27. Although it was first projected to hit the Texas coast, leading to evacuations in Galveston and warnings in southern Houston, the Hurricane redirected to East Texas and Louisiana. Local residents and businesses have responded in droves to provide truckloads of food and supplies to residents in nearby East Texas and Louisiana. Soon enough Abrams house practically turned into a donation center this week, he said. Dawn Abram said they are happy to help people get back to their lives after a destructive hurricane. We have experienced going through the process from being flooded previously, twice, back to back so we know how that can feel, Dawn said. And you do need a sense of normalcy so you can progress and just not stay in a state of devastation and also it gives you hope that progress is coming. Since the family began taking donations, they have had a series of supplies going to Destiny Church in Orange, which now has electricity over a week after the storm. They are now moving their focus to New Life Church in Vinton, Louisiana, taking any donated supplies that they can. They are also sending donations to residents that live in Beaumont, Port Arthur and Lake Charles, Lousiana. Amber Murray, a store attendant at Pet Ranch in Kingwood, dropped off a truckload of cat and dog food, as well as some dog treats, to send out on Friday afternoon. Their donations where supported mostly by their customers, but there have been people from outside of the Kingwood area, even out of state, calling in to provide their payment information and donating to the cause as well. The Abrams are also expecting to send off a flatbed of food when it arrives sometime during the week of Sept. 7. Well obviously they lost everything, Amber said. So I mean not only do the humans need stuff but dogs and cats and small animals need it too. HURRICANE SUPPORT: Common Bond joins Hurricane Laura relief efforts The Abrams are also organizing a team that is headed to Hackberry, Louisiana a small town of about 1,300 people for a boots on the ground mission at the community center, which Abram jokes is the Hackberry Hilton. They had 23 loads of donated items that arrived on Friday alone, and a nearby Kohls department store has dedicated four associates to volunteer all day with pay. They will have about 20 people and five trucks on this visit. Despite a recent visit to the hospital, Abram still plans to go and help on this trip as well where he expects they will be tarping roofs, cleaning debris and insulation, helping pack items into totes and feeding people. Its the right thing to do, Abram said Im a very faithful man. I believe in God and the talents that he has given me. And he has truly blessed me in my life with my wife, my family, and we feel as though as if we have the opportunity to make a difference, to make a change, to help bring back some type of normality to someones life then that is what were supposed to do. So just like in Imelda, Harvey, now we do Laura. We wake up, and were okay. We are still in place, we have not lost anything. So that is the time to start working. In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, the Cajun Navy came to Kingwood and helped rescue people trapped in the second story of their home. They stayed around to help clean out houses and support the community where they could, Abram said. They helped us so tremendously and they asked for nothing, nothing in return, Abram said. And it is up to us to show them that same kindness from Texas. Top hits: Get Houston Chronicle stories sent directly to your inbox This effort was not done alone, Dawn emphasized. We are just one entity. I say to people all the time, it takes all of us, and when we work together we can do amazing things, Dawn said. ...We need everyone to give. And once we do that, we only may have a little bit by ourselves but when we collectively do things it becomes very enormous, very great. And all of this, I think that when you do things, you put God first, this is the blessings that you receive for putting him first and asking him for his guidance in order to do it. savannah.mehrtens@chron.com Devorah Heitner is a rare breed these daysa tech optimist. The author of Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive (and Survive) in Their Digital World, Devorah has spent her life studying digital media and talking with schools, parents, and kids about how technology affects their daily lives. As the mom of an 11-year-old herself, she knows just how much parents worry about screen time damaging their kids. But her research has led her to believe that even hours spent on Minecraft is not necessarily a bad thing for your child. In this episode of How To!, Devorah reveals how you can help your kids cultivate a positive relationship with technology, especially as the pandemic has recast screens as teacher, babysitter, and parent. This transcript has been condensed and edited for clarity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Charles Duhigg: I think a lot of parents, myself included, want to know how bad screens are for our kids. But we know we cant avoid screens entirely, so let me ask you this insteadis all screen time created equal? Devorah Heitner: I love this question. Ive been trying to get people to move past the term screen time because it doesnt really describe the way we all use screens now. If you use an app to pull up a recipe to cook dinner, have you used up your screen time? Does that mean you cant watch Netflix later with your kids? Thats not a very helpful way to think about screens. So the question youre asking about the impact of kids use of screens really has to become this qualitative look at what exactly our kids are doing with techwhich is, by the way, a real big pain in the neck as a parent. Its much easier to just look at are they on a device or are they not on a device? Are they inside playing a board game with me because Im a good parent and have all the time in the world? Or are they using a screen in which case I have to feel guilty because Ive been told that too much screen time makes me a bad parent? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There has been a lot of moral shaming of parents. I do a lot of school talks and a lot of people will get up in assemblies and say, Will you just say its wrong to get fifth graders an iPhone? What people want is a clear and understandable standard. But the lack of universality now is really frustrating to parents. Parents are almost afraid to talk about screen time with other parents because they dont want to be judged. It leaves us with a lot of misinformation about what other folks might be doing and resentment. This becomes a huge issue during this pandemic because peoples kids are all using these different platforms, but you have to realize, Just because youre letting your kid use that doesnt mean I have to. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When I was a kid, there were these long periods of boredom in my life, and that boredom is why I started reading. I do worry that even if there is good screen time and bad screen time, just having screens available means that my boys are going to read less and develop their own interests because that screen can flicker to life and be Roblox or something inherently more interesting than a book. Advertisement Advertisement Say your kid was really into playing chess or really into swimming, how much would you let him do that versus something like being really into playing Roblox on the computer? Probably a lot. But think about the ways that Roblox allows him to have a creative and entrepreneurial side. What are some ways you could encourage him in those areas? And also kind of let him know that you think its cool if you do. I mean, if you have a kid whos really good at Roblox, why wouldnt you kind of casually brag on that in the same way you might brag about your swimmer kids or your chess kid? Advertisement Advertisement Its not that Im not sympathetic to the desire for balance, but I want to push on this a little, because there are people whose job is to sit in front of a screen all day and design stuff. That is their real world. So just let yourself think about what your kids are doing on the computer as being useful in the world and find ways they can start to pull on some of the skills theyre learning. Say, your kid was watching cooking shows, I would say, Well, then can they actually cook something? When it comes to Roblox, even just teaching him some more basics about how money works and letting him do some math on how these Roblox stores are working. Or if hes more into the design side, would he like to noodle around in other design programs? What are the ways to extend this, including some pen on paper ways? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That makes a lot of sense, and thats a really interesting way of thinking about it because when I think about my kids and screens, its not so much that I am scared of them watching the screens. Its that Im scared of them getting stuck on the screens and forgetting all the other things that they can do. Tech is so compelling. Some would say addictive, and its designed to get its hooks into your brain and not let you go. Thats why weve all stayed up and watched another episode of The Americans. Thats why its hard to walk away from YouTube. There are no ending cues. One thing you could do is to experiment with taking some screen breaks and shut things down. I started to talk with my own 11-year-old about the way technology is designed to keep us there, because kids love to be smarter than the scientists. So if they start to think, Well, this is a really cool thing, but Im also in control and Im in charge of how I spend my time, thats a really helpful frame for them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another challenge could be to say to your kid, Wow, Ive noticed that Im on Zillow a lot scanning for other apartments. So Im going to try to take a week break from Zillow because Im wasting a lot of time there. And then say, You know, I know you spend a lot of time on Amazon looking at Legos. Do you want to think about, like, both of us just taking a week off? It might be even better if you ask your kid to pick the thing that you feel like takes him away from the things hes most motivated. Or even if you want to go a step further into radical parenting, ask him what he finds his least favorite tech habit of yours isif youre going to choose your least favorite tech habit of his, maybe he gets to choose yours. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I love that idea of proposing this as a challenge. Another thing I want to ask about is safety. Its all well and good to say, Look, we dont think screens are unhealthy. But that doesnt necessarily deal with who or what is at the other end of those screens. Advertisement Well, the huge upside of not stigmatizing screens is that we can be in more conversation with our kids about what theyre doing. We absolutely cant log minute for minute. And especially during remote school, theres a whole bunch of things that can go wrong. I mean, pornography gives them really misguided and potentially dangerous ideas about consent and what sex looks like. So the more unsupervised tech access your kid has, the more you really have to have a proactive conversation about pornography because the average age of exposure is 9. And then theres other kinds of stuff like right now, the news cycle is damn scary. Do you want your kids watching a news story about folks dying alone of this virus? Think about all of the kids whove now seen George Floyds murder. Those are really important conversations. We cannot let our kids just see this stuff and not talk to them or not ask them what theyve seen or what they know. Advertisement My mantra on keeping tabs on what your kids see is mentoring over monitoring. So always use a conversation with and observation of our kids as opposed to trying to outsource it to tech by spying. Tracking your kidsnot just using browser history, but like Net Nanny and other software parents can use to track their kidsgets into some really tricky territory. It can really undermine the relationship between parents and kids. That said, if you are tracking their history or anything like that, I would do it openly and disclose that youre doing it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I know that something from your past really helped you understand how importanthow lifesavingthese open conversations with your kids around safety and what theyre seeing online can be. Could you tell me about that and how it influenced the way you think about technology. Advertisement Sure. In 1992, I was a student at Simons Rock College in Massachusetts. I was 17. One of our classmates turned 18 and went into town and bought a gun. His plan was to kill all of us with a machine gun that had a lot of rounds. He killed a professor and a studenta classmate of mine and a friendand wounded some other people, a few of whom are still living with significant disability and pain from their injuries decades later. He tried to kill himself before the police came but his gun jammed and he didnt. And hes in prison. In many ways, my experience just makes me admire the kids in Chicago or Parkland who use the tool of social media to stand up afterwards and talk about what happened and start an activist movement. Whereas all of us who survived the Simons Rock shootingbefore people even used the term school shooting because it was five years before Columbinewe didnt have that. We just went home. If we were lucky, our parents sent us to therapy a couple of times to talk about our trauma. And then we kind of all moved on quietly with our lives. We didnt have social media to stay connected or to be visible. Many of us were just young and isolated and devastated by those murders. And of course, in that time, there was no internet. Advertisement Advertisement Think of all of the people who have been saved by their online community in some way. Think of the trans kid who doesnt end their own lives and instead finds a community on the internet. Think of the people whove met their partners on a dating app who would otherwise be alone. Every tool can be used for ill, as some online spaces do by recruiting young people to violence or white supremacist movements. But I dont think that means the tool is bad. To hear Devorah help a mom create a game plan for managing her kids screen time during a year of remote learning, listen to the episode by clicking the player below or subscribing to How To! with Charles Duhigg wherever you get your podcasts. New Delhi: The President of India Ram Nath Kovind on the occasion of Teachers' Day (September 5) felicitated 47 teachers across India with National Teachers Awards 2020. The award-giving ceremony this year was conducted virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic. President Kovind congratulated the winners and shared some visuals of the ceremony in his official Twitter handle. He lauded the teachers for their hard and dedication towards students and wished them on the occassion. President Kovind also praised the teachers for providing online education this year and talked about the National Education Policy. "You will have to know about the latest developments in technology to succeed in the education sector today,'' said the President. On August 25, the Union Education Ministry had informed that all the teachers who would be receiving the awards that the ceremony will be conducted virtually in view of the pandemic. Education Minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, took to Twitter and said, Paid a courtesy visit to President Ramnath Kovind ji and invited him for a virtual program to be held on 5 September 2020 on the occasion of 'Teacher's Day' and discussed the outline of 'National Teacher Award Program. The National Teachers' Awards is conferred to celebrate the selfless contribution of teachers for improving the quality of education but also made a huge difference in the lives of their students. London: Britain has awarded a 30-million-pound contract to produce a prototype laser weapon for its armed forces so that they could provide a more effective response to emerging threats, a media report said on Friday. The UK Ministry of Defence has officially awarded the contract to produce a prototype laser weapon, the BBC reported. The aim is to see whether directed energy technology could benefit the armed forces, and is to culminate in a demonstration of the system in 2019. The contract was picked up by a consortium of European defence firms. The prototype will be assessed on how it picks up and tracks targets at different distances and in varied weather conditions over land and water. Peter Cooper, from the UKs Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), said the project draws on innovative research into high power lasers so as to understand the potential of the technology. He said that this could provide a more effective response to the emerging threats that could be faced by UK armed forces. The MoD has been finalising the agreement with the consortium, called UK Dragonfire, for several months, but it has now formally announced them as the winning contractor. A spokesperson for the MoD said that the demonstrator was not being developed to counter any specific threat, but to assess whether such weaponry could be delivered as a capability for the armed forces. But in general, directed energy weapons could potentially be used to destroy drone aircraft, missiles, mortars, roadside bombs and a host of other threats. The US military has been experimenting with high energy lasers for decades. But, until recently, technical hurdles had prevented them from being used on the frontline. However, the US Navy fielded a laser weapon system called Laws for testing on the USS Ponce during a deployment to the Arabian Gulf starting in 2014. It hit targets aboard a small boat which was directed to speed towards the navy ship and also shot a small drone out of the sky. The Minister for Defence Procurement, Harriet Baldwin, said that truly ground-breaking projects like the Laser Directed Energy Weapon would keep this country ahead of the curve. If the demonstration is successful, the first laser weapons could come into service in the mid-2020s. The UK Dragonfire consortium comprises the companies MBDA, Qinetiq, Leonardo-Finmeccanica GKN, Arke, BAE Systems and Marshall ADG, the report said. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. A new paper by a Syracuse University professor has some good news and some bad news for parents and school districts as the academic year approaches. The good news: Districts can slash the odds of students infecting each other with the novel coronavirus if classrooms have good air flow and kids wear masks. The bad news: Buildings have to be very well-ventilated (not an easy task) and kids have to wear their masks properly (show us a kid who can do this for a full school day). Good masking and good ventilation together are very good, said Eric Schiff, a physics professor who wrote the paper. But some classrooms are not going to achieve that level (of ventilation), and I dont know how successful teachers are going to be in getting students to cooperate. The report comes as school districts in Central New York are struggling with how to reopen after the coronavirus pandemic forced their abrupt closure in March. Some districts plan a hybrid of online and in-school learning, and many have pushed back when theyll bring students into buildings. The Syracuse city district, the regions largest, will offer online learning only until at least Oct. 5. School reopening plans emphasize social distancing, mask-wearing and hand-washing. The state education department strongly recommended students wear masks in class, but they are only required when students cant maintain appropriate social distancing. About 70 percent of districts have opted to require masks in class, according to the states largest teachers union. Several districts in Central New York have said they wont force students to wear masks while receiving instruction. Experts in how the virus moves through the air are urging schools to pay close attention to ventilation, too. Schiffs paper looked at a hypothetical 20-person, 600-square-foot classroom where one student carrying the virus is highly infectious, or a super spreader. With poor ventilation and no masks, 80% of students would contract the virus if they were all in the same room for four hours, the report says. With very good ventilation and everybody wearing surgical masks the entire time, Schiff estimated, just 2% of the class was likely to be infected. With cloth masks, its about 5%. Schiff concedes he makes some bold assumptions in the paper, which is based in part on a study of a poorly ventilated restaurant in China where one person spread the virus to diners at other tables. Schiffs paper notes that super spreaders people who can be 100 times as infectious as the typical Covid-19 patient are rare. His report is also limited to classrooms, where students would spend most of their day, and so doesnt consider transmission risks of other areas of the school, such as gymnasiums, music rooms or cafeterias. Ventilation is measured by air exchanges, described as the number of times that air is pulled from the room and replaced with fresh air. A good air flow would be three exchanges per hour; excellent would be five or six per hour. The more air that flows through a room, the quicker it will push any virus out and reduce how much of the virus people are inhaling. Classrooms will vary widely in air exchanges per hour. Some might be as low as one air exchange per hour, which would allow the virus to accumulate and be inhaled by others in the room. Schools have been designed to a standard thats set for energy efficiency, not infectious disease control, said Joseph Allen, a professor of exposure assessment science at Harvard Universitys T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Its difficult to retrofit old buildings with a system that can increase air flow by five or six times, said Cliff Davidson, an SU engineering professor who works with ventilation systems. Another solution is for a school district to install high-efficiency filters in the air-handling system that would trap the virus so it doesnt get recirculated. The downside to those filters is because the holes are so tiny, its harder to push air through them. That means bigger, stronger fans have to be installed, too. Pressure drops when air goes through those filters, and it takes a lot of energy to push the air through the fibers, Davidson said. We need to have ventilation fans that are strong enough to push the air through the filters, and we need enough of that filtered air to go into a classroom. Retrofitting an entire schools air system with new filters and stronger fans would be time-consuming and expensive. Experts say schools can use short-term, cheaper alternatives that will help clean classroom air. Start opening up windows, Allen said in a conference call with reporters. Weve measured this, and sometimes you can get five, six, seven even 10 air changes per hour by opening windows. Windows only need to open 6 inches to make a substantial difference, Allen said. Adding fans in windows to blow air outside also helps clear the virus, Davidson said. You can put fans in windows and have very high exchange rate, he said. But as the weather gets colder, thats not going to be feasible at some point. Thats where air purifiers come in, experts agree. The right units, which cost about $500 each, can substantially reduce the amount of virus circulating in the air, Schiff said. You can easily get up to three air exchanges with air purifiers without breaking the bank, he said. Several small air purifiers running in a classroom might be enough to tip the scales. Good luck finding those now, Schiff said. HealthWay Family of Brands, an Oswego County company, just will supply 10,000 portable air purifiers to the New York City school system, the nations largest. Schiff said the company is sold out for months. Something is better than nothing, Schiff said, even if its small air purifiers and a single open window. He said his paper offers two pieces of advice for school officials. Put air purifiers in rooms where you cant get six air exchanges an hour and develop the necessary rapport with your students to get them to cooperate on masking, he said. If theyre put together, schools will not be a significant vector in spreading the virus. New Delhi, Sep 5 : The ambitious 508 km-long Ahmedabad-Mumbai High Speed Rail Project, popularly known as the Bullet Train project, will be impacted by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, officials said on Saturday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his former Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe on September 14, 2017 had laid the foundation stone of the ambitious Rs 1.08 lakh crore ($17 billion) project. Speaking to IANS, National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) Achal Khare said, "Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic there is an impact on the project as we are unable to do many things." He said, "We cannot assess how much impact this pandemic will have on the project as this pandemic is continuing." He was responding to a question if the Bullet train project will be delayed or miss its deadline of December 2023. When asked about the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic of the tenders, the NHSRCL floated last year for many works, Khare said, last year we opened the tender for the undersea tunnel project to the Japanese bidders. "Had there been normal times things could have been different, now the perception is completely different. Now the Japanese have opened this tender for Indians, so this will have an impact," Khare said. He also said that for other tenders, too, since people were not able to prepare their bids, as some of the offices were closed and some of the offices were in containment zones, the opening of a few tenders had been postponded. According to the NHSRCL official, a 21 km-long tunnel will be dug between Boisar and BKC in Mumbai, seven km of which will be under the sea. According to the NHSRCL officials, one of the civil work contracts for construction of stations, bridges, viaducts, maintenance depots, and tunnels across the network is to the tune of Rs 20,000 crore. According to the NHSRCL official, the tender for the design and construction of the civil and building works, including testing and commissioning of 237 km length of the mainline out of the elevated 460 kms has been floated. The mainline also has one mountain tunnel of about 280 metre, 24 river crossings and 30 road and canal crossings. The works related to the utility diversion are progressing well and the construction of Sabarmati passenger hub (a multi modal hub) in Sabarmati, Gujarat has also started. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Union Railway Ministry have inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the 508-km corridor, with Japan to partially fund the project. According to NHSRCL a total of 1,380 hectare land is required for the high speed train project, out of which the Railways have acquired 479 hectare from private persons and 119 hectare from government land. The official said that NHSRCL has already acquired 63 per cent of the land for the project out of which about 77 per cent land is in Gujarat, 80 per cent in Dadra Nagar Haveli and 22 per cent in Maharashtra. He said there are still issues in acquiring land in areas like Palghar in Maharashtra and Navsari in Gujarat. The 508.17-kilometre long network will pass through three districts in Maharashtra -- Mumbai, Thane, and Palghar and eight districts in Gujarat -- Valsad, Navsari, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Kheda and Ahmedabad. The initial deadline to complete the ambitious project was December 2023. The Bullet Trains are expected to run at 350 km per hour covering the 508 km stretch in about two hours. In comparison, trains currently plying on the route take over seven hours to travel the distance, whereas flights take about an hour. (Anand Singh can be contacted at anand.s@ians.in) 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. The Taliban's negotiating team has arrived in Qatar, a spokesman said Saturday, in a sign that long-delayed peace talks with the Afghan government are inching closer to starting. A date for the talks, to be hosted in Doha, has not been set but the warring sides have this week made signals that negotiations could launch soon, including efforts to wrap up a drawn out prisoner exchange. "All members of our negotiating team have arrived in Doha. The talks will begin once some small technical issues are resolved," Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen told AFP. The Taliban team had recently been in Pakistan discussing the peace process with the government in Islamabad. Qatar authorities have been imposing a seven day quarantine period on all arrivals to the country, but have made exemptions for some delegations who undergo regular testing. The Afghan government's negotiating team remained in Kabul on Saturday, but a logistics team landed in Doha earlier this week. Faraidoon Khawzoon, a spokesman for the Afghan government's reconciliation council, said its negotiating team was ready for talks. "The release of the prisoners is completed and there is no excuse for delaying the talks," he tweeted. "But the Taliban don't seem to be ready for the talks. We expect the Taliban to get ready and start the negotiations." The talks were initially due to begin in March as set out in a deal between the United States and the Taliban in February, from which Kabul was excluded. But disagreements over ongoing violence and the prisoner swap have seen the start repeatedly pushed back. Search Keywords: Short link: The issue has escalated quickly as Biden and his surrogates have sought to undermine a key pillar of Trumps reelection message his projection of toughness and patriotism. Trump has boasted of a deep well of mutual admiration and support from military troops and families, while attempting to paint Biden as weak and unable to stand up to foreign leaders. Bidens campaign seized on the fallout of the Atlantic report to sketch the picture of a president who has a history of mistreating troops and veterans in service of his own political gain. Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release SubCategory Select Sub-Category Given how tumultuous Prince Charles and Princess Dianas marriage was and the fact that Charles carried on an affair for years with his mistress who he later wed, many royal fans have wondered if the Prince of Wales ever loved his first wife. Well, now a royal expert is insisting that he absolutely did and shes not the only one. Princess Dianas own mother said the same thing after what she witnessed on their wedding day. Prince Charles and Princess Diana | Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images RELATED: Princess Diana Said She Felt Like a Lamb to the Slaughter on Her Wedding Day Because of Camilla Dianas mother said that Prince Charles did love her daughter For anyone who thinks the Charles never loved Diana, the princesss mother would beg to differ. Years after their royal wedding Dianas mom, France Shand Kydd, revealed in an interview with Hello! that she never doubted Prince Charles true feelings for her daughter. I think that if anybody does doubt how he originally felt then they should look at the pictures or film of their wedding day, Kydd told the publication She added their wedding was indeed a union of love, I think they really did show genuine happiness and deep affection for each other. Prince Philip and Princess Dianas mother, Frances Shand Kydd | Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images Royal expert claims Charles loved the princess even after they divorced CNN Royal Correspondent Victoria Arbiter also believes that the Prince of Wales did love the Princess of Wales before and even after they divorced despite how ugly things had gotten. I think they were finally coming to find a common ground. It had been very difficult, very acrimonious, Arbiter explained in an episode of Royally Us. Of course there were the still wobbles because its very difficult to co-parent when youre divorced and even more so on a public platform, but I think they had moved beyond the really ugly stage of that relationship and they were embracing what the future had in store for both of them. According to Arbiter, They were officially divorced, but [Charles] did still love her. She was the mother of his children. I think they probably had matured. They let go of their ugliness and I think that the future was looking promising. Prince Charles and Princess Diana | Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images Dianas friend says the princess still loved Charles after their divorce as well Another woman close Diana, Debbie Frank, who was her friend and astrologer opined the princess still loved Charles after their marriage ended as well. She compared Dianas feelings for the prince to how she felt about her mother. Shand Kydd and John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer separated when the princess was a child and her mother gave up custody of Diana and her siblings. I think she loved Charles till her dying day, Frank said via the Daily Mail. Im not saying she longed for him. She didnt. But there was still that wound there like there was with her mother. It was probably more about the mother than Charles actually. Frank also believed that when [Charles] triggered that feeling of abandonment in her, she became like a 5-year-old again. Princess Diana died following a car crash in Paris in 1997. On April 9, 2005, Prince Charles married Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. DETROIT A federal judge has ruled that the Detroit Police Department cannot use batons, tear gas, rubber bullets and other tactics against protesters for the next two weeks. Judge Laurie J. Michelson of the U.S. District Court in Detroit issued the ruling Friday night granting a temporary restraining order against the City of Detroit and the Detroit Police Department (DPD) on behalf of Detroit Will Breathe, an activist group that has been protesting police brutality toward Black individuals. According to the order, DPD cannot use certain tactics, including the use of striking weapons, chemical agents and rubber bullets against demonstrators, medical support personnel and legal observers. The order also says police cannot use a chokehold, tighten zip ties or handcuffs to the point that they cause physical injury, or arrest any demonstrators without probable cause. Detroit Will Breathe, as well as 14 other plaintiffs, argue that DPDs violent tactics violate their constitutional rights to free speech and assembly under the First Amendment and the right to be free from excessive force and arrest without probable cause under the Fourth Amendment. The court recognizes that police officers are often faced with dangerous and rapidly evolving situations while trying to enforce the law and maintain the safety of the public. And it is important that police officers have non-lethal options to use to protect themselves and the public when necessary, the motion says. But the relief that plaintiffs request leaves open all lawful options for police to use reasonable force when necessary to defend against a threat and to make arrests when supported by probable cause. While there have been a number of incidents, the order focuses on clashes that occurred between May 29 and June 2, on July 10 and on Aug. 22. The ruling says there is a verified complaint and a number of affidavits for the Aug. 22 incident, in which DPD beat protesters with batons, sprayed them with pepper spray, fired tear gas and rubber bullets at them and rammed them with a police car. The order references a number of videos from the Aug. 22 protest, which appear to show officers throw tear gas into a crowd and grab, shove and use batons to beat people standing at the front of the group. Other videos show officers chasing people who are running or walking away from the chaos, apparently not posing any threat, and violently shoving them into the ground or a building. According to a scheduling order, the City of Detroit and DPD must respond by Sept. 18, and pre-hearing meetings will follow a few days after. READ MORE: Detroit Will Breathe marches with union members Detroit officer arraigned on charges in rubber pellet shooting of 3 photographers covering protests Police-involved shooting leads to protest, teargas in Detroit Gene Norman, who as New York Citys unflappable official preservationist was instrumental in sparing Broadway theaters, St. Bartholomews Church and the Coney Island Cyclone from destruction or defacement by developers, died on Aug. 30 at his home in the Bronx. He was 85. His death was confirmed by his daughter, Christina Norman. Serving under Mayor Edward I. Koch as the chairman of the Landmarks Preservation Commission in the 1980s, he steered the panel to high-stakes decisions that to owners determined the value and future utility of their property and to conservators meant saving one more piece of the citys precarious architectural past. Few of those decisions mollified everyone. But most of the principals praised Mr. Normans equanimity, graciousness and acumen as an architect in navigating the labyrinthine landmarking bureaucracy. Under Mr. Norman, the commission granted landmark designation to the Coty and Rizzoli Buildings on Fifth Avenue; historic districts that encompass parts of the Upper West Side and of the late-19th-century Ladies Mile shopping area, which encompasses some 440 buildings from roughly 15th Street to 24th Street and Park Avenue South to west of Avenue of the Americas; and the Cyclone roller coaster at Coney Island. (Natural News) U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hinted that all Confucius Institutes in colleges around the country funded by Beijing would be forced to close by the end of 2020. In a Sept. 1 interview with Lou Dobbs on Fox Business, Pompeo said that many are now aware of the risk associated with these institutes including the recruitment of spies and collaborators. Pompeos hint comes less than a month after the Confucius Institute U.S. Center was designated as a Chinese foreign mission. The designation restricts the Washington-based non-profits operations and subjects it to certain administrative requirements on the same degree as foreign embassies and consulates on U.S. soil. The center promotes Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms teaching Chinese language and culture in universities and schools nationwide. The Office of Chinese Language Council International or Hanban, an office under the Chinese Ministry of Education, is responsible for funding and operating these institutes and classrooms. More than 100 Confucius Institutes have been set up at U.S. universities since 2004, but recent numbers from the National Association of Scholars (NAS) stated that a total of 67 institutes were in the country. Fifty-three institutes have shut down or are in the process of closing. Some of the colleges scheduled to close down their respective Confucius Institutes include the Community College of Denver (end of the month), University of Oklahoma (Oct. 2020), University of North Carolina Charlotte (Dec. 2020) and Emory University (Nov. 2021.) Meanwhile, there are hundreds of Confucius Classrooms in grade K-12 classrooms nationwide. Beijing-funded Confucius Institutes promote communist propaganda A U.S. Senate investigation in Feb. 2019 reported that the Chinese government through Hanban spent more than $2 billion on Confucius Institutes worldwide. Furthermore, the findings reported that the Chinese government called all the shots on how Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms should operate with no transparency whatsoever. Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms around the country have been criticized for serving as the Chinese Communist Partys propaganda tool, with some people supporting the designation of Confucius Institute U.S. Center as a foreign mission. Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy released a statement in support of the designation, saying that Confucius Institutes are tools to spread Chinese communist propaganda and suppress free speech on campuses across the country. Ohio Sen. Rob Portman echoed the Louisiana senators sentiments; he wrote on Twitter that Confucius Institutes should not be allowed to promote propaganda and suppress academic debate. NAS researchers have said that Confucius Institutes present positive images of China while condoning or disregarding altogether any discussion about sensitive topics such as human rights abuses. Rachelle Peterson, a senior research fellow at NAS, commented that the designation rightly recognizes Confucius Institutes as central nodes of the CCPs overseas propaganda network and reveals Chinas efforts to influence higher education. First it was the Chinese embassy, now it will be Confucius Institutes Secretary Pompeo also said in the same interview with Dobbs that the U.S. government will be taking steps to address Chinas intellectual property theft in the coming days and weeks, warning that this issue will be confronted in a very serious way. In July, President Donald Trump ordered the immediate closure of the Chinese consulate in Houston after accusations of economic espionage and fraud surfaced. A spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the decision outrageous and promised retaliation over the order. Aside from the U.S., Sweden shut down all Confucius Institutes and Classrooms in early 2020 the first European country to do so. The last Confucius Institute in Lulea University of Technology officially closed in January, while the last Confucius classroom at Falkenberg Secondary School ended operations in April. The closures came after domestic concern over human rights abuses in China, alongside the imprisonment of Chinese-born Swedish bookseller Gui Minhai. Visit NationalSecurity.news for more updates about the Trump administrations tougher approach towards China. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com 1 State.gov TheEpochTimes.com 2 NAS.org Portman.Senate.gov [PDF] Kennedy.Senate.gov Twitter.com WSJ.com ScandAsia.com Rochester, N.Y. The police officers involved in the suffocation death of Daniel Prude were following their training when they put a hood over his head and pinned him to the ground for two minutes before noticing he wasn't breathing, the head of the officers' union said Friday. "To me, it looks like they were watching the training in front of them and doing step by step what the training says to do," said Michael Mazzeo, president of the Locust Club. "If there's a problem with that, let's change it." The police officers were in a difficult position trying to help someone who appeared to have mental illness, and they didn't intend to cause Prude harm, he said. The hood, he said, was standard equipment intended to protect officers from germs. The mayor suspended seven Rochester police officers Thursday, pending completion of an investigation into their roles in the death of Prude, a Black man who had just arrived in the city to visit family. While denying a cover-up, Mayor Lovely Warren acknowledged that Prude "was failed by the police department, our mental health care system, our society, and he was failed by me." Hours after the announcement, protesters demonstrated late into the night outside police headquarters in the city of 210,000, New York's third-largest. The state grid operator canceled the threat of rotating power outages late Saturday, as the struggling electricity grid managed to keep up with air conditioning demand in the intense heat. But the highwire act could be repeated Sunday, when temperatures are expected to get even higher. And it doesnt stop there. Pacific Gas and Electric Co. is considering shutting off power to parts of Northern California, including Napa and Sonoma counties, on Monday and Tuesday as a fire weather watch which could become a red flag warning is forecast for the North Bay mountains and East Bay hills from Monday evening to Wednesday morning. The goal would be to reduce the risk of fire caused by utility equipment. It would mark the first such public safety power shut-off of this fire season. The odds are that we will see red flag warnings pop up soon with this heat, said Brayden Murdock, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service. And unfortunately, it might be some time before we lose this fire weather criteria. Even as containment of the three major Bay Area fire complexes increased, a wildfire that started Friday in Sierra National Forest exploded to 36,000 acres by Saturday evening, trapping at least 150 people in a vacation area near the Mammoth Pool Reservoir in Fresno County. The Madera County Sheriffs officials tweeted Saturday evening that the trapped people were sheltering in place at the reservoir, and 10 people have reported injures. Yalonda M. James / The Chronicle The Creek Fire burning near Shaver Lake, Huntington Lake, and Big Creek was uncontained Saturday night and was tearing through the rugged, forested foothills of eastern Fresno County, threatening 3,000 structures and causing a harried evacuation of thousands of residents and weekend visitors. In photos posted on Twitter by Fresnos KMPH-TV, large recreational vehicles and trucks congregated in a dirt field as the fire burned around them, torching pines and emitting puffs of gray-brown smoke. Embers streaked through the air like comets. Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at UCLA, said in a tweet that a massive pyrocumulus cloud (is) indicative of extreme fire behavior, & pyrotornado may have occurred in the Creek Fire. A generator and a solar farm were unable to produce power Saturday because of fires it is not clear which ones according to the California Independent System Operator, which manages the state power grid. That was part of the reason the system operator anticipated possible rolling shut-offs Saturday, though it said around 8:30 p.m. that outages were not needed. A Flex Alert is in place across California for afternoons and evenings through Monday, as another heat wave prompted officials to ask for energy conservation. On Saturday, plenty of Bay Area residents fled the house to escape the heat as temperatures soared. Temperatures in the traditional East Bay hot spots of Livermore, Walnut Creek and Concord were expected to get as high as 114 Sunday. Around noon Saturday, as the temperature in breezy Alameda climbed, the parking lots at Crown Memorial Beach filled, and beachgoers poured out of cars, minivans and RVs, lugging chairs, towels, colorful beach umbrellas and coolers to the sandy shore. Despite the dangers posed by the coronavirus and warnings from health officials about avoiding crowds, people flocked to the East Bay Regional Park District beach. Most said they felt safe and much more comfortable than they would have inside their hot, stuffy homes. One of our deciding factors was not having air conditioning, said Erik Buttram, who lives in Alameda and came to the beach with his wife, two children and a windsurfer and wing foil-board. Youll hear that a lot today. Sara Gobets / Special to The Chronicle Most of the beachgoers wore masks in the parking lots and while picking socially distanced spots on the sand, but many removed the masks on the beach and certainly when entering the water. Most people seemed to stick to their own groups of two to five people and avoid smacking into others even those taking windsurfing lessons. We feel like weve got a lot of space and that people are respectful of other families and groups, said Maria Buttram, whose family was planning to get in their beach time before it got too crowded. Weve got a stagnant dome of high pressure stuck over our area, and thats the big story right now, said meteorologist Gerry Diaz. Hopefully the marine layer will stick around the coast for a little while, but everywhere else will be hot and dry. The heat also made for challenging conditions for firefighters still battling the huge LNU, SCU and CZU complex fires all over the Bay Area. Firefighters are lengthening containment lines with 88% containment of the SCU fires in the East Bay and South Bay, 89% on the North Bay LNU fires and 64% on the CZU fires in the Santa Cruz Mountains and San Mateo County. High temperatures not only make firefighting more miserable, they also dry out vegetation and make it tougher to keep fires contained. An excessive heat warning is in effect through Sunday night for most of the Bay Area. Along the coast, a heat advisory was in effect. In San Mateo County, beaches were ordered closed as a precaution against overcrowding during the pandemic. This is a huge test for all of us this Labor Day weekend, county Supervisor David Canepa said in a statement. We can respect our health orders or ignore them. Its that simple. And just a reminder to all: Wear your damn mask. Winds will be light until late Monday, when they will become moderate out of the northeast, making firefighting more challenging and increasing the potential for new fires to spread quickly. But the dry lightning strikes that were blamed for the current rash of wildfires are not expected. 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. Cooling centers were open in community and senior centers in Concord, Martinez, Pleasanton, Livermore, Antioch and Brentwood, among other locations. Visitors were requested to wear face masks, maintain social distancing and be free of COVID-19 symptoms. Air quality was moderate in much of the Bay Area on Saturday. A Spare the Air Alert has been extended through Monday. On Saturday morning, the small parking lot where Sloat Boulevard meets the Pacific Ocean was completely full by 7 a.m., and cars were double-parked with emergency lights flashing. Jill Gunter of Pacifica brought her 7-foot surfboard to San Francisco after finding her hometown beaches closed. I literally got the last parking space, she said. Its very unusual for it to get this warm, but you dont think about the heat when youre surfing. A few early risers were laying down towels and staking out beach spots for the day. By 7:30 a.m., hardly anyone was wearing a jacket. A mile east, at Stern Grove, the dog walkers were getting an early start, too. Its a day to get here early and leave early, said Rita Lewis of San Francisco, who was walking her Labradoodle, Lily. I like to get here around 6 a.m. anyway, because of the pandemic. Its never crowded at that hour. Dont tell anyone. At Crown Memorial Beach, Succatti Shaw of Hayward set up for a family party. Her 16-year-old daughter had brain surgery two years ago and hasnt seen friends of the family since March. Its just too much, she said. She needs to get out of the house. So about 30 family members, from Sacramento to San Jose, planned to gather at the beach, even though health officials advise keeping gatherings smaller. Shaw and the rest of the small set-up crew staked out a wide area on a hill above the beach and said everyone would wear masks and try to keep their distance. Some people feel its safe, and some people dont, she said. But at the end of the day, my daughters mental health is whats most important to me. Were looking forward to catching and showing each other some love with proper social distancing. Chronicle staff writer Lauren Hernandez contributed to this report. Michael Cabanatuan, Steve Rubenstein and Lizzie Johnson are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com, srubenstein@sfchronicle.com, ljohnson@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SteveRubeSF, @ctuan, @lizziejohnsonnn Tenants must also show that they would be forced to move into a crowded living situation if they were evicted, such as living in close quarters with a family member or in a homeless shelter. "The onus is on the tenant to read and fully understand what they're signing, because they are signing this affidavit under penalty of perjury," said Juan Hernandez, an attorney with the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy. Evictions for reasons other than nonpayment of rent may proceed under the moratorium. Legal challenges and enforcement Attorneys who work with evictions cases say the order is likely to be challenged legally, including over whether the CDC has the authority to issue such an order. Jesse McCoy, an attorney at Duke University's Civil Justice Clinic, said it was surprising the order did not come from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Enforcement of the order, which will play out in thousands of jurisdictions around the country, will be "tricky," he said. While hearing the plea by the daughter of the second wife of a railway policeman who succumbed to Covid-19, the Bombay high court (HC), on Friday, directed that the 60 lakh compensation deposited by the authorities would be shared equally between the first wife, her daughter and the daughter of the second wife. The daughter of the second wife had approached the court seeking equitable distribution of compensation amount among the two wives and daughters of the deceased policeman. The court further directed the two wives and daughters to arrive at an amicable settlement and said that the pending claims would be decided during the next hearing on September 11. The division bench of justice SJ Kathawalla and justice Madhav Jamdar, while passing the order in the petition filed by the daughter of a railway policeman who succumbed to Covid while on duty in May, held that the amount of compensation accruing to the deceased policeman had to be shared in equal proportion among his three heirs. The daughter of the policeman had petitioned the court seeking directions to the authorities to disburse the compensation amount accruing to her father in equal proportions between the first wife and her daughter and the second wife (her mother) and herself. While the first wife and daughter had initially opposed the claim, when advocate Prerak Sharma for the daughter of the second wife informed them that as per a previous order of the HC, the second wife did not have a right but her daughter did, they agreed to share the compensation. After a consensus was reached among the three the court said, The parties and their Advocates have after certain discussions agreed to share the amount deposited in the Court by Respondent Nos.1 and 2 in the ratio of 1/3rd: 1/3rd: 1/3rd, i.e. 1/3rd of the said amount shall be handed over to and received by the Petitioner (daughter of the second wife), 1/3rd by Respondent No.3 (first wife) and 1/3rd by Respondent No.4 (daughter of the first wife). The court then directed the Prothonotary and Senior Master to distribute the entire amount of around 65 lakhs deposited with him by the state and railways towards compensation for the deceased policeman between the three in the said ratio. The court further held that as it did not want both the families of the deceased policeman to waste their time and money in litigation they should arrive at an amicable settlement with regards to the movable and immovable assets of the deceased policeman and posted the matter for hearing on September 11 by which time the two families should reach the settlement. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 5 Trend: Azerbaijani servicemen will not participate in the "Caucasus-2020" exercises, the Defense Ministry told Trend on Saturday. "Azerbaijani servicemen will not participate in the "Caucasus-2020" Exercises to be held in Russia this September. It is planned to send two servicemen as observers to the above-mentioned exercises", noted in the ministry. A three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued an opinion on Wednesday that ruled illegal the US government surveillance program that collected metadata from every international and domestic phone call and was exposed by Edward Snowden in 2013. The decision said that the National Security Agencys bulk phone record collection program may have violated the Fourth Amendment and did violate the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) when it collected the telephony metadata of millions of Americans, including at least one of the defendants. Phone call metadata is the information about the calls such as the phone numbers and duration of a call, but not the content of the conversations themselves. Although the ruling said the surveillance program was against the law, the Ninth Circuit upheld the conviction of four Somali immigrantswho were also US citizensof providing financial assistance to a foreign terrorist group. The ruling states that suppression is not warranted on the facts of this case and we affirm the convictions in all respects because, the metadata collection, even if unconstitutional, did not taint the evidence introduced by the government at trial. Edward Snowden speaking live via video link to a technology conference in Lisbon in November [Credit: Armando Franca/AP] The case against the four Somali menBasaaly Saeed Moalin, Ahmed Nasir Taalil Mohamud, Mohamed Mohamud, and Issa Doreh, of San Diegobegan in October 2010 and was based, in part, on recorded phone calls of Moalin that took place in 2007 and 2008. The men were convicted by a jury on February 22, 2013 of giving $10,600 to al-Shabaab, which was identified by the US government as a foreign terrorist organization in March 2008. Significantly, the Ninth Circuit ruling reviews the impact of the Snowden revelations on the convictions of the four men. It states, Months after the trial, in June 2013, former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden made public the existence of NSA data collection programs. One such program, conducted under FISA Subchapter IV, involved the bulk collection of phone records, known as telephony metadata, from telecommunications providers. The ruling explains that public officials, who were defending the NSA phone call surveillance program in the face of public outrage over the Snowden exposures, boasted about how that the program had played a role in the governments investigation of Moalin. Specifically, then-FBI Deputy Director Sean Joyce told the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence that the NSA program had provided us a telephone number only in San Diego that had indirect contact with an extremist outside the United States. This information then led to the defendants filing a motion for a new trial on September 5, 2013, arguing that Moalins Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable searches and seizures had been violated. The motion for a new trial also argued that the government had failed to provide notice of the metadata collection or of any surveillance of Moalin it had conducted under the FISA Amendments Act. The lower court denied the motion on November 14, 2013 on the grounds that the public disclosure of the NSA program adds no new facts to alter the courts FISA. .. rulings. The court also ruled that the telephony metadata program did not violate the Fourth Amendment. The defendants appealed this decision to the Ninth Circuit on October 29, 2015. The bulk phone record collection program was but one of the mass electronic surveillance operations of the NSA and CIA exposed by Edward Snowden. The whistleblower smuggled an estimated 1.7 million documents out of a clandestine NSA facility in Honolulu, Hawaii on micro secure digital cards and shared portions of them with news outlets. Snowdens exposures proved that the US government, in cooperation with the so-called Five Eyes partners (UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada), had built a global electronic spying apparatus. The documents showed that this apparatus was not only gathering phone metadata but had electronic surveillance tools that were capturing in real time the email, phone call, text messaging and online browsing activity of anyone, anywhere in the world. Responding to the courts opinion, Edward Snowden tweeted, Seven years ago, as the news declared, I was being charged as a criminal for speaking the truth, I never imagined that I would live to see our courts condemn the NSAs activities as unlawful and in the same ruling credit me for exposing them. And yet that day has arrived. The American Civil Liberties Union, one of several organizations that supported the appeal, welcomed the courts ruling. Patrick Toomey, senior staff attorney with the ACLUs National Security Project, said, The ruling makes plain that the NSAs bulk collection of Americans phone records violated the Constitution. The decision also recognizes that when the government seeks to prosecute a person, it must give notice of the secret surveillance it used to gather its evidence. This protection is a vital one given the proliferation of novel spying tools the government uses today. The ruling by the Ninth Circuit regarding the NSAs bulk collection of phone call metadataa program the government claims as of 2015 is no longer in use, but which is but the tip of the iceberg of unconstitutional surveillance activities of US intelligenceraises many more questions than it answers. While the Ninth Circuit opinion most definitely does not indicate that the US courts are now going on the offensive against the undemocratic practices of the surveillance state, the decision does point to ongoing divisions within the ruling establishment over US intelligence matters. It should be pointed out as an important political fact that none of the US courts involved in the case of Moalin and his associates questioned the role of US imperialism in Somalia. While all of the courts supported the claims that Somali defendants were supporting terrorism, the Ninth Circuit Court ruling states, In March 2008, the United States designated al-Shabaab a foreign terrorist organization. A key figure in al-Shabaab, Aden Hashi Ayrow, was killed in a U.S. missile strike on May 1, 2008. In any case, during his podcast on Thursday, right-wing Representative Matt Gaetz (Republican from Florida) called for President Trump to pardon Snowden, saying, As of today, the case has never been stronger, that Edward Snowden deserves a pardon from President Trump, adding, If it were not for Snowden, we might not know today that our own government was engaged in an activity that now a federal appellate court has deemed illegal. Gaetz also said that pardoning Snowden would be a good political move for Trump because Libertarians in key swing states would support the president if he did so. At the same time, those sections of the US political establishment with close ties to US intelligence, including Attorney General William Barr who said he was vehemently opposed to a pardon for Snowden, consider the whistleblower a traitor who should be brought back to the US and executed. Both Democrats and Republicans, as well as the corporate media, ferociously attacked the idea floated by President Trump that he was taking a good look at pardoning Snowden. For example, a right-wing publication founded by Bill Kristol called TheBulwark.com, wrote on August 20, The prospect of a presidential pardon for Snowden, whose revelations about the National Security Agencys foreign and domestic surveillance techniques were disclosed at his personal whim rather than through democratic audit, is a befitting offering from a chief executive whose flagrant criminality and contempt for the democratic process will be his most enduring legacy. The photos of a dignified Trump standing amid the ruins of Kenosha present the defining moment of the first phase of the campaign. Despite his opponents predicting that his presence there would inflame matters, Trump did what any good leader should do. He led from the front, setting an example of calmness and steadiness as he thanked the members of the public services who had tried to contain the riots, provided emergency support, and cleared up afterwards. His was a reassuring presence for the people of Kenosha. After days of rioting, Kenosha was calm. Biden has now said hell visit to heal, whatever that means. Biden acts like a figurehead who says what his handlers tell him. Taking press questions (a rare event) he commented on the killing of a Trump supporter who was apparently shot in cold blood in an unprovoked attack during the ongoing riots in Portland, accusing the Trump supporters of inciting responses. Why is this logic not used when talking of violent rioters who get shot by armed defenders trying to protect businesses? Maybe, just maybe, because doing so would get in the way of the preferred Dem narrative that these rioters are innocent victims of oppression protesting against injustice. Biden is beginning to look like an elderly, confused owner of an aggressive pit bull who tells you the dog is only reacting to being misunderstood even as the snarling animal is straining on its leash baring its teeth. The tragedy of Kenosha, along with the response of the presidential candidates, reveals much about the core issues Americans will vote on in November. A properly functioning Democratic Party would have called for calm and restraint, whilst offering sympathy to those who have suffered harm and loss. Instead it promoted the usual racism and police brutality tropes, despite the fact that the man who was shot while violently resisting arrest by the police -- was being served a warrant on a charge of sexual assault on his former partner (whose 911 call had brought the police around on this latest incident). The result is that the police officers involved have already been judged guilty by those who seek to foment public disorder. And the Democrats are blaming Trump for the rioting, the deaths, and the destruction of businesses and livelihoods in Kenosha carried out by people with criminal intent. Seeking to shift blame like this is not the conduct of people of good moral character, people who are already neglectful of their duties. Constitutional government can function only if the Constitution is observed. And that means that the arms of government must fulfill their duty to uphold criminal law, and the primary purpose of such law is to protect law-abiding people from coming to harm at the hands of those with criminal intent. The police have a duty to serve warrants and apprehend suspects. They have the right to use reasonable force to defend themselves against any credible threat of serious imminent harm to themselves at the hands of such individuals. Thats the bare bones of the fundamental issues in the Kenosha incident, and thats the basis on which it should be judged. But thats not how the Democrats are playing it. They implicitly (or worse) condoned widespread social unrest in Kenosha which -- given the febrile atmosphere they deliberately encouraged -- got out of hand with predictable results. The Dems own this one. It has nothing to do with Trump. But the implications are clear. If race-riots can suddenly kick off in a formerly peaceful place like Kenosha, they can happen in any town or city in America. In effect, this will be read by millions of Americans, whatever their color, as meaning that the Dems have put American voters on notice: vote for us or this will happen where you live. The Dems are claiming that only they can stop the riots, and the logical conclusion is that they can do this because they know how to get in contact with the people organizing them. The evidence for this is that when these riots occur in Dem-controlled towns and cities the local authorities do very little by way of stopping them until the destruction is bad enough to provide useful political propaganda against Trump. And as soon as this aim has been fulfilled, suddenly the rioting stops, as quickly as it began. Thats pretty much all any reasonable, morally competent person needs to know about the Democrats and race-riots. The Kenosha riots are a case in point. Its mostly a peaceful, friendly place, and a very unlikely hotbed of racial unrest. Its now been trashed, and the big question for its residents is whether it will ever recover. The alternative is that it becomes like so many other towns and suburbs blighted by these riots. A place of boarded-up shop fronts and businesses, with a demoralized, impoverished, and hopeless population predated upon by criminal gangs who never miss an opportunity to inflict suffering and misery on others. Against the wishes of the Democrat-controlled city administration who allowed the riots to happen, Trump visited with a message of support and hope. Biden stayed away until his handlers told him he had to be there. What more does anyone need to know? Well, now it has transpired that most of the rioters came from out of town, so this has every appearance of a situation manufactured for political gain. The vast majority of the citizens of Kenosha had nothing to do with the destruction of their town. It was a political stunt pulled by people who seek to gain from the resulting destruction and misery. The Dems deplored the outcome, but that was not until after theyd made anti-Trump propaganda of it (the conflict of values here simply cannot be overlooked without inducing cognitive dissonance). The fact that Kenosha county (of which Kenosha is the municipal seat) flipped to Republican in the 2016 presidential vote (having been Democrat for the previous four presidential elections) shows the way the political winds are blowing. Kenosha didnt have enough home-grown rioters to make this riot big enough for political purposes, so many more had to be brought in from outside. And organized riots do not happen by accident. The Dems own this one. They sat back and let it happen, having fanned the flames of racial unrest. But these riots will do nothing for the Democrats. What they will do is increase support for Trump. Trump needs a big win come November, not just as president, but in both Houses of Congress. During his first term he did not have sufficient control of the levers of power to do as much as he wanted. Given his out-front and in-your-face style, if Trump does get the victory he seeks he will be on course to become one of the greatest presidents ever. The way things are going now, the Dems are playing right into his hands. And they have only themselves to blame. Round One goes to Trump. Wen Wryte is the pseudonym of a retired teacher of philosophy who likes a quiet life. Image: Gage Skidmore Two-thirds of new coronavirus infections in the UK are in the under-40s, while the rate among older people has fallen sharply in an 'extraordinary' shift. The number of over-50s testing positive for Covid-19 now represents just a fifth of those nationwide, compared with three quarters in the spring. Just three per cent are now made up of those over 80, down from 28 per cent six months ago, reported The Times. The peak age range for infections is now in the 20s but for most of the pandemic it was in the 80s - sparking hope further restrictions can be reduced because it seems older people are voluntarily shielding. One Government adviser has suggested a Swedish-style effort to keep workplaces open while advising older people to stay at home. This graph shows the number of new coronavirus infections by age group over the last two weeks One Government adviser has suggested a Swedish-style effort to keep workplaces open while advising older people to stay at home. Pictured, the age of patients who died in hospitals in England during a week in mid-August Mark Woolhouse of the University of Edinburgh, who sits on the government's SPI-M modelling group, said 'the epidemic is starting to divide' people by age. Ministers have spoken out against plans to ask people to shield based on their age and are worried if infections are allowed to rise in the young it will eventually spread to more vulnerable members of society. Especially after France reported a rise in hospital admissions just weeks after cases in young people increased. Last week 2,042 cases were confirmed in people in their twenties, more than ten times the number among over-80s. Professor Dame Anne Johnson, professor of infectious disease epidemiology, University College London, told BBC Radio 4: 'This is indeed a critical moment. If you look at the data from PHE across the country, we are now seeing the highest number of detected infections in younger people aged 20-29 and also going up to 45. Confirmed coronavirus cases in England by age and gender. Figures show the change in age groups affected by the disease. Left, since start of the pandemic. Right, last two weeks The number of over-50s testing positive for Covid-19 now represents just a fifth of those nationwide, compared with three quarters in the spring. Pictured, diners in Frith Street, Soho, on August 11 Government figures show around 20,000 were in hospital every day during the darkest days of the crisis in April Around 3,000 people a day were admitted to hospital with Covid-19 at the peak of the crisis in April, according to government statistics. The correct figure is not yet known Ministers have spoken out against plans to ask people to shield based on their age and are worried if infections are allowed to rise in the young it will eventually spread to more vulnerable members of society. Pictured, women on a night out in Soho on August 29 'On the one hand, the good news is we aren't at the moment seeing the uptick in cases in hospitals and in deaths but of course that reflects where the transmission is going on.' She added that it would be 'incredibly important' to continue to tell young people about the risks of transmitting coronavirus. Cases started rising in younger people from July, when the hospitality sector was allowed to open up. The number of positive Covid-19 tests are lower in all ages than in the Spring, but the number of elderly people with the disease has fallen. Sir David Spiegelhalter, professor of public understanding of risk at the University of Cambridge, said the age shift was 'affected by testing availability, but also a shift in who is infected'. He added: 'The elderly and frail seem to be far better protected than they were at the start of the epidemic, but they need to be able to get their freedom back.' There are now an estimated 2,000 new cases each day, on average - down 200 from last Friday, when the prediction sat at 2,200 - according to the Office for National Statistics. Some 27,100 people in England are thought to be infected at any one time - 0.05 per cent of the population or one in every 2,000 people. This total is a decrease of four per cent from the 28,200 estimate last week. Holiday goers arriving back to the UK after Portugal was not added to the UK quarantine list. The peak age range for infections is now in the 20s but for most of the pandemic it was in the 80s Britain yesterday confirmed another 1,940 cases of coronavirus in the biggest surge for more than three months, with May 30 the last time so many people were diagnosed with the virus. There are 1,530 people testing positive, on average, each day - a jump of 30 per cent in one week. The seven-day rolling average has been steadily increasing since reaching record-low numbers in mid-July. Despite this, scientists say the soaring number of tests and still-falling hospitalisations show that a second wave is not incoming, and that a better testing system is simply picking up more young people who only get mildly ill and weren't getting tested before. King's College London researchers also estimate there are 2,000 new cases per day across the whole of the UK. But this is a surge of 53 per cent on their estimate given the week prior - 1,300 Office for National Statistics data: There are now an estimated 2,000 new cases each day, on average A further 10 people are confirmed to have died across all settings, according to the Department of Health, taking the total to 41,537. Most are expected to be in England, considering none were reported by the individual health agencies of Wales or Scotland. One was in Northern Ireland. The fact that deaths continue to fall - the seven day average is today 37 per cent lower than it was last Friday - also suggests that Britain is not staring down the barrel of a crisis like the one that struck in March and April. Instead, as different groups of people get infected and the threshold for getting a test is lower, the fatality ratio now should remain low. Professor Carl Heneghan, a medicine expert at the University of Oxford, said this week: 'What we are seeing is a sharp rise in the number of healthy people who are carrying the virus, but exhibiting no symptoms... They are being spotted because finally a comprehensive system of national test and trace is in place.' The US ambassador in El Salvador recommended not to focus on how the decrease was achieved, but to work on maintaining it. "We want to think that the reduction in violence that has occurred in El Salvador is due to the cooperation the United States has with the country," was the response of the United States Ambassador, Ronald Johnson, after he was asked what is the reason why there has been a decrease in homicides in the country. An investigation by digital newspaper El Faro concluded that there have been negotiations between the government and the MS-13 gang and as a result of these homicides have decreased. The gang in question has been classified by the United States as a transnational terrorist organization. From the diplomatic's perspective, the cooperation between the security authorities of his country and the Salvadoran ones facilitates the reduction of criminal activity in both countries. "Estados Unidos apoya democracias fuertes que respetan la separacion de poderes", dice @USAmbSV cuando se le pregunta si peligra la ayuda que da la MCC a El Salvador a raiz de eventos como el #9F o los desafios del GOES a la @SalaCnalSV. pic.twitter.com/ZexS7it3ud LPGPolitica (@LPGPolitica) September 4, 2020 As in many cases, we can debate why these numbers have dropped but we know that the numbers have dropped and that includes many violent crimes here in El Salvador. We have from our embassy different law enforcement and these include the FBI who is working shoulder to shoulder with their Salvadoran counterparts to make sure these numbers are kept low; and we hope that this will make the lives of Salvadorans, the lives of Americans better both here in the country and in the United States for everyone, including the security of the media, Johnson said. He added that the focus should not be on how the decrease was achieved, but rather on maintaining it and working to create jobs. "We can continue to discuss why crime numbers have dropped but what is important is that these numbers are low and what we need to do is create these jobs so we can move forward and keep moving forward", Johnson added. Michigan reported 838 new coronavirus cases Saturday, along with eight deaths. That includes three previous deaths discovered during a review of statewide vital records. The new figures bring the cumulative count of confirmed COVID-19 cases to 106,215 across the state, with 6,534 deaths. (The above chart shows Michigans 7-day rolling average of new confirmed coronavirus cases. You can put your cursor over a bar to see the number. You also can click on the option just below the headline to see the actual number of new cases reported by day.) On Friday, 982 new cases were registered, an uptick after a consistent downward trend at the start of the month. Health officials warn the holiday weekend could lead to the kind of congregating that encourages viral spread. Of all cases to date, 80,678 are marked as recovered. That includes survivors who contracted the virus on or before Aug. 5. The categorization does not necessarily mean a person has recovered from all symptoms or illness. (The above chart shows Michigans 7-day rolling average of deaths involving confirmed coronavirus cases. You can put your cursor over a bar to see the number. You also can click on the option just below the headline to see the actual number of new deaths reported by day.) As of Sept. 5, there were 619 adults hospitalized with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 across the state, with 150 in the ICU. Six children are also in the hospital with suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19. The statewide caseload also includes the largest prison outbreak to date in Muskegon, where 885 incarcerated men, and 26 prison employees, have tested positive for the virus in the last five weeks. For more statewide data, visit MLives coronavirus data page, here. To find a testing site near you, check out the states online test finder, here, send an email to COVID19@michigan.gov, or call 888-535-6136 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays. 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 executive orders requiring people to wear face coverings over their mouth and nose while in public indoor and crowded outdoor spaces. See an explanation of what that means here. Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus. For more data on COVID-19 in Michigan, visit https://www.mlive.com/coronavirus/data/. More on MLive: Michigan auto sales perking up, but blow to industry could last through 2022 Whitmer extends executive order continuing protection of frontline workers during coronavirus pandemic This is how Michigan colleges are carrying out classes for the fall semester Western Michigan University coronavirus cases double after students return to campus Gyms, sports get green light, but Michigans top doc says you should still avoid both Villagers learn of the abductions from wireless messages of the Indian security agencies A Google map pinpointing Nacho, the area where the porters are said to have been detained by China's People's Liberation Army. (Photo: Google) Guwahati: The Arunachal Pradesh police are investigating social media chatter that five porters engaged by the Indian Army were detained by Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) in a forest area on the border. The incident is reported to have taken place two days ago but the administration of Upper Subansiri district said they have not received any complaint in this regard as of Saturday. The deputy commissioner of the district, Kento Danggen, said they came to know of the matter from social media posts by local villagers. A defence spokesperson in Guwahati said he had not received any information on the matter from his headquarters. News agency PTI quoted superintendent of police Taru Gussar as saying, I have sent the officer-in-charge of the Nacho police station to the area to verify the facts. However, the report will be available only by Sunday morning." A senior journalist of Itanagar, Jarpum Gamlin, said the incident became public when the porters families claimed to have learnt of it from a wireless message of the Indian Army. The message reportedly said that the porters were from the Nacho administrative block, which I 120 km from the state capital Itanagar, and the detentions took place at Sera-7 area near the McMahon line. The porters have been identified as Tanu Bakar, Prasad Ringling, Ngaru Diri, Dongtu Ebiya and Toch Singkam. PTI said they belong to the Tagin community. The Itanagar-based newspaper Eastern Sentinel quoted Prakash Ringling, elder brother of Prasad Ringling, as saying, We have received information from our village people that my brother along with four others has been abducted by the PLA near the McMahon Line. My brother was part of 36 people serving as porters near the China border. Congress MLA Ninong Ering said the five men had gone to fish in the area when they were taken by the PLA. "The Chinese have again started creating a nuisance. Just like in Ladakh and Doklam, they [Chinese Army] have started incursions in Arunachal Pradesh," he said, claiming it was the second time that the Chinese Army has abducted people from India. Earlier, on March 19 this year, a 21-year-old man was abducted by PLA from Asapila sector near the McMahon line in Upper Subansiri district. He was released after 19 days in captivity. As the November election nears, both parties have intensified their outreach to the community, particularly in battleground states Washington: Highlighting the great relationship that he has developed with Indian Americans and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Donald Trump said that he would think that Indian Americans would vote for him in the 3 November presidential election. "We have great support from India. We have great support from Prime Minister Modi. I would think that the Indian (American) people would be voting for Trump," the president told reporters at a White House news conference. Trump was responding to a question on a video titled, "Four more years" released by the Trump Campaign during the Republican National Convention last month. Tweeted by Kimberly Guilfoyle, national chair of Trump Victory Finance Committee and retweeted by his son Donald Trump Jr, the video conceptualised by Al Mason, co-chair of the Trump Victory Indian American Finance Committee, has short clips from the Modi-Trump joint address in Houston last year and Ahmedabad in February this year. "Would Kimberly, Don Jr., and Ivanka Trump, who are very popular among Indian Americans, would be campaigning on your behalf among the Indian Americans with your views on India-US relationship?" he was asked. "I know India and I understood those young people (Kimberley, Donald J Trump Jr and Ivanka) that you mentioned. They're very good young people. And I know their relationship with India is very good and so is mine," Trump said. The president said that he has a very good relationship with Modi. "Prime Minister Modi is a friend of mine and he's doing a very good job. Nothing easy, but he's done a very good job," he said as he recollected his historic address at the 'Howdy Modi' event in Houston last September. "We had an event in Houston, as you know. And it was a fantastic event. I was invited by Prime Minister Modi and this was a massive (event)... And it was incredible. And the prime minister could not have been more generous. We have great support from India. We have great support from Prime Minister Modi," Trump said. The president then referred to his India visit early this year in February before the coronavirus pandemic hit the two countries. "I also, as you know, went to India just prior to the pandemic setting in because India has been hit very hard, left really about a week before that, and we had an incredible time. What we saw the people are so incredible it's really an incredible place, an incredible country and its definitely big," he said. "But you've got a great leader and he's a great person," Trump said. In recent weeks both the Democrats and Republicans have intensified their outreach to the Indian American community, in particular in the battle ground states. A recent research by Mason in battle ground states showed that Indian Americans who traditionally vote for the Democrats are switching over to the Republican party in significant numbers because the friendship that Trump has with Modi and the latter's high popularity among a large section of the community who number four million in the US, of which 2.5 million are eligible to vote. In the battleground states, they number 1.3 million as per a recent remark made by Indian Americans in the Democratic party. Mason's survey was conducted before former vice president Joe Biden, the Democratic party's presidential candidate, selected Indian-origin Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate, a move Democratic party leader believe would stem the flow of Indian Americans towards the Republicans. Both Trump and his campaign, in recent remarks, assert that more Indian Americans support them than the Democrats. In various writings and remarks the Democratic leaders in recent weeks have apprehended that Trump's friendship with Modi might sway their traditional vote bank the election. The Trump campaign believes that Indian Americans can play an important role in the election, especially in the battleground states like Michigan, Pennsylvania and Ohio, where the two rival campaigns would be battling for every vote. Democratic campaign too is coming out with ideas and commercials to woo Indian Americans. The Democratic National Committee chair Tom Perez has addressed the community virtually, wherein he has acknowledged the key role that Indian Americans can play in battleground states. On 15 August, both Biden and Harris made a video address to an Indian American event. The campaign has released a policy paper for Indian Americans. KYODO NEWS - Sep 5, 2020 - 23:45 | All, Japan, World Japan has told the United States that it views building specialized ships to counter ballistic missiles as the most viable alternative to the scrapped plan to deploy land-based, U.S.-developed Aegis Ashore systems, government sources said Saturday. Building vessels equipped with the radar and missile launch system initially destined for Aegis Ashore, whose functions are only limited to countering ballistic missiles, will be cheaper than adding more Aegis-equipped destroyers capable of responding to attacks from fighter jets and submarines as well, the sources said. The plan emerged as outgoing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to issue a statement by mid-September to explain the government's stance on missile defense, including the possibility of Japan acquiring a strike capability against missile bases in other countries, as Tokyo seeks to review its security policy. As Abe is stepping down due to illness after his successor is chosen, the next prime minister is expected to work out details of the alternative missile defense plan. Tokyo abruptly scrapped plans in June to deploy the Aegis Ashore missile defense systems in Akita and Yamaguchi prefectures due to additional costs for the updates necessary to ensure safety. The Abe administration has pushed for Aegis Ashore deployment to counter missile threats from North Korea. The use of the land-based missile defense system was also intended to reduce the burden of Maritime Self-Defense Force personnel on its Aegis-equipped destroyers, but it met with strong opposition from people in the candidate sites. The emerging plan to build specialized ships would not require local consent and curb cancellation fees for Aegis Ashore equipment such as Lockheed Martin Corp.'s SPY-7 radar system, which can be loaded onto the envisioned ships, according to the sources. "We have almost decided to pursue an offshore (missile defense) plan," a government source said. The government had weighed other options such as building a maritime platform to accommodate the Aegis Ashore systems but they need local consent. As North Korea's repeated firings of missiles have raised security concerns, Abe has stressed the need to beef up the country's defense. Debate over Japan's acquisition of a strike capability was revived after the Aegis Ashore deployment was halted. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party headed by Abe takes the view that such a capability is necessary to defend Japan from ballistic missiles. The LDP's coalition partner Komeito, however, is cautious about the move, which would undermine the country's long-held policy under the pacifist Constitution to maintain "exclusively defense-oriented" posture. Related coverage: FOCUS: Japan policy on strike capability could raise tensions in East Asia Japan, U.S. defense chiefs agree to keep China in check Abe to hold phone talks with Trump on Mon. over sudden resignation Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Alya Nurbaiti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, September 5, 2020 12:43 503 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c42de740 2 National medical-workers,pandemic,COVID-19,doctor,nurses,nurse,#COVID19,COVID-19-in-Indonesia Free As Indonesia strives to get on top of the ever-climbing number of COVID-19 cases, 82 percent of physicians, nurses and other healthcare workers across the country have been suffering from moderate levels of burnout and chronic mental and physical exhaustion caused by prolonged and excessive stress, a recent survey has revealed. Experts have said the number is concerning and that health workers are in dire need of help, as burnout can affect their well-being and job performance. We have to be more vigilant, as many health workers are already experiencing moderate burnout. Once it gets severe, it will be more difficult to treat, dean of the University of Indonesias (UI) School of Medicine Ari Fahrial Syam said on Friday. The online survey, conducted by a research team from UIs School of Medicine from June to August this year, involved 1,461 medical workers comprising doctors, nurses, dentists, midwives, laboratory analysts and pharmacists aged 18 to 63 years in 34 provinces. Read also: Patients crowd hospitals as Indonesia loses 183 'priceless' medical workers The majority of respondents (82 percent) reported moderate levels of burnout according to the Maslach Burnout Inventory, which assesses emotional exhaustion, responses toward service, care and instruction and feelings of competence and successful achievement at work. Meanwhile, only 17 percent reported mild burnout and 1 percent experienced severe burnout. The survey also revealed that the risk of suffering from burnout increased by 1.39 to 1.66 times among general physicians and healthcare workers who handle COVID-19 patients. Among the symptoms of burnout are feeling overwhelmed and emotionally drained, the loss of empathy and reduced self-confidence, as well as physical symptoms such as feeling lethargic, head of UIs research team Dewi Soemarko told The Jakarta Post. Dewi said that burnout among medical workers was caused by increased workloads and uncertainty during the pandemic. Almost 50 percent of respondents said they had not experienced changes or reductions in working hours during the pandemic, while 74.53 percent said the health facility where they worked did not carry out routine swab tests. Indeed, the burden on healthcare workers is shown by the bed occupancy rates in isolation rooms and intensive care units (ICUs), which National COVID-19 task force spokesperson Wiku Adisasmito described as no longer ideal. Health Ministry data show the spike in occupancy rates, with Bali reporting a 72.55 percent occupancy rate on Monday, followed by Jakarta (67.25 percent), East Kalimantan (55.62 percent), Central Java (49.3 percent), Banten (49.3 percent) and East Java (49 percent). Moreover, at least 104 doctors have died of COVID-19 as of Wednesday, the Indonesian Medical Association (IDI) reported. Nine dentists have also died of COVID-19 as of Tuesday, according to the IDI. The Indonesian Nurses Association (PPNI), meanwhile, said 70 nurses had died of the disease as of Monday. Dewi said that healthcare professionals should be aware that they were prone to burnout. They also have to know the symptoms so that they can immediately seek help and prevent the burnout from getting worse, she said. Read also: We have worked as hard as we can: Erick apologizes for govt's COVID-19 handling The research team also advised hospitals and other health facilities to ensure there was adequate infrastructure for handling COVID-19 patients, and to set up work schedules that took into account the well-being of health workers, in addition to providing psychosocial assistance. Meanwhile, the government is expected to monitor medical workers to detect signs of burnout as early as possible, so that timely treatment can be provided. The Health Ministry must educate health facilities to pay attention to burnout issues and facilitate psychological counseling services, Dewi said. Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister Muhadjir Effendy said on Wednesday that the government had done its best to protect medical workers, citing the provision of protective gear as part of the support it had provided. We have worked hard to give support to medical workers, so that they can perform their duties well, and especially for them to be safe from the COVID-19 threat, he said. The government is also struggling with the provision of financial incentives, with progress moving at a snails pace. The central government has set aside Rp 5.9 trillion (US$396 million) for incentives for 78,472 health workers, but as of June 29, only Rp 226 billion has been disbursed to 25,311 health workers. MUMBAI: The National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken a suo moto cognisance of the alleged threat to Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut and demanded the arrest of Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik. The NCW issued a letter in this regard to Maharashtra DGP S K Jaiswal saying the commission has taken serious note of the 'hatred and threats' given on social media against a woman by persons holding responsible positions. "The Commission being concerned about the safety and security of women of the country advises that strict action may be taken against Pratap Sarnaik in the above-mentioned matter as per the provision of law and a feedback be apprised to the Commission at an early date," the letter read. Referring to reports about Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik threatening Ranaut, NCW chairman Rekha Sharma said she was taking suo motu cognisance in the matter. "He must immediately get arrested @CPMumbaiPolice. Taking suo motu," she said in a tweet. Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik, in a tweet, demanded that Kangana be booked for sedition for comparing Mumbai to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. "MP Sanjay Raut cautioned Kangana in a very mild way. If she comes here then our brave women will not leave without slapping her. I will demand Kangana to be booked for sedition for comparing Mumbai, the city which creates industrialists and film stars, to PoK," he wrote in a tweet in Marathi. Sarnaik's comments come after Ranaut accused Shiv Sena leader Raut of threatening her. She also claimed, in a tweet, that Mumbai now looks like PoK to her. Three new cases of Covid-19 have been reported in New Zealand today. Two of the new cases are in the community and one is imported. There have also been two deaths reported in the past 24 hours. New Zealand's death toll from the coronavirus has now risen to 24. Former Cook Islands Prime Minister and prominent doctor Joe Williams died in Auckland last night after contracting Covid-19, while a man in his 50s died in Middlemore Hospital yesterday. The Ministry of Health says both community cases reported today have been epidemiologically linked to the Auckland cluster. "One case has been linked as a close contact to the Americold household sub-cluster and the other is a close contact of a confirmed case linked to the Mount Roskill Evangelical Church sub-cluster." The imported case is a young child linked to a previously identified case who arrived from India on August 23. The child was already in quarantine with family members. There are two people in hospital with the coronavirus - one on a ward in North Shore Hospital and one in intensive care in Waikato Hospital. There are now 77 people linked to the community cluster at the Auckland quarantine facility, including 60 people who have tested positive for Covid-19. There are now 112 active cases in New Zealand, with one of the previously reported cases now recovered. The total number of Covid-19 cases in New Zealand is now 1416. New Zealand's labs processed 9470 tests yesterday, with more than 800,000 tests now carried out in this country. There were five new cases reported in New Zealand yesterday - three community cases linked to the Auckland cluster, and two in managed isolation. What should I do? Auckland has moved to alert level 2.5, and the rest of the country is at alert level 2. The geographic boundary of the Auckland alert level is the super city. In Auckland, there is a ten-person limit on social gatherings, apart from funerals and tangihanga, which have a 50 person limit. Public and event venues can have up to 100 people. For the rest of the country, gatherings are restricted to 100 people. Masks are now mandatory on public transport nationwide. If you are sick or have symptoms of the coronavirus, call the NZ Covid-19 Healthline on 0800 358 5453 or call your GP - don't show up at a medical centre. To avoid contracting and spreading the virus, wash your hands properly, cough and sneeze into the crook of your elbow and throw tissues away immediately. Reach out to find support from people who care, connect with your community. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 00:17:22|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Fan Jianchuan, curator of the Jianchuan Museum, speaks during an interview in southwest China's Sichuan Province, Aug. 26, 2020. (Xinhua/Shen Bohan) CHENGDU, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- At an exhibition held Friday in southwest China's Sichuan Province, the wreckage of a United States Army C-87 transportation airplane caught the attention of many visitors. The plane was flown during World War II by U.S. pilots tasked with transporting goods to southwest China along the famous "Hump" air route to help China's fight against Japanese aggression. "No matter how the Sino-U.S. relationship changes, now or in the future, the Chinese and American people will never forget the episode in history in which we fought together and supported each other as allies," said Fan Jianchuan, curator of the Jianchuan Museum, where the wreckage is housed. The Hump route ran between the Indian state of Assam and China's Sichuan, passing over the Himalayas. It was established in 1942 and closed in 1945. With 650,000 tonnes of goods transported via the route, it was a crucial channel in China's war-time logistics system, which was weak at that time. The wreckage of the plane was first discovered by locals in 1993 at the top of a mountain in Bomi County, in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. At that time, there were not sufficient resources to move the plane, although some of the airmen's remains were brought down from the glacier. It was not until August 2015 that the wreckage and more remains of U.S. airmen were moved to lower ground. Later that year, China handed over the remains to representatives from the United States. A section in the Jianchuan Museum was dedicated to the American Volunteer Group, whose members came to be known as the "Flying Tigers." The special section, named the Hall of Heroes of the Flying Tigers, features over 3,000 exhibits telling of the heroic deeds of the U.S. servicemen fighting alongside the Chinese during WWII. Among them is a photo of the girlfriend of U.S. veteran Robert Gruber, which was kept in a frame made from the wreckage of Japanese planes. After joining the war, Gruber lost contact with his girlfriend and never found her again. He remained single all his life. "After seeing the photo and hearing about Gruber's story, many Chinese visitors were moved," said Fan. Thursday marked the 75th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. Enditem US President Donald Trump has found himself under criticism for his alleged disparaging comments on American war fatalities US President Donald Trump has demanded that Fox News fire its national security correspondent after she confirmed claims that the Republican leader had disparaged the military -- a bombshell that has dogged him for two days. Trump came under fire after The Atlantic magazine reported that he had called Marines killed in action in World War I "losers" and "suckers" in connection with a November 2018 visit to France when he skipped a visit to a US military cemetery. The official explanation for that missed visit was bad weather. Fox News correspondent Jennifer Griffin said two former administration officials had confirmed to her that the president "did not want to drive to honor American war dead" at the Aisne-Marne cemetery outside Paris, implying weather was not a factor. One official also told her that Trump had used the word "suckers" to denigrate the military, but in a different context related to the Vietnam War. "When the President spoke about the Vietnam War, he said, 'It was a stupid war. Anyone who went was a sucker,'" she quoted the unnamed official as saying. "It was a character flaw of the President. He could not understand why someone would die for their country, not worth it," the source said. A furious Trump tweeted late Friday: "Jennifer Griffin should be fired for this kind of reporting. Never even called us for comment. @FoxNews is gone!" Trump has furiously defended himself in the wake of the story in The Atlantic, tweeting and retweeting stories condemning it as "fake news." He called the magazine's editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg, who wrote the piece, a "slimeball." The habitually Trump-friendly Fox News has been criticized for seemingly sidelining Griffin's reporting in its coverage of the story. A story on its front page Saturday was headlined: "Sources dispute claim Trump nixed visit to military cemetery over disdain for slain veterans." Story continues Several of Griffin's colleagues at Fox have publicly defended her on Twitter, along with Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger, who called her "fair and unafraid." "I can tell you that my sources are unimpeachable," Griffin said on-air Saturday on her network. "My sources are not anonymous to me and I doubt they are anonymous to the president." Just before The Atlantic published its story, a poll by the Military Times and the Syracuse University Institute for Veterans and Military Families found that just 37.4 percent of active duty personnel support Trump's re-election bid, while 43.1 percent back Joe Biden. sst/bbk The laid-off workers have described a new one million euro deal proposed yesterday by liquidator KPMG and their trade union Mandate as a "slap in the face". The workers say at least 10 million needs to be made available, and that there is 25 million worth of stock in the shops they are blockading. Debenhams protesters out in force today, fair play to them, I hope their perseverance pays off #Debenhams pic.twitter.com/ND5bpoyJii Emma Langford (@ELangfordMusic) September 5, 2020 Valerie Conlon, the shop steward for the former Debenhams department store on Patrick Street in Cork, said the deal is insulting: Its an insult, its a slap in the face to staff, especially those that have been out there nearly 150 days now, thats what they thought would be an okay offer. Advertisement The point of this afternoon is different now compared to what it was because before we were planning this we had no offer, but today now people will be telling Mandate and KPMG that we will not be accepting what they are trying to force upon us. Thank you to the former Debenhams workers for inviting me to join their event today marking 150 days on the picket line (tomorrow is the 150th day). I hope they get what they are entitled to - and its just wrong that they have to do this to get it #workersrights #Debenhams pic.twitter.com/XGp3KWSsCi PJ Coogan #Cork4Zero (@pjcoogan) September 5, 2020 Marie Murphy, a Debenhams worker at a rally on Henry Street in Dublin, said the workers are determined to reject the offer: We want them all to stand together and know that theyre worth a lot more than that, and that we can get more. Because we know that Debenhams have millions in the bank, so to vote no and not accept that the union, our union, is even putting that out to us. Deagreez/iStockBY: KARMA ALLEN, ABC NEWS (BOSTON) -- Northeastern University said it has dismissed 11 freshmen who allegedly violated coronavirus social distancing rules this week as students returned to campus for the fall semester, officials said Friday. The students, all members of the university's study abroad program, known as N.U.in, were caught gathering on Wednesday at a temporary dormitory, located about a mile away from the school's Boston campus, school officials said. Staff members, who were on call and making rounds at the time, said they discovered the students gathering without masks or social distancing -- a direct violation of the university's health and safety protocols that ban crowded gatherings, according to Madeleine Estabrook, senior vice chancellor for student affairs at Northeastern. "Cooperation and compliance with public health guidelines is absolutely essential," Estabrook said in a statement Friday. "Those people who do not follow the guidelines -- including wearing masks, avoiding parties and other gatherings, practicing healthy distancing, washing your hands, and getting tested -- are putting everyone else at risk." The students were among 818 N.U.in program students staying in two-person rooms at the Westin Hotel in Boston as part of a temporary housing plan. The program is an international experience for first-year students that has been modified in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and now includes Boston as one of the locations, school officials said. The 11 students and their parents were notified Friday that they must vacate the campus within 24 hours. Before departing, they were required to undergo COVID-19 testing at the university "with the understanding that anyone who tests positive will be moved into wellness housing at the university until they have recovered, in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus," the school said. Students, faculty and staff are required to undergo regular testing under Northeastern's COVID-19 policy. "Testing negative for COVID-19 is not enough," Estabrook said. "We must practice all of the public health guidelines in order to keep ourselves and the community healthy. Together, we can keep each other safe, but it will require everyones consistent cooperation." Students were formally notified as recently as this week that they were required to practice physical distancing, avoid crowds and wear masks in the presence of other people, officials said. They were also required to acknowledge that they had reviewed the program handbook, detailing the COVID-19 requirements, at the beginning of the semester. The handbook also notifies students that they are not permitted to have guests or additional occupants in their bed spaces, the school said. The dismissed students will be permitted to return in the spring, but they will not receive a refund. The special one-semester program is estimated to cost about $36,500, according to the school's website. Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. LOUISVILLE, Ky. Hundreds of protesters demanding racial justice and an end to police brutality marched to the Churchill Downs racetrack on Saturday as the Kentucky Derby got underway. Demonstrators carried signs that read "No justice, no Derby" and "End the war on us." Tiffanie Morris said she traveled to the protest from Atlanta in a show of solidarity for the family of Breonna Taylor, 26, a Black emergency medical technician killed in a police raid at her home. "It has been six months, and there has been no arrests," Morris said. "It's time for us to take to the streets and peacefully protest, just like we have been doing all summer. This has been the freedom summer 2020." Earlier on Saturday, protesters and counterprotesters from armed white militia groups confronted each other at Jefferson Square Park amid a large police presence, including the state National Guard and state police. Some protesters chanted "Breonna Taylor" while counterprotesters shouted "USA." I hope the nation sees us and takes us seriously, said Cheri Roberts, 48. "The cops cant keep killing us." Image: Far-right activists confront Black Lives Matter activists in Louisville (Bryan Woolston / Reuters) The confrontation appeared tense but was mostly peaceful. It was broken up with the arrival of police in riot gear. Other groups were expected to protest on Saturday, including the Not F***ing Around Coalition, an armed Black militia, and the white Angry Viking, an armed group that intended to show support for law enforcement. NFAC (Black militia) outside Churchill Downs minutes before start of #KentuckyDerby2020 pic.twitter.com/kXROpZ2Nzs Gabe Gutierrez (@gabegutierrez) September 5, 2020 We are prepared for others to express their First Amendment rights," Louisville Metro Police Department Deputy Chief LaVita Chavous said. "We dont know how large these crowds will be, but we do intend to not intervene with lawful protests that are not violent. Story continues Fences are erected around Churchill Downs every year for crowd management, she said. Some residents criticized law enforcement's preparation for the demonstrations, calling it excessive. To come out here and see armored vehicles, to see all the way around miles of fencing is ridiculous, Pastor Timothy Findley Jr. said Friday. Morris said the show of force illustrates a deepening divide between police and protesters. "They view us as the enemy," she said. Image: Far-right activists confront Black Lives Matter activists in Louisville (Bryan Woolston / Reuters) Tensions have remained high in Louisville for months as the state attorney general continues to investigate Taylor's death, and some residents have said that holding the Kentucky Derby is insensitive and a distraction from the ongoing demand for justice. (NBC televises the derby every year.) Some protesters called for the cancellation of the Kentucky Derby this year. We find it reprehensible that our city wants to go on like everything is normal, said Louisville resident Katie Duvall, 37. We have been protesting for 100 days and nothing has happened besides one officer being fired in relation to Breonna Taylor Churchill Downs issued a statement on Thursday, defending its decision to move forward with the race but acknowledging concerns about injustice. Churchill Downs is committed to engaging in the hard conversations in our city, our sport and within our own organization," the statement read. We are committed to taking real, concrete action to address institutional roadblocks to progress and playing our part in advancing the changes America so desperately needs. Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said Wednesday, "Racial justice is a goal we all support. And we support First Amendment rights. We just have to balance the right to protest with our essential duty to preserve public safety. George Washington University on Friday suspended professor Jessica Krug after a blog post was published claiming she has pretended to be Black. The essay that appeared Thursday on Medium is attributed to Krug, a history professor at the Washington, D.C., school, whose areas of expertise include Africa, Latin America and African American history, according to the university website. "While the university reviews this situation, Dr. Krug will not be teaching her classes this semester," university officials said in a statement. "We are working on developing a number of options for students in those classes, which will be communicated to affected students as soon as possible." An email to Krug on Friday to confirm she authored the essay did not receive an immediate response. Three phone numbers listed for Krug were disconnected. Jessica Krug participates in a panel at the Embassy of Haiti in Washington DC on Dec. 5, 2017. (Samira Rashid / Samira Rashid) The post begins, "For the better part of my adult life, every move Ive made, every relationship Ive formed, has been rooted in the napalm toxic soil of lies." It goes on to say that the author is white and grew up Jewish in suburban Kansas City, but has "assumed identities within a Blackness that I had no right to claim: first North African Blackness, then US rooted Blackness, then Caribbean rooted Bronx Blackness." "I have not only claimed these identities as my own when I had absolutely no right to do so when doing so is the very epitome of violence, of thievery and appropriation, of the myriad ways in which non-Black people continue to use and abuse Black identities and cultures but I have formed intimate relationships with loving, compassionate people who have trusted and cared for me when I have deserved neither trust nor caring," the post continues. "It means that every step Ive taken has gaslighted those whom I love." Krug's faculty profile at George Washington University says that classes she has taught includeTopics in African History, African History to 1880, and Africans in the Making of the Atlantic World. Story continues Many Universities in the D.C. region have announced that the Fall 2020 semester will be fully online. (Jonathan Newton / The Washington Post via Getty Images) She has penned multiple essays in addition to a book on topics that include Black identity, slavery and the African diaspora. Crystal L Nosal, a spokesperson for George Washington University, told NBC News that the college is "aware of the Medium post and are looking into the situation." Provost M. Brian Blake and Paul Wahlbeck, dean of the college of arts and sciences, said in the statement that students, faculty and staff members impacted by Krug's revelations can seek counseling through the institution. "We want to acknowledge the pain this situation has caused for many in our community and recognize that many students, faculty, staff and alumni are hurting," they said. "Please know that we are taking this situation seriously and are here to support our community." The 1,200-word blog post asserts that the author has struggled with mental health "demons" stemming from "severe trauma that marked my early childhood and teen years." "But mental health issues can never, will never, neither explain nor justify, neither condone nor excuse, that, in spite of knowing and regularly critiquing any and every non-Black person who appropriates from Black people, my false identity was crafted entirely from the fabric of Black lives," the post says. "I have not lived a double life. ... I have lived this lie, fully, completely, with no exit plan or strategy," it continues. "I have no identity outside of this. I have never developed one. I have to figure out how to be a person that I dont believe should exist, and how, as that person, to even begin to heal any of the harm that Ive caused." The author says she had thought many times about revealing the truth, "but my cowardice was always more powerful than my ethics." The post does not explain why the purported admission of a false identity is being made now. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com. US President Donald Trump on Friday expressed his readiness once again to help India and China resolve their border situation, which he described as very nasty. Answering questions at a White House briefing, the president also expressed confidence that Indian Americans will vote for him in the November 3 elections citing the incredible turnout at the Howdy Modi event in Houston last September. India and China are going at it pretty good on the border, as you know, its been very nasty, its been a very nasty situation, the president said at the briefing, segueing into the conflict in response to a question about his campaigns outreach to Indian American voters spearheaded by his son Donald Trump Jr and his partner Kimberley Guilfoyle. He added, We stand ready to help with respect to China and India if we can do anything we would love to get involved and help. And we are talking to both countries about that. The American President had extended an offer to mediate the standoff way back in May. We have informed both India and China that the United States is ready, willing and able to mediate or arbitrate their now raging border dispute, he had written in a tweet. Both sides turned him down. Trump had offered earlier to mediate between India and Pakistan following the spike in tensions after the Pulwama terrorist attack in February 2019 by Pakistan-based terrorists. India had rejected that offer also, and swiftly. Responding to a question about his expectations from Indian American voters, the president said, We have great support from India. We have great support from Prime Minister Modi and I would think that Indian people would be voting for Trump. Trump referred to the Howdy Modi event in Houston to back his optimism. We had an event in Houston, as you know, and it was a fantastic event. I was invited by Prime Minister Modi it was it was it was incredible. It was actually incredible and the Prime Minister could not have been more generous. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday accused former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, of being behind the electoral violence in Edo State. The State party leadership, therefore, requested the Nigeria Police to issue and execute a search warrant on Oshiomholes homes, alleging a stockpile of arms at the Iyamho country home and Benin City residence of the former APC national chairman. The PDP State Publicity Secretary in Edo State, Chris Osa Nehikhare at a press conference in Benin, raised alarm alleging that credible reports from Iyamho community in Etsako West Local Government Area disclosed purported movement of suspected thugs, arms and ammunitions into Oshiomholes residence. Nehikhare expressed concerns that Edo South and Central senatorial districts have been relatively peaceful unlike Edo North senatorial district; he therefore, called on the police to caution Oshiomhole to comply with the peace agreement at the Palace of the Oba of Benin. He demanded the Police to order the former APC national chairman to call his boys to order, end violence on the state and send back to Kogi the thugs he imported. The PDP State Publicity Secretary also stated that the former Edo governor should be made to stop using his house as a hideout for assassins and political thugs. Nehikhare assured that the PDP and its candidate, incumbent Governor Obaseki, have been preaching peaceful co-existence and non-violence from the inchoate stage of the electioneering campaign for the September 19 election. He commended the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, for his intervention to prevail on politicians to eschew from political violence and maintain peace in the build up to the September 19 governorship election in the state. Nehikhare declared: As a political party we are very excited for the timely intervention of His Royal Majesty in the very embarrassing situation we find ourselves where shooting becomes the order of the day, especially, in Edo north senatorial district of Edo State where Adams Oshiomhole comes from. We, the PDP as a political party, are very proud of the Oba and we are very proud of the way he handled the situation. His Royal Majesty is truly a man of great wisdom and all Edo people should tap from his wisdom. In Benin custom where there is quarrel or disturbance in a home, the fathers call the most senior or the most responsible child or person and ask him why all these disturbances, the father usually knows who the trouble maker in the family is. The most senior and responsible child is instructed to Take Charge. That is what The Monarch did on Wednesday by asking His Excellency, The Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Phillip Shaibu to Take Charge. Nehikhare said that at no time did anyone, not the even Oba, say the police should suspend investigation of incidence of political violence in the state. He said that the Benin paramount ruler rather condemned, declaring that their activities brought shame and disgrace to Edo State. Nehikhare accordingly declared: Governor Godwin Obaseki, Chief Security Officer of the State, in collaboration with the Commissioner of Police and all the relevant security agencies will continue to investigate all known cases of breach of peace, attempts to assassinate, cause bodily harms, injure, shooting to destroy and damage property of Edo citizens and residents, no matter the party he or she belongs. And this is just the right way to go so that if anybody is indicted, prosecuted and jailed, it will send serious message to all those who think election time is free for all to become recalcitrant and cause nuisance to themselves and the society. We are encouraging the police to carry on their investigation, and anybody found wanting, anybody involved, the police should prosecute the person and let it be a deterrent to other trouble makers across the state. PV: 12 New Delhi, Sep 5 : A rattled China on the defensive due to the military setbacks on the border has now accused India of playing the Tibet card. Chinese outlet, Global Times aligned with the ruling Communist Party reported, "While for India, colluding with the exiled Tibetan and playing the Tibet card is only shooting its own foot, as China's economic power and military strength are much greater than India's," an analyst said. In a sense, China has dared with its economic and military power and tried to send India a message on the issue of "collusion with exiled Tibetan" leadership. "The latest border confrontation between China and India has brought under spotlight an Indian force unit, composed of the exiled Tibetans who some Indian media believe formed an "elite unit" and played an "important role" in the latest standoff triggered by India's provocative actions," Global Times said in a report. "However, according to Chinese analysts, this so-called Special Frontier Force (SFF), numbered at most 1,000, was far from being "elite" and was only used by Indian army as cannon fodder in the border clash," the report said. As per the report, Qian Feng, director of the research department at the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University, told the Global Times that Indian army deployed the unit of exiled Tibetans to conduct the preemptive actions, but according to Indian media, the action resulted in one death and injuries to another commander, which fully reflects Indian forces' insufficient preparations. "One death and injuries to another commander in this non-war military action showed that the SFF was not that 'special', and far from being elite. They were only used by Indian army as cannon fodder," Qian said. The SFF was first formed with the support of the US in the 1960s as the exiled Tibetans had high-altitude combat capabilities. They were later used by India to spy on Chinese military, according to Qian. "At present, the SFF's importance has declined significantly in Indian army and it no longer plays any important role. The number of the unit has also dramatically reduced, and at present the unit has at most 1,000 offspring of the exiled Tibetans," he said. "Indian army does not trust foreign soldiers, thus most of the ethnic Tibetans had very low status in the military. Becoming a member of the unit was only their means to make a living," Qian said, as per Global Times. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said, "We firmly oppose any country providing convenience in any form for the "Tibet secessionist" forces' separatist activities". As per Global Times, analysts said that Tibetan "government-in-exile" has faded into obscurity and cannot make any waves internationally. It only used the China-India border confrontations as an opportunity to get a little bit of attention. The vice presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, says it is high time the will of the people is brought to mainstream governance, hence the NDC's People's Manifesto. She intimates that the times when leaders sat in Accra and drafted manifestos for the people are long gone. "We must make sure the exact cry of the people are incorporated into policy documents to ensure the people benefit directly". She made this known when she took her campaign tour to Kwasiadukrom in the Bodi constituency of the Western North Region. Addressing chiefs and people of the area, Prof Opoku-Agyemang said the NDC's yet to be launched manifesto is a document that will address the felt needs of the people towards national development. She pointed out that 'The Big Push' agenda in the manifesto, for instance, when implemented will ensure job creation for many people, adding the youth will be given hands-on skills training and projects started by the NDC government, which have been abandoned by the current government, will be completed. Prof. Opoku-Agyemang specifically called on women to rally behind the John and Jane ticket especially as issues affecting women and children are on top of the NDCs agenda. "This is our time as women and we must take advantage of the opportunity", she said. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The presidential election is now eight weeks away, and the structure of the contest is little changed from where it has been for some time. President Donald Trump is struggling and at times floundering. The question is whether he has the skills to turn around his candidacy in hopes of replicating his 2016 surprise victory. At the traditional Labor Day kickoff to the fall campaign, the race remains former vice president Joe Biden's to lose - which of course could still happen. Trump has tried many things over the past months in an effort to avoid becoming a one-term president. So far, nothing has proved to be the magic potion the president seems to believe is out there. Trump has claimed Biden is mentally challenged. He has gone after Biden's son Hunter as corrupt. The president has accused Biden of being a radical leftist, a socialist. He says the former vice president is weak. He says his challenger is soft on China. He has said Biden supports violent protesters and doesn't support the police. Oh, he's also said Biden's 1994 crime bill was too tough on crime (and by implication, therefore, on the side of the police). He is now preaching law and order, seizing on months of nightly protests in Portland, Ore., which often have turned violent, along with the protests and violence that followed the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wis. He claims the nation's cities are ablaze and that a Biden presidency would destroy the suburbs. The rhetoric aimed at suburban voters is grounded in racism. It is premature to say the law and order message isn't working, though there's been minimal movement in the polls since the conventions ended. What is left in the Trump tool kit if this message fails to do what Trump hopes it will do? Trump's mistakes, record and history plague his candidacy. He paints his record in glorious superlatives: "The greatest economy in history." Or, "No one has done more for (fill in the blank) than I have." The reality is something else, and it shows in how people continue to view him: negatively in terms of his job approval and distrustful of what he says about the coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic is far worse and more deadly because of how he handled it in the early stages and how he is still handling it. He speaks about it as if it is almost history. He mocks Biden for wearing a mask. He predicts the readiness of a vaccine by late October, a scenario that he obviously sees as a lifeline to his political resurrection. This rosy outlook runs contrary to the assessments of medical experts. Meanwhile, one forecast of the covid 19 death toll by early next year has been revised upward to 410,000. Friday's unemployment report offered some hopeful news. But Trump's claims about a recovering economy overlook how many people are still out of work, how many small businesses will never come back and how many families are teetering on the edge. Jobs are being restored as people go back to work, but the economy is being changed by the pandemic in ways that could be long-lasting, especially for those at the lower end of the economic scale. Still, he leads Biden when people are asked who would do a better job on the economy. That is another potential lifeline. Late in the week, Trump was confronting a damning story by Jeffrey Goldberg, editor in chief of the Atlantic. The report, based on multiple but anonymous sources, said Trump had referred to U.S. soldiers killed or wounded in action as "losers" and "suckers." Other news organizations, including The Washington Post, confirmed the essence of the story. And the language was consistent with things the president has said in the past, particularly about the late senator John McCain of Arizona. Trump vehemently denied the report, as did many of his political and personal advisers. Others who might be able to confirm or refute the report were silent, including former White House chief of staff John Kelly, whom Trump attacked during a Friday news conference as a man "eaten up" by the job. Biden said if the report is accurate, it is "disgusting." In danger of losing the election, Trump casts doubt on the integrity of the vote. He rails against voting my mail, even though he will cast an absentee ballot this fall as he has done in the past. In a country divided and on edge, a country where political debate and differences risk turning violent, he sows mistrust ahead of the election and potential chaos in its aftermath. The race for president has tightened a bit since early summer, when Biden enjoyed a lead, based on a national average of polls in the range of nine-plus percentage points. It, however, has not tightened noticeably since mid-August, just before the two national conventions. Before the Democratic convention, the FiveThirtyEight.com numbers showed Biden with a lead nationally of between seven and eight points. His lead after the Republican convention stands at between seven and eight points. National polls and the national popular vote do not elect presidents. Biden could roll up bigger margins than Hillary Clinton in states like California, Massachusetts, Maryland and some other deep-blue states. He could run better than Clinton or former president Barack Obama in states like Texas and Georgia and Arizona, which are moving away from the Republicans but are not yet in the Democrats' column. But winning the states that will likely decide the electoral college - like Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Florida - is where the campaign is being waged. State polls will tell the story of the campaign, and the battleground margins overall are a bit tighter than the current national numbers, which is to be expected. However, national polls are not irrelevant. They were accurate within the margin of error in predicting the popular vote in 2016. What will be important will be the gap between Biden and Trump in those national surveys. It would be remarkable, if not a miracle, for Trump to win an electoral college majority while still losing the popular vote by his current deficit of about seven points. Only one election in this century years was decided by a margin that large, which was in 2008. Based on that, it would be imprudent to assume Biden can beat Trump by that kind of margin. Even most Democrats assume the race will tighten. Trump, however, would have difficulty winning an electoral college majority if he loses the popular vote by five points, and perhaps even four points. Mike Donilon, Biden's chief strategist, said the lack of movement since the conventions is notable. "It was imperative for him [Trump] to move the election at this time and it didn't happen," he told reporters on Friday. If Trump's law and order message doesn't work as planned, his chances will likely rest on whether perceptions of the pandemic - and his erratic leadership in fighting it - change and change rather rapidly, and also whether perceptions of Trump as an economic manager will somehow override attitudes about the virus. His other avenue is to dominate Biden in the presidential debates, especially the first one on Sept. 29. The odds still favor Biden - a roughly 7-in-10 chance according to the FiveThirtyEight model. But that gives the president a 3-in-10 chance. As Democrats learned in 2016, underdogs sometimes overcome odds like that; something that must give Trump hope, despite the hole he continues to dig. A scientist has been jailed for sending fake poison to Theresa May a month after former Russian spy Sergei Skripal was poisoned by the novichok nerve agent in Salisbury. Christopher Doyle, a former research fellow at Cambridge University, was sentenced to two years and 10 months at Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday for sending the white powder to the then prime minister in 2018 and for making indecent images. He addressed the letter to Theresa May, c/o The Nazi Party and enclosed a cartoon poster showing her decapitated along with the powder, which was later found to be harmless, a picture of former spy Alexander Litvinenko and a message criticising her policy on Russia. The mail was examined on 5 April, 2018, at a Swiss Post screening facility which had to be evacuated, the court heard. Judge Anil Murray said: Sergei Skripal had been poisoned just about a month before this letter was opened and so the issue of poisoning was high in the nations consciousness. This was a serious offence intended by you to induce fear of danger to human life. Doyle had denied sending the powder but was convicted following a trial. The 54-year-old, who had a PhD in neuroscience and said he previously worked at the government facility Porton Down, suffered from bipolar affective disorder, the court was told. He told police he had also written a letter to Boris Johnson criticising his attitude to Russia and a letter to then Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in which he praised him. The court heard he told officers he believed the powder may have been planted in the letter by MI5 or MI6. Mark Pritchard, defending, said Doyle had been living with agoraphobia since 2013 following the death of a friend. He said: He has gone from being a successful research fellow at Cambridge University to living in almost isolation. He has been in a bubble of pro-Russian Facebook groups to which he has been a member. Judge Murray told the defendant: You are a highly intelligent man. You know the effects your condition has. These were not spur of the moment offences. Joseph Allman, prosecuting, said when police raided Doyles home in Fir Street they found more than 245,000 indecent images of children on a laptop. Doyle pleaded guilty to making indecent photographs of children but Judge Murray said he did not accept his claim that he did not have them for his own sexual gratification. Doyle was also ordered to sign the sexual offenders register and made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order. Additional reporting by PA Media VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 4, 2020 / Silver Range Resources Ltd. (TSXV:SNG) ("Silver Range" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that, further to the news release dated Aug. 17, 2020, the Company has signed a final definitive option agreement with Supernova Metals Corp. [TSX-V:SUPR] ("Supernova"), granting Supernova the right to acquire a 75% interest in the Cold Springs gold/silver project (the "Property") by paying Silver Range an aggregate of $300,000 in cash and performing a minimum of 2,000 meters of drilling on the Property over a three year period. The Property is subject to a 2.5% net smelter return in right of Silver Range that can be reduced to 1% for a cash payment of $1,250,000. About Cold Springs Cold Springs is a high-grade low-sulphidation epithermal gold-silver prospect. It lies approximately 80 km east of Fallon and is accessible by road from Highway 50. The Property consists of 22 Federal Lode Claims, centered on a small hill bounded by a range front fault. The claims cover an 800 m by 350 m hill-top exposure of altered and silicified rhyodacite breccia hosting a series of northwest-striking, sub-parallel gold and silver-bearing quartz veins. Previous sampling of these veins by Silver Range and others has yielded values of up to 64.9 g/t gold and 1,770 g/t silver. Limited drilling on the Property has been confined to exposed mineralization in the eastern portion of the claims. Geophysical surveys conducted by Silver Range defined a compelling drill target with geological support in an overburden covered area west of the known mineralization. Nevada Exploration Update Having recently optioned several of its drill ready Nevada projects including Gold Point, Cold Springs and Skylight, Silver Range has focused summer exploration on advancing several other prospects in its portfolio to the drill stage. After June's resurgence in silver prices, work was completed on a high-grade silver prospect and a camp-scale silver target. Property exploration was also conducted on two high-grade gold targets. The Company expects to release results from these exploration programs in late-September through October, following receipt of assays. Story continues Silver targets Silver Range has consolidated its Bellehelen and Kawich properties together with an additional recently staked target into the Bellehelen Project. Collectively these claims cover the principal prospects in the Bellehelen Mining District aside from the adjoining Peterson and Bellehelen Merger Mines, currently in private hands. High grade silver mineralization was discovered in the Bellehelen Mining District, 70 km east of Tonopah, in 1904. By 1910, the district had a small town (Bellehelen) of about 500 people and a post office although this was short-lived. Production between 1910 and 1935 which can be attributed to specific prospects totaled about 311,000 oz Ag at an average grade of 105 OPT Ag. Since the 1980's, the area has been subsequently staked but only lightly explored by Seabridge (Pacific Intermountain), AngloGold and Homestake. Grab samples of material from dumps and adits in the district sampled by Silver Range have returned up to 430 g/t Ag and 10.35 g/t Au. During July and August, Silver Range conducted soil sampling; ground total magnetic field and horizontal loop electromagnetic (HLEM) surveys; and prospecting near the Ajax Mine. The Company also recently staked an additional high-grade target near the Bellehelen Merger Mine. Exploration work consisting of soil sampling, ground total magnetic field and horizontal loop electromagnetic (HLEM) surveys was also completed on the Legal Tender Project, a high grade silver prospect in the Royston Hills, about 62 km northwest of Tonopah in Nye County. In past programs, Silver Range has collected grab samples from dumps and adits on the property returning analyses up to 1,875 g/t Ag. The summer exploration program consisted of 10 line-km of geophysical surveys and soil surveys covering a portion of the geophysical survey grid. Gold targets The Sniper Property is located 65 km west-northwest of Beatty in the Tokop Mining District. Acquired by Silver Range in fall 2019, the property hosts high grade gold and silver mineralization developed in veins along the contact between Precambrian Wyman Formation and the underlying Jurassic Sylvania Pluton. Grab samples collected by Silver Range have returned up to 121 g/t Au and 1,375 g/t Ag. A soil geochemical survey was completed in August covering the area straddling the exposed contact to investigate the size of the mineralizing system. The Loner Property is 35 km south of Winnemucca in Pershing County. The property hosts low sulphidation epithermal gold mineralization in quartz-adularia veins cutting Jurassic granodiorite. This has been high-graded from several adits and inclined shafts. Acquired by Silver Range in 2018, initial grab sampling returned up to 16.60 g/t Au and chip samples returned up to 1.83 m @ 25.70 g/t Au. Silver Range soil sampled the property in fall 2019 and during July and August extended the soil survey and conducted ground total magnetic field and horizontal loop electromagnetic field surveys. Additional work including hand trenching is planned later this fall. Technical information in this news release has been approved by Mike Power, M.Sc., P.Geo., President and CEO of Silver Range Resources Ltd. and a Qualified Person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101. Information concerning historical exploration, development and mining in the Bellehelen Mining District is in part based on Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology archive material. About Silver Range Resources Ltd. Silver Range is a precious metals prospect generator working in Nevada and Northern Canada. It has assembled a portfolio of 43 properties, 11 of which are currently under option to others. Silver Range is actively seeking other joint venture partners to explore the high precious metals targets in its portfolio. ON BEHALF OF SILVER RANGE RESOURCES LTD. "Michael A. Power" President and Chief Executive Officer For further information concerning Silver Range or its exploration projects please contact: Investor Inquiries Richard Drechsler Vice-President, Communications Tel: (604) 687-2522 NA Toll-Free: (888) 688-2522 rdrechsler@silverrangeresources.com http://www.silverrangeresources.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain forward looking statements based on assumptions and judgments of management regarding future events or results that may prove to be inaccurate as a result of exploration and other risk factors beyond its control, and actual results may differ materially from the expected results. SOURCE: Silver Range Resources Ltd. View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/604759/Silver-Range-Resources-Ltd-Signs-Definative-Agreement-on-Cold-Springs-and-Provides-Nevada-Exploration-Update A swimmer came within inches of an 18-foot shark with its jaws open off the coast of Scotland. Ryan Leith, 48, spent days scouring the Shetland Islands for basking sharks before his encounter with one. 'I had just about given up when I saw not one, but two sharks just off the coastline at Fladdabister,' he said. Ryan Leith came within inches of an 18-foot shark with its jaws open off the coast of Scotland. The shark is seen above 'They were feeding on the abundant plankton that blooms in the sea around Shetland during the summer. 'I stopped the boat and dropped the anchor. The shark seemed to be interested in the boat and swam towards it almost immediately. 'I took a lot of photos of it on the surface and then, as it seemed quite relaxed, I went over the side with my snorkelling gear on.' Ryan Leith, 48, spent days scouring the Shetland Islands for basking sharks before his encounter with one last Thursday Mr Leith, a port controller for Lerwick Port Authority, estimated the shark he saw last Thursday was 18 feet long. 'I waited close to the boat and filmed the shark with my GoPro as it passed by,' he said. 'It was great to be in the water with such a large and powerful animal. 'The plankton it was feeding on limited the underwater visibility so it would only appear out of the gloom when it was a few metres away from me. It was quite exciting.' The basking shark is the second-largest extant shark in the world, after the whale shark. A filter feeder, it's usually seen close to the surface with its huge jaws open, filtering out plankton, very small fish and invertebrates from the water. Mr Leith said: 'In the past - the 1950s and 60s - they were hunted around Shetland by Norwegian fishermen for their livers, which contain large amounts of oil. 'Thankfully now they are a protected species and their numbers are increasing. 'There have been a good number of basking sharks sightings around Shetland over the past few weeks which is great.' Despite the fierce reputation of sharks as a group, they rarely attack humans and basking sharks in particular are considered harmless. Mr Leith said: 'I took a lot of photos of it on the surface and then, as it seemed quite relaxed, I went over the side with my snorkelling gear on' Stobart Group, whose chief executive is Warwick Brady, has previously said it eventually planned to exit its involvement in Stobart Air. The UK's Stobart Group has confirmed it's in talks to sell Dublin-based Stobart Air, which operates the Aer Lingus Regional service, to leasing firm Falko. The Irish Independent exclusively revealed the talks yesterday. In response to the story, stock market-listed Stobart Group confirmed it's in negotiations with UK-based Falko, which also controls Dublin airline CityJet, and other potential suitors. Stobart Group, whose chief executive is Warwick Brady, has previously said it eventually planned to exit its involvement in Stobart Air. "We can confirm that we are in early stage discussions with a number of parties, including Falko Regional Aircraft, regarding the potential sale of Stobart Group's stake in Stobart Air and Propius," it said in a statement to the stock market yesterday afternoon. Propius is an aircraft leasing vehicle. "There can be no certainty that any transaction will be forthcoming or whether acceptable terms will be agreed," Stobart Group added. The Irish Independent understands that a deal to sell Stobart Air to Falko could ultimately be worth more than 20m. It would also almost certainly lead to a tie-up between Stobart Air and Dublin-based CityJet, which recently exited examinership and is controlled by Falko. It's understood that the value placed on an agreement to buy Stobart Air will be contingent on the carrier securing an extension to its existing Aer Lingus franchise contract, however. The current contract expires in 2022. The deal could also reflect Falko assuming some of the significant liabilities that Stobart Group still has that are linked to Stobart Air. Stobart Group raised 100m (112m) from investors in June to shore up its balance sheet. Some of the funds were earmarked to help Stobart Air, which like other airlines has been left reeling from the impact of the Covid crisis. In April, when Stobart Group reacquired full control of Stobart Air, the company said that it intended to work with Aer Lingus to identify a new financial partner to support the business for the future, "with Stobart Group exiting its involvement in a controlled way at the appropriate time". Falko, whose chief executive is Jeremy Barnes, is backed by funds controlled by US investment group Fortress. The aircraft and engine lessor, which has offices in Dublin and Singapore, has a managed fleet of more than 100 regional aircraft. It was a significant backer of CityJet, which was founded by Pat Byrne, for a number of years prior to the carrier's examinership that began in April. CityJet had more than 545m in liabilities at the time that process began. CityJet does not fly its own scheduled services. Its sole customer at the moment is SAS. As part of the deal to exit examinership, Falko executive vice president James Greenstreet was appointed a director of the carrier. Joe Biden has won the endorsement of nearly 200 current and former law enforcement officials, as they call Donald Trump a "lawless president". The list, which was announced by the Biden campaign, included former Obama administration Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano as well as dozens of former attorney generals, US attorneys, local police chiefs, and sheriffs. Former Madison, Wisconsin Police Chief Noble Wray called Mr Trump a "lawless president", according to Fox News. "It's ironic that a lawless president claims to be the 'law and order' president," Mr Wray said. "We are at a crossroads with this nation, and we need a president that has always prioritised the safety of Americans and their families." Law enforcement and policing has become a major campaign issue for both candidates following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Mr Trump has pivoted his message in recent months by calling himself a "law and order" president amid the protests erupting across the country in response to police shootings. To swing voters his way, the president has claimed that more riots and looting would occur if Mr Biden were to win in November. He went on to receive an endorsement from the National Association of Police Organisations (NAPO) and the Police Benevolent Association (PBA), which is New York City's police union, for his pro-policing rhetoric. Previously, the NAPO endorsed the Obama-Biden campaign in 2008 and 2012 and did not endorse any candidate in 2016. "My agenda is anti-crime and pro-cop all the way, and that's what it's got to be," Mr Trump in August after the PBA endorsement. Mr Biden has attempted to also bring in voters by condemning the rioting, violence, and looting occurring in some American cities, all while supporting the protesters reacting to police shootings. He's also has reminded the public that these instances have all happened in "Trump's America" while slamming Mr Trump's rhetoric for "stoking the violence". "He has condemned violence of all kinds, and there is no question that I would feel safe in Joe Biden's America," Tom Manger, a former police chief in Montgomery County, Maryland, said in a statement distributed by the Biden campaign. More tech could be coming to Vietnam soon as foreign enterprises demonstrate an appreciation for the country's attractive investment environment. Automobile production at the plant of Japan-invested Toyota Viet Nam in Vinh Phuc Province. A number of foreign technology corporations were eyeing large investments in Viet Nam. A number of foreign technology corporations were eyeing large investments in Viet Nam, given the countrys improved business climate, rapid global integration, abundant labour resources and success in containing the coronavirus, Do Nhat Hoang, Director of the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment said. Hoang spoke at an online seminar themed Attracting foreign investment flow: breakthrough actions and solutions held by the Governments e-portal baochinhphu.vn on Friday. He said several foreign technology firms were negotiating to set up their projects in Viet Nam, some of which were worth billions of US dollars. A number of factors were making Viet Nam attractive in the eyes of foreign investors, Hoang said. We have a market of nearly 100 million people, an abundant young labour force, competitive production costs, rapid integration into the world economy, drastic administrative reforms and improving transport infrastructure. These are factors making Viet Nam an attractive destination for foreign investment, he said. As Viet Nam participated in a number of free trade agreements (FTAs), the country was enjoying many preferential trade policies with liberation of tariffs. Moreover, the success in containing the COVID-19 pandemic also made Viet Nam more attractive. Hoang said the Governments special working group to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) had actively worked with foreign technology corporations about their possible investment projects in Viet Nam to ensure their investments were compatible with the countrys target in attracting FDI. Some intended to invest up to billions of US dollars in Viet Nam, Hoang said, refusing to disclose more details because the negotiations were underway. According to Nguyen Van Toan, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Association of Foreign Invested Enterprises (VAFIE), Viet Nam has a significant opportunity to capture the FDI flow from the global production shift. Toan said that it was necessary for Viet Nam to improve the quality of the labour force, adding that the lack of skill and discipline remained a weakness but flexibility and innovativeness were strengths of Viet Nam, especially in the era of Industry 4.0. According to former Director of the Central Institute for Economic Management Nguyen Dinh Cung, the restructuring of the global value chains were taking place. Cung, however, said that the only advantage of Viet Nam in the race to attract FDI was that we have trade deals with major markets in the world. The global production shift brings opportunity, but the important thing is what we want and what we get, Cung said. He questioned why the FDI flow to Vietnam mainly came from Asian countries and not from US and European countries. If we want to attract FDI from the US and European countries, we must act to meet their requirements. Administrative reforms must be hastened at all management levels to create a favourable environment for investors, he said. The policies should be tailor-made for each investor, Cung stressed, adding it was necessary to figure out the problems and implement measures to remove barriers. Cung said that the attraction of FDI must be based on the strength of each locality. This is a win-win for both sides, he said. According to Hoang, it was important that the Government develops policies to enable small and medium-sized enterprises to participate in the global value chain. Hoang at the seminar said that global investment flow was forecast to fall by 20 per cent this year due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The ministrys statistics showed that Vietnam attracted $19.54 billion in FDI in the first eight months of this year, equivalent to 86.3 per cent of the same period last year. VNS Vietnams economic success story attributed to effective FDI attraction Vietnam has become one of the worlds fastest growing economies since the country first opened up to foreign trade and investment more than three decades ago, Jessica Krug. The post caused an immediate furore on social media, with Black academics, writers and activists recalling their interactions with Krug. (Image: Duke University Press). Washington: George Washington University is investigating the case of a history professor who allegedly admitted to fraudulently pretending to be a Black woman for her entire career, and said Friday that she will not be teaching her classes this semester. In a blog post that has gained international attention, a writer claiming to be Jessica Krug, a GW associate professor of history, writes that she is in fact a white Jewish woman from suburban Kansas City. The writer claims she has lived most of her adult life under various assumed identities within a Blackness that I had no right to claim: first North African Blackness, then US rooted Blackness, then Caribbean rooted Bronx Blackness. Krug did not respond to a request on her blog page for comment. In a statement released Friday night, University Provost Brian Blake and Dean Paul Wahlbeck wrote: Dr. Krug will not be teaching her classes this semester. We are working on developing a number of options for students in those classes, which will be communicated to affected students as soon as possible. The blog post attributed to Krug expresses deep remorse, calling the deception the very epitome of violence, of thievery and appropriation. The writer blames unaddressed mental health demons dating back to childhood and says she frequently thought of confessing the deception, but my cowardice was always more powerful than my ethics. Krugs biography on the GW website lists imperialism and colonialism and African-American history among her areas of expertise. Her writings center heavily on issues of African culture and diaspora. The post caused an immediate furore on social media, with Black academics, writers and activists recalling their interactions with Krug. Hari Ziyad, editor of the online publication RaceBatr, which had published Krugs writings, wrote on Twitter that Krug had confirmed the details of the blog post to him in a phone call Thursday morning. He described Krug as someone I called a friend up until this morning when she gave me a call admitting to everything written here. Ziyad wrote that Krug claimed to be Afro-Caribbean from the Bronx. He said he had defended Krug in the past against suspicious colleagues. In retrospect, he recalls clues to the deception including her clearly inexpert salsa dancing and awful New York accent. Krugs public persona comes across in a video testimony to a New York City Council hearing on gentrification from June. Referring to herself as Jess La Bombalera, Krug refers to my Black and brown siblings in the anti-gentrification movement and criticizes all these white New Yorkers who did not yield their time to Black and brown indigenous New Yorkers. In their letter Friday night, addressed to the GW Community, Blake and Wahlbeck said: We want to acknowledge the pain this situation has caused for many in our community and recognize that many students, faculty, staff and alumni are hurting. ... Please know that we are taking this situation seriously and are here to support our community. Another 9,200 people in Niagara found employment in August. Thats on top of the 8,000 who were hired back in July. In any other year I would be throwing confetti at numbers like that, said Adam Durrant, operations and research manager for Niagara Workforce Planning Board. Instead, he uses the words cautious optimism to describe the latest employment survey by Statistics Canada, released Friday. Despite a lot of positives - the regions unemployment rate went down, youth employment went up a bit and women started catching up with men in hiring they are only moving us back to gaining that which was lost this year due to COVID-19. Its a positive short-term trend among long-term data that is still quite challenging, Durrant said. Canadas national unemployment rate dropped slightly last month to 10.2 per cent. Niagaras also went down, to 11.3 per cent from 12.3 last month. That puts the region close to communities like Kitchener-Waterloo, with 10.7 per cent, and Windsor at 11.3 per cent. Hes cautious because chances of Niagaras economy continuing an upward trend hinges on things like a good shoulder season for the tourism industry, warm weather, and continuing to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Those are big questions that we dont have answers to, he said. And there are still 16,000 people in Niagara who have not regained their employment since COVID-19 hit. Durrant said he is concerned by the 28.9 per cent youth unemployment rate, which hurts their ability to save for future schooling, or for graduates means they cant start their careers. Last August, the rate across Niagara was 10.4 per cent. The data reflect that youth are trying to find work but right now the jobs are just not forthcoming for them. The study showed about three-quarters of the jobs added in Niagara were fulltime. The goods producing sector, including manufacturing, hired 4,200 more and employed 45,300 people last month. Thats nearly 5,000 more people than in August 2019. The services sector, including tourism and retail, was hardest-hit when COVID-19 forced closure of much of Niagaras economy this spring. In August it added 5,000 employees to a total of 140,600, but thats still nearly 21,000 shy of where it was in August 2019. Accommodation and food services, accounting for all the hotels, restaurants and many tourist-attractions, added only 400 jobs in August to a total of 15,200. In August 2019 it employed 26,100. It is important to note we are trending in the right direction toward pre-pandemic numbers. I dont want to be the guy who looks for a cloud on a sunny day, said Durrant. Its just a question of, can we keep this momentum going. We are advocating for nurses and counselors in all schools, broadband accessibility, K-12 funding, and equitable conversations that are relevant and action-based. We know this will be a long-term not short-term challenge. We are here to pledge our assistance and support for the long term. Our youngest to our oldest children are in need of our PTAs now more than ever. When you support a PTA, you are investing in your child, teacher, staff and school. We know that most meetings are virtual and we quickly are adjusting to technology. We know that the lack of in-person engagement is an adjustment, and not always an easy or equitable one. We all want to send our kids to school, but we also know that COVID-19 is proving a challenge as to how and when our kids will safely be back in school. We know that every student learns differently and every teacher teaches differently. We hope the first days will be smooth and problem-free, but we also know that flexibility and patience are words that are important right now. Kim Brent / Beaumont Enterprise Beaumont ISD will not welcome students back to campus until the week of Sept. 21, they announced Friday, citing delays caused by Hurricane Laura. As our current national crisis continues to evolve, Beaumont ISD anticipates on starting its student return to school phase-in process on September 21, 2020, rather than September 14, as originally planned due to the loss of instructional days from Hurricane Laura, Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction Jenny Angelo said in a social media post. For the past two weeks, our district has implemented the virtual learning platform. All parents now have the opportunity to update their childs method of learning and are asked to re-select either on-campus or virtual learning. By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The expansion of the special investigation team (SIT) probing the fire at the Secretariat has invited criticism as majority of the new entrants are part of the CPM-affiliated Kerala Secretariat Employees Association. As many as 13 officials from various departments were added to the team, based on a request by the police. According to officials, more members were added to categorise the charred files. However, sources allege foul play. Most of them are members of the pro-left Secretariat employees association. Some were even office-bearers. Naturally, there will be doubts about the expansion, they pointed out. Meanwhile, the SIT will submit its report to the government in the coming week. The police team has sent a letter to the forensic department to submit the report containing the findings at the earliest. As part of the ongoing probe, the police team led by ADGP (Headquarters) Manoj Abraham had acquired the CCTV visuals from the premises of the general administration department, where the fire broke out, and also handed over the forensic evidence to the lab for chemical analysis. A source with the police said burnt papers, wires and sanitiser used for disinfecting the switch of the wall-mounted fan in the office were sent for forensic examination. A forensic examination will give a clear idea as to how the fire broke out in the protocol section of the department. It will also reveal the presence of incendiary materials, if the fire was an act of sabotage, added the source.Last week, the probe team stated that as many as 25 files were partially damaged, of which none were important. The team said the files pertained to government notifications to various departments and files related to guest houses. The state government also issued an order late on Friday, releasing 13 staff of various departments at the Secretariat for the verification and categorisation of files. Of these staff, some will be assigned to verify burnt files, while others will keep a check on unburnt ones. The order was issued by the General Administration Department. Mel Togolo has been the CEO of Bougainville Copper Limited (ASX:BOC) since 2018, and this article will examine the executive's compensation with respect to the overall performance of the company. This analysis will also assess whether Bougainville Copper pays its CEO appropriately, considering recent earnings growth and total shareholder returns. View our latest analysis for Bougainville Copper Comparing Bougainville Copper Limited's CEO Compensation With the industry Our data indicates that Bougainville Copper Limited has a market capitalization of AU$106m, and total annual CEO compensation was reported as K739k for the year to December 2019. We note that's a decrease of 18% compared to last year. We note that the salary portion, which stands at K449.0k constitutes the majority of total compensation received by the CEO. On comparing similar-sized companies in the industry with market capitalizations below AU$274m, we found that the median total CEO compensation was K764k. So it looks like Bougainville Copper compensates Mel Togolo in line with the median for the industry. Component 2019 2018 Proportion (2019) Salary K449k K604k 61% Other K290k K300k 39% Total Compensation K739k K904k 100% Talking in terms of the industry, salary represented approximately 70% of total compensation out of all the companies we analyzed, while other remuneration made up 30% of the pie. It's interesting to note that Bougainville Copper allocates a smaller portion of compensation to salary in comparison to the broader industry. If total compensation veers towards salary, it suggests that the variable portion - which is generally tied to performance, is lower. Bougainville Copper Limited's Growth Over the last three years, Bougainville Copper Limited has shrunk its earnings per share by 11% per year. In the last year, its revenue is down 30%. Few shareholders would be pleased to read that EPS have declined. And the fact that revenue is down year on year arguably paints an ugly picture. So given this relatively weak performance, shareholders would probably not want to see high compensation for the CEO. We don't have analyst forecasts, but you could get a better understanding of its growth by checking out this more detailed historical graph of earnings, revenue and cash flow. Story continues Has Bougainville Copper Limited Been A Good Investment? With a three year total loss of 26% for the shareholders, Bougainville Copper Limited would certainly have some dissatisfied shareholders. This suggests it would be unwise for the company to pay the CEO too generously. In Summary... As we noted earlier, Bougainville Copper pays its CEO in line with similar-sized companies belonging to the same industry. Meanwhile, EPS growth and shareholder returns have been in the red for the last three years. We'd stop short of saying compensation is inappropriate, but we would understand if shareholders had questions regarding a future raise. It is always advisable to analyse CEO pay, along with performing a thorough analysis of the company's key performance areas. That's why we did our research, and identified 3 warning signs for Bougainville Copper (of which 1 doesn't sit too well with us!) that you should know about in order to have a holistic understanding of the stock. Arguably, business quality is much more important than CEO compensation levels. So check out this free list of interesting companies that have HIGH return on equity and low debt. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. The summer is over and while the dithering continues here about introducing Covid-19 testing for airline passengers, at least 30 other countries have outpaced us with different forms of airport checks. The Department of Health did not respond yesterday when asked when the proposed testing - suggested by various ministers in the current and last Government - would be introduced. Its press office also did not return calls when asked how it might operate in practice, a clear signal of the confusion which still hangs over the policy. Testing of passengers from high-risk Covid-19 countries means that if their result is negative, the 14-day quarantine would be shortened and those who test positive would be identified and asked to self-isolate. Since the pandemic began around 714 cases of the virus here have been travel related, 2.45pc of all infections. But in the last two weeks of August there were 112 cases linked to foreign travel - 7.1pc of the total. It is unclear what kind of regime would be in place here if it happens. Germany, which has seen a fall in Covid-19 cases, has had a mandatory test for travellers from high-risk areas since August 8. Results are returned in one to three days but some are available within 24 hours. After undergoing the swab test, passengers must begin 14 days of self-isolation but it ends in most parts of Germany if the result comes back negative. Some states seek a second test within a few days because of the incubation period of the virus. Alternatively passengers can produce a negative test taken 48 hours before travelling. France has a similar system but airline passengers are not required to self-isolate while they wait for the test result. In Holland, passengers who test negative still have to quarantine for 10 days. Passengers arriving in Iceland can choose quarantine or else agree to two tests which they pay for. The second is taken four days after the first. Travellers to Italy should have a Covid-free cert from within 72 hours before travel or else they must take an on-the-spot check. Austrian airports also charge for tests and results are back within six hours. These kind of regimes are logistically difficult and expensive. We know that not everyone arriving here observes the 14-day voluntary restriction of movement and that leads to risk. But the health and transport authorities here will have to weigh up if such an intensive airport testing system is worth it. It would create yet another burden for laboratories and also contact tracing teams. All close contacts of all passengers testing positive would have to be tracked down. Can the system cope with the rise in demand for tests over autumn in winter and also deliver an airport screening operation as well? Will the solution be to outsource it to a private company and charge passengers for tests? Sign up for our free travel newsletter! Like what you're reading? Subscribe to 'Travel Insider', our free travel newsletter written by award-winning Travel Editor, Pol O Conghaile. Charles Owusu has descended on former President John Mahama for endorsing a statement by Bolgatanga Central MP, Isaac Adongo. The MP reacting to the controversial Agyapa Royalties deal said the agreement was fraudulent adding 'the Akyem Sakawa boys and grandpas must go'. This was subsequently shared on John Mahama's facebook page where he described it as an 'interesting piece'. Communicators of the ruling government have condemned this, insisting that the flagbearer of the NDC shares same view by sharing the post on his page. Speaking to this on Peace FM's The Platform programme, Charles Owusu of the PPP was incensed over the fact that a former President and an MP will dabble in such tribal politics. "To see an MP singling a certain tribe and describing them as sakawa boys; a northerner who comes out to say that a certain tribe is sakawa. We should be careful in this country; to describe the President of the land as a sakawa grandpa... Then we have a former President who is seeking re-election; is this the man who says he wants to come backhe has no respect for anybody in this country: Mahamawhat has he learned. Why does the NDC engage in tribal politics anytime they want to come to power? Who is Adongo; you are a parliamentarian and so what; we will not tolerate these things" he fired. Listen to him in the video below Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Lack of clarity around college timetables will trigger a hectic accommodation scramble for students this month. Blended learning will mean most students spending a lot less time on campuses this academic year, attending for only selected classes. Universities will make online lectures a key part of the learning process this coming year. But detailed timetables for all courses stating how many days a week a student will have to be on campus have yet to be released. Read More With colleges officially starting on September 28, most universities are planning to publish their full timetables mid-September, giving students less than two weeks to find accommodation for the year, if they need it. Union of Students in Ireland (USI) President Lorna Fitzpatrick said this was a "massive" issue. The union has been contacted by many students with concerns as to whether they should sign leases before seeing their timetables. "Students are due to be going back to college and they have no clarity on what their college or institution is planning for them. It's not fair," she said. Some universities have published indicative timetables, which state that students in different schools or courses will be on campus for a certain percentage of the year. "The indicative timetables are some level of clarity, if they say you're going to be on campus 90pc or 80pc of the time," added Ms Fitzpatrick. "But if it says 40pc, or even 50pc - you're still in a bit of a grey area as to whether you need that accommodation or not." Colleges are due to start their first semesters on the week of September 28 and timetables have been promised over the next two weeks. "That's giving people about a week's notice and we know what the situation is like when you're trying to scramble to get accommodation and there's not enough of it out there," she explained. Universities have also said that separate timetables would be released by the different schools on cmapus. "Some departments have issued timetables, but not institution-wide, which actually creates an issue and a conversation in and of itself, some students getting access to accommodation before others because their timetables are announced earlier," Ms Fitzpatrick said. UCC arts student Gerard O'Connor landed a spot in the on-campus Victoria Lodge accommodation but he has not yet paid the first rent instalment, despite the deadline passing. Normally, on-campus accommodation is highly sought after by students but Mr O'Connor doesn't know whether he'll even need a room on campus, because he doesn't have his full timetable. In an email seen by the Irish Independent, he was asked to pay his rent by yesterday after a "grace period" ended. "I don't plan [on paying] as things stand because this indicates to myself that other students in campus accommodation are doing the same as myself and holding out until their timetables are finalised and released," he said. DCU and NUI Galway are among those to release indicative schedules, which informed students how many hours they will spend on campus, with more detailed timetables to follow in the coming weeks. "It's given a little bit of clarity, but at the same time, it's like being told, you have a dentist appointment next week, but you're not told when. So it's very hard for students to decide if they're going to be able to commute," said NUIG Students' Union president Padraic Toomey. "We have a few students who emailed us who already have accommodation and now that they have their hours, they want their deposits or rent instalments back. They feel kind of trapped." Muhammadu Buhari President Muhammadu Buhari has been told by a Coalition of Civil Societies, Osun State and National Associational of Nigerian Students (NANS), to reverse increase in petrol pump price and electricity tariff. The group gave the president 5 days to do so or face what comes with it. The protesters in Osogbo, the state capital of Osun on Friday, demanded the government to reverse the pump price to its original N130 and also reverse other anti-human taxes and tariffs increase. Recall that the Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC), a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, had earlier announced an increment in the pump price of petrol to N151.56 per litre. The chairman of Osun Civil Societies Coalition, OCSC, Comrade Waheed Lawal, who led the protest, lamented that the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari has failed Nigerians over unfulfilled promises he made during the electioneering process. According to him, Nigeria belongs to all and the masses voted for President Muhammadu Buhari because of the promises he made during his campaign, but Buhari has failed Nigerians. They, however, give the President Buhari five days ultimatum to reverse electricity tariff and petrol pump price or see a riot of the masses. Young people need to improve their financial literacy, the head of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation, Anton Siluanov said, addressing senior students of school No. 17 in Obninsk (Kaluga region). The lesson was held today within the framework of the ministry's project to improve the level of financial literacy of the population. The minister told the students about the responsible handling of personal finances and explained the state budget system works. A Korean official on an outing. His chair is adorned with a leopard skin. Circa 1900s. Robert Neff Collection By Robert Neff Yuri (George) M. Yankovsky and two leopards he killed in northern Korea in the mid-1930s. Sten Berman, "In Korean Wilds and Villages." One cold morning in the winter of 1886, Antoinette Sontag a member of the Russian legation in Seoul opened her window to feed some of her pet pigeons and was startled to discover a huge leopard glaring at her. It bared its teeth, hissed and then sprang over the legation's walls. A hunting party was quickly assembled and they followed the leopard's tracks (apparently through the snow) to the abandoned Mulberry Palace (Gyeonghuigung now occupied by the Seoul History Museum) but were unable to kill it. It was not the only leopard to prowl within the city's walls. In the late 1880s and early 1890s, several Western visitors reported encounters with leopards. George Gilmore, an American teacher wrote: "[During] my residence in Seoul a leopard was shot within a third of a mile of our house, and one was seen several times within a hundred yards of the same. This animal was driven into one of the old palace enclosures by the deep snows of the winter. Doubtless he hoped to make a few meals on the innumerable dogs to be found within the city limits." Some of these leopards were huge. According to Captain A.E.J. Cavendish, a British military officer who traveled extensively through the northern part of the Korean Peninsula in 1890: "A good leopard skin is 9 feet 6 inches from nose to tip of tail, and the thick winter fur of [the great cat] is nearly 5 inches thick." He was convinced that, if a hunter could "make up his mind to face the hardship and discomfort of a winter in Korea, he would, by living in a well-selected district, obtain good sport with tigers and leopards." A Korean wedding procession in the early 1900s. Robert Neff Collection Leopard and tiger skins were valuable commodities but they weren't always available. One American visitor complained in 1887 that some mornings "the peddlers were swinging tiger and leopard skins around them and suddenly spreading them out on the lawn" and then, a few days later, there was not a skin to be bought. Leopard skins were used by the common people in their wedding ceremonies. According to Horace N. Allen: "During the period of betrothal, various visits are exchanged, but these are between the young people and their elders instead of between the young people themselves. All the while the bride's trousseau is being prepared with great care, and an expense dependent upon the ability of the parents and the arrangements of the marriage contract. On the occasion of these visits the bride rides in a carefully closed chair with a leopard skin thrown over the top, while the groom when going upon such an errand is mounted on a gaily-caparisoned horse. Each of course is attended by maids or men in numbers corresponding to their social position. "When the final day arrives, the frightened young woman travels to the home of her intended, into which she is to be absorbed as one of his mother's inferiors. She goes in a chair ornamented with red and covered with a leopard skin, preceded by a procession of women servants, bareheaded and adorned with the most wonderful masses of false hair, on which rest red wrapped packages containing her trousseau and presents." These pelts were also used by the upper class. Court officials and gentry often rode around in chairs decorated with leopard pelts. The palaces also had carpets made from leopard skins perhaps the most famous of these regal carpets was accidentally rescued by an American soldier during the Korean War. Yang You-chan's (South Korean ambassador to the United States) 11-year-old daughter, Shiela, with a leopard-skin carpet believed to have once adorned Changdeok Palace. Circa 1952. Robert Neff Collection W.B. Yeats wrote: We make out of the quarrel with others, rhetoric, but of the quarrel with ourselves, poetry. He was right about that, and yet if poetry rehearses an internal argument, where our individual complexities are encountered anew and brought to the surface, this does not preclude the presence of other, internal sparring partners. Of these, perhaps none are so present to us and in us as our own parents, whose DNA we carry along with an entire catalogue of their personality traits and quirks, good and bad. Father's Day ... there are treasures of discovery in poetry. Credit: Theres not much you can do/about the odd parents who conceived of you, Derek Mahon ruefully reflects. This is probably why poems about parents so often combine gratitude with regret. In Diptych, the contemporary Australian poet Robert Gray writes movingly of how he came to accept his father, a drunkard who, despite his callousness to my mother had given, or shown me, the best advice, and had left me alone. James McAuley, in Because, another beautiful Australian poem about parents, describes an unhappy house in which his father had damned up his Irish blood And stiffened into stone and creaking wood. McAuley asks nonetheless: How can I judge without ingratitude? And summarises: Judgment is simply trying to reject/A part of what we are because it hurts. Demonstrating the truth of McAuleys statement, Sylvia Plath despairingly proclaims: Daddy, daddy, you bastard, Im through, in a poem in which she compares her father who died when she was eight to a Nazi, and her own suffering to that of the Jews. For another poet who, like Plath, died tragically young, there is a worse fate than losing a parent, and that is knowing they will lose you. In Apologies, Philip Hodgins imagines his parents coming to terms with the news of his terminal illness: Their only child will not bury them. /I must tell them how sorry I am. The eight men climbed out of a white van, wearing balaclavas and what would later be described as "identical pseudo-military uniforms". Each was carrying a republican flag as they marched to loud applause for the 2011 Real IRA Easter Rising commemoration. The leader, carrying an Irish tricolour and walking in front of the others, was photographed by an evidence-gathering team using a high-resolution camera. These photos were then sent to two companies that specialise in facial recognition. One of them, Anley Consulting, identified that the suspect had "very thin" lips, eyelashes that were particularly long in the middle and a distinctive eye colour and shape. Using comparison software, these photos of the man who became known as "Mr X" were superimposed on two photos of Patrick McDaid, a 43-year-old Derry dissident. He was found to have the same-shaped lips, eyes and eyelashes. Even the "small, broad and shallow" cupid's bow on his upper lip matched that of "Mr X". The PSNI were now convinced that "Mr X" was, in fact, Patrick McDaid and they stepped up their surveillance. Expand Close Patrick McDaid / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Patrick McDaid Using technology that would have been unthinkable at the height of the Troubles, the PSNI and MI5 are becoming increasingly sophisticated in tracking the leadership of dissident republican groups. Even wearing a balaclava is no longer protection and dissidents now parade and pose for photos with their balaclavas firmly over their lips. With every successive round of arrests, this technology is getting more and more precise - each time getting closer to the ultimate goal of video, audio and DNA evidence of New IRA army council meetings. This ultimate goal was allegedly achieved this year, in which MI5 double agent Dennis McFadden rented two houses in rural Tyrone for New IRA leadership meetings. MI5 claim to have recorded McDaid and nine others at alleged briefing meetings between the New IRA executive and its army council, according to evidence given in a bail hearing this week. This time, there would be no speculation about the size and shape of McDaid's lips. Both houses were allegedly fitted with very precise video and audio equipment and, after the two meetings, police wearing forensic suits moved in to collect DNA and fingerprint evidence from the rooms to ensure there could be no room for defence lawyers to claim mistaken identity. If the police allegations made in court this week are substantiated, it would be by far the most advanced evidence-gathering operation against a paramilitary group ever recorded in Northern Ireland. Nine republicans and one Palestinian are alleged to have been recorded planning attacks and discussing the New IRA's internal structures. It also marks MI5's most advanced use of double agents and eavesdropping technology to take out the dissident republican leadership. The origins of this system can be found with an American trucker named David Rupert, who began socialising with dissident republicans in the mid-1990s while dating a member of Noraid, the Provisional IRA's US fundraising wing. Using money as an incentive, the FBI turned him and he began spying on dissidents on both sides of the Atlantic, for which he would eventually be paid nearly $10m. The FBI even paid for him to lease a pub in Co Leitrim that became a well-known haunt for both Provisional and Continuity IRA members. To avoid any diplomatic incident in the Republic, Rupert was only allowed to bug suspects while they were in the US. The FBI set him up with a new trucking company in Chicago and bugged the offices. They also bugged his truck, using a recording device that switched on a light on his dashboard so he would know when it was successfully recording. The FBI guards its technology and its secrets jealously. When Rupert spent several days recording a leading Co Tyrone dissident, who flew to America to meet supporters, the Chicago FBI agents instructed Rupert to switch off his wiretap before he crossed the New York state border, so that they wouldn't have to share details of the operation with the New York FBI. Back then, the technology was still trial and error. At one point, Rupert was driving a dissident suspect to a major gun dealership outside Chicago. The recording device in his truck transferred the signal to an FBI SUV driving behind them. Rupert glared in his side mirror to tell the FBI agents to back off and stop tailgating them all the way to the dealership. Soon, the FBI handed Rupert over to MI5, which was only then learning the type of evidence-gathering favoured by the FBI. The new reliance on surveillance technology wasn't lost on Real IRA leader Mickey McKevitt, who confided in Rupert that the ability of authorities to track mobile phones, listen to conversations and even follow suspects by satellite would likely destroy dissident groups some day. As Rupert gathered evidence on the Real IRA leadership, tension arose between the FBI and MI5. The FBI won out, mostly because Rupert was their agent and they were funding him. Dissidents were simultaneously arrested in Northern Ireland, the Republic and the US. On the direct evidence of Rupert, McKevitt was tried and jailed for 20 years and the Real IRA's US fundraising operation was shut down. It was a devastating blow for the Real IRA. MI5 now began to change its focus dramatically, away from long-term surveillance and assessment and towards evidence-gathering for prosecution. Rupert had tipped them off that the Real IRA was trying to get Saddam Hussein to become their weapons supplier. Using Middle Eastern operatives posing as Saddam Hussein's security officials, they arranged several meetings across Europe with three members of the Real IRA army council. Each of the meetings was wiretapped and one of the Real IRA men could be heard boasting that they would "put a smile on your Iraqi face" if Saddam could supply them with wire-guided surface-to-air missiles. 'We'll put a smile on your Iraqi face', a man boasted At a final meeting in an Arab restaurant in Slovakia, MI5 took no chances - even sending a lawyer to oversee the operation to make sure that the evidence gathered would hold up in court. On a paper napkin, one of the Real IRA men wrote out a list of weapons they were seeking. One of the "Iraqi" agents picked it up from the table and pretended to blow his nose with it before quickly putting it in his pocket. Moments later, all three Real IRA men were arrested and they were extradited to London, where they were each jailed for 28 years. From then on, MI5 and PSNI operations became more and more ambitious. From prison, McKevitt and his close supporters released a statement admitting dissident violence was a hopeless cause. From the disarray that followed, the New IRA was born. Expand Close Michael McKevitt was jailed for 20 years / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Michael McKevitt was jailed for 20 years In 2012, MI5 placed a recording device in a New IRA shooting range and training camp in Formil Forest in Co Tyrone. For six months and with the help of an infiltrator to tip them off, they recorded four people firing weapons and discussing potential targets. The most disturbing conversations were between 37-year-old Sharon Rafferty of Pomeroy and 47-year-old Sean Kelly of Toomebridge, who discussed targeting Catholic police officers as a deterrent to nationalists. Kelly boasted about the successful attack on a Catholic, Irish-speaking police officer, Peadar Heffron, who lost his leg in a car bomb. The evidence was overwhelming and, unusually for dissidents, all four pleaded guilty. Rafferty was jailed for four years and the others for five. Emboldened by the success, MI5 moved on to its chief target, Lurgan dissident Colin Duffy, and followed him on his holidays to Santa Ponsa, Spain in 2013. An East European agent, claiming to be Serbian, had an argument on the beach with his "girlfriend" (also an agent). As they had anticipated, Duffy intervened to calm down the situation and they began talking. Over a few days, they became good friends with Duffy and MI5 recorded every word. According to a transcript of audio recordings read out in court earlier this year, Duffy allegedly asked his new Serbian friend if he could secure plastic explosives and lamented that the New IRA had to use "fertiliser stuff" for bombs. Duffy is also alleged to have had a meeting with two other dissidents on a park bench in Northern Ireland to discuss a New IRA attack. That was also recorded and his trial is ongoing before a non-jury court in Belfast. A more ambitious project came the following year; one that would effectively bring the Continuity IRA to an end. MI5 agents, again using an infiltrator and high-powered recording equipment, bugged a house in Newry, where the Continuity IRA leadership held their meetings. For three months in 2014, they recorded Continuity IRA members discussing weapons, targets and the group's fractious internal politics. The recordings proved to be so incriminating that all seven pleaded guilty last January to IRA membership - an unprecedented event for republicans. The recent Dennis McFadden case, in which MI5 allegedly gathered video, audio, DNA and fingerprint evidence on the entire New IRA leadership, could spell the final end to dissident groups as a cohesive force. Dissidents now know that MI5 has been listening to them for decades and, given the willingness of dissident leaders to plead guilty and end their campaign, they may finally be listening, too. Sean O'Driscoll is the author of The Accidental Spy about FBI/MI5 double agent David Rupert Outrage over the deaths of Black people at the hands of police officers has shuttled across the country like a planchette on a ouija board for months, sliding from Minneapolis and Louisville to Kenosha and, last week, Rochester with far too many stops in between. The March death of Daniel Prude, 41, a week after his apparent suffocation during a psychotic episode, came to light Wednesday when his family released video footage of the encounter. The length of time between the death and its coming to public attention can be seen in the fact that the video shows snow falling on the scene as officers put a "spit hood" over Prude's face and then grind his head into the pavement. The news resulted in an orgy of finger-pointing by city officials, with Mayor Lovely Warren and police Chief La'Ron Singletary attempting to explain their silence by saying the matter has been under investigation by the state attorney general's office as if that somehow prevented them from even discussing the man's death. Warren held another news conference the next day to claim the chief had misled her about the circumstances surrounding Prude's demise, and to announce that the officers involved had been suspended. Warren and Singletary richly deserve the criticism they've taken and will continue to take for remaining utterly silent about the latest episode in this summer's racial reckoning. But save some of your attention for public officials a little closer to home. If you think a five-month delay in action on a case involving alleged police misconduct is bad, consider that it's been 16 months since Albany police officer Luke Deer was charged with felony assault and misdemeanor official misconduct after the March 16, 2019, police raid on a First Street residence. Albany County District Attorney David Soares has failed to take action on the case by either indicting Deer or announcing that he won't pursue charges. In June, Soares lamely stated that the delay was due in part to the extensive video evidence pulled from the body-worn cameras of all the officers involved. On Friday, Soares' office told me the matter "remains open and pending." That's what passes for swift justice. The case of now-retired Cohoes police officer Sean McKown, who admitted to firing his service weapon in an apparent attempt to scare off a racially mixed group of young people in rural Essex County in early June, is once again the subject of an investigation by the State Police, despite the fact that its initial probe into the incident wrapped up at some point in midsummer. Essex County District Attorney Kristy Sprague, whose office appeared to take a pass on bringing charges against McKown in the aftermath of the episode, has been under pressure in the weeks since these events were brought to light by this newspaper. Sprague has pointedly refused to answer a host of questions about her office's handling of the matter; now that investigation is once again how shall I put it? open and pending, she has a ready excuse to remain clammed up. That's what passes for accountability. Moving across the Hudson, Troy Mayor Patrick Madden continues to refuse to release the taxpayer-funded memo that exonerated Sgt. Randall French from professional sanction for the 2016 death of Edson Thevenin, shot dead by French after he drove away from a DUI stop and was rammed into a concrete barrier by the officer's cruiser. In that case, an internal police report concluded that French violated department protocols and lied about what happened that night. Madden took the police department's recommendation of who to hire to review the internal report a fairly unprecedented step. When the internal report came to light amid the federal lawsuit brought by Thevenin's widow, Madden leaned on the follow-up memo in trying to explain why French escaped discipline, but did so without releasing the document using as his fig leaf the fact that it was attorney-client work product. As previously noted in this space, there's nothing preventing Madden from releasing the memo. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. That's what passes for transparency. Thevenin's death and the official response to it will be back in the news this month as former Rensselaer County District Attorney Joel Abelove faces a bench trial on charges of perjury and official misconduct stemming from his decision to fast-track the grand jury proceedings that exonerated French within days of the killing. Abelove's fate will be decided by state Supreme Court Justice Jonathan Nichols of Columbia County. If you're a little cynical or maybe just a reader, Nichols' attitude toward whether Abelove should even be in court for this matter can be sniffed out by the fact that he dismissed the charges two years ago in a decision that concluded the state attorney general's office had overstepped its statutory jurisdiction. That decision which did not address the evidence against Abelove was unanimously reversed last year by the state Appellate Division. Knowing Nichols' attitude to the legal framework upon which the prosecution of Abelove is based, it might be hard for people to believe he'll be able to render impartial judgment on the case itself and in a bench trial, he's a one-man jury. But apparently that's what passes for jurisprudence. cseiler@timesunion.com 518-454-5619 @CaseySeiler Absentee ballot election workers stuff ballot applications at the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections office in Charlotte, N.C., on Sept. 4, 2020. (Logan Cyrus/AFP via Getty Images) Iowa Sending Absentee Ballot Applications to Active Registered Voters All active registered voters in Iowa, totalling about 2 million, will start receiving absentee ballot applications this weekend, Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pates office announced on Friday. The sending of the forms ahead of the November general election is part of efforts to encourage social distancing at polling places amid the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic, the office said in a news release. Iowans have options about how they choose to cast their vote, Pate said in a statement. You can vote from home, you can vote in-person at your county auditors office, or at the polls on Election Day. The key is we want every eligible Iowan to participate and to be safe while voting. Front of the Official State of Iowa Absentee Ballot Request Form mailing. (Office of the Iowa Secretary of State) Back of the Official State of Iowa Absentee Ballot Request Form mailing. (Office of the Iowa Secretary of State) The announcement said that county auditors will begin mailing ballots on Oct. 5. Ballot request forms must be received no later than Oct. 24 at 5 p.m. On Twitter, Pate said that Iowans can track their absentee requests and absentee ballots online. The system posts updates after the county auditor has received your request, mailed your ballot and when you return your ballot, he wrote. Pate had sent out absentee ballot request forms across the state ahead of the June 2 Republican primary, which resulted in a record-high voter participation of more than 530,000 Iowans, his office noted. 2 Counties Singled Out The office said that voters may have received absentee request forms from other parties such as from county auditors, political parties, and other groups, but that they only need to send in one formunless they are from Linn and Woodbury counties. Judicial rulings have invalidated forms that were pre-filled by those auditors [in Linn and Woodbury counties], Pates office announced. Pate specifically said that voters in Linn and Woodbury counties should fill out and return the form his office is sending them, and disregard a pre-filled absentee request form they had received previously. Unfortunately, we had a few county auditors who made reckless decisions that have confused voters and possibly disenfranchised them. This mailing from my office will help ensure those Iowans receive ballots and are able to vote, he said. In late August, an Iowa judge ordered Linn County Auditor Joel Miller to invalidate 50,000 absentee ballot requests, agreeing with a Trump campaign argument that a local elections commissioner broke the law by pre-filling the applications with voters personal information. Miller in July had sent some 140,000 absentee ballot request forms to voters in; all the forms had pre-filled personal information of the voters. Of these forms, about 50,000 were returned signed. Millers move was ruled by the judge as in violation of an order from Pate who had said that same month that all absentee ballot request forms have to be blank when mailed to voters to ensure uniformity. A hearing on a similar mailing sent by the Johnson County auditor is scheduled for Sept. 9. Iowa is one of 16 swing states in the 2020 election, according to a tally maintained by Real Clear Politics. Ivan Pentchoukov contributed to this report. Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger has joined other veterans and military families reacting to the reports Donald Trump allegedly called fallen soldiers "suckers" and "losers". Captain Sullenberger, who saved 155 passengers in 2009 when he landed a damaged plane in what's become known as the "Miracle on the Hudson", slammed the president in a series of tweets. At the start of the tweets, Captain Sullenberger mentioned how he served in the military while also honouring his father who, like himself, was a war veteran. "In our travels, my wife Lorrie and I have always made it a point to visit military bases, hospitals and cemeteries, to meet and honour those who serve and have served our nation," he wrote. He added: "I have long known that serving a cause greater than oneself is the highest calling, whether in the military or in civilian life. And I have always tried to be a voice of reason and to speak in a measured way." His tone then changed, as he said it was time to call out the "egregious behaviour" being displayed by the sitting president. "For the first time in American history, a president has repeatedly shown utter and vulgar contempt and disrespect for those who have served and died serving our country," Mr Sullenberger's thread continued. Though it was a first, according to the former pilot, he said he was not "surprised". Instead, Mr Sullenberger said he was "disgusted" by Mr Trump and his behaviour. "He took an oath of office that is similar to the one that each person takes who enters the US Military. But he has completely failed to uphold his oath," he said. "Now we know why. He has admitted that he cannot comprehend the concept of service above self." "He cannot understand selflessness because he is selfish. He cannot conceive of courage because he is a coward. He cannot feel duty because he is disloyal," Mr Sullenberger added at the end of his thread before sharing The Atlantic's story. This was not the only backlash that's sparked since the bombshell report. Retired Lieutenant General Mark Hertling told CNN that he's spoken with several active military officials who are "furious" about the alleged rhetoric Mr Trump used against military troops. "The military, the veterans I've talked to tonight, they are furious about this and they can't understand why people are still supporting this individual who is doing these kinds of things," he said. Twitter users have also used hashtags like #veteransagainstTrump following the report, with several sharing images of themselves or their family members previously serving in the military. Mr Trump has vehemently denied the report by The Atlantic, calling it a "hoax". "It was a totally fake story, and that was confirmed by many people that were actually there," Mr Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Friday. "It was a terrible thing that somebody could say the kind of things especially to me because I have done more for the military than almost anybody else." In the report, Mr Trump allegedly objected to visiting the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery near Paris in 2018 because he did not see the point in honouring the soldiers who died, according to multiple anonymous sources who were on the trip. "Why should I go to that cemetery? It's filled with losers," Mr Trump allegedly said. It was reported at the time that the trip was cancelled because his helicopter couldn't fly in the rain that day and the Secret Service was unable to drive him to the cemetery. The White House has denied the reports by releasing a 2018 email stating the weather conditions were too poor that day to fly. Another incident from the same trip involved Mr Trump allegedly calling the Marines who died at Belleau Wood, one of the toughest battles for the Marines during the First World War, "suckers". Other allegations in The Atlantic's report included Mr Trump questioning a young Marine's sacrifice during a 2017 Memorial Day visit to Arlington Cemetery with General John Kelly, citing multiple sources. The man in question was Mr Kelly's son 1st Lieutenant Robert Kelly who was killed in Afghanistan in 2010. Mr Trump and General Kelly, who was serving as the president's secretary of homeland security at the time, stopped at the son's grave when visiting the cemetery. Mr Trump reportedly turned to General Kelly and said: "I don't get it. What was in it for them?" Although the White House has denied all aspects of the report, reporters from The Washington Post, Associated Press, and Fox News have independently confirmed key details. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 17:49:22|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close File photo taken on July 11, 2018 shows the Pentagon seen from an airplane over Washington D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) Fear-mongering over China has always been the Pentagon's trick to demand more appropriations from the U.S. Congress. A fabricated grave threat to world peace can also help Washington sell more weapons to its allies, and serves as an excuse for America's pursuit of global domination. by Xinhua writer Guo Yage BEIJING, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Over the past 20 years, the Pentagon's annual report on China's military development has always been one of Washington's major avenues to peddle its "China threat" theory. This year's edition is unsurprisingly no exception. The recently released 200-page report is crowded with anti-China hogwash. By using such speculative words as "likely" and "probably" to misinterpret China's national defense policy, it tries to mislead the world that the development of the Chinese military poses "serious implications" for global security. Fear-mongering over China has always been the Pentagon's trick to demand more appropriations from the U.S. Congress. A fabricated grave threat to world peace can also help Washington sell more weapons to its allies, and serves as an excuse for America's pursuit of global domination. With the election day around the corner, many inside the United States assume that the White House is trying to use the report to drum up its getting-tough-on-China campaign in order to score political points. CNN commented earlier this week that the China report "published in the run up to the 2020 election as President Donald Trump is looking to make his increasingly aggressive stance towards Beijing a key campaign issue." U.S. Navy aerobatics team Blue Angels perform in an air show of the annual Fleet Week activities in San Francisco, the United States, on Oct. 12, 2019. (Photo by Dong Xudong/Xinhua) However, while Washington is selling its latest "China-scare" fiction to the world, it is hard to overlook such facts that the United States spent more on military than 144 countries combined in 2018 and maintains nearly 800 military bases in over 70 countries. The world's top military power also invaded sovereign countries based on lies, sent warships and fighter jets to far-flung waters to ignite regional tensions, and turned its back on its due global responsibility in arms control and nuclear non-proliferation. The Chinese military is in no way close to what the report has pictured. Beijing has persisted on a path of peaceful development, and its military expenditure faithfully reflects this truth. China is now the world's second largest economy, yet its defense spending has stayed much below the world average for years, and its defense budget growth rate has been falling in recent years. An official defense white paper issued in July last year said China's military has cut 300,000 personnel to keep the total active force at 2 million, with the number of personnel in the leading organs at and above regiment level down by about 25 percent and that of non-combat units by almost 50 percent. An Iron Dome anti-rocket system is seen during the "Juniper Cobra 18" military exercise at the Hatzor Air Force base in Israel, March 8, 2018. (Xinhua/Guo Yu) In the meantime, the Chinese military is faithfully implementing a defense-oriented policy. It has been committed to a self-defense nuclear strategy, vowing not to first use nuclear weapons at any time and under any circumstances. China has been widely recognized for consistently maintaining its strong commitment to global nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament efforts. In early March, it issued a joint statement with France, Russia, Britain and the United States, reaffirming their pledge to honor the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in all its aspects. The Chinese military has also been working with others to safeguard world peace. China, with over 2,500 "blue helmets" across the world, is now the largest contributor of personnel to United Nations (UN) peacekeeping missions among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. Photo taken on Nov. 8, 2017 shows Chinese peacekeepers working at a minefield near the UN demarcated "Blue Line" in southern Lebanon. (Xinhua/Dong Yongkang) Over the years, Chinese peacekeepers carried out missions to clear landmines in Lebanon, built roads in South Sudan, and cured the sick in the Democratic Republic of Congo. And the Chinese navy ships have also been on escort missions for vessels sailing in the Gulf of Aden. Moreover, Beijing has been actively supporting international military regulations and participating in global security governance. It has voiced on many occasions its full and steadfast support for the International Atomic Energy Agency, and has recently joined the Arms Trade Treaty. Facts speak louder than words. The U.S. administration's conspiracies behind the flawed report can fool no sober minds around the world. If Washington truly cares about building a more stable and peaceful world, it should join China for that end, rather than waste time producing lies. Lankan name smarts as pepper traders cheat importers By Chrishanthi Christopher View(s): View(s): Claims from overseas that Sri Lankan pepper is substandard are bedevilling the Governments election pledge to obtain a fair price on world markets for local cultivators. Talks are underway to convince importing countries to continue buying black pepper from Sri Lanka at the agreed price of Rs. 450 a kilogram. Along with that, traders are being prevented from mixing substandard pepper with Sri Lankan pepper for the export market, the Ministry of Trades Commerce Departments Acting Director-General, Ananda Dharmapriya, said. To help secure local exports the government last December removed import concessions for spices destined for re-export. Our main buyer, India, which takes 70 percent of exported black pepper, has charged that Sri Lanka has failed to maintain the quality of its produce and that inferior pepper is being sent there. Sri Lankan black pepper is the most sought-after in the world because of its rich piperine content. Local traders have been mixing imported black pepper from Vietnam with local pepper to boost earnings. The price of pepper has slid as low as Rs. 370 a kilo since last year following Indias decision, urged by Kerala pepper traders, to abandon the maximum import price (MIP) of black pepper negotiated by both governments. In 2018, the last year for which figures are available, the total production of Sri Lankan black pepper was 20,135 tonnes (metric tonnes). As local consumption was estimated at 10,000 tonnes and exports at 16,660 tonnes together amounting to far more than the total produced it is believed that 6,650 tonnes came from pepper imported from Vietnam, China, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates. This imported produce has been re-exported labelled Sri Lanka as the country of origin, damaging the countrys reputation. The Commerce Department, in an effort to arrest the slide in price and reputation, has placed a strict monitoring system in place to stop imports of black pepper. Currently, around 18,000 metric tons is locally harvested. We are monitoring the volume and exports daily, Mr. Dharmapriya said. He expressed optimism that talks with the Indian government would be fruitful and that the MIP could be regained. The circumstances leading to the lifting of the MIP now does not exist. India should re-impose the MIP, he said. Experts say the government should follow stringent standards set by high-end markets such as the European Union and the United States and export pepper to those markets. Meanwhile, a note of optimism was sounded by the Department of Export Agriculture, which said the price of black pepper is on the rise in the local market. Black pepper is being bought for Rs. 600-625 by local industries involved in the making of black pepper oil and oleoresin, the departments Director-General, Dr. A.P. Heenkanda, said. Oleoresin is a chemical widely used in pharmaceutical products, and Dr, Heenkanda said with two pharmaceutical companies already in production and four in the pipeline, due to start operations early next year, the demand for oleoresin will increase. To meet the increased demand, the World Bank is offering loans to farmers involved in value-added products. Farmers will be encouraged to use sophisticated machinery in the drying and processing of the produce. A 50 percent subsidy for the cost of machinery is obtainable from the government. New moderate income housing program could be on the way to Long Beach Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 5) High-profile inmate former Ozamiz City councilor Ricardo "Ardot" Parojinog succumbed to cardiac arrest, police said Saturday. Cause of death was cardiopulmonary arrest secondary to cardiovascular disease, Northern Mindanao police director PBGen Rolando Anduyan said in a text message to CNN Philippines, citing results of a medical examination. Findings on Parojinogs heart disease supported earlier police statements that there were no signs of violence or foul play in his death. Parojinog was found dead in his detention cell at the Ozamiz police station Friday morning. A swab sample was taken as part of protocol amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Anduyan said. The remains were sent to a funeral home in Barangay Aguada, also in Ozamiz. Parojinog had been detained at the PNP Custodial Center since 2018, and he flew to Ozamiz on Thursday to attend a hearing the next day. Ardot was the brother of Ozamiz City Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog, Sr., who was killed with 15 others when police served warrants at the clans properties in July 2017. It also led to the arrest of his niece Vice Mayor Nova Parojinog and nephew Reynaldo Parojinog, Jr. Ardot was not home at the time. President Rodrigo Duterte in 2017 put up a P5-million bounty for the capture of Parojinog for his alleged ties in the illegal drug trade. In July 2018, he was deported from Taiwan. Other charges against him were murder, illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, and illegal possession of explosives. Officials have tagged members of the Parojinog clan as the source of illegal drugs in Ozamiz and have allegedly given orders to their private army to kill police officers who refused to cooperate in their operations. Duterte named Nova and her father Reynaldo, Sr. among alleged narco-politicians operating in Mindanao. Reynaldo Jr. was sentenced to life imprisonment for drug possession, while Nova is facing charges for illegal possession of firearms and dangerous drugs. The statement was in response to unverified videos circulating on social media of a Chinese Su-35 aircraft being shot down in Guanxi province in China. After reports began circulating on social media platforms on Friday that Taiwan had downed a Chinese fighter jet, Taipei, amid escalating tensions with Beijing, issued a press release denying that such an incident had occurred and calling such speculation "completely untrue". Unverified videos, purportedly of a Chinese SU-35 aircraft being shot down in Guanxi, an autonomous coastal region in southern China and bordering Vietnam, were picked up and reported by various media outlets on Friday. The press release, issued by the Taiwan's Air Force Command, stated "The Air Force Command solemnly refuted this day that this is false information, and completely untrue. The Air Force Command pointed out that it strongly condemns such malicious acts by deliberately creating and disseminating false and false information on the Internet in an attempt to confuse the audience." In response to rumors online that claim a Chinese Su-35 fighter jet had been shot down by Taiwan air defense systems, #ROCAirForce would like to categorically state this is fake news. We urge netizens to not spread it and strongly condemn this malicious act. Ministry of National Defense, R.O.C. (@MoNDefense) September 4, 2020 The press release was circulated by Niocola Smith, the Taiwan correspondent of the UK's Daily Telegraph newspaper. She attributed it to Air Force Spokesperson Lieutenant General Chen Guohua. Below is the original press statement from Taiwan's ministry of defence. Only in Chinese for now, but says it "solemnly refutes" the internet reports that Taiwan shot down a PLAAF SU-35 and "strongly condemns" the dissemination of fake information 1/ Nicola Smith (@niccijsmith) September 4, 2020 The Su-35 is the most advanced export fighter in China's air force. It is the newest derivative of the Su-27 fighter and is more agile than the Su-30 fighter, reported The Week. China had purchased 24 Su-35 fighters from Russia. The rumours and speculation come amid growing tension between China and Taiwan, the self-governing island which Beijing claims as its own territory. On Thursday, China described a meeting between Czech Senate president and Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen as an open provocation". Beijing, furious about the Czech delegation's visit, summoned the Czech Republic's ambassador to lodge stern representations and saying the trip amounted to flagrant support of Taiwan independence. On Wednesday, Taiwan announced plans to issue new passports emphasising its independent identity and downgrading connections with China. The foreign ministry on Wednesday released images of the new document that features Taiwan in large capital letters on its cover and minimises the English wording Republic of China, the island's official name according to its Constitution. There was no immediate reaction from Beijing on the new passport design. Beijing responded angrily when Taiwan was added to the cover of the Taiwanese passport more than a decade ago and has increasingly lashed out at assertions of the island''s political independence. China does not recognise Taiwanese passports and requires citizens of the island travelling to the mainland to use a Chinese-issued document. The change in passport design, to take effect in January, aims to prevent confusion between travellers from Taiwan and those from China, Taiwanese foreign minister Joseph Wu told reporters. He said the ministry has informed the International Air Transport Association, foreign governments, airports, airlines and immigration authorities about the change and provided them with samples of the new design. The passport redesign was mandated in a resolution passed by the legislature in July, which also called for a change in the logo of Taiwan's government-owned China Airlines, sometimes confused with Chinese flag carrier Air China. Taiwan was handed over from Japanese to Chinese rule in 1945. Four years later, Chiang Kai-shek relocated the Republic of China and its institutions to the island as Mao Zedong's Communist Party swept to power in the Chinese Civil War. Taiwan has since shrugged off political connections with China as part of its transition to full democracy. However, it has retained Republic of China as its official name, along with the constitution, flag and state institutions brought from China. With inputs from PTI Volunteer Yash is injected with the vaccine as part of an Imperial College vaccine trial, at a clinic in London, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020. Imperial College is working on the development of a COVID-19 vaccine. Scientists at Imperial College London say they are immunizing hundreds of people with an experimental coronavirus vaccine in an early trial after seeing no worrying safety problems in those vaccinated so far. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Read more TL;DR: Its the start of a holiday weekend, and Pennsylvania health officials are urging everyone to stay vigilant with social distancing. The federal government telling states to be ready to distribute doses of a coronavirus vaccine by Nov. 1 two days before the election, has raised a host of questions. My colleagues Marie McCullough and Stacey Burling break down the steps needed before a vaccine is approved. Were taking Labor Day off but well back back in your inbox Wednesday. And, you can always find our most up-to-date coronavirus coverage at Inquirer.com/coronavirus. Ellie Silverman (@esilverman11, health@inquirer.com) What you need to know: In Pa., Deborah Birx praises CHOP, advises mask-wearing this Labor Day weekend. U.S. economy adds 1.4 million jobs in August as the unemployment rate hits single digits. This South Philly restaurant family is making a comeback after they all had COVID-19. A federal order halting most evictions took effect today, a day after police detained protesters at Philadelphia Municipal Court as eviction proceedings resumed for a day. Philly area gun shops say COVID-19, protests, Presidential election driving widespread shortages. New Jersey releases guidelines for schools on responding to COVID-19 cases. The Philadelphia Museum of Art is open to visitors after a 6-month pause. The Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, and other Philadelphia tourist sites will reopen on Wednesday with restrictions. Whats going on in your county? We organized recent coverage of the coronavirus pandemic by local counties mentioned in the stories to make it easier for you to find the info you care about. Local coronavirus cases The coronavirus has swept across the Philadelphia region and cases continue to mount. The Inquirer and Spotlight PA are compiling geographic data on tests conducted, cases confirmed, and deaths caused by the virus. Track the spread here. Its the start of a holiday weekend, and Pennsylvania health officials are urging everyone to stay vigilant with social distancing. Avoid large parties, officials said, and opt for mask wearing and waves and smiles instead of hugs and handshakes at smaller gatherings. The federal government telling states to be ready to distribute doses of a coronavirus vaccine by Nov. 1 two days before the election, has raised a host of questions. My colleagues Marie McCullough and Stacey Burling break down the steps needed before a vaccine is approved. Helpful resources You got this: The indoor dining rules New Jersey eased indoor dining restrictions today to allow 25% capacity, and Philadelphia will follow on Tuesday (the same day theaters are allowed to reopen). My colleague Jenn Ladd breaks down the rules customers, business owners, and workers should follow in this latest phase of reopening. What servers want you to know as indoor dining resumes in Philly. The rules and risks of going to the movies. As summer comes to a close, theres more that were allowed to do now. Heres how to navigate it. Have a social distancing tip or question to share? Let us know at health@inquirer.com and your input might be featured in a future edition of this newsletter. What were paying attention to A new forecast warns that global covid-19 deaths could triple by years end, the Washington Post reports Executives at Moderna, the company developing a coronavirus vaccine, have already sold tens of millions of dollars worth of stock, NPR reports. Anxiety and depression are linked to avoiding medical care during the pandemic, Beckers Hospital Review reports. Enjoy getting our journalism through email? You can also sign up for The Inquirer Morning Newsletter to get the latest news, features, investigations and more sent straight to your inbox each morning Sunday-Friday. Sign up here. In the world of long-term hurricane response, George Hernandez Mejias advance team seems extraordinarily young. At 28, Hernandez is the old man on the All Hands and Hearts crew now laying groundwork for the nonprofits response to Hurricane Laura. The seven people with him on the Texas border, headed for Louisiana, average around 24. Rebuilding after a disaster often relies heavily on volunteers over 55, says Michelle Meyer, director of Texas A&Ms Hazard Reduction and Recovery Center. Younger crews often swoop in for a week or a weekend, but its usually older people who direct them. More Information How you can help All Hands and Hearts: allhandsandhearts.org Orange County Disaster Rebuild: ocdisasterrebuild.com See More Collapse Retirees, after all, have the flexibility and disposable income that makes it possible to volunteer for a year or more away from home. Often, a construction retiree will move to a stricken area, maybe living out of an RV, to oversee a nonprofits rebuilding projects. COVID-19, though, has changed that dynamic. Doctors would generally recommend that anyone over 60, particularly with an underlying condition, avoid traveling to disaster areas, where hygiene can be spotty. Even in places where COVID-19 rates had been low, the chaos that follows a hurricane could cause a spike. And where COVID levels were already high as when Hurricane Hanna struck the Rio Grande Valley in July the danger seems even greater. That makes crews like Hernandezs more important than ever. Says Meyer, Its time for young people to step up. Thousands of unmet needs In the best of times, rebuilding a hard-hit community takes years. Now COVID-19 makes it even harder. Were used to seeing so many more boots on the ground, lamented Michelle Stubblefield, of Orange County Disaster Rebuild. National outfits such as FEMA and the Red Cross are stretched thin, and many philanthropic organizations are flat broke. Physical distancing means that work crews have to be smaller, and that volunteers cant be crammed together, summer-camp-style, overnight. Travel restrictions make it hard for out-of-state volunteers to come and go. MORE FROM LISA GRAY: 'This is what we live for': CrowdSource Rescue mobilizes ahead of Hurricane Laura Across the U.S., many communities are struggling with the long-term aftermath of natural disasters: not just hurricanes, but also wildfires, tornadoes and floods. But in the last few years, Texas and Louisianas Gulf Coast has been particularly hard-hit. Stubblefield, in Orange County, knows this all too well. Just north of Port Arthur on Texas Gulf Coast, the county has been slammed by three disasters in four years. In 2017, she says, Harvey flooding affected 85 percent of Orange County. In 2019, floods from Tropical Storm Imelda did heavy damage to the countys west side. Now Hurricane Laura has walloped the whole east side. Our little community is struggling, Stubblefield said. We still need help with damage from Harvey and Imelda. We still have people living in 12 FEMA trailers from Harvey. And now theyre dealing with Hurricane Laura. Thursday morning, Stubblefields group moved a single mother and her children into a donated RV. When Hurricane Laura blew ashore on August 27, Stubblefield said, it split the familys trailer in half. The woman and her kids barely survived. And with nowhere else to go, theyd been staying in the broken trailer, without power, for a week. The RV was only a temporary fix the family still needed somewhere to live long-term but at least it was something. We have thousands of unmet needs, Stubblefield said. She sounded exhausted. Volunteers needed Friday morning Hernandez and the All Hands and Hearts advance team that he supervises were doing chainsaw work, clearing Hurricane Laura debris in East Texas. He asked that I not be any more specific about their temporary location: The chainsaw work was just something useful to do while the team awaited word from Louisiana, where Laura had wreaked even more havoc, and where All Hands and Hearts planned to set up headquarters. East Texas, as badly damaged as it was, wasnt their ultimate destination, and Hernandez didnt want to disappoint anyone. MORE FROM LISA GRAY: 31 ways to fight despair: Protest murals. Secret acts of kindness. And homegrown tomatoes. All Hands and Hearts welcomes volunteers of all ages, but even before COVID, it skewed younger than many of the disaster-recovery groups it works alongside. Religious or veterans organizations, for instance, tend to draw volunteers who are well past college age. But also, All Hands and Hearts actively recruits people who arent already skilled. We teach people to do stuff, Hernandez said. Pre-COVID-19, All Hands was also extremely flexible about volunteer commitments, he said a flexibility that appeals to younger people. A volunteer could work on a site for as little as one day, provided they could get themselves to and from the place. But COVID makes such flexibility extremely hard. To reduce travel hassles, quarantining, and the likelihood of an outbreak, the group is now recruiting volunteers to serve for 12 weeks at a time and offering them paid flights, meals, accommodations and a small stipend to do so. The need, Hernandez said, is greater than ever. But he worried that people dont realize that. Usually, he said, a disaster the size of Laura would generate more media attention, which in turn would bring more volunteers. But Laura, he thinks, got lost among all the other news pummeling Americans this year the presidential election, the calls for racial justice, the economy. And, most of all, COVID. COVID makes even a disaster worse. Hernandez is hoping for volunteers to make it better. lisa.gray@chron.com The U.S. Marshals Service, with help of the Cleveland Division of Police, has recovered two more missing children in Ohio late Thursday afternoon. Two girls, a 14-year-old and 15-year-old from Jackson Township, were reported missing on Aug. 28. They were then located on the citys west side and have since been turned over to Cuyahoga County Childrens Services. The recovery of the two teens is part of the Marshals Services ongoing effort to curtail human trafficking dubbed Operation Safety Net, which has already found just under 30 children in the last 20 days, Fox News reported. Last week, the service announced the recovery of 25 missing teens, aged between 13 and 18 from Cleveland, East Cleveland, Akron, Mansfield, Euclid, Willoughby, as well as out of state in Miami. Officials stated of Thursdays rescue: The girls were both safely recovered from a home on Clevelands West side. They will be turned over to Childrens Services in Cuyahoga County. The recovery of these two young girls brings the total recovered under Operation Safety Net to just under 30. There are approximately 200 children reported missing in Northeast Ohio, and the Marshals Service aims to find all of them. The service continues to request support from the community and to offer tips about the whereabouts of these missing kids by calling the U.S. Marshals tip line: 1-866-492-6833. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size The Mace, ancient symbol of the authority of the Speaker and the House of Representatives, lies next to a symbol of a much newer and less ornate challenge to authority: a container of hand sanitiser. The Serjeant-at-Arms, by long tradition a forbidding figure in a black tailcoat, waistcoat, starched white shirt, bow tie and white gloves, wears a surgical face mask as he hoists to his shoulder the silver-and-gilt mace, the descendant of a fearsome weapon used to club enemies. Here are the pictures of Australias parliament, heir to the British Westminster system formed in medieval times, learning to soldier through a 21st-century assault by an invisible threat: a virus. The newest MP, Labors Kristy McBain, fresh from winning the seat of Eden-Monaro in a byelection, stands in the green chamber to give her first speech. The newest MP, Kristy McBain of Eden-Monaro, has to settle for a new kind of congratulations for her maiden speech. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Such an event - among the most special moments of any politician's career - is traditionally celebrated with a flurry of hugs from colleagues. When McBain finishes her address there is applause, but no one dares physically approach. Elbows are self-consciously thrust in the air: todays pale alternative to a handshake and an embrace. At the other end of a parliamentary life, former Greens leader Senator Richard Di Natale launches into his valedictory speech. He is not in the Senate chamber at all, but speaking via video from his home in distant southern Victoria. In the midst of this unique parliamentary farewell, the video link fails momentarily and his image fractures into a weird cyber-confusion. Bobbit's Lair in Sandwich, Kent, UK. Kennedy News and Media Two Airbnb hosts have been called "fat-phobic" for imposing a 100kg (220 pounds) weight limit on guests due to their property's "very old oak beams." Marcus and Zhu's listing for their cottage in Kent, UK, said "NO persons with eating disorders may book we have a maximum weight 100kg [220lbs] PP." After fat activist Lindsay McGlone criticized the hosts on Instagram, the listing was taken down, however, it's now live again with the "rule" removed. The hosts declined to comment to Insider but told Kennedy News that larger guests were not welcome. "Specifying a certain weight is fat-phobic as it's discriminating against people who have a larger body," McGlone said. "Discrimination and bias have no place in our community," Airbnb said in a statement. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. A pair of Airbnb hosts are facing a backlash after imposing a weight limit on guests of their UK cottage. Zsu and Marcus have now amended the listing, but it originally stated that anyone weighing over 100kg (220 pounds) would not be welcome. The hosts also banned prospective guests with "eating disorders." The "rules" of the listing. Kennedy News and Media Bobbit's Lair in Sandwich, Kent, costs 199 ($265) a night and has a four-star rating based on three reviews. It's a two-bedroom medieval cottage with old touches like 15th-century beams, as well as a modern kitchen and outdoor hot tub. Originally, the listing's "additional rules" had included: "NO persons with eating disorders may book we have a maximum weight 100kg [220lbs] PP." However, the "rule" was spotted by fat activist Lindsay McGlone, who shared her outrage on Instagram. "When I saw the listing I couldn't believe what I was reading, I couldn't comprehend that somebody would write that," McGlone, 22, told Kennedy News. "I shared the listing because the people who wrote it need to be held accountable because it's extremely damaging and I wanted it removed. Story continues "Specifying a certain weight is fat-phobic as it's discriminating against people who have a larger body. "They're saying they don't want fat people in their vicinity and they don't want to take fat people's money." The listing was amended to "NO persons maximum weight 100kg PP very old oak beams" before the ad was removed from the site altogether, and it's now live again but without any mention of weight. The rules visible on the current Airbnb listing. Airbnb "It's probably come from internalized fat-phobia and now they're trying to justify it by saying they've got old oak in their house," said McGlone. "That doesn't take away from the fact that they're still being discriminatory, it's trying to find a way to justify what they've said. It's absolutely appalling." McGlone added that she believes the listing perpetuates the myth that someone with an eating disorder looks a certain way, whereas actually "some are larger, some are smaller." Zsu and Marcus declined to comment to Insider but told Kennedy News that larger guests were not welcome. "We had someone ask about the bath size then how wide was he [sic] doors were," the hosts said. "We said 'not suitable for disabled guests.' "Then the penny dropped once they booked we had to cancel as the cottage could of [sic] got seriously damaged during 'their' stay. "Understand the pictures are wide angle, bigger than average people are NOT ALLOWED TO STAY!" McGlone said she doesn't think the property listing should be allowed to stay live at all. An Airbnb spokesperson told Insider: "Airbnb's mission is to create a world where everyone can belong anywhere. "Discrimination and bias have no place in our community, and we suspended the listing while we addressed the matter raised. "We enforce a strict non-discrimination policy and under our Open Doors initiative, if a guest feels they have been discriminated against, we will provide personalised support to ensure they find a place to stay." Read more: Venice is reducing the number of tourists allowed on gondolas because it says some are so fat 'it's like bombs loading on' Airbnb has revealed the 9 US cities where you'll find the cleanest, safest rentals Labelling foods with the amount of exercise needed to burn off the calories sends a terrible message about both eating and exercising Read the original article on Insider Telugu Desam Party president and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu had a miraculous escape when vehicles in his convoy collided with each other in Telanganas Yadadri Bhongir district on Saturday evening, the police said. Three National Security Guard (NSG) personnel received minor injuries, while the bullet proof vehicle which they were travelling in was badly damaged. The incident happened at Dandumalkapuram village of Choutuppal block on the Vijayawada-Hyderabad national highway (NH-65) when Naidu was returning to Hyderabad from his Amaravati residence in his convoy of vehicles. According to Choutuppal police inspector Ch Venkanna, Naidu was travelling in a convoy of seven vehicles three in front and three behind. The former chief minister was in the fourth vehicle. The driver of the first vehicle applied sudden brakes in a bid to avoid hitting a cow crossing the highway, he said. As a result, the second car in the convoy collided with the first escort car from behind and the other vehicles in the convoy also were forced to apply sudden brakes. The third car, which was bullet proof, rammed into the second car and its front portion got mangled, the inspector said. Naidu, who was in the fourth car in the convoy, escaped unhurt, as his car also came to a sudden halt but did not collide with the vehicle before it. Out of eight vehicles in the convoy of Chandrababu Naidu, three vehicles collided with each other. Though a TDP functionary familiar with the development said three security personnel of the NSG in the second car received minor injuries, the inspector said he had no such information. They abandoned the damaged vehicle and left for Hyderabad in another car, he said. The police did not register any case as no complaint was lodged. New Delhi: In a veiled attack, Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh blamed Ramgopal Yadav for the vertical split in the party ahead of the upcoming UP election. However, Singh maintained that he won't become a hurdle in chief minister Akhilesh Yadav's path. "Status of one is not gauged just by number or power. I want to clarify that I am no hurdle in the path of Akhilesh Yadav," Singh said on Friday. Favouring a patch-up between the two factions of SP, Singh said, "Whatever is happening in the party is not because of me but because of a supporter of Akhilesh." His hint was towards Ramgopal Yadav, whom he did not name. Since the trouble in Uttar Pradesh's ruling party became public, Akhilesh has been insisting on sidelining or expulsion of Singh, whom Ramgopal and another senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan have dubbed an "outsider" in the party. Read | Mulayam, Akhilesh factions likely to fight UP elections separately as talks fail Singh, however, said, "One gets hurt by one's own and not by outsiders. It's difficult to fight own people." On Akhilesh faction's claim of possessing signed affidavits of 212 MLAs, Singh said, "Mulayam Singh Yadav is alone and without any stature. I don't have the capacity to hear this." Akhilesh and Mulayam have apparently been contesting for control of the party, with both of them readying documents of support to stake claim to the party's 'cycle' symbol. "Those who were tainted when they were with Shivpal are now clean after giving affidavits in favour of Akhilesh. Ansari brothers are clean now... Now all have become 'Satyam, Shivam, Sunderam," he added. Read | Congress may tie up with Samajwadi Party to keep Muslim-Yadav equation intact in Uttar Pradesh Singh's reference was to tainted Ansari brothers of Quami Ekta Dal, whose merger with SP was opposed by Akhilesh. Noting that "politics is cruel and brutal", Singh said, "If standing behind someone is crime, Shivpal has committed the crime." Attacking party lawmaker Kironmay Nanda without naming him, he said, "A party vice-president, who cannot speak clear Hindi has made allegations against me that I am indulging in wheeling-dealing here. I have not taken contract of a single penny here and am not involved in transfer-posting. I challenge him to get a probe initiated into it." On another party leader Naresh Agarwal, Singh said, "he had been cabinet minister in BJP's Rajnath Singh government, he was in Congress, BSP and now in SP. He labels me as BJP agent. I never take backdoor entry, whenever I adopt an ideology, I tell it to everyone." For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Galih Gumelar (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, September 5, 2020 08:42 503 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c42d32a0 1 National KPU,regional-elections,independent-candidate,voter-list,election-preparation Free The General Elections Commission (KPU) has announced that only 70 independent candidates are eligible to officially register to compete in the 2020 regional elections, fewer than many had initially anticipated. The government has insisted on hosting the simultaneous elections in December despite the drawn out pandemic and continued rise in infections. The circumstances appear to have had an impact on candidates that lack the solid backing of political parties, although most hopeful candidates failed to pass the preliminary stages of registration. KPU commissioner Evi Novida Ginting Manik said the commission had spent months assessing the eligibility of all independent prospects before allowing them to register as official election candidates. She said there were initially 201 people looking to compete for leadership positions in 127 regions across the archipelago. These prospective candidates had managed to gather the required number of identification card numbers belonging to voters who supported their candidacies, as a prerequisite for eligibility under the 2016 Regional Election Law. They then submitted the list along with the other requirements to the KPUs regional offices in their respective regions by Feb. 24. However, the KPU determined that only 70 of them had passed the full verification process, which was held from June 24 to Aug. 23, Evi said during a webinar this week. In that same period, six people decided to withdraw their candidacies, while the rest of them either failed to produce the required documents or produced documents that could not be verified. The remaining prospects can now submit their candidacy documents, including the various submission forms, their electronic ID cards and photocopies of their degree certificates during the registration period that began on Friday and ends this Sunday. The KPU will then verify their documents and confirm their eligibility as official candidates on Sept. 26, which also marks the beginning of the election campaign period that runs until Dec. 5. Election day is slated for Dec. 9, when voters are to elect a total of 270 regional leaders comprising nine governors, 224 regents and 37 mayors. Read also: So much work, so little time: KPU under pressure over regional polls Having independent candidates contest general elections is still relatively uncommon in Indonesia. Independent candidates often lose out to those with well-established political ties, owing to the high costs of campaigning and the prevalence of vote-buying or other forms of money politics. The KPU announcement shows that the number of independent candidates set to run in this years elections has sharply decreased compared to the 2015 polls, which were contested in a similar number of regions. As many as 135 independent candidates competed in 269 regional elections across the country in 2015, almost twice as many as this year that is, if they all manage to get approval from the KPU. Furthermore, not all regional elections will see independent candidates running for the top job in the administration this year. The independent prospects are only eligible to register their candidacies in 58 regencies and five cities [holding elections], said KPU commissioner I Dewa Kade Wiarsa Raka Sandi during the webinar on Wednesday. Some election observers believe the drop in the number of independent candidates is normal, while others have warned it could potentially undermine democracy. Khoirunnisa Nur Agustyati of the Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem) argued that the decrease in independent candidates this year was understandable, given the tougher requirements introduced since the polls five years ago, especially in canvassing for initial support. Government Regulation in Lieu of Law (Perppu) No. 1/2014 on regional elections required prospective candidates to gather the ID card numbers of 3 to 6.5 percent of the voters on the final voters list in their respective regions. This threshold for public support was later raised to 6.5 to 10 percent after the 2015 Regional Elections Law was passed. The requirement, she said, was enforced for the 2017 and 2018 regional polls. Dedi Kurnia Syah of the Indonesia Political Opinion (IPO) group suggested that the threshold be revised again so that more independent candidates could participate in the elections and improve the quality of democracy. Read also: Majority of public wants regional elections delayed: Surveys He noted that tougher requirements had driven independent candidates in several contested regions like West Sumatra to seek the support of political parties. He said this trend could undermine the quality of the polls because it would expose formerly independent candidates to money politics and add to an already crowded playing field that does not necessarily favor competency. Political parties may end up endorsing candidates who are most likely to win the elections, rather than backing those who possess good leadership qualities, Dedi told The Jakarta Post on Thursday. That will surely affect the quality of the next batch of regional leaders, too. The second stimulus checks for American families has been uncertain for quite some time now as Congress has yet to break its impasse in negotiations on the next round of coronavirus aid. However, North Carolina parents will soon receive a second cash payment as the state legislature approved the Coronavirus Relief Act 3.0 this week. The Coronavirus Relief Act 3.0 is a $1 billion spending measure that will give a $335 stimulus check to parents with dependents of 17 years old and younger. It was designed to help parents with the costs associated with child care and remote learning amidst the coronavirus pandemic. According to Fox News, the checks called "extra credit grants" will be sent out by December 15 to the eligible parents who filed their taxes. Recipients of the $335 stimulus check are those individuals who received their 2019 state tax return refund through the direct deposit. They will also receive the extra cash aid through direct deposit, as per the legislation. Those who did not file can still apply for the grant regardless of how many kids in a household. "I know $335 can't pay off a mortgage, but it'll put a dent in the cost of electronic device or help pay for a tutor. I am not worried about how parents will spend that $335. All I know is they need it. They deserve it," state Senate leader Phil Berger, a Republican, said in a press conference on Wednesday. The North Carolina Senate passed the bill on Wednesday by a 44-5 vote, with five Democrats voting against it. On Thursday, the House voted for it by 104-10 and sent the legislation to Governor Roy Cooper. The proposal will spend about $440 million of the roughly $903 million in federal CARES Act money the state needs to allocate by the end of 2020. Negotiations on another round of emergency aid collapsed at the start of August even if both Republicans and Democrats seemed to support a second $1,200 stimulus check for adults and $500 for children and other dependents early this summer. One of the biggest contentions among the parties was the cost of the COVID-19 relief package. The White House and Republican leaders wanted to keep the price tag closer to $1 trillion amid growing concerns over the country's ballooning deficit, while the Democrats offered to come down $1 trillion from the roughly $3 trillion HEROES Act that the House passed in May. Democrats said they would only agree with Republicans if they agree to a $2.2 trillion price tag. President Donald Trump has urged both parties to come together and cut a deal. In mid-August, the President directed Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to prepare a second cash payment for Americans with qualifications the same as the first. Under the Republicans and Democrats' proposals, those who earn an adjusted gross income of up to $75,000 would receive a second $1,200 payment. Checks for high earners will be reduced by $5 for every $100 in income and phased out entirely at $99,000 for individuals and $198,000 for couples. Check these out: Trump's Payroll Tax Deferral Won't Give Benefit to this Group of People Beneficiaries Who Owe More Stimulus Money have Until September 30 to Get It Next COVID-19 Relief Package: Immigrants Must Be Included Five years after appearing together on All Hands On Deck, Tinashe and Iggy Azalea have re-teamed for the latters latest single, Dance Like Nobodys Watching. An uptempo, feel-good, harmony-filled pop record, the song came about during quarantine and serves as a reminder to all who listen to live each day like your last. The two have an undeniable chemistry which may have to do with the parallel tracks their careers have taken. Both were signed to major labels and are now independent. Tinashe is currently managed by Roc Nation, and recently released her own bop titled Rascal (Superstar) following her Songs For You album which dropped last year; Iggy signed with EMPIRE and released the EP Wicked Lips last November. Variety caught up with Iggy and Tinashe at the Kandypens house in Los Angeles to reminisce on the evolution of their careers, as they also bonded over their love for Miley Cyrus new single Midnight Sky and the awareness of female sexuality prompted by Cardi Bs WAP. How did you guys meet initially? Tinashe: Was it in Dubai? It was in the airport, but really brief. Iggy: Actually, the first time I ever saw you was in the airport. After that, I saw you at the Jeremy Scott afterparty for the MTV Awards in 2015. I was eating chicken wings. Im always eating appetizers. Iggy, you said that Hands on Deck was one of your favorite moments. How so? Iggy: Those were the first times of any big acknowledgment. Thats always really fun, when something unexpected happens. There were lots of firsts. Tinashe: Going to new countries, meeting new people. Story continues Iggy: Traveling to new places, meeting so many creative people, being able to step into the fashion world and learn about things I wasnt really exposed to where Im from. Even small things being able to order whatever food I wanted to eat go out and eat at some master chefs restaurant, little things I thought were so cool. Tinashe: I was on tour literally the entire year. I went on my own tour beginning of the year, then I went on Nicki Minaj tour that summer, then I went on Katy Perry tour that fall. Boom, boom, boom. Iggy: I got to open up for Beyonce on her arena tour, one of the best moments of my life. Were you nervous opening for those big names? Iggy: I was so happy that someone really big knew who I was, first of all, and thought I could do a good job. I remember being so blown away by how extravagant the backstage setup was. Tinashe: Her backstage is nuts. Iggy: Its like a mini-hotel that follows her around and gets set up every time. They have catering like a buffet at a 5-star hotel, layers and layers. It looks like Marie Antoinettes luncheon. Everyones so nice. It was pretty epic. How did the idea for Dance Like Nobodys Watching come about? Iggy: I wrote the hook with this girl called HAVEN, shes really cool. I wanted to do something that represents not giving a f and letting go. We were talking about what songs we could write that everybody would relate to at the moment with everything going on being stuck in the house, it can feel depressing but sometimes I feel really happy or excited about what Im managing to get done in that restrictive environment. That breeds more creativity for me. Everyones struggling but theres an element of me that feels happy creatively. I wanted to write something that reflects that, that could make other people feel that happiness too. What are we doing in this situation? I walk around my house and twerk in my bedroom, dance around to songs on Spotify. Live my best life. I really wanted to play the record for Tinashe. I knew shed love it. And watching [her] videos all the time, [shes] such a good performer. I might be dancing around in my bedroom, I cant dance for s. You can twerk though! Iggy: I can twerk, but she can dance. I love the idea of escapism, thats what really made me want to be an artist. Im from a small town, Id be so invested in watching these videos of other worlds and wanting to go there to that place. A lot of people dont put that much effort into videos still and I still feel like a little kid when I watch your videos because it makes me feel like its another world. Tinashe: The feelings mutual, honestly your visuals are amazing. Thats why I think this is so exciting! Im surprised it took another five years to collaborate again. Iggy: Im not because that remix was really successful, it charted at No. 13 which is really high. I get nervous to follow successful things up because I dont want it to be lesser than something already so great. Weve evolved so much that whatever we do is going to be so different that its worthy of coming back and revisiting. Tinashe: The time feels right now; its perfect. Tinashe, what was your reaction when you first heard it? Tinashe: Im like OK, this is the one! I felt it right away. I said, Ill do it tomorrow. Iggy: 48 hours later, she came to the studio with her engineer. I didnt hear you do it, I like to step outside the room because I can feel funny about trying different melodies with people I dont usually work with. I stepped out because I know that youre playing around with your stuff. When I came back in, you had created so many more layers and it was its own thing. Tinashe: Its always cool to hear the record for the first time because you never get that experience again, especially as an artist. You listen to a record as its being made for hours so you never get the experience of hearing it fresh. Iggy: We see it go through so many stages before somebody hears it. You recorded at Westlake in Los Angles, what was the vibe of the studio? Tinashe: It was honestly my first time in a studio during quarantine, outside my house. Im like whoa whats going to happen? But it was super empty, super quiet. Iggy: Its really quiet there. Been recording there for the last four months, theres rarely anybody else in the building. Do you prefer that? Iggy: I like it better actually. Big recording studios, I dont like going through the hallways and seeing all these other people. It can be good because collaboration could come that way. You can meet new people, become friends with other artists. It has its positive elements but I really like to isolate and be to myself. Tinashe: I dont want them to hear the songs that Im working on! Iggy: Same, theyre not done. I like that no ones there right now, I prefer that. I dont want to run into anybody. Tinashe: I weirdly got more antisocial during quarantine too, leaned into my old ways. I worked on it for a couple years, honestly. Ima put myself out there, be more social. Id go out way more than I used to, I used to be mad antisocial. During quarantine, Im reverted back to my old ways. Why would I go anywhere? See people? [Laughs] Iggy: Same, I feel weird about going back to normal. I want to sit at home and come up with weird crazy ideas, stuff to dress up as and write songs. What was the theme for the shoot? Iggy: I wanted to do a clash of time periods: Steampunk meets renaissance Marie Antoinette-type vibe. Id like the video to go into different time periods or aesthetics, have them cross over each other. I wouldnt go too deeply into it so it can be a surprise. Were still figuring our creative ideas. Its so hard to figure things out with quarantine because it takes so much longer to hear back from everyone. There are so many more things you have to organize. Tinashe: Theres restrictions. I realized with quarantine, your concepts are limited. Theres a lot of recycled ideas thrown out there and it presents a challenge to keep it fresh. Iggy: I like a challenge. Favorite lines from the record? Tinashe: Ima do it, do it for me! Iggy: I like the whole pre-hook, thats my favorite part. Thats my vibe, thats my energy in 2020. I really dont give a f, Im doing whatever the f I want. What do you want fans to get from this one? Iggy: I hope it could uplift them, make them be happy. I see so many people going through it on social media everyday. It connects us more than ever, even though were more separated than ever. If it can be a source of escapism where they have three minutes of happiness of enjoying yourself and letting go, de-stressing for the day. Tinashe: Just have fun, thats really important. Its a collective energy about this year and its hard. Its tough, theres a lot of deep shit were going through. Theres a lot of drama were all experiencing collectively. As artists, I feel a really big responsibility and you clearly feel the same way, to bring some type of lightness to the world. Something, anything you can do. Iggy: Right now is a really good place to be as an artist, its a moment in culture where so many great things in the next year will spawn from this period. Pop culture has been a little bit boring in the last few years. I havent seen as many risks being taken, this forces you to do those things. Im pushed more to do those things. I dont mean risks as controversy, but creative risks. Pushing the boundaries in pop culture. This could be a reset where were pushed to be more creative. This makes me have to confront myself more, think about who I am more deeply because Im at home more. A lot of people probably have that reflection. Tinashe: Thats a lesson of the year for a lot of people. One of the biggest things that happened this year is a disruption in our typical patterns, what weve typically done in every single way. Maybe thats good sometimes. Who were some of those artists you grew up to? Iggy: I loved Missy Elliot and how out-of-the-box creative she was. Shed bring another universe to her music. I love Outkast and Andre 3000, hes so poetic and left-field. I miss those moments and songs that take a risk, dont sound or look like anything else. Tinashe: Ive always wanted to collaborate with him. Its insane how it could be so simple, yet so complex. Who are some artists youre into these days? Iggy: I really love Miley Cyrus Midnight Sky. Its so beautiful. Im, like, Damn, this is really well-written! I love her voice and even her mullet. Ive never seen a mullet look so good. What did you guys think of WAP? Tinashe: I liked it; whats not to like? Iggy: People need to have fun injected into a grim situation. Seeing so many people doing the #WAPChallenge and enjoy themselves, we needed it. Women talking about their sexuality explicitly, that tickles me. Oh, men are really uncomfortable by this? Love that. . Its always good to make men uncomfortable, because women have to feel so uncomfortable every day in the way the male gaze is on us. Its funny to do something so minute compared to what men do to women. To see them be so triggered and uncomfortable by it, I felt [joy]. Tinashe: All the politicians that were outraged, the Republic commentators. This is the death of music! I love to see it. Biggest lessons you learned in the music industry thus far? Tinashe: Do what you want to do, period. Case closed. End of story. Dont listen to no exec; dont listen to no fan. Iggy: Do what the f you want. No one really knows what the fk theyre doing, thats the biggest lesson Ive learned Tinashe: Thats absolutely true, thats why the only person you should follow is your own instinct. Iggy: Everybody will always tell you they know some secret hidden information or the key to something, but nobody knows what works or what doesnt. You should do what speaks to you. Tinashe: What makes you happy will be way more fulfilling at the end of the day. How much of a role did being signed to a major Iggy to Def Jam and Tinashe to RCA play in your success? Iggy: I assume it was very helpful because theyre such a big giant platform. I stayed in my record deal longer than I should because I was so worried about what people would think about me going independent. Peoples perception of, Oh, she isnt within the major anymore; her careers over; no one cares about her. Creatively, that wasnt the right fit for me. I like to be my own one-man band and march to my own beat. With a major, its more collaborative with the decision making. Tinashe: Everything has to be signed off [on], its amazing how much you end up compromising. Iggy: You compromise a lot. I didnt feel 100% happy with what I was making. I sat on a shelf longer than I wanted to, battling other peoples ideas and not being able to find a common ground. I let peoples perception stop me in my tracks longer than I should have, until I didnt care, because I didnt feel happy about what I was making. Tinashe: I agree. I didnt see it as an option as much because I had such a long-term contract. I had many albums left, something I didnt think I could do. You try to make the best of your situation and end up trying to work through things. By doing so, you end up compromising a lot of things. Its made me so much happier, which is so important and underrated. You could be successful, but that doesnt mean youre happy or fulfilled. Iggy: To be proud of your work, to be able to stand by behind it. I want to have a legacy of things I feel proud of. Im really proud of my videos and what Ive been doing lately, so Im glad I made that decision. More from Variety Best of Variety Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ruth Panjaitan (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, September 5, 2020 11:11 503 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c42db1d9 3 Opinion cohabitation,living-together,consent,Women,Criminal-Code Free Amid the COVID-19 outbreak in Indonesia, the House Representatives and the Law and Human Rights Ministry have continued their deliberation of the controversial Criminal Code revision as a priority bill. The International Commission of Jurists has previously expressed concern that a number of provisions in the bill are inconsistent with Indonesias obligations under international human rights law. These provisions relate to the right to privacy, freedom of speech and freedom of association. There are provisions in the draft that would have dire consequences for womens rights in Indonesia. For instance, if implemented in its current form, the bill would explicitly criminalize cohabitation or the act of two consenting adults living together as heterosexual sexual partners outside of a legal marriage. Persons found guilty of cohabitation would risk up to six months of imprisonment or a fine of approximately Rp 10 million (US$633). The act of cohabitation is currently not a criminal offence under the existing Criminal Code. However, Indonesian women who live with their partners outside of marriage are often stigmatized as women of low honor. In addition, there are some regions in Indonesia that have adopted local ordinances prohibiting cohabitation, such as in Batam and Aceh, as this practice is disfavored by the authorities because of harmful gender stereotypes and their interpretations of religious and cultural norms. These local ordinances are being used by the local Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) and self-appointed moral police to publicly shame cohabiting couples, especially the women. There have been numerous instances where the neighbors of a cohabiting couple have barged into private homes and publicly chastised the couple. In 2017, a couples house in Jakartas neighboring city of Tangerang was raided by men from the neighborhood who punched the couple, stripped them naked, paraded them around the community, and forced them to confess that they were living together illegally. The perpetrators recorded the incident on video, which unfortunately later went viral on social media. Local vigilantes account for the biggest percentage of those who invade the privacy of those accused of cohabitation. The National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) noted that gender-based violence of this nature often led women to experience excessive stress, depression, mental health disorder, sometimes even resulting in suicide attempts. Under the bill, the prosecution of this offense can be initiated by a complaint filed by the spouse, parents and children. With written approval from family members, village heads may also file a complaint. Consequently, this may serve to legitimize more arbitrary police and vigilante raids based on mere suspicion of any family member. This may also potentially empower abusive family members to accuse survivors of domestic violence, of a crime. Since same-sex marriage is not legal in Indonesia, lesbian, bisexual and transgender women are at risk if they decide to cohabit as couples. Furthermore, this provision will also threaten women in remote areas who could only afford to have religious and/or adat (customary) marriage. First, the criminalization of cohabitation constitutes an arbitrary and unlawful interference with peoples privacy. The right to privacy is protected under international human rights law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) by which Indonesia is bound. The right to privacy is central to the protection of human dignity and forms the basis of any democratic society. It supports and reinforces other rights, including the right of women to freely choose when or if she will marry. The UN Human Rights Committee, the supervisory body for the ICCPR, has made clear that states have an obligation to adopt legislative measures to give effect to the prohibition against interferences with and attacks against the right to privacy and to take measures to ensure the protection of this right. Second, the criminalization of cohabitation violates other human rights guaranteed by the ICCPR, including the right to family life, a right that, as international human rights law acknowledges, may be exercised and enjoyed by two cohabiting partners without the need for them to be married to one another. Third, the criminalization of cohabitation would constitute prohibited discrimination and a violation of the right to equality before the law and equal protection of the law without discrimination for all under international human rights law binding on Indonesia. The House must therefore reject this bill because of its gender discriminatory nature and arbitrary interference with the right to privacy. --- Indonesia national legal adviser of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ). Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 19:30:38|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BANGKOK, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Authorities of Phang-Nga Province, one of Thailand's famous tourist destinations in the south, said on Saturday that anyone entering the province is subject to a 14-day home quarantine amid concerns for a second wave of COVID-19 pandemic. "A 14-day home quarantine is not too much to ask," said Phang-Nga provincial governor Chamroen Thipphayaphongthada, "however for those who can provide evidence of entering a state or local quarantine facility before arriving into the Phang-Nga, won't need to go through a another round of quarantine." The announcement came after Thailand last week discovered a new local COVID-19 case after 100 days of free local transmission. The surging number of COVID-19 cases in neighboring Myanmar also prompted the governor to reimpose the health measures. The governor also said that all residents in Phang-Nga are required to wear face masks when outdoors at all times. Thailand remained under a state of emergency in the midst of the global pandemic, giving powers to local government leaders to make urgent decisions to stem the virus spread. "Anyone in Phang-Nga soil who violates health measures imposed in the province, will have to face the Thai law," Chamroen said. Enditem Greystones Film Club presents 'Town of Strangers' at Whale Theatre on Thursday, September 10, at 8pm. They say there are only two stories worth telling: a person goes on a journey or a stranger comes to town. This film is about a stranger who comes to make a film in the small town of Gort in the west of Ireland, and the people she meets when she holds auditions. Together, they go on a cinematic journey to explore their waking and dreaming lives. Featuring a cast of migrant workers, hippies, Travellers, blow-ins and newly arrived refugees, we are ushered into the private worlds of people living between two cultures, sharing their desires of longing and belonging. Tickets are available at Whaletheatre.ie. From Yemen to India, a quarter of the worlds population faces water shortages. A growing population and increasingly irregular rainfall are two important factors. At least 17 nations are currently under high-water stress due to the lack of water. By 2040, one in four children in the world will live in water-stressed areas. Bangkok (AsiaNews/Agencies) From Yemen to India, from parts of Central America to the African Sahel, a quarter of the worlds population suffers from chronic and serious water shortages, which are fuelling conflicts, social unrest and migrations. With the worlds population growing and climate change bringing more irregular rainfall, including severe droughts, competition for scarcer water is growing, with serious consequences, experts say. If there is no water, people will start to move, warns Dutch expert Kitty van der Heijden. Water shortages will lead to water hoarding and new wars. According to the United States-based World Resources Institute (WRI), 17 countries face extremely high levels of water stress, while more than two billion people live in countries experiencing high water stress. One in four children worldwide will be living in areas of extremely high-water stress by 2040, researchers estimate. In terms of water availability, at some point we are going to hit the wall, and that wall might be different in different places, Heijden said. Indias Chennai and South Africas Cape Town have for example battled severe water shortages in recent years related in part to erratic rainfall. Disputes over water have for millennia served as a flashpoint, driving political instability and conflict, water experts said. And the risks of water-related disputes are growing, notes Peter Gleick, co-founder of the California-based Pacific Institute. Water systems are also increasingly becoming targets in other types of conflicts, like the war in Yemen, not to mention the conflicts in Somalia, Iraq, and Syria, with all this leaving millions without safe water to drink or grow crops. One way to tackle water scarcity is to use it more rationally in agriculture, which absorbs more than two-thirds of the water used by people each year, experts say. In some drought-hit areas, farmers are switching to more efficient sprinkler or drip irrigation, and are using remote monitoring tools to make sure they apply just the right amount of moisture at the right time and in the right place. The first ever medicine project will soon be set up in Jammu with Canadian collaboration, Union minister said on Saturday. The Minister of State for Prime Minister's Office said it is the first major foreign investment in after it became a Union Territory (UT). The first ever medicine project will be set up with the collaboration of Canada at Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM) in Jammu, he said in a statement. The minister said special permission had to be obtained to produce the pain-relief medicine for patients suffering from cancer, diabetes, etc., using cannabis, which is otherwise restricted for use because of narcotic drug abuse. The medicine prepared from this plant can be utilised even for export to other countries, he said. Singh also reviewed the progress of the construction of north India's first biotech industrial park in Kathua near Jammu. A few other projects are also being set up through the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Union Ministry of Science and Technology in the UT, he said. The review meeting was attended through video conferencing, by Director General CSIR Shekhar Mande, Advisor to Lieutenant Governor of Rajiv Bhatanagar and Director of IIIM, Jammu, D Srinivasa Reddy. The meeting was also followed by a virtual visit to the site and inspection of the ongoing work on biotech park. While reviewing the project, Singh appreciated the fact that the work on the biotech park was being carried out despite constraints of COVID-19 pandemic. The minister was informed that the deadline for completion of the project had got delayed due to COVID related difficulties and the new deadline would possibly be around February 2021. Singh called for conducting awareness programmes to sensitise people about the new avenues of livelihood, start-up ventures, entrepreneurship and research which will become available when the biotech park becomes functional. Spread over an area of around 10.5 acres, the benefits of the biotech industrial park will also be available to the neighbouring states of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. Referring to the first ever seed processing plant which is almost ready in Kathua, the minister said the biotech park and seed processing plant will be able to supplement each other's resources and this would be in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of doubling farmers' income. The projects will promote economic development and also quality export projects, he said. Singh was also given an update about the lemon grass cultivation project launched by CSIR on his personal intervention. The minister was informed that presently lemon grass cultivation has been undertaken in districts of Kathua, Udhampur, Doda and Kishtwar, the statement added. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Government is to publish a nine-month action plan to tackle Covid-19 next week, Dr Ronan Glynn announced last night. The acting Chief Medical Officer said the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) has been in discussion with the Government over what measures will be in place to tackle the ongoing threat from the coronavirus over the coming months. And that plan outlining what steps will be put in place over the next nine months, will be announced next week, he told RTEs The Late Late Show last night. But in the meantime, he urged people to continue to follow Nphets advice as we head into the winter, adding that people do not have to fear being trapped in their homes all winter as long as necessary precautions are taken to avoid getting the virus. We need to focus on the next nine months and see where were at, he told host Ryan Tubridy. Were in the process of closing chapter one and moving into chapter two, he said of the ongoing saga in battling the killer virus. On Thursday morning, a dog working with a Chilean rescue team alerted them that there could be someone beneath debris in the Gemmayzeh neighborhood of Beirut, the local news outlet The Daily Star reported. The area is a center of Beiruts famous nightlife and not far from the scene of the Aug. 4 explosion. Images of the scene on social media showed a large pile of rubble next to a pizzeria. The rescuers began a search after the dogs signal, but on Thursday night, the army temporarily halted the operation, saying parts of the building could fall and kill rescue workers. They resumed work later that evening after two cranes helped secure the area, the Lebanese news site Naharnet reported. The rescue effort has received considerable attention in Lebanon. Crowds screamed, Bring the crane now! after the army paused the search, according to The Daily Star. The Arabic-language hashtag pulse of Beirut is trending on Twitter. This refers to people thinking a person could still be alive underneath the destroyed building. Videos of the dog working with the Chilean team have been shared widely on social media. The search for the possible survivor continues as the explosion hits its one-month mark. Nearly 200 people died and hundreds of thousands were rendered homeless when the massive blast ripped through the city. Preliminary investigations point to 2,700 tons of the fertilizer ammonium nitrate exploding after catching fire in a warehouse in Beiruts port. There was massive outrage at the governments seemingly careless decision to leave so much of the combustible substance in the heart of the city. The entire Lebanese Cabinet resigned in the wake of the tragedy. The blast has worsened an already difficult situation in the country. Lebanon is contending with an economic crisis, anti-government protests against corruption and mismanagement, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Many countries pledged to help Lebanon following the explosion, and that is how the Chilean rescuers arrived. The South American country is experienced with such crises following a 2010 earthquake that killed more than 500 there. Protesters hold a sign in support of Black Lives Matter during the Commitment March in Washington, D.C. on Aug. 28, 2020. (Natasha Moustache/Getty Images) Who Will Save America From the Democrats Race Obsession? Commentary Worse than Trump Derangement Syndrome, the Democrats suffer from Racial Derangement Syndrome (RDS)a desire to find racism under every rock and down every rabbit hole. Recent examples are myriad. A particularly amusing one comes from their presidential candidate Joe Biden who told a (remarkably sparse) largely black audience in Kenosha, Wisconsin that the light bulb was not invented by Thomas Edison but by an African American, Lewis Latimer. Its hard to know where Bidenwho plagiarized in law school and a fair number of times thereafter and now has, shall we say, issuesgets his information but this would have been news to Latimer himself, a brilliant man with an inspiring story who happens to be the author of Incandescent Electric Lighting: A Practical Description of the Edison System. [italics mine] More significantly and less risibly, a cabal of far left-leaning Democrats led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and House members Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) with the choral support of Sens. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) have initiated legislation declaring racism a public health crisis. If this is trueand its not; its a politically motivated crisisthe viral load transmitting this particular illness comes directly from those same Democrats and their media claque. They should all have been wearing masks. The first spores of this disease appeared during the Obama administration after a black man had been overwhelmingly elected president by supposedly racist America not once, but twice. At first the power of racist accusation appeared to be waning. Many people were forgetting about race and treating each other normally and equally, as the renowned African American actor Morgan Freeman once prescribed (2006) as the solution to racism on Sixty Minutes. No endless protests, no prevaricating celebrations of oppression a la the New York Times recent 1619 Project, just ordinary existence. The best way to end racism, Freeman said then, was to stop talking about it. You call me Morgan, he continued, and Ill call you Mike. (Mike Wallace was his interviewer.) Although he couldnt have been more right, Freeman was pressured by the usual suspects to walk back his statement. And throughout the Obama administrations the opposite approach was taken. Racism was talked about incessantly from the most minor dustups like Harvard professor Henry Lous Gates Jrs dispute with a Boston cop to the Ferguson riots that engendered the Hands up. Dont shoot, lie that endures to this day, repeated by Black Lives Matter demonstrators ad infinitum. Racism had to be kept alive. So here we are in the era of BLM, Antifa and critical race theory, that pseudo-intellectual European import force fed into the brains of Yale sophomores for plus or minus $70K per annum, a particularly dangerous theory that, played out in real life, has most of our cities in an uproar, stores and businesses destroyed, our citizens at each others throats with all white people declared racist because they are, alas, white. In the words of Lady Gaga, theyre born that way. Its all the fault of the Enlightenmentor something. Or, speaking of the pseudo-intellectual, academic gibberish like systemic racism. And now we have a racial health crisis, just like we have an abortion health crisis, but like the supposed abortion crisis, its almost always a matter of morality, not of health. Life, and values, have been turned upside down. Again, racism must be preserved at all costs. The situation has never seemed more hopeless. Except for something quite interesting. The African American community may be getting fed up with this, as well they should be. We all suffer from this insane nonsense, like defunding the cops, but they most of all. NBA stars may be wearing Black Lives Matter t-shirts, but the less fortunate, non-zillionaire, black man on the street is having less of it. So, too, a growing number of other normal African Americans, many of whom appeared at the Republican Convention. And lo and behold, a recent poll has appeared with Donald Trump receiving a whopping, practically unheard of, for a Republican, 45 percent approval rating from African Americans. Yes, this is a Rasmussen (read: Republican) poll, but Rasmussen was among the more accurate pollsters in 2016. He has a reputation to protect, despite whatever bias he might have. If something even close to these poll numbers holds, African Americans will be in part responsible for a Trump victory in November, but arguably more importantly, they will have the capacity to change the angry zeitgeist dominating todays USA. They, our black population, could put Black Lives Matter (upper case) back into lower case where it belongs, right along with all lives matter. This would honor most of all Dr. King whose desire for all of us to be judged by our character, not by the color of our skin, is currently being stomped on by the left. Roger L. Simon is an award-winning author, Oscar-nominated screenwriter and co-founder of PJ Media. He is now a columnist for The Epoch Times. Find him on Parler and Twitter @rogerlsimon. Buy his books on Amazon. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Ousted Bear Clan director James Favel says he has been reinstated as a member of the volunteer community patrol organization and plans to run for a spot on its board. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 4/9/2020 (503 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Ousted Bear Clan director James Favel says he has been reinstated as a member of the volunteer community patrol organization and plans to run for a spot on its board. Favel said hes not looking to "start any trouble," and is focused on leaving the past behind. "Im celebrating that I have an opportunity, that my nomination has been accepted, that I have an opportunity to get back on the board of directors," the Bear Clan co-founder said in an interview Friday. "Thats very important to me. Im not doing anything to jeopardize it." At the time of his removal, which was announced July 31, Favel cited the reason as "massive board overreach." Bear Clan board chairwoman Shaneen Robinson-Desjarlais told media his dismissal was due to inappropriate conduct towards staff. Favel announced his membership had been reinstated through social media Friday, thanking supporters and asking them to join the Bear Clan as members and vote for him at the non-profit organization's annual general meeting Sept. 29. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Bear Clan representatives did not respond to requests for comment Friday. A Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health report investigating complaints in July referred to Favel's conduct with an employee as "unprofessional and intimidating." Favel said he filed an appeal to with the provincial agency last week, adding he "disagreed vehemently" with the report. "I dont know that theyll walk back anything they said, but I think just the fact that Im a member in good standing and my nomination has been accepted should say something," he said. malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: malakabas_ I remember waking up one morning in 2019 in horror, as I opened Instagram to an error message: You were logged out. One of my biggest pages at that time was disabled for an unknown reason," recalls Elijiah Pitman, an Australian Social Media Expert and CEO of Clout Media. Pitman had grown a social media business to over 100k followers on Instagram, but on that tragic day, it was gone. Just like that, all his hard work vanishedwith no explanations, no concessions, and no appeal. Social media is clearly the most important marketing tool of the last decade, but as many are beginning to find out, it is a double-edged sword and can cut you when you least expect it. What happened to Pitman is not as strange or far removed as you might expect. Many business leaders have experienced a similar fate, losing loads of followers and business connections overnight. But this unfortunate situation didnt kill Pitmans dream. Quite the contrary, he went on to build one of his largest followings on another one of his Instagram pages, gaining over 500k followers in three months and building a thriving business around it. Pitman has since sought to help other entrepreneurs build their social media followings, teaching them how to leverage it to build longevity. His is a cautionary tale with a happy ending. But here are a few glaring lessons he learned along the way. Related: 5 Cannabis Brands That Are Crushing It On Instagram 1. Dont build exclusively on social media Its very easy to build 100 percent of your business on social media. Take advantage of the ads, stories, and all other creative avenues to get your business out there. But one major lesson Pitmans tragedy has taught him: Don't only build your business on social media or as John Obidi would say it, Dont build your house on rented land. Entrepreneurs should learn to move their business off social media systematically. Pitmans use of this strategy creates a strong backup for his clients should they ever have a social media tragedy like his. You need to create diverse avenues to move your followers into your e-mail marketing list or telegram/WhatsApp group. You can do this by offering certain free services, products, or information while using mail baits and other strategies to make sure you back your followers and business contacts up. 2. Build a reputation beyond social media. Pitman credits his great reputation before and after the tragedy to be the main reason for his success with Clout Media. I was able to establish connections and increase my reputation," he says. "From then on, positive client feedback and reputation is what has allowed for CloutMedia to remain a force in the industry. This approach doesnt revolve around your product and services, but more on your personal reputation. If you can build a name for yourself that people can trust, it can be carried over into any other venture and platformsocial media or not. This is why Pitman thinks it is absolutely necessary to be a recognizable face behind the business and uphold integrity in your dealings. This way, even tragedy cannot stop you. 3. Take a multi-platform approach The hard work involved in building a strong multi-platform approach to business on social media is probably the reason why people tend to shy away from doing it. But it's also why Pitman's company has become so relevant. His insistence on having a strong presence and activity on multiple platforms rather than settling on one is a no-brainer based on his experience. Still, it is a strategy he advocates for businesses that need to appeal to a diverse audience. The various platforms offer you a variety of people and being recognizable on many platforms is almost guaranteed to give you and your business longevity. 4. Become hyper-client oriented CloutMedias staple characteristic is how client-oriented they are in their operations. This is a spillover from Pitman's tragic experience on Instagram and one of the reasons for his current success. Social media presents the temptation to be satisfied with views, likes, comments, and orders so much so that you do not recognize your biggest followers and clients and engage with them reasonably. Building a highly individualized relationship with your social media followers will protect some relationships beyond just the likes and comments and certainly beyond any tragedy. This helped save Pitman earlier, as the genuine connection was his first reason for joining social media. He says, I have always had a passion for connecting with people and experiencing different cultures and lifestyles. My pages allowed me to do so, fueling and motivating the next three years of business growth as I aim to help other businesses and personalities reach their goals in the ever-growing climate of todays social media 5. Reinvest In yourself In the end, you are the business and the business is you. The company can never become more important than you are, and every beneficial investment in yourself is ultimately an investment in the business. Pitmans social media tragedy showed him the value of all the good books he had read and investments he had made in himself. The internal structures these formed within him, helped him lift himself up by his proverbial bootstraps and push on doggedly. His best advice for entrepreneurs has become the simple statement: Reinvest most of your resources in yourself. No one owns social media and just as easily as you acquire a space on it, you can lose it just as easily. The only thing that cannot be canceled is you. Pitmans success story reminds us all that tragedy is common to business, but should not be allowed to define or limit progress. Related: Could You Be Making (or Multiplying) Your Income With Instagram? When Instagram Cancelled His Account And Destroyed His Business, This Entrepreneur Took Matters Into His Own Hands Twitter Promises to Better Explain Why Certain Things Are Trending Copyright 2020 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Democratic U.S. vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris said she would not take President Donald Trump's word alone on any potential coronavirus vaccine. In an interview excerpt broadcast by CNN on Saturday, Harris said Trump had a track record of suppressing expert opinion about the coronavirus pandemic and worried that might happen again in the case of a prospective vaccine. 'I would not trust Donald Trump,' she said, adding she would only be convinced of the efficacy of a vaccine if someone credible were vouching for it as well. 'I will not take his word for it.' Scroll down for video Kamala Harris said she will not take President Trump's word alone on a coronavirus vaccine Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris said that she would not trust President Trump alone on any potential coronavirus vaccine. "I will not take his word for it, she told @DanaBashCNN. https://t.co/jHEDMSTF6L pic.twitter.com/uiypClzRFr CNN (@CNN) September 5, 2020 At least 6.2 million people have been infected in the U.S. coronavirus outbreak, which has taken more than 188,000 lives. With the government's handling of the world's worst outbreak of the disease under close scrutiny, Trump has dangled the possibility that a vaccine might be ready ahead of the November 3 U.S. presidential election. But the president has a track record of flouting scientific advice and some experts are skeptical that vaccine trials, which have to study potential side effects on a wide range of people before they can deliver a verdict, can be completed by late this year or even early next year. Harris suggested to CNN that Trump might seize on a vaccine - no matter how untested - to burnish his image. 'He's looking at an election coming up in less than 60 days and he's grasping for whatever he can get to pretend he can be a leader on this issue when he's not,' she said. She also suggested that health experts would not get the final say on whether the vaccine is approved or not. 'If past is prologue that they will not, they'll be muzzled, they'll be suppressed, they will be sidelined,' she claimed. She did, however, say that she trusts Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. She added that Fauci 'put the public health of the American people as the highest priority in terms of his work, and his reputation and his priority'. The White House did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration also did not immediately respond to requests for comment. CNN said the full interview with Harris would be broadcast on Sunday. On Thursday, a report from CNN claimed that Trump has pressured administration health officials to accelerate the vaccine's development before November's election. Yet the administration has sought to counter arguments that politics will be involved. 'I have to say there has been absolutely no interference,' Moncef Slaoui, the chief adviser to Operation Warp Speed, said to Science, claiming he would resign if there was undue influence. Harris said Trump had a track record of suppressing expert opinion about the coronavirus pandemic and worried that might happen again in the case of a prospective vaccine Pictured, a COVID-19 vaccination at the Research Centers of America (RCA) in Hollywood, Florida, on August 13. So-called phase three vaccine clinical trials, in which thousands of people take part in the final stages, are gaining traction in the state 'No one is pressuring the FDA to do anything,' Trump's press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said. Also on Thursday, Dr. Fauci revealed that it is unlikely a COVID-19 vaccine will be ready by the end of October, but that it is not impossible. 'I think most of the people feel it's going to be November, December,' Dr Fauci said in a CNN interview when asked about the possibility of an earlier release. It was the first time Dr Fauci had spoken since documents leaked to the New York Times revealed that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sent instructions to state health departments to prepare for the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines by the end of October. He added that a clinical trial could prompt drug developers to decide a vaccine works sooner. 'It is conceivable that you can have it by October, though I don't think that that's likely.' Dr Fauci had previously said that regulators would have a 'moral obligation' to end vaccine trials early if the data provided overwhelming evidence that the shots were safe and effective. Moderna and Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine trials are in their final (phase 3) stages before they are ready to be submitted to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approval. Each company has said it can have millions of doses ready by year-end and Pfizer previously stated it thought i could be ready for regulatory submission by October. Dr Fauci has estimate that the Moderna trial would be fully enrolled by summer's end, and that results could be available by November. The leaked CDC forms provide guidance for storing, administering and distributing 'Vaccine A' or 'Vaccine B,' which were unnamed, in the event that either is granted emergency use authorization by the end of October 2020 - just days before Americans hit the voting booths and decide whether to re-elect President Trump on November 3. Currently, the vaccines being developed by Moderna and Pfizer are the furthest along in their clinical trials, with AstraZeneca's close behind. While Americans are eager for life to return to some semblance of normality, a recent Stat News and Harris Poll survey found that 78 percent of people in the US think that the fast progress toward approval for a coronavirus vaccine is driven not by science, but by politics. And experts share their fears. 'This gives me concern,' Dean of the School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and vaccine delivery expert Dr Peter Hotez told DailyMail.com. 'All of this together gives me the impression that this potentially more of a stunt than an expression of concern for public health, especially coming in the weeks before the election.' Millions of Americans are counting on a COVID-19 vaccine to curb the global pandemic, which has killed more than 180,000 people in the US, and sickened well over six million. The Trump Administration launched Operation Warp Speed in an effort to expedite vaccine development via billions of dollars of investment in partner companies. Your tax-deductible gift today powers our reporters and keeps us independent. We rely on you, our reader, not paywalls to stay funded because we believe important news and information should be freely accessible to all. Start your day with LAist Sign up for the Morning Brief, delivered weekdays. Subscribe By Rachel Bluth, Angela Hart, and Samantha Young | California Healthline Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter. To support our nonprofit public service journalism: Donate now. California lawmakers convened this year with big plans to tackle soaring health care costs, expand health insurance coverage and improve treatment for mental health and addiction. But the pandemic abruptly reoriented their priorities, forcing them to grasp for legislative solutions to the virus ripping through the state. Legislative deliberations this year were defined by quarantined lawmakers, emergency recesses and chaotic video voting -- plus a late-night partisan dust-up that led to the death of dozens of bills by the time lawmakers gaveled out early Tuesday morning. Nonetheless, legislators managed to send Gov. Gavin Newsom nearly 430 bills, roughly 40% of the number they'd send in a typical year, according to Sacramento lobbyist Chris Micheli. Among them were about two dozen COVID-related bills that addressed a range of challenges, including dire shortages of protective gear, sick leave for workers and the administration of a hoped-for COVID-19 vaccine. The measures broadly fit into three categories: dealing with the current crisis, protecting workers and consumers, and preparing for future pandemics. Newsom has until Sept. 30 to sign the bills into law or veto them. icon DON'T MISS ANY L.A. CORONAVIRUS NEWS Get our daily newsletters for the latest on COVID-19 and other top local headlines. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy "In a year that couldn't be business as usual, this session we were still able to get important business done for the people of California who are facing so many challenges," said Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins. "This year's session may be over, but this pandemic is not, and neither is our work." Just as important as the measures that made it to Newsom's desk were the ones that didn't. For instance, bills that would have limited the use of sensitive personal information in contact tracing investigations died, as did a proposal to help rebuild and fund public health infrastructure across California. "It leaves us with the status quo," said Michelle Gibbons, executive director of the County Health Executives Association of California, which lobbies on behalf of the state's county health directors. "If we had sufficient staffing of public health all along, and stronger resources, it would have helped." IMMEDIATE ACTION Narrowly focused bills that targeted real-time COVID-related problems -- and avoided big price tags -- were among those easily winning approval. AB-685, by Assembly member Eloise Gomez Reyes (D-San Bernardino), would require employers to notify their workers of COVID-19 infections at work -- and would mandate the reporting of infection data to state and local public health authorities. A different measure, AB-2164, would require Medi-Cal, California's Medicaid program, to cover more telehealth visits in underserved areas by eliminating an existing requirement for patients and providers to establish an in-person relationship first. But this wouldn't be a permanent change: If signed, the law would sunset 180 days after the official COVID-19 state of emergency is over. Rivas said he had to scale back the cost of the measure by applying it only to the pandemic to get it passed. "Had we not done that, it was very likely this bill would have been held in the Senate Appropriations Committee," said Assembly member Robert Rivas (D-Hollister), who introduced the bill. Another bill written with near missile-guided precision is AB-1710, which would allow pharmacists to administer a COVID vaccine once one is approved by the Food and Drug Administration. "We want to make sure we can gear up as quickly as possible," said Assembly member Jim Wood (D-Santa Rosa), who authored the bill. Wood also authored AB-2644, which would require nursing homes to have a full-time "infection preventionist," and to report deaths from communicable diseases to the state during an emergency. Wood said the bill was written after he "watched with horror" as COVID-19 killed thousands of nursing home residents in the spring. CONSUMER AND WORKER PROTECTIONS Lawmakers took on powerful business interests to boost protections for essential workers. A bill introduced by Sen. Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo) would make it easier for some employees infected with COVID-19 to file a workers' compensation insurance claim until January 2023. Should Newsom sign SB-1159, for instance, state law would presume that certain front-line workers -- from health care workers in hospitals to firefighters who go into people's homes -- were infected on the job unless their employers prove otherwise. The California Chamber of Commerce, which opposed the measure, questioned whether an employee's illness could be traced to their job when the virus is so widespread. By varying degrees, at least 14 states have extended workers' compensation to include COVID-related scenarios, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Frustrated with outbreaks at meatpacking plants, lawmakers also advanced legislation calling on food-processing companies with at least 500 workers to provide two weeks of paid sick leave to those exposed to COVID-19 or advised to quarantine. The measure, AB-1867, spearheaded by Assembly member Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), also would close a loophole in the federal emergency paid sick leave benefit that Congress authorized this spring, which excluded health care workers and emergency responders. If Newsom signs the bill, they too would qualify for two weeks of paid sick time. And in what would be the biggest expansion to the state's family leave program since it began in 2004, lawmakers voted to extend job protections to more workers who wish to take time off to care for a new baby or a sick relative. California's family leave program currently exempts small-business workers from the job protections, leaving millions of workers without the benefit. For example, an employee who works for a company with 20 or fewer employees does not qualify for job protection to bond with an infant. Employers with 50 or fewer workers aren't required to guarantee someone's job if they leave to care for a sick parent or other family member. In both cases, that would change to employers with five or more workers if the governor signs SB-1383, introduced by Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara). "In the time of COVID, we are relying on families, grandparents, children to take care of each other when they get sick," Jackson said. "We should be able to protect ourselves, to take responsibility for ourselves, to be able to protect ourselves without fear of losing our jobs." LESSONS LEARNED Inadequate personal protective gear emerged early on as one of the biggest impediments to California's coronavirus response -- and measures advanced by the legislature could prepare the state for future threats. "We can be more prepared to protect our state in the next health crisis," said Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon. California lawmakers approved a pair of high-profile bills to address protective equipment shortages. The more ambitious proposal, authored by Assembly member Freddie Rodriguez (D-Pomona), would require hospitals to stockpile a three-month supply by April 2021. "We've already lost far too many members to COVID-19," said Stephanie Roberson, lead lobbyist for the California Nurses Association, which sponsored AB-2537. "It's something that could have been prevented," Roberson said, adding that "it's the responsibility of employers to protect their workers." Newsom also must decide whether the state government should maintain a supply of protective gear for essential workers. SB-275, from Sen. Richard Pan (D-Sacramento) and sponsored by the Service Employees International Union California, would mandate the California Department of Public Health within one year to establish a PPE stockpile for health and other essential workers to last 90 days during a pandemic. It also would require major employers of health care workers -- such as dialysis clinics, nursing homes and hospitals -- to establish by 2023 or later an additional 45-day stockpile of PPE. An August report from the University of California-Berkeley found that at least 20,860 California cases of COVID-19 among essential workers could have been avoided, as well as dozens of deaths, if the state had had a sufficient supply of protective gear. The powerful California Hospital Association fought both measures, saying the goals are laudable yet unworkable. "We agree that bolstering the supply and reliability of PPE for health care and other essential workers is a top priority," said spokesperson Jan Emerson-Shea. "It is critically important to remember, however, that we are still in the midst of a pandemic and there are still significant challenges with the global supply chain of PPE." WE LOVE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS This story was produced by Kaiser Health News, which publishes California Healthline, an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation. To ensure that no Covid-19 patients in Tripura dies due to negligence, the state government has decided to deploy cabinet ministers, if necessary, at Govind Ballabh Pant (GBP) hospital-- the first dedicated Covid hospital in the statefor strict monitoring. Unfortunately, cases of deaths are on a rise in our state. But no one should die due to negligence. In case negligence is observed, one Cabinet minister will take turn to stay at the hospital, Law minister Ratan Lal Nath told the media. Almost eight days ago, a case of negligence was lodged against doctors after the death of a three-day old infant in August. The babys mother alleged that the infant died after his swab samples were collected. The samples were taken since the mother had tested Covid-19 positive. The state has recorded a total of 134 Covid-19 deaths from amongst the 13,836 Covid-19 cases registered so far. 8,483 of these infected patients have recovered. Two Covid-19 patients in the state have died by suicide. On Friday, Tripura BJP legislator and former health minister, Sudip Roy Barman, alleged that the health department has failed to tackle the Covid-19 situation as many patients are dying untreated. Roy Barman was removed from his ministerial position in June last year. The health portfolio is currently with chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb. Also Read: 1st vessel to arrive in Tripura from Bangladesh using Indo-Bangla inland waterways route He also demanded that a full time health minister be appointed for dedicated management of the health care system. He said that a total of 28 departments, including health, were currently with the chief minister. The current authorities have failed to tackle the Covid-19 situation. How will the chief minister manage the health department when he is holding charge of 28 departments alone? The state requires a separate dedicated health minister, Roy Barman told media persons in Agartala. He alleged that the body of a person remained in the hospital for three days and his relatives were not informed. Daughter of the dead person managed to get photographs of the body and take it for cremation with the help of a sweeper. I have documents to prove that, he said. He also alleged that the state government was not procuring enough anti-viral medicines and not adopting plasma therapy. KYODO NEWS - Sep 5, 2020 - 05:26 | All, World A U.S. court ruled Friday that two men accused of helping former Nissan Motor Co. boss Carlos Ghosn escape from Japan last year while awaiting trial on financial misconduct charges could be extradited to Japan. Following the approval from a federal court in Massachusetts of the possible extradition of a former Green Beret and his son to Japanese prosecutors, the State Department is expected to make a final decision on the matter. Tokyo's request for the handover of Michael Taylor, a 59-year-old former member of the U.S. Army Special Forces, and his 27-year-old son Peter Taylor is based on a bilateral extradition treaty. Related coverage: Nissan slapped with more tax penalties from Ghosn period Toyota expects 64% full-year net profit fall as pandemic dents demand Trial for accused Ghosn accomplice set to begin Sept. 15 After Tokyo prosecutors obtained arrest warrants for the men, U.S. authorities arrested the two in Massachusetts in May for their alleged involvement in the escape of Ghosn in late December. Ghosn fled to Lebanon, where he spent his childhood, via Turkey. The court had examined whether the two men should be extradited to Japan. Ghosn, who headed Nissan for nearly two decades, faced trial in Japan on allegations that he misused company funds and understated his remuneration by billions of yen for years. The 66-year-old has denied the allegations and said he fled Japan to escape what he described as a "rigged" justice system. The Hornsdale Power Reserve, featuring the world's largest lithium ion battery made by Tesla, during the official launch near the South Australian town of Jamestown, in Australia on Dec. 1, 2017. (Reuters/David Gray South Australia Uses Tesla Tech to Create Sustainable Virtual Power Plant More than 3000 public houses will join South Australias (SA) latest Tesla renewable power project, delivering lower power bills, and improve the electricity grid across the state. The new installations properties will bring the total to 4,100 houses involved in the scheme to become part of South Australias first virtual power plant (SA VPP), which Tesla said will eventually include 50,000 private and public houses. Tesla expects the VPP expansion to create about 80 full-time equivalent jobs for licenced South Australian electricians during the projects anticipated 18-month deployment and will include locally produced solar panels. The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) announced on Sept. 4 that it would grant $8.2 million in funding to Tesla Motors Australia to deploy residential battery and rooftop solar systems at public houses owned by Housing SA. Each property will receive a 5 kW rooftop solar system and a 13.5 kWh Powerwall battery system at no cost to the tenant. The systems are expected to provide 80 percent of the propertys energy usage. In a media release on Sept. 4, South Australian Minister for Energy and Mining Dan van Holst Pellekaan said: This is the largest per capita roll out of home batteries in the world. Having rooftop PV and household batteries linked through a Virtual Power Plant creates the equivalent of a grid-scale battery in our suburbs and towns, which will complement the four other grid-scale batteries already operating in South Australia, said van Holst Pellekaan. The SA government has said that residents who are part of the VPP program will benefit from lower household electricity bills, as the project will be offering electricity rates 22 percent lower than the default market offer. The SA VPP network works by gathering together small amounts of energy stored in Powerwall home batteries in a centrally managed network. When those small amounts are gathered together, it can build up to become large amounts of energy that help the electricity grid in times of need. The capacity and strength of a VPP can even match, and exceed, the amount of power produced by a traditional power station. The SA VPP has also had a $10 million investment from the South Australian Governments Grid-Scale Storage Fund, $30 million debt finance from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, and an $18 million equity contribution from Tesla. The VPP is not the only collaboration between Tesla and the South Australian government. Tesla, along with the South Australian Government, and Neoens are have also created the worlds largest lithium-ion batterythe 100MW Hornsdale Power Reserveafter a once in fifty-year storm destroyed vital infrastructure. The battery was recently enlarged in 2020 by 50 percent to 150MW to support the grid and provide better control over the electrical grid. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Alya Nurbaiti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, September 5, 2020 15:16 502 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c42e1e8f 1 Politics house-of-representatives,NasDem-Party,baleg,indigenous-people-bill,indigenous-people-rights,plenary-meeting,DPR,bill-deliberation Free Lawmakers will push for the House of Representatives to endorse the indigenous peoples bill during the next plenary meeting in order to speed up the bills deliberation. House Legislation Body (Baleg) deputy chairman Willy Aditya of the NasDem Party said the bills working committee he leads had held meetings to deliberate the bill since April. During the committees meeting on Friday, eight of nine fractions had agreed to seek the Houses endorsement on the bill during the next plenary meeting. This is part of our support on issues pertaining to marginalized communities. We hope that this bill will guarantee protection and recognition for the community, said Willy. Read also: After 75 years of independence, indigenous peoples in Indonesia still struggling for equal He conveyed his hope that the Houses plenary meeting would endorse this bill, so it could be passed into a law soon. Civil society organizations and indigenous communities have been urging the House for years to deliberate and pass the indigenous peoples bill, which will provide recognition of the customary laws of indigenous communities in certain matters, such as the management of natural resources and the distribution of inherited land. Indigenous communities, widely deemed as the guardians of forests, have faced oppression on their own land as well as being stigmatized and underrepresented in all aspects of the economy, social affairs, politics and culture. The deliberation, however, had been halted several times, most recently because of the governments reluctance to submitting its assessment of the bill. The December court ruling released on Friday centered on the warrantless wiretapping program, which since 2008 has been governed by a law known as Section 702 of the FISA Amendments Act. That law authorizes the government to collect without a warrant from American companies, like Google and AT&T, the emails and phone calls of noncitizens abroad for foreign intelligence purposes even when they are communicating with Americans. Privacy rights advocates have long raised alarms about that program centering on the fact that it enables the government to sometimes read private messages of Americans that are gathered without a warrant. In 2018, when Congress reauthorized Section 702, it added a requirement that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court approve rules every year limiting how analysts may query the data. In the newly disclosed ruling, James E. Boasberg, the chief judge of the FISA Court, signed off on the new annual set of rules, but not before scolding the F.B.I. over many instances in which its analysts had violated a previous set of them, including requirements that searches of the repository have a foreign intelligence or criminal purpose. It must be noted, however, that there still appear to be widespread violations of the querying standard by the F.B.I., he wrote. Most notably, in August 2019, the F.B.I. made a query for information using the identifiers of about 16,000 people, even though only seven of them had ties to an investigation. The F.B.I. argued that the entire search met the standard of being reasonably likely to retrieve foreign-intelligence information or evidence of a crime, but Judge Boasberg called that position unsupportable and portrayed all but the seven as broad, suspicionless queries. In a June 5 speech, Tsarukian accused Pashinians government of mishandling Armenias coronavirus crisis and failing to mitigate its socioeconomic consequences. Pashinian and his loyalists reacted angrily to that speech. Ten days later, Tsarukian was stripped of its parliamentary immunity from prosecution and indicted on vote buying charges rejected by him as politically motivated. He claims that Pashinian ordered the criminal proceedings in response to his speech. Tsarukian, who is one of the countrys richest businessmen, reiterated last week his criticism of the governments response to the coronavirus pandemic and other policies. But he stopped short of demanding that Pashinian and all members of his government step down. Mikael Melkumian, a senior BHK figure, insisted that Tsarukian remains determined to achieve the governments resignation and force snap elections. What was said on June 5 and afterwards remains in force, he told journalists. In a political struggle you dont have to repeat the same thing every day, Melkumian said when asked about Tsarukians most recent statements that did not mention regime change. Shortly after Tsarukians indictment, the BHK, which has the second largest group in Armenias parliament, joined forces with two other opposition parties: Hayrenik and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun). They have not ruled out the possibility of holding joint anti-government rallies. Hayk Gevorgian, a senior parliamentarian from the ruling My Step bloc, was dismissive of the threat to Pashinians hold on power emanating from the BHK. He said Tsarukians party is simply trying to preserve its shrinking support base in the face of the ongoing criminal proceedings against its leader. In reality, the BHK has one objective: the issues connected with its leader, Gevorgian told RFE/RLs Armenian service. You know about the criminal cases. Gevorgian said that the BHK and other opposition forces cannot come to power by exploiting the coronavirus pandemic and resulting socioeconomic hardship. They are in a hurry because very soon this environment will be over, economic progress in Armenia will resume and they will stand no chance, he said, adding that most Armenians continue to support the current government. The Armenian economy is on course to shrink in 2020 after three consecutive years of robust growth. With two months until the election, the US faces deep divisions over racial inequality. A vast majority of the anti-police brutality and racial justice protests that have erupted across the nation since the death of George Floyd have been peaceful and nonviolent, according to a new report. The US Crisis Monitor a joint project between ACLED and the Bridging Divides Initiative (BDI) at Princeton University analyzed real-time data about protest movements and political violence in the US, using news reports and social media for the report published on Thursday (Sept. 3). The ACLED recorded more than 10,600 demonstrations across the US between May 24 and August 22, about 93% were peaceful. Nearly 8,000 (precisely 7,750) were linked to the Black Lives Matter movement, the report states. Read More: Republican congressman threatens to kill protesters in Facebook post The police or military disproportionately used force while intervening in demonstrations associated with the BLM movement, relative to other types of demonstrations, the researchers found. WASHINGTON, DC AUGUST 28: Protesters hold signs of George Floyd during the Commitment March at the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Natasha Moustache/Getty Images) These data reveal that the United States is in crisis. It faces a multitude of concurrent, overlapping risks from police abuse and racial injustice, to pandemic-related unrest and beyond all exacerbated by increasing polarization, the researchers wrote. According to the study, less that 100 demonstrations between May 24 and August 22, where counter-protesters clashed with racial justice advocates, turned violent. The ACLED noted 43 incidents in the report. In nearly 10% of BLM protests recorded this summer, Authorities used gas, rubber bullets, and pepper spray or have beaten demonstrators with batons. Police force also used in over 54% of the demonstrations in which they have engaged, the authors wrote. They also warn that as we get closer to the November presidential election, these intersecting risks are likely to intensify. While these data present only a snapshot of demonstration activity and political violence in America, the trendlines are clear: demonstrations have erupted en masse around the country, and they are increasingly met with violence by state actors, non-state actors, and counter-demonstrators alike, according to the authors. Story continues With two months until the election, the US faces deep divisions over racial inequality, the role of the police, and economic hardship exacerbated by an ineffective pandemic response. Have you subscribed to theGrios new podcast Dear Culture? Download our newest episodes now! The post Over 93 percent of summer protests were peaceful: report appeared first on TheGrio. MASON COUNTY, MI A man died on Friday when he was thrown from a dirt bike on an off-roading trail. Brian Nelson Finch, 41, of Newaygo County, was found dead at about 4:05 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4, off of an off-roading trail, south of Sippy Road in Logan Township, according to a Mason County police press release. The man is believed to have lost control of his bike, a KTM350 dirt bike, about 1.8 miles south of Sippy Road in the area of Whiskey Creek. The bike was found on top of him. There were no witnesses, and it is believed that he crashed several hours before being found. Emergency crews responding included teams from the Department of Natural Resources, Michigan State Police, and state park fire and rescue crews. The Mason County Sheriffs Office is investigating. Read more on MLive: Man dies after police chase, shooting in Battle Creek Grand Rapids gunfire on Friday comes amid violent summer Muskegon prisons coronavirus outbreak worst in the state Will Waldron/Times Union Amanda Fries's Front Page article "State slashes school funding," Aug. 19, informed readers that New York state school districts would likely be looking at a 20 percent reduction in state aid. If we assume the 2020-21 state aid budget would be no less than the 2019-20 budget allocation of $20.7 billion, that would infer a reduction of about $5.5 billion in aid to education. Shifting to the first page of the Capital Region section, readers see photographs and a caption that informs us the New York Army National Guard received a new UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter, the first of 20 $21.3 million new Black Hawk helicopters allotted to the state. One thing I have learnt from my time in office is that it is much easier to give advice than to do the job so I have every sympathy for those in Government charged with making big decisions regarding how we combat this virus. But failing to make the right decisions will do immense and long-lasting damage to our economy. Since March, I have consistently argued that we must conduct mass testing of the British population to help control the spread of coronavirus, while minimising the economic damage of restricting movement. And it is key that we extend those mass tests to British airports as an alternative to the current requirement that all travellers from many of the most popular travel destinations in the world undergo a long 14-day quarantine. Combined with tests, this period of isolation should be reduced to a more manageable five days, with significant benefits both to individuals and the economy. Former prime minister Tony Blair, pictured last year, has urged the current PM Boris Johnson to concentrate on testing and tracing people infected with Covid-19 to mitigate against the impact of the disease on the UK's economy since March We now have a much better handle on how to treat coronavirus and who is most at risk from it. Under the age of 60, for instance, you are more likely to die of a heart attack or stroke than Covid-19. The elderly and those with underlying conditions suffer the worst and need shielding the most. Drugs such as dexamethasone have reduced the death rate for the most chronically sick. Yet we will have to live with Covid for some time. Until vaccines are available to market for mass distribution which will take time, not all will work on all people and we dont know for how long any immunity they provide might last we have no choice but to manage the virus. And thats why, even as we continue to have thousands of new cases each week in Britain, we have opened back much of our economy. Thats why we encourage people to go to work, and back to school, to take public transport and to eat out to help out the struggling hospitality sector. And yes, to travel. Every decision taken about the easing is a mix of science and judgment, but when it comes to international travel, we need a much better mixture of the two. The insistence on the current quarantine measures is doing huge damage to the British economy quite unnecessarily so. The often opaque communication from the Government, which has caused chaos and confusion for holidaymakers, has come at a steep cost to employers in terms of lost productivity and to employees in lost wages. In addition to the economic hit, quarantine also makes a dent on mental well-being. The policy is also doing untold harm to the airline industry itself. Mr Blair has warned the lack of an effective Track and Test system is threatening the UK's economy and especially the travel industry, pictured here Gatwick Airport's North Terminal What is the thinking behind 14 days? Because it is theoretically possible that someone contracts the virus before leaving abroad and doesnt develop symptoms for 14 days. But even destinations exempt from this quarantine will still have the disease. It has not simply gone away. So, we can go to Italy and return without quarantine; but if we go to France or Spain, we must quarantine for 14 days after returning. But if you go to Italy, you could still get it. Meanwhile, there are parts of France or Spain where the disease levels are very low and you are very unlikely to get it. All these rules around travel involve judgment, not exact science. The sensible thing, therefore, is to provide tests for people who re-enter Britain after travelling from non-exempt countries and free them from quarantine after five days if the test is negative. If you are tested after five days on return from abroad, we know tests are accurate enough at this point to pick up the vast bulk of cases. Would it be 100 per cent? No, but no policy gives you that. Those with symptoms, of course, would continue to isolate and would be eligible for a follow-up test. Failing to make the correct decision is causing immense damage to the UK's economy Other countries Germany, Iceland, South Korea now use extensive testing at airports to shorten quarantine. Whats more, you could provide testing for anyone coming in from abroad irrespective of where they are from, as the UAE does. A five-day quarantine is manageable and can be factored into deciding when to go on holiday rather than the current travel roulette. It is, therefore, much more likely to be adhered to. Whereas 14 days simply isnt. It is also vital we get the travel industry back on its feet, to preserve jobs and make money for UK PLC. Doing this will require ramping up testing capability but we should be doing this anyway. We must utilise every innovation and capacity mass testing would give people confidence to return to something like normality. Health Secretary Matt Hancock has announced that the Government will now do this and this is good news. But dealing with the current travel nightmare is the first step that we must now take. It just requires a political judgment which is well overdue. National Project Coordinator, Child Labour, Vientiane Organization: International Labour Organization (ILO) Country: Lao Peoples Democratic Republic City: Vientiane, Lao Peoples Democratic Republic Office: ILO Vientiane, Laos Closing date: Wednesday, 9 September 2020 Grade: NOB Vacancy no.: DC/VIENTIANE/NO/2020/02 Publication date: 27 August 2020 Application deadline (midnight Bangkok time): 9 September 2020 Job ID: 4238 Department: RO-Asia and the Pacific Organization Unit: CO-Bangkok Location: Vientiane Contract type: Fixed Term Contract duration: One year (with possibility of renewal) Under article 2, paragraph (e) of the Staff Regulations, the filling of vacancies in technical cooperation projects does not fall under Annex I of the Staff Regulations and is made by direct selection by the Director-General. In order to support the best informed process in the filling of the above-mentioned vacancy by direct selection, the ILO invites interested candidates to submit their application online by the above date. The following are eligible to apply: ILO Internal candidates in accordance with paragraphs 31 and 32 of Annex I of the Staff Regulations. External candidates* *The recruitment process for National Officer positions is subject to specific local recruitment and eligibility criteria. Technical cooperation appointments are not expected to lead to a career in the ILO and they do not carry any expectation of renewal or conversion to any other type of appointment in the Organization. A one-year fixed-term contract will be given . Extensions of technical cooperation contracts are subject to various elements including the following: availability of funds, continuing need of the functions and satisfactory conduct and performance. Conditions of employment for external candidates: In conformity with existing ILO practice, the appointment of an external candidate will normally be made at the first step of this grade. The entry level salary for this position is US$27,013 yearly. Introduction Lao PDR is predominantly rural with multiple issues combining to create high levels of vulnerability. While relevant data is scarce, the results of the 2010 Labour Force and Child Labour Survey reveal that out of the child population of 1,767,109 children (857,962 girls) aged 5-17 years, 178,014 (96,368 girls) are in child labour. Amongst these are children under 14 years of age, those who work longer hours than stated in the labour law and those who work in hazardous condition prohibited by the labour law. In addition, youth employment faces issues of low productivity, unremunerated work concentrated in the agriculture sector and only one in every employed youth earns enough to escape poverty. The COVID-19 crisis has affected mostly those who were already socially and economically vulnerable. This includes workers in informal employment, migrants, women and children. While children are not the face of the crisis, it will have long-term impacts on their wellbeing, education and health. It will hit children particularly hard and the root causes of child labour - poverty, social marginalization, discrimination and the lack of quality education - are likely to be exacerbated. Globally, it is estimated that 42-66 million children could fall into extreme poverty as a result of the crisis this year, adding to the estimated 386 million children already in extreme poverty in 2019. The massive disruption to education and the lack of distance-learning solutions are expected to drive child labour numbers up. Households may resort to child labour in order to cope with job loss and health shocks associated with COVID-19, in particular if children are not at school. Children who are from marginalized minority groups, disabled, homeless, or from single or child-headed households, migrants, or disaster affected areas are more vulnerable and at risk of child labour. Girls in particular might be burdened by increased domestic chores and care responsibilities. The International Labour Organization seeks to recruit a Child Labour Project National Coordinator to support the implementation of the Strengthened implementation of National Plan of Action (NPA) to Eliminate Child Labour and Promote Decent Work for Youth in Lao PDR towards achieving SDG 7 project. The Child Labour Project National Coordinator will be responsible for coordinating activities of the project. He/she will contribute to developing, providing direct technical support to and monitoring the delivery of the activities envisaged in the projects work plan. The incumbent will promote ILO policies and principles in the related technical areas of the child labour, working conditions for youth. The position is located within the ILO Office in Vientiane Capital of Lao PDR. The Child Labour Project National Coordinator will work under direct supervision of the Director of the Country Office for Thailand, Cambodia and Lao PDR. He/she will work in close coordination with the ILO Coordinator in Lao PDR. Overall technical supervision is provided by the ILO DWT in Bangkok, in particular, the Senior Specialist on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. He/she will also collaborate with other DWT Specialists and other related programmes/projects of the ILO Country Office in Lao PDR as required. Description of Duties 1. Ensure effective management (including planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation) of the projects activities in coordination with the ILO Coordinator in Lao PDR and in accordance with the policies, programme strategies, programming guidelines, administrative and financial procedures of the ILO and country/action programmes. 2. Prepare periodic and ad- hoc progress notes on the status of the project planning and implementation and establish coordination with other UN partner agencies; national partners and development partners in Lao PDR. 3. Review and analyse development plans and policies in Lao PDR, legislation, socio-economic data, reports and other information relevant to the implementation of the project activities. Provide written analysis of the findings to the ILO Country Office Director. 4. Work in close collaboration with the ILO Coordinator in Lao PDR to review and update the projects work plan (according to evolving needs and priorities) and support the mobilisation of additional resources for implementation of the projects activities. 5. Lead or assist, as required, in the preparation of briefs, background information, technical reports and periodic progress reports and statistical data on the overall activities of the project on behalf of the ILO. 6. Be responsible for the effective management and timely delivery of funds/budget assigned to the project, as well as in ensuring the effective coordination with other ILO programmes/projects. 7. Conduct research and provide technical inputs for country analyses, reports and publications related to child labour issues in Lao PDR, including translation when necessary. 8. Assist in the programming and monitoring of available resources, prepare budget estimates and expenditure forecasts by comparing and analysing the resource situation with planned activities. Identify problems and propose solutions. 9. Provide programming and administrative support and closely cooperate with other related projects and activities of the ILO, to identify opportunities for enhanced synergies and better outcomes. 10. Coordinate with and organise meetings and events with government officials, including high-level officials, as needed for the implementation of project activities. Coordinate and cooperate with the Project Advisory Committee as required. Follow-up with counterparts in the government, development agencies and other organizations to expedite implementation and meet targets. optional section (if needed) 11. Participate in the organisation and facilitation of conferences, seminars, workshops, trainings and consultative meetings. Speak on behalf of the ILO and promote ILO principles when attending these gatherings alone. 12. Provide technical assistance to national partners, particularly the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, trade unions and employer organisations, the tripartite focal points on child labour in the finalization and implementation of Lao PDR National Plan of Action to Eliminate Child Labour and Promote Decent Work for Youth 2020-2025/2030 and following up on the implementation of the recommendations from Committee on the Application of Standards. 13. Contribute to the development of training material, particularly by providing information and recommendations on the local context and challenges. Promote ILO principles and standards during this development. 14. Assist in collecting statistical data and projections related to child labour and youth employment from government agencies, research organisations and development partners. 15. Undertake missions independently or accompanying others. 16. Prepare terms of references for external collaborators, identify consultants, guide and assess their work. 17. Carry out other duties as may be assigned. Required qualifications Education First level university degree in social sciences, economics, law, development studies or a relevant field. A Masters degree would be an added advantage. Experience At least three years of professional experience at the national level in the area of project/programme management, implementation, monitoring and evaluation with a thematic emphasis on child labour, child protection, working conditions, and/or capacity development. Proven experience in working effectively with government agencies in charge of policy making and development partners. Familiarity with UN policies and procedures and experience working with officials of the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Lao Federation of Trade Unions in Lao PDR is desirable. Languages Excellent command of English. Working knowledge of another official language of the Organization or Lao. Competencies Knowledge of the national social protection system (context and challenges) and of the mandate and structure of related institutions in Lao PDR. Tags capacity development child labour child protection development plans extreme poverty labour law monitoring and evaluation quality education results based management social sciences social welfare statistical data technical cooperation trade unions trainings translation wellbeing youth employment Ability to communicate well with the government, trade unions, employer organisations, civil society, academia and media on issues related to social protection. Good knowledge of programming and results-based management principles and concepts. Good knowledge of the programming cycle (planning, budgeting, administration, monitoring, reporting and evaluation). Knowledge of the ILOs financial rules and regulations would be an asset. Ability to interpret and work within applicable rules, regulations, policies and procedures, and to maintain effective working relationships with stakeholders. Ability to work in a multicultural environment and to demonstrate gender-sensitive and non- discriminatory behaviour and attitudes. Ability to identify, analyse and solve problems effectively and efficiently. Ability to communicate clearly orally and in writing. Good drafting skills. Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines. Ability to work independently and take initiative and responsibility, while also being a team player. Proficiency in using Microsoft Word, Power Point, Excel, web browsers and database applications, and adaptability to new software apps and systems. Ability to deal with people with tact and diplomacy. Recruitment process Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application form. To apply, please visit the ILO Jobs website ( https://jobs.ilo.org). The system provides instructions for online application procedures. Fraud warning The ILO does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process whether at the application, interview, processing or training stage. Messages originating from a non ILO e-mail account - @ilo.org - should be disregarded. In addition, the ILO does not require or need to know any information relating to the bank account details of applicants. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 10:51:39|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Photo taken on Sept. 4, 2020 shows Argentine President Alberto Fernandez addressing the Global Trade in Services Summit of the 2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) via video, in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Li Tao) BUENOS AIRES, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- Argentine President Alberto Fernandez on Friday highlighted the importance of trade in services for the country's development and its participation in the China International Fair for Trade in Services. In an online speech to the event opened Friday in Beijing, Fernandez said Argentina is "proudly" joining the fair, which is one of the largest and most important events following efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. "Today, knowledge is the bridge that unites all sectors of our productive world," said the Argentine president, adding that "the rigid division between fields, industries, and services is increasingly being overcome" at the global level. There are knowledge services in agriculture, software development, as well as in programming for health, education, and logistics, he said. He talked about Argentina's potential in the development of IT industries, digital economy, satellites, e-commerce, and financial technology platforms. He also highlighted that mutually beneficial cooperation with China is key to global economic recovery, and expressed the desire to deepen ties with the Asian country. "I want to express my thanks for the invitation we received to participate in the opening of the China International Fair for Trade in Services in the city of Beijing, which has the participation of Argentine representatives in person and online. I congratulate them on their organization and convocation," said the president. Among the Argentine companies present at the fair are INVAP (space technology design and nuclear reactors), Globant (software), MindHub (digital technology education), and Satellogic (satellite technology). Also present are the Argentine Aeronautical and Space Chamber, the Videogame Developers Association of Argentina, the Argentine Chamber of Tourism, and the Argentina Software Industry Chamber, among other associations. Enditem This Trump campaign ad does a great job of linking Black Lives Matter, Antifa, rioters, arsonists and Democratic Party politicians who cheer them on. It is nuclear. I assume this ad and others like it will be seen by tens of millions of voters by Election Day: The Democrats have no answer. Minister of State for Community Development and Charities and local TD Joe O'Brien has welcomed the news that 3.3m in funding has been allocated by the National Transport Authority to Irish Rail for the upgrading of lifts at 12 stations in Dublin, including five in the Fingal area. The works are the first part of a new multi-annual programme to improve the operation of lift systems at train stations around the country and provide better accessibility for all using the rail network. A total of 52 stations nationwide are scheduled to have improved lift facilities between now and 2024. New heavy duty stainless steel electric traction lifts will be installed at stations in Skerries and Balbriggan while lift control measures and further improvements to improve accessibility will be added to existing lift systems in stations at Malahide, Rush and Lusk and Donabate. The first station to undergo an upgrade will be Malahide with works due to start on August 31 and Donabate to follow on September 2. Trains for customers with reduced mobility will be directed to platform 1 at Malahide station until the works are completed. Speaking on the funding announcement, Minister O'Brien said: 'Its obviously a challenging time for public transport but for too long our train services in Fingal have not been accessible to people on the regular basis due to broken and unreliable lifts. 'I have heard and seen terrible situations where people were simply passed by by the train they were trying to get on an opposite platform due to broken lifts. 'It almost happened to me while I was with my son who was in a buggy at the time and I took a successful case under the Equal Status Act. 'Since then the Green Party was successful in ensuring ringfenced funding for lift upgrades in the Programme for Government.' Minister O'Brien added: 'I was privileged to play a central part in the transport negotiations and now I am I delighted to see swift action being taken on a number of lifts at Fingal stations and nationally.' Also welcoming the news was Balbriggan County Councillor, Karen Power, saying; 'This investment is so important to reduce instances of lifts being out of order and restricting accessibility to our rail network. 'In particular I welcome the news of the installation of new heavy duty stainless steel electric traction lifts at Skerries and Balbriggan where the lifts have regularly been out of order.'; Cllr Power said: 'While it is unavoidable that the works themselves will result in lifts being temporarily out of service, I have been assured that Irish Rail will have arrangements in place at each of the stations affected to maintain access to services during the works which will be taking place in Skerries and Balbriggan from Sept 23 to November 25th and 26, respectively.' New Delhi: The arrest of Rhea Chakraborty's brother Showik and late actor Sushant Singh Rajput's house manager Samuel Miranda by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) is seen as a big step in busting the whole drug angle. The arrests have been made after the drug conspiracy unfolded in the death of Sushant, making this case even more mysterious. KPS Malhotra, Deputy Director, Narcotics Control Bureau said, "We have arrested Showik and Samuel Miranda only after having solid evidence against them. We have procured digital proof suggesting their involvement in the drugs conspiracy and that is why the arrest has been made." He added, "Zaid and his associates were involved in the logistics chain. The arrests are made not just on the basis of seizures and chats but we have technical and digital evidence too. It is very important for us to find out where the drugs and money are involved. Buying and selling of drugs, trafficking - busting this racket is more important for us." "During interrogation, whatever information Showik and Samuel provide, will work accordingly. The remand paper submitted in the court is used as evidence. The current network is in connection with Bollywood. However, only Bollywood is not our target, whoever comes in the web of this drug exchange chain is on the agency's radar" he added. KPS Malhotra also said, "drug traffickers eye young students and it is a very serious issue. The drug named bud is gaining popularity, especially in Mumbai. Darknet is used for drug trafficking so as to evade arrests and courier parcels are also a part of this network. Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney will not be Irelands new EU Commissioner as the government has put forward the names of Mairead McGuinness and former Fine Gael advisor Andrew McDowell instead. According to government sources, the Cabinet held an incorporeal meeting before lunch on Friday where the names of the two nominees were discussed and approved by ministers. In a tweet, Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said she was informed by Taoiseach Micheal Martin of the nominees, one of whom will replace Phil Hogan as EU Commissioner. "I will interview them early next week on their qualifications for the job," she said. Ms McGuinness is seen as the favourite to take the post as Tanaiste Leo Varadkar told his parliamentary party that it would be a political appointee as opposed to an official, which Mr McDowell is. He has just finished his four-year fixed stint as vice president of the European Investment Bank. Andrew McDowell has been nominated for the role of EU Commissioner. Picture: Collins According to sources, Mr Coveneys interest in the post waned significantly in the past 48 hours when it was clear he would not retain the trade portfolio and the government would be submitting two names one female and one male. Mr Coveneys silence and refusal to rule himself out formally has caused a degree of anger and Brussels-based sources have hit out at the back-channel discussions to see what portfolios were on offer. The Commission and President Ursula von der Leyen were seething at the approach being taken, said one source. Speaking about the selection process, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar said: Im really glad he hasnt allowed his name to go forward." One thing I can say about that is that Simon Coveney is somebody with enormous ability and a certainly would have been a top-class Commissioner, had he decided to go forward." Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 17:00:48|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TRIPOLI, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- The state-owned National Oil Corporation (NOC) of the UN-backed Libyan government on Friday accused the Petroleum Facilities Guard (PFG) of the east-based army of firing heavy shots inside an oil port. "The NOC today renewed its call for immediate and unconditional demilitarization of all oil facilities after military personnel fired live rounds and heavy weapons in Ras Lanuf port," the NOC said in a statement, adding that "the presence of forces including mercenaries who lack any kind of discipline are a true threat to NOC workers and facilities all over Libya." The PFG on Friday delayed entry of a Comoros-registered vessel into the port for a few hours by "firing live rounds and rocket propelled grenade shells in an area where dangerous and highly flammable materials are stored," the statement said. Confirming no casualties were caused by the heavy firing, NOC chairman Mustafa Sanalla called on all sides and the international community to support immediate demilitarization in all petroleum facilities in Libya, as well as the replacement of the PFG. "This is the latest in a series of failures of the so-called PFG. They have once again shown their utter lack of professionalism, and the rule of law," he said. The east-based army has been occupying oilfields and ports and blocking oil production, demanding transparency in distributing oil revenues. Both Libya's UN-backed Prime Minister Fayez Serraj and speaker of the east-based house of representatives Aguila Saleh have recently called for a ceasefire in the country, and a reopening of the country's oilfields and ports. Libya has been plagued by escalating violence and political instability ever since the fall of late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Enditem Authorities are conducting an investigation after a Virginia woman died in the back of a police cruiser. The unidentified woman, 30, allegedly shot herself while being transported to a hospital for a mental health evaluation by Spotsylvania Sheriffs deputies in the early hours of Monday morning. The two officers inside the vehicle were not injured. According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the woman was admitted to the crisis assessment center at the Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg on Sunday evening. Police say she had been 'combative towards hospital employees' and they were called to transfer her to Western State Hospital, around 100 miles away. Authorities are conducting an investigation after a Virginia woman died in the back of a Spotsylvania police cruiser similar to the one pictured (file image) The woman had been seen by employees at at the Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg (pictured), before she was put into a police cruiser to be driven to another medical facility. She pulled out a gun just after the vehicle left the Mary Washington parking lot Two officers managed to secure the woman in the back of their police cruiser, before she reportedly pulled out a handgun as the vehicle left the parking lot. She is said to have turned the gun on herself and fired one round. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene, and her remains were transferred to a local medical examiner's officer for an autopsy. The Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office has handed the case over the Virginia State Police for investigation. On Friday, Virginia State Police Sgt. Brent Coffey stated: 'There is no evidence that either deputy riding in the front seat of the vehicle discharged a weapon at any time.' They are working to determine how the woman obtained a handgun. It is the second time in as many years that a person has shot themselves inside a Spotsylvania police vehicle. Back in August 2018, suicidal Christopher Howard was being transferred by police when he reportedly reached into one of the vehicle;s unattended consoles and retrieved a gun. Despite being handcuffed, he managed to shoot himself in the head. Miraculously, Howard managed to survive, and his family later threatened to file lawsuit against the Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office accusing them of negligence. By Kate Holton LONDON (Reuters) - Britain named former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott as a trade adviser on Friday, rejecting criticism that his conservative views on gender, same sex marriage and climate change made him unfit to represent the United Kingdom. Some British lawmakers, including the leader of the opposition Keir Starmer, Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon and a member of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's own party, Caroline Nokes, have said Abbott was not suitable for the job. The 62-year-old, who led Australia from 2013-2015, supported Britain's exit ... The Pentagon has directed the military's newspaper to cease publication this month. President Donald Trump, however, will not allow it. "It will continue to be a wonderful source of information to our Great Military!" Trump tweeted. The decision came after a report in The Atlantic accuses Trump of insulting soldiers from World War I. Trump strongly denied the allegations and called it a "disgrace." Members of Congress also rejected the defunding of the military's newspaper, Stars and Stripes. Congress appealed to Defense Secretary Mark Esper to reinstate the funding. A bipartisan letter signed by 15 members reminded Esper that the department could not cancel a budget program while a temporary resolution to fund the federal government is in effect. Esper's office said that the decision was "a result of the Defense-wide Review as outlined in the President's Budget Request (PBR) for Fiscal Year 2021." The statement included the timeline for wrapping up the publication, with the last issue released on Sept. 30. By the end of January, the organization would be dissolved. Senator Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., separately wrote to Esper to say that the paper serves as a "hometown paper" for army members. Graham's letter said that there is strong support for the Stars and Stripes in Congress. "In fact, the House Department of Defense Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2021, which passed the House of Representatives on July 31, 2020, included additional funding for the publication, and both houses of Congress have resolutions supporting the mission of the Stars and Stripes," Graham said. Graham urged Esper not to take actions that would deprive individuals of this publication until Congress has appropriately completed the appropriations process. The first Stars and Stripers released presses on Nov. 9, 1861 in Bloomfield, Missouri, when forces headed by Ulysses Grant overran the town on the way to Cape Girardeau. Currently, the Stars and Stripes is printed at sites worldwide and delivered daily to troops, even those on the front lines. The newspaper has been helpful to those on the front lines where the internet is inaccessible. As the "local paper" for the military, it provides intense and critical coverage of important issues to members of the armed services. The funding saved by abolishing the newspaper's subsidy would negatively impact the Pentagon's $700 billion, reports said. It was also reported that it would negatively affect the paper's more than 1.3 million readers, saying that it would "eliminate a symbol of the U.S. commitment to press freedom," according to a USA Today report. In their letter, the senators said that the Star and Stripes is an important part of the nation's freedom of the press. "Therefore, we respectfully request that you rescind your decision to discontinue support for Stars and Stripes and that you reinstate the funding necessary for it to continue operations," the senators noted. Check these out: Pentagon Announces Military Program to Grant Young Undocumented Immigrants Citizenship Pentagon Extends Anti-Discrimination policy to Gay Troops Pentagon Urges Mexico to Reopen Defense Supplier Factories, Workers Strike as Plants Reopen A tripartite summit was held in Amman Aug. 25 between Egypt, Jordan and Iraq to develop a security, diplomatic and economic bloc, at a time when the three countries face accelerated regional threats and economic repercussions in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Jordanian King Abdullah II and Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi participated in the one-day summit. The summit tackled the joint tripartite coordination in the sectors of energy, electrical interconnection, main infrastructure and food, and involved deliberations and coordination on the security and political developments in the region and efforts to counter terrorism, as per the Egyptian presidency statement Aug. 25. The Egyptian presidency stated that the three leaders aim at establishing an upcoming phase of strategic integration based on the joint development goals by boosting areas of economic, trade and investment cooperation, in addition to fostering political and security cooperation. Sisi underlined the importance of joining efforts among the three countries to face challenges threatening stability and security in the region. The three leaders agreed to stand against foreign interventions destabilizing Arab security and emphasized the need to stop them. They also talked about increasing efforts to reach political solutions for the crises in the region, especially in Syria, Libya and Yemen, as per a joint statement released at the end of the summit. Hassan Abu Taleb, expert at Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, said that the three countries are facing challenges and threats that have one common denominator: Turkish interventions in the region. Abu Taleb told Al-Monitor that Egypt is using this tripartite alliance to send a message to Turkey that it will not stand idle facing Turkish colonial policies in the Arab region. Abu Taleb added, Turkey is being condescending in the region by violating the principles of good neighborliness, out of its greed for natural resources just like in Libya and the eastern Mediterranean or its desire to impose its control like in northern Syria and Iraq. Through their alliance, the three countries want to address the Turkish scheme and foil it. Abu Taleb said that Egypt and Jordan support Iraq in facing Turkish interventions on its soil and want to help it to overcome its dependency on Iran, at least economically, and build ties based on good neighborliness. He added, Cairo and Amman constitute an important Arab component for Iraq in the coming stage. He expects the alliance to succeed, noting that the three countries are facing changes and common security risks; the key change being the sudden declaration of normalization between the United Arab Emirates and Israel. He said that this agreement gives the Israeli policy more momentum at the expense of Arab Jordanian rights in the Palestinian cause. Egypt is concerned about Jordans future, given the challenges of the Palestinian cause and Israeli annexation plans, not to mention the 'deal of the century' that favors Israel. This is a nagging concern for Jordan and threatens its existence, he added. The leaders at the Amman summit called for reactivating the Arab Peace Initiative to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and to halt Israels plans to annex any Palestinian territories. They underlined the importance of resolving the Israeli-Palestinian dispute based on the two-state solution, which would end the Israeli occupation and lead to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Abu Taleb added, The challenge is how much expertise these states can garner to receive wide Arab support to protect the Arab states sovereignty and the stability of the region, face terrorism and deter Turkish and Iranian interventions. He argued that the tripartite alliance is a legitimate ambition fed by the circumstances. Kadhimi aspires to establish a project he called The New Levant in order to expand economic and trade cooperation among several Arab countries and allow a more free influx of capital and technology among the projects countries. Kadhimi pledged to propose the project to Egypt and Jordan during the Amman summit. Abu Taleb noted that the tripartite alliance might constitute the heart of this project. A regular cooperation mechanism among the countries and a united strategy and unified cooperation fields and policies are enough to constitute the core of any alliance, he added. Reports indicate that Kadhimis project is not only economic, but also carries political and military dimensions among the member states. Gamal Bayoumi, secretary-general of the Arab Investors Union, said that Egypt sees promising opportunities in increasing trade cooperation with Jordan and Iraq. These countries are the closest to Egypt geographically and politically and they share common interests, he told Al-Monitor. He said that the three countries seek to develop trade as they are members of the Greater Arab Free Trade Area, which is an agreement that aims at facilitating low customs trade. Bayoumi noted that Egypt and Jordan aspire to cement Euro-Mediterranean trade ties and considered the Agadir Agreement a pillar. The agreement seeks to establish a free trade zone that includes Morocco and Tunisia, in addition to Egypt and Jordan, and enjoys support of the European Union. He said that Egypt intends to increase electrical interconnection projects with Jordan, then export power to Iraq. Egypt and Jordan are connected by a power line that has an output of 450 megawatts (MW). The Egyptian Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy is exploring prospects of increasing the output of the power line to 2,000 MW, then exporting power to Iraq and Syria at a later stage, in the framework of its endeavors to make Egypt a regional energy hub. Egypt has three huge power stations implemented by the German Siemens company, and they have a total output of 14,000 MW. Egypts total average production of power reaches 54,000 MW, and it has a surplus of up to 27,000 MW. Bayoumi said that Egypt wants to increase Jordanian investments in the country, from the current $700 million. It also aims at finding commercial markets that would boost its economic capacity and participating in rebuilding Iraq. The volume of trade exchange between Egypt and Jordan increased between January and November 2019, to reach $858.3 million, recording an increase of 52.3% compared to the same period in 2018, according to the Egyptian Commercial Service. Meanwhile, the trade exchange between Egypt and Iraq reached $1.65 billion in 2018. WASHINGTON The tensions coursing through the United States over racism and policing are likely targets for adversaries seeking to influence the November election, lawmakers and experts warn and there are signs that Russia is again seeking to exploit the divide. Earlier this year, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pulled down dozens of accounts with names like Blacks Facts Untold that had been followed or liked by hundreds of thousands of people. The accounts were fake, created by an organization in Africa with links to Russias Internet Research Agency. Similarly, this past week Facebook announced it had removed a network of accounts linked to that troll factory that had pushed out stories about race and other issues. The network had tricked unwitting American writers to post content to the pages. Its a troubling but familiar pattern from Russia, as the Internet Research Agency overwhelmingly focused on race and the Black Lives Matter Movement when targeting the U.S. in 2016. The goal, part of the Russian playbook for decades, was to sow chaos by posting content on both sides of the racial divide. Indeed, no single group of Americans was targeted by IRA information operatives more than African-Americans, concluded a report from the Senate Intelligence Committee. With the election just two months away, some lawmakers are worried that the Russian efforts, now evolved and more sophisticated than four years ago, could again take hold. They fear the Trump administrations decision to limit what it tells Congress and by extension the American people about election threats will allow the propaganda to spread. Race was a big piece of what they did in 2016, and given heightened racial tensions this year, theres no reason they wouldnt be doing the same thing again, says Maine Sen. Angus King, an independent who is on the Senate Intelligence Committee. He says the information that is now being limited belongs to the American people. Democrats were furious last weekend after Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, a close Trump ally, informed Congress that the office would supply written information to the intelligence committees about election threats but would no longer be doing in-person briefings, denying lawmakers the chance to ask questions. The cancellation came a few weeks after U.S. intelligence officials publicly stated that Russia is using a variety of measures to denigrate Trumps opponent, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, ahead of the election. Trump responded to that assessment by saying that nobody has been tougher on Russia than I have. Election interference has always been a sensitive subject for Trump. The president has often dismissed the idea that Russia interfered at all in 2016, and has replaced many long-serving intelligence officials with his own appointees. The intelligence statement did not offer specifics about what tactics Russia is using, but the past provides important clues. In 2016 the Internet Research Agency had an overwhelming operational emphasis on race that was apparent in the online ads it purchased more than two-thirds contained a term related to race. The company targeted that content to African-Americans in key metropolitan areas with well-established black communities and flashpoints in the Black Lives Matter movement, according to a Senate Intelligence Committee report. One of its top performing pages, Blactivist, generated 11.2 million engagements with Facebook users. Bret Schafer, an expert on foreign disinformation with the bipartisan group Alliance for Securing Democracy, said stoking racial animosity is a Kremlin strategy that goes back decades. His group tracked a major uptick in social media activity on racial issues from Russian state-sponsored media and political figures this summer, especially after the killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. We have seen a constant messaging theme being race and racism in the U.S., Schafer said. Theyre very good at it. There is evidence that the recent police shooting of a Black man in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and the resulting protests the focus of political sparring between Trump and Biden this week have fueled a new round of social media activity from foreign governments. English-language media outlets linked to the Russian government have published stories supporting the protests, and Cop Injustice in Kenosha is the headline on a video posted by an online news organization with ties to Russia. Another video from the Kremlin-backed outlet Redfish shows Trump supporters driving aggressively through protesters in Portland, Oregon, where there have been protests for weeks. The stories are precisely the kind of content lawmakers are trying to keep tabs on. The acting chairman of the Senate committee, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., told a local news outlet this past week that has spoken to Ratcliffe and expects the in-person briefings to continue. But it is unclear whether they will. A spokeswoman for Ratcliffe would not confirm Rubios remarks. The committees top Democrat, Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, says he has been working with Rubio to urge Ratcliffe to reverse the decision. Ninety percent of the information Ive ever gained from any briefing is not from the briefing, its from the questions, Warner said. The briefings are less likely to be reinstated in the House intelligence committee, which is led by Democrats. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff said cancelling the briefings is a shocking abdication of its lawful responsibility. He has urged vigilance on the Russian meddling, noting that the tactics have evolved but the underlying malign goals remain the same. The intelligence committees are receiving some information from the social media companies themselves, notably Facebook and Twitter. The companies were slow to respond in 2016, but are now waging sophisticated efforts to root out foreign interference. Twitter stopped accepting political ads, while Facebook began verifying the identity of ad buyers in 2018 and this week said it will restrict new political ads in the 7 days before the election. Nina Jankowicz, disinformation fellow at the nonpartisan Wilson Center, says there has been an improvement in tracking, but because the issue of interference has been so politicized, Congress and the public arent getting enough information. What people need to be looking for is stuff that is seemingly trying to get a rise out of them, Jankowicz said. Dont think you are going to find a troll. Its about guarding yourself from emotional manipulation. ___ Associated Press writers David Klepper in Providence, Rhode Island, Amanda Seitz in Chicago, Barbara Ortutay in Oakland, California, and Deb Riechmann contributed to this report. The combination of the Frazer-Nash sanitary extruder hood and the process design and manufacturing capabilities of Shick Esteve will provide the pet food industry with World Class systems and support . Shick Esteve, world leader in process automation, is excited to announce their newly formed partnership with Frazer-Nash Manufacturing, global partner for precision engineering services and solutions, for its Pet Food Systems. The collaboration between the two companies provides the ability to automate the delivery of dry and liquid ingredients to any pet food manufacturing process. Shick Esteve will combine its process design and manufacturing expertise with Frazer-Nash Manufacturings Sanitary Extruder Hoods (SEH) for the post extrusion phase including negative air lift systems. We are very excited to have established this partnership bringing two industry leading organizations together. The combination of the Frazer-Nash sanitary extruder hood and the process design and manufacturing capabilities of Shick Esteve will provide the pet food industry with World Class systems and support. Tim Cook, VP Linxis Group and CEO Shick Esteve The Frazer-Nash Manufacturing Sanitary Extruder Hood (SEH) is used in pet food production as part of a clean air conveying system. Its stainless-steel hood ensures the highest standards of hygiene with all-metal construction containing no seals or gaskets to provide no contamination risk to the food product or deterioration to equipment performance. Shick Esteve is the premiere value in automation to help producers automate processes that would otherwise be manual for improving production efficiency, providing quality control through increased ingredient accuracy, reducing labor costs, and helping provide a safer workplace environment. About Shick Esteve Shick Esteve is a complete ingredient automation provider and the only global automation systems provider focused solely on the food industry. We design, manufacture, install and service ingredient automation systems for customers worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.shickesteve.com. About Frazer-Nash Manufacturing Frazer-Nash provides design, manufacturing, and precision engineering services to a wide variety of industries, with a focus on food manufacture and aerospace. We have earned our reputation for technical innovation and high quality. For more information, visit http://www.frazernash.com. About LINXIS Group LINXIS groups purpose is to leverage our collective expertise to develop and implement specialized equipment solutions, enabling our customers to be best-in-class industrial players wherever they operate. http://www.linxisgroup.com NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., Esq., a partner at the law firm of Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF"), announces that KSF has commenced an investigation into Mohawk Industries, Inc. (NYSE: MHK). On July 25, 2019, after a series of prior negative financial revelations, the Company disclosed that sales for its Flooring NA segment were down 7% due to "lower demand" for certain products resulting in excess inventory that had impacted its sales and margins. Thereafter, the Company and certain of its executives were sued in a securities class action lawsuit, charging them with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period regarding improper revenue recognition, demand and inventory levels as well as fraudulent channel stuffing, among other things, violating federal securities laws. The case remains ongoing. Then, on July 13, 2020, the Company disclosed it received subpoenas from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission related to the above issues. KSF's investigation is focusing on whether Mohawk's officers and/or directors breached their fiduciary duties to Mohawk's shareholders or otherwise violated state or federal laws. If you have information that would assist KSF in its investigation, or have been a long-term holder of Mohawk shares and would like to discuss your legal rights, you may, without obligation or cost to you, call toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or email KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn ([email protected]), or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-mhk/ to learn more. About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC KSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is one of the nation's premier boutique securities litigation law firms. KSF serves a variety of clients including public institutional investors, hedge funds, money managers and retail investors in seeking to recover investment losses due to corporate fraud and malfeasance by publicly traded companies. KSF has offices in New York, California and Louisiana. To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com. Contact: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Lewis Kahn, Managing Partner [email protected] 1-877-515-1850 1100 Poydras St., Suite 3200 New Orleans, LA 70163 SOURCE Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Related Links http://www.ksfcounsel.com Smithfield Foods Inc., the worlds biggest pork producer, has pledged to cut emissions from its own operations to zero, but fell short of making more ambitious targets for its supply chain. While the Smithfield, Virginia-based company is the first in its industry to publicly announce such a goal for its own operations, the pledge is less ambitious than whats been seen in other industries, such as Unilever NVs plan to zero out its own and its supplier emissions and Microsoft Corp.s plan to go carbon negative. The pork producers plan only includes emissions related to its assets in the U.S. The meat industry has come under pressure from investors and retailers to reduce emissions, but many have struggled in part because they buy animals from third-party ranchers. Smithfields target will likely have a bigger impact because it controls about 50 per cent of its hog production. We want to lead the industry in this regard; theres no one doing it at this size and scale, Ken Sullivan, Smithfields president and chief executive officer, said in an interview. In 2019, the pork producers carbon footprint stood at about 1.6 million metric tons for its own operations in the U.S. and abroad, so-called Scope 1 and 2, which includes fuels burned to run its vehicles and generate electricity in power plants. That figure doesnt include the vast majority of its total emissions, so-called Scope 3, which include manure management, production of feed and customer use outside Smithfield-owned farms. New goal The companys new goal, announced Thursday, targets zeroing out about 18 per cent of its total emissions, according to Stewart Leeth, Smithfields chief sustainability officer. It comes on top of a promise to cut total emissions, including Scope 3, by 25 per cent by 2025. To reach its goal, the company will use techniques such as reducing miles driven, capturing methane emitted from hog farms and optimizing fertilizer use in fields that grow feed for the animals. Smithfield, majority-owned by Hong Kong-listed WH Group, has come under fire this year after thousands of workers at its plants and other rival meat producers caught the coronavirus. Some plants shut down, before President Donald Trump issued an executive order for meat plants to continue operating. Meat producers are also facing increased competition from the rise of plant-based alternatives, which some consumers are drawn to for their greener image. By some measures, agriculture accounts for more global greenhouse gas emissions than transport, thanks in part to livestock production. Rivals Tyson Foods Inc. and Cargill Inc. have pledged to cut 30 per cent of their emissions, including those in Scope 3, by 2030. Smithfield and Dominion Energy will each invest $250 million (U.S.) through 2028 in building projects that will inject captured methane from hog farms into the grid at a premium cost for its green credentials. The technology to produce biogas from pig manure has been developed and perfected over many decades. Although Smithfield began working on biogas projects in the 2000s, it faced a hurdle in ensuring that the biogas could be injected into the grid and thus recoup investments. It has overcome those limitations with the new projects. To be sustainable, by definition, something has to be economically viable, or it doesnt attract capital, Sullivan said. Learning from its own work to lower emissions, Smithfield has begun working with contractors that provide about 50 per cent of the companys pigs and enrolling them to participate in biogas projects, said Leeth. Read more about: Sami Bennett, left, enjoys a visit from Kimberly Holman-Maiden at Wood 'N' Hanger in Woodland Hills. Holman-Maiden, in her Facebook group, has been urging people to frequent Bennett's boutique and help it survive the pandemic slump. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) WANTED for all the fine mom-and-pops struggling to survive in our city: Neighborhood cheerleaders to remind us that these shops and restaurants are out there, hurting, that they could use our visits and our orders and whatever spare dollars we have to spend. Don't take this on for the pay. There won't be any. Just the payoff of helping small businesses you like cover their bills and keep the lights on. And no need to volunteer if you're close to Woodland Hills. A whirlwind named Kimberly Holman-Maiden has that territory covered. She posts bubbly live videos almost every day on Facebook from the hard-hit West Valley storefronts she spotlights each week, asking in post after post for 10 people or 15 people or 20 people to go sample the mango gelato at the Golden Rose Bakery or eat a funnel cake at the Funnel House or try on a buttery soft cotton jumpsuit at Wood 'N' Hanger or order a beet salad to go from Jinky's Cafe. Holman-Maiden didn't exactly sign up for what's become nearly a full-time gig. She's just big-hearted and somehow started doing it in her own inimitably charming, free-form and often hilarious way. With her videos that don't fuss over brushed hair or makeup or dogs barking or kids interrupting, with her emoji-sprinkled posts that don't fret over spelling or grammar (whose or who's, your or you're what's the difference?), she's become a one-woman paycheck protection program easing the pain for an ever-expanding list of neighborhood business owners barely hanging on, without any or adequate government aid and without the workers they've had to furlough or lay off, whose straitened circumstances add to the stress. Not that Holman-Maiden, 39, didn't have her own heaping plateful of worries before she began pep-talking her fast-growing number of followers into patronizing this boutique and that restaurant and the bakery just down the street. She and her husband, Jared Maiden, have two kids Austin, 10, and Ivy, 8 who are now at home with her trying to figure out virtual school. She works for a company that in ordinary times arranges trips for groups of high school students. She manages her family's 46-year-old British pub on Ventura Boulevard, where she grew up around the dartboards and the Guinness signs and the kitchen serving up shepherd's pie and bangers and mash and is now pulling several shifts a week. Story continues Emily Coupe prepares an order as the granddaughter of the owners Ivy Maiden, right, washes her hands after eating dinner at Pickwick's Pub. (Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times) Pickwick's Pub, the family business, itself was pummeled by the COVID-19 shutdowns. How does a bar used to crowding people in for cheerful company and live music and trivia nights keep going when the crowds can't come in? Holman-Maiden, who grew up in West Hills and seems to know just about everyone in the area, took to social media to call out for people to help by ordering food to pick up and the community responded. People from St. Mel's Catholic School started placing large takeout orders. So did others looking to feed front-line workers including a neighborhood boy named Jake Fitzgerald who raised $1,500 to pay for meals from Pickwick's for hospital staff. Pickwick's was getting much-needed life support, which gave Holman-Maiden the notion that she should try to spread the magic. She needed some summer clothes, so in May she started a Facebook quarantine shopping group, asking for tips on local boutiques that maybe could use a boost. Within days, suggestions pouring in, she created what she calls the Maiden Community, which is now more than 2,500 members strong. Sami Bennett, who owns the clothing and gift boutique Wood 'N' Hanger with her daughter, Carly Bennett, told me about the day in late May when "this sweet little thing came in and said, 'All right, so I have this idea.'" She'd get new customers to come into the boutique, she said and in return, Bennett would commit to donating 10% of the money they spent into a pot that the Maiden Community would use to help people and good causes in the area. Bennett says she's gotten at least 40 new customers through Holman-Maiden, "and it spreads because there's nothing like word of mouth." "And you know what?" she said about Holman-Maiden's gift to her, "it couldn't have come at a better time. I mean, we were closed for three and a half months. It was devastating." The boutique opened extra hours to accommodate the new visitors, Bennett told me, "and the most wonderful women came in here." "She's like the Pied Piper," she said of Holman-Maiden. "It's her gift. People will follow her and go to places and support." The Maiden Community gives them plenty of ways to do that. There are the visits to the shops and the Two-dollar Tuesday donations to the community pot which are helping to do many things, including buying gym and cooling equipment for a local firehouse. Holman-Maiden is always asking for suggestions for new places to spotlight and setting up socially distanced outdoor gatherings. (This week, moms and kids met for "mocktails" at Jinky's.) And here's a beautiful thing about what tends to happen next for those who get swept up into Holman-Maiden's Facebook world. They make new friends and become part of a chain, helping more and more people as it goes. Businesses get more visits. The charity pot refills. Sami Bennett told Holman-Maiden about Doan's Bakery a few doors down, which the Maiden Community highlighted soon after. "It was amazing how many people came in because of that," said Karen Doan, who with her son Eric owns the bakery best known for her white chocolate coconut cake. Now both the Bennetts and the Doans try to frequent the other places Holman-Maiden highlights. Sami Bennett says she tries to give to the community's charity drives such as the one for J.J. Woofin' Paws Rescue Agency, to help heal a little dog named Roxy after she was hit by a car. Kimberly Holman-Maiden at her family owned establishment, Pickwick's Pub in Woodland Hills. (Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times) Holman-Maiden's support chain keeps on growing and strengthening, though she tells me she wants to limit the number of businesses it focuses on. She doesn't want people to visit the places she promotes one time and then move on. She wants them to keep coming back to the same places, as she does to remind them, and thus work toward their long-term survival. It's an approach that leads me back to a column I wrote recently about Diamond Bakery on Fairfax Avenue, a 74-year-old institution recently bought by a group of its employees and now fighting to get through the pandemic slowdown. I would never have heard about the Maiden Community if a woman named Susie Comi hadn't written to me after she read that column. Comi, a friend of Holman-Maiden's family, thought I'd like to know about Holman-Maiden because she is doing just what I'd urged readers of the bakery column to do: lend support in any way they could to the small businesses they would hate to lose. The weekend that column came out, there were lines outside Diamond, and money poured into its fundraising page. Comi characterizes the Maiden Community as a Valley-style version of that kind of effort "a bunch of suburban people getting things done." She wanted me to know that Holman-Maiden is so focused on helping others that she didn't even plug Pickwick's, owned by her British-born parents, Craig and Lizz Holman of Blackpool, until her Facebook support group had been up and running for weeks. It didn't take me long to see this myself when I went to meet Holman-Maiden at Pickwick's one night this week. After we chatted a bit, we went right next door to the Blue Water Cafe to meet Sam Khechen and Roya Khajeaian, whose Lebanese menu got her group's star treatment long before the pub. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 5 Trend: Minister of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan Colonel General Zakir Hasanov has watched the final stage of the "Tank Biathlon" contest, which took place on September 5 at the Alabino range in the Moscow region, Trend reports referring to the ministry. Azerbaijani tank crews, who competed in the first division with teams from Russia, Belarus and China, successfully performed in the final stage. Lebanese security forces deployed heavily in Beirut on Thursday, stopping protesters from reaching a conference centre where MPs began meeting for the first time since the catastrophic chemicals explosion last week that killed 172 people. Senior U.S. official David Hale is expected in Beirut later on Thursday to stress the urgent need for financial and governance reforms, ending endemic corruption and bringing transparency, among other messages, the U.S. Embassy said. The Aug. 4 blast at a warehouse storing highly-explosive material in Beirut port injured some 6,000, left around 300,000 without habitable housing and wrecked swathes of the city, which was already in a deep financial crisis. The authorities say the blast was caused by more than 2,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored for years without safety measures. Roads to the UNESCO Palace on the southern outskirts of the capital, where parliament has met during the COVID-19 pandemic, were blocked with metal gates in anticipation of the protest by demonstrators furious at a political elite they blame for the blast. They are all criminals, they are who caused this catastrophe, this explosion, said Lina Boubess, 60, a protester who was trying to reach UNESCO Palace. Isnt it enough that they stole our money, our lives, our dreams and the dreams of our children? What more do we have to lose. They are criminals, all of them means all of them. As two cars with tinted windows passed through one of the barricades towards the UNESCO Palace, a small group of protesters hit the vehicles with Lebanese flags. Others angry at the lawmakers said they had stayed away from the building in anticipation of the security cordon. Some 30-40 people are still missing more than a week after the blast. Outrage at the explosion has fuelled protests in which hundreds of people have been injured in confrontations between security forces and demonstrators. The government of Prime Minister Hassan Diab resigned earlier this week. The parliamentary session started with a minute of silence. The agenda includes a discussion of a state of emergency declared by the government, said a senior political source. The resignation of eight MPs who quit after the blast are also expected to be confirmed. But Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a pillar of the sectarian elite, also wants to give a political message that the parliament exists despite all this talk about early elections and the resignations of MPs, said the source. Humanitarian aid has poured in but foreign countries have made clear they will not provide funds to help pull Lebanon from economic collapse without action on long-demanded reforms to tackle systemic graft, waste, mismanagement and negligence. Authorities have estimated losses at $15 billion, a bill Lebanon cannot pay: it defaulted on its enormous sovereign debt in March, citing critically low foreign currency reserves. The governments talks with the International Monetary Fund for a bailout had stalled. Politicians are in early consultations over forming a new cabinet, a complicated process in a country riven by political divisions and governed by a sectarian power-sharing system. The government, which stays on in a caretaker capacity, came to office in January with backing from parties including the heavily armed, Iran-backed Shiite group Hezbollah, Lebanons most powerful party. Together with its allies, they have a majority of seats in parliament. The United States proscribes Hezbollah as a terrorist group. U.S. Under Secretary for Political Affairs Hale will underscore Americas willingness to support any government that reflects the will of the people and is genuinely committed to and acting upon such a reform agenda, the U.S. Embassy said. CARBONDALE A person needs a giving spirit to travel across the country to fight for property thats not even theirs several such individuals from Southern Illinois did just that last month as they traveled to fight wildfires in Colorado. Tom Gargrave, of Oswego, served as crew boss for a team of trained firefighters who were sent to serve on the Pine Gulch Fire in western Colorado beginning Aug. 9. Gargrave, regional forester for Illinois Department of Natural Resources, led a crew that included five Southern Illinoisans to what started as a 13,000-acre fire on the western border of Colorado. By the time the crew left two weeks later, the fire had spread to 130,000 acres. The Pine Gulch Fire was designated the largest wildfire in Colorado history. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources annually assembles teams of volunteers from a variety of state and federal agencies, including the U.S. Forest Service, Shawnee Resource and Conservation District, and The Nature Conservancy. Gargrave said his team spent 14 days working long hours on the fire and were amazed by the sights of 300-foot flames, glowing hillsides at night, and huge plumes of smoke. But, what was most impactful, he said, was meeting people who needed help. He wasnt alone in this feeling. I had a really good experience because we got to talk to a lot of homeowners and prep their houses, Hannah Hagarty, 24, of Carbondale, said of her first trip fighting wildfires. There is an adrenaline rush to the job, too. Hagarty, who works for the U.S. Forest Service on the Shawnee National Forest, described the work at its most frantic as controlled chaos she would look to her fellow firefighters to learn when to be concerned. The work was brutally hard, too Hagarty said by Day 11, the fatigue hit her. But, she said, leaving was bittersweet. On the ride home, I wanted to go back, she said. Nathan Speagle, of Carbondale, is no novice to these summer trips to fight fires, but he, too, said it was moving to help protect peoples property. In this case it was especially rewarding because we were able to work with those landowners and homeowners, Speagle, who works for the Southern Illinois Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, said. Much of the teams work with homeowners was finding ways to buffer their homes and properties from the flames. Speagle and Gargrave said sometimes this meant removing potential fuel for the fire things like dried vegetation while other times, it was boarding up windows and safeguarding a homes eaves from the fire. Speagle said there was no loss of property in the areas his team worked, save an old hay barn. Gargrave said it takes a special person to be willing to travel and risk life and limb for others. Yes, the pay is OK, but money isnt what compels his crew, Gargrave said. In a time when the country is divided, Gargrave said politics didnt even enter into the conversation when his team met with residents. All they really cared about was you were there to help them and they were grateful, he said. The point is they are servants, he said of his crew. He said they all became invested in the land and its owners, he said. I had to hold them back in some cases, he said of keeping his crew from putting themselves in too much danger while helping property owners. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form The fire on board an oil tanker off Sri Lankas coast has been brought under control with Indias help and it was towed to the deep sea away from land, the Navy said on Saturday. The ship was carrying 270,000 metric tonnes of crude oil from Kuwait to India. The Sri Lankan Navy on Friday confirmed that a Filipino sailor died in the boiler explosion in the engine room of the Panama registered tanker MT New Diamond that caught fire on Thursday. Indian ships were supporting the Lankan Navy to douse the flames on the tanker off the coast of Sangamankanda in the eastern district of Ampara. The fire on board MT New Diamond has been successfully contained to a greater extent and it lies about 35 nautical miles at 5:30 am. As a result of the combined operation, the ill-fated oil tanker has been secured from all sides." the Lankan Navy said in a press release. On Friday evening, a tug boat towed the tanker to the deep sea away from land, it said. The Navy said they were assisted by the Air Force and the Ports Authority as well as the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard who were working jointly. The disaster relief operation was joined by Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Sarang, ICGS Sujay, TTT One a tug equipped with firefighting equipment and professional firefighters, and 02 Dornier aircraft of Indian Coast Guard since previous night, the release stated. The tanker had 23 crew members 18 Filipinos and five Greeks. Twenty-two of the 23 member crew had been safely rescued off the tanker. The fire has been contained by now and the Dornier aircraft are currently at the Mattala Mahinda Rajapaksa International Airport," the Navy said. The continuous cooling effect during the disaster relief operation has controlled the fire-spread, it said, adding that there is no risk of an oil spill so far. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Loic Vennin (Agence France-Presse) Dijon, France Sat, September 5, 2020 10:30 503 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c42d9fa4 2 Health France,euthanasia,illness,Emmanuel-Macron,death Free A Frenchman suffering from an incurable condition who plans to livestream his death on social media said Saturday he had begun refusing all food, drink and medicine, after President Emmanuel Macron turned down his request for euthanasia. Alain Cocq, who suffers from a rare condition which causes the walls of his arteries to stick together, said he believed he had less than a week to live and would broadcast his death from Saturday morning. "The road to deliverance begins and believe me, I am happy," he wrote on Facebook shortly after midnight in a post announcing he had "finished his last meal". "I know the days ahead are going to be difficult but I have made my decision and I am calm," he added. He had written to Macron asking to be given a substance that would allow him to die in peace but the president wrote back to him explaining this was not allowed under French law. Cocq, 57, has used his plight to draw attention to the situation of terminally ill patients in France who are unable to be allowed to die in line with their wishes. "Because I am not above the law, I am not able to comply with your request," Macron said in a letter to Cocq, which the patient published on his Facebook page. "I cannot ask anyone to go beyond our current legal framework... Your wish is to request active assistance in dying which is not currently permitted in our country," said Macron. Read also: German court scraps ban on professional assisted suicide 'With profound respect' In order to show France the "agony" caused by the law in its current state, Cocq will broadcast the end of his life -- which he believed would come in "four to five days" -- on his Facebook page, he told AFP. From midnight Friday he plans to stop taking any food, hydration and treatment, except painkillers, a support group said. Cocq said he hoped his struggle would be remembered and "go down in the long term" as a step towards changing the law. Macron said in his letter that "with emotion, I respect your action." And the president added a handwritten postscript, saying: "With all my personal support and profound respect." An Elysee official told AFP that Macron wanted to hail Cocq's commitment to the rights of the handicapped. Right-to-die cases have long been an emotive issue in France. Most polarizing was the case of Vincent Lambert, who was left in a vegetative state after a traffic accident in 2008 and died in July last year after doctors removed life support following a long legal battle. The case divided the country as well as Lambert's own family, with his parents using every legal avenue to keep him alive but his wife and nephew insisting he must be allowed to die. A French court in January acquitted the doctor who switched off the life support systems in a verdict that was a formality after prosecutors said he "perfectly respected his legal obligations". September 05 : iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max, which will be launched in October this year, will reportedly sport Sony LiDAR depth camera. It is reported that Apple, which has been planning to feature the camera for years, will eventually pack it with its upcoming smartphones. Apple is expected to unveil four models of iPhone 12 series in October, a Fast Company report suggests. The models include iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Max, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max. The report states that iPhone 12s top-tier Pro iPhone models will come with a Sony LiDAR sensor, which is found on the iPad Pro models launched in March this year. Sony manufactures the LiDAR system that uses pulses of light to measure accurately the distance of objects from the camera lens. The camera uses this data to autofocus more accurately. The technology also allows to differentiate between foreground and background, and then creates the effects like the portrait mode. This Sony depth camera also enhances reality apps to place digital objects within real-world settings. It is reported that iPhones LiDAR system will be able to measure accurately the distance of objects close to the camera as well as far away. This system will reportedly use a direct time-of-flight approach, which features a Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) to send out bursts of photons. These photons travel at the speed of light and deflect off from objects or surfaces that are within the cameras view. A software then uses the time of their round trip and calculate the distance of the objects from the camera lens Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 21:02:44|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BANGKOK, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Rubber Authority of Thailand (RAOT) on Saturday released a report indicating a 3-year high in rubber sales thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. The price of Thai ribbed smoked sheet has exceeded 60 baht (1.91 U.S. dollars) per kilogram for the first time in three years as worldwide demand to produce rubber gloves is still on the rise, said RAOT. Deputy government spokesperson Rachada Dhnadirek earlier told the media at the Government House that Thai rubber farmers have felt relief as rubber prices continue to rise. "There is also a huge demand from Chinese rubber glove manufacturers as China's economy is making an upturn," said Rachada. The RAOT, which is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, said it is in cooperation with other relevant networks in creating and developing new rubber products, with an aim to increase the value of rubber products for more global market opportunities. The RAOT said exports of Thai rubber gloves were growing by 8 to 15 percent. Thailand is the second biggest exporter of rubber gloves, second to Malaysia, said RAOT. Enditem As Brazilians mark Amazon Day, rights groups say an alarming number of wildfires has been detected in the region. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is under renewed criticism over widespread wildfires in the countrys Amazon rainforest, which rights groups say have reached an alarming level so far this year. A group of environmental NGOs launched a website called Defund Bolsonaro this week, AFP news agency reported, urging potential investors in Brazil to insist on firm government commitments to protect the Amazon. Bolsonaros government has taken the destruction of the Amazon to unbearable levels, the website says. To save the Amazon, we must defund Bolsonaro and turn the protection of the Amazon in a must-have condition for development, business and investment. The campaign comes as Brazilians marked Amazon Day on Saturday, an annual commemoration of the creation of the present-day state of Amazonas. A firefighter monitors a spot fire in an area of the Amazon rainforest, near Porto Velho, Rondonia State, Brazil [File: Ueslei Marcelino/Reuters] About 60 percent of the Amazon basin region is in Brazil. Since devastating wildfires ripped through the area last year, Bolsonaros government has faced global pressure to do more to protect the worlds largest rainforest, seen as vital to containing the impact of climate change. Amnesty International warned on Thursday that an alarming number of new fires have been detected in the region so far this burning season. The rights group said Brazils space research institute (INPE) estimated that about 63,000 fires had been detected between the start of the year and August 31. It also said deforestation had increased by 34.5 percent between August 2019 and July 2020 compared with the same period a year earlier, and it had destroyed about 9,205 square kilometres (3,554 square miles) of the forest. As fires again rapidly expand this burning season, its abundantly clear that the Brazilian military doesnt have the expertise or experience required to stop those torching the forest and illegally seizing protected land, Richard Pearshouse, Amnestys head of environment and crisis, said in a statement. The Brazilian government has faced global pressure to do more to protect the worlds largest rainforest [Ueslei Marcelino/Reuters] Under international pressure, Bolsonaro has deployed the army to the Amazon region to crack down on deforestation and fires, and decreed a ban on all agricultural burning. But the far-right Brazilian leader this week denounced what he said was an international conspiracy, accusing him of being responsible for the fires. You know that NGOs dont have a voice with me. I am firm with these people, but I cant kill this cancer that most NGOs are, Bolsonaro said during his regular Facebook broadcast on Thursday. Satellite images from INPE, the Brazilian space research institute, identified more than 29,000 fires in the region in August, the second-highest number in 10 years. The figure represents only 5 percent fewer fires than in 2019. Washington: American pharmaceutical companies are planning to make a public pledge to not send any COVID-19 vaccine to the US Food and Drug Administration for review without extensive safety and efficacy data, according to people familiar with the effort. The joint stance is seen as a bulwark against political pressure being applied on the FDA to release a vaccine as soon as possible. It is likely to be announced in a multi-company statement as soon as next week. The plans, which could still change, were described by people involved with the pledge on condition of anonymity. The companies involved in the discussions include Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi and possibly others. All are developing vaccines for COVID-19. Russia registered its first coronavirus vaccine, Sputnik V, in August. Credit:Bloomberg The drug industry has long relied on the FDA as a gold-standard seal of approval for its drugs and vaccines, assuring patients that the products are safe and effective. But in the middle of the pandemic, the agency has made several controversial decisions to allow emergency use of therapies without rock-solid evidence that they work. Health care, the pandemic, and how municipalities are coping with COVID-19 were top of mind for officials at an annual Atlantic Mayors Congress in Summerside, P.E.I. Friday. Around 40 people from across Atlantic Canada attended the annual event. Mayors and support staff are meeting in person to discuss a range of topics, including the impact of the pandemic on the local economy, housing challenges and climate change. "Every mayor and municipality gets a chance to talk about their community. What they did and what they're doing and what they're planning on doing," said Summerside Mayor Basil Stewart. "We can all learn from one another. And it doesn't matter the size of the municipality you learn from every municipality." Different than normal This is the 40th anniversary of the Atlantic Mayors Congress and safety protocols are in place to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. CBC According to J.P. Desrosiers, the director of community services for the City of Summerside, the guests will be served at their tables as opposed to the traditional buffet. Staff are also monitoring bathroom capacities and making sure everyone is physically distancing. "It is different than our normal, you know, regional convention business," said Desrosiers. "But it's something that I think was a welcomed opportunity for mayors to get together after such a challenging last six months." Physician recruitment The day included presentations on how to recruit doctors and keep them in the community. Some members offered up their tips for filling those vacancies, like attending as many recruitment fairs as possible and trying to showcase the local community as best as possible. P.E.I.'s Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Heather Morrison, gave a presentation about P.E.I.'s response to the pandemic, and what could happen in the province with a second wave. She also took questions from the attendees, centred around back-to-school plans, vaccinations and isolation rules. Story continues Morrison said no matter what the coming weeks and months look like, mayors in municipalities have a critical role to play. "They'll continue to play an important role, in public engagement and communication, but also as leaders, balancing the public health measures and the need for their municipalities to function economically," she said. "We really need our municipal leaders to be partners." Travis Kingdon/CBC That economic concern is top of mind for municipalities here on P.E.I. Facing decreasing revenues and increasing expenses, some smaller municipalities are anticipating a tough future. Rowan Caseley, the mayor of Kensington, said the town has lost out on revenue from the ice rink being closed and no fundraising over the summer. "It's going to be a struggle to try and stay within [budget] and without running a deficit this year. And we may end up having one just because [there's] nothing you can do. Some things you just have to do. We've had extra costs with extra sanitizing, extra staff, extra procedures, all of this stuff costs," said Casely. "You can't ignore it. You got to do it, and figure your way out after how to pay for it." 'A little bit tricky' The conference is taking place at the Credit Union Place. Desrosiers said the space they're using inside the building can hold up to 350 people but to give everyone the proper amount of space, they limited attendance to 44 spots. "Everyone in the room, for example, when they wish to speak has to be microphoned because the room is so large and there's such a small number of people and everyone is so far apart," he said. "So while they're a little bit tricky those guidelines, they're also important to follow and people are adhering to them." CBC Bruce MacDougall, president of the Federation of P.E.I. Municipalities, said those same gathering limits pose some challenges for municipalities looking to hold public meetings on big issues. "Even with our own municipality here in Summerside, we're very limited to who can attend if they want to attend. And if there was a major issue that came forth. We can only hold, you know, in our chambers maybe a half a dozen people. Well, that's if that's affecting, you know, 40 or 50 people, that's a small representative of that issue, right? So it has its challenges. And there's nothing like talking person-to-person," he said. More from CBC P.E.I. - YouTube vlogger Lloyd Cafe Cadena passed away at a young age of 26 for causes that the family has not yet disclosed -Being one of the most popular vloggers in the country, he is known as one of the top 10 YouTubers in the Philippines - His death was mourned by many, including celebs, to the point that Mariah Carey even sent her condolences to the family of Lloyd - It was also known that the vlogger was able to build a house for his mother before passing away, where a video of the house tour was even uploaded on YouTube PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed Lloyd Cafe Cadena passed away and it sent a shock to the online community. He was just 26 years old, a very young YouTuber who bring his fans tons of fun daily. It was still unclear what caused his death, and the family is asking for respect and privacy. Photo: An Gold Source: Instagram The vlogger was able to build a nice house for his family before he passed away. A video of the house raid in their newly built home was also shared and uploaded on YouTube. PAY ATTENTION: Shop with KAMI! The best offers and discounts on the market, product reviews and feedbacks. PAY ATTENTION: Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! Lloyd Cafe Cadena is one of those who epitomize Filipino resilience. This trait is evident in times of crisis. Many have shown that they can make it through a pandemic. Filipinos abroad have also shown this kind of resiliency. One example of Filipino resilience is how people looked for ways and means to live after they lost their jobs because of unexpected circumstances. For instance, a stewardess turned to online selling when she lost her job. Artists, like Gladys Guevarra, also put her skills in making Filipino delicacies to good use. Please like and share our amazing Facebook posts to support the KAMI team! Dont hesitate to comment and share your opinions about our stories either. We love reading about your thoughts and views on different matters! Source: KAMI.com.gh In the dog days of this strange pandemic summer, a refreshing beach retreat to Galveston might be the perfect escape. But here's the one catch--you might be enjoying that with about 500,000 others on Galveston Island. "Galveston is open for business and looking forward to a great Labor Day weekend," The City of Galveston posted on Facebook. "We ask residents and visitors to please be mindful of COVID-19 and practice safe social distancing while enjoying the island." Galveston is open for business and looking forward to a great Labor Day weekend! We ask residents and visitors to please... Posted by City of Galveston, Texas - Government on Thursday, September 3, 2020 After tense moments with Laura storm prep and several beach closures, Galveston beaches are open and now expecting to see about 250,000 to 500,000 visitors over Labor Day, according to Galveston Island Convention & Visitors Bureau (GICVB). "We are seeing the summer extending because a lot of kids aren't going back to school quite so early or they're schooling from home," Michael Woody, GICVB chief tourism officer told KHOU. Here are a few things you need to know before you go: Parking is restricted at Diamond Beach (western point of Seawall) and Fort San Jacinto (eastern point of Seawall.) Beginning Friday morning and continuing through the weekend, parking will be blocked on the north side of Seawall Boulevard (the landward side) between 25th Street and 37th Street. We're under a statewide mask mandate requiring all people over the age of 10 to wear a mask when in public and unable to social distance. There are exceptions, such as when a person is consuming food or drink or when a person is exercising. (Not required at beach) For those expressing concerns about COVID-19 and the crowds, Galveston's Mayor Craig Brown reassured visitors about the coronavirus infection rates dropping on the Island. The infection rates in Galveston County and in Galveston (are) doing extremely well, and we feel very comfortable to invite anyone who wants to come down, Brown said. If you're looking for some free beach events this weekend, Galveston has a few to spotlight this Labor Day. "We have some great free events happening this weekend at our beach parks," Woody said. "On Saturday, there is an all-day sand volleyball tournament happening at East Beach that is free to watch for beachgoers. On Sunday, the Galveston Family Beach Challenge is happening from 11-5pm." alison.medley@chron.com On September 2, officials from Allegheny County Health Department reported that 40 COVID-19 cases over a two week period have been traced back to one teenager. This revelation by health officials is a deadly warning about the ability of COVID-19 to spread throughout Allegheny County, which includes the city of Pittsburgh, as the county prepares to open for in-person learning on September 9th. As part of a monthly department briefing, Dr. Debra Bogen, the Allegheny County health department director, explained that This teenager developed symptoms and within two weeks it had spread to family members, to the coworkers of family members, to other people in that teens community. According to the data, the teenwho was not namedbegan showing symptoms on August 14. In subsequent days, individuals the teen had interacted with began to show symptoms of the virus. These people went on to spread the virus to another layer of people before the spread was able to be identified and contained. As a result, 40 people contracted COVID-19, including two elderly individuals. In the monthly department briefing, Bogen elaborated on the now well-known fact young people are just as capable of spreading the virus as adults: You start out with young, healthy people who get the infection, and unfortunately, they spread it to more vulnerable populations. Furthermore, health officials reiterated that young people are themselves not immune to the effects of the virus. In fact, there have been 14 children in the county who have needed hospitalization because of COVID-19, two of whom had to be placed in intensive care units. While it is true that youth are statistically less likely than adults to have fatal complications from the virus, many young people with the virus require hospitalizations, and some die. In addition, hundreds of very young children have become extremely sick with an inflammatory disease after contracting the virus. The level of spread that was able to take place from just one unknowing teenager gives an indication of what is to come if the schools in Allegheny County are forced to go forward with opening on September 9th for in-person learning. This reckless policy will no doubt lead to more infections, more hospitalizations, and more deaths. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, there were 105 new confirmed cases in Allegheny County and 257 new cases in Philadelphia between August 27 and September 2. Over the same time, there have been 1,160 cases of COVID-19 across Pennsylvania bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases throughout the state to 136,771 with 7,732 deaths. Under conditions in which the virus continues to rapidly spread throughout the country, Pennsylvania Democratic Governor Tom Wolf has made the reopening of schools a top priority. On top of this reckless policy, Wolf also announced on Wednesday a revision to the states previous COVID-19 guidelines regarding high school sports. Wolf will now allow spectators at the high school and youth sporting events as long as the venue adheres to social distancing guidelines. The Governor is attempting to distance himself from the policy by issuing a strong recommendation that they are postponed, even though he was the one ultimately responsible for changing the policy. The administration wrote in a public statement, As with deciding whether students should return to in-person classes, remote learning, or a blend of the two this fall, school administrators and locally elected school boards should make decisions on sports." The drive to reopen schools throughout Pennsylvania has prompted widespread opposition from teachers and faculty who are unwilling to needlessly risk the health and safety of their students and themselves. In late August, the East Pennsboro School board was forced to agree to a policy of all online learning after large numbers of teachers attempted to avoid returning to schools by taking a sabbatical or obtaining medical waivers. Katelynn Edgar, a district spokeswoman, told the Patriot-News, The stark reality is that we did not have enough qualified teachers and aids comfortable teaching face-to-face with students to begin school. Other school districts in Pennsylvaniaincluding Central Bucks School District, East Penn School District, Mount Lebanon School District and Beaver Area School Districtall agreed to transition to remote learning because of a shortage of teachers. However, at this point, the majority of the schools in Allegheny County are moving forward with reopening plans within the next week. The dangers confronting students, parents, teachers and other education workers in Pennsylvania are the same issues facing educators throughout the country, and in fact the world. The homicidal drive to reopen schools is a central pillar to the Trump administrations campaign to get workers back to plants and factories. While the Democrats and Republicans may have tactical differences over how this policy is discussed and presented, they fundamentally agree on the conclusion: the schools must open. Democratic Governor Tom Wolf is one of many Democratic Governors throughout the country, including Andrew Cuomo in New York and Gretchen Whitmer in Michigan who is forcing the reopening of schools. This homicidal policy has resulted in a growing movement of opposition from workers, parents, and young people. Last week teachers, parents, and students in Kenosha, Wisconsin held a demonstration outside of the Kenosha Unified School District office in opposition to in-person learning. Teachers in Andover, Massachusetts, and Elizabeth, New Jersey have also voiced that they will refuse to work if the district demands they resume in-person teaching. Last month, teachers from around the country established the Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee to unite educators, parents, and students and prepare for a general strike to halt the reckless opening of schools. Safety committees, which are independent of the unions, are being set up in Michigan, Florida, Texas, and other states. The Socialist Equality Party urges teachers, parents, and students who are concerned about the rapid spread of COVID-19 in schools should register for the next meeting of the Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee, which will be held today at 3PM EDT. MINDEN CITY The McCoy brothers in Minden City take a literal approach to sweet success, while they share roles in a honey bee business that once belonged to their grandfather. Honey runs deep in the McCoy blood, starting back in 1946 when Garnett Puett sold his Minden City business to Joseph L. McCoy, which has passed down two generations to Brett, Shawn and Ryan McCoy. In the early days of the business, Brett said his grandfather managed between 600-800 hives and covering only a small portion of the Upper Thumb, operating a local honey company. Bretts father increased the production from 800 hives to eventually managing 3,500 hives. I got to around 3,500, but it took me years, Joe W. McCoy said. I went from 800 and I would think I want to get to 1,000, then I wanted 1,200 and 1,500. It just went from there. Over the course of the years, we kept building it up, Brett added. As farming evolved so did the need for beekeepers to also evolve their businesses. When they used to do it, you would look around and you didnt see sugar beet fields and corn fields, Brett said. People had hay growing and they had cows. You make a really good honey crop on alfalfa. Heritage farm with an abundance of crop diversity gave way to larger and often more efficient operations. However, that lack of diversity caused stress on honey bees, which Brett said will travel only a few miles for pollen. The whole landscape of this area was completely different, Brett said. It put stress on the bees and it made more work for us to find spots that are better. Now a large portion of the apiary industry is essentially serving as a logistical arm for honey bees, relocating hives into areas with more abundant pollen collection opportunities. Under the leadership of the brothers the business has expanded to managing 11,000 hives. McCoy Apiaries send their thousands of hives around the country by offering pollination services stretching from the California almond farmers to the Maine blueberry farmers and everywhere in between. McCoy utilizes about 26 semi trucks to transport their hives to California during the winter. Brett said the pollination business is mutually beneficial, because the bees help the farmers with the important task of pollinating their crops and in turn relocating the hives helps with brood health by keeping the hives active and fed. With bees, it is almost like you are married to them, Brett said. Its livestock. You constantly have to be monitoring them and checking on them. Brett said the one of the biggest challenges everyone at McCoy faces is the large amount of travel that is needed and the short timeframe to turn around work. I dont like being away from my family, but we do travel a lot, he said. The travel can also be fun because while it is cold here, the bees arent doing anything. You get to take them somewhere and see them start coming ahead. Despite the ease you might see on television when beekeepers handle hives and collect honey, Brett said there is a lot of work involved. You can get a pretty sore back, he said. Its physical labor. The average box has eight combs, each weighing seven pounds when loaded with honey. Brett said on the average day processing honey workers might handle 1,200 combs. The beauty about the honey part is you are only doing that for about two months out of the year, Brett said. Pulling honey is fun but after a while you start questioning how much time you have left. Brett said in recent years movies, documentaries and social media has helped beekeepers by educating the public to the importance of bees. There are so many people that complain about bees, even when we are totally compliant with agriculture, he said. I had someone complain about bees by their flowers. But I think it is getting better. Despite the challenges, Brett said he loves his job. I get to be outdoors everyday working in nature, he said. I get to work with my family and my friends. If you havent done it, it is hard to explain, but it is a great atmosphere. McCoy Apiaries maintains 12 workers on the payroll, and Brett said he and his brothers are elbows deep in the honey along side their staff. When people enjoy their job, there is nothing better than working with them, he said. While honey isnt a publicly traded commodity, Brett said the market goes up and down, which presents challenges for wholesalers such as McCoys. Traveling from California to Mississippi, then returning to Michigan, Wisconsin and Maine, capitalizing on the growing season of each state, the McCoys have been able to maintain the health of their hives and produce a quality honey that is sought after in other regions where the honey doesnt achieve the desired golden amber color. Most of the bees come back here around May, he said. We leave about 1,500 hives down in Mississippi to help with the cucumber season. They will come home around July. We also send 3,000 to Cherryfield, Maine for blueberry pollination. Brett said by mid-May McCoy Apiaries has the majority of their hives scattered throughout the region. He said at that time the company will have hives at approximately 150 locations to start honey production. Then as June and July sets in, Brett said the other bees return, some get shipped out and the quick turnaround can be tiring. I tell my wife not to plan anything in June, Brett said. It is insane. In November you can move bees all day because it is 40 degrees, but (in the summer) you cant start moving bees until 8:30 p.m. so it makes some long days. Brett said regardless of the efforts put in, getting stung is unavoidable. He said during some times of the year he is getting stung dozens of times a day. You can look at my fingers in the spring and there are purple dots all over, he said. Sometimes your fingers get so sensitive. However, that temporary pain is a small price to pay. McCoy Apiaries contributes more than 880 million bees to aid in growing the very food people and animals need to survive. Honey bees will typically travel approximately two miles for pollen, so Brett said they have to examine the area to determine where it is best to place the hives. Sometimes we have to look at it and think Okay, if we set the bees here they have to fly one mile over sugar beets and corn fields to get their nectar source, Brett said. The thing is, it takes a lot of energy to eat and fly back. So what they have when they return is less than what they start with. Sometimes because of the size of the operation and where it is located, Brett said they will set hives in non-ideal spots where the bees will collect enough pollen and nectar to survive, but not necessarily produce enough honey to harvest. We have to break them up some, and they may make honey but they wont make a living, he said. They will make enough honey and collect enough pollen to sustain themselves. This McCoy estimates the bees will make probably 500 barrels of honey, or 330,000 pounds this year, most of which will be sold at wholesale to distributors. That is a really good crop, Brett said. That is what we are shooting for this year. We might fall short, but it is tough to tell. You dont really know what you have sometimes until the smoke clears. If someone is interested in learning how to host hives on their property, they can reach Brett at McCoy Apiaries LLC at 810-705-0037. Democratic Party Presidential candidate Joe Biden on Friday attacked US President Donald Trump over his alleged statement on fallen soldiers and said that Trump has no sense of service, loyalty other than himself". A report claimed that Trump had called the wounded soldiers and those who died in the war as "suckers and losers. However, Trump said it is a fake story. "If it's true, and based on everything he has said I believe the article's true, I'd ask you all the rhetorical question: How do you feel? How would you feel if you had a kid in Afghanistan right now? How would you feel if you lost a son, daughter, husband, wife? How would you feel, for real?" Biden said at a speech in Delaware. "Duty, honour, country: These are values that drive our service members, an all-voluntary outfit. President Trump has demonstrated he has no sense of service; no loyalty to any cause other than himself," he added. Joe Biden said he has never been "so disappointed" with Donald Trump than with any leader he has worked with. It is damnable and a disgrace, he added. READ | Trump Gives Joe Biden A New Nickname As US Election Campaigning Intensifies Biden demands apology from Trump According to CNN, the Democratic nominee told reporters that he decided to leave a Gold Star at home, which was awarded to him by the Delaware National Guard to honour his deceased son Beau who served in the military in Iraq because if he focused on it too much, he would engage in the kind of language the President's used. He said it is deplorable and unpatriotic for any individual to insult the families of fallen soldiers and demanded an apology from Trump. READ | Trump Says North Carolina Voters Should 'vote Twice', Attorney Says 'it's Illegal' Trump must humbly apologise to every Gold Star mother and father and every Blue Star family that he has denigrated and insulted. Who the heck does he think he is?" "If I have the honour to be the next commander in chief, I will ensure that our American heroes know that I have their back, honour their sacrifice, and those that have been injured will be in military parades, Biden said. "This cannot go on. It's a deconstruction of a democratic system. The words of a president matter -- even a lousy president. It gives encouragement to people who are spouting irrational views," he said further. The United States Presidential elections are set to take place on November 3, 2020. READ | Joe Biden Shifts Campaign Focus To COVID-19 Pandemic While Trump Dwells On Protests READ | Joe Biden Accuses Trump Of Ignoring COVID-19 Pandemic & Stoking Unrest But Solving Neither (With inputs from agency) THE ISSUE: The director of national intelligence mostly ends in-person briefings for Congress. THE STAKES: It's one more way a president with little regard for truth or facts is trying to control the narrative as he seeks re-election. At a time when our nation is facing a renewed effort by Russia to tamper with a major election, the Trump administration is hindering the flow of intelligence to Congress. The cover story for this move is that it's meant to stop leaks of information an excuse that falls apart on even cursory examination. The real reason? It doesn't take a whole lot of speculation to conclude that President Donald Trump wants to limit Congress', and the public's, access to the facts and informed expert analysis, and control the narrative on foreign interference on his behalf in the presidential election. The question is whether it's a matter of Mr. Trump's ego, his political ambition, or something even more insidious. It's hardly a state secret that Mr. Trump is sensitive about the help he got from Russia in 2016 through a concerted propaganda and disinformation campaign on social media and the theft and leak of Democratic emails. Mr. Trump called the interference well documented by Special Counsel Robert Mueller and by the Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee a hoax. He has spent the last three years trying to rewrite that history, even holding up military aid to try to extort the president of Ukraine into legitimizing a conspiracy theory that tied the interference to that country acting on behalf of his opponent. Mr. Trump has similarly argued that his 3 million-vote loss to Hillary Clinton in the popular vote was the result of widespread fraud. Even a commission he created failed to find any such fraud. Here's why this matters: If the more than 20,000 false and misleading statements Mr. Trump has made since taking office, meticulously documented by The Washington Post, haven't made this clear, it's vital to remember that this president shares with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other autocrats past and present a disregard for facts, and a brazen predilection for lies and propaganda. Interestingly, Russia's propaganda and his frequently coincide. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Now he has Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe until recently an avid pro-Trump House member telling congressional leaders that now they will get briefings mainly in writing, rather than in person as the case has been. It's to stop unspecified leaks, he says. Wait, written information can't leak? This threatens to force Congress to accept only what Mr. Ratcliffe (or, really, Mr. Trump) will spoon-feed it, with no opportunity for on-the-spot follow-up questions. So, even as Russia is ramping up efforts to get Mr. Trump re-elected, according to U.S. intelligence, Congress has good reason to suspect the information it will be left to rely upon is little more than Mr. Trump's propaganda. Congress must push back, with subpoenas if necessary. This is the American people's government, not Mr. Trump's, and the people's representatives deserve to know what's going on, especially when it comes to an attack on our democracy, digital though this aggression may be. For that they need the best facts and analysis available, not what's left after they're distilled through a political filter by a president whose statements have all the credibility of a Russian bot. NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg has condemned the "appalling assassination attempt" on Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny and called on Moscow to answer questions about the poisoning. Mr Navalny, a Kremlin critic and corruption investigator, fell ill on a flight to Moscow on August 20 and was taken to a hospital in the Siberian city of Omsk. He has been in an induced coma in a Berlin hospital since he was flown to Germany for treatment more than a week ago. German authorities have said tests showed he had been poisoned with a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group. British authorities previously identified the Soviet-era Novichok as the poison used on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in England in 2018. "There is proof beyond doubt that Mr Navalny was poisoned using a military-grade nerve agent from the Novichok group. The use of such a weapon is horrific," Mr Stoltenberg said after chairing a meeting of Nato ambassadors during which Germany briefed its allies on developments. "Any use of chemical weapons shows a total disrespect for human lives and is an unacceptable breach of international norms and rules. Nato allies agree that Russia now has serious questions it must answer." Mr Stoltenberg said Moscow must co-operate with the international chemical weapons organisation in "an impartial, international investigation" and provide information about its Novichok programme. After the attack in the English city of Salisbury in March 2018 - on the territory of a member of the 30-nation alliance - Nato withdrew the accreditation of seven staff at Russia's mission there and rejected the applications of three others. President Vladimir Putin's spokesman has brushed off allegations the Kremlin was involved in poisoning his most determined critic and said on Thursday that Germany had not provided Moscow with any evidence about Navalny's condition. In Washington, the White House denounced the poisoning and suggested that the United States might retaliate if the Kremlin was to blame, but President Donald Trump has failed to repudiate the attack himself, prompting criticism that he is once again being soft on Mr Putin. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany called the poisoning "completely reprehensible" but did not address a question about whether Mr Trump has "made his voice known to the Russian government". Mr Trump has said nothing on the matter since last Thursday, when he told reporters the United States was looking into the then-unconfirmed reports that Mr Navalny had been poisoned. The silence led Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden to say Mr Trump was complicit in a Kremlin attempt to silence a political opponent, and other Mr Trump critics to say he is beholden to Mr Putin, an authoritarian leader Mr Trump has said he admires. July 31 protests organiser, Jacob Ngarivhume says MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa's recent visit to Harare remand prison angered authorities who ordered he and investigative journalist Hopewell Chin'ono be transferred to Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison. The two were arrested separately, but on the same day 20 July charged with violence incitement against government. While they were being held in remand prison, Chamisa took time to visit and land solidarity with them. But the opposition leader's gesture was taken harshly by authorities who ordered their immediate transfer to Chikurubi, located on the eastern outskirts of Harare. "When Chamisa came to visit us, there was a lot of backlash. It was hell, thunder and fury. "They started threatening and telling us they were going to take us to Chikurubi Maximum Prison as punishment. "So they literally grabbed and bundled us onto a big prison truck and told us you are going to Chikurubi as punishment because we are no longer able to contain the huge volume of visitors, lawyers and everybody who was coming at Harare Remand Prison'. "It was psychological torture. Imagine being bundled into that truck in iron legs and shackles, you are never sure what's gonna happen." Ngarivhume was speaking in an interview with NewZimbabwe.com, a day after he and Chin'ono were freed on bail. He said while at Chikurubi, he met people who had long been forgotten by society and were serving life sentences. These, he said, came in handy in his time of need. The opposition Transform Zimbabwe leader said a military intelligence agent was deployed in their cell to monitor them and at one point, lied to authorities that he (Ngarivhume) was preaching politics and inciting violence among inmates inside the cell. He said the Chikurubi prison nightmare did not, however, break their spirits. es with Chikurubi even after some abusive prison officers told them the dreaded jail was going to bring pain to them. "At Harare Remand Prison, there were no toilets, and I was eating one meal a day, food from my wife and then try to beg for a toilet at the reception. Half the time, they (officials) would refuse," he said. "But at Chikurubi, we had easier access to toilets and now I was eating two meals a day one, in the morning and one in the evening, which was at 2pm, and from 3pm, you must be in your blankets. "The other advantage there was that there were few lice as compared to Harare Remand Prison. "And that was the time they also split me with Hopewell." Ngarivhume said his Chikurubi cell had half the holding capacity. "So, we were 20 of us in that cell and we slept half a metre apart, while others were 40 to 45 at the former (Harare remand Prison). "So, we were 20 of us in that cell and we slept half a metre apart, while others were 40 to 45 at the former (Harare remand Prison). "In my cell, half the people were serving life sentences and about four were serving over 106 years, 108 and 115 years. So, we were living with convicted criminals, but again, they had to take care of us." He added: "These are the people who looked after our food, these are prison people who had no value in society, people that the society had rejected. "I was living with these men. It was terrible for the first time. I appreciated humanity that even if you are convicted for killing, you still deserve a second chance, you are still a human being and you can still do something good because they looked after us. "They took charge of our food, they would arrange water for us to use in the toilet, they would arrange water for my bathing. "It was amazing." The defiant #31July protest organiser said he left something for the Chikurubi prison inmates. "One of the gifts I gave to them, I was preaching the word of God during the evening. I became a source of encouragement to them. I could see many crying, moved by the word of God," he said. "We asked for forgiveness, they repented." Going back to his earlier incarceration at Harare Remand Prison, Ngarivhume said some prison officials were kind-hearted. "I lived in a cell where at one point, Emmerson Mnangagwa (President) lived in, where Matemadanda (war veterans deputy minister) lived in (signatures imparted in the walls)," he said. "What encouraged us most was the solidarity we got from Zimbabweans. We could be told by the guards that people are talking about you guys, you are becoming household names, a lot is being said about you. "So that really encouraged us during this senseless imprisonment. "Lawyers could tell us don't take any food, do not be seen by any doctor from prison. It was just they don't, don't and how do you do live like that! "This is the time we realised that our lives were at the hands of the oppressor and you could feel his power. "At remand prison, they placed us at the D Section, so we were staying with people who were going for trial for murder, armed robbery and rape charges. "Seventy percent of those we were staying with were on murder, they could chat freely on how they murdered people, how they killed. Within prison walls, they don't hide how the committed the crimes so that they get assisted. "But again, these are the people who literally saved us, these are the young men who looked well after our buckets of food. "They would warn us when military intelligence people were thrown into our cells to monitor us. At one time, four of them were deployed and the guys warned us. "And the security of the prison would also warn us that there are people that have been deployed to monitor you' and we could put up with them. It was so scary. THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A day after Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan accused the Muslim League of lapping up the allegations leveled by the BJP, the League leadership hit back reminding the CPM of its past association with the saffron party. The League's national general secretary PK Kunhalikutty, said there was no reason for the LDF leadership to feel annoyed over his remarks on the chief ministers `fake' signature issue. I had only stated that if the charge is found true then it is a grave matter. It is the responsibility of the chief minister to prove that the signatures are not fake, he said. The League leader, while reminding the Left parties of their past, was indirectly referring to outside support given by the CPM and BJP to the VP Singh Government in 1989. The issue came up on Thursday when BJP state spokesperson Sandeep Warrier alleged that the chief ministers signature on an official file dated September 6, 2018 was fake. The chief minister had left for America on September 2, 2018 and returned only on September 23. Therefore the signatures are that of some imposter, he said. Vijayan refuted the allegations saying during his US trip, files were transferred to him electronically. He said on the date referred to by the BJP leader, he had signed not just this particular file but 39 other files also. It is my signature. The BJP is making allegations out of ignorance, he added. But what irked the chief minister was the manner in which Kunhalikutty, who is also a former IT minister of Kerala, joined the chorus with BJP. "They (BJP and Muslim League) are buddies so it is only natural for them to take up the issue jointly. If the BJP says something the League and UDF immediately laps it up. The League seems to be more keen than the Congress in supporting the BJP," Vijayan said. It may be recalled that the chief minister had hit out at Muslim League for taking a `soft stand on the Ayodhya bhumi pujan ceremony. He had also accused the League of adopting a "meek response" to the pro Bhumi pujan and pro Mandir stand taken by top Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Kamal Nath and Digvijay Singh. The Muslim League is the second largest party in the Opposition Congress-led UDF in Kerala and holds considerable influence in the community. The LDF on the other hand is trying to woo the minorities by campaigning hard against the BJP-Sangh Parivar Hindutva agenda. At just 19 years old, Michael Rainey Jr. has landed the lead role in Power's latest instalment. The American actor returns as Tariq St. Patrick in POWER BOOK II: GHOST, premiering on Stan Sunday September 6. Speaking to Daily Mail Australia ahead of the premiere episode, Michael revealed the advice executive producer Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson gave him, that's 'always stuck'. EXCLUSIVE 'It's always stuck with me': Rising star Michael Rainey Jr. (left), 19, revealed the advice given by 50 Cent (right), as he lands the lead role in POWER BOOK II: Ghost 50 Cent is not only executive producer of the Power franchise, but also starred as Kanan Stark until season five. 'Something he [50 Cent] told me when we were filming season three, when Kanan and Tariq first started hanging out, has always stuck with me,' Michael said. 'He said, "Don't ever feel too entitled to anything, because that's when you deprive yourself". So I always keep that in mind. 'Or don't think something is always supposed to go your way, because that's when you deprive yourself and make the situation even worse,' he continued. Both sides of the camera: 50 Cent is not only executive producer of the Power franchise, but also starred as Kanan Stark until season five. Pictured as Kanan Michael revealed that with 50 Cent being known as a 'jokester', it wasn't until the show's creator, Emmy nominee Courtney A. Kemp, told him of his leading role in the first spin-off, that it really sunk in. 'When I was first told by 50 that I was going to be the lead of the show, I honestly didn't believe it,' he recalled. '50 was like, "You know you're going to have your own show soon?" A month or two after that, Courtney told me. Then it got real. 50 is a jokester sometimes. But once Courtney told me, I was like "yeah".' 50 Cent's advice: 'He said, "Don't ever feel too entitled to anything, because that's when you deprive yourself". So I always keep that in mind,' Michael, who plays Tariq St. Patrick on Power revealed in an interview with Daily Mail Australia POWER BOOK II: GHOST picks up after the dramatic events of Power as Tariq St. Patrick grapples with a new world order: his father dead and his mother, Tasha, facing charges for the murder he committed. Truly on his own for the first time in his life, Tariq is forced to split his time between school, where he has to attend to earn his inheritance, and hustling to pay for the defense lawyer who is Tasha's only hope of getting out of jail. Tariq turns to the familiar drug game, entangling himself with a cutthroat family headed by Monet Stewart Tejada, played by Mary J. Blige. Focus on Tariq: POWER BOOK II: GHOST picks up after the dramatic events of Power as Tariq St. Patrick grapples with a new world order: his father dead and his mother, Tasha, facing charges for the murder he committed New faces: Tariq turns to the familiar drug game, entangling himself with a cutthroat family headed by Monet Stewart Tejada, played by Mary J. Blige (pictured in character) Michael told Daily Mail Australia that Tariq has 'a lot of responsibility' and 'doesn't have time to fold under pressure'. 'He's got to do what he has to do. He's got to be the man of the family now,' he said. Having had a rather tumultuous relationship with his father, Michael revealed that Tariq starts to view Ghost in a different light in the spin-off. 'He definitely learns his father more so [after his death]. He's obviously going to look at him in a different way. Unfortunately he learns more about his father now, rather than before. He definitely sees that he has the hustle and ambition like his father.' POWER BOOK II: GHOST premieres Sunday September 6 only on Stan. New episodes are released weekly, same day as the US. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 11:34:24|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DHAKA, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- One boy died and dozens of others suffered serious burn injuries after air conditioners of a masjid in Narayanganj on the outskirts of Bangladesh capital Dhaka burst Friday night, an official said early Saturday. Samanta Lal Sen, the coordinator of the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka, told journalists that a 7-year-old boy died after being admitted with 95 percent burns. Apart from the boy, he said at least 37 injured have been rushed to the institute with major burns on their bodies. Most of the victims are suffering from 60 to 70 percent burns, he added, and the health condition of them is becoming critical. Fire officials suspected a gas leak caused the horrendous incident which occurred when the Muslim worshippers were about to leave the masjid after their Isha (night) prayers at around 9:00 p.m. local time Friday night. All eight air-conditioners on the ground floor burst into flames when there were reportedly around 100 worshippers at the three-storey masjid. Shafiqul Islam, officer-in-charge of Fatullah Police Station in Narayanganj, said huge blasts caused window glasses of the masjid fly onto the street and burnt ceiling fans, wires and electric switch boards. Kamrul Ahsan, a control room official at the fire service headquarters in Dhaka, said firemen managed to bring the flames under control after hectic efforts of around half an hour. The Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defense formed a committee to investigate the incident. Enditem Senator Yakubu Oseni Senator Yakubu Oseni, Chairman Senate Committee on Information and Communication Technology has disclosed that the National Assembly is working on a bill to combat every form of cybercrime in the country. He made this revelation during a recent meeting with cyber security experts in Abuja. He said that the federal lawmakers were resolute to collaborate with players in the ICT sector and relevant federal government agencies to counter the cybercrime insurgency. What National Assembly is doing to forestall cyber attacks is a world activity and not peculiar to Nigeria alone. Unfortunately, our youths are also engaged in cybercrimes and that is very unfortunate and alarming but the Senate and the National Assembly is not sleeping over the matter. There is a bill in the works to actually strengthen the fight against cybercrime and we are calling on the public to make a relevant contribution so that by the time it comes to a public hearing to that effect. We and indeed, the whole of Nigerians are worried about this phenomenon and we hope everybody will key in as it is a fight for everyone and we hope people will come and make a relevant contribution.he said . Press Release September 5, 2020 Dispatch from Crame No. 901: Sen. Leila M. de Lima's Reaction to Court order for early release of former US marine Scott Pemberton 9/4/20 After much ruckus over the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) controversy, former US marine Scott Pemberton, who was convicted for the murder of transgender Jennifer Laude, has been allowed by Olongapo City RTC, Branch 74 a free pass. Sa kabila ng bigat ng krimen na ginawa niya, parang napakadali para sa korte na palayain siya nang maaga. This, after the revelations made in the Senate hearings on the corruption that smeared the implementation of the GCTA, and after the DOJ and DILG revised the IRR of the GCTA Law that the rumormongers blamed for the fraudulent practices that plagued the implementation thereof. In their Motion for Reconsideration, the Laude family questions the crediting of GCTA upon Pemberton considering that the latter never even joined his fellow convicts at the New Bilibid Prison - so how can he be granted the reprieve under the law when there is little to no proof at all of his behavior or participation in rehabilitation activities while in jail? First of all, what is the jurisdiction of the Olongapo RTC in ordering the Director-General of the Bureau of Corrections to release Pemberton? Once the Court has rendered judgment and the judgment becomes final, it ceases to have jurisdiction over the case. The case against Pemberton has already attained finality. The Olongapo RTC has no more jurisdiction over the case nor over the person of Pemberton. Even granting for the sake of argument that Pemberton qualifies for GCTA, the proper course of action would have been to file a petition for habeas corpus. The Olongapo RTC cannot grant a writ of habeas corpus to release Pemberton because he is incarcerated outside the court's territorial jurisdiction. The burden is on Pemberton's camp to show that the requirements and procedure in granting GCTA were duly observed. The computation and grant of GCTA is neither ministerial nor perfunctory. It follows a strict process outlined by law and is only restricted to persons duly determined to be qualified. Under R.A. No. 10592, it is the BuCor Director, BJMP Chief or Local Warden who grants GCTA upon recommendation by the Management Screening and Evaluation Committee (MSEC), not the trial courts. Per news reports, both the BuCor and Pemberton's camp have their respective GCTA computations, and it was Pemberton's computation that was adopted by the Olongapo RTC. Irrespective of which computation is correct, the more fundamental and crucial issue is whether Pemberton is at all entitled to GCTA, in light of the peculiar circumstance of his confinement, i. e., by himself in a separate restricted facility sans any interaction with other convicts. Can he be properly credited with "good behavior" as defined under the GCTA Law's IRR? Was his case processed by the MSEC? Was there a recommendation from said body? We're probably looking at another case here of misapplication or abuse of the GCTA Law which is unfortunate as it undermines the very wisdom and salutary philosophy behind said law, a tool for restorative justice and intended only for deserving PDLs. This judicial act has done more than just let a guilty man free - it replaced justice with injustice and reopened wounds that started healing when Pemberton was convicted and imprisoned. ### Access the handwritten copy of Dispatch from Crame No. 901, here: https://issuu.com/senatorleilam.delima/docs/dispatch_901 In his new book, "Missing Middle Housing," Daniel Parolek proposes that the U.S. return focus to medium-density housing, such as duplexes, four-unit buildings and cottage apartments. Read more When architect Daniel Parolek looks at the American housing market, he sees both an affordability crisis and a distinct lack of the old-fashioned housing types that could deliver modestly priced homes. In his new book, Missing Middle Housing, Parolek proposes building more medium-density housing, such as duplexes, four-unit buildings and cottage apartments housing types that were common in American cities before World War II. Theyve all but disappeared since. Single-family suburbs and high-rise condos have dominated the development scene. Parolek, who runs Opticos Design in Berkeley, Calif., calls for using prewar neighborhoods as a template for todays development. These cozier housing types are smaller than suburban houses, but they also cost significantly less. Missing middle is not the silver bullet, but its one tool that every city needs in their toolbox to deliver more affordability or attainability in housing, Parolek said. The following is a conversation with the architect that has been edited for clarity. What is the concept of missing-middle housing? The premise is that historically and even currently, weve done a really good job of putting planning, zoning, financing and development industries in place to deliver single-family homes on one end of the spectrum. And on the other end of the spectrum, over the past 15 to 20 years, in particular, weve established similar systems to deliver the larger multifamily or condo projects. Theres a full range of housing types in between those duplexes, triplexes, cottage courts, smaller courtyard apartment buildings. They existed in neighborhoods before the 1940s, but weve pretty much stopped building them. We define missing-middle housing as buildings with fewer than 19 units. Less than 10% of housing units produced between 1990 and 2013 were missing-middle scale. Weve definitely come a long way in the wrong direction for the delivery of these housing types. As youre describing these housing types, Im envisioning an older neighborhood near a downtown or urban core. Thats an excellent location. Walkability tends to be a really key aspect to either renting or selling the missing-middle units. Those pre-1940 neighborhoods adjacent to a downtown are excellent opportunities. There are also opportunities in greenfield locations. How much do missing-middle units cost? It obviously varies. At a community in Salt Lake City, the prices ranged from $189,000 to $220,000. Obviously, if you jump into a hotter market, like Californias Bay Area, those numbers will spike. That price range sounds attractive. What are buyers giving up? Were removing the cost of that garage space from the equation. With that walkability thats being delivered in these neighborhoods, a household may only have one car, or theyre using Uber or Lyft or a carshare. A lot of people are OK parking on the street. And smaller units are really key. Thirty percent of households across the country are single-person households, so the smaller units are really attractive to that segment. What are the biggest barriers to these kinds of housing? First and foremost are zoning barriers. Sometimes cities dont even have zoning that really and truly allows for missing-middle housing. Their zoning will go from allowing single-family homes and maybe duplexes, then it jumps up to 55-foot-tall buildings. Even in cities that do have medium-density zoning, densities are typically too low, setbacks are typically too high, parking requirements are too high. The culmination of all those make it really hard to deliver these housing types. Outside of the planning and zoning barriers, theres neighborhood opposition thats always a challenge. These types are not easily classifiable by industry standards. Its usually just the small local builder delivering these missing-middle units, so theres no one building them at scale. The other thing is building codes. When you jump up above three units, it becomes more cumbersome and costly to build this type of housing. During the COVID-19 crisis, weve heard so much about people not wanting to live in high-rise towers. How does missing-middle housing work during a pandemic? The missing-middle housing types are a real sweet spot between the suburban alternative and the very urban alternative. The types typically do not have shared entries. They do not have shared corridors. And theyre typically walk-up, meaning they dont have shared elevators. And most of them have some private outdoor space, which gives people that little bit of elbow room that theyre looking for. These housing types are positioned really well to provide a high quality of living during COVID and post-COVID. Starting next week, a headteacher will begin handing down fines to parents who refused to send their children back to classrooms. According to Tina Wilkinson, the headteacher of St. Andrew's Primary School in Lancashire, 25 students were absent despite her repeated warnings of penalties. Hefty fine Mrs. Wilkinson told DailyMail that her school has a historical problem with attendance and has enforced a zero-tolerance approach, even if it does not make her "popular." The fines are doled out after five absent days. This means that the parents have until September 8 to either send their children to school, register to home-school, or face the hefty fine. While Mrs. Wilkinson does not agree with the concept of fining, the headteacher of 17 years conceded that they are effective. She insisted robust measures were in place to make classrooms COVID-secure, but she remained sympathetic to the fears weighing on parents. Also Read: Fauci Says COVID-19 Vaccine Could Be Approved Earlier Than Expected, Might Oblige Researchers to Halt Trials Millions of pupils across England and Wales return to school this September, and some parents are worried about the presence of the virus, and they have chosen to home-school their children. One mother from Suffolk, Kerrie Stanford, revealed that she was planning to educate her two children from home for the next two years as she was afraid of the prospect of falling ill with the coronavirus. Usually, children can only be absent if they are sick or if they have prior permission from the headteacher and Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has said fines would be handed down as a "last resort." Parents will be fined 60 if their children are marked with an unauthorized absence, it will be 120 if the fine is not paid within three weeks, with the threat of prosecution if the charges are continually avoided, as reported by WalesOnline. Parents can home-school their children but must communicate this plan with the local authority to remove them from the school's register. However, Mrs. Wilkinson said that her school had parents who wanted their child to remain registered yet still keep them at home. She told ITV's This Morning that from their point of view, they do have a problem with attendance, and a lot of the children don't come to school regularly. Wilkinson said that the move is not fair to them and to the teachers when they are trying to get things done, and they attend classes regularly at school. The headteacher added that efforts had been ramped up to protect students from the risk of contamination, including hand-washing stations, giving children their own packs, pedal bins, and scrapping whole-school assemblies. School safety Similar measures to make schools safe have been adopted by teachers across the UK as millions of students will return to school. However, some parents are still unconvinced about the standards of safety and are opting for home-schooling. The rate of infections in the UK started in March, and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson made his decision to close the schools. Sending children back to school became a national priority for the government as the pandemic began to wane, and the country lifted the lockdown. Related Article: Canada's Top Doctors Advise to Wear Mask During Intercourse and Avoid Kissing New People @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Jesse Plemons had never felt so lost. It was early March 2019, just a few days before he was supposed to shoot Charlie Kaufman's "I'm Thinking of Ending Things," and Plemons still had two questions that he dared not ask of his director. The first was kind of a biggie. What exactly was the movie about? Adapted from the novel by Iain Reid and out on Netflix Sept. 4, "I'm Thinking of Ending Things" appears deceptively simple: A man named Jake and his girlfriend embark on a snowy drive to meet his parents. Afterward, they drive back. Or do they? The story's true nature remains tantalizingly out of reach. As their circumstances grow more and more strange, the characters' shared sense of reality begins to smear, and the film unfolds like a Rorschach blot: What you ultimately make of this lonesome little tale may depend on what you bring to it. Plemons knew that with a storyteller like Kaufman, a bit of disorientation was to be expected this was the man who had written meta mind-benders like "Being John Malkovich" and "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," after all. Still, a good grip on the material kept proving elusive. Plemons had hoped things would get better after the first rehearsal; after that first rehearsal, he was convinced they wouldn't. Why had he been cast? That was the second question Plemons couldn't bring himself to ask, even as he grew certain he was the wrong man to play Jake. He had just come off a string of supporting roles in "The Irishman," "Vice" and other movies, and Kaufman had offered him the male lead in "I'm Thinking of Ending Things" without so much as an audition. "I had no clue that Charlie had any idea who I was," Plemons said. "There was a part of me that was like, 'Are you sure, Charlie? You want to see me do something first?'" With only two days left before the shoot, Plemons went to dinner with Kaufman and his castmates still feeling unmoored. To his surprise, the other actors said they felt the same way. Even David Thewlis, who had worked with Kaufman on the animated "Anomalisa," admitted to some confusion. "David finally asked Charlie, 'So can you tell us what this is about?' " Plemons recalled. It was the first of his two unasked questions, and Plemons hung on Kaufman's answer. "And Charlie was like, 'You know, I don't know.'" Some actors might have been alarmed by such a confession, but to Plemons, the material finally made sense. He had been trying to figure out something that was meant to be experienced rather than completely understood. "Charlie kind of arrived at saying, 'I think we just have to accept that we don't know, and just accept that we're going to fail sometimes. We have to embrace that.'" The answer to his first unasked question also suggested the answer to his second. There was nothing that could be done on this film but live in the moment, and if that's what you want from an actor well, that's why you cast Jesse Plemons. When Kaufman first laid eyes on his eventual lead, he wasn't thinking "movie star." He was thinking "background extra." Kaufman was introduced to Plemons through "Breaking Bad," the hit TV drama that Plemons joined in its fifth and final season. At first, you barely notice him: While Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul rip through their scenes with galvanizing grandeur, Plemons putters around as the mild pest-control flunky Todd, pitching a fumigation tent and mumbling a handful of lines. As Todd goes on to become a major player, embroiled in high crimes like meth-making and child murder, Plemons barely lets on that the stakes have been raised. So pronounced is his lack of affectation that you'd be forgiven for thinking this is a real person who's been pushed in front of the camera and forced to wing it. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. "I never saw Todd coming, and I think that's the thing about Jesse," Kaufman said. "It's very interesting to watch him work because everything is just so small and underplayed, which is very valuable in film." That verisimilitude has found him fans in major directors like Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese, and the 32-year-old Plemons has recently become a mainstay of prestige dramas, appearing in best picture nominees four of the last five years. Utter naturalism is his goal: Plemons can toggle easily between eggheads and dimwits, good guys and bad guys, and it's almost impossible to describe what he's doing differently because he doesn't appear to be doing anything at all. "I love actors where you don't see them acting," Plemons said in early August, when we met outside his home in Los Angeles. "You don't see a false moment. You don't catch them." It felt fitting that we should hang out in his backyard: With his mussed golden hair, slight paunch, and feet in flip-flops, Plemons looked like a good-natured dad at a barbecue. And yet he was still able to command attention. "It's that 'still waters run deep' kind of thing," his wife, Kirsten Dunst, said later. "I think there's just some people that you're drawn to watching." Plemons and Dunst met while shooting the second season of FX's "Fargo," in which they played a married couple engaged in a criminal cover-up. "I knew that she would be in my life for a long time," he said. Plemons said life in quarantine with Dunst and their 2-year-old son, Ennis "forces you to look at what's in front of you." It has reminded him that in work and in life, it pays to stay in the moment. "I've spent years of constantly learning the same lesson over and over again, that you can work and work and work on something, and bang your head against the wall and know it inside and out but then, in that moment, if you're not relaxed in your mind and body, that's all for nothing," he said. "A lot of that work won't be seen unless you're grounded and present. I just don't think there's ever anything wrong with attempting to be present." New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a chargesheet at Patiala House Court in New Delhi against captured Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant Bahadur Ali , for waging a war against India including many other charges. The NIA has filed a charge sheet against Bahadur Ali for conspiring to carry out a terror attack in Delhi and many cities of Jammu and Kashmir. Commenting on the chargesheet, NIA Inspector General (IG), Alok Mittal said that "NIA has strong and clinching evidence on how LeT terrorists were sent across border to India." "Bahadur Ali was given training in Pakistan and was given weapons,GPS devices through which he communicated with Pakistan handlers," added Alok Mittal. The militant has also been accused of stone pelting and stirring trouble in the valley post-Burhan Wani's encounter in July last year. The stone pelting incident in J&K has been done as a part of Lashkar-e-Taiba's conspiracy against India. His name also surfaced post Uri-attack. However, the NIA has failed to extract any information from Bahudur Ali on Uri attack. Read More: Unrest condition in Kashmir: NIA blames banned terror organisation Captured terrorist Bahadur Ali confesses he underwent training processes organised by Lashkar Ali was arrested in June 2016. During the time of arrest many recoveries were been made form including Japanese high-end communication equipments, and I Com sets. The similar sets of ammunition were recovered from the Uri terrorists also. Ali was interrogated in the Uri case as well. NIA has charged Ali with criminal conspiracy, waging war against India, various sections of the anti-terror law - unlawful activities, prevention act, arms act, explosives act and the Wireless act for illegally possessing arms, ammunitions. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. A couple who used their savings to buy their first home have been left distraught after a neighbouring house was built so close the two roofs are touching. Just months after Nina and Wayne Austin moved into the four-bedroom property in Logan, south of Brisbane, the house next door was constructed with the gutters millimetres away. 'No other home is like this there are other homes that are close, but not like ours,' Mrs Austin told the ABC. A couple who used their savings to buy their first home in 2019 have been left distraught after a neighbouring house was built so close the roofs are touching Just months after the Nine and Wayne Austin (pictured) moved into the four-bedroom property in Logan, south of Brisbane, the house next door was constructed with the gutters touching The couple, who have two young children, said they will regularly see people walk past their home who stop to comment on the building. 'We feel like the investment for the future for our kids is gone, that we are not safe, we feel ripped off,' Mrs Austin said. Mr Austin, who works in the construction field, said he first noticed something could be wrong when the layout of the foundation slab was being poured next door. The pair raised concerns with Logan City Council but were told their neighbours' house was legal and that their own should not have been certified. Mr Austin explained when their house was being constructed the builder had to change the approved plans to switch the garage to opposite side to fit on their block. The new design was then approved by an independent certifier. 'Our trust was in the builder and certifier, 100 per cent, it's their job to get these things right. If they can't get it right, they've got to fix it, simple,' he said. The house was intended to be a stepping stone which the pair could sell in the short term after getting a foothold in the market, however, they are now uncertain whether there will be any demand for their property due to the possible legal issues around selling. On top of this, despite discussions with the builder and certifier over the past six months, neither of them have admitted fault, leading to further stress for the couple. They have also spoken to the Queensland Building and Construction Commission about insurance but were told they were not covered for the home warranty scheme because the issue is not a building defect. They have filed two complaints against the certifier but have been advised any finding of fault would still not result in compensation. Property lawyer Bronwyn Weir told the publication the Austin's only chance at compensation would be to take the builder or certifier to court but warned that would be an expensive and lengthy process. A posting from a community board about the nightmare build (pictured) She said the case, however, raised a valid point of whether planning issues should be covered under the QBCC home warranty scheme rather than just building defects. She also advised first homebuyers who are looking to make the most of government grants to consider enlisting their own certifier or consultant - rather than relying on the builder's. Mr Weir said this kind of second opinion could come in handy, especially for those new to the property market. She also added a good builder should not be offended by a client taking a hands-on interest in their own project. Charlie Kaufmans ominously named new film, Im Thinking of Ending Things, with its lower-case title design, is cinema in all-caps. And perhaps the best breakup movie since Ari Asters Midsommar. After a career spent trying to piece together the broken fragments of the fragile male psyche, Kaufman, in his new film, introduces for the first time a female protagonist. But she might not be real. Its complicated. Played by Jessie Buckley, the character like most Kaufman characters is essentially an extension of the filmmaker himself. And as terrific as Buckley is as The Young Woman, a part of me would like to believe that she was cast simply so that Kaufman could add another layer of surrealism to his story. Buckleys co-star, you see, is Jesse Plemons, who plays the boyfriend, Jake. An equally valid counterargument could be made that Jake is the protagonist. But he might not be real either. Watch the Im Thinking of Ending Things trailer here Casting two lead actors whose names sound exactly alike, to play characters that might be imaginary all signs point to them being constructs of a lonely janitors mind is the tip of the iceberg as far as the kookiness of Kaufmans film is concerned. In an opening scene that will remind viewers of Jordan Peeles comparatively more straightforward Get Out, were introduced to the couple as theyre on their way into the countryside to meet his parents. Theyve known each other for about seven weeks, but their relationship is new enough for him to ask if she likes Wordsworth, as if theyre still discovering things about each other. Shes contemplating dumping him, that much is made clear. Im thinking of ending things, she thinks to herself during the endless drive to his parents, again and again and again. But while this initially sounds like a reference to their relationship, a later conversation about the writer David Foster Wallace gives the words a rather morbid new meaning. Even people who know nothing else about David Foster Wallace know that he killed himself, Jake tells The Young Woman, who nods. They might be the same person, or they might be Charlie Kaufman, having a conversation with himself, as he did in Adaptation. Im Thinking of Ending Things unfolds like a dying mans life, flashing before his eyes. On other occasions, it seems like the entire film takes place inside a snow globe that is slowly falling to the ground. There is sense of inevitability to it. Human beings, as The Young Woman says in one scene, are the only animals who understand the concept of mortality, which is why theyve invented hope. Jessie Buckley as Young Woman, Jesse Plemons as Jake in Im Thinking Of Ending Things. (Mary Cybulski/NETFLIX) At Jakes parents house, The Young Woman visits his childhood bedroom, which is littered with stacks of books and movies that he must have consumed as a kid. Heres where Netflix comes in. Im Thinking of Ending Things benefits tremendously for having been released on streaming. In fact, it is in many ways designed to be viewed this way. For instance, when I first noticed changes in the physical appearances of Jakes parents his fathers hair seemed to have become shorter I immediately paused and rewinded to reconfirm my suspicions. Moments later, of course, I realised that my eyes werent playing tricks on me after all, and that a slight change in hairstyle was easily the most subtle transformation that the parents would undergo in that sequence. Similarly, the scene in Jakes bedroom positively begs you to pause and devour all the visual foreshadowing that it contains. So when The Young Woman, on the drive back, begins an impromptu critique of John Cassavetes A Woman Under the Influence, your mind immediately connects it to a fleeting glimpse of a Pauline Kael book lying on the rack in Jakes bedroom. I suppose I watch too many movies, Jake tells The Young Woman, and she replies, Everyone does. Its a societal malady. Movies and books and culture of all sorts is the prism through which Jake looks back on his life, if we pursue the theory that the entire film plays out in the mind of a dying man the high school janitor who makes occasional appearances, but plays a larger role in the movies wilfully obtuse third act. For instance, the films final scene is lifted, almost shot-for-shot, from a similar scene in Ron Howards A Beautiful Mind. And Kaufman, as we know, has always been interested in the minds of men who like to mythologize themselves. This is him contemplating his own legacy. Also read: I Lost My Body movie review: Netflix delivers the best animated film of 2019; a stone-cold masterpiece While it is possible for some viewers to have an emotional reaction to Im Thinking of Ending Things, its hardly as accessible as Kaufmans best film, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. It is neither as imperceptible as Synecdoche, New York. It is, however, another notch on Netflixs bedpost, as it continues its quest to lure every auteur under the sun into its boudoir. Watch, and watch again. Im Thinking of Ending Things Director - Charlie Kaufman Cast - Jessie Buckley, Jesse Plemons, Toni Collette, David Thewlis Follow @htshowbiz for more The author tweets @RohanNaahar Firefighters advance up a hill as the El Dorado fire approaches the Yucaipa area Saturday. Evacuations were ordered in several nearby San Bernardino County communities. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) A fast-moving brush fire has scorched more than 3,000 acres in the Yucaipa area in San Bernardino County, prompting evacuations of several nearby communities, fire officials said Sunday. Dubbed the El Dorado fire, the blaze began about 10:30 a.m. Saturday in the 37000 block of Oak Glen Road, officials said. By 2:30 p.m., the 5-acre fire had exploded in size, forcing the evacuation of Oak Glen, Forest Falls, Mountain Home Village and parts of eastern Yucaipa. The blaze also closed a portion of the San Gorgonio Wilderness, according to San Bernardino National Forest officials. Hikers who are exiting the Vivian Creek, San Bernardino Peak and Momyer trailheads are advised to stop their trip and head back to retrieve their vehicles, the national forests Twitter post said. The Yucaipa Community Center was set up as an evacuation center, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Another major fire was burning in Fresno County in Northern California. Jeremy Anglin, left, and Matt Taylor heat up tacos on a grill as the El Dorado fire approaches in Yucaipa Saturday. The two men are friends of the homeowner and came to help fight the blaze if it got closer. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) A brush fire in the Sierra National Forest exploded Saturday, consuming more than 36,000 acres, threatening local communities andtrapping 150 people near a popular reservoir. The fast-moving Creek fire cut off evacuation routes to Mammoth Pool Reservoir, according to the Madera County Sheriffs Office. All of the people were reported safe but 10 of them had injuries, the Sheriffs Office said. The fast-moving Creek fire cut off evacuation routes to Mammoth Pool Reservoir, according to the Madera County sheriffs office. All of the people were reported safe but 10 of them suffered some type of injury, the sheriffs office said. The California National Guard assisted in a major rescue operation Saturday night, using a CH-47 Chinook helicopter to help airlift people trapped by the fire, including some who are injured, said Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau. Hokanson said in a tweet that people had been taken to CalGuard facilities and were met by medics and civilian first responders. Story continues The Fresno Fire Department said late Saturday that several military helicopters had rescued 63 people and taken them to Fresno Yosemite International Airport . Injuries were severe for two people and moderate for 10 others, while 51 people had minor or no injuries, fire officials said in a tweet. Aircraft were returning to continue operations but it was unclear, the tweet said, how many more people needed to be evacuated. Sierra National Forest spokesman Dan Tune said those trapped in the reservoir area were not in imminent danger since the fire front has moved past them and was headed north. But people have been advised to shelter in place while strike teams of engines and hand crews try to clear evacuation routes and contain the fast-moving flames. The fire is also threatening a range of structures and power lines. Residents of Huntington Lake, Camp Sierra and Big Creek in Central California were ordered to evacuate. The priority right now is community and life safety, he said. The Washington Post is providing this news free to all readers as a public service. Follow this story and more by signing up for national breaking news email alerts. The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is one of the most advanced stealth fighter jets in the world, boasting digital avionics and cutting-edge technologies that give pilots more situational awareness above the battlespace. But the student pilots who will someday fly these premier planes are being trained on decades-old instruments and techniques -- and that has to change, according to top officials at Air Education and Training Command. "Our training system hasn't fundamentally changed, probably in six decades, when we talk about pilot training," Maj. Gen. Craig Wills, 19th Air Force commander, told Military.com in an interview last week. "Certainly, we don't want to throw out the things that work, but the question is, in the 21st century, is it right that our primary training techniques still revolve around putting a poster on a wall and pretending we're flying an airplane?" Read Next: The Worst of the Jobless Spike May Be Over for Veterans The outdated approach is one of many reasons the unit -- in charge of training more than 30,000 U.S. and allied service members in various skills, including future Air Force pilots -- has embarked on a new task of bringing virtual reality technology and simulation to more airmen, and soon. Dubbed "Undergraduate Pilot Training 2.5," the program at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, will aim to advance the first-of-its-kind Pilot Training Next (PTN) experiment, which the service began in 2018 to test students' abilities within an augmented space meant to resemble an in-flight experience. The Air Force anticipates investing $20 million per year to develop the digital backbone training model over the next three to four years. The model may include enhanced applied sciences, such as increased biometric readings taken during flight, the commander said. "This is more of an evolution than revolution," Wills said. "The fact of the matter is, this applies to almost every way that we do training in the Air Force. So if there is a revolution in this anywhere, it's probably on the digital side, not so much on the mechanical side." By spring 2021, he expects AETC to have enough graduates to produce "objective data with respect to how the system's working." And by that summer, Wills will present Lt. Gen. Brad Webb, the head of AETC, his final recommendation on whether the Air Force can establish UPT 2.5 at other major operating bases. Putting the Focus on the Pilot Ever since the Air Force started on this quest, Wills said, critics have been dubious of the command's plans to increase reliance on virtual technologies in place of hands-on experience. "People have an assumption that we're asserting that [we're building] twice as good a pilot in half the time; that was never the plan," he said. "The plan was to build just as good a pilot in about half the time, and that experiment has been largely successful." PTN has graduated 27 pilots to date, with another 14 slated to graduate soon, for a total of 41 for the three classes, AETC said. The first PTN group included 20 airmen -- 15 officers and five enlisted. Enlisted airmen were included in that group so the Air Force could better understand whether college experience made a difference in training; afterward, they returned to their previously assigned career fields following the program, officials said. In total, 13 airmen graduated from the first PTN class. In the second PTN group of 20 students, 14 graduated, with one moving to extended training and graduating a month after his peers. Five did not complete the program, said AETC spokeswoman Capt. Lauren Woods. The third iteration, which began in January, will have 14 graduates out of 16 students, she said. Wills said that while the experiment includes using virtual and augmented reality simulation to teach aircraft familiarization and provide an in-flight experience, the focus has really been on the student, and ensuring he or she progresses at the right pace. That's something UPT 2.5 builds on. "The research has shown that about 80% of the time, the learner will learn faster if you ... put the tools in their hands, and you really 'unchain' the learner," he said. "And clearly, at a time when we'd like to increase production, the ability to learn equivalent skills faster is certainly an interesting case." Woods added that though UPT 2.5 is an offshoot of PTN, the two programs slightly differ. PTN was an experimental program with a lot of different factors [officials] were testing, she said in an email. Thus, the importance of UPT 2.5, which as Gen. Wills indicated, will give a larger set of data to work with and make more accurate assessments. Pilots also begin their lessons faster. Instead of waiting to collect textbooks on the first day of training, students can now log online to access their curriculum -- months ahead of their first classroom experience. In some instances, the students can also take their virtual reality simulators to their living quarters to practice, or access the 24-hour learning center. "We need to strike a careful balance between actual flying time and simulated flying time. There's no question that there's no substitute of having actual experience in the cockpit," said Wills. Pilots are graded based on performance, the same way they would be if they were up in the air. So far, pilots are performing on par with their traditionally trained peers, Wills said. "We should be utilizing synthetic environments and digital environments to the maximum extent we can ... to test people in ways that can't always be done in the air," he said. He added, "There's also no question that one of the main driving factors in this is the need to get after pilot production." Boosting Ranks The Air Force ended last fiscal year 2,100 pilots short of the 21,000 it needed to meet mission requirements in support of the National Defense Strategy, officials said in March. In February, the service said it would fall short in its goal of producing 1,480 new pilots across the force by the end of fiscal 2020. While the UPT and PTN experiments aren't meant as a recruiting tool, they could be catalysts for bringing in potential airmen who already have digital or video-gaming skills, and want to put them to the test in real aviation. "From the perspective of, are we trying to recruit and attract young people who are drawn to a cutting-edge Air Force that uses the tools and tech that kids are used to? Absolutely, we're connected to that effort, and so, how do we train them and turn them into the premier aviators that we want them to be?" Wills said. It's no secret the Air Force faces pressure to train new pilots fast. Even with steady progress over the last few years and with some pilots extending their stay in service due to the coronavirus pandemic, "that doesn't solve the problem of who's going to leave the Air Force 14 or 15 years from now," he said. The Air Force is under the gun to fix its yearslong pilot shortage -- a problem facing all aviation units -- and to clear backlogs within some of its training pipelines. But in a force that typically resists change, innovation comes with pushback. "Pilots are very attached to the way we do business, so when you change it, there's this automatic reflex to say, 'You must be wrong if you're changing it,'" Wills said, explaining that he's heard criticism that shortening the class might make it less challenging. "But we don't have that luxury." AETC launched UPT 2.5 at Randolph on July 15. Wills previously told Military.com the program will initially apply to the mobility community and will help the service phase out the T-1 Jayhawk at Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training locations between fiscal 2023 and 2025. SUPT teaches basic fundamentals of flying, airmanship, instrument knowledge, rules and regulations. Following weeks of training in the T-6 Texan II, air mobility students assigned to Randolph will not fly the T-1 aircraft during their advanced training, and instead, will complete a simulator-only Air Mobility fundamentals course headed by a PTN instructor. Meanwhile, those at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma, who are slated for mobility; special operations; and command-and-control intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms will use a modified T-1 training syllabus. Wills said Vance was chosen as another location to begin UPT 2.5 because leadership "was ready to take the leap" a year ahead of schedule. The simulator-heavy experiment now halves the length of the current T-1 course to roughly 12 weeks within the training program, accelerating a pilots path to graduation. A typical undergraduate pilot training class has roughly 30 pilots per class, Woods said. The class then shrinks as students move onto either the T-1 or T-38 Talon trainer. By comparison, there are currently 11 students in the UPT 2.5 program at Randolph, and 26 at Vance, she said. "I don't believe that the transition to UPT 2.5 carries with it inherent safety risk; what it does carry with it is a responsibility for us to make sure that we're still maintaining the same standard with the graduates that we push out," Wills said. Simulators to Enhance, not Replace The latest revision to the AETC program follows Air Force efforts over the last two years to overhaul the pilot training curriculum and build in greater use of simulators and technology. Despite the age of the training fleet, which includes T-38s that date to the 1960s; T-1s that have been around since the '90s; and problem-plagued T-6s, the move to incorporate more ground training has nothing to do with the condition of airframes, Wills said. "Bringing on the successor to the T-38 is important," he said, referencing the T-7 Redhawk. In September 2018, the service awarded Boeing Co. a $9.2 billion contract to build its next aircraft for training pilots, in a program known as T-X. In 2019, the Air Force rebranded the T-X as the T-7A Redhawk, named in honor of the Tuskegee Airmen. The first T-7A is expected to be delivered in 2023. "But it's no question that we're maintaining [the T-38] exceptionally well and that we're committed to maintaining a safe fleet of airplanes [until that happens]," Wills said. "If I didn't think the fleet was safe, we wouldn't be flying." Over time, the Air Force will gather more data on how pilots fare in the new simulation-heavy program. When they come together at their formal training unit (FTU) -- where pilots are assigned to their official aircraft following graduation -- "we'll be able to compare where they finish in their class, and we'll have a really good idea how it will stack up," he said. "We don't have the luxury of taking [pilot training] at a really, really slow pace. There's no question that there's some risk involved in what we're doing, but I would argue that the risk is primarily programmatic," Wills said. "The difference between how we live and how we train is measured in trust. And if that gap continues to widen, we'll have a hard time attracting and retaining the kind of talent we need to protect America." -- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214. Related: Air Force to Cut Use of Jayhawk Trainer, Rely More on Simulators The Expedition 63 crew serviced a variety of International Space Station hardware today ensuring research, power and life support systems continue operating in good condition. Heart research and team psychology studies also filled today's science schedule. Commander Chris Cassidy of NASA wrapped up science rack swap work that he began on Monday. He finished moving and reinstalling three advanced science facilities, known as EXPRESS racks, in three different lab modules. The rack exchanges will support future experiments being delivered on an upcoming Cygnus resupply mission from Northrop Grumman. Afterward, Cassidy collected water samples from the potable water dispenser for analysis on Earth and on the station. The veteran astronaut also inspected U.S. module hatches and replaced pipes in the orbiting lab's restroom, known as the Waster and Hygiene Compartment. Three-time space station cosmonaut Anatoly Ivanishin strapped himself on an exercise bike this morning for an assessment of his cardiac activity in space. First-time space flyer Ivan Vagner assisted Ivanishin attaching sensors to the test subject and monitoring his activities during the hour-long test. The Russian duo then checked battery temperatures and connections before studying how international space crews interact with mission controllers around the world. Ivanishin went on to set up advanced Earth observation gear while Vagner worked on power system diagnostics. On-Orbit Status Report Payloads EXPRESS Rack Relocation: Following the relocation of EXPRESS racks 8, 10B, and 11B, the crew mated the umbilicals, adjusted the flow control valve, and assisted with the initial checkout of EXPRESS rack 11B. EXpedite the PRocessing of Experiments to Space Station (EXPRESS) Racks are multipurpose payload rack systems that store and support research aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The EXPRESS Racks support science experiments in any discipline by providing structural interfaces, power, data, cooling, water, and other items needed to operate science experiments in space. ER 11B is one of 3 basic EXPRESS racks. Basic EXPRESS Racks have been simplified to include only the most commonly required resources and feature more common connectors such as a standard Ethernet cable. ISS HAM Pass: The crew participated in an ISS HAM pass with the KMO (Klub Modych Odkrywcow) Kolska Wyspa, Kolo, Poland. Three schools will be part of this contact: Adam Mickiewicz Primary School No. 2 (with ~120 students ages 12 to 15); Kazimierz Wielki Secondary School (with ~90 students ages 16 to 19); and the January Insurgents Primary School (with ~60 students ages 12 to 15). ISS Ham Radio provides opportunities to engage and educate students, teachers, parents and other members of the community in science, technology, engineering and math by providing a means to communicate between astronauts and the ground HAM radio units. Systems Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC) Maintenance: The crew removed and replaced the piping between the pump separator and the dose pump. The piping is replaced every 6 months as part of preventive maintenance to ensure continued performance and preclude a functional failure. In-Flight Maintenance (IFM) Hatch Seal Inspection: Today, the ISS crew completed a cleaning and inspection of the USOS Hatch Seals, Hatch Plate Sealing Surfaces, and Crank Handle Mechanisms for foreign object debris (FOD) or damage. Environmental Health System (EHS) Operations: Today, the ISS crew performed periodic EHS water sampling by collecting water samples from the Potable Water Dispenser (PWD) for in-flight and post-flight analysis. In-flight samples were used to perform a Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) analysis that measures the amount of organic constituents in the potable water. The crew also tested the water samples for the presence of Coliform bacteria utilizing a Coliform test bag. These tests are used to determine if the drinking water is safe for crew consumption. Mobil Servicing System (MSS) Operations: Today, the robotics ground controllers (ROBO) powered up the Mobile Servicing System (MSS) to continue with day 2 operations of the Materials on ISS Experiment (MISSE) - Flight Facility (FF) video survey and contingency bare bolts actuation. The MISSE payload has MISSE Sample Containers (MSCs) stuck in the open configuration and in order to bring the MSCs inside for return, they must be fully closed. Completed Task List Activities: ISS HAM Columbus Radio Exchange Today's Ground Activities: All activities are complete unless otherwise noted. Ground Supt for MISSE Ops DDCU Safing for ER-11 Umbilical Mate POIC Ground Systems Transition Look Ahead Plan Thursday, 9/3 (GMT 247) Payloads: JEMAL Ops/NREP Hardware Remove SCRAM Power On Systems: UPA Software Transition EHS TOCA Run SSC Relocate Friday, 9/4 (GMT 248) Payloads: Astrobee Localization/Mobility Ops Biolab TCU Clean JEMAL Ops MELFI1 EU Swap Radi-N2 Retrieve & Handover Systems: EHS CFM T+2 Saturday, 9/5 (GMT 249) Payloads: Astrobee Off Systems: Crew Off Duty Today's Planned Activities: All activities are complete unless otherwise noted. (Universal Bioengineering Thermostat). Checking - No.07 temperature and unobstructed area near - inlet/outlet vents Structures and Mechanisms (S&M) Rack Transfer Restow Measuring battery case and connectors temperature on battery modules No.4 Light Ions Detector Return Changeout of 1 & 2 dust filters. Discard removed filters. Reflect deltas in IMS) and cleaning 1, B2 fan screens in MRM2 Environmental Health System (EHS) Potable Water Dispenser (PWD) Sample Collect Cardiovascular evaluation during graded stress test on cycle ergometer Changeout of filter unit in Gas Analyzer 2106 Maintenance of Quick Release screw clamps on SM Aft-Progress 448 Interface Environmental Health System (EHS) Coliform Water Processing ISS HAM Service Module Pass Moding gas analyzer (2106) to OPERATION Diagnostics of FGB instruments 11156 Environmental Health System (EHS) Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Potable Water Dispenser (PWD) Sample Analysis & Data Record NanoRacks External Platform Operations Review Troubleshooting FGB Power Supply System -2 and -2 devices using oscilloscope VZAIMODEISTVIYE (INTERACTION-2) Experiment Ops Hatch Seal Inspection EXPRESS Rack-11 Umbilical Mate EXPRESS Rack11B Rack MTL Flow Rate Adjust In Flight Maintenance (IFM) Waste Hygiene Compartment (WHC) Piping R&R URAGAN. Installation and activation of Auto Orientation System for Video Spectral Equipment (SOVA) and photo equipment EXPRESS Rack11B Initial Activation and Checkout Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. A businessman and 400-level Accounting student of the North West University, Kano now Yusuf Maitama Sule University, Abba Ahmad has been talked out of the suicidal state he got into over his inability to marry President Buhari's daughter, Hanan. The 22-year-old man who has been thrilled by Hanans beauty and educational qualifications, has been sending her marriage proposals on Facebook and Instagram. I am in love with her (Hanan Buhari) because of her beautiful face, her level of education and integrity of her father (Buhari). I tried informing her but I dont know whether the messages got to her." When asked why he posted about committing suicide if Hanan goes ahead with her marriage to Turad Shaaban, he said; I just said it. Kano police spokesman, Abdullahi Haruna confirmed the incident and also disclosed that Ahmad was invited to the Command Headquarters at the prompting of Frank Mba. Police Commissioner Habu Sani and a Police Imam also counselled him. It was further learnt that Police spokesman Frank Mba spoke with Ahmad on telephone for 6 minutes, 6 seconds, convincing him not to commit suicide even if he did not marry the Presidents daughter. Mba also reminded Ahmad that his religion preaches against suicide. The suicidal man thanked the Police after the counselling and also expressed desire to join the Force because of the friendly manner the Police treated his case. First lady, Aisha Buhari just released the stunning pre-wedding photos of her daughter, Hanan who is set to get married to her fiance, Turad Sha'aban, in the presidential villa, Abuja, today September 4. Source: LIB Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Representatives of the Coordination Council for members of the Belarusian opposition attend a news conference in Minsk WARSAW (Reuters) - Belarusian opposition activist Olga Kovalkova arrived in the Polish capital Warsaw on Saturday, saying she had been forced by authorities in her homeland to leave the country. Kovalkova, a senior figure in the Belarusian opposition Coordination Council, was sentenced to 10 days in jail on Aug. 25. She said on Saturday that authorities had told her she would face further arrests if she did not leave the country. "Representatives of the militia and the interior ministry of Belarus came to me and said that if I did not agree to leave, I would face long arrests ... it was said that there would be more (arrests) to infinity," she told a news conference in Warsaw. "They came to the remand center where I was isolated, they gave me a hat, a mask and took me out of prison, I was lying in the back seat, so as not to see anything." She said she was taken to the border, where she entered Poland at the Kuznica-Bruzgi border crossing before travelling to Warsaw. Kovalkova's arrived in Poland on the same day that Polish authorities confirmed Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya will visit Warsaw on Wednesday, where she will meet Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, in power for 26 years, has faced a wave of opposition protests since his Aug. 9 election victory. He has denied accusations by the opposition and Western countries that the vote was rigged and has resisted demands to step down. Human rights experts from the United Nations have reported receiving reports of hundreds of cases of torture, beatings and mistreatment of Belarusian protesters by police. "All these activities will not stop me, I will continue to act politically and I intend to return to Belarus to continue my activities," Kovalkova said. (Reporting by Alan Charlish and Pawel Florkiewicz; Editing by Angus MacSwan) State Sen. John Eklund, R-Munson Township, this week announced the Senates unanimous passage of Senate Bill 357, which will provide an additional $650 million of federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act funding to local communities across Ohio for novel coronavirus pandemic-related expenses. According to the bill, funding will be made available to counties, municipalities and townships for necessary expenses associated with the current public health emergency and will be distributed on a per capita basis. Of the $650 million, over $17 million will be sent to counties, townships, villages, and cities across the 18th Senate District. Our local governments best know the needs of their communities in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, said Eklund, who co-sponsored the bill. These additional funds will help strengthen the recovery efforts of our state. Eklund noted that Senate Bill 357 will be the third round of coronavirus relief funding for counties, municipalities and townships following the state Controlling Boards recent authorization of $175 million, and the General Assemblys approval in June of $350 million through House Bill 481. The funding excludes Ohios six jurisdictions with populations over 500,000 as they already qualify for direct payments from the CARES Act this includes the city of Columbus and Cuyahoga, Franklin, Hamilton, Montgomery and Summit county governments. Municipalities and townships within these counties, however, are still eligible for the funding appropriated in the legislation. The legislation includes an emergency clause, making the bill effective immediately upon being signed by Gov. Mike DeWine. The bill will now be sent to the Ohio House for consideration, Eklund added. India has registered yet another grim milestone in the past 24 hours as the country struggles to control the rapid spread of COVID-19. bccl With a single-day spike of 86,432 new cases, the COVID-19 caseload in the country has breached the 40-lakh mark on Friday. This is the highest single-day spike in COVID-19 cases in the country so far. Read more PM Modi's Dream Infra Project, Bullet Train Won't Be Completed By 2023 Due To COVID-19 Coronavirus-induced pandemic is sparing no one and the ambitious Bullet Train project of our country is next on its list. Unsplash The Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project, which is scheduled to be completed by December 2023, may fail to meet its deadline due to the coronavirus pandemic that has led to delays in opening tenders and land acquisition, officials said. Read more Security Forces Kill 3 Militants In Gunfight In J&K's Baramulla Three unidentified militants were killed and three security forces personnel, including an Army officer, injured in an encounter in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said. bccl Security forces launched a cordon and search operation at Yedipora in the Pattan area of Baramulla district in north Kashmir following specific information about the presence of the militants, a police official said. Read more Atheist Activist Armin Navabi Who Tore Up Quran Angers Hindus By Calling Goddess Kali 'Sexy' A Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader has filed a police complaint with Delhi Police and Mumbai Police against Twitter India for allowing Iranian-Canadian author and podcaster Armin Navabi to post derogatory comments on Hindu Goddess Kali. twitter Navabi, an ex-Muslim and the founder of Atheist Republic had posted the picture a Goddess Kali on Twitter on Thursday. Read more Southern India, Himalayan Foothills Will Receive More Rainfall In The Near Future Monsoon is often described as the lifeline of India's agriculture sector. A good monsoon season translates to better farm produce, which can have a direct impact on the economy in terms of GDP, labour market, housing sector etc. bccl But the monsoon pattern in India is changing and that can have far reaching consequences, a research team of IIT Kharagpur has found. Read more Kerala, Goa Lead The Child Index Chart While Assam, Bihar, UP Fare The Worst Adequate nutrition and well being is a quintessential part of any child life and based on the ranking and values on the Young Child Outcome Index suggested Kerala, Goa, Tripura and Tamil Nadu are among the top performers. Pixabay-Representational Image The report has been prepared by Mobile Creches, a policy advocacy organisation which works with the underprivileged children across India. Read more Boris Johnson has blasted Extinction Rebellion protesters for 'attacking free speech' after they blocked the roads outside national newspaper printing presses meaning many did not reach newsagents in time for readers. A total of 20 activists have each been fined 10,000 for their involvement in the protest, Met Police have confirmed. Mr Johnson condemned the dozens of activists who chained themselves to the gates of Newsprinters in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, last night. Protestors also blocked access to the presses in Knowsley, Liverpool, on the same evening. The Prime Minister said: 'A free press is vital in holding the government and other powerful institutions to account on issues critical for the future of our country, including the fight against climate change. 'It is completely unacceptable to seek to limit the public's access to news in this way.' More than 30 arrests have been made following the blockades. A second was set up in Knowsley, near Liverpool Met Police today announced 20 of the protestors would be slapped with 10,000 fines each after gathering in a group of more than 30 people, in breach of lockdown rules. Commander Kyle Gordon, Gold Commander for the weekend's policing operation, said: 'Over the past week, the Met has managed various protests across central London which have caused serious disruption to local communities. 'Throughout this period we have become increasingly concerned the organisers of these events have not always taken all reasonable measures to limit the risk of transmission of Coronavirus, thereby posing a risk, not only to those involved, but the wider public and communities of London. 'We remain in the middle of a pandemic and we all need to play our part in keeping each other and our communities safe. 'The Met's approach to policing the Coronavirus legislation has always been in line with the national policing approach, which is to engage, explain, encourage and only as a last resort enforce.' Extinction Rebellion protesters blockaded the entrance to Newsprinters in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, meaning some national newspapers did not reach stands today The protests meant that by 6am delivery trucks for The Sun, The Times, the Daily Mail, the Daily Telegraph and the Financial Times had not left. Although printing was rapidly transferred to other plants, the closure meant that hundreds of readers were horrified to turn up at the newsagents today only to find their newspaper was absent. The protesters have now been removed from outside the printing presses, and at least 72 arrests have been made. The demonstration, which blocked stories such as a feature by David Attenborough on the importance of fighting climate change from getting to readers, is part of a ten-day period of national action declared by the group. Today activists staged a 'die-in' outside Buckingham Palace, and marched through Trafalgar Square brandishing flags and placards. Emergency services arrived and engaged with the protesters to move them on The protesters remained in place outside the Newsprinters in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, this morning. They were seen hanging from bamboo structures The Times and The Sun were missing from a newsagent in the Liverpool area today Why Extinction Rebellion has blocked the printing presses Extinction Rebellion (XR) claimed last night that it was using the disruption to 'expose' newspapers 'failure to report on the climate and ecological emergency'. They alleged: 'Coverage in many of the newspapers printed here is polluting national debate on climate change, immigration policy, the rights and treatment of minority groups, and on dozens of other issues.' This morning the group apologised on Twitter for the disruption caused to newsagents but said it was not apologising to Murdoch for disrupting his 'agenda'. Responding to the home secretary's criticism, they accused the press of stirring 'division and hate'. There have been fears in recent weeks that XR has been taken over by a cabal of hard-left groups hell-bent on driving their own agenda. Politicians lined up to criticise the group this morning, saying they thought this may damage support for the cause at a critical time. Labour shadow international trade secretary Emily Thornberry said: 'I really don't know what it is that is expected to be achieved. 'I know that for many older listeners it's very much part of their daily life, getting their paper delivered in the morning, and I just think it's wrong.' Criticism has been levelled at the group for disrupting the distribution of newspapers during the global pandemic. Advertisement Politicians of all persuasions hit the airwaves to slam the protesters this morning, and warn that the action may have harmed their cause. Home secretary Priti Patel followed the prime minister's lead in expressing her outrage at their 'attack'. 'This morning people across the country will be prevented from reading their newspaper because of the actions of Extinction Rebellion,' she said. 'This attack on our free press, society and democracy is completely unacceptable.' Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood told Times Radio that Extinction Rebellion (XR) had 'lost sight of how to campaign on a very important issue'. 'The government has done much itself but obviously could do more and we need to work with the people to get that message across so we all can be more aware of the carbon footprint that we create,' he said. 'But what they're doing here is to alienate more people. I fear the organisation itself has been hijacked.' Communities secretary Robert Jenrick criticised the protesters, stating: 'A good day to #buyanewspaper. A free press matters to all of us who value a free society. They mustn't be silenced by an intolerant minority.' And Labour's shadow international trade secretary Emily Thornberry also weighed in, denouncing the group saying 'I really don't know what it is that is expected to be achieved'. 'I know that for many older listeners it's very much part of their daily life, getting their paper delivered in the morning, and I just think it's wrong,' she told Times Radio. Newsprinters condemned the protests as an 'attack on all of the free press' which had affected workers going about their jobs and others such as newsagents who face 'financial penalty'. 'This attack on all of the free press impacted many workers going about their jobs,' they said. 'Overnight print workers, delivery drivers, wholesale workers and retail newsagents have faced delays and financial penalty. This is a matter for the police and the Home Office. 'Thanks to other industry partners, printing was transferred to other sites.' The Federation of Independent Retailers (NFRN) said the protests had hit home delivery operations, including for the 'elderly and vulnerable', with its members having to deal with 'angry customers'. National president Stuart Reddish said: 'Newsagents have played a critical role during Covid-19 in getting newspapers into the hands of readers and this is not helpful at a time when every sale counts.' The protesters are pictured above blocking the entrance to the printing plant More than a hundred demonstrators blocked access to Newsprinters printing works in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, (pictured) and Knowsley, near Liverpool, last night Printing was moved to other sites but the protests could lead to delays in deliveries of The Sun, The Times, the Daily Mail, the Daily Telegraph and the Financial Times. (Pictured: Boxbourne) Newsprinters has condemned the demonstration as an 'attack on the free press'. (Pictured: Protesters blockading access to the printing presses in Knowsley) Hertfordshire police said in a statement they were called to the plant in Broxbourne at 10pm yesterday. Assistant chief constable Owen Weatherill said in a statement officers were working to facilitate 'the rights of both the protesters and those affected by their presence' but that the 'protesters' were not co-operating. 'The rights to protest are well established in this country and we remain committed to facilitating peaceful protest and ensuring compliance,' he said in a statement. 'However, at this time, the group are not engaging with us and the protest is causing major disruption to local businesses. 'I'd like to reassure you that we are doing all we can to bring the incident to a peaceful conclusion, ensuring minimum disruption to the affected businesses.' Merseyside police tweeted on Saturday morning that officers were still in attendance at the Knowsley plant. XR claimed last night that it was using the disruption to 'expose' newspapers 'failure to report on the climate and ecological emergency'. They alleged: 'Coverage in many of the newspapers printed here is polluting national debate on climate change, immigration policy, the rights and treatment of minority groups, and on dozens of other issues.' Responding to the home secretary's criticism on Twitter this morning, they accused the press of stirring 'division and hate'. Others sat in a circle beside Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square to 'draw attention to environmental issues' Protesters stage a die-in outside Buckingham Palace this afternoon. They are calling on the Queen to force her government to take more action to stop climate change Protesters sit in Trafalgar Square to block traffic with policemen asking them to move on A protester marches through Trafalgar Square and heads past the National Portrait Gallery Protesters chanted and held up flags and placards as they called for action A sign reading, 'citizens assembly is the answer', was held up in Trafalgar Square An Extinction Rebellion demonstrator is arrested at Trafalgar Square during another day of protests in London Police officers restrain a XR protester who had glued himself to a truck during a demonstration near Kennington tube station Another protestor is arrested at a demonstration in Trafalgar Square In protests this morning XR took to the streets of the capital to demand further action to prevent climate change. Outside Buckingham Palace they held a disco playing songs including 'Staying Alive' by the Bee Gees before they all collapsed on the floor for a 'die-in'. The protesters said they were demanding that the Queen takes more action to encourage her government to pursue green policies. They also marched into Trafalgar Square where they brandished placards and held up flags emblazoned with the group's logo. As part of the 'global' ten days of rebellion, activists also took to the streets in Warsaw, Poland, where they donned red, blue, yellow or green outfits Protesters had come to take part from London, Brighton and other regional groups. Extinction Rebellion protesters march through the streets of Warsaw, Poland, in the group's ten days of demonstrations campaign Protesters don blue cloaks as they march through the streets of Warsaw, Poland The group dressed in blue marched through the street as they called for more action on climate change A group of protesters wearing all-yellow was also seen marching in Warsaw, Poland They were joined by a group wearing all green. One was even clutching a pot plant XR protesters also held a smaller demonstration near Motherwell aimed at disrupting the distribution of Saturday's Scottish Sun newspaper. Meanwhile, climate change protesters have been warned they risk a large fine if they fail to comply with coronavirus rules banning gatherings of more than 30 people. The Met Police said risk assessments explaining how XR activists were minimising the possibility of Covid-19 transmission at a planned march in Westminster 'did not meet the required standard'. The force said XR's latest round of demonstrations 'pose a risk, not only to those involved, but to the wider public and communities of London'. On Saturday a procession of activists that set of from Brighton on foot a week ago is due to march the final stretch to Parliament. They have been banned from taking a 20ft model boat named after teenage activist Greta Thunberg to the streets of Westminster. On Friday Met Police Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe warned the group not to take The Lightship Greta into an area stretching from Green Park to Lambeth. Lebanese and Chilean rescuers watching a crane at the site of a collapsed building after getting signals there may be a survivor buried in the rubble, early Friday, Sept. 4, 2020, in Beirut, Lebanon.(AP) Beirut: The Lebanese military discovered more than 4 tons of ammonium nitrate near Beirut's port on Thursday, a find that's a chilling reminder of the horrific explosion a month ago that killed 191 people. According to the military, army experts were called in for an inspection and found 4.35 tons of the dangerous chemical in four containers stored near the port. There were no details on the origin of the chemicals or their owner, the find comes almost exactly a month after nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate stored at Beirut's port for six years detonated, wreaking death and destruction. Along with 191 people killed, more than 6,000 were injured and entire neighborhoods were devastated. The blast left nearly 300,000 people homeless and caused damage worth billions of dollars. The military statement said that customs officials had called in the army to inspect containers at a facility near the port, where they found 4.35 tons of ammonium nitrate. It said army experts were "dealing with the material," an apparent reference that it was being destroyed. Days after the Aug. 4 blast, French and Italian chemical experts working amid the remains of the port identified more than 20 containers carrying dangerous chemicals. The army later said that these containers were moved and stored safely in locations away from the port. French experts as well as the FBI have taken part in the investigation into the Aug. 4 blast, at the request of Lebanese authorities. Their findings have yet to be released. So far, authorities have detained 25 people over last month's explosion, most of them port and customs officials. Emmanuel Iboi is the governorship candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) in the forthcoming September 19 election in Edo State. The 36-year-old Computer Science graduate of the University of Benin tells PREMIUM TIMES about his foray into politics and the need to change the narrative. Excerpts: PT: As the youngest of the 14 governorship candidates in the September 19 election, what motivated you into the race? Iboi: My political career started at the University of Benin when I became the National President of the Computer Science Students Association. That was when I started jotting down the problems bedevilling the state, and, in 2016, I had written my manifesto for the state, (for) when I become governor. That is why, of all the political parties that are taking part in this Edo election, it is only the ADP that has refused to collapse its structure for another party. The reason for this is that there are so many problems to be solved. Again, I had made up my mind to contest long ago when I found out that the present crop of politicians is deceiving the masses every four years. For example, my mum is a trader in one of the markets in Benin City and I have observed that during electioneering, the only thing she gets from the ruling political elite is an apron and that is what she gets every four years. I am unhappy about that kind of deceit to the electorate. I am also not happy about the way the youth have become toys for the political class to play with. The youth have become so frustrated and they are beginning to realise that there is no hope in the government, both at the state and federal levels. So, I am here to change the narrative and I challenge the youth not to be relaxed about this, and that is why they are being trampled upon. It is time for them to take their destinies into their own hands. Imagine youth collecting as low as N500 to cause violence somewhere which is the height of human degradation. I was also motivated to contest this election because I want to fix the education sector. Can the present crop of politicians still boast of having the kind of standard public schools they attended in the state during their time? Of course not. A lot of our youth are leaving the state because of the deplorable state of the education sector. I can tell you that with a standard educational structure, the state will be back on track. Good, the government builds schools with red roofs, but what is the essence of those structures without having the people to run it? There are some schools I have identified in the course of my campaign that cannot boast of the staff room because there are no teachers. Also, we have problems in the health sector. The state can only boast of one hospital, which is the Specialist Hospital in Benin. If you go to government hospitals, they will require patients to come with cotton wool and spirit. The situation is this bad and it must change. PT: There was a crack in your party recently when the Organising Secretary, Oshodin Izedomwen, defected to the PDP and announced that the whole party structure has been collapsed to work for the candidate of the PDP, Godwin Obaseki. What happened and why are you still campaigning? Iboi: The former Organising Secretary of the party, who defected to the PDP, got that position on a platter of gold because they had not done the party congress at that time. It was given to him, he did not contest for it and I can tell you that he did not have the membership card of the ADP when he was with us. He left with just two other persons from his own Egor Local Government Area of the state. An Organising Secretary cannot collapse the structure of a political party. READ ALSO: Note, however, that defection is not a new thing in politics, people have their rights and this is democracy. We have and cannot collapse the party structure because there are issues we would need to resolve in the state when we get elected. PT: How did you emerge as an ADP governorship candidate for the Edo election? Iboi: It was a rigorous process and I can tell you that I followed the processes that was how I emerged as the candidate. I was able to convince the party members what I intend to do for the state and they were convinced with what they saw in my manifesto. The party believes in the youth and women and I am sure that when they saw that I was a youth with the intellectual capacity to rule the state, they gave me the platform. They know that I am out to bring about a change in the state. PT: You are not known to have a very rich political background in the state, what brought you to this level? Iboi: People have asked why I did not choose to contest as a local government councillor or chairman, but I tell them that if I do not contest for the governorship election now, when will I do that? I am someone who believes in bringing about changes anywhere I find myself. I have worked in the APC Presidential Campaign Office under the present Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola. I have also been a Personal Assistant to a former presidential aspirant of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and also a PA to a former senatorial aspirant of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Anambra State. Apart from being president of different associations in the church, I have also led students. So, I think these experiences are enough to guide me. Advertisements PT: Given the demands of elections, do you have the monetary strength to face the big wigs? Iboi: I thought of this before I started this whole thing because the election in Nigeria has become so expensive to run. An election is even more expensive than running an institution. As a youth, I do not have the money to compete with the APC and PDP candidates but there is a saying that a thousand miles begin with a step. The moment I started this race, God has been faithful to me because there has been support. Today in Edo, the ADP is the third force because we are the only party outside the PDP and APC that flagged off our campaigns. PT: How well have you covered the 192 wards in the state because not so much is heard about your party campaigns across the three senatorial districts? Iboi: It takes money to do all these things. However, we have examined our area of strength and (are) working on it. We have identified areas where we have the sympathy of the voters and that is where we are concentrating on in the ongoing ward-to-ward campaigns and we believe that we are doing well. PT: Under the present zoning arrangement in the state, the governorship slot seems to favour those from the southern senatorial district, how will you fit in, since you are from the central? Iboi: Is there anything like zoning in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria? If there is none, so, where did the issue of zoning emanate from? They have used zoning to cage Nigerians and Edo people and I think the focus should be on the capacity to deliver instead of zoning. We believe in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which is not a zoning formula, and that is what we will follow in Edo. PT: If you are elected as governor what will you do differently? Iboi: If I am elected on September 19, what we would do differently are numerous. First, governance is continuity, so we would continue with what is already on the ground. Also, we would empower the youth through the creation of jobs through what I call the PPI (Private-Public-Investors). I have gone round the 18 local government areas of the state and I have identified (the) potential in each LGA. There are some LGAs that have high yields in the production of fruits, instead of harvesting and transporting these fruits to Lagos or other cities, we would site up processing industries in these areas. We would also build skills acquisition centres in all the LGAs for free and when they graduate, we shall give them startup funds. We would bring tourism back to the state, among many other developmental projects. We need good policies that can revive the state. PT: The state has been in the news for wrong reasons during this election period, there had been violence and rising tensions, especially among the two major gladiators, APC and PDP. What can be done? Iboi: There are no big political parties, what we have are individuals. Vultures seek carcasses and when there are no carcasses for them to feed on, they fly away. Some vultures have made the Edo State treasury their carcass and they have also constituted the youth into carcasses. If there is no carcass for them, they will fly away. I urge the Edo citizens and residents not to make themselves available as carcasses to these set of politicians. Let them use their voters card wisely on September 19 and choose the ADP candidate that will bring development to the state. In 1967, 95 percent of prime-age men between the ages of 25 and 54 worked. During the Great Recession, though, the share of jobless prime-age males rose above 20 percent. Even today, long after the recession officially ended, more than 15 percent of such men arent working. And in some locations, like Kentucky, the numbers are even higher: fewer than 70 percent of men lacking any college education go to work every day in that state. The rise of joblessnessespecially among menis the great American domestic crisis of the twenty-first century. It is a crisis of spirit more than of resources. The jobless are far more prone to self-destructive behavior than are the working poor. Proposed solutions that focus solely on providing material benefits are a false path. Well-meaning social policiesfrom longer unemployment insurance to more generous disability diagnoses to higher minimum wageshave only worsened the problem; the futility of joblessness wont be solved with a welfare check. The loss of work for so many also reflects the emergence of a modern labor market with little interest in less skilled job seekers. American wages were high in the 1960s and 1970s because of steady demand for unionized labor in Detroit and Allentown. Automation and globalization have destroyed many of those jobs, and the process is likely to continue. Technology gurus like Elon Musk believe that future innovations will make the human contribution to other economic sectors, including services, increasingly obsolete as well. Yet every underemployed American represents a failure of entrepreneurial imagination. We can do better. Our educational system must improve the way it provides skills that bring higher earnings, and we need to experiment with new forms of vocational training. We should encourage entrepreneurial energies, including by making it easier for small businesses to get up and running in low-income areas. And social programs that deter employment should be reformedand ideally replaced by a simple pro-work subsidy. Its time to end the war on work. America began as an oasis of plenty in a world of poverty. Farms from New Hampshire to Georgia offered any free man crossing the Atlantic the chance to exchange hard work for a full belly. In 1820, 78 percent of the American labor force farmed. While droughts and pestilence often threatened disaster, joblessness was no part of then-rural America. If you didnt work, you starved, and there was always another patch of land to hoe and seed. Unemployment arrived only when workers moved to cities. A vital strength of urban life is that it can connect people who want to work with people who have capital and ideas. But sometimes, those matches arent available. Almost half of Americas workers had left their farms by 1870, setting the stage for the recessions of the 1870s and 1890s. University of Florida economist J. R. Vernon estimates that the unemployment rate hit 8 percent in 1878 and may have exceeded 15 percent in the 1890s. In both downturns, financial crises had led to bank failures and massive firm bankruptcies. In 1894, the Pullman Strike disrupted the nations transportation network. Yet as soon as the banking system recovered, American entrepreneurs resumed hiring cheap, usually unskilled, labor. Nominal wages actually fell over both the 1870s and the 1890s because workers had to accept low pay. With no government safety net, long-term unemployment meant deprivationor even death. By 1920, the U.S. had become a majority-urban nation. As urban industry replaced agriculture, the country got wealthier but also more vulnerable to economic dislocation. The Great Depression brought it with terrible force: the unemployment rate exceeded 15 percent in 1931, peaked at 24.9 percent in 1933, and remained above 14 percent as late as 1940. (These figures count those working on federal relief programs as unemployed; exclude these individuals, and the unemployment rate was down to 9.5 percent by the end of the decade.) Depression-era Americans endured long-term joblessness, then, but it was fundamentally different from the kind that afflicts us today. The U.S. economy was in disastrous shape throughout the 1930s, with real GDP and industrial output staying below 1929 levels for most of the decade. Whatever the reasonand debates remain livelyAmerican industry recovered from the Depression with painful lethargy. Persistent unemployment mirrored an enduring economic crisis. The New Deal saw the rise of public programs that worked against employment. Wage controls under the National Recovery Act made it difficult for wages to fall enough to equilibrate the labor market. The Wagner Act strengthened the hand of unions, which kept pay up and employment down. Relief efforts for the unemployed, including federal make-work jobs, eased the pressure on the jobless to find private-sector work. The carnage of World War II ended both the Nazi regime and the American Depression. The peace augured in 30 years of remarkable growth and prosperity. America enjoyed technological preeminence and an enormous growth in human capital, thanks to policies like the GI Bill. Women surged into the labor force by the millions, yet demand for male work stayed robust. The empowered postwar unions shifted industrial employment to right-to-work states, as the classic work of Thomas Holmes illustrates, but they didnt compromise the labor market as a whole. From 1945 to 1968, only 5 percent of men between the ages of 25 and 54prime-age maleswere out of work. But during the 1970s, something changed. The mild recession of 196970 produced a drop in the employment rate of this group, from 95 percent to 92.5 percent, and there was no rebound. The 197374 downturn dragged the employment rate below 90 percent, and after the 197982 slump, it would stay there throughout most of the 1980s. The recessions at the beginning and end of the 1990s caused further deterioration in the rate. Economic recovery failed to restore the earlier employment ratio in both instances. The greatest fall, though, occurred in the Great Recession. In 2011, more than one in five prime-age men were out of work, a figure comparable with the Great Depression. But while employment came back after the Depression, it hasnt today. The unemployment rate may be low, but many people have quit the labor force entirely and dont show up in that number. As of December 2016, 15.2 percent of prime-age men were joblessa figure worse than at any point between World War II and the Great Recession, except during the depths of the early 1980s recession. The trend in the female employment ratio is more complicated because of the postwar rise in the number of women in the formal labor market. In 1955, 37 percent of prime-age women worked. By 2000, that number had increased to 75 percenta historical high. Since then, the number has come down: it stood at 71.7 percent at the end of 2016. Interpreting these figures is tricky, since more women than men voluntarily leave the labor force, often finding meaningful work in the home. The American Time Survey found that nonemployed women spend more than six hours a day doing housework and caring for others. Nonemployed men spend less than three hours doing such tasks. Joblessness is disproportionately a condition of the poorly educated. While 72 percent of college graduates over age 25 have jobs, only 41 percent of high school dropouts are working. The employment-rate gap between the most and least educated groups has widened from about 6 percent in 1977 to almost 15 percent today. The regional variation is also enormous. Kentuckys 23 percent male jobless rate leads the nation; in Iowa, the rate is under 10 percent. Why, since 1970, has each new downturn added to the ranks of the permanently unemployed? Social science has not fully answered this question, but the best guess involves a combination of a generous social safety net, deindustrialization, and social change. Both Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson aggressively advanced a stronger safety net for American workers, and other administrations largely supported these efforts. The New Deal gave us Social Security and unemployment insurance, which were expanded in the 1950s. National disability insurance debuted in 1956 and was made far more accessible to people with hard-to-diagnose conditions, like back pain, in 1984. The War on Poverty delivered Medicaid and food stamps. Richard Nixon gave us housing vouchers. During the Great Recession, the federal government temporarily doubled the maximum eligibility time for receiving unemployment insurance. These various programs make joblessness more bearable, at least materially; they also reduce the incentives to find work. Consider disability insurance. Industrial work is hard, and plenty of workers experience back pain. Before 1984, however, that pain didnt mean a disability check for American workers. After 1984, though, millions went on the disability rolls. And since disability payments vanish if the disabled person starts earning more than $1,170 per month, the disabled tend to stay disabled. The economists David Autor and Mark Duggan found that the share of adults aged 2564 receiving disability insurance increased from 2.2 percent in 1985 to 4.1 percent 20 years later. Disability insurance alone doesnt entirely explain the rise of long-term joblessnessonly one-third or so of jobless males get such benefits. But it has surely played a role. Other social-welfare programs operate in a similar way. Unemployment insurance stops completely when someone gets a job, which may explain why economist Bruce Meyer found that the unemployed tend to find jobs just as their insurance payments run out. Food-stamp and housing-voucher payments drop 30 percent when a recipients income rises past a set threshold by just $1. Elementary economics tells us that paying people to be or stay jobless will increase joblessness. Scholars Olivier Blanchard and Justin Wolfers have explained Europes persistent unemployment, which they called hysteresis, by the interaction of adverse economic shocks and extremely generous welfare states. Twenty years ago, the more economically successful European nations, such as Sweden, Germany, and the Netherlands, reorganized their welfare states to emphasize work and witnessed positive results. Others, including France, Italy, and Spain, did not, and they have struggled. In a sense, the eurozone financial crisis of the past half-decade is the legacy of southern European countries that wouldnt fix their failing welfare systems. The U.S. needs to decide if it wants to follow the path of Germany or of Spain. Yet these programs didnt immediately generate a crisis of joblessness in America. Manufacturing workers werent going to leave their well-paying union jobs in 1967 because of the existence of food stamps. But over the next half-century, things changed dramatically. As hundreds of studies have documented, wages for the best-educated and most-successful Americans have risen, while those for the least-educated and least-successful Americans have stagnated. These developments result from tectonic movements in the economy. Globalization and technological change have steadily erodedand continue to erodethe demand for American brawn. In 1966, American factories employed millions of industrial workers, making products that were shipped to far poorer places. As technology spread, the worlds lower-wage countries started manufacturing. Asias economic tigers initially thrived because of low labor costs, but these increasingly educated countries eventually achieved technological parity withand sometimes became superior tomany American industries. Manufacturings share of total American output has fallen from 25 percent in 1968 to 12 percent today. The number of manufacturing workers has shrunk from 19.5 million in 1979 to 12.2 million, which represents 8.8 percent of nonfarm employment. The fact that manufacturing today is a larger share of GDP than of employment underscores a shift toward technology-intensive productionanother response to high U.S. labor costs. For millennia, men were valued for their muscles. Human strength was crucial to feudal farming and to Henry Fords assembly line. We still have some jobs that depend on strong backs, as in the building trades. But they are getting rarer because machines can do the work for us. Were not moving toward an entirely mechanized economy. Between 1980 and 2000, U.S. service-sector employment rose by 73 percenta whopping 37 million new jobs. There remains commercial value in a friendly face and the charm of human interaction. But for millions of men, working in the service sector wasnt a good option. American joblessness reflects the social unraveling that Charles Murray describes in Coming Apart. A significant portion of the American heartland has moved from a norm of stable marriage and traditional religion to single-parent families and social dysfunction. A study by Raj Chetty and Nathan Hendren calculated mobility across America using income-tax records. Their data show that the share of single-parent families in an area is a particularly strong predictor of low upward mobility. Any parent knows that raising children is tough, even with two adults involved. When only one parent is around, that task gets even harder. Unsurprisingly, many kids from broken families lack the skills needed to get ahead in todays competitive economy. During World War II, the army taught millions of Americans how to behave effectively in a tough organization. Such skills may have helped returning veterans thrive in the industrial America of the 1950s. Yet that very success may also have enabled younger Americans to tolerate joblessness, as they wind up relying for extended periods on their parents (or grandparents) help. Thirty percent of prime-age jobless men currently live with their parents. The rise of joblessness among the young has been a particularly pernicious effect of the Great Recession. Job loss was extensive among 2534-year-old men and 3544-year-old men between 2007 and 2009. The 2534-year-olds have substantially gone back to work, but the number of employed 3544-year-olds, which dropped by 2 million at the start of the Great Recession, hasnt recovered. The dislocated workers in this group seem to have left the labor force permanently. Unfortunately, policymakers seem intent on making the joblessness crisis worse. The past decade or so has seen a resurgent progressive focus on inequalityand little concern among progressives about the downsides of discouraging work. Advocates of a $15 minimum hourly wage, for example, dont seem to mind, or believe, that such policies deter firms from hiring less skilled workers. The University of CaliforniaSan Diegos Jeffrey Clemens examined states where higher federal minimum wages raised the effective state-level minimum wage during the last decade. He found that the higher minimum reduced employment among individuals ages 16 to 30 with less than a high school education by 5.6 percentage points, which accounted for 43 percent of the sustained, 13 percentage point decline in this skill groups employment rate. The decision to prioritize equality over employment is particularly puzzling, given that social scientists have repeatedly found that unemployment is the greater evil. Economists Andrew Clark and Andrew Oswald have documented the huge drop in happiness associated with unemploymentabout ten times larger than that associated with a reduction in earnings from the $50,000$75,000 range to the $35,000$50,000 bracket. One recent study estimated that unemployment leads to 45,000 suicides worldwide annually. Jobless husbands have a 50 percent higher divorce rate than employed husbands. The impact of lower income on suicide and divorce is much smaller. The negative effects of unemployment are magnified because it so often becomes a semipermanent state. Time-use studies help us understand why the unemployed are so miserable. Jobless men dont do a lot more socializing; they dont spend much more time with their kids. They do spend an extra 100 minutes daily watching television, and they sleep more. The jobless also are more likely to use illegal drugs. While fewer than 10 percent of full-time workers have used an illegal substance in any given week, 18 percent of the unemployed have done drugs in the last seven days, according to a 2013 study by Alejandro Badel and Brian Greaney. Joblessness and disability are also particularly associated with Americas deadly opioid epidemic. David Cutler and I examined the rise in opioid deaths between 1992 and 2012. The strongest correlate of those deaths is the share of the population on disability. That connection suggests a combination of the direct influence of being disabled, which generates a demand for painkillers; the availability of the drugs through the health-care system; and the psychological misery of having no economic future. Increasing the benefits received by nonemployed persons may make their lives easier in a material sense but wont help reattach them to the labor force. It wont give them the sense of pride that comes from economic independence. It wont give them the reassuring social interactions that come from workplace relationships. When societies sacrifice employment for a notion of income equality, they make the wrong choice. Politicians, when they do focus on long-term unemployment, too often advance poorly targeted solutions, such as faster growth, more infrastructure investment, and less trade. More robust GDP growth is always a worthy aim, but it seems unlikely to get the chronically jobless back to work. The booms of the 1990s and early 2000s never came close to restoring the high employment rates last seen in the 1970s. Between 1976 and 2015, Nevadas GDP grew the most and Michigans GDP grew the least among American states. Yet the two states had almost identical rises in the share of jobless prime-age men. Infrastructure spending similarly seems poorly targeted to ease the problem. Contemporary infrastructure projects rely on skilled workers, typically with wages exceeding $25 per hour; most of todays jobless lack such skills. Further, the current employment in highway, street, and bridge construction in the U.S. is only 316,000. Even if this number rose by 50 percent, it would still mean only a small reduction in the millions of jobless Americans. And the nation needs infrastructure most in areas with the highest population density; joblessness is most common outside metropolitan America. (See If You Build It . . ., Summer 2016.) Finally, while its possible that the rise of American joblessness would have been slower if the U.S. had weaker trade ties to lower-wage countries like Mexico and China, American manufacturers have already adapted to a globalized world by mechanizing and outsourcing. We have little reason to be confident that restrictions on trade would bring the old jobs back. Trade wars would have an economic price, too. American exporters would cut back hiring. The cost of imported manufactured goods would rise, and U.S. consumers would pay more, in exchange forat bestuncertain employment gains. The techno-futurist narrative holds that machines will displace most workers, eventually. Social peace will be maintained only if the armies of the jobless are kept quiet with generous universal-income payments. This vision recalls John Maynard Keyness 1930 essay Economic Possibilities for Our Grandchildren, which predicts a future world of leisure, in which his grandchildren would be able to satisfy their basic needs with a few hours of labor and then spend the rest of their waking hours edifying themselves with culture and fun. But for many of us, technological progress has led to longer work hours, not playtime. Entrepreneurs conjured more products that generated more earnings. Almost no Americans today would be happy with the lifestyle of their ancestors in 1930. For many, work also became not only more remunerative but more interesting. No Pennsylvania miner was likely to show up for extra hours (without extra pay) voluntarily. Google employees do it all the time. Joblessness is not foreordained, because entrepreneurs can always dream up new ways of making labor productive. Ten years ago, millions of Americans wanted inexpensive car service. Uber showed how underemployed workers could earn something providing that service. Prosperous, time-short Americans are desperate for a host of other servicesthey want not only drivers but also cooks for their dinners and nurses for their elderly parents and much more. There is no shortage of demand for the right kinds of labor, and entrepreneurial insight could multiply the number of new tasks that could be performed by the currently out-of-work. Yet over the last 30 years, entrepreneurial talent has focused far more on delivering new tools for the skilled than on employment for the unlucky. Whereas Henry Ford employed hundreds of thousands of Americans without college degrees, Mark Zuckerberg primarily hires highly educated programmers. What could change this dynamic? The first step is to improve Americans skills. The jobless rate is about 8 percent for prime-age men with a college degree or more but more than 22 percent for men with only a high school diploma or less. We have levers that can improve educational outcomes, like the very best early-childhood programs and charter schools. Such innovations should be expanded and made better through competition and evaluation. We should also improve the way that we do vocational education. (See Vocational Ed, Reborn, page 36.) Many vocational schools, like Bostons Madison Park High School, have long been troubled. The most ambitious students avoid getting tracked onto a vocational path, and theyand their parentswant schools that focus on college readiness. Consequently, less fortunate or struggling students often get segregated into these vocational centers. The conventional teachers in many vocational programs often lack the know-how for teaching either high-paying blue-collar trades, like plumbing, or cutting-edge fields, like computer programming. A more effective approach might be to keep students in college-readiness-oriented schools and experiment with out-of-school vocational training. Kids could be taught after school, on weekends, and during the summer by programs specializing in particular occupations. These initiatives can be evaluated swiftlyyou can readily determine if a program has produced, say, good carpenters. The superior training programs can then be scaled up and bad ones shut down. Adopting this structure would mean that anyone could potentially compete to run the programstrade unions, private providers, nonprofitsincreasing the chances that some programs will excel. We should also be open to initiatives like Cambridge, Massachusettss The Possible Project, which has been training youths, many from poorer backgrounds, to launch themselves in the start-up economy. (I am currently working on a randomized control trial for the project.) Older workers present the toughest training problem. The extensive literature on retraining adults for new jobs has few success stories. We must keep trying; here, too, the more experimentation, the better. Along with up-skilling workers, we should lower the regulatory barriers to entrepreneurship. Its a sad fact that America tends to regulate the entrepreneurship of the poor much more stringently than it does that of the rich. You can begin an Internet company in Silicon Valley with little regulatory oversight; you need more than ten permits to open a grocery store in the Bronx. One-stop permitting would be a good step, especially in poorer areas. If new businesses had only a single regulatory office to satisfy, the obstacles to entrepreneurship would be less daunting. One-stop permitting would also make it easier to evaluate the regulator on its speed and the number of permits issued. Permitting shops could specialize in the languages and businesses most common in their areas. Occupational licensing is another area crying out for reform. The University of Minnesotas Morris Kleiner has found that the share of American workers who need an occupational license has increased from 5 percent in the 1950s to 29 percent in 2008. States now credential interior designers, tree trimmers, and even florists. In many cases, these requirements are merely means for protecting incumbents from competition. When we license basic service jobs, we make it tougher for the jobless to find something new to do. American entrepreneurs can solve our joblessness crisis only if the U.S. stops incentivizing joblessness. Consolidating social policies would be a crucial step. Struggling families now receive food stamps, housing vouchers, Temporary Aid to Needy Families, and other assistanceall of which punish work. If the various programs were combined into a single cash benefit, that benefit could be designed so that the tax on earnings never went above 30 percent. We could follow the lead of Norway on unemployment and disability insurance, allowing the disabled to keep, say, 50 percent of their benefit above the $1,170 threshold, while tightening the requirements for being designated as disabled. Unemployment insurance could be structured so that payments were no longer contingent upon staying completely out of work. Here, the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) offers a design model, by providing funds that initially scale up with earnings, especially for lower-income families with children. Economists Nada Eissa and Jeffrey Liebman found that the credits introduction in 1986 increased labor-force participation significantly. The EITC was instituted during one of those rare moments in modern U.S. history when policymakers wanted to avoid rewarding joblessness. We also need to make hiring workers less costly for employers. Temporarily cutting the payroll tax was one of the most constructive policies adopted during the Great Recession. We could enact a permanent payroll-tax reduction. The tax could be gradually phased in for workers once their hourly earnings went beyond a certain threshold. The payroll tax could be eliminated for workers who had been unemployed, at least for an initial period. The costs of reducing the payroll tax could be offset by raising the minimum retirement age for employees who hadnt paid these taxes for enough years. Reducing mandated benefits, like health care, that employers must provide lower-income earners would help encourage work, too. Ideally, the reform of our health-care system will ensure that workers have health-care options that dont unduly burden employers. Making work pay needs one final, major policy initiative: wage support, which would replace the EITC. The EITC had the right overall idea, but it is cumbersome and indirect. Instead, the federal government could simply provide pay to increase the earnings of minimum-wage workers by a fixed amountsay, $3 per hour. Consequently, a worker paid $7.25 would take home $10.25 hourly, with the difference paid for by taxpayers. The subsidy could fall gradually as wages rise, and it could be targeted for specific groupslarger for returning veterans or the long-run joblessand rise or fall with the level of aggregate unemployment. The phaseout might slightly slow private-sector wage growth, but the cost would be more than offset by the benefits of such a visible push toward employment. Such a program would be expensive, so it should be matched with spending reductions for other social services. The rise in joblessness is not inexorable. But to solve this crisis, we must educate, reform social services, empower entrepreneurs, and even subsidize employment. That is an ambitiousbut necessaryagenda for ending the war on work before it consumes another generation of Americans. Rallying from third over, Pretty Handsome hustled to the front late to snag the $36,000 Preferred Handicap Pace at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Friday (Sept. 4). Trailing in the field of seventh, Pretty Handsome sat 10 lengths off a :25.4 first quarter set by Wheels On Fire clearing to the lead. Wheels On Fire maintained his speed to a :54 half as Rockme Rollme pulled first over, catching cover as Matticulous GB tipped outside from fourth into the final turn. Matticulous GB rushed to put a head in front of Wheels On Fire by three-quarters in 1:22 and took over command into the stretch. Rockme Rollme kicked off cover and dug into Matticulous GB through the stretch while Pretty Handsome angled widest of all and strode best to the finish. The five-year-old Mach Three gelding hit the finish three-quarter lengths better than Matticulous GB and Rockme Rollme in a 1:49.3 mile. Owned by Glenview Livestock Ltd., Pretty Handsome won his fifth race from 12 starts this season and his 30th from 62 overall, earning $316,855. Bob McClure drove the $14.70 winner for trainer Lacey McCabe. Trainer Carmen Auciello collected three wins on the card. His wins came with Betcha Baby ($13.10), Lady Rocknrolla A ($3.40) and Ivana Flybye N ($3.90). To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park. Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga received critical acclaim for A Star Is Born (Image by Warner Bros) Bradley Cooper has opened up about his experiences during awards season with A Star Is Born, admitting that he found the pursuit of accolades a real test. Cooper said as much during a recent in-depth conversation he had with Hamilton actor Anthony Ramos for Interview Magazine. Read More: Bradley Cooper wants to reunite with Lady Gaga Ramos, who also just so happened to feature in A Star Is Born, too, started this discussion by noting how, during this time, it becomes so easy to make it about individual people. This is completely at odds with the attitude during production, though. On set, you have your call sheet, and even though you have your leads, its a team effort. The grips, the director of photographythat movie is not happening without them. Everyone is the star of that movie. LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 27: (L-R) Anthony Ramos, Lady Gaga, and Bradley Cooper speak onstage during the 25th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Auditorium on January 27, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. 480493 (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Turner) For whatever reason, we choose to single people out at a certain time of year. And if youre ever asked to be a part of any of those events, it can be very easy for you, meaning me, to think, Its about me. Im the only one here from my cast, so its only me. Cooper, who was nominated in the Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Adapted Screenplay categories for A Star Is Born, then became candid about his own struggles during the awards season push for his acclaimed romantic drama. Read More: Lady Gagas Oscar-winning Shallow' co-writer opens up about his dark past: I was in the mindset of Jackson Maine That awards season stuff is a real test. Its set up to foster that mentality. Its quite a thing to work through, and its completely devoid of artistic creation. Its not why you sacrifice everything to create art, and yet you spend so much time being a part of it if youre, in quotes, lucky enough to be a part of it. However, Cooper says that he did learn some valuable lessons from this experience, and the other three occasions that he was nominated for his performances in Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, and American Sniper. Its ultimately a great thing because it really does make you face ego, vanity, and insecurity. Its very interesting and utterly meaningless. Thousands participate in the All Black Lives Matter solidarity march along Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood on June 14, 2020. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) In California, Wisconsin, Portland, Seattle, Chicago and wherever else there are protests, homelessness, wildfires or any other problems Democrats are to blame. Just ask President Trump or any of my readers who regularly write to tell me they agree with him. Los Angeles has tens of thousands of homeless people, these people say. The mayor is a Democrat. The City Council is full of Democrats. The Legislature is dominated by Democrats who work with a Democratic governor. So there you go. Its all their fault. This makes sense unless you consider that in the Central Valley, which has a lot of Republican legislators, local officials and some of Trumps most powerful congressional allies, cities up and down Highway 99 have big homeless populations. Are Democrats to blame there, too? Look, there are plenty of reasons to second-guess the work of Californias Democrats, who just ended a belly-flop legislative session with accomplishments outmatched by the deep troubles facing communities across California, as my colleague John Myers put it a few days ago. And Ive weighed in many times on the failures of our fearless leaders to handle the housing crisis, homelessness and other problems. And now the city of L.A. is in another budget mess after local leaders approved raises for police officers and others they can't afford to pay. But Trump has been even more unhinged than usual lately, which suggests he must believe the polls that say hes losing to a guy he accuses of being asleep in his basement. The president has ranted recently about planes full of black-clad thugs traveling to spread violent riots. He has warned that Joe Biden is a radical controlled by the far left, that gang members are moving in next door and that Democrats are planning to abolish suburbs once they burn down the cities. Its interesting that the president of a country with the most COVID-19 deaths, millions out of work and white supremacy rising is telling us what might go wrong if he loses. Its kind of like the manager of a losing ball club insisting on a contract extension so he can put a stop to the skid. Story continues As for unrest in cities, vandalism and violence cant be condoned, and some mayors have been a little clueless about how to respond. But the characterization of widespread chaos condoned by Democrats is fiction. I got to wondering what its like to keep getting pummeled by Trump for everything, here in the state with the worlds fifth-largest economy, so I called a couple of local Democratic public officials. L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis came in somewhere between outrage and eye-rolling indifference. This president believes the way to get reelected is by fear-mongering and inciting more riots, protests and civil disobedience. To me, hes creating more havoc, said Solis, who has also served in the Legislature, in Congress and as Labor secretary in the Obama administration. Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia, another Democrat, said crime rates in many cities have been in decline. (Hate crimes, however, increased by 17% in Trumps first year as president, according to the FBI.) Garcia was particularly ticked about Trumps suggestion that Democrats have all but endorsed mob rule in the streets. I dont know any mayor who isnt strongly against looting and crime, and were doing everything in our power to make sure that doesnt happen, while recognizing the importance of peaceful protest, said Garcia. And why might people be marching? Its partly about patterns of excessive police force and systemic racism. But its also about decades of public policy decisions by both major political parties that have left far too many people trapped in substandard housing, with jobs that dont pay the bills, schools ill-equipped to level the playing field, and cities patching budget holes partly, but not entirely, of their own making. Federal aid accounted for 13% of municipal budgets in 1978, said Peter Dreier, a professor of urban policy at Occidental College. But big cuts began under President Reagan. Federal funds now account for only about 3% of municipal budgets, said Dreier, who added that Trump has proposed the most drastic cuts to cities of any president since Reagan, but Congress has not approved most of them. Supervisor Solis said it has been harder to get federal transportation and housing funding since Trump took office, and Mayor Garcia had a similar observation. Under Obama, they sent regular support and were really engaged at all levels of federal government. And that immediately changed once Trump took office, he said. Hes trying to inflame and create more division and his policies have made things worse. He put in a tax-cut program that benefits the top 1% and large corporations, and he campaigns against basic improvements like raising the minimum wage. Yeah, but we need a lot more than a boost in the minimum wage. Five years ago in Long Beach, when an aircraft assembly plant closed, I watched Boeing employees who made $40 an hour at their union jobs struggle to find any work that paid even half that amount. Two years ago, when I looked into why more than 20% of the students at Telfair Elementary School in Pacoima were homeless, I realized the school was surrounded by shuttered aerospace and manufacturing plants. Neither major political party has had a good enough response to global forces that made middle-class wages scarce and drove income inequality in the U.S. Two months away from election day, Trump is promising to reduce taxes and regulations at levels not seen before. Bidens pitch is to tax the wealthy and invest in green jobs, housing, education and child care for working parents. May the best plan win. Trump was right when he said four years ago that the system was rigged against the little guy, but by many measures, he rigged it even more, and guess what people ought to be marching in the streets, as well as to the polls. The tax cut was so weighted to the wealthy, the income gap widened. Job growth was primarily in relatively low-paying jobs. The promised return of manufacturing jobs has mostly been a flop. Not only has the guarantee of cheaper and better healthcare never materialized, but millions lost coverage. I thought Trumps best pitch four years ago was a national infrastructure program that would create good-paying jobs for legions of Americans. We are going to fix our inner cities and rebuild our highways, bridges, tunnels, airports, schools, hospitals, he said in a victory speech. We are going to rebuild our infrastructure, which will become, by the way, second to none and we will put millions of people to work as we rebuild it. It never happened. And for that, Trump can't blame Democrats. steve.lopez@latimes.com New Delhi, Sep 5 : The Centre on Saturday named Andhra Pradesh as the best performing state in terms of implementing business reforms. The state ranking on the basis of implementing state Business Reform Action Plan was released by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday. The state Business Reform Action Plan, 2019 is aimed at improving the business environment by simplifying procedures, digitisation of information and easing the compliance burden. As per the ranking, Uttar Pradesh was the second and Telangana was the third best state in implementing business reforms. After releasing the report, Nirmala Sitharaman said the Centre was trying to instil a competitive spirit in the states through this initiative. She pointed out that India has a credible background in implementing reforms which is one of the key reasons for FDI inflow even during the "strictest period" of the lockdown. The Finance Minister said the Centre's 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' initiative envisages the country to increase exports by becoming competitive and offering quality products. Police in Far North Queensland swarmed a dance music festival suspected of breaching the state's coronavirus restrictions on public gatherings. The two-day bush rave was being held on remote national park land near the Indigenous community of Mona Mona, west of Kuranda, about 40km north of Cairns. Multiple police teams descended on the scene at about 10pm on Friday night where about 300 revellers were found partying. Police in Far North Queensland have swarmed a dance music festival suspected of breaching the state's coronavirus restrictions on public gatherings (stock image) The two-day bush rave was being held on remote national park land near the Indigenous community of Mona Mona, west of Kuranda, about 40km north of Cairns Queensland Police could not confirm with told Daily Mail Australia if any arrests had been made. But Cairns police Detective Acting Sen-Sgt Scott McGrath told News Corp, investigation are continuing and a number of items were seized during the late-night operation. 'It is timely to remind people that the new Chief Health Officer directives mean there can be no more than 30 people at a gathering,' he said. 'We seized some musical equipment to make it inoperable.' On Saturday police have returned to the scene to assist party-goers who may have been affected by drugs and alcohol and unable to leave the area last night. The incident comes just one month after another dance party in Far North Queensland was also broken up by police. Officers were called to Wangetti Beach, also near Cairns, on August 8 where they found hundreds of party-goers dancing and drinking on the sand as a DJ played techno music. Police charged three people as part of the operation and heavy fines for flouting social distancing guidelines were also issued. Do you know more about the bush rave? email Levi.Parsons@mailonline.com Drone footage of the party at Wangetti Beach was uploaded on social media back in August About 300 revellers are thought to have attended the beach rave which resulted in three people being charged Monika Shilpkar, a 24-year-old TV actor, returned home in Lucknow for Holi in March thinking she would be back in Mumbai later than month. But six months on, she is still in Lucknow even as shooting for serials has restarted after it was halted in March as part of measures to check the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. As a limited number of artistes and technical staff have been allowed to resume shooting, Shilpkar is unsure whether she would get enough work to sustain herself as many artistes are finding it hard to make ends meet in Mumbai. Also read: TV shoots resume post Covid shutdown Actors go to Mumbai with dreams to make it big. They mostly depend on the money they get from assignments on a daily basis. But with no shooting these days, they are finding it difficult to survive. That is why most of the artistes have returned [to their homes]. Some serials have begun to be shot again, but [with] a limited number of artistes and technical staff, said Shilpkar, who has worked in Ram Siya Ke Luv Kush serial. My father has been diagnosed with cancer. In Mumbai, my rent deposit with the landlord has exhausted. I do not know what to do. Shilpkar is not alone. Amit Sinha, 38, who has worked in Mumbai for 15 years, said even he found it difficult to survive there and now is back in Lucknow despite working in films like Mission Mangal and Mardani. Akanksha Awasthi, 22, who has worked in serials like Crime Patrol, CID, Shapath, Crime Alert, said artistes in Mumbai get paid after 90 days of work. There are many producers who pay after three months of the date of telecast [of a serial]. The money of most of the artistes is held up there even as they face hardships. Cine and TV Artistes Association joint secretary Amit Behl said they have written to the Union government seeking help for artistes. [Actor] Hema Malini, who is an MP [member of Parliament] from Mathura, has spoken to finance minister Nirmala Sitaraman for help to artistes. The good news is that the government has asked for the account number and IFSC codes of all artistes registered with us and we have shared the same with them, he said. We have urged producers to follow the 30-day payment cycle instead of 90. Veteran actor Anil Rastogi said he knows a number of artistes affected adversely due to the sudden closure of the Industry. If they do not get help from the government, they would be in trouble. I have also lost a lot of work. Uttar Pradesh Kalakar Association general secretary Vinod Mishra said they have helped over 40 artistes forced to return to their homes. I have started making a data bank of such artistes to provide further help. Mishra said he met Uttar Pradesh Film Vikas Parishad chairman Raju Srivastava to discuss the situation and also sought an appointment with chief minister Yogi Adityanath to highlight their problems. Srivastava said he has written to Adityanath seeking help for the artistes. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday said India's commitment to reform is being taken seriously by foreign investors, which is evident from the good inflow of FDI even during the time of Covid-19. Between April-July, the Foreign Direct investment (FDI) into India stood at USD 20 billion. India's commitment to reform is taken seriously by investors abroad and they take India to be a very desirable destination, otherwise we wouldn't be seeing good amount of FDI coming even during the pandemic time when India, as many of our critics would say, had the strictest lockdown, Sitharaman said. Releasing the state rankings based on the implementation of State Business Reform Action Plan 2019, Sitharaman said Atmanirbhar Bharat would help India build on its strengths and become self-reliant. Atmanirbhar Bharat will lead to greater export competitiveness, better pricing and quality of exports, which show the Indian skill of making things to perfection, she said. Sitharaman said Atmanirbhar Bharat is not for making India inward-looking, but to build on its strengths, one of the ways in which the country can become more competitive. In the states' ease of doing business rankings released on Saturday, Andhra Pradesh retained the top position followed by UP and Telangana at the second and third spots, respectively. The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has said the Friday judgment of a UK Commercial Court suspending the execution of a $9.6 billion judgment debt against Nigeria is a huge relief. The Minister, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, said the court decision is a big victory and Nigeria can now breath a sigh of relief. A UK commercial court on Friday granted Nigerias appeal for a stay of execution of the award of $9.6 billion, (about N3.5 trillion) to an Irish company, Process and Industrial Developments Ltd. (P&ID) over a botched gas contract. Specifically, the Royal Courts of Justice Strand, London granted the stay of execution order in the arbitrary award, following the review of written submission by the Federal Government which contained new evidence. The presiding judge, Rose Cranston held that the court decided to grant Nigerias application for an extension of time and relief from sanction in the matter in dispute. Relief Reacting to the courts decision, the minister said the judgment has afforded Nigeria the chance to challenge the arbitrary award to prove that the entire contract award with P&ID was a scam. The ruling is a big victory for Nigeria because it does not only grant Nigeria only stay of execution but also suspends any penalty against Nigeria. For more than a year now, Nigeria has been restless in its search for justice because we have always believed that the P&ID gas supply contract was nothing but a sham. We pursued the case relentlessly both in the court of public opinion and in the court of law. The minister recalled that one of the challenges the administration faced as soon as it came on board for the second tenure was the slamming of the judgment debt on the country. The world and Nigeria were gripped with the fear that our foreign assets, our oil will be attached and investors were panicked, that was when we started our campaign. We were quite cleared on our mind that this matter will be won not just in the court of law but also in the court of public opinion, he said. READ ALSO: The minister said the government took proactive steps to assure investors that the government would contest the ruling and no dime would be paid. He said the steps were to instil confidence in the investors that Nigeria is safe for investment and they should not disinvest in the country. After that, we held several press conferences in which we, once again, assured Nigerians that we were going to robustly challenge the judgment. As soon as we finished with the domestic audience, we moved to the UK in a team to let the world know that the entire P&ID contract was a sham. Pat on the back The minister gave kudos to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, for a very brilliant team he set up to prosecute the case. On Aug. 16, 2019, a UK Business & Property Courts (the Commercial Court), presided by Justice Butcher, had approved that P&ID should enforce a March 20, 2013 award against Nigeria by a District Circuit Court in Washington DC. The court ordered a $9.6 billion judgment debt against Nigeria over the botched 20-year Gas and Supply Processing Agreement (GSPA) with P&ID. In a ruling, the court authorised the (P&ID), a little known Irish engineering and project management company, to seize $9.6 billion in Nigerian assets over the failed contract. The court ruling was a fallout of the contract purportedly entered into in 2010 between the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources and P&ID and the subsequent award made in July 2015 in favour of the P&ID, by an arbitration panel sitting in London. In the failed contract, the P&ID was to build a gas processing facility to refine associated natural gas into non-associated gas to power the national electric grid. For its part, the Ministry was to build a pipeline to supply gas to the P&ID facility to be located in Adiabo, Odukpani LGA, Cross River State. Advertisements The agreement went sour because the company, which, did not build any facility at the agreed site, blamed the Ministry for not constructing the pipeline for gas supply alleging that it had committed $40 million into the contract. (NAN) China News on Women Sorry, the page you requested was not found. If you're having trouble locating a destination on Womenofchina.cn, try visiting the Womenofchina Home page SAN ANTONIO - A San Antonio police officer and a security guard fatally shot a Black shoplifting suspect Friday after he stabbed the officer in the face, officials said. The shooting happened about 2:30 p.m. in the parking lot of an H-E-B supermarket in northwest San Antonio. Police Chief William McManus said the security guard suspected the man of shoplifting and detained him inside the store until a police officer arrived. The guard and officer escorted the man to the officers patrol car. The suspect was standing in front of the police vehicle going through some things in his backpack. Im not sure what that was about. He stepped to his right out of the view of the COBAN (police dashboard camera system), and a second later he came back, very aggressively and very quickly, and stabbed the officer in the face, McManus said. It was quite a vicious attack. The knife used had a blade almost 5 inches (13 centimetres) long, McManus said. When the struggle continued, the officer and the guard fired multiple gunshots, killing the man. The officer was passing in and out of consciousness en route to the hospital because of blood loss, McManus said. He was listed in serious condition at San Antonio Military Medical Center. San Antonio has experienced increased tension between law enforcement officers and the Black community in recent days. A Black man spent two days in jail after he was mistakenly arrested while jogging last month as a domestic violence suspect. McManus has said the officers acted appropriately after the man refused to identify himself. Also last month, a sheriffs deputy shot and killed a knife-wielding, troubled Black combat veteran while he and two other deputies had been responding to a call for mental health detention. By Ken Endo, KYODO NEWS - Sep 5, 2020 - 16:00 | All, World Hong Kong is a gateway between China and the rest of the world, through which investment, information and expertise flow. It has been governed under the "one country, two systems" principle for a quarter of a century since its handover in 1997 to China from British rule. Under their 1984 joint declaration that formed the basis of the handover, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region was assured a high degree of autonomy, freedom and human rights. After the handover, Hong Kong did enjoy freedom of speech and association and had judicial independence. But those freedoms are currently in a precarious state. On Aug. 10, 10 people were arrested on charges of violating China's new national security law imposed on Hong Kong in June. Among them were Jimmy Lai, founder of a Hong Kong-listed media group and the newspaper Apple Daily, which is critical of the Chinese government. Also arrested was Agnes Chow, a Hong Kong pro-democracy student activist who is also famous in Japan. Their speeches and actions definitely cannot be deemed a crime. Publishing newspapers, stating opinions, and calling for domestic and international solidarity to support democratization, are simply normal actions. Despite the normalcy, the 10 people were arrested on the sinister charges of threatening China's national security. The Chinese government argues that this is a domestic problem, and foreign governments should not impinge on its sovereign authority. This is a deceptive argument however. China promised the international community it would protect Hong Kong's autonomy through the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration. Further, Article 23 of Hong Kong's Basic Law says the special administrative region "shall enact laws on its own" to address national security. By ignoring the article and arresting people for very ordinary actions under Beijing's unilateral national security law, the Chinese government has ground its heels on the concept of rule of law. Even the national security law itself indicates Hong Kong's human rights must be protected under Article 4. China has thus turned its back completely on multiple past statements it has made. All of this indicates that human rights repression, common in mainland China, has reached Hong Kong. Journalists, scholars, lawyers, and ethnic minority leaders on the mainland have been arrested one by one. And of those who have not been arrested, numerous examples exist where they have been censured in their social lives and employment. Since 2015, bookstore owners critical of Chinese leaders have been kidnapped from Hong Kong to the mainland. With the national security law imposed, Hong Kong is turning into China. Part of this change will include behavior modification to cater to the Chinese government. Even at universities -- which should be independent -- professors who advised pro-democracy student activities or joined demonstrations, have had their employment contracts terminated. It is not overly dramatic to say that all of this has historical significance. As China strengthens its presence in world politics and economy, its human rights abuses and penchant for authoritarianism will increasingly affect the world. If only the United States was a dependable country that could show leadership on these issues. But the current White House occupant is disinterested in human rights. After Hong Kong, it will be Taiwan's turn. South Korea and Japan will feel the pressure next. In Australia, a university professor who lectured on Taiwan became the target of virulent criticism by mainland Chinese students. China's national security law also applies to foreign citizens. There is already an arrest warrant out for an American citizen born in Hong Kong. Academic freedom and freedom of speech can weaken in these ways. Present China is a "Depreciative Empire," degrading what is good. Japan therefore cannot ignore the situation in Hong Kong. There is a very real possibility that as Beijing's clout grows, its influence over domestic expression of freedom and human rights could infiltrate Japan. Of course not all Hong Kong people are angels. Hong Kong's financial world is relieved that stock prices have remained stable, unaffected by the island's struggle for democracy in which they have little interest. At times some Hong Kong people do not hide their contempt for people on the mainland. While the latter's influx into Hong Kong has decreased, the arrival of mainlanders will continue until one day, they will become the majority population. Numerous problems exist and optimism is next to impossible. There are limits to what outside interventions can do, and those can sometimes backfire. Critics say that Chow is idolized and that China is being treated unfairly compared to other countries with greater human rights abuses. Both of those views have merit. However, things are moving in Hong Kong right now. While the current trend does not lead to optimism, its direction can be changed through the intervention of the international community. Let us do what we are able to, one by one. Of utmost importance, we in Japan must remain vigilant in our introspection to ensure our country will not become like China. Freedom and democracy must continue to be our fundamental principles. (Ken Endo is dean of the Hokkaido University's Graduate School of Public Policy. He earned a Ph.D. in politics at the University of Oxford and was a researcher at Harvard Law School, and a visiting professor at Institut d'etudes politiques de Paris as well as at National Chengchi University. He is also the author of numerous books, including "Togo No Shuen" (The Demise of Integration) and "Oshu Fukugo Kiki" (Europe's Complex Crisis).) Related coverage: APEC summit to be held online Dec. 4 due to virus pandemic U.S. sanctions Chinese firms, individuals amid S. China Sea dispute U.S., China agree to ensure "success" in partial trade deal: USTR A Santa Rosa kayaker survived a heart-stopping encounter last weekend when a great white shark bit into the bow of his craft, capsizing it and leaving him dangling in the chilly waters of Shelter Cove in Humboldt County for several terrifying seconds. David Alexander of Santa Rosa, with a new paddling friend nearby, escaped with minor injuries. He estimates the shark was 13 to 15 feet long. Alexander says that what he remembers best was the giant sharks wide-open mouth and eyes without soul. He had the front of my kayak in his mouth as I get thrown from the kayak, Alexander said. After looking at each other for what seems like forever but was in reality probably seconds, the shark let go and swam the opposite direction away from the boat. Alexander recalls thinking: What if he is going to swim back around and bites me? I flip my (kayak) back over. I believe it took me three tries to get back on top. Three nearby fishing boats immediately came to Alexanders aid. After he quickly pumped water out of the kayak hull, he and his partner, known among kayakers as Three Money J, headed straight to the beach. Alexander, a school district superintendent in Santa Rosa, said he emerged from the attack with sore ribs, an injured hand and sore legs. The injuries occurred when he righted the boat and then completed a self-rescue maneuver to climb back in. The attack happened in the same place where, over Memorial Day weekend, a great white shark estimated at 16 feet long bit another kayak. That paddler also escaped without serious injury. This past week, California Department of Fish and Wildlife took possession of Alexanders kayak to compare bite marks of the two kayaks and try to determine if the same shark was responsible for both attacks. Sightings and encounters with great white sharks off the Bay Area and Northern California coast often peak in late summer. The great whites are drawn in by increased numbers of sea lions, which in turn are attracted by salmon migrating inshore and to points upstream on their fall spawning runs. A study authored by 10 scientists reported 2,400 great white sharks roam the Bay Area coast, up from 200 to 400 estimated in the 1990s. Two weeks ago at Linda Mar Beach in Pacifica, a great white shark was sighted swimming under a woman on her surfboard and then cruising just beneath a nearby lineup of 40 surfers, as reported in The Chronicle. Last October, at Catalina Island in Southern California, a great white shark estimated as 19 feet long attacked and bit a kayak, where again, the paddler and his companion escaped injury. In recent years on the Bay Area coast, great whites have twice bitten kayaks at Bean Hollow State Beach in San Mateo County, a popular fishing spot for kayak anglers with pedal-propelled boats. Its believed that, looking up from below, the big sharks see the silhouette of a kayak or surfboard, and the attendant paddling, churning or leg kicking, and mistake it for a sea lion, which the sharks seem hard-wired to attack. At home this past week, Alexander said reliving the event is causing continued trauma. He keeps returning to a single moment, when he capsized and was waiting for the shark to return. He first reported the attack on the website for the organization NorCal Kayak Anglers, of which I am a member. I have this constant image of the shark holding on to my kayak, Alexander said. Not sure what went wrong, he said. Perhaps (the) yellow kayak. Maybe in (the) wrong spot at wrong time. I was not dragging fish. That said, the Landlord did not collect. God gave me another day. Tom Stienstra is The San Francisco Chronicles outdoor writer. Email: tstienstra@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @StienstraTom BEIRUT Rescue workers dug through the rubble of a Beirut building for a second day on Friday hoping to find someone alive more than a month after a huge port explosion shattered Lebanons capital. By evening, rescue workers, including a team from Chile, had yet to locate anyone after sensors had on Thursday detected signs of a pulse and breathing. But they said they would continue while there was a small chance anyone had survived. We are still working in very bad conditions. The building is at risk of collapse. But we are still working, George Abou Moussa, director of operations in the civil defense, told Reuters, adding the operation would continue into the night. The August 4 blast killed about 190 people and injured 6,000. The authorities held ceremonies on Friday to mark a month since the explosion tore into a city already reeling from a crippling economic crisis. Francisco Lermanda, a member of the Chilean team, told reporters that search and rescue teams were working to determine whether or not anyone was still alive but would not announce details out of respect for the family, out of respect for the people. The ruined building where the search was continuing lies between the residential districts of Gemmayze and Mar Mikhael, among the hardest hit areas by the blast and home to many old buildings that crumbled as the shockwave ripped through. During the day, mechanical diggers lifted chunks of concrete and masonry as workers used shovels and their hands to dig. A crane helped lift steel girders and other heavy debris. Residents gathered nearby, hoping someone could be found, while some said the government had not done enough to help. The government has been completely complacent, has been completely absent, said Stephanie Bou Chedid, a volunteer from a group helping victims of the blast. President Michel Aoun followed up on the operation in a phone call with the civil defense head, the presidency said. Mohamed Houry, 65, said he hoped someone was alive but, even if only bodies were uncovered, its important their families can find peace. Rescuers used scanning equipment to create 3D images of the wrecked building, which once housed a bar on its ground floor, to try to locate anyone alive, television showed. Washington By some measures, the shrunken U.S. job market continued a solid recovery last month, with many employers recalling workers who had been temporarily laid off when the coronavirus erupted in the spring. The economy added nearly 1.4 million jobs in August, and the unemployment rate sank to 8.4 percent from 10.2 percent in July. Those improvements came despite a summertime surge in confirmed COVID-19 cases and the failure of Congress to pass another rescue aid package that most economists say is essential to sustain any recovery. "The recovery continues to plow on," said Andrew Hunter, senior U.S. economist at Capital Economics. Yet hiring slowed for a second straight month. The August job gain was also the smallest in four months. And Friday's jobs report suggested that many of the springtime job cuts have become permanent. Here are takeaways from the August jobs report: There's still a long way to go As the pandemic slammed the United States in March and April, employers slashed 22 million jobs. Since then, the job market has been gradually bouncing back. From May through August, it's added 10.6 million positions. That's a robust gain. But it equals not even half the jobs that vanished in the springtime collapse. To take one example, factories now employ 720,000 fewer workers than they did in February. "There obviously remains a lot of work to be done to return the labor market to a semblance of health," said Sophia Koropeckyj, a managing director at Moody's Analytics. "If the labor market were to generate jobs at the August rate, it would take 8.5 months to get back to the pre-pandemic level. "And that is a big if, since we expect that pace of recovery to slow in coming months as the U.S. grapples with the containment of the spread of the virus in the absence of a widely available vaccine for COVID-19." The easy part is over Much of the job growth in August and since May comes from employers recalling workers they had laid off when the viral outbreak forced them to either curb operations or close down entirely. As businesses have begun to reopen, the number of Americans on temporary layoff has dropped sharply, from 18.1 million in April to 6.2 million in August. Last month alone, the number fell by 3.1 million. But lots of jobs aren't coming back. The number of people who are considered permanently laid off has risen from 1.3 million in February to 3.4 million in August. Hispanic employment rose, but disparities persist Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. The unemployment rate dropped for all races in August. But white Americans, as always, enjoyed much lower joblessness than Black and Hispanic workers. One million more Hispanics reported having jobs in August, a 4 percent increase from July. Hispanics are disproportionately likely to work in the kinds of services jobs at restaurants or construction sites, for example that have been returning as businesses reopen. The unemployment rate for Hispanics tumbled to 10.5 percent from 12.9 percent in July. In August, the number of white Americans with jobs rose by 3.1 million, or 2.8 percent. White unemployment fell to 7.3 percent from 9.2 percent. Black employment increased by 367,000, or 2.1 percent. The Black unemployment rate dropped to 13 percent from 14.5 percent. Census jobs partly offset slowdown in private sector The federal government's hiring of 238,000 temporary census workers in August drove up the number of government workers at all levels federal, state and local by 344,000. It was the sharpest such monthly gain since May 2010. By contrast, hiring by companies in the private sector has decelerated, to 1 million added jobs last month from 1.5 million in July and 4.7 million in June. And the private companies that are now hiring tend to be those, like banks and retail stores, that provide services, rather than goods-producing employers like manufacturers, which tend to pay higher wages. Goods-producing companies had accounted for 21 percent of added jobs in May and 10 percent in June. In July and August, they represented just 4 percent. AgroAmerica, a globally recognized sustainable company, has been invited since 2017 to sponsor the Central American Donors Forum, an initiative of the Seattle International Foundation (SIF), to generate alliances and advance in development efforts in Central America to generate a greater social impact. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200904005525/en/ For the 4th consecutive year, AgroAmerica participated as a sponsor of the Central America Donors Forum, promoting the development of the region. (Graphic: Business Wire) The Forum has the participation of over 400 leaders from business, government, private sector, media outlets, and civil society, as well as international and regional panelists, to discuss priority issues and promote Social Responsibility. For the first time since its inception, the 2020 Forum was held virtually and was open to all audiences. From September 1 3, 2020, the interventions of the different Forum participants focused on the "Reinvention and resistance in times of crisis". The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed many of the vulnerabilities and concerns of Central America based on the construction of alternative responses to the economic impact, gender approach, migration, and the role of companies to increase market access for all. Promoting development: For the 4th consecutive year, AgroAmerica participated as a sponsor of the Forum, promoting the development of the Central American region and the implementation of good business, labor, social and environmental practices. During 2019, the Forum's central theme was "Progress at the Crossroads". More than 30 conferences, panels, and workshops were held in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, addressing Economic Development, Youth, Feminist Movements, Corruption, Migration, Human Rights, Democracy, Public-Private Partnerships, among others. In 2018, the forum was held in San Salvador, El Salvador, developing the theme "Creating space for everyone", highlighting the role of corporate social responsibility in building a more inclusive region through strategic alliances with social actors. In 2017, AgroAmerica CEO, Fernando Bolanos, was a member of the host committee, as well as a panelist of the Forum that revolved around the theme "Reimagining Partnerships" held in Panama City. Bolanos participated on the panel Social Responsibility: The Role of Influential People in the Construction of Democracy in Central America. "There are many challenges facing Central America," said Bolanos during his intervention. "Our challenges are all connected and linked food security, poverty, gender equality, health and education to name just a few. At AgroAmerica we strive to create a sustainable development initiative through partnerships, so we can improve the lives of our employees and the people in the surrounding communities." AgroAmerica will continue contributing to initiatives that promote a more inclusive region through its Corporate Sustainability Strategy and strategic alliances with social actors. About AgroAmerica: AgroAmerica is an agroindustrial corporation dedicated the production and commercialization of food products, using sustainable and responsible farming methods. With operations in Europe, United States, Mexico, Guatemala, Ecuador, Peru, and Panama. AgroAmerica operates based on a Corporate Sustainability strategy to generate value and balance among economic growth, natural resource conservation, and our customers and stakeholders wellbeing. Visit us: https://agroamerica.com/en/. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200904005525/en/ Contacts: Javier Aguirre Corporate Director comunicacion@agroamerica.com (502) 2420-9600 05.09.2020 LISTEN So much has been said and written about the person of Dr (Mrs) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. She is one of the most popular women in Africa today and there are good reasons for that. This is not just due to her previous political appointments as two-time Minister of Finance and one-time Minister of Foreign Affairs of the largest and most populous black nation on earth, and we cannot equally say this is only because of her record as the Managing Director of the World Bank. Having followed Dr Okonjo-Iwealas activities since 2004 when she was heading Nigerias Ministry of Finance, I have come to observe she has always been bold to take up the toughest of jobs, tasks and implement the seemingly most difficult reforms with effortless ease. I thought it was only me observing this till I was recently proved wrong. At this point, let me invite Mr Gordon Brown into the discussion. For some reasons, some of us may not know Mr Brown. Mr Brown is a British Statesman and public figure who served as Prime Minister from 2007 to 2010. Aside from this, Mr Brown is a well-known friend of Africa (Nigeria especially). This explains why Mr Brown was among the first set of endorsements for Dr Okonjo-Iweala for the position of Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) sometime in July. The British newspaper, The Times, captures it properly with the bold headline GORDON BROWN BACKS OKONJO-IWEALA TO LEAD WTO. This endorsement means a lot. First, having served as UK Prime Minister at the time Okonjo-Iweala was Nigerias Finance Minister, Mr Brown knows her competence in implementing tough reforms and handling complex development and budgeting challenges in a unique environment like Nigeria. As I said earlier, Mr Brown is not a stranger to Africas murky socio-political environment and what it takes to implement reforms in payroll and pensions management. Quoting The Times, the former Prime Minister said that Okonjo-Iweala would make an outstanding success of running the Geneva-based organization which is currently facing some fundamental crises and in search of its soul. Gordon Brown surely knows too well that the choice of the next DG of the organization is very crucial as the world grapples with the global economic disruption caused by Covid-19. Secondly, Browns backing of Okoko-Iweala is altruistic. By endorsing Okonjo-Iweala, Brown allowed himself to be guided by the spirit of competence rather than nationalistic milieu and innuendos. He is well aware that Mr Liam Fox, his compatriot who previously served as UK Secretary of Trade is in the race with Okonjo-Iweala. Even at that, Mr Brown does not seem rightly persuaded by ultra-nationalist arguments before endorsing the amazon from Nigeria. According to Brown, Okonjo-Iweala is well-respected across the whole of the world. I understand some people may want to bring in British party politics into this matter at this point. Oh, Gordon Brown wont endorse Liam Fox because of his Labour affiliation or similar arguments. This, to be honest, is either ridiculous or petty. As bitter as Nigerian politics can be, politicians of all orientations have endorsed Okonjo-Iweala. Even though she served under the government of the opposition party, the current government still went ahead to nominate and support her for the position. The reason for this is straightforward: she is perceived as competent irrespective of her political orientations or affiliations. If competence is what is required, then Okonjo-Iweala is the one the cap fits. Earlier in July, Mr Patrick Lumumba, a Kenyan lawyer and global anti-corruption crusader, bypassed his fellow Kenyan, Amina Muhammed, to endorse Okonjo-Iweala. In Lumumbas own words, he said: Right now Okonjo-Iweala is the candidate we should back, given her credentials. (Italics mine). Notice, Lumumba never bothered about Okonjo-Iwealas country of origin. He is also not moved about the argument that his own country has a candidate for the same position Ngozi is running for. What he bothers about is who is most qualified for the job. All other things are details. This leads me to Mr Browns striking evaluation of Okonjo-Iweala: she handles the toughest of jobs. Dr Okojo-Iweala has become adept at handling and delivering on seemingly complicated tasks and implementing life-threatening institutional reforms in fast-paced settings. She has mastered the art of making seemingly difficult problems look simple with the ways she handles them. Nobody ever thought it was possible to build a centralized database for payroll for public sector workers in Nigeria until Okonjo-Iweala came. Nobody thought it was going to be easy negotiating debt relief for Nigerian until Okonjo-Iweala made it possible in 2005. Many Nigerians now take the benefits of Banking Reforms for granted but do not know it started while Okonjo-Iweala was Finance Minister. The current pension system in operation in Nigeria today came through the table of Madam Okonjo-Iweala. What about the use of technology to fight corruption in the public sector? Many people seem to forget that existing initiatives like the Treasury Single Account (TSA) and Integrated Personnel Payroll Identification System (IPPIS) which have saved the Nigerian government huge sums of dollars are the initiatives of Dr Okonjo-Iweala. Also, her foresight in making Nigeria learn how to save for the rainy days led to her to initiate the Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWF) to cushion the effects of fluctuations in the international oil market and stabilize domestic prices. These are not easy reforms to implement in any way. These are some of the though jobs handlined by this brilliant woman. These are legacy projects. No wonder Gordon Brown bypassed his compatriot to endorse her! With more of her rivals compatriots endorsing Okonjo-Iweala, the world is beginning to see politics differently. This time, its about giving the job to the person who knows how to do it the best. That person is Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. I stand with Gordon Brown! Olalekan Adigun, a public affairs commentator, writes from Lagos. He tweets from @MrLekanAdigun The Princess Bride stars Robin Wright, Cary Elwes and Mandy Patinkin will reunite for a Democratic fundraiser. They will be joined by co-stars Billy Crystal, Carol Kane, Chris Sarandon, Wallace Shawn and director Rob Reiner for a script reading, followed by a Q&A session moderated by Patton Oswalt. The event will raise money for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin and fans are invited to make donations to watch the livestream. #Inconceivable! Im excited to announce a virtual #PrincessBrideReunion! Chip in any amount at the link & get an invite to this special event on Sun. Sept. 13th with myself, @RealRobinWright, @PatinkinMandy, @robreiner & many more! #DumpTrumperdinck https://t.co/NTXPMpRiLk Cary Elwes (@Cary_Elwes) September 4, 2020 Elwes announced the news on Twitter, writing: #Inconceivable! Im excited to announce a virtual #PrincessBrideReunion! Chip in any amount at the link & get an invite to this special event on Sun. Sept. 13th with myself, @RealRobinWright, @PatinkinMandy, @robreiner & many more! #DumpTrumperdinck. The event website says: Anything you donate will be used to ensure that Trump loses Wisconsin, and thereby the White House. Elwes told US trade website Deadline: I think most people are aware by now that Donald Trump has completely abdicated his duties as president to represent and stand up for all Americans. Expand Close Cary Elwes (Ian West/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Cary Elwes (Ian West/PA) He has failed to keep the country safe from Covid-19 and as a result he is responsible for the devastating chaos, violence and economic collapse that we are now experiencing. Video of the Day If America is going to have a real chance at healing we must get rid of Trump. And that is only possible if we win Wisconsin. I am thrilled to be part of this very rare reunion of my colleagues from The Princess Bride as a way to increase awareness and garner resources for the state that will determine the fate of America. A modest success at the time of its release, the 1987 comic fantasy movie scripted by William Goldman has enjoyed cult appeal and is held in high regard among critics. NORRISTOWN In an effort to extend participation efforts of the 2020 U.S. Census, Montgomery County leaders want the federal government to extend the deadline by another month. Moving the COVID-19 census response deadline from Oct. 31 to Sept. 30 will put Montgomery County at great risk of losing tens of millions of dollars in funding for our most critical programs and services, Montgomery County Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Valerie Arkoosh said in a statement. Specifically, $72 million per year for 10 years in federal funding could be lost to local programming if just 5 percent of Montgomery County households dont participate in the census, according to Arkoosh. These figures were referenced in an amicus brief that was filed in a lawsuit against the U.S. Commerce Department to reinstate the census initial Oct. 31 deadline. Montgomery County officials endorsed the brief, which was written in Santa Clara County, Calif. In the hopes of rectifying the count timeline, that lawsuit was filed on Aug. 31 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California by the National Urban League and the League of Women Voters, according to Arkoosh, who added that jurisdictions representing 25 million Americans in California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Texas. Locally, Bucks and Delaware counties have joined the litigation, Arkoosh said. The brief aimed to underscore how the shortened census deadline would undermine the census by substantially exacerbat[ing] the problem of more individuals from hard-to-count groups going uncounted and compromis[ing] the quality of census data produced about local populations. Nationally and locally, response rates have been lower in census tracts with larger shares of Hispanic residents or those with more people living in poverty, two groups that will be disproportionately impacted by an undercount, Arkoosh said. According to Arkoosh, the states third-largest county had a 76.3-percent response rate as of this week, which is more than a percent higher than the previous decades participation of 75 percent. However, two municipalities under the countys umbrella that could benefit from the bureaus distribution of federal funds are falling behind. For instance, Norristown had a 51.2-percent response rate as of Aug. 24, while Pottstown garnered a 65.2-percent response rate. In addition to dollars, inadequate population numbers could have an impact on the areas representation at the state and federal level. Arkoosh stressed the importance of participation is all the more important during the ongoing coronavirus outbreak and global public health crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced how financially fragile so many of these critical programs are, as well as how essential these programs are to the vulnerable communities that they serve, she said. Arkoosh urged area residents who hadnt completed their 2020 U.S. Census forms to do so. Paperwork can be submitted online at 2020census.gov, by calling 844-330-2020 toll-free or by sending the form to the U.S. Census Bureau, National Processing Center, 100 Logistics Ave., Jefferson, IN 47144. Bella Hadid is getting out of town just weeks before she is due to become an aunt. On Friday, the 23-year-old stunner was spotted leaving her apartment in NYC as she headed to the heliport to take off for the holiday weekend. The in-demand model who has been back to work in the city on various modeling projects seemed excited to be kissing the end of summer goodbye as she departed in style. All White: Bella Hadid, 23, leaves her NYC apartment as the model heads to a local heliport to embark on a weekend getaway. The brunette stunner wore her summer whites as she left town with her designer duffle bag in tow Making sure to get all her white in before Labor Day, the model wore baggy white pants and a plant printed blue and green tank, as she carried a matching white jacket and a rocked a fresh pair of white sneakers. As she arrived at the heliport the model was seen grasping her Louis Vuitton duffle before making a quick escape. Showing a hint of midriff the beauty strutted to her ride as she carried a small brown shoulder bag. She had on a pair of lightly tinted statement sunglasses and a white face mask as Bella adorned her outfit with ornate gold jewelry and a pair of classic hoops. Quick trip: Bella appeared to only have a small carry-on bag with her as she prepared to head out for the weekend getaway but made sure to do so in style as she walked to her luxurious ride Tanned: Bella showed off her enviable tan and toned arms, exposing a hit of her flat midriff as she sauntered Leafy accents: The model sported a tropical looking top that popped against her full white ensemble as she prepared to have a relaxing weekend away Jet-set: Bella made sure to travel safely as she had what appeared to be a spray bottle of hand sanitizer with her for the journey Weekend away: Bella looked at ease as she went from one luxury ride to another, jumping in the back of a Porsche SUV as she rode in style to the heliport Bella made sure to travel safely as she had what appeared to be a spray bottle of hand sanitizer with her for the journey. The brunette kept her hair slicked back in a high bun as she made her way out of the city, looking effortlessly cool while doing so. The international model has long been a fan of the glossy updo which helps to showcase her perfectly chiseled face. After embarking on her weekend retreat Bella posted some cheeky selfies to Instagram that set pulses racing. Look back at it: Bella bared her pert behind on Instagram for her 32.7M followers as she coyly looked back at the camera Cheeky: The slender supermodel posted an NYC rooftop snap as she departed via Helicopter for the long weekend The slender five-foot-nine stunner bared it all as she showcased her incredible legs in a pair of tiny jean shorts and an Andre3000 sweatshirt, showing off for her 32.7M Instagram followers. Though leaving for a short trip, Bella has been overjoyed at being back to work in the city amid the pandemic. The model recently landed the Vogue Italia September cover alongside many other notable models like Emily Ratajkowski. The 100 covers edition of the reputable magazine seeks to showcase celebrities and ordinary people of all ages, ethnicities and shapes who all have a story to share. 100 Covers: The 100 covers edition of the reputable magazine seeks to showcase celebrities and ordinary people of all ages, ethnicities and shapes who all have a story to share. She also posted some snaps from her Burberry campaign that was shot right before lockdown. The model is the face of their pocket bag as she posed with a panther statue for the shoot. 'This is my second campaign for Burberry and it is always such an exciting experience working with Riccardo - he has such amazing creative ideas and ways of interpreting a collection,' the stunner shared. The busy beauty has also been using her social media for immense good, telling her fans to vote and encouraging them to donate to many of the important social causes plaguing the United States and the world. VOTE: The famous model has done a world of good on her Instagram story since quarantine hit encouraging her large social media following to vote and to donate and educate themselves on important social causes plaguing the US and the world Last week Bella made her virtual VMA's appearance as she presented Lady Gaga with the first MTV Trichon Award. The media buzzed as news dropped that she had run into her on and off ex-boyfriend The Weeknd - whose real name is Abel Tesfaye - at a rehearsal before the show. Though the two have had a rocky relationship, the pair reportedly did not have an awkward run in. A source revealed, 'They played it cool and crossed paths with each other, same place, same time' but appear to be on 'good terms.' Having spent the majority of quarantine on her mother Yolanda Hadid's Pennsylvania farm, it seems the model intends to stay in the city for fall as work slowly picks up again. The next COVID-19 relief package should include immigrants, according to a professor in the Law Department at Albany Law School. Over two months ago, the House of Representatives passed a COVID-19 relief package known as the HEROES Act that provides necessary relief for families, regardless of their immigrant or mixed-status. However, Sarah Rogerson, director of The Justice Center at Albany Law School and Immigration Law Clinic, said many undocumented immigrant and mixed-status families were left out of economic relief from the earlier CARES Act. "In fact, it was estimated that 1,159,000 people living in mixed-status families in New York, including 359,000 children and spouses who are U.S. citizens or green card holders, did not receive these crucial payments," Rogerson said in a letter published at the Times Union. According to Rogerson, Congress must ensure that the next COVID-19 stimulus package will include broad economic and health relief for everyone who needs it. She noted that economic stability must be provided to all those who file taxes, including U.S. citizen spouses and children in mixed-households. She added that the next bill must also ensure coronavirus testing and coverage for all who need it with the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services office adequately funded to ensure that the immigration system remains intact. Rogerson urged communities and leaders to ban together to support immigrants who came to America to seek a new beginning. She said Congress must act now to provide relief and certainty to immigrants by passing a new COVID-19 relief package that doesn't leave anyone behind. In New Jersey, protesters led by the Make the Road New Jersey held a rally on Tuesday after not hearing from Governor Phil Murphy that immigrants will be included in the coronavirus federal relief. Protesters gathered outside the Passaic City Hall to demand state relief for immigrants ineligible for COVID-19 federal benefits. They are particularly pushing for action on S2480, legislation that will provide one-time payments to eligible and undocumented taxpayers. "Families urge action to create a COVID-19 relief fund for excluded families and workers, including $600 weekly stimulus payments for excluded workers who are unemployed and stimulus payments to families excluded from federal aid," the Make the Road New Jersey said in a statement, as per a NorthJersey report. "One first step is to pass S2480/A4171, which now has 19 Senate sponsors and nearly as many in the assembly, but has not had a single committee hearing," the group added. New Jersey has the fourth-highest rate of undocumented workers in the labor force, according to SB2480. These undocumented state residents pay $1.1 billion in federal taxes and $600 million in state and local taxes. Meanwhile, there are almost 52,000 state residents who are undocumented immigrants but married to U.S. citizens. Despite their vast contributions, ITIN holders and their families are not qualified for the COVID-19 relief package or unemployment insurance. Check these out: US Companies Help Push Down the Unemployment Rate in August Trump's Payroll Tax Deferral Won't Give Benefit to this Group of People Beneficiaries Who Owe More Stimulus Money have Until September 30 to Get It Police respond to reports of gunfire at the Essex Skyline complex in Santa Ana, Calif., on Sept. 2, 2020. (Jack Bradley/The Epoch Times) Santa Ana Shooting Result of Drug-Related Robbery, Police Say The Sept. 2 shoot-out in a Santa Ana, California, high-rise apartment tower was the result of a drug-related robbery gone wrong, according to the Santa Ana Police Department. Police responded to reported gunfire at the Essex Skyline complex at 15 MacArthur Place around 3:15 p.m. on Sept. 2 to discover three wounded men scattered throughout the building. The three, ages 19, 25, and 27, were all taken to a local hospital for treatment. Cpl. Anthony Bertagna, the departments public information officer, told The Epoch Times that two of the injured men discovered at the scenethe 19-year-old and the 25-year-oldhave been booked on felony charges related to the incident. The two are in our custody. Theyre being booked on attempted murder, robbery, and assault with a deadly weapon, Bertagna said. The third guy is actually, at this point, a victim. Now whether the [District Attorney] decides to file narcotics charges on him is yet to be determined, he added. Bertagna said the shootings were believed to be the result of a suspected robbery during a marijuana transaction in a 15th floor apartment. Police subsequently served a search warrant and seized marijuana, money, and two guns from the unit, he said. The three shooting victims, whose names were withheld, were all rushed to the local trauma center by first responders following the incident, Bertagna said. He added that they remain in stable condition. Theyre all still in the hospital. They all required surgery, Bertagna said. Police said they found one of the booked men in a parking structure with bullet wounds to the upper body, and the other in a lobby with gunshot wounds to the upper and lower body. The third man was the resident of the 15th floor apartment where he was discovered, Bertagna said. He suffered a graze wound and a blow to the head. The 27-year-old man remains hospitalized but had not yet been booked or arrested, Bertagna said. Residents of the 14th floor told The Epoch Times on Sept. 2 that they were watching television when they heard gunfire erupt on the floor above them. Soon after, police and SWAT teams evacuated the building to search for suspects, they said. Residents were allowed to return to the building around 6:30 p.m. City News Service contributed to this report. By Reito Kaneko, KYODO NEWS - Sep 5, 2020 - 11:50 | All, Japan, World As Japan considers updating its missile defense policy, including a proposal to approve enemy base strike capabilities to deter attacks, experts warn such a decision could raise tensions in East Asia and backfire on the country itself. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party last month proposed that Japan consider "possession of the ability to intercept ballistic and other missiles even in the territory of an opponent," a controversial suggestion in light of Japan's war-renouncing Constitution and its exclusively defense-oriented policy. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to call for deepening discussion of the proposal before he steps down later this month, and Yoshihide Suga, Abe's right-hand man and frontrunner in the race to succeed him as LDP president and the country's premier, is almost certain to follow Abe's position. "This kind of discussion is inevitable given recent military expansions in China and North Korea," said Takeshi Yuzawa, a professor of international relations of East Asia at Hosei University. But he also said Japan needs "to carefully examine the scope of its military acquisitions in the light of the effectiveness of its overall deterrence strategy." "Chinese armaments are mainly focused on the United States. But if Tokyo acquires capabilities to attack enemy bases, Beijing might more aggressively strengthen its offensive capabilities targeting Japan, depending on its new capability," Yuzawa said. He warned this may drag Japan "into a dangerous arms race with China that will eventually force Japan to consider the acquisition of offensive weapons that go beyond its financial capacity, let alone its constitutional limitations." The discussion on whether to have strike capabilities coincided with the government working on an alternative to a costly U.S.-developed missile defense system. The planned deployment of the Aegis Ashore system, aimed at protecting Japan from North Korea's missile threat, was scrapped in June. Japan has briefed the United States, its main security ally, on alternative options, according to Japanese officials. The attempts by countries such as China, Russia and North Korea to develop new weapons that can break through conventional missile defense systems have also caused a twist to the discussion. Such weapons employ technologies that enable armaments to glide faster and lower than usual ballistic missiles, which makes it even harder to intercept them. If Japan wants to have strike capabilities, it needs to strengthen not only long-range missiles but also detection capabilities, said Chikako Kawakatsu Ueki, a professor of international relations and security of East Asia at Waseda University. "Other countries would strengthen their capacities to counter Japan's move, and East Asia would have to seek a (military) balance in a state of higher tensions," Ueki said. "Japan should continue to focus on developing missile defense systems (rather than acquiring strike capabilities)," she said. "In addition to the United States, it is important for Japan to cooperate with South Korea, Australia and other countries to create a defense-dominant world where attacks are not worth the cost." The proposal by the ruling party to Abe followed similar suggestions in the past that were never adopted in the government's defense strategy, apparently considering negative reactions from the public. But this time, Abe is widely expected to find some way for the proposal to be discussed in more detail. "The state's mission is to protect the lives of people and their peace," he said when receiving the latest proposal. "To that end, I'd like to deepen discussions on what we should do." Related coverage: Japan, U.S. defense chiefs agree to keep China in check Japan starts discussions on ways to stop missiles in other countries Abe to hold phone talks with Trump on Mon. over sudden resignation President Donald Trump has ordered the federal government to begin the process of defunding New York City and three other cities where the officials allowed "lawless" protests and cut police budgets despite the rising violent crime. Defunding Democratic states The Washington Post reported that on September 2, President Trump signed a five-page memo ordering all federal agencies to send reports to the White House Office of Management and Budget that detail funds that can be redirected. The initial targets are New York City, Seattle, Washington, D.C., and Portland. This move is made by Trump as he makes "law and order" a part of his reelection campaign after months of civil unrest and violence after the killing of George Floyd by Minnesota police back in May. Trump states in the memo that his administration will not allow Federal tax dollars to fund cities that allow themselves to deteriorate into lawless zones. Also Read: Vladimir Putin's Critic and Opposition Leader Alexei Navalny Poisoned The memo also stated that to ensure that the Federal funds are neither unduly wasted nor spent in a manner that directly violates the government's promise to protect life, liberty and property, it is imperative that the Federal Government review the use of Federal funds by the jurisdiction that permits violence, anarchy, and destruction in cities. According to the memo, federal agencies must detail all Federal funds provided to Portland, Seattle, Washington, D.C, and New York City. Within 14 days, Attorney General Bill Bar must also develop a list of anarchist jurisdictions that permitted violence and the destruction of property to persist and have refused to undertake reasonable measures to restore order. White House budget director Russ Vought is instructed to issue guidance in 30 days from September 2 "to the heads of agencies on restricting eligibility of or otherwise disfavoring, to the maximum extent permitted by law, anarchist jurisdictions in the receipt of Federal grants." Gov. Cuomo's response. The defunding could have a massive impact on the city. New York City gets $7 billion a year in federal aid. New York has cut police funds of $1 billion despite the 177% spike in shootings in July 2020 compared to July 2019. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo shared his frustration on September 3 and called out President Trump's order to defund New York City of billions in federal funding, calling the President a "bully." Gov. Cuomo then went on to say that although he is concerned with public safety, especially in New York City, it not a federal issue but a local one, as reported by ABC7. The government stated that the federal responsibility for public safety is national security, and that has been a great failure by President Trump. Gov. Cuomo added that Trump said that his protection of Americans against protests is akin to World War II, but Cuomo disagrees as what is akin to World War II was the COVID-19 attack. Cuomo also cited how the pandemic killed more people than World War II, and the President failed to do anything against COVID-19, as reported by NBC. Cuomo also stated that what President Trump wants to do is illegal and that if he continues to undergo the process of defunding New York City, Trump will be "persona non grata." Related Article: Senate Republicans Rolling Out New Stimulus Package Next Week @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. As many as 1,894 people have been infected with the coronavirus (COVID-19) in the past 24 hours in Iran, said Sima Sadat Lari, spokesperson for Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Trend reports citing the ministry. According to Sadat Lari, 110 more people have died from the coronavirus over the past day. Sadat Lari added that the condition of 3,708 people is critical. The official said that Iran's Tehran, Mazandaran, Gilan, Qom, Isfahan, Razavi Khorasan, East Azerbaijan, Kerman, North Khorasan, Semnan, Yazd, Zanjan, and Qazvin provinces are considered 'red' zones. So far, more than 3.35 million tests have been conducted in Iran for the diagnosis of coronavirus. Iran continues to monitor the coronavirus situation in the country. According to recent reports from the Iranian officials, over 384,600 people have been infected, and 22,154 people have already died. Meanwhile, over 332,100 have reportedly recovered from the disease. The country continues to apply strict measures to contain 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. BOSTON: A U.S. judge on Friday ruled two Massachusetts men can be extradited to Japan to face charges that they helped smuggle former Nissan Motor Co Chairman Carlos Ghosn out of the country while he was awaiting trial on financial crimes.U.S. Magistrate Judge Donald Cabell in Boston rejected the arguments against extradition by U.S. Army Special Forces veteran Michael Taylor and his son, Peter Taylor, clearing the way for the U.S. State Department to consider turning them over. Paul Kelly, the Taylors lawyer, said they would present issues to the State Department that Cabell could not consider, including the heroism and courage" of Michael Taylor and Japans frequent refusal" to extradite its own citizens. The State Department did not respond to a request for comment. Prosecutors say the Taylors facilitated a brazen" escape in which Ghosn fled Japan on Dec. 29, 2019, hidden in a box and on private jet before reaching Lebanon, his childhood home, which has no extradition treaty with Japan. Ghosn was awaiting trial on charges that he engaged in financial wrongdoing, including by understating his compensation in Nissans financial statements. Ghosn denies wrongdoing. Prosecutors said the elder Taylor, a private security specialist, and his son received $1.3 million for their services. They have been held without bail since their arrests in May at Japans request. Their lawyers had argued they could not be extradited because Japanese penal code does not make it a crime to help someone bail jump," and that they could only be charged if Japanese authorities were already pursuing Ghosn pre-escape. But Cabell declined to second-guess Japans interpretation of its own law as making it illegal to enable the escape of someone who has committed a crime. He said the Taylors conduct literally brings them squarely within the purview" of the law. Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor Kuwait's prime minister told state TV on Saturday the health of the country's 91-year old emir is stable and in improvement. Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah is in the United States completing medical treatment following surgery for an unspecified condition in Kuwait. The prime minister, Sabah Al Khalid Al Sabah, spoke to state TV by phone. Search Keywords: Short link: Thousands of anti-lockdown protesters have vowed to swarm the streets of Melbourne on Saturday in a so called 'Freedom Day' rally. But many have since backflipped on the plan and are urging other demonstrators to stay at home, labelling the protest a 'trap'. The marches were expected to last the whole day, spanning across the coronavirus-riddled city including the Shrine of Remembrance and Parliament House. Now some of the state's biggest coronavirus-deniers have announced they won't be attending, saying any demonstrations could prompt Premier Daniel Andrews to extend the lockdown. James Bartolo, one of the biggest pushers behind the anti-lockdown movement, was charged with incitement on Friday for allegedly encouraging his mass following to attend the rally. Thousands of protesters were expected to swarm the streets of Melbourne on Saturday (pictured anti-lockdown protest outside Parliament House in Melbourne in May) Police have warned anybody attending the rallies will be hit with massive fines (pictured man is detained at an anti-lockdown protest in Melbourne last month) Police smashed their way into his home using a battering ram to knock down the front door. Following his arrest, Bartolo told Nine News he would not longer be in attendance. 'I wanted people to not go to the protests, now, hopefully, (the) protest won't go ahead, I hope you put that on,' he said on Friday night. 'It's a trap because Daniel Andrews just wanted to blame the protest to extend the lockdown.' Sharing a video on his personal Facebook page, the 27-year-old said Saturday's march was the 'worst possible thing' to do. 'It is a set up from the get go. It is all just terrible. Don't go to that one,' he said. 'I say don't go because I am concerned about the safety of the brave men and women who plan to go. The police are not forcing me to say anything.' The Freedom Day rally was expected to be held at Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance on Saturday James Bartolo (pictured) one of the biggest anti-lockdown pushers has now said he will not attend the protest after he was arrested for incitement Bartolo urged his followers not to attend the planned protest on Saturday Bartolo said that with Premier Daniel Andrews' road map out of Stage Four restrictions to be revealed on Sunday, marches on Saturday would do more harm than good. Police have warned they will be out in full force for anyone who will attend the protests. Along with Bartolo, three other men have been arrested and charged with incitement of the Freedom Day rallies. 'The tinfoil hat-wearing brigade are alive and well in our community,' Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius said a week ago. 'They're taking every opportunity to leverage the current situation to serve their own ridiculous notions about so-called 'sovereign citizens', about constitutional issues and about how 5G is going to kill your grandkids. A protester in Melbourne is arrested during an anti-lockdown rally on August 9 'It's bats*** crazy nonsense.' Mr Andrews on Friday backed police efforts to shut down any planned protest rallies while the lockdown rules remain in place. 'You can't ignore the reality you're in and give yourself a leave pass and go and do something that, in all likelihood, will contribute to the spread of this (virus),' he said. The premier will announce the details of Victoria's road map out of lockdown on Sunday. A leaked top secret draft for the city's exit road map earlier revealed the government's plan to extend the 8pm-5am curfew and keep restrictions on businesses for an additional two weeks. While the Victorian government has claimed the leaked map is 'out of date', premier Daniel Andrews on Thursday refused to rule out continuing Stage Four restrictions. Top secret draft documents for the city's exit road map have revealed the government's plan to extend the 8pm-5am curfew (pictured, police roam Melbourne on Thursday) Everything is on the table, he admitted. It will be driven by the data and the science, how many cases there are, the types of cases there are. According to the leaked documents, residents will be given the luxury of two hours of exercise a day, which can be split into two sessions, from September 14 - the official date Stage Four comes to an end. Single people and single parents would also be given the right to have a nominated visitor at their home. According to the report, which was obtained by the Herald Sun, there are bigger changes coming from September 28, which includes the curfew being lifted and increased social gatherings. Melbournians are seen enjoying their one hour a day of exercise as hope of Stage 4 restrictions easing fades during COVID-19 in Melbourne (pictured on Thursday) The report stated that from September 28, up to five people, including children, from up to two households will be allowed to meet outdoors for social interaction. Permits will no longer be required for childcare and in-home childminding, according to the document. Outdoor personal training would be allowed for up to two people per trainer and outdoor pools will open for exercise for up to 20 people at a time. The documents claim that to move to Stage Two, the state must record a daily average of fewer than five new cases over a two week period. It must also record fewer than three cases from an unknown source during that time, however, this has not happened since June. (Newser) A professor who admitted to lying about her Blackness won't be teaching this semester at George Washington University, the Washington Post reports. Jessica Krug, who taught African and Latin American studies, is being replaced but hasn't yet been fired. "We certainly want the classes to continue, and we're going to see if it's possible," said Daniel Schwartz, chair of GWU's history department. "We're looking to see if we can find a replacement." In a Thursday essay at Medium.com, Krug admitted to being white and Jewish from Kansas City, and said she should be "canceled" for her "audaciously deceptive" lies. New York writer and activist Sofia Quintero responded with a tweet saying that "nothing says white privilege like trying to orchestrate your own cancellation." (Read more cultural appropriation stories.) Klang Valley at mercy of polluters: Time to greatly increase punishments The people of Klang Valley have suffered multiple water cuts over the years due to unrepentant factories discharging pollutants into the river and the time has come to finally put an end to this. Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (Abim) is proposing an amendment to the Environmental Quality Act 1974 to greatly increase the punishment against polluters. Under the current Act, anyone who discharges pollutants into inland waters is liable to a fine not exceeding RM10,000 or up to five years imprisonment or both. Polluters are also liable to a fine of up to RM1,000 a day for every day that the offence is continued after a notice has been issued to them. The call came amid a water cut in the Klang Valley after a factory was accused of discharging pollutants into the river. Authorities said the latest incident which led to the shut down of four water treatment plants involved a repeat offender who was previously fined RM60,000. Netizens have taken to social media to highlight the offending company's financial statement which showed tens of millions in assets that dwarfs the amount of the fine. "Abim stresses that this is not the first time that an environmental incident has affected millions of residents. "It has also repeatedly happened in other states. Therefore, long-term action is needed as a solution so that it does not recur. "Among the calls has been to amend the Environmental Quality Act 1974. This includes a mandatory prison term and significantly higher fines against stubborn offenders," said Abim president Muhammad Faisal Abdul Aziz. He urged the Environment and Water Ministry to follow through with a plan to amend the law within this year. He also called for the details of all factories with a licence to be made public, on top of ensuring a proper consultation process is in place before the licence is granted. The latest water disruption due to pollution on Sept 3 is the fourth one affecting Klang Valley since last year. Story continues At least five incidents affecting the area have occurred since 2019. In March, three water treatment plants were shut down due to a suspected oil spill around Bestari Jaya in Selangor. In December last year, illegal waste dumping in Sungai Semenyih led to the closure of the Sungai Semenyih and Bukit Tampoi water treatment plants. The Sungai Semenyih water treatment plant was also affected by separate incidents in September and June last year. In July last year, more than one million households were affected when the Sungai Selangor 1, 2 and 3 water treatment plants had to be shut down, also due to river pollution. Charles Santiago Meanwhile, Klang MP Charles Santiago urged Environment and Water Minister Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man to invoke the Water Services Industries Act 2006 which provides for steeper punishment. The former National Water Services Commission (Span) chairperson said the law carries a fine of up to RM500,000, or ten-year imprisonment, or three strokes of the cane, or all three against offenders. "The government must bring charges against the company within the next month to show it takes this matter seriously. "Or Tuan Ibrahim must resign as the environment and water minister," he said in a statement. Charles said the government must send a strong message or companies will not stop polluting rivers and water sources. Rafidah Aziz Former minister Rafidah Aziz also wants to see more serious action taken to address the repeated incidents. She said by now, there should already be a taskforce involving both the state and federal governments to monitor the waterways. The veteran politician added that stiffer and deterrent penalties against offenders are needed to curb the problem. Rafidah said all loopholes should be plugged. "So many things have become polluted, and even toxic, in our beloved Malaysia. "Politics, governance, the environment, the water we drink (and pay for)," she said in a Facebook statement. Lenovos new torchbearer for the Legion line-up is the Legion 7i. It's marketed as a feature-rich and a more refined laptop that not just caters to heavy gamers but also power users (non-gamers). So, we reviewed this 2.5 lakh computing machine and here's what we think about it. Lenovo has stayed long enough in the gaming hardware industry to learn that trade-offs arent an option when you are aiming to give the best product out there. And for that, it has the Legion sub-brand, which until a couple of years ago was a gaming lifestyle laptop for casual gamers. But now, the Legion lineup is known for its beastly power, aiming to leave a rather deep mark in the premium segment where Dells Alienware and Asus ROG laptops are already fighting hard with some really powerful sets of specs. So Lenovos new torchbearer for the Legion line-up is the Legion 7i (where i is the Intel chipset version). The 7i is being marketed as a feature-rich and a more refined laptop that not just caters to heavy gamers but also power users (non-gamers). Starting at 1,99,990, the Legion 7i claims to deliver the best of what a gaming laptop can get. You get the best processor, GPU, hardware, design and a bit more. But are all these just claims or they actually do deliver? Design and display Although the design aesthetics stay mostly the same, it has always been one of the best-implemented ones, something that can really give a tough time to all the Alienware out there. From the comfort of using the keyboard to the position of the ports, vents and the hinges, Legion 7i is quite an eye candy. But if you have deep pockets and want this for the underside RGB strip or the ones placed right on the exhaust, it might not be worth it. Lenovo Legion 7i (HT Tech) But unlike few others out there, this is a solid metal-built machine. You get a metal top, metal shell, metal chassis around the keyboard with hardly any use of plastic. And surprisingly enough, it is not that heavy. In fact, with that much RGB usage metal, the device stays rather slim and is thus 2.1kgs. The hinge, as always, is almost an inch forward from the exhaust at the back. It is pretty good and not wobbly at all. The extra inch gives it the flexibility to fold till 180-degrees. Yes, gamers probably dont need a 180-degree rotating screen, but this is made for power users as well, it might just be useful along with the full-size keyboard with numeric pad. The inclusion of a numeric keypad is technically an addition here but it leaves very little room for the rest of the keys. We did get a slightly cramped feeling while playing on it. However, its not as bothersome as it sounds. That said, the keystrokes have a good travel time and make gaming a comfortable experience. You still get a massive bezel at the bottom of the screen that has nothing but the Legion branding, something which we wouldve appreciated if it was cut to half or less, resulting in a bigger screen in the same canvas. This wouldve also resulted in a more immersive experience, something that one can expect from a premium gaming laptop. Lenovo Legion 7i (HT Tech) The 15.6-inch FHD IPS screen uses an anti-glare coating, which gamers seem to prefer, along with 144Hz or 240Hz refresh rate, up to 1ms response time (240hz), 100% sRGB or Adobe RGB (creators would love this) along with Dolby Vision configuration and up to 500 nits brightness levels. We had no issues working and playing on this screen. In case you want G-sync support, you even get that in select models. Theres no 4K resolution model here, but then we dont recommend it for, in fact, any laptop that has less than 17-inch screen size. Thats because you wont get to see a glaring difference and it will affect battery life as well. Above the screen, you get the webcam that has a physical, plastic slider to cover it for security purposes. Always good to see that. Performance Performance-wise the Legion is quite surprisingly well-performing. With a thin body, powerful, 10th-gen Intel Core processor and ample RAM, the machine refuses to go loud while throwing out the heat from vents on the side. Thankfully, after hours of Flight simulator gameplay, which by the way performed really well with no delay in scenery loading, the heat ventilation is fortunately effective enough so that you dont feel it on the keyboard. The unit we received, ran the Intel 10th-Gen Core i7-10875H chipset with 16GB RAM and Intel UHD graphics + Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super with Max-Q GPU, which in itself is very powerful ( 2.5 lakhs). Even hours of Assassins Creed Odyssey was handled really well with this machine. Lenovo Legion 7i (HT Tech) In case you are hunting for benchmark numbers, the Legion 7i scored 1288 (Single-core) and 7310 (Multi-core) in Geekbench, 5148 on an average in PC Mark (Essential-9179, Productivity-7954 and Digital Content Creation-5070), 7715 average in 3D Mark (Graphics-7968 and CPU-6539) and 3463 in Cinebench. Shuffling through those browser tabs and applications is a breeze with this one and creators can even edit videos on Premiere Pro, edit images on Lightroom or do their CAD work with ease. As for media consumption and productivity, we found no hindrance of any sort. And for ports, Lenovo has got you covered for the most part. Theres a USB 3.1 Gen 1 port on the right. At the back, there are 2 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 ports, HDMI 2.0 port, RJ45 Ethernet and a power cable slot. And on the left, theres a Thunderbolt 3 Type-C which supports DisplayPort, USB 3.1 and HDMI as well, along with a USB-C (DisplayPort 1.4 and USB 3.1 Gen 1) and a headphone/mic combo. On the software side of things, you get the familiar Lenovo Vantage, which gives you access to Network Boost options, Hybrid Mode, TouchPad Lock, information on CPU, GPU and RAM along with some Quick Settings option for Rapid Charge, WiFi Security and Dolby. You can also change the Thermal Mode from Performance to Balance and Quiet. Some other software preloaded are the McAfee LiveSafe, Corsair iCUE and the usual Microsoft Office trial version. Lenovo Legion 7i (HT Tech) Battery Lenovo has not just added some extras in Legion 7i in the form of a full-sized keyboard with numeric pad and a sleeker look so it stays valid for non-gamers as well, but it has also given this machine some good battery performance as well. Powering the Legion 7i is the 4 Cell 80Wh battery that did run for longer than any other Intel 10th-gen gaming laptop weve used in recent times. No, you cant travel around with it and would have to plug it in more often than other non-gaming laptops, but this did take us by surprise. And for those thinking, 100Wh is the most that we have seen in a laptop. This reaches close with 80Wh. Lenovo also claims the gaming machine to charge from 0-50% in under 30 minutes with Rapid Charge Pro. Yes, they are right. The company says that the Hybrid Mode and Advanced Optimus Technology direct graphical power to the display through the dedicated GPU or integrated GPU, which results in a longer battery backup. Lenovo Legion 7i (HT Tech) Verdict Lenovo Legion 7i might just be a laptop that could keep the firm high and competing for months to come. And were not saying this only because it boasts some of the best combinations of specifications that can be found right now, but also because its focussed towards a larger crowd, and it shows. Making a laptop that caters to both gamers and creators might be tricky, a bit too much on the feature side might lose you the gamers and too much of gaming will keep the creators at bay. Legion 7i seems to be somewhere in between and it pulls it off well enough. The build is another highlight here. Although its on the same lines, its generous use of metal gives it the premium feel while being light-weight. You often dont get both of them in a single laptop, and if you do, it wont be a gaming laptop. Wed still recommend you to go for the RTX 2070 variant here as the difference between that and RTX 2080 model is less but the price gap is of 50,000. In case you want to stick with Lenovos design but are not willing to spend 1,99,990 or more on this, you can anytime go for the Legion 5i. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 22:33:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BAGHDAD, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- An Iraqi health official on Saturday warned the citizens from playing down the seriousness of coronavirus as the further increase of infections will make the health system unable to control the situation, while the Health Ministry reported 4,644 new COVID-19 cases. Ryadh Abdul-Amir, head of the Public Health Department in the Health Ministry said in a press release that "the lack of compliance of the citizens will increase the number of infections and make the ministry to stop at a certain stage because our health institutions have a limited capacity and this will also lead to an increase in deaths." He said that the ministry is willing to ease the restrictions and to re-open the public facilities, provided that the citizens must abide by the health preventive measures and the ministry's instructions. Meanwhile, the Health Ministry reported 4,644 COVID-19 cases during the day, bringing the total nationwide infections to 256,719. The new cases included 1,250 in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, 423 in Basra, 359 in Wasit, 298 in Dhi Qar, 271 in Karbala, and 270 in Qadisiyah, while the other cases were detected in the other provinces, the ministry said in a statement. It also reported 63 deaths during the day, raising the death toll to 7,422, while 3,891 more patients recovered in the day, bringing the total number of recoveries to 195,259. The new cases were recorded after 23,872 testing kits were used across the country during the day, and a total of 1,718,157 tests have been carried out since the outbreak of the disease, according to the statement. Iraq has been taking a series of measures to contain the pandemic since February when the first coronavirus case appeared in the country. China has been helping Iraq fight the COVID-19 pandemic. From March 7 to April 26, a Chinese team of seven medical experts spent 50 days in Iraq to help contain the disease, during which they helped build a PCR lab and install an advanced CT scanner in Iraq's capital Baghdad. Since March 7, China has also sent three batches of medical aid to Iraq. Enditem New Delhi: The Army chief, General MM Naravane, said on Friday that the situation along the LAC with China is slightly tense and the Army has undertaken precautionary deployment in some areas along the LAC for our own safety and security. The troops are prepared for all contingencies that may arise, asserted General Naravane, who was on a two-day visit to forward areas in Ladakh. "We are sure that the problem can be resolved fully through talks," the Army chief added. Army chief said that he spent time with the commanders and troops for a first-hand assessment of the situation along the border. It was very satisfying to see our soldiers and local commanders in high morale and good health. It gives me confidence that they are well prepared to safeguard the territorial integrity of our nation. The Indian Army is known for its commitment and resolve. The nation can count on us, said General Naravane. The Army chief said that in the past three months, India and China have been engaged in resolving the situation. Military and diplomatic channels are functioning. Indian side is firmly committed to resolve the current situation along the LAC through engagement, he said. Army chief said that all existing mechanisms will be utilised to reduce tension and to ensure that the status quo is not unilaterally changed. The Army chief visited forward areas for a firsthand assessment of the situation along the LAC. He urged all ranks to remain vigilant and maintain a high order of operational readiness. He was also briefed by Northern Commander Lt. Gen. Y.K. Joshi and Leh-based Fire and Fury Corps chief Lt. General Harinder Singh on the state of operational preparedness and on the logistics arrangements for sustenance of forces in winters. Army chief expressed satisfaction on the efforts being made to ensure operational effectiveness and capability enhancement of the forces. Gen. Naravanes visit to Leh at this time is crucial as Chinese have not taken well to Indias moves to preempt them and occupy over two dozen strategic peaks on the southern banks of Pangong Tso and Spanggur gap. Both armies are now face to face in Chushul sector and the sector is on a razor edge. Brigadier level talks are being held between the Indian and the Chinese Army after Indian troops thwarted the PLA's attempts to transgress into areas in Ladakh on the intervening night of August 29-30. India and China are engaged in a standoff since April-May over the transgressions by the Chinese Army in multiple areas including Finger area, Galwan valley, Hot springs and Kongrung Nala. While violent police encounters involving Black people dominate headlines, the news is having a detrimental impact on the mental well-being of Black Americans, some experts say. In the weeks following the graphic video of George Floyd pinned under the knee of a now former Minneapolis police officer, U.S. Census Bureau data found that anxiety among Black Americans had increased by 26% and depression increased by 22%. PHOTO: A demonstrator holds a Black Lives Matter flag as he wades into the waters of the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool as protesters gather in Washington, D.C., Aug. 28, 2020. (Tom Brenner/Reuters) And while Floyd's death has emerged as a pivotal moment amid a national reckoning on race, the issue extends far beyond one summer and one man. Before Floyd, there was Tanisha Anderson, a unarmed Black woman seeking mental health assistance killed by police in Cleveland in 2014, Shereese Francis, a Black woman who was suffocated during a police encounter in 2012, and countless others. The surging coronavirus pandemic and subsequent social unrest from police violence have resulted in a toxic daily environment that can have a deleterious effect on Black Americans' mental health, experts say. MORE: How viral videos of killings of black men take a toll on black male mental health Dr. Thomas A. Vance of Columbia University suggests that Black Americans are 20% more likely to experience "serious mental health problems" than the general population. They also found that Black youth who are exposed to violence are 25% more likely to experience PTSD. In 2018, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the Boston University School of Public Health examined data from police killings between 2013 and 2016 and their effects on the mental health of Black Americans. "Our estimates, therefore, suggest that the population mental health burden from police killings among black Americans is nearly as large as the mental health burden associated with diabetes," the authors of the study wrote. Furthermore, the study indicated that police killings during that time period contributed to 55 million poor mental health days among Black Americans annually. These 55 million days can have a negative impact on people at work or even everyday activities like going to the movies. Story continues "[Police killings] have affected people's everyday functioning. From people being hyper-vigilant when you're just going outside to the onset of having a panic attack when you're pulled over by the police, it has an effect," Saleemah McNeil of the Oshun Family Center said. PHOTO: A portrait of George Floyd is held aloft at the Lincoln Memorial as people listen to the Rev. Al Sharpton speak during the March on Washington, Aug. 28, 2020, in Washington. (Michael M. Santiago/AP) Quinessa Stibbins, a technical design assistant and Jackie Robinson Foundation scholar, is one of the many Black Americans who has experienced worsening mental health in wake of recent events. Living in Minnesota during the deaths of Philando Castille, a Black nutrition services supervisor killed during a traffic stop in Flacon Heights, and Floyd, Stibbins has participated in protests and fundraisers in her community. Yet, she said she finds it difficult to maintain her mental health while doing so. "I struggle with mental health anyway but seeing all of this has made it infinitely worse. There's this awful desire to be informed, especially with continued unrest in Minneapolis, while also knowing that it is wearing me down. It's wearing everyone down. The world is a bad place and it makes me wonder, 'what's the point?' It gets hard to find a reason to live when we are surrounded by death constantly." Instant exposure to death and violence are issues that many face in a social media-driven era. Graphic images of the shooting of Jacob Blake or the killing of Walter Scott, a unarmed Black man shot in the back during a police encounter in North Charleston, are seemingly ubiquitous, appearing in social media newsfeeds and timelines. Dr. Colette A. Poole-Boykin of Yale University recounts an experience in which she mistakingly watched a video of Kyle Rittenhouse fatally shooting two protesters after travelling 32 miles across state lines to Kenosha, Wisconsin. His attorney, Lin Wood, has claimed that Rittenhouse acted in self-defense. "I did not watch the Floyd video. I still haven't seen it. I only saw the 17-year-old who had the gun," she said referring to Kyle Rittenhouse, the alleged gunman accused of opening fire during Kenosha, Wisconsin, protests over the police shooting of Jacob Blake and of killing two people. Rittenhouse's attorney, L. Lin Wood, has argued since that Rittenhouse was acting in self-defense. "The only reason I saw that is because it was a clickbait. I didn't know I would be watching the actual video. I thought I was going to be watching an interview," she said. Watching these videos can trigger a form of "secondary trauma," Poole-Boykin added. "You never know who your audience is. You never know who has gone through traumatic experiences and then, watching that video could re-traumatize them." Isabella Dominique, an activist and Newman Civic Fellow from Denver, also said she has been negatively affected by the circulation of deadly police encounters on social media. "Seeing constant videos of Black death is next-level exhausting. It's a constant reminder that we are not safe anywhere in this country, no matter what we do. For me, it breeds a sense of resiliency, but I also think it's disgusting that that's the case. We shouldn't have to grow strong and be able to process violence against our people." MORE: Kenneth Walker, boyfriend of Breonna Taylor, sues police and city of Louisville for immunity And another concern: the attention garnered by violence perpetrated so often against Black men, can leave Black women feeling as though their stories are sidelined. "Most of the attention focuses on the issue of the police killings of Black men. Grassroots movements and independent journalists are now tracking police killings because data from law enforcement on the number of Black people killed by the police is woefully inadequate. Even that scarce data however, rarely does a statistical gendered analysis, which means that the deaths of Black women at the hands of the police do not receive the level of attention that the killings of Black men receive," University of Florida criminal law professor Michelle S. Jacobs writes Breonna Taylor's shooting is one of the cases involving violence against Black women by law enforcement to gain national attention that perhaps few have seen since Eleanor Bumpers was shot to death by the New York City police officers in 1984. Bumpers, a Black woman in her 60s, was fatally shot after she waved a knife at officers who were evicting her from her apartment. From Taylor's name placed on the back of WNBA jerseys to celebrities arrested while protesting in her honor, her death has profoundly affected many throughout the country, especially those who see themselves in her story. Danielle Germain, a 21-year-old college student and protester in Washington, D.C., said she intimately identifies with what happened to Taylor. "When I think about Breonna, I see myself. I think that a state of constant fear messes with my mental health because who wants to be scared all the time?" PHOTO: Doctors, nurses and other health care workers participate in a 'White Coats for Black Lives' protest in solidarity with George Floyd and other black Americans killed by police officers, in West Covina, California, June 11, 2020. (Mark Ralston/AFP via Getty Images, FILE) In light of these mental health challenges, there are resources individuals can tap into within their communities that may help them assess their trauma. One of the most common sources of assistance is therapy. However, there are often economic and societal barriers that prevent access to proper mental health care. With one in five Black Americans living in poverty, mental health care can be economically unavailable for many. Compounding the issue is a severe lack of Black mental health professionals. In 2017, the American Psychological Association reported that only 2% of its members identified as Black or African American. Saleemah McNeil of Philadelphia is a Black woman working to break down those barriers. In Philadelphia, McNeil is striving to offset the cost of mental health services by raising money. Shortly after the world learned of Floyd's death, McNeil set out to raise $5,000 in an effort to provide affordable mental health resources. McNeil said she exceeded her expectations, and that she raised more than $70,000 in just two weeks. She says her ultimate goal is to build a fully functioning center where members of the community can "feel a sense of healing and refuge." Elsewhere, Germain is building community events in Washington, D.C., where members of the community can also seek healing. Germain partnered with a local nightclub owner, Gabby Miller, to plan "The Cookout" event to provide a supportive environment to discuss solutions about improving her community. Held hours after Rev. Al Sharpton's "Get Your Knee Off Our Neck" march, the event was exclusively catered by Black-owned restaurants, offered vendor booths for Black-owned businesses and instructed young Black Americans on how they can vote in the upcoming election. Whether it be providing mental health services in the City of Brotherly Love or organizing community celebrations in the nation's capital, Germain says the goal is the same; build a safer world for Black Americans. "I think a safer world is any world where I don't have to question my existence or have my civil rights denied. It's a world where my fears aren't made into a constant reality," Germain said. Black American anxiety at all-time high, experts say originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday said India's commitment to reform is being taken seriously by foreign investors, which is evident from the good inflow of FDI even during the time of COVID-19. Between April-July, the Foreign Direct investment (FDI) into India stood at USD 20 billion. "India's commitment to reform is taken seriously by investors abroad and they take India to be a very desirable destination, otherwise we wouldn't be seeing good amount of FDI coming even during the pandemic time when India, as many of our critics would say, had the strictest lockdown," Sitharaman said. Releasing the state rankings based on the implementation of State Business Reform Action Plan 2019, Sitharaman said Aatmanirbhar Bharat would help India build on its strengths and become self-reliant. "Aatmanirbhar Bharat will lead to greater export competitiveness, better pricing and quality of exports, which show the Indian skill of making things to perfection," she said. Sitharaman said Aatmanirbhar Bharat is not for making India inward-looking, but to build on its strengths, one of the ways in which the country can become more competitive. In the states' ease of doing business rankings released on Saturday, Andhra Pradesh retained the top position followed by UP and Telangana at the second and third spots, respectively. Also Read: Rajnath Singh likely to meet Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe in Moscow this evening Also Read: Daiichi-Ranbaxy case: Delhi Police summons Radha Soami Satsang chief Gurinder Singh Dhillon The President of Ghana, Nana Akufo Addo, has assured the Speaker of Nigerias House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila of the readiness of the Ghanaian government to consider the resolutions reached at the Legislative Diplomacy Bilateral Meeting between Nigeria and Ghanas senior legislators on September 2, 2020, at the Ghanaian Parliament House. A press statement issued by house spokesperson, Benjamin Kalu, on Saturday said the Ghanian President gave the assurance when the Speaker of Ghanas parliament, Mike Oquaye, upon completion of the 2-day extensive dialogue, led his Nigerian counterpart on a courtesy visit to the President at the Jubilee House, Accra, Ghana on Thursday. The legislative diplomacy dialogue became imperative as the parliaments of the two countries sought modalities to resolve challenges and provide an enabling business environment for foreign traders, including Nigerians doing business in Ghana. Several foreign businesses, many Nigerian-owned, in Ghana have been facing challenges in the demand for $1m capital base for foreign traders, as enshrined in the Ghana Investment Promotion Center GIPC Act (2013) Responding to a request by Nigerias Speaker for a review of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) Act to make certain concessions, President Akufo Addo said the request was in order as it makes a lot of sense The Ghanaian president endorsed his proposal for the establishment of a Nigeria-Ghana Business Council established by law in both countries, and he additionally suggested the setting up of a joint ministerial committee between the two countries that will shepherd issues between Ghana and Nigeria. He told Mr Gbajabiamila he would also raise the issue with President Muhammadu Buhari when they meet at the ECOWAS Summit on Monday. I think the way forward, which is really what matters in situations like this, that is being suggested, one that I find very acceptable, the idea of legislation, a Nigeria Ghana business council that will superintendent trade matters and investment matters between our two countries, maybe long overdue. The time has come for us to take these worthwhile steps. I suggested to Mr. President that it will be a good idea to set up a joint ministerial committee of ministers from both sides who will be responsible for shepherding Ghana and Nigeria issues, reporting to both presidents at any one time, and that is how they should be resolved. I am hoping when I see him on Monday for the ECOWAS summit, we can advance these discussions and come to a final conclusion. The way you yourselves have come about this matter is very satisfactory, and it requires our support. The review that you are asking for, why not? if it works in our mutual perspectives, we can take it for granted that your request will be taken seriously. We will have a look at it. So, the request for the review makes a lot of sense, President Akufo Addo said. Earlier, Mr Gbajabiamila, who was in the company of some of his colleagues in Nigerias House of Representatives including the Chairmen of House Committees on Foreign Affairs as well as Media and Public Affairs; Deputy Chairmen of Committees on Diaspora, Federal Road Safety and a member of the ECOWAS Parliament- told the Ghanaian President at Jubilee House, said they were in Ghana to make efforts through parliamentary diplomacy to resolve the issues at stake READ ALSO: We have appealed to the (Ghanaian) Parliament that if its possible at all to look again at the issues, as far as the Ghana Investment Promotion Center Act is concerned, they should please do so. If it is not possible, then let us look at ways the pain can be reduced, like those expectations required in the law. Weve proffered a few suggestions one of which is the establishment of Ghana Nigeria Business Council backed by legislation on both sides, Mr Gbajabiamila said. Communique Meanwhile, in a communique issued jointly at the end of the bilateral meeting between members of the two Parliaments led by their respective Speakers, messrs Gbajabiamila and Oquaye, it was resolved that measures will be adopted to support law-abiding traders to properly regularise their business operations to alleviate the trade challenges occasioned by the alleged closure of the retail stores, in view of the ravaging impact of Covid-19 pandemic on businesses and families in both countries. They acknowledged that many stakeholders in the retail sector have limited appreciation of the trade laws of Ghana, in particular, Section 28 of the GIPC Act, which provides for the conditions under which non-Ghanaians can engage in trading activities and urged the relevant regulatory authorities including the GIPC and Trade Attaches of foreign missions to educate their citizens on the trade laws. They equally emphasised the need to respect the sovereignty of Member States of ECOWAS and their laws but, in doing so, efforts must be made to ensure that the ECOWAS Agenda for free movement of people and goods in furtherance of a shared and prosperous future of citizens of the sub-region is not compromised. A meeting will be held between the Trade and Foreign Affairs Committees of both Legislatures to deliberate on applications of Trade Laws, in particular, the GIPC Act, 2013 (Act 865) and make recommendations for appropriate solutions. A Joint Committee will be established composed of Members of both Legislatures to explore the possible passage of reciprocal legislation, which could be potentially called the Ghana-Nigeria Friendship Act which shall propose Ghana-Nigeria Business Council to provide a framework to sustain the friendship and benefits to citizens of the two nations. On departure from Ghana yesterday, Mr Gbajabiamila expressed his gratitude to his counterpart for his statesmanship, leadership and hospitality, which made it possible for both countries to resolve thorny issues through legislative diplomacy. A former FBI agent who was sacked because of derogatory text messages about Donald Trump has written a new book in which he claims the president has been compromised by Russia. Peter Strzok's book, Compromised: Counterintelligence and the Threat of Donald J Trump, traces his career from respected counterintelligence agent to the man who came to embody the US president's scorn of the FBI and his characterisation of the Russia probe as a witch hunt. Mr Strzok said it was horrible to be targeted by the president's public attacks. He said he regrets that his texts created an opening for people to question the FBI's work and to bolster conspiracy theories. The former agent said: Being subjected to outrageous attacks up to and including by the president himself, which are full of lies and mischaracterisations and just crude and cruel, is horrible. There's no way around it. Mr Strzok's texts cost him his job and drew vitriol from Mr Trump. But even among Trump critics, Mr Strzok is not a hero. His anti-Trump texts on a government phone to an FBI lawyer gave the US leader and his supporters a major opening to undercut the bureau's credibility as it was conducting one of the most consequential investigations in its history. Mr Trump's attacks have continued even as two inspector general reports found no evidence that Mr Strzok's work in the investigations were tainted by political bias, and multiple probes have affirmed the Russia probe's validity. Mr Strzok expresses measured regret for the texts in his book, which is due out on Tuesday. He writes: I deeply regret casually commenting about the things I observed in the headlines and behind the scenes, and I regret how effectively my words were weaponized to harm the Bureau and buttress absurd conspiracy theories about our vital work. Peter Strzok lost his job after compromising the FBI's credibility during the Mueller probe (AP) Before becoming a virtual household name, Mr Strzok spent two decades at the FBI working in relative anonymity on sensational spy cases. He helped uncover Russian sleeper agents inside the US, worked on the Edward Snowden case and led the investigation into whether Hillary Clinton mishandled classified information. (She did, he writes, but not in a way meriting prosecution). After the Clinton case concluded in July 2016, Mr Strzok opened an investigation into whether the campaign of her Republican opponent was coordinating with Russia - conceiving the Crossfire Hurricane codename which he says proved prescient. In the interview, Mr Strzok said he wanted his book to lend insight into the Clinton probe, Russian election interference and, first and foremost, the counterintelligence threat that I see in Donald Trump. He added: To do that, I wanted to show the reader what happened but also why they should believe me. As the investigation progressed, Mr Strzok came to regard the Trump administration's actions regarding Russia as highly suspicious and the president as compromised by Russia, partly because of financial dealings in Moscow about which, Mr Strzok asserts, Mr Trump repeatedly lied. Those concerns deepened after Mr Trump sacked James Comey as FBI director and bragged to a Russian diplomat that great pressure had been removed. The FBI began investigating whether Mr Trump himself was under Russia's sway, finding too much smoke to not look for fire, Mr Strzok writes. And the closer we got to the Oval Office, the stronger the smell seemed to become, he said. Special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation revealed significant contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia, but found insufficient evidence of a criminal conspiracy. Mr Strzok documents pivotal moments during the investigation, recounting for instance how then-national security adviser Michael Flynn baldly lied to him and another agent about his Russian contacts even though Mr Flynn had not shown customary signs of deceit agents are trained to look for. Though Trump supporters contend the interview was designed to get Mr Flynn to lie, Mr Strzok says the FBI actually gave him multiple prompts to refresh his memory. While William Barr, the attorney general, has said the interview was done without a legitimate purpose, Mr Strzok says it was necessary to better understand the Trump orbit's ties to Russia and Mr Flynn's own hidden negotiation with a foreign power that had just attacked our elections. Mr Flynn later pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI. Mr Barr's request to dismiss the case is pending. Mr Strzok's stint on Mr Mueller's team was short-lived, upended in the summer of 2017 by the inspector general's discovery of anti-Trump text messages he had exchanged during the campaign with an FBI lawyer with whom he had had an extramarital relationship. He was summoned to meet with Mr Mueller, who in a soft voice told Mr Strzok he was being removed. Transferred into the more bureaucratic Human Resources Division, Mr Strzok says deputy director David Bowdich reassured him the situation could be worse, including if Mr Trump had gotten hold of the texts. This is exactly what happened two months later when news broke about the texts and the US justice department disclosed them to reporters. By his own count, Mr Strzok says, Mr Trump has attacked him since then more than 100 times in tweets. The text message leak is part of a lawsuit from Mr Strzok, who also conveys discontent at how his career ended. After the president accused Mr Strzok of treason, the former agent appealed to the FBI for a statement condemning the remarks, but received none. The FBI scrambled to remove his access to categories of classified information so director Chris Wray could inform members of US congress the next day. Senior leadership overturned a lower-level decision in firing him. Today, Mr Strzok is teaching at Georgetown University and watching from the outside for election interference from Russia, which he warns has information it did not use in 2016. I can't talk in a lot of detail about that, he added, but I do think they returned those arrows to their quiver and made them better for this year. Associated Press COMPROMISED: Counterintelligence and the Threat of Donald J. Trump by Peter Strzok. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 350 pp. $30. - - - In normal times - remember those? - there would be little reason for the American public to know Peter Strzok's name. In normal times, we would not be reading his memoir. And in normal times, an American president would not be mocking his text messages. Strzok spent decades as an FBI agent avoiding the spotlight, diligently combating Russian efforts to penetrate and destabilize the United States, eventually becoming deputy assistant director in the bureau's counterintelligence division. Yet, with his role in some of the era's most controversial inquiries - concerning Hillary Clinton's emails and Moscow's interference in the 2016 election - that spotlight found him, and Strzok got burned. Investigated by the Department of Justice and assailed by President Donald Trump for the personal (and political) texts Strzok sent to an FBI colleague with whom he was having an affair, he lost his privacy, reputation and job. "After a quarter of a century in pursuit of the nation's enemies," he writes, "I had been deemed an enemy myself." In "Compromised," Strzok tells his side of this story - or at least those sides he is at liberty to tell and comfortable telling. His early experiences tracking Russian officers who had settled clandestinely in the United States make for riveting reading (and became the glorious television series "The Americans"), but it is his battles in the Trump years that matter here. Unlike the recent memoir by former FBI director James Comey, Strzok offers the view from a few rungs down, in the bureaucratic and investigative trenches, where his rivals might be Russian operatives one day and DOJ overseers the next. Strzok delivers a compelling tale, though at times a frustrating one, layered with excessive restraint and insufficient self-awareness. The author says he has become more dogmatic regarding right and wrong as he has grown older. Yet the story he tells, and his own role in it, and that of the institution he long served, are trapped in shades of gray. "Compromised" begins with the author's recollections of growing up in Iran, Burkina Faso and Haiti, as his family moved for his father's work, and he connects the upheaval he witnessed to our nation's present circumstances. "By the time I entered college, I had lived through four revolutions on three continents," he writes, adding that he "never expected to see the grotesque traits of dictators in Haiti or Iran reflected in my own commander in chief." Such broadsides against Trump recur throughout "Compromised." Strzok deems him a compulsive liar, presiding over a "heap of perfidy and treachery," a leader "gleefully wreaking havoc on America's political institutions and norms," even suggesting that he was a "Manchurian candidate" under Russian influence. But Strzok makes a useful distinction regarding the president's misdeeds. His primary concern is not that Trump and his aides were actively plotting with the Russians, even if they did not discourage Moscow's assistance. When special counsel Robert Mueller asked him flat-out, "Is this a coordinated conspiracy?" Strzok remained uncertain. "I was skeptical that all the different threads amounted to anything more than bumbling incompetence," he writes. "In my view they were most likely a collection of grifters pursuing individual personal interests." But it was precisely those personal agendas, Strzok argues, that placed Trump under Russian influence. As candidate and again as president, Trump lied about his business ties with Russia. "The moment Trump said publicly, 'I have no business dealings with Russia,' he knew he was lying. Putin knew he was lying, and the FBI had reason to believe he was lying. But American citizens didn't know that." Strzok emphasizes. "In this moment Trump became compromised." The fact of the business relationships alone was not enough; Trump's lies about them created the tension from which Moscow could benefit. "They recognized Trump's need to maintain the facade, and therefore the coercive power behind the deceit," Strzok writes. "It was a gift to the Russians, and Trump kept giving." Being compromised does not mean that the president receives regular instructions from Russia or that he does Putin's bidding whenever he draws a queen of diamonds. "The compromised liar need not be told what to do," Strzok explains. "It all unspools without anyone's ever having to say a word." Trump's extramarital affairs, his uncharitable charities and his murky financial background - all such deceptions also compromise him "badly and in a myriad of ways," Strzok contends. And, in turn, a compromised president pursued policies and adopted positions that Strzok sees as "highly suspicious, highly consistent, and highly advantageous to America's historic adversary." Strzok is as critical of Trump as he is zealous in defense of the FBI, sometimes to the point of contradiction. He is indignant that anyone would question the bureau's motives for opening particular investigations, even while recalling how colleagues expressed their hope that he could get the goods on Clinton. Strzok constantly praises Comey - "arguably the most gifted communicator I ever encountered in my 25 years of government service," a man whose "natural eloquence went hand in hand with his intellectual ability" - yet, in his telling, the former FBI director made serious misjudgments that pushed the bureau into increasingly politicized terrain; first when chastising Clinton's carelessness in handling classified materials even while declining to recommend prosecution, later when informing Congress that the email investigation would be revisited. "With the benefit of hindsight, I think it's likely that Comey's July 5 speech and subsequent notification to Congress on the reopening and closing of the investigation changed the election result." Still, Strzok remains grateful "for Comey's ethical and moral leadership."Okay then. He concludes that the Clinton investigation proved to be largely an "administrative issue," in part because, whenever classified information appeared in Clinton's emails, "it was in the context of people doing their job," not pursuing any nefarious agenda. However, the FBI's Russia inquiry quickly identified a "wide breadth and volume of connections between the Trump campaign and Russia," which troubled Strzok deeply. "If the American people had known what we did at the time of the election, they would have been appalled." But unlike the Clinton matter, the FBI kept the public largely in the dark on its probe of the Trump campaign. "In the light of day on November 9," Strzok writes, "that disparity of knowledge took on new significance." After Trump fired Comey and then-Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein hired Robert Mueller as special counsel, Strzok joined Mueller's team - a move that proved short-lived. Mueller personally dismissed Strzok from the special counsel's office and sent him back to the FBI after his personal text messages to FBI lawyer Lisa Page became part of a Justice Department inspector general investigation of whether Strzok's political views had biased his work. Strzok refuses to discuss the particulars of the affair in "Compromised," except to admit that he is "ashamed" of his mistakes, which "harmed my family and my wife." It's an understandable decision - except you can't sidestep the context in which those texts were sent while also insisting that their true meaning and intent were wildly misinterpreted by the conservative media. Strzok argues, for instance, that his text calling the Russia inquiry an "insurance policy" was meant to counter the argument that investigating Trump was less urgent because Clinton was likely to prevail. It's a plausible interpretation, and Strzok still thinks the analogy is apt. He is far less convincing when he contends that his message saying Trump would not win because "We will stop it" actually referred to voters writ large opposing Trump rather than, say, "we" in the FBI. "It was an artless comment but conveyed my firm belief that Trump . . . would not be chosen by the American people to become president," he writes. It's hard to buy. Strzok doesn't have to recite pillow talk, just provide deeper context for those exchanges if he wants anyone to believe that they mean something beyond their actual words. When his texts appeared in the news media, Strzok suspected that some high-level political appointee in the Justice Department was behind the leak. Indeed, his ire against the DOJ grows as the book progresses. Strzok feared that the department's leaders might destroy key Comey documents after the FBI director was fired. He derides Rosenstein as "out of his depth." He blasts Attorney General William Barr's public statement on the Mueller report as a "malicious fabrication intended to protect the president at the expense of truth and the republic." After a stint working in the FBI's human resources department, Strzok was finally dismissed from the bureau. "My counterintelligence career began with Russians, and it ended with Russians," he writes. Still, he worries that Moscow could heighten its interference in 2020 - altering voting rolls; tampering with vote totals, even on a small scale; hacking into voting infrastructure; and, of course, releasing new kompromat that it's spent years collecting. "The Russians haven't gone away," he warns. And he is concerned that his own experience might undermine the bureau's willingness to fight back. "If you were an FBI agent today, would you be looking to stick out your neck to show that Russia aims to repeat in 2020 what it did in 2016 - once again with Trump's explicit encouragement?" The irony of "Compromised" is that its author suffered the same titular fate. Strzok's private relationships and personal communications were not manipulated to subvert his investigative work. Instead, their disclosure ended that work altogether and - if he is right - may discourage others from taking it on. Strzok, of all people, should have seen it coming. The car was taken around 10 p.m. from a gas station in the 8100 block of Ritchie Highway, according to a message the police issued on Twitter. The discovery of the vehicle and the children was reported on Twitter about an hour later. Loading Pattens office was repeatedly told the State Coroner was lying when he released data showing there had been no increase in the number of people dying by suicide during the pandemic. When Patten pointed out the Australian Medical Association had supported the six-month state of emergency extension, she was asked Why would you trust the AMA?. Its that level of distrust, Patten says. She says fringe groups such as anti-vaxxers and mens rights groups - who already distrust government - are coalescing around COVID-19 conspiracy theories. I honestly dont know how to address this, she adds. Disease and disasters have long been fertile ground for conspiracy theories. When the bubonic plague - spread by fleas - killed about a third of Europes population in the 1300s, Christians accused Jews of poisoning their wells. More recently the 9/11 terror attacks spawned widespread conspiracy theories, including that the US government had been involved and there had been advance warning. Whenever theres any kind of major crisis there is an information vacuum - particularly at the start - when government agencies dont necessarily have all the answers, says Professor Axel Bruns from the Queensland University of Technology. This is compounded by the erosion of public trust in governments and mainstream media across the world. Loading The 2020 Edelman Trust Barometer revealed that none of the four societal institutions that the study measures - government, business, NGOs and the media - is trusted. This pandemic comes at a particularly vulnerable time in many countries because there is so little trust, Bruns says. If people dont feel they are getting the full picture from officials, they look to alternative sources of information. An Essential poll of more than 1000 Australians in May found one in five believed the number of COVID-19 deaths had been exaggerated by the media and governments to scare the population. Twelve per cent believed it was definitely or probably true that the 5G wireless network was being used to spread the COVID-19 virus. Bruns was among a group of researchers who looked at conspiracy theories on Facebook that the virus was caused or exacerbated by 5G technology. This had already led to mobile phone towers being attacked in Britain and the Netherlands in April. The researchers found pre-existing conspiracy groups argued the coronavirus justified and proved their claims. Anti-5G groups, for example, linked COVID-19 to the installation of the technology because Wuhan was one of several Chinese cities where early 5G trials took place. Anti-vaccination groups claimed the pandemic was staged to introduce a mass vaccination program to bring the world population under control. These sort of people are already saying vaccines are population control instruments containing microchips, Bruns says. The virus created a perfect storm for conspiracy theories. The researchers found celebrities and social media fanned misinformation beyond established conspiracist communities. Actor Woody Harrelson posted an article on Instagram - later deleted - that drew links between the virus outbreak in Wuhan and 5G installation there. In Australia, former celebrity chef Pete Evans was fined $25,000 by the Therapeutic Goods Administration after he claimed a device known as a BioCharger, which claimed to replicate light, frequencies, harmonics, pulsed electromagnetic fields and voltage found in nature, could be used in relation to Wuhan Coronavirus. The TGA said this claim had no apparent foundation. Conspiracy theorists also widely circulated Liberal backbencher Craig Kellys claims that "groupthink" and the "complete abandonment of reason" were driving a "war" on hydroxychloroquine, a controversial treatment for COVID-19. Loading Last month acting chief medical officer Professor Paul Kelly said hydroxychloroquine had been used early in the pandemic and it showed promise as a potential preventative or curative medicine. "Its now undergone multiple trials around the world, and everyone has agreed that it ... has not lived up to that promise ... So the medical advice is it is not useful as a medicine," Kelly added. University of Sydney researchers found men and people aged 18 to 25 were more likely to believe COVID-19 myths. Behavioural scientist Dr Carissa Bonner says their initial survey showed younger people and men were more likely to think the benefit of herd immunity was covered up and the threat of COVID-19 was exaggerated. Younger people were more likely to believe cure myths, such as vitamin C and hydroxychloroquine being effective treatments. Those with lower education and more social disadvantage were more likely to believe 5G was being used to spread the virus. However Bonner says the prevalence of the 5G conspiracy theory is very low, with less than 1 per cent of those surveyed holding this belief. The researchers say there is a need for more targeted research with young Australians and men in particular about why some of them believe these myths and what might change their mind. Leading up to Saturday, online activists organised an Australia-wide action known as the Day of Freedom - the latest in a series of protests against COVID-19 restrictions imposed by the government. Dr Kaz Ross, a researcher on online communities from the University of Tasmania, says issues raised at these protests often include 5G, government surveillance and vaccinations. She says one general conspiracy theory - QAnon - now unites these disparate groups. Loading QAnon, which started on the anonymous message board 4chan in 2017, is centred on the baseless allegation that US President Donald Trump is working to expose a ring of pedophiles run by figures including Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama and the deep state. (The term deep state generally refers to a shadow or parallel system of government.) QAnon has grown to encompass other hardcore conspiracies. Trump has shared posts from QAnon followers on his social media accounts and said of the movement: Ive heard these are people that love our country. Republican Marjorie Taylor, a QAnon supporter, is almost certain to be elected to Congress in November. Loading The QAnon movement is also growing in popularity in Australia. An Institute for Strategic Dialogue report in July found the top four countries driving discussion of QAnon on Twitter were the US, Britain, Canada and Australia. If you had surveyed Australians before the pandemic, very few people would have heard of QAnon, Ross says. But she says that since March, people have been increasingly posting QAnon conspiracy theories on social media. These theories include the existence paedophile cabals, children held in tunnels under Melbourne and 5G being rolled out during lockdown so people can be microchipped when the vaccine comes. Ross believes QAnon is attracting followers in Australia because it provides an opportunity for people to share unconventional ideas and concerns without being mocked. It provides an overall framework that is quite familiar to us - a quite comforting narrative of good versus evil and a reassurance that there is a plan, she says. This year does feel very biblical. We have had a summer of fire and brimstone and now we are onto the plague. People are troubled and looking for explanations. On August 19 Facebook announced it was taking action against Facebook pages and groups and Instagram accounts tied to offline anarchist groups that support violent acts amidst protests, US-based militia organisations and QAnon. We have seen growing movements that, while not directly organising violence, have celebrated violent acts, shown that they have weapons and suggest they will use them, or have individual followers with patterns of violent behaviour, Facebook said in a statement. Loading More than 790 groups, 100 pages and 1500 ads tied to QAnon were deleted from Facebook. The previous month Twitter had also cracked down on QAnon accounts, although followers quickly circumvented the ban by introducing new hashtags such as #savethechildren. In one sense of course, banning and removing groups confirms the views of QAnon followers that the deep state is out to get them and suppress the truth. However Bruns, from the Queensland University of Technology, believes the bans have a role to play. They keep ordinary users from being drawn into hardcore and ultimately dangerous conspiracy theories. Ross, from the University of Tasmania, also points to the need for governments and institutions to build trust by being transparent about the reasons for their actions and avoid triggering panic around sensitive issues such as compulsory vaccinations. (Prime Minister Scott Morrison sparked alarm when he spoke of a mandatory vaccine, although he later clarified it was not going to be compulsory.) Cam Smith produces a podcast called The Hypothetical Institute, which examines conspiracies and their theorists. He believes the simplest - although he admits not very conspiratorial - explanation for why conspiracy theories are gaining traction in the pandemic is that people have a lot more time to disappear down rabbit holes on the internet. Smith says people are coming across websites talking about child abuse in tunnels under Melbourne and some believe they are more legitimate than what they are hearing from official sources. We need to look at media literacy and why people are so mistrustful of institutions, Smith says. You cant just solve this by flicking a switch. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 5 Trend: The Minister of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov, who is on a working visit to Moscow, has met with the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, General Nadeem Raza on September 5, Trend reports citing the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry. The parties expressed satisfaction with the development of traditional friendship and mutual trust between the peoples of the two countries, including Azerbaijani-Pakistani relations, as well as the level of strategic partnership. Touching upon the military-political situation in the region, the Minister of Defense of Azerbaijan spoke about the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict and thanked Pakistan for the support of Azerbaijan's fair position in resolving this issue within international organizations. The meeting discussed issues of expanding cooperation between Azerbaijan and Pakistan in the field of security, in the military, military-technical and military-educational spheres, in the fight against terrorism, including the development of relations between the naval and air forces of the two countries, as well as conducting joint military exercises. A young New Ross mum is looking to the future after a serious car crash in April which left her with catastrophic injuries. Milena Nowak (22) sustained multiple injuries in an accident outside Ballinaboola in the early hours of April 20. Her friend, Dean O'Neill, who was driving the car, died as a result of the injuries he sustained in the crash. A fundraising campaign raised around 14,000 for the brave New Ross woman. Speaking from her Belview Heights home, Milena said: 'I'm back home for the past four weeks with my son Tyler.' Milena has always worked since she was attending Our Lady of Lourdes school and is not planning to be idle for long. Having started studying social care at WIT last September she is saddened that she can't finish the course, but is determined to start an online course in September. 'I'm going up and down to (University Hospital) Waterford and Cork once a week. The doctors want to keep a close look on it as there would be changes.' Milena still uses a fixator and will continue to do so for the coming 12 to 18 months to build up her strength. 'I was in hospital a few weeks back and my bones are the same as they were four months ago. The fibia and tibia bones, they're concerned about growing them back as then I'd be a candidate for an ankle fusion.' Milena thanked all of the DJs and everyone who contributed to her #MilenaDay fundraiser, which she stopped as she may not need a wheelchair adapted vehicle. 'I still have some of the money left over. I bought a new mattress because I'm having to lie down so much. I'm using a wheelchair. I sold my own car and am looking at getting an automatic one to help with Tyler's school lifts and to enable me to be as involved in his life as I can be. I had the fixator all the way up my thigh. Now it's up to my knee to try and get the knee going.' Milena said she struggled when she returned home from hospital. 'It's still hard. It did hit me a little bit when I came home. I'm not as mobile as I used to be - I was always on the go before. I'm trying to do as much as I can for my son: I can't get him breakfast because I can't stand on my other leg.' Milena is starting an online office administration course shortly and can't wait to begin the next chapter of her life. 'I can do it at home so when I get back on my feet, I can get working.' She thanked everyone who supported her over recent months. 'People were amazing. I'm slowly getting around to everyone; the support I received from people I didn't even know blew me away.' Charles Simmons loved working as an officer for the North Perry Village Police Department. So after Charles died earlier this year, his family wanted to find a way to give back to the department that brought him so much fulfillment. They followed through by requesting financial donations in memory of Charles, and then distributing the money equally among two area police departments, including North Perry, and a fire department. North Perry Village Police Department is using its $800 share of $2,400 contributed to the fund in two ways. The department has bought riot helmets and will make a future purchase of range ammunition. Police Chief Ron Radovanic said he bought four new riot helmets with about $510 of the donation. North Perry has a fleet of three police cruisers, and one helmet will be stored in each of those vehicles. The other helmet will be kept at the Police Departments office. By having the riot helmets, North Perry police officers now will be able to assist with crowd control during public protests or other events in the region where conflict might arise, Radovanic said. Protests have been held this summer in cities such as Painesville, Eastlake and Mentor, where groups have marched and gathered to hear guest speakers in opposition to racial injustice and police brutality against black suspects by white officers. In Chardon, a rally held on Sept. 4 to support and thank police also drew many participants and spectators. In the communities that host protests or rallies dealing with controversial topics, police departments sometimes request mutual aid from neighboring law-enforcement agencies to help ensure that the events are conducted peacefully. Radovanic said hell use the remaining $290 from the donation to purchase handgun and shotgun ammunition for the firing range, where North Perry police officers practice their marksmanship. The $2,400 contributed in honor of Charles was received through the Chester Township Fire Department Sunshine Fund. Charles wife, Valerie, said she and her son decided to request the monetary donations in lieu of flowers. We wanted to help in some way in Charlies memory, especially in the midst of the coronavirus, she said. Charles died of natural causes March 21 at age 67. His obituary stated that he also previously worked for the Cleveland Police Department. A Chester Township resident, Charles was sworn in as a North Perry Village Police Department officer on May 17, 2011. Charlie served our agency with pride and dignity, Radovanic said, in a previous News-Herald story. Charlie loved being a police officer and loved North Perry Village so much that he was buried in his North Perry police uniform. North Perry Village paid tribute to Charles by permanently retiring his badge and approving a resolution highlighting his years of service to the community. Valerie said the three departments chosen to receive equal shares of Sunshine Fund contributions all had a positive impact on her husband in different ways. The funds were split this way due to Charlies love of the job and loyalty to North Perry Village and his dear friend and chief, Ron Radovanic, along with showing our deep gratitude to Chester Township Police and Fire for all the times they quickly responded to my 911 calls for Charlie and then, above and beyond, for transporting him to the main campus of Cleveland Clinic where his doctors were, rather than the nearest hospital, she said. A funeral service for Charles did not take place immediately after his death because of restrictions on mass gatherings put into place at that time by the Ohio Department of Health. However, in late August, a military honor service at Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery in Seville, Ohio, finally was held for Charles, a U.S. Air Force veteran who served in the Vietnam War. After the service, Valerie said North Perry Village Mayor Ed Klco presented her with councils resolution saluting Charles. I couldnt be more thankful and honored by this, Valerie said. Charlie touched so many lives and he is deeply missed. In addition to his work in law enforcement, Charles achieved success as a businessman, owning and operating Veteran Development and Construction in Mentor. Valerie has taken over as president of the company, which Charles started in 2009. Along with the support of our awesome staff, we will continue business in his honor and memory, she said. Washington, Sep 5 : More than half-million absentee ballots, the first ballots of the 2020 US presidential election, have left elections offices en route to voters who have requested them across the southern state of North Carolina, a spokesman for the North Carolina Board of Elections said. Over 643,000 North Carolinians have requested ballots so far this year, and hundreds of thousands more are likely to do so in the 60 days remaining before the November 3 elections, according to a The Hill report. State data showed Democratic voters are requesting ballots at more than three times the rate of Republican voters, Xinhua news agency reported on Friday. The figure far exceeds the previous presidential contest. At this point in 2016, just 38,871 voters had asked for their absentee ballots, said the report. The number of US voters who cast ballots by mail has roughly doubled this century, from about 10 per cent in the 2000 election to about 21 per cent in 2016, according to data compiled by University of Florida political scientist Michael McDonald. That number is expected to explode this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Up to 44 million voters in nine states and the District of Columbia will have their ballots automatically mailed to their homes. Another 118 million voters live in 34 states that, like North Carolina, allow no-excuse absentee voting. Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the GST compensation issue, saying that this "act of sovereign default" runs against the very spirit of cooperative federalism and is symptomatic of the withering trust between the Centre and the states. Referring to the prime minister's speech at the launch of the GST in July 2017, Soren said Modi had portrayed the new tax regime as a great example of cooperative federalism that would herald inclusive growth of the nation. "I echo your sentiments but you would agree that India as a nation can grow only if its constituent States also grow and become self-reliant. But reluctance of the Central Government to fulfil its constitutional obligations regarding GST compensation goes against the interests of the States and the spirit of cooperative federalism," he said. In the letter, dated September 4, Soren said the states were given assurance that the Centre would compensate the losses they suffer for the next five years but it has just been three years, and "we find ourselves deserted". "Reluctance and inability of the GOI to give full compensation to the States is a betrayal of the commitment it made in the Union Parliament and also in all the council meetings held so far (sic)," the chief minister said. "... Jharkhand contributes to compensation fund a cess of nearly 5,000 crore from the mineral sector alone. What we get in return is just a paltry sum of nearly 150 crore as monthly compensation. And now we are being asked to borrow at a time when the state is hard pressed to fulfil salaries of government servants," he added. Soren said that as the state's economy is in a precarious situation at present, it needs more funds to take care of farmers, migrant workers, those in the unorganised sector and unemployed youths. "At this critical juncture we naturally expected you to give us more than just the admissable compensation. We also expected you to announce that the GST compensation would continue even beyond the original period of five years," he said. Urging the prime minister to intervene in the matter and issue directions to the ministry concerned for the release of the compensation amount, Soren said it will not only melt away all the apprehensions but also reinforce the trust in the spirit of cooperative federalism. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics Columbia-Greene Media has recently teamed up with the US Postal Service to provide same-day delivery of your local newspaper with your mail. Our expanded daily delivery of your local news reaches into the following areas: If you're a Houstonian looking to move soon, this might be the perfect time for it despite the ongoing pandemic. Houston's rent prices have dropped this year, according to Apartment List's September 2020 national rental survey. Apartment List took median rent statistics from the Census Bureau, and then extrapolated them forward to the current month using a growth rate calculated from their listing data. The study found that rent prices in Houston have been down 1.5 percent since the start of the pandemic in March. Houston's decline in rent price is the No. 10 fastest drop among the 50 largest cities in the U.S. Rent prices in Houston have decreased by 0.1 percent over the past month. The average rent growth in Houston is at -1.0 percent compared to last year, while the national average is 0.3 percent. Currently, the median rent in Houston stands at $835 for a one-bedroom apartment and $1,022 for a two-bedroom, according to the study. Of the largest 10 cities in the Houston metro area for which the study collected data, eight of them have seen prices drop. Pasadena has seen the fastest rent growth in the Houston metro area, with a year-over-year increase of 1.6 percent. On the other hand, Sugar Land has seen rents fall by 2.2% over the past year, the biggest drop in the metro area. The median rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Sugar Land is now priced at $1,260 and a two-bedroom is $1,540. Houston wasn't the only city in Texas to make the top 10 in Apartment List's rank. Rent has also fallen by 1.7 percent in Austin the eighth largest decline among the 50 largest cities in the U.S. No casualties were reported in the past day. Ukraine has reported one enemy provocation on Friday, September 4, as Russia's hybrid military forces violated the newly-agreed truce in Donbas, eastern Ukraine. "Over the past 24 hours, Ukrainian military recorded a ceasefire violation by the Russian Federation's armed formations," the press center of Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation Command reported in a Facebook update as of 07:00 Kyiv time on September 5, 2020. In particular, the enemy opened fire using grenade launchers and small arms near the town of Avdiyivka. Read alsoTrilateral Contact Group agrees on four new disengagement sites in Donbas Zelensky's OfficeUkrainian military did not return fire. No casualties were reported in the past day. Since Sunday midnight, no attacks by Russian Federation's armed formations have been recorded, the JFO HQ said. At the same time, the JFO HQ says efforts to put out wildfires in Donetsk and Luhansk regions are underway. "The units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, together with the firefighters of the State Emergency Service, are participating in extinguishing fires near the settlements of Lopaskine, Triokhizbenka, Novhorodske, and Krasnohorivka. The required number of personnel and equipment has been involved in extinguishing the fires," the command said. In addition, Ukrainian sappers have cleared over 10 hectares in the front-line area and handed for disposal 51 explosive objects found in the JFO zone. JFO rescuers are also engaged in the restoration of residential buildings and infrastructure damaged in artillery shelling of previous years. They repaired 11 houses in the past day. Works on nine other sites are underway. Donbas ceasefire: background FILE PHOTO: Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny takes part in a rally to mark the 5th anniversary of opposition politician Boris Nemtsov's murder and to protest against proposed amendments to the country's constitution, in Moscow By Jeff Mason WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States must look "very seriously" into the suspected poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, but that his administration had not yet seen any proof. "It's tragic. It's terrible, it shouldn't happen. We haven't had any proof yet, but I will take a look," Trump said at a news conference, before telling journalists they should be focusing on China, not Russia. Trump did not take as strong a stand as the State Department, which earlier on Friday expressed grave concern about the finding that Navalny was poisoned. In a meeting in Washington earlier on Friday, Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun told Russian Ambassador Anatoliy Antonov that Moscow's use of this chemical weapon would be a clear violation of its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention. "The Deputy Secretary urged Russia to cooperate fully with the international communitys investigation into this attack," department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement. Germany, where Navalny is in a hospital, has said the Russian opposition figure was poisoned with a Soviet-style Novichok nerve agent and wants the perpetrators held to account. Russia has until now not opened a criminal investigation and said there is no evidence yet of a crime. Navalny is the most popular and prominent opponent of President Vladimir Putin, and the German announcement this week that he was poisoned by a nerve agent has raised the possibility of further Western sanctions against Moscow. (Reporting by Jeff Mason and Humeyra Pamuk; writing by Patricia Zengerle and Humeyra Pamuk, Editing by Franklin Paul and Tom Brown) Bolivias government announced on Friday it has contacted the International Criminal Court (ICC) to denounce former president Evo Morales for crimes against humanity over last months mass roadblock movement. The government accused Morales of terrorism and genocide over the 12-day campaign that saw hospitals complain they were unable to receive urgent medical supplies needed to treat coronavirus patients. Bolivias state prosecutor is at the ICC in The Hague filing a complaint for #crimesagainsthumanity against Evo Morales and others, said interim President Jeanine Anez on Twitter. Technically states submit communications to the ICC about alleged serious crimes rather than filing complaints. Afterwards the court decides whether or not to investigate. Conservative Anez said that the communication was due to the siege of the cities that caused more than 40 deaths from lack of oxygen, which could not be delivered to hospitals. Morales, who is a hugely influential figure in Bolivia even though he currently lives in exile in Argentina, had encouraged his supporters to ramp up the pressure on authorities in a bid to prevent a postponement of the general election. The election was originally due to take place in May but was postponed until September 6 and then October 18. While the protests failed to force the poll to take place in September, Bolivias main trade union called off the roadblocks after the government approved a law preventing a further postponement beyond the October date. But the 12 days of social action involving 142 roadblocks across the country severely limited the ability of trucks carrying oxygen to reach hospitals treating coronavirus patients. Bolivia has recorded more than 118,000 cases and almost 5,300 deaths from the coronavirus. Neither Morales nor his Movement for Socialism (MAS) party have commented on Anezs claim. It is not the first criminal proceeding brought by the government against the 60-year-old Morales Bolivias first ever indigenous president who was in power from 2006-19. Authorities have also accused Morales of two intimate relationships with minors, including one in which he supposedly fathered a child with a girl who was 15 when she became pregnant. The government also accused Morales of sedition and terrorism over the civil unrest that broke out following his resignation and flight into exile in November. MAS has dismissed those accusations as a pre-election tactic. Luis Arce, the MAS candidate for president, has led polls since he was nominated in January but in the latest he was neck-and-neck with centrist former president Carlos Mesa. Morales has been barred from standing in the elections, even as a senator. He fled into exile following three weeks of protests against his controversial re-election to an unconstitutional fourth term last October. An Organization of American States audit found evidence of fraud in the election, after which Morales resigned and left the country. The public prosecutors office said its head Jose Maria Cabrera met ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda in The Hague on Friday. Nobel peace laureate Denis Mukwege has become embroiled in tensions between his native DR Congo and neighbouring Rwanda, leading to growing calls for his protection following a series of death threats. Mukwege, a gynaecologist who shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 2018 for his work against sexual violence in war, said in late July that he and his relatives had been threatened following a tweet condemning the massacre of 18 people in the DRC's South Kivu province. Mukwege's tweet linked the violence back to the start of more than 20 years of war in eastern Congo which began with the 1996 invasion of the country by rebels backed by neighbouring Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi. Without mentioning who the attackers were, he tweeted: "These are the same ones who are still killing in the DRC." The comments, as well as his campaigning to publicise a 2010 UN investigation into possible war crimes committed in Congo by rebels and foreign forces, have raised hackles in Rwanda. In mid-August, influential former Rwandan defence minister James Kabarebe, who commanded Rwandan troops in Congo in 1996 and 1998, dismissed the UN report as "propaganda" and said Mukwege was "a tool being used by families of those who lost the war." On Friday, hundreds rallied in the capital Kinshasa to ask the DRC government to expel the Rwandan ambassador and protect Mukwege, while others demonstrated in Mukwege's home town of Bukavu on Thursday. "We want justice and compensation for all the acts that Rwanda has committed in Congo, for all the massacres that have taken place," a demonstrator, Heritier Masingeni, said before the rally in Kinshasa was broken up. A protester held up a placard saying: "Hands off our Nobel laureate!" Amnesty International said in a statement on Friday that "the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the United Nations must take urgent and concrete measures to protect Denis Mukwege." Mukwege, who has been criticised recently in pro-government Rwandan media, has escaped several assassination attempts in the past and has been guarded by UN peacekeepers since returning from exile in 2013. "His life seems to be at serious risk," the United Nations rights chief Michelle Bachelet said in a statement last week, calling for an impartial probe into the threats against him. The 65-year-old, nicknamed "Doctor Miracle", was awarded the Nobel Prize for his decades of work treating women who have been raped during the country's more than two decades of conflict. His insistence that the perpetrators of war crimes in Congo should face justice is highly sensitive in the region, particularly in Rwanda, where President Paul Kagame has held power since the genocide there in 1994. The First Congo War in 1996 involved regular troops from Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi. The Second Congo War from 1998 until 2003 involved a dozen armies from the region, 30 armed groups and two main rebellions: one in the east supported by Rwanda and another in the north backed by Uganda. "General Kabarebe has not uttered a single threat. He finds that there there are too many far-fetched accusations in this report," Rwanda's ambassador to Kinshasa, Vincent Karega, told AFP on Friday. The report in question -- the UN's 2010 Mapping Report -- documented 617 serious violent incidents between 1993 and 2003, saying they could amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide if investigated and tried in a competent court. Rwanda has always rejected allegations that its forces committed war crimes in Congo. Mukwege has called for Rwanda "to own up to its acts," referring in particular to clashes in 2000 between Rwandan and Ugandan troops on Congolese soil which left many civilians de The people of Dagbon have been asked to vote massively for Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to show their appreciation for the peace they are currently enjoying. Almost two decades of chieftaincy dispute was resolved by the NPP government following the successful installation of Yaa-Naa Abukari Mahama II as the overlord for the Dagbon tradition area. Addressing a gathering of chiefs and elders of the traditional area, Bawumia talked up the restoration of peace as one of the major achievements by the current government. Bawumia said the peace they are enjoying is a debt they owe which must be settled it during the upcoming elections. The Dagbon people, the Northern people, and Ghanaians as well are indebted to Nana Akufo-Addo for bringing peace to Dagbon and once you owe somebody a debt, you should pay it, the Vice President is quoted by Citi FM. The people of Dagbon will pay that debt on December 7 by voting massively for him and the NPP government, he added. Bawumia also reiterated the governments commitment to developing Dagbon. He also promised to upgrade the Yendi airstrip. At the National Security Council meeting, the President agreed that we are going to have the resurfacing of the Yendi Airstrip, he disclosed. He also assured the Overlord, Paramount Chiefs, and their subjects of President Akufo-Addos desire to ensure the development of the northern part of Ghana, having demonstrated his commitment with development projects across all parts of the north." Source: ghanaweb.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Survivors of Auschwitz are shown during the first hours of the concentration camp's liberation by soldiers of the Soviet army, January 27, 1945. In May 1944, 16-year-old Edith Eger stepped out of a filthy cattle wagon on to a platform filled with Nazi guards, prisoners in striped uniforms and snarling dogs. She had arrived at the most dangerous place on earth: Auschwitz. Waiting on the platform was Dr Josef Mengele, the so-called Angel of Death, who surveyed the terrified crowd with a baleful glare. Immediately Edith was separated from her father, who was sent away with the other men. She and the other women were forced into a line-up. "I was put in a line with my mother and sister - he pointed my mother to the left and my sister to the right," she recalls. "He asked me if my mother was really my mother or was she my sister. I replied truthfully because I didn't understand the meaning of the question. If I had said she was my sister, she would have been sent with me but instead she was sent to the gas chamber. I had so much survivor's guilt about this moment. It is painful to remember." Edith's mother was just one of the 1.1 million people, primarily Jews, who died at Auschwitz, the most deadly and efficient of the Nazi death camps which were dotted through rural Poland during the World War II occupation of the country. Most were killed immediately on arrival by being herded in large rooms which had openings in the ceilings through which Zyklon B - a deadly pesticide - pellets were dropped by Nazi guards. The strongest tried to batter the doors or climb the walls toward the opening in the ceilings. The weakest, mostly children and old people, were often crushed to death even before the poisonous fumes claimed their lives. After each mass killing - each day as many as 15,000 men, women and children were murdered in this fashion at Auschwitz alone - the gold fillings were removed from their teeth and their clothes were sorted through and sent back to Germany. Franz Suchomel, a Nazi commander, later called Auschwitz "a factory of death". Edith's journey to Auschwitz was part of Hitler's Final Solution - the planned extermination of all of the Jews in occupied Europe. The Holocaust is commonly thought of primarily German genocide, but it was only made possible by the virulent anti-semitism throughout Europe at the time. The Germans depended on local collaborators to identify and round up Jews for deportation. In the town where Edith was born (Kosice, part of modern-day Slovakia), anti-Jewish sentiment was already rife. "My parents had two beautiful girls, Magda and Klara, who was a child prodigy on the violin, and they really wanted a son when I came along," says Edith. "Nobody paid any attention to me. I used to just to say I was Klara's sister, as though I didn't have my own name, I just hung on to her coat tails." In November 1938, Kosice was annexed by Hungary, which would later be overrun by the Germans. Soon the anti-semitic laws of Hungary were imposed on the conquered territories. Jews were imprisoned and deprived of employment rights. As a child, Edith was acutely aware of these changes. "There was a lot anti-semitism, then as now. I was called a Christ killer. I didn't know then that Christ was a good Jewish boy." Edith was a promising gymnast and a ballet dancer and had made the Hungarian Olympic team in gymnastics. "Then one terrible day I was told that I had to give up my place to another girl and that I didn't qualify because I'm Jewish," she says. "That, in some ways, was one of the worst things of all that happened to me, because you have to understand that the Olympics were my dream and my hope. I exercised at least five hours a day. I did the high kicks and the splits. I thought I could be really great. And then Hitler destroyed all that." Expand Close Survivors of Auschwitz are shown during the first hours of the concentration camp's liberation by soldiers of the Soviet army, January 27, 1945. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Survivors of Auschwitz are shown during the first hours of the concentration camp's liberation by soldiers of the Soviet army, January 27, 1945. By the summer of 1944, Germany was losing the war but the mass extermination of the Jews remained an ideological imperative. The Allied forces had refused an offer from the Nazis of exchanging trucks for Jews in Hungary; the Allied governments, wary of anti-semitism in their own countries, were reluctant to make the war seem like it was about saving the Jews, who were abandoned by the international community. In occupied Europe, Holocaust trains had priority over all trains except for military trains, and the Final Solution was about to enter its deadliest phase: the murder of 400,000 Hungarian Jews, which took place over a few months in 1944. On the pretext of resettlement in the east, Edith and her family were forced into sealed cattle trucks. "The train itself was a terrible experience. We were very sad, people were crying," she recalls. "My father was sitting with other guys and I remember just begging him to shave because somehow just instinctively I knew it would be important that he looked younger and stronger. "My mother said to me 'we don't know where we're going, we don't know what's going to happen to us, but just remember nobody can ever take away from you what you put in your head'. There was almost no water. We had a sip of water and we had to pass the container on." The Nazis' policy was to exploit and degrade the concentration camp prisoners in every way imaginable. Those not sent immediately to their death were destined to be victims of a policy known as Vernichtung durch Arbeit (extermination through work). After she was separated from her parents, Edith was processed by a kapo (a Jewish prisoner given seniority within the camp). "They tore my earrings from my ears and my ears were bleeding. And I said to the kapo, 'I would have given you my earrings, but please I want to know where my mother is', and they said, 'your mother is burning, you'd better talk about her in past tense'. And that was devastating. But my sister comforted me. She said 'the spirit never dies'." Edith was sent to Birkenau, a sub-camp of Auschwitz, where she was forced to work in a brick factory. "I was so confused and our clothes were taken and our heads were shaved. It was a terrible moment. We were extremely scared, not knowing what's going to happen next. They sent us to take showers and I didn't know if water or gas was going to come out of the nozzle." Like all workers at Birkenau, Edith was given meagre rations of food and quickly lost weight. Workers who were deemed too weak to go on were periodically removed and sent to the gas chambers in a process known as the Selektion. "You would think that living in the fear of being killed, it would be every man for himself," Edith says. "But in fact to get through it we needed to form a community of inmates, a second family, and to look out for each other. We had to co-operate, not compete and dominate. Literally all we had was each other. There was a kind of philosophical humour. My sister was so beautiful. When they shaved her head she turned to me and said 'how do I look?'. I told her she had beautiful eyes which I never noticed when she had hair." Edith was in the prime of her life before she was sent to Auschwitz. "I was 16 and I was in love," she says. "Before we left Hungary, my boyfriend told me that I had beautiful eyes and hair. I kept looking down at my hands and thinking, I'm going to meet him again and look in his eyes, and that kept me alive. I would ask everyone in Auschwitz to tell me about my eyes; I just wanted to feel human, and I just kept believing that if I survive today, tomorrow I'm going to see my boyfriend. But every day I was told I would never get out of there alive, that the only way that I was leaving was as a corpse." Expand Close Edith Eger as a young child / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Edith Eger as a young child The concentration camps were run by Nazi guards, Ukrainian mercenaries and Jewish prisoners, who did most of the manual labour. "They were worse than the Nazis in some cases," Edith recalls. "They displayed displaced aggression. One time a kapo beat me up badly with a dog leash because I wanted to go to the bathroom. She was another prisoner. But of course she was suffering terribly as well. She took her anger out on me." Edith was made to dance for Mengele, who became infamous for his cruel and mostly lethal experiments on children (the whole time Edith was in Auschwitz she never saw a child under 14 - almost all were killed immediately). It was a terrifying experience, she explains. "We came into the barracks, and Dr Mengele wanted to be entertained. My friends knew that I was the one who had been entertaining the Jewish community all the time with my dancing, so they volunteered me, and that's how I ended up dancing for Mengele." She closed her eyes and transported herself to the opera house in Budapest, dancing Romeo and Juliet. It's that sort of act of imagination and will that she credits with helping her survive. "I knew if I did something wrong, that would be the end of me. He spoke in German to me and he was friendly. He did not seem like a madman." How did she feel when she looked at him and the other Nazi guards? "People said where was God but I always say that God was with me," she says. "The Nazi guards were prisoners too. I prayed for them. I turned hatred into pity. I never told anyone that they were spending their days murdering people. What kind of life was that for them? They had been brainwashed. Their own youth had been taken away from them." Edith noticed a difference between the way men and women handled the trauma of being in the camp: "Many men ran into the (electrified) barbed wire to kill themselves. I think based on what I saw that women are more resilient and better survivors than men." In December 1944 Edith was standing in line to be tattooed when the guard told her that they were not going to "waste the ink" on her because she was being sent to the gas chamber. Instead, with the Russians closing in on the camp, she and thousands of other prisoners were evacuated. She and her sister (who's also still alive) were sent on a munitions train bound for Austria. The Nazis made the women ride on top of the train, thinking it would prevent the British from firing at the train, but the British fired anyway. When they reached Austria, they were part of the so-called death march from Mauthausen to Gunskirchen, where eventually they were liberated by the American army in May 1945. By then she was too weak to walk. A young American soldier noticed her hand moving slightly among a number of dead bodies. He called medical help and she was brought back from the brink of death. "It was totally unbelievable to finally be free but I saw people who walked out the gate of the camp and then came back. It was a learned helplessness," she recalls. After the war, Edith moved to Czechoslovakia, where she met the man she would marry, in a TB hospital. "He wrote me beautiful letters," she says. "We were so shipwrecked that we wanted at that point to be normal. It was quite common for survivors to marry quite quickly. People asked me did I love my husband and I said, 'are you kidding, he brought me Hungarian salami with Swiss cheese!'. I was hungry, alone, sick and scared and I felt so honoured that someone was even looking at me. "I thought my life was over. That's what happens. We grieve not what happened but what didn't happen." In 1949, the couple moved to the US, bringing their by-then two-year-old daughter Marianne with them. "It was my daughter who taught me how to speak English," she reveals. "She brought home books. That's what happens with the children of immigrants - they end up teaching the parents." In the 1960s, trials were held in Frankfurt for some of the guards and doctors who worked in Auschwitz. Several people received life sentences. I wonder if these trials brought Edith any peace? "Of course justice is important and there were people like (Austrian Nazi-hunter) Simon Wiesenthal who were deeply committed to getting it. However, I did not feel there could ever be justice. After the war I was suicidal. I woke up in the morning and realised my parents were not there and it really upset me. Eventually I realised that I had to live my life for something." In 1969, she received her degree in psychology from the University of Texas, El Paso. She then pursued her doctoral internship at the William Beaumont Army Medical Center at Fort Bliss, Texas. "I came to America and I wanted to be a Yankee doodle dandy, kind of an imposter," she says. "I had my secrets. I could not talk about the Holocaust and Auschwitz." Edith founded her own clinical practice in La Jolla, California. "My goal was to become a kind of midwife so that people could be the best parents to themselves." Still something was missing. "I had a white coat and it said 'Dr Eger', but I felt like an imposter because I did not really deal with my past," she says. "I could not be a good guide to my patients or take them any further than I'd gone myself. For that, I had to go back to the lion's den and look at the place where my mother was murdered, where I was so close to death every day." She wrote her memoir The Choice, which was an international bestseller in 2017; she appeared on Oprah Winfrey's show. Now she has written a new book called The Gift, which she says contains more practical wisdom. "It's painful to look back at the things I went through, but necessary too. Forgiveness isn't something I give to the Nazis, it's a gift I give to myself, to say I won't be a hostage or a prisoner to the past. I am an old woman now - I am very selective about who gets my anger. "Auschwitz was my classroom, a place where I was forced to adapt and improve myself. And that, in a strange way, was a gift." The Gift: 12 Lessons to Save Your Life: by Edith Eger, published by Random House, is out now, 14.99 The Bay Area is a hiker's paradise (duh, that's why most of us live here). Countless trails weave and wander through chaparral, oak savannah and redwoodfilled ravine landscapes. From one bend of a trail to the next, you'll see remnants of old redwood forests and sweeping ocean views. In our Mediterranean-like climate, flowers bloom year round and the high-pitched chirps of hummingbirds are never far away. And while it's rare to find yourself all alone on a trail, the crowds are well dispersed with so many hikes to choose from. The biggest concern for many people is the proliferation of poison oak, especially in impacted areas and on overgrown sections of trail, so wear long pants if you're vulnerable to the plant's effects. The following trails are some of the best to visit in the Bay Area. They've been organized into three areas, the San Francisco Peninsula including the Santa Cruz Mountains, Marin and Point Reyes north of San Francisco, and the East Bay outside of Oakland and Berkeley. Andrew Dessler, a leading climate scientist in Texas, warns that the long-term effects of climate change rising temperatures, more intense flooding and stronger hurricanes will have a devastating social, environmental and economic effect on San Antonio and worldwide. But he said there is hope on the horizon, in the form of affordable, renewable energy sources, particularly wind and solar, that could be implemented at reasonable costs if elected leaders have the political will to avoid a subtle, vicious cycle of community blight. In 500 years hopefully we havent been wiped out by another pandemic if human society exists, its going to run on solar and wind, Dessler, professor of atmospheric sciences at Texas A&M University, told members of the San Antonio Express-News Editorial Board last week. He sees development of offshore wind farms and construction of a national power grid as major components in a shift in energy strategies that could help the United States and the world reduce greenhouse gases, which contribute to weather extremes that inflict economic instability on businesses, home values, school districts and government services. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio council passes climate action plan The price of renewables is dropping so fast that at this point, the studies that have been done suggest that we will be paying less for electricity in 2035, with a clean grid, than were paying now. This is not something that will cost a lot of money. If we dont do it though, it will be incredibly expensive to society, Dessler said. He compared the long-debated issue of man-made climate change with the pandemic as a problem that can strike suddenly. One thing the coronavirus has shown us is that you can deal with something incredibly incompetently. And if you do that, theres unnecessary suffering, unnecessary economic harm, Dessler said. If left unchecked, trends suggest the earth could be as much as 8 degrees warmer on average over the next 100 years. In San Antonio, July temperatures, now ranging from about 77 to 100, are expected to increase to a normal range from about 85 to 105 by 2100. That will completely remake what the planet looks like, Dessler said. The stakes are incredibly high. And these are things that (young) people who are alive today are going to live through. Warmer temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico will add strength, rainfall intensity and a more powerful storm surge in hurricane events, predicted Dessler, co-author of The Science and Politics of Global Climate Change: A Guide to the Debate. So youll see more Category 4s and 5s, fewer Category 1s and 2s and 3s. And thats very bad news, because almost all of the damage comes from Category 4s and 5s, he added. As an example of the economic effects, Dessler showed photos of a home in Meyerland, a community in southwest Houston, whose value plummeted from $750,000 to $250,000 in the past six years. It was flooded in a 2015 Memorial Day deluge, and again during Hurricane Harvey in 2017, as nearby Brays Bayou swelled beyond its banks. The San Antonio area, with the San Antonio and Medina rivers, multiple creeks and flood plain maps that are periodically updated, can expect similar effects over time. As property values decline, insurance costs increase and 30-year mortgages get harder to access. Schools and streets become underfunded and people begin leaving a neighborhood, followed by stores, banks and gas stations, said Dessler, who grew up in that area of Houston. Eventually, you get to a point where the only people left are the people who are too poor to move, he said. This is really what keeps me up at night. This is going to happen long before Houston is under water. On ExpressNews.com: Climate expert says Texas must brace for change To prevent those outcomes, he recommends policies that immediately eliminate use of coal and discourage burning of oil and other fossil fuels; encourage better fuel efficiency in vehicles and use of hybrid and electric cars; and support wind and solar energy options that could eventually replace natural gas and nuclear sources. He advocates carbon taxes, or an outright ban, to discourage industrial flaring or venting of methane gases. The Trump administration gave formal, one-year notice on Nov. 4, 2019, that the United States would withdraw from the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change. The earliest possible date of withdrawal is Nov. 4 one day after the general election. Dessler predicted other countries will pursue goals to reduce carbon emissions under the agreement, even though the United States is the worlds second-largest emitter, exceeded only by China, to help reduce global emissions. If we dont do anything, its going to make it harder and more costly to reach any particular target, he said. 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 05.09.2020 LISTEN Former President, John Dramani Mahama is asking Ghanaians to give him a second shot to the Presidency to enable him right the wrongs of his previous administration. The National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer admits though he worked hard to improve the livelihood of the citizenry, there were steps he wrongly took during his first term in office. Speaking with the Chiefs and people of Ullo in the Upper West Region, John Dramani Mahama promised that a new NDC administration will be much better than the previous one when given the nod. Development takes place in stages. The last time we were in government, it was to improve the road network so we get many of the roads on contract. Unfortunately, because the NDC left office, a lot of these projects came to a standstill. So I can assure Nana that, I am in a unique position because I am the only President who has the opportunity to come back and correct his mistakes. No other President in Ghana can do that. I believe that a new NDC government will be a much better government than the previous one. Already, John Mahama has described the upcoming elections as a critical event that would help mould the nation's destiny adding that it would shape the future of the young generations and that is the reason he was seeking power back. He has also accused the New Patriotic Party (NPP) of political short-sightedness and victimisation, and said, this government takes decisions aimed at penalising political opponents but end up affecting the growth and prosperity of the Ghanaian. Support Mahama's 'rescue mission' back to presidency Suhuyini to Ghanaians The Tamale North Member of Parliament, Alhassan Suhuyini has also been pushing for the return of the former President. He says there are enough reasons why Ghanaians must reject the governing NPP on December 7, 2020. According to him, the only ways Ghanaians will see some comfort is to vote the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and its leader John Dramani Mahama to continue the rescue mission of the party. So we need to ensure that President Mahama gets back to the flagstaff house, he insisted. The legislator has also said the return of John Mahama will see a massive economic transformation. In his second coming, the investments will be targeted at the private sector, the public sector and the informal sector. The next phase of his presidency will ensure that investment goes into creating jobs. Dr. Bawumia and the NPP do not portend well for the future of the NPP. That is why there is the need for us to rise above partisanship as Mr. Mahama has always demonstrated to support the rescue mission that will take him back to the Flagstaff House to continue the God things he was doing, correct what he may have done wrong so that together, we can put this country back on the path of growth, inclusiveness and development. citinewsroom Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, September 5, 2020 09:40 503 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c42d7a7f 1 National Maruf-Amin,erick-thohir,Vice-President-Maruf-Amin,SOE-Minister,Jakarta-State-University,UNJ,honoris-causa Free A group of lecturers at Jakarta State University (UNJ) have voiced their opposition to the university's plan to award honorary doctorates to Vice President Ma'ruf Amin and State-Owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir, citing fears of political motives that could threaten academic freedom. In a written statement published on Friday, the lecturers explained their disapproval of the plan. "Awarding the title to a political figure who is currently in power could threaten academic freedom and the autonomy of the university," the statement read. "A number of studies show that giving honorary titles to state officials has no positive impact on science and campus development. Granting titles has tended to have political and transactional motives." The group said the plan worked against the university's efforts to recover its reputation following numerous controversies, including an arrest of a campus official in May for allegedly giving illegal holiday bonuses to officials from the Education and Culture Ministry. They lecturers accused the university of having no clear reason to grant the title to Ma'ruf. They also rejected UNJ's plan to grant an honorary degree to Erick, saying that the university had no reason to give it to him besides his position as minister. "It's very dangerous for the university's autonomy and its academic freedom [...]. Therefore, we urge UNJ to cancel its plan to give the honorary titles to Vice President Ma'ruf Amin and SEO Minister Erick Thohir," the lecturers concluded, as quoted by kompas.com. Awarding honorary doctorates to politicians and public figures is common in Indonesian universities. In 2017, former maritime affairs and fisheries minister Susi Pudjiastuti received an honorary maritime affairs doctorate from the Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology in Surabaya. It was her second honorary degree after receiving a similar title from Diponegoro University in Semarang a year before. Former presidents Susilo Bambang Yudoyono and Megawati Soekarno Putri have collected 14 and 9 honorary doctorates respectively, from both Indonesian and foreign universities. (nal) Softbank Group is taking a direct role in managing its virus-hit hospitality startup Oyos operations in Latin America through a joint venture which will control all hotels in the region, the head of Oyo Brazil told Reuters in an interview on September 4. Softbank, the biggest investor in Oyo, will use part of its $5 billion Latin America fund to invest in the newly formed company called Oyo Latam which will take over 1,000 hotels mainly in Brazil and Mexico, Henrique Weaver said. Weaver said both companies would have equal representation on the board, but did not say how much Softbank would invest. The move comes as Oyo, valued at $10 billion in its most recent fundraising round, has been forced to cut costs and rein in its expansionist strategy in global markets by reducing its hotel footprint and laying off employees after revenues took a hit from the coronavirus pandemic. It shows the Japanese investors keenness to ensure the Indian company remains on track, and is the latest sign SoftBank is more closely overseeing Oyos operations in markets including China, India and Japan, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. Softbank has taken a big writedowns on bets including shared office space company WeWork and wants to avoid a similar fate with Oyo, in which it has invested over $1 billion, said one of the sources who is directly familiar with Softbanks thinking. Softbank declined to comment. An Oyo spokeswoman said Softbank is like any other investor in the company with a seat on the board and that Oyo is a management-run and a board-governed company. Any description that Oyo is being managed, or there is any additional oversight (formal or informal) or otherwise is merely media speculation and completely untrue, the spokeswoman said. SoftBank said it started the partnership with Oyo in Latin America in 2019 and the investment has been recently formalized with the creation of Oyo Latam and the board. Softbanks Latam fund has invested $75 million into Oyos business in the region, said a source with knowledge of the matter. Pandemic pain Latin America has proved to be a good fit for Oyo, with a super fast growth pace because the hotel market is extremely fragmented in the region, Weaver said. The pandemic, however, forced the company to lay off 500 employees in Brazil, leaving it with a workforce of 140 people, Weaver said. It has also given up its office space and slashed operating expenses. Once among the worlds largest hotel chains by room count, Oyo has furloughed hundreds of employees in the United States and Europe and shuttered offices in other global markets. In India and China it began cutting costs and headcount as early as January. China conundrum Oyo had committed to invest over $600 million in China but in recent months the company has seen an exodus of executives and a shrinking footprint while also battling lawsuits filed by hotel partners and vendors over non-payment of dues. The lawsuits have resulted in some of Oyos bank accounts in China being frozen but the company said that is a standard process and does not mean it is guilty. We are vigorously defending these allegations in court of law including disputes on the dues and claims, the Oyo spokeswoman said. Oyos retreat from China may prove costly in future, as investors drove up the companys valuation to $10 billion largely due to the potential and size of its bet on the country. In China, we have hit the reset button and are making sure we have a kernel of profitable business before we rapidly expand, the spokeswoman said. Oyo is down to 1,200 employees in China, compared with a peak of over 6,000. New rules that require pubs in the Republic of Ireland to retain food receipts for 28 days are "absolute nonsense" and should not be extended to Northern Ireland, an industry leader here said. Colin Neill of Hospitality Ulster said the plan, revealed yesterday, was simply not practical. Taoiseach Micheal Martin said it was intended to clamp down on rogue publicans. He said the Irish Government was not seeking details on customers' menu choices but wanted proof that pubs were complying with the rule that only allows them to open if alcohol is served alongside a substantial meal. But Mr Neill, when asked if he felt there was any prospect of similar regulations being enforced here, said: "No. I would definitely hope not. That is some civil servant who has thought that up in isolation and never worked out the practicalities." Under the new measure outlined in tourism body Failte Ireland's latest guidelines to the Republic's hospitality industry, all restaurant and pub owners must be able to produce records for up to 28 days to Garda members making inspections. But Mr Neill questioned: "Why - for what purpose - is this information being recorded? "Is it to prove that people had something to eat? It could have no other rationale. "And if it's to prove that people had something to eat, then, sure, anybody could write anything down." "We would much prefer that key things like that should be in regulations that apply across the whole sector." Hospitality Ulster - along with other sector representatives - is to meet Stormont's junior ministers on Monday to discuss Covid protection measures in the hospitality sector. Mr Neill added: "Our conversation with ministers in Northern Ireland is about making guidance into regulation. That means everybody has to play by the same rules. "But regulations have to be enforceable. They have to be something that if a policeman or official walks in, they can actually enforce it. Otherwise, it's just cat and mouse - and wasting everybody's time." The Vintners' Federation of Ireland (VFI) said the new law is "bureaucracy gone mad" and would add a huge burden to already struggling businesses. VFI chief executive Patrick Gribben said: "This is crazy stuff." Mr Martin made clear there was no requirement for pubs and restaurants to keep records of what individual diners bought. "It got misinterpreted and misrepresented completely as somehow the Government trying to have an investigation or an assessment of what people are eating - that was never the case," he said. "We have no interest in finding out what people are eating. "What we do have is (an interest) to protect existing businesses who are obeying the rules, that's important, and also to avoid any rogue operators out there, not just in the context of that reg but other regs in terms of how people behave." Paul Buckowski/Times Union It seems to me that the Democrats have come up with a brilliant strategy with the U.S. Post Office accusations. If President Donald Trump wins per chance, then there is another opportunity to open an investigation and perhaps even impeachment, a variation of the Russian collusion narrative. If Trump loses, well then all will be forgotten and Trump saves face with the excuse that the mail-in ballots resulted in fraud. What is forgotten in all this is the ballot-counting process, where New York has shown the real problems will surface. The post office has plenty of capacity to handle the volume. The problem will center on unrealistic state rules for ballot requests and staffing for the ballot-counting operations. Neil Durkee Clifton Park New delhi: Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told his Chinese counterpart General Wei Fenghe that China should work with India for complete disengagement at Line of Actual Control (LAC). It was made clear that attempts by Chinese troops to unilaterally alter the status quo along the LAC were in violation of the bilateral agreements and Beijing should work with New Delhi for complete disengagement from all friction areas including Pangong Tso. According to an official statement by the MEA, the two ministers had frank and in-depth discussions about the developments in the India-China border areas as well as on the relations between the two nations. "The Defence Minister emphasised that the actions of the Chinese troops, including amassing of large number of troops, their aggressive behaviour and attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo were in violation of the bilateral agreements," the statement read. "The Defence Minister advised that it was important therefore that Chinese side should work with the Indian side for complete disengagement at the earliest from all friction areas including Pangong Lake as well as de-escalation in border areas in accordance with the bilateral agreements and protocols," the statement said. The statement added that Singh conveyed that the two sides should continue their discussions, including through diplomatic and military channels, to ensure complete disengagement and de-escalation and full restoration of peace and tranquillity along the LAC at the earliest. The meeting between the defence ministers of the two countries took place Friday in Moscow on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting, which lasted for over two hours. India recently thwarted an attempt by the Chinese army to transgress into Indian areas near the southern bank of Pangong Tso near Chushul in Ladakh. The two countries are engaged in a standoff since April-May over the transgressions by the Chinese Army in multiple areas including Finger area, Galwan valley, Hot springs and Kongrung Nala. The situation worsened after 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a violent face-off with Chinese troops in Galwan valley in June. The sides have engaged in bilateral talks for the last three months including five Lieutenant general-level talks but have failed to yield any results. - The United States has urged South Africa to be more proactive in helping resolve the issues facing Zimbabwe - An American ambassador recently called on the SADC to do more in 'promoting national dialogue' - This comes as SA's neighbour continues to battle food insecurity and drought in addition to a number of socio-political issues American ambassador to Zimbabwe Brian Nichols has urged the Southern African Development Community to be proactive in helping the embattled nation. The SADC, in Nichols' opinion at least, should help in 'promoting national dialogue' with the ambassador commenting that: The country is facing yet another drought and food insecurity problems. SADC can play a vital role in supporting that effort. The US wants the SADC to be more proactive in helping Zimbabwe face mounting challenges. Image: GCIS/ Flickr Source: UGC This interview with the eNCA comes at a time when tensions between the two nations have been rising. IOL reports that the southern African nation was dubbed 'foreign adversaries' exploiting protests in the United States following the murder of George Floyd. Zimbabwean authorities have slammed the US, accusing the world power of interfering with internal affairs and fueling instability. In fact, the spokesperson to the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front party had labelled the ambassador a 'thug'. The nation's Foreign Affairs Ministry had slammed Nichols for engaging in 'megaphone diplomacy' for voicing his dim views of the government. South Africa is set to send an ANC delegation to Zimbabwe to meet with the ruling party and other top politicians to address its mounting issues. This comes after the ANC had signalled its willingness to assist Zimbabwe if it is called upon to do so. Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that the country had raised a few eyebrows after announcing a considerable u-turn on its infamous land reform policy. The nation has now allocated a staggering R500 billion which will go towards compensating white farmers whose land was seized decades ago. In addition to local farmers, the government recently announced it will be allowing foreign farmers an opportunity to apply as well. Source: YEN.com.gh Omahas 11-Worth Cafe served standard American breakfast fare of omelets, hash browns, bacon and eggs and, without much notice until June, a dish called the Robert E. Lee: two sausage patties smooshed between biscuits and smothered in gravy. That was before the summer. Before George Floyd was killed and Jacob Blake was shot, and thousands of people marched against police brutality down city streets across America. Before protesters were fatally shot in Kenosha, Wis., Austin, Texas, and right there in Omaha. Before people demanding change in one of the largest cities in the Midwest set their sights on the biscuits and gravy on the menu at the 11-Worth cafe. To some in Omaha, the name of a biscuits and gravy dish was something they never noticed, or a fitting homage to the past. Getting rid of it, they thought, was succumbing to the same cancel culture President Trump frequently rails against. In the past few months, they say their city, with its cul-de-sac friendliness, and claim to creating butter-brickle ice cream, seems unrecognizable to them. That is not something Omaha is used to experiencing or seeing and feeling, said Hal Daub, a former Republican mayor and ex-congressman who is still active in politics. In Omaha, we are a little more levelheaded than lots of places. When Ela Kaminski went to visit her husbands grave at Victoria Lawn Cemetery in St. Catharines this week, she was distraught to find it unmarked. The homemade wooden cross crafted by her son to temporarily mark the burial place of Jacek Kaminski until a granite stone arrives had been removed. No words, she just shows up and its gone, said her son, Adam Kaminski. She thought maybe somebody stole it. Nobody contacted her or anything. It was a shock for us. She eventually learned staff removed the wooden cross, which is not allowed under the city-owned cemeterys bylaws. Now the family wants St. Catharines to look closer at its rules, show some compassion and allow them to mark Jacek Kaminskis grave until his permanent stone arrives. Why they removed it without even calling and warning, thats something I dont understand, said Ela, who has since retrieved the cross from the city. Kaminski, a professional mechanical engineer with Handling Specialty and an active member of the Polish community, died March 10 at age 67. Ela said it was unexpected, due to complications from surgery earlier in the year. His death came just days before the country was thrown into the COVID-19 pandemic, which the family said led to delays in getting the permanent monument ordered. Its expected to arrive before the end of October. Adam made the wooden cross with his fathers name for the time being so visitors could find his resting place. How else do you identify the grave for friends or anybody that wants to pay their respects? asked Adam, who lives in Cambridge. I think its disrespectful to have an unmarked grave. As it was, he said, he saw half a dozen other wooden crosses in the area where his fathers plot was. The city did apologize in a message to Adams wife, Crystal, for the way things were handled. It referred the family to its cemetery bylaws and monument regulations. The regulations state no monument may be erected which is composed in whole or part of wood, metal, veneer or several other materials. The city says the regulations are provided to people when they purchase interment rights. But the family says they were distraught after Jaceks unexpected death and dont remember having any discussions about wooden crosses. We probably have the piece of paper that says that, but its an emotional time, Adam said. Who really reads fine print at that time? It was the last thing on my mind. John Bellehumeur, the citys manager of parks, cemeteries, forestry and horticulture, said most cemeteries in the province adhere to the same regulations. He said wooden crosses sometimes fall down or arent maintained over time, and the bases get damaged by weedwackers and tractors. Funeral homes can provide other temporary markers. Although wooden crosses are not permitted, he said, the city will usually allow them to stay up for a day or two before removing them. But he said it can sometimes be up to a year between interment and when a permanent monument arrives, and the wood can deteriorate. The city tends to go in and remove multiple wooden crosses at once, which it did this week. He said theyve had a few complaints from other families as well. This has brought to light the need to review some of our procedures and policies to ensure that were communicating properly and ensuring that we are communicating our bylaws and regulations to families when they do purchase a plot, he said. Part of that review will include looking at whether the city will call people before removals, he said. Elas daughter Kasia Savoy of St. Catharines said burials are expensive and it would be nice to get simple communication in return. She said she doesnt understand why a wooden cross is such a big deal when they see other decorations and artificial flowers left year-round at gravesites. The family would like to be able to put the cross back up until they can get her fathers monument installed. They were aware of the cross. Now the cross is not there. There is no marking. You wont know where he is. A team of City of Perth council aspirants who were rallying around high-profile mayoral candidate Basil Zempilas are under scrutiny over their eligibility to run in next month's election. Mustang Bar owner Michael Keiller and businesswoman Gloria Zhang have been ruled ineligible to run as councillors by the City of Perth over invalid lease agreements. Mustang Bar owner Michael Keiller, Chung Wah Association's Ting Chen, Seven West Media personality Basil Zempilas and businesswoman Gloria Zhang. Credit:Instagram Both council hopefuls have vowed to fight the city's ruling, saying they were seeking advice on how to nominate before applications close next Thursday. Mayoral candidate, architect Sandy Anghie, has also faced scrutiny over her eligibility to run after she signed a lease in West Perth just 24 hours before the voting roll closed last week. Americans headed into Labor Day weekend the unofficial end to the Lost Summer of 2020 amid warnings from public health experts that backyard parties, crowded bars and other gatherings could cause the coronavirus to come surging back. I look upon the Labor Day weekend really as a critical point," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the governments top infectious-disease expert. The rise in infections, deaths and hospitalizations over the summer, primarily in the South and West, was blamed in part on Americans behaving heedlessly over Memorial Day and July Fourth. And a few states are now heading into the holiday with less room in hospitals. Read the full story here: Here's an update on developments. Scroll or swipe further for in-depth coverage. Earlier this year, the World Socialist Web Site was officially blacklisted from r/politics, the largest political subreddit on the link-sharing social media site Reddit, with no explanation given. On August 28, an article entitled, Trump runs for Fuhrer inexplicably made it past the blacklist, having been shared by a Reddit user in the r/politics subreddit. It quickly won thousands of upvotes, received over 600 comments, and was elevated onto Reddits front page. Reddit r/politics homepage (Credit: Reddit/reddit.com/r/politics) The r/politics moderators immediately sprang into action. They labeled the WSWS article as coming from an Unacceptable Source and shut down the political discussion among Reddit members. As we reported on Saturday, the censored WSWS articlewhich analyzed President Trumps nomination acceptance speech at the 2020 Republican National Conventionbecame instantly popular because it said what the establishment media refused to. It exposed Trumps law and order response to the mass protests, his appeals to the police, military and federal paramilitary forces, and his tirades against socialism and Marxism as part of an attempt to establish a personalist presidential dictatorship and create a fascist movement in the US. The articles thousands of upvotes were accompanied by overwhelmingly supportive comments, including the following: Its about time the media started calling it what it is. Hes a fascist, plain and simple. Ugly, but I think this is true, and I suspect more violence is coming. His ego would love a civil war on his behalf. There are already armed militias in the streets. And they killed two protesters two days ago. Exactly. Finally! Someone is calling Trump out for what hes really doing. These events make clear the nature of Reddits censorship of the WSWS. It is aimed at silencing left-wing criticism of the US political establishment, under conditions in which broad sections of its own readers are hungry for news and analysis from just such a perspective. Moreover, the WSWS analysis pointed out that the only reason Trump has been able to take his dictatorial plans as far as he has is because of the spinelessness of his Democratic Party opponents. As the article explained, the Democrats have consistently blocked any appeal to the broad majority of the population and, in particular, the working class, and this is because, as one of the two parties of Wall Street and big business, the Democrats are just as terrified of, and hostile to, the growth of mass popular opposition to capitalism as Trump is. However, for the r/politics moderators, this analysis by the WSWS is considered unacceptable. And, approximately nine hours after the WSWS article was sharedand after it had received 9,200 upvotes (93 percent of those who voted) and more than 600 commentsthe r/politics moderators labeled the article from an Unacceptable Source and shut down the political discussion. The subreddit moderators political censorship of the WSWS article Trump runs for Fuhrer comes as no surprise given their previous removal of wsws.org from the r/politics domain whitelist. On May 26, Reddit users attempting to post links from the World Socialist Web Site to r/politics were informed that the wsws.org domain had been removed as a recognized source of news and analysis on the subreddit. Subsequent attempts by users to publish links to articles from wsws.org were returning an automated system message that says, Your submission was automatically removed because wsws.org is not on our approved source whitelist. r/politics has a number of conditions that domains must adhere to in order to be approved as an acceptable source. As we explained in an earlier article on April 3, regarding the banning of the World Socialist Web Site from the r/coronavirus subreddit, the removal of the wsws.org domain by moderators is unmistakably an act of political censorship designed to block our analysis of the unfolding crisis from reaching the public. In the case of the r/coronavirus ban in April, moderators claimed that WSWS articles were off-topic political discussion. In the more recent case of r/politicsa subreddit specifically devoted to political topics and political discussionthe moderators have resorted to a cruder form of censorship: the false claim that the World Socialist Web Site is unacceptable. We have also pointed out that the World Socialist Web Site is recognized internationally as a major source of authoritative Marxist journalism and analysis. Articles on the site are frequently quoted by leading authors and journalists around the world and in dozens of academic papers. Articles and statements on wsws.org are translated into 24 languages and the site is followed daily by a growing international audience of hundreds of thousands of readers. Both recent instances of political censorship by Reddit moderators were recently noted by Matt Taibbithe freelance journalist and contributing editor for Rolling Stonein his May 29 blog post Planet of the Censoring Humans, which surveyed a series of recent online censorship actions by the social media platforms Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Reddit. Taibbi wrote, In late April, the World Socialist Web Sitewhich has been one of the few consistent critics of Internet censorship and algorithmic manipulationwas removed by Reddit from the r/coronavirus subreddit on the grounds that it was not reliable. The site was also removed from the whitelist for r/politics, the primary driver of traffic from Reddit to the site. The subreddit r/politics was created in August 2007 and is one of the most widely used forums on Reddit. Out of 1.2 million subreddits on the news aggregation platform, r/politics ranks at number 56. It has 6.5 million members with tens of thousands actively participating users at any one moment. At the time of this writing, for example, there are approximately 150,000 users participating in live online political discussions on r/politics on a range of topics. There are more than 1,020 news source domains included on the r/politics whitelist. These include newspaper publishers (359), policy think tanks (188), web publishers (183), magazine publishers (118), television networks (48), international news agencies (39), polling and research organizations (37), radio broadcasters (19), US government agencies (10), news wire services (10) and political parties (9). The r/politics whitelist includes numerous right-wing publisherssuch as The Federalist, Breitbart.com and the Washington Timeswho engage in promoting racism, xenophobia, conspiracy theories and completely false and dangerous information about the coronavirus pandemic. The World Socialist Web Site had been previously whitelisted nearly three years ago by the subreddit and, since August 2017, hundreds of article links have been shared. These articles have resulted in some of the most popular discussions on r/politics and produced a combined total of hundreds of thousands of upvotes and tens of thousands of comments. We demand answers from the moderators of r/politics to the following questions: Why was the World Socialist Web Site removed from the r/politics whitelist? Why are article links from the World Socialist Web Site being labeled Unacceptable Source? Finally, we call upon all Reddit users and others who defend free speech rights to demand an end to political censorship by r/politics moderators and that the World Socialist Web Site be restored to the subreddit whitelist with an accompanying official statement to this effect. A powerful Typhoon is expected to hit the southern cluster of Japanese Okinawa islands. To ensure the safety of its citizens, 22,000 soldiers have been deployed on full alert. Japanese defence minister Taro Kono said In case something happens, 22,000 members of the self-defence forces are on full alert. The self-defence forces must gather all their strength and be ready for anything. Japan prepares for Typhoon Haishen Weather officials have warned about Typhoon Haishen for the last several days. This was done to urge people to prepare people for what could be termed as a record storm. People could also be ready to take shelter and stock up on food and water. Japans Meteorological Agency said that the typhoon may lead to high waves resulting in a Tsunami. Read: Japan coast Guard Rescue Second Survivor After Typhoon Maysak Sinks Livestock Ship The atmospheric pressure in Haishens centre is recorded at 920 hectopascals. However, the wind power is 180 kilometres per hour. Haishen is expected to hit Japans Kyushu island on September 6 and 7. Read: Typhoon Haishen Approaching Japan, Packing Powerful Winds Recently, a typhoon swept through South Koreas southern and eastern coast on September 3 and has killed at least 1 person. Reports suggest that more than 2,000 people evacuated to temporary shelters in the region as the typhoon brought in strong winds and heavy rains. Typhoon Maysak brought winds with maximum speed of 140 kilometers per hour. South Koreas Meteorological Administration said, The typhoon's influence on our country will gradually weaken. Maysak was supposed to make landfall again in North Korea. As a result of this, state media in Pyongyang was on high alert as it carried live broadcasts of the deadly situation. Read: Japan Bracing For Dangerously Powerful Typhoon Also Read: UN Chief Urges Japan, Others To Meet Goals On Climate Change (With inputs from ANI) (Image Credits: AP) Volcanoes have been a persistent part of Earths history. With volcanic eruptions every four to five years, Iceland serves as an active example of this. Centuries of eruptions in some parts of Iceland have formed sea cliffs that are mesmerizing to look at. One such, is famous as the elephant rock. Wikipedia ALSO READ: Guy Saved Elephants From Poachers, They Mourned His Death Outside His Home Located around 7.4 kilometre off Iceland's South Coast in the Westman Islands archipelago is a natural rock formation that reflects as one of the prime examples of natures beauty. Called the 'elephant rock', the volcanic rock formation that dips into Iceland's sea is shaped as the head of an elephant with its trunk submerged in the water. Volcanic past Elephant Rock, Iceland (Image: Diego Delso/Wikimedia) The rock formation is shaped so perfectly like an elephant that many confuse it to be human-made. Part of the reason is the dark greyish colour of the cliff, thanks to the basalt rock present in it. It looks much like the wrinkled skin of an elephant. As for its formation, it is believed that it gained the elephant head shape as we see today during one of Mt. Eldfell's many eruptions. The most recent eruption among these was Eldfell's 1973 eruption, which caused the evacuation of Heimaey's entire population at the time. The rock itself is much older though. Tourists-galore Elephant Rock, Iceland (Image: Guide to Iceland/ YouTube) The scenic wonder is easy to access via ferry from Heimaey, the largest land mass in Westman Islands. Elephant rock is thus a popular destination for tourists. Images and videos of the rock are often found doing the rounds on social media. Here are some that capture the natures wonder beautifully - The beauty of nature as shown by elephant rock pic.twitter.com/fFbZVjJEkg Vala Afshar (@ValaAfshar) August 29, 2020 ROCHESTER, N.Y. "Spit hoods," such as the one placed over the head of Daniel Prude, have a controversial history and are receiving renewed scrutiny after Prude, a Black man, died of asphyxiation earlier this year as police in Rochester, New York, restrained him. Officers use the hoods, typically made of mesh, to prevent themselves from coming into contact with the bodily fluids of a detainee who is spitting or biting. While many in law enforcement defend spit hoods as vital to protect officers, critics have denounced them as dangerous and inhumane. The coronavirus pandemic arrived in Rochester shortly before police responded to the call about Prude on March 23. During that call, the 41-year-old Chicago man was handcuffed and on the ground, agitated, squirming and shouting belligerently at times. But when he started spitting into the street, an officer covered his head with a spit hood. Rochester Police Locust Club President Mike Mazzeo shows a spit hood as he speaks with the media about the ongoing investigation of the death of Daniel Prude during an arrest in March. The hood was used as a precaution during the arrest because Prude said he had Covid-19. Prude, who was naked, told the officers he was infected with the coronavirus, which likely raised concerns about his spitting. However, before the hood was put on him, police body-cam video does not show an officer scolding Prude for spitting, nor does it show him spitting on or directly toward an officer. Instead, Prude spits in front of himself as he's laying on his stomach. And once or twice, with his head turned, he spits farther away between two officers, seemingly to avoid hitting them. Prude's death has since drawn protests and police have faced criticism after details of the interaction were released earlier this week. Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren ordered the immediate suspension of seven police officers involved and rebuked Police Chief La'Ron Singletary for his handling of the case, including a failure to inform her of the full details of the March incident until early August. More on Daniel Prude: A Black man pinned to the ground by NY police died two months before George Floyd According to The New York Times, spit hoods have been involved in a number of deaths in police custody during the past 10 years and cited in several lawsuits. Story continues In 2015, Davidson County, Tennessee, agreed to pay a $150,000 settlement in the case of a man who, while being held on a public intoxication charge, died after a correctional officer put one of the hoods on him, according to the Tennessean. In the case of Prude, officers applied force for several minutes to his head and back as he lay on the pavement. He lost consciousness after officers cut off his breathing. Prude was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead on March 30 after being removed from life support. Daniel Prude In her autopsy report on Prude, Monroe County Medical Examiner Dr. Nadia Granger made no mention of the spit hood. She ruled Prude's death a homicide caused by complications of asphyxia in the setting of physical restraint. An officer put the hood over Prude's head three minutes after police first detained him. He spit a few more times after that, including while facing an officer, and at that point was admonished to stop. In the 1 minutes he is covered by the hood before he falls silent, Prude can be heard on police body-worn video asking them at least three times to remove it. Take this thing off my face! I mean it. Youre trying to kill me, he yells just seconds after officers knock him over and begin the forcible restraint that led to his death. Can police officers cover their name tags? Rochester department says yes, for officer safety On Thursday, in response to the Prude case, Amnesty International USA issued a statement condemning the use of the hoods. Spit hoods can cause extreme distress and restricted breathing. They are especially dangerous when someone is already in crisis as Daniel Prude appeared to be," said Justin Mazzola, the organization's deputy director of research. "This is just one of a number of cases of people being suffocated by police and illustrates the need for systemic police reform." Some communities have discussed banning spit hoods, including Berkeley, California, in 2019. While Berkeley did not institute the ban, Boona Cheema, chair of the mental health commission for the cities of Berkeley and Albany, said at the time that the hoods can create alarming fear, distress, panic and humiliation, according to the Oakland Reporter. There is also a risk of death, particularly as there is limited visual ability to observe individuals face and head while in crisis," Cheema added. They look like 'something out of Abu Ghraib' For some, spit hoods evoke images of the hoods used on prisoners at U.S. government overseas detention sites or black sites. They look like "something out of Abu Ghraib, the notorious Iraq prison that during the Iraq War was the scene of a U.S. military scandal involving the mistreatment of detainees, said Adante Pointer, an Oakland, California, civil rights lawyer who has handled several cases involving spit hoods. Theyre often used in a punitive way, he said. The hoods vary in design, but Park City, Utah, Police Chief Wade Carpenter said the ones hes seen are made to be breathable and held in place with an elastic around the neck that can easily be broken. It wouldnt put any pressure on the carotid arteries in the neck. It wouldnt restrict blood flow to the brain and certainly wouldnt block the mouth or nose, said Carpenter, adding that officers in the ski town have used the devices for years without issues. University of South Carolina criminal justice professor Geoffrey Alpert said the hoods have reduced the risk of officers and bystanders getting spit on for decades. Take away COVID, its just a nasty thing anyway, Alpert said. Just three weeks after Prude's deadly encounter with police, a similar incident happened in Tucson, Arizona. Police handcuffed and placed a spit hood on the head of a naked man also in distress. Carlos Ingram Lopez died after gasping for air and pleading for water. In another case, a 45-year-old man died in 2015 after police in Bernalillo, New Mexico, placed him in a spit hood, possibly incorrectly. A responding sergeant from a neighboring community told investigators a thick cotton part of the hood was covering Ben C de Bacas face, nose and mouth and that he hadn't seen the device "used in that fashion before. A medical investigators report concluded that improperly placed spit hoods have the potential to cause suffocation and that in this case, the possibility of asphyxia from use of the hood could not be ruled out. Bernalillo settled a wrongful death lawsuit brought by the man's family for an undisclosed sum. Prison guards have also used spit hoods, sometimes to deadly effect. Their use varies by jurisdiction police in Minneapolis deploy them, but those in New York City don't. The NYPD, the nations largest police force, said a team of police EMTs has only recently started testing their effectiveness in the wake of the pandemic. This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Daniel Prude: Spit hoods have controversial history before Rochester Demonstrators march in protest of last night's police shooting, in Kenosha, Wis., on Aug. 24, 2020. (Scott Olson/Getty Images) More Than 250 Arrested Since Blake Shooting in Wisconsin KENOSHAMore than 250 people have been arrested since the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, with more than half from outside the county that the southeastern Wisconsin city is in, police reported Thursday. Blake was shot seven times in the back by a police officer on Aug. 23, sparking three nights of unrest that resulted in roughly two dozen fires and damage to numerous downtown businesses. Two nights after the shooting, prosecutors say 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse fatally shot two demonstrators and wounded a third. His attorney claims it was self defense. Kenosha police updated arrest figures Thursday, saying of the 252 people arrested, 132 did not live in Kenosha County. Rittenhouse came from his home in Antioch, Illinois, about 15 miles (25 kilometers) from Kenosha, to join others who walked the streets with rifles saying they were there to protect businesses from damage. Four people arrested filed a federal civil rights lawsuit Wednesday, alleging that police were not arresting pro-police demonstrators like Rittenhouse who were breaking a curfew, while targeting others. The citys attorney called the lawsuit baseless and said it should be dismissed. The city on Wednesday ended a curfew that had been in place since Aug. 24, a sign of calming tensions in the city of about 100,000 midway between Milwaukee and Chicago. President Donald Trump visited Kenosha on Tuesday to thank law enforcement for their efforts and former Vice President and Democratic candidate Joe Biden was in Wisconsin on Thursday and met with members of Blakes family and Kenosha community leaders. President Donald Trump speaks to the press as he tours an area affected by civil unrest, in Kenosha, Wis., on Sept. 1, 2020. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) The police said damage to city property was about $2 million and damage to county property was about $385,000. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives was investigating more than 23 fires, police said. Epoch Times staff contributed to this report. The lawyer for a Washington County sheriffs deputy accused of assault has asked a judge to dismiss the case, alleging a prosecutor threatened potential witnesses to stop them from testifying. Dan Thenell, who represents deputy Rian Alden, filed the motion Friday and argued the case should be dismissed because of outrageous government conduct and prosecutorial vindictiveness, among other reasons. The motion for dismissal contains a wide range of allegations, including against Chief Deputy District Attorney Bracken McKey. Thenell linked the reopening of the case against Alden to political pressure tied to recent Black Lives Matter protests. He also contends video footage that appears to show Alden attacking a man being booked into jail in 2018 is inaccurate. Faced with both legal and political pressure, the district attorneys office has decided to resurrect this case, not to benefit the public or seek justice, but to score political points and to advance the political ambitions of the lead prosecutor, Thenell said in the motion to dimiss. Alden has pleaded not guilty to two charges of felony second-degree assault, one of unlawful use of a weapon and a misdemeanor charge of first-degree official misconduct. The charges were filed after the district attorneys office reopened a use-of-force case from 2018. Alden was caught on video slamming an inmate, Albert Molina, into the wall of the jails booking area. Molina reached a $625,000 settlement with the county in June. Molinas civil attorneys released video of the attack to the public after Alden was suspended in June for sending a racist email in 2003. The message contained slurs against several different ethnic and racial groups. In court motion to drop the criminal charges, Thenell contends prosecutors have presented no new information since the investigation was closed without charges in 2018. The sheriffs office called in two outside agencies at the time to investigate the case. The Washington County District Attorneys Office reviewed the case but declined to prosecute, citing inability to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt. Thenell accused McKey of reopening the case to bolster his career aspirations. McKey said he began looking into Aldens record as a police witness on other cases after the email resurfaced, and then discovered the dismissed use-of-force case. In the motion, Thenell referenced statements that McKey allegedly made to two potential witnesses, Cpl. Cade Edwards and Sgt. James Cuthbertson. Edwards is the current director for the sheriffs offices use of force training unit, and Cuthbertson was the program manager for the unit for seven years. Cuthbertson supervised Aldens use of force training. Cuthbertson and Edwards both said in signed statements that McKey interviewed them June 3, two days before Aldens case went before a grand jury. According to the motion, both deputies said McKey told them he was reopening the case because he intended to run for district attorney and he didnt want to be perceived as soft on cops. The motion also contends McKey told Cuthbertson it would not go well for him if he were to testify for Alden, and that it would not look good for the entire sheriffs office. Both Sgt. Cuthbertson and Cpl. Edwards believe Chief Deputy McKey was threatening them to intimidate them not to testify, the motion says. McKey told The Oregonian/OregonLive in a Friday phone call that he did talk with Cuthbertson and Edwards before the grand jury hearing. But he said he never discussed his career aspirations and has no plans to run for district attorney. He said the comment perceived as a threat was taken out of context. There was a conversation about how this would not look good for the sheriffs office, and I think thats pretty obvious to anyone whos seen the video, he said. McKey said the motion to dismiss the case contained obvious lies and was an attempt to distract from the serious assault against Molina. This is why many believe its virtually impossible to hold police officers accountable for criminal conduct. But Thenell contends a second video, which has not been released to the public, helps refute the criminal allegations against his client. Theres a video from the side, which has been prominently released, and there is one taken from behind my clients position in the intake area, which shows a more accurate picture of what my client perceived, he said. Thenell said the video should be made public but declined to immediately disclose it without reviewing whether he was allowed to do so. In the motion to dismiss, Thenell said Alden was taking pictures of Molina while booking him in jail. Molina repeatedly used profanity and flipped him off, then said lets go while moving into a fighting stance. According to the motion, Alden relied on his training and moved to restrain Molina using a technique called crash the line, in which an officer pushes the subjects shoulders, forcing the person to step back and taking the person off balance. Security camera footage shows Alden putting his hands at Molinas throat, pushing him against the wall, then pulling him forward by his neck. Thenell said that description of Aldens actions was not accurate. You need to watch both videos, he said. Im not going to get into that second video or argue the perception of the video. But what you should be focused on, in my opinion, are the other actions leading to this indictment. Aldens next court date is Sept. 21. Jayati Ramakrishnan; 503-221-4320; jramakrishnan@oregonian.com; @JRamakrishnanOR Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. The steering committee for COVID-19 prevention and control, at a meeting in Hanoi on September 3, therefore assigned the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Health to help businesses and units in studying and implementing the antigen testing method. Regarding a scenario of 10,000 COVID-19 cases, the committee asked the Ministry of Health to coordinate with the Ministry of Finance in building a new testing strategy and present it shortly to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control. The finance ministry reported that Vietnam has so far spent nearly US$400 million fighting the pandemic. Professor Dang Duc Anh, head of the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, said that as antigen testing can produce accurate results in a short period of time, it should be used in public places like airports and concentrated quarantine areas, contributing to effectively fighting the pandemic. The institute is working with the US on the transfer of the testing technology, which is expected to be rolled out in Vietnam at an early date, he added. Other delegates at the meeting proposed Vietnam use all testing methods, including antigen testing and Realtime-LAMP, and that businesses join hands in the testing work. According to the health ministry, as of 3 pm on September 3, Vietnam had 1,046 COVID-19 cases, including 748 recoveries and 35 deaths. The ministry pointed to the risk of community transmission, particularly in the time ahead, when weather conditions are more favourable for the development of respiratory diseases. Preventive measures therefore need to be maintained and enhanced, it said. Daniel Andrews has been slammed for cracking down on the anti-lockdown protests after letting thousands of people gather for Black Lives Matter rallies in June. Up to 200 protesters descended on Melbourne and clashed with police as the 'Freedom Day' rally spiralled out of control on Saturday. Frustrated activists, furious with Mr Andrew's Stage Four lockdown, turned out in their droves to demand restrictions come to an end. One crowd faced off with police on horseback as they chanted 'freedom' as officers arrested 17 people and gave out more than 160 fines. The heated demonstration came months after 10,000 Melburnians took to the streets for the Black Lives Matter protests, when police were encouraged to 'exercise their discretion' when issuing fines. Despite the massive crowds, only three fines were issued during the June rally. The major differences between both rallies saw Mr Andrews' slammed on social media for the double-standard. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has been slammed for cracking down on the anti-lockdown protests after letting thousands of people gather for Black Lives Matter rallies in June hadow Minister for Police, Corrections and Community Safety David Southwick slammed the premier for his hypocrisy after letting Black Lives Matter rallies run in June Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne on Saturday State MP for Caulfield and Shadow Minister for Police, Corrections and Community Safety David Southwick questioned the premier's consistency. 'Whilst No protest is ok at the moment, spot the difference,' he wrote on Twitter. '1. 10k BLM protest - 3 organisers fined.' '2. 250 CFMMEU protest - 1 fine.' '3. 200 people protest Today - 15 arrests and 150 fines.' 'Wheres the consistency Dan? No wonder people are angry.' Mr Southwick said the premier was being hypocritical as he 'rolled out the red carpet' for the Black Lives Matter protest. Police tackle protesters in Melbourne on September 5, 2020 during an anti-lockdown rally protesting the state's strict lockdown laws as a preventive measure against COVID-19 A woman without a mask is seen holding a sign that reads: 'End the lockdown the people are suffering' during Saturday's protest Officers scuffle with another protester refusing to wear a mask as the Freedom Day rally spirals out of control 'Victoria Police have had to take strong action today to clean up Daniel Andrews' mess who rolled out the red carpet for the 10,000 BLM protest.' The Victorian Premier criticised Saturday's protesters, calling their behaviour 'absolutely selfish'. 'It is not safe, it is not smart, it is not law. In fact, it is absolutely selfish for people to be out there protesting,' he said. 'The only protest we should be engaged in, the only argument, the only fight we should be engaged in is against this virus.' His comments come as the state recorded 76 new coronavirus infections and 11 deaths on Saturday. In total, police arrested 17 people and issued at least 160 infringement notices for breaching the Chief Health Officer directions. Police released a statement calling the march 'disappointing' and criticising attendees for 'putting the lives of Victorians at risk'. Of the 17 arrests, 14 were for breaching the Chief Health Officer directions, while one was for assaulting police. They are all currently in custody assisting police with enquiries. Masked protesters holding placards march through the CBD during a Black Lives Matter rally Black Lives Matter Rally on June 6 Police place a face mask on an arrested protester at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne on Saturday Shocking footage shows the horde of protesters, many refusing to wear masks and battling with police, as the city's CBD was brought to a standstill as traffic was diverted from the area. Dramatic scenes saw demonstrators tackled to the ground while officers struggled to detain them. The protests kicked off at the Shrine of Remembrance but coronavirus-deniers then took to the streets, stopping traffic near Albert Park. As a result of the protest, a police officer received lacerations to the head after being assaulted by an individual who was in attendance. One woman with a top reading: 'Freedom' was seen being dragged away by two police officers as she desperately tried to fight them off. The Australian Communist Party organised a protest in memory of George Floyd and to highlight Aboriginal rights issues and the black lives matter campaign Protesters gather during a Black Lives Matter protest, following the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd Meanwhile, another man was seen dragged away from the demonstration with his shirt pulled up around his arm. Despite the hundreds of protesters in attendance, they were no match for the army of police. The Black Lives Matter protests saw 10,000 residents hit the streets in Melbourne in June. Health authorities feared mass gatherings like a public protest would spark a coronavirus outbreak and urged protesters to use hand sanitiser, wear face masks and stay home if they had coronavirus symptoms. Only three protesters tested positive and there was no evidence of transmission at the rally. The University of Manitoba morphs into the third-largest municipality in the province once its school year is in full swing. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 4/9/2020 (503 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The University of Manitoba morphs into the third-largest municipality in the province once its school year is in full swing. Next in line after Winnipeg and Brandon, the post-secondary institute boasts a student population of upwards of 30,000 and its staff roster surpasses 9,500. Its amenities restaurants and road construction included also help play the part. This fall, the Fort Garry campus will be a ghost town. Computer science student Lyka Sal-Long stopped by the bookstore Friday for what she said would likely be her first and last visit this semester. "I wouldve preferred coming to campus. Its hard to study when youre isolated," said Sal-Long, her voice muffled by a black face mask. In stark contrast to public schools, universities and colleges are asking staff and students to study and research at home. Their campuses will remain all but empty when K-12 students return to Manitoba classrooms after Labour Day. The policy differences are not lost on David Winter, an associate professor at Brandon University and parent involved with a back-to-school campaign that calls for smaller class sizes and remote learning options for K-12 students. JESSE BOILY / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS People line up to pick up masks at the University of Manitoba on Friday. "One of the reasons we have so many profs involved in Safe September (MB) is we see such a big disjunct between whats happening at the public schools and whats happening at the universities. My 18-, 19-, 20-year-old students are all being protected through social distancing; most of our classes are online this fall," said Winter. BU is offering in-person music lessons and science labs, but large lecture-based courses will be entirely online. At the U of M, less than 10 per cent of all courses will have an in-person instructional element this fall. That figure is even smaller at the University of Winnipeg, where in-person delivery accounts for only 5.8 per cent of the total offerings. Both Winnipeg-based schools committed to ongoing online learning in May; Brandon confirmed its plans in June. "We still believe it was the right decision," said Todd Mondor, deputy provost of academic planning and programming at the U of M, and chairman of its COVID-19 recovery steering committee. Mondor said the U of M wanted to give all students time to plan since many move from other countries or rural communities to study in Winnipeg. Instructors and support staff also needed time to pull off a "herculean" transition, he added. The different reopenings in K-12 buildings and university campuses come down to policy makers weighing what is known about how COVID-19 spreads, student well-being and the ability to learn remotely, said Winnipeg epidemiologist and EPI Research founder Cynthia Carr. "Were looking and learning all the time, but the research still seems to show that kids 10 and under are least likely to be infected and least likely to spread (novel coronavirus)," said Carr. Meantime, she said the social nature of universities has been proven to put students at risk. In the United States, upwards of 51,000 COVID-19 cases have been identified on more than 1,000 campuses. JESSE BOILY / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Juanita VanNorman, left, and Kale Kostick hand out masks at the University of Manitoba on Friday. "Its not just on campus, its what kids do when theyre back at university they socialize at different places (namely, in nightlife circles and on transit)," said Carr, during a phone call from Kingston, Ont., where she was helping her daughter move into a residence with strict physical-distancing protocols at Queens University. "The more people are together, the more opportunity for risk." The social aspect of university is what Amber Rose Alupay said she is most worried about missing out on this year, given she is starting her history and French studies on a virtual U of W campus. "I had this idea that I would leave high school, find people like me and itll all be good and dandy," said Alupay, 18. Stay informed The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 delivered to your inbox every weeknight. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. However, Alupay said she knows it is safest for her to stay home to limit her familys contacts a number that will soon increase exponentially when her two younger siblings start school next week. Back-to-school is also top of mind for Heather Milne, a U of W English professor and parent of a child resuming school full time Sept. 8. Milne said she finds it contradictory K-12 schools are grappling with space challenges when they could implement proper physical distancing by moving classes to convention centres and empty university campuses. "It does strike me as interesting that there will be all of these university classrooms that are already designed as learning spaces sitting empty," she said. Milne plans to work remotely indefinitely. maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca Michael Forest Reinoehl, a self-described anti-fascist who said he provided security for Portland racial justice protests, appears to have targeted a participant in a pro-Trump rally, emerging from an alcove of a parking garage before firing two gunshots, one that hit the mans bear spray can and the other that proved fatal, according to a police affidavit unsealed Friday. Police found a single Winchester .380-caliber bullet casing on the street, a metal canister of Bear Attack Detector that had a large defect in it and a collapsible metal baton just north of Aaron Jay Danielsons body, a detective said in the affidavit. Danielson, 39, was pronounced dead at 8:55 p.m. last Saturday on Southwest Third Avenue, about 10 minutes after the shooting was reported. He died from a single bullet to the upper right chest, an autopsy found. The bullet was found lodged in his back. During a search of Reinoehls basement rental unit in a Northeast Portland house on 92nd Avenue, police found ammunition of the same caliber used in Danielsons shooting and clothing Reinoehl wore that night, prosecutors said. The search didnt appear to have turned up the gun used. Portland police obtained a warrant Thursday afternoon charging Reinoehl with second-degree murder with a weapon and unlawful use of a weapon. That night, four officers from three different Washington agencies shot at Reinoehl after he walked out of an apartment outside Lacey, Washington, and tried to flee as they moved in to arrest him. Reinoehl was hit multiple times and died at the scene. He had a handgun but Washington investigators said its not clear yet whether he fired it. On Friday afternoon, a judge unsealed the affidavits for his arrest warrant and a warrant for the search of Reinoehls residence. The documents offer new details of the deadly encounter between Reinoehl and Danielson shortly after a car caravan in support of President Trump had left Portlands downtown last weekend. Several witnesses told police they saw Danielson holding a can of mace or bear spray and then heard two shots, the affidavit said. Police found damage to the bear spray canister that was retrieved from the street, leading investigators to believe it was struck by the first of two bullets fired by Reinoehl. Police slowed down video captured by a livestreamer of the shooting and said it appeared that a shot was fired, followed by an explosion of the chemical and then a quick second gunshot, the affidavit said. Danielson stumbled two or three steps before collapsing in the street. Detectives found a loaded 9mm handgun on Danielsons waistband and three magazines of 9mm red-tip ammunition in his right cargo pants pocket, the affidavit said. Surveillance video from the nearby Third Avenue parking garage showed Danielson holding a baton in his left hand and the bear spray in his right hand before the shooting, according to police. Reinoehl is seen hiding in an alcove of the garage and reaching into a pouch or waistband as Danielson and a friend, Chandler Pappas, walk south on Third Avenue. Homicide Detective Rico Beniga wrote that Reinoehl conceals himself, waits and watches as Danielson and Pappas pass him. After the two men go by, Reinoehl followed them, walking west across the street moments before the gunshots were fired, police said. Investigators said it appeared as if Reinoehl stood holding his gun with both hands extended when he fired. After the shots, his right hand remained extended and pointed at Danielson before he turned to run away, police said. Both Danielson and Pappas were wearing Patriot Prayer hats, signifying their support of the right-wing group based in Vancouver. 4 Surveillance photos of Michael Reinoehl Pappas told police that he and Danielson had been drinking earlier in the evening and were facing off with Reinoehl and a man who was with him when the gunshots occurred. A witness told police he heard one of the men confronting Danielson and Pappas say something like, Were going to (expletive) kill you, the affidavit said. Justin Dunlap, who caught the shooting on his livestream video, said he heard Reinoehl or the man near him say something similar to You wanna go. A motorist driving by told police he saw a Black man in the area say Hey, theres the guy. A third witness said Reinoehl peeked out of the alcove as Danielson and Pappas went by before approaching them, according to the affidavit. As part of the investigation, police learned that Reinoehl had sent a text message to his teenage son on Aug. 7 that read, Sell me the gun for a quarter pound of weed and $100 Im getting tired of this shit I need a piece now, according to the affidavit. Reinoehl was identified on social media within hours of the shooting. His younger sister also told detectives that the man seen in the footage was Reinoehl. Police had seized a gun from Reinoehl during an early morning protest downtown on July 5, but it was of a different caliber than the one used to shoot Danielson, according to the affidavit. Reinoehl was given a citation then, accused of possessing a loaded gun in a public place, resisting arrest and interfering with police on Southwest Main Street. Police took a Walther 9mm semi-automatic handgun from Reinoehl. The citation was dropped by the Multnomah County District Attorneys Office on July 30, and Reinoehl spent no time behind bars. The office earlier this week said it was still reviewing the case. Rienoehl described himself on social media as 100 % ANTIFA but later said in an interview that he wasnt a member of antifa or other groups. He appeared to admit in the report published by Vice News on Thursday that he fired the shots at Danielson. He said he acted in self-defense, believing he and a friend of his were about to be maced or stabbed, was aware of what he did and ran from the scene. I had no choice, he told the interviewer, then added, I mean, I, I had a choice. I could have sat there and watched them kill a friend of mine of color, but I wasnt going to do that. Portland police released this photo on Friday, Sept. 4, 2020, of a witness they're seeking in the fatal shooting of Aaron "Jay" Danielson the weekend before in downtown Portland. Reinoehl also said lawyers advised him against saying anything, but that I feel its important that the world at least gets a little bit of whats really going on, because theres been a lot of propaganda put out. Portland police also Friday asked for the publics help in identifying a man who was with Reinoehl on Saturday night at the time of the shooting, wearing a black hood, mask and sweatshirt. Detectives said theyre still interested in interviewing the man who also ran from the scene. They ask that anyone with information on his identity contact Detective Beniga at 503-823-0457 or rico.beniga@portlandoregon.gov. Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt said in a statement that investigators in Washington state also are trying to find out more about what led to Reinoehls death. The loss of life is tragic, Schmidt said in a statement. It has a profound impact on families, friends and community members. The apprehension of a fugitive, in particular one under investigation for murder, is especially dangerous for law enforcement. I am thankful that no one else was injured or killed during last nights incident in Lacey, Washington, and I appreciate the coordination between law enforcement agencies throughout this investigation. -- Maxine Bernstein Email at mbernstein@oregonian.com; 503-221-8212 Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian Hyderabad, September 5: Expressing concern over Telanganas healthcare workers having the highest Covid-19 positivity rate in the country, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) Treasurer Gudur Narayana Reddy slammed the State Government for not taking adequate safety precautions. Over 2,000 healthcare workers, including doctors, were infected with Covid-19 and at least 14 of them died due to the disease. Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao is directly responsible for these infections and deaths as he did not take measures to protect these frontline warriors against Coronavirus, Narayana Reddy said in a media statement on Saturday. Narayana Reddy pointed out that the statistics released by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare two days ago has revealed Telangana was on the top in Covid-19 positivity rate with about 18% of total healthcare workers getting infected with the disease. The positive rate is 16% in Maharashtra and 14% in Delhi while both the States have a huge number of cases compared to Telangana. CM KCR and Health Minister Eatala Rajender need to explain as to why the infection rate was high among healthcare workers in Telangana. The feedback which we got from the doctors suggests that the authorities did not follow the hospital infection control practices, he said. ALSO READ: Children may have both Covid-19 antibodies, virus in their system at once: Study The Congress leader alleged that an adequate number of PPE kits was not supplied to the doctors and other medical staff. A limited number of PPE Kits were supplied for the staff working at isolation wards while a majority of staff serving in Covid-19 hospitals managed with ordinary masks and gloves. No mechanism was put in place to check whether all precautions were being taken in donning and doffing of the PPE kits. Further, Narayana Reddy said that the PPE Kits supplied to the healthcare workers were of poor quality. Doctors have informed us that the PPE kits were almost see-through and lower than 70 gsm, which are much below the prescribed 90 gsm. Similarly, he said that the masks supplied to the healthcare workers in Telangana were also of sub-standard quality and did not meet the N95 masks of Venus and 3M. A high level enquiry must be ordered immediately on the procurement and supply of PPE kits. Those responsible for supplying poor quality PPE kits should be booked under Section 302 and 307 on the charges of Murder and Attempt to Murder. We urge the doctors and their families, who were infected with Covid-19, to register criminal complaints in their nearest police stations against the authorities for supplying poor quality PPE kits and masks, he said. ALSO READ: VIMS to be developed on par with AIIMS Instilling confidence among Covid patients : YSRCP Parliamentary party Chief VSR The new multicoloured prism sculpture in Dunganstown has attracted a lot of attention since it was installed by Wexford County Council and will be the centrepiece of a new picnic and viewing area currently being developed. Wexford County Council Arts Officer Liz Burns said the 15ft prism - which cost 100,000 through the Per Cent For Art Scheme and a 25,000 donation from New Ross Municipal District - will be signposted once it has a name. 'There will be a plaque here and some signage explaining about it. The local school Bunscoil Ris want to get involved, linking it to the Stokestown Folly. They're going to do a whole programme about it and some artists will work on it. The children might even choose the name.' The prism's location a few kilometres from the iconic Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Bridge has been the source of some debate. Standing near the prism, Ms Burns said: 'We're a couple of kilometres from the bridge. You can catch a glimpse of it when you're coming into Wexford, but you can't going the other way. It's almost like a little destination that you have to seek it out; sometimes art is mysterious and interesting and you need to seek it out. It's a hidden gem, a bit like Wexford's a hidden gem.' Addressing the 100,000 price tag, Ms Burns said it is extraordinary good value for a permanent art work. 'The artist's fee was 20,000 [for] over three years work, that's less than 7,000 a year. 'To produce an iconic piece of sculpture like Angel of The North; it costs millions. We had to be careful and consider the budgets that we have are limited and you need to do the best with what you have and give young artists a chance. Caoimhe Kilfeather would be a young artist and has been highly prolific, she exhibits nationally and internationally. She has made some public art in the past but it's very contemporary and I like that. 'Most artists are living on below the minimum wage. This artist is lucky she teaches part-time in Limerick. Most of the money went on materials, fabrication, engineering costs and the concrete foundations, She designed it and the glass we bought from Northern Ireland and an engineering company in Cork got the contract to build it. There's huge work involved in these processes. I know it seems like a lot of money but when you are looking at something permanent: when you are building a pavement, a house or a roof [it's expensive]. This is permanent. We will be maintaining it as well.' The prism was assembled by the engineering company and transported to Dunganstown. 'The concrete foundations were poured first, then they assembled the frame and then they came back and the glass was assembled so it was quite a complicated process. It's highly durable. The artist Caoimhe Kilfeather first used these materials on a sculpture in Dublin which is in perfect condition and which has been standing for three years.' Kilfeather was one of 20 artists who were in for the job. The group was whittled down to five candidates and four of the five chose the Dunganstown location over an attractive site at the Wexford Ballymacar roundabout. 'I'm really delighted with the piece, as is [district director] Eamonn Hore. It's by a really interesting artist. This one was all about the bridge and the relationship with the road. For the M11 Per Cent For Art commission we had a project around biodiversity with one artist, Christine Mackey in Enniscorthy. She did a lot of work around landscaping and we have another ongoing with Maria McKinney with farmers in Gorey and Enniscorthy and sculptures are being made, and a pop-up post office in Enniscorthy town. There was a sense with that commission that we wanted something in a town to benefit communities, but with this one there was more a sense of marking the relationship with the bridge in some way.' She said the site where the folly is located was ruled out because the land wasn't available, adding that no suitable sites could be located in New Ross. 'We were very much given areas that were owned by the council. There were a lot of boxes that you had to tick to get sites approved so there weren't a lot of sites. We did a lot of work around what sites we could use and could not use so there was a lot more to it, but I think we fell in love with this site.' A picnic area is being created at the site which affords a spectacular view of the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Bridge. Ms Burns said locals have mixed opinions about the prism, especially its location. 'I met a local person when I was here last week and we had a great chat and he asked why here and when I explained about what was going to be going here. He said he liked the piece. 'It's a piece you might love it or you might hate it; it is modernist. He asked why we didn't put it in the town and we talked about that. We did consider sites in New Ross but there were very few for the town that would be available and we thought it would be nice to have that relationship with the bridge. 'I think it's brave. I think it's beautiful and is really in sympathy with the landscape. The artist has really thought about the colours; even on a dull day the colours are really vibrant. On a bright day it might get a bit more transparent.' She said the location of the prism is a unique feature in terms of public art commission. 'We went out on a limb and I think you have to give new artists a chance as well. I think it's important that it sits well within the context [of the landscape]. When the public go into a gallery, people don't say 'I hate that, take it out', but when art goes into the public domain, I hope it enters into a dialogue with the public. We really took the site into consideration. I really hope the public will enjoy it and if they don't, that's OK...Sometimes you don't have to understand art to appreciate it. 'I think you need to give these things time and it will find its place. ' When Ms Kilfeather's design was being considered, former Cllr Oisin O'Connell - who was on the project committee - compared it to stained glass and the Norman churches. 'Those colours are used in stained glass and it's a prism. It's a lovely little piece of magic in a rural landscape. I think we've chosen a really interesting site for public arts. I think there will be a lot of national interest in it. 'This artist is brilliant with materials; it's very architectural. She builds beautiful sculptures. There is a sympathy and a dialogue going on with the bridge: the modernness, the shapes and the angles but also with the countryside and light and colour and she's brave because she's using these modern materials in a rustic environment. 'I think children will respond well to it. We want people to be able to go up and touch it; not like in a gallery where you can't go up and touch the art. There will be a pathway and a grassy area so it's not this precious thing that can't be interacted with and it's very interactive because you will be seeing different things as you go around it.' The prism will be maintained and is supposedly vandal free. 'The glass is highly, highly durable. We have to see how the work fits within the landscape and how the public interact with it.' Caoimhe Kilfeather will attend the prism's official launch this autumn and speak with the students about her work. YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS. At the instruction of Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan, the Defense Ministrys representatives led by Colonel Alexander Avetisyan, the head of the Health, Social Protection and Veterans Affairs department visited the family of Gurgen Alaverdyan, the Armenian officer who appeared in Azerbaijani captivity in circumstances yet to be determined. Colonel Avetisyan got acquainted with the familys socio-economic, health condition and said he will do everything within his powers to solve the issues. The family of the officer was informed that the Armenian authorities are working to determine the circumstances which led to Alaverdyan appearing in Azeri territory as well as to ensure the procedures stemming from his status, the defense ministry said in a news release. Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The Bar Council of India (BCI) has asked the Delhi bar council to examine lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushans tweets that led to Supreme Courts order convicting him for contempt of court. The Bar Council of a state grants licence to a person to practice as a lawyer and has powers such as suspending or taking away the right of its members in certain situations to practice under the Advocates Act, 1961. The General Council of the Bar Council of India has unanimously resolved to direct the Bar Council of Delhi, where Prashant Bhushan is enrolled as an Advocate, to examine the matter and proceed as per law and rules to decide the same as expeditiously as possible, a BCI statement said. The Council is of the view that the tweets and statements made by Prashant Bhushan needs thorough study and examination by the Bar Council in the light of the statutory duties, powers and functions conferred on it under the Advocates Act, 1961 and the rules framed thereunder, particularly, Section 24A and Section 35 of the Advocates Act and Chapter-ll, Part-Vl of Bar Council of India Rules, the statement read. According to Section 24A of the Act, an advocate can be disqualified while Section 35 pertains to punishment for misconduct. A bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra (now retired) recently convicted Bhushan of contempt of court for his tweets against the judiciary. As a punishment, he was fined `1 and directed to deposit the amount with the SC registry by September 15, failing which he would have to undergo three-month jail term and debarred from law practice for three years. As protests about police brutality simmer across North America, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney wants to make it a crime to deface police and peace officer memorials. In a tweet Friday, Kenney said there have been repeated acts of vandalism involving police memorials in Alberta. In response, we will ask the federal Parliament to amend Section 430 of the Criminal Code, which imposes minimum penalties for damaging war memorials, to add police & peace officer memorials, he wrote. In addition, he said, Alberta is considering introducing specific penalties under Alberta regulatory law to deter vandalism that dishonours those who have made the supreme sacrifice. There have been at least two acts of vandalism in Alberta this week. On Thursday, a couple of beat cops discovered a statue and memorial in Constable Ezio Faraone Park in Edmontons river valley covered in graffiti. According to Global News, the paint included the words F*** cops in addition to several tags. The park is a memorial to Faraone, a member of the Edmonton police tactical team who was shot and killed by a suspect fleeing an armed robbery in 1990. Meanwhile in Calgary, someone used chalk to scrawl the word kill all over a monument to peacekeepers last weekend. The stone monument with a plaque on the front stands in the memory of nine Canadian peacekeepers who died when their plane was shot down over Syria in 1974. It is despicable to dishonour the memory of those who gave their lives in the defence of our community, Kenney tweeted. The Criminal Code currently sets out minimum punishments for anyone found guilty of mischief in relation to a building or structure that primarily serves as a monument to honour persons who were killed or died as a consequence of a war. A first offence gets a minimum fine of $1,000, a second gets a minimum of 14 days imprisonment and every offence after that means a minimum of 30 days imprisonment. Kenneys comments come amidst a growing debate over police conduct, funding and oversight, as well as statutes of public figures and whether their defacement should be accepted as protest or condemned as an outrage. This is not the first time Kenney has made his position clear. Protesters in Montreal toppled a statue of John A. Macdonald last Saturday, highlighting the debate over the true legacy of Canadas first prime minister. Kenney again took to Twitter to take on what he called the roving band of thugs that had defaced the statue, which eventually ended up without a head. Many of those on the extreme left responsible for this kind of violence claim that Canada is an illegitimate state, all the while enjoying Canadas rights, freedoms, privileges & prosperity, he tweeted. He added that if Montreal did not put the statue back up, he would be happy to take it and install it on the grounds of the Alberta legislature. Read more about: Next Generation Data Centre, Newport named ?Home of LINX Wales? as new LINX PoP Goes LIVE This follows the previous announcement at the London Internet Exchange (LINX) member conference in London that Next Generation Data (NGD) ? now part of Vantage Data Centers ? was to become the home of LINX Wales. Launched in 2015, LINX Wales was present only at the Stadium House data centre facility in Cardiff with the expansion to NGD due to go live in March of this year. However, the project was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the regulations put in place. LINX Wales is part of LINX?s other regional interconnection services in London, Manchester, Scotland and USA. LINX Service Delivery Manager, Neil Ratcliffe has been overseeing the project; ?It?s been great to be able to get back out into the data centres and continue larger projects like the NGD install. We?ve been keeping a close eye on Government regulations and as soon as we were allowed, we wanted to complete the project so local networks in Wales can start benefiting from everything that LINX and peering has to offer.? Justin Jenkins, UK President and COO Europe, Vantage Data Centers, commented; ?We are delighted our Newport facility has become a major point of presence for LINX Wales. Our customers now have straightforward access to the LINX Wales PoP and the networks peering locally?? ?By keeping traffic local to Wales their networks will benefit from considerably lower latency with fewer hops and improved control, therefore ensuring an enhanced and seamless end user experience.? Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport Lee Waters said: ?I?m pleased to see that LINX have invested in Wales and that the new Internet Exchange is now up and running in Newport. The Welsh Government looks forward to LINX Wales and its new community of members developing as a valuable asset that will contribute to the broader digital economy in Wales.? NGD, newly acquired by Vantage Data Centers, is home to UK enterprise, global cloud providers, global integrators and Fortune 500 companies. NGD?s out of town location is Europe?s largest data centre facility, offering vast amounts of space and totally renewable power. The facility supports the colocation and cloud hosting requirements of organisations of all sizes including the provision of bespoke data halls for larger customers. In addition to full representation from the leading UK carriers, thousands of individual fibres including dark fibres are installed through multiple entry points into an expanding array of meet-me rooms. Find out more about LINX Wales here; https://www.linx.net/about/our-network/linx-wales/ Delhi recorded 2,973 fresh Covid-19 cases on Saturday, the highest single-day spike here in 71 days, taking the tally to over 1.88 lakh, even as Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal asserted that the situation was completely under control and no one should panic. This is the fifth successive day in September when over 2,000 new cases have been reported in a day. Also, over 36,000 tests were conducted on Saturday. Twenty-five fatalities have been recorded in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 4,538, according to the latest bulletin issued by the Delhi health department. On June 26, the city had recorded 3,460 cases, the highest single-day spike before September 5. On Friday, 13 deaths were reported and the daily case count was 2,914. On September 1, 2 and 3, the fresh cases count stood at 2312, 2509 and 2737, respectively. The number of active cases on Saturday rose to 19,870 from 18,842 on the previous day. On June 23, the national capital had reported the highest single-day spike of 3,947. The Delhi government has significantly ramped up testing in the past few days. Barring August 31 when over 14,000 tests were conducted and 1,358 fresh cases reported, since Sunday daily cases count has been recorded in excess of 2,000. The number of tests conducted and corresponding fresh cases reported from August 30-September 5 in that order are: 14,389 (1,358); 20,437 (2,024); 24,198 (2,312); 28,835 (2,509); 32,834 (2,737); 36,219 (2,914) and 38,895 (2,973). The death toll from Covid-19 in Delhi stood at 4513 on Friday. The Saturday bulletin said the death toll from coronavirus infection has risen to 4,538 and the total number of cases climbed to 1,88,193. The positivity rate on Saturday stood at 7.6 per cent while the recovery rate was over 87 per cent, as per the bulletin. Declaring a war on coronavirus, Chief Minister Kejriwal said the recent surge in Covid-19 cases in Delhi is attributable to doubling of testing, but asserted that the situation in the city was completely under control and there is no need to panic. Addressing an online media briefing, Kejriwal said he is not worried about the data, but more concerned about keeping people healthy. Delhi declares war on corona. We have doubled testing, started testing at markets, bus stands, mohalla clinics etc. Test, test, test. Isolate infected people and provide them good treatment. I have told officers not to worry if the number (of cases) increases due to multifold testing, Kejriwal later tweeted. Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain took a meeting with medical directors and medical superintendents of all Delhi government hospitals to review the status of testing, the bulletin said. The divisional commissioner also took a review meeting with all district magistrates on Covid-19 issues. The Union health secretary held a meeting with state health secretaries to review the Covid-19 pandemic situation, it said. The number of containment zones in Delhi jumped to 976 from 949 the previous day. Since August 18, cases again have been coming in four-figure count. According to the bulletin, out of the total number of beds in Covid hospitals, 9229 are vacant. Also, 2337 beds in Covid care centres are occupied by persons under quarantine, including travellers who have returned through the Vande Bharat Mission and bubble flights, it said. According to the bulletin, 1,63,785 patients have recovered, been discharged or migrated so far. The number of people in home isolation stands at 10,514. The number of Rapid Antigen Tests conducted on Saturday stood at 29,333 while the RT-PCR, CBNAAT and True NAAT tests figures were 9,562 in all adding to 38,895, according to the bulletin. The total number of tests done till date in Delhi stands at 17,44,466. The number of tests done per million, as on Saturday was 91,814, it said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, September 5, 2020 12:01 503 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c42dc994 4 National Bali-Police,Jembrana-Police,Japan,Propam,disciplinary-penalty,extortion,viral-video Free Police in Bali will hold a disciplinary hearing for two officers who allegedly extorted Rp 1 million (US$67.93) from a Japanese man over a minor traffic violation in 2019. Jembrana Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Ketut Gede Adi Wibawa said the Bali provincial polices internal affairs division (Propam) had launched an investigation against the two officers. We are waiting for a disciplinary hearing. We cant just punish them, because we have to go through the procedures, Ketut said on Friday, as quoted by kompas.com. He added that the internal affairs division would present evidence pertaining to the incident during the hearing. Read also: National Police punish officers who extorted Japanese tourist in Bali Video footage showing two police officers in Bali allegedly extorting a Japanese tourist over a minor traffic violation has gone viral recently on social media eight months after it was uploaded to YouTube by user style kenji in December last year. The footage shows one of the officers, who was not wearing a traffic police uniform, pointing out to the man that his motorcycle headlight was off. He later proceeded to fine the man Rp 1 million for the violation. In Indonesia, motorcyclists must keep the headlight on while driving, even in daytime. After the video went viral, Ketut confirmed that the two implicated officers had admitted to committing extortion. National Police spokesperson Insp. Gen. Argo Yuwono said the force had taken strict action. (mfp) Barely two weeks after he was infected by COVID-19, the chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Adamawa State chapter, Stephen Mamza, has recovered and been discharged from isolation. The CAN chairman, who is also a Catholic Church Bishop, on his discharge, said the disease is overly exaggerated. He said over-exaggeration has led patients to go through unnecessary fear and psychological tension that usually result in deaths. The disease, which hit virtually all the parts of the globe since December, has killed close to a million persons. It has afflicted over 50, 000 persons in Nigeria and killed over a thousand. Exaggerated Mr Mamza, who spoke at a press conference to mark his healing from the deadly virus on Saturday, thanked all for their show of love and prayers. I personally feel that the effect of coronavirus probably has been over-exaggerated in Nigeria as a matter of fact. And I think the fear that has been instilled into people is too much. It is not a death sentence and it is not probably as bad as people are talking about it. READ ALSO: You can get well after infection and even if you have the underlining illnesses that people are talking about, because fear is the one that can paralyse somebody, he explained. He said many die out of fear. Some people died actually because of fear. As soon as they are announced coronavirus positive, the fear cannot allow them to sleep, they feel that death sentence has already been announced. But that should not be the case. People should not be panicky and too afraid of it. Inasmuch as they abide by the protocols, he said. He also thanked health workers for their sacrifice. Nigerians need to appreciate the efforts of health workers, those in the front line, those that go out to collect the samples, those that work in the lab and the doctors and nurses that go to the treatment centres. That is why I feel very sad when I heard over the news that from Monday, medical workers are going on strike. It is very sad. He noted that God probably allowed him to be afflicted by the virus to serve as example to others. Mr Mamza noted that the virus has exposed Nigerias weaknesses in terms of health facilities urging the authorities to rescue the health sector which is in a comatose state. ST. LOUIS Shelly Jupert didnt realize someone was watching her in July when she inadvertently left her car keys dangling from the front door of the Central West End restaurant she manages. As she set up inside, someone snatched the keys and then her car parked across the street. I felt so violated when it happened, Jupert said. After police recovered her Honda Accord 11 days later and towed it to an impound lot, Jupert found it brimming with trash and stinking of body odor. It wouldnt start. A suspect in the theft was arrested Aug. 17 but Jupert said shes dismayed the case has yet to move forward and is weighing whether to participate in the prosecution. Juperts case is one of hundreds of felony crimes in St. Louis that are stuck in limbo on an internal police list of people arrested and released before formal charges are filed for mostly nonviolent felony offenses. The police departments list typically holds a few hundred names, but over the past eight months it has ballooned to more than 1,200 pending cases, in part because authorities are prioritizing violent cases amid a COVID-19 pandemic that has impaired the judicial system and slowed the courts. Im disappointed, said Jupert, who is 56. I understand the circumstances, the way they are with the pandemic. Im wondering if at some point they will pursue these things. As local and state leaders turned their focus to curbing surging violence in St. Louis this summer including more than 185 homicides thus far in 2020 records indicate police and prosecutors have shifted focus away from less serious crimes. The backlog of unresolved, lower-level violations can prove disheartening for crime victims seeking justice, but also speaks to frustration on the part of law enforcement officials who must modify crime-fighting policies during an unyielding pandemic. The developments come as state Senate Republicans in the early morning hours Thursday pushed through legislation that would allow the state attorney generals office to intervene in St. Louis prosecutions, which are overseen by city Circuit Attorney Kimberly M. Gardner, a Democrat. The controversial move would give the attorney general cause to intervene based on a few factors, such as if more than 90 days have passed since a first- or second-degree murder charge was filed, or if an indictment has not been filed or has been filed and dismissed. Gardner, whose office is the main gatekeeper for prosecutions in St. Louis, said in a statement Friday that, The Senate bill is clearly a politically motivated action one that disregards the will of the voters of the City of St. Louis. The Missouri Prosecutors Association is clearly against unprecedented legislation that threatens local control of all elected prosecutors statewide. The PAW report At least six in 10 arrests on the police departments released pending application of warrants report, or PAW list, are for felony crimes, ranging from drug and gun possession, to burglary, auto theft and assault. The PAW list helps officers track active cases before presenting them to prosecutors a tally of people arrested and released for crimes that can change daily as prosecutors file or refuse cases. At any given time, the PAW list offers a snapshot of arrest data in the city of those released without charges after being held for up to 24 hours. The Post-Dispatch compared the December list with a list from the end of July. The newspaper also reviewed several older lists dating to 2015, most of which had fewer than 200 names, and one with just 75. In the December list, about half of the nearly 700 pending cases were drug-related or for driving under the influence. The share of drug cases on the July list dropped to 34%, while the share of arrests for tampering driving or riding in a stolen car shot up from 8% to almost 29%. An updated set of records provided to the Post-Dispatch at the end of July shows there were 279 people who were arrested and released in May alone. Drug cases typically make up the largest share of cases on the list because they require results from lab tests before theyre presented for charges, police say. Police Chief John Hayden said he believes the biggest contributor to the rise in pending cases is that the pandemic has changed how police apply for charges. This process was normally an in-person process, Hayden said. Now its an email process where things are put in a dropbox So I think the biggest contributor to the backlog is the lack of in-person opportunities. But the growth in pending cases actually began before the pandemic hit, the data shows. There were 32 people in July 2019 who were released pending charges. By the following month the number of those arrested and released rose to 89. It increased to 96 in September, to 121 in October and then swelled to 193 people in November who were arrested and then released without formal charges. Hayden said he isnt sure why the increase began before the pandemic but said it might reflect higher standards for evidence required by the Circuit Attorneys Office. They want to make sure all the Ts are crossed and all the Is are dotted, Hayden said. They are are raising the bar, if you will, to make sure every question is answered. Backlog and protocols Hayden said a combination of the pandemic, street protests, surging homicides this summer and a shortage of about 140 police officers means administrative work can fall by the wayside. The total backlog is likely lower than 1,200, he said, because some people stay listed when they pick up federal, rather than state, charges. Hayden didnt know how many entries on the list fall into this category, and said a top police commander will work with prosecutors to get the backlog under control. We are putting life safety above administrative issues, Hayden said. Im confident I got the right people looking at it and the right conversations will occur to bring it back to normalcy. Hayden said the department did its best to follow COVID-19 protocols implemented by the Circuit Attorneys Office in March, which prioritized violent cases. The prosecutors office focused on cases for those already in custody or considered dangerous and problem offenders. Other acceptable offenses, the office said, were for guns, assaults, robberies, burglaries and stealing. Chris Hinckley, chief warrant officer for the Circuit Attorneys Office, said the office in April suspended PAW cases for about a month. He said the office had consistently prioritized violent crimes before the pandemic, and has kept police commanders informed on how officers should apply for charges in PAW cases. Since early May, the warrant office has been able to accept PAW cases via email while prosecutors reviewed cases remotely, Hinckley said. He said he didnt think his offices PAW policies contributed to the backlog, saying that the only difference is that cases must be submitted electronically. He said he wonders if the new PAW policies were not adequately communicated to rank-and-file officers. In early May, police commanders alerted him to roughly 500 people on the PAW list but he said that no one since told him it had swelled to more than 1,200 cases until the Post-Dispatch inquired about the matter. The warrant office is ready to review a flood of cases headed to his office and working with a deputy chief to triage the PAW cases coming in by age, seriousness of the crime and strength of evidence, Hinckley said. He said hes not concerned about the overflow of cases because most on the list are not considered dangerous offenders. Despite a Circuit Attorneys Office that is short of prosecutors, Hinckley said the warrant office is equipped to handle a higher caseload. In recent days, since your story, since this came out, theyre all of a sudden submitting PAWs out the wazoo, Hinckley said, estimating about a dozen cases per day have flowed in in recent days. The Circuit Attorneys Office last year refused 60% of cases police brought in for charges. If last years rate holds, it means prosecutors would realistically file charges against slightly fewer than 500 of the people on the list. Frustrating crimes Of the hundreds of names on the PAW report, the data shows at least 17 people arrested and released at least twice for various crimes that include drugs, burglary, tampering or gun offenses. One of the people with multiple arrests is a 20-year-old transgender woman who was picked up four times in March and April for burglary and property damage. Police reports say the woman swiped more than $750 worth of alcohol and food on March 12 at the Gray Fox Bar at 3503 South Spring Avenue, and on May 12 broke into the Boost Mobile store at 3706 South Grand Boulevard. She also was arrested in break-ins March 29 and April 30 at the Metro Trans Umbrella Group, a nonprofit agency at 3133 Oregon Avenue that serves the transgender community. Sayer Johnson, executive director of the group, said the woman has actually broken in seven times since January but that the nonprofit only called police twice out of concern for staff and because damages from the break-ins exceeded the cost of the items taken, such as electronics, toilet paper, clothing and food, Johnson said. All the things she took from us we would have given her for free, so it was very frustrating, Johnson said. The woman was later charged in the bar break-in and Johnson said he wasnt bothered that she hadnt yet been charged with burglarizing his nonprofit, saying he understands how the pandemic has made more people desperate for basic necessities. Im happy that the pandemic is keeping her out of jail, quite honestly, he said. The system is not built for Black transgender people. Shes a beautiful, Black trans woman and shes going to end up dead because of these terrible choices that shes making. Elsewhere The Jackson County Prosecuting Attorneys Office, which serves Kansas City, has seen a nearly 40% increase in violent crime during the pandemic. It results in more charges, said Michael Mansur, a spokesman for the office. A couple of months ago, the office temporarily limited filing charges to about 15 cases per week to ease pressure on the court system. We still are carefully looking to make sure we are not filing cases that do not require a felony charge, Mansur said in an email. Data provided by Mansur shows cases referred to the office for prosecution declined from about 600 in March to just under 400 in July. Nelson Bunn Jr., executive director of the National District Attorneys Association, said the pandemic is forcing prosecutor offices across the country to embrace creative ways to do business, particularly by adopting remote technology for casework or attending virtual court hearings. Backlogs can be expected when prosecutors adjust to balancing public safety with the health risks of those in jail awaiting trial, he said. There certainly can be a risk to overwhelming the system as a whole, Bunn said. I think thats why youre seeing so many jurisdictions trying to be as innovative and creative as possible while still maintaining the rights of the accused and the rights of the victims in order to try to get ahead of any backlog that might occur. For much of the summer, the St. Louis Circuit Court struggled to resume jury trials because positive COVID-19 cases among court staff slowed the reopening process. Some judges postponed jury trials, citing health risks. As court restrictions continue, Bunn said prosecutors will face challenges in keeping victims and witnesses engaged in pending cases, already a tough task in normal times. On top of that, prosecutors face the added anxiety of doing the job, living through a pandemic and contending with street protests calling on them to deliver racial justice. At the end of the day, the system as a whole is really struggling, Bunn said. 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. Joel Currier Joel Currier is a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter here: @joelcurrier. Follow Joel Currier Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today Like it does on most notable occasions, Google Indias home page has been creatively altered to celebrate Teachers Day today (September 5). Known as Google Doodle, the image situated along the top of the search bar on the home page today shows items most used by teachers and students. Among the doodles include books, laptop and other stationery items. The two Os in Google have also creatively portrayed the planet Saturn and an atom. Also Read | Teachers' Day: What is it and why is it celebrated on September 5 in India? Since 1962, Teachers Day in India is celebrated a month ahead of the global date on October 5, in honour of the countrys second President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, who was born on September 5, 1888. It is a day dedicated to the appreciation of teachers, where students and institutions honour their contributions in a particular field or the community. While not limited to traditional teacher-student relationships, the COVID-19 pandemic this year may change how celebrations take place in schools and colleges. Teachers Day 2020: Movies to watch on re-learning, innovating and evolving Schools and colleges have been shut since the first lockdown in March 2020 amid increasing coronavirus infections and the Centre plans to re-open educational institutions phase-wise between September-November 2020. In the television series "NCIS," Michael Weatherly and Sean Murray were co-actors beyond a decade. Weatherly starred as the second-in-command to Agent Gibbs, Tony DiNozzo. Sean Murray arrived on the series as a wee trainee who DiNozzo who had a bickering relationship with Weatherly's character. Despite their sibling-like bond acting out their characters, what was their relationship behind the camera? The Truth About the Pair's Off-Screen Relationship In an interview with ETOnline, Murray discussed his real relationship with Weatherly, indicating that the off-screen conspicuously parallels to their characters' relationship. Regarding Weatherly's farewell "NCIS" episode, Murray described that "In the world of NCIS, characters come and go; however, that doesn't mean Weatherly won't be missed," reported Showbiz Cheat Sheet. Murray explained that the pair formed a bond almost immediately and this should be expected considering that Murray played a regular character. The Dynamic Between DiNozzo, McGee According to Murray, "There is a dynamic between the two characters that built over the years - (a) big brother, little brother relationship that included lots of hazing because Tony was always the fraternity brother eternal... Lots of love, lots of making fun of each other and just a neat dynamic between the two," reported ETOnline. Thus, Murray underscored that the parallelism between his and Michael Weatherly's on- and off-screen relationship, the on-screen dynamic helped cement the off-screen friendship. Also Read: Ryan Seacrest Health Scare: 'American Idol' Host Dying from Uncurable Disease? Michael Weatherly's Exit From 'NCIS' Michael Weatherly bid farewell to the long-running CBS series following 13 seasons and over 300 episodes playing the charming goofball and NCIS Special Agent Tony DiNozzo. Support From Sean Murray His co-actor and friend Murray was anticipating for him to make the occasional cameo. Murray describes a rare trait of Weatherly -- compassion. He said that he cares about humans which is rare in a world comprising self-centered people playing make-believe, which is what show business is sometimes. Sean Murray's Agent McGee Needed Michael Weatherly to Exit Although Weatherly was integral to the crime series for quite some time, it was the right move when he departed the show. Weatherly's Tony DiNozzo necessarily made a way for Sean Murray's McGee to initiate a narrative foundation to catalyze McGee's development. Michael Weatherly on Watching the Finale of 'NCIS' Currently starring in "Bull" as the show's leading character, he explained how he plans to confront NCIS' finale, "I'm having a screening at my friend Andrew Mass' apartment in New York City. A whole bunch of us are going to sit around and watch the very last episode. It was very nice of my friend to offer that as a viewing space, and I'll be live-tweeting that, as well, so I'll be sitting with my oldest friends from the third grade, my wife and everyone," reported another article from Showbiz Cheat Sheet. Like Michael Weatherly and Sean Murray's relationship, other co-actors were also friends on the set as indicated in this video: Related Article: 'The Real Housewives of New York City' Exit: Did Dorinda Medley Quit or Get Fired? @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Construction continues on the Hotel Tower at the Grand, a high-rise mixed-use complex in downtown Los Angeles. (Los Angeles Times) To the editor: Labeling downtown Los Angeles a ghost town is an insult to the nearly 80,000 downtown residents who are sheltering in place just as people in communities across the city are. Calling into question whether a revitalized downtown will survive ignores the entrepreneurial spirit that drives the area forward. Former Democratic state Senate leader Kevin de Leon will soon take over downtown's City Council seat, filling the area's leadership void. Furthermore, a federal judge examining homelessness is taking no excuses from the city and the county on housing people in need, and the downtown business improvement districts are providing meaningful clean-up and beautification services. Downtown residents, who reflect the diversity of the city, are resilient. The Los Angeles Times, which called downtown its home for more than a century and witnessed the resurgence, needs to lose its skepticism of the area's future. Instead, focus on the promise of tomorrow. Billie Greer, Los Angeles .. To the editor: I moved into a Financial District condo in 2015. Reporter Thomas Curwen's article captures the apprehensive atmosphere in downtown L.A. but misses the key to the area's boom and eventual resurgence. The city's 1999 Adaptive Reuse Ordinance made it feasible for developers to convert historic, underused commercial buildings into residential projects. Residents flocked to new housing, and a new culture emerged. Economists rightly argue that American cities, L.A. included, are zoned at inefficiently low densities. The clearest path to a vibrant urban core is reducing public-sector interference with commercial and residential land-use decisions. This includes terminating an L.A. City Council member's power to squelch projects at inception. Graft like former Councilman Jose Huizar's pay-to-play schemes, while reprehensible, is not the greatest cost of overly restrictive land-use rules. The real cost is commerce forgone. James E. Moore II, Los Angeles The writer is a professor in USC's Price School of Public Policy. Serbia and Kosovo will open embassies in Jerusalem as part of talks brokered by the Donald Trump administration, with the predominantly Muslim Kosovo also agreeing to normalize ties with the Jewish state. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the news today and said his country will establish diplomatic relations with Kosovo whose 2008 declaration of independence from Serbia still has not been recognized by Serbia, which sees Kosovo as its province. Kosovo will be the first country with a Muslim majority to open an embassy in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said. As Ive said in recent days the circle of peace and recognition of Israel is expanding and more countries are expected to join. Serbia would become the first European country to transfer its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, promising to do so by July 2021. "I thank my friend the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic ... for the decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and move his country's embassy to it," Netanyahu said. Trump formally recognized Jerusalem as Israels capital in December 2017, and months later the US Embassy was moved to the fiercely contested city. Shortly after, Guatemala became the second country to relocate its embassy. Jerusalem is sacred to Judaism, Islam and Christianity. The Palestinians want East Jerusalem, which Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war, as the capital of their future independent state. Israel views the disputed city as its "undivided capital." Today, the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo signed what President Donald Trump described as an economic normalization between the former foes. A statement from the White House said the two Balkan entities were able to reach a real breakthrough on economic cooperation across a broad range of issues. It took decades because you didnt have anybody trying to get it done, Trump said. There was a lot of fighting and now theres a lot of love. It's the latest diplomatic win for the president ahead of the November elections. Last month, the United Arab Emirates and Israel agreed to normalize ties in a historic agreement brokered by the White House. Under the deal, Israel agreed to pause its planned annexation of large portions of the West Bank in exchange for cooperation with the UAE on a range of issues. Bahrain, Oman and Sudan have been floated as countries that could be persuaded to follow the UAEs lead in recognizing Israel. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.-- Heres a look at the most important criminal-justice headlines that made news on Staten Island this week: GENERATIONAL TURF WAR PARTIALLY BEHIND SHOOTING SURGE A confluence of factors have merged into a perfect storm for gun violence on Staten Island, according to District Attorney Michael E. McMahon, as generational gang violence, coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions, social tension and a significant reduction in gun arrests have helped contribute to a notably hostile year on the borough. The proliferation of gun violence on Staten Island and across New York City this year has previously been blamed by police unions and high-ranking members of the NYPD as a sign of things to come amid several reforms impacting law enforcement; however, details provided by McMahon during a recent meeting with the Advance/SILive.com editorial board paints a far more complex picture of the reasons behind the increase. Click here for the story. WOMAN, 19, SHOT IN LEG IN WEST BRIGHTON A 19-year-old woman was shot once in the leg inside 1075 Castleton Ave. Monday night, according to police. (Staten Island Advance/Joseph Ostapiuk) A 19-year-old woman was shot in the leg inside of the West Brighton Houses Monday night, police said. Officers responded to the shooting at 1075 Castleton Ave. just around 11:10 p.m., according to an NYPD spokesman. The victim, who was shot in the left leg, was transported to Richmond University Center in West Brighton in stable condition, the spokesman said. Click here for the story. GRANT CITY RAID NETS PHAT BATCH OF HEROIN, PILLS, GUN A police raid in Grant City uncovered a large stash of street drugs, pills, cash and a gun from a man who repeatedly sold drugs to an undercover officer, authorities allege. James Criso, 40, was arrested last Thursday as officers armed with a search warrant swarmed his Adams Avenue home based on an investigation by the Overdose Task Force, according to the criminal complaint and police. Criso is accused of exchanging drugs including heroin, fentanyl and tramadol for cash with an undercover officer on six occasions, according to the criminal complaint. Click here for more details. TOTTENVILLE RAID NETS ASSAULT WEAPONS; MAN CHARGED Police arrested a 50-year-old man described by his lawyer as an ardent collector of firearms after, authorities say, cops found a cache of semi-automatic rifles, pistols and shot guns and almost 3,000 rounds of ammunition in his Tottenville home. Police arrested Nicholas Remi, of the 400 block of Loretto Street, on Tuesday and he is now facing a lengthy list of felony charges after police found five semi-automatic rifles, five semi-automatic pistols, two shot guns and 2,824 rounds of ammunition spread between a bedroom closet and in a safe in the garage, the criminal complaint alleges. Click here for the full story. COPS: KNIFEPOINT ROBBERS TAKE $7 IN SODA FROM DELI Police responded to a report of a robbery at knifepoint at a New Brighton deli on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/Irene Spezzamonte) Five apparently-thirsty individuals entered a New Brighton deli and robbed a worker at knifepoint Wednesday afternoon, taking less than $10 worth of Pepsi, the NYPD said. At around 6:30 p.m., police responded to a 911 call of a robbery inside of the Staten Deli Grocery Corp., located at 488 Jersey St., an NYPD spokeswoman said in a statement. After arriving at the location, a 29-year-old employee told police five individuals entered the deli, displayed a knife and forcibly removed $7 worth of soda, the spokeswoman said. Click here for more details. Liam, your mission should you choose to accept it, is to help a, 53-year old women, retire in 7 years time, free of any financial worries, where she never has to work again. Im obviously plagiarising some of the text used in the mission impossible TV and film franchise, but I thought it was apt to use, because that was more or less the task an individual set me last month. I wasnt really sure whether it was going to be mission impossible or not, but I was going to find out. And Im pretty sure the woman in question didnt know either and Im always nervous when someone starts off a conversation telling me, how bad they are with money. Theyre great at spending it, but terrible at saving. And then follow up those comments, by telling me theyre hoping I can be their saviour and help them solve or achieve whatever it is they want to. And it always amazes me, the worse people say they are with money, the bigger their ask is. And this was a big ask. But she told me she was really committed to doing whatever was required, which I thought was good news. The bad news followed, when she told me she was, and I quote, prepared to take a star off the hotels I normally frequent when I go on holidays. God, she really was committed. I was impressed. I mean slumming it in a 4, rather than a 5-star hotel is really something. That was going to make all the difference. I needed to digest what she said for a moment because its difficult to write when both your fists are clenched incredibly tightly, so before I moved forward and started asking her about her finances, and what she had or hadnt in place. I wanted to dig a little deeper and find out what was the motivation behind wanting to retire at 60. And she gave me three reasons: 1. The pace at which shes working at and has been for a number of years is ferocious. Shes paid very well, the work is challenging, was enjoyable, but boy have they extracted their pound of flesh from her over the years. What they ask of her is very demanding and shes barely keeping pace as it is. 2. She has an underlying health condition which she expects will deteriorate further as she gets older and her ability to work will be impacted. 3. The majority of her friends and family have plans to retire at 60 and she doesnt want to be the only one, who has no freedom or control over what she does with her time. All good reasons, and nothing I havent heard before, but how good were her finances? Because unless they were in a place that allowed retirement at 60, it didnt matter how valid her reasons, or need to retire were. Okay, it was time to get down to business, and below is a high-level summary of her financial position: * She was single, earning a gross salary 106,000 * Savings 20,000 * Not a homeowner, renting at 1,500 per month * Owes 6,000 on a car loan * Pension contributions 5% her and 10% company * Pension fund 78,000 * Monthly income required at 60 was 4,500 * Expected future inheritance of c. 100,000 * Current monthly cashflow was break even i.e. income = outgoings She told me her pension was that amount because for about 7/8 years she was contributing nothing. She had racked up 30,000 on credit card debt and the majority of her income for a time, after paying rent, was going towards paying the amount she owed. I asked how she accumulated that much debt, and she told me it was racked up on jewellery purchases and holidays. Because she had very chunky loan repayments each month, it hindered her ability to save and make pension contributions. And because she was making no pension contributions, neither was her employer. I did a very quick calculation in my head and estimated the amount she lost out on was c. 85,000. So, as bad as the interest payments on her credit card were, they paled into insignificance when you look at the amount, she missed out on from lost employer pension contributions. Anyway, very long story short, lets get to the numbers. Based on her existing plan, at 60 she was going to have a fund that would generate a net monthly income of c. 734. She needed 4,500 to stop working entirely, so there was a gap of 3,766. So, what, if any were the solutions? If she re-located to Leitrim (apparently the cheapest place in Ireland to rent) the cost of a property to rent would be c. 550. And Ive looked at some of those properties for rent at that cost, and theyre not nice. And even if she decided to rent one, shed have 234 left to live off for the rest of the month, which meant shed have a daily budget of 7.69 to feed herself, pay utilities etc. So, it looked like that option was a non-runner. What if she took out a mortgage and bought a property? That would lower her income requirements in retirement. It would but wouldnt lower them enough. Sure, she could rent out a room in the property which would help, but if she borrowed for example 300,000, the total repayments over 7 years, would amount to c. 4,000, and no bank is going to give her money where the repayments are accounting for c. 75% of her net monthly income. So, buying a property wasnt going to work, she left it too late. Typically, the other options when there is a shortfall are contributing more to your pension fund in the interim, but again, even if she was going to make the maximum personal contributions allowable, each year for the next 7 years which averaged c. 2,870 per month, shed only end up with a net monthly income of 1,491 per month, still 3,009 short of her target number. Again, she left it too late. The good news was that she could retire at 60. The bad news was shed have to save an insane amount for the next 84 months, sell all her jewellery and then re-locate to Leitrim and make sure she doesnt spend more than 20 a day. The lessons learned from how she managed her finances was, by completely ignoring them, and not making provisions for the future, choosing short term gratification over longer term benefits, she was going to pay a very heavy price and unfortunately it could have been avoided. Im finding it hard to get an image of her out of my mind, where shes sitting with all of her jewellery on, warming herself alongside a gas heater, in the middle of nowhere with just coin inside her gold encrusted wallet, thinking how did I end up like this? How sad is that. Id say, dont let that happen to you. Take an active interest in your finances, get help, put a plan in place, buy a property, dont leave it too late, dont get into debt, take some personal responsibility, dont rely on others, dont think something magical will happen in the future that will solve all your problems, and dont think it will all work out alright, it mightnt. Liam Croke is MD of Harmonics Financial Ltd, based in Plassey. He can be contacted at liam@harmonics.ie or www.harmonics.ie British passengers queued for more than 45 minutes to cross the UK border at Heathrow Airport earlier today, complaining of chaotic scenes and a lack of social distancing. Passengers arriving at Terminal 5 yesterday afternoon posted photographs of lines of people standing in line awaiting to get through passport control and enter the country officially. Some complained that many of the automated passport reading machines, which are supposed to speed access through the border, were not operational - despite the long lines of people. Thousands of passengers were delayed trying to pass through the UK border after arriving at Heathrow Terminal 5 on Friday afternoon Passengers waited for more than 45 minutes while they were squeezed together waiting to proceed through the airport One passenger, Mandy Seal, 62, from London said it was like entering 'the abyss'. She had arrived back from a break in Bari, Italy, which is not on the government's travel warning list. 'I flew British Airways and they were absolutely brilliant. They allowed passengers off the aircraft four rows at a time, so there was none of the usual crowding. 'But after arriving at border control, there were scenes of chaos. Not all of the automatic gates were working. 'One official put tape across to stop anyone from approaching the border queue. It was very confusing.' Passenger numbers at Heathrow Airport are still only a fraction of their normal levels because of the Covid-19 travel restrictions and many people's reluctance to fly abroad in case the Government's advice changed and forced them into a fortnight's quarantine. Ms Seal said: 'It was the border that was an absolute bottleneck. 'We are heading to the abyss. The whole government is completely incompetent. Priti Patel doesnt know what shes doing.' She said British Airways asked passengers to fill in a form which was quite simple and then there was a government form which was very complicated. Ms Seal said her experience in Heathrow contrasted greatly with her arrival in Bari. 'Normally Bari is a busy airport, but there were far fewer passengers. I only had hand luggage and was straight of the plane. A human checked my passport and it was through customs and on to the car hire in a matter of minutes.' One insider told MailOnline, the Government's Track and Trace form is causing 'a bottleneck' at the border as some passengers have not completed the forms correctly. Also, with major disruption to flights and schedules it is difficult to ensure enough staff are available - especially due to failure of passengers to fill in forms correctly ahead of their arrival. Heathrow Airport said matters of Passport Control are an issue for the Home Office. A Home Office spokesperson said: 'The safety of the public and our staff remains our priority. 'Like all public services operating throughout this unprecedented global pandemic, there have been additional pressures placed on Border Force, but the vast majority of passengers have not experienced delays and we continue to meet our service standard.' Meanwhile, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing a revolt from his own MPs over his refusal to introduce Covid-19 testing at UK border crossings. Tory MPs complain the 14-day quarantine requirement is causing massive damage to the UK economy. David Davis, Chris Grayling, Theresa Villiers and Paul Maynard were among senior Tories to speak out against the Government. It is thought that 40 backbenchers could join a rebellion over the shambles ahead of a Commons debate next week. Despite the uproar, Mr Johnson yesterday insisted tests at airports and ports would create a false sense of security and quarantine was vital to tame the pandemic. A team of UK scientists and artists have collaborated with Syrian refugees to produce reusable personal protective equipment (PPE), which is to be distributed in Jordan. The initiative, titled Peoples PPE, has been organised by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). It involves academics from the University of Sheffield, the London College of Fashion, the University of the Arts London (UAL), and researchers from two universities in Jordan Al Albayt University and the University of Petra. The project, which has received 766,675 in funding from the UK government, is offering refugees in the Zaatari camp in Jordan the opportunity to take on small-scale manufacturing jobs by producing reusable masks, shields and gowns amid the coronavirus pandemic. The PPE is being made using materials that are low-cost, locally sourced and recyclable. Mohd Al Taher, associate external relations officer at UNHCR, explained that the project is helping to support the Syrian refugees in the camp by creating livelihood opportunities. The cooperation with the University of Sheffield and London College of Fashion, UAL, has resulted in training many Syrian refugee women in the Zaatari camp with skills in developing PPE, he said. These skills created livelihood opportunities for refugees and supported the refugee community. Al Taher added that the UNHCR plans to cover the needs of the camp community with PPE by using high-quality and low-cost materials, using innovative solutions in doing so. (Aya Musmar/Petra University/PA) The 3D-printed face shields being as part of The Peoples PPE were designed and produced using iForge, a collaborative workspace at the University of Sheffield run by engineering students. Recommended Burberry launches reusable face masks in iconic check print Professor Tony Ryan, director of the Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures at the university and principle investigator for The Peoples PPE, stated that the initiative is about empowering refugees in a moment of health crisis. Ive spent years working with the people of Zaatari and learning from their incredible resourcefulness and creativity, the professor said. Faced with a global pandemic, we are working together to design and produce the protective equipment the refugees and their host community need to stay safe, while reducing plastic waste, creating jobs and building resilience within the camp community. I object to your Opinion Page cartoon of Tuesday, Sept. 1. There is no epidemic of black men being shot by police. There is an epidemic of COVID-19, of opioid overdose, of domestic violence, of looting, of arson, of loss of ones livelihood due to government imposed lockdown, of Spanish influenza during the winter months, etc. An epidemic of black men being shot by police? No. There is a loss of reasoning by the print media and video media. Has anyone considered that if a law is broken, it is the duty of our police force to arrest that miscreant? Has anyone considered that resistance to arrest will be met with force, sometimes overwhelming force? If you go along with that officer, all is well. You have your day in court. If you do not comply, then the outcome is on you. An Irish healthcare worker who has contracted Covid-19 has issued a warning about the effectiveness of temperature-checking for the virus. Many shops and workplaces like factories are using temperature-checking systems upon entry to spot potential Covid-19 cases, while regular temperature checks are also carried out on patients and residents in hospitals and long-term care facilities for the same reason. A healthcare worker has called into question this regular method of monitoring. The worker who is from Offaly but works in a residential care facility in Meath said: "We are being told by the HSE to rely on taking temperatures as a sign of Covid-19. I get that every case is different but to be told if you don't have a temperature, you're unlikely to have Covid is completely false." "In my workplace, we have been following the guidelines to the letter and we are still overrun with it. We are a residential service and six or seven people we support are affected by this and nine staff, including myself. None of us were showing a temperature," the worker explained. "It just bugs me how restaurants and workplaces are so reliant upon a temperature check when it doesn't seem to be a safe method. A temperature check is seen as enough to warrant you as 'okay' when you could be silently suffering. "The HSE needs to readvise or inform people that temperature checking isn't 100%," they added. "In our workplace, we do not know how it was contracted, only that one person brought it in and everyone else is suffering the consequences, myself included." The HSE reiterates that the most common symptoms of Covid-19 a fever or high temperature of 38 degrees Celsius or above, a cough and shortness of breath or breathing difficulties. They also urge employers to follow the government's 'Return to Work Protocol,' which specifically urges them to implement Covid-19 prevention and control measures to minimise the risk to workers. These measures included a pre-return to work form to be filled in by employees, specific safety training, the displaying of Covid-19 symptoms and actions required if symptomatic, as well as the implementation of temperature testing in line with public health advice." Temperature checking is listed among a suite of measures to minimise and control the spread of the virus in the protocols, according to the HSE. One person died and another was flown to a nearby hospital Friday night after a car slammed into trees off Interstate 78 in Hunterdon County, New Jersey State Police Sgt. Philip Curry told NJ Advance Media. Passenger Jessica Bencosme-Crisostomo, 20, of Reading, Pennsylvania, sustained fatal injuries and the driver of the vehicle, Darwin Plasencia-Valentin, 21, also of Reading, suffered serious injuries and was being treated at St. Lukes Hospital in Phillipsburg, Curry said. The Honda Accord was traveling west on the highway when it went off the right side of the road at 7:18 p.m. Friday in Readington Township near mile post 26.4, Curry said. It was unclear what caused the Accord to leave the highway and hit the trees, as the crash remains under investigation. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. NJ Advance Media staff writer Allison Pries contributed to this report. (TNS) Aurora will not have fully integrated body cameras for police officers until the middle of 2021.That was the word at this weeks Committee of the Whole meeting as members of the City Council discussed the timeline for the body cams for police.Aurora has retained the help of the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab, a not-for-profit organization that studies and consults on body cam implementation nationwide, as well as for the federal government, including Homeland Security. Mark Gabriel, a project manager for the lab, told aldermen purchasing and implementing body cams is a very complex process, because it involves taking situations from when they happen all the way to adjudication in the court system.You are very ahead of the curve, Gabriel told the council. You have already done things I saw other police departments stumble with. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw how you folks are approaching this.The city began looking into the body cams in the middle of 2019, during discussions for the 2020 budget. At that time, city officials decided they would work through 2020 to find the funding for the body cameras and put the purchase in the 2021 budget.Now, buying the cameras has taken on a higher priority, and city officials have started the process to purchase them. Martin Lyons, Auroras chief financial officer, has said the purchase price is estimated at about $1.4 million for the initial purchase and maintenance, and up to $900,000 a year for annual maintenance.Johns Hopkins provided information to aldermen on the process, but also on the history and past effectiveness of body cameras for police. Ald. Sherman Jenkins, at large, said the information provided by Johns Hopkins shows that body cameras are very effective on reducing use of force.Aurora has already whittled down the number of potential vendors for the body cams from 30 companies to five, and this week sent out requests for proposals to those five companies. The deadline for the request for proposals will be Sept. 21, Lyons said, and the city will assess the vendors through Oct. 5, whittling it down to two final vendors.At that point, the city will begin pilot programs, trials and testing through the end of October, with an eye toward a vendor recommendation by Nov. 6. While the normal city approval process would take it to final City Council approval on Nov. 24, Lyons said there is a shortcut method the city can use to get pre-approval for both finalists by the council on Nov. 5. It would take two weeks off the normal process, Lyons said.The citys timeline has officers using body cameras on a trial basis by the end of the year. But they would not be fully integrated into the citys computer systems until June 2021, most likely. Lyons said the city would be looking for ways to make full implementation sooner.Lyons said city staff would give aldermen updates roughly every other week on the body cameras.In addition to coordinating into the citys computer system, the city also has to coordinate policies that match the new technology. For instance, the policy must include how police officers treat body cams with victims of domestic violence, victims of sexual assault, incidents involving minor children and use of cameras near remote-detonated devices.The city also has to look at a policy on video retention and storage, how things will work with Freedom of Information Act requests and how records clerks redact information on videos.The information to aldermen was contained in 87 pages of a report from Johns Hopkins. But aldermen said it was detailed and clear.Now we have something precise to tell our public, said Ald. Patty Smith, 8th Ward. Racism is toxic poison that is harming us all, ELCA bishop declares at Kenosha prayer vigil Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Just over a week after civil unrest erupted in Kenosha, Wisconsin, over the controversial police shooting of Jacob S. Blake, a Lutheran bishop said the nation needs to repent of its racism, which is a toxic poison that is harming us all. We can choose to regard the events of recent days as an aberration and as an exception to the rule and we can work hard to restore things to how they used to be and get back to normal. Or we can choose to recognize that what we used to call normal was not only killing our siblings who are black and brown it was hurting all of us, Rev. Paul D. Erickson, bishop of the Greater Milwaukee Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, said at a prayer vigil held at Grace Lutheran Church in Kenosha Wednesday. What we need is a time of radical change and transformation. But before that can happen we need an honest assessment of how we got to where we are. So in our tradition, in the Lutheran confessional tradition we often begin our worship services with a time of confession in which we are invited to be honest with ourselves, with our neighbors and with God about the ways we have contributed to and benefited from the way things are. Erickson argued that while Christians are often tempted to view sin as being like the bad apple on the tree that we just need to pluck down and toss aside or perhaps incarcerate so that the rest of the tree isnt damaged, its much deeper than that. We need to recognize that the challenges facing us are not about simply casting aside the bad apples or even cutting off the branch or even burning down the tree from which that fruit stems. We need to recognize that the very soil in which we all are planted is toxic. And that toxic poison that is harming us all is racism, he said. In the shooting incident, which left Blake, a 29-year-old African-American father paralyzed, police officer Rusten Sheskey shot at his back seven times. The Wisconsin Department of Justice, which is investigating the shooting, released a statement, describing how Blake scuffled with officers and was tasered unsuccessfully. He was shot as he opened the drivers door to an SUV where three of his sons were reportedly inside at the time. Video of the shooting subsequently sparked ongoing rallies, marches and deadly confrontations with armed civilians and visits to the city from both President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. Mary Zorn of the ELCA Outreach Center in Kenosha prayed about the fear people were experiencing in the city in her opening prayer at the vigil. God of grace and mercy, look down on your children in Kenosha. We are afraid. We are afraid to go into our homes and sleep at night. I have seen your children, Lord and they are scared that their children are going to get shot in their windows. God, please bring your peace to that. Send your loving arms and your angels to watch over us in Kenosha. Help those people that have been displaced by these things that have happened here, Zorn prayed. She also prayed that the nations leaders would come up with a solution to create peaceful justice. Lord, help our leaders that they might find a way towards justice. Help us that we might be able to find that way peacefully and that your children wont be afraid anymore and my friends that I see will not be scared to be in the streets at all, that their children can go to playgrounds again, she said. Lord, we see that things are not good sometimes right now and we do lose hope but we know you have everything to give us. And we just need to share it and remember that we are one in Your name." Rev. Jonathan Barker, an activist pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, thanked God that Blake survived the shooting and prayed for his continued recovery. As a church, we must gather to seek justice and pray for justice. We must gather to confess our complicity in the institutional racism that has led to this horrible event. We must come together to lament that black lives are oftentimes violently opposed in our country still and that too often, black lives do not matter in our country. We need justice and we need things to change, he told intercessors at the vigil. State-owned Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) has offered its employees stock options at one-third of the market price as the company looks to reward staff ahead of its privatisation. The board of BPCL on Friday "approved the proposed Employee Stock Purchase Scheme (ESPS) to the specified employees through the trust mechanism, subject to the approval of the shareholders", the company said in a regulatory filing. While BPCL did not give details, a source with direct knowledge of the development said 'BPCL Trust for Investment in Shares' holds around 9.33 per cent stake of the company's paid-up share capital. Of this, 2 per cent will be offered to employees at one-third the price of BPCL scrip in the preceding six months, he said. There will be no change in government's shareholding in the company. The government is selling all of its 52.98 per cent stake in BPCL to a strategic investor. Expression of Interest (EoI) for the privatisation is due on September 30. "The Trust formed for the purpose shall purchase the aforesaid shares from the 'BPCL Trust for Investment in Shares' by way of secondary acquisition through the stock exchanges as per the SEBI (Share Based Employee Benefits) Regulations, 2014 and other applicable laws," the company said in the regulatory filing. The source said the number of shares to be offered under the ESPS will depend on the grade of the employee and even directors on the company board would be eligible for the offer. There will be a one-year lock-in period for the shares that employees buy under ESPS, he added. BPCL, he said, has not yet decided on what to do with the residual 7.33 per cent stake held by the Trust. 'BPCL Trust for Investment in Shares' is an independent entity, of which the company BPCL is a beneficiary. ESPS will be executed in strict compliance of the SEBI norms, the person said adding BPCL will seek shareholders' approval for the scheme at its upcoming annual general meeting (AGM) later this month. After shareholders approve, BPCL will make a former offer to employees. BPCL closed at Rs 403.40 per share on the BSE on Friday. Last month, it offered a voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) to some of its employees as part of the planned privatisation. About 1,200 employees are likely to be given VRS, the source said. BPCL stake sale is crucial to meeting government's record Rs 2.1 lakh crore divestment target for the current fiscal. Also Read: Rajnath Singh likely to meet Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe in Moscow this evening Also Read: Daiichi-Ranbaxy case: Delhi Police summons Radha Soami Satsang chief Gurinder Singh Dhillon The electoral process of local elections, scheduled for October 25, 2020, started in Ukraine on September 5. Previously the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Ukraine said the start date of the campaign was adopted at a meeting of the CEC on August 30 in compliance with the requirements of the Electoral Code of Ukraine. "At the same time, the commission took into consideration the resolution of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of July 15, 2020 on appointment of the next local elections in 2020, resolution No. 160 of the CEC of August 8, 2020 on the first elections of deputies of rural, town, city councils of territorial communities and the corresponding rural, town, city heads on October 25, 2020, resolution No. 161 on the impossibility of holding the first elections of deputies of individual rural, town, city councils of Donetsk and Luhansk regions and the corresponding rural, town, city heads on October 25, 2020 and resolution No. 176 of August 14, 2020 on the appointment of the first elections of deputies of district councils for October 25, 2020," the report says. School development societies besieged with corruption, should be monitored closely: CTU View(s): The Ceylon Teachers Union (CTU) called on the Education Ministry last week, to develop a monitoring system to regulate the activities of school development societies. CTU General Secretary Joseph Stalin said the school development societies are besieged with corruption. He said several schools principals and some teachers and parents are obtaining money from parents for development projects, but no work is being done. Mr. Stalin said some school development society members do not meet at all and the money obtained were not accounted for. He said several petitions sent in by parents had been ignored by the Education Ministry, and the CTUs request to investigate had been given any attention either. We request that the Ministry develops a mechanism to monitor the activities of school development societies, so that money received by these societies will be accounted for, Mr. Stalin said. - CC Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 03:54:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Combo photo shows U.S. President Donald Trump (M), Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic (L) and the head of government of Kosovo Avdullah Hoti attending their respective events on different occasions. (Xinhua) "We haven't resolved all our problems. There are still differences," says Vucic, but both he and Hoti note that the economic normalization is "a huge step forward." WASHINGTON, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- The leaders of Serbia and Kosovo agreed to economic normalization at a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in the White House on Friday. With Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and the head of government of Kosovo Avdullah Hoti sitting aside, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that the two sides had committed to economic normalization. "By focusing on job creation and economic growth, the two countries were able to reach a major breakthrough ... on economic cooperation across a broad range of issues," said Trump. "We haven't resolved all our problems. There are still differences," said Vucic, but both he and Hoti noted that the economic normalization is "a huge step forward." The U.S.-backed economic deal also includes terms with Israel. Trump said that Serbia will move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem by next July and Kosovo and Israel have agreed to the normalization of ties. The United States moved its embassy to Jerusalem over two years ago after a controversial decision to recognize the city as Israel's capital. Palestinians see the eastern part of the city as the capital of their future state. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008. Serbia rejects it and considers Kosovo its own province. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 17:02:32|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Fireboats extinguish fire of an oil tanker in the seas off Sri Lanka's eastern coast, on Sept. 5, 2020. The distressed oil tanker MT New Diamond which caught fire in the seas off Sri Lanka's eastern coast on Thursday has been towed 40 nautical miles away from shore and the fire is under control, the Sri Lanka navy said here Saturday. (Sri Lanka Air Force Media/Handout via Xinhua) COLOMBO, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- The distressed oil tanker MT New Diamond which caught fire in the seas off Sri Lanka's eastern coast on Thursday has been towed 40 nautical miles away from shore and the fire is under control, the Sri Lanka navy said here Saturday. The oil tanker was heading to the Paradip Port in India carrying 270,000 metric tonnes of crude oil from Kuwait when a fire broke out in its engine room, threatening to cause a massive oil spill in the Indian Ocean. The navy, in a statement, said that as of Friday evening, three capital ships and three fast attack craft of Sri Lanka navy, two ships belonging to the Sri Lanka coast guard, three ships of Indian Coast Guard, one ship belonging to the Indian Navy, two tugs of Hambantota International Port Group have been engaged in the firefighting efforts. In addition, two dornier aircraft belonging to the Indian Coast Guard have been stationed at the Mattala Mahinda Rajapaksa International Airport in the south for emergency use. The navy said as of Saturday morning the fire was well under control and the vessel had been taken further away from the eastern shore, in case of a threat of an oil spill. As of Saturday morning, the navy said there was no threat of an oil leak as efforts were underway to prevent the fire from reaching the cargo area. Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, in a statement on his official twitter expressed his gratitude to the Sri Lanka Navy, Sri Lanka Air Force, Sri Lanka Ports Authority, and the Indian Defence Forces for their joint effort in curbing the fire. The navy said one Filipino crew member was presumed dead while another had sustained serious injuries and had been taken to an eastern hospital for treatment. The remaining 21 crew members including the captain and engineer of the vessel had been rescued by the Sri Lanka Navy. Enditem Rosie Huntington-Whiteley looked every inch of her fashionista status as she headed out for lunch in Mayfair with her fiance Jason Statham on Friday. The model, 33, turned heads as she left celeb hotspot Scott's restaurant in a red leather trench coat. Rosie complemented her look with a simple black T-shirt and dark bootleg jeans. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley looked every inch of her fashionista status as she headed out for lunch in Mayfair with fiance Jason Statham on Friday The mother-of-one added a boost to her frame with black pointed heels and accessorised her chic ensemble with black shades and a clutch bag. She wore her blonde hair in a sleek centre-parting and accentuated her natural beauty with a polished make-up look. Jason, 51, meanwhile cut a dapper figure in a blue bomber jacket and jeans. All eyes on her: The model, 33, turned heads as she left celeb hotspot Scott's restaurant in a red leather trench coat, while Jason looked dapper in a navy bomber jacket The couple, who usually reside in Los Angeles, flew over as it was announced the actor has reunited with director Guy Ritchie for a new spy thriller called Five Eyes. The duo have previously worked together on films such as Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, Revolver and Wrath of Man. In the movie, Statham will portray a MI6 guns-and-steel agent who aligns with Five Eyes, an international intelligence agency, to cease the sale of weapons that could lead to deadly international conflicts. Ivan Atkinson and Marn Davies (The Gentlemen) will pen then screenplay to the thriller, which will be financed and produced by Miramax and STXfilms. Reunited:JThe couple, who usually reside in Los Angeles, flew over as it was announced the actor has reunited with director Guy Ritchie for a new spy thriller called Five Eyes The trip to the U.K no doubt comes as a welcome break to Rosie, who recently admitted that she frequently comes under pressure to have invasive procedures in Los Angeles, where she lives, but she doesn't want to do anything 'extreme' to her body. She told the Daily Mail's Eden Confidential column: 'I don't like to try anything extreme. I'm cautious, especially in LA where people are like, "Do you want breakfast and Botox?" and I'm like, "Uh, no. I'll take the breakfast and you can keep the Botox".' However, Rosie - who has son Jack, three, with partner Jason Statham, 53 - admitted the one thing she never worries about is her famous pout. She explained: 'I never worry about my lips. They stay in good shape.' The state education and literacy department is planning to reopen government schools from September 21 for students of classes 9 to 12, who want to consult teachers to clear their academic doubts. If the plan is executed, interested students can only go to the school after they get a written consent from their parents or guardians for the same, officials said on Friday. The Jharkhand Education Project Council (JEPC) prepared a draft proposal to be approved by the secondary education wing, which will further sent to the state disaster management for approval. JEPC officials claimed that the draft proposal has been submitted to the secondary education wing. However, secondary education director, Jatashankar Choudhary, on Friday said, I have not received the draft proposal yet from the JEPC. Choudhary said, As per the guidelines from the Government of India, if a student, who wants to consult a teacher for any educational doubts, he/she can visit the school after getting consent from parents or guardians. The school will not call the students. A JEPC official, who requested not to be quoted, said the council only provided the technical support in preparing the proposal for the secondary education wing. In the proposal, we have suggested that only 20 students would be allowed to sit in a class per day to maintain social distancing. As far as teachers are concerned, 50% teachers can be allowed as per the roster. Recently, the state education and literacy department sought feedback from parents through a poll regarding reopening of schools and syllabus for students of classes 9 to 12, between August 24 and 31. As many as 25.76% parents wanted schools to reopen only in September, while 31.74% parents expressed willingness over resumption classes only after the introduction of a Covid vaccine. Besides, over 82% of the parents, who responded to the poll, wanted syllabus of their wards to be cut short. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Evangelical leader on why Christians must care about persecution of Uighur Muslims in China Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Southern Baptist ethicist Russell Moore has urged Christians to care about the plight of Uighur Muslims in China, warning that authoritarian regimes rely on tribalism to keep their system of persecution alive. In a recent YouTube video, Moore said that totalitarian and authoritarian regimes such as China target religious minorities like Uighur Muslims a community that resides mostly in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region in China Tibetan Buddhists, and Christians because they want to make the state, themselves, ultimate. We as Christians have lived through that, he said. The Christian Church emerged in a Roman Empire in which Caesar wanted to make himself a god and not just a man. Jesus is the one who taught us to render to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, but the image of God does not belong to Caesar. It belongs to God. Moore said that the crimes being perpetrated against religious minorities in China and elsewhere rely on invisibility where the rest of the world doesn't pay attention and tribalism. The way of Jesus Christ says that we pay attention to our neighbor on the side of the road who is persecuted, who is being beaten, he said. So let's pray for the Uighur [and] for other persecuted peoples. Let's pray not just individually, but together, and pray for them by name. Let's be the people who stand up for whoever is being made invisible, whoever is being intimidated and bullied in our own neighborhoods and in our own communities because we're the people of Jesus Christ. Moore recently participated in a webinar that highlighted the systemic persecution Uighur Muslims are experiencing at the hands of the Chinese Communist Party, from forced labor and rape to imprisonment, organ harvesting, and constant surveillance. Panelists encouraged those in the U.S. to pray for those who are being persecuted, call their elected and appointed officials and ask them to stand up for persecuted people in China, consider starting a local International Religious Freedom Roundtable, and educate others on whats going on in China. Estimates suggest that as many as 1 million Uighur Muslims have been subject to internment camps in Xinjiang, where they are taught to be secular citizens who will never oppose the ruling Communist Party. Additionally, a recent report documents how hospitals in Xinjiang were ordered to abort and kill all babies born in excess of Chinas mandated family planning limits including newborns born after being carried to full term. The orders were part of strict family-planning policies intended to restrict Uighurs and other ethnic minorities to three children. In June, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom argued that the forced sterilization of Uighur Muslims is evidence of genocide. Its evident from the Chinese governments own data that the Communist Partys policies are clearly designed to prevent population growth for the Uyghur, Kazakh, and other Turkic Muslim peoples, USCIRF Commissioner Nury Turkel said in a statement. We urge the State Department to investigate whether the Chinese authorities deliberate and systematic attempt to genetically reducing the Turkic Muslim population in Xinjiang meets the legal definition for genocide as contemplated in the Genocide Convention. According to COPA, the initial stabbing incident happened at 49th Street and LaCrosse Avenue while the suspect was found nearby at 49th and Lavergne, where he was Tased and then shot after continuing to attack officers, all of whom were wearing body cameras, with a knife as they were trying to take him into custody. A Brielle police officer admitted Thursday that he took more than $700 from the expense account of a local police union where he served as treasurer, Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni announced Friday. Michael W. Palmer, Jr., 33, of Wall Township, pleaded guilty to third-degree theft and now faces probation and the forfeiture of his position with the police department and his ability to ever hold public office in the state again when is sentenced on Oct. 22, Gramiccioni said. We will continue to hold law enforcement officers accountable for their actions and will prosecute those who violate the law, he said in a release. Police officers who betray their oaths fail our citizens, their fellow officers, and make it harder for the law enforcement community to obtain the publics trust. We will not tolerate this conduct and the added burden that it places on the work of honorable law enforcement officers who are working tirelessly to serve their communities. Palmer must also pay back the Brielle Policemens Benevolent Association Local 395 the $734.25 he stole from it, according to a statement from the prosecutors office. He was charged in July after an investigation by the office and the Brielle Police Department unveiled that he made several cash withdrawals from ATMs in Wall Township, Ocean Township and Neptune City from the expense account of the PBA bank account for personal uses without being given approval to do so, the office said. The transactions happened between February 20 and March 25. Palmer was an officer with the department since Dec. 1, 2018, where he earned a salary of $105,383, authorities said. He was suspended without pay after he was charged with theft. I cant stress this enough; Mr. Palmers behavior was inexcusable and is by no means a representation of the high level of professionalism and integrity of every Brielle police officer, Brielle Police Chief Gary J. Olsen said in a statement. As a department, and as an association, we are very pleased with the outcome of this case and we look forward to moving on and recovering from this. Palmers attorney, Charles J. Uliano, could not be reached for comment Friday night. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 15:26:20|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Li Ying (L), staff member with Haicang Station of China Railway Nanchang Group Co., Ltd. checks medical supplies as well as electronic devices and clothes that will be loaded onto a China-Europe freight train bound for Hamburg of Germany at Haicang Station in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province, April 25, 2020. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan) At a time when Europe is tamping down a resurge of COVID-19 infections, jointly fighting the pandemic and seeking recovery in the post-epidemic era is a common issue discussed at recent meetings between two top Chinese foreign policy officials and leaders and high-level officials from seven European countries. by Yu Shuaishuai, Li Xiaopeng ATHENS, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- As China and the European Union (EU) celebrate 45 years of relations this year, the two sides vow to expand bilateral trade and investment, deepen cooperation on post-epidemic economic recovery and promote multilateralism during the recent back-to-back European visits by two top Chinese foreign policy officials. Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee visited Spain and Greece on Sept. 3-4, closely following Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi's trip to five other European countries which concluded on Sept. 1. Boxes of masks donated by the Chinese community in Greece to the Greek government is seen in Athens, Greece, March 18, 2020. (Photo by Wu Jiali/Xinhua) DEEPENING COOPERATION At a time when Europe is tamping down a resurge of COVID-19 infections, jointly fighting the pandemic and seeking recovery in the post-epidemic era is a common issue discussed at the meetings the two Chinese officials held separately with leaders and high-level officials from the seven European countries. Cooperation is the way they all agreed to. China has shown its spirit of cooperation and solidarity during the past months when it mobilized large quantities of medical supplies and rushed to some European countries' aid to fight the virus. During their respective meeting with Yang, both Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez thanked China for its assistance and support in their fight against COVID-19, saying that such deeds helped strengthen bilateral relations. Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio also expressed his gratitude for China's help during a meeting with Wang. Looking forward, cooperation should be intensified, Sebastian Carlens, deputy editor-in-chief of German daily newspaper junge Welt, told Xinhua on Friday. "The recovery of the Chinese economy also offers the rest of the world opportunities to overcome the economic consequences of the lockdown more quickly," Carlens said. Close cooperation with China is important for Germany and other EU states, he continued, warning that European states "would be doing each other a disservice if they took part in a confrontation against China." Chairman of Italian Red Cross Francesco Rocca (6th R, back) poses for photos with members of Chinese aid team at Fiumicino Airport in Rome, Italy, March 12, 2020. (Xinhua/Cheng Tingting) Leaders and high-level officials of the seven European countries also expressed similar views on future cooperation. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas expressed the hope to deepen cooperation in such fields as economy, trade and humanities, vaccine cooperation; Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis confirmed Greece's interest in strengthening cooperation especially in investment, trade and tourism; The Dutch Foreign Ministry said that the two countries need each other for sustainable recovery of the economy after the COVID-19 crisis. In the Netherlands and Norway, besides the ongoing preventive measures, officials have already turned their attention to post-pandemic collaboration with China. Xulio Rios, director of the Chinese Policy Observatory in Spain, told Xinhua on Thursday that Yang's visit has been a very important initiative for strengthening bilateral relations and given the importance of China as a partner for Spain, it helped reduce uncertainty in the context of the pandemic. "Given that the pandemic has affected vital sectors of the relationship, from trade to tourism or investment, the visit highlights the interest of both parties to relaunch these areas of cooperation," Rios said. Greek enterprises have also expressed a strong wish to improve ties with their Chinese counterparts. "Upon the announcement of this important high-level interaction, many expectations were created for further development in business and investments," George Xiradakis, managing director of XRTC Business Consultants and vice president of the Hellenic Chinese Chamber, told Xinhua on Friday. The Greek business community "from the very beginning has been in favor of the widest possible win-win business partnerships between our two countries and proves daily its support in practice," commented Fotis Provatas, Chairman of the Chamber of Greek-Chinese Economic Cooperation. Flags of the EU fly in front of the headquarters of the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium, June 29, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhang Cheng) DEFENDING MULTILATERALISM Defending multilateralism is a major consensus reaffirmed during the two top Chinese diplomats' trips to the seven European countries. Yang said China and Spain need to jointly uphold multilateralism, uphold international equity and justice, and improve global governance during his meeting with Sanchez, while Greek leaders also pledged to support multilateralism and continue promoting both the development of EU-China relations and the cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries. "The strongest voice heard during my trip to Europe is that we need to steadfastly safeguard multilateralism, and we agreed on this," Wang said on Tuesday in Berlin. Andras Inotai, former director of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences World Economics Research Institute, said that both the EU and China are strongly committed to strengthening multilateralism. "In some areas globalization needs corrections but its basic and overwhelming positive achievements should not be questioned. A corrected path of globalization has to be accompanied by strengthened multilateralism. In this context, a new quality of cooperation between the EU and China is crucial," he said. Rios from Spain told Xinhua that Madrid and Beijing, united in the fight against the pandemic, have also been able to appreciate the importance of adhering to multilateralism to face present and future challenges. "For China, Europe is of great strategic importance," the Dutch financial newspaper Het Financieele Dagblad reported. "The U.S. wants to involve Europe in its fight against Beijing's growing political and economic power. At a time when Washington is increasingly going its own way, Beijing presents itself as a defender of multilateralism." Carlens from Germany also pointed out that increasing international tensions and the aggressive foreign policy of the current U.S. administration is a source of concern for many in Germany. "Political, cultural and economic exchanges are the best way to reduce tension," he said. Enditem (Xinhua correspondents Feng Junwei in Madrid, Zhu Sheng in Berlin, Pan Geping in Brussels and Yuan Liang in Budapest also contributed to the story.) The U.S. special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, has departed for Qatar, as both the Afghan government and the Taliban expressed their readiness to start peace talks. Khalilzad "will be traveling in the region to advance ongoing U.S. efforts to promote the immediate start of intra-Afghan negotiations," U.S. State Department said in a statement on September 5. "The Afghan people are ready for a sustainable reduction in violence and a political settlement that will end the war," the statement said. "All sides have taken important steps to remove obstacles for the start of [the talks.] Now is the time to start," it added. The Taliban delegation arrived in Qatar earlier on September 5, paving the way for the start of the long-delayed intra-Afghan talks that are expected to take place in the Gulf state. "All members of our negotiating team have arrived in Doha. The talks will begin once some small technical issues are resolved," Suhail Shaheen, a spokesman for the militant group, told the AFP news agency on September 5. In Kabul, Faraidoon Khawzoon, a spokesman for the High Council for National Reconciliation, said the government was ready to start direct negotiations. The process of releasing the prisoners is over and there is no excuse for delaying the talks, but the Taliban are still not ready to take part in the talks, Khawzoon tweeted on September 5, without further elaboration. The talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban are a crucial part of a peace deal the United States signed with the Taliban in February. Until the deal with the United States, the Taliban refused to directly negotiate with the Afghan government. The talks were initially due to begin in March, but disagreements over ongoing violence and the prisoner swap have seen the start repeatedly pushed back. The United States has ramped up pressure on Afghans on both sides of the conflict to open up negotiations over what a postwar Afghanistan might look like, how the rights of women and minorities would be protected, and how the tens of thousands of Taliban fighters and progovernment militias are disarmed and reintegrated. Based on reporting by AP, AFP Countering misinformation and conspiracy theories about the COVID-19 pandemic is proving to be almost as challenging as battling the disease itself. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 4/9/2020 (503 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Countering misinformation and conspiracy theories about the COVID-19 pandemic is proving to be almost as challenging as battling the disease itself. Thats especially true when the source of that misinformation appears to be a credible source, such as a licensed physician. Much of the misinformation about the pandemic has been circulating on social media, a platform littered with false claims about miracle treatments, nefarious plots by governments and baseless assertions aimed at downplaying the seriousness of the disease. Researchers at McGill University released a study in July that found Canadians who use social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, as their primary source of information on the pandemic are more likely to have misperceptions about it. Theyre also less likely to follow public-health recommendations, such as wearing a mask and practising social distancing, compared with those who rely on traditional news media. Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam holds a press conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Friday, Sept. 4, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick About 16 per cent of Canadians use social media as their main source of information when it comes to COVID-19, the study found. Its a small minority. But it still represents several million Canadians. Last week, Canadas chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam expressed concern about a growing wave of misinformation on social media when it comes to a possible COVID-19 vaccine. Despite efforts by social media giants such as Facebook to crack down on misinformation (the companys founder Mark Zuckerberg vowed again this week to remove posts that make false claims about the pandemic), the existence of bogus information persists. A doctor in Dauphin took down his Facebook page this week after a story in the Free Press revealed he was posting false claims about mask use, discrediting reputable medical journals and claiming the pandemic was a plot to create a totalitarian society. Dr. Blair Hrabarchuk, an internal medicine physician who works at the Dauphin Medical Clinic, posted links to YouTube videos that promote conspiracy theories, including one that was subsequently labelled "false information" by Facebook. Dr. Blair Hrabarchuk, an internal medicine physician who practices in Dauphin, makes a number of controversial claims on Facebook, including allegations that governments response to the pandemic is an effort to radically alter society. (Facebook photo) The problem with disseminating false information about the novel coronavirus is some believe it, especially if its circulated by a practising physician. The COVID-19 pandemic is an easy target, for many reasons. Even after eight months, much is still unknown about the virus, making it fertile ground for people to speculate about its origins, its deadliness and the ability to contain it. Rapidly evolving science around things such as mask use, the spread of the virus by asymptomatic people and the different testing approaches across the country have also muddied the waters. It wasnt long ago that public health officials in Canada said there was little benefit to wearing a mask. The interpretation of the science behind masks has since changed, in part, because governments have realized they need more tools in the toolbox to help reduce the spread of the virus. Mask use is now mandated in many parts of Canada. It also hasnt helped that the World Health Organization has been a little sloppy in how it has communicated with the public. As recently as June, Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO's emerging diseases specialist, said the spread of the virus by asymptomatic people is "very rare." Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. She had to walk that statement back the next day. The WHO clarified it was "absolutely convinced" asymptomatic transmission was occurring and that studies have shown the rate could be as high as 40 per cent. The greater the uncertainty, the easier it is for conspiracy theorists to convince the gullible. Uncertainty and contradictory findings among scientists are nothing new. Its part of a healthy dialogue that contributes to the evolution of science. But in a pandemic, where fear and anxiety are heightened, people may be more easily swayed by junk science and outright fabrications. Some are looking for scapegoats and "the real story" behind the pandemic. Social media often satisfies that appetite. The danger is it may also encourage non-compliance of public health orders. Even if it only brainwashes a small portion of society, it can result in bad outcomes. When people spread bogus information about the pandemic, theyre contributing to the transmission of the virus. For that, they should be called out. tom.brodbeck@freepress.mb.ca EDWARDSVILLE A judge Friday sentenced a 20-year-old man to 15 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to an armed robbery in Granite City and a home invasion in Wood River. Brandon J. Golliday, of Madison, was one of six men who were riding in a taxi from St. Louis on Oct. 5, 2019, when the robbery occurred, according to Assistant Madison County States Attorney Jacob Harlow. New Delhi: BSP Supremo Mayawati on Saturday addressed a press conference in Lucknow to announce the inaugural of the two-day long BSP meet. The conference has been organised for the party coordinators, candidates, MPs, MLAs and office-bearers to assess the political situation in Uttar Pradesh and plan for the upcoming assembly elections. During the media address, Mayawati announced the meet open and did not escape the chance to target Samajwadi Party for the constant in-fight. Here are the highlights: #This meeting will aim at learning from Samajwadi Party's mistakes and educating our party workers in how to escape their tactics of dirty politics: Mayawati #The party candidates and workers will also be made aware of the unruly behaviour of the Samajwadi Party: Mayawati #BSP is known as a disciplined party, thus, the party will have to fight elections within code of conduct: Mayawati # The meeting will focus on preparations for elections, but will also give directives for sincerely following model code of conduct during campaign: Mayawati #Today we have called the meeting of all senior state party office holders and declared candidates to discuss and strategise upcoming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh: Mayawati Also read | Uttar Pradesh elections 2017: Mayawati releases third list of 100 BSP candidates For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Press Release September 5, 2020 Bayanihan 2 supports domestic industries with Buy Local provisions Senator Sonny Angara said today the Bayanihan to Recover as One or Bayanihan 2 contains several provisions aimed at supporting local industries that have been suffering due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Apart from providing micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) access to loans through the government financial institutions, Angara said the soon-to-be enacted law gives special preference for locally-manufactured products such as personal protective equipment (PPE) being used by health frontliners across the country. "In crafting the Bayanihan 2, both the Senate and the House of Representatives made it a point to include Buy Local provisions to give preference to products made in the Philippines. During this critical period, we want to provide as much assistance to our local industries as we could," said Angara, who as chairman of the Committee on Finance defended the bill in plenary. "We only had so much funds to work with and so we included these provisions that would ensure that our local industries would be supported without putting any pressure on government finances," Angara said. To ensure the adequate and responsive supply of critical products, the government shall give preference and procure products, materials and supplies made in the Philippines. These include PPEs, surgical equipment and supplies, laboratory equipment and its reagents, medical equipment and devices, alcohol, sanitizers, tissue, hand soap, thermometers, cleaning materials, common medicines, and testing kits. The DBM-Procurement Service is directed to award to the lowest domestic manufacturer-bidder even if its bid is 15% in excess of the lowest foreign bid. The winning bidder must secure from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) a certification that the articles forming part of its bid are substantially composed of articles, materials or supplies grown, produced or manufactured in the Philippines. Other qualification and documentary requirements for local manufacturers and suppliers shall be prioritized and expedited by the DOH, FDA and other concerned departments and agencies. Bayanihan 2 also liberalizes the grant of incentives for the manufacture or importation of critical or needed equipment or supplies or essential goods, including healthcare equipment and supplies. The Bureau of Internal Revenue is tasked to determine the exemption from fees for the manufacture of these goods. For the purpose of qualifying for exemption from import duties, taxes and other fees and ensuring supply of PPE at competitive prices, DTI shall certify that the equipment and supplies being imported are not locally available or of insufficient qualify and preference. Ever since the pandemic hit the country, several local industries have been forced to shift to the production of PPEs to meet the high demand and because the demand for their products have been reduced significantly. Under Bayanihan 2, the Small Business Corporation is tasked to provide loans to MSMEs for the acquisition of new technologies and systems to adjust business processes for resiliency. The DTI, through its Negosyo Centers, is also tasked to coordinate the availment of relevant credit and training programs to promote and facilitate domestic supply of critical products. "For some MSMEs, shifting to the manufacture of goods such as PPEs will not require too much of a change in their operations. For instance, couturiers and shoemakers can just use their existing equipment to produce face masks, gowns and shoe covers. Government will just provide them with financial and technical support as needed," Angara said. The DTI is also directed to assist the MSMEs in shifting to e-commerce by providing them with technical support so that they will be able to access a bigger market, especially now when restrictions on movement and mass gatherings are in place to help prevent the spread of the virus. The national and local government agencies are also encouraged to directly purchase agricultural and fishery products from farmers and fisherfolk and agricultural cooperatives as a form of direct assistance to these sectors. The Indian Railways on Saturday said it will run 40 pairs of new special trains from September 12. The Railways will run 40 pairs of new special trains from September 12. The reservation for these will begin from September 10," said Railway Board Chairman Vinod Kumar Yadav. According to a statement issued by the South Western Railways on Saturday, these services shall be in addition to the Shramik specials and the special trains, which are already in operation. These trains will be restricted stoppages in view of the suggestions of the state government, the railways said. This besides, services of seven pairs of trains of South Western Railway shall also start with effect from September 12. These trains will operate between Bengaluru-Mysuru, Bengaluru Cantonment-Guwahati, Yesvantpur Bikaner, Mysuru Jaipur, Mysuru-Solapur, GorakhpurYesvantpur and KSR Bengaluru-New Delhi. Yadav said the Railways will monitor all the trains currently in operation to determine which ones have long waiting lists. Wherever there is a demand for a particular train, wherever the waiting list is long, we will run a clone train ahead of the actual train, so that passengers can travel," he said, adding the Railways will run trains whenever there is demand from states for exams or other similar purposes. Days after the Centre announced the guidelines for Unlock 4, Indian Railways said it was planning to run more special trains and the state governments are being consulted on this. A senior Railway Ministry official said, The Indian Railways is in consultation with the state governments." The Indian Railways had suspended passenger, mail and express train services from March 25 in the wake of the nationwide lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Railways started to operate the Shramik Special trains from May 1 to help migrant workers, students, pilgrims and tourists stranded across the country amid lockdown. It also began operations of 15 pairs of Special Air Conditioned trains from May 12 and 100 pairs of scheduled trains from June 1. Last week, the Centre gave approval for the eventual resumption of metro services from September 7, and the return of up to 50 per cent of teaching and non-teaching staff in schools outside the containment zones from September 21. The government in its new guidelines has said that the states will no longer be permitted to impose lockdowns outside the containment zones without the Ministry of Home Affairs permission. Californians who worked part of this year in another state to save money, be closer to family or for a change of scenery during the pandemic may be in for a surprise next year when they file their taxes. Depending on where they moved and how long they stayed, they may need to file a tax return, and possibly pay taxes, in both states. Although most states give their residents a credit for taxes paid to another state, the credit does not always make the taxpayer whole. And the rules are beyond perplexing. Right now, different states have different rules for when a nonresident working in that state will be subject to income tax filing and withholding, said Eileen Sherr, a senior manager in tax policy with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. The problem is, there are different thresholds that a lot of people arent aware of. Twenty-four states require employers to withhold taxes the first day a nonresident employee works in that state, or requires the nonresident employee to file a tax return if theyve worked at least one day in the state, even if theres no withholding, according to a map published by the Mobile Workforce Coalition, a business group pushing for interstate tax simplification. New York is notorious for staking out business conferences, looking for CEOs who earn a lot in one day, said Jared Walczak, vice president of state projects with the Tax Foundation. In other states, the threshold could be 15, 30, 60 or more days, or after the worker has earned a certain amount of money in that state. California requires nonresidents and part-year residents to file a tax return if they have a certain dollar amount of California-source income based on their age, filing status and dependents. (For details see FTB Publication 1031.) Lea Suzuki / The Chronicle Even if people dont earn enough to owe taxes in a state where they are working temporarily, they may have to file a tax return in that state, especially if they want to recoup taxes withheld from their paycheck. Business groups have been urging Congress for a decade to adopt a nationwide standard for the taxation of nonresidents, and exempt nonresidents working in a state for 30 days or less. Theyre hoping the explosion in remote working during the pandemic will give it some urgency. A bill introduced by South Dakota Republican Sen. John Thune, S3995, would extend the exemption from 30 to 90 days for 2020 because of the public health emergency. In practice, even in normal years, compliance (with these rules) is not terribly high when were talking about a few days here or there, Walczak said. During the pandemic, when you have a diaspora of employees who have moved all over the country and employers may not even be aware because their home address has not changed, its very unlikely that much withholding is taking place. Nevertheless, for workers on the move, its important to understand the rules. California taxes its residents on all worldwide income, regardless of the source. This includes income earned while working in California and any other state, as well as investment and other income. If you are a California resident and work temporarily in another state, and the other state taxes your earnings, you may get a credit that offsets some or all of the taxes you owe California for the same income. California taxes nonresidents on California-source income only. This includes income from services performed in California, rent or capital gains from real property located in California and income from a business or partnership based in California. (Merely owning stock in a publicly traded company based in California does not give rise to California-source income, unless you got the stock because you worked for the company, in which case it could.) Determining the source of income for services performed in California is different if you are a nonresident employee or independent contractor. If you are a contractor, the source of the income is determined by where the benefit of the service is received. When the benefit of the service is received in California, its California-source income, said Franchise Tax board spokesperson Victoria Ramirez. It doesnt matter where you were when you did the work. If you are a nonresident employee, it depends on where you were when you performed the service, not where your employer is. If you performed the service in California, your income for those days is California-source income. California previously taxed nonresidents on pensions they earned while working here, but that ended after 1995. If a California resident relocates permanently to another state, that person is considered a part-year resident. California taxes part-year residents on all worldwide income received while a California resident, and from California sources received while a nonresident. Most states with an income tax follow this same general regime. So if you move from California to a new state, the new state generally will tax you on all worldwide income received while you were a resident of the new state. But you would still be liable for California tax on California-source income, such as rent on a home you left behind. (Seven states charge no personal income tax: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington and Wyoming.) Determining who is a resident of which state is not always easy. Most states presume you are a resident if you spend more than six months in that state (which does not have to be consecutive). If you are living in two places. its important to keep a log of where you have spent each day. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes California has no such bright line test, Ramirez said. FTB Publication 1031 states, You will be presumed to be a California resident for any taxable year in which you spend more than nine months in this state. However, there is no presumption of nonresidency, Ramirez said. In other words, spending more than six months or even nine months outside of California does not automatically make you a non-resident. The underlying theory of residency is that you are a resident of the place where you have the closest connections, the FTB says. It looks at a multitude of factors including the amount of time you spend inside and outside of California, where your spouse and children live, the location of your principal residence, the state where your drivers license is issued, where your vehicles are registered, where you maintain your professional licenses and voter registration, and where your bank, health care providers, accountants and attorneys are. The state considers not just the number of ties, but also their strength. The Franchise Tax Board is famous for pursuing people who have moved out of state if they have significant California-source income. If you think you can move to another state and still have ties to California, you are likely to face an audit. Dont go into that lightly, said Clay Stevens, a tax lawyer with the wealth management firm Aspiriant. Establishing residency in another state is not always easy. Brendan Foley and his girlfriend moved in April from San Francisco to Boulder, Colo., because it had a lower cost of living and less traffic but a similar culture. He has always worked remotely for a French electric company. His girlfriend, who works for a major Bay Area tech company, is working from her new home until its Boulder office reopens. The couple spent their first two months in an Airbnb, while they were looking to buy a house. The first month we were not able to establish residency in Colorado because they had no permanent address, Foley said. So they kept their residency in California, even though they were working and having taxes withheld in Colorado. It was this weird limbo, we didnt know what to do, he said. Once they closed on a home in Boulder, they were able to get a Colorado drivers license and mail with their name on it, open a bank account and establish residency in Colorado. Kathleen Pender is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. Email: kpender@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kathpender The birthday of the second president of India, Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, is commemorated as Teachers Day in the country as per the veteran wish ever since September 5, 1962. Radhakrishnan was an accomplished teacher himself and while the day is celebrated in India by showing our appreciation for those who have shaped us, search engine Google too did the same through its quirky doodle. Joining the celebrations, Google Indias homepage honoured the educators on September 5, 2020. Created by Google Doodle illustration artist Kevin Laughlin, the artwork is a combination of the designs made by the award-winning teachers who visited the Google HQ in February 2020. Googles doodle for Teachers Day 2020 (Google homepage) As per the Googles Doodle webpage, the creative honours the classroom heroes and the tireless workforce who shape our future generations, even in the midst of the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. Shifting their curriculum from classrooms to online platforms in the heart of a raging pandemic highlights the superhuman efforts of our teachers to educate students and to acknowledge the same, Google had initially created the doodle for Americas Teacher Appreciation Week that started on May 4 this year. Not surprisingly, the search interest in how to thank a teacher had amped up in the lockdown months, as per Google. Laughlin, who collaborated with the 54 State Teachers of the Year 2020, had said, I know from firsthand experience how much of a positive impact a teacher can have on a young persons life. I cant express how happy I am to have had the opportunity to be a part of the Teacher Appreciation project this year. He added, When I met these teachers on campus in February, I was so inspired by their love of teaching and dedication to their students, which I felt each minute I spent with them. As they presented their own Doodle designs, they shared anecdotes about their classrooms, advocated for their students, and spoke passionately about educational equity. Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter 100% Website spyequipmentuk.co.uk uses latest and advanced technologies like: JQuery and Php. It is very popular on the web, it's within the 1 million most visited websites of the world at position 440108 by Alexa. It supports HTTPS and GZIP compression. The main html page has a size of 259176 bytes (253.10 kb uncompressed) and 35942 bytes (35.10 kb compressed). This CoolSocial report was updated on 2021-12-17, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. New Delhi: A special court on Saturday issued fresh summons against three accused in a money laundering case related to the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP chopper deal in which it had earlier issued an open-ended non-bailable warrant (NBW) against British national and alleged middleman Christian Michel James. Special Judge Arvind Kumar re-issued the summons against India-based firm M/s Media Exim Private Limited and its directors R K Nanda and J B Subramaniyam while asking them to be present in court on February 22. The firm was set up by James, Nanda and Subramaniyam. The court passed the order after advocate N K Matta, appearing for the Enforcement Directorate, informed it that the summons issued against the three accused on the last date of hearing could not be executed. It had on November 31 last year issued an open-ended NBW against James and summons against other three accused in the case, saying, There is prima facie evidence against the accused. The NBW was issued against James after ED had told the court that the alleged middleman was out of India and pressed for an arrest warrant against him to bring him here to face the trial. An open-ended NBW (arrest warrant) does not carry a time limit for its execution. In June last year, ED had filed a 1,300-page prosecution complaint (equivalent for charge sheet) in connection with its money laundering probe in the case. It had said the agencys investigation into the case had found that James allegedly received Euro 30 million (about Rs 225 crore) from M/s AgustaWestland which was nothing but kickbacks paid by the firm to execute the deal for sale of 12 helicopters to India in favour of the firm in guise of genuine transactions for performing multiple work contracts in the country. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. A French tourist has been fined 1,000 euros on the Italian island of Sardinia after authorities seized two kilogrammes of sand he had taken from the beach. Coastal protection authorities in Sardinia confiscated the plastic bottle of fine sand from the man's luggage at Elmas airport. He was identified only as a French tourist and was fined 1,000 euros. Since 2017, the white grains of sand from Sardinia's beaches are considered a protected resource. The trade of sand, pebbles and shells was made illegal, and punishable with fines of up to 3,000 euros. It seems harmless enough at the time, after all, what difference can one rock or jar of sand make you may ask? Erosion Conservationists say collecting sand or pebbles adds to the problem of erosion in particularly sensitive coastal areas that are already under siege from sea swells. "These behaviours not only harm the environment but also compromise the maintenance of the coastline for the sustainable development of tourism in Sardinia," the island's authorities said in a press release, quoted by local media. For several years, Sardinia has prohibited visitors from taking sand from its beaches and sanctions offenders with heavy fines. In 2015, local citizens set up a Facebook page entitled "Sardinia robbed and plundered" to share accounts of sand being stolen, two years before a new law came into force. Similar rules around the world In August 2019, a French couple were arrested in Sardinia with 40 kilogrammes of sand in their car as they were about to board a ferry bound for Toulon. England also has strict rules about collecting pebbles from beaches, punishable with a fine of up to 2,220 euros. In the US state of Hawaii since 2013, taking even small amounts of sand from beaches there now can lead to fines of up to 100,000 dollars. Here in France, the pebbles at Ertetat beach in Normandy are so popular with tourists that signs have been put up to warn people that they're not allowed to collect them. BERLIN Firefighters battled a blaze at an auto storage yard where between 15 and 20 vehicles caught fire early Saturday morning. The Berlin Volunteer Fire Department said the call came in after 1 a.m. Saturday. When firefighters arrived at the auto yard on 525 Christian Lane they saw flames and thick smoke shooting from several vehicles, according to the department. Mutual aid came from New Britain, Cromwell and Newington. According to Berlin property records, the 15-acre property is owned by Copart of Connecticut. Firefighters remained on the scene Saturday morning. Check back for updates. Asuncion: Argentina has asked for an explanation from Paraguay about the deaths in a police and military operation against a rebel group of two 11-year-old girls it said were Argentinian citizens. The Paraguayan government had said a confrontation in the country's north with members of the Paraguayan People's Army (EPP) had left two "rebels" dead. The EPP, said to have been trained by Colombian rebels and be active in marijuana-growing regions, has been accused of kidnappings and attacks in Paraguay over the past 10 years. Paraguayan President Mario Abdo Benitez with his wife Silvana Lopez at his inauguration in Asuncion in 2018. His government is under pressure to explain the deaths of two girl "rebels" at the hands of security forces. Credit:AP On Friday, Paraguay said those killed had been two teenage women, without giving their age or nationality. Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is seeking restoration of sweeping executive powers as the newly-elected government has reportedly drafted a bill for constitutional reforms. According to Bloomberg, the amendment would seek more powers for the president, including allowing him to dissolve the parliament one and a half years after it's election than the current four and half years provision. This comes after Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who was running a minority government with his brother Mahinda as its head, won a landslide victory in the August parliamentary election. Read: Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa Vows To Abolish 19th Amendment As per reports, the changes would also allow the Sri Lankan President to appoint members of the Election Commission, the country's Human Rights Commission, and five other bodies. In the new expected changes, the current Constitutional Council will be replaced by the Parliamentary Council consisting of only legislators and not members from the civil society. The changes would also allow members of the Sri Lankan parliament to hold dual citizenship, a move that experts say is to accommodate his brother youngest Basil Rajapaksa, who is also a citizen of the United States. Read: Rajapaksa Family Dominates Sri Lanka's New Cabinet Sri Lanka election In the recently concluded election, Rajapaksa's Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna party - leading the Sri Lanka People's Front, won 145 seats in the 225-member parliament in the August election. Its main opponent, the SJB obtained 54 seats, while a minority Tamil party won 10 seats and 12 smaller parties won 16 seats amongst them. With almost two-thirds of the majority in Sri Lanka's parliament, the recent election paved the path forward for Rajapaksa to suggest constitutional reforms. Read: Rajapaksa Clan's Return: With Mahinda As PM, Rajapaksas Hold All 3 Top Posts In Sri Lanka Read: Sri Lanka's PM Rajapaksa Invited Subramanian Swamy To Swearing-in, Pandemic Foiled Visit Seated at a small table, Sojourner Truth is talking to Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who listens while holding a pen in her right hand. Between them stands Susan B. Anthony, clutching a pamphlet and looking at Stanton. I wanted to portray them as having a conversation in flux, Meredith Bergmann said about the three 19th-century womens rights leaders. They are also displaying three elements that were vital to the suffragette movement: Speaking, writing, and organizing. Bergmann, a Ridgefield resident, is the artist who created the 14-foot tall bronze statue of Truth, Stanton and Anthony that was unveiled in New Yorks Central Park last Wednesday, Aug. 26 on the 100th anniversary of ratification of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. The monument, itself, is historical: Its the first statue of nonfictional women to be placed in Central Park, joining the nearly two dozen statues and busts of celebrated male figures. My hope is that all people, especially girls and boys, will be inspired by this scene of women of different races, different religious backgrounds and different economic status working together to make the world better, Bergmann said. Monumental Women, a nonprofit group that formed in 2014 and worked to raise money and get the project approved, chose Bergmann as one of four finalists from a field of 91 sculptors. The finalists spent several months designing maquettes, and Bergmann was awarded the commission in July 2018. Time was the biggest challenge, said Bergmann, a sculptor for more than 40 years who has created many other public monuments, including the Boston Womens Memorial. Two years isnt much for a large project like this. Several aesthetic changes added more stress to the tight time line. The initial design called for a statue of Stanton and Anthony that recognized other important womens rights leaders. But that version which had Stanton and Anthony reading a scroll with quotations from Truth and 21 more suffragettes was criticized for marginalizing the contributions of the other activists. The scroll was removed in the second version, which the New York City Public Design Commission approved. But criticism including an op-ed in The New York Times about women of color being unrepresented led to another design shift, and Truth (a Black woman who escaped slavery and became an abolitionist and suffragist) was added to the statue. Sojourner was my idea, Bergmann said. She was a contemporary of Stanton and Anthony and they shared stages. Theres also a letter from Stanton to Truth. Tall and heavy Following research that included reading speeches and written documents and studying photos of the three women, Bergmann worked on the clay statue in her home studio, a sun room with an 11-foot high ceiling. Bergmann and her husband, Michael, moved to the house in 2016, following 21 years in Manhattan. Susan B. Anthony is nine-feet tall, Bergmann said. We were running up and down on ladders to reach the top of her. After the bronze was cast and sections welded together at a foundry in Rock Tavern, N.Y., the statue was transported to Central Park on a flatbed trailer. The top part of the monument weighs 6,000 pounds, Bergmann said. It was placed atop a five-foot tall pedestal in the park. Titled Womens Rights Pioneers, the monument stands on the northwest corner of Central Parks Literary Walk, a quarter-mile stretch that also includes statues of William Shakespeare, Robert Burns, and Sir Walter Scott. Other statues and busts of historical figures (all men) are located throughout the 840-acre park, as are statues of fictional characters such as Romeo and Juliet and Alice in Wonderland. Its almost unbelievable that it took so long [to get a monument honoring historical women], Bergmann said. But the park also had a moratorium on adding new permanent statues for 70 years before this one was approved. At first, the statue was approved to be placed outside the park, Bergmann added. But Monumental Women was adamant that it go inside the park, and they worked hard to make that happen. Ceremony Several politicians and local leaders were among the guests and speakers at last weeks dedication ceremony, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, New York Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul, and New York Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney. Everyone sat separated [due to COVID-19 restrictions], and Hillary Clinton gave a marvelous speech that really captured the moment, Bergmann said. There were some children there, including members of a Girl Scout troop that had raised money through cookie sales for the statue, and it was fun to see them looking at the monument and asking questions. Amid continuing India-China tensions, five people from Arunachal Pradesh were abducted by China's People's Liberation Army (PLA), triggering tension among the local population, Congress MLA Ninong Ering claimed on Saturday. The Indian Army said it is not aware of the incident - said to have occurred on Friday - while the state police authorities are collecting the facts. Arunachal's Pasighat West Assembly Congress legislator Ninong Ering in a tweet said: "Five people from Upper Subansiri district of our state Arunachal Pradesh have reportedly been 'abducted' by China's People's Liberation Army (PLA). Few months earlier, a similar incident happened. A befitting reply must be given to PLA and CCP China." Ering, a former Union Minister of Minority affairs (2012-14), while talking to the media said that he has urged the authorities to take appropriate steps to release the five people from the custody of the PLA. Upper Subansiri district Superintendent of Police Taru Gussar said that they have sent a fact finding team to the bordering village to collect the authentic details of the incident. "Till now no formal complaint about the abduction was made to the police," the district police chief told the media. Local media in Arunachal Pradesh has also reported that the kidnappings occurred in a forest area near Nacho in Upper Subansiri district. According the media reports, the abducted persons -- Toch Singkam, Prasat Ringling, Dongtu Ebiya, Tanu Baker and Ngaru Diri - all of who belong to the Tagin community - had gone to the forest for hunting, a traditional practice of the tribals in the area. Two other villagers, who had managed to flee from the abductors, informed the other villagers. The India-China border is about 170 kms from Daporijo, the headquarters of Upper Subansiri district, which itself is 280 kms from state capital Itanagar. From Nacho police station, 120 kilometers from the district headquarters, a police team has been sent on foot to the forward area village. Villagers are always forced to trek in remote and mountainous areas of Arunachal Pradesh as there are no proper roads. Arunachal Pradesh shares a 1,080-km border with China, 520 kms with Myanmar and 217 kms with Bhutan. Advertisement Donald Trump has demanded that Fox News fire a reporter after she confirmed a report in the Atlantic which suggested he had mocked and belittled war veterans. The politically explosive report, published on Thursday, claimed that the president called U.S. military heroes killed in battle 'losers' and 'suckers' and turned down a trip to visit U.S. war dead in France due to the rain. The president gloated in a tweet that the Fox News story 'did not confirm the most salacious part' of the Atlantic's report that he had called First and Second World War veterans 'losers' and had skipped visiting the graves of American soldiers because he didn't want the rain to ruin his hair. But Jennifer Griffin did confirm that Trump called US Army veterans 'suckers', had not wanted wounded soldiers included in military parades because 'it was not a good look' and had not wanted to honor American war dead at Aisne-Marne Cemetery outside Paris. Fox News, the Washington Post and Associated Press were among the news outlets to all confirm the Atlantic's reporting on Friday. Trump was so enraged by Fox News' reporting, confirming the story, that he demanded the journalist Griffin be fired. Donald Trump on Friday evening demanded that Fox News fire a reporter who confirmed The Atlantic's story about him Donald Trump on Friday called for the firing of Jennifer Griffin of Fox News after she confirmed the Atlantic's story Fox News' national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin tweeted that she had confirmed the Atlantic's reporting Griffin went through the elements of the story line-by-line, explaining what her sources had told her The Fox News reporter was unable to confirm that Trump was worried about his hair in the rain, however The president tweeted a link to a story by Breitbart, the far-Right, Trump-supporting website. It claimed that he was vindicated because Griffin only reported her sources as saying Vietnam veterans were 'suckers' - unlike the Atlantic, which reported that he'd said WW1 veterans were 'suckers'. Breitbart also claimed victory for Trump because Griffin was unable to independently confirm the Atlantic's story that Trump cancelled a planned trip to a war cemetery in Paris, in 2018, because he was worried about his hair. Griffin was only able to confirm that he didn't want to go and chose not to. Melania Trump earlier on Friday evening joined the fray and denied the highly-damaging report, tweeting that it was untrue and brought shame on journalism. 'TheAtlantic story is not true,' she said. 'It has become a very dangerous time when anonymous sources are believed above all else, & no one knows their motivation. 'This is not journalism - It is activism. And it is a disservice to the people of our great nation.' Melania Trump on Friday evening denied the Atlantic's story about her husband, which was published on Thursday night Melania Trump on Friday evening became the latest White House figure to deny the story Her response came as Fox News independently confirmed all of the details in the Atlantic's report, with their national security correspondent, Jennifer Griffin, appearing on the network to say her sources had told her it was entirely true. Griffin said that she was told the president did indeed decide he didn't want to attend the rainy ceremony commemorating U.S. war dead in France. 'The president drives a lot,' Griffin said she was told. 'The other world leaders drove to the cemeteries. He just didn't want to go.' Two former senior officials also confirmed to her that he disparaged war dead. According to Griffin, one of the former senior Trump administration officials told her: 'When the President spoke about the Vietnam War, he said, "It was a stupid war. Anyone who went was a sucker".' Griffin's sources confirmed that they heard Trump say he didn't want 'wounded guys' in military parades, adding: 'Americans don't like that'. A senior Defense Department official with firsthand knowledge of events and a senior U.S. Marine Corps officer who was told about Trump's comments confirmed some of the remarks to The Associated Press, including the 2018 cemetery comments. The Washington Post also confirmed the Atlantic's reporting, and noted that Jim Mattis, the former defense secretary, and John Kelly, the former chief of staff, did not respond to requests for comment on Friday. Other retired Marine generals who have worked with them, including Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr. and Gen. John R. Allen, also declined to comment. On Friday evening Trump speculated that Kelly could have been the possible source of the report. Trump did not assert definitively his belief that Kelly was the source of the report which he also asserted may have come from made-up sources. But he accused the former top aide of bad mouthing him. Trump furiously denied a report he referred to fallen troops as 'losers' 'This man was totally exhausted. He wasnt even able to function in the last number of months,' Trump said. 'He was not able to function. He was sort of a tough guy. By the time he got eaten up in this world, he was unable to function.' 'I told him: John youre going to have to go,' Trump said, describing Kelly's prolonged departure. 'And now he goes out and bad-mouths. Now, there are people that are jealous. There are people that are upset that theyre not here anymore. There are people weve done an incredible job, the virus came in, and now were doing an incredible job again,' Trump said, his thoughts shifting to the pandemic. 'I dont know that it was him. I havent seen that. I mean I see "anonymous." But it could have been a guy like a John Kelly just so you understand,' Trump said. Kelly was a key figure who appeared twice in the story, once regarding the 2018 trip to Belleau Wood, and once regarding Trump's 2017 visit to Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day. A former senior administration official told the Washington Post that the president frequently made disparaging comments about veterans and soldiers missing in action, referring to them at times as 'losers.' In one account, the president reportedly told senior advisers that he didn't understand why the U.S. government placed such value on finding soldiers missing in action because they had performed poorly and gotten caught and deserved what they got. Jennifer Griffin, national security correspondent for Fox News, confirmed the Atlantic story Sources told Fox News that the Atlantic's report about Trump's remarks was factually accurate Former officials within the White House told the news station that the reporting was true Trump earlier on Friday repeated his attack on the Atlantic magazine. 'The Atlantic Magazine is dying, like most magazines, so they make up a fake story in order to gain some relevance,' Trump tweeted. 'Story already refuted, but this is what we are up against. Just like the Fake Dossier. You fight and and fight, and then people realize it was a total fraud!' Trump continued. Trump ripped the report as he met with the president of Serbia and the prime minister of Kosovo at the White House Friday. 'It was a terrible thing that somebody could say the kind of things especially to me, because I've done more for the military than almost anybody else,' Trump fumed. 'Nobody's done what I've done' for the military, Trump claimed. Then he brought up the tell-all book by former national security advisor John Bolton a book that accuses Trump of giving 'personal favors to dictators.' 'I hate to bring up his book, but John Bolton, no friend of mine I mean he didn't know too much about what he was doing, he didn't do a good job. But he wrote a book. He talks about this incident and he doesn't mention it,' said Trump. 'There's nobody that considers the military and especially the people that have given their lives in the military to me they're heroes,' Trump said of Americans who die while serving the country. 'It's even hard to believe how they could do it. And I say that. The level of bravery ...' he said. In addition to the president himself calling the story in the Atlantic fill of 'lies,' the White House communications shop has turned to an unlikely source of defense: Bolton, who Trump has ridiculed since his slicing memoir. 'He is a liar,' Trump said after Bolton released his tell-all book trashing the administration. Following publication of the Atlantic story, the White House press shop retweeted an image of Bolton's book, 'The Room Where it Happened,' where Bolton says it was bad weather and the special contingencies of presidential travel that caused the White House to nix a planned cemetery visit by Trump in 2018. The White House's furious pushback against a new Atlantic article that reports President Donald Trump called fallen soldiers 'losers' included quoting from the tell-all book by former National Security Advisor John Bolton. Trump called Bolton a 'liar' after the release of his book President Trump attacked the Atlantic magazine and called its report 'fake' Trump was to have visited the cemetery near Belleau Wood on the 100th anniversary, a cemetery which holds a special place for Marines. 'The press turned canceling the cemetery visit into a story that Trump was afraid of the rain and took glee in pointing out that other world leaders traveled around during the day,' Bolton wrote. 'Of course, none of them were the President of the United States, but the press didn't understand the rules for US Presidents are different from the rules for 190 other leaders who don't command the world's greatest military forces.' Bolton wrote that Marine One's crew were saying it was 'imprudent' to fly by helicopter due to the weather, and the drive could be 90 minutes each way. The Atlantic piece takes a much harsher view: 'Trump rejected the idea of the visit because he feared his hair would become disheveled in the rain, and because he did not believe it important to honor American war dead, according to four people with firsthand knowledge of the discussion that day,' wrote author Jeffrey Goldberg. White House deputy communications director Brian Morganstern retweeted the passage from the book, as did White House Communications Director Alyssa Farah. Farah also called the article 'offensive & patently false.' Another White House press official, Judd Deere, blasted out people who contradicted accounts in the article. 'Anyone else notice that there are now four individuals with first-hand knowledge who are ON THE RECORD denying The Atlantic story? This matches the publications four anonymous sources. Will The Atlantic stand by their false anonymous reporting or listen to those who were there?' White House officials circulated Bolton's book, which contradicts key elements of the story's account A White House official retweeted an image of internal documents showing visibility as low as 1 mile the day Trump's Marine One helicopter trip was scrubbed French President Emmanuel Macron (C) attends the Armistice Day commemorations marking the end of World War I on November 11, 2017, near the Arc de Triomphe in Paris White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Friday also used the fact that the Trump administration had named sources defending him, while the Atlantic only had anonymous sources. She tore into the media over the report by citing an array of presidential events and photo-ops with troops including one with a hero military dog and a recent event with Greatest Generation vets during an electrical storm. McEnany marshaled new on-the record comment from officials who report to Trump, including former White House staff secretary and counselor to the president Derek Lyons. 'He was extremely disappointed that arrangements could not be made to get him to the site and that the trip had been cancelled,' she quoted Lyons as saying. House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany blasted the media following a report that President Trump called fallen U.S. troops 'losers' and avoided a visit to a historic cemetery A senior Defense Department official with first-hand knowledge of events and a senior Marine Corps officer who was told about them confirmed the accounts to the Associated Press 'including the cemetery incident.' 'This is more made up Fake News given by disgusting & jealous failures in a disgraceful attempt to influence the 2020 Election!' Trump tweeted Thursday. Trump fumed late Thursday upon his return from a speech in Pennsylvania: 'I would be willing to swear on anything that I never said that about our fallen heroes.' 'There is nobody that respects them more. No animal - nobody - what animal would say such a thing?' Trump added. The Joe Biden campaign ran with the story and blasted Trump in a Friday conference call. 'I'd take my wheelchair and titanium legs over Donald Trump's supposed bone spurs any day,' said Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), who lost her legs in a combat helicopter accident during the Iraq war. She was referencing Trump's deferments during Vietnam due to bone spurs. 'It's time for this man to leave office,' she added. 'His soul cannot conceive of integrity and honor,' said Gold Star father Khizr Khan, whose son Humayun Khan was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq in 2004 and whose Democratic convention speech prompted extended back-and-forth with Trump. 'His soul is that of a coward,' Khan said. Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, who has been released from prison, tweeted that the Atlantic article 'is accurate.' 'I testified, 'Trump claimed it was because of a bone spur. When I asked for medical records, he gave me none and said there was no surgery. He finished with: 'You think I'm stupid, I wasn't going to Vietnam.'' The report, published by the Atlantic Thursday, credits four separate military sources, and claims that Trump cancelled a visit to Aisne-Marne American Cemetery near Paris in November 2018 because he was worried his hair would be disheveled by the rain. In a conversation with senior staff before the planned visit, Trump reportedly asked aides: 'Why should I go to that cemetery? It's filled with losers.' During the same trip, the president allegedly later referred to the more than 1,800 Marines who lost their lives in the Battle of Belleau Wood in France as 'suckers' for getting killed. Trump, however, has emphatically denied the report Thursday night, calling it 'a disgraceful situation' by a 'terrible magazine.' 'It's a total lie. It's fake news. It's a disgrace, and frankly it's a disgrace to your profession,' Trump said. President Donald Trump talks with reporters at Andrews Air Force Base after attending a campaign rally in Latrobe, Pa., Thursday, Sept. 3, 2020, at Andrews Air Force Base Trump vehemently denied the claims, which were first reported in the Atlantic , that he referred to the American war dead at the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery (above) in France in 2018 as 'losers' and 'suckers.' The president's alleged comments are in stark contrast to Trump's public persona as a self-proclaimed champion of the military and its veterans. A source described to have first-hand knowledge of the president's views said Trump 'doesn't see the heroism in fighting'. Other sources said Trump is deeply anxious about dying or being disfigured, and that fear manifests itself as disgust for those who have suffered. The day of the planned visit at Aisne-Marne American Cemetery, November 10, 2018, was also the 243rd birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps. 'Who were the good guys in this war? Trump on the First World War The WWI Battle of Belleau Wood, which lasted 20 days in June 1918 and ended with German forces soundly defeated, was a defining moment in World War I for the Marine Corps. But Trump, on the same trip, reportedly asked aides, 'Who were the good guys in this war?' He also said that he didn't understand why the United States would intervene on the side of the Allies, the Atlantic reported. Speaking to reporters Thursday, Trump said he's be 'willing to swear on anything' that he never said anything derogatory 'about our fallen heroes.' 'There is nobody that respects them more. No animal nobody what animal would say such a thing?' He also wanted to go to the cemetery in France but said he was unable to because of heavy rainfall in Paris, and that the U.S. Secret Service would not allow him to motorcade there. 'The helicopter could not fly. The reason it couldn't fly, because it was raining as hard as I'd ever seen. And on top of that it was very, very foggy,' Trump said on Thursday. He added that staffers tried to arrange a motorcade, but that it would have meant going through busy parts of Paris. 'The Secret Service told me, you can't do it. I said I have to do it. They said you can't do it,' Trump said. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, also decried the report, saying 'It's sad the depths that people will go to during a lead-up to a presidential campaign to try to smear somebody.' Trump was meant to join John Kelly in paying his respects to Kelly's son's grave and comfort the families of other fallen service members in Arlington Cemetery on Memorial Day, 2017 (above). However, Trump reportedly turned to Kelly and said: 'I don't get it. What's in it for them?' Tombs are pictured at the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery and Memorial in Belleau, on November 10, 2018 In another account, detailed by the Atlantic, the president told senior advisers that he didn't understand why the U.S. government placed such value on finding soldiers missing in action because they had performed poorly and gotten caught and deserved what they got, a source said. The president allegedly said that those who served in the Vietnam War were also 'losers' because they failed to dodge the draft. Trump received a medical deferment from Vietnam over alleged bone spurs. In a conversation with then-Chief of Staff John Kelly, Trump reportedly complained bitterly that he didn't understand why John McCain, who was imprisoned and tortured during Vietnam, was so revered. 'Isn't he kind of a loser?' Trump asked, according to the four sources. Trump has previously derided McCain's legacy as a war hero publicly. On the 2016 presidential campaign trail in Iowa, Trump said: 'He's not a war hero. I like people who weren't captured.' At the same event, Trump said 'I don't like losers' referencing McCain losing the 2008 presidential election to Barack Obama. 'I supported him. He lost. He let us down. But, you know, he lost. So I have never liked him as much after that, because I don't like losers,' he said. The senior Marine Corps officer and the Atlantic, citing sources with firsthand knowledge, further reported that Trump said he didn't want to support the August 2018 funeral of Republican Sen. John McCain. The Atlantic reported that Trump was also angered that flags were flown at half-staff for McCain, saying: 'What the f*** are we doing that for? Guy was a f***ing loser.' Trump acknowledged Thursday he was 'never a fan' of McCain and disagreed with him, but said he still respected him and approved everything to do with his 'first-class triple-A funeral' without hesitation because 'I felt he deserved it.' The magazine said Trump also referred to former President George H.W. Bush as a 'loser' because he was shot down by the Japanese as a Navy pilot in World War II. In a conversation with then-Chief of Staff John Kelly (seen above), Trump reportedly complained bitterly that he didn't understand why John McCain, who was imprisoned and tortured during Vietnam, was so revered Trump has previously derided McCain's legacy as a war hero publicly. On the 2016 presidential campaign trail in Iowa, Trump said: 'He's not a war hero. I like people who weren't captured.' The Atlantic also details another exchange between Trump and Kelly on Memorial Day, 2017, at the graveside of Kelly's son, Robert, who died at 29 years old in Afghanistan in 2010. Trump was meant to join Kelly in paying his respects to Robert's grave and comfort the families of other fallen service members. However, Trump reportedly turned to Kelly at his son's graveside and said: 'I don't get it. What's in it for them?' The Defense officials also confirmed to AP that Trump made the remarks. One of Kelly's friends, who is a four-star general, told the Atlantic: '[Trump] can't fathom the idea of doing something for someone other than himself. He just thinks that anyone who does anything when there's no direct personal gain to be had is a sucker. There's no money in serving the nation. 'Trump can't imagine anyone else's pain. That's why he would say this to the father of a fallen marine on Memorial Day in the cemetery where he's buried,' the source continued. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said Thursday, 'If the revelations in today's Atlantic article are true, then they are yet another marker of how deeply President Trump and I disagree about the role of the President of the United States.' 'Duty, honor, country those are the values that drive our service members,' he said in a statement Thursday night, adding that if he is elected president, 'I will ensure that our American heroes know that I will have their back and honor their sacrifice always.' Biden's son Beau served in Iraq in 2008-09. Vision Critical Names Asia Pacific Leader Toronto, Canada-based customer insights solution provider Vision Critical has appointed Steven Medeiros as General Manager, Asia Pacific and Japan, based in Hong Kong. Vision Critical's flagship Sparq digital insights platform allows clients to conduct all their online research in one place, from visual surveys to custom panels and private communities. Features include Relationship Memory, which connects existing customer data with intelligence collected from insight communities; a storytelling module, enabling users to organize and share customer insights, accumulated over time, across their organization; and a patient experience (PX) package. Medeiros (pictured) joins from technology services company NTT, where he served as CEO, Hong Kong and Macau. He previously worked for technology integrator Dimension Data as President, General Manager; for digital application solutions company Kony as General Manager - Asia Pacific and Middle East; and for nearly a decade at business software giant SAP, latterly as Head of Cloud Solutions and Sales, Greater China. In his new role, Medeiros will lead and execute Vision Critical's growth strategy in the Asia Pacific region. CEO Ross Wainwright comments: 'Steven is a highly passionate and established SaaS leader who believes in delivering perfection and value to all of his clients. With his extensive experience and insight building successful businesses within the international market, Steven is sure to propel Vision Critical as a CXM leader in the Asia Pacific region'. Web site: www.visioncritical.com . By PTI DHAKA: A gas leak in an underground pipeline caused six air conditioners to explode almost simultaneously in a mosque during Friday evening prayers on the outskirts of Bangladesh's capital Dhaka, killing 17 people, including a child, and injuring 20 others. Worshippers were at Friday evening prayers when the blast sent a ball of flames through the Baitul Salat mosque in the central district of Narayanganj, officials said. At least 17 people including a seven-year old boy, succumbed to their injuries at Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgeryhere, the Dhaka Tribune reported. About 20 victims are undergoing treatment at the hospital and are stated to be in critical condition. Fire officials suspect accumulated gas from a leaked pipeline triggered a spark and all six air conditioners on the ground floor of the mosque exploded. "A gas pipeline passes beneath the mosque. We are suspecting that gas leaked from the pipeline and accumulated inside as the windows were closed. The explosion was probably triggered due to sparks when someone tried to switch on or off the ACs or fans," Narayanganj Fire Service's Deputy Assistant Director Abdullah Al Arefin was quoted as saying by the newspaper. According to reports, the mosque committee had recently filed a complaint over leakage of the gas pipeline of Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited. Narayanganj Fire Service and police have already initiated investigation into the blast while the company formed another probe body to look into the incident. Narayanganj Superintendent of Police (SP) Md Zayedul Alam visited the victims at the institute and said action will be taken if they found evidence of negligence against anyone in its inquiry. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed concern over the incident and issued directions to ensure all possible medical care for the victims. Witnesses said they found five to six people coming out of the mosque as soon as the blast occurred. Worshipers, most of them severely burnt, were found lying on the floor, according to them, the report said. New Delhi, Sep 5 : The Supreme Court has said the mess of adhocism is prevalent in the appointment of teachers and lecturers having consequences for the students, who need to benefit from the best education process. A bench comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and K M Joseph using Article 142 of the Constitution passed a slew of directions to streamline the recruitment process of lecturers and teachers in Uttar Pradesh. "This court has the benefit of Article 142 of the Constitution to do complete justice between the parties and we are taking recourse to this to deal with the mess which is before us i.e. a complete adhocism in the working of the education system whereby TGTs and lecturers have been working for years and decades without a regularisation", said the top court. The bench added the concerned authorities should issue an advertisement, which should contain directions issued on the matter by the court. The bench emphasised that everyone is to blame for this scenario as the adhoc arrangement never fructifies in the proper regularisation or by holding examination, so that recruitment could take place. The bench noted that as per the last additional affidavit filed by Uttar Pradesh government, it emerges that the state proposes to hold a competitive examination for recruitment of 15000 TGTs and lecturers. The top court said the petitioners and applicants before it and also all persons eligible under the advertisement will be permitted to appear for one single examination. The bench said the concerned authorities should give benefit to teachers and lecturers who have so far worked adhoc, and work out a formula giving some weightage to both TGT and lecturers depending on the period of services rendered. "In the case of TGTs, such weightage will have to form a part of the total marks while in case of the lecturers such weightage can be given in the process of interview. The other aspect is that apart from the weightage, the period which has been verified as having been spent in teaching as adhoc, would be counted for purposes of retiral benefits of the TGTs and Lecturers," said the bench. The top court directed the state government and concerned authorities to lay down a schedule for periodically holding examinations so that it creates employment opportunities and also the students are benefitted. The bench recommended that the recruitment be completed well in time to ensure that at least in the session commencing in July, 2021, all teachers up to date are in place. "it will be appropriate to direct that the teachers/lecturers who are employed at present the TGTs and lecturers would continue to be so employed till the aforesaid process is completed and to the extent the financial benefits are given by the State Government to the institutions, against appointments made in compliance with Section 16-E (subsection 11) of the Act, the same will also be given to provide succour to the TGT/lecturers", noted the bench. Google Maps has been a saviour for many of us when it comes to navigating through streets and cities. Since its launch in 2005, Google Maps has come a long way in helping us go the distance with its set of features that make commute and travel hassle-free. The pandemic may have stopped us from venturing outdoors but as we shift to the new/ neo normal, people have started travelling to different places for work or leisure while taking adequate measures. In times like these, it is important to know the fastest/ safest routes and places to visit. To help you with that, listed below are some of the best Google Maps features. 1. Find COVID-19 testing centres on Google Maps The launch of this Google Maps feature will help you find information on COVID-19 testing centres nearby. Google is working with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and MyGov to provide users with information on authorised testing labs. This feature is available in English and eight other languages in India -- Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi, and Gujarati. How to find COVID-19 testing centres on Google Maps 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 Google Maps, when you search for keywords like COVID testing or coronavirus testing you will see a list of nearby testing labs, with a link to Google Search for the government-mandated requirements. 2. Let others know your location in real-time Travelling during the pandemic can be a cause of worry for our beloved ones. With real-time location sharing feature you are able to share your current location with anyone and the people you share with are able to see the location on Android, iPhone, mobile web, and desktop. How to share my location on Google Maps? Tap Share location and then select who to share with and how long to share and you're done! You can share your real-time location with your Google contacts, or even share with friends and family by sending a link on your favourite messenger apps. When you are sharing your location, the people you have chosen to share with will see you on their map. 3. Offline Maps If you're travelling to a place where the internet is slow or mobile data is expensive or you can't get online, you can save an area from Google Maps to your phone or tablet and use it when you're offline. How to download Offline Maps on Google Maps Open the Google Maps app and make sure you're connected to the Internet and are not in Incognito mode. Search for a place. At the bottom, tap the name or address of the place, then tap the More option. Then Select Download offline map and click Download. 4. Transit alerts Transit alerts will ensure you are prepared if government mandates have an impact on transit services or require you to wear a mask on public transportation. Through these features, Google Maps will urge you to do some quick research before visiting a medical facility or testing centre so you do not get turned away. Maps is also making it easier to check crowding at train stations. You will also have the option to see live data on crowdedness. Additionally, Google is introducing driving alerts to notify users about COVID-19 checkpoints and restrictions along a route. Youll see an alert on the directions screen and after starting navigation if your route is impacted by these restrictions. How to get transit alerts on Google Maps? Simply search for a station in Google Maps or tap on the station on the map to see the departure board and busyness data, where available. 5. Be a part of Local Guides Local Guides is a global community of explorers who write reviews, share photos, answer questions, add or edit places, and check facts on Google Maps. If you are an expert in your local area you can contribute reviews, photos, or add missing places to Google Maps with Local Guides. You can also share information regarding road closures, missing roads, videos, and 360 degrees photos for making the Maps more experiential. India is amongst the Top 3 biggest local Guides user base. The benefits? As a Local Guide, you earn points for sharing reviews, photos, and knowledge on Google Maps. Those points lead to higher levels of the program, as well as benefits like early access to Google features and special perks from partners. At Level 4, you also unlock your first Local Guides badge, which helps your contributions to places get noticed. How to sign up for Local guides on Google Maps? You can sign-up directly from within the Google Maps app and become a city expert on Google Maps. On your smartphone or tablet, open Google Maps. Click Menu and tap the Your contributions. Click on your name and your points will appear in your profile. After you make a contribution, it may take up to 24 hours for your points to appear on your profile. 6. Two-Wheeler Mode There are several places and highways where two-wheelers are not allowed. If riders travel on these routes, they may invite a heavy fine. Two-wheeler mode in Maps shows trip routes that use shortcuts not accessible to cars and trucks. It also provides customised traffic and arrival time estimations. And since so many of us rely on local landmarks for navigation, two-wheeler mode shows major landmarks on the route so that riders can plan their trip before starting, and do not have to keep checking the phone on the go. How to use Two-Wheeler Mode on Google Maps? Type the name of the location from your starting point into Google Maps, click on the Get Directions button, and then select the Two-wheeler mode icon to find which route will take you to the destination in the shortest time. 7. Navigate & Explore in local languages One of the best features of Google Maps is its support for various languages. Google Maps showcases all places on Maps in dual languages. Dual labelling is available in several local languages including Hindi, Kannada, Punjabi, Malayalam, Gujarati, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali. Based on your location, Google Maps automatically shows the names of places in dual language labels. How to use the local languages feature on Google Maps? On your device, open the Google Maps app. Click Menu and go to Settings. In settings tap the Navigation Settings and choose Voice Selection. State institutions ups trading activity View(s): At least two government institutions have increased their trading activity in the Colombo Stock Exchange. They are trading mostly selling certain blue chips, according to stockbrokers. This may be after realising the need to lock in the maximum value at this point, before the stock prices increase further, a stockbroker told the Business Times. Another stockbroker confirmed this, noting that these are trading portfolios of these state institutions. They are buying and selling, he said. State Minister of Money and Capital Market and State Enterprise Reform, Ajit Nivard Cabraal recently said that state funds are also funds. They will have to take their own call in investing. If they want to invest in the stock market they can, if they dont, they can also not invest. So it is entirely a decision that will be entrusted to the management of the funds. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 01:22:37|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Eu ropean Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders (L) and European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson attend a press conference in Brussles, Belgium, on Sept. 4, 2020. The European Commission on Friday unveiled a plan for a coordinated approach to the restriction of movement resulting from measures being implemented by individual member states to curb the spread of the coronavirus. (European Union/Handout via Xinhua) BRUSSELS. Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- The European Commission on Friday unveiled a plan for a coordinated approach to the restriction of movement resulting from measures being implemented by individual member states to curb the spread of the coronavirus. In a proposal to the European Council, the Commission said it wanted the restrictions on free movement to be coordinated and clearly communicated at the level of the European Union (EU). It called for common criteria and thresholds on which the decisions about travel restrictions are based, including through the use of a color code, a common framework for measures applied to travelers from high-risk areas as well as clear and timely information to the public about any restrictions. The criteria are aimed at eliminating the wide discrepancy between national criteria for introducing measures that restrict free movement in the EU. The proposed color code will group countries in four categories: green, orange, red and grey. The Commission recommended taking into consideration the total number of new infections per 100,000 people in a given area in a 14-day period, the percentage of positive COVID-19 tests and the number of tests carried out per 100,000 people in a given area during a seven-day period. It urged the EU member states not to restrict travel from states where the number of new cases is less than 50 per 100,000 in a 14-day period or when the percentage of positive tests from all COVID-19 tests in a given area is below three percent. "We must avoid further disruption of already fragile economies and additional uncertainty for citizens who have made huge sacrifices. They expect this from us after so many months living with COVID-19," said European Commissioner for Health Stella Kyriakides. Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders said: "Our right to move freely in the EU has been heavily impacted by the pandemic... We are proposing straightforward criteria, applicable without discrimination, which are easy to follow by member states and enable us to inform Europeans properly." New Delhi, Sep 5 : The government has further eased the norms for prospective bidders interested in buying out the government's entire 52.98 per cent stake in Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) by allowing the winning candidate to restructure its corporate entity anytime before signing the share purchase agreement. What this would mean is that the winning candidate or company in BPCL privatisation can rope in more investors and change the structure of special purpose vehicle (SPV) that placed expression of interest (EoI) for the Indian refiner anytime before completing the share purchase. This is expected to give more confidence to investors who feel that a consortium approach is best suited to takeover BPCL or others who get a key investor to participate in management of the privatised entity. In wake of COVID disruptions, bidding for BPCL has been postponed four times with EoI submission now extended till September 30. The government has now made the process even more flexible to get maximum interest. Latest amendments to Dipam's (Department of Investment and Public Asset Management) preliminary information memorandum for prospective investors in BPCL suggests the interested parties qualifying in EoI and later deciding to participate as consortium can do so within 45 days of such qualification but with original interested party being the lead member in the consortium with around 40 per cent stake. But such consortium will not be permitted between two individual companies qualifying in the EoI round. Similarly, a consortium between two separate qualified consortiums will also not be permitted. The changes in PIM has not only provided flexibility to interested parties to incorporate investment vehicle taking over shares in BPCL till the time of signing SPA but has also provided flexibility to the interested party, which is a sole bidder, to form a 100 per cent subsidiary as a SPV for the acquisition of government's stake in BPCL. "The SPV can be formed at any time after submission of EOI but prior to signing of the SPA. Both the IP and the SPV will have to sign the SPA in case IP is selected as the strategic investor. The eligibility criteria will need to be satisfied by the IP, and each of the IP and the SPV will have to ensure that it is not disqualified as per the criteria listed for disqualification," the revised PIM for BPCL disinvestment said. Also, if an IP (interested party) satisfies the Net Worth criteria on the basis of the net worth of its parent, then the IP and the parent both will have to sign the SPA. Additionally, if an IP being a subsidiary forms a SPV to takeover BPCL, then the IP, its parent and the SPV all three will have to sign the SPA. The Net Worth eligibility criteria shall be met by the entity into which the accounts of the IP are consolidated ("Parent") while all the other eligibility criteria should be satisfied by the IP. Each of these entities i .e. the Parent, IP and the SPV will have to ensure that it is not disqualified as per the criteria listed for disqualification. New Delhi: With the CSO not factoring in the demonetisation impact on GDP, the Finance Ministry on Friday said its 7.1 per cent growth estimates for 2016-17 fiscal are based on real statistics and not anecdotal evidence. The Central Statistics Office (CSO) today came out with Advance Estimates of National Income for 2016-17 and projected Indias GDP growth to slow down to 7.1 per cent, from 7.6 per cent in 2015-16. However, the estimates do not take into account the impact of November 8 decision of demonetisation on 500/1,000 rupee notes on economic activity. Being a statistical organisation, the CSO has to go on real statistics and we cannot expect them to go on the basis of impressions and anecdotal evidence, Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das said. Several economists have predicted that growth will slowdown in the near term as economic activity has taken a hit on account of note ban. Even former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has projected economic growth to plunge by 2 per cent. Das said: Today whatever figures, whatever statistics are coming about the impact of demonetisation are broadly, mostly anecdotal and mostly based on anecdotal evidence. ALSO READ | Economy to grow at slower pace of 7.1 per cent this fiscal, as against 7.6 per cent last year, suggest GDP estimates Outlining gross fixed capital formation as an area of concern, Das said the government will take necessary measures in that direction. Gross fixed capital formation is a barometer of investment. The economic survey and the budget will spell out what approach the government will take, so I would not like to pre-judge and I cannot comment on that, but as I mentioned earlier, he said, adding tax revenues will exceed budget estimates this fiscal. Das, however, said todays CSO data shows that overall performance of the economythe agriculture sector and the services sectorare doing quite reasonably well. He said the data received by the government post demonetisation reveal that there are some positive data also. The VAT collection of states, in fact, most of the states have recorded substantial improvement in VAT collection in the month of November. ALSO READ | GDP estimates out: Growth rate in per capita income estimated at 5.6 per cent during 2016-17, as against 6.2 per cent in previous year Das said when the whole world is slowing down, even developed countries are slowing down, India cannot be an exception. The entire global economy, including the emerging economies, there is a trend of slow down, India cannot be an outlier. Among the countries India is one of the best performing country, he said. For all the Latest Business News, Economy News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. RICHMOND. Va. - The Supreme Court of Virginia on Friday denied a request from Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat, to extend a state moratorium against evictions that's due to expire Monday, but noted the state's judges should follow a federal moratorium put in place this past week. Aimed at protecting cash-strapped people from losing their homes during the coronavirus pandemic, the state's moratorium began a month agoat Northam's requestand runs until Monday. The Trump administration announced a four-month halt to evictions nationwide earlier this week, but Northam asked the state Supreme Court to renew Virginia's ban because he was uncertain the federal action was sufficient, his spokeswoman said. While Northam was "pleased" that the court recognized the federal moratorium, he believes the Trump administration's action - conducted through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - "required further review" and could be difficult to implement, spokeswoman Alena Yarmosky said. But the state Supreme Court sent a letter Thursday to judges and court clerks spelling out the details of the federal moratorium, which applies to renters who are trying to obtain government rental assistance; earning less than $99,000 if single or $198,000 if married; suffering loss of income because of a layoff or medical expenses; and facing the prospect of homelessness or exposure to covid-19. Though the justices denied Northam's request on the state moratorium, they extended a separate state of judicial emergency until Oct. 11, which allows criminal trials to be delayed. Northam has faced criticism from housing advocates for not using his power as governor to issue an executive order halting evictions, but he has disputed whether he has that authority. He initially asked the Supreme Court of Virginia to impose a moratorium in March, which was granted, but that order expired at the end of June. During July, new eviction cases were able to proceed, and advocates say those cases have continued to run their course in various courtrooms around the state ever since. They also say any moratorium is insufficient if it doesn't include financial assistance for residents. Landlords also have urged more comprehensive action, saying continued efforts to delay evictions creates an unsustainable financial burden. "While we continue to work diligently to assist residents in maintaining housing stability, it is not possible for the rental housing industry to continue picking up the tab for the Virginia Government's shortcomings," the Virginia Apartment Management Association said in a statement Friday. Northam has set aside $50 million in federal relief money for rent assistance programs. The General Assembly is considering legislation to address housing issues during its special session on topics related to the coronavirus, social justice and the state budget. Niki Caro says the spirit if Mushu is still in Mulan (Image by Disney) When Mulan was released all the way back in 1998, the most memorable comedic performance of the Disney animation came from Eddie Murphy as Mushu. So when it was announced that Disney were indeed remaking it for a modern audience, fans of the original were devastated when they discovered the omission of the Chinese dragon, who acts as Mulans companion as she rises through the ranks of the army disguised as a man. Read More: Is 'Mulan' based on a true story? But why is Mushu not in the Mulan remake? Director Niki Caro recently provided the answer to USA Today, insisting, "We were very inspired by what Mushu brought to the animation, which was the humour and the levity, and the challenge was to bring that to Mulans real relationships with her fellow soldiers. Director Niki Caro poses at the premiere for the film "Mulan" in Los Angeles, California, U.S., March 9, 2020. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni Mushu, beloved as that character is in the animation, was Mulans confidante, and part of bringing it into the live-action is to commit to the realism of her journey, and she had to make those relationships with her fellow soldiers. So there was certainly a lot to work with in that department." Producer Jason Reed previously told Collider that there was another very big reason why Mushu was left out of the film, as he explained that Chinese audiences actually had quite a few negative feelings towards the character when the 1998 version was released. Read More: Solid reactions to Disney's 'Mulan' remake following US premiere The dragon is a sign of respect and its a sign of strength and power, and that sort of using it as a silly sidekick didnt play very well with the traditional Chinese audience. Mulan is now available to watch for UK viewers on Disney+, although it will cost subscribers an additional fee of 19.99. Reviewers appear to have been rather impressed by the film, too, as it currently has a score of 82% on Rotten Tomatoes. If you live in Civil Lines, Greater Kailash, Hauz Khas or Lutyens Delhi chances of burglars breaking into your house are less as compared to the rest of Delhi, suggests a police survey which has mapped different city zones based on the cases of burglaries reported from there. According to the survey, Nihal Vihar, Samaipur Badli, Nangloi and Bawana are the most burglary prone areas. The study was conducted by the crime branch unit of the Delhi Police last month. A team of investigators from the unit analysed 1,269 cases of burglary reported in Delhi till August 15 to divide the city into red, green, blue, and white zones, with red representing the most vulnerable areas and white the least. Senior police officers described it as one of a kind study to identify crime patterns, loopholes in security apparatus, and suggest area-specific solutions to bring down number of cases. According to crime data available on Delhi Police website, 3,026 cases of burglary were reported in Delhi last year. The report was discussed in a video-conference meeting at police headquarters last Saturday. According to a copy of the report, seen by HT, Nihal Vihar, Samaipur Badli, Nangloi and Bawana -- industrial belts in the city -- have reported more than 20 burglary cases each this year Next is the green zone, which comprises Laxmi Nagar and Shakarpur in east Delhi, Tilak Nagar in the west and Shahdara in the north-east Delhi among others. These areas reported up to 19 cases each this year. Areas such as Paschim Vihar east in west Delhi and Neb Sarai in south were classified in the blue zone where 11-15 cases each were reported. Localities in white zone, three cases each, included Civil Lines in north Delhi, New Friends Colony in south-east Delhi and Hauz Khas in south Delhi, besides most police station areas in the Lutyens Delhi. An officer, who was part of Saturdays meeting, said, We have identified the problem areas. This was the first step. It was an extensive study of each case. We are speaking to market associations and residents groups to join hands with us and fix this problem. We will ask them to install CCTV cameras or get more security guards in the factory/industrial areas. At our end, we will set up police posts in some areas and increase patrolling in others. In some of the colonies such as Laxmi Nagar or Rohini, the residents can also come together and install CCTV cameras, which will act as a deterrent. The aim is to bring the cases to zero. We will also rework the deployment of police control room vans, accordingly, the officer said, requesting anonymity. Bhanu Pratap Mehta, president of Rohini Joint RWA Forum, said thefts and burglaries were a major problem in the area and they fear it would increase in the backdrop of people losing their jobs/businesses in the pandemic. We have been holding meetings with police. It has been a few months since CCTV cameras have been installed in some of the colonies and for the remaining the work is going on now. The residents are worried that with the coronavirus pandemic taking a toll on peoples livelihoods, incidents of crime may go up but hopefully with the cooperation of the police, we will be able to sail through this, Mehta said. The study has also identified the type of place within the zones where the burglars struck. The report shows that in 694 burglars struck in houses, followed by shops (273 cases), 71 offices and 66 factories, among other places categorised for the purpose of the study. The officer added that the police stations in red and green zones will microscopically analyse the pattern in their area. The focus would be on checking the lanes, where there are no street lights, CCTV cameras. The timing and patrolling pattern of police vans will also be analysed. A second police officer, who did not wish to be named, said the study suggests that besides other factors the nature of area (whether residential or industrial) and population also play a part in determining the level of safety. For example, Hauz Khas is relatively smaller and has less population than say Bawana. Also, in places such as Civil Lines and Greater Kailash, the residents welfare associations employ security and individual houses too have private security guard. This helps in overall policing, he said. Industrial areas and markets are relatively isolated and have fewer people on the streets after sundown. Plus, there is a problem of streetlighting, he explained. Former Delhi polices deputy commissioner of police, LN Rao, who has worked in the police force for three decades said the study is a step in the right direction. It is good that police are analysing the problems and patterns of crime. Studies like this have multiple benefits. Based on the patterns, the police can intelligence (and crack down on the criminals). This is what most corporate houses do while dealing with a problem. I am optimistic that it will lead to good results. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON 'Education is disconnected from social reality and does not even attempt to solve the real problems of our country,' observe Peehu Pardeshi and Sandeep Pandey. IMAGE: Amrendra Narayan. Photograph: Kind courtesy bholasmiles/Facebook.com It is unusual for a bright young scholar like Amrendra Narayan, with a PhD in nuclear physics from the Mississippi State University, preceded and followed by research stints at the Indian Institutes of Technology at Kanpur and Mumbai, respectively, to go and work at the relatively little known Veer Kunwar Singh University in Arrah in Bihar near his native place. His family and friends would have probably dissuaded him from going to Arrah and for good reasons. After working there for three years, he was physically assaulted on campus on August 13, 2020 by a man who hangs around the university without any formal affiliation there. It appears that a section of people at the university were not happy with the reforms that Amrendra was trying to bring about in the prevalent 'academic' culture there. He had made grading process computerised, freeing it from the clutches of private agencies and from external and internal manipulation. He has made biometric attendance compulsory for students if they were interested in receiving their scholarships and similarly for the faculty members, a number of whom live in Patna, about 50 km away, who now found it difficult to register their attendance through proxy. His biggest attack was on plagiarism. He introduced software to detect plagiarism which made it difficult to obtain an easy PhD from the university. He received requests from other professors to be lenient if the extent of plagiarism was minor, but Amrendra was not to relent. In his attempt to rid the system of higher education of the malpractices and corruption by strictly implementing the University Grants Commission norms, he shook the entire set-up. The vice chancellor was supportive of his efforts in the beginning because of which he was able to accomplish a number of things. But after the assault, the VC has gone mum. The scenario at the university in Arrah is not an exception. To a lesser and greater extent, all the malpractices here can be found at any academic institution in other places too. Using unfair means in examinations is very common and is a collaborative exercise in many places with students, parents, teachers, managements of schools or colleges, education department officials, administrative officers and people's representatives all colluding. It is an important factor responsible for the fall in the quality of education activity at educational institutions. Students of renowned institutions like the King George Medical University, Lucknow, and IIT, Banaras Hindu Univeristy have been caught impersonating for candidates in respective entrance examinations in exchange for money. Incidents of plagiarism have been reported at very reputed institutions too. Erudite economist Jean Dreze accused an associate professor at IIT-Kanpur of having copied one of his articles published in the Economic and Political Weekly when the latter was a PhD student at Jawaharlal Nehru University. The PhD student just added a section to Dr Dreze's article and published it in another journal in his name. In spite of charges of plagiarism in other works, he continues to serve IIT-Kanpur. What is probably a rarity at IIT is a common practice at universities like Veer Kunwar Singh. Dishonesty in research and teaching is rampant. The practice perpetuates from one generation to another. Any intervention to rectify the malfunctioning is likely to receive a violent pushback as experienced by Amrendra Narayan. IMAGE: Jawaharlal Nehru University professors and teachers protest the violance at JNU outside the Delhi police headquarters, February 10 2020. Photograph: Rahul Singh/ANI Photo Campus violence is also not uncommon. From carrying feudal-casteist disputes from the rural hinterland to academic campuses, clashes between student groups more to assert their dominance than for any ideological reasons, giving vent to their frustration against any attempt to discipline them by indulging in vandalism have been common incidents. Banaras Hindu University closing down after campus violence was an expected annual event before BHU banned students union elections. This January we saw a masked gang going on the rampage on the JNU campus. IMAGE: Delhi Commission For Women chief Swati Maliwal (in green sweater) addresses students during a protest against the molestation of students by a rowdy group who forcibly entered the Gargi College in Delhi. Photograph: PTI Photo A rowdy group forcibly entered the Gargi College in Delhi in February and shamefully molested women students. Most of our institutions of higher learning have no pretensions of being ideal centres of learning and scholarship. In spite of the high numbers involved in higher education India has a poor record in research. It is no surprise that no scholar working in an Indian institution has received a Nobel Prize till date. The quality of research also reflects in the economy. Manufacturing in India is highly dependent on foreign designs and imported material and products. China has infiltrated the Indian market to such an extent that in spite of our wish to boycott Chinese goods because of its infringement of Indian territory we are unable to do so. The prime minister may dream of an Atmanirbhar Bharat, but the fact is we cannot do without external help, whether finance or technology. A recent trend is governments hiring foreign consultants to advise them on matters of domestic policy. It is quite clear that India has not taken its education seriously. Education is a ritual to be completed for upward social and economic mobility. The ultimate objective is to possess a degree irrespective of any capability acquired through the process of education. The more smart among the educated use their knowledge or skills to make money for themselves, legally or illegally. Corruption in India is a product of the educated. Education is disconnected from social reality and does not even attempt to solve the real problems of our country. Corruption, violence and mediocrity are endemic to the Indian education system. The system is deeply entrenched intertwined with powerful vested interests. If the policy makers want an overhaul of the education system, as is desired in the recently released New Education Policy, the reality would have to be confronted. Some people will have to stem the rot. This will definitely involve risks as Amrendra's example has shown. Society and the intellectual academic community will have to support persons who attempt to reform the system and not abandon them. Peehu Pardeshi is an Assistant Professor at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. Dr Sandeep Pandey is a winner of the 2002 Magsaysay Award. Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/ Rediff.com The Russian military won the Tank Biathlon competition within the framework of the International Army Games, the press center of the event informed. After two laps of the relay, Russian and Chinese tankers took the lead. "The driver-mechanic of the third Russian crew developed an extremely high speed on the third lap, thus contributing to the victory of the Russian tankers who finished first in 1 hour 28 minutes 50 seconds," the statement on the website of the Russian Ministry of Defense reads. A fter its future hung in the balance due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis, the live-action version of Mulan is finally available to watch if you have Disney Plus, that is. The heart of the story remains the same as the 1998 animated classic Crystal Liu Yifei stars as Hua Mulan, who joins the Chinese army disguised as a man in a bid to save her father. However, fans who have seen both films are quick to point out a number of changes from the 2020 edition to the old family favourite. But just how different is the reboot? Here are some of the differences between the two General Li-Shang The live-action Mulan sees some changes / getty images In the 1998 edition, the stern general played Mulans love interest, but the romantic subplot has seemingly been cut from the 2020 series. Instead, Mulan fights alongside Chen Honghui, another military recruit, portrayed by Yoson An. Mushu The affable, lovable dragon who served as Mulans companion and good-luck charm in the 1998 edition was brought to life by Eddie Murphy. However, the character has been left out of the remake. The elimination of Mushu is thought to be down to the 2020 Mulan film being more closely linked to the Chinese fable of Hua Mulan, or the Ballad of Mulan which has seen some old favourites cut from the series altogether. Bori Khan and Xian Lang Xian Lang is a new villain in the remake While the villain in the original film is Shan Yu, the evil leader of the invading Hun Army, the villains in the live-action version are Bori Khan (Jason Scott Lee), a fierce warrior who is intent on avenging his fathers death. He is joined by shape-shifting witch Xian Lang, played by Gong Li, who can transform into a falcon. The musical numbers Sadly, we wont hear Ill Make A Man Out of You the film is not intended to be an exact remake of the original. However, that doesnt mean that there wont be any nods to the 1998 classic with an instrumental version of the song Reflection a throwback to the original animated film being used in latest trailer. Mulan is available to view on Disney Plus Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Reuters) Venice, Italy Sat, September 5, 2020 22:01 502 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c42ec65c 2 Entertainment Australia,film,Venice-Film-Festival,film-festival,Italy,Venice,COVID-19,coronavirus,quarantine,Roderick-MacKay Free Australian director Roderick MacKay braved COVID-19 restrictions to make a "daunting" trip to the Venice film festival, where his debut feature The Furnace premieres on Friday. MacKay had to get permission from Australian authorities to leave his own country, quarantine in Rome for two weeks before traveling to Venice, and will have to quarantine again when he goes back to Australia. "Traveling during this time in history is sort of just a little bit daunting for any purpose," 33-year old MacKay, who filmed a video of his journey and self-isolation on his mobile for Reuters, said in an interview. Read also: Venice Film Festival opens despite pandemic "But to be doing so, to come to a top tier festival like Venice, to have your debut film premiere on the world stage, it's certainly a whole other layer of dauntingness," he said, adding he was happy and honored to be at the world's oldest film festival. The Furnace, which is in the Horizon section outside the main competition, tells the little known story of cameleers brought to Australia by the British empire from India, Afghanistan and Persia in the second half of the 19th century and the local Aboriginal people they befriended. The Venice film festival is the first such international event to go ahead in front of live audiences since the coronavirus pandemic shut much of the movie world down. It runs until Sept 12. The National Service Personnel association in the Asunafo South District of the Ahafo Region embarked on a cleanup exercise. The graduate byword visited various vantage Areas of the District Capital. Places like the forecourt of the District Assembly, the principal street, taxi station, and their market Centre. Residents of Kukuom were so glad and commended them for their congenital heart they have exhibited to them. Pedestrians couldn't control their heartfelt joy to the NASPA people. In addressing the media, the NASPA President, Adjei Boateng Christopher used the opportunity as a humongous conduit to thank his entire Executives, members, and other individuals who supported this exercise. He disclosed that the motive behind this exercise was to contribute their quota as a body in keeping the environment clean and green. They believe that a clean environment is very important for the wellbeing of every individual. The association secretary, Amponsah Esther advised the general public to see the environment as their bedroom and keep it clean. She stressed that Ghanaians attitude of dumping refuse at any place and defecating around rivers is very bad and does not augur well to the nation as a whole. As the world keeps on battling with the deadly Coronavirus Pandemic, Ghana has not been spared therefore, Asunafo South NASPA donated some Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to Kukuom District Hospital and the Islamic Community. Items like Hand sanitisers, Veronica buckets, tissue papers, medicated soaps, etc. The health Officials of Kukuom hospital expressed their appreciation to them. The District Chief Imam blessed them for helping the Islamic society at this moment of Coronavirus Pandemic. Tens of Thousands in Inner Mongolia Resist Beijings Push to Wipe Out Their Language Tens of thousands of ethnic Mongolians have signed a petition in protest against Beijings new push to promote the countrys official language Mandarin in Inner Mongolia, a move that some have described as cultural genocide. Widespread anger began brewing in the northern Chinese region of Inner Mongolia last week after authorities announced they would introduce Mandarin-only teaching to local schools and replace Mongolian-language textbooks with standardized Chinese versions for core courses that range from history, politics, to literature. Mandarin is the official dialect and language spoken by Chinas majority Han ethnicity. The new policy has sparked fear among ethnic Mongols in the region that it would gradually wipe out their culture and endanger their very identity. Over the past week, throngs of students, teachers, and parents have gathered at local school grounds, singing and chanting slogans in their native tongue while refusing to go back to the classroom, videos circulating on the internet show. In Inner Mongolias capital Hohhot alone, around 20,000 have signed a petition against the new education guidelines, according to the New York-based advocacy group the Southern Mongolian Human Rights Information Center (SMHRIC). Videos released by the group show multiple folders of petition sheets filled with signatures coupled with red fingerprintsa common method of identification in China. Enghebatu Togochog, director of SMHRIC, estimates that hundreds of thousands of ethnic Mongols have signed the petition, noting that they have seen 2,700 signatures from a small rural remote community alone. The number of students who have taken part in the school strike is likely around 300,000, he said. Considering the total mobilization of the entire Southern Mongolian society, it is safe to say that almost the entire Southern Mongolian population has taken part of this massive nonviolent civil disobedience movement in one form or another, he told The Epoch Times. Latest government data from 2010 to 2015 indicates that around 4.2 to 4.3 million ethnic Mongols live in the region, making up roughly 17.1 percent of the population. Among the signatories were some 300 staff members from Inner Mongolias state-run television, the Hohhot-based Inner Mongolia Radio and Television. In video footage that has gone viral, they each signed their names and stamped their fingerprints along the outline of a circlea popular way to avoid singling out any leadersin a conference room decorated with a calligraphy painting that read Party media bear the surname of the Party. Around 2,600 college students in Inner Mongolia have signed a joint letter to the Chinese government to protest the new language policy. (Screenshot/Southern Mongolian Human Rights Information Center) Crackdown The Chinese regime reacted swiftly to the strikes by mobilizing local police and detaining activists. In one district of Tongliao City alone, nearly 140 ethnic Mongols have been accused of picking quarrels and provoking troubles, a common charge used on political dissidents. Their headshots, apparently captured from zoomed-in surveillance footage, were posted on government websites, which offered monetary rewards for their capture. Government and school notices seen by The Epoch Times showed that ethnic Mongolian government workers in multiple regions were told to send their kids back to schools, and were threatened with severe disciplinary action if they did not comply. From Aug. 29 to Sept. 2, the regimes national police chief Zhao Kezhi toured around various police bureaus in Inner Mongolia. In a speech that appears to forebode a harsh crackdown, he told local police to follow the Chinese Communist Partys leadership no matter what circumstances and take strict measures to prevent terrorism. They must fight the tough battle ahead with an iron grip, he said. Two parents, a teacher and her husband, have reportedly committed suicide, according to Bitter Winter, an online magazine on religious freedom and human rights in China. Togochog put the current death toll at four. A massive man-hunt and mass arrests are on the way. But, the Southern Mongolians are determined to risk their life to face all the challenges ahead, Togochog said. State media show students dressed in traditional attire appear in the classroom of a primary school in Inner Mongolia, which locals said was staged. (Screenshot) Fake Propaganda State-owned news outlets have posted photos showing children in traditional Mongolian gown or school uniforms reading or playing in various Hohhot primary schools, supposedly on their first day back from summer break. Locals, however, called such scenes staged. Authorities have borrowed Han students as actors, they said. These kids would perform from one place to another, Suwdaa (alias) from the regions eastern tip Xilingol League told The Epoch Times. Some of the children, she noted, were dressed in clothes meant for performances rather than daily attire. Many Mongolian schools in Inner Mongolia are empty since the kids are not back, she added. While Chinese officials said the new policy would not affect Mongolian-language teaching, there have been major changes in the new textbooks that made the promises ring hollow, said Suwdaa. She said a popular folk verse professing pride in their culture and language, which many ethnic Mongol youths could recite by heart, has been removed from textbooks. Also gone were songs praising their historical heroes, which have been replaced with Chinese ballads. A girl wearing a traditional Mongolian costume waits with her mother during the speech of Mongolian presidential election candidate Battulga Khaltmaa from the Mongolian Democracy Party during a rally in Ulan Bator, on June 23, 2017. (Fred Dufour/AFP via Getty Images) The teachers were instructed to talk to each parent to get the children back to school. Theres been endless calls and endless text messages. The parents just wont accept it, she said. A teacher from Xilingol League who spoke on condition of anonymity said that a local ethnic Mongolian police officer has been suspended for opposing the policy. Disciplinary officials have also sought out teachers from their school one-by-one for a talk. Privately, some have prepared for possible dismissal. We are now of one heartparents, students, teachers, and Mongols in all social sectors. We have never been so united. Washington Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden declared President Donald Trump "unfit" for the presidency on Friday, delivering an impassioned reaction to a report that Trump who never served in uniform allegedly mocked American war dead. The president and his allies have dismissed the report in The Atlantic as false. The allegations, sourced anonymously, describe multiple offensive comments by the president toward fallen and captured U.S. service members, including calling World War I dead at an American military cemetery in France "losers" and "suckers" in 2018. The reported comments, many of which were confirmed independently by The Associated Press, are shining a fresh light on Trump's previous public disparagement of American troops and military families. That opens a new political vulnerability for the president less than two months from Election Day. Voice cracking, Biden told reporters that "you know in your gut" Trump's comments, if true, are "deplorable." "I've just never been as disappointed, in my whole career, with a leader that I've worked with, president or otherwise," Biden added. "If the article is true and it appears to be, based on other things he's said it is absolutely damning. It is a disgrace." He added that "the president should humbly apologize to every Gold Star mother and father, to every Blue Star family that he's denigrated. ... Who the heck does he think he is?" Trump, in the Oval Office, said no apology was necessary, because it was a "fake story." Trump was alleged to have made the comments in November 2018, as he was set to visit the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery during a trip to France. The White House said the visit was scrubbed because foggy weather made the helicopter trip from Paris too risky and a 90-minute drive was deemed infeasible. Speaking Friday in the Oval Office, Trump denied ever uttering such comments: "It was a terrible thing that somebody could say the kind of things and especially to me 'cause I've done more for the military than almost anyone anybody else." Later, in a press briefing, Trump suggested the source of the story was his former chief of staff, retired Marine Gen. John Kelly. "It could have been a guy like John Kelly," Trump told reporters, saying his former top aide "was unable to handle the pressure of this job." Biden's critique was personal. The former vice president often speaks about his pride for his late son Beau's service in the Delaware Army National Guard. As he spoke, Biden grew angry, raising his voice to rebut Trump's alleged comments that Marines who died in battle were "suckers" for getting killed. "When my son was an assistant U.S. attorney and he volunteered to go to Kosovo when the war was going on, as a civilian, he wasn't a sucker," Biden declared. "When my son volunteered to join the United States military as the attorney general, he went to Iraq for a year, won the Bronze Star and other commendations, he wasn't a sucker!" Beau Biden died of cancer in 2015. Returning to Washington from a Thursday visit to Pennsylvania, Trump told reporters that the Atlantic report was "a disgraceful situation" by a "terrible magazine." Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. "I would be willing to swear on anything that I never said that about our fallen heroes," Trump told the reporters, gathered on the tarmac in the dark. "There is nobody that respects them more. No animal nobody what animal would say such a thing?" Biden has framed the election from the start as a referendum on Trump's character. His allies quickly seized on the reported comments in hopes they could drive a wedge between military families and veterans and Trump. They also believe the issue could help win over disaffected Republican voters who are fed up with Trump's constant controversies. In particular, Biden's team believes his well-documented experience, both personally and politically, with military issues could help him make inroads with a population that broadly supported Trump in the 2016 election and could help sway the election this year in a number of close swing states. Biden himself has not served in the military. Military families were broadly supportive of Trump in the 2016 election, and a Pew Research Center survey of veterans conducted in June 2019 found overall that veterans were more supportive of Trump than the general public, and that roughly 60 percent of the veterans polled identified as Republicans. On a call with reporters hosted by the Biden campaign Friday, Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth lambasted Trump for "belittling the sacrifices of those who have shown more bravery than he's capable of." Duckworth, a retired Army National Guard lieutenant colonel who lost both of her legs in the Iraq War, has been a prominent critic of Trump's handling of military issues. Knocking Trump for allegedly inventing an injury to avoid serving in the Vietnam War, Duckworth said she'd "take my wheelchair and my titanium legs over Donald Trump's supposed bone spurs any day." Khizr Khan, the Gold Star father who drew national attention after criticizing Trump during the 2016 Democratic National Convention, joined Duckworth on the call and said Trump's "life is a testament to selfishness." "Words, we say, are windows into our souls. So when Donald Trump calls anyone who places their lives in service of others a loser, we understand Trump's soul," he said. Khan's son, Humayun, was killed in action in Iraq in 2004. In 2016, Trump responded to the criticism from Khan by claiming he'd made sacrifices of his own and by making an Islamophobic attack on Khan's wife, Ghazala Khan, who was wearing a headscarf at the Democratic convention, saying: "She had nothing to say. She probably maybe she wasn't allowed to have anything to say. You tell me." More than two dozen protesters were arrested in Portland overnight after police declared an unlawful assembly during the 99th consecutive night of unrest in the city. Chaos erupted outside the Portland Police Association building where a few hundred demonstrators gathered after marching from Kenton Park earlier Friday evening. Crowds arrived at N Lombard Street to find cops in riot gear as well as Oregon state troopers waiting outside. It marks the first time state police officers were back on the front lines after being withdrawn from the area early last month. Scroll down for video Portland Police and Oregon state troopers joined forces after chaos broke out between protesters and cops on Friday night Officers in riot gear made multiple arrests after declaring an unlawful assembly outside the Portland Police Association building on N Lombard Street on Friday Police officers used crowd control munitions to disperse protesters after they failed to obey the order and clear the area A few hundred demonstrators marched to the building earlier Friday night only to be met by dozens of officers waiting outside Anti-police protester Addie Mitchell was seen shouting at an officer during a demonstration Police warned protesters to stay off the streets and private property, threatening them with citations, arrest, the use of tear gas and crowd-control agents. The encounter led to a face off with officers, with protesters chanting and tossing balloons, Oregon Live reported. Just before midnight, about two hours after demonstrators arrived, cops declared an unlawful assembly and began moving in on crowds, pushing people out of the area. Clouds of smoke filled the air as cops deployed smoke bombs and stun grenades to disperse crowds. Police ran down the street, knocking people down and arresting those who they say were not following orders. As some people were being detained, they were pinned to the ground and blood could be seen marking the street pavement. Crowds gathered outside the police union headquarters around 10pm where they were met with a wall of police including Mobile Response Team (MRT) members, state assets and armored vehicles Protesters faced off with cops for about two hours before officers began moving in on crowds Cops began rushing demonstrators and detained multiple people during the skirmish The Oregon city nears 100 days of demonstrations against racism and police brutality, which have at times turned violent At least six people were seen being detained during the clash, according to Oregon Live. Police on Saturday said they arrested 27 people, mostly on charges of interfering with law enforcement or disorderly conduct after not complying with orders to clear the area where they assembled and throwing items at officers. 'Officers began to make targeted arrests and in some cases moved the crowd back and kept them out of the street,' they said in a statement. One arrested protester was injured with a 'bleeding abrasion' on her head, police said. Demonstrations in Portland, which started in late May after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, are reaching 100 straight nights of protests that have been marked by vandalism and violence. Law enforcement officers deployed smoke canisters demonstrators continued protesting for 99 consecutive days Two street medics react as Portland police arrest members of their group during a protest Anti-police protesters held signs as they rallied outside the Portland Police Association building These have at times turned into clashes between demonstrators and officers, as well as between right- and left-wing groups. The slaying of a right-wing Trump supporter, Aaron 'Jay' Danielson, shot and killed after he came downtown last weekend with a pro-Trump caravan of pickup trucks further roiled things in the liberal city. The prime suspect in the shooting, self-described anti-fascist Michael Forest Reinoehl, was killed Thursday night by law enforcement. Since Floyd's killing, nights of unrest that increasingly targeted a federal courthouse prompted President Donald Trump to dispatch U.S. agents to guard the building in July. His Democratic challenger in the November 3 presidential election, Joe Biden, has accused Trump of stoking violence with his rhetoric. Syracuse, N.Y. A Syracuse attorney has resigned as a taxpayer-funded defense attorney a day after he posted to Facebook that he was researching how to form a conservative white nationalist movement, an effort he said was necessary because our daughters deserve to be safe. H. Dana VanHee, a criminal defense attorney in Syracuse since 2005, posted Thursday afternoon that concerned citizens approached him about the legality of forming such a movement. JACKSON, Wyo. - Some 95,114 wild horses and burros roam free throughout the United States, according to a March 1 count by the federal Bureau of Land Management. The Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 protects the mustangs, describing them as an integral part of the natural system of the public lands. But wildlife biologists recommend a maximum of 26,770 equids on available public land in Wyoming alone, the population is more than 4,900 horses over the states goal and ranchers say the overwhelming excess robs rangeland from their cattle. Wildfire, wolves, grizzly bears: The Greater Yellowstone has no shortage of controversial management issues to tackle. But while the fight over wild mustangs on the open range has over the decades raged quieter, raged it has, and it continues to, throughout the western United States without a clear resolution. But a program on the Bridger-Teton National Forest has at least a part of the solution, the Jackson Hole News & Guide reported. Wild horses have no natural predators, so their numbers continue to grow. Between 2019 and 2020 alone, their population rose by 7,024 individuals, leaving the already tremendously overworked range to shoulder a hungry growing burden. The BLM stepped up by rounding up horses off the open range and putting them up for adoption or shipping them a to contractors ranch to be placed in fenced pasture for the rest of their lives. The agency also practices sterilization in an attempt to slow population growth. Others are used in exhibitions that highlight the abilities of trainers, and then are auctioned off. But all of those solutions come with an expensive aftertaste. Thats where the Blackrock Ranger District of the Bridger-Teton National Forest comes in, headed up most directly by Jack Hatch, stock manager for the district since the programs creation in 1989. The brainchild of Brian Stout, former supervisor for the Bridger-Teton, the Blackrock program grew out of budgetary disapproval and a terrific impression by Wyoming Honor Farm, a Wyoming corrections facility in Riverton, that gives inmates the chance to train the wild horses. The Wyoming Honor Farm proved well suited to the job, and Stout was able to move the Forest Service away from expensive purebreds and onto a hardier, more readily available steed. Once Stout discovered Hatch in Montana, laid up with a broken neck, the program was set to succeed. Jack, to me, is probably one of the closest things to a horse whisperer of anybody that Ive ever been around, Stout said. Hatch lives up to the praise. Mustangs, prone to a bad reputation and frequently treated like the redheaded stepchild, flourish in his program. He personally picks them from holding facilities, and has gone as far as Oregon to add to his string. He also trains for other forest districts, so hell sometimes pick stock for them, too. Theyre as good as whatever you can put into em, Hatch said. Theyve got better feet, better bone, they dont seem to colic like quarterhorses do. You can rope off of em, you can crack a whip off of em, you can do everything off of them. The mustangs are used as mounts and pack animals for Forest Service rangers, and also are used to lug pesticides into hard-to-access areas to keep invasive plants at bay. But there are plenty of expenses to keep the horses healthy, including shoeing, dental care, veterinary costs and feed. Hatch works hard to keep the program running on a slim budget that shifts with Forest Service employee changes. Typically, Hatch takes on 40 to 50 head of horses and mules. This year, he has been tasked with cutting a few from the program. Some go directly to private homes, but typically, and as with most government property, they go to auction. Despite financial shortcomings, Hatchs care and training of the horses remains above average. Its one thing to get hurt in town, in an arena, five minutes from a hospital, Hatch said. But when youre 30 miles in the backcountry, (help) cant get to you. Thats why he takes his time to train each horse from nose to tail, he said. A mustang, he said, if you train every piece of his body I call that engaging pretty soon hes listening to everything youre asking. And thats what takes the bad out of the horse. Stouts marching orders were to make the horses successful and the humans successful. So Ive kept that, Ive never backed off, Hatch said. He said the Forest Service rangers gain riding skills that can keep them safe, even when they cant immediately see the purpose of the manoeuvrs he teaches. There are eight such manoeuvrs Hatch would like each of his students to know, including a side pass, counter arcing, rollbacks, a stop and lead changes. Its hard to train people, Hatch said. Its easy to train horses. His 30 years of experience have made an indelible impression on man and animal alike. For the horses, their trajectory is forever changed they have a purpose and a safe landing. For the humans, the result is much the same. Stout recalled several stories about the program from his 10 years as forest supervisor, including one about a 19-year-old boy who felt that training mustangs with Hatch was the first thing hed ever been successful at. Its a horse program, said Stout, and its a success because its working and working well. Plus it provides a meaningful home for the animals that are very well taken care of and in return perform the services they give. But, be added, Its also a people program in many, many ways. Fire crews continued battling a series of fires Friday in Eastern Montana while preparing for another red flag warning Saturday with higher temperatures, low humidity and gustier winds in the forecast. On Thursday, cooler temperatures and calmer winds aided firefighting, but fires continued to grow through Friday. Temperatures across south-central and southeastern Montana reached 90 degrees Friday, with a north wind dragging smoke from the Bobcat fire in Musselshell County to Billings Friday evening. Saturday's temperatures could reach triple digits, with low 10% relative humidity. Saturday winds will hover around 10 to 15 mph with gusts around 30 mph. The red flag warning is expected to expire Sunday night as cooler temperatures creep in for Labor Day. Monday could see a high in the 50s with a 90% chance of rain through Monday night. Air quality in Billings, Birney and Broadus reached "moderate" levels Friday afternoon. People sensitive to smoke in the air should consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion, according to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality. In Colstrip, a high school football game Friday evening against Big Timber was canceled due to the smoky, unhealthy air quality. Gov. Steve Bullock issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency Friday morning that can mobilize the Montana National Guard to support firefighting and community protection efforts. Bobcat fire As of 9 a.m. Friday, the Bobcat fire near Roundup is approximately 26,000 acres or about 40 square miles, according to an update on the Musselshell Disaster and Emergency Services Facebook page. Crews are preparing for severe weather Saturday, and heavy operations are being performed. Residential areas south of Roundup were still evacuated as of Friday morning. Communities threatened by fire include the Johnnys Coal Subdivision, Bruner Mountain Subdivision, Old Divide Subdivision and structures dispersed along Fattig Creek Road and the Signal Peak Coal Mine. Evacuations have been ordered for the Hidden Springs Subdivision, residences on Fattig Creek Road, Turkey Trot Drive, Bruner Mountain Road, Pine Cone Lane, Lookout Lane, Taylor Mesa Lane, Spring Hollow Lane and Otter Trail. Authorities have also announced the immediate evacuation of residents on East and West Parrot Creek Road, Pine View Drive, Big Buck Trail, Smith Road, Elk Lane, Lazy R Way, Deer Lane, Bear Road, Blue Road, Cherry Street, Pleasant Grove Road, Beard Road, Wilson Road and Outlaw Trail. Operations are working on plans to allow (residents) back into their property for evaluation which will be done on a road by road basis, according to a post on the Facebook page. Friday evening, Musselshell County DES announced that that entrance passes would be issued to evacuated and displaced residents to collect at the Roundup High School parking lot between 7 and 9 a.m. Saturday morning. The passes would allow them to return to their homes for any items they want to collect. The window for those with passes is open from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. before they have to once again evacuate. According to the announcement, weather conditions show the "worst possible conditions" Saturday in containing the fire, and officials urged those returning to their property to adhere to the timeline. "The fire could rapidly and dramatically change course and easily overwhelm fire breaks that have been put in place," the announcement read. Snider and Rice fires The Snider and Rice fires in Rosebud County north of Ashland, about 200 miles southeast of Billings, continue to grow, with the Rice Fire reaching 12,318 acres or about 19 square miles, and the Snider Fire reaching 31,588 acres, or 49 square miles as of 10 a.m. Friday morning, according to a press release from incident commander David Hamilton. Most of the fire activity is in Powder River and Custer counties. Crews have not contained the fire and are working to prepare for Saturdays hot weather by building secure fire lines to clear burnable vegetation around both of the fires perimeters. Management of the fire was transferred to the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation and the county assist team. A fire camp is being set up off of Tongue River Road, according to the Rosebud County Sheriffs Office Facebook page. An evacuation of Ashland was lifted early Thursday morning. Oil Fire The Oil Fire started northwest of Sumatra, about 60 miles east of Roundup in Rosebud County, by a downed power line on Wednesday. The fire grew to about 10,000 acres, or about 15 square miles, however, crews were able to contain and control it. Fire resources were pulled from the area Friday morning, according to Rosebud County fire warden Rodney Dresbach. No evacuations were issued, and no structures were burned, Dresbach said. Numerous oil well sites and one ranch were threatened, but fire crews were able to direct the fire around them. Huff Fire As of 5 p.m. Friday, fire officials still estimated the Huff Fire in Garfield County at 46,829 acres, or 73 square miles as of 11 p.m. Thursday night, according to the Garfield County Disaster and Emergency Services Facebook page. The fire is 15% contained and crews continue to secure the perimeter Friday. Fire engines from surrounding counties are also helping in pulling apart hot spots such as outbuildings, corrals and equipment. Officials urged cation when traveling on Highways 59 and 200, both to allow access for emergency vehicles and to watch for any escaped livestock on or along the roads. The helicopter used for fire mapping was used to drop water on the fire Friday. A local Catholic church is distributing sack lunches and community members are moving livestock to a safe location, according to a post on the Facebook page. Residents can contact Jeana Stanton about sack lunches at 406-230-1672. Those needing assistance with livestock can call Anne Miller at 406-853-3610. Sarpy fire Fire officials are still estimating the Sarpy fire located on the Crow and Northern Cheyenne Indian reservations to be 48,000 acres or 75 square miles. As of Friday morning, about 19,400 acres, or 30 square miles, are located on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation. About 26,100 acres, or about 40 square miles of the fire are on the Crow Reservation. About 145 acres are managed by the state, and about 32 acres are managed by the Bureau of Land Management, according to an update on the Northern Cheyenne Agency Bureau of Indian Affairs Forestry and Wildland Fire Mangement Facebook page. The fire started Wednesday south of the Westmoreland Absaloka coal mine on the Crow Reservation and traveled into the northwest corner of the Northern Cheyenne Reservation. The fire on the Crow Reservation has no containment Friday afternoon, and crews are working to strengthen fire lines on the south end of the fire, moving east, said Randy Pretty-On-Top with the Crow Bureau of Indian Affairs Wildfire and Land Management. No evacuations have been issued, and no buildings are threatened at this time. "We're looking to sort of corral it," Pretty-On-Top said. As crews continue to work on fire lines, containment and control, ground crews will work to "mop up" the fire, which makes the fire safe or reduces residual smoke after the fire has been controlled. Pretty-On-Top said that there are plans in place to keep workers safe while battling the fire and mitigate the risks of spreading COVID-19. Ground crews will consist of 20 firefighters in each group, so social distancing is important while they're in the field. Personnel wear masks and participate in symptoms screenings and temperature checks every day. "We've got to keep a close eye on it," Pretty-On-Top said. Crews worked on the eastern and southeastern flanks of the Sarpy fire on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation Thursday, with plans to focus on the west and southwest flanks toward the Crow-Northern Cheyenne reservation border. The plan is to prepare for tomorrow's weather. "We're trying to hold onto all the hard work we've put into containing this fire," said Bobby Cooper, Northern Cheyenne assistant fire management officer. No evacuations have been issued and no buildings are threatened at this time, Cooper said. Residents of Busby were able to return to their homes after an evacuation Wednesday night. The Sarpy fire is defined as a Type 3 incident, which is a measurement of a fire's complexity and a guide for how to manage fires. Type 5 incidents are the least complex, while Type 1 incidents are the most complex and require more planning and assistance. As of Friday evening, aircraft including two single-engine tankers and two helicopters were dumping water and fire retardant on the edges of the blaze, according to an announcement from Crow Agency BIA Fire and Aviation. Engines will remain at the fire overnight. Zook fire Custer County fire crews have shifted their focus onto the Zook fire after state resources took control of the Snider fire in Rosebud, Powder River and Custer counties. The Zook fire located about eight or nine miles southeast of the Snider fire has burned about 5,000 acres as of Friday afternoon, according to Custer County DES coordinator Bud Peterson. There was no containment of the fire as of Friday afternoon, but Peterson was optimistic as crews continued to build lines around the entire fire. Engines from the county, the Bureau of Land Management and Ismay, Montana, have helped with the fire. No structures are threatened at this time and no evacuations have been issued. "Things are so far so good," Peterson said. Bridger Foothills fire The Bridger Foothills fire was reported Friday afternoon northeast of Bozeman. The fire is visible from the Gallatin Valley and smoke is drifting into Bridger Canyon, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The fire is estimated at 10 acres. The "M" and Sypes Canyon trailheads are closed and Bridger Canyon Road from Bozeman to the junction with Jackson Creek Road is closed. The fire is about two miles up Bridger Foothills Trail and is actively burning timber. Gallatin County is evacuating recreationists from the area. Two large airtankers, four engine air tankers, firefighters and smokejumpers are helping battle the flames. Two helicopters are dropping buckets of water to slow the spread. Photos: September brings wildfires and smoke to Central and Eastern Montana Billings Gazette reporter Paul Hamby contributed to this article. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Here comes the cost: When diving into married life, youre also going to have to make big financial decisions Although hundreds of weddings have had to be scaled back, postponed or cancelled due to Covid-19, getting married remains as popular as ever. Getting hitched may be all about the excitement of the big day and the huge costs associated with it, but in pledging your troth, you are also making big decisions about money and assets which may have been all your own up to now, but from the day of your wedding, will now be melded with someone else's. If you don't share the same attitudes to risk, spending or saving, it could come to blows. So this week I'm taking a look at the marriage of money. Love might be blind, but your eyes should be wide open when it comes to sharing finances. Taxation The welding of your finances can bring benefits, says author of 'Money Doctors 2020', John Lowe. "The Joint assessment of incomes means any unused tax allowances can be taken by your spouse if they are on the higher rate of tax. For example, if the husband is earning 25,000 and the wife 65,000, he will have capacity to pay additional tax on any extra earnings at the 20pc margin before reaching the 40pc level. As a married man, he can give these unused credits to his wife. Unmarried couples are treated as single for tax purposes". You can also choose to be taxed jointly or separately depending on which is more advantageous. Assets may be transferred between married couples free of tax. This benefits them enormously when it comes to inheritance (see panel), or with gifting. Capital losses made by one spouse can be used by the other to reduce a capital gains tax bill. Married couples don't have to pay stamp duty when they transfer assets from one to the other. In the first year of marriage, you will continue to be taxed as two single people. However, you may qualify for a refund if you end up paying more tax than had you been jointly assessed. You claim this after December 31 in the year of marriage, and Revenue will calculate any disparity from the date of marriage. If you are self employed or run your own business and employ your spouse, you could save up to 5,000 p.a. in tax. "The total income you and your spouse earn each year must be at least 70,000 to benefit", says Mr Lowe. "The reason for the saving is that a two-income family can take advantage of a 70,600 standard rate band, as opposed to just 44,300 as a single income family earning that amount". Blending Accounts It is cheaper to run one bank account than two, however the difference is marginal; for most, less than 100 per year. The decision should be based on spending habits. If he's a spendthrift and she's cautious budgeter, you could end up having rows over it. Many couples resolve this by keeping their own current accounts but operating a dual account for household bills etc. This way, they retain autonomy over their own money, but share family finances. You can split the debits going in 50/50, or in line with the earnings from each couple or use the credit union's Budget Account which handles all bills. That will avoid situations where one party has spent all their money on payday when the electricity bill comes in. Mr Lowe suggests asking the following questions before marriage: Who is paying for what? How will money be handled in your household? Who is in charge of paying the household bills and budgeting? What happens if children come along and one partner reduces their work/income? Other questions include what kind of lifestyle do you see us living, and how much will it cost? What is your approach to saving and investing? How important is saving for retirement? Are you averse to risk or a risk-taker? "The point of asking a lot of questions isn't to map out your entire marriage, but to see if you both truly are financially compatible, or you're just actually hoping to give your local friendly solicitor some business in the years ahead! In fact, if you are marrying, I would contend that the most important person you should consult with as a couple isn't the wedding planner - it's the financial planner!" Financial Infidelity Hiding information about your finances is every bit as harmful as cheating on your partner. Even small signs that your partner is being dishonest about money can threaten the trust in any relationship, according to a University of London study of 12,000 people across 13 countries which found 36pc were guilty of some form of financial infidelity, including: hiding or being secretive about debts, not opening financial statements when they arrive, having a secret bank account, not being open and transparent when bank statements come in, having purchases delivered in plain packaging, or to another address. Shortcuts: Being married versus cohabiting One of the biggest tax advantages of being married is that inheritances, including benefits paid out under life insurance policies, are received completely tax free by a spouse as a Class A beneficiary. It is the only class where this generosity applies. Consider this example: Mary and John live together in a house they jointly own, but are not married. When John dies suddenly, his life assurance pays off the balance of their mortgage to the bank and Johns will leaves everything to Mary. His estate is worth 500,000, including his half of the house. However, in tax law Mary is considered under the Class C Threshold, rather than Class A reserved for married couples, meaning she can only inherit 16,250 tax free, plus an annual small gifts exemption of 3,000, including any and all previous gifts and inheritances. The balance of 480,750 of Johns estate is taxed at 33pc, landing her with a bill of 158,475, and a net inheritance of 341,525. It is conceivable Mary might have to sell their home to pay the tax due, which she must do within the year of death, i.e. if the valuation date is January 1 August 31, the tax must be paid by October 31. If they were married, she would receive the entire estate tax free. There are insurance policies which can be effected to cover the tax bill however they are complicated, expensive and need to be put in place well in advance. File image China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) allegedly kidnapped five people in Arunachal Pradesh, news agency PTI has said. The news comes on a day the Indian Army said it helped three stranded Chinese citizens in Sikkim amid border tensions between the two countries. The five men had gone hunting in a forest in Upper Subansiri district along the India-China border when they were kidnapped, an official said. The incident occurred on September 4 in the Nacho area of the district, the families said. Two others, who were part of the group, managed to escape and informed the police. "I have sent the officer-in-charge of the Nacho police station to the area to verify the facts and directed him to report immediately. However, the report will be available only by Sunday morning," Superintendent of Police Taru Gussar said. Those allegedly kidnapped have been identified as Toch Singkam, Prasat Ringling, Dongtu Ebiya, Tanu Baker and Ngaru Diri. All of them belong to the Tagin community. In March, a 21-year-old man was abducted by the PLA from Asapila sector near the McMahon line. While his two friends managed to escape, Togley Sinkam was taken away at gunpoint, his family had said. The Chinese army released the man after 19 days. Earlier in the day, the Indian Army said three Chinese, lost in the plateau area of north Sikkim at an altitude of around 17,500 feet, were provided with medical assistance, including oxygen, food and warm clothes. "Realising danger to the lives of the Chinese citizens which included two men and one woman in sub-zero temperatures, the soldiers of Indian Army immediately reached out and provided medical assistance ... to protect them from the vagaries of extreme altitude and harsh climate conditions," the Army's statement added. China claims Arunachal Pradesh to be its territory and says its part of "South Tibet". New Delhi: Breathing clean and pure air is extremely important for living. Therefore, ahead of September 7 being declared as the 'International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies' for the very first time, Dia Mirza pledges to create awareness. The only silver lining amid the outbreak of the deadly novel coronavirus pandemic globally has been a significant improvement in air quality across multiple countries. Many countries observed lockdown due to which there was a complete shutdown of movement. As the country resumes economic activity slowly but steadily in the aftermath of COVDI-19, the possible overshooting of greenhouse gas and emissions are a very real threat. UNEP Goodwill Ambassador and UN SDG advocate Dia Mirza states these very pertinent concerns as she engages in a clean air campaign for India, furthering the global dialogue of bluer skies and a healthier environment at home. " "We need to make every effort to build back sustainably because clean air is the right to life," said she. "The global lockdown has lead to cleaner air than we have had in over a decade. Some of the most polluted cities in India have experienced AQI levels below 50 through the lockdown. Nature can and will recover leading to better health for all people. But the lockdown is not the solution. We need to engage in fruitful partnerships and implement strategies and policies for the global goal of clean air," Dia added. The actor-producer is currently working with the United Nations Environment Programme in their efforts to declare September 7 as the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies in order to find sustainable solutions to the air pollution on our planet. Dia will engage in conversation with prominent 'Clean Air Champions' who are singular change-makers championing a cleaner Earth. She feels that observing #WorldCleanAirDay will bring much-needed awareness to people and policymakers alike, fueling a change in human lifestyles to ensure a balance between man and nature. Along with carrying the titles of UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador, UNEP Ambassador and United Nations Secretary-General Advocate for Sustainable Development Goals, Dia championed various causes, from her fight against plastic pollution to her campaign for cleaner oceans. The victim, 28, was shot in the abdomen during an argument involving a group of people. An occupant of a vehicle pulled out a weapon and fired in the groups direction, striking the victim. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where his condition had stabilized, police said. Gov. Kate Brown said that Oregon State Police Superintendent Travis Hampton contacted Washington and Clackamas county sheriffs on Sunday, despite both sheriffs claiming they were not asked to lend officers to Portland before her public announcement. Brown said in a press conference Friday that Hampton, who is in charge of coordinating with Portland police to provide boots on the ground during nightly protests, reached out in advance of Brown unveiling a plan to bring law enforcement officers from around the state to Portland. On Monday, both sheriffs, as well as the states lobbying group for police chiefs and sheriffs denounced state and local leadership while declining to send officers to help with Portlands nightly protests. They cited the increased scrutiny of police violence toward protesters, a lack of public support for law enforcement and Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidts decision not to prosecute protesters on low-level charges that dont harm people or property. The statements came less than 24 hours after Brown released a statement saying she would authorize more police at protests and more arrests in the wake of a shooting on Saturday that left one dead. The two sheriffs also claimed that they had not been asked in advance. Brown disputed that Friday. Still, she repeatedly thanked both sheriffs offices for offering to cover state police calls in their own jurisdictions to free up state troopers to be on the ground in Portland. In a comment to The Oregonian/OregonLive, Brown said she hopes that state and Portland police will be successful in quelling arson, property damage and violence at Portland protests, and that law enforcement agencies from surrounding areas will be more willing to help in-person. After nearly 100 days of protests in Portland, this is an all-hands-on-deck moment, said the Monday statement from Browns office. Our request for assistance from surrounding counties stands, and it is the governors hope that, as we show progress with our approach to protecting free speech and keeping the public safe as they exercise their rights to peacefully protest, that local sheriffs will continue to answer the call to assist their fellow law enforcement partners in Portland. In her press conference, Brown also took the step of saying she absolutely wants to see officers held accountable for their use of force against protesters. Journalists and protesters have captured images of police tackling, shoving and punching protesters, as well as occasionally using less-lethal munitions indiscriminately on crowds. Brown touted the six bills the Oregon Legislature has passed around limiting what kind of force and munitions police can use, as well as attempts to strengthen accountability processes. She said she hopes that those will be helpful in holding police responsible for violence toward protesters. She said her previously announced forum on racial justice will bring protest organizers and community leaders together with law enforcement officials to figure out what new strategies police could use in the short-term to decrease physical conflict at protests. She has yet to announce specifics, such as where or when the forums will be held. She also stopped short of denouncing any specific police action proposals she hopes the group will discuss or what leaders will be invited to attend. I know everybody must be held accountable and its really clear at least to me that we have not always held our law enforcement officials accountable and that must change, Brown said. At the same time, we need responsible law enforcement to keep our communities safe. -- Molly Harbarger mharbarger@oregonian.com | 503-294-5923 | @MollyHarbarger A local councillor has called for the re-establishment of the Community Policing Unit in Swords. Cllr Brigid Manton said: 'At a time when community policing requirements are at their highest ever I was shocked to discover that the Swords Community policing unit has been disbanded and returned to regular duties since March this year. 'Community police units up and down the country have played an enormous role in looking after vulnerable groups in towns and villages all over Ireland during COVID. 'With the reorganisation of normal policing there were more gardai working each unit and it appears to me that the community element of policing required more input not less. 'The community gardai play a vital role in supporting local communities managing anti social behaviour and drug related issues on the ground here in Swords. 'We have had some issues with gangs of young people gathering outside of COVID rules which the community gardai would be aware of and usually have dealt with. 'I regularly called on them as previous principal of a large school to help out with regularising parking and keeping our children safe. Who would a principal call now? The regular units are usually overstretched and find it very difficult to deal with issues like this.' FLINT, MI The Genesee County Election Commission is recommending an appeal of a decision that would allow a candidate, who failed to check a box, to appear on the November ballot. The judges decision allows her to be on the ballot, and any court decision on an appeal likely would happen after the November election. Sherry A. Moore submitted an affidavit of identity to Atlas Township around July 20 to pursue election as a candidate for councilperson for the Village of Goodrich, a town with a population 1,860, for the November election, according to a lawsuit she filed with the Genesee County Circuit Court. When Moore filled out her affidavit of identity, she failed to check a box stating she is a U.S. citizen, according to Genesee County Clerk John Gleason. She did not check the box, I am a U.S. citizen, which is a fatal flaw, said Gleason. According to the Michigan Bureau of Elections, an omission of that information means the candidate should not be certified to the ballot. Since Moore didnt check the box, the election committee didnt accept her affidavit, Gleason said. On Friday, Sept. 4, the Genesee County Election Committee approved a motion to appeal the decision Genesee Circuit Court Judge Mark W. Latchana made just two days earlier, which allows Moores name to appear on the November ballot. Senior Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Brian D. MacMillan serves as legal advisor to the Genesee County Board of Commissioners. He advised the election committee to appeal the decision because he believes the judges ruling is incorrect. Were going to appeal because I think the rulings are incorrect, and until we get guidance from the court of appeals one way or the other, we have to deal with lawsuits, said MacMillan. He added that lawsuits also take up time and slow down the process for the election committee to submit and process ballots by deadline, which is Sept. 15. On July 27, David Linder with the elections committee sent Moore a letter informing her that the affidavit is invalid because the box that states she is a U.S. citizen was not filled out or checked when turned in. Our office received that affidavit of identity after the filing deadline, said Genesee County Chief Deputy Clerk Leslie A. Raleigh. If it was before we would have contacted her and said Hey, we cant accept this. But because it was after the filing deadline our office sent her a letter stating you do not qualify to be on the ballot because you do not meet the qualifying requirements by the law, stating that you are a U.S. citizen. Raleigh said Moore was denied the chance to amend the affidavit because it was submitted after the filing deadline. On Aug. 24, Moore filed a lawsuit with the Genesee County Circuit Court against Genesee County, Gleason and the election committee in order to get her name on the ballot. Once the appellate court schedules a hearing on this, theyre not gonna spend 10 minutes on it, said Gleason.Theyre going to say that they dont belong on the ballot. Gleason and MacMillan mentioned past similar situations and stated the appeals process could take several months to reach a decision. Moore and her attorney Allen Robb were not immediately available for comment. Related news: Genesee County courts offer live online viewing of proceedings Disqualified Genesee County candidates ask judge to put them back on primary ballot The yellow school buses began dropping Lakewood students off well before 7 a.m. Friday, on what officials said was the first day that any district in New Jersey was resuming full-time, in-person classes since the coronavirus changed the nature of education and just about everything else last spring. Outside Lakewood High School, students whose temperatures had been taken upon boarding their bus stepped off and lined up out outside the building, standing at something approximating six feet apart. NSW Child Abuse Squad detectives began investigating the family under Strike Force Baillieu in 2016. It was prompted by a referral from Tasmania Police alleging the sexual abuse and torture of three young children. The claims were so horrific children picked up by their penises, forced to drink blood and endure needles stuck in their eyes, and other acts involving defecation and blood it was hard to believe they could be true. "I would rather be accused of murder," Yyani Cook-Williams said. Yyani Cook-Williams. Credit:60 Minutes/Nine Strike Force Baillieu detectives descended on the family in February 2018, arresting Ms Meredith and her mother, her sister Yyani Cook-Williams, 35, her uncle Paul Cook, 54, and three young people who cannot be named. They were collectively charged with 145 offences, including kidnapping, intimidation, assault and producing child abuse material, after almost 40 hours of interviews between the alleged child victims and investigators. The family endured more than 200 days in custody and spent two years prohibited from speaking to each other before the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions sensationally dropped all charges in February. It followed revelations last year of an explosive admission from one of the alleged victims: Im really sorry, Ive been lying about the whole thing. A subsequent appeal by NSW Police to reinstate the charges was rejected, with the DPP finding no reasonable prospects of safe conviction. The family's lawyer Bryan Wrench has described their case as "probably the worst miscarriage of justice" he has ever seen. "There is no greater damage than ruining one's reputation for something that was undeserved. It reveals a frightening reality that ordinary people can be subjected to abuses of process," he said. "When you see the live impact it hits home hard. You see how shaken these people are and how they will never trust the police, the system. They are the living consequences of these mistakes." One allegation claimed that Mr Cook filmed a video in which Therese had "bitten down" into the penis of one of the children and used her teeth to pick him up off the ground. The family endured more than 200 days in custody. Credit:60 Minutes/Nine "It's been alleged that I filmed that as well. Which is completely and utterly implausible, that particular act," Mr Cook said. Expert medical advice tendered to court found an "impossibility and implausibility" of such physical offences, with no evidence of injury found on the boys. "NSW Police were almost deliberately ignoring the evidence that was available that showed our clients did not do this," Mr Wrench said. During a bail application last year Mr Wrench tendered two videos depicting the co-accused on an outing with the children in an open park. One of the videos was filmed on Anzac Day, when police alleged two of the young children were sexually assaulted and incited to have sex with one another. Both videos were tendered to support the defence argument that there had been "no enforced conduct" towards the children. Last year it emerged that the mother of one of the alleged victims had withheld from police a contemporaneous note describing an admission from the child that he had been "lying about the whole thing". A NSW Police spokesman said the DPP's decision to drop the charges was strongly opposed and that Strike Force Baillieu investigators remained ready for the matter to proceed through court. "Every report of child abuse is investigated with the same tenacity and, where there is evidence of criminal behaviour, we will place people before a court," he said. "We do not share the opinions offered by 60 Minutes of these victims or any victims of child abuse." Returning to everyday life has not been easy for the family, in particular for those who were under the age of 18, Mr Wrench said. "You can't just flick a switch and return to normal life. I think there are still a lot of unanswered questions in this. Nobody has even apologised to them. Everybody expects better [from police]." Mr Wrench said the only silver lining in the case has been the level of support received by the family as they fought the charges against them. Anatoly Prokhorov, a key figure in commercial and auteur-driven Russian animation since the 1980s, died from leukemia on Sunday. He was 72. In recent decades, Prokhorov found global success as the creator of Kikoriki (known as Smeshariki in Russia), a kids animated series that proved a hit in its home country and abroad. The show, which was chiefly Flash-animated, inspired three cg features and a range of other spin-offs. Episodes have been broadcast in the U.S. on the network The CW, under the name GoGoRiki. But Kikoriki is only one part of an unusually rich and varied legacy. As a creator and producer, Prokhorov was equally influential in mainstream and auteur animation; as a critic and public intellectual, he would theorize about the differences between the two. Oregon state police returned to the front lines of Portland demonstrations on Friday, the 100th consecutive night of protests calling for criminal justice reforms to protect Black people. State troopers guarded a North Portland police union building and worked with local police to detain dozens of protesters after officers declared the gathering unlawful. Police said an unlawful assembly was declared after rocks were thrown at officers. The return of troopers to nightly protests comes days after Gov. Kate Brown announced the move. Troopers frequently helped police protests until early August, when state police withdrew. Officer Melissa Newhard, a spokesperson for Portland police, confirmed state troopers and Portland police worked together over the course of Friday night. For protesters, the distinction between the two agencies is significant. Demonstrators detained by state troopers could face federal charges, because U.S. Marshals earlier this summer deputized state police. Because of that, anyone arrested for throwing objects at a state trooper could end up in federal court accused of assault on a federal officer. Federal prosecutors are also reviewing all Portland police and state police arrests for potential prosecution for alleged federal civil disorder charges, which could stem from pointing a laser or throwing things at officers. The federal review followed an announcement by Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt that his office wont pursue low-level, nonviolent charges in state court arising from the protests. Portland police said 27 people were arrested during Fridays demonstration, but it remains unknown whether any will face federal charges. Here are the key moments during the protest: Open mic: Friday nights demonstration began with a march from Kenton Park to the nearby Portland Police Association Building building on Lombard Street. About 200 marchers arrived at the building just before 10 p.m. Police wearing riot gear awaited marchers arrival and surrounded the building. Most if not all officers appeared to be state troopers. Portland police used a loudspeaker repeatedly to tell people to clear the streets. Soon after, a white sedan sped through the crowd. No one appeared to be seriously injured. Two people set up a sound system and turned over the microphone to a series of Black speakers addressed the crowd and encouraged people to keep pressing for reform. I will go home when police are defunded, one person said, drawing cheers. Tell Kate Brown we will go home when you go home and dont come back. Closing in About an hour after marchers arrived, a faction of the crowd moved closer to the union building and stood feet away from police guarding it. The two sides faced off past 11:30 p.m. Many protesters chanted and tossed balloons back and forth. Unlike some recent nights, people did not take coordinated steps to provoke police, such as lighting dumpster fires. State troopers pointed flashlights toward protesters. One officer pulled a reflective shield from a protester. Portland police warned people not to throw water bottles or rocks. Unlawful assembly Dozens of officers moved in on protesters around 11:45 p.m., minutes after declaring the gathering unlawful. Police set off pink smoke devices and shot impact munitions to force people to leave. Some people responded by throwing balloons filled with paint at officers. Officers detained at least six people amid the fray. An ambulance arrived to provide medical care to someone injured whose face was bloodied during the initial push. Portland police said the protester escaped from the ambulance after leaving the scene. More pressure: Around midnight, police again rushed toward the crowd, set off stun grenades and made more arrests. The atmosphere remained tense even after police retreated to the union building. At least 75 officers stood guard outside. Twice as many protesters stood across the street. Traffic passed between the two groups. At times, police walked into the crowd and made targeted arrests. At one point, police temporarily detained volunteer medics. It was unclear if they ultimately arrested them. Police pressed the crowd away from the union building a few times. But every time, people returned across the street from the union building and the face off continued. Just before 1 a.m., police left after releasing clouds of smoke. But the retreat lasted only a few minutes. Officers went back to the crowd and arrested another person, forcing most people north. Fewer than 100 people remained in the area past 1 a.m. Saturday: The overnight demonstrations were the first in a series of protests are planned for Saturday to mark the 100th day of protesting. Brown and other leaders issued a plea Friday for violence that has arisen in recent weeks to end ahead of the long Labor Day weekend. The governor on Sunday asked other area law enforcement agencies to help police the protests. But several agencies, including Clackamas and Washington counties, said they will deny the request, citing ongoing hostilities toward police. Read more: Dave Killen and K. Rambo of The Oregonian/OregonLive contributed to this report. -- Michael Russell, mrussell@oregonian.com, @tdmrussell Subscribe to The Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Police and fire services at the scene, outside Broxbourne Newsprinters as protesters continue to block the road, in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, England, on Sept. 5, 2020. (Yui Mok/PA via AP) Climate Protesters Disrupt British Newspaper Distribution The distribution of several British newspapers was delayed on Saturday morning after Extinction Rebellion (XR), an environmental activist group, blockaded their printing plants. The movement said they were trying to free the truth that was being held hostage by the media. Home Secretary Priti Patel and Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it was unacceptable to blockade the free press. Other Members of Parliament (MP) across the political spectrum also criticized the blockade. The Times of London, one of the papers affected, apologized early Saturday to its readers for possible delays. We apologise to readers who may be unable to buy their usual newspaper this morning, The Times wrote on Twitter. Overnight printing of The Times was disrupted by Extinction Rebellionalongside other newspapers. We are working to get newspapers delivered to retailers as soon as possible. Two protesters attached to bamboo and two sitting on the roof of a van block the road, outside Broxbourne Newsprinters, in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, England, on Sept. 5, 2020. (Yui Mok/PA via AP) XR on Friday night said around 80 activists blocked two printing plants with vehicles and bamboo lock-ons at Broxbourne, a town in Hertfordshire, Northeast England, and Knowsley, a metropolitan borough in Merseyside, Northwest England. News Corp, one of media tycoon Rupert Murdochs organizations, owns the printing plants, which XR says are home to The Sun, The Times, Sun on Sunday, Sunday Times, as well as The Daily Mail, and The London Evening Standard. A Newsprinters spokeswoman said the disruption meant printing had to be transferred to other sites. We apologise sincerely to any readers of The Sun, The Times, the Daily Mail, the Daily Telegraph, and the Financial Times who may be unable to buy their usual newspaper this morning due to late deliveries, she said. This attack on all of the free press impacted many workers going about their jobs. Overnight print workers, delivery drivers, wholesale workers, and retail newsagents have faced delays and financial penalty. This is a matter for the Police and the Home Office. Police and fire services at the scene outside Broxbourne Newsprinters as protesters continue to block the road, in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, England, on Sept. 5, 2020. (Yui Mok/PA via AP) By Saturday morning, Hertfordshire police said they had made 42 arrests, while Merseyside police said they had made 21. Climate Emergency Should be On the Front Page Every Day, XR Activist XR said it was disrupting the newspapers to expose the failure of these corporations to accurately report on the climate and ecological emergency, and their consistent manipulation of the truth to suit their own personal and political agendas. The groups press release said the right-wing media is a barrier to the truth that pollutes national debate on climate change and some other issues. It went on to quote 27-year-old activist Gully Bujak, saying the climate emergency is an existential threat to humanity that deserves to be published on the front page every day. Extinction Rebellion demonstrators hold up a banner in Trafalgar Square, in London, on Sept. 5, 2020. (Hollie Adams/Getty Images) The activists said that monopoly in media undermines democracy. The blockade of UK newspapers is part of a global media actions, of which XR Australia had lit the first beacon, according to the group. Disruption an Attack on Free Press, UK Politicians Britains Home Secretary Priti Patel, on the other hand, said the blockade was an attack on democracy. This morning people across the country will be prevented from reading their newspaper because of the actions of Extinction Rebellion, she wrote in a retweet of The Times apology. This attack on our free press, society, and democracy is completely unacceptable. This morning people across the country will be prevented from reading their newspaper because of the actions of Extinction Rebellion. This attack on our free press, society and democracy is completely unacceptable. https://t.co/3DfasjD6sS Priti Patel (@pritipatel) September 5, 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson echoed Patels statement. A free press is vital in holding the government and other powerful institutions to account on issues critical for the future of our country, including the fight against climate change, Johnson wrote in a tweet. It is completely unacceptable to seek to limit the publics access to news in this way. A free press is vital in holding the government and other powerful institutions to account on issues critical for the future of our country, including the fight against climate change. It is completely unacceptable to seek to limit the publics access to news in this way. Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) September 5, 2020 Labour MP Emily Thornberry said she doesnt know what the blockade can achieve and this is wrong and worrying. This is very worrying and I dont really know what it is that is expected to be achieved and I know that for many older listeners its very much part of their daily life, getting their paper delivered in the morning, and I just think its wrong, Thornberry told Times Radio on Saturday morning. The Sun, one of the newspapers disrupted, promoted on Twitter an article on the climate in its Saturday edition, which Extinction Rebellion protesters tried to prevent from reaching our readers with their attack on free speech. Sir David Attenborough speaks at the launch of the UK-hosted COP26 UN Climate Summit at the Science Museum in London, on Feb. 4, 2020. (Jeremy Selwyn/WPA Pool/Getty Images) The article features an exclusive interview with David Attenborough, an English broadcaster and natural history expert. Attenborough said he believed that the natural world is under serious threat and the consequences could be apocalyptic. Attenborough does not, however, agree with making environmental impact the sole measurement for everything. If you behave sensibly, you shouldnt feel guilty that it has cost you some ergs (units of energy) to get from A to B. You cant justify everything by the cost to the environment, he told The Sun. Being wasteful, that is the real sin. We are astonishingly wasteful, Attenborough said. 10-Day Disruption XR planned a 10-day disruption in the UK from Sept. 1, the first day MPs returned to work from summer recess, after staying quiet for a few months during the lockdown measures to curb the spread of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus. A family walk past as activists take part in a demonstration outside Buckingham Palace, as part of protests by the Extinction Rebellion climate change group on the fifth day of their new series of mass rebellions, in central London on Sept. 5, 2020 (Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images) Demonstrators have blocked roads and bridges in several British cities since Monday and glued themselves to parliament building entrances and pavements. Hundreds of people have been arrested. Ahead of the protests, XR removed two apocalyptic statements from their film claiming that climate breakdown is already killing 400,000 people every year, and scientists warn that human extinction is a real possibility, after the group was challenged to provide evidence for the statements. Since these statements still prove to be a matter of debate and we would like the film to be robustly backed by the Scientists of XR, we have decided to review these statements and update them for the relaunch of the film, Serena Schellenberg, the films producer, told The Times of London. Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report Logistics groups in Vietnam will have to up their game to meet EU demands, photo Le Toan Tran Viet Huy, managing director of Tracimexco - Supply Chains and Agency Services JSC (TRA-SAS), told VIR that the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) will open up doors for all players in the logistics market as trading and investment will increase remarkably. However, more competition will be created for Vietnams third-party logistics players to tap into the potential of the EVFTA. In particular, local players will need to transform themselves to meet the sophisticated demands of European counterparts. To avail the opportunity, TRA-SAS is doubling investment into logistics facilities in some potential segments this year. The company has recognised that any investment plan should be based on high-skilled workforce, an area which is becoming more and more competitive, Huy said. In particular, EU companies are in an advanced position in attracting high-skilled manpower. However, increasing investment is the only way for Vietnamese third-party logistics players to not be left behind. Nicolas Audier, chairman of EuroCham, said that Vietnams logistics sector and its maritime trade will see significant benefits from the EVFTA. This historic free trade agreement will boost trade with the EU, but this increased flow of goods cannot happen without supporting industries such as transport networks, supply chains, and logistics infrastructure, he said. Nor can it happen without the companies who facilitate these essential commercial activities. From the perspective of individual companies, the elimination of tariffs should help to reduce operational costs and fees for enterprises. This capital can then be re-invested into business development and growth. However, barriers remain. While Vietnams import-export and customs procedures have seen significant modernisation in recent times, logistics costs remain high, processes are often manual, and transport networks can be congested and remote from ports and manufacturing centres. If these issues can be addressed, it would streamline Vietnams infrastructure and, in turn, help to increase the flow of trade with the EU, Audier added. On top of these structural improvements, he recommended that the government and business communities on both sides continue to share information and know-how through networking opportunities and events. Last month, EuroCham signed an MoU with Vietnam Maritime Administration. The agreement, and the spirit of partnership it represents, will be one of the most important factors in unlocking the full potential of the EVFTA, according to EuroCham. After just over a year of implementation, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) has contributed more than $3.9 billion to Vietnams trade surplus. Along with the newly-introduced EVFTA, these are major economic achievements requiring important reform. Yet, according to the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), up to 77 per cent of enterprises in Vietnam do not know of, or have only just heard about, the CPTPP and the EVFTA. Clearly, the VCCI said, there is a need for greater understanding of the benefits that FTAs can bring to businesses and trade. Under the terms of the EVFTA, 70 per cent of Vietnamese exports will enter the EUs member states duty free, while remaining tariff lines will be reduced gradually within seven years. Russell Reed, managing director of UPS Vietnam and Thailand, noted that business owners should keep up to date on the prevailing tariffs applicable to their business to take advantage of savings and competitive pricing. The agreement also simplifies entry of goods procedures including customs clearance into the EU, but businesses should also be aware of the FTAs customs requirements such as product origin, food safety and technical standards, and the continued applicability of import and sales VAT. UPS have launched some initiatives aiming to help Vietnamese-based businesses optimise supply chains and respond more quickly in a continually-evolving trade environment. With more FTAs in the region being negotiated, and an EU-ASEAN FTA potentially on the cards, the most successful companies will be those that seize competitive advantages offered by the deals to unlock new cross-border trade prospects. However, Jeffrey Tan, group head of Corporate Development and Network & Connectivity at YCH Group, told VIR there are still challenges for foreign logistics firms to expand their business in Vietnam, including lengthy administrative procedures and delays in customs clearance. The establishment of new companies is also subject to conditions on ownership and services, with services being clearly segmented into 16 types. This will lengthen the paperwork for companies like YCH Group, explained Tan, which primarily focuses on being an integrated end-to-end supply chain and logistics solutions provider. After months of delays, the release of Disney's live-action remake of "Mulan" has delighted some fans of the 1998 animated movie, which is loosely based on a Chinese folk tale and its fierce heroine. But it's left others deeply divided after the actress playing Mulan, Liu Yifei, voiced support in August 2019 for China's crackdown on pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong. Since spring 2019, demonstrators have held waves of massive protests against Beijing's growing influence over Hong Kong's autonomy and freedoms under the 1997 handover of the former British colony to Beijing. Rights groups have accused Hong Kong, backed by Beijing, of using excessive force and other abuses in their response. Calls for #BoycottMulan consequently reignited this week amid the movie's release. This time, pro-democracy activists from Hong Kong, in addition to nearby Taiwan and Thailand, have been leading the charge. - - - What did Liu Yife say? Liu, who is a naturalized American citizen but moved back to China as a teenager, shared a post from a state-run Beijing newspaper on the Chinese social media site Weibo which expressed support for the Hong Kong police's heavy-handed response to pro-democracy protesters. "I also support Hong Kong police. You can beat me up now," she wrote in Mandarin. "What a shame for Hong Kong," she added in English. The comment "you can beat me up now" was likely a reference to an incident in which protesters that month assaulted a Chinese state-media reporter, who reportedly said the phrase during the altercation. Liu received positive responses on Weibo, which is highly censored. But outside of China, many were angered by the actress's political comments and called for moviegoers to boycott her film. In July, another "Mulan" actor, Donnie Yen, shared a Facebook post celebrating the 23rd anniversary of the end of British colonial rule over Hong Kong and the return of the territory to China. - - - What's the connection between Mulan and pro-democracy protests? Separate from Liu's comments, the story of Mulan - a strong woman who defies societal restrictions in 6th- or 7th-century China to fight for her family and country - has resonated with many pro-democracy protesters across Asia. Last month, authorities arrested a prominent Hong Kong activist, Agnes Chow, using a controversial new security law recently imposed by Beijing. But Chow's supporters turned the narrative on its head by dubbing her "the real Mulan" because of her efforts to fight for what she thinks is right. Elsewhere, "Mulan" has been lauded for its representation of Asian actors. But on Friday, Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong reiterated his support for connecting boycotts of the movie with Hong Kong's political struggle. "I urge everyone who believes in human rights to #BoycottMulan," he tweeted. - - - What is the #MilkTeaAlliance? Hong Kong is not the only place in Asia where pro-democracy activists have been organizing. In Thailand, the streets have been filled in recent weeks with student-led protests calling for more democratic reforms. The self-ruling island of Taiwan also has long-standing tensions with Beijing. Activists from Thailand, Taiwan and Hong Kong have consequently joined online under #MilkTeaAlliance - a reference to milk tea drinks beloved by all three places - to connect their struggles. On social media, Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal, a Thai student activist leader, has been urging his followers to boycott the movie. "I invite everyone to #boycottMulan #banMulan to make Disney and the Chinese government know that state violence against the people is unacceptable," he wrote in a tweet. - - - How have the filmmakers responded? On Friday, Jason T. Reed, a former Disney executive and one of movie's producers, told Yahoo News that he supported Liu. "Well, I think that first off, it's a very complicated situation for performers who live in China and work in China," he said. "Obviously, the tensions between the two entities is very complicated." He continued, "I feel badly for her, that the conversation is inevitably, it inevitably turns to this, and I hope that when audiences see the movie that the conversation turns back to what an amazing performance she brought in and how hard, how much she had to do in order to bring that character to life." North Korean leader visits South Hwanghae Province, Aug. 28. Yonhap By Do Je-hae Pyongyang may be getting ready to showcase a new type of ICBM in October, according to a recent media report. The National Interest, a U.S. international affairs magazine, reported Sept. 2 that North Korea could possibly unveil a more reliable type of ICBM during a military parade Oct. 10, citing officials in Washington. "A senior White House official, as well as multiple U.S. intelligence officials I have spoken with over the last few days, strongly suspect Pyongyang will unveil a solid-fueled intercontinental-range ballistic missile (ICBM) at its Oct. 10 military parade celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Workers' Party of Korea," said Harry J. Kazianis, senior director for Korean Studies at the Center for the National Interest in the report. Turkey confirmed 1,642 new Covid-19 cases, the first time exceeding the 1,600 mark since May, raising the total to 274,943, the Health Ministry announced. Meanwhile, 49 people died in the past 24 hours, taking the death toll to 6,511, Xinhua news agency quoted the Ministry as saying on Thursday. Turkish health professionals conducted 110,225 tests in the past 24 hours, bringing the overall number of tests to 7,466,087. A total of 1,211 patients recovered in the last 24 hours, raising the total recoveries to 248,087 in Turkey since the outbreak. Turkey reported the first COVID-19 case on March 11. The government has stepped up for normalization, easing the restrictions in the country since June 1, as the daily cases saw a decreasing trend in the second half of May. Source: IANS Advertisement Turkish health professionals conducted 110,225 tests in the past 24 hours, bringing the overall number of tests to 7,466,087. ST. LOUIS About 100 people marched through downtown St. Louis on Saturday to decry the violence that has gripped St. Louis this summer while also calling for legislation they hope will ensure greater police accountability. Im out here standing in support against the loss of life of anybody whether its protesters, police officers or citizens, said Elijah Hankerson, 48. Hankerson, president of the St. Louis Metropolitan Clergy Coalition, regularly attends social justice protests that have been held in the region since the Memorial Day death of George Floyd while in the custody of Minneapolis police. Our homicide rate here in St. Louis is just off the charts, Hankerson said. At the end of August, the city had 185 homicides, compared with 136 at the same time last year, a 36% increase. The rally, organized by the activist group ExpectUs, was held to call attention to vigilante racism, according to a Facebook post announcing the event. Protesters also demanded support for the federal George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which among other things would lower the legal standard to convict an officer for misconduct and also authorize the Justice Department to issue subpoenas in investigations of police departments for discriminatory practices. The bill before Congress would also create a national database tracking police misconduct. It passed the House on June 25 and is under review in the Senate. ExpectUs has demands for the Missouri Legislature, too. We want to denounce the bill that is going to the Missouri House that strips Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner of her power, said Reginald Garth, 41, a member of ExpectUs. She is a duly elected, two-time official and we want our elected leaders to respect and honor the vote of the people. He was referring to legislation passed by the Missouri Senate in the early morning hours Thursday that would allow Attorney General Eric Schmitt to intervene in St. Louis homicide cases. Gardner is the top prosecutor in St. Louis. Garth described racism as a public health crisis, a sentiment echoed by others who attended the rally. Among the speakers Saturday were two parents with children who died by gun violence and a representative with the St. Louis chapter of Moms Demand Action, a grassroots group advocating for gun sense in America. Two siblings who participated in the demonstration, Alex and Ryan Bingham, said the call to action for them began six years ago after teenager Michael Brown was fatally shot by a Ferguson police officer. The two regularly attend Black Lives Matter protests. Theres only so much injustice you can see before you have to ... Alex Bingham, 24, began to say, when Ryan Bingham finished the thought for her. ... at a certain point, voting just isnt enough, said Ryan, 22. I think weve been past that point for a long time, Alex Bingham said. The two, who are both white, have participated in protests since the early days of the movement in Ferguson, where their grandmother lives. We hope we can show how many people are behind this, and how united (they are), Alex Bingham said. And this is a really diverse crowd, which I think is a good thing, to show people that this isnt just an issue for some people. This is something that affects everybody. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Kansas City Mayor Shares Crime Forgiveness Approach Moving from punishment to rehabilitation trickles down to save our community As we asked what the city looks like moving forward, and how we fix some of the largest problems facing our community, we thought it prudent to ask the person most directly tasked with overcoming those pitfalls: Mayor Quinton Lucas. Meth Burn Out In The Dotte 2 sentenced to 20 years in prison following KCK meth lab fire KANSAS CITY, KS (KCTV) -- Two Kansas City, Kansas, men have been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after a methamphetamine lab caught fire in 2017. The two men sentenced are Orlando Cortez-Nieto, 43, and Jesus Cervantes-Aguiler, 23. Both are from KCK. Bad Hombres Busted Father, son sentenced in death of disabled Missouri man A Missouri father and son were sentenced Wednesday for their roles in the death of a developmentally disabled man whose body was found encased in concrete in 2017.Anthony Flores was sentenced to about 15 1/2 years in prison for failing to provide medical care for Carl DeBrodie, of Fulton, resulting in his death. Local Creeper Charge 27-year-old local man charged with enticement or attempted enticement of child less than 15 years of age BLUE SPRINGS, MO (KCTV) - Court records show the investigation started after Tristan J. Joyce approached a girl and her friends at a skatepark at the Burrus Old Mill Park off Woods Chapel Road in Blue Springs. He asked them their names and ages. Show-Me Anti-Crime Help Witness protection bill passes through Missouri legislature A bill passed in the Missouri Legislature will help protect witnesses of violent crime. The bill creating a Pretrial Witness Protection Services Fund passed through the state Senate with a unanimous vote Wednesday. Witnesses are often key to getting violent offenders behind bars, but too many times, fear for their own safety takes over. Teen Homicide Connection 19-year-old Lee Summit man arrested in connection to July murder in Leavenworth LEAVENWORTH, KS (KCTV) - The Leavenworth Police Department announced Wednesday afternoon they have arrested a teenager in connection to a July murder. The Leavenworth Police Department said they have arrested a 19-year-old Lee Summit man in connection with the murder of Sanquan Brooks that took place on July 18, 2020 in Leavenworth. Local Repair Crackdown Missouri attorney general sues siding, roofing contractor KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A housing contractor the 41 Action News Investigative Team first reported on in 2018 is now facing a new lawsuit from the state of Missouri. In the suit filed by Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, Corey Wilcox is accused of taking money for various home repair projects, not doing the work and not providing a full refund to customers. As KC suffers a historic spate of violence in 2020, here's a quick roundup of police action, reports of violence and court cases along with KCMO's top ranking elected officials sharing his theory on crime. Checkit:Developing . . . New AI-based test uses X-rays to detect Covid in a few minutes Hospitalisations in Delhi during third Covid wave significantly lower than second Centre asks Maharashtra, Andhra & Karnataka to focus on measures to check Covid mortality rate India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Sep 05: The Centre on Saturday exhorted Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, accounting for about 46 per cent of active COVID-19 cases and 52 per cent of deaths in the last 24 hours, to focus on aggressive measures to break the chain of transmission and keep mortality rate below 1 per cent. The states have been advised to proactively ensure higher testing, effective clinical management along with efficient monitoring at various levels to lower fatality, the Union Health Ministry said. Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka account for about 46 per cent of active cases reported nationally in the last 24 hours. Maharashtra alone accounts for 22 per cent of all active cases reported in a day, it said. "These three states also account for 52 per cent of all COVID-19 deaths reported across the country in a day. Maharashtra alone accounted for 35 per cent of all deaths registered in 24 hours," the ministry highlighted. The Union Home Ministry also highlighted districts in each of these states that raised concern. The need for effective containment and contact tracing was underlined for Pune, Nagpur, Kolhapur, Sangli, Nashik, Ahmednagar, Raigad, Jalgaon, Solapur, Satara and Palghar districts of Maharashtra. In Andhra Pradesh, Prakasam and Chittoor were highlighted as districts of concern and the need for daily monitoring of facility-wise deaths, strengthening of hospital facilities, increasing the number of ICU, oxygen beds and efficient clinical management were focused upon. For Karnataka, the highlighted districts of Koppal, Mysuru, Davangere and Bellari were advised to optimally utilize RT-PCR testing facilities, strengthen their door-to-door search for active cases and protect their healthcare workers, the ministry said. In cumulative terms, five states account for more than 60 per cent of the total active cases in the country, with Maharashtra contributing the maximum to the active caseload amounting to almost 25 per cent, followed by Andhra Pradesh 12.06 per cent, Karnataka 11.71 per cent, Uttar Pradesh 6.92 per cent and Tamil Nadu 6.10 per cent. Of these, three states - Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka - account for nearly 49 per cent of all active cases and more than 57 per cent of coronavirus-related deaths. Of the total deaths in the country, 70 per cent are recorded in just five states of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Delhi and Andhra Pradesh. Maharashtra alone accounts for 37.33 per cent of the total fatalities, the Health Ministry said. India's COVID-19 caseload mounted to 40,23,179 on Saturday, with a record 86,432 cases being reported in a day, while the death toll climbed to 69,561 with 1,089 people succumbing to the disease in 24 hours, the health ministry data updated at 8 am showed. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, September 5, 2020, 22:36 [IST] White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders speaks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, DC, March 11, 2019. SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the former White House press secretary, describes one of her former colleagues as a "foulmouthed Jew" in her new memoir. Josh Raffel was brought on to the White House communications team by Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, and Sanders describes him as "liberal." Sanders said she and Raffel eventually became close friends during their time working together. Raffel left the White House in 2018. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Former White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders describes one of her former colleagues as a "foulmouthed Jew" in her new memoir. In "Speaking for Myself: Faith Freedom, and the Fight of Our Lives Inside the Trump White House," Sanders describes former White House communications team colleague Josh Raffel as "a liberal, aggressive, foulmouthed Jew from New York City," according to Jewish Insider, which obtained a preview copy of the book. Related: White House reportedly has plan to find staffers who leak Despite being "pretty much his total opposite," Sanders, born in Hope, Arkansas, says she grew to love Raffel during their time working together. "He is one of the funniest people I know, intensely loyal, and probably the most talented communications strategist I've ever worked with," Sanders writes. "Nobody in the White House could work a story better than Josh, and he was always one of the first colleagues I turned to for help on the toughest assignments." During his time working at the White House, Raffel was the spokesperson for Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump. He left the White House in 2018, returning to his work as a senior vice president of Hiltzik Strategies and head of marketing and communications at Blumhouse Productions. Jewish Insider reached out to Raffel about Sanders' book, and he described her as a "close friend." In another chapter of the book, President Trump told Sanders to go to North Korea and take "one for the team" after Kim Jong Un appeared to wink at her, she said in a new memoir, according to The Guardian. Story continues Sanders said that during a summit between Trump and Kim in Singapore in 2018, "Kim nodded and appeared to wink at me." "Well, Sarah, that settles it. You're going to North Korea and taking one for the team!" Trump told her, Sanders said. "Your husband and kids will miss you, but you'll be a hero to your country!" Sanders served as White House Press Secretary under President Trump from 2017 to 2019. Read the original article on Business Insider The UKs chief negotiator has said the Government is not scared of walking away from talks with the European Union without a deal and vowed not to blink in the final phase. Lord (David) Frost is due to hold another round of key negotiations in London with his counterpart Michel Barnier, the European Unions chief negotiator, next week as they look to agree a trade deal before autumn sets in. In a bullish interview with the Mail on Sunday (MoS), the Prime Ministers Europe sherpa said the UK was preparing to leave the transition period come what may even if that meant exiting with no deal, which officials have dubbed a so-called Australian-style arrangement. Informal talks this week between Mr Barnier and Lord Frost failed to find a breakthrough ahead of the eighth round of formal negotiations, which begin on Monday. Both sides want a deal agreed next month in order to have it signed off by politicians on both sides of the Channel by the end of the transition period on December 31. Differences remain between the pair on issues such as fishing and the level of taxpayer support the UK will be able to provide for businesses once it is an independent nation. Lord Frost told the newspaper the UK would not agree to being a client state to the EU and said Theresa Mays administration had allowed Brussels to believe there could be an eleventh hour concession on a trade deal. He said: We came in after a Government and negotiating team that had blinked and had its bluff called at critical moments and the EU had learned not to take our word seriously. So a lot of what we are trying to do this year is to get them to realise that we mean what we say and they should take our position seriously. The former diplomat, who is soon to add national security adviser to his portfolio, continued: We are not going to be a client state. We are not going to compromise on the fundamentals of having control over our own laws. He ruled out accepting level playing field terms that lock us into the way the EU do things and argued that wanting control over the countrys money and affairs should not be controversial. Thats what being an independent country is about, thats what the British people voted for and thats what will happen at the end of the year, come what may, Lord Frost added. The MoS reported that Downing Street has created a transition hub, with handpicked officials across Government departments working to ensure the UK is ready to trade without a deal when the transition period ceases on January 1 2021. The agenda for next weeks round of EU-UK negotiations with @MichelBarnier & @DavidGHFrost is now available online. Talks will take place in London https://t.co/amWaMsD4PS pic.twitter.com/zTXISdjKKL Daniel Ferrie (@DanielFerrie) September 4, 2020 The unit will work with Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove, who has led the Governments work on no-deal preparations since last year. Obviously, lots of preparation was done last year, we are ramping up again and have been for some time under Michael Goves authority, Lord Frost said. I dont think that we are scared of this at all. We want to get back the powers to control our borders and that is the most important thing. If we can reach an agreement that regulates trade like Canadas, great. If we cant, it will be an Australian-like trading agreement and we are fully ready for that. His comments came as the EU sought to dismiss a report in the Telegraph that Mr Barnier would be sidelined before the talks were over so European leaders could thrash out a deal before the deadline. Leaving London after talks w/ @DavidGHFrost. will continue these difficult negotiations w/ patience and determination. Full round in next week. Virtual tour of EU capitals is on going to help Member States prepare for all scenarios and inevitable #Brexit changes on 1/1/21. pic.twitter.com/K6gnWQXzNw Michel Barnier (@MichelBarnier) September 2, 2020 But bloc spokesman Sebastian Fischer tweeted on Saturday: Whoever wants to engage with the EU on Brexit needs to engage with Michel Barnier. He is the EUs Brexit chief negotiator and enjoys the full trust, support and confidence of the EU 27. He has a proven track record of leading successful Brexit negotiations on behalf of the EU. In the emerging defence paradigm, Indias security would be maintained not only along the northern and western borders but in the strategic space of the extended neighbourhood as well, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat said on Saturday. He also said that India values its emerging relationship with the US and cherishes its traditional relationship with Russia, adding the country shares a mature and robust defence and security framework with both these powers. Addressing a symposium on defence exports, Gen Rawat said the armed forces will have to work through the budgetary constraints by finding the best solutions through new acquisitions and optimisation considering the macro-economic parameters. Referring to proposed reforms in the military structure, Gen Rawat said the Chief of Defence Staff and the theatre commanders would conjointly" provide unity of command while the service headquarters and the component commanders" could provide unity of effort. Under a big-ticket reform initiative, India is working on setting up of a number of theatre commands, integrating some of the commands of the three services, to deal with future security challenges facing the country. Each of the theatre commands will have units of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force and all of them will work as a single entity looking after security challenges in a specified geographical territory under an operational commander. The government had appointed Gen Rawat as Indias first Chief of Defence Staff on December 31 last year to bring synergy in the functioning of the three services. Talking about the regional security paradigm, he touched upon key aspects of Indias security doctrine. In this context, he mentioned International Border (IB) and Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan as about Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China. In the emerging security paradigm, Indias security would be maintained not, as hitherto, on the IB, LC or the LAC alone, but in the strategic space of the extended neighbourhood and the strategic frontier," he said without elaborating further. India has been ramping up defence and security ties with a number of countries in its extended neighbourhood like Indonesia, Singapore and several countries in the Gulf region in the last few years. Delving into the evolving security matrix in the region, the Chief of Defence Staff pitched for seamless integration of surveillance and communication resources of the three services, saying such a convergence is essential for evolving a framework for having a composite real-time air situation picture". Gen Rawat said robust interaction between the CDS, COSC (Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee) and political executive (Cabinet Committee on Security) must ensure single-point military advice, strategic direction and resource optimisation. On the modernisation of the Indian armed forces, he said it has been in line with the changing global security environment and with a focus on the utmost optimisation of resources. We are witnessing seismic changes in geopolitics shaped by a nation first approach and geo-economics," he said, adding the armed forces should be structured in a manner that they provide the operational flexibility to pursue wider strategic objectives". The countrys first CDS also said the pursuit of disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics, big data analytics, drone technology, militarisation of space, quantum communications, along with manipulation of social media is leading to new threats, and further complicating the security environment. He said the asymmetric advantages created by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are being seen as opportunities by non-state actors, adding future defence systems must be qualitatively and quantitatively capable of dealing with the new threats. In this era of multidimensional technology, we must focus on constant innovations and modern technological solutions, to keep ourselves ahead of the adversaries," he said. Gen Rawat said the creation of the Department of Military Affairs headed by the CDS, having a central staffing scheme along with amendments to the business rules, in effect, admits the military into the central edifice of the government of India. This restructuring of the Ministry of Defence gives us the opportunity to embrace forward-looking strategies to seize and exploit the moment and set in motion a dynamic transformation process," he said. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 5 By Klavdiya Romakayeva - Trend: At a meeting of the Council of the Eurasian Economic Commission, a draft decision of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council on the issue of granting Uzbekistan the status of an observer state at the EAEU was considered, Trend reports via press service of the EEC. The final decision will be made by the heads of state of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). Earlier, the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev addressed the President of Belarus, Chairman of the SEEC Alexander Lukashenko with a request to consider the issue of granting the country the status of an observer state under the EAEU. In recent years, Uzbekistan has been expanding bilateral cooperation with the EAEU countries. In 2016-2019, the total trade between Uzbekistan and the Union states increased by 60 percent to $8.4 billion. Today, the share of Uzbekistan's foreign trade with the EAEU is 30 percent, and the volume of agricultural exports exceeds 75 percent. In May, the Senate of the Supreme Assembly in Uzbekistan approved the country's participation in the EAEU in the status of an observer state. Follow the author on Twitter: @romakayeva Lyft CEO Logan Green said in a sworn statement that the ride-hailing company may cease operations in all or some parts of California if forced to reclassify drivers as employees. Lyft, like rival Uber, last month floated the possibility of leaving the state for a period of time if a temporary injunction forcing reclassification remained in place. Both won a reprieve from an appeals court, but the court required the two companies CEOs to submit sworn statements that they had plans to comply with the injunction within 30 days if their appeal ultimately fails and if Proposition 22, their ballot measure that would exempt them from employing drivers, does not pass in November. Lyft has developed, and will continue to develop, implementation plans for this scenario, Greens statement said, without giving any details other than possibly leaving California. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi also was required to submit a similar statement Friday but it was not immediately available. Lyft also filed arguments Friday for its appeal of the injunction, reiterating points it had already made in the case, which was brought in May by the state of California and three cities. State Attorney General Xavier Becerra charged that Lyft and Uber are violating AB5, Californias new gig-work law, and depriving drivers of the rights and benefits of employees. San Francisco Superior Court Judge Ethan Schulman granted Becerras request for a preliminary injunction last month to force immediate reclassification, but then stayed his order, giving the companies time to appeal, which they did. Lyfts legal briefing said the injunction mandates that Lyft and Uber terminate their existing relationships with hundreds of thousands of drivers in California, transform the core of Lyfts business, and end ridesharing in California as we know it. The company argued that it would jeopardize earnings opportunities for drivers. Lyft would change from a marketplace service to a top-down organization, it said, adding that it would likely entail instituting scheduled shifts, eliminating drivers choice to reject rides, and barring them from using other platforms during a shift for Lyft. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes Both Lyft and Uber contend that AB5 does not apply to them and are pinning their hopes on Prop. 22 for a permanent exemption from it. Late last week, they each contributed $17.5 million to the Yes on 22 campaign, on top of $30 million each had previously donated. Yes on 22 now has collected $181 million, while the No on 22 campaign, funded by organized labor, has $4.8 million. William Gould, a Stanford emeritus professor of law and a former chair of the National Labor Relations Board who has been critical of both ride-hailing companies, questioned whether potentially leaving California showed Lyft was not complying with the appeals courts stay of the preliminary injunction. I read the stay to be conditioned upon a plan to implement, he said. Going out of business is not implementation. Carolyn Said is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: csaid@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @csaid NEW DELHI: India did not blink once during the two-and-a-half-hour intense meeting with China on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Moscow. Defence Mnister Rajnath Singh was as direct as possible during his interaction with his Chinese counterpart General Wei Fenghe, stating Indian forces are determined to protect the countrys sovereignty and territorial integrity. Drawing attention to the fact that Indian troops have always taken a responsible approach towards border management, Singh said Chinas aggressive behaviour and attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo were in violation of the bilateral agreements. The Chinese Defence Minister conveyed that the Chinese side desired to resolve the issues peacefully and suggested that both sides should maintain communication at all levels including between the two Ministers. Both the countries agreed to continue discussions and dialogue. Later, the MEA said that Singh "emphasized that the actions of the Chinese troops, including amassing of large number of troops, their aggressive behaviour and attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo were in violation of the bilateral agreements". READ| Chinese troops abduct five members of hunting party in Arunachal Pradesh, claims Congress MLA According to experts, Rajnath has a stern message to China not to escalate matters any further as India has the capability to protect its interests and will not hesitate to hit back if its national interests are hurt. Lt Gen VK Chaturvedi (Retd) feels that the Indian forces' strong response to the PLAs aggression has "rattled" the Chinese leadership. "The Chinese never expected such response from the Indian military, which not only has dug in its heels along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) but is also strengthening its positions," he said. Lt Gen Chaturvedi added that India has successfully blocked China's 'salami slicing tactics' and told the Chinese to go back to positions before the end of April. Talking to this newspaper on condition of anonymity, a serving Army officer said that the Defence Ministers statement has reaffirmed Indian stand on the territorial dispute, standoff and disengagement. "The Statement is a clear-cut red line on how much is acceptable and what is non-negotiable," the officer said. Meanwhile, in a predictable response, Beijing blamed New Delhi for the situation along the LAC. "The relations have been severely affected by the border issue. The cause and truth of the current tension on the border between China and India are very clear, and the responsibility lies entirely with India," said Wei Fenghe. Meeting between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his counterpart Wei Fenghe in Russia. A former diplomat said it was important that India stated its position. "We have seen in the past few days the statements from many quarters. The latest statement about the defence ministers meeting shows that India is not going to listen to China. We will put our foot down and stand up to them," he said. According to BR Deepak, Sinologist and Chairperson of the Centre for Chinese and South Asian Studies at JNU, India's statement after the meeting points to the fact that India will not tolerate any unilateral change to the status quo. Border row very nasty, would love to help: Donald Trump US President Donald Trump has said that the situation along the India-China border has been very nasty and that he would love to get involved and help. "While were at it, were talking about China and India are going at it pretty good on the border, as you know. Its been very nasty," he said at White House. Asked if China is being the bully in the situation, Trump hoped that was not the case but observed that Beijing was 'really going at it'. Thousands of Israelis gathered outside the prime ministers official residence in Jerusalem on Saturday despite record levels of coronavirus infections, calling on Benjamin Netanyahu to resign because he is on trial for corruption charges. The protesters held banners reading Revolution and Citizens Write the Constitution as they marched toward Netanyahus residence. A sign aimed at the prime minister was projected on a building reading in Hebrew: Enough with you. The governments missteps in handling the coronavirus crisis after relative success in its early stages have mostly fueled the summer-long weekend demonstrations. The death toll has surpassed 1,000 and the country is mulling a new lockdown to stop the rapid spike in daily infections. Israel currently has over 26,000 active Covid-19 patients. Police have clashed with protesters on several occasions and used water cannons to clear them off main streets and squares, though in recent weeks the gatherings have been calmer but larger. On Friday, a police spokesman said they had arrested a man who was dressed up as a woman in a provocative way. An Associated Press photographer saw police arresting at least five people. Netanyahus achievements on the external foreign policy do not seem to stand by his side at home. On Friday, Serbia and Kosovo gave Israel a diplomatic boost as Serbia announced it will move its embassy to Jerusalem and Kosovo said it will establish ties with Israel with an embassy in Jerusalem. On Saturday, Netanyahu praised the U.S.-brokered deal, noting that Serbia is the first European country and Kosovo is the first Muslim majority country to have embassies in contested Jerusalem. The Palestinians want the citys eastern part for a future capital. The announcements by Serbia and Kosovo came about three weeks after the U.S. brokered a deal to establish and normalize ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. Netanyahu has vowed to remain in office despite being charged last year with bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three long-running corruption investigations. He has denied the allegations, calling them a witch hunt and lashing out at the judiciary, law enforcement and media. 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... People are surprised Two Rivers is one of just three health departments in the state still doing its own contact tracing and case investigations. When COVID-19 began in March, Puckett made all the calls, but now the team includes 19 people. As of this writing, Two Rivers has had more than 1,950 cases of COVID-19 since March, with cases averaging about 100 a week. Were very proud to be able to hire people and train these people and have case investigating handled locally. Its always better to get a call locally, not from the state, if you have COVID-19, she said. People who are called and told they have COVID-19 are always very surprised. The people who are most surprised are the ones who are asymptomatic, she said. In recent months, that included many people who found out they were positive only after being tested prior to surgery. In some places, at last half of such surgical patients fit that description. We found a lot of people who had no symptoms and no idea, Puckett said. Born To Be Mild Rob Temple Sphere 14.99 Rating: Until the age of 30, Rob Temple was a successful journalist and the author of the four Very British Problems books, with a huge following on social media. Now 35, he is back living with his parents in Cambridgeshire after the break-up of his marriage, struggles with alcoholism and a succession of debilitating panic attacks, all alluded to here in his latest book, if not in great detail. This gentle memoir, subtitled Adventures For The Anxious, recounts his struggles with his mental health. With the support of his heroic and very likeable parents, he embarks upon a series of adventures in an attempt to overcome his fears and phobias and find some zen; seemingly harmless excursions that inevitably end with a whimper not a bang. Among a host of activities, he takes up bowling, learns to make sushi, buys an expensive Goop detox, tries yoga, goes vegan, visits a beekeeping sanctuary, experiences a flotation tank and learns Spanish. Until the age of 30, Rob Temple (above) was a successful journalist and the author of the four Very British Problems books, with a huge following on social media He also has an exciting day out at a service station on the M25 and travels alone to Barcelona, Berlin and Blackpool. What this all adds up to, however, is not entirely clear. This is definitely not a misery memoir Temple is amiable company and never feels sorry for himself. He writes well, is funny in a constantly questioning, self-deprecating way, with a good turn of phrase and a fine eye for the comic possibility. His account is raw and honest and provides some interesting insights into his struggles with mental illness, but the book reads like a series of blog pieces from the frontline of mental anguish rather than a coherent narrative. Its all rather charming but relentlessly one-note. By the end, he can only conclude that he has learned nothing but has spent less time in bed. Perhaps thats enough. Entangled Life Merlin Sheldrake Bodley Head 20 Rating: Mushrooms the magic kind are known to alter perception. After this book, nothing will seem the same again, particularly not the shrink-wrapped punnet of portobellos in your weekly shop. Biologist Merlin Sheldrake has long been fascinated by fungi, and their power to transform, whether through decay, fermentation (yeast is a kind of microscopic fungus), intoxication or growth. A solid log becomes soil, a lump of dough rises into bread, a mushroom erupts overnight but how? Biologist Merlin Sheldrake has long been fascinated by fungi, and their power to transform, whether through decay, fermentation, intoxication or growth This beautifully written and illustrated book answers those questions, and leaves even more dazzling puzzles and possibilities in their place. The role of fungi in nature is only beginning to be truly understood. For a long time they were classified as plants, yet they are their own distinct type. Or perhaps distinct is the wrong word: fungi, with their talent for entering symbiotic relationships with other living things, dissolve categories in the same way rot can eat timber. Take lichen the flaky, scaly, papery stuff that grows on walls and trees in shades of lurid yellow and pearly blue. This isnt one organism but a collaboration of two, fungi and algae joining together. This theory of lichens was once controversial: Peter Rabbit author Beatrix Potter, an accomplished naturalist, dismissed it firmly (Sheldrake fills his book with such compelling cameos). Now its not only accepted, but researchers have found that the closer they look, the more complicated the picture becomes, with ever more participants revealed. Lichen are places where an organism unravels into an ecosystem and an ecosystem congeals into an organism, writes Sheldrake. Forests, we learn, are underpinned by a so-called wood wide web of fungi, which share nutrients with trees, and even spread messages about parasites and sickness between plants. Human society too is entwined with fungi. We gain food and medicine from them, but we may owe an even greater debt in future, suggests Sheldrake: fungis extraordinary resilience and adaptability offer potential solutions to many environmental threats, from soil exhaustion to dangerous pollutants. Sheldrake urges us to see life from the fungal perspective and reveals a world thats both more extraordinary and more delicate than could be imagined. Sarah Ditum By Christine Flowers Its rare that a simple tweet triggers in me the desire to write a column. On night three of the Republican National Convention last week, I had the great pleasure of watching Madison Cawthorne, a young paraplegic who is running for a House seat in North Carolina. At the very end of his short but moving address, this man who is otherwise confined to a wheelchair was helped out of that chair by two friends and stood. He was standing for the flag, for what it represents, for his fellow citizens, for the president he supports, for his family, and as a symbolic gesture of how we are all able to transcend the most exceptional and challenging circumstances. Being paralyzed at the age of 20 clearly qualifies. Watching him struggle to stand up, and only imagining the effort it took to mobilize petrified muscle and sinew, I thought of the following lines from my fathers favorite poem, Invictus: In the fell clutch of circumstance/I have not winced nor cried aloud/Under the bludgeoning of chance/My head is bloody, but unbowed. I assumed that most people watching had the same reaction, even if their minds didnt wander to a 145-year-old poem. I was wrong. Shortly after Cawthorne spoke, NPR correspondent Yamiche Alcindor tweeted the following: Madison Cawthorn made it a point to stand, suggesting that all Americans should stand during the Pledge of Allegiance & National Anthem. It was a direct rebuke of actions by ppl including Black athletes who are currently sitting out games protesting police brutality. The thing that angered me about Alcindors tweet was the fact that she presumed to delve into the mind of this courageous young man and find some negative, possibly sinister motive to his profoundly moving act of standing up. Instead of simply admiring the effort it took for Madison Cawthorne to raise himself up and expose his disability to millions of viewers nationwide, this journalist decided to set him up as a foil to the men she obviously admired much more. Alcindor, without anything other than her own bias, decided that Cawthorne was attacking the Colin Kaepernick brigade, all of those Black athletes who are currently sitting out games protesting police brutality. And that, I would suggest, is beneath contempt. Those Black athletes who are currently sitting are able to stand up at leisure and walk to the nearest bank to cash their six- and seven-figure salaries, while Madison Cawthorne will never be able to walk anywhere, ever again. It is also beneath contempt because this journalist of color is, in a not so veiled way, accusing a young disabled white man of showing disrespect to able-bodied Black men. How dare she use someone elses misfortune to advance a political agenda, and do so in a way that is dishonestly veiled. After all, Alcindor can easily say that she wasnt criticizing Cawthorne, she was just suggesting that this is what his action suggested. Its a nice trick, one Ive used myself. But I would never be so callous as to use it to shame a paraplegic to advance a political message. You might disagree that this is what Alcindor was doing. You might think that it was legitimate, and that Cawthorne opened himself to such attacks because he let himself be used by the GOP at the convention, allowed himself to be trotted out as some symbol of Trump love for country. I actually heard that said. Far be it from me to try and disabuse you of the notion that every time someone shows a moment of courage and allows us a glimpse into their soul, its inauthentic and programmed (particularly if they support President Trump). If you are that type of person, you were already clicking like on Alcindors tweet before Madison Cawthorne had a chance to sit back down in his wheelchair. Flowers is a columnist for the Cagle Cartoons newspaper syndicate. Maoist insurgents have killed four villagers in Chhattisgarhs Bijapur district on the suspicion of being police informers, inspector general (Bastar range) Sunderaj P said on Saturday. The fresh killings have taken the number of people killed in Maoist violence in the region this week to nine, which include two policemen. The villagers were identified as Punem Sannu, Gore Sannu and Aaytu, natives of Pusnar village and Bhusku from Metapal village, Sunderaj P said. He added the Maoists were unhappy with the development works, including road construction work, in the area. They called the villagers, who were supporting the construction work and killed four of them. The other villagers were badly beaten by the Maoists in public. We are still finding the exact details of killings and on which date the killings took place, he said. Sunderaj P said a police force was due to reach the scene on Saturday evening and then they will get the know the exact situation. On Friday, Maoists killed two men after branding them as police informers when they had gone to a village in Bijapur from Dantewada. A former sarpanch was killed in Pakhanjur area on Wednesday. In a pamphlet found later, Maoists claimed responsibility for the killing. Two policemen, who had gone missing, were found dead on Monday and Tuesday in the Bastar region. Sunderaj P said the incidents of violence have increased because the Maoists are frustrated and under pressure. They are afraid of the entry of security forces in their core areas in Sukma, Dantewada, and Bijapur. They have been killing and thrashing innocent tribals out of frustration. Another police officer posted in the region, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said there has been more lodging of cases and villagers are coming out to report against Maoists. Hence Maoists are trying to instil fear among villagers. Secondly, they want the villagers to not cooperate with or join the police. Thirdly, there is no clarity among Maoists whether to proceed militarily or increase mass support in Bastar. And lastly, there is a gradual deterioration in command and control of Maoists, thus resulting in indiscipline among cadres... cadres take decisions themselves without permission from seniors. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Escaping an abusive relationship with three young children during a pandemic wasnt easy. It took months to find a way out for the 27-year-old Acres Homes mother, who is actively fleeing violence and asked to remain anonymous for her safety. She said she didnt know where to go when her boyfriends violent and erratic behavior suddenly escalated. I was thinking maybe Id stay with my mom, but shes an alcoholic, the woman said. And I didnt have money to go anywhere else. Then came a lifeline. The woman, who had recently lost her job due to COVID-19, learned about Empowered Survivor, a program that would provide her with emergency shelter in a hotel, funds for household necessities and a long-term plan to find permanent housing as well as financial independence. Carvana Cloud, former bureau chief of the Harris County District Attorneys Office Special Victims Bureau, created the nonprofit as a way to end violence against women in underserved communities. The focus of the organization is to bring direct aid to Black women and people of color in the northeast Houston neighborhood. I grew up in a household where domestic violence was present, said Cloud. I have lived that hell and I dont want other people to have to live it. Empowered Survivor To contact the program you can call 346-304-8750 or email info@empoweredsurvivor.org National Domestic Violence hotline Call the hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or visit the website at www.thehotline.org See More Collapse Black women have typically accounted for more than half of the women killed by domestic violence for several years in Harris County, according to the Texas Council on Family Violence. The county has the highest numbers of such deaths in Texas. Most of those killings occurred in the Acres Homes area, said Gloria Terry, CEO of the statewide nonprofit council, which keeps a database of intimate partner femicides in Texas. Studying disparities in violence Acres Homes is a microcosm of many of the circumstances that put Black women at greater risk of suffering violence in America, Cloud said. The neighborhood has become more susceptible to increasing rates of domestic violence during the COVID-19 pandemic, advocates say. The same populations most vulnerable to the impacts of Hurricane Harvey in 2017 are continuing to see long-term increases in violence, which has been compounded by the stressors brought on by the novel coronavirus. Survivors of natural disasters are more than twice as likely to experience physical and emotional abuse, according to a 2017 study published by the Clinical Social Work Journal. And the phenomenon is especially true for women and people of color, a 2016 study on womens mental health and intimate partner violence after disasters shows. Stressors related to Harvey on top of unhealthy relationships escalated the frequency and intensity of violence, said Terry. All the same dynamics are present now with COVID. Oftentimes, communities of color are also having intersectional issues like poverty. Its one layer on top of another. During the pandemic, the Harris County Sheriffs Office responded to 1,128 reports of family violence assaults and aggravated family violence assaults in March through June, a 19 percent increase compared to those months last year. The work Empowered Survivor is doing now is being studied by the Texas Council on Family Violence. The council will soon release a public report on the research, which will inform the policies and work of more than 100 advocacy groups partnered with the council. The research will be available to other organizations studying racial disparities in responses to domestic violence and prevention efforts. We want to learn how we can facilitate access and safety to a population disproportionately affected by all of these environmental and societal complexities, Terry said. Culturally relevant approaches Traditional approaches to preventing domestic violence have failed to be inclusive of Black communities because Black women werent at the table when the advocacy movement began, Cloud said. Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Ive decided to bring my own chair to the table, she said. If we truly want to decrease the domestic violence homicide rate in the Black community, we must develop culturally-relevant services. Many Black survivors have experienced a lack of cultural understanding and isolation at domestic violence shelters, according to a 2005 study by the National Council on Family Relations. Fear of law enforcement and distrust in the legal process have also been identified as barriers for Black women, other studies show. Empowered Survivor doesnt wait for victims to seek help, said Cloud, it meets them where they are. Advocates have taken a grassroots approach by contacting community leaders such as pastors and neighborhood association presidents to relay information to survivors. The resources are also advertised at voter registration drives, in local beauty shops, community centers and dollar stores, among other locations survivors may frequent in the Acres Homes area. Cloud also partnered with other existing nonprofits, such as Pure Justice, a nonprofit focused on criminal justice reform, to find clients. Once word got out, demand for services increased rapidly. The Texas Council on Family Violence doubled the initial funding it had granted to the project to meet the need for assistance. The project began with 35 participants and has grown to more than 300, Cloud said. Of those, 71 percent identified as Black and 83 identified as women, according to the organization. The program offers survivors transitional housing, wellness and forensic exams, help getting protective orders, assistance with divorce procedures, custody case work, job training and financial counseling, among other services. My personal goal is to keep doing this work until Harris County is no longer No. 1 on the domestic violence homicide list, said Cloud. I want women to stop dying. Healing generational trauma The stalking and abuse the 27-year-old Acres Homes mother suffered a few months ago wasnt her first trauma. Her first was childhood sexual abuse by a family member at age 4 or 5, she said. Years of more trauma were layered on, with other physically abusive partners, she said. Shes adapted to learn to survive over the years, but now, with help from advocates, she said shes learning to thrive and build a better future for her family. My self esteem was so damaged from being beat down as a child, she said. Now, I have to build myself back up mentally. And Im doing this while Im raising my own babies and making sure they dont end up in the same situation Im in. hannah.dellinger@chron.com 'Russia is the only country that can act as facilitator for any eventual Chinese-Indian rapprochement,' points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas with Russia's President Vladimir Putin, left, and Xi Jinping, general secretary of China's Communist party, right, at a meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Osaka, Japan, June 28, 2019. Photograph: Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin/Reuters The legend is that the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, during his pathbreaking visit to India in 1955, was reputed to have told the Indians that all they had to do for Russian help was to give a shout across the Himalayas. I don't know how far this is true, but it has an irrepressibly 'Khrushchevian' ring about it alright. This came to my mind with the news appearing that the Chinese side proposed a meeting between the defence ministers of India and China who happen to be in Moscow to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting. One would assume that the Russian hosts have done their part in facilitating this exchange, the first political level meeting since the India-China stand-off began in early May. What is absolutely certain is that Moscow is seized of the India-China stand-off and its grave implications for regional security and stability. Having said that, the international environment remains complex and complicated. The tensions in Russia-US relations are at their highest level in the post-Cold War era. On the other hand, Russia-China relations are at their highest level in history. The Modi government has keenly fostered close relations with the US, especially in the most recent past, while India's relations with China have touched a historically low point since the normalisation began in the 1980s. The two 'triangles' -- US-Russia-China and the US-India-China -- do not necessarily overlap. But in the prevailing calculus, they create synergy. What goes to India's advantage is that it has excellent relations with both the US and Russia. Whereas, China's relations with both the US and India remain tense, but then Beijing also seeks cooperation with both countries. From the Russian viewpoint, it remains a matter of satisfaction that despite India's deepening ties with the US, and notwithstanding growing pressures lately from Washington on Delhi to whittle down its relations with Russia, the Russian-Indian relationship continues to be resilient in adapting to newer and newer conditions in a world order in flux. Neither side is making undue demands on the other. Contradictions could appear if India edges closer to the US's 'Indo-Pacific strategy' (a code word for containment of China). Russia has deplored the US's strategy. But that is for the future. Meanwhile, the rising tensions in India-China relations coincide with a significant deepening in Russia-China relations in the most recent period, as Moscow and Beijing have drawn closer to push back at US hegemony. A high level of coordination and cooperation between Moscow and Beijing is apparent. For example, they worked closely to defeat the US move on 'snapback sanctions' against Iran. Again, in a recent message (external link) to Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed readiness 'to continue active efforts jointly with its ally China in order to prevent wars and conflicts in the world and ensure global stability and security.' The military stand-off in Ladakh has necessitated a big build-up of the Indian armed forces and Delhi is sourcing Russian weaponry. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is presently on his second visit to Moscow in the past two-month period. The Russian connection is crucial for India also for another reason. Russia is the only country that can act as facilitator for any eventual Chinese-Indian rapprochement. Russian diplomacy has shown to be adept at sequestering the country's respective relationships with India and China. All in all, in today's circumstances, Russia has become a uniquely placed indispensable partner for India. Importantly, this is also the finest foreign policy legacy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi under whose watch the India-Russia relationship steadily regained its verve. Nonetheless, one should not overestimate Russia's capacity to moderate the India-China border stand-off. There are severe limitations in wading into boundary disputes between any two countries that impinge on their sovereignty and territorial integrity. This is one thing. More importantly, the crux of the matter today is that a dangerous situation prevails in eastern Ladakh. Realistically speaking, a restoration of the status quo ante or an unconditional disengagement by the PLA frontline troops is not to be expected. In the Chinese perception, fundamentally, Delhi has been pursuing 'Mission Creep', which is not acceptable. Our sanctions lack any real bite. And our 'Tibet card' and the 'Quad' won't impress the Chinese either, and if we push the envelope, a severe blowback is almost sure to happen that may belie predictions. On the other hand, a prolonged stand-off or race of attrition would put intolerable burden on Indian resources. The ubiquitous Americans are no longer the top dog in the Asia-Pacific. In any case, it is unrealistic to expect them to do heavy lifting -- deploy force, risk war, expend serious resources and invest America's prestige and credibility -- on issues that don't relate directly to their vital interests or problems. Public opinion in America militates against any entanglement in a military conflict. To be sure, the US faces a conundrum since it is trapped in this region but can neither transform it nor entirely wash its hands off it -- be it Afghanistan and Central Asia or Pakistan and Iran. Above all, the US's domestic priorities will and should take precedence over any adventures abroad that are likely to absorb large resources or the president's time. Evidently, squaring the circle in eastern Ladakh is going to be difficult even if we were to give a shout across the Himalayas. Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar, a frequent contributor to Rediff.com, served the Indian Foreign Service for 29 years. WASHINGTON President Donald Trump announced Friday that Serbia and Kosovo have normalized economic ties as part of U.S.-brokered talks that include Belgrade moving its Israeli embassy to Jerusalem, and Israel and Kosovo agreeing to mutual recognition. After two days of meetings with Trump administration officials, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovos Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti agreed to cooperate on a range of economic fronts to attract investment and create jobs. The announcement provided Trump with a diplomatic win ahead of the November presidential election and furthers his administration's push to improve Israel's international standing. Im pleased to announce a truly historic commitment," Trump said in the Oval Office, standing alongside the two leaders, who signed an economic cooperation agreement. Serbia and Kosovo have each committed to economic normalization. After a violent and tragic history and years of failed negotiations, my administration proposed a new way of bridging the divide. By focusing on job creation and economic growth, the two countries were able to reach a major breakthrough," the president said. Trump said Serbia has committed to open a commercial office in Jerusalem this month and move its embassy there in July. Serbias decision to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is a nod to both Israel and the United States. The Trump administration recognized Jerusalem as Israels capital in late 2017 and moved the U.S. embassy there in May 2018. The administration has encouraged other countries to do the same but has been widely criticized by the Palestinians and many in Europe because the Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains unresolved. Kosovo, a predominantly Muslim country, has never before recognized Israel nor has Israel recognized Kosovo. In a rare statement issued after the start of the Jewish sabbath, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked the president of Serbia for moving the embassy to Jerusalem. He confirmed that Israel and Kosovo will establish diplomatic relations and said Kosovo also will open its embassy in Jerusalem. Story continues Kosovo will be the first majority-Muslim country to open an embassy in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said. As Ive said in recent days, the circle of peace and recognition of Israeli is widening and is expected to add additional countries. In all, a total of four countries now recognize contested Jerusalem as Israels capital, including the U.S. and Guatemala. The Palestinians claim east Jerusalem, occupied by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war, as their would-be capital. The gestures to Israel are part of the Trump administrations push to support the Jewish state, which has included forceful denunciations of criticism of Israel at the United Nations and in other international venues. Most recently, the administration brokered a deal for Israel and the United Arab Emirates to normalize relations. That was followed by the first commercial flight between Israel and the UAE, with neighboring Saudi Arabia and Bahrain to allow such flights to pass through their airspace. Additional Arab states, including Sudan, Bahrain and Oman, have been identified as countries that may soon also normalize relations with Israel. Kosovos Parliament declared independence from Serbia in 2008, nine years after NATO conducted a 78-day airstrike campaign against Serbia to stop a bloody crackdown against ethnic Albanians in Kosovo. Most Western nations have recognized Kosovos independence, but Serbia and its allies Russia and China have not. The ongoing deadlock and Serbia's unwillingness to recognize Kosovo have kept tensions simmering and prevented full stabilization of the Balkan region after the bloody wars in the 1990s. These were difficult talks for us, but Im truly satisfied, Vucic told Serbian reporters in Washington. He stressed that the economic agreement does not include mutual recognition between Serbia and Kosovo. But he hailed the talks as a big victory for Serbia and a step toward closer ties with the U.S. Despite officially seeking membership in the European Union, Serbia has been forging close political, economic and military ties with Russia and China. Hoti described the economic cooperation as a huge step forward in the relationship and said the two leaders were committed to working together. Serbia and Kosovo have already OKd air, rail and transit agreements, including one that would clear the way for the first flight between Pristina and Belgrade in 21 years. The new agreement comprises many more areas of economic cooperation. Business leaders in both nations have been frustrated and have been talking among themselves about ways to foster investment outside of the ongoing political talks brokered by the EU. On Monday, Vucic and Hoti are scheduled to go to Brussels to hold talks under the auspices of the EUs foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and special envoy for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue Miroslav Lajcak. The EU has mediated the talks between the two former wartime foes for more than a decade, and the parallel U.S. effort, although focused on economic development, has not been fully embraced by some EU officials. The White House summit was originally scheduled for June, but it was canceled after Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, who was to lead the Kosovo delegation, was indicted for war crimes by an international court. In Kosovo, Thaci hailed the deal and thanked Trump. In a statement posted on social media, he said Kosovo now should continue to seek membership in international organizations so it has improved status in the domestic and international arenas. Quest Diagnostics reports that it has performed 12.5 million tests for the coronavirus so far with results now available in one to two days. In contrast, doctors can test for influenza in their offices and get results within an hour, Monto said. As the flu season approaches, manufacturers have been working on a combined test for the coronavirus and influenza with plans to have it available in public hospitals in coming weeks, said Erica Shenoy, associate chief of the Infection Control Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital. This, she said, might eventually help reduce demand for test supplies. CLEVELAND, Ohio Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine postponed three executions set for early 2021, including the date scheduled for a Cleveland man who murdered a 23-year-old in the mid-1980s. The governor on Friday cited the states difficulty in convincing drug companies to sell the state new lethal-injection drugs. The reasoning has become a familiar refrain since DeWine took office in 2019. No death-row inmates have been executed on his watch. The scheduled changes are as follows: - Cleveland Jacksons new execution date is June 15, 2023. The 42-year-old was previously set to die on Jan. 13 for murdering 17-year-old Leneshia Williams and 3-year-old Jayla Grant in Lima during an apartment robbery in 2002. - James ONeal, 66, formerly of Madisonville, is now set to die on Aug. 16, 2023. The state previously planned to execute him on Feb. 18 for murdering his estranged wife Carol in 1993. - Melvin Bonnell, 62, previously of Cleveland, will now be executed on Oct. 18, 2023. He was previously set to be executed on March 18 for shooting and killing Robert Bunner at Bunners apartment in 1986. DeWine previously pushed back Bonnells execution date. Ohio hasnt put anyone to death since Robert Van Hook in July 2018. DeWine said last year that there will be no more executions in Ohio until the state can find a pharmaceutical company willing to sell lethal-injection drugs without also affecting the sale of other medication. He has repeatedly expressed his concern that if companies find out Ohio used its drugs to put people to death, they will refuse to sell it any drugs and endanger the ability of thousands of residents to get drugs through state programs. The governor started postponing executions early in his term following a ruling by a federal magistrate judge in Dayton, who said that the three drugs Ohio had used for executions likely constituted cruel and unusual punishment. Ohio used the sedative midazolam to induce unconsciousness, followed by a paralytic drug and potassium chloride to stop the heart. The judge also said that the state could execute the death row inmate at issue with the states drugs because the inmate, Warren Henness, did not put forth a viable alternative execution method. A federal appeals court later overturned the judges ruling and said the states drugs do not cause needless suffering. After the postponements, the next death row inmate set to die is Elwood Jones, 68. He was convicted of beating and killing 67-year-old Rhoda Nathan in Blue Ash in 1994. His execution is now scheduled for April 21. WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump will highlight his environmental agenda as he campaigns in the battleground states of Florida and North Carolina on Tuesday. The White House says Trump will stop in Jupiter, Florida, on Tuesday to remind voters there of his conservation and environmental protection efforts in the Everglades region. For the federal budget year beginning Oct. 1, the White House said, Trump asked Congress for $250 million in annual funding to accelerate construction of infrastructure for the Everglades as part of the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration. The project aims to improve the Everglades by enhancing regional water storage capacity and reducing harmful discharges from Lake Okeechobee. The president will also hold a campaign rally Tuesday in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Trump narrowly won both states in the 2016 presidential election. Late summer is supposed to be a doldrum-y time in publishing, but this year brings an enticing crop of thrillers of all kinds. Along comes Alex Pavesis THE EIGHTH DETECTIVE (Holt, 289 pp., $26.99), for instance, which had me at its author bio: He enjoys puzzles, long walks and recreational lock picking. This debut novel is a cerebral box of delights that begins when Julia Hart, a publisher, travels to an unnamed Mediterranean island to visit Grant McAllister, who vanished decades earlier after producing a single volume of mystery stories. Her firm wants to republish the book, The White Murders, a collection of seven fiendish murder mysteries that each reflects a different approach to the genre. (They are all gems. One turns out to be a diabolically plotted homage to Agatha Christies classic And Then There Were None.) From the cat-and-mouse present-day discussions that alternate chapters with the original short stories, we discover that Julia is an unusually perspicacious detective as well as a sharp-eyed editor. She starts to pick up subtle narrative inconsistencies in the stories mixed-up words, chronological anomalies, out-of-place details. A creepiness sets in; no one is who he (or she, maybe) seems. Why is Grant so vague about his past? What does Julia really want? The reader understands that the book is a meta-story about the nature of mystery writing itself, but its a sign of Pavesis skill that we fall headlong into each of his stories. If that means were pawns in his grand chess game, so be it. His revelations are completely unexpected, right up to the end. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 14:52:35|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DUBLIN, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Irish exhibitors attending the 2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) opened Friday in Beijing praised the event for bringing opportunities for their businesses, describing it as a platform that demonstrates China's determination to promote globalization. Patrick Leonard, CEO of Smartline, a Dublin-based startup engaged in automation of design services, told Xinhua that the CIFTIS platform shows China is willing to make globalization more open and inclusive. Smartline is one of the Irish exhibitors which attended the CIFTIS online. The CEO said China has many large projects underway and the Chinese market is very big with a large manufacturing base, which provides a good business opportunity for companies like Smartline. He added that the platform is very well organized and presented, which allows easy material uploading and results come out fast. The company's information is framed with categories that give potential customers a consistent experience, which facilitates quick comparison and decision making. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 CIFTIS is held both offline and online. While a number of Irish companies have sent personnel to the event, others have chosen to attend the five-day event online. Finbarr Cleary, vice chairman of Ireland China Science and Technology Association (ICSATA), told Xinhua that ICSATA is a virtual exhibitor of the CIFTIS and the cloud stand set up by his organization had already received over 300 page views as of Friday, ranking No. 12 in the overall e-stands section. As a non-profit organization registered in Ireland, ICSATA has been engaged in promoting collaboration between Ireland and China, particularly in areas of technology, trade, culture and education, Cleary said, adding that he believes the CIFTIS platform will enhance business exchanges between the two countries. Cork County Council is also a virtual exhibitor of the event. Sharon Corcoran, director of Economic Development & Tourism with Cork County Council, said in a video speech at the opening of its cloud stand that the main purpose of the council to attend this year's CIFTIS is to promote tourism of the county. "We decided to exhibit at this particular conference because we are very aware that there is a growing market in China and many Chinese people are travelling outside China, particularly into Europe," she said. "We would be delighted to welcome Chinese visitors and we know that they wouldn't be disappointed by what they find when they come to Ireland," she added. Chinese visitors are of growing significance for the Irish tourism industry. Last year, an estimated 100,000 Chinese people visited Ireland, according to Tourism Ireland. It expects the number of Chinese visitors to Ireland to double to 200,000 in 2025. Enditem Rookie left-hander Tarik Skubal will try to help the Detroit Tigers snap a three-game losing streak Saturday night against the Minnesota Twins. The Tigers (17-19) and Twins (24-16) meet at 7:10 p.m. at Target Field in Minneapolis. Skubal (1-1, 6.75 ERA) will be making the fourth start of his career. Right-hander Kenta Maeda (4-1, 2.53) will start for the Twins. The Tigers have lost three in a row after snapping a six-game winning streak on Wednesday in Milwaukee. They started the day three games behind the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees (21-17) in the race for the final American League wild card spot. Follow along with stats and live updates below. GAME UPDATES Bottom 9th: Tigers reliever Jose Cisnero gave up a lead-off walk to Josh Donaldson, then Nelson Cruz hit a comebacker that hit off Cisneros thigh and ricocheted to third base. It went as an infield hit. Miguel Sano had an RBI single to tie the game and Byron Buxton had a two-out, two-strike grounder to shortstop that he beat out for an infield single to score the winning run. Final score: Twins 4, Tigers 3. Top 9th: Willi Castro reached on his second hit of the game, but the Tigers cant pick up an insurance run. Tigers 3, Twins 2. Bottom 8th: Pinch-hitter Lamonte Wade reached on a two-out single, but Buck Farmer retired Jorge Polanco to end the inning. Tigers 3, Twins 2. Top 8th: Victor Reyes led off with a single, but he was erased on a strike-em-out, throw-em-out double play. Miguel Cabrera went down looking and Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers made a nice one-hop throw from his knees to get Reyes. Tigers 3, Twins 2. Bottom 7th: Reliever Joe Jimenez struck out the first two batters he faced before giving up a monster home run to Miguel Sano. Lefty Gregory Soto entered and struck out Eddie Rosario to end the inning. Tigers 3, Twins 2. Top 7th: The Tigers got two runs on four singles and a walk and knocked Kenta Maeda out of the game. Thats the good news. The bad news is that the Tigers had the bases loaded with nobody out and couldnt score more, and a little bit of insurance might come in handy given how last nights game against the Twins went. Tigers 3, Twins 1. .@MiguelCabrera extends his hitting streak to 12 games with a single in the 7th inning. The streak is the longest for Cabrera since a 13-game streak from May 13-26, 2015. #DetroitRoots Tigers PR (@DetroitTigersPR) September 6, 2020 Bottom 6th: Tarik Skubal issues a lead-off walk to Marwin Gonzalez but retires the next three batters. If this was the end of his night, it was a good one. Tigers 1, Twins 1. Top 6th: Kenta Maeda keeps cruising. Hes retired 18 in a row, including two more strikeouts in the sixth. Tigers 1, Twins 1. Bottom 5th: The Twins are on the board after back-to-back singles by Brent Rooker and Miguel Sano to start the inning. Jake Cave pinch-ran for Rooker and scored on a 1-6-3 double play. It was nifty defense by Tarik Skubal, but he missed an opportunity to get Cave at the plate. Tigers 1, Twins 1. Top 5th: Yet another 1-2-3 inning for Kenta Maeda, although the Tigers at least put the ball in play three times. Hes retired 15 inning a row since the lead-off home run. Tigers 1, Twins 0. Bottom 4th: Tarik Skubal allowed his first base runner on a four-pitch walk to Josh Donaldson, but he was quickly erased when Nelson Cruz grounded into a double play. Skubal has faced the minimum through four and not allowed a hit. Tigers 1, Twins 0. Top 4th: Kenta Maeda has now retired 12 in a row since that opening home run. Jonathan Schoop struck out, Miguel Cabrera grounded out and Jeimer Candelario was out on a bunt attempt. Tigers 1, Twins 0. Bottom 3rd: Now its nine up, nine down for Tarik Skubal, who struck out Byron Buxton swinging and got Ryan Jeffers looking to end the third. Tigers 1, Twins 0. Top 3rd: Since the lead-off homer, Kenta Maeda has retired nine in a row, five on strikes. The Tigers go quickly and quietly in the third. Tigers 1, Twins 0. Bottom 2nd: Its been six up, six down for Tarik Skubal, who got his first K when Miguel Sano went down swinging. Tigers 1, Twins 0. Top 2nd: Kenta Maeda retired the Tigers in order, getting his third and fourth strikeouts of the game when Jorge Bonifacio and Christin Stewart went down swinging. Tigers 1, Twins 0. Bottom 1st: Tigers rookie Tarik Skubal started the game with a 1-2-3 first inning, getting dangerous sluggers Josh Donaldson and Nelson Cruz on groundouts. Tigers 1, Twins 0. Top 1st: Victor Reyes hit his fourth home run of the season -- and his second career lead-off home run -- down the right field line at Target Field. Twins starter Kenta Maeda came back to strike out Miguel Cabrera and Jeimer Candelario. Tigers 1, Twins 0. Victor Reyes now batting .358 (19-for-53) with two home runs and 11 runs scored since jumping into leadoff spot in Tigers order on Aug. 22. Tigers take 1-0 lead on his second career leadoff HR. Jason Beck (@beckjason) September 5, 2020 LINEUPS In the name of defeating Coronavirus, and we are told its all temporary, but is it? by Victor Cherubim Among the plethora of agonies, man and women have had to endure during a span of six months in a hundred or more years, thanks to the pandemic, is a suffocating incompetence in many walks of life. The UK Opposition Leader, Keir Stammer summed it very well by accusing the government of Boris Johnson of serial incompetence. The Labour leader said the PM had been lurching from crisis to crisis, U-turn to U-turn, excuse to excuse, when he should have been preparing the country for a possible winter of perhaps, discontent. Weve had the exams crisis which raised questions about the ability of getting a grip on difficult decisions, or even run the country in a crisis. The great pandemic has led to an extraordinary expansion of incompetence, as well as power grab. First, it was lockdown designed to buy time, so that the health service could prepare. Next it was to flatten the curve, then it was follow the science on face masks and social distancing, then it was closing borders with an effect on slowing the spread of the virus. COVID-19 gave not only the British Government, but governments around the world the world the perfect excuse to monitor citizens movements through their mobiles, but the test, trace and track programmes which wanted to suck up, rather mop-up private data and store it centrally. This we are told was abandoned when Apple refused to participate. We are then informed that poking swabs into the nostrils or taking swab tests from peoples larynges without consent, will soon be replaced with saliva tests. Big government and inefficient private service It is understandable that those who protest these draconian measures in the name of national safety, are quickly shouted down. It is intolerable when people who are said to work at home give the latest excuse for their inefficient service, that they have not got their facts straight. Their excuse is an apology to customers having to wait, as much as one hour on the phone, to be fobbed off that they have not got the correct information. Complaints procedure takes weeks, if not months to resolve. In the name of defeating Coronavirus, and we are told its all temporary, but is it? Nothing is so permanent as a temporary government programme, as the measures taken by governments seem unthinkable; have been implemented in haste without debate. In every country, Big Government is here to stay, or as many governments proclaim, here to help. In Sri Lanka, we see almost all important Government positions controlled or lead by retired members of the forces. I have nothing against retired people being at the helm of key departments. I am not in favour either of incompetent managers being put in charge of national security. I would only hope that these retired officers will be given understudy younger personnel in much greater numbers, so that the knowledge, experience, skills, and training will be imparted to much needed juniors. We lack skilled personnel in our key jobs. We need to give the youth of today something to learn from our elders. This is an emergency, which I consider needs to be addressed sooner than later. But who am I, living in the comfort of western insalubrious climate, to comment? My own experience in UK I do hope my readers will understand when I relate what the resultant situation has caused, notwithstanding the serial incompetence seen in many other walks of life for others, in the past few weeks. To give you an example of the incompetence, the medical negligence that I have experienced. I thought I had twisted my ankle some three weeks ago. I had a swollen ankle, which caused me a lot of pain. I visited one of the leading University of London A & E Departments in the City. I was seen by a Consultant who told me to rest my leg, without a backup Xray, he sent me home and referred me to my GP. Due to the pandemic GP surgeries are not automatically available on call. During a Virtual Conference arranged with my GP, I found to my dismay that it had to be abandoned due to the absence of a Java programme uninstalled on my mobile. With my anxious wait, I was seen by a GP in person in surgery days later. Having examined my ankle, he prescribed me an Antibiotic. This did me no good as I had to be taken to a nearby A&E and be attended by a Fracture Consultant who ordered a series of X rays and decided to put my right let in a moonboot, ordering me to rest for 6 weeks and asked not to doze myself with any antibiotic. Blame everything on the pandemic Sadly, the pandemic had completely exposed serial inadequacies, improper planning and lack of competence and capacity within not only institutions of government, but also in medicine and business. They may have been waiting in the wings. However, some of the panic and reaction over the virus is well founded as it is a unique crisis and there is understandable confusion over how governments ought to respond. But at the same time, vigilance and resilience is required. Wilkes-Barre, PA (18701) Today Some clouds in the morning will give way to mainly sunny skies for the afternoon. High 22F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight A mostly clear sky. Low 1F. Winds light and variable. Its still down a lot, lets not shy away from that, but better than expectations heading into earnings season, says Australian Foundation Investment Company's Mark Freeman. Banks blasted, miners minted Aside from Commonwealth Banks better than expected payout of 98 cents - down from $2.31 a year ago - the big lenders largely underwhelmed on the income front. ANZ's deferred interim dividend of 25 cents a share was cut from 80 cents, and NABs 30 cent payout was down from 83 cents. But Westpac cut its dividend altogether. This alone, according to Janus Henderson's Global Dividend Index Report, accounted for a 60 per cent decline in Asian payouts over the quarter. Banks have also become more cautious in their lending book, particularly in a market where housing is falling, and perhaps have had less collateral then what they realised before February, says Perpetuals Sherwood. "So, as a result, theyre carrying more capital in the balance sheet. But if not all of these mortgagees on welfare find employment again then, at some stage, there is a risk that bad and doubtful debts will increase. And at that stage, that brings risks of not only lower dividends but also more capital raisings. The baton for dividends has been passed from financial giants to iron ore and gold miners sitting atop mountainous commodity prices. Twiggy Forrests iron ore juggernaut Fortescue Metals delivered a $1 final dividend - up from 23 cents - for a total $2.25 billion as it posted a record profit on soaring iron ore prices. Sector titans BHP and Rio Tinto also proved a relative bounty for investors. BHPs reduced payout received a mixed reception from analysts but still came in at US55 cents a share. Rio Tintos interim dividend of $US1.55 a share was a 3 per cent higher than a year ago. Mineral Resources, meanwhile, lifted its payout to 77 cents, from 33 cents while UBS also noted increased payouts from goldminers Newcrest, Northern Star and Evolution. Others, meanwhile, have noted the emergence - and resilience - of tech and health sectors over the past couple of years. Healthcare and technology and the like, theyve generally held up pretty well (this earnings season), AFIC's Freeman says. Cochlear is not paying a dividend because it's more discretionary but youve got the ResMeds, Fisher and Paykels, Sonic (Healthcare) and CSLs. Freeman, who also oversees AFIC stable members Mirrabooka, Djerriwarrh and AMCIL Ltd, said the structural headwinds affecting the traditional big-dividend payers may also herald a shift away from yield and into growth among investors. Increasingly over time youve had businesses like the FAANGs (Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Google), they dont really pay dividends, they reinvest and they grow their capital base, he says. The sharemarket has been very strong, from share price appreciation, so you get more of your total return in the US market say out of capital growth than you would dividends. Traditionally in Australia dividends were a big contributor to total return and theres a bit of a transition occurring to me, to me anyway. And if we see more technology and more health type stocks come to our market and grow then that trend will continue. Never waste a crisis Further skewing the investment landscape this year is the government stimulus that has filled consumer pockets and shaved costs for retailers - especially those set up to benefit from societys lockdown cocooning. The primary culprit here is JobKeeper, the $1500 per fortnight wage subsidy implemented at the end of March aimed at keeping stood down workers in jobs. Many companies signed on to the program, expecting trade to plummet as the virus forced shoppers to stay home. Instead, online trade boomed for many and shoppers were eager to spend, turning predicted losses into soaring gains, which boards then decided to share with investors. Furniture retailer Nick Scali received a total of $3.9 million in subsidies and raised its dividend 12.5 per cent, netting the founding Scali family a total of $2.5 million, or around two-thirds of the companys total subsidy payments. Youth-focused footwear retailer Accent Group told shareholders it had received a total of $23.9 million in subsidies, and paid almost that entire amount out as a dividend. Chief executive Daniel Agostinelli also received a $1.2 million bonus. Using JobKeeper in this manner was likely not the intention of the government nor the companies who applied for it in March, as sales were required to be down between 30 to 50 per cent in order to be eligible. Regardless, many businesses didnt let a good crisis go to waste, a move which drew the ire of Labor MP Andrew Leigh, who called out the practice in a speech to parliament. In a note to clients this week, Commonwealth Bank analysts said criticism of companies who paid dividends while claiming JobKeeper relied on perfect hindsight, arguing the subsidy had fulfilled its purpose in retaining jobs. Balance sheet strength Perpetuals Sherwood believes the COVID-19 pandemic, which is dragging on for longer than many expected, will still expose cracks in corporate Australia. Rose McGowan declared she will 'make it a mission to expose' filmmaker Alexander Payne after he denied allegations that he sexually assaulted and 'groomed' her when she was just 15 years old. When asked to respond to Payne's denial on Friday, McGowan told Variety: 'F*** him and his lies is my comment.' 'I told Payne to acknowledge and apologize, he has not. I said I didnt want to destroy, now I do.' 'Why do these men always lie? I will now make it a mission to expose him. I am not the only one.' Rose McGowan (left), 46, called a statement from Alexander Payne (left), 59, the Oscar-winning director, denying allegations of sexual assault 'propaganda' McGowan's statement comes after Payne released a statement to Deadline in which he denies the allegations and says he had 'no reason to question how old she was, since the role she read for required an actor who was of age'. He goes on to add that they went on dates and 'remained on friendly terms for years'. Just before midnight, McGowan spoke out against Payne again on social media with a statement that doubled down on her accusation. 'Hollywood has financed, distributed and promoted Alexander Paybe, the director who groomed me for his assault after I auditioned for him when I was 15,' she wrote. 'Today HE has played the victim and lied to the public.' On Friday night, McGowan shared a social media post that further accused Payne of allegedly playing the victim and lying to the public McGowan then referenced Payne's award-winning film Election, which she noted involved a middle-aged men pretending to have sexual relations with a teenage character played by Reese Witherspoon. 'These creeps tell you who they are,' McGowan wrote. 'My abuser profited greatly, even winning awards for Hollywood King Rapist Harvey Weinstein, his morals digested by an unsuspecting audience.' In his statement, Payne says he and McGowan first crossed paths years later - in 1991 - and went on 'a couple of dates' after she left a note asking him to call her when she auditioned for a part in his first directing job, which was a comic short he was making for the Playboy Channel that required actors who were 'of age'. The acclaimed director broke his silence on Friday, three weeks after McGowan accused him of 'grooming' and having sex with her when she was underage and he was 28 years old. ALEXANDER PAYNE'S STATEMENT IN FULL Rose McGowan and I have always had very cordial interactions, and I have admired her commitment to activism and her voice in an important, historic movement. However, what she has said about me in recent social media posts is simply untrue. Rose is mistaken in saying we met when she was fifteen, in the late 1980s. I was a full-time film student at UCLA from 1984 until 1990, and I know that our paths never crossed. She claims that I showed her a 'soft-core porn movie' I had directed for Showtime 'under a different name.' This would have been impossible, since I had never directed anything professionally, lurid or otherwise. I have also never worked for Showtime or directed under any name other than my own. Rose and I did meet years later, in 1991, during my first directing job, when she auditioned for a comic short I was making for a Playboy Channel series. Although she did not get the part, she left a note for me at the casting desk asking that I call her. I had no reason to question how old she was, since the role she read for required an actor who was of age. We later went out on a couple of dates and remained on friendly terms for years. While I cannot allow false statements about events twenty-nine years ago to go uncorrected, I will continue to wish only the best for Rose. Alexander Payne September 4, 2020 Advertisement In a social media post last month, McGowan named Payne as the 'well-endowed' man who allegedly 'sat me down and played a soft-core porn movie' when she was 15 - an incident she first described in 2018 without identifying Payne. 'If you are out there trying to have sex with an underage minor, you are committing a crime, even if the minor doesn't know it,' McGowan wrote in the August 18 'bomb of truth' post on Instagram. 'I was attracted to him, so I thought it was on me, but that's not correct. I was not an adult.' But Payne countered on Friday that McGowan has her facts wrong. He wrote: 'Rose is mistaken in saying we met when she was fifteen, in the late 1980s. 'I was a full-time film student at UCLA from 1984 until 1990, and I know that our paths never crossed. 'She claims that I showed her a 'soft-core porn movie' I had directed for Showtime 'under a different name',' Payne writes. 'This would have been impossible, since I had never directed anything professionally, lurid or otherwise. 'I have also never worked for Showtime or directed under any name other than my own.' Payne then recalls the first time he and McGowan met and then briefly dated. He writes: 'Rose and I did meet years later, in 1991, during my first directing job, when she auditioned for a comic short I was making for a Playboy Channel series. 'Although she did not get the part, she left a note for me at the casting desk asking that I call her. 'I had no reason to question how old she was, since the role she read for required an actor who was of age. 'We later went out on a couple of dates and remained on friendly terms for years.' Payne continued: 'While I cannot allow false statements about events twenty-nine years ago to go uncorrected, I will continue to wish only the best for Rose.' McGowan, born in September 1973, would've turned 18 in 1991. Payne, who co-wrote and directed the critically acclaimed films 'Citizen Ruth,' 'Election,' 'About Schmidt,' 'Sideways' and 'The Descendants', has won two Academy Awards. McGowan - a pioneer of the #MeToo movement who was one of the first women to come forward against Harvey Weinstein - said the alleged ordeal led her to quit acting before she returned to Hollywood after being 'discovered' at age 21. McGowan told Variety 'it was time' to name Payne after telling Ronan Farrow in 2018 she had been the victim of a man who 'picked me up when I was 15 years old'. McGowan had made her first allegation on Twitter on August 17, asking for an 'acknowledgement and an apology' from the director. 'Alexander Payne. You sat me down and played a soft-core porn movie you directed for Showtime under a different name,' she said. 'I still remember your apartment in Silverlake. You are very well-endowed. You left me on a street corner afterwards. I was 15.' McGowan made her allegations against Payne in a second 'bomb of truth' Instagram post on August 18, having earlier named him on Twitter Who is Alexander Payne? The Oscar winning director behind About Schmidt and The Descendants Alexander Payne was born in Omaha in 1961 to his restaurant owning parents Peggy and George. Payne co-wrote and directed the critically acclaimed films 'Citizen Ruth,' 'Election,' 'About Schmidt,' 'Sideways' and 'The Descendants.' He also directed the 2013 film 'Nebraska' and the recent sci-fi satire 'Downsizing.' He has been nominated for seven Academy Awards and won two Oscars for best adapted screenplay for 'Sideways' and 'The Descendants.' 'Sideways' also won a Golden Globe award for best motion picture-musical or comedy in 2004. Payne graduated from Creighton Prep in Omaha and earned a bachelor's degree from Stanford University and a master's degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. A third-generation Greek-American Payne married second wife Maria Kontos in 2015. The couple have one child, born in 2017. He was previously married to Killing Eve star Sandra Oh for two years. The couple separated in 2005. In 2018 he received an honorary doctorate degree in fine arts from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Advertisement She also tweeted a picture of herself at age 15, saying: 'I just want an acknowledgement and an apology. I do not want to destroy.' Later that same day, McGowan followed up with a longer Instagram post in which she described the alleged 'grooming'. 'For years I had thought a man I had sexual relations with was a a sexual experience I had. I now know I was groomed,' she said. 'I auditioned for him at 15. After my experience with him, I quit acting entirely until I was 'discovered' at 21. 'When that happened, I was like, f*** it, let's do this. I even tweeted a congratulations on his Oscar win in 2012, that's how deep in the Cult of Hollywood I was. 'It wasn't until three weeks after the Weinstein story broke that I re-evaluated the situation.' She continued: 'I feel badly about throwing a bomb into someone's life and career, but I guess that's social conditioning. 'I'm more sad than angry. Sad for 15 year-old me. Sad for the adult me that still thought it was a choice I made. 'Grooming is real. I want you all to know that it's not your fault if you were mentally massaged into thinking it's okay. It is not. I know this now. 'I would even go up to this director at events and ask him, with a smile, 'remember when you had sex with me at 15?' And I would laugh it off. That is deep societal programming. 'When it happened, I'd recently been left behind in Hollywood by a family member to fend for myself. The wolves preyed. 'Please recognize that if this has happened to you, the shame is not yours, it's theirs. Give it back. Groomers are skilled operators and at 15, I was not aware of the warning signs.' She concluded: 'Goddess bless us all, except for those that abuse their power. Here's to freedom, yours and mine.' The actress, 46, took to Twitter on August 17 to make allegations that the Oscar-winning director, 59, was 'very well-endowed' and had 'left her on a street corner' after showing her the pornographic material McGowan then posted a black and white headshot of herself as a teenager, adding: 'I just want an acknowledgement and an apology. I do not want to destroy. This was me at 15.' Payne and wife Maria Kontos attending a screening in Los Angeles in 2017 (left) and with his ex-wife, Killing Eve star Sandra Oh (right) Payne subsequently rose to fame for movies such as Sideways (2004), Election (1999) and About Schmidt (2002). It was reported in December last year that Payne was set to direct a remake of Babette's Feast. It is not known where these allegations leave the project. McGowan was an early face of the #MeToo movement in the fall of 2017 after she accused Harvey Weinstein of raping her. In January 2018, she gave some details of the Payne allegation - but without identifying the director by name. Speaking to Ronan Farrow, she said she had been the victim of a man who 'picked me up when I was 15 years old'. 'He took he home after he met me and he showed me a soft-porn movie he'd made for Showtime under a different name,' she said at the time. 'And then he had sex with me and then he left me next to Cafe Tropicale in Silverlake standing on a street corner.' McGowan hinted at the time that she would reveal the director's name when she was ready, having previously given the name to Farrow. #MeToo movement: McGowan, 46, who was one of the leading activists of the global movement and accused Harvey Weinstein of sexually assaulting her in the 1990s, has now shared that she is 'in a good place' following his conviction (pictured together in 2007) Convicted: The disgraced movie mogul, 68, was convicted in March in a landmark #MeToo case that ended with six of his accusers sobbing and hugging each other from the front row of the courtroom (pictured outside court on February 24) In May, McGowan said that she is 'in a good place now' that Weinstein is serving a 23-year prison sentence for rape and sexual assault. The disgraced movie mogul, 68, was convicted in March in a landmark #MeToo case that ended with six of his accusers sobbing and hugging each other from the front row of the courtroom. Weinstein was convicted of raping an aspiring actress in 2013 and forcibly performing oral sex on a TV and film production assistant in 2006. Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge The Verge offers some first impressions of the first EV that runs Android Automotive: Googles tech that controls things like air conditioning, navigation, the radio and more. Fancy smarts aside, it turns out the Polestar 2 offers a great driving experience as well. Mark Serrels, CNET This is the incredible story of a game from THQ Studio Australia that was set to release around the time of the first Avengers film from Marvel and Disney. A multitude of factors colliding at the same time would ultimately lead to the project being permanently shelved and the studio being shut down. CNETs reporting includes previously unseen game footage as well, so this one is certainly worth your time. Ralph Jones, The Guardian Christopher Nolan may believe that nearly inaudible dialogue makes his films more immersive, but it can be frustrating for viewers. The Guardian discusses how this isnt just a problem with one director, its an issue with a lot of modern films. In Sylvia Pankhurst: Natural Born Rebel (Bloomsbury, Dec.), historian Holmes details the life of the British activist. How did Sylvia Pankhursts parents shape her political views? Her parents were radicals in Manchester, which was the centerthe heartbeatof radical, progressive politics in 19th-century England. Her father, Richard Pankhurst, was a barrister and a very well-known activist and socialist. He was the person who conscientized her mother, Emmeline, who founded the Womens Social and Political Union. How did Sylvias activism start? Younger women like Sylvia and her sisters Christabel and Adela were impatient. Constitutional reform from within parliament was taking too long. Emmeline realized the womens movement had become stultified and needed to radicalize. So she and her daughters set up the WSPU in their front parlor. Sylvia played a very significant role in that when she was at the Royal College of Art in London and received the instruction to raise London. She founded the first WSPU chapter in London, and from that, the militant movement grew. What did Sylvia make of the groups militant tactics? She was a very reluctant militant. She was appalled, especially at the destruction of property, particularly when it included artwork. But she believed there were no other means left. Why did Sylvia fall out with her family? Emmeline and Christabel proved willing to support a limited vote for middle-class white women, based on property and marital status. Sylvia said No, were not going to exclude working women. As a socialist, she supported universal suffrage. And when WWI began, Emmeline and Christabel agreed to stop their militant activities and support the war effort in exchange for amnesty for suffragettes whod been imprisoned. Sylvia, as a pacifist and a socialist, disagreed. This caused the final break. I was struck by the depictions of what Sylvia went through during her hunger strikes and forced feedings in prison. Sylvia was tortured in the British prison system more than any other suffragette. She endured levels of physical torture that I still find so hard to process in terms of what she was actually physically able to resist and survive. I spoke at length to other feminist writers across different disciplines and genres about how much blood and gore to include. I havent held back. I tried to depict the real horror of reading through the doctor reportsthey are torture files. I hope what I wrote is not prurient, but I think we need to know. Theres a danger in not saying things as they were. What I really hope is that a generation of younger women will go after those records and go into them even deeper. Beijing's Miyun Reservoir had just celebrated its 60th anniversary recently. As an important source of drinking water for the Chinese capital, it has nourished generations of people in the past six decades. Thanks to the strict and science-based management of the reservoir, it is seeing increasingly improved water quality. The areas with an elevation of less than 155 meters around the reservoir are listed as first-class protection zones, said Yang Rongliang, head of the waterborne unit of the comprehensive law enforcement team of the reservoir. According to him, these zones are enclosed by 2.5-meter-high fences that total 305 kilometers, and all irrelevant personnel are not allowed to enter them. A total of 394 cameras are installed around the fences for 24-hour monitoring, which can sound alarms when spotting trespassing, persuade trespassers to leave and obtain evidences of trespassing. Besides, facial recognition and vehicle plate recognition are also adopted at each entrance of the protection zones to improve the efficiency of law enforcement. In addition, all gas-fueled law enforcement vessels in the reservoir have been replaced by clean-energy ones. The comprehensive law enforcement team of the reservoir is also equipped with drones to crack down on illegal activities. So far, the team has busted three illegal electrofishing cases, and all six people involved were put into sentence. The first-class protection zones of the reservoir, which cover 273 square kilometers, are divided into 160 water retention grids protected by 2,150 full-time personnel. The reservoir also launched a water purifying campaign in upstream counties and districts, establishing a solid line of defense of ecological restoration, treatment and protection. It adopted 21 measures to treat water and soil loss in 600 square kilometers of land. According to the water environment monitoring center of Miyun Reservoir's management office, the frequency of monitoring has been increased to once a week, and the water quality in the reservoir is always maintained above the level II standard for ground water, which is higher than the standard for drinking water. To better protect the environment, Miyun Reservoir introduced a comprehensive ban on husbandry, removing 692 livestock farms in the first-class protection zones, as well as 72 aquaculture enterprises along upstream rivers. Rich in resources of iron mine, Miyun district, where the reservoir is located, is home to 98 percent of iron ores in Beijing. However, the reservoir resolutely closed 5 mining companies for water retention, even though they could create huge economic profits and job opportunities. As of the end of last year, the forest coverage rate in Miyun district reached 65.55 percent, and the green coverage rate also hit 75.3 percent. The parkland per capita in urban areas was raised to 14.86 square meters, and the coverage of parks and green spaces within a 500-meter radius of residential areas was expanded to 81.96 percent in the district. Liu Xiansheng is a villager in Xikouwai village, Fengjiayu township of Miyun district. A total of 85.6 percent of land is covered by forests in the township, but the strict water retention measures are keeping villagers away from using local water and forest resources. To solve the development problem of the villagers, the district government sent Liu 50 swarms of bees and a whole set of apiculture facilities in 2017. It also dispatched technicians to guide the man keep the bees. Now, Liu owns 150 beehives and makes over 60,000 yuan ($8,770) per year. "I'm planning to add another 50 beehives," he told the People's Daily. Apiculture is currently a major industry for Miyun. At present, the district is home to 2,072 beekeepers and 115,000 swarms. Thanks to the sound ecological environment, Miyun district has embraced prosperous development of eco-agriculture, folk tourism and characteristic economy. Its tourist revenue has ranked first among all ecological conservation areas in Beijing for 9 years in a row. At 5 foot 9 inches and 248 pounds before covid-19 struck, John Place knew he needed to work on his health. In the scramble to run a small business and help raise four children, he ate high-calorie restaurant food every day. He never exercised. He was often fatigued and urinated frequently - warning signs of diabetes that he ignored. When Place, 43, landed in a Florida intensive care unit in June, infected with the coronavirus and unable to breathe on his own, a brutally frank doctor put his survival chances at 20%. "Your husband is morbidly obese, he's diabetic, he has sleep apnea and the only thing he has going for him is he's still young," the physician told Place's wife, Michelle Zymet. Place survived 18 days on a ventilator and returned home, but his weight complicated his illness and care, and now is influencing his painful, laborious recovery. Eight months into the pandemic, obesity has turned out to be one of the clearest predictors of a difficult battle against covid-19, for reasons that may vary from person to person. Some experts say they consider obesity to have contributed to the stunning coronavirus death and morbidity rate in the United States, which has one of the highest obesity rates in the world. And there is some evidence it is particularly harmful for people under 60, who generally fare better than the elderly against the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. A constellation of factors can influence a patient's outcome: Fat can physically compress parts of the lungs, impeding respiration. In the hospital, it can make calculating medication doses, inserting intravenous tubes and moving patients more difficult. It can stimulate parts of the body's hormonal system, worsening covid-19, a disease that often provokes a powerful inflammatory response itself. And it is associated with a wide range of comorbidities, from heart disease to diabetes, that increase vulnerability to the worst impacts of the infection. "It changes how you evaluate all kinds of considerations, from vascular issues to medications," said Lewis Kaplan, a critical care doctor for Veterans Affairs and the University of Pennsylvania. "We have an [obesity] epidemic in the midst of a pandemic." The pandemic already has killed more than 183,000 Americans and infected more than 6.1 million, according to a tally kept by The Washington Post. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists 5,614 covid-19 deaths where obesity was a contributing factor, but this is probably a sharp undercount, said Robert Anderson, chief of the Mortality Statistics Branch at the National Center for Health Statistics. Clinicians and researchers in all parts of the United States have noted the condition's influence on patients. More than 42% of U.S. residents are obese, defined as a body mass index of 30 or greater, and more than 9% are severely obese, with BMIs of 40 or more. A 5-9 person weighing 203 pounds has a BMI of 30. The same person would weigh 271 pounds if his BMI were 40. For some groups, conditions are worse: 56% of African American women, for example, are obese, according to data from the CDC. It lists a BMI over 30 as a risk factor for severe covid-19. Britain is urging its citizens to lose weight to protect themselves against covid-19. When University of North Carolina researchers reviewed the academic literature on obesity and covid-19 for an analysis released this week, they found that people with BMIs over 30 were at much greater risk for hospitalization, intensive care and death. Early analyses point to obesity itself - rather than the comorbidities it creates - as a separate precursor to poor outcomes. When researchers at Kaiser Permanente of Southern California looked at nearly 7,000 people with covid-19, they found an association between a BMI over 40 and higher death rates, particularly among men and people younger than 60, when they controlled for other weight-related conditions. The latter finding is surprising, because deaths from covid-19 are overwhelmingly concentrated among older people. Sara Tartof, a Kaiser Permanente research scientist who led the analysis, speculated that large amounts of visceral fat - the fat stored in the abdomen around body organs - may play a role in producing severe covid-19. Fat is not inert; it secretes chemicals that can influence bodily systems. It may affect the angiotensin system that helps regulate blood pressure and blood flow, leading to more severe symptoms, Tartof said. "We almost think this is akin to throwing a match on a tinderbox," she said. Jennifer Lighter, an NYU Langone hospital epidemiologist, has been studying a link between covid-19 and fat cells. Lighter said people with obesity seem to have more ACE2 receptors, the gateway the virus uses to invade cells. "So there are more opportunities to attack," she said. Lighter, who published a study showing that people under age 60 are two to three times more likely to be admitted to the hospital for covid-19 if they are obese, also said it is possible a mechanism of the disease is hormonally regulated. That could explain why men are doing worse, she said, and why prepubescent children are faring well in the pandemic. "Obese people have more androgens and male hormones. Maybe that's impacting the virus affecting the cells," she hypothesized. Another study published in the International Journal of Obesity by Candida Rebello, a pharmacology researcher at Louisiana State University, found that the hormone leptin, which regulates metabolism and appetite and is found in greater amounts in obese people, may make them more vulnerable to covid-19. High levels of leptin have been associated with a type of systemic inflammatory state. "We propose that leptin may be the link between obesity and its high prevalence as a comorbidity of the SARS-CoV-2 infection," she wrote. In addition to metabolic issues, "obesity in itself is a complex issue, because it usually leads to so many comorbidities" and can affect lung mechanics, said Maria Plataki, an assistant professor at Weill Cornell Medicine who studies the impact of obesity on lung cells. A recent study of 1,687 hospitalized adults by a team that included Plataki found that obese patients were more likely to have respiratory failure but not any more likely to die. Place, the Florida patient, had a BMI of 37 when the disease sent him to Westside Regional Medical Center in Plantation two months ago. His temperature had reached 103.9 degrees and pneumonia clogged both his lungs. When doctors discovered Place's uncontrolled diabetes, they put him on an insulin drip. As the oxygen level in his blood plummeted, he was sent to the ICU, where he was sedated and intubated. At times, there was not enough staff for the delicate task of turning him onto his stomach - a procedure called "proning" that helps open airways - or returning him to his back, Zymet said. Five people were needed to accomplish the task because of Place's weight and the medical devices he was attached to. Heavier people also are more likely to develop bed sores. "We prone obese people all the time," said Russell Buhr, a pulmonary and critical care physician at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. "Instead of needing four people to do it, you might need six or eight people to do it." Intubating very obese people also can be more complex because fat deposits around the neck can make proper positioning more difficult, Buhr said. When patients are sedated and their muscles relax, fat can compress the airway itself, he said. Standard doses for drugs - such as pain killers, blood thinners and other critical medications - usually stop at certain weights. That requires caretakers to calculate appropriate amounts for the severely obese, and often there is not a simple linear relationship between weight and dosage. Opioids, for example, are stored in fatty tissue, Kaplan said, which can lead to accumulation and complicate doses. Place lost 49 pounds during his hospital stay while he was being fed through a tube and on a ventilator, leaving at 199 pounds. But the physical cost was enormous. When he awoke, the only part of his body he could move was his left arm, from the elbow to his fingers. "All my muscle was gone," he said. "My calf muscles were just flopping around. They just hung. My ribs were sticking out." He could not sit up without becoming dizzy and short of breath. Standing was out of the question. Gradually regaining his strength with the aid of physical therapy, Place is able to walk for five minutes at a time now, though parts of his body remain numb and he is still in considerable pain. He and his family haven't eaten restaurant food since the coronavirus lockdown began in March and he is off insulin. Now at 208 pounds, Place wants to keep his weight around 180 once he fully regains his health. He has started a new business selling T-shirts, hats and masks with the logo "I'm alive." "One silver lining is at least he's going to take care of his health," Zymet said. "It puts everything into perspective." How B Corporation certification is helping these drinks producers A Luxembourg cider maker with sustainability at its heart has become the first cidery in Europe to achieve certification for its green credentials. Ramborn Cider Co. is only the third cidery in the world, and the first consumer brand in Luxembourg, to achieve B Corporation (B Corp) status. The certification highlights brands which meet the highest standards of environmental and social performance, transparency and accountability. Ramborn is in good global company, joining other B Corp-certified brands including Ben & Jerry's, Innocent Drinks and Bruichladdich. Since it was established in 2016, Ramborn has recycled around 57 per cent of all the fruit it has pressed - some 739,500kg - and has helped to remove 31,000kg of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere (around 17.5g per bottle of cider) through its tree-planting initiatives. The company also revives traditional orchards, partners with farmers to reinstate "old" forms of agriculture, and does its bit for biodiversity - it's had a direct impact on the protection and revival of one million square metres of richly biodiverse habitat. Carlo Hein, co-founder and chairman of Ramborn Cider Co., says, "B Corp will help us to succinctly share our mission and impact with our retailers, distributors and wholesalers. B Corp has fantastic real, accountable and, most importantly, measurable stories to tell. You can connect with clients in new ways, and they can connect in this way with their customers too. The discussion shifts to being about so much more than price - it's no longer a race to the bottom." Before moving into the drinks industry, Carlo spent 20 years working and investing in renewable energy, so has a better understanding of the landscape than most. "We are aware of the true value of each kWh of clean energy as we understood the costs of producing it, but we also saw the hidden social and environmental costs of generating energy via fossil fuels," he says. "The food and drinks industry must be aware that hidden social and environmental costs will impact their business. And these changes can come quickly, but the time and costs involved in tackling them can be challenging." The cost of retrofitting old premises to be environmentally friendly can be a barrier for some businesses looking to make their operations more sustainable. However, for new businesses that are fortunate enough to design and build their own facilities, embedding sustainability and good resource management from the ground up is becoming more and more crucial. Small Beer Brewing Co., based in Bermondsey in south London, became the UK capital's first brewery to attain B Corp certification in 2019. The brewery makes a range of beers under 2.8% ABV and has designed its kit specifically to make such products - and to redue waste. One of its big wins is in water conservation: in comparison to an industry average of eight pints of water to produce one pint of beer, Small Beer uses just a pint and a half of water to every pint of beer. It also runs a "dry floor" brewery, with full liquid and solid separation in the brewing process. No waterproof boots and plastic aprons here - jeans and trainers are perfectly practical brewing attire. Small Beer co-founder Felix James says, "One of the things I really wanted to do was to reduce our water consumption compared to industry standard. I've worked for Fullers and AB InBev, seeing how the big guys do it and learning from their mistakes, but also the positive things they are doing. Our ratio is 1.5 pints of water to one pont of beer. Most of that half pint is in the fermented grain, which we send on to a local farmer to feed to his Dexter cattle. Because the grain is wetter, it means the cows are then consuming less water." He adds, "B Corp is an acknowledged sign of not just environmental responsibility, but also social responsibility. We do events for the neighbours and we are keen to do some tree planting. We've held panel discussions at the brewery with some of our peer-group sustainable businesses to discuss green-thought leadership." In November 2020 Hattiers become the first rum brand in the UK, and only the second globally, to achieve B Corp certification. Its founder Phillip Everett-Lyons was introduced to the B Corp movement in 2016, shortly before he launched his first spirits. "From day one we've always stood for a wider purpose and the days are long gone when a business can simply ask its employees to ignore their values. We decided as a brand not to wait for the industry to change, but to go ahead ourselves and create a premium rum brand with an uncompromising approach to quality and sustainability," he says. "Not one for the fainthearted, the B Corp certification is the most robut and rigorous proceess we have ever undertaken. This benchmark certification gives total reassurance that our brand is at the forefront of ethical and sustainabile practices within our sector. "We are lobbying for our peers in the industry to take a good look at their processes and to create sustainability and environmental targets, and to consider B Corp certification. It has challenged us at Hattiers to change the way that we do business and to use business as a force for good." He adds, "We are starting to see big changes within the industry with one of the world's largest spirits producers, Diageo, launching the first plastic-free paper-based spirits bottle for Johnnie Walker. This initiative is ground-breaking and it is fantastic to see such a key player in the industry taking sustainability so seriously. The costs involved for a project of this scale are far beyond a small brand such as ourselves, however, this innovation will hopefully trickle downstream to all brands in time." 5 September 2020 - Bethany Whymark Bengaluru, Sep 5 : Three Karnataka teachers bagged the Central Government's Ministry of Education National Awards for the year 2020 in recognition for their service in the realm of teaching on the occasion of Teachers' Day on Saturday. The three award winning teachers are S. Yakub, Surekha Jagannath and Chemmalar Shanmugam. Medical Education Minister K. Sudhakar shared their photographs and the unique contribution these teachers made in the education field in the southern state. Yakub's contribution was recognized for his unique and innovative method of teaching maths. "Yakub is an extremely innovative and versatile educator in Maths. He has transformed the teaching of maths by using innovative software and mobile app," said an official. The maths teacher works at the government high school in Nada, Belthangady in Dakshina Kannada district. Jagannath is from the government high school in Bandarwad, Afzalpur in Kalaburagi district who brought many changes in her school. "She has created over a hundred innovations and experiments in science teaching which promote personalized learning, development of curiosity and creativity in students," said the official. She emerged as a major resource person for the state government, publishing many articles on her experiments. Similarly, Shanmugam has been recognized for being an extremely holistic and versatile educator. "She has changed the teaching methodologies in English teaching by introducing learning through classroom games and concerts and skillful use of musical spellings and dancing words which have helped young children learn a new language appropriately," he said. As the head teacher of Kendriya Vidyalaya No. 2 at Jalahalli Afs (East) in Bengaluru, she was actively involved in raising the social awareness of students on local issues such as the lost lakes of Bengaluru, including improving their reasoning skills. On Saturday, most schools could not celebrate the Teachers' Day as the schools are yet to be opened due to the Covid pandemic. Harvest International School at Kodathi near Sarjapura in the city asked its students to juxtapose their selfies with a photograph of their favourite teacher and highlight what qualities they like in him or her. "My warm greetings to the teaching community on this joyous occasion of Teachers Day. Today, we remember with pride our scholar-statesman Bharat Ratna S. Radhakrishnan in whose honour we celebrate Teachers Day," said Deputy Chief Minister C. N. Ashwath Narayan. Narayan is also the state minister for Higher Education. Eom/388 words Vineet Upadhyay By Express News Service DEHRADUN: Amidst border tensions with Nepal and China, in an attempt to boost mobile network connectivity, Uttarakhand state cabinet on Saturday approved an amendment in state's information technology policy to provide incentives of up to Rs 40 lakh for companies who decided to set up a mobile network tower in remote areas in 'Dark Villages' of the hill state. The 'Dark Village' is a village with no or poor mobile network connectivity where there is no telecom service provider (TSP) or internet service provider (ISP) rendering the villages lagging behind in terms of connectivity. Madan Kaushik, state cabinet minister and spokesperson for the government said, "The state government will provide the private mobile services Rs 40 lakh in one go if they install mobile towers where connectivity is poor. This will boost connectivity and enhance the lives of people. Internet and mobile have become an integral part of our lives and essential for education, banking and flow of any necessary information." According to the state government sources, 438 'Dark Villages' have been identified till date. Other decisions by the cabinet also included approval for a proposal for the expansion of a helipad at the Kedarnath shrine in Rudraprayag district upto 5000 square meters till October this year to make it suitable for the landing of Indian Air Forces Chinook helicopters. Kedarnath shrine at present has one MI-26 helipad with an area of 2,000 square metres and another VIP helipad with an area of 2,400 square meters. The Chinooks will be used to transport to Kedarnath the newly-procured heavy machinery which are required for rebuilding works after the 2013 floods. Senior government officials added on the condition of anonymity that the helipads expansion is important from a strategically as it can be utilized for the landings of advanced IAF helicopters as well as transportation. In June this year, 49 villages in Pithoragarh district along the China and Nepal were equipped with satellite phones amidst ongoing border tensions. The locals however say that this is not sufficient and a robust infrastructure is need to tackle the problem. According to the sources, 200-300 satellite phones will be distributed in border areas. After satellite phones were distributed in border areas Pithoragarh, Chamoli and Uttarakashi districts on India-China-Nepal, residents complain of inflated call rates per minute upto Rs 25-30. Earlier, the state government officials said that the call charges will be fixed at Rs 12 per minute and an SMS would also cost the same amount. International calls and SMS rates have been fixed at Rs 260 per minute and Rs 260 per SMS. Uttarakhand border villages are compelled to use Nepalese Sim cards due to no or poor availability of Indian network providers including government-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL). Many residents had added that with this kind of call rates Nepalese sim cards which work in border areas of India-Nepal seem better option. Receding population on Uttarakhand-Nepal-China border has become a source of worry for Indian security forces amidst increasing border tensions with Nepal. According to reports of Uttarakhand Rural Development and Migration Commission total 14 villages have become totally empty since 2011 while in many parts population have declined 'significantly'. Decisions made by the cabinet also included clearing various important projects such as ropeway in Yamunotri, approval of 25 Megawatt solar power projects for youth under Chief Minister Employment Scheme, expansion of duration of guest teachers in government degree colleges benefitting 275 teachers along with many other decisions. One of Boris Johnsons strengths as a prime minister is that he is odd. He is not bound by convention; he is unpredictable, inconsistent and a bit unknowable. He is as constrained by law, institutions and politics as any leader, but he sometimes acts as if he isnt, which makes him a difficult person to negotiate with. That is why he was able to break the Brexit logjam. This time last year, the House of Commons had just passed Hilary Benns bill to prevent Britain from leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement. It was a fundamental challenge to the governments right to govern, and yet the same parliament refused to allow Johnson to hold an election. I said at the time that he had been prime minister for six weeks and was staring disaster in the face: he couldnt have an election; he would be forced, by law, to ask to postpone Brexit; and even his brother had abandoned him, resigning from the government. Yet he negotiated a new withdrawal agreement with Leo Varadkar and threatened all sorts of unconstitutional things, confusing his opponents so much that they eventually allowed him to have the election he wanted. He succeeded where the sane, dutiful and predictable Theresa May had failed. So let us pause and wonder, as the world throws up its hands in shock and disbelief at the very idea that a Conservative government a Conservative government would destroy an EU trade deal because it wanted the right to subsidise exports. Has Johnson converted to Jeremy Corbyns policy of limitless state intervention just as the Labour Party is trying to forget it? Or does he want Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron to think he is irrational enough to walk away without a deal, in order to persuade them to instruct Michel Barnier, the EU negotiator, to offer a better one? Everyone knows that state aid is a sticking point in the EU trade talks. In the conventional world, the issue is simple. No country will readily tolerate another countrys government subsidising their exports in order to gain an unfair advantage. That is pretty much what the whole history of trade agreements has been about. The EU has laws to limit state aid, and it wants those principles to apply to Britain when the transition period ends in December although it accepts that they would be enforced by a new arbitration body, and not by the European Court of Justice. Johnsons view, as expressed this week by one figure with intimate knowledge of the negotiations to James Forsyth, the political editor of The Spectator, is, well, unconventional. It is that state aid is critical if you are going to try and shape markets in technology. It is that the US and China use state power to promote tech innovation, and that we should too. It is an update of Harold Wilsons white heat of the technological revolution, and appears to be based on the belief that the gentleman in Whitehall in this case, presumably, one of Dominic Cummingss weirdos and misfits really does know best which moonshot technology to back. This is so important to the prime minister, apparently, that he insists he would rather have no deal than compromise. He sometimes says that only three people in government agree with me on the question of, as Forsyth puts it, how ambitious or purist to be on Brexit, but he is convinced of his position. Well, I have my doubts. However, I cannot be sure that this is not what Johnson thinks. He has so few ideological moorings that he could quite easily be a believer in free trade and free markets, and also a kind of souped-up Michael Heseltine wanting the state to intervene before breakfast, lunch and dinner. Maybe he does want to flood the EU market with subsidised versions of whatever the next craze is after TikTok. Perhaps he does think unfair competition is good, as long as we are the ones who are doing it. And it could be that this uncertainty is enough to disrupt and unsettle the EU side in the negotiations. It doesnt seem likely, but then it didnt seem likely that Johnson would ever be able to get Britain out of the EU this time last year. In the end, the state aid issue comes down to this: if a British government ever wanted to go against conventional economic wisdom and subsidise exports, the EU would retaliate by imposing tariffs. That can either be written down in a trade deal or not, but it would be the reality either way. That is why I predict that the unpredictable Boris Johnson and the boring, pragmatic and predictable EU leaders will do a deal. Ive owned a tortilla press for years. That often came in handy before moving to Texas, as my previous stomping ground in North Carolina was pretty barren terrain when it came to finding good tortillas for sale. It was either make your own, or suffer whatever stale, preservative-laden specimens you could find on the store shelves. These days, I have a dozen or more tortillerias within a 10-minute drive of my home (Sanitary Tortilla Company at 623 Urban Loop just south of Cesar E. Chavez is my usual go-to). This means my bulky, cast-iron tortilla press goes unused for months at a time. Fortunately, it turns out that device is good for more than mooshing masa into perfect, flat rounds. Noted Vietnamese food authority Andrea Nguyen says Chinese American cooks have long looked to that iconic Mexican tool for flattening balls of dough into skins for a wide range of Asian dumplings. On ExpressNews.com: See what recipes were creating and cooking here. Bookmark the page! Regular Food & Wine contributor Margaret Eby got her hands on a tortilla press at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak and has found it to be the perfect tool for making the Indian bread naan, pitas and Chinese-style scallion pancakes. Svetlana Monyakova /Getty Images / iStockphoto For fans of thin-crust pizza, the tortilla press is an ideal tool for smashing out balls of your favorite pizza dough, be it store-bought or homemade, into the base for crunchy, individual-size pies. Just top as desired and bake on a pizza stone or sheet pan at 450 degrees until browned. The tortilla press makes quick work of meat, as well. The next time youve got a homemade chicken or pork schnitzel night, instead of ruthlessly bashing that protein flat with a rolling pin, try reaching for the tortilla press. Just put the meat in a plastic bag chicken breast and pork tenderloin work particularly well and gently press it out to your desired thinness, turning the bag as needed to get the right shape. On ExpressNews.com: Commentary: The wondrous, rich and holy tortilla If its thin, well-browned burger patties are you prefer but you just cant bear squishing all that ground beef with your hands, once again, reach for the tortilla press. Just line the press with plastic wrap and squish the meat as thin as youd like. And bonus, if you use fresh plastic wrap for each patty, you can just wrap those suckers up and place them in the freezer for future use. Tortilla presses are made with any number of materials including plastic, wood and several types of metal. All those materials have their strengths and weaknesses. carlosrojas20 /Getty Images / iStockphoto Nguyen advises cooks to reach for one constructed of lightweight aluminum, which she says allows for better control of the amount of pressure applied to the dumpling skins. I use a heavier cast-iron model and like the extra heft for effortless pressing. In general, plastic presses will be the least expensive as well as the least durable. Wood presses have an impressive traditional look, but if you go that route, opt for a more pricey one made from hardwood instead of flimsy pine. A solid all-around choice for function and value is the Norpro 6-inch cast aluminum press for less than $20 on amazon.com. In non-tortilla news, I got a break in the kitchen this week. Instead of cooking up the usual plethora of recipes for the weekly Taste section, we handed the reins to San Antonio resident Todd Slack. He spent a couple months cooking through all of Ina Gartens cookbooks and shared a few of the recipes he fell in love with. Recipe: Ina Gartens Roasted Tomato Basil Soup Recipe: Ina Gartens Pork Souvlaki with Radish Tzatziki Recipe: Ina Gartens Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits Recipe: Ina Gartens Mocha Chocolate Icebox Cake Recipe: Ina Gartens Fresh Whiskey Sour cocktail Paul Stephen is a food and drink reporter and restaurant critic in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. To read more from Paul, become a subscriber. pstephen@express-news.net | Twitter: @pjbites | Instagram: @pjstephen The United Kingdom is flying a rainbow flag at its British Council premises this week to pay tribute to the second anniversary of India's historic judgement to repeal Section 377 and decriminalise homosexuality. According to the British High Commission, this was done to show solidarity with the Indian LGBT+ community. It was 2 years back in the year 2018, when India struck down section 377 of the Indian Penal Code which criminalised gay sex. Read: Environment Activists Blockade UK Newspaper Printing Plants India's Second anniversary of Section 377 repeal According to the reports, a five judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra was set up to come up with the final verdict. The bench included DY Chandrachud, Rohinton Fali Nariman, AM Khanwilkar and Indu Malhotra. BHC stated that the UK has always been committed to non discrimination on any grouds. This includes sexual orientation and gender identity as it actively works to promote equal rights for all. Read: Polish MPs Wear Rainbow Outfits To Support LGBTQ+ At Duda's Swearing In Ceremony In a seperate incident, to show solidarity for the LGBTQ+ community in Poland, the opposition MPs dressed in the colours of the rainbow at the swearing in ceremony of Polish President Andrzej Duda after he was accused of running a campaign with homophobic rhetoric. Ahead of his July vote, Duda had said that individuals belong in the LGBTQ+ spectrum are not people, its an ideology. Condemning these words, and calling for welfare of all citizens, the opposition MPs even wore the facemasks with the pride flag and posted images on social media platforms. They wore rainbow masks and outfits in the shades of the rainbow and sat in their designated seat while Duda took the oath on August 6 in the Sejm, the lower house of the parliament. The lawmakers even posed for a picture outside the building along with the pride and Polish flags. Read: UK PM On Proposed Trade Envoy Tony Abbott, Airport Testing Also Read: Russian Fighter MiG-31 Scrambled To Intercept US, UK Jets Over Barents Sea (With inputs from ANI) (Image Credits: Twitter/UKInIndia) Trump's comments come amid renewed tension between India and China over what the Centre called new attempts by Beijing to change the status quo in certain areas of eastern Ladakh Washington: Asserting that the situation along the India-China border has been "very nasty" and the Chinese are "going at it" much more strongly, US President Donald Trump said he would love to get involved and help. "While we're at it, we're talking about China and India are going at it pretty good on the border, as you know. It's been very nasty," Trump told reporters on Friday evening at a White House news conference. Trump reiterated that he is talking to both India and China about the situation. "And we stand ready to help with respect to China and India. If we can do anything, we would love to get involved and help. And we are talking to both countries about that," he said. When asked if China is bullying India, he said that he hoped it is not the case but noted that China is "certainly going at it". "I hope not... But they (China) are certainly going at it. They are going at it much more strongly than a lot of people even understand," Trump said in response to a question. The district administration has launched a Lok Saanjhedari campaign to spread awareness on Covid-19 and precautions to curb its spread under Punjab governments Mission Fateh. Captain Sandeep Singh Sandhu, political secretary to the Punjab chief minister, started the campaign during a function at Mullanpur today. PEDA vice-chairman Karan Singh Waring, Ludhiana (west) sub-divisional magistrate Amarinder Singh Malli, president of Mullanpur municipal council Telu Ram, district epidemiologist Dr Ramesh Kumar and senior Congress leader Manjit Singh Bharowal were present on the occasion. Captain Sandhu said that under this campaign, five-member committees would be formed in each ward which will go from door-to-door to spread awareness on Mission Fateh. These committees will include health workers of the health department, esteemed women, social workers, youth and representatives of NGOs. He said that Mission Fateh will continue till Covid-19 is not eradicated. He said that the objective of Mission Fateh was to make the people aware of the precautionary measures taken by the government and the health department to prevent the spread of the infection. He appealed to the people to ignore misleading propaganda and get tested. He added that if any symptoms are found, they should be admitted to government hospitals for free treatment. Sandhu added that through this campaign, the government and the district administration have to ensure the participation of every citizen and organisation in the awareness campaign to make the state and district Covid-19 free. Three hot summer months following the killing of George Floyd, whose name is challenging to remember, for top Democrats, have mutilated the faces of many once beautiful American cities. A call for racial justice has been supported by the vast majority of Americans. The national protests demanding "Justice for Floyd," however, very quickly deteriorated into chaos and anarchy that inevitably led to the murder of Americans, which was celebrated by the domestic terrorists from Antifa, who march to their goal "no USA at all" over the dead American bodies. Chicago that has not had a Republican mayor since 1927, sets a murder rate anti-record in one single day. New York, once a symbolic city of freedom, limitless opportunities, and American Dream that mesmerized and inspired the world, witnesses a mass exodus of people and businesses due to crime, high taxes, and shutdowns. Defunded police departments and vilified police officers a "rotten cancer," per the radical left that have suffered assaults and murders is a rapidly thinning blue line that protects law-abiding citizens. In turn, the law-abiding citizens executing their Second Amendment rights in times when a call to 911 goes to a voicemail face felony charges, like the St. Louis couple and Kyle Rittenhouse. America is being destroyed from within, as once warned by Abraham Lincoln, at a fast pace and in cold blood. The mayhem that swept across blue-city America has been narrated by the Democrats and leftist elite as "peaceful protests" this whole time, until very recently. The Democrats praised the "young people across the country, who put themselves out on the line to make a difference," donated money to BLM and similar organizations, bailed out of jail criminals (as did the Democrat [vice] presidential nominee, Kamala Harris, and the staff of that old man who drags her down did); called the violence a myth; and viciously vilified, censored, shamed, and harassed all those on the other side. All we've seen was nothing but a wonderful and much needed purifying pyre that was supposed to burn down a rotten, racism-ridden America that was supposed to reborn into a land of tolerance and racial justice. The leftists promise that if we destroy our home (shyly withholding the fact that some of its residents will be buried under the ruins), the reeking and smoking pile of burned concrete on its place will in fact be a lavish mansion. During the four days of the Democratic National Convention, not a single word was said to condemn the violence. Instead, a gloomy and ominous atmosphere of anti-Americanism prevailed. America was again and again called racist, unjust, misogynist, and a dangerous place. Not a word was said to pin violence on Trump because the old narrative was still in place that there was no violence. But the Democrats either miscalculated or completely ignored the basic human feeling of self-preservation. They also went too far in their "black lives matter" hypocrisy. Outrage over the death of one black man has already cost hundreds of black lives and livelihoods across the country. The leftist notion voiced by CNN's Don Lemon that they focus their concerns exclusively on those black lives that are taken by the police, and if you care about other black lives, then "go ahead and start your own movement" did not age well as the major protest-ridden cities saw a sharp spike in homicides and other felonies. The public support for the protests began to dip, and the violent crime became a major issue on the verge of the November election. In that tricky situation, the Democrats who try to balance between backing up protests and condemning violence have quickly flip-flopped and found a focal point, as expected, in blaming Donald Trump. "Remember: every example of violence Donald Trump decries has happened on his watch. Under his leadership. During his presidency," appeared on Joe Biden's Tweeter. After weeks of being accused by Trump of supporting destructive protests, Biden and other Democratic leaders have finally made a point to denounce the destruction in Kenosha, Wis. "Burning down communities is not protest, it's needless violence," Biden said. "Violence that endangers lives. Violence that guts businesses and shutters businesses that serve the community. That's wrong." As reported by the Hill, that sentiment was echoed by other Democratic leaders, including former president Barack Obama, Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), and Oregon governor Kate Brown (D), who has dealt with months of protests in Portland. "I condemn violence in Portland ... [a]nd I challenge Donald Trump to do the same," Biden added recently, as numerous media outlets suggest ongoing protests gone out of control boost Trump's chances of reelection. How Joe can challenge Trump to follow Joe's lead in condemning violence is truly mind-blowing. Trump and his administration, along with House Republicans, constantly call for the local Democrat governments to stop crime in their cities. Trump's daily pleas to the Democrat mayors and governors to allow the National Guard to restore law and order fall on deaf ears. In late July, the mayors of 15 major cities, including Chicago, Portland, D.C., Atlanta, Los Angeles, Detroit, and Baltimore, rejected deployment of federal forces. Following their propaganda guru Joseph Goebbels, who claimed that "if you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it," the Democrats all of a sudden have noticed that the unrest is causing people lots of trouble, and Joe Biden is on his back foot on it. Not surprisingly, Democrats refuse to take responsibility and call out the Democrats in charge of the riot-tormented cities. Thus, Joe Biden's deputy campaign manager, Kate Bedingfield, blames President Trump for "[t]rying to incite violence this entire summer." Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.) blasted the president's scheduled visit to Kenosha, Wis.: "I think his visit has one purpose and one purpose only, that is to agitate things and make things [worse]," she said. House intelligence chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) echoed Bass's sentiment: "The president is willfully fanning the flames of this fire[.] ... [H]e sees this violence and his ability to agitate more of it as useful to this campaign. What it does to the country, the loss of life, he doesn't care." It's like saying Trump doesn't care about the economy his main and most valuable achievement and then blaming him for "running economy into the ground," as Kamala Harris stated all while the Democrats did everything to obstruct the business reopening in their states. The Democrat-organized protests that ran amok are now badly backfiring. There is excessive evidence of how left-wing thugs destroy everything around themselves. They are very inclusive, we must give them that they rarely discriminate against their victims based on skin color or political affiliation. It is not Trump's America they are destroying. It is the people's America. What will be built in its place is described in the Biden-Sander manifesto, a far-left statement of doctrine Karl Marx would applaud. Follow Veronika Kyrylenko, Ph.D. on Twitter or LinkedIn. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-05 00:38:23|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WUHAN, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- A delegation of 40 chief executive officers and senior executives from 20 multinational companies' China branches on Friday visited Wuhan, a city once hit hard by COVID-19. About 40 corporate representatives from the companies including Panasonic, the Thales Group, Dow, Nokia, Citibank, BHP Billiton and Amway, visited several places including the Wuhan National Bio-industry Base and an optical fiber and cable manufacturer. They also attended a seminar with local officials on topics such as future business development in Hubei Province. "The 20 multinational companies donated 150 million yuan (about 21.9 million U.S. dollars) worth of materials and cash to Wuhan after the COVID-19 epidemic hit the city," said Lin Songtian, head of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. The visit, this time for cooperation and exchanges, shows these companies' recognition and support for Wuhan and China's resumption of work and production, Lin said. Enditem Parents locked down in Melbourne can rejoice after a little-known rule revealed they are entitled to an extra hour of exercise with their children. Stage Four restrictions enforced in the coronavirus-riddled city mean residents can only exercise for one hour a day and with only one other person. But a rule that has been clarified on the Department of Health's website has now indicated parents can go for an additional hour of exercise with their children. 'Parents or carers of children can take their children for one hour of active outdoor play outside the home,' the DHHS website says. 'This is separate to the one hour of exercise allowed for parents or carers each day.' Locked down parents in Melbourne are entitled to an additional hour of exercise with their children (pictured, a family exercises in a Melbourne park on August 26) Melbourne residents can only leave their homes to exercise, to give or receive care, work or study or for necessary shopping (pictured woman running in the Tan on August 24) The website also said to reduce the risk of spreading the killer virus, only the minimum number of parents or carers should accompany the child. The huge revelation comes five weeks into the lockdown which has seen residents stuck inside their homes only permitted to leave for four reasons. These include to exercise, to give or receive care, work or study and for necessary shopping. The strict Stage Four restrictions were imposed on August 2 with Premier Daniel Andrews saying all exercise was to be done within the neighbourhood. 'Recreational activity is no longer allowed, you'll be allowed to have one hour of exercise no further than 5km from your home that means it's fresh air, it's a jog, it's a walk, it is in you local neighbourhood,' he said. Residents in Melbourne can only exercise for one hour each day and with only one other person (pictured, residents go for a walk in Geelong on August 14) Cyclists keep 1.5 metre distance while riding along St Kilda Beach on Thursday A DHHS spokesperson said the exercise rule was not new but would benefit workers who have changing schedules like frontline workers. It comes as Mr Andrews is expected to announce the state's road map out of lockdown on Sunday. A leaked top secret draft for the city's exit road map earlier revealed the government's plan to extend the 8pm-5am curfew and keep restrictions on businesses for an additional two weeks. The Victorian government however said the road map was 'out of date'. According to the leaked documents, residents will be given the luxury of two hours of exercise a day, which can be split into two sessions, from September 14 - the official date Stage Four comes to an end. The clarified exercise rule will benefit parents and carers who have altering work schedules (pictured woman walks near the Tan in Melbourne last month) A woman is seen enjoying her one hour of daily exercise in Melbourne on Wednesday Single people and single parents would also be given the right to have a nominated visitor at their home. According to the report, which was obtained by the Herald Sun, that from September 28, up to five people, including children, from up to two households will be allowed to meet outdoors for social interaction. Outdoor personal training would be allowed for up to two people per trainer and outdoor pools will open for exercise for up to 20 people at a time. Victoria recorded 76 new COVID-19 infections and 11 deaths on Saturday. Islamabad: Taliban officials say a senior delegation returned early Saturday to Qatar, paving the way for the start of peace talks with the Afghan government that are expected to take place in the tiny Gulf state. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. The negotiations are the second, critical part to a peace deal the U.S. signed with the Taliban in February in Doha. Washington has ramped up pressure on Afghans on both sides of the conflict to get started with their negotiations to decide what a post-war Afghanistan might look like, how rights of women and minorities would be protected, and how the tens of thousands of armed Taliban and government-allied militias are disarmed and re-integrated. The U.S. Security Adviser Robert OBrien had a long call with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani last week. American officials have also pressed neighboring Pakistan to get the Taliban to the table. Relentless delays over the exchange of prisoners 5,000 held by the Afghan government and 1,000 by the Taliban have hindered efforts to get intra-Afghan talks started. In late August, a delegation led by the Talibans political office head and the chief negotiator of the February deal with the United States, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar came to Pakistan. While little was revealed about the details of his meetings with Pakistani officials, it is believed he was pressed to get started with intra-Afghan talks. With many of the Taliban leadership council living in Pakistan, Islamabad has been pressed by Washington to use its influence to push negotiations forward. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has repeatedly said he wants peace talks started and that a military solution for Afghanistan is an impossibility. Pakistani officials reportedly met a second time with Baradar on Friday before his return to Doha again pressing for a swift start to Afghan peace talks, it is believed. U.S. and Afghan officials have both said they want to see a reduction in violence in the conflict going into talks with the Taliban, but the militant group maintains that a cease-fire would only be on the agenda once talks begin. Washingtons February agreement with the Taliban was reached to allow the exit of American troops after nearly 20 years at war in keeping with a promise President Donald Trump made during the 2016 U.S. election campaign. The withdrawal, which has already begun, is not dependent on the success of the Afghan negotiations but rather on commitments made by the Taliban to fight terrorist groups and ensure Afghanistan cannot be used to attack America or its allies. _______ Associated Press Writer Rahim Faiez in Kabul, Afghanistan, contributed to this report Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor An India bound vessel from Kuwait with a crude shipment that caught fire off the Sri Lankan coast has been towed to safe waters while fire fighting continues and there has been no oil slick, defence authorities said here on Saturday. The blaze in the oil tanker, which also bore the brunt of two explosions and a two metre crack, has now subsided, they said. Indian Coast Guard and Sri Lankan ships and aircraft along with tug ALP Winger successfully towed MT New Diamond more than 35 NM (Nautical Mile) away from Sri Lanka coast to safe waters. Fire Fighting continues and fire now reduced. No oil slick reported, a defence release said. An oil tanker carrying crude from Kuwait to India burst into flames off the eastern coast of Sri Lanka on Thursday, leaving one of its 24 crew members missing and another injured while explosions and a crack was noticed on September 4. The Panama registered tanker New Diamond was carrying 2,70,000 tonnes of crude oil from Kuwait to India when its engine room caught fire off the coast of Sangamankanda in the eastern district of Ampara. Indian and Sri Lankan authorities are liaisoning continuously to put off the fire expeditiously and they have deployed various assets for the purpose. An Indian Coast Guard Dornier aircraft (with Oil Spill Dispersants and Pollution Response Spray pods)was sent from here on Friday for aerial assessment and to tackle oil spill if any. ANN ARBOR, MI The big, red, stormy-skied mural Gary Horton is painting in downtown Ann Arbor was commissioned back in March on what he calls the last day of normal. A statewide shutdown, due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, would soon follow. Stuck in his house, with a toilet paper shortage weighing heavily on his mind, the Ypsilanti artist said he and his wife decided to have a kitchen dance party to let loose. This is something weve done for years, but under these circumstances, it was a break from fear, he said. Thats the inspiration behind Hortons latest work taking shape on the side of an old building off First Street next to Circ bar. The mural is titled Not afraid to dance. Its one of several murals coming alive downtown as part of the Ann Arbor Art Centers A2AC Murals program, which raised more than $50,000 through a crowdfunding campaign with a $50,000 match from the Michigan Economic Development Corp. Three murals are in progress now. Another on the side of the Blind Pig and 8 Ball Saloon by Chris Dokebi Sammons, featuring some mischievous goblins with venue-appropriate accessories, was recently completed. Several others are starting soon. Another mural was recently completed behind the Potbelly sandwich shop at State and Liberty streets. The one was commissioned by building owner Oxford Companies. New Liberty Street mural links University of Michigan life, Ann Arbor culture Horton, an Ann Arbor native who went to art school in Pittsburgh and worked in California before returning to Michigan in 2005, discussed his mural on his fourth day of painting Friday, Sept. 4, standing atop a hydraulic lift with brush in hand. Hes working around the clock in hopes of finishing by Saturday night. Its going to have all of my little robot characters and these stormy skies and this overwhelming background, he said, noting the storm clouds represent the COVID-19 pandemic times. But these guys are going to be dancing. Gary Horton shows the design for his mural off First Street in downtown Ann Arbor, titled "Not afraid to dance," on his first day of painting, Sept. 1, 2020. He's working with the existing rough texture of the wall to create a stormy-skied scene representative of COVID-19 pandemic times.Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News A block over, University of Michigan student group Live in Color was just getting started on its mural behind the Art Center, painting over a mural previously there. A couple more blocks away, Detroit-based artist W.C. Bevan was on his second day of work on a new mural across from the Ann Street entrance to the Ann/Ashley parking deck. Hes using stencils and black spray paint to create a patterned design over a white background, complete with a shape guide in the corner showing the different stencil shapes and names of local youth who designed them as part of the Community Action Networks CAN Art and Design program. I usually use a lot of stencils in my work, Bevan said, adding he sought the help of local youth to come up with shapes to involve the community in the project. They supplied probably 30 shapes altogether. I was really going for 10, so I narrowed it down. Detroit-based artist W.C. Bevan at work on a new mural on Ann Street in downtown Ann Arbor on Sept. 4, 2020. He's using stencil shapes designed by local youth.Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News Bevan said hes thankfully had a lot of work as an artist during the pandemic. Ive had so much, its ridiculous, he said. I think everybody got healthy tax breaks, especially in the upper bracket, and theyre just spending willy nilly. Horton said hes also been fortunate. Work has actually picked up, I think, because of the pandemic, he said. Outdoor spaces are becoming more featured and so what I do is becoming more of a need. Horton expressed thanks to everyone who donated to the mural campaign. I get to live my dream because of you guys, he said. The Art Center has nine new murals scheduled through October, including the four in various stages of completion. We are actively working to grow that number and look forward to letting the community know if and when that becomes a reality, said Jeremy Wheeler, the centers marketing manager. Other murals still coming include one by Noah Kaplan at 315 W. Huron St., one by Taylor White at Clinc, one by Ouizi at 200 S. Ashley St., one by Avery Williamson at the old Vogels building and one by Nina Shahin at Spencer. Read more about the project. MORE FROM THE ANN ARBOR NEWS: Whats the scoop with the big dig behind the downtown Ann Arbor federal building? These 12 proposals are on the November 2020 ballot in Washtenaw County Expert explains cleanup plan for Ann Arbor dioxane plume in 7 new videos 30-foot Black Lives Matter mural painted in Ann Arbors Graffiti Alley Hidden mural from 1800s discovered in downtown Ann Arbor storefront Police handicapped by interference with law and order View(s): Law and order can suffer due to various factors bearing on the process of law and order. Law and order is for public good, common to all society at large, which idea therefore engages the total meaning and purpose of its prescription for good governance. So it has been and yet intended to be. But that cherished ideal has been changed and brought down to a technical and bureaucratic practice in the general reckoning in the current state of affairs in Sri Lanka. In effect, law and order is now a police task separate from tasks of others for good governance. Others in the process stand removed a distance away from the function of law and orderothers being the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary. These others are not identified with, nor do they involve themselves in the task of law and order in any effective way, nor do they strive to bear any responsibility for the discharge of the function of law and order. Courts delay, uncalled for interference by the Executive, and the Legislature holding back necessary law, undermine law and order. That duty is thereby left to the police to go it alone. Standing by themselves alone is no easy task for the police to serve law and order. Various influences weigh heavily on the police along the way. These influences have a bearing on the police task in so many devious ways. The intention in this article is limited to only identifying just some of the problems that the police encounter in the legal process. Here again, only a few instances are cited due to space constraints. Investigation by Police is not assured of achieving its purpose for law and order, once the investigation has been handed over to the other agencies in the existing system. When delay and expense is heavily incurred in the subsequent process, maintaining effective law and order is gravely prejudiced to the police task for law and order. Crime cases postponed in courts for months and years ending with a desultory decision imposing crown costs etc., plainly undermine the process for law and order. Procrastination as a regular practice does not help law and order. Worse still, is the situation in which such easy postponements are contrived with incentives that smack of corruption. There is much incentive for delay and repeated postponement, but little disincentive for such practices. Deterrence to crime, by way of law and order, have to wait while other interests work through, interests other than for effective law and order. The other instance is where police action for law and order is stymied by the law itself. Thus the law of compounding of minor cases at police stations that stood for over 150 years was changed to reduce it of its end effect for law and order, by reducing its acquittal to one of discharge in 1983, a change made at the instance of law professionals, not at the urgings of the community, nor at the request of the Police. Victims and their witnesses to crime understand only too well their lot in the peace process, that their place is relegated to little relevance in favour of the more important others in the courts. Significantly, the parallel law in India remains unchanged to date. There are yet many other instances of law changes which inhibit or do not promote law and order. If volume of work is the problem the enlistment of means outside the courts offers a prospect. But monopoly considerations hamper the thought for such initiatives for collective and contributory justice. These are not itemised further due to space constraints. It is easy to see that law and order, relegated to the Police only, has now to face complications in trying to serve the common good of law and order. Unfortunately these impediments are brought in the wake of other motivations. And that too, as experienced in the last three/four decades, was not seen through the 150 years since inception. The problem is that other considerations, considerations less than the public common good and the public interest, have loomed larger over the justice arena. Militarisation of Police duties more recently, has added to the vicissitudes of police action for law and order. The obstacle to Economic Development when law and order fail is aptly explained by Dr Nimal Sandaratne in his column in the Sunday Times of August 30, 2020. He says: Ensuring law and order and the rule of law is one of the most important preconditions for economic development. The rule of law means not only the enforcement of law to ensure peace and orderly life of the community, but also equal justice for all. Without these the economy will not take-off as the investment climate will not be conducive for foreign and domestic investment. In the same column is a very telling cartoon: Isnt this what President said in his speech to Parliament? Reply-The proof of the pudding is in the eating of it. Yes, the President has now to walk his talk. The above outlined interferences with law and order, should help him stem the tide. (The writer is a Retired Senior Superintendent of Police. He can becontacted at seneviratnetz@gmail.com) KYODO NEWS - Sep 4, 2020 - 21:12 | All, Japan, Coronavirus, World British drugmaker AstraZeneca Plc said Friday it has started clinical trials of a COVID-19 vaccine candidate in Japan, as it plans to begin supplying the vaccine in the country in the first quarter of next year. The testing of the vaccine AZD1222, which is being developed with the University of Oxford, will be carried out at multiple facilities targeting about 250 people aged 18 and older, according to AstraZeneca. The drugmaker agreed in August with the Japanese government to supply 120 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine, and it plans to supply 30 million of those between January and March next year. AstraZeneca has been conducting similar clinical trials in Britain, Brazil, South Africa and the United States. Japan also agreed to receive a vaccine by the end of June next year from U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. and its German partner BioNTech SE. Japan has confirmed over 70,000 cases of the new coronavirus, which causes the COVID-19 respiratory disease, and more than 1,300 deaths. Credit: CC0 Public Domain Researchers from Florida State University are shedding light on nutrient levels in the Gulf of Mexico with new findings published this month in the Journal of Geophysical ResearchOceans. The Gulf of Mexico receives considerable levels of nutrients from the rivers that empty into it, especially the Mississippi River, which causes the Gulf's northern shelf waters to become overly enriched and more susceptible to algae growth. But scientists have remained unsure whether a significant portion of those nutrients ever leave the Gulf to potentially impact the chemistry of the North Atlantic Ocean. "The Gulf of Mexico is an economically important body of water, as the surrounding areas rely on it for tourism, fisheries and oil production, and it also has significant ecological diversity," said Samantha Howe, a graduate student in the College of Arts and Sciences' Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science, who led the research. "It is important to track the nutrient input from the Mississippi and Atchafalaya River System to the Gulf as those nutrients contribute to harmful algal blooms on the Northern Gulf Shelf." Researchers found no evidence that nitrate from the Mississippi-Atchafalaya River System is mixing across the Northern Gulf shelf into the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The findings are consistent with recent modeling work by fellow scientists that indicates 90 percent of Mississippi River nutrients are retained in the near-shore ecosystem, which implies that nutrients from the Mississippi River do not leave the Gulf. "In order to assess and manage ecological challenges in the Gulf, it is critical to understand whether the nutrients are processed and retained nearshore or whether they are transported to the North Atlantic," Howe said. "This finding is valuable to know, as these ecosystems must harbor the nutrient burden." To conduct the study, the team collected and analyzed water samples taken during four different research cruises to the Gulf and the Florida Straits from 2011 to 2018. The research is the first ever to provide isotopic composition measurements of nitrate in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as a new isotopic profile from the Florida Straits. These new water column profiles were then compared with prior measurements from the North and South Atlantic and with the magnitude of nitrogen inputs to the Gulf. Howe, who earned her bachelor's degree in environmental science from FSU in Spring 2019, is now pursuing her master's in aquatic environmental science. She began the nutrient research as part of her honors undergraduate thesis while working in the research lab of study co-author, Associate Professor of Oceanography Angela Knapp. "Samantha's thesis looked for distinct geochemical signatures of nitrate from the Mississippi River and whether this nitrate made it off the Northern Gulf of Mexico shelf into the deep waters of the Gulf that mix with the Loop Current and leave via the Florida Straits to enter the North Atlantic," Knapp said. Howe's collaborators on the study include co-authors Knapp and Carlos Miranda, a 2017 graduate of the FSU Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the FSU Department of Biological Science, and colleagues from the University of Southern Mississippi and the University of New Hampshire. "This work has important implications for understanding the fate of nutrients from the Mississippi Atchafalaya River System and how to manage human inputs to coastal ecosystems," Knapp said. More information: Samantha Howe et al, The Dual Isotopic Composition of Nitrate in the Gulf of Mexico and Florida Straits, Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans (2020). Samantha Howe et al, The Dual Isotopic Composition of Nitrate in the Gulf of Mexico and Florida Straits,(2020). DOI: 10.1029/2020JC016047 Kansas City Gossips About Jessica Krug's Local Glory Days Local leaders react to Jessica Krug revealing she was pretending to be Black OVERLAND PARK, KS (KCTV) -- Many are still talking about a story we covered in our news last night where Jessica Krug, an Overland Park native and associate professor of African American history, admitted she's been pretending to be Black for her entire career. White Wash Postscript George Washington professor, KC native's racial hoax claim stokes anger WASHINGTON - George Washington University is investigating the case of a history professor who allegedly admitted to fraudulently pretending to be a Black woman for her entire career. In a blog post that has gained international attention, a writer claiming to be Jessica Krug, a GW associate professor of history, writes that she is in fact a white Jewish woman from suburban Kansas City. Faker Class Cancelled Professor who posed as black 'won't teach classes' A US academic who said she lied about being black will not teach classes this semester, George Washington University has confirmed. Jessica Krug, an associate professor whose work focuses on Africa and the African diaspora, admitted in a blog post that she was in fact a white Jewish woman from Kansas City. Jess La Bombera Busted Jessica Krug also pretended to be South Bronx Puerto Rican, borough activist says Bogus "black" college professor Jessica Krug also tried to pass herself off as a Puerto Rican from the South Bronx - but her lousy salsa dancing made her suspect, a borough activist told The Post on Friday. Fam Seyz They Were Fooled Jessica Krug's sister-in-law says they found out from the media that she lied about being Black Jessica A. Krug, an associate professor at George Washington University, of African and Latin American studies who portrayed herself as Black her entire professional career has now revealed she is White. Political Hothead History Jessica Krug tried to hold flag-burning event in high school, ex-classmate says Jessica Krug, the white college professor who faked being black, started out as a politically active student at one of Kansas City's most prestigious schools and once tried to organize a flag-burning event, the mayor of Kansas City, a former classmate, told The Post on Friday. Swagger Jack Push Back When White People Pretend to Be Black, It's Dangerous | HipLatina The recent controversy surrounding the white professor, activist, and writer Jessica Krug has highlighted the complexity of the obstacles Black Latinas face. For Black Latinas, identity is a fraught issue because we defy the comfortable that most people prefer. Are we Latina? Yes. Are we Black? Yes. This story deserves another mention if only because the outraging over faking it reminded us that disgraced locals will be vividly remembered by Kansas City acquaintances if only to cast judgement and share a bit of the spotlight.Read more . . .Developing . . . She recently revealed she is 'so fussy it's unreal' when it comes to romance. But Imogen Thomas appeared to be put her dating woes aside as she put on a leggy display in knee-high boots for a night out with friends in London on Friday. The model, 37, looked sensational in an off-shoulder orange smock dress to complement her bronzed complexion as she stepped out for the glam occasion. Wow: Imogen Thomas, 37, put her dating woes aside as she put on a leggy display in knee-high boots for a night out at Beach Blanket Babylon in Notting Hill, London with friends on Friday Finishing her look, Imogen toted a black quilted Chanel handbag, as she headed out for the evening with pals for at night at Beach Blanket Babylon in Notting Hill. She styled her puff-sleeve ensemble with black leather boots offering a glimpse of her toned sun-kissed pins. The star accentuated her pretty features with a dash of highlighter on her cheekbones and metallic bronze eyeshadow for the outing with her close two. Amazing: The star accentuated her pretty features with a dash of highlighter on her cheekbones and metallic bronze eyeshadow for the outing Chic: She styled her puff-sleeve ensemble with black leather boots and offered a glimpse of her toned sun-kissed pins Keeping all eyes on her figure, Imogen scraped her brunette locks up into a neat bun and styled the front of her tresses into a sleek centre parting. Single-mother Imogen, who has two daughters with ex-partner Adam Horsley, recently admitted no one has been 'good enough' to introduce to her children. She said in an interview with new! magazine last month: 'I cut guys off more than I eat hot dinners. 'I'm savage and I'm not very nice to guys. I don't even know what I want myself, but I will know when he comes along.' Glow: Keeping all eyes on her figure, Imogen scraped her brunette locks up into a neat bun Fun: Imogen looked glamorous as she stepped out for the evening with pals in the capital Close: The model styled the front of her tresses into a sleek centre parting as she headed out for the night with her two friends Beauty: The reality star, who rose to fame on Big Brother in 2006, opted for simple gold accessories The reality star, who rose to fame on Big Brother in 2006, also said lockdown has 'rebooted' her dating life. Imogen, who is a member of exclusive dating app Raya, explained how she is 'bored' of swiping and admitted there are a lot of people that she has dubbed 'Raya Players'. The model, who split from former partner Adam in 2018 following a six-year relationship, also said she is cautious of introducing someone to her daughters Ariana, seven, and Siera, four. Kanye West has filed to appear on the ballot in Kentucky (Jonathan Brady/PA) Rapper and music producer Kanye West has filed to run for US president on Kentuckys ballot. The news was revealed in a tweet from Secretary of State Michael Adams which showed part of Wests application. He wrote: Our staff are diligently reviewing this filing, including an estimated 19,000 petition signatures, to determine whether Mr. West has qualified to appear. Yep. pic.twitter.com/YyCP7QxqjL KY Secretary of State Michael Adams (@KYSecState) September 4, 2020 It follows a decision this week to bar West from appearing on Arizonas ballot, saying a voter who challenged his candidacy had shown he would probably prevail in the legal dispute. West, who once backed Republican President Donald Trump, announced earlier that he had broken with Mr Trump and would launch his own presidential bid. His campaign filed paperwork on July 15 with the Federal Election Commission. West has qualified to appear on the ballot in states including Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Tennessee and Utah, but did not qualify in Ohio, Montana, West Virginia, Wisconsin and other states, though he has filed lawsuits challenging some of those decisions. Critics suggest Wests last-minute bid and the apparent Republican support it has received is a ploy to take votes from Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, especially in key swing states. Representatives for West have brushed aside that criticism. Fiona McDonald considers herself a "prime example" of how girls are being dudded by not being informed what a great career a trade can provide. "I got careers advice and it steered me into interior design ... I hated it!" says Ms McDonald, who found her vocation in the auto industry after male mechanics came into the cafe she worked in as a student asking if she knew any guys who'd like a two-week trial. Fiona McDonald, a motor mechanic and head of Tradeswomen Australia, is encouraging women to get into trades in the construction-led economic recovery. Credit:Jason South She did the trial herself and fell in love with the "problem solving" and systems analysis of diagnosing what is not right with an engine. Still, Ms McDonald, now executive director of Tradeswomen Australia, despairs at the number of women in her field. In unprecedented remarks, Mohammad Baqer Nobakht, the Vice President of Iran and Head of the Budget and Planning Organization, lamented that "Tehran cannot sell even a drop of oil." Speaking at a meeting in the Hamedan Province of Iran, the Iranian government's official news agency, IRNA, quoted Nobakht on Thursday as saying, "Everyone, especially the Islamic Republic's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, knows that we have a tough year ahead." Referring to the Americans as "executioners devoid of justice," Nobakht continued, "The most severe stage of the (U.S.) sanctions was oil for food, but now we are in a situation where these 'unjust hangmen' do not even allow us to sell a drop of oil to buy food and medicine." Furthermore, Nobakht complained that even when oil is sold, Tehran cannot make the relevant financial transaction and receive its money. However, as Nobakht asserted listeners, "We must send a message to the enemy [US] that the harder sanctions make us more resilient and active in running the country under cruel sanctions despite all the hardships." After establishing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) 2015 nuclear deal alongside other world powers, the U.S. withdrew from the agreement in 2018, and devastating economic sanctions were subsequently reimposed on Iran. The White House also suspended oil waivers in May 2019, threatening Iranian oil buyers with severe punishments. Nevertheless, Radio Farda's data provided by an international data intelligence company, Kpler, shows that Iran still sells crude oil in a limited way and through covert means. So far, no report has been published on how Tehran has managed to receive money for its crude.oil sales. Based on IRNA's report, Nobakht cited Khamenei's prediction that 2020 will see a '"jump in [domestic] production," saying, "we will mutate the national production regardless of the sanctions." Nobakht's claim runs counter to the fact that Iran's economic growth is negative for the third consecutive year. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Iran's GDP this year compared with the previous year will decrease by about eighteen percent. Data provided by the Statistics Center of Iran (SCI) also show that the country's GDP in the second quarter of 2020, compared with the same period last year, shrunk 3.5 percent. The decline in Iran's oil production has been called the most significant factor in the sharp decline in Iran's GDP. The added value of Iran's oil and gas production in 2019's second quarter decreased by 35% and in 2020 again production numbers dipped again, about 15 percent. Oher sectors of the Iranian economy, including the service sector with a share of almost 50 percent in the total Iranian economy, also faced negative growth in 2020's second quarter, declining 3.5 percent. OPEC statistics show that Iran's oil production halved to 1.9 million barrels per day (BPD) following the U.S. sanctions in 2018. Kpler also told Radio Farda on September 2 that the average Iranian oil export in the first eight months of the current year was 287,000 BPD. Iran's oil exports before the U.S. sanctions against the Islamic Republic were 2.5 million BPD, almost nine times more than the current volume. China and Syria are the only countries openly buying Iranian oil, though international oil tanker-tracker companies say that Iran sells its oil clandestinely under other countries' names, including Malaysia and Indonesia. It remains unclear how Iran is reimbursed for the deals, considering international banks diligently block any payments to Iran for the fear of being punished by the United States for violating the sanctions. OPEC estimated Iran's crude and oil products export revenues totaled about $18 billion last year, compared to $60 billion in 2018. Iran's economy is already under severe pressure by U.S. economic sanctions, which have stopped Iran's oil exports and other trade relations. On Friday, August 7, Mohammad-Baqer Nobakht admitted in the second quarter of 2020, only six percent of predicted revenues from the sale of oil materialized. KYODO NEWS - Sep 4, 2020 - 17:21 | World, All, Coronavirus The annual summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum will be held online Dec. 4 due to the coronavirus pandemic, an Asian diplomatic source said Friday. The APEC summit was originally scheduled to be held Nov. 12. But, Malaysia, the current chair of the regional forum, has decided to postpone it by about three weeks and hold it virtually, according to the source. The source added that the leaders of the 21 member economies are expected to hold their meetings either during midday hours or in the evening Kuala Lumpur time. Malaysia is expected to formally announce the date soon. The host's original plan, drawn up before the pandemic, was for an in-person summit to be held in Kuala Lumpur and neighboring Putrajaya on Nov. 12. But as the pandemic has made international travel difficult with no end in sight to the global spread of the virus, the country later decided to host the gathering online, according to multiple sources familiar with the plan. Still, one of the main challenges for Malaysia in organizing a virtual summit would be "how to accommodate leaders across all the time zones," with members spanning several continents, one of the sources said. APEC, which accounts for about 60 percent of world gross domestic product and about 48 percent of world trade, groups Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam. For Malaysia, the decision to hold the APEC summit this year did not come easy. According to one diplomatic source, Malaysia had initially wanted to postpone its hosting of the summit until next year. "Malaysia had wanted to continue its chairmanship into 2021 because the pandemic makes it difficult to do ministers or leaders meetings, the source said. But New Zealand, which will take over from Malaysia as the next chair of APEC for next year, was not keen on the idea. Thailand, which will chair APEC in 2022, was also unwilling to wait another year, according to the source. In fact, the source said, New Zealand has already informed member economies that the summit it is due to host next year will be virtual. As it opts to host an online summit, another challenge facing Malaysia, another source said, will be to negotiate a leaders' declaration "virtually when leaders and their delegates are unable to hold pull-aside meetings and communicate directly in person." This year marks the end of the "Bogor Goals," agreed upon by APEC leaders in 1994 for the region to achieve free and open trade and investment by 2010 for industrialized economies and by 2020 for its developing member economies. At this year's summit, the leaders are expected to launch a Post-2020 Vision for the regional forum. Malaysia is in charge of drafting the statement. APEC trade ministers already met virtually on July 25 and pledged to work to ensure a free flow of essential goods to fight against the pandemic, which has wreaked havoc on the global economy. Related coverage: New Zealand to host "virtual APEC" in 2021 due to virus concerns Tokyo abandons numerical targets to fight coronavirus Ontarios education minister is aiming to reassure parents that his provinces school reopening plan is different than Quebecs, where 47 schools have at least one case of COVID-19 since opening. Stephen Lecce reacted Saturday to a report from the Quebec government that showed dozens of schools including preschool, elementary, secondary and adult career centres reported one or more infections between Aug. 26 and Sept. 3. Lecce noted that Ontario has mandated masking in classrooms while Quebec has not, and said more than 600 public health nurses will be stationed in schools this fall. We have unique differentiators in this province that they do not, Lecce said of Quebec. I wouldnt draw a parallel. Not all things are equal. Speaking at an event in Toronto, Lecce urged parents to actively screen their children for virus symptoms before sending them to school. With just days to go before classes start at some Ontario schools, the Ford government has faced increasing pressure over its COVID-19 back-to-school plan. School boards, teachers unions and some parents have called on the government to mandate smaller class sizes to ensure physical distancing is possible in the classroom and provide funding to make it happen. Premier Doug Ford has repeatedly defended the plan, which he said has been put together with the help of medical experts. Last week, the government released new guidance on how to deal with potential COVID-19 outbreaks in schools. It emphasizes prevention and at-home screening, while teachers and principals will be asked to isolate any child that develops symptoms at school. Public health officials will be given discretion to send entire cohorts of students home from school, or potentially close schools, if they feel that is the best way to manage an outbreak. In an interview with The Canadian Press on Friday, Lecce didnt rule out taking further action if the situation in schools changes in the coming weeks, adding that if a challenge arises, we will be decisive. But Lecce would not say what form that action could take. Week after week weve added more levels of protection, he said. Our aim is to prevent that type of disruption ... The premier and I have also indicated that we will continue to take action to further improve the safety of our schools based on the advice of the medical community. But NDP education critic Marit Stiles said the government has been anything but decisive in its approach to reopening the provinces schools, changing plans regularly and confusing parents and educators alike. The news out of Quebec will just added to the stress parents are feeling this weekend, Stiles said. What Im hearing over and over is people are very anxious, she said. I imagine a lot of people will be talking about this over the Labour Day weekend and maybe revisiting their plans. Stiles said Ontario has yet to address key safety concerns about its plan, including the need to physically distance in the classroom. Are we as ready as (Quebec)? Is this going to happen here? I really hope not, she said. But I do think that the big issue thats outstanding is the physical distancing part. Ontario reported 169 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, with Peel Region, Toronto and Ottawa each reporting dozens of new diagnoses. There were also 106 cases newly marked as resolved in the provincewide report. The total number of cases in Ontario now stands at 43,003, which includes 2,811 deaths and 38,847 cases marked as resolved. Health Minister Christine Elliott said Peel Region is reporting 46 new cases, Toronto has 42 and Ottawa has 30 new cases. She said 28 of the provinces 34 public health units are reporting five or fewer new cases. The province was able to complete 28,672 tests over the previous day. Read more about: